I Love Your Blog Award

Look, Bridget Locke gave me this cool I Love Your Blog award! :) I'm supposed to pass on the love, but that's a toughie - I have a seriously ridiculous number of blogs on my feed reader.

So after much umming and aaahing, here's what I have to say.

I love professional/writing blogs, but I have a special place in my heart for reader blogs - and in this category, I include writers and industry professionals who blog about books they enjoy. I love the energy that comes from reading a post written by someone who just loves books. It's thanks to reader blogs that I'm now addicted to Lisa Kleypas, and I've read or tried out countless other books after seeing a particularly passionate post on it by a reader.

So, to all of you who read and blog about books, I love your blog :)

OOTB Tour: The Darkest Touch - Jaci Burton

I've got an OOTB tour for you today. Check out the details below!
___________________

He’s a hunter, a savior, a seducer.

And she just can’t get enough…

THE DARKEST TOUCH by Jaci Burton

Ryder. The man was just as sexy as she remembered him:

Tall, lean and dangerous, a demon hunter with the body of a god…

But archaeologist Angelique Deveraux has little time for lust. She’s been hiding a gleaming black diamond, a prize everyone wants—including Ryder—and now she’s running for her life. Hot on her trail is Ryder, a legendary demon hunter she desires but can’t quite trust, a man with an insatiable need for danger and a few dark secrets of his own…

As sparks ignite between the rogue hunter and his latest prey, Angie’s world is rocked again when her twin sister vanishes, stolen away by the same dark forces stalking Angie and the black diamond. With Ryder offering protection— and more —suddenly a woman who’s never trusted anyone is falling for a man who isn’t afraid of anything…except losing his heart. Now, as an all-out demon war erupts and Angie’s family secrets unravel, Ryder’s demon-hunt and Angie’s quest to save her sister are about to collide. And when they do, it’ll send these two wary hearts on the wildest adventure of their lives—and maybe even save humankind in the process…

Excerpt: http://jaciburton.com/thedarkesttouch.html

ABOUT JACI BURTON

Jaci Burton was born and raised in Missouri but now lives on an acre-and-a-half in Oklahoma with her husband Charlie and five unruly dogs. Jaci loves to write about passionate relationships with sometimes stormy outcomes but always a happily ever after.

REVIEWS

~Romantic Times Bookreviews~ Gifted Burton adds more dark thrills and sexy danger to her well-paced story as these protagonists must fight to choose their destiny.

~Wild on Books~ THE DARKEST TOUCH is a brilliant addition to this saga that cannot be missed by fans of erotic paranormal romance!

Website http://www.jaciburton.com

Chat in 2 hours!

Sorry for the late notice everyone, but I'll be chatting at Coffeetime Romance at 9pm E.S.T., Tuesday 28th. (That's 2pm Wednesday for those of you on my side of the world). :)

Happy Diwali

Today is Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Wishing you all a Happy Diwali! :)

Q&A and Psy/Changeling Series Info and Writing

How about that long title? I decided to go for descriptive today *g*

The Q & A is almost over - I'll leave the thread open for questions until tonight my time (end of Sunday in the States), so if you've got something to ask, make sure you get it in before then.

Also, during the Q & A, several readers volunteered to collate general information about the Psy/Changeling series (did I tell you yet that I love you guys? :)), so I've set up a thread for that. Everyone is welcome to join in!

And, this quote came across one of my writers' groups the other day and I had to share.

"Many people hear voices when no-one is there. Some of them are called mad and they are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same."(Meg Chittenden)

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend :)

Psy/Changeling Series - Reader-Collated Info

I'm setting up this thread as a result of a discussion in the recent Q & A, where several readers volunteered to collate some general information about the Psy/Changeling series ie. things like when a character was first introduced, how he or she is related to other characters, and any other relevant facts.

So this thread is for things already established. If you'd like to speculate on future books or storylines, swing by the Hostage to Pleasure Spoiler Thread.

Everyone is welcome to join in! :)

Q & A

As promised, I am now open for questions. The Psy/Changeling series, the Guild Hunter series, writing related questions, it's all good.

To kick things off, I have a question AND answer for you.

Which Psy/Changeling book is now available for pre-order?

Branded By Fire!

I'll leave this thread open all weekend, and answer directly in the comments, so all the info will stay in one place.

Writing

That's what I'm doing today. :) What about you?

Reader Interview: Katy Brand on Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi

It's time for this week's reader interview - focusing on books readers of this blog consider absolute keepers. If you'd like to participate, you can find all the details here.

Also, if you'd like to read previous interviews, click on the Reader Interviews Part Deux tag at the bottom of this post.

Today's interviewee is Katy Brand! (And she's talking about a book that's among my personal favorites, too!)

Katy Brand on Pamela Morsi's Simple Jess

a) What's the book about?

It is the story of a man named Jess who lives in a small community in the Ozarks and his developing relationship with a local widow. It's hard for Jess to learn things and you see examples of this throughout the story, but he is also a man of common wisdom. The story revisits a community where other stories have been written, so you also get lots of side tales and old friends to meet again.

b) What do you love most about this story?

I love the realism of this story. Jess isn't the brightest, but he has learned strategies and routines throughout his life and he uses them to make the most of his life. He sets out to win the girl, but goes up against men who have seemingly much more to offer. I love the fact that he's not a superhero or mega-rich or a genius. He's just an ordinary man with drawbacks and with strengths. The heroine is also someone trying to make her way in life. She is a mother and has realistic view on life. She and Jess's relationship is a struggle that has you rooting for them the whole book. It's hard to describe why I love this book so much. It just feels so pure and fun and wonderful to me. It makes me want to meet these people and visit this town.

c) How many times have you read this book?

Too many to count. At least once every couple of years since it was released. I still keep it in my nightstand drawer in case I want to pull it out and re-read it again.

d) Who would you recommend it to?

I recommend it to any and all!

e) Anything else you want to add?

Though this book is different from Nalini's, I think that one of the things I like about both is the well developed characters. They have quirks and faults. They have idiosyncrasies. They also have a sense of community and justice.

:) Katy Brand

RNTV & Contest Links

I'm helping to celebrate Halloween over at RNTV today :)

Also, a couple of contest links! (These widgets are pretty nifty.)

First up, a contest being run by Dear Author, SBTB & Erin McCarthy.



I'll be posting about Demon Bound soon (great book!). Check out the contest Meljean is holding prior to its release.

Lisa Kleypas

I blame the bloggers in romancelandia for my new addiction. I admit it – I’d never read a Lisa Kleypas novel until about two weeks ago. In my defense, I’m really, really choosy about my historicals, so great as Ms Kleypas’ books looked, I wasn’t convinced they’d work for me.

Then she came out with Sugar Daddy. A contemporary. I resisted. If I’m choosy with historicals, I’m downright picky about contemporaries. Then she wrote Blue-Eyed Devil, and I swear, I couldn’t go to most of my favorite blogs without tripping over a glowing review for this book.

It was too much. I had to know what everyone was talking about!

I opened it one Saturday, proceeded to ignore every other person in the house, took it with me to dinner, then to bed. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Next, I got my hands on Secrets of a Summer Night, wondering if I’d like her historicals even half as much. Shall we just say that I went through Autumn, Winter and Spring in rapid succession, and am now waiting to devour A Wallflower Christmas (Marcus is my favorite by the way).

I also have Sugar Daddy (calling to me in a seductive whisper saying read me, read me...). I’m an addict. I hope all you LK bloggers are happy *grin*

The awesome thing about coming late to the party is that Ms Kleypas has a delicious backlist. So, help me feed the addiction – which Lisa Kleypas book should I read next?

NYT!!,Transcript & Catchup

First, some news! The Magical Christmas Cat hit #21 on the New York Times Extended Bestseller List!! :)

Also, the transcript from yesterday's fabulous chat is now up.

So, what're you all up to this weekend? (I'm hoping to check out the Diwali Festival in my neck of the woods.)

Chat Reminder

Interrupting the cover love to bring you a reminder about tomorrow's today's chat!

Location: The Knight Agency Chat Room (Enter a username and login. Easy!)
Time: Thursday 16th, 9 pm E.S.T.

I've done some timezone conversions:

Berlin, Germany: Friday 17th – 3 a.m
Bangkok,Thailand: Friday 17th – 8 a.m
Sydney, Australia: Friday 17th – 12 noon
New Zealand: Friday 17th – 2 p.m.

If you’re in another timezone, go to www.timeanddate.com/worldclock, choose the Meeting Planner option, then put in your city, and New York (which is on Eastern Standard Time). You’ll get a side-by-side chart that’ll let you work out what time it’ll be in your timezone

For those of you who can’t get to the chat

There will be a transcript, and I’ll also be doing a question and answer session on the blog from the 24th to the 26th of October.

See some of you at the chat! :)

Angels' Blood Cover!!

I love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Merry

These Snarkface greeting cards made me laugh. Enjoy!

Reader Interviews: Mariana Arias on Cry No More by Linda Howard

It's Tuesday and time for a reader interview - focusing on books readers of this blog consider absolute keepers. If you'd like to participate, you can find all the details here.

Also, if you'd like to read previous interviews, click on the Reader Interviews Part Deux tag at the bottom of this post.

Today's interviewee is Mariana Arias!

~

Mariana Arias on Linda Howard's Cry No More

a) What's the book about?

Milla Edge and her doctor husband are now living in Mexico where he is posted. She is a first time mother that truly loves her child. On her way to the market she is attacked and her child vanishes.

This is a story about a mother's fight to make sense of a gigantic loss; her struggle to find her son at the cost of everything. Milla becomes obsessed with finding what happened to her son. She founds a company, Finders, that reunites lost ones with their family; to help those in her same circumstance. In her search, she receives a line that may lead to her son. In her investigation she meets dangerous and silent Diaz. Will he help or hinder?

It is the story of determination and a mother's true love.

b) What do you love most about this story?

I love this story because I can understand the need to ensure a child's safety no matter the cost. I love that Milla is strong and determined. I love that Diaz loves her as she is and still can underestimate what her son's well being means to her. I love that I can still read this story and be moved by it.

c) How many times have you read this book?

I have bought this book in all it's formats and have read every format multiple times; don't know the count though.

d) Who would you recommend it to?

I recommend this book to everyone; those I know and those I see in book stores :)

e) Anything else you want to add?

I asked a friend to read this and she said she doesn't like books where children are harmed or exploited. There are many that feel the same, and I get that. But I feel this books is beyond that. Love is central in this book, between the characters themselves; and I feel between the writer and the characters.

Monday Links

Here are some fun links to start off the week.

Amanda Ashby has just put up her fantastic cover for Zombie Queen of Newbury High (isn't that an awesome title?!)

RNTV has given THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS CAT a great review. The reviewer had this to say about Stroke of Enticement -"I absolutely, positively loved this novella." :)

And staying with RNTV, they're kicking off their fabulous 13 Days of Halloween extravaganza this Wednesday - with guest authors, contests and prizes, so don't forget to swing by!

What are budgie smugglers? Guess. Then click over and read this article on Australian English. So, who got it right? *g*

Bollywood Break

We haven't had any Bollywood on the blog for a while, so today, I give you Hrithik. This man can dance!



Here's the trailer for the movie itself (it's about the cat and mouse game between a master thief and the cop out to catch him.) It's a really great movie - action, romance & some very cool stunt-work.



Hope you're all having a good weekend!

Interview

I've got an interview up at Christina Phillips' blog. Follow the link to read :)

Mercury's War - Lora Leigh

I'm a huge fan of Lora Leigh's Breed books - I haven't managed to get my hands on the entire series yet, but I think Mercury's War might be my favorite Breed book to date.

I closed it with a sense of complete and utter satisfaction, and this gut-deep sense that Mercury and his heroine would make it, that they were absolutely meant to be together. Happy sigh :)

What've you been reading this week? Any books coming out soon that you're looking forward to?

OOTB Tour: Red Fire - Deidre Knight

I've got an OOTB tour for you today. Check out the details below! Spartan warriors? I'm so there! I've been wanting to read this since I first heard about it.

RED FIRE by Deidre Knight
Out Now!

“Powerfully sensual and mind-blowing,”* Deidre Knight’s novels have set the standard for boldly erotic paranormal romance. Now she unleashes an electrifying new series in which seven Spartan warriors, immortal protectors of humankind, battle their passions—a collective weakness that could lead to their downfall.

Eternity has become a prison for Ajax Petrakos. Centuries after he and his Spartan brothers made their bargain for immortality, Ajax struggles to maintain his warrior’s discipline. His only source of strength is his hope that he will soon meet the woman once foretold to him—the other half of his soul, Shay Angel.

Ajax searches for his destined mate on the haunted streets of modern-day Savannah, but he isn’t the first to find her. Shay, the youngest of a powerful demon-hunting clan, can see the monsters that stalk the steamy Southern night—an ability that draws the deadly attention of Ajax’s worst enemy.

As she and Ajax race to solve a chilling prophecy—one that could spell Ajax’s death if they don’t succeed—a fated passion arises, threatening to sweep away everything in its path.

*Romance B(u)y the Book

Excerpt

ABOUT DEIDRE KNIGHT

Deidre Knight is president of The Knight Agency, which she founded in 1996. Since that time, she has grown the agency to national prominence, landing authors on every major bestseller list. Deidre began her writing career at age nine, when her award-winning essay on Barbie was published in her hometown newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She has been writing in one form or another ever since. After nearly a decade of working with Knight Agency clients, helping them discover their creative potential, her fiction debut with NAL in 2006 marked the fulfillment of her own lifelong writing dream. She is excited to embark on yet another new and fulfilling creative journey.

REVIEWS

“White-hot immortal warriors, heart-pounding romance, and thrilling action. It doesn't get any better than this!” --Gena Showalter, New York Times Bestselling author of The Darkest Pleasure

"Deidre Knight has created a fascinating world of gods, demons, and immortal warriors. Her heroine, Shay Angel, is both strong and sympathetic, a woman discovering powers she never knew she had. Legendary Spartan Ajax is handsome, seductive and haunted -- a hero to inspire delicious dreams. I can't wait for more!" –Angela Knight, New York Times Bestselling author of Master of Dragons

“Hot Gates, hot men, myth and magic in modern day... Red Fire flies above the rest. Sign me up for more Gods of Midnight!” – Jessica Andersen, bestselling author of Nightkeepers

"Scorching hot with a pace that never lets up." --Christina Dodd, New York Times Bestselling author of Touch of Darkness

“Knight provides an intriguing new twist to both Greek mythology and legendary Spartan warriors with this searing new series, as she sets up an alternate world that begs to be explored.” – Jill M. Smith, Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Here is a story as rich and as vibrant as any myth, and for those who are interested in the paranormal, Red Fire is a real feast for the hungry and a no holds barred winner.”—RomanceAtHeart.com

Website http://www.deidreknight.com

http://www.godsofmidnight.com

Release Day! & Website

Oct 7th is the official release day of THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS CAT, so let's celebrate!

If you haven't checked out the excerpt for "Stroke of Enticement", follow the link above.

Both the anthology and Stroke of Enticement have been getting great reviews. Check out some of the review links below!

"I have loved every story in Nalini Singh’s PSY/CHANGELING series so far, but I do believe that Zach and Annie’s story is my new favorite! Everything about this tale totally worked for me." ~ Wild On Books

"And, can I say, OH MY about this hero. I wanted to lick him all over." ~ Gwen for TGTBU

"Honestly? It made me want a Leopard Changeling of my own." ~ Book Binge

"Zach is the kind of hero I love to read and dream about – devastatingly handsome, charming, intelligent, protective, and slightly mischievous...made me sigh and wonder where I could find a hero like him. ~ Shayna for Joyfully Reviewed

"Verdict: I love Nalini Singh’s love stories, and specially her male protagonists – the changelings that are so strong and yet so ready to die (and to kill) for their mates." ~ The Book Smugglers

"STROKE OF ENTICEMENT has sizzle, snap, and genuine joy." ~ Sarah W for Romance Junkies

"The Magical Christmas Cat is a fantastic holiday anthology...I absolutely adored getting to visit all these different worlds with all their different types of characters in one book." ~ ParaNormal Romance

Also the website has been updated with lots of great new info, especially on the Psy/Changeling Behind the Scenes page. The links for the BRANDED BY FIRE and ANGELS' BLOOD excerpts accidentally disappeared off the front page, but they'll be going back on. :)

Hope you're all having a great start to the week!

Novella Love

Today's post is over at the Down Under Desirabelles blog. Come on over and join me! :)

Claiming His Runaway Bride - Yvonne Lindsay

Reading this book really brought home to me all the reasons why I've always loved category romance - the intense focus on the romantic relationship, the raw emotional power of a story when it's done well, and the sheer un-put-downability factor. This book had all of them.

Here's the blurb:

He Didn't Want Her To Remember...

The accident that had taken Belinda's memory had provided Luc with the perfect means for revenge. His beautiful bride had no recollection of fleeing her groom on their wedding day...or the real reason behind their union. All she recalled was the unbridled passion they still shared--and the steely-eye mogul planned to take full advantage of it.

Full disclosure - Yvonne is a very close friend of mine and she sent me a signed copy as a gift, but the instant I started reading, all I cared about was the story. I curled up in a chair, opened it to the first page and didn't get up again until I'd turned the last page. I had to see if these two would manage to heal their relationship, but not only that, if their HEA (Happy Ever After) would be believable.

I'm happy to say that by the end, I really felt that Belinda and Luc had come through the fire and would make it. For me, the pivotal point was Luc's realization in the final part of the book about an integral aspect of his nature and how it had affected his relationship with his wife - it was a very, very powerful emotional moment, and something you rarely see in these hard-edged alpha heroes.

So needless to say, this is highly recommended! You can read an excerpt on Yvonne's website.

Any other category fans? Who are your favorite authors? Favorite types of category stories?

Weekly Catchup

It's Friday already!! This week has just zipped by (though lazing in bed suddenly seems like an excellent option *grin*). I've been working on the proposal for the next Guild Hunter book (Angels' Blood will be the first one), plus the first draft of the next Psy/Changeling book. I'm also looking forward to the Oct 7 release of The Magical Christmas Cat.

What've you all been up to? Any weekend plans?

Jaci Burton's Riding Temptation & A Birthday!

A little bird told me it's Christine's birthday - hope you're having a great day, Christine! :)

~

Today, I've got something special for you. An exclusive excerpt from Jaci Burton's October 7 release - RIDING TEMPTATION! This is the second book in Jaci's Wild Riders series. If you like bikers, serious heat, and a dash of action, this one will fit the bill.

Here's the backcover blurb:

He’s a biker working undercover for the Feds. She joined the Wild Riders for reasons of her own. Together, they’re burning up the asphalt and tearing headlong into danger and passion…

Naked under leather.

Ever since runaway Jessie Matthews teamed up with the gang of special ops bikers, the Wild Riders have thought of her as their kid sister. Except for Diaz Delgado. Over the past few years he’s been watching the budding of a ripe young woman. Jessie’s glad somebody finally sees her for who she is—and she’s thrilled it’s Diaz. His dark good looks and killer body have tempted her since day one.

Diaz’s unbrotherly urges have been hard to fight but the last thing he’d want to do is hurt Jessie and break up the gang. But when they both go undercover to infiltrate a group of killer survivalists, he knows it’ll be hard to keep his distance—especially when the mission takes a risky turn. Now Diaz has no choice but to open himself up to the one woman who may be strong enough to take him on.

Onto the excerpt! Don't combust now ;)

Excerpt - Jaci Burton's Riding Temptation

Diaz cursed when he heard the knock at the door. He pushed back from the too small desk, cursed again when he bumped his leg, and hobbled to the door, mentally letting loose another string of obscenities when he saw who it was through the peephole.

Jessie.

He unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the door open.

“What?”

She arched a brow. “Wow, you’re grumpy. Do you need a nap?”

“No. Just some solitude.”

“Too bad.” She slid her way past carrying a bag and two cans of soda, which she laid on the nightstand next to his bed. “I brought dinner, figuring you wouldn’t order anything since you had some sort of research to do.”

She kicked off her sandals and climbed onto his bed, pulling one of the pillows out from the bedspread and tucking it behind her back. “Hope you like turkey.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Weren’t you listening? I brought dinner.” She opened the bag and laid two sandwiches on the nightstand, then popped open the top of one of the soda cans. “I’ll take care of setting things up, so, don’t let me disturb you.”

Too late. One look at her and he was distracted. One whiff of her as she passed by, her breasts brushing his chest, and he was definitely disturbed. Deeply, profoundly disturbed. She smelled like sunshine, outdoors, and Jessie. He wanted to lick her neck.

How the hell was he supposed to work with her in the room?

“Are you hungry yet?” she asked.

Yeah, he was hungry all right. But not for a turkey sandwich. “No.”

“Is that a laptop?”

He took the chair and resumed his spot at the desk again. “Master of the obvious, aren’t you?”

“Smartass. I didn’t know you brought one. What are you doing?”

“I told you. Research.”

She slid off the bed and came up behind him. He tried not to breathe her in, but he couldn’t avoid it. The scent of her was right there, as was her body as she leaned over him.

“The Devil’s Skulls have a website?”

“Yeah,” he managed, though he wasn’t concentrating on the screen anymore. “Most of the prominent groups have their own websites so they can show off pictures, list their activities and where they’re going to be. I figured if the Skulls were big enough, they would, too.”

“Show me.”

He flipped through the pages of the website, showing her pictures of bike rallies and fundraisers, lists of their officers and members, some of the charities they gave to.

“Do they have a calendar of events?”

“Yeah.” He clicked on it. “It brings up the current month as well as future months and what’s happening.”

“It says they’re going to be at the rally.”

“Yup.”

“Hmm. Wonder why they weren’t there today?”

“No clue.”

She laid her hand on his shoulder, leaned farther in, her breasts pillowed against his back. For the love of God, the government could use her as a torture device. She could break a man in less than ten minutes rubbing her breasts across his back. His balls were already twisting up in a knot.

Diaz always prided himself on his self-discipline. Torture him? Fine. He could handle it. He had a high threshold for pain, could tune it out and focus inward on something else. There wasn’t much that could faze him once he decided to power his concentration on the task at hand.

He tried that now, focusing his attention on the computer screen, trying to cull as much information as he could about the Skulls so they could come into the group well informed.

It wasn’t working. Jessie was devastating to his senses and the information on the laptop was a total blur.

“Well, this is surprising,” she whispered, her breath warm against his neck.

“What is?” He hoped he hadn’t missed critical information. How would he explain something right in front of him? I’m sorry but your breasts distracted me?

End of excerpt...but if you follow this link to Jaci's site, you might just find that the chapter continues. Enjoy!

Book links!

So I was scrolling down my blog feeds and I found some links I thought you all might be interested in.

The Knight Agency (my agency!) is giving away 10+ titles by its authors to two lucky winners - you just have to swing by and drop your name in the hat.

Silhouette Nocturne is giving away a free Caridad Pineiro novella. Details on how you can download the story available here.

Also, available for download are the first 11 pages of (Patricia Briggs') Mercy Thompson comic Homecoming. Full details at Urban Fantasy Land and Dear Author.