Bookish Rants or Raves: ARC-gate at ALA

Last week, and it is difficult to believe it was already more than a week ago, the American Library Association held its Annual Conference in the land of Mickey Mouse, Anaheim, California.

And there was a kerfuffle on YouTube about ARCs and who should be able to pick up how many on the exhibit hall floor.

Two bloggers at The Lost Lola posted a 22-minute video, since retracted, detailing their incredibly awesome book haul at ALA. They scored, and I think scored is a fair assessment, two copies of everything possible, including a lot of books they had no personal interest in.

A librarian who blogs at Stackedbooks questioned on Twitter how authors would feel “knowing a librarian couldn’t get an arc of their book at ALA, but a blogger picked up multiple copies.”

The Lost Lolas have printed an impressive and well-thought out response and clarification, but …

Review: Raphael by D.B. Reynolds

Format Read: e-book
Length: 248 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Vampires in America, #1
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Imajinn Books
Formats Available: Paperback, eBook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Book Depository, Author’s Website, Amazon, Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb:

Malibu, California–home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich…and vampires.

Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he’d give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it’s too late.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough and sexy, a private investigator and former cop who’s tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old …

Interview with Coleen Kwan + Giveaway!

Greeeetings book lovers! Up for some fun steampunk talk? If so, you’ll want to check out the following interview with romance author Coleen Kwan. I’m pleased she’s allowed me to inundate her with questions about her latest release, Asher’s Invention, and the steampunk-ish goodness that it contains. We also talk a bit about her journey to writing (from the IT field!) and some of her writerly habits. Please give her a warm welcome (and check out the end of this post for some giveaway information)!

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Alisha: Hi Coleen, welcome to Book Lovers Inc! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Coleen: Thanks for having me on your blog. I live in Sydney, Australia with my partner and two teenage children. I’m your classic bookworm—I love nothing better than losing myself in a good story. I used to work in IT but at the moment I’m lucky enough to …

Review: Blazing Bedtime Stories Volume VII by Rhonda Nelson & Tawny Weber

Format Read: paperback provided courtesy of Author for Review
Length: 224 Pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Formats Available: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle, Nook
Purchasing Info: Publisher, Rhonda Nelson’s Website, Tawny Weber’s Website, Amazon, Books-A-Milliion, Powell’s, , Goodreads, Book Depository, Kindle, Nook

Book Blurb:

It’s bedtime—and bestselling authors Rhonda Nelson and Tawny Weber have two deliciously wicked tales to tell you…

The Steadfast Hot Soldier by Rhonda Nelson

Army ranger John “Bear” Midwinter has two rules when it comes to the ladies—no tiny women, and no dancers. So why does petite ballet teacher Veda Hayes turn his blood into liquid fire? Still, the heat between them won’t be denied. Will this soldier melt…or burn up?

Wild Thing by Tawny Weber

Compared to her beautiful siblings, groomer Andrea Tanner always felt like an ugly stepsister. But when she’s …

Review: The Fallen Queen by Jane Kindred

Format Read: ebook from publisher
Number of Pages: 330 p.
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: The House of Arkhangel’sk #1
Genre: Paranormal romance / Fantasy romance / Angels and Demons
Formats Available: ebook, trade paperback
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Publisher’s Website, Book Depository

Book Blurb:

Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves–fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda–who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant …

Guestpost: “Choose Your Own Fantasy: Summer Heat Edition” by Anna Randol + Giveaway

We are very happy to welcome Anna Randol here at Book Lovers Inc today. She writes heartwarming historical romance with a twist of mystery and suspense in it. Her latest release, A Most Naked Solution, can be bought as ebook already and will soon be available in print too. Today Anna will tell us how she escapes the summer heat and asks you for your dream destination. Be sure to tell us for a chance to win a book. Please give Anna a warm welcome.

So chances are it is hot wherever you’re reading this. Blazing hot. Stick your head in the freezer hot. Now as an author, when I feel an uncomfortable sensation like that, I try to step back and analyze it for future use in my writing. I try to focus on whether the sweat is beading on my nose? Or on my neck? Or …

Review: By Royal Command by Laura Navarre

Format Read: E-book provided courtesy of Publicist for Review
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance, Medieval
Release Date: July 2, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin/Carina
Formats Available: eBook, Kindle, Nook
Purchasing Info: Publisher, Authorʼs Website, Goodreads, Kindle, Nook.

Book Blurb:

Two brothers. One woman. Three hearts at war.

Katrin of Courtenay’s husband is dead—and she doesn’t mourn him. He was cruel and controlling, and she doesn’t need a husband to hold her northern keep. But her vengeful uncle, the King of England, has other ideas: intent on marrying her off, he’s ordered his Viking-bred warrior to return her to court.

On the journey, the Viking captures her interest, and for the first time Katrin understands passion. But her guard is honor-bound to deliver her to the king, and so it is settled—she must wed the mysterious Rafael le Senay, the Baron of Belmaine.

A forced marriage to a stranger slowly becomes something more, and Katrin realizes
she is in …

Interview: Laura Navarre-Virtual Book Tour + Giveaway!

Laura Navarre

We are very excited to welcome award winning author Laura Navarre to BLI today. Laura is here on the next stop of her virtual book tour in celebration of the release of her historical romance By Royal Command, which is available today from Carina Press! Laura is an extremely interesting lady with a fascinating background and she is here to talk more about her writing process and new novel.

About Laura Navarre

In her other life, Laura Navarre is a diplomat who’s lived in Russia and works on weapons of mass destruction issues. In the line of duty, she’s been trapped in an elevator in a nuclear power plant and has stalked the corridors of facilities churning out nerve agent and other apocalyptic weapons. In this capacity, she meets many of the world’s most dangerous men.

Inspired by the sinister realities of her real life, Laura writes dark medieval …