A Bloody Good Cruise #4FunFacts @DianaRubino

Today I welcome author Diana Rubino with 4Fun Facts about her and the details of her vampire romance, A Bloody Good Cruise. I have to say I admire Diana’s commitment to good health.

Bloody Good Cruise coverFriday 4Fun Facts about Diana Rubino:

1) My husband and I are hooked on cruising, and my very first cruise was on the Eastern Mediterranean, beginning in Rome and ending in Istanbul. The ports of call included Rhodes, Cyprus, Santorini, and Egypt. Because I love Italy and cruising, I wanted to combine those passions with a humorous story about vampires and how they face prejudice in the human world.

2) I met an Italian woman named Fausta in 1983 and always loved that name–I always planned to use that name in one of my books someday. I finally got the chance with the hero Fausto, close enough!

3) On Fridays at noon my trainer Jodie Dolan comes over. It’s her ‘escape’ from her studio, and we work out in my exercise room. When it’s warm out, we do our session under my deck. She puts me through a rigorous workout–sometimes I post to my Facebook page “Jodie murdered me today.”

4) Before I began measuring all my portions and drastically cut back on carbs, I made a mountain of spaghetti with garlic bread every Friday night. The complete absence of protein or vegetable didn’t faze me…this was my Friday treat. But when my husband began NutriSystems about 8 years ago, I began measuring and counting everything, too…and realized I was way overloaded on carbs and lacking in protein. So I began a Friday salmon ritual–now Friday dinner is salmon, a palmful of rice and a vegetable. I’ve lost 17 pounds and kept it off.

Blurb: “How would a ship swarming with vampires liven things up?”

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle, The Wild Rose Press (paperback) and now available in paperback at Amazon.com.

Excerpt:

Fausto took command of a standing mike. When she heard him address the crowd with a simple Good evening, she stumbled back in shock, almost landing ass first in the punchbowl.

It was Fausto, in the most stunning outfit he’d ever worn. A black velvet cape swirled like liquid onyx. A gold medallion rested on his chest. His black hair was slicked back, revealing a widows peak. His look bordered on sinister. His dark eyes penetrated the room with a devilish twinkle. A smile revealed two gleaming white fangs. He projected a picture of menacing confidence.

But to the crowd who saw a familiar figure they all feared, he was simply Dracula. It’s Dracula!

Bio:
I’m a self-confessed history nut, my favorite eras being Medieval and Renaissance England, and all American history. I’ve written several novels set in England and the U.S., two time travel romances, a vampire romance, and a fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT which received a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I’m a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and the Richard III Society. In my spare time, I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre.

My contact info:
www.DianaRubinoAuthor.blogspot.com
www.DianaRubino.com
https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor
https://twitter.com/DianaLRubino

I’m giving away a free e-book of A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE to the first 5 readers who can tell me:

Which 3 historical figures would you have wanted to meet, and why? Email me your answers at Diana@dianarubino.com

Linda again: Okay, people, hands. How many of you would want to cruise with vampires? I’m thinking, nuh huh!

Leave a comment to be entered for a $15 Starbucks card in my monthly drawing. Follow the blog and receive another credit towards the drawing.

Linda

Recycled Reviews: Stealing Heaven @MadelineHunter

I’m going to be recycling some book reviews I did at both of my former blogs, starting with the reviews from Lyndi’s Love Notes, as that blog will soon disappear forever when my web hosting runs out. This review is from August of 2009.

Stealing Heaven
by Madeline Hunter

Stealing Heaven cover
I hadn’t read a Medieval romance in a long time, and this is a good one. It’s set in 1340 during the reign of Edward I. Marcus of Anglesmore, a knight who supports the king, is ordered to wed a Welsh maiden in hopes of staving off further rebellions. When he goes to visit his betrothed in a moonlit garden, he finds a sensual creature who responds to his advances. The next day he learns that the woman he thought he was to wed is the older sister, Nesta, a widow known as “the King’s whore”.

What actually happened between Nesta and the king isn’t revealed until very late in the story, but the encounter prompted her father to rebel. Nesta and her sister Genith are involved in plots to revive the rebellion, but not if Marcus can prevent it. When Genith runs away with a Welsh bard, he decides that one sister will do as well as the other. In truth, he had no real interest in Genith; Nesta is the one he has wanted from the beginning.

The attraction between Marcus and Nesta is palpable and the love scenes are sensual and emotional. This is an excellent, old-fashioned historical romance with a meaty plot, good conflict and great sexual tension between the hero and heroine. I kept reading late at night wondering how Hunter was going to resolve her very complicated plot and romantic conflict. This is the first Madeline Hunter romance I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. It won a Rita award in 2003 for Best Long Historical Romance, and I recommend it to any fan of Medieval romance.

The author’s website has a great history page: http://www.madelinehunter.com/.

What’s your favorite historical period? Or your favorite subgenre of romance. Everyone who leaves a comment this month will be entered in my monthly drawing for a $15 Starbucks e-gift card. Follow the blog and let me know in your comment for a second chance to win.

Linda