Sunday, March 31, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I don't think much as changed this week.  I'm not reading as much as I should or want to.  I finished Secret Desire but the rest is as it was last week.  Hope you are all doing better than I am.



I finished reading...






I'm currently reading...






Next up...







What was your week like? What are you reading this week?

Blog Hop: Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton (Book Giveaway!)




We are participating in another great blog hop book giveaway sponsored by Random House Publishing. Enter and then visit the other blogs on the hop! Enjoy!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013 Romance Reading Challenge - Completed!




Yay! I finished a reading challenge! This one is hosted each year by Naida at The Bookworm. Thank you, Naida! It's always fun and one of the few challenges I actually complete.

Here's what I read for this challenge...

1. One Snowy Night Before Christmas by Pamela Fryer (Click here to read my review.)

2. Dangerous Relations by Marilyn Levinson (Click here to read my review.)

3. Dead Running/Dying to Run by Cami Checketts (Click here to read my review.)

4. Million Dollar Mistake by Meg Lacey (Click here to read my review.)

5. Secret Desire by Susan D. Taylor (Click here to read my review.)

Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Sunday Post - March 31st


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.


Happy Easter!!!

It's been a busy week for me at work, so I haven't done as much as I would have liked this week.  However, I did manage to finish the Romance Reading Challenge.  I feel like I accomplished something. 

So, here's what's going on at Socrates' Book Review Blog...



Blog Tours/Spotlights/Reviews I Hosted 



Secret Desire by Susan D. Taylor  (Review and Guest Blog)




Posts This Week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
  
Thursday


Friday



Blog Tours/Hops Coming Up Next Week


3/31 Blog Hop Giveaway (Thanks to Random House)


4/1 (Guest Post and Spotlight)


4/2 (Spotlight and Giveaway)


4/4 (Review and Guest Post)


4/5 (Cover Reveal Promo)





What was your week like?

Blog Tour: Secret Desire by Susan D. Taylor (Guest Blog and Review)





About the Book

The problem with twins is that they look so much alike…

By day, Claire Robertson is a staff writer for a small publication in Seattle. But when the lights go down, she writes sizzling and oh-so-naughty erotica. She keeps these stories safely tucked away, hiding her secret fantasies of her hero, Dustin Murray. The man who stole her heart six years ago. And then jumped into bed with her twin sister.

Dustin never forgot Claire, or her twin sister’s lies that tricked him into sleeping with her. Nor has he forgotten that her sister’s threats have kept him silent for six years and cost him the woman he loved. Now that Claire’s returned home, Dustin isn’t about to lose her again. But it’ll be another thing to convince Claire he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to win her back.

When Claire accidentally sends the wrong story to her editor, things really heat up. With hot the new black in publishing, her editor thinks he’s struck gold and queues the story for publication. The last thing Claire needs is for everyone to learn that she’s got secrets of her own…


My Thoughts

As soon as I saw the description of this book, I knew I had to read it.  I love the idea of the quiet heroine leading a secret life as a writer...a writer of erotica, no less. The heroine went through so many emotions in this book from sadness,  the stress at work, seeing an old lover and dealing with a heartless twin sister.  

Claire is a heroine I could both identify with and understand.  I felt her emotions as I read through this book.  Her former lover, Dustin, is also a character I easily found myself caring about.  They made a wonderful couple to root for.

The story itself was fast-paced and very romantic.  As the cover hints at, this is a hot book with many sizzling, red hot love scenes.  
 


FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.



For reading challenges:
2013 ARC Reading Challenge
2013 E-Book Reading Challenge
2013 Romance Reading Challenge
Where are you reading? challenge (North Carolina)




Excerpt
The man’s gaze fell to her legs still carelessly strewn across her desk. Her heart thundered in her ears. Warmth from his sharp exhale caressed the skin at her ankles.

She bit her lip and decided—no regrets for trying “And?” She returned his mocking raised-brow expression in an eye-for-an-eye stare down.

“I’m Thornton Maxwell…your attorney.” He turned away, but not before she caught his look of displeasure. “God. Woman, do you even know what a mess you’ve got on your hands? We need to talk. A real pressure cooker is about blow.”

Cynthia froze. This wasn’t part of her erotic fantasy. What was he talking about? Should she just come out and admit she had no idea of what was going on or get him to divulge what demanded damage control?

She pretended unconcerned boredom in an attempt to buy some time to think. “Someone’s got his panties in a real twist.”

This wasn’t the first time she’d needed legal. But if he was her new go-to man, she was tempted to screw more things up.
This was a conundrum. He was too damn good-looking. This type of man didn’t appreciate a dumbbell. Did he know how hard she worked or that sometimes contracts needed to be bent? “Explored” is what she liked to call it. Wasn’t that why McGavock Publishing hired a boatload of first-year attorneys anyway? Shoot, he was probably upset because his weekend golf game was about to be rained out.

He paced in front of her desk while raking fingers through his thick, dark hair. Cynthia noticed the way he flexed and moved his arms, his muscles pumping and expanding. He stopped, spun around, and marched back to her desk.
“Lewis, when you cross out clauses and write your own notes into a publishing contract, we don’t have a legal leg to stand on in court when an issue is disputed. The things you’ve included to get an author to sign without consulting legal is tying us in knots. The next time you promise a writer the moon, you better consult me first and NASA second. Not whatever pops into that pretty little head of yours. You need my help with this lawsuit, and I expect your cooperation. You might as well know now that’s going to mean during office hours as well as evenings and weekends.”

His finger was pointed directly in front of her face. She imagined sucking the tip until her sex-crazed brain finally grasped his message.
What? She was floored. Her stomach felt punched, the fist of surprise still lodged in her ribcage. Her mind reeled. It wasn’t possible. She was being threatened with a lawsuit for a couple of silly additions to a contract, and now this man expected her to drop everything. Was he joking? Slowly she inhaled.

“I’m innocent.” She stared back at him. “Sure, I’m not beyond bending the rules, but a lawsuit? No, that’s not possible; it’s impossible. You’ve got to help me.”

“We definitely need a sit-down. Not your usual brush-off and expectation for legal to jump through a hoop. This one is serious.” His gaze swept over her face and downward. The space between them crackled with static energy. He was more than steamed. But he was ready to step in and help her. A spasm of pleasure trilled in her veins. He was her knight in shining armor. She wasn’t the enemy. Not his at least. With all that pent-up fury of his, it was a shame to let it go to waste. He was handsome beyond belief…another time, over cocktails or at a party, she’d not think twice about what her body wanted. His dark eyes weren’t all anger…passion brewed there, pulling the cords to her attraction, making her skin tingle. Oh, my. He wanted to school her good. But maybe she could teach him a thing.

“Thor…Thornton, sit down.” She recouped her confidence. He was in her dominion. The door was closed. Her assistant always knocked before entering. The glass panels were mirrored. He was so near…all she had to do was reach out to him.

She met his bad-boy stare with excitement screaming in her ears.

“Please.” She was almost purring, beseeching him over the rim of her eyeglasses.
“Fine, I’m all ears.” He pulled up a chair closer to her desk. “Well?”

She studied him. If the man ever smiled, he’d be drop-dead gorgeous. She let the papers slip out of her fingers, and she pushed her glasses up on top of her head. Cynthia rubbed her ankles together, and his eyes fixed onto legs.

Ding, ding. Johnny, she had a winner.

She lifted her legs and stood, acting as if arranging her papers was vital. She felt, rather than saw, that his gaze was upon her.

“Client-attorney privilege?” She rounded the desk, trailing her fingers along the surface.
“Yes, whatever you share. Go on.”

“Where shall I begin?” She stopped and leaned back on her desk, directly in front of him. Eighteen inches of space separated them.

“Haven’t you ever longed for something to the point of breaking a few rules? Just once?”

He held his spine erect. He gripped the armrests. She noticed the fine hairs on his fingers, but no ring. She placed the toe of her shoe on the corner of his chair, her ankle only an inch away from his grasp. Her silk skirt lifted, sliding up her thighs, and his gaze shot to the revealed set of black lace Agent Provocateur garters.
She licked her lips and unbuttoned a pearl button. He flared his nostrils ever so slightly. He stared at her fingers. She undid another button. He became a statue. A rather alluring, attentive one. She continued unbuttoning the rest of buttons. She didn’t open her shirt, hoping he’d notice her breasts were unhampered by a bra. The only sound in the room was their breathing.

“Don’t stop now.”

She opened her shirt, revealing ample cleavage. Her nipples hardened at the thought of his mouth teasing her skin.

She rubbed her leg against his thumb. He touched her ankle, lightly at first, before running his fingers up the back of her calf. She pushed her hips forward, her skirt lifted further up and over her thighs.

He made a low, primal sound, melting a reserve within her.
“Do you like what you see?”

Their eyes locked and she smiled. She traced a finger along the bottom of her lip. She stuck just the tip into her mouth and sucked, playfully removing any doubt of where this was going.

“Hmm,” she whispered. “What do you want?”
He closed his eyes and moved his hand over her knee. She went beyond merely teasing him to wanting to feel him deep inside her body.
 




Guest Blog:  Character Interview: Claire Robertson

1. How did you go from journalism to writing erotica?

I always wrote love stories but that’s not what I majored in at Berkeley. Escaping from Mill Spring, I wanted to go as far as possible away. I also wanted to make my parents proud of me. Fran was at Columbia in the MBA program. My love stories were a way to deal with the pain of Dustin and Fran back in high school. See, Dustin and I were getting really close. It was right after we’d made out, really connected. Then the next day, Fran tells me to lay off him. Bam. She says he’s her boyfriend. He refused to talk about it. Just said it happened. The stories evolved over time. The more I kept thinking about Dustin, the hotter the plot.

2. Why do you like sexy shoes?

 I’ve always loved girlie shoes but typically they stayed in the box. It’s a process to wear some of them. A ritual of a pedicure, a long bath, and getting ready. When I put them on I feel sexy. Dustin loves to see me whip out a bottle of fingernail polish. He knows what’s coming! LOL.

3. How did you become involved with your boss? 

It was a total mistake before I left Seattle! At Ethos, the staff went out on Friday after work and I’d had a few drinks. Mike, my editor, began flirting with me. He was handsome and funny, and one thing led to another. It just happened. Once. And then I found out he played the field. So never again. It was the final stake that nailed the coffin in my journalism career. Really, that mistake made me painfully aware of how my whole life was off-balance.

4. What was it like growing up with Fran? 

Uhh, Fran has always been intense. She needs a lot of attention and like a two-headed coin. If she’s center stage she can be very charismatic. Run for the hills if she thinks, someone is stealing her thunder. She’s vicious. But she’s my sister and I love her, faults and all.

5. Why is Dustin a great lover?

Oh my. Dustin’s totally masculine but so sweet and caring. He’s a big teddy bear. I love the way he enfolds me in his arms, yet doesn’t smother who I am. And he loves to listen to my stories, especially the hot scenes which he likes to act out. Ironic considering I wrote them with him in mind.

6. Are you guys getting married or what? 

Right now, it’s one day at a time. I think that’s the road we’re heading down. But I want to enjoy being in love with him as I always imagined. It’s a dream come true.

7. Short Answers: Claire’s favorites

Season: Summer
Drink: Starbucks coffee: Morning Joe
Ride: Horse
Position: On top of Dustin
Scent: Peppermint
Sound: Laughter
Curse Word: Shit



About the Author



"I love the concept of falling in love. The type of romantic journey that is so intense, it's borders on insanity."--Susan D. Taylor

After growing up in Miami, she moved to Nashville where she taught biology and special education. No longer a public school teacher, Susan now writes about consuming passion, how attraction plays out, and characters that are either going to incinerate or meld like warm caramel.

Susan lives with her husband, two blue heelers, two cats, a gecko and a snake. An RYT 200 (Yoga Alliance) practicing in vinyasa flow when she's not writing her next hot romance.




Book Giveaway Winner!




The winner of The Big Kitty by Claire Donally is

Entry #112 Bridget A
  Congrats to Bridget!  

Thanks to all who participated!

Friday, March 29, 2013

The Friday 56



This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.

I'm reading...


From 56% on my Kindle...

He shook his head, wondering what good the gods were if they barked at him but not a stranger. Before racing out the door, he petted each of them on the head. "Gotta go, girls." As he walked to the car he pondered the psychology of praising them for stealing his shoes and then bringing them back.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Cat Thursday - March 28th



Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.



From:  LOL Cats

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Book Giveaway Winners!






The winners of an autographed copy of Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs are ...

Entry #193 Rachelle L
Entry #107 Christina M




The winners of an autographed copy of Stake & Eggs by Laura Childs are ...

Entry #41 Ana K
Entry #167 Jill O.


Congrats to all the winners!  

Thanks to all who participated!

Wordless Wednesday - Cancun - Wish I Were There









For more Wordless Wednesday if you click here.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Book Giveaway Winners








The winner of the 2013 Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop is...

Entry #144 Lisa V

 

Congrats to Lisa!  

Thanks to all who participated!

Teaser Tuesdays - March 26th




If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week I'm reading...



There would be birth certificate issues and people to pay off...but that could be arranged. The bigger problem was getting Maria to accept the baby and then making sure no one ever told the truth.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Another week has gone by...it seems like the weeks are racing by us.  I hope you all have a good week!



I finished reading...






I'm currently reading...






Next up...







What was your week like? What are you reading this week?

The Sunday Post - March 24th


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.


Happy Spring!!!

It really doesn't feel like Spring yet, but we're getting there.  We had a couple of days of weird misty type of snow, but since it didn't stick, I didn't care :)  I've been pretty busy with my outside job as well as blog stuff.  So, here's what's going on at Socrates' Book Review Blog...



Blog Tours/Spotlights/Reviews I Hosted 



Head Case by Jennifer Oko  (Review and Interview)

A Whisper In The Jungle by Robert Mwangi (Spotlight and Interview)

Million Dollar Mistake by Meg Lacey (Tour and Review)

Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb (Review)

The Big Kitty by Claire Donally (Review and Giveaway)

 Book Giveaways



Posts This Week

Monday


Tuesday

Thursday


Friday



Blog Tours Coming Up Next Week
3/27 (Spotlight)



3/30 (Spotlight and Review)



What was your week like?

Saturday, March 23, 2013

The Big Kitty by Claire Donally (Review and Giveaway!)

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
Paperback

Publisher:
Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Release Date:
May 2012




After taking a leave of absence to care for her ill father, Sunny Coolidge loses her well paying newspaper job in New York City and returns to her home town of Kittery Harbor, Maine. She moves in with her father and is stuck in a low paying job which doesn’t even cover her expenses – not to mention her unreasonable and demanding boss.

When Ada Spruance, also known as the “Cat Lady”, asks Sunny to help locate a missing winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees to help. When Sunny pays Ada a visit, she finds the woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Originally called an accident, Sunny realizes it has to be murder.

One of Ada’s cats takes a liking to Sunny and decides to live with her and her father. Sunny’s father isn’t happy with the new living arrangements, but tolerates it. Shadow manages to work his way into Sunny’s heart.

With the help of a local detective, Will Price, Sunny does some investigating and gets a bit too close to the truth. She realizes Shadow may have witnessed the murder and now her own life is in jeopardy.

This is a fun story and the beginning of a brand new cozy mysteries series – starring a cat! You know a cozy mystery with a cat in the lead role is going to be a favorite of mine. Parts of the book are told from the cat’s point of view (no, he doesn’t speak to the humans, but we do get an insight as to what he’s thinking). The cat’s viewpoint sounds exactly the way I would expect a cat to think. The author obviously knows cats.

The story moved along at a quick pace and the ending was a big surprise to me. I loved the characters and really enjoyed the side romance of Sunny and Will. I can’t wait to read the second book of this series which is out in May.

You know I’m giving this one five kitties!

FTC Disclosure: The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.



For reading challenges:
A-Z Reading Challenge 2013
2013 ARC Reading Challenge
Where are you reading? challenge (Maine)
What an Animal Reading Challenge
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!! 

Now you can win a paperback copy of this book for your very own.  Thanks to Berkley, I have one copy to giveaway.  

Here are the rules...


To enter fill out the form below and follow these simple rules:

1) The contest runs from midnight (est), March 23rd to midnight (est) on March 30th.

2) Entrants must leave a valid email address to enter the giveaway.

3) US residents only!

4) For an extra entry - follow this blog either through GFC or subscribe through email. Yes, longtime followers count, just tell me how you follow.

5) For an extra entry - follow this blog on Twitter.

6) For an extra entry - befriend me on Goodreads.

7) For an extra 2 entries blog about this contest on your blog.

8) For an extra 2 entries, check out the post for this book at my Socrates' Cozy Cafe blog and comment on it.

9) For an extra 2 entries, tweet about this giveaway.


I will notify the winner once one is chosen by Rafflecopter. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their book or a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway