Guest Post and Giveaway with Terry Spear

Happy New Year from Me to You! By Terry Spear

What do you want in the New Year? Do you make goals?

Okay, here are some of mine. I can’t wait for A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing to come out, March 2012. I’ll be going to town on another huge blog tour again in March, but my goal is to have ALL the blogs done super early. It’s not like I procrastinate, or anything, but sometimes I just can’t figure out one more new thing to say! Or I’m waiting on interview questions that haven’t been sent yet. Or I sign up for a whole new slew of guest posts and I’m trying to catch up. And other stuff, deadlines, work, daughter’s wedding, sometimes just gets in the way. Ever feel that way?

I’ll be judging several published authors’ contests next year again, like I do every year. And for the third year in a row, I’ve entered the RITA. BUT I am not going to worry whether I will be called about finaling in the RITA. I didn’t last year, or the year before, although I must admit I did think about it occasionally. Fantasized about it while I was at work a couple…or more times. But I won’t be keeping my phone at hand, just in case. That gives me this vague hope that when I make the long drive home from work, listening to whatever audio book I’m “reading” at the time, I might just come home to THE CALL. Not that I’ll lose any sleep over it. That would be silly. But still, maybe some year…I will get that much revered call.

I’m working on three new stories, A Highland Wolf Wedding,Cearnach from Heart of the Highland Wolf’s pack, the second jaguar story in the series, and Tom Silver from Destiny of the Wolf pack’s story in Silence of the Wolf, title probably will change and plan to have all of them written this upcoming year. Plus I want to have the next Highland medieval romance done and another fae story. I’ve also been asked to write The Vampire…In My Nightmares, and I want to write the sequel to The Shadow Elf and Blood Moon, two other YA.

Attending my daughter’s wedding, which means my goal is still to find a formal! I have to hurry though. The wedding is in January! This will be the second marriage to the same guy. First was the informal official one, so she could live with himas his lawful wife while she’s taking her internship at the VA hospital in Houston. The second is the fancy one with all the foofaraw. My son started the trend the year before so he could take his wife with him to his AF duty assignment during training, then had the formal wedding in Pensacola, Florida. Such fun!

I’ll be teaching two workshops at the FF&P Conference in New Orleans in March, Happy Hookers and Conflict, Conflict, Conflict! And doing a book signing.

My goal is also to go to the RWA conference next year.

Then in September, I’ll be promoting the new jaguar release. Ikeep offering to help hand-select the jaguar man for the cover of the book, but no one at Sourcebook is biting. I don’t know why not. Seems to me it would be good research. For me.

Of course there are a million and one other things I need to do…like organize my taxes all year long instead of scrambling to figure it out before April 15th!

So what are your New Year’s Goals? Anything special you want to do or have planned?

Terry Spear

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality.”

www.terryspear.com

A FIERCE HUNTER...

Alicia Greiston is a no-nonsense bounty hunter determined to bring a ring of mobsters to justice. Her dogged pursuit of the crime family has forced her to avoid relationships— any man would only become a target for retribution. Luckily, Jake Silver is more than a man, and his instincts are telling him to stop at nothing to protect her.

AN ANIMAL PASSION...

However, the mob isn't entirely human either, and soon Alicia must flee for her life. When Alicia and Jake's passion begins to spill over into their dreams, Jake learns he will have to do more than defend her— he'll have to show his mate the way of the wolf.

Author bio: Award-winning author Terry Spear is the author of urban fantasy romances and medieval Highland romances. She received Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year in 2008 for Heart of the Wolf. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry is a librarian by day. She lives in Crawford, Texas.

You can find Terry Spear at the links below:  

www.facebook.com/terry.spear

www.terryspear.com

www.myspace.com/terryspear

http://terry-spear.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/TerrySpear 

 

Giveaway Time

Winner's Choice of book

Giveaway will be 12/30 - 1/6

Just answer Terry's Question of : What do you want in the New Year? Do you make goals? Or you can tell Terry which of her books you loved best and why?

U.S. Only 

Must Leave a valid email so you can be contacted should you win. 

Review for Bound By Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Title: Bound By Darkness

Author: Alexandra Ivy

Description: The Sylvermysts have a reputation as sinister cousins to the fey, and none are more mysterious than Ariyal and his tribe. To save his people from banishment, he faces a new challenge: Jaelyn, an elite vampire warrior sent to capture him. By rights, he should kill her on sight. Yet he cannot bring himself to hurt her—or to resist her…

Jaelyn is stunningly beautiful, utterly lethal—and always alone. Until Ariyal. From their first encounter, she knows that what's between them is more dangerous than simple lust. And as they unite to thwart a terrifying prophecy that will mean the end of his clan and of the world they know, she will risk everything to fulfill her destiny by his side…

My Thoughts: Let me start by saying the “Guardians of Eternity” is one of my favorite series. I discovered this series by Alexandra Ivy by chance a few years ago when I saw “When Darkness Comes” (book one in the series) on the shelf and grabbed it up to give it a chance. Next thing I know I  was ordering all the books and kept buying when I knew the newest one would be out. Each time you wonder will it fall short of the last and for the latest installment I can tell you it sure hasn’t. I will say there is a lot going on in the beginning. First there is Jaelyn, a vampire and trained hunter, who has had a few crucial rules beaten into her such as no intimacy, no feelings and no taking a mate. Next is Ariyal, the prince of the Sylvermist, who was the bad guy when he was introduced in the last book, but this time you see a whole new side of him as one of the leading characters. I loved seeing a lot of the prior characters from the series brought into play, especially the lovable French gargoyle Levet. 

“Bound by Darkness” has Jaelyn being sent by the commission to bring back Ariyal, but then her mission changes to only keeping an eye on him. Problem is, Ariyal brings forth feelings she was trained to not have. As hunters are not allowed feelings, Ariyal making her hot and wanting him, infuriates her. Ariyal has always wanted Jaelyn. Despite his want, he is suspicious of her sudden willingness to help him stop a ritual that would bring back the Dark Lord. Suspicious or not though, he can't bring it to himself to get rid of her. So together they embark on a journey to save the world. Along the way Ariyal puts chinks in Jaelyn’s armor that protects where her feelings are hidden. 

Jaelyn is the kind of leading lady I love! She is a sarcastic, strong lady, but underneath it all is just a woman with a passionate and vulnerable side. Ariyal turns into quite the leading man. I love how Ivy’s leading men are never Prince Charmings, but show they have flaws. The banter and chemistry sizzles amongst the pages and you start rooting for the couple to overcome all obstacles. I wish there were more scenes with Levet. That is my only complaint. There is something about that little French gargoyle that always brings a smile to my face. Maybe it's because he catches all the ladies hearts, while irritating the males. This book has it all demons, spirits, wizards, trolls, ogres and zombies, Oh my! Ivy also gives you a taste of whats to come with Santiago and Nefri. The peek behind the veil has you wanting to see what will happen and leaves you wishing you could see it now. This Guardian's of Eternity fan will be holding her breath till I get my next fix in the world Ivy has created! 

I would also like to thank Alexandra Ivy for providing a ARC for review. 

5 out of 5 stars

You can buy Bound By Darkness here:

Bound By Darkness Paperback

costs:  7.99

Bound By Darkness Kindle Edition

costs: 4.49

You can find Alexandra Ivy on Facebook here:

Alexandra Ivy's Facebook Author Page

Review for Haunted Heart by Carolyn Rosewood

Title: Haunted Heart

Author: Carolyn Rosewood

Description: All Rowena Sommers wants is a quiet life away from Hollywood gossip and her vicious Oscar-winning ex-boyfriend Brett Fontaine. Her career and reputation in a shambles, thanks to Brett, Rowena returns home to restore her ancestral home and soak up some familiar, hometown sympathy. But having won a twenty-million-dollar defamation suit against Brett hasn’t endeared her to the hometown fans, and the man she’s hired to restore the old home is none other than the ex-jock who used her cruelly in high school to win a bet. And now a paranormal investigator is telling her the place may be haunted.

Van Whitney is no stranger to gossip. He's been struggling to keep his family's restoration business afloat, and when he agrees to restore Rowena's home, he vows to keep their relationship professional. His childhood friend has become a beautiful, sexy woman, but she attracts gossip like flies to honey. When strange things start happening at the house, Van discovers secrets upon secrets, and a plot that may be other than it seems. But his attraction to Rowena might be more dangerous than anything from the past…

My Thoughts: The name “Haunted Heart” fits this story perfectly. Rowena Sommers had left her hometown to escape old hurts and bad memories when she was just out of high school. She only returns to her roots after her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be a movie star, leaves her career and her life in the lime-light in shambles. Rowena wants a normal, quiet life and to be finally recognized  for her own talent, not just because of her ex. So, she takes up in the house left to her by her beloved Aunt Looney. Rowena wants to have the home restored, as she re-establishes herself in her small hometown. Her first day back she gets a huge surprise when she pulls up and sees Van, childhood family friend and the boy she had loved. Van also happens to be one of the memories still haunting her and of all things, is in the restoration business. He too is taken aback, seeing the new client is Rowena, after all these years. I will say the story starts out kind of slow with a lot of background, though personally this didn't bother me. Each bit of detail helps evolve the story as it goes on making it much more than just suspenseful and passionate. The characters fleshed out into three dimensions showing that you can overcome your past and start anew. I loved how Carolyn could take us back in time highlighting what Rowena must have gone through in high school, using  that hindsight to see she could look past those experiences once she learned to let it go and embrace the future with Van. Both Rowena and Van are haunted by past mistakes and hurts, but with trust and love they reach past it. The passion between the characters gets very steamy at times, but the mystery of the house tames it to leave you intrigued and turning the pages to see who is behind the goings on. Personally, the book kept me guessing, though some readers may catch on sooner. Carolyn wrote all the characters so vividly that they came off quite real as if their spirits flowed through the pages themselves. I loved reading this suspenseful romance that kept me on my toes with all kinds of Bumps in the Night. Are you ready to possessed by the spirit of the “Haunted Heart”?

 

5 out of 5 stars

You can buy Haunted Heart by clicking the link below:

Haunted Heart by Carolyn Rosewood for Kindle

Costs: 6.99

You can find Carolyn Rosewood on Facebook:

Carolyn Rosewood Author Page on Facebook

Winner of Ednah Walter's Kiss Me Crazy Blog Tour

The Random.Org gods have picked a winner....first i am sorry i am a day late.....

Deena Remiel 

You have won Mine Until Dawn (book 2) and Kiss Me Crazy (book 3)

I will be shooting you a mail shortly.