~ MAGIC GONE WILD by JUDI FENNELL ~

Magic, fairies, mortals...SEXY mortals? Zane Harrison, an ex-professional football player who came back to his family home with one purpose in mind, to sell it. Being teased and ridiculed at childhood, Zane loves nothing more than to see his home gone. For years, Zane and the rest of his family blamed his great-grandfather for their tarnished reputation. But little did he know, his life is about to get more complicated and Zane has ever imagined.

Vana Aphrodite, a genie in all her almighty. Well, with a few magical flaws like; missed directing a spell, being stuck in a attic, and invisibly conversing with her master. Upon meeting Vana, one would think she’s a genie in training, considering a strand of disasters she’s left behind. She sure hasn’t been living up to her surname, that’s for sure. But all that is about to change, Vana is about to meet her new master, who has no idea she existed, and he’s determined to get rid of all the karma bestowed upon his family for years, with or without her.

Magic Gone Wild is fun, humorous, and sizzles with sexual tension. The book started out a tad bit slow so it was a bit hard to follow. However, after a few chapters, I was able to get into the book and really enjoyed the interaction between Zane and Vana. Vana, in a way reminds me a lot about myself, clumsy in some aspects but always determined to correct past wrong. And Zane, his bad boy image, the love-them-and-leave-them attitude was subtly mentioned, however, you can see the changes in him as the book progressed. These two are different as night and day, but they are very compatible together when their attraction is at combustion level. I guess it is true about what they say, opposite do attracts. Zane and Vana kept me on my toes and kept me interested. Their small banter made me laughed throughout the book and as their relationship grew, I fell in love with them.

This is the first book I’ve ever read from author Judi Fennell and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I enjoyed every minute I spend with this book, specifically with Zane and Vana. Therefore, I would recommend this book to anyone who loved watching I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, or Sabrina the Teenage Witch. You will find all the little cute quirks from these shows within Magic Gone Wild and maybe more.

Rating: 4/5

Dead Awake by Lizzie T. Leaf

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lizzie T. Leaf is a fab author who knows how to make her reader laugh so hard that they almost end up peeing! (Not me, of course, *cough-cough* ;) This amazing series kicks off with the story of the beautiful Deb Stein & her "very frustrating & completely unexpected" death & re-birth from a spoiled over-sexed, loaded socialite into a dirt poor vampire, thanks to the mesmerizing, sexy vampire, Aaron Lowell. Now, some of us wouldn't cope well well with suddenly finding ourselves without our Dolce & Gabbana clothes or even worse, *gasps*, our Manalo Blahniks or Jimmy Choos, and Deb is no different. Her first thought as she wakes up as a vamp is to get out of the coffin & find her Jimmy Choos! But, life...err..death, has other plans for Deb and she finds out that she can't go home again, as the "Deb Stein" everyone once knew, is now dead! So, what is a brilliant, beautiful & versatile modern young vampire to do, with no money, no clothes, no roof over her head & no way to get future income? Why, she becomes a female exotic dancer & takes on the wonderfully wacky moniker of Dovey Divine, as she works her way into being a former human, re-awakened as a female vamp & plots her revenge against the sexy vamp, Aaron, who was responsible for her undesirable change!! As "Dovey", the former Deb Stein now has to learn how to deal with the fact that even though she is supposed to be kosher, due to her Jewish upbringing, she now has no choice, as blood is a required daily source of nutrition! On top of all her excitement, we find out that Dovey has some previously hidden dancing skills & she rocks the exotic dancing scene! But can all this good luck remain with Dovey, or does a chance encounter with a member of her former life end up causing more trouble than she can handle? And can she ever forgive Aaron for her unintended change? Pick up this riotously hysterical book from the funny, brilliant & beautiful Lizzie T. Leaf!! This lady is one talented writer who has some major skills and Dead Awake is a short story that you will love and laugh with, from beginning to end!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Info:

Waking up to discover you're dead isn't a gal's idea of fun!
Deb Stein loved to party until she took the hunk dressed as a vampire to her bed. Now she's one of the living dead and pissed about it. Plus, she has to find a new identity and WORK! 

The "Dead" Series with release dates:

Dead Awake ~ July 20, 2012

Dead Hunter ~ August 3, 2012

Dead Faint ~ August 17, 2012

Dead Memory ~ August 31, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five Hearts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

Review done by blogger: Vicki Rose, for several web sites, including this one.

~~~~~~~

Check out Lizzie & her work, here!
http://www.lizzietleaf.com/index.html

Shades Of Desire By Virna DePaul

Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home, paralyzed by fear and her failing vision.

Special Agent Liam "Mac" McKenzie has scars of his own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a tentative alliance-charged with desire. Through a soft-focus lens, Natalie dares to envision a future with Mac beyond the investigation...never guessing that the clues hidden within her photographs are drawing them into an explosive confrontation with a madman.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In this story you meet Natalie and Liam. 

Natalie was a famous photojournalist. She had been all over the world until she began loosing her sight due to an eye disease that quickly eats away at her sight. Because of this, Natalie doesn't really like to go out in public anymore, and when she is brutally attacked in her own home for an unknown reason she is terrified. 

Enter Liam "Mac" McKenzie

Mac is an agent and leader of a special investigations group that works all over the state solving horrific cases. When he hears of the attack on Natalie, Mac and his partner go and question her.  He needs Natalie's help identifying the criminal, only he isn't aware that Natalie is going blind and actually wasn't able to see the criminal,  something that she failed to mention at the initial interview with local police.  After the interview Mac's partner points out Natalie's blindness. Together, Natalie and Mac figure out that some pictures she had taken recently could hold the clues to the criminal and crime. 


The chemistry between Natalie and Mac is there from the beginning but neither of them want to act upon it. Natalie wants her space and is convinced she doesn't need help, and Mac just doesn't want a serious relationship and is focused on his job. 

It was nice to see they didn't just jump into bed right from the get go. The book had that believableness (yes i made that word up but you know what i mean *lol*) to it. You got to read from the villains point of view and you just weren't sure who it was at first. It was suspenseful but not frustrating suspense. It's worth picking up  and reading and I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.


Check Ms. Depaul at
http://virnadepaul.com/
or on facebook at 
http://www.facebook.com/booksthatrock

IN RIDES TROUBLE by JULIE ANN WALKER

They say trouble comes in pair, and boy, what a pair these two makes. The alpha and omega, ex-Seal, leader of of the pack, Frank "Boss" Knight is being tested beyond his endurance, mind you, it's not the sort of excitment like fighting the bad guys, but from the sexy temptress who happened to be the baby sister of one of his comrades, Rebecca "Rebel" Reichert. According to Boss, Becky is a walking arsenal. The way she walks, swinging those luscious hips around whenever she takes a step, her mesmerizing voice, any man who had the privilege of knowing her, can't help but either liked her or fell in love with her. But don't let those beautiful eyes fools you. She's a dare devil and the best mechanic in town, she can yeild a wrench just as good as any male mechanics, maybe even better.

But in Becky's case, Frank is just the distraction she needed, or so she thought. Not that Becky's life was dull or uneventful, as owner of a chopper shop, she has all the fun and adventures she needed riding her Harley. However, upon meeting Frank Knight, Becky knew she was in trouble. Frank is bossy, intimidated, and his look will put any man in his place. But not Becky, she has always been able to keep up the hard exterior of her image, no man is going to boss her around, in her own shop. But being so close to Frank, he stirred her desires, tempted her passion with those covert eyes, as if he was undressing her where she stood. It's only a matter of time until either one of them give in.

Passion, danger, excitement, you'll find it all in this 2nd installment of Black Knights Inc. And since this is my first time reading Ms Walker's novel, I was very impressed with IN RIDES TROUBLE. It definitely lives up to its name, edgy, super hot and sexy, the Black Knights Inc men will leave you breathless. So if you like living on the edge, enjoy life with a little bit of spice, the Black Knights Inc series is definitely for you. I've fallen in love with all these special men and is looking forward for more of this series.

You can find Julie at:  http://www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor


RATING:

CALL ME WILD by ROBIN KAYE

Love, how does one define its meaning? According to Wiki, Love is an emotion of a strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. So how I interpret this, it’s the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. But what if there’s someone out there who doesn’t believe in love or the idea of being in love?

Jessie James was a successful sport reporter for the Times. Her love for sport and writing was what put her on the top, not to mention she can bat just as good as the guys playing for the Cardinals. Okay, so that may be exaggerating a tad too much. But for a girl, she knows her stuffs just as good as any male sport fans. The only thing that would make other women be jealous of her, Jessie got to visit the athletes behind closed doors. That’s right ladies, Jessie once walked into a locker room full of naked athletes, how’s that for an ego boost. Nonetheless, having a successful career doesn’t mean Jessie has everything. What Jessie lacking, is love, and in her case, she doesn’t even believe in love.  

Fisher Kincaid on the other hand, he’s Mr. Perfectionist, major OCD on cleanliness, and one of the best looking heartthrob on this side of the globe. Did I mention he’s also a doctor and single?  That’s right, not only does this hunk-a-dunk has the look but he also has the brain. Talk about smart and sexy all in an explosive package. Mind you, it’s not like Fisher didn’t want to settle down and have a family of his own, his problem is, he hasn’t met anyone who’s able to tug his heart in the right direction…until now. At first glance, Fisher was drawn to the beautiful and standoffish Jessie James. But no matter what he tried, her favorite answer to him was always no. So when she proposed the idea of having a research partner for her next project, Fisher quickly agreed and even willing to volunteer himself as a test subject.

So call me cupid but I love seeing these two, from opposite ends of the stick making a go for each other.  Wouldn’t you? As the pages turn, you can see how the plot sizzles and  the explosive chemistry between the characters will make you roll over laughing. Though this is my first time reading a book by author Robin Kaye, Ms. Kaye was able hook me in right at the first chapter. Call Me Wild is riveting and wickedly funny, the comedic quirks the author included kept me laughing from the beginning to end. Especially at the way Fisher was being rejected by Jessie. Overall, this is definitely the best romantic comedy I have read all year.

You can find author Robin Kaye at: http://www.facebook.com/RobinKayeWrites

RATING:

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LIZZIE T LEAF

Welcome everyone, it’s good to see you all back here for this interview and giveaway. This week, our special guest author is Lizzie T Leaf.  In case you don’t know, Lizzie’s BEYOND MAGIC was awarded the Colorado RWA of Excellence 2012 for Best Paranormal. Also, her MAKING CHRISTMAS has won the Love Romances Best Historical Book 2011. But don’t think this is all she has won, check out her website for more award winning reads at : http://www.lizzietleaf.com/index.html

Prior to the interview, Lizzie and I sat down for a chat to get to know each other. This is what she has to say….

Lizzie: In addition to writing, I love to hang with my family and travel with my husband.  Seeing other cultures and meeting terrific people are at the top of my LOVE to do list.

My first print novel, Stuck by Lightning won the 2007 Beacon Award in 2 categories, and now that the rights have reverted back to me is being expanded and re-edited for Indy Publishing.

Making Christmas, a Christmas Historical Novella won the 2011 Love Romances Café for Best Historical.

Beyond Magic, the first book in the Magical Love series, won the 2012 Award of Excellence for Best Paranormal/Fantasy/Sy-fi.

Currently, Musa Publishing is re-releasing all of the books in the DEAD series, my take on life as a vampire and the friends they make.  DEAD Awake (formerly Waking Up Dead) has been re-edited and is scheduled to release July 20th to kick off the re-releases over the next several weeks.  Needless to say, since I wrote it there’s not a lot of blood & gore in the series, but the publisher loves it and I’ve contracted to write additional books.

BBL: So as a new author, I’m sure a lot of our readers would like a little bit background of how you came to be an author. When did you start your writing career?

Lizzie: Like lots of other authors the writing bug bit me in childhood.  To me it was an easy way to earn a big fat A, so loved the semesters in English with Fiction as the focus.  Now for term papers not so much.  A lot of my teachers didn’t appreciate my literary twist on history and other dry subject matters.

No idea as to my first story…long term memory loss here since that was a lot of years ago.  As to the one that started to road to publication, that is a novella about the phone sex industry.  I do have the rights back on it and am trying to decide if I want to self-publish it and several other books I’ve not contracted for re-release

BBL: Where do you get your ideas on what you write and what about it that fascinated you?

Lizze: Any and everywhere.  A song, a TV show, a snippet of overheard conversation, something on the news…they all offer ideas.  And then I also am blessed with friends who go, “You need to write a book about…..”  There suggestions are always fun to listen to even if it is something that doesn’t fall into a genre I think I could work with.

BBL: Have you ever been so engrossed in writing a book that you have gone out in public wearing your PJs?

Lizzie: Nope.  But I do get so engrossed I miss appointments, forget to start dinner and when a great roll, totally ignore the phone or even the doorbell.

BBL: What has been the toughest criticism/best compliment given to you as an author?

Lizzie:Toughest criticism, a one word comment by someone on a site several years ago…  “Yuk!”  That was it, no reason as to why the book that went on to win awards gave them such a strong negative response.  Guess it is all a matter of taste.

Best compliment…anytime a reader tells me how much they loved one of my books.  Lately, I’ve had several people say, “I can’t understand why you aren’t at the top of the bestseller list.  I love your work.” 

BBL:We all know that erotic romance is on the rise due to the explicit content, do you have any personal quirks that help you write the intimate scenes?

Lizzie:Lots of wine!  Amazing how relaxed one becomes…*g*

BBL: As an author, what is your least/most favorite moments in the books?

Lizzie: Least favorite…At times it can be writing the sex scene.  How in hell can I make this different from the past several, etc?

My favorite moments are creating the story.  I love developing characters, even when they go off in their own quirky direction and resist my ideas.

BBL: Have you ever written a book that even you’d blushed a little bit?

Lizzie: My first erotic book did make me squirm a little, especially since I basically wrote it on a dare.  Some members of my critique group at that time had branched into erotic romance and didn’t think I could do it…they said I was tooooo nice.  My response…”Watch me!”

BBL: What’s your favorite position for writing?

Lizzie: My idea of a little bit of heaven is sitting in a lounge chair on the beach under an umbrella with a rum drink in easy reach and a book on my lap.

Oh, that wasn’t the position you were asking about…well, aren’t we a bit nosey…LOL.  Okay, as for the other ‘position’ any that achieves the objective!!!

BBL: *laughs* And here’s another fun question for you so you don’t get quite bored with us, body shots or straight from the glass?

Lizzie: *giggles* How about some of both?

BBL: Nice, I prefer both ways myself *laughs* Well, as much as we love having you and wanting to keep you with us, we know you have to get back to writing  those amazing  books. But before we let you go, is there anything you’d like to say to our readers?

Lizzie: Thank you to everyone who has read my books and contacted me to share their impressions.  I love hearing from readers and anytime I’m doing ‘in person’ signings or attending a conference, I love it when readers come over to chat.

***And there you have it ladies and gents. And in case you guys do want to look over author Lizzie T Leaf books, you can find her as directed from the links below.

DEAD Awake available at Musa Publishing July 20th.  http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_39&products_id=335

Will also be available at Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and All Romance eBooks shortly after the Musa release.

Connect with Lizzie at:

Website: www.lizzietleaf.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizzie.t.leaf?ref=tn_tnmn

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizzietleaf

And keep up with her happenings on her blog: http://lizzietleaf.blogspot.com/

Contest:

To enter the drawing for a $10 Musa Gift Certificate (available for Kindle, B&N, PDF & and other readers), all you need to do is make a comment here!  Plus, author swag from Lizzie & a few of her author friends will be mailed to the winner. Be sure to check you are a follower of BBL to qualify for this giveaway. Two winners will be selected on Saturday 07/21. Good luck everyone and thank you for making Lizzie feels so welcome at our humble abode.  OPEN TO BOTH US AND INTERNATIONAL READERS!!!!

"Seduced by Blood" Laurie London

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, there is a battle for supremacy between two Vampire coalitions and it is madness: Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors….

Tristan Santiago is a hot-blooded, hard-edged, as the Guardians’ region commander he has an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface. Now there is a dangerous plot against his fellow vampires and the only person who can help is the one he can’t seem to read: the mysterious Roxanne “Roxy” Reynolds, who soothes his tormented memories with her sensual presence.

Roxy put love before duty once before, and well it didn‘t end so well. Now she needs to put her faith into Santiago, the only man who seems to have the skills enough to break through her defenses to figure out who the dangerous killer is in their midst. Santiago and Roxy, pose as lovers and work side by side---and discover a realize there is a powerful craving that threatens to devour them both…

“Seduced by Blood” is just that you are pulled in right away and so seduced that you will not want to put this book down. I absolutely love the stories were opposites attract and they realize later down the road they fell in love right in the beginning. London has an amazing way allowing her characters to grow solo as well as together while they try to figure things out. As well as her use of words to allow the reader feel the emotions of her characters and put themselves into the action. Now, if you want to see how Santiago and Roxy come together and find out who the threat is, then pick up a copy of this book and find someplace to hide because believe me you wont want to be interrupted. 

You can find Laurie at: 
http://www.laurielondonbooks.com/


Rating:

"Claiming Julia" by Charisma Knight

~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
Julia has now realized that her boss is more than meets the eye…Angus McNamara is a dragon shifter desperately wants Julia and will do anything he can to consume her. Biggest challenge is making her believe what she really is while trying to claim her the way a true Connricualen Dragon should as his Fire Mate. Julia on the other hand has her own idea.


The opening with her having a dream, pulled me in and I wanted to know more! Knight certainly grabbed my attention. This is one of the most exotic romance novels I have ever read about dragon matting.

Wow! If your looking for a heated, passionate romance with a little dominance this is definitely the book for you.

http://charismaknight.blogspot.com/?zx=e0f25c0cf22307f

Rating 4/5

"Rebirth" by Rebecca Royce

~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carly Penn’s older brother is married with the help of the 1 Night Stand service. Now, she turns to Madame Eve herself to have one final night of passion to help her handle her final days as terminal cancer steals her life. Even though she knows it may not make her completely happy, its worth a shot right?

Agoston Barabás a vampire watched his true love, Dorika, murdered two hundred earlier, and now clings to a dying promise that she will return to him. Now he sits and waits for his lover to come and find him. After meeting his date through 1 Night Stand he is shocked to realize that the soul of his lover now lives in Carly.

As things get heated up during their passionate lovemaking, Carly is offered an unexpected option. Live or die together, will she risk eternity with a vampire or die alone?

Dear golly miss Molly! I can honestly say that after reading this I am looking forward to reading more from this author. She brings her characters to life with her use of words. Going to admit with a vivid imagination I felt like I was there in Carly’s shoes. So if you want to know Carly’s decision, you should definitely get yourself a copy of this book and see for yourself, trust me you wont forget it!

http://www.rebeccaroyce.com/

Rating: 5/5

Jesse by C.H. Admirand

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lonely, and dealing with the pain of having his heart ripped from his chest, twice. Jesses Garahan life completely changes when he comes across two damsels in distress, a mother and her tiny spit fire cowgirl daughter on the side of the road in Pleasure, Texas.

Danielle Brockway now a newly single mother, and very protective of her daughter. She is determined to not get hurt again by some dark haired cowboy, no matter how badly her body reacts when she is close to his.

C.H Admirand really hit close to home personally with “Jesse”. Watching a single mother struggling to start over, protecting her daughter while trying hard to fight her bodies urges when it comes to the attraction of some handsome stranger. Though I don’t know the author’s personal story but to get me to cry in the middle of reading makes me think there is a possibility she’s lived the life of some of her characters. Without a doubt one of the best western romances I have read, and will for sure catch up with her series. So if your looking for a book that has a deep, heart felt story then I suggest you read this book along with the others. Enjoy!

http://chadmirand.com/home-2

Rating:5/5

"Floor Time" by Liz Crowe

~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack Gordon is Ann Arbor’s most delectable bachelor and is suppressing his natural Dom side due to a disastrous experience years earlier. He’s made millions as a top-selling real estate broker. With his rugged good looks and compelling personality, he has a black book most men would give their left nut for and he uses it often.

Sara Thornton, is a rookie at Ann Arbor’s but has fast-tracked herself to the top of the market. As her career takes off, the fulfillment she seeks remains inexplicably out of reach. She is determined to make sure she does not become one of Jack Gordon’s groupies, though the thought of it is extremely tempting.

When it comes to a book with a little BDSM, Liz Crowe’s “Floor Time” is absolutely a must read! I am sure if any person male or female who has or had been into the Master/submissive relationship or even considered it, would know or would experience what these two characters went through. Crowe brought out the personal inner struggles of a former Master who lost his way, and a newly introduced submissive who is battling within herself between keeping the control or giving up said control willingly.

While I am reading I normally put myself into the female character’s shoes and I would have to say with some personal experience I would have felt the same way, though probably handled it a bit differently. So if your looking for a way to enjoy a known fantasy or maybe you’d like to consider a little rough play I say pick up this book for some inspiration, you will not regret it. :D

http://lizcrowe.com/


Rating: 5/5

Ransom-by Emily Guido

~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Second book in The Light-Bearer Series called Ransom is a continuation of the trials and tribulations of Tabbruis and Charmeine's love story. Tabbruis and Charmeine are God's soldiers and have been sent to earth to battle Satan's minions. But having to fight Hell's minions is far from their only problems... The peace of their happy home at Castle Carmeine is shattered when the Guards of the Elder Council are sent to collect Charmeine and Tabbrius to deal with the Chaos of uniting the Blood-Hunters, but wait, that's not all... Their relationship then gets a sucker-punch when a Blood Hunter from Tabbruis' past comes back to stir up trouble just as the news that one of their most dangerous enemies, Lord Cromwell, a very powerful Blood-Hunter is delivered, and of course Tabbruis has something Lord Cromwell desperately wants, the very pregnant love of his life, Charmeine. They say "There is no rest for the wicked", but in Tabbruis and Charmeine's case the saying should go "There's no rest for the righteous*

~~For those who have read and loved Charmeine, the first book in the series, Ransom is a must read. There is definitely no shortage of action and emotion in this book. Emily certainly packs it in. She lets us in on some of Charmeine's growing powers, as well as gives us sneak peaks of the younger generations powers. There is so much going on in this book that you will be kept busy from page one, I know I was hard pressed to put it down once I started reading it.


Emily’s website is:http://emilyguido.com
Emily’s Facebook page is:https://www.facebook.com/thelightbearernovelist
Follow Emily on Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/Emily__Guido

~~~~Snippet from Ransom~~~
Lord Cromwell said, “Do you remember when you were created Angel?”
Charmeine was taken aback by the question saying, “I remember everything in Heaven. God has shown me.”
Lord Cromwell said, “Apparently not everything.”
Charmeine said, “If this is a way to cloud my mind, it won’t work on me.”
He said, “I assure you, Angel, I am not using my power on you.”
Charmeine leaned back against the sofa and said, “What then?”
Lord Cromwell got up and went over the fireplace and started to poke it making all the wood burn thoroughly. Charmeine watched his every move because he was so graceful and dripped with masculinity.
“Angel, when you were made…” he said trying to find the words he sat back down looking deep into her eyes saying, “Angel, you, Charmeine… were made for me.”
Charmeine looked at his eyes and could see that he was telling the truth. Then she remembered his tricks and treachery throughout time and began to laugh out loud and said, “You must be tripping!” She shook her head muttering, “You wish. I can’t believe you! You are one messed up man!”
Lord Cromwell looked intently on her and said, “You, Angel, were originally made for me.”

Tabbruis and Charmeine

Charmeine began to shake her head back and forth. She was angry now! She was Tabbruis’ mate and no one else! She was incensed and screamed, “Never! Tabbruis is my soul mate! He was made for me, and I was made for him. Your trickery and clouding are well known.”
Lord Cromwell ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair and part of his hair fell back on his face. Charmeine was fascinated by his movements.
Lord Cromwell chuckled and said, “Believe me Angel, I wish it was that easy. I wish I could trick you and cloud your mind.”
Instantly Charmeine thought, ‘I bet you wish you did; anything to get your hands on me!’
Lord Cromwell smiled and raked his eyes over her body. His eyes became black with want and he swallowed hard saying, “Well… you are certainly right about that, my Angel.”
“About what, Cromwell?” Charmeine said.
Lord Cromwell smiled, pursed his lips and said in a deep lusty voice which enticed her, “My Angel, you can stop editorializing your speech, but not in your mind,” and he gave her an all-knowing look.
Lord Cromwell moved closer to Charmeine sitting on the couch next to her. He turned to face her, and she could feel an attraction. He smiled as he lifted little strands of her golden hair relishing the feel of them in his hand. Lord Cromwell said sweetly and softly, “I have been waiting centuries for you to come to Earth, Angel.” He moved closer to her and she trembled. He leaned forward and smelled the crook of her neck. He said softly into her ear, “Ah… Angel, you smell like roses.”
Charmeine turned her head and looked into his eyes and said, “What’s going on? What are you doing to me? Stop it! Stop this now! Don’t!”

Lord Cromwell

Lord Cromwell moved back and smiled with his full lips wetting them down. He seductively said with a small growl, “Is something wrong Charmeine?” and she looked in him the eyes and they were pinpoints of ice blue with rings of black of desire.
Charmeine could see Lord Cromwell knew damn good and well what he was doing. This made her infuriated! Charmeine yelled, “I love Tabbruis! You think you can lick your lips and devour like I was a hunk of meat? What a conceited piece of…”
Lord Cromwell interrupted her thought when he shouted, “Damn Pascal! I hate that… Pascal that spawn of Satan… This is his entire fault! God damn him! I wish he was alive, I would torture him with the same heartache he has levied on me all these years!”
Charmeine looked surprised and said, “What in the Hell are you talking about?”
Lord Cromwell answered, “Pascal convinced me you came to Earth a long time ago and was dead. That is why I agreed to be imprisoned in the Elder Council Prison.”
Charmeine said with a questioning look, “Oh okay…?”
As he put his hand on her shoulder, the heat from his hand electrified Charmeine. Lord Cromwell smiled in pleasure closing his eyes.
Charmeine loved Tabbruis, only Tabbruis, and she cringed!
Lord Cromwell opened his eyes and said, “Angel, with you gone, I had nothing to live for anymore. That is why Pascal convinced me to be imprisoned. Without you being alive, I felt like I had nothing…” He closed his eyes wincing in pain.
Taking a big breath to steady his nerves, Lord Cromwell looked into Charmeine’s eyes saying, “I did not know you were alive. When you defeated the Elder Council, I knew I had been lied to and deceived. That is why I had to escape and find you Angel. I had to find my Angel, my soul mate. It is you Charmeine. You were designed to be mine and mine only.”
Charmeine gulped a mouth of air because she wasn’t breathing… she was in a state of shock. Lord Cromwell took her chin and caressed it. She felt his warmth on her skin.

Courtesy of David Gandy and Jennilinh Dinh

Just then Charmeine thought about Tabbruis’ touch, and it snapped her into reality. She pulled away from Lord Cromwell and turned her head.
Charmeine said incredulously, “You think I was made for you?” Then she turned and looked at him in the eyes and said, “You really are messed up?” She shook her head and said, “I am sorry Cromwell, but I know for a fact I wasn’t because I remember waking up and Tabbruis was there in front of me while the Son, guided our hands together.”
Charmeine turned away and smiled with revelry of the moment she saw Tabbruis. She thought, ‘God, Tabbruis was stunning and gorgeous in his golden armor with his deep green eyes looking at me with perfect love.’
Taking Charmeine’s shoulders in his hands and making her look in his eyes, Lord Cromwell said, “Angel, I was there before you were made.”

Author Francesca Hawley Interview & Giveaway

Summer is finally here so are you guys ready for some HOT reads? To start things off for the month of July, here's one hot author for you all to check out. Recently, were were able to sit down with Ellora's Cave author, Francesca Hawley for a quick chat. She has written many titles published by EC, but her most recent release Alpha vs Alpha has left something to be desired. That is if you want to be charmed by these dominating men. But whetther they charm you on a date or charm you in bed, author Francesca Hawley surely knows how to deliver a hot and steamy novel to fulfill every woman's dream.

Alpha vs. Alpha

Alpha female Serena Goldwolf has spent a lifetime vowing never to be a submissive mate to any Alpha male. But all it takes is one surprisingly sexual meeting with Damien Blackwolf, a dissatisfied client of her shapeshifter dating site Predator-Match.com, and she’s down on all fours, wanting to be mounted by the hottest male on two legs—or four—whom she’s ever met.

Damien Blackwolf doesn’t understand why the voluptuous Serena won’t admit they’re True Mates. To convince her, he decides to bring out her baser desires by dragging her off to someplace private to get to know her…intimately. But how can he convince her of their destiny when she runs away from him? Guess he’ll just have to hunt her down and persuade her.

 

In a passionate battle of wills, there most definitely can be two winners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BBL: *Waves* Hi Francesca. Could you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into writing?


Fran: Hi. I’m Francesca Hawley and I’m a fat chick. A woman with dangerous curves just like my heroines. Many people don’t like the word, “fat” but I do because it’s the truth and I’ve learned to own it. I am a fat chick and I always will be.

When I began writing, I wanted to create a fat heroine who loved herself—or at least learned to love herself—and a hot alpha hero who liked her jiggly bits just the way they were. Since I didn’t find many big girls to read about, I decided  to write about them myself. After all, I loved to write and had been writing almost as long as I’d been reading, so Francesca Hawley – author of "Romance with Dangerous Curves" was born.

In a Francesca Hawley romance, my readers will find authentic, sensual, fat heroines who love and are loved by their intense, passionate, and seductive Alpha heroes. I hope you enjoy their dangerous curves just as much as their hunky heroes do.

BBL: Do you remember the first romance novel you read and what/who inspired you to write Romance?


Fran: I read a lot of Victoria Holt when I was young. I loved the gothic romance style that I read back then. My reading tastes have always been really varied but I loved a happy ending. My mother was really my inspiration. She told me I could do whatever I wanted to do. She was my biggest cheerleader and she knew that one day I'd be published if that was what I wanted to do.


BBL: Can you tell us what is your writing style and do you have plans for expansion?


Fran: I write in a lot of different subgenres of romance. I've written paranormal, contemporary, BDSM, and historical. Stories just come to me so I try not to limit myself to one particular subgenre. I love having the opportunity to write whatever inspires me. Sometimes it can be a drawback because I can get a little scattered, but overall I enjoy the variety.

BBL: Have you ever had writer's block? If so, how do you go about it?
Fran: I had some tough health issues last year and because of the illness and after effects of the general anesthesia, I got very little writing done last year. To try to get past the problems I'd had, I spent Christmas with a family friend in San Jose last year. It made a big difference and my writing is going better for me. I'm excited to write now

BBL: Can you tell us about your current release and any WIP that will be coming out soon?
Fran: My most recent release is Alpha vs. Alpha. I originally wrote it back in 2004 and it was released in 2005. When I received my rights back, I rewrote it a bit and submitted it to Ellora's Cave. I was super excited when my editor offered me a contract for it.

Right now, I'm working on another shapeshifter romance featuring Serena's Predator-Match.com  matchmaking agency. Yohana Whitewolf is a packleader in need of a mate to placate her pack and Dr. Per Goldwolf is a surgeon in need of a mate to placate his boss and be accepted as partner in a surgical practice. When Serena pairs them up, sparks fly. 

BBL: As a published author, do you have any advice you would give to other aspiring writers

Fran: There are a couple of things I tell aspiring writers. First, find a writer's group of some kind. At least find someone that you can critique with because it's hard to write in a vacuum. You need input from others. Second, I'd say to never give up. Rejections are hard to take sometimes, but if you don' t give up at some point you will receive "the call" and be a published author.

BBL: As an erotic writer, do you read outside of your genre? if so, who?

Fran: Yes, I read outside my genre often.  I read erotic romance, but I also read some "mainstream" romances. Most recently, I've been re-reading some fantasy novels. I enjoyed David Eddings' series The Belgariad. I also love reading books by Robin D. Owens. She's an auto-buy for me whenever she releases something new.

BBL: Do you have a favorite line from any of your published books?

Fran: One of my favorite passages from Alpha vs. Alpha is where Serena and Damien first meet one another and Serena is immediately attracted to him, despite herself.

Unable to suppress her temper, Serena growled. His gaze flashed to her and she felt it all the way to her womb. Damn but he was hot. Life was just not fair.

She challenged him—head up, shoulders back—inspecting him from top to bottom and allowing her gaze to linger, as if she were checking for fleas. His shoulders were broad and filled his Italian suit to perfection. His broad chest narrowed to athletic hips, and she would bet money that his belly sported a six-pack, and not of the beer variety. He had the kind of face that artists wanted to sculpt and women wanted to sit on. His eyes were the piece de resistance—large, dark brown and thick-lashed beneath perfectly arched brows.

In short, he was a god—or a male model.

BBL: People say practice what you preach, where do you get your research and was any of them were hands on?

Fran: A lot of my research is from books, but I do a bit hands-on research too.  I've attended a Citizen Police Academy. It was a lot of fun, and it helped me with some specific points. I've also been active in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) for a number or years. When I was writing my medieval romance, Seeking Truth, I had some questions that I asked some of my fellow SCA folk. They were a wonderful resource.

BBL: When not writing, what are your hobbies or things that you enjoy doing?

Fran: I enjoy photography, weaving, bead making, and traveling.

BBL: Do you have any personal indulgence that you can share with your readers?

Fran: Chocolate. I love all kinds - dark, milk, and even white.  There's a fabulous store in the Des Moines area called Chocolaterie Stam. They have some of the best chocolate around.

Giveaway: There you have it guys, a new author BBL has the pleasure of meeting and introducing to you all. We hope you'll find her books and give it a twirl, we hope you'll enjoy it as much as some of our other readers and staff. As always, our giveaway is OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL. One (1) signed book will be awarded to US readers, and one (1) ebook will be awared to our International readers. For participation guidelines, please see below:

1) Must be BBL Follower

2) Comment below this posting

3) Must LEAVE YOUR EMAIL

4) Tag BBL when sharing this post on your Twitter or FB