OOTB Tour: Veiled Truth by Vivi Anna

I've got an Out of the Blogosphere tour for you today. Check out the details below!

VEILED TRUTH by Vivi Anna

(Silhouette Nocturne, October 1, 2008)

Five years ago, virginal Lyra Magice had fled powerful dhampir Theron LeNoir's advances. But now an ancient text the dhampir possesses holds the key to solving murders that have plagued Necropolis. When another body is found and evidence points to the Mistress of the city, duty dictates that Lyra work with Theron—a man she regards as haughty, arrogant and immoral—to translate the symbols left at the crime scenes. But with their forced alliance comes darkly sensual dreams that leave her feeling wanton and achy….

Unwilling to reveal his dark past, the dhampir soon discovers that Lyra—a witch of great power—is to be the sacrificial virgin in a demonic scheme to open a portal to hell itself. Salvation will come only if Theron can win Lyra's trust—and her heart.

Excerpt: http://vivianna.net/veiledtruth.php#excerpt

ABOUT VIVI ANNA

Canadian author, Vivi Anna likes to burn up the pages with her unique brand of fantasy fiction. Whether it's in the Amazon jungle, an apocalyptic future, or the otherworld city of Necropolis, Vivi always writes fast paced action-adventure with strong independent women that can kick some butt, and dark delicious heroes to kill for.

She writes for Silhouette Nocturne, Kensington Aphrodisia, Avon Red, and epublishers - Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Loose Id and Whispers Publishing.

She’s an active member of RWA, serving as President of her chapter in Calgary.

REVIEWS

RT TOP PICK

“A police detective in Necropolis, witch Lyra Magice works with Theron LeNoir, half-witch/half-vampire, to foil a demon’s plot to take power within the city. Not to be overshadowed by the supernatural storyline of Veiled Truth (4 1/2), the relationship between Lyra and Theron is full of chemistry. Vivi Anna’s writing is wonderfully descriptive, and the plot is riveting. This book will definitely hold readers’ attention.”

“Veiled Truth is a captivating, impossible to put down, story filled with mystery, intrigue, and passion that I totally adored.” – Lyonene, Joyfully Reviewed, RECOMMENDED READ

TOP PICK

“Another highly enjoyable urban fantasy romance from Vivi Anna! This series is consistently fun and fabulous—in a dark, crime-solving kind of way, of course”. – Kay, Romance Reader at Heart

Website: http://www.vivianna.net

Spoiler Thread & Chat

The Hostage to Pleasure Spoiler thread is now open, so discuss away!

Also, the date for the chat I promised you has been set.

Thursday October 16th
9 pm E.S.T. (Eastern Standard Time)
The Knight Agency Chat Room

I'll have the link to the chat room closer to the date. If you're in another timezone, you can use www.timeanddate.com/worldclock, to figure out the day/time of the chat in your location. (Use the Meeting Planner option). Because I love you all, I've worked out a few conversions:

If you're in Berlin, Germany, that's: Friday 17th - 3am (sorry!!)
If you're in Sydney, Australia, that's: Friday 17th - 12noon
If you're in New Zealand, that's: Friday 17th - 2pm

I'll post all this info again before the chat. And if you're having trouble with figuring out the time in your area, email me. :)

Sweet Surrender - Maya Banks

The one good thing about spending so many hours in transit is that I had a lot of time read, and I read some great stuff, so look out for a few book posts in the coming weeks.

However, Sweet Surrender was a book I read right before my trip. And I have one word for it - HOT! Seriously, it might be a good idea to invest in some gloves when handling this one.

Here's the backcover blurb:

Sometimes the first step in taking control is surrendering.

Under Faith Malone’s deceptively soft exterior lies a woman who knows exactly what she wants. A strong man who’ll take without asking—because she’s willing to give him everything…

Dallas cop Gray Montgomery is on a mission: find the guy who killed his partner—and bring him to justice. So far, he’s found a link between the killer and Faith—and if Gray has to get close to her to catch the killer, so be it.

Faith is sweet and feminine, everything Gray wants and desires in a woman, but he suspects she’s playing games. No way she would allow a man to call the shots in their relationship. Or would she?

Faith sees in Gray the strong, dominant man she needs, but he seems determined to keep her at a distance. So she takes matters into her own hands to prove to him it’s no game she’s playing. She’s willing to surrender to the right man. Gray would like to be that man. But catching his partner’s killer has to be his first priority. Until Faith is threatened and Gray realizes he will do anything to protect her.

What I liked best about this book is that Faith knows what she wants and she goes after it. Maybe she makes some mistakes in how she goes about trying to achieve her goals, but the important thing is that she doesn't sit at home and wait - she takes active steps to fulfill her needs. So even though this book is about a woman who craves submission, Faith is actually a very strong character. Gray is her perfect foil - he's just as strong, and he, too, knows exactly what he wants.

Overall - if you're looking for an erotic romance that might just singe your fingertips off, Sweet Surrender fits the bill! You can check out an excerpt on Maya's website.

What've you guys been reading? Hope everyone has a great weekend!

RAW Pictures Part II

As promised, more pictures from RAW, with some reader pictures too! (If I took a picture of you and it's not up, can you email to let me know it's ok to post it? Also, send me your shots! Some of mine didn't come out.)

We open today with a picture of me with Courtney (who posts on this blog with a Puss In Boots avatar), and Courtney's sock in progress. I now pass the mike to Courtney to explain the significance of this *grin* (Thanks for the photo, Courtney!)

Shiloh Walker, international woman of mystery.

With my dancing partners Brean & Sukhee. (Thanks for the photo, Sukhee!)

Lucy Monroe and her hunky pirate husband.

With Mermaid Carol - isn't her costume just gorgeous?!!

And to close, here's one of Naomi (who has promised to delurk on the blog) & Courtney knitting in the hotel lobby - which was the place to be to meet everyone :)

RAW Pictures & Winner

First up, the random winner of the signed copy of Devil's Bride is Frances (who had a question about CBI - the answer is on pages 297-8 :)) Congrats! Can you email me your details (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com).

As promised, here are some pictures from RAW. (This set is mostly of the authors as I want to double-check with the reader attendees as to whether it's ok to post their pics up.)

I had the most wonderful time - the mood of the entire weekend was upbeat and fun. Getting to meet readers and authors I've only spoken with online before was the absolute highlight. :)

Now, onto the pictures! I have to start with a photo of me with Lora Leigh - I was a huge fan of Lora before we met in person, but now I'm an even bigger fan. She is just the loveliest person. It was so much fun chatting with her.

These next photos were all taken at the book signing on Saturday.

Jennifer Estep with a gorgeous poster of Jinx. I had total poster envy!

Jacki Frank with the cover of the first book in her new Shadow Dwellers series. Hot Gossip: Hypothetically speaking, I might possibly have misspelled Jacki's name when I signed a book for her. In return, she might possibly have added a few extra vowels to my name when she signed an ARC of Ecstasy for me. *grin*


Diane Whiteside with her awesome cover!

The lovely Mary Wine and Kay Stockham. I keep seeing Kay on dance floors - the last time we saw each other was at the Harlequin party in San Francisco. But we officially introduced ourselves to each other this weekend.

Now, I've got some photos from the Masquerade Ball!


Mary Wine in a show-stopping costume - the picture really doesn't do it justice, it was so beautiful, from the fabric to the actual workmanship. Everything was authentic - down to the shoes!


The beautiful Anya Bast with a masked stranger *grin* This was my first time meeting Anya - she's an absolute sweetheart. Her new book "The Chosen Sin" looks really interesting. And the cover - yum.

This next picture was taken on Saturday afternoon.

Jennifer K (who used her hypno-eyes on me to get me to reveal all sorts of secrets!), author Jasmine Haynes/Jennifer Skully, and Sara, a lovely, lovely bookseller who gave me a wonderful guided tour of the city :)

I have more pictures, but I think this post is already ginormous enough! More tomorrow!

I'm Back!

And all I want to do is sleep...zzzzz

There'll be a more coherent post tomorrow (hopefully with pictures), but just quickly - I had a wonderful time at RAW! The attendees - authors and readers both - were fantastic. If any of you are thinking of doing this event next year, I'd totally recommend it.

So, what've you all been up to while I was away?

p.s. I'll also pick the random winner of Devil's Bride tomorrow.

The Hostage to Pleasure Spoiler Thread

This is the thread where you can freely discuss HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE and the previous books in the Psy/Changeling series. *SPOILERS* allowed, so if you haven't read HtP yet, click away! This link will take you back to the main blog.

So, if you're sure this is where you want to be....let the discussion begin!

Also, if you're looking for the Caressed By Ice Spoiler thread or the Mine to Possess Spoiler thread, follow the links.

For those of you who aren't bloggers, you can still comment - just choose the Anonymous option and sign off the comment with your name if you'd like folks to know who you are.

NB: This thread is for readers, so if you have a question specifically for me, email me at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com.

Off to RAW!

I'm heading off to Lora Leigh's Reader Appreciation Weekend (RAW), so the next blog update will likely be sometime late next week.

Hopefully, I'll have lots of photos to share with you all when I get back. But, until then, I have a great giveaway for you - a signed copy of the fabulous Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens.

I love the Cynsters, and Devil's Bride is the first book in the series. My own copy is very well loved and sits proudly on my keeper shelves. I was soooo tempted to keep this copy, too, but I decided I'd rather send it out so someone else could experience the magic.

If you like protective, possessive alpha heroes, and female leads strong enough to take on these gorgeous men, I think you'll enjoy Honoria and Devil's story. You can read an excerpt on Stephanie Laurens' website, but take my word for it - it's a wonderful book!

Leave a comment on this post by midnight, Tuesday 23rd September (New Zealand time) if you'd like to go into the draw for this copy of Devil's Bride. See you when I get back from RAW! :)

Reader Interviews: Daphne Dalle on "Wicked" by Jill Barnett

It's Tuesday and today we're kicking off a new series of reader interviews on books that the readers of this blog consider absolute keepers. If you'd like to participate, you can find all the details here. :)

Our very first interviewee is Daphne Dalle!

~

Daphne Dalle on Jill Barnett's Wicked

a) What's the book about?

It's a medieval romance between two very striking characters; Lady Sofia Howard and Sir Tobin de Clare. It's a story about young love, about being prideful, vulnerable, and out of your depth. We first meet Sofia when she is a fifteen-year-old ward of King Edward I, and terribly, achingly lonely despite her confident exterior. She sees Tobin across a crowded field and her pride takes a crashing fall when she's unable to stay away from him - in fact, she finds herself searching for him. Despite their youth, chemistry is instant, undeniable.

When Tobin cruelly breaks her heart that very same night, the lonely girl peeking out from Sofia's shell retreats, and she becomes flippant and cocky once more. Fast-forward two years, and Sofia is told that the King has arranged for her to marry Sir Tobin. For a girl that's independent to her very core, she feels cornered and helpless, yet unable to forget all the beautiful things Tobin made her feel. This is the start of a rocky relationship, and both Sofia and Tobin travel many miles and many years to reach their happy ending, but every step is beautiful in its own way, and the couple truly grow with each turn of the page.

b) What do you love most about this story?

I enjoy the fact that it employs several features I usually dislike - long separations, extreme pride, miscommunication - and I couldn't care less. In fact, these things contribute to such a beautiful story about human emotion and why we do the things we do that I wouldn't have it any other way. You see the characters make the worst possible decisions, but you immediately put yourself in that position and find yourself making the same choices. They didn't frustrate me, as headstrong characters tend to do, but they made me care and root for them. Which is all too rare, I think. And I absolutely adored seeing glimpses of Sofia's past, and just how much Tobin has been a part of her life. I don't much believe in destiny, but this couple might sway me, I think.

c) How many times have you read this book?

I first read "Wicked" when I found a copy in my college library - I think I was supposed to be researching themes of love and sex in the Old Testament, but I completely forgot about it as soon as I started reading. Right there in the library, I finished the book in one go. (For those of you who are curious, the assignment never got off the ground...) I ordered my own copy and have read it two more times since. I don't want to overdo it, because the book makes me so emotional that its quite draining. I think I'll read it once a year to get all my emotions out of the way (yes, I admit it, I'd be Psy if I had the choice! Don't judge me. *g*)

d) Who would you recommend it to?

Anyone that loves well-told stories with depth, and characters you can truly believe in. The prose is beautiful and the romance is memorable, with excellent supporting characters. (Nuns are cool. I said it.)

e) Anything else you want to add?

I don't say this lightly, but I reckon this book is about as close to perfect as you can get. And if I'm honest, I'm a little jealous that I didn't write it. :D

Video Interview!

While at the RWA conference in San Francisco, I was interviewed by the lovely Morgan Doremus for Romantic Times BOOKreviews. That interview has now gone live (in four parts).

I've embedded one of the segments below - where I talk about my writing process, particularly in relation to Slave to Sensation, but you can see the other three parts, as well as interviews with a number of other authors, on the Romantic Times website. :)

p.s. See - I don't have an accent!

Thanks! & Catchup

Thank you all so much for the comments and congrats - you all rock. :)

Today, I did some work on the book after Mercy's. Can't tell you who it's about yet, but I think you'll be intrigued. *g*

I've also already got a couple of great keeper book interviews! Put your thinking caps on everyone and send me some more.

We haven't done a weekly catchup for a while, so tell me what you're up this weekend, or how the week's gone!

USA Today & NYT!!!!!!!!!

Hostage to Pleasure hit both the USA Today and New York Times Bestseller lists, coming in at...

#20 on the NYT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who bought the book! You guys are completely awesome!!!

New Reader Interviews - Keeper Books

I posted the final reader interview I had in my inbox a little while back, so thought we'd change up the questions and run the interviews once more! (If you sent me an interview and it hasn't been posted, email it through to me again :) ).

So, here's the new format. I thought we'd do it on Keeper Books. If you'd like to participate, you can do the interview in one of two ways.

1. Pick a book that you consider an absolute keeper, and tell us all about it, and why you love it so much.

or

2. Pick a book that you consider an absolute keeper, and answer the following questions about it.

a) Title and author of the book?

b) What's the book about?

c) What do you love most about this story?

d) How many times have you read this book?

e) Who would you recommend it to?

f) Anything else you want to add?

Whichever style you choose, please also note the following:

1. I need you to sign the interview with whatever name you'd like it posted under.

2. You can send me as many interviews as you'd like (we love hearing about keepers!), but please send one email per book.

3. Paste everything directly into your email. ie. Don't attach a file with the info.

4. If the covers are available online, you can send me a link - but again, no attachments.

5. Send it to nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com, with Reader Interview in the subject line.

6. Open to all. If you're a writer, just put on your reader hat :)

7. Most important rule of all - have fun!!

Any questions?

CL Wilson & Scavenger Hunt Heads-Up

A couple of links for you tonight. First up, author C.L. Wilson is answering questions over at the RT boards.

AND

Two Lips Reviews is holding an online scavenger hunt to celebrate their second birthday. If you'd like to do a little hunting, follow the link for full details! :)

Winner: Hostage to Pleasure Release Contest

Thank you to everyone who entered the HtP Release Contest. I had fun reading who you'd like to hold hostage and vice versa.

And now, without further ado, the random winner of the US$75 gift certificate to an online bookstore of her choice is:

BRIDGET LOCKE

Congratulations, Bridget!

How about we give Bridget recommendations for which books she should buy with her winnings! :)

Interview and Q&A

I've got a fun interview up over at the DIK blog. If you've got any questions of your own, feel free to ask in the comments over there!

Promo & Favorites

We're talking promo over at Dionne Galace - swing by and let me pick your brains :)

And I'm still being held hostage over at the Desert Island Keepers blog - and this time, it's all about heroes and favorite books. Oooooh...

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Taken Hostage!

I've been taken hostage by the ladies over at the DIK blog. Come and save me (or not - they have hot men on that island of theirs *grin*).

I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Who Can Resist the Cuteness?

Loving Alpha Heroes

I'm over at the RNTV blog today, talking about why we love alpha heroes. Come on over. You know you want to :)

Couple of things

I'm chatting over at The Phade messageboard. Drop by if you're a member and say hi :) Chat's now over. But don't worry if you missed it - I'll be doing another Q & A later this week.

Also, I figured we'd open a spoiler thread for Hostage to Pleasure around Sep 20th. How's that sound? Do you all want to do a chat around that time as well? Let me know and we can set something up.

Hostage to Pleasure Release!!

Hostage to Pleasure is officially out!!!!

Excerpts Up!

The excerpts from BRANDED BY FIRE and ANGELS' BLOOD are now live. Enjoy!

The Hostage to Pleasure Release Contest

CONTEST NOW CLOSED

To celebrate the upcoming (September 2nd!) release of Hostage to Pleasure the 5th full-length entry in the Psy/Changeling world, I'm running a fun contest all about being hostages to pleasure *grin*

What's up for grabs?

The winner, chosen at random, will receive a US$75 gift certificate from the online bookstore of your choice :)

What do you have to do to enter?

(a) Do a post on your blog, livejournal, myspace, facebook or website etc, where you answer at least one of the questions below. You can do all three questions if you like!

* Which fictional hero (from books, tv, movies...) would you most like to hold hostage?

* Which fictional hero would you most like to be held hostage by?

* Which fictional world would you most like to be held hostage in?

(b) link back to this post & mention the contest
(c) post the cover of Hostage to Pleasure if possible; and
(d) leave a comment here with a link to where you've posted your entry (if, for some reason, you can't comment, email me the details at nalinisinghwrites @ gmail.com (without the spaces))
*NOTE: If you're leaving a Myspace link, please leave a link to your profile - the direct links to the blogs aren't working.
(e) do all this before midnight September 5th, 2008, PST.

And most of all - have fun!!