BLURB:

The Master & the Muses -Harlequin Spice

They are his inspiration.
He is their obsession.

Icon, rebel, unabashed romantic… with a single look painter Thomas Rodin conveys the ecstasy of creativity—the pleasures awaiting the woman who can fuel his artistry.

the Innocent

What did this master artist see in me? Genius abided in his soul, rapture in his flesh—I doubted not. To refuse him…my folly. To surrender…my sensual salvation.

the Upstart

I chafed at the bonds of servitude until he set me free. I turned my back on all that I knew to follow him and found myself between two men—master and student—one whom I loved with my heart...the other with my body.

the Courtesan

I understood, perhaps better than any, his needs.
I stoked the fires of his soul, the spark of his creativity— he made me a legend. But never could I forget his searing touch.…

Three transcendent tales of women bewitched by a master of seduction— a slave as much to his art as to his boundless passion.

The Master and the Muses is a wonderful sexy portrait of an artist who is both passionate for his work and for his second love the women who inspire him. Thomas Rodin is a gifted artist who is some what shunned or looked over by the Royal Academy for his eccentric and sometimes risqué work and lifestyle and his ideals. But Rodin is resolved to show them that entire he deserves his spot among the masters and the stories follow his pursuit of his dream along with three special women who play apart in his work and his life. Each woman is very different and brings something new into Thomas’s life as he ushers them into a world of art and beauty and one of desire and abandon as well.

Amanda McIntyre is a bright new star who is showing with each title that she is a force to be reckoned with in the romance world. Her writing here is realistic, filled with emotion, and had me clinging to every page to see where she would take the characters next. It was a page turner from the very beginning. I could easily picture these stories as having truly happened it reads like an intimate diary of sorts into the characters lives. Those who love a good sexy read will enjoy this one thoroughly! I do look forward to many more of Ms. McIntyre’s novels I will definitely be waiting in the wings for them!:)

I received the Beautiful blogger award from Cherry at Cherry Mischievous , I can't thank her enough for this lovely award! :)

Here are the rules for the Beautiful Blogger award:
1. Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass the award onto 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and think are fantastic.
3. Contact said Blogs and let them know they've won.
4. State 7 things about yourself.

So 7 things about me:

1. I hate mornings I'm more of an afternoon and night person.
2. I spend way to much time on facebook lol.
3. I have three cats that are like my "other" children.
4. I have been drawing and painting since I was a little girl.
5. I can't drink coffee it literally makes me sick. (yes I know I'm weird)
6. I have a very and I do mean very pronounced southern accent lol.
7. My favorite band is Within Temptation.

I am passing the Beautiful Blogger award to:

1. Cecile
2. Leontine
3. Blanche
4. Patti
5. Marissa

And since there are way to many more that I want to give this too I want to do it this way - I want everyone who follows my blog to take this lovely award as my gift to you! You all are the best and are such a blessing to me letting me share my love of romance books with you all! BIG HUGS to you all!!!!!

It is the Dark Ages - in the land of war torn Britannia the Saxon invaders have ravaged the land pillaging, raping, burning, killing, and enslaving those who were left in their wake of destruction. Sierra is one of those life was spared but death would have been much easier than what she now has to face.

The malicious Saxon King Aeglech has spared her life because of her gift of the “sight” that she inherited from her mother (who was forced to serve him before her). He is the one responsible for the murder of her family and for taking away all that was dear to her. Now as if to add insult to injury he has ordered her to be the apprentice to his head Executioner. Sierra is forced to witness, and assist in the heinous tortures inflicted upon the prisoners in Lord Aeglech’s dungeon. Growing up for nine years in this hellish existence Sierra soon looses herself and tries to become detached from the suffering and abominations around her. She finds some comfort in the arms of a young stable boy but the passion that she feels even though it does allow her some stolen moments of escape from her accursed life isn’t love. Sierra wonders if she will ever again feel like a human being and if there is any chance at hope left. But hope sometimes comes when we least expect it and for her it comes in the form of a new Roman prisoner that is brought to the dungeon to be tortured into giving up what information he has. In this strong and honorable man Sierra sees what she has been waiting for a possible glimmer of freedom.

Dryston was part of the Roman army until he and his brother Torin decided to stay in Britannia and build an army from the native people to fight the barbaric Saxons and once again to take back their land from the grips of the murderous invaders. When Dryston is captured by surprise in one of the villages and brought to the dungeons of Aeglech, he knows that he must escape and get word to his brother about the movements and numbers of the Saxons if their plans of attacking and crushing Aeglech’s armies are to succeed. When the sees Sierra he can hardly believe that she is to be his torturer but she tortures him in more ways than one… this passionate young woman offers him an alliance if he will help her escape. Together they devise a plan to get them both out of the clutches of this Saxon hell. But what starts out as just an alliance for survival soon starts to become much more. Could Dryston be her savior in more ways than one could he be the savior of her soul and heart as well?

This is a book that has very complex characters and layers to it and I think you will enjoy each one. Ms. McIntyre has made a strong and yet emotionally fragile heroine in Sierra. Her relationship with Dryston is one that at first was all about survival but quickly became much more. I found this read to be both very intriguing, passionate and very deep. I think she has captured the essence of this violent and dark time in history very well and posed some very good interpretations of how those who lived through them might have felt and how they survived.


Though it is not your typical romance by any means I think that is what makes it so special. Its gritty and passionate uniqueness is one that touches the heart. I loved the complex relationship between Sierra and Dryston to see it evolve from one of dependence on the other to escape and survive then watching it change and soften Sierra and give her back herself that was nothing short of inspiring! (And it made me cry more than once lol) I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I hated to see it come to an end. I can’t wait to read more from Ms. McIntyre, she truly has a unique and powerful voice. And though this was the first book I have read of hers it will definitely not be the last!

Wishin ye all a very Happy St. Patty's Day! :)

May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

Hey everyone ok it's time to announce the lucky winner of the Paula Quinn Giveaway! The winner will receive a signed copy of Ravished by a Highlander!

Thanks Chris! BIG Congrats too you Virginia! Please email me here with your address and I will forward it on to Paula so she can get your book right out to you!

I'm finishing up reading Amanda McIntyre's Tortured and hope to have the review up in the next couple of days. I've been in a reading slump a bit lately even with all the great books I have to jump into. Don't know what's up with me it sure not the books they are awesome I've just been zonked lately and been going to sleep when I usually read. I need some serious caffiene I think I need a Mt. Dew IV LOL.

I also wanted to say thank you to all of you who stopped by commented and became a follower! Have a great one everyone!

JJ: Today we have the wonderful Paula Quinn joining us! Hello Paula! It’s so good to have you with us today!

PQ: Hi Jennifer, it’s so nice to be here. Thanks so much for inviting me :)

JJ: Paula could you please start by tell us a little about yourself?

PQ: Well, let’s see…I’m married to my high school sweetheart. We have three amazing kids and a lot of animals. I’m slightly obsessed with history and anything to do with the past. I’ve always loved writing and reading, though my first love was Science Fiction/Fantasy. Oh yes, and I seem to have a bit of a thing for Kings. You’ll always find them in my books.

JJ: Please tell us about your latest release? It is part of a new series your starting correct?

PQ: Yes, Ravished By A Highlander is book 1 in the Children of the Mist series. It features a hero and a heroine I fell in love with the instant I began telling their story. Rob MacGregor would give his life for the safety of his kin. As firstborn and heir to the Chief of the MacGregors of Skye, his first duty, his loyalty, and his love belongs to Camlochlin alone. But when he rescues the only survivor from a burning Abbey, set aflame by a small Dutch army, her tears break his wary heart and compel him to protect her.

Hello everyone I hope this has been a great week for you all! It's been a long one here my DH has been sick with acute bronchitis and a touch of Pneumonia so I've been trying to take care of him and doing all the things he normally does on top of all my regular wifely motherly and work duties so I'm glad this week is almost done lol! Now I have a very special guest coming Sat. 3/13 - author Paula Quinn will be joining me here for a special interview! She will be talking about her upcoming release Ravished By A Highlander - book one in her new Children of the Mist series! If you haven't tried Paula's novels before and you love a great historical and verra good scottish romance with hunky highlanders and sassie lassies you don't know what your missing! ;)

I wanted to say a big thank you and post the two blog awards I received recently from Anna and Marissa! Thank you both so much for these lovely awards and for thinking of me BIG HUGS! :) You both are awesome gals and have wonderful blogs! If you all haven't visited their places before, I highly recommend that you! :)

Anna from Good Gone Girl gave me this great love your header award! Thanks so much Anna and I love hers as well! So now it's time for me to pass on some love to .........

1. Cecile at All I Want and More

2. Leontine at Leontine's Book Realm

3. Michelle at True Book Addict

The Creativ Blogger Award was given to me by Marissa at Marrisa's Booklair

The rules of this game of Pinocchio are very simple. I’ll have to post seven items about me, only TWO of which are true. The others are “little white lies”. You have to try to figure out which two are true, and leave a comment.

Here we go...

1. My nickname is The Vampire Queen or Vampy

2. I love mornings!

3. I have 5 tattoos.

4. My middle name is Catherine.

5. My husband and I met at a candy factory.

6. I can't stand the smell of Lysol.

7. My favorite food is sushi.

Good luck in finding the truth in all the fibs there...hope I didn't make them to easy lol.

Now I would like to pass this award on too:

Cecile

Leontine

Blanche

and please anyone else that would like to play this one I would love for you to take this award from me and play along! Everyone join in the fun and find out a few new things about those we blog with. :)

Now for the eyecandy I promised hope he is worth the wait... ;)

Coming up very soon here on SRR the interview and Giveaway with Paula Quinn so keep those peepers open for that!

Thank you Jenn and good evening ladies...

The winner of the contest was chosen randomly via the Randomizer at Random.org and the lucky lady who gets to sink her fangs into Kerrelyn Sparks - Forbidden Nights with a Vampire is..*opens envelope*....

Katsrus

Thanks Matthew! BIG Congrats too you hon! Love your avatar too btw! I'm a huge cat lover myself! I know you will love Vanda's story it's awesome!

Now for those of you that didn't win this time around there are more chances to win free books coming up here at SRR soon! As well as more book reviews, and some more surprises so stay tuned! ;)

I also wanted to say thank you to all of you who stopped by commented and became a follower of my blog! Have a great one everyone!

Today we have with us a very special guest the wonderful Kerrelyn Sparks! Hello Kerrelyn! It’s so good to have you join us today!
It is an honor to have you here with us and yes I have to say I’m having a major fan girl moment because your one of my favorite authors! LOL so forgive me a small squee moment here.

JJ: Most of you all (especially the vamp fans) know Kerrelyn’s wonderful vampire series - The Love at Stake series - that started with How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. But just incase for those that aren’t so familiar with the series Kerrelyn could you tell us a little about your vampires and the series so far?

KS: Thank you, Jenn! The Love at Stake series did indeed start with How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. That first book starred vampire Roman Draganesti, the inventor of synthetic blood and Vampire Fusion Cuisine. With each book, the vampire world has expanded with more vamps, mortals and shape shifters. And since I write romance, each book tells a new love story with a different hero and heroine. The seventh book in the series, Forbidden Nights with a Vampire, featured my first werewolf hero who falls for a feisty vampire woman with an anger management problem. He was the perfect guy to teach her how to tame the inner beast.

JJ: Please tell us about your writing and about your latest release?

KS: In March, the eighth book releases, titled The Vampire and the Virgin. The vampire is Robby, one of the kilted Scottish highlanders who work for MacKay Security and Investigation. Robby was captured and tortured by the bad guys in the last book, so now he’s burning for revenge, so much so that his boss considers him unstable. Since he refuses to see a psychologist, he’s forced to take a vacation on a remote Greek isle where he can’t get into any trouble. And there, he finds a beautiful Greek-American girl who is also on vacation and surprise! She’s exactly what Robby is trying to avoid—a psychologist. Can he manage to court her and avoid therapy at the same time? And how will he react when he finds out she’s a virgin?

JJ: Is there anything special you can share with us about Robby and Olivia? I have been waiting for Robbie’s book he’s a special favorite of mine! ;)

KS: Olivia made an interesting heroine because she possesses empathic abilities. She can sense a person’s emotions and can tell if someone is lying. This ability, coupled with her criminal psychology degree, has made her a valuable employee at the FBI. She has always relied on her gift to help her ‘read’ people, but with Robby, her gift doesn’t work (because Robby is undead, but she doesn’t know that). For the first time in her life, she’s going into a relationship blind.
One of the criminals she’s dealt with in the past is obsessed with her because of her unique abilities. He’s a brilliant mastermind (inspired by Hannibal the cannibal), and he’s playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with her. Can she trust Robby (whom she can’t read) to help her survive?

JJ: I really loved Olivia and that she was human but had a special ability of her own tell me do you believe that there are empaths and people with other psychic abilities out there in real life?

KS: I believe in possibilities. So yes, I think there are people with different amounts and/or different kinds of psychic abilities. And I believe our brains are probably capable of doing all sorts of things if we only knew how to tap into it.

JJ: I know we all wish there were really vamps like Robbie out there! ;)

JJ: I wondered as I read through the novel you chose the Greek Island of Patmos for Robbie to go for his rehabilitation leave that’s where he meets Olivia. I found that very interesting as that was the Island that the apostle John in the Bible was a prisoner on and where he had the visions that inspired him to write Revelations. Have you ever been there? Was there a certain reason that you chose that particular place in Greece?

KS: Yes, there was some significance to my choice of Patmos. Robby discovers some revelations about himself, and with Olivia’s help, he finds redemption. Olivia’s last name is Sotiris, which is related to the Greek word for salvation. I have a friend who visited Patmos, and she brought back an icon of Saint John, so it helped me feel a connection to the island.

Message from Pamela announcing winners!

Hi, everyone! Thanks for joining me here yesterday!

And now it's time to pick two winners:

I used a computerized randomizer and picked two names.

XINA and JODER — you each win a signed copy of NAKED EDGE. Please email me your addresses (pamelaclare@earthlink.net), and I'll get the books in the mail.

For those of you who posted yesterday but didn't win, e-mail me your addresses and I'll send you a NAKED EDGE bookmark.

Or hop on over to Borders True Romance, where I'm blogging today, for another chance to win.

I'll be holding contests on my blog, as well.

Thanks again! And Jenn, dear, thank you SO much for hosting this fun event!

Pamela you are more than welcome it was my pleasure having you here! Now for those of you that didn't win as Pamela said Naked Edge hit the shelves officially today so go out and get your copy TODAY you won't be sorry this one is a scorcher!!! And if you missed the interview do go and read it below Pamela shared some amazing information on the I-Team series and Naked Edge that you don't want to miss!!!!!