Monday, February 18, 2013

Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards by Kit Brennan


Meet Lola Montez aka Eliza Rossana Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld here...

Whip Smart:
Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards

by Kit Brennan

Visit Kit:
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari

Published: February 2013
Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions LLC
Genre: Historical, Romance
Paperback: 274 pages
Rating: 4

Amazon | Barnes&Noble
Whip Smart series:
Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards
Lola Montez and the Poisoned Nom de Plume - release: summer 2013

A wild and sexy romp through history based on the real-life adventures of the audacious, Lola Montez. It is 1842, London, and the gorgeous, ever-capricious 22-year-old Eliza Gilbert, (aka Lola Montez) is in deep trouble and seeks escape from a divorce trial. Desperate to be free, Lola accepts an alluring offer of a paid trip to Spain, if she will only fulfill a few tasks for Juan de Grimaldi a Spanish theatre impresario who is also a government agent and spy for the exiled Spanish queen, Maria Cristina. Lola soon finds herself in Madrid, undercover as a performer in a musical play. But when she falls dangerously in love with the target, General Diego de Leon, Lola becomes a double agent and the two hatch a plot of their own. Disaster strikes when the plot is exposed, Diego is captured, and Lola is forced to flee on horseback to France, with a dangerous group of Loyalists in hot pursuit.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): tough cookie
Enjoyable account of the beginnings of Lola Montez. You will get a dose of some action, romance and a masquerade as you follow Lola on her adventures in France and Spain during the 1800's. Lola is a heroine-in-the-making in this lively tale.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
signup to win this book

~*~

* image source: Lola Montez

* review copy courtesy of author

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine's Day giveaway: Whip Smart by Kit Brennan


Whip Smart: Wild, Sexy,
Flamboyant History
Fact-Based Adventures of Historic Muse Delivers Bodacious Fun


"Whip Smart is a sexy, adventurous and intelligent tale that I would dare name a bodice ripper for the literary mind!"
-- Marisa Lancione, NOW, Montreal

"A fun and sexy romp! I can’t wait for the sequel!"
-- Gwyn Cready, RITA Award winning author of Seducing Mr. Darcy, A Novel Seduction and Timeless Desire: An Outlander Love Story


A wild and sexy romp through History based on the real-life adventures of the audacious Lola Montez—the “Sensation of Europe.”

Astor + Blue Editions is proud to present, Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards (ISBN: 978-1-938231-47-6; Trade Paperback; Romance, Historical, Women’s Fiction; US $14.95 CAN $14.95; February, 2013), the rollicking first installment of a new series by debut author, Kit Brennan. The Whip Smart series begins during the historic week that marks the actual birthdate of Lola Montez. (February 17).

It is 1842, London, and the gorgeous, ever-capricious twenty-two-year-old Eliza Gilbert, (a.k.a. Lola Montez) is in deep trouble and seeks escape from a divorce trial. Desperate, Lola accepts an alluring offer of a paid trip to Spain, provided she fulfill a few clandestine tasks for Juan de Grimaldi—a Spanish theatre impresario who is also a government agent and spy for the exiled Spanish queen.

Lola soon finds herself in Madrid, undercover as a performer in a musical play. But when she falls dangerously in love with the target, General Diego de Léon—the “perfect Spanish soldier, lover and horseman”—Lola becomes a double agent and the two hatch a plot of their own. Disaster strikes when the plot is exposed and Lola is forced to flee on horseback to France, with a dangerous group of Loyalists in hot pursuit. Will Lola’s reckless daring, feminine whiles, and signature whip be enough to save her life, her lover and her cause? She will have to be more whip smart than ever before.

Written with zest and a passionate, fiery fervor by debut author Kit Brennan, Whip Smart irresistibly whisks readers into a vivid journey through 19th Century France, England and Spain, riding sidesaddle with Eliza Gilbert, the young, hot-headed Irish girl destined to transform into Dona Maria Dolores de Porris y Montez—a.k.a. Lola Montez, The Sensation of Europe!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kit Brennan is a nationally produced, award-winning playwright, and teaches writing and storytelling at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.

The Victorian era and its personalities have always been of major interest to Brennan. Her play Tiger’s Heart explores the life of Dr. James Barry, who was actually a woman living a double life disguised as a man in order to practice medicine, which was not an option open to women at the time.

Kit divides her time between the vibrant city of Montreal and the quiet lake wilderness of Ontario alongside her husband, Andrew, and a variety of animal friends. Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards is her debut novel.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
WIN a copy of my ARC!

Open to all.

Offer ends: February 28, 2013

TO DO:
ADD this book to your Goodreads or Shelfari reading list.

Let me know you which you did in comments.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Winner for February pt2


Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended February 10, 2012

Thanks to all contestants!

Shanghai Steam
Winner: Sullivan McPig of Pearls Cast Before a McPig


~*~

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar


Monday, February 11, 2013

Happy Release: Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards by Kit Brennan


Whip Smart:
Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards
by Kit Brennan
Paperback release: February 2013

A wild and sexy romp through history based on the real-life adventures of the audacious, Lola Montez. It is 1842, London, and the gorgeous, ever-capricious 22-year-old Eliza Gilbert, (aka Lola Montez) is in deep trouble and seeks escape from a divorce trial.

Desperate to be free, Lola accepts an alluring offer of a paid trip to Spain, if she will only fulfill a few tasks for Juan de Grimaldi a Spanish theatre impresario who is also a government agent and spy for the exiled Spanish queen, Maria Cristina.

Lola soon finds herself in Madrid, undercover as a performer in a musical play. But when she falls dangerously in love with the target, General Diego de Leon, Lola becomes a double agent and the two hatch a plot of their own.

Disaster strikes when the plot is exposed, Diego is captured, and Lola is forced to flee on horseback to France, with a dangerous group of Loyalists in hot pursuit.


~*~
* currently reading this
* stay tuned for review and giveaway offer

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Winners for February


Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended January 31, 2013

Thanks to all contestants!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Winner: Audra of Unabridged Chick
Winner: Molly

The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman
Winner: Nicole


~*~

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar


 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu