Good News & Friends Releases

Two pieces of awesome news:

Kiss of Snow has been listed as one of the Top 10 Spring Romances by Publishers Weekly!! (I was trying to wait to post this news closer to the release date, but I had to share.)

And Bonds of Justice has been listed as one of the Thirteen Best Romances of 2010 by The Kansas City Public Library!

Woohoo!!

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A couple of my writing buds have books out this week that I wanted to tell you about.

Olivia Gates is a lovely author who I did some crazy dancing with last RWA. ;-) She's based in Egypt and given the current turmoil, unable to get the word out about her new release, so her friends are helping to spread the word.

To Tempt a Sheikh by Olivia Gates

He rescued hostage Talia Burke from his royal family's rival tribe and swept her into his strong embrace. But Prince Harres Aal Shalaan soon discovered there was more to the brave beauty than he knew. Talia held information vital to protecting his beloved kingdom…and she had every reason not to trust him.

Marooned together at a desert oasis, Talia couldn't resist Harres. Yet even as his sizzling seduction entranced her, his loyalty to his family and country would always make them enemies. Falling for the sheikh would be her heart's greatest mistake…but she feared it was already too late….

Link to Olivia's Website

The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton (a.k.a. the book with the lickalicious cover)

Jaci writes wonderful sexy contemporary romances and this one's no exception. Check out the blurb below and follow the link to Jaci's site to read an excerpt!

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

Link to Jaci's Website

Are you excited about any of the new releases this week, or have some good news? Share!

Guest Author: Jaci Burton

Winner: The random numbers have spoken and the winner of Jaci's giveaway is Chelsea B! Congratulations! Please email me at nalinisinghwritesATgmailDOTcom so I can pass your details onto Jaci.

I'm so delighted to have Jaci back on the blog, talking about her smoking hot Wild Riders! Please give her a warm welcome everyone!

Jaci Burton on her Wild Riders

First, I want to thank Nalini for letting me guest blog. My first thought was…hey, let’s all talk about Nalini’s books. I could talk for hours about Nalini’s books. I could fill up my entire blog post, in fact, talking about my love for Nalini’s Psy/Changeling series. It’s one of my top five all time favorite series ever. Nalini knows I stalk her for her books. It’s a love thing, really.

But I guess instead of waxing poetic about my love for all things Nalini, I should probably talk about my own series, since that’s why Nalini asked me here. My Wild Riders series, specifically, since the 5th book in the series, RIDING THE NIGHT, released last Tuesday.

It’s no secret I have serious mad love for my bad boy bikers on Harleys. It’s also no secret that I don’t tend to write one and out kind of books. Even when I try to write a single title, I can’t help but give my main characters brothers or sisters or best friends, and those brothers and sisters or best friends can’t help but stick their noses in the book I’m writing, interfering with my main characters with their larger than life personalities, and coming up with some of their own back story and demanding that their own stories be told. And my Wild Riders? Well, those guys pop up in each others’ books all the time, and making them wait for their own books was nothing short of impossible. My guys don’t know the meaning of the word patience. But I can’t tell you how excited I am that the final book has been released.

I knew starting out that there would be six Wild Riders—Mac, Diaz, Spence, Rick, Pax and AJ. I figured I’d write six books. What I hadn’t figured was that Pax and AJ would end up in the same book, which meant there are only going to be five Wild Rider books. Best laid plans and all that. But after a few books in, I figured out that Pax and AJ shared their women, and then I thought, well, no problem. I’d just write AJ’s book, give him his happily ever after, then write Pax’s book.

Yeah, the guys weren’t having any of that. You see, Pax and AJ are best friends, and they decided that once they found the woman of their dreams—and notice I said ‘woman’, not ‘women’, that was going to be it for them. One woman forever for the both of them.

Sometimes characters don’t make it easy on a writer.

And then they had to go and choose a woman with a lot of issues. Okay, one big issue. And it was a difficult one for her to overcome.

Good thing she had a couple remarkable men on her side to help her out.

I hope you give Pax and AJ, and all my Wild Riders a try.

Can we talk about Nalini now? ;-)

Talk to me about your favorite secondary characters in books you’ve read, and which ones you couldn’t wait for their books to come out.

I’d love to give away one of my Wild Rider backlist books. Winner’s choice—Riding The Night not included. Contest is open internationally.*

You can read about all my Wild Riders books here - http://www.jaciburton.com/berkley.html#wildriders

*Contest closes Monday 20th September 2010, midnight New Zealand time. Void where prohibited

N: This is not a Wild Riders book but I couldn't resist posting the cover. No need to thank me *g*

The Perfect Play releases in February 2011.

Guest Author Jaci Burton on Cowboys and Chaps

Winner: Thanks for all the great comments everyone. I've run the random number generator and the winner of the book is: Spav! Congratulations!

I'm delighted to have Jaci guesting on the blog today. I had a chance to read Bound, Branded & Brazen early and it was oh-so-good! Sexy and wicked and hot, Jaci knows how to write cowboys!

Jaci's also giving away a copy of the book, so leave a comment by 6pm March 10th, 2010 (New Zealand time) to enter.

Please welcome Jaci to the blog everyone!!

It’s Not The Chaps That Make A Cowboy Sexy
Jaci Burton

I’ve always wanted to write a ranch story. But I’m definitely not a historical romance writer. I bow down to those authors who can write authentic western historical romance. Elizabeth Lowell wrote the best western historical romance series ever. Read the “Only” series if you haven’t yet. Yummmm. Me, I’m stuck firmly in contemporary land. But those sexy cowboys with wrangler jeans and chaps and boots and Stetson hats? Rowrrr. No reason to go back in time to grab one of those. Have you seen the rodeo lately?

My story, Bound, Branded & Brazen, doesn’t take place at the rodeo, but my cowboys, Mason, Gage and Walker are just as sexy. And okay, it might be the way they seat a horse, or that scruff of a beard across their jaw, or the way the cowboy hat tilts low across their forehead shadowing their eyes that makes you want to swoon just a little. And it could be the way their Wranglers fit their oh so perfectly work honed bodies that make your mouth go dry.

But it’s more than looks that make cowboys sexy, at least my cowboys. It’s their honor, their integrity, the way they seem to know exactly what their woman needs—even if sometimes she doesn’t know it herself. It’s their touch, their kiss, the warmth of their bodies, the way their man looks at them in a way no man ever has before. It’s the protectiveness he shows his woman so she knows he won’t let anything bad happen to her. It’s knowing that no matter what happens their man will stand by them that give our ranch women the strength they need to handle anything that comes their way. It’s knowing he can stand strong in a whipping storm or a raging prairie fire, handle frightened horses and stampeding cattle without flinching, it’s that death defiance of the elements that makes our hearts beat a little faster because our cowboys have what it takes to get the job done. And at the end of a grueling day he’ll climb into bed with the heroine and still have the stamina to get the other job done—romancing his woman until her toes curl.

I hope you enjoy Bound Branded & Brazen. I’m offering up a copy to one commenter here. Huge thanks to Nalini, who’s all kinds of awesome, for letting me drop in today!

Thanks for guesting with us today, Jaci!

Kindle Reminder & Random Goodness

First, a reminder for those of you who buy books on Kindle. There is another Nalini Singh who releases her books in that format, so please check my website or email me before buying if you're not sure it's one of my releases.

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The Knight Agency is giving away Monica Burns' Kismet & Gena Showalter is giving away an ARC of Into the Dark (out April).

Jaci Burton is giving away an ARC of Bound, Branded & Brazen (out March). I've already had the chance to read this and it's awesome! Hot enough to singe your eyebrows off and full of the emotional connections I love in Jaci's work. Excerpt link.

(Both Monica's and Jaci's contests are closing soon.)

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Don't forget I'm signing books at Galaxy Books in Sydney tomorrow. Details here.

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This is the typo I repeated most often in my most recent manuscript: "back" instead of "bag" <-- I have no idea why, because it's not like the keys are next to each other on the keyboard, and there's an extra letter even! #mysterious

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So, how's it going in your corner of the world?

Friday Book Club

It's book club time - all about recommending books. Leave a note in the comments about a good book(s) you've read recently, and if you like, a line or two about why.

My reading this week was hot, hot, hot! You can blame Jaci Burton and Maya Banks for that. I read two novellas by Jaci (Unwrapped, and Unraveled), and an ARC of Sweet Persuasion (June) by Maya.

The stories were very different from one another, but one thing's certain - both Jaci and Maya know how to write heat with heart, never forgetting the romance in erotic romance.

To read excepts, check out Maya's site here, and Jaci's site, here.

Okay, your turn - what're your recs?

Edited to add: Maya is giving away a copy of Sweet Persuasion on her blog - contest closes soon, so be quick.

This & That

Sorry to disappear on you all! It's coming down to the crunch on the second Angel book. I have deadline brain.

But someone sent me this link and I had to share it - Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent. I hope she makes it all the way to the top!

More good news - Jaci Burton has made some very cool lists with Riding on Instinct. Congrats Jaci!

Also, check out this Nightline article on Harlequin Books, featuring Gena Showalter.



p.s. Something fun happening later this week!

Dancing & Linkage

Guess who's still dancing? Me, me, me!! :-) Thanks for celebrating with me!

Couple of links I saw today:

Meljean Brook is giving away signed copies of Demon Angel and Demon Night. Mmm, Ethan...

Jaci Burton is giving away all sorts of stuff on her blog to promote the release of Riding on Instinct!

And as it currently stands, Illium is edging out Dmitri in the poll on the sidebar. Is it those blue wings?

OOTB Tour: The Darkest Touch - Jaci Burton

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

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! :)

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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!

Riding Wild - Jaci Burton

I've never really been into bikes and cars, but Jaci Burton makes me want to hunt up a Harley riding hunk and head out into the sunset.

Here's a snippet from the book's blurb (you can read the full blurb plus an excerpt on Jaci's website):

He's a Harley-riding ex-thief working undercover for the government. She's a gun-toting ex-socialite hired to protect a valuable museum exhibit. But in her attempt to stop a heist, she never anticipated having her breath and her heart stolen...

The hero and heroine, Mac and Lily, have a definite history, and from the first instant they meet again, their relationship is explosive. These two sizzle together, but more than that, they work as a couple. I think that's what sets Jaci's books apart for me - they're erotic, but the romance comes through loud and clear. It's about who Mac and Lily are together.

There's also an action/suspense plot tied to the heist, and to Mac's kidnapping of Lily. During all the craziness, Lily holds her own, which I loved. And the other Wild Riders - yum-mee! That's all I'm saying. If you like bad boys, you need to meet these guys. I have first dibs!

Riding Wild releases Feb 5, and Jaci is actually giving away an advanced copy on her blog, so make sure to swing by and enter.

Talking about bad boys, who's your favorite? And more importantly, have you ever ridden a Harley?

Wild, Wicked & Wanton - Jaci Burton

Warning: Reading this book may make steam come out your ears.

First, the backcover blurb:

Three friends...three secret desires...three chances to make it all come true.

They're inseparable best friends who delight in sharing their wildest secrets and dares. But their latest bet is the boldest one of all: each must sleep with whomever the other two have chosen for her. And come back with every juicy detail...

WILD
Abby married the town bad boy. And he lived up to his reputation, bedding any woman who let her guard down. She swore off men for good, but never counted on a pair of sexy veterinarians who are fulfilling a desire of their own.

WICKED
Blair is the town heartbreaker. Afraid to commit, she's broken off three engagements. Yet there's one man she never had the courage to bed. The one man she really loved. But now, the decision is out her hands.

WANTON

Callie is the sensible one....but beneath it all she's a true romantic, with the broken heart to prove it. Now her long-dormant fantasies may be getting a workout. A new man enters her life and everything about him is irresistible.

Wild, Wicked & Wanton is seriously hot. I swear I singed my fingertips during reading. It’s three novellas but they’re connected so for me, it read like book - I also felt each couple got their chance in the spotlight, especially since you get to see them outside their novella. But the heat aside, what really made this book work for me were the relationships.

First, the relationship between the three women – Abby, Callie & Blair. They just seemed like real friends, and I liked how the men fit into and respected that friendship.

And second, the relationship between each heroine and her hero. The love scenes were utterly hot, but there was tenderness there, too. I truly believed these couples would make it – Wild, Wicked & Wanton really fulfilled both parts of its promise of being an erotic romance. This one’s going in the keeper pile.

You can check out an excerpt at Jaci’s website.

What've you all been reading? Any recent keepers?