Monday, December 30, 2013

2013 End of Year Round-Up

Blog Hops I participated in:

Vampires for Valentine's Giveaway Hop





























Challenges I participated in:











Tour groups I was a part of and am no longer with:
CBLS Promotions, Virtual Book Tour Organization and Promotion Services for Romance Authors
Thanks for the wonderful
memories Liz, it was great
 working with you, and we'll all miss you.
Thanks for the great opportunity,
sorry I wasn't able to participate.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Paypal Cash Giveaway

Hi everyone! 
Sarah Fae here from FaeBooks.co.uk. I've been working behind the scenes, gathering together some of the best Bloggers, Authors, Crafters & Businesses to bring you a fantabulous cash giveaway!
This giveaway is organized and hosted by Fae Books and sponsored by a bunch of totally spendiferous people!
Sponsors:
*~~**~~**~~*
Want to become a sponsor? You can sponsor the next cash giveaway! Just join my mailing list to find out first when I'm taking prize donations for the next one... http://bit.ly/19z1seT
*~~**~~**~~*  Blogger?  Fancy winning $10 just for putting up a blog post?  Read on... Bloggers can enter into a seperate Blogger Incentive Giveaway as a thank you for putting up blog posts about this PayPal Cash Giveaway! You can put up as many posts as often as you wish, about the PayPal Cash Giveaway, BUT, you MUST fill in THIS FORM to gain your entries into the Blogger Only Giveaway. Fill in the form for each blog post you put up, to gain extra entries. The Blogger prize is $10 in PayPal Cash. You can grab all of the info you need to create a post from this link: http://www.faebooks.co.uk/2013/12/CashGiveawayHTML.html *~~**~~**~~* The Giveaway:
Start/End Times:
Start: 10th Dec 2013 End: 14th Feb 2014

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Men Can Do Romance Tour

Blurb:
Despite living in free-spirited New Orleans, Elliot finds that his career as an insurance actuary has him constantly weighing the risks of every move he makes in his life. When Troy, his teenage crush, returns home to the Big Easy after a stint with the Marines and unexpectedly announces he’s gay, Elliot must decide if he’s willing to take a chance and find out if men really can do romance.





Excerpt: Elliot
Professional that quantifies risk.
That’s how I describe my job when someone asks, “Elliot, what the hell is an actuary anyway?”  Sure, I could go into all the nitty gritty details about health care laws I have to memorize and complex mathematical equations I have to solve.  But those four words really summarize it.  I tell a health insurance company how much they should charge you and if you’re even worth the risk.  All day long I decide if whatever is worth taking a chance.  I have to look at things within a black and white world.  There can be no gray.  So how could that not bleed over into my personal life?


Is that low season trip to Thailand during monsoon season worth the risk?


Is the depreciation of the car I like versus the slower depreciation of a car that I’m not so crazy about worth the possible loss in trade-in value?
Is moving to another apartment in a neighborhood that I may like more worth the risk of maybe ending up with shitty neighbors when I like the ones I have now?


Is the man sitting in front of me on a date worth the risk based on what he’s telling me?  For example, he recently broke up with his boyfriend.  Or worse, he still lives with the “ex” boyfriend.


On dates, when I get around to them that is, I find myself unable to stop running the guys against some mental check list to figure out if they…you guessed it…are worth the risk.


Does he seem hung up on an ex?


How long has he been out compared to me, and does he still have wild oats that need attention?


Does he live within ten miles to me?  Because let’s face it, I hate driving long distances on a regular basis.


Will his lack of always chewing with his mouth closed drive me so nuts I may want to scream at the top of my lungs one day in the middle of a meal at Antoine’s?


Is he cuter than me?  And if so, can I risk my somewhat jealous tendencies?


So many questions running through my mind.  All the time.  No wonder I can’t sleep.  No wonder I’m on Prozac for anxiety.  Each day is one long careful thought about is it, this, that, him worth the risk.


It’s a Tuesday evening.  I’m being wild, for me, by being out on a work night.  It’s actually a nice June night in New Orleans.  The humidity isn’t too oppressive.  The stars twinkle above.  I have a nice glass of Merlot I’m sipping while sitting across from a reasonably cute guy.  I’ve actually managed to snag a date.  Okay, a friend set me up, but still.  We met up at a cute outdoor wine bar in the Bywater I’ve been meaning to check out.  Sounds good, no?


The guy’s name is Bailey, and he’s a paralegal.  Check the box off next to the line item that reads “Sustainable Career.”  He has wavy dark hair and blue eyes.  A lethal combination to make my heart skip a beat.  Check off the box next to the line item “Feel at least an inkling of sexual attraction.”
He actually asks some questions about me.  Woohoo!  Check off line item “Seems interested in getting to know me as a person.”


I tell him about growing up in the Garden District and my time spent backpacking across Europe and trying to find myself right after college.  And then…


“You know my ex went backpacking across Europe,” Bailey says, his gaze suddenly appearing to be focusing on some point far, far in the distance. “He said it was the best time of his life.”


Uh, oh.  Please don’t make me check off a line item in the column for “Run as fast as possible.”


“Have you ever been to Europe?” I ask, trying to bring the conversation back to…you know…us!


“No.  But, Tim, my ex, said that he loved Sweden most of all.  He always had a thing for blondes.  Maybe that’s why…” Bailey says, his voice trailing off.


Please.  No.


I’m not even half-way through my glass of wine, and this guy is making a mad dash for my personal  “move on” line-up.


“Hmmm.  I’ve never been to Sweden.  But I’ve always had a thing for guys with dark hair,” I say not so subtly dropping what I would think would be a huge ass hint.


“We lived in New York for a while.  Before we broke up, and I moved back here,” Bailey says, swirling the Merlot in his glass around and around.
“I still haven’t been to New York,” I say.  “I was thinking maybe of taking a trip there next fall.  Any recommendations?”


Come on, Bailey.  You can do it!  You can move back into the “maybe” column.  For the love of God!  Come on!


“Everything is amazing there.  Everything,” he says still looking off into the distance.  “I remember when I was flying back here after we broke up.  I thought to myself how can you leave this city and this man that you love so much?”


Shit.  I know it’s happened now.  We’ve moved into the so not worth the risk because he’s hung up on his ex-boyfriend to the point that he doesn’t even realize he’s told you more about his ex than himself.


I lean back in the wicker chair I’m sitting in, sip my Merlot, and look up at the twinkling lights in the sky. I start to tune out Bailey as he starts in on how he met the ex.


Oh, well.  Maybe the next guy.  Maybe.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 30 -We Love Kink
December 2 - Booker Like A Hooker
December 10 - Dawn’s Reading Nook
December 13 - Beauty and the Book
December 17 - Some Like It Hotter


Author Bio:
Michael Holloway Perronne is the author of five novels and one novella: "A Time Before Me", "Starstruck: A Hollywood Saga", "Falling Into Me", "A Time Before Us", "Embrace the Rain" and "Men Can Do Romance."  His debut novel, "A Time Before Me" won the Bronze Award, Foreword Magazine's 2006 Book of the Year Award in the Gay/Lesbian fiction category.  In addition, Michael recently released his first travel guide, "The Quickie Gay Guide to Cape Town, South Africa."


Michael was born and raised in Mississippi.  He received a BA in Film from the University of Southern Mississippi and a MFA in Drama and Communications from the University of New Orleans.  



Friday, December 27, 2013

The Masquerade Crew Giveaway

There's still a few more days left to enter The Masquerade Crew December Cover Wars and Giveaway. So hurry and enter while you can.

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas!


Christmas... a wonderful day, full of love and happiness (or at the very least, some peace and quiet), and of course loads of awesome books :)

I love Christmas because it's the one day where my siblings and I call a truce to the sibling rivalry, my parents refrain from their nagging, and we all spend the entire day just hanging out with each other, having fun, quality family time. I look forward to it
Photo Courtesy of the
Gleeson Library in San Francisco
every year, not for the gifts and the food (though they are pretty awesome), but because I love having this day to basically reconnect with my family, to just be together without all the drama and the strife. Where 5 people can put aside their differences and just get along. Christmas is a very powerful, amazing, miraculous day.

So therefore, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and I'll see you in the New Year!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Ribbon of Darkness VBT

Book Description:
Before Ribbon had a chance to get used to the idea of being an elf, she ran into Draven whose body jingled her bells. Unfortunately, he's the spy sent to haul her and her family back to the North Pole on Santa's orders.


Draven North has had one task for the last twenty-four years: find the Winters family and bring them home. He wasn't expecting their only daughter to deck his halls. No matter how hot and sassy he found his roguess, he had to take her back before the darkness devoured the Pole and Christmas magic along with it. But was it already too late?





Excerpt:
"Draven! You sly holy Knight. Sneaking up on a helpless Sylvan Elf such as I. You know I'm an emotional creature. Where have you been?" Maple asked the minute Draven materialized in her leaf hut. She was a strong survivalist, living among her clan. Their independence was an attribute to their species. Her golden hair contrasted with her tanned skin and defined feminine muscles. He recalled the last time those thigh muscles wrapped around him, it had been too long.


"My dear, Maple." Draven bowed in apology for startling her. "Please forgive my intrusion. I'd hoped you'd like to see me as much as I'd like to see you. For my work keeps me busy much of the time, it's hard to schedule a time to come."


Maple's hands pulled Draven upright. "I've missed you terribly." Her light green eyes fluttered their lashes. He adored her bold antics, but knew she'd never be his true mate. Only a Claus Elf could mate for life. She knew that, but pretend was fair play in their coupling.


Draven drew her in tight around him and crushed his lips to hers. Pushing his tongue past her parting lips and lapping at the sweet taste of syrup. She bit his lower lip and pulled back. "Are you happy to see me or is that a candy cane in your pocket?" Her hand cupped his cock through his jeans and squeezed. He narrowed his gaze on her.


"Candy canes have no business here." He ripped the brown leaf dress from her body causing a gasp to escape her lips. He'd give anything to hear that sound come from Ribbon. Damn his brain. His cock only grew harder at the image of the rogue elf and her black hair sliding over her shoulders.



Thanks so much for stopping by. So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
I talk to elves- I know you're thinking -you're an author of course you pretend to talk to characters- but really they talk to me back. Right now I have a pirate elf who is daring me to fill out this interview only using pirate speak- Ahoy!


I'm also a huge fan of reading- witches, elves, fairies, dragons: begad give me those beauties and it'll thrill my elfin heart.


How did you get started writing?
I've always known I wanted to write- 5th grade- making up stories and poetry was my kind of wonderful. However- writing erotica- now that came as a surprise even to me. Giggles. Would you believe me if I told you it happened one weekend a few months ago because of a dare?


What was the inspiration for your book?
Many things contributed to the inspiration of this book, but it sparked while speaking with another author about Santa's spy being an elf. My characters took over from there.


What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?
Horror. I know, huge change from erotica- but I used to read a lot of horror when I was a young girl.


Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?
Science fiction/ post apocalyptic. I can't read it and writing it…blows my elfin mind. It must be the alien robots. I think I'd faint if they came off the ship as elves.


So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?
The second book in the Trouble with Elves series (all books are stand alones) is called Tempting Clover set to release January 31, 2014. All I can say is beware the goblin.


I'm also working on a pirate piece- Giggles- and some dark romance surrounding the drow, which are the dark elves below ground. All will be part of the Trouble with Elves.


Alright, now for some totally random, fun questions. Favorite color?     Blue
Favorite movie?     A Knight's Tale
Book that inspired you to become an author?    All of them
Alright, you have one superpower. What is it?   Telekinetic.
You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?     Annais Nin (erotic author), May West, and Loki

Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?
Most like? I want to say Ribbon, I took my build and applied it to her. Otherwise we don't have too much in common. I want to work at a bookstore, and she does work at one.


That’s all from me, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!

You are elfalicious for having me over. Be beautiful, be great!


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December 16 Spotlight - AC James
December 16 Spotlight - Fantasy Book Lane
December 17 Guest blog - Cloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuff
December 17 Spotlight - Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews
December 17 Spotlight - Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog
December 18 Guest blog and review - That’s Erotica
December 18 review - Nicky Peacock Author
December 18 Spotlight - Book Suburbia
December 19 Interview - All I Want and More
December 19 Spotlight - Krystal's Enchanting Reads
December 20 Guest blog - Romance with Flavor
December 20 Spotlight - Share My Destiny
December 23 Interview - Sharing Links and Wisdom
December 23 Spotlight - Who's Reviews



About the Author:
If I had to describe myself, it would be in a word that has infinite meanings with a complexity which falls off the tongue.


A word made up of many elements, is deceptive in appearance, and creates an illusion from the imagination.


My word would be Phantasmagoric.


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