Kimber An has posted a review of The Law of Desire over on Enduring Romance. You can check out what she has to say here:
Enduring Romance Review of THE LAW OF DESIRE
Head on over and leave her a note. Have a great weekend!
Much love and peace,
Gwyneth
There are two new reviews in for my December release, The Law of Desire . The reviews from Romance Junkies and Black Butterfly Review are in and they are awesome!
Chrissy Dionne from Romance Junkies writes:
“Gwyneth Bolton delivers another awe-inspiring tale to her HIGHTOWER HONORS series. I’ve fallen a little more in love with these men and this series in general with each new book that’s been released. The Hightower family is so honorable and good natured that you just can’t help but adore each of them. THE LAW OF DESIRE captivated me from the very first page because of Minerva’s drive to make a respectable life for herself. She’s grown up loved and protected but her brother’s gang affiliation really puts her at risk. Ms. Bolton doesn’t pull any punches with this storyline. It’s full of passion, heated arguments, laugh out loud funny scenes and several heartbreaking moments that brought tears to my eyes. Exactly the sort of tale I’ve come to admire from this talented author.” ~ 5 Blue Ribbons
Eleanor Shields from Black Butterfly Review writes:
“Gwyneth Bolton presents with her greatest Hightower thus far. In the 3rd book of this series, Ms. Bolton entertains her readers with a solid and satisfying story which only serves to prove why she is praised as being a master of her craft… Readers will be front and center as this authentic romance captures the heart and demands your attention as Ms. Bolton guides you through a well crafted novel of love and suspense. After reading three of the 4 stories of this series, I am convinced that the Hightowers are the new first family of African American Romance.” ~ 5 Flutters
And if you don’t feel like waiting until December to buy The Law of Desire in stores, you can always order it right now from e.harlequin.com.
I know I’ve been gone from the web for a minute. I’m in deadline hell and work is hectic. I’ll be back soon… I hope…
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
The Romantic Times review is in for my December release, The Law of Desire . They gave it 4 Stars. And here’s what they had to say: “The third book in the Hightower Honors series, Gwyneth Bolton’s The Law of Desire, is a story of triumph over despair. At 26, Minerva Athena “Thena” Jones is sucked back into her past when her gang-banger brother is murdered. She heads to Paterson, N.J., where she stays with reformed drug dealers. To fit in, Thena transforms into a “video vixen” with wild-colored hair extensions. When cop Lawrence Hightower meets “Minnie,” he’s sure she’s up to no good. But when someone tries to abduct her, Lawrence takes her to his family’s cabin in the Poconos. There, they get to know one another and realize that neither is what the other thought.” ~ Debbie R. Sims for Romantic Times Book Review
Both All About Romance and Urban Reviews chimed in on my September release, Make It Hot .
All About Romance gave the novel a grade of B and says…”The second installment to the Hightower Servicemen series, Make It Hot, is a nice, sweet read. Sweet in terms of the relationship dynamics, not the love scenes; those were as hot as the title… Bolton spends more time dealing with Joel’s issues than Samantha’s, though I felt they were each equally deserving of significant development. What she does develop is well done, however. Joel’s struggles to find himself a life purpose beyond fire fighting are touching and Samantha’s eventual acceptance of a life of love – even with the threat of heartbreak – is also emotional… I very much enjoyed Make It Hot and I’ve forgiven Lawrence Hightower for his take-over of the epilogue. I’ll be reading his story next.” ~ Abi for All About Romance
You can read the full review here:
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=6991
Urban Reviews give it 4 stars and says… “Make It Hot is another Hightower keeper. Gwyneth Bolton has a style that causes you to become engrossed in her stories. Her style of writing just flows and her books are such easy reads. This is the second book in the Hightower series and she still finds ways to keep you wanting more of those Hightower men.” ~ Tenecia for Urban-Reviews.com
You can read the full review here:
http://www.urban-reviews.com/aafiction-oct08.html#gwynethbolton
This is how we do the old to the new…
Because sometimes it’s about the perfect use of a sample…
“You’re Gonna Need Me” Dionne Warwick
“Throwback,” Usher
Like any true hip-hop head who also loves all kinds of music–especially ole school soul–I can appreciate sampling. I love when bits and pieces of beats and lyrics are recycled and reused in creative ways. The hubby and I often play “name that sample” (I know… we’re geeks…) Anyway, this is one of my favorites. I think Usher makes excellent use of Dionne Warwick’s voice and lyrics in this “Throwback.” And the title is perfect for Throwback Thursday…
Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m heading down to Jersey this weekend for my 20th high school reunion. I really can’t believe it’s been 20 years! I feel like it was just yesterday when I could hardly wait to get out of high school and start living my life. LOL. I wish I felt like scanning a picture of the young, wide-eyed girl from twenty years ago. But it’s hard enough going back–knowing you put on more than a few pounds and hoping you weren’t the only one, or wondering if you should tweeze, once again, those little gray hairs that keep popping up in the front of your head–without looking at younger, thinner pictures of yourself. Anyway, it looks like it’s going to be a great weekend. There’s a 80s bowling jam tonight where we are supposed to come in our flyest 80s gear. I want to see who can still fit their clothing from twenty years ago, because I plan to hate on that person the entire weekend. LOL. There’s a cookout on Saturday and a formal dinner that evening where we’re all supposed to wear the colors black and white. I got the cutest little black dress! I expect to have lots of fun this weekend. Hopefully, my prolonged guilt trips made my life-long best friend, Lily, change her mind and she’ll be there. It will be cool to see other folks that I’ve known since elementary school and see who still looks the same… or who still acts the same… LOL. And it will be nice to see if any of those secret crushes are now fat and bald… Please let them be fat and bald. LOL. 
There should be lots to reminisce about. We can share our memories of Joe “They used to call me Crazy Joe. Now they call me bat man” Clark. We can reminisce about how they filmed Lean On Me during our senior year and all those auditoriums when they had us signing the song “Lean On Me” that probably didn’t even make it into the movie. Or we might just reminisce on what it was like to walk down those halls thinking that we owned the future and 
not being able to wait to bust out of those doors. I’m sure many of us will sing the school song, because Joe Clark made sure we all knew it. And you can’t graduate from there without growing to love it and sing it with pride. So, as I leave to celebrate my 20th reunion with my fellow Mighty Ghosts of Eastside High, I leave you with a clip from the film with (then known as The Playboys, and yes, with the exception of the little one who played Sam, the rest actually went to Eastside) the group RIFF singing the school song. “Fair Eastside…. By thy side, we’ll stand…” Have a great weekend folks! I plan to…
Joyce Kennedy
My wonderful and talented sister authors, Angelia Vernon Menchan and Sean D. Young, suggested that I feature Joyce Kennedy from Mother Finest on Throwback Thursday. So, I decided to feature two of my favorite songs by her, “Love Changes” and “Stronger than Before.” I loved the song “Love Changes” so much that it was the working title of my first novel until I was listening to the best of The Temptations and heard “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me.” I still think “Love Changes” would have been great too. And I still love the song. It’s so true… “love can make you oh so happy inside… love can make you oh so sad… make you cry…” So, do you have a favorite from Joyce Kennedy or her former group, Mother Finest? What is it? Any more suggestions for women singers from the 80s?
“Love Changes”
“Stronger than Before”
I have two more reviews to share with you. Check out what folks are saying about Make It Hot and Protect and Serve .
Make It Hot is a tender love story with extraordinary characters. Joel comes from a family of heroes… The interactions of Samantha and Joel had me squirming and laughing, because when Joel decides to Make It Hot , he holds no punches. I could easily visualize that smooth operator in action. Poor Samantha doesn’t stand a chance at resisting his charm… I truly enjoyed Samantha and Joel’s love story. It is one that I recommend to readers looking for a moving romance that will pull at your heartstrings. ~ Anthonette, Romance Reviews Today
You can read the full review here:
Romance Reviews Today review for MAKE IT HOT
Protect and Serve is the first book in the Hightower Honors series by Gwyneth Bolton. This sexy, sassy story was fun to read… The Hightowers are a family of policemen and firemen that is sure to make for an exciting premise in this series that will follow the four Hightower brothers.” Tammy, Fallen Angle Reviews, 5 Angels
You can read the full review here:
Fallen Angels Review for PROTECT AND SERVE
Today I have the pleasure of interviewing my good friend and soror, Ann Christopher! Ann recently won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for her stellar novel, Just About Sex . And she has another winner in the wings with her latest release, Tender Secrets . Ever since I read Ann’s first novel, Trouble , I have eagerly awaited each new release and she has become one of my automatic-read authors. She creates these handsome, sexy, larger-than-life heroes that I just want to take home with me! And I know every time I pick up one of her books I’m going to have a passionate, emotional and laughter-filled reading experience. Ann will be giving away a copy of Tender Secrets . So be sure and comment!
AC: Wow, Gwen! What a welcome! Thanks for having me!
GB: So, the last time you were here, soror, we sort of came to the conclusion that you are… err… a little bit obsessed with revenge…
AC: Is that true? I have no current recollection of that. I deny everything.
GB: Yes, it is true. In fact, that seems to be a theme running through several of your novels.
AC: Well … *COUGH!* … Maybe.
GB: And lo and behold… in your latest, Tender Secrets , the heroine, Viveca Jackson, is “beautiful, bitter and bent on revenge.” 
But this novel is full of all kinds of juicy themes, family secrets, lies, a really interesting plot twist… It’s just a really juicy read!
AC: Thanks, Gwen. I’m really glad you enjoyed it. I’m grinning idiotically.
GB: So, my question is, and yes I do have one, how do you go about developing these wonderfully nuanced stories? On the surface, we can point to one theme, but once we delve into an Ann Christopher novel, we find more, lots more. How do you do it?
AC: I appreciate the compliment. One thing I always try to keep in mind is that everyone in the novel has an agenda. Maybe it’s hidden, maybe it’s overt, but everyone wants something in every scene. If there’s a dog in the scene, he wants something too. In fact, in my next book, Road to Seduction , the dog is in constant search of bacon.
So everyone wants something, and everyone thinks that they’re the star of the show. The secondary characters don’t know they’re secondary—no one told them. They want what they want. There’s a reason they want what they want. What’s the reason?
The other thing is: no one is all good or all bad. Everyone is both, to varying degrees.
All these considerations go into making the characters more complex, IMHO.
GB: I can’t wait for Road to Seduction and this bacon obsessed dog! But first things first… My next question is all about Andrew Warner. Girl, girl, girl, girl GIRL!
AC: Did you like him? Picture me squealing with glee!
GB: Like him? Girl, I think I love him. 
That man is something else! I had to wonder how in the heck Viveca managed to resist him as long as she did.
AC: Well … She didn’t hold out all THAT long now, Gwen, did she?
GB: No, she didn’t… did she? LOL. But, he would have had me at, hello, that’s for dang sure! You know I typically enjoy your heroes, but you kicked it up a notch with Andrew. So my question is, what was your inspiration for creating a man like that?
AC: Okay, Gwen. You got me. I knew you’d wind up asking me one of those hard questions.
GB: Wooohah! And I wasn’t even trying with that question! LOL.
AC: *SIGH*
Let me think … Thinking … Thinking …
Bear in mind—I turned this book in about a year ago, so it’s hard to remember.
I can’t say where Andrew Warner came from or what the inspiration was. Here’s what I can say:
I like powerful heroes who say what they want and then go after it.
I like wounded heroes.
I love it when the hero falls crazy in love and doesn’t know what the hell to do about it.
I know this is a lame answer. Argh! I HATE it when you ask me the hard questions!
GB: Well he certainly was all of that and then some. Speaking of Andrew and his general hotness, I have to ask you about those smoking HOT love scenes!
AC: Uh-oh!
GB: I generally feel like the best love scenes come from the characters and really develop with them and should take the relationship to another level. I want to give you your props on the love scenes in Tender Secrets , because the level of sensuality, passion and heat, just seemed to exude from the characters and propelled the story forward fabulously. I’ve read all of your other books and it seemed like you really went to another space in the writing of the love scenes here. Can you talk a little bit about that? Was it character driven? Did you purposely set out to write a hotter story?
AC: Thanks, Gwen. You’re so sweet! I think it was character driven because Viveca and Andrew both have such strong personalities and the chemistry between them is explosive right from the beginning. They’re evenly matched in every way, and when they come together, well …
The scenes were pretty hot and I kept waiting for my editor to rein me in, but she never did.
GB: I’m glad she didn’t rein you in. Okay, now on to the Warners. The Warner family is so-oo complicated. Their relationships are anything but cut and dry. They hate each other. They love each other. They grudgingly respect each other. They put me in the mind of those rich nighttime soap families, like the Ewings or Carringtons, of the 80s, but better! What prompted you to create this sort of larger than life family full of secrets and lies?
AC: The Ewings and Carringtons prompted me—that’s who! Didn’t you love those episodes where they’d be snarling at each other over the coffee and grapefruit at the breakfast table? All that wonderful nastiness with Miss Ellie trying to keep the peace! Wasn’t that GREAT? And every now and then, some innocent newcomer would stumble onto the scene and had to swim with the sharks or get eaten.
So I threw Viveca in with the Warner sharks and waited to see what she would do. Guess what? She swam!
GB: She definitely held her own! So, in February 2009, we are going to get Eric Warner’s story! Yay! I already know that it is going to follow one of my favorite romance tropes, friends to lovers. Can you give us a few more teasers and information about Road to Seduction ?
AC: Eric is about to see his college friend Isabella in a whole new light, not that he’s happy about it. He’s going to fall hard. But he’s been a playa and Isabella isn’t interested in having her heart broken. So they arrive at a, shall we say, interesting agreement…
This is a more poignant story and, as I told my editor, I really want to rip reader’s hearts out with this one.
GB: Oh good, I can have a nice cry with this one. I love a nice cry! Well, Ann, thanks so much for another great read and for visiting my blog! Please let readers know where they can find out more about you and your books.
AC: Visit me at www.annchristopher.com. I love hearing from readers! And thanks for having me, Gwen. It’s always fun!
Feeling Funky… Feeling Jazzy… Feeling Sensational!
When the fabulous Bettye Griffin mentioned that we should have a Throwback Thursday dedicated to Gwen McCrae, I automatically thought of my favorite song by her, “Funky Sensation.” I love this song! It reminds me of the good old days when, if you really liked a song or beat, you didn’t have to wait long for a rap group to make a song using the same banging track. And that, my friends, brings me to my other favorite song from that time, “Jazzy Sensation” by Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy 5. Say what you want, but the beat is banging and I can see why Bambaataa turned right around and flipped it and made it Jazzy. In fact, I think someone needs to either sample it or make a remake of the entire song today. So… Can you feel it? Can you feel it? My funky sen-sa-tion… Have a great weekend! Enjoy!
“Funky Sensation” Gwen McCrae
“Jazzy Sensation,” Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy 5
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
I got this cool quiz over on Chicki’s Blog. And I had to share my results because they are too funny. Apparently, I’m a smut writer… I think I’ll embrace it.
You can take the quiz here: http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/99775/what-kind-of-writer-are-you
much love and peace,
Gwyneth