6/3/14

The Authors Talk



As part of their release day blitz, Forever Romance made available a Q & A with some of the authors from the Tall, Dark, and Cowboy boxed set.  Please enjoy the following Q&A!


Q:  A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less?
R.C. RYAN- Can Jesse McCord guard his heart against Amy Parish, the only woman he ever loved and lost? Or will danger change the game? 
ERIN KERN- Would you give up your inheritance to live in the middle of nowhere? Avery Price did. And ended up getting way more than she bargained for!
KATIE LANE- A small, Texas town filled with sassy heroines, hot cowboys, and zany matchmakers whose hearts are as big as the state they live in.
LAURA DRAKE- A grieving housewife throws her cheating Ex off their ranch.  But when the sweet cowboy she married returns, can they both learn to forgive?
MOLLY CANNON- When Marla Jean's husband dumps her for an older woman, chaos in the form of hunky Jake turns the rest of her life upside down.

LYNETTE AUSTIN- When a cowboy meets an heiress...Somebody Like You—one sexy cowboy and a Harley-riding heiress, each with a secret.

Q:  What makes a cowboy, a cowboy?

R.C. RYAN- Hard, dirty work.  A love of the land.  A courtly, fiercely protective attitude toward family, women and children.  Their work makes them rough and tough, but their heart and soul, their innate goodness makes them the perfect hero.  
ERIN KERN- Have you seen a cowboy lately?? Scuffed up boots, worn jeans, callused hands, a little five o’clock shadow, slightly too long hair….shall I go on?
KATIE LANE- I think it has to do with the legend. Cowboys have always been heroes (Wait, is that a song?)—strong, alpha men who can wrangle a steer and know how to treat a lady. It’s this mixture of tough man and mannerly country boy that makes a true cowboy . . . and makes women go crazy. That, and a snug-fitting pair of jeans.
LAURA DRAKE- Old world manners, an unbreakable word, and a wild side.
MOLLY CANNON- Well worn boots

LYNETTE AUSTIN-Attitude.  A cowboy is strong and confident, and he’s not afraid of an equally strong woman. He carries in his heart old-fashioned values. He stands for his country and its flag, says yes, ma’am and no, sir, and loves his mama and daddy—kind of a throwback to a slower, easier time but with a kickass edge.

Q:  Which of your characters has been the most fun to write so far?
R.C. RYAN- I really can't choose a favorite.  I love them all.  But Jesse and Amy are special.  
ERIN KERN- I love all of my characters. Picking just one is like picking a favorite kid. But I’d have to say I loved writing Courtney Devlin (the McDermott brother’s younger sister, and heroine of The Trouble with Trouble). She’s spunky, fiery and tells it like it is. She’s not afraid of backing down from anyone and has a great sense of humor. I always had a great laugh writing her character throughout the books.
KATIE LANE- Kenny Gene. Think Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show. Kenny’s not dealing with a full deck, but he has a heart of solid gold and always looks at life like it’s a big package just waiting to be opened.  I just love that about him.
LAURA DRAKE- Probably Katya and Cam, the Heroine and Hero of the last book in my Sweet on a Cowboy series, Sweet on You, due out in August. A Gypsy Army Medic turned PBR Physical Therapist and a beat-up bull rider in his last season on the circuit. Lots of conflict there!
MOLLY CANNON- Hoot and Dooley-the two retired men who sit in the front of Marla Jean’s barber shop, playing Parcheesi and gossiping all day. They’ve managed to get into all 3 books so far.
LYNETTE AUSTIN- Oh, this is hard to answer. I always fall madly in love with my heroes—Cash, Brawley, and Ty are magnificent men and not just because they’re gorgeous. It’s their big, generous hearts that make them unforgettable. I love Annelise Montjoy for the courage she showed in traveling across country to save her grandfather’s life. Sophie London, with her fondness for fairies and her belief in love, really hit home with me. But it might be red-headed, hot-tempered Maggie Sullivan that was most fun to write. She put everything she felt right out there, so I never had to hold back with the emotion.

Q:  What would readers be surprised to find out about you?
R.C. RYAN- I've been singing since I was a kid, and thought about a career as a singer. I chose instead to marry young and raise five great children. And then tried my hand at my great, driving passion - writing.  
ERIN KERN- Probably that I used to be a dancer. I danced ballet for about twelve years and actually performed with the Oakland Ballet two years in a row.
KATIE LANE- I married my high school sweetheart and he inspires all my heroes. (Even when he forgets to take the Chapstick out of his pant pockets and the entire load of laundry ends up with grease spots.)
LAURA DRAKE- I’m a thrill seeker. I Love roller coasters, riding motorcycles and I’ve even skydived – until my last jump when chute didn’t open, and I had to throw the reserve. If I were younger, I’d try getting on a bull!
MOLLY CANNON- I’m really good at trashcan basketball.
LYNETTE AUSTIN- I have, at present, sixty-two pairs of flip-flops, and one of those pairs traveled to Morocco with me where I rode a camel. I can’t resist a great pair of flip-flops.

A special thank you to Forever Romance for allowing this blog to participate in the Tall, Dark and Cowboy release day blitz, blog tour and giveaway!  Make sure to follow up on these authors via the following links and purchase the box set at your favorite e-book retailer!

You can learn about Lynnette Austin at: www.lynnettehallberg.com

You can learn about Molly Cannon at:
Twitter @cannonmolly
Facebook

You can learn about Laura Drake at:
Twitter @PBRWriter

You can learn about Erin Kern at:
Twitter @ErinKern

You can learn about Katie Lane at:
Twitter @ktlane3

You can learn about R.C. Ryan at:
Twitter @RuthRyanLangan


XOXO,

Teresa

Tall, Dark, and Cowboy Box Set Release Day and Giveaway

Tall, Dark, and Cowboy Box Set from Forever Romance
Get ready for some cowboys headed your way!  Forever Romance is releasing an e-book boxed set of some of it's popular cowboy themed romances by some of it's most popular authors.

The e-books in this boxed set are all wonderful additions to any cowgirl's electronic bookshelf.  The featured titles are:

SOMEBODY LIKE YOU by Lynnette Austin:  Cash thought he had plenty of time to find the right woman-until he learns that he must marry soon or loose his family's Texas farm.  When Boston beauty Annelise enters his life, Cash wonders if she's what he's been looking for all along.

AIN'T MISBEHAVING by Molly Cannon:  After her ex-husband leaves her for another woman, Marla Jean won't settle for another lonely night.  And her childhood crush, Jake, may just be the right man to help make this good girl go a little bad.

THE SWEET SPOT by Laura Drake:  Charla Rae thought she was over her ex-husband-they'd both been through too much together.  But when the championship bull rider comes back into town and offers to help with her ranch, will he also convince her to give their love a second chance?

LOOKING FOR TROUBLE by Erin Kern:  Fleeing her rich, overbearing family, Avery makes her way to Trouble, Wyoming.  She soon tries things the old Avery wouldn't dare, like having a sizzling affair with her sexy new boss, Noah-and discovering he's just the kind of trouble she needs.

GOING COWBOY CRAZY by Katie Lane:  When Faith is mistaken for her identical twin sister in Bramble, Texas, there's bound to be trouble-especially with her sister's ex-boyfriend Slate.

MONTANA LEGACY by R. C. Ryan:  When Amy left Jesse, she broke his heart.  Now she's back in town and stirs his old desires, even as she promises to help him find his family's gold.  But under the prairie skies an unseen enemy is closing in to threaten their love-and their lives.

Forever Romance is also giving away several copies of this boxed set, so please enter the drawing to your right.  The drawing ends shortly and the winners will be notified by Forever Romance.  In the meantime, head on over to Barnes and Noble or iTunes to pick up a copy for yourself!

Coming up, hear from the authors of this boxed set!

XOXO,

Teresa

6/2/14

New Reviews, Coming Soon (Part II)


I've been reading, but not updating this blog, unfortunately.  And then I had a fifteen week interruption while I was studying to become a Certified Pharmacy Tech.  I cannot wait to get back to reading more of what I want now that I passed my PTCE!

So here's a list of reviews that I'm currently working on:

1.  Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan
2.  Moonglow (Darkest London #2) by Kristen Callihan
3.  Obsession (Faces of Evil #1) by Debra Webb
4.  Impulse (Faces of Evil #2) by Debra Webb
5.  Power (Faces of Evil #3) by Debra Webb
6.  Rage (Faces of Evil #4) by Debra Webb
7.  Revenge (Faces of Evil #5) by Debra Webb
8.  Ruthless (Faces of Evil #6) by Debra Webb
9.  The Wedding Favor (Save the Date #1) by Cara Connelly
10.  Mystery Man (Dream Man #1) by Kristen Ashley
11.  Wild Man (Dream Man #2) by Kristen Ashley
12.  Law Man (Dream Man #3) by Kristen Ashley
13.  Motorcycle Man (Dream Man #4) by Kristen Ashley
14.  Own the Wind (Chaos #1) by Kristen Ashley
15.  You Belong to Me (Baltimore #1) by Karen Rose
16.  No One Left to Tell (Baltimore #2) by Karen Rose
17.  It Happened One Wedding (FBI #5) by Julie James

9/27/13

In My Mailbox #1

In an ideal world I would live near a small, independent bookstore that carried every romance and mystery novel ever published.  But, sadly, this is not a ideal world, so I usually wind up ordering all my books from Amazon.  So, without any further ado, I bring you my first "In My Mailbox" post, detailing which books I just got from Amazon (and other places).








  • How to Tame a Wild Fireman by Jennifer Bernard  (Book 4 in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series)
  • A Lady Most Lovely by Jennifer Delamere (Book 2 in the  Love's Grace series)
  • Here Comes Trouble by Erin Kern (Book 2 of the Trouble series)
  • Run to You by Rachel Gibson (Book 2 of Lovett, Texas series)
  • Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait by Grace Burrowes (Book 8 of the Windham Family series)
  • Bound by Night by Larissa Ione (Book 1 of the Moonbound Clan Vampires series)
  • How to Entice an Enchantress by Karen Hawkins (Book 3 of the Duchess Diaries series)
  • Summer is for Lovers by Jennifer McQuiston 
  • Never Desire a Duke by Lily Dalton (Debut Author; Book 1 of the One Scandalous Season series) 
  • Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak
  • Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt (Book 6 in the Maiden Lane series)
  • Unbreakable by Kami Garcia (Book 1 in The Legion series)
  • Death, Taxes, and Green Tea Ice Cream by Diane Kelly  (Book 6 in the Tara Holloway series)
  • Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage by Valerie Bowman (Book 3 in the Secrets Brides
  • Teardrop by Lauren Kate (Book 1 in the Teardrop series)
  • Emerald Green by Kirsten Gier (Book 3 in the Precious Stone series)

My plan is to make this a monthly feature.  What did you order/buy from a bookseller recently?

9/9/13

Book Review: ONCE UPON A TOWER by Eloisa James


Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors because I know I can depend on a good story from her. But, alas, it is a truth universally acknowledged that every author, no matter how good, can have a clunker of a book from time to time. Once Upon a Tower, is I'm afraid, Eloisa's clunker. While the book does have many redeeming qualities, it has severe flaws that overcome the good.


Once Upon a Tower is the love story of Lady Edith Gilchrist and Gowan Stoughton, Duke of Kinross. The couple meets at a ball that Edith's father is giving. Gowan is there because he is in need of a no-nonsense wife, even if she is English. Did I forget to mention that Gowan is Scottish? Yummy! Edith is there because, well...it is her father's ball. She is attending the ball despite being sick with a cold. I did enjoy Edith being under the weather because it did lead to the plot gem of Gowan being entranced by Edith and Edith later having absolutely no clue who Gowan was, despite the fact that she agrees to marry Gowan while under the weather. Just the kind of levity I like from Eloisa.


The story starts off good, but slams to a halt once Gowan and Edith marry. Why? Because the big plot device keeping them apart, they're both virgins and the first time wasn't exactly magical, can be solved with a conversation that simply doesn't happen until later in the story. This unfortunately leads to pages and pages of stupidity on both characters fault. It drug on too long, and in the end, really wasn't worth all of the drama. It would have been far more fun for them to have the conversation, and then have them “practice” to get better. The heat was most definitely there between Gowan and Edith!


I found myself drawn in more by the story of Edith's father and step-mother. Their romance is the story of the disappointment that comes with a May/December romance that starts off happy and veers off track by the realization that your partner is not perfect and having infertility problems. Their story, to me, seemed more meaty and more deserving of being the lead couple than Edith and Gowan.


Overall, this wasn't the worst book ever written (Fifty Shades of Grey), but it was not an easy, frothy, fun read that is Eloisa's typical fare. The thing to remember is that a bad book by Eloisa James is better than some of the best books written by other authors. This book is only recommended to Eloisa James' previous readers and admirers. Newbies to Eloisa should start with her older titles, such as Duchess in Love.


2.5 stars out of 4


XOXO,


Teresa

Book Details:

Once Upon A Tower (Eloisa's Fairy Tales #5)
Eloisa James
Avon Books--June 2013

New Reviews Coming Soon

Reviews for the following books are forthcoming:
  • Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan
  • Moonglow (Darkest London #2) by Kristen Callihan
  • Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James --Review is up here.
  • Obsession (Faces of Evil #1) by Debra Webb
  • Impulse (Faces of Evil #2) by Debra Webb

I'm so sorry that I've neglected this blog.  All of it is due to upheaval in my personal life, which led to a severe bout of readers drought.  It feels good to have broken through the drought a bit and getting back into blogging!

XOXO,

Teresa

7/7/12

Book Review: WILLOW SPRINGS by Toni Blake

Book Summary:

THIS LOVESICK MATCHMAKER HAS FINALLY MET HER MATCH...

Amy Bright might be the best matchmaker in Destiny, Ohio, but she's desperately shy when it comes to her own love life--and helpless when it comes to Logan Whitaker, with whom she's head-over-heels in love.  So Amy decides to become Logan's secret admirer, sending him sensual love letters steamy enough to unseal their own envelopes.

After a tragedy on the job, firefighter Logan is battling demons.  Thank goodness Amy is there for him.  But when a woman from Logan's past resurfaces right as some anonymous letters send Logan's pulse hammering, suddenly he doesn't know what he needs.  One smoking-hot kiss could change everything...but will it ruin a one-of-a-kind friendship, or show Logan and Amy that they've already found everything they need right here in Destiny?

Book Review:

Oh, my.  To be terribly blunt:  there's nothing wrong with this book, but there's nothing really right about it either.  I wanted to like this one, because I love stories where the two leads discover that they're in love with each other when they've been friends forever.  

I'll be completely honest, the addition of the "woman from Logan's past" was really not necessary.  Ms. Blake sets this character up as the antagonist, when it's pretty clear by the end of the book that she's trying to set this character up to be the lead in her next book.  This woman and her backstory actually wound up taking away from Logan and Amy's romance in a not-so-good way.  Honestly, I would have preferred to see this character and her backstory be dealt with in a completely separate book.  Amy and Logan had enough issues between them that they didn't need this distraction that only served to make them both look childish.  

Had Ms. Blake focused more on telling Logan's side of the story and how he was honestly dealing with a tragic loss after a fire and how he came to see Amy as the woman he loved, this could have been so much better.  

Amy's development was actually handled beautifully, right up until the last chapter when all of a sudden Logan realizes that he's in love with her and proposes.  She finally had enough gumption to stand up for herself and tell Logan that they couldn't be together in any way if he didn't love her the way she deserved to be loved, that it's kind of sad to see the character crumble so quickly with a hasty marriage proposal.  Make him work for it  a little bit more, honey!

At least the sex is steamy. 

Recommended only for fans of Ms. Blake's Destiny, Ohio series.  If this is the first time you've read her, please go back and read the rest of the series first.  Every author has one novel that's a dud on arrival, and unfortunately, WILLOW SPRINGS is Ms. Blake's.

Two stars out of Four.

6/27/12

Book Review: MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley



This was my first time reading a book by Gaelen Foley and it definitely will not be my last time reading one of her novels!  Ms. Foley deftly uses words to paint a vivid picture of her world and draws readers in effortlessly.  I am truly looking forward to reading her back list, especially the first three books in her Inferno Club series.
Emily Harper has been in love with Drake, the Earl of Westwood since the two were children running around on Drake’s family estate.  This love has driven Emily to come to Drake’s rescue from the evil Promethians.  Believing Drake has turned his back on The Order, Emily follows him to Bavaria to try to find the good man she believes he truly is and bring him back home with her.  
Drake, finally remembering what his mind tricked him into forgetting, tries to protect Emily from danger.  At first passing her off as a servant, their time together in close quarters allows Drake to realize that Emily is the one woman he truly cannot live without.  This muddies Drake’s plan to exact his revenge on his torturers and his plot to finish off the Promethians for good.
The reader is drawn in by the adventure and passion from the first paragraph.  Emily and Drake are strong leads and the love between the two characters is strong and effortless.  I was pleasantly surprised that Ms. Foley didn’t do the usual “break them up” plot hitch at all in the story.  Once Drake and Emily admit their feelings to one another, the couple is together.  
One could quibble that at some points Ms. Foley has the characters use dialog that is a little too modern for the time period.  And that’s really the only flaw I found in the book and it didn’t really detract from the story overall.
I highly recommend this novel for fans of Ms. Foley’s, readers who love alpha male heroes and fans of well written novels.  I do caution that it is better to have read the first three books of the Inferno Club series before jumping into this one.  While I had no problem getting into the story, I feel I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the earlier novels first.
Readers, do yourself a favor and pick this book up!  Your weekend will thank you!
I was able to review this book early because I was generously approved to read an ARC from NetGalley.

Please note this review was originally published on 2/4/2012 at my old Mysterious Romance Review Blogs. 

4/10/12

Book Review: HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE by Vicky Dreiling

Book Summary:
Scandalous Desires....
Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match.  If she can't, she'll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security--if little else.  What she doesn't count on is the inappropriate--and irresistible--attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will "The Devil" Darcett...

Devilish Delight
When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton's shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand.  Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be.  Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it.  But winning Amy isn't simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he's mended his wicked ways...

Book Review:


This was the first book that I've read by the relatively new author Vicky Dreiling, and it certainly won't be the last.  I will be hunting down her two previous novels and pulling them off of my to-be-read bookcase.

Amy and Will are far from perfect fictional characters, and I honestly do not mean that in a bad way.  They're regular people with flaws, struggling to overcome them.   When the two of them finally find their way to each other it's a truly beautiful pairing.

Please do yourself a favor and pick this up for a light, fun read!

3.5 stars out of 4

4/7/12

Book Review: DIE FOR ME by Amy Plum

Book Summary:


My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal.  But it only took one moment to change everything.


Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans.  We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents.  And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again.  Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.  Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again.  But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy.  Because Vincent is no normal human.  He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day.  He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart--as well as my life and my family's--in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Book Review:


Loved it, loved it, loved it!  Picked it up off of my voluminous "to be read pile" and could not put it down until I finished it!  I bought a copy of this last year shortly after it was published in hardcover and it's just been sitting around waiting, patiently, I might add, for me to pick it up.  One day is all it took for me to fall in love with Amy Plum's story about Kate & Vincent!

I liked that Vincent and his kind are not vampires or werewolves or any kind of supernatural being that is currently hot & trendy in YA fiction.  They're zombies, basically.  Not the "Must eat brains..." kind, they either go through a dormant period once a month (the only time they sleep) or after they're "killed".  Vincent was a wonderful hero and his supporting Revenants are begging for stories of their own.  I'm hoping that Ms. Plum expands upon their stories in future books.  She sets up their story and gives the reader just enough details that you're left wanting to know more about these characters.

The book's heroine, Kate, has a special place in my heart.  She, like me has lost both of her parents.  Unlike me, hers died at the same time in a tragic car accident.  This kind of a set up could lead authors to go in one of two ways:  the heroine is way melodramatic and over the top or the heroine is believable in her grief.  Thankfully, Kate is the later.  The grief she suffers at the loss of her parents does consume her and make her feel as if her world has collapsed around her.  Slowly, with gentle pushing from her grandparents, Kate begins to come back to reality and begins to explore Paris.

Kate and Vincent slowly find their way to one another and it's not easy going even after they admit their love for each other.  This is a very believable romance, a story that draws the reader in and leaves them wanting more!

Cannot wait for the sequel to this book!

4 stars out of 4