Off Her Game Blog Tour ~ Guest Post and Giveaway with Suzan Butler

OFF HER GAME 
by Suzan Butler 

Penalty Number One: Men

Making time for men and relationships doesn’t fit into Valerie Chase’s game plan. This crisis-counselor-turned-cocktail-waitress knows the score—Men are a distraction. But when a certain hockey player tempts her wild side, part of her wants to indulge in a little harmless fun.

Penalty Number Two: Desire

As the star center for the Texas Highlanders, Darren Moran's good looks and deadly determination make him a fan favorite. But after the previous season’s disaster, the last thing he needs is to let some woman crawl under his skin. But… Valerie is different. She brings out the best in him—both on and off the ice—and he’s not about to lose her.

Penalty Number Three: Passion

When the game moves to the next level, Darren and Val have got to call timeout. An unplanned romance is a game-thrower, a sinful temptation that neither of them can afford. After all, there’s no way to have order in matters of the heart when the penalties tally up to an ejection from the game.

Available at:

Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iTunes

********* GUEST POST ********* 

Four Awesome Hockey Movies

I make no secret of my love for hockey. In fact, it might be to my detriment, since everything I do online has some form of hockey involved. It’s that author branding thing, you know? Anyway, I figure it’s part of who I am, so I’ll roll with it. So today, I’m going to talk about my top four hockey movies and why they are my topfour.

Hockey Mom

This is a little known flick. It’s Canadian, and was originally known as another title in Canada. As with a lot of movies, the title changed to fit the US market. It’s about a single mom learning to balance what’s important. It struck a lot of chords with me.

Mystery, Alaska

Man, I need to rewatch this. Basically, this small town hockey team that plays for fun gets sucked up into a media circus when they are chosen to play against the New York Rangers. And you know, Russell Crowe… I loves me some Russell Crowe.

The Cutting Edge

Ahhh… Now this movie… I get a big sigh over this movie. Washed up hockey player goes into pair skating with a stuck up figure skater. Teehee. This movie makes me smile. Now I want to go up to some random person and say “Toe pick” and run away.

The Mighty Ducks

Emilio Estevez. Hockey. So, a self-centered lawyer is sentenced to community service coaching a rag tag youth hockey team. Now I look back on this movie, and I think that Emilio Estevez is hot here. But when I first watched this waaaaay back in the early 90s, guess who had a crush on the child star… one Charlie Conway… played by Joshua Jackson. Would you know that I didn’t realize he played the kid until I looked it up recently? Crazy.

Sure, there are more hockey movies. I’ve seen more. But these four are the ones that stick with me the most when I think of hockey movies.

So what’s your favorite hockey movie? Do you have a favorite hockey book too?

Suzan Butler is a romance author, both contemporary and fantasy with a penchant for Dr. Pepper, ice hockey, and world domination.

You can also find her on Twitter (often tweeting inappropriately!) and Facebook or watch her ramble incessantly on her Blog about various things like hockey, shoes, online dating, and even her mad picture-taking skills from time to time. Sometimes, she talks about writing and social media.

3/18 - Babbling About Books

3/19 - The Reading Café

3/20 - Books, Books & More Books

3/21 - Jeep Diva

3/22 - My Secret Romance

3/23 - Happily Ever After Reads

3/24 - Ramblings From This Chick

3/25 - Riverina Romantics

3/26 - Scenes From A Chaotic Mind

3/26 -  United by Books

3/27 - Reading Between The Wines

3/28 - Scorching Book Reviews

3/29 - Book Lovin' Mamas

3/30 - Cocktails and Books

3/31 - Book Monster Reviews

 ********* GIVEAWAY *********

 Suzan is giving away 4 - $10.00 Gift Cards to Amazon or B&N (winners choice)

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Book Blast ~ Blood To Fire by Tonya Cannariato With Giveaway

Dust to Blood (Red Slaves, #1)

**It's a simple formula: Magical power equals political power…**

Sparks are flying between researcher Anne Crosby and no less than nine men--but it's not what you think. Whenever these nine amnesiacs touch anyone, electrical mayhem results. More surprising: all of them have dust instead of blood in their veins, even though they're quite alive. It's Anne's job to track down who and what these men are, even though she takes a dim view of the supernatural.

Her research takes Anne to Russia and the discovery of the devastating magical source behind the former Soviet Union's power--a source the resurrected KGB wants back. Anne must stop them, and they'll do anything to stop her.

Available at:
Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Kobo, Sony.Createspace.

Blood to Fire (Red Slaves #2)

**It’s a simple trade: Magical power for your humanity…**

Researcher Anne Crosby came to Russia to solve the mystery of amnesiac Ivan Krempenski. Instead, she became part of the mystery. Never a believer in the paranormal, Anne discovers Ivan’s true dragon form–and her own.

The old Soviet Union once held Russian dragons captive, siphoning off their magic to cement their power. The resurgent KGB believes enslaving them again will return the Communists to their former might.

New mates Anne and Ivan must learn to control their bewildering new abilities, stay one step ahead of the KGB, and restore their kind before dragons slip into myth…or slavery.

Available at:

Amazon

A voracious reader since she was a toddler, and an ordained spiritualist, Tonya Cannariato has now presided over the marriage of her love of reading and her love of writing. She’s lived a nomadic life, following first her parents in their Foreign Service career through Africa, Europe, and Asia, and then her own nose criss-crossing America as she’s gotten old enough to make those choices for herself. She’s currently based in Milwaukee with her three loves: her husband and two Siberian Huskies. She suspects her Huskies of mystical alchemy with their joyous liberation of her muse and other magical beings for her inspiration. She loves to sleep, to watch her interesting dreams, some of which are now finding new life in written form.

Connect with Tonya:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Tonya Cannariato's

BLOOD TO FIRE

Book Blast Tour

3/16 - Book Monster Reviews

3/17 - Jocelyn Dex Blog

3/19 - Beach Bum Reads

3/20 - Toot's Book Reviews

3/21 - Over The Edge

3/24 - Mad Hatter Reads

3/25 - United by Books

3/30 - Alexx Mom Cat's Gateway

4/01 - Riverina Romantics

4/02 - Page Flipperz

4/03 - Paranormal Book Club

4/04 - Close Encounters With The Night Kind

4/05 - Cocktails and Books

4/07 - The Reading Café (3:00pm post)

4/09 - Books-n-Kisses

4/10 - Wicked Readings

4/11 - Deal Sharing Aunt

4/12 - Book Lovin' Mamas

********* GIVEAWAY ********

Tonya is having a Tour Wide Giveaway is is offering up:

1 - $25.00 Gift Card

5 - autographed paperback sets of the RED SLAVE series (2 paperbacks per winner)

10 - eBook sets of the RED SLAVE series (2 ebooks per winner)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Wicked Beloved" audiobook

 

 

Novel by: Susanne Saville
Narrated by: Adam Howden

Review by: Crystal Beck

Anyone who knows me is well aware that getting me to read a romance or erotica book has as much chance as getting me to run in the Boston Marathon. I have never been the type to gravitate toward the books with covers donning buxom women caught the in grasp of, in my opinion, overly muscular men, the wind whipping through their hair as they look lustfully into each others eyes. However, I have been attempting a few recommendations from the lovely Lindsey. My attempts always fail as I hit the inevitable usage of a certain word for the male anatomy that is better suited as a synonym for a rooster. Every time I read that word I cringe. The flow of the love scene stopped with a squealing of tires. The best way to describe my reaction would be if you were listening to a piece by Chopin and someone ran in with an air horn just as it got to the softest point. That is how much I abhor that word and why I steer away from the majority of romance novels.

That being said, when I saw on Twitter that fellow gaming nerd Susanne Saville had written a sci-fi romance/ erotica that was going to be narrated by Adam Howden, I found myself salivating in anticipation. Adam Howden was known to me as my beloved Anders from Dragon Age II. The very man whose vocalizations of a first kiss with my Hawke made my lady parts all a tingle. This seriously sexy voice was going to read a romance? I had to have it. As soon as it was available on Audible I purchased it. The sexy timber of Adam Howden’s voice was apparently more than even my computer could handle as it blew up shortly after I got started and I was forced to wait to dive into what I knew would at the very least will be some yummy listening.

Months and months and months went by as I waited. The coldness of winter all the colder as I twitched wanting to hear the delightful Brit narrate some “alien porn”. I was crawling out of my skin. Yet if I had been able to think with any clarity, I would have known from the beginning that there was an app for that. It was a face palm moment as I logged in and downloaded the Audible app. Finally, I could get all warm and toasty.

I curled into my bed, earphones in place, and dived into the beauty that is Adam Howden’s voice. Again I was reminded how brilliantly talented this man is at his craft. He shifted seamlessly through tones, inflections, and vocal changes pouring over my ears like warm honey. It was hard to focus at times to the actual story as I was so impressed at how he changed from the female character to the male to a background character then back to normal narration. This was not my first audio book, but it was the first where there was this much acting by a single narrator. I was mesmerized and had to start again at the beginning.

The story of an Earth female taken to a strange, violent planet that engages in the slave trade to placate their violent natures even further and is bought by a young, handsome assassin at a shelter merely because she piques his curiosity and promises to be the most obedient slave ever is the start of Saville’s “Wicked Beloved”. A female who some may not see the strength in because she does obey her master, is actually quite strong. She has maintained her identity, not a mindless drone jumping at every command from anyone who speaks. This spark of life and individuality in spite of her situation and what she had already endured is a triumph and is conveyed so flawlessly every time Adam Howden’s dons her voice and tells someone off or speaks her mind privately with her master.

A story that is so not my normal cup of tea. I have never been too big on BDSM or anything darker like knife play. I find “Fifty Shades of Grey” a joke and am surprised at its popularity. The kinkiest thing I could imagine would be tame to most romance readers. It is this very, not prudish but more timid, part of my nature that normally keeps me from ever finishing a book in this genre. So imagine my surprise when I finally decided to retire for the evening and saw I had been listening to Adam Howden read for an hour and a half. Talk about getting lost in a voice and story.

So the next night comes and I curl back under my warm blanket to start anew, once again getting lost in the warm, baritone voice flooding my ears making them as red as my cheeks. Then I get to Chapter 10.… the sex scene.

To say my breath quickened as I listened to the raspy voice breathing into my ear would be an understatement. I covered my face, feeling how hot my cheeks were and had to hit pause. I leaped out of bed, grabbing a drink and a smoke all the while thinking, “Jesus Christ!” and fanning my face. It was an epic school girl moment and I was actually embarrassed. It was just a book, just an actor reading, and yet it was better than if the captain of the football team has just waved at me in the halls. Insanity!

With great strength, I began again. Gulping, fanning, and biting my lip. I was fully hooked now and I was not going to close this app until I finished the entire book. So entrenched in the story and narration, I didn’t even notice how much time had gone by and let out an “Aw” of disappointment when it was over. I wanted more, more, more. I checked repeatedly to make sure it really was over, even though there is a credits so it obviously was, I still hoped maybe there was a bonus hiding at the end of the credits.

Now the roundup right? The would I recommend this, should you get it, etc. ? Not sure if I made this clear, but the answer is HELL YES! I don’t care if you don’t like romance, or erotica, or BDSM, or anything like that. You must get this and take a bath in milk and honey otherwise known as Adam Howden’s voice and acting prowess. Adam Howden’s sensual rendition of Susanne Saville’s words are not only a testament to his amazingly diverse vocal talents, but is also an eargasm for the listener. The story “capturing” you is just a bonus to his “dominating” your entire body for the duration of his narration.  Susanne Saville’s “Wicked Beloved” narrated by the amazing Adam Howden is the only audio book you will ever need on a cold winter night or hot summer day or anytime you just want to melt into a puddle.  

Vegas Knights Blog Tour ~ Guest Post and Giveaway with Marina Maddix

After a passionate public encounter with a mysterious and very sexy biker, big girl Kelly Saunders finds herself on the ride of her life. Her 'Knight on shining armor' -- Rick Knight, billionaire heir to a motorcycle legacy -- whisks her away from her soul-sucking corporate job to Las Vegas, where she finds the road to love is treacherous.

As urgent business matters demand more and more of Rick's attention, Kelly is left to wonder about the future of their relationship. A ruthless betrayal throws her life into turmoil, and a devastating discovery threatens to pull them apart. Is their love just so much Vegas glitter or is it strong enough to survive beyond the dazzling lights of Sin City?

 Amazon  *  Nook *  Kobo

********* EXCERPT **********

They sat entwined under the stars, swaying slightly with the rhythm of their own bodies. Rick's hands moved slowly from her hair down her back. Shivers of anticipation rippled through Kelly. They were going to make love under the stars. It had always been a fantasy of hers but she'd never imagined it would come true. But a lot of things she'd never imagined were happening lately.

Feeling the need to show him she wasn't some precious flower that needed tending and special care, that she was an independent woman, Kelly took control. His eyes never left her body as she moved to stand over him, legs spread, hands on her hips.

"Strip." The single word brought a knowing smirk to Rick's face. Without a word, and still never taking his eyes from her, he eased his off his jacket, throwing it aside. His gaze was positively smoldering as he loosened his tie and started to pull it over his head.

"Leave it." Kelly commanded on impulse. His hands paused, then dropped to the front of his charcoal Armani button-down, his eyes burning into her flesh like a brand. His fingers worked slowly, deliberately, intensifying her need for him. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her impatience. Cocking her hip, she let him tease her with his leisurely pace.

When the shirt was lying atop the leather jacket, he looked up expectantly, awaiting her next instruction. When she nodded toward his pants, triumph flashed across his face. She realized her mistake as he moved to stand. Once on his feet, he would tower over her, emphasizing her vulnerability and his dominance.

"On second thought, scratch that." One of his eyebrows shot up, and a look of exasperation took the place of triumph. She knew the score and she wasn't going to give him an advantage if she could help it. He leaned back on his elbows -- shirtless and irresistible -- and studied her.

She couldn't afford to make a misstep or show any hesitation. This had become less of a game for her and more of a demand for equality in this relationship. He may be rich, but that didn't mean he was in control here. Either he accepted that they were in this together, as equal partners, or he would be taught that lesson. Of course, she suspected that would be a lesson he might enjoy learning.

********* GUEST POST ******** 

Is It Real or Is It Fantasy?

It’s natural for readers to wonder how much of a book is based on the author’s real life. It’s safe to assume that the major plot points of Stephen King’s books are based purely in his fantastic imagination, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the little things that make his stories ring true — a character’s mannerisms, the gnarled bark of a tree, or even the name of a gigantic St. Bernard — were encountered somewhere along his path in life. As the old saying goes, write what you know.

My husband was surprised to learn that my erotic romance short Knight Fall*, was based on an event in my younger days. In the story, Kelly spies a devastatingly sexy biker at a gas station. When he catches her giving him the once-over, a slow and dangerous smile slides across his features. Kelly’s tempted to look away, embarrassed, but instead meets his gaze and asks him with her eyes, “Whaddya gonna do about it, big fella?”

Of course the story, being erotic in nature, moves in a very specific direction that my encounter did not. I gave my mystery biker the same sassy look, he tipped a nod my way and rode off. The end. (I swear!)

The sequel, Vegas Knights, also freely uses incidents and people from my own life. Kelly herself is modeled after one of my beautiful friends; Syndee bears a striking resemblance to another friend, including her name, though her 

personality is completely different; Kelly’s best friend Brutus is the reincarnation of a friend who passed away several years ago; and Rick’s passion for sailing is my own.There are many more subtle and tiny additions I made to the story, characters and events that mirror my own life, but listing them all would be quite tedious for everyone, I’m sure. Besides, it’s more fun to leave the reader wondering which parts are pure fiction and which parts are all too real.

What book, story or scene in your favorite book has made you wonder if it really happened to the author? Let us know in the comments!

*Note: While Vegas Knights is a sequel, it's not necessary to read Knight Fall (just 99 cents) first.

AUTHOR BIO:

Marina Maddix is a romantic at heart, but hates closing the bedroom door on her readers. Her stories are sweet, with just enough spice to make your mother blush. She lives with her husband and cat near the Pacific Ocean, and loves to hear from her fans. Connect with her by email, on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or her website www.MarinaMaddix.com.

Marina's part of the Insatiable Reads book tour with 15 other sizzling hot romance authors. Different authors will be featured on various blogs throughout the month of March, culminating in several excellent giveaways. Check out the tour at www.InsatiableReads.com, where you'll find a schedule of Marina's other blog stops.

Marina’s Blog Tour Stops:

3/5 Romance Addict (Getting Romantic in Las Vegas)
3/7 Readers Guide to Epublishing (The Whys & Hows of Reviewing Books)
3/8 Belle’s Book Bag (The Benefits of Pole Dancing)
3/8 I Love Lady Porn (Book Spotlight)
3/10 Under the Covers (Character Interview with Rick Knight)
3/12 The Jeep Diva (Author Interview)
3/13 Caribbean Accent (Author Interview)
3/15 It’s All About Romance (Book Spotlight)
3/16 A Little Fiction for Every Flavour (Book Spotlight)
3/17 Close Encounters of the Night Kind (The Condom Conundrum)
3/17 Musings from an Addicted Reader (Book Spotlight)
3/18 Babbling About Books (Are Alpha Males All That?)
3/19 Coffee Beans & Love Scenes (Book Spotlight)
3/20 Heart Breaking Reviews (Book Spotlight)
3/20 My Fiction Nook (Book Spotlight)
3/21 United by Books (Is It Real or Is It Fantasy?)
3/21 Romance Junkies (Speed Dating Interview)
3/22 Way Too Hot Books (Book Spotlight)
3/22 HEA Romance with a Little Kick (Trash Talking Friends)
3/23 Dr. Pepper Diva (Book Spotlight)
3/24 Hesperia Loves Books (Guest Post)
3/24 Wicked Readings by Tawania (Book Spotlight)
3/25 Books & Tales (Book Spotlight)
3/27 The Book Tart (Guest Post)
3/28 Cocktails & Books (Author Interview)
3/29 Day Dreaming Book Reviews (Author Interview)
3/31 Beach Bum Reads (Author Interview

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Bound Book Tour ~ Guest Post and Giveaway with Elisabeth Naughton

TITUS—To most his gift seems like a blessing, but for him it’s a curse the other Eternal Guardians—those who protect the mortal realm from threats of the Underworld—seek to exploit. One he would gladly trade for the chance to be free…
 
Obsessed. Her touch is like a drug. From the moment he met her, Titus knew she was different. Even dangerous. Yet though his guardian brethren are convinced Natasa is working for Hades, Titus can’t stop thinking about her. Can’t stop fantasizing about her. Can’t stop craving the one thing he knows could lead to the downfall of his world.

Possessed. Faced with stopping Natasa or joining in her quest, Titus falls to temptation and is thrust into a world of lust, deception, and deadly treachery designed by the gods. Her touch—only hers—frees him from his bonds, but desire may just condemn him. Because before the end he’ll have to decide which is more important: duty and honor to those he took an oath to defend, or a woman who could very well be the biggest curse to them all.

********* GUEST POST ********* 
 

Tell us about your “writing cave”. What are some of the must have you need within reach when you’re writing (snacks, drinks, trinkets, etc.)? What’s the atmosphere like (quiet, soft lighting, aroma therapy, etc.)?  Do you set a specific schedule or write when it comes to you?

 I am not a highly organized person (I know...shocker!) so I don’t really have a set “writing cave” or even a writing schedule. I’m also a huge procrastinator so give me six months to do something and I’ll push it off until the last 2-3 then stress out and drive everyone in my house absolutely bonkers. (My husband is a saint, truly.) I do try to write every day because writing is a habit and when I get out of the “habit of writing” it takes me a long time to get back into my characters and stories. But if I go more than 2-3 days away from a book I totally lose focus.

(Okay, let’ssee...unorganized...procrastinator...distractible...these are not great traits I’m bragging about, are they?)

I can write a book in six weeks if I push myself.

(Ha! Now I’ve just added liar to my list of attributes. Maybe we should start over...)

Where were we? Oh, writing cave...right...

I don’t write in the same place. I can’t sit at a desk very long or I get bored. I have a coffee shop I go to when my kids are too loud at home, but I can only manage 3-4 hrs there, max. I like to get up and move, switch locations, try something new. Anything to keep from being unorganized...or to stop procrastinating...or to keep me from being so darn distractible. So far today I’ve worked at my desk, on the couch, on my bed, and at the kitchen table. And wow...that wasn’t intended to sound kinky but it totally does!

What else do I need when I write? Either absolute silence (which I RARELY get), or instrumental music. When writing, I can’t listen to anything with lyrics because I find myself singing along and then...in the middle of an intense battle scene, I find I’ve written the entire lyrics of a 3 Doors Down song.

When I’m plotting or thinking about my characters, though, I listen to a wide variety of music, and I tend to listen to these songs over and over and over until a book is done. (Another reason my husband is a saint. Honestly, for the last month, every time we’ve gotten in the car, I’ve put on Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’. The man is sick of it.) Music touches me in a way nothing else can, and it has a huge impact on my books. I get a lot of ideas not only about story elements, but characters from good music. And I’m a sucker for anything that helps me write...and not be unorganized or a procrastinator or insanely distractible.

I have links to most of my Eternal Guardians soundtracks on my website (go to the right sidebar of each book page and you’ll see the soundtracks listed under “iMix”), but for those of you who are interested in the songs that inspired BOUND--Eternal Guardians book #6, releasing on March 26, 2013--here they are:

Set Fire to the Rain - Adele

Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

How to Save A Life - The Fray

Break the Spell - Daughtry

The Forgotten - Greenday

Your Arms Feel Like Home - 3 Doors Down

Burn It Down - Linkin Park

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - Coldplay

When I’m Gone - 3 Doors Down

Skyfall - Adele

She is Love - 3 Doors Down

The Messenger - Linkin Park

A Thousand Years, Part 2 - Christina Perri

I was never one of those people who knew they wanted to be an author at the age of six. I didn’t have imaginary friends. I didn’t write stories in my journal or entertain my relatives by firelight after Thanksgiving dinner. For the most part, I was just a normal, everyday kid. I liked to read, but I wasn’t exceptional at it. And when my teachers complimented me on my writing abilities, I brushed them off. I did, however, always have a penchant for the unique and absurd. And as my mother told me all throughout my childhood, I should have been an actress—I was a drama queen before my time.

Years ago, my husband bought me Scarlett:The Sequel to Gone With The Wind. If you ever saw the book, you know it’s a long one. I sat and read that thing from cover to cover, and dreamed of one day being a writer. But I didn’t actually try my hand at writing until years later when I quit my teaching job to stay home with my kids. And my husband? After that week of reading where I neglected him and everything else until I finished Scarlett, he vowed never to buy me another book again. Little did he know I’d one day end up sitting at a keyboard all day drafting my own stories.

My writing journey has not been easy. I didn’t just sit down one day, decide I was going to write a book and voila! sell my very first attempt. As most authors will probably agree, the path to publication is filled with hours of work, pulling all-nighters I thought I’d given up in college, sacrifices, rejections, but a love I discovered along the way I just can’t live without. Instead of a big, thick book to read by lamplight (I do read much smaller ones when I get the chance), I’ve traded in my reading obsession for a laptop. And I’ve never been happier.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful family and fabulous husband who put up with my writing—and obsessive personality—even when life is chaotic. More than once my kids have been late to swimming or baseball because I needed just five more minutes to finish a scene. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me. I also have amazing friends and a support network I couldn’t survive without. So to all of you out there who have encouraged me along the way, sent me emails and fan letters, phone calls and congratulations, I just want to say, thank you. You make this whole writing gig that much more enjoyable. I truly wouldn’t be here without you.

You can find Elisabeth here : Website / Twitter/ Author Facebook Page/ Etermal Guardians Facebook Page/ Goodreads  / Amazon/ B&N 

********** GIVEAWAY  ********** 

1 e-copy of "Bound"

1 "Eternal Guardians Coaster"

1 "Eternal Guardians Temporary Tattoo"

Character Cards

1 Book Marker

1 "Bound" Key chain

1 "Bound" Car Charm

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