Today is lucky day 13 of the Fire and Ice Tour. I hope you have enjoyed all the stops this week. I have a smoking hot sexy read for you today. First, here are the stops for today:
Cambria Hebert@CambriaHebert: Tish Thawer
Anna@Read Between the Lines:Katie Salidas
Jess@Bend the Binding: Cambria Hebert
Jenn@Indie Supporter: Julia Crane
As always be sure to visit these wonderful bloggers and enter their giveaways!
I am going to introduce to Courtney Cole. She is known for her two YA series: The Paradise Diaries
Before we get to that here is Courtney's bio:
Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could.
She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.
Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).
Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.
Learn more about Courtney and her books on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
I invited Courtney her today for a fun guest post! Here is Courtney on Versatility in Writing:
Crossing Genre Barriers
So many people have asked me lately how I switch gears and write in several different genres (YA, NA, Dark Adult Contemp, Humorous Adult Contemp) so I thought I’d take a second just to talk about that today. Right after I thank Heidi for having me. *waves at Heidi* Thank you so much, Heidi, for having me!
Okay. So I think it’s a myth that writers should only write in one genre. Or that they are only good at one genre. I think there are many writers out there who are versatile and can totally do it. It’s true that some can’t—some people are good at one thing and they do that one thing so well that they shouldn’t stray from it. But some people can effectively write different kinds of things. And for those writers, I think they should definitely explore all of the things that they are good at.
For a long time, I think big publishing houses steered their writers into writing one specialty, which is probably smart for marketing purposes, but since the industry is changing, we are able to change with it. And that means that we can shuck some of the old ways.
Nowadays, writers can write several genres. Lucky for me, because I have a schizophrenic muse. There are times that I feel like writing something dark and angsty and there are times that I feel like writing something light and funny, like Alli Cat. Sometimes, I want to write something explicit and sometimes, I want to write YA.
It’s really liberating to be able to write anything that I want, whatever strikes my fancy. A talent of mine is writing a good emotional scene. But I also find it fun to write something funny. So, that’s why you’ll see me writing different types of books. It’s so much fun and I feel blessed every day to have the job that I have.
As far as The Cougar Chronicles go… there will be a second book. It will be told from
Thank you again for having me here today, Heidi. It was fun!
A big thanks to Courtney for stopping by today for The Fire and Ice Tour. I can only imagine the hysterical scenes that are coming from Sara's point of view! I can't wait! If adult, sexy books aren't your thing be sure to check out Courtney's YA books. The Paradise Diaries
Here is my review:
Confessions of an Alli Cat (The Cougar Chronicles, #1)
Allie's idea of “trying new things” is nothing like that devil-of-a-best-friend of hers. Somehow, Sara, the devil of a best friend, talks Alli into trying out a sex toy, sleeping with a younger man and letting a stranger in a lab jacket put hot wax on a place that should never, ever, ever see wax. And that’s only the beginning.
Alli never saw her life going quite like this. She also never thought she’d meet someone else who had the very real potential to change her life forever.
But she did.
Enter the new guy. He’s gorgeous, refined and mature. He’s also marriage material. But that poses a problem for Alli, who renounced the institution of marriage when she renounced her ex. What’s a girl to do?
They say that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But what the heck happens when you can’t leave Vegas? Well, you spin the wheel, of course. You play the game and let the chips fall where they may.
Alli just hopes she can find them all.
Caution! Only read this book if you want to laugh and are not offended at adult themes and language. This is not a Young Adult book. Kindle Edition, 201 pages Published October 23rd 2012 by Lakehouse Press.
Four Stars: A fun, sexy, saucy little book for women! Strap on your big girl panties for this one!
Alli is trying to move beyond her divorce and her fifteen years with her ex husband who is known now in her social circle as "Rick the Dick". Alli's best friend, Sara, doesn't feel like she is moving fast enough so she steps into help. First, Sara convinces Alli she needs to try out a sex toy, and the somewhat reserved Alli is shocked and recalcitrant, but once she gives in there is no going back. Next, Sara proposes something even more daring.... a night in an exclusive club with an escort. Once Alli sees the online picture of Shadow, she is ready to lick the screen. Talk about a hot twenty something man! Alli wiggles on her spandex panties and high heels and sets out for a night she will never forget. Alli has a session of toe curling pleasure and she is hooked. Her once boring life is now full of passion and craziness. Sara keeps pushing the envelope and Alli is soon getting a bikini wax, indulging in fantasy sexual escapades, and getting into all kinds of ridiculous and hilarious situations. What she doesn't count on is losing her heart! Will Alli become a sex obsessed cougar or will she find love?
What I Liked:
- It is nice every once in awhile to strap on my big girl panties and indulge in a fun adult book and this one certainly fit the bill. I have read three other books by Ms. Cole and this is definitely a new side to her writing. If you know Ms. Cole from her YA books only, you will be surprised to indulge in this wicked and saucy book. Be warned this book has plenty of hot, hot sex scenes and adult situations. This is far from Courtney's sweet YA series. It is a sinful escape and I think many women will be reading this and asking, "Where can I get a Shadow?". If you are looking for a hilarious book filled with steamy scenes, that will get you away from your daily grind this is a book you should check out!
- I am not always a fan of sex scenes. I think because often times when they are extremely intimate I feel like a peeping Tom spying on someone's most private moments of passion. This book has some detailed sex scenes that will make you blush, but I did not get that dirty feeling with this one. I think because the majority of the sex scenes involve Alli and her escort Shade. They engage in heated sexual encounters but there is no intimacy as they are not romantically involved. If you are not a fan of sexy books with lots of sexy time, don't read this one. You definitely would not want to leave this one sitting out on your bedside table if you are worried about prying eyes.
- I absolutely adored the best friend Sara. She is a red headed firecracker who is confident and secure in her middle aged lifestyle. She pushes Alli time and time again into daring situations and encourages her to leave her comfort zone. The scene where Sara insists Alli get a bikini wax is hilarious! Part of me would love a best friend like Sara and the other half worries about the mayhem. As Alli says, " With a best friend like Sara, who needs enemies?" Sara is dynamite. I hope that the next book in this series is from Sara's perspective.
- This book is full of funny situations that made me giggle. Alli manages to make a fool of herself time and time again. I laughed my butt off when she goes to work without panties after her miserable bikini waxing and also the scene where she spills bronzing powder all over her new boss's crotch and then runs to get the vacuum. If you enjoy novels with plenty of madcap, and sticky situations you will love this one.
- I loved watching Alli evolve. She goes from a woman in her mid thirties on the verge of a mid life crisis with low self esteem to a sexy, confident woman. It is nice to see her take charge and get her confidence back, and for her to stick it to "Rick the Dick."
- I enjoyed the funny chapter titles as well as the two brief chapters from Shade's and Alex's point of view.
And The Not So Much:
- I felt like I was missing something on Alli's character since the book opens nine months after her divorce. There is very little information given on what type of person Alli was before the Sara imposed makeover. Was she shy and reserved? What was she like while she was married to Rick? Granted, I don't want all the dirt and negativity on the breakup of their marriage and I was glad that was glossed over, but still I would like a glimpse into Alli's life before the revolution.
- There are a couple of twists involving Alli's escort. He manages to pop up into her life in the most unexpected ways. I didn't expect the first, but the second was not a surprise. Though it was fun and clever the way Ms. Cole weaved together all the story lines, I have to admit it was a bit contrived, but who cares it was fun!
- Once again, keep in mind this is not a book for those who don't like sexy scenes. If you are a fan of Ms. Cole's other books, keep in mind this is nothing like her sweet book, Dante's Girl. This is definitely a big girl book!
Confessions of an Alli Cat is a smoking hot, hilarious escape novel that will provide you plenty of heat and laughs in one read. This is a fast paced book that you can pick up and read in a couple of hours, as it is hard to put down once you start. It is packed full of ridiculous situations that will have you giggling. If you are looking for a pick me up book with hilarity and sex grab this one. The bikini waxing scene is priceless!
Favorite Quotations:
"End cohesive thought here as all blood is diverted away from the brain and into the male head that is not capable of significant thought."
"And she's nauseatingly thin. Except for her fake boobs, which Rick bought and paid for and can be used as flotation devices."
"Sometimes, when you're married, you forget to grow as an individual because you're so focused on being part of a unit."
"I read somewhere that every broken road in life leads to where you were meant to go in the first place."
I wanted to include more quotes, but the ones I loved where a little to risqué you will have to read this for yourself.
I purchased a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
See you back tomorrow for the beginning of Week Three of Fire and Ice hosted by: Christy @ Love of Books
Stay up to date on all the current giveaways on this blog. Click the button below.
