Hello Darling Readers!
July 4th is my Birthday!
About
An Interview with Shurrn
Interviewing the most talked about Blogger of 2014:
A few days ago, The Smutsonian introduced you to our new Guest Bloggers – Today they’re putting their interview skills to the test by interviewing Shurrn – The Creator and Head Curator of The Smutsonian. She’s a world famous book reviewer, an internet celebrity, and she can fire us from the blog if we don’t give her an awesome introduction, so here goes:
2014 saw the launch of a blogger nobody saw coming, but everyone was clamoring to work with. At the end of a whirlwind year, Shurrn is sitting down with a panel of The Smutsonian’s 2015 guest bloggers and learning what it feels like to be on the other end of some of her infamous interview questions.
Shurrn – Creator & Head Curator of The Smutsonian
What is a Shurrn?
It throws people when they see the name in print. “Shurrn” rhymes with “burn” if that helps 🙂 My parents named me Sharon. When I was in high school, my oldest nephew was just a toddler and couldn’t pronounce my name properly. He called me “Annie Shurrn” instead of “Auntie Sharon” also, when he wanted attention, he would say “talka you” as in, “I want to talk to you”.
One day I was hanging out with a group of friends when my nephew ran around the corner and screamed at the top of his toddler-sized lungs “ANNIE SHURRN! TALKA YOOOOOU!” – My friends thought this was hilarious. The next day the whole freakin’ school was yelling “Shurrn Talka You!” in the hallway. My friends and family have called me Shurrn ever since… Well, except for my nephew (who is in high school now, and is probably still hugely embarrassed by the story) he carefully pronounces “Aunt Sharon” now.
How did you get started blogging?
I didn’t choose the Blog life… The Blog life chose me 😉
I am a voracious reader. I was keeping a hand-written book journal just so I could recall details and favorite quotes from the books I’ve read. I’m a child of the digital age, so posting my reviews on the internet seemed like an easy decision. I started blogging my reviews on GoodReads and gained quite a following there. More followers, more likes, and eventually I was being ranked in the Top 100 Reviewers in the country… then Top Reviewers in the World. At the at the end of 2014, GoodReads had me ranked as the following:
How did you become a Professional Reader of Erotica?
I was approached by a publishing house looking to cash in on the rising popularity of Erotic Romance after the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon. It took them a year to realize that the traditional methods of promoting new releases through stuffy literature critics weren’t working out… Even though sales of Erotica were going through the roof.
They needed people reviewing their books who wouldn’t immediately turn their nose up at the genre. They went looking for reviewers…
I had a following already, I wasn’t easily offended, and I was reading several hundred books a year. I was drafted faster than an eight-foot basketball player to an NBA team. I spent a year reviewing books for that publisher, eventually two more publishing houses contracted my services… and the rest is history I guess. I no longer have contracts or receive any type of monetary compensation from any publishing house or author, but they still send me mountains of books.
How and Why did you create The Smutsonian?
Freedom. There are a ton of content restrictions on book review sites and I find it stifling. I read about sex, write about sex, review the quality and hottness of a sex scene… But I couldn’t post any photos considered to be “graphic” by random people who might stumble across my reviews. Anyone can flag a review as being inappropriate for any reason. When you’re a popular reviewer, someone who isn’t interested in Erotica might check you out to see why so many people are reading your reviews and BAM! – I’m talking about gang-bangs and deep-throating. Poor bastards might die of shock! So I created The Smutsonian. I own the site outright and can post anything I want here. Plus, with a name like “Smutsonian” you know exactly what you’re getting here.
How did you come up with the name?
That one is easy, I didn’t! I owe 99% of the credit for The Smutsonian’s name to my dear friend Terry. He had the name rolling around in his head for a few years before I forcefully borrowed it – with his permission of course. Since I owe him so much on that front, I should probably mention that Terry is single, handsome, educated, has a great sense of humor, and is (I’ve heard) delightfully kinky – Message him on Facebook.
I also owe at least 1% of the credit to a national group of museums who shall not be named but to whom I am infinitely thankful for not sending me a cease and desist letter. 😉
What do you feel sets The Smutsonian apart from your competitors?
I don’t consider other Blogs or Bloggers to be my competitors. We share a common love of reading and we’re all looking to introduce our followers to awesome new books.
That being said, The Smutsonian doesn’t operate like a normal book blog, but I think our followers appreciate the differences. We don’t participate in the usual book tours or “book blitz” posts. This means that all of our content is original, and we’re not talking about a book unless we’ve read it or plan to read it. Our content is unique, and I’m always looking to discover new Indie Authors.
We get excerpts to include with 99% of the books we review, and I interview authors like I’m a smutty Barbra Walters.
The Smutsonian only publishes one post per day (so our readers know that we won’t bombard their email) and we save all of the New Releases, Cover Reveals, Sales, Freebies, and general news for our Weekend Updated posts each Saturday. This means that we keep our readers informed, but we’re not filling anyones inbox with a ton of extra stuff.
You recently polished off a seemingly impossible reading goal. Would you talk about that for a moment?
Sure, I set a goal to read 200 books in 2014. I surpassed that number the final total for the year was 214 titles.
How the hell do you read that many books?
I’ve always been a quick reader, and I’ve always got a book within arm’s reach. Just like with anything else – you can make time for things that you love. Honestly, if I wasn’t blogging full reviews, I could easily read over 300 books a year, but where’s the fun in that?
Do you blog reviews for every book you read?
Yes, but not at The Smutsonian. This site is reserved only for Erotica and I still read many books which don’t fall into that category. Those reviews are posted on GoodReads but not here.
What is your all time favorite book?
My absolute favorite book isn’t erotica (shocker) it’s Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I’ve read every book and collection Gaiman has published. While I was in college I would carry around paperbacks of his novels and sneak chapters in between my studies. It was a beautiful reward for my hard work. I think I’ve purchased Neverwhere at least fifteen times – hardcover, paperback, eBooks – I loan out my copies, I wear out paperbacks, and buy them as gifts… I think if you asked me the top ten books I’ve ever read, Gaiman would have at least three on the list. There’s something about his writing style which brings me joy each and every time.
OK, so if your favorite book isn’t an erotic selection, what is your favorite piece of Erotica?
Ah… Not getting out of this one, eh? My Favorite books change all the time. Erotica is an ever-expanding and evolving genre, so I find something new and different to love every month.
- Everything Alessandra Torre writes is magnificent, especially her novel Black Lies. Her books Black Lies and Sex Love Repeat are the only books I’ve ever rated 6 of 5 Stars.
- I love Shay Savage’s Evan Arden Trilogy and all of her wonderfully damaged and twisted male POVs. Her books always take me on a jouney and leave me with book hangovers.
- As far as series go, I’m a big fan of the whole Cut and Run universe (with all it’s spinoffs) from Abigail Roux. I schedule days off of work for the release of new books in that series.
- I’m a big fan of the hot and hilarious Beautiful Bastard series from author duo Christina Lauren – their character Max Stella is my number one book boyfriend 😉
The Savage Trainer (cover model), Shurrn, & Shay Savage (Author of Transcendence & The Evan Arden Trilogy)
Would you say becoming a Blogger has changed you? In what way?
Well, as I mentioned before, I don’t read as many books as I would like because it takes a great deal of time to write a thoughtful and engaging review.
What would you say was the toughest part?
Blogging is incredibly time consuming. In addition to reading and writing the actual review, there’s graphics, formatting, scheduling, emails, interviews, LOTS of Social Media cross-promotion, and staying “in the know” about all the things happening in this industry.
As far as reviewing is concerned – Writing a Five Star review is hard for me to do. Since I rarely rate a book so highly, I feel obligated to justify my love of the book… Which is odd, I guess, because all these reviews are simply my opinion. Occasionally I suffer a blogger version of writer’s block, but most of the time, a review just flows out of me.
What is the most rewarding part?
When I introduce readers to an emerging Indie Author and they see a wild boost in their sales and followers, it puts a smile on my face. I’ve also done quite a bit of publicity for books, authors, and anthologies who donate their profits to charity.
Before you think I’m the Mother Teresa of Bloggers, I’ll admit the best thing about doing this is when an author mails me a copy of their book with a personal inscription. At the end of the day, I’m just a fan giving my opinion, so I’m always touched with an author reaches out to me.
Alessandra Torre’s inscription inside Shurrn’s copy of The Dumont Diaries
Was there ever a time when you felt like giving up? What made you change your mind?
Life is more important than Blogging, so sometimes I would fall a bit behind or feel that I had over-scheduled myself. I’ve (*knock on wood*) never missed a deadline, but I feel the time crunch every now and then. That’s why I brought in a crop of Guest Bloggers this year. I’m still writing the majority of the reviews for The Smutsonian, but there’s not as much pressure.
What does your day-to-day life consist of? What else do you do, aside from running The Smutsonian?
I have a full time job as a Personal Assistant at a corporate office… And my co-workers have no idea that I run a smutty empire when I’m off the clock. I’m not trying to hide what I do, but I don’t advertise it to my co-workers either. Eventually I’ll be discovered, and that will be a fun conversation LOL!
What about the people who know about your “smutty empire” what kind of reaction do you get?
There aren’t a ton of people in my life who know the full extent of what I do. I became world famous in this industry in a matter of months. Things seemed surreal on the upswing, and I think I was waiting for my fifteen minutes of fame to end… I love the attention, but I wan’t expecting it to last this long, I guess. Now it feels weird to bring it up to someone in casual conversation like,
Yeah, so I’m one of the top 10 Book Reviewers in the World, I have over 20,000 subscribers, and I’m kind of a big deal…
I’m quite conscious of the fact that if you have to tell someone you’re a celebrity… You’re probably not that big of a celebrity. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be outed and my family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances can have their moment of confusion and we can all move on.
I love doing this, and I plan to continue blogging on The Smutsonian for a long time. It’s not something I’m trying to keep hidden, I’m just not sure how to break the ice most of the time. I live in a happy little bubble right now and it’s awesome.
What advice do you have for new Bloggers?
Read what you love. Don’t agree to read a free book if you wouldn’t buy it based on the information you’ve been given. Highlight your books so you can go back after you’ve finished and refresh your memory before writing a review. And most importantly, don’t be an asshole.
What’s next for The Smutsonian?
Well, we’ve got a new crop of Guest Bloggers this year and we’re looking for more. We’ll be hosting MM March again this year – a very popular event where we only read MM titles during the month of March.
Shurrn & Emma Chase (Author of Tangled)
If you could turn back in time and do things differently, would you? What would you change?
I’ve been half-assed writing a novel for a little over a year now. I don’t spend much time actually writing, but I think about it frequently. I regret not giving myself enough time to finish that book, and I’ll admit that I use this blog as a convenient excuse not to write. It’s funny, when I ask authors that same question, I’m often told that they regret waiting so long to devote themselves to their writing.
Fun facts:
If you could wish for any one thing, and it would immediately come true, what would you wish for?
I’d love to be independently wealthy enough to blog full time.
If you were stranded on an isolated island, what’s the one item you’d absolutely wish to have with you?
The mountain of books I haven’t had a chance to read yet.
Name your favorite fruit.
Pears
Favorite season?
Spring
How about favorite time of the day?
I am a late night kind of girl.
Were you a Girl Scout?
Nope. I did ballet, tap, and I was classically trained in violin.
Favorite food for breakfast?
I don’t really eat breakfast, but I drink as much coffee as I can stand.
What is the latest book you’ve bought and read?
See that “bought” part can be tricky because I’m provided with about a squillion books a year from publishers, agents, and authors. That being said, I still buy the crap out of books – and if I get a free eBook of something I love, you can bet I’ll buy it in print.
The last paperbacks I bought were the first three books in Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series. I have them on my Kindle, but the paperbacks were on sale at my local bookstore for $4 each.
What was the last book you absolutely fell in love with?
I fall in love often, but my last real “WOW!” moment was while reading Claiming Addison by Zoey Derrick – it’s the first book in her series 69 Bottles and it blew me away. It’s a Rock Star MMF Romance with an amazing cast of characters and I promise it will knock your socks off.
Is there a book you keep meaning to read, but haven’t gotten around to it? Don’t worry, we all have ridiculously long TBRs!
Yes, and I’m making an effort in 2015 to rectify the situation.
- I want to catch up on J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series by the time the next book comes out. I’m on book 11, so I’m not far behind.
- I’m just starting The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and I’m kind of embarrassed it took me so long. I recently read the first two books in the series – you can expect a review of Darkfever on January 11th & Bloodfever on January 18th.
- I’d also really like to read the PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price – I think it’s going to be one of the first things I tackle in MM March.
Do you recall the first piece of Erotica you ever read?
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A. N. Roquelaure (pen name of Anne Rice) and I read it at an age which (in hindsight) was wholly inappropriate for my level of sexual awareness… Due to that fact, I was completely overwhelmed with what I read in the pages of her book.
I remember being completely sucked-in and transfixed by the elaborate (and oftentimes absurd) fantasy world full of debauchery within. That tiny paperback, pages now yellowed, spine cracked and flaking, was once tucked away under my mattress like a Playboy… Now it sits proudly – though tattered with love – on my bookshelf…
Do you collect things, like stamps, or key chains, or shoes?
eBooks. If all the books in my Kindle magically became paperbacks, I could stack them up and build a three-bedroom home out of them.
Favorite color, you know you want to tell us!
Blue
Coffee or tea?
Coffee, with sugar and milk.
Sweet or salty?
Both at the same time
Drama or comedy?
I like them both, but favor Comedy in all things.
Cats or dogs?
I have two adopted dogs. A nine year old Jack Russel Terrier named Conor and a four year old Beagle named Trillian Tiberius (Yes, that’s a Douglas Adams and Star Trek homage. Yes, I’m a giant nerd.) Here they are with Santa a few weeks ago:
Dinner by candlelight or a night out clubbing?
Dinner by Candlelight. But I’ll listen to club music while I get ready 😉
Do you have a favorite Book Boyfriend/Girlfriend?
I keep a harem full of Book Boyfriends. My top man of the moment is Max Stella from Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren, but you can check out my Top 5 Book Boyfriends here.
Christina Lauren (Authors of the Beautiful Bastard series) & Shurrn
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
I have a serious thing for gay porn… Particularly Jake Jaxson‘s whole crop of Cockyboys… And everybody knows I have a crush on Jake Bass… So, maybe I’m not so guilty about it afterall 😉
Favorite Swear Word?
A good solid use of the F-word is the foundation of the English Language. It’s fucking classy.
Happy New Year & Meet our New Bloggers!
Happy New Year from The Smutsonian!
Speaking of NEW, we’d like to formally introduce you to two of our guest Bloggers for 2015! They’ve been working behind the scenes at The Smutsonian for a while, and we’re looking forward to shoving them into the spotlight! *evil laugh*
SHURRN’S BIRTHDAY GIFT TO YOU!
Hello Darling Readers!
Today is my Birthday!
It has been a lovely year for me!
I read several hundred of the sexiest books,
I’m ranked as one of the top Book Reviewers in the world,
I met some amazing authors,
I’ve made a ton of new book friends,
& I just launched The Smutsonian website!
To thank you for making this year so awesome,
I’m giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
You might be wondering…
Why am I giving YOU a gift on MY Birthday?
The answer is quite simple: you’re the reason I had such a great time this year!
But if you insist on getting me a gift…
I’d like Jake Bass Please! 😉
You should bother him on Twitter until he acknowledges my existence…
I’m kidding!
😉
Mostly…
Kresley Cole – The Professional
The Professional by Kresley Cole
Series: Game Maker #1
Source: Review By Request
ARC Provided by Publisher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The highly anticipated complete novel of The Professional—the first installment in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s scorching Game Maker series, an erotica collection that has readers asking: How hot is too hot?
He makes the rules…
Mafiya enforcer Aleksei “The Siberian” Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss knows no bounds, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, feisty redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Aleksei will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.
Rules are made to be broken…
Grad student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the dark and breathtaking Sevastyan before the professional enforcer whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. Every day under his protection leads her deeper under his masterful spell.
Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true…
Meh…
Maybe it was just me?
Were my expectations too high?
I’d never been in a situation like this.
A sexual situation I didn’t control. I was embroiled in dangerous circumstances with a mysterious stranger, but I felt no fear. I felt… anticipation. And I suspected the lack of control was fueling it. Was danger turning me on?
This is a 3.5 Star read for me… But I’m hoping that Kresley Cole will continue the series. I think that if I could have a second book (with a bit more character development) then I would be perfectly happy with the series. As it stands, however, I was entertained but not amazed…
What DOES amaze me is how polarizing this book seems to be…
Personally, I didn’t LOVE it or HATE it…
But after I finished, everything seemed a little flat for my liking.
I wanted to love this, but the more I reflect on my experience with the book, the less impressed I am.
Great Erotica…
Interesting Plot…
Laugh out loud humor…
But something was off with Sevastyan & Natalie…
Aleksei Sevastyan
“…You think I can’t tell when a woman wants me burried deep inside her?”
He is a combination of over the top alpha-male hotness and complete emotional unavailability.
Quite simply: He is not Book Boyfriend Material…
He is, however, absurdly gifted between the sheets…
Erotica will always be better when there is an emotional connection. Sevastyan was so ridiculously stereotypical “broken alpha-male” that I lost all interest in him. He had all the personality and usefulness of a dildo.
Natalie Porter
I, Natalie Porter, had gotten my rocks off while being spanked. And I was going to roll with it.
At times, Natalie was just another stereotypical “quirky, virgin, college student” who discovers her taste for submission. But in the moments where she asserts herself, she redeems the entire book…
Quite simply: She is a naive twenty-something ripe for sexual corruption.
The truly interesting thing about Natalie is that she went from being a Nebraska Farm girl to a Mafia Princess overnight. So, why was that adjustment process kind of glossed over? That was a missed opportunity.
I never really felt the love between these two… Even their sexual chemistry was stunted by Sevastyan’s absurd behavior. Generally speaking, when I’m faced with the “virginal college girl is seduced by older man with a taste for BDSM” trope, I find myself liking the mysterious male more than the female MC… The opposite was true of this book.
I should also point out that Natalie’s (equally stereotypical) sex-crazed best friend Jess had all of the best dialogue in the book.
UPDATE MAY 10, 2014:
I had the opportunity to say hello to Kresley Cole in Memphis while she was traveling with the Belles on Wheels Book Tour. I had an awkward photo op and asked a few questions about the Professional Series.
I wanted to know if Sevastyan & Natalie’s story will continue in a second book… The answer was “no.” Apparently Sevastyan’s brothers are going to get their own books, but we’ve seen all the character development we’re going to get out of these two…
***I was granted an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
Louisville Author Event 2014
I adore Author Events & Conferences.
They give you a unique opportunity to take your time with the authors present. I will always be more likely to attend a conference than a books signing – Signings are the literary equivalent of an inner-city petting zoo: See the author on the other side of the table. Shake hands, sign book, say Hi, move on.
Authors are my celebrities and my bread-and-butter… If it weren’t for their hard work and talent, there would be no excited fans, and no need for someone like me… So yeah, I like to take my time with authors.
The Louisville Authors Event hosted a lovely group of talented authors over the weekend and I was excited to take part. The fact that the event was held at the Galt House, which is walking distance from my office – which was just icing on the cupcake… And probably explains why the event used a cupcake theme…
Check out this gorgeous Group of talented authors:
I had my short-list of authors I wanted to speak with as I make my way around the Fountain Room of the Galt House. For the hour allotted, I’m afraid I didn’t have the opportunity to speak with everyone in attendance… But I assure you, it was quality over quantity!
SHAY SAVAGE
Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, two children, and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, masquerading as a zombie, is a HUGE Star Wars fan, and member of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. When the geek fun runs out, she also loves soccer in any and all forms – especially the Columbus Crew, Arsenal and Bayern Munich – and anxiously awaits the 2014 World Cup. Savage holds a degree in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.
Let’s be serious – I’m a fan of Shay Savage in a way that’s one tiny step away from Annie Wilkes in Misery… I’d throw in an “LOL” to make that less creepy… But yeah… It’s the truth… I’ve read every book she’s published, and her talent is endless. Needless to say, she was my first stop at the LAE.
She’s not only a talented author, she’s also a fabulous person to talk to. Also… She & C.L. Parker were drunk (with like 5 “U”s – I’m talking DRUUUUUNK) which was endlessly entertaining! In case you’re out of the loop, that slab of man-candy in the photo with us is TST (The Savage Trainer) he’s a cover model for several of Shay Savage’s Books, as well as a Twitter Celebrity.
I had her autograph a copy of Transcendence, and Savage Trainer stole my phone so he could take a selfie…
ALEATHA ROMIG
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who has been voted #1 “New Author to Read” on Goodreads, July 2012 – Present!
Aleatha has lived most of her life in Indiana, growing-up in Mishawaka, graduating from Indiana University, and currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of twenty seven years, they’ve raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include exercising, reading, and creating heroes/ anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!
Aleatha enjoys traveling, especially when there is a beach involved. In 2011 she had the opportunity to visit Sydney, Australia to visit her daughter studying at the University of Wollongong. Her dream is to travel to places in her novels and around the world.
CONSEQUENCES, her first novel, was released August 2011 by Xlibris Publishing. Then in October of 2012, Ms. Romig re-released CONSEQUENCES as an indie author. TRUTH, the sequel, was released October 30, 2012, and CONVICTED, the third in the series, was released October 8, 2013. Unexpectedly, the fourth book of the Consequences series came to life with REVEALED: The Missing Years. It is the fourth full-length novel in the series. It explores the gap in time in Convicted that was previously only mentioned as well as a complete character glossary and timeline. REVEALED was released in June of 2014.
Aleatha also wrote reading companions for the Consequences Series. BEHIND HIS EYES CONSEQUENCES (Book 1.5) and BEHIND HIS EYES TRUTH (Book 2.5) are currently available for those time and scenes when the readers asked, “What was he thinking?” These companions also contain never before behind the scenes scenes.
Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Brown and Miller Literary Associates.
I chatted with her about Alpha-Males and what draws us into their web, and bout Tony specifically. I picked up some of her book swag and an autographed copy of the first book in the Consequences series for my collection. Readers will appreciate that her book swag comes complete with a Red Wing napkin to tuck in the front of your book… Since, after all, it began with a napkin.
C. L. PARKER
C. L. Parker is a romance author who writes stories that sizzle. She’s a small-town girl with big-city dreams and enough tenacity to see them come to fruition. Having been the outgoing sort for all her life—which translates to “she just wouldn’t shut the hell up”—it’s no wonder Parker eventually turned to writing as a way to let her voice, and those of the people living inside her head, be heard. She loves hard, laughs until it hurts, and lives like there’s no tomorrow. In her world, everything truly does happen for a reason.
She is the Author of the Million Dollar Duet, which was published by RandomHouse – one of the publishers I read for… She was a joy to talk to – we share a love of strong minded heroines and the alpha males who take control in bed 🙂 We’re both big fans of J.R. Ward & Karen Marie Moning. We also bonded over our love of Trey from Olivia Cunning‘s Sinners on Tour Series. Then she took the time to autograph a copy of a Million Dirty Secrets, the first book in the Million Dollar Duet.
ROCHELLE PAIGE
I absolutely adore reading – always have and always will. My friends growing up used to tease me when I would trail after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. If I have downtime, odds are you will find me reading or writing.
I am the mother of two wonderful sons who have inspired me to chase my dream of being an author. I want them to learn from me that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.
When I told my mom that my new year’s resolution was to self-publish a book in 2013, she pretty much told me “About time!”
I haddn’t even heard of Rochelle Page before attending this event, but she was fucking hilarious, and I jumped at the chance to grab a copy of her book, Push the Envelope… Did you know that there REALLY IS a place in Ohio that you can charter a flight to join the Mile High Club? Who knew? So I got her to autograph a copy of her book, and I also wound up with a pile of book swag 🙂
N.A. ALCORN & ALY MARTINEZ
Author of the Infamous Series.
Avid reader.
Tequila enthusiast.
Smut addict.
Lover of all things inappropriate and perverted.
Aly Martinez:
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five- including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
These hilarious ladies are part of the Indie Romance Author Chicks – a lovely group of talented ladies. Laughing with them was the highlight of the event for me, we were perverted peas in a pod.
For the record, that little can-coozy is used on a daily basis. It hugs my Dr. Peppers on the regular.
JULIA SYKES
Julia Sykes has always kept dark stories tucked away in her mind, so she was thrilled when she discovered that other people actually want to read them. Her books blend romance, suspense, and BDSM.
After spending four years living in England, Julia returned to her Southern homeland. She has recently settled down in North Carolina and spends her time petting her cat-children, reading, and binge watching TV with her husband when not writing. You can usually find Julia in Starbucks with a venti iced caramel latte clutched in her hand.
Julia Sykes is the amazingly talented author of the Impossible Series, and it was a pleasure to talk to her about the darker side of the erotica universe. I had her autograph a copy of her new book Knight for me, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. You can read my interview with her here.
EMBER CASEY
Ember Casey is a twenty-something writer who lives in Atlanta, Georgia in a den of iniquity (or so she likes to tell people). When she’s not writing steamy romances, you can find her whipping up baked goods (usually of the chocolate variety), traveling (her bucket list is infinite), or generally causing trouble (because somebody has to do it).
I loved Ember Casey’s His Wicked Games, and I was excited to talk to her about her plans for continuing the series. She was an absolute delight. You can read my interview with her here.
LEIGH TALBERT MOORE
I’m the hat lady–wife, mom, reader, writer, caffeine addict, chocoholic, southern expat, and beach bum.
We talked about our love of Indie Authors and she hinted that she might continue the Cheveux Roux series after her Dragonfly Series is completed. I had her autograph a copy of Rouge while I was at it.
Moral of the Story: The Louisville Author’s Event was wildly successful in stocking my bookshelf and collecting book-swag, which are two of my favorite hobbies. If you could have throw in marathon reading and sex, it would have been my utopia… Check out the amazing pile I brought home:
***A few Notes***
- All of the Author Bios were stolen from their GoodReads pages.
- All of the Graphics were borrowed from the Louisville Author’s Event’s WordPress & Facebook Pages.
- The photo of C.L. Parker was borrowed from her blog.
- The photo of Aly Martinez was stolen from her Twitter account.
- The photo of Leigh Talbert Moore was stolen from the YA Confidential Blog.
- The photos of Julia Sykes & Ember Casey were taken from the GoodReads profiles.
- The photos of Rochelle Page, N.A. Alcorn, & the Author Group Photo were taken by Toski Covey Photography.
- Everything else was curtesy of my iPhone 🙂
How My Reviews Work
All of my reviews follow the same format:
I will always start with the Book Cover,
The Title, Author, & Series (when applicable) followed by the publish date.
I will tell you how I got my hands on the book:
(I often receive review copies and ARCs from authors and publishers)
I will break down the genre & sub-genre of the book:
(Romance, Erotica, Paranormal, Etc.)
Then I will let you know about the primary kink:
(BDSM, Rockstars, Menage, Etc.)
I do not own the rights to any of the text in color.
(The text in color is usually a quote from the book or a synopsis.)
Rating System:
All of my ratings are on a 5-Star Scale
Amazing, I would read it again!
It was Awesome, I recommend reading it!
I liked it, but it wasn’t Awesome
I didn’t like it, revisions are needed.
I really didn’t like it, no hope for it.
I will never rate a book which I haven’t read or didn’t finish – You will find no DNFs on my Blog.
Again, I’d like to refer to the disclosure at the bottom of the page which notes that I do not own any of the images contained in this blog, I only own my own opinions.
Request a Review
Due to an overabundance of Review Requests, we have made the decision to close this page until further notice. We receive more review requests than we could ever hope to fulfill. You are welcome to submit a request with the form below, but the available scheduling space for requested reviews is extremely limited at this time.
New Releases & Cover Reveals
If you are interested in publicity for a new release, cover reveal, free eBook, sale, or teasers for an upcoming release, please note that I publish a Weekend Updates post each Saturday for the purpose of keeping readers informed of hot news in Erotica and Romance. If you are only interested in being featured as part of a Weekend Updates post, please Click here for details. Thank you.
Review Policy
Some people will say “I read everything,” and maybe they do… But the truth is, nobody enjoys everything. Every author wants positive reviews, that’s the way the world works. I don’t want to give a poor review any more than you want to receive one, so I think it’s only fair to let you know my preferences before you submit your review request…
First of all, this is a blog specializing in Erotica. If there isn’t any sex in your book, this probably isn’t the best place to have it reviewed.
I love to read:
- Erotica
- Contemporary Romance
- Paranormal Romance
- Romantic Suspense
- MF
- MM
- MMF
- Comedy, Satire, etc.
(If you fall into those categories I will probably gobble up your book like a freshman sorority girl giving Blow Job to the star quarterback!)
I rarely read:
- Historical Romance
- Steampunk
- New Adult
- FF
(Please feel free to submit a review request if your book falls into these categories, if the description strikes my fancy, I’d be happy to review it!)
I do not read:
- Young Adult
- Non-Fiction (Including biography & memoir)
- Fan-Fiction
- Religious anything (Including Christian Romances)
- Comics, Manga, or Graphic Novels: I’m a fan of The Sandman, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, & The Walking Dead. Nobody should be asked to live up to that 😉 It’s not fair.
(If your book falls into those categories, I wish you luck, but I do not represent the target audience of your book…)
Red Flags:
It is not fair to any author to have their book reviewed poorly because of my personal set of morals (however few they may be) with that in mind, I prefer not to read the following elements:
- Underage Sex
- Infidelity
- Incest
Please note that I will be honest and fair in all my reviews.
This means that whether I love your book (or not) the review will be posted. All of my reviews are also posted on Goodreads & Leafmarks as well. After my review is posted, feel free to follow up if you would like the feedback posted to Amazon, Smashwords, or B&N, etc.
As you can imagine, I have a fairly long TBR list… But, if you are willing to do an author interview, provide an excerpt, or participate in contests and/or giveaway, I will read your book sooner rather than later. If I agree to review your book, I will give you a fairly accurate timeline of when I plan to read it before I receive a review copy from you.
Who is Shurrn
I am Shurrn!
Shurrn & Conor the dog
I am a real person… I’m not a combination of people working under a pseudonym or anything silly like that…
Some of my favorite things:
- Books – especially paperbacks, but I love my iPad and its various eReader Apps
- Coffee – with milk and sugar, served in my Owl shaped coffee mug
- Naps – or as I refer to them, “Adult Life Pauses”
I’m addicted to the internet, Amazon’s “one-click buy” button, coffee, Marlboro Reds, Dr. Pepper, and obsessive organization.
I am a twenty-something born and raised in North Texas, currently living in Louisville, Kentucky.
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Louisville: Hite Art institute. I majored in 2D Design with a focus in printmaking, specifically screen-printing. I also have a minor in Art History. A few years ago, I opened my own Art Gallery on Main Street in Louisville. My biggest claim to fame in the design world is that I once designed the Tour Poster for the Grammy Award wining band OK GO.
Shurrn & the boys of OK GO
Due to my education in the Arts and Humanities I have amassed a wealth of useless knowledge about Western Literature, The Romantic Period, Italian Opera, and gobs of other subjects which I remind myself are enriching… Especially each time I pay a student loan bill 😉
I have two dogs, a 10 year old Jack Russell Terrier named Conor and a 1 year old Chihuahua-Corgi mix named Moriarty – my dogs are the best reading buddies and love our time on the couch. They prefer that I read on my iPad so that I have a free hand for belly-time rather than turning pages. Both dogs were adopted from local Animal Shelters, and I a firm believer in animal adoption…
I am a Professional Reader currently freelancing for three publishing houses and about two dozen lovely authors on a regular basis. I also answer Review Requests for authors I haven’t yet worked with… I read more than 300 books per year, and I blog full detailed reviews for all of them.
I don’t read Erotica exclusively, as a matter of fact, I make it a point to clear my pallet every so often so I don’t get burned out… However, I only promote in the genre of Erotica. I’d tell you my favorite books and authors, but that’s an ever changing list… I do occasionally award Top Five trophies to outstanding work.
Social Media:
I am highly active on the site GoodReads where I live-blog updates as I read. GoodReads has me consistently ranked in the Top 50 Book Reviewers in the world, and I’m grateful to my thousands of friends and followers for making that happen.
My artistic sensibilities and love of organization and categorization makes Pinterest a perfect storm for me. I’m always pinning things and finding new inspiration on that site… There’s nothing my husband dreads more than hearing “I saw this thing on Pinterest” because it usually ends with a mess.
I’m also active on Twitter which has become the preferred vehicle for promotion in the publishing world – especially as more and more authors are going the Indie route. Plus it gives me the opportunity to openly stalk and pester all the authors I love… Who are basically my celebrities.
I have a Facebook page which I rarely use. As I’m sure you’re aware, Shurrn is a nickname which I’ve been carrying around since I was a teenager. I have a separate Facebook page which I rarely check on to keep up with the usual drama of friends, family, co-workers, former classmates, etc. I much prefer the drama found betwixt the pages of a book than that which is found in a Facebook feed. I count my self thankful that Facebook wasn’t invented until my Freshman year of College… The internet is forever and I’d hate to have a detailed record of my teenage years *shivers*
My Favorite Books outside the Erotica Genre:
My Favorite Films:
My Favorite Tv Shows:
(the few which will make me put down my books)
The Smutsonian 