Karin Tabke's got a gift for rocking the alpha heroes. Whether it's a cop or a knight, she has a solid handle on writing strong, sexy men who take charge - and women who are strong enough to go toe-to-toe with them.Her latest release, Master of Craving, is the third book of the Blood Sword Legacy - and talk about a legacy... is that one hot cover or what?
The Blood Sword Legacy
Eight knights bound by a brotherhood forged in hell claim their legacies the only way they can: by right of arms, by right of victory, by right of conquest.
Most of England has submitted to King William, but Wales refuses to yield. The King's trusted Blood Swords are unable to prevail, and while Stefan de Valrey is left unconscious on the battlefield, his sworn brothers are captured. Despite terribile injuries, Stefan vows to liberate them. Even rescuing a delicately beautiful -- and naked -- maiden from peril cannot deter him, for the silver-eyed Arianrhod is a Welsh princess, a hostage Stefan can exchange for his brothers...so long as Arian remains as pure as when he met her. But that is a constraint Stefan finds harder to honor with every passing day.
When the scowling knight slings her across his saddle, Arian knows she should fix all her thoughts on escape. But Arian has never before experienced the deep, soul-changing desire that Stefan arouses with merely a glance. Breaking their vows could set two kingdoms ablaze -- can they control the sweet, terrible burning between them?*sigh* Now doesn't that sound like a fab story? A fairy tale for sure. I was a huge fan of fairy tales as a kid, and still am for that matter. As a child, I think one of my favorites was Snow White and Rose Red. The contrasts, the love story, the flowers (hey, I'm a gardening fiend, what can I say?) I know my love of fairy tales factored into why I write, and why I continue to read voraciously. Which makes it always that much sweeter to find an author who tells a story about a powerful knight, a strong princess and a great tale of love. Did I mention Karin writes great stories?
So I'm curious - what was your favorite fairy tale, then and now?
And speaking of... here's Karin!!!
I’m Late, I’m Late, For A Very Important Date!!
Ah, my constant companion, procrastination.
I want to dump the son of a bitch, but he’s so cute, and cozy and makes me feel so good—for the moment. Then he becomes a royal pain in the ass. Tonight I can blame my lateness in getting Tawny my blog on Lisa Rinna. I was up until 2:30 this a.m. reading her book RINNAVATION. I don’t usually go for this type of book, I mean, I don’t need no freakin’ help!
I lurve me. Seriously, I don’t have any hang ups (well, no serious ones…). I’ve got a good healthy outlook on life. Yeah, I need to lose a few pounds, okay more than a few, but I just wake up each morning and think, Bottecelli, you rock, I am Venus of the new millennia! I love my husband, he loves me, my kids are great, tho’ not perfect, and I’m doing what I am most passionate about: I write romance!! So why would I get anything from a self-help book?
Because I needed the reminder! I needed the spark, because quite frankly, I have been trying to dig myself out of a few ruts. Lisa’s book was like exfoliating my skin. It brought out my glow again. I love to glow! I loved this book! I think--I love her!
I feel RINNAVATED Hah! Seriously, I need to remind myself that I am not an island unto myself. Sometimes, when things get a wee bit stale I need to rejuvenate, and reading a good self-help book that doesn’t preach but brings out the glow is just right for me.
So, what brings out your glow? What do you do when you need to add some pizzzaz or some umph back into your daily grind?
And before I let you go, don’t think I won’t remind you about my hot cops and hunky knights. Those boys will get any girls’ juices flowing and give you one hell of an after-glow! So, you like free stuff? Check out A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER, a free short story. The hunky knight in this free short story is also a character in MASTER OF CRAVING, book three in my Blood Sword Legacy series, out now! Click here for an excerpt and scroll down. And you can always find me blathering away on my blog The Write Life or tweeting on Twitter under Karin Tabke or blathering more on Facebook. friend me.
Ciao, girls! My glowing self will be hanging out today to glow with you all.
55 comments:
Is he staying with me
Have Fun
Helen
He obivously wanted to stay and finish the mud cake.
Tawny
I have to get these books I have heard so much about them and that excerpt just really did it the next order I put in they will be on it.
I loved fairy tales as well when I was young and my favourite to this day is Cinderella the magic of pumpkins being turned into carriages and mice into horses and going from cleaning the kitechen and waiting on her step sisters to dancing the night away with a Prince yep I am there love it.
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Tawny!
Karen...wow...I'm going to check out this book. I love reading books that are a part of a series.
Helen...I'd stick around for mud cake too. Congrats.
Cinderella is still my all time favorite fairy tale. I think I still have the 78 of Bibbity Bobbity Boo. ;)
Jen
I always liked the Princess and the Pea.
I really love the sound of these books! Yet another addition to my tbr, I think Helen and I are going to be reading from our TBR piles until we are 90 at least.
Huh. I've been pondering your question, and I can't think of any fairytale I really liked in the older forms. More recently, though, I love The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch and Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. His version of Cinderella is fabulous.
Dianna
I so agree with you but doesn't it feel good to have so many books to choose from although I do have a hard time deciding which one to read next LOL
Have Fun
Helen
My favorite fairy tale was Beauty and the Beast and it still is... I love romances with these tortured heroes and sweet princesses rescuing them!
I've read the first of these books, it was great and I'll add the rest of them to my wish list!
Wow, reading this post makes me crave the "Master of Craving" :-)
Welcome to The Lair Karin and Cinderella's always been my favorite....rags to riches AND a prince
Welcome to the lair, Karin.
Absolutely LOVE the cover - very, very hot!
I'm a fan of fairy tales. I love the structure and that the victim of undeserved mistreatment gets the good life in the end. Disney's animation never hurt either (grin).
I luuuuurv fairy tales!
'Cause I always can't seem to give simple answers...
For the pictures:
-Hilary Knight's Cinderella
-King Stork by Howard Pyle
For the stories:
-The Steadfast Tin Soldier
-The Little Match Girl
-The Wild Swans
-The Wise Little Girl
Disneyfied versions:
-The Little Mermaid
-Sleeping Beauty
Ha! Though I love HEAs and usually make sure the books I read and the movies I watch have them, I notice that some of my favourite fairy tale stories don't all have entirely happy endings. I don't think I'll look too closely at that. :)
Karin,
That is one hot cover, lol.
I had no fav fairy tales, I love many.
Good on you, Helen! I would stay for that mud cake too! The way to a chook's heart is through his stomach!
That is one hot cover, Karin! I've read Master of Torment and Master of Surrender and I loved them both! Great hot heroes, lots of adventure and smart tough heroines!
I've always loved Cinderella. I definitely felt like her last year at the RWA National Conference!
But, I also LOVE Beauty and the Beast. There have been some GREAT romances written on that premise.
Pissenlit, I had forgotten about The Little Match Girl and the Steadfast Tin Soldier. Those were definitely two of my favorites as a child and I still love them.
YAY Helen :-) Congratulations on the bird-napping *g* Can I come have mud cake, too?
Ahhh, Cinderella. A story about shoes, whats not to love???
Hey Pink :-) Another Cinderella fan, huh? YAY - I'm with you. I love the many versions of that story myself. And Karin's books -fab!! You should check out the free read, its a great peek at the Knights and her writing just sucks you right in.
Oooh, Dianna, The Princess and the Pea. My youngest daughter was in that play (she played the Queen) and its such a fun fairy tale.
And hey, reading till 90... I like that :-) I really like that. Theres only about one other thing I'd still like to be doing at 90 *g*
Hi Barbara!
I have the Paper Bag Princess here, but haven't read Roald Dahl's book - love the title LOL. I'll have to check it out.
My daughter has some fun upside down fairy tale books - The Wolf who Cried Boy, for instance, just slays us. We laugh so hard reading it.
Eva, Ooooh, Beauty and the Beast. Its one of my absolute Disney faves and the story itself is wonderful, isn't it. Did you ever watch the TV series of the same name? I only caught it now and then, but was always drawn in to the magic of it when I did.
LOL JoanieT - craving, indeed!!
And another Cinderella fan :-) The glass slipper is definitely in the lead this morning.
:-) Donna, I'm with you. And isn't it fun to weave fairy tales into our own books? You've done that quite a bit, haven't you?
ROFL Pissenlit - some things we just shouldn't examine, right?
What a great list. I admit, I'm not familiar with some of those stories. Well, Disney for sure, but I'll have to check out the others. Like you I'm a big fan of HEA, so you might give me a warning of which ones aren't ;-)
Dina, that cover practically sizzles, doesn't it?!
Hey, Karin. Good to see you again. (Karin and I were next-door neighbors during a signing at the Wisconsin RWA conference a couple of weeks ago.)
Favorite fairytale -- it's not really an original answer, but Cinderella. I also like Mulan.
Karin, I like the occasional self-help book because, like you said, it's a good reminder. Kind of like some of the writing workshops I go to. I "know" this stuff, but it's always good to be reminded.
Louisa :-) You deserve to feel like a princess!!!
I love how much you love Karin's stories. She's a fab author for sure and these Blood Sword books... yowza!!! And the woman pays attention to detail - she can talk history like you wouldn't believe (not to me, of course. My eyes glaze over and I drive her nuts LOL)
Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast - wonderful favorites :-)
Hey Trish ;-) Karin was telling me she sat by you. Great company for both of you, IMO!!
LOL at Cinderella being the reigning fave. I'm not surprised, its a wonderful, enduring story.
And self help books... I admit, I love certain ones. Business ones or organizational. I'm a major fan of Wayne Dyer and loved Jack Canfields Success Principals. I hadn't heard of this one, though, so will have to check it out.
I have always loved fairy tales and,
so sorry, I can't select just one!
I could select Sleeping Beauty, or
Cinderella, or Snow White, or Beauty and the Beast, or, or, or! I can't
pick out just one! Your Knights
sound just wonderful - I just added
them to my TBR list!!
Pat Cochran
ROFL Pat. Hey, its hard to pick just one when they all rock.
And YAY for adding to your TBR pile - I know you won't regret it (well maybe the missed sleep, but its worth it!!)
Karen, welcome to the Lair! Master Of Craving sounds fantastic. I'm with Tawny in loving fairy tales! Tawny, Snow White and Rose Red was one of my very favorites, too. *sigh*
Karen, congrats on finding your boost in Rinnavation. Sometimes I get a boost from a writing book, like Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. Sometimes it's a story of triumph over seemingly insurmountable life circumstances - I am a huge fan of Holocaust survivor stories. I also get a charge from reading Health magazine, which is always inspiring and makes me feel fitter, somehow. (I get new exercises every month!)
Sometimes, though, I get a huge charge from watching musicals. No idea why, but somehow watching people sing and dance their way through life's highs and lows really does it for me. A recent favorite: Matthew Broderick's version of "Music Man". Love it!!
Karin, I'm sorry I "Karened" you. As a Caren, I get "Karened" a lot and it's ever-so-slightly annoying. Many apologies!
Helen, clever of you to lure the GH to your side with mud cake! I'd definitely hang around for that. *g*
Caren, a good friend of mine sent me a copy of Bird by Bird when I was going through a rough patch and swore it'd fix me all up. I was in too much a funk to read at that time (I'd just lost my MIL) but I still have it here to read someday LOL.
I'd never thought of turning to musicals as a pick-me-up, but I can so see how that would be inspiring and cheerful. So what I want to know is do you go around singing and dancing?
Congrats on the GR, Helen.
Hi Karin,
Congrats on the release of "Master of Craving." I enjoyed the free read. You certainly know how to write hot cops and hunky knights. "Beauty and the Beast" and "Sleeping Beauty" are my favorite fairy tales.
Welcome to the lair, Karin! The Blood Sword Legacy sounds fabulous and I'm hoping to pickup Master of Craving when I go shopping this afternoon *g*
As for favorite fairy tales, some of my favorites are Twelve Dancing Princesses and Rapunzel.
And Karin, like you, I'm very happy with myself and my life but still, this is my Summer of Self Improvement (as Tawny well knows *g*) You can always get better, right? And I love books that make me think and help me want to do better, to BE better :-)
hola, chicas! Busy morning, grabbing coffee and will be back to chat!!
Karin Tabke
Hi Karin, and welcome to the lair.
Gosh, that guy has a nice...sword.
What a cover!
I'm like Tawny and love the fairy tales --they're my escape. And I like the Welsh angle too.
As to the self-help books, I used to be a junkie. But not any more. I think I went from making my own reality better to complete escapism with the novels. Ah well..
Thanks, Tawny for bringing Karin to the lair and introducing us to her awesome series!
Ladies thanks for the invite!
My fave fairytale? Beauty and the Beast!
Hi, Helen! Dayum woman you were up early.
Cinderella is a fave of mine. I remember the Rodgers and Hammerstien version. Sigh.
Hi, PinkPeony! Please, check the boys out!
You too, Dianna. I hear you tho' about the tbr pile. mine rivals the empire state building!
Barbara, I'm not familiar with any of those. Must check them out!
Eva, so glad to hear you enjoyed MASTER OF SURRENDER! The book that gave me an ulcer! ;)
Thanks for the welcome, Joan. And just so, ya know, CRAVING will not disappoint!
Hi, Donna. Thank you for the welcome. I always enjoy my visits here. Isn't the cover hawt? LOVE it! I love fairytales too!
Pissenlit, I love HEA's too! It's why I write romance!!!
Karen, welcome to the lair! Great to have you here! Only a quick swing by to give a wave and good wishes. I'm going away for the weekend. Yes, I've got time off for bad behavior ;-) Congratulations on all your success! I'm sure Master of Craving will be a huge hit!
Helen, you've been giving his feather highness too many Tim Tams - he'll never move out now!
Hi, Dina, :) on the CRAVING cover. While Beauty and the Beast is my fave, I do so love all of the others. All of them!
Hey, Louisa. I have the cover as my screen saver. I pet it every morning when I boot up and every night when I sigh off. ;) I'm so glad you loved SURRENDER and TORMENT!! sigh. I love writing this series.
Yo, T. How could I not know that Cinderella and her glass slipper issue would be your fave?
Hi, Trish!! Waving madly. So the book I had you sign for my gf's daughter? She LOVED it! Read it in less than two days. Is there a sequel???
Snerk. Tawny's eyes *do* glaze over when I start talking medieval! hee hee. it's kind of cute.
Pat, I can never just pick one knight either! Have a menage! Or, no wait. You, Rohan, Wulfson and Stefan. A foursome! ;)
Caren, not to worry on the spelling. as you know, it's part of being special. ;) My fave musical, is GREASE. I just love it.
Hi, Karin, thanks for visiting with us today. Ummmm, delicious cover on Master of Craving.
Ah, Tawny, Beauty and the Beast, love, love, love that universal story!
Karin, I'll have to check out Rinna's book. I could use a little glow now and again!
Thank you, Jane. This last month has been crazy! Glad you enjoyed A KNIGHT TO REMEMEBR. I had a lot of fun writing it.
Thanks for the welcome, Beth! Thanks for picking CRAVING up! I hope you enjoy. I think if I had more time, I would read more self help books, mostly for the energy.
Thanks for the welcome, Cassondra. And *isn't* that a nice sword? You should see his other--'er equipment.
Have a great weekend getaway, Anna!
Jo, it's my pleasure to be here! I think you'll really enjoy Lisa's book. She is so candid and well, she has issues and she has overcome them, but works at keeping them conquered. I really enjoyed her easy open frank style.
Too many things give me a glow: When I've read something I love, written something I love, watched a great movie, took my dog for a walk, petted my cat ... I can go on, but I won't.
I've read all your books and your short story already. I'm waiting for your next one! Meanwhile, I'll check out Rinnavation.
Karin, hasn't it always made you crazy that you can't find mugs or keychains or cute Christmas ornaments with your name on it? *g*
I love to buy those for people, but invariably wish someone would buy me ANYTHING with my name on it. *sigh*
Yes, we odd spellers can all feel the pain together. And blame our mothers! *g*
Tawny, I'm with you on reading until 90. I hope I live to be 90 and that I still have my vision (though, medically, it's probable I will be blind if I live that long) and can read and still write!
I plan to do lots of crossword puzzles and other word games. I hear that keeps your mind sharp into old age.
Tawny, you MUST KNOW that I go around singing and dancing. Fortunately, my crazy family will join me at the drop of a hat - most of the time. My son has never been one to join in, but he will at home. My husband likes to act as if he is an unwilling participant, but I think he likes it because his family would NEVER have done that, even in private!
My daughters and I burst into song and dance many times during a given day. They bring home tales of doing the same at school, so I suppose they're twisted beyond repair now. *g* Take me to a grocery store next conference and see what happens with me and the piped in music. My favorite is to keep singing whatever song is on when they RUDELY interrupt with their "messages". Humph!
Karin, you have to know that Helen is an Aussie and, therefore, our crack of dawn is her...mid-evening maybe? The time change makes my eyes cross.
Karin, sorry, I called you KAREN! That's my real name so the spelling just sort of came out automatically! Just about to take off! Hope you're having fun in the lair. Here, have another margarita!
Helen, you're on a rooster roll! No fair that he gets to finish the mud cake. He's so spoiled already. *sigh*
Karin, welcome! I love series, and these look terrific. Unlike Tawny, I'm a history geek. I'm glad to see the early medieval period getting play.
I also love fairy tales and have several of those "color" fairy books. It's hard for me to pick a favorite. The heroine in Rumpelstiltskin is clever. I like the prince and the thorns and the dragon in Sleeping Beauty, though that may be only in the Disney version. And I like the Little Mermaid, which I first read as a Classics Illustrated Junior comic book long, long ago.
Caren said: Karin, hasn't it always made you crazy that you can't find mugs or keychains or cute Christmas ornaments with your name on it? *g*
Oh man, try having a name like Tawny.
Nancy, I love those coloring books too. I swear, I only had kids to indulge my own inner child and her crayola and Barbie obsessions LOL
Look forward to reading it.
Read a great new romantic comedy following the fortunes of Paul Marriott, the Secretary of the Barnstorm Village Sunday soccer team, and coach of a school cricket team in Yorkshire, England. The story describes the remarkable camaraderie between the players and supporters of this little club and their desire to achieve success. Nonetheless, the team is known more for its antics off the field, rather than their performances on it.
During his time at the club he meets and becomes involved with Emma Potter, who is the sister of James Potter, a major player for their bitter rivals Moortown Inn. Thus, begins an entangled web of romance and conflict. He also begins working at Derry High School, a school with a poor reputation of academic success, where he becomes coach of the school cricket team. Here he develops an amazing relationship with the children and embarks on an epic journey.
www.eloquentbooks.com/ClassesApart.html
Master of Craving sounds great
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