Sunday, August 26, 2012

Interview, Review & Giveaway

Whiskey Dreams & Haunted Passions (Sleepy Hollow) by Ranae Rose
*WARNING THESE BOOKS ARE NC17*
Whiskey Dreams
 
 
 Whiskey Dreams is a historical M/M romance, and contains explicit content that is suitable for adult readers only.
The war that won the country its independence also lost many of the men who fought to achieve it, including Brom's lover. Years later, he still feels as if he left half of himself on the battlefield. When a new schoolmaster comes to Sleepy Hollow, a spark and a whiskey-flavored kiss ignite feelings he thought were long dead. But in order to be with John, he'll have to let the past be the past, or risk letting it destroy his opportunity to start over. And even then, loving another man is a dangerous endeavor. *amazon.com* 

Short, Sexy and HOT!  This is the prequel to Haunted Passions and introduces us to Brom, John and Katrina.  It also gives us the back story for Brom.  Each book is definitely a stand alone read BUT, I highly recommend reading Whisky Dreams first. 
 
Haunted Passions
Haunted Passions is an m/m/f ménage romance. Contains explicit content, including m/m and m/m/f sex.



A dangerous romance unfolds between two men and the woman who's captured both of their hearts, but their love is haunted by the ghosts of the Revolutionary War in 1784 Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Losing one's heart to another man is dangerous enough without the added threat of a supernatural terror. But that hasn't stopped John Crane and Brom Bones from falling hard in love - with each other, and with the alluring Katrina Van Tassel. When Brom becomes engaged to Katrina, John is sure the wedding will tear him and Brom apart, and their love sparks a struggle between passion and loyalty. But Brom is determined to keep both of his lovers, and Katrina has some secret desires of her own - desires that haunt only the wildest of John's dreams and blur the lines they've all been fighting not to cross. Is it possible for three people to be in love? Their passion won't be enough to keep them together if something isn't done about the evil that's haunting Sleepy Hollow: a headless horseman who rides to kill. *amazon.com*

What an exciting, page turning, sexy little twist on The Sleepy Hollow classic! I read Whiskey Dreams and was so enthralled in Brom and John’s story, I had to grab Haunted Passions immediately.  I loved that Rose took this classic tale and made it her own, right down to the Headless Horseman’s motivations. 
A spooky little love triangle, with a twist, all three participants are willing and able!  The intimacy between characters as well as plot and story are clearly defined and captivating; Rose has a knack for attention to detail, right down to that pesky blade of grass.
I’d call this an Erotic tale that is sensual, intriguing, mysterious and Romantic; above all it’s a fascinating Love story.
 I give this one 4/5 but, that’s just my two cents!
And now on to my Interview with Author Ranae Rose (giveaway details to follow)


*Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a dreamer by nature, and my favorite fantasy involves living in a big house in the wilderness, not too far from the sea and with nary a neighbor in sight, where I’ll spend my time creating brilliantly erotic love stories. Currently, my reality is nothing like that, location-wise, but I spend my time producing erotic love stories that I hope people will find brilliant anyway.
 
I’m also a mother, wife, animal-lover, equestrian, avid reader and unrepentant watcher of ridiculous documentaries (anything to do with crypto zoological creatures, aliens and certain aspects of the paranormal…it’s my guilty pleasure). I’m irresistibly attracted to the romantic and the mysterious, which explains my adoration of love stories, spooky things, the sea and even those silly documentaries.
Oh, and I’m a Scorpio. 
*Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born in Maryland. My dad was a marine, so we moved often. Looking back on the different places I’ve lived, some of those locations feel distant, like remembering dreams. Currently, I still live on the East Coast, but in the South. To be honest, I’m not completely sure what I’m doing here. I feel like I’m always waiting to go home, and I suppose home must be Maryland, because it’s the only place that feels that way to me, since I’ve consistently returned there throughout my life to spend time with my many family members in that area.
*For those who are unfamiliar with your novel; Haunted Passions, how would you introduce it?
I wrote this little line specifically for that purpose: A dangerous romance unfolds between two men and the woman who's captured both of their hearts, but their love is haunted by the ghosts of the Revolutionary War in 1784 Sleepy Hollow, New York.
*I personally loved the storyline; what research did you do to come up with
the finished story? Or, was it a fantastical idea??
The storyline was a mash-up of my own imagination and tidbits from Washington Irving’s classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, though as with any historical piece, I of course had to research details. The research I spent the most time on was looking up timeframes, battles and facts from the Revolutionary War. I had to do a lot of reading-up to make sure that the events and timeframes I wrote about for Brom and John’s time in the military were historically viable.
*What are the Pro’s and Con’s to being an Indie Author?
I’m one of those ‘hybrid’ authors who exists in both traditional and indie publishing arenas. Many of my erotic romances are self-published, while others are with a certain small press, and I also write under another identity in another genre, in which I am strictly traditionally published. While I’ve had some wonderful experiences with publishers, I truly love being an ‘indie author’.
No one, not even the best publisher, cares about my books or my career as much as I do. Of course. The biggest pro of indie publishing is being free to tell the stories I’m passionate about, my way, and to give them the best possible chance for success. I put a great deal of work into each and every one of my indie books, and I know I’ll never have to worry about any aspect of them being ‘off’ because of someone else’s decision. The book that readers flip open or download to their e-reader is exactly the book I wanted to create for them, and that’s a wonderful, empowering feeling. 
The biggest con is probably when I occasionally encounter someone who assumes that self-published books are naturally inferior to traditionally-published books, though I think this stigma is rapidly fading, so it’s not something I lose sleep over. Still, it can be annoying when I experience this because I honestly believe that my self-published books are at least as good as my more traditionally published titles. 
*What do you do for inspiration?
Most of my story ideas seem to emerge from my subconscious and demand to be told. I’m not sure what exactly inspires them. Still, I do find it helpful to take breaks from my writing desk and spend time outside. Often, I take that time to be with my horses. I find that after spending a day outdoors, I’m usually more productive the next day. So I think that’s refreshing / inspiring. 
*Whom in your life would you say has influenced you the most?
That’s a really difficult question. My parents, definitely, and my grandparents and great-grandparents as well. Other than that, my biggest influencers have probably been writers, like C.S Lewis – I’ve been reading him since I was a kid. I think he was brilliant and many of his ideas have stuck in my mind.
*What has been the most interesting comment (or review) about your book?
Well, when it comes to my Sleepy Hollow books, there’s this review site called Hearts on Fire. One of their reviewers, Aggie, wrote a (lovely) review of Whiskey Dreams, in which she stated that she’d ‘highly recommend’ the Sleepy Hollow books to anyone … even her grandmother! I thought that was pretty interesting. 
*Who is YOUR favorite Author?
I have two favorite authors – Diana Gabaldon (Outlander) and Emily Brontë (Wuthering Heights).
*What are you reading right now?
Though I haven’t technically started reading it, I just downloaded a novel called Between by Cyndi Tefft. I’m planning to begin it tonight. I’ve actually never read anything by this author before, but I can’t resist a kilted hero, and this book has one of those, and it’s a paranormal too. This seems like a good place to mention that I’m obsessed with Scottish Highland fiction, particularly romance (hence my love of Outlander). 
*Tell us your latest news..
At the time of writing this, my Sleepy Hollow books just came out in print today, so I guess that’s my most recent and relevant news. They’re available together in a paperback volume called Sleepy Hollow: Haunted Passions and Whiskey Dreams.
 
Follow Ranae on Twitter: @Ranae_Rose
Ranae's website: http://www.ranaerose.com/
 





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15 comments:

  1. hi Tammy! i already have Whiskey Dreams in my Kindle Library and it would be great to win a copy of Haunted Passions.
    thanks for hosting and thank you as well to Ranae Rose for being gracious.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy Whiskey Dreams!

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  2. Hi Tammy-it's me again! Love your blog, book reviews & contests! Thanks for posting such great reviews!

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    1. I love Tammy's blog / reviews too, but then, I guess I'm pretty biased! ;) LOL Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Love your review and interview. Made me go straight to amazon and get those books :)

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy my Sleepy Hollow Series. :)

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  4. I have downloaded Whiskey Dreams, too, and look forward in reading it. Now I am heading to your site to learn more about this series.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Tracey, hope you enjoy Whiskey Dreams!

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  5. Many thanks to Tammy for having me here today, and a big thank you to all who've stopped by to check out the interview / giveaway / reviews as well. :)

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  6. Great interview Ranae! I have read Whiskey Dreams but not these.Thanks for the giveway! And congrats for them being in print. :)

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  7. Great interview!! Haven't read any of these books but will for sure add them to my tbr!! :)

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  8. Hi! I love WHISKEY DREAMS and would enjoy reading the sequel!

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed Whiskey Dreams. Thanks for letting me know! :)

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