Lover Undercover Blog Tour: Guest Post with Samanthe Beck + Giveaway!

Today I'm very glad to welcome back to Books to Brighten your Mood author Samanthe Beck as part of the Blog Tour for her newest release with Entangled, Lover Undercover! During the span of a month Samanthe had two almost back to back releases with Entangled, all the better for us to indulge in her sinfully hot stories, don't you think? I just finished reading Lover Undercover and let me tell you it was just perfect, so stay tuned for my review which will be posted real soon :) But for now, let's welcome Samanthe who is here today sharing a very interesting guest post and like always, don't forget to check at the end of the post for the details of our giveaway :)

The dangers of falling in love while undercover by Samanthe Beck

Hi Anna! Thanks for having me back at Books to Brighten Your Mood to talk about my new release, “Lover Undercover,” from Entangled’s ultra-sexy Brazen line. Buckle up, because this time I’ve thrown danger, suspense, and dirty-dancing into the mix!

Kylie Roberts reluctantly switches identities with her injured identical twin, Stacy, to dance at Deuces, the upscale Hollywood strip ... er ... gentlemen’s club where Stacy works as a featured performer. The first night on the job is murder. Literally. Kylie finds a customer beaten to death in the parking lot. Next thing she knows, she's staring into the jaded eyes of Detective Trevor McCade, who, hours earlier, served as the unsuspecting recipient of her very first lap dance. He needs her help to solve the crime, and promises to protect her, but his keen gaze says he knows full well she's not telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. With Trevor posing as her new best client, the dances get hotter but the leads remain cold. Can this substitute stripper lure a killer to justice without losing her life ... or her heart?

Yikes…sounds dangerous, right? Let’s just say falling in love while undercover comes with a unique set of hazards! Kylie senses the peril of her ruse right from the start. Way before she knows Trevor’s a cop, she knows he’s a serious threat to her peace of mind:

Dark, seen-it-all eyes locked on hers. Recognition—one observer to another. The other men looked at her, but this man saw her.

Her stomach quivered in reaction, and her thighs tensed. In the midst of fear and mortification came a strange shock of…excitement, followed quickly by shame. What kind of woman got excited about cavorting next to naked in front of a complete stranger, especially one who liked to spend his evenings in a club like Deuces? A sick woman, for sure, but humiliating as it was, she couldn’t deny the secret thrill as his eyes moved over her body.

Trevor soon has his own dangers to deal with. This duty-first homicide detective finds himself posing as a customer, and on the receiving end of some super-hot private dances. Turns out his rule-book wasn’t written for such situations:

“I’m all eyes.” Keeping them on her face, he leaned back in his chair and mentally recited the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor.

She rose from his lap and slowly tipped her head back until her hat tumbled away. Then she crossed her arms behind her neck, lifted her hair, and let it cascade down her back. The Oath segued into a prayer for strength.

Prayers wouldn’t be enough, he realized, when she splayed her hands on her rib cage and slowly slid them up her torso toward her breasts. At the last minute, however, she hesitated. Her eyes drifted to his. “Do you want me to…?”

The cynical part of his brain took charge, because he didn’t have any prayers left. “You’ve got the innocent, virginal act down pat. It’s surprisingly effective.” Then the cynic surrendered and all he had left was the truth. “Hell, yes, I want you to,” he whispered. “I might die if you don’t.”

Brings a whole new meaning to the term, “undercover,” huh? Is “Lover Undercover” too hot to handle? You’ll have to judge for yourselves. ;)


About the Author

Sam was transfixed from an early age with any tale featuring a handsome prince, a great dress, and, of course, the all-important kiss, and eventually aspired to write her own happily-ever-afters. Naturally, she became a lawyer. The legal world heaved a sigh of relief a few years ago when Samanthe retired from law to take the plunge as a writer.

When not living the glamorous life of a romance author (i.e., chained to her computer), Samanthe keeps busy with the care and feeding of her extremely patient prince-charming of a husband, a not-so-patient ball of energy known as their son, a furry ninja named Kitty, and Bebe, the trash talkin’ Chihuahua. Their love, support, and willingness to eat Pizza Hut three or more times a week enables Samanthe to pursue her literary dreams.

Visit Samanthe

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

About the Book
Title: Lover Undercover

Author: Samanthe Beck

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 293 pages
Release Date: April 2013

ISBN: 978-1-62266-977-6
Imprint: Brazen
Buy it at: Amazon, B&N, Kobo

He’s undercover. She’s in over her head. Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club." But nothing could've prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars. Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie's hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entangled Publishing is generously offering one PDF copy of Lover Undercover to one lucky winner. Giveaway ends May 11th and it is open internationally.

~Guidelines~

~ The contest is open to all.
~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.
~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org
~ The prize is submitted by the author and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.
~ The contest will be open until May 11th.
~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Guest Post with Robyn DeHart + Giveaway

Today I'm super excited to be the next stop in A Little Bit Wicked Blog Tour! Robyn DeHart stops by today in celebration of her newest Historical Romance release with Entangled that centers around a very sexy protagonist, scandals, gossip and a sweet and forbidden love!
So, let's welcome Robyn and don't forget to check at the end of the post for the info of our giveaway :) Also, you can check the full Blog Tour here.

Wicked men…why are they so sexy?

This question was posed to me for this blog and I decided to tackle the topic because well, who doesn’t love to talk about sexy men? Now the easy answer is…because they’re HOT!

I take this notion of creating heroes quite serious. Consider it for a moment…when you’re reading a romance novel, you want to root for the heroine and fall in love with the hero. If I can’t create a hero that readers can fall in love with, then I’m not doing my job right.

But what is it about the wicked ones, the bad boys, that really call to us? They don’t in the real world (for the most part). I mean most of us are married to the good guys. I know I am. My husband is a college professor for Pete’s sake. While he’d love to thing of himself as a rough-and-tumble tough guy, he’s a big ‘ol softy. So that’s what I want to come home to every night, but when I snuggle up with a book, sometimes I want that rogue.

I think the biggest appeal is not so much how naughty they are, but that they’re naughty with a chance at being redeemed. We want to be that woman that brings that bad boy to his knees. We secretly long to be that girl, the one with the stack of books and the glasses sitting in the school cafeteria and the hottest guy in school walks past those cheerleaders because he can see the reality of who that girl is. He wants to know her. It’s all tied into that fantasy.

So the redeem-ability factor is huge. The other thing is those naughty men give the heroines a reason to be naughty, even if only behind closed doors. It’s nice to fantasize about being able to be daring and reckless with a man, to trust him so much we’d let him take us anywhere.

All right readers, your turn, who’s your favorite bad boy hero? It can be TV, book, movie, whatever. 

About Robyn

I’m one of those writers who always knew that she wanted to be a writer. It took me a while, however, to figure out precisely what I wanted to write. Reading Kathleen Woodiwiss’ ”A Rose in Winter” sealed the deal for me and I’ve been reading and writing romance ever since. I should have known I was destined for this when my Barbies insisted on hosting elaborate masquerade parties, complete with stolen kisses in the moonlight.

I’m the youngest of three children, so of course I’m the favorite. I was raised in central Texas, in the beautiful Hill Country, right smack-dab between Austin and San Antonio. My parents were high school sweethearts and married a week after my mother graduated – they both needed their parents’ permission to marry since they were so young. So I blame them and their amazing marriage for the fact that I’m a hopeless romantic.
Somewhere along the line, I graduated from college with a degree in Sociology, only after completing an internship with none other than award-winning best-selling author, Pamela Morsi. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and I learned more about the writing business than I could have hoped.

After college I worked a myriad of jobs: Computer Software Trainer, Recruiter, Administrative Assistant. But no matter what my day job, I come home to my real job and click, click, click away on my computer and get lost in my imaginary world where justice always prevails and the girl always gets her guy! It’s the coolest job in the world.
I’m married to the most amazingly supportive man. He’s so proud of my career, and loves to tell people, “My wife is a romance novelist.” We live in the Austin area, where my husband is a university professor. He’s ridiculously smart, but remains goofy enough to make me laugh every day. We’re the parents of two beautiful and precocious little girls who keep me quite busy during the day. We also have two very spoiled cats who are of no help at all when it comes to my writing, although they sometimes nap in the same room where I sit diligently working.

I’ve published seven historicals, all of which have received great reviews and a handful of them have won awards. I love to hear from readers,
so feel free to send me an email or you can find me online at The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, or, Peanut Butter on the Keyboard, my newest blogging endeavor that’s all about writing moms or moms who write. You can also find me on my Facebook or my Facebook Author page and on Twitter. I’m everywhere!

About the Book

Title: A Little Bit Wicked
Author: Robyn DeHart
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 229 pages
Release Date: December 2012
ISBN: 978-1-62266-816-8
Imprint: Scandalous
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Marcus Kincaid has returned to England after a ten-year absence. His older brother died during that time, making Marcus the Earl of Ashford. Not only that, his younger sister is embroiled in a potential scandal that could ruin her chance at marriage. His aunt has already called in reinforcements—The Paragon.
Vivian March is known simply as The Paragon. She moves through every circle within Society, smoothing out scandals and stopping gossip in its tracks. Everyone in London knows that if she aligns herself with you, Society will forgive you your sins. What they don’t know is that she uses their secrets to cover her own jaded past.
But with every kiss and every touch that Marcus thrusts upon her, Vivian comes to believe life is infinitely more fun when you can be just a little bit wicked…

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entangled Publishing has generously offered an e-copy of A Little Bit Wicked to one lucky winner. (Open Internationally.)

Guidelines

~ The contest is open to all.

~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.

~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org

~ The prize is submitted by the author/publisher and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.

~ The contest will be open until January 26th.

~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let It Snow Books: Guest Post with Jillian Stone + Giveaway

Welcome to Day 2 of Let it Snow Books 2012, where for the next three weeks you have the chance to read some really fun holiday posts from some of your favorite authors, both here and at Ex Libris.

Today, we welcome Jillian Stone here at Books to Brighten your Mood with a festive post and you will have the chance to win a copy of An Affair with Mr. Kennedy, one of the best Historical Romances I have ever read and not just in 2012! Jillian Stone's voice is one of the freshest out there and believe me when I said that she's an author you should watch out for!
And here's a small taste of my review of An Affair with Mister Kennedy:

An Affair with Mister Kennedy surprised me quite pleasantly!I don't know why it surprised me so much, since so many reviewers have already stated that it was a really good book, but it did. Probably, because... Read the rest of the review here.

Jillian has decided to share with us a very special excerpt! So welcome Jillian and thank you for stopping by here today!
 
Thanks so much for inviting me to participate in your ‘Let it Snow Books!’ Blog Event. Merry
Christmas and Joyous Noel to all!

This excerpt is from the opening chapter of The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard romantic
suspense adventure: A Dragon Kiss with Detective Rhys, a Christmas 2013 release.

Isle of Dogs, London 1887

Flynn Rhys adjusted the bi-ocular spyglass to afford the best possible view across Rabbit Row. A window had been left uncovered on the second floor of the boarding house–– one that rented by the hour. A prostitute working her customer tugged the pale yellow ribbon on her chemise. “Have a care Lizzy, and show us those rosy tips,” Flynn muttered to himself as an ample bosom sprang from its confines.

He made an adjustment to his trousers, causing the downward tilt of his binoculars. A bustle of pedestrians traipsed up and down Nightingale Lane, last minute shoppers laden with packages. A brawny dockworker hustled home clutching a porcelain doll under his arm. Flynn counted a half dozen oranges in an open weave sack flung over a sailor’s shoulder.

The fact that it was Saturday night and Christmas Eve, appeared to double the merriment. The brass buttoned jacket of the local Custom-house officer caught his eye. Ham Brady was a bloody bull of a man with plenty of cheek. Even Brady who never smiled, whistled a tune as he sauntered down the row.

“Officer Brady up to his usual three penny upright, sir?” Charlie raised the window shade on a dusky twilight. The lamplighters were about. On most Saturday nights, Ham Brady would be sampling a bit street quim in the alley below. But not tonight. Presumably, the man made his way home to a family who found something to love about him.

“You should go home, Charlie––it’s Christmas Eve, for God’s sake.” A street hawker by trade, Charlie Doyle was a strapping lad. Yard men in need of an extra hand, hired him for off the books operations. Flynn slipped a banknote into the young man’s jacket.
“Stores will be closed in another hour. Take home a pretty bauble for your sister and mum.”

Reluctant to leave, Charlie hesitated at the door. “I don’t mind staying, sir. We could take turns on watch––between a bit of card play.”

Flynn, grabbed the hearth poker and itched a toe. “Not likely Grey de Ruthyn will be engaged in any gun smuggling tonight.”

“I wager you’re looking forward to Tuesday, next.” Charlie nodded to the full leg cast.
“About time those plaster bandages were off.”

Flynn had been laid up for months nursing a compound fracture. To keep him from going barking mad, Zeno Kennedy, Chief Inspector, Special Branch, had arranged for work, something unofficial. Flynn had been tasked with observing the comings and goings of a storehouse in Wapping, and more recently a shipping office on the Isle of Dogs.

The very idea of an arms trafficker setting up shop not four doors away from the Board of Trade Office––well, it was a wicked clever ruse. And Simon Grey de Ruthyn was as cunning and bold as they come.

“Out of my sight, lad.” Flynn softened his gaze. “Save me some Christmas dinner.”

“That I will, sir.” Charlie, donned his cap, backing out of the flat. “Roast goose and plum pudd––” Rattled by loud thumps on the door, his helper jumped away.

Another series of thuds and a muffled cry. Flynn separated two voices. One of them was the boarding house proprietress, Mrs. Hardwick.

He and Charlie exchanged looks. One could never be too careful when surveilling Grey de Ruthyn. Flynn tossed the fire poker to Charlie with a nod. “Let’s see who it is.”

His apprentice Yard man had no sooner turned the lock––when the door burst open in a blur of red and white.

“Young ladies are not allowed to call on gentlemen borders––it’s strictly against the house rules.” Mrs. Hardwick followed after a flurry white lace under a red military-style coat.

“Certainly you can make allowances due to Mister Rhys condition?” The smartly
dressed intruder tossed the words over her shoulder.

Flynn sat up straight, as much as the cumbersome leg cast would allow. “Alice?”

“Surprised to see me, cousin?” She made big eyes at him and rolled them toward his sputtering landlady.

He ignored Mrs. Crosby’s protests and took a very long moment to admire everything about Miss Alice Millicent Armistead. Rich, tawny and wheat colored waves of hair blown wild from a horse race through the city. The young lady was even more breathtaking than he remembered––she was a force of nature. A sable fur hat haloed sparkling blue eyes framed by dark lashes. Her nose, as usual, was sprinkled with pale freckles. Cheeks flushed rosy pink from the crisp cold air added a touch of color to a smile that was as genuine and radiant as ever. Good Christ, she could arouse Saint Peter in his grave.

She carried a large basket, which she set beside his chair. “Please inform your landlady I am a relative.” She unbuttoned intricate braided closures. Looking up from her coat, she widened her eyes. “Please, Flynn.”

Reluctantly, he confronted his landlord. “I take it you haven’t been introduced. Mrs. Hardwick, it would be my pleasure––”

“Best not have anything to do with your pleasure, Mister Rhys––I hear any sound o’pleasure coming through these walls, and y’er out on the street.”

“Mrs. Hardwick, I’m shocked. A good Christian woman such as yourself, would toss me out on Christmas Eve––a poor servant of the citizenry with an infirmary?” Flynn tried for a stunned, bewildered expression. “The night our savior was born?”

Mrs. Hardwick’s eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. “A warning, Mister Rhys––
fornication is a sin against God.” Adding a grunt for emphasis, she eyeballed Alice on her way out the door.

“Charlie––head her off at the stairs and give her this.” Flynn slipped him a fiver. “For the Sisters of Mercy Night Home, on lower Seymour Street.”

Charlie tipped his hat and stole another fleeting glance at Alice. What red-blooded young bloke wouldn’t?

“Tell her the donation came from Miss Armistead,” Flynn paused for emphasis, “…my cousin.” He detected a grin as she tossed her coat over a chair back.

“Yes, sir. Very good, sir.” Flynn waited to hear the key turn the lock before shifting his gaze from the closed door to the beauty standing before him. The gown was simplicity itself. White, virginal, a sheer slip of a dress with delicate cap sleeves and bare shoulders.
And the plunging neckline was––most arresting. His eyes traveled down the slope of her breasts. Lovely globes jiggled ever so slightly when she moved, like now.

She sat down on the edge of the chaise that served as his chair and his bed. “All those months last year, when you were assigned to watch over me? All I ever wanted was for you to look at me like you are doing now.”

A smile tugged the edges of his mouth. “How am I looking at you?”

She leaned closer. “Like I’m a present…to be unwrapped.” Her wily Alice charms were on the job, tonight. Flynn’s gaze dropped to her extraordinary mouth––a bit wide with full lips. Dear God, a man could loose control of himself.

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. He could feel the heat from her breath on his cheek. She moistened her lips and opened her mouth––just enough to be inviting.

So close, now…

Curling the tip of her tongue over the curve of his upper lip––she licked. “Happy
Christmas, Detective Rhys.”

About the author

Jillian Stone was born a storyteller. A skill that got her into considerable trouble as a youth until she solved the problem by becoming an advertising creative. And the career did seem to suit her as she won many national ad awards including the Clio and the New York Art Director’s Club Gold. What more could she ask for? Create her own worlds? Become goddess of her own universe? Yes! So, she began to write fiction. Her Victorian Romantic Suspense novel AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY won the 2010 Golden Heart and sold to Pocket Books. Her sexy, supernatural Steampunk novel, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK, won the 2010 Romance Through The Ages Erotica category and sold to Kensington Brava. Jillian lives in California and is currently working on the next adventure for both series.

Visit Jillian

Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

About the Book:
Title: An Affair with Mr. Kennedy
Author: Jillian Stone
Series:The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard #1) 
Publisher: Pocket Books
Length: 392 pages
Release Date: January 31st 2012
Purchase Info: Book Depository, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads
 

London, 1887. Part stoic gentleman, part fearless Scotland Yard man, Zeno "Zak" Kennedy is an enigma of the first order. For years, the memory of a deadly bombing at King's Cross has haunted the brilliant Scotland Yard detective. His investigation has zeroed in on a ring of aristocratic rebels whose bloody campaign for Irish revolution is terrorizing the city. When he discovers one of the treacherous lords is acquainted with his free-spirited new tenant, Cassandra St. Cloud, his inquiry pulled him unexpectedly close to the hear of the conspiracy -- and into the arms of a most intriguing lady.

Cassie is no Victorian prude. An impressionist painter with very modern ideas about life and love, she is eager for a romantic escapade that is daring and discreet. She sets her sights on her dour but handsome landlord, but after she learns their meeting was not purely accidental, she hardly has a chance to forgive her lover before their passionate affair catapults them both into a perilous adventure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jillian has generously offered a copy (e-book or paperback, winner's choice) of An Affair with Mr. Kennedy and A Private Dual with Agent Gunn to TWO lucky commenters. (Open Internationally.) All giveaways end on January 5th.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

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Blog Tour: Seducing Cinderella by Gina L. Maxwell + Giveaway!

Today I'm really happy to welcome author Gina L. Maxwell in celebration of her newest release with Entangled Publishing, Seducing Cinderella, a seriously sexy and hot story featuring a mixed martial arts fighter, who will make you change your opinion of that sport once and for all!

You can find the full Blog Tour here and my review of Seducing Cinderella here. And don't forget to check at the end of the post for more details on your chance to win one copy of this seducing story :)

Sexy Mixed Martial Arts Fighters by Gina L. Maxwell

Raise your hand if you've ever watch a mixed martial arts fight. Anyone?

We all love alpha males, and for me, being drawn to MMA was about as natural as moths to a flame. To the outside eye, the fights seem primitive at best. Two grown and well muscled men enter a cage, are locked in, and then duke it out until one of them is either submitted, knocked out, or the time runs out. It sounds like a caveman sport but really, there is a great deal more strategy to it.

The training and the time that goes into the sport is mind-boggling. In doing research for the sequel to Seducing Cinderella, I got to know a former MMA fighter and was absolutely shocked. He threw around jiu-jitsu and striking terms that, when I tried to repeat them, left me tongue-tied. The amount of cardio that it takes to be able to stand in a ring with another man for upwards of fifteen minutes while you fight each other off made my stomach turn just thinking about it. And the dieting? Forget about it!

After learning more about this sport than just the celebrity names and the entrance songs, I had a newfound appreciation for what these men (and women) do. It seemed that in making Reid Andrews an MMA fighter, I gave him the perfect profession. It requires intelligence, flexibility, and determination to be an exceptional fighter.

But, if you aren't able to appreciate the strategy and technique in MMA, you can always enjoy the aesthetics of the sport…

Raise your hand if you love chiseled abs. *wink*


About Gina:

Growing up in small town Fort Atkinson, WI, Gina L. Maxwell, formerly Bisbee, could often be found onstage in the latest theatrical production, performing with her high school show choir, or holding office in her local FFA chapter. She dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps in the entertainment business, of enabling her audience to forget about life for a few hours as they enjoyed the stories she told through her love of singing, dancing, and acting. It wasn’t until her sophomore year in college when she realized she had no acting talent to speak of and her dream needed some adjusting. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream.
Within those ten years Gina married her high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and moved more times than she cared to count. In 2009 she started writing as a hobby while her kids were in school, and it quickly became an obsession she couldn’t stop, and then a dream to publish stories of love and passion for romance addicts just like her.
Three years later, her dream came true when she signed with Entangled Publishing for a total of seven books in two of their imprints.
Her Fighting for Love series with MMA heroes debuted July 20th, 2012 for the digital Brazen imprint with the first book, Seducing Cinderella, and reached #9 on Barnes & Noble’s best seller list in just seven days.
The first book in her paranormal romance trilogy, Desires of the Soul, is set to release both digitally and in mass trade paperback in Summer 2013 for the Entangled Select imprint.
When she’s not writing or wrangling plot bunnies, Gina keeps busy with her wonderful family and their ever-growing extra-curricular schedules. Thanks to their immense patience and support, she’s able to do The Thing She Was Meant To Do and live her dream of bringing a little romantic fantasy to the world, even if only in the pages of a good book.

Visit Gina:

Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter

About the Book:

Title: Seducing Cinderella
Author: Gina L. Maxwell
Genre: Category – Contemporary
Length: 277 pages
ISBN: 978-1-62266-949-3
Release Date: July 2012
Imprint: Brazen
Purchase Info: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all grown up.

Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance.

Soon Reid finds him himself in the fight of his life...winning Lucie's heart before she gives it to someone else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entangled Publishing has generously offered an e-copy of Seducing Cinderella to one lucky winner. (Open Internationally.)

Guidelines

~ The contest is open to all.

~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.

~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org

~ The prize is submitted by the author/publisher and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.

~ The contest will be open until September 28th.

~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Zhamvy Mythos by Kate Evangelista and Giveaway!

Today I'm really excited to welcome author Kate Evangelista here at my place to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Taste. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to read and review Taste as a member of Book Lovers and as soon as I finished reading it, I was so in love with it that I just couldn't pass the opportunity to work with Kate a little more. After all, I was so intrigued by the Zvamvy myth, I just wanted to know as much as possible about it and its inspiration. And what better way that let Kate explain everything herself. So, please welcome Kate Evangelista and don't forget to check at the end of the post for your chance to win a copy of Taste.

Zhamvy Mythos

by Kate Evangelista

Before I discuss how the Zhamvy mythos evolved, I first need to share with all of you the genesis of Taste.

As many of you might have read from several interviews, I used to teach high school. And at one of the schools I used to teach at, there is this practice of ringing a bell in the afternoon to signal to the students still on campus that they have to wait by the gate to be picked up by their parents. This meant no students should be on campus at a certain time.

The practical reason for this has to do with the nuns who run the school being at prayer and cannot be disturbed.

In my head, something happened on campus at night that the students during the day shouldn't know about. I imagined corpses rising from the ground and going to school. This is the beginning of Taste.

When I'm writing something new, I keep the research to a minimum to avoid cross contaminating my creativity with information already out there. This meant I didn't really look into the zombie myth as much.

At the time I was writing Taste, vampires were all the rage. Twilight was hot. So, I thought to myself that I wanted to go a different route. Zombies came to mind since they weren't the trend. I guess, since Taste took a while to reach readers, the trend of Zombies over took me. *laughs*

But I digress.

To be honest, I never thought of the Zhamvy as zombies. They are more like a race of apex predators. In real life, humans are the apex predators because nothing eats us. So, I thought: what if there are creatures that are very similar to humans but live off human flesh? That's how the Zhamvy were born. They are essentially the hunters of humans. An evolved, better, more long-lived version of the humans.

But, as with many great civilizations, something happened that forced them underground. I would spoil the story of Taste here by mentioning what that thing is.

So, if they are not zombies, then where did the idea of zombies come from? You might ask.

The basic definition of a zombie is an animated corpse. Now, depending on who you believe, these creatures attack and eat humans. At least that's what happens in some capacity in every zombie apocalypse movie.

The walking dead.

Well, in Taste, the Zhamvy essentially become the walking dead for a different reason. Their civilization is dying, and the only reason they've held on for so long had to do with the underhanded tactics of Dray, the Zhamvy bent on saving them and the humans too.

I love the Zhamvy. Their society is based on a caste system without the extreme prejudice that usually comes with castes. They segregate themselves based on their hair and eye color, and they are bred for specific tasks. Through Luka's and Demitri's descriptions, I've had the privilege of exploring their world, which I hope you will do to by reading Taste.

At the end of day, the Zhamvy were born from the simple idea of ringing a bell in the afternoons. When I'm asked what inspires me, I always say anything and everything. If you're open to everything, anything can inspire you. If it weren't for my experience of teaching, I wouldn’t have come across the ringing of the bell. And if it weren't for that, Taste would never have been written.

Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. To learn more about the Zhamvy, please grab your copy of Taste. It's not your typical paranormal romance. I really want you to meet Demitri, Luka, Dray, Calixta, Yana, and the rest of the Zhamvy. Happy reading!

Thank you so much Kate for stopping by today :)

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing.

Visit Kate here:

Goodreads~Website~Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans. When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn't realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Kate has generously offered an e-book of Taste to one lucky winner. (Open Internationally)

Guidelines

~ The contest is open Internationally.

~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.

~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org

~ The prize is submitted by the author/publisher and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.

~ The contest will be open until August 5th

~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big Sky Country Blog Tour: Guest Post with Linda Lael Miller

Today I'm really happy to welcome Linda Lael Miller who stops by Books to Brighten your Mood in celebration of her newest release Big Sky Country, the first book in her new exciting series Swoon Worthy Cowboys.

You can also check the blog tour's homepage for more details and to learn about the way you could win some amazing prizes!

Do you prefer Slade or Hutch? 

Well, heck, that’s a hard one, because I’m crazy about both of them.  Slade is the strong, silent type, physically patterned after a young Rob Lowe (I had his shirtless Vanity Fair cover framed and kept it on my desk throughout.)  He’s big on honor and integrity, and he’s really gun-shy because of a love gone wrong.  Hutch is strong, too, but he’s outspoken and reckless.  Where Slade will examine an issue from all angles, Hutch tends to jump right in and worry about the details later.  Because they’re both LLM heroes, they have certain qualities in common: they want a woman who is an equal, and a partner, they love kids, they love animals, and they will always try to do the right thing.  Like “real” people, they sometimes get it wrong, despite all their good intentions.  They both have a sense of humor, Slade’s being dry and understated, while Hutch’s is more wisecrack dependent.  They never look for a fight, but they never run away from one, either.  I’m often asked if I wish real men were like my heroes—truth be told, I think there are a lot of very fine men out there, doing their jobs, loving their women, raising their children to be good citizens.

About Linda
As the daughter of a town marshal, Linda has come home to the western lifestyle that gave birth to one of today’s most successful authors. She left Washington years ago and pursued her wanderlust, living in Arizona and London and traveling the world. Now the author of more than 100 novels, the “First Lady of the West” is glad to be back home, writing contemporary and historical stories that have earned her awards and placements on all the national bestsellers lists.
Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold FLETCHER’S WOMAN in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Linda’s 2011 contemporary Creed Cowboy trilogy—A CREED IN STONE CREEK, CREED’S HONOR and THE CREED LEGACY, released in March, June and July, respectively—each debuted in the number one position on the New York Times bestseller list.

Visit Linda

Goodreads~Website~Twitter

About Big Sky Country

The "First Lady of the West," #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller is back with a new series about Parable, Montana-where love awaits. The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father-until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable, Montana. That doesn't sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody. Including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen, rodeo queen, beauty queen-whom Slade has never forgotten But Joslyn is barely holding her head up these days as she works to pay back everyone her crooked stepfather cheated. With a town to protect-plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter-Slade has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she's responsible only for her own actions. Such as her effect on this lawman's guarded heart.

It wouldn't be Christmas without...!

As Christmas Day is fast approaching, I thought of getting things into a more festive mood and for that reason I have with me today Augusta Blythe, author of Winterborne and recently released Ravenstoke, book 2 in her Universe Unbound series.

Christmas, is one of my favorite holidays of the year. For anyone who knows me a bit, it's quite obvious that I'm not really fond of holidays, but Christmas always held a special spot in my heart. What with all the decorations and the general spirit of the particular holiday, Christmas is the one holiday I always look forward to!

So, along with Augusta, we thought of preparing a very special and very Christmasy post!

Have you ever thought what is that makes you feel that Christmas time is on its way? Is there anything particular that if missing, it simply wouldn't feel like Christmas? For us, there certainly are! Cause simply, it wouldn't be Christmas without some very simple things!

For Augusta:

Lights and music set the Christmas mood for me.  Our dining room has glass walls on three sides as well as the vaulted ceiling so I put white lights on the tree in there and a simple strand of white lights across the top of the glass panes.  The lights reflect in the glass and the effect is amazing.  The high street and market square have lovely lights as well.  Not too overdone, just enough to put you in a cheerful state of mind.

In England, people don't decorate the exterior of their houses like they do in America and I really miss that.  I can vividly remember sitting in the back of the car as a child while we drove around at night, just to see the most beautifully (or hideously) decorated homes.  I don't know if people do that as much in such depressing economic times; I'm sure it's expensive.           

In later years, as a teen I got my Glee on and travelled around to malls with a small group of chorus members to sing Christmas carols.  I also organized caroling through familiar neighborhoods in the hopes of getting invited in somewhere for hot chocolate.  My kids sing Christmas songs now too and last year I was still singing my daughter to sleep with Rudolph and Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney in March!  She refused to let go of the Christmas spirit.  I'm hoping she's more reasonable this year.    

Today I made chocolate chip cookies while traditional Christmas music played in the background.  In addition to choir carols, I love Nat King Cole and Barbara Streisand's Christmas albums.  I still enjoy the Ally McBeal Christmas CD even though the TV show ended ages ago.  Robert Downey Jr. (that's Iron Man to you youngsters) does a terrific cover of Joni Mitchell's River.  If you haven't heard it, it's on YouTube (and you're welcome).  

Aside from lights and music, I always find time to watch Jimmy Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life.  It's not Christmas for me without that film.  All you need to say to me is "Zuzu's petals" and I get a lump in my throat.  "You want the moon?  Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down."  Ah, don't get me started.  If it's one of those films you haven't managed to see, please do.  It's wonderfully old-fashioned with an inspiring message and, for me, that pretty much sums up Christmas.       

While for me:

I feel that Christmas is on its way as soon as every time I step outside my doorstep I smell the fireplaces' smoke. With the climatic changes, winter time comes a bit later here in Greece the last several years, so the smell of the fireplaces sometime in mid-November is a sign for me that Christmas time is approaching!

Here in Greece, another sign that Christmas time is here is when the sweetshops are starting selling some special Christams desserts. Two of our traditional are kourampiedes and melomakarona. Melomakarona are bassicaly some kind of cookies but with lots of honey-made syrup and kourampiedes are again something like cookies but with sugar on top of them! They are really delicious both of them and when home made, they are the perfect kind of gift you can give to your closest ones.

But along with all those, Christmas simply wouldn't be without being with my closest people, and shopping for presents with my friends and wrapping all those presents to put them under the tree even if we know fully well what the presents are! Yeah I know we are silly and childish that way, but I just love it! As I love to get even something small for pretty much everyone I know. It's something I do since I was a kid, when I used to save money months before Christmas just to be able to get a little something for everyone and put it outside their doorstep on New Years Day (cause that's when we exchange gifts here and not on Boxing Day, that we don't celebrate unfortunatelly).

So, what brings you on the Christmas Mood? What is that should it miss, it simply wouldn't be Christmas for you? I'm eager to hear in your comments!

And just a little something to get you in the mood, tommorow, along with Augusta we have planned a special giveaway for all of you! So, don't forget to visit again tommorow!