"Retribution" Book giveaway today at RG2E!

I'm going to be giving away 5 copies of Retribution today, December 5th, at The Reader's Guide to Epublishing (RG2E). And as a special bonus, two commenters will get a swag pack! (U.S. only)

To win a free book, all you have to do is stop by RG2E and leave a comment with your email address and which retailer you'd like to get the book from (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords).

And while you're there, you can learn a little bit about my travels in Italy and how they inspired the various settings in the Blood and Honor series.

Here's the link to RG2E!

Cover Reveal for "Sacrifice of Innocence" by Allison Cosgrove!

Today I've got something a little different. Allison Cosgrove is sharing the cover of her upcoming novel, Sacrifice of Innocence, with us! Sacrifice of Innocence, which will be released in January, is the first book in the Detective Stan Brookshire series. 

What's the book about?

A cult has been killing children for its rituals, and only one cop knows who they are. Detective Stan Brookshire knows, but his past keeps people from believing in him. Can he rise above the stigma that shrouds his past and stop a cult from taking yet another innocent child from her mother’s arms before it’s too late?

Check out the cover!

Want to read an excerpt? Warning: It's creepy!

The man in the corner listened in the darkness, the wind whistling through the crack in the window frame, billowing his hair around him. The child in the room with him was invisible in the darkness. Even the power of the sun, let alone the light from the full moon, could not dampen the gloom hidden behind the boarded windows.

Hearing a sound, the man stiffened. It was the child; the sweet, young child.

"Very soon, my precious, very soon," Joseph whispered, his breath coming in short gasps. Excitement filled his belly; time was drawing closer for the boy.

Footsteps in the hallway caused the boy to whimper in fear, lighting the man's loins on fire. Desperately wanting the forbidden, to touch and play with the boy, he tried to force the urge back down. He wasn't allowed that pleasure, yet. The priests would come soon and the boy would have to be pure. The man's needs would have to wait. The boy would have to wait.
Dreaming of the day he would finally be able to have his way with the boy, the man fixed the delicious whimpers in his memory. The boy would no longer be able to cry and plea.

It was coming soon. So close now.

On the other side of the room, he heard the ominous creak of the door opening. Blinding light silhouetted a figure dressed in long robes.

He hurried over and retrieved his boy-child, his breath coming in gasps so ragged that he thought his lungs would cease to function.

A whimper was all that escaped the gag when the boy tried to scream. Cringing at the man's touch, he fought against the bonds, causing the man's groin to harden once more.

The man smiled. He tightened his grip upon the boy as he tried to wiggle free. The door stood open, waiting for him and the boy.

Suddenly, the door swung closed behind him, plunging the room into darkness once again.

About the author

Allison Cosgrove was born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, Ontario. A married mother of three daughters, she works in accounting by day and creates her own worlds by night. She enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters hiking in the woods or sitting by the fire reading a good book. She has had the love of reading and writing detective mysteries from the age of twelve, but it has only been since the birth of her youngest that she has gotten serious about crafting some of her own works for others to enjoy. She credits her family and friends with being the driving force that has given her the strength to breathe life into her books.

Want to learn more about Allison and her books? 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alleycat34

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacrifice-of-Innocence/189484287742684

Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/AllisonMCosgrove

Website: http://www.stanbrookshire.com

Thank you, Allison, for sharing your book with us!

Events You Don't Want to Miss!

I'm going to be participating in a lot of exciting events this winter and into next year. So you don't miss anything, make sure you sign up for my newsletter, like me on FaceBook, and/or follow my blog.

New Event! January 12th, Book Signing at Finally Found Books in Black Diamond, WA from 1-4 PM. I'll be signing books with several other Seattle-area local romance authors, including my critique partner, Kristine Cayne. For more information, click here. 

February (exact date TBD): I'll be releasing Malavita, the prequel novella to the Blood and Honor series! (Don't worry, Malavita isn't required reading to enjoy the series; it just fleshes out the events leading up to Revenge and Retribution. You can certainly enjoy the series without having read Malavita first.)

February 8th-11th, I'll be in the "Heartbreaker" blog hop. Over 175 authors are already signed up for this hop!

New! February 7th-14th, I'll be in the "Love Is in the Air" blog hop. Over 80 authors and bloggers are already signed up for this hop!

New! February 14th-21st, I'll be in the "Hearts on Fire" blog hop. Over 70 authors and bloggers are signed up for this hop!

March 15th-18th, I'll be in the "Lucky in Love" blog hop. Almost 150 authors are already signed up!

April 25th-28th, I'll be in the "Tortured Heroes" blog hop (don't you just love that name?). Over 100 authors are already signed up!

May 24th-27th, I'll be in the "Sweaty Nights" blog hop (sounds awesome, doesn't it?). Almost 100 authors are already signed up!

New! June 27th-30th, I'll be in the "Fantasy" blog hop. Over 130 authors are already signed up! 

June - July (exact date TBD): I'll be releasing Redemption, the third book in the Blood and Honor series. This is Antonio's story, which many readers have been asking for since the moment he showed up in book 1. 

December - January (exact date TBD): I'll be releasing Release, the fourth book in the Blood and Honor series. This is Ruggero's story, and it's going to be a doozy!

And... there's more to come. Whew!

Win Prizes in the Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt - Dec 1st to Jan 15th!

Night Owl Reviews is sponsoring a Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt from December 1st to January 15th.  Get entered to win one of 15 great prize packages, featuring prizes such as:

Amazon Gift Cards, ranging from $100 to $15

Barnes & Noble Gift Cards

Samhain Publishing Gift Cards

Fan Registration Tickets for RomCon 2013

Amazon Kindle Touch Wi-Fi

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Gift Basket worth $125

Victoria's Secret Gift Card for $50

Jewelry

eBooks

&

More!

Complete list of prizes

Click here to enter!

Cyber Monday Sale at All Romance eBooks and OmniLit!

All Romance eBooks and OmniLit are having a super-cool Cyber Monday sale with a 50% rebate* on your purchase!

Hurry! This sale only lasts one day. 

Get all the books you love for yourself or the booklovers on your gift list all with a 50% rebate!

*rebate is applied to your account in eBucks after checkout.  

**Look for the crown icons that indicate rebate eligible books!

Sale ends Monday, November 26th 11:59 PM US Central Time

If you've been waiting for a great opportunity to buy my "Blood and Honor" series, this is it! 

You'll get back $3.00 in eBucks with the purchase of both books!

 Revenge: All Romance eBooks, OmniLit

Retribution: All Romance eBooks, OmniLit

  

Black Friday Blog Hop--Books to Buy!

Welcome to stop #36 of the Black Friday Blog Hop!

To enter the contests, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below.

And see below for details of a special one-day .99 sale!

Thanksgiving is barely over, but you know what that means--Christmas shopping! (And be sure to fit in a little retail therapy for yourself, while you're at it!) While I always end up at the mall at least once, I tend to do a lot of my shopping online, and since I come from a family of book lovers, Amazon and B&N are always among my stops. And of course, I end up buying one or two things for myself (because shopping is HARD and I have the willpower of a gnat). 

If you're anything like me, you'll be adding some books to your shopping cart, so I'd like to suggest a few that I discovered this year.

Romantic suspense: Kristine Cayne (Deadly Vices series), Pamela Clare (I-Team series), Diana Layne (Vista Security series), Ann Charles (Deadwood series), Cherry Adair (Lodestone series), Trish McCallan (Forged series), Stacey Joy Netzel (Lost in Italy), Zee Monodee (Walking the Edge), J.M. Darhower (Sempre), Christine Fairchild (An Eye for Danger) 

Paranormal romance: J.R. Ward (okay, I discovered Ward before this year, but she's released new books in both the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Fallen Angels series) and Larissa Ione (both the Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series). And if you like gritty urban fantasy as well, check out Karen Marie Moning (the Fever series) and Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress series). 

Historical romance: Delilah Marvelle (Scandal and Rumor series), Laura Navarre (The Devil's Mistress)

Erotic romance: Lorelei James (Rough Riders series -- oh, those cowboys!), Natasha Blackthorne (A Measured Risk--The Earl of Ruel is my Christian Grey), Nina Lane (The Erotic Dark -- much darker than Fifty Shades)

And if your tastes run a little lighter than mine, try Diane Kelly's Tara Holloway series in humorous romantic suspense, or Natalie G. Owen's Moonlight Dating series in short paranormal romance. I also highly recommend David Wailing's Fake Kate, an unpredictable story about two sisters that's a mix of suspense, romance, and rollicking good writing.  

What are your favorite romances or romance authors?

***

Now that you've read my recommendations, are you wondering what kind of books I write? Of course you are! :)

My current romantic suspense series is called Blood and Honor and is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. The series chronicles the battles--both bloody and romantic--between two warring Mafia clans. Books 1 and 2 are available now. Here's a taste of Book 1: 

An Interpol agent playing a dangerous game. A Mafia princess desperate to escape. A man determined to exact retribution...

Nick Clarkston, a young Interpol agent, threatens to undo the fragile peace between the Lucchesi and Andretti families when he tries to take down the Mafia don father who abandoned him. He allies with his father's sworn enemy, a mobster both devious and ruthless. The mobster's alluring daughter helps Nick negotiate the murky criminal underworld, but he soon learns she's using him. Trapped, and with nowhere to turn, Nick makes a tragic mistake that plunges him further into danger.

Delfina Andretti appears to be the typical Mafia princess--but this princess wants out. Delfina dreams of being a fashion designer, and hooking up with Nick is her ticket out of an arranged marriage. Her feelings for Nick are genuine, but he's leery of her. Even worse, his heedless drive for justice threatens to get them both killed and to put everyone Delfina loves behind bars--unless she and Nick can forge a new future for their warring families.

Excerpt:

It was hard going in the dark—the night was cloudy and the moon was new. Delfina tripped over a tree root, and Nick caught her about the waist and pulled her back against his hard chest. She gasped at the jolt of adrenaline his touch roused in her. When he spoke, his voice, low and velvety, was so close to her ear that she shivered. “All right?”

“Sì, grazie.” Her heart slammed against her ribcage as he held her, his large warm hands on her hips. She had a sudden, entirely insane, desire for him to kiss her. She turned her head toward his and felt his breath, warm against her cheek. Every inch of her skin danced with electricity. She waited, the only sound the rush of blood in her ears. Was he feeling the same way?

***

Want to know what happens next? You can find out in Retribution (Blood and Honor #2), available at these retailers: Amazon (Kindle), Amazon UK (Kindle), Apple, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble (UK), Diesel, Kobo, OmniLit, Smashwords, and Sony. If you prefer print, Retribution is also on Amazon (paperback) and Amazon UK (paperback).

***

NEWSFLASH -- BLACK FRIDAY SALE -- ONE DAY ONLY

Get Revenge and Retribution by Dana Delamar, regularly $4.99 each, for only .99 each at select retailers! That's two great reads for less than $2! 

Revenge links: Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OmniLit

Retribution links: Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OmniLit

You can also get four great reads from Kristine Cayne and others for .99 each at select retailers! See the Amazon carousel at the top of the page.  

NEWSFLASH -- BLACK FRIDAY SALE -- ONE DAY ONLY

***

Prize Giveaway!

To thank you for visiting my blog and participating in Romancing the Hop, I'm giving away a $15 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice)! To win, you must post a comment with your name and email address. Comments without an email address will be discarded. For additional chances to win, follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize Giveaway!

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. (Comments without an email address will be discarded.) Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (international)

2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card (international)

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (U.S. only)

To continue hopping, click the link below!

http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/p/black-friday.html

What I'm Thankful For

2012 has been an exciting and trying year for me, both personally and professionally. I finally realized my life-long dream of becoming a published writer this year, an occasion both momentous and oddly anti-climactic. My first book went out into the wild January 1st. I sold some copies that month, mostly to friends and family, a few to complete strangers. I received my first fan mail and it made me cry. Shortly after, I received my first public review, and it was less than glowing. But I learned a lot from that review, and now I'm thankful that the first one was tough. Because it toughened me up too. One of my greatest fears about my books going on sale was that people wouldn't like them and that all my fears about not being good enough would be validated. 

But I learned a very simple truth: Opinions are just that: opinions. Good, bad, or otherwise. I cannot possibly please everyone with my work. If I please the majority who buy it, fantastic. *That's* my goal. *Not* pleasing everyone. The latter is an impossible task. I was silly for ever thinking otherwise. 

As of today, I've sold over two thousand books. Not bad for someone who started from scratch and did hardly a lick of promo between January and June. And the majority of the reviews have been positive. I even got two four-star reviews from RT Book Reviews, which made my day both times it happened. 

So is all of this what I'm thankful for? Not really. What I am truly thankful for are my family, my friends, and my readers. My mom went through a *major* health scare this year, but she pulled through. My boyfriend and I are still going strong after more than three years, and I have no idea what I ever did without him. My friends have been there for me every step of the way. And my readers have helped keep me motivated when I thought I'd never make progress in my career. 

One of my readers, Stephanie, has even become a special friend. She wrote a post about us that made me cry. When I started out on this journey, I never expected anything like this to happen. So I'll add the unpredictability of life to my list of what I'm thankful for. You never do know what's just around the bend.  

If you're reading this--thank you! That means you're part of my world. :) 

So now it's your turn: What are you thankful for this year?