Luck of the Dragon blitz: Interview with Susannah Scott + giveaway!

Today I'm pleased to welcome Entangled Covet author, Susannah Scott, to the blog. I bought her book a little while ago because it sounded really fun and now we have her visiting the blog as part of a one-day blitz in support of her debut novel, LUCK OF THE DRAGON, which came out in June. Please join me in warmly welcoming Susannah to the blog, and make sure to enter the tour-wide giveaway at the end of the post. But make sure you read the interview, so that you can get the scoop on LUCK OF THE DRAGON and get to know Susannah a bit better!

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Welcome to Team Tynga's Reviews, Susannah!
Thanks so much for helping me celebrate the release of my fun, Paranormal Romance, Luck of the Dragon!

To start, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your book?
I am a happily married, mother of three small boys, with a non-writing second job, and a huge family! We live in the Southern Missouri Ozarks.

Luck of the Dragon is the first in my Las Vegas Dragon series. In it, Alec Gerald, my uber hot, Joe Manganiello-looking hero owns a high-end casino which provides a hidden-in-plain-sight sanctuary for his dragon-shifting people. Alec’s only problem is the sexy gem appraiser trying to steal from him just might be his mate. All's fair in love and when you’re playing with Lady Luck!

Please describe Lucy and Alec, the two protagonists in LUCK OF THE DRAGON, in one sentence each.
Meet Lucy: "She was a contradiction: A brainy Ph.D, whose curriculum vitae read like a woman who didn’t get out much, in a dress that proclaimed she never stayed home."

Meet Alec: "Gerald’s playful words, five o’clock shadow, and slightly long hair all seemed to suggest a man of desultory casualness...But her instincts told her this was wrong. Gerald was a serious man who only pretended to be lighthearted and casual.”

Dragons seems to be more and more popular in paranormal romance and urban fantasy these days. Why did you choose dragons and why do you think they appeal to readers so much?
I love dragons. I love that they can fly, and I love that they are over-the-top powerful! The added human-dragon shifter element is wonderful because their bestial nature is in constant conflict with their human reasoning. I loved getting to know Alec better by watching how he dealt with his competing impulses. I think this resonates with readers as well, the internal struggle to control themselves. But, mostly I think it is the flying, and fire, and power!

Vegas really does seem like the perfect place for your dragons to hide. How did you decide to set LUCK OF THE DRAGON there?
Vegas is sexy, and I love being there for about 3 days--after that I am worn out. But, if I had to define what makes it work for the dragons, it is the foil of the condensed opulence against the harsh dessert. It gives the place a feel of being out-of-time, that reality is truly pushed away to the edge of the green-watered lawns, so that anything--even dragons--are possible.




Did you have to do a lot of research for Lucy's career as a gemologist or is this an interest you share with your heroine?

Who doesn’t love gems! I did do quite a bit of research for Lucy, but it was Grade “A” fun!

Time to get personal! What is your...

...biggest vice? Impatience. *Le Sigh* I work on this every single day!

...favourite movie? We just saw the Life of Pi, I thought it was so well done and thought provoking. I have not read the book, which I understand was even more spectacular.

...funniest memory? One is from when we were kids and our border collie was snapping at the tail of our horse and got her teeth caught. The horse swung her around and around in circles, like a roller coaster ride, until she broke free and flew—FLEW—like 30 feet through the air. She quit harassing the horses after that!

...most dreaded activity? I’m not the greatest bathroom cleaner, and I have boys. Who can’t aim to save their life!

What was the most surprising aspect of your journey to publication?
How important author promotion is! Luckily, it turns out I really like interacting with readers and bloggers. :)

What are three things about you that might surprise your readers?
I live on a working farm. I went to a high-falutin prep school on a full scholarship. I can only write with swimmer’s ear plugs in my ears.

Can you give us a short excerpt from Luck of the Dragon with the set-up?
Alec and Lucy have some really great arguments. This one in Alec’s office is one of my favorites:

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Alec opened the door to face 130 pounds of fury.

“I am a respected professional and you are manhandling me and treating me like a criminal!” Luciana yelled at him.

Alec handed her the drink and sat in a deep-seated leather chair. The chair sighed with ease when he leaned back. He crossed his ankle at his knee and took a sip. “Luciana—”

“Oh, please, all my captors call me Lucy.” She glared at him. “You sound like a priest hearing confession when you call me Luciana.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” Alec chuckled and sipped his own drink, the taste of mellow corn mash and oak barrels tingling over his tongue. Alcohol did not affect dragons in the way it affected the feeble humans. He drank the bourbon purely because he liked the taste.

“Does this have something in it?” Luciana held the drink to the light.

“I wouldn’t harm you.” Alec took a second sip of his drink, and it fired down his throat to his belly in a pleasing trail.

Lucy set her drink on his desk, untouched. “I’m not the trusting sort.”

Alec gave her what he hoped was a charming look. “You can trust me. I can help you.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Lucy said in a voice used to stopping cabs.

“Fine, don’t trust me, but I need you to start your appraisal tomorrow,” Alec said in a voice used to calling stretch limos.

Lucy’s face flushed. Her collarbones rose and fell under her pale skin in elegant lines.

He wanted to kiss her, to see if the zing of electricity was a fluke, or if the fates had gone mad and paired him with a human mate.

She might bite him.

He might like it.

***

Finally, on your website, you mention that the next book in the series will be STOP DRAGON MY HEART AROUND. Can you share a bit more about it? Please say it will be out soon!
Oh yes! I just turned Stop Dragon my Heart Around, to my editor. It is Leo and Tee’s story. A fun, friends to lovers tale with lots a sexy bantering. Tee is part of the Las Vegas Paiute tribe so there is a cool theme of “belonging” that runs through the story too. What is means to belong to the dragons, to a tribe, to each other?

Thank you so much for having me and giving me a chance to connect with your readers.

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For more Susannah, you can visit her website or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

You can also check out the other stops on her tour:

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Here's the scoop on LUCK OF THE DRAGON:

Luciana de Luca has a PhD in sass and gemology—and a problem. Her twin brother’s gambling debts have gotten out of hand, and a mob enforcer is blackmailing her to rob the latest, greatest mega-casino on the Strip. Although Lucy has worked her whole life to get away from her family’s grifter past, to save her brother, she dons three-inch heels and a sluts-r-us dress and struts into Alec’s Gerald’s casino, determined to put her long-forgotten thieving ways to the test again.

Alec Gerald, a shape-shifting dragon, has built the Crown Jewel casino to provide sanctuary for his people amongst the flash and awe of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the sexy little thief trying to rob his gem exhibit turns out to be his mate, and he must woo her before he loses his dragon form forever. With enemies in every corner, and the all-important mating ceremony looming, Alec and Lucy must learn to trust each other, before time runs out for Alec and the rest of the dragons.

Jenn's thoughts

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Purchase: Amazon

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There's a tour-wide giveaway of one (1) $25 Amazon gift card.

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

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by Tynga at Monday, September 09, 2013

 Entangled, giveaway, Interview, Susannah Scott  3 People left their mark

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Luck of the Dragon by Susannah Scott

Having bought LUCK OF THE DRAGON on a whim, I wasn't sure what to expect from Susannah Scott's debut novel. I loved the idea behind the novel so I was pretty excited to give it a try. Overall, I found LUCK OF THE DRAGON to be an enjoyable story, though there were some aspects of the novel that didn't work for me.

On the positive side, I love the idea that there are dragons hiding in plain sight in Las Vegas. It's such a cool idea and it makes a lot of sense. There's so much showmanship and performance in Vegas -- where better to hide your shapeshifting ways? Although I've never been to Las Vegas, I think it's a great setting for stories with supernatural characters/events and Scott does a great job of incorporating elements of the city into LUCK OF THE DRAGON.

I also really liked Lucy and Alec. Alec is that hyper alpha male but he avoids being a total alpha-hole, to use a phrase I've seen floating around the blogosphere a fair bit this year. He's definitely a charismatic leader but he does acknowledge the differences between himself and Lucy, and tries to give her time to get used to him, even when he knows that she's his destined mate. I love characters with strong personalities, and I love it even more when these same characters are capable of more tender emotions and thoughtfulness.Alec is a good character but, hands down, Lucy was my favourite person in the whole book. As a grad student, I'm a sucker for heroines who have their PhDs, plus I love a good had-a-hard-childhood-but-turned-things-around character arc, which is Lucy's background in a nutshell. I get really invested in characters who have beaten the odds (haha, the first -- and hopefully only -- unintentional gambling reference!) and Lucy has overcome a rough youth to become a strong, smart businesswoman. Unfortunately, Lucy comes with a really dumb brother, who I couldn't stand. Joey was TSTL on so many levels. And as much as I understand the lure of the thrill and of gambling, and as much as I believe that this type of addiction is a real problem, Joey didn't seem real to me. It felt like he was there as a plot device to get Lucy stuck in this mess with Alec and his rivals and so he was very one-dimensional. Thankfully, most of the other characters are nicely developed and well fleshed out, so it's a minor problem. For the most part, Lucy and Alec are surrounded by an interesting cast and I'm glad to know that this is the start of a series.

In terms of plot, LUCK OF THE DRAGON is pretty straightforward. Lucy has to help Gino rob Alec because Joey owes him. What could be a straightforward caper because a bit more complicated by the destined mate business, and also by the fact that Lucy really doesn't want to be a criminal. On the more dragon-y front, Alec is trying to unite all of the dragons under his rule, and has to constantly combat a major thorn in his side. Midway through the book, there's something that I think is supposed to be a big reveal this reveal seemed pretty obvious early on LUCK OF THE DRAGON. Although this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the novel too much, I do wish that there had been a bit more complexity to the non-romantic storylines.

Overall, LUCK OF THE DRAGON is a fun paranormal romance. It's not a perfect book but I really enjoyed getting to know Lucy and Alec and the world they live in. If you're looking for a steamy book with dragons, then this might be for you. Be sure to check out the excerpt to get a taste of the novel.

 

Read an excerpt

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by Tynga at Monday, September 09, 2013

 Adult, Dragon, Entangled, Las Vegas Dragons, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Susannah Scott  Leave your mark

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Gold by Talia Vance

As much as I loved the first book of this series, Gold wasn't as thrilling or entertaining as its predecessor. I think my expectations might have been too high after reading Silver which was without a doubt an amazing debut for Talia Vance. However, don't get me wrong, GOLD did have its strong points and I think it sets up the rest of the series rather nicely.

The main reason why I wasn't crazy about the book is because it started off rather slowly. No, I shouldn't say slow. It's more like the beginning was a little too confusing for me with its flashbacks and short scenes, which made me keep putting the book down. So instead, I should say my reading was slow. Once I was a little less confused and I made sense of what was going on, I was able to really immerse myself into the story and enjoy the pleasant Irish setting. I don't know what makes me enjoy an Ireland setting so much but since this series is all about Celtic lore and mythology, a visit to the country was more or less expected.  I loved everything about the town of Cath, which can only be described as your typical, quaint Irish countryside town.

Brianna's story wasn't quite finished when Silver ended, and its definitely not finished with GOLD. As a bandia, a descendent from an Irish demigod, she has lots of enemies, or in other words, people who would like to see her dead. The Sons of Killian, other descendants from a demigod, have been waging war against the bandia for over a millennia. When her life is endangered, she flees to Cath, Ireland, where she seeks shelter in Austin's mansion, the boy from her hometown, who actually turned out to be the god of the underworld. The same god she banished to the underworld after he tried to make her kill her boyfriend Blake (who is in fact a Son of Killian himself). Now that her bandia powers are dwindling down, her life is even more in peril and she has to depend on others in order to survive.

I was quite surprised when Austin made an appearance in Cath. I knew he would continue to play a pivotal role in the story and that he would find a way out of the underworld, but I never really expected him to become such an important part of Brianna's life and them becoming so intimate. Especially since he caused Brianna so many heartache and trouble before. Their relationship ends up being  really sweet but obviously causes problems between her and Blake, her not so boyfriend. Brianna and Blake's love is obviously tested to the max, especially with Austin now in the picture.

Cath ends up being where the ultimate battle between the bandia and the Sons will happen. As the date of the battle grows closer, tensions arise between the gods, the bandia, the Sons and other magical creatures. All the different character are amazing and each of them play an important part, in their own way, despite some of them having small roles. Some that were very important in book one don't really have an important role in this one but all the conflicts and tension between them is definitively present. I think what really saves the book is all these great characters. It's not just a story about three people in a love triangle but about the effects of people's relationship on the rest of the world. Even if Talia Vance excel at writing about relationships in a paranormal setting, the story isn't just about love and hate, but also about action and intrigue.

Overall, I think I enjoyed the book, despite my problems getting into it. The complicated love triangle, and Brianna's dwindling bandia powers makes for an interesting story. Fans of Silver won't want to miss this one but will be left anticipating the next book.

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by Tynga at Sunday, September 08, 2013

 Bandia, Celtic Mythology, Flux, Ireland, Llewellyn, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, Review, Talia Vance, young adult  2 People left their mark

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Stacking The Shelves {72}

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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My last Stacking The Shelves dates back to August 3rd, so here are the books I added to my shelves in the last month!

For Reviews:

Kitty in the Underworld by Carrie Vaughn
Elysian Fields by Suzanne Jonhson {Read Review}
Quick Fix by Linda Grimes
Mist by Susan Krinard {Read Review}

What did you add to your shelves?

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by Tynga at Saturday, September 07, 2013

 Meme, Stacking The Shelves  36 People left their mark

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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Now that Calaena is the King's Champion she has to face the responsibilities going with her title. He has a never-ending lists of man for her to dispatch, sending her on missions to spread his wrath. It doesn't mean she's ready to trade her soul for her freedom though and she finds original ways to convince the King of her loyalties.

Crown of Midnight was simply amazing and in perfect continuity with the first book, Throne of Glass. Miss Maas created an awesome world and I felt right back home when I launched beside Calaena into her new adventures. Filled with hidden magic, conspiracies and passion in a medieval setting, I had everything I like in a novel to be completely engrossed.

Despite its awesomeness, the world building isn't everything and the characters are definitely the main reason I love this series so much. Each character is so rich, full of life and mysteries, you really have to pay attention to the subtleties if you don't want to miss out on some very important nuances.

Caleana herself is a big secret to unveil. Who is she really? Where does she come from? Why won't she face her past? Why keep everyone at arms length? A lot of answers are provided in this novel and I have to admit I was completely shocked. Yes, I knew there was some big secret, but I never grasped the extend of it and now that I know, I feel this strong urge to re-read the book and see which clues I missed, and I MUST read book three ASAP or I'll go nuts. I want to know what happens next *cries*

Chaol and Dorian are both amazing for their own reasons. Dorian is a bit left behind in this novel mostly because Calaena broke things with him and despite his wanting to move on he is having a hard time and can't help but wanting her from afar. He isn't a groveling mess though and he isn't a fool. He stepped up his game by the end of the novel proving to be a very important element to the plot's progression and I applaud him for that. Go for boys handling their own! Chaol simply broke my heart for so many reasons. First, because he is intentionally blinding himself from his real feelings for Calaena and when he FINALLY decides to give in, because yes he does!!, I had to *awww* in an extremely girly moment. He is such a romantic under his thick armor, it's very endearing. He isn't perfect though and makes mistakes that will hunt him for the rest of his life, hence the third reason he broke my heart.

The plot proved to be everything I desired and then some. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the romantic aspect, but the conspiracies and the action completely satisfied me. Everytime you think you have everyone figured out, something happens and blurs the cards. Maas never allows you to sit back and be confident in your knowledge of the characters because she drops a game-changing bomb every once in a while and you are forced to reconsider everything.  The plot is so intricate, the possibilities are mind-boggling!

If you haven't read this series yet, I strongly urge you to do so, starting with the 4 e-novellas available (I still need to read the 4th one).  They will give you a great background on Caleana and even though they are not exactly mandatory, she refers to those events a lot in the two actual books so I think you would enjoy your experience more if you did read them.

Read an Excerpt

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by Tynga at Friday, September 06, 2013

 Assassin, Bloomsbury, Fey/Faeries, Gifted, High Fantasy, Magic, Review, Sarah J Maas, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, young adult  5 People left their mark

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Moved to Wordpress

We recently moved the blog to wordpress and it shouldn't be an issue for anyone following www.tyngasreviews.com, or via email, or even via blogloving. If you follow the blog via it's original address http://tyngasreviews.blogspot.com though, I'd like to invite you to follow http://www.tyngasreviews.com if you wanna keep up with our recent activity :)

Thank you and sorry for any trouble it may cause you!

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by Tynga at Thursday, September 05, 2013

   2 People left their mark

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