Giveaway and Guest Post: "Treacherous Temptations"

 As part of the blog tour for Treacherous Temptations, I am happy to have the author stop by for a guest post, and a giveaway of the ebook!
"Treacherous Temptations"
by Victoria Vane
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: Jan 21, 2013

Summary from goodreads.com:
A reluctant heiress resigned to her fate… Mary Elizabeth Edwardes has one of the largest fortune's in England, but has no desire to leave her quiet country existence… and even less to acquire a husband she cannot choose for herself.

A dissolute nobleman bent on retribution… Trapped in a duplicitous existence since scandal destroyed his fortune and family name, Lord Hadley Blanchard has spent the better part of a decade posing as a disaffected exile while spying and seducing in the service of the English Crown.

A dangerous game of seduction, and intrigue… When summoned from abroad by a former lover, Lord Hadley perceives an opportunity for vengeance at last. By employing the full measure of his seductive charm, he woos the ward of the man who destroyed his life, little knowing that winning Mary's fortune will mean risking his own treacherous heart.


Guest Post
Now, I'd like to welcome Victoria Vane to In the Hammock for a guest post!

Here's Victoria!


Guest Post by Victoria Vane 

In the Hammock's Question: "Can you tell us more about the virtue vs. vice plots in the 18th century novels that influenced Treacherous Temptations?"

The story of Treacherous Temptations is, in a sense my homage to the popular novels written in the 18th century, in which virtue vs. vice and the seduction of an innocent were popular themes. In Samuel Richardson's Pamela: or Virtue Rewarded (1740), the plot revolves around a pretty young housemaid who refuses to be seduced by her employer, even when he goes to great lengths to debauch her in his desire to make her his mistress. In this moral tale which became the greatest bestseller of its time, Pamela's consistent adherence to the path of virtue is eventually rewarded by winning his love and becoming his wife.

Richardson's follow up Clarissa (1746) is a much darker tale with a tragic ending. Clarissa Harlowe is a beautiful and virtuous young woman whose unscrupulous family desires to become part of the aristocracy—by any means at their disposal. When Clarissa's grandfather leaves her a substantial piece of property, Clarissa becomes the means by which they think to attain their ambitions. Clarissa's brother James negotiates her marriage to Roger Solmes who promises to help James achieve his social advancement, but whom Clarissa finds boorish and physically repellant.
In the meantime, Clarissa is also wooed by Robert Lovelace, heir to an earldom and unrepentant rake. When the family tries to force her marriage to Solmes, Clarissa elopes with Lovelace, whose true intentions toward Clarissa are revenge for a slight, and far from honorable. Clarissa becomes Lovelace's captive for many months and is held at a brothel, where Lovelace eventually drugs and rapes her in the belief that it will force her hand to wed him. By this time, however, he is actually in love with her, but Clarissa refuses to give him what he truly wants—  to possess her mind as well as her body. She eventually escapes and then dies shortly thereafter. Out of guilt, Lovelace provokes a duel which leads to his own death.
Another such tragic tale is Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1782), a French epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos, that has been adapted several times over the centuries to stage and screen. The version best known to modern audiences is the 1988 film, Dangerous Liaisons, starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close, and Michelle Pfeiffer. For those unfamiliar with this story, it is also very dark with a plot steeped in seduction, revenge, and intrigue.
The Marquise de Meurteil (the model for my own Lady Blanchard) has been abandoned by a former lover. In her scheme to exact revenge, she recruits another former lover, the notorious rake Vicomte de Valmont, promising him a night in her bed if he will debauch her former lover's intended bride, Cecile Volanges. Valmont is not at first interested, as he has his eye on seducing another woman, the virtuous Madame de Tourvel. Without going into plot spoiling details, he soon enters the conspiracy and is successful in both the conquests of Cecile and M. de Tourvel, but unexpectedly loses his heart to the latter.
When mocked for falling in love by the jealous Marquise, Valmost breaks off the affair with de Tourvel which results in her decline and death form heartbreak. Similar to Lovelace's fate in Clarissa, Valmont is provoked to a duel, and killed. In the process, however, the Marquise's scheming letters are exposed to all of Paris and she becomes a social Pariah. She later contracts small pox and loses her only asset – her beauty.
Treacherous Temptations shares a number of themes and devices with these three novels. Like Clarissa, Mary is an innocent heiress who her guardian intends to use for his political advancement. Lady Blanchard, plays a role similar to that of the Marquise de Meurteil in that she is a former lover who convinces Hadley to seduce Mary for her money. Lord Hadley, like Richardson's Lovelace, perceives Mary as a means of revenge over his enemy and vows to possess her body and soul, but unexpectedly loses his heart in the process. Similar to Richardson's Pamela, however, virtue prevails and my seemingly hopeless rake Hadley is redeemed by love.

Mini-excerpt:
"That girl is Sir Richard's ward?" When the girl in the music room had introduced herself as Mary Elizabeth Edwardes he had not made the connection, but then again, wily Sir Richard had taken care not to reveal anything about the Edwardes heir.
"One and the same my love, and worth every bit of fifty thousand a year! That plump little pigeon is one of the richest women in England, and thanks to me, she is yours for the plucking."
The blood roared in his ears. It was just too bloody good to be true. The very one who held his lands was residing under Barbara's roof. The girl was not only the means to a large fortune but also of revenge. "That certainly does throw a different light on matters." He took heed not to betray his growing excitement. "But you and I both know Sir Richard would see me hanged before granting consent for me to wed his ward."
She smiled. "Who said anything about seeking his consent?"
"You intend for me to despoil her to force a marriage? My dear Barbara, such rude and crass methods don't suit me at all. The entire thing lacks finesse."
She scowled. "Then how else do you propose we get control of her fortune?"
"I would propose gaining the girl's good faith and cooperation."
"And then what? Do you think she will just hand it over to you?"
"Something very close to that."
"You are overly confident."
"Not at all," he laughed. "I have never failed to achieve my object where a woman was concerned, nor has any ever complained of my methods."

***
MY GIVEAWAY: Winner's choice of any e-book from my backlist
***
ABOUT VICTORIA VANE
A lover of history and deeply romantic stories, Victoria combines these elements to craft romantic historical novels and novellas for a mature reading audience. Her writing influences are Georgette Heyer for fabulous witty dialogue and over the top characters, Robin Schone, Sylvia Day, and Charlotte Featherstone for beautifully crafted prose in stories with deep sensuality, and Lila DiPasqua for creative vision in melding history with eroticism.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES 2012:
THE DEVIL DEVERE SERIES
Library Journal Best E-Book Romance 2012
LR Cafe Best Series Nominee 2012
A Wild Night's Bride 
• Night Owl Reviews Top Pick 
• Amazon Top 100 Best seller
 
The Virgin Huntress 
• Night Owl Reviews Top PickThe Devil You Know 
• Night Owl Reviews Top Pick
• The Romance Reviews Top Pick
• LR Café Best Historical Romance nominee 2012
The Devil's Match 
• Night Owl Reviews Top Pick
• The Romance Reviews Top Pick
• LASR Reviews Book of the Month December 2012
• Swept Away by Romance Best Historical Romance of 2012
• LR Café Best Author Nominee 2012
• Swept Away by Romance Favorite Author 2012
A Breach of Promise 
• Night Owl Reviews “Top Pick”
• Reading Romances 5 flames and “Pen Award”
 
• TBR Pile 5stars/Book of the month winner September 2012
• LASR Erotic Reviews 5 STAR/Book of the Month Nominee
• The Romance Studio 5 Sweetheart Nominee
• TRS CAPA Nominee 2012
 
CONTACT:victoria.vane@hotmail.com
Web:
 http://authorvictoriavane.com
Blog:
 http://victoriavane.wordpress.com
Twitter: @authorvictoriav




Giveaway

GIVEAWAY RULES:

The author and publisher have generously provided an ebook copy of "Treacherous Temptations" for a lucky follower of my blog!
All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :)
  • INTERNATIONAL
  • Must be a follower to enter
  • Ebooks/codes will be mailed out by the publisher
  • Must be 18 or over 
  • Ends Mar 12
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday 230


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"In the Shadow of Blackbirds"
by Cat Winters
Amulet Books
Release Date: April 2, 2013

The following description is from goodreads.com:

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
I really can't wait to read this book! I've read similar books that have used antique photographs within the story, and I've loved them! This sounds soooo good!


What are you waiting for this week???

Giveaway and Review: "Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels"

"Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels"
 by Helene Boudreau

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Release Date: Feb 1, 2012
Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

The only thing that terrifies Jade more than the ocean is dancing at the Fall Formal. Because Jade has two left feet—er, flippers. Who knew being a high school freshman is even more awkward than being a plus-size aqua-phobic mer-girl? At least her only drama is of the human variety...

Or not.

The Mermish Council has just declared that all land-dwelling mers but return to the ocean. Pronto. But there's no way Jade is going to let her mom, or Luke, her...boyfriend? mer-guy-friend?, disappear into the deep, dark ocean. Again. After all, a girl's got to have a date to her first dance.

If Jade can stop mer-mageddon, finding a plus-size dress that doesn't look like a shower curtain should be a piece of cake.

My Review:

I can't resist books about mermaids, and this middle grade novel was adorable. I was surprised at the amount of world building in this book! The author really set up an entire undersea world with its own set of rules and politics.

However, my favorite part of the book wasn't the alternate universe, but the relationships between the characters. I loved that all of the characters cared about each other so much! You could really see how they joined together and helped each other in order to save the day. Jade's best (human) friend, Cori, was so adorable and encouraging to her friend, their friendship was so sweet and real at the same time. I also liked the addition of Serena, the mermaid who has just found her way onto land. Lainey, the mean girl, was fully fleshed out, and Jade was able to understand why she acted the way she did. It was great to see that dynamic explored instead of just making Lainey into a villain.

I would say this book is for older middle grade readers, or maybe even a younger YA reader. The characters themselves are in the 9th grade. There is nothing objectionable in the book at all, but there is so much detail and action that an older reader would definitely be entertained by this one.

Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5

Setting: 4/5

Romance: 4/5 (cute and age appropriate to MG readers)

Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: A fun mermaid tale, with great characters and relationships.

Giveaway:

One set of all three books in this series! Including "Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings", "Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath", and "Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels"



GIVEAWAY RULES
The publicist has generously provided a copy of all three books in this series for a lucky follower of my blog!
All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :)
  • US/CAN only
  • Must be a follower to enter
  • Books will be mailed out by the publisher
  • Must be 18 or over 
  • Ends Mar 8
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Sunday Shout Out 30


Recently, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.


For Review
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by Frank L. Baum, Illustrated by Michael Sieben


"Six Sisters' Stuff: Family Recipes, Fun Crafts, and So Much More" by Six Sisters' Stuff


"Marci's Desire" by Sara Luck

 


Ann Shorey's Tea with Rosemary Sweepstakes

Today, I am posting about Ann Shorey's Tea with Rosemary Sweepstakes! You'll need to go to Ann's website, to enter this great contest!

Enter the TEA WITH ROSEMARY Giveaway!

In When the Heart Heals, Book 2 in author Ann Shorey’s Sisters at Heart series, Civil War nurse Rosemary Saxon wants to use her skills as a healer in the town of Noble Springs. But the townsfolk, and the town's new doctor, aren't sure what to make of her unconventional ways!

To celebrate the story, Ann and Revell Books are proud to announce the TEA WITH ROSEMARY giveaway, featuring three incredible prizes.

This giveaway starts February 15, 2013 and ends March 7, 2013 @ 11:59 pm (PST)
Winners will be selected Friday, March 8, 2013, and announced at http://annshorey.com/contest.html

GRAND PRIZE:
6 MONTH ARTISAN BREAD CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Rosemary's artisan breads are a town favorite. Our grand prize winner will enjoy fresh-made artisan breads just like Rosemary's, delivered right to their door with a Zingerman's 6 month Bread of the Month Club membership.

SECOND PRIZE:
GROW YOUR OWN GARDEN STARTER KIT
Rosemary's garden is a source of healing for many in the town of Noble Springs. Our second prize winner can grow their very own herb garden, from the comfort of their kitchen.

THIRD PRIZE:
ROSEMARY'S KITCHEN PRIZE PACK
Rosemary's hand-blended teas and soaps are sold at the town mercantile and grocery, and are a favorite of several of the town's eligible bachelors. Our third prize winner will have the chance to create their own special tea blends, and enjoy soap just like Rosemary's. 

How to Enter:
Go to http://www.annshorey.com/contest.html and click the Enter Now button, anytime between February 15 and March 8.

ABOUT THE BOOK
When the Heart Heals - Book 2 in the Sisters At Heart Series

Courageous and unconventional, Rosemary Saxon served as a nurse during the Civil War, a service that has caused most women in town to regard her as unfeminine and downright vulgar. Although she would like to put her experiences as a nurse behind her, she must support herself. Rosemary takes a position with Dr. Elijah Stewart and a mutual attraction begins to develop.
But when a sophisticated woman arrives in town claiming to be Elijah’s fiancée, a heartbroken Rosemary decides to leave Noble Springs and start fresh. Can Elijah convince her of the mystery woman's deception before he loses her forever?
Return to the town of Noble Springs, Missouri, for an engrossing story of love’s tentative first steps and fragile future in the face of opposition. Readers will find in Rosemary a sympathetic but strong woman determined to thrive in a world that doesn’t always understand.
Book Info & Sample Chapter: Can be found at http://www.annshorey.com/novels.html

Head on over to Ann's webpage and enter! Remember, entries aren't accepted at my blog, you'll have to enter at Ann's site!

Sunday Shout Out 29


Recently, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.


For Review
"The Fairest Beauty" by Melanie Dickerson


"Heart of Iron" by Bec McMaster
 

Contests

 

Free Ebooks for Kindle and Nook Feb 13


Hi, everyone!

I've found some great ebooks available for free for Kindle and Nook!

"A Wild Goose Chase Christmas" Quilts of Love Series by Jennifer AlLee
  

I know it's after Christmas, but a Christmas book AND an adorable dog on the cover, what's not to love?

"Heart's Desire" by Jacquie D'Alessandro

(Not available for Nook)

This is a short story by a great historical romance author!



Hurry and grab them one while they're still free!

Waiting on Wednesday 229


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"The Midnight Dress"
by Karen Foxlee
Knopf
Release Date: Oct 8, 2013

The following description is from goodreads.com:

Quiet misfit Rose doesn't expect to fall in love with the sleepy beach town of Leonora. Nor does she expect to become fast friends with beautiful, vivacious Pearl Kelly, organizer of the high school float at the annual Harvest Festival parade. It's better not to get too attached when Rose and her father live on the road, driving their caravan from one place to the next whenever her dad gets itchy feet. But Rose can't resist the mysterious charms of the town or the popular girl, try as she might.

Pearl convinces Rose to visit Edie Baker, once a renowned dressmaker, now a rumored witch. Together Rose and Edie hand-stitch an unforgettable dress of midnight blue for Rose to wear at the Harvest Festival—a dress that will have long-lasting consequences on life in Leonora, a dress that will seal the fate of one of the girls. Karen Foxlee's breathtaking novel weaves friendship, magic, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and distinctly original.
I heard about this one from Vegan YA Nerds, so I think it's been released already in Australia, and it will be released in the US in August. Correct me if I'm wrong :) Sounds really good though! Love the small town and Harvest Festival elements!


What are you waiting for this week???

Free Ebook for Kindle and Nook Feb 11


Hi everyone! 

I've found a great ebook available right now for free for Kindle and Nook!


"A Hope Undaunted" Winds of Change #1 by Julie Lessman

  
Kindle
Nook
Hurry and grab this one while it's still free!

Giveaway and Guest Post: "To Trust a Thief"

 As part of the blog tour for To Trust a Thief, I am happy to have the author stop by for a guest post, and a giveaway of the ebook!

"To Trust a Thief"
by Michelle McLean

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Scandalous)
Release Date: Jan 21, 2013

Summary from goodreads.com:
Minuette Sinclair's parents are in trouble and her fake fiancé is too. A legendary lost necklace might be their salvation, and Min is determined to find it and use it to buy her family and fiancé out of their misfortunes.

Master thief Bryant Westley is also looking for the fabled necklace. He knows Min’s got information he can use so he poses as her dance instructor and tries to seduce it from her. What he doesn’t count on are his feelings for her. He offers to partner up in the search – even though she is a distraction he can’t afford.

Things become more complicated when Min realizes that her convenient engagement means more to her fake fiancé than her and that she’s fallen in love with Bryant. Bryant realizes that he can’t double cross the young lady he’s come to love. Can they find the necklace together and admit their love before it’s too late?


Guest Post
Now, I'd like to welcome Michelle McLean to In the Hammock for a guest post!

Here's Michelle!


Guest Post
 by Michelle McLean  

Thank you so much for having me on In the Hammock today!
Historical romances were my first literary love. I write other genres, and I very much enjoy doing so. But there will always be a special place in my heart for historicals.
I began reading at a very young age. The first novels I remember reading on my own were the Little House on the Prairie books. But the first romances I ever read were Victoria Holt’s gothic romances. I still love reading these books. I love getting swept into the distant past, into beautiful, mysterious settings, and most of all, into the romance of it all. Ms. Holt’s books are full of suspense and mystery, with heroes that are always dashing and handsome and very often a little (or a lot) dangerous. There is nothing I love more than getting swept into an intense love story that is surrounded by mystery and danger. A story that gets my heart pumping both because of the amazing romance between the heroine and her hero, and because of the dangerous, suspenseful, or mysterious situations in which they often find themselves. It’s what I love to read. So when I write, these are the types of stories I try to create.
History has always been a passion of mine; I even got my undergrad degree in history. So when I began writing my own novels, it wasn’t really a conscious choice for me. I just sat down and started writing a historical. I love being able to spend my creative time floating in a bubble of poofy dresses, sprawling manors, nobility and royalty, and spectacular balls. Where manly men strut with their bulging biceps and a gutsy, intelligent, independent heroine sticks out like a sore thumb among her gentle, refined peers. It’s fun to put a little modern sass into a historical character and watch what happens :)
While I will continue to write, and enjoy, other genres, historical romance is always going to be my first and truest love.

Thank you for stopping by, Michelle! I have a special place in my heart for historical romances too!



About Michelle: Michelle McLean is the author of historical and paranormal novels, including TO TRUST A THIEF (Entangled Scandalous Jan 2013), a historical trilogy, BLOOD BLADE SISTERS (Entangled Scandalous 2013), and a zombie fairy tale retelling WISH UPON A STAR (Entangled Ever After Oct 2013). She is also the author of the educational non-fiction book HOMEWORK HELPERS: ESSAYS AND TERM PAPERS.
Michelle has a B.S. in History, a M.A. in English, and tends to be a bit of an overly organized mess with an insatiable love of books and more weird quirks than you can shake a stick at. She is also a contributor on The Naked Hero, and the Operation Awesome, Scene 13, and Scandalous book blogs as well as maintaining her personal blog.
If she's not editing, reading or chasing her kids around, she can usually be found in a quiet corner working on her next book. Michelle resides in PA with her husband and two young children, an insanely hyper dog, and two very spoiled cats.

Michelle’s Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michellemclean
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.m.mclean
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4253087.Michelle_McLean
Website/Blogs: http://www.authormichellemclean.com
http://thenakedhero.com/
http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/

On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17267147-to-trust-a-thief

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/To-Trust-A-Thief-ebook/dp/B00BFQDH8A/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1358727396&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-trust-a-thief-michelle-mclean/1045656940?ean=2940016034812
Books on Board: http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=1457235&TITLE=To+Trust+a+Thief&AUTHOR=Michelle+McLean  
Apple iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/to-trust-a-thief/id595225849?mt=11
Praise for TO TRUST A THIEF:
“This book has everything--chills, mystery, romance, and heartbreak. I loved every single page.” –Cole Gibsen, author of KATANA

Michelle McLean's debut historical romance is a wonderful read. Filled with romance, mystery, intrigue and characters I could really care about, this is a fun read.” – Christine Fonseca, author of the Lacrimosa trilogy






Giveaway

GIVEAWAY RULES:

The publisher has generously provided an ebook copy of "To Trust a Thief" for a lucky follower of my blog!
All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :)
  • INTERNATIONAL
  • Must be a follower to enter
  • Ebooks/codes will be mailed out by the publisher
  • Must be 18 or over 
  • Ends Fri Feb22
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Shout Out 28


Recently, I introduced a new feature here at In the Hammock on Sundays. It's called "Sunday Shout Out" and it's a place where I can give a special shout out to those publishers and authors who have sent me books over the week, as well as those bloggers who have hosted contests that I've won! I'll also be giving shout outs to any other cool books, blogs or bookish news that I've spotted during the week.


For Review
"Swoon: Great Seducers and Why Women Love Them" by Betsy Prioleau


This looks so fun! And just in time for Valentine's Day!

"Rimfire Bride" by Sara Luck
 

I received a finished copy of this one.

"Steampunk: HG Wells" by  HG Wells, Illustrated by Zdenko Basic


HG Wells classic tales with new steampunk illustrations!

"The Best Man" by Kristan Higgins
 

A great contemporary romance writer.
Contest Wins
"Little Critter: Snowball Soup" by Mercer Mayer


This book is autographed by Mercer Mayer! So awesome! I love it :)
Won from Jinxy Kids

Kindle Freebie
Check out this free book available for Kindle Feb 10-14!

"Let Them Eat Cake" by Sandra Byrd


Kindle

You may recognize the author as the writer of a Tudor historical fiction book, "To Die For". You can read my review here.

Stop by Renee's blog for more info about the series and a contest to win some yummy petit fours!
Contests