A Tale of Two Goblins Blog Tour: Interview & Giveaway with author H.P. Mallory

I’m very excited to have H.P. Mallory visiting us today

for an interview on her A Tale of Two Goblins Blog Tour!

Welcome, could you tell us a little bit about yourself, H.P.?

Hi Crystal, thanks for having me!

Um, a little about me…well, I’ve always wanted to be a writer and recently made that dream a reality. After becoming self published, back in July 2010, my books really took off and this last Jan I decided to quit my job and become a full time author. I haven’t looked back since!

For someone who isn’t familiar with the Dulcie O’Neil Series, how would you describe it to them?

Dulcie is a very tough fairy who works in law enforcement. She’s smart, determined and strong but also has her faults. In the first novel, To Kill A Warlock, Dulcie has to figure out who killed an infamous potions importer and in the second book, A Tale of Two Goblins, Dulcie has to stop a killer who stalks people in their dreams. And all the while, she’s trying to combat her romantic feelings towards three men!

What kind of readers do you think these novels will appeal to?

Anyone who likes urban fantasy or paranormal romance

What would Dulcie never be caught dead saying?

I can’t

Is there a character that gave you a lot of trouble to write? If so who and why?

Um, not really. Luckily, I pretty much have my characters figured out ahead of time so I don’t ever find myself stuck.

What famous person do you picture as Knight, Bram and Quillan?

Actually, I never really pictured any famous people as any of my characters. They sort of live in my head and take on their own personalities, etc. I never write a character based on an actor or model. I prefer to give them their own personalities and looks.

Can you give us a little glimpse as to what would happen if Knight and Bram were to sit down together for a poker game?

I imagine it would be a lot of tete-a-tete and one-upping going on. No brawling or anything like that but lots of comparing notes where Dulcie is concerned.

Out of the two novels so far in this series, which one did you have the most fun writing and why?

I really enjoyed writing Goblins. I just thought the storyline was really fun.

How many novels are planned for this series, can you give us a little sneak peek on what may happen to Dulcie next?

Um, I’m thinking maybe 5 at the moment. The next book will see Dulcie returning to the Netherworld.

In one sentence, why should readers pick up A Tale of Two Goblins today?

I think readers who enjoy urban fantasy will like the ups and downs in Dulcie’s life and the fact that she’s surrounded by hot men! LOL

Thank you so much H.P., is there any last words or comments you want to leave our readers with?

I just want to thank all my readers for getting me where I am today. You all are the best!!!

Next Stop: Fiction Enthusiast

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About the author:

Hi, I'm HP Mallory and I've written two series, the first about a fairy in law enforcement (To Kill A Warlock and A Tale of Two Goblins) and the second about a witch who can bring back the dead (Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble and Toil and Trouble).

I'm a mongo fan of anything that goes bump in the night and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! (Quick tangent--the best costume I've ever worn was last year when I went as the Headless Horseman and my baby was my Jack-O-Lantern head!) I've always loved the Twilight Zone Marathons and if I ever saw a ghost, I think I'd wet myself.

I grew up in California although I've lived abroad in the UK (England and Scotland--woo hoo, gotta love those kilts!)

I'd categorize my writing as a blend of suspense, humor, light horror, and romance with a sprinkle of fantasy to tie everything together! If you are all about fairies and witches and vampires (oh my!), you love a good alpha warlock and you like men who get a little hairy during a full moon, I got the goods.

Find out more about H.P. Mallory at her website

Purchase the books here

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~Giveaway~

H.P. Mallory is giving away one e-copy of A Tale of Two Goblins to one lucky reader!

To enter just leave a question or comment for the author, make sure to include a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Giveaway will end at 11:59pm on May 10th. One winner will then be selected at random using random.org, the winner then has 48 hours to respond to the email notification or another winner will be chosen. Open internationally.

Sexy Snippets: When you Dare by Lori Foster

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Sexy Snippets is a weekly meme hosted by Secrets of a Book Lover and Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participates can add the book to their TBR lists if they like. Then add your post to the linky below so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

...To get her back where she needed to be, Dare kissed his way along her upper body, over her shoulders, her collarbone, her throat. Every so often, he gave her a gentle love bite and then soothed it with a soft opened-mouthed kiss and the stroke of his tongue. 

Holding onto his forearms, Molly tipped her head back. His hands easily spanned the width of her narrow back. Holding her like that, he arched her up and closed his mouth over her left nipple through her bra. Her vibrating groan tested his resolve, but he held on. Barely. While he teased her, he teased himself, too, by grinding his erection against her soft body. 

She sucked in a breath. "Dare?" Her right hand left his forearm and went to his abdomen, then down along the fly of his jeans. Through the denim she found and stroked him, making him nuts. 

When you Dare by Lori Foster

Page 292

Now it's your turn, show me your sexy snippet and link up!

What's Beside Your Bed: Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

 
Hosted by Nanny at Getting Naughty Between the Stacks

Savor the Danger

Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #3

by Lori Foster

June 28, 2011

                                                                             She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty—with no memory of what happened—he knows he's been drugged… even if Alani doesn't. 

After she was kidnapped, Alani swore she'd never trust another man again. Still, something about this strong, sexy hero with the tender touch makes her want to believe him. As Jackson hunts downs a mysterious intruder, he swears he'll move heaven and earth to keep Alani safe. But what really happened that night? And will the truth bring them closer than they ever thought possible—or put Alani squarely in harm's way again?

Review: To Kill A Warlock by H.P. Mallory

To Kill A Warlock

Dulcie O’Neil #1

H.P. Mallory

ebook, 134 pages

Published July 5th 2010 

Courtesy of author for blog tour

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

GoodReads

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My Thoughts:

To Kill a Warlock is a light and humorous paranormal romance/urban fantasy about a fairy named Dulcie O'Neil and her adventures as a regulator (law enforcement) for Netherworld creatures and an aspiring romance writer.

When a known illegal potions seller is found dead, Dulcie is the prime suspect and must seek out the true culprit to clear her name. Soon after the murder a handsome stranger shows up claiming to be a Netherworld investigator sent to team up with her and find the murderer, but Dulcie finds more then she bargained for in this investigation.

With magic, romance, mystery, sexual tension and action, To Kill a Warlock was a fun and fast read. Mallory has created an interesting world with a vast array of paranormal creatures and a fresh twist in their abilities.

I loved the secondary characters in this take, especially Dulcie’s three love interests; Knightly, Bram and Quillan.

Though I wasn’t getting the feel of the main character and heroine, Dulcie. She is a smart, pretty and kick-ass fairy that is serious about her job but I found her personality and character development lacking. She had a bad relationship experience and because of her issues with that came off as a cold man-hater. She has three gorgeous men vying for her attention and she states in internal dialogues that she is attracted to each one, has feelings for one or two, but then she goes off thinking she would never be with any of them, turns them down and doesn’t treat them very nice at all. The romance in this story was a big disappointment for me, I wasn’t believing it, and is the main reason as to my rating of this novel.  

There was a nice twist to the end though and I enjoyed the sub-plot of Dulcie writing a bodice-ripping pirate romance starring her boss. All in all a good read and I will continue with the series. 

Rating: 3.5 - Good

ARC Review: Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

Trace of Fever

Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #2

by Lori Foster

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: May 31st 2011 by HQN Books

ISBN 037377575X

Courtesy of NetGalley

Undercover mercenary Trace Rivers loves the adrenaline rush of a well-planned mission. First he'll earn the trust of corrupt businessman Murray Coburn, then gather the proof he needs to shut down the man's dirty smuggling operation. It's a perfect scheme—until Coburn's long-lost daughter saunters in with her own deadly plan for revenge.With a smile like an angel and fire in her eyes, Priscilla Patterson isn't who she seems to be. But neither is the gorgeous bodyguard who ignites all her senses. Joining forces to plot Coburn's downfall, Priss and Trace must fight the undeniable heat between them. For one wrong move, one lingering embrace, will expose them to the wrath of a merciless opponent….

GoodReads

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My Thoughts:

Trace if Fever is a sensational read full of excitement, danger and temptation!

Trace River’s sister, Alani, is safe and sound from her ordeal with the flesh traders in big part to his friend Dare. Those responsible are dead, but there are still plenty out there in the business to take down and Trace is making it his personal mission to see every last one of them stopped for good.

Priscilla Patterson is out for revenge on her unknown father, Murray Coburn, a big time player in the human trafficking business. When she makes plans to meet and eventually kill him the last thing she expected was the tall, strong and sexy bodyguard, Trace Miller, to anticipate and divert her every move.

Now to protect each other from being exposed they must work together, but is the prospect of revenge worth more then the growing love between them?

Trace of Fever was an outstanding read, though I enjoyed When you Dare more, this is not a novel to miss!

I especially loved the character of Trace. We original met him in When you Dare and his take charge attitude and protectiveness of his sister captured my heart. Other characters from the first novel play a big role in Trace of Fever as well and I love when authors bring back past characters that we love and give they play integral parts in the continuation of the series.

I had a hard time however getting into the heroine, Priscilla. I usually enjoy the snarky leading ladies but Priss' whole attitude just turned me off, though not surprising, the plot and hero more then made up for what I found lacking in the heroine and I was riveted to every page.

The story moved at a quick and even pace, the plot was even more interesting then in When you Dare! Foster threw in several twists and turns that I was not expecting and kept me on the edge of my seat, and the dialogue between all of the characters was witty and entertaining, I especially loved the escape scene in the shower with a certain cowboy-hat-wearing-hunk.

Priss definitely brings the alpha male out in Trace and he becomes very possessive which is uber sexy and he is completely open with his feelings, and that adds to his already vast appeal. Pris is also smart, independent and capable but had a cloistered upbringing. She had a well thought out plan for revenge and didn’t vary from it, even at times were she should of, much to Trace’s dismay. This was both admirable and frustrating and illustrates Foster's superb writing skills in making you feel these two emotions at the same time. The villains are just as well written and really made my skin crawl, this is definitely a darker novel then the first.

All in all; a great, well written romantic suspense that I recommend. I cannot wait for Savor the Danger, Jackson’s story. I loved his smart-ass, out-spoken attitude in Trace of Fever and I am looking forward to seeing a lot more of him! And don’t you just love the covers for this series?!?! *drool*

Rating: 4 - A great read!

ARC Review: When You Dare by Lori Foster

When You Dare

Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor

Lori Foster

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: April 26th 2011 by HQN Books

ISBN 037377571

Courtesy of NetGalley

The tougher they are, the harder they fall… Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure. Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…

GoodReads

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My Thoughts:

Hot action and scorching romance, Lori Foster delivers it all in When you Dare!

Dare Macintosh is in Mexico rescuing his friends sister from flesh traders when he sees another woman in the shack looking worse off then any of the others. When he finds her unconscious he can’t leave her there, so he brings this new complication out with them and back across the border.

Molly Alexander is a romantic suspense author and she has no clue why she was kidnapped, she is definitely not like the other women who were held; young and sexy. Unsure who to trust in her life and not wanting to contact anyone Molly hires Dare to protect her.

Little did Molly know, that it was her heart that needed protecting the most…

I absolutely loved When You Dare, it is my first read from Lori Foster and a great start to a new series. I especially love the play on words for the title, and the cover is sexy as hell. (I kept going back to it while reading; it’s the perfect representation of Dare.)

Dare is all male, and all alpha. Sexy, smart, sensitive and not afraid to show his feelings, this man has it all. (Definitely one to add to my harem of book boyfriends!) He is good at everything, until Molly. When it comes to her Dare doesn’t always know up from down or even the right things to say in a lot of instances. Sometimes I found myself cringing with came out of his mouth, but he found a perfect way to get around those small blunders- kissing the heck out of his lady!

His love for his ‘girls’ and assistant Chris is so sweet, and he knows when to back off and not smother Molly; giving her the space she needs to come to terms with her traumatic experience and what they could mean for her future. He is incredibly sensitive to her ordeal, being patient and supporting with her. Molly herself is strong, levelheaded and an admirable leading lady; she is the perfect fit for Dare.

His and Molly’s relationship developed fast but felt natural and not at all rushed. The chemistry and sizzling love scenes between the two were pure perfection and masterfully written.

Occasional there was a scene that moved a bit slow and felt drawn out but the story held it's entertainment and excitement. I really liked delving into the world of men that fight for good outside of the law. I also found it interesting, a romantic suspense author writing about a character that is a romantic suspense author, and it makes me wonder if any of the things written may have some truth to them (I later found out that yes, it does!)

As for the main plot; the twists and turns kept me intrigued, though I did figure out the villain beforehand I was still riveted to every page.

I enjoyed all the secondary characters, they were fleshed out just as well as the main characters and I hope to see much more of each one.

The ending came too quickly for me, I wanted Dare and Molly's story to keep going but alas, all good things must come to an end. Thankfully the first three novels in this series are releasing back to back!

All in all, Lori Foster definitely lived up to her claim of producing super sexy alpha males who are private mercenaries and ‘walk the edge of honor’. I can’t wait to read more in Trace of Fever and Savor the Danger! This series is a must read for sure! And if you couldn't tell, I just loved Dare!

Rating: 4.5 - Loved it, a must read!