Saturday, November 10, 2012

Heating Up The Holidays, Compliments of Rock*It Reads





Blog Hop


Welcome to the Rock*It Reads Heating Up the Holidays Blog Hop. There are 15 stops on the blog tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on, the greater your chances of winning the grand prize, a $75 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble or Amazon, and a huge collection of books from the authors of Rock*It Reads. Smaller prizes will be available at each stop along the way.
Good luck, and have fun!

Winter is coming and for a lot of us, that means cold, gloomy days and long, dark nights. Chilly, damp, blah. Which is why I'm so glad to be helping heat up your holidays with these Rock*It Reads authors' musings on sexy heat. Our little gift to you.

One of the most fun parts of doing self-published works is the chance to be intimately involved in designing the covers. I love how great covers tell a story, it doesn't just show you a picture.

I commissioned a photo shoot from Jenn Le Blanc and her talented crew at Smexy Studio for my upcoming super sexy Irish-set Elizabethan novella, CLAIMING HER (available 2013).

Their first meeting involves the hero taking over her castle and, when she's not happy about it, and attacks him, he kind-of pins her against the wall. Okay, he totally pins her against the wall.



"Her breath was coming too fast, her heart hammering too hard, her hand—the one she’d punched him with—was throbbing as if she’d hit a wall, not a man. Steel before and stone behind, she was, most literally, between a rock and a very hard place.

He was all wild thing, untethered and unafraid. His hair had been shaved close on the sides and grew long in the back and front, so he looked familiar and yet utterly foreign. His face was all cut planes of male fury, hard cheekbones, dark brows above the ice-blue eyes pinned on her. She felt like she was staring at a flame burning inside a shard of ice."




But much as Katarina sees nothing but Irish warlord, there's a lot more to Aodh Mac Con than conquest of castles. There's his conquest of Katarina.

Here's the model, James, getting painted with tattoos:





And here is James after being painted:


Yes. Wow, right?


And here's the final cover for CLAIMING HER, also done by Jenn LeBlanc:




That story occurs in the winter but I'm also working on one that happens in the summer. The hot, hot summer. So, of course, my trek needs to involve hot guys and hot summer. Things like:


And




At which point, of course, they need a way to cool off:


Oh wait, I mean:



Wait, wait. I mean:


Okay, basically, what I'm saying is it's important to have a way to cool off. I just don't know that I've actually offered one here.

Your turn! Leave me a comment and let me know what books you're planning to help keep you warm this winter. Don't forget to include your name and email address!

TWO commentors will win a copy of their choice, either a print copy of any one of my current releases, OR if you want to wait, an e-copy of one of my self-pubbed releases when they become available.

Also? Comments here double your chances of winning the grand RiR prize--check out our blog!

And signing up for my newsletter? Doubles your chances here. ;)



Be sure to stop by the other Rock*It Reads authors' blogs for more fun. Fourteen authors, a slew of sexy pictures, maybe a hot excerpt here and there, and some incredible romance books to check out--you can't beat it!

Leave a comment below to enter for your chance to win!
Don't forget to visit the other authors on the Blog Hop for more chances to win!

Kris Kennedy Bonnie Vanak
Erin Kellison

Sharon Page
Lila DiPasqua Elisabeth Naughton
Norah Wilson Jennifer Lyon Monica Burns

Vanessa Kelly
Mia Marlowe Joan Swan
Pamela ClareMargo MaguireRock*It Reads


81 comments:

Pamk said...

Man too many books to list that I'm looking forward to. Your contemp sounds interesting and i love that cover for your historical. Those tatts rock.
scrtsbpal at yahoo dot com

http://kriskennedy.net said...

PamK~
Isn't that an awesome cover??? I love just looking at it. :)

Karen H said...

Love that cover! And all the other inspirational photos too!

I am planning on reading The Fractured Fairy Tales series by Eloisa James. There are 4 books...I just started #1.

I'm also collecting The Gaslight Mystery series by Victoria Thompson. This is an on-going series. I have 11 books and one more that I've read. Very interesting storyline.

Finally I have an older series by Tracy Anne Warren (Byrons of Braebourne) that I want to finish off. There are 5 and I've read 1 so far.

kareninnc at gmail dot com

Debby said...

Wow, great books, great sites. This is a fun hop.
debby236 at gmail dot and hotmail dot com

Lisa W said...

Awesome covers-- My TBR & wishlist is so long I never know what I'm going to read next!
modularmates(at)comcast(dot)net

Blodeuedd said...

Books well, I have To Tame a wife by Christy English coming up soon :)

booksforlife01 (at) gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I am looking forward to a story in three parts (Connie Brockway, Eloisa James, and Julia Quinn). I cant recall title but it comes out the day after Christmas.

Eli Yanti said...

Since i'm in mellow mood, i will pick book from HR but still not decision yet. probably mia marlowe's book or lila dipasqua new book (undone)

eli_y83@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

oh gosh. probably whatever's in my tbr pile! i'm always adding to it almost weekly!

annie

mysandycat@aol.com

gamistress66 said...

those pic's will certainly help keep me warm ;) just bought new shelves so I could have a place to put the tbr pile to make it easier to see what I have & find the one I want. good thing there's no such thing as too many books, just not enough time ;) would be happy to have another of your books to help keep my cozy under the blankets & throws :)
gamistress66 (at) aol (dot) com

Unknown said...

Oh my - slow my beating heart after seeing those pictures and reading....whew....Think I need to go cool off.

Unknown said...

Jill Shalvis Rescue My Heart is sure to warm me up this winter. Her stories are full of hot, steamy romance scenes.

wlht79@yahoo.co.uk

Unknown said...

All those pics of those hunky men totally threw me off about what I plan on reading. lol First off, I LOVE the cover of Claimer Her. Beautiful!

I plan on reading Tracy Anne Warren's Her Highness and the Highlander this week. After that, I just don't know! I have a TBR pile a mile high.

Thank you for the opportunity to win great prizes and thank you for posting very hunky men for our viewing pleasure!

~Julie K
kornhsl@yahoo.com

ErickaS said...

I love that cover! Idk what books are gonna be keeping me warm, my tbr has plenty!

ericka102207@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Beautiful cover of "Claiming Her". Have all your books and love them. This week, I'm reading "The Brazen Bride" of Stephanie Laurens. Nice photos to dream of..lol Can't wait to read your next books, you are a favorite author of mine! I'm addicted to romances stories well written. I read a lot. Erotic story hum should be interesting to read this winter.

Mina said...

I use to call my relationship with books "a love affair", a scorching passion that never loses steam. Quite addicting. Those pictures, OMG...
minadecaro@hotmail.com

Books Books and More Books said...

I love the before & after pics...

heather[dot]coulter[at]gmail[dot]com

Raonaid Luckwell said...

Rawr Kris! Thise pictures are just so darn yummy. But yeah I am one of them that is not looking forward to the cold and snow. Cold really makes me shut down.

But what am I looking forward too? Well I have lots of books in my to be read list that needs reading. I have Karen Marie Monings, Laurie London. I am looking forward to Donna Grant's latest Dark Warrior novel.

Raonaid at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

This is my first blog hop and WOW what a neat way to meet new to me authors! I look forward to reading some of your books. Thanks for the give away!
heathdan@tampabay.rr.com

Anonymous said...

LOVE this post. Soooo pretty! THIS is the way to make the Holidays manageable. LOL!

As to the books to keep me warm? I have a whole stack of fantasy novels, but I seriously need to add some of these! I'm gathering titles. Jotting them all down!

Just Jinny said...

I just started Jill Shalvis Animal Magnetism..so I'll have to finish that series. *sigh* Such a chore. *snicker*

xjinbugx@msn.com

Anke D. said...

With pictures like that, we'd save a lot of energy! Who needs a heater with those gorgeous bods around! :-)

Right now I'm keeping warm with Monica McCarty's new one, The Recruit. Then on to Margret Mallory's latest. After that, anything I have not yet read by Kendra Leigh Castle, Pamela Clare, and this other author...what's her name? Oh yeah, Kris Kennedy! ;-)

Anonymous said...

There's just so many books. In the winter I can go through a book every other day.

HollyD
medennler@ameritech.net

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Ladies~
Because I tend to bury my head in research books when I'm deep in writing, and since I've been deep in writing 1 or 2 stories at a time for a couple years now, I am really, really enjoying your girls' info on your TBR winter piles. I'm taking notes and being reminded of some excellent authors who've fallen off my radar.

For instance, everyone who reminded me of Jill Shalvis--thank-you!! Poor you, Jinny, for having to stick with the Shalvis through to the end. :)

Gamistress~ I have envy in me. I need new shelves desperately. My husband is losing his mind at the topping stacks. LOL

Anna Hart~I'm so happy to have helped speed up your heart. ;)

Julie~ I'm glad to have knocked you off course on what you were going to say with the pix of hot guys. That's what they're for, yes?, the knocking-off-course-ness. ;)

Mina~ I love that description of how you love books!!

Frankie~ LOL. Right? *This* is the way to do the holidays.

Anke~ What a great point--we're saving money here, girls! And your list is quite impressive. Glad that Kennedy chick made it on. :)

Heather~ Ohh, I'm so pleased to be part of your first book-ish blog hop! Hope you enjoy.

Thanks so much for coming by ladies!!

Sharon Stogner said...

wow, what an awesome cover!! thanks for a peek at the making of it. I am looking forward to the next book in a couple of my favorite series this winter like EVER AFTER by Kim Harrison and LOVER AT LAST by JR Ward (Quhay!!!) sstogner1 at gmail dot com

Timitra said...

I'm going be reading Lorelei James' Kissin' Tell and One Night Rodeo!

taccb_1981@yahoo.com

BLHmistress said...

I had an answer but those last pictures made me forget what I was going to say :)

I think the Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon is going to keep me warm this winter.

vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

sub to newsletter- same addy as above.

Anonymous said...

Lord tons of books I want to read I'm just lovin all the hot guys on the blog! I'm waiting Monica burns and Jill shalvis and will be checking this book out as well!!
Kris
Krysti33 @ frontier.com

Barbara E. said...

I have lots of fantastic books to keep me warm this winter, including Jeaniene Frost's Once Burned, Gena Showalter's The Darkest Seduction, and The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams.

Laura said...

I'm not usually a big fan of historical romance, but there are some are too good to ignore and I do love that cover!! On top of my TBR pile this winter are On Dublin Street and the next installment in the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Thanks for the awesome giveaways! I subscribed to your newsletter too - BookcaseLaura (at) gmail.com

Connie said...

So many delightful novels to keep me warm it's hard to say which. However, I read a lot and as these wonderfully new books come out, I love to grab them and curl up for a fabulous read!

Thanks to all of you lovely authors for this super fun contest!

Connie Fischer
conniecape@aol.com

Cris said...

I read a LOT (beats reading those science papers I should be reading to write my dissertation, haha), and my TBR queue is some ~350 books strong... so I think any of those could keep me warm for the holidays. Especially with the amount of erotic romance on there :)

stalkers00(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sue G. said...

I will be reading Carly Phillip's book Fated; Nora Robert's book The Perfect Hope and Sabrina Jeffries book Twas The Night After Christmas.

Leah Weller (leahluvsmedieval) said...

Yes, WOW! Is right! Picture a smily drooling, LOL! Can't wait for Claiming her. Sounds like it's going to be a wall banger. ;)

And Kris.....I will follow you into contemporary in a heartbeat.

As for my TBR stack, just the one sitting beside me is about 30 deep, not to mention the ones I have collected over the years that I haven't gotten to yet because more keep coming into the house. I could read everyday for years and be content. So many of my previously read books from years ago are calling to be re-read too. I have to tamp the anxiety down that seems to come on when I think about it. As you know, The Conqueror is on the Kindle just screaming to be read also. :)

Thank you so much for the chance in the giveaway!

Leah Weller
leahweller(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Ann S. said...

Wow, I think that cover may keep me warm for a while, great job. I have lots of good romance on my plate, but next up is His Mistletoe Bride by Vanessa Kelly. I know a good romance read will keep me warm.

Ann(dot)sheiring(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

Love that cover and would so love to have my hands on that book. Shihtzushappens@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a cover!

I have many books in my TBR pile to keep me company during the rainy season.

cgnemesis [at] yahoo[dot] com

Queen of Books Sue said...

This hop is so exciting. I like to read hot and bothered men. So steamy, esp the tattoos.

Mary D said...

I am looking forward to Jennifer Ashley's new book coming out. I so love the cover for your new book coming out! Thanks for the giveaway!

gatormaryd(at)yahoo(dot)com

Elizabeth H. said...

Super sexy covers! The books that will be keeping me warm this winter are Larissa Ione's Rogue Rider, Thea Harrison's Lord's Fall and J.D. Tyler's Black Moon.
ehaney578 at aol dot com

Laura D. said...

Love the cover. I think I will read the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter. davis7579@sbcglobal.net

Melody May said...

I plan to have a bunch of books to keep me warm this winter, since it will be my first winter in a snowy area.
countessofmar(at)yahoo(dot)com

hollie said...

So nice to have found you and your site!! awesomeness!!
goshnsqurrl63@aim.com

kmannrn said...

Love the cover of Claiming Her. Look forward to reading it.

Tin said...

Congratulations on the nomination for Deception!

Good luck with your venture into self-publishing!

(The body art on the model looks very nice!)

http://kriskennedy.net said...

I'm so glad to hear you guys are loving the tattooed hero on cover for CLAIMING HER!

Leah, I'm honored you'd follow me into contemporaries so willingly! I won't let you down. :)

Melody May~ Oohh, enjoy your first snowy wintertime. I get cold, but even so, I LOVE the snow.

Tin~ Thank-you thank-you for the congrats on the RT nomination for DECEPTION! :)

Modokker said...

Jenn is awesome. I am very familiar with her work. Love to how covers come together. Love the excerpt. I would love to read your books. At this point I haven't. Soon!

Lisa B

May said...

Too many books coming out this winter! I am planning to read Sherry Thomas' latest.

maybe31 at yahoo.com

Kym said...

I signed up for your newsletter, and really look forward to reading your books :)

thanks
~kym
flwrs4ever(at)yahoo(dot)com

Meg G. said...

So many books! I'm love Laurann Dohner Species books, so they will probably be keeping me warm!

Thanks for the giveaway!

Meg G.
megonski216(at)yahoo(dot)com

Linda said...

I need to seriously consider a change of occupation or take up tattooing as a hobby!

I'm hoping to read Moonglow, the 2nd book in Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series.

Linda (thumbelinda02@yahoo.com)

Adria's Musings said...

There are so many books I'm going to be reading this winter season, including Deception! I also need to catch up with the latest from Sabrina Jeffries, Larissa Ione and Kresley Cole as well!

Adria
adria(.)rose_03(at)yahoo(.)com

Anonymous said...

I have so many personal reads I'm dying to get to, so hopefully I can make that happen. I'll probably be curling up with some Norah Wilson and Donna Grant books.

msromanticreads(at)gmail(dot)com

Fedora said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing about the creation of that gorgeous cover, and looking forward to your hot reads among others, to keep me warm this winter! Nothing like curling up with a good book ;) Thanks, Kris!

f dot chen at comcast dot net

Jane said...

I'll probably keep warm with new releases by Lisa Marie Rice, Kendra Elliot and Zoe Archer.

janie1215 AT excite DOT com

AquarianDancer said...

Gena Showalter and Sherrilyn Kenyon are always good for heating it up. I'll also be reading the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones.

Karin
AquarianDancer at gmail dot com

Anne said...

Great pictures. Jamie looks delicious. As to what will keep me warm? I am starting Lauren Dane's Brown family series so I think I should be warm enough

Ora said...

Gorgeous cover.
I am planning on finishing up Kresely Cole's IAD series and Lynsay Sands Argeneau series. I am about half way through with both right now. I have a long list,however I seem to get distracted when new releases come out, especially the ones I have been waiting for.
Teh Scoundrel Takes a Bride Stefanie Sloane
For the Love a Goblin Warrior Shona Husk
Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne jane Fresnia
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover Sarah MacLean
The Chieftain Margaret Mallory
Highlander Most Wanted Maya Banks are a few that I am looking forward to.

regencygirl01 said...

So many great books coming out in the next few months. Stephanie Laurens I think has one, Just picked up the Recruit by Monica Macarthy, look forward to reading Carolyn Brown's new cowboy book

sheila said...

Very nice buns.

smulholland62@msn.com

Musings by Mimmi said...

Awesome covers! OMG, and great books! Can't wait!

Anna (herding cats-burning soup) said...

lol. Excellent job cooling us all off ;)

I've got a nice stack of winter reads to keep me warm. Some old favorites and a couple new to me authors I'm looking forward to checking out.

Thanks!
acade29@gmail.com

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Ladies~

So great to hear from you all, and I'm not joking at how much I love to hear your coming wintery reads. there's so many books, so many things to keep track these days, great books & authors often fall off my radar. I love these reminders of them.

Linda~ LOL--I feel the same way!! Take up tattooing as a hobby. Of course,those were just painted on, so maybe we need to be spraypainters... :)

HerdingCats~ It was my pleasure to cool you ladies off with those pix. Well, sorta cool you off. ;)

Adria~ Yay! DECEPTION made it onto your winter reads list. :)

RegencyGirl~ Nice line-up of books! I've very recently realized I need more cowboys books. And since I'm not writing a cowboy book, I can indulge (I tend to stay away from whatever time period/setting I'm writing in at the moment)

Ora~ You're all set through the weeks to come!

mk said...

such an awesome picture display! I live in a warm state, so I'll be warm no matter what

katsrus said...

Oh wow it's getting hot in here with some of those pictures. LOL. Love your book cover. Was fun to see how the model had to get made up. Signed up for your newsletter.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

Dawn Taira said...

Did anybody else stop breathing with the pic of after the tattoo was done? very hot!! Since my man is deployed,the books keeping me warm this season are gonna be a little erotica contemp..just a little spice to keep me warm in japan:)
Dawn T.
kuuipocat@yahoo.com
signing up for newsletter right now!

Cat said...

All I can saw is 'wow!!!' each pic got better and better!!! Bet that was one research project you didn't mind....

LS said...

I can't choose which books I will read , there are way too many. I am sure there will be many books keeping me warm this winter...thanks for the chance...

Tina B said...

Well, those images definitely didn't cool me down. ;)
LOVED them as well as the little snippets of your stories. I have many stories lined up to keep me warm. (Even though I live in Fl and don't really need it)
I have been wanting to read Nalini Singh's Psy-Changling series, I will be reading Elisabeth Naughton's Enraptured & Enslaved, Her Forbidden Hero & One Night With a Hero by Laura Kaye, The Naughty List by Jodi Redford, Poison Princess by Kresley Cole and many more!
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!
Tina B
trb0917 at gmail.com

Theresa Friel Newbury said...

OMG!! I think I now need a cold shower/dip! Am I allowed to join one of your hotties for such? lol

Hmm, tbr pile holds Vicki Lewis Thompson, Laurie London, Christina Dodd and more, so a few heated hunks lined up for chilly nights.

Your Irish sounds so tempting, will be hard to decide on the wait or grabbing something already available, if I win.

brbalways(AT)yahoo(DOT)com.

Thanks for the chance to win!!

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Ladies~

So glad the pictures are making everyone happy.

Tina B~ Darn, I'm so sorry the pix didn't cool you off.

Cat~ You're right--I love the research part of my job. :)

brbalways~ LOL--that lake is wine-open, so hop in. I'm glad the Irish story sounds tempting--realized I linked to the plot blurb rather than the excerpt, so if you want a longer excerpt of their rather explosive first meet, here you go: http://kriskennedy.net/183

Anonymous said...

With all these great reading suggestions, my shopping list is longer and longer! Thank you ladies! and thanks Kris for the nice giveaway!
I loved reading "Deception", great book!
Ladies, don't forget to add this one on your shopping list!I already added "Claiming Her" for my future list! Your blog is so much fun!

Sandy said...

There's too many to choose from but off the top of my head, I'm looking forward to Pamela Clare's next books!

Unknown said...

I will be reading Rock Hard and Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning. I heard they were great! Claiming her sounds fabulous. Can't wait to read it. Thanks!
hschrock24112 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

A book that I'm planning to help keep me warm this winter would be Exposed to You by Beth kery as I've heard it's a spicy read!

donnas said...

Sounds great and awesome cover. I have quite the wishlist for this season

bacchus76 at myself dot com

SheriV said...

A new Kresley Cole and many new authors will keep me warm.

smurfettev AT gmail DOT com

Beautiful Disaster said...

Wow! I have an huge pile of TBR that will keep me warm and toasty through the winter months. I also have an ever growing Christmas list with 20 or more books on it ;)
lorih 824@ yahoo.com

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Ladies~

So happy to have so many of you stop by to enjoy the pictures and the excerpts, and thank-you for sharing your hot TBRs!

If you signed up for the newsletter- stay tuned for upcoming release news on those sexy novellas.

If you haven't signed up yet, I'd love to have you! http://kriskennedy.net/subscribe-to-newsletter

I'll be picking the two winners by tomorrow evening at the latest, and will announce them here. Please be sure to check back!

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Hey girls!

Look at me go--I got to pick winners tonight! Or actually, my cutie pie husband picked the winners. :)

Adria Rose and Dawn Taira, yay! You've each won your choice of either a signed copy of any one of my current backlist print books (you can check them out on the Books page to help you decide) OR, if you want to wait a bit, a copy of one of the novellas when they become available, either the Elizabethan or the contemporary.
I'll email you as well.

Thanks so much to everyone for stopping by. I hope the books sound good. To those who've signed up for the newsletter, as soon as I've got release news, I'll send one out.

And if anyone hasn't signed up yet, but would like to, here's a link: http://kriskennedy.net/subscribe-to-newsletter

Thanks ladies! I know these blog tours take some time and effort, so thanks for stopping by and leaving comments and making the whole thing fun for me too. :)

books4me said...

This winter I plan on reading Laurell K. Hamilton with my sweetie!

email subscriber:

books4me67 at ymail dot com