Book crashers?

Earlier in the month, Jeaniene Frost announced she was going to be in New Orleans this weekend, and then earlier this week, she announced when/where she'd be signing books. She was part of Undead.con, and even though I wasn't able to go to the con, I still wanted to meet her. Parajunkee and I hatched a plan to crash the signing...okay, maybe I called the bookstore and they said it shouldn't be a problem, LOL. She was so sweet and I was so shy - she asked me something (probably how to spell my name, duh!) and all I could blurt out was "I'm tongue-tied!" But she was very gracious and I did end up talking to her for a few minutes. I mentioned I wanted to get Chapter 32 signed and she laughed and talked about that for a few moments. She also mentioned how much she and her husband love to visit New Orleans, which always makes me happy to hear.


We also got to meet Karen Essex, author of Dracula in Love. She was very sweet and gracious (and look at that gorgeous hair!), and while I remembered to tell her I'd been hearing very good things about this book (I assume authors like to hear when they generate good buzz, lol) and was looking forward to reading it, I forgot to tell her I read Leonardo's Swans and really liked it. *sigh*

(note to self, stop pushing your hair behind your ear before you take a picture with an author!!)

I had a very nice time with Parajunkee, we had coffee with her family in a little coffee shop/courtyard while I waited for hubs to come pick me up. I had a lot of fun :)

The next author that I'm aware of that's coming to New Orleans is Karen Marie Moning - she'll be here Martin Luther King weekend and having a big two-day event for the release of the last book in her Fever series - Shadowfever. Since I don't get Monday off, I don't know which day I'll take off from work to go; I'll have to wait to see what her itinerary turns out to be...


And, on a personal note - after the signing I went out with hubs for dinner for his birthday. We ended the evening at a tattoo parlor :) Check me out:

(That's between my shoulder blades, not my whole back, lol)

Review: Montana Glory by R.C. Ryan

From Goodreads:
The last thing in the world Zane McCord wants is a wife. But after returning home to the family ranch in Montana to help his cousins search for the lost treasure that is their legacy, Zane can't help notice that love and marriage seem to be contagious. Both his cousins have succumbed, but he refuses. Determined to stay a bachelor till he dies, Zane wants to devote his time to filming documentaries and taking care of the ranch...and then Riley Mason walks into his life.

The last thing on Riley Mason's mind is romance. Sent to the McCord ranch to save the family's accounting problems, she only wants to impress her firm in Helena and be on her way. Life as a single mother isn't easy and she needs to impress her bosses for a raise. But when Zane McCord opens the door, her breath catches in her throat and a desire she's never experienced before takes over her. When the McCords insist that she and her daughter, Summer stay at the ranch, she's forced to give in and before long, she's pulled into their search for the long lost treasure. But she absolutely draws the line at getting involved with Zane McCord, playboy and heartbreaker extraordinaire.

But as they all get closer to finding Coot's lost treasure, a dangerous series of accidents target Riley and her daughter Summer. Can Zane keep her safe while trying to win her heart?

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This is the 3rd book in R.C. Ryan's Montana Trilogy (I think it's a trilogy); I did not read the first two books in this series.

Riley Mason is an accountant who has come to work on the hapazardly-kept finances of the McCord Ranch. As we read, we learn she's originally from Philadelphia, and has come to work at the ranch with her young daughter because she figured no one would ever find her on a ranch in Montana. (ooohhh, mysterious!)

Zane McCord is the youngest of three cousins running the McCord ranch after the death of his grandfather. He's just come back from two weeks of living with wild mustangs, filming a documentary, when he opens the door, expecting a nerdy male accountant, and instead finds a gorgeous female accountant. He's attracted to her but has been warned off as she is an employee and not just some chick.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked watching Zane and Riley fight their attraction to each other. I liked Riley's daughter Summer a bit even...she didn't drive me as nuts as some kids in books do. I loved that Zane spent time with Summer even before he decided he wanted to date Riley. The storyline for Montana Glory was good - my guess as to what Riley was running from was off the mark, which always makes for a pleasant surprise (for me, anyway). The side storylines were entertaining - there's a search for family gold (I'm under the impression has been a constant through all three books) and also a second love story between the cousin's aunt and the foreman.

Ms. Ryan did a great job of unfolding Riley's storyline at just the right pace. We got to experience her getting used to her new surroundings, learning to live with a loving family, learning to trust. Her background is revealed slowly, in bits in pieces until the big reveal (which is so tender and sweet), and of course this big, loving family rallies around her.

This book was definitely a balm for my "cowboy itch" (sounds like something you'd need cream for, LOL). The secondary characters were interesting and I wanted to know their stories; I actually went out and bought the first two books in the series because I wanted more of these delightful characters.


Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: October 26, 2010
ISBN-10: 0446548642
ISBN-13: 978-0446548649

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?*

Yup, that's me! I looove British accents. And Spanish accents. And Australian accents. And Scottish Accents. And French accents. And Irish Accents. And....you get my point.

I noticed this most recently when I read Take A Chance on Me by Jill Mansell, which takes place in England. A couple of times something would come up that would remind me they were in England, and I realized I wasn't "hearing" the character's accents. And I realized, once I came around to liking the hero, that although I imagined him as good looking, he had a British accent,which raised him a few notches on the "sexy meter"....but I couldn't imagine the accent!!!

When I'm reading a book that takes place in another country,or that has foreign characters, I read them with American accents. I can't imagine the accent when I'm reading unless the accent is written in (which, ironically, drives me nuts!). What's up with that? I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I can't do accents at all - it doesn't matter what country I try to imitate, the accent sounds exactly the same (and not at all like the accent of any known country on this earth!).

Does anyone else do this? Imagine the characters in a story speaking with an incorrect accent? Is it important in enjoying the story to imagine it right?

*Chris Rock - line from the movie Rush Hour 2

Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

From Amazon.com:
Camilla’s Cucinotta: Italian Cooking Classes. Fresh take-home pastas & sauces daily. Benvenuti! (Welcome!)

Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.

But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

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At the beginning of The Love Goddess' Cooking School, Holly Maguire gets dumped by her boyfriend (manfriend?) of two years. She sees it coming, so she gives it one last shot. She feeds him the special (gross) Italian meal her grandmother assures her will be enjoyed by her true love. When he tells her it's disgusting, she knows deep down it's over, even if she doesn't want it to be. Heartbroken, she goes to visit her grandmother on Blue Crab Island to mend her heart and take stock of her life.

A few short weeks after her arrival, her grandmother dies, leaving her Camilla's Cucinotta, her grandmother's home/kitchen where she sells authentic Italian cooking and tells fortunes. Holly isn't much of a cook and definitely does not have the gift of fortune telling, but she decides she feels like she's home and wants to make a go of the Cucinotta, starting by taking over the cooking classes that start in a month.

This book was absolutely wonderful. I completely lost myself in reading the story - I imagined myself there on the tiny island, stopping in the store looking for delicious Italian take-out, sitting on the dock looking over the water, visiting the picturesque hotel. The characters were inviting -I hate cooking but I wanted to be a part of Holly's cooking class! There was more than one storyline, but Ms. Senate did a fabulous job of not letting the others overshadow Holly's story - it was more of a blend, and it worked. The wishes and dreams of the Holly's friends that are revealed over the backdrop of cooking were sometimes happy, sometimes sad, but somehow made me feel like part of the group.

Here are some of the things that surprised me:
~I don't normally like kids in books - but Mia was adorable. Not obnoxious and I actually liked her and wanted good things for her.

~I don't normally like "flashbacks", but I found myself wanting more of Holly's grandmother's diary entries - how she came over from Italy and the local women didn't like her, how she became the local "witch", how she knew her daughter would never be happy on Blue Crab Island but even before Holly was born she knew her granddaughter would call it home.

~I don't normally read "chick lit", but the cover blurb caught my attention and the writing kept my attention. This book made me want to do something I absolutely never do - I wanted to skip ahead and read the back page to find out if she trusted in her Grandmother's memory enough to overcome her fear and feed Liam the sa cordula.

After gorging myself on paranormal and urban fantasy over the last few weeks, this book was a breath of fresh air. Don't get me wrong, it was not all sunshine and happiness; because as we all know, you have to go through the hard times to appreciate the good times. I enjoyed taking this journey with Holly. The ending was a bit abrubt but that's my only complaint.

If you like to cook, there are 5 recipes included in the book, and they all include the "special ingredient" (don't even go there - you know who you are!) that is a theme throughout the book.


Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Gallery
Release Date: October 26, 2010
ISBN-10: 1439107238
ISBN-13: 978-1439107232

My Rating:

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: L.A. Caveman by Christina Crooks

From the author's website:
When corporate reorganization strikes, spirited journalist Stanna keeps her job but discovers her struggle has only begun. The workplace becomes a sizzling environment as she battles her macho, hard-bodied new boss for control of the Men's Weekly column. She's determined to reform him. He's determined to train her. Neither wants to acknowledge the electrifying attraction that pulls at them both.

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I love the "enemies to lovers" storyline and this one was very good. Stanna is a writer at a men's weekly magazine; she writes a "woman's view" column. She's on track to become editor, until suddenly there's a new owner and Ian, her editor and mentor, is fired. Jake, the new owner, calls her in to let her go as well, but he can't - Stanna has a contract. In lieu of firing her, Jake's intent is to make life miserable for Stanna so she'll quit. Stanna has no intention of going anywhere...

From their opposing viewpoints to Jake's Neanderthal views about women, I was rooting for Stanna all the way. But that sizzle was there, and they both knew it. Once they agreed to disagree, Jake grew on me, and I started rooting for "them". Of course there were some misunderstandings they had to overcome, as well as their own stubbornness, to make things work.

What I didn't like: I didn't like the villain. No - I know you're not supposed to like the villain, that's not what I mean. He was almost a caricature , I could picture him sitting in his elegantly appointed rooms, twirling his overly waxed mustache, plotting his next move. *spoiler: We never found out why he owed such a huge amount of money to the mob. I honestly felt like Ms. Crooks could have delved a bit more into his storyline and maybe made it a bit more believable. I also felt like her roommate's storyline didn't add anything at all to the story. I would have preferred more interaction between Jake and Stanna instead of skipping ahead weeks at a time.

This was an interesting story that I wish would have gone a little deeper into the relationship dynamics between Jake and Stanna and less with the secondary characters. I do think that Jake and Stanna's hatred/passion for each other was great. The tension between them was so thick I could almost feel it while I was reading!


Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 224 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003O85X8E

My Rating:

This e-book was provided to my by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday Silliness: Thank you J.A. Saare!!

J.A. Saare is an author who's books I really like. Dead, Undead, or Somewhere In Between (my review) and Crimson Moon (my review) were both awesome (although I don't think Crimson Moon gets enough lurve).

Last month, I entered and won J.A. Saare's Halloween giveaway. If the contents of this box are any indication of her personality, Jaime is as much fun as I imagined ;) I was so surprised at how much stuff she managed to cram into this box:

(Obviously the Thomas the Train stuff was not in the box, LOL)

She sent books, e-books, movies, stickers, pens/pencils, candy, glow bracelets, and swag. She also sent an Amazon gift card. Here's what I got with that:

Yes, I have Stacia Kane's books on kindle but I wanted them in print too. And since PBS said I was still 47th on the list for Wicked Burn, I went ahead and got it. Also - my first graphic novel!!!

Even though I thanked her enough via e-mail to qualify for stalkerhood, I must say it one more time: Thank you Jaime - I still feel like I won the lottery!

Review: Corralled by Lorelei James

From the author's website:
Sports therapist Lainie Capshaw has been rehabilitating injured cowboys long enough to know that a charming western drawl combined with a fine physical form doesn't mean you fall for the man.

So no one is more surprised than Lainie when she finds herself involved with not one, but two different men: Hank Lawson, a bullfighter, and Kyle Gilchrist, a bull rider. Lainie feels guilty about her two-timing, but it doesn't keep her from doubling her fun-that is until Hank catches her with Kyle.

She's shocked that Hank isn't mad. But she's more shocked to learn Hank and Kyle are hometown buddies. But when the men offer to share her-in every way-she knows that she's going to have to choose the one man who can give her the ride of her life.

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Confession: I've been on kind of a "cowboy kick". I'd heard good things about Corralled and thought I'd check it out.

Two words: Yea Haw!!

This was a super sexy read with a great storyline to boot (<---cowboy humor, tee hee) I liked Lainey, she was a smart heroine who was at a crossroads in her life, although she didn't know it at first. She's a rodeo med tech, working two different circuits, and she's dating someone on each circuit, Hank and Kyle. What she doesn't realize, and they don't know (because of some confusion with nicknames) is that they're best friends.

I gotta tell you, as soon as the three of them figured out what was going on, all I had to say was, "please, please let them decide to share"....and oh my lawd they sure did! When Lainie was put on "involuntary vacation" by her boss, she decided to go for it and decided to tag along with both men on the rodeo circuit. I loved the back-and-forth between Kyle and Hank as they bickered for Lainie's affections. The way the relationship played out worked for me - in addition to it being super hot, it was interesting to read about the cowboys and rodeo life.

The secondary characters? Two thumbs up - I liked them. Lainie's friend Tanna, a barrell racer, and Hank's sister Celia were both fun chicks I wouldn't mind hanging out with. Lainie's relationship with her mother added another layer to a great storyline. I wouldn't mind seeing a story for either Tanna or Celia, and I could see a story hinted at for Hank's brother Abe.

This is a series I will definitely be keeping up with!

My Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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I have been waiting for the release of Shadowfever, the conclusion of her phenomenal Fever series, since I finished reading the last page of Dreamfever - talk about a cliffhanger ending! Shadowfever was originally due to be released in December, then got pushed back to January. Was I disappointed? Sure. But Ms. Moning has promised it's worth the wait! I need my Mac and Barrons fix now!!!



From the author's website:

"Evil is a completely different creature, Mac.
Evil is bad that believes it's good."

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals that have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief, while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh--a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King that contains the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac, and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.

Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman that haunts her dreams? More importantly, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master's penthouse, to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover, to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac's journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and make a choice that will either save the world...or destroy it.

Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: January 18, 2011
ISBN-10: 0385341679
ISBN-13: 978-0385341677

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AND - the best part - Karen Marie Moning just announced she's coming to New Orleans for the Shadowfever launch party!!! Woot! I am so freakin' excited!! It looks like she's planning events for Monday January 17 (Martin Luther King day here in the US) and Tuesday January 18. I wouldn't normally take a day off for a booksigning, but this is an exception to that rule - Ms. Moning knows how to throw a party and this is one of my all-time favorite series - I can't take both days off so I'm going to have to figure out which day I should be there...Anyone else thinking of coming in?

Kindle 2 vs. Kindle 3

I'm not a very "techie" person, but the rest of my family is. I always chuckle as they salivate over the latest new gadget, talking about the merits of this vs. that and how they're going to upgrade. I never got it, what's the big deal?...until my Kindle.

I love my Kindle 2. Love, love, love it. But when the Kindle 3 came out - oooohhhh, I want! Well, this weekend, I got one!! I strolled into my local Best Buy and walked out with a new Kindle 3!

I've posted a few pics so you can see the difference in size - meet "Patti's Book Crack":

side by side:

on top of each other:

thickness:

(excuse the purse handle but it was hard to hold them up with one hand and take the pic with the other!)

The smaller size fits very nicely in my purse; even with the cover it's still much more compact and lighter. I'm also finding it's much faster than my K2. A few times while I was organizing my collections it went forward too fast and I had to start over! I like that the "prev page" button is on both sides now - I can't tell you how many times I hit the "home" button instead of "prev page" on the K2 - that was sooo frustrating!! The little "enter" button on the K3 is taking a bit of getting used to - it's just an indented little square surrounded by the navigation (up/down/left/right) - If I don't pay attention I hit the enter button instead of the navigation.

So now, when the newest video game system or wonder phone comes out, I won't laugh at my siblings who are all drooling over it, I'll look at my K3 and think "I understand".

Friday 56: Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

The Friday 56 is hosted by Storytime with Tanya and Friends:

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


I recently realized I am now four (FOUR!!!) books behind in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. Since her next book in the series, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, is coming out in February, I figured now was a good time to catch up!

Without further ado, here's my Friday 56, this one's a little sassy:

She followed his gaze, flushing violently, plucking the fabric away from her hardened nipples. But he'd already seen her in the bathroom.

Whew! I'm only on page 82 so far but I'm liking it!!!

Winner - A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!

Congratulations to Lucy who won a digital copy of Moira Rogers' A Safe Harbor! I've sent you an e-mail and forwarded your info to Moira Rogers.

Many thanks to everyone who entered and to Moira Rogers for providing a copy of their book! Don't forget to stop by their amazing contest - enter here

Review: Slave to Pleasure by Eliza Gayle

From the author's website:
Living in exile with her mother, Nissa a half human half fae, trains with the hope to one day become a hunter. When she goes into her first sexual heat six years too soon, she is kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder at the slave auction. Unwilling to give up her freedom for slavery, even if it is to two rugged and virile hunters, she takes desperate steps to escape.

She should have known she couldn’t outrun the inevitable.

Roane and Erik have shared everything in life and plan for Nissa to be no exception. The steely innocence they recognize in her matches up to everything they’ve been looking for. Purchasing her at auction should have sealed the deal, but neither of them bargained on her ruthless determination or the secret she harbored.

Forced to face her weakness, Nissa agrees to a bargain. Seven days and nights of total submission, no questions asked and freedom is hers. Nissa is certain in the end she will want to leave and Roane and Erik are certain she won't.

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As Slave to Pleasure opens, Nissa, a half-human fae, is at slave auction getting ready to be sold to the highest bidder. She's terrified: she's been stolen by her cousin and sold into sexual slavery even though she's inexperienced. What she really wanted was to be a hunter, but now her hopes of attaining that goal seem bleak.

Roane and Erik, famed hunters, see her, want her, buy her. She runs away but eventually they find her, and agree to make a deal: If she will stay with them for seven days, they'll allow her to leave if she still wants to. She's sure she will, they're (pretty) sure she won't. She agrees to the deal when they tell her they can help her through her heat.

From there on out - this book gets hot! There's m/m, m/f/m, some light bondage. It's a magical world with faeries, dragons, and demons, and when Eliza is kidnapped for her magic Roane and Erik think she left them again.

I'm not very good with length distinctions (book length you naughty thing!) but I think this is a novella or short story. I know when books are not full-length that the story has to progress quicker than usual, so I was fine with that. What I didn't get was *spoiler*why the cousin kidnapped her and sold her when he was planning to turn around and kidnap her again later. Seems like he would have made less work for himself just kidnapping her once. *end spoiler* They also talked a lot about D/s but I didn't really see that here.

There are some issues Nissa has to overcome, promises are made, and the ending is sweet (and spicy!). Slave to Pleasure is definitely a very erotic fantasy read.

Published By: Gypsy Ink Books
Published: Sep 15, 2010
ISBN#: B00433TD80
Word Count: 39,000

My Rating:

This e-book was provided to my by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

From the author's website:
SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT.
OTHERS COME TO KILL...

Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

__________________________

I loved the first book in this series, Mind Games (my review here), and was impatiently awaiting this second book in the series. OMG - was it soooo worth the wait! If you haven't read it yet (what are you waiting for?!?) I would recommend reading Mind Games before you read Double Cross.

*This review contains spoilers for Mind Games*

Justine is still working for Packard and dating Otto. She's disillusioning but is starting to have second thoughts about it, especially when she learns one of her targets might be innocent. This target seems to have a certain sway over her though, and her dreams are suddenly not her own.

There's a gang on the loose, targeting highcaps (people with special mental abilities) - I laughed throughout the book at the name of the gang - The Dorks. It seems the mayor had decided that the press was not allowed to give serial killers cool names, thus "The Dorks". The list of names they're allowed to use was hysterical :)

As this story moves on, the past catches up to Packard and Otto, and Justine is caught in between their uneasy truce. She's convincing herself she's happy with Otto and mad at Packard, but the tension between Justine and Packard is HOT! (Notice he's made the book boyfriend list!)

There's a revelation in this book that shakes Justine and her other disillusionists to their very core. There's also a revelation at the end of Double Cross that shook this reader to the core - the ending slayed me!

I really can't do justice to how amazing this book was. I was on the edge of my seat, I didn't trust any of the characters and couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what was coming next. Ms. Crane's writing made this story feel real; I found myself thinking of cheesy 80's pop tunes in the elevator to ward off mind-readers! I'm already tapping my fingers impatiently, waiting for the next book; I've got to know what comes next!


Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN-10: 0553592629
ISBN-13: 978-0553592627

My Rating:

I won this book from Not Really Southern Vamp Chick in exchange for an honest review.

Authors - To Stalk or not to Stalk?

I had the opportunity to talk to a fellow blogger recently about blogging in general, and one of the topics we chatted about was whether or not to contact authors when we post reviews of their books. My friend e-mails the author and says "hey, just wanted to let you know I liked your book and here's my review", or just "I like your work".

I have to be honest with you - I didn't think we could do that. I mean, yes, of course I know you can do it, but I always saw it as "bothering" the authors; I didn't think they wanted to be disturbed by fans. I guess my thought is that they're in the public eye and therefore are bombarded with ridiculous requests and communication, and get so much mail that they don't have time to write, which is what they'd really like to be doing. I recently saw a note from an author that said "Readers, please keep the e-mails coming, I appreciate each one" and that really surprised me (in a good way).

So now I'm conflicted. Currently, if I write a review, I post it here and Goodreads and that's it. I don't @ the author on twitter and I don't e-mail them my review. I've seen so many say "I don't read reviews of my work" so I suppose I figured it was pointless. If I'm being perfectly honest (and totally nerdy), I get very nervous when I do contact an author for whatever reason. I recently sent a favorite author a request to sign my copy of her book. It took me months to psych myself into doing it, and I started the e-mail with "Please feel free to say no without feeling guilty, I'll totally understand if you can't..." <---I've done this about 3 times and I'm still freaking nervous every time :)

I started this blog because I love to read romance and I wanted to communicate with other like-minded readers - I never in a million years thought I'd have the opportunity to interact with authors as well; it just blows my mind.

Am I wrong about all of this? Should I be sending authors my favorable reviews of their work? Do they want e-mails from fans or is it a distraction? What are your experiences?

Giveaway - A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!!

Win a copy of A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!

Find out how it all began...

During the bite of the Great Depression, sole female dominant Joan Fuller struggles against the rise of cruelty among her alpha counterparts. The men tolerate her interference--until she breaks from the pack and allies with a witch and a vampire. Now the Boston alpha intends to bring them all forcibly back into the fold--and teach her a lesson she may not survive.

Seamus Whelan and his werewolf bootleggers intend to retire from smuggling and savor their fortune, but first they must do a favor for an old friend: escort some female wolves to safety. An easy job, if their leader wasn't a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Chance makes them allies; powerful need makes them lovers.

Together, they have the opportunity to build a sanctuary for their kind, but first they must free themselves from Joan's past, and the powerful man who would see her destroyed.

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I think you know I'm a huge Moira Rogers fangirl; their werewolves are amazing! A Safe Harbor is the first book in the series - the second book, Undertow, comes out this month! These books are a prequel to their Red Rock Pass books.

This contest is a part of Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event. For your chance to win books, gift certificates, ereaders and more, visit http://www.moirarogers.com/contests/

Leave a comment with your e-mail address for a chance to win a digital copy of A Safe Harbor! Contest ends October 13.

Just when I thought it was safe to crack open a book...

...I've been sucked in, again. I picked up Grimspace, totally thinking it would just be a "bridge read" until I could pick a genre. I've been reading a lot of contemporary and paranormal and wasn't sure what I wanted to read next. Grimspace is sci-fi, so I figured it would be a good "palate cleanser". Three books later and I'm still going strong:

Even after I read and loved Gini Koch's Touched by an Alien, I figured it was a fluke and have steered away from sci-fi. All I can tell you is this: I'm totally glomming Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series - it's fawesome! Sirantha is pretty kick-ass, but I love that she doesn't have all the answers and doubts herself. The books are told from her perspective, so we don't know what's going on with all the other characters, and I we don't know if Sirantha's paranoia has a basis for truth or is a symptom of her condition. There is romance, which I need, as well as action, intrigue, and conflict. In book 2 - Wanderlust - I actually threw the book against the wall! Of course, I immediately ran over and picked it up because I needed to know what happened next :)

I'm now into the 3rd book, Doubleblind, and I don't want to stop! I have to know what comes next! (I think I feel a sick day coming on :D)

(Thanks Mandi for recommending this series!)

Review: Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansel

From Amazon.com:
Even in a small town the drama is larger than life...

Cleo Quinn doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to men, but now Will's come along. Handsome and attentive, he could be her Mr Right. Things are definitely looking up for Cleo... apart from one small problem with a rather large ego. Johnny LaVenture, sculptor extraordinaire and her personal childhood nemesis, is back in Channing's Hill and tormenting her as if he'd never been away.

Meanwhile Cleo's sister Abbie has a problem of her own-husband Tom has become distant and withdrawn, and she's determined to find out why. But will the shocking truth mean the end of their idyllically happy marriage?

The sisters are about to discover that the past can come back to haunt you, and that love can flourish in the unlikeliest of places...

______________________________

This was my first book by Jill Mansell and I must say I enjoyed it. It's not what I would call a "Romance Novel", it's more Chick Lit but it's British. Would that be Brit Lit? Is that a term?

Moving on.... This book was cute. Cleo is a young single woman who thinks she's found the perfect man, until she finds out he's not. That's okay, right? She's got a fun job, a wonderful best friend and a place of her own. Then HE comes back into town - Johnny LaVenure, her childhood nemesis. He's rich and famous and makes her feel like she's back in school again. But he's here to stay, and she keeps running into him...and really, he's so nice now....

I really enjoyed Cleo and Johnny's story. I rooted for them throughout the book. Not from the beginning of course, I thought he was such a smarmy guy, but, just like he did with Cleo, he won me over :)

Meanwhile, Cleo's sister Abbie is having her own crisis, and her best friend Ash is trying to sort out his love life, with the ex-wife of Cleo's ex-boyfriend! Tie that in with Abbie's husband's secret (it's not what you think!) and there's a whole lot going on... There were a lot of POVs in this book, which threw me a bit .

I haven't read many books by British authors, this was a bit different for me and I liked the bits of British slang and overall "feel" of the writing. I laughed a lot, Cleo is a spunky leading lady, sometimes even if she doesn't want to be. The tension between Cleo and Johnny was good. I didn't like the storyline about her sister so much, but it did tie in nicely with Cleo's story. Now I want to go visit the UK. In lieu of that, I will definitely be checking out Ms. Mansell's backlist.

My Rating:

As an aside, I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't figure out from the author's website if this book was part of a series or if all her books are stand-alones.

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I found it! (Twilight silliness)

A few months ago, I posted about a website that had some funny twilight parodies and I couldn't remember where I'd seen it. I was talking to one of my brothers tonight and he remembered it! I don't know who these (girls? ladies?) are, just two chicks who did a pretty funny back-n-forth riff on the Cullens.

WARNING: NOT SUITABLE FOR READERS UNDER AGE 18 or with delicate sensibilities!!
It's called Growing Up Cullen and there are five separate posts:

Part 1 (misc, house meetings and Edwards arts-n-crafts)
Part 2 (Edward catches Emmett watching pron)
Part 3 (laundry wars and Emmett takes Renesmee to Best Buy)
Part 4 (this is the one with the flow chart of Bella's breaths at night and her "cycle")
Part 5 (politics and picking on Jasper's southern history)

I hope you enjoy them, I've got a pretty messed up sense of humor so there's no guarantee :)