Random Acts of Kindness - July 2011

The idea behind this is to choose a random person who has signed up through R.A.K. You then purchase a book(s) that is on their wishlist and send it to them. Then hopefully they pay it forward and gift a book to some other random person. And maybe if you're lucky you are gifted a book as well. How fabulous is that?!

This month I received a RAK from Tyra at Tyra's Book Addiction. She sent me Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione! I'm slowly building up my Demonica Series collection. Thanks again, Tyra!

Now lets see your RAK! :-)

Summer Giveaway Hop

Welcome Everyone. First I would like to thank Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Mary at BookHounds for hosting this awesome event!

My giveaway is for $15 worth of books from The Book Depository!

Here are the entry instructions:

• Must be a Google Friend Connect follower of AsianCocoa’s Secret Garden. 
• Fill out the Entry Form below. 
• Optional: Leave a comment so that you know you’ve entered this giveaway 

Contest ends on August 7, 2011 at 11:59 PST. This giveaway is open to both US and International readers as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. One winner will be chosen using Random.org. I will notify the winner by email and they will have 48 hours to reply otherwise a new winner will be chosen. 

Contest has ended.

 

There are many more stops during the Summer Giveaway Hop so be sure to check out all the other wonderful giveaways. Good luck!

In My Mailbox

This In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren inspired by Alea. For those of you who are not familiar with In My Mailbox, it is a showcase of the books you have received for review, have purchased, or have picked up at the library during the week.

Almost Perfect Used Books:

Borders:

This is what I bought from the used book store:

The First Book of Grimm by Shiloh Walker
Shifters Series by Rachel Vincent:
Rogue
Pride
Prey
Shift
Alpha

I wasn't impressed with the Borders discounts but I had a gift card that I needed to use so this is what I bought:

The Fallen: Demon by Kristina Douglas (I had the ebook but I really like the cover so I bought the paperbook.)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Douglass ( I need to see what all the fuss is about.)
Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison
A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Meredith Duran
The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons by Katie Macalister
Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf
This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost


That's it for me. What did you all get this week?

Review: CRY FOR ME by Charlotte DeCorte

Cry for Me
by Charlotte DeCorte
Publisher: DelSin Publishing, LLC
Release Date: July 11, 2011

Ava is emotionally complicated. Sevastian is emotionally repressed. To ease the burdens of their high-stress lives, they like to play violent dominance and submission games. However, one night things go too far. How will Ava and Sevastian come to terms with the dark knowledge that it's not all just fun and games but a new way of life?

***This novella contains violent sex, spanking, light bondage, along with dominance and submission themes. It is meant for adults who enjoy reading about unconventional relationships.***
~ Goodreads

Cry for Me is the unconventional love story of Ava and Sevastian. These two are both left brained, workaholics that let the pursuit of work consume their lives. They are both independently wealthy and don’t allow themselves time for romantic entanglements. Sevastian has a strict set of days and times that he devotes to his love interest and many women have felt that this odd regimen was too stingy and would eventually end their relationship with him. As a fellow workaholic and commitment phobe, Ava had no problem with these strict rules. 

Sevastian and Ava are both “strange” characters with very complicated emotions. In the midst of difficult work projects, Ava would become so consumed with her work that she would become trapped in her own head.  She went through long periods of not feeling any emotions and going days without eating. Sevastian who is publicly aloof and unemotional found it liberating to be able to come alive during his violent scenes with Ava. She needs pain to open up the trap door to her over analytical head so she can get back to reality and get back in touch with her emotions. What I love about these characters is how they were able to open up to each other and explore the things that bring them happiness and joy.

Charlotte DeCorte’s (aka Claudia D. Christian) novella is packed full of love and emotional triumph. Outstanding writing and multi-dimensional characters give this story it’s darkly beautiful edge. Cry for Me is a dark love story with intense, sometimes violent love scenes. Sevastian is a sadist and Ava is a masochist and that’s what makes them perfect complements for one another. The relationship isn’t conventionally perfect or pretty but it is what works for these characters and makes them happy. Cry for Me may seem like a brutal love story from the outside but once you get to know Ava and Sevastian and delve deeper into their relationship you realize the depth of their love and understanding of each other’s needs.

Cry for Me gets 4 dragons.

Feature: Provoke Me by Cari Quinn

"Provoke Me was a very steamy  read and if all of Cari Quinn's Books are like this one, I'll make sure to keep a towel handy" -Bells From Hanging with Bells

Provoke Me

Book 2 in the Unveiled series

Author: Cari Quinn

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

ISBN:  9781419933653Genre:  Erotic Romance

Format:  ebook

Length:  Plus Novel

Release date:  June 22, 2011

Sometimes extreme provocation can lead to exactly what you need...

Attracted. Kelly's focus is the bookstore she manages. Sex is relegated to a list of candidates on her PDA. Only one man pushes all her buttons—her boss.

Fascinated. Spencer is determined to fight his desire for Kelly. For years they've bumped heads over the store they both love. But there's more than one reason their getting together is complicated.

Provoked. When Kelly and Spencer unexpectedly meet up at a sex club, all the rules go out the window. Suddenly there's only way this match of wills can end —naked, preferably all night long. In this battle for sexual supremacy, there are two winners—and two losers when their stubbornness leads to the very thing each dreads most. Excerpt:

"Provoke Me has all the ingredients to keep you turning the pages, a complete mix of hot sensual smutty goodness! Cari Quinn's Series is gritty and provocative" -Tigris From Tigris Eden's Garden of Books-

Available to buy at:

Ellora's Cave

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Find Cari Quinn at:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Blog

GoodReads

Romancing the Muses (blogging on Friday)

Email address:  CariQuinnAuthor@gmail.com

Cari Quinn's Book List 

Coming Soon to Ellora's Cave 

HOT TEXT

Sometimes what you think you want and what you need are two very different things...

As a technical editor, Jeffrey Maddox deals with plenty of words, leaving him few to spare on people. The one person he can't hold at arm's length is his baby sister. Keeping Daisy from wrecking her newly rehabbed life by shacking up with her older married lover, Lonny, is the only reason he would impulsively borrow Lonny's phone and text his wife, Karyn. And then, meet with her at a coffee shop on a snowy night, ostensibly to convince her to stay with her philandering husband...

Join us on the following dates for this Mini Holiday Tour

July 25th   AsianCocoa's Secret Garden

July 25th   Tigris Eden's Garden of Books

July 26th  Drens B Spot

July 26th  The Order of Smut Vixens

July 27th  Love To Read For Fun 

July 27th  Hanging With Bells

July 29th  Smash Attack

July 29th  Larissa's Life

Winner - BlogFest 2011

Thank you to everyone who entered. I had a wonderful turnout for my first BlogFest giveaway.
The winner was picked using Random.org
An e-mail has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to contact me.

Congratulations 

to

Laurie Brown!!!

Review: LILY MINE by Annabel Joseph

Lily Mine
by Annabel Joseph

Publisher: Scarlet Rose Press

Release Date: June 30, 2011  

When Lily wends her way down the country lane to Lilyvale Manor, she hopes the coincidence of names bodes well, for she is in dire straits. She's been disowned by her London family and finds herself desperately in need of a job.

Lord Ashbourne is equally at ends, his fiancée having jilted him for a commoner and run off to the Continent. Her powerful society family is determined to delay the breaking scandal in order to save the younger sister's prospects. When a servant leads Lily to his parlor, James is astonished to discover how closely she resembles the missing lady of the manor.

He hatches a plan, convincing Lily to play his absent wife & to keep the gossips at bay. He reassures her it will be in name only, but soon enough, playacting turns to real attraction, and friendship to aching, mounting desire. The strictures of society and unforeseen tragedy combine to test the pair's forbidden love, even as they are driven ever closer into one another's arms.

This novel contains spanking, light bondage, and light BDSM elements.

~ From Goodreads

Annabel Joseph’s latest novel, Lily Mine is a historical fantasy that takes place in England during the mid 1820’s. Twenty-one year old, Lily Kendall has just been disowned by her father for an indiscretion that has caused him to lose his job. Lily makes her way from London to the English countryside to seek employment as a gardener. Her dream is to one day have her own greenhouse and flower shop. After turning down several offers of housekeeping work she is directed deeper into the countryside towards Lilyvale Manor to inquire about gardening work.

After asking to speak with the head gardener or mistress of the house she finds herself in the main parlor being introduced to James Atherton, Earl of Ashebourne. Lily feels an immediate attraction and James feels shocked at the uncanny resemblance to his wife that has been lost to him. James hires Lily to be his gardener, but after she leaves he decides to make another bolder proposal. As a doppelganger to his wife, Lilliana, he decides to ask Lily to act as his wife either until she returns or until the next year. In exchange he will set her up with her own greenhouse and flower shop. She agrees to this name only arrangement but soon the sexual tension between them becomes too great to ignore and James and Lily give in to their primal urges. There are scenes of bondage, spanking and cropping.

I really liked Lily’s honesty when she was able to articulate her feelings. And I really loved James’ quiet, calm but dominant personality. I thought he paced himself well. He wasn’t overpowering and didn’t push Lily beyond her comfort zone which surprisingly went further than he thought. The mind games were absent from this novel which was refreshing. But there were some external conflicts that had the potential to derail their love affair. And James taught Lily how to read and write which made me love him more. Once she learned how to read she would sneak up into the attic to read his “porn” collection. She was such a naughty girl.

Lily Mine was a really sweet love story with very light BDSM elements. I didn’t really like James at first because he seemed a little cold and calculating in the beginning. But as he opened up to Lily I saw him in a better light. I was rooting for Lily to get her happily ever after because she was such a deserving person. There was a nice twist of fate at the end of the book that really made this an enjoyable read. Lily Mine was a great historical romance that would appeal to any erotica romance junkie. This novel gets 4 dragons.

In My Mailbox

This In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren inspired by Alea. For those of you who are not familiar with In My Mailbox, it is a showcase of the books you have received for review, have purchased, or have picked up at the library during the week.

 

Giveaway Wins:
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Blood Magic by Tessa Grafton 
(Big Thanks to Lori from Pure Imagination!!)

Human Blend by Lori Pescatore
Blood of a Werewolf by T. Lynne Tolles + cool swag!
Russian Roulette by Mike Faricy
Shadows of Destiny by Gale Minchew
Tracking Shadows by Regan Black + cool swag!
Amazon Gift Card
(Big Thanks to Laurie from Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews!!)

Forever Freed by Laura Kaye + cool swag! (Thank you Laura!!)
SoloPlay by Miranda Baker + cool swag & Gift cards! (Thank you Miranda!!)

Gifts:
Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

(Big Thanks to Tyra from Tyra's Book Addiction!!)

 

Bought:
The Fallen: Demon  by Kristina Douglas
Cry for Me by Charlotte Decorte



What did you all get!?

BlogFest 2011 Giveaway

Hello Everyone and welcome to my stop on this wonder BlogFest 2011 journey! And a great big huge thank you to our hostess, Cinnamon at A Journey of Books  for organizing this event.

Here's what you could win - 
The Fallen: Raziel & The Fallen: Demon by Kristina Douglas

Here are the entry instructions:

• Must be a Google Friend Connect follower of AsianCocoa’s Secret Garden. 
• Fill out the Entry Form below. 
• Optional: Leave a comment so that you know you’ve entered this giveaway 

Contest ends on July 17, 2011 at 11:59 PST. This giveaway is open to both US and International readers as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. One winner will be chosen using Random.org. I will notify the winner by email and they will have 48 hours to reply otherwise a new winner will be chosen. 

There are many more stops during BlogFest 2011 so be sure to check out all the other wonderful giveaways. Good luck!

The next 5 stops are: 

Authors By Authors
Baba's Farm Life
Becks Book Picks
Being Tazim
Believing is Seeing

Head over to A Journey of Books for a complete list of all the participating blogs.

Good luck!

Review: BACKSTAGE PASS by Olivia Cunning

Backstage Pass
by Olivia Cunning

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Release Date: October 1st 2010

Series: Sinners On Tour, Book 1

It's been months since Brian Sinclair, lead guitarist for the famous rock band, Sinners, composed anything. Unable to write the music that once flowed so naturally, Brian is lost without his musical mojo. But when sexy psychology professor Myrna Evans comes on tour to study groupie mentality, Brian may have found the spark he needs to reignite his musical genius. When lust turns to love, will Brian be able to convince Myrna that what they have is more than just a fling, and that now that he's found his heart's muse, he doesn't want to live without her?

~ Goodreads

This is book one of a new series that centers on a rock band called the Sinners. Backstage Pass is Brian Sinclair’s story. He is the lead guitar player and main song writer of the group. Myrna Evans is a psychology professor who has a PhD in Human Sexuality. She uses music as a teaching tool in her lectures and is quite an expert in rock music. Coincidentally she is at a teaching seminar and staying in the same hotel as the Sinners. Her decision to go to the hotel bar leads her to run into one of her favorite bands and meeting the members of the group.

She is instantly attracted to Brian even though he is shit-faced drunk. Myrna invites him to her hotel room with promises of a remedy to help him get over his hangover. No sex takes place that first night but the next morning is a different story. Myrna only intends for their encounter to be a one-time event but this is only the beginning of their daily marathon, sexcapades.

Brian is a hopeless romantic despite the fact that he has just had his heart broken. He falls head over heels in love with Myrna almost immediately. Making love to Myrna brings out his muse and soon he begins writing music again. With no paper in sight, Brian begins to write the music that he hears onto Myrna’s back, chest, and stomach. How sweet is it to have a man so inspired by making love to you that he writes the musical notes all over your body? 

“I’d cuddle with you, but I don’t want to sweat off my riff and solo.”

She laughed. “That must be the first time that excuse has ever been used to avoid after-sex cuddling.”

He took her face between both hands and kissed her reverently. Never had she been kissed reverently before.

“It’s the truth, though. I’d love to hold you close for hours.”

She smiled. A sweet sex god. What more could a girl want? He kissed her again.

“Ah Myrna,” her murmured. “I think my muse resides deep, deep inside you.”

“You sure know how to use her in exactly the right way.”

~ Brian & Myrna

I loved how open the band members were with their sexuality. It was so refreshing to see a heroine be so uninhibited and open-minded. Myrna, who is dubbed "Professor Sex" by the band, was a bold professional woman with no sexual hang-ups. Brian was a sweet lovesick man that completely wore his heart on his sleeve and was not afraid to show his love for Myrna. There was a whole lot of sex with some ménages thrown in to spice things up. But intertwined with the marathon sex sessions was a tender love story about a sexy romantic rock star and an equally sexy, love-phobic older woman, who journey together to find true love.

I enjoyed the mix of sex, love and rock and roll in this novel. Olivia Cunning did an amazing job creating her multi dimensional characters. The main love story was about Myrna and Brian but the introduction of the other band members and hints of their pending stories was seamless. This is a great contemporary romance for fans that like their sex scenes extra spicy. 

Backstage Pass gets 4.5 dragons!

Skyrockets in Flight, Blog Hop Delight Winner

Congratulations 

to

Gloria Schumann!!!

This was my first blog hop giveaway and I had a wonderful turnout. Thank you to everyone who entered. 
The winner was picked using Random.org
An e-mail has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to contact me.

Review: OWNING WEDNESDAY by Annabel Joseph

Owning Wednesday  

by Annabel Joseph
Release Date: April 5th 2011
Publisher: Loose ID

Wednesday has been with Vincent, her dominant, for five years. His detached ownership of her feels more like understanding than love, but she has thrilled under his hands all the same. When Vincent decides it's time to end their formalized relationship, Wednesday is lost.

But another man watches from afar, determined to make her his own. This man, Daniel, demands much more from Wednesday than the uncomplicated obedience she offered Vincent. What's more, he shares a complex secret with Vincent, with Wednesday at its core.

Can Wednesday bear the excruciating demands of intimacy with her new lover? What will happen when she discovers the secret Daniel and Vincent keep? Most importantly, who owns Wednesday, and what is the difference, ultimately, between being owned and loved?

Warning: This book contains explicit scenes of dominance and submission, discipline & training, bondage, oral & anal sex & double penetration, menage a trois, and both harsh and loving bdsm scenes.

~ Goodreads

Wednesday Carson has been with her dominant Vincent for the last five years. He has trained her to be a perfect submissive. She doesn’t question his commands and even anticipates his wants before he speaks. They have a trust and bond that doesn’t need frivolous romance or emotions to be real.

Vincent takes Wednesday out on a rare date for her birthday. He also decides to share her with a former student of his. Daniel Laurent is a dominant who has been on the lookout for a submissive he could be exclusive with and possibly make his wife. He takes one look at Wednesday and falls hard for her. The attraction between the two is mutual. Wednesday has never felt anything for the other dominants that Vincent has exposed her to. But Daniel is different. He is sexy, virile and much younger than Vincent. She can’t seem to stay focused on pleasing her master. Vincent is not pleased and punishes her for losing herself to Daniel.

Vincent was older than Wednesday and had been training her since she was eighteen or nineteen years old. He was somewhat of a father figure to her. He was very stern and kept his true feelings for her closely guarded. Daniel was the complete opposite of Vincent. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was so sweet and romantic. Wednesday’s childhood was not the greatest and she was not shown a lot of affection. She was confused and conflicted about her feelings for Daniel and struggled with expressing her emotions to him. 

A deal was made between the two men. It was agreed that Vincent would break up with Wednesday and Daniel would take over as her dominant. But Vincent wanted to be kept updated on her well-being. Daniel wasn’t too keen on having to report on Wednesday but he wanted her so much that he agreed to it. Wednesday is clueless as she tries to move on from the breakup. Daniel comes to her rescue to help pick up the pieces of her broken heart. 

Annabel Joseph’s characters are so full of life and I always feel the emotions that the characters are going through. I fell in love with Daniel right along with Wednesday. He was a dominant with a soft heart and very firm hand. He allowed Wednesday some free reign but knew how to put her back in place when needed. I really loved both Wednesday and Daniel and enjoyed watching their love story. And oh my god, the love scenes were steamy, five-alarm fire, HOT. How about getting birched, while tied to a tree, that grows in the middle of the house? Seriously, it was so primal and sexy!

Annabel’s writing skills are superb. She truly is an erotica writing Goddess. If you like your BDSM rough but with a romantic, sweet side read this book now. It was incredible! 

Owning Wednesday gets 5 dragons!

Giveaway: Skyrockets in Flight, Blog Hop Delight!

Welcome to my stop on the Skyrockets in Flight Blog Hop Delight! Thank you to these wonderful blogs for hosting:

Lush Book Reviews
JoJo's Book Corner
Hanging With Bells
Tigris Eden's Garden of Books

My giveaway is for a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift card or $20 worth of books from The Book Depository!

Here are the entry instructions:

• Must be a follower of this blog. 
• Fill out the form. 
• Optional: Leave a comment so that you know you’ve entered this giveaway 

Contest ends on July 10, 2011 at 11:59 PST. This giveaway is open to both US and international peeps. One winner will be chosen using Random.org. I will notify the winner by email and they will have 48 hours to reply otherwise a new winner will be chosen.  

There are many more stops on this blog hop so be sure to check out all the other wonderful giveaways.

Good luck everyone!