Bitchin' Blog Posts
: RWA
by SB Sarah | May 19, 2013 | Sunday at 10:52 am | 0 Comments
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Kelly. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Romantic Suspense category.
The summary:
Black Ops, Inc. operative Joe Green is determined to bring to justice the man responsible for former team member Bryan Tompkins’s death. He’s convinced the ambush that killed Bryan was no coincidence, but a setup. Unsure of the consequences of the battle he’s about to start, Joe distances himself from both his Black Ops, Inc. team members and the woman he loves, Bryan’s sister, Stephanie Tompkins. But Stephanie knows there must be some reason Joe broke it off, and when she hears Joe’s charged with a murder in Sierra Leone, she wastes no time in breaking him out of prison. Then they must unravel the mystery behind the ambush, and bring resolution to a long-ago betrayal…
And here is Kelly's review:
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by SB Sarah | May 08, 2013 | Wednesday at 1:00 am | 14 Comments
It's time for the 2013 RITA® Reader Challenge! You ready?
For the past two years, we as a reading community review every single RITA®-nominated book. To coordinate, I set up a public spreadsheet of all the RITA® nominees, and we review every single one by the time the RITA® winners are announced in July. It's crazyfun, and I've had requests for the 2013 challenge - so I hope you're up for reading and reviewing a book! There are PLENTY to choose from.
Here's the deal:
Select a book on the spreadsheet you'd like to read and "claim" it on the Google Doc by writing your name/handle in a box to the right of each title. If someone else has claimed a book you want to read, feel free to grab it as well, up to three names per book. Not everyone has the time to read and write a review, despite their best intentions, so it's good to have backup! I will post multiple reviews of the books as they come in. If you're ready to read, we've created…
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by SB Sarah | August 02, 2012 | Thursday at 9:10 am | 26 Comments
When I'm at RWA, I carry a notebook with me, partly for writing down any excellent things I overhear, and partly to take notes on things I notice, because by the end of the conference, I can't remember my name much less what I heard three hours prior. Or three days prior. So I have a few notes and different pieces of RWA written up, but I want to start with Stephanie Laurens' keynote, which you can read in its entirety on her site.
This speech left me baffled and more than a little disappointed in Laurens. The section that I had to read a few times just to make sure I was understanding it correctly, was this part:
For today, the one point I want you to take from this picture is that the publishing industry is not our business. It's a segment of our business, it's the necessary bit that takes our story from us to our readers, but publishing is merely a transmittal process - think of it as the mechanics of…
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by SB Sarah | July 31, 2012 | Tuesday at 10:26 am | 7 Comments
In this edition of Interviews from RWA, I interview Michelle Beidelspach, Serena* Selina McLemore, and Amy Pierpont from Grand Central/Forever about pitching, interacting with authors, and what not to do to an editor while she's in the bathroom. I talk with Donna Alward, who was a finalist for the RITA this year, as well as Taylor Reynolds, who comments here pretty frequently. Taylor is an aspiring author, veteran and RWA 2012 speaker. She did a panel with other romance-writing military veterans about alternate roles for romance heroes besides Navy SEAL. YOU MEAN NOT EVERYONE IS A NAVY SEAL?! The devil you say! Taylor also came armed with questions for me, so we interviewed each other.
*Please note: all gnome fiction should be sent to Serena McLemore at Grand Central. The actual editor, Selina McLemore, does not wish to acquire gnomes at this time (Sorry about that Selina!)
Here are some of the books we mention in this podcast:
…
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by SB Sarah | July 30, 2012 | Monday at 12:35 am | 10 Comments
So, did we predict the winners of the RITAs this year? Here's the results of our poll:
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by SB Sarah | July 27, 2012 | Friday at 3:34 pm | 5 Comments
This review was written by Elyssa. This story was nominated in the Young Adult Romance category.
The summary:
Gwen Frost is an outsider at Mythos Academy, a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword. Gwen is an outsider both to the students of the Academy and the rest of the world. But when her gift of psychometry - the ability to know an object's history just by touching it reveals dark undercurrents and danger afoot, she has no choice but to get involved.
And here is Elyssa's review:
Okay, I'm cheating a little here. I actually read this book for Smart Bitches Book Club when Sarah chose it last year or so. But I've reread it a bunch of times since then. One of the main reasons I decided to read this book (besides it being a book club pick) was because it took place at a boarding…
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by SB Sarah | July 27, 2012 | Friday at 1:30 am | 5 Comments
This review was written by Hydecat. This story was nominated in the Regency Historical Romance category.
The summary:
Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time…
Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title—while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her—body, heart, and soul…
And here is Hydecat's review:
Heiress in Love is the first book in Brooke’s Ministry of Marriage…
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by SB Sarah | July 27, 2012 | Friday at 1:24 am | 2 Comments
This review was written by Elyssa. This story was nominated in the Contemporary Series Suspense/Adventure Romance category.
The summary:
As chief legal council for Project Justice, widow Raleigh Shinn doesn't seem the type to accept bribes. Still, Griffin Benedict has an anonymous tip that points to her guilt. And if he wants to make the move to national news anchor, he needs a sensational story.
But nothing is as it seems. Including the do-good lawyer. Underneath shapeless suits and oversize glasses hides an exceptional beauty. Now Griffin not only seeks an exclusive, he wants to uncover Raleigh's secrets for himself. When lies turn to attempted murder, they must hunt down the truth togetherto prove her innocence, protect an honest man and save both their lives.
And here is Elyssa's review:
I mainly picked this book to review because of two things. One: the blurb on the back referred…
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by SB Sarah | July 27, 2012 | Friday at 1:20 am | 1 Comments
This review was written by Shevaun. This story was nominated in the Contemporary Series Suspense/Adventure Romance category.
The summary:
As chief legal council for Project Justice, widow Raleigh Shinn doesn't seem the type to accept bribes. Still, Griffin Benedict has an anonymous tip that points to her guilt. And if he wants to make the move to national news anchor, he needs a sensational story.
But nothing is as it seems. Including the do-good lawyer. Underneath shapeless suits and oversize glasses hides an exceptional beauty. Now Griffin not only seeks an exclusive, he wants to uncover Raleigh's secrets for himself. When lies turn to attempted murder, they must hunt down the truth togetherto prove her innocence, protect an honest man and save both their lives.
And here is Shevaun's review:
I knew going in to this that this book was going to be difficult one for me when…
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by SB Sarah | July 27, 2012 | Friday at 1:16 am | 5 Comments
Time to see if your guesses as to which book will win the RITA are accurate. I'm curious if y'all can accurately predict the winners.
Each field is mandatory, so you have to take a guess for each field. Also: there's a default selection because each field is mandatory. If you want to leave the default as your selection, you still have to click and select that book in the dropdown, or the form may throw an error.
I'll be updating with the winners as quickly as I can on RITA night, so stay tuned for the results!
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by SB Sarah | July 26, 2012 | Thursday at 7:40 pm | 0 Comments
This review was written by Renee. This story was nominated in the Contemporary Series Romance category.
The summary:
Nanny Holly O'Mara has formed a close bond with her late cousin's little twins. When their estranged father, rough, rugged Australian cattleman Gray Kidman, arrives to take them home to the outback, Holly senses that he is out of his depth. Holly soon falls for mysterious Gray.
Seeing him light up his children's world makes her spirits leap and even begins to heal her own emotional bruises. Yet something is making Gray push her away….With her help, will he find the courage to love again?
And here is Renee's review:
First of all, let me say writing a review is HARD. I totally have new respect for those of you who do it on the regular.
Okay, if I had to describe this book in one word, the word would be warm.
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by SB Sarah | July 26, 2012 | Thursday at 6:59 pm | 0 Comments
This review was written by April. This story was nominated in the Best First Book category.
The summary:
Mia Wells's eco-friendly career goals are about to become a reality-but her life-altering moment is interrupted when an unexpected call ushers in her tremulous past. A man who's never left Mia's memory: Flynn, the enigmatic, passionate man whose disappearance broke her heart, has mysteriously resurfaced.
Now back in her life and in the hospital, Flynn is gravely injured. Mia keeps a bedside vigil- terrified that he will die, awestruck at the prospect of his survival. In a story filled with sweetness and suspense, Mia's what-ifs are endless. And Flynn's return ignites an achingly powerful tale about the most enduring love, one that is greater than honor, or friendship, or the passing of time.
And here is April's review:
Before I share my thoughts about Beautiful Disaster, I feel like I should probably mention that romance isn’t really my genre of choice. While I do like…
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by SB Sarah | July 26, 2012 | Thursday at 10:30 am | 2 Comments
This review was written by Andrea. This story was nominated in the Best Contemporary Single Title category.
The summary:
Isabella’s drive to Angel’s Bay would have ended in tragedy when her car slid off a cliff if she hadn’t been rescued by Nick Hartley. As he helps her to safety, she realizes he is the man who has haunted her dreams. Nick, however, is committed to reconnecting with his estranged teenage daughter, refusing to respond to his powerful attraction to Isabella.
And Isabella’s police chief brother has his hands full with a missing mother, an abandoned baby, and an unknown father. What is Isabella’s role in the mysteries—both past and present— that swirl around the town?When she starts helping at the Hartley family theater, all the pieces begin to link together. Loves found and lost, heartbreak and happiness, courage and betrayal are all part of the patchwork quilt of the community—and of life. Isabella’s gift is seeing the patterns. . . .
And…
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by SB Sarah | July 26, 2012 | Thursday at 2:05 am | 6 Comments
This review was written by Marguerite. This story was nominated in the Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category.
The summary:
Recovering from an attempt on his life by an FBI traitor, Lily Yu's boss forms a ghost unity that will operate in secret-and outside the law. Lily's conscience won't let her join. Her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, has no such reservations. But when a senator is killed, Lily's decision becomes a matter of life and death-and all the magic in between.
And here is Marguerite's review:
I was excited to read this book. I love Urban Fantasy with romantic elements and most especially, I love me some shapeshifters like I love coffee and chocolate. I’ve never been down with Team Vampire, but give me some werewolves? I’m so there. I’d been meaning to try this series because hello, werewolves? This seemed like the perfect opportunity. Sure, there were some previous novels, but I was game to try. Previous novels. As in, this is book…
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by SB Sarah | July 26, 2012 | Thursday at 12:57 am | 2 Comments
This review was written by Thalia. This story was nominated in the Best Inspirational Romance category.
The summary:
As a social worker, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But when she starts getting harassing phone calls and bizarre "gifts," it seems she may be the one in need of protection. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, her brother Cole comes to her aid, along with his new partner, an ex-Navy SEAL, Detective Mitch Morgan.
As her relentless stalker turns up the heat, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Protecting Alison has become more than just a job—because his own happiness now depends on keeping her safe. Chock full of nail-biting suspense and heart-melting romance, Deadly Pursuit is Irene Hannon's storytelling at its very best. Fans old and new will not want to miss the next story in this series starring siblings fighting for justice.
And here is Thalia's review:
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