Meet the Book Blogger: Adria

**Update 12/31/12: A Breath of Life is now 

Adria's Romance Reviews


Welcome to Adria, from A Breath of Life 

Adria is a sweetheart I met through Danielle at The Book Whore Blog and I was thrilled when she agreed to answer some of my questions. Without further ado...

When and how did you get started with book blogging?
I haven't been blogging for long, only a few months. I love reading romance novels, I love talking about them and I love writing reviews and I don't know why it never occurred to me to start a book blog until recently.

What can readers expect from your reviews?
My honest opinion of course. I always like to talk about things that I want to know whenever I read a review. Is the plot strong? Is the hero too overbearing? Is the heroine weak? If I like a certain author's books will I like this one? I try and give readers the most information about the book without revealing anything that can't be found on the book blurb.

What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review?
Romance. Plain and simple. I love historical, paranormal, contemporary and I'm starting to enjoy erotic romance after being afraid of it for so long. The one thing I don't enjoy is hardcore BDSM or anything like that. Other than that, I'm game to try anything in the romance genre.

Adventure is always a good thing. *grin*

What was your most exciting ‘fan-girl’ moment with an author?
I've had several. The most recent one is when I participated in a chat on GoodReads with Tessa Dare a few hours before her latest book was to be released and she actually remembered me from Twitter! She's one of my favorite authors ever and she remembered little ole me from a few exchanges on Twitter.

Very cool! 

Where is your favorite place to read?
The thing about me is I can read anywhere no one knows me. It can be in the doctor's office, in a car (that's not moving), in the mall, as long as no one knows me and tries to talk to me I can read anywhere.

Yep *raises hand* (though I can read in moving cars)

Paper books or ebooks— and why?
Ebooks and only because I literally have no where to keep them and I don't fancy the idea of carting 5 or 6 with me when I go out just on the off chance I might get a chance to read. With ebooks, I can have hundreds at my disposal without the burden of carrying them or trying to find a place to store them all. I do however, still enjoy a bound copy, especially if it's signed by the author!

Is your significant other/family supportive of your book addiction?
Absolutely. Since it's just my mother and me and she's the one who started my book addiction when I was 5, she's all for it.

My mom was/is very supportive of my reading, too. Yay for moms!!

What is your beverage of choice while reading?
I know a lot of Hispanics might know this one but it's Manzanita Sol, an apple flavored soft drink made by Pepsi. It's so good, not too sweet and not too fizzy.

I've never heard of that. Is it available everywhere?

Do you have a pet who loves to snuggle with you when you read? 
Yes. I am a huge animal lover with 4 cats and 2 dogs. The only one who snuggles with me is my pit mix Paris (aka "Mr. Pud"). He's a terror around the house, grabbing things and making them into his toys but as far as snugglers go, he's one of the best I've ever had.

Adria and Paris, aka "Mr. Pud"

Sassy and sweet. He looks like he's grinning. So cute! 

What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?
Hands down a weak female character. I can't stand a whimpering, whining, dumb female character that sits around and waits for a man to tell her what to do or to come and save her. Female characters who can't carry their own weight in a story or who make the story drag are just a huge turn off for me. That is something I have never been able to overlook in any book.

(Taking notes.)

What makes you a fan for life?
Strong characters, both male and female, humor, character chemistry, steamy scenes and a little bit of mystery or danger doesn't hurt either. Also, an author who interacts with his/her fans as often as life permits is someone I'm more likely to become a fan of. It just shows good character when they take the time to hang with their fans.

Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?
Yes. Whenever there's a new book by a favorite author that is being released at midnight I will buy it exactly at midnight for my e-reader and stay up all night reading it. Then I pay for it the next day when I can't keep my eyes open. The last one that I did that for was A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare.

What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?
The most challenging is definitely writing individual reviews for books. I never want to feel like I'm repeating myself in reviews so I always keep a thesaurus nearby.

For writing in general, a thesaurus is my best friend!

Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?
Of course! Who doesn't, especially if they're one of your favorites? I love having authors follow me, either my blog or on Twitter and I would love to have some of my favorites post on my blog someday.

Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?
Only 5? That's really tough. Okay here it goes (in no particular order): Tessa Dare, Joan Swan, Stacey Joy Netzel, Laurann Dohner and Lydia Dare. I really had to narrow it down because there are 12 authors on my "A Matter of Life or Death" list.

Thank you so much for including me in that list! (Didn't I mention she is a sweetheart?) And I have to laugh--"Only 5?" is a common response from the bloggers I've interviewed so far.

How much is too much for an ebook?
I don't think that ebooks should cost as much as a bound copy, it just makes no sense to me, so anything over $6 for an ebook is sorely pushing it for me.

Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?
I'm afraid to do an exact count but I estimate about 50 books give or take 20.

Sounds a bit like mine, but like you, I'm afraid to count...

Thank you so much for taking time to spend with us Adria!

 Readers, you can find Adria here:

Breath of LifeReviews (Blog)

Twitter: @adria_r

Facebook (asAdriana Reyes)

GoodReads 

Now, anything more you'd like to know? Adria will be visiting to answer questions you have for her!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Thank you, Kristine Cayne for tagging me for The Next Big Thing. I just started her romantic suspense DEADLY OBSESSION and love it so far!

The Next Big Thing originated on the She Writes site, as far as we could work out, and is designed to raise awareness of our work, or work in progress. We do that by answering ten questions about it. We graciously thank the person who nominated us, and tag five other authors whose work could well be that NEXT BIG THING.

Kristine had a great post last week all about her HOT firefighter series, Six-Alarm Sexy, and the first book in the series specifically, Under His Command. Now it's my turn to answer some questions about my upcoming work in progress.


What is the title of your next book?
     Next book to be published: Hold On To Me, book 8, Welcome to Redemption Series written with Donna Marie Rogers.
     Next book to write: Run to Rome, book 2 of my Italy series.

Italian countryside southeast of Milan

Where did the idea [for Run to Rome] come from for the book? Readers meet Ben and Evalina in the first book, Lost In Italy. I really wanted to give these two a happily ever after at the end of LII, but they both have so much more to work through before they earn that. The idea for their story came when my brother called me at about 3am Italy time, his flight was cancelled out of Milan due to the volcano in Iceland erupting (remember that??) and he was racing through the night to catch a plane out of Rome at about 8am before they shut down that airport as well. Along the way he encountered a huge traffic jam because of a large fire along the autostrada, so he was navigating all the back roads. Unforeseen events the characters have no control over creates great conflict when they have a time constraint, so I plan to make things really difficult for Ben.

Storm clouds over Rome

What genre does your book fall under? Romantic suspense/action adventure.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Ben would be played by sexy Jensen Ackles; walk-on-the-wild-side cocky confidence on the outside hides the boy looking for approval, acceptance, and a place to put down some permanent roots. Elisabetta Canalis would make a perfect Evalina; sexy, tough undercover cop persona masks a vulnerable, lonely side - she's terrified of opening her heart after having lost everyone she's ever loved.

 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? It's not written yet, but Lost in Italy took me a year. I'm hoping to knock out Run to Rome in less than 6 months.

Crumbling old fortress, scheduled for renovation

Who or What inspired you to write this book? Lost In Italy was inspired by a real-life event, and while writing that book, I fell in love with Halli's brother Ben and the fiesty, emotionally-wounded Evalina.  

What else about your book might pique the reader interest? In the fall of 2011 my brother took me along on his business trip to Italy and during one of our free weekends, we drove the general route Ben and Evalina will take from Milan to Rome.  The pictures through the blog today are ones I took for inspiration, and I will use them while writing the book to add authentic flavors of Italy, as well as adding some local stories told to me by my brother's friend, Emilio.

Palazzo Pfanner gardens

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? This is a very rough draft since as you just read, the book is not written yet. 

Charged with delivering the goods to rescue his mother, Ben Sanders must reach Rome before his pursuers catch him and without losing his heart to the sexy Italian undercover cop who left him after one incredible night of passion nine months earlier.

Mediterranean coast

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self published. I'm enjoying my full-time writing career and doing fairly well on my own, so I'll stick with this business model for now.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? This is such a hard question since I don't get to read as much as I used to. So instead of comparing it to some books that have blurbs that sound like what I plan mine to sound like, I'll say that Run to Rome will be just like Lost in Italy. It'll have plenty of heart-pounding suspense along with a healthy dose of adventure, a sexy romance, and the occasional light-hearted moment before the dramatic climax and heart-warming ending. Going the movie route, I'd compare my Italy series to Sahara or the Indiana Jones movies...with a lot more romance.

To get an idea of what Run to Rome will be like, my best suggestion is to check out:

Amazon Kindle

Now it's time to pass the torch to 5 more deserving authors so they can tell you about their amazing work. Their posts (which will have the same title: The Next Big Thing Blog Hop) will be live on or around November 28. Here they are:

Lily Silver

CC MacKenzie

Val Clarizio

Jill James

Tamara West

Thank you for joining me on The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. I hope you'll visit my nominees next week when they post their answers to the ten questions.

~ Stacey 

Have a great week!

There will be a lot going on this week on my blog, so before all the posts begin, I'd like to say to all of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you get the chance to spend some time with those you love most and give thanks for what you have.

I don't have big plans for a huge Thanksgiving feast this holiday, but am looking forward to a nice, quiet night spent with my hubby and kids. Nice dinner, maybe a game or a movie.

If you're not celebrating the US holiday, I still wish you a wonderful week and hope you take some time to appreciate the blessings in your life.

This year I give special thanks for my family, our health, the fact that I've been able to live the dream and write full-time, my friends, and my readers.

I'd love for you to share what you're thankful for. The more positive vibes in our universe the better!

Stacey Joy Netzel

Veteran's Day

(If you're looking for the Autumn Harvest Blog Hop post, click HERE)

To all the men and women in the

United States Armed Forces,

past and present, 

who have fought for and protected our freedom,

and are currently serving our country,

THANK YOU!

Wayne, Dad, Don, Grandpa John, Uncle Larry, Uncle Jack, Uncle Rich, Uncle Art, Uncle Ron, Scott, Sam, Brandon

Autumn Harvest Blog Hop - Win Prizes!

Welcome to my Hop Stop in the Autumn Harvest Blog Hop!

To me, Autumn is...

A wonderful fall vacation in the Colorado Rockies.

My kids carving pumpkins

Having fun in the leaves

Autumn is my favorite time of year. Crisp apples. Pumpkin pie. I like wearing jeans and a sweatshirt while being outside. I love the smell of wood smoke in the air from our outdoor wood burner and the crunch of dry leaves underfoot. I even enjoy the rainy, gloomy days - as long as I'm tucked away in my warm house with a steaming mug of tea.

I've set a few of my books in the Fall of the year. Most recently is my story in the TALES FROM THE MIST Anthology.

BENEATH STILL WATERS (Part One)

An old legend tells of a beautiful witch unjustly persecuted who became a ghost bent on revenge.

The danger lies in not believing.

On a sorority camping trip in the Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park, Becca scoffs at the story of the Ghost of Still Waters, despite the convictions of her fellow campers, Liz and Shane. When Liz challenges her to summon the witch’s spirit, will Ali’s disbelief seal her fate?

EXCERPT:

“Back in the eighteen hundreds, there was a young witch who lived in these mountains. In fact...” Ted paused and looked around. “What remains of her cabin isn’t too far from here.”

Megan gave a little moan, as if the long-dead woman would suddenly appear right behind her.

“The townspeople were all scared of her, but since she kept to herself mostly, they left her alone. Then one day—”

“Does this witch have a name? And why were they scared of her?” Becca fired off the questions as Megan glanced uneasily over Johnny’s shoulder.

“Shh,” Liz said with annoyance.

“The legend warns against speaking her name.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Shane added.

“Why not?” The fearful question came from Megan.

“She practiced black magic,” Ted explained. “They say if you speak her name it could awaken her spirit.”

The fire popped, throwing a shower of sparks skyward. Becca noticed Megan and Liz both jerk in reaction, as if the witch had sent a sign.

She didn’t believe there was an ounce of truth to the story. “You guys probably don’t even know it.”

Ted met her gaze with a solemn nod.

“Are you chicken?” she challenged him and Shane. Now she was starting to have fun.

“Some things are better left unspoken,” Shane warned.

“Just tell us.”

Despite Liz’s urging, Ted hesitated. Becca guessed it was part of their presentation.

“Her name is ... ”

“Don’t say it,” Shane breathed, closing his eyes. “Please don’t say—”

“Alianna.”

A burst of rustling leaves preceded a loud clatter in the forest behind them. 

Get your copy of TALES FROM THE MIST 

Amazon, Amazon UK, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW, Goodreads

~*~

RISING ABOVE (Still Waters Part Two) is also available:

Amazon, BN, ARe, SW

Imagine you’ve lived before, but don’t remember or believe it’s even possible. Therein lies the danger. For in not believing and learning from your pasts, the power shifts to the one who would see you dead. Again.

Ryan James never gave much thought to ghosts or the idea of reincarnation—until the appearance of the beautiful Ali Whitman triggers terrifying visions that feel like real life. As he pieces together their past lives, he discovers they aren’t the only players. Worse, if he can’t convince Ali to believe before their past adversary makes the next move, he’ll lose her all over again.

MY PRIZE for the Hop and how to win it:

PartyLite Trick or Treat Fragrance Warmer w/melts

Now, if you're visiting all the hop stops, I'm going to guess you've answered what your favorite part of autumn is about a hundred times, so my question is:

What's the most creative pumpkin you've ever carved?
(Remember--comments here also enter you into the overall Blog Hop grand prizes)

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

And don't forget to visit all the other blog stops to win more fabulous prizes!

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Guest blogging at Magical Musings

I'm guest blogging at

Magical Musings,

sharing how my dear dad used to brag about his daughter being an author, and how he now brags about it. Either way, the word 'smut' is usually involved. Come visit if you get a chance.

Thanks to Amy Atwell for the invite!

She's the author of the wonderful historical Ambersley, and the action-packed romantic suspense Lying Eyes. I've read and loved them both!

 

Stacey Joy Netzel

Rising Above (Still Waters Part Two)

Imagine you’ve lived before, but don’t remember or believe
it’s even possible. Therein lies the danger. For in not
believing and learning from your pasts, the power shifts
to the one who would see you dead. Again.

Ryan James never gave much thought to ghosts or the idea of reincarnation—until the appearance of the beautiful Ali Whitman triggers terrifying visions that feel like real life. As he pieces together their past lives, he discovers they aren’t the only players. Worse, if he can’t convince Ali to believe before their past adversary makes the next move, he’ll lose her all over again.

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

Late. Not good for the first day of class with a professor he was dying to meet. He rushed toward the door, but paused for a quick assessment of the situation through the slim window instead of shoving inside blind.

Students populated the theater-style seating, and at the front of the class, a slim, red-haired girl commandeered the professor’s attention. Whew. I should be able to slip in undetec—

Darkness registered. His hand froze on the door at the murky mass surrounding the redhead, curling around her in rolling, undulating waves. His gut clenched. Unexplainable dread weighted his limbs.

The girl and the professor seemed oblivious to the malevolent presence as wispy tendrils extended outward, smoke-like fingers of malice making their way from person to person. Seeking. Testing.

The closer they crept along the slanted aisle toward him, the faster his heart beat. Thumping in his chest, banging against his ribs, urging him to run. And yet, not even his little toe so much as twitched. Fascination kept him rooted to the spot, barely able to breathe.

Without warning, the tendrils were sucked back into the murky cauldron encompassing the girl. Was she the source, or the recipient?

When she laughed at something the professor said, the melodic sound dissipated the evil and filtered through the crack in the double doors, drawing him inside. His pulse eased. Oxygen filled his lungs once more.

Both the redhead and the professor turned toward him as the door swung closed with a loud creak. They smiled. Beautiful.

Then the darkness reappeared.

Mushroomed.

Exploded.

Black arrow-like projectiles shot through the air toward him. He tried to run, but tripped and fell back against the door. Searing, white-hot pain paralyzed his entire body when the first arrow pierced his chest—

~*~

Rising Above

Amazon, BN, Apple, ARe, Kobo, SW

~*~

Author's Note: Beneath Still Waters (Part One) is available as part of the highly-acclaimed TALES FROM THE MIST anthology. While not absolutely essential, it is recommended to read Part One first in order to get the overall scope of the story.

TALES FROM THE MIST, the 12 story horror anthology including Beneath Still Waters (Part One), can be found at:

Amazon, Amazon UK, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW, Goodreads

Meet the Book Blogger: Kimberly

Today I'd like to welcome Book Blogger Kimberly, who runs Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer Blog. She is a shameless addict of books and coffee, though maybe not quite in that order. Read the interview and you be the judge!

What can readers expect from your reviews?
Readers coming to my blog will find book reviews from many genres. I read and review all types of fiction from horror to young adult. My reviews are honest and always spoiler free. I never want to spoil the magic of reading a good book.

Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?
*rolls eyes* Oh this happens too many times to count! I have a habit of saying, just one more chapter. *liar* Personally I wish sleeping were optional so I could read all night. The last book that kept me up...hmm.  The Restorer, by Amanda Stevens, and I absolutely loved it. Yep, I needed an IV drip of coffee the next day!

I've done the "Just one more chapter," too many times as well. IV drip of coffee--I love it!

What is your beverage of choice while reading?
Coffee is my beverage of choice all day, every day. *drools thinking about it* I love curling up with a good book and a cup of joe, to me it’s like a little slice of heaven.

Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?
Only 5 *sheesh* that is hard.
Jayne Anne Krentz (aka Jayne Castle, aka Amanda Quick) and her Arcane Society Novels.
Mira Grant aka Seanan Mcguire
Sara MacLean
Courtney Summers
Patricia Briggs
Now that is only 5 of about 100..LOL *no seriously, I am an addict*

Is your significant other/family supportive of your book addiction?
I have been married 25 years and my hubby so gets and supports my addiction. Before I got my e-reader (which he bought), he would keep an excel spread sheet for me with my books and series. He would also order and pick up books at the library for me every week. He is a keeper! I love that he lets me sit there and talk about a book or character, when I know he has no clue what I am talking about. Give that man a Klondike bar!

Wow--yeah, give him a whole box!

How much is too much for an ebook?
While I have paid slightly more during “Must have! Read Now” moments, I think 9.99 for new releases is my threshold.

The Sunday Post

Do you have a popular blogger meme started by you?
I started the Sunday Post which was inspired in part by IMM. I wanted to showcase my books, but I also wanted a post to recap my weekly posts and share upcoming news. The meme has grown each week and I love visiting fellow blogger’s Sunday Post and finding out she/he reviewed an awesome book on Tuesday when I was too busy to check new posts.

Great idea!

What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review?
I love so many genres but my favorites at the moment are dystopian/post apocalyptic, urban fantasy and historical fiction. I am not a huge fan of contemporary but have a few series I follow religiously. I will read non-fiction if the subject matter appeals to me.

What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?
Hahahaha..a lot. I have this horrible problem, I cannot let go. Once I start reading I am so afraid that on the next page something amazing will happen and like a caterpillar in a cocoon the book will morph into something I love.  Sadly, that doesn’t happen.  My biggest pet peeves are authors who tell instead of show, lack of details and paper characters.

What makes you a fan for life?
As a book addict, there is this high I chase. Yes, exactly like a junkie, but I need the rush I experience from a good book. When an author gives me that, I become a fan for life.

Kimberly, thank you so very much for taking time to answer my questions and share your blogging with us!

Readers, you can find Kimberly all over online, so after visiting with her today, keep up the conversation at these sites! 

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer Blog 
Facebook page
Google+ page

Networked Blogs 
Twitter 

Goodreads

Tumblr

Pinterest 

Anything I didn't ask that you'd like to know? Ask away!