Guest post: What’s in a name? by Suzanne McLeod + Giveaway

Today I am thrilled to introduce one of my favorite authors, Suzanne McLeod on Book Lovers Inc! Suzanne is here with us today to celebrate the upcoming release of her new novel, The Shifting Price of Prey (I love saying it aloud 5 times in a row *wink*). It’s the 4th book in her fantastic Spellcrackers.com series and if you haven’t tried it yet, I can’t recommend it enough. Let’s give a warm welcome to Suzanne who will be talking about how she named her characters. And don’t forget you can win one of her book!

‘What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet’
Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare.

Hello and thanks to the Book Lovers for having me here again!

A rose probably would smell as sweet but once something is named it’s difficult to separate it from its …

Happy Birthday Stella!

Today we’re very happy to celebrate our very own Latin Lover’s Birthday!!! As the cake says..We <3 you!!!

Happy Birthday Stella!! *g* 

Everyone’s getting ready to celebrate with you! So take your party hat (or party thong because it’s too hot outside) and let’s get ready to rock this birthday!

Starting with the soft pic 😉

Has: Happy Happy Birthday hon!!!!!!! Have a brilliant day which I hope is full of books and other goodies and that your birthday wish comes true for you!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of *HUGS* Love Has xxx

Lea: Happy Birthday Stella!! I hope your day is filled with wonderful surprises, lots of chocolate, wine and a BIG cake with drool worthy icing!! Enjoy your special day! ((((HUGE HUGS)))))) Lea. 😀

Anna: Happy Birthday Stella!!!!!!!!! Hope you all the best for your special day, health and happiness 🙂

Marlene: Happy, Happy Birthday Stella! I hope you have the bestest of all …

ARC Review: The Ugly Duchess by Eloise James

Format read: E-ARC from Edelveiss
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Number of pages: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) , Author’s Website

Blurb:

How can she dare to imagine he loves her…when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess ?

Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke’s passion.

Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime…until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it’s scandalized by their separation.

Now James faces …

Dual Review:Try Me by Olivia Cunning

Format read: ebook
Series: Book #1 in the One Night with Sole Regret series
Release Date: June 26th 2012
Number of pages: 85 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Amazon

Blurb:
For the five sexy rock gods of Sole Regret, finding love is easy, keeping it is hard.

Melanie has no desire to meet the members of the rock band, Sole Regret, but her groupie of a best friend gets them both backstage and then rushes off with the band’s lead singer. Left alone at an after party with a bunch of scary tattooed and pierced metal-heads, sheltered Melanie is relieved when the only normal-looking guy in the room insists on keeping her company.

By the time Melanie discovers that Gabe is the band’s drummer and not as normal as she assumed, she has already made a complete fool of herself. …

Bookish Rant or Raves: These books that pushed you out of your comfort zone

I admit, I rarely read books that would push me out of my comfort zone.  Well to be honest I even use guinea-pigs (Sweet Susi and Christine *g*) to read the books I’m too chicken to try first.  Then they tell me if I can safely read them. I think Susi even considered using a ‘Safe-For-Caro’ tag on Goodreads. Heh!

I’ve seen a LOT of reviews about books that left the readers broken and very disturbed.  The Siren by Tiffany Reisz for example  seems to leave most  readers in a state of shock and unease for weeks.  Megan Hart‘s books often have that effect on me, they haunt me for weeks and I still want more.

This week I discovered (thank to Mandy @ Smexy Books) a new series (serialized story) that pretty much rocked my world and really pushed my limits. Dark Soul  by Aleksandr Voinov is …

We Love Your Comments Giveaway Winner & New Start

The winner of our We Love Your Comments Giveaway for July  is Aurian who commented on our Around the Bookish World   post:

I don’t want to read anymore about bad behaviour from authors or readers or bloggers. Totally tired of it. Thanks for the Ilona Andrews cover, it is lovely.

Congratulations! An email will been sent to you. Please email us back in the in the next 72 hours to claim your price.

We will now start counting for August. Here again the rules:

We thought long and hard about how we should show you, the readers of Book Lovers Inc how much we appreciate your input and interaction. We are happy and grateful for every comment cuz we know how it is to be a “blog-hopper”. We enjoy reading your thoughts and we love to start a good discussion with you. This blog …

Breaking news in our Bookish world!

This just in, if we are to believe our sources, BLI journalist Has The Smutty Lover  is celebrating her birthday today! These rumors haven’t been confirmed yet. Let’s hear more from our correspondent…

*MIC in hand* Yes thank you the studios…Today is  indeed a special day for us because we’re all here to celebrate our Smutty Lover’s Birthday!!! Happy birthday Has ! It’s a pleasure to know you and  we all wanted to tell you how much we care about you!

Happy Birthday hon!!! And well we couldn’t safely bring you a #peenpresent but this might work too 😉 Because nothing says Happy birthday like Asian male strippers, right?

Caro: *drum rolls* HAAAAAAAAAppy birthday Haaaaas! May this new year bring you everything you want! Mostly books and hot delicious men! If possible hot delicious men holding books in their hands to hide their nakedness *g* It’s …

ARC review: Sway (Cherished Duology) by Lauren Dane

Format read: ebook of Sway (won on twitter)
Genre: Contemporary erotic Romance
Release Date: August 7th 2012
Number of pages: 368 pages (for the 2 stories)
Publisher: Berkley
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK)

Book Blurb:
Sway by Lauren Dane. Book 1 of the Delicious series

Taken from Ms Dane’s website – SWAY will be in the CHERISHED Duology with me and Maya Banks – both our books will have a contemporary BDSM theme. It’s also the start to my DELICIOUS series, the spin off from The Brown Siblings books.

Levi Warner is an established, older man—wealthy, powerful, and above all, respectable. Then Levi meets Daisy, an uninhibited 24-year-old dance instructor and artist, not exactly the kind of woman Levi is accustomed to. But the young, free spirit, brings out something in him …

Guestpost:10 Reasons to Fall in Love with Ella Raines by Laura Kaye + Giveaway

Today we’re very happy to welcome Laura Kaye on Book Lovers Inc. Laura’s new Fantasy Romance, West Of Want came out earlier this month. This is the 2nd book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series.  Laura is here today to tell us all about her heroine Ella Raines.  Stay tuned and you could win a copy of the book. Let’s give a warm welcome to Laura!

I’m very excited to be celebrating the release of my new fantasy romance West of Want, the second book in my Greek-mythology-based Hearts of the Anemoi series! As much as I love the Greek gods in this series—their supernatural powers, the fraternal dynamics between them, their distinct hurts and wants and needs, their abs (look at that cover!)—I’ve really enjoyed writing the heroines, too. These women need to be equals to incredibly powerful, paranormal creatures. They need to be able to …

The Good, the Bad and the Are-You-Kidding-Me?

Welcome back to  The Good, the Bad and the Are-You-Kidding-Me? our bi-weekly cover discussion (<==criticizing-fest).

It’s been a while since we last take a look at what was coming out in Germany.  Susi found us quite a few gems to work with. So let’s remember it’s all just for fun and let the cover talk begin.*g*

 Caro: Honestly I hated the original cover for Shatter me but I really like the German cover. It’s simple but pretty. I like how her dress seems to melt into swirly things.  WAY better than the original.

Lara Adrian‘s cover is ‘nice’  but it’s the kind I would forget in 2 seconds. I like the sensual lips but otherwise it’s a it generic. All the covers in this series are made the same way, I know it’s to give the series the same look but in the end I just end up confusing them all.

The Frost cover just doesn’t …