The White Swan Affair Blog Tour: Guest Post with Elyse Mady & Giveaway

Happy Friday and welcome to my tour stop on The White Swan Affair Blog Tour, hosted by Kismet Book Tours! I'm really excited to have romance author Elyse Mady on Romancing the Darkside today. Ms. Mady has a talent for writing historical romances that take you away to a time of balls, corsets and seduction. Today she's here to chat about the dark side of Regency life and her latest historical romance release, so sit back and take a journey back in time...oh and there's also a giveaway!

The Underbelly of Regency Life

By Elyse Mady

When was the last time you thought about the Regency period in London and thought: Brutality? Filth? Mass murder?

Probably very rarely, if at all because we’ve become accustomed to the polite society portrayed in the novels of Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth and all the modern writers who recreate the period so charmingly, with their balls and their Mr. Darcy’s and the refined aura of polite society to charm us.

Sadly, the reality for a lot of people in the era, especially those caught up in the justice system, was very, very different.

I spent a lot of time while I was writing “The White Swan Affair” researching crime and criminality and punishment during the Regency. Since the book is based on a trial and convictions that really took place, I wanted to better understand the context in which the crimes that Robert Aspinall and the men found at the molly house would have endured.

On July 8, 1810, the Bow Street police raided a public house in the Clare Market – a small collection of streets a little east of Covent Gardens. They arrested a large number of men (the exact number is unknown) and ultimately incarcerated eight, who were brought to stand trial in September for the crime of sodomitical practices.

All of the men served between one and three years hard labour; seven were pilloried. Two others, arrested after the fact, were hung. Authorities didn’t take crime lightly in other words and death and banishement were real and apportioned with a liberality that shocks the modern reader. It was a system that is very far removed from our own system of today, that punished minor crimes with overwhelming brutality and hung children as young as seven and eight.

I spent a lot of time while I was writing “The White Swan Affair” researching crime and criminality and punishment during the Regency. Since the book is based on a trial and convictions that really took place, I wanted to better understand the context in which the crimes that Robert Aspinall and the men found at the molly house would have endured.

Dreamwalker Release Day Blitz & Review

Welcome to the Release Day Blitz for Dreamwalker by Andrea Heltsley hosted by Innovative Online Book Tours! Find out more about the author and her new paranormal romance and check out my review...this one's a great read to add to your reading lists.

DREAMWALKER

PERSEPHONE'S LEAGUE OF IMMORTALS ~ BOOK ONE

BY ANDREA HELTSLEY

Noel Kennedy lost her boyfriend, her job and her dignity all in one week. Then something happened and she began to dream of this stranger she had never met. She couldn’t resist the man of her dreams named Jared especially when she met him in real life.

Entranced, she slowly unraveled a world she was meant to stay out of. Her life was not what she thought it was once a sexy Boone stepped into the mix and shook things up. Can she escape a life of servitude or immortality for a chance at love?

An Excerpt from Dreamwalker

My eyes fluttered open and I saw something magical. I was lying on the ground next to Jared, my legs folded up, boots resting flat on the ground. I turned my head to the side, looked into his eyes and he smiled.

All around us, the tall green grass was mixed with red tulips tinged with silver and the field was whispering in the wind. A large white moon hung in the deep purple sky. I turned to peer into those smoky eyes that had me at hello.

“What is this place? It’s truly amazing. I have never seen anything like it.” He smiled and just answered with a simple reply, “our wonderland.”

Then I gasped as Jared entwined his hand with mine and a shooting star came into view. The star seemed so close it appeared three-dimensional and was emitting a shower of stardust in its wake. Shimmering embers and sparkling bits surround us as I stared in awe.

***

Virtual Book Tour: Medusa A Love Story {Guest Post with Sasha Summers}

Welcome to my stop on Sasha Summers Virtual Book Tour for her latest release and the first in her new Loves of Olympus Series,  Medusa, A Love Story.  Sasha is here to share her inspiration for her story and there's a great book excerpt you're going to love. Get ready to be moved and experience a love story that is truly unique! You can find my review here.

Dreams and Writing

By Sasha Summers

I’m a fan of romance and the darkside. I know I’m not alone. Paranormal romance (which goes hand-in-hand with romancing the darkside) is awesome – with all of its sub-genres. I love reading about vampires, shape shifters, angels, demons, mermaids, and witches, but I can’t write them. I hadn’t planned on writing any paranormal, it wasn’t my genre.

But then I had a dream. I know a lot of authors have inspirational dreams, but not me. This was the first, and only, dream I’ve ever had that became the basis of one of my books. I woke up completely overwhelmed, heart-pounding, mind-racing, and frantic to help the man I’d dreamed.

All I knew was that he was running, madly, across a grassy field. He didn’t care about the billowing black clouds, the fire-storm that singed the cloak from his shoulders, or the cavernous hole that opened in the ground before him. But I did. I was terrified. I didn’t understand why he wasn’t searching for shelter. I looked into that pit and knew it was the fires of Tartarus - I don’t know how I knew, I just did. And I knew – again, don’t know how - that this man was too good and honorable to ever end up there. But he didn’t waiver, his eyes were riveted on the clouds above.

And when he smiled a little, I looked up too. A woman was free-falling towards the hole. He leaned out to catch her.

I woke up, ‘knowing’ way more than the dream showed me. By the time I met with my critique group and spilled the story to them, I was pretty obsessed with telling the story that was demanding to be written. It was a huge comfort to get their critique on the first chapter. If they hadn’t been as phenomenally supportive of Medusa, I’m not sure I would have pursued publication. But they were. And now my muse is firmly rooted in ancient Greece and Olympus… for now.

Winner of the LOVESTRUCK Giveaway Hop

I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by, commented and entered to win the Lovestruck Giveaway Hop!

And the winner of a copy of Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett is...

CONGRATULATIONS!

Library L. 

Want your own copy of Kindling the Moon or Summoning the Night? 
Get them here:

Review: Medusa {A Love Story} by Sasha Summers

Title: Medusa {A Love Story}
Author: Sasha Summers
Series: Love of Olympus ~ Book #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Format: ebook, 223 pages
Source: Author via Bewitching Book Tours
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

It's said love can change a person. Medusa wasn't always a monster...

Medusa is ruled by duty, to her Titan father and the Goddess Athena. She's no room for the tenderness her warrior guard, Ariston, stirs. When Olympus frees her from service, her heart leads her into the arms of the guard she loves... and curses her as the creature with serpent locks.

Ariston goes to war with a full heart... and dreadful foreboding. He learns too late of the danger Medusa faces, alone, and a Persian blade sends him into the Underworld. But death, curses, nor the wrath of the Gods will keep him from returning to her.

Poseidon will use Greece's war to get what he wants: Medusa. He does not care that she belongs to another. He does not care that she will be damned. He is a God, an Olympian, and she will be his.

 My Romancing Thoughts:

A tragic romance like no other!

As priestess to the Goddess Athena, Medusa's sole purpose is to serve. When she meets the handsome warrior guard Ariston, Medusa begins to question her duty to the Goddess. As time passes, Medusa finds herself falling for Ariston and when she is set free from her duties to Olympus she wastes no time in marrying her true love. Their time together is short lived with Ariston called off to war and when the truth of their union is revealed, jealousy consumes the Gods who threaten to come between the two young lovers.

Sasha Summers takes your breath away with a riveting story of love, loss and sacrifice in Medusa, A Love Story. Many of us have heard of Medusa in Greek mythology, but most of us automatically characterize her as a monster. This story shows a young and innocent woman in love who's cursed by the Gods in their selfishness and endures pain and heartbreak but is never broken. Medusa's character is loyal and pure of heart, it's easy to love this heroine and never see her as a monster. The love between Ariston and Medusa is the reason romances are written...their story is captivating and heart wrenching, I couldn't put it down (you'll have to read it to find out why).

Medusa, A Love Story is a beautifully written "forbidden romance" that pulls at your heartstrings and keeps you on edge. With a stellar romance, Gods as villains and wonderful imagery, it has all the elements to satisfy a voracious reader (like myself). It's the kind of story that leaves you breathless and impatiently waiting to devour next book. Whether you're a fan of Greek mythology or just love to read a true romance that whisks you away to another world, you'll be captured by Ms. Summer's allure.

My Rating

Winner: DIVINELY RUINED by Diane Alberts

Thanks to everyone who entered for a chance to win DIVINELY RUINED by Diane Alberts!

And the winner is...

 

CONGRATULATIONS

ARIANNE

Didn't win but want your own copy?

Get it here:

Blood Jewel Release Day Blitz

Happy Friday and a very Happy Release Day to Blood Jewel by Georgia Cates! Georgia's stopped by Romancing the Darkside to share her new release with us including a fun teaser. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to share your thoughts!

Why Paranormal Romance?
By Georgia Cates 

With all of the countless types of romance books to choose from, one might wonder why I would choose to write about paranormal romance. My question to them would be, “Why not?” I never write a book without asking myself where I want to go, what I want to do and what I would like to experience if I were reading this book instead of writing it.

Don’t we all live in reality? I guess there are those that don’t and that may or may not be of his or her own choosing, but I do and I enjoy a little escape from my mundane existence. If I’m going to escape into a world that doesn’t include the worries of everyday, why wouldn’t I want to experience some romance while I’m there? Heck, yeah! Bring on the paranormal romance and I’m placing my order for my supernatural hottie right now. I want him hot and spicy with a side of alpha. It never hurts to add a little sweet on top either. Roll him up with a bit of supernatural ability and you’ve got yourself one hot leading male.

I can find a human man anywhere I look, so give me a vampire, a shifter, a werewolf, etc. that fits into any of the above categories and we’re set to go. (I’m not incredibly keen on fae. There’s something about a male fae that doesn’t do it for me. Maybe I just haven’t read about the right one.)

I need adventure and I don’t mean the rides at Disney World. Sometimes, I need a thrill that only a paranormal story can give me. Take me through an enchanted forest where my hottie can throw himself between me and his evil nemesis trying to steal me away. Let us fall in love as he protects me from some evil no gooder trying to kill me because I am the key to saving the world. And last, but certainly not least, give me some hot, good loving-supernatural style like no human man can give me. (Sigh!)

Have I convinced you, yet?

Hot Summer Nights Erotica Bloghop

Welcome to the Hot Summer Nights Erotica Bloghop!

It's that time of year when we all love to shed our winter clothes and get some sun, relaxation and add a little spice into our life and reading...nothing beats a hot and sexy book while you're on the beach...well maybe the eye candy!

This hop runs from June 20th through June 24th and is hosted by the fun and sexy Skye Warren! There are 114 fabulous bloggers and authors participating on this blog hop, so don't forget to visit them all...oh and did I mention there's a grand prize? Keep reading for the details...

And now onto the good stuff....

I had a hard time choosing which books I'd choose for my giveaway but there's one author that stuck in my head, one of my new favorite authors...Stacey Kennedy. When it comes to erotica I like it to be sultry and sexy but with a touch of romance, I can't help it I'm a romantic at heart!

That's not to say that I don't love my smut every once in a while but I find the stories where the main characters start off hot and heavy, enjoying the moment and then slowly develop feelings for each other a little more satisfying. Stacey knows how to heat things up and still give you a meaningful story...I've recently been introduced to the BDSM genre and find it fascinating. Role playing, dominance and submission is something most of us are curious about and what better way to indulge that curiosity than a seductive read that leaves you breathless and wanting more...?

Dreaming Montana Book Tour: Book Spotlight & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Dreaming Montana Book Tour by Kim Nathan, hosted by Innovative Online Book Tours. Read more about this new paranormal romance with one of my fave paranormal creatures, angels, meet the author and read an intriguing excerpt...oh and yes, there's also a giveaway!

DREAMING MONTANA

BY KIM NATHAN

In a single day, Cara Gallagher experiences an erotic dream about a man she doesn’t know and has a premonition of her identical twin—at the exact moment her sister dies in a car accident.

To escape her grief and a loveless marriage, Cara accepts a temporary job reassignment in Seattle, where she continues to have sensuous dreams of the unknown man. There she encounters an angel who claims to be sent by her dead sister to help her find the man in her dreams.

Meanwhile, photographer Jay Amiens sees angel wings on his film and has recurring intimate dreams about a woman he doesn’t know—but would love to meet in person.

Set in 1993, Dreaming Montana invokes the spirit of Seattle at the height of the grunge era, with the city as the backdrop for Cara and Jay to potentially cross paths.

Buy the book here:
Amazon

The Fallen Queen Virtual Book Tour: Guest Post with Jane Kindred & Giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to paranormal romance author Jane Kindred on my stop on The Fallen Queen Virtual Book Tour! Jane has stopped by to chat a little about her latest release in a new series about angels and demons and is also giving readers a chance to win their own ecopy of The Fallen Queen! Stick around while we talk good girls and bad boys in books and see how you can enter to win this new and intriguing title...

From Good Girl to Bad Boys
By Jane Kindred 

I’ve always been fascinated by the mythology of angels and demons. Growing up in a very strict Fundamentalist Christian church, I was always wondering about the stories behind the Biblical tales. Why was Lucifer thrown out of heaven? He didn’t seem like such a bad guy. I remember starting a short story when I was about 13 that I never finished, about how Lucifer was misunderstood. I knew I’d probably get in trouble if I wrote a sympathetic Lucifer, so I gave up the idea, but it always nagged at me.

I also found it fascinating that so many different traditions had evolved about the hierarchy of angels. Who decided how many orders there were? What were the choirs? And when I started studying Shakespeare in high school, there were additional mythologies I’d never heard of before around the humors and the music of the spheres. People in the past took these ideas very seriously, just as seriously as the stories of the Old Testament, but they had fallen out of fashion.

I finally decided to tackle the ideas that had been roaming about in my head since my Sunday School days, and thought about how I would represent the different factions of heaven if I were to write about it. The first thing that came to mind was that I wanted to somehow “redeem” the fallen angels, just like that long-forgotten story about Lucifer. But I really didn’t want to write a religious story. I wanted to write about angels as fantasy creatures.

In my Heaven, angels and demons both dwell in the celestial sphere. The demons are merely the peasant class—angels without pedigree—who live in a celestial ghetto outside the “pearly gates,” known as Raqia. The heroes of my story are a pair of demons who are not only peasants, but scoundrels and thieves. Because, let’s face it, scoundrels and thieves have a certain inherent hotness.

As the story progressed, I discovered that my scoundrels were in fact hot for each other. But if you’re looking for a traditional m/f romance, don’t worry; one of them, as he himself describes it, is “less discriminating” when it comes to gender. When an angelic grand duchess climbs into his bed, a whole new kind of hotness ensues, and the consequences of their actions will ultimately spark a celestial revolution.

Which do you think make hotter heroes, angels or demons? Do you have a soft spot for one or the other?

In My Mailbox {51}

In My Mailbox, hosted by The Story Siren, is a weekly feature where you can showcase all your new and wonderful books, whether from the library, bought, won or received for review.

Here are the reads I received in my mailbox this week...

(click on the covers for more information)

Divinely Ruined - Diane Alberts

Dreaming Montana - Kim Nathan

Enslaved in Shadows - Tigris Eden

Kiss of Steel - Bec McMaster

Lady and Her Magic - Tammy Falkner

White Witch - Trish Milburn

That's what's in my mailbox this week..what's in yours?