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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Guest Post & Giveaway with author Olivia Cunning

Today on My Overstuffed Bookshelf, I am so excited to introduce you to author Olivia Cunning! Olivia is the author of Backstage Pass and her newly released follow-up, Rock Hard. First of all, I want to send a special thank you out to Olivia for joining us here today! She is truly one of the nicest authors I have had the pleasure of speaking with! So I am going to hand over this post now to Olivia and her to Building of Sed Lionheart!

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*please note that some photos located within the post are mature in content. Please be advised if you have eyes under the age of 18*

The hero of my latest rock star erotic romance novel, Rock Hard, is Sedric Lionheart. He’s the lead singer of the rock band Sinners. Rock Hard is the second book in the Sinners on Tour series. Each member of this delicious band will get his own book.

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That’s Sed (rhymes with bed) there, second from the left. I chose that guy to represent Sed because he sort of looks like Sed and I couldn’t find a better model on the royalty free picture websites. Since I use this logo on a lot of different things, I have to “own” the rights to the pictures and buy them. So that guy, whoever he is, now represents Sed. But... he really doesn’t do Sed Lionheart justice.

First, let’s start with the real life inspiration for Sed Lionheart. Lead singer of Avenged Sevenfold, M. Shadows. I fell in love with that voice and those dimples. Sigh...

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Shadows was the inspiration for Sed, but he’s not an exact Sed Lionheart. Sed’s fictional. He does have the dimples though. Sigh... And he does happen to be a singer, but... let’s build Sed, because there is no way I’d ever find his exact match. So other than his dimples...

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(No, not those dimples, though I wish I would have added them to Rock Hard. Very nice.) What does Sed Lionheart look like? Let’s start with the hair.

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The hair, ladies. You’re suppose to look at his hair. The hair on his head. It’s black, if you missed that. Sed keeps his hair extremely short. It’s a defense mechanism. Fangirls get a bit excited when they see him and latch on. He keeps his hair short so they can’t grab it and rip it out. Poor guy. Don’t you feel sorry for him? Yeah, me neither.

Next, we’ll look at his eyes. Crystal blue eyes.

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Um... Wow, wow, wow, wow... I can’t look away.

Okay, moving on before I dehydrate from drooling. Next we have his manly neck. I do love the look of a man’s neck. Thick.

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Yes, I’m looking at his neck. What? Oh, he’s wearing a necklace. I almost missed that. Sed doesn’t wear jewelry (for the same reason he keeps his hair short), so this guy can’t be Sed, but his has the proper neck. And hands. Very nice hands. Like Sed, he’s right handed. You know how I can tell? *cough* Yes, I cropped the original picture and could see the whole thing. It was a very nice... hand...

Um, where was I. Next, we have his body. Sed is a body builder. He has bulges in all the right places.

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Oh dear God, will you look at that bulge? Bulges. The muscular bulges are... um...*gulp* ...bulgy? Bulgy and muscle-y. And bulgy.

Now for the backside. He has very narrow hips and wide shoulders and... oh, just look...

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Anyone else trying to cup their computer screen? Just me? Am I the only buns-girl around here?

Sed also has several tattoos. I don’t describe them much in the book, but I really like this one. I can imagine Sed having this tattoo.

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Yeah, I sure do like this... What was I liking? Oh yes, I like this tattoo. Love it!

And then we have “the goods”. I’ll leave a lot of that to your imagination.

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And Sed knows how to use it, too. So there you have it. Sedric Lionheart in all his masculine glory.

No wonder his fangirls always rip his shirt off. Who could blame them? Not me.

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Looks like the last fangirl left the job unfinished. Damn!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Sed Lionheart. Well, at least the outside. He’s even better on the inside.

How well do you like the heroes in romance novels described? Do you want an inch-by-inch description or do you prefer to leave most of his looks to your imagination?

ROCK HARD BY OLIVIA CUNNING

IN STORES APRIL 2011

A Sinners on Tour Novel

Sinner’s lead singer, Sed, had his heart shredded when Jessica left him to pursue her dreams, so when she dances her way back into his life, he's not sure he's ready for her brand of pain, or pleasure, again. When she convinces Sed to engage in a benefits with benefits relationship, things seem to be going his way, until one of his fans catches their explicit public display of affection on film and posts it all over the internet. Will Jessica ever trust Sed again? And has Sed become the man of Jessica’s dreams or is he just posing to get what he wants?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised on rock music from the cradle, Olivia Cunning attended her first Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She's been known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. She discovered her second love, romantic fiction, as a teen--first, voraciously reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own. Her first Sinners on Tour novel, Backstage Pass was named a Top Read of 2010 by Love Romance Passion, Alpha Reader, The Fiction Vixen, Loves Romance and Smexy Books. She currently lives in Nebraska, where she is working on her next book! For more information, please visit http://oliviacunning.com/.

--------------------------------------------------

CONTEST

Sourcebooks has been kind enough to donate 2 copies of Rock Hard for a contest!

That means 2 people will each win a copy of it!

Contest will end on 4/21/2011.

CLOSED!!!!

RULES AND ENTRY

1. This contest is open to the USA and Canada only.

2. No need to be a follower, but I would love it if you would!

3. Answer the following question with an email address to contact you with if you win.

How well do you like the heroes in romance novels described? Do you want an inch-by-inch description or do you prefer to leave most of his looks to your imagination?

GOOD LUCK!!!

64 Comments:

MoonStar said...: Haha loved the description :P Didn´t know the book. But after this description. I need to check it out. Now I got it on my TBR list :)

To bad it´s not international :(
But well well.. I enjoyed the post anyway :P But what about his hair :P I think I missed that one xD; April 14, 2011 at 6:05 AM
Bookish Brunette said...: Oh I like my men described in EVERY detail! I like toknow exactly who I'm pining over at the moment!

Thebookishbrunette@gmail.com; April 14, 2011 at 6:24 AM
Heather said...: Wow...ummm...what was the question...oh, right. Details... I love details especially Sed's very defined, bulging, enormous details...describe away...and add visuals onna blog tour...love the visuals...Wow those dimples!

No need to enter me in the contest, I have Rock Hard already and loved it!; April 14, 2011 at 6:36 AM
Olivia Cunning said...: I came to ogle. I mean, I came to see if there were any questions for me.

*bites fist*

Back to work with me!; April 14, 2011 at 6:57 AM
Maria D. said...: Wow...loved the photos! I like my heroes well described...lol...what can I say- it's easier to visualize the author's story that way ....at least for me!

Thanks for the contest!

junegirl63(at)gmail(dot)com; April 14, 2011 at 6:59 AM
Ginger Riley said...: Holy hell, that was HOT! I damned near short circuited my husbands laptop! I want a description that gives me a good idea of height, weight, build, but I want to be able to fill in the gaps with my favorite attributes! Which usually means long hair, tatts and piercings!; April 14, 2011 at 7:00 AM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; April 14, 2011 at 7:16 AM
Melissa said...: Love, Love, love, Olivia's work!!! I love to hear her describe the men in her books, she does it so well! Those pics were hot! Can't wait for the next book!; April 14, 2011 at 7:19 AM
Haleyeah said...: *grabs a towel to mop up the drool*

I don't need an inch-by-inch description, but I do love to read about a hero's eyes, hair and mouth since those attributes are always what I first notice on a man.

hhughes83 [at] aol [dot] com; April 14, 2011 at 7:43 AM
Jamie Lynn said...: OMG! My mouth is watering! What a way to wake up! I made sure to read the post twice just make sure I knew just what Sed looked like lol.

AS, for the question... I like the hero to be decribed well enough that I can create a picture in my mind and maybe see just what the author saw when creating him. Of course I always tend to add something I like lol.

Thanks for the post Olivia! I love The Sinners!!; April 14, 2011 at 8:00 AM
VA said...: What was the question?

Jeez! i think the censoring was completely unnecessary. Hot damn, that is some mighty fine merchandise above.

Back to the question...I like a fairly thorough description early in the book and then brief reminders and references to specifics sparingly as I read. By the time I'm 30 pages in my mind has an image set for all the characters, so any super specific descriptions are going to pull me out as I try and reconcile any discrepancies between my mental image and the author's.

That's what I love about books over movies or tv. When someone says beautiful (any descriptor) it is conceptualized differently and perfectly for everyone.

Yummy photos, Olivia. Thanks for sharing your inspiration :); April 14, 2011 at 8:01 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm not much of a frontman gril, at least for american rockstars. Finnihs front men on the other hand are.....um.....well anyway! Sed makes me think of a finnish lead man actually, tall, handsome, muscular, not so much the hair though! As far as description i'd prefer to draw my own conclusions as to appearance but sometimes an inch-by-inch description is nice too. especially in stories like this!

ecohen2@ivytech.edu; April 14, 2011 at 8:06 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm not much of a frontman gril, at least for american rockstars. Finnihs front men on the other hand are.....um.....well anyway! Sed makes me think of a finnish lead man actually, tall, handsome, muscular, not so much the hair though! As far as description i'd prefer to draw my own conclusions as to appearance but sometimes an inch-by-inch description is nice too. especially in stories like this!

ecohen2@ivytech.edu; April 14, 2011 at 8:06 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm not much of a frontman gril, at least for american rockstars. Finnihs front men on the other hand are.....um.....well anyway! Sed makes me think of a finnish lead man actually, tall, handsome, muscular, not so much the hair though! As far as description i'd prefer to draw my own conclusions as to appearance but sometimes an inch-by-inch description is nice too. especially in stories like this!

ecohen2@ivytech.edu; April 14, 2011 at 8:07 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm not much of a frontman gril, at least for american rockstars. Finnihs front men on the other hand are.....um.....well anyway! Sed makes me think of a finnish lead man actually, tall, handsome, muscular, not so much the hair though! As far as description i'd prefer to draw my own conclusions as to appearance but sometimes an inch-by-inch description is nice too. especially in stories like this!

ecohen2@ivytech.edu; April 14, 2011 at 8:07 AM
ChrisS said...: Awesome post. I can't wait to read Rock Hard and learn more about Sed.

An inch by inch description of my Heroes isn't necessary. I actually prefer just the basics and leave the rest to my imagination.

rjofusATgmailDOTcom; April 14, 2011 at 8:38 AM
Alice said...: Phew! Is it hot in here or just me?! I like the description of a main character to be very descriptive. It helps my imagination to work even better. Sometimes if there isn't enough description you aren't sure how to imagine the character. It can be a bit confussing and take away from the story. I want to be able to get totally consumed in the story, like I'm in it, not outside of it. A good, no GREAT, description helps me get that inside the story feeling.
I can't wait to read this steamy novel!
aylasmom34@aol.com; April 14, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Lil said...: I most prefer a general description, and some implication to point my imagination in the right direction.

little lamb lst at yahoo dot com; April 14, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Laura K said...: Wowza, those pictures are hot! I love a detailed description of characters in a book. Sometimes if the description is vague and I get a picture in my mind there is something mentioned later in the book that does not fit the picture I came up with, and that distracts me.
I read Backstage Pass and loved it. I am happily looking forward to learning more about Sed in Rock Hard!

laurakeane13@gmail.com; April 14, 2011 at 10:05 AM
chilosa2004 said...: I like a gneral description pr a little more detail sometimes. What I dont like is when the hero on the cover doesnt look like how he's described inside the book.

chilosa_2004@yahoo.com; April 14, 2011 at 10:23 AM
Unknown said...: I like an inch by inch description, I'm going to picture that description in my own way anyway, but I like to get as close as possible to how the character was meant to be.

shooterwon at yahoo dot com; April 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM
Anonymous said...: Hmmmm, nice pics of Sed possibilities. Wow!!!

I prefer my descriptions about their height, eye and hair color and maybe their general stature. The rest I want to fill in with my own characteristics. Also the lead male must have great hands. :)

chris.spiro@gmail.com; April 14, 2011 at 11:48 AM
kingandqueen1021 said...: Oh my....my...my...my. *shakes head trying to snap out of it* Okay, to answer the question, I like the general description--hair/eye color, height, build, but I don't need a minute description of every little detail. As we can tell from this post, it's much nicer to use your imagination :)

kingandqueen1021@verizon.net; April 14, 2011 at 12:15 PM
lulilut said...: You post those pics and now you want me coherent enough to answer a question? :P
Okay, for some reason I'm thinking I'd like my heroes described inch by inch would be good.

I'm a follower.
d.septer at insightbb.com; April 14, 2011 at 12:40 PM
The Scarf Princess said...: Wowza! Thanks for the amazing eye candy! I'm embarrassed by how much drooling I've done over this post, but I sure enjoyed it.

In answer to your question, I like an in-depth description of the hero. It makes me feel an intense connection to the character and gives me a reason why the heroine is drawn to him.

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com; April 14, 2011 at 12:41 PM
Texas Book Lover said...: All I can say is DAMN!!!!! In this case you can give me as much description as you want...in fact can you give us a little more??? I don't think we quite have the full idea yet!!! PLEASE???

Seriously, as long as I have a general description I am satisfied but there are times that I thoroughly enjoy the very detailed descriptions.

Thank you mmafsmith(at)gmail(dot)com; April 14, 2011 at 12:41 PM
elaing8 said...: holy smokes **fans self** Those are some hot pics.
I like my hero to be described as much as possible.I want to get a good visual of him when I'm reading.If he's not described in detail tend to make things up.

Going back to drool...I mean look ;) at those pictures (and probably save a few) :)

elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net; April 14, 2011 at 1:04 PM
Lanae T. said...: WOW!!!! I feel like the cartoon wolf with my eyes all bugged out and tongue rolling across the room. ;-) What a tease you are, Olivia!

I like to have the basics and then fill in the blanks on my own.

Loved Backstage Pass and can't wait to read Rock Hard and teh rest when they come out!

ftatman5 at yahoo dot com; April 14, 2011 at 1:11 PM
The Romance Girl said...: Very nice ;)
I like a fairly good and complete description at least once, but after that just key word descriptions so I can go with whatever image has already formed in my mind.
the[dot]distant[dot]light[at]gmail[dot]com; April 14, 2011 at 1:13 PM
Chele Blades said...: OMG I loooovvee the Sinners...

I prefer the inch by slow inch descriptions with details starting head to toe...lingering on eyes and important bits...plus never go wrong with the inspiration pics....thank you for that by the way yumm!!!

I think i wanna help fix Jace too...but i want trey as well...oh sed is a god...and brian is a romantic and Eric is funny...shoot i want them all again! I keep trying to narrow it down.

seachele71@hotmail.com; April 14, 2011 at 1:41 PM
Olivia Cunning said...: LOL, Lanae. I feel that way, too.

I'm here to answer any questions. Did anyone ask a question? Nope. Okay, I'll just make sure those pictures still depict my ideal Sed a few more times. Must be sure, you know.; April 14, 2011 at 1:42 PM
booklover0226 said...: Loved the post AND the pictures. If an author provides detailed descriptions, that's great; I'll use those details while reading about the heroes.

On the flip side, if the descriptions are "vague", then I enjoy using my imagination.

Hey, as long as the book is great, I'm thrilled!!

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com; April 14, 2011 at 1:55 PM
Unknown said...: Oh Olivia, what a really great article, and I love seeing the real Sed. Which one is Eric?; April 14, 2011 at 3:28 PM
GG said...: Your books are awesome but look at the subjects that your writing about. Love the Sinners website too. Something to get "hot and bothered" looking at. Is there anyway you can write a faster! I can't wait for all the boys stories to be told. Especially Jace!

Ginger; April 14, 2011 at 3:28 PM
GG said...: rattlertoo@cocmast.net

Ginger; April 14, 2011 at 3:29 PM
samantha35 said...: I love a lot of description of the hero!
great giveaway
follow via gfc
drakebdog@gmail.com; April 14, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Andrea I said...: Very HOT pictures. I like detailed descriptions.

lillieblue613(at)gmail(dot)com; April 14, 2011 at 4:05 PM
aries18 said...: Well, after looking the 'building' of Sed it really doesn't matter what I like about descriptions of the hero. I'm in love (lust) with Sed and sooooo glad of the inch by inch (heh) description you've provided! *sigh

aries18 at charter dot net; April 14, 2011 at 4:21 PM
Ash said...: Personally I like a loose description of the guys in books, that way I can make him my own ideal to some extent. Yum.

phoenixgurl12604@yahoo.com; April 14, 2011 at 4:52 PM
Lanae T. said...: See that, Olivia? You had me so distracted that I misspelled "the". LOL

Would you please enlighten us all, who is who in your Sinners line-up? We know which one is Sed, of course. ;-); April 14, 2011 at 5:09 PM
Stephanie M said...: I like them described just enough so I can create a picture of them in my mind when I am reading their story.

smccar1 at hotmail dot com; April 14, 2011 at 5:45 PM
Olivia Cunning said...: Questions! I have a legitimate reason to come back here now!

simon - Eric's the one second from the end. Got a little crush? ;-)

Lanae - I was so distracted I didn't notice any misspellings I wrote Jace's book to be after Sed's, but we'll have to wait and see. I don't have release dates for any of the last three yet. Not sure what order they will be published in or when. Wish I could be more clear.; April 14, 2011 at 5:55 PM
~Sia McKye~ said...: Good Lordamighty!

*Snap! There goes my fan right in half. Water, I need...

You know? I look at that oh so sweet author pic and then the post and pics, lolol! I think this is a case of not judging a book by the cover, lmao!

Are you sure you didn't leave anything out? And what's with the cropping and censor, dammit.

Um, let's see, um, no, I've seen, well maybe again...

Seriously, I liked how you built Sed and I will admit I did see some of Matt in him. I liked your bits and pieces.

As for descriptions. I like to know what they look like, height, body build, hair eyes, and early in the book. All the description helps me build a visual of the character. My mind supplies the details and adds to them as the book goes on. Too vague and the characters don't feel real.

Don't enter me in the giveaway. I've read it twice and it was a fabulous story!; April 14, 2011 at 6:19 PM
inkbella said...: *stares at the screen puddle of drool pooling on the keyboard* this was kinda like a weird science movie/experiment for us ladies. before the sparks fly, I like an inch by inch description I'm still gonna let my imagintion build the man anyway but the more detail the more clearer my picture is. I'm sooo dying to read Rock Hard! I just finished Backstage Pass and I'm not ready to get off the tour bus at all!! Olivia you wrote an amazing story!! inkbella77@gmail.com; April 14, 2011 at 7:28 PM
Missie, The Unread Reader said...: A general physical description is enough for me. I like know about personality quarks more. With that, my imagination runs wild. ;)

Awesome Giveaway, Amy! Thanks so much for all the yummy eye candy.

missie at theunreadreader.com; April 14, 2011 at 10:11 PM
June M. said...: Great Pics! Think I need a big glass of ice water now! LOL

I prefer just a general description, but for some reason all the characters end up looking pretty similar in my mind.

US resident
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com; April 15, 2011 at 1:25 AM
Unknown said...: I love to have my hero described inch by inch so I can picture him in my head. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com; April 15, 2011 at 4:06 AM
debbie said...: I like a complete and total description. Wow, it is freezing in my house right now, but suddenly it seems to be really warm in here. I loved this post.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com; April 15, 2011 at 4:33 AM
Tracy Z said...: Wow! Those were some pictures. Thanks for the eye candy. I loved Backstage Pass and look forward to all of the stories. As for descriptions, I'm on the fence. I have a good imagination and can go with just a few details but if an author has a particular "picture" in mind, I don't mind a detailed description. And, well, the steamier the book, the more you have to describe, right? Oh well, back to those pictures Whew!!
-- Tracy; April 15, 2011 at 5:09 AM
Library Lady said...: Usually I like a more general description so I can fill in the blanks but if every author could give us a picture like those, well, I would love the details. Too bad those had to be censored.
adsanders77 at gmail dot com; April 15, 2011 at 7:03 AM
I ♥ Book Gossip said...: I usually love the descriptive details of a character.

cindyc725 at gmail dot com; April 15, 2011 at 7:52 AM
Victoria said...: Sorry, just got back from the shower after viewing the photos. My they are lovely.
I like a good description of my guys. It doesn't have to be real in depth but enough that I can visualize him without much effort ;).

vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com; April 15, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Joann said...: Lord, he is gorgeous. what a man.
I love details!! Makes for a great read and I can visualize...
jbdownie5@yahoo.com; April 15, 2011 at 5:00 PM
Pat Cochran said...: Good grief, Olivia, have mercy on us
older readers! Be still my heart,
don't go south on me now! Now what was
the question? Description or imagina-
tion? Imagination or description? I
tend to like a general description so
I can add in my own details. Such as
adding in David Boreanaz or my most favorite running back from my favorite AFL team!

Although, I must say that he is a very
pleasantly-fashioned young fellow, is
our Sedric!; April 15, 2011 at 6:24 PM
Book Club Reviewer said...: Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned!

http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com; April 16, 2011 at 10:42 AM
sillie said...: Is there any room left for me to lick and skuep and clean and attempt to dry off and go near ... wow .. can't wait till they all come out .. what a way to describe them .. and with pictured to go with them .. yummy yummy . Just scrumptious ... ;)

Silliehappyvamp@gmail.com please ..; April 16, 2011 at 12:37 PM
sillie said...: Oops.. slurp .. oh boy .. lickety lick .. slurppity slurp ... hmmm.... mmmmm ...; April 16, 2011 at 12:38 PM
Kris said...: LOVED the visuals to go with the description **fanning self** I like some direction when introducing a hero's physical attributes. But do not need total details. Rock Hard looks awesome, and yummy ;)

froggykm at gmail com; April 16, 2011 at 7:53 PM
Monique Cherie said...: all those men were fine but no man in the world is better looking then M shadows, <3 fan til i die; April 17, 2011 at 12:56 AM
JenM said...: Wow. Just, uh, yeah, wow. Good thing I didn't look at this at work. Descriptions, uh, hmm, must pull mind back to question....

I don't really need details, I'm happy with hair/eyes and general body type. Thanks so much for brightening my Sunday.

jen at delux dot com; April 17, 2011 at 6:23 PM
Anita Yancey said...: I want an inch by inch description. I would really like to read this book. I love, love the cover. Please enter me. Thanks!

Follow on GFC(Anita Yancey)

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net; April 18, 2011 at 6:58 AM
Samantha said...: Those are some HOT pix!!
I love to have details, details, details!! Its give a better image on how the author sees the character. Of course I might add a few things to my liking! XD

samdiaz08[at]gmail[.]com; April 18, 2011 at 12:47 PM
Cialina at Muggle-Born.net said...: WOW. Love those pictures. Haha. I don't mind a very vivid description since it means a lot less work for me.

Sounds like a good book!!!! I'd love to win.

books[a]muggle-born.net; April 18, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Linda Young said...: I'm good with it either way, but the more details the better for picturing the scene in my head as I read. And, in this case, the "inch by inch" would definitely be a plus. LOL Besides, scensored pics need descriptions. *grin*

Thanks for the giveaway!!

qladyhawke at gmail dot com; April 22, 2011 at 3:06 PM

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Guest Post & Giveaway with author Olivia Cunning

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