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3000 Facebook Likes!! That Calls for a Celebration!! I’m Giving Away a $30 gift Card for Either Nook Or Kindle!

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Wow you guys!! This was amazing. I read everyone of your comments and had a smile on my face all day. I LOVE us!! Our huge yet cozy reading group is the greatest and I’m thrilled to have you guys with me!! Reading is the best, but reading with friends is even better! Winner announcement: my randomizer picked “Maria” (the first one who posted at: June 16, 2012 at 2:38 PM) to win this $30 gift card!! Congratulations Maria!!!

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Woooooohooooo!!! Look at us grow! We’re getting to be a huge group here on the blog, and on my Facebook page!! We just hit 3000 likes! So to commemorate this occasion, I thought I’d hold a quick gift card giveaway.

A $30 gift card for either Kindle or Nook that I will have emailed directly to you. So… it’s a “virtual” gift card!

How to enter for a chance to win it? Just leave a comment below (and indicate whether you would prefer the Nook or Kindle gift card), and TONIGHT by 11pm EST (06/16/2012), I will randomly select a winner. The winner will be contacted and the gift card will be sent to the email address provided (make sure it’s valid!!). NOTE: The “winner” will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification. If no response is received, I will randomly select another winner. Make sure to check your email, so you do not loose your chance. This is open to anyone that can receive an emailed giftcard from either of these two companies.

And if you haven’t “liked” my Facebook page yet, come on over and join us! We’re a fun and extremely active group and we’ve got really REALLY good taste in books! https://www.facebook.com/MarysesBookBlog

Today’s Latest Author & Book News – June 16th 2012

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I found us lots of great news, funny anecdotes and sneaky little tidbits from some of our favorite authors and their upcoming books!!

  • Richelle Mead announced the title and release date of book #3 in her Bloodlines series: “Hey! Did you hear the news? Bloodlines #3 is called The Indigo Spell and will be out on February 12, 2013.” Plus some pictures on her blog here, here and here of her “The Golden Lily” book signing
  • Jamie McGuire updates us on Travis’s POV of Beautiful Disaster progress —> “Chapter Eight.” *squee* She’s hoping to have it out this early fall.
  • Ohh!! Some cool pictures of Nalini Singh‘s and Lara Adrian‘s Germany Book tour/convention: here and here
  • *Squeee* again, because Molly Harper just announced in this interview that she WILL be releasing a 3rd book in her naked werewolf series. OMG the first one (How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf) made me laugh and swoon and just *wow* it was a great read!
“I am very pleased to tell you that there will be a third Naked Werewolf book. On pain of death — or at least, a stern talking-to — I cannot tell you when it will be released or who the main characters will be. But it will be set in Alaska and the main characters will be connected to Mo, Cooper, Maggie, Nick and the pack.”
  • Olivia Cunning updates us with a blog post on some “Sinners on Tour” news (and a few funny secrets that are almost released in Trey’s interview). I’m curious if any of these “when Myrna’s away” scenes are going to show up in his book (Double Time: Sinners On Tour) … (eeeeeeeep!!) :
“Also I have an unofficial release date for Jace’s book, Hot Ticket. February 13th. Get his bad-ass story right before Valentine’s Day.”
  • Colleen Hoover‘s “Slammed” continues to climb in Amazon ranking!! #66 in the Kindle Store! Have I told you yet, how much I love this book? I have? Over and over again? Can I tell you again? Tee hee!!
  • Gena Showalter updates us on her book progress:
“I turned in Last Kiss Goodnight (yes!! and I’m so thankful for my editor’s amazing suggestions, even though she put me to work LOL), but now I’m diving back into the second Angels of the Dark book. For those that haven’t heard, the title is Beauty Awakened!”
  • Tarryn Fisher posted a progress update for her upcoming “Dirty Red” book #2 (on her webpage) –> Er. The dancing is creepy (and funny). BTW Book #1 (The Opportunist) made us all so crazy that we had to form a “support” group on my spoiler/talk forum.
  • Entertainment Weekly released the gorgeous magazine covers for the upcoming Breaking Dawn movie. Must see!! Renesmee is really a great mix of the two of  ’em!
  • Rachel Vincent appears to have had a little “ending” dilemma with her latest book (from her Soul Screamers series). She forgot how she wanted to end it…
“Rachel: Did I by any chance tell you how I planned to end this book? Because I may have forgotten what my plan was and I appear not to have written it down. At all…No 1.: Nope. And if you did, I *may* not have been listening very closely.——Rachel: PLEASE say I told you how I planned to end this book…Rinda: Nope. You said you wanted it to be a surprise.Rachel: Yes, but not a surprise for ME! *cries*”
But all is well that ends well, as Rachel updates us with:
“So, maybe sometimes people forget how they were going to end their series-ending book because that idea wasn’t good enough after all, and when they’re forced to come up with a new idea, that idea is probably/almost certainly better than the idea forgotten in the first place.And, by people, of course, I mean me.”
“I just gave Kaylee something I never expected to be able to give her. This draft of WITH ALL MY SOUL is *almost* done…”
  • For all of you Dex and Perry fans (Experiment in Terror Series), while Karina Halle is working on book 5.5, she has also been inspired to write yet another Dex POV scene. And umm… hehe. It’s gonna be hard on us. I almost don’t know how much I want to say, but she Tweeted this, so that’s the part I’m saying:

Karina Halle ‏@MetalBlonde: No one would read a sex scene between Dex and Jenn…right? Right? Cuz this is close to happening…but I can stop…

Maryse’s Book Blog: ‏@MetalBlonde Okay… ACK!! Is it okay to admit that I was doing my best NOT to imagine them “like” that? My heart.

Karina Halle ‏@MetalBlonde: @ItsMaryse that goes for two of us. But it will be very telling 🙂

and last but not least…

  • S.C. Stephens releases yet another Kellan Kyle excerpt (from her upcoming book #3 in the Thoughtless series) *sigh* I HEART rock stars….
“Would you sit down, please?”I pressed the palms of my hands over my stomach, trying to stop the butterflies from taking flight. “Aren’t you nervous? Even a little bit?”Kellan took another swig of beer. “Well, watching you is making me a little nervous.” Setting his drink down on a nearby table, he patted his lap. “Come over here and help me relax.”Smirking, I walked over to him. He didn’t have a nervous bone in his body. Not about this, anyway. This, Kellan could do naked, in front of a million people, and be just fine. There was something seriously wrong with him.I straddled his lap, tangling my hands in his hair. Maybe his calm would seep into me, if we got close enough. I placed a light kiss on his lips and Kellan let out a soft laugh. “There, I feel better already.”

            

Book Review – Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight

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Butterfly Tattoo: Ultimate Edition
It. Was. Wonderful. Deeply touching. I didn’t cry but it was a struggle not to. A lump in my throat through it all, and at the same time, a smile on my face. Sometimes a beaming one, sometimes a bittersweet one, but my heart was engaged through and through.

A story about a gay man, barely coping with the loss of his partner a year after his death, raising their young daughter, and meeting a woman that  unexpectedly captures his attention. (you can check out my more in depth synopsis in my enthusiastic “currently reading” post”)

Maybe I’m just puzzled to feel this kind of attraction at all, especially toward a woman. It’s been such a long time since my mind or body even went that way.

The original cover…

And I’ll tell you something. Even though this is a potential love story between Michael and Rebecca, the love story between Michael and Alex (even though Alex is now gone) is just as poignant. Just as important and as intense.

This was a book about deep, true love that will last forever. Souls that recognize each other, no matter the social expectations. And I’m not just talking about a love between two men. But a deep blossoming friendship, an unexpected attraction and possible deeper love between a “once” gay man and a woman.

So the self discovery and intense personal scrutiny begins. The pressures from Michael’s entourage make things very touchy, and while Michael struggles to find himself again…

“Look, Michael, you’ve got to do whatever it takes,” she says soberly. “because you’re fading fast, and if something doesn’t change, it’ll be more than Alex that we’ve lost. This grief is going to kill you, too.”

… Rebecca struggles with her own perceptions of the person she thinks she can never be. She has her own scary past that has left deep physical scars, and even deeper emotional ones. Opening up, living and loving life is something she left behind a long time ago.

While time may heal wounds, and new love *may* help them over their own broken-hearted circumstances, the kind of true love that Michael and Alex had, continues to haunt them.

“So you’re gay.”

I feel the weight of Rebecca’s expectations, her disappointment about the vibe she must have detected between us.

“Well,” I answer, drawing in a breath, “I was with a guy for a long time.”

Rebecca shakes her head apologetically, the golden hair shimmering. “It was a stupid question.”

“Not stupid,” I whisper, turning toward her. “Actually, he’s the only guy I’ve ever been with. Only thing I can say for sure is that I was in love with him.”

“You still are.”

“Can’t get past it, I’m afraid.”

And it is this exploration that had me captivated from the start. Coming to terms with the terrible loss, and learning to adjust, and perhaps enjoy an unexpected future.

Complicating matters are the secrets that Michael harbors. These secrets may be hindering his chance at a happy life (with his family, future love, and his despondent daughter), yet… will exposing the truth make matters worse?

My lips part and what I want to say is that I’m sorry. Sorry that my sweet little girl has to hurt at all, that she worries about a scar that nobody else can even see. Sorry that her daddy’s nearly a year dead and all she has left in this frightening world is me.

Quite a few moments found me breathless in shock, sadness, and even a bit of hurt. But I was right there with them. All of them.

Overall, I would recommend this to anybody wanting to lose themselves in an emotional, heartwarming read.

4.5 stars!

Kallypso Masters – Rescue Me Series Reading Order

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Shelley brought this one to my attention:

“Hey Girls, Has anyone read the Rescue Me series by Kallypso Masters? I am half way through the first book and really loving it, so far it seems to have it all with lotsa potential.”

Sara is enjoying it too:

The first one is called Master at Arms. This one is like the back story of the three “Masters” who were all in the Marines. You have to read this first and then the individual stories about the Masters, Adam, Damian and Marco. Just starting Marco’s story. I’m really liking it so far. It’s not too heavy.

and CarolDee really recommends them!

“As far as the sugar-kink/BDSM  thing I would suggest the Masters At Arms series by Kallypso Masters. Great male and female leads, wonderful stories, and smile worthy HEAs :)”

About the series:

Masters at Arms begins the journey of three men, each on a quest for honor, acceptance, and to ease his unspoken pain. Their paths cross at one of the darkest points in their lives. As they try to come to terms with the aftermath–forging an unbreakable bond–will they ever truly become masters of their own fates? Or would fate become masters of them?

    

Author tidbits from her blog:

  • “Orlando Bloom inspired Master Damian Orlando in NOBODY’S PERFECT”
  • “SAVANNAH GENTRY (SAVI BAKER) Inspiration for the young Savannah (NOBODY’S PERFECT)”
  • “Mark Harmon inspired Master Adam in NOBODY’S HERO”
  • “Finnish Goth singer Tarja Tarunen inspired Karla in NOBODY’S HERO”
  • “Italians Monica Bellucci and Raoul Bova provided the inspiration for Angelina and Master Marc in NOBODY’S ANGEL”

Currently Reading… Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight

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Butterfly Tattoo
After finishing the EIT series, last week, I went into kind of a mini book-funk. I was on a role with that one, but now I must wait until more are released. *sigh* I need to snap out of it, finish my review for book #5 and get reading.

So I did! I have some very nice prospects on my current TBR list, and this is one that definitely pulled me out of my “paranormal” world and back into contemporary. Remember when I included in my TBR blog post a few weeks ago? It came HIGHLY recommended by my friend Gitte, and she said it made her cry. Now I know she’s an “easy crier” (hehe), but I’m always game for a go at book-tears!

I just hit the halfway point and I’m LOVING it (and have been really into the story from the start). Poignant. Heartfelt and truly emotional but not overwhelmingly so. Enough for me to truly care about the past, present and certainly the future of these characters, and I knew I had to recommend this one, to my friend Jackie, even if I wasn’t done yet. It’s right up her alley!

Maryse: I’m reading an AWESOME book right now. I think you’ll love. I’m only 30% in but OMG it is PERFECT. Excellent beautiful writing… Butterfly Tattoo.

Jackie: oh go on –

Maryse: it’s about a gay man (who once thought himself “straight”) until his best guy friend kissed him one night… and he fell in love and they have been together for years. But his partner just died and he is struggling to move on. Now he is building a friendship with a woman (who has her own sad story) and he’s finding himself seriously attracted to her – and it’s freaking him out.

Jackie: I’ve seen that but never bought it.

Maryse: IT IS EXCELLENT and it seems like I told you a lot, but that’s pretty much just the synopsis… because the FEELING in this book, the emotion, the introspection… the details. The flashbacks. It’s so sad, so deep, so sweet, so wonderful…

Jackie: I’ll download it tonight.

Maryse: You must!!

Jackie: I will. I do as I’m told unlike you who waits months…

Maryse: Oh, ha! ha!

Touché, Jackie. I don’t think you’ll ever get over how long it took me to read Bear, Otter and the Kid. But to your credit, you were right. You have great taste in books, and I should have TOTALLY been all over that one from the day you mentioned it. Well, at least I finally came to my senses. Now I can’t wait to hear what you think of this one.

Here’s hoping it’s good to the very end. It better not break my heart!! *fingers crossed* 😉

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