One For The Wicked by Karina Cooper (Interview/Giveaway)

Paranormal Romance, witches, and some stunning heroes. Yes dear readers we have Karina Cooper here today. Welcome Karina!

Lexi: Book 5? Already? *hides face in shame* I am behind. How that is possible I can’t tell you because this PNR series hits all the right spots. Who doesn’t like some apocalyptic scale events and witches? So tell us Karina, did you have this all mapped out when you started writing Blood of the Wicked (Book 1)?

Karina: No reason to hide! Life is full of, you know, life. We can’t always tuck ourselves away in fantasies. Even ones involving the end of the world as we know it (and we’re feeling fine?... yeah, I’ll stop). 

I wish I could say I had all this mapped out! To be perfectly honest, I only really had the gist worked out for the first three books. As I was writing All Things Wicked, a lot of things I hadn’t really considered slotted into place—like magic! Suddenly, it was as much about the things that the characters were trying to cope with as much as the goals they personally were trying to achieve, and as we all know, life does not always give you what you want.

Lover Undercover by Samanthe Beck (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to give a warm welcome back to author, Samanthe Beck, this time joining us with her second book - Lover Undercover!

Thanks, Crystal, for having me back at Reading Between the Wines, to talk about my new Brazen release, Lover Undercover!  Lover Undercover came out earlier this month, close on the heels of my debut novel, Private Practice…also from Entangled’s super-sexy Brazen line.

With only two books under my belt, there’s not much about being an author I can speak to with authority, but I can tell you there are some big differences between writing your first book and the second.  

Sexy Snippets: Against the Wall (Maverick Montana #1) by Rebecca Zanetti

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Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky below so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

A Riveting Affair by Candace Havens, Patricia Eimer & Lily Lang (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Please give a warm welcome to author Patricia Eimer, joining us with her story, The Clockwork Bride, part of A Riveting Affair anthology!

The Best Things To Drink While Reading Steampunk

When I was offered the chance to post a blog here at Reading Between the Wines about the new anthology that I’m a part of – Riveting Affairs—I started thinking about what I could talk about and then a friend of mine posted the following on Facebook.

In the Beginning, there was a husband and children
Then I found Wine and Books 
And I’ve got no idea where the husband and the kids went
And I don’t really care. 

Susan Arden's TEMPTED BY TROUBLE (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to welcome author, Susan Arden!

Thank you so much Reading Between the Wines for allowing me to guest post today, and of course share Tempted with your readers. I thought we’d discuss the problem within romance.

When writing romance that sizzles, the parts that keep a reader engaged are the conflicts or problems the characters encounter.

From the opening pages, the heroine and hero has smacked with problems. Some are easy to solve and some will last the entire story. Each writer knows it is her duty to keep heaping on dilemma after dilemma. Plots must focus on a tightly driven story, one the moves the reader forward. The only way to do that is to craft a problem that is almost insurmountable. Actually many.

April’s The Wine Club Review: The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca

April’s The Wine Club Review: The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca

On the menu today we have Jennifer Apodaca’s first book in her Once a Marine series, The Baby Bargain, and a lovely bottle of Rosa Regale. Here is a little bit about the book...


The Baby Bargain 
(Once A Marine #1)
by Jennifer Apodaca
ebook, 184 pages
Published March 11th 2013 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Indulgence)
ISBN 1622660730 
ARC Courtesy of Publisher

Seeing Adam Waters is the last thing veterinarian Megan Young expects. Ex-Marine. Ex-boyfriend. And still extremely dangerous territory. But Adam doesn’t know the secret Megan has been keeping from him. The secret that was created three years ago, after their last night together...
Adam returns to Raven’s Cove to sell his home in a final break with the town and memories that haunt him. The problem is that his attraction to Megan is as blazing hot as it ever was. But when a vicious smear campaign against Megan turns ugly, Adam learns the truth he never knew—he has a son.
Now the only way Megan can protect her child is to strike a bargain with Adam. And it’s a bargain that looks a lot like blackmail...

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

The Rosa Regale is an Italian red sparkling wine that is light, savory and goes great with any meal or occasion. The color and bottle has a sexy edge to it as well. Just like our story!

A Barron In Her Bed by Maggi Coleman (Guest Post)

Please give a warm welcome to author, Maggi Coleman!



Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Crystal.

A Baron in Her Bed – The Spies of Mayfair, is the first book in my Regency spy trilogy. Spies have always been a fascination of mine, from James Bond movies to anything featuring Nazi spies and Le Carré’s fine novels. My love of the Regency period came from reading Georgette Heyer’s books. So it seemed a good idea to combine them in a series.

The second book in the series is released in September: Taming a Gentleman Spy, and the hero, John Haldane, Earl of Strathairn, makes an appearance in book one.

Here’s a bit about A Baron in Her Bed.

Tour: Melinda Leigh's MIDNIGHT SACRIFICE (Spotlight/Giveaway)

Good morning! Today we have a spotlight and giveaway from Melinda Leigh's Midnight Sacrifice series!

MIDNIGHT EXPOSURE
Midnight series, Book 1

Point, click, die.When two hikers disappear, their hometown in Maine blames the blinding storms. But the truth is far more sinister. Unaware of the danger, tabloid photographer Jayne Sullivan follows an anonymous tip to find the most reclusive sculptor in the art world. Instead, she finds sexy handyman Reed Kimball—and a small town full of fatal secrets.Five years ago, Reed buried his homicide detective career along with his wife. But when a hiker is found dead, the local police chief asks Reed for help. Why was a Celtic coin found under the body? And where is the second hiker? Avoiding the media, Reed doesn’t need a murder, a missing person, or a nosey photographer. Then Jayne is attacked, and her courage is his undoing. Reed must risk everything to protect her and find a cunning killer.

Amazon

Sharp by Alex Hughes (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today we have an excerpt for you from Alex Hughes, SHARP! Enjoy :)

Breakfast with Kara
An excerpt from Sharp by Alex Hughes. All rights reserved.

Just then Kara arrived, and greeted me with a small, polite smile. She was all dolled up in a flowy pantsuit of some kind, a long powder blue trench coat keeping her warm in the morning chill. The streetlight behind her flickered.
She joined me in my place in line, now nearly in front of the door.
Next to us, a small crane on wheels had moved next to the streetlight, the crane extending up over the roof of the crystalline building next door. A man in the crane basket adjusted his hard hat and brought out a loudspeaker.
“People on the street!” he said. “We will be measuring the structural integrity of this building for approximately ten seconds. Please maintain silence during this time!”
A low rumble came from the crowd, and then, quietly, with a shrug, silence fell.
The man brought out a pipette and dropped a stream of water onto the crystalline roof, a woman at street level with a dish-shaped sound collector pointing it carefully. After a moment, the water stopped, and a tone came from the collector. “A pass,” the woman said.
“Thank you!” The man projected through the loudspeaker. “We’re done!”
“Two?” someone said.
“What?” I turned.
Four feet away, right inside the open restaurant door, the hostess smiled. “Table for two?”
We moved forward, quickly, into the restaurant.
The hostess was a pretty blond college student with a huge bar pierced through the skin of her forehead. I stared; it looked painful.
“Yes, please.” Kara frowned at me. We’d been engaged, years ago, and for all everything had changed since—for all she’d betrayed me to the Guild after I had burned out those students—sometimes I could still see her, I could still understand her, without the need for telepathy, or words. “Could we get a table in the corner please?”
“You’re in luck. There’s one available.” The hostess walked across the room like there was something stuck in her shoe. The shoe in question had large spikes coming out of it on several sides. Admittedly, I did not understand fashion at all; Kara’s quieter flowy thing made sense, but this . . . ?
We sat, Kara setting her coat over a hook on the wall, and we ordered fresh real coffee, fancy omelets, and biscuits from the waitress. This place made the best biscuits and gravy in the city, and they could do things with cheap meal-replacement pellets you had to taste to believe. Pellet omelet? You’d better believe it. With spinach and soy feta and smoked habanero, it was exactly what I needed this morning.
“Why am I here?” Kara asked me, once the waitress had left. With us being in a concrete-reinforced corner of the room, behind a life-sized movie replica character, the low rumble of conversation around us would cover anything we said.
I took a breath. Surrounded by normal things, here, the vision didn’t seem as overwhelming as it had last night, but it was a vision all the same. And my accuracy was unfortunately high, especially when it came to my personal safety. I had to believe what I’d been shown. “I need to ask for a favor,” I said.

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #74: Romantic Tropes

 

<center> <a href="http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad3/folksohana/RBtWBC%20Memes/Follow.jpg"width="200" height="300"/></a></center> 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines. This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make some new friends!

How to join in:

• You should run a book blog that features and reviews mostly adult reads, some Y.A.’s are okay but 18 & over adult reads should be your majority.
• Make a separate post for the 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow on your blog.
• Copy the html for the button above and place it at the top of your post.
• List & answer the ‘Question of the Week.’
• Place your name and blog title in the linky below and the url for a direct link to your post
• Visit the other blogs on the list and say 'Hi!' Following each blog is not mandatory but I know it is always appreciated, and if someone comments saying they’re a new follower it’s polite to follow back. :) It’s always nice to spread the 18 & Over Book Blogging love!
• Contact me (readingbetweenthewines10 at gmail dot com) with any questions!

Question of the Week: What is your favorite romantic trope to read about and which is your least favorite?

Bite Me Your Grace by Brooklyn Ann (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Please give a warm welcome to author, Brooklyn Ann!

Writing About A Writer
Stephen King writes a lot of characters who are writers. At first I thought he did this is a convenience, falling under the “write what you know” category. Or maybe he was subconsciously putting himself in the story.

Then the heroine in my debut novel told me she was a writer as well. “Whoa!” I said. “What do you write?”
“Horror!” she proudly proclaimed. “None of those insipid romantic novels.”
“Thanks for that,” I replied, a little stung. “But I love horror. I wish I could write horror. How do you go about it?”

Heart of Darkness, a vampire romance book by Felicity Heaton – Just $0.99 until April 28th

Heart of Darkness, a stand alone vampire romance novel by Felicity Heaton, is on offer for just $0.99 / £0.99 / EUR 0,99 until April 28th. That’s a saving of $3 on the normal cover price of this paranormal romance ebook. This bargain deal is available at all Amazon Kindle, Kobo and Apple iBooks Stores.

Heart of Darkness was an Epic Ebook Awards 2013 finalist in the Paranormal Romance category.

Read on for the blurb and links to where you can grab this discounted novel.

The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to welcome one of my favorite peeps, a talented author and an all-around awesome lady, Ms. Juliana Stone!

I love Rock and Roll…

So put another dime in the jukebox baby…. Seriously, I do!!! I think a lot of my readers know by now, that I used front an all girl rock band back in the days of ice mist hair spray.  I still sing for fun and gig a few times a year, but for the most part, I leave the serious gigging up to my son, the guitarist in the band, Ravyn’sFall!

Two years ago when I decide that I wanted to write a contemporary romance, it was pretty much a no brainer that it would involve music.  I wanted a book where the hero was a singer/guitarist and The Summer He Came Home, pretty much wrote itself!

Tour: Rosalie Lario's Mark of the Sylph (Excerpt/Giveaway)

Today we are happy to be a part of Rosalie Lario's blog tour for her book, Mark of the Sylph, and to share an excerpt with you! You can check out our reviews of this series HERE!

About the Book:

Half-demon Taeg is desperate to free his pregnant sister-in-law, who is spellbound to an indestructible book that will create an army of the undead. He is convinced that an ancient sword can destroy the book and the spell forever, but this relic has been hidden for a millennia by a powerful glamour. The clock begins to run out on his search when an old rival goes after the book and Taeg’s family in his quest for revenge.
Librarian Maya Flores has a secret: she’s immune to magic and is well aware of the supernatural beings prowling the streets of New York City. Haunted by a brutal demon attack that took her family, she is on a one-woman mission to destroy the evil demons who did it—and any others who get in her way.Maya is Taeg’s best hope for uncovering the sword.Unfortunately, she wants nothing more than to kill him. As he fights for her trust and to save his family, she is forced to face the truth that not all demons are evil. And the worst part? She might be falling in love with one, too.

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository

The Assassins Hockey Hop! (Giveaway)

Taking Shots:

In Toni Aleo’s exhilarating debut, the first in a series featuring the hockey hunks of the Nashville Assassins, a reformed bad boy helps a charming, willful woman face off against the demons of her past.

No matter how hard she tries, Eleanor Fisher never thinks she’s good enough, from her job to her weight to her love life. After enduring years of abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, Elli has been drifting through life in a daze. Until, that is, she meets Shea Adler on a promotional shoot for the NHL’s Nashville Assassins. Before Elli knows what’s happening, the gorgeous Shea breaks the ice and shatters her world.

A brilliant athlete inside the rink, Shea Adler is tired of the life he’s living outside of it: the girls, the money, the drinking. But everything changes when he meets Elli. After laying eyes on this feisty, witty, beautiful woman, he feels like he’s just taken the hardest hit of his life. No matter how skeptical she is, Shea knows they are meant to be together—if only he can convince Elli to put her insecurities aside throw her insecurities out the window before she misses out on a shot at love.

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

Sexy Snippets: Trying to Score by Toni Aleo

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Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky below so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

Sidney Bristol's BOUND WITH PEARLS (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Good morning lovelies, I hope that everyone's weekend was great! This morning I would like to give a warm welcome to author, Sidney Bristol!

 Thanks so much to the team here at Reading Between the Wines for having me! I feel it’s necessary to pour a glass of my favorite sweet moscato in honor of the blog today. Cheers! Currently I’m touring the blogesphere celebrating the print release of my very first Taboo line book from Ellora’s Cave, titled Bound with Pearls. It’s not my first print book, but it’s so very exciting to hold the physical book in my hands. It’s very much a dream come true for me each time it happens.

So what is this book all about and why am I not sharing the wine? I’ll tell you the first, for the second you have to bring your own glass.

Event: Historical Romance Weekend (Wrap-Up)

Thank you to all of the wonderful readers and authors who joined us for our Historical Romance Weekend! If you weren't able to stop by, here is what you missed! All giveaways are open until April 28th!

• April 18th: Historical romance author, Grace Burrowes, stopped by to talk about her favorite historical settings and her new release, Darius! Giveaway - Print copy of Darius (US/CA) LINK

• April 19th: Historical romance author, Tracey Devlyn, chatted with Lexi about her new Nexus series! Giveaway - Print copy of Checkmate, My Lord (US/CA) LINK

• April 20th: Lexi interviews historical romance author, Shana Galen, about her love for the sub-genre and her long list of books! Giveaway - If You Give a Rake a Ruby and When You Give a Duke a Diamond LINK

• April 21st: To celebrate the upcoming release of the historical romance, A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester, Sourcebooks is giving away a wedding prize pack! (US/CA) LINK

• April 21st: Lexi chats up romance author, Delilah Marvelle, about her books, her heroines and more! Giveaway - Digital copies of Lady of Pleasure LINK

Historical Romance Weekend: Author Delilah Marvelle (Interview/Giveaway)

Scandal, School of Gallantry, The Rumor Series. Each one represents perfect examples of Historical Romance. And the amazing author of these perfect examples is our guest for the last day of our Historical Romance weekend, welcome Delilah Marvelle!

Delilah: Thank you for having me Lexi!!

Lexi: Delilah you are an author who puts it out there. Your blog sheds light on numerous tasty tidbits of history (seriously people, check out her blog), and your fun loving spirit is a beacon wherever you make an appearance (someday I will be at a con where you are). Do you feel like your personality is reflected into the heroines in your historicals?

Delilah: Is my personality reflected into my heroines? Is this where I reveal too much about myself?  (Lexi nodding enthusiastically) lol. The answer is hell yeah. There is a lot of me in each of the heroines I write. I'm outspoken and am always standing up for things I believe in, which is the core of what I respect in others. It is the roots of a kick ass heroine. I love strong personalities that know when to step up and when to back down (which isn't always easy, lol).

Lexi: The eras you choose to write in were traditionally a time women were rather limited and suppressed. Do you think that women back then felt the same way we do now, or that they were generally happy being kept on a shelf?

Historical Romance Weekend: A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester (Sourcebook Giveaway)

We have a a giveaway from Sourcebooks that fits in perfectly with our Historical Romance Weekend!

Sourcebooks is really excited about the new Regency trilogy coming from Amanda Forester! The first book, A Wedding in Springtime, comes out next month and has already received TWO STARRED reviews! We will be hosting Amanda next month but right now we want to offer a giveaway of a wedding themed prize pack (US/CA only please)! Included is a copy of A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester along with a mix of other wedding themed books from Sourcebooks. To enter, please comment below and tell us where would be your dream wedding destination? Then fill out the rafflecopter!

Historical Romance Weekend: Author Shana Galen (Interview/Giveaway)

We are back with our Historical Romance weekend! Of course we had to have the talented...Shana Galen! Welcome to Reading Between the Wines Shana!

Shana: Thank you for having me back again and inviting me to be a part of your Historical Romance Weekend. I’m honored!

Lexi: You have quite the backlist. From pirates, to brothers, and pseudo mistresses. What is it that made you choose Historical Romance as your genre? 

Shana: I would have to say it was actually historical romance that chose me, and I couldn't be happier. Writing historical romance is appealing to me in part because I can leave the modern world behind. I enjoy spending time in the past with no cell phones, no TV, no information overload. It allows me to create a world with dashing heroes and equally dynamic heroines who probably wouldn’t be very believable in a contemporary novel.

Lexi: Your Jewels of the Ton series features three strong women who take great risks to ensure their welfare. Do you feel women in Historical Romances parallel women today?

Magic Touch Giveaway Hop and Swag Bonanza (US/CA)

 

This Hop is hosted by author Kallysten and book blog Riverina Romantics. In addition to individual prizes provided on each blog, we are offering assorted swag to the first 100 participants who simply tell us they want some! See all details and sign up here.

Hello Lovelies and welcome to our stop on THE MAGIC TOUCH hop! We're very excited to join this hop. :) So, we're suppose to talk about something magical and I suppose I could talk about Kim Harrison's the Hollows or some other fabulous book series but instead I want to give a shout out to my favorite magical trio, the Halliwell sisters! I'm talking about the television series, CHARMED, of course! The Charmed Ones, the power of three, the Book of Shadows, magical powers, the most powerful good witches of all time and of course their hunky men! I actually stayed with this show longer then I did Buffy. *gasp* And if I could find it on TNT like they say it's suppose to be on, I would still be watching the re-runs! lol I'm still waiting for my DVD collection... (*psst* Ya' know...my birthday is in just a few days... :D) But anyhoo! My favorite sister is Piper (I know, no one liked her but I did!). I even tried to name my daughter after her but the Hubs vetoed that quickly! I did get my Cole though...is that weird? lol I thought it was so cool how Piper could freeze things, even a whole room! And being married to a hot Angel? Yes, please! And her son, Chris from the future, was a total hottie too (Drew Fuller, look him up)! At first I was upset that they got rid of Prue/Shannen Doherty, but after that first season in I think Rose McGowan/Paige did an excellent job picking up the slack! If you want to check out this series go >here<. Are there any other CHARMED fans out there? 

Review: If You Give a Rake a Ruby by Shana Galen - 4 Wine Glasses!

If You Give a Rake a Ruby

Jewels of the Ton #2

by Shana Galen

Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages

Published March 5th 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN 9781402269769

ecopy courtesy of NetGalley

Her Mysterious Past Is The Best Revenge...
Fallon, the Marchioness of Mystery, is a celebrated courtesan with her finger on the pulse of high society. She’s adored by men, hated by their wives. No one knows anything about her past, and she plans to keep it that way.
Only He Can Offer Her A Dazzling Future...
Warrick Fitzhugh will do anything to protect his compatriots in the Foreign Office, including seduce Fallon, who he thinks can lead him to the deadliest crime lord in London. He knows he’s putting his life on the line...
To Warrick’s shock, Fallon is not who he thinks she is, and the secrets she’s keeping are exactly what make her his heart’s desire...

Goodreads 
Available at Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository

Lexi's Thoughts

Shana Galen is one of those Historical Romance authors you know what to expect when you pick up one of her books. If You Give a Rake a Ruby is no disappointment, with these fiery characters and steady plot you will fly through this book.

Historical Romance Weekend: The Nexus series by Tracey Devlyn (Interview/Giveaway)

Welcome to our Historical Romance weekend! Today we have a relatively new HR author, her second release Checkmate, My Lord came out in February. Know who our guest is? Tracey Devlyn!

Lexi: Historical Romance brings to mind beautiful gowns and lavish balls. The genre makes you think of simpler times when men were gentlemen. Do you find yourself wishing to live in the past?  

Tracey: Yes and no—LOL! I love how the gentlemen cared for their families. How they treated their ladies with respect and delicacy. Manners, at the time, were impeccable. Everyone knew what to do (or what not do). Outside of all the glamour and good manners dwelled a darkness. Unfaithful spouses, lost fortunes, unfair laws, wars on reputations, unsanitary conditions, and huge disparities in wealth between the different classes, to name a few. Having said all that, I think it would be great fun to go back for a single day. Enough time to ride through Hyde Park at the fashionable hour, grab an ice at Gunter's, and dance the night away with one handsome nobleman after the other.

Lexi: Life is never simple. Especially for your hero and heroine in Checkmate, My Lord. The Nexus series is filled with spies and nefarious villains, high drama. Is it easier to write larger than life characters in a historical context, where the imagination can romanticize every day life? 

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #73: History + Erotica + Romance?

 

<center> <a href="http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad3/folksohana/RBtWBC%20Memes/Follow.jpg"width="200" height="300"/></a></center> 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines. This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make some new friends!

How to join in:

• You should run a book blog that features and reviews mostly adult reads, some Y.A.’s are okay but 18 & over adult reads should be your majority.
• Make a separate post for the 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow on your blog.
• Copy the html for the button above and place it at the top of your post.
• List & answer the ‘Question of the Week.’
• Place your name and blog title in the linky below and the url for a direct link to your post
• Visit the other blogs on the list and say 'Hi!' Following each blog is not mandatory but I know it is always appreciated, and if someone comments saying they’re a new follower it’s polite to follow back. :) It’s always nice to spread the 18 & Over Book Blogging love!
• Contact me (readingbetweenthewines10 at gmail dot com) with any questions!

Question of the Week: Have you read an erotic historical romance or an historical erotica? Did you like it? If not, would you want to? Or do you prefer erotica in the present and why? 

Historical Romance Weekend: Darius by Grace Burrowes (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Good morning lovelies! We are starting the weekend early here at RBtWBC with Historical Romance Weekend! We have some wonderful authors and books to share with you this weekend, thanks so much for joining us! Right now I would like to welcome historical romance author, Grace Burrowes, with her newest release of Darius!  

WHAT is my favorite historical setting, and why?

Interesting question! I’d have to narrow my favorites to three, starting with the late Georgian period (about 1776 to 1811). I backed into this period by virtue of having written a Regency sibling series. When readers began to ask about the parents’ story… back to the research sources I did go.

I found a period more cosmopolitan than the Regency in some ways, one where the Napoleonic wars had not yet reduced the common British experience of Continental travel to Iberian battlefields. Because dynastic marriages were still in use in the late Georgian period, a certain autonomy between spouses meant women—some women—were social, political and literary forces in their own right. Mary Wollstonecraft’s “Vindication of the Rights of Women,” came out in 1792, for example.

Review: Immortal Surrender by Claire Ashgrove - 4.5 Wine Glasses!

Immortal Surrender 
(The Curse of the Templars #2)
by Claire Ashgrove
Mass Market Paperback, 448 pages
Published September 25th 2012 by Tor Books
ISBN 0765367599 
ARC Courtesy of Publisher

Farran de Clare, loyal member of the cursed Knights Templar, wants nothing to do with predestined mates. Even the Almighty won’t turn him into a fool again—he’d rather sacrifice his soul. Yet in the scientist Noelle Keane, a devout atheist, Farran meets the seraph designed for him.
Ordered by the archangel Gabriel to protect Noelle, the possessor of a sacred relic that could give Azazel incredible power, Farran swears to do his duty—but in name only. Fighting an attraction that grows with each day, he’s determined that he’ll never pledge himself to her.
As they war over her future, their mutual passion ignites a conflict far more damning. But before Noelle will agree to eternity with him, she demands the ultimate sacrifice—his heart.

Goodreads
Purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle and The Book Depository 


Crystal's Thoughts:
After reading the first book in the The Curse Of The Templars, I knew that this was going to be a series for me. The story is rich and unique with sexy immortals, intriguing angels and some pretty scary demons. 

Tour: Private Practice by Samanthe Beck (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Please give a warm welcome to a sizzling new author, Samantha Beck, with her debut novel, Private Practice! 

Dr. Ellie Swann’s Top Five Ways to Drive a Man to His Knees

Hi Crystal! Thanks for having me at Reading between the Wines to discuss what it takes to drive a man to his knees. My education on this topic was completely informal until I sat down to write my debut novel, Private Practice, and realized my heroine, Dr. Ellie Swann, intended to research the subject like the hardcore academic type she is.  Thanks to Ellie, I can now quote chapter and verse from her go-to source, The Wild Woman’s Guide to Sex—Tactics Guaranteed to Bring a Man to His Knees, a manual she orders to study the art of seduction. But that would only be half the story of what brings my hero, local bad boy Tyler Longfoot, to his knees. Tyler’s fascination with Ellie stems from more than just her insatiable curiosity about chapter three, or six, (or the ever-controversial chapter thirteen), of the Wild Woman’s Guide! So, in no particular order, here’s what drives big, bad Tyler to his knees:

Tour: DATE BY MISTAKE Anthology (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Please give a warm welcome to a few fabulous authors from the new DATE BY MISTAKE anthology!

Top Ten Things to Keep In Your Purse or How I Was Forced To Wear a Fanny Pack for Two Years by Jill Monroe

I am the last person you'd ever want to ask what to keep in your purse… because honestly, it won't be there for long.  I have this (bad) habit of losing my purse.  Been that way since high school.  I'm not sure what it is, but I'll just set my purse down somewhere and forget about it.  And it doesn't matter if it's an expensive purse or something cheap (I've tried working that rationale).  If it's a purse and I put it somewhere, it's going to be lost or stolen.  

So, after losing it twice* in one year, I made this bet with my husband that I'd wear a fanny pack for a year if I lost it again (in an attempt at adverse psychology).  I guess I don't need to tell you the rest of the story.

Sexy Snippets: Immortal Trust by Claire Ashgrove

<center> </p> <p> <a href="http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad3/folksohana/RBtWBC%20Memes/SexySnippets-1.jpg"width="200" height="300"/></a></center> </p> <p>

Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky below so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

Acadian Waltz by Alexandrea Weis (Guest Post)

Author, Alexandrea Weis is joining us with her contemporary romance, Acadian Waltz, and a top ten list of her favorite authors!

Alex's Top 10 favorite authors:

1. Ian Fleming
2. Mary Renault
3. Ernest Hemingway
4. F. Scot Fitzgerald
5. Edgar Allen Poe
6. Alexandre Dumas
7. Anne Rice
8. Heather Graham
9. Elizabeth Peters
10. Margaret George

Double Click by Lisa Becker (Spotlight/Excerpt)

Today we would like to share with you Lisa Becker's sequel to her romance, Click: an Online Love Story - Double Click!

Title: Double Click 
Author: Lisa Becker 
Series: sequel to Click: an Online Love Story 
Genre: Contemporary, Romance 
Release Date: March 27th 2013 
Length: 463 kb / 308 pages 

Double Click is a sequel to Click: An Online Love Story, the modern epistolary novel that book bloggers and reviewers called hilarious, clever and full of fun.

In the first book, fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene reluctantly joined her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles.  The story unfolded entirely through emails between Renee and her best friends as well as the gentlemen suitors she met online.  Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers rooted for Renee to "click" with the right man.

Double Click, which follows the same all-email format, picks up with the same main characters six months after the original books ends.  If the first book was about Renee’s search for love online, this book is about whether she and her friends have all found their “HEA” or “happily ever after.”  Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click allows readers to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends. 

Shawn Martin's Shadowflesh (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to give a warm welcome to YA author, Shawn Martin!

That Burning Story
by
Shawn Martin

As a newly published writer, I haven't left my day job just quite yet.  In all likelihood I doubt I ever will.  My day (and night) job offers me a unique insight into all those hidden and often embarrassing emotions which make a romance novel moving.  In a lot of ways, doing my job is a lot like writing a novel itself.  I'm a firefighter.

Nope, I'm not drinking while writing this.  Fighting a fire so closely resembles writing a novel, it's scary.

Tour: Gabrielle Bisset's SONS OF NAVARUS Series (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Happy Friday, lovelies! Today I would like to give a warm welcome to author Gabrielle Bisset!

Thanks for having me here today at Reading Between The Wines! I'm touring blogs all month with Book Monster Promotions talking about my Sons of Navarus series in preparation for the 4th novel in the series, Blood Prophecy, which is coming May 14, 2013. For readers who've followed the Sons from the beginning, it will be a real turning point, and for readers who haven't begun the series yet, there's more than enough time to get lost in the Sons' world.

When I decided to create the Sons of Navarus world, I had a lot of choices to make. One of them was regarding food and drink. After going back and forth in my mind, I decided in favor of my vampires being able to eat and drink like humans, mainly because I find the purist idea of consuming only blood far too limiting. However, I did choose to make my vampires immune to the effects of alcohol. (I know. How cruel!)

Tour: The Wrecked by Shiloh Walker (Spotlight)

Today we would like to share with you a new release from author, Shiloh Walker!

Wrecked by Shiloh Walker
Release Date 4.2.13

Whatever happened to Abigale Applegate?She’s been wondering the same thing.With her Hollywood dreams long gone, Abigale now has a nice, neat, uncomplicated life—until the day her perfect fiancé needs to talk. Dumped, a little more than shattered, and totally confused, Abigale turns to Zach, her best friend since forever, to help her pick up the pieces. He does it with a gift—a copy of Wreck This Journal. She can vent her frustrations, and sketch out a new plan. Zach just hopes he’s part of it. Because he’s been in love with Abigale his entire life.When the journal falls into Zach’s hands, he discovers Abigale wants a new man. And fast. Nothing more than a hot distraction. Zach has a strategy, too. He’s going to be that man. It’s his last chance. Abigale might be out to shake up her life, but Zach’s out to reinvent it. Now, all he has to do is convince Abigale that life can go as planned.

Amazon - Amazon Kindle - B&N - B&N Nook - The Book Depository  

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #72: Swagalicious!

 

<center> <a href="http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad3/folksohana/RBtWBC%20Memes/Follow.jpg"width="200" height="300"/></a></center> 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines. This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make some new friends!

How to join in:

• You should run a book blog that features and reviews mostly adult reads, some Y.A.’s are okay but 18 & over adult reads should be your majority.
• Make a separate post for the 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow on your blog.
• Copy the html for the button above and place it at the top of your post.
• List & answer the ‘Question of the Week.’
• Place your name and blog title in the linky below and the url for a direct link to your post
• Visit the other blogs on the list and say 'Hi!' Following each blog is not mandatory but I know it is always appreciated, and if someone comments saying they’re a new follower it’s polite to follow back. :) It’s always nice to spread the 18 & Over Book Blogging love!
• Contact me (readingbetweenthewines10 at gmail dot com) with any questions!

Question of the Week: As a blogger and reader, what are some of your favorite types of swag to receive from authors? 

Answer:

Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I am excited to welcome one of my favorite romantic suspense authors, Julie Ann Walker, joining us with her new release is the must-read Black Knights Inc. series, Thrill Ride! 

What's in a Name?
AKA: The Winding, Twisting Road to Naming Characters

Hey, hey, all you romance junkies out there!  Julie Ann Walker here, pleased as punch to be back on Reading Between the Wines and talking to you about character names.  How I come up with them.  Who loves them.  Who hates them.  And all the wonderful shades of grey (Can I still use that phrase without conjuring up images of another writer? LOL!) in between…

Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski - 4.5 Wine Glasses!

The Edge of Never
(The Edge of Never #1)
by J.A. Redmerski
Paperback, 426 pages
Published November 15th 2012 by Createspace (first published November 13th 2012)
ISBN 1480095532
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley

Sometimes life takes you off course . . .
THE EDGE OF NEVER
Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.
Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?

Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction

Goodreads
Purchase at:  Amazon Kindle, Amazon (pre-order), Barnes & Noble Nook  and The Book Depository (pre-order)

Crystal's Thoughts:
I was just telling my friend that 99.9% of the New Adult books that  I have read have made me feel  like slashing my wrists by the end. That is how dark and depressing they are, there are no hearts and flowers in this sub-genre. Or at least this is how it seems from the books I have cracked open. The Edge of Never is no exception; it is dark. It is heart breaking. However, by the end I was left feeling surprisingly light and had a smile on my face! This, I loved!