Winners-Birthday Bash Giveaway

Thank you all so much for all the birthday love! I will tell you that I was sang to twice but I survived without shedding any tears.


Also I want to thank Kati over at Romancing Rakes for making the awesome Birthday Bash graphic. And because she is awesome, she is holding a giveaway in honor of my birthday. She's giving away The Rake and The Recluse by Jenn LeBlanc since it is one of our favorite books. So if you didn't win any books here head over there and enter. 


Now for the fun stuff! Presents and winners!

Winner of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie

Melanie A.

Winner of Good Girls Don't

Keylayne 

Winner of Dark Lover

Heather F.

I used Random.org to pick the winners. I also added the names in the comments to the form to make sure everyone got a chance to win. I sent out emails to the winners and you have 2 days to claim your presents. If you won and didn't receive and email please contact me at fortheloveofromance AT gmail DOT com

Again, thank you so much for helping me celebrate my birthday. I hope that your next birthday is amazing and you get whatever you wish for. 

Also, don't forget the other giveaway I'm doing. Right now I'm at 39 followers and once I reach 40 I'm giving away a copy of The Rake and The Recluse by Jenn Leblanc so stay tuned!

Douglas and Dougal McDougall

Ask any Scotsman, what is worn under their kilt and the reply will be, "Nothing! Everything's in good working order!   

Douglas McDougall (the braggart) and Dougal McDougall (hugging the bagpipe) are the only Scotsmen I have ever met up close and personal. Both images were recently released by Just Inklined and at first sight they triggered my funny bone.  


With the assistance of Photoshop Elements, I combined the two images into one and I was able to enlarge Douglas McDougall's Tam o' Shanter and hang it on the sentiment.  One more reason why I love, love digis!

For those inquiring minds that want to know, I absolutely did not peek under their kilts! 

Monthly Mailbox: August Edition

Whoa! August was definitely my month for books. Between RomCon11, Danielle of Ramblings from this Chick (she went to AAD Philly) and Jamie Lynn (she finally send the RWA11 stash), my bookshelf is groaning from the weight.

So much awesome swag too. Bookmarks, samplers, pens (lots of them), and freaking RTCs!! I've started collecting romance trading cards. They're just absolutely gorgeous and sexy.

RWA stash from Jamie Lynn

bought at Barnes and Noble

from Katharine Ashe

from Ashley March for RBW

AAD Philly stash from Danielle

RomCon11 book stash

So, did you get anything good this month? A book you've been waiting for? A movie? Some super awesome swag?

W...W...W... (12)

W...W...W...Wednesdays is a weekly meme MizB of Should Be Reading. 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

So, here's my answers:

• What are you currently reading?

Changing the Game by Jaci Burton. Holy hotness! Elizabeth was a total bitch in THE PERFECT PLAY. This book is her redemption, with Gavin, Mick's younger brother. This should prove to be a bit awkward.

A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day. There's angels, er Sentinels. There are fallen angels aka vampires. There are lycans, indentured servants to the Sentinels. Got that? Now on to the complicated part. The head Sentinel, Adrian, has found the soul of his one true love in a mortal woman's body. He must save her before she dies. Again.

Serendipity by Carly Phillips. Second chances...

Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl. There's a little bit of tying up going on. Kinky.

• What did you recently finish reading?

The Making of a Gentleman by Shana Galen. Um, I won 3 copies of this book and I'm only getting around to reading it now?! It's a wonderful story. 

Romancing Lady Cecily by Ashley March. A novella which sets up ROMANCING THE COUNTESS (9/6/11). It's sexy, full of emotion and a bit mysterious, all in 15,000 words. 

Playing with Fire: Forbidden & Tangled by Karen Erickson. 2 books. Both stories complete scorchers. This is not for the faint of heart.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl. I read GOOD GIRLS DON'T, which is the first book in the Donovan Brothers Brewery series, and LOVED IT! Looking forward to seeing if Jamie will finally find the woman to curb his wild streak. ***requested from NetGalley***

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks! 

Jamie's Birthday Bash Giveaway

Woot! It's Jamie Lynn's birthday today. She's the blogger behind For the Love of Romance. So in her honor, I have compiled a bunch of pictures of very good looking men.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE LYNN!!

Margaritas on me the next time I see youuu!

Author Jade Lee being a semi-creeper behind us. lol

AND NOW ON TO THE GIVEAWAY:

Also, in honor of Jamie's birthday, I will be giving away a copy of one of our favorite books of all time:

Jenn LeBlanc's THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE

Winner receives an e-book copy of Jenn's book either for Kindle or Nook. Winners choice. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.


Check out the book trailer:

If you didn't win a copy of it from my last giveaway, you'll get another chance this time. Just remember to leave a comment wishing Jamie Lynn a happy birthday or a comment about how YOU celebrate yours. You can also wish her a happy birthday on Twitter, FB or her blog (she's got a giveaway that ends 8/31)

Don't forget to fill out that rafflecopter thingy. The only mandatory thing is to leave a comment. (When leaving a comment, do it ninja style: yourname at gmail dot com.) The others just earn you an extra entry and are optional. Giveaway ends 9/7 at midnight. Or if you want to get technical, 9/8 at 12:01am. Please read all the rules at the end of the rafflecopter widget before entering. Giveaway is international but make sure the book is available for your country. Thanks!

I do not own any of these pictures. If you are the owner of said picture and would like them taken down, please contact me. But would you do that to a girl on her birthday?

Lawrence Lawnmower

Poor, sad Lawrence Lawnmower from Bonibleaux Designs, his wife has locked the doors and windows and won't allow him back into their air-conditioned home until their lawn has been perfectly manicured because her mother is coming for an extended visit. Mother Nature is not cooperating since she has the heat index set at 110 degrees. While Lawrence dreams of his hammock and a cold beer, his darling wife is sitting in the coolness of their well-chilled home feasting on bonbons while adding items to her honey-do list.


Lawrence Lawnmower is one of the eight new images being released today at Dude Time Doodles. As usual, the crafty Dudettes have formed a loop for you to hop around and see all of Bonibleaux Designs' newest images. If you reach here from Linda's blog, your next bounce will be to visit Ginny. If you just started, keep hopping, you will see them all. Don't forget that one of us is this month's mystery hostess so be sure to leave a comment on all the Dudettes' blogs for a chance to win one of the new images. Other important information you should know before you go. Dude Time Doodles First Annual Scavenger Crawl is still taking place. Don't miss out on a chance to win a $20 gift certificate from Dude Time Doodles. Lastly, Halloween images currently in the store go on sale for 50% off starting September 1st! 

Teaser Tuesday (13)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser:

"She wanted to cry an didn't think she'd ever been more excited about watching a preseason baseball game before. 

This was going to ruin her reputation as a cool and unaffected agent."

~page 130, Changing the Game by Jaci Burton

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Book Releases Today

Today there's an EXPLOSION of books being released. But there is something special about today. So before I get on with that list, I'd like to tell you a little bit about Avon's K.I.S.S & Teal program.


Avon has partnered with the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. 7 books by 7 super fab authors that have the teal ribbon on their book covers will get $0.25 from each sale (hardcopy or e-book) donated towards the $50,000 goal. Avon has generously already donated $25,000. WOW! I know that the romance community is an awesome and giving community. So let's get out there and help support this wonderful cause. The program runs from today (8/30/11) until 2/28/2012. I'm sure we'll go above and beyond in matching Avon's super generous donation. Click here to find out more. So without further ado, I give you the 7 books with the teal ribbons. Be on the lookout!

(Clicking on the covers will take you to the book page for each book)

Here are the other books coming out today:

My Review

My Review

Released in paperback

Are there any books I missed? Any you're looking forward to? Any you've had on pre-order since it was available for pre-order?

Any Occasion

To make a pretty card, you need to start with pretty cardstock such as Paper Temptress’ Premium Glossy Shamrock Green. Premium glossy cardstock is not compatible with ink jet printers because of its thickness, but for the very same reason, it is a natural for embossing.  To create a focal point I used green embossing powder on Ice Jade Velum and mounted it to more glossy shamrock green finishing  the card with Gold ⅝ Opulence Ribbon.  Since I did not use a sentiment, the card is perfect for any occasion.


On a side note, thank you for your well wishes for me during Hurricane Irene's recent romp. The electric was off for almost twenty-four hours, thank goodness blog posts can be scheduled in advance. Locally, lots of trees were downed and there are still areas without electricity but overall, our area was one of the lucky communities. 

eARC Review: Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl
Format: eBook through NetGalley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin- HQN (August 30, 2011)
ISBN: 9780373775958
With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman – or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems – starting with the fact that his partner Simone is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father. The last thing he needs is a nice girl like Tessa getting under his skin.Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tensions could tear her tight-knit family apart.  In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath. (source)

Where To Buy: Amazon | Barnes&Noble/Nook | Indiebound | Book Depository
Where To Find Victoria: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr
Extras: Read an Excerpt

Go and buy it NOW!

Other Books in Series Coming Soon (Donovan Brothers Brewery):




REVIEW:

Dear Victoria Dahl,
Why have I not picked up your contemporaries? I've read your historicals and absolutely loved them. Thanks for getting me back into romance. The Duke of Somerhart will forever be the first hero in my harem. Now, back to contemporaries. Oh yeah, I'm not normally a big fan of them but after reading GOOD GIRLS DON'T, I'll be sure to give contemporaries the good, slow loving they deserve.
I have a new appreciation for men in uniform and a sudden need to order a round of Hefeweizen.
Sincerely,
Kati R

Top Reasons To Read This Book:
Hot detective? Check. Fighting brothers? Check. Peace keeping sister? Check. Bi-sexual brew master? Check. Family owned brewery? Check. Use of social media especially awesome tweets by heroine? Ha-larious! Check and double check.

Other Reasons To Read This Book:

1. Luke Asher. Helloooo detective! Luke has a bit of problem. His partner is pregnant, which the whole town thinks is his. His ex did quite a number on his psyche and it is affecting his relationship with Tessa. He supposedly walked out on his ex while she was battling cancer and his mother still has a close relationship with her.   
2. Tessa Donovan. I love her. She is quite witty, spunky and all around family peace keeper.She's trying to keep Eric from finding out that the deal between Kendall Group and Donovan Brothers Brewery has gone sour. She's the little sister that is perceived as innocent, at least until Luke Asher comes along. Commence the panty dropping...
3. Jamie Donovan. Oh Jamie. He can't keep it in his pants. He sleeps with the daughter of the man who owns the airline that they're trying to get their beer served on. Uh oh! Perhaps my favorite Donovan brother? I'll have to wait for BAD BOYS DO.
4. Eric Donovan. Eric was thrust into the father role for Jamie and Tessa at 24 years old. He's the desk jockey for the brewery. He is the responsible older brother and is constantly butting heads with Jamie since he's a little wayyy irresponsible (or at least in Eric's eyes). Or maybe he's my favorite Donovan brother? I'll have to wait for REAL MEN WILL.
5. Hot loving. There's something about a man in a shoulder holster that I've come to appreciate. He's got quite the, ahem, gun for the job. In the bed, in the car, against the wall, in the shower... you get the point.
6. Twitter! Tessa sends out hilarious and clever tweets announcing specials at the bar. Like this one: Feeling my Celtic roots tonight, ladies. You know what that means. Come on by and say slainte. I'm still waiting for my local bars to have awesome tweets like this. But then again, I'd be constantly broke and drunk.

Favorite Quote: "His features were a little harsh. His jaw a little too cruel looking, but the sparkle in his eyes transformed him into a charming rogue. Tessa was glad her jeans would keep her panties firmly in place...for a few hours." (***quote subject to change in finished copy***)

Overall: Well Ms. Dahl. You've done it again. At least for me. I will be adding the rest of this series to my wish list and in the meantime, I'll be reading your Tumble Creek series. You have quite a way with words and my kind of humor. From the first to the last page, I laughed, giggled, sighed, teared up, lusted after a certain detective and debated with myself as who broke into the brewery. A plot twist indeed. Take a sexy detective, a witty heroine, throw in overprotective brothers and a brewery break in, and you've got a recipe for a laugh out loud, heart tugging, down there tingling, keeper of a book.


***Requested off of NetGalley.***

Man Candy Monday: Television Hotties

It's another Monday, another yucky start to the week. Well, not on Twitter. Join us tonight at 8pm CST (6,7,9 for the rest of us) and look for the #ManCandyMonday hashtag. Bring your pictures, your snark and your warnings. Oh, and a towel to mop up all that drool. Please give a warning if the pictures you share have half nekkid to fully nekkid men. Some of us are drinking wine, coke zeroes, pick your poison... Many keyboards have been known to take the brunt of said pictures.

We, the ladies of Man Candy Monday, are not responsible should you be caught by your boss, your husband, your boyfriend or significant other looking at hot man candy. View at your own risk.

Tonight's theme is: Television Hotties. Check out the post on the official Man Candy Monday blog. And pictures...

My main man Henry Cavill of course.

Yup. And there's more to come this evening on Twitter. Not familiar with these hotties? Let me help you:

• Alex O'Loughlin (Moonlight, Hawaii 5-0)


• David Tennant & John Barrowman- 2 for 1 special (Doctor Who, Torchwood)


• Ian Somerhalder Smolder (Vampire Diaries)


• Tom Welling (Smallville)


• Andy Whitfield (Spartacus)


• James Purefoy Purejoy (Rome, Camelot)


• Peter Mooney (Camelot, Falcon Beach)


• Richard Armitage (Robin Hood, North and South, Strike Back, MI-5, The Vicar of Dibley)


• Craig Horner (H2O, Legend of the Seeker)

And of course, Henry Cavill (The Tudors). I'll be blogging about him on the official Man Candy Monday blog next week. 

Update: Oh dear lord! I forgot the men of True Blood.

So... who have I forgotten? Who's your favorite? Who do you drool over? Don't forget to join us this evening for #ManCandyMonday!