Happy Box Tuesday...I mean In my box & Happy Tuesday!

LOL, well I thought I'd share what's been clogging up my mailbox...

Here's what arrived for Blogmania

Signed by AUTHOR Books:

DANE by Elizabeth Amber

RAJMUND by DB Reynolds

DEEP KISS OF WINTER by Kresley Cole

PLEASURE OF A DARK PRINCE by Kresley Cole

KISS OF A DEMON KING by Kresley Cole

DARKNESS UNKNOWN by Alexis Morgan

AWAKENED BY A KISS by Lila DiPasqua

Unsigned books:

AFTERLIFE by Merrie Destefano

DEMON BLOOD by Meljean Brook

ANGELS BLOOD by Nalini Singh

JANE'S WARLORD by Angela Knight

FINDING THE LOST by Shannon K Butcher

LYON'S HEAT by Lora Leigh

Came in via Paperback Swap:

Light & Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz

EVERLASTING by Kathleen Woodiwiss

DARKEST LIE by Gena Showalter

Came in for Review:

A CAST-OFF COVEN by Juliet Blackwell

DESERT OF THE DAMNED by Kathy Kulig

THE 12 EROTIC TALES OF LUCY LOCKS by Cameron Glen

 DEMON FROM THE DARK by Kresley Cole

THE DARKEST HOUR by Mya Banks

BOUND BY DARKNESS by Annette McCleave

DREAMVEIL by Lynn Viehl

NIGHT KEEPERS by Jessica Anderson

WITCH FURY by Anya Bast

WHITE HEAT by Brenda Novak

BODY HEAT by Brenda Novak

AWAKENED BY A KISS by Lila DiPasqua

ARCs via Comic-Con to review:

ETERNAL ONES by Kristen Miller

SHIFT by Tim Kring

BRAIN JACK by Brian Falkner

SAPPHIQUE by FISHER
INCARCERON by Fisher

THE REPLACEMENTS by Brenna Yovanoff

CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

Books I purchased (I know, WHY??)

KISS OF FIRE by Deborah Cooke

WATER BOUND by Christine Feehan

Soooooo, if you wonder why I sometimes take a while to review a book...well, you can see my back log.

Keep your eye out for more great prizes to be added to the Blogmania prize pack.

Happy Tuesday!

Ivan Rusilko... I'm in LOVE...well in Lust at least.

Meet Ivan Rusilko, Man Candy of the week

I ran across this hunky brainiac while surfing Facebook and chatting with my friends over at MFM (Male Fitness Models.net). I read an article that was posted about him and was very surprised I could even get past this photo. Oh my.

Haaaahemmmm

Well, you see what I mean!

Well if his absolutlely fantastic smile and looks weren't enough, he's a DOCTOR!

I know...Looks, brains and...yep, he even has a six pack under that sweater.

Holy Jesus! (faint)

...back now.

If you'd like to learn a little more about former Mister USA World 2010, you can visit his website:

http://www.ivanrusilko.net/

Read the MFM article.

Find him on Facebook

or just sit frozen & drooling on your computer screen after seeing these other pictures... J/K.

How can anyone be this sexy with his clothes ON!

Well readers, welcome our newest member of the Man Candy land of DemonLover books and more!

Book Review: WANTED by AJ Llewellyn

I have a shocking confession to make... I can't get enough of M/M Erotica. There's something about it, well let's just say "It floats my boat!" and I have a few authors I'd like to place the blame on...

Here's enemy #1... AJ Llewellyn.
and the review of his Hotter than HAWT book titled WANTED

Honolulu forensic accountant Mingo McCloud's lover has cheated on him again. To escape his heartbreak, a severely depressed Mingo moves to the North Shore of Oahu. Eager to start a new life and to forget, Mingo soon learns that Turtle Bay might be the home of big surf, but it also has even bigger secrets. He catches the eye of a mysterious stranger, Jason, a sexy lone wolf with a troubled, sketchy past. The two become embroiled in a tempestuous love affair that turns dangerous when Mingo discovers Jason is spying on him.



Involved in his first big murder case, Mingo needs all his emotional resources to help find a missing young housewife…yet his private life just turned deadly. He has no idea why Jason would be tracking his every move—or even who hired him. Determined to find the truth, he hires big black, bad French former mercenary, Francois, to help him…and discovers shocking truths…Mingo McCloud has gone from wanting to wanted.



Well, like most erotica I can't give away ALL the good parts; but I can tell you that the story and steamy scenes in this book will leave you WANTING... I may have to put his books on auto-order!
I think the main reason I love AJ's writing is the connection you feel with the characters. I'm not just saying that you can relate, you can feel the anguish, ache with the pain they feel and rejoice in the extasy. I don't find the sex scenes dirty, but rather passionate and boiling over with desire.
The story will speak for itself, AJ's writing is art and a pleasure to read. You find yourself wrapped up in this Mystery/Thriller, waiting to see what with happen next... were the clues will lead this seemingly strange group of crime fighters.
But I warn you, AJ keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting for more This book ends with a cliffhanger, so don't expect to find all the answers; rather running to get the next one in the series.

You can find more about AJ on his website: http://www.ajllewellyn.com/site/blog/
Purchase this book and more at: http://www.ajllewellyn.com/site/books/

You can even download a free book on his site

Check out Business Cards, Postcards, Flyers, Brochures, Letterhead , Greeting Cards & Envelopes Overnight

Check out Business Cards, Postcards, Flyers, Brochures, Letterhead , Greeting Cards & Envelopes Overnight

Book Review: Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

5 Stars

***SLIGHT SPOILERS WILL BE PRESENT***

At the end of Pleasure of a Dark Prince, we saw three separate epilogues where several creatures from the Lore were captured- one of whom was Carrow the Incarcerated. Which brings us to Demon from the Dark.

Carrow is put in a cell with Lanthe (remember her? Sabine's sister...the one who creates portals) and a 7 yr old witch named Ruby. Ruby's mom was Carrow's cousin and coven-mate Amanda, and the Order has just killed her! So Carrow stepped up to the plate and adopted Ruby. Unfortunately the Order (the jerks kidnapping the Immortals to experiment on them, vivisect them, and kill/torture them) uses Ruby as leverage against Carrow. Carrow is to go the the demon world of Ash courtesy of a portal from Lanthe, and bring back a vemon. Now, you might be wondering just how 2 witches and a sorceress can remain in captivity? The Order put collars on them that mute their powers. Tricky. And Carrow's would be deactivated for the duration of 5 days so she could capture Malkom, a rare vemon (a demon-turned-vampire), and also very dangerous. Doing this would secure Ruby and Carrow's freedom. The problem with that little plan is that Carrow's energy source that fuels her powers is happiness and revelry. That's why she's such a party girl-she's charging her batteries, so to speak. She can't charge herself with her own happiness, though, because as Mariketa tells us, she's actually not happy. And what are the chances of a happy happy joy joy fix in a remote demon plane?
Malkom is amazing. As a young boy his mother sold him as a blood slave to a vampire master. Of course the sicko used him sexually too until Malkom hit puberty, then kicked him out. So Malkom scrounged on the streets until he was old enough to kill the vampires that had taken over his world. He was so vicious and so brutal that their prince, Kallen the Just, found him and brought him into his army. They fought together for many years, until for the first time in his life, Malkom had a friend, a purpose, and a full belly. Until the Viceroy captures Malkom and Kallen. He turns them both into vampires, and locks them in the same cell until the thirst takes over and Kallen can't not drink Malkom. Malkom sees it as yet another betrayal, and kills Kallen first (important to note, Malkom does not drink from him). So Malkom then survives. And that is his existence-survival. For centuries. Survival, nothing more.
Enter Carrow.

Malkom recognizes her as his fated Female and his vampiric Bride. This is where the real story begins. The two couldn't communicate. Carrow only knows a few naughty phrases in demonish, and Malkom has blocked out the English his master taught him through torture and sex.

I found this to be the absolute sweetest love story. With few words, and body language the two found a way to communicate, and to love. Unfortunately, though, Carrow was planning on betraying him to the Order. At one point he bites her after promising not to, and she panics-what if her gets her memories, but out of context? What if he figures out she's leading him to his imminent torture, and possible death? So he storms out of the cave, and then when she goes looking for him, he lets himself be taken to protect Carrow.
Not only does Carrow save him from a gruesome death, she takes him to the Order as planned, and of course, they don't keep their word and she and Ruby are still stuck.

Poor Malkom-it was the ultimate betrayal. And the final straw. Any sliver of happiness or trust died when he realized Carrow had betrayed him. She'd lied. He promised retribution every time he was dragged past her cell.
At this point, Lothaire is being cryptic, and trying to get Malkom to help him-remember Malkom was tortured by vampires so he has no love lost when he leaves Lothaire to...wait for it...La Dorada!!! Remember her from Pleasure of a Dark Prince? yep, she's the slimy, mummy-looking thing that unlocks all the collars of the beings she deems "evil" (Malkom included) and leaves all the "good" immortals collared and powerless. I think this is almost like a forced-Ascension. Malkom finds Carrow who is trying to escape with Lanthe and Ruby when Thronos finds Lanthe, and she sacrifices her freedom to go with him, as long as Carrow and Ruby escape. Malkom sees Carrow trying to save Ruby and understands immediately that she was forced to bring him in, but that doesn't excuse her emotional betrayal, or making him care for her. So while he helps keep Carrow and Ruby safe, he still doesn't trust her.

The rescue by Conrad Wroth was awesome, and the scene including the cat fight between Sabine and Carrow was hysterical! I love Rydstrom...love him! And watching Malkom find his woman and I'll stop the spoilers now, and just say that the ending has Carrow and Malkom in bed, and preparing to go back to the island to retrieve their powerless friends. I so can't wait for Dreams of a Dark Warrior.

I love how we watch Carrow go from raucous party girl to caring female. I loved watching her grow, and in the end, she actually feels an small burst of joy from herself! For the first time in her life, she was happy.
And I loved watching Malkom rise from his past and overcome everything else, including his reasons not to trust or love Carrow.
There's a slight cliffhanger but it's only in the sense that no one else has been rescued or found.

Blogmania is coming Sept 15-16th

BLOGMANIA prizes are adding up!

So far, here's what ONE lucky winner will get from DemonLover!

Signed by AUTHOR Books:

DANE by Elizabeth Amber

RAJMUND by DB Reynolds

DEEP KISS OF WINTER by Kresley Cole

PLEASURE OF A DARK PRINCE by Kresley Cole

KISS OF A DEMON KING by Kresley Cole

DARKNESS UNKNOWN by Alexis Morgan

Signed Book cover plate:

DEMON FROM THE DARK by Kresley Cole

GELASKINS skin for KINDLE 2, bookshelf theme

(Kindle not included)

See how cool mine looks! Love these skins

Signed Chippendales poster...Mmmmm Yummy

Anita Blake bag/backpack

Unsigned books:

AFTERLIFE by Merrie Destefano

DEMON BLOOD by Meljean Brook

ANGELS BLOOD by Nalini Singh

JANE'S WARLORD by Angela Knight

FINDING THE LOST by Shannon K Butcher

LYON'S HEAT by Lora Leigh

2 Custom Book Thongs made by my friend Mandy @ Stupid Shiny Designs

Designs are made specifically to go with two Kresley Cole's novels:

Deep Kiss of Winter and Kiss of a Demon King

And that's not all!

So keep checking back for the complete list. Save the dates! and don't miss this HUGE giveaway.

:0) DL

Contestant #4, Meet Stefan Pinto

Meet my friend, Stefan Pinto...
He's decided to take the plunge and enter my contest for the next book cover model.
Thank you Stefan!

Photo credit: David Vance

If you haven't heard of Stefan before, he has an interesting history and you can read more about him at his site: http://www.pintofactory.com/

I will be featuring Stefan in an upcoming interview and will ask all those "personal" questions you all want to know.
What do you want me to ask Stefan?

Book Review: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Insatiable by Meg Cabot


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

WOW. I have to admit I didn't recognize the author's name at first when I received this book. Meg is well know for her series, the princess diaries, and not my usual read.

Just the name alone is enough to intrigue one to look beyond the beautifully designed cover, but once you do; you'll be glad you did. Vampires. Doesn't it seem we have enough books for them, with them and about them? I may have thought so, scared that I might find the same old conflict of good and evil; not expecting to find the absolutely unexpected.

Meg brings us laughter. Her seemless writing and delightfully seductive storyline entices the reader to gallop through the pages with unabashed and unbridled abandon.

Enter our heroine, Meena Harper; writer for a daytime soap opera and the woman who knows how you will eventually meet your demise. Not exactly a good skill to have and certainly a damper on her dating life.
She's always had a hard time seeing a future with any of the men in her life, until him. The night she meets Lucien Antonescu everything changes when she sees nothing at all, which only makes her want to see him more and more.
This educated, handsome and refined man seems to be perfect, too perfect. What might seem to be her dream man, might just turn out to be her biggest nightmare.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of it's exciting twists and turns. The soap opera spin on things was fresh and funny. It made me rememeber soaps like ALL MY CHILDREN and GENERAL HOSPITAL, leading ladies like Susan Lucci, and scenes both bold and ridiculous all at the same time.
Don't get me wrong, this was not a slapstick comedy. It was sultry and steamy when need be and a breath of fresh air. The concept and writing was original and ultimately left me wanting for more.

A must read.
















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Book Review: The Hawk by Monica McCarty

The Hawk by Monica McCarty


My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Okay, for all you who know me, we all know I'm a huge Monica McCarty fan- this book is no exception. I just love Erik MacSorley. He is half-Viking/half-Highlander and super hot! Erik is one of Robert Bruce's new elite Highland Guard. We met him in The Chief, and I loved him then-he's always got a joke and a ready come-back, but something about him makes me think it's a front.
This is a small quote about Erik that shows his devil-may-care attitude. He's playing a deadly game of chicken with a British ship, and his crew are wagering which way the English will turn, if they'll capsize, piss themselves in fear, you get the idea, they're boys being boys.
"Ellie would never understand men:how could you jest and wager at a time like this? They'd die going to the bottom of the sea and make a contest of who got there first."
I had to laugh because I swear that's my husband and my brother-in-law. So true of men!
Now in The Hawk, we see Erik dealing with Irish mercenaries and trying to get them to fight for the Bruce...and the Scottish crown. For those of you who haven't read The Chief, this series takes place immediately following William Wallace's execution. By the time we're reading The Hawk, Robert Bruce is battle-weary and demoralized. In fact his whole company of men is, except the Highlanders, "Bruce didn't think recognize fear if Lucifer himself opened up the fiery gates and welcomed them to hell."
Erik, or Hawk as everyone calls him, is at home on the sea, and his job is to get the Irish to fight for Bruce, and then to take them to the rendezvous point to meet with the Scottish forces. It is during this meeting that the Irish leader hears a sound. Sending out his men they find a wet and bedraggled lass eavesdropping. Unfortunately for her, the Irish want to kill her, but Erik steps in and saves her, although he saves her by suggesting he and his men want to have fun with her first.
Enter Ellie, or should I say Lady Elyne de Burgh? Her father is the most powerful earl in Ireland, loyal to English king Edward, and father-in-law to Robert Bruce. And so begins the complicated twists and turns of Ellie and Erik's story. Ellie doesn't fall for Erik's big baby blues, and he has no clue what to do with a lass who doesn't swoon at his smile. Not to mention, Ellie hasn't told him who she is, and he's let her believe he's a pirate. Usually misunderstandings on identity annoy me, but Monica McCarty wove hers seamlessly into the story and I was on pins and needles for the majority of the book! In fact, I fear that I now have a heart condition from the anticipation and tension that this book put me through!
I also loved Ellie. She may have been innocent, but she rarely came across as naive, and never once as idiotic-my biggest pet peeve in historical romances is when the heroine is portrayed as so naive she ends up coming off stupid. But Monica always writes strong heroines, and I find that incredibly impressive being that The Hawk takes place in the early 1300s.
During Ellie's "captivity" with Erik, she gets under his skin like no other. Constantly portrayed as merely "passably pretty" Ellie made me love her almost instantly. She was great, and I could absolutely identify with her. Even after she and Erik had been intimate, she still didn't tell him who she really was. And it broke my heart that her reason was to see if a gorgeous, sex-god of a man could actually care for her as she is, not because of her title, or dowry, or some misguided notion that he should marry her out of chivalry. And when he turned her away? I wanted to cry for her! I love me a good Alpha male (who doesn't?), but the female heroine can make or break a story for me. Ellie was me, and I was in love with Erik, and I wanted him to say yes to me. And he didn't. And Erik broke my heart too.
You'll have to read it yourself to find out what happens from there. But I will say that anyone new to Monica McCarty will enjoy this book, and any of you MM fans out there know to expect her usual- she'll deliver, and you'll love Erik and Ellie too.
















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Where's my Pants? Wednesday

LOL, yes...this is a new day of the week! I forgot to post Take it off Tuesday, so here's your Wednesday treat.

Hmmm, I don't think I'm gonna help him look! Are you?

Okay folks, stay tuned for some exciting news! I have confirmation on some of the great swag for BLOGMANIA giveaway on Sept. 15-16.

Check back in for the current list of items in the prize box!

Chippendales-Beyond skin deep

CHIPPENDALES

BEYOND SKIN DEEP

As many of my readers may know, I feature many attractive men on my personal website and draw attention to the spectacular bodies their dedication and hard work have produced. But in most cases there’s so much more than what you see on the outside.

I had the pleasure of attending the Chippendales Male Revue @ The Rio Hotel/Casino while in Las Vegas this last weekend and taking in 2 shows. Two, you ask? Well, the first was strictly fun and a planned “girl’s night out”, but the second was mostly working. After seeing the show for the first time ever, I was so impressed that I approached the Chippendales PR people about reviewing the show and interviewing one of the performers; they gave me Jace Crispin.

Above I mentioned performers, not dancers; there’s a reason for this distinction. The Chippendales show is so much more than a bunch of hot guys “taking it off”; it’s an entertaining, high octane, show stopping performance. The routines are innovative, original, well choreographed, high energy and guaranteed to leave you smiling, laughing and wanting for more. Think all you will get is a little dancing for your money? Of course you get that, but you also get to enjoy talented men singing, acting and even showing off their skills playing guitar. Having seen the “other” male revue in Las Vegas 10+ times, I truly can’t believe that Chippendales’ extravaganza of sheer male talent has eluded me for so long. A mistake I will diligently rectify by attending the show frequently in the future.

The Chippendales show has someone or something to offer each and every audience member, whether your tastes lie in firemen, B-boys, cowboys, men in uniform or out of them; the men of Chippendales WILL entertain you.

One other thing I must note is the quality of the performers and staff at the Chippendales theatre, each staff member was professional and had a single goal of making sure you simply enjoyed the show. All the dancers were very nice and even make an effort to mingle and sign autographs for the audience in the “Flirt Lounge” after the second show each night. If you are looking for an experience you will never forget, the Chippendales Male Revue is the one show you don’t want to miss.

Chipendales is the premier provider of entertainment for women and is currently the #1 Male Revue in the World. www.Chippendales.com features a free site offering a wide array of editorial and pictorial content and the Chippendales’ store, which sells branded products. For more information, please visit http://www.chippendales.com/.
Chippendales performs nightly at 8:00 p.m., with additional shows on Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.95 and $49.95. For tickets, call (702) 777-7776. Locals can receive tickets for $25 nightly with a valid Nevada I.D. for any performance.

UP CLOSE with Jace Crispin

We can already see from the photosthat performer Jace Crispin is easy on the eyes, but I wanted to find out a little bit more.

Jace Crispin is 30 years old and comes to us from Orange County, Calif. Jace was a star athlete in the sport of high school water polo and even delayed plans for college to pursued a career as a professional water polo player in Europe. Two years later, plans changed due to injury and he had to give up playing the sport professionally.

Jace said he went through a rough time after the injury and found that he had somehow lost his direction. He then decided to pack up his surf board and everything into his truck and head to the Mexico. I jokingly said that he was having an “Eat, Pray Love” adventure, but he agreed that “It was something like that”, and explained that for the next two years he would surf his way along the coast of Mexico and California. Trying to find his niche and make ends meet, Jace worked as a tow truck driver by day and exotic dancer by night.

Apparently all his hard work would pay off, because while dancing one weekend he was approached by a member of the Chippendales brand and asked to attend an open audition the very next day. Jace auditioned and amazingly received a call back before he ever made it home. Nearly 5 years ago he packed up everything and moved to Vegas joining the Chippendale’s team. He told me, “I hope to put in 15 years as a Chippendales dancer, I just really love what I do”. What Jace says is sincere and it is confirmed when you watch him perform. He stands out in the show‘s numbers and puts his heart and soul into the performances.

Not that you need MORE to love about Jace Crispin, but he is also a genuinely nice guy. I asked him what he like to do in his free time and he simply stated; “I spend any extra time I have with my dogs”. Jace is a dog lover and hero in the canine community. Recently Jace was mentioned in an article by the Las Vegas Review-Journal for his efforts in saving three abandoned dogs left without food or water by the previous residents of a foreclosed home. Jace found an underfed silver terrier-poodle on the street near his home and proceeded to return the dog to the address on the dog’s tag. What he found when he got there was heart breaking. The home had been vandalized and defaced by the last resident, an obvious foreclosure; the home was torn up and in disrepair. Garbage was strewn on the floors and apparently the only thing to eat for the other two dogs he’d discovered had also been left behind. Taking matters into his own hands, he enlisted the help of friends to round up the malnourished and scared animals and take them to his home for care. Through his kind efforts, all the dogs were placed with members of the Chippendales family and are now doing well, the terrier-poodle being placed as part of Jace’s own family.

I’d like to thank Jace for the interview and putting up with all my questions, and have to address the ones that my readers will hound me for...

Yes, Jace is single. He says that he is still looking for “the one”. He is also finding time in his busy schedule of nine shows a week to go to school and finish his degree. I did ask Jace if he’s a reader, and sadly he said, “no. because I have to read aloud to really retain the information or listen to audio books, I’m more of an outdoors kind of guy”. We get it. Who has time to read when you’re saving puppies, dancing your pants off (literally) and seeking the great outdoors? No matter, I hope we as readers at least get to see him grace a book cover in the future, even if he doesn’t take a peek inside to read it.

My weekend adventure in Vegas has led me to discovery that the men of Chippendales very well may be just as spectacular on the inside, as apparently they are on the outside.

Special thanks to Michael Caprio, National Press Representative, and all of the Chippendales team.

Up to no good in Vegas... who me?

Found me a new set of friends while in Las Vegas this weekend.

While taking in a show at the RIO in Las Vegas I found me a new bunch of Man Candy to share with all of you.

Actually, I'm very excited to let you know that I will be interviewing the cutie who's lap I'm perched upon: Jace Crispin

I never thought I'd say this, but Chippendales has knocked Thunder Down Under off the top of my list. The show was AMAZING!

Stay tuned for the interview with Jace and review of the Chippendale's Male Revue.