Chocolate, Roses & Handcuffs (oh my!) giveaway hop! (open INT)

Thanks to all the ladies who helped put together the hop!

So! We're celebrating Romance...with a touch of kink this week! 

Gotta love that! 

For our stop on the hop we're giving away 

1) an ecopy of CJ Ellisson's new release...Vanilla on Top. It's a lite BDSM with a little twist since the heroine has a bit of a dominate side <g>. It's a damn sexy read and one of my favorites so far this year. 

2) a little sweet too from a shop up the street called Chocolate Smiles. Mmm. Kinda jealous people! 

So, enter that Rafflecopter, leave a comment and hop on!

Cat Thursday: the puppy love edition...

Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats!

Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!

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My Familiar Stranger (Black Swan #1) by Victoria Danann

Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own. She is stranded. Alone. Far from home. A stranger in a "strangish" land. 

Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion? 

Type: Paranormal Romance, Elves, Vampires, Berserkers, alternate universe
Heat: 2.5-3
Rating: 3

Alright so I was really digging this one until the heroine picked the wrong hero. That landed My Familiar Stranger firmly in the eh category for me and made for one pretty grumbly cat herder.

When She was Wicked (Honeycote #1) by Anne Barton

Some rules simply beg to be broken...

A dressmaker in London's busiest shop, Miss Anabelle Honeycote overhears the ton's steamiest secrets—and (occasionally) uses them to her advantage. It isn't something she's proud of, but the reluctant blackmailer needs the money to care for her gravely ill mother. To make up for her misdeeds, Anabelle keeps to a firm set of rules:

• Never request payment from someone who cannot afford it.
• Never reveal the secrets of a paying client.
• Never enter into any form of social interaction with a client.

Her list keeps her (somewhat) honest—until she encounters Owen Sherbourne, the Duke of Huntford. Not only does Owen nip Anabelle's extortion plans in the bud, the devilishly handsome Duke soon has the sexy seamstress dreaming of more than silks and satins. With Owen, Anabelle enjoys pleasures she never imagined . . . until a scandal from the past resurfaces. Now her rules could mean his family's ruin. Owen's searing kisses carry the promise of passion, but how will he react when Anabelle's most devastating secret is finally revealed?

Type: Historical Romance, England
Heat: 2 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

At nearly 400 pages and over an inch thick When She was Wicked is a big book and still when I got to the last page a "no! It can't be over yet" zipped through my thoughts. Barton's debut novel was a huge hit for me and was filled with characters I easily fell in love with and knew I would miss as soon as I finished reading their story.

The Inside Out Trilogy w/ Lisa Renee Jones + giveaway!!

So excited yall! Today we have Lisa Renee Jones joining us with a guest post and excerpt from her series. I read book one a little while back and omg it is SOOOO good. Sexy and mysterious and just a fabulous read. So, come on and check out her post, leave her a nice comment and enter the giveaway :)

                                                                                                               ~Anna

Thanks for having me today to share an excerpt from IF I WERE YOU and THE INSIDE OUT TRILOGY to celebrate the release of the attached series.

I have my fiancee to thank for this series because he pushed me hard for years to write it. We were buying and selling storage units when he found journals and decided I had to write a story about someone who finds a journal and it leads them into erotic danger. He was determined and road me about it for YEARS. I began thinking about it and the characters became a part of my life and I got to know them long before I wrote them. I think that helps them come to life. I hope you think so!

Tasty Tuesday: Pasta Salad!

Cold Pasta Salad!

I just needed something quick and easy this week and decided to make a pasta salad. It's one I've made before and can easily be fiddled with to fit your mood :)

A Man to Trust by Cheryl Yeko

The battered survivor of an abusive marriage, Angela doesn't mourn her husband’s death in a drug deal gone bad. But she’s not sure she can survive losing her heart to the handsome detective who assumes she’s a criminal, too.Tasked with Angela’s safety after she’s targeted by an unknown enemy, Jake discovers the beautiful widow is not what she seems. He soon realizes that trusting her goes hand-in-hand with desiring her, and passion and duty collide.Now it’s up to Jake to keep Angela—and their chance at happiness—alive.

Type: Romantic Suspense

Heat: 3 out of 5

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ahhh I liked this one. It was my first time reading Yeko and she kept me very entertained, turning the pages and ignoring the housework much longer than I should have.

A Man to Trust was the perfect combination of an exciting suspense and a steamy romance as Jake tries to keep Angela safe from those out to stop her testimony in a drug case. One of the things I really liked was that the story starts somewhat in the middle of things with the big event that sparked the story already having happened and the two having encountered each other months earlier because of it.  It was a different start to a story but never felt confusing and really just worked.

Shuffle Up and Deal by Susan DiPlacido + giveaway

When Izzy and Nick meet in embarrassing fashion at a Las Vegas poker tournament, Izzy's secret dreams turn into a public nightmare. But despite her humiliation, she may have finally sparked Nick's interest in something other than cards. Before long, Nick takes a gamble on Izzy and raises the stakes when he offers to help her sharpen her game. 

But Izzy's convinced that Nick is bluffing and will fold his hand after he's had her on the flop. But a string of outrageous proposition bets and steamy trips on the poker tour, from Los Angeles to Miami, make these two fierce competitors realize that it may be time to put all their chips on the table. Will Izzy and Nick pair up? Or will they lose it all if they go all-in for each other? Sit down, ante up, and hang on, as Nick and Izzy get ready to Shuffle Up and Deal.


Type: Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 3 out of 5

Okay, so I know pretty much nothing about poker and don't think I know any actual poker players in real life and holy Moses I think I'm really glad about that. These guys are a trip and flipping mean to each other. It's pretty fun but lordy I'd be in tears with their teasing and the jokes they pull on each other.

Shuffle Up and Deal was an interesting book. There were some things I really enjoyed about it but there were also a couple things that made me a little twitchy along the way...

Friday Finds: Free & On Sale

Hey All- I'm just adding a couple today because my pup is sick and we're having a consult at our vet school this morning so time is a little limited. I'll try to add a couple others in over the weekend though so feel free to come and check back in :)

~Anna (and Zack the pup)

Recently returned from training at Quantico, FBI agent Mercy Gunderson stirs up trouble and uses her rarely seen feminine side to seduce her unsuspecting boyfriend, sexy-as-sin Sheriff Mason Dawson. When she revs up her Viper to get his attention while he’s on patrol, tempers and sparks fly—but their rendezvous is interrupted by a disturbing cry for help. The pair rush to the scene, where Mercy discovers that even though she can’t always save the day, she doesn’t have to be silent about it…

*FREE* Amazon  B&N Kobo Goodreads (Short- 2.5 in Series)

Chrismukkah & Festivus Decorations!

Ahhhh so I picked the winner quite a while ago and just forgot to put this over here for yall that don't follow us on Facebook. Figured I might as well now :) We can always use a little pretty even if it's not quite the season anymore, right? So here are all the pretty creations that were submitted for the contest. Each person was entered into the hat once and the winning name was Miss Lisa K. 

Thanks to everyone who participated! I loved all of them :)

~Anna

 

Keri J

Inherited Damnation Tour: Guest Post w/ Claire Ashgrove + giveaway

Hey Chickadees! We're pretty excited to be part of Claire Ashgrove's Inherited Damnation tour today! 

She's got a great guest post for yall and a quickie giveaway too. It ends today so enter as soon as you can. There's a tour-wide giveaway and one just for commenting here at herding cats & burning soup!

So check out her guest post, fill out that rafflecopted and leave a comment (PLEASE include your email this time!)

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For standing against her brother, Brigid McLaine is imprisoned within her home. All she wants is freedom and the ability to follow her dark nature. But captivity poses a greater threat in the form of her handsome guard, Micah Nelson. Day after day of confinement leads her down a treacherous path of desire she can no longer ignore.

When Micah befriended Brigid six years ago, he never imagined the woman who haunted his every fantasy would end up being the very same demon he's employed to guard. During the forced confinement, he comes to learn the softer, gentler side of the woman who is despised by her family--and he recognizes the fear that keeps her chained to her sire. As their bond strengthens and passion ignites, Micah struggles to convince Brigid to confront her fears and escape her incubus father's dark designs.

Yet with the sabot of Litha so near, one of them must make a choice. Will Brigid find the ability to confront her sire once and for all and embrace the lightness in her heart--or will Micah find the courage to let go of the one thing he wants most? Brigid.

Cat Thursday...oh the shame!

Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats!

Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!

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Oh the indignity of it all!

To All A Good Night anthology

Type: Contemporary Romance, Christmas

Heat: 2/3 out of 5

Rating: 4 out of 5

Not bad. Not bad at all. To All A Good Night was a delicious holiday read filled with sexy men and spunky women. Lots of heat and delightful adventure. Basically it's some good not-so-clean Christmas fun ;)  There's no real connecting theme other than, maybe, finding love when you least expect it? I really loved two of the stories (Shalvis and Dimon). Both are easily 5 star stories. 

Unleasehed by Donna Kauffman (3 out of 5)
When Emma Lafferty is hired by a billionaire CEO to watch his pets over the holidays, she expects to enjoy a quiet Christmas in opulent surroundings. What she doesn't expect is to spend the week trapped in the mansion with the CEO's sexy great-nephew??-and heir-whose motives are as shady as his desire is crystal clear....

Game for Love (Bad Boys of Football #3) by Bella Andre

In a relationship built on lies...the only truth is their feelings for each other.

To fulfill his grandmother's dying wish, linebacker Cole Taylor must find and marry a good girl. First grade teacher Anna Davis fits the bill perfectly. Their deal is simple: If she'll be his temporary wife, he'll give her more pleasure than she ever imagined was possible. 

Only, love is the ultimate game-changer.


Type: Contemporary Romance, Sports
Heat: 4 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5


I'm really not sure how this one ended up on my Nook but I'm glad it did! Andre's writing has a great flow and is really so captivating. One of my favorite storylines is the "fake mates/couple" that end up falling for each other. For some reason I just love that one and, turned out, I really loved Cole and Anna as well. The innocent school teacher taking a stand and the playboy footballer fulfilling his gram's dying wish to see him happily married by doing something crazy...like getting married mere hours after meeting...

Now, talk about a hot steamy read! I don't think anyone has ever had quite so much sex in the history of sex as Anna and Cole. Holy cow. These two went at it like bunnies. Now, the sex scenes were very well written. They're hot and steamy, emotionally charged and down right sexy but geezaloo there's an abundance of them in this 180 page story. I'm surprised either of them could actually walk after we hit about the halfway mark.

If Wishes Were Shadows (The Shadows #1) by A. Sangrey Black +giveaway

Calinda Byer is all assertiveness in her daytime life, but when it comes to the bedroom, she leaves her will at the door with her clothes. Her vampire Dom, Adam Straton, refuses to turn her until she has witnessed the darker side of immortality and the true depths of his sexuality -- including his male vampire lover.  

A weekend at his country estate promises dark, twisted delights the likes of which Calinda could never have imagined. All she has to do is use the safe word, and she can return to the "normal" world alone. But will she?

Type: Paranormal Erotica, Menage (m/m/f), BDSM (pretty hardcore), Vampires

Heat: 4 out of 5

Rating: 4 out of 5

Info: Cobblestone Press, ebook, less than 50 pages

Over the last couple of years I've read a lot of erotica and my fair share of BDSM novels and I think it's pretty safe to say I've officially found one of my hard limits.  Holy. Cow.  If Wishes Were Shadows holds no punches, literally, from the very beginning. It's a hard and fast vampire BDSM story that, as much as it wigged me out, I honestly couldn't tear my eyes away from it if I'd tried. 

Tasty Delights--Vegetarian Chili!

Tasty Delights and Dazzling Disasters is all about playing in the kitchen and having some fun.

I'll share my delights or my disasters. Yall feel free to join in and create your own posts, share your favorite recipes, what have you. 

One of my favorite things to make during the winter is chili. Being a vegetarian it's a veggie version but still not much better than a steaming bowl of chili and a bit of corn bread on a cold winter night :)

This is one of those recipes I've worked on over the last couple years getting it just how I like it. Last year I swear I made chili dag near 50 times. But I think I finally got it right!

Spotlight: Velvet by Xavier Axelson + giveaway!!

The first novel from Xavier Axelson is set against a backdrop of decadence, privilege and intrigue. Virago, the royal tailor, makes a discovery that will test the bonds of brotherhood, unravel the forbidden secrets of his heart and threaten the very fabric of his existence. 

In a land where cruelty is disguised as allegiance, loyalty is masked by obligation and the laws of sumptuary govern the people, nothing is more dangerous than Velvet

Type: Historical Erotica, M/M

Publisher: Seventh Window Publications, ebook, 200 pages

Get Your Copy:

Seventh Window Publications

TBR Pile Knockout (3)

TBR Pile Knockout is hosted by Ana of Beach Bum Reads and Anna of Herding Cats & Burning Soup. This meme was created to tackle our HUGE and STILL GROWING TBR piles.&nbsp

We'll be posting the 1st and 3rd Monday each month. Our goal is to make a rather nice dent in our TBR piles. So, aside from our other lovely reads, we will be making sure ONE book out of our TBR pile will be read :) 

Want to join in? Check out the rules:

Vanilla on Top by CJ Ellisson + giveaway (open INT)

Discover your inner bad girl, and set her free…

Heather Pierce is done being a wallflower, both personally and professionally. Desperate to live a different life for one night, she attends a speed dating event. Maybe here, anonymous unless she chooses otherwise, she can become someone new. When a man way out of her league sits across from her, Heather gathers her courage and takes charge of what she wants, secretly fearing he won’t desire the real person she’s desperate to hide.

Top acquisitions officer and international playboy Tony Carmine is about to close the biggest deal of his career. But then he meets Heather at a speed dating event…and discovers losing control may be exactly what he needs. Her blossoming sensuality occupies his every thought, consuming him with the need to possess the most intriguing lover he’s ever encountered—until he walks into the boardroom and sees Heather on the other side of the negotiating table.

Type: Erotica/Romance
Heat: 4 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5

Woot! We've got our first 5 star review of 2013 and our first ever "Pick of the Litter"!! 

When I pick up an erotic romance, Vanilla on Top, is exactly the type of book that I look for. It was the perfect combo of melt you on the spot chemistry between characters that feel real and honest, scorching hot sex scenes that are a little daring at times and an incredible romance to back it all up.

Um, Saturday Selections? Free & On Sale goodies!

Um, I might be a little late with this week's Friday Finds. I got a little excited about our first snow and a little hopped up on chocolate and then I crashed. LOL So some Saturday goodies for yall. 

Let me hear it! Who are you picking up this week? 

Who've you read? Any good?

**Yall keep an eye out for Author for the Holidays emails. Winners are being notified and yall've got 48 hours to respond so please keep a look out!**

When the head of the Araneidae clan is found poisoned in her nest, her eldest daughter, Lourdes, becomes their clan’s new maven. If her clan is to survive, she has but one choice: she must marry before her nest is seized. All she needs is a warrior fierce enough to protect her city and safeguard her clansmen. Such a male is Rhys the Cold.

Born the youngest son of an impoverished maven, the only things Rhys has to his name are his sword and his mercenary reputation. His clan is starving, but their fondness for the flesh of fellow Araneaeans makes them unwelcome dinner guests. Torn between loyalty to his clan and fascination with his future bride, Rhys’s first taste of Lourdes threatens to melt the cold encasing his heart.

All He Ever Desired (Kowalski Family #5) by Shannon Stacey

A second shot at first love

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

Type: Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

As much as it pains me to say it I think it's safe to say I've fallen out of love with the Kowalski family, or rather with Stacey's writing. A damn hard thing to swallow after being so smitten with the first three books in the series. They were that perfect mix of delicious romance, heat, real emotion turmoil and, what I think made them so fantastic, laugh-so-hard-you-cry humor. Unfortunately, as with the previous release, hardly any of that was seen in All He Ever Desired.

Cat Thursday...the nekkid edition...

Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats!

Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!

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I'm going with nekkid kitties this week simply because they make me smile.
Our house though is a nekkid-kitteh free zone.

Spotlight: Bonded (Mating Ritual #2) by Ria Candro + giveaway

We're doing a little book spotlight today for Ria Candro's newest novella, Bonded.It's a futuristic erotic menage novella. Mmmm. There's a giveaway of the first book in the series today too! Yay. So check out a little about the book then head on down and enter that Rafflecopter!

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When Inara crash lands on a deserted planet, the last thing she expects is to run into two stunning men from the planet Spygia—who claim she is their mate. While she’d love nothing more than to indulge in a steamy encounter—or two or three—with these gorgeous hunks, she’s on the run from the barbaric Malucons who decimated her home planet of Chivea. And she’s on a mission to find her cousin, the only other Chivean survivor. Nothing, not even the promise of paradise to be found in the Spygians’ arms, is going to stop her.

When Inara refuses to be bonded to them, Neichon and Valeron strive to uncover what secrets she’s hiding before they unveil a few of their own. How will their reluctant mate react when she learns she’s destined for, not two, but four Spygian men? 

Just so you know—this story contains explicit M/F/M and M/F/M/M/M scenes. Enjoy!

Book info: Publisher-Ellora's Cave, ebook, ~25,000 words

Oh Yum!! This novella sounds pretty damn spicy, doesn't it? A little action and danger. A whole lotta sexy men.... Oh the possibilites. <g>

Kitten Reviews!

We're starting something new here at herding cats & burning soup...Kitten Reviews!

And that's all about YOU!

This is all new so things may change over time as this or that comes up. If you've got any questions just leave a comment or shoot me an email at herdingcatsANDburningsoup@gmail.com

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The Goal?

Help authors by getting more reviews out there on major review sites

And giving out gifites to all of you for doing it!

What Counts?

• Any book you picked up because you saw it was mentioned/reviewed/spotlighted on herding cats (or one of our social media outlets like Facebook)

Spotlight & Excerpt: Holiday Jinx by Abbey MacInnis

Just a little book spotlight today :) I absolutely love a good Christmas story (really any time during the year) and this one looks pretty cute. I can't for the life of me remember reading a story with an elf before! And I love the set up for the couple. It just smacks of yummy drama and so many chances for a steamy little romance.

Have any of you read the Holiday Jinx? Or anything by Abbey MacInnis? 

Hope yall enjoy the excerpt! Happy Tuesday!

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Tasty Tuesday: Yellow & Red Tomato Bruschetta

Yellow & Red Tomato Bruschetta

So, you may notice one glaring error here. Yeah. Yellow tomatoes? Really flipping hard to find mid January. 

But I was in the mood for a yummy tomato snack and just had to make this one now yellow tomatoes be damned... ;)

ROFLOL Giveaway Hop w/ Romance at Random!

Hello chickadees! We're joining in with Romance at Random as they celebrate An Affair to Dismember!

This one's real simple! Just fill out that Rafflecopter down below to enter. 

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Three months has been Gladie Burger’s limit when it comes to staying in one place. That’s why Gladie is more than a little skeptical when her eccentric Grandma Zelda recruits her to the family’s matchmaking business in the quaint small town of Cannes, California. What’s more, Gladie is also highly unqualified, having a terrible track record with romance. Still, Zelda is convinced that her granddaughter has “the gift.” But when the going gets tough, Gladie wonders if this gift has a return policy.
 
When Zelda’s neighbor drops dead in his kitchen, Gladie is swept into his bizarre family’s drama. Despite warnings from the (distractingly gorgeous) chief of police to steer clear of his investigation, Gladie is out to prove that her neighbor’s death was murder. It’s not too long before she’s in way over her head—with the hunky police chief, a dysfunctional family full of possible killers, and yet another mysterious and handsome man, whose attentions she’s unable to ignore. Gladie is clearly being pursued—either by true love or by a murderer. Who will catch her first?

Amazon  B&N

The Nymph's Labyrinth (The Nymph Series #1) by Danica Winters + giveaway

A world shrouded in mystery and intrigue, the Sisterhood of Epione must not be exposed. 

A Shape-shifting nymph, Ariadne, is tasked with keeping the truth of her group’s existence and their ancient mysteries far out of reach of an American archeologist and his troublemaking son.  When forgotten and forbidden passions are awakened, Ariadne is forced to make a choice—fall in line and continue to be overrun and pushed down by the sisterhood, or follow her heart and put everyone’s lives in danger.

Can Ariadne have the man she loves or will the pressure and secrets of the past keep her from her heart’s desire?

Type: Paranormal Romance, Nymphs/Shifters

Heat: 2.5/3 out of 5

Rating: 3.5/4 out of 5

Info: Crimson Romance Publishing, ebook, 133 pages

If you've been around a while you know I have a thing for authors that try something different. So when I saw a new series featuring Nymphs I was all in and I'm really glad I gave The Nymph's Labyrinth a try. The writing style hooked me right away and had me reaching for my Nook every chance I could during the day. With intriguing characters and an interesting take on mythology Winters created a fun world that easily pulled me in.    

Friday Freebies: Free & On Sale Books for the weekend :)

Some lovely little freebies for yall to start the weekend with :) Hope you're all having a great weekend! 

Have yall read any of these? 

There's a sports romance in the mix for yall doing the reading challenge. I'll keep an eye out to see if it ends up in any other formats :) 

Isabella Tenderini, a wealthy merchant's widow rescues a stranger from drowning in one of Venice's canals. And how does the man repay her selfless act? By kissing her - her, a respectable woman. 

Not only is Raphael di Santori grateful for his life being saved, he would also like to thank his rescuer very intimately - more intimately than decorum allows. But then, Raphael has never been one to play by the rules - as a vampire he doesn't have to. 

This a novella of approx. 139 pages / 31,000 words. Each chapter is illustrated with a photo of Venice from the author's own collection.

Warning: explicit and graphic sex, incl. voyeurism and other sexual taboos. This is Erotica.