Ignite Your Soul Author Event 2018

Hello and welcome!

It is that time of the year when I am getting ready to attend a book signing I’ve been attending for the last few years now. Amazing event, small, intimate and what I like about it is that I can spend time with each author and find out what’s what.

IGNITE YOUR SOUL Author Event 2018
in London, Ontario, Canada!

Love their slogan:

Real books. Real People. Real community. Come ignite your soul with us!

This year is going to be even more amazing, M. A. Abraham will be attending as a signing author along with some fabulous authors, some returning and some new ones too. Before I went as a reader and blogger making small contributions to the registration bags and baskets with books and swag donated by authors. Remember my post last year? Or my post from the year before?

This year I will be helping out Ms. Abraham at her table and sneaking out from time to time to feed my book hoarding addiction 😉

So here is the info….

September 29, 2018

DoubleTree by Hilton

300 King Street, London, Ontario, Canada

Every year a charity organization is chosen to have the fundraising for and this year Alzheimer Society of London and Middlesex is the recipient of the silent auctions proceeds. The authors, bloggers are donating great prizes to bid on.

I will be selling my one-of-a-kind hand-made beaded bracelets adorned with the purple ribbon charms with proceeds going to the same.

Many genres to choose from, so join us for another fabulous Canadian book signing convention! Here are a few of the titles that will be available for purchase.

For the VIP guests there will be the Autumn Harvest Dinner After Party too with a delicious buffet dinner, DJ entertainment and photo booth to goof around in.

Check out the website for more info, for a list of the authors attending and if you have any questions you can contact the organizers on the site or the event Facebook page.

Here is the link for ticket purchase form.

I hope to see you there, if you do, stop by the table and get some swag and a hug too… just ask those who got one, they say I give the best hugs 😀 or if you see me walking around, stop me and say hello… I’ll be the one of the two (the taller one 😛 ) with Elven tiara and ears 😉

Until next time… read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

My Chat with Heather Firth

Hello and welcome!

I am excited to introduce to you a new voice I discovered recently, smooth, scrumptious, rich like fine velvet.

Please welcome Heather Firth!

Do you have a nickname?
Not that I’m aware of. If I do, nobody calls me it to my face.

What is one word best describes you?
Emotional. I’m 100% an emotional empath. It’s not uncommon for me to cry watching a commercial on TV.
Yeah… my son looks at me funny because I cry too.

What makes you laugh out loud?
Hmmm, I’m not sure. But there have been plenty of times when I’ve been listening to an audiobook and laughed out loud. Once I was driving and almost veered into the curb because I was laughing so hard!

What is your favourite smell? What does it remind you of?
Definitely vanilla. I’m not really sure why. Maybe something to do with baking? Growing up, my grandma was the master of baked goods.
I love the smell of baking, my Mother used to bake every weekend and she used me as her mixing machine 😀 maybe that is why I hate baking… but I love to eat sweets

Favourite place to spend time in.
Other than my recording studio? That’s definitely a favorite place for me. But outside of that would have to be anywhere in the mountains.  Nothing beats fresh mountain air and mountain views.
I know what you mean. I was born and grew up in the mountains, I miss them.

What is your fave genre to read in your spare time? Do you have any spare time?
I really stick to romance books for the most part. Thanks to my career in narration I have branched out to Sci-Fi as well though. I really don’t have a lot of spare time these days. I used to read 3-4 books a week. Now I’m lucky if I can finish one book in a week. Most nights I fall asleep with my Kindle in my hand.

Audiobooks! What started them?
This one is a long story! It wasn’t one thing, but rather a chain of events. First, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a major in Dramatic Arts. My dream was to move away to a big city and become an actress. Looking back now, I realize I’m not a big city type of girl. Instead I got married, had children and worked jobs that helped pay the bills. In 2015 my friend invited me to see the movie “Fifty Shades of Grey”. I had heard of the books, but never read them. I thought that they “weren’t really my thing”. I even asked my friend, “Are you sure you want to go with me? I was embarrassed watching Magic Mike!” Well, it turns out it was my thing. The day after the movie, I went out and bought the Fifty Shades books in paperback and read them four times. Thus, my love and obsession with romance books was born. Shortly after, I created Naughty Book Blog. I then discovered audiobooks. It was while listening to Colleen Hoover’s November 9 that I had a lightbulb moment. Audiobook Narrators can work from home?! Maybe I can finally find a career I love and put my university degree to use! So I made it my goal to become a voice actor.
I am so glad you did. Your voice must be heard!

Is there a genre that you would not narrate?
At this point, I really have no interest in narrating non-fiction. My heart is with fiction. Although, I probably wouldn’t do anything with excessive amounts of gore. I don’t like horror movies so anything that has content similar to horror movie would be a no go for me because it would most likely keep me up at night or give me nightmares. I’m too sensitive to deal with that kind of imagery.

If you could choose another career what would it be?
If given the chance, I would love to go back to stage acting or even venture into film. I’m also a singer so I’d definitely love the chance to record music.

Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?
I’m not sure there’s a specific emotion or message, but being an extremely emotional person, I think that my real feelings sometimes bleed into my performance. It isn’t uncommon for me to be narrating a scene with a death and I have to stop and collect myself because the emotion gets caught up in my throat and I can’t speak properly. I have to hit the pause button, let the emotion out and then take a couple deep breaths to collect myself. These sort of scenes are really hard for me to get through because I feel it too much sometimes.

Who is your intended audience and why should they listen to your audiobooks?
That’s a great question. I’ve never really given it much thought. Being new to this career, I’m just happy when someone sees my name attached to a title, has no good idea who I am, but is willing to give it a listen! At this point in my career though, I’m focusing on romance projects, so I’d say romance listeners are my target audience.

What is next in your narrating work?

Just finished up the fourth and final book in the Twisted World series by Kate L. Mary, Twisted Fate. It’s a zombie apocalypse with a well integrated love story as well.

Next up is my first romantic comedy, The Fine Line Between Love and Hate by Ashley Erin, a fellow resident of Alberta, Canada!

 

After that is Whole Lotta Frogs by Samatha Harris.

Then I have two very naughty sci-fi romance titles by Sara Fields, Conquered and Mastered.
ooooh yum…. I am looking forward to these ones 😉

Thank you so much Heather for spending time with me. I am looking forward to lots more hours of listening.

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Thanks for joining us and I hope you enjoyed the chat and will give a listen, I promise you, it will be an experience.

I listened to Surviving Eden book 1 in the Surviving Series by Virginia Wine and here is my review:

Story 4 stars
Performance 5 stars

I picked this book because of the voice. Ms. Firth’s is a new voice for me and I really enjoyed listening to the many voices and emotions of the characters. She really pulled off this dual POV story with passion. Her talent is evident and I am looking forward to many more.

New author for me, Ms. Wine gives us a forbidden love story. But when love is present, is this relationship really forbidden? I thought so too at the beginning, but following their story, I couldn’t help but cheer them on as Eden and Theo heal each other and the HEA ending changed my mind. When is the next book out in audio? I hope soon.

Here is a HAWT (explicit) snippet from the audiobook, if you are offended by that type of content, please DO NOT listen to this. There are more samples on the website or on SoundCloud, follow the links at the bottom 😉

Here are the links to find out more and keep up to date with her work.

website • Facebook • SoundCloud • Twitter • Instagram • Naughty Book Blog

To start you on your listening journey, Ms. Firth is giving away an audiobook, winner’s choice from the backlist that will be chosen by Sexy Mr. Random from the comments on this post after 3pm EST on Monday, August 27, 2018. GOOD LUCK!

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

My Chat with Alex

Hello and welcome!

One of my newest BBF (book boyfriend) stopped by for a chat, it was easy to fall in love with him. Keep on reading and find out who it is 😉

What is your full name?
Alexsandr Maksim Markov. In case my name didn’t make it obvious enough, my parents are Russian. he chuckles

Do you have a nickname?
No. Everyone just calls me Alex.

What is one word that best describes you?
If you ask my associate Marissa, she would say, stoic.

Describe what you are wearing now to our readers.
My girlfriend Dana would laugh, but I’m wearing a grey suit. She teases me about the lack of color in my wardrobe. I just like what I like.
I love it, gray is one of my fave colours too 😉

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?
Yes. It was somewhat disturbing, actually. I would like to find out how Ms. Leo got some of her information. Never mind. Maybe I don’t want to know after all.

What makes you laugh out loud?
Few things. I’m a pretty serious guy. It’s just my temperament. But Dana makes me laugh. She makes me smile a lot. That’s how I knew.

What is your favourite dessert?
Well, I’m vegan so the desserts I love may not be as decadent as others. If you gave me a few pieces of ripe fruit, the juices dripping from them, I’d be in heaven.

source

Raspberries are my fave fruit, I found this great recipe for vegan smoothies, and made some for you, hope you like it.

What is your favourite drink?
Ah, these are tough questions, Eniko. I don’t drink alcohol. At least, I don’t anymore. I try to keep as healthy as possible. Even in my clubs, I stick to Coke.

What is your greatest fear?
I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind. I already saw it realized and … well, the thought of anything happening to Dana sends me to very dark places.

What is your favourite colour?
he laughs It should be grey but it was recently replaced as my favorite color. I’m very fond of dark brown now, the color of Dana’s eyes.

What do you wear when you go to sleep?
he laughs again Eniko, does any romance hero come to your blog and admit to wearing clothes to bed?

What is the perfect romantic date?
Despite the decadence of my surroundings at Vice, my needs are basic. I like the idea of minimalism. For me, an ideal date would be Dana, a beautiful nature trail and time to enjoy it. he winks Of course, I would never say no to a firm mattress.
Or a booth in Covet VIP room? That was hot, I have to say.

How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
I don’t get ticklish. he taps me on the nose Did you hear me? Not ticklish at all, especially not under my arm!

What’s your favourite smell? What does it remind you of?
Dana has this amazing perfume. She says it’s a custom blend. It smells like flowers and fruit and powder, all at once. Whatever it is, I need to buy the factory where they make it. I’ll probably sound like romantic fool, but she smells like the gardens at Versailles.

When you look at a woman what catches your interest?
It’s never just one characteristic. It’s the way the woman carries herself and the light in her eyes. When I first met Dana, we were both in a bad place, but there was a spark in her. Of course, I’m also obsessed with her beautiful dark skin and those legs.

Do you have somebody in your life now?
You mean I get to talk about Dana some more? Awesome. She’s been in my life for over a year now and we’ve set a date.

What is one word that best describes her?
Heat. My Dana is pure heat.

Is your book part of a series? What does the future hold for the readers of the series?
It sure is. Ms. Leo tells me my book is number 2 in the series. I hear a third may be in the works. In fact, I’ve heard rumblings that the heroine of that book will be Marissa Flores, my colleague and the designer at Vice. I’ve known Marissa for a while and she’s always been tight-lipped about romance. I can’t wait to see her get her turn.

oooh I can’t wait to read her story, I like her, she is a good friend to you from what I’ve read so far. Thank you Alex for stopping by and for the chat.

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Hope you enjoyed the chat. I certainly did 😉

As Alex mentioned, he hails from Covet, book 2 in the Vegas Sins Series by one of my fave authors Rosanna Leo.

I LOVE these covers, intense and beautiful, just like the stories.

Alex just acquired Sin City’s hottest casino hotel, and he’s determined to make Vice the ultimate pleasure palace—along with the mind-blowing new club, Covet.

But behind the successful entrepreneur façade, Alex struggles with a past that continues to haunt him, day in and day out.

After a surprise hookup with a beautiful stranger, he thinks he’s found the perfect distraction…until she walks out, leaving him with an unfamiliar ache which the pulse-pounding nights of excess at Covet can’t soothe.

When their paths cross once again, Alex realizes Dana is so much more than a mere distraction. He wants her—all of her.

But having her means he needs to face both her demons … and his own.

My review – 5 stars

I was so happy when I heard that we get to go back to Vegas. Ms. Leo didn’t disappoint, as usual the story is heartfelt and engaging. As the story unfolds, the layers reveal complex characters some that we get to love, some that we get to hate or pity.
I did fall in love with Alex and the way he got Dana to love him. They love, they heal, they protect each other. They get their HFN ending. The one thing I would have added to tie the loose ends, or satisfy my need for revenge, is what happened to the reporter and the driver. I guess will have to imagine that 😉

I hope you give this series a chance, you will not regret it.

Here is a short excerpt

“Ms. Hamill?”
“I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“Just that we do work closely with a number of the other hotels on the Strip. It’s a busy week in town, but I’ve heard there might be openings at the Flamingo and Excalibur. I would be happy to see if we can find you something at one of those properties.”
Okay. The time for calm was officially over. “Excalibur, huh? We booked Vice, the most sophisticated hotel on the Strip, and you want to send me to a place that has a fire-breathing dragon in the lobby?” Dana checked the clerk’s name tag. “I’m sorry, Cecilia. That just won’t do.”
“But we have no rooms.”
“Check again. I bet if you try really hard, you’ll find a couple.”
“You don’t understand—”
“Oh, I understand, believe me. Did I mention I work for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association? I’ve spent the last few years bringing major conventions to the Strip. I have worked with every hotel and have sent a great deal of revenue in Liam Doyle’s direction.”
“Mr. Doyle no longer owns Vice. Mr. Markov is the new owner.”
Dana’s frustration erupted in a crazed laugh. “You’re missing the point, Cecilia! I’m trying to tell you I have done this before. Now I’m not blaming you. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, someone else mislaid my reservation. Mistakes happen. Systems go down. I get it. I’m just asking you to fix it. Maybe you could bump someone else and send them to Excalibur.”
“Ms. Hamill.”
“Look, we’re wasting time here. I want to speak to a manager.”
“I’m sure my manager would be happy to talk to you but she’s in a meeting.”
“Great.” Dana’s voice cracked. “Please. I don’t like causing scenes. I’ve had…a lot on my plate lately. Woman to woman, help me out here.”
A deep voice sounded over Dana’s shoulder. “Maybe I can help.”
Dana froze.
That voice.
The last time Dana heard a voice like that, it was cursing softly in her ear as its owner fucked her into oblivion.
Help me, Jesus.
She turned, degree by degree. It couldn’t be.
And yet, everything she remembered was there. The cat eyes, the sun-kissed hair, the long, hot body.
This Alex looked different, though. The stubbled, jeans-clad creature from Joe’s was gone. He’d been replaced by a man who held himself with an easy authority. Dressed in an expensive grey suit, he looked as if he’d be just as much at home on a catwalk as in a casino. His short hair shimmered under the hotel lights, a deep golden color that would make most trophy wives salivate. His lips compressed as he took in the shock on her face.
Various emotions flickered in his pale eyes. Disbelief, concern, even anger. She understood them all and would have felt them too.
It was the last emotion that caused her heart to sink.
Indifference. The Alex from her fantasies now looked at her with indifference.

If you missed my chat with Ms. Leo in 2015, you can check it out here.

Keep in touch with Rosanna Leo and do check out all her yummy books by following the links below and if you chat with her, tell her I said hi :D

Make sure you peek in her Pinterest folders, lots of yumminess there to be enjoyed. 

website • newsletter • FB • Twitter • BookBub
• Pinterest • Instagram • Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

The Gift of Goodbye

Hello and welcome!

Today I would like to introduce you to a book I read recently and found it compelling.

How do you explain Alzheimer’s Disease to kids? Start with a bedtime story that will help them process what’s happening to Grandma.

“This heartfelt exploration of Alzheimer’s Disease is the perfect read to help your children develop an understanding of the effects of the illness on your loved ones.” E.M. Fitch

Caleb will do anything to protect the people he loves–and his grandma is top of that list, especially now that she has Alzheimer’s disease.

After Emma accidentally insults Grams, Caleb lashes out and makes fun of Emma’s dyslexia. Emma’s best friend Sydney rushes to her defense, starting a girls versus boys cartoon war that involves the whole sixth grade. Pencils ready, students of Whitman Elementary, prepare to battle!

When Sydney starts taking art lessons from Grams, she connects with Grams in a way that Caleb can’t. Love, lost memories, and new friendships enable powerful conversations to happen, especially about the toughest topic of all–Alzheimer’s disease.

From the Author
Watching a loved one progress through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease is difficult, and talking about it is even harder. That’s why I wrote THE GIFT OF GOODBYE. It’s a story for kids, about kids, not about Alzheimer’s disease. A book that was primarily focused on dementia would have been too sad for children to read. But I know that there are lots of kids in America right now who are witnessing Alzheimer’s change their grandma or grandpa. If THE GIFT OF GOODBYE helps one reader feel less alone, then my effort was worth it.

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I finally managed to post a short review on Amazon and Goodreads after 4 tries where my Kindle was not cooperating and managed to delete THREE TIMES the review right before hitting the submit button. GAH

My review: 5 stars
Ms. Cypress gave us a great book that touches a few sensitive topics, but is easy to read and compelling. Follows a group of children, each dealing with various challenges. One family dealing with Grandma’s fading to Alzheimer’s, another family falling apart after the Father’s accidental death and then the family where the dyslexic daughter facing challenges at school because of it. I recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Alzheimer is a terrible disease and it affects so many families, including my own. There is so much more going on in the book, friendship, young love, betrayal, bullying and child abandonment and the emotions evoked are many: sadness, anger, disgust, fear, indignation, mixed with hope, love, joy, reflection. The author did a great job without making it depressing and showing a different perspective of looking at things that are hard to see or bear. I think children can relate to the story and might help them deal with their feelings, but as I wrote in my review, it can be read by readers of any age.

To keep in touch with Louise Cypress and check out all her books, follow the links below

website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Instagram

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!

My Chat with Cassie!

Hello and welcome!

I have few BGF (book girlfriends), usually is the hunks that grab my attention.

One of the few joined me for a chat today and we are celebrating.

Welcome Cassie!

What is your full name?
Cassie Wilson

Do you have a nickname?
I guess Cassie is technically a nickname, but no one has ever called me Cassandra. Except my mom when I was in trouble as a kid.

What is one word best describes you?
Energetic. Positive. Passionate.

Describe what you are wearing now to our readers.
I’m going to work at the Flatiron Five club tonight, so I’m wearing my fave dancing shoes. They’re black leather thigh-high boots with spike heels and I think they go perfectly with my little black, short dress. It drives Reid crazy when we meet again at the beginning of our story, because he can’t see exactly where the boots end. I’m going with that. I’ve twisted up my long blonde hair and painted my nails red, to match my lipstick. It’s going to be hot at the club tonight!

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?
Yes. She made me share a big secret with Reid, one I’ve been keeping for a very long time – even though I didn’t like it at the time, I felt better afterward. Lighter. Maybe it was time to let that old stuff go.
That was quite a secret, I am glad you were able to share it, I know it helps.

What makes you laugh out loud?
Reid. He makes all these one-liners, deadpan, and cracks me up every time.

What is your favourite dessert?
Something sweet and thick, like chocolate syrup, but I don’t want it on ice cream.
I like how you think LOL

What is your favourite drink?
Something fizzy – like sparkling water, or champagne.

Champagne is mine too, here is my fave sparkling wine, had a bottle chilled to celebrate today. Last year’s crop was pretty good.

What is your greatest fear?
It was going back to Montrose River, the town I couldn’t wait to leave. I guess I need a new fear now.

What is your favourite colour?
Red. Or black. Or both together.

What do you wear when you go to sleep?
Nothing.

What is the perfect romantic date?
One that ends with great sex.

How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
Ha! Of course, I am, but I’ll never tell where!

What’s your favourite smell? What does it remind you of?
Fried chicken from Pappy’s in Montrose River. It used to make me think about hanging out with my friend, Tori, at my uncle’s garage and eating take-out in the summer, but now it makes me think about jumping Reid in Tori’s kitchen.
That scene is really hot!

When you look at a man what catches your interest?
His eyes. His hands. His smile. The way he looks at me.

Do you have somebody in your life now?
Reid Jackson.

What is one word best describes him?
Unexpected. she winks
You can say that again!

Is your book part of a series? What does the future hold for the readers of the series?
Some Guys Have All the Luck is book 4 in the Flatiron Five series of contemporary romances by Deborah Cooke. Book 5 will be Going to the Chapel, will be published September 27, 2018 and book 6 will be Bad Case of Loving You, to be published January 22, 2019. It’ll be Theo’s book and I’m looking forward to learning more about his unrequited love. I also have the first tattoo that Chynna gave away at F5 and which launched the Secret Heart Ink series. I guess hmm I have the tattoo that proves her right, that this tattoo given on a full moon brings love to the person who wears it.

I am excited by what is coming! Thank you Cassie for dropping by, I really enjoyed your story and the chat. Maybe you can put a good word in to Chynna and she will agree to come for a chat.

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Thanks for joining us and I hope you enjoyed the chat.

As Cassie mentioned she hails from the Flatiron Five Series by Deborah Cooke and Some Guys Have All the Luck is her story, which released today.

CONGRATULATIONS Ms. Cooke!

Adding Reid to my BBF list, Ty has competition for number 1 spot in the series now, or maybe I am taking both. Remember Ty? He chatted with me back in December 2016, if you missed it check it out here.

Cassie has everything she wants…
Cassie Wilson’s life is pretty much perfect, with a dream job, great partners—and the freedom to do whatever she wants whenever she wants. The last thing she wants is to go back to Montrose River, the town she couldn’t wait to leave, and revisit the past. But when her oldest friend asks her to be a godmother, Cassie sees an opportunity to make a difference in Emily’s life. Maybe teaching Emily to dream big will be her legacy. Besides, one weekend in the Midwest won’t kill her. She’ll be back in Manhattan so quickly that they won’t have time to miss her at Flatiron Five.

Reid knows what he wants…
Reid Jackson is convinced that luck has to be made. Keeping his eyes open has been the secret to his success, along with a lot of hard work. He might have come from the wrong side of the tracks, and he might have a reputation of being bad to the bone, but he’s built success after a major setback. When Cassie Wilson comes breezing back into town, Reid is ready to find out if she really is different from everyone else. Cassie is everything he imagined. She turns his expectations inside out—and shakes up his life. When Cassie decides she wants more than a fling, Reid knows he’s not the man she wants him to be—can Cassie change his mind and convince him to hope for more?

My review: 5 stars

Loved this new story, it has the usual smooth flow and the organic unfolding of the story I love in Ms. Cooke’s books. 

I really enjoyed learning more about Cassie and her past, she has quite a story. To carry that secret for so long… WOW
Reid is such a lovable guy and he came so far despite his childhood. Loved the chemistry between them, hot and sweet and real without the angst and drama so prevalent these days.

It is true in real life too, we only get to know somebody as far as they allow us to see or sometimes as far as we are willing despite having all the clues in front of us.

I can’t recommend this series enough.

Book 1, ‘Simply Irresistible‘ is on sale for a limited time.

To keep in touch with Ms. Deborah Cooke and check out all her yummy books, follow the links below and if you chat with her, tell her I said hi 😀

website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Pinterest
• Amazon • B&N • Kobo • iBooks • BookBub

To celebrate her new release, Ms. Cooke is offering an ebook copy of Cassie and Reid’s book to a lucky reader who will be chosen by Sexy Mr. Random after 3pm on Thursday, August 16, 2018. GOOD LUCK!

Until next time read a book, listen to a book and don’t forget to show your love by leaving a review!