My Book Haul (10)

From now on I will be posting My Book Haul on Saturdays.

Feel free to link up in the comments if you would like to share your mailbox post with me (and others) to check out.
This is also inspired by Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

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FOR REVIEW

A Scandalous Scot by Karen Ranney

-- Thanks to AVON/HarperCollins --

Charming Blue by Kristine Grayson

Where There's A Will by Karen Kelley

A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick

-- Thanks to Sourcebooks --

The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers

-- Thanks to Scholastic --

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

-- Thanks to Wunderkid PR --

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BOUGHT/PURCHASED

Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Switch by Megan Hart

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Rapture by Lauren Kate

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GIFTED

I received an awesome box of books from the wonderful Anna @ Anna's Book Blog.  We feed each other's reading addiction and she never fails me.  I am itching to start read Lies Beneath!  I have also heard great things about Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas! I will have to hurry up and finish my review books so I can get to these sometime this week! Thank you again Anna!

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So what did everyone else get this week?

Hot Finish by Erin McCarthy

HOT FINISH
Author: Erin McCarthy
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: 9780425235942

SUMMARY
From Goodreads


Not all marriages last forever!


Suzanne Jefferson is broke, which is why she’s given up charity work for wedding planning. Fortunately, she has a high-profile client,and best of all, he’s paid in advance. There are just two teensy problems: The bride is a bona fide bridezilla, and Suzanne’s ex-husband is the best man. At least she thought he was her ex-husband!


But this one might…


Two years after their marriage fell apart, stock car race driver Ryder Jefferson still can’t stop thinking about Suzanne. Which is why he isn’t too upset that, due to a glitch, the two are still technically married. Now he’s imagining easing Suzanne’s woes by satisfying her needs in the bedroom. After all, that’s the one room they never argued in. Besides, with wedding bells ringing all around them, Ryder is wondering if,even though they’d quit the race a few laps too early,they can still come on strong with a big, romantic finish!

MY THOUGHTS

After reading about Ryder and Suzanne in the last two books, I was looking forward to reading their story.  Suzanne has been entertaining with her snark and wit so I was looking forward to the brave front she was going to portray in her happily-ever-after.  Ryder has always been the nice guy but he does have a sexy streak in playing the field at times.  Put these two together and I was looking for some fun and smexy action! Unfortunately, their book was not as entertaining and as romantic as the first two books.  Don't get me wrong!  There was sexy time and there was humor, but their romance just didn't click for me as the previous books have.

I think my main problem with this book is the character of Suzanne.  Yes I love her smart mouth and the funny lines she comes up with, but I was clearly on Ryder's side of the fence in the romance.  This woman does not know how to talk and work things out.  She would rather run than talk about anything. She walked out on her marriage of two years instead of just talking to Ryder.  They clearly still love each other and I give kudos to Ryder for attempting to try and work things out.  He may not have been romantic in some of his actions, but you could tell he was serious and trying the best way he could.  Whenever he did try to do something nice for Suzanne, she would twist it all around and make him look like a bad guy.  I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy her character in the romance department.  When it came to the fun dialogue though, Suzanne and Ryder are pros at getting a chuckle out of the reader.

While this wasn't my favorite book in the series, it still had its moments of enjoyment.  What I love the most is how the author includes previous characters and weaves them into the current story.  Usually in a series, previous characters are forgotten and the plot moves on.  With the Fast Track series, they are such a big family of friends that they are included in the plot and remembered through out the story. I am anxious to start reading the next book and can't wait to see what the author has in store for the still-eligible bachelors of the race track!

MY FAVORITE QUOTES

Suzanne got two feet into her kitchen then couldn't hold back.  She whirled and smacked the envelope and stack of papers against his chest.  "This says we're still married!"
Ryder's eyebrows shot up.  "No shit?  Does that mean we can have guilt-free sex then?"
Oh, yeah.  She was going to kill him.
--Ryder and Suzanne, page 13

She gave him the look, the one that made his nuts want to withdraw back into his body.
--Ryder, page 27

"You have sixty seconds to get your butt in this car or I'm hitting the gas, and I don't give a shit what I run over on you.  Your pretty dick is going to lose its place on the penis pageant after it's had an SUV roll over it."
--Suzanne to Ryder, page 92

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy

Hard and Fast
Fast Track Series #2
Author: Erin McCarthy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 5, 2009
ISBN: 9780425228470

SUMMARY
from Goodreads

An experiment in romance!


New to Charlotte, stock car racing country, graduate student Imogen Wilson meets Ty McCordle, a driver who inexplicably has her pulse racing. After an encounter at the track with a woman whose main goal in life is to marry a driver, Imogen realizes she’s hit on the perfect thesis for her Sociology degree. If she follows The Rules on how to get a man, can she steer her way to into the hearts of the drivers and establish their dating,and mating,patterns?


That’s testing the limits of passion.


Although sexy and reckless Ty is the ideal test subject, she knows she can’t pursue him for the sake of science. Yet he’s the one who’s chasing after her, and Imogen realizes that she actually wants to be caught. A southern gentleman like Ty won’t fail to disappoint, will satisfy all her curiosity,and make all the risks worthwhile!

MY THOUGHTS

Whew! Somebody get me a fan after reading some smexy scenes from this book!

While the first book in this series was sexy, the author took Hard and Fast to the next level in the sex.  Who would have thought playboy Ty McCordle had a dominant side to him in the bedroom?  I must have reread that chapter over and over again just so I could imagine it in my head with me in Imogen's place.

Ty and Imogen meet for the first time in the previous book. It was brief, but the reader knew the author was going to pair them up together in their own book.  Imogen is smart and very logical.  She is curious and wants to know everything including the small details in anything.  When they meet again at a party, you could feel the sexual tension between the two.  One problem though is that Ty is still involved with an airhead called Nikki.  While Ty and Imogen talk in her car -- while waiting for the rain to let up -- things get pretty intense between the two. When Nikki is caught making out with another man on the car hood though, Ty is able to finally make the break he was planning on with Nikki. Imogen and Ty get hot and heavy and decide to take it back to Ty's house.  Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and Ty tells her to go home and think about what she wants first.

Seriously, I was laughing out loud when Imogen was trying to explain her night to her friend Suzanne.  Suzanne is a laugh-out-loud-a-minute kind of gal and she keeps the snark flowing in this book.  I want a friend like Suzanne -- hands down!  Imogen is so technical in over thinking everything that you won't believe some of the things that go through her brain and straight out her mouth.  Case in point -- she flat out tells Ty she won't do butt sex.  I almost died in laughter when this scene played out.  Then when she recapped it with Suzanne, I laughed again!

" I was born without the flirt gene.  It's truly awful for me."  That was no exaggeration.  " I mean, look at how I screwed up last night with Ty.  He was flirting and tossing off sexual innuendos,  and I just looked at him and said I would not have anal sex with him."
"You what?" Suzanne shrieked so loud that Imogen saw half a dozen other fitness patrons swivel their heads to look at them.  "Did he ask you to? At the party?"
"No, of course not."  Which was what made it all the more ridiculous.  "We were in the car and he was hinting about positions, what was to come, etc., and I just blurted out that I wasn't doing that with him."
"Girl..." was  Suzanne's though on the matter, her expression one of total horror.  "Do not bring up the back door unless he's knocking on it."

I don't think I have laughed so much in a romance in so long.  I actually liked the slow build of their relationship in this book.  I wasn't a big fan of the way Imogen speaks all of the time -- it became a little Rain Man at times -- but I did think that the 'opposites attract' angle worked really well in this one.  Ty was a sweetheart in public, but a dominating man in the bedroom.  This is exactly what Imogen needed to come out of her shell.

I am enjoying this series so much and I can't wait to read the next book!

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Frostbite: The Graphic Novel

The drama and romance continue in this 144-page full-color graphic novel adaptation of the second Vampire Academy novel, Frostbite, which was overseen by Richelle Mead and features beautiful art by acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli.

Author(s): Richelle Mead, Emma Vieceli, Leigh Dragoon

Source: Gifted from Anna

Publisher: Razorbill (May 24, 2012)

ISBN-13: 978-1595144300

MY THOUGHTS

When you love a series as much as I did with the Vampire Academy, I will look for anything to revisit the characters again.  Also, since I am starting to read more graphic novels lately, this book was able to fill both needs at one time.

While the book does not go as in depth as the books do,  they are a good refresher book to help you remember things that happened in the actual novels.  While we refresh our memories through this book, we also get some amazing artwork that helps bring the characters alive in our minds through sight.  The artwork is amazing in my opinion.  The artists really did outdo themselves with bringing little details to life with their art.

If you are wanting to read this series as a graphic novel instead of the actual book, then this book gives you a story without going overboard.  I also feel that this is a great way to refresh your memory if you were fans of this series in regular print work.  Overall a great addition to have if you are a serious Vampire Academy fan or if you are just starting out on the adventure.

MY RATING

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Flat - Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy

Fast Track #1

Independent single mother Tamara Briggs wanted to find a new, sexy, no-strings-attached man-just not one as young as NASCAR driver Elec Monroe. But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she’s tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, though, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to wham-bam-thank-you ma’am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how much risk she’s willing to take to experience the power of true love.

MY THOUGHTS

I finally caved and started the adventure of reading about race car drivers.  I will admit that I agree with comedian Jeff Dunham in mystery of Nascar enthusiasts. I don't see the appeal sitting on the couch watching cars drive 100 plus miles on a circle track making constant left turns. "Look! He's doing another left turn!" After reading Flat-Out Sexy though, I can certainly see the appeal of the drivers themselves.  Hot dang this book was hot!

When widowed Tamara Briggs accidentally bumps into Elec Monroe at a party, she finds the handsome race car driver to be polite and sexy.  At first she gets the impression that he is just part of a pit crew and not a Rookie driver.  When she breaks it off with a man she has been dating -- that is definitely not working out -- she decides to leave the party early.  Unfortunately she has misplaced her purse and has nowhere to go.  Her  friend Ryder tells her she can stay in his Coach over night and Elec can see her home safely.  What happens after the drive is anything but boring.  They end up sleeping together and find themselves enjoying each others company.

I found the story to be sweet, romantic and sexy all at the same time.  I could see the how Tamara was a little worried about having a fling with Elec.  She has kids to think about, she lost her husband to a horrible crash on the track, and her former in-laws -- that are still apart of the picture -- have a grudge against the Monroe family.  She also worries about the age difference with her being older than him and has insecurities with her 'motherly' body.  I love how Elec treated Tamara.

The only problem I had with the story was when I thought the author was going to take the reader on that familiar path of the in-laws accusing Tamara of being a bad mother and going for custody.  I was so happy that the author quickly changed that path.  That might have ruined the story for me.  I did feel that the ending was a little rushed, but overall it didn't change my feelings too much on the book.

A great new series for me to continue reading and I can't wait to read about the other characters in the future!

MY RATING

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

My Book Haul (9)

From now on I will be posting My Book Haul on Saturdays.

Feel free to link up in the comments if you would like to share your mailbox post with me (and others) to check out.  

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FOR REVIEW

How to Drive A Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken

Fear the Darkness by Alexandra Ivey

Fire Kissed by Erin Kellison

-- Thank you to Kensington --

Rift by Andrea Cremer

-- Thank you to Penguin --

Outpost by by Ann Aguirre

-- Thank you to Feiwel and Friends --

Howl For It by Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden

-- Thanks to Kensington --

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

-- Thanks to Farrar Strais Giroux --

Heaven by Alexandra Adornetto

-- Feiwel and Friends --

Handbook for Hot Witches by Dame Darcy

-- Thanks to Henry Holt --

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GIFTED

Comic Books

Frostbite (graphic novel) by Richelle Mead

Thanks to Anna from Anna's Book Blog.  She again surprised me with a wonderful package for me and my daughter Morgan to fight over.  I won and have been enjoying them so much! Thank you again Anna!

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So what did everyone else get this week?

Blog Tour: Heart Waves by Danielle Sibarium

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Heart Waves by Danielle Sibarium!! Before we get started, I want to share a few links with you first!

AUTHOR WEBSITE

AUTHOR FACEBOOK

AUTHOR TWITTER

AUTHOR GOODREADS

PURCHASE HEART WAVES ON AMAZON

PURCHASE HEART WAVES ON NOOK

ALSO: If you stop by the AUTHORS TOUR PAGE, you just might find a surprise contest to enter!

Heart Waves
Author Danielle Sibarium

SUMMARY:
Jenna Kingsley has a gift. She knows things. With a simple touch she can pick up personal information from jewelry or objects. While at a neighbor’s party, a voice mesmerizes her. Jenna is momentarily frozen as a ring is placed in her hand. White electricity surges through her and a dire prediction is made. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. You’re going to break my heart.”
From the moment they meet, Jenna is enchanted and entranced with Reece Walton. She’s thrilled to learn he’s spending the summer two houses away from hers. Every moment they spend together is magical. But she can’t get the prediction out of her mind. As the summer draws to a close and secrets are revealed, can Jenna get past the fear of being left with a broken heart to live in the moment with Reece or will her fear of being hurt fulfill the prophecy?

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CHARACTER POST

with

Tyler from Heart Waves

*****

Thanks Amy for having me here today.

I bet you expected to hear from Reece or Jenna. Everyone wants them. At least someone around here has good taste. Here's a little hint. I'm much more interesting. It's not until I'm mentioned that things get good, or bad depending on your point of view. Let's just say my role in all this is intriguing. I mean who knows Reece better than me? We were best friends since the second grade until . . . if he's not telling, neither am I. But the point is I know what makes him tick, and I've never seen him react the way he did with Jenna. Who could blame him for shutting me out and keeping his distance when he met her? I'd stay hidden away with her if I had the chance. She is smoking hot, and there's something about her. She doesn't shy away from a challenge. She just looks it in the eye and takes it on head first.

As Reece's former best friend I felt owed him. I knew something bad was going down. Isn't it my job to try and help him? Pay him back for the favors he did for me. That's all I did. I wanted to keep my conscious clear, but dumbhead wouldn't listen, so I had to send someone else to get his attention. It's not my fault Jenna got upset. It's easy to want to blame me. Much easier than admitting the truth. It was his actions sent her off crying. Good thing I was there to comfort her. Every relationship should be tested and Jenna sure seemed to have a lot of doubts. If you want to know what happened when we met up that night, you're just going to have to pick up the book. There are some things a guy just doesn't talk about. Even a guy like me.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarves, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.

Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.

Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.

In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody.

Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Eden Bradley Blog Blitz & Contest

Fallen Angel
Author: Eden Bradley
SUMMARY
Haunted by a military mission that ended in personal tragedy, Declan Byrne still bears a soldier's scars. As a park ranger on the secluded Mendocino coast, he guards his heart while standing ready for anything. Anything except a beautiful, ethereal woman with a mysterious past, falling from the cliffs to the rocks below.
Angel, as Declan decides to call her, has no memory of what happened. But as her body heals, disturbing dreams emerge. In Declan's protective care, Angel feels safe to act on the undeniable passion between them, without the threats from old, unnameable demons. And, in time, she senses Declan needs her as desperately as she needs him. But when her past returns with a vengeance, Declan must decide just how much he's willing to risk in order to keep the woman he loves safe.

PURCHASE AT:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-selling and award-winning author Eden Bradley writes dark, edgy erotic fiction. Her work has been called ‘elegant, intelligent and sensual’. Her debut novel, THE DARK GARDEN, has been praised as ‘a masterpiece’, and was a Romantic Times Top Pick, as was her erotic novel, FORBIDDEN FRUIT. Her novel THE LOVERS was called ‘…the thinking woman’s erotica…’.

Eden sold four novels and a novella to Bantam, as well as a novella to Berkley, before her first novel even hit the shelves, and Bantam contracted two more novels from her the moment her debut book was released. Several of her novels and novellas have been translated into German, Romanian, French and Japanese.

Eden has appeared regularly on Sirius Satellite’s Playboy Radio show, Night Calls, and has participated in round-table podcast and radio discussions. She is also a regular guest at the West Coast In the Flesh readings. Eden has conducted  a number of workshops and served on panels on writing craft and writing sex at several chapters of Romance Writers of America, at the RWA Nationals Conference, at the Romantic Times Convention and at library and independent writer’s groups.

Eden has published a number of articles on writing and has written both print and e-books for Bantam/Delta, Harlequin Spice, HQN, Berkley Heat, Samhain Publishing, Magic Carpet Books, Phaze Publishing, and New Age Dimensions Publishing. Eden also writes erotic romance for Berkley Heat as Eve Berlin. Her debut Heat novel, PLEASURE’S EDGE, won the 2010 Holt Medallion Award for best Erotic Romance.

AUTHOR WEBSITE

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CONTEST

Up for grabs is the winners choice of ONE of the following ebooks:

(covers are linked to the summary on the web)

To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter below!

Contest is open INTERNATIONAL!

Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Dark Kiss
Author: Michelle Rowen
Source: Author Submission
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

SUMMARY

(From GoodReads)

I don't do dangerous.  Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that's me. But I just couldn't pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It's like part of me is missing-and I don't know if I can get it back.


Then there's Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he's keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he's what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me....

MY THOUGHTS

I waited a full day before writing this review because I was afraid that my review would be confusing.  Not because I didn't know what to write, but because I was a little confused with the plot line at first.  Author Michelle Rowen is one of my favorite authors.  Her Demon Princess series is one of my favorite young adult themed series.  Her Adult series are just as well written with just the right amount of snark and witty dialogue to keep the reader entertained while having a great plot.  With Dark Kiss, I will admit that I was confused more and more with each page I read.

I think the main problem I had with this book is the fact that there were so many characters to keep track of.  A team of 2 demons and 2 angels, a bunch of neutral grey's, a best friend, several cute boys from school, and then our main character all became too many characters.  While I enjoyed the characters of Bishop and Samantha, I think my favorite character by far was Kraven.  He made the bad boy so much fun that it was hard not to enjoy him.  Bishop had the hero appeal, but Kraven had the snark and oh-so-evil personality.

The one character that was a major downer in this book for me was Samantha's best friend Carly.  This girl was annoying and not much of a best friend. When she also succumbs to the dark kiss, Carly turned into a friend that I would never want.  While she appears to be the same Carly, I felt that she was more of a user than a friend.

Another thing that was confusing for me was the fact that the questions were answered slowly.  I can handle a book waiting until the end to reveal major plot points, but the story kept adding more confusing twists with no answers to much of anything along the way.  By the time some of them are revealed, I found myself having to go back and reread some things to get it all to click in place.

Having said all of the above, I still enjoyed the story.  I thought it was creative and raised my interest in the Angel department again for my paranormal adventures in reading.  I will say that it was also darker than the normal writing that the author usually brings us.  Yes there was still witty dialogue, but the whole feel of the book has a darker tone than the others. On a side note -- Am I the only reader who thinks that the guy on the cover looks like Edward from the Twilight movies?

FAVORITE QUOTES

Bishop's brows went up.  "Okay, fine. Yes, I followed you here.  Better?"
"Yes.  Stalkery, but better."
"I'm not stalking you."
"Spoken like a true stalker."
-- Bishop and Samantha, page 79

Panic gripped my throat.  "That's not what you promised me!"
His brows drew together.  "Yes, it was."
"Uh-oh.  Trouble in paradise." Kraven murmured.  "News at eleven."
-- Bishop, Samantha and Kraven, page 239

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review

Win A Copy of Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Once Burned
Night Prince #1
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Release Date: 6/26/2012

SUMMARY



She's a mortal with dark powers...


After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...


He's the Prince of Night...


Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Book Haul (8)

From now on I will be posting My Book Haul on Saturdays.

Feel free to link up in the comments if you would like to share your mailbox post with me (and others) to check out.  

Since I did get quite a few books this week (YAY), I am not going to be linking each title up.  Credit to each person is still given, but the GoodReads links will not be included.

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FOR REVIEW

How To Be A Proper Lady by Katharine Ashe

Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase

-- Thanks to AVON --

Adam & Eve by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

-- Thanks to MacMillan --

Stalking the Others by Jess Haines (signed)

-- Thanks to Jess Haines --

(I stalk follow this author on Twitter and begged for a copy.  She obliged.  She rocks.  Enough said!)

Undead by Kristy McKay

-- Thanks to Scholastic --

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GIFTED

I was so bummed because BEA came around again but is on the East Coast.  Seriously? I don't see why they couldn't do BEA ONE TIME in Southern California.  It makes it financially impossible for this West Coast reader and blogger to attend.  I would love to meet my publishing contacts, authors and other bloggers for a few days.  So Danielle from Mercurial Musings was such a sweetheart and included me in the BEA fun by snagging this awesome haul for me.  My older daughter is in seventh heaven right now.  We are both fighting on who gets to read and review each one.  Danielle also sent some swag goodies including bookmarks, stickers, tattoo's and a Waldo tote bag.  Unfortunately, my youngest daughter decided to take the tote bag and run.  Mommy is too tired to chase her so she gets a tote for her sneakiness.  THANK YOU SO MUCH DANIELLE!

(Anna, don't look too close! Some of those are coming your way!)

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So what did everyone else get this week?

Guest Post & Contest with Carla Swafford

A Day in the Life of a Romance Writer: Wait for it!

When I was asked to write about my day as a romance writer, I laughed. One thing I do not do well, is talk about myself. I can talk about my books and the characters living inside of them, but talk about myself . . . well, people will find out how ADHD I am. But I thought what the heck!  I was kind of curious. Sounds crazy, but think about, how often at the end of the day you think, what in the heck have I done all day. So here we go.

I wake and stare at the window and wonder why it’s so bright at five a.m. and then realize it's six and I've been dreaming up scenes for an hour. So I jump out of bed. Wait! Why do people say jump? Did this start when beds were too high off the floor? They did look cool and it would be neat to need a stepstool to get in one. I write a note to have husband raise the bed. When he asks why, I’ll tell him I have a thing for trampolines. *Snort!*

After a fast shower I slap on my makeup. Wait! Why do people say slap on? It's not painful to apply. Well, it's better than without. *Shudder.*

After fighting traffic...Wait! Fighting? Why fighting? I'm not fighting anyone. That's called road rage and can get you killed in Alabama. Car behind me honks. Not the place to daydream or someone will want to fight.

I soon as I arrive at work, I check the company email then sneak in a peek at my personal email accounts. Yep. Two accounts. With four names. They say authors have split personalities. So right.

After working at the day job for a few hours . . . lunchtime! Pull out my lunch bag and do one of two things. Play dominoes with co-workers in the break room or stay at my desk and work on current WIP.Deadline is looming. So of course, I play dominoes.

I return back to my desk, losing at dominoes again. .  I should’ve written on my manuscript. Nose back to the grindstone...Wait! Why nose and grindstone? Ouch! I switch over to Google to check that saying out and somehow find myself on Facebook where someone has posted a new picture of a cowboy with no shirt. I’m on horseback with gorgeous hunk of a man and we’re riding off—

Phone rings and I blink. Crap, where am I?  After I answer the customer’s questions, I check personal emails again. Boss walks by and I flip the screen to company email. *Smile innocently*

Finally, it’s the end of the day and if I’m caught up, I work on manuscript while it's quiet. Hit the door at five . . . Wait! Why hit? If I hit the door, I could break my hand. Why not a more gentle word like lean into the door. Nah! I want out of there fast.

Now I’m in traffic and why is everyone in my way? I've got a great idea for a scene I mustn't forget it. A state trooper eyes me and not in the good way. I take my heavy foot off the pedal.

When I arrive at home, I look at the treadmill and promise to get on it tomorrow. Wait! Why do people say tomorrow never comes? So I change into workout clothes and pull out e-reader for latest book in my virtual TBR pile.

I’m feeling good about myself and go to eat ice cream bar and then two no-bake cookies. Wait! Nothing. Just felt like I needed to type that, though some days I feel like it should be “Squirrel!” My little homage to the Disney/Pixar animated movie, UP. I so can relate.

While cleaning off the makeup I slapped on that morning, I check my email accounts, Facebook, Twitter and make a few comments and send out promos.

Then at 9 p.m., Crap! What was the great idea I had in the car? Oh, well, I'll think of a new one and try to remember to find the recorder that I bought for that very reason.

Time to write. Every 30 minutes: go to the bathroom, refill drink, (vicious cycle) write until 11-12 midnight.

Now time to brush teeth and then go to bed. As I fall asleep with smile on my face, I remember that scene. Surely, I’ll remember it tomorrow. I chuckle.

Before you start commenting, I’ll answer one question that’s probably on your mind. Do I really think about my manuscript and writing all day long?  Yes. It’s an obsession. So now you have a chance to win an e-copy of Circle of Danger for being a commenter.

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ABOUT THE BOOKS

As the top assassin at The Circle, a shadowy group of mercenaries, Olivia St. Vincent can hunt down anyone. She’s been trained since she was a teenager to kill without feeling, to interact with men without love. But when she’s kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival organization, she learns she’s been lied to for years. She never worked for the good guys.
Collin Ryker believes the sultry woman he’s abducted knows more than she’s telling about The Circle and its plans for complete domination. Over time, as they work together, Olivia’s tenacity and vulnerability captivate him. But if he isn’t careful, Collin will fall into the biggest trap of all: caring for a woman who can betray him to his greatest enemy.

Marie Beltane, a lowly data entry specialist for The Circle, resents being treated like a little girl and wants to help by proving she's worthy of being a full-fledged operative. Disobeying Arthur Ryker's orders to stay out of the way, she accepts a simple fact-finding assignment—only to have everything go horribly wrong. Now she's been injected with the drug responsible for the deaths of four local women, a drug that puts her sex drive into overdrive.
Ryker wants nothing more than to keep Marie safe from the world. He's already killed to protect her from one madman, and he may have to do it again. While on a search for an antidote to her mysterious drug, he falls into a trap and must fight a new evil. Now he must become the monster he's always feared to save the woman he's always loved.

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Carla Swafford knows her personal life isn’t as exciting as her characters. She lives in Alabama and is married to her high school sweetheart. A third generation storyteller, she enjoys all kinds of romances and loves writing about the different paths taken to that beautiful happy ending. Circle of Desire and Circle of Danger are available now.

You can find Carla Swafford at

www.carlaswafford.com

www.carlaswafford.blogspot.com

www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com

Also on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

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CONTEST

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Circle of Danger by Carla Swafford

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