Author Interview with Maureen McGowan + Giveaway

Today we welcome to Book Lovers Inc. Maureen McGowan the author behind the very original and fun Twisted Tales series: modern retelling of classic fairy tales with feisty, independent heroines who don’t wait around for their princes to rescue them but take matters into their own hands: like Cinderella training to be a ninja warrior and Sleeping Beauty patrolling as a vampire slayer! Please give a warm welcome to Maureen and enter for your chance to win one of her books.
Stella: Maureen can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
 
Maureen: I’m a recovering accountant who loves shoes and films and art—not to mention books—way more than I ever liked accounting. I secretly always wanted to be an artist or actor or writer, but I was handicapped by an aggressive practical side who thought it was important to earn …

"Really? Bavaria?" – Guest post by Kate Noble + Giveaway

We are very happy to welcome historical romance author Kate Noble here at Book Lovers Inc today. Her newest novel Follow My Lead was just released and I was thrilled to hear where it is set: Bavaria. As a German I often wondered why not more historicals are set in Germany. There actually is enough history to be found in our textbooks. So let’s see what Kate thinks about it. Please give her a warm welcome.
One of the questions I get when I tell people about Follow My Lead is… “seriously? You set this book in Bavaria?”
 
Granted, southern Germany is not the standard locale for a Historical Romance. But my response to the strange looks and curious expressions is: Bavaria is awesome! And pretty! They have glockenspiels and lederhosen and beer! How can you not like Bavaria?!

 
In truth, I was introduced to this region …

Review: Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer by Maureen McGowan

Format read: eARC Number of pages: 320 pages Publisher: Silver Dolphin BooksFormats available: paperbackRelease Date: 1 April 2011 Series: Book #2 in the Twisted Tales seriesSource: review copy provided by publisher through NetGalleyPurchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Book Depository

Blurb:

In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she’s a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no …

Author Interview with Priya Parmar + Giveaway

 

Today I am extremely happy to welcome to BLI and introduce to you a wonderful new author and one of the kindest persons I know: historical fiction author Priya Parmar! Priya’s debut novel Exit the Actress (released in February) takes the reader on an enchanted time travel back to the colourful and buzzing theatre scene of 17th century London. You can read my review of Exit the Actress here, but now please give the warmest welcome to Priya and read on to discover more about her, the novel and all the little secrets behind the writing of the story there is to know 😉 

Stella: Priya can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
 
Priya: I did not plan to write a novel. It just sort happened in a really fun, collective way. I did postgraduate work at the University of Edinburgh …

Nature calls, so winners I leave you

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all having a nice sunny weekend and since the sun has finally decided to come out and be warm after a couple of gray and quite cold days here everyone is taking advantage of the spring weather and spending it outisde. My family has decided to go down to our country cottage too to look after the garden (grumbles) but I hope at least that there will be some quiet time when I can lounge in the sun (or shade if it’s too hot) and read a bit. But I wouldn’t dream of leaving you suffering in my absence not knowing who won this week’s giveaways, so a quick announcement then:

today congratulations are in order for …

The lucky winner of a copy of The Hidden Goddess by M.K. Hobson is: Claudia

Romance and Me: Why Do We Love Those Highlanders?

Hey Everyone!

Something has been constant from the very first historical romance novel I have read (Velvet Angel by Jude Devereaux) when I was about 18 to this day: the kind of hero I find irresistible. The one that always makes me swoon from the very first scene he enters the story and makes my heart and eyelashes flutter:
the Scottish Highlanders!

I bet many of you understand my boundless attraction to them, but for those who need to see the light and understand why Scottish Highlanders are better than any simpering Regency or Edwardian Duke*, here it is:
– they are always warmhearted (no matter how big and strong they are, every single one of them melts in front of little children :-D);
– they are ALWAYS tall, strong, muscular, fierce looking, with chests hard as rock and a colossal height, they are the epitome of virility;
– a woman always …

Author Interview with Gabi Stevens + Giveaway

We are very happy to welcome Gabi Stevens to BLI today! Gabi is the author of the Time of Transition series: a magical contemporary romance series about fairy godmothers! Book #1 The Wish List was released in May 2010 and Book #2 As You Wish was just released on 26 April 2011.

So please give a warm welcome to Gabi and join us in celebrating the release of As You Wish, a modern Beauty and the Beast story! 

The Latin Lover: Gabi can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Gabi: Well, I was born in Southern California to Hungarian parents. I went to boarding school for high school, then college, where I spent my junior year in Germany, then moved to Illinois with my husband for grad school. Over the course of years I learned …

Gloomy Sunday Winners!

Hey Everyone!

Today it is Mothers’ Day in Hungary and though everything (the peonies, lilacs and lily of the valley) is all abloom, today it is gray and raining. Not the beautiful sunny spring day I have been hoping for. 🙁

Have you ever heard of Gloomy Sunday? It is a very famous Hungarian ballad made known in the world due to the film of the same name.

There have been several remakes, I particularly love this version by Heather Nova:

I just came home from my Grandma’s where we had huge yummy Mothers day festive lunch and now all I can do is curl up and take a nap, all this eating burned me out. lol 😀
But before I leave you all to go and take a nap, here are today’s winners! (Take a seat this …

Review: As You Wish by Gabi Stevens

Format read: eARCNumber of pages: 320 pages Publisher: Tor BooksFormats available: paperbackRelease Date: 26 April 2011 Series: Book #2 in the Time of Transition seriesPurchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Book Depository

Blurb:

Born into a magical family, Reggie Scott is content to live out her life as a normal human until the moment she’s informed that she’s a newly appointed fairy godmother. Left struggling to deal with powers the never thought she’d have, Reggie faces a curse, a plot to overthrow the Arcani, and an entirely too enthusiastic mother—all in a matter of days.

Jonathan Bastion is a man of power and wealth—and a dangerous secret. He desperately hopes that Reggie’s new powers will hold the answer to his problem and he isn’t above using her to achieve his goals. What he doesn’t expect is how …

Interview with M.K. Hobson + Giveaway

Today we are happy to welcome to Book Lovers Inc. M.K. Hobson, author of the acclaimed and beloved The Native Star, a unique mix of western, fantasy, steampunk, as some called it a thrilling “witchpunk” novel! Book #2 The Hidden Goddess is to be released in May and Mary kindly agreed to indulge our curiosity and answer our questions.  Please give a warm welcome to M.K. Hobson!

BLI: Mary can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Well, I’m a mom (to both a beautiful 13 year old daughter and a beautiful yellow lab), a wife, and a marketing manager for a large corporation (not necessarily in that order). I love to sew and am particularly fond of historical costuming. And sometimes, in between all that other stuff, I write books and even short stories.

BLI: Describe a typical …