Review: To Seduce an Earl - Lori Brighton

Series: Seduction #1
Genre: Historical romance
Pages: 270, ebook
Published: July 2011

Grace Brisbane will do whatever it takes to save her dying mother, but with a stepbrother intent on gambling and drinking, their funds have run dry. What’s a girl to do when she’s left poor and destitute? Seduce an Earl, of course. Handsome and rich, the Earl of Rodrick is the perfect target. Unfortunately, Rodrick despises innocent virgins. There’s only one place where Grace can learn the secrets of seduction… Lavender Hills. The moment Grace spots Alex, the man who will teach her the ways of intimacy, she knows she must guard her heart. Alex is charming and gorgeous and completely inappropriate. 

As a young man, Alex Weston is blackmailed into working at Lavender Hills in order to save his family from London ’s prisons. There could be worse ways to spend his days and nights. Still, seduction has become a chore and thoughts of freedom keep him up at night. Until he receives a new client, the sweet Grace Brisbane. He should be thinking only of his growing need to escape, instead he’s captivated by the lovely Grace. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes that their brief meetings aren’t enough. For while marriage between a lady and a whore could never happen, Alex knows in his heart that he is willing to accept nothing less. 

My Thoughts:

Not long ago I read my first book about a nice whore, this time it was about a male whore. But him I just felt so sorry for. 

Alex has been a male prostitute for years. He did it to save family, something I can admire. And later on he stays to save his family. I get it, if it came out that their son was a whore then the scandal would rock the ton. Not to mention all the people he would recognize. He is lost, he his bored, and I did feel so sorry for him. At first it may have been fun, a 16 year old boy and all the women he could get, but now, not so much. 

Our heroine does not seek him out, but later on well yes she needs to seduce an earl so she can marry him and save her family. And he seems to like experienced women. Oh, Grace, her guy has something over him, and she is so blind. Well not for long as she will fall for Alex. Now if this is not a match that is doomed then I do not know. A lady of the realm and a male prostitute. I was pretty unsure how Lori would pull it off, because there were so many things that I could not have seen happening. But she found a way and I was very happy with the way the book ended. A great big HEA too. 

What I was a bit unsure of was the whole oh I am Russian and we had to hide and stuff plot. I just did not see why they would be shunned, but hey it was needed for the plot so he would become a whore. 

I think the end was the best part, not because it was a HEA and all that, but because it felt like the best conclusion that could be. Real too.

Conclusion:

If you want a different sort of historical romance then give this one a try.

Cover:

This one I like.

Joint Interview and giveaway: Edie Ramer and Lori Brighton

Today I have something different on my blog. Lis and I interviewed Edie Ramer and Lori Brighton. There are also 4 books to win :D

First up is Lori:

1. Do you plan to write more books with heroines from this family?

There will be a full length book 2 and 3 which will star two secondary characters from my first full length in this series, A Night of Secrets. So yes, more books, but not necessarily family members. And who knows, maybe some more short stories too. I have plenty of secondary characters to pick from!  

2. In this novella some will fight for their life. And you left some poor bastards at a gladiator arena. Do you have any plans to go back and free them?

Lol, yes, poor bastards. In the next full length book, A Night of Redemption, I’ll discuss these “fight clubs” (as another reviewer called them) in more detail. Will we go back and save any of the werewolves Aidan fights in the novella? Sadly, no. They’ve been left in the dungeon to rot.

3. We also got to see werewolves in this story, and since I do love my weres my question would be if you plan to have a were find love?

Yes! The next book, A Night of Redemption, will star Beth (Meg’s friend from A Night of Secrets), and the hero will be a werewolf! This will be out probably late spring 2012.

4. What made you write a historical with vampires in it?

I always set out to write straight historical romances, but somehow the paranormal always slips in. It’s what happened with my first book, Wild Heart, and what happened with A Night of Secrets. There are so many vampire books out there, I thought to make mine a little unique by placing a vampire in the past. And by the way, I have managed to finally write a full length historical romance without paranormal, To Seduce an Earl!

And now Edie Ramer:

How did your story The Fat Cat came to be?

Misty Evans suggested a Halloween theme to unify the stories. I immediately thought of the two traditional symbols of Halloween – a black cat and a witch. I knew it would be fun to play around with the elements. 

Cats have a prominent feature in your stories. In Cattitude the main lead also goes to a cat. How come there are so many cats in your stories?

I’ve tried to put dogs in books, but they don’t work as well. They’re needier than cats. I have two dogs, and they can’t be left alone for hours like cats. They pick inconvenient times to go outside and then inside. They eat anything. (My beagle ate rat poison last Friday, and we had to rush her to the vet’s. She’s okay now, but she didn’t have a good evening.) 

Besides, I love my cat’s personality in a different way than my dogs’. She’s confident and independent. She doesn’t ask me to pet her, she jumps on my lap and demands it. If I’m busy, she meows at me, letting me know that it’s time to give her attention. When she’s had enough, she gives me a little nip. How can I resist a character like that?

Tory is such a fun witty character. She made me laugh with her comments. What was the inspiration that made you create Tory?

Tory was the hero’s sister in Cattitude. She was fun and positive, kind of girlie but with a backbone. She’d hooked up with a boyfriend, and it looked like they would have an HEA. Readers have asked for another book on the characters from Cattitude, but I thought Belle made the book fun, and there was only one Belle. But what I didn’t realize was that there are other cats. Since I wanted the story to have a witch, Tory immediately came to my mind. It fit her character.

As for being witty, all my characters are wittier than I am. And taller. And braver. No way would I drive up to a mini-castle and fight a warlock for women’s souls. I’m way too chicken for that.

The proceeds for this anthology go to the breast cancer foundation, how did you come to be a part of this anthology?

I’d mentioned to Misty Evans that I’d like to do an anthology of short stories and give the proceeds to charity. She emailed me back and said “Let’s do it!” I’m a breast cancer survivor and my critique partner and good friend has been fighting cancer for 15 years. So that was an easy pick. We started sending out emails, and writers agreed to come on. It’s been a wonderful experience.

In the foreword Stacia Kane talks about the use of condoms in romance stories. What is your view on that?

I loved Stacia’s foreword. The best foreword ever. I’ve mentioned condoms in my books but don’t make a big thing about it. In Galaxy Girls, though, it was a plot point in a scene with my heroine, who’s been bred to be a broodmare. When they’re ovulating, they can’t stop themselves from wanting to have children. It’s a primal need. Kind of the way my beagle feels for any kind of food. Even if it will kill her.

Thanks so much for having me and Lori here today and helping to get the word out about ENTANGLED. My critique partner found out a couple weeks ago that her tumor markers are up. That means the cancer cells are cooking again. It feels good to be doing something to help stop the disease. 

And now on to the Giveaways!

4 winners, 3 different books!

1. Open to all, worldwide

2. Ends October 3rd

3. Just enter, that is it.

But be free to ask questions if you want to :) since Edie will stop today.

2 e-copies of Entangled

Check our review here

1 e-copy of To Seduce an Earl by Lori Brighton

1 ecopy of Galaxy Girl by Edie Ramer

Joint Review: Entangled (anthology)

Genre: Paranormal romance/historical romance/paranormal suspense etc

Pages: 335 Ebook

Published: September 7, 2011

Source: for review

All proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 

Lis: Alrighty, I’m not a big fan of anthologies. The stories are always too short, underdeveloped and usually focused on one thing. In short, they are not as fleshed out as I like to be and for me to read an anthology there have to be some damn good authors in it who know what they are doing. 

Blodeuedd: I am with Lis on this one. I am not a big fan of anthologies, because I always want more and everything is so rushed. But lately I they have surprised me and I have found myself liking short stories.

Lis: I was pleasantly surprised by Entangled. Not only does it revolve around my favorite themes: ghosts, werewolves, vampires and other creepy crawlies, the stories were well written. (yes I ate my hat!). To top it off, the proceeds for this anthology go to the breast cancer foundation. 

Blodeuedd: Some of the stories I liked and some clearly suffered cos I was in a hurry. All in all it was a  nice little anthology with many authors to choose from, and many different subgenres. I do think everyone would find something to choose from.

Lis: The foreword is a tear jerker and very fitting for this anthology. 

So without further ado: the reviews:

Halloween Frost by Jennifer Estep

It’s Halloween at Mythos Academy, but Gwen Frost and her friends are in for more tricks than treats when they run into a mythological monster intent on killing them.

Lis: This story is set in the Mythos world. Since I’m not familiar with this world as I have not read any other work by this author, I felt a little left out. Yet, it wasn’t so bad. It’s about Gwen Frost and her friends. They are in some trouble when they encounter a mythological monster hell bent on killing them. It was a good YA story and I’m now intruiged by this world

Blodeuedd: This story is a short from her Mythos Academy world. I have not read book 1 and this story took place after that, but I still could read and enjoy this story (perhaps it came from reading tons of reviews). I liked Gwen who is the heroine, we got to see her fight and we got to hear about her doomed crush. All which made me interested in this world.

The Fat Cat by Edie Ramer

In a battle for the souls of seven women, a wizard has the god of war on his side; all the witch has is a fat, black cat.

Lis: Edie Ramer never manages to disappoint me and she sure didn’t with this wiyty, fun story about a witch, a talking male cat and a pretty but rotten warlock. I really loved Tory and her comments. It’s an awesome story with a surprising ending. 

Blodeuedd: A witch adopts a fat cat and together they try to bring down a warlock. What a cute story about Tory and her adopted cat Samson. He is really old and ugly looking, but he talks to her so she had to adopt him. And as a catlover I approve. And the end was the best thing about this story.

Medium Rare by Nancy Haddock

What’s spooking the spirits of St. Augustine? As the witching hour of Halloween approaches, ghost seer Colleen Cotton must team with a by-the-book paranormal investigator to locate the one ghost who can save the city’s specters. If she fails, her own great grandfather’s spirit may be lost forever.

Lis: Even ghost gets therapists in this story. As well a team of ghost hunters as there is something up in the city of St. Augustine. The ghosts are spooked (pun intended) and it’s up to Colleen Cotton to find out what as she teams up with a ghost hunter. Very enjoyable story with a sweet story. One of my favorites in this anthology!

Blodeuedd: I liked this one. It had a good heroine, a good story and there was some tension between her and Brock. All in all making it an interesting story. Freaky ghosts too and it worked really well as just a short story. 

Sweet Demon by Misty Evans

When Chicago’s vampire king insists Kali Sweet join his empire, the vengeance demon must rely on her ex – the half-human, half-chaos demon who left her at the altar three hundred years ago – in order to escape the vamp’s clutches.

Lis : What are exes for if not to help you out? Kali Sweet is in a bind when a big bad vampire asks her to join his empire. She must rely on her ex, the half chaos demon, who left her at the alter some 300 years ago, to help her out. Very nice story that felt like a prelude to so much more. It’s filled with intriguing characters. 

Blodeuedd: I like the setting of this one. A demon named Kali who has her own practice and who also runs errands for a council. She deals in vengeance and her she has to deliver it to an evil vampire and she also meets an old lover. I did like the evil vampire, but then I always like the baddies.

Sian‘s Solution by Dale Mayer

When a vampire discovers the human man she loves has been captured and hung in a blood farm, she goes against her own kind and risks everything to save him.

Lis: Love conquers all, even between a vampire and a human. She’s willing to do anything to get her human lover back, even if it means exposing herself. Not my favorite story, but not bad either. 

Blodeuedd: I liked this one too, I think it was the world that made it so. Vampires and humans share the earth but stay on their sides. I do think I’d like more of this world, yes I would. I always like the dark ones.

A Bit of a Bite by Cynthia Eden

A killer is stalking the streets of Crossroads, Mississippi, and it’s up to Sheriff Ava Dushaine to stop him. But when suspicion falls on werewolf alpha Julian Kasey—Ava’s ex-lover and the man who still haunts her dreams—Ava knows that she’ll either have to prove his innocence…or watch the whole town go up in flames.

Lis: Wooooweeeee, this story was hot!! And one of which I would have loved to see more of. Note to self: see to more of author’s work. It’s a world in which the supernaturals are known to humans. Now a killer prowls the street and it’s up to sheriff Ava to catch him. Things become complicated when suspicion falls on her never forgotten one night stand, the werewolf alpha Julian. 

Blodeuedd: I do like a good werewolf story. I was not blown away, but then I was kind of tired when reading it. At least you got Lis' happy thoughts on it ;)

Sinfully Sweet by Michelle Miles

When Chloe bakes a little magic into her pastries, she attracts the attention of Edward, the sexy half-demon, half-witch, who’s come to warn her those who murdered her sister are now after her.

Lis: Be careful who you bake what for, you might get a hell of a lot more than you bargained for. That’s what happens when Chloe bakes some goodies for sunfully hot Edward. Nice story, loved the set up!

Blodeuedd: A nice little story about a witch and the incubus that show up. A little passion, a little fighting, and a story that made me crave cupcakes!

A Night of Forever by Lori Brighton

Who is Aidan Callaghan? Mary Ellen James is intent on uncovering the truth about the mysterious man, but as she soon finds out, some things are best left buried in the past.

Lis: Some things are better left deep in the closet. Of course, Mary Ellen doesn’t listen and sets out to find out who Aiden Callaghan is. He is definitely not the quiet, boring man she thought he was. Dayaaaam this story was hot and I found myself like this one despite the setting. 

Blodeuedd; A nice little love story set in the 1800s in England and dealing with, oh yes vampires.  Lori has previously also written a story about Mary’s sister and this story was just as good. Enjoyable. Lol, I like how I said it was sweet and Lis said it was hot, I better mentioned passion too then ;) 

Feel the Magic by Liz Kreger

Jenna Carmichael’s magical attempt to rectify Jessica Manfield’s birth identity takes an unexpected turn when the past comes back to haunt her.

Lis: Some mistakes come back to bite you in the ass. This is what happens to the witch Jenna. Funny little story that never quite managed to catch my attention. 

Blodeuedd: This one was fun. Jessica wants to become a cat, yes you heard me. And Jenna is the witch to do it.

Breaking Out by Michelle Diener

Imprisoned in a secret facility, powerful telekinetic Kelli Barrack and two other ‘special’ inmates grab a chance to escape, only to confront their worst nightmares on the outside.

Lis: This story reminded me very much of Christine Feehan, but didn’t make it any less bad. A powerful telekinetic and two other special ability inmates make a daring escape from the facility they are held in. All the while something is brewing between them!

Blodeuedd: I am afraid this one and the last were the ones I read quickly since I was pressed for time. It did make it hard to focus and to know if I liked it or not.

Ghostly Justice by Allison Brennan

Demon hunters Moira O’Donnell and Rafe Cooper are dragged into the dangerous world of nocturnal predators to find “Ghostly Justice” for a virgin sacrificed to an ancient blood demon.

Lis: Time to get justices in this short story that is set in a series I’m not familiar with. Moira and Rafe try to get justice for a virgin sacrificed to a blood demon. That justice doesn’t come easy of course and there are many obstacles to overcome. Good story, hot too with lots going on. Very black and white too!

Blodeuedd: It was ok, but this one was another one that I was not blown away by.

Come back tomorrow when Lis and I interview Lori Brighton and Edie Ramer and give away several books :D Open to all too.

Review: Love Letters - Lori Brighton

Genre: Historical romance
Pages: Ebook, 99
Published: May 2011

The Art of Seduction

Clara Cameron will do anything to escape her impending marriage to the odious Lord Desmond, even if it means posing nude for artist Brendon Evans, the man she once loved. It's been years since they've seen each other, but Clara's love for Brendon hasn't diminished. Will Brendon recognize Clara and admit his feelings for the woman before Lord Desmond comes calling, claiming Clara for his own?

Meant For Me

For years Cynthia Shaw has replied to Gabriel Baston's letters, pretending to be his fiancé, Cynthia's wretched cousin Helen. When Gabriel appears at a masked ball and mistakes Cynthia for Helen, she can't help herself and gives her innocence to the man she has loved for years. Will Lord Kennwick realize Cynthia was meant for him before it's too late?

My thoughts:

I am not the best at reviewing novellas, you can't say too much and you must say something. They are sure tricky to review.

The Art of Seduction is the first story and it's about that first love you had  that never came to be. Clara was always in love with Brendon but he was older and never noticed her. And now she is on the run and she wants to see him again.

I liked Clara, she was innocent, but she still wanted something. Brendon was a bit broken and needed to be healed. And since this is a short story everything happens fast and it works. They meet and at the end they have their HEA. Since this is a  romance after all. There is also danger and passion.

Meant For Me was my favourite out of these two. It's about Cynthia who is mistreated by her aunt. They do not really care for her and she is the grey wallflower. But in fact she is full of life and she doesn't want her cousin to marry Lord Kennwick. She knows him, he knows her..but not really since he thinks he has been writing her cousin. Of course at one point I did think he should have thought of it sooner but hey we need some drama in this short story. It was a cute Cinderella story and just like story number 1 it had passion too.

Conclusion:

Two short and passionate tales about love found.

Cover:

It does look cool.

Source. Author

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And cos I am lazy. The winners of Wickedly Charming and Awaken the Highland warrior have been notified, and the name of the winners are in the original post

Review: Kiss Me, Kill Me (anthology)

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 220, ebook
Published: February 2011

So hard to review anthologies! So I am just gonna say a few words, sentences about each short story.

A Ghoulish Valentine by H.P. Mallory:
Dulcie O'Neil can't help her attraction to Knight Vander, much though she tries to fight her feelings. When she begrudgingly accepts his invitation to dinner and a movie, she can't imagine her evening will be derailed by a cemetery full of hungry ghouls and one incredibly sexy man.

They fight evil ghouls while on a date. Dulcie and Knight seem ok, and the world is interesting. I did like that before just rushing in to fight she stopped to see to that her clothes offered protection. Good girl.

Cat Fight by Zoe Winters:
Cat Fight takes place in Zoe Winters' "PretVerse". Greta is a cat therian (shifter). She's been involved with Dayne, a local sorcerer since she sought his protection from her murderous tribe. After a fight, Greta shifts into cat form and refuses to come back out.

I liked Greta, and Dayne. Not much happened since it was short but I did enjoy when she went all mad and refused to shift back, even after he tried his best. So short and cute, and it did make me wanna read how they met in the first place. Which I can since this novella happens after book 1.

Impulse Control by Susan Bischoff:

In the world of the Talent Chronicles, kids born with supernatural powers are taken from their families and forced into government research facilities called State Schools. At one such school, a group of Talents must work together to stop a dangerous experiment that's already killed two of their peers and threatens others. If they're caught they face Detention, and Detention at a State School has a whole different meaning. 

This was a YA story. Kids put in schools, never to see their families again. Sure I understand people being afraid of people with talents but I would expect some sort of outrage. What a horrible world, I hope those kids get out.

Wild Passion by Lori Brighton:

James is a treasure hunter intent on collecting a deadly, priceless statue. Then he meets Adelaide, a stubbornly beautiful and mysterious woman who knows more about the statue than she admits. Suddenly, James is tempted to give up everything for the one treasure he can't seem to own ... Adelaide.

This one deals with events in Wild 1 and 3, but it works fine on its own too. I liked Adelaide, she did what she had too, and I am sure she and James are gonna have some great adventures.

A Fairytale Ending by M.T. Murphy:
An unlucky actress discovers that there is no good and bad when it comes to vampires and werewolves, only bad and worse.

I did like it in the beginning, but then came a sad and depressing end that ruined the whole thing for me. So I did not like it.

Blind Sight by Kait Nolan:
Isla's ability as a Seer has made her a life-long captive of a paranormal crime lord. Fae assassin, Ransom, offers her a chance at escape, but when she touches his hand she sees only blood, horror, apocalypse. What reason can Ransom have for wanting to rescue her, and can she possibly trust a man who deals in death?

I liked this one. Seemed like a nice world and I wanted to know more, and I would read more too.

The Sacrifice by Toni LoTempio:
After a chance meeting with the mysterious Alfred Barstow, Jennifer is swept off her feet by his whirlwind courtship of her, so much so that she accepts his proposal of marriage. Leaving her boyfriend Peter behind, she heads off to start a new life in California, unaware there's more to Alfred than meets the eye - and a sinister plot behind his proposal. The Sacrifice is a story about what happens when the man of your dreams turns out to be your worst nightmare...and then some!

It was a good story, though one thing was a bit far-fetched. She went away, her ex was sad and decided to look up her new man, and then he realized they were evil vampires..really, I would just have thought she was high on passion.

Until the Breaking of the Day by Daniel Arenson:
The Underground. A realm of flame, blood, and knives in the dark.When its prince returns from exile, a young demon girl will learn his secrets.


Omg! This story was my fav of all the stories in this anthology. I seriously need to read more by this authot!! Awesome story.

If You Leave by Stacey Wallace Benefiel:
Despite their devotion to one another, Gabrielle and Jorge have been living separate lives. That is, until Gabrielle's life ends. Reunited and it feels so...complicated? 

It was the last one and I fear I did not pay as much attention as I could have. 

Conclusion:

I had only read one author before so the rest were new to me, and one thing is for sure, I need more Arenson!!! Trust me, that world was pure gold. All in all, an interesting anthology with a lot to offer, Paranormal YA, paranormal historical, some ass-kicking and cool new worlds.

My flash fiction entry for the week

Here

Review: Wild Desire - Lori Brighton

Genre: Historical paranormal romance
Pages: 320
Published: March 1st 2011

FIRST HE DROVE HER MAD

In what feels like a moment, Beatrice Edmund goes from being a proper lady cooped up in a stuffy Scottish castle to traveling miles from anything she’s ever known, in the midst of the wildest adventure of her life. And at the center of that adventure is the most infuriating, puzzling scoundrel on earth. She cannot take her eyes off him.
THEN HE DROVE HER WILD

Colin Fitch cannot deny he’s drawn to Beatrice—but lust is all he could possibly feel for the sharp-tongued minx. Still, if there’s a chance she can help him stop the madman he pursues, he must withstand her obvious disapproval. Yet withstanding the longing he feels for her is growing more troublesome by the second… And Colin has never been terribly good at staying out of trouble…

I read this book a couple of months ago and finally, review time.Will try to make this old review into the new format ;)

Plot:

Leo and Ella, the couple we met in Wild Heart is back, well sort of back. They went to India in search of a statue, and answers. With them went Leo’s cousin Bea. The book starts with a bang, Bea in her room when a stranger appears, Ella’s cousin Colin. And they are in for a rocky start, she dislikes him and he thinks she is so English, all prim and proper. But soon they all must leave. There is danger concerning the statue and they are not the only ones looking. Little by little Bea and Colin are brought closer and closer together.

My thoughts:
It was fun to see Leo and Ella again, even if they were just introduced before they went away. This is Colin and Bea’s book after all. Colin is all American; he is used to being on his own and always moving around. Not to mention that just like his cousin, he too has a power, one hard to believe. Bea is nice, innocent, and she questions things a lot. But soon she sees the beauty of India and becomes quite the adventurer.  They are so very different from each other, but thrown together in a time of turmoil they find comfort in each other.

This is a paranormal romance, and the paranormal comes from that Colin, and Ella have got powers. And as it shows in this book they are not the only ones. The statue they look for is supposed to hold riches, and a key to this is are the rings that they have in their possession, or had.

One does not have to read Wild Heart to understand Wild Desire; it starts as its own book and explains the things that need to be explained to follow along. Of course it’s more fun to know what happened back in England with Ella and Leo, and how this whole journey got started.

Colin is a sweetheart, he may not even act like that, but his heart is so big, and I realize how big after reading on. He is also very wounded by the past. Bea may be different in the way she acts but she also has wounds, from being exiled to Scotland with her grandmother. For them to be together seems impossible, she is destined to marry a man of wealth and title, and he has nothing. And there is the desire, it’s wild, and it gets only wilder as you read on.

Recommendation and final thoughts:

This book is all it promised to be, it has passion, adventure as they escape through India, danger, evil villains that only wants power and money, and a couple who doesn’t know how on earth they will stand each other in the beginning.

Reason for reading:

I wanted to know more

Cover:

Ok, but, not a fan of the background

Ps: In 2,5 weeks I will hold an international giveaway for this book so stay tuned ;)

Review and giveaway: A Night of Secrets - Lori Brighton

Genre: Historical paranormal romance
Pages: ebook 189
Published: February 2011

Grayson Bellamont has spent years on the Continent, fighting a war he cares nothing for. It is only while in the chaos of battle that he can hide what he truly is, a Vampire. Returning to England, he finds his sister murdered and his seven-year-old niece missing. All over the country Vampires are mysteriously dying. Grayson sets out to uncover the truth and locate his niece before it's too late. All leads point to Meg James, a Vicar's daughter. Instinct tells him Meg is innocent, but the clues he uncovers warn she's guilty. One thing is clear, Meg awakens a warmth inside of him he thought long dead and Grayson is torn between a sense of duty and his desires.

Vowing to honor a promise, Meg concocts a lie to keep a stranger's child safe. She had no idea that protecting the child would mean putting her own life in danger. When Grayson arrives asking questions, Meg's unease flares. Who is this mysterious man who seems to appear and disappear as quickly as a spirit? A man with strength like no other? As he pushes ever closer, taking over her senses with his touch, his kiss and his unexpected honor, she realizes she has even more to lose. Meg is falling in love with Grayson, but will he believe her when the truth will condemn the one person he trusts the most?

Plot:

It's the story of Meg, a nice Vicar's daughter, who is more than tempted than a mysterious stranger moves in next door. A hot neighbour. Grayson is a vampire who is hunting for clues about his missing niece and that leads him to Meg, but can she be a killer?  

My thoughts: 

Meg was nice and sweet, Grayson was very tempting, but a bit of an idiot sometimes too. But who can blame him, everything does point to Meg being a killer, and having killed more than once.

This is not only the story about him wanting answers, because soon there is a body and a murder mystery. Which introduces a man I loathed, did he have nothing better to do than accuse innocent women? A bit of a semi-bad guy and a total ass.

There is also the romance, because Grayson lusts after her, even if she is only a human, and he believes she might have killed. And she, well who could say no to him. Passion promised too.

A negative thing would be that Grayson could be a bit hasty in his conclusions sometimes, but then again even though he let her know that he thought she might have done something, he still protected her too. Poor guy, he was very conflicted. So he redeemed himself in wanting to save her.

Recommendation and final thoughts:

A nice historical paranormal romance. Murder, mystery, romance and vampires. When I finished the book I also had a wish, Meg has a certain friend, and I would love for that friend to get a HEA.

Reason for reading:

I got to borrow an e-reader and what better book to try it with.

Cover;

Oh hot!

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

 Let's make this one super easy.

Rules:

Open to ALL

2 winners get an e-copy of A night of Secrets

Ends February 21st

Yes that is it! Just tell me if you wanna enter.

And the winner of the contest last week is:

BLHMistress

Congrats :D

+ a new winner

Carol T (buddy...)

Review: The Mind Readers - Lori Brighton

Genre: YA, paranormal romance
Pages: 130, ebook
Published: December 2010

Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth …that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.

But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she’ll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life.

Plot:

Cameron lives with her grandma and hides the fact that she can read minds from her friends. But then a murder happens, and a strange boy appears, Lewis is mysterious and sees her. Soon she realizes that he can hear her too. He is just like her, and tells her to come away and learn how to use her talents.

My thoughts:

Lori has been one busy woman this fall. First her adult novel The Ghost Hunter and now a YA novel.

A lot is going on in this short novel, and I never know who to trust. First there is strange Lewis who pays her attention. He does not see her best friend, the hottest girl in school. Can she trust him? Can she even trust her own grand mother to tell the truth? Then there is the Mind Readers, and those that want them harm or? Until the last page I can't say for sure who to trust. But that is the point, it creates suspense, and I am always very distrustful. I never trust anyone in a book, cos who knows.

Cameron is a sweet girl, who just wants to be normal. Lewis, the guy falls for, is always so nice to her. Then there is the leader of the Mind readers, the man who always know what to say. Later in the book there is also another character, I am not going to say who, but that person was nice (oh see what I did there, said nothing at all ;)

There is romance, suspense, and more conflicts to come. Because at the end there is a cliffhanger, that is not a cliffhanger, but still feels like a cliffhanger. Confused, well, ok, it ends well and peaceful, but then something happens, something that could mean another book. And that makes me curious.

Final thoughts and recommendation:

It is sweet YA, so nothing big going on there. There is suspense and some action, but nothing too heavy. So if you want a sweet YA book, with a twisting plot and a paranormal theme then this one might be for you.

Reason for reading:

I like her books

Cover:

I think it is stunning

NEWS!

Right now you can get The Mind Readers for 99 cents on Amazon, Smashword and so on.

You can also get Lori's The Ghost Hunter for 99 cent!

But hurry this ends Dec 20th!

Review: The Ghost Hunter - Lori Brighton

Genre: Paranormal romance
Pages: 194
Published: September 2010, e-book
Find it at: Amazon
               Smashwords

Ashley Hunter is intent on uncovering the truth about her father's disappearance. But Ashley realizes she's in for more than she bargained. Not only has she inherited a decrepit pub, she's also inherited ghosts and demons. Then Cristian arrives, a mysterious man who insists he only needs a room to rent. She believes him, until one by one her ghosts start disappearing...

As a fallen angel destined for a life of servitude, Cristian Lucius is relegated to protecting earth from unwanted spirits. But he can’t accomplish this daunting task alone. He requires assistance from the very woman who frustrates him as much as she intrigues him. Cristian is determined to ignore his intense attraction for Ashley, and focus on his mission. If they don’t work together, they won’t have a chance in hell of defeating the demon threatening their lives. The problem is getting Ashley to trust him. No easy task, for Cristian is the very man responsible for her father’s disappearance.

I don't read e-books that often, but there is one author I would make an exception for and that is Lori Brighton, so of course I wanted to read this paranormal romance.

A nice little village, but everything is not what it seems. Ashley arrives to look at the house she inherited from her aunt. The problem is that she sees ghost there, and she is troubled by this. She has seen them all her life, but people have told her she is crazy. Then Christian shows up and wants to buy the place. And as the ghost start to talk more things change, cos this little village is in big trouble.

What a village, vampires, werewolves, witches, leprechauns, ghosts, and demons. Not your average village, and the stories that could be told there.

Ashley is a nice heroine, she is scarred by what she sees, and of course she doubts her sanity since ghosts are not real. I feel sorry for her, but she is strong, and that is good.

Christian is the big ghost killer, ok not killer, his job is to make sure they move on. And this time he needs her cos there is also a demon in this place. The attraction is there at once, at least for him, she is just very angry with him.

There are some great other characters, the ghost like little Maggie, the witch Camille, and my fav of the bunch, Devon, a ghost with a hidden past Now I am not just saying this cos Lori Brighton has him described like Eric from True Blood ;)

This is a good paranormal romance that has a bit of everything. An adventure since some evil things just doesn't want to go, a budding romance, and trying to get my head around what the whole village is about.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: I could see him as an angel

Reason for reading: From the author

Final thoughts: Sexy ghost, nuff said.

3,5

Guest post and Giveaway with Lori Brighton #CLOSED#

I want to introduce you to Lori Brighton, the author of Wild Heart, which is coming out now in November 2009. Thank you  Lori so much for this lovely guest post. 

Check the details in the end of the post for the giveaway. I will draw winners next Wednesday and email Lori the winners. So remember to leave details if they are not in your profile.

*Since Blodeuedd is located in Finland, I thought it would be interesting if I discussed overseas sales and how they happen, along with comparing examples of book covers from around the world. But I quickly realized I didn’t know a thing about overseas sales. Nope, nothing at all. I asked on my author loop. Sadly, no one else seemed to understand overseas sales either. In fact many people don’t even realize they’ve sold to another country until their book pops up or a reader mentions it. So I ditched that idea, but realized there was no reason I couldn’t still talk about book covers. 

For an author, when we receive our book cover it is one of the most important moments in our career. We get to see our hero and heroine as the reader will. I still remember the moment my editor, very excited, sent me as an email attachment the cover of my book. Honestly, I was so nervous I had to wait a good five minutes before I opened it. Finally, heart pounding, I clicked on that file. The picture burst before me…beautiful, sensual…and totally, utterly wrong. 

As are many women, I’m a dark-haired hero kind of girl. Yet, when I wrote Wild Heart, I knew Leo, my hero, had blond hair. Think Brad Pitt in the movie Legends of the Fall. So imagine my horror when I opened my book cover file and found Leo, my dear, wonderful alpha Leo, had dark hair! It gets worse. Ella, my heroine, who was supposed to have brown hair, had blonde! It was too late to change the cover. I could either leave it as it was, or I could rush through my manuscript and change the coloring in the pages. I didn’t feel right not having the picture match the descriptions and so I combed through my book and gave Leo dark hair and Ella blonde. 

Somewhat depressed, I went to my author loop to discuss my options. Guess what they said? It happens all the time. And there have been worse. Take the infamous Christina Dodd book cover of a woman with three arms. Yes, three arms. Can you find them? Ms. Dodd didn’t even realize her heroine had three arms until a reader pointed it out. But instead of being horrified, she was thrilled that her infamous cover helped her sales. 

With all these mistakes, does this mean authors have no say in their covers? Not debut authors. That’s between the editors (who will often fill out forms describing characters) and the art department. But for the most part it depends on the publisher and how established the author is. I’m sure there are many NY Times Bestselling authors who do get to fill out that infamous form describing their characters. But in the end, it will still be up to the editor and art department because they know what sells. 

If you think authors are left in the dark about many decisions, you’re right. Overseas sales are even worse since most authors don’t even realize when their book is sold in another country. It’s safe to say most authors don’t have any input in the covers overseas. Still, its fun to compare countries. Many authors will post their original covers as well as overseas covers, if you’re interested. They’re usually quite different as you can see from the examples I’ve brought with. I’m sure a person could do a study on how book covers differ country to country and what that says about each culture.


Once the artists come up with some sketch ideas for the cover, they call in the models. Yes, that man you’ve been drooling over on the cover of the book you’re reading is real. And yes, it’s probably the same male model used on that other book by another author you just read. As great as those romance covers are, they do tend to have a similar feel. My personal favorite is that all too familiar hero grasping the heroine from behind. See my cover. The truth of the matter is that to save money, publishers often reuse book covers. They might change coloring, or scenery here and there, but if you look closely, you’ll see many similarities on your favorite covers. 

If you’re interested in reading more about the book cover process, I found this wonderful article by author Stephanie Bond:

As Stephanie explains the art department knows what they’re doing. We might think those covers are redundant, we might not understand why they use a certain color, but they understand. They know what shades sell (green, for instance, is supposed to be a bad color), they know what hair color sells, what scenery sells. And those suggestive covers that define romance novels… well, I assume they wouldn’t do them if they didn’t make a lot of money. 

The good news is that lately I’ve noticed publishers are really stepping up when it comes to producing amazing book covers. Kensington, which is a smaller publisher, has produced some top notch books lately. 

*So, do book covers matter to you? Are you embarrassed by overly seductive covers? Does the hair coloring of the hero and heroine have to match the color inside the book? Leave a comment! Three people will win a signed copy of my debut book Wild Heart!

Ends: November4th

WANTON…

Leo Roberts is next in line for an earldom and the power and fortune that come with it, but he is uncultured, unrefined—and completely untamed…until governess Ella Finch arrives upon the scene. Can so young and inexperienced a woman tutor him in the manners and mores of his class? Leo’s mysterious past has rendered him an outsider, too wild for polite society. But he finds her innocence most intriguing…

WILLING…

What manner of man he may be, Ella does not know. Yet he fascinates her and she must know more. Capturing Leo’s reckless heart is about to free her in ways she never dreamed of…and his sensual touch releases the deepest yearnings of her body and soul …

Review: Wild Heart - Lori Brighton

Wild Heart by Lori Brighton

Publication date: November 3nd 2009
Genre: Historical paranormal romance
Pages: 320

Wanton. . .

Leo Roberts is next in line for an earldom and the power and fortune that come with it, but he is uncultured, unrefined--and completely untamed, until governess Ella Finch arrives upon the scene. Can so young and inexperienced a woman tutor him in the manners and mores of his class? Leo's mysterious past has rendered him an outsider, too wild for polite society. But he finds her innocence most intriguing.

Willing

What manner of man he may be, Ella does not know. Yet he fascinates her and she must know more. Capturing Leo's reckless heart is about to free her in ways she never dreamed of, and his sensual touch releases the deepest yearnings of her body and soul.

......

This was a nice read. I connected at once with the heroine of the book. Ella is a sweet woman with a good heart. There was something innocent about her, and at the same time something mysterious and a great willpower. Leo, well I wasn’t sure what to think of him, was he an animal, crazy or what? It gets explained because things are not always what they seem. Lori Brighton makes you fall bit by bit for him, until you just can’t resist him. Just like Ella, and they have great chemistry; I can see it at once. I ache for them, I want them to be together, I want them to trust each other enough to tell the other one all their secrets.

The side characters are good also, his sweet old grandfather, Ella’s friend Fran, who is the explanation why Ella takes on this position. Lady Buckley, she seems mean, Leo’s friend Akshay, and then the villain of this book, Leo’s cousin Henry. Him readers will dislike at once, and I wanted to find out what his motives was and why he was such an idiot. I can’t tell you the times I wanted to be there with Ella and calm Leo down, or well hug him. Not thathe cared all times, but I sure did.

It was a paranormal historical but the paranormal part was not that big in it. I will not spoil it but Ella has a gift, and she uses it sometimes though out the book. In the end the paranormal part gets a bit bigger as all things are explained. You have to wait for it, and it will make you curious, what is going on in this book? The ending also leaves you wanting more. She wraps it up nicely, but she leaves a thread hanging so that there can be more. I am happy with this ending, but yes I am curious, will there be more? The answer is yes, one character from this book is getting a book of his own.

Lori Brighton weaves together a beautiful historical about two people who find each other at the worst possible time, but at the same time the best time. They both have secrets and they both need something. You smile with them, and you sit by and wonder if it will turn out good. These two are a couple that need to be together. The hint of the paranormal is cleverly shown trough out the book in a way that makes you believe that sure, that is possible. She makes you believe, and you never feel that it’s a paranormal historical. It’s a historical book; the magic in it just exists. And I do believe.

This book has a bit of everything, a mystery, magic, romance and the hunt for the truth that will put lives in danger. When it does heat up it heats up and I am sitting on my seat wondering what will happen next. It always looks the darkest before the end.

This is a great debut and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. A good author leaves you with a want for more, if so be with the same characters or with a new concept.

As a side note, I read this book back in July and wrote the review but I post it now when the date is getting closer for its release.

received a copy for a review