Friday, August 31, 2012

Labor Day 2012 Blog Hop


Welcome to my stop on the Romance at Random Labor Day Hop, which will run from September 1 - September 15, 2012 (9/1/12-9/15/12).  There will be two contests you can enter at my blog during this hop.  One sponsored by Romance at Random and the other sponsored by Me.  

I hope everyone has a safe, relaxing and Happy Labor Day! 


Please be sure to visit all of the stops:



  a Rafflecopter giveaway

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

VBT Book Barrage - The Pirates of Vampire Island by Phoenix and Lover Boy






Hello and welcome to my stop on the Book Barrage for The Pirates of Vampire Island by Phoenix and Lover Boy.  Please make sure to leave a comment or question below for Phoenix as she will be giving away ten (10) eBook copies of "A Whisper from Eden" to random commenters during her tour.


~~~~~~~~~~


Title: The Pirates of Vampire Island, A Paranormal Romantic Thriller
Series: Steamy Voyages, Series #1
Author: Phoenix and Lover Boy
Publisher: Self (Amazon and B&N)
Length: 61,700 words
Genres: Paranormal Romance (Adventure)
Heat Level: Sizzling

AVAILABLE AT:




BLURB:


Pretty Jane O'Doherty always chooses the wrong kind of guys. Her specialty seems to be guys who have serious flaws and who break her heart.

Her last breakup was a year ago and still she can hear his final words, "I'm sorry, Jane. I've found someone else."


A 30-day cruise through the exotic Indonesian Islands with her best friend seems like the perfect distraction to mend her broken heart.


On board, she meets devastatingly gorgeous Nick, who attracts women in droves, including our lovely Jane.


And she meets Peter, who is the cute geek with puppy dog eyes.


Will either one just lead to another broken heart?


Should she run the other way from them both and just enjoy the cruise?


But before Jane can decide, the ship is attacked by modern day pirates.


Unlike the pirates of old, these guys are vampires and are more interested in human treasure than gold and jewels.


They take over the ship and take twelve women hostage.


And the handsome pirate leader—with eerie chalk-white skin, and red eyes, is looking for a special prize. He wants a woman for his mate and queen . . .


Jane catches his eye, but she, along with Nick and Peter, manage to escape in a lifeboat and onto the open sea.


They drift for fourteen days before finally finding an island.


But the fates are cruel, and their island turns out to be the home of the pirates and the lair of the Vampire.


The Pirates of Vampire Island is non-stop action . . . filled with adventure, suspense . . . and steamy romance.


~~~~~~~~~~


The Pirates of Vampire Island
A Paranormal Romantic Thriller
(Steamy Voyages, Series #1)
by Phoenix and Lover Boy

EXCERPTS


EXCERPT #1:

Angry clouds rolled over the sparkling turquoise sea, transforming it into a lifeless slate grey.

Tucked in a small bay hidden from view, a black-market military sea craft modified for great speed waited silently. Ten men with chalk white skin and dressed in black sat tensed as the idle boat gently rose and fell with the small swells, their glowing red eyes intent on their quarry.

Through his binoculars, their six-foot-three leader studied a sleek cruise liner turning her mammoth bow to line up on the inter-island passage off the coast of Indonesia.

He turned to his crew. They watched as a small smile played across his handsome face, his red eyes shining bright.

He nodded. This was the right target. Once they boarded, the rich bounty they would gain would renew their powers.

The leader said only one word, "Midnight."

EXCERPT #2:

A warm wind fanned my face. I watched the colorful flags wave in the breeze, as our sleek cruise ship, The Jakarta, cut through the Southeast Asian waters.

We had boarded the cruise in Bali. Yesterday, we stopped at Komodo Island for diving, sightseeing, and ogling the famous Komodo dragons. Now we were sailing due east through the Flores Sea. I was so looking forward to seeing some of the thousands of large and small islands, each exotic and mysterious, with strange creatures, amazing fish and birds, impenetrable rain forests, and people who still lived in the stone age.

The ship was a small luxury liner that held ninety passengers and a crew of thirty. And though the posh thirty-day cruise was a beacon for singles looking to be pampered, the main billing was its stops to scuba-dive off a few of the seventeen thousand islands of the Indonesian Archipelago – our ultimate destination the Forgotten Islands in the Banda Sea.

They would even teach us how to scuba for free; I had always wanted to learn. I tried it yesterday and was hooked.

I left the deck and went back to my cabin, which I shared with my best friend, Remy. She had dresses and shoes all over her bunk. I plopped down on mine and sighed.

"What're you going to wear tonight?" she asked as she grabbed another dress and held it up to her, turning this way and that in front of the mirror.

"I don't know. I don't feel very social today. Maybe I'll just order something and eat here. And read."

"Which one?"

"Which one, what?" I asked.

"Dress … dress."

"Oh yeah, dress. I like the red one on you. Looks great with your blonde hair."

"Done." She started hanging the other gowns. "Wasn't that guy last night tasty?"

"Who? The one every girl's eyes were glued to?"

"No. No. Who can be interested in a guy who attracts woman in packs? No, the one last night at dinner. With the green eyes and sweet smile. Zack."

"Oh, yeah. Nice." Actually, the guy who attracted every female on the ship had also attracted me. I had seen him by the pool with his ever-present fan club. The guy had it all. A classic Greek face, black curly hair, olive complexion – probably never visited by a zit. Fabulous build. He seemed to be charming the knickers off every young woman aboard. Maybe that's what my bad mood's about, I thought. Being attracted to the gorgeous guy started me thinking about Tony again – and the phrase that runs over and over in my head – "Jane, I'm sorry. But I've found someone else."

I hadn't been attracted to a man since my fiancee left me for another girl a year ago. You get burned, and you stay away from the stove.

I sighed. I had to stop this. I jumped off my bed. "I need to shake this off. How about a swim?

"Sure."

EXCERPT #3:

As we approached the outdoor swimming pool on the top deck, I saw dark clouds threatening a storm. My hair was whipping in the wind. I shivered. Bad idea. But Remy was undaunted. She immediately ran and did a cannonball. As I stood wondering if I should just go back to the cabin, a waiter came up, a small, dark boy about sixteen, probably a native of the area. He wore a short white jacket with epaulets and black pants.

"Would you like a drink, mum?"

"How about a snow suit?" I laughed. "Just kidding. No, I'm good for now." I surveyed the sunbathers and swimmers. There he was. As usual, he was surrounded by women. He was dressed in a simple white pullover sweater and tan slacks, but the cut and fabric screamed money. His luxurious, curly black hair whipped in the wind, making him look very unkempt, rugged, and nonchalant, as if fine grooming was so not important because he was stunningly handsome no matter what he wore or did.

"Excuse me, sir?" I said.

The waiter turned.

"What's that guy's name? The one with the black curly hair."

"Nickolas Angelopoulos." He stood for a moment. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"Nope. Thank you," I said, not taking my eyes off the amazing-looking man.

"You're gawking."


I shook myself and looked down. Remy was hanging on the side of the pool. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Enough of that.

"I'm coming in." I walked over to the diving board and performed a perfect dive. I had always been very athletic, and I knew my body showed it.

I swam several laps, trying not to look at this guy named Nickolas, and climbed out of the pool, dripping water, and squeezing it out of my thick mane. I shivered a little in the cool wind, and as I finished drying, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Nicholas was staring at me – well, at my chest anyway. I looked down to see that my nipples were perfectly erect through my black bikini. I quickly draped my towel around my shoulders so it covered my breasts and was suddenly looking for a quick way to exit.

 ~~~~~~~~~~



   
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in California. I came from a long line of Americans who were pioneers and individualists. The family tree is filled with rugged people: rough coal miners, pioneers, and farmers living in log cabins in the early west. I wrote A Whisper from Eden, A Historical Fantasy, but like to write in several genres.

Lover Boy (aka my husband) was born and raised in Anaheim, California and wishes to remain anonymous because he doesn’t want anyone to know he likes to write romance novels. (Let's keep his secret.)

We wrote THE PIRATES OF VAMPIRE ISLAND, A Paranormal Romantic Thriller (Steamy Voyages #1). And we are working the sequel to Steamy Voyages and a dystopian thriller, The Trash Pile People. We live in Hollywood with our ornery tomcat, Snickers.


Website: http://www.fictionbyphoenix.com

E-mail: read@booksbyphoenix.com

Twitter: @PhoenixRead

Goodreads: Phoenix Reads

Facebook Page: Fiction by Phoenix

Facebook Profile: Lee Jordan

Pinterest: Lee Jordan

Amazon Author Central: Amazon.com/author/phoenixread

Amazon Reviews by Phoenix Profile Page: http://amzn.to/P8T5QD

Please be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter Phoenix's giveaway. You can follow her book barrage tour here, the more often you comment the better your odds of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Dirty Little Secret #63




Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us!

To participate in the meme all you need to do is:


1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.


2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions. 


3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.


4. Then add your link at Under the Covers.

Non-bloggers: We want to hear from you as well!!! Let us know your answer in the comments!


We hope you join us and let us know your
Dirty Little Secrets!


This week's question:

"Book abuse!  What's the worst thing you've done to a book."
 
I am ashamed to say that the worst thing I've ever done to a book was when I was much younger and really didn't understand the value of a book.  I used to write in them - make notes, underline things and would bend the corners back on the end and even spilled beverages or food on a book.  Now as an adult, I've grown and of course realize both that books are precious (either in paper or ebook form) and that they also have a monetary value that needs to be taken into consideration.  Now I don't eat while I read and when I drink, I make sure my drink is in a no spill cup:)
 
What about you?  Go ahead and share your Dirty Little Secret! 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Marie Treanor Release Party at Bitten By Books


You can still join in on the Marie Treanor Release Party for Serafina and the Silent Vampire at Bitten by Books.  Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card.



About Serafina and the Silent Vampire:

Silence has never been so sinful…

Welcome to Edinburgh's unique psychic investigation agency, Serafina's.

Serafina MacBride is psychic - but not strictly honest. While staging a hilarious vampire attack at a client's party, Sera is stunned to encounter a real vampire - annoying, gorgeous and inaudible to everyone but her. When her client's son is found dead with puncture wounds in his neck, she tracks the silent vampire to his lair.

But the amoral and seductive Blair is also on a mission - to find and kill a nest of young vampires who've invaded his territory. Soon Sera is drawn into the bizarre world of the undead, where danger lurks in the shadows along with forbidden sensual delights - and a murderous conspiracy to flood the world with financially astute vampires who talk.

Supported and hindered by Blair's eccentric, undead friends, and by her own motley crew from Serafina's, Sera and Blair uncover surprising truths about each other and about the mysterious Founder from whom all vampires are descended.

In the end, Sera draws on powers she never knew she had in a frantic fight to defeat the forces of evil and preserve the strange, complicated being she's trying so hard not to love.






About the Author:


Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy. Marie has published more than twenty e-books with small presses (Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press and The Wild Rose Press), including a former Kindle bestseller, Killing Joe. Blood on Silk: an Awakened by Blood novel, was her New York debut with NAL. 


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

VBT - The Guardian of Bastet by Jacqueline Battisti


Hello and Welcome to my stop on Jacqueline M. Battisti's Virtual Book Tour for The Guardian of Bastet.  Please be sure to leave a comment or question for Jacqueline below as she will be awarding 5 free copies of The Guardian of Bastet - Winners can choose epub or .pdf format and 3-Pewter Egyptian Bastet Cat Pendants to random commenters during her tour.  The Goddess Bastet (cat goddess) is an important role in The Guardian of Bastet.  You can follow Jacqueline's tour here.  The more often you comment, the better your odds at winning.  Please also check out my review here.  



~~~~~~~~~~~

The life of a cat-shifter by Trinity Morrigan Caine


What’s it like being a house cat once a month?

Other than the whole litter box thing, it could actually be kind of cool at times. I could run around like crazy – doing mad dashes around the house, and then when I got tired, I could just find a nice warm sunny spot and curl up to sleep. There were plenty of toys to play with around my house and Bronwyn (Trinity’s cat) was a pretty cool companion. We played chased, we wrestled and bitch slapped each other, we knocked mice around and did I mention the catnip? It was legal too! Damn that was good stuff.

There were a few downsides to being a cat. One was the grooming, or should I say the after effects of it. While I was a cat, I couldn’t help but groom myself and it was comforting at the time. Unfortunately, when I turned back to human form, I still ended up with occasional residual hairballs. That part was damn disgusting.

Then there was the hated litter box. Just knowing it was not only Bronwyn’s fault it needed cleaning, grossed me out a little. Being a cat also meant I ate mice and bugs like any other cat in the universe. Try keeping your breakfast down after realizing you’ve done that the night before. It makes the day after a hangover seem like child’s play. I didn’t even want to think about what dad ingested in his puma form. Double yuck. I still had a hard time with that aspect of my life. All I knew was there were some mornings after the full moon when Bronwyn was too excessively proud of my hunting skills for my comfort.


~~~~~~~~~~~


The Guardian of Bastet
By Jacqueline Battisti

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Carina Press
Date of Publication: 8/20/2012

ISBN: 978-14268-9424-4
ASIN: B0088NH1Z8

Number of pages: 237
Word Count: 84,000



 
Book Description

Cat-shifter Trinity Morrigan-Caine has discovered a demon is killing supernaturals. Magically challenged, she has every intention of letting handsome Alpha werewolf Gordon Barnes handle it. But after a dying vampire gifts Trinity a mystical amulet, she is drawn into the fray as the legendary Guardian of Bastet, a warrior born when the need arises.

Though Trinity initially rejects the role, she warms to the idea when Gordon agrees to train her—and their passion for each other grows as he teaches her to embrace her animal instincts.

As she begins to accept her destiny and believe in her growing powers, Trinity realizes the danger is even closer to home than she ever imagined—and she and Gordon are going to have to face the demon in a fight to the death...


Excerpt:

Like a good girl, I try to say my prayers every morning. This morning was no exception.
“Goddess, it’s me, Trinity Morrigan-Caine. Could you please let me get through today without pissing off too many people or wanting to kill anyone? And would you please grant me patience for the idiots I meet and guidance to keep my mouth shut when they say something really freakin’ stupid? Thank you.”
Afterward, I felt better. Today was just one of those days. I slept through the alarm. My familiar, a long haired Birman feline named Bronwyn, had to wake me up and there is nothing like being swatted in the face with a clawed paw first thing in the morning. I showered and then realized I had no clean work scrubs. Crap. I put on already worn scrubs which didn’t smell too bad. The only brightness of the morning was my cousin and roommate, Lily, had made a pot of coffee and saved me some before she left for work—and probably on time, of course.
Once again, I was late and I knew my boss was going to have kittens because of it. Okay, not literally, although the thought of that made me giggle aloud. No, I was the one who turned into a furry feline once a month. She was just a human pain in my ass.
I grabbed the travel mug and took a swig of the coffee I had heated up before leaving. I didn’t even care I burned my lips on the brew. I let out a deep sigh. Ah coffee, the elixir of gods and humans. There was just nothing better than the jolt of caffeine to wake up to. I drove to work whistling

~~~~~~~~~~
 
Author Bio:                           

Jacqueline Battisti was raised in Little Falls, New York where she met and married her high school sweetheart. They have two children and live near Rochester, New York where she is a stay at home mom and writer of the paranormal and urban fantasy of her vivid imagination.
Her first novel, The Guardian of Bastet, is being published by Carina Press August 20, 2012. She is currently working on a sequel as well as a dystopian paranormal.
Her life has taken her from the trials and tribulations of working as an administrative assistant at various companies, back to college as an adult student, and then into the adventurous world of motherhood.
Jacqueline began writing seriously in 2007 after attempting NaNoWriMo for the first time. It was the first time she had disciplined herself to finish a novel. From there, her supportive critique group was formed and attended, and then she attended RT Book Lovers Convention in 2009. Jacqueline attended their aspiring authors workshops and met with many talented writers who inspired her to continue writing.

Flash forward to today: Jacqueline has two children who are very outgoing and keep her on her toes. Cub Scouts, Daisy Scouts, play dates, school activities for the kids...then writing, reading current authors, following blogs, Facebook, household chores, gardening and exhaustion for mom. Add in a new puppy, two furry feline children and fish and you have the craziness that is the Battisti household.



Twitter:@jmbattisti

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jacquelinebattisti



Please be sure to follow Jacqueline's tour and leave a comment below.  To enter her contest please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can follow her tour here. 
  
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway