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

rd

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.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

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!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

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.

Want To Be In A Book?

Ever wanted to be in a book? Well, author Ellen Meister, whose books include THE OTHER LIFE, SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA ,and THE SMART ONE has come up with a way to include her readers in her next book.  She just launched a program to thank book club members by name in the acknowledgments section of her next book.  She has a Book Club Guestbook on her site now and anyone in a book group that read or plans to read THE OTHER LIFE is free to sign up. All they need to do is visit her site at http://www.websitetoolbox.com/guestbook/ellenmeister and fill out the form. That's it!  

So, if you're part of a book club and you plan on reading THE OTHER LIFE, go sign up now for a chance to see your name in print in her next book.

EVE LANGLAIS GIVEAWAY BLITZ : Jealous And Freakin'

 

Erotic romance author Eve Langlais is doing a blog tour to celebrate the release of her new PNR novel, "Jealous and Freakin'". Thanks to her and Sizzling PR, I have one copy to giveaway.

BOOK BLURB:

How can she make him stop thinking of her as a freakn’ sister?

Francine’s loved Mitchell, a wolf like herself, since she first set eyes on him back when they were just kids. However, Mitchell’s never seen her as more than another annoying sister. Determined to make him realize she’s all grown up, she enlists the  aide of Alejandro, a gorgeous cat shifter. She never counted on wanting them both. 

Alejandro knows Francine is special from the first moment he meets  the fiery plump wolf, which is why he suggests she use him to make Mitchell jealous. A great plan, especially if it means he gets to kiss those luscious lips. One taste, though, and he’s addicted, but how does he make her see past the man she loves to realize she’s also meant to be his mate?

For a long time now, Mitchell’s been avoiding Francine, his bratty sister’s friend. However, the little girl he remembers is all grown up, and when he sees her in the arms of another, a need to claim her overrides all his common sense. But, he’s waited too long and fate has decided that he’s going to have to share. Can he bend enough to accept Francine with her other man, or will his freakn’ jealousy send him running?

Warning: Excessive amounts of heat may be generated when reading this story. Do not sit or stand  near flammable objects unless they happen to be your partner. Please note, that while the heroes sustained injuries during the course of the story, Francine did eventually kiss them all better, naked of course. This is a ménage romance, with heavy emphasis on the romance. It does contain multi partner, sexual situations that some people may find titillating. Reader discretion is advised. 



You can read an excerpt here on Ms Langlais' site.

JEALOUS AND FREAKIN'

By Eve Langlais

Published by: Eve Langlais

Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, EROTICA, MENAGE, PARANORMAL

ISBN: 978-0-9869154-6-8

Format: MMP  ebook - Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Reader, EPUB, Mobipocket

Length: 52,500 words

Release Date: NOVEMBER 18, 2011

Buying Links:  AllRomance     Amazon      BookStrand

Author Website:  http://www.evelanglais.com/
Author Bio:

 Hello, my name is Eve. I'm a stay at home mom who works as a webmistress/customer service rep and in between juggling my three kids, hubby, and housework, I write really raunchy stuff--usually with werewolves lol.

I was born in British Columbia, but being a military brat, I have lived a little bit everywhere--Quebec, New Brunswick, Labrador, Virginia (USA) and finally Ontario. My family and I currently reside in the historic town of Bowmanville, about an hour or so out of Toronto.

I am the first person to admit I am totally boring and lead a mundane life. Seriously. My idea of fun is shopping at our local Walmart lol. I like to play video games, cook, and read. My inspiration, hmm, I guess you could say hubby as he is a total alpha male which means I often want to club him over head with a frying pan. But, despite his ornery, 'I-am-man' nature, I love him dearly. I do have a twisted imagination and a sarcastic sense of humor something I like to let loose in my writing.

I'm writing romance, my way. I like strong alpha males, naked chests and werewolves. Lots of werewolves. In fact, you'll notice most of my multi partner stories revolve around great, big, overprotective Lycans who just want to please their woman. I am also extremely partial to aliens, you know the kind who abduct their woman and then drive them insane...with pleasure of course.

My heroines, they kind of run the gamut. I have some that are shy and soft spoken, others that will kick a man in the balls and laugh. Many of them are chubby, because in my world, girls with curves ROCK! Oh and some of my heroines are a teeny tiny bit evil, but in their defense, they need love too.

Some of my work does push boundaries and cross lines. Good and evil aren't always clear in my tales, and in some cases, I've stomped on well known religious ideologies. Have I mentioned my imagination is a tad bit warped?

I tend to have a lot of sexual tension in my tales because I think all torrid love affairs start with a tingle in our tummies. And when my characters do finally give in to the needs of their flesh? Well, let's just say, you shouldn't be reading my stuff at work. The door is wide open, explicit and hot. Really, really hot.

I love to write, and while I don't always know what my mind is going to come up with next, I can promise it will be fun, probably humorous and most of all romantic, because I love a HEA.

Thanks so much for coming by and checking me out. I wish you many hours of happy reading--and sexy times with your partner .
Eve Langlais

To enter, leave a comment using Rafflecopter. Giveaway is open internationally. You do not need to be a follower. You MUST be 18 to enter.

So, You Want To Write a Memoir: A Live Chat with Tessa Smith McGovern

So, You Want to Write a Memoir

Live-chat with author, memoirist, and digital publisher Tessa Smith McGovern
If you’ve ever written a blog, updated a Facebook status, tweeted your thoughts or texted a message you are part of the latest trends that have transformed writing through social media. The move from email to blogs to Facebook is ever evolving but one thing has remained constant: the need to tell our personal stories.

Award-winning author and founder of eChook Digital Publishing Tessa Smith McGovern will be chatting about what it takes to write and publish a short memoir, live on BookTrib 12/7 at 3 p.m. ET. Tessa will be here ready to answer all of your questions and discuss her three essential memoir-writing tips.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer, occasional journaler, or if you’ve never thought you could write something before, stop by, ask a question, and be entered to win lovely eChook prizes.

Tessa says: “Writing short memoir is often the best way to produce a strong piece of writing, and one of the easiest forms to get published.”

Where: BookTrib.com

When: Wednesday, December 7 @ 3pm E.T.

RSVP: memoirchat@booktrib.com

About Tessa McGovern

Tessa is an award-winning writer, founder of eChook Digital Publishing, and teacher of Writing for Digital Media at Sarah Lawrence College.

 

"She Can Run" Blog Tour with Author Melinda Leigh

Author Melinda Leigh is joining us today. Her book, "She Can Run", a romantic suspense was released Nov. 28th.

More than a decade ago, Melinda left a career in banking to raise her children and never looked back.  She started writing when her youngest child entered first grade as a way to preserve her sanity. Her stories have won writing awards including Put Your Heart in a Book, The Marlene Award, Where the Magic Begins and The Gateway to the Best. "She Can Run", her debut romantic suspense novel with Montlake Romance, released in November 2011 and became the #1 Hot New Release in Kindle Romantic Suspense.

In My Mailbox #10

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. It's a way to share and highlight all the books we receive, even if we don't review them. l share books that I buy, that I receive for review, get from the library, borrow from a friend, etc.

It's been a month since my last IMM post. I was sick all of November, and even ended up in the hospital. I was so sick, I didn't even have the energy to read. O_o I'm on the mend finally and back to work, which means most nights I'm tired to read, lol. Still, I did get some new books over the past month.

Library

Chicks Kick Butt is an anthology of urban fantasy and paranormal stories where the focus is on strong heroines. The Near Witch is a YA fantasy/fairy tale that I have heard very good things about. 

Review

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10781746-say-you-ll-be-mine

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12888927-the-legacy-of-eden

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10814690-three-day-town

I love Margaret Maron's Southern Bootlegger mystery series; a co-worker introduced me to it a few years ago and I've gobbled up the entire series. She has another mystery series set in New York and in this book, the two series come together.

Say You'll Be Mine and The Legacy of Eden both sound a bit soap opera-ish but seem interesting so I thought I would give them a try.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Chat with Linda Lael Miller

Harlequin Books is hosting a chat with #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller. She will answer your questions before her LIVE chat with you from Las Vegas! What are you dying to find out about Linda, the woman who’s brought you some of the hunkiest cowboys in America?

On Tuesday, December 6th at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET, Linda will be answering her readers’ questions during a live chat streaming from the Paris Las Vegas hotel to Harlequin’s Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/HarlequinBooks.  From her latest books to her three #1 New York Times bestselling cowboys, The Creeds, Linda wants to fill you in on everything you’d like to know about her books, your favorite characters and even life on her ranch.

BookTrib and Harlequin are collecting all of her readers’ questions before the chat, so send an e-mail  to myopinion@booktrib.com with your questions, as well as your first name and the city and state where you live–your query just might end up being answered in front of a LIVE audience of thousands.

Don't miss this chance to chat with Linda Lael Miller! Mark your calendar now.

You Never Know Who's Listening: A Guest Post by Author Robin Perini

Today's guest is Robin Perini, author of romance and romantic suspense. Her newest book, "In Her Sights", is being released on Tuesday November 29th, 2011.

Award-winning author Robin Perini’s love of heart-stopping suspense and poignant romance, coupled with her adoration of high tech weaponry and covert ops, encouraged her secret inner commando to take on the challenge of writing romantic suspense novels. Her mission's motto: "when danger and romance collide, no heart is safe."

As a writer, Robin is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts. Robin’s strong characters and tightly woven plots have garnered her seven prestigious Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® finals, and Golden Heart Winner in 2011. Stolen Lullaby, will be published by Harlequin Intrigue® in May, 2012 as Finding Her Son. Her other 2011 Golden Heart® Finalist, In Her Sights, will be published by Amazon's Montlake Romance November 29, 2011.

By day, she works for an advanced technology corporation, and in her spare time, you might find her giving one of her many nationally acclaimed writing workshops or find her training in competitive small-bore rifle silhouette shooting. She's a voracious reader and a die-hard fan of the T.V. series, BONES.

BOOK BLURB (from author):

 Jasmine “Jazz” Parker, Jefferson County SWAT's only female sniper, can thread the eye of a needle with a bullet. But she carries a secret from her past that she thought she buried for good at the age of fifteen. Two years ago she even drove away the one man she believed she could love—ex-Army Ranger turned reporter Luke Montgomery—to keep her past hidden. Now, in a fleeting second, the time it takes for one clean shot, one perfect hit, to save the life of the governor's daughter, Jazz's world begins to crumble around her.

Luke splashes her face and name across the front page of the newspaper, reawakening her past with a vengeance. A vicious enemy is now bent on destroying her life, forcing Jazz to turn to the one man she can never have in order to stop a killer before she and everyone she cares about pays the ultimate price. Full of explosive action and almost unbearable suspense, In Her Sights is a relentless, steamy thriller surprisingly infused with soul and poignancy.

IN HER SIGHTS

By Robin Perini 

ISBN: 9781612181523

Published by: AMAZON MONTLAKE PUBLISHING

Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE

Format: MMP, ebook

Length: 262 pages

Release Date: NOVEMBER 29, 2011

Author Website:  http://www.robinperini.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/robinperini

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/RobinPeriniAuthor

In Her Sights blog tour site:  http://inhersights.blogspot.com

Welcome Robin, to Bea's Book Nook. Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us today.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Writing can be a risky business. Let me rephrase that…plotting books in public places can be a very risky business. 


I have one of those voices that carry. I can't even whisper without the entire room hearing me. It's great if you're speaking to someone who's hard of hearing…not so great when you're trying to be secretive. Not that I'm a pro at that either. 


Most of the books I've written (some of which will never see the light of day) have suspense in them. And frankly, most have dead bodies. I just can't seem to help adding a corpse into my book. In Her Sights, my debut novel, has several. My second book, Finding Her Son has nine…or maybe it's eleven. I lost count after about seven. 


So, it probably won't surprise you that one of the things I do before starting a book is to make a list of unique and different ways for my villains to do their dirty work. Such was the case one evening in a local restaurant. The staff were kind enough to let me and my plotting partners to sit in a booth for hours upon end. I'm not sure if we were simply entertaining or disturbing, but they let us stay anyway. 
I was working on a new story that was set nearby, in some spooky tunnels below a hospital. I'd walked down the corridors and decided, as is my predilection, that the cool, damp rooms would make a perfect murder site. I had my victim identified as well. An anatomy professor who had given me a grade that made me very unhappy. (Yes, I was one of those irritating A-students most people despise). 


I couldn't use his name in the book, of course, but I would take my vengeance out on his doppelganger in my book. I mean, not getting an A has to be worth a painful death? Doesn't it? 


So, I plotted my professor's demise, slipping back and forth between the real person and the character as writers sometimes do. So engrossed were we in our conversation—whether a gun would be too loud, or a silencer would dampen the noise enough, or whether a scalpel to the carotid would be too messy (we finally settled on potassium chloride)—when a man came up to our table.  


I looked up. He was frowning, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Ladies," he said, his tone somber and serious. "I have to ask you what you're talking about." 


He flipped open his badge. 


My eyes grew as big as saucers. We began rapidly explaining all at once. When finally we explained what we were doing, he smiled. "I thought it must be something like that," he said. "You're too smart to be real criminals." 

Thanks for visiting. I love to hear from readers. Please connect with me. You can get in touch via my website, www.robinperini.com where you can view the In Her Sights book trailer, read excerpts, read reviews, sign up for my mailing list and even request trading cards or a Kindlegraph. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I'd love to hear from you.