Hi everyone!

I know I’ve been quiet. I was on vacation and had limited internet access, but now that I’m home, I am thrilled to introduce you to Heather, a reviewer for Everybody Needs a Little Romance. The blog is excellent and the reviewers are genuine, honest, and love to read romance. If you’d like to learn a little about the review site and the reviewers, especially Heather, here’s a link: http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/heather/ or http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/. I think you’ll enjoy the posts and the blog. The link is also to the left on my blogroll. I hope you’ll check out Heather’s thoughts on what it’s like to be a reviewer. Share your thoughts, comments, and questions and we’ll be checking in to respond.

 Hey all, my name is Heather and I review books for Everybody Needs a Little Romance.  I am honored that Frances asked me to guest on her blog.  You see, I am a huge fan of her books.  I don’t usually pick up historical romances but I won the 1^st book in her Panthera Series in a contest and was hooked.   I bought Rhiannon’s Pride as soon as I finished the 1^st one and now have all three of them on my Kindle.

I have been a book lover and avid reader all my life.  In January, I started reviewing books for the blog.  I have never reviewed books for a blog or website until Keri Ford asked me to join their blog as a reviewer.  I started out on a temporary basis because I wasn’t sure how good I would be at reviewing books.  After a couple months I became a part of the blog, I even have my own tab!!

I love reviewing books for them.  I get to read whatever I want and tell people about some of my favorite authors.  Another perk is the free books I get in exchange for an honest review.  I have won ARC’s from Moira Rogers, Jaci Burton and Maya Banks that I’ve been able to review for them.  It’s definitely been a lot of fun.

Its hard to say exactly what I look for in a book, a lot of times it depends on my mood.  I read just about everything from paranormal romance and urban fantasy, to contemporary romances.  I have found as I get older, I tend to like my romance books a little spicier and I absolutely hate teenage angst.  I am probably the only person that hasn’t read the Twilight series. 

I tend to look for books that have strong characters, especially the females.  I like a female character that is able to take care of herself but is willing to accept help when she needs it.  I like my males strong and HOT but with flaws that make them human and approachable.  A cast of complex supporting characters is another must.  They help with plot development and can lead to expansion of the story into other books.

The best books are the ones that have the ability to transport me to another place where I am so vested in the story I am reading that I forget about everything else.  There are a select few books that I have even had dreams about the characters because I didn’t want the book to end.   Some of my favorite authors are JR Ward, Lora Leigh, Gena Showalter Kresley Cole, Lindsey Sands, Patricia Brigss, and of course, Frances.  The list is too numerous to name them all.

When I review books for the blog we use Flaming Heart ratings, ranging from 1 to 5 with the option of a DNF or a Broken Heart.  The majority of the books I have reviewed range from 3 to 4 ½ flaming hearts.  If the book is good and holds my attention but isn’t anything special it will be awarded 3 flaming hearts.  If the book has an extra something it can earn 3 ½ to 4 flaming hearts.  If it’s a really good, can’t put down book, that makes me cry that deserves 4 ½ to 5 flaming hearts.  I happy to say that I have not had to give a book less than 3 stars and have never had a DNF or Broken heart book.

A little about myself:  I am a 42 year old grandma of a beautiful 16 month old.  In addition to spending time with my little angel, I work full time and am in the process of completing my MBA.   My biggest complaint is that there are too many books and too little time.  Please stop by Everybody Needs a Little Romance and check out our blog.  Frances will be our guest on Friday, June 25^th.  My book reviews are posted every other Friday.  http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/

Happy Monday!

Today, I wanted to send out an RSVP link to the interview and contest that will be held over at Bitten By Books. I’m going to be answering questions, participating in a blog like interview, throughout the day on Wednesday June 16, starting 12:00PM Central time. In addition to the interview, there will be a contest for two lucky winners, the prize 50$ Amazon.com giftcards to be electronically delivered and in honor of being ‘green’ friendly, the giftcard will be emailed!

Also, if you haven’t heard, Sea Captain’s Ghost is now available for the Kindle over at Amazon.com! Now all three Panthera titles are available at Amazon.

For more information, and chances to win the contest, here’s a link for the RSVP. I’ll have an updated link for the interview very soon: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=26068#more-26068

Don’t forget to RSVP and come on out this coming Wednesday June 16. Hope to see you there!

Frances Stockton

Hey everyone!

I know I’ve been quiet, as I’ve been plotting another sexy Contemporary Romance featuring a secondary character from Quarterback Blitz, and working on first round edits. I had some exciting news to share, however, and wanted to give a shout. First, check out the cover for Quarterback Blitz! I’ve already posted it on Facebook, and will do the same on MySpace and right here on my blog.

Second, I’m going to be interviewed and chatting live this coming Wednesday June 16, 2010 over at Bitten By Books! Monday and Tuesday, I’ll post more information, such as links to the site, and there will be a contest. The prize will be an Amazon.com giftcard. I’m very excited about BBB, the ladies there are fabulous and so enthusiastic about paranormal books. Since I love the genre and have three published so far with Cerridwen Press, I hope you’ll stop by on Wednesday. I’ll be chatting or posting comments throughout the day.

Soon, I’ll be hosting my good friend Todd Mion right here on my blog, doing my first blog interview. Todd will be talking about life in the theater, especially the technical side of things. Be on the look out, and I’ll post links on various social networks.

Happy Friday everyone,

Frances