ARWHOOOOOO!!! The Wolfies are BACK!!!!

Just a note to apologize for missing last week. I meant to post my review of Wolf Flight last Monday, but life kind of got out of control. So this week, I've posted the reviews for both Wolf Flight and Wolf Games. And next week I'll be back with my favorite wolfie's story, Wolf Tracks (TJ's story, oh yeah)

This is my Salute!! to all things Wolfie!!!! I thought I had read most types of shifter stories...then I got my hands on Vivian Arend's Granite Lake Pack books, and her deliciously sinful and delectable Wolfies. What Vivian does to warm up cold Canadian nights should be illegal in the provinces, and in most of the states south of the Canadian border. What is there left to say about these sexy, sometimes furry, but always all man Granite Lake wolves? Well, apparently, a lot!!! Today marks the start of a reread of the Granite Lake Pack books, beginning with Wolf Signs. This is in preparation for the release of book six in the series, Wolf Nip! If you've read any of these, you know each book focuses on one of the pack members. starting with future Granite Lake Alpha Keil and his unsuspecting mate Robyn, and the title has more than one meaning, as is so often true with Vivian's titles.

ARWHOOOOOO!!!

Wolf Signs
Granite Lake Wolves, Book 1

Talk about getting your signals crossed…
Robyn Maxwell doesn’t care that her brother has to cancel out on their backcountry ski trip. She can do it alone. The fact she’s deaf doesn’t make her survival skills any weaker. The chance to get away from it all and relax in the Yukon wilderness is just what she’s been craving.
Meeting wilderness guide Keil at the cabin starts cravings of another kind. Keil’s one hot hunk of ripped, tasty male. Now she has to deal with raging hormones as well as strange questions about wolves and mates and challenges to the death. Keil was trying for a nice reflective retreat before challenging for the Alpha position of his Alaskan pack. He wasn’t planning on meeting the woman destined to be his mate, or finding out she’s not aware she has the genes of a wolf.
Between dealing with his accident-prone younger brother, a deaf mate with an attitude and an impending duel to the death, his week—and his bed—is suddenly full.
Far from the relaxing getaway any of them had in mind…
Warning: Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘talking with your hands.’ Includes dangerous use of sarcasm and hot nookie in a remote wilderness sauna.

I love how Vivian addresses what could have been a sensitive subject in Robyn's hearing disability and turns it into a strength. Imagine being off by yourself, meeting a super hot man, and learning that you are really a wolf. But this story is done with humor and teasing and fun, and of course there is the hot and very sweet comic relief of Keil's younger brother, the delicious and a bit dorky TJ. In addition to learning about what it means to be wolf, Robyn must learn what it means to be a mate, and adjust to many changes in her life. 

Vivian tells these with humor and heat and lots of passion for her Wolfies, and we have all come to love them so much, and I for one was delighted when she decided to continue writing them. Thank you, Vivian, for the hours of reading enjoyment you have provided to all of your readers. And everyone needs to be warned...TJ may be mated to Pam, but he is still MINE!!!

* After writing this, I went back and read Wolf Signs again last night, and was laughing so hard, I cried. I had forgotten just how funny TJ was in this one-and how hot the romance between Robyn and Keil was!

Wolf Flight
Granite Lake Wolves, Book 2

An untriggered werewolf. A runaway Omega. It’s not easy fighting destiny.

Tad Maxwell’s workaholism serves to keep his bush pilot company in the air, and his inner werewolf in check. In the two years since he discovered his heritage, he’s resisted the longing to test the power of his wolf side. It would mean compromising his human principals.
Then Missy Leason re-enters his life. Ten years ago, their teenage attraction never went beyond hand-holding. Now their chemistry is off the charts, pushing him closer to the step he’s not sure it’s safe to take, especially with a human.

But Missy is more like Tad than he realizes. She’s wolf too, and a wolf pack is a dangerous place to have secrets. Missy’s alpha has sniffed out her carefully hidden Omega powers. Her first response: run from the corrupt alpha’s plan to make her his mate. Step two: get to Tad, and hope like hell his untapped powers are strong enough to negate her own.

Every touch with Missy is hot, hot, hot, but even finding out she’s pure wolf doesn’t solve Tad’s dilemma. Is she using him, or are they truly destined mates? Only one thing is certain. He will defend her to his last breath—on his terms. Even if it means losing his life.
Warning: Contains nasty Alphas, secret Omegas and werewolves acting raunchy on the dance floor. Sarcasm, wilderness cabins, and hot nookie back by popular demand.

This is Vivian Arend's second visit to Granite Lake and the wolves that live there. Having read the first book, I was intrigued to see where she would take me with this visit. This is first and foremost a love story more than anything. That the main characters just happen to be wolves at times takes nothing away from that. I love Granite Lake,the richly detailed scenic areas that these stories are set in. Ms. Arend's character development is nothing short of superb. I love the gentle strength and determination that Missy displays when she is faced with trouble. She doesn't run away, she just works toward her goals. I giggled a bit when Tad was called to the Granite Lake pack and told there was someone willing to Firstmate with him and he was sure it was an older, blue haired woman he had seen at gatherings. The pleasant surprise he felt when he learned Missy was the one offering was genuinely portrayed, as was his relief. And the misunderstanding that arose when Tad tried to be noble and not force a bond on Missy, thinking she had a chance to meet her true mate was humorous, although quite painful for Tad in the end. When the confrontation with the nasty alpha comes, it is an interesting situation. Do Tad and Missy have their happily ever after? Yes, but it is hard won in the end. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves action, romance and a side order of humor along the way. 

Wolf Games
Granite Lake Wolves, Book 3

True love’s path never did run smooth.
After seven years of total denial, Maggie Raynor’s body—and her inner wolf—are in full revolt. Weak and shaky, she literally falls into the very large and capable arms of the Granite Lake Beta, Erik Costanov. The last thing she wants is a mate, particularly when just looking at another wolf scares her to death. And one as big and sexy as Erik? Really bad idea, no matter what her libido says.
Erik expected to meet Maggie in Whitehorse to escort her to the home of her sister, his pack’s Omega. Sheer chance puts him in the right place at the right time to catch her, but the realization that hits him with the force of a full body shot is no accident. She’s his mate. An even bigger shock? She wants no part of him—not until she resolves her issues.

She’ll have to work fast, because they’re both selected to represent the pack during the premier sporting event for wolves in the north. Not only will she have to work as a team with Erik, she’ll have to face down her fear of wolves. Let the Games begin.

Warning: Contains uber-sexy werewolves of Russian descent, reluctant mates and exotic travels through the Yukon wilderness. Includes sarcasm and hot nookie under the Midnight Sun.

Vivian Arend has a talent for drawing you in to her stories, and this book is an excellent example of what to do right in a book. The character development is superb, and the story is a tension filled romance. I feel that Ms. Arend knows the locations she sets her tales in, and she makes her wolves believable and very intriguing. I love the patience of Erik in the face of Maggie's fears and hesitation. This could have been just another werewolf story, but Ms. Arend allowed the relationship to grow between the main characters, she didn't just throw them together and say "they are mates, deal with it." And the wait is worth it, as the fireworks that eventually erupt between Erik and Maggie so wonderfully attest to. The supporting characters are also well crafted, with Jared and TJ adding some well needed comic relief at times. The attraction simmers as these two work at solving Maggie's problems with her wolf, and her ability to shift.I have read all of the Granite Lake Wolf stories and each one is better than the one before, and they are all excellent in my opinion. 

These are the first three Granite Lake Wolves books, and I will be back next week with the another of them. and each Monday until the release of Wolf Nip. I will also give a brief review of each book as we read along with Viv, and the first is here above, after Wolf Signs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romance to Make You "Breathless"

Breathless Press is back for a second visit, and today I'm offering a peek at some of their Erotic Romance titles. Breathless Press has something for everyone, and these show some of their hotter stories to perfection. I actually own one of the books featured here, Oh Christmas Tree, and enjoyed the story very much. There was a very intriguing twist to it, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Breathless Press will be awarding one random commenter on the tour a $20 Breathless Press GC. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address when you comment. I can say this, too, that $20 will buy a good number of books, as Breathless books are very reasonably priced. 

Now, once again, for a bit about Breathless, and then a look at these featured books.

Breathless Press Releases – Romance/Erotic Romance #1

About Breathless Press:

http://www.breathlesspress.com/

Breathless Press is an e-book publisher specializing in Romance and Erotic(a) stories.

Our mission statement is simple: To provide the opportunity for readers to connect with romance authors through the purchasing of quality e-books at a low price.

Starting in the summer of 2009, Breathless Press came into existence. Since then, we have been producing top end romance and erotic stories for valued readers to enjoy.

Our Goal?

Breathless Press is an electronic publisher of paranormal, erotic, and mainstream romance, releasing one to three e-books a week in a variety of downloadable formats. It is Breathless Press' mission to provide readers with quality romance books in electronic formats and to raise the standard in e-publishing.

Go 'Under Her Spell' with Eliza Daly

Today, Eliza Daly will bring her Super Book blast to My Odd Little World to showcase her Romantic comedy from Crimson Romance, Under Her Spell. Although there is no interview or blog post, I do have a blurb, excerpt and a bio of Eliza for you to enjoy. Eliza will be awarding one $25 GC, and three $10 GCs for either Amazon or BN to a randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a $20 Amazon or BN gift card to a randomly drawn host.  So please remember to leave your e-mail address when you comment.

Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley and Frankie.

You can find Eliza on the web at

Website:  http://www.elizadaly.com/

 Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ElizaDalyAuthor

 Twitter:     http://www.twitter.com/ElizaDalyAuthor

 Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/elizadaly

Under Her Spell is available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Her-Spell-ebook/dp/B0099796BY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1348863034&sr=8-4&keywords=eliza+daly

 Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-her-spell-eliza-daly/1113004674?ean=9781440557347

 iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/under-her-spell/id561507321?mt=11

 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Under-Her-Spell/book-VnPZaXaSPky57fPfyZZzzw/page1.html?s=9CxkgaqX90CaozBdyyxJZw&r=1

 eBooks.com: http://www.ebooks.com/1036984/under-her-spell/daly-eliza/

BLURB from Under Her Spell:

When a series of failed relationships and business ventures have Monica Jackson doubting her self-worth, she turns to spell casting to attract positive energy and the opportunities needed to achieve her goals.  But can Monica’s belief in spells restore her belief in herself? 

Monica creates a spell to find her soul mate, and one to ensure the success of her new romantic event planning company, Enhance Your Romance.  Monica is confident she has found her niche until divorce lawyer Reed Walker opens a practice next door to her office.  The anti-marriage slogan plastered on his office window, and his down-on-love clients, quickly prove detrimental to Monica’s business.  When his arrival appears to trigger a string of bad luck, Monica fears one of her spells sent negative energy into the universe and it has returned to her threefold.  Although Reed is beyond sexy, and she admires his self-confidence, she’ll do whatever it takes to get the universe back on her side, and Reed out of her life. No way is she losing another business.

Reed finds himself attracted to Monica’s beauty and her optimism. His job and his parents’ divorce have made him a pessimist, especially when it comes to love. However, he soon finds that Monica’s pro-love attitude is rubbing off on him, causing him to lose his edge.  If Reed doesn’t distance himself from Monica, he’ll likely destroy his reputation as a pit bull divorce lawyer.

Can Monica and Reed look past what they might be losing to realize the love they have found?

Excerpt from Under Her Spell:

Prologue

 “A spell … ” Hope mused, then her face lit up. “If there’s a spell to attract a man to a woman, there must be one to repel women from a man. Right?”

“Spells shouldn’t involve negative energy. Sending out negative energy can cause it to return threefold. They aren’t intended to harm someone or make them do something against their will.” Jordan had drilled this into her head.

“I wouldn’t be making Kyle do anything against his will. I’d be warning women to stay away from him.”

Sounded borderline.

“Please,” Hope whined, picking a clump of batter from her long, wavy hair.

Monica let out a defeated groan. “All right.” Hope would never actually cast the spell anyway. When they were young, Hope refused to wear a Casper costume for Halloween because she didn’t believe in ghosts. She was closed-minded when it came to paranormal or New Age beliefs. And you had to truly believe in a spell for it to work.

Monica set down the bowl of salt and grabbed a pencil and pad of paper off her desk and handed them to Hope. “Write this down. It’s called,” she tapped a hot pink nail against her lip, “the dirtbag spell. Take one of Kyle’s socks, fill it with dirt, and add a photo of him. It’s critical you aren’t in the photo.” Monica paced, tightening the sash on her lavender silk robe. “Include something of his like … ”

“His new Rolex?”

Personally, Monica would list the watch on eBay and pray for a bidding war. But Hope, no matter how ticked off, was too timid to sell Kyle’s precious watch, and too frugal to risk damaging it by mixing it with dirt.

“That’s fine. Sew up the sock and bury it in your front yard. It’ll warn all women he’s a dirtbag.”

Hope poised the pencil against her lower lip, reviewing the spell. “Don’t I have to say something when I bury it, like a chant?”

What happened to being spell ignorant?

“Bury it in the moonlight while saying … ” Monica scrambled for a few rhyming lines, “moonlight, glowing bright, warn all women in your sight, the man who lives in this house, is a dirtbag and a total louse.”

“Perfect.” Hope sprang from the bed, looking inspired. “Kyle’s at work. I’m going over to the house right now to bury that sock.” She turned and marched out, a woman on a mission.

Monica nibbled nervously on her fingernail. Hope wouldn’t seriously go through with casting the spell, would she? A big part of spell casting was psychological, focusing all your energy on making something happen. Monica had never seen Hope look so determined, or vindictive. Hopefully, if she did cast the spell the negative energy didn’t return threefold.

What was the worst that could happen?

I can't wait for the answer to that question, can you? I want to thank Eliza for bringing this to our attention. And thank you for visiting today.

A World Apart

Today's Super Book Blast features A World Apart, a Fantasy novel currently available. No interviews or blog posts with this, it is a quick look at this book, with a blurb and excerpt to pique your interest. David will be awarding one random commenter on the tour a $25 Amazon GC. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address when you comment, and I'll post links to the other stops on the tour for more chances to enter.

Author Information:

David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000 year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Hons in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and A World Apart, and the in-progress Ansel's Remorse and The Stars Beneath the Parapets combine aspects from the worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten. David himself does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month travelling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

LINKS: 

Website – http://elenchera.com

Blog – http://tweeding.com

Twitter - @elenchera

Facebook - davidmbrownauthor

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/Nhagx3

Amazon US - http://amzn.to/TT7Afh

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/SbbQBD

Smashwords - http://bit.ly/R7VitO

Blurb:

Demetrius makes his first mistake when he lets his best friend Halcyon marry Eleyna, the love of his life, without saying a word. On the day of the wedding, he walks away from the Elencheran town of Dove's Meadow and joins the army.

He makes his second mistake when the pirate Black Iris tricks him into letting dozens of men, women and children die in a fire. Demetrius is imprisoned in grief and disgrace.

But he can atone. The Black Iris is dead. The Ivory Rose has risen to the top of the pirates and is leading brutal raids on the coast. If Demetrius can capture and kill her, he'll win his pardon.

And then Demetrius discovers the Ivory Rose is Eleyna. He must decide which will be his third mistake: losing his last chance at a pardon or destroying the one woman he's ever loved.

EXCERPT: 

From Chapter 6: Eleyna & Halcyon (29617)

Demetrius made no response, he was lost in a battle all of his own making now. The challenge of Halcyon was forgotten, he had overcome that, but he now had to succeed in a new struggle – to be a soldier. Demetrius had decided to turn his back on the shepherd life that his father desperately wanted for him in favour of following and emulating his grandfather. Deep down, Demetrius hoped that if he made his grandfather proud then Granicus would reveal the most sought after secret in all of Dove’s Meadow – why Granicus had chosen not to join the Order and bring untold fame to the town.

Demetrius heard another rumble of thunder and between the Green and Pirels Mountains he saw lightning strike briefly. His clothes were now sodden and his feet were uncomfortable in his shoes but Demetrius was beyond such constraints. Dove’s Meadow didn’t feel like it was just below him to the left. 

Instead, it was almost as if just the narrow walk along the perimeter wall existed and that losing his balance either way would see him fall into a void of nothingness. Everything hinged on Demetrius’ continued steps.

Granicus had once told Demetrius of one of the rebellions he had fought when he was in the army. The rebels had lined up to take on the might of the Himordian army on a sodden battlefield with rain, thunder and lightning doing nothing to turn any man or woman from the conflict. Demetrius imagined he was in that moment now, facing the same dangers that his grandfather had faced. 

As I promised earlier, below are the other blogs on today's Super Book Blast. The more you post, the better your chances at winning.

1. Bunny's Review
2. Wicked Readings by Tawania
3. Hywela Lyn (Romance That's "Out Of This World")
4. My Devotional Thoughts
5. Worlds of Possibilities
6. White Sky Project
7. Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
8. Beyond Romance
9. Andi's Book Reviews
10. Let's Get Booked
11. Wake Up Your Wild Side
12. Hesperia Loves Books
13. DanaSquare
14. Author Raine Delight
15. Sandra Cox
16. Book Reviews by Jackie
17. Sexy Lady
18. Wickedly Wanton Tales
19. Blooding Book Reviews
20. My Odd Little World
21. Fresh Pot of Tea
22. Margay Leah Justice
23. Priestess of Hearts
24. Realmantic Moments
25. Of Ink and Quille
26. Musings of Mistress of the Dark Path
27. Black Velvet Seductions Readers Blog
28. Fae Books
29. Pink Fluffy Hearts: Diary of a Coffee Addict
30. Racing to Read

Were You 'Smitten at First Sight'?

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Marie Astor on her Excerpt tour for her Contemporary Romance, Smitten at First Sight. Marie will be awarding to five randomly drawn commenters at the end of the tour, one of the following five custom-designed jewelry prizes:

Prize 1: Blue quartz three strand necklace with sterling silver clasp
Prize 2: Jade and prehnite necklace
Prize 3: Green aventurine sterling silver earrings
Prize 4: Smoky quartz sterling silver earrings
Prize 5: Rose quartz sterling silver earrings

Blurb for Smitten at First Sight:

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.

Maggie’s doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, she meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.

A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

Excerpt for Smitten at First Sight:

“I’m Taylor, Taylor Denton.” The younger man stepped forward without waiting for Jeffrey’s introduction.

I already know that, Maggie thought. For a moment, she was rendered speechless as her gaze remained glued to the dazzling green of Taylor’s eyes: there was something in his open, fearless gaze that unnerved her. “Very nice to meet you, Taylor,” Maggie struggled to keep her voice even, as she shook Taylor’s hand. His hand was warm, and his grip had just the right amount of pressure. He held her hand in his for a moment longer than necessary, or it might have been just her imagination, but the electrifying sensation she felt at the touch of Taylor’s hand filled her with guilt anyway: her fiancé was standing right there, and she had no business having these kinds of thoughts about some daredevil skier she had just met.

“Very nice to meet you, Taylor, I’m Bethany.” Bethany cut in, eyeing Taylor and Maggie in turn.

Maggie averted her eyes – nothing ever escaped Bethany’s attention.

“Maggie is my fiancée,” Jeffrey announced, his tone tightening. “Taylor is the star of our project,” Jeffrey completed the introduction.

Taylor let go of her hand and bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maggie.”

Well, he certainly is not shy. Maggie watched Taylor out of the corner of her eye: with his head cocked and his shoulders thrown back, he looked as though he owned the world. A pang of agitation seized her – imagine the embarrassment if this hotshot were ever to learn about being an unwitting subject of her photographs – no doubt, he would think that she were some kind of a crazy stalker; or worse, that she had the hots for him or something. Never mind that she had only admired him from the aesthetic perspective of an image composition – someone like Taylor would never understand that; well, fine, yes, she had been curious about what he might be like, but now that she met him in person, her curiosity was answered: he was undeniably handsome, but also incredibly smug and reckless to boot. She made a mental note to erase the photographs from her camera as soon as she would get back to the hotel.

“Yes, well, Taylor was just telling us about the wonders of off-piste skiing,” Jeffrey continued, breaking the awkward silence, “and he was gracious enough to agree to be our guide tomorrow.”

“I always wanted to try skiing off-piste,” Maggie blurted out before she could stop herself.

“Why don’t you join us tomorrow then?” Taylor suggested before Jeffrey had a chance to put in a word.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Jeffrey cut in, “it will be pretty rough out there.”

“There’s plenty of intermediate terrain,” Taylor assured him. “If Maggie can manage blues, she’ll be all right.”

“I just skied a double diamond this morning,” Maggie exaggerated her prowess – she had skied double diamonds before, just not this morning. She bit her lip, wondering just what exactly possessed her to show off in front of this green-eyed daredevil.

“I thought we were going to a more advanced terrain.” Jeffrey frowned.

“Err, well, actually, I would not mind starting with intermediate slopes,” Charlie interjected.

“I think I know just the perfect place,” Taylor brought the argument to a halt. “There are several very nice, wide runs just off the air tram - that’ll be the perfect place to warm up, and after that, we could always go onto steeper runs.”

“Yeah, sure, sounds like a plan.” Jeffrey shrugged, clearly annoyed by being outnumbered.

Maggie had to bite her lip in order to hide the smile on her face: whether on plain ground or in the mountains, men never tired of fighting for dominance.

“Well, looks like it’s settled then,” Jeffrey announced, clearly eager to seize back control of the conversation. “Bethany, do you want to come along? Maggie will need someone to keep her company.”

Maggie felt the blood flow to her face: as usual, Jeffrey Preston was assigning roles, as though life were a TV script.

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels Lucky Charm, Smitten at First Sight, This Tangled Thing Called Love, romantic suspense novel, To Catch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window.

If you would like to find out more about Marie’s books, please visit Marie at her website: www.marieastor.com.

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Astor/e/B004EBDX9Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Website: www.marieastor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4665230.Marie_Astor

Books by Marie Astor:

To Catch a Bad Guy: http://www.amazon.com/To-Catch-Bad-Guy-ebook/dp/B008W1L5IA/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1344820115&sr=1-5

This Tangled Thing Called Love: http://www.amazon.com/This-Tangled-Thing-Called-ebook/dp/B0078IPNCW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344820073&sr=8-1&keywords=marie+astor

Lucky Charm: http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Smitten at First Sight: http://www.amazon.com/Smitten-First-Sight-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1357427954&sr=8-4&keywords=marie+astor

A Dress in a Window – a collection of short stories about love, coincidences, and fate.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Dress-Window-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Over the Mountain and Back – young adult fantasy adventure novel about a boy who takes his snowboard for a ride and finds himself in a magical, hidden world he never knew existed.

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Mountain-Back-Adventure-ebook/dp/B008WF1Y78/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1350684616&sr=1-6

I want to thank Mary for bringing this to my attention-got to add this to the wish list now. Here are the rest of the stops on Mary's tour, stop by to increase your chances of winning one of her lovely prizes.

January 14: Happily Ever After
January 15: Vintage Vonnie
January 16: Book Reviews By Dee
January 17: Ramblings From This Chick
January 18: My Odd Little World
January 21: Wickedly Sexy Writers
January 21: STOP 2 Brenda Maxfield's Blog
January 22: JM Stewart
January 23: Christy McKee Writes About Women in the "Sweet Spot" of Life
January 24: Krystal Shannan - Where Love and Destiny Collide
January 25: BadBarbsPlace
January 28: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
January 29: Queen of all She Reads
January 30: Christine Young Romance Writer
January 31: Snifferwalk
February 1: Andi's Book Reviews
February 4: Sugarbeat's Books
February 5: Reading with Anacrasia
February 6: Regina May Ross's Blog
February 7: Sharing Links and Wisdom
February 8: Welcome to My World of Dreams

Inherited Damnation Tour

Welcome to My Odd Little World, today's stop on Claire Ashgrove's Inherited Damnation Tour. Claire was nice enough to answer a few questions for me, and I thank her for her time and consideration. My contribution is Claire's book, Destined To Die. I will post links to the different stops below the blurb, so you can get a taste of all the books on Claire's tour.

Tour Prizes - Each blog will give away a digital copy of the book featured on that stop. The tour grand prize will be all 8 books in the series. The Grand Prize winner will be selected and announced on 1/26.

What is the best thing about being a writer? The worst?

The best – I have an outlet for all these crazy people in my head!  No, seriously, I get to build worlds, bring people to life, and if I’ve done a really good job, impact a reader’s emotions.  For someone who’s creative, writing is the end-all be-all outlet.  There’s no real limit; it never comes to an end. 

The worst – To be a career author there’s a significant amount of focus that must be put toward the business itself, which is 180 degrees opposite the creative process.  I can do business, I can track accounting, but I don’t like it.  I’m much happier in my little cave putting fresh words on paper.  I’d even rather do edits for days on end, than turn on the left side of my brain.

When you get a chance to read, what books do you love to read?

Hands down I go to the non-fiction part of a bookstore before I ever go to the fiction side.  Give me Ancient Rome, anything Medieval, or really any ancient society and I’m over-the-moon.  I can’t grab them up fast enough, and I’ve been known to do ridiculous things like read text books cover-to-cover because I’m enthralled in a particular era. 

When I do finally pull myself away from biographies and historical accounts, because so much of my writing is based on world building and/or sub-plotting, I prefer to read fantasy.  There’s a lot to learn from the complicated works, and I love seeing how new authors handle tried-and-true tropes. Which naturally then leads me to urban fantasy and paranormal works.

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

Between my two pen names, I have twenty-three published books, so that’s really hard to answer.  When I finish a book, until I finish the next, I tend to feel like “That’s my favorite character set of all.”

But there are a few exceptions, some that stay with me longer than others.  I love darker characters and you’re featuring one of my favorite character sets with Belen and Faith.  Belen struggles with his dark calling and what he’s perceived he’s done to the one person who matters.  That inner conflict gets me.  Resolving it all, bringing he and Faith together as they should be, still stays with me.

In this particular series, however, Taran (Marked for Death), the darkest sibling, is the one I love the most.  His journey really tugs at my heart, and if I put myself in his shoes, I end up in tears every time.  I can’t imagine surviving what he lived through.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I’m a plotter.  Everything is in a spreadsheet somewhere, with a specific role to play, long before the first words of the first book take shape.  Sometimes I have to set particular characters aside and deal with them immediately before I begin their specific book, but I have only pantsed one novel in my career.  It worked.  But I also had to backtrack repeatedly—a journey in frustration I’m not willing to experience again.

Why Scottish as opposed to Irish?

This is the easiest question of the whole batch!  And it’s ridiculously simple.  The Selgovae Celt tribe lived in Scotland, not Ireland. 

If I could transplant them to Ireland…oh, lordy, I would in a heartbeat.  I am Irish at heart, and will live there at some point in my life.  Even if just for a summer or so.

Thanks for having me here today!  If there’s anything else anyone would like to know, please feel free to ask.  I’ll be dropping in periodically throughout the day.

~Claire

Award-Winning Author, Claire Ashgrove

www.claireashgrove.com

National Bestselling Author, Tori St. Claire

www.toristclaire.com

Blurb for Destined to Die:

Haunted by his mother’s betrayal, Belen McLaine surrendered to his demonic half long ago. For centuries, he’s roamed, doing all he can to corrupt those he encounters. But Belen’s life changes when a little Yuletide fun goes wrong, and the one woman he can’t stay away from is suddenly in need of his protection. Unable to cast her aside, he finds himself on a deadly path to love.

The one date Faith Winters shared with Belen was laden with fireworks, but he stayed away until the night of her brutal attack. As danger escalates, he becomes her only safety and shared passion gives way to something deeper, hotter, than she’s ever known before. Yet Faith has no idea her greatest threat is the very man who holds her heart.

For Belen, even if it means hurting Faith, he must not succumb to love. If he fails, his father’s curse promises he’ll take Faith’s life.

Tour Links

1/15 Guilty Pleasures

1/16 Harlie's Books 

1/17 Scorching Book Reviews 

1/18 My Odd Little World 

1/21 Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books 

1/22 Under the Covers

1/23 Ezrabet's Enchancements  

1/24 Herding Cats & Burning Soup 

1/25 Heart Breaking Reviews

Purchase Claire's books from THE WILD ROSE PRESS

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Claire%20Ashgrove

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Get "Breathless" today

My readers all know that I love to read romance stories. I say it all the time. Today, I am hosting Breathless Press, and the focus for today is the GLBT Romance line. I have the firm belief that romance has no gender, and enjoy reading the happily ever afters for everyone. Breathless Press will be awarding a $20 Breathless Press GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Please leave your e-mail address when you comment.

First, a bit about Breathless Press, then a peek at a few of their books currently available.

About Breathless Press:

http://www.breathlesspress.com/

Breathless Press is an e-book publisher specializing in Romance and Erotic(a) stories.

Our mission statement is simple: To provide the opportunity for readers to connect with romance authors through the purchasing of quality e-books at a low price.

Starting in the summer of 2009, Breathless Press came into existence. Since then, we have been producing top end romance and erotic stories for valued readers to enjoy.

Our Goal?

Breathless Press is an electronic publisher of paranormal, erotic, and mainstream romance, releasing one to three e-books a week in a variety of downloadable formats. It is Breathless Press' mission to provide readers with quality romance books in electronic formats and to raise the standard in e-publishing.

Joan Hall Hovey Keeps You In Suspense

Today I bring you two suspense books from Joan Hall Hovey, The Abduction of Mary Rose and Night Corridor, from BooksWeLoveLtd. This is a Blurb Blitz and will include the blurbs from both books, but I will only be posting one excerpt with this tour. Joan will be awarding a piece of Micmac jewelry - a pair of silver dream catcher earrings (one of her heroines discovers she has Micmac ancestry) to one random commenter on the tour (US only). Please be sure to leave your e-mail address when you post.

The Prize

First, a bit about Joan Hall Hovey. 

In addition to her critically acclaimed novels, Joan Hall Hovey's articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Toronto Star, Atlantic Advocate, Seek, Home Life Magazine, Mystery Scene, The New Brunswick Reader, Fredericton Gleaner, New Freeman and Kings County Record. Her short story Dark Reunion was selected for the anthology investigating Women, Published by Simon & Pierre.

Ms. Hovey has held workshops and given talks at various schools and libraries in her area, including New Brunswick Community College, and taught a course in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. For a number of years, she has been a tutor with Winghill School, a distance education school in Ottawa for aspiring writers.

She is a member of the Writer's Federation of New Brunswick, past regional Vice-President of Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Website: http://www.joanhallhovey.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Joan+Hall+Hovey

Blurb from The Abduction of Mary Rose:

A suspense novel interwoven with threads of romance and paranormal.

Imagine discovering everything you believe about yourself to be a lie. And that the truth could stir a killer from his lair.

Following the death of the woman she believed to be her mother, 28-year-old Naomi Waters learns from a malicious aunt that she is not only adopted, but the product of a brutal rape that left her birth mother, Mary Rose Francis, a teenager of Micmac ancestry, in a coma for 8 months.

Dealing with a sense of betrayal and loss, but with new purpose in her life, Naomi vows to track down Mary Rose's attackers and bring them to justice. She places her story in the local paper, asking for information from residents who might remember something of the case that has been cold for nearly three decades.

She is about to lose hope that her efforts will bear fruit, when she gets an anonymous phone call. Naomi has attracted the attention of one who remembers the case well.

But someone else has also read the article in the paper. The man whose DNA she carries.

And he has Naomi in his sights.

Review quotes:

"…Ms. Hovey's talent in creating characters is so real, you feel their emotions and their fears. You want to yell at them to warn of the danger . . . and you do! Your shouts fall on deaf ears . . . and you cry! The best suspense writer I've ever read!

Beth Anderson, Author of Raven Talks back

"...Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King come to mind, but JOAN HALL HOVEY is in a Class by herself!…"

J.D. Michael Phelps, Author of My Fugitive, David Janssen

"…CANADIAN MISTRESS OF SUSPENSE…The author has a remarkable ability to turn up the heat on the suspense… great characterizations and dialogue…" James Anderson, author of Deadline

Blurb from NIGHT CORRIDOR:

At 17, Caroline Hill was torn from the boy she loved by her tyranical father. Then they took her child. Finally, her grasp on reality.

Now, after nine years in Bayshore mental institution, once called The Lunatic Asylum, Caroline is being released.

There will be no one to meet her. Her parents who brought her here are dead.

They have found her a room in a rooming house, a job washing dishes in a restaurant. She will do fine, they said. But no one told her that women in St. Simeon are already dying at the hands of a vicious predator. One, an actress who lived previously in her building.

Others.

And now, as Caroline struggles to survive on the outside, she realizes someone is stalking her.

But who will believe her? She's a crazy woman after all.

Then, one cold winter's night on her way home from her job, a man follows and is about to assault her when a stranger intercedes.

A stranger who hides his face and whispers her name.

Review Quotes:

"…another winner. I highly recommend it to any lover of suspense, mystery, romance, or thriller. You’ll not only race through this book, but clamor for more works by this talented and polished author. Aaron Paul Lazar, author of Healey's Cave

"...The mystery and suspense in this novel is outstanding, truly top notch, in the vein of Mary Higgins Clark, but—dare I say—even better? - In the Library

"…intricately plotted and the ending will surprise even the most devoted mystery and susense reader. Gripping suspense. – Sandy Heptinstall - Whispering Winds Reviews

Excerpt: NIGHT CORRIDOR:

October 1973

He noticed her as soon as he walked into the bar. She was sitting with another girl, a blond; pretty, he supposed, but his attention was riveted on the dark-haired one. He ordered a beer and took a table in the far corner where he had a good view, while he himself was safe from watchful eyes. She had satiny hair to her shoulders, high cheekbones, was slender in a silk print top, black slacks, like a woman on the cover of a magazine. She was laughing at something the blond said, flashing perfect white teeth and his heart tripped. She's the one, the voice told him. Excitement surged through him as he recast her in the movie that for years now, replayed endlessly on the screen of his mind.

When the two women rose to leave, he left his unfinished beer on the table and casually, so as not to draw attention to himself, followed them outside. She had put on a jacket and it shone bright white in the lights from the parking lot.

After chatting briefly, the two girls gave each other a quick hug, then parted and went to their respective cars, parked a good distance from one another. There was a rightness to it. They might just as easily have come in one car, or parked closer to one another. But they did not. The stars were finally lining up in his favor.

He came up behind her as she was fitting the key in the lock of the red Corvair. "I'm Buddy," he said softly, so as not to frighten her. Despite his best intention, she whirled around, eyes wide. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me. What do you want?"

He felt the smile on his face falter. A mask, crumbling. "I just want to talk to you."

"Fuck off, okay? I'm not interested."

With those words, her beauty vanished, as if he'd imagined it. Her mouth was twisted and ugly. Disappointment weighed heavy on him. Anger boiled up from his depths.

"That was wrong of you to say that to me," he said, still speaking quietly.

Belying the softness of his voice, she saw something in his eyes then and he saw that she did, and when she opened her mouth to scream, he stuck her full in the face with his fist.

She slid down the side of the car as if boneless. He caught her before she hit the ground, then dragged her around to the other side of the car, blocking her with his own body in case someone saw them. Not that he was too concerned. If anyone did see them they would just figure she was his girlfriend and that she'd had one too many. But there was no one in the lot. Even her friend had already driven off.

He lowered her limp form to the ground while he hurried round to the driver's side and got the key out of the door. He put on his gloves, and opened the passenger door. After propping her up in the seat, he went back around and slid into the driver's side. Then he turned on the ignition and the car hummed to life.

Shifting the car into reverse, he backed out of the parking spot. He gave the wheel a hard turn and she fell against him, her hair brushing his face and filling his senses with her shampoo, something with a hint of raspberry. He pushed her off him and her head thunked against the passenger window. A soft moan escaped her, but she didn't wake.

He drove several miles out of the city, then turned left onto a rutted dirt road and stayed on it for a good ten minutes. Spotting a clearing leading into the woods, an old logging road no longer used, he eased the car in, bumping over dips and tangled roots. He went in just far enough not to be seen from the road on the off-chance someone drove by, but also taking care he wouldn't get stuck in here. The headlights picked out the white trunks of spruce trees, spot-lighting the leaves that seconds later receded into blackness, as if this were merely a stage set.

Beside him, the woman moaned again then whimpered, her hand moving to her face where he had struck her. Blood trickled darkly down one corner of her mouth and her eyes fluttered open. He knew the instant she sensed him there beside her, like the bogeyman in a nightmare.

Except she was awake now. When she turned to look at him he felt her stiffen, could see in her eyes that she knew she was in big trouble. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"Who are you?" she croaked, more blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, eyes wet with tears.

"What does it matter?"

"Please…please don't hurt me. I'm—I'm sorry for what I said to you. I shouldn't have. If you want to… I mean, it's okay. You don't have to hurt…"

His fury was like lava from a volcano and his hand shot out, the back of it shutting off her words in mid-sentence. "Shut up, whore."

She was crying hard now, heavy, hiccupy sobs, helpless, terrified. But her tears meant nothing to him. She was right to be afraid. He slid the knife from its sheath that hung on his belt and let her see it.

"Oh, God, no please…" She was choking on her tears, wriggling away from him, trapped, like a butterfly on the head of a pin. He smiled when she reached for the door handle on her side, and then drove the knife into her upper arm. She screamed and he wound his fingers into her hair. "Be quiet," he said, while she held her arm with her other hand and wept like a child.

As he had wept. As he wept still.

"You can't get away," he said. "There's no place to go."

These both sound really good, and I have added both to my wish list for the new year. Hope you all enjoyed today's suspenseful post, and leave your e-mail address when you comment. hanks to Joan Hall Hovey for her visit today.