Guest Post: "Joss Whedon Took My Tropes" by Sierra Dean + Giveaway

Today we are delighted to welcome author Sierra Dean. Sierra writes urban fantasy and her first novel, “Something Secret This Way Comes” is being released next week, on the 10th. We were chatting on Twitter about tropes and I mentioned that she had used some of my least favorite tropes in her book. Despite that, I enjoyed the book. So when she was considering guest post ideas, the subject of tropes seemed appropriate. Please give her a warm welcome and after the article, see what she has for one lucky person.

      Whether we want to admit it or not, there’s only so much originality to be found in the idea pool for urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors. There are only so many ways to tell the genesis stories …

Review: The Secrets of the Magical Medallions by Sean McCartney

Format Read:PaperbackNumber of Pages:160Release Date:July 6, 2010Publisher:Mountainland Publishing, Incorporated Formats Available: Paperback, KindlePurchasing Info: Goodreads,  Amazon , Book Depository, Book Deposotiry UK, Author’s website

Book Blurb:

A Treasure Hunting Legend… Four Ordinary Kids… Two Magical Medallions… Pursued By An Ancient Evil… In One Extraordinary Adventure.

Join the Treasure Hunters Club as they look to unlock the Secrets of the Magical Medallions.

…Some Secrets Are Better Left Alone.

When Tommy Reed received a medallion from his famous treasure hunting uncle “Diamond” Jack Reed he didn’t think much of it.

Now an ancient evil is pursuing his every move and his treasure hunting club friends, Shannon McDougal, Jackson Miller and Chris Henderson are on the run.

They must unlock the secret to the medallion before evil can hunt them down.

My Thoughts:

The Secrets of the Magical Medallions had a …

Guestpost "Working with a small publisher" by Sean McCartney

We are very happy to welcome author Sean McCartney here at Book Lovers Inc today. He’s writing YA novel about THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB. His first novel SECRETS OF THE MAGICAL MEDALLIONS is already out and in may book 2 BREAKING THE BEALE CODE will be available. Today he’s here to tell us about his experience with publishing his work with a small press. Please give him a warm welcome. 

I first want to thank Book Lovers Inc. for allowing me to talk with you today.

My name is Sean McCartney and I am the author of the new young adult action adventure series from Mountainland Publishing entitled THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB: SECRETS OF THE MAGICAL MEDALLIONS which is available for sale at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Borders.

As I have been going around to different workshops, bookstores and …

Review: "Stolen Dreams", by Stacey Kennedy

Format Read: eBook submitted Author for reviewLength: 158 PagesGenre: Romance, Fantasy, MysterySeries: Lingering Spirits Book #1Release Date: February 19, 2011Formats Available: eBook, Kindle, NookPurchasing Info: Author’s Website, Smashwords, Goodreads, All Romance Ebooks, Kindle, Nook

Book Blurb:

Lives have been lost―dreams stolen, but love carves a path to hope.

Tess Jennings has the ability to see and talk to spirits. On a daily basis, they harass and annoy her to save their souls. Sometimes she helps, other times she ignores them, but one ghost will give her no choice. Kipp McGowan, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, uses his ghostly charms to gain her attention and forces her to expose herself to his partner.

As she’s pulled into the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid she wants no part of, she finds herself in …

Review: Amber Frost by Suzi Davis

Format Read: EbookNumber of Pages: 292 pagesRelease Date: December 7th 2010Publisher: Ireadiwrite PublishingFormats Available: E-BookPurchasing Info: Author’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon

Blurb:

Grace Lynn Stevenson is an eighteen year old girl who recently moved with her wealthy, but busy parents to a new city. She’s popular, pretty and rich – what more could a girl want? But deep down, she’s sad, lonely and plagued by nightmares.

When she meets Sebastian Caldwood at her new private school, she’s inexplicably drawn to him and his strange tattoos. Sebastian always gets what he wants – he simply has to wish it; but he’s fighting his own inner demons, and struggling to remember a past that eludes him. When he remembers that he is much older than he looks, he realizes that he’s seen many people live and die, including Grace. …

Review: "Bound By Honor", by SE Jakes

Format Read: e-ARC submitted by Novel Sidekick courtesy of AuthorLength: 158 PagesGenre: Contemporary, GLBT, BDSMSeries: Men of Honor Book #1Release Date: March 1, 2011Publisher: Samhain PublishingFormats Available: eBook, Kindle, NookPurchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher, Goodreads, All Romance Ebooks, Kindle, Nook

Book Blurb:

A promise forces two men to bare themselves…completely.

One year ago on a mission gone wrong, Tanner James failed to save the life of Jesse, his Army Ranger teammate. Before dying in that South American jungle, Jesse extracted a promise that won’t let Tanner rest until it’s fulfilled—no matter what it costs him.

Damon Price loved Jesse, but problems in their relationship had come to a head right before Jesse left on his final mission. Now a reluctant Dom and a man still in mourning, he’s not happy when Tanner appears at his BDSM club. …

Guestpost: Why I Love a Good Rogue by Stephanie Sloane + Giveaway

We are very happy to welcome Stephanie Sloane here at Book Lovers Inc today. Her new historical romance The Devil in Disguise will be released in May. She writes Historical romance and today she is here to tell us why she loves a good Rogue. Be sure to answer her question at the end for you chance to win.

Last spring, as I exchanged emails back and forth with my editor about the name for my debut trilogy, I began to really think on just how much weight those few words would carry. A series name is, after all, meant to both describe the books and sell them—in two, maybe three words. That’s a tall order, indeed.

“Regency” seemed a natural fit. Not only are all three of my books set in the Regency period, roughly 1811 – 1830, but the word …

Review: That Is Priceless by Steven Melchor

Format read: netGalleyNumber of pages: 192 pagesRelease Date: April 12th 2011Publisher: Andrews McMeel PublishingFormats available: paperbackPurchasing Info: Publisher’s Site, Amazon, Goodreads, Book Depository

Book Blurb:

Thirty-two million Americans consider themselves artists, and nearly 100 million consider themselves art lovers. They—along with anyone else who enjoys a good laugh—will appreciate the edgy blend of art, comedy, and pop culture inside comedian Steve Melcher’s popular blog-turned-book, That Is Priceless: Art’s Greatest Masterpieces . . . Made Slightly Funnier.

It all started when Melcher stumbled upon a postcard in a museum gift shop for Peter Paul Rubens’s The Finding of Erichthonius. Inspiration struck, and Melcher scrambled for a Post-it note and scribbled down what he thought was a more appropriate title: Worst Secret Santa Gift Ever. And with that, That Is Priceless was born. More than 150 images are gathered inside …

Review: Master and Apprentice by Sonya Bateman

Format read: ebook
Number of pages: 412 pages 
Publisher: Pocket
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Release Date: 29 March 2011
Series: Book #2 in the Gavyn Donatti series
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Kindle store

Blurb:

A DEADLY CULT. AN UNBREAKABLE CURSE. THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: LEARN TO KILL . . . OR DIE.

Luck has never been on Gavyn Donatti’s side. Anyone else with magic abilities inherited from a distant genie relative would have it made, but not Donatti, descendant of a cranky, shape-shifting genie named Ian. The prince of a murdered kingdom, consumed with revenge and driven by an unbreakable curse, Ian is determined to hunt down and destroy every last one of his enemies in the power-hungry snake clan—at any cost, including his life. Or Donatti’s.

Obsessed by his own rage, Ian has never really taught Donatti how to use his …

Review: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean

Format Read: e-ARC provided by NetgalleyNumber of Pages: 384 pagesRelease Date: April 26th 2011Publisher: HarperCollinsFormats Available: Paperback, EbookPurchasing Info: Author website, Goodreads, Amazon

Book Blurb:

She lives for passion

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society’s rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London’s most practiced gossips…and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he …