Friday, September 13, 2013

Fall Into Romance blog hop featuring Maven, Nemesis, Sizzle and the Dark Reign series





I am delighted to be part of the Fall Into Romance Blog Hop.  I have the great good fortune to be able to share three different authors whose books I was very thrilled to find, one because I had the opportunity to edit, one set which captured my attention because I liked the premise in the blurb and one which I found through participating in a hop.

First, allow me to introduce you to a wonderful New Adult (think college-age protagonists) Science Fiction Romance tale which is called the 'Endure Series' and thus far has two volumes, Maven and Nemesis.

                                          



My blogpost about Maven is at this link.  I will be reviewing Nemesis next week but I will say now that it was a terrific sequel and I am anxiously awaiting the next title in the series.  I really enjoyed both of these titles because I like the mixture of science which appeals to the geek in me (it is set primarily on a research facility that is located beneath the sea and features dolphins--although they are very minor characters for the most part) and the blossoming relationship between two very brainy young adults who are finding their way in life and with one another.  Yes, there is plenty of angst and I found myself wanting to smack them a couple of times but it is still a very fun read and I think that anyone who remembers being an awkward outsider anywhere can identify with these folks.

GIVEAWAY (one of three)

I am delighted to be able to offer an e-book copy of both Maven and Nemesis thanks to the generosity of the author, S.A. Huchton.  Please enter by leaving a comment about what you find interesting about science fiction stories along with your valid e-mail address.  (I always appreciate those of you who become followers of the blog but don't believe in twisting your arm).  A winner will be chosen from eligible entries by using Random.org after the blog hop is over (i.e. after midnight Sept. 21, 2013 West coast U.S. time).  My impression is that international entries should be admissible provided it is not illegal for you to accept such a prize (but I am definitely NO lawyer)

Please make sure that you mention which of my prizes you are trying for (and leave a separate comment, each with a valid e-mail address for each of prizes you wish to win) and THEN make sure you click the pretty button at the bottom to visit other blogs on the hop...you have until September 21, 2013 to visit the others so please try to space things out, lol.

 I remind interested readers that the first book of the series, Maven is only $.99 for the e-book Maven (The Endure Series) and the author is hosting a wonderful blog hop, my stop is at this link with interesting prizes to celebrate the release of Nemesis (see this link for details on other blog stops) which is only $2.99 for the e-book--Nemesis (The Endure Series, book 2)
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Adult title:

                                          


I had the great good fortune to read the contemporary erotic novella Sizzle because I was given the opportunity to edit it.  This is the first work I have read from this author, and I sincerely think that she has an excellent voice.  I was impressed by the breezy and comedic tone of the novella and enjoyed the various secondary characters, including a budding artist who threatens to steal the show for a brief time.  My blog post about the story is at this link.  I love tales that tickle my sense of humor enough to make me giggle as I read them and this author did a great job of that.


SIZZLE by Darcy Lundeen

Published June 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

BLURB:

She needs lessons in developing sexual sizzle. He’s only too happy to be her teacher.

Betsy Kincaid has no sexual sizzle.

At least that’s what her boyfriend claimed before he dumped her.
Determined to prove him wrong, Betsy puts learning to sizzle at the top of her to-do list. And who better to provide the lessons she needs than the safe and oh-so-willing gay guy who just moved in with her gay buddy?

Matt Pollard has had his share of disastrous relationships, so when the chance comes to help a foxy lady develop her sexual mojo while also enjoying some no-strings-attached bedroom action, he’s happy to oblige.

Unfortunately, they get more than they bargained for when romantic emotions threaten to complicate their simple arrangement.

Then Betsy discovers Matt isn’t gay. Her sense of betrayal at being misled is matched by his resentment at being blamed for an innocent mistake. But their anger could cost them the thing they both want most: a chance at true love.


EXCERPT:

As the hero, Matt, embarks on his first lesson of showing heroine Betsy the way to develop sexual sizzle, he embellishes on the art of kissing by devising his own special category of kisses. But I’ll let him explain it in the following excerpt. 

“Kiss,” he said and took her face in his hands. “Always start slow.”

She tensed. Starting slow had always been her style. She loved starting slow, but something about him was making her feel nervous. Then his mouth touched hers, and nervous was the last thing she felt. Sheer panic was the first.

    She tried to move her head away to tell him no, wait, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. But he stopped the movement, his hands holding her there. Not harshly, really very gently, like a man who had done this before. True, he’d done it with other men, but a face was a face, she supposed, and a kiss a kiss, no matter the sex of the people involved.

And then his right hand drifted down the side of her neck, raising goose bumps all over her body, and she thought, Whoa, that guy’s right hand is good.

Then his left arm drifted around her body, pulling her closer, and she thought, Really rocking left arm, too.

Then his teeth nipped at the corner of her closed mouth, and she thought, Great teeth, his dentist must be so proud.

Then his mouth did some primal thing—a slow, half-sucking, half-nibbling movement that raised another round of goose bumps on the goose bumps she already had and, without knowing how it happened, Betsy felt her mouth open to him and stopped thinking as his tongue worked its way inside, touching her tongue, stroking it, curling around it, and sending a shaft of heat clear down to her toes.

She cuddled closer, then closer again to get more of that primal thing he was doing. But too soon he eased away, gently breaking the lip-lock, and Betsy’s goose bumps screamed at her to grab the guy’s head and pull his mouth back. Only his words stopped her.

“Starter kiss,” he whispered, and she blinked at him and thought, If that was a starter kiss, what did the next level up feel like?

Then he lowered his head again, apparently to show her.

“The starter kiss is like an appetizer meant to prepare your taste buds for the next course,” he explained.

Betsy gave a half-nod. Made sense to her. It was certainly preparing her taste buds—something she suddenly realized Tyler’s starter kisses rarely did. Maybe because he usually also used them as finisher kisses just before he jumped her uncomplaining bones.

    “This kiss is like a main course,” he said as his mouth came closer. “More intense but still not the hot-as-hell version. That one we save for dessert.”

    “Dessert,” Betsy murmured.

    Then his lips touched hers, pressing gently to coax her mouth open, and for a moment she forgot about dessert and willingly concentrated on the main course as the primal thing he did got more primal. He nibbled gently at her lips, then let his tongue come out to play, licking at the places he’d just snacked on until Betsy gladly opened her mouth to him. No coaxing necessary. Again, his tongue invaded—an intrepid explorer that seemed determined to know every inch of her. He did it so slowly, too, as if he would happily take days to do the job right if he had to.

    “See the difference?” he asked a long time later when he finally broke the kiss but still kept his lips against hers.

    “Difference?” she echoed dreamily.

    Oh yes, she saw the difference. The starter kiss had turned her body into one gigantic quivering goose bump. This kiss had drenched her thong. She took a breath, almost afraid to think what his dessert kiss would do. Probably burn the skin right off her lips.

    “Now the dessert kiss,” he said, and Betsy thought, Oh well, what’s a little singed flesh when measured against the benefits of higher education?

I’ll end here, but needless to say the scene continues a while longer so that Matt can demonstrate everything else he has on his menu.


BUY LINKS:
Amazon 
Barnes and Noble
Secret Cravings Publishing


BIO:
Darcy Lundeen has long been a writer and researcher, working on topics as diverse as multiple sclerosis and the Soviet Union (when there still was a Soviet Union). She enjoys visiting the Ancient Egyptian and Etruscan exhibits in museums, taking long walks, and concocting stories about everyday people who laugh a lot, cry a little, and ultimately find the happily-ever-after they deserve.
Her debut novel, Finding You Again, was published by The Wild Rose Press in January 2012. Her second book, Sizzle, was published by Secret Cravings Publishing in June 2013.

She can usually be found at the following sites:
Blog
Facebook
Facebook Author Page
Twitter 

GIVEAWAY
To win a copy of this fun title please leave a comment with a positive way you have coped with a breakup.  If you are one of the fortunate folks who has never experienced a breakup, leave a comment with a positive way you cope with disappointments.  Please leave a valid e-mail address.

Please make sure that you mention which of my prizes you are trying for (and leave a separate comment, each with a valid e-mail address for each of prizes you wish to win) and THEN make sure you click the pretty button at the bottom to visit other blogs on the hop...you have until September 21, 2013 to visit the others so please try to space things out, lol.

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Adult titles

                   



The Dark Reign series by Mychael Black is a m/m erotic paranormal romance series featuring a fascinating mixture of personalities and talents.  I am not crazy about the covers but I really enjoyed the stories themselves.  There are necessarily limitations because of the brevity of the tales and I hope that one of these days these short stories become fleshed out into longer novellas (or novels!).  The author has very generously donated an e-copy of each of the four tales in this series to one lucky winner!
My reviews can be found at the following links:
Dark Reign:  Found review
Dark Reign: Oathbound review
Dark Reign:  Atonement review
Dark Reign: Fight or Flight review



GIVEAWAY:  Please leave a comment with the most recent m/m story you enjoyed (author and title, please, so I can look for it, lol ) along with your e-mail address.

Please make sure that you mention which of my prizes you are trying for (and leave a separate comment, each with a valid e-mail address for each of prizes you wish to win) and THEN make sure you click the pretty button at the bottom to visit other blogs on the hop...you have until September 21, 2013 to visit the others so please try to space things out, lol.


VISIT THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE HOP!

NOTE:  You need to be logged in in order to hop via the button. If you haven’t registered at TRR and/or logged in, please click on the button as well to go to the top right side of the page on TRR to do so. Registration is free.

The Romance Reviews Hop

38 comments:

  1. I love reading sci-fi, because of the fantastic worlds authors create. It's so neat to see what all they come up with!

    ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. Hi Ashley,
      Thanks for visiting, I love sci-fi as well, it is amazing to me how authors can create such plausible worlds that I (sometimes) would like to visit. Good luck in the giveaway (I think you are probably entering for the Maven and Nemesis prize, but if not, please return and let me know!)

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  2. I recently read Dex in Blue by Amy Lane, the second book in the Johnnies series. I'd recommend reading them in order, and they are both AMAZING. Very angsty, though, as fair warning.

    ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. Hi again Ashley,
      Thanks for giving me another author to add to my TBR mountain, lol. I think you are probably entering for the Mychael Black short stories, if not, please return and let me know! Good luck with the rest of the hop.

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  3. I've just checked out some of the other stops on the blog hop. Lots of fun and good things going on there. Your site is terrific too. I hope the blog hop is a great success. From everything I've seen so far I'm sure it will be. Usually I don't read a lot of sci-fi, but your recommendation may well make me change my mind and try some. So thanks for opening me up to new options. It's always nice to have someone knowledgeable provide great advice. Now I'll sign off and continue my journey through some of the other blog hop participants.

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    1. Glad you visited. Please feel free to stop by and ask for recommendations, there are lots of great science fiction authors out there, including Linnea Sinclair, Lois McMaster Bujold, Anne McCaffrey, David Weber...the list can go on endlessly, lol.

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  4. I always enjoy reading sci-fi because the authors create such unique worlds and stories.
    Maven sounds really intriguing.
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

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    1. It is a fun read. Thanks for visiting and enjoy the hop!

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  5. Maven is in my to be read pile, it sounds like a great story and I must get it moved to the top soon :) Nemesis sounds really good too. I love to see what creative things that talented authors come up with. They have such creative ideas that make reading so much fun.

    MinDaf @ aol.com

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    1. It is a fun read...I love the mixture of characters...I look forward to finding out what you think of the stories.

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  6. I have had the delight of reading Sizzle, some very lucky winner is going to be in for a treat! I'm not entering this contest but I had to say this is a fabulous read.

    I have not had the pleasure of reading of the The Dark Reign series by Mychael Black. They sound good though. The last M/M I read was by Tara Lain, Hearts and Flour.
    MinDaf @ aol.com

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    1. Thanks for visiting Crystal...I really like Tara Lain's Aloysius tales, we are up to three titles in that series and I adore the cat Aloysius (although the spelling of the name gives me fits, lol) and her 'Balls' series should have a new addition as well in the near future and I really enjoyed the other titles in that series as well!

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  7. Giveaway 1: I like reading sci-fi because it's fun to read about different worlds and I think it's fascinating what kinds of worlds people can invent.

    pjmillion (at) comcast (dot) net

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    1. I am always amazed by the worlds that are described and I firmly believe that we are not alone! Thanks for visiting and good luck in the giveaway.

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  8. Giveaway 2: I usually am the one doing the breaking up so that I am not the one who gets hurt. I have been happily married for 10 years and I don't plan on breaking up with my husband and I'm pretty sure he doesn't plan on breaking up with me, so I should be good. :)

    pjmillion (at) comcast (dot) net

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    1. Ah...a heartbreaker, lol. Congrats on your decade of marriage, may you celebrate many more milestones in your marriage!

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  9. Giveaway 3: a recent m/m romance I read was Cloak & Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It is book 7 in The League series. This is one of my favorite series, and this was one of my favorite books in the series.

    pjmillion (at) comcast (dot) net

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    1. I don't believe I have read that series, I will have to add it to my very long list! Thank you for sharing.

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  10. Giveaway #1: interested in the settings and author's imagination

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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    1. That is always so fascinating to me bn. Thanks for visiting and good luck in the giveaway!

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  11. Giveaway #2: cope with disappointment by watching a movie

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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    1. Movies, like books, can help us forget about our problems!

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  12. Usually some of my favorite reads tend to be contemporary romances with humor and sensuality in them, but I'm now trolling Amazon for some of the sci-fi authors you mentioned because I've probably been confining myself to one type of book for too long and should take a break to explore other types as well. So thanks again for presenting such a nice variety of reading possibilities.

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    1. You are very welcome. I hope some of them are to your taste...if not, by all means come by and we can discuss others...in case you can't tell, I have a WIDE variety of authors I am fond of.

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  13. A lifelong trekkie, I'm drawn to all types of sci-fi. I love to escape to strange new worlds in the pages of a book.

    drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com

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    1. I actually consider myself a trekker, lol, but I spent many an hour reading the plethora of Star Trek novels available. Good luck on the giveaway!

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  14. Wow! So exciting to see all these folks interested in sci-fi! It feels like a huge victory for me every time I see someone willing to go a little outside their normal reading comfort zone too. Thanks for including me in this hop, ELF! :)

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    1. So happy that you joined us and appreciate your generosity. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule...I know you are frantically preparing for your own blog hop which starts tomorrow and has some great prizes. I hope Maven has a great release and look forward to the (2?) other titles in the series!

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  15. thanks for the hop. When I was little I could not wait to see twilight zone. I like sci-fi brings out more of an imagination. thought I do like my para and any romance book too.

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    1. I thought some of the Twilight Zone episodes were pretty chilling but I enjoyed them and I agree, I am fond of the other genres as well. I hope that you come back and leave an e-mail address if you are interested in winning any of the prizes.

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  16. This is for the giveaway of Maven and Nemesis.

    I like the vast new worlds you can discover reading sci-fi. Plus, I love the epic adventures, the different worlds, cultures, and people you meet in sci-fi books.

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I enjoy these types of books because they expand my horizons. I have always loved imagining meeting entirely different beings and learning new things from them. Thanks for visiting!

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  17. This is for the giveaway of Sizzle.

    Well, my break-ups have been mutual, and not a big disappointment. But, when I get disappointing news, I usually go and take a break, read a good book, listen to some music, and I feel much better.

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Sounds like something I would do although I do find myself wanting to talk things over with someone, usually my very patient best friend. Fortunately I haven't had to deal with this very often!

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  18. This is for the giveaway for the Dark Reign series. I really want to win this series, because I love Mychael Black.

    Well, I'm currently re-reading Strength of the Pack by Kendall McKenna.

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. This was my first experience with Mychael Black's writing and I was really pleasantly surprised. I definitely want to read more by her! Good luck with the giveaway and thanks for the new author to be on the lookout for!

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  19. thank you for the giveaway: Entering for Sizzle by Darcy Lundeen.
    As to what I have done after a break-up 1'st I cry. then i call my friends to have a girls night out. Of course we laugh at all the men(boy) bashing and joking we can do. Good food, a few drinks and hitting a bar or tavern. But no men allowed

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting Felicia. I am afraid that the blog hop is now over and the authors have been notified about their winners and vice versa but I certainly appreciate your sharing your system, sounds like something that I would do!

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