Insta-Week #5: In which we remember the veterans

It's another Insta-Week. No update on the shed this week since it still looks pretty much the same. The guys are working on the inside. The painting outside won't be done for another 3 weeks, so nothing new to see.

So here's my last week in Instagram pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

I'd like to introduce you to Teddy. I'm just a big kid really and I can't be without my Teddy. Yes, I'm only 5 years old on the inside! :-p

Author Showcase: Cheryl Brooks

Hello, hello. Please give Cheryl Brooks a big welcome. When I asked Cheryl if she'd be part of the Author Showcase series, I did not know she had a book coming out around the same time. We'd planned this months ago. Talk about timing! ... though Cheryl might have know. ;-)

I'm so delighted to have Cheryl visiting today. I've read most of her Cat Star books and really enjoyed them. I haven't read any of other books yet, but I plan to. Please join me in giving Cheryl a big Deanna's World welcome.

First off, let me say a big Thank You to Deanna for inviting me here today! I really appreciate it!

This post marks the final stop on the blog tour for Must Love Cowboys, which was released earlier this month. Launching a new book is always fun and exciting. However, it’s also a bit nerve-racking because while your beta readers, critique partners, and editors may love your book, throwing such a huge chunk of your heart out into the cold, cruel world can be very emotional—exciting, uplifting, and sometimes gut-wrenching. That tough skin I was told to grow when I embarked on my writing career has yet to materialize, so I read each new review with considerable trepidation, and I skip over some of them entirely.

Photo via Visual hunt

Manview: Beyond Innocence by Joanna Lloyd

Welcome to another Manview. For those of you who are new to Manviews, these are reviews of romance novels specifically from a man's perspective, this one from my my beloved Steve. I've also added another Manview reviewer, Len Klumpp, and if you haven't seen it already, here's Len's first Manview. Stay tuned for more Manviews and I hope you enjoy this Manview.
 
Beyond Innocence by Joanna Lloyd
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating:   

Heat rating:    

Electra Shipley lies in a mite-infested bunk, weak from lack of food and seasickness. Imprisoned and sentenced to seven years’ transportation, she sails towards the penal colony of New South Wales, Australia. Despite the odds, she is determined to survive, to clear her name, and return to her life of wealth and ease in England.

William Radcliffe has fled the betrayals of his father and fiancée to make a new life in the colony. When a transport ship from England docks, William stumbles across much more than mere trade cargo. Haunted by the beautiful convict with wild hair and golden eyes, William decides a compliant and grateful convict wife might meet his needs without the complications of love. Electra must now decide whether a loveless marriage with a "colonial barbarian" is preferable to imprisonment.

William is unprepared for the deeply suppressed passion his new wife arouses within him. Against his conviction never to love, he begins to desire Electra and the sexual tension between them sparks into a fierce physical attraction he longs to satisfy.

But Electra has made enemies on the ship and a vicious act of revenge endangers her life and the lives of the people she has come to love. Can Electra and William’s love survive the perils of this land and its inhabitants, or will their pasts destroy their future?

Note: This is a new release of a previously published edition. 

Review: Seduced by the Heart Surgeon (The Hollywood Hills Clinic #1) by Carol Marinelli #HelenReviews

I can't tell you how excited I am to welcome Helen to the team. She's an awesome romance reader and a huge supporter of the genre. I've known Helen for years, she's quite a figure in the romance community round this here parts. I'm delighted that she's joined the Deanna's World team as a reviewer and she's agreed to give of her time and share her reading love with us. Helen is going to be reviewing romance novels she's read once a fortnight for us. If I can sneak in an extra review from her now and then, I will but Helen is in high demand when it comes to her reviewing prowess so I'm grateful for what she gives me. Here she is with her first Deanna's World team review. Please give her a very warm welcome and show her plenty of love. You can read more about Helen in her bio below.

Seduced by the Heart Surgeon (The Hollywood Hills Clinic #1) by Carol Marinelli
Purchase link: Amazon

Helen's rating:   

Heat rating:    

Review: Sera's Dragon (Fire Mate #1) by Lexxie Couper (updated)

Updated review - book has been re-released by the author. You can find my original review here. Note: the only thing changed in this review are the book title, book cover and buy links. My review remains the same as it is the same story.

Sera's Dragon (Fire Mate #1) previously Ty the Sexy Dragon by Lexxie Couper
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating: 

Heat rating:     

Finding your fire mate is easy. Convincing your fire mate she is fated to be yours...not so much! Soar with the dragons of Australia in Sera's Dragon from awarding winning erotic paranormal romance author Lexxie Couper. Book 1 of her Fire Mates series will keep you turning the pages of this contemporary paranormal suspense.

Life isn't easy for a modern-day dragon shifter. Unlike those wuss werewolves, dragons can't just shift and go for a run through the nearest forest. They can't go flying on a whim. Forget about scared villagers slinging arrows; these days it's Neighborhood Watch zealots with AK-47s. Then there's the whole sex issue. Try telling the little cutie at the local Starbucks that a soul-shattering orgasm might end in bed flambé. No, being a dragon shifter kinda sucks. And for Tyson, it's even worse--because he's suddenly in heat.

Bad news for the stranger he spies running along Bondi Beach.

Ty instantly recognizes Sera as his mate. Now he has to convince her, while also dodging the psychopathic dragon hunter on his tail. Scorching sexual persuasion should do the trick. Hopefully. Because if Ty doesn't join with his Fire Mate before his heat cycle finishes, bad things will happen. Lots of bad things.

Content Notes: This erotic paranormal suspense romance contains dragon shapeshifters and is intended for readers over the age of 18.

Previously Published: (2011) Ellora's Cave, Original Title: Ty the Sexy Dragon

99c Sale: Welcome to Forever (Hero's Welcome #1) by Annie Rains

Welcome to Forever
Hero's Welcome #1
By: Annie Rains
Released December 1, 2015
Loveswept

99c Sale - Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Download a FREE Companion Short Story to WELCOME TO FOREVER here

Re-release: Mafia Secret by Angie Derek

Mafia Secret
By: Angie Derek
Re-Releasing on April 12, 2016
Thoroughweb Press

Buy Links:  Amazon 

Insta-Week #4: In which there are doors and goals

Wow! I left it kinda late for this week's Insta-Week but phew! Got it done in time. Things have been rather crazy in casa Deanna's lately. I have a new baby nephew. He's adorable. I'm sorry, no photos. My brother is very private and does not want any photos shared publicly. It kills me. I'm dying to share photos of him. He's a beautiful baby.

So here's my last week in Instagram pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

Continuing on the update of the shed / carport, we now have doors. It looks amazing. I picked out the doors. I love them. Can't wait till they are stained and the handles are on.

New Release: Dragons Among Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice #1) by Kyra Jacobs

Hello, hello, hello!!!! Today I bring you a VERY SPECIAL post because ... well, dragons. Specifically, dragon shifters. Be still my beating heart. Any of you who have followed me long enough will know I have a THING for dragons. It's a very BIG thing. I just adore them. I blame Anne McCaffrey and her Pern dragons and dragonriders. :-)

Please welcome Kyra Jacobs to the bloggity today to talk about a topic near and dear to my heart. Dragon shifters ... because what could possibly be sexier? Men who can shift into dragons. Big, sexy, grouchy, broody men. Who. Can. Turn. Into. Dragons. !!!!!!!

Why Dragon Shifters?

Hi, everyone! Kyra Jacobs here to discuss a very important topic in today’s heated social media climate. That’s right, I’m here to bring to light a subject so many continually try sweeping under the rug:

The bad rap dragons have gotten over the years.

Oh sure, I know what you’re thinking. Dragons have a bad rap because they’re not pet material, right? Wild creatures too big for the doghouse out back. Impossible to potty train. And don’t even get me started on the whole “Larry, your dragon torched the neighbor’s house again” scenario.

Photo credit: Baltasar Vischi via Visualhunt / CC BY-ND

New on my bookshelf #11

Welcome to another New on my Bookshelf.

... Or should I say, welcome to another installment of book cover porn? :-) Man, I just love looking at book covers. They make me giddy with book love.

I know others have called it "Stacking the Shelves" and my girlfriend Bambi does it on her blog weekly too. Be sure to check hers out. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga Reviews.

I know most do this once a week, but I'm only doing it either fortnightly or monthly depending on the blog schedule, plus I don't have much if I do it weekly, makes for a less fun and pretty post with much less book cover porn. :-)

Books I've bought recently: (free and paid for)

If you'd like to pick up some free romance books from Amazon, you can find the Top 100 free romance books here.

New Release: Exquisite Karma (Iron Horse MC #4) by Ann Mayburn

Grab a glass of wine and heat up the chilly spring evening with EXQUISITE KARMA by Ann Mayburn, part 2 of Sarah & Beach’s story!

Exquisite Karma
Iron Horse MC #4
By: Ann Mayburn
Releasing April 21, 2016 
BHoney Mountain Publishing

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Review: Wilde Nights in Paradise (Wilde Security #1) by Tonya Burrows

Wilde Nights in Paradise (Wilde Security #1) by Tonya Burrows
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating: 

Heat rating:    

He'll guard her body all night long.

Former Marine Jude Wilde's motto has always been "burn bridges and never look back," so nobody is more surprised when Wilde Security is hired to protect assistant district attorney Libby Pruitt, the woman he loved and left. Although she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with Jude, they're forced to fake a relationship for her safety. He can't ignore the heat still simmering between them, and when her stalker's threats escalate to attempted murder, he's left with no choice but to whisk her away to a friend's safe house in Key West, FL.

Cooped up in paradise together, Jude begins to chip away at Libby's resolve to hate him. But even as she gives in to his proximity and her body's demands for his, she refuses to fall for his charms again. Maybe a torrid affair in the sun is exactly what she needs to get him out of her system. But when her stalker tracks them down, can they escape the steamy Key West night without anyone getting hurt?

Coming Soon: Secret Baby Scandal (Bayou Billionaires #4) by Joanne Rock

Secret Baby Scandal
Bayou Billionaires #4
By: Joanne Rock
Releasing May 1 (eBook) and May 10 (Paperback)  
Harlequin Desire

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Review: Dirty Sexy Inked (Dirty Sexy #2) by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

Dirty Sexy Inked (Dirty Sexy #2) by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating:   

Heat rating:    

Breaking hearts is what wild and rebellious Mason Kincaid does best. Hit it and quit it is his motto, and with his bad boy reputation and tattoos, he doesn't lack for female companionship. Until one hot night with the one woman he swore he'd never touch becomes an all consuming addiction he can't kick. Katrina Sands has been his best friend for years, but now that he knows what she feels like, and tastes like, there is no going back to being just friends. Hot, dirty sex has never felt so good...or so right.

I had a rocky start with this book because of Katrina. I knew going into this after having read Dirty Sexy Saint that Katrina had a thing for Mason even though he was a bad boy with mommy issues who couldn't keep it in his pants.

We start with Katrina and Mason heading to Vegas for a special event. Stuff happens between Katrina and Mason while they are in Vegas and that's where it starts to get to me. Katrina starts of pissed off at Mason and poor Mason can't understand why. He's attracted to her but he doesn't want to ruin their friendship by acting on the attraction. She's mad at him because he is who he is. There's a lot of acting out and anger going around which generally makes it unpleasant but sets up what happens next.

Then more stuff happen and it's a whole bunch of non communication between Katrina and Mason. Mostly Katrina. She decides she's going to do certain things, she doesn't communicate with Mason. It pisses me off. They are supposed to be best friends. If you truly are best friends, who talk things through and work things out to keep that friendship and Katrina keeps talking about how much she values that friendship. Poor Mason is reaching out to her trying to figure things out and she keeps giving him the cold shoulder and shutting him out. I'm sorry, but that is not the way you treat your best friend, if he truly is your best friend. I want to be understanding of Katrina based on her feelings, but I do not agree with her motivations and I find it hard to believe she truly feels he is her best friend based on the way she is treating him. WORK. IT. OUT!!!

As for Mason, he's your typical bad boy with massive issues that make him the bad boy that he is, but he's got a big heart and underneath the bad boy persona, he's a great guy. Personally, bad boys don't do it for me, but I'm certain my friend Bambi will like him. She's got a thing for bad boys though she might take exception to the fact that he can't keep it in his pants. I liked Mason a lot but more than anything I felt sorry for him because of his confusion, his wanting to do the right thing by Katrina and I plain didn't like the way Katrina was treating him.

Even though I didn't like the way this story was told, it was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Clay and Samantha again. I completely understand why Ms Phillips and Ms Wilde took the direction they did in writing Katrina and Mason's story even if I did not necessarily agree with it personally. I love Clay, Mason and Levi as brothers and how they survived a very difficult childhood to become the men they are today. I truly want happiness for them, thank goodness these books are all romances with the guaranteed Happy Ending.

So yeah, all that said, I'm still looking forward to Levi's book because I want to know what a straight-laced cop can get up to to find happiness.

View all my reviews

Other books in the series:

Dirty Sexy Saint My Review

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today's readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find all information about Carly at her website and other social media sites ...

Author links: Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads





Erika Wilde (aka Janelle Denison) is the USA Today bestselling author of over 50 contemporary romances for multiple print publishers.

So, why the new pen name?

As Janelle Denison I’ve always written sexy books, but lately my writing has taken on more erotic elements that I wanted to keep separate for readers because not everyone likes their reading material on the spicier, kinkier side of romance.   However, please be assured that even as Erika Wilde, you will still get an emotionally layered story with characters you’ll care about and fall in love with.   That is always my goal, whether I’m writing straight contemporary romances, or more erotically charged stories.

Currently, I’m working on The Marriage Diaries and making sure that Dean and Jillian enjoy exploring the more erotic side to their marriage.  The series will be on-going, with no foreseeable ending as of right now, for as long as readers want to be voyeurs to Dean and Jillian’s sizzling new relationship.

I’m also planning a spin-off series in the future, featuring the hot military men that work security for Dean at Noble and Associates.  Sign up to receive my newsletter for updates and news!

Want to interact with me personally?  You can do so at my Erika Wilde Author Fan Page on Facebook.

Author links: Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads


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