The Qwillery

Royal Street (Sentinels of New Orleans 1) by Suzanne Johnson (signed) - Ended February 22, 2012 - Read the Guest Blog here.


Question:  Have you read a book set around a natural disaster, or what’s your favorite book set in New Orleans?

Tanya1224 who said...

I have not read any books yet set around a natural disaster but I have read a few that take place in New Orleans. In The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost cat and Bones are there a lot. I went there to visit and loved the place. I was very sad when Katrina hit...I know that had to have been awful. Thank you for the contest.




Sentinel's Heart or Red's Wolf by PJ Schnyder (ecopy/winner's choice) - Ended February 24, 2012 - Read the interview here.


Question:  Which genres or subgenres (for novels/novellas/short stories) do you like to read?

ML who said...

My favorite genre is paranormal romance. I'm also a fan of urban fantasy and historical romance. Recently I've discovered steampunk and found that I enjoy that as well. I enjoy sticking with favorite genres and branching out and reading new things as well.




Giant Thief (Tales of Easie Damasco 1) by David Tallerman - Ended February 26, 2012 - Read the guest blog here.


Question:  What is you favorite fantasy movie?

Tim who said...

I love this story, especially the after note about walking into a room and Labyrinth is playing on the TV.

The question is an easy one for me to answer, except it's not a single movie. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are my favorite fantasy movies. Peter Jackson brought these amazing books to life without making too many drastic changes and the result is magic.




The Last Night (The Burning Earth 1) by Nico Rosso (ecopy) - Ended February 27, 2012 - Read the Guest Blog here.


Question:  Who is your favorite motorcycle riding hero?

icha who said...

christian bale in batman dark night..and jack pallas from a something about you (julie james)




Fever (Phoenix Rising 1) by Joan Swan - Ended February 28, 2012 - Read the interview here. US/CANADA ONLY.


Question:  Who is your favorite bad boy from novels, film, TV?

BookAttict who said...

The list of my fave bad boys is long! (Yep, I got a "thing" for bad boys!) Aside from the "usual suspects" Malkolm from Blood Rights by Kristen Painter (House of Comarre series) and Nightshade from Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series are definitely on my short list though!

The original winner, Barbara, had already won a copy of Fever and a new winner was chosen.




Tempted by Blood (Sweetblood 3) by Laurie London (signed) - Ended February 29, 2012 - Read the Guest Blog here.


Question: Do you have a favorite TV show, movie, website, etc that deals with
paranormal phenomena?

Barb P who said...

Hi Laurie! I guess that I'm showing my age, but one of my favs was Dark Shadows! I have all of the episodes on DVD. I can't wait for the new movie (Johnny Depp YUUUMMM!). I also love shows like Grimm, Supernatural etc. Love your books and congrats on the new release!




White Horse by Alex Adams (3 Advanced Reader Copies) - Ended March 2, 2012 - Read the Guest Post here.

ARC Cover is slightly different!

Question: What is/are your favorite apocalyptic movie(s), comics or novel(s)?

1. erin who said...

OMG... this book sounds awesome!!! Immediately added to my new release wishlist! But I like the UK cover much, much better. The US version is very misleading...

I love post-apocalyptic books and movies. And if they have zombies and mutants etc. so much the better! My fav so far as been: movies - any Resident Evil and Book of Eli, TV - Walking Dead, and books - The Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant and The Passage by Justin Cronin.

Thanks for the great post and giveaway!


2. Vivien who said...

I absolutely LOVE Mira Grant. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer is a great one.


3. Spaz who said...

Great post and I love the book summary. This is going on my wishlist whether or not I win the giveaway.

Favorite post-apocalyptic stuff... lately I really liked the setting of The Passage by Justin Cronin though I felt the book dragged quite a bit. I look forward to The Twelve.

But all-time? It's Stephen King, but no, it's not The Stand. It's the Dark Tower books. While the Dark Tower didn't have some singular causal event, the world (multiverse) is clearly falling to pieces.




The winners have been notified and have until 11:59PM on Saturday, March 10, 2012 to respond or The Qwillery will very randomly choose a new winner.

Thank you!

Please welcome Nico Rosso to The Qwillery!



They roar, growl, tear up streets, and carry heroes on their backs. They’re part myth and part reality. Machines that have become legend. They are motorcycles.

Heroes used to ride horses, but as time and technology changed, they climbed onto the new iron and steel equivalent. A man on a motorcycle is instantly recognizable. He’s out in the elements and not protected by the glass and sheet metal of a car. Independent, capable, alone.

Those words perfectly describe Jake, the hero in my post-apocalyptic romance, The Last Night. He’s strong enough to survive the world after earthquakes have ravaged the landscape. Using his smarts, he discovers a way to fight the stone-skinned mutants who were transformed when ancient viruses were released from the soil. And he’s resourceful enough to make a motorcycle work in the wasteland.




It’s no wonder that independent heroes have ridden motorcycles. There’s usually only room for one behind the handlebars—two if they find a woman as strong as they are. So we get rebels like in Easy Rider, or fiercely independent men like Steve McQueen. Even though they’re on opposite sides of the law, there is still a commonality between Erik Estrada from CHiPs and Charlie Hunnum from Sons of Anarchy. Despite motorcycle clubs or other police officers, they ride alone.




But the very fact that these motorcycle-riding heroes are solitary makes it so much more important when they find their heroines. For Jake it’s Erica, and together they use his motorcycle to seek out a new life of safety in the ravaged world.

So my question to you is: Who is your favorite motorcycle riding hero?


About The Last Night

The Burning Earth 1
Carina Press, February 13, 2012
eBook

After a chain of earthquakes ravaged the globe, long-dormant viruses were released into the air, turning many humans into creatures with an appetite for human ashes. Erica and a group of survivors are barricaded in a half-destroyed hotel, and every day brings them closer to being devoured by the seemingly unstoppable ashers. Even though Erica is a fighter, she's tired of just surviving...

When a mysterious stranger rides into town, everything changes. Jake knows how to kill the ashers, and he's the only man brave enough to leave the safety of the hotel in search of a better life. Erica and Jake make a deadly fighting team, with even hotter sparks flying between them. But Jake has survived this long because he rides alone. He doesn't trust easily, especially in this harsh new reality. Can Erica convince Jake that living is more than just surviving to the next day?

Also by Nico:

The Limit War Series

The Limit War 3
Liquid Silver Books, November 7, 2011
eBook

Captain Jessa Tok is a veteran soldier, but when an artillery strike separates her from the squad she commands, it may be the end of her career and her life. Then a single Dawn Soldier fights his way behind enemy lines to find her. The last man she’d expect. The one soldier she’d had a fling with and was trying to forget.

Sergeant Ryder Hiltop never thought of himself as a hero. He’s a career soldier, just trying not to get killed. But when his captain is lost during an attack, he has to go find her. And not just for the sake of the other Dawn Soldiers. A shore leave with Jessa left an indelible mark on him, and he’ll do anything to make sure she’s safe. But is it a suicide mission to find her? And if they manage to fight their way to safety, can their brief affair grow into something more?

The Limit War 2
Liquid Silver Books, July 2011
eBook

Teryn Pilander lives in a world of secrets. She is a Shadow Corps operative for the Core Army in the Limit War, trained in espionage. Her latest mission takes her to the planet Viela, drawn by a communication that the local government captured a Dusk Warrior Officer for questioning. More interesting than the message, though, is the voice delivering it. A little shy, but deep and strong, the masculine voice sparks dormant fires in Teryn. She tells herself that once the mission is over, she might put her spy self away for a bit and live a little as a woman.

Drel Kol has secrets of his own. He is the one who sent the message drawing Teryn and her team to his planet. But he was just following orders and led her into a trap. Now, the woman he spoke with could be in grave danger. Her voice alone is enough to ignite a passion he has never known. Yet he's only a technician. Can he fight against his own government and the Dusk to save her? And will the new bond between Teryn and Drel be torn apart when she learns his secret?

The Limit War 1
Liquid Silver Books, December 2010
eBook

“Welcome to the Limit War.”

E.R. Doctor Korina Antonakis thinks she has mastered the chaos of her work and life. In a flash of light, everything changes. A man appears, a soldier from another world. Sergeant Morrow is a Nightfighter, an elite soldier who always battles alone. But he needs an ally on Earth, a doctor. In the dark of night, he opens Korina's eyes to The Limit War. And Earth is on the front lines.

More amazing than the interstellar war, is the soldier before her. He is strong and stoic, a veteran, but beneath the armor, Korina finds the heart of a man. And in Korina, Sergeant Morrow finds the soul of a warrior to match his own. Their lives had started light-years apart, but the attraction between them pulls like destiny. Their desire is real, but the enemy needs to be driven from Earth.

Can Korina and Sergeant Morrow's passion survive in the Limit War?

About Nico

Nico Rosso was born and raised in a factory town. The major industry: movies. Growing up with a creative family in Los Angeles, Nico was surrounded by the film business, and after college he returned home to work in that industry. From cleaning up gallons of milk after a special effect to pitching ideas to executives as a screenwriter, Nico was there. But the movies had changed from the glowing pictures that once inspired him. He found there wasn't as much space for his voice and turned to writing narrative fiction and, more specifically, romance (inspired by his wife, Zoë Archer). He created the sci-fi adventure world of the Limit War, taking readers into an intergalactic battle between planet-consuming aliens and the army that combats their spread. Turning his sights on home, Nico set off the apocalypse on the Burning Earth, where humans fight to survive against mutant Fire Eaters. Inspiration comes from travel, daydreams, research and random lightning bolts, so there's no telling where the next adventure will start.

Nico's Links

Website
Twitter
Tumblr
Facebook


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win an ecopy of The Last Night (The Burning Earth 1) from Nico!

How:  Leave a comment answering Nico's question:


Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.


You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions.  In addition YOU MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Monday, February 27, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

We've arrived at the penultimate Monday in February. Happy Monday everyone! We've another busy week ahead at The Qwillery.

Monday -  Guest Blog by Nico Rosso. The Last Night (The Burning Earth 1) was published on February 13, 2012.

Tuesday -  2012 Debut Author Challenge Interview with Joan Swan. Fever will be published on February 28, 2012.

Wednesday -  Guest Blog by Laurie London. Laurie's third Sweetblood novel, Tempted by Blood, will be published on February 21, 2012.

Thursday -  Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview with Melanie Card.

Friday -  2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blog by Alex Adams. The White Horse will be published on April 17, 2012.

Saturday -  Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview with Megan Grooms.

Sunday -  Interview with Karina Cooper. All Things Wicked, the third Dark Mission novel, was published on January 31, 2012.


It's a quiet book release week, which for me means I can get everything I'd like!

February 21, 2012

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Troupe	Robert Jackson Bennett	F
Love Crazed	Tamala Callaway	PNR - Super Natural 2
A Perfect Blood	Kim Harrison	UF - Rachel Morgan 10
Forever Claimed	Rachel Lee	PNR - Claiming
Tempted by Blood	Laurie London	PNR - Sweetblood 3
The Half-Breed Vampire	Theresa Meyers	PNR - Sons of Midnight 3
Echoes of Betrayal	Elizabeth Moon	F - Paladin's Legacy 3
Raven Calls	C.E. Murphy	UF - Walker Papers 7
The Restorer (tp2mm)	Amanda Stevens	UF - Graveyard Queen 1

February 22, 2012

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
John Carter, Warlord of Mars Omnibus	Marv Wolfman	GN - Collection

February 24, 2012

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Legend of Eli Monpress	Rachel Aaron	F - Omnibus

tp2mm - Trade Papeback to Mass Market Paperback

F - Fantasy
GN - Graphic Novel
PNR - Paranormal Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy

Here are more winners at The Qwillery:

The Limit of Desire (The Limit War 3) ebook by Nico Rosso


Question:  Favorite type of Romance? SciFi? Paranormal? Contemporary? Steampunk? etc.

Arianne Cruz who said...

I love historical romance and those that have military or secret agents in them :)

Hearts of Smoke and Steam (The Society of Steam 2) by Andrew P. Mayer


Question: While Victorian London is the traditional setting for steampunk stories, in which city or place would you like to see a steampunk story set? 

Barbara E. who said...

I think Boston, or maybe Montreal in the Victorian era would be an interesting setting. I'm thinking of lots of snow where the steam would really rise through the cold.

Question:  What is your favorite series Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy?

Darby Rae who said...

Wonderful Giveaway!
My favorite Paranormal series is Shifters Unbound by Jennifer Ashley. I'm impatiently awaiting book 3, Wild Cat. I see MANY others in comments here that look great too.

Shield of Fire (Bringer and the Bane 1) ebook by Boone Brux 


Question:  Who is your favorite Happily Ever After couple (or couples)?

BlackWolf who said...

my favorite happily ever after couple is Snow white and prince charming...

Minds Games (Disillusionists Trilogy 1) and Double Cross (Disillustionists Trilogy 2) by Carolyn Crane


Question:  Which is your favorite Supernatural Sidekick from Carolyn's post?

rissatoo who said...

I love Carolyn's cartoons! Too funny. :)

My favorite sidekick (and the one I really need!), is the Magical Review Monkey. I'm gonna have to add a P.S. to my Santa letter! ;)

The winners have been notified and have until 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on Sunday, December 25, 2011 to respond or The Qwillery will very randomly choose a new winner or winners.

Thank you very much to everyone who reads The Qwillery.

Please welcome Nico Rosso to The Qwillery. Nico writes The Limit War series. The Limit of Desire (The Limit War 3) was published on November 7, 2011.

TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Nico:  I took this question to my wife, romance writer Zoë Archer. We share an office, so any of my writing quirks are in full view for her. She says, and I know it's true, that I "act out" the scenes as I write them. I'll mumble dialogue or scowl or smile or breathe in pace with the characters.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Nico:  I'm a big time plotter. I actually enjoy the plotting process, strategizing and allowing myself to be creative without worrying about my word count for the day. With all the action in these sci-fi stories, I really like to know where things are headed before I get down to writing pages.

TQ:  What inspired you to write the The Limit War series?

Nico:  The first story, TAKEN TO THE LIMIT, was set on Earth and designed to sweep the reader into the war in the same way it brings the heroine into it. The idea of a war between two powerful foes rolling across galaxies appealed to me because it provided countless story opportunities. From Earth, we've gone to another planet to see the espionage of the Limit War in PUSHED TO THE LIMIT, and in THE LIMIT OF DESIRE, we are literally in the trenches of the war.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do to create the worlds in The Limit War?

Nico:  I like to reverse research. Because this is sci-fi, I let my imagination take over in the creation of the worlds and cultures, then I try to fill in as many details as possible so it seems as if I poured over books and videos and maybe even visited the distant planets before writing the story.

TQ:  Tell us about The Limit of Desire (The Limit War 3).

Nico:  This story takes place smack in the middle of the Limit War. It was released in conjunction with Veterans' Day, so I wanted to tell a tale of two solders, a man and a woman, as they fought the external war against the enemy and overcame their inner turmoil to fall in love. Here's the blurb:

Captain Jessa Tok is a veteran soldier, but when an artillery strike separates her from the squad she commands, it may be the end of her career and her life. Then a single Dawn Soldier fights his way behind enemy lines to find her. The last man she’d expect. The one soldier she’d had a fling with and was trying to forget.

Sergeant Ryder Hiltop never thought of himself as a hero. He’s a career soldier, just trying not to get killed. But when his captain is lost during an attack, he has to go find her. And not just for the sake of the other Dawn Soldiers. A shore leave with Jessa left an indelible mark on him, and he’ll do anything to make sure she’s safe. But is it a suicide mission to find her? And if they manage to fight their way to safety, can their brief affair grow into something more?

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in The Limit of Desire?

Nico:  Telling a story with two characters who are hot for each other but are way behind enemy lines posed an interesting problem. There's nowhere safe enough for my hero and heroine to take off their body armor, so they have to get a little creative when passions flare. That scene was a lot of fun to write.

TQ:  In The Limit War series, who was the most difficult character to write and why? The easiest and why?

Nico:  I think the most difficult character to write was Drel from PUSHED TO THE LIMIT. He is a complex guy, part technician, part outdoors-man and he has to break out of himself to learn how to fight the enemies of his planet. The easiest to write was Ryder from the latest, THE LIMIT OF DESIRE. Ryder's a wry kind of soldier, always cracking wise but kicks some serious butt when the fighting starts. His was an easy voice to find because he's so free to speak his mind.

TQ:  Which character has surprised you the most in The Limit War series?

Nico:  Teryn in PUSHED TO THE LIMIT surprised me with her backstory. I always knew I wanted her to be a badass spy, trained in subterfuge, but when I went searching in her for what drew her to that, I didn't expect it to come from a background performing on stage. I almost rejected the character quirk, but it grew on me quickly and gave her an unexpected facet.

TQ:  The Limit War series is SciFi Romance. Are there any other genre in which you'd like to write?

Nico:  There are tons of genres I'd like to work in. In fact, I have a post-apocalyptic coming out soon, as well as a superhero romance. Steampunk is really attractive to me because of all the opportunities for invention and there just might be something like that on the horizon.

TQ:  What's next?

Nico:  My post-apocalyptic romance, THE LAST NIGHT, is coming from Carina in February. In the spring, look for my superhero romance, tentatively titled IRONHEART, in an anthology from by Entangled Publishing. There are other things in the works, with announcements coming soon.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Nico:  Thanks so much for having me and for the engaging questions. Good luck to all entering the contest and I hope people enjoy the adventure and romance in the Limit War.


About The Limit War Series

The Limit War 3
Liquid Silver Books, November 7, 2011
ebook

Captain Jessa Tok is a veteran soldier, but when an artillery strike separates her from the squad she commands, it may be the end of her career and her life. Then a single Dawn Soldier fights his way behind enemy lines to find her. The last man she’d expect. The one soldier she’d had a fling with and was trying to forget.

Sergeant Ryder Hiltop never thought of himself as a hero. He’s a career soldier, just trying not to get killed. But when his captain is lost during an attack, he has to go find her. And not just for the sake of the other Dawn Soldiers. A shore leave with Jessa left an indelible mark on him, and he’ll do anything to make sure she’s safe. But is it a suicide mission to find her? And if they manage to fight their way to safety, can their brief affair grow into something more?

The Limit War 2
Liquid Silver Books, July 2011
ebook

Teryn Pilander lives in a world of secrets. She is a Shadow Corps operative for the Core Army in the Limit War, trained in espionage. Her latest mission takes her to the planet Viela, drawn by a communication that the local government captured a Dusk Warrior Officer for questioning. More interesting than the message, though, is the voice delivering it. A little shy, but deep and strong, the masculine voice sparks dormant fires in Teryn. She tells herself that once the mission is over, she might put her spy self away for a bit and live a little as a woman.

Drel Kol has secrets of his own. He is the one who sent the message drawing Teryn and her team to his planet. But he was just following orders and led her into a trap. Now, the woman he spoke with could be in grave danger. Her voice alone is enough to ignite a passion he has never known. Yet he's only a technician. Can he fight against his own government and the Dusk to save her? And will the new bond between Teryn and Drel be torn apart when she learns his secret?

The Limit War 1
Liquid Silver Books, December 2010
ebook

“Welcome to the Limit War.”

E.R. Doctor Korina Antonakis thinks she has mastered the chaos of her work and life. In a flash of light, everything changes. A man appears, a soldier from another world. Sergeant Morrow is a Nightfighter, an elite soldier who always battles alone. But he needs an ally on Earth, a doctor. In the dark of night, he opens Korina's eyes to The Limit War. And Earth is on the front lines.

More amazing than the interstellar war, is the soldier before her. He is strong and stoic, a veteran, but beneath the armor, Korina finds the heart of a man. And in Korina, Sergeant Morrow finds the soul of a warrior to match his own. Their lives had started light-years apart, but the attraction between them pulls like destiny. Their desire is real, but the enemy needs to be driven from Earth.

Can Korina and Sergeant Morrow's passion survive in the Limit War?

About Nico

Nico Rosso was born and raised in a factory town. The major industry: Movies. Growing up with a creative family in Los Angeles, Nico was surrounded by the film business, and after college he returned home to work in that industry. From cleaning up gallons of milk after a special effect to pitching ideas to executives as a screenwriter, Nico was there. But the movies had changed from the glowing pictures that once inspired him. He found there wasn’t as much space for his voice and turned to writing narrative fiction, and more specifically, romance (inspired by his wife, Zoë Archer). He created the sci-fi adventure world of the Limit War, taking readers into an intergalactic battle between planet-consuming aliens and the army that combats their spread. Turning his sights to home, Nico set off the apocalypse on the Burning Earth, where humans fight to survive against mutant Fire Eaters. Inspiration comes from travel, daydreams, research and random lightning bolts, so there’s no telling where the next adventure will start.

Nico's Links

Website
Twitter
tumblr
Facebook


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter a PDF copy of The Limit of Desire (The Limit Wars 3) from Nico.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:


Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a e-mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Monday, December 5, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

Taken to the Limit by Nico Rosso
Format: E-book
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books (November 22, 2010)
Price: $5.50
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-59578-771-2

Liquid Silver Books, Amazon.com, All Romance

Cover and Blurb:



My thoughts:

It's incredibly difficult to introduce a new series, world build, and provide action and romance in a novella of 68 pages. Yet this is what Nico Rosso has done in Taken to the Limit, the first novella in the Limit War Series. Taken to the Limit is a Sci-Fi Romance, and there is enough of both to keep both Sci-Fi and Romance fans interested.
 
The story almost literally opens with a bang as Sergeant Morrow, a Nighfighter, seeks out an emergency room to get help for a wounded fellow Nightfighter, Pynn. Sergeant Morrow had hoped to sneak into the ER cloaked and leave Pynn. Things to do not go exactly according to plan. Morrow ends up meeting Dr. Korina Antonakis. Her actions in trying to aid both Morrow and the wounded Pynn land her in the middle of an intergalactic war when the Dusk Warriors (the enemy) pop into the ER. The Earth is the latest battlefield.
 
Over the course of the novella we watch as romance quickly blossoms, but also learn about the history of the Limit War, the Dusk Warriors, alien technology, and Morrow's and Korina's individual histories. We are also treated to some well-written sex scenes including one at zero-gravity. The romance develops at light-year speed, but has to within in the confines of the novella's length. Both Morrow and Korina are mature adults so I don't find it impossible that they connected so quickly especially under the life-threatening backdrop of the war. The science fiction in the novella is well done. I'm particularly found of Morrow's weapon, SUZY.
 
Taken to the Limit is a quick, fun read. I have to say that I'm hooked and would love to read more about The Limit War.
 
I give Taken to the Limit 4 Qwills.




Read an guest post by Nico here.

Nico's Links:

Website: Nico Rosso
Follow on Twitter
Be a fan on Facebook

Please note the the author provided the e-book copy of Taken to the Limit for review.

I mentioned in this week's The View From Monday that I would announce some winners today. So I will.


The winner of Dracula by Bram Stoker and Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt is

Vampires and Tofu who said...

My favorite vampire these days is Barnabus from the old Dark Shadows series. I've been enjoying this one again thanks to Netflix =)

The winner of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is

rissatoo who said...

I guess I'm just uncouth (and a scaredy-cat!)...for if I spotted a zombie, I'd run quickly in the other direction! :p

The winner of a PDF copy of Taken To The Limit by Nico Rosso is

Kelly aka yllektra(force-oblique) who said...

Thanks for hosting this interview.

I don't think I have read a Sci-Fi romance before and this sounds really interesting.

The environment I usually enjoy as the stage of my favorite romance is actually anything that makes life and the romance itself difficult for the protagonists. Maybe in the midst of war, just like in Taken to the Limit, or maybe something dating to the Middle Ages where there was really no room for romance as women were quite restrained.

The winners have been notified and have until December 22, 2010 at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time to respond or The Qwillery will be forced to randomly chose a new winner or winner.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

The Qwillery is delighted to welcome Nico Rosso:


I started a war.

I did it for love.

Romance. That’s where it all started. I was writing a romance story and wanted a way to get the blood pumping. It had to be big. A grand stage for the heroic action of space soldiers and Earthlings fighting for the life of their planet. So I created the Limit War. Good versus evil on a galactic scale. Entire worlds threatened.

The romance genre needs big gestures. The heroes defeat the villains. Sometimes these are beasts, in my case an evil alien race called the Dusk. Other times, the most dangerous threat to the hero is internal, doubt or fear or other emotional hurdles. Either way, the obstacles are overcome in a dramatic way that proves the strength of the hero.

Because I write Sci-fi romance, I can make the stakes high and challenge the heroes to overcome incredible threats. And I’m not just talking about the men. The female characters are fully capable of fighting. When I set about forming the story and characters of TAKEN TO THE LIMIT, I knew my heroine had to be strong.

I find strong women sexy. And they’re so much more fun to write than women that might shrink from trouble. In the story, Korina is capable, adaptable and can overcome her fear to face the threats around her. She is strong enough to fight for the love she feels for the hero, Sergeant Morrow. My hope in writing her was that the female readership would bond with her as a viable fantasy counterpart.

In creating Sergeant Morrow, I needed to think about not what would make him sexy to me, but to the reader. I am blessed to be married to a romance author, Zoë Archer, and we are constantly discussing stories and characters. From these conversations, I was able to shape Morrow. He’s strong, with the history of his battles written as scars on his body. Morrow is a veteran soldier. But under that stoic armor, there is a heart. He’s a fighter, with mystery and soul.

My connection to Morrow is what makes romance an exciting genre for me. It is a venue for the grand action we don’t often get to perform in the real world. It isn’t every day that I get to crash through windows on motorcycles or fire a silver round from my flintlock into the werewolf. Through Morrow, I’m allowed to fight Dusk Warriors with precision and sweep Korina not only into the fight, but into my arms.

In the same way that Korina is taken into the Limit War, I wanted to do the same for the reader. That was why I started it on Earth. An unknown war might be raging all around us. Once we’re introduced to it, once we have no choice but to take sides in the conflict and fight, then the stories can radiate out to anywhere in the universe.

And in that universe, the possibilities for big action are endless. But the purpose of that action needs to stay focused. The conflicts are opportunities for the hero and heroine to overcome obstacles and prove their love for each other.

Grand gestures. They’re hard to find in the real world. They certainly do occur and there is proof everyday that real people are heroes. But this is Sci-fi romance. I had to do something big. So I started a war. For love.

QUESTION: I like Sci-fi as an environment for romance because of the possibilities for grand gestures from the hero and heroine. What kind of environment sets the stage for the kind of romance you like?


About Nico's Book

Taken to the Limit
“Welcome to the Limit War.” E.R. Doctor Korina Antonakis thinks she has mastered the chaos of her work and life. In a flash of light, everything changes. A man appears, a soldier from another world. Sergeant Morrow is a Nightfighter, an elite soldier who always battles alone. But he needs an ally on Earth, a doctor. In the dark of night, he opens Korina's eyes to The Limit War. And Earth is on the front lines. More amazing than the interstellar war, is the soldier before her. He is strong and stoic, a veteran, but beneath the armor, Korina finds the heart of a man. And in Korina, Sergeant Morrow finds the soul of a warrior to match his own. Their lives had started light-years apart, but the attraction between them pulls like destiny. Their desire is real, but the enemy needs to be driven from Earth. Can Korina and Sergeant Morrow's passion survive in the Limit War?

Liquid Silver Books


About Nico

Nico Rosso has writing in his blood. He comes from a family of writers and learned quickly that there are stories going on all around us. With inspiration ranging from 1930s pulp comics to the disco-laced space epics of the Seventies to the high-concept films of the Eighties, Nico always found Sci-fi to be a fertile genre for grand action, strong heroes, dynamic heroines and exotic settings. He hopes you enjoy the journey with him.

Nico's Links:

Website: Nico Rosso
Follow on Twitter
Be a fan on Facebook


The Giveaway

Nico is giving away 1 copy in PDF format of Taken to the Limit.

THE RULES

What:  Taken to the Limit (PDF).

How:  Leave a comment answering the question Nico posed: "I like Sci-fi as an environment for romance because of the possibilities for grand gestures from the hero and heroine. What kind of environment sets the stage for the kind of romance you like?" You must answer the question or your entry will not be counted.

You can receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your own blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who & When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with an e-mail address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, December 8, 2010.

Happy Monday. I hope that for all who celebrated Thanksgiving you had a happy holiday.  There are quite a few new releases for Tuesday, November 30, 2010, and Wednesday, December 1, 2010. Look for a vlog on with new releases on Tuesday, but only with the Tuesday releases of course.

On Wednesday, there will be a guest post by Nico Rosso, the author of Taken to the Limit, a Sci-Fi Romance. Come back to see what he has to say about romance and answer the question that he poses for a chance at an e-book of Taken to the Limit.

Thursday will be comics, but later in the day than normal since comics are not delivered to the stores until Thursday because of the holiday last week. That's what I've been told. Friday will be the usual Friday photos. Maybe the moon (not again!), or something from the archives, or something else.

Here's a list of the releases for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Remember release dates are subject to change!


November 30, 2010

Werewolf Smackdown*	Acevedo, Mario	Felix Gomez 5
Silver Zombie	Douglas, Carole Nelson	Delilah Street, Paranomal Investigator 4
The Bone Palace	Downum, Amanda	Necromancer Chronicles 2
Eternal Flame	Eden, Cynthia	Night Watch 3
The Path of Razors*	Green, Chris Marie	Vampire Babylon 5
Dark Side	Green, Jonathan	Pax Britannia Series
Vicious Grace	Hanover, M.L.N.	The Black Sun's Daughter 3
Black Wings	Henry, Christina
Devoured by Darkness	Ivy, Alexandra	Guardians of Eternity 7
Bone Gods	Kittredge, Caitlin	Black London 3
In the Dark of Dreams	Liu, Marjorie M.	Dirk & Steele 11
Vampires Not Invited	McCray, Cheyenne	Night Tracker 3
The Other Side	Anthology
Of Love and Evil	Rice, Anne	Songs of the Seraphim 2
Hungry For You	Sands, Lynsay	Argeneau 14
Agent to the Stars	Scalzi, John
Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy*	Anthology	Dana Stabenow (Ed.)

*Previously published as a Trade Paperback.

December 1, 2010

The Spirit Eater	Aaron, Rachel	Eli Monpress 3
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings	Boudreau, Hélène
Wish*	Bullen, Alexandra
Night of the Vampires	Graham, Heather
Alaskan Wolf	Johnston, Linda O.	Alpha Force 1
Christmas with a Vampire	Anthology
The Wolven	LeBlanc, Deborah	The Keepers 3
Demon's Door	Masterton, Graham	Rook 7
Law of the Broken Earth	Neumeier, Rachel	Griffin Mage Trilogy 3
Tempted by Fate	Perry, Kate	Guardians of Destiny 3
Alcatraz Versus The Shattered Lens	Sanderson, Brandon	Alcatraz 4
Blue Twilight**	Shayne, Maggie	Wings in the Night 11

* Paperback release of previously released hardback
** Reissue