Contest Two With Lots

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Contest One

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Guest Blog by Terry Spear + Signed Book Giveaway!

 

Why Werewolves?

I’m asked this question a lot. And I usually answer with a long drawn out view of why, but this time I’m going to simply say, “Why not?”

Wolves are loyal and protective and family-oriented. They’re playful, they work together as a team, and sure there’s a pecking order, but where is there not? They love their mate forever and ever and ever.

They take care of the pack’s new litters as if the pups were their own. They teach them how to work and play and survive.

So what’s not to love?

But we’re talking about WERE-wolves. And that’s a similar story. Really. They still are wolves at heart, with the enhanced senses, but the moral obligation to mate for life, the loyalty, protectiveness, and love of their children and mate and pack members.

They’re also sexy, primal humans who love to play, work hard, and are more one with nature than most of their strictly human counterparts.

So what happens when a werewolf falls head over heels for a strictly human type? Nothing. He can’t. It’s not permitted. But you know what? Love has to find a way!

Isn’t that always the way? It can’t be easy for them or it’s just not fun. Think of it this way—wolfman falls in love with human woman. She falls in love with him. Hand-in-hand they walk into the sunset, happily ever after.

See? It won’t work. So we have to have problems. And Alicia Greiston’s got them. Big time.

Jake Silver is only trying to drop off his wildlife photography at the gallery across the street from a quaint, high-priced restaurant when he sees HER. There’s an instant attraction, but also she’s taking a photo of a license plate, and since he loves to photograph nature, he’s instantly curious.

Did I mention wolves are innately curious creatures?

But when she gets over her head in a confrontation with a Mob guy, Jake’s at her side, ready to take him on. And that’s only the beginning. He absolutely knows he shouldn’t take this infatuation any further.

But what if love at first sight truly exists? Even between a werewolf and a human? What if sometimes there’s just something about another human being…or werewolf being, that just seems to have that magical connection?

Then, if the two can get past all the obstacles—the rule of not changing a human into a werewolf at whim, and the rule of not getting stuck on another guy when Alicia’s already had two failed marriages—
well, just maybe they will end up walking into the sunset, hand-in-hand, happily ever after.

Or not. You can never tell how these things will go.

What do you think? Can a hot werewolf like Jake win over a human who is wary of relationships? Can he let go of his moral obligation to stay away from her when she’s strictly human and he is not? Can she
trust him to not get himself killed if the Mob decides he’s a loose cannon they need to get rid of?

Of course there’s a lot more twists and turns to the story, but I can’t say about all that.

I sure hope they can find a way to work it all out because they both deserve to find happiness. As do we all!

Hope your New Year is filled with joy!

Terry Spear

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality.”

 About Terry:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Blog | MySpace

 

 

 

Author bio: Award-winning author Terry Spear is the author of urban fantasy romances and medieval Highland romances. She received Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year in 2008 for Heart of the Wolf. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry is a librarian by day. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

 

 

A FIERCE HUNTER...

Alicia Greiston is a no-nonsense bounty hunter determined to bring a ring of mobsters to justice. Her dogged pursuit of the crime family has forced her to avoid relationships— any man would only become a target for retribution. Luckily, Jake Silver is more than a man, and his instincts
are telling him to stop at nothing to protect her.

AN ANIMAL PASSION...

However, the mob isn't entirely human either, and soon Alicia must flee for her life. When Alicia
and Jake's passion begins to spill over into their dreams, Jake learns he will have to do more than
defend her— he'll have to show his mate the way of the wolf.

 

 

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5 Year Blogoversary Celebration! – A Letter to Reader, Bloggers & Authors + Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I almost missed the date, I’ve so busy at work =/ But it’s here! My little corner of the blogosphere is completing 5 years today (Saturday).

It is funny to think how much things can change in a year. I look back at last year’s celebration and see an awesome event that I am very proud of, but then I look at right now and realize that not only have I almost let the date slip by, but I also have nothing planed =/

Well, I decided to do something different this year, I’m still going to give something away, but I also wanted to write a meaningful post to all my readers, fellow bloggers and beloved authors out there.

First and foremost I would like to apologize some things. Number one, I am sorry for not being around much lately and posting on the blog much less frequently than usual.

Life gets in the way and for once I have a job I actually love and it has been keeping me exhausted all the time.

Number two, I’m sorry if I still haven’t sent you your prize from this year’s Book Boyfriend giveaway =( we, my dad and I, have been having a tight year and haven’t been able to afford the posting for a couple of the prizes. I WILL be sending them out as soon as I get paid in December! I promise!

Number three, I’m sorry for not commenting on anyone’s blog lately =/ I love drowning in my reader, read your posts and comment. I was doing it at least once a week, but again I haven’t been able to lately =/

Now for the good part…

Thank you SO much for all the love you all have been giving me since I started reviewing since 2009. This blog has been around since 2007, but it was strictly a personal blog for a while, my reviewing thing came up later on and has been going on ever since.

I LOVE Blogging! It makes me so happy to share my love for books with you all and the opportunities I have had because of it were incredible!

I was Larissa Ione’s roommate for a night, had bday dinner with Lara Adrian, danced with both of them, got to be a part of a panel at AAD, got nominated for Blog of the year, was mentioned in the Acknowledgements of Eternal Ride by Larissa Ione, attending the NY Comic Con… Things I would have never have imagined in ONE MILLION YEARS! 

I have met amazing bloggers like Damaris from a Good Choice Reading, Danielle from ALPHA Reader, Jackie from Literary Escapism, Terry from Reading on the Backseat, the girls from Paranormal Haven and so many more,  both in person and online,

I have met as well, incredible authors that not only write well but are fantastic people as well like Kitty Thomas, Gini Koch, Carolyn Crane, Dakota Cassidy, Nancy Holzner, Jeaniene Frost, Jocelynn Drake and SO MANY more that I adore!

Last but not least, I have been able to be silly, try new things and expand my reading horizons all because of YOU!

So I need to say…

THANK YOU!

~I’m so sorry if I forgot to mention someone! I love you all!

 

Win a Book of YOUR Choice!

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Guest Post + SIGNED Book Giveaway by Jeaniene Frost!

Holidays: Let the mayhem begin.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, so there's no denying it anymore - the holiday season is upon us. As a child, the holiday period of Thanksgiving through New Years Day was a time of glee for me because it meant lots of yummy food, presents, days off school, and playing with relatives I didn't get to see all the time.

Ahem. And then I grew up and realized all the time, planning, stress, money, and hassle it took to give me, my sisters, cousins, second cousins, etc., those gleeful memories. That was the true gift we received. I can count on one hand specific presents I remember getting during the holidays as a child, but if you ask me to recount stories of the time spent with my family/extended family, I could go on for hours. Some of those stories we'd laugh at now, but they weren't so funny at the time. Still, it's their craziness that makes them the most memorable. This is probably why some of my favorite holiday movies are zany, dark comedies like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, The Ref, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. What didn't go wrong with those families during those fictional accounts, right? But by the end, ties were strengthened and/or new friendships made. Sometimes, the most heartwarming moments are preceded by darkness tinged with hysteria-laden laughter.

Because holidays usually have an emotional impact on people - and can magnify current stresses to a fever pitch - I've used them in some of my books. At Grave's End has a pivotal scene on Christmas Day and climaxes on New Year's Eve. One Grave at a Time has a plot thread centered around Halloween. In my latest story in The Bite Before Christmas anthology, all my heroine Cat wants to do is have a normal holiday at home with her husband and friends. Instead, due to a slew of circumstances, she's forced to spend Thanksgiving in a strip club with her frenemy, Ian, while trying to save Bones and the others from a supernatural baddie who's got them in a deadly thrall. After all, holiday mayhem shouldn't be limited to only "real" people, right? *wink* Even fictional characters are due for some of that seasonal madness.

What are your plans this holiday season? And in the past, has everything ever gone as smoothly as you intended it? Everyone who comments will be eligible to win a signed copy of The Bite Before Christmas, co-authored by Lynsay Sands and me. International entries are welcome. Thanks so much, and happy holidays, everyone!

Find out more about Jeaniene on her website:

jeanienefrost.com

 

Win a SIGNED Copy of A Bite Before Christmas!

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GIVEAWAY & Guest Post by Elizabeth Isaacs!

Dream Cast of Characters

Over the past year or so, I’ve had many requests to make a dream cast if the Kailmeyra series were to ever become a movie.

I’m constantly amazed at just how hard this is.

Characters have a unique, distinct way they look in a writers head, and trying to find someone to fit the bill is like trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. It’s possible ... painful, but possible.

And so this post has taken me a little more than 15 months to write, and still it really isn’t complete. I keep searching, looking for that perfect someone to portray my beloved characters. It’s difficult at best, but here’s what I’ve got so far.

I know Elias would be Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He, by far, was the easiest to choose. A big horse of a man, Jeffrey just exudes maleness and protection.

Julia Roberts would make a nice Elaine. I’ll be honest, she’s as close as I can find, but it’s not a perfect fit. Elaine has her strong qualities, and Julia is a great actress, but I’m still looking for someone who naturally would temper Elias’s anger.

I once wrote an interview about the fact that Rena’s character originate from my best friend in college. The real Rena was a dancer and a fighter. She hailed from Chicago and had seen more in her short 17 years of life than I believe I have today. Her small stature and fierce determination always struck me as the most original combination. The real Rena asked a long time ago that I refrain from pulling out the old college photos and posting them for the world to see. And so, if I had to choose and actress, Rena would be cast as Rachel Lee Cook. Her smile lights up her face, and she looks great in a tan in darker hair. J

Tark would be Hayden Christenson. I love that he has this quality about him that seems laid back, yet there is something simmering under the surface. He smiles like a man whose seen more than his young years should know, and he seems like he could turn on a dime a be ruthless. After Elias, Tark’s character was the easiest to pick. If anyone in the film industry is reading, I’d personally love to see ole Hayden in some main leads that would explore this side of his personality. I’m just sayin’!

Weylin is one of our newer characters from The Secret of the Keepers. As with all Alfar warriors, he’s an alpha male that has a soft side. He’s one of Gavin’s best friends from childhood and has never been to earth. Weylin is introduced in Keepers, but just wait until book three!!! :-D

There is only one who could fill the roll of Malachi. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but I’ve yet to find someone that can take his place. The great John Geilgund had such a mastery of complex characters. He quietly commanded the stage in a way that few othes could. His kind eyes, sparkling with gentleness, held depth and humor as if he knew a secret that no one else knew. A true master of the craft, he is missed by all.

There are quite a few new characters in The Secret of the Keepers, one of whom plays a special role throughout. The youngest child of the Elite Guard, Siana.

Most of you know that I truly believe that we give off energy. I also happen to believe that there is nothing more powerful than the sincerity of a child.

If the series ever does get made into a movie, I pity the casting director on this one. Siana is sweet, strong, precocious at times, and plays a major roll in the story. This little girlie is actually a model, but her hair and features seem perfect for the part!

 

Nora is an extremely difficult character to cast because she has to have this innocent, pure quality, and yet not come off as a cream puff. There is a strip of steele running through her that would humble superman. The audience would have to “feel” that coming from her, and so I knew we’d need an accomplished actress. One who would portray Nora in an authentic way, and Amanda Seyfried fits the bill nicely.

Gavin is in a category all his own to me. I see him clearly in my mind’s eye. He has to be a door full of man. He has to have a gentle quality tempered with steel. He has to have the sensitivity of a poet, the heart of a warrior, the brains of a scholar, and be able to lead and entire nation. I know, Gavin is larger than life. I’ve never found an actor that compares. But if I had to come up with someone Tatum Channing comes awfully close.

 

 

 

 

Find out more about Elizabeth on her website:

elizabethisaacs.com

 

 

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Giveaway & Book Journey Feature: Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

 

 

 

 

Professor Gabriel Emerson, a specialist in Dante and the art of seduction, believes he has already earned his exile to the lower circles of hell. Since redemption is impossible, there is no reason to refrain from indulging in a life of pleasurable sin, using his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm as a means to gratify his every whim. But when he meets Julia Mitchell, a brilliant, lovely, and innocent grad student with the achingly familiar eyes of an angel, all of his cynical convictions are challenged. Her mysterious allure and the havoc she wreaks on his self-satisfied existence cause him to lash out at her, while her quiet beauty and innate goodness consistently undermine his control, tempting him beyond measure. Despite surviving a traumatic childhood, nothing has shaken Julia's faith that redemption is possible for everyone-everyone but her. Her unworthiness torments her, since the only man she will ever love has managed to forget her very existence, failing to even recognize her when they reconnect. Too naive to see that Gabriel's hostility is a mask for his increasing obsession with her, Julia forces him to come to grips with his past while she continues to unwittingly torment his senses. His fascination grows into a dangerous preoccupation, for Julia is forbidden fruit . . .

 

Buy The Book:

Omnific Publishing | Amazon | B&N

 

Sylvain Reynard:

Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Fan Page(Facebook) | Website

 

WIN an eBook Copy of “Gabriel’s Inferno” by Sylvain Reynard + Bookmark + Trading Card!

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JOURNEY SCHEDULE

*The Publisher has been very wonderful! So This just in! Each Blog will be giving away at least one copy of Gabriel's Inferno! Blogs Marked with * will be giving away 2 Copies! One from KLB the other from the Publisher! More Chances 2 Win!
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9/19   Skyla11377 :  Review & Giveaway *

9/20  Hanging With Bells : Book Feature

Reading With Baking Goddess : Review

9/21  Books N Kisses : Review

9/22 Asian Cocoa : Review & Giveaway*

Donna Simmons : Review

9/23  Tigris Eden Garden of Book : Book Feature

My Need To Read : Review & Giveaway

9/24  United by Books :Review

Author Twitter Chat : Hashtag:  #SRGI

9/25 Wicked Readings By Tawaina : Review & Giveaway*

9/26  Ramblings From This Chick : Feature

Missy the Unread Reader : Review

9/27  Off Beat Vagabond : Review

9/28  Musings Of A Book Worm :  Review

Larissa's Bookish Life : Book Feature

9/29  A Buckeye Girl Reads : Review

9/30  Kicking Back With Kiwi : Review

10/1 Lush Book Reviews : Book Feature

10/2  Alisha Robinson : Review

10/3  Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind : Review & Giveaway *

10/4  KLB : Book Discussion & Giveaway *

 

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Author Guest Blog & $10 Amazon GC Giveaway w/ Marie Treanor!

 

The Allure of the Series by Marie Treanor

Hello everyone, and thank you, Larissa, for having me back in your bookish life! This a pretty exciting time for me, because ten days from now sees the release of BLOOD ETERNAL, the finale of my Awakened by Blood vampire romance/urban fantasy trilogy. Naturally this is occupying my mind somewhat! So, following my custom of blogging about whatever’s in my head at the time, I thought I’d talk about series books.

If you’re anything like me, you love series books, where you can delve back into familiar yet still intriguing worlds almost as if you’re going home. In a series we have time to watch characters grow, to feel as if they’re old friends, and because of that, it can make our empathy with them that bit stronger. And I think that’s true whether the series follows the same main character, or switches to a minor character from a previous book as the hero/heroine of the next. We learn more about them in each book and are drawn more deeply into their lives and into their world.

Of course, there can be the odd drawback. Sometimes, there’s a feeling that a series might have gone on too long – true of tv series as well! – and you think maybe the author should have known when to leave it alone. Well, if sales are good, her readers are clamoring for more, and her publisher’s happy, why shouldn’t she write more of the series? And then, there’s the other point. If it’s hard for a reader to say goodbye to a series, how hard is it for the author who’s lived in that world with these people so intensely for even longer? Their story must be moving on in her head, and it’s only natural to write it.

Yes, you’re right, I’m speaking from experience . I deliberately planned Awakened by Blood as a trilogy – BLOOD ON SILK, BLOOD SIN and BLOOD ETERNAL – because it seemed to fit the story in my head about a mortal woman’s love for the Ancient vampire she accidentally awakened. One book didn’t seem enough for the development of such a complex relationship, or for my vampire hero’s effect on the world. (And perhaps I was thinking too that three books shouldn’t give anyone time to get tired of the series!). But in three, I could develop my world, my conflicts and my relationships more satisfyingly; I could tie up my story nicely, bring everything together for a climactic ending,
and move on.

Well, my ending didn’t quite play out as I’d intended when I first began, because my characters wouldn’t do exactly as I told them - and quite right too! – but I think I still brought it all to a satisfying conclusion. What I didn’t bargain on was the difficulty of letting go.

My world, my characters, had grown, often in unexpected ways, as I wrote the trilogy. By the time I finished BLOOD ETERNAL, I cared massively not just for the apparently doomed love of Elizabeth and Saloman, but for the lives and happiness of all my characters. I wanted to follow everyone, know what happened next in their lives – and in some cases I do. I won’t talk about Elizabeth or Saloman, or their changing world, in case I spoil BLOOD ETERNAL for you. But I will say that in the future, some of my hunters find unexpected love. Some of my fiercest vampires discover they’re not as immune as they thought they were to certain humans who crossed their paths during the trilogy. And there are some unlikely alliances against some unexpected villains.

All this I know in my head. I haven’t told their stories because I’m involved with others now. I may never write them, but like old friends, I think of them, accompany them through the next stages of their lives, just so that I don’t miss them too much.

What about you? Do you like to follow series? Why, or why not? I’d love to know!

  Find out more about Marie on her website:

www.marietreanor.com

 

 

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