Award-winning Romance Author A.C Arthur

                     










                                                                    Released 9/18/12
Released 9/25/12                                        

With two new books just released this month, we here at Bitten by Love Reviews wanted to introduce you to the amazing A.C Arthur.

Artist C. Arthur was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school and she hasn’t stopped since.
Working in the legal field for almost thirteen years now
she’s seen lots of horrific things and longs for the safe haven reading a romance novel brings. Her debut novel Object of His Desire was written when a picture of an Italian villa sparked the idea of an African-American/Italian hero. Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, sensual love scenes, racy characters and fresh dialogue—thus keeping the readers on their toes!
During the course of her writing career Artist has won the YOUnity Guild’s Best New Drama and Romance Author Award in 2005/06; been nominated 3 years straight for EMMA Awards, with the fourth time being a charm she took home the 2007 EMMA Award for Favorite Romantic Suspense; and has also received her first Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award Nomination for Best African American Romance. She is represented by Christine Witthohn at Book Cents Literary Agency, LLC.

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Here's a little about her new releases.......

Seduction’s Shift

Half man. Half beast. All consuming.

They hide their true nature from the world—part man and part animal—sworn to defend the human race against the untamed beasts among them…
She was his first love, his only love. But trying to rescue his beautiful Ary from captivity is one wild risk no man should take. Luckily, Nick Delgado is no ordinary man. His work in the urban jungle as a high-powered litigator has only fueled his ferocity, enflamed his passion—and sharpened his claws—to protect his mate.
Sleek, strong, and savage, a Shadow Shifter never surrenders…
Ary is a born healer who has devoted her life to the tribe—and her heart to Nick. But when the fierce and sadistic Sabar turns his jaguar eyes upon her, ARy becomes the unwilling pawn in a deadly game of shifting alliances. One man wants to use her talents to enslave humanity. The other wants to free her from their natural enemy. If Nick hopes to save Ary, he must unleash the beast within—and fight for the woman he loves…

Surrender To A Donovan

Dark. Dashing. Dangerous…The Donovans

She can’t resist him forever…
Sean Donovan is a man on a mission—to discover who is behind the popular relationship column that has transformed his family-owned magazine into Miami’s hippest glossy. But Tate Dennison isn’t the sassy columnist the hardworking bachelor expected. Nor is he prepared for the flash fire of passion the stunning single mother arouses…
The hunky magazine executive wants to mix business with pleasure, but Tate has one hard and fast rule: never fall for the boss! The once-burned advice columnist has no intention of becoming the devastatingly attractive playboy’s latest conquest. But what woman can resist Sean’s charms? Once she’s sample his kisses, can Tate protect her heart—even when a sabotage plot threatens the Donovan empire and their possible future together?


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One of our reviewers recently reviewed A.C Arthur's "Temptation Rising"....here is what she said about the book

      "Temptation Rising is the first installment of the Shadow Shifters series by A.C. Arthur. I have two words for you- Num Yummy. I actually read the the second book first, which, I know is almost always a mistake. Fortunately I did like the second book enough to go back and read the first.... thank god.... because AC knocks it out of the park. I was drawn in from page one and didn't want to put it down till the very end. As I knew it would, Temptation Rising filled in all of the gaps and information that I wanted to know about while reading book two-Seduction's Shift. Gah! Now I really can't wait for the next book to come out." ~ Tanna



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Stop on by A.C's website and check out her work
http://www.acarthur.net/
Add her to your facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ac.arthur.1
Or send her an email at acarthur22@yahoo.com





                                                                                             

Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood

Reviewed by ~Desere~



I have always heard that Julie Garwood is a brilliant author but then I hear that about a lot of authors and as they say if you do not try it for yourself you will never know !

So I went ahead and tried and WOW was I amazed at how good this woman is at writing I mean she had me completely mesmerized and trapped in a world of absolute passion,action,drama and just pure brilliant writing !

I loved the characters,the setting,the scenes were so vivid it had me on the edge of my seat and I could not stop myself from going every now and then " Oh my word Julie that was a brilliant move".

I liked how the characters relationship went a little on and off again every now and then,how they tried really hard to fight the attractions for each other.

The plot was well placed and twined together and the characters really complimented the story line. I do hope that Julie will surprise us with more !

Temptation Rising by A.C. Arthur

Temptation Rising is the first installment of the Shadow Shifters series by A.C. Arthur. I have two words for you- Num Yummy. I actually read the the second book first, which, I know is almost always a mistake. Fortunately I did like the second book enough to go back and read the first.... thank god.... because AC knocks it out of the park. I was drawn in from page one and didn't want to put it down till the very end. As I knew it would, Temptation Rising filled in all of the gaps and information that I wanted to know about while reading book two-Seduction's Shift. Gah! Now I really can't wait for the next book to come out. Oiy Roman is the definition of Apha, and I have to admire Kalina's strength of willpower. I mean, sheesh, the woman shuts down his every advance for far longer than any normal woman should be capable of considering the heat between the two.


Right now Kalina Harper's sole focus is on securing a position with as DEA agent, and the assignment that will help her achieve just that is seriously putting her willpower to the test. She is to go undercover as an account assistant at the law firm of  Reynolds & Delgado to dig up the dirty on the head honcho himself, Roman Reynolds. Unfortunately, after having worked at the firm for a couple of weeks she is unable to find any evidence that the man is in any way dirty. So she decides to break into his office after hours hoping to find something incriminating on his personal computer. Enter Roman Reynolds.

Roman is one of the partners of Reynolds & Delgado and is also the faction leader of the Shadow shifter tribe based in the US. When he walks out of the bathroom and into his office to find Kalina trying to hack into his computer he is taken back in time. He knows that this is the woman he had saved two years ago, and hadn't been able to forget ever since. Only, she doesn't know it was him that had saved her because he had been in his Jaguar form at the time. This time Roman is determined not to let her get away, and to claim her as his own. But first he has to convince her that she is his, and keep his arch nemisis, Sabar, from taking her from him.

Visit A.C. Arthur's website at for a sneek peek excerpt and to check out the rest of her scrumptious work- http://www.acarthur.net/books/temptation-rising/

Or find her on facebook here https://www.facebook.com/#!/ac.arthur.1

I am love love loving this series. It is a 5 heart read, and cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Cate Masters Interview and Giveaway!

The time has come for another great interview with another amazing author, and your chance to win an ebook copy of Cate Masters "Death Is a Bitch".  We here at Bitten By Love Reviews were lucky enough to be a part of Cate's Virtual Book Tour, so we hope you enjoy her interview as much as we do!

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Author Bio:

Cate Masters loves romance with a dash of magic and mayhem! Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”

When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers! Friend her on Facebook or Goodreads, or email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com

1.  When did you start writing and what was the first thing you wrote?

I was 11, and it was a poem. A really awful poem, I’m sure, lol. My friends and I used to write poetry in grade school, and sometimes collaborate. I still have all our original handwritten verses in a notebook, believe it or not. My goal back then was to write song lyrics, but my singing voice is too weak, and I can’t play any instruments! Luckily, I fell in love with writing of all kinds, and loved writing essays for homework, articles for the school newspaper, and finally fiction.2. 

2. Where do you get your ideas on what you write?
So many different places! I have an overactive imagination, so am constantly applying the old “what if” to various scenarios. For Death Is A Bitch, the title struck me first, and the story evolved from there.

3. What are some hobbies or things you are into that you do when not writing?
I spent much of my time with my three grandboys, ages 4, 2 and 1. They keep me hopping! I’ve been in love with music since I was practically their age. I squeeze in reading and photography whenever possible.

4. Have you ever been so engrossed in writing a book that you have gone out in public in your pajamas or slippers without realizing it?
Ha, no, luckily. We live about thirty minutes in any direction from any form of civilization, so we usually plan out trips to town so we don’t have to spend too much time in the car. I have done things like drive past exits or other places I needed to go when I was engrossed in working out a plot line or dialogue.

5. Can you tell us about any challenges you met getting your first book published?
My first book was a literary family saga titled Orion Rising. I had some interest from agents but nothing stuck. This year, I finally self-pubbed it. Rejections are always tough, but it’s important to keep plugging away.

6. What has been the toughest criticism/best compliment given to you as an author?
A reviewer once included, as part of her review: “Never read a Cate Masters book? What’s wrong with you? You are missing out on a great author who writes such romantic tales that really touch your soul.” I could have kissed her, lol

Hm, the toughest criticism probably comes from my crit partners. I encourage them to be tough on me, though – it’s the only way I’m going to improve!

7. What is your favorite immortal?
Oo, toughie. I’ve written angels and demons and love them both. I have a terrible time selecting favorites because I have a short attention span!

8. Light or dark chocolate

Dark! But I don’t turn down any chocolate, lol

9. Favorite Color

Any shade of blue. I’ll say cerulean because it sounds so lyrical, lol
 
10. Tea or coffee

I love both, but hot black tea is what I rely on to get me through the day.
 
11. What is your current project and when is your next release?
My muse is hyperactive, lol. I had been working on Book 3 of The Goddess Connection, but after a trip on the Turnpike by myself, a contemporary came into my head and that’s taking shape nicely. I’m excited about another dark paranormal I recently finished and subbed, set in Venice during Carnevale, and another sub to a small press under my other pen name for a set of interconnected literary stories. Fingers crossed for release dates soon!

12. Do you have any message to the readers?

Don’t believe what you hear about Death. She’s really a sweetie at heart!

And I love to connect with readers, and other authors, through any or all of these social media:

Blog:http://catemasters.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2944596.Cate_Masters
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CateMasters (I’m terrible at it, though!)

Thanks so much for having me at Bitten by Love! It’s been a pleasure.

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Book Description:

Eternity can suck when it’s all work, work, work. Death harvests souls even when they stack up faster than pancakes in an all-you-can-eat-buffet. No wonder she can’t shed the Grim Reaper rep.

As the patron angel of death and dying, Azrael works closely with Death but is dying for true intimacy. She’s the only immortal who’s ever aroused such powerful emotions in him. One taste of her leaves him needing her like humans need air and food, but will a demon’s lies leave a bad taste?

No one escapes Death – except King Sisyphus. Twice. With the help of Damien the demon, Sisyphus tries again, and she’s determined to have justice. Some say Death’s a bitch, but only when she has to be. But will the price of justice be a broken heart?



Thank you all and good luck!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Savage Hunger by Terry Spear

 This is the first book in the series Heart of the Jaguar.  It is a fast past shapeshifting, paranormal romance with a great plot.  Set in the Amazon region of South American this story tells about brother and sister,  Conner and Maya and their chance meeting with Army captain, Kathleen McKnight. 

When Kathleen is kidnapped and injured on a mission, Jaguar shape-shifter, Connor Anderson, happens to stumble upon her and saves her life. Long after the incident Connor can not get Kathleen out of his mind and when he finds her wandering in the rain forest a year later he becomes determined to keep her as his own.  Not long after she arrives, the drug lord hears that she's back on his turf, and he wants her. Through the story Kathleen, Connor and Maya face the danger the Amazon Jungle represents in their trek to get home.

The only downfall I had to this book was that Kathleen just excepts what happens to her life and future after she meets Connor and Maya. There wasn't a lot of fighting him on her part, I guess I'm used to a little more resistance from a female character. 

Overall it was a good story with a nice plot.. I will definitely read the rest of the series as it comes out :)
 
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In the heat of the jungle, jaguars are clawed, dangerous, and hungry for love. With hopes of overcoming night terrors and thanking the man who saved her life, Kathleen McKnight returns to the Amazon. A jaguar at heart, Connor Anderson doesn’t just protect her, but wants to claim her for his own.

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Visit Terry Spear at 
http://terryspear.com/ 

 

Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane

Cassie McPherson is vice president of her family’s construction company and always puts business before pleasure. Which is why she does not have a date to the company Christmas party. Also doesn’t explain why she is crazy to hire an escort for the event…or even crazier for wanting to unwrap him like a present…

　

With a killer smile and whiskey-colored eyes, James is one of those men who can fill out a tuxedo very nicely. He is able to charm absolutely everyone…including Cassie. The night has ended, but the party isn’t over yet. Cassie is falling, literally into his bed, James can not help but fall head over heels in love. He’s now got to figure out how to tell her the truth: he is not an escort. He actually is her family’s fiercest business rival. Yea all he wants for Christmas is her…

How can anyone not want a gorgeous hunk as a Christmas present? I am sure every women who picks up this book would all agree. Katie has such a creative author. We all know that rivalries especially in business can go good or bad when a personal relationship is formed…to find out if Cassie and James work out, you will have to pick up this book and see for yourself.

http://www.katielanebooks.com/

 

Shades Of Temptaion by Virna DePaul

Carrie Ward understands dangerous men, and she's got the scars to prove it. These days, the Special Investigations Group detective saves her risk taking for the job. But when she's asked to pursue a high-profile serial killer, she'll have to join forces with the last man she wants to depend on—Jase Tyler, an ace senior detective who's as reckless as she is cautious. And despite her best intentions, the sparks begin to fly.As Carrie and Jase race to try to save the next victim, the passion that simmers between them ignites. But a cunning killer at the top of his game is challenging carrie to play to the very end. Now all she can count on are her instincts—and Jase, the one man daring enough to keep her safe….


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Virna DePaul has become one of my top authors. I first read Shades of Desire and knew I needed to read the next installment in the SIG series. Shades Of Temptation is yet another great read. But be forewarned, there are some disturbing details in this book. 

Carrie Ward is assigned her first serial killer case.  Having been injured recently she was ready to get back to work, but some felt she wasn't ready. Enter Jase Tyler, the one man Carrie has always harbored feelings for. They are teamed up together to find this serial killer. During the investigation Jase decides he doesn't want to keep his feelings for Carrie a secret anymore and throughout this story the two struggle with everything involving each other, their own pasts and finding the killer.  

When they finally find the killer they come to realize that they also have a copycat killer on their hands and it wasn't just one killer but two. Which adds a whole other twist to the story. 

I definitely recommend this book and series. This can be read as a stand alone. But I wouldn't miss out on the first book. 

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You can find Virna DePaul on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/booksthatrock?ref=ts
Or her website at
http://www.virnadepaul.com/

I give this book 

PLUS 1 

An Imperfect Wife By Grace Wen

A homesick woman finds comfort in the arms of a new friend -- her husband's boss.

Nicole Evans wanted to support her husband Josh's career, even if it meant moving away from their hometown, family, and friends. So what if he didn't ask for her input before accepting the job? They needed the money, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Standing by him was the right thing to do.

But Josh's crazy schedule leaves her lonely and taken for granted. With no friends or job to fill the long hours, she turns to Adam Cahill, Josh's handsome boss, for a sympathetic ear. She tells herself it's a harmless crush. Until she kisses him. And he kisses her back.

Nicole feels guilty, but she's doesn't want the affair to end. What will she do when Josh discovers she's an imperfect wife?

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I'm sure this story will hit home for a lot of women. Some parts even I, a happily married woman with three beautiful kids, could relate. No, I'm not talking about the falling in love with my husband's boss part. But once you read, you'll understand.  It doesn't involve drugs, thugs or the paranormal. No Christian Grey -thank god- type book, but it is written in the first person with Nicole telling her story. Although it is not based on someone's real life and is listed as woman's fiction, this story of all the books I've read, feels like the most real. It's about a job that takes a husband and wife to a new home and a new town. When Nicole meets her husbands boss, Adam, she immediately find an attraction to him and him to her. As the story progresses they start to struggle with lust, love, what's right and what's wrong. An Imperfect Wife is a nice novella that I really enjoyed. I would absolutely recommend it. I am interested in seeing if Ms. Wen continues on with the story. 

and 1/2 hearts 

You can find Grace Wen at 
http://grace-wen.blogspot.com/ 

When You Give A Duke A Diamond By Shana Galen

He had a perfectly orderly life...

William, the sixth Duke of Pelham, enjoys his punctual, securely structured life. Orderly and predictable—that's the way he likes it. But he's in the public eye, and the scandal sheets will make up anything to sell papers. When the gossip papers link him to Juliette, one of the most beautiful and celebrated courtesans in London, chaos doesn't begin to describe what happens next...

Until she came along...

Juliette is nicknamed the Duchess of Dalliance and has the cream of the nobility at her beck and call. It's disruptive to have the duke who is the biggest catch on the Marriage Mart scaring her other suitors away. Then she discovers William's darkest secret and decides what he needs in his life is the kind of excitement only she can provide...

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This is the first book in the Jewels of the Ton Series.  When You Give a Duke A Diamond is a nice Historical Romance that has some twists and turns.  Its entertaining and a real page turner.  The characters must deal with murder, mystery and conflict.  We meet Juliet and William. They must work together in this story to keep Juliet from danger after she witnesses a brutal incident. The friction between them brings out their true selves and a connection that they both needed. This book is a great start to a series that I'm sure will be amazing. 4 stars to Shana Galen. Can't wait for the rest! 

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Visit Shana on her website at
http://www.shanagalen.com/
Or on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/shana.galen2?ref=ts

Conditional Offer by Liz Crowe

This book was top notch ! Passion and I mean real hot blazing erotic passion,fantastic characters,superb storytelling and true stunning work !

I loved every second of this fast pacing romance packed novel. It was the first time I read something by this author but I will be coming back for more for definite sure !

The characters were written with such emotion that it was one of those where I experienced the "oh I am going to slap him so hard or strangle this chick " moments during more than one scene.

The only drawback that I had was that this was book 5 in a series and in certain scenes seemed to be taken from previous books and it left me a little lost.

But overall a definitely excellent read !

A Cowboy for Christmas by Lori Wilde

Now who wouldn’t want a Cowboy for Christmas? Widower and mother, Lissette has enough on her plate, with the recent death of her husband and the news that her son was slowly becoming deaf, and that she was trying to start up her own baking business, she didn’t need anything else, until one day her whole life is turned upside down and becomes one lucky women in getting what all us girls dream for…a new sense of self and a dreamy cowboy who comes to her rescue.

Rafferty just wanted to do the right thing by the older brother he barely knew, by giving his widower and their son the money that should have been theirs in the first place. He was not prepared to care for her and her son, but he realizes that he is in love with her and plans to make this a Christmas to remember, making a promise and was determined to keep it whether she believed in them or not.

Lori Wilde is an amazing author when it comes to capturing how a women facing so much with life’s curve balls can still make it through everyday challenges as well as adapting to the changes with help of an unexpected stranger. She captures not only the personal struggles but also how people’s influences can effect our own decisions and helps us come to our own conclusions. I also love the fact that at the end of this book there is a surprise, and was extremely excited about.


http://www.loriwilde.com/

Wed to a Highland Warrior by Donna Fletcher

It has been prophesied that four men, raised as brothers, will bring Scotland back to her rightful glory. Now the final brother is ready to take his place in history . . .

Desperate for protection from the false king’s soldiers, Bliss a Pict healer/seer, she claims the Highland warrior Trey MacAlpin as her husband. Her powers foretold she would intertwine with the four brothers who protect the identity of the true king…Fate never allowed her to see it would be like this!

Trey could not believe he had agreed to wed Bliss. But since she knew the secret he and his brothers were sworn to keep, it made he both valuable and vulnerable….Now more than necessity binds them together in these dangerous times. The passionate fire raging in his heart insists Bliss is not merely his bride, but also his destiny.

This is the final book to Donna Fletcher’s Warrior King series…and I know like myself we all have our thoughts on who the true king is. Well in this book all secrets, even those we didn’t know of come to come to light. Donna is absolutely an amazing author. She always makes her characters come to life, and tied all the lose ends beautifully. So if you want to know how this battle ends and what the final brother goes through dealing with his past and present then I suggest you get your hands on this book to find out for yourself.

http://www.donnafletcher.com/

　

The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires-by Molly Harper

 Molly Harper's quirky and often snarky sense of humor kept me laughing all of the way through The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires. If you have ever read any of Mary Janice Davidson's Betsy the Vampire books and loved them, then you should definitely go and pick up this book. I think that I enjoyed the relationship between Iris and her sister/ward Gigi the most. Molly did a fantastic job portraying the relationship in a way that allowed them to be the best of friends and still go through the trials and tribulations of parenthood. Of course, I also certainly enjoyed the sparks between Iris and her stray Vampire Cal as well.

After Iris' parents are killed in an accident she is guardian to her little sister Gigi. Iris makes the choice to bring Gigi to her, but when it becomes clear that things just aren't working out and her sister just is not adjusting to all of the changes being forced upon her: Iris decides to move back to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, and into the house that they grew up in. Of course this means that Iris can no longer finish getting her degree and will have to choose a different line of work. That is when she came up with the concept for her Beeline agency. If you are a vampire in need of a personal assistant who can and will do your errands during daylight hours then Iris Scanlon is your woman. The only hard and fast rule/no-no she has is that her relationships with the vamps are strictly business. In fact she tries her damnedest to be in and out of the vamp's houses only when the sun is up. That hard and fast rule receives a shake when she stumbles over her new client, Cal, lying helpless on his kitchen floor after having been given poisoned blood. Weak and unable to fend for himself Cal persuades Iris, by offering her an abnormally large fee, to take him to her home to hide out until he can find out who is mucking with the faux blood supply and had tried to take him out of the picture. Along the way a relationship develops between Cal and Iris and now that hard and fast rule has crumbled; putting her life and Gigi's in dire straights.
 

Molly's website- http://www.mollyharper.com/

Molly's facebook- https://www.facebook.com/molly.harper1

Funny, funny, funny- 5 hearts all the way.