Saturday, June 30, 2012

Naughty Nights Blog Hop-Win Prizes

Happy Anniversary Naughty Nights Publishing!!!


Thanks for letting me celebrate with you. Before I get into my post here are the prizes being given away by myself and by Naughty Nights.


NNP are giving away 13 prizes, comprising of a Grand Prize 1 x Kindle Touch plus 2 ebooks from our Amazon back-list. We are also giving away 12 Second place prizes of a randomly chosen ebook from our Amazon back-list. Go to their blog to enter to win these awesome prizes.http://naughtynightspress.blogspot.com/


From myself- I am giving away a $10 All romance Ebook store gift card to one lucky reader who leaves a comment with an email address (so I can contact you in regards to your prize if you win) on my post during the blog hop. I will announce the winner on July 2nd on my blog & facebook wall.


Now onto my blog post.....



What makes a good book?

I love to read. You never find me without a book (print) or my Nook Reader that has so far 28 pages of books in my library there. I never stopped loving reading. There was something about books that took my imagination to places I never would imagine seeing or believing in. Authors are very special people to me. They let the voices in their heads out to the public in stories that can completely captivate you or make you want to scream in frustration.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of really, really good books out there, waiting for readers to explore their pages but then there are those 1% that feel like they were cookie cutter stories. Same type of characters, similar stories just different cities, states, places, etc and if I happen to pick up one of those stories, they are put down in a heartbeat. After reading and reviewing now for several years, I learned what I enjoy and what I don’t. Here are a few items that guarantee an author a reader for life:

1)       Make me love your characters as much as you do (hate, pity, want to murder, etc). To me that is the best part of a story-where I can invest myself in with characters and find myself wondering in the end if this author is going to write sequels or a free story.

2)       PLEASE don’t make the characters act all stupid. *sighs heavily* ‘Too Stupid To Live’ characters will make me put the book down and never pick it up again. Give them some layers, make them act all bitchy or arrogant but also make me care about them. Please don’t make them act one way then half way through the book then turn around and act someway else. Drives me batty.

3)       Please for the love of the goddess- do NOT give me sex just because you think it helps the story. If I wanted to read about countless sex acts, I would read porn or watch it. What I want is a story that shows me the emotional connection between the main characters that is what has me sighing in happiness. Definitely not sex three pages in and then no plot.

4)       I love a good hook in a book. Give me something to sink my teeth into, to care about, and to jump my honey with later on (giggles).

For me, a good book is a combination of all of these or most of them. Yes I will give new authors a try, especially if their book sounds like my cup of tea. Give me something I can escape into after a hectic day filled with day jobs, kids and my honey man, who can drive me bonkers some nights. I love a good book and if you hook me with your work, then you got a reader for life. J

Dawn Roberto is the owner of the LR Café yahoo loop and enjoys a good book or two on her downtime, what little there is. Dawn enjoys giving support to all authors the chance to get their books out to readers and enjoys pimping her favorites to friends. J

You can find her at the following places:
Dawn’s Reading Nook Blog: http://lovesbooksandmore.blogspot.com
Senior Reviewer at Love Romances & More Reviews: http://loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com
Dawn loves to hear from readers and you can contact her at dawn_roberto@yahoo.com

23 comments:

Andrew Grey said...

Excellent Dawn. Great post.

Anonymous said...

I'm so in agreement with you, especially with the sex scenes. I want to have a story with a plot and defined characters, with more story telling rather than a bare minimum story and a lot of sex scenes.

Jess1
strive4bst at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Excellent post! I really hate the 'stupid because otherwise their is no story' behavior, as well as gratuitous sex. Mind you, I like a steaming, graphic sex scene if it fits the characters, but to me, the sex should tell you something about the characters as well.

I like your 'must haves' list!

akasarahmadion at gmail dot com

Naomi Shaw said...

I learnt to read at a very early age, about 4 years and I have always been a bookworm so I totally know where you're coming from. And yes I totally agree that the characters must be believable and plots not silly. I think it's wonderful to lose yourself in a thoroughly good book, be able to escape into a great plot and feel your part of the story. My bookcase is full and my kindle goes everywhere. Great post :) Naomi Shaw naomishaw6@hotmail.co.uk

Anonymous said...

For me, it's always characters first, and I definitely want to believe their motivations! Great post...

vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

Ollie said...

I good book has to have well developed characters that I develop an emotional connections with and feel for them.

Thanks for the giveaway!

redfirewood888(AT)yahoo(DOT)ca

Ollie aka DarkBloodyVamp

Mary said...

I love a good book that holds my to the very end. Big turn off is when one of the main people in the story become nothing but a name BABY.

MFierydrgn@aol.com

Susan W. said...

I agree with you! I need characters that grab hold and don't let go and a story that makes me want to keep reading.
suz2(at)cox(dot)net

Juana said...

I wholeheartedly agree with your post. For me the only thing that I can't stand is a whiny hero or heroine.

Thanks for the giveaway!

jmesparza821(at)gmail(dot)com

andieleah said...

Gotta have a lil substance and some hot sex!
andieleah78@gmail.com

GingerRing said...

I like a book that grabs my attention and doesn't let go. Great story, characters and lots of sexual tension. thanks, Jackie rings@wwt.net

StacieD said...

I agree about stupid characters. I don't want a weak heroine either.

geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

Emily said...

you are spot on and i could not agree with you more! emily joy drake at gmail dot com

Tina B said...

I agree with you, Dawn! I love when authors write characters that make me feel their emotions. :)
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
trb0917 at gmail.com

Unknown said...

Great post! I totally agree with you!

Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
GFC: BookAttict

Merry said...

The sex scenes should enhance the story, not "be" the story. They should add additional "flavor" to a well developed plot and characters... otherwise, it's just glorified porn.

Unknown said...

Great points!! I completley agree! Thanks for being on the hop!
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

Well written and well played. I try my best to do that with everything I write.

Oh, this blog hop has been so fun.

kendeldavi(at)gmail(dot)com

Christine said...

I agree with you - I'm also a voracious reader, and there are some things that make me want to throw a book across the room (including too stupid to live characters...unless, of course, they die in under 2 pages)

isabelli3619 (at) aol (dot) com

laceyblossom said...

I completely agree with you, especially about the tstl characters! And yes, the sex scenes should be there for a reason, otherwise they're unnecessary. Great post!
Lacey
laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com

Shadow said...

I agree with ya! Great post! Thank you for sharing!!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

bn100 said...

Nice post. Thanks for the giveaway.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Eva's Flowers said...

I agree with your points. Some of my favorite books can totally transport me and it all has to do with how well the story is written.

Eva
evitap67(at)gmail(dot)com

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