Alternative-Read.com: May 2011

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Today's Feature Post

REVIEW: Rein Me In | LARISSA LYONS & ALYSSA BROOKS | Ellora's Cave

Authors: Larissa Lyons and Alyssa Brooks
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave 
ISBN: 978-1-41992-8-802 
Genre: Contemporary, erotica, cowboy, BDSM 
Format: ebook
Length: 299 pages
Alternative-Read.com

After a series of disastrous experiences with men, Susannah Miller has sworn off them completely – except for two weeks a year, when she takes a vacation designed to indulge her passion for cowboys. At the Lusty Lady, a place that brings a whole new meaning to dude ranch, she becomes sinful Suzy, hiring dominant men to punish and pleasure her in the nicest ways.

Visiting the Bottoms Up bar, Suzy makes the mistake of hooking up with a man who won’t take no for an answer. She’s rescued from danger by a tall, handsome cowboy with the power to make all her submissive fantasies a delicious reality. By a strange twist of fate, he’s Jonah McKenzie, whose family owns Bottoms Up and who she very briefly loved and lost during her college days.

Picking up the pieces of that original relationship, destroyed in tragic circumstances, Jonah and Suzy act on their growing passion for each other. Jonah is enthralled by sexy Suzy, who relishes the feel of his belt on her backside, but he also loves soft Susannah. But if he’s ever to truly rein in his reckless beauty, Jonah must overcome both his interfering grandmother, who’s determined to disinherit any of her grandsons who don’t marry and produce a family, and the barriers thrown up by an emotionally scarred Suzy.

Rein Me In is the second in Larissa Lyons and Alyssa Brooks’ Bottoms Up series, but it runs parallel to events in the first volume, Restrain Me, so you don’t need to have read that to make sense of this. If, like this reviewer, you don’t quite understand the appeal of cowboys, you won’t learn much from the novel apart from it involving some combination of muscles and chivalry, but if you already lust over men in stetsons, there’ll be much here to enjoy. Lyons and Brooks write seamlessly as a team, creating a believable romance between a solid, dependable hero (albeit one wracked with fits of needless jealousy) and a closed-up heroine who needs to be taught how to love and trust. The scenes where Suzy submits to Jonah generate real heat, and will appeal to those who like to see BDSM themes explored outside a traditional master/slave setting. Unfortunately, some of that heat is diluted by the antics of the supporting cast, intended to provide comic relief which isn’t always necessary. The worst offender is God-fearing matriarch Nana, who the McKenzies all appear to love deeply despite her being the worst kind of fundamentalist Christian stereotype, believing extra-marital sex to be a sin.

Throughout the course of Rein Me In, various plot lines featuring McKenzie siblings are carefully developed for future books, so expect the Bottoms Up series to ride the range for quite a while to come.

۞۞GIVEAWAYS۞۞ --
A giveaway with Carol Gambill, Closes 12th June
A giveway with Larion Wills Closes 10th June
A giveaway with Mahalia Levey Closes 8th June

*All giveaways are open to all WORLDWIDE unless otherwise stated.

Join our chat over at the
Yahoo Chat and Promo group!
(and claim your free e-books!)
Group Rules*::No Promo's Mondays-Thursdays ONLY chat
Promo companies are limited to two posts per day per company on Fridays-Sundays keeping within the rules above. Thank you!

*The only exception to these rules are for our affiliate authors who can post promos any time.




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WINNER: The May AR Book Cover Contest!

I am pleased to announce that this month's winner for the MAY 2011 book cover contest is Delilah K. Stephans for the book cover  

Tears on a Tranquil Lake  
written byMarsha A. Moore
Buy Now Link!

Congratulations!

Warning: This book contains Haitian vodou, sultry wenches, foul-mouthed scalliwag pirates, overindulgence of fine Caribbean rum, and amorous encounters on deserted beaches.

Blurb:  
What a surprise for a young woman, to find herself suddenly transformed into a mermaid.
Ciel’s first thought – track down the merman who changed her and make him reverse his magic. Unable to find him, survival in her new world becomes paramount. She eagerly accepts help from a dashing pirate captain who takes a fancy to her, lavishing her with finery.

When her merman does show up, he competes for her affection. One look into his eyes makes her life more complex -- he is her soul mate.

Which man will she choose – pirate captain or merman? Which life – human or mermaid? Caribbean adventures and dangers chase Ciel as she searches for decisions and the key to her happiness.

Don't forget voting for this has now closed, but I thought you might like to take one last look at all the contestants. Next month there'll be another promotional video for all the June nominees.

Want to join in with the fun? 

Authors, if you'd like to join in and send a cover of one of your books into the contest, please click on the 'contact' tab and get in touch! If you have already, we'll be in contact with you closer to the time of your "appearance".
Thank you to all of you who took the time to enter. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Book cover poll stats:

#1 -- Joe is Online  2 (1%)
#2 --Final Retribution: Book Three of the Angelic Chronicles  6 (4%)
#3 -- Blood Knot  3 (2%)
#4 -- Toxic Assets  2 (1%)
#5 -- The Count's Lair  23 (18%)
#6 -- Love Gods and Labyrinths  1 (0%)
#7 -- Aldric & Anneliese  6 (4%)
#8 -- Between3: A Hells Gate Ménage  14 (11%)
#9 -- Uniform Behaviour  37 (29%)
#10 -Tears on a Tranquil Lake  45 (35%)

Votes so far: 126
Poll closed


۞۞GIVEAWAYS۞۞ --
A giveaway with Carol Gambill Closes 12th June
A giveway with Larion Wills Closes 10th June
A giveaway with Mahalia Levey Closes 8th June

*All giveaways are open to all WORLDWIDE unless otherwise stated.

Join our chat over at the
Yahoo Chat and Promo group!
(and claim your free e-books!)
Group Rules*::No Promo's Mondays-Thursdays ONLY chat
Promo companies are limited to two posts per day per company on Fridays-Sundays keeping within the rules above. Thank you!

*The only exception to these rules are for our affiliate authors who can post promos any time.



Vimeo

Holding On To Heaven - New Video by Sassy Britt


Buy Holding On To Heaven on KINDLE: $2.99 Click Here

About Holding On To Heaven:
When the blazing fires of revolt ravage the countryside, Lauren and Sage McCain are trapped amid the flames of destiny. The Civil War has crumbled a Nation, and the Dakota Sioux uprising has turned southern Minnesota into a violent battlefield.

Holding on to Heaven is a story of love between two men and a woman, love between siblings, and love that crosses all boundaries and forges all cultures.

Caution : Choices Ahead

TGIF peeps! Here in the states it is a three day holiday for us and I for one are looking forward to it! 

As I go through my week I have several blogs, and writing commitments, so I am constantly looking for topics. This week I was sitting in traffic (go figure) and the word signs popped into my brain. So I began to explore this random thought. 

When you see the word signs, it can produce many different mental dialogs, from Mel Gibson, to faith, to sitting in traffic. Well wouldn’t it be a novel idea if we had signs in our lives? I mean literally, little signposts giving us insight as to where to go next? Turn right and you will end up in Splitsville, home of the heartache. Or go east and discover the enlightenment of Nirvana, move forward at a steady rate and you will reach home soon. STOP! You really don’t want to go there, trust me.

Unfortunately, we do not have little sign posts in our lives telling which direction to go, or if there is danger ahead. As conscious, thinking, being in a world of cause an effect, nothing is ever set in stone. The only constant is change. The scenery is always changing, and our decisions are the signs propelling us forward. If I were to create a sign for our lives, it would be, ‘Caution: Choice Ahead’. 

From what you decided to wear this morning, to whether or not you take the job, every little piece affects you and everyone else in the world, the butterfly effect. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Everything we go through has a purpose. 

Last week we talked about cause and effect in writing. Everything happens for a reason. For example, in my series, Trust Me, both the hero and heroine enjoy a good cup of coffee with lots of cream. So, okay, great so what? In the second book, both characters have been put through the ringer. They return home one evening and my Heroine comments that they are out of cream. The next morning the hero awakens to find his love is already up and about, when she should be exhausted and still asleep. He suspects that she never went to bed, but he has no evidence to prove it. That is until he goes to get some coffee. There is a bottle of cream waiting for him. This prompts him to check the garbage, where he finds a receipt from 3 AM that morning. The discovery confirms that there is a problem she is keeping from him. 

Everything happens for a reason, especially in writing. The hero has a dog, there needs to be a reason, if the hero is single, and has a two bedroom house it is because he is the guardian of his little sister who is at college, or perhaps because it is his unconscious way of reminding himself that deep down he wants a family. 

Moral of the story? In life, we do not just randomly do something. There is a reason we are headed in a certain direction. The meaning behind action is sometimes more important than the action itself. They say actions speak louder than words? Definitely, especially in a novel full of words. 

So now you are thinking how the hell did we go from traffic signs to cause and effect scenarios? Well here is the math – 

Signs = Choices = Cause and Effect
Got it?

On to the Next! Happy Writing!

Tootles!



۞۞GIVEAWAYS۞۞ --
A giveway with Larion Wills Closes 10th June
A giveaway with Mahalia Levey Closes 8th June

*All giveaways are open to all WORLDWIDE unless otherwise stated.

Join our chat over at the
Yahoo Chat and Promo group!
(and claim your free e-books!)
Group Rules*::No Promo's Mondays-Thursdays ONLY chat
Promo companies are limited to two posts per day per company on Fridays-Sundays keeping within the rules above. Thank you!

*The only exception to these rules are for our affiliate authors who can post promos any time.




Vimeo

(26th May) AUTHOR BLOG HOP: Put on YOUR Reader's Hat and Dance...




THIS WEEK'S AUTHOR BLOG HOP QUESTION for THURSDAY 26th MAY IS: 
QUESTION: Put on your reader's hat.  When shopping for a book, what do you look at to help you make a decision whether or not to purchase?  How important is the cover art compared to the blurb?
Question provided by affiliate author Ginger Simpson

We have now opened our Thursday chats to guests once a month! Book a group chat, or visit our guest list/vacancies page  here.  From midday UK GMT + 1 Time onwards please visit our Yahoo chat group to chat (click "Live Chat" sticker) with our affiliate authors and their guests AND check out our latest blog hop below!  If you want to get a group of authors together to guest, please let us know! 
What is author blog hop? Blog hop, also known as blog hopping, is to move from one blog after another to read the entries or to leave comments.


How to play: Your host: Sassy Brit invites you to:
1. Grab the above AUTHOR BLOG HOP logo -
2. Write your blog post in answer to the question and publish on your own blog -
3. Leave your link in the Linky Tools spot below - (or comments if you have trouble!)
4. Hop from blog to blog meeting and greeting!
5. HINT: It's helpful to leave your link in comments you leave on other blogs if you are also participating in the blog hop for quick and easy reciprocal comments!

GRAB - WRITE - LINK - HOP! 
THE ALTERNATIVE-READ.COM AUTHOR BLOG HOP
Discover a new author today!

۞۞GIVEAWAYS۞۞ --
A giveaway with Carol Gambill Closes  12th June
A giveway with Larion Wills Closes 10th June
A giveaway with Mahalia Levey Closes 8th June


*All giveaways are open to all WORLDWIDE unless otherwise stated.
Join our chat over at the
Yahoo Chat and Promo group!
(and claim your free e-books!)
Group Rules*::No Promo's Mondays-Thursdays ONLY chat
Promo companies are limited to two posts per day per company on Fridays-Sundays keeping within the rules above. Thank you!
*The only exception to these rules are for our affiliate authors who can post promos any time.


Vimeo

GIVEAWAY: "Once Wild" Breaking Out Series- 2 Book Giveaway

۞۞THE BREAKING OUT SERIES GIVEAWAY - WITH CAROL GAMBILL۞۞ 


"Once Wild" Breaking Out Series
Book One


Returning to Ashland may take more than determination and resolve to stand against the men wanting Shaun Macgregor punished for his past but when Maria Bellicia is hurled into that turbulence, Shaun has to choose – flee or fight.


"Serranto's Redemption" Breaking Out Series

Book Two



Years of edifice with the Serranto Family Empire fuses two brothers, igniting them by indifference, greed and power. The corrupt kingdom where rules, honesty or family allegiance need not apply lastly explodes, leaving only one in reign. But which brother will stand supreme as the other suffers and falls in annihilation? Whether wrong or right, good or bad, equivocal destruction decimates everything in its wake, leaving nothing.

"Brannigan's War" Breaking Out series

Book Three



Corporal Mitch Brannigan was always one to fight his way through life’s obstacles, and being injured in Iraq was only one more hardship to conquer. Now home in the States, he realizes it is one thing to return from war and feel its affects, but it’s another to accept defeat. He must fight to overcome the denunciation and pain that comes with being a U.S. Veteran—and to fulfill a promise between comrades.

Carol Gambill
Author of the 'Breaking Out Series'
http://carolgambill.com
http://www.myspace.com/carolgambill
http://www.facebook.com/carol.gambill
Sites moderated:
http://carolgambill.blogspot.com/http://www.myspace.com/justinlevens_intercessory
http://floridaveteransnetwork.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/javierparedes_usarmy


Two Prizes -- Two Winners

۞۞THE BREAKING OUT SERIES GIVEAWAY - DETAILS۞۞   
1. "Once Wild", is the first book up for grabs - and the winner can choose to have it in the following formats: PDF, EPUB, HTML, KML, LIT, MOBI, PDB, ROCKET)
2."Brannigan's War"  is also available to win, and is in PDF only  Just follow this blog in any way (Google Follow and/or Facebook) and let me know how you follow in comments with your email address. If you have a question for Carol Gambill, please do ask, it's an extra point! If you are already a follower, you automatically get 5 extra points, just let me know! Giveaway starts today and ends day 12th June 2011

*Required* Rules of entry:
1. Follow this blog in either Google/Facebook and let me know how you do in comments.
2. With each comment leave your email address for me to contact you, should you win.
Additional ways for more points *not required*
3. In a separate comment ask the author a question - it's an extra point!
4. If you already follow you get a bonus of 5 extra points. Just let me know.
5. Extra ways to gain points can be made, but that is entirely up to you. (Tweeting, Buzzing, Digging... etc!)
Thank you! 
 


۞۞MORE GIVEAWAYS۞۞ --
A giveway with Larion Wills Closes 10th June
A giveaway with Mahalia Levey Closes 8th June

*All giveaways are open to all WORLDWIDE unless otherwise stated.

Join our chat over at the
Yahoo Chat and Promo group!
(and claim your free e-books!)
Group Rules*::No Promo's Mondays-Thursdays ONLY chat
Promo companies are limited to two posts per day per company on Fridays-Sundays keeping within the rules above. Thank you!
*The only exception to these rules are for our affiliate authors who can post promos any time.



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