Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Guest Review: Moonlight Temptation by Stephanie Julian



Stephanie Julian
Moonlight Temptation, Lucani Lovers #4
Ellora’s Cave, 2011

Backblurb:
Book Four in the Lucani Lovers series.

Evie Simmons has magical powers she can’t control, she’s living in a house that isn’t hers, and her best friend is a seventeen-year-old werewolf. It’d be hilarious if it weren’t just so damn depressing. Add in the sexy shifter she can’t keep out of her mind and his hot-as-hell friend and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Dr. Dane Dimitriou knows Evie has had a hard time adjusting to her new life as part of the Etruscan magical community—almost as difficult as his denial of his feelings for her have been. And he’s got the perfect cure—his best friend, Ryan Maguire. Easygoing Ryan is the complete opposite of stick-up-his-ass Dane. He can act as a buffer. Dane can get close, but not too close. Yeah, good luck with that.

Together, these sexy men may be just what the doctor ordered for Evie. And the doctor himself may discover the cure for what ails him has been waiting all along.

Genre & Keywords:
Romance, Paranormal, Ménage a trois, Witches

~~~~~
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3 flames
~~~~~



Guest review by Lis:

Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention please? In the right corner we have Evie Simmons, a witch with baggage stirring in a cauldron and in the left corner we have Dr. Dane Dimitriou and his best friend Ryan, both known to share their women. All three have it bad for each other, but will it work out?

Evie is a woman with a past and she’s been through a lot in a relatively short time. Kidnapped by a bat-shit crazy lady she’s thrust in an unfamiliar world with powers she can’t really control, yet. Luckily there is her best friend to help her out – so what if said BFF is a seventeen year old werewolf and basically comes with the house? Then there is Dr. Dane Dimitriou (Yum). He’s wanted Evie since he first laid his gorgeous eyes on her. But things are never this easy. Luckily there is Ryan to help them both out! (Can I have him?)

This is the fourth installment in the Lucani Lovers. I’m not familiar with the series – this is actually the first book I’ve read in the series. It’s possible to read it as a stand-alone, but more fun to read as part of the series. There were things that I missed. Evie made several appearances throughout the series and the way she was seen by the other characters was apparently different than who she really is. They, including Dane, saw her as more fragile while in fact Evie is a very strong person. It was interesting to see the different between what people thought of her and who she really is. Of course, after what she’s been through it would throw a lesser woman of her rocker – hard!

Ryan is the more easygoing where Dane is rougher and Evie strong. They definitely have chemistry going on. I would have liked to see more of the story – it was pretty short – but overall it worked. Despite Evie's background and Dane's doubt, things move quickly to the bedroom and between the sheets!

While the story was short, it was worked out nice and the characters are well-developed. I found myself liking the story despite not having read the previous three books. So if you’re in the mood for something hot to read then Moonlight Temptation is definitely for you!

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Buy Moonlight Temptation here | Author's website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
~~~~~

Friday, June 24, 2011

Happy Gay Friday & A cheery Winterlude


Still no news on the house! I'm starting to really dislike realtors.
Good thing that I had Tam's Winterlude to read, because when we hadn't heard back about our second bid at 7 pm, steam was coming from my ears by then *another long weekend of waiting for us*. And reading Winterlude made me forget about all that for a little while because it was such a fabulously funny and sweet read! I loved Eric and Omar's chemistry, in and out of bed. Both are likable guys and they make a hot couple. I'd love to read more about them, actually. Because this was way too short and I could use some more of Eric's humorous thoughts and his and Omar's easy, fun banter. But nevertheless a perfect, cheery read and a great (published) debut for Tam! :)
Torquere Press

Happy Gay Friday everyone!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Guest Review: Music of the Night by M.L. Rhodes



M.L. Rhodes
Music of the Night
Amber Allure, 2011

Backblurb:
Jared Ross is at Carnevale to do a job. It’s the culmination of two years of blood, sweat, long hours, and agonizing patience waiting for his target to finally make an appearance. If he screws this up, he may never get another chance, and his mark, a man called Maestro, will once again disappear into the night. Jared can’t afford to let anything distract him from his elusive prize—not even the sexy stranger with the quick wit, the sinfully delicious mouth, and the bedroom eyes.
Sam Aubrey recently turned his back on his career. After years of having others dictate his every move and direct him like an unwilling marionette, he’s determined to live his life on his terms, and what better place to start over than at Carnevale, where he can become anyone he chooses. He wants no complications, and definitely no romantic entanglements with a hot hunk who has a questionable agenda and whose Southern drawl makes Sam ache in all the right places.
Sometimes, however, the best-laid plans take unexpected twists, and surprising complications are exactly what a man needs even if they’re not what he thinks he wants. After all, everyone should have a little unexpected music in his night…

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Insta-love, Music, Carnivale, Venice, Suspense

~~~~~
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3 flames
~~~~~



Guest review by Lis:

Wooooowwwieeee! M.L. Rhodes did it again. Ever since I first picked up one of her books way back when, I’ve been hooked (hook, line and sinker). I have yet to find a book by this author I don’t like and since last year I’m impatiently waiting for the next installment of the Draegan Lords.
In the meantime we got the novella Music of the Night. Definitely no Draegan Lords, but no less exciting. It contains all the elements of a M.L. Rhodes book: likeable, worked out characters, interesting (character) background, good – if somewhat short – plot, witty comments and instant love. I’m not a really big fan of the latter, but this author just always makes it work. It doesn’t matter if the characters are together for 1 day or 10 years, there is an instant connection.

The story:
Music of the Night is the story of Jared Ross and Sam(uel) Aubrey, two persons who are as different as night and day, who meet at the Venetian Carnivale. Both are there for different reasons. In fact, Sam doesn’t even know Jared is there at first. Jared, on the other hand, is very aware of Sam from the first moment he enters. For different reasons.

When they hook up there is an instant connection and both are more than willing to explore and see where it leads.

The characters:
As said, both Jared and Sam are very much different. Jared is the older of the two and more experienced. He’s a hardened soldier and has been around the block a time or two. Sam, in contrast, is younger, less experienced, a musician and has led a more sheltered life. This trip is the first thing he did to more or less take his life in his own hands and step away from what he is and the people who have controlled his life. That, by no means, makes Sam a whimp, but it’s clear he needs a little push when it comes to making up his mind. Jared is more self assured and very hot. He’s a man on a mission. While this story is short, it gives a clear view of both characters and who they are. Not just the role they play in the story. I liked that.

What did niggle me a bit is how long Sam let his family and manager control his life. He was by no means happy but he didn’t protest all too much either. Though I guess some people just don’t like to rock the boat too much.

A deeper look:
There is more to this story than Sam and Jared meeting and hooking up. Though, of course, this is the main intention of the story. Jared is on a mission and it soon becomes clear that Sam plays a part in that, even though he doesn’t know it yet. I found the story believable, but would have loved to see more of it. It’s unsure if this story will have a sequel or not, but if there will be one I would like to see what Sam will do next with his life and music career.

The author gives a good view of the Venetian background and it’s clear that she either did her research or has been to a Carnivale. The way the story is told, it’s almost as if you’re there with Jared and Sam!

There is one bump in this story and that’s the editing. Originally the character of Sam was named Max. You can even see that on Goodreads in the story blurb. However, in between the name has been switched to Sam in all but a few places and it left me wondering who Max was! Normally, the author treats us to better edited books.

As said this story was brief. As it is a trend in the current e-publishing business I miss the longer stories. Especially by this author! However while it doesn’t make this story any less good, it would have benefitted from a longer plot. One in which things are just that bit more wrapped up that would make this story go from excellent to brilliant.

Overall outtake:
Fans of M.L. Rhodes will love this one. Critical fans might notice a few niggles. Personally I think you’ll either like this story with its sweet and very hot characters who will make your screen melt or you’ll complain that it’s the basic meet and hook-up with a meager plot kind of story. For me it was a fantastic hot read that almost made the train stop in its tracks!


Buy Music of the Night here

~~~~~

Monday, June 20, 2011

Author Fan Letter Blog Crawl – Lorelei James


I'm happy to be part of this years Author Fan Letter Blog Crawl again. Many thanks to the wonderful Kassa for organizing it. When she announced this second edition of the crawl a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t have to think twice about whom I wanted to write to: it had to be Lorelei James. I'm not only a huge fan of her work, she also got me hooked on a whole new to me genre. Then I saw that Fiction Vixen's Sophia also addressed her fan letter to this author a few days ago. And, only for a short second, I thought about writing my letter to another author, but since I have to make a shocking confession as well, I decided to stick to my original plan.
So, here it goes.


Dear Ms James,

Sophia already spoke eloquently of all the wonderful aspects of your books in her letter to you. And I agree with everything she said. With my whole heart. So, in a way she has made this easy for me. ;)
However, my history with your work is a bit different from hers. In fact, your novel Tied Up, Tied Down was the first erotic romance I ever read. When I was visiting New York two years ago and walked into a bookstore I saw your book on display in such a way that I couldn't help notice it: full frontal so to speak. Coming from where I'm from (the Netherlands, Europe) I wasn't used to seeing this sort of books so publicly displayed. I liked the cover a lot and the blurb made me curious so I bought the book on an impulse. It was the beginning of my discovery of this genre of which I had no idea it existed!
And it was the beginning of my fascination with the McKay boys; those sexy, controlling cowboys and their likable girls (and occasional boy). Because once I got home again, I immediately started googling your name and found out about the rest of the Rough Riders series and your other books, which I bought all as ebooks and read on my computer, with read ears, I might add.

Every single one of your characters feels like a real person; they know how to move me, entertain me, fascinate me and make me laugh, and your heroes never fail to make my heart beat faster and my other parts tingle. Because, wow, are they hot!
Your plots never become repetitive, no matter how many cowboys found their sweet and hot happily ever afters already. Each plot is original and entertaining me from the first to the last page. Your books make me forget the world around me for a sweet few hours. And that’s why I keep auto-buying your books, in fact I’m jonesing for every new release.

I’ve read quite a few erotic romances since Tied Up, Tied Down, but it’s still one of my favorites. Skylar and her adorable Kade McKay rocked my world two years ago in New York! And Kade is still one of my all time favorite book boyfriends.
All the more sad *and ashamed* I am to tell you what I did with the paperback I bought at that bookstore in New York... I finished reading it during that one week I stayed in NYC (I even might have read it more than once *ahem*) and by the time I was about to fly home I started panicking about going through customs and having to pull an erotic novel out of my bags... In my defense it was my first erotic romance ever, and with a cover like that it was bound to be noticed... so I decided to leave the book in NY... but I didn't dare to leave it in my hotel room or in any other public place, so… I dropped it in a bin at the subway station. *trying to hide my red cheeks*

Therefore I like to end my letter to you with a heartfelt apology. I'm so sorry for treating Kade and Skylar's story this way, even though I tried to make it up by buying their book as an ebook later. Still, it's something I regret until this day. Especially because I became such a huge fan of your work since then. I hope you can forgive me one day.

Sincerely,

Janna

~~
Yesterday's fan letter is written by EH from EH on Books and More, you can read why she's a fan of authors Stormy Glenn and Carol Lynne here. Tomorrow it's Stacy’s turn. Don't forget to check out her letter at Stacy’s Place On Earth. The rest of the schedule can be found here.
~~

Friday, June 17, 2011

Happy Gay Friday times 7

For once I'm not very glad that it's Friday night. It's going to be a long, long weekend for us while we're waiting if we'll get a counter offer early next week from the owner of the house that we'd like to buy. If not we'll have to start hunting houses all over again. *with only 3 weeks left to find a new home, eeek*

So, no happy news yet, and I don't know about you, but I can use some sweet black-and-white cookies. Seven is a lucky number right? :)





Happy Gay Friday!
~

Friday, June 10, 2011

Happy Gay Friday & A Fabulous current read


I spent a lot of time traveling by train this week, which always means extra time to read! :) So, the perfect occasion to pick up a longer book: Heidi Cullinan’s Double Blind. This is a compelling book that distinguishes itself from other books so far because of the intriguing, three-dimensional, unusual characters. I’m currently thoroughly enjoying Ethan and Randy’s chemistry and it’s also really nice to see Sam and Mitch (from Special Delivery) back again.


Reading this book (and working real hard) was keeping me somewhat sane this week. Apparently, all the house stuff (we had some unexpected things happening on Tuesday – all solved now) is getting my muscles all strung up, especially on my left side, from my foot to my hand. I’m so tensed up that walking is really painful, but so is sitting in the same position for more than 10 minutes. And telling myself over and over again to relax, doesn’t help. Silly me. What an annoyance. *le sigh*

Ah well, we have this long weekend over here because of Whitsuntide (if that's what you call it in English... I'm not sure). Tomorrow I have to work, but Whit Sunday we have the annual family BBQ at my uncle’s house, which is going to be fun and relaxing (I hope). Is this a holiday weekend for you too and do you have fun things planned? Reading good books perhaps? I hope so. :)

Anyway, have a Happy Gay Friday!
~

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Review: Choosing Love by Winona Wilder


Author: Winona Wilder
Title: Choosing Love
Series: Coming Out #1
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing
Date: March 23, 2011
Length: 20,129 words / 74 pages

Backblurb/Goodreads link | author's website | buy link

Genre & keywords:
M/M/M, Contemporary, Ménage, College, Teacher-student, Coming out, Gay for You, Physical abuse

Backblurb:
Cal has hidden his true feelings from Waylon for years, not willing to jeopardize their friendship. After a night of drunken passion, the truth finally comes out. While Cal learns to accept his true nature, Waylon is afraid to risk alienating his family. Will he live in denial or choose love?
With the help of their sexy history teacher, Evan, the three men learn that love has no boundaries. But are evenings filled with hot sex enough to forge a lasting ménage?

My opinion:
This is a hard book for me to review because I’m very aware of the fact that my own likes and dislikes when it comes to certain tropes and settings, are playing an important role here. For example, I’m difficult to please when it comes to ménage romances: I need to ‘feel’ the Love – between all three characters equally – and it’s definitely not enough for me to be immersed in sex scene after sex scene. Another not-so-hot-button for me is the teacher-student trope: the more often I come across this theme, the more I start to dislike it. That being said, I’ll give my honest opinion (as always), but bear in mind my personal dislikes, which can very well be exactly what other readers are looking for in a story.

Choosing Love starts out as a cute friends-become-lovers story between two college boys, which has a flash of Gay For You in it as well. Cal has been hiding his feelings for his straight jock friend, Waylon, for years. I really liked how Cal and Waylon were portrayed in the beginning, both had their distinct characteristics, they felt real and it was easy to see how they could feel attracted to one another. But when their relationship evolved nothing happened with the nice set-up for the personalities of these protags. Both men stayed the same without any noticeable character development and they even became sort of interchangeable, blending into the background of sex filled craziness.
Ethan’s characterization is almost non-existent from his introduction on. He’s not much more than a caricature of a teacher who’s horny for his younger students. That I feel this way about him has probably something to do with the fact that Choosing Love is told in third person, with the point of view solely alternating between Cal and Waylon. Strangely, Evan’s perspective is missing, although he’s part of the ménage and the HEA too.

As for the setting, the contemporary college setting suits the friends-become-lovers theme. I like college boys as heroes, but as I said, I’m usually not very excited when a teacher becomes part of the plot and the relationship. Unfortunately, in this case it’s not different. Actually, when the relationship turns into a ménage, the setting didn’t feel right anymore, and the threesome sex scene in the teacher’s office felt just wrong.
Readers who are looking for very hot and frequent sex scenes will find what they’re looking for in Choosing Love. It has plenty of those. However, the lead up to these scenes isn’t gradually and – especially in case of the threesome scenes – isn’t very credible or probable.
So, I simply have to conclude that Choosing Love is not for me. But I know a few more installments are coming in this series, and probably some will be ‘regular’ m/m romances, without the extra ‘m’. I better read one of those then.

Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
Final judgment: 2.5 out of 5 stars
~

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

We have a winner!



The lucky winner of a print copy of both Jennifer Turner's Darkness Within novels - Eternal Seduction and Eternal Hearts - is:


Sharon


Congrats Sharon! I'll email you for your address so that the books can be send to you.
Huge thanks to Jen Turner for making this giveaway possible!

And thank you all for commenting! If you aren't the lucky winner you can still buy Eternal Seduction here and Eternal Hearts here.


~

Friday, June 3, 2011

Happy Gay Friday & OMG What Have We Done?



TGIF!! It has been another crazy week! And this time in a life altering way… probably and hopefully. Why? Because it looks like we sold our house!!! It has been for sale for only two weeks and already we found a buyer. Crazy, right? That is, of course, unless the buyer can’t get a mortgage… But if all goes well, it means that we’re ‘homeless’ as of September 1st! Eeek! We have about 5 weeks left to find us a new house, because by then we’re leaving for our vacation in Alaska. The tickets are already bought so we have to go. Argh! ;) When we get back it’s almost August and time to start packing, painting and cleaning up the new house before the movers come to get our stuff. It’s all going crazy fast all of a sudden!

But

In fact, I really look forward to moving to the city. It’s going to be so exciting! I’m bouncing all over the place, lol!

Hope you all have a Happy Gay Friday!
~

Thursday, June 2, 2011

"PNR readers aren't ready for male/male couples" - Interview & Giveaway with Jennifer Turner


I’m pleased to have author Jennifer Turner here at my blog today. Her second Darkness Within novel Eternal Hearts is recently released and today Jennifer is here to talk about the series and the first two books that are released so far.

*And don’t miss your chance to win both books she’s giving away at the end of this post!*


Hi Jennifer, welcome to my place. Let’s start with an easy question *g*. Eternal Hearts is the second book in your Darkness Within series. The first is Eternal Seduction. Can you try to tell in two sentences what these books are about, for those who haven’t read them (yet)?

Holy smokes, Janna! I can barely write a back cover blurb in under 500 words, and all you’re giving me is one sentence per book!? ;) Well, here goes nothing…

Eternal Seduction: Logan Ellis has lived most of her life alone on the unforgiving streets of New York City, and she’s convinced she’ll die there…until she comes face to face with an Ancient vampire, who unexpectedly becomes her last chance to regain one of the most important things she’s ever lost – her humanity.

Eternal Hearts: Toni Tutoro just wants to go home – to the city where she died, to where her human family was murdered, and to a dangerous man she’s never met…who will love her in ways she thought were lost the day her heart stopped beating.

Okay, so I may have stretched the one sentence rule by using creative punctuation…but it’s the best I could do! ;)


Can readers read Eternal Hearts without reading Eternal Seduction first? 

I think someone could read Eternal Hearts without reading Eternal Seduction first, but as much as it pains me to say this…I wouldn’t recommend it. I tried extremely hard to go light on some of the world building explanations in Eternal Hearts, partially because the hero and heroine are already supernatural when the story begins, but mostly because I’ve read a lot of reader complaints about how authors tend to rehash the same back story over and over in series books. Unfortunately, I may have made a mistake with my decision, because I think I went too light…to the point that someone coming into the series with Eternal Hearts might feel a little lost without having read Eternal Seduction first.

I have received some good feedback from readers who found Eternal Hearts first though, who said they were confused in the beginning, but there was just enough info throughout the book to stop them from feeling lost…so that gives me hope!

I’ve learned a good lesson from this situation though, and am striving for a much better blend of world building explanations in book 3. I certainly don’t want a new reader to feel lost, but at the same time, I don’t want to drown my “regulars” with information they already know.


Will fans of Logan and Kerestyan (the couple from the first book) see them again in this second book?

Unfortunately, Kerestyan and Logan don’t make an appearance in the second book, mainly because Eternal Hearts actually picks up just a few days after Eternal Seduction ends, and it didn’t seem right to check-in with them so soon. However, you might see them in Ascension: The Revelation, which is the first novella in Vouclade’s trilogy, and you’ll definitely see them again in Eternal Embers, which is Odin’s book.


Early reviews of Eternal Hearts show that some readers who loved Eternal Seduction are less enthusiastic about Eternal Hearts. Do you think this has something to do with the heroines of the books, Logan and Toni, who aren’t much alike?

I do think the somewhat opposing reactions have a lot to do with the how different the heroines of the two books are. Logan is a 30 year old, detached and unrepentant, take-me-as-I-am-or-don’t-take-me-at-all kind of woman, whereas Toni is only 22, and is still desperately searching for a place she fits in.
Toni’s everything that Logan isn’t, she’s caring, compassionate, and she never ignores an opportunity to tell someone how much they mean to her. But on the flip side, Logan has this cool, calculating…almost unshakable façade, that when you compare the two heroines, kind of makes Toni seem a little meek and even whiney on occasion. However, even with all that said, I think both characters have a wide range of strengths and flaws that are uniquely their own.

To be honest, I’m not sure I could’ve created two heroines that are more opposite than Logan and Toni if I’d actually tried. And I’m also not surprised that readers who absolutely loved Logan don’t like Toni as much, or vice versa. If forced into a scene together, Logan and Toni probably wouldn’t like each other very much either. ;)


What other differences are there between the two books that could explain the opposite reactions?

I think there are a few possible causes. First, Eternal Seduction has a very character driven, non-traditional storyline, whereas Eternal Hearts is more traditional as well as more plot driven overall. Second, in my opinion, the two books have very different pacing. Eternal Seduction tends to mover slower for the majority of the book, and then ramps up at the end because some young vampire (and I won’t name names), makes a less than intelligent and rather split-second decision. :) Eternal Hearts, on the other hand, has a steadier pace and is always moving forward. But again, at least in this instance, I think the different pacing is reflective of the heroines. Logan is older, she’s never in a rush because she knows she has to pick and choose her battles, and as her world begins to change, she watches situations develop and doesn’t commit to action until she’s either sure of herself – or is forced to react. Toni is young, she’s lost her family and her home, and she’s constantly struggling to pull the fractured pieces of her life back together, which means she’s always fighting to move forward in an effort to regain some of the stability and security she feels so unbelievably lost without. And third, the heros from the two books are pretty different too. Kerestyan is an Ancient vampire Lord, he’s staunch in his beliefs, regal in bearing, and while he definitely has a sometimes unyielding and very alpha-male personality, he also knows he has all the time in the world to let a situation unfold. But Drake, well…Drake’s young, brash, charmingly arrogant in his own ways, and while he too has a strong and sometimes overly protective alpha-male personality, he also has a humility and humor about him that makes him truly unique.

Just as a final thought on the question, regardless of my examples above, I think the main reason for the differing opinions is simply reader perception. I don’t think every couple or character in a series will ever strike the same cords with each reader. For example, take the first ten books from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series. If you asked me if I loved all ten, I would easily tell you no. I ran to the bookstore to buy all ten as they released. :) I very much enjoyed reading all ten and was always sad when I flipped the last page. But Seize the Night (Tabby & Val) and Night Play (Bride & Vane) will forever stand above the others for me. I absolutely loved those two books, and to this day…I swear the only way I’d part with them is if you pried them from my cold, dead hands. :) So I definitely understand where my readers are coming from when they say they loved one book in my series more than another. And I think as long as my readers still enjoy the story, even if they don’t love every character, then I’m still moving in the right direction.


What do you love about writing? And what do you hate?

What I love about writing is the challenge of bringing out realistic character personalities in a world that’s anything but. Creating complex characters that range from just-turned-eighteen to thousands upon thousands of years old, who’ve not only triumphed in their lives, but failed just as spectacularly, is probably what keeps me going when I swear I’ll never write another word. :)

As for what I hate…I hate writing sex scenes. ;) I can write five chapters full of gut wrenching emotional scenes in the time it takes me to write three pages of sex. No matter how hard I try, when I reread the scene it always sounds cheesy to me. So now when I finish writing one, I let my hubby, my Mom, and a beta reader or two look it over, and if they say it’s good – I won’t read the scene again unless my agent wants a change. And even then…I might argue! ;)

FYI – My Mom has been an avid romance reader all her life, so if she doesn’t find a problem with one of my sex scenes, I know it can’t be too terrible. :)


Whose story is next? And when can we expect Odin’s book?

Eternal Embrace (book 3) belongs to Oktober and Lydia, which I’m working to secure a late October 2011 release date for. Book 4, Eternal Desires, will then follow in May of 2012. And if I get everything I want (fingers crossed!), Odin’s book, Eternal Embers, will release in October of 2012. Actually, if I really get everything I want…I’ll be at the Romantic Times convention in Chicago in April of 2012, and I’ll have ARCs of Odin’s book with me. :D


Can we perhaps look forward to a male/male couple in one of the future Darkness Within novels?

Hmmm. Let me see if I can summon the grace necessary to answer this question properly. ;)

Will you see a male/male couple as one of the main series books? Probably not. Will you see a male/male couple in one of the novellas? I sure hope so.

Explanation: Much to my dismay, I don’t think the majority of paranormal romance readers are ready for a male/male or even a female/female couple yet. And if I made a M/M or F/F pairing one of the main books in the Darkness Within series, it would mean that particular story has to contain pertinent details that would drive following books in the series. Basically, what I’m trying to say is, I wouldn’t want to force those who aren’t comfortable reading a M/M or F/F story into reading one solely because that book contains plot hooks and pieces necessary to understand or follow the overall story arc.

I have great respect for all of my readers, whether they’re gay, straight, black, white, catholic, or atheist, and the last thing I want to do is alienate anyone in any way. So, at least in my opinion, it seems like the best way to give my M/M loving readers what they’re looking for is to do it in a novella. I have a small handful of novellas planned that will run parallel to the series books, but don’t actually connect to the major plot arc driving the series. Meaning, the novellas will have all kinds of insights and info in them, but the important details won’t be anything that isn’t also touched upon in the main series.

Long story short – the novellas are how I intend on getting away with writing stories set in the Darkness Within world that aren’t necessarily “mainstream” friendly. ;) I’ve brainstormed a M/M story, a F/F story, a story that deals with a barely legal 18 year old who’s the victim of human trafficking, and a story that revolves around a serial killer turned vampire. The novellas are where I plan to get darker, dirtier, and turn the horror switch up a few notches. :D


How many Darkness Within novels will there be in total?

Right now, I have roughly 15 books planned for the series. I’ve left openings for more books to be added though, just in case readers gravitate towards a character that isn’t included in those 15. I’m all about giving my readers what they want, so if they start to love a character I haven’t planned for over the course of the series – I definitely want to be able to satisfy their demands. ;)


Thanks so much for your time and insightful answers, Jennifer! I’m really looking forward to the other 13 or more books that are coming our way, especially to Odin’s story. :)

~~~~~
Linking:
Jennifer Turner’s website | weblog | on Twitter | on Goodreads
Buy Eternal Seduction here | Buy Eternal Hearts here
Read my review of Eternal Seduction here
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Giveaway:

Jennifer Turner has generously offered to give away (to one winner) a print copy of both Darkness Within novels - Eternal Seduction and Eternal Hearts - and some promo goodies.
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post that says you want in, for a chance to win.
Jennifer will also try to come by today to answer any questions you might want to ask her.

The giveaway is open to readers worldwide, and I will announce the winner on Tuesday, June 7, so be sure to leave your comment before that and don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

Good luck to you all!

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PS I’m curious. Jennifer said when I asked her about a possible future male/male couple that she doesn’t think the majority of paranormal romance readers are ready for a male/male or even a female/female couple yet (see her explanation above).
What’s your opinion on this topic? Can male/male couples be introduced into PNR series soon (with their own novel, not just a novella) or will the majority of the PNR readers never be ready for them?

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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Today the crawl begins


The Fan Letter Blog Crawl starts today! This blog crawl is a great way to let authors know how much we appreciate them and how important they are to us bloggers and readers. I’m happy to be part again of this celebration of authors who’ve touched us and enjoyed us with their wonderful books. It's the second year that Kassa organized this event, check out her blog for more info. Last year I wrote a letter to Shayla Kersten, which you can find here.

This year's list of participants is amazing:

June 1st www.krisngoodbooks.blogspot.com
June 2nd www.leontine1976.blogspot.com
June 3rd yummymenandkickasschicks.com
June 4th ethanjstone.com/welcome
June 5th ataleofmanyreviews.blogspot.com
June 6th www.sweptawayagain.com
June 7th thebookreadinggals.com
June 8th www.bookaddictpatti.com
June 9th www.Katidom.com
June 10th thebookreadinggals.com
June 11th jenre-wellread.blogspot.com
June 12th alphareader.blogspot.com
June 13th www.myfriendamysblog.com
June 14th www.tamsreads.blogspot.com
June 15th www.fictionvixen.com
June 16th happinessisshy.blogspot.com
June 17th www.seankennedybooks.com
June 18th www.smexybooks.com
June 19th www.erotichorizon.com
June 20th www.rarelydustybooks.com
June 21st www.trelainastarblazer.blogspot.com
June 22nd www.closetreader.com
June 23rd www.kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com
June 24th obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com
June 25th kbgbabbles.blogspot.com
June 26th heidenkind.blogspot.com
June 27th lily-ilovebooks.blogspot.com
June 28th LiteraryEscapism.com
June 29th bridgetlocke.blogspot.com
June 30th orannia.livejournal.com
July 1st www.alphaheroes.blogspot.com
July 2nd wrenboudreau.blogspot.com
July 3rd www.alliwantandmore.blogspot.com
July 4th LiteraryEscapism.com
July 5th lovesromances.blogspot.com
July 6th MarieSexton.net
July 7th kassa011.wordpress.com

Enjoy!
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