Did You Miss It? New Books, Fun Stuff, and Great Deals You May Have Missed

New Releases and Upcoming Books

Lori Foster’s fans are eagerly anticipating her Ultimate Series about MMA heroes and the women who love them, so it’s a happy thought to realize that the prequel to this series, Hard Knocks, will be released August 4th. When a woman can’t forget her affair with a rugged fighter – one who disappeared without a word for months – she’s got to protect her heart when he waltzes back into town. But our hero hasn’t been able to forget the woman who meant everything to him months ago and he has only one night to convince her that he’s back in her life for good. We only have to wait a month for the first full-length novel, No Limits, which will be coming out September 1st, so we can enjoy Hard Knocks while we tap our feet. FYI, Foster is also running a giveaway on Goodreads where she’ll be dispensing 25 copies of the book, so enter by August 7th to see if you can snag one!

Paranormal doyenne Kresley Cole is also releasing this week the fourteenth novel in her incredible Immortals After Dark series, Dark Skye, coming out on August 5th. Fans have been waiting for this installment as it features a couple with a dark past – a prince and a sorceress from rival clans who loved each other as children but were torn apart by a cruel tragedy. While they question whether what lies between them can overcome physical and emotional scars, readers don’t, because Kresley Cole’s name is on the cover!

Contemporary romance author Gina L. Maxwell has got a new series What Happens in Vegas, and is kicking if off on August 11th with the first book, Tempting Her Best Friend. Since Maxwell showed us her considerable writing chops with her wonderful MMA-focused Fighting for Love series, I’m excited to see what this new venture will bring romance readers. This first novel stars a heroine frustrated that her best friend and neighbor can’t see what is right under his nose – so she determines to go to Las Vegas to attend a romance book convention and hopefully have a fling with one of the cover models she’s bound to find. Naturally when her friend, who has commitment issues and thinks she can do better, catches wind of her plan, he’s jetting off to Sin City to make sure that he is the only one she’s going to do any sinning with.

I’m not sure it’s physically possible for me to be more of a Lisa Marie Rice fan, but I’m happy that she’s taken a minor character from my favorite series of hers – her Midnight collection – and given him a book of his own, Midnight Vengeance, which will come out August 18th. We met the tattooed, pierced Jacko in Midnight Angel when he protected the heroine per his boss’ directions, but Jacko has a secret, the beautiful elegant Lauren Dare, who he has loved in secret and whose art classes he has taken. Someone as beautiful and refined as her would never be interested in a rough former sniper like him, but when he realizes that Lauren is running from something in her past – something that may have caught up to her – Jacko isn’t letting anyone touch the woman he loves. Classic Rice! Intriguingly there is another book, Midnight Promises, listed on the Goodreads series page which will be published in January 2015, but with no description as of yet, it’s a bit of a mystery as to who it will feature.

If you are enjoying Laura Kaye‘s Hard Ink series, featuring a group of disgraced special forces soldiers and the tattoo parlor that becomes their home base as they puzzle out the mystery of who set them up, you’ll want to mark your calendar with two upcoming dates. Kaye has a novella being released on August 19th, Hard to Hold On To, starring none other than Edward Cantrell (yay, Easy!!) who has found a woman who has finally penetrated the numbness which has plagued him since his team’s attack, and he’s not about to let go of her, particularly since danger seems to follow her around. All this is the lead up to the next full length novel in the series, Hard to Come By, this time with Derek DiMarzio and a beautiful woman related to the enemy who he falls for, due out on November 25th.

Jennifer Ashley has several upcoming books and novellas in her ever-popular Highland Pleasures historical romance series. Those naughty Mackenzies and McBrides are up to their usual tricks, starting in the The Mackenzie Clan Gathering, where I am guessing we will get an update on our four favorite brothers and their families on August 18th, followed by Scandal and the Duchess on September 16th. Soldier Steven McBride is known for his drinking and wenching off duty, so its with great trepidation that widowed Duchess Rose Barclay confronts the handsome man’s prone form in her hideout. She’s tired of scandal following her everywhere, starting with her ill-fated honeymoon when her much older husband expired, and it’s just her luck that in trying to outrun the journalists she’s ended up with a much bigger problem. Both these novellas are simply the precursors to the next full-length novel in the series, Rules for a Proper Governess, which has brilliant barrister Sinclar McBride finally finding someone who can awaken his widowed heart and wrangle his two hellion children, starting on October 7th.

Kat Latham – an up-and-coming writer who is producing British rugby sports romance that surpasses any of the baseball/football novels I’ve read recently – is coming out with the third book in her London Legends series, Tempting the Player, on November 10th. This novel features a player fighting for his starting slot whose best friend, a gorgeous airline pilot, makes his heart ache. With his fear of flying and her desire for a stay-at-home partner, they both know it wouldn’t work between them, but that doesn’t stop them from making the decision to take a break from their platonic relationship and indulge in the passion which is clearly there. If you haven’t read the first two in the series (take a look at my review of the first book, Knowing the Score, to get a sense how wonderful this writer is), pick them up now so you are ready for the third book in the series.

Contests and Giveaways

Readers who love their heroes with a cowboy hat will be pleased to see that B. J. Daniels is giving away a copy of Mercy, the fifth book in her Beartooth, Montana series, due to come out on August 28th. When U. S. Marshall Rourke Kincaid finds himself on the track of a killer, he’s shocked to come to the doorstep of his prime suspect, Callie Westfield, and find himself blown away by her delicacy. Still, all clues point to her as the killer, yet Rourke fights what he knows is his duty to turn her in and his instinct which is telling him that not only is she innocent, but she’s the woman he’s been hunting for his whole life. Enter by August 7th.

If you are the campy type who enjoys a blast from the past when it comes to romance novels, you’ll want to take a closer look at RT Book Review’s hilarious giveaway – vintage romance audiobooks from the 1990s! Some of them look like they are *gasp* on cassette tape, so you may need to unearth your boom box from the attic to listen. I think I might frame the Fabio one for posterity! Enter by August 6th.

Even though I’ve pre-ordered it months ago, I’m still planning to enter Lauren Dane‘s Goodreads giveaway for a copy of her upcoming first book in her spin-off Hurley Boys series (*fans self, oh those Hurley boys!*), The Best Kind of Trouble, which officially debuts on August 26th. A former wild child, small town librarian Natalie Clayton has got her life on the right path, a path that becomes threatened when former fling Paddy Hurley, one of the famous Hurley Boys rock group, comes back into town. He’s just her brand of naughty when her head is telling her that nice is the way to go, but Paddy has a different idea of what constitutes being a bad girl, and he’s more than willing to teach her how to walk the line. Enter before August 9th for a chance to win one of 25 copies in this giveaway!

 

Fun Stuff

I still love paper books as much as ebooks, so bookmarks are a must (no dog ears or *gasp* open faced books, in a librarian’s house!) and these little triangle book corners from Sketch are as cute and fun as they come. With sayings like “to be continued…” and “eyes rested here” this page of four metal bookmarks are a great gift for your favorite reader (even if that’s yourself). $10

There is no such thing as too many reading-themed t-shirts, so I was thrilled to see T-shirt Booyah’s take off on the Major League Baseball logo with their “Major League Reading” t-shirt. If the $22 price tag is out of your league, you can always get the sticker for $5 which they claim is tough enough for a car (or okay for notebooks). I might have to get both!

Considering all the reading that happens there, the bathroom is an excellent place to highlight book-themed accessories, particularly with a captive audience engaging in mandatory hygiene. Whether it’s your kids or your guests, Zazzle’s Read a Book Bath Accessory Set at $24.95 delivers a soap dispenser and toothbrush holder that urges people to “read a book.” Literary and clean – my favorite!

Great Deals

For readers who can’t get enough military men in their lives, Hot Alpha SEALs: Military Romance Megaset is right up your alley. With twelve stories by military romance authors like Cat Johnson, Cindy Dees, Cristin Harber, and Delilah Devlin, you know you are in good hands. At only $.99 for over 1400 pages, you can consider this one of your summer bargains!

I love the writing of Vivian Arend and if you haven’t had the chance to sample it, the current deal for the first of her Six Pack Ranch series offers a terrific opportunity. Rocky Mountain Heat is free right now, and I have a feeling you are going to like Arend’s brand of cowboy – strong and hot! Blake Coleman is trying to be a responsible rancher but he’s strongly tempted by Jaxi, even though she’s always worn a “hands off” sign as the girl next door. Jaxi has wanted Blake for years and is determined to shatter whatever barriers lie between them, at least to the point that Blake can see the potential for the something more that she always knew was there.

Mastered: Ten Tales of Surrender is a wonderful boxed set with some heavy hitting erotic writers. Joey W. Hill, Portia de la Costa, Kate Pearce and Carrie Ann Ryan are just a few of the outstanding best-selling authors who have novels in this collection, making its $.99 price tag even more phenomenal. If you like a little dominance in your romance, then submit to this collection while the introductory price still holds.

For fans of mysteries, hot sex, and hilarious humor, look no further than Darynda Jones‘ fantastic urban fantasy Charley Davidson series, featuring a heroine with some rather special abilities and a hero to die for (and they don’t come any hotter, believe me). The first book, First Grave on the Right, is on sale for only $2.99 for the Kindle edition, so consider sampling this fantastic paranormal at a bargain price.

I adore Roxie Rivera‘s Her Russian Protector series, but fans of boxing/MMA fighting might want to try her writing in the form of her spin-off series, Fighting Connollys, particularly since the first book, In Kelly’s Corner, is currently free on Amazon. Kelly Connolly has finally broken free of his fighting past working security for a Russian mafia company that treats him well, but when a friend from his past, the internet millionaire Bee Langston, is threatened by a stalker and his dad’s gambling problem escalates, Kelly finds himself having to re-embrace the fighting life he worked so hard to escape.

Happy reading this week!

Need to Lay in a Supply of Beach Reading? Some Fun Books Out Today…

Whether you’re looking for a romance that makes you laugh, makes you ‘walk the plank’, keeps you guessing, or stars your favorite paranormal, look no further. Select books have the single-title stories you crave, and the longer length you need to really get ‘lost’ in a great book. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books are coming next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, and like their Facebook page.
Today I’m happy to be featuring Select’s June releases:

 

Queen of Wands by Katee Robert

Available in Print and Digital!

Never in Mac Flannery’s wildest dreams did he imagine Jenny O’Keirna would be the
one sent for him. He sees beyond the mad grin the sexy princess of Hansarda
presents to the world, and that combination of vulnerability and wicked humor is a
siren call he can’t resist. But Sanctify is after them. On the run—and unable to keep
their hands off each other—Jenny and Mac devise an insane plan: kidnap the leader
of Sanctify, and stop this war once and for all. Unfortunately, they’ve just played
right into his hands…

Find Out More!

 

Giveaway

 

 

Crimson Hearts by Heather McCollum

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Highland warrior Searc Munro’s dark, killing magic must never be known. But when his father’s life is threatened, Searc’s secret is revealed. When Elena Seymour’s lineage as the illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII is discovered, she runs for her life. Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc seek refuge in Edinburg. With a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. Now the two must find a way to trust each other, despite their secrets, before it’s too late.

 

Find Out More!

Giveaway

 

By Jove by Marissa Doyle

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

 

Going back to graduate school to study ancient languages and mythology is a dream come true for Theodora Fairchild. Falling in love with Grant Proctor is an added bonus. But then Theo discovers that being chosen for the prestigious program has more to do with who she is than what she knows. When evil forces threaten Grant’s life in an effort to tear the two apart, Theo must rely on her wits and wisdom to save her true love and survive the semester.

 

Find Out More!

Giveaway

Curse of the Phoenix Bundle by Rachel Firasek

 

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Book One: The Last Rising

Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how Phoenix Ice imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great. When the mysterious Ice comes into Turner Alcott’s life, he knows she’s the one. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

Book Two: The Last Awakening

Ex-soldier Greyson Meadows desperately wants to be freed from the nightmares and guilt that haunt him. Arabella’s been gifted her mortality and long-gone voodoo magic. She must save her next soul within a week without using magic, or she’ll lose her power forever. When Greyson is confronted by a waif of a woman who forces him to face the truth about his past, he runs fast and hard. Now one will have to give up everything so the other can have peace, but will love’s magic withstand the loss?

Book Three: The Last Beginning

Though she’s always hated being a phoenix, Sadie has to admit immortality has its advantages. She’s seen and done more in the last 150 years than she’d ever dreamed of, but she can’t get past the fact that Osiris has done nothing but manipulate her and her fellow phoenixes. Sun god Osiris is ashamed of his role as ruler of the Underworld, but unless he can figure out how to save Sadie, that’s exactly where she’s going to end up. Permanently. He’ll help her the only way he can—even if it means she’ll hate him forever.

 

Find Out More!

Giveaway

Seven Titles You Cannot Miss This Week

I make no bones about the fact that Entangled Publishing produces the greatest concentration of outstanding romance authors on the market, so I was happy to offer to highlight some really terrific books that are coming out this week (many of which I will be reviewing independently).

These books are from solid authors who know how to get readers “lost” in a longer story and -considering that Entangled is great with giveaways and author events (check out the link to the Tonya Burrows/Katee Robert event below) – I figured you should know about it. I’ve already reviewed Queen of Swords by Katee Robert (SO GOOD) and will be following that with reviews for Honor Reclaimed by Tonya Burrows (because she’s an amazing writer and this HORNET series rocks), The Queen’s Wings by Jamie K. Schmidt (because who doesn’t love dragons) and Audra North’s Healing Her Heart (because it has friends-to-lovers and I’m a sucker for that). Do note that several of these titles are at the $.99 price which is Entangled’s introductory deal, so snap them up for yourself at the low price and tuck them away for later!

To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books are coming next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, and like their Facebook page.
Today I’m happy to be featuring Select’s May releases:

 

A Hornet Novel Available in Print and eCopy! Find out more! Giveaway	A Sanctify Novel Available in Print and eCopy! Find out more! Giveaway

Never show fear to a demon. Special $0.99 Introductory Price! Find out more! Giveaway	Save the Dragons Special $0.99 Introductory Price! Find out more! Giveaway

A week together could be just the cure she needs… Only 99 Cents! Find out more! Giveaway	It’s never the same old song… Only 99 Cents! Find out more! Giveaway

Fall in love,save some immortal souls, break a curse… No problem. Special $0.99 Introductory Price! Find out more! Giveaway

Plus don’t miss these two special events!

 

http://www.entangledinromance.com/2014/05/21/spreecast-with-tonya-burrows-katee-robert/

https://www.facebook.com/events/299681326861531/

 

Tonya Burrows’ Honor Reclaimed Gets Sexy New Cover

Tonya Burrows is one of those writers who doesn’t know how to write a bad book (thank heavens), so I was interested when Entangled announced that her terrific book, Honor Reclaimed, the second in her HORNET series about a motley group of mercenaries, was undergoing a redesign. The previous cover (designed to tantalize us into pre-ordering book #2 – mission accomplished) had plenty of chiseled ab goodness, so no one was complaining, but this cover is much better, largely due to the intense facial expression of the model.

The first book SEAL of Honor (which was AMAZING) was full of romantic suspense and some sex scenes that almost set my iPad on fire, so I’ve had Honor Reclaimed pre-ordered since November 2nd. Take a gander at my review of SEAL of Honor for an introduction to the series and some of the characters.

Here’s the blurb for Honor Reclaimed, and all military romance and romantic suspense fans will especially want to take note of this book (and series).

Former Marine scout sniper Seth Harlan is new to HORNET and anxious to prove he can still do his job despite an ongoing battle with PTSD. He remembers all too well what it’s like to sit inside an enemy camp, praying for rescue and waiting for death. So when a black ops soldier contacts HORNET to rescue a buddy who was left behind, all sorts of nasty memories strain his newfound stability.

When an interview with a runaway Afghan child bride leads photojournalist Phoebe Leighton to an arms deal involving a suitcase bomb powerful enough to wipe out a mid-sized town, she realizes this is one battle she can’t win on her own. Forming an unlikely alliance with a ragtag team of military and government delinquents, she meets Seth, a sniper carrying as many emotional scars as physical, who impresses her with his steely will and ignites passions within her she thought long dead.

Suddenly this mission is about a lot more than an abandoned soldier. Racing against the clock, Seth, Phoebe, and the rest of HORNET struggle to stop that bomb before it reaches it’s final destination: The United States.

Fabulous, yes? To celebrate the redesign and the publication of Honor Reclaimed, Entangled Select is having a Rafflecopter giveaway so be sure to check that out. Want to learn more about Tonya Burrows (and believe me, you do if you haven’t read anything by her yet!)? Here’s all the places you can find more about this terrific author.

Website: http://www.tonyaburrows.com/

Blog: http://www.tonya-burrows.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyaburrows

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyaburrowsauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Tonya_Burrows

Newsletter: http://tonyaburrows.us6.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=e03d7c5ec1a8fdc67db99bac3&id=3cafb9c112

Stay tuned for my review of Honor Reclaimed and happy reading!!

Don’t Miss It! New Books, Fun Stuff and Great Deals You Might Have Missed, Week of May 11, 2014

New and Upcoming Books

I’m a big fan of romantic suspense a la Lori Foster, so in case there are readers out there who have not yet read her Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series, you’re in luck, as Foster just released all of them in a book bundle for $9.39, a great price for four full-length novels and a novella. This series is outstanding, focusing on a group of men with various military/law enforcement backgrounds who work together on their own to fight human trafficking. Foster’s research is excellent, but her ability to write protective, hot alpha men and the feisty women who bring them to their knees is unbelievable.

The third book in Rebecca Zanetti‘s excellent Sin Brothers series is out and the ebook version is only $2.99, so fans will want to leap on this while the getting is good! Focusing on a group of enhanced warriors who were cruelly raised to kill as children, the paranormal operatives are now on the run and trying to find out the details of their creation by attempting to evade the authorities while hunting down the scientists responsible for their abilities. In the third book, Blind Faith, Nate Dean loved the chief scientist’s daughter Audrey when he lived in the compound and while he always maintained her innocence in any wrongdoing, all the soldiers had their doubts. Now he must go the woman who broke his heart years ago and ask for her help in saving his chosen family, risking their safety and his emotions once more.

Considering how much I enjoyed Tawna Fenske’s novella, Eat, Play, Lust, and her laugh aloud, sexy novel, Marine for Hire, I can’t wait to tackle her latest novel, Frisky Business, which just came out this past week. Marley is surrounded by rich, bossy men and she’s had enough. She’ll schmooze with the donors because that’s her job, but from now on, isn’t only working class guys with dirt under their nails for this jaded woman. Naturally she butts heads with her new boss, eccentric millionaire William Barclay the Fifth, whose questionable fashion choices, attending dog pack and strong opinions about she does her job makes her crazy. But when their charity is put in danger, the two of them realize not only they are playing for the same team but that their friction has been hinting at some serious chemistry…if they can put aside past prejudices to embrace what is right in front of them.

Contemporary romance fans know the value of Lauren Dane‘s Petal, Georgia collection, a spin off from her Chase Brothers (*fanning myself*) series. Set in the same small, southern town, the women of Petal are hot and the men determined, which make for a pretty unbeatable combination. In Count on Me, the third book of the series due out on June 10th, Dane once again explores the challenges of a romance that involves at least one person from the wrong side of the tracks, as lawyer Caroline Mendoza returns home to find out if her father really did kill her mother sixteen years ago. Organic farmer Royal Watson is busy with his business but cannot resist this smart, sexy woman, who quickly discovers he’s a naughty alpha male in disguise. But with the real killer nervous as she digs deeper, Caroline and Royal may not have a lot of time to enjoy their new feelings before someone threatens to put an end to it.

June 17th will mark the publishing of Janet Evanovich‘s twenty-first full-length Stephanie Plum novel, Top Secret Twenty-One, with that characters usual antics amidst a mystery and the two men who hold her heart. In this installment, feral chihuahuas, assassins and our favorite bounty hunter attempt to figure out the location of a missing used car dealer who skipped bail while also helping Ranger who is getting some murderous attention (and Stephanie’s help uncovers more about Ranger’s mysterious past). I’ll be teasing my hair and getting my gum ready to crack in anticipation!

Yes, I realize that October 28th is a long way away, but Nalini Singh fans don’t care (or we care more than other people), when that date houses the debut of the seventh Guild Hunter novel, Archangel’s Shadows. I am head over heels in love with this series, and the powerful archangel Raphael and his lover, vampire hunter turned angel Elena, are the main reason, but the secondary characters are fantastic and one of the best parts about Singh is that she periodically showcases them in novellas and full-length novels. In the last book, Archangel’s Legion, Raphael and Elena barely survived a war, managing to save the vast majority of the humans and vampires in their territory of New York, but the threat to them has not diminished as much as they would like. In this novel, an insane enemy means that Raphael must call upon one of Elena’s friends, fellow Guild Hunter, Ash, and the sexy Cajun vampire, Janvier, who is both her nemesis and her obsession. Working together, the two of them must track and take down a person of such power that their survival is in question, but the two of them discover something worth fighting for between them that will hopefully tip the balance in their favor. BRING. IT. ON.

October 28th is going to be a banner day (please note that I feel a terrible flu coming on October 27th) as the husband and wife team of Ilona Andrews also has the first in their new Hidden Legacy series debuting, Burn for Me, via Avon Publishing. Considering that I worship every page of their Kate Daniels series (I just reread the whole thing, including novellas and extras, last week) and their Clean Sweep novel blew me away with it’s originality, I’ve been excited about this series since they began discussing the project on their blog. Set in a hierarchical world of magic users, the book’s heroine, detective Nevada Baylor, is swept up in a deadly game that forces her to be an unlikely ally with the powerful billionaire Connor “Mad” Rogan, whose power is only superceded by his allure. I’m beginning to fan myself and I haven’t even seen the heat between them yet. Thank heavens the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a cool fall season – I’m going to need it!

Contests and Giveaways

Cindy Dees is known for her deft rendering of romantic suspense tales, probably due to the fact that she’s a former military pilot and no stranger to intelligence work. Loving her authentic voice, my ears perked up when I heard there was a Goodreads giveaway for her latest book, Close Pursuit. Katie McCloud agrees to travel to the mideast with Dr. Alex Peters, a Doctors Unlimited volunteer specializing in women in childbirth. She’s an excellent translator and with brothers in Special Forces, no stranger to keeping her eyes and ears open to look for danger. Recognizing that the drones she’s spotting means that things are not safe for them, particularly after they lose a mother in surgery, Katie wonders if the handsome doctor is hiding any secrets. Alex, the son of a Soviet spy, hates his father’s profession but has to reluctantly call him for an airlift out of the country, but even a return to the U. S. doesn’t take either him or Katie out of the crosshairs of whoever wants to silence them, throwing these two people together in an adventure that reveals there is more between them than a shared enemy. Enter before May 15th for your chance to win!

Despite it’s questionable cover (be careful with that rose, milord!), Eliza Lloyd‘s erotic historical romances are popular for a reason, so the fact that she’s giving away a copy of the third book in her Wicked Affairs series (in time for the RT Booklovers’ Convention in New Orleans next week) is cause for celebration. Wicked Lord contains a sensual, talented heroine who is happy to pursue her art and dream of being a good wife to the Baron to whom she’s betrothed. When her father changes his mind and gives her to rakish Lord Redding instead she’s honor-bound to marry him. Edward Chase, Lord Redding, was delighted to steal the fiancee of his rival, but realizes quickly that’s he won much more in his talented, innocent wife. Determined to seduce her into forgetting the man she thought she loved, he employs all his erotic talents to the point that his lovely and sated bride has to ask herself if she loves her husband or merely their bedsport. Enter before May 14th to win a copy.

If firefighters are good, smoke jumpers are better based on how many authors are putting out excellent books about the men and women who battle wildfires (Nora Roberts and M. L. Buchman are just a few). Anne Marsh‘s Smoke Jumpers series is going strong with great reviews so it was awesome to find the fifth book in her series, Sweet Burn, due out on May 30th, being featured in a Goodreads giveaway. When the town’s bartender and resident bad girl, Mimi, has a wedding hook up with former Special Forces soldier, Mack, they are lucky the sheets don’t catch on fire. But she’s not the person to be sweetly courted and he’s not a man who is going to give up after finally finding the place – and woman – who helps him confront his demons. Enter before May 15th to see if you can snag a copy (and note that the fourth book in the series, Smoking Hot, is available in the below

Fun Stuff

If you’re already planning your summer reads, take a look at Harlequin’s brilliant flow chart to help you discover the book(s) perfect for your beach bag. Several of my favorites are on there and now I have more to discover!

Tea and books have always gone together, as has the desire for peace and quiet while you’re enjoying your favorite romance, so Oxford University’s Bodelian Library’s gift shop has the perfect teapot, emblazoned with the reminder “Silence Please” for just those times. Matching cups, a creamer pitcher and sugar bowl, can complete the set if you choose, but just the teapot is £40.00, about $67 U. S. dollars. 

The next time you are sandwiched flying coach as a four year old kicks your seat and a stranger spills peanuts in your lap, give yourself a mental fantasy vacation flight by thinking about Etihad Airways’ incredible airbus, complete with suites containing real beds, full private bathrooms with showers and big screen televisions.

Want to show your literary side proudly? Consider doing it with your next manicure! Espionage Cosmetics offers “Literary” nail wraps that are book excerpts. These are super thin stickers with nail lacquer on top made of high quality and without a ton of yucky chemicals like so many of the novelty nail decorations out there. Espionage even has a terrific tutorial on their website to walk you through how you can make them look amazing (honestly, it looks easier than painting your nails with your non-dominant hand!). Talk about a conversation starter as you are sipping your latte in that cute coffeehouse and a sexy man walks up to ask you what you are reading…oh, wait. I think I slipped into a book again. 🙂

Great Deals

Hmm…Red Hot Chance is a sexy short story by K.T. Grant set in Las Vegas (and we know how that city affects people!). Brian’s returned home to Sin City to attend his best friend’s engagement party and to help his sick father despite their estrangement. When said best friend asks him to take out his fiancee’s boss, Brian’s wondering how much worse this trip home can get, that is until he catches a glimpse of the beautiful Diane. Diane’s not been much for dating since her fiancee’s death, but her best friend convinces her in can’t hurt to just talk to the date she’s arranged. When sparks fly and kissing ensues, Diane’s guilt at feeling something for someone other than the man she loved and lost causes her to run…but this time someone is running after her, and he’s not accepting no for an answer. Currently available for free on Amazon.

Maggie Shayne has a ton of fans and her books regularly hit the best-seller list, so I feel rather guilty about not having read that much of her work. Luckily for me, the three books that make up her Immortal Witch series are now available as an ebook bundle entitled Eternal Love, available for only $.99, pretty awesome for about 600 pages! These books each focus on one woman who was pursued by dark forces when she was a witch in the past, only to find those same forces bent on her destruction in the present day. Considering that each witch has a lover from the past determined to help them survive makes this books a blend of historical and contemporary with a healthy dash of paranormal. Sold!

Where would we be without ebook bundles? I’d certainly have not discovered some great authors, hence my devotion to them. The Beyond Desire Collection: (A Limited Edition Boxed Set of Alpha Males, Badboys and Billionaire Romance Novels) is 1500 pages of exactly what it’s title promises, with authors I admire like Roxie Rivera, Deanna Chase and Marie Hall among others. Take a look now since I’m not sure when the $.99 price tag is going to expire.

Come Away With Me by Kristen Proby (the first book in her insanely popular With Me In Seattle series) is currently free on Amazon right now, so readers will definitely want to download it and same this author’s writing. When Natalie Connor is doing what soothes her scarred soul, taking morning photographs on the beach, she’s startled at why the good-looking man walking in the sand flips out and accuses her of deliberately taking his picture. Luke Williams quickly realizes that the stunning woman with a camera really has no idea who he is, and therefore has no idea of why he’s so tired of being on the wrong side of a telephoto lens. Rather than enlighten her, he decides to get to know a woman just as himself…and quickly realizes his fallen hard for this ethereal beauty. But when Natalie, who has reason to despise lies, finds out about his deception, photographs might be the only thing he’s left with.

Another ebook bundle that looks tempting is exactly what a romance reader needs for Memorial Day weekend by the pool. SEALS of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle contains ten novels and novellas by authors such as Delilah Devlin, Sharon Hamilton, Anne Marsh, and Roxie Rivera (again!). I have an entire Kindle collection dedicated to military romance so this anthology is going to live quite happily in there after I’ve devoured it. Did I mention it’s only $.99 right now? Uh-huh. Show your patriotism by grabbing this bargain while you can.

Historical romance readers will want to check out Kasey Michaels second book of her The Redgraves series, which focuses on a aristocratic family determined to unearth their possibly tainted past. In What a Lady Needs, Lady Katherine Redgrave and her brother are given the task of finding her father’s journals in the hope that they will reveal more about the traitorous conspiracy endangering her family. Simon Ravenbill, a Marquis, also wants to find those journals in order to find out the truth about his brother’s murder, so he allies himself with the beautiful Lady Katherine in the hope that seducing her will distract her enough that he can get to the journals first. The only problem is that what starts as a clever strategy rapidly becomes something much more as he falls for this independent beauty, one who may just run when secrets are revealed. Doesn’t that sound great? And it’s only $.99 right now for the ebook at Amazon.

Biker romances are hot (I guess it’s the throbbing machine between their legs) and readers who’d like to dip into this phenomenon may want to take a look at Riding Desire: Alpha Bad Boy Boxed Set which has collated 14 stories from various authors into 1200 pages of fan yourself goodness. With such authors in the lineup as Opal Carew, Sarah Castille, Lauren Hawkeye, Eden Bradley, R. G. Alexander and Mari Carr, this compilation definitely errs on the erotic side (yay!) with a few menage stories and hot and dirty sex to accompany the romance in every title. The price tag of $2.99 seems a lot cheaper than a Harley to me, so take a ride on the wild side.

Stacey Kennedy‘s erotic Club Sin series is incredibly popular among erotic romance readers and now interested fans have the chance to pick up the second book, Bared, for only $.99. Filled with the BDSM sex and roiling emotion she’s known for, this installment has a Master, Aidan Knight, who is renowned for uncover the hidden desires of his submissives in the Las Vegas club. His ability to read people has him fascinated with Cora Adams, a woman who has come to the club to escape her heartbreak. As a kindred damaged spirit, he recognizes that she’s keeping secrets, and determines to use all his talents to bring her emotions to the surface in the hope that by doing so he can heal and free them both.

Amazingly, the super sexy bundle, Bring On the Heat: Romance Box Set (Bad Boys and Alphas and Handcuffs, Oh my!) is still only $.99, so I’m jumping on this deal and riding it home. With BDSM, menage, naughty cowboy and dark shifter stories from ten best-selling authors, including Stephanie Julian, Ann Mayburn, Cassandra Carr, Eden Bradley and Cari Quinn, this set is sure to do exactly what its title promises!

Happy reading everyone. 🙂

Don’t Miss It! New and Upcoming Books, Fun Stuff, and Great Deals You Might Have Missed

New and Upcoming Books

Paranormal doyenne N. J. Walters has recently published the first in her new Salvation Pack series, Wolf at the Door, about a paranormal writer who in the process of getting information about werewolves discovers that they are actually…gasp…real. When the werewolf hero realizes that this woman he’s supposed to silence is his mate, he also is aware that the head of the rival pack – who is also his father – will do anything to get rid of her.

Any reader who enjoys steamy category romance is familiar with the wonderful writing of Leslie Kelly, so they’ll be pleased to hear that she’s recently published another wonderful book under Harlequin Blaze’s “Unrated” label (mrrrroooowwww), Double Take. When a sex therapist gains way to much media attention, she retreats to an island off the coast of Michigan as a substitute teacher hoping to not even think about sex for a while. That intention is blown out of the water upon meeting former Chicago cop Mike Santori who came to this safe small island to settle down and avoid danger. Falling for a hot teacher who is more than she appears was not part of the plan, but he’ll do everything he can – and use every one of her naughty toys – at his disposal to strip her of her defenses.

Kaylea Cross is one of the best military romance writers out there, so I was elated to discover that the most recent book in her outstanding Bagram Ops series is out. Danger Close has Army nurse Lt. Erin Kelly ready for her well-deserved leave back home in Montana, but plans go awry when a strange man unintentionally puts her in the way of the American-born terrorist currently enemy number one. This places her in tremendous danger and, now that his cover has been blown, CIA Operative Wade Sandberg isn’t about to leave Erin’s safety in anyone else’s hands, particularly as the man he once guarded hunts them down.

As historical romance fans wait for Erin Knightley‘s next full-length novel to come out, they will be elated knowing that she’s given readers a terrific novella, Deceived by a Duke, as the next installment in her All’s Fair in Love series. Published this past Friday, this 97 page morsel of goodness has a responsible duke who takes his dissolute younger brother to Spain with the caveat that if he agrees to live minus their station for a month, his debts will be paid. What no one expected was the English beauty who helps them with the local language, but what will happen when she realizes that her heart which has been captured has been deceived by a duke? At only $.99, there’s no mistaking this novella as a great bargain, so grab it now while you wait for The Baron Next Door, her Prelude to a Kiss novel, to be published on June 3rd.

Harlequin is embarking on another glamorous multi-author series, this time centering on a decadent Monte Carlo hotel, The Chatsfield (the name of the series as well as the surname of the billionaire family who owns it). First up is Lucy Monroe with Sheikh’s Scandal, about a ruler who is jilted in the hotel, only to find solace in a beautiful chambermaid who he promptly whisks back to his home country when circumstances arise that their night together may result in pregnancy. Published on May 1st, the next sequel will be Playboy’s Lesson (debuting on June 1st) by Melanie Milburne and then the gothic sounding Billionaire’s Secret by Chantelle Shaw due out in August.

Everyone knows how much I adore M. L. Buchman, so I’m thrilled that his new spin-off series, Firehawks, debuts this coming Tuesday, May 6th, with Pure Heat. Fans who enjoyed his incredible Night Stalkers series know that our favorite couple in those books have taken the news of their pregnancy and decided to turn civilian, flying helicopters in dangerous fire-fighting situations. In this opening novel, an emotionally shut down forest fire specialist who has lost loved ones in the line of duty is assigned as a co-pilot to a hot former smokejumper. When they discover a terrorist threat in the wilderness, it’s hard to determine what’s hotter, they’re attraction to each other or the fire they are desperate to conquer.

If you love animals, hot men and Jill Shalvis (and who doesn’t?) you must adore this contemporary author’s Animal Magnetism series, set in a small Western town where hot vets seem to be a speciality. You can chalk up one more citizen who fits this description as her latest book, Then Came You, focuses on a veterinary intern fulfilling her vet school scholarship by serving a year in a clinic in the middle-of-nowhere Idaho, only to come face to face with her hot one night stand at the Reno veterinary conference she attended. The problem? He’s her boss. Unfortunately we’re going to have to wait until July 1st for this one, but I have a feeling the summer is going to be a little bit hotter! FYI, be sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway before May 9th to see if you can win a copy. 🙂

Lauren Dane’s long-awaited Hurley Boys series is driving the anticipation higher with both the cover release for The Best Kind of Trouble, the first book in the series, which will debut on August 26th in print and September 1st in ebook form (it’s an annoying Harlequin thing) as well as the pre-order page for the second book, Broken Open, going live despite its November 25th release date. Having met these sexy rock stars who stay close to their small-town Hood River, Oregon roots in Dane’s fabulous book Lush, we’ve been chomping at the bit waiting for all their stories. The Best Kind of Trouble focuses on the town’s librarian, a once wild girl in her youth, who has mastered self-control and now has her life going to plan…that is, until Paddy Hurley, the musician with whom she once spent two unbelievable weeks returns to tempt her.

Whether you love them for the amazing writing, Victorian Era Highlanders (who are NOT as tame as their English counterparts) or the loving mess of the Mackenzie family, any installment of Jennifer Ashley’s Highland Pleasures series is a must-read. Fans of quality historical romance will be thrilled to note the next book in the series, Rules for a Proper Governess, is available for pre-order, with a release date of October 7, 2014.  This book focuses on one of the McBride men (related to the Mackenzies via the sister who married Lord Cameron), the brilliant barrister Sinclair whose widowed status has led to an amazing career but two hellion children. When a thief manages to tame his wayward offspring, he offers her a job as their governess, but pocket watches aren’t the only thing she knows how to steal, and Sinclair begins to realize that his heart is in danger as well.

Contests and Giveaways

RT Book Reviews magazine has a terrific giveaway featuring the first novel of M. L. Buchman’s Firehawks series (his spin off from his successful – and amazing – Night Stalkers books, see above description in “Upcoming Books”), Pure Heat, as well as Julie Ann Walker‘s latest Black Knights Inc. book, Hell for Leather. That’s a lot of muscled alpha male, but I know you can handle it, so enter their Rafflecopter giveaway before May 8th for your chance to win!

Susan Mallery has an incredibly successful series with her long-running Fool’s Gold collection, and now you can win the fourteenth book, Before We Kiss, in a Goodreads giveaway. With a former pro-football player with terrible luck with woman and the one night stand he runs from when he discovers a room filled with wedding gowns, this is classic Mallery, so readers will enjoy this journey to a happily ever after. Be sure to enter by May 6th for your chance to win!

Kat Latham and Ashley LeMar are doing a wonderful giveaway for the month of May in honor of Memorial Day’s focus on our nation’s men and women in the military. Entitled 2014 Read, White and Blue, it’s goal is to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund, which provides assistance to military personnel (and their families) who have have been injured or are coping with illness. It’s a great cause and helping out and promoting the giveaway enters you to win the grand prize, a Kindle, donated ebooks, custom coffee mugs, a cozy blanket and a $20 Starbucks gift card! Enter before May 31st and make your Memorial Day about more than a great cookout with friends and family.

Western romance fans instantly recognize Linda Lael Miller‘s name, so they’ll be pleased to discover that she has a new series, The Brides of Bliss County, debuting at the end of May and the first book, The Marriage Pact, is available as a prize in a Goodreads giveaway for readers who hustle over and enter before May 6th. Considering this has a best friend’s little sister, a divorced hero who once saved the heroine from making a bad marriage and heat that cannot be denied, I’ll be reading this one whether or not I win!

Fun Stuff

Anyone needing a blast from romance novels past should check out BuzzFeed’s hilarious “19 Things Fabio Is Really Thinking on Romance Novel Covers.” Readers who lived through the bodice ripper days of the 1980s will recognize more than a few of these covers!!

If you’ve got a honey bunny who needs a love card, romance enthusiasts need look no further than Meow Kapow shop on Etsy and their hilarious (to the library geeks among us) “checking you out” card. Be sure to look at their other delightfully retro and quirky offerings – there are more than few stocking stuffers and hostess gifts in this great shop!

Great Deals

Pirate fans will want to take a look at Pleasing the Pirate by Sharon Cullen which features a spunky Highland miss determined to save her brother from imprisonment so he can take over the management of their lands. Unfortunately, she has to seek help from a handsome Sassenach buccaner who has little use for her money, but plenty for her body. That her brother is exactly the person the crown has asked him to apprehend is an unexpected bonus, but his obligations prove less and less appealing the more time he spends with this Scottish beauty. Only $.99 for 261 pages on Amazon!

Shifter and romantic suspense fans will want to take note that Wolf Protector by Milly Taiden (part of her Federal Paranormal Unit series) is also currently only $.99. I enjoyed this book tremendously as it stars a psychic heroine who keeps herself tightly under control, particularly around her devastatingly handsome coworker, who she has labeled trouble of the player variety. The hero, a wolf shifter, knows this woman is who he’s been waiting for but his patience is reaching its limit as she continues to ignore him. When a gruesome serial killer has them both working together, no one is denying the fiery attraction between them. But does their love come too late? With the next book in the series, Dangerous Protector, just out this past Friday, this is a great opportunity to see if you want to commit yourself to the series (which I think you will!).

Erotic author Jasmine Haynes has the first of her Open Invitation series, Invitation to Seduction, available for free right now on Amazon. With an artist heroine low on confidence, a bachelorette party at an exclusive club and a hero whose fallen for the heroine from afar and will do anything to get her now that he’s seen her in person, we’ve reached “fan yourself” territory. Grab it now as a present to yourself.

We’ve got to feature at least one awesome book bundle, and this one is a doozy! If you haven’t yet picked up Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance, get on it, as it gives you quite a line-up of authors for only $.99! With Jennifer Ashley’s Bodyguard (a fabulous novella from her Shifters Unbound series) heading the list, the bundle also features powerhouse writers like Alyssa Day, Felicity Heaton, Erin Kellison, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Bonnie Vanak and Caris Roane. WOW!

May means the advent of romance authors everywhere raising money for Brenda Novak’s Online Auction to benefit Diabetes Research and this amazing book bundle, A Sweet Life Boxed Set, has fourteen contemporary romances from best-selling authors with all proceeds headed straight to that charity. At only $.99 for 1500 pages of great writing, it’s not just the research that’s benefiting, particularly with authors like Bella Andre, Barbara Freethy, Heather Graham, Susan Mallery, Brenda Novak (the fundraiser herself!), Susan Wiggs, and Debbie Macomber among others. Don’t let the “sweet” in the title fool you either – there’s a variety of sensuality levels from steamy to sweet between these covers.

Happy reading! 🙂

Don’t Forget the Latest Titles from Entangled’s Brazen Line to Warm You During the Cold Early Days of Spring

If you like your heroes hot, the sex hotter, and a swoon-worthy romance to swoop in and save your happily ever after, Brazen has the story for you. Sinfully sexy soldiers. Alpha cops who demand control. Sweet guys with a naughty side in the bedroom. At Brazen, they’ve got the hero destined to melt your… heart. Visit the Entangled website, the Brazen Blog, follow them on Twitter, Like their Facebook page, and follow them on Pinterest.

Introducing Brazen’s March 31st releases:

 

Friends with benefits was never the plan…

Melanie Jacobs’s chances for having a family are shrinking with every passing day. Her only comfort is her best friend, sexy cowboy Colton Freeze, but when a heated argument between them turns into an even hotter kiss, the boundaries of their friendship are blurred. But will their new friends-with-sexy-benefits arrangement destroy everything they once shared?

Find out more! 

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Enter the Giveaway

Follow the Blog Tour

 

Also, don’t miss these three great novellas from our prior Halloween Anthology, now available individually for the first time!

Possession is nine-tenths of the law. And she belongs to him.	He’s not who she thinks, and he has seduction plans of his own…	When a battle of wills becomes a game of lust, one wrong move could be fatal.
Find out more!	Find out more!	Find out more!

Don’t Miss It! Upcoming Books, New Releases and Great Deals You Might Have Missed, March 30, 2014

Upcoming Books and New Releases

Veronica Scott who wrote the fascinating paranormal/historical romance The Gods of Egypt series, released her next book, Magic of the Nile, featuring a high priestess whose life is dedicated to the Crocodile God who physically healed her from the abuse she suffered as a child. When Pharaoh sends his handsome captain to ask for her help, she could not imagine how turned upside down her life will be, as she is forced to find a dark sorcerer deep in Pharaoh’s court and the man she loves may or may not help her.

Stacy Gail has a hit series on her hands with her Earth Angels, so fans will be happy to note that the latest addition, Dangerous Angel, comes out tomorrow on March 31st. Based on the premise of the forbidden descendants of angels and humans walk among us, hiding their powers while fighting evil on behalf of unknowing humans, this fourth book in the series shows us a bounty hunter who is more than a little distracted by his rival, a sexy woman who impersonates a stripper to get close to man she needs to bring in before our hero. When the situation is complicated by something not quite human, nothing will stop this angel from having the woman who is his perfect match while also stopping a possible apocalypse.

There are just not enough Rugby heroes in the world, but thankfully we have Kat Latham to fill the gap for us with her London Legends series. I can’t say enough about her first book, Knowing the Score, and as a result I’m eager to devour the next book, Playing It Close, when it debuts on April 14th. When a famous rugby player and an unemployed office worker meet in a remote Venezuela locale, both use assumed names to avoid complications. Naturally it’s a surprise to be back in London and have our heroine end up with a job with the rugby team’s official sponsor, but that’s not going to dissuade the hero from pursuing the woman from the hottest night of his life. Thank heavens!

No cover image or ebook version as of yet, but Lauren Dane fans do have a link to the first in her The Hurley Boys series (a spin off of her Delicious series books), The Best Kind of Trouble. This series was picked up by Harlequin and I can tell you why (beyond Lauren Dane being an amazing writer). The Hurley Boys, who we met in the last Delicious book, Lush, are a highly successful rock band who retreat to their lovely family farm to record and be normal when they aren’t surrounded by adoring fans. Since this book has not only the sexy Paddy Hurley but also the naughty librarian with whom he once shared a couple blazing weeks, I am so on board. That I have to wait until August 26th seems cruel, but knowing Lauren Dane it will be totally worth it!

Contests and Giveaways

Avon Publishing (which has a terrific reader community for fans, BTW) is offering a wonderful contest for fans of historical romance. Their Historical Romance Spring Giveaway includes four of their recently released paperback books (out as of March 25, 2014): Eloisa James’ Three Weeks with Lady X Julie Anne Long’s Between the Devil and Ian Eversea, Jennifer McQuiston’s Moonlight on My Mind, and Maya Rodale’s Wallflower Gone Wild, as well as a pair of handmade Regency-inspired earrings. A $70 value and all you have to do is fill out the entry form before April 25th for a chance to win!

Fun Stuff

The Literary Gift Company is a breath of fresh air in terms of the funny (and often delicious) gifts they offer. While I wish I lived in Great Britain (for many reasons) they do ship internationally, so you may want to consider ordering one of their quotable chocolate bars as an award-winning gift (or hell, just for yourself). Whether it’s Mr. Darcy’s famous quote to your main squeeze (“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”) or Louisa May Alcott’s friendship quote given to your BFF (“Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable.”), there are plenty of delicious options to choose from.

When readers, especially those who love used bookstores or wandering vast stacks in the library, get together, invariably one of them will mention an addiction to the smell of old books. While you can’t deliver the Bodleian Library in a jar, you can give them the next best thing. Frostbeard Studios has a soy candle entitled Old Books – Book Lovers’ Scented Soy Candle which claims to have captured an earthy, papery smell with a hint of must and newsprint. For a mere $15 for a long lasting candle, this affordable option could be what everyone needs to transport themselves for quiet reading via a little olfactory incentive. Shhhhhhhh. (BTW, they also sell Bookstore and Trashy Romance Novel candles as well – I’ll be getting a bundle!)

Great Deals

Just this week, Nora Roberts’ Mackade Brothers series (four books in all) are each on sale in ebook form for only $1.99 each. This Maryland town doesn’t seem big enough to hold four sexy brothers, all of whom are due to succumb to the one woman who can tame their wild ways, but at around 250 pages each, this is a terrific bargain and one to add to your Nora Roberts collection!

I cannot remember a time I was more excited about a $.99 bundle, but the Alphas After Dark: 9 Book Bundle of Sexy Alpha Biker Bad Boys has sent me into the stratosphere! Not only does this have the next book in Kit Rocha‘s dystopian erotic Beyond series, Beyond Solitude (*whimper*) but it also a Roxie Rivera spinoff from Her Russian Protector series (they are like crack cocaine, be warned), Rumpel’s Prize, the eighth book in Marie Hall‘s fairy tale based Kingdom Series, which I love, plus Vivian Arend‘s first book in her wildly successful Takhini Shifters series, Copper King. And that’s just four of them! While not familiar with the other five authors, any one of the above books would be worth $.99, so to get all four of them for that price – with the chance I’ll also find a new author with the other five – is a dazzling bargain.

An impressive boxed set we will have to wait a lot longer for is the Masters of Seduction: Paranormal Boxed Set, which features an actual series written by four outstanding writers – Lara Adrian (of Midnight Breed fame), Donna Grant (Highlanders, anyone?), Laura Wright (love her Bayou Heat novels) and Alexandra Ivy (co-author of those great Bayou Heat novels!). Conceived by the authors together, each book builds upon the other and features the same world populated by Incubi. None of the books have been published prior to this release, so immediate gratification junkies will get the first four books of the series in one shot. At only $.99, that seems a good gamble considering the best-selling chops of these four ladies. The only drawback? It’s not out until July 14th, but I’ve pre-ordered to lock in this amazing price.

That’s it for this week. Happy reading everyone!

Reflections: Upcoming Books, Fun Stuff and Great Deals You Might Have Missed, Sunday, March 23, 2014

Sorry to have been away so long. We have a lot to catch up on!

Upcoming Books and New Releases

 Anyone who reads this blog knows my undying admiration for Nalini Singh, who has captivated me with both her amazing Guild Hunter series (for urban fantasy or angel fans) as well as the fabulous Psy-Changeling series, which features the SnowDancer Wolves and DarkRiver Leopards and the humans and Psy who interact with them as the world inches closer to a major change. Now Whisper of Sin, a terrific novella that is one of the prequels in the Psy-Changeling series, is available as a stand alone novella for only $2.99 as of late February. Previously only published in the Burning Up anthology (published in 2010 and containing a great novella from Meljean Brook from her Iron Seas steampunk series), this novella tells the story of high-ranked soldier Emmett and how he helps rescue a human in San Francisco’s Chinatown only to realize that she is his mate.

Bella Andre‘s Sullivan series fans will want to make sure that the latest volume of the Sullivans series, Just To Be With You, made it to their mailbox or ereader on March 5th (and if it didn’t, get on it!). Can you believe it’s the 12th book in this hit series? These Seattle Sullivans are just as compelling as their California cousins, with the jaded, successful CEO of Sullivan Investments, Ian Sullivan, about to fall for the gorgeous actress, Tatiana Landon. She’s been waiting for a strong love like this, but with Ian’s history of failed relationships, nothing is going to be easy about this happily ever after.

Donna Grant knows her Highlanders, which is probably one of the reasons she’s begun a new novella series, Rogues of Scotland (love the name). First up is The Craving, which came out on March 6th and features a woman who retreats to her family home in order to mend a betrayed heart, only to find a man trapped by a woman and a gypsy curse in a mirror. Trusting and loving the woman who finds him will take a leap of faith he’s not sure he can give, but it might be the only way to set them both free.

Historical romance writer Katharine Ashe just came out with her first book in a new (self-published?) Regency series, My Lady, My Lord, on March 10th and it looks wonderful. When an intelligent book reading lady is forced to give the time of day to her libertine neighbor, sparks are sure to fly, particularly since he adores torturing her as much as watching fast horses at the races. At only $2.99 for over 300 pages, Ashe fans have quite a bit to rub their hands in glee about.

Kit Rocha‘s unbelievably good erotic dystopian Beyond series finally added Beyond Jealousy this week, and weren’t we all waiting with baited breath? Tattoo artist and former gigilo Ace has wanted Rachel from the moment she left her comfortable, sheltered life and became an O’Kane to settle her father’s debt, but all he’s done is hurt her, especially after he became a couple with a man she had tried a relationship with, the resident hero and former special ops soldier, Cruz. Neither Cruz nor Ace have ever stopped loving Rachel so when the opportunity presents itself for all three of them to come together, the results are combustible, particularly in trying to work through everyone’s emotional baggage while a major turf war erupts in the sector.

We all know what a fangirl I am for anything written by Jennifer Ashley and I have big circles on my calendar for every installment of her Shifters Unbound series. Well, Feral Heat, Jace and Deni’s story, came out this week and it did NOT disappoint! This novella is right between the two full-length novels, Tiger Magic and the upcoming Wild Wolf (April 1st cannot get here soon enough), and is just as phenomenal as every other book in the series. It’s a hot, sexy love story that still manages to propel her fascinating story arc of the shifters attempting to discover how to rid themselves of the collars that keep them second class citizens. This author does not know how to write a mediocre book and I for one applaud her high standards!! Did I also mention this outstanding volume is only $1.99 and it’s not a short novella, but a meaty one equaling a lot of category romance novels. Great writing and an awesome value – I heart Jennifer Ashley!

Book seven of Eloisa James‘ Desperate Duchesses series will come out on March 25th, and Three Weeks With Lady X looks like a keeper. A bastard son of a duke needs to marry a woman with a serious reputation and he turns to Lady Xenobia India, an independent woman who quickly becomes the focus of his efforts. But this woman is no wallflower to go into a marriage of convenience, and the gentleman in question finds he must give everything to get everything if she’s to agree to his terms. Keep in mind if you pre-order this puppy and provide proof of your purchase with a picture of a receipt or a screenshot of your browser screen confirming your purchase, James is having a contest for a lucky reader to get special bonus content sent directly from her!

Also out on March 25th is the next book in Nora Roberts‘ latest trilogy, The Cousins O’Dwyer, Shadow Spell. This fantastic series has a strong paranormal story arc linking an Irish brother and sister and their American cousin to their long ago Irish ancestors. With evil sorcerers, plenty of magic and an abundance of animal familiars set in the Irish countryside, Roberts’ fans get to see this writer in her element once more. Don’t worry about having to wait too long for the final volume. The third book, Blood Magick, will be out on November 4th and is already available for pre-order.

March 25th is clearly a big day for romance, since Lori Foster’s next book in her Love Undercover series, Dash of Peril, also debuts. This series is outstanding, and I for one am eager to see construction business owner Dash help his brother’s frosty lieutenant take down nefarious human traffickers with a little heat on the side. Mrrrrooowww. If you haven’t yet indulged in this series, get your butt in gear as there are sexy alpha males galore as well as beautiful woman who inspire fierce protectiveness and love in the worst of circumstances. So good!!

It’s never too early to begin looking at the spring releases (and pre-ordering them to lock in great prices). Elle Kennedy has an addition to her Killer Instincts series coming down the pike on April 1st, and fans of “mercenaries with a heart” stories will want to take note of Midnight Pursuits. The fourth in this highly rated series has a rookie to the group assigned to assist a loner deep in Eastern Europe on a mission gone horribly wrong. While she usually has no use for working with someone, this former Marine has a skill set that she can definitely use…and the heat between them seems to have the added bonus of warming her cold heart.

In addition to the Cousin’s O’Dwyer paranormal novel mentioned above, Nora Roberts also has one of her romantic suspense novels, this one entitled The Collector, due out in hardcover on April 15th. When a professional apartment sitter is the sole witness to a heinous crime, the brother of the main suspect seeks her help as he knows his sibling could not possibly be responsible. The two are drawn closer as they come closer to discovering the actual perpetrator, hopefully before it’s too late.

Historical romance author Amanda Quick announced she will be publishing a stand alone novel, Otherwise Engaged on April 22nd, featuring her usual brand of bold heroine (this one a world traveler) who finds herself the target of a madmen obsessed by her name being linked to that of a gentleman scientist. That the man in question is also a spy for the crown thickens the plot and he has no intention of her reputation suffering – or of the fiery beauty getting hurt – due to his actions.

Paranormal doyenne Christine Feehan will be publishing the third book of her Sisters of the Heart series (a spin off grouping that takes place in the same town as the Drake Sisters books), Air Bound, on May 27th. Each book focuses on one of six women who have come together as part of a special grief support group for women who have lost someone to violent crime. The heroine of this book not only suffered with her paranormal ability by growing up in a special government facility, but also recently lost her mother at the hands of a murderer. Kidnapped and aboard a ship, she finds herself at the mercy of an intriguing captor, one who intended to use her for his own purposes, only to find himself drawn to her instead.

Maya Banks‘ KGI series fans need to circle June 24th on their calendar as that is the publication date for the next novel in this wildly successful series, When Day Breaks. When a wounded and scarred Afghanistan veteran is assigned to protect a stunning model with a violent stalker, no one could have predicted that these two people would find something in common. But serious heat and attraction exists and neither party is about to let a murderous stalker get in the way.

The husband-and-wife writing team of Ilona Andrews have been blogging for months about a paranormal romance they have been working on for Avon Publishing – and the link is finally live! The official name is Burn For Me and it will be the first of their Hidden Legacy trilogy which the authors have confessed is more like a paranormal political thriller versus the paranormal heroic journey/police procedural of the Kate Daniels series (which is phenomenal). As the only thing I wish for in the Kate Daniels series is a little more sexy times between Kate and Curran, I was thrilled to hear that the heat level is a bit more “fan yourself” in this upcoming work. The only bad news? We’ll have to wait until October 28th for it to come out, but with the current ebook price at a mere $4.99 for almost 400 pages, it’s worth pre-ordering now in case the price raises a little closer to the fall.

Contests and Giveaways

Paranormal author Robin D. Owens is embarking on an urban fantasy series starring a woman who can see ghosts and the sheriff who finds himself drawn into her life, all with a Western setting. The aptly named Ghost Seer (series with the same name) is debuting on April 1st and from now until March 24th, you can enter a contest on Goodreads to win a copy of the book. With the second book due out in early September, fans of instant gratification won’t have long to wait to see how this storyline develops.

You can win a signed copy of the first book in historical romance writer Elizabeth Hoyt‘s Prince series, The Raven Prince, which came out in both in 2006 and then was reissued under a new (and gorgeous) cover in 2012. When a widow in dire financial straits is almost mowed down by a aristocrat in desperate need of a secretary, problems for everyone seem solved, except that the Earl’s newest secretary takes exception at his decision to visit a brothel to assuage his “manly” needs…and so she decides to be a mystery woman who will take care of his every wish, in and out of the study. Enter before March 31st to win your autographed copy!

Category romance fans who enjoy the secret baby trope will definitely want to put Andrea Laurence‘s His Lover’s Little Secret (a Harlequin Desire novel out on April 1st) on their to-read list. When a millionaire has a chance run in with the lover he never forgot, he can do the math and realizes her little son is his child – and he’s not about to let either of them go. But while the mother of his son might be willing to let him into their life, she’s not about to give into his bossy ways and let him into her heart again. Enter by March 31st for a chance to win a copy.

Fun Stuff

If you are looking for a fun activity for a bachelorette party or your best friends’ sleepover, look no further than Pornogami: A Guide to the Ancient Art of Paper-Folding for Adults. Actually written by a master of the art of origami, this guide takes a beginner through making fun looking spermatozoa all the way to a realistic vajayjay. Do I hear a drinking game coming out of this book? You bet I do.

Allison Yates at the Kinsey Confidential blog has an intriguing post about the recent startling mannequins which appeared in the American Apparel stores on Valentine’s Day who clearly were sporting bushy pubic hair amidst all their provocative underwear. The rubbernecking by passers-by was purportedly astonishing (and these are jaded New Yorkers we are talking about) but Yates dissects some fascinating trends and insights regarding our culture’s view of sexuality and body hair.

Librarian and romance lover Amy Alessio put up a wonderful article in honor of St. Patrick’s Day on the Romance University blog featuring some perennial favorite books featuring Ireland (or sexy Irish heroes and heroines). From J. D. Robb’s Roarke to Mary Jo Putney’s Irish setting in Sometimes a Rogue, she’s picked some winners worth reading.

I’m a big fan of the Etsy shop, Spunky Fluff, who produces amazing signs with heart-inspiring sayings to adorn your walls. Whether it’s “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You” or “Suck It Up Buttercup” these wall adornments always seem to contain heart and humor. With the majority of stock ranging between $40 to $60 and around 12 x 18 inches, these signs come in colors to match any decor and are truly unique items that will inspire a smile and a sigh each day.

Great Deals

There are a lot of good boxed sets and there are a LOT of “meh” boxed sets, but this one looks fabulous! Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set offers readers twelve shifter books by authors such as Adriana Hunter, Georgette St. Clair and Eve Langlais among others – for only $.99! Just out on March 4th, the description page warns that the special price is for a limited time (and then it will go to $9.99, still a bargain) so get it at the special price while it lasts.

Carrie Ann Ryan has got a terrific book bundle for the first three books in her Dante’s Circle series, featuring paranormal creatures who find their future in the form of humans with a bit of the otherwordly in them. Usually these books go for $3.99 each, but you can get over 650 pages of the three novels together for only $2.99 right now. Yowza! Grab it before the fourth book, Tangled Innocence, comes out in April.

Tawny Weber‘s fun short, Rules of Engagement, is only $.99 and it’s a good example of the great brand of military hero you get when signing on board for a Weber romance. When a woman who has always crushed on her brother’s best friend finds herself being propositioned for hot sex in a moonlight garden she says, “yes!” knowing she’s not his type. While the hero has always steered clear of the feisty due to the sister card and the fact that she’s nothing like the petite, little woman types he’s preferred in the past, he’s a little astonished to discover what his “rules of engagement” have been designed to discover – the perfect woman for him – might have been all wrong all this time.

Six well-known romantic suspense authors – Elisabeth Naughton, Alexandra Ivy, Cynthia Eden, Laura Wright, Katie Reus, and Joan Swan – have banded together to produce the Sinful Seconds Boxed Set (meant to follow their other highly successful set, Wicked Firsts). Out on St. Patrick’s Day, you’re the one who will feel lucky reading quality books from these best-selling authors, it’s only $2.99 (and the preceding boxed set has been marked down to a mere $.99) so read the descriptions and see if these tempting novels should be in your ereader.

Fans of romantic suspense (particularly ones who enjoy the occasional paranormal element) will want to pre-order the great bargain, Dangerous Dozen Romantic Suspense Box Set while it’s only $.99 for twelve books by authors like Paige Tyler, Maureen Child, Tawny Weber, Nina Bruhns, and Charity Pineiro among others. Nothing like getting 3300 pages (no, that is not a typo) for this kind of bargain, right? Undercover cops, investigative reporters and determined shifters pepper these pages, but that price seems to have a deadline, so I plan on ordering this long before its April 7th release date and encourage you to do the same!

That’s it for this week. Happy reading! 🙂

Ooohhh, Nice Cover Reveal for Joan Kilby’s Latest, Mad About You

Today Joan Kilby and Indulgence Books are excited to reveal the cover of Mad About You which releases March 31, 2014!  Let Entangled Publishing know what you think of the cover and enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card courtesy of Joan.

And now for the cover…

 

 

About the Book

Title: Mad About You

Author: Joan Kilby

Publisher: Indulgence Books

Publication date: March 31, 2014

Find Mad About You on Goodreads

 

Accountant Cassy Morris knows she’s putting her heart on the line when she agrees to move in with her best friend, multi-millionaire geek Scott Thornton while she manages his nanotechnology lab and finds an angel investor for his revolutionary new product. She’s loved him forever even though he’s only ever regarded her as a friend. But Cassy never could refuse Scott anything…

When Scott is named Seattle’s sexiest man, the attention from women threatens to get in the way of him finishing his pet project and putting it on the market. Cassy steps up once again and pretends to be his fiancé. A lifetime of repressed sexual tension explodes in a passionate affair. Soon Scott is wondering how he can convince Cassy to turn their fake engagement into reality… 

About Joan

–>

When I’m not working on a book I can often be found sipping a  latte at my local cafe and indulging my favorite past-time of people watching. Growing up in Vancouver, Canada, I always wanted to be a writer. In university I took a detour to study marine biology. I worked as an environmental biologist for many years until the birth of my first child. I loved staying at home with my kids because not only could I  raise them myself but I could indulge my first love — writing. I soon realized story-telling was what I was always meant to do.

Twenty years later I’m still hooked on writing. I’ve published over twenty-five books with Harlequin. I’m now writing for Entangled Publishing and have a couple of self-publishing projects on the go. I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my husband and three grown children. As well as writing and hanging out in cafes (Melbourne has the best coffee!) I go to the gym, walk my dog, cook, hike, garden, swim and read. I belong to Toastmasters Club and numerous writing organizations. 

Find Joan Online:

Website | Twitter

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