Halloween Spooktacular Day 2- What Is Your Favorite Thing About Halloween?

Since I have a promo stop later today that has nothing to do with this event, I thought I would just ask a simple question so you can comment and be given more entries into our grand prizes at the end of the month. What is your favorite thing about Halloween? Don't forget after you answer to enter your info into the rafflecopter(name and title of post).

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today Starts Our Halloween Spooktacular Event

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Halloween Spooktacular, cohosted with Romance Book Junkies. We have tons of fun things planned as well as several giveaways besides the grand prizes, which will run til the end of the month.   Danielle is hosting the International grand prize while I will be hosting the USA grand prize. What are they do you ask? Well $ 40 Amazon GC and $ 40 worth of books at TBD.  So be sure to check every day and comment (each comment counts as an entry, even today. That's 31 entries) post it in the rafflecopter and you are entered. 

All giveaways will end Oct 31st unless specifically stated otherwise. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming Soon: Halloween Spooktacular 2012-

Last year was such a success, Danielle at Romance Book Junkies and I decided to do it again, so if you are an author and you would like to participate, with guest posts, giveaways or interviews please contact either Danielle or myself. vampiremistress2010@gmail.com is where you can contact me.

It will run like last year, October 1-31st , with all giveaways ending on the 31st unless specifically stated otherwise.

So mark your calendars and come and join the fun in October.

Halloween Spooktacular Grand Prize Winners

I would like to thank all the readers, authors, guest bloggers and most of all Danielle of Romance Book Junkies for letting me to take part in this fun event! Now I won't keep you in suspense any longer the winners are.....

3rd Place- Latishajean

2nd Place- Amy

and Grand Prize winner is.... Maria (pronounced Mariah)

Congrats! Emails have been sent and again thank you for joining in our fun and we hope to do it again soon.

Halloween Spooktacular- Last Day

I can't believe this is the last day of this fantastic event, Danielle and I had so much fun with this and we would love to thank all that participated, Authors, Guest Bloggers and most important you readers. I would love to give a special thank you to Danielle for asking me to participate. We will be tallying up the entries and announcing the winners of the big giveaway soon it might take a couple days with all the entries, but the individual giveaways will be announced as soon as they are drawn.

Thanks again and we hope to do something special again in the near future, hopefully maybe for Christmas.

Halloween Spooktacular Stir A Little Mischief by Layla Hunter and Giveaway

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Halloween Spooktacular Character Interview and Giveaway with Kale of Cat O Nine Tails

Patty: Hello everyone! Today I’m talking to our hero’s devishly handsome brother, Kale Walsh.

Kale: Ah, the morning sun is shining a bit brighter now that I’m in the company of such a lovely
creature as yourself *kissing the inside of Patty’s wrist*

Patty: *giggle* Now Kale, behave yourself, I’m a married woman.

Kale: Mmm, married women are my favorite.

Patty: I was going to ask you if you are as much of a rake as everyone says you are, but I think
you’ve pretty much answered that.

Kale: I haven’t had any complaints thus far.

Patty: Oh I’m sure I could find a husband or two that might dispute that.

Kale: Pfft, they don’t count.

Patty: Okay, seriously, do you think you could ever settle down with just one woman?

Kale: *laughing* She would have to be one hell of a woman, but one can never say never, can
one?

Patty: So, Orrin left the ship to track down Aeron on the island you came across. Being his first in command, how did it feel to be left to run the Iona in his absence?

Kale: It felt oddly natural.

Patty: Oddly natural?

Kale: Yes; it wasn’t something I was expecting nor something I’d wanted, to be perfectly honest.Orrin has always been the eldest so responsibility was expected of him and I was quite happy with that for it let me do as I please. However, there is a sense of pride and honor that I felt running the ship was quite unexpected in the fact that it seemed so natural to me.

Patty: Interesting, it almost seems like it was something that was meant to be.

Kale: Indeed.

Patty: Well, that’s all we have time for; Kale, thank you so much for taking a moment to chat
with me.

Kale: Oh, the pleasure was all mine, perhaps next time the pleasure can be all yours *eyebrow
waggle*

Patty: Behave! *girlie giggle*

Thanks to Kale and Patty for stopping by for a visit, personally Kale can stay if he wants :)

Omnific's first Historic Romance

Starting at: $4.99

AVAILABLE AUGUST 30, 2011

Patricia Leever

Format: Paperback or eBook

ISBN: 978-1-936305-86-5

Pages: 200

Purchase

When pirate hunter Orrin and his brother Kale are hired by Queen Winifred to hunt down Aeron and her band of miscreants, Orrin never dreamed he'd fall in love with the beautiful she-pirate nor the kind, accepting people of her island hideaway. As Orrin learns of Aeron's jaded past with the Queen, he allies himself with the pirate captain and her crew. Joining forces on the high seas to bring Winifred's evil reign to an end, Aeron and Orrin soon discover that the strongest weapon in their combined arsenal is the love they have for each other.

About The Author:

Patricia Leever is a wife, stay-at-home mom of four and owner of one dog and and one really old cat cat. On the average school day she runs about town like a lunatic picking up and dropping off kids and trying to find a moment of quiet to write down a word or two.

She's a sci-fi geek that loves to dress up like a zombie and participate in the local zombie march down Main St. and laugh as much as possible; laughter frees the mind and heals the soul.

Live. Breathe. Write

Website

Now on to the giveaway, Thanks to Patricia , she is generously offering an ebook and swag set (complete set of trading cards and book mark) to one winner. All you have to do is comment and leave your email addy.Giveaway ends Oct 31st

Halloween Spooktacular: Werewolves

Info courtesy of Wikipedia

A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope (from the Greek λυκάνθρωπος: λύκος, lukos, "wolf", and άνθρωπος, anthrōpos, man), is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely, by being bitten by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the full moon, as popularly noted by the medieval chronicler Gervase of Tilbury, and perhaps in earlier times among the ancient Greeks through the writings of Petronius.

Werewolves are often attributed superhuman strength and senses, far beyond those of both wolves and men. The werewolf is generally held as a European character, although its lore spread through the world in later times. Shape-shifters, similar to werewolves, are common in tales from all over the world, most notably amongst the Native Americans, though most of them involve animal forms other than wolves.

Werewolves are a frequent subject of modern fictional books, although fictional werewolves have been attributed traits distinct from those of original folklore, most notably vulnerability to silver bullets. Werewolves continue to endure in modern culture and fiction, with books, films and television shows cementing the werewolf's stance as a dominant figure in horror.

Becoming a werewolf

Various methods for becoming a werewolf have been reported, one of the simplest being the removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of wolfskin, probably as a substitute for the assumption of an entire animal skin (which also is frequently described).[15] In other cases, the body is rubbed with a magic salve. Drinking rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis. The 16th century Swedish writer Olaus Magnus says that the Livonian werewolves were initiated by draining a cup of specially prepared beer and repeating a set formula. Ralston in his Songs of the Russian People gives the form of incantation still familiar in Russia.

In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man or woman could turn into a werewolf if he or she, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his face.

In other cases, the transformation was supposedly accomplished by Satanic allegiance for the most loathsome ends, often for the sake of sating a craving for human flesh. "The werewolves", writes Richard Verstegan (Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, 1628), are certayne sorcerers, who having annoynted their bodies with an ointment which they make by the instinct of the devil, and putting on a certayne inchaunted girdle, does not only unto the view of others seem as wolves, but to their own thinking have both the shape and nature of wolves, so long as they wear the said girdle. And they do dispose themselves as very wolves, in worrying and killing, and most of humane creatures.

Such were the views about lycanthropy current throughout the continent of Europe when Verstegan wrote.

The phenomenon of repercussion, the power of animal metamorphosis, or of sending out a familiar, real or spiritual, as a messenger, and the supernormal powers conferred by association with such a familiar, are also attributed to the magician, male and female, all the world over; and witch superstitions are closely parallel to, if not identical with, lycanthropic beliefs, the occasional involuntary character of lycanthropy being almost the sole distinguishing feature. In another direction the phenomenon of repercussion is asserted to manifest itself in connection with the bush-soul of the West African and the nagual of Central America; but though there is no line of demarcation to be drawn on logical grounds, the assumed power of the magician and the intimate association of the bush-soul or the nagual with a human being are not termed lycanthropy. Nevertheless it will be well to touch on both these beliefs here.

The curse of lycanthropy was also considered by some scholars as being a divine punishment. Werewolf literature shows many examples of God or saints allegedly cursing those who invoked their wrath with werewolfism. Those who were excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church were also said to become werewolves.

The power of transforming others into wild beasts was attributed not only to malignant sorcerers, but to Christian saints as well. Omnes angeli, boni et Mali, ex virtute naturali habent potestatem transmutandi corpora nostra ("All angels, good and bad have the power of transmutating our bodies") was the dictum of St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Patrick was said to have transformed the Welsh king Vereticus into a wolf; Natalis supposedly cursed an illustrious Irish family whose members were each doomed to be a wolf for seven years. In other tales the divine agency is even more direct, while in Russia, again, men supposedly became werewolves when incurring the wrath of the Devil.

A notable exception to the association of Lycanthropy and the Devil, comes from a rare and lesser known account of an 80-year-old man named Thiess. In 1692, in Jurgenburg, Livonia, Thiess testified under oath that he and other werewolves were the Hounds of God. He claimed they were warriors who went down into hell to do battle with witches and demons. Their efforts ensured that the Devil and his minions did not carry off the grain from local failed crops down to hell. Thiess was steadfast in his assertions, claiming that werewolves in Germany and Russia also did battle with the devil's minions in their own versions of hell, and insisted that when werewolves died, their souls were welcomed into heaven as reward for their service. Thiess was ultimately sentenced to ten lashes for Idolatry and superstitious belief.

A distinction is often made between voluntary and involuntary werewolves. The former are generally thought to have made a pact, usually with the Devil, and morph into werewolves at night to indulge in nefarious acts. Involuntary werewolves, on the other hand, are werewolves by an accident of birth or health. In some cultures, individuals born during a new moon or suffering from epilepsy were considered likely to be werewolves.

Becoming a werewolf simply by being bitten by another werewolf as a form of contagion is common in modern horror fiction, but this kind of transmission is rare in legend, unlike the case in vampirism.

Even if the denotation of lycanthropy is limited to the wolf-metamorphosis of living human beings, the beliefs classed together under this head are far from uniform, and the term is somewhat capriciously applied. The transformation may be temporary or permanent; the were-animal may be the man himself metamorphosed; may be his double whose activity leaves the real man to all appearance unchanged; may be his soul, which goes forth seeking whom it may devour, leaving its body in a state of trance; or it may be no more than the messenger of the human being, a real animal or a familiar spirit, whose intimate connection with its owner is shown by the fact that any injury to it is believed, by a phenomenon known as repercussion, to cause a corresponding injury to the human being.

Vulnerabilities

Most modern fiction describes werewolves as vulnerable to silver weapons and highly resistant to other injuries. This feature does not appear in stories about werewolves before the 19th century. (The claim that the Beast of Gévaudan, an 18th century wolf or wolf-like creature, was shot by a silver bullet appears to have been introduced by novelists retelling the story from 1935 onwards and not in earlier versions.)

Unlike vampires, they are not generally thought to be harmed by religious artifacts such as crucifixes and holy water. In many countries, rye and mistletoe were considered effective safeguards against werewolf attacks.[citation needed] Mountain ash is also considered effective, with one Belgian superstition stating that no house was safe unless under the shade of a mountain ash. In some legends, werewolves have an aversion to wolfsbane.

Remedies

Various methods have existed for removing the werewolf form. In antiquity, the Ancient Greeks and Romans believed in the power of exhaustion in curing people of lycanthropy. The victim would be subjected to long periods of physical activity in the hope of being purged of the malady. This practice stemmed from the fact that many alleged werewolves would be left feeling weak and debilitated after committing depredations.

In medieval Europe, traditionally, there are three methods one can use to cure a victim of werewolfism; medicinally (usually via the use of wolfsbane), surgically or by exorcism. However, many of the cures advocated by medieval medical practitioners proved fatal to the patients. A Sicilian belief of Arabic origin holds that a werewolf can be cured of its ailment by striking it on the forehead or scalp with a knife. Another belief from the same culture involves the piercing of the werewolf's hands with nails. Sometimes, less extreme methods were used. In the German lowland of Schleswig-Holstein, a werewolf could be cured if one were to simply address it three times by its Christian name, while one Danish belief holds that simply scolding a werewolf will cure it. Conversion to Christianity is also a common method of removing werewolfism in the medieval period. A devotion to St. Hubert has also been cited as both cure for and protection from lycanthropes.

So tell me are you a fan of Werewolves? IF so who is your favorite fictional wolf? Movie or book? Remember all comments count towards as extra entries for the big giveaway.

Halloween Spootacular My Favorite Spooky Novels by Kristyn Nichols

Thank you Kristy for stopping by especially with her crazy schedule, we really do appreciate it.

First, I’d like to thank Danielle and Donna for inviting me here today! I’m Kristyn Nichols, an aspiring romantic suspense author. I just finished the first draft of my novel,so you’ll hopefully read something of mine in the near future. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays; I love the costumes, the candy, and the creepy decorations I get to put up. So of course, I was honored when these ladies asked me to do a post for this event. And now for my contribution to the Halloween Spooktacular: my favorite spooky novels and a Halloween treat (because it’s all about the treats)!

Favorite Vamp Novel: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
If you haven’t been reading the ‘Night Huntress’ series, you’ve been missing out on one green-eyed god of a vamp. Bones and his half-vampire sassy counterpart, Cat, have sizzling chemistry. Think Buffy, but for adults. Frost tells a uniquely enthralling story with a great cast of characters that always seem to find themselves in a spot of trouble. Just a note, ‘One Foot in the Grave’ is the second book, but my favorite in the series, so make sure you start with ‘Halfway to the Grave.’

Favorite Creature of the Night Novel: Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Unless you’re living under a rock in Antarctica, if you’re a paranormal romance fan, you’ve heard of the Dark Hunters series. This was one of the earlier books in the series and my favorite by far. Vane, a werewolf who’s faced pain and fought for his daily existence, is one of my top ten heroes. Fiercely protective, yet sweetly naïve in his interactions with Bride, the heroine, Vane’s character is someone you simply have to root for. I’ve read this book so many times, the spine has practically come apart and I had to buy it for my Kindle too.

Favorite Romantic Suspense: Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
Yes, there’s romance and suspense, but Mr. Perfect also had me laughing like a lunatic. The story begins when the heroine Jaine and a group of friends come up with a list for the traits of “Mr. Perfect.” Unfortunately, someone finds the list distasteful and aims to set things right. Enter Sam Donovan, her sexy next-door neighbor and detective. Their relationship amidst the deranged actions of a killer made for a fantastic story complete with witty banter and the cringe worthy killer scenes.

Those are my favorites, let’s hear yours. Agree or disagree, share your thoughts on your spooky favorites below.

Now for a Halloween treat: a giveaway! I’m giving away one $10 Amazon e-gift

certificate so you can treat yourself to a spooky or not-so-spooky novel of your choice.

The Giveaway:

1. Anyone with an email address may enter.

2. You must be a follower of my blog (http://www.nowkissmelikeyoumeanit.com)

3. Answer her question above and leave your email addy with your comment

4. Giveaway ends on Oct. 31st

The House on Hundred Hill Blog Tour Book Excerpt and Giveaway

The House on Hundred Hill: The Nephilim Book One - Blurb

Jessica Rylan has spent her entire life trying to fit in, despite feeling deep down that she doesn't quite belong. A slave to passions that she doesn't quite understand, she does her best to simply ignore her burgeoning sensuality. Little does Jessica realise that a seemingly chance encounter with the handsome Nate Black will turn her world upside down.

All it takes is one garden party invitation to pull her into an ancient struggle, one where she must place her trust in Nate and his mysterious brother Draven to survive. As Jessica becomes seduced by the ancient and mystical world of the Nephilim, she finally begins to understand her own dark desires. Because Draven Black is searching for something...

Something only Jessica can provide.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/House-Hundred-Hill-Nephilim-ebook/dp/B005ME377C/
ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317456926&sr=8-1

Amazon.co.uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Hundred-Hill-Nephilim-ebook/dp/B005ME377C/
ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317457013&sr=8-1

The House on Hundred Hill will also be available to purchase soon on: Smashwords, Kobo, Diesel, All Romance Ebooks, and B&N Nook Book

Author bio:

Jemima Valentino is an English 30-something; married to an excessively patient man withtwo beautiful daughters and an excitable cross-bred mutt called Eddie. She is also a writerof dark paranormal romance, BDSM erotica and modern fiction.

Jemima fell in love with reading and writing as a child but it was only in 2009 that writing became an obsession. After months of procrastination and plucking up the courage, she published 'His Elle' in January 2011 and now has a full blown desire to continue writing.

Author Links:

Website - http://www.jemimavalentino.com

Blog - http://www.jemimavalentino.blogspot.com

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/JemimaValentino

Facebook Fan Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jemima-Valentino-Author/232810170090039

Book Excerpt:

Nate continued to study her intently as he wrapped his hand around his cool glass of beer. “You dare not speak of your desires do you Jessica? You dare not admit to yourself that everything you know about feminism, every single thing you have ever been taught about equality, simply doesn’t add up, not to you. You are desperate to belong, and yet you have never had anyone to belong to.” He paused to shake his head and took a long sweeping look over her heaving chest. “It’s such a shame; somebody should have claimed you long before now, but their loss will most
certainly be our gain.”

Jessica felt her heart in her mouth as she sat silent, not able to get up and leave, somehow glued to the chair with an invisible force that was now way beyond her control. She felt utterly helpless under the intensity of his stare which was somehow so distant that she feared that he may see into the depths of her soul, or hypnotise her with his veracity, if he hadn’t already.

She looked down at her leg and drew in a ragged breath as she suddenly realised that his large dark hand was placed securely on the inside of her smooth,creamy thigh. She flicked her gaze up to his face and opened her mouth in silent objection.

“I know what you crave Jessica, I’ve seen it so many times before in women far less easy to break.” Nate slid his hand a little further along her thigh until it rested just under the hem of her skirt. The flush of her pale skin had returned and she darted her eyes uncomfortably around the room to check if anyone was watching.

“Don’t worry,” Nate assured her as if reading her mind. “They are all too busy this evening to notice the shy little red-head in the corner.” He smiled deviously as he slid his hand higher up her skirt, his fingers brushing the flimsy material of her soft pink knickers. “Besides, they would only assume that you are under my protection.”

“I don’t understand,” Jessica whispered, finally finding her voice. The moment the words left her lips, she wished she had found something more intelligent to say.

“You will, in time,” Nate responded. “In time my Lady, you will understand everything, but right now Jessica, right this second, all you have to do is tell me to stop.” He grasped his drink with his other hand and took a long slow sip. “Tell me to stop Jessica, and I will leave you in peace to finish your interesting work of fiction. Tell me to stop and you will never see me again.” Nate raised his eyebrow and his gaze never left her face.

Jessica couldn’t move. She was paralysed as the firm touch of this total stranger rested dangerously close to the intimate soft flesh, hidden beneath her panties. She screamed at herself to tell him to stop.

Oh god, please don’t stop!

A rush of anger surged through her veins as Nate’s strong fingers slid under the elastic. She yelped involuntarily, darting out her small hand in a futile attempt to push him away.

“Tell me to stop,” Nate chuckled. “Tell me to stop Jessica, that’s all you have to do, just utter one simple word. S.T.O.P. It’s not even that hard to spell.” He slid his hand briefly away from the dampening material of her knickers but left it resting at the very top of her thigh.

Jessica squirmed in her chair and desperately attempted to pull her skirt down. “But…” she stumbled over her words. “But I -”

“Have a boyfriend?” He said simply, brushing away her comment as if it were totally irrelevant.

“Yes… how did you…?” Jesus fucking Christ, just tell him to stop! She was desperate to force herself to say the words.

“You are a very beautiful and alluring woman,” Nate whispered as his fingers slid back under the elastic and wasted no time in finding her pleasure spot. “It would be criminal for you not to be taken.”

Giveaway

Halloween Spooktacular What's The Worst Thing That Can Happen by M.J. Rose

What’s the worst that can happen?

One day I started to fantasize what would happen if my character from The Butterfield Institute series (http://www.mjrose.com/content/books_butterfield.asp) , Dr. Morgan Snow got some of my favorite tough guys in suspense on her couch. What twisted pasts, what traumas, what mysteries would she discover?

How much fun would it be to try it, was my first thought.

What a crazy creative challenge, was my second.

But could I ever get up the nerve to ask Lee Child Steve Barry or Barry Eisler to let me borrow their bestselling characters? No less put them in compromising positions.

And even if I could pull it off and write in their voices, what possible reason would any of them have for saying yes?

The most important thing my mother taught me was not to be afraid of trying something out of my comfort zone. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” she’d ask when something made me nervous. Together we’d go through all the possible results. Talking them out one by one- they never seemed as bad as they did in my imagination.

So I took a really deep breath and asked Lee Child first. He said he couldn’t imagine Reacher ever going to see a sex therapist but if I could pull it off, it sounded like fun. Steve Berry was next. He said pretty much the same thing. Eisler was no different.

The stakes got higher when Phil Gigante - who along with Natalie Ross –said they’d narrate the stories if the project came to fruition came up with a marvelous idea. What about asking Dick Hill - Reacher’s Voice, Scott Brick – Malone’s voice, and Eisler - who does Rain – to do their own dialog in the audio version?

I spent a good part of the summer writing the stories. Alternating enjoying the hell out the challenge, agonizing and cursing my hubris. Why had I thought I could do this? These are well established heroes. They have their unique ways of talking, thinking and acting. Not to mention the possible really awful rejection.

When it was time to send them off, have the authors read my efforts, do some editing if they wanted and hopefully give their blessing, I totally froze.

I’d written 11 novels. Had my share of nice accolades and reviews. Felt fairly good about my career. But suddenly I was as nervous as a the proverbial (and virginal) bride on her wedding night.

Why was I actively courting rejection and embarrassment? Why was I putting three writers who I respect and admire in the uncomfortable position of having to tell me I’d failed?

For an entire week I thought about scrapping the whole idea and not showing any of them the stories.

Finally I got to the core question. Really, what was the worst thing that could happen?

Amazingly, I never found out. And boy, did I have fun!

In honor of these amazingly generous authors who shared their heroes with me a share of the e-book proceeds and all the audio proceeds of In Session will be donated to David Baldacci's Wish You Well Foundation, supporting family literacy. (wishyouwellfoundation.org/)

The e-book and audio book will go on sale Oct 17 but the e-book is available to pre-order at Amazon now. http://www.amazon.com/Session-Morgan-Reacher-Eislers-ebook/dp/B005OLJ3VC

Review
"Jack Reacher, John Rain and Cotton Malone, on the sex therapist's couch. Testosterone therapy as high art. What could be better? One of the most original and well-done series of stories I've ever read. M.J. Rose has blasted this baby to the ozone. I don't care if you download it or listen to it. just get it." - NYT Bestseller, David Baldacci


"I bet M.J. Rose she couldn't get Jack Reacher into Morgan Snow's office. I lost. Find out how." - NYT Bestseller, Lee Child

"Seeing another side of Cotton Malone, written from another writer's perspective, was eye opening. Needless to say, the subject matter is not something Cotton normally deals with, but M.J. made sure he handled it with his usual smooth, Southern style. I enjoyed the adventure. You will too." - NYT Bestseller, Steve Berry

"When John Rain considers taking on Dr. Morgan Snow as a client, the danger isn't winding up in a coffin -- it's winding up on the couch. But I made him take the risk anyway, and it was a blast!" - NYT Bestseller, Barry Eisler

"Only Dr Morgan Snow (aka MJ Rose) could persuade three of thriller fiction's most charismatic heroes to sit on a sex therapist's couch. The eyebrow-raising results will astonish you - and help raise money for David Baldacci's Wish You Well Foundation." - International Bestesller, David Hewson

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR M.J. ROSE

GETS JACK REACHER, COTTON MALONE, JOHN RAIN

ON THE SEX THERAPIST’S COUCH

How do you get a stoic drifter, a former covert agent and an international assassin to see a sex therapist? That was the challenge faced by international bestselling author M.J. Rose when she proposed setting up appointments for Jack Reacher, Cotton Malone and John Rain with Dr.Morgan Snow of the Butterfield Institute in her new e-book IN SESSION (October 17, 2011,Kindle e-book, $1.99).

The protagonists’ of New York Times bestselling authors – Lee Child, Steve Berry and Barry Eisler – swore that their men of mystery would never agree to therapy – unless Rose found a way to get them there. By slipping Dr. Snow out of her office, Rose delivered some of America’s favorite male characters to a place they’ve never been before – in therapy.

IN SESSION contains three racy and revealing short stories by M.J. Rose:

• KNOWING YOU’RE ALIVE with Lee Child’s Jack Reacher results in revelations for the injured Dr. Snow and her unexpected savior/patient. What secrets from the past are contained in an unexpected gift?

• EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES with Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone features a woman who seeks help for her lover, and sends Dr. Snow overseas on a most unusual house call. Can a rare book in a plain brown wrapper be the medicine her patient needs?

• DECISIONS, DECISIONS with Barry Eisler’s John Rain forces Dr. Snow out of her own comfort zone, and into the world of a former patient’s worst nightmare. Does protecting what she loves most require a dance with darkness?

The audio version, narrated by award winners Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross will feature Dick Hill, Scott Brick and Barry Eisler reprising their roles Reacher, Malone and Rain.

M.J. ROSE (www.mjrose.com) is an internationally bestselling author of eleven novels including The Halo Effect, The Venus Fix and The Delilah Complex all featuring Dr. Morgan Snow. Her next novel, The Book of Lost Fragrances will be published in March, 2012 by Atria Books (S&S). Rose is a founding board member of International Thriller Writers and founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com. Proceeds of the audio book and a share of the proceeds of the ebook will be donated to David Baldacci’s Wish You Well Foundation, supporting family literacy. (http://wishyouwellfoundation.org/)

Halloween Spooktacular IT's My Birthday Giveaway!!!

Okay since its my Bday and I was bad and didn't have a post set up for today I thought I would do a giveaway!

This giveaway will be for 40 dollar gift card or 40 dollar's worth at book depository so guess what its international!! This giveaway will last longer than the other giveaways. This giveaway has been extended to December 2nd ! All you have to do is leave your email addy. That's it easy peasey right?

Halloween Spooktacular Grand Prize Giveaway Reminder

Hey All,

I can't believe Halloween's Spooktacular is halfway over, Thanks to all that have participated so far, Authors, guest bloggers as well and most of all all the readers. I know Danielle and I both have had a blast doing this event. This is just a quick reminder that the Grand Prize giveaway as well as other giveaways will end on October 31st. Good luck and stay tuned for more fun posts.

Don't forget to comment, comment, comment for the grand prize which has been a secret for long enough.

1st place - $30.00 gift certificate to Amazon or $30.00 worth of books from Book Depository.
2nd place - $20.00 gift certificate to Amazon or $20.00 worth of books from Book Depository.
3rd place - $10.00 gift certificate to Amazon or $10.00 worth of books from Book Depository.

Halloween Spooktacular Guest Post/Giveaway with Danielle from Romance Book Junkies

Hello Everyone!

I’m Danielle from Romance Book Junkies and I’m happy to be here at Book Lover’s Hideaway to spread a little Halloween Love. I love Halloween and what I love most is dressing up in a great costume. This year I have decided to be a Masquerade Ball Queen. Why? You ask. The reason I choose this costume is because I’m going to be attending my first Authors After Dark Convention and one of the events is a Masquerade Ball so I’m hitting two birds with one stone. I’m trying to think ahead which can be dangerous. lol! Every year we have a Halloween Party mainly for the kids but the adults usually have their own fun too and I am planning to take pictures at the Halloween Party and posting some on my blog so you can check them out and me in my costume. Here is the ad picture.

I would love to hear what you are going to be dressing up as this year in a comment.

Besides Halloween I also love giveaways. So, I’m going to be giving away a paperback copy of “Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove” by Lauren Kate. I wanted to give away something Halloweenish so I’m hoping this book fits that bill. It looks like a dark themed novel.

All you have to do to enter is:

1. Leave a comment about what costume you are going to be wearing this year. 2. And your email address so we can contact you if you win.

Halloween Spooktacular Boy,was my face red! By Cassandra Carr

Boy, was my face red!

By Cassandra Carr

Like many college students, I worked my way through school at a bar/restaurant. I was scheduled to work on Halloween, which, of course, meant dressing up. Well, I'm here to tell you - it's easier said than done to find a costume that will allow you to work in a bar all night.

I settled on a mime, because I could wear block and a little beret and paint my face white and be done with it. But the whole "painting my face white" idea was apparently a bad idea... I was pleased with my costume as I got into it that night - tight black leggings, a long black long-sleeved t-shirt, and my little black beret. No muss, no fuss. And no tail for people to pull all night long!

Then I got out the make-up I'd gotten at the drug store in the seasonal Halloween section and set about painting my face. Everything went well and I went to work. About an hour after I'd first put on the makeup I noticed my face felt kind of itchy. I was busy and I shrugged it off. Less than an hour later, though, I couldn't the itching/pain in my face anymore. I wanted to scratch my own face off! I went into the bathroom in the employee break room (another sign things weren't right - I didn't even go to the customer bathroom, which was WAY cleaner than the one in the break room) and grabbed a bunch of paper towels. I began to scrub the makeup off my face, and it was then that I noticed the large red blotches.

I was obviously allergic to the makeup. I looked like someone had slapped me repeatedly. There was no way to fix the damage, and I certainly wasn't going to put on other makeup like concealer over these angry red blotches. So I went back out to the bar and endured an entire night of "Oh my God! What happened to your FACE?!?"

So if you're going to wear Halloween make-up, make sure you're not allergic to it first, or that you don't mind your customers treating you like a freak all night...

Author bio:

Cassandra Carr lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. Head Games, Buffalo Intimidators book 1, will release on November 2, 2011 from Siren Bookstrand, and Caught will release December 13, 2011 from Loose Id.

For more information about Cassandra,
check out her website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com,

"like" her Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr

or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr

Book Excerpt:

“I can’t take it anymore!” Leo Laporte, goaltender for the Buffalo Intimidators, glared at his teammates as they glided past him after the third goal in the first ten minutes of the game was scored. “You guys either play some fucking defense or I’ll jam my stick where the sun don’t shine! You got that?” Crouching down into his stance, he banged said stick on each post just as he did before every faceoff at center ice. Looking up, he saw the head coach, Tom, waving at him. A quick glance to Tom’s left showed his goaltending partner, Scott Schaffer, warming up.

“Fuck!”

Tom called a time-out, and Leo skated to the bench, bracing for the tirade. “You guys need to get your heads outta your asses, pronto. You’re down by three already and the game’s hardly even ten minutes old. Since you don’t seem to want to play for Leo tonight, we’ll see how you do with Scott in net.” Tom threw a sympathetic look Scott’s way. “Good luck saving anything with these jackasses in front of you.” Tom wasn’t known for mincing words, and tonight was no exception.

Leo opened the door to the bench and squeezed around one of the team’s hulking defensemen as best he could.

Glaring at the man, he thought, Slug’s not good for much tonight. Certainly not getting out of my way.

The guy was built like a tank and made a much better door than he did a window, as Leo could attest on that third goal. The puck had been in the net before Leo had even been able to react.
Leo clapped Scott on the shoulder. “Good luck, man.”

Scott nodded and took the ice. Performing a few quick stretches in the crease, he raised his catching glove to signal his readiness to continue play. Leo sat down, taking a long pull from a water bottle he’d grabbed from the shelf in front of him. No one said a word to him, which was just fine.

The team responded to Scott being in net and scored two goals by the end of the first. Leo stalked into the dressing room, heading straight for the can. Just as he’d planned, by the time he got out the second period was about to start. Tom told him he was going to continue to play Scott to see if they couldn’t salvage the game, and Leo nodded. It irked him that he’d been left out to dry, but he also knew damn well they’d done the same to Scott in the past. It was one of those weird hockey things no one could put a finger on, and Leo didn’t even try.

After trundling back to the bench for the second period, his stomach growled. The noise caused his mind to wander, straight to the tall, curvy woman with a mess of curls his hands just itched to plunge into. Right now Kelly Chase was probably pulling her famous apple pie out of the oven at the bistro where he and Scott had been going for dinner after games for nearly a year. Thinking about seeing her made his cock harden inside his jock and he willed it down. Having a hard-on when wearing a cup was a pretty damn unpleasant experience—one he wasn’t eager to go through at the moment.

He’d bet she knew he’d been pulled, but he’d also put money on the fact that if anyone made an ass-hatted comment about why she’d shut them right up. Kelly knew her hockey, and she watched every game on the big screen TV housed behind the counter at her bistro as best she could in between cooking meals for the customers. He could almost smell her special sour cream apple pie. She only made it on home game days when she knew Leo and Scott would be coming in afterward for their post-game meal. She’d even named it after the team, calling it Intimidating Apple Pie. There was sure as hell nothing intimidating about it, but it was definitely sinful, which was just how he liked it.

Thinking about her and her pie brought his mind to other subjects, like what she was most likely wearing that night. It drove him crazy the way she dressedin these cute little light pink T-shirts with Kelly’s emblazoned on the front right across her ample breasts. Even her chef’s clogs—also light pink—were cute. But her body wasn’t cute. It was sexy as hell. She was all bumps and curves, in all the right places. She wasn’t a dainty little thing, standing only about an inch shorter than his five foot ten, and he loved that about her—gave him something to hold on to should he ever be blessed with the opportunity to get into her checkered chef’s pants.
Leo was jerked out of his lust-hazed stupor by the “heads up” shout from his teammates. A puck was sailing right for him, and he automatically knocked it down with his blocker before it could do any damage. He didn’t wear his goalie mask on the bench, and if his reflexes weren’t lightning-quick he would’ve taken a puck right to his grill.

Head in the game, Leo.

Settling back, he watched his team tie it up by the end of the second. During intermission, Tom took both he and Scott aside and said he wanted to put Leo back in. Scott shrugged.He’d always been the more easy-going of the two men. Their combined personalities meshed well, which translated into a successful goaltending partnership and a friendship that had spanned nearly eight years.

Leo stretched out and took the ice for the third. Their opponent seemed momentarily surprised by another goaltending change but recovered quickly and gave the Intimidators a challenge. In the end, Leo got the win by one goal. After accepting the congratulations of his teammates, he bopped Scott on the head as they left the ice together. “Kelly’s is on you tonight, bro,” Scott said.

Leo snorted. He’d been expecting no less. “Not a problem. I hope she made apple pie.”
“She always makes apple pie if there’s a home game.”

They rushed through their post-game interviews and hopped into the shower. Only a half hour after the buzzer they were climbing into Leo’s Range Rover on their way to Kelly’s. When they walked in, she turned from behind the counter to greet them. Leo caught sight of her luscious tits straining the material of her T-shirt and his dick twitched. He quickly ran his hand over it.

Down, boy.

“Hey guys. Good game, both of you.”

“Thanks,” they answered in unison, sliding onto stools.

“How about some apple pie?” Leo said, licking his lips already. An image of him nibbling pieces of it off of her flew into his head. Man, was he horny tonight…

Kelly put her hands on her hips. “You know better than that. I never let you have apple pie until after you eat a good meal.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Fine.” Perusing the specials written on a chalkboard underneath the TV, he ordered shepherd’s pie. Scott asked for a chicken souvlaki wrap, and they settled back to relax as Kelly went into the kitchen to make their food. “I fuckin’ love those T-shirts. I’d give up a mil of my salary just to be that T-shirt for a day.”

“Don’t I know it…” Since it was late, Kelly was waiting tables herself in addition to cooking, and both of them tracked her as she bustled around behind the counter. Coming back over, she poured them both ice waters and plopped silverware in front of them before going into the back once again. There were still a few customers, but everyone gave the Intimidators their privacy here—it was one of the reasons Leo and Scott loved to come here so much. The primary reason, of course, was Kelly herself.

“Okay, so let’s go over everything again – make sure we’re on the same page here,” Leo urged.
“All right. Can’t hurt. We need to present a united front if we’re gonna do this.”

“Exactly. So both of us want her.” They’d been attracted to Kelly since the moment they’d laid eyes on her, but had come to the realization a few months ago that their feelings ran deeper than simple lust.

Scott nodded; his eyes as determined and focused as Leo had ever seen them. “Yes, we both want her, and the only way that will work is if we share her. But we need to make it clear at some point, maybe not right up front, that we want her more than just sex.”

“And we think tonight is the night?”

“She’s definitely intrigued.” Scott paused and Leo could practically see the wheels turning in his friend’s head. “Even when we mentioned a threesome last week she didn’t run.”

“Yeah, and did you see the expression on her face? She wants it.”

“I think so, too. But don’t forget. We can’t push her too hard. And everything one of us does affects the other. We can’t let her tear us apart and if this thing starts to do that we need to reconsider.”

“Agreed,” Leo answered. He held up his fist. “Even now, even with Kelly, bros over hos, man.” The two men did a quick fist bump and Leo relaxed a little.

A few minutes later Kelly backed out of the kitchen, her arms laden with plates, and both men paused to admire her ass in her tight chef’s pants. She caught them staring and just shook her head, laughing.

Yes, they were done waiting for her to come around. It was time to put Operation Seduction into action.

Thanks to Cassandra for stopping by and treating us with not only a guest post but a book excerpt as well. Head Games will be released November 2nd, 2011 Remember all comments count as extra entries to the big giveaway at the end of this event.

Halloween Spooktacular Scary Creepy Ladies by Dee Tenorio

When I was a kid, if there was ever anything I absolutely afraid of, it was the Llorona.

Haven't heard of her? Well, she's the scary story Mexicans tell their children to make them behave and especially to make them come in when its dark.

There are several versions of the story, but the one I heard is that a long time ago, a woman with a broken heart lead her six children to a river near her home after her husband left her. Planning to punish the man, she drowned each of her children and then killed herself. Her children, now wronged by both parents, went to Heaven, but for her crime she was cursed to spend eternity looking for them in the darkness, so if she finds any children out at night, she'll claim them as her own, take them to the river and drown them. So whenever you hear a long, keening cries in the night, you'd better hurry home...it's the Llorona, coming for you.

As you can imagine, most little kids got their tails inside at dinner and ran from the windows as soon as the sun went down. I, of course, was among them. And since the wind tended to whistle through my neighborhood with long, keening moans, you bet your tail that I had company.

But one night, every year, we kids grew a pair for a good cause. CANDY.

We'd all don our favorite costumes and walk out into the dark, risking life, limb and drowning by creepy crying lady for pillowcases stuffed full of candy. The wind howled and creepy ladies abounded but it never occurred to any of us to miss out on a year's worth of candy—for my family, Trick or Treating was a sport, man!—because someone might want to snatch us. For one day a year, we were safe. Ish.

Now, I've heard some people think that The Llorona is comparable to Bloody Mary—she of the infamous Midnight mirror game for stupid people (yup, I played it when I was little, because i was a very dumb 7 year old, lol)—but I never quite bought that. She's a scary cow all on her own, so when you hear some long moans in the night, be sure not to go outside. After all, there's no way to get free of her and as she's several hundred years old, I'm guessing we're all kids to her. :)

Tell me, did you ever hear of The Llorona? What version of the story were you told?

Dee

Thanks Dee for stopping by, Dee has graciously offered a copy of your choice book 1 or book 2 in the Resurrection series, so if you haven't read the first or if you have you can choose book 2 all you have to do is leave a comment answering her question above and leave an email addy. The giveaway will run from October 13th til the end of October 31st.

Back cover blurb:

The mate he never wanted may be the woman he can never have...

After a series of murders is discovered along the trail of the Shifter Underground, wolf soldier Jensen Tate is assigned to find and protect a missing stray. But Lia Crawford doesn't seem to want his protection. When she eludes his watch and returns with mysterious injuries, Tate knows she's hiding something. To discover her secrets, he'll have to win her trust...and get closer to the woman he thinks may be his mate.

Lia has reasons to keep her distance. The killer is haunting her steps, determined to claim her. He will come after them both if he sees how drawn she is to Tate, though it becomes increasingly difficult to deny her attraction to him. Protecting Tate is vital – but will her deception cost her his love?

"Deceiving The Protector" trailer:

About The Author:

Dee Tenorio has a few reality issues. After much therapy for the problem—if one can call being awakened in the night by visions of hot able-bodied men a problem—she has proved incurable. It turns out she enjoys tormenting herself by writing sizzling, steamy romances of various genres spanning paranormal mystery dramas, contemporaries and romantic comedies. Preferably starring the sexy, somewhat grumpy heroes described above and smart-mouthed heroines who have much better hair than she does.

The best part is, no more therapy bills!

Well, not for Dee, anyway. Her husband and kids, on the other hand...

If you would like to learn more about Dee and her work, please peruse around this site or visit her blog at http://www.deetenorio.com/Blog/.

Author's Links:

Site: http://www.deetenorio.com

Blog: http://www.deetenorio.com/Blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeTenorio

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dee-Tenorio/112663472089725?v=app_4949752878&ref=sgm

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/deetenorio

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Deeliciousone

Halloween Spootacular Vampire Halloween by Evelyn LaFont

Today we have a very special guest Evelyn LaFont, who has graciously written a short story just for this event as well as offering 2 ebook sets of her series Vampire Relationship Guide Book 1 and 2. BLH would like to send Big thank you to Evelyn for agreeing to participate.

A decade ago, on the first Halloween after vampires announced their existence, I was busy cleaning
toilets.

My predicament wasn’t due to the fact that I preferred cleaning toilets over going to parties in a sexy maid outfit, better suited for seducing than cleaning. It was that I had no choice but to exploit the cleaning company’s staff shortage and make an extra $50 to keep my electricity on that month.

And really, I was in a maid costume…of a sort, with my light blue bandana tied around my blonde curly hair, which was in a messy ponytail, and my too-large nurse’s scrubs purchased not because I was a caregiver but because they let me twist my body comfortably enough to reach the hair and gunk that settles behind most toilets. To this sexy ensemble, I added my Dr. Scholl’s Velcro sneakers that were ugly but helped me stay on my feet for hours. Finally, I had my super clunky Walkman tucked inside my black vinyl fanny pack. Rather than being a treat for the eyes, I was definitely a trick.

Anyway, I wasn’t just cleaning out toilets in the 20-story glass and steel office building with views of the Gulf that night—oh no. I was also dusting individual offices, emptying desk-side trash bins and wiping off windowsills. Good stuff.

Since we started cleaning in early evening, the building was empty of employees. The sun had set and the views out the windows were lame, so I decided to crank up my Walkman’s volume and let the music carry me away. With Destiny’s Child Survivor CD on repeat, I put my body on automate and cleaned without thinking, grooving to the music and singing about what kind of survivor I really was—the kind who wasn’t gonna give up.

I started doing some amazing hip-shaking while dusting off the bookcase that took up the entire wall of a dark paneled office with a thick beige carpet and heavy antique furniture on the tenth floor. While in the middle of busting my moves, singing about how I was on top and wasn’t gonna stop, I felt a tap on my shoulder that caused me to jump and suck in a raggedy breath.

I pushed my foam-covered headphones off my ears and turned to see a tall, ridiculously attractive man in a navy blue suit standing right behind me—in front of me once I rotated my body all the way around. He had rich brown hair with warm golden flecks, flawless skin that was pale enough to make me think he spent too much time under fluorescents, dark brown eyes, and a chiseled chin so sharply defined, it might have been able to cut glass. His brow was furrowed and he was looking down at his watch, which was worn on the same hand that clasped a leather briefcase.

“Hi,” I said, feeling like an anxious rabbit desperate to escape his eventual, and sure-to-be piercing,scrutiny.

Hunk-of-cold-stare looked up from his watch and said, “How long will you be?”

“Oh, um, well, it could take us another three or so hours. We haven’t gotten to all the bathrooms or offices yet.”

He snorted and shook his head as his eyes grew colder and said, “No. How long will you be? In here.

I have work to do and the lovely combination of your loud mouth-breathing and high-pitched wailing about survival isn’t exactly conducive to work.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been around the block. I didn’t grow up surrounded by sunshine and flowers. I’ve been openly insulted before, but never so quickly by someone I’d just…well, just seen,really, because it’s not like we’d exchanged names and actually met each other.

Trying to stay professional (I did need the job, after all), I attempted to come up with a solution. “Oh,sure. Well, I can just go do other stuff and finish up in here later, before we leave. Will you be done working by then?” I looked at the plastic smiley-face watch on my wrist as I asked and saw that it was 8p.m., well past what I would consider normal late working hours for a 9-to-5 business dude.

Apparently, I was wrong.

“No, that’s not going to work. I’ll be here all night. Look, can you just clean in here without singing or talking or…breathing so loudly?” As he said it, he stomped off to his desk and slammed the briefcase down and started unloading piles of papers clipped with those industrial-sized paper clips and brown accordion folders with colored tabbies sticking out the top.

“Sure,” I mumbled, pressing the stop button on my Walkman so I could hear myself breathing and
regulate the volume of the oxygen around my face as it went in and out of my nostrils. We worked that way for a little, me tiptoeing in my Dr. Scholl’s and cleaning around Mr. Mean, him slamming papers around and occasionally grumbling about numbers and reconciling.

Eventually, I reached the last part of my duties, to the one that would bring me closest to him—emptying the wastepaper basket next to his desk. It was full, so I had to empty it. I briefly considered sneaking back in later, maybe when I heard him step out to use the restroom, but I figured that might annoy him even more if he caught me back in here after I was supposedly done, so I decided to just go for it.

I quietly shuffled across his thick carpet and up to his desk. As I reached down to grab the plastic bag lining the basket, he reached down to toss in a folder. When our hands grazed each other for just a tiny moment, there was a loud crack and fizzle. He jumped out of his seat with a startled cry.

“Jesus, you shocked me. You stupid child, you shocked me. Pick up your feet when you walk, for Christ’s sake.” As he spoke, I stared at his mouth and watched as his teeth, his two eyeteeth, grew longer and…sharper.

“You…you’re a…a…vampire?” I couldn’t hold back the shock from my voice. It was part awe, part
excitement and, based on his crappy disposition, part fear.

He looked at me. With an evil glint in his squinted eyes, he started to smile and ran his tongue over his fangs. Then, eyes slowly becoming wider, he…he hissed at me.

And I ran.

I ran straight out of the building, jumped in my car, and drove home to huddle in a corner of my one-room efficiency with a wooden spoon of defense in my hand and visions of Nosferatu’s crazy-assed fingernails in my head.

As you might expect, nothing else happened. No vampires tapped on my window or called me out
into the garden. No one bit me or otherwise terrorized me. If you’ve read about my life in my Vampire Relationship Guides, you might know I like vampires now. Maybe even a little too much.

The only bad thing that happened was that I wasn’t hired to work backup for that cleaning company again. Which is okay, because now, I’ve got my vampire boyfriend’s stinkhole to clean up. And really,isn’t that enough?

Author's Bio

Evelyn Lafont is an author and freelance writer with an addiction to Xanax and a predilection for snark. Her series, The Vampire Relationship Guide follows a clueless human as she sets out to date a vampire. Her books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and her website. For humor in small, portable doses, you can follow her on Facebook.

Giveaway:

Now on to the giveaway! Evelyn has generously offered 2 ebook sets of her series Vampire Relationship Guide, All you have to do is comment and leave your email addy. This is a separate giveaway from the main but all comments from this one will count as extra entries for the big giveaway as well. All giveaways will be ending October 31st.