Darkness Is A Beautiful Thing {The Beauty of Darkness Blog Tour}

The Beauty of Darkness is almost here!!!!! I can still remember being graced with an ARC of The Kiss of Deception, reading it immediately, and being obsessed every since. I have loved this series since it's inception and I am so excited to be a part of the final book's blog tour and to shut it down as the final stop! The book is only a few days old so I hope everyone is reading it or about to read it! (I'm currently on my road trip home so my re-reading and reading has been delayed...waaaaah!)

I've had the opportunity to meet Mary and Google Hangout with her and she is seriously one of the most genuine and kind human beings I've ever met. I am so excited to have her here on my blog today to answer a question about love triangles. Yep, I went there and this time I'm getting an author's perspective.

Tempted By An Author // An Interview with Lauren Smith {And Giveaway}

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Lauren Smith. Hugh. Massive. The Gilded Cuff series is a fav! Her historical romances are also freaking fantastic. On the historical romance note, she has a new novella that just recently released, Tempted By A Rogue. In honor of that, myself, Alexa, and Rachel--also big historical romance fans--are celebrating by having a quick fire Q&A with Lauren! 

Welcome to Belle of the Literati, Lauren!! Thank you so much for stopping by and I am SO excited to ask you some burning questions!! If you could time travel to a time in history to live out your own romance novel, when would it be?

I would love to go to the late Victorian era, the 1880s because they were relatively modern, but old school enough to be fun! I especially love the gowns. I’m a big fan of the shape and colors that bustle gowns come in. I think I may have lived in that period of time in a past life *wink.

You have a LOT of amazing heroines and equally hot heroes between all your books, both historical and contemporary. Which two of your characters who aren't in the same book/series could you see (or would want to see) having the potential for a romantic relationship? (Part of your answer better not be Emery because that ass is mine ;) ) 

Now that is a really fun question! I think Lucien from His Wicked Seduction, my Regency bad boy with a hint of a dominant side would really go well with Hayden, the sassy submissive heroine from my contemporary The Gilded Cage. A couple of redheads would make a fire in bed, don’t ya think?

One of the things I love most about your books are your heroines and how real you make them. They have positive yet realistic body images and are not size zeroes. First of all, thank you. Second, was there ever a particular reading moment that inspired you to ensure your female characters were real women with real curves and real flaws but still loved themselves?

The reading moment I had that probably inspired me to write realistic female characters was actually reading a lot of books where the heroines were thin with boy-like figures. I remember reading that and feeling a little frustrated because first of all, a lot of women have curves, we’re sort of built that way genetically in order to make childbirth easier. And a lot of men like those curves, so we shouldn’t be ashamed of them. I’m not saying women with beautiful willowy thin figures shouldn’t be happy with their bodies, they totally should because they look great in clothes! But I think that us curvy girls deserve some love too, especially with hot heroes on the pages of our favorite books! So I write to give every girl a voice, no matter what size, because we’re all beautiful and we all deserve to be loved by a sexy, wonderful man.

This is the home of Book Bangin' so I ask every author who graces my blog with this question...who is your number one book boyfriend?

Knight from Kristen Ashley’s Knight. Man, he’s a fine hunk of man. He’s just dominate, possessive, jealous, and oh so perfect! If you have read about Knight, you need to. He’ll be your next crush! 

Thank you SO much for your time Lauren! I loved having you and your answers are amazing! Don't forget to check out Tempted By a Rogue!

Goodreads

Amazon

The rogue’s temptation would be her undoing…

Gemma Haverford knows exactly who she will marry: James Randolph, the man she’s had a secret understanding with for the last eleven years. With every letter written between them while he's been off at sea, their love has grown. Now they will be reunited with his return to England.

There’s just one problem. The man whose words she'd fallen in love with isn’t James at all…

Jasper Holland, a gentleman rogue of the first order, is trapped. Talked into a scheme by his best friend, he pretended to be James for eleven years as he wrote to Gemma, even though he'd promised James he’d break it off. But now with his return to England, his secret will come out—and he’ll lose the one woman he can’t live without.

What began as a game of words, now becomes a game of hearts, and Jasper will pay any price to call Gemma his.

If you haven't already make sure you check out Rachel and Alexa's interviews as well!!

AND don't forget the giveaway below!! May the odds be ever in your favor!

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Book Pushin' With Sarah J Maas

The final day of Book Pushin' Throne of Glass is upon us. The final post, the big shabam, the conclusion of love has Sarah herself here to answer a few fun questions! 

First of all, I have to say THANK YOU times infinity for gracing us with your presence here at Belle of the Literati today! I was SO excited to ask you these questions and I'm even more excited for your answers. Without further ado, let's do this!

Kelly: OK, I'm going to name a character and I want you to give me 1 to 2 words or a short phrase that immediately comes to mind when you think of them...

Kelly: Dorian

Sarah: MY SWEET, BEAUTIFUL PRINCE.

Kelly: Nehemiah

Sarah: *cries in corner*

Kelly: Arobynn 

Sarah: Douchecanoe.

Kelly: Rowan

Sarah: Immortal, arrogant, tattooed badass.

Kelly: Celaena

Sarah: My eternal homegirl.

Kelly: Chaol 

Sarah: Loyalty, courage, honor. And nice buns.

Kelly: Aedion

Sarah: Prince of Pecs. And sass.

Kelly: Maeve

Sarah: …is not someone I’d want to mess with.

Kelly: Aelin

Sarah: Fire-breathing bitch-queen. ;)

Kelly: Sam

Sarah: *goes back to crying in corner*

Kelly: Manon

Sarah: My patronus. Or, a veliciraptor given a human-ish body. :P

Kelly: Fleetfoot

Sarah: The only guaranteed survivor of this series.

Yeeeees! Those are all so great! Now let's apply all those amazing characteristics to real life...

Which character would you....

Kelly: Want to be stuck on a deserted island with? (Interpret that as you will hehe)?

Sarah: Rowan, so he could shift into a hawk and fly away to find help. :P

Kelly: Go out for a night on the town/drinking with?

Sarah: Aedion. (Though I doubt I’d survive his level of partying.)

Kelly: Yasssss!! Will you be my wing woman, Sarah? For Aedion, of course. You'll already be out with out him sooooo hook a sister up :)

Kelly: Stay in and watch movies with?

Sarah: Chaol!

Kelly: LOVE this answer! I bet he snuggles really, really well.

Kelly: Go shopping with?

Sarah: Lysandra & Aelin (together)!

Kelly: Have your back in a fight?

Sarah: Rowan. Or Aelin. Or Manon. ALL THREE, OKAY?

Kelly: My thoughts exactly!

Kelly: Go to the ballet with?

Sarah: Aelin! We could be sobbing messes together.

Kelly: I can def see this happening.

Kelly: Have dogsit Annie for you?

Sarah: Dorian!

Kelly: Confide your secrets in?

Sarah: Chaol.

Kelly: Pick up guys with? (if you were single, of course)

Sarah: Aedion. Or Asterin Blackbeak.

Kelly: LOVE this!!

Kelly: Go to for advice?

Sarah: Aelin!

Kelly: Cry to?

Sarah: Dorian!

Kelly: Aw!!

Kelly: Text the most inappropriate yet hilarious things to?

Sarah: Aelin! Or Aedion.

Kelly: Finally! If you could describe your series in a one sentence, what would it be?

Sarah: So long/epic/sweeping/swoony/sad/intense/badass/magical/dark/bloody that I literally sat at my desk for 10 minutes, trying & failing to find a way to sum it all up in one sentence.” (…yes that’s actually my sentence, lol.)

Kelly: That looks perfect to me! Thank you SO MUCH, Sarah! I loved your answers and think they are just perfect...kinda like your books! 

I hope you guys have enjoyed my week long love affair with Throne of Glass series! Don't forget to check out my other posts throughout the week, especially if you enjoy hot guys. Hubba hubba.

Book Pushin' Throne of Glass

Lit in Lyrics

Words Have the Power to Change Us

Character Couture

Fierce Females Inquire Within {The Heart of Betrayal Blog Tour}

Welcome to the final stop on The Heart of Betrayal Blog Tour! If you've been here before you KNOW how much I LOVE these freaking books! The writing, the world-building, the characters, the romance, all of it! With that said, my absolute favorite aspect of this series is Lia. She is such a strong and fierce heroine who follows her heart. She is an inspiring heroine that I love to death. Because of that, on my stop I asked Mary Pearson to talk about her favorite literary heroines and why she loves them! Don't forget to check out my review and enter the giveaway below for a copy of The Heart of Betrayal!

MARY E. PEARSON'S TOP TEN LITERARY HEROINES

First, a few of my old favorites! Great heroines captivated me—and I think a lot of other readers—from a very early age. I cried, laughed, cheered, and plotted with these girls and ladies. Bring on the heroines!
Charlotte [the spider] - Clever, loyal, and a writer!
Alice [in Wonderland] - Adventurous and cheeky!
Pippi Longstocking - Bold, fun, and crazy imagination!
Nancy Drew - Smart, daring, and brave!
Scarlett O’Hara - Flawed, fearless, calculating, and determined!
There is an explosion of great new literary heroines--where do I begin?! Here are a few recent new favorites who have many of the same qualities and talents as those I mentioned above.
Shahrzad - A storyteller! Like Charlotte, Shazi is spinning to save a life—her own!(The Wrath and the Dawn)
Celaena – Dangerous and cheeky--love that combo! Instead of wielding a flamingo croquet stick like Alice, Celaena wields sharper things. (Throne of Glass)
Cress – Curious, creative, with wild imagination! Cress and Pippi would get on fabulously. (Lunar Chronicles)
Kestrel – Smart, brave, calculating! Like Nancy, when doors slam in her face, Kestrel searches for new ones. Brave in the face of danger! (The Winner’s Crime)
Wil – Loyal, determined, and fearless! Like Scarlett, Wil is determined to save what she loves. I’m cheering for her! (The Orphan Queen)

I could add another twenty! Karou! Katniss! Alina! Frankie! Annith! Attolia! Charley! Okay, I will shut up now. What are some of your old and new favorite heroines?

Kelly, here. To answer Mary's question I actually have to agree with ALL of her choices!! Shahzad is fierce as all hell. Celaena is on another level as is Kestrel. Karou is sensitive and loyal. Katniss is the OG of fierce females. And my old favorite is 100% Hermione! Oh, and while I love Annith, it's Sybella that has my heart in that series! 

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Asking For It Blog Tour// Interview with Lilah Pace

Hey y'all! Welcome back to another stop on the ASKING FOR IT by Lilah Pace blog tour!! I had the great fortune of being able to ask Lilah a few questions and cannot wait to share them with you. This book has been one of my favorite reads of the year, hands down. Intense, emotional, dramatic, psychologically deep, it is so many different things and cannot be categorized into just one genre of book. But let's get onto the good stuff aka the interview! Don't forget to check out my review as well as enter the giveaway below! 

Hi Lilah!! Welcome to Belle of the Literati! I am SO honored to have you here to answer some questions because I L-O-V-E LOVED your book! Let's get started!

Can you summarize ASKING FOR IT for readers who don’t know what the book is about:

Lilah: Vivienne dares to roleplay her most forbidden fantasy -- rape -- with the enigmatic Jonah. What he does to her body is wild, brutal and hot. But she wasn't prepared for him to touch her soul ...

That small summary already makes me want to re-read it...but I digress...I absolutely love quotes so what’s your favorite line from the book?

Lilah: My absolute favorite line comes near the end and is pretty spoilery. But another one I like is Vivienne's mental description of Jonah:

“He looks like the work of a sculptor who didn’t believe in polishing rough edges, who wanted you to see exactly where the chisel had struck.”

.......Oh, damn, I'm sorry I started daydreaming about Johan...my bad *coughs*...When you sat down to write this book, were you excited and the words were bursting forth? Were you nervous to write about such a sensitive topic?

Lilah: Both! I was totally into the characters, their story and the fantasy--and freaked out that everybody was going to judge me. Or that nobody else would find it hot. Even though we all know rape fantasies are pretty common, we talk about them so seldom that I bet a bunch of us wonder, "Is it just me?"

I love your answer to that because it is one I've been dying to know! I love that you took a topic/subject that is common but unspoken and gave it a voice. With that said, what kind of research did you do to write ASKING FOR IT? Was there anything you discovered that particularly stuck with you?

Lilah: I talked to a couple of counselors and did some reading up on rape survivors who have found themselves drawn to this kind of role-playing. What struck me the most was actually how difficult playing out this scenario can be for the men taking the "rapist" role. A lot of guys who would have no trouble with domination, bondage, etc. will balk at scenarios that explicitly mimic non-consensual sex. It's not that I thought every guy would be into it, but I hadn't realized how profoundly some men reject it even as a fantasy.

Oh, wow. While it makes sense that men would be hesitant to also play a role in this I never would have that SO many would be a against it, same as your thought. I thought Vivienne and Jonah were so amazingly developed so can you tell us a little about them? What’s something we wouldn’t learn about them just by reading your book? Weird quirks or hobbies? Favorite food or guilty pleasure music?

Lilah:Vivienne never orders buffalo wings when she's eating in public because she will basically inhale every single one like she's never going to see food again. Jonah once thought he'd like to learn how to brew craft beer, but his first couple batches went so disastrously wrong that he wound up stashing all the equipment in the back of a closet.

Yum. I feel that way about cake and french fries. Stay away from the area in front of my mouth, I will eat your hand by accident. Let's get to some of the swoon! Describe the First Kiss in five words:

Lilah: First taste of the forbidden...

Ooooh, I love that! What have you learned about your own writing process/you as an author while writing ASKING FOR IT?

Lilah: I learned that my pseudonym really helps me, because I could never really let go like this for the sex scenes unless I knew for sure my mom would never read them! (That's such a dorky answer, but it's the truth.)

That makes so much sense! I don't think I want my mom knowing what I read let alone if I wrote it. And I won't lie. I'm dying to know if I've read your YA stuff! My online name is a play on Gossip Girl and that's how I feel your pseudonym is..."I'll never tell....." Hehe, love it! 

We know ASKING FOR IT has some heavy content but there were some really happy moments too. So tell us, what scene was the most fun for you to write. Please share a little snippet of it here:

Lilah: Honestly, the scene that made me laugh the most was one between Vivienne and her ex-boyfriend, Geordie. He just screwed up at a party when he got too drunk, revealing some very intimate secrets about her, and she's pretty angry. So he shows up to apologize with a poem:

“I am a complete and total shit / sometimes I act like a stupid git/ when I become a blabbermouth / all my relationships go south / forgive this lowly wretched wanker/ or I’ll be sad, nothing rhymes with wanker.”

Ah, I loved that part! Oh, my heart and stomach just dropped when that scene was going on! Let's talk theme songs: When Jonah walks into a room, what song is playing? For Vivienne?

Lilah: For Jonah -- definitely PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love." And so long as he's a seismologist, Vivienne's theme song here might be the Lizz Wright cover of "I Feel The Earth Move."

Ahh! I LOVE that choice for Vivienne, too funny! Because this book's subject is not your typical fantasy, what is one thing you want people who read this book to take away from it?

Lilah: Don't be afraid to speak your truth to someone you trust. Someone's going to hear you; someone's going to understand.

That is so powerful, I'm in love with that. Speaking of truth, I found Vivienne to be a phenomenal female heroine. Strong yet vulnerable, smart, and driven. Who are some of your favorite female characters or real life women who inspire you?

Lilah: Thanks for the Vivienne love! Some of my favorite female characters -- oh, gosh, there are so many -- Katniss Everdeen, Elinor Dashwood, Sydney Bristow, Bridget Jones, Olivia Pope, Maisie Dobbs, anybody Katharine Hepburn ever played, and as of a couple weeks ago, Furiosa from "Mad Max: Fury Road." Some inspiring real-life women: I'm this close to buying a "Notorious RBG" shirt with Ruth Bader Ginsburg on it. Noor Inayat Khan, who was an intelligence operative for the British during World War II. Laverne Cox. Eleanor of Aquitane (who was once played by Katharine Hepburn, which I guess gives her a double whammy on this list.)

Yeeeees! Katniss Everdeen and Eleanor of Aquitane are on my list, too! Love those women! Now let's talk boys. Duh. Because this is the home of Book Bangin’ and I love talking about hot guys, especially the tortured ones, I wanna know who are your favorite book boyfriends?

Lilah: I've stuck to the tortured ones, or at least the highly moody guys. :D Though I have a whole list of funnier, more lighthearted book boyfriends I love just as much...

Mr. Darcy. I know he's on everyone's list, but that's okay. I am willing to fight for him. If he is unable to serve, either Captain Wentworth or Colonel Brandon are acceptable alternatives from the Jane Austen canon.

Vespasian from THE COURSE OF HONOR by Lindsey Davis

Mr. Rochester from JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte – I know he's a handful, but I'd try

John Blackthorne from SHOGUN by James Clavell

Randolph Henry Ash from POSESSION by A.S Byatt

Arius from MISTRESS OF ROME by Kate Quinn

And if you count comic books? Magneto from the X-Men joins the party!

Ok, now I have so many so many more book to read! I have MISTRESS OF ROME on my TBR list and now it's moving up on my list! I cannot wait to read BEGGING FOR IT but after that, what are you currently working on?

Lilah: I'm currently working on a proposal for some new books. We'll see how that turns out!

Oh, good luck! I cannot wait to read everything and anything you read! You are so fanastic and I loved interviewing you and reading your book so for people like me who also love you, what are the best places for reader to get in touch with you?

Lilah: Readers, please come chat with me at Twitter or Facebook. And at my website, lilahpace.com, you can sign up for my newsletter, which will have news, some exclusive contests, etc.!

Thank you SO much for stopping by and answering my questions! I am foaming at the mouth for BEGGING FOR IT, cannot wait for this to come out! ((JONAH!!!!)) 

If you haven't yet, don't forget to enter the giveaway! You want this book!

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About the author:
Lilah Pace is a pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling YA author. This is her first adult novel.

Buy links:
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Get Captive-ated

Welcome to my stop on the Captive Blog Tour! Eeep! This book by Brighton Walsh has EVERYTHING right when it comes to the controversial and tenuous relationship that IS the captor and the captive. You can check out my review here! And on my stop of the tour, I have the lovely and talented Brighton Walsh herself here to talk about her inspiration, her kidnapping essentials, and of course, hot boys.

Hi, Brighton!! Thanks for stopping by Belle of the Literati to answer some questions about your (amazing!!) new book! My first question is kind of obvious, but I'm still dying to know. SO! The captor/captive relationship is a pretty touchy if not controversial subject; what inspired you to write this kind of story?

My editor actually approached me with the idea. I’d never thought about venturing into it before, because it scared me, honestly. But I’m happy with the outcome and the growth that went on within the story and within the characters. It made me root for their HEA.

Thank you, editor! I know we've talked about this before but you make Madison a real woman--real curves, real imperfections, real insecurities and all--was this something you purposely set out to do? Do you find a lack of realistic body image and portrayal in a lot of young heroines today? (I know I do.)
Yes, it was very much a part of her character and everything fed off those details. I know several readers have mentioned that they wished she wasn’t insecure with her body. Believe me, I wish that, too. But if she wasn’t insecure, many of the issues in her past and current life wouldn’t have affected her the way they did—the way they had to for her to still have growth. Her accepting her body (and herself) is a huge part of her growth as a character.

And, yeah, there’s definitely a lack of diversity in books, and that’s in more than just nationality and sexual orientation. I think it’s great to have all varying kinds of heroines—petite to Amazonian to plus sized to super skinny—because they’re all reflective of the readers and the world.

I absolutely love that! And I'd also like to meet those readers who have an issue with that and uh maybe, punch them in the throat for the insensitivity BUT I DIGRESS! I love the captor/captive relationship and I discovered something while reading your book. While most people seem to be shocked by the captive falling for her captor, I think the beauty is in the captor falling for his victim. Where do you fall on this spectrum and do you think one role is harder to fall in love for the other?
I think it would be harder as a captive to fall for the captor. And this was an issue I had while writing. Initially, there were details about Ghost that didn’t sit right with me, and when I was about 75% of the way through, I couldn’t see how Madison would fall in love with him because I hadn’t fallen in love with him, even being in his head. So it took some tweaking to his character to make it plausible through my eyes, and thus, hopefully, the readers’. But Ghost was a much easier sell in that department…I’m not sure why. He was totally on board for it well before I had it planned in the outline.

Oooh, ok! I think that is so interesting that you had to rework him until you could fall for him, too! It makes complete sense but I never thought about it that way from your perspective as the author!

Ok enough serious questions, let's get to some fun ones!
If you had to be kidnapped some one/stuck in a cabin with somebody (one real person, one fictional) who would it be? (Looking for a hot guy answer hehe)
Well, of course I’d say my husband because I’m happily married. *cough* But if you held a gun to my head and asked me to pick someone else… I’d say Channing Tatum and Edward Cullen.

Haha, well the gun is there so Channing and Edward it is...although I'm sure your husband is GREAT! :) If you were kidnapped, what movies would be a must-have for you to watch on your laptop during your captivity?
13 Going on 30, The Bourne Trilogy, I Love You, Man, The Hangover, What’s Your Number, and I’m cheating here, but Friends: The Complete Series

Yeees, The Hangover! Because your captor is sexy and thoughtful, he gives you access to your e-reader, what five books do you buy to keep you occupied when you're not falling in love with your kidnapper?
How to Kill a Rock Star, Anna and the French Kiss, Sheltered, Graffiti Moon, and Animal Magnetism

Great answers! Who are some of your favorite fictional heroines that you feel represent real women?
Oh, man. This is a hard question to answer. I’m horrible (horrible) at remembering about the heroine. I’m…preoccupied. LOL That said, I really love all of Jill Shalvis’s heroines. They’re feisty and strong-willed and they are all women I’d want to be friends with in real life.

I have Jill Shavis on my list of romance authors to read! I'm even more excited now! This is the home of Book Bangin' and all things hot, so...who is YOUR favorite book boyfriend? You can name a top five or ten if you need to and yes, you can name your own characters. :)
Well, I won’t cheat and name my own, because they’re a given to me. I wouldn’t have created them if I didn’t love them all (and if they weren’t all swoony as hell). As for others…man. This is tough.

Garrett from The Deal

Bowen from Risking it All

Jax from Simply Irresistible

Brady from Animal Magnetism

Lucas from Easy

Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss

Tyler from Private Practice

Jack from Smooth Talking Stranger

Curran from the Kate Daniels series

Nev from About Last Night

Okay. I’ll stop. But seriously…I could go on and on.

Ok...I have not read any of those boys...I need to remedy this IMMEDIATELY! Thank you so much for stopping by and giving FANTASTIC answers to those burning questions! If you haven't read Captive yet, you need to read it right now!
And thank you St. Martin's Press for opportunity to interview this amazing lady!!

I Shall...Time Travel For You

So you all know how much I love and adored I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe. With that said, the paperback edition of the book is coming out TODAY and to celebrate I have Erin on my blog to talk about ALL the hotness of men of historical fiction. She is here to tell us who she would travel back in time for for a chance to meet...and maybe more than just meet...

Anyways. Besides this amazing post (and it really is amazing because I have now added all of these to my TBR pile), Erin is hosting a Twitter chat TONIGHT along with myself, Hannah, Cassie, and Ellice AND some other fabulous historical fiction authors Ariel Lawhon (The Wife The Maid The Mistress), Lois Leveen (The Secrets of Mary Bowser, Juliet's Nurse, coming in Sept.), Ariel MacArran (Another Man's Bride), Alex Myers (Revolutionary), and Mary Volmer (Crown of Dust). So don't forget to join us TONIGHT at 9pm EST/6pm West Coast to ask them any and all questions you may have AND a chance to win a book! Use the hashtag #IShall. We've got giveaways people so don't miss it :)

Without further ado, here is Erin to talk about who she would like to travel back in time to meet because we all know I can't host an author without talking about swoony guys in books. 

Who Would Erin Lindsay McCabe Travel Back In Time To Meet?...

"I’m an absolute sucker for a good love story, especially one that makes me feel wistful or brings tears to my eyes. With any book I’m reading, I also want to find characters I’d love to meet or who stick in my memory. For me, characters trump pretty much everything else in a story, though I also crave a good amount of historical detail.

One of my all-time favorite historical romances is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It definitely has the level of historical detail I crave (sometimes it has more than I crave!), and offers up complex, nuanced characters. Most importantly, we get Jamie Fraser who is the kind of romantic lead I love—intelligent, sensitive, kind, funny, passionate, and also totally capable of violence and mayhem (in a way that is incredibly macho, which I don’t really dig in real life, but in a book boyfriend? Bring it!). I consider myself a feminist, but dang, I love me a bad good-man (I also love a good bad-man, like Rooster Cogburn in True Grit or Henry Stands in Road To Reckoning, but those kind of men don’t make good romantic leads). I would absolutely time travel to meet Jamie Fraser, although I’m afraid it wouldn’t work out between us. There’s the not-so-small matter of my husband for one (though I imagine Jamie wouldn’t be too bothered by that), but also, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t deal with the reality of an 18th century man who is perfectly comfortable beating his wife. Still, I adore how Jamie accepts Claire for who and what she is. That’s pretty much my number one criteria for a good partner: someone who takes you “as is.”

Which brings me to Another Man’s Bride by Ariel MacArran. I know some people don’t really like Claire in Outlander (gasp!), and so I have an alternative: Isabella. She’s a very different sort of woman than Claire—not know-it-all-y in the slightest and not a time traveler (though she does have visions of the future). That said, Colyne, the romantic lead, reminds me a lot of Jamie Fraser, especially in the way he accepts Isabella for exactly who she is. He’s also Scottish for another thing, and he’s smart, funny, and, shall we say, physically adept. Beyond that, the book has plenty of historical detail centered around the events leading up to the assassination of King James of Scotland. I originally read this book in manuscript form and I loved it from the first page. One thing I appreciate about all MacArran’s books (she also writes sci-fi romance) is that her books go beyond romance—they always include issues of identity, psychology, and culture blended with politics and intrigue.

Another writer who includes plenty of historical detail, politics, and intrigue but mixes them with incredibly juicy, twisted romances is Philippa Gregory. I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, but what first got me hooked on Gregory was her debut novel Wideacre (the first in the Wideacre trilogy). It’s chock full of R-rated soap-opera worthy drama and deception and treachery (trigger warning!), and its main character, Beatrice, is really something else—a poster child for the do-female-characters-need-to-be-likeable debate. And all I can say is poor John MacAndrews! Aside from being completely clueless about Beatrice and her diabolical plans, John is an incredibly winning character—I couldn’t help but wanting him to fall for someone more deserving.

In the category of romantic historical fiction, I adore Crown of Dust, by Mary Volmer. It’s told in a very lively voice (I’m a sucker for characters with unique voices) and in many ways the story is about secrets, since the protagonist Alex is in disguise (you’ll have to read it to find out why). I have a weakness for any story about secrets, which is one reason I was drawn to this book. But I also loved the sweet love story and the California Gold Rush era setting—the story takes place in a town about 45 minutes from where I live. 

Two other romantic historicals I love are A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher and Away by Amy Bloom. They both feature characters who go to great lengths and make huge sacrifices for love. A Sudden Country is very dreamy and lyrically written, and the depiction of life on a wagon train is incredibly beautiful and stark. Be warned though-- it’s what I like to call a moody girl book, one that’s perhaps more about what-ifs and regrets—definitely not a happily-ever-after. Likewise, Away is a poignant, tender story, told by a quirky, funny omniscient narrator who is a real kick. And the ending of this one is beautiful—another example of two characters who love and accept each other as they are." 

Thank you so much for sharing all those hot men to wear corsets for! I cannot wait to meet these guys!

And don't forget to join us tonight on Twitter, hashtag #IShall, at 9pm EST/6pm West Coast Cali time :) 

The Kiss of Deception Blog Tour

Hey y'all! Welcome to the final stop on the blog tour for THE KISS OF DECEPTION by Mary E. Pearson. So my blog tour stop is actually the Google Hangout which will take place TONIGHT 9pmEST/6pm West Coast Time. I hope you all are able to make it to ask Mary the questions you've been wondering! It is going to be freakin' awesome because Mary is awesome! The link to join is HERE!

I had the amazing opportunity to be able to go to the book launch for THE KISS OF DECEPTION last week at Mysterious Galaxy books in San Diego. Another point in favor of moving to this city for the time being, holla! It was such a fantastic evening! Mary talked about the book, her inspiration, and the story behind the dedication and the romance. I will definitely be asking her to inform all of you guys tonight because those were some of my favorite parts of the evening. 

So it's still early to think of questions! Join me and Mary E. Pearson tonight at 9pm EST/6pm West Coast Time. I hope you see you all there!!

And don't forget to check out my VIP review of THE KISS OF DECEPTION!

Book Pushin' with Laura S. Andersen

Let me tell you how freakin' excited I was when Laura S. Andersen agreed to let me interview her for my Book Pushin' posts on her series The Boleyn King. Ermagosh, I freaked out! I had SO many burning questions I wanted to ask her and, you guys, she has the BEST answers ever. I was grinning from ear to ear when reading through them. So without further ado, I give you Laura S. Andersen...

Kelly: So...first and foremost, the premise of this story is amazing to me. So I have to ask the most boring and cliche question first because I actually am dying to know...What inspired you to write this story?

Laura: All the way back in 2003, while reading a biography of Anne Boleyn, I was struck by the sadness and irony of her miscarriage in January 1536, on the very day of Catherine of Aragon’s funeral. Just four months later, Anne was executed and Henry VIII had married Jane Seymour in his search for a living son. What if, I wondered at the time, Anne had not miscarried? How might history have altered?

That question lay dormant for a year until my second visit to London, where I was seized upon by several characters wanting to tell me their story. At both Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London, I had the nearest thing to a creative vision I’ve ever had—William, Dominic, and Minuette were born in those moments. I began writing their story within six weeks of returning from London.

Kelly: Oh, I love that! Those are my absolute two favorite places in London so it is so amazing to see that those places inspired you! Now, this is completely obvious but I'll say it again anyways. I am an avid fan of Anne Boleyn so when I first saw The Boleyn King on NetGalley I freaked out…A LOT. Do you think history has treated her unfairly and did this play any part in your creative process of starting this story?

Laura: YES! Look, it’s unlikely that those of us five hundred years after Anne are going to make the most accurate judgments. Frankly, I’m not certain I can accurately judge the people who live in my own house. Was Anne imperfect? No more than any human. Was she proud, insecure, arrogant, and impatient? No doubt. But what is a spirited, intelligent woman to do when a king (who has already been to bed with your sister and then married her off elsewhere) fixes his eye on you? Follow Mary Boleyn’s path, or forge her own? Resist the will of a king who has shown himself ready to meet personal grudges with violence? In the end, I think my opinion of Anne is summed up in a line I gave to Elizabeth in The Boleyn King, when Minuette asks if she believes Anne loved Henry: “I think she loved him as well as she was able, considering she had no choice in the matter.”

Kelly: I am totally in love with that. And how you say she forged her own path because that's what I love about her, too! With how detailed and vividly you write these infamous people of history, if you could spend the day with one historical figure from the Tudor era, who would it be and why?

Laura: Frankly, the Tudors scare the hell out of me. I’m not clever enough for Elizabeth, not brave enough for Henry, not male enough for Anne (who does not seem to have possessed many female friends) . . . I think I would like to spend a day with Jane Grey. And perhaps persuade her to defy her father and Northumberland and refuse to allow herself to be proclaimed queen. Jane was a woman who should have been allowed to live a quiet, useful life, not to be executed for trying to please the men around her.

Kelly: GREAT answer! I love Jane Grey and wish her story had turned out differently as well. I would love to see her defy her horrible parents...possibly another book in your future?..:)

This is an understatement but I was both enthralled and shocked by some of the things that happened in the final book. Did you always know how the story would end when you started The Boleyn King or did it evolve as you wrote?

Laura: A trick question! Originally, back in 2004/2005, The Boleyn King was one (very long) manuscript. I split the story at my agent’s suggestion some years later and thus the trilogy was born. Without giving spoilers, I will say that the original ending had more death. Hmmm, maybe not more death . . . it had different deaths. Once The Boleyn Reckoning has been out for a time, I’ll probably talk about this on my blog and share some of the details of the original version. There was, however, one very critical event that did not change. In fact, it was an outcome that I considered inevitable long before I began actually writing the story.

Kelly: Ooh, I cannot WAIT to find out those answer!! I found the deaths of certain prominent historical figures both ironic and shocking depending on whose it was. Did you map out how you were going to eliminate the major players and in what context?

Laura: Perhaps the aspect I most enjoy about writing alternate history is twisting historical facts (such as time and manner of death) to fit into a new story. Without spoiling too much for The Boleyn Deceit and The Boleyn Reckoning, consider the case of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. History records his execution in 1553 for having maneuvered to put Jane Grey on the throne in place of Mary Tudor. Since Mary Tudor doesn’t take the throne in my world, I had to figure out what to do with Northumberland. The trick is to remember that, though I have changed circumstances and situations, I haven’t changed the essence of who people were. Northumberland was ambitious, proud, and devoted to his family. All I had to do was find a different trigger for him to dig himself a mighty big hole in opposition to the royals.

Some of the details I include with the actual historical characters are almost like Easter Eggs—I like to think that those who know their Tudor history (and there are multitudes who know it far better than I do!) will appreciate the allusions and nods to the actual timeline.

Kelly: That is very prevalent I think in your story and I really liked. You didn't change the people, just the situation which is why I found the different deaths SO interesting! Obviously the Boleyn King series has quite the love story, epic in my humble opinion. What are some of your favorite love stories? Fictional or historical, either or both.

Laura: I adore love stories! I remember as a very young girl devouring The Little House on the Prairie books and being mightily impressed with Almanzo Wilder and his beautiful horses.

As an adult reader, hmmm, how about the first three love stories that come to mind today?

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier: historical fantasy set in early-Christian Ireland, a fairy tale re-telling of the six brothers turned into swans by an evil stepmother and the sister who must save them.

Here be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman: the story of Llewellyn the Great of Wales and his wife, Joanna—illegitimate daughter of the hated English King John—is epic and swoony and if that isn’t how things really happened between them, then it’s what should have happened.

The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett: a six-volume series set in Tudor times centered on the brilliant, enigmatic, infuriating Scotsman Francis Crawford of Lymond. There are plenty of women in those six volumes, but only one who can truly match Lymond in the end.

Kelly: Aaaand you've just made me add  A TON of book to my TBR pile...yay! SPEAKING of loves, let’s play Kiss, Marry, Cliff. You can kiss one, marry one, and throw the last off a cliff. Which would you do to whom between Dom, William, and Robert Dudley?

Laura: Perhaps it should be Kiss, Marry, Behead :)

Marry is easy. As my daughter said recently to my husband, “Dad, don’t you realize you ARE Dominic?”

Kiss . . . let’s just say that I still think the kiss between Will and Minuette after Anne Boleyn dies is one of the most erotic scenes I’ve ever written. That boy knows how to kiss.

And Robert Dudley reminds me of Captain Jack in Dr. Who—sometimes I’m charmed and sometimes I’d gladly push him off that cliff.

Kelly: OMG I LOVE THAT!! Kiss, Marry, Behead is totally perfect! I also totally would pick the same answers. That Dominic...does your husband have any single brothers?... :)

Thank you so, so, SO much for stopping by Belle of the Literati and giving this uh-may-zing interview!! I already cannot wait to re-read this series and I hope you all have added this to your TBR pile! 

Don't forget to check out my initial Book Pushin' post 

OR my Character Couture!!

OR my Lit in Lyrics playlist!!

Make It Fierce {Giveaway}

So let me tell you about the AMAZING time I had at the Fierce Reads tour when it came to the San Diego Public Library. ONE, I was beyond honored to be asked to be the official blogger for this stop of the tour and I had the amazing opportunity to interview the feature authors Emmy Laybourne, Leigh Bardugo, Ava Dellaira, and Jennifer Mathieu. They are all so nice, funny, and down to earth. Let me tell you a secret, I was nervous...super nervous. I'm a nurse! I don't spend my free time interviewing real live people!! Eep! But it went great and it was such a fun time! These ladies all rock and I cannot WAIT to share my interview...so I won't...below are hard hitting questions (lol) about the books and some other fun stuff. 

So without further ado...this is my one and one time with these fabulous ladies!

Note: Because I am not a professional interviewer and I jotted down notes for their answers and a lot of discussion was involved while talking, not all answers are exactly verbatim or can be quoted but the core of their answers are there :)

Ok, so let's get a generic book push question out of the way first. Describe your book in 5 words or less

Leigh— Solider. Summoner. Saint. Who Will Rise? 
Emmy— Danger. Velocity. Love. Catastrophe. Redemption.
Ava— Love Letters to the Dead.
Jennifer— Friday Night Lights Meets Easy A

I love ALL these answers! Especially Ava's creativity :)

If you had to pick a  theme song be for your book or series, what would it be?

Leigh— Blinding by Florence + the Machine and King and Lion Heart by Monsters and Men
Emmy— End of the World as We Know It by R.E.M.
Ava— Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana
Jennifer— Run Fast by The Julie Ruin

The first stop of the Fierce Reads Tour!

So you know when a friend reads a book you love and you sit waiting for their flails at your favorite parts. What part or scene from your book were you most excited for your readers to get to?

Leigh— How early the Darkling shows up in Siege and Storm and that I knew where the second book was going early on.
Emmy— *MILD SPOILER ALERT FOR SKY ON FIRE* When Josie rips of the mask and goes 'O' on purpose.
Ava— The last letter at the end of the book.
Jennifer— When all the pieces come together at the end and you find out what really happened.

Ok, I thought it would be fun to tie in a question for each authors book so let's start with Leigh's. What kind of Grisha would you want to be?

Leigh— Corporalnik
Emmy— Fabrikator
Ava— Summoner
Jennifer— Tailor

I love that everybody had a different answer!

Line for the signing

In honor of Emmy's Monument 14 series, what part of the superstore do you hit first and go to town in?

Leigh— Food
Emmy— Home Improvement
Ava— Bedding
Jennifer— Food and books

Now for Ava's, if you could meet or write a letter to one dead person who would it be?

Leigh— My Dad
Emmy— Laura Ingalls Wilder
Ava— Everyone in the book
Jennifer— River Phoenix and Janis Joplin

All the amazing authors!!

And for Jennifer's, what is one thing you’d like to say to your high school self? 

Leigh— There are no fairy godmothers.
Emmy— Don't treat your body like a currency.
Ava— The things you're going through matter and it will help you write your first book.
Jennifer— Just believe in yourself and calm down.

Um...I can't even begin to verbalize how much I love all these answers. Like I wanna tear up a little bit while reading them. So powerful and so true.

I love that all your books each have such a strong female character that young readers can look up to so I want to know...who are your favorite kickass female heroine?

Leigh— Alana from Tamora Pierce, Arya and Sansa and Brienne from Game of Thrones, Elisa from Girl of Fire and Thorns, all the Robin LeFevers female characters from His Fair Assassins, and Kestrel from The Winner's Curse
Emmy— Piper from Cut Me Free by JR Johanson and the female character in Fire County by David Estes
Ava— Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Melinda from Speak and the Laura Ingalls Wilder characters
Jennifer— Eleanor from Eleanor & Park and Frankie Landau from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks 

Love these answers!!! And I have a few new kickass females to read about!

In the wild shot

A few quick fire questions. Favorite book of all time? AKA what is a book that you love that you wish everyone could read and love like you do? 

Leigh— Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Emmy— Jim the Boy by Tony Earley
Ava— Was by Geoff Ryman
Jennifer— The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A few new books to add to my TBR pile!!

What about your most recent favorite book?

Leigh— Love Letters to the Dead and The Truth About Alice (Yay Fierce Reads authors!)
Emmy— The Doll Bones by Holly Black
Ava— Monument 14, The Truth About Alice, Shadow and Bone, and A Monster Calls (Yay Fierce Reads again!)
Jennifer— Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

I like to talk about a lot of travel and beauty stuff on my blog so I also want to know, what one place do you wish you could travel to?

Leigh— The Florida Keys
Emmy— Bismarck, North Dakota
Ava— Sicily (I'm more than a little biased about this one :) )
Jennifer— Cuba

And finally, what is your beauty product must-have?

Leigh— Atelier foundation
Emmy— Smith's Rosebud Bald
Ava— Khiel's Olive Oil Conditioner
Jennifer— Revlon 135 Lipstick (And it's discontinued so if you see any let Jennifer know!)

Per Emmy's suggestion--this is passionate discord :)

Eeep! Thank you ladies so, so, SO much for your time and all your amazing questions. If you guys have not read these books yet you have to get on it because they are all so great! Thank you to Mary, Ksenia, Brittany, and Molly and the entire Macmillian team for this amazing opportunity and event. It was all fantastic and of course, totally fierce :)

And there's more! I'm giving away a complete set of the June titles of the Fierce Reads Tour so make sure to enter! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway