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Winners

We have winners

The winner of Liz Crowe’s eBook The Rookie is: 
Linda
Please confirm your email email address and I will forward it to Breathless Press. 


The winner of my 300+ followers Winner’s Choice is 


Michelle O’Boyle

Winners have been notified by email. 
winners where picked with Random.org

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My Review of The Storm that is Sterling by Lisa Renee Jones

The Storm that is Sterling 
by Lisa Renee Jones

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

November 2011 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1402251599 (ISBN13: 9781402251597)
Zodius Series #2

Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death… or worse…


Preorder here
Amazon| Barnes & Noble


The Storm that is Sterling takes us on a wild ride of love & lust, betrayal & trust, misunderstands and a very uncertain future. 

My Summary:
The Storm that is Sterling is perfectly named and poor Sterling is in for the ride of his life.  But let me back up a bit and give you a little history.  The Storm that is Sterling is book 2 in Lisa Renee Jones Zodius series.  Book 1 is The Legend of Michael (my review of Michael) in which we are introduced to the world of the Super Soldiers, soldiers who have been injected with an experimental Alien DNA.  With this change in their DNA the soldiers are gifted with more strength, speed and other special gifts.  Becoming a Super Solider comes with a great responsible to protect and keep the world safe.  But not all of the soldiers are out to keep the world safe, some feel that it is their right to be better than others and therefore feel they should rule the world.
The Storm that is Sterling
When Sterling is asked by Cabel (his leader) to go get a scientist to help find a cure for ICE (their enemy’s newest weapon to try to take over the world), his world is forever changed by two words.  Rebecca Burns.  Becca is the sweet, innocent, little future NASA scientist he was forced to walk away from fourteen years ago.  
When Sterling show up at Becca’s house to ask for her help; everything falls apart.  The next thing Sterling knows they are being attacked at all sides. The last thing Sterling remembers is handing Becca off to Damion his teammates only to see Damion hand Becca off to the enemy.  When Sterling wakes he finds that he has been captured by his enemy also.  Then he learns that his enemy has forever changed Becca’s life by forcing her to become addicted to the very drug they were seeking her help to find a cure for. 
My thoughts:
I really, really enjoyed Sterling and Becca’s story.  I have to admit that even while reading Michael’s book I wanted to learn more about Sterling. So when Lisa gave me the opportunity to read The Strom that is Sterling there was no way I was going to say NO.
Lisa did a great job of showing the struggle that Sterling goes through to realize what and who he needs in his life.  Sterling is a man who has always thought that he didn’t need people in his life. His motto was ‘live life fast and hard’, that was until Becca came back in his life. Only to learn that life has other plans for Becca.
Becca on the other had has always had the support and love of a family, until death took them away.  Not wanting to be a burdened to anyone with her health issues she runs away to hide. That is until Sterling walks back into her life
Lisa sucked me back into the Zodius world with a heart wrenching story of a young love lost before it was ever explored, only to be found again under dire circumstances. And with time is quickly running out can these two find a way to save the world and each other
A Huge Thank you to Lisa for allowing me to read Sterling.  I enjoyed very, very much. 

What is next? 

Damion’s book *sigh*

will be out Spring 2012.

Want to learn more about Lisa?
Check our her website HERE
On Facebook HERE
Twitter HERE

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Gena Showalter’s Lord of the Underworld Series

Dark Beginnings (Lords of the Underworld 0.5, 3.5 & 4.5)
This title includes three new stories, Lords of the Underworld, from “New York Times” bestselling author Gena Showalter.
“The Darkest Fire” – He is the guardian of Hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a horde of demon lords – and discover a passion unlike any other…Discover the origins of Pandora’s box and the demon spirits trapped within.
“The Darkest Prison” – passion and danger collide in this brand-new Lords of the Underworld adventure! Once, Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, was the Greek goddess Nike’s slave. Now, he is her master. And soon these sworn enemies destined to destroy one another will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love.
“The Darkest Angel” – An iron-willed demon assassin, the angel Lysander has never known lust – until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of Lucifer, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the purehearted Lysander into temptation.
The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)
His powers — Inhuman
His passion — Beyond immortal . . .
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member — a man trapped in a hell of his own.
Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction — and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2)
She has tempted many men…but never found her equal. Until now.
Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death–a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.
But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining.

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)
Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.
Danika is on the run. For months she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.…

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld #4)
He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.
Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.
Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love.

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld #5)
Aeron, keeper of the demon of wrath, finally meets his match…
For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel–demon-assassin–has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting–and falling for–Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this “mortal” with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?
Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t.

The Darkest Lie (Lords of the Underworld #6)
Gideon, keeper of the Demon of Lies, fights to uncover the truth….
Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.
But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her could mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love.

The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld #7)
Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when new demons possess him, the immortal warrior must be chained and isolated to protect those he loves. Death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty…
Haidee is an infamous demon assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.
The Darkest Surrender (Lord of the Underworld #8)
The Lords of the Underworld return in this enthralling tale of an immortal warrior determined to win and the beautiful seductress he can’t resist.
 Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain.  For him, nothing stands in the way of victory.  Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.
 Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die.  Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he as an agenda of his own – steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named.  But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter – the love neither had thought possible…

The Darkest Seduction (Lord of the Underworld #9)
This is Paris’s story.  (Look for a two chapter excerpt in the Jan, 2012 release of Dating the Undead!) 
Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price.  Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die.  And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he’d thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.  
Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet, in Paris’s arms the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.
Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally– or tear them apart?
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Winner

The Winner of the Leslie Dicken book is 
Amanda W
Amanda please confirm email address along with which of Leslie’s ebook you want. 
here is the link to the list of Leslie’s books
winner picked using Random.org
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Guest Blogger David Hulegaard

A Thousand Words for Aspiring Authors
By: David K. Hulegaard
Technology is an amazing thing, right? It’s mind-numbing to think about what we can do today that wasn’t quite yet possible even ten years ago. Take the iPod for example. If a time traveler had gone back to 2001 and told me that in just a few more years I’d be able to hold my entire CD collection in the palm of my hand, my head would’ve exploded.
The advancements in technology have also greatly benefited wanna-be authors. The days of polishing up your query letter for “the big six” just to have your heart smashed into a million pieces by the rejection letters are long over. Thanks to the creation of self-publishing services, getting your masterpiece out into the world is now easier than ever.
Order Here
Note that I said “getting your masterpiece out into the world” was easier than ever, not getting your masterpiece read. That part still requires a lot of hard work, research, and most of all, luck. Did you know that over 27,000 new self-published books are released on Amazon each month? Multiply that by twelve and you’re starting to get the picture of what the competitive landscape looks like for your book.
Now, now, don’t get too discouraged. Most avid readers can chew through several books a week, so even if they don’t choose your book today, there’s always tomorrow. While retail books typically follow a traditional sales curve, that really only applies to known authors. If you’re an unknown, those same rules don’t apply. Take self-published author Michael Hicks for example. He’s published seven books over the past three years, but was only “discovered” this year. He just quit his day job a month ago and can now afford to live off of book royalties alone. How amazing is that?! It’s the goal that we all strive for as independent authors.
Getting to that point is a long road, however, and if you’re the instant gratification type then you’d best turn back around now. There are many mistakes you can make on that path that could be devastating to your dream, so it’s important to have a plan long before you even publish your first book. Believe me, I know that which of I speak.
When my company went bankrupt last year, I was laid off after fourteen years. I had no idea what to do next. The job market was atrocious and I had a lot of time on my hands. I decided to fill that time by writing, which was something that I’d always wanted to do. I had an idea for a story—a mixture of Lost, the video game BioShock, and a pinch of The Mothman Prophecies. I wrote the manuscript in under six months.
As a first time writer, I made literally every mistake that a person in that position could make. I was impatient and just wanted my book out for sale without fully understanding how to go about it. I had a friend draw the cover for free, which was great, but his style didn’t match my book’s content. A lot of people assumed my book was a graphic novel, or a comic book series. Being as that I didn’t have a lot of money, I skipped the professional editor route and had a group of friends proof my story for free. Even though they caught a lot of little mistakes, they weren’t able to catch some of the bigger ones—the type of errors that a professional editor is paid to find and help you fix. To top it all off, I paid a PR agency $5,000 to promote my brand, which resulted in accruing seven followers on Twitter. That is not a typo. I paid $5,000 for seven followers on Twitter.
Despite all of that, I was very lucky. My book received rave reviews and actually sold pretty well. However, in my mind, I still felt like I had cheated my readers. They were paying for something that was not the best representation of my writing ability. So, to rectify that, I am currently in the process of re-editing my book—with a professional editor this time—and will be releasing a second edition this holiday. I have learned much in the year since the original was published, and I am blessed with a second chance to make a first impression—one that I will not take lightly this time around.
Since that time last fall, I have published a new book called The Jumper. Every mistake that I’d made with my first book only served to help me create a much better second. I worked with an actual cover artist. I hired a professional editor. I have spent less than $100 in marketing and have had better success then I did after having thrown away $5,000 a year earlier. To be clear, I am nowhere near ready to retire and live off of book sales, but after a year of trying, I’m one step closer. They say that it can take an author as many as 4-7 books before they become noticed, so I will keep working to reach that goal. It’s not a guarantee that even then I’ll catch fire, but to me, I was satisfied after the day I sold book number one. Why? Because one sale was all the validation I needed to feel as though my time and creation was worth something to someone.
So, aspiring writers, please read my words and take them seriously. I have managed to escape from my mistakes without doing too much damage to my career, but every day is a reminder of how much worse it could have been. Take your time, do the research, and if nothing else, hire a professional editor. Even if cash is tight, the two areas of book publishing that you absolutely cannot afford to skimp out on are your cover and your editor. I promise you that there isn’t an author alive that would tell you any different.
Web: http://davidhulegaard.com
Twitter: @HulegaardBooks 
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Interview & giveaway with Pamela Palmer

Books-n-Kisses is extremely pleased to welcome the wonderful Pamela Palmer to the blog today. Pamela has stopped by to talk about her Feral Warriors and maybe we can learn a little more about her too.

Pamela Palmer is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Feral Warriors shape shifter series, the Esri series and, under the pseudonym Pamela Montgomerie, the Jewels of Time time travel series. When Pamela’s initial career goal of captaining starships didn’t pan out, she turned to engineering, satisfying her desire for adventure with books and daydreams until finally succumbing to the need to create worlds of her own. Pamela lives and writes in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. 



Pamela: Hi Kelly! Hi everyone! I’m delighted to be here.

Kelly: Can I get you anything before we begin?  Coffee, tea, soda?

Pamela: Ha! Tea, please. A spiced chai, if you have it.

Kelly: One spiced chai tea coming up.. Shall we get started? 

#1  Feral Warrior Series

Q1) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?


Pamela: Hmm. My most interesting quirk. Probably that I need music to write. Instrumentals only. Usually I write to Keiko Matsui’s new age jazz, sometimes to soundtracks. Some of my favorite soundtracks lately are Inception, HALO 3, Pirates of the Caribbean (which I always pull out when I’m writing the climax of the book), and the scores for the Twilight movies. I’m very Pavlovian about the music. I have to turn it off the moment I do anything but write (answer the phone, check my email, even get up and get another cup of tea). The moment I turn the music on, I’m in the zone.

 #2 Feral Warrior Series

Q2) Have you always known you wanted to be an author?


Pamela: No, I had no idea. Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut until I realized space travel in my lifetime was never going to get me on the Starship Enterprise. Instead, I majored in industrial engineering and went to work for IBM. I hated English and Literature classes in school and avoided them like the plague. I hated the books they made us read. But I’d always been a voracious reader (mostly romances) and a constant daydreamer. It wasn’t until one of my daydreams got too big for my head that I was compelled to head to the computer and try writing it down.

 #3 Feral Warrior Series

Q3) Are you a plotter or a pantser?


Pamela: I’m a little of both. The engineer in me wants to be a plotter. I’d love to come to the writing with the book figured out, in detail, down to the last chapter and scene. But when I’ve tried to write that way, it’s never worked. Usually, by the first turning point I’ve found a scene that won’t work the way I’d envisioned, sending the story off in a new direction and my careful plotting notes into the trash. I liken that process to plotting your journey through the city on a map. From the map it appears a simple matter to get from point A to point B—drive three blocks and take a left. But it’s not until you actually get into the city and try to drive that route that you see the detour, or the one-way street going the wrong way, or the sign that says, “No left turns.”

So what I do now is figure out the big picture of the story—the characters (what they need to learn, what they think they could never do), the villain and what he wants, the conflicts (both internal and external), how the story starts and how the story will end. I usually have three or four big, important scenes in mind. My tent poles. And then I start writing. It’s in the writing that the story ultimately unfolds.

 #4 Feral Warrior Series


Q4) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?


Pamela: That’s a tough one. My current favorite UF/PNR authors are Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, JR Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Petterssen, Larissa Ione, and Karen Marie Moning. My favorite historical romance authors are Anna Campbell and Sarah MacLean.

I’m not sure I can answer the second question. Everyone and everything influences my writing in one way or another. But no one in particular.

Let’s talk books:
 #5 Feral Warrior Series

We could be here all day talking about all your dreamy Feral Warriors so let’s jump to your newest release Hunger Untamed.


Q5) Hunger Untamed (book 5)  is your most current release of the Feral Warrior series.  Can you tell us a little about Kougar and Ariana’s story?

Pamela: Kougar has always been the coldest, most dangerous, most mysterious of the Feral Warriors. Kougar keeps his past to himself, including the fact that his mate, Ariana, Queen of the Ilinas, betrayed him, leaving him to suffer a ruptured mating bond and to believe the love of his life was dead for a thousand years. He knows now she’s not dead and while she’s the last person on earth he wants to see again, she’s the only hope for Tighe and Hawke, two Feral Warriors who’ve been trapped in a deadly spirit trap with no way out.

#6 Feral Warrior Series

Q6) Pamela, Ecstasy Untamed (book 6) of the Feral Warriors series is scheduled for release on October 25th can you tell us a little about this book?


Pamela: In Ecstasy Untamed, Hawke is free of the spirit trap, finally, but not free from it’s damaging effects. He’s suffering a dangerous break with his animal, one that will kill him if he doesn’t find a way to heal the rift. But distraction arrives at in the form of Faith, a darling Therian woman with a smile that lights him up inside. The problem is, she’s the intended mate of the newest Feral Warrior, Maxim.

Q7) How did you come up with the idea for the Feral Warriors Series?

Pamela: The idea for the series sprang from a single scene: a woman finds a huge, gorgeous man standing in her kitchen—a man who tells her she’s not only immortal, but the only one who can save his race. That scene was one of the first in Desire Untamed. From there I had to figure out who he was and what he was, but the rest started spinning and weaving together and the Feral Warriors were born.

Q8) After looking at your blog it looks like we are going to get at least 8 Feral Warrior books.  Do you foresee the series going past 8? Do you know whose book 7 & 8 will be yet?

Pamela: I actually know the heroes of books 7, 8, and 9. So, yes, the series will be going past 8. That said, I won’t be sharing that information any time soon. I’ve promised readers that I’ll reveal the hero of book 7 on Dec. 1st. That will give people a chance to read Ecstasy Untamed before I spill the news.

#1 The Esri Series

Q9) Can you tell us a little about your Esri Series, published by Harlequin Nocturne.  (bk1: The Dark Gate(2007), bk2 Dark Deceiver (2008),  bk3: A Warrior’s Desire 2/2012)


Pamela: The Esri series is the story of an invasion of the human world by a race of immortals who are at the heart of the old legends of fairies and elves. But these creatures, the Esri, are man-sized, malicious, and bent on the enslavement of mankind. Only a handful of humans can see them for what they are and can’t be enchanted. They’re the only ones who can save us. The series will be four books in all. Book 3, A Warrior’s Desire, will be out in February and Book 4, Warrior Rising, comes out in April.


#1 in the Time Travels Series

Q10) Tell us a little about your Time Travels Series by Pamela Montgomerie.


Pamela: I wrote two Scottish historical time travels for Berkley a few years ago under the pseudonym Pamela Montgomerie. I actually adore these books. They’re a little lighter than my others, though both have non-stop action, adventure, and romance, of course. The first, Sapphire Dream, is about Brenna who travels to Scotland in our time only to awaken aboard a pirate ship off the Scottish coast, called there by the mysterious dwarf, Hegarty. The pirate captain, Rourke, knows precisely who she is but wants nothing to do with her or the prophesy that Hegarty’s called her to fulfill, a prophesy that’s already destroyed his life once.

In Amethyst Destiny, Hegarty’s machinations are at work again when Talon, who he rescued years ago with the gift of a magic ring, accidentally uses that ring to call Julia from the future to help him on his latest quest. Julia’s not amused, but she has no choice but to stick with the charming con man if she wants any chance of getting home again.

Q11) A Blood Seduction (scheduled release May 2012) is the first book in a new series titled the Vamp City Series.  Tell us a little more.

Pamela: Yes, I’m finally writing a vampire series and I’m having a blast with it. The Vamp City series is my first multi-book romance, which means the hero/heroine will be the same for all five books. Think Jeaniene Frost’s Cat and Bones books or Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. Vamp City is a magical dark city created long ago by a sorcerer, a vampire utopia where the sun never shines and where the vampires can live and hunt in the open. It was created by duplicating Washington, D.C. and is, in fact, Washington, V.C. (Vamp City). The story starts when Quinn Lennox and her brother Zack accidentally stumble through the portal while searching for Zack’s lost friend. Little does Quinn realize she’s the one they’ve been waiting for.

#2 in the Time Travels Series

Q12) You are a very busy girl these days.  Tell us about your typical writing day.


Pamela: I am busy! Right now, I’m plotting Feral book #7, revising A Blood Seduction, and working on the page proofs for A Warrior’s Desire while I wait for the copyedits of Warrior Rising. Plus I have a To-Do of other things a mile high. But I like being busy and I love a challenge.

My typical writing day is pretty much every day since I work at home and don’t have an outside job. I see my dh off to work, then start working by 8:00 unless it’s an exercise day, in which case I don’t get started until closer to 10:00. I write/work on and off all day, interspersing an hour of writing with a half-hour to hour of laundry, To-Do list items, etc. I generally don’t stop until about 9:00 at night. After that I either read or I watch one of my taped tv shows or a movie until bedtime.

Q13) What is the best piece of advice you would give to a budding author?

Pamela: Keep writing, keep studying the craft (it takes a lot of work to learn story structure, character development, conflict arcs, etc.). But mostly, don’t give up.

#2 The Esri Series


Q14) I always like to ask what authors have in their To Be Read pile… Tell us the one book you are dying to read.


Pamela: Larissa Ione’s Eternal Rider

Q15) Is there anything else you would like to add?

Pamela: If you’re interested in learning more about any of my series, take a look at my website, www.pamelapalmer.net. You’ll find excerpts, more about the books, more about the worlds, etc. Also, in conjunction with the upcoming release of Ecstasy Untamed, I have some fun things planned including a pajama party at Feral House! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter (on my website), ‘Like’ me on FB, or follow me on Twitter so you won’t miss anything!

Website: www.pamelapalmer.net
Twitter: @Pamela_Palmer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PamelaPalmer


Books-n-Kisses: Pamela, thank you so very much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to sit down and chat with me about you and your books.  I have enjoyed getting to know you a little better and I am looking forward to reading Ecstasy Untamed.

Pamela: Thanks so much for having me, Kelly! Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

Books-n-Kisses: Oh Pamela, One last thing before you go….. What do you say we giveaway a copy of Hunger Untamed to one of my followers?

Pamela: Absolutely! I’ll sign it and send it out.

GIVEAWAY TIME: 
To enter: 
Please leave a comment or question for Pamela
Please leave your email (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY)

Extra points: 
+1 share this post on Twitter, Facebook or your Blog (please leave link)

Giveaway will end Sept 28th
Winner annouced on Sept 30th


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Review of Locked in Silence by Shiloh Walker

Release day 9/20/2011

by Shiloh Walker

Dying is hard enough. Coming back to life is brutal.
Grimm’s Circle, Book 5

Vanya has been hunting and killing demons ever since one of them scarred her face and killed her sister. Correction—since she was forced to kill the demon possessing her sister.

Then some sort of angel offers her a deal she can’t refuse—that if she becomes one of them, she gets to kill even more demons. Tonight, she’s made that choice. The death she smells on the air will be her own—and she welcomes it.

Silence feels a darkness is looming. Change—something he has every reason not to welcome. The deeply hidden memories that robbed him of his past, of his own name, render him unfit to teach anyone the ways of the Grimm. Yet here he is in the dankest sex club in town, waiting to assume his charge—after he stands by and watches her die.
When Vanya awakes, their complicated, dangerous dance begins. And so does something else—a searing need that blisters along their unexpected mental connection. Silence shouldn’t be drawn to his student, but once they touch, he can’t think of a reason to stop. Even though acting out their darkest desires puts them in more danger than they realize.
Warning: This book contains sex-starved demons, lonely angels, demon-angel sandwiches, blood, violence, death and a happy-ever-after.

My thoughts:
Oh Shiloh has done it again.  She has sucked me back into the world of the Grimm’s.  Once I am there I don’t want to leave. I just want to hang out with the Grimm’s and learn all of their secrets. And I really don’t want to give away any spoilers.  So while my review is short let me tell you to LOVED this book.

Locked in Silence introduces us to a new Grimm: Silence.  He has been alone for as long as he can remember.  Silence thinks alone is good.  No one gets hurt when you are alone.  But that is all about to change.  When his boss Will tells him he is getting a new trainee, Silences world will never truly be silence again.

Locked in Silence gets two thumbs up from me.  I truly love Shiloh Walker and her Grimm’s Circle series. For me they can do no wrong.  I look forward to seeing where we go next in book 6 *big grin*.   If you would like to read an excerpt of Locked in Silence please click HERE and it will take you to Shiloh’s website.

If you have not stepped into Shiloh Walker’s Grimm’s Circle World you are missing out.  Please check out Shiloh and her Grimm’s on her website (HERE)

Huge thank you to Shiloh & Nicole for letting me read Silence & Vanya’s book. 
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Gabriel’s Inferno Tour Stop My Review & a Giveaway

Photobucket



PhotobucketGabriel’s Inferno
Author: 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 . . .

Paperback, 514 Pages
Published April 19, 2011 by Omnific Publishing
ISBN: 9781936305629


BUY A COPY HERE:

FIND AUTHOR HERE:
Sylvain Reynard of Goodreads : Twitter : Facebook : Fan Page(Facebook) : Website

My Thoughts: 
Let me start by saying when KLB asked me to read this book and be apart of the tour I was extremely excited. I have only heard great things about Gabriel’s Inferno.  So when I got started reading I was hoping that the book was going to be as great as everyone said.  And I am glad to say that it was and more.
Gabriel’s Inferno was FABULOUS!!!!!!  Sylvain Reynard is a great author.  Sylvain took me on an emotional roller coaster in this book.  There where times I was so pissed at the characters I wanted to throw my kindle. Then they would do something to redeem them self and I was good again.  Sylvain even had me crying.   Gabriel’s Inferno may be a long book (514 pages) be even at the end I wanted more.  I so can’t wait to see what happens next.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great romance. 


GIVEAWAY!



I have 1 e-book copy of Gabriel’s Inferno to giveaway!  All you have to do is follow KLB’s blog located here and you’ll be entered into the giveaway. Please leave your email in a comment as well as format of the book you would like.  Giveaway ends on 9/27/11 at 12 PM EST and winner will be chosen using random.org.  Good luck!

Check out KLB’s schedule located below for you chance at more chances to win!







Author Twitter Chat : Hashtag:  #GabrielsInferno














KLB Blog
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Interview & Giveaway with Liz Crowe

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to Welcome Liz Crowe to the blog today.  We will be talking about Liz’s new upcoming book The Tap Room.

The Tap Room by Liz Crowe

Erin Brady’s life has turned inside out.

Her Alpha banker husband, Bradley, has left, claiming she pays more attention to her microbrewery than to him and their two sons.
One business partner, Trent, (The Rookie)  is attempting to re-kindle an old flame between them.
Their amazing success has demanded they hire a new brewer, Jeff, (Jockey Box) who takes one look at his new boss and is determined to be something more than an employee.
The daily stresses of running a small business, plus the ongoing turmoil  in her personal life are more than she can take.  Escaping to Denver for an industry event, she meets Landon, a brewery rock star turned consultant who has been watching her company–and her– for a while.
When family trauma requires an early return to Michigan, Erin is faced with even harder realities plus a thoroughly contrite Bradley, wishing for a reunion.  Then, the ultimate sign of success:  a buy out offer is tendered from a much larger brewery, just as the owners of Winter Street Brewing are about to be honored by Inc. Magazine as Top Entrepreneurs.
Finally, Erin turns to her other partner, Owen, who has watched the woman he loves suffer long enough and is determined to step in and be the one.
WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE????
Guess what?  YOU get to decide…..September 30, 2011 from Breathless Press.

Want to know the exciting part?  You the readers will get to choose who Erin ends up with…. Yes you heard me right.  You get to pick. What do you say we learn more about Liz and The Tap Room.


Hi Liz, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me.

Liz :  Greetings all!  Thanks for having me B-n-K.  I’m delighted to be here (virtually). It’s a crazy month to be sure, but I’m so excited to have The Tap Room ready for release.  It’s been a long time coming.

Q1) Tell us a little about yourself.


Liz: I own a small business by day (and most nights). The Wolverine State Brewing Company is a craft microbrewery, in a state that ranks fifth in the nation (behind California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado) in the number of licensed breweries and brew pubs. I am one of three owners and handle all aspects of sales, marketing, promotions and distributor relations.
 My first three published short stories were pulled from this longer book (The Tap Room) and published by Breathless Press.  The Rookie was pubbed last fall, XXXMas Ale last December and Jockey Box last spring. 
I have 3 teenaged kids, one in college, one who plays Olympic Development level soccer, 2 standard poodles and a spouse who can’t decide if it’s cool to have a brewery owning erotic writer around or just annoying. 
I’m a HUGE fan of football, both American and European so needless to say “fall” is my favorite season.  From Nashville Tennessee originally I got an English degree at the University of Louisville and love BOTH of those amazing cities. I currently live in Ann Arbor.  Go Blue.

 www.breathlesspress.org/Book/178

Q2) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?


Liz: Once a story is “head written,” usually on a day I’m in the car traipsing around SE Michigan in the name of beer sales, I MUST get in front of a computer and get it out.  If it’s a short story, it will take me about 48 hours.  A novel, of course takes longer.  I don’t set daily word count goals.  I can’t write every day unfortunately.  But once I’m on a new project, you’re lucky if I realize you are even in my general vicinity.  Just ask my family. 

Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?


Liz: I think Gone With The Wind, which I read at 13 years old is the seminal romance and I still can “hear” lines from it that stick in my head.  I also adore Margaret Atwood, Stephen King and Anne Tyler for their amazing magic with prose.   As for romance, I’m a huge huge huge fan of both Shayla Black and Lauren Dane. I’ve also recently come to enjoy Lee Brazil, Anne Mayburn, Desiree Holt, Em Petrova, Katalina Leon and Cindy Spencer Pape.

Q4) The Tap Room is your newest Release.  Tell us a little about how you came up with the idea for this book.

Liz: This was literally a serialized project on my blog, brewingpassion.com.  I would add to it as the mood struck me and time allowed over the course of about 18 months.  As I said, I pulled 3 of what I thought were the hotter, stand alone chapters and submitted them.  Breathless Press took a chance on me and then optioned the entire story.  I’ve spent many many hours turning it into the “choose your romance” format.  It’s been an amazing exercise of the writing and revision and editing muscle I can assure you.

  www.breathlesspress.org/Book/287

Q5) How does it work asking the readers choose who she ends up with?


Liz: Readers will follow Erin’s story from one year after she’s split with her husband.  She is six years into a successful run as part owner of a microbrewery.  One business partner, Trent, and she have a history dating back to high school.  They lost touch, then when he asked her to join the company as marketing director, she jumped at it.  The other partner, Owen, has developed a very serious crush on her, but doesn’t want to push her.  They’ve all experienced the difficult break up of hers (and Trent’s) marriages over the time they put into their brewery. 
The story unfolds over the course of the following six months.  Readers will be introduced to Owen, Jeff (the hot, young, new brewer they’ve hired who also is smitten with his boss) and Landon (the rock star brewery consultant who has befriended her on line and later on a more, um, direct contact basis).
At a crucial point in the story after all men are introduced, Erin must make a choice.  That’s where the reader will choose a path: 1, 2, or 3 and finish the last ¼ of the book to the end with that man.  I have made each man pretty distinctive in traits, desires, and personality.  It’s a tough choice and NO she can’t have all 3—it’s not that sort of book, sorry!  But I believe readers will identify with one or the other man and want to see her with him.  There will be an option (I’m told) to go back and read the others of course…

www.breathlesspress.org/Book/284

Q6) Do have a favorite you want Erin to end up with?


Liz: yes.  Ask me after it’s released and I’ll tell you who.


Q7) What is up next for you?

Liz: In addition to this novel, I have another novel coming out from Rebel Ink Press, Vegas Miracle—a really romantic m/f/m (Oct. 17) plus a short cougar story in their Claw Marks Anthology on Oct. 1.  There will also be 4 novellas with Decadent Publishing, three of them as a trilogy as part of their 1NightStand series. Those will all release in Nov/Dec.

Q8) Is there anything else you would like to add?


Drink craft beer.  Anything else and the terrorists win.  Seriously, if you are a fan of craft beer I also blog at www.a2beerwench.com which has gotten me national notice.  My website is www.lizcrowe.com.  And I’m on the Breathless Blog every Friday usually using the Eff word a lot about various topics in writing and life.  www.breathlessblog.com.
And while this is not an entirely autobiographical story, it does pull from many personal and unique experiences I have had working in the man’s world of beer. 
Books-n-Kisses: Liz, Thank you so very much for stopping by and talking with us. I enjoyed learning more about you and your books.  I look forward to reading The Tap Room and finding out who Erin will end up with.

Liz: Don’t forget—you get to choose her man.  I’m sure your choice will be a good one!
I’m happy to be here.  The short stories already published with Breathless are all available on their site www.breathlesspress.org, on Good reads, Amazon and ARe. Just search by name:  Liz Crowe.


Get a head start on The Tap Room Brewing Passion Series with The Rookie, Jockey Box, XXXMas Ale

Liz’s buy links for:
The Rookie: www.breathlesspress.org/Book/178
Jockey Box:  www.breathlesspress.org/Book/287
XXXMas Ale:  www.breathlesspress.org/Book/284


Pre-Order The Tap Room: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thetaproom-601713-144.html 

GIVEAWAY TIME
Breathless Press is offering an e-copy of The Rookie book on in the Brewing Passion Series

If you would like a chance to win
Please leave a comment/question for Liz
Please leave your EMAIL (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY) 
Be a follower of my blog is good too
Extra Points for
+1 sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter or your blog
+1 Friend Liz on Facebook
+1 Like Books-n-Kisses Facebook page

Giveaway ends Sept 24th. 
Winner announced Sept 26th


Posted on

Winners

Sorry I am late… Crazy weekend.. 
here are the winners from last week. 

The winner of Ava Riley’s two e-books 
A Lifetime to find love 

&
Sacred Surrender


is Natasha House 
Tasha please verify your email 

The Winner of the Teresa D’Amario’s winners choice of an e-copy of SheWolf, Dark Succession or Blood Moon Betrayed is: 
Na
Please verify your email address along with which book you would like to read

The Winner of Holden Granger’s e-book of Armature Night is
Books4me

please verify your email

Winner of Keri Ford’s e-book Satisfying Her Taste is 


Amanda W 
Please verify your email address

Please send all emails to books.n.kisses(at)gmail(dot)com
I will forward your information to the author/publisher and they will get your e-book 

winners chosen by random.org


Posted on

Interview & Giveaway with Kathleen Gallagher

Learn more about this tour click pix

Hi Kathleen, Welcome Back to Books-n-Kisses. Last time you were here I let you take over the blog and talk about your book Echoes at Dawn’s play list. Shall we talk some more about you?

Kathleen: Hi Kelly, It’s great to be here. Thank you for inviting me back to Books-n-Kisses. I had an amazing time on my last visit. I’m happy to have the opportunity to chat a little more.

Q1) Tell us a little about yourself

Kathleen: Well, let’s see… I’m a woman who has many roles, as so many of us have today. First, I’m a wife, mother and grandmother of three boys. I’m also a registered nurse, who works in an emergency room. The rest of the time, I write romance and women’s fiction. We have two furry friends, a lovable dog Chaz and a feisty cat, named Cairo. They give us unconditional love, especially when we offer them extra treats.

Q2) Describe Echoes at Dawn in 140 characters or less.

Kathleen: Echoes at Dawn is my debut novel released by Decadent Publishing.
It is a story about a man and a woman who find each other in the midst of change and struggle to free themselves from their tumultuous pasts.


The strangely intertwined lives of a widowed woman, and a charismatic bachelor come together in order to show that in life, there are no coincidences…only destiny.


Waterfront restaurant chef Madeline Young adores her job. If only her love and family’s lives were as successful as her career. With a teenage son, who spends time in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning and a dementia-plagued mother, Madeline doesn’t know how much more she could handle. Then her mother enlists the help of her deceased twin sister, Mary, to guide Madeline to find happiness. An early dawn visit from the spirit directs Madeline to volunteer at the local hospitals center for addiction recovery, where she comes alive for the first time in many years under the attention of Nat Griffin.


Nathaniel Griffin, a part-time counselor and contractor, fascinates his clients with his lectures. In keeping with his philosophy of professionalism, Nat prefers to keep his personal life private. When attraction tests his beliefs, Nat must confront his marred past. Is he willing to face his demons or take the easier path and remain isolated?


Can unworldly ghosts save this couple from their own self-destructive behavior? Will they be able to accept change and move forward, or allow secrets to stand in the way?

Q3) How did you come up with the idea for this story?


Kathleen: Old black and white photos have always fascinated me. One day while rummaging through the basement, I came across a family portrait from the early 1900’s. I’m not sure what the occasion was, but the relatives gathered together adorned in their fancy outfits. The expressions on their faces lacked enthusiasm and were absent of smiles. The little girls in the front row even looked somber. No matter how I tried, I could not get the people in the snapshot out of my mind. Eventually, I found a vintage frame for it and displayed it in my house.


As time went on, I began to wonder more about the lives of the people in the picture. Were the little girls anxious to return home to play with their dolls? On the other hand, were they tired from doing their chores? Could they be anticipating a party afterwards? Were the husbands and wives arguing, or exchanging fond embraces earlier in the day? After staring at the girls wearing party dresses with high top shoes, my imagination took over. They became sisters with a special bond. Do sisters have a connection unlike other siblings? What would happen if one of them left this world early? I began to piece together what turned out to be the premise for my paranormal romance, Echoes at Dawn.

Q4) What did you find most challenging about writing this story?

Kathleen: I found the character of Nat Griffin quite a challenge. He’s a complex guy who has a rough exterior, yet a tender heart. To create a balance between the two was not easy. His strong independent nature did not want to follow the path I created for him. You’ll simply have to read Echoes at Dawn to find out more.

Q5) Have you always wanted to be an author?

Kathleen: Actually, I wanted to be an actress when I was younger. I would gather my group of girlfriends and arrange a show production in my back yard. When I got a little older, I turned to reading and wrote poetry and short stories. The dream of being on Broadway ended quickly, especially since I couldn’t sing. I suppose I’ve always been a writer at heart. I adore romance and all the challenges the characters face in an attempt to find love.

Q6) What do you do when you are not writing?

Kathleen: Besides spending time with my family, one of my favorite things to do is to relax on the beach with a good book. I could sit on the water’s edge with a romance novel for the entire day. Since I live in the state, I can visit the wonderful Jersey Shore often.

Q7) Favorite book and why?

Kathleen: My favorite book is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. He captivated me with his beautiful tale of endless love. When I read the tender story of Noah and Ali, the passion of a love that lasted a lifetime touched me deeply and inspired me to attempt to do the same for my readers.

Q8) Favorite inspirational quote and why?

Kathleen: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller

This is a simple statement, yet powerful and true!

Q9) What is your current work in progress?

Kathleen: Thanks for asking that question, Kelly. I’m working on a contemporary romance entitled, A Single Word. It’s a story about an aspiring anchorwoman, Savannah Mason, and the challenges she encounters while faced with the disapproval of her career by her affluent family.


Savannah dreams of being a headliner on the evening news, but her estranged father Dr. Stuart Mason will not accept it. He had big plans for his only child to take over his medical practice one day.


The last thing Savannah wants is to meet a doctor; however, an opportunity to advance her career and interview the bestselling author Dr. Rob Sinclair takes her on a journey to places in her heart that have been closed for years.


Rob Sinclair may be a top cardiac surgeon, with a new book about to be released, but his doubts as a parent escalate after his wife abandons her family for a hippy musician she dated in high school.


Will Savannah be able to offer her heart, as she battles the recurrent nightmare of a life changing decision she made in college? How does a man who has always placed his work above his personal life, learn to love again, and will he ever be able to trust a woman?

Q10) Anything else you would like to share with us?


Kathleen: Echoes at Dawn was released as an e-book in March 2011 and the paperback copy of Echoes at Dawn was released on August 28. It has been so exciting and I look forward to hearing what people think of my story. It is available HERE

I enjoy making new friends.
Blog: http://kathleensplacetoreflect.blogspot.com/?zx=254bc48f9a5c4876
Website: http://kathleenanngallagher.net/Home.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000735541011
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Kathleenwrites

Kelly: Kathleen, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story. I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.

Your welcome and it’s always a pleasure to visit Books-n-Kisses.

Giveaway Time
Kathleen has been very generous and is offering one follower a paper copy of her new book Echoes at Dawn

if you would like to enter please leave a comment of question for Kathleen
PLEASE leave your EMAIL address 

Extra Points: 
+1 Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter
+1 Like Kathleen’s FB page


Giveaway ends Sept 26th
Winner announced Sept 28th