BOOKS AND BLOGGING PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is defined as a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought. Well, my theory is if I can add at least 10 new books to my Wishlist and move at least 5 older Wishlist selections to my TBR list every month, then life is a ice cream sundae. And if I can find those 10 books from at least 5 new blogs each month then that's the cherry on top.

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!
Well, I've made it almost 5 years now, so for better or worse, I continue on. I tend to blog in spurts as the urge to be creative erupts. As I don't have an artistic bone in my body, you will see very few changes in the layouts. Hey, I'm a reader not an artist like so many of the awesome bloggers I follow. I know you don't always have the time but if you stopped and looked, take a half a minute and say your piece. Recommend a book that you have enjoyed or hated for that matter. Thank you to all who visit.
Oh, and I moved my Google Friend Connect info and share this buttons to the top, as without our friends, who are we?


Thursday, October 30, 2014

Author Zoe Forward Release Party and Amazon Gift Card Contest

A paranormal category romance from Entangled's Covet imprint...
The last thing he wanted was to fall for a witch...
Veterinarian Kat Ramsey hasn't a clue that she's a witch. Sure, she can read minds, and there's the whole "dimension-hopping" issue that she can't quite control, but Kat is determined to keep things normal. That is, until she accidentally hops into the Otherworld, and runs smack into Matthew Ryan―the seriously hot one-night stand from years ago who shoved her out of his dorm. Naked.
And there's the tiny matter of the curse she gave him.
May you never find satisfaction with another woman. Billionaire and former druid Matthew Ryan hasn't forgotten the curse, or the witch who gave it to him. Kat's unexpected return means the curse will finally be broken. Unfortunately, his libido has other ideas―like how to get her back into his bed one last time. But far more worrying is his suspicion that Kat is the seventh Pleiades witch. Because while he's turned his back on his druidic ways, he's still bound to protect the woman who made his life hell...
Buy a Kindle copy of Protecting His Witch from Amazon by clicking here. – ONLY .99 Cents!
CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 

Prize: A $25.00 Amazon Gift Card 

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Author Sarah Avery Interview and $40.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest

Let a Little Magic into Your Life In Tales from Rugosa Coven, catch a glimpse of a New Jersey even weirder than the one you think you know, as a covenful of very modern Wiccans wrestle challenges both supernatural and mundane--and, occasionally, each other. The personal injury attorney who chose kitchen-witchery over his family's five-generation lineage of old school ceremonial magic would like to miss his dead parents, only now that they're dead they won't leave him alone. The professional fortuneteller stands out at forty paces, with her profusion of silver amulets glittering over her Goth wardrobe, but nobody has guessed her secret sorrow, especially not the covenmates who see her as their wacky comic relief. And the resident skeptic, a reluctant Pagan if ever there was one, will have to eat her words if her coven sister's new boyfriend really does turn out to be from Atlantis. The Jersey Shore's half-hidden community of Witches, Druids, and latter-day Vikings must circle together against all challenges. It's a good thing they're as resilient as the wild rugosa roses that hold together the dunes. 
Read a 5 star review of Tales From Rugosa Coven by clicking here.
Buy a print copy of Tales From Rugosa Coven from Amazon by clicking here.

Buy a Kindle copy of Tales From Rugosa Coven from Amazon by clicking here.

Books in the Rugosa Coven series in the order they should be read:


CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 

Prize: A $40.00 Amazon Gift Card 

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Author Marissa Clarke Release Party and $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest

Medical research scientist Elena Arcos has always lived her life under the radar. When she is shot in a convenience store robbery, she finds herself rocketed into supernatural insanity courtesy of a sexy immortal law enforcer. He’s convinced she’s some kind of freaky half-vampire thing and that her deceased dad was the real deal: a blood sucking monster. Yeah, right.
As a Slayer, an elite law enforcer descended from Azrael himself, Nikolai Itzov's orders from the Underveil General are clear: Kill Elena Arcos or die. The only thing holding him back from that directive is the overwhelming urge to protect her. Too bad she's also the offspring of his father's murderer. Kissing Elena, let alone being with her body and soul, can never happen.
Nikolai and Elena find themselves in a life and death battle to stop a plot designed to lift the Underveil and enslave humans. With her analytical mind and his centuries of training, they might be able to foil the plot with their lives, and maybe even with their hearts intact. But in order to succeed, he must help her become the very thing he hates the most: an Undead.
Buy a print copy of Love Me To Death from Amazon by clicking here.

Buy a Kindle copy of Love Me To Death from Amazon by clicking here.

CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 

Prize: A $50.00 Amazon Gift Card 

Author Lauren Smith Character Interview and Amazon Gift Card Contest

To defeat a dark evil, they must face his family’s past… Bastian Carlisle, the Earl of Weymouth, doesn’t believe in ghosts. Even though tragedy and mysterious hauntings have driven his family away from his ancestral home, Stormclyffe Hall, he is determined to restore the castle to its former glory. His plans are disrupted when a stubborn American shows up on his doorstep hoping to pry into his family’s tragic history. Jane Seyton, an American graduate student, is convinced there’s more to the tragedy of Stormclyffe Hall than history claims. Ever the scholar, she is determined to discover the truth, even if it means putting up with the arrogant, yet sexy, Bastian. Although Bastian wants nothing to do with the pushy American, it soon becomes clear that something evil is in the house—and that something is targeting both Jane and Bastian. The two must join forces to purge the ghosts of Stormclyffe Hall once and for all—even as they try to fight a physical attraction between them that grows more and more impossible to deny.
Buy a print copy of The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall from Amazon by clicking here.

Buy a kindle copy of The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall from Amazon by clicking here.

CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 

Prize: A $25.00 Amazon Gift Card 

Monday, October 27, 2014

The Vampire Chronicle Convos: Lestat is Back! and Halloween Contest

Well, dear readers, the time is almost here.Prince Lestat will be out on 10/28 and I am beyond excited (and hoping my pre-order shows up on my doorstep a day or so early). I have really enjoyed all of our talks and want to thank all of you for hanging in there with me. As a thank-you, Bitten by Books is holding a Halloween contest this week with some fun and spooky prizes. Just enter using the contest widget below!

If you have missed any of our discussions you can find them You can go back and read parts onetwothreefourfive, sixseven and eight. Please add any thoughts you may have on the topics.
Prince Lestat: The Vampire Chronicles by Anne RiceWhat are you most excited for in this newest installment of the Vampire Chronicles?
Which characters are you looking forward to spending more time with? I’ll answer now: Marius, always Marius.
Do you think a series that has been “gone” for so long can be revitalized?
Will you be reading Prince Lestat?
Buy a print copy of Prince Lestat from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of Prince Lestat from Amazon by clicking here.
The Vampire Chronicles in the order they should be read:
Interview with a Vampire
The Vampire Lestat
The Queen of the Damned
The Tale of the Body Thief
Memnoch the Devil
The Vampire Armand
Merrick (Crossover with Mayfair Witches)
Blood and Gold
Blackwood Farm (Crossover with Mayfair Witches)
Blood Canticle (Crossover with Mayfair Witches)
Prince Lestat
The New Tales of the Vampires series in the order they should be read:
Pandora
Vittorio the Vampire
The Lives of the Mayfair Witches series in the order they should be read:
The Witching Hour
Lasher
Taltos
CONTEST INFO: Open to readers in the USA.
Prize 1: A Kindle copy of Prince Lestat and a large crystal beaded spider
Prize 2: A one of a kind Vampire’s Bite/Vampire Angel necklace from A Charming Time Jewelry and Gifts
Prize 3: A set of 3 small crystal beaded spiders

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Author Juliette Cross Interview and $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest

In a world divided by prejudice and hatred, only love can bridge the chasm.
Tensions are rising in the Gladium Province. The boundary between humans and Morgons has begun to blur. While the human aristocracy strives to maintain distance between their daughters and the dragon-hybrid race, fate has other plans.
As the daughter of the corporate king, Jessen Cade is duty-bound to honor her arranged marriage to a man she detests. Feeling trapped by family duty and a loveless future, she longs for more, straying to the Morgon side of the city.
Lucius Nightwing is the eldest son of the powerful Morgon clan, and the greatest enemy of Jessen’s father. When a bar-room brawl thrusts Jessen into his arms, his dragon roars to the surface, craving to sate his carnal hunger in the brown-eyed beauty. The beast in Lucius recognizes her as his own, even if the man refuses to admit the truth.
Buy a Kindle copy of Soulfire from Amazon by clicking here. ONLY – $1.99!
CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 

Prize: A $50.00 Amazon Gift Card 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Author Caridad Pineiro Release Party and Amazon Gift Card Contest

There was only one thing he wanted to do before going back to war . . .
It’s been over a year since Marine Lieutenant Trevor Mason and his father have spoken. After nearly losing his life during a Taliban attack in Afghanistan, Trevor wants to end the rift between them so he can return to active duty with some peace of mind. But a visit to his father’s office only serves to show Trevor that his father isn’t as eager to reunite. If not for the intervention of Samuel Mason’s spunky and very sexy intern, Trevor would probably be returning to Afghanistan with his one wish unfulfilled.
She doesn’t know what to make of the hard edged soldier that replaced the smiling teen she once knew . . .
Trevor Mason had used to do all kinds of things to Maggie Sullivan’s insides when she worked at the country club his family used to attend. Five years later, there is little left of the teen she knew in the stoic Marine who only wants some time with his father. When Trevor’s father backs out of his son’s dinner invitation at the last minute, Maggie does the only thing she can: she goes to Trevor’s apartment to deliver the news, but she can’t leave him alone on his one last night before returning to duty.
An act of compassion leads to unexpected pleasure . . .
Thrown together, Trevor and Maggie can’t ignore the sexual heat between them. As they satisfy one set of needs, another slowly develops as passion breathes life into other emotions. Will Trevor and Maggie’s one last night together possibly lead to many other nights in the future?
Buy a Kindle copy of One Last Chance from Amazon by clicking here. – ONLY .99 Cents!
Books in the Take a Chance series in the order they should be read:


CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 

Prize: A $25.00 Amazon Gift Card 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Book of Ivy --Trailer Reveal and Giveaway

Title: The Book of Ivy
Author: Amy Engel
Genre: Young Adult (YA) Dystopian
Length: 400 pages
Release Date: Nov 11, 2014
Print ISBN: 978-1-62266-465-8

Imprint: Teen

What would you kill for?
 After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.
 This year, it is my turn.
 My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power.
 But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.
 
Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

***Releasing November 11, 2014!***


For an except go to the Entangled publishing website HERE

Buy links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mj5PXZ
B&N: http://bit.ly/BoIBN
iTunes: http://bit.ly/BoIiTunes
Kobo: http://bit.ly/BoIKobo

Goodreads link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20640755-the-book-of-ivy?ac=1

 About Amy Engel:

Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri where she lives with her husband and two kids.  Before devoting herself full time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV.  When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.

Find Amy online:
Website: http://amyengel.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aengelwrites



Goodreads Giveaway Info:
Here's the link to the giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/111469-the-book-of-ivy



Monday, October 20, 2014

It's release day for UNETHICAL!

 It's the release day of  UNETHICAL an NA Contemporary Romance debut ! 
For a limited time, it's 99 cents! 
Love burns hotter the second time around…
 
Two years ago, the medical world was shaken by scandal, and Payton Daniels's family was at the center of it. The second she graduated, Payton left everything behind―her high school sweetheart, her family, and the controversy surrounding her mother's death—and hid within the anonymity of college. But Payton’s ex, Blake Hiller, hasn't forgiven her for leaving, and when he enrolls in the same medical ethics class, she panics. She can’t run the risk of him telling everyone who she really is.

As if being at the same university isn’t enough, both Blake and Payton land the same internship. Forced together, their passion for each other reignites, but when Payton is asked to testify in her father’s high-profile trial, she must choose between risking her acceptance into medical school to help her father, and losing every connection to her past—including the only guy she’s ever loved.
Buy it: Amazon Barnes & Noble             Kobo  iTunes

COVER REVEAL- Laces and Lace by Toni Aleo

ekk! Here we go!
COVER REVEAL FOR LACES AND LACE!!!!
Synopsis:
Nine years ago, things were perfect. Lacey and Karson had found their happily ever after in each other…or so they thought. How do two people who were meant to be move on from that once-in-a-lifetime love?
Lacey has a strength inside her that comes alive with the things she’s most passionate about. She’s a fighter, a survivor, and has everything she’s ever wanted but the one thing that matters most—love.
Karson is doing the one thing he loves most—playing hockey for the Assassins, yet he knows regret. He knows his life has been missing the one thing he walked away from so many years ago—Lacey.
Nine years later, and neither has been able to succeed in moving on from what was, what could have been, and who each of their hearts still beats for. When a chance encounter during a fateful night has their paths crossing again, will the tether still attaching their souls allow them to face the past, present, and a possible future?
Can two people with fate on their side find a way back to each other? Overcome all the obstacles in their way to finally live life together to the fullest?
Or will they let those around them and the circumstances they face, along with questions and doubt, ruin a second chance at the life they both deserve?
COMING NOVEMBER 24, 2014
Add to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21623991-laces-and-lace

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Author Gene Doucette Release Party and $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest

"What I was currently doing with my time and money . . . didn't really deserve anyone else's attention. If I was feeling romantic about it, I'd call it a quest, but all I was really doing was trying to answer a question I'd been ignoring for a thousand years." In his very long life, Adam had encountered only one person who seemed to share his longevity: the mysterious red-haired woman. She appeared throughout history, usually from a distance, nearly always vanishing before he could speak to her. In his last encounter, she actually did vanish-into thin air, right in front of him. The question was how did she do it? To answer, Adam will have to complete a quest he gave up on a thousand years earlier, for an object that may no longer exist. If he can find it, he might be able to do what the red-haired woman did, and if he can do that, maybe he can find her again and ask her who she is . . . and why she seems to hate him. "You are being watched. Move your loved ones to safety . . . trust nobody." But Adam isn't the only one who wants the red-haired woman. There are other forces at work, and after a warning from one of the few men he trusts, Adam realizes how much danger everyone is in. To save his friends and finish his quest he may be forced to bankrupt himself, call in every favor he can, and ultimately trade the one thing he'd never been able to give up before: his life. From the author of Immortal and Hellenic Immortal comes Immortal at the Edge of the World, the breathtaking conclusion to the best-selling trilogy. Will Adam survive?
Buy a print copy of Immortal at the Edge of the World from Amazon by clicking here.

Buy a Kindle copy of Immortal at the Edge of the World from Amazon by clicking here.

Books in the Immortal series in the order they should be read:



CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide. 
Prize: A $50.00 Amazon Gift Card 

$50 Book Blast – Hot Pursuit by Susan Dayley



Hot Pursuit
Kennady thought she’d found the perfect summer escape—working at a resort in Jackson Hole. But then Atticus comes to town, an international conference threatens world finances, and a Mexican cartel shows up to stop the conspirators. When Kennady’s friend Chelo gets entangled with a handsome and possibly dangerous man, her own life is threatened. From eco-terrorism and kidnappings, to gunshots and an earthquake, Jackson was not an escape after all.
BONUS: Hot Pursuit offers two storylines with two different endings for each. Also includes links to images, music, information about location, and other fun details that relate to the story.
Excerpt:
The car barely hummed as it moved rapidly through the increasing dusk. They were heading out of the Jackson area, but Chelo had lost track of the direction. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a piece of property my father owns,” Xavier replied. “Most summers since I turned fifteen, I spent a month here.”
“So my father contacted your father because he had property around here?” Chelo watched out the window, hoping to memorize landmarks. But the closing darkness only allowed her to see the occasional mile markers that whipped past much too often.
“Not exactly. Our fathers are cousins, and family helps family. Our cabin and my knowledge of the area were a bonus.”
They roared down the narrow highway, well over the speed limit. When they passed other cars, Chelo held her breath in fear, her nails digging into the door handle. Any moment the car could blow a tire, causing them to spin out of control and plummet over the side of the mountain. Chelo realized she had only herself to depend on. Nobody knew she’d left with Xavier. She had to stay calm and think her way out of this. “So everything has been a lie.”
“No.” He eased back behind a car rather than pass on a curve. “I had no idea how beautiful you would be, or how much I’d enjoy our time together. That is real.”
She stared ahead, avoiding his eyes. He turned down a lane that cut through thick lodgepole pines. A rail fence lined the road on either side. “Why are you bringing me here?” she asked.
After a hundred yards Xavier stopped before a closed gate. “Your father would like to talk to you, but first I’ve got to open this. Now I can drag you out there with me so you don’t run away, or you can wait until I get back and I’ll drive you to where you can talk to him.”
Chelo suddenly felt excited. She hadn’t seen her papa in over a year. She missed the cigar smell that clung to his clothes, and how his eyes lit up when he saw her. “I’ll wait,” she told Xavier.
The gate, made of logs, swung on large iron hinges. Xavier came back to the car and drove through, leaving the entrance open. The final light from the setting sun had gone, and they drove down a dark lane. At the end, the trees opened to a clearing with a stable to the left and a log-framed house to the right. A waning moon lit the space and flashed silver through the trees from where it reflected off a body of water. At the edge of the headlights, a long rope hung from a high branch, with a tire tied on the end of it. For a moment, Chelo pictured Xavier as a lean, tall youth, swinging recklessly over the roof of the cabin, then plunging earthward again, laughing and letting go with one hand.
“Chelo? Come inside.” He had gotten out of the car and walked around to get her door. She stepped out into the chilly air. Over the chorus of crickets, she could hear the sound of a rushing river. Above, in a space between the treetops, three bright stars shone in the sky. She hoped her father would come out and meet her here. Xavier took her elbow and guided her toward the front porch. The door didn’t open to welcoming arms. Why is the place so dark?
The headlights on his car faded, but Xavier slipped a key into the lock on the heavy cabin door and opened it quickly. He flipped a light switch, and the magic of moonlight and stars vanished with the realization of an empty room.
“I thought you said my father was here,” Chelo growled, assessing the wood-paneled space filled with rustic leather furniture and plaid wool blankets.
“I said he wanted to talk to you. Have a seat and I’ll get us a Coke.”
“Where is my dad?” she yelled.
“I only said that you’d get to talk to him.” The shock hit her like a blow to the gut.
“You’re a bully, Xavier—a mean, low-class thug.” Her voice came out scratchy with fear. Without her father there to help her, she felt unprotected.
Xavier only laughed. “Don’t get all worked up. You’ll talk to him soon.” Xavier went into an adjoining room and turned on another light. Chelo looked about for a weapon. Over a rock fireplace, a heavy beam served as a mantle. A brass clock noisily ticked off the seconds.
Xavier returned and handed her an open can. She turned away. “You are a liar. You do not care about me.”
“It’s just a Coke,” he coaxed.
She snatched the can from him and took a short drink. Despite her growing panic, a jolt of caffeine might help her carry through with an escape. Behind him, the clock on the mantle looked heavy enough to knock him out, but too large to conceal behind her back. And the sharp edges might cut his skull. I’ve never been good around blood. She drank again. The pop tasted good. Next to the clock sat a basket filled with dusty eucalyptus leaves and dried berries. She took another drink.
“So your dad is my dad’s cousin? Then you are my uncle? No, that’s not right.” Her mind had trouble making sense. Maybe she could go outside and get some fresh air. Her head began to ache.
“Sit down,” he said. “You don’t look too good.”
He tugged at her elbow and she mechanically moved toward a sofa, but the motion made her dizzy. She let her knees bend until she sank into the leather cushion. She raised her head and tried to focus. Next to the basket on the mantle, just before a series of framed pictures, three white wooden candlesticks with white candles on them offered another choice. The candlesticks had smooth bulging curves. One of them would be perfect.
“Here, have another drink—it’ll clear your head,” he said, easing her elbow upward. What he said made no sense, but she drank anyway. Nothing is making sense. I need to get to the candlesticks.
She tried to think of something to say to distract Xavier. “When do I talk to my father? Is he on his way?” Chelo tried to stand up so she could walk casually toward the fireplace.
“Some friends are bringing a satellite phone. We’ll call him then.” Xavier spoke right next to her.
Why was the fireplace still across the room? She realized she hadn’t stood up yet. And then she looked at the picture closest to the candlesticks. She recognized Xavier, though he looked about fifteen. He held a gun casually across his chest. It wasn’t a hunting rifle. She’d seen that type of gun all her life back home.
He reached out and took the soda can from her just before she slumped backward. A thought hovered around her slipping consciousness, like smoke from her father’s cigars, then drifted away before the words could form. He drugged me.
Susan
Author Susan Dayley
Susan writes constantly, gardens in rich earth, hikes where the sky brushes the mountains, loves without restraint, reads in between, and shovels snow in serpentine patterns. She is the author of Cold Pursuit, and Redemption, the story of Jonah.





$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/4/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.