Sunday, December 9, 2012

Alien vs Alien

Alien vs. Alien      



by Gini Koch is the laugh-out-loud science fiction tale that continues the tale of the intrepid Kitty Katt-Martini.  I think I enjoyed this one even more than the last one I read just because the animals suddenly have a much larger role and I spent so much time giggling while reading this book.  The heroine herself comments on her Doctor Dolittle role even as her powers continue to grow and become refined.  I think that what I love about these books is the mixture of self-deprecating humor, romance, and vivid action scenes.  I was a little uncomfortable with the amount of death and destruction but what can one expect when amazingly powerful villains are trying to take over the world and are being opposed by amazingly powerful defenders?  The author loves classic rock music and combines appropriate song titles with the pertinent action in the book and the heroine has quite a collection of t-shirts adorned with her favorite bands and singers that contrast with the Armani outfits that the rest of the Alpha Centaurions tend to wear.  Although I am fond of Jayne Krentz's dustbunnies, I must admit that I think that this author's Poofs are lots of fun and now she has introduced Peregrines as well so there are even more creatures to fascinate.  I need to go back and read all of the rest of the books in the series one of these days but fortunately, each of the books can be read as a stand-alone title although I am sure it would improve things if one is familiar with all of the events that have gone before.  My Goodreads review of Alien vs Alien is at this link and my review of Alien Diplomacy is at this link.





Previous titles include the following:

     



Friday, December 7, 2012

K.C. Klein guest post and Texas Wide Open giveaway

Author K.C. Klein's book, Texas Wide Open is a contemporary Western romance and I have the pleasure of having the author visit today and offer some words of wisdom.  Don't forget to comment and leave your e-address if you would like to win a copy of this entertaining e-book.  Entries will be accepted until December 15, 2012. Thankfully, because it is an e-book, this prize can be won by international entrants. 





First of all, I wanted to say thank you to ELF for being a fan of my novels and for letting me come here and talk about my latest release.

A writer’s life is rarely exciting. All the action, drama, and passion of a story happens inside my head. I’m sure to an outsider it all looks pretty boring, but a few exciting things do happen. Since I am talking about my latest release, TEXAS WIDE OPEN, I thought I’d share how this book sold, or almost didn’t. 



Before I sold my first novel to Avon Impulse I had wanted to write a quick, shorter length novel aimed at one of the Harlequin lines. TEXAS WIDE OPEN had finaled in a conference contest and was on submission with one of the editors.  During that time I went to the RWA nationals and my critique partner, Erin Kellison, told me that Kensington was looking for a hot cowboy romance and that I should query them. She even went as far as mentioning my story to Kensington at which point they told her I needed to send in the proposal. 



Back at home, I got really excited. Kensington wanted to see my book! Of course, there was a chance that they were just being nice, but what did I have to lose? I got in touch with my agent, told her what had happened, and then sent her my proposal. A week later I got bad news.


My agent didn’t like my book and said she wouldn’t be sending it out.
Usually I have pretty thick skin, but after hearing this I was devastated. By this point I’d written two contemporary romances and neither of them seemed to be selling. I began to doubt myself. Doubt my writing. And worst of all, I began to doubt my dream and made one of the worst decisions a writer can make—I stopped writing.
 


I ignored my agent’s advice to revise and figuratively threw both manuscripts under the bed.
 


Fast forward four months and I got a call from my agent. She told me that Kensington had just called her and wanted to know where my “hot cowboy” romance was. Needless to say I was shocked. A publisher was calling my agent about ME? 


After a moment of joy, a rather awkward one followed. I had to explain to my agent that no, I didn’t have the manuscript ready. And no, I hadn’t even started to revise the story that I had doubts needed to be revised in the first place. 



Well, the rest is history. TEXAS WIDE OPEN was published, and I have a contract for the next book in the series. My point is this—there will be times when we doubt ourselves, there will even be times when publishing professionals doubt us, but in the end we have to listen to the inner voice, that gut-reaction, to tell us if our story is ready or not. No one else can make that decision for us. No one else knows our story like we do. 



I almost let my negative self-talk destroy my dream. I’m so glad I got another chance. 



Below is the back cover blurb and teaser of the book that almost didn’t make it. I’m also giving away one free e-book copy of TEXAS WIDE OPEN to a random commenter. If you don’t win, no worries, TEXAS WIDE OPEN is now on sale at Amazon and Sony books for only $2.99. I have no idea how long the sale will last so don’t wait.
 


I encourage stalking in all forms, but FB and Twitter are the most effective. I also have a blog, Romance With An Edge. Thank you again, ELF for letting me stop by and share! 

(note from ELF, KC Klein's website is at this link and there are links to her other forms of social media on the homepage)


Katie Harris loved growing up on a ranch. She had her horse, the beautiful Texas prairie, and Cole Logan, the cowboy next door. But there are a lot of secrets hidden under a Texas sky…
Katie always knew she’d marry Cole one day—until he broke her dreams and her heart. But now that Katie’s father is sick, she’s back home, older, wiser, and nowhere near the love-sick fool she once was.
Cole knows Katie doesn’t want anything to do with him. But after so many years, he can’t pretend she’s no more than a neighbor. Not when thinking about her cherry lip gloss and hell-for-leather passion is keeping him up all night. Holding his ground was hard enough when she was seventeen. Now that she’s her own woman, Cole’s heart doesn’t stand a chance…

 
“Passionate, gritty and fast paced…with a hot blooded, honorable hero to make every woman's knees go weak.”—Diane Whiteside
 


Just a tease…
 

Katie watched as Cole slowly turned, and at the sight of his bare chest, smooth and ripped with muscle, she locked her knees to keep upright. Instead of his inviting smile, there was a hardness she rarely saw that contrasted with the desire in his eyes.
Cole stood and stared. The silence between them crackled as if a whole conversation could be said without words.
Her breathing quickened as her nipples contracted into small, tight buds, sensitive to the brush of the cotton across them. She refused to hide her body’s reaction even as a flush of heat rushed to her cheeks. She’d been waiting all of her life for this moment. She was tired of hiding. She was ready. Unashamed, she gazed in his eyes and let the wealth of her feelings pour into her face.
Cole was no coward—he returned stare for stare—but she could see his jaw flex and knew he was pissed. She’d pushed him hard, but this was where the women separated themselves from the girls.
“I’m not a child any longer.” She took a step closer.
“And I told you, if you wear that shirt again, I’ll burn it,” he growled.
But Cole would have to do more than display a little anger to scare her. Before she lost courage, Katie crossed her arms and pulled.
She threw her shirt in his face, along with her challenge. “Go ahead and do it.”





Don't forget to leave a comment with your name and e-address if you would like to be in the drawing for this e-book!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Adults only contest

The Smutketeers are having a big Christmas bash from December 5-17 and a who's who of erotica authors are participating.  Visit at this link.

Don't forget there are plenty of contests going on now which I mentioned in my blog post at this link.  I actually managed to enter the Romance Books '4' Us contest but there are plenty of other ones that I haven't quite had the time to enter...

A SEAL at Heart release date!

A SEAL at Heart  
by Anne Elizabeth is the first story in the new series, 'West Coast SEALs' and releases December 4, 2012!  Clicking on the cover above will take you to the Amazon page.  This great military romance combines a mystery and romance but also gives a sobering look at some of the terrible effects suffered by those brave souls who serve in the military. 
My Night Owl Review is at this link.  My previous post about this wonderful book is at this link.

There is a great interview of the author at the SOS Aloha blog at this link.


The talented author is also known for her colorful graphic novels Pulse of Power and The Pendulum


  

 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Great reads as well as a fundraiser for big cats

              


These anthologies were produced by the Diamond State Romance Authors (including the talented and prolific sisters, Delilah Devlin and Elle James/Myla Jackson) as a project of love to benefit the rescued animals of the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  (Website link)

All profits from this collection will go directly to the refuge to help with the care and feeding of these wonderful creatures.

I have never been to this particular refuge but had the wonderful opportunity to visit Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida (Website link) where they also do some incredible work to help rescue some of the beautiful large felids who deserve a safe haven.


Wild at Heart
Stories Included are:

Spirit of the Tiger by Elle James
Archer Falls by Lauren Smith
A Boy, A Girl, A Tiger by Cynthia D'Alba
The Wedding Crasher by Lindy Dierks
Beached by Dustin Stevens
Sunlight and Solace by Gina Wilkins
Saving Angel by Lynda Frazier
Buck by M. Marie
True Instinct by Vanessa North
Storm Haven by Charlene Roberts
Saving Akira by Candace Sams

 Wild at Heart II
Freedom by Connie Wilkins
Teens Gone Wild by Margaret Etheridge
Home by Midnight by Brinda Berry
Cats Rule by Aileen Fish
Refugee by Lori Freeland
The Girl and the Puma by Jayne Grey
Heart’s Solace by Tara Fox Hall
Vision Quest by Karis Walsh
The Bully in the Piney Woods by Delilah Devlin
Fierce Wild by Megan Mitcham
Salvaje by Anna Meadows



My Amazon review for Wild at Heart is at this link.
My Amazon review for Wild at Heart II is at this link.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Contests for December 2012 (updated 12/7/12)

I'm having my very first giveaway of an e-book at this link (contest ends 12/15/12)

Once Upon A Time blog hop is at this link

Merry Menage Giveaway Hop is at this link

Hot Winter Nights Giveaway Hop is at this link (and yes, they seem to multiply like rabbits so be on the lookout at the various blogs, they tend to be participating in several blog hops sometimes!)

Visit the beautiful redesigned website at Night Owl Reviews!  The Scavenger Hunt is at this link and the other contest page is at this link.
 
The Romance Reviews is having its YES (year-end splash) party at this link and there are also giveaways in the author forum

Romance Books '4' Us has its Jingle My Bells contest at this link.

Shiloh Walker is having a giveaway for an ARC of her upcoming release The Reunited at this link

Fresh Fiction has contests at this link

Coffee Time Romance has all kinds of contests at this link

Writerspace has contests at this link (they still hadn't put the December ones up when I just looked but that should change any time now)

New Shiloh Walker title





Shiloh Walker has a new book coming out in her FBI psychic series, The Reunited, which should be released in February of 2013.  Another title to put on your wishlist, lol.

You may wish to read the related titles while you are waiting...The Missing, The Departed, and a novella in the anthology Hot In Handcuffs.  My review for Hot in Handcuffs is at this link.