This Week's Giveaway

This Week's Giveaway:

Seduction of the Phoenix

By: Michelle M Pillow

Published By: New Concepts Publishing

Remember, to be entered into the drawing just leave a comment on any post between today and Monday. Winner will be posted next Tuesday :)

If you get a chance, visit Michelle's site, www.michellepillow.com, and her blog, which is updated just about daily :)

~Ali

Winner

This Week's Winner of

Insufficient Mating Material
By: Rowena Cherry
Published By: Love Spell

is:

ChristyJan!

Congratulations, ChristyJan!! Just send me an e-mail at simplyaliblogspot@yahoo.com :)

~Ali

Voting Time - Romance Junkies Writing Contest

The latest news:

This years Romance Junkies Writing Contest is officially started ;-) The first rounds of entries are up ready to be read, voted and commented on.

If you are a reader/author come and check out the first round of entries.

You can vote on as many entries as you like, but you can only vote one time for each entry. You can also send comments into the writer about the work. The writers love getting feedback about their stuff. ;-)

http://www.contestjunkies.com/

Every week a new group of entries will go up for voting. Voting is open only for one week for each group, but even after we close the voting you can still read the entries and send in comments.

Once a week we will be picking random winners from the comments sent in. Those winners will get some goodies from our RJ bookvault.

So come check out the this weeks entries!! Cast your votes!! and tell the writers what you think about their work!!

****

Cast your votes... you never know if you'll be voting for something I wrote... mums the word, lol

****

For today, if you get a chance, visit one of my new favorite authors, Cynthia Eden, at her site, www.CynthiaEden.com.

I first discovered Cynthia when I read her story, Bite of the Wolf, in the Secrets: Volume 15 anthology... remember, right now I'm still obsessed with werewolf stories ;)... Well, Cynthia's story helped feed my craving and right away I bought two more Secret books with her stories included.

Browse around Cynthia's site, and click on her blog link, Romance Blog, where she's just started profiling books from her keeper closet. Leave her a message if you like, and let her know Ali says 'Hi', lol

For today's post, tell me, is there any new authors you've tried and loved?

Don't forget, for commenting on any post by Monday, you'll be entered into this weeks drawing. Info found here.

~Ali

Contest Winner & Contest of the Week

This week's winner of

Secrets: Volume I

is:

aBookworm

Congratulations aBookworm! Just send me an e-mail at simplyaliblogspot@yahoo.com :)

***

This Week's Contest Giveaway:

Insufficient Mating Material

By: Rowena Cherry

Published By: Love Spell

For this giveaway I'll have a question or topic to comment on everyday from today to Monday. Comment on any day between today and Monday and you'll be entered in the drawing. Winner will be announced Tuesday :)

For today, go visit the author of my Book of the Week, Bianca D'Arc's, site at http://www.biancadarc.com/. Check out her current books and let me know which ones interest you... or if tell me if you've already read one of her books :)

Also, be sure to stop by often because you never know when I'll have a surprise quickie contest ;)

~Ali

Book of the Week

Book of the Week:

Warrior's Heart

By: Bianca D'Arc

Published By: Lady Aibell Press

Length: Novella, 56 pgs.

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Blurb from LadyAibell.com:

In love forever with her brother's best friend, Casey thinks she doesn't have a shot with the strong and silent Special Forces unit leader, Hal Halowell. But he's back from a mystical military escapade in the ancient city of Babylon that has left him gifted with strange abilities and things have changed drastically. All bets are off when Casey's life is endangered by the people who are after him and he can no longer deny his need for the woman he's loved secretly since she was just a kid.

***

Come by tomorrow when I post the winner of Secrets: Volume 1, and post a new giveaway :)

~Ali

Bookshelf

Ha, no matter how many books I already have on my to be read list, I can't stop myself from adding more :)

So, here are the books I've added last week:

From Amazon.com:

*Summer Pleasures by Nora Roberts, contains two classic novels in one

*Dipped in Chocolate by Renee Luke, a single author anthology

*Their Million Dollar Night by Katherine Garbera, published by Silhouette Desire

*Hell With the Ladies by Julie Kenner, Kathleen O'Reilly, and Dee Davis

*Prince of Twilight by Maggie Shayne

*Surf's Up by Nina Bangs, MaryJanice Davidson, and Janelle Denison

*Unleashed by Rebecca York, Susan Kearney, Diane Whiteside, and Lucy Monroe

*Love at First Bite by Sherrilyn Kenyon, L.A. Banks, Susan Squires, and Ronda Thompson

From Changeling Press:

*Wolf Bound by Sierra Dafoe

From Samhain Publishing:

*Bad Moon Rising by Leeanne Kenedy

Also:

*Voyeur by Lacey Alexander

*Isosceles Triangle by Summer Alan, published by Cobblestone Press

*Penance by Lorie O'Clare, published by Ellora's Cave

*Man With a Past by Kay Stockham

*Bedding the Heiress by Cathy Maxwell

*Wicked Pleasure by Nina Bangs

*Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep

*Murder, Mystery, and Mistletoe by Samantha Storm

***

Don't forget to enter this weeks contest. Find the information here

~Ali

Contest

Let me first announce this week's Contest

This week I'm giving away:

Secrets: Volume I

The Best in Women's Sensual Fiction

Published by:

Red Sage Publishing

With stories from authors:

Alice Gaines

Bonnie Hamre

Ivy Landon

Jeanie LeGendre

For this giveaway, just post anytime between today and Monday and I'll enter you in a drawing. Winner will be posted on Tuesday, when I'll announce the next giveaway. Have a great week!

~Ali

Weekend Winner

This weekends winner of

Eye of the Storm

by

Samantha Storm

is:

Lenz

Yay, Lenz :)

Send me an e-mail at simplyaliblogspot@yahoo.com.

Come back on Wednesday and check out the mountain of books I've added to my bookshelf along with a new contest :)

~Ali

Contest Winner

The Winner of Odin Stone by Marie Morin

is:

Stacia!

Congratulations, Stacia :)

E-mail me at simplyaliblogspot@yahoo.com, and I'll get that out to you :)

~Ali

Ali's Review: Eye of the Storm

Eye of the Storm

By: Samantha Storm

Published By: New Concepts Publishing

Length: pgs in print, Novel

Formats: ebook and Print

Grade: A

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Katlin Campbell was living an average life, as average as one could as a Talent. In spite of the fact that her father was well known for being a strong Talent with varying mental powers, Katlin feels barely a fraction of that gift. She's going to need any and all Talents about her, though, when she's soon thrown into havoc after a deadly explosion. Trying to help a dying man, Katlin is soon overwhelmed with information he's mentally passing on to her.

Ryker Duncan is out for revenge on those who've hurt him. A man haunted by his past, he's finally found someone who may hold the knowledge he needs. Watching the man he's been guarding die and passing his knowledge on to Katlin, Ryker realizes that his plan has just taken a turn for the worse. Believing he can use Katlin as bait instead, Ryker quickly persuades her that he can protect her as they go on the run. He'll realize that it may be an even harder job to protect her heart and his before it's too late. With sparks flying between them, do they have a future together, or will one of them get burned?

Eye of the Storm will engross you with is great paranormal plot, as it brings you into a world where Talents, people with extraordinary gifts, live among us in secret. This story moves forward at a great pace with action, character development, and romance. Chemistry slowly builds between Katlin and Ryker as they try to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.

You'll love reading about the growth, not only in the relationship between Ryker and Katlin, but within themselves, as well. Katlin changes from a victim thrown into chaos to a fighter, learning more about her special Talent and strength. For Ryker, he must overcome his past in order to have any chance of moving forward.

Samantha Storm has a way with words, drawing you into her story and engaging you as a reader. You will be absorbed from beginning to end with its suspense. This is a well written story with character depth, where even the villians are three-dimensional.

This book is definitely a recommended read!

Check out this and other novels by Samantha Storm on her site, www.SamanthaStorm.com. There you can read about Samantha's current and future releases. Her next release will come out later this month at New Concepts Publishing, Shadow Vision. And, if you want to bother Sam, e-mail her at sam@samanthastorm.com, and tell her I sent you, lol :) Seriously, Samantha is a hoot to chat with. I got a chance to meet her at Romantic Times, and was laughing during most of our conversation :) If you go to her website, under News, she has a link to some RT photos she has. There, she's posted a picture of herself, author Marie Harte, and me at the lounge. You can also catch Samantha on an online diary she shares with other authors at www.ButterscotchMartiniGirls.com

~Ali

Fun Friday

Here's a recent list of books I've added to my bookshelf ;)

Went shopping online at one of my favorite stores, Amazon.com, and had to buy a book from one of my first auto-buy authors, Diana Palmer.

I first discovered Diana when I was about fifteen at the used book store. Immediately, I had to buy all the books I could find by her. Later on, when I saw how many books were on her backlist, I started shopping on ebay.com :) lol. Though I may not have time to read all her recent release, I still buy them... while hunting for the ones I don't have ;)

Amazingly, I forgot to buy her September release... so I made sure to buy her book and some others ;)

*Heartbreaker by Diana Palmer, Silhouette Desire

*Wild Thing anthology by Maggie Shayne, Marjorie M Liu, Alyssa Day, & Meljean Brook, Berkley Sensation

*Mind Games 1: Mine Over Matter by Kai Andersen, Samhain Publishing

Some more shopping on eHarlequin.com added to my bookshelf:

*Before Sunrise by Diana Palmer, HQN

*Outsider by Diana Palmer, HQN

If you didn't know by now, I'm very much a Samhain Publishing fan...

*Check out their site at www.samhainpublishing.com, and know that I've purchased every book for the last three weeks! lol

Other books added to my shelf are:

*License to Thrill by Lori Wilde, Warner Forever


So, let me know what books you've added to your bookshelf, and I'll put you in a drawing for a print book by Samantha Storm... and, if you want to get a taste of Samantha's work, buy her short story at Love You Divine, Feet of Clay, for only $1.70. E-mail me, at simplyaliblogspot@yahoo.com, with the last sentenance of the story and I'll enter you in twice. Winners will be drawn on Monday :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Stop by tomorrow when I share my thoughts on Eye of the Storm by Samantha Storm.

~Ali

#8 Thursday Thirteen: Thirteen More Blogs to Visit

Thirteen More Blogs Ali likes to vist :) Had problems getting onto blogger, so had to do this last minute :)) So, if you're just srufing the net, be sure to visit one of these blogs. 1. Romance Reader at Heart Ponderings Blog 2. Love is an Exploding Cigar 3. Muse-News-Loose-Screws 4. The Midnight Hour 5. Michelle Pillow 6. Double Darkness 7. Dear Author 8. Sherrill Quinn 9. Novel Challenges 10. Sasha White 11. Plot Monkeys 12. Romance Bandits 13. Callapidder Days There you go... more blogs to visit if you want to procrastinate some more, lol ;) ~Ali Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

This Week's Giveaway

This Week's Giveaway:

Odin Stone

By: Marie Morin

Published By: New Concepts Publishing

Length: Novel

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Blurb from NewConceptsPublishing.com:

Compelled by her gift of ‘sight’ to search for a link to the past, Anna crosses paths with Simon, a man with a dark and tortured past who is as much of an enigma to her as the visions that haunt her.
Certain that she is way out of her league with a man as handsome, wealthy, and worldly as Simon Weston, as a moth to the flame, she is drawn to him irresistibly. But is it benign fate that draws her to him? Or a dark cycle of love, passion, betrayal, and devastating loss that can never be broken?

Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, explicit language, and graphic violence.

***How do you win?***

Just comment in any post from today to Saturday and I'll enter you in a drawing for a print copy of Odin Stone. Winner will be chosen on Sunday!

For today, go on and visit my Book of the Week author, Samantha Storm, at http://www.samanthastorm.com, and read her current book excerpts under the book link. Post here and let me know which excerpt you enjoyed ;)

Stop by tomorrow when I share the latest additions to my bookshelf.

~Ali

Book of the Week

Book of the Week:

Eye of the Storm

By: Samantha Storm

Published By: New Concepts Publishing

Length: Novel

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Blurb from NewConceptsPublishing.com:


A storm is brewing in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada. A loud clap of thunder rumbles nearby and lightening streaks across dark clouds. A stream of raindrops slide down the window as a man sits in his car and waits. He is on a desperate mission. His daughter Katlin may have inherited his mental gifts, which means she will be forced to join the organization. He vows to keep both his children from the dark world that entangles his life and his future.

Ten years later, a car bomb hurls Katlin Campbell into a world of chaos. She is forced to go on the run, her head filled with dangerous information passed onto her by a dying man. Her only chance of survival--Ryker Duncan, a retired bodyguard. A man interested only in keeping her alive long enough to find a way to retrieve and sell the information in her head to the highest bidder. Only Ryker can't seem to keep his hands off her....


Rating: Contains violence, adult language, and explicit sexual content.

*****

Stop by tomorrow for information on the next giveaway :)

~Ali

Kai Andersen's Mine Over Matter Winner!

Kai Andersen's Winner

of

Mind Games 1: Mine Over Matter

is...

Sheila

Whoo-hoo, Sheila! Huge Congrats :) Just drop me a note at simplyaliblogspot@yahoo.com and we'll get that out to you.

Be sure to check out more about Mind Games 1: Mine Over Matter at Kai's website, www.kai-andersen.com.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my Book of the Week :)

~Ali

Simply Interviewed: Kai Andersen

This week, I got to interview Kai Andersen, author of Dreamscape I: Perchance to Dream from StarDust Press, and the recent print release of Mind Games 1: Mine Over Matter from Samhain Publishing.

*Ali: Hi, Kai, and thank you for doing this interview with me.

*Ali: Kai, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Kai Andersen: I'm a very ordinary person, but the one thing people find extraordinary about me is that I love to write. They couldn't understand how I could sit in front of the laptop for hours and don't get tired. What they don't know is that the characters in my head hold my attention and that their lives are so full of color and splendor and adventure that I hate to leave every time. I wrote my first book Tales of Enchantment 1: The Question of Royalty in 2003, an adult fairy tale of passion and power that was published in 2004, and I've never looked back.


*Ali: This week my Book of the Week is Dreamscape I: Perchance to Dream from StarDust Press. Can you tell about this story, and how this series came about?

KA: Heath Sullivan is a man of honor and strong principles. He believes in doing what was right, even if the entire world is against him. And when he meets Erica Langdan, he knows they are meant to be together, though their two families are sworn enemies. If only he could convince his lady of that fact. But how could he do so, when she barred him from her office and refused to answer his calls? Well, good thing he has one trick up his sleeve: he can walk in her dreams, and in the dream landscape, he has control, for he is the Dream Master.

Delicious dreams. If I were Erica, I wouldn't want to wake up! LOL Actually, this idea came from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. (Did I say I love to read fantasy?) In his books, there's one character who can walk in dreams. I then got to thinking, wouldn't it be great if the hero could do that? What if he seduced his lady in her dreams? This idea fascinated me, and it took off from there.

*Ali: You've had some great releases recently, first your Loose Id release of The Collector: Love Cure and then your print release with Samhain Publishing, Mind Games 1: Mine Over Matter, how exciting it must have been for you. How do you take it all in? Do you celebrate with a dinner out or other?

KA: I still can't believe it!!! It's so exciting to see Mine Over Matter IN PRINT and in Amazon. Woo hoo!!! Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Over-Matter-Mind-Games/dp/159998394X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5101413-9297631?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180268710&sr=1-1

Celebrate? Yes, of course. I decided to take a weekend break from writing and we went for a movie and dinner. Nothing terribly romantic, but it's nice to let my hair down and spend some quiet time with family.

*Ali: Looking at your bookshelf, I see that you have four different series. Do you prefer writing series over stand alone books?

KA: Not really. You could say, they evolved into series books. Like, there's this one book I'd planned to be a stand alone, but some of the secondary characters talked to me and guess what? There are now 2 more planned books in that series. How could you say "no" to a secondary character who tells you "Please write my story, please write my story" every time you visit her world? The first book is the story of Valerie in Immortal Knights 1: Seduced, soon to release from StarDust Press.

However, I do admit that writing series books allows the author to flesh out the world of the characters and even gives us further insight into the characters' lives after the book. Like, for example, in Heart of the Woolf, I'm sure you're all dying to know about Jake's and Adrienne's lives after the book ended, right? Wouldn't you also like to read more about Jared and Marcy? I must admit I'm excited to know about this particular couple's story too.

I'm currently plotting and writing the sequels to all these series--not all at the same time though. My brain can only do so much and I have only one pair of hands! LOL I'm currently doing the sequel to HOTW and hopefully, it'll see publication soon.

*Ali: Do you have any news you'd like to share on something your working on or your next release?

KA: My next release would most probably be Immortal Knights 1: Seduced from StarDust Press, although I don't have a definite date yet. Here's a short introduction:

Alexander Morgan, vampire extraordinaire, is doing the world a great service by restoring the balance between humans and vampires through his research. But someone is out to stop him, someone who has a great deal to lose and will stop at nothing to make sure Alex is silenced forever.

Things get complicated when he met Valerie Curtis in a cemetery of all places. Her unconscious grace made him think of bed, with her long, long legs wrapped tight around his waist. He couldn’t control the strong stirring against his suddenly snug jeans or the lust that held him close in its grip.

Valerie’s life was one long winter for ten years, ever since her beloved husband John had died. Her passionate nature was locked up within a shell of pure hard ice… until the night she met Alex.

Alex roused needs and yearnings in her that sliced through the ice surrounding her heart. His seductive voice and strong advances forced her to face the passion and the desires that she’d buried years ago. She was inexorably drawn to him, unable to resist the tempting lure of the feelings and sensations he was evoking within her.

Would she be Seduced by this Immortal Knight? When his enemies caught up with them, would she be able to keep him?

I do believe there's an excerpt on my website: http://www.kai-andersen.com/WIP_IKS.htm

*Ali: Finally, when you find time to read, what are some of your favorite or most recent reads?

I read mainly a mixture of romance and fantasy books. I've just finished the last instalment of the Tears of Artamon by Sarah Ash. Great series! Next, I'll be reading Bad Boys with Expensive Toys by Nancy Warren, MaryJanice Davidson and Karen Kelley. I expect a good read based on the back blurb alone!

*Ali: Thanks again for this interview, Kai :)

KA: You're welcome!

*****

There you have it folks, a little insight into the world of Kai Andersen :) I have my fingers crossed for the next Woolf Series book. Check out all her releases at www.kai-andersen.com. Now, as a treat for today, we're giving away Kai's latest print copy of Mind Games 1: Mine Over Matter! All you have to do is post today or tomorrow and I'll draw a winner on Sunday :) I've got my print copy and now you have a chance to get your own :)