giveaway winners: one scream away

Congratulations to Virginia, Anita, Eleni, etriv, and ChristyJan who each have won a copy of One Scream Away. Please email me your address.

giveaway: dark hunger

As part of the Dark Hunger promotional tour, I have five copies for some lucky readers courtesy of Hachette.

This is my review. Here's the publisher description:
"Reporter Annabelle Armstrong will go to any lengths to deliver a story, even track down Quinton Valtrez, a man she believes is a coldhearted assassin. Yet the truth about the darkly sensual Quinton is even more shocking...and the overwhelming desire he ignites is one she vows to resist.

Quinton has fought his demonic powers since he was a child. Now using his gifts for the good of national security, he can't let himself be distracted by the beautiful, determined Annabelle. But his need for her is sudden, fierce--and could soon cost Annabelle her life. For a wicked enemy is out for vengeance, a demon who wants to draw Quinton into a life of pure evil and is willing to use Annabelle as bait. To save her, Quinton must achieve the near impossible: tame the sinister force that is both his inheritance and his curse before it claims him forever."

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on September 12. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.

author interview: rita herron

This post contains affiliate links.

Rita Herron, author of the Demonborn series and numerous other books, was gracious enough to answer a few questions as part of the Dark Hunger promotion.

Dark Hunger takes place in a few different cities. What made you decide to use these different cities? Is one a favorite for you?

I envisioned the story as a terrorist plot where the terrorist attacked a city (as in 911), creating panic and paranoia by making everyone wonder what city might be targeted next, except of course these terrorists were demonic. Savannah, Charleston, and New Orleans are my absolute favorite southern cities because they're so full of history, charm, cultural uniqueness, ghosts, and myths and folk legends which make the setting come alive. They were a perfect backdrop to enhance the paranormal elements and plot.


In Dark Hunger, Quinton has special powers; he uses his mind to lift a beam to save a man’s life! What’s the special power you would want to have?

Yes, Quinton can move things with his mind, and sometimes gets premonitions. I'm not sure I'd want to see the future -- that could be scary! I think it would be fun to be able to move from one place to another, to orb. But if I had to choose one power, I'd probably say I'd like to have the power to heal because that's a gift that could help others.

Were you inspired by any songs, movies, TV shows, etc. while writing the Demonborn series?

The television shows I watched as a child inspired me -- The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock & The Outer Limits. The character of Cole on Charmed inspired me to write about men who were half human, half demon. And as I wrote the vulture scenes in Dark Hunger, I listened to David Grey's song, "One With the Birds." I imagine that song playing as the soundtrack for the movie (LOL!)

You’ve written quite a few books. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do to get past it?

I haven't actually had writer's block to a huge degree, although I've certainly struggled with plot points or a character in a story. If I get stuck, I leave the computer, take a long walk, exercise, go for a drive, change locations -- all of that helps stimulate the brain and my creative juices. Sometimes the best way to figure out a problem is to take the pressure off of yourself and just leave it alone for a while. Letting your mind relax allows you to feed the well. Also, I have a great critique partner and a couple of other friends who I call and we talk out and brainstorm problems. That really helps.

I think sometimes writers suffer from writer's block if they're stressed in general, or if the story isn't working. In that case, it's important to rethink your set up or characters. If you're excited about the story, you won't have a block -- it will just flow.

Do you have a writing routine?

Yes, I write full time, so I have a schedule of sorts, although I'm flexible with time. I'm not a morning person so get to the computer around ten, write a scene before lunch, break and go to the gym, then eat lunch while I write another scene, break again, then try to write a third scene. I set daily and weekly page goals for myself (10 pages a day, about a chapter for me). I usually write a rough draft, then go back and spend a couple of weeks editing and tweaking. The editing and revising part requires a different "hat" for me and is definitely not my favorite part, but it's a necessary evil. I like the fun, creative part of thinking up the story, the characters and putting the mystery together.

What book (your own or someone else’s) has had the most impact on your life?

Tami Hoag's book Cry Wolf was the first mystery/suspense/romance that I really fell in love with, the "aha' book where I thought, "I want to write like her!"

What was your favorite book as a child?

I had two - I loved Pippi Longstocking and wanted to be like her. And I devoured the Trixie Belden mystery series. Reading those mysteries made me realize I wanted to be a writer, and that I wanted to write mysteries.

What’s up next for you?

I'm not totally sure -- I'm working on a romantic suspense trilogy idea with paranormal elements, a YA paranormal suspense series, and I'll be writing more Intrigues for Harlequin. I also have a paranormal romantic suspense screenplay (and book) that I'm planning to write!

review and tour: dark hunger by rita herron

This post contains affiliate links.

Dark Hunger is a steamy paranormal romance centered around a diabolical scheme to kill all of mankind. Raised by monks, Homeland Security agent Quinton is an assassin composed of contradictions. His father is a powerful demon who sends the Death Angel to retrieve more souls for Satan while his mother was an Angel of Light. The monks trained Quinton to battle his evil side, but the struggle rages daily as his job requires him to kill. Quinton also has been shut off from love, that is until Annabelle, a CNN reporter, chases him down for a story.

The mystery part of Dark Hunger is full of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Is the Death Angel posing as the reverend? Perhaps one of the doctors? One downfall of Dark Hunger is that Annabelle is a TV reporter. It would work much better to have her as a print journalist. No TV reporter is going to go after her story without bringing the photographer along; but if the photog is there, Annabelle and Quinton don't get all that alone time.
4/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Grand Central Publishing.

Be sure to read my Q&A with Rita Herron. And keep in mind that there are five copies of Dark Hunger up for grabs. Then check out the other blogs on the tour. Some of them are doing giveaways too!
yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/
dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com
justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
hotdealsbybec.com
trishasbookshelf.blogspot.com
reesspace.blogspot.com
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com
justjenniferreading.blogspot.com
seductivemusings.blogspot.com/
wrightysreads.blogspot.com
nightdweller20.wordpress.com
www.startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com
myspace.com/darbyscloset
carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/
jeannesgifts.blogspot.com
cheekyreads.com
booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
thisbookforfree.com
aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com
morbid-romantic.net
fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com
jmomfinds.amoores.com/
mgpblog.com
bridget3420.blogspot.com

review and tour: how it ends by laura wiess

How It Ends is too, too sad. Teenaged Hanna has a close bond with her next door neighbors who have been like grandparents to her through the years. Now that she’s older, she wants to be with people her own age and doesn’t make as much time for them. But the neighbors, Helen and Lon, aren’t doing so well; both have health problems and need medications in excess of their insurance. While Hanna tries to make things work with her crush, Helen slips deeper into Parkinson’s hell. It’s too late for Helen to give Hanna advice, but she has left the truth of her life story—a story she had completely re-spun into a fairy tale—for Hanna to hear.

The amazingly well-written story of How It Ends and the book within the book (also called How It Ends) had me in tears more than I would like to admit. Another thing I’d really rather not admit is how much I recognize Hanna. Sometimes book characters are incredibly relatable and Hanna is one of them. Even when she made bad choices, I understood why she would make them. I cheered for her when something made her happy and had my heart break when hers did.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, MTV Books.
These are the other blogs participating in this tour:
Book Soulmates
A Journey of Books
Just Jennifer Reading
Debbie’s World of Books
All About {n}
Chick with Books
Bookin’ with Bingo
Starting Fresh
Booksie’s Blog
Readaholic
Blog Business World
Books and Needlepoint
Bella’s Novella
Frugal Plus
Eclectic Book Lover
My Own Little Corner of the World
Chick Loves Lit
Poisoned Rationality
So Many Books, So Little Time
Beth’s Book Review Blog
Park Avenue Princess
Half Deserted Streets
Power in the Blog
Metroreader
Crazy for Books
Angieville

review and tour: summer of two wishes by julia london

Which husband do you choose when the one you were told died three years ago in combat in Afghanistan returns? That’s the question facing Macy in Summer of Two Wishes.

After mourning Finn for about two years, Macy started dating Wyatt and married him seven months ago. Everyone in their small town has an opinion about who Macy should be with. Her mom prefers Wyatt because he is wealthy; Finn’s mom is overprotective and angry that Macy is hurting Finn with her indecision; and her best friend, who also lost her soldier husband, screams out that she would never be in this situation because she can never move on from her loss. Macy will devastate one man regardless of her decision, but she has to come to a resolution for everyone’s well-being.

Summer of Two Wishes begins with Finn’s return, so little is known about what Macy’s relationship with Wyatt was like before. That’s unfortunate. Wyatt comes across as jealous, possessive, and vindictive which makes it difficult to understand why Macy would’ve ever wanted to be with him in the first place. A few flashbacks or remembrances of better times (Macy’s honeymoon memory doesn’t even make it appear that her relationship with Wyatt was all that great!) would’ve greatly aided in setting up why it was such an agonizing decision.
3/5

Here are the other blogs participating in the tour:
Book Soulmates
A Journey of Books
Just Jennifer Reading
All About {n}
My Guilty Pleasures
Bookin’ with Bingo
Starting Fresh
Booksie’s Blog
The Tome Traveller
Readaholic
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Bella’s Novella
Frugal Plus
Eclectic Book Lover
One Person’s Journey Through A World Of Books
Foreign Circus Library
My Own Little Corner of the World
Alpha Heroes
Pudgy Penguin Perusals
Seductive Musings
Bibliophiles ‘R Us
Park Avenue Princess
Power in the Blog
Books and Needlepoint

giveaway winners: the moon looked down

Congratulations to Mel, Kira R., Carol, Julie, and Kaye who each win a copy of The Moon Looked Down from Hachette. If you haven't already, please email me your address.