Seductive Musings

Beware: Drastic TBR Measures Are About To Be Taken!

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Last year I had a TBR plan. It was pretty simple actually. It involved actually reading some of the books I already owned. Fancy that, right, LOL.

My plan was to tackle at least one book each month, or one series each month. It seemed doable, and I stayed on track for the first few months of the year. I felt really great about it especially since one of my ventures lead me to reading Pamela Clare's I-Team series, because all but one of the books in the series was in the TBR. I got to read fantastic books by a new favorite author, and made TBR progress! Woo hoo! Score one for me.

But then...it all kind of fell apart. After March (or thereabouts) I didn't read, but maybe one or two books from the TBR the rest of the year. As you can see, my plan for last year didn't work out so well. Chalk it up as a failure.

Since a new March is practically upon us, and I don't want my family to turn me in to the show Hoarders: Buried Alive for the number of books in the TBR (which I could in fact get buried in) I need to take a new approach. I've got a new plan. One that I think will help at least a bit, while still trying to adhere to what I tried to do last year (because I still think it was a good plan).

So, here it is, my new plan. This weekend I'm going to go through book by book...all of the books in my TBR (we're talking hundreds) and check them out on Goodreads and any book that doesn't meet a certain star rating qualification, is getting removed from the TBR. Gasp! I know right. Think about it this way though....ultimately, I want to find time to read the really great books, not the so-so ones. I want to find the books in my TBR that I would regret not having found the time to read. I don't like having regrets, so this is my attempt at avoiding that. I'm hoping by relying on my fellow Goodreads members that I can weed out the mediocre and less than just "ok" reads to save my time for the ones that have potential to be favorites.

Not too long ago I went through my reads from 2011 and compared my ratings with the Goodreads ratings to come up with my threshold limits of what would constitute an:

automatic TBR keeper, which means it earns a place on the TBR bookshelf and hopefully ultimately a place on my nightstand :)
a questionable keeper, which means that the books needs further consideration. After that consideration the book will either become a TBR keeper, or a TBR removal. One or the other, and no going back.
and a TBR removal. I think this is pretty self explanatory. It's going and not coming back. I'll either donate it, or sell it depending on what I have time for.

Here's what I came up with:

Any book that has an overall rating of 3.76 and above is an automatic TBR keeper.
Any book that falls between 3.4-3.75 is going to go into a questionable keeper pile, which I have a feeling is going to be big.
Any book that has received less than 3.39 stars is destined to a second life somewhere else. I know...an almost mid range 3.00 star rating isn't a keeper? But I've got to draw the line somewhere and if I convert that to a grade rating we're probably talking a C to C+, which is just...average. And I'm not looking for average for the TBR. I want more. I deserve more.

I've come to realize that the reason why I have a TBR is that it seemed at the time that they all were books that had potential to become a favorite for one reason or another. And with all of the new releases I'm no longer interested in holding on to books that are just....OK, or mediocre...or run of the mill (i.e. average). I want the really good, to great reads. The ones that are special. Why waste my time, which I already know is limited and my valuable bookshelf space with stories that aren't special in some way? And I'm hoping that with the lure of all of these potential great reads just sitting there on my bookshelves that I might be more tempted to try and read at least one of the TBR books each month.

I used Goodreads more last year than I had anticipated, and for the most part it's fairly reliable as long as a book has a fair number of ratings, but that doesn't mean that it's fool proof, which is why I'd like to have your help too. I'm going to make a list of the books that are "questionable keepers" that I am unsure about, and I'd like to know what you think...because my biggest fear in trying this out is getting rid of something that I would love just because of a star rating. Most of you have been followers for a while so you know what types of books that I like...or at least I hope you do :) I'm thinking I'll probably have some kind of poll or spreadsheet where you can tell me whether it's should be a keeper or a tosser on the books that fall in the 3.4-3.75 range that I am still on the fence about. Unfortunately I have a feeling that that list could be somewhat large...but we shall see.

So what do you think? Am I completely insane for trying to weed some of them out of the TBR? Do you have any advice? Have you done anything like this, or are you more discerning when adding books to your TBR? If so, what are your criteria? And would you provide input if I were do to a poll...maybe separate it out into several polls based on sub-genre of romance so it's not too time consuming? I know, lots of questions, but this is serious business my friends! LOL.

p.s. I focusing on my print books first...then depending on how well that goes I'll attempt to tackle my e-book TBR (yes I have one of those as well), then maybe my Goodreads wishlist :) Sad, isn't it, LOL

p.s.s If you're an author that ends up in the TBR tosser pile, my sincere apologies...hopefully it's new owner will become a new fan :)

*Seductive Musings is an Amazon affiliate and receives a very small referral fee for purchases made via the links on the blog and through the Seductive Musings Amazon Store. Read the full disclosure here.

Review: Nightfire by Lisa Marie Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Title: Nightfire*
Author: Lisa Marie Rice
Series: A Protector’s Novel: Marine Force Recon #3
Genre: Romantic suspense
Publisher: Avon Red
Format: Paperback or e-book
Date/Year: Feb. 7, 2012
Reviewed by: ELF

*This book was provided to reviewer by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Summary from the publisher:

More thrilling and sexy romantic suspense from The Protectors series—an ex-Special Forces operative must pull off his most daring mission yet when the woman he loves is in danger…

Chloe Mason can’t remember much about her childhood, except for being in and out of hospitals. Now healthy and all grown up, she’s determined to fill the gaping hole that was her past. When she finds her long lost brother, Harry, she discovers family and something else that was missing from her life. Love.

As a child, Mike Keillor helplessly watched as his parents were massacred. Vowing to never again be vulnerable, he joined the Marines and became a Recon sniper, SWAT officer, and an expert in martial arts, before establishing his own successful security company. When his friend and partner Harry reconnects with his long lost sister, Chloe, the hard-as-nails Mike is felled by the one thing he can’t fight. Love.

But their future is jeopardized when Chloe accidentally steps into the path of the Russian mob. Though his adversary is way bigger than he is, nothing can stop Mike from saving the woman who has captured his heart. He lost his family, and he will not lose Chloe. Failure is not an option.

My Musings:

Mike Keillor is the third leg of the triad that comprises the RBK Security, Inc. company. A retired SWAT officer who served in the military as a Marine Force Recon sniper, Mike has never recovered from the childhood trauma that orphaned him and ultimately resulted in his finding his brothers of the heart (Sam Reston and Harry Bolt) at the foster home they all shared. The unalloyed happiness of the others does little to eliminate Mike’s tendency to drink too much and engage in indiscriminate one night stands until the arrival of Chloe Mason and her bombshell announcement. Recognizing a kindred spirit who still bears scars from her own childhood, Mike feels compelled to offer the fragile woman his unconditional protection and support no matter what his personal cost.

Chloe Mason has survived insurmountable odds despite having had 55 broken bones and a loveless childhood. She is fragile physically but has developed an indomitable spirit thanks to her inner strength and the brief period of nurturing received at a private school. Her desire to help other oppressed women places her in severe danger but also gives her the undeniable opportunity to blossom and grow into a contributing member of society.

A great conclusion to the trilogy about three closely-knit men who forged their relationship in the shared hardships of their youth and honed their skills in various branches of the military before rejoining to form a successful security agency in San Diego that also has a mission to assist abused women. The two distinctive women from the previous books (“Into the Crossfire” and “Hotter Than Wildfire”) also make appearances in this tale as they add their unique skills to the resources available to protect Chloe after she becomes a target for foreign assailants through her work with abused women. Mike must conquer his own demons even as he searches for acceptance and forgiveness from the woman that he will do anything to keep safe, from himself as well as those who would seek to harm her.

I love the males in this series because they are so strong and capable yet are transformed into mush by the women (and girls) in their lives. The strong sense of puzzlement depicted when faced with a crying female, the careful tiptoeing of the hulking alpha male who has a stern conversation with his genitalia and the unconditional surrender gifted to the female(s) in his life all make these great reads for me. I found the torture scenes a little bit graphic for comfort but I certainly am even more impressed and dismayed by the idea that the elite military forces willingly undergo such torture as part of their training. I do think that the weaknesses in Mike’s home defense were a little uncharacteristic (although understandably necessary to move the plot along) given what the guys do for a living but I feel that altogether this was a great story and a fitting end to the trilogy. I have hopes that the secondary characters briefly mentioned will get their own time to shine (especially the wiz back in Boston). A thrilling romantic read packed with intense emotions, action and suspense.

Ratings:

Overall: 4.5 stars
Sensuality level: 3 (There are sex scenes, tastefully done...but kind of sweet for Rice)

For a complete understanding and definition of the ratings at Seductive Musings, click here

Other Reviews:

Guest Author & Giveaway: Samantha Grace featuring Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Did you know that according to Wikipedia there are two types of rakes? The penitent and the persistent. The penitent being one who is reformed by a heroine, the persistent...well he's just a lost cause and more than likely would end up the villain :)

Lord Andrew Forest, a "penitent rake", is the hero of Samantha Grace's debut historical romance, and both are my guest today to share a bit about Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel, and his transformation from a rake to a devoted husband. Enjoy!

Hello, Samantha Grace here, author of the debut regency historical romance, Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel. Today I’ve brought along two special guests to help me answer the question of whether a rake can ever be redeemed. Please welcome Miss Lana Hillary and Lord Andrew Forest, the heroine and hero from my book.

     Oh, dear. Lord Andrew is frowning at me now.
     “You said nothing about rakes and redemption being the topics,” he replies.
     Miss Hillary pats his arm in a soothing gesture. His crossness fades as he meets her loving gaze. “He prefers the term scoundrel, Mrs. Grace, and he’s correct. We agreed to this interview because we thought we were talking about education.”
     Er, well. In a sense, we are. Did either of you happen to notice the title of your book?
     “What book?” she asks.
     The book I wrote about how the two of you met and fell in love.
     “Our lives are the subject of a book?” A lazy smile eases across Lord Andrew’s lips. “I hope you edited out parts. Wouldn’t want to scandalize your poor readers.”
     They’re built of sterner stuff than that, my lord.
     “I see. So, what is the title of your tell-all book again?”
     Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel. It’s about an heiress in her second season that tangles with a rake—I beg your pardon, my lord. I meant to say scoundrel—and turns the tables on him after they’ve been intimate by running away.
     His eyes narrow and his frown returns. “I was only half-teasing the night I met Miss Hillary and accused her of employing the strategy of running from a gent until she snags him. It sure worked with me. I took off after her like the hounds of hell were chasing me when she disappeared.”
     “There was no strategy involved, Drew. I genuinely wanted to get away from you.”
     “But why? We’re perfect together.”
     “You have a short memory. I believe my desire to escape had everything to do with your desire to never settle for one woman. You only asked me to marry you out of obligation, and I couldn’t bear the thought of you hating me.”
     Which brings us back to the topic of the day. Can a scoundrel be redeemed?
     “Really, Mrs. Grace. You are a single-minded creature.” Lord Andrew turns toward Miss Hillary. “I could never hate you, peach.”
     “I know that now, but I was in a panic. I couldn’t believe how foolish I had been.”
     Ahem. This is touching and all, but…
     Lord Andrew sighs. “I aim to please, madame, so allow me to be frank. Had I known what a bitter pill to swallow it was to be abandoned by one’s love interest, I would have taken more care with the ladies’ feelings. I suppose I have Miss Hillary to thank for showing me the error of my ways.”
     Yes, it does seem you learned a few things since your first encounter with her in the gardens at the Eldridge ball.
     Miss Hillary’s gaze shoots between Lord Andrew and me. “Like what, exactly? I wouldn’t want him to change too much. I like him the way he is.”
     “Thank you, my sweet, but Mrs. Grace is correct. I have learned a few important facts.”
     Miss Hillary flashes an impish smile. “Do tell.”
     “Hmm… Allow me to think on it.” He drums his fingers against his thigh then snaps them. “One must be careful when choosing flowers for a lady. You wouldn’t want to send the wrong message.”
     I was thinking something more substantial.
     “Very well. A slice of apple pie in the face can be a powerful aphrodisiac.”
     Miss Hillary laughs, her cheeks flushing with color. “Drew.”
     “And she taught me to play whist.”
     “You already knew how to play. You simply allowed me to win so you could see what prize I would demand.”
     Lord Andrew winks at me. “She demanded kisses.”
     (I wink back.) I know. I wrote it.
     “Then allow me to bestow my thanks for the carriage scene, and the inn, and the carriage again, and—”
     Yes, you’re welcome, my lord. Could we please get back to our purpose here today?
     “I think he also learned I’m hard to manage,” Miss Hillary interjects.
      Lord Andrew grins at her fondly. “The stubborn minx doesn’t listen to a word I say. Not even to save her own life.”
     They link hands, their matching smiles fading. “You are my life, Drew. I couldn’t leave you to die in the fire.”
     Lord Andrew smoothes a loose strand of Miss Hillary’s lovely copper hair behind her ear. “If you truly want to know what I learned, Mrs. Grace, I’ll tell you. Lana taught me I am capable of love.”
     Aw, that’s rather sweet. Should we ask readers a question for a chance to win a copy of Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel?
     “Yes, let’s ask a question,” Miss Hillary says. “Do you like reformed rake stories? Why or why not?”

There’s no taming the wicked.

Jaded heiress Lana Hillary learned this lesson the hard way when the dashing man of her dreams turned out to be a lying scoundrel. With two Seasons behind her and the memory of his betrayal still fresh in her mind, Lana seeks a match with a respectable gent. But why must they all be so properly boring? Unable to rein in her bold nature for long, Lana flirts with trouble and finds herself entangled with the exact type of man she’s vowed to avoid.

Love ‘em-and- leave ‘em Lord Andrew Forest lives for pleasure and offers no apologies. But he receives a dose of his own medicine when his family’s innocent houseguest beds him then disappears without a by your leave. Rejected by the most captivating woman in England, Drew is determined to intercept Lana Hillary before she reaches London and convince her to marry him. Then he’ll teach the little vixen a thing or two about how to love a man.

Read an excerpt

(check out Paul Marron on the cover of Lady Amelia's Mess and a Half!)

Congratulations Samantha on Miss Hillary being named one of the top 10 Romances for Spring 2012 by Publishers Weekly, and many thanks for being my guest today!

If you'd like to learn more about Samantha Grace and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.samanthagraceauthor.com, her Blog, Facebook, Twitter, & Goodreads. Her extras page has Family Trees, which I always love :)

To celebrate the release of Samantha Grace's debut historical romance, Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel, the first book in her Beau Monde Bachelor series, her publisher Casablanca Sourcebooks would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to one lucky Musings follower. Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Answer the question posed to readers in the post AND leave a meaningful comment and/or ask her a question about this book or series. (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US & Canadian addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 24th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Review: The Price of Innocence by Susan Sizemore

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Title: The Price of Innocence*
Author: Susan Sizemore
Series: N/A
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: TKA Distribution
Format: ebook
Date/Year: December 2011 (originally published by Avon in 1999)
Reviewed by: Andrea

*This book was provided to the reviewer by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary from the publisher:

Sherrie Hamilton is a woman with a scandalous secret past. When she travels to London for a Season of helping to launch her cousins on the marriage mart, she runs into her past. Literally. In the one place she never expected to find a pirate, she encounters the sensuous rogue who kept her as his lover years before.

Jack PenMartyn, Earl of PenMartyn, seeks to put his wicked past raiding the China Sea behind him. One thing he can't forget is the young woman whose pure innocence he stole; the woman who is the mother of the child he never knew he had.

He knows that with one false word, Sherrie will expose the secrets of his past. But does he dare to hope that she will give in to the temptation of their reckless passion for a future together?

I don’t think the blurb gives enough background so I’m going to expand on it.

“The price of innocence,” he said, “is what someone is willing to pay to destroy it.” p. 9

Years ago Jack was a pirate and attacked a Malay war junk to steal whatever treasure it had on board. Sherrie was the treasure; she was kidnapped and locked in a cage, the plan being to sell her to a Singapore brothel. Jack could stick with that plan and sell her to the highest bidder but instead he makes her a proposition. She agrees to belong to him for one month, at the end of the month he’ll release her.

This book picks up on their story 9 years later when the meet again in London.

My Musings:

Sherrie has the facade of a respectable widow, underneath she is anything but. She’s seen and done so much in her life that nothing scares her anymore. She approaches life as an adventure and she is going to enjoy it. She was helpless in her past but has overcome that to become a dominant, independent and powerful woman.

“Sometimes she thought she was the only woman in the world who believed that men didn’t have a God-given right to do whatever pleased them because they came equipped with a dangling bit of muscle and skin they couldn’t control, and generally used to think with instead of their brains.” p. 166

Jack is racked with guilt. He hates the things he has done in the past and cannot forgive himself. Nobody really knows who or what he is, including Jack himself.

I’m going to describe this book in two parts, the first half and the second half. I was a little bored with the first half due to all the inner dialogue and flashbacks. The experiences and stories both characters had from Asia were what kept me going. The Asian connection intrigued me because it’s so different from other historical romances. No doubt about it, this book is unique. I instantly liked Sherrie but had a hard time with Jack because he was so difficult to understand and came across as one dimensional.

It is a slow read in the beginning because of all the flashbacks and the way Jack and Sherrie are dancing around each other while nothing concrete is happening. Once you’re finally caught up on their history and they actually have a meaningful conversation, the story picks up fast. All the details in the first half of the book are building up for what is to come. Everything starts to come together and the second half of this book is where I was really pulled into the story. That’s when I decided I loved both Sherrie and Jack. They have such a strong animalistic and passionate attraction, it feels right and makes you root for them. I always enjoy seeing two strong-willed people battle each other and themselves before finding their happiness together.

It’s a fun and interesting book packed with action. I’m glad I took a chance on it, I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t want it to end!

Ratings:

Overall: 4
Sensuality level: 3
For a complete understanding and definition of the ratings at Seductive Musings, click here

Other Reviews:

Guest Author & Giveaway: Amelia Fayer featuring Lust in the Library

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I've had a long time love affair with libraries. I love the potential that they hold, the things you can learn, and all the great stories that are waiting to be discovered. One thing I haven't found though, is the type of love/lust that my guest author's characters find in a library in her debut novella :)

Amelia Fayer is my guest today to share a bit about her story, Lust in the Library, and the inspiration that sparked her Muse. Enjoy!

I am so excited to be here at Seductive Musings, thanks for having me.

A lot of people ask author’s how they come up with their stories, and honestly, most of the time it’s a pretty boring confluence of events that happen to click at the right time in the right way that explode with all the force of an atomic bomb into a story.

‘Lust in the Library’ though...well, that one was ready-made.

When I was in college there was a list of places you were supposed to ‘do it,’ I think that every big university must have these (or at least I hope so, I don’t want to have gone to the *only* school with one of these lists). These are usually places that are intrinsic to the school (the president’s lawn) or dangerous to get away with (the quad). I would have ‘very serious discussions’ with my roommates about what would constitute sex in those situations.

Of course, one of “The Seven,” as they were known, was the stacks in the library, and considered one of the easier locations to ‘get’ as they afforded a certain level of privacy, at least more than the quad. Which got me thinking: If the library was the ‘safest’ and ‘easiest’ place to have sex, shouldn’t there be couples in flagrante delicto around every corner?

Bam! The original seed for “Lust in the Library” was planted.

It’s been a few years since I graduated, but the story never really went away and during a girl’s getaway weekend, my old college roommates and I began talking about "The Seven" again and this time I wasn’t distracted by silly things like term papers.

This past year, I was at my alma mater and decided to take a walk around the library, thinking about the things that could be going on around every corner. Of course, I didn’t see or hear of any ‘goings-on.’

That’s what fiction is for.

Some like it hot, and some like it in the reference section.

Sara is having a love affair with books. But, since books can't make love to you, it means she's in the middle of a very long dry spell. Until a sexy Brit shows up. Suddenly she's learning just how stimulating a library can be up against a bookcase, behind the card catalog, on the circulation desk…

Meanwhile: Veronica is incredibly frustrated. While Sara and her new man are using the library as their personal adult playground, she's stuck with only her thesis and her sexual fantasies. But Andrew, her crush, isn't above using his assets to get Veronica right where he wants her: alone, in a darkened corner of the stacks.

Who knew reading could be this pleasurable?

Congratulations Amelia, and thanks for being my guest today! If you'd like to learn more about Amelia and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.ameliafayer.com, Facebook.

To celebrate the release of Lust in the Library, Amelia would like to giveaway a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter during the tour! Here's how you can enter to win:

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Ask Amelia a question about her book and/or tell us about any "Seven" type locations you've ever heard of. (good for 1 entry)

How to enter:

Leave a comment at each stop on the blog tour to earn additional entries for the $25 GC.

Rules and disclaimers:

The winner(s) for the $25 GC will be selected randomly from among all of the comments of the blog tour by either the author or by Goddess Fish Promotions who will also be responsible for contacting the winner(s).
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Monday's Muse

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

On the home front, there's absolutely nothing new going on for me. Nada, it's kind of boring really. I think I might be getting a case of spring fever because I'm feeling a bit restless...too bad I can't take a vacation. So because I want and need a vacation, I'm going to take a virtual one with our Muse this week. Not literally, I'll still be here, I'd just rather be.....somewhere else :) If you could go on spring vacation right now, where would you go?

In more exciting news, Seductive Musings has two new reviewers! Here's a little bit about them:

Andrea: I've been reading romance books since junior high. My favorite genre are historical and paranormal. I'm educated as a chemist/toxicologist but I quit that career 5 years ago when my husband got an offer to transfer to Germany. I was also pregnant at the time so it worked out well. We lived there for 2 years and then came back to the US. I decided being a mom was more fun than being a chemist so I opted to stay home and have another kid. Now we have 2 little boys. I spend my time corralling the kids, reading, tending my garden (veggies only, I don't do flowers) and lounging by the pool. It's a great life and I'm enjoying it :)

E.L.F: I am an avid reader, usually reading 3-5 books per week over a wide variety of genres. I like to garden but tend to get a little lackadaisical about watering and I am always thrilled when my iris, poppies and roses bloom. I spend far too much time playing Words by Post and adding to my Dream Zoo, dabble with crocheting and putting together jigsaw puzzles but I tend to live up to my self-description as a reading addict. Musings about the books I am reading can be found at my blog, The Reading Addict.

Welcome Andrea & E.L.F. !!!!!

This week at Seductive Musings:

Monday: Later today, I'll have winners from any outstanding giveaways
Tuesday: Author Amelia Fayer will be here to talk about her new book Lust in the Library....this happens to me all the time...except the object of my lust is the Romance new release section, rather than an actual person. I could easily be persuaded with the right inspiration though :)
Wednesday: Author Samantha Grace will be here to celebrate her debut historical romance Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel. I can't even begin to tell you my confusion with this book because when I first learned about it had a different title and I kept thinking it was too different books, with something similar about them...a few weeks ago I finally realized it was the same book.. *headdesk*.
Thursday & Friday: I have reviews to post from the two new Seductive Reviewers, and a few more from me (hopefully)
Tempting Trailer: This week's Tempting Trailer is for Brenda Joyce's Seduction from her Spymaster's Men series.

Also of Interest:

Author Holli Winters is celebrating an early spring with a Kickoff to Spring Kindle giveaway. Please see the author's website for entry details, rules, and deadlines (it's as easy as sending an email....how sweet would that be to win a Kindle in time for spring/summer reading?)

Finally, I'd like to congratulate all of the authors will new releases this week, especially Musings authors Jill Shalvis (x2), Julia London, & Beth Kery. Congrats Ladies!!!

My Favorite Romances of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Well, here it is. My list of favorite romance reads from 2011, and it's only February 2012 :) Most "best of" lists came out at the end of December/beginning of January and I really meant to get this posted sooner, but life intervened :) Anyways, here it is...better late than never, right? I can't wait to see what you think.

Here's how I selected my favorites:

I started with looking at all of the books that I read that I ranked with a 4.5 star or above rating, then I separated them out by sub-genre (historical, contemporary...).
Not all of the books that received a 4.5 or above rating made the favorites list. The stories that made the final lists are ones that "stuck" with me throughout the year...in other words were memorable (when sometimes I have a hard time remembering specifics about a book I finished a week ago, means that the story was special in some way for me).
You may also notice that not all of the subgenres that I read are represented in this favorites list....that's because the books in those categories didn't score a high enough star rating to qualify for the status of "favorite".
End result, these are the books that I would highly recommend even if it was a book that you normally wouldn't be drawn to. If I didn't own a copy of a book that made the "favorites", then they would be on my buy list. Long story short...I LOVED LOVED LOVED these romances!
Also good to note, not all of the books that made the list were published in 2011, some were published prior to that, but all were read by me in 2011.

Let's start with Contemporary Romances/Romantic Suspense, in no particular order:

Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis (5.0 stars)
Everyone Loves a Hero by Marie Force (5.0 stars)
Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare (4.5 stars)
Heaven Can't Wait by Pamela Clare (4.5 stars)

Honorable Mention: The entire I-Team series by Pamela Clare

As you can tell I had a major romance addiction to Pamela Clare's brand of romance. And here's a hint for the 2012...she'll make that one too (Surrender will definitely make the list).

Here are my favorite Historical Romances from 2011...

It should come as no surprise that this list is the longest out of all of them. I was going to try and make each list have the same number or recommendations, but then decided against that. The ones that made the list were just too good to leave off to make the numbers even, and I couldn't narrow it down any further :) Again, in no real particular order:

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean (5.0 stars)
Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt (5.0 stars)
Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (5.0 stars)
What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long (4.75 stars)
Seduction of a Highland Lass by Maya Banks (4.5 stars)
Unclaimed by Courtney Milan (4.5 stars)
Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes (4.5 stars)
A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare (4.5 stars)
Mistress by Marriage by Maggie Robinson (4.5 stars)
How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long (4.5 stars)
Lord Ruin by Carolyn Jewel (4.5 stars)
Touch of a Thief by Mia Marlowe (4.5 stars) ***Updated to add: Right now Touch of a Thief is on sale for only $1.79 for the Kindle version. That is a steal! It's also on sale at BN for the Nook for only $1.99. It's probably on sale elsewhere to so check out your favorite digital retailer for the best prices.***

There are a few new names to the historical category this year. I found Julie Anne Long, and wonder why it took me so "long" to find her, LOL. Pun not intended, but funny nonetheless :)

I also have a few favorites that made the list again, including Sarah MacLean and Elizabeth Hoyt. Seriously these ladies rock the regency (or in any period really)! Maya Banks made my list of favorites last year too, but in the erotic romance category. I enjoyed all of the books in Ms. Banks' Highland series, but Seduction of a Highland Lass is something special. And, I have been a fan of Tessa Dare's since her debut a few years back, but I think her Spindle Cove series is my favorite of all of the books she has written so far.

I've read Carolyn Jewel before, but only her paranormal romances. I thought they were good, but as I've said before paranormal is really just not my thing. But Lord Ruin came highly recommended by two virtual friends that I chat with at RRT on Friday's (Limecello & CaffeyCathie) so I decided to give it a try. I can't thank them enough for turning me on to her historical romances. I really loved Lord Ruin and will definitely be seeking out her newest one, Not Wicked Enough, released just this month.

And no matter what name Mia Marlowe uses (Emily Bryan, Diane Groe...) or who she writes with (Connie Mason) she continues to woo me with her words. I can't wait for the next book in her Touch of Seduction series, Touch of a Rogue, which comes out February 28th.

Last year I read only a handful of paranormal romances, so to make a list of favorites to recommend in this category is a bit ridiculous really. There are many other bloggers who know the subgenre of PNR/Urban Fantasy romance much much better than I do, because frankly I know very little, and they may or may not agree with my recommendation, but I seriously loved The Goblin King by Shona Husk (4.5 stars). I loved the world building, I loved the characters and I thought it was different, unique, and emotionally captivating. And while I don't expect to ready many paranormal romances in 2012, I most certainly will be looking for the next book in her Shadowlands series, Kiss of the Goblin Prince, which comes out in May 2012.

Now let's get to my favorite Erotic Romances, again in no particular order:

Changing the Game by Jaci Burton (4.75 stars)
Wrangled and Tangled by Lorelei James (4.5 stars)
To Command and to Collar by Cherise Sinclair (4.5 stars)
Rising, Freestyle Vivian Arend (4.5 stars)

These ladies bring the heat, but they also tell a damn good story! Next to historical romances, erotic romances are some of my favorites books to read. Combine the two and I would be/am in booklover heaven :) Seriously though, every single one of these books has a fantastic romance that just so happens to contain some hot lovin'...and I like it, a lot :)

There are some repeats in this list too, and I should say that I was a Beta reader for Rising, Freestyle, though that had no bearing whatsoever in my love for this story. I think it is my favorite of all of the books Ms. Arend has written so far. Cherise Sinclair continues to be a powerhouse when it comes to Erotic Romance with BDSM. And Lorelei James, she is my absolute favorite erotic romance writer...hands down.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the books that made my favorites list, but there is one book that, even though it didn't score a perfect 5.0, was my most favorite of 2011 (and just so you know, it has nothing to do with the cover...really).

I read it early in the year, within the first couple of months, but it stayed with me and had one of my favorite heroines from 2011 too. It's kind of funny because I always say that heroes make or break a romance for me....but over the past two years it's actually been the heroine that played a major part in selecting my favorite book . For the heroine to be the "villain" in a previous story, but to then turn her around and make us cheer for her to get her own happy ending...that is some good story telling! It was everything that I love about a great romance.

So without further ado, my overall favorite from 2011 was....Changing the Game by Jaci Burton! I knew when I first read it that it would be a favorite...I just didn't know it would be THE favorite. LOVED, LOVED LOVED it!

OK, there it is. My favorites of 2011. What were some of yours? Agree, disagree? I showed you mine, now you show me yours :)

Like numbers? Here are some stats about what I read in 2011:

Total books read: 116 comprised of :

Historical: 56 (48%)
Erotic: 27 (23%)
contemporary: 26 (23%)
paranormal: 7 (6%)

Ratings overview :

4.5 stars or higher: 20 (17%)
4.0-4.49 stars: 42 (36%)
3.00-3.99 stars: 46 (40%)
1-2.99 stars: 8 (7%)

Authors that made the list 2 years in a row?

6 are repeats,
7 are new to the favorites list.

I tried 23 new to me authors this past year, but what is most interesting is:

that 6 of the 18 authors that made my favorites list were new to me.
That's 33%, which I think is HUGE considering I had no idea what to expect from them, though some came highly recommended which is why I decided to read them anyways...so maybe it shouldn't come as such a big surprise.

12 of the books that made the list were ones that I had agreed to review, the other 7 were just books that I was intrigued by.

80 of the 116 books I read in 2011 (69%) were print the other 31% were in the form of digital books.

Guest Author & Giveaway: Shana Galen featuring The Rogue Pirate's Bride

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Good things come to those who wait....at least that is how the saying goes. But for someone like me who wants what they want when they want it, which means NOW, it's pure torture :)

I was hooked on the Sons of the Revolution series from page one of the first book, greedily read book two, greatly anticipated book three...then waited, and waited and waited. My wait is finally over, woo hoo! Historical romance author Shana Galen is my guest today to share a bit about the third and final book in the Sons of the Revolution series, The Rogue Pirate's Bride. Have I mentioned that I love pirate heroes? LOVE. Enjoy!

The Wait is Finally Over!

Thank you so much to Seductive Musings for having me back again. I’ve been looking forward to stopping by!

And I’ve been looking forward to seeing The Rogue Pirate’s Bride on shelves for what seems like forever. Some of you may know the book was slotted to come out in April 2011 as The Making of a Rogue. My publisher decided they wanted to do it up bigger and better and delayed the book so they could give it a new cover and title. I love the new cover and the new title, though I know some readers are disappointed it doesn’t match the rest of the series. Others were disappointed they had to wait so long to read Bastien’s story.

Hopefully, it’s worth the wait. After all, how can you be disappointed in a hero who’s not only a charming rogue but a pirate? Bastien Harcourt, the Marquis de Valere, escaped the horrors of the French Revolution as a boy. He ran from the murdering mobs with a trusted servant and signed on with the first ship’s captain he met. He learned sailing and life on the sea quickly, and when The Rogue Pirate’s Bride opens, Bastien is captain of his own ship and goes by the moniker, Captain Cutlass. He prefers to be called a privateer, but when pressed, even he admits he’s really a pirate. But he’s a pirate with a mission: revenge. He wants to kill Jourdain, the Barbary corsair who murdered his friend and mentor.

Raeven Russell wants revenge as well. She’s the daughter of a British admiral. She’s spent her entire life on ships and was engaged to a dashing young captain who was recently killed in a skirmish with pirates. Guess who the pirate captain who killed Raeven’s fiancé was? That’s right. Bastien.

One of my favorite scenes is from the very first chapter of the book when Raeven challenges Bastien to a duel. She’s dressed as a boy, and he, being an honorable pirate, doesn’t want to kill a child. I love how Raeven is so intent on her mission and how hard she has to work to convince Bastien to take her seriously. And I love how cool and calm and charming Bastien is. He’s exactly the kind of pirate I’d want to meet.

or read it in a Google document here

What’s the last thing you waited and waited for? A movie release? A new book by your favorite author? A visit from a friend or relative?

Revenge should be sweet, but it may cost him everything…

Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood…

Forgiveness is unthinkable, but may be her only hope…

British Admiral’s daughter Raeven Russell believes Bastien responsible for her fiancé’s death. But once the fiery beauty crosses swords with Bastien, she’s not so sure she really wants him to change his wicked ways…

Read an excerpt

Congratulations Shana, and thank you for being our guest! If you'd like to learn more about Shana and the historical romances that she writes you can visit her at her website www.shanagalen.com, Twitter, Facebook, or at The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills which she shares with fellow authors Kristin Higgins, Terri Brisbin, Kathryn Smith, and many more.

To celebrate the release of the third, and final, book in her Sons of the Revolution series, The Rogue Pirate's Bride, Shana Galen's publisher, Casablanca Sourcebooks, is giving away TWO copies to Musings followers. Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Answer the question posed to readers in the post AND leave a meaningful comment and/or ask her a question about this book or series. (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
You can also earn extra entries by sharing the flipbook excerpt on Facebook, Twitter, your website or blog or other social media sites. You can earn 5 entries for each place that you share it and leave a link in the comments.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US & Canadian addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 18th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Guest Author & Giveaway: Jasmine Haynes featuring The Principal's Office

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I think finding yourself, imaging something more for your life, then do something about it, takes a tremendous amount of courage...especially for a woman who has lived her adult life with a controlling man who left her for a younger woman, while raising children who blame her for their broken family, and having to make every penny count. One of those would be a challenge...all of them, and you need a superhero!

This is the situation that Jasmine Haynes' newest heroine finds herself. Luckily she has help, and lots of hot lovin' in the form of a caring, slightly kinky, and all sorts of yummy Principal superhero. Jasmine is my guest today to share a bit about their story in the third book in her DeKnight series, The Principal's Office. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for having me. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to make it last week.

A little bit about myself for those of you who haven’t read my books. I write classy contemporary erotic romance as Jasmine Haynes. The Principal’s Office is the third book in my latest trilogy for Berkley Heat, the DeKnight Tales. I’m also the author of the popular Max Starr paranormal mystery/romance series. As Jennifer Skully, I write laugh-out-loud romantic suspense.

Many of my books are set in the contemporary work world, for the most part in Silicon Valley, where I worked in a corporate environment for many years. My latest West Coast series, Revenge Sex and Submitting to the Boss being the first two books, takes place in that corporate environment. But for the DeKnight Tales, I created a small firm called DKG, which is own by a husband and wife (you can read their story in the first DeKnight book, Past Midnight). It was based on a company I worked for and my old boss gave me tons of info. The problem with writing about a small company is that, unlike the West Coast series which is a much larger firm, I don’t have a full complement of characters to choose from for my hero and heroine. The second book in the trilogy, What Happens After Dark, was about DKG’s accountant. And The Principal’s Office features Rachel, the receptionist. But what hero was I going to pair her with?!

Enter the principal. I figured he’d be the perfect foil, with lots of conflict, since her sons are starting to act out a bit after her divorce. But really, when I think of a principal, I hark back to Principal Snyder on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, a small man who tried to use a big voice to make up for it. On the Internet, he’s described as “conservative, paranoid, and authoritarian.” I’d add small-minded to that. But no, no, no, that wouldn’t do for my hero. He had to be sexy plus caring. So my principal had to be tall (6’4”) and big. And blond (like a Viking). Not to mention a little bit kinky, okay, a lot kinky. But not with his students! And not on school property. I do have limits. He needed to get Rachel’s blood pumping the moment she saw him. And let’s be honest, he had to get my blood pumping, too. Of course, Rachel doesn’t know who he is right away. And when she finds out...well, that’s the story!

Here’s a little teaser for The Principal’s Office:

Single mother of two teenage boys, Rachel Delaney is happy with her life and her job, except for the lack of a strong male body to help her make it through the occasional lonely night, no strings attached. Enter Rand, a mysterious stranger, who’s absolutely perfect, until Rachel finds their lives intersect in the principal’s office.

And there’s your introduction to my hot high school principal. Don’t worry, it’s not terribly explicit, just innuendo. I hope you find him as delicious as I did while I was writing him! It’s been a pleasure sharing with you.

Desire is in session …

Rachel Delaney, divorced mother with two boys, isn’t complaining. Her life is fine. Really. There is one thing that could make it better, though: a strong, warm, male body to help her make it through the occasional lonely night. No strings, and no relationship, thanks. Just a little fun with a perfect stranger. And there’s no more perfect a stranger than Rand.

He’s tall, blond, unattached, smokin’ hot, and looking for the same thing Rachel is: wild, abandoned sex with no limits, no last names, and no complications—until Rachel’s eldest son gets in trouble in class.

Only then does Rachel discover that her down-and–dirty, dangerously sexy mystery lover is also the new school principal. They’re not exactly the ideal role models for a troubled student acting out his own frustrations. With Rachel’s life turned upside down, Rand’s the only one who can make it right—by maybe taking their hot-bodied hook-ups into a warm-hearted new direction…

Read an excerpt

Thank you so much for sharing the love with us Jasmine! I have to say that your hot high school principal is yummy....kink and all! I only wish that hotties like that patronized my supermarkets. It'd make my trips to the grocery store more than just a chore :) And for anyone who might be wondering, the cover image does have significance to the story, but you'll have to read it to find out more, because my lips are sealed ;)

If you'd like to learn more about author Jasmine Haynes and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.jasminehaynes.com, her blog, Facebook, or on Twitter.

To celebrate the release of third book in the DeKnight Trilogy, The Principal's Office, Jasmine's publisher, Berkley Heat, would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to one lucky Musings follower. Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Tell me your favorite part from the excerpt, and don't forget to leave Jasmine some comment love about the excerpt or even a question about the book! (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
You can also earn extra entries by sharing the flipbook excerpt on Facebook, Twitter, your website or blog or other social media sites. You can earn 5 entries for each place that you share it and leave a link in the comments.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 17th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Winners: Inked Magic, Love is a Battlefield, & Sweet Release

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:59:00 +0000

To celebrate the release of Inked Magic, Jory's publisher Berkley Heat would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to lucky Musings follower...

elaing8

To celebrate the release of the first book in her Games of Love series, Love is a Battlefield, author Tamara Morgan would like to giveaway a digital copy of the book to lucky Musings follower...

Tamsyn

(please let me know which format you would like the book in when you contact me)

In honor of the Romancing the Valentine Giveaway Hop hosted by Reading Romances I'd like to giveaway a digital copy of Pamela Clare's Sweet Release, the first book in the Kenleigh/Blakewell Trilogy to lucky Musings follower...

Carol L.

(please let me know which format you would like the book in when you contact me)

Congratulations! As always, you can click on any of the links or the book covers found on this blog to purchase the books you are dying to read...even if you didn't win them. If you didn't win one of these, don't lose heart because I'll have some new ones for you soon!

If however, you've been lucky enough to have already won these book(s) in another giveaway please let me know so that alternate winner(s) can be selected. The winners will have until Friday February 17th to contact me with your mailing address, otherwise alternate winner(s) will be selected.

For new followers to Seductive Musings please take note I do NOT email you that you have won. The blog post serves as the announcement and it is your responsibility to contact me with your mailing address. You can send your mailing address to me by using the Contact link in the menu bar at the top of the blog then filling out the form.

Guest Author & Giveaway: Heather Snow featuring Sweet Enemy

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Have you ever watched those shows on TV that try to explain the science behind love? I find them fascinating, because it proves there is real chemistry, beyond just physical attraction, when you fall in love.

When I first discovered my guest author today, the thing I was riveted by was that she was a scientist AND a romance writer. I spent quite a bit of time on her site reading quotes from famous scientists regarding love and was intrigued by the correlations they had between the two seeming opposite ways of thinking. One with the head, the other with the heart. Then again opposites do attract, so there you go. I guess I shouldn't really be all that surprised after all ;)

Historical Romance author Heather Snow is here with us today to share a bit about the chemistry of love, as well as her debut novel, Sweet Enemy, the first book in her Veiled Seduction series. Enjoy!

Love, Love, Love, Love…Crazy Love!

Happy Valentine’s day! Of course, today of all days, we must talk about LOVE. But rather than the romance and chocolates kind of love, I want to talk about the kind of love that drives us mad…and why we are powerless against it!

     “Come along,” Aunt said, reaching back to capture Liliana’s elbow. “We’re just in time.” Aunt wove them through the crowd with the expertise of one long accustomed to navigating a crush. When they emerged from the pastel swarm, Liliana caught her first glimpse of Stratford since his shocking “lesson” in propriety.

     Discomfiting ripples of heat flowed from her middle straight through to the tips of her fingers and toes. Odd, but it was as if she could feel him against her even now. She hadn’t been surprised by the curiosity that had gripped her when she’d given in to his kisses—after all, she was nothing if not inquisitive. Any good scientist worth her sodium chloride was.

     But what still heightened her every nerve until she thought she’d go mad with wanting? What elemental force made her physically desire a man whom she not only did not know but could never trust?

     Chemistry. That’s what they called it, but chemistry unlike any she’d ever studied.

Poor Liliana Claremont. The heroine in my Regency debut, SWEET ENEMY, is a chemist—a rational, level-headed young lady who doesn’t operate emotionally. No, she bases her life on cold science—until she meets Geoffrey Wentworth, Earl of Stratford. Suddenly, she finds herself plagued with desires that make little sense to her, and unable to control her reaction to a man who, by all rights, should be her enemy, given she’s convinced someone in his family murdered her father.

Learned though she is in the science of her time, what Liliana couldn’t possibly understand, and what scientists today are just beginning to, is that in the early stages of lust, infatuation and romantic love, our brain chemistry becomes quite literally like one suffering from addiction…or mental illness.

Yes, you heard me right. Studies have shown that when humans first fall in love, our brains release dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine in great amounts…which in laymen’s terms basically mean falling in love is like a natural cocaine high, producing elation, intense energy/sleeplessness, feelings of craving for that other person, loss of appetite and focused attention (read: obsession). Why else can we stay up all night talking to that special someone, then bounce into work the next day, still walking on a cloud, just to turn around and stay up all night talking to them again? Try to remember some of the crazy things you did in the early days of your own love affairs. Makes a little more sense now, doesn’t it?

As the relationship goes into the early honeymoon days, our brain chemistry changes again, giving a whole new meaning to the term “madly in love.” The serotonin levels in our brains fall to about 40% lower than normal…the same level as people diagnosed with OCD. That’s why we tend to obsess about that new partner. Our changing brain chemistry literally changes the way we think, becoming responsible for that “love is blind” phase of the relationship as well, where we idealize our partner, magnify their virtues and explain away their faults, where we put them up on a pedestal and convince ourselves that what we have with this person is the most special relationship in the history of mankind and we must do anything and everything to sustain it.

Perhaps if Liliana had understood that biologically, she just didn’t stand a chance, she wouldn’t have fought so hard to resist the chemistry between herself and the handsome earl. Luckily for her, although her rational mind insists she stay as far from Geoffrey as possible, her brain, her body and ultimately her heart refuse to obey, and she finds her way to a happily-ever-after in spite of her intentions.

Hopefully readers will love going on the journey with her!

And now, I’d like to know: What is the craziest thing you ever did for love?

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates. His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs. When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford. But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting house guest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

Liliana Claremont, a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a countess. If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge. However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.

Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can't control...

Read the Prologue & Ch 1

Congratulations Heather on the release of Sweet Enemy and thank you so much for being my guest today! I am completely fascinated by the chemistry behind love, which is why I guess having a writer with a degree in chemistry can formulate such a great love story :) I mean, not every one gets a cover quote from the Julie Garwood!

If you'd like to learn more about Heather Snow and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.heathersnowbooks.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and at her blog Get Lost in a Story. Make sure you check out her Facebook page because she and a few other historical romance authors are having a big contest with some great books up for grabs!

To celebrate the release of the first book in her Veiled Seduction series, Sweet Enemy, Heather would like to giveaway a signed print copy of the book, a bookmark, and a set of Sweet Enemy Romance Trading Cards to one lucky Musings follower! Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Answer the question Heather asked readers in her post & don't forget to leave her some comment love about the excerpt or even a question about the book! (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 16th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Monday's Muse

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is this week. I don't know about you, but I'm somewhat ambivalent about an official holiday to celebrate love. It kind of makes it feel like as long as you do something special for this one day of the year, that you can kind of let the rest of the year slide. It's not that it can't be sincere, but I feel that it's a forced recognition. I may be in the minority, but I'd much rather have a random day...kind of out of the blue, with some show of how much I'm loved, that that love made him want to do something nice for me "just because". I'm a big fan of "just because" moments. Either way I hope you have loved filled days.

If you are going to give a gift, I like the more unusual. Take for instance the Hidden Message Collar Stays from Red Envelope. The "racy version" has messages like...."Make Me Tremble" , "That Tie Will be Useful", "I want you always ", and "I might if you ask me". They also have a PG version, but I like the racy version better ;)

Me, I'm easy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE beautiful flowers. The way they smell, the way they make any room look lovely and cheerful....Love. Them. Either that or a gift card to buy more books. See, easy.

And I certainly don't think that your little ones should be excluded from Valentine's Day. I recently found the book The Kiss Box, and loved it so much. It's a story about a little bear that is sad and wonders if his mother will still love him when she is not with him. So she and little bear come up with the idea to fill a box with a hundred kisses so when they miss each other they can open the box for a kiss. I think my own little love and I are going to make some Kiss Boxes this week :) I love this idea so much. I had never heard about it, but apparantly this is something that has been around a while. Simple and beautiful at the same time. Doesn't get any better than that!

p.s. I chose the yummy Channing Tatum as this week's Muse because I want to see The Vow very badly....if this movie doesn't have a happy ending....then I give up on movies! (remember the One Day movie debacle last year? where she dies....yeah)

This week at Seductive Musings:

Tuesday: Debut Historical Romance author Heather Snow will be my guest to share with us the chemistry of love in her new book, Sweet Enemy.
Wednesday: Jasmine Haynes will be here to share with us her new erotic romance, The Principal's Office. I could handle a few hours of that kind of detention ;)
Thursday: Shana Galen will be my guest to share with us a bit about her new historical romance, The Rogue Pirate's Bride, the long awaited third book in her Sons of the Revolution series. Have I ever mentioned that I love a pirate hero? I do :)
Friday: I'm feeling like I need to kind of go with the flow and see what takes my fancy, so it'll be a surprise...for all of us.
Tempting Trailer: This week's Tempting Trailer is for Jade Lee's Bridal Favors series. It doesn't really tell too much about the stories behind the video, but it does have a url link for a free read at the end. I've not read Jade Lee before, but I'm curious about the series so it's a great way to find out if I like her as an author and if I will want to pick up Wedded in Scandal when it comes out in March.

Finally, I'd like to congratulate all of the authors will new releases this week, especially Musings authors Opal Carew, Tamara Morgan & Bronwen Evans (though this one came out a few weeks ago, I just found out about it so it totally counts) Congrats ladies!

p.s. What's up with the lack of romance books being released this week? Especially since Tuesday, traditional release day, is Valentine's Day. This should have been a book buying bonanza day!

Guest Author & Giveaway: Tamara Morgan featuring Love is a Battlefield

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

You all know how I love a Highlander hero....like mad love, love. And one thing I've been wanting to attend is a Celtic festival/Highland Games. I have never seen a real live person in a kilt and I swear to God that I will make it happen before I die. It's a bucket list item for me :) I'm gonna Google to see where the nearest one is to me and make it happen! Anyone else want to join me?

Is it any wonder that when I found out about Tamara Morgan's new contemporary romance that features Highland Games athletes...in kilts....that I was all over it like white on rice? Yeah, she had me at kilts :) Tamara is my guest today to share what she loves about Highland Games, a bit about Love is a Battlefield, the first book in the Games of Love series, and has even gifted us with a special excerpt from her new book. Enjoy!

History and Hotties: The Scottish Highland Games

If you have never been to a Scottish Highland Games event, I have some advice for you: Go. Like right now.

Whenever I talk about the Highland Games (which is often, even before I started a series of books based on a group of Highland athletes), people have a tendency to act surprised that such a thing really exists. Big, brawny men throwing logs around? Isn’t that something that only happens in the land of sheep, bagpipes, and Gerard Butler?

I have some good news for you. It’s more common than you think—and probably in a town very near you.

There are hundreds of different Highland Game events around the world. Some of them are huge, like the Cowal Highland Gathering in Scotland, which brings in around 20,000 spectators every year. Others are more modest, like the one in my own hometown, which sees just a few thousand people (but is worth a visit just the same). I’m not going to lie and say these events are equal to one another; after all, the experience in Scotland has got to be a hundred times cooler than one in the Inland Northwest. But the sentiment is the same. And by sentiment, I mean people of all shapes, sizes, and genders swaggering about in kilts, not a hint of mockery in the air.

Some of these swaggerers are athletes, and you can tell right away, because we are talking about some crazy muscular people whose necks and heads are the same size. Others are dancers (they usually have the cutest outfits and argyle socks). Then there are the bagpipe players, who are almost always high school teenagers that I want to kiss and squeeze for their commitment to something so undeniably dorky.

The list goes on. You’ve got history buffs, harpists and other musicians, live action role player groups, gleeful spectators (that would be me), the lady who makes haggis every year, and kids running around with little wooden swords. There are Celtic items for sale and an archery tent and dogs rounding sheep into pens. Even though the lines between actual history and the traditions we follow today are rendered hazy by the entire process, it’s so much fun to be around people who dedicate their time and efforts to preserving this culture.

And if you’re like me, you don’t have to participate in any of it other than to ogle the men and clap as the pipe band makes its opening march—your support, both financial and emotional—is what’s needed to keep these traditions going strong.

Oh, and did I mention the kilts?

It takes a real man to wear a kilt. And a real woman to charm him out of it.

It might be modern times, but Kate Simmons isn’t willing to live a life without at least the illusion of the perfect English romance. A proud member of the Jane Austen Regency Re-Enactment Society, Kate fulfills her passion for courtliness and high-waisted gowns in the company of a few women who share her love of all things heaving.

Then she encounters Julian Wallace, a professional Highland Games athlete who could have stepped right off the covers of her favorite novels. He’s everything brooding, masculine, and, well, heaving. The perfect example of a man who knows just how to wear his high sense of honor—and his kilt.

Confronted with a beautiful woman with a tongue as sharp as his sgian dubh, Julian and his band of merry men aren’t about to simply step aside and let Kate and her gaggle of tea-sippers use his land for their annual convention. Never mind that “his land” is a state park—Julian was here first, and he never backs down from a challenge.

Unless that challenge is a woman unafraid to fight for what she wants...and whose wants are suddenly the only thing he can think about.

Warning: The historical re-enactments in this story contain very little actual history. Battle chess and ninja stars may apply.

Read an excerpt

And enjoy this special excerpt for Musings readers:

A few kids had gathered on the far end of the field, straddling their bicycles and looking at the pair of them with large, expectant eyes. They’d become regulars of a sort, neighborhood children who stopped by a few afternoons a week to see if any of the SHS members were out practicing. This time of year, the kids were almost guaranteed to find someone—Julian, Michael, any of the other guys who lived in the city—since the local chapter of the Scottish Highland Society used this space quite a bit. The kids were going to be surprised when they showed up in a few weeks to find the entire field transformed into a carnival of human might, athletes from all over the country gathered to dance and compete, whisky and good cheer flowing.

Although he’d seen almost every city’s version of the Scottish Highland Games, the Spokane one was Julian’s favorite annual event. It was where he’d first been introduced to the sport, the place he’d come every year with his mom and stepfather, a brawny Scotsman who taught Julian everything he knew about being an athlete.

“Throw it already!” one of the kids yelled.

Julian waved at them with a grin. “Okay, but stay very, very far back.”

He loved the way a child’s eyes opened in rapt wonder when he landed a good throw, like he was hurling the giant hammer of Thor. Like he might actually be the god of thunder. It was so easy to get lost in this sport. Crowds of people came, eager to watch something barbaric and rustic, something so time-honored he could almost imagine himself standing in Scotland a thousand years ago, fighting for the right to lead a clan of warriors to victory. Or on the beaches of Guam, where he’d been born, an ancient Chamorro warrior about to prove his might with the throw of a single spear.

He picked up the hammer. Rotating his shoulders and swinging his arms over and around his head allowed the hammer to pick up speed, each revolution pulling harder on his muscles until it was all he could do to maintain his grip. He focused his line of vision on a tall yellow weed a few hundred yards in the distance and released both the hammer and a roar that cut through the air.

Congratulations Tamara and thank you for being my guest today! Love is a Battlefield will be released by Samhain publishing on February 14th, but is available for pre-order in case you'd like to have it in your hot little highlander loving hands for Valentine's Day. Better yet, this would be a great calorie free alternative to chocolates :) I don't know about you, but I would much rather have a hottie highlander heart vs. a heart full of chocolates...though in a perfect world I could have my cake and eat it too! LOL.

If you'd like to learn more about author Tamara Morgan and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.tamaramorgan.com, on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. I also highly recommend checking out her Love is a Battlefield Paper Doll where you can dress your own highlander :) Wonder what's under the kilt? LOL, it's G rated ;) I can't wait to see what she comes up with for the release of the second book in the Games of Love series, The World is a Stage (June 2012).

To celebrate the release of the first book in her Games of Love series, Love is a Battlefield, author Tamara Morgan would like to giveaway a digital copy of the book to one lucky Musings follower. Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Do you have a Highland Games story? Have any of you been lucky enough to visit Scotland and see one? Are you enamored of the kilt like I am? Don't forget to leave Tamara some comment love about the excerpt or even a question about the book! (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US & International addresses
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 13th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Winners: Romance @ Random, Sins of the Highlander, Scrumptious, A Secret in Her Kiss, Secrets of an Accidental Duchess, & Alpha Instinct

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000

I have lots and lots of winners to announce...so here we go:

The winner of the Romance @ Random Reader Rally Giveaway is:

Pamk

Pam, when you email me your address please also include the two books that you would like to have from the list

To celebrate the release of Sins of the Highlander by Mia Marlowe and Connie Mason their publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to these TWO very lucky Musings followers...

Maria D.

Cialina at Muggle-Born.net

To celebrate the release of Amanda Usen's debut, Scrumptious, her publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to Musings follower...

Estella

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, A Secret in Her Kiss, author Anna Randol would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to lucky Musings follower...

erin

To celebrate the release of Jennifer Haymore's newest historical romance, Secrets of an Accidental Duchess, her publisher, Forever Romance, would like to giveaway a copy of the book to these three lucky Musings followers...

Cialina at Muggle-Born.net

Bethie

Elf2060

To celebrate the upcoming release of the first book in the Moon Shifters series, Alpha Instinct, Katie's publisher NAL/Signet Eclipse would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to lucky Musings follower...

Sheree

If however, you've been lucky enough to have already won these book(s) in another giveaway please let me know so that alternate winner(s) can be selected. The winners will have until Saturday February 11th to contact me with your mailing address, otherwise alternate winner(s) will be selected.

Review: No Dress Required by Cari Quinn

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Title: No Dress Required*
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Format: E-book
Date/Year: December 2011
Reviewed by: ElaineReads

*This book was provided to reviewer by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Summary from the publisher:

After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There’s only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend’s older brother. Now that Jake’s back in town, she’s headed to his sister’s New Year’s Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she’s become? Check.

Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.

When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he’s glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister’s party. His and Noelle’s friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he’s always wanted…and if he’ll be able to walk away when it’s over.

My Musings:

Noelle has been in love with her best friend’s brother Jake for years. Unfortunately, he always saw her as another pesky little sister until it was too late and he was involved with someone else.

Now, Jake is alone once more and it’s New Year’s Eve. Is it possible that Jake and Noelle will start the New Year with a bang?

My initial reaction to the “best friend’s brother” plot was "not again". However, one of the reasons it is used so much is that it works. Can any straight girl say that she did not crush on the older, unattainable guy at some point? I know I can’t.

I am not a fan of short stories/novellas and this book is only 61 pages long. However, the author does an excellent job of developing the relationship between Jake and Noelle given the the limited time available. There is even a bit of a mystery involved in why Jake’s girlfriend left him.

The best thing about this story is that it is fun. I particularly liked when they realize Noelle has thrown away Jake’s only condom in a fit of temper and he refuses to go through his baby sister’s stash to get another one.

Cari Quinn has several books published and I will definitely try another. This book made me laugh out loud and who can ask for more than that?

Ratings:

Overall: 4 stars
Sensuality level: 3

For a complete understanding and definition of the ratings at Seductive Musings, click here

Other Reviews:

A Change of Plans....

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Today I had author Jasmine Haynes scheduled to visit with us, but due to a death in the family we've had to postpone the celebration of the release of The Principal's Office at Seductive Musings until a later date. As soon as I have a new date I will be sure to let you know.

My sincere condolences to Ms. Haynes and her family for their loss.

Guest Author & Giveaway: Jory Strong featuring Inked Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

A Muse is an elusive and mysterious thing, that is unless you visit here each Monday where I provide my own inspiration, LOL. But when the Muse strikes it can be illuminating and magical in the hands of the right person...as is the case with my guest author today and her new novel.

Bestselling author, Jory Strong is visiting to share a bit about her Muse as well as a bit about her new erotic paranormal romance, Inked Magic. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for having me here! Finally, Inked Magic is out! Now, of course, the nail biting begins.

Authors are frequently asked how they come up with a story idea and where they find inspiration. I find inspiration all around me, in news shows and TV programs, in overheard conversations, in pictures--images captured by others as well as things I see, in Country music song lyrics and the books I read. Fodder for the muse is everywhere, but in the case of Inked Magic, the specific story idea was sparked in a casual conversation with a friend. We were talking about empowering activities and she mentioned there were two things she wanted to do before she hit forty: get a tattoo and skydive.

I've done the second, and it is definitely an empowering experience! As to the first…not yet, but only because I haven't quite come up with a design idea I'm going to love for years to come, though I'm getting closer to it.

That single conversation led me to Etaín, the heroine in Inked Magic. I made her a tattoo artist, but since I don't have a tattoo, I needed to do research, not usually something I enjoy, though in this case it was fascinating!

Tattoos of course, have been around for a long, long time, and have certainly been more than just body art. One of the facts that “popped” during my research was that in other parts of the world monks apply ink, mixing it themselves and using secret ingredients to make it powerful. Then during the tattoo process, they'll chant, giving the tattoo strength, and in some cases, there's belief that the tattoo has a power point called the heart.

How cool is that!

I'm a hard-core plotter, so by the time I came across this neat fact, I already knew the story would be a ménage (my favorite type of erotic romance) and since I love paranormal stories, I knew one hero would be an Elven lord.

It was just a small leap of imagination to make Etaín a changeling elf raised outside of Elven culture and who is unaware of what she is, though she's discovered on her own that when she tattoos people who want to turn their lives around for the better, those tattoos have power. Among the Elves, those with her ability are known as seidic, soul seers. But there's a downside of course. They're also called gift thieves and mind thieves, for the damage they can do.

To say there are challenges ahead for Etaín, and the men in her life, is an understatement!

Skin didn’t lie to her. It was her gift, sometimes her curse. To feel what others felt. To see the things held in their memories…

With the touch of her palms to the skin of a crime victim, San Francisco tattoo artist Etaín can see the faces of the guilty and draw them. Changeling elf but unaware of it, at odds with her police captain father and FBI brother, magic and gift have put her on the path of two compelling men

Cathal Dunne, the son of an Irish mob boss, needs Etaín’s help finding the rapists who left his cousin for dead. Eamon, a powerful elf lord, is determined to make her his consort-wife.

Her gift once made permanence impossible when it came to a lover. Now as she approaches the transition to fully Elven, her survival depends on keeping two. One of the men is willing to share her. The other isn’t—until the search for a sexual predator turns deadly—and only by paying magic’s price will there be any future at all.

Read an excerpt

or read in it a Google document here

Congratulations & Happy Release Day Jory! Many thanks for being my guest today. I am intrigued with the idea that Etaín can infuse powers into her tattoos, especially knowing how that became part of the story.

If you'd like to learn more about author Jory Strong and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.jorystrong.com, & Twitter.

To celebrate the release of Inked Magic, Jory's publisher Berkley Heat would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to one lucky Musings follower. Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Do you have a tattoo, and if so what meaning and power does it have for you? If you don't have a tattoo is there a reason why you haven't/won't get one? Don't forget to leave Jori some comment love about the excerpt or even a question about the book! (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
You can also earn extra entries by sharing the flipbook excerpt on Facebook, Twitter, your website or blog or other social media sites. You can earn 5 entries for each place that you share it and leave a link in the comments.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 9th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Review: Inked Magic by Jory Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Title: Inked Magic*
Author: Jory Strong
Series: N/A
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Format: Trade paperback & e-book
Date/Year: 2/7/2012
Reviewed by: ElaineReads

*This book was provided to reviewer by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Summary from the publisher:

Skin didn’t lie to her. It was her gift, sometimes her curse. To feel what others felt. To see the things held in their memories…

Cathal Dunne, the son of an Irish mob boss, needs Etaín’s help finding the rapists who left his cousin for dead. Eamon, a powerful elf lord, is determined to make her his consort-wife.

My Musings:

First off, let me say I am a big fan of Jory Strong’s books. My favorite series is Supernatural Bonds . . . or Crime Tells . . . or maybe, Fallon Mates. Anyway, I love her books. Inked Magic is the beginning of a new paranormal series and I am already longing for the next book.

Etain is a changeling elf although she thinks she is human. She knows she has the gift of seeing crimes through the victim’s eyes, but she does not associate it with magic. Cathal, who really is a human, needs her to find his cousin’s rapists. The final member of the menage is a full Elf Lord named Eamon.

The only character I really liked is Etain. She uses her gift to help others even though it makes her extremely ill. Her family has abandoned her unless they need her help, but that has not stopped her from making a new family of friends. These friends have wonderful and distinctive personalities and I cannot wait to meet them again in subsequent books.

I really did not care for Cathal. He originally approached Etain in order to use her gifts. Although he did end up falling in love with her, he never appeared to really want to love her. Eamon, however, accepted her as his forever wife from the first meeting. Part of that was a power play due to her gifts, but I felt that he actually cared for her.

The storyline was engrossing with a number of subplots woven into it. Many of these were addressed in the book, but a few were left for the sequels. There a number of characters that I want to read their story. Etain’s brother definitely needs his own book.

The sex scenes were handled well. They were explicit without being coarse. My only concern was that the book is classified as a MFM menage and it was really more of a sharing relationship than a true menage. I expected the three of them to have sex together at some point which I do not remember happening.

As I previously stated, Jory Strong is a favorite author of mine. Inked Magic is another addition to her long line of wonderful books. She is already writing the sequel and I cannot wait for it to be published.

Ratings:

Overall: 4 stars
Sensuality level: 4

For a complete understanding and definition of the ratings at Seductive Musings, click here

Other Reviews:

RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars)
Affaire de Coeur Magazine (5 stars)
Goodreads (4.33 avg as of 2/6/12)

Monday's Muse

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Since the Superbowl was last night (did you watch it?) I thought it only appropriate that I continue our admiration of the Gods of Football in my personal campaign to raise Rugby awareness in the USA. I'm just sayin', some enterprising women should fund a league because I think they would have a lot of fans (of the female variety)...especially if they put out fundraising calendars too. I'm a strong believer in supporting a good cause :) Any clues about the tattoo? You did notice he had one right? LOL.

On Sunday I sorta watched the Superbowl. It had about 25% of my attention, that is until the half time show started. I wasn't really looking forward to Madonna's half time show. It's not that I dislike her, it's just that I'm ambivalent towards both her and her music. But I have to say, the woman puts on a good show. I was going to head out to the kitchen and get a refill on my drink, but stopped in my tracks when I saw the 50 or so men she had garbed in Egyptian dress pulling her out to the stage. That was truly inspired! The rest of the show was pretty good too :)

This week at Seductive Musings:

Monday: I have a ton of winners to announce. I was supposed to do that this past weekend, but it didn't happen. So today is the day....just sometime later.
Tuesday: Author Jory Strong is going to be my guest to celebrate the release of her new erotic paranormal romance Inked Magic. I have some mad love for that cover! And reviewer ElaineReads will have a review of the book to share with us.
Wednesday: Author Jasmine Haynes will be my guest to celebrate the release of her new contemporary erotic romance The Principal's Office. And let me tell you, this is one naughty principal...in the best of ways :) I will have a review of the book on this day as well.
Thursday: I will have my waaaay overdue list of 2011 favorites, and if I find the time I will also have a recap of my January reads with a possible giveaway of my favorite reads of the month. But we shall see. 2011 first. January second.
Friday: Samhain author Tamara Morgan will be my guest to share with us her new romance Love is a Battlefield, which will be released on Valentine's Day. How cute is that!
Saturday-Sunday: I might have to break my personal rule about posting on weekends since I have so many reviews I need to get done. Hopefully you will see me, if you do, then please show some comment love and make the effort worth my while :)
Tempting Trailer: This week's tempting trailer is for Nicole Jordan's new historical romance Princess Charming. Nicole Jordan used to be a favorite of mine, and for some unknown reason I haven't really kept up with her the last couple of years. This one tempts me to reacquaint myself with a once beloved author, especially since it's the beginning of the Legendary Lovers series. I like the sound of that ;) It comes out on Tuesday, but has anyone here had the chance to read an early copy? If so I'd love to know what you thought of it.

Also of Interest:

To celebrate the release of Kathryne Kennedy's newest novel in her Elven Lords series her the author is having a blog hop from 2/6-2/13 with books and other gifts to giveaway at each stop of the tour, with a grand prize of $100 B&N gift card and other assorted runner up prizes. I've not read any of these, but they've gotten pretty good reviews so you may see me out there trying to win some and give them a try. It starts at Star Crossed Romance today.
And, I agreed to take part in the Romancing the Valentine Blog Hop. It was obviously a moment of insanity because I really don't have time for it, but there ya go. So I will have a giveaway to go along with it, so look for that post on Monday too.

Finally, I'd like to congratulate all of the authors will new releases this week, especially Musings authors Maya Banks, Laura Wright, Katie Reus, Carolyn Jewel, Jory Strong, Shana Galen, Samantha Grace, Heather Snow, Jasmine Haynes, & Marie Force. Congrats ladies!

Romancing the Valentine Giveaway Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Last year I found author Pamela Clare through her highly acclaimed romantic suspense I-Team series when she had a reading challenge to celebrate the upcoming release of Breaking Point, one of the best romance books of 2011 according to Amazon editors ( and many others including myself). I became a devoted fan after just one book and she quickly became a must buy for me after just two, and then just last month I read the newly revised version of Surrender that was re-released December 2011 and I was completely blown away by it (a 5 star read). I mean this hero gives Jamie Fraser a run for his money IMO! (and I don't say that lightly as Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is like my gold standard)

I love historical romances. It's what I started reading romance with, and will always be what I gravitate towards. Which is why I don't know how I had not discovered Pamela Clare with her historical romances because they are just.....AMAZING! Which consequently sent me on my quest to finish buying all of the rest of her historical romances that I hadn't read yet just last month. Yep, I totally blew my book buying budget in January by buying all five of her historical romances that I could get my booklover hands on.

I would have missed out on some of my all time favorite romance reads if a few of my fellow blog readers wouldn't have recommended her to me, so I feel like I need to pay it forward and share my love of this author's work. And since I am a firm believer in sharing the love, I'd like to giveaway a book I just bought for myself so that we can enjoy it together.

For five pounds sterling, the convict was hers. Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him. But as his wounds healed, and as his muscled chest bronzed from the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated--for he could steal her breath with a glance, or lay siege to her senses with a touch.

Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec Kenleigh went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women. While he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love--and his freedom--was to prove his true identity. Only then could he turn the tables and obtain his ... Sweet Release.

Read an excerpt

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Tell me what your favorite line is from the excerpt, or what intrigued you the most about it. (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US & International addresses as long as you can receive an ebook gift from either Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on Monday February 13th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Continue your blog hop to these other participating blogs.

Guest Author & Giveaway: Katie Reus featuring Alpha Instinct

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

There are many things to love about paranormal romances. For instance, endless possibilities and undying love to name just two of my favorite reasons. What can I say, I'm a girl who likes variety, but constancy at the same time :) Is it any wonder that I am a Gemini? (not that I really get into the whole astrology thing).

Author Katie Reus is my special guest today to talk about what she loves about writing paranormal romances, and to share a bit about her new Moon Shifter series that begins with Alpha Instinct. Read and enjoy!

Thank you so much for having me here today at Seductive Musings!

One of the many reasons I fell in love with paranormal romance was because of the world building. I love that anything is possible in paranormal worlds; angels, demons, shifters, fae, vampires…it doesn’t matter.

My first paranormal series (Moon Shifter) from Signet is releasing in a few days and when I first started working on Alpha Instinct, I had a lot of decisions to make. Where was the story going to take place? What gifts would my characters have? What would be their weaknesses? So many things to decide that I had never faced when writing romantic suspense. Of course romantic suspense has a whole mess of other things to worry about in world building, but I’m talking about the paranormal today.

Location was a big decision for me and ultimately I decided to create a fictional town for Alpha Instinct. I went to college in North Carolina (and it’s where I met my husband) and I’ve always had a special place in my heart for that state. I loved the seasons, the people and the fact that I didn’t have to drive too far to go snow skiing. If you’re familiar with North Carolina you might know that Beech and Sugar mountains are perfect places for a quick ski weekend getaway.

Since I didn’t want to use a real place for this series, I made one up and nestled it right between Sugar and Beech mountains. That’s how the mountain town of Fontana was born. I got to ‘build’ the entire town from scratch, right down to naming the diners, restaurants, art galleries, everything. It was time consuming but a lot of fun!

What do you enjoy about paranormal romance? One reader who comments on the blog today will be randomly selected to win a print copy of Alpha Instinct (US eligible only). Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…

Read an excerpt

& Enjoy this special excerpt for Musings readers:

or read it in a Google document here

Pre-congratulations Katie and thanks for being my guest today! Alpha Instinct is full of sexy shifter heroes some of which are even Highlanders. Yeah, sexy Scottish shifter heroes, you heard that right :) Alpha Instinct is scheduled for release on February 7th in case you are as intrigued as I was and want to pre-order it.

If you'd like to learn more about author Katie Reus you can find her at her website www.katiereus.com, her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Group, & Goodreads. While there you may want to check out her Contests page where she is having 7 weeks of giveaways including an Amazon Kindle that ends on February 18th. There's still some time left to join in the fun! And if you like it a little hotter, you can check out her Erotic Romance written as Savannah Stuart.

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Answer the question Katie asked readers in her post & don't forget to leave her some comment love about the excerpt or even a question about the book! (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
You can also earn extra entries by sharing the flipbook excerpt on Facebook, Twitter, your website or blog or other social media sites. You can earn 5 entries for each place that you share it and leave a link in the comments.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 5th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Guest Author & Giveaway: Jennifer Haymore featuring Secrets of an Accidental Duchess

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:01:00 +0000

It's Groundhog day, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I am hoping for an early spring. It's not been a bad winter snow-wise, but spring is my second favorite season and I long for it every day. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, the sun is shining. Happy, happy, happy...spring makes me think of possibilities and of blooming love.

The cover of latest Donovan Sister novel, Secrets of an Accidental Duchess, by Jennifer Haymore also makes me think of spring...and love :) Could be all the happy pink and yellow on the cover. Could also be Paul Marron on the stepback, LOL :) That's enough to make anyone happy don't you think? Either way, for me, this book has become my harbinger of spring. Forget the groundhog! Spring has arrived!

I know that's probably a whole lotta wishful thinking on my part, but Jennifer Haymore being my guest is not, LOL. She's here today sharing a bit about Secrets of an Accidental Duchess that I hope you will enjoy.

Tell us about your hero, Max. What do you think will make readers, much like his heroine Olivia, fall in love with him despite him seducing her as a wager? And can you tell us some insight into their story in Secrets of an Accidental Duchess?

Max is intrinsically a good man. His weakness is in allowing people (like the villain, Lord Fenwicke) to rile him. He falls head over heels in love with Olivia, and what sane woman wouldn’t love to have a young, handsome duke madly in love with her?

What's your favorite scene or moment from Secrets of an Accidental Countess, and why? Can you describe it (or provide a short excerpt) for us without giving too much away?

One of my favorite scenes is one in which Olivia, who’s prone to bouts of fever from her malaria, falls into a fever. I love how Max, a man who’s used to control in all aspects of his life, realizes he has no control over her illness. He doesn’t know what to do, where to go, how to help her, and it nearly kills him.

Something about that scene…I don’t know. There’s something in it that resonates with me. Lately, I’ve been thinking it must have something to do with my battle with breast cancer in 2010--how helpless my husband felt when I was going through that, and how much it bothered him. I didn’t think of that when writing the scene, but now I think it must have been a subconscious thing on my part.

What are five fun facts about this book that readers would love to know?

Secrets of an Accidental Duchess is book 2 in the Donovan sisters series and features Olivia, who is the third of five Donovan sisters.
Olivia is the quietest and shyest Donovan sister. Really, she’s the one most likely to end up an old maid. That’s why it’s so much fun that she ends up getting the duke!
I base most of the houses in my books on real historical homes. In the Donovan series, the houses in St. James’s Square are based on the real houses at that address that still stand today. The small house in Prescot is based on a house in Canada that was built in the mid 1700s by my great-great-great grandfather.
I first read about malaria and how it was treated in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. I was intrigued by the disease that lay dormant inside its host, only to rear its ugly head at the most unexpected times. I love researching about medical beliefs/treatments of the early 19th century. How far we’ve come!
The sport of tennis was played in the early 1800’s, but it only has a few things in common with what we think of as British lawn tennis! Nowadays, the “old fashioned” tennis is called “real tennis,” and it’s played in a few countries. I believe there are less than 50 remaining real tennis courts in the world.

With her pale hair and slim figure, Olivia Donovan looks as fragile as fine china, and has been treated as such by her sisters ever since a childhood bout with malaria. But beneath her delicate facade, Olivia guards a bold, independent spirit and the kind of passionate desires proper young ladies must never confess...

It was a reckless wager, and one Max couldn't resist: seduce the alluring Olivia or forfeit part of his fortune. Yet the wild, soon-to-be Duke never imagined he'd fall in love with this innocent beauty. Nor could he have guessed that a dangerously unpredictable rival would set out to destroy them both. Now, Max must beat a Madman at his own twisted game-or forever lose the only woman to have ever won his heart.

Read an excerpt

Congratulations Jennifer, and thanks for being my guest today! Jennifer had a double release date with both Secrets of an Accidental Duchess, as well as her Donovan Sisters e-short novella, Once Upon a Wicked Night featuring both Serena (book one) and Olivia (book 2) on February 1st.

If you'd like to learn more about Jennifer and the books she writes as either Jennifer Haymore or Dawn Halliday you can find her at her websites www.jenniferhaymore.com, www.dawnhalliday.com, her blog, Facebook and Twitter. Jennifer also has a new quiz you can take to find out which Donovan sister you are most like....me, I was like Olivia. No big shocker there, but I guess that means I'm just a Duchess deep down inside, LOL.

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: So tell me, after reading the excerpt if you were in Olivia's shoes would you opt for the safety of being the spinster Aunt, or choose to be a scandalous spinster Aunt...that is of course until the "accidental" part of becoming a Duchess? And if you took the quiz which sister are you? Of course Jennifer would love your questions/comments about the book. (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US & Canada addresses only. No PO Boxes.
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on Sunday February 5th at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Guest Author & Giveaway: Sophie Barnes featuring How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I am completely hooked on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress TV show. I love the stories about the brides, I love the people who work at the store, and I love the dresses. And I am in utter bliss when they have a marathon :)

Most brides have to settle for one dress, a few lucky ones have two, but my guest today has had not one, not two, but three wedding dresses. Yep, author Sophie Barnes said yes to three dresses for three different weddings. How perfect for a romance author!

Author Sophie Barnes is my guest today to share two of her three weddings with us, as well as a little bit about her debut historical romance How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back. Read and enjoy!

I think most women start anticipating and planning for their wedding while they’re still in the womb. :o) Setting aside ideas for dresses, venues and color-schemes that they can tap into later, the minute an unsuspecting man proposes to them. They generally think of it as a “once in a lifetime time occurrence” and often find themselves weighed down and stressed out by the challenge of creating that exact image they have in their heads of the perfect wedding. Now, imagine planning two weddings at once – to the same guy. Two different locations, two different gowns, two different guest lists…you get the idea. Well, that was my situation eight years ago. To top it all off, we were already married!

Maybe I should start at the very beginning.

My husband and I met in a bar of all places – not the most romantic setting perhaps, but there it is. Two months later, I moved into his place – or rather, I came for a weekend visit and never left…In hindsight, I’m sure he must have suffered a small nervous breakdown at that point. Still, after living together for about ten months, we were driving home one evening when out of the blue he suddenly says, “Why don’t we just get married?” I believe I responded with something as eloquent as, “OK.” I was dumbfounded. Perhaps the nervous breakdown had been more serious than I thought.

Looking back, it’s one of the best decisions we ever made, not only because we’re perfect together, but also because we avoided the cold sweat and the ‘life flashing before your eyes’ moment that probably would have occurred had we had a year’s worth of anticipation ahead of us. Basically, we just did it – a week later at city hall in fact (let’s check off the first dress). We travel a lot and we both have family and friends living abroad. Needless to say, not many of them were able to make it at such short notice.

So, two years later we (or more precisely I) decided it was time to have a proper church wedding. But how would we go about it? We knew it would be virtually impossible to bring everyone together under one roof – perhaps not wise either.

After much brainstorming, the obvious solution presented itself – two weddings! Why hadn’t we thought of it sooner? After all, it would be so much easier (and cheaper) for the two of us to travel between our two hometowns than to relocate more than one hundred people. And of course, I had nothing against picking out two dresses – indecisive as I am when it comes to clothes.

Truthfully, it was not only perfect; it was everything I could have wished for in a wedding. And to make things even better, unlike most couples, we were not plagued by the typical pre-wedding disagreements, since each one if us was in 100% in charge of the details of one wedding. :o)

How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back only has one wedding in it. It’s a spur of the moment event, just as my first wedding was, though the circumstances leading up to it are quite different, I assure you. However, since my heroine, Emily Rutherford, is a very family oriented character, the possibility of having a second wedding that her sisters can attend, does get discussed.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this novel. It’s the story of overcoming tremendous heartache, of self discovery and realizing that, as painful as a broken heart can be, life not only can go on, but does go on, sometimes relentlessly marching on toward a much better and completely unexpected outcome.

But wait – there’s more:

Blackmail at the hands of a woman so callous she’ll put any villain to shame.
A misunderstanding that almost lands our heroine at the altar with the wrong man.
A hero with a past built on so much anger and hatred it’s a wonder he’s maintained his sanity.
A secret letter that promises to change the lives of our hero and heroine forever.

Alone, Francis and Emily don’t stand a chance, but together they draw on each other’s strengths, discovering that even the most impossible odds can be overcome if they open their hearts completely, trust each other, and let love in.

I’d like to thank Seductive Musings for hosting me today. I’ll be popping in throughout the day to chat with you and to answer any questions you might have. So feel free – leave a comment or two. Let me know if you had an unusual wedding or if you plan to. Remember, your comment will automatically enter you to win a $25 Amazon gift card, so get ready, get set, go! Start typing =)

If you’d like to follow the rest of my tour, I’ll be back again tomorrow at All The Days Of to talk about a day in the life of a historical novelist. Hope to see you again soon =)

Emily Rutherford is having a very bad day. Of course, having the man you’ve loved forever, announce his engagement to your (now very former) best friend will do that.

Emily is sure nothing good could possibly come out of this horrid situation. But she lets her sisters and Adrian’s cousin, Francis Riley, the delectable but brooding Earl of Dunhurst, convince her a season in London will be just the thing.

Now Emily has a choice: sulk in a corner while her sisters enjoy the glitter of the ton. Or become the belle of the ball, dazzling everyone on an earl’s arm. But as Francis helps Emily get back on her feet, she quickly realizes that a childhood crush is nothing compared to the power of true love.

Read Ch. 1

Congrats Sophie and thanks for being my guest today! How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back was released as a digital book this week (at a much lower cost), and will be available in print on February 21st (for significantly more). If you'd like to learn more about author Sophie Barnes and the books she writes you can find her at her website www.sophiebarnes.com, on Twitter & Facebook.

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back, author Sophie Barnes is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter during the tour! Here's how you can enter to win:

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Ask Sophie a question about her book and/or tell us about the most unusual wedding you've ever been to (good for 1 entry)

How to enter:

Leave a comment at each stop on the blog tour to earn additional entries for the $25 GC.

Rules and disclaimers:

The winner(s) for the $25 GC will be selected randomly from among all of the comments of the blog tour by either the author or by Goddess Fish Promotions who will also be responsible for contacting the winner(s).
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Guest Author & Giveaway: Anna Randol featuring A Secret in Her Kiss

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I used to travel...quite a bit actually *sigh*. Unfortunately, I can't even begin to tell you the last time I traveled somewhere other than my local supermarket, preschool & bank. Target is about as exotic as it gets for me.

To satisfy my wanderlust, I travel vicariously through my romance reads, which is why I love it when I find a book set somewhere other than the place I live (Midwest) so that I can "virtually" visit different times and places....especially if it is in an exotic locale.

And while a modern day trip to the Middle East isn't high on my places to visit(really it's not even on the radar), I can't help but have a romanticized view of that culture in historical romance ever since studying art from the Orientalism period in Art History and reading several romances by Bertrice Small. So when I found out about Anna Randol's debut historical romance, which is set in the Ottoman Empire during the Regency period, I was more than just a little bit intrigued! I was smitten and ready to pack my booklover bags so to speak :)

Anna Randol is my guest today to share a bit about A Secret in Her Kiss and why a Regency historical romance doesn't have to be set in merry ol' England. Read and enjoy!

Where are the hedgerows?

When we pick up a Regency romance, there are certain things we’re conditioned to expect. Almacks. Hyde Park. Lavish balls and soirees. Basically all the things that we love about the time period. But my debut novel, A Secret in Her Kiss, is set in Constantinople. Yep, smack dab in the middle of the Ottoman Empire in 1816.

Why, you might ask? Does she have something against England? Does she not like hedgerows? No, to both questions! I love England and carefully trimmed bushes. I didn’t write this book to try to rebel against the traditional Regency. I’ve loved them ever since I was a teen trying to scope out the library’s collection without being seen. (Who me? I’m looking at these books on automotive repair…) When the idea for A Secret in Her Kiss came to me, I hesitated. Would a publisher want to buy it? The story’s hero is a handsome British army major fresh from the fields of Waterloo and the heroine is a half-English spy, but was that enough? Would the readers miss England?

England? England, who? In Constantinople, the clothing is just as elegant and lavish (and there are veils and caftans!). There are rules of etiquette Mari, the heroine, has to find ways to break. And while Hyde Park may be thousands of miles away, there are new places for Mari and Bennett to explore: open-air bazaars, lavish walled gardens, Turkish baths...

But most importantly, I think that readers will find that the story is at its heart a Regency—a love story that sizzles with intrigue, adventure, and a passion that is impossible to avoid.

Readers, what do you think defines a Regency? One randomly selected commenter will win a copy of A Secret in Her Kiss!

She would gladly relinquish her life of intrigue…

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately her employers think otherwise—and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the Game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes—and survives—one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood, is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that, to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules—rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

Read an excerpt, and...

Enjoy this very special excerpt just for Musings readers:

read in a Google document here

Congratulations Anna & thanks for being my guest on this very special day! I love Regency romances. They are a staple in my romance reading diet. So any time something different comes along, especially a story set in an exotic location, with a heroine just as unique...then I'm there!

If you'd like to learn more about Anna Randol and the historical romances she writes you can find her at her website, www.annarandol.com, at the Dashing Duchesses blog, Twitter, & Facebook.

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, A Secret in Her Kiss, author Anna Randol would like to giveaway a print copy of the book to one lucky Musings reader. Here's how you can enter to win...

Ways to earn entries:

Mandatory: Answer the question Anna asked readers in her post & don't forget to leave her some comment love about the excerpt or even a question about the book! (good for 1 entry)
Mandatory: You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber, or subscription in Google reader, and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
If you have a blog, or even if you don't, you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they successfully enter to win and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries. You can blog about it with a link to this post, post it on Facebook, Twitter, email...or even word of mouth (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) . Please note that to earn the points they must mention your GFC name so that I can match you.
You can also earn extra entries by sharing the flipbook excerpt on Facebook, Twitter, your website or blog or other social media sites. You can earn 5 entries for each place that you share it and leave a link in the comments.
Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment

Rules and disclaimers:

This contest is open to US addresses only
You must be at least 18 years or older, or of legal age in your country
The contest will end on February 3rd at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
Winner(s) will be selected using Random.org
The winner(s) will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
Winners will be subject to one copy per household, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, that you will only receive one copy of the title in the mail
Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit
All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice

Good Luck!

Monday's Muse

noreply@blogger.com (Booklover1335) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

I'm still battling this wicked bronchitis. It just won't give up. I'm told that it is bad this year and that many people are getting it. I don't know how people telling me this is supposed to make me feel better, because it doesn't, it just makes me pity those poor souls all the more.

Since I was feeling better though, I didn't do as much reading. However I did get the chance to start Sarah MacLean's new book A Rogue by Any Other Name, and I am loving it! The heroine has a thing for the hero's thighs...which is something that I can completely appreciate & understand where she is coming from. LOL. So, in honor of Penelope's love of a well muscled thigh, I give you this week's Muse :) I think he is particularly lovely, don't you?

This week at Seductive Musings:

Tuesday: Debut author Anna Randol will be my guest to celebrate her historical romance, A Secret In Her Kiss. I'm very interested in this story since it is set in the Ottoman Empire and can't wait to learn more about it.
Wednesday: I will have another debut author, Sophie Barnes to celebrate her historical romance How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back.
Thursday: Jennifer Haymore will be my guest to share with us her the second book in her Donovan sisters series, Secrets of an Accidental Duchess. I love books with secrets!
Friday: We'll leave the realm of historical romance with author Katie Reus who will be my guest to celebrate the release of her new paranormal romance, Alpha Instinct...we're talking Highlander wolf shifter heroes people :)
Saturday: I have some winners to announce so I'll be back at some point during the weekend.
Tempting Trailer: This week's Tempting Trailer is for Victoria Alexander's new release My Wicked Little Lies. This is another of the mini movie book trailers, which don't always work for me, but I have to say that I really liked this one. Accents may be fake, as well as the blond hair...the story it told however captivated me. I'm gonna have to check it out.

Finally, I'd like to congratulate all of the authors will new releases this week, especially Musings authors Sarah McCarty, Donna Grant, Victoria Alexander, Anna Randol, Jennifer Haymore, Kate Pearce, Emma Lang, Sophie Barnes, & Shona Husk. Congrats ladies!

Sheree, no PM this week? What's up with that! Did I miss one?