The Valentine Challenge by Marisa Cleveland!

Marisa Cleveland's novella, The Valentine Challenge, debuted from Entangled Publishing! Join the celebration by visiting participating blogs and commenting the answer to this question: In your opinion, what's the sexiest part of a man?

 

Between now and February 28th, Marisa's super secret judges will browse the blogs and choose up to three winners to receive Valentine goodies!

                   

No purchase necessary, but a Like on Amazon is always appreciated!

 

Title: The Valentine Challenge
Author: Marisa Cleveland

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Flirt)

Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella

 

Book Description:

When Stacey Bradford's hot boss convinces his company's board to close her best friend's flower shop - days before Valentine's Day! - Stacey declares war.

 

Intrigued by Stacey's devotion to her friend, the hearts and flowers holiday, and belief in true love, Marsh issues a challenge - prove love exists or deliver the closing documents to her friend herself.

 

Stacey never could resist a challenge, but when Marsh makes Valentine's Day the deadline for their deal, Stacey must decide how far she's willing to go...for love.

 

Author Bio

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. Perhaps because she married her best friend, her adult romance novels focus on playfully naughty relationships developed through friendship and family-oriented values. She loves to connect with writers and readers.

 

Author Links

Website and blog: www.marisacleveland.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/marisacleveland

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marisacleveland00

 

Super Amazing Participating Blogs:

http://amandaflower.wordpress.com/

http://amielouellen.com/

http://www.bethvrabel.com/

http://katemeader.com/blog/

http://www.kateserine.com/blog/

http://jamieayres.com/

http://www.jenjdanna.com/

http://www.jennysulpizio.com/

http://nocturnalreadings.blogspot.com/

http://lynnetteaustin.blogspot.com/

http://www.sarahgagnon.com/

http://sonyaweiss.com/

http://tonyakuper.blogspot.com/

COVER REVEAL: After Dark ft. Shadow Hunter

After much anticipation to show you all this, I'm finally allowed to reveal MY VERY FIRST COVER!!!!!!!!!!!! AAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Can you tell I'm excited??? =D

This is the cover for AFTER DARK, a paranormal romance anthology featuring my short novel, SHADOW HUNTER, and a novella titled THE DARKEST ANGEL by NYT and USA Bestselling Author Gena Showalter! I'm ecstatic to be featured alongside an author as great as Gena and I can't wait to hear what all of you think of this anthology. AFTER DARK releases on June 25th in trade paperback everywhere that Harlequin HQN book are sold. My short featured novel, SHADOW HUNTER, is a prequel to my debut EXECUTION UNDERGROUND paranormal romance series. The first book in the series, TWILIGHT HUNTER, releases this coming September!

So what do you think? Isn't he something scrumptious? *mischievous grin*

I hope you all enjoy the cover as much as I do. Below, I've posted the back cover blurb and all sorts of different links where you can find the book. Enjoy your man-candy ;-)

A timeless seduction A unique temptation And a whole world of dark desires...

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

The Darkest Angel

Winged warrior Lysander has been alive for centuries, and yet he's never known desire-until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long....

And from debut author Kait Ballenger

Shadow Hunter

Vampire hunter Damon Brock's first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and their newfound hearts

You can find AFTER DARK available for pre-order at both Amazon and BN:
AFTER DARK on Amazon

AFTER DARK at Barnes and Noble

Add AFTER DARK to your Goodreads shelf!
 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16180772-after-dark

Praise for AFTER DARK
  
 "One of the premier authors of paranormal romance."
--#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

"Gena Showalter knows how to keep readers glued to the pages and smiling the whole time."
--New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian on The Darkest Surrender

"Showalter delivers yet again!"-RT BookReviews on Wicked Nights

"Non-stop action, pulse-pounding suspense, and red-hot romance ... Kait Ballenger's Execution Underground series delivers in spades!"--New York Times bestselling author Jaime Rush

"Taut with action, suspense, and romance that sizzles, Shadow Hunter is an evocative prelude to what's certain to be an exciting new series! Fans of J.R. Ward are going to love the sexy warriors of Kait Ballenger's Execution Underground." --Kate SeRine, author of Red and The Better to See You

 

 “Action and romance in one mesmerizing story. A phenomenal start to the EXECUTION UNDERGROUND Series. Shadow Hunter will leave you breathless and demanding more.” --Cecy Robson, author of Sealed with a Curse

"THE CALL" Blog Hop: Part 3

Happy Friday, everyone! Are you gearing up for the weekend?

Today is Part Three of the Seymour Agency "THE CALL" blog hop hosted by the Seymour Agency Promotions Manager, Tonya Kuper! Want to know what happened in the aftermath of "the call" from my wonderful agent Nicole Resciniti? Check out my answer to the questions below.

TONYA: After "the call." What happened after the day/night of the call? Did you have to give other agents a heads up? How long before you signed papers? How long have you had your current agent? Has your agent sold your work? If so, can you give any details (Title, genre, release date)? Do you have words for aspiring writers or readers of your category and genre?

KAIT: While on the phone with Nicole, I was so tempted to scream right then that I accepted her offer because of how excited I was (which probably would have been a relief to Nic so she didn't have to wait in suspense to find out my decision), but I knew from all the author advice and agent blogs I'd read that I should preview my options before I made a decision. It's important to find who is the best fit for you. I told Nic that several other agents had the full manuscript and that I would get back to her within the next few days once I'd heard from them. 

After that, my night was normal. I went to work (this is when I was still dancing professionally at an Arabic restaurant near Orlando FL) and the whole time all I could think about was the fact that I'd received an offer of representation. And only two weeks after I'd just got engaged! My life felt like pure bliss. When I got home late that night, I emailed the other agents.

As Nic told me in our initial call, once you get an offer from one agent, it's like dropping a bucket of blood into a pool of sharks--they swarm and suddenly everyone is looking for a bite. She was exactly right. After hearing back from the other agents, I couldn't help but feel that their excitement about my manuscript was forced--as if they wanted it only because someone else did. I won't name names, but I even had one agent get mad because I asked her for a response within the next week. She angrily told me that she couldn't fulfill that request and if I wanted to work with her I could be patient, and she should receive fair and ample time to review my novel just like the other agent had. She complained because she'd only had my manuscript for a week when I told her about the offer and she'd been 'so excited for the project'. I informed her "the offering agent" (I wasn't going to drop Nic's name) had only had the manuscript one day before she offered, (much less time than the angry agent had) so there was no "fair time" about it. Needless to say, I respectfully told her I wasn't interested in working with her lol.  The majority of the other agents were much more gracious.

But I digress... 

With Nicole, I knew she genuinely wanted to represent my material since she was the first to offer. Ultimately, (aside from the fact that she is an amazing person and fabulous businesswoman) being the first to offer along with her enthusiasm about my work is what made me choose her above the others. I'm so glad that I did! Though several of the other agents had been in the business longer than Nicole (Nic was still a 'newer' agent at that point), I didn't care. I knew in my heart that Nic would do right by me and that she would champion my work, and she's done exactly that. Now, she's a Publisher's Marketplace top-dealmaker agent! Needless to say, I made the right decision. ;-)

I accepted Nic's offer several days after her initial call and it was about two weeks after that when I signed the agency contract. Nic has been my agent for slightly over a year now, though it seems like I've known her for much longer. She's an amazing person, a great friend, and a wonderful agent to boot. My manuscript went on submission in November of 2011 after several rounds of edits and Harlequin purchased it in May 2012 (they were the fourth publisher to offer, but offered the best deal by far--a three book contract to be exact!). That paranormal romance manuscript Nic signed me for is now titled TWILIGHT HUNTER. It's the first in my Execution Underground paranormal romance series and it releases with Harlequin's single-title HQN line in September of this year (2013). I also have a prequel to the series which Nicole later sold on proposal releasing in July. The prequel is called SHADOW HUNTER and will appear in an anthology called AFTER DARK alongside NYT and USA bestselling paranormal romance author, Gena Showalter.

As cliched as it sounds, my advice to other writers going through the submission process is to never give up! Twilight Hunter was my third manuscript. Though it was picked up within a month or so of me querying it, I'd queried two other manuscripts throughout the course of 3 years before that. I received hundreds of rejections. But you can't let those deter you and you can't give up. Keep striving to improve and some day, you'll get there. Learn from your slip ups and your mistakes and push forward. The difference between writers who will never be published and multi-published bestselling authors is determination and sheer stubbornness (don't take one rejection as the final answer). And pay attention to those rejections also! Once you start getting personalized non-form rejections, (that say you're writing is fabulous, strong, great, whatever [insert personalized compliment], but it's just not what they're looking for) know that you're getting very close! All it takes is one yes for the whole world of publishing to open up to you.

I hope you've enjoyed my "call" story! And thank you to Tonya for hosting this lovely blog hop! Have a great weekend! 

AFTER DARK Available on Pre-order!!!

Hey, everyone!

So I found out mine and Gena Showalter's anthology, AFTER DARK, which features SHADOW HUNTER, the prequel to my Execution Underground paranormal romance series is now available for pre-order in trade paperback on Amazon and BN, and it's currently on sale right now! So cheaper price ;-)

Any likes for both the book and my author page on Amazon would be much appreciated! And if you haven't added it on your Goodreads "to read" list, I'd love if you did.

Amazon (Book): http://www.amazon.com/After-Dark-Darkest-Angel%5CShadow-Hunter/dp/0373778252/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1356636157&sr=8-7&keywords=after+dark+gena+showalter

Amazon (Author Page): http://www.amazon.com/Kait-Ballenger/e/B00ATR1USA

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-dark-gena-showalter/1113942026?ean=9780373778256

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16180772-after-dark

Any retweets and FB posts appreciated! Pre-written tweet below =D

@kait_ballenger and @genashowalter 's #paranormal #anthology #AfterDark is available for pre-order! Currently on sale! http://www.amazon.com/After-Dark-Darkest-Angel%5CShadow-Hunter/dp/0373778252/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1356636157&sr=8-7&keywords=after+dark+gena+showalter

Thanks a bunch for any and all support!

Review: Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today we have a review of debut urban fantasy author Cecy Robson's novel, Sealed with a Curse, the start of the Weird Girls series! If you haven't already seen my review of her self-titled prequel novella, you can do so by clicking: here. Enjoy both reviews! Also, don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the post!

Synopsis: Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird…

The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region—until one of them blows up a vampire in self-defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust-fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders: are the vampires of Tahoe cursed with a plague?

Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the region safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and oh yeah, not lose her heart to the wrong guy—or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, it’s coming for her and her sisters. This Wird girl has never had it so tough.

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

First Sentences: "The courthouse doors crashed open as I led my three sisters into the large foyer. I didn't mean to push so hard, but hell, I was mad and worried about being eaten. The cool spring breeze slapped at my back as I stepped inside, yet it did little to cool my temper or my nerves. My nose scented the vampires before my eyes caught them emerging from the shadows. There were six of them, wearing dark suits, Ray-Bans, and obnoxious little grins. Two bolted the doors tight behind us, while the others frisked us for weapons. I can't believe we're in vampire court." How can you not love an opening like that? Within the first few paragraphs, Robson has already drawn me into her fictional world. Vampire court? Pretty cool idea, not to mention the tension is already palpable. Celia is in a fierce mood and a pinched situation, surrounded by enemies. That equals badass action!

 

Brownie Points: As I said in my review of the Weird Girls' novella, Robson has an outstanding and superb voice filled with all the right stuff--humor, sass, emotion and a relatable narrative character--and Sealed with a Curse doesn't disappoint. The Wird girls continue to be fun, sympathetic characters, you can't help but love. No matter their perils or mistakes, Celia and her sisters are easy to champion as they battle with werewolves, vampires, and a viscous supernatural vampire virus throughout the course of the novel. What really stood out as a unique trait to me (as a romance writer and reader) was the stronger than usual romantic elements within this urban fantasy. In the UF genre I often find myself craving more romance than I'm given. This wasn't the case in Sealed with a Curse. It walks the perfect line between sexy romance and action packed urban fantasy, so romance readers and urban fantasy lovers alike will enjoy this novel. Besides, who doesn't love a rivalry between two sexy supernatural men? Aric the werewolf and Misha the vampire? I vote both, please! It's clear who is the winner of Celia's heart, but I won't spill the beans ;-)

Beefs: No major beefs. Sealed with a Curse hits the ground running with action and tension, and it kept me hooked and longing for more up to the very last page.

Ending: As with any great novel, I didn't find the plot predictable in any way. I continued to be surprised by it's twists and turns in the best of ways.

Recommendation and General Comments: Overall, I can't say enough great things about The Weird Girls series. Both the self-titled prequel novella and Sealed with a Curse are a fantastic jump-start to what I'm certain is going to be a continuously capitvating and enchanting series. The second novel in the series, A Curse Embraced, cannot come soon enough! Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until July 2013 for that one =( But I bet it will be well worth the wait! 

I give Sealed with a Curse a rating of a full moon, the highest rating here at Nocturnal Readings.

 

 

I highly recommend this book to readers who love urban fantasy, and those who enjoy paranormal romance as well. The novel will be available in both paperback and e-book formats starting December 31st! A reasonably priced awesome read. So get your asses in gear and pre-order, folks! 

 

CHECK OUT THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!! Cecy has graciously gifted me with a signed copy to give away to one lucky winner! This giveaway is open to both U.S and international entries!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Review: Weird Girls by Cecy Robson

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today we have a review of debut urban fantasy author Cecy Robson's novella, the Weird Girls, the start of the Weird Girls series, which kicks off later this year with her debut novel, Sealed with a Curse. Enjoy!

Synopsis: "Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, a little weird…

The Wird sisters are different from every race on earth—human and supernatural. When human society is no longer an option for them, they move in among the resident vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region. Could this be the true home they’ve longed for? Um, not quite. After the sisters accidentally strip a witch of her powers in a bar brawl, they soon realize the mistake will cost them. Because to take on a witch means to take on her coven. And losing the battle isn’t an option.”

Genre: Urban Fantasy--novella

First Sentences: "The music pounded hard enough to shake Emme's fuzzy navel, the umbrella in Shayna's pina colada, Taran's martini, and my Corona. I'd shoved pieces of cocktail napkin into my uber sensitive ears the moment we sat. But I wasn't going complain about the eardrum-bursting music or the crowd of young men sitting across from us ogling my sisters. We were there to celebrate." What I love about this opening is how much we learn right from the start. The characters' drinks reflect their personalities and individual tastes (which we soon learn), and we know where they're at and what they're there for in just several sentences. As a reader, I immediately feel oriented in the world and I could clearly visualize the scene in my mind. The opening hooked me!

 

Brownie Points: There are three top things I love most about this novella. 1) The voice is absolutely phenomenal. Told from Celia Wird's point of view, I felt as if I were sitting down for a chat with her as she recollects this story in vivid detail. The narrative voice is laugh out loud funny and consistent throughout the story. It gives huge insight into Celia's character. 2) I love the Wird sisters. They're intriguing, fun characters who are easy to relate to. Each sister has her own individual power, her own strengths and weaknesses and I love the strong relationship between them. Celia is fiercely protective of her sisters and they have a sibling bond that's realistic and true. Their relationship was touching. 3) The narrative arc is perfect in this novella. Often when I read prequels or novellas I feel as if the story has no arc, no clear beginning, middle and end, but that's not the case with the Weird Girls. The story felt complete and left me wanting more. 

Beefs: I honestly and truly didn't have any beefs with this novella. As I reader I felt as if all my needs were satisfied. There is a clear arc, great characters, intriguing plots twists, and an awesome voice. There's not much more I could ask for.

Ending: I won't lie--I sobbed like a baby at the end of the novella. When we reach the black moment in the story, the climax where we think Celia has lost everything she loves and her whole life is crumbling to pieces, my heart broke for her. Her pain felt real and palpable, and there was nothing I could do but cry with her. I've never felt so attached to a character within such a short amount of pages. Celia is amazing and she'll steal your heart. And up until the very end, the plot left me guessing all the way through.

Recommendation and General Comments: Overall, I can't say enough great things about this novella. The Weird Girls is a page-turning, heartwarming read with characters you'll fall in love with. Cecy Robson is a debut author I will continue to read and I can't wait for the first book in the series, Sealed with a Curse. I need another dose of Weird ;-)

Because of this, I give The Weird Girls novella a rating of a full moon, the highest rating here at Nocturnal Readings.

 

 

I highly recommend this book to readers who love urban fantasy. The novella is available in only e-book format, so if you have an e-reader and love urban fantasy, I suggest you purchase this novella. It's reasonably priced and will definitely hook you into the series. If you don't have an e-reader, then read it on your computer or phone! You won't regret reading The Weird Girls novella.

 

Check back in on December 18th for a review of the first book in the series, Sealed with a Curse!