Melt for Him by Lauren Blakely – a Review

Melt for Him by Lauren Blakely – a Review

 

Melt for himAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Fire captain and bar owner Becker Thomas usually spends his nights alone, trying to escape painful memories from his past. When he meets a sexy, free-spirited brunette outside his bar, he knows he’s found the perfect way to forget for one night. But when he later discovers the woman he’s itching for another night with is his best friend’s sister, everything comes to a halt.

Just out of a toxic relationship, Megan Jansen is only in Hidden Oaks to visit her brother, photograph the firemen’s calendar, and then slip off to another adventure. The brooding man who gave her the best sex ever is an unexpected surprise. The problem is, he’s her brother’s friend and a fellow fireman, and Megan’s rule is no firemen. She knows she’s going to get burned …but keeping their hands off each other is easier said than done..

 

Review:

What happens when a man and a woman have an instant attraction? Becker and Megan meet by accident outside of his bar and sparks fly! “Their bodies collided into each other like magnets”. They can’t deny themselves and agree to a night of passion. MELT FOR HIM by Lauren Blakely is the most sensual read ever. This scorching novel will have you melted into a puddle by the end of chapter two!

Megan has returned home before her next adventure, to photograph the local firemen for a calendar. She has the surprise of her life when her “best sex ever” man happens to be one of those men. Only problem is that Megan has a rule, she doesn’t date firemen! Becker has his own demons and he can’t mess around with his friend’s little sister. Can two people build a relationship based on one fantastic night? They started with the intense physical relationship and now have to build an emotional connection. This is a fantastic love story of two lost souls finding each other and opening themselves up for true love. This beautifully written love story will leave you burning for more! I highly recommend this novel!

Reviewed by Jules

Copy supplied by publisher

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Changing Constantinou’s Game by Jennifer Hayward – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Changing Constantinou’s Game by Jennifer Hayward – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

 

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Changing Constantinou's GameAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Alexios Constantinou is notorious for his lethal charm, so when the exquisite Isabel Peters is—literally—dropped into his lap during a hellish elevator ride, he doesn’t waste the opportunity! With tensions sky-high after their near-death experience, an insatiable desire ignites between them, and all bets are off.

But when Alex discovers that reporter Isabel’s next story is him, he’s furious…yet determined to use it to his advantage. He’s calling the shots, but the closer Isabel gets, the closer she comes to discovering his carefully concealed secret. Now, with everything at stake, he’ll need a whole new game plan….

 

Review:

Wow!! CHANGING COSTANTINOU’S GAME by Jennifer Hayward starts out with a BANG or should I say a loud thump!!

Our elusive millionaire, Alex gets trapped in an elevator with Izzie, our tenacious reporter. Neither knows who the other is, so this trapped confinement lets them lower their guards. Alex discovers that Izzie keeps a drugstore in her purse (who doesn’t?) and her love of “smutty novels”. She makes him smile, due to her quirkiness and genuine fear of elevators. What starts out as a near death experience develops into a night of “no strings attached”!!  

Wait, you didn’t think things would be that easy? Alex figures out that Izzie was sent to interview him and he feels betrayed. Both characters have major trust issues and while Izzie sits on her story, things still get complicated. This is a story of ambition, hidden secrets and most of all building trust. This novel does not follow a predictable format. There are many surprises along the way!

I have not read any of Jennifer’s other novels, but I am a new fan. Her writing is effortless and her characters soon wrap you around their fingers. Both characters are so endearing in different ways and their relationship is hot! This novel is a must read for the contemporary romance lover! I have to admit, I even shed a few happy tears at the end! Enjoy!

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by Publicist

 

Guest post-White and Red

Shining A Light On The Elusive Alpha Hero

 Alpha heroes – oh how we love them! They command and seduce us. Sweep us off into passionate tales. Stride into our pages like the larger-than-life figures they are and make us wonder why we haven’t met one at a cocktail party yet. I mean we’ve been getting out there right?

But as compelling as they are, many writers say they find the alpha male difficult to write. That that type of character just doesn’t come naturally to them. So I thought I’d tackle the subject of our sexy, scintillating alpha in this post.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve been surrounded by alphas my entire life. First my father, an alpha surgeon, then in my career in PR where I worked with charismatic CEOs on a daily basis. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, one thing’s for sure – an alpha might be wrong, but he’s never uncertain. He is grounded in the fact that he is master of his domain and he commands it all with a firm, confident hand. In fact, there’s nothing in the world an alpha’s powerful authority and money can’t buy, except as we say in Presents land, “the love of a woman strong enough to tame him!”

So where do you find inspiration for an alpha if you don’t have one close by to study? How do you incorporate those key characteristics that make an alpha irresistible yet incorrigible all at the same time? I think of our modern-day superheroes. They all have something about them that elevates them to a level above the ordinary man. Spiderman spins his webs, Superman has his superhuman power, Aquaman can breathe under water and command the sea. Formidable? Yes. Yet all of these superheroes also have the necessary hubris that puts them in jeopardy, flaws that test their superiority. And this is what causes their problems.

If channelling a superhero is too far out for you, then think of the globe’s most powerful CEOs. Would Steve Jobs have forgotten to read a report before going into a meeting, taken no for an answer on a deal or let a competitor get in the way? I think not J He was brilliant, uncompromising and unafraid to trumpet a vision he had for what the consumer electronics industry should look like. He was, in essence, extraordinary.

For my current release, Changing Constantinou’s Game, I chose as my alpha, Alexios Constantinou, a legendary football quarterback who set the world on fire with his pro debut. A big lover of sports, I think quarterbacks are the biggest alpha of them all. How else would you step on a field and command a team of big, macho personalities with adrenalin racing through their veins? How else would you step on the field knowing at the end of the game you’ll either be a hero or the player everyone points the finger of failure at? (Not always, but you get what I mean). You have to have a certain ego to be a quarterback, you have to think you’re better than the rest. But despite being brilliant on the field, Alexios, like every alpha, has flaws that bring about his destruction. He is a wounded warrior who has never gotten over the loss of his identity when an injury ended his career. He prefers to ignore his pain and let it tear him apart inside rather than face it and move on. But the love of a good woman in my heroine Izzie might just bring him back from the darkness.

I’d love to know what you think makes an ideal alpha hero. What do you love most about them? And maybe a favourite or two?

Thanks for having me at The Reading Café! I’ve so enjoyed being here.

 

 

About The Author

Jennifer HaywardJENNIFER HAYWARD has been a fan of romance since filching her sister’s novels to escape her teenaged angst.
Her career in journalism and PR, including years of working alongside powerful, charismatic CEOs and traveling the world, has provided perfect fodder for the fast-paced, sexy stories she likes to write, always with a touch of humour. You can find out more about Jennifer and her books and sign up for her newsletter at her website. Or you can find her on twitter, facebook.and goodreads

 

 

Giveaway

Jennifer is graciously offering a paper copy of of Changing Constantinou’s Game ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Facebook, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

 4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. LIKE Jennifer Hayward  on Facebook

6. Giveaway open Internationally.

7. Giveaway runs from August 24 to August 28, 2014

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Treasures, Demons and Other Black Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge-Review and Giveaway

Treasures, Demons and Other Black Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge-Review and Giveaway

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Treasures, Demons, And Other Black Magic
Dowser Series #3
by Meghan Ciana Doidge
Release Date: June 11, 2014
Genre: adult, urban fantasy, vampires, witches

SONY DSC

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 11, 2014

I hadn’t set foot in the human world for more than a few hours in over three and a half months. Sure, I was stronger and faster than I’d ever been before, and I had a shiny new sword, but I was seriously chocolate deprived. I don’t recommend quitting cold turkey. And the new sword was a problem — to my mind, anyway. It represented all the expectations of a powerful father and a new otherworldly life. A life that wasn’t the one I’d worked so hard to build. It also represented the responsibility I had to bring my foster sister Sienna to … what? Justice? I didn’t know if that was even possible. What I did know was that Sienna wouldn’t stop, and that I couldn’t just leave everything up to fate and destiny … or maybe I was. Maybe I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. If you believed in that sort of thing.

I just hoped that before the chaos and mayhem renewed, I’d manage to get my hands on some chocolate. It didn’t even have to be single-origin Madagascar. I was utterly prepared to lower my standards.

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:   I am experiencing a sugar high coupled with chocolate bliss after reading TREASURES, DEMONS, and OTHER BLACK MAGIC by Meghan Ciana Doidge! Be prepared for a sensory overload of fast paced action, divine descriptions of chocolate and desserts and melt in your mouth descriptions of the scents of magic.

We are transported back into the thick of action with Jade and her gang! Jade has been missing for the past three months, because she has been training with her father’s kin. *spoiler alert from last novel* Yes, Jade’s dear dad is a Dragon! That’s why Jade is so powerful! She is shown a vision in The Nexus, that if she returns to her life without training, all of her friends and family will be killed. Jade escapes through a portal in Scotland, to pursue Sienna, her evil foster sister. A fledgling dragon named Drake tags along and soon steals the show! What a wonderful new character! Drake is a young, Zen-like Dragon that loves life and getting into trouble. They soon meet up with Kett, the ancient vampire and Kandy, who is Jade’s werewolf bodyguard. We follow the gang to London in pursuit of Sienna and to rescue Mory, the young Necromancer. What a showdown we have, but things are not over yet!!

The author takes us back to Canada for the final action! Jade figures out Sienna’s next move which is to reanimate demons! Jade unites the whole magic community in crushing her once and for all!! The Skinwalkers, Shifters, Witches, Necromancers and one sexy vampire team together. My only complaint was that Desmond, the uber-sexy Alpha shifter didn’t come into the story until 75% in!! That was NOT enough read time for Jade and Desmond’s hot off the charts banter! I won’t spoil any of the dramatic ending, if it is the ending? Oh Meghan, the mischief you create!! This is a thoroughly wonderful read that was full of action and characters that I adore! Plus, the chocolate descriptions were so divine and I still can fit into my jeans! Alas, I have been ruined for cheap chocolate! Enjoy Book 3 in the Dowser Series, it has all of the right ingredients!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Jules

Guest Post beige

Want to try some ‘Sunshine in a Cup’? The recipe for yellow citrus cake batter and lemon butter cream frosting are below. Let me know what you think.

yellowcirtus_cakerecipe

lemonbuttercream_icing_RECIPE

 

Series Spotlight

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic
Dowser Series #1
by Meghan Ciana Doidge
Release Date:June 18, 2013
Genre: adult, urban fantasy, witches, vampires

Click HERE for our review of CUPCAKES, TRINKETS AND OTHER DEALY MAGIC

FREE ebook:  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /


SONY DSCABOUT THE BOOK:  Release Date June 18, 2013

If you’d asked me a week ago, I would have told you that the best cupcakes were dark chocolate with chocolate cream cheese icing, that dancing in a crowd of magic wielders — the Adept — was better than sex, and that my life was peaceful and uneventful. Just the way I liked it.

That’s what twenty-three years in the magical backwater of Vancouver will get you — a completely skewed sense of reality. Because when the dead werewolves started showing up, it all unraveled … except for the cupcake part. That’s a universal truth.

_____________________

Trinkets, Treasures and Other Bloody Magic
The Dowser Series #2
by Meghan Ciana Doidge
Release Date: December 27, 2013

Click HERE for our review of TRINKETS, TREASURES AND OTHER BLOODY MAGIC.

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble /


SONY DSCABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: December 27, 2013

Three months ago, I lost my foster sister, Sienna, to the darkness. As in blood magic and chaos and general mayhem. No one saw it until it was too late, but I should have. Now, I have a wounded heart and soul that I can’t even reveal to anyone around me, because I’m supposed to hate Sienna with the fiery passion of the justified. And I do. I just wish I didn’t feel so lost without her, so unsure of the path I thought I had carved for myself, and so outclassed by the powerful Adepts constantly by my side these days. I’m not even sure if they’re with me for my own protection or because my shiny new powers are rare and valuable. Assuming I ever figure out who or what I am, and how my magic actually works.

Even chocolate can’t save the day every time … just most of the time. At least I’ve got that going for me.

About The Author beige
Meghan Ciana DoidgeMeghan Ciana Doidge is an award-winning writer based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She has a penchant for bloody love stories, superheroes, and the supernatural. She also has a thing for chocolate, potatoes, and sock yarn.

Novels – After The Virus, Spirit Binder, Time Walker, Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic – Dowser #1, Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic – Dowser #2, Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic – Dowser #3

Novellas/Shorts – Love Lies Bleeding and The Graveyard Kiss

WARNING: author has been known to manipulate characters with chocolate, sex, and fantastical plotting. Readers beware http://author.to/meghancianadoidge

Follow Meghan: Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway beige

Meghan is graciously offering all 3 ebooks in the DOWSER Series to ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe.

Dowser Series

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on  FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. LIKE Meghan Ciana Doidge on Facebook.

6. The giveaway is open Internationally

7. The giveaway runs from July 7 to July 11, 2014

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Life Lived Twice by Sherrie Wouters – Review and Giveaway

Life Lived Twice by Sherrie Wouters – Review and Giveaway

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Description:
Some promises are made to last forever…

What if you fell in love with a stranger…but that stranger had come from your past, a past you never knew existed until the moment your eyes met?

When Tess Winters locks eyes with a stranger at an airport bookstore, it ignites a feeling of passion somewhere deep inside her that she can’t explain.

Although the encounter is innocent and brief, the intensity of it lingers, leaving her overwhelmed by a yearning for the mystery man now consuming her every thought.

Struggling to break the powerful hold he has over her heart, Tess starts to experience strange but familiar dreams…dreams from the turn of the twentieth century of the charming Mr Addison Taylor.

As her dreams start to materialize into reality, and past and present begin to blur, Tess is forced to put the pieces of a forgotten time together, and soon discovers that love isn’t the only thing that can find you after an eternity.

Captivating, mysterious, and romantic, Life Lived Twice will leave you wondering whether love is so powerful it could last more than a lifetime

 

Review:
LIFE LIVED TWICE by Sherrie Wouters is a unique and original read. Tess Winters is starting a new life for herself. She tends to be shy, reserved and a little ‘old fashioned’! While she is traveling home from vacation, she has a chance encounter with a stranger that changes her life forever. They are reaching for the same book and when their eyes meet, she calls out, Addison! Too bad that’s not his name! This electrifying encounter with this mystery man leaves her unsettled and reminds her of dreams that she has had her whole life.

This novel has two overlapping storylines, one present day with Tess and one that goes back to 1908. Through Tess’ dreams we learn the story of star crossed lovers, Addison and Lylah.

I don’t think that I have ever read a novel that so effortlessly immerses us into two beautiful love stories. This is a story of love that transverses time. It is a love that can never die, because it can take other forms. Reincarnation is a central theme and how our souls can reunite after death. Remember, our lovers have found each other in a different lifetime, but evil can also return. Does Tess have a chance to change history and be with her soul mate?

Evil has been stalking Tess her whole lifetime and she has a chance to make amends with her past. The ending was really unexpected, but I highly recommend this touching novel about love that can last more than one lifetime.

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by Author


giveaway

Sherrie is offering a paper copy of Life Lived Twice to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Giveaway is open to USA only.

6. Giveaway runs from June 15 to June 18, 2014

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Wicked Designs by Lauren Smith – Review & Giveaway

Wicked Designs by Lauren Smith – Review & Giveaway

 

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Wicked DesignsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
The League of Rogues takes what they want—but have they taken on too much?

For too long Miss Emily Parr has been subject to the whims of her indebted uncle and the lecherous advances of his repulsive business partner. Her plan to be done with dominating men forever is simple—find herself a kind husband who will leave her to her books.

It seems an easy enough plan, until she is unexpectedly abducted by an incorrigible duke who hides a wounded spirit behind flashing green eyes.

Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex, spends countless nights at the club with his four best friends, and relishes the rakish reputation society has branded him with. He has no plans to marry anytime soon—if ever. But when he kidnaps an embezzler’s niece, the difficult debutante’s blend of sweetness and sharp tongue make him desperate for the one thing he swears he never wanted: love.

Yet as they surrender to passion, danger lurks in Godric’s shadowed past, waiting for him to drop his guard—and rob him of the woman he can’t live without.

 

Review:

WICKED DESIGNS by Lauren Smith is proving to be a superb first novel in an exciting new series. The novel starts with a kidnapping!! That’s a pretty exciting and humorous event. Usually, I don’t like when our hero kidnaps their lady, but this event was well written and action packed!

It seems that our heroine’s uncle owes Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex some money, so Godric kidnaps our heroine. Trust me readers, Miss Emily Parr does not go easily or quietly. It seems that our league of rogues has met their match. Our “bad boys” of the ton, love their naughty image, but underneath their roguish exteriors, they are all great men. Don’t be overwhelmed with the amount of characters introduced at the beginning. They are all going to become fabulous, swoon-worthy, leading men in their own stories! Fingers crossed!!

Back to our main couple! Godric has no plans on marrying, he has too many demons in his past, but Emily is slowing pulling down his barriers. She is such a wonderful woman! She tries to escape her captors throughout the novel, through very ingenious ways. All of the men grow to respect and like her and become very protective towards her. The league of rogues does have some rules: One is that Godric has first dibs on Emily! We have a very sinister and creepy bad guy who wants our heroine too! Will our league of rogues be able to protect Emily from harm and will Godric ever find peace and love?

This is such a wonderful Regency romance. I started reading and could not put it down until the end. The author has created some great characters. It’s one of those books where I loved the woman as much as the brooding hero! I look forward to reading further rogue escapades, because these men love getting into trouble! Enjoy!

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by Publisher

 

giveaway

Lauren is offering an e-copy of Wicked Designs to two (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

 1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on  FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. The giveaway is open Internationally

7. The giveaway runs from June 8 to June11, 2014

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Sex & The Single Vamp by Robin Covington – a Review

Sex & The Single Vamp by Robin Covington – a Review

Sex & the Single VampLinks to order Sex & The Single Vamp:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Cici Trent, vampire and media darling, spends her days finding true love for humans and supernaturals (the “Others”) at her dating agency. But someone is trying to sabotage her business and she needs help. Unfortunately, the best man for the job is the one who broke her still-beating heart two hundred fifty-four years ago.

Deacon is a patient vampire. He’s only loved one woman in over three hundred years— CiCi— and she chose another. So when she shows up in his office asking for help, he finally has the chance to lay that demon to rest. He’ll help her, but for a price—a night in his bed.

Adrenaline, mischief, and a little late-night B&E light the passion that even a couple of lifetimes couldn’t put out. But Deacon has a secret and when Cici is suddenly mortal, his deception might be the only way restore her immortality. Can love bridge the gap between a heartbeat and forever?


Review:

SEX AND THE SINGLE VAMP is Robin Covington’s first attempt at the paranormal!  As you know, her contemporaries are very steamy and this novel sizzles right off the charts!  Deacon and CiCi have known each other for years, make that hundreds of years!  Deacon is an ancient vampire that happened to fall in love with CiCi while she was human and turned her at her dying father’s request.  Only thing, he never told her that he is her Maker! 

Our dear CiCi is a romantic at heart and opens a dating agency in present time, so that humans can meet “Supernatural” beings and maybe find love!  Yes, a little naïve, but her heart is in the right place.  Deacon is the opposite of a romantic.  He doesn’t believe in long term relationships, because well, the humans are going to die!  Deacon has kept tabs on the beautiful CiCi throughout the years and when she comes to him for a favor, he is ready to pounce.  Her business is being targeted and her clients are being murdered.  Deacon will protect CiCi and find the killers on one condition.  He wants her in his bed!  She counters with the demand that she wants to know her Maker! 

What follows are some very steamy scenes, a hunt for a killer and a witch’s spell that makes CiCi human again.  Will Deacon sacrifice himself to counteract the spell?  The story is action packed and has some great secondary characters, including shifters and a powerful Fae.  This novel is both naughty and very nice!  I’m rooting for our vampire couple that must decide what love means to them and get over some century old misunderstandings!  I hope you enjoy this great read!

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provied by Publisher

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Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell – a Review & Giveaway

Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell – a Review & Giveaway

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Happily Ever After
by Elizabeth Maxwell
Release Date: March 18, 2014

Happily Ever AfterLinks to order Happily Ever After: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
In this witty, sexy tale, an erotic novelist meets the fictional hero of her most recent book in real life, and must decide whether she wants to get him back between the pages—or between her sheets. At forty-six, Sadie Fuller’s life isn’t exactly romantic. A divorced, overweight, somewhat sexually frustrated mother of an eleven-year-old, she lives in the suburbs, shops the big box stores, makes small talk with her small-minded neighbors, and generally leads a quiet life. But while her daughter is at school, or when Sadie is up late at night, she writes erotic fiction under the name KT Briggs.

Then, during a routine shopping trip, Sadie runs into someone familiar…too familiar, in fact. She encounters an incredibly handsome man exactly like the one in her imagination—and her latest novel. Is Aidan Hathaway really one of her characters? And if so, what is he doing in Target? As Sadie tries to negotiate this strange new world, her eyes begin to open to romantic possibilities in places she never dreamed of looking… places where Happily Ever After might not be so far-fetched after all.

 

Review:

HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Elizabeth Maxwell is in a class of novels that can cause “snaughling”.  That is laughing so hard you snort, then laughing because you snorted!  This is a novel that is really out there at times, but it is a fun and quirky read.

Sadie Fuller is a divorced 46 year old woman who is a little overweight, raising her daughter in the suburbs and who writes erotica at night!  Poor Sadie even had to find a man on Craigslist to have sex with once a week!  She is an expert at creating fabulous characters who have the most amazing sex ever, but her own life is not very exciting.  

Her life changes when she runs into a man at Target who looked oddly familiar!  He is the sexy, uber-hot, character from her latest novel!  What in the heck is happening?  How has her hunky hero come to life? Her neighbors are envious when the handsome “Aidan Hathaway” shows up at a school charity event.  Even her gay ex-husband is wondering what is going on!   As Sadie tries to solve this mystery, other characters start to show up and she and her characters need to figure out how to break a spell so that they can all live “happily ever after”!! Maybe Sadie didn’t realize that her own happiness was right under her nose. 

This was a fun and totally original novel that will lead to much “snaughling”.  Come up, you know you want to read it now!!   Enjoy!


Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by publisher

Giveaway white and rose
Elizabeth & her publisher have have graciously offered to give one (1) member of The Reading Café a copy of her new release, Happily Ever After

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5.  Giveaway open US & Canada only.

6.  Contests runs from March 29 – April 1, 2014

 

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Sharon Biggs Waller – A Mad Wicked Folly – Review and Interview

Sharon Biggs Waller – A Mad Wicked Folly – Review and Interview

 

A Mad Wicked FollyLinks to order A Mad Wicked Folly: 
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
           
After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

Review:

I am still in AWE after reading A MAD, WICKED FOLLY by Sharon Biggs Waller.  I love England and its rich history.  I was so impressed with the amount of research that went into writing this rich and unique novel concerning the Suffragette Movement in England that afforded us modern day women with so many opportunities. 

Our main character, Vicky is strong willed and vibrant.  She wants to be an artist more than anything in the world.  After posing nude at her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French Finishing School and shipped home to England in disgrace.  She was only taking her turn during class and what’s the big deal?  In Edwardian England, it was enough to ruin her chances for a proper marriage and her rights in society.  Her father made his fortune in toilets and her parents don’t want their position in society threatened!   Ironic, isn’t it?  They quickly find a “younger son” to marry Vicky and they work hard to repair her reputation.  Vicky doesn’t care about any of this and she only wants to go to the Royal College of Art.  She works hard on her portfolio and finds herself involved in the Suffragette Movement. 

The events captured this time in England splendidly.  I felt like I was with the women as they sang and marched to Parliament demanding equal rights.  Time after time, Vicky is saved by a police constable named Will Fletcher.  She is drawn to him and uses him as her art muse.  You know that Vicky’s world is going to come crashing down!  Society was very strict and her chances of becoming an accomplished artist are slim.  Will Vicky marry a man that she doesn’t love to please her family or will she work hard at achieving her dreams?  The women in the Suffragette Movement and a certain police constable are on her side! 

This is a brilliantly written novel, I felt like I was part of this great moment in history.  The world was changing, but it came at a high price for some women.  As a fan of a certain television program based on this time period, I have to say the details in A Mad, Wicked Folly are more accurate.  I know that my great, great grandmothers worked in America on getting equal rights for women.  Knowing the hardships that these women had to endure made me teary eyed in some parts of this novel.  Well done Sister Suffragettes!  I highly recommend this novel to all women and the men who love them! 

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by publisher

Interview

Hi Sharon.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for our members at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Sharon:  Thank you!  It’s so nice to be here.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Sharon:  Sure! I’m a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers and I’ve written three non-fiction books about horses.  My latest is called THE ORIGINAL HORSE BIBLE.  I’m a dressage trainer and rider and I live on a ten-acre hobby farm on the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan in northwest Indiana, just outside of Chicago.  I have two horses, five dairy goats, five geese, 35 chickens, a beehive, two dogs and four cats!  My husband is British, a former Metropolitan mounted police officer, and I met him when I interviewed him for an article. I lived in England with him for six years before we moved home to build our farm.  A MAD, WICKED FOLLY is my debut novel.

TRC: Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Sharon: I’ve loved writing ever since the first grade when I wrote a story about a little witch and her cat.  My teacher told my mother about it during a parent teacher’s conference and she came home and told me how much she loved the story.  I remember thinking how neat it was that I could make my mom smile like that.  I was an extremely bookish child and I hated not having a book with me. I was always happy when it was free reading period.  I never thought about writing books of my own until I had shoulder surgery in my 20s and my surgeon suggested another occupation besides training horses.  I’d written when I was a park ranger, so I started writing young adult and middle grade novels.  In the meantime I thought it would be great to get some publishing experience so I started querying magazines.  I’ve been writing for 17 years now.

TRC: Your first novel, A Mad Wicked Folly, was released in January.  How did you come up with the idea of this book?

Sharon: When I lived in England I used to walk past Emmeline Pankhurst’s statue in Victoria Gardens near Parliament.  It made me think about what it took to fight for rights when women were so restricted.  And then I thought about being a teen during that time.  What would it take to break free? FOLLY was originally a short story in a bigger novel that wasn’t working.  I loved the protagonist so much that I decided to spin her off into a story of her own.  It took me three years to research and write Vicky’s story.

TRC: Can you please give us a brief description of A Mad Wicked Folly?

Sharon: The story is about upper class Victoria Darling, an Edwardian teen who longs to become a fine artist but is restricted by society.  When she’s caught posing nude for an illicit art class, she’s expelled from her French finishing school and sent home in disgrace.  Her humiliated parents try to tame her by taking away her art and arranging a marriage to a wealthy young man.  Unwilling to give up her dream, Vicky tries to get into the Royal College of Art, despite the obstacles.  When she falls in with a group of suffragettes and meets a handsome young police constable who becomes her muse, and maybe the love of her life, Vicky has to decide whether to remain in a world where she feels safe or to step out into an unknown world where her voice is heard and her opinions matter.

TRC: This is considered a Young Adult genre. Can you please tell us what made you decide to do a Y.A. novel?

Sharon: I love this age group; it’s such an amazing time of life.  It’s when you’re discovering who you are and trying new things and really forming your own opinions.  I love writing for young women in particular because they have so much to say and so much to give.  They are important and wonderful, and I want them to know they should never dismiss themselves.  Who they are is so important.

TRC: Can you please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2014?

Sharon: I’m revising an 18th century/contemporary mash-up, and researching a mid-Victorian.

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Sharon: I have a writing studio in the back of my house that my brother just restored for me.  We brought it over from England with us and it needed some work, so he finished that in the fall.  Otherwise I write in my library in front of a window that looks out onto my farm fields.  I have to have a window when I work because half the time I’m staring out into space!  I try to write in the morning for two hours (I set a timer) at least. But I’m constantly living with the story in my head, mulling plot lines over and thinking about my characters.  After I work I head out into the woods near my house to walk.  I live on the border of a national park and there’s a four-mile walking trail that hardly anyone uses apart from me.  So I take the dogs and put in my iPod (usually set to the story soundtrack I’ve made) and start walking.  It’s such a great way to sort through ideas and issues I’m having.  I also daydream and imagine scenes, which is really fun.

As far as outlining goes, I do outline a bit, nothing formal, but there are “signpost” scenes that I know will be in, and it helps me think about how I’m going to reach the scenes.  I also have a pretty good idea about the story before I start. I have to know where I’m going, and what my characters want.  I also keep a notebook where I jot down plot ideas, maps, characters, brainstorms, etc.  It helps to hand-write things.  After I write the first draft I make a scene tracker and a plot planner and hang those on the wall.  I use stickies and I can move scenes around and see where the fit.  This is a Martha Alderson thing, and I highly recommend it.  It stops you getting lost in your book.

TRC: Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with? 

Sharon: Great question.  I have some friends in New Jersey, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, Lisa Reiss, and Melissa Azarian, who are fabulous critiquers.  They are amazing writers (Jen has published two YA novels) and I know I can trust them to push me when I need it!  I also have a nice group of SCBWI writers here in Indiana that I meet with a few times a year who are very supportive.  But I also work with Martha Alderson, the plot whisperer.  She wrote several books on plot and she does phone consultations.  She is simply amazing.  I worked with her a lot with FOLLY and she really helped me deepen the story.  She’s a writer’s oracle, she really is.  And of course there’s my awesome agent, John M. Cusick.

TRC: On your website you talk about your love of horses, and that you do horse training, and specialize in dressage.  You write magazine articles and have written non-fiction books pertaining to this. Are you still active in training, and what does dressage involve?

Sharon: Dressage is a French word meaning “training,” and it elevates the communication between rider and horse to an art form.  The highest example of dressage is the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.  It’s also one of the three Olympic equestrian disciplines (eventing and showjumping are the other two). I train very rarely now, only the occasional student.  Before I moved to England in 2000 I used to ride around eight horses a day and work with a trainer every week. Dressage is a discipline much like ballet where you have to work at it daily, and right now my writing and my farm take up a lot of my time. But I know I’ll get back to it again someday.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Sharon:  I’d love to hear from readers, so if anyone has a question or comment please feel free to drop me a line.  There’s a contact me form on my blog www.sharonbiggswaller.comAlso there are lots of background and behind the scenes stuff about FOLLY on my Friday blog post called Folly Friday.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Gotta love pizza!

Favorite Dessert: Cake—especially red velvet.

Favorite TV Show: Anything on Masterpiece Classic and the Big Bang Theory.

Favorite Actor & Actress (TV or Movies):  Carey Mulligan & Colin Firth

Last Book You Read:
Fiction: FAULT LINE by Christa Desir
Nonfiction: CAT SENSE by John Bradshaw

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own):  Gosh, this is a tough one. For adult books I love Jamie Fraser from the OUTLANDER series by Diana Gabaldon.  For juvenile fiction I’ll choose Sara Crewe from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Little Princess.

Milk or Dark Chocolate:  Both, but I tend to lean toward milk.

Dog or Cat:  Both, but if I could have only one animal (perish the thought) I’d choose cat. But it would be a really hard choice.

TRC: Thank you Sharon, for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with A Mad Wicked FollyPlease keep us informed about your upcoming new releases, as we look forward to working with you again.

Sharon: You’re welcome!  Thanks for having me.

 

about the author

FOR JACKET - Sharon Biggs Waller author photo - credit Edda Taylor
Sharon Biggs Waller grew up around artists and developed a passion for Edwardian history and the Pre-Raphaelites when she moved to England in 2000. She did extensive research on the British suffragettes for her novel, A MAD, WICKED FOLLY when she wasn’t working as a riding instructor at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace and as a freelance magazine writer. She also writes non-fiction books about horses under her maiden name, Sharon Biggs. She is a dressage rider and trainer and lives on a 10-acre sustainable farm in Northwest Indiana with her British husband, Mark.

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