Book Lovers Inc.

Romance and Me: What do you love the most about Historical Romance?

Stella — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:25 +0000

Hey Everyone!

Welcome back to #3 of our Historical Romance sessions. Today let’s talk about what we love the most about historical romance stories!

I personally love them because they are the “grown up” version of fairy tales: there are princes (or at least dukes ) and fair maidens, villain step-mothers and jealous sisters and of course a love that conquers all. I love the escape HR novels provide from the real world, that for those hours when I’m reading such a book there are gowns and balls and carriages and etiquette. And if I had to pick only one favourite thing from all the things I love about this genre is the fact that due to the time period’s social restrictions the love story between the h/h is even more heightened: every small glimpse and touch becomes more just because liberties aren’t done. *sighs*

Err..ok, complete daydreaming moment, so I’ll leave now my fellow Book Lovers tell you what they love the most about the genre:

Anna: First of all I like the setting. The HR titles I choose are mostly set in Victorian England and that’s an era I plainly love. From movies to books, that’s my favorite era. Apart from that, I love the dresses of course, I’m all in for big flashy dresses and intricate undergarments

Caro: I LOVE Historical Romance novels. They make me feel all gooey inside. I just love being transported back to a time where balls and gowns ruled the world

My favourite thing about HR? I think for me it’s the restraints of society. If you read PNR or fantasy everything’s possible because well it’s fantasy. And if I read contemporaries once again everything is possible relationship wise because people are so free to do what they want there’s nearly no ‘impossible love’ possible.When I read HR the weight of Society is SO big that the heroines have to work around the rules. They have to be stronger without throwing hissy fits. They can’t say ‘to hell with the others’ they know it’ll have dire consequences on their whole family. Well that’s one of the reasons I love reading HR

Alisha: There’s something about the fact that these settings and character types are so far removed from what we know today. It’s kinda like science fiction, in that way. There’s also the fact that many of us love a good fairy tale or fanciful story. With these HR books, full of fabulous dresses and pirates and royalty and so on, it’s like escaping. Even in situations when the gray pallor of reality is left in the story (Megan Hart’s historicals come to mind), there’s something otherworldly about such tales.

I love the fine balance between the demands society puts upon people to be “proper” and those people’s secret desires to buck propriety and politesse. But of course, it’s fun to imagine the amazing dress. Some of my favorite scenes take place in dress shops and milleneries.

So now that we shared it’s your turn to tell us,

Why do you like to read historical romance novels?

What is it you love the most about historical romance stories? And the least?

Do come back in 2 weeks, we’ll be here continuing our discussion about other aspects of historical romance novels.

Review: Circle of Desire by Carla Swafford

Anna — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:00:45 +0000

Format Read: ebook copy provided by the author
Number of Pages: 336 pages
Release Date: November 8th 2011
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Series: The Circle Book 1
Formats Available: ebook, Kindle Edition, paperback
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Goodreads, Publisher, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Book Depository

Book Blurb:

She Knew How To Fight But Not To Love …

As the top assassin at The Circle, a shadowy group of mercenaries, Olivia St. Vincent can hunt down anyone. She’s been trained since she was a teenager to kill without feeling, to interact with men without love. But when she’s kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival organization, she learns she’s been lied to for years. She never worked for the good guys.

Collin Ryker believes the sultry woman he’s abducted knows more than she’s telling about The Circle and its plans for complete domination. Over time, as they work together, Olivia’s tenacity and vulnerability captivate him. But if he isn’t careful, Collin will fall into the biggest trap of all: caring for a woman who can betray him to his greatest enemy.

My Thoughts:
Have you read the premise of Circle of Desire??? As soon as I read it, images of one of my all time favorite shows, Alias, started coming to my head! I knew I just had to read this one, so before anything else, I have to thank the author for providing me with a copy of her book.

As I said, reading the premise, I thought I had something amazing in my hands, a non stop Romantic Suspense title, with enough twists in the plot to blow my head. And although is some departments it delivered exactly what the premise promised, in others I found it, not exactly lacking, but underdeveloped a bit.

Let me explain. Circle of Desire has all the potential to be a mind-blowing book, a book, considering you are a fan of the genre, you won’t soon forget. The writing style is fairly good, the sex scenes well delivered and the plot was unpredictable and with enough twists to keep you turning the pages. But unfortunately that wasn’t enough for me. And it really saddens me to say so, because firstly I was certain that this book would be amazing and secondly, because as I said, the potential for it to be amazing was there.

I’ll start with the plot of this book. As I said, it was unpredictable, with many twists while at the same time hot and engaging. But the fact that it was mostly focused on the sexual play between Olivia and Collin and less on more crucial parts of the story was a turn off for me. There were chapters after chapters, focusing solely on Olivia’s sexual frustration over Collin and how much she wanted to have sex with him, while he was trying really hard not to succumb to her charms. I really get the necessity of those chapters, I just wished that along with them there were also some chapters focusing on the why’s and how’s of Olivia’s capture. I mean there were times in this book, were whole weeks or even a month would pass by in the blink of a chapter and the only crucial thing we got to learn was how much Olivia lusted over Collin and vice versa. I just needed along with that some more details about how Olivia adjusted to working with a rival organization, how she finally decided to be more cooperative apart from her being blackmailed. Since she was portrayed as a really strong woman, I kind of find it hard to believe that she just happened to fully cooperate.

We have some rather huge gaps in the timeline of the story. At one point, 5 months are skipped from one chapter to another, 5 months I may add that would have shown exactly how Olivia adjusts to her new status and life while at another point we are informed that Olivia will be used to frame The Circle, while on the exact next chapter we are already a week ahead and right when the whole plan is set into motion without any details whatsoever apart from the absolutely necessary. As you can guess, in many cases, I struggled to understand the motives of the characters and adjust to some details being omitted.

Apart from the time gaps in the story, there are also a number of questions that by the end of the book, I hadn’t gotten my answers to. For instance, what exactly, apart from a secret organization, is The Circle? Why all that fuss around that sword? I know some answers were given but they didn’t satisfy my curiosity, not by a long shot.

That being said, although I may had some issues with Circle of Desire, I have to admit that for the better part of it I really enjoyed it. I liked how Olivia was portrayed and how the action scenes were delivered. It’s just the fact that this book could easily have been so much better that frustrates me.

All in all, Circle of Desire, was a fun book, one that I enjoyed for the better part of it, but I really think that if a couple of things were better delivered it could easily have been one of the best romantic suspense titles I have ever read. After all, I really love the idea behind the universe Carla Swafford has created.

I give Circle of Desire 3,5 stars

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Interview with Carla Swafford + Giveaway

Anna — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:00:56 +0000

Please welcome Carla Swafford, who stops today at Book Lovers Inc for a really fun chat about her book Circle of Desire. Circle of Desire is a really intense Romantic Suspense title featuring a really hot couple of assassins! Circle of Desire has everything a good romantic suspense title should have: non-stop action, well-delivered mystery and steamy hot sex scenes.

So welcome Carla and come learn all kinds of interesting things about her heroine Olivia plus which actors would make her dream cast of Circle of Desire.And don’t forget, Carla is also offering copies of her book at the end of the interview, so don’t forget to enter!

Anna: Hello Carla and welcome at Book Lovers Inc! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Carla: Thank you for inviting me! You know, it’s a funny thing. I can talk about my books all day long but ask me about myself and I feel like I’m so freaking boring. Let’s see. I’ve lived in Alabama all my life but have been fortunate to travel though much of the U.S. I’m married and have two beautiful daughters, a handsome son-in-law and a smart grandson (aren’t they all?). After writing for many years, I became published with HarperCollins’s Avon Impulse last year.

Anna: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?

Carla: I have a day job. So my writing schedule during the weekdays is very different than weekends. During the week most times, I get up at five a.m. and do a little writing, walk on the treadmill, shower and then arrive at work by eight a.m. Return home by five-thirty, eat dinner and start writing again. If the story is flowing, I won’t get in bed until midnight, most of the time it’s eleven. I have a hard time keeping to a schedule on the weekends. Like everyone, I have so much to do (family, website, house) that it’s usually late afternoon before I start working on my latest book again and then I don’t stop until the wee hours of the morning. Now with all this writing you would think I would get a lot done, but no. I do edit along the way and often find myself stuck in one chapter for several days.

Oh, I’m a pantser most of the way through the book. Then in the middle, I’ll pull out a little beat sheet I made up from Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat! If you’ve never heard of it, check it out. It’s for screenwriters, but the man knew his stuff.

Anna: What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?

Carla: A reader is someone who purchases a book from the top ten bestseller list only because everyone else is reading it.

A Book Lover is someone who carries a book everywhere they go. They love finding new authors and read across genres. They also always have a huge TBR (to be read) stack and have shelves upon shelves of favorites. Besides, just owning a book is a joy.

Anna: Will there be more books in this series? What is next on your schedule?

Carla: Oh, yes. Circle of Desire (available now) will be followed by Circle of Danger (to be released June 26). YAY!

Though each book involves the same mercenary organization, the main characters are different. In Desire, the story centers on Olivia St. Vincent and Collin Ryker. Two strong-willed people who believe they are on the side of good. Problem is, only one is right. In Danger, the reader meets Collin’s older brother. He’s an edgy, dangerous man who will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves, including from himself.

I’m currently writing the third book, tentatively titled Circle of Deception. This is the one I’ve had several readers ask about. For those who’ve read my book, it’s Rex and Abby’s story. Hopefully, Avon Impulse will purchase it along with more and let The Circle series continue. I have several stories and characters I would love to see come to life in print.

Anna: The universe you created is quite complex. Did you sketch it before writing the book in your imagination or some things came to you along the way?

Carla: It came as I wrote it. I love anything to do (books, movies, TV series) with spies, assassins and mercenaries. So I combined everything I liked and started writing. To me, the whole series should come across as a fluid story, but anyone should be able to pick up a book in the series and understand what’s going on. The organization itself will evolve with each book. The Circle is almost a character of its own.

Anna: Your heroine Olivia, is an assassin! How did you decide to have a female assassin as a heroine? Was it difficult in any way to have such a tough heroine leading your story? Was it challenging to make an assassin a relatable and sympathetic character?

Carla: At the time I started writing Circle of Desire, there were only a handful of books with female assassins and they didn’t act like what I thought a female assassin should. I felt that a woman who was paid to kill others would see life in a different way than most. She would act like what we expect men to act in the same situation: cold, calculating, logical. For Olivia, every aspect of life is magnified by the knowledge that death could meet her around the next corner. So I guess you could say her feelings and desires are overblown with good reason.

Oh, yeah, it was tough. I entered the manuscript into contests and overall it did fine, but some judges refused to give her a chance to grow and change. But that’s what I like about reading characters who are so different from me. If they stay the same, then I’m disappointed, but if I see them change and become better people, as a reader, I almost feel a sense of triumph in their transformation.

Though as the author, I knew she would change. So others needed to see in the beginning the small crack in the wall she kept around herself. That little tell-tale unexplainable shaking she didn’t understand, but the reader did. In turn, we felt sympathy for her, not only for doing a job most people couldn’t handle but feeling lost about what was happening to her body/mind. The reader should realize at this point that she would have to come to terms with what she’d done and live her life differently.

Anna: And since your heroes are assassins, could you share with us some of your favorite assassins in literature or movies?

Carla: Though some may not be assassins, they can kill with breaking a sweat, I do have my favorites. John Medina in Linda Howard’s All The Queen’s Men. Lily Mansfield in Linda’s Kiss Me While I Sleep. Anne Stuart’s Ice series, especially Reno in Fire and Ice. Michael in the La Femme Nikita TV series or the newer one, Nikita. Riddick (Vin Diesel) in The Chronicles of Riddick. Any James Bond movie, but especially the ones with Pierce Bronson. El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) in Desperado. The character Miguel Bain in Assassins is crazy but it’s Antonio Banderas. Who can resist? I’m sure there are more I’ll kick myself later for not remembering.

Anna: Olivia, is an emotionally very hurt character. Was it challenging to portray her and help her overcome her emotional issues?

Carla: It’s strange really. As I wrote the scenes where she came on so strong to Collin, I realized there had to be a reason. Then I remembered a visiting psychologist at one of my writers group meetings talking about how some children grew up with twisted ideas about sex. Then pow! I understood her baggage. Since Collin would be her love interest, he had to be aware what her actions actually meant. Then their interplay grew from there.

Anna: Should Circle of Desire become a movie, who would be your dream cast for Olivia and Collin?

Carla: Hugh Jackman and Diane Lane. Sad to say, they’re actually too old to play them. Maybe Tom Hardy (This Means War and Warrior) because he could easily play an intense fellow who talks softly and Keira Knightley has already shown how she can play a self-confident woman with issues (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise).

Anna: Can you summarize Circle of Desire for us twitterstyle (140 characters or less)?

Carla: A deadly female assassin is a man’s only hope to stop the insane leader of a mercenary group from killing his people.

Carla Swafford inherited her love of books from her dad and his father. Growing up, she read every book with a horse on the cover until the age of twelve when she read her first romance. Tired of waiting for her favorite authors to publish more books, she decided to write one. She joined Romance Writers of America and was the finalist in several writing contests.

Carla lives in Alabama and works in a male-dominated occupation at the same company with her husband.

Where to find Carla:
Website | Twitter | Facebook

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Giveaway~~

Carla has generously offered three copies of Circle of Desire to three lucky commenters! If the winner is international he/she will win an e-book copy of her book while if he/she is a US resident can choose between an e-book or a paperback copy.

All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment about the interview, or tell us who is your favorite assassin in literature or movies.
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, March 9th, 2012; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!!!!

Review: Horizon by Sophie Littlefield

Alisha — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:00:52 +0000

Format read: ebook (eARC and purchased final copy)
Publisher: Harlequin Luna
Genre: dystopian fantasy, romance elements
Number of pages: 400 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Luna
Formats available: trade paperback, ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Book Depository, Author’s Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Blurb:

Aftertime Trilogy, Book #3

Cass Dollar is a survivor. She’s overcome the meltdown of civilization, humans turned mindless cannibals, and the many evils of man.

But from beneath the devastated California landscape emerges a tendril of hope. A mysterious traveler arrives at New Eden with knowledge of a passageway North—a final escape from the increasingly cunning Beaters. Clutching this dream, Cass and many others decamp and follow him into the unknown.

Journeying down valleys and over barren hills, Cass must confront the worst of what’s inside her—dark memories from when she was a Beater herself. But she, and all of the other survivors, will fight to the death for the promise of a new horizon…

My Thoughts:

Okay, so first things first. There is simply no way I can adequately convey how much this book–and by extension, this trilogy–bowled me over and amazed me. What I mean by that is that the book has so many elements and minor details and memorable bits that I would have to write an full-on essay in order to convey my thoughts.

That said, I’ll say this: Horizon was a magnificent trilogy ender. It had the elements that made the first two Aftertime books so powerful: epic plot, grim and chilling situations, highly nuanced characters, and a solid thread of realism–the last of which is remarkable, the book’s being a post-apocalyptic paranormal tale.

This story takes up only some months after Rebirth ends (review here) and no more than a year out from the first book, Aftertime (review here). Taken together (as they must), the three stories chronicle the harrowing journey of one Cass Dollar as she struggles to survive not just the external threats of a post-apocolyptic landscape, but also the internal scars of a long, hard, traumatic life, lived when society was “Before.”

The characters, particularly Cass, don’t pretend to be heroes. They’re survivors, intensely flawed and prone to grave mistakes and inadequacies….but as Littlefield writes them, they’re beautiful–at the very least, fascinating. (Well…Sammi, the petulant teenager who has some narrative time in the book, tested my damn patience ^_^, but in truth, even her character was honest, a realistic reflection of youthful frustration and growth). The author never once shies away from putting her main cast through fairly impossible situations, and it’s something that kept my eyes glued to the page and had me thinking about the characters well after finishing the book.

This specific installment closed out the trilogy with balance and a clear connection to the books that came before it. Much of Horizon‘s strength does come from those two books, so I would highly recommend reading those first before starting this one. Horizon is full of revelations that won’t have the same impact without the context.

Along those lines, the connections between characters were so very complex, so multi-layered…the characters hurt each other, they love each other, and it’s hard to swallow sometimes but it’s real and honest. This book is not “a romance,” but the romantic elements were stellar, providing more nuance than one might find in any given book fully classified as “romance.”

As with books one and two, this story has a sharp sense of visuals that lend to a high chill factor. The zombies (“Beaters”) are back with a vengeance, and every action scene is intense, creepy, vivid. Another area where the author doesn’t shy away from detail. ^_^

Now, I originally had this book set at a rating of 4.5, owing mostly to the fact that the first quarter of the book for some reason was harder to get into, and to the fact that some of the mechanics of the tale pulled me out of the illusion a handful of times. But I couldn’t keep my rating as it was. This book deserves a five for being unique, riveting, exciting, powerful, and totally memorable. I actually went back and reread much of the trilogy right after finishing this book, because I knew any other book that I read would be a bust, through no fault of it’s own. ^_^ Compared to anything outside of the trilogy, it’s phenomenal.

If you like dystopians; if you like zombies; if you like anything that is highly intense… do yourself a favor and pick up this book and the two that precede it. Horizon is the perfect end to a perfect series that will stay with you for a very, very long time.

And just because I can (and because it’s so preeeetty), I’ve posted the trailer for the trilogy below…

——–

I give Horizon 5 stars!

New Releases: February 20-26, 2012

Alisha — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:03 +0000

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

The Hollows, Book #10

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth — a would-be creator is determined to make his (or her) own demons. But it can’t be done without Rachel’s blood.

As a bounty hunter, Rachel has battled vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more. But humanity itself might be her toughest challenge.

Read an excerpt of A Perfect Blood (Chapters 1-5)

Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro (2/20)
Danger Zone by Dee J. Adams (2/20)
Pack and Coven by Jody Wallace (2/20)

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton (2/21)
A Good and Useful Hurt by Aric Davis (2/21)
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg (2/21, YA)

Celebrity In Death by J.D. Robb (2/21)
Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon (2/21)
Evermine by Hailey Edwards (2/21)

Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr (2/21, YA)
Fever by Lauren DeStefano (2/21, YA)
Forever Claimed by Rachel Lee (2/21)

The Half-Breed Vampire by Theresa Meyers (2/21)
Lineage by Skyla Dawn Cameron (2/21)
Midnight in Berlin by JL Merrow (2/21)

Proud Wolf’s Woman by Karen Kay (2/21)
Quinn’s Quest by N. J. Walters (2/21)
Raven Calls by C.E. Murphy (2/21)

The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London (2/21)
Seduced by the Scoundrel by Louise Allen (2/21)
Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout (2/21, YA)

The Technologists by Matthew Pearl (2/21)
Tempted by Blood by Laurie London (2/21)
The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett (2/21)

The Viking’s Touch by Joanna Fulford (2/21)
Tomorrow Belongs to Us by Lynda Dunwell (2/24)
Na Bolom: House of the Jaguar by Forrest Hayes (2/24)

Another relatively quiet week, to be followed up by an explosion of releases on the last day of the month. In the meantime, there are some interesting new books, including standalones and series titles. Almost all of these books are from authors I’ve never read…but that said, I’m looking forward to checking out C.E. Murphy’s series so that I can catch up to the latest book, Raven Calls (the seventh in the group of books). I actually added The Catastrophic History of You and Me and A Good and Useful Hurt to my TBR list on account of the interesting premise for each; before that, I’d never heard of them. It’s fun to sometimes be intrigued by a book that you’ve never heard of or seen before.

How about you? Do you see any brand new titles that interest you? Have you ever bought a book without any recommendations…or conversely, *gasp* ONLY on recommendation, sight-unseen?

Review: Hell’s Revenge by Eve Langlais

Amanda — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:00:36 +0000

Format Read: ebook
Length: 80 Pages
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release Date: 3 October 2011
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Formats Available: eBook,
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon,

Book Blurb:

I am literally going to kill my mother.

To say I have mommy issues is putting it mildly. The woman who abandoned me has a lot of nerve to just saunter back into my life without warning and drop a bombshell of atomic proportions. I tried to kill her as way of resolving my inner Freudian issues, but my damned boyfriends stopped me. Spoilsports.

As if wanting to strangle my birth mother isn’t enough, once again, someone is messing with my life and a new player steps in to save me. Did I mention my dark knight is tall, gorgeous and fanged? Just don’t tell my lovers because apparently they’re not willing to share me with the undead.

The final showdown with the mysterious figure—also known as the major pain in my ass—fast approaches. I don’t care how powerful they are. They screwed up big time when they took something precious of mine. It’s never a good idea to piss off this Princess of Hell because revenge is my middle name.

My Thoughts:

Hell’s Revenge was a compelling finale to this fantastic trilogy.

Muriel is pregnant, and the child has two fathers…literally. But when her mum shows up to try and claim the child for herself, Muriel, who has never thought about ever having children up until now, refuses to relinquish her baby. Then the being who has been messing with Muriel for the last two books shows up to also stake a claim on the child, because if given the right upbringing it will have the power to destroy the world.

Muriel was once again an amazing character, she is strong but also has a way of seeming completely vulnerable about certain issues, and her character doesn’t ever mould to fit the scenario which is what I love about Langlais’ writing. Muriel is confronted with her mother, someone who she hasn’t known since she was five years old, and whom she has no memory of. Simultaneously she hates her mother for abandoning her and wants her love without ever showing it.

Langlais’ writing was masterful yet again. Her way of weaving the story, the relationship dynamic of a threesome and later foursome plus all of the comedy brought in by the hellish characters had me finishing this story way too quickly, her comedy writing rivals her smut with its laugh out loud quality. People like Muriel’s sister, Bambii, had only the single purpose of comic relief but it didn’t take away from their character at all, although Bambii only appeared for about a page, her story still has a way of sticking with you and making you want to read more into her life. For such a short appearance she had a very well-rounded character.

I will say once again as I have said before, that the whole idea of a permanent threesome relationship doesn’t really work for me, as addressed in the story numerous times Muriel’s soul mate is Auric, which leaves me feeling a little bad for the other two. That imbalance grates on me a little and I’m not completely sold on the concept, but the sex that Langlais wrote including the other two men was completely hot. If it was just that and no relationship part I’d love it.

For a novella I felt that this story had all the elements balanced perfectly, we weren’t bombarded with smut yet the story maintained a quick and action packed pace without missing out on any key fights or information.

Hell’s Revenge was an amazing read and a beautiful end to this whirlwind of a trilogy. Langlais has earned a spot on my watch list and I am making an effort to read everything she comes out with now because of this series.

I give Hell’s Revenge 5 Stars

Explore This!: Havana, Cuba

Jackie — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:00:25 +0000

Today, I’m whisking you all off to Havana, Cuba. Personally speaking, Cuba has always been a place that I knew would have beautiful spots, but was also a country that invoked fear at the thought of visiting. The common knowledge (rumour?) that police walk around with machine guns and the fear of doing anything wrong (even by accident) just made it seem less than appealing as a vacation destination.

To be honest, my inspiration for today’s post, Peggy Blair’s The Beggar’s Opera (I believe it’s Canadian release only so far, but keep an eye out for it), doesn’t do much to allay my fears. It did make me curious, however, to check out the sites. If you all promise to hold my hand, when can begin our tour now:

Plaza de la Catedral

Chinatown in Havana

Playas del Este

Havana night life.

A British war ship in Havana Bay. It was the first allowed in since prior to 1959.

The Capitol Building

Coco taxis. How cute are these?!

The Malécon

The requisite night shot: the Paseo de Prado

Have any of you been to Cuba? Is it as scary as rumour would have us believe? Should I change my mind and give it a try one of these day? I’m a big fan of beating stereotypes, so would be very agreeable to change with some positive feedback here

Guest Post: Djinns on my Brain by Mina Khan + Giveaway

Alisha — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:12 +0000

We’re excited to welcome paranormal romance author Mina Khan to BLI today! She stops by to talk a bit about her childhood in Bangladesh, including one particular summer during which she had a brush with an unexplainable and magical occurrence. Those experiences helped later shape her storytelling and inform the mystique of her tales about djinns! So without further ado…welcome, Mina!

——-

Thanks Alisha & Book Lovers Inc., for inviting me to share my favorite paranormal creature with your readers.

My debut novella, The Djinn’s Dilemma (Harlequin 2011), featured a djinn-human hybrid assassin who falls for his human target and must keep her alive from the bad guys. My second novella, A Tale of Two Djinns (coming out March 2012), is a Romeo & Juliet story involving warring djinn families, feminists & a happy ending! ☺

So yes, I have djinns on my brain. They are part of my story-psyche.

“Djinn,” pronounced “gin,” are the same as genies. They are supernatural creatures of “smokeless flames” with deep roots in the Middle Eastern mythology that preceded Islamic culture, and their stories spread not only in the Middle East, but far into Asia and Africa.

Growing up in Bangladesh (located on the Indian sub-continent), I was surrounded by the idea of djinns. I grew up in a house supposedly built at a crossroads of the djinn and human world, nourished on skin-tingling tales about these otherworldly supernatural creatures with awesome scary powers–stories of djinns falling obsessively in love with human women and stealing them away from their families, stories where humans inadvertently insulted invisible djinns and paid dearly for their mistake, and stories of djinns granting wishes and making impossible dreams come true.

My imagination has always been very active, and after such stories I’d see shadows looming on the walls and catch flitting movement from the corner of my eye. In other words, I’d be deliciously scared silly. And I would beg for more stories from my grandmother and aunts.

But for a long time, the stories remained stories. Then one summer my family visited Faridpur, my mother’s village in Bangladesh. Only one or two houses in the neighborhood had color television back then. So, though we were invited to dinner at an aunt’s house, my cousins and I (we were about 11 or 12) remained at another relative’s house to watch an episode of MacGyver (yes, I’m dating myself).

After the show, we trekked our way to dinner. While the village had electricity, street lights didn’t exist at every corner and it was very dark. We had a kerosene lantern to light our way, and some of the older cousins gleefully told stories of djinns and ghosts.

At one point we had to pass a small family graveyard. As we walked past, two fiery balls hurtled out of the dark and crossed our paths, merely inches from our faces. Absolute silence held for a long moment. Without any discussion, we broke into a run and screamed all the way to my aunt’s house. To this day, I don’t know what exactly we saw that night…but I can recall the bone-liquefying terror.

Since then, I believe there are many things in this world we can’t explain. I believe stories can hide a greater truth and words have power. I write to explore the depth of my nightmares and the breadth of my imagination. I write to make sense of the world.

So what stories did you grow up with? Have you ever had a brush with something extraordinary?

Author Bio:
Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she’s raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband.
She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction. Her debut novella, THE DJINN’S DILEMMA was published November 2011. A second novella, A TALE OF TWO DJINNS, will be available March 2012.

Where to find Mina:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The Djinn’s Dilemma

Rukh O’Shay, half-djinn and assassin, is used to taking out the bad guys. But his latest assignment, Sarah White, is nothing like he expected. A glimpse of her bright aura reveals her gentle spirit, while her luscious beauty clouds his mind and makes him long for only one thing—to taste her.

Sarah shares the feeling of raw desire at Rukh’s touch. He can turn her on with a glance, and satisfies desires she didn’t even know she had. But Rukh had been hired to kill her—and the only way to save her is to find out who wants her dead before someone else finishes the job…

Find it at Goodreads - Amazon – Publisher Website - Barnes and Noble

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~~Giveaway~~

To celebrate Mina’s visit to BLI, two lucky commenters will win an ebook copy of The Djinn’s Dilemma!

All you have to do is leave a question for Mina or answer her own question to you, noted above: what stories did you grow up with? Have you ever had a brush with something extraordinary?

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, February 25th, 2012; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

Sunday Cravings

Anna — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:00:44 +0000

What a week this one has been! I mean I don’t remember the last time I was so stressed over things and honestly I’m so, so glad that this week has finally come to an end! How were things for you? How was that super cold week for all Book Lovers in Europe?

Bookwise, the week to come is quite rich on new releases and the final week of February I think the best one to come! So, grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage (if it’s really cold were you are!) and let’s see what our Sunday Cravings for this week are!

Caro: A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth — a would-be creator is determined to make his (or her) own demons. But it can’t be done without Rachel’s blood.

As a bounty hunter, Rachel has battled vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more. But humanity itself might be her toughest challenge.

I cannot WAIT for A Perfect Blood! I am a Kim Harrison addict and it’s been driving me crazy to wait a year for it. It’s no news that I have a soft spot for Trent (<3) so I am very excited. *g* *bouncing* I might ridicule myself and squee in the street when this pretty hits my mailbox *g*

Anna and Caro: Shadows by Jennifer Armentrout

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Anna: It’s not a big secret I absolutely adore Jennifer Armentrout!So naturally, this Lux novella is high on my list of priorities! Love me some hot alien guy!

Caro: I am also super excited about Shadows. I am reading Obsidian and I’m already completely hooked. This prequel sounds really fun.

Alisha: Tempted by Blood by Laurie London

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two vampire coalitions: Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors. Original.

By golly, I really need to get on that Sweetblood train, because there have been a lot of good things said about it.

Which are the books from next week’s releases you can’t possibly wait to read? Let us know in your comments

The Stressed Out Winner Post

Stella — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:00:55 +0000

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick dash and run winner post today as I’m too stressed out because of my exam, so you will have to do without my chatting away this week. Yeah I know, you must miss it lol

So this week congratulations are in order for…

the lucky winner of an ebook copy of Melt by Natalie Anderson is: Yadira A.

the lucky winner of an ebook copy of Priestess of the Nile by Veronica Scott is: Rachel Vessar

the lucky winner of an ebook copy of The Devil of Jedburgh by Claire Robyns is: ChandraGay

the lucky winner of an ebook copy of Ride with Me by Ruthie Kno is: JenM

Congratulations winners, you have been notified by e-mail of your win. You have 72 hours to get back to us, or we’ll have to draw a new winner.

Enjoy your Sunday and me I go back to studying…

Book Lovers Inc.

Romance and Me: What do you love the most about Historical Romance?

Review: Circle of Desire by Carla Swafford

Interview with Carla Swafford + Giveaway

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Review: Horizon by Sophie Littlefield

New Releases: February 20-26, 2012

Review: Hell’s Revenge by Eve Langlais

Explore This!: Havana, Cuba

Guest Post: Djinns on my Brain by Mina Khan + Giveaway

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Sunday Cravings

The Stressed Out Winner Post

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~~Giveaway~~

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~~Giveaway~~