Tag: ebook giveaway

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 5-26-13

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

Sunday Post

I’m going to make this a short and sweet Sunday Post. It’s a three day weekend here in the U.S. and I hope that you’re having a terrific time if that applies to you! (It’s a typical cloudy weekend in Seattle, but any three-day weekend is a great weekend)

Current Giveaway:

Lightning Rider by Jen GreysonLightning Rider by Jen Greyson (ebook)

Blog Recap:

B+ Review: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
C Review: Chasing Mrs. Right by Katee Robert
B+ Review: Lightning Rider by Jen Greyson
Guest Post on the Importance of Mentors by Author Jen Greyson + Giveaway
B Review: Doctor Who: Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris
B+ Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Stacking the Shelves (46)

Antiagon Fire by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.Coming up this week:

Review: Antiagon Fire by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Review: Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee
Review: The Shirt on His Back by Barbara Hambly
Review: Big Sky River by Linda Lael Miller

What are you reading this week?

Guest Post on the Importance of Mentors by Author Jen Greyson + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> Book Giveaway> ebook giveaway> Giveaways> Guest Posts

Today I’d like to welcome Jen Greyson, author of the totally spectacular Lightning Rider. This one absolutely pulled me in and swept me away–or maybe I should say stormed in and took me under? Read my review and you’ll see just what I mean.

Lightning Rider large blog tour button

A huge thank you to Marlene here at Reading Reality for letting me visit (can I get a huge round of applause for librarians everywhere?)

With my first book coming out, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on what got me here, and the points that stand out have all dealt with my mentors along the way, so I wanted to talk about the . . .

Importance of Mentors by Jen Greyson

I’m an eclectic. In every aspect of my life. My resume looks like those paintings where the artist throws random splashes of color on a canvas–the end result is passionate and beautiful, but it’s messy in the creating. I used to say my erratic work history made me a journeyman. Once I started writing, I realized it was fodder for my stories.

Because I have such a huge network filled with people from nearly every profession thanks to all those jobs, I’ve also been able to rely on the sea of humanity to give me mentors.

When I think of a mentor, I picture someone who has succeeded, who didn’t quit, who’s gone the extra mile to be exceptional. But when it comes to writing, my mentors aren’t all mega-accomplished writers. They’re also accountants and financial advisors and fiberglassers.

Lightning Rider by Jen GreysonSee, mentoring has to encompass every area of my life. I can’t be a writer without learning how to socialize and listen, respect deadlines and be tenacious, devote myself to my work and turn out the best possible product. Having a mentor in each of those areas gives me someone to admire and emulate, but they’ve come from every walk of life. A very blue-collar worker I know is a genius at listening and making a person feel like he’s hanging on their every word. An interaction with him makes me feel very special. I want my readers to feel that way when I meet them, so I watch the nuances of his interactions as he mentors me.

Writing is a solitary profession. I go in a room, talk to my imaginary friends for several hundred hours, and give those ramblings to other people and ask them what they think. It’s all very bizarre, if I really think about it. My daily interactions with people are pretty brief and superficial. (Not because I want them to be, but cashiers tend to want you to move along quickly and don’t care that it’s been 4 days since you’ve had an adult conversation. 🙂 Since they’re brief, I need them to be impactful and memorable, and not in a bad way. If I can make someone feel special (even in our 2 minute interaction), that’s an awesome day. But I have to work at it because socializing and listening doesn’t come naturally, I’ve had to learn and practice and improve.

Having great mentors means being a great disciple. I have to be someone they want to continue to teach. If I argue their points, or act like a jerk, I don’t imagine the mentoring would last long.

In my new book, Lightning Rider, the main character, Evy, gets bombarded by people who want to mentor her and she must choose wisely. The wrong mentor is often worse than no mentor. While the stakes in most cases aren’t ever saving-the-world-or-die-trying like they are in Evy’s, they are impactful and deserve the right mentor.

I’d love to know, do you have a mentor in your life? Is there one from the past that sticks out? Are you a mentor to others? What’s the most impactful thing you’ve learned from a mentor—or mentored to someone else?

Thanks again to Marlene and all her readers.

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Jen is kindly giving away one ebook copy of Lightning Rider. To enter, use the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jen GreysonAbout Jen GreysonFrom the moment she decided on a degree in Equestrian Studies, Jen Greyson’s life has been one unscripted adventure after another. Leaving the cowboy state of Wyoming to train show horses in France, Switzerland, and Germany, she’s lived life without much of a plan, but always a book in her suitcase. Now a wife and mom to two young boys, she relies on her adventurous, passionate characters to be the risk- takers.Jen also writes university courses and corporate training material when she’s not enjoying the wilds of the west via wakeboard or snowmobile. Her new adult fantasy, Lightning Rider, comes out May 31 and features a Latina heroine with some serious superpowers.To learn more about Jen, visit her blog or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.

Interview with Author Robin Covington + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> blog tours> ebook giveaway> Giveaways

My special guest today is Robin Covington, celebrating the recent release of the delicious His Southern Temptation (read my review here). She’s also the author of the quite yummy A Night of Southern Comfort (reviewed at Book Lovers Inc.) Robin’s books do read just like steamy Southern nights!

Take it away, Robin…

Marlene: Robin can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

His Southern Temptation by Robin CovingtonRobin: Hi Marlene! I’m so incredibly average it isn’t even funny. I’m 44 years old, married for 19 years and the mother of two (10 and 8). I’m a lawyer for the Navy by day and I write romance at night and in my spare moments. (What are those?) And, I sing in a band. When I’m not writing I love to watch movies (comedies and action movies) and I’m a comic book geek.

Marlene: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?

Robin: My day usually begins very early. I’ve been getting up at 5 am to get in an hour of writing before the kids get up but I’m re-starting P90-X workouts and that will take over the sunrise slot. I take my laptop to work and I write at lunch and then I usually hit my office around 9 pm to write for a few hours before bed.

I’m a plantser. 🙂 I do have a very loose outline that I follow but I write free-flow and I take turns and changes as they come. I have to have some sort of outline because I’m too Type-A to just see what happens.

Marlene: What was your inspiration for The Boys are Back In Town series?

A Night of Southern Comfort by Robin CovingtonRobin: I grew up in the South in a town like Elliott, VA, and the Boys are all based on my cousins and the boys I grew up with. They loved to hunt, fish, drive fast cars, watch football and they were so tight. They had each others back. Many of the crazy things that happen or are mentioned about the Boys in my books are based on real-life events but I changed the names so that I can go home for Christmas!

Marlene: Did you have any particular “boys” in mind when you envisioned Jackson, Lucky, Teague and Beck? Was there a cast list in your head?

Robin: Oh yes – I looooove to dreamcast my people. I have a Pinterest account where I have a board for each book so readers can stop by and check it out.

For me, Jackson is Joe Manganiello, and Lucky is Alex O’Loughlin. Teague is Jensen Ackles and Beck is Jason Behre. They grow them hot and lickable in Elliott.

Marlene: Tell us a little bit about the rest of the series? And what comes next on your schedule?

Robin: Book Three, Slow Southern Burn, is about Teague and his unexpected romance. The woman and the situation they find themselves in is completely unexpected. Book Four is about Beck and he is confronted by a woman from his past that he didn’t treat so well when he was young and well… young. The books are currently slated for October and December release.

I have a June release from Brazen coming up called Playing the Part – the hero is a fun, sexy movie star and the heroine is a romance novelist.

After that I am trying something brand new – a paranormal. It will be a fun, flirty contemporary set in Washington, DC. 2014 will also see a book in a wedding trilogy with two other Entangled authors and a book about assassins in love. After that…

Marlene: What is your favorite scene from the book and why?

Robin: My favorite scene is one on the staircase in Elliott House between Lucky and Taylor. I don’t want to give too much away but that scene is full of sexy anger and angst. Love. It.

Readers keep telling me that the scene makes them cry and my reaction is – “YES!”

Marlene: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Secret Santa Baby by Robin CovingtonRobin:

  1. They are about real, fun, people you want to hang out with.
  2. They are full of humor and just enough emotion to keep you turning the pages.
  3. They are sooooo sexy. Warning: I am not responsible for any 9 month party favors that result from reading my books! 😉

Marlene: What is your favorite thing about the writing experience and why?

Robin: It is so freeing. I get go anywhere and be anybody and do anything. And then I get to share it with awesome readers… that is the good stuff.

Marlene: Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn’t know to ask.

Robin: Dave Matthews and one of his bandmates slept on my floor in college. We booked them for a mixer before they became so huge and they needed a place to crash. I’m sure that whenever he writes a song about a kickass, gorgeous chick – he means me.

Marlene: What was the first book that made you love books?

Robin: Anne of Green Gables. I must have re-read that entire series a million times. I still love it and I cannot wait to read them with my daughter. Anne and Gilbert were my very first romance. Sigh.

Marlene: Name a book that you’ve faked reading.

Robin: The Iliad. I took Latin in high school and I totally read the Cliff’s Notes instead of reading it in Latin. Snore. I just couldn’t do it.

The Perfect Play by Jaci BurtonMarlene: And a book you’ve bought for the cover?

Robin: The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton. I mean…seriously… that cover almost made me pregnant just looking at it. I know my ovaries exploded at the very least. But is also a great book!

Marlene: And one book you most want to read again for the first time?

Robin: Psycop by Jordan Castillo Price. That book just blew me away–the premise, the characters and the mystery just made my brain sizzle. I still inhale the whole series at least once a year.

Marlene: Morning person or night owl?

Robin: Night Owl. I get a second wind at 10 pm and I’m up until 2 am easily. I think I think I’m being naughty…

Thanks so much for having me!

Robin CovingtonAbout Robin CovingtonRobin Covington, who NYT Best Selling authors, Robyn Carr and Carly Phillips, said was their new “auto-buy author”, writes sizzling hot contemporary and paranormal romance.A Night of Southern Comfort, her best-selling debut novel earned 4.5 stars and was touted by RT Book Reviews as bringing a “fresh, modern feel to the genre while still sticking to the things that get our adrenaline pumping — sex and danger”. When she’s not exploring the theme of fooling around and falling in love, she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Joe Mangianello.Robin is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Washington Romance Writers, a faculty member at Romance University, a member of the Waterworld Mermaids, and a contributor to the Happy Ever After blog at USA Today.

Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children, and ginormous puppy.

You can find Robin on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Robin is kindly giving away one ebook copy of His Southern Temptation to one lucky commenter. To enter, please use the Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

His Southern Temptation by Robin Covington Blog Tour Button

Guest Post by Author Carol Van Atta + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | ebook giveaway> Giveaways> Guest Posts

My guest today is Carol Van Atta, the author of a fun (see my review) new paranormal romance I Kissed a Dog. Her heroine just might be able to fill that upcoming Sookie-sized hole in your reading schedule.

Addicted to Love, Romance, and Relationships?
Remember Reality!
Carol Van Atta

I Kissed a Dog by Carol Van AttaLike most authors of paranormal romance, I like the idea of love and romance with a paranormal twist or two that spices things up for the couple. I’m also a fan of love that is intense, at times irrational, and often impulsive. It makes for great reading. However, because of the hot topics we write and/or read about, we might want to consider adding a warning label to our special brand of sexy, supernatural shenanigans.

Warning: Hot and Heavy Romance leading to heated hormones and hellacious heartbreak may result from attempting replicate the relationships in this book.

What I’m saying … we need to keep our feelings for steamy supernatural romances that have the potential to shred our hearts and maybe even our hope, in check.

So, let me ask you, have your friends ever pointed out your relationship failures? Ever heard the word co-dependent and cringed? Do you excuse and tolerate behaviors that are unacceptable and hurtful in your mate? For example: He makes me bleed because he can’t help himself. He is, after all, a vampire. Or … he only bosses me around when the moon is full; remember he’s a werewolf.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the above questions, you just might be in an unhealthy relationship and possibly addicted to love, romance, or the idea of participating in a relationship despite the painful consequences and high emotional price tag.

I know the scenario all too well. It’s easy to fall for those alpha males we inhale like a breath of fresh air while devouring our favorite romances, paranormal or otherwise. The stories make dysfunctional and dare I say, at times, borderline abusive men appear so tantalizing. They also tempt us with the notion that can’t live without a specific relationship/person … think Bella sitting in that darn chair following Edward’s departure in the Breaking Dawn, The Movie.

Why am I bringing up this depressing topic?

Because it’s important to remember the books we read, featuring men who ultimately bring danger and even disaster to our lives aren’t good for us in the real world. We don’t have super powers, (unless you’re hiding something) to combat the villains and vicious characters that seem to cling to these men like a pair of poured on leather pants. Nor are we equipped to handle all the chaos that accompanies them, roaring down the main street of our heart.

But the main reason, friends, is because I care. I know what it’s like to search for love in the darkness hoping it would light up my life. Unfortunately, I ended up with a blood thirsty vampire latched onto my neck unwilling to release his relentless and painful hold. What seemed so enticing and intoxicating in the beginning became poison to my heart and life. When a vampire is attached to your throat, it’s hard to live life, let alone experience love.

This special post is just a reminder for us to enjoy the lethal love in the books we read, without allowing our desire for love and romance to overpower our commonsense.

On the lighter side, this is what makes reading paranormal romances the safe and better option. I took this from my website.

Why write a series of books about wolfy-men, who according to legend, howl at the moon, shed fur, and shred their victims with their big teeth – oh my?

I think the explanation can’t ignore the psychology of women. Do I speak for all women? Of course, not! But I do know (right or wrong) a wide range of women (myself included) are, or have been at some point in the past, drawn to “bad boys,” men who for whatever reason live daringly adventurous lives, doing things that often cause them to stand apart from other less intense guys, the type of guys we might refer to as uber reliable or b-o-r-i-n-g. Bad boys are so refreshingly far from boring, they’re not even on the same map. They’re typically easy on the eyes, usually in a non-traditional way, and have strong, possibly overbearing personalities; they are decidedly masculine in every sense of the word. Dare we say they’re predatory? They take control, go after what they want, and are nowhere near tame. Feral. Wild. Sexy. Dangerous. Yep. They’re beastly. And what’s more beastly than a werewolf? See my point?

If you want tame, werewolves are not for you. Danger isn’t for everyone. Yet, I challenge you to take a long look at the desires of your heart. Do you crave adventure? Excitement? Passion? If you’re breathing, I suspect you’ve wished for those very things a time or two … or three hundred. Don’t worry. And don’t be ashamed. You’re so not alone.

Men with supernatural tendencies tend to live outside the box we call normal. Excitement, danger, and passion cling to them like peanut butter to jelly. Yummy! And we just can’t help but want a taste. Granted, we may live our safe, predictable lives, but opening a book that rockets us into a world of romance, intrigue, and danger, along with a good dose of humor, allows us to experience those bad boys without the not-always-positive side effects. In other words, we can safely enjoy danger and desire without breaking a nail or nursing a broken heart.

Biting Back by Claudia CunninghamThat final sentence says it all. We can enjoy our wolfy guys from the safety of our favorite arm chair, without putting ourselves in harm’s way.

However, if you’ve found yourself dealing with an unwanted and toxic relationship, I’d like to recommend a resource you might want to check out. The book Biting Back by Claudia Cunningham, is a no-nonsense, no garlic guide to facing the personal vampires in your life.

Be safe. Love. Live. And read.

About Carol Van AttaCarol Van AttaLike most authors, Carol Van Atta is no stranger to the written word. She penned a short novel at age 12 (somewhat frightening illustrations included, and lots of bunnies were involved), and had a creative writing piece published in her high school newspaper (about David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs LP). Yes, she’s an ex-80’s chick.

Devouring books from numerous genres, Carol developed a deep thirst/hunger for more reading material, and could almost always be found with her nose in a book.

She has contributed to several popular inspirational anthologies and devotional books, and lives in the rainy wetland of Oregon with a terrifying teen (another in college) and a small zoo of animals. She is taking an undetermined hiatus away from inspirational writing to delve into her darker side. (Though you can check out her latest spiritual suspense novel, Soul Defenders). It is rumored that this genre-jumping occurred after Carol discovered too suspicious red marks on her neck, and experienced an unquenchable urge to howl at the moon.

To learn more about Carol, look for her on her website, on Facebook, and her blog.

~~~~~~TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Carol Van Atta, author of I Kissed a Dog, invites you to enter to win Ebooks and Promo Posters from her publisher.

  1. I Kissed a Dog, book one of Werewolves of the West, Carol Van Atta, with one poster
  2. Soul Defenders: The Black Orchids, Carol Van Atta, with one poster
  3. Black Moon, Jessica McQuay, with one poster
  4. Blood Betrayal, Alison Beightol, with one poster
  5. Morningside, Ashley Madau, with one poster
  6. Drama Queens, Kevin Klher, with one poster
  7. The Dogman Cometh, Jonathan Womack, with one poster
  8. Blood Destiny, Tessa Dawn, with one poster
  9. ONE BOOK OF YOUR CHOOSING FROM THE CHARLES RIVER PRESS/CAMBRIDGE PRESS CATALOGUE (EBOOK)

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I Kissed a Dog Button March-april 300 x 225

Blogo-Birthday Celebration and Giveaway Day 2

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blogo-Birthday> Blogoversary> Book Giveaway> ebook giveaway> Giveaways

Reading Reality Blogo-Birthday

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me!

Oh that sounds strange, doesn’t it?

Today is the second day of Reading Reality’s Blogo-Birthday celebration. This is, rather obviously, the birthday part.

(For a complete explanation of the Blogo-Birthday phenomenon, and to enter yesterday’s giveaways, click here)

It’s my birthday and I’m sharing the joy by giving away more books that I loved.

Devil Devere

Victoria Vane’s Devil DeVere series (A Wild Night’s Bride, The Virgin Huntress, The Devil You Know, The Devil’s Match) has been absolutely oodles of fun to read. There have been moments when I have wanted to shake some of the characters until their teeth rattled, but that’s definitely been part of what has made this series such a blast! Her characters are ones that you want to talk back to. And sometimes choke. Or slap. That’s what made me list the Devil DeVere series as one of the Best Ebook Romances of 2012 in my annual wrap-up for Library Journal.

Victoria is letting me give a complete (as of now) seven-book set of the currently released titles in the Devil DeVere series to one lucky winner for my birthday. Someone is in for a real treat!

Devere collage2

In addition, I will be giving away another Amazon gift card. Two more chances to win.

Can I throw a party or can I throw a party?

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Blogo-Birthday Celebration and Giveaway Day 1

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blogo-Birthday> Book Giveaway> ebook giveaway> Giveaways

Blogo-Birthday

Welcome to day one of Reading Reality’s Second Annual Blogo-Birthday Celebration!

“What’s a Blogo-Birthday?” I can hear you asking from here.

April 4 is the blogiversary, or is that blogoversary, of Reading Reality. On April 4, 2011, this blog was born. Woohoo!

April 5 is my own birthday. My mom told me that it was a Friday, but I’m not going to say which Friday. Some things must remain mysterious.

But to commemorate these occasions, I’m giving away some bookish prizes. (Think of them as a kind of Hobbit birthday. I have a party and give away presents!) Since it’s my party, I’m giving away things that I like. And I like books.

About Last Night by Ruthie KnoxOne of my favorite books last year was Ruthie Knox’s About Last Night. I loved it so much it ended up on my Best of 2012 list and on my Best Ebook Romances list at Library Journal. I wasn’t alone in thinking it was marvelous, it’s just been nominated for a RITA Award for Best Contemporary Single Title of 2012, and it’s not Ruthie’s only RITA nom this year either.

Ruthie has very graciouslyBig Boy by Ruthie Knox given me a copy of About Last Night to give to one lucky reader in celebration of my Blogo-Birthday. And, and, and, she’s also letting me give away a copy of her hot new story, Big Boy, part of the Strangers on a Train series. (I finished it this weekend, it’s hot and it packs a big storytelling punch).

I also want to share my joy of reading, so there will be also be an Amazon gift card giveaway today. That’s right, three great prizes to win!

Come back and party with me again tomorrow! I’ll be giving away more books and another gift card!

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Hero of My Heart Blog Hop hosted by Romance at Random

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Book Giveaway> ebook giveaway> Giveaways> Hero of My Heart Blog Hop> Romance at Random

Romance at Random is sponsoring a special Hero of My Heart blog hop!

Enter below to win from 3/31 thru 4/10 – Romance at Random will be randomly giving away books, including:

  • 5 eBook copies of Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton (on sale 4/8)
  • 3 eBook copies of A Vampire Salvation by Virna DePaul (on sale 4/22)
  • 2 eBook copies of Taking Shots by Toni Aleo (on sale 4/23)
  • and . . . . . one (US only) prize winner receives a box of books, including Debbie Macomber’s Starting Now!

That’s right, 11 winners in all!

Enter the hop using the Rafflecopter below then visit all of the participating sites to increase your chances – winners will be randomly chosen and this is a big one . . . it could be you! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveawayBe sure to visit the other participating sites for more chances to win those books!

Guest Post: Author Kathryn Barrett on Genre Busting + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> ebook giveaway> Giveaways> Guest Posts

My guest today is Kathryn Barrett, the author of an unusual and fascinating spin on the Adam-and-Eve story of the Garden of Eden, Temptation. She’s here today to talk about how her love story of a Hollywood actress and an Amish furniture maker (while extremely compelling, see my review for deets) breaks multiple traditional genre concepts in to tell its story.

Wow!

TemptationTour Banner

The Genre-Busting Book

I never set out to write an Amish romance. Frankly, I’ve never even read an Amish romance.

But somehow I managed to write one, at least seemingly write one.

Temptation is not an Amish romance; it’s a romance set in Amish country, a distinction I wanted to make clear. It features Amish characters, including a main character, Jacob, who is an Amish furniture maker.

Nor is Temptation, like most Amish romances, an inspirational romance (sometimes called Christian romances). In an inspirational romance, a character typically finds their faith (having nearly lost it during the course of the book) at the end. Temptation is, if anything, an anti-inspirational. Jacob does not (spoiler alert!) find his faith in the end. At least, not in the traditional way. I suspect he’s found something much better, but I’ll leave that to the reader’s imagination.

I never set out to write a genre-buster, but when I heard my publisher refer to it that way in an interview, months before Temptation was released, I realized she’d correctly characterized the book.

Temptation by Kathryn BarrettOne of my biggest fears, right before Temptation was released, was that I’d get awful reviews on Amazon, similar to some of Annette Blair’s, from people complaining about the fact that there’s sex in an Amish romance. Her books (which otherwise got very good reviews) feature explicit sex, as does mine, and I could just see the same outraged reviewers labeling my book “trashy” due to its content. So I tried to be clear in the early marketing: don’t expect to find a sweet romance here. On the other hand, the idea of very explicit sex, in this setting and between these characters, is somehow wrong as well. (That comes later, after the epilogue, trust me.)

Genre exists partly because readers want to be reassured when they buy a book that certain conventions are met: a happy-ever-after ending, a solution to the crime, etc. Readers want the comfort of knowing that their worst fears—of a main character dying, for instance—won’t come true. But sometimes we want a little extra in the mix: a police procedural cop who falls in love, a horror novel set in outer space. An Amish romance that doesn’t close the door when the hanky panky starts.

A few months ago some writers were talking about a rumor they’d heard of a new “Amish erotica” sub-sub-genre. We all expressed our shock—such a mismatch of expectations! But I wondered if my book had somehow contributed to that meme. Or is there someone out there writing hot, steamy Amish romance?

Perhaps they didn’t set out to write an Amish romance. Perhaps they’d never even read one…

What are the bounds of genre, and when is it okay to break them? Do readers’ expectations matter? I’d love to hear what readers think, in the comments.

Thanks for having me here at Reading Reality, Marlene, and allowing me to explore the idea of genre.

Kathryn BarrettAbout Kathryn BarrettKathryn Barrett has been writing women’s fiction since the day her youngest daughter left for pre-school. All was going well, until she read a book called “30 Mistakes In Fiction Writing” and realized she was making all of them.

One by one, she’s overcome the mistakes and learned to make a few more along the way. “The best way to learn to write is to write,” she says. “Period.”

Kathryn lives near London in the enchanting countryside of England. When she’s not writing, she’s busy training a rescue dog, tramping around archaeological ruins, and occasionally making wine runs to France. Because nothing fuels the imagination like a good Bordeaux.

To learn more about Kathryn, go to her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

~~~~~~GIVEAWAYS~~~~~~

Kathryn is kindly offering TWO giveaways! At Reading Reality, she is giving away an ebook copy of Temptation. The grand prize for the blog tour is a Kindle Paperwhite. Check out both Rafflecopters!

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Guest Post: Christine Bell’s Top Ten Songs for Knockin’ Boots To + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> Giveaways> Guest Posts

My very special, and very, very funny, guest today is Christine Bell. Christine is here to celebrate the release of the second book in her Dare Me series, Down and Dirty, with a Top Ten list that probably says a lot about Christine’s sources of inspiration. If her list doesn’t inspire, maybe her stories will dare you. Check out my reviews of Down for the Count and Down and Dirty to see just how daring Christine can be!

Christine, take it away!

DaD-500pxThanks so much for having me, Marlene! I’m thrilled to be here as part of the Down and Dirty Blog Tour. *drags in over-stuffed duffel-bag* *thunks it on the floor* I brought a LOT of stuff with me. *looks around* Nice digs you’ve got here, by the way. So where to begin?

First, I come bringing a CONTEST. *rifles through bag, pulls out CONTEST* It’s an awesome one, especially for readers who like clothes and shooz! My main character, Cat Thomas, is a fashion designer, and as such, she’s always decked out in the hippest fashions. Want to dress like Cat? Click on the rafflecopter and see all the ways that you can enter to win a $300 shopping spree at the clothing retailer of the winner’s choice!

[Coho Salmon male in spawning colors. Picture by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Pacific Region, used under the CC-BY-SA 2.0 license]

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Pacific Region

The second thing I brought *digs through bag* *pulls out whole salmon* *frowns* *tosses over shoulder* Ah! Here it is. *holds up EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT proudly* A short, exclusive excerpt of Down and Dirty, which is the second book in my Dare Me series. Check it out, and stick around to see the THIRD thing I brought. (You will like it. Pinky swear. So will your husband or boyfriend).

Okay, so this is one of my FAVORITE scenes, where Cat has decided the best way to get over Shane is to fix him up with someone else. They’ve signed him up for an online dating service, and Cat is starting to realize maybe this wasn’t the best idea…

Forty-five minutes later, their bellies full of beef stew sopped up with thick slabs of buttered sourdough bread, they sat back in front of the computer with their coffee and Cat logged in.

“Okay, it looks like you’re in.” She clicked on his profile and the desktop dinged. “And you have a message. Probably them welcoming you to the site, maybe some tips about how t—”

Before she could finish, it dinged again. Then again.

“Maybe they have a welcoming committee,” Cat said, clicking into the message center. Eleven new messages stared back at them, one of which was indeed a welcome from the president of MeetMyMate.com. The rest had numbers next to the subject lines, along with tiny thumbnail pictures.

All of them of women, lining up for a piece of him. Nuts.

Ding.

“Well,” Cat said brightly, pushing away from the table to let him get in front of the screen. “Seems like there was a hole in the market for someone like you at this place. You’re a hot commodity already.”

“So what do I do now?”

“Click on their avatars, read their messages, and see if you like any of them.”

“How will I know that from one message?”

Ding.

“You won’t. But at least we can weed some out. The maybes we can put into a separate folder, and then the yeses you can set up short dates with.”

Ding.

“Jesus H., can you turn that thing off?” she snapped. “It’s very distracting.”

He didn’t care that she sounded like a shrew, because her reaction could only mean one thing. She was jealous. Satisfaction surged through him, and he vowed to redouble his efforts.

“Sure thing.” He lowered the speakers, then clicked on the first message in the list. “Deedee Coruthers.”

An image of a waifish blonde filled the screen. Cat looked at it for a long moment, lips pursed. “Hmm…don’t you think her right eye looks lazy? Like it’s not really up on what the left one’s doing, and doesn’t care much to find out?” She made her eyes go slightly crossed. “It’s off-putting in person, I bet, because you don’t know which one to look at.”

He looked at the photo more closely, and while Deedee wasn’t a stunner, she didn’t look cross-eyed. More like tired. “I guess a little…”

She didn’t pay him any mind, already moving along to the next one. “Let’s see, what about her? Sara Mitchell. She calls herself an artist. That probably means she doesn’t have a job. She’s also a vegan, which means you’d have to deal with her meat-shaming you.”

He’d never been meat-shamed before. It sounded bad.

“And she probably does macramé,” Cat continued. “So that crap will be hanging all over your house before you know it.” She x-ed out Sara and pointed to another photo a few messages down. “She looks nice.”

“Her?” he asked incredulously, sliding the cursor to blink under a masculine face.

“Yeppers. She’s got an honest smile. I like that.”

“Greta Doyle,” he recited, clicking to enlarge her photo, which only succeeded in making her look even more like a man. “She likes sailing, waterskiing, and backpacking. Her favorite show is Nancy Grace, and she works as an occupational therapist.”

“Sounds perfect for you.”

So what did you think?! Cat really stepped in it this time, right? Okay, so I hope you enjoyed the all the thingz, and that brings me to my third and final thing, which I predict will be the MOST useful (aside from the salmon):

My “Top Ten Songs You Need to Add to Your Ipod in a Playlist Titled ‘Knockin’ Boots’ (That You Can Listen To While You’re Knockin’ Boots)™

If this doesn’t get things cookin’, I don’t know what will!

1. How Does it Feel – D’Angelo
2. Secret Garden – Quincy Jones featuring Barry White, Al B. Sure, DeBarge
3. Lost Without U – Robin Thicke
4. No Ordinary Love – Sade
5. Cry to Me– Solomon Burke
8. My Love –Justin Timberlake
9. Knockin Da Boots – H-Town
10. Electric Feel – Katy Perry (cover of MGMT song)

And a bonus one (because my husband is reading over my shoulder and MADE me add it).

11. Summertime – Miles Davis

Question for the readers! What should I add to that playlist????

christine bell picAbout Christine Bell

Christine Bell is a romance author and also writes erotic romance as Chloe Cole. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold ‘Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate–or, like, a ninja maybe. Christine loves to hear from readers, so please contact her through her website. You can also find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

~~~~~~TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

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DownandDirtytour

Guest Post: Nina Croft’s Top Ten Movies + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> ebook giveaway> Giveaways> Guest Posts

My very special guest today is Nina Croft, the author of one of my favorite science fiction romance series, Blood Hunter. She’s here today to celebrate the release of her latest book Bittersweet Blood. Even if it isn’t SFR, it’s still an awesome story of vampires, werewolves and paranormal romance. (review here)

Nina’s going to share some of her favorite movies with us (she has great taste!) and give away a copy of Bittersweet Blood. All you have to do is answer the question in the rafflecopter for your chance!

Read on…

My Top Ten Movies by Nina Croft

[movie post for Serenity]1. Aliens – best action movie ever.
2. Serenity – bring back Firefly!
3. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – because it started me on my lifelong love affair with Han Solo.
4. Love Actually – I watch this every Christmas. I love all the intermingling stories.
5. Terminator 1 and 2 – I slipped an extra one in there but I couldn’t decide which I liked better.
6. Pulp Fiction – another I love for the intertwining stories (and John Travolta!)
[movie poster for Gladiator]
7. Lord of the Rings – okay, that’s three films but they did such a fantastic job with such a huge story.
8. Gladiator – Russell Crowe in a skirt, what more can I say!
9. Dirty Dancing – I just love the dancing in this movie.
10. Avatar – for the special effects.

These are all films I watch over and over again. Half of them are Science Fiction and there’s not a single paranormal in there. I obviously need someone to recommend me some great paranormal films. So comment, and tell me your favourite paranormal movie for a chance to win an ecopy of Bittersweet Blood.

[photo of Nina Croft]About Nina Croft

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.

To find out more about Nina, look for her at her website, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Nina is giving away one digital copy of Bittersweet Blood!

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