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.

Excerpt from The Reluctant Countess by Wendy Vella

Today's excerpt is from a forthcoming historical romance by Wendy Vella. I like the colors in the cover but I wish there were more contrast between the blues.  If you like Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn or Sabrina Jeffries, you’ll probably enjoy Vella’s fluid writing and witty style. Next month, on the 18th, I'll have a guest post from Vella and several copies to giveaway so if you enjoy the excerpt, come back then.

The Reluctant Countess
Author: Wendy Vella
Publisher: Loveswept
ISBN: 978-0-345-54007-2
Formats: ebook
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Release Date: January 14, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon   Random   Barnes & Noble 

Book Blurb (from publisher):

From rising romance star 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.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: "The Escape Diaries", "The Devil’s Thief", and "The Magic".

Vella ReluctantCountess Final

The Devil's Thief Book Trailer

The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane releases soon, on November 12th, so Random House kindly sent out this book trailer to pique out interest. You may recall that I recently interviewed Ms. Kane and I also posted an excerpt.

What did you think? I didn't love it, I wish they had used real people in it and the music maybe could have been a little sassier but I think it gives a good idea of what the book is about.

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.

Giveaway of The Recruit by Monica McCarty

Random House and Bea's Book Nook have teamed up again for an excerpt and giveaway, this time for a historical romance. "The Recruit" by Monica McCarty is the sixth book in her Highland Guard series.

The Recruit
By: Jessica Scott
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780345528414
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, HISTORICAL
Format: MMP, ebook
Length: 432 pages
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from publisher):  

Scotland’s King Robert the Bruce is retaking his kingdom from the invading English. To win, he’ll need all the grit and courage of his elite band of warriors, the Highland Guard, men who fight without fear and love without limits.

Fiery, aggressive, and bold, Kenneth Sutherland is a true champion—skilled with any weapon and driven to win. Now Kenneth is ready for his greatest challenge: joining Robert the Bruce’s secret army to fight among the elite. Kenneth’s best chance to attain that honor is by winning the Highland Games. Focused and prepared for victory, he is caught off guard by a lovely wisp of a woman—and a stolen moment of wicked seduction. Her innocent arousal and her shameless hunger fire his blood. He will win his place in the guard—and in Mary of Mar’s bed. 

 The ruggedly handsome hero-in-the-making stirs a heart that should know better. Mary vows that her surrender will be sport only—no promises, no heartbreak, just one night of incredible passion. Nothing, she swears, will persuade her to give up her hard-wrought independence and put her fate in the hands of another powerful man. But with every gentle touch and heart-pounding kiss, Kenneth makes her want more. Now Mary wants his heart. But is this determined champion willing to surrender everything for love?

Excerpt from The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane

Random House's Loveswept line is venturing into historical romance and the first one is "The Devil's Thief" by Samantha Kane. I've been slowly getting back into historical romance, after years away from it and this one sounds like one I might try. I'm a sucker for the Robin Hood story. Thank you Random for the excerpt!

The Devil's Thief
By: Samantha Kane
Publisher: LOVESWEPT 
ISBN: 978-0-345-53791-1
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, REGENCY
Format: EBOOK
Release Date: November 12, 2012
Buying Links:   Amazon   Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb (from publisher):


In Samantha Kane’s sensual tale of wicked passion, a desperate woman must resort to burglary—but the beautiful thief ends up stealing the heart of a rogue.

The daughter of a reformed jewel thief, Julianna Harte knows a thing or two about stealth. When the foundling home she provides for finds itself in dire financial straits, Julianna is forced to do the unthinkable. In a bit of misguided Robin Hood derring-do, she slips through the window of a wealthy rake to search for a treasure she knows is there: an invaluable pearl. But when the towering and very naked occupant of the moonlit bedroom ambushes her with a bargain—a night in his bed in exchange for the pearl—Julianna doesn’t know if it’s masculine heat or sheer desperation that makes his terms so tempting.

Alasdair Sharpe had no intention of keeping his end of the bargain. Planning to offer his little cat burglar carte blanche instead, he promptly loses himself in the delights of unexpected pleasure. But when he awakes the next morning to find his family heirloom gone, fury quickly replaces sensual languor. Of course, Alasdair is more than willing to use seduction to reclaim his stolen pearl—and find the key to Julianna’s heart.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: About Last Night, Blaze of Winter, and Lana’s Lawman.

The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane, Excerpt

Review of When You Wish Upon A Duke by Isabella Bradford

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Series: Wylder Sisters #1
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Format Read: digital galley
Buying Links:  Amazon     Barnes & Noble     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

In a sparkling new series filled with irresistible charm and sizzling romance, award-winning author Isabella Bradford introduces us to the eldest of three Wylder sisters—unruly country girls whose passion for life leaves their London suitors breathless.

Raised in the Dorset countryside, Lady Charlotte Wylder doesn’t care one bit about well-bred decorum. The dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty would rather ride a horse than attend a stuffy ball. So when Charlotte learns that she is to leave immediately for London to wed the Duke of Marchbourne, a perfect model of aristocratic propriety, she is less than enchanted with her arranged marriage.

But to her delight, their first encounters are brazenly flirtatious, and their wedding night burns with passion. March’s broad shoulders and dark countenance make Charlotte want to rip every button off his waistcoast. She may even be falling in love with her new husband. Yet whenever their desire boils over, March reluctantly pushes Charlotte away. Will past secrets and present misunderstandings mire their marriage in scandal, or serve to strengthen a bond that is destined to last a lifetime?

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I'm not a big historical romance fan; I glommed them in middle school and high school, but not so much since then. Every now and then though I do read one. The blurb for this one immediately caught my eye and the cover is lovely, despite the missing head (what IS with all the headless covers these days?) I'm glad I took a chance; I loved this book and I expect I'll be re-reading it. I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Charlotte and March were engaged as young children but have never met. Charlotte's father died when she was young and they moved to the country. Charlotte has never even been to London nor has her mother ever mentioned an engagement so it comes as a shock to discover that she's engaged. But she determines to make the best of it and do her duty.


March has a tortured past, one that has affected his view on marriage and what is appropriate (well, this is a romance, one of them has to :D) but he too is willing to give the marriage a chance, especially after he engineers an early meeting with Charlotte. He's charmed, she's charmed and the adventure begins. Charlotte is young, a bit immature, but willing to learn and change:

She thought again of her mother, and how, whenever Charlotte and her sisters had quarreled, Mama had always insisted that they pretend they were one another, and see the quarrel through the other's eyes.

Perhaps that was her difficulty with March. Perhaps she had become so wrapped in her own unhappiness that she hadn't bothered to see his.

It takes March a bit longer to see things from Charlotte's perspective but he does seek advice. Both Charlotte and March are likable; they care about each other and about other people, they have a sense of humor, and are eager to try new things. Charlotte's main problem is that she's naive and ignorant of society; March's main problem is that he's too concerned with what society thinks.

No, there was more than that. They both must change. If only they could forget the others crowding round their marriage, offering advice and suggestions and criticisms. If only they could simply be March and Charlotte as lovers, and not the imposing duke and duchess.

"Oh, March," she pleaded softly. "Why can we not always be like this, without a thought for what others think or say? What does our rank or station matter if we love each other?"

He was listening closely, watching her with such intensity that it gave her courage to continue.

"My own husband," she said, reaching up to run her fingertips over his lips. "I only wish to please you, you know. I don't give a tinker's dam for what anyone else might think or say. You're all that matters to me, March. All."

"All?" he repeated, the single word full of wonder. 

"When You Wish Upon A Duke" is a love story. I know, that seems obvious since it's a romance, but so many romances these days have other themes or subplots: a mystery, espionage, subplots with other characters, etc. But in WYWUAD, it's all about Charlotte and March; their learning about each other, their courtship of each other, their ups and downs, their growth. There is a underlying thread about another man, the Marquess of Andover, and his interest in Charlotte which comes to a boil at the end of the story. Although it does help move the story along and sets up the the ending of the story, I didn't feel it was completely necessary.

If you want an emotional, rich, character driven love story, then you need to read "When You Wish Upon A Duke". As I said earlier, I will definitely pick up the next book in the series, "When The Duchess Said Yes".


I received an e-Galley from the publisher for review.

Excerpt from "When You Wish Upon A Duke" by Isabella Bradford

OK, first of all, I LOVE the purples used in this cover; lovely and eye-catching. But. speaking of eyes, where are they? Where's her head? It's mostly chopped of by the title header. Why? While the colors are gorgeous, overall the cover doesn't say romance to me, it says "historical about dress making". Very odd design choice in my not at all humble opinion. But, the purples, they are lovely! They call my name. :D

Book Blurb:

In a sparkling new series filled with irresistible charm and sizzling romance, award-winning author Isabella Bradford introduces us to the eldest of three Wylder sisters—unruly country girls whose passion for life leaves their London suitors breathless.

Raised in the Dorset countryside, Lady Charlotte Wylder doesn’t care one bit about well-bred decorum. The dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty would rather ride a horse than attend a stuffy ball. So when Charlotte learns that she is to leave immediately for London to wed the Duke of Marchbourne, a perfect model of aristocratic propriety, she is less than enchanted with her arranged marriage.

But to her delight, their first encounters are brazenly flirtatious, and their wedding night burns with passion. March’s broad shoulders and dark countenance make Charlotte want to rip every button off his waistcoast. She may even be falling in love with her new husband. Yet whenever their desire boils over, March reluctantly pushes Charlotte away. Will past secrets and present misunderstandings mire their marriage in scandal, or serve to strengthen a bond that is destined to last a lifetime?

Thanks to Random House, I have a review copy sitting on my kindle and you should see a review this month or early next month. In the meantime, to whet your appetite, here is a link to an excerpt. Check it out and then come back and share your impressions. The book is out now, so if you like it, you can buy it immediately

ETA: The original link didn't work; this new one worked for me, please let me know if it doesn't work for you.

Excerpt from The Proposal by Mary Balogh

Mary Balogh has a new book out next week, "The Proposal". I love the colors in the cover, so bright and cheerful. I would definitely pick it up at the store and check it out. It's available in mass market paperback and ebook, though I don't know what cover the ebook has.

Book Blurb:

Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again. But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and emboldens her.

Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges her to be a spoiled, frivolous—if beautiful—aristocrat. He is a gentleman in name only: a soldier whose bravery earned him a title; a merchant’s son who inherited his wealth. He is happiest when working the land, but duty and title now demand that he finds a wife. He doesn’t wish to court Lady Muir, nor have any role in the society games her kind thrives upon. Yet Hugo has never craved a woman more; Gwen’s guileless manner, infectious laugh, and lovely face have ruined him for any other woman. He wants her, but will she have him?

The hard, dour ex-military officer who so gently carried Gwen to safety is a man who needs a lesson in winning a woman’s heart. Despite her cautious nature, Gwen cannot ignore the attraction. As their two vastly different worlds come together, both will be challenged in unforeseen ways. But through courtship and seduction, Gwen soon finds that with each kiss, and with every caress, she cannot resist Hugo’s devotion, his desire, his love, and the promise of forever.

Enjoy!

The Proposal by Mary Balogh

Review of Too Wicked To Wed by Cara Elliott

Publisher: Forever
Release Date: November 1st, 2011
Series: Lords of Midnight
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository
Teaser: All the more reason to gamble at cards:
Her cousin's face took on a greenish cast.  "Be reasonable, Alexa!"

"Why should I?" she shot back.

"B-because it's..." Taken about by the unexpected resistance, Henry was reduced to an incoherent sputtering.  Raking a hand through his hair, he finally gathered enough courage to blurt out the truth. "Bloody hell, Alexa.  The pledge happens to be half-ownership in a gaming hell and brothel!"

Reviewed By: Liz

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

Outspoken and independent, Lady Alexa Bingham enjoys the heady freedom of making all her own decisions, even though the challenges of overseeing her family's country estate are daunting. But when a chance encounter with London's most notorious rake awakens a secret longing for adventure, she accepts her aunt's invitation for a Season in Town . . . only to find that breaking the rules of the ton has serious consequences.

The Earl of Killingworth uses his rakehell reputation to hide the fact that poverty has forced him to work for a living. As the owner of a gambling den and brothel, Connor has no time for glittering ballrooms or innocent young ladies. But after a reckless wager leaves him with a new business partner, he is forced to take a risky gamble . . . Will the cards fall in their favor?Alexa and Connor begin to play a dangerous game of intrigue and deception as they seek to outwit a cunning adversary who wants to put them permanently out of business. But if they are not careful, it is the flames of their own fiery attraction that may destroy them. 

My Thoughts:


Okay ladies, lets be honest: we're not looking for groundbreaking in this genre.  We're looking for feel good with some smexy and, if we're lucky, witty banter.  Cara Elliott delivers in this book.

There's card playing, cross dressing, naughty etchings, and steamy kisses.  That's just Lady Alexa Hendrie in the first few chapters, it stays good the whole book.  The heroine doesn't take any MENSA prizes, but it's a period novel, she's risque enough for the time period by making decisions beyond what she's having for breakfast.  She's not a simpering moron and you feel that from the start.  She does have a few scenes where I wanted to smack some sense into her, but I've been watching Holmes with my mom since before I understood what they were talking about.  Lady Alexa is a fun character.

Lord Killingworth (really?), Connor Linsley, is a bit formulaic, but it's the beginning of the series, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.  He's a veteran of the Peninsular wars with a nickname.  A bad one that the author tries to work in sporadically in a manner that feels a bit forced, along with his reputation.  I think she could have left out all of that "Wolfhound" nonsense and still had a perfectly good book.  He's an interesting character, and some thought was obviously put into him and his background.  His proposal made me want to smack him upside the back of his head.  Repeatedly.  So he was pretty true to the time period in that regard.

This fun little read was a 'who-dun-it', so I got to mentally (mostly) yell at the characters 3/4 of the way through.  So I enjoyed it. ;)  The book makes it obvious to the reader who the culprit is without making the final reveal tedious, which I appreciate since I'm the type that likes to read the last chapter if I don't get the answer half way through the mystery.  The couple gets help from the two other rakes (also given nicknames from dog breeds) from Earl Killingworth's regiment through out the novel, sometimes to the Earls detriment.

The smexy time scene was kinda steamy, and at no point did I stop and say "he did what?  But he just had his hands... wait, maybe I misread something?" like I do with a lot of romance novels.   I like my action (smexy and fighting) to make sense when I'm in the grip of the scene, and this one does.  The teasers leading up to it were fun, too.  

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series, and seeing what she does with the other 'hounds' from this novel.  The "Lords of Midnight" series title leads me to expect great things from the other hounds and their mates.  I hope that you all enjoy this book as much as I did.


The reviewer received this book from the publisher.

Review of "Holding On To Heaven" by Keta Diablo & A Giveaway

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Publisher: Keta Diablo
Release Date: April 15th 2011
Buying Links: Amazon     Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb (from author): 

When the blazing fires of revolt ravage the countryside, Lauren and Sage McCain are trapped amid the flames of destiny. The Civil War has crumbled a Nation, and the Dakota Sioux uprising has turned southern Minnesota into a violent battlefield. Holding on to Heaven is a story of love between two men and a woman, love between siblings, and love that crosses all boundaries and forges all cultures.

Teaser:

Then she closed her eyes. Why did she have to remember every muscular curve, the broad shoulders and lean hips? His very presence exuded power and danger. And wild heat.

The memory of pewter eyes loomed and the knot of tension in her stomach tightened. She couldn't afford to know what lay beyond that predatory look or what wicked thoughts lingered in his mind. She didn't doubt most of the man's thoughts ran along the lines of sinful pleasures. Bedazzled by his mere presence, she willed her trembling hands to still and opened her eyes and ears to the conversation behind her. 
 

My Thoughts:

I had a hard time writing this review. I didn't love the book but I did enjoy it, especially the latter half. There are some technical issues: the proofreading missed a lot - wrong word usage, missing quotation marks in dialogue so that it wasn't always obvious where the dialogue began or ended, etc. (ETA: I should mention that I had the PDF converted for my Kindle so some of the problems could stem from the formatting. I compared a fewitems to the PDF but not all of them.) I thought the love between Lauren and Creed happened awfully fast; we saw the attraction between them but the love between them seemed to happen very quickly, they really had very little time together before parting ways. When they finally reunite, their love is even stronger, despite the lack of communication between them in the interim. One thing that bothered me, and this I think is more of a personal thing, was the use of the word "darkie" to describe the slaves. It is, I believe, a correct term for that time period, but it bothered my 21st century sensibilities. 

Despite all that, I did enjoy the story. All of the characters are likable, though I was less fond of Creed (I found him obnoxious) and despite the relatively short length (the PDF was 149 pages including the cover), Diablo develops the characters and we see them change, especially Lauren. I would have liked a little more development to Creed, he made less sense to me; he was a hard, bitter, caustic man, with no real explanation why. Sage and Wanapaya are wonderful characters and make a good couple; their love story was very sweet. At times the book reminded me of a soap opera: cross cultural love, kidnapped children, brothers who love the same woman, war, etc but it all fits and works together. 

The story does not have a traditional happy ending, but a traditional HEA would not have fit. There's a HFN, Happy For Now, which perfectly fits the story. The epilogue leaves open the possibility of a sequel. "Holding On To Heaven" is imperfect but I enjoyed it.

I received a PDF from the author for review.

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Keta  sent the following images along so that you all can print out and make your own trading card for "Holding On To Heaven". 

 Enjoy!

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Keta has also kindly offered to give away an e-copy of one of her other books. The winner can choose between Sojourn With A Stranger, a paranormal historical or Where The Rain Is Made, a paranormal shifter.

To enter, comment below using rafflecopter. It's open internationally.

Review of "A Lawman's Christmas" by Linda Lael Miller

Publisher: Harlequin
Release date: September 20, 2011
Series: McKettricks of Texas
Buying Links:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

The sudden death of the town marshal leaves Blue River, Texas, without a lawman…and twenty-five-year-old Dara Rose Nolan without a husband. As winter approaches and her meager seamstress income dwindles, she has three options. Yet she won't give up her two young daughters, refuses to join the fallen women of the Bitter Gulch Saloon and can't fathom condemning herself to another loveless marriage. Unfortunately she must decide—soon—because there's a new marshal in town, and she's living under his roof.

With the heart of a cowboy, Clay McKettrick plans to start a ranch and finally settle down. He isn't interested in uprooting Dara Rose and her children, but he is interested in giving her protection, friendship—and passion. And when they say "I do" to a marriage of convenience, the temporary lawman's Christmas wish is to make Dara Rose his permanent wife….

Teaser: 


It was tremendously difficult sometimes, she thought glumly, to be the sort of person she wanted her daughters to be, when they grew up. And she'd fallen far short of that standard tonight.

Unexpectedly, Clay reached over and gently squeezed her hand, just once and very briefly, but the gesture raised Dara Rose's flagging spirits.

It also sent something sharp and hot racing through her, a fiery ache she had to work very hard to ignore. 
  
My Thoughts:

Back in the summer, I read a contemporary romance by Miller, Creed's Honor, that I didn't like very much. I decided to give her another try, this time with an historical romance. I enjoyed it a lot more. It was saccharine at times, and predictable but the romance was sweet, the setting nicely detailed, and the characters were, mostly, nicely fleshed out.

Clay McKettrick loves his family but needed to leave and strike out on his own. He accepts a job in Blue Creek Montana as the marshall, but it's a temporary job. What he really wants is to start his own ranch, get married and raise a family. He bought land in Blue Creek and he plans to start building his house while he works as the marshall. He's filling in temporarily while the town looks for a long term marshall. One of the perks of his job is use of a small house in town. However, the previous marshall's widow and young children are still living there. He moves into the jail while the widow, Dara Rose Parnell, tries to find a new place for her and her children.

Dara has been married twice and widowed twice, and she's only twenty-five years old. She also has two young daughters. She's been struggling to survive since her second husband, the former marshall, died. She had a marriage offer of sorts, but it was less than desirable. She is a proud woman, occasionally stern, but kind and gentle.She wants to provide a good life for her daughters but a woman's options in the early twentieth century, in the American west, were few.

Dara and Clay come together, and even knowing that it was a romance, and one pretty much guaranteed to have an HEA, I was cheering for things to work out with them. A few of the minor characters were cardboard, but the main characters are well developed and likable, except for the obligatory bad guy, who was also one of the cardboard characters. The romance, as mentioned, was sweet, and slow moving, though the marriage, due to circumstances, happens fairly quickly. It wasn't a wildly passionate romance, but it was believable. Both are attracted to each other from the beginning, but they take their time and let things develop without rushing. The children were overly precocious but they didn't take over the story as sometimes happens in romances. 

Reading "A Lawman's Christmas" was like curling up in front of a fire with a cup of rich, hot cocoa - sweet, comforting and cozy.

I received this hardcover from the publisher.

Giveaway & Review of The Devil in Disguise by Stefanie Sloane

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release date: May 24, 2011

Series: #1 in Regency Rogues

More info: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

Lord William Randall, the Duke of Clairemont, is a rake with little regard for society—a most unlikely suitor for Lady Lucinda Grey. But his latest assignment for the Young Corinthians, an elite spy organization, involves protecting her from a kidnapping plot. To do this, the notorious “Iron Will” must use his devilish charm to seduce Lucinda and convince her he’s worthy of her attention. William never planned to become enthralled by the lovely Lady Grey—or to lose his own heart in the bargain.


Beautiful and fiercely intelligent, Lucinda has managed to gracefully sidestep even the most persistent suitors. Until the Duke of Clairemont, that is. She’s tempted by his sinfully sensuous mouth and piercing eyes, and finds it hard to resist the champion thoroughbred he offers her in exchange for the honor of courting her. Can she keep him at arm’s length when his touch begs her to let him so much closer?

My Thoughts:

This is Stefanie Sloane's debut novel and overall, it's good. It's a light historical romance with some cute moments, some funny moments), and some sweet moments. Both the character development and the romance could have used some more fleshing out. I won the ARC on Goodreads (I confess, it's been sitting in my TBR pile for a while). One thing I do not like about reading ARC's is the tendency to numerous typos and copy editing issues. This one was particularly egregious; I assume that the final copy was revised and cleaned up.

First, let's look at the obstacles to Lucinda and Will's relationship. The conflict is fairly simple: Will needs to court Lucinda in order to prevent her from being kidnapped. Rather than tell her the truth (it was never clear to me why he wasn't allowed to tell her though late in the story, he finally does), he tries to court her. She has no interest in courting or marriage, she's determined to be single, so they make a wager - if he fails to win her heart in three months, she will take ownership of his racing stallion. She badly wants that horse for her family's horse breeding program, so she agrees. Since this is a romance, they fall in love with each other but neither wants to admit it to the other. So, there's a kidnap plot to foil, and reluctant lovers.  

Will is supposed to be a rogue, with a history of debauchery, but we don't really get to see that. Supposedly, his reputation is so black that Lucinda runs the risk of ruining her reputation by allowing him to court her. Sloane tells us all of this, but doesn't show us. She does that a lot in the book. Lucinda has some modern beliefs about women and their roles in life, which I enjoyed. Her aunts, the Furies, provided a lot of comic relief. Although they are secondary, they greatly influence Lucinda and so I would have liked more development of their characters. Sloane does throw in the occasional historical detail which adds a little flavor to the story eg having Will step over "a steaming pile of horse dung". It's a small thing but it helps add to the atmosphere.

The romance happened pretty quickly, which didn't seem to jibe with their behaviors and personalities as Sloane described them. Both Lucinda and Will are quite likable, and their romance was enjoyable, it just happened faster than seemed plausible. I did enjoy watching them flirt, it was good, light-hearted fun.


"The Devil in Disguise" doesn't quite live up to it's name since the "devil", Will, is actually a decent man but the story is cute and a pleasant way to spend several hours.

I won this ARC in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

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Giveaway!!! 

I'm giving away my ARC of "The Devil in Disguise" by Stefanie Sloane.

The giveaway runs through Midnight EST this Saturday August 20th.

It's open to US residents only.

To enter, just leave a comment about what wager you might make with someone who wanted to court you. 

You don't need to be a follower to enter.

You need to leave a way to contact you, either in your comment or by using the contact form. Remember that you MUST leave a comment or you are not entered.

Please read my Giveaway Policy 

Good luck :) 

Giveaway & Review of How to Seduce A Scoundrel by Vicky Dreiling

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: July 1, 2011


More Info:  Amazon   The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

When Lady Julianne Gatewick realizes the rake of her dreams thinks of her as practically his sister, she decides it's time to get even. The charming Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield, is every lady's fantasy, but he's determined to evade virgins and their matrimonial traps - especially his best friend's sister.

Hawk reluctantly agrees to be Julianne's guardian for the season, but he's having trouble resisting his gorgeous ward. Worse still, she's taunting him by flirting with every scoundrel in London - and he's sworn to protect her! Certain she's learned her tricks from the authoress of that scandalous publication "The Secrets of Seduction", Hawk sets out to uncover the writer's identity. But he never expects to find the formerly angelic Julianne behind the mask - and between his sheets.

My Thoughts:

The book description is slightly misleading, which always annoys the heck out of me. The publication of the scandalous document occurs late in the book, well after Julianne's "shenanigans" nor does Hawk set out to uncover the writer's identity. I did like the idea of the publication and would have enjoyed seeing it as even larger part of the story than it was.

Lady Julianne has had a crush, as we modern folks would put it, on her older brother's good friend, Hawk, since she was a small girl. For years, she has dreamed that he would fall in love with her and propose, despite all evidence to the contrary. She made her debut in society four years ago and has rejected a dozen marriage proposals, holding out for Hawk, the man she thinks that she loves. He, on the other hand, for reasons that take Dreiling far too long to reveal, has no desire to marry.

Hawk treats her as his friend's baby sister, and not as a woman. As the book goes on, his thinking changes and he views her physically as a woman but gives little or no credence to her thoughts or feelings. That changes slowly over the course of the book, but even so, he's not an enlightened male. I know that women being treated as adults and reasoning, thinking beings is a relatively recent development in world history but I really could have done without that particular bit of historical accuracy. At one point, after Julie gets drunk, Hawk was so arrogant and condescending that I wanted to throw the book out my window. To be fair, Julie spends much of the book acting immaturely and childishly and she was surprisingly naive. I found it hard at times to believe that she was 21, she acted more like a modern-day 15 year old. I also found it unlikely that her family would have tolerated her still being unmarried at her age; that was unusual back then and we aren't given any reason to believe that her family is progressive, or even just eccentric.

Most of the book is a dance; Julie and Hawk circle around each other, flirting, teasing, enraging, tantruming, but always coming back to each other in some fashion.  There are secrets, which Dreiling takes too much time to reveal and by the time they were revealed, I didn't really care. The book could easily have had a third of it cut and been the better for it. It meandered, drifted, repeated, and took forever to tell what was really a simple love story. It gets dressed up in family issues and societal morals but it really boils down to can these two individuals grow up, accept responsibility, and convince each other of their love.

It's not a bad book but definitely not one I'll read again.

I received a print ARC for review.

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Giveaway!!!

I am giving away my ARC of this book to one commenter. Please leave a comment about either the book or the review and make sure that I have a way to contact you - Blogger profile, email, Twitter handle, etc. 

I'm sorry but this is open only to readers in the US and Canada. 

The giveaway runs through 11:59PM EST of Friday July 15, 2011.

Please read my giveaway policy and rules here.

Thank you and good luck. :)

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Some fun links that the author and her publisher provided as part of the blog tour. Look for yourself and see what you think.

• Author Article: Vicky Dreiling's Guide to Writing and Publishing a First Novel The Accidental Way
• Author Article: How To Seduce a Scoundrel
• Five Fun Facts 
• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Goodreads

Review of Dead Man's Debt by Grace Elliot

Publisher:Solstice Publishing

Release: October 10, 2010

More info: goodreads


Book Blurb:  A Dead Man's Debt - a story of blackmail, duty and an unexpected love.

After publically humiliating a suitor, Miss Celeste Armitage is sent from the Ton in disgrace and resolves never to marry. But when she finds a sketch book of nude studies and discovers the artist is her hostess's eldest son, Lord Ranulf Charing, she finds herself dangerously attracted to exactly the sort of rogue she is sworn to avoid.
Nothing is as it seems. Lord Ranulf's life is a facade and he is being blackmailed over his late brother's debts. But just as the darkly restless Ranulf unexpectedly learns to love, the vengeful fury of his nemesis unleashed. In order to protect Celeste, Lord Ranulf faces a stark choice between duty and true love...

However Ranulf has underestimated Miss Armitage's stubborn resolve to clear his name, and in so doing places the woman he loves in mortal danger.

My Thoughts: Grace Elliot has a gift for telling a story though she sometimes has trouble with language. Her descriptions and her story progression are not cliched or expected. The love story itself is sweet, and both Ranulf and Celeste are intriguing characters. Celeste sees herself as a fiercely independent woman. She prefers being a governess to being married, and beingcontrolled by a man she doesn’t love. That is until she meets Lord Ranulf Charing, seemingly a rogue, with the worst of reputations. Ranulf is handsome, sexy, a rake, in some ways a cold man. Yet, he believes in familial duty,even though he also believes his mother does not love him, and that his recently deceased older brother was his mother's favorite. He has no interest in marriage either and is content to let the title pass to another relative.


What follows is full of twists and turns as Celeste and Ranulf grow closer while Ranulf deals with being blackmailed over his late brother's debts. Elliot shows us Celeste's and Ranulf's growing feelings for each other and their internal struggles to reconcile that with their respective desires to stay single and their individual dreams. We see Celeste and Ranulf, but especially Ranulf, change and grow. Elliot takes her time, building events carefully.

However,other characters don't stay true to themselves: Ranulf's mother, Lady Cadnum, and a soldier, Captain Harry Engerfield, who's part of the blackmail scheme. They are portrayed as one way, then abruptly change midway through the story. Engerfield's was particularly frustrating as his personality change plays a major role in the latter part of the story, and the ending. After so carefully showing us Ranulf and Celeste's emotional changes, it was so disappointing that she failed to do so with Engerfield and Lady Cadnum.

What really killed the story for me was the actual writing. I seriously questioned, at one point, if English was her native language (according to her website she was born and raised in the UK so presumably it is). I could have forgiven a lot if that were the case. The writing quality veers wildly from descriptive and emotive to WTF? There are numerous wrong word choices, including this one: "With a horrible sinking sensation, she caste around the room." Or "He caste a disapproving glance at dishevelled Ranulf." Yet, there are times when she uses the correct word, cast, appropriately. (and yes, that is the spelling she used for disheveled, not a typo on my part.) That is not the only wrong word choice, there are others. There are also numerous run on sentences and sentence fragments. My favorite sentence fragment would have to be this one: "Indeed, there were sparse bookshelves, furnished mainly with arm chairs, sofas and card tables." Now that's quite an image. Are we talking about dollhouse furniture? Or did she forget (I'm assuming "yes") the correct antecedent and she really meant that the library mentioned in the preceding (correctly formed) sentence was sparsely furnished?

There are too many examples, I could give many more. There were so many in fact, that I found myself proofreading and copy-editing as I read, instead of reading the story. I was tempted to email her and offer my services as copy-editor and proofreader for her next book. I did actually email her and ask if perhaps she had sent me the wrong PDF, a draft instead of the final product. She responded that it was possible but didn't offer to send me the correct PDF. Therefore, based on what I received and read, I give the actual love story 3.5 stars but the writing only 1 star. BTW, I looked on Amazon and goodreads, and none of the reviews I skimmed mentioned the typos, misspellings, etc so perhaps it was the copy that I received.

Overall, the story itself is good but the writing has tremendous room for improvement.

Review of The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton

Publisher: Carina Press


Release Date: January 31, 2011

More info:  Amazon

Book Blurb: 


In a time of grand airships and steam-powered cars, the death of a penniless young maid will hardly make the front page. But part-time airship waitress and music hall dancer Julia Bairstow is shattered by her sister's murder. When Lady Law, the most notorious private detective in Britain, offers to investigate the case pro bono, Julia jumps at the chance—even against the a
...moreIn a time of grand airships and steam-powered cars, the death of a penniless young maid will hardly make the front page. But part-time airship waitress and music hall dancer Julia Bairstow is shattered by her sister's murder. When Lady Law, the most notorious private detective in Britain, offers to investigate the case pro bono, Julia jumps at the chance—even against the advice of Constable Al Grant, who takes her protection surprisingly to heart. 

Lady Law puts Scotland Yard to shame. She's apprehended Jack the Ripper and solved countless other cold-case crimes. No one knows how she does it, but it's brought her fortune, renown and even a title. But is she really what she claims to be—a genius at deducting? Or is Al right and she is not be trusted? 

Julia is determined to find out the truth, even if it means turning sleuth herself—and turning the tables on Lady Law...

My Thoughts: 

I have not read much steampunk but this one sounded intriguing, a mix of steampunk, mystery and romance by a new to me author. I like mixed genre stories, when done well. This one comes off okay but I think Appleton may have been overly ambitious. Though, I have to give him credit for trying and for taking chances.

There's action, steam powered weapons, giant artificial planets, steam powered automobiles, and lots of other technical gadgets that I couldn't quite figure out but I have never been a very technological person. The technical gadgets end up being essential to the story, which, since it's a steampunk, they should be. At first, they didn't seem necessary and I wondered why Appleton chose to make it steampunk but in the end it worked. The action scenes, though usually exciting, were hard for me to visualize with all of the technical things thrown in; trying to visualize it all was difficult for me. The story line was intriguing but I would have liked to have seen more character development. This might have worked better as a full length novel.


It's primarily a mystery with a side helping of romance. The romance, between Julia and Al Grant, the constable investigating her sister Georgy's murder, happens slowly. It starts with him providing comforting words and reassurance after Georgy's death and builds up as the investigation progresses. At first, Julia doesn't know whether or not to trust him. Neither she or her sister are of any importance socially  thus fall low in the priority list of the police yet he is dogged in pursuing the case, and she knows that he does not like Lady Law, who has offered her services, gratis. Grant is determined to investigate, but has been unsuccessful and Julia fears that his dislike of Lady Law is impeding his ability to accept help in the case. She is unaware, initially, that Grant and Law have a history. While I appreciated that Appleton didn't have Grant and Julia immediately jump all over each but let their attraction build over the course of the investigation, I do wish that he'd either spent more time on it or skipped it all together. At times, it feels as the romance was added purely to attract more female readers. I don't know that that's what happened but it felt that way to me.


Julia is willing to accept any help she can get, even though she wonders why Law is so willing to help. On the one hand she admires Law's independence and her ability to succeed in a man's world but she is also suspicious of Law's generous offer. She ends up accepting Law's help but has misgivings about the results. With Al's willing help, and that of semi-retired adventurer Sir Horace Holly, who also has an interest in the investigation into Georgy's death, they unearth Lady Law's secrets and find out the truth about Georgy's death.

The story gets a bit convoluted and there are some deus ex machina moments, but it's a fairly quick read and both Grant and Julia are likable, as is Sir Holly.



**This review has been edited and revised from the original version that appeared on this blog**


This eARC was received from.NetGalley.