Guest Post & Excerpt: Playing the Perfect Boyfriend by Julie Particka

Guest Post from Julie Particka:

The Music of My Soul

Inspiration comes from a lot of places, and as I’ve mentioned pretty much whenever I’m asked, the main inspiration for Playing the Perfect Boyfriend came from conversations with my single friends about the never-ending deluge of well-meaning questions. When are you going to find a nice guy and settle down? When are you going to have kids? They all kind of translate to “When are you going to have the kind of happily ever after I think you should have?”

Newsflash: people hate that.

But while that was the core of the idea—a different kind of happily ever after—it wasn’t enough. And so I started paying attention to which of my friends were the ones who complain about that. Then I took a long, hard look at post-divorce me and realized we had a lot in common.

This particular epiphany happened while I was sitting in my minivan in the Jr. High parking lot, waiting for my kid to get out of school.

It also happened while I was blasting Halestorm.

I discovered the band Halestorm a couple years ago and promptly bought all their CDs I could get my hands on. Listening to their music makes me feel like somehow Lzzy Hale has a direct line into my soul. So that was also the moment I knew I had to work the band into Jade’s book.

It’s not a huge thing in the actual text. I mention a couple song titles (one tongue-in-cheek and the other as a pivotal moment) but the inclusion was less about individual songs for me as it was the attitude that Lzzy brings to her music. It’s raw. It’s revealing. It is unapologetically real.

And that was something I desperately wanted Jade to be. I didn’t want her to be a picture perfect heroine. I wanted her to have faults and failings—major ones—and not to apologize for a single one of them. I knew going in that it would make her a polarizing figure. People were either going to love her or hate her.

And that is okay by me, because it means she’s real in the way that only certain people manage to be. She’s not the girl who everyone thinks is “nice” or who “everyone gets along with.” She’s fiercely loyal, viciously protective, and passionately loving. She’s the kind of person I would happily call friend…and on occasion “bitch.” But that’s okay because she’d call me one right back, and then we’d laugh about it—as best bitches do.

If you’re curious about the band that speaks to my soul (and Jade’s), though, here is a smattering of the Halestorm titles I had on repeat while writing Playing the Perfect Boyfriend (in no particular order—Okay, fine. It’s most-played on my iTunes…):

“You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing”

“Love Bites (So Do I)”

“Nothing to Do with Love”

“I’m Not an Angel”

“Love/Hate Heartbreak”

“What Were You Expecting?”

“Beautiful with You”

“Break In”

“Freak Like Me”

“In Your Room”

“Sick Individual”

“Amen”

“Mayhem”

“Bad Girl’s World”

Guest Post & Giveaway: Chelsea Dorsette

Reading Lark After Dark would like to welcome author, Chelsea Dorsette, to the Dark Nest today. Chelsea is the author of Escape, an erotica anthology. Tevya will be reviewing this title in the future. Also, be sure to check out the giveaway details at the end of this post.

GUEST POST by Chelsea Dorsette 

 Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would write erotica! It literally happened right out of the blue. As I think back, it may have all started last year after reading 50 Shades of Grey by EL James. Reading her book shocked me at first. But as I progressed through her stories I must have become intrigued because the next thing I knew, I was exploring other erotic stories. After reading more than a handful of books by other erotica writers, I found myself getting a bit weary of them because the storylines seemed to be very similar. I was craving more but couldn't find what I was searching for. 

Frosted Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaways

Men of Myth by Wendy Sparrow

 You’d need to be dead and buried to have missed the resurgence of retold and recast myths. And, really, good stories boil down to a hero’s journey and common characters, but we’re starting to see familiar faces. The Greek Gods…Norse Legends…and even the fairy tale characters are getting yanked from their comfort zones and thrown out into the sunshine. 

 I don’t think we’ll ever tire of this trick either—at least I won’t. There is something about seeing a bedtime story all grown up. If the mere mention of a few names doesn't send your pulse racing just a bit and a smirk to your lips, well, stick the tag on your toe, darling, because you’re dead. 

 We’ll try it. Put your hand over your heart to check that heartbeat, and I’ll toss out a few. 

Power: Blog Tour & Character Guest Post!

Tour information can be found here:

http://www.kristiecook.com/2012/08/power-release-tour.html

 SQUEEE!!!!!!  Yes, that undignified, fangirl squee heard the blogosphere over was me, and I AM NOT ASHAMED! My love and devotion to the Soul Saver series is widely known and dearly held, so I'm not going to hog the spotlight, but I would direct you to check out my reviews and other Soul Savers related posts here, here, and here and here and here, on the off chance I haven't personally bugged you to get on this amazing series!!!

Guest Post: Lisa Becker

Reading Lark After Dark would like to welcome author, Lisa Becker, to the Dark Nest today. Lisa is the author of Click: An Online Love Story. 

Online Dating Inspired Click: An Online Love Story By Lisa Becker 

 I first met my husband while wearing my pajamas. Really! No, we weren't at some kinky singles party. I was sitting comfortably in my apartment and he was hanging out in his. But, I will never forget his email introduction via an online dating service, which invited me to check out his profile. It was sweet, endearing and intriguing enough for me to log on to learn more about him. After a week of emails, followed by a week of phone calls, we met for our first date - a traditional dinner and movie outing. Even before I opened the door to greet him, I knew he was "the one." Considering he lived 30 miles away, I'm not certain our paths would have typically crossed. But after 11 years together - including 9 years of marriage (which in Los Angeles is apparently no small feat!) and two beautiful daughters, I have no doubt he is my soul mate.    

Guest Post & Giveaway with Laura Kaye!

Please welcome back to the Nest, author Laura Kaye! 

(My review of the first book in the Vampire Warrior Kings series can be found here and my review of book 2 is directly below this post, here.)

Top Ten Reasons to Fall in Love with Nikolai Vasilyev

Today I’m very excited to be at Reading Lark after Dark to celebrate the release of my dark vampire romance, Seduced by the Vampire King. This book is the second in my Vampire Warrior Kings series from Harlequin Nocturne—definitively not your mother’s Harlequin! *grins* (The first book, In the Service of the King, released in February.) And, since I adore heroes, I thought I’d share the top ten reasons I think you just might fall in love with mine:

SOUL SAVERS TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Ultimate Betrayal with Owen

I am a huge fan of Kristie Cook's Soul Savers series, and I got to ask one of my favorite guys one of the tough questions: What would be the ultimate betrayal? 

 (Since how asking how he feels about dorky brunette book nerds could have gotten awkward. ;)

Owen: *scrubs hand through hair as he thinks* This is a hard one. I don’t exactly sit around thinking about how to betray people. I mean, I know how it is when someone betrays the Amadis and I take that personally, but the ultimate betrayal? I guess that would have to be by someone in power, someone who I trust to have the most devotion to the Amadis, or to me personally, turning out to be a fraud. Yeah. If Rina or Sophia or Alexis – or any of the council members, for that matter – were nothing but a poseur. That would be a huge betrayal. Oh, but wait. Even worse is if they were not only pretending their loyalty to the Amadis but were actually spies for the Daemoni. Working for our ultimate enemy while faking their place with the Amadis – there you go. That would be the ultimate betrayal. If this traitor, whoever he or she is, is part of the council, not even Tristan will be able to hold me back. I don’t know how I’d handle such a betrayal, but it won’t be good. Not for them. I can guarantee Rina that the perp will go down. I don’t care who they are.

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Babette James

Reading Lark After Dark would like to welcome author Babette James to the Dark Nest today.

Thanks so much for letting me visit here today and share a little about my debut novel, Clear As Day, a sweetly scorching contemporary romance about two friends with benefits facing the fears and uncertainties of their changing relationship. I loved writing Clear As Day, it’s been a story of my heart in many ways, so seeing this story published is a dream come true. Receiving the 4 1/2 star scorcher review from Romantic Times and being able to hold my book in my hands have been truly thrilling moments.

I’ve been asked occasionally, why a heroine who is commitment-shy? I didn’t set out to write a commitment-shy heroine, but it was fascinating to see Kay’s story unfold as I wrote Clear As Day.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Theresa Meyers

We would like to welcome author Theresa Meyers to the Dark Nest today.

Enter to win an Advanced Reader Copy of Theresa Meyers' second book in her Legend Chronicles steampunk romance series, THE SLAYER, along with an autographed cover flat and an antique china cup (cups will vary) accompanied by an assortment of teas and decadent Bliss chocolate.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Review of The Slayer coming soon ~ Stay tuned to RLAD!**

Why Rain Makes the Best Writers

By Theresa Meyers


Since I’m here today at It’s Raining Books, I thought it only appropriate to talk about why rain makes the best writers. I live in Washington, so we get plenty of opportunity to test the theory. But if you look at the writer’s groups locally, there’s a plethora of fantastic writers. I blame the rain. Seriously.


When I lived in Arizona, there were days you looked out at the cloudless blue sky in the morning and wished for some kind of cloud or weather disturbance, just to break the monotony. Having spent a good part of my teens in the Pacific Northwest, I had this inexplicable urge to be working outside whenever the sun was out. It’ was like a mandate from Mother Nature, which conversely meant that I didn’t get a whole lot of writing done unless it was pen on paper and I detest writing in long-hand because I can’t keep up with my own story in my head. Now it might have been having two teeny people in diapers and nursing at the same time, but I like to think I could have worked on stories even then.



But when we moved back to the Pacific Northwest after about a decade a wonderful thing happened: rainy days. When it’s raining outside, there is no compulsion to get out of your desk chair, away from your computer and work outside. You know it’s ridiculous so you don’t even try. It’s far more tempting to settle in with a nice hot cup of tea at the keyboard and let the imagination soar.


That’s one reason I think rain makes better writers.

Guest Post: Cheryl Douglas

We'd like to welcome author, Cheryl Douglas, to the Dark Nest today.

Topic: Interview with ‘Fearless’ Heroine, Lexi 

 Author: Cheryl Douglas 

 Series: Nashville Nights 

 Book: Fearless, Book Two 

 Q: You’ve been very successful investing in residential real estate. What can you tell us about your business? 

 I completed my degree and researched the topic exhaustively before I got started. I read everything I could get my hands on, talked to dozens of people, and joined local investment groups, so I really did my homework before I applied for the loan to start the business. Unfortunately, banks were apprehensive, so my brother-in-law, Trey Turner, was kind enough to give me the seed money to get started. Since then it’s grown from a single – unit residential to a portfolio worth several million dollars. 

Guest Post & Giveaway: Amber Kallyn

Reading Lark After Dark is excited to welcome author Amber Kallyn to the Dark Nest today! Amber is the author of the Heart of a Vampire Series, and today we are celebrating Book 1: Bloodstorm.

Amber is giving away a $5 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky winner at this (and every) stop in the blog tour. Just comment below to be entered. Amber will also be giving away a $20 Amazon gift certificate to the wonderful host who has the most comments at the end of her tour. And she will be giving away another $20 Amazon gift certificate to the reader who leaves the most comments on all the blogs she’ll be visiting. (if there is a tie, she will use Random.org to select the winner).


Vamping It Up 
by Amber Kallyn
I remember a few years ago as I delved into my dragon shifters and wrestled with my Angels and Demons, saying flat out I would never write about vampires. I mean, there are so many great books out there already, I didn’t have anything fresh or interesting to bring to the table. 

Flash forward... 

I’m lying in bed trying to sleep (one of the few quiet times I have to do the creative thing) when a new character wakes up in my head. 

Guest Post & Giveaway with Jaye Frances

Please welcome the warm and brilliant author Jaye Frances to the Nest!  She is generously offering up a Kindle version of The Possibilities of Amy 

Please leave a comment below about an unrequited crush for a chance to win!

Thank you, Michelle, for hosting me on Reading Lark today. I really appreciate the opportunity to give your readers a sneak peek at my new romance novella, The Possibilities of Amy.

Guest Post & Giveaway: Allison Pang

We'd like to welcome author Allison Pang to the Dark nest today. Allison is the author of A Sliver of Shadow. She is giving away 10 copies of A Sliver of Shadow tour wide. 
You can enter to win following her guest post.

Jewelry 
I always find jewelry to be horrendously interesting – both on real people, and on characters. Even if the pieces are small or large, plain or extravagant – it can tell us so much about the person. Do they prefer silver, gold, copper, platinum? Precious stones? Semi-precious? Wood? Marble? 


It can seem like a small thing, but even in the paranormal world, these things can be intensely personal, driven by culture and circumstance – or merely decoration. After all – think about werewolf lore – silver is supposed to be a no-no – or iron for the Fae – so it would make sense that said creatures would avoid that particular metal. (Unless he or she is trying to be a bad-ass – in which case, maybe they wear silver hoops in their ears or some such.) 


But jewelry can have sentimental value or magical powers as well, or it can be symbolic (i.e. wedding rings.) 

Guest Post & Giveaway: Sibelle Stone

We'd like to welcome Sibelle Stone to the Dark Nest today. Sibelle is the author of The Mystic Moon Series - Featuring the Glyndwr sisters. Sibelle is giving away a copy of  Beneath a Silver Moon - winner’s choice of format - either a free Ebook or a print copy - and a $10 Starbucks Gift Card open to US Shipping. Enter to win following her guest post.

Fairy (Faery) Lore

Sibelle Stone

My new Mystic Moon series features four sisters who are Elemental Witches. In building my world I used Restoration England as the setting, but I decided that if witches were being tortured, prosecuted and executed,  I’d give some the women a fighting chance. The story question is: what if a woman is accused of using witchcraft, and she actually has magical abilities?

I gave each sister a specific elemental spirit connected with their magic. Each witch controls, well actually works with an element, air (the wind), fire, water and earth. The spirits connected to each element are very specific - Air -sylphs, Fire - salamander, Water -undines and Earth -gnomes.

Guest Post: Laura Bickle

We'd like to welcome author Laura Bickle to the 

Dark Nest today. 

Laura is the author of the Anya Kalinczyk series.

Roots of a Story

by Laura Bickle

Growing a story is a lot like nurturing flowers. It takes a lot of care and patience. For a long while, it seems like nothing is happening. It's a lot of frustration with no immediate reward. Watching, waiting.

And then, one day...something blooms.

For me, a book begins with a kernel of an idea, like a tiny, withered bulb. It doesn't look like much of anything at the idea stage. I scribble the shriveled idea down in a journal, giving it plenty of white space to grow. I check up on it every so often, revisiting it to water with additional thoughts.  A story is very much a "What if ?" question at this point. "What if a fire elemental belonged to an arson investigator?" "What if the descendents of the Oracle of Delphi survived into the modern day?" "What if a criminal profiler secretly used Tarot cards to solve crimes?"

At this stage, the project could grow or go into hibernation. I'm not sure. It's very much like the bulbs I buy every so often from the hardware store. Sometimes, they sprout. Other times, they're musty or moldy. And there is no hope for a moldy idea.

Guest Post:Amanda J. Greene

Please welcome to the Nest, Amanda J. Greene, author of the spine-tingling Caressed by Night!

(M reviews of her books can be found here and here)

            Hello everyone, I am here to discuss why I chose Las Vegas as to be the setting for my current release, Caressed by Night (Rulers of Darkness #2). The answer is simple. I love Las Vegas. Living a few hours drive away, my husband and I go any chance we get.

 

           

Guest Post & Giveaway: Heather Boyd

We'd like to welcome author, Heather Boyd,
to the Dark Nest today.

Hello Reading Lark After Dark! Thanks for having me here today. Movies have always played a big part in my life. When I was young, I learned the keeping of a harem of wives wasn’t exactly the best idea Yul Brenner ever had in the King and I. From An Affair to Remember I learned that people really do stupid things in the name of love. 

 Love conquered all in the end, but what other messages coming out of popular fiction have I taken on. Here’s my list of favourite movie advice: 

 1. I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear's path, and only I will remain. ... courtesy of Dune. (I love sci fi too) 

 2. This is true love... you think this happens every day” ... courtesy of Sweet Wesley in the Princess Bride. 

Guest Post: Theresa Meyers

We'd like to welcome author Theresa Meyers
to the Dark Nest today.

Leap Year! Ten things you could be doing with an extra day

By Theresa Meyers

author of The Half-Breed Vampire
(Book 3 in the Sons of Midnight miniseries)

One of the things I like best about leap year is we get a whole day extra! Okay, I realize that it’s actually comprised of bits of days we’ve saved up over the last four years, which is not the point. The point is when they all come together into one glorious extra day you need to take advantage of it! So in that spirit, here’s a top ten list of things you could be doing with a whole extra day if you were a vampire.

10. Visit somewhere new.

You’re always waiting for someday to visit either the zoo, or museum or some little shop you’ve spied buy never gone into. Perhaps there’s a little bookstore calling your name. Go indulge on your one extra day in 2012 and see what you uncover. It may turn out to be a new favorite haunt of yours.

9. Read a good book.

You know you’ve been wanting to. We have these to-be-read piles that just keep growing. This is the perfect day to knock one of them down to size.

8. Plant something beautiful.

Spring is just around the corner, but of course if you’d rather believe that rodent that came out at the beginning of the month and crawl back into your cave for eight more weeks of Winter, that’s your prerogative. As for me, I prefer to look forward. I love spring! What better way to celebrate it than by planting some bare-root little thing that will grow into a beautiful tree or blooming plant in the months ahead?

Guest Post: Coral Moore

We'd like to welcome author, Coral Moore, to the Dark Nest today. 

What’s a Fenrir, Anyway? by Coral Moore


 I’ve long been fascinated with Norse mythology. I prefer the northern myths to most other flavors because their gods and goddess seem more complicated and more flawed. You’re just as likely to find the Norse pantheon arguing over dinner as imposing their will on hapless mortals. In fact, in contrast to their Greek and Roman cousins, the Norse gods are more concerned with their own business on a day-to-day basis than whatever their subjects are up to. 


 Most of the activity of the old northern gods was focused on preventing the coming of Ragnarok, the Norse version of doomsday. Well, except for one fellow named Loki. He doesn’t want Ragnarok to happen, exactly; it’s just that he really doesn’t care one way or another, and in general he just likes causing mischief. You may be wondering what all that has to do with my subject. Simple, Loki is the father of the beast Fenrir. The trickster had a penchant for fathering—and actually giving birth to in at least once instance—troublesome offspring via his over- active libido. 

Guest Post: Veronica Scott

We'd like to welcome author Veronica Scott to the Dark Nest today. 

It’s a pleasure to be here today as a guest!

Here’s what my paranormal romance is about:

Egypt, 1500 BC
Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.


Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.


Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?