FREE/BARGAIN - Romance + Discussion - 2014

[Blossom]

Free @ Amazon


Luke-The Callahan Brothers by Emily March
(Brazos Bend Book 1)
Note: This is a full length novel of approximately 100,000 words, previously published as GIVE HIM THE SLIP by Geralyn Dawson. Revised and updated by the author.

Note: I wonder how she was going to do this. She always said her Angel's series was the last brothers even though the name changed. So I am guessing she went in and changed the names on the previously published books once she got her rights back to make it all tie together.

[auntykatkat]

Good Morning. I have found a Mary Wine freebie today. The Highlander's Prize

Blurb;
BASTARD ROYAL DAUGHTER, PAWN IN A DEADLY GAME

Sent to Scotland to be the king's mistress and produce an heir, Clarrisa of York has never needed a miracle more. But the brusque Highland laird who kidnaps her is a bit too rough to be considered divine intervention.

HE'LL DO ANYTHING TO THWART HIS KING

With rival lairds determined to steal Clarrisa from him and royal henchmen searching for her all over the Highlands, Laird Broen MacNicols has a mess on his hands. Worse yet, there's a magnetic attraction between them, although he's betrothed to another. But even an independent–minded lady like Clarrisa knows that a Highlander always claims his prize...

Auntykatkat

[Blue2u]

Stayed under budget again! Book purchases, 16 $14.25


Read this week:
Making Faces - Amy Harmon = 4
Screwdrivered – Alice Clayton = 4.5
Follow - J.A. Huss =, DNF, not for me
Ravage Me – Ryan Michelle = 1, DNF, not for me
Beautiful Oblivion – Jamie McGuire = 4 [liked this way more than BD!]
Reasonable Doubt 1-3 – Whitney Gracia Williams = 4 stars each

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Midnight Vengeance (Midnight #4) by Lisa Marie Rice (C+/3 stars)
• Power Play by Jayne Castle (B/4 stars)
• A Negotiated Surrender by Jayne Castle (C-/2 stars)

I was very bad and purchased a series (3 books plus a novella) without having read the first book. I know I said I wasn't going to do that anymore, but those 75% codes were calling my name

[KyBunnies]

read report

Forsaken by Sarah Ballance - 4
Prince Hafiz's Only Vice by Susanna Carr - 4
The Kidnapped Bride by Heather Hiestnd - 4
The Soul Mate Search by Morgan K. Wyatt - 4
What A Rake Wants by Maggi Andersen - 4

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by library addict

I was very bad and purchased a series (3 books plus a novella) without having read the first book. I know I said I wasn't going to do that anymore, but those 75% codes were calling my name

The 75% code, combined with those covers... We are only human after all.

[FizzyWater]

I wanted to drop a note in - I know some of you like to listen to audiobooks.

I pre-ordered Jayne Castle's "Hot Zone" and started listening to it today. They switched narrators...and the lady reading it sounds like she's doing a mocking William Shatner imitation. I'm about 1.5 hours in, and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish it. The story is typical Castle...but I just cannot stand this narrator's performance.

Beware - make sure you listen to the sample to see if you can tolerate the narrator.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I pre-ordered Jayne Castle's "Hot Zone" and started listening to it today. They switched narrators...and the lady reading it sounds like she's doing a mocking William Shatner imitation. I'm about 1.5 hours in, and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish it. The story is typical Castle...but I just cannot stand this narrator's performance.

Beware - make sure you listen to the sample to see if you can tolerate the narrator.

That's a shame. I read the book and enjoyed it.

I want to like more audio books, but often have issues with the narration, so I've been sticking with reading.

[ATDrake]

Free again from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

Averill by Jackie Ivie, 3rd in her The Brocade Collection series of 19th Century historical adventure romances. Ivie is a Kensington/Zebra Books author (and says she's gotten awards for some of them).

Only the bravest of souls live on the streets of Cairo. And the most desperate…

Raised an orphan in the mission, branded a bastard, and lusted after, Averill had no choice. She couldn’t stay. It wasn’t safe. And she didn’t belong. She doesn’t belong anywhere. Nothing hides her vivid blue eyes and artistic talent. But she’s safe on the streets, as long as no one looks too close. A foreign soldier with an eye for detail could destroy her world.

The only thing worse is going back.

Captain Andrew Tennison has a secret mission, a bent for intrigue, and a taste for danger. What he doesn’t have is any desire to assume his position in England as heir to an earldom. Undercover work in Her Majesty’s service is exactly what he likes. The last thing he needs is to become entangled with a woman of unusual beauty whose existence is in peril. But someone has to step in.

Also free from the author @ Smashwords (may be price-matched elsewhere)

Knight After Night by Jackie Ivie, a contemporary paranormal highlander vampire romance novella. She sure has a lot of "Vampire Assassin" things in her listings (but then maybe she's found a lucrative niche).

THE VAMPIRE
Highland Vampire Thoran MacKettryck's lonely. Bitter. Vengeful. For centuries now, he's taken lives for profit and drained blood for free. Just like always. But then he's gifted what every immortal craves: his mate. He just can't believe his eyes when he finally hunts her down.
HIS MATE
Jolie Pritchard's young. Studious. Driven. Studying Medieval Literature is her life and this scholarship - her dream. She's the last thing an arrogant, gorgeous, world-class playboy should be pursuing and she knows it. If only he wasn't the most thrilling male she's ever imagined...
THE CURSE
She was warned. She didn't listen.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by library addict

That's a shame. I read the book and enjoyed it.

I want to like more audio books, but often have issues with the narration, so I've been sticking with reading.

There are some amazing narrators out there though that can make a 3 star book into a 5. It's important to listen to the sample.

Narrators that can read the phone book to me are:

Xe Sands
Lorelei King
Lauren Fortgang
Coleen Marlo
Angela Dawe
Tavia Gilbert
Joyce Bean

[Blossom]

Checking in:

I bought one book for a penny. Does that count? They don't charge tax on penny so I knew I could afford it.

I didn't read anything this week you see I was too busy not getting any sleep because Amazon decides to actually ships stuff on time instead of four days. I also had a friend buy me as a gift Sims 4 which I have been having alot of fun with although I am getting the reading itch. I think I am gonna try that Debra Webb book I have on my shelf.

Hubby's been working a temp job too which throws my sleeping schedule way off.

I also been organizing my cloud stuff. I gave up on Copy and changed over to OneDrive which is 15GB free. Bing Rewards has a special of 100GB for one year upgrade for 475 points for Gold and 500 for non Gold so I decided to get that instead of a $5 Amazon gift card. I am really liking OneDrive. It's right up there with Dropbox. It may be faster actually. So now I have more room for my Calibre Library!

[NixLapi]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I wanted to drop a note in - I know some of you like to listen to audiobooks.

I pre-ordered Jayne Castle's "Hot Zone" and started listening to it today. They switched narrators...and the lady reading it sounds like she's doing a mocking William Shatner imitation. I'm about 1.5 hours in, and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish it. The story is typical Castle...but I just cannot stand this narrator's performance.

Beware - make sure you listen to the sample to see if you can tolerate the narrator.

Oh that is frustrating! I have such a hard time with audiobooks because of narrators. I recently tried listening to Rusty Nailed and it was just awful, didn't get twenty minutes in - fortunately it was a borrow, not a buy!

[basschick]

that's SOOO true! there are books i thought were just okay as books, but with the right narrator they become a treat. susan ericksen got me to listen to all the "in death" books, bringing the characters to life and just making it all great where i had given up reading the books years ago on book three.

then there's neil gaiman, who wrote some of my favorite books, and his narration on his own books, neverwhere and stardust, made the audio versions really wonderful.

and there are unfortunately narrators out there who take my 5-star favorites and turn them into 2-star disappointments. i learned the hard way to always listen to the sample.

Originally Posted by Blossom

There are some amazing narrators out there though that can make a 3 star book into a 5. It's important to listen to the sample.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by basschick

that's SOOO true! there are books i thought were just okay as books, but with the right narrator they become a treat. susan ericksen got me to listen to all the "in death" books, bringing the characters to life and just making it all great where i had given up reading the books years ago on book three.

I listened to about half the In Death books a few years ago, but I can't stand the way she makes Roarke sound like the Lucky Charms leprechaun, McNab as a surfer dude, or her voices for Leanardo and a few others. She also emphasizes words in some sentences that are just odd choices to emphasize IMO.

I do think overall she's a fairly good narrator, just not for me.

I did like the guy who narrated NR's Northern Lights. There have been other audio books I've enjoyed as well. I just think overall I'm better off reading books myself rather than listening.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by basschick

that's SOOO true! there are books i thought were just okay as books, but with the right narrator they become a treat. susan ericksen got me to listen to all the "in death" books, bringing the characters to life and just making it all great where i had given up reading the books years ago on book three.

then there's neil gaiman, who wrote some of my favorite books, and his narration on his own books, neverwhere and stardust, made the audio versions really wonderful.

and there are unfortunately narrators out there who take my 5-star favorites and turn them into 2-star disappointments. i learned the hard way to always listen to the sample.

My problem is I can't stand monotone narrators who only act during dialogue. I also have a problem with men reading romance as when I read it's a female voice in my head and I can't connect with a guy reading a female's perspective. Too many romances are read by guys and it's just really odd.