trueromance

Hi everyone!

Finished with the Holidays & back to real life? Fortunately, you’ve got us at Borders True Romance Blog to shower you with gifts If you are a winner, contact me w/your snail mail at sgrimsha@bordersgroupinc.com & we’ll get you your prize! Congrats to you all, SueG.

Sunday’s winner w/Allison Brennan - Miranda; MarcieR

Monday w/Regan’s instructions for her wniner: If you think you know who I am, send your guess to guesswho@reganhastings.com. Whether or not you’re right, I’ll send you the first chapter of VISIONS OF MAGIC. If you guess right, then you’ll be entered in a contest to win this Federal Bureau of Witchcraft fleece jacket. The winner will be chosen at random on February 1, and the contest is open to readers around the world.

Tuesday with Juli F - US Only - Sue’s Stash to TraceyD

Wednesday with Kate D - JC

Afternnon & Elizabeth/Laura’s winner - JennyferM

Donna Kauffman’s winner on Thursday - Kirsten; VanettaQ

Friday & Tracy’s winner - SaraM

Saturday & Monica’s - MJ Fredrick; DonnaC; LindseyE

Are you ready for the new week? I am as we’ve got a great selection of authors to entertain us:

Today w/Tina Martin!

Monday w/Julia Latham

Tuesday with Vicki Dreiling

Wednesday & Sophie Gunn

Thursday is Carolyn Jewel

Friday features Sue Ellen Welfonder & . . .

Saturday - is a Blogger surprise!

Hope to see you — comment below & let me know what you’re reading — you may be chosen for some of Sue’s Stash - - -

Happy Romance!
SueG

Guest Author, Tina Martin & Giveaway!

Title: Secrets On Lake Drive
Setting: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (modern day)
Subgenre: Romantic Suspense
Hero: Sean Beauvais, the keeper of secrets, the man all the ladies want but he has eyes for only one woman.
Heroine: Monica Smith, the object of Sean’s affection.

One sentence summary: When Monica Smith takes it upon herself to confront her favorite student’s father, Sean Beauvais, for what she deems as poor parenting skills, she never expects that she would be the one getting taught a lesson on life and love.

Scene you like most and would never cut: I love, love, love creating chemistry between my characters. I have many favorite scenes in the novel, but one of my favorites is when Monica shows up at Sean’s house to give him a class portrait. She’s so distracted by his good looks and his chiseled abs she temporarily forgets why she came over in the first place. Sean smiles, because he already knows he’s ‘all that’ and to see a woman completely lose her focus because of his handsomeness is appealing to him.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Anything you say, Sean.”

What celebrity is your hero like: I pictured Sean Beauvais looking like actor Michael Ealy, but with green eyes and black, curly, sexy hair. I also like Michael Ealy’s personality because it shows that although he’s breathtakingly attractive, he’s more than a pretty face. That’s Sean’s persona.

What celebrity is your heorine like: Monica is more like the beautiful actress, Kerry Washington; sophisticated and sweet, and knows how to hold her own.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Monica is a young kindergarten teacher. She’s one of those no-nonsense teachers who actually care about the kids in her class. She takes pride in her work. Her job is her only passion, so when she sees that something isn’t right, like Sean Beauvais who seems to be more involved with making money than taking care of his son, she takes immediate action.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Sean is in real estate and owns his own agency, a multi-million dollar business. He’s a single parent, busy making money while his son seems to be neglected. Granted, he needs to make money to support his lavish lifestyle, but he’s often criticized for the little time he spends with his child.

What you think readers will like best about this book: Several things. I think readers will fall in love with the chemistry between Monica and Sean. They will also admire Monica for not giving up in her quest for true love and happiness, no matter the cost. She reinforces the reminder in all of us that we should never ‘settle’ when it comes to love but we should believe and know in our hearts when love is pure. We deserve that much.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Well, this is my first novel but readers have expressed to me that they love how amazingly attractive I made Sean Beauvais out to be. As women, I think we’re naturally drawn to the mysterious, sexy, bad boy type men who looks like they have something to hide; yet they’re so gorgeous, we really don’t care what they’re hiding!

What’s next:

In March 2011, I will be releasing my next novel, ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE, with Xpress Yourself Publishing. This novel explores the concept of a man and woman being friends and nothing more. Is it possible? Find out March 15, 2011! Later in 2011, I will be releasing a third romance novel. I’m also currently working on two short stories.

I will be signing copies of SECRETS ON LAKE DRIVE at the Borders at Northlake Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 8, 2010 from 1 – 3 p.m. If you’re in the area, stop by and let’s chat.

My thought provoking question that often baffles even me: Wikipedia defines a soulmate as a person with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality and/or compatibility. In SECRETS ON LAKE DRIVE, Monica expresses how she’s heartbroken over a past relationship because she felt that they guy she was with was her soulmate. Do you believe in soulmates? If so, how do you know the person you’re with is your soulmate? And if you are not with your soulmate, do you ever think that you can love someone else just as much?

And now for the giveaway: Two commenters (chosen at random) will win autographed copies of my new novel, ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE. Two people (chosen at random), who order SECRETS ON LAKE DRIVE now through January 31st will win $25 Borders gift cards. All you have to do is send your proof of purchase to my email: tina@tinamartinbooks.com. Contest ends January 31st.

Happy Reading!

Tina Martin
My Online Home: www.tinamartinbooks.com
Follow the Life and Times of a Romance Author: www.ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com
Let’s Get Social: www.facebook.com/tinamartinbooks
SECRETS ON LAKE DRIVE – Available now!
ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE – Coming March 15, 2011

HOLY Crap on a stick. WHAT THE DEUCE HOW COULD IT END LIKE THIS!!!!! I swear by all that is holy I have HAD It with these writers toying with my emotions. I can’t take this kind of pressure.

For those of you not familiar with Carolyn Crane allow me to introduce you to one of the best Urban Fantasy writers in the industry. Her world of Highcaps and disillusioners is so beyond anything I’d ever read before, yet so realistic and subversively funny that I knew this was going to be one of the best authors I’ve read in a very long time, and I have my fellow bloggers to thank for the introduction. So let me continue this by saying that the first book, Mind Games, is an absolute must read BEFORE you read Double Cross. But read them both because it is AMAZING.

Double cross opens with Justine working for Packard as she continues to try to figure out who she is now that she is a certified disillusionist. In order to NOT ruin the story for anyone, I’m going to not give any more details than the books description on Amazon below,
Justine Jones lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she was lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard, who gifts her with extraordinary mental powers—dooming her to fight Midcity’s shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity’s new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men—one on a journey of redemption, the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

The ending of this book had my hopes up so high, then DASHED to the deepest depths of the screaming “NOOOOOOOOO” dropping to my knees raising my fists to the sky and wondering why WHY Carolyn Crane would do this to her readers. WHY she would cut our hopes and dash them on the rocks after taking us so high and making us so so happy then cutting our legs out from under us.

I suppose its an amazing thing to be able to get your readers to feel this kind of emotional trauma after reading the ending to your book. I suppose its the sign of a super talented writer to get readers to connect so greatly with your characters and your story that they literally THROW their Brand NEW KOBO to the ground in frustration after reading the ending of your book. I suppose I should be happy that there are such great talents in the writing world that keep coming up with new and better ways to amuse and entertain us all. Right now, however, i am just angry and bitter because I wanted SO Badly for the book to end about 20 pages before it did. And its taking everything I have to not fly to hack into MS Cranes computer, change the ending then demand the book is re-printed.

Rating: A. (Did you read the review. I don’t have to spell it out)

Alix Taylor is a blogger and avid reader of all things book. You can find her at
www.romancebooksforum.com, or on twitter @alixntaylor, where the snark flows free
and the romance books are dissected with abandon.

My Soul to Steal, Rachel Vincent Soul Screamers Book 4 Released 1/1/11

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.
See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.
And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

I love the realism of the relationships in Rachel Vincent’s books. The Soul Screamer books in particular are urban fantasy have such an amazing romantic realism, relationships that are flawed and clawed and have problems that although they are in very unique circumstances. The best part of this book, and I was so floored by it that I have to speak about it now, is the amazing insight of Tod’s The teenage reaper character, and the maturity that all of the characters showed in a difficult situation and in the relationship and in the face of very difficult circumstances. In the face of a dangerous addiction, Kaylee makes the difficult choice in Book 3, My Soul to Take, to break up with her boyfriend until he can get his addiction under control and she can trust him. Although it was a heartbreaking situation, Kaylee made the mature decision to break up with a man she could no longer trust, and wait for him to make up his mind about what he wanted, and how he wanted to proceed from this point forward, and go through the process of both Kaylee and Nash healing so that they can begin to see if a relationship is even possible. They don’t just lose their feelings for one another, the want and the need and the love is still there despite the horrible things that Nash allowed to happen and the fact that he hid those atrocities from Kaylee instead of telling her immediately which she could have forgiven. They are trying to find out if they are toxic or good for one another despite of their feelings and that is one of the most mature decisions that a person can try to make. Their conversations are honest poignant and portray emotionally intelligent characters who are true to their nature. It also shows that ms. Vincent is concerned about sending a good and positive message about the realism in relationships and that there are no easy answers, nothing is black and white and wrapped up neatly in a nice bow, its messy and takes a long while to figure out and that honesty in her writing is one of the reasons I will always purchase her books.
With the introduction of Sabine, a complicated situation becomes even more tangled as the obsessive ex-girlfriend comes into the picture, forcing Kaylee to identify and acknowledge her conflicting feeling much sooner than if she did not have a ‘competitor’ stimulus forcing her to realize that even without her acting, she could lose Nash.
I won’t ruin the book for anyone but the ending is BEYOND amazing. The relationship is so honest and complicated that I don’t just want to label this a Young Adult novel, this is a book that every person should read if they want to see the way a truly gifted writer can be so honest with herself and her characters as to make them come alive in the most human of ways.
Ms. Vincent, a thousand times thank you, and yes yes yes.

Rating: A+

Alix Taylor is an avid reader, blogger, and romance lover who can be found on Twitter at @alixntaylor, and online at www.romancebooksforum.com where the snark flows free and the romance books are dissected with abandon.

Time flies, another year gone by & more books to giveaway! If your name is below, contact me SueG with your snail mail address & we’ll send you your books:

Sunday - Julie’s - Kristi;
& afternoon’s winner with Candace = trader (US only for Sue’s Stash)

Monday & Anita’s winner - Clarissa; & afternoon with
Jo Davis - MarcieR

Tuesday & Ivy - BarbP; HighlandHussy

Wednesday w/ Tara - DonnaS

Thursday’s winner with Tracy - Margay

Friday & Linda’s (US Sue’s Stash winner) - TracyD; MeganK

Congrats to all -

The lineup for this week includes:

Today w/ Gerry Bartlett

Monday & Sue’s Final Question of the Year + Giveaway!

Tuesday - AJ Menden

Wednesday & Alix Rickloff!

Thursday & Maggie Dove

Friday with Jill Myles

Saturday - New Years w/Sue + Sue’s Stash!

Happy New Year 2 everyone - be safe!

& Happy Romance,
Best,
SueG