A Buckeye Girl Reads

Author Interview with Ronnica Zothe

2012-01-27T07:33:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome fellow blogger turned author Ronnica Roth! Ronnica blogs at the Ignorant Historian and has just released her first book, The Journal-A Young Adult Christian Fiction story about set in the future. I am so excited for her release, and can't wait to have her visit again.

Can you tell you us a bit about The Journal?

The Journal is a story set in 2102 about a teenage girl, Amala. As she struggles with some typical teenage drama, she comes across a journal written by another teenage girl written in 2001. The Journal is basically the story of the journey to faith of these two girls.

What inspired you to write the Journal?

One day a few years ago I was in a used book store and thought about what it would be like if one day one of my own journals was found in a used book store some years in the future. The idea stuck with me until I decided to do something about it a year ago.

What do you love most about your heroine?

She's more daring than me, but she's me. All of the insecurities and the pursuit of a singular purpose...yeah, that wasn't hard to write.

What makes this book different from other Christian fiction books?

I would like to think that it's of better quality than the average Christian fiction book, but I doubt it. As much as I love good literature, I'm not sure that my writing is up to par. I can hardly be the judge of that though, can I? I've been told I'm a good writer and have to trust others' opinions while working to continually improve my writing.

In one word, what adjective best describes The Journal?

Hope.

Was it hard to make the transition from blogger to author?

I approach the two types of writing differently. Writing a blog is "fun," like talking with an old friend. Writing a novel is more like an interview, where you weigh every word, trying to pick just the right one.

If your book were a tv show, who would play your characters?

Not really sure. In the world of The Journal, almost all the characters are multiracial, which would make casting difficult. I'm afraid I'm not up enough on my young actors to know who would be a good fit.

What was the last best book you read?

Last month I read Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie which I really enjoyed. Just loved the protagonist!

Where to find Ronnica:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Buy links: Smashwords | Amazon

It is 2102. On one of the worst days of her life, Amala makes a discovery that will change her life forever. In a world with little use for paper books, she finds tucked away behind a dusty bookshelf the journal of a teenage girl written in 2001. Although over 90 years separate the two teenage girls, Amala soon learns that navigating the difficult waters of adolescence and life transcends time, but more importantly, she uncovers a valuable story about faith in an uncertain world that resonates with her own experience. Young adults are certain to appreciate the fresh, authentic writing style taken from actual teenage journals and the candid way challenging, relevant issues are addressed.

Review: Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep

2012-01-25T07:50:00.001-05:00

Title: Thread of Death

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Elemental Assassin #5.5

Publisher: Pocket Books

Number of Pages: E Book

Source: Advanced Review Copy

Release Date: January 31, 2011

Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, might have finally killed her nemesis, Mab Monroe, but that doesn't mean that it's smooth sailing. Gin goes to Mab's funeral to say her goodbyes and runs into some of Ashland's most notorious underworld power players, including Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid. McAllister wants her dead, and Kincaid has his own murky motives when it comes to the Spider, and Gin once again finds herself fighting for her life. Only this time, she might wind up in the cemetery right next to Mab

.
The Thread of Death totally rocked. It has lots of action, a touch of mystery, lines that make you sigh and a ll of my favorite secondary characters made an appearance, and I have to say Finn totally steals whatever scene he is in. I love that guy! I also enjoyed seeing some of the lesser characters that haven't had much of an impact on the series until now have a larger role in the story.

All I can say is that only Gin could make a funeral a place of action. While she's attending the funeral of Mab someone starts shooting at the crowd. There are so many of Ashland's crime bosses in attendance at the funeral, it's hard to tell at first who the shots are meant for or who hired the shooter. It soon becomes clear that they are meant for Gin, and she takes action like she usually does.

It was nice to see Gin back in action as the spider, and she really is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy heroines. She's really not afraid to use her elemental magic on any one who causes harm to her or her family. However, with Owen by her side she becomes a softer person and I love seeing that side of her.

There were a few surprise points of view in this novella I didn't expect and that totally surprised me as the books are normally told by Gin's point of view. I enjoyed those because we learned a little bit more about Owen and it made his past be all that more mysterious. I seriously can't wait to learn more about him. This series never disappoints me, and I can't wait for book six: By A Thread.

Favorite Quote:

Owen looked at me, a troubled light flaring in his violet eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this? he asked. You don't have to, you know."

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High
Curran Crush Meter: High
Martini Sigh Meter: High
Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: Super High Sizzle Meter: Medium
(only because this was an all action novella-not much time for the sizzle, lol.)
Finn Sidekick Meter: Super High
(well, the character this is in this book, so of course it's super high!)

Guest Post & Giveaway with Jodie Becker and Sidney Bristol

2012-01-23T07:11:00.002-05:00

Please help me welcome two Ellora's Cave's authors to A Buckeye Girl Reads Sidney Bristol and Jodie Becker! They are both have new books out and are giving away some cool earrings. The giveaway & rules are at the end of the blog post!

JODIE: I wish you were here. You know why? Queensland is called the Sunny State because of it's all around sunshine. Our summers are hot and our winters are... not so hot. :D We have this cute grey kangaroo. You'll find them in suburbia. In fact, we have a family that camps out at our local park.

We could go to the Brisbane dock and take a boat over to Tangalooma (http://www.tangalooma.com/info/home/), which boasts of all sun and fun activities and wild dolphin feeding. We could take a marine tour and snorkel around their wrecks and see ocean life and maybe see a wobbegong.

I think Australia has the odd looking characters that are so endearing you just wanna take them home. Like the platypus, the cassowary and the wombat. If you wanna check out more, we could hop in the car and drive up to Australia Zoo and check out the crocs and native animals. Crikey! XD How about we go to the southern downs? Experience country life, Aussie style? We can drive about 2hrs out to Warwick, this city is known for its rodeos and horse events. You can have steak straight from the cow and served up for dinner. Or we can check out the Granite Belt, Queensland wine country. That'd be a good thing to do in winter. We can also walk through their national park.

I wish you were here to go an check out Airlee Beach, only a 13 hour drive, but it'll be fun! We could camp out in one of the Big Four camping sites and take trips out to the Great Barrier Reef. We can snorkel over some or scuba dive to check out the exotic fish in the ocean and if we're lucky see a shark (a nurse shark of course). We could take a plane and fly over the islands and heart reef, a natural formation of coral.

Or we could go all the way to the tip and check out Cairns. We can go to Palm Cove with the backdrop of the forest right up against the beach. Our tropical north is full of heat, sun and fun. We the beach just out the door what more could you ask for. How about the outback? We could go to Lawn Hill National park--not too far from Cairns--and canoe through it: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/boodjamulla-lawn-hill/index.html

Wish you were here.

SIDNEY: This is the time of year I wish you were here. January and February in my area means that the Ft Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is here. The weather might need a xanax, but that's part of the adventure of it all. While the area of Texas I live in is known as part of the Great Plains, and we're known for extreme heat in the summer, our winters can vary from mild and moderate to blizzards and crazy. But this time of year is always exciting because of the stock show. You can eat just about anything fried and go to the rodeo. There are cattle drives in the old, historic stock yards and lots of shopping.

I wish you were here, because there's always something to do. With so many cities smooshed together to make the Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex, there's a lot of history to discover. In Dallas there's the Grassy Knoll in Dealey Plaza, the Water Gardens in Ft Worth, the Cowboys and Rangers in Arlington and my favorite, the Stars in Dallas.

If that's not enough, I wish you were here to make late night drives up across the Oklahoma border to go gambling at the big casino. Or maybe out into the Arbuckle Wilderness preserve, where you can see all sorts of safari animals, many endangered, in a habitat as close to their native environment as you can get in America. If you're up for a drive, a six hour drive down to see San Antonio is always an adventure. There's the Alamo and the River Walk. If you want some more wilderness, the Texas Hill Country is ripe for exploring, picking apples and watching deer. Or maybe the piney woods are more your style. East Texas and Houston have forests that are completely different from the Central Plains.

I wish you were here so there was someone to ride shot gun on a tour of Texas. Impromptu ski trips up into the pan handle or over the border into New Mexico are always fun, that is if you're up for a thirteen hour drive. Maybe during the summer camping out in Big Bend National Park or going down to Corpus Christi or Padra Island is more your style.

Texas is a huge state, with a lot hiding in the wings. You can go partake of the historic sites, immerse yourself in the culture, or maybe go chase the phantoms, or the chupacabra, if you're feeling really daring.

Wish you were here :D

What do you love to do in your state/country?

To one lucky commenter we’re giving away opal stud earrings, directly from Coober Pedy. To enter please leave a way for us to contact you if you are the winner. Either an email (buckeyegirlreads at gmail dot com) or twitter handle works. Giveaway is open until Saturday January 28th, 2012 @ 11:00pm.

About the authors:

Jodie Becker

I believe in love. Which is no surprise that I write romance. I started reading these saucy fictional pieces early on and never looked back. Nights were spent following the journey of two people finding love and tackling issues along the way. Of course, my teachers couldn’t appreciate my voracious need for books as I spent my school days catching cat naps when possible. While not writing, I’m reading pretty much whatever tickles my fancy from the contemporary to all out urban fantasy. Oh, and I’m a WAHM, domestic goddess, mother and social queen on the nets.

Buy links:

Amazon| Ellora's Cave

Where to find Jodie:

website

Facebook

Twitter

Disillusioned by love, Erica has tasted the bitter pill of betrayal and wonders if she’s enough for one man. When a hot guy moves in next door, Erica decides to settle for good old-fashioned lust. What starts out as a simple seduction quickly evolves, and Erica is fast finding out Dylan is dangerous not only to her libido, but her heart as well.Recently retired from the adult-film industry, Dylan hopes for a fresh start in Templeton where his porn persona, Drake Van Wulf, is unknown. His new neighbor is unlike the women he’s accustomed to, but she stirs his blood nonetheless. His rule not to get involved is quickly tested by Erica and her lush curves. Unable to withstand her allure, Dylan finds himself wanting more from Erica than just her body. He wants her heart also.With the secret of his past hanging in the shadows, Dylan’s about to find out if love truly
conquers all.

Sidney Bristol

It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.

Where to find Sidney:
Website
Twitter

Facebook

Sparks—and clothes—fly when hot veterinarian Cody-Lynn Parker shows up at Scott Carillo’s animal shelter. Scott’s had a bad run with women, but he can’t keep his hands off Cody’s luscious curves. Cody’s trying to be professional, but she can barely concentrate on work thanks to her craving for the tall, dark and sexy Cuban. She kisses caution goodbye and Scott hello when his shirt comes off.Between naked star-gazing and naughty massages, their steamy fling turns into an affair of the heart. But when thieves target Cody, she finds herself flirting with danger, and Scott wants to rescue her whether she thinks she needs it or not.

Purchase Link

Ellora's Cave| Amazon

Blog Tour Stops:

Jan 2: Romancing the Book

Jan 3: The Book Vixen
Jan 4: Good Choice Reading

Jan 8: Red Hot Books
Jan 9: Book Addicts

Jan 11: Hanging with Bells
Jan 12: Book Obsessed

Jan 13: Seductive Musings
Jan 14: The Forbidden Bookshelf

Jan 16: Novel Thoughts
Jan 17: As the Pages Turn

Jan 18: Cocktails and Books
Jan 19: Romance Around the Corner

Jan 21: Asian Cocoa’s Secret Garden
Jan 24: A Buckeye Girl Reads

Jan 25: Books n Kisses
Jan 27: Love Romance Passion

Jan 30: The Book Nympho

Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

2012-01-20T07:17:00.000-05:00

Title: Moon Called

Author: Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Mercy Thompson #1

Number of pages: 388

Publisher: Penguin

Source: Library

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too. Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire. But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble. (goodreads)

Moon Called is one of the best shape shifter Urban Fantasy books out there. It has a little of everything: awesome world building, mystery, action and the possibility of romance. This is one book where the blurb really doesn't do the story being told justice.

Things I loved:

Mercy~She is everything an Urban Fantasy should be:

Kick Butt (she's not afraid to spill a little blood)
Not afraid to tell an alpha or two off
Independent, but not afraid have others help her when needed
In the middle of a great triangle

Adam~He is everything an Alpha should be:

Mysterious
Swoon worthy
Needs saving by Mercy a lot
Has a little bit of an ego

World Building~I loved the world created because:

Was woven into the story being told instead of being the story
The politics of the paranormal world were not dumped on the reader all at once
Created evil villains and wonderful alphas.
Made me wonder what would happen next.

Secondary Characters:

I loved how each was important to the mystery at hand.
Stefan was wonderful as the mysterious vampire
Loved Adams daughter being included in the story and not just as a means to get Mercy/Adam together
Sam. So many great things to say about him...I have a feeling his story is just getting started.

What I learned from this book: 2006 was a bad year to attempt to give up reading romances. Why did I not start this series earlier????

Guest Post with Nadia Lee, author of The Last Slayer

2012-01-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome author of The Last Slayer, Nadia Lee to A Buckeye Girl Reads! She's here to talk about what happens when you lose yourself in writing. :)

Pain and Suffering, Not the Kind You Want

Writing's all about pain and suffering. If you're doing it right, your characters should suffer horribly before the book ends. (This is why I don't like depressing books with tragic endings; I don't want to feel completely bleak after I'm done.)

Ideally the writer shouldn't feel pain and suffering too much...though occasionally we do. Sitting in front of a computer and typing for hours a day is probably not the best way to keep yourself in shape. And believe me, I have paid the price for neglecting my body.

It happened right after my agent and I discussed revisions for The Last Slayer (this was before the book sold). About a week later I woke up with the most horrific neck and back pain, which made it impossible for me to sit still for any amount of time. The worst thing about the neck pain was that it also gave me a horrible headache. I'd always underestimated the importance of a pain-free body for optimal brain function up to then. When all you're thinking is, "I hurt everywhere!" it's hard to consider how best to work out the scene that's currently on your screen.

It took about four weeks of intensive physical therapy before I could turn my head left and right without significant pain. Imagine all the productivity that was lost while I was going back and forth between the clinic and my apartment, not to mention the constant headaches!

Afterward, I started to make time for physical therapy sessions and stretching sessions. Of course, now that I have a six-month-old baby it's harder, but I do what I can to stay as pain-free as possible.

How about you? How do you stay pain-free? Any tips? :)

The Last Slayer

Ramiel has his own reasons for offering Ashera his protection. He knows her true identity and the real reason the demigods want her dead. What he can't predict is how she'll react when she discovers he knew who she was all along...

Ashera is shocked to discover that she is the only daughter of the last slayer. To claim her destiny, she and Ramiel must join forces to face down danger and outwit their enemies. Only then will she be able to truly accept her legacy...

Where to buy The Last Slayer

Where to Find Nadia Lee

http://www.nadialee.net/

http://www.facebook.com/nadialeewrites/

http://www.twitter.com/nadialee/

http://nadialeewrites.tumblr.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/nadialee/

Review: To Walk The Night by E.S. Moore

2012-01-13T07:13:00.002-05:00

Title: To Walk The Night

Author: E.S. Moore

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Kat Redding #1

Number of Pages: 352

Publisher: Keningston

Source: Advanced Review copy from the publisher

Kat Redding is the very thing she hunts: a vampire, thirsting for blood, capable of killing any creature unlucky enough to get in her path. The difference is, Kat kills her own kind in order to protect human Purebloods. She’s good at what she does. Good enough to earn the nickname Lady Death—and the enmity of every bloodthirsty being around. But now a vampire Count is intent on merging his House with a werewolf cult to create a force of terrifying power.Kat can’t allow that to happen. Even if it means taking on a den of weres and a vampire more ruthless than any she’s encountered before. She has the weapons, the skill, and a few allies. But that may not be enough to eliminate the Count before her own dark nature rises to the surface—and costs her whatever is left of her humanity…(goodreads)

To Walk The Night was one of those books that I was super excited to read. In theory I should have loved this book. It had a tough and independent heroine who wasn't afraid to kick butt, however this turned out to be a did-not finish book for me. I had a super hard time connecting to the heroine, and the storyline didn't start to really happen until about halfway through the book.

I have discovered that one of the things that I love about Urban Fantasy books is also the same thing drives me crazy about it: world building. I don't understand why it sometimes takes the entire first book of the series to set up the world being created for future book. I feel like sometimes, as in this book that the actual story being told takes second place to set up story lines for future books.

What made me stop reading the book wasn't all the lack of action, but the choices Kat kept making. For instance she keeps getting into trouble, but a lot of times she causes it herself. She gets thrown out of a bar for fighting, when it was stated that no fighting is allowed to keep the peace from the different paranormal creatures that go to it. Once out of the bar she is almost attacked by a werewolf, but doesn't kill him because she thinks she can teach help him once she learns he is new. However, earlier in the book she kills someone just because he knew where she lived and was just delivering a message.

The action by Kat that made me stop reading though was when the one pureblood (humans that aren't werewolves or vampires) that Kat trusted her the most told her that he was summoning a demon to help him, she questions him, and tells him to stop. He says that he can't because bad things happen to him. Instead of questioning him further, she goes out to take on the vampire house she was hired to help take down. I just couldn't wrap my head around why this vampire who was so determined not to owe anyone anything or know things about her be ok with it because she was in a time crunch.

There was a lot of set up for the place that Kat hangs out (the bloody stake) and the people who go there. It's explained who is dangerous, who is not, why certain rules are in place, etc. and why Kat is who she is-a vampire who hunts other vampires and doesn't trust very many people. I realize that all of this is important, but the storyline stated in the blurb~doesn't even start until about 110 pages into the book. To an impatient reader like me, I found myself wanting the action to happen...and it doesn't until about 90 pages later. There is a love interest potential for future books, but I wish it had developed a bit sooner in this one. This book alsoeft me with this lingering question: Why is the weapon of choice for UF heroines always a Katana? Are there no other silver swords??

The problems I had with Kat were probably resolved at the end of the book, but by this time I found myself not really caring about what happened to the people involved in the story. This book also made me realize something that I've known for awhile now-I need at least a hint of romance in the book to keep me reading it.

While I did have a lot of issues with this book, one of the things I did like was that it showed the darker side of being a vampire. It wasn't romanticized, and we actually get to see Kat give in a little to her hunger. So often this part gets glossed over, and it was nice to see the heroine battling both sides of her nature-humanity and vampire. I always feel bad when I don't finish a book, but sometimes it just happens whether we want it to or not.

Review: Famished by Lauren Hammond

2012-01-11T08:36:00.001-05:00

Title: Famished

Author: Lauren Hammond

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia

Publisher: S.B. Addison

Number of Pages: 280

Source: Gift from the author

There is no United States. There is no world. An asteroid has destroyed what the human race knew as earth and The Great Famine has wiped out most of the surviving human population. For the few remaining survivors, food is scarce-- precious--a luxury. A luxury that most humans can t find. Seventeen year old Georgina Carver is fortunate. She s survived the destruction. She eats three times a day while the rest of humanity is plagued by The Great Famine. And she s safe, hidden away in an underground colony with her family and several other families of survivors. All of that changes the day she s randomly selected to be a gatherer. Georgina must leave her safe yet simple world and venture out into a world unknown. A vast, dangerous, destroyed world that could literally eat her alive. After Georgina is severely injured, her life begins to fall apart. She can' t remember how she got home or what happened to her while she was on the new earth. The boy she is crushing on avoids her and she keeps having visions that involve an unknown person with violet eyes. As Georgina begins to unravel the truth, it doesn t take her long to figure out that maybe her safe yet simple life isn t that safe at all.(amazon)

Famished is one of those books that I alternated between really liking and not being so sure about it. I had it read in one afternoon, and while I had some problems with it I'm still thinking about it hours later wondering about the fate of the heroine. :)

Famished was one of the more grittier YA Dystopian books I've read. The world that 17 year old Georgiana Carver knew is no more. An asteroid came and ruined everything. After the asteroid came and it was obvious that things were only going to get worse, Georgie's dad started building an underground shelter for them. Eventually 14 other families came to live with them and helped create an underground society. It is told in first person, and through Georgie's eyes we get to see the new world that was created. She is tired of being underground, but at the same time is frightened to go outside because of the tales she has heard about the cannibals that came to be after food starting running scarce. I loved her descriptions of the world and felt like I was there with her. I really liked that her parents were around and that she had a nosy little sister to deal with.

The world Georgie discovers isn't the world she was used to. She knew it would be different, but wasn't prepared for it. I have to admit, that while I really liked Georgie, she drove me a little nuts once she was outside. She just complained a lot about everything from being chosen to about being worried about not finding her way back home. She eventually toughens up though, and realizes that whether she likes it or not, she has to do what she was sent out to do-find the items on the list. After finally remembering where the hiding spot to her colony was, she gets into trouble & is chased by cannibals. For me, this is where the book really started getting good, but at the same time lost me a bit. The cannibals were just hard for me to get into. Even though their circumstances were described as to why they were such a formidable enemy, I had a hard time being afraid of them.

Aside from the cannibals though, I really enjoyed the mystery that Georgie unravels when she returns home from gathering. There is a plot underfoot, romance to be had, and bad guys to go after. The ending caught me by surprise because I wasn't ready for the book to be over with yet. I kept expecting there to be more..which leads me to believe that this might become a series.

Review: Happy Hour At Casa Dracula By Marta Acosta

2012-01-09T07:42:00.001-05:00

Title: Happy Hour at Casa Dracula

Author: Marta Acosta

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Casa Dracula #1

Publisher: Pocket Star

Number of Pages: 384

Source: My copy

Milagro De Los Santos needs to get her career on track -- and a sexy man to come home to. At a party for her ex-boyfriend, she meets the unusually attractive Oswald Grant, who sweeps her off her feet. But when he bites her in the heat of passion and she instantly falls ill, Milagro realizes Oswald is not just any fabulous man -- he's a vampire. Whisked away to his family's estate to recover, Milagro learns the ins and outs of vampirism while falling for a wickedly inappropriate man. But when the vampires' lives are threatened, Milagro uses her wits, her wiles, and an incredibly whacky scheme to bring down a power-mad secret society that refuses to let the undead live and love in peace. (amazon)

I am so grateful to Blouedd for recommending this one in her year end post. This fell under the best damn vampire books category, and I had seen this series around before, but I had a gift card burning my wallet, took a chance and fell for Amazons 3 for 1 promotion on this book and am so glad I took a chance on it.

This is unlike any vampire book I've read lately.Happy Hour At Casa Dracula is hard to describe. I would say it's paranormal romance with a dash of chic lit. It was fun, lighthearted, & made me laugh out loud.To borrow a word from the heroine was Fabulous!

Milagro De Los Santos is one of my favorite heroines. She is Latino, and I liked how she talks about what is to be different in the world of her friends, has a wicked sense of humor, and isn't afraid to tell everyone what's on her mind. She has a degree from an ivy league school, but unlike most of her friends is broke and doing odd jobs that I would love to have like being a reader for people who don't like to read books for their book club. One of her clients invites her to a literary party which she finds is for her ex boyfriend Sebastian-who is just wonderful at being slimy.

At the party she meets Oswald, whom like Milagro I thought was fabulous. He is mysterious and she knows better then to be attracted to him, but can't help it. Through a series of events, she gets sick after meeting Oswald and discovers there are a bunch of bad guys after her. She gets taken by the bad guys and is rescued & taken to safety by Oswald's family. Milagro doesn't like it, but doesn't want to put her friends in danger so she agrees to stay for a little while.

What I liked was that once she was at country house of Oswalds family, she didn't lose her spunk, and questioned everything. This book isn't so much about romance as it is about Milagro dealing with what has happened to her and finding out that her life skills aren't so useless after all.

Happy Hour at The Casa Dracula was just pure fun. It's I loved that the villains were so great not to like, the hero wasn't your typical ego centric hero, and that the secondary characters were lovable and became instant book friends. There were also enough twists and turns to keep me guessing till the very end at how things would turn out. There are so many things I want to mention-like how Milagro's favorite book is Jane Eyre, and how I wish I were better at figuring out the layers of novels, because if I were like Tasha from Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Books I would be able to point out the similarities between the two books, but I'm not very good at that sort of thing, so I'll just say again how much I loved this book. If you are looking for a different kind of paranormal romance, then look no further. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Favorite Quote:

Some French guy once said that vengeance is a dish best served cold, but when the opportunity arose I would make my retribution as hot as a habanero on a raw cut.

Curran Crush Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: Super High

Sizzle Meter: Medium

Review: Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

2012-01-06T07:12:00.001-05:00

Title: Scrumptious

Author: Amanda Usen

Genre: Contemporary Romances

Number of Pages: 368

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Source: Netgalley/publisher

Sparks between love 'em and leave 'em pastry chef and poker sharp Marlene Bennet and traveling chef-for-hire Joe Rafferty when the two culinary perfectionists are forced to share a kitchen. But several suspicious accidents at the restaurant convince Marlene and Joe to work together to uncover the saboteur. Maybe a little intrigue and high-stakes poker will be the perfect ingredients for these commitment-phobic foodies to whip up a happily ever after. (goodreads)

Scrumptious caught my eye because it sounded like it would be a light, fun yet hot read. It was all of the above, but Marlene's love interest Joe and her best friend Olivia drove me to distraction. Marlene was such a great character. I loved that she liked Joe, but didn't want anything too serious with him because she had issues from her moms multiple marriages and the fact that her dad left when she was in high school.

I wish that that there were more contemporary romance heroines like Marlene. She had a social life and wasn't afraid to admit it. What bothered me was that everyone else in the book had a problem with it. What's wrong with a girl in her 20s dating? Nothing, that's what. Then why is it that the love interest for Marlene and Marelene's best friend had problems with it? I still can't answer that question.

It bothered me that the reason Joe was fighting his attraction with her is because he promised his dying mother that he would settle down with a nice girl, and he thinks Marlene is a bit of a player.
That drove me crazy, because he admits to being a player himself before making that promise to his mother. This didn't make me stop reading it...I plugged away to discover he wasn't the only one with double standards in this book. Olivia, her best friend also had them. She told her that the reason Marly couldn't be head chef was because "she had too much of a social life and didn't want to hear it when she didn't get laid." This from a women who hired Joe knowing he was a player?? However, I still didn't stop reading it then...I plugged away.

One thing that bothered me were that there were a lot of screw ups in the restaurant, and even Olivia's ex who was dumped and fired was the obvious suspect Marlene kept being blamed for them. It bothered me that they didn't even ask anyone if they'd seen anything suspicious or talked to Olivia's ex. Still, I kept reading..even though these mishaps kept happening. There was a cute plot device to have the dog Marlene was dog sitting steal the vibrator she was about to use when Joe came over, and they had a good laugh over that, I plugged along.

The thing that finally made me stop reading was when Joe invited Marlene to Kentucky to visit his dad with him. He tells her that there will be a pig roast and she makes a comment about going there and the term hillbillies was used to describe the group going to the pig roast. I'll be honest. I've been to a pig roast or two or three. They are fairly common around where I live, and I don't consider myself a hillbilly. I'm still not sure why that line put me over the top with this book, but it did.

When I stopped reading at 52% I just found myself feeling so frustrated that I had to put it down. Marlene truly was a great heroine, and maybe things changed in the second half of the book, but for me it was just too late to hang around and see if things got better. Even though I had problems with this book, I think that most contemporary romance readers will love it. I'm just extra hard sometimes on this genre and I'm still trying to figure out why.

Review: The Last Slayer by Nadia Lee

2012-01-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

Title: The Last Slayer

Author: Nadia Lee

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Heartstone #1

Publisher:Carina Press

Number of Pages: E Book (102,000 words)

Source: Netgalley

Ashera del Cid is a talented demon hunter, but when she kills a demigod's pet dragon, the hunter becomes the hunted. Her only potential ally is Ramiel, a sexy-as-hell demon. Now the two must work together to battle dragons and demigods...and the chemistry crackling between them.Ramiel has his own reasons for offering Ashera his protection. He knows her true identity and the real reason the demigods want her dead. What he can't predict is how she'll react when she discovers he knew who she was all along...Ashera is shocked to discover that she is the only daughter of the last slayer. To claim her destiny, she and Ramiel must join forces to face down danger and outwit their enemies. Only then will she be able to truly accept her legacy...

The Last Slayer is a little bit Urban Fantasy, a little bit Paranormal Romance, a little bit Fantasy and a lot of beautiful world building.

Ashera is one tough heroine. What I really liked about her is that while she might have teamed up with Ramiel, she didn't trust him and still did things her own way. She also wasn't afraid to fight whatever came her way. I loved how she got into the thick of things and didn't whine about it. Ramiel intrigued me because it took me awhile to figure out what supernatural group he belonged to and I liked that. As soon as I thought I had everything figured out about him there was a twist at the end I didn't see coming. As much as I loved both of these two, I had a hard time feeling a romantic connection to them. It just seemed like Ashera kept going back and forth so much on her feelings for him that it made it hard for me. However, I think a large part of this has to do with these innocent looking animals:

They would not leave me alone while I read the first part of the book. Every time I sat down to read, she would want to play and I think I lost a lot of the chemistry between Ramiel and Ashera because of all the distractions thrown my way.

The second half of the book really drew me into the story. When Ashera arrived at Ramiel's everything just came alive for me. I loved the descriptions of his house, and I found myself really wanting a fairy dragon of my own. Toshi had me laughing out loud a lot. I just loved the world that Ashera discovers in the second part of the book and it has me looking forward to the next book.

Review: Head Rush by Carolyn Crane

2012-01-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

Title: Head Rush

Author: Carolyn Crane

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Disillusionist #3

Publisher: Samhain

Source: My Copy

In an attempt to put her unhappy past behind her, Justine Jones throws herself into nursing school and planning her wedding to Otto Sanchez, the man of her dreams. But something is off. Random details aren’tadding up…and is it her imagination, or are her friends and fiancé keeping secrets from her? And what’s with this strange sense of unease, and her odd new headaches?Justine tries to stay upbeat as Midcity cowers under martial law, sleepwalking cannibals, and a mysterious rash of paranormal copycat violence, but her search for answers leads her into the most dangerous mindgame yet.With the help of unlikely allies, including her paranoid dad and best frenemy Simon, Justine fights her ultimate foe…and unravels the most startling mystery of all.This book contains high-speed rollerblade chases, a mysterious green dashboard ornament, a father of the bride in full hazmat gear and a delicious kebab. (goodreads.com)

The Disillusionist Series is one of my all time favorites and Packard is a beloved book boyfriend. The ending of Double Cross (book Two) prompted to have the Double Cross Curse Meter because it was such a cliff hanger. Well, Head Rush was well worth the wait and lived up to all of my expectations and was a great way to ring in the New Year.

Justine is one of my favorite heroines. She's not a katana yielding, demon hunting girl but someone who has reluctantly joined a group of highcaps-people who have special powers and the group she's in use them to help reform those who have done horrible things to other people. In this book Justine is on her own, and is about to marry Otto. I love how she has all these doubts about , but still tries to stay true to herself to first and instead of just going with the flow fights to figure out if her doubts are right or not.

I didn't think this would be possible, but I found myself feeling sorry for Otto. He tries so hard, but just doesn't get it. As soon as I found myself having a little sympathy for him though, I would remind myself of his past actions and whisper: "Remember Packard, C. You don't like this guy." and then I would yell at Justine a little bit for taking so long to finally get it. My heart was breaking through out this story as Justine grappled with everything. Fortunately there was Simon for comic relief. He was wonderful. I loved how he wanted to be a bridesmaid, and his choice of outfit (top hat with leather straps for a shirt) just cracked me up. I also liked how Shelby, Justine's best disillusionist friend was there for her, but helped to open her eyes as well. The inclusion of Justine's friends from where she worked in Mind Games was nice as well. I liked how all the secondary characters from past books made an appearance in this one. One nice addition to this series was Justine's father. He's mentioned in the other books, but we finally get to meet him in Head Rush. I loved how he was there for his daughter despite his fear of well, almost everything.

The ending had me crying ~~just a bit~~ a lot. Questions were answered, puzzles solved, and Justine finally got the ending she deserved. A certain character who lived in a kebab restaurant is now at the top of my book boyfriends list. He is just so sigh worthy I could talk about him forever, but want everyone to discover his deliciousness for themselves. This series is one that has an earned a permanent spot on my keeper shelf.

Favorite Quotes:

.."But when he smiles, there's this lightness to him, like when you crack a rock and a gem shines out. Now he just looks lost."

.."And I keep hoping things will be right again. It's stupid, of course I know that. And I'll keep being stupid, Justine. I'll keep being stupid because I love you."

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Off the Charts High!

Curran Crush Meter: Off the Charts High!

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: Off the Charts High!

Finn Sidekick Meter: Off the Charts High!

Double Cross Swear Meter: High!

Sizzle Meter: High*

*disclaimer: It was high between the guy I really loved, and just ok between the one I didn't, lol*

Review: The Mighty Spice Cookbook

2012-01-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

Title: Mighty Spice Cookbook

Author: John Gregory Smith

Publisher: Duncan Baird

Number of Pages: 224

Source: Netgalley

Bring a new dimension to your dishes with this culinary journey through the world of spice. With 100 inspiring recipes from the Far East, North Africa, and South America, kitchen enthusiasts will indulge in such wonderful creations as Indian Fish Cakes with Coriander and Coconut Chutney, Vietnamese Star Anise and Lemongrass Chicken Claypot, and Chili and Basil Scallops. Twenty-five key spices are covered and recipes use no more than five at a time. And simple techniques and easy-to-find ingredients deliver fantastic taste with minimum fuss.

I was on Netgalley one day, and you know how sometimes you click too fast, well I was double clicking my heart out for some reason and accidentally requested this one. This book is beautiful. I loved the pictures of the dishes and the stories that went along with them.

The dishes looked so beautiful that I really wanted to try them, but discovered one small problem. A few of the key ingredients of a lot of the dishes can't be found at my local supermarket. (There is always a downside of living in a small town.) Despite that, this is a book that I would like to own if only to put on the coffee table. I've traveled to quite a few of the countries that the dishes came from and would love to be able to show to people the different dishes that were available to me in different places.

My favorites of the year

2011-12-30T07:11:00.000-05:00

This year was so much fun! I had so many firsts. I went to my first reader/author get together at Lori Fosters and got to meet Bells from Hanging With Bells, Liza from Blogging with Liza, Mandi from Smexybooks, Katie from Katidom. The first author that I got to meet was the wonderful Monica Burns, followed by the awesome JA Saare and super nice Stephanie Julian and Nancy Naigle who through Liza has me addicted to Sweet Tea Candy. I also got to hear Leanna Renee Hieber speak and she was wonderful! I also went to my first official book signing to JR Ward with Liza and another twitter friend. I then went to my second book signing with Leanna Renee Hieber with Jenny from Supernatural Snark. We got to have frozen yogurt with her afterwards-how cool is that?? Someday I'll get my pictures up of that signing. Jenny talks about it on her blog in this post.

Favorite New Book Boyfriends

Desmond from the Secret McQueen Series by Sierra Dean

Paine from the Rhiannon's Law Series by JA Saare

Reyes from the Charley Davidson Series by Darynda Jones
Dragos from Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Favorite New Heroines:
Secret from The Secret McQueen Series by Sierra Dean

Charley from The Charley Davidson Series by Darynda Jones

Surprising Favorites:

SpellCast by Barbara Ashford

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Ya Favorites:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Darker Still By Leanna Renee Hieber
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Favorite Novellas:

Bad Kitty by Cari Quinn

Golden by Joely Sue Burkhart

Bad Blood by Lucienne Diver

Books I meant to read but didn't get to:

Assassin's Heart and Inferno's Kiss by Monica Burns

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

Storms Heart and Serpents Kiss by Thea Harrison

Chosen By Fate and Chosen by Sin by Virna De Paul

Nominations for my favorite book of the year:

Secret totally kiss ass. She yields a knife and isn't afraid to use it. She is dating the head of the Eastern Werepack who tastes like cinnamon and his second who tastes like lime and is my new book hottie. She would do really well in a fight, but could she beat Triss who beat everything Dauntless threw at her and has the cougar-worthy Four by her side?

While Triss might be able to jump off moving trains and fight her fears, I'm not sure how she would do against Charley. Charley can see dead people and has the mysterious Reyes by her side. She is full of action, and no one stands in her way.

Charley isn't the only one who can see dead people. Rhiannon also has that talent and has vampires on her side. She is one tough cookie.

However tough Rhiannon might be, could she beat Mac in a fight? Mac has one weapon that beats everything: Barrons. He's scorching hot and so mysterious he makes the other guys look like an open book.

Mac might have Barrons, but could she beat Kitty, her husband Jeff and adorable royal poofs that turn into eating machines at her command?

Poor Anne. The only non fighting heroine of the bunch. Is true love enough to win the battle against the others?

It was a close call, but the winner goes to:

I mean really, who can beat Barrons and Mac 5.0?

“One day you will kiss a man you can't breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence.”

“He pulls me around and kisses me. "You're Mac," he says. "And I'm Jericho. And nothing else matters. Never will. You exist in a place that is beyond all rules for me. Do you understand that?"
I do. Jericho Barrons just told me he loves me.”

*swoons dead away*

Thank you to everyone for making this such a great year!! This is the most fun I've had blogging yet. :)

Review: Living Violet by Jamie Reed

2011-12-28T09:35:00.001-05:00

Title: Living Violet

Author: Jamie Reed

Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal Fantasy

Series: Cambion Chronicles #1

Publisher: Dafina

Number of Pages: 304

Source: Advanced Review Copy from Publisher

He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

Living Violet was such a refreshing read. There was no insta love, parents were apart of the story, and the paranormal aspect of the story will leave you surprised. Even though I ended up really enjoying this book I have to admit I spent the first 100 pages thinking I was not going to be able to finish this book. Samara's attitude is brash and it took me awhile to connect to her. Once I started liking her there was no going back, but getting there was hard.

One of the things that made liking Samara hard was totally an adult thing. There was a lot of slang used, and when she called one of her high school friends a Chad, and a definition followed it (a white boy who acts like a fraternity guy & likes to party) I almost stopped reading right then because I felt like I wouldn't be able to connect to the characters at all. Another silly thing that made it hard for me to get into the book was that I kept picturing the characters based on the cover of the book, and that's not really them at all. The cover artist pretty much failed with getting their looks right.

However, right when I was about to give up on this book something happened...Caleb came on the scene more and I liked him instantly. The great thing about Caleb was that he was mysterious and I loved unraveling the mystery of him with Samera. I liked how he didn't try to change her and that she remained who she was. Samara's friends, Mia, Dougie, and Nadine were wonderful. When I had trouble liking Samara, they are what kept me reading. They are funny, loyal and just a breath of fresh air. They weren't too mature for their ages, went through mood swings, and in general acted like real teenagers.They weren't 18 going on 25. Samara's parents were also very involved in her life, and I liked that. They gave her a lot of freedom, but were there to make sure she didn't get out of line. In so many Young Adult books the parents just disappear from the storyline and I always wonder how they don't know that their teenager is saving the world.

While I loved the secondary characters the thing I loved most about this book is that Samara is biracial. It's not something you find very often in books. Samara deals with feeling different and not really belonging to either race. I liked how this wasn't sugar coated, and how it was dealt with in a very real way. Samara doesn't know her mom's side of the family at all because they disowned her, and she talks about that and how their sudden appearance doesn't sit well with her. This book also touches on how her dad re married and how Samara struggles to get along with her step mother and siblings. This was just a very realistic book and I loved how Samara just tells it like it is. If you are looking for a different kind of paranormal young adult book to read, then I highly recommend this one.

Review: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio

2011-12-26T10:42:00.001-05:00

Title: The Bungalow

Author: Sarah Jio

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Plume

Number of Pages: 320

Source: Sent to me from the author
Release Date: December 27, 2011

A sweeping World War II saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost painting.

In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.

The Bungalow is one of those rare books that will sweep you back in time and become lost in the story. I loved this book to pieces. You know those books where you can tell by the first paragraph that you are just going to love it? That's how The Bungalow was for me. It's one of my favorite books of the year.

Anne Calloway is engaged to be married, but wants more out of life. When her best friend Kitty signs up to be an Army nurse, Anne risks everything and does the same. The two are sent to the South Pacific, Bora Bora. Once on the island the men they meet change them forever. Even though Anne is engaged to be married, she strikes up a friendship with Westry, and what happens next is just full of mystery, love, heartache and betrayal.The mystery to the book was an added bonus, I enjoyed watching Anne figuring it out. What was nice about the mystery was how it started out with present day Anne, then went to young Anne and ended with present day Anne again. There is enough of a twist to it the mystery that it had me second guessing a few times if my ideas as to who the villain was were right or wrong.

The secondary characters in this book just wormed their way into my heart. Kitty was wonderful as Anne's best friend. I can't remember the last time I loved to hate someone so much. The nurses that they work with were great, as were the soldiers they dated. They allowed the reader to experience the war through their eyes as well as the heroines. Anne's fiance was fun to like, then resent then like again. Westry though, the soldier who wins Anne's heart won me over. He was just so sweet and perfect. He and Anne did their best to fight their feelings for one another, but it was impossible. The emotions they went through from being friends to realizing they felt more for each other was just heartwarming.

The Bungalow just warmed my heart and made me experience just about every emotion there was. I actually cried a little (Ok a lot) watching the events unfold with the war and everything that happened with it. This is just a gem of a book and I can't wait to read more by Sarah Jio.

Review: Jingle Ball by KJ Reed

2011-12-24T07:57:00.000-05:00

Title: Jingle Ball

Author: KJ Reed

Genre: Erotica

Publisher: Ellora's Cave (Exotika)

Number of Pages: E Book (4 chapters)

Source: Sent to me by the author

As an early Christmas gift, I scored an exclusive invitation to a Hilltop House party. I’d heard the rumors about what goes on there—orgies, ménages, voyeurism—and I planned to be a little voyeuristic myself. I’d been a good girl, after all. Certainly I deserved to witness a walk on the wild side. What I didn’t plan on was going from spectator to participant.When I met Dane, I discovered how quickly my plans could change. And when Ryder was thrown into the mix? Merry Christmas to me! These two sexy men had no problem adding much-needed sizzle to my cold winter night.Reader Advisory: At this Christmas Ball, our heroine briefly observes two women engaging in an activity that will surely land them on Santa’s Naughty List.

Sometimes you just need a read that is just fun. Well, fun and smokin' hot. This book is short-just four chapters, but it packs quite a sizzle in it. This is one book that will leave you wanting more. There isn't much action or a storyline outside of the bedroom, but I was fine with that.

Jingle Ball is told in first person, and that is a bit different for eroticas. I found myself wanting to hear from Dane and Ryders point of view, but I really liked Regina's voice and seeing everything from her perspective only. The menage scenes were just plain hot, and I liked how there scenes with Regina and Dane and then Regina and Ryder as well. The ending surprised me, and I really hope that we see more of these three in future books!

If you are looking for a fun and scorching hot read this holiday season then give Jingle Ball a try!

(I think I need an erotica meter!)

Curran Crush Meter: Medium

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium

Sizzle Meter: Super high!

Review: Unwrapped by Cari Quinn

2011-12-23T14:21:00.001-05:00

Title: Unwrapped

Author: Cari Quinn

Genre: Erotica (m/f/m, m/m, m/f)

Publisher: Loose ID

Number of Pages: E Book

Source: Sent by the author

Caitlyn Sachs has a great life. A family she loves, check. An incredible design job working with her best friends, Tristan and Matt, check. An amazing home she shares with the guys, double check. But her upcoming twenty-fifth birthday and the desire to shed the burden of her virginity have spurred her to consider something shocking. All she wants is one uncomplicated night with one of her best friends, no strings attached. But how can she choose?Except there’s another problem. Tristan and Matt are already involved sexually with each other, much to Cait’s shock. And both men have long harbored feelings for Cait that go way beyond friendship. When they whisk her away for her birthday to a cabin in the mountains, she discovers the extent of their lust—and her own. The gift they give her is one she'll never forget.But when the weekend's over, will she retreat to the safety of the status quo, if they'll even let her? Or will she finally embrace what she's secretly craved for so long?

One thing I admire about Cari Quinn is that she isn't afraid to take chances with her books. This one is different then most eroticas I've read. One of things I admired about was how realistic the story line was. While there was lots of hot sex and a little bit for everyone's taste, what I liked most was how Caitlin, Matt and Tristan had a hard time dealing with the fact that they wanted a relationship with each other.

The three knew that they wanted to have something together, but were afraid of what their families and friends would think. This is what made the book for me. I liked watching the three of them come to terms with how to deal with the best way to let those in their life know that they were together and not hide the fact that they were in a relationship together.

The only thing that gave me trouble with this book was Caitlin. I loved Matt and Tristan, then men in the book, but I never really connected with Caitlin. I think the problem I had with her was that she kept changing her mind on what she wanted. In the beginning of the book she really wanted to lose her virginity with both Matt and Tristan, but once they wanted more she got scared and changed her mind for a bit. I had a hard time feeling sorry for her angst like I should have. Once she made her decision to be in the relationship I liked her a bit more, but when she gave the other two a hard time about being undecided it annoyed me. However, Matt and Tristan more then made up for Caitlin and are what kept me reading. I liked how honest they were with each other and Caitlin. They made me laugh with their nicknames for Caitlin-Caity Bait was my favorite.

Unwrapped is a quick read and if you are looking for something outside the box then I really recommend this one.

Favorite Quotes:

"You haven't thought this all out. You couldn't have. It's not as simple as "hey, we're in love!" why the hell not?

"Want romance? Or sex?" She gave him a challenging smile. "Can't you multitask?

Review: Karma Girl Christmas by Jennifer Estep

2011-12-22T07:18:00.000-05:00

Title: A Karma Girl Christmas

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Bigtime #3.5

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Number of Pages: E book

Publisher: Self Published

Source: Sent to me from the author

It's Christmas time in Bigtime, New York, but society reporter Carmen Cole isn't in the mood to celebrate since her husband, Sam, has to go on a business trip and might not make it home for the holiday. But Carmen has plenty to keep her busy, since she moonlights as Karma Girl, a member of the Fearless Five superhero team. On Christmas Eve, Carmen, as Karma Girl, is assigned to guard toys, clothes, food, and more that are intended for needy children and their families. But an ubervillain also has his eye on the toys and plans to steal and then sell them to the highest bidder. Carmen will have to use all her empathic powers just to stay alive, not to mention make sure Christmas is a happy one for all the kids who are counting on her. It's all in a night's work for a superhero ..

Even though this book takes place after book three in the Bigtime series, it works well as a stand alone book. I've only read book one, and had no trouble following what happened and nothing seemed to really spoil the other two books. I just loved this short story. It's perfect for the holiday season. I liked it because while it was short-I had it read in under an hour it had all the elements a novella should have: action, character development and lots of fun!

Carmen is one of my favorite heroines. I like how she is still coming to terms with her superpowers, but doesn't let them overwhelm her. When she needs to use them, she does, but is tough without being too tough. I really like her relationship with Striker, and I have to admit while I liked Carmen being on her own, I wish he had been in this novella a bit more. The villains where just fun. I liked how they weren't you typical ubervillians and how everyone came to Carmens aide at the end when she needed help. If you are looking for a holiday read, then this is a must!

Author Interview with Sara Bennett Wealer: Chatting with Buckeyes Series

2011-12-21T12:50:00.003-05:00

Please help me welcome Young Adult author Sara Bennett Wealer to A Buckeye Girl Reads. She is the author of Rival, and is this months featured Ohio author.

BIO:

I grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (the “Little Apple”), where I sang in choir, wrote for the MHS “Mentor,” and had a couple of leads in the high school musical. I majored in voice performance at the University of Kansas before deciding I had no business trying to make a career as an opera singer. I then transferred to journalism school, where nobody cares if you can hit a high C or convincingly portray a Valkyrie. I now live in Cincinnati with my husband, daughters, and more cats than any family reasonably needs. When not writing novels, I write ad copy, live presentations and articles for newspapers and magazines. I’ve even helped design theme parks! And when my schedule allows, I still like to sing—most recently you may have heard me in the May Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.(from sara's website)

1. Can you tell us a bit about Rival? RIVAL is a high-stakes duet between two girls - once best friends, now enemies - who are getting ready to go up against each other in a major singing competition.

2. What made you decide to have a music theme? I was a singer in high school and remember very well how it felt to have to compete against people with whom I had complicated relationships. Trying to succeed in the arts can create a real pressure cooker and I thought that would provide a great background for conflict.

3. What's the one thing about Brooke that everyone can relate to? She often feels as if she isn't really heard. Other people assume things about who she is and what she wants, but most of them have no idea.

4. Are there any musicians or tv shows that have to do with singing in Rivals that we might be familiar with? I tried to mention a variety of different artists and pieces, hoping it would spark readers to want to learn more. I've provided a bit more background at my website: http://www.sarabennettwealer.com/fun_who.shtml

5. Do you have a favorite scene between Brooke and Kathryn? Of course I like the scene where they have their climactic fight, but I also really enjoy the ones where they're supposed to be friends but we, as readers, can see all of the ways that they're not quite connecting. So much of RIVAL is about the assumptions we make about other people and the ways in which we project our own needs and desires onto them.

Ohio Questions:

1. Do you have a favorite food or Drink that is native to Ohio? (For instance I love Cassanos Pizza and skyline Chili) Unfortunately, I didn't grow up in this area so I haven't been able to develop a taste for Skyline chili. I like my chili chunky with beans and tomatoes! I do, however, love pizza from Adriatico's here in Cincinnati/Clifton area. I also would never turn down LaRosa's or Graeters!

2. What is your favorite Ohio Season? Autumn, with spring being a close second.

3. What's your favorite Ohio destination? We had our family vacation at Cedar Point last summer and loved it. For a writer's retreat, I adore Granville. We like to stay at the Granville Inn.

4. What's the one thing that surprises you about Ohio? The quality of the arts. Of course the Cincinnati Symphony is wonderful - I got to perform with them for several years as a member of the May Festival Chorus. And I always buy season tickets to Cincinnati Ballet when my budget allows.

Where to find Sara on the web:

Website
Twitter

Facebook
Blog

What if your worst enemy turned out to be the best friend you ever had?
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation. As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life (goodreads)
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Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

2011-12-19T06:19:00.001-05:00

Title: The Demon Lover

Author: Juliet Dark (pen for Carol Goodman)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Fairwick Chronicles #1

Publisher: Random House/Ballatine

Number of Pages: 410

Source: Netgalley

Release date: December 27, 2011

I gasped . . . or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. . . . His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked in my breath and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.
Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the incubus, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this demon lover from her heart (goodreads)

The Demon Lover is one of those books that even after reading it my mind is still a jumbled mess. Parts of me really enjoyed it, and other parts of me were exceedingly frustrated by it. I'm still not completely sure what genre to put this in. It's not paranormal romance like the blurb led me to believe, but at the same time it's not completely urban fantasy either. It's sort of a cross between the two.

I've got to be honest. Even though it's been a week since I've read the book, I still can't decide if I liked it or not. There were so many references to Charlene Harris and Ann Rice that I found myself saying every time her name was mentioned to hat there are other vampire writers out there! However, the one thing that kept from thinking that this novel was somehow poking fun at the genre was that the tone of the book was very gothic in nature, and I loved that part of it. The character states several times that she wants to prove to her students how far the heroine has come since the days of gothic literature in her classes, and I can't help but think that is what the author has planned for this series. If so, she did a brilliant job with showing the parallels in this first book and has makes me look forward to see how Callie grows as a heroine.

Callie is so hard to describe as a heroine. She was so likable and able to sympathize with that I was almost able to forgive her for being so slow to figure things out and for rushing into things without thinking them through. (especially her actions at the end of the book, which I can't say what they are without ruining everything.) Having her be new to Fairwick college made me feel like I was experiencing everything with her. I loved the descriptions of the college and town. The secondary characters came to life and I loved them all. My favorite though was Callie's pet mouse Ralph. He was just adorable and a scene stealer.

The romance part in the book is one that is hard to describe. While I enjoyed the sex scenes in the book, they just seemed a little out of place with the tone of the book until you get to the end and everything makes sense. So much of the romance has to do with the continuation of the series that I don't want to say more without giving it away except to say that it was frustrating and good at the same time-just like the entire book.

The Demon Lover was an interesting read, and even though there were times I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it, I ended up appreciating it and know that I am going to be pulled into this new series.

I'm Guest posting at Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Books!

2011-12-18T13:13:00.000-05:00

Today I'm over at Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books talking about my favorite kinds of heroes. Come and say hello!

Winners-Carolyn Crane

2011-12-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

A Big THANK YOU to everyone who entered my Carolyn Crane giveaway. :) During the giveaway I made to over 500 followers, so I've decided to throw in another winner. All winners were chosen by random. org. :) I will be contacting the winners soon-if I don't hear from them within two days of contacting them a new one will be chosen.

The winner of Mind Games is: Meg @ A Bookish Affair

The winner of Double Cross is: Sullivan McPig

Guest post by Natasha Blackthorne

2011-12-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome Natasha Blackthorne author of the historical erotic romance Grey's Lady. She and her leading lady of the story, Beth are here to tell us all about it!

Grey’s Lady is the story of a wealthy New York merchant price, Grey Sexton, who falls for a poor but beautiful seductress, Beth McConnell. Yet, for all their social and economic differences, at their most basic level, Beth and Grey are very similar. This story explores how these similarities threaten to tear them apart before love can overcome the fear of being vulnerable.

Both Beth and Grey suffered isolation and emotional neglect in childhood. Grey grew up as a privileged only son, heir to Sexton Shipping, one of the fledgling nation’s largest mercantile fleets. Grey’s father was a stern businessman who did not understand his daydreaming son and held him at a distance. A child in this position might take solace in a closer relationship with his mother. However, Grey’s mother was chronically ill and unable to bear his childish energy. She kept to her chambers and died while he was still quite young. Later at age nineteen, Grey engaged in an emotionally scarring experience with a slightly older woman, something that is not covered in Grey’s Lady. All of these back story issues and more are explored in more depth in the sequel, White Lace and Promises, which is scheduled for release Dec. 26, 2011.

In contrast, the focus of Grey’s Lady is on the immediate interaction between two wounded and self-protective people who feel an overpowering attraction to each other but who do not want to admit it to themselves or the other.

I will let my character, Beth, tell her story in her own words:

Why should men always have the power of choice when it comes to love? Is it right that we women have no choice but to sit and wait for a man decide to honor us with his declarations–usually uttered in the form of a demand? And all we as women may do is say “yes” or “no” and hope we have made a wise choice. The man still has the power to break his promises and it will be our good name and heart that bears the damage.

My mother fell into an adulterous affaire with an unknown man and as a result I was created. Her husband put her out of their house. I would have been borne in the almshouse if not for the kindness of her employer. After my mother’s death, I would have gone to the foundling home without my kindly benefactress. My unknown father also had his power of choice, the choice to abandon me. How fair is it that men have all the power of choice?

Oh, you ask what about the gentlemen? Ha! The gentlemen. They are the very worst.

A gentleman once declared passionate love for me. He said this so ardently, his beautiful brown eyes shone with sincerity. I was young. I was naïve. I believed him. I trusted him and gave my heart wholly into his keeping. And as went my heart, eventually so went my virtue.

Do you what happened next? Surely, I don’t have to tell you. You know how these maudlin stories go. He married someone else. A lady. Someone of his own class. His took his power of choice. He became a respectable family man and I was left being a soiled dove. I had a good cry over it. I may have drank a little too much at his wedding celebration. What a pitiful little fool I was. But I did not wallow in my self-pity for long. So men have needs and desires? Well, I also have needs. I also have desires. Why should men have all the power of choice? Why should they have all the enjoyment in life?

I take my own power of choice now. I chose whom, when and for how long and I select only the most handsome, wealthy, and powerful of gentlemen.

Yes, I know you are asking do I not fear discovery? This is a worry and I take it seriously. Truly I do. I live with my half-brother and his family now. He is very protective and very touchy about matters of honor. Our mother was not faithful to his father. Now he takes such matters so seriously. Too seriously. If he had his way, I would stay home all the time, working in the backroom of his cobbler shop with one eye on the children. But honestly, though I love my nieces and my half-siblings, life there is dreary. It’s all work, work and more work. Everything is shabby, everything seems to stay gritty and grimy no matter how hard I work to keep things clean. There are always more shoes to repair. I swear my eyes shall go crossed trying to sew by candlelight night after night. I never get enough sleep or time to myself. If I couldn’t go out and seek my adventures, I should go mad. I have my mother’s wild blood in me and my desires can run so high I fear they shall consume me.

I could marry a nice man and he would carry me away from all of this. I would have my own cozy home and hearth. My benefactress has introduced me to a nice young minister and to a nice young but struggling legal clerk and a nice young medical student who trembled all over and went pale when I said good morning to him. I have no interest in nice young men. It’s the wealthy, powerful, arrogant gentlemen who fascinate me. I know they will never desire me for a wife but they shall burn for me. They shall remember me.

How do I protect myself from discovery? I limit my liaisons to one single meeting. I never meet with my gentlemen again, no matter how desperately they implore me. And they do implore me. Though I am poor, the child of adultery by an unknown man and powerless in my society, I have something gentlemen desire. I have beauty, and thanks to my mother’s wild blood, I understand their hot lusts better than the women of their class. I do gain a measure of satisfaction out of leaving them burning for more. Burning for me. No gentleman shall ever forget the one afternoon he spent with me.

Today is a special day for me. Mr. Asahel de Grijs, otherwise known as Grey to his friends, is coming to my favorite bookseller to give a lecture on privateering. He is a New York man, the owner of Sexton Shipping which has a fleet of over forty sea going vessels. He is rumored to be the wealthiest gentleman in America. I know this is not true. I know exactly who is the wealthiest man in America. But Mr. Sexton is among the top three wealthiest men in our nation. He is also politically connected and quite powerful. He would be the brightest feather in my cap. I think I shall wear my shabbiest dress because it is always more thrilling when these gentlemen cannot resist the tattered, poor little bastard girl. They are slaves to their own greed for beauty.

I don’t really deride gentlemen for their focus on beauty. I appreciate a handsome face and well-made masculine form. Well, if Mr. Sexton’s physicality matches his other attributes, then I shall be entertaining a gentleman today. In private. In his carriage. But only for today. Afterwards, he shall burn for me. He will never forget me.

* * * * *

The Entire First Chapter Can Be Read Here (for 18+ ONLY):

To Purchase Grey’s Lady: Total-e-Bound | All Romance | Amazon | Fictionwise

Review: How to Worship A Goddess by Stephanie Julian

2011-12-14T06:39:00.001-05:00

Title: How to Worship A Goddess

Author: Stephanie Julian

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Forgotten Goddesses #2

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Number of Pages: 384

Source: Sent

He's exactly what she's always wanted. And she unleases him like a force of nature...
Lucy was once the beloved Goddess of the Moon, and she could have any man she wanted. But these days, the goddesses of the Etruscan pantheon are all but forgotten. The only rituals she enjoys now are the local hockey games, whereone ferociously handsome player still inflames her divine blood...
Brandon Stevenson is one hundred percent focused on the game, until he looks up and sees a celestial beauty sitting in the third row. A man could surely fall hard for a distraction like that (goodreads)

How to Worship A Goddess was such a fun read. The heroine and hero were both really likable, strong and knew what they wanted. I loved that Lucy and Brandon didn't fight the entire book. A nice twist was that this was another book where the point of view was mainly told from the guys. Lucy's voice was there, but I liked how we learned everything from Brandon. This was a nice way to introduce things that happened in the first book without having an information overload on the reader.

Lucy and Brandon had a lot of chemistry and I loved the sex scenes between the two. The only thing was that I wish there had been a little bit more action with the villains of the story. This book felt like it was bridge book to continue this series and her Luciani Lovers series. I was ok with that though because we got to know more about Cat and Ty from the aforementioned series. What I liked about was that characters from that series added a nice bonus to those who follow both of these series. However, their story lines pertained to this series, so if you aren't familiar with the other series nothing was lost by not having the knowledge of previous story lines.

One of my favorite quotes was from Brandon who when meeting Cal from book one went "Who are you? Captain Jack Harness?" It was a nice shout out to one of my favorite shows, Torchwood. If I hadn't already been won over by him, that line alone would have done it. :)

How to Worship A Goddess made me want the next book in the series like yesterday and I absolutely can not wait for Cat and Ty's story. We also had a brief appearance from the King and I am really hoping he gets his own book someday. :)

Curran Crush Meter: High (I so want my own hockey player now!)

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: Medium

Sizzle Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: High

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: Medium

Secret Santa by Sierra Dean

2011-12-12T07:10:00.001-05:00

Title: Secret Santa

Author: Sierra Dean

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Secret McQueen 2.5

Number of Pages: E book

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Source: My copy

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The season for mistletoe, Christmas lights…and a killing spree. When Secret’s friend, Detective Mercedes Castilla, asks for help to solve a series of murders longer than a string of lights, Secret resigns herself to the fact her holidays will be anything but peaceful.It seems someone is killing New Yorkers in an unusually gruesome way, and as the bodies pile up faster than presents under the tree, the police are no closer to finding the killer than Secret is to finding the perfect present for one of her boyfriends, Lucas.Tracking down a monster in Manhattan the week before Christmas is almost as difficult as shopping for her ever-expanding collection of loved ones. When tragedy strikes close to home, Secret must do everything in her power to put an end to the horror in time for Santa to come down the chimney.Warning: Contains a less than merry McQueen with a sword and a reason to use it; a festive new use for mistletoe; and a promise that will haunt Secret like the Ghost of Christmas Future.

I enjoyed this Christmas novella immensely. I think the thing that I like most about the in between the numbers novellas by Sierra Dean is that we gain more insight to characters who don't otherwise get a lot of face time in the other books. For instance, this one mainly focused on the relationship between Secret and Holden. Even though I am not a Holden fan like Hanging with Bells is, I enjoyed the chemistry between them and how he forces Secret to think deeper about the relationship they have.

I really liked the fact that the mystery included Desmond's family. I just adore that wolf to pieces, lol. I love how he is always doing little things, like decorating Secret's apartment for Christmas, that makes her appreciate how different their relationship is from anyone elses. He makes her realize that some does really care for. However as much as I am a Team Desmond girl, I think that I would like Lucas if we ever got to see a bit more of him. I feel bad for him because he's a distant third behind Desmond and Holden in Secret's life.

Another fun thing about this mystery was the reappearance of Detective Novak from the .05 novella. He was the poor sap who got set up with a blind date with Secret. I liked how he kind of held a grudge against here, and I really hope we see more of him in book 3. It was also nice to see Mercedes, Nolan and Brigit in a different light. In this book they were all there to help Secret out. It was nice to see Secret mature and realize that there are people who care about her a lot in her life now.

All in all this was a fun read and made me like Holden a little bit more then I would have liked, and I can't wait to read book 3 in March!

Curran Crush Meter: High

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Rhiannon Heroine Kick Ass Meter: High

Sizzle Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: High

Guest Post & Giveaway with Carolyn Crane: Complaints about author Carolyn Crane: The characters speak out!

2011-12-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome one of my favorite authors, Carolyn Crane back to A Buckeye Girl Reads! Today her characters from the Disillusionist trilogy (my reviews for book one, Mind Games and book two, Double Cross ) are here today to talk about their complaints to Carolyn Crane! Carolyn is also giving away either Mind Games or Double Cross to one lucky winner!

Complaints about author Carolyn Crane: The characters speak out!

After years of silence, the characters from the Disillusionist trilogy air their grievances with author Carolyn Crane in a tell-all (yet spoiler-free!) roundtable discussion.

Shelby: As you can see, I speak very much like normal American. Does Carolyn portray me in such a way in her books? She does not. I do not have accent, as you see. Why must she behave as if I have accent? Pfft!

Packard: I am very unhappy about a certain scene in an impound lot in Head Rush. I’ll leave it at that.

Cubby: I’d like to air a grievance about the name Cubby. I think it doomed me from the start with Justine. How can a girl take me seriously with a name like Cubby? I feel like all the readers saw me as…a flat character. I am more than a flat character, Carolyn! More than the stupid boyfriend! You never cared about me!

Shelby: I was not fond of certain incidents, you know this, Carolyn. I am grateful however, for despicable apartment that you gave me to live in. It was very despicable, with perfectly despicable view of eyesore.

Otto: Naturally, I have my complaints on how you treated me, but, they were more than made up for by a certain cucumber analogy to a part of my anatomy.

Packard: I was not pleased with that cucumber analogy for part of Otto’s anatomy. Especially because, being trapped in a Mongolian restaurant, I naturally ended up with the kebab analogy in the minds of readers, even though you never outright said that. Don’t try to argue, I know how people think!! Carolyn let me point out that a kebab is a sharp skewer with roasted meats and vegetables on it. You should have thought that through. That imagery is…hardly appealing. You might have considered a German restaurant with sausage as the specialty. A large Kielbasa would certainly be more accurate.

Carter: Why did you make me seem so ragefully obsessed with the Tangle? Yes, I hate driving on it, and yes, I drive on it all the time, and then I get enraged, and then, fine, I drive on it some more. Okay! Well, it’s a &#%^ piece of &#@* in the way of everything that I wish I could fire bomb. But you make me sound crazed with rage about it!! You are a megalomaniac!

Simon: I don’t have a lot of grievances against you, Carolyn. You let me drive a cool car, you let me throw finger bones from a skeleton in book one.

Helmut: You had me say that worldwide wars over water will be what kills humans in the end, but you never let me explain how that would happen. People need to know! Your book could have served an important warning to humanity, but instead, you only cared about entertaining people. Is that all you care about, you Hedonistic harlot?

Justine: You made me sound like a freak about my health! Anybody would have the worries I do, if they educated themselves. I mean, I’m grateful you wrote the entire series about me, but I seemed a wee bit of a basketcase.

Vesuvius: Oh, Justine, I am weeping for you over here! I had exactly two lines in the whole trilogy. Thanks a lot, Carolyn! You gave me an awesome name and FORGOT ABOUT ME.

Jarvis: Well guess who had no lines, and was drooling throughout the trilogy!

Sophia: Carolyn, you made my eyebrows sound overly groomed. Yes, I am proud of my fierce and shapely brows, but sometimes I feel like you were picturing a red-headed Cruella DeVille when you were writing about me. That was NOT appreciated.

Simon: Carolyn, you let me upset Justine, which is always entertaining, and you’re giving me my own novella in three months, and making it free to your newsletter subscribers, which I think is swell. Yup, still no complaints.

Justine: Why did you let Simon upset me so much? Did you not think I had enough on my plate with my health fears—not that mine aren’t perfectly reasonable—but you have to give me frenemy Simon? Throwing finger bones and being a maniac? And also, there was that incident in Double Cross…

Vesuvius: And why did I not get a trading card?

Jarvis: Don’t get me started on the trading cards. Carolyn only made trading cards for the BIG characters. But if I got a card, I’d probably be drooling on the picture.

Carter: Carolyn should think more about us, and less about where her next chocolate fix is coming from.

Packard: People, people, hold up here. Aren’t you glad you were in the novels at all? We would have just been figments of Carolyn’s imagination if she hadn’t written us into the trilogy. Think of all the fun and adventures we had together. Carolyn is awesome! She is a goddess! Not as much as Justine, but still!

Characters: grumblingly agree.

Packard: Carolyn, as a thanks for writing about us. We have a gift for you: A cheese plate and a bar of chocolate!

Carolyn: **grinning** Yippee! **Begins to chow down.** And Colette, thanks so much for having us here, even though some people were very complainy!

Carolyn Crane lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daring cats. She works as a marketing writer for her straight job and has also put in time as a shop clerk, a cocktail waitress and a plastics factory worker, which she was dismal at (think I Love Lucy). Also, she can relate almost any life experience to one or another Star Trek episodes, and if you invite her to your party, your entire cheese plate will be in grave danger. She can be found reading in bed, running, helping animals, or eating Mexican food.

Head Rush The Disillusionists Trilogy, Book

Justine Jones faces her ultimate enemy: herself.

Justine tries to stay upbeat as Midcity cowers under martial law, sleepwalking cannibals, and a mysterious rash of paranormal copycat violence, but her search for answers leads her into the most dangerous mind game yet.With the help of unlikely allies, including her paranoid dad and best frenemy Simon, Justine fights her ultimate foe…and unravels the most startling mystery of all.

Warning: This book contains high-speed rollerblade chases, a mysterious green dashboard ornament, a father of the bride in full hazmat gear and a delicious kebab.

Where to buy:

Amazon

Barnes and Nobles

Samhain

One lucky commenter will win either an ebook or paper copy of Mind Games or Double Cross by Carolyn Crane. This is an international giveaway. To enter just say which character you enjoyed hearing from most (Can you guess which of the characters is one of my book boyfriends?) and a way for me to contact you if you are the winner-either an email address or twitter handle. I almost forgot-please state what book you'd like and if you'd like a ebook or paper copy. If I do not hear from the winner within two days of contacting them, a new winner may be chosen. Winners may be contacted directly by email and not necessarily in a winners post. Giveaway is open till 11:00pm December 15, 2011. :)

Author Interview with Casey Crow

2011-12-08T06:52:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome romance author Casey Crow, author of Can't Fake This to A Buckeye Girl Reads!

Anna Ryan is a woman on a mission. She’s sassy, pretty, petite, and ready to reenter the dating world after a messy divorce. She will kiss a few frogs, but that’s okay because she needs the practice. As a romance author, one would think she knows about sex. Sure, she can bump and grind, but what she desires is passion – hot, steamy, mind-blowing chemistry.She capitalizes on the instantaneous lust with Chase Harris, deciding he is Frog #1. Sucking up her anxiety, she proposes a plan no man can refuse – sex with no strings, no commitment, and complete control. The catch is he must teach her "to make love" and do it for the next twelve days, a Christmas present to herself. The confirmed playboy is intrigued by the idea and takes it a step further by using the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas to illustrate each lesson.Anna needs to sow some wild oats so that means letting him go, even if Chase says he loves her. Bachelors talk a good game, so why does the intense look in his eyes have to be so real? Like he means it? Like she is…the one?Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: anal play

Can you please share a short bio with us?

I’m a Summa Cum Laude graduate from the University of Alabama with degrees in Business Management and Dance. I received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mobile. I live in South Alabama where I stay busy with running my two young children to way too many activities. I also work as a dance choreographer, pageant coach, professional emcee and model, and certified Miss America preliminary judge. In fact, I’m a former Miss University of Alabama and NASCAR spokesmodel. I write erotic and spicy contemporary romances with the tagline “Sexy, Southern & Sassy.”

Tell us about Can’t Fake This.

CAN’T FAKE THIS started out on a whim. At the last minute, I decided to enter this 10,000 word contest. I’d written spicy mainstream, but this was my first dive into erotic waters. I didn’t win the contest, but after having what I thought was a good start, I added some more words and low and behold, this erotic became the first manuscript I sold. It also finaled in the Golden Claddaugh book contest. The story is about a divorcee ready to reenter the dating world. Anna Ryan is determined to be the best “product on the market,” which requires a lot more experience so she propositions sexy police officer Chase Harris to teach her how to make hot, passionate love as opposed to just having sex. He takes it a step further, instructing each lesson based on The Twelve Days of Christmas.

If Can’t Fake This was made into a movie, which actors would you cast as the main characters?

Casey: Vin Diesel would play Chase. Kate Hudson would make a fantastic Anna because they both have a quirky sense of humor.

You’ve long been a fan of romance novels. What prompted you to cross over to the writing side of things?

In high school and college, I only read text books so I didn’t even get started on romance until I was twenty-five. Oddly enough, my mom, an avid reader of all romance genres first encouraged me to write. About the time I started thinking, “I could do this,” she said, “You can.” Thank goodness too, because I love it and turned the hobby turned into a serious career almost two years ago.

How do you approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?

I’m a plotter for sure, but the outline is very vague so if my characters want to take a detour, I’m okay with that.

Is there a genre you’d like to write?

I’d love to write YA. Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of teenagers either as a dance instructor or pageant coach, and it fascinates me how they flip flop between still being kids and being incredibly mature.

What are your three major addictions in life?

Awe, I have to pick just three? Okay, dancing (I used to own a dance studio) and working out aare major passions and they compensate my Barq’s root beer addiction. I also love pageants. Seriously. I’m not kidding, but not the Toddlers & Tiara glitz kind. I’ve been an emcee and pageant coach for over twenty years, and I still get such an adrenaline rush teaching modeling and interview to girls of all ages. It’s incredibly rewarding to see one’s self-confidence grow with each lesson. Finally, I’m not a huge TV watcher, but I’m addicted to Castle, although Revenge is giving my mystery writer a run for his money.

You spent some time in pageant life. What was that like?

As a dancer and gymnast, I was on stage my whole life, but I began competing in pageants at fifteen to prepare for Jr. Miss (now Distinguished Young Woman). I’ve done everything from glitz to natural. I prefer youth development programs where talent is the primary focus. I’ve competed in the Miss America and Miss Universe systems. I have to say it was pretty cool being Miss University of Alabama, but my most memorable reign was Miss Motorsports, where I got to be a NASCAR spokesmodel and hang out with all the famous drivers. Pageants typically have a negative connotation, but the friendships, public speaking skills, and confidence I gained make me a firm believer in the many positive aspects they provide.

What is one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t done?

Learn to play the violin, or as we say down South, the fiddle. I’ve about convinced myself it should be my Christmas gift this year.

If you cook, do crafty stuff, or have a hobby, please share the details with readers.

I do cook and love crafts, but considering I’m about four years behind on scrapbooking, I don’t think it counts if it stays in a box under the bed. I really enjoy playing pool and golf, but since I’m fairly pitiful at both, I stick mainly to taking dance classes. I’m in a class with a bunch of other teachers and former dance competitors so it’s not easy by any means. The best part is that we rock the house during recital time. Old ladies, apparently, still have it.

What’s next for you?

I have two other manuscripts on submission right now with various agents and editors. HUSTLER’S DREAM is about a southern socialite pool shark who hustles the wrong guy, or is he? FEELS SO RIGHT is about a country music agent and her ex-boyfriend songwriter. I’m also half way finished with FAST DREAM, the sequel to HUSTLER’S DREAM, about a female NASCAR tire changer in love with the driver.I recently was offered a contract from Siren Publishing on DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE, which features a ballerina. It will be out March 2012. I swear these are not autobiographical! But, I’m passionate about the things I enjoy, and they invariably make their way into my writing. My tagline is “Sexy, Sass & Southern” and all my heroines are just that.

CAN’T FAKE THIS Buy Link

Website Link

Excerpt

CAN’T FAKE THIS book trailer

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Review: Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

2011-12-07T04:25:00.000-05:00

Title: Alien Proliferation

Author: Gini Koch

Series: Kitty Katt #4

Genre: Sci Fi Romance/Contemporary

Publisher: DAW

Number of Pages: 448

Source: Advanced Review Copy

Release Date: December 6, 2011

**MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOKS 1-3**

Alien Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt is expecting her first baby. But the alien attacks are getting more dangerous, and now Kitty and her Alpha Centaurion husband, Jeff, have to find out who's behind the conspiracy to kill Kitty's secret agent mom and what caused Kitty's transformation into a superhuman-and they've got to do it all before the baby shower...

Alien Proliferation is like seeing your favorite science fiction film in action. The bad guys never stop coming and you never know what will hit you next. It's so much fun that the pages almost turn on their own. The characters in this series have become like close friends to me. The thing that I enjoy most about this series is that no secondary character is forgotten. All are included in the storyline and don't just show up for filler for one lousy paragraph. This series is like a breath of fresh air because Kitty and Jeff Martini (My kindle's namesake) actually have a romance! They don't fight or break up in each book, but are together the whole time. It's not all smooth sailing, and I have to say that I love the jealousy talks that the two of them have to reassure each other that they are the only ones for each other.

Martini is one of my all time favorite heroes. I love how he is always apart of the action, but somehow always needs saving by Kitty. His cousin Christopher is just adorable. I can see why he has so many fans, and I loved how he had a much larger role in this book. While Martini stole my heart, I have to say that my dislike of Chuckie ended with this book. No one was more surprised then I was with that revelation! I liked how he was always there for Kitty and how he didn't automatically like Martini just because Kitty did. It made Kitty and Jeff's relationship all that more real.

Kitty is one tough heroine. She will have you rolling your eyes, laughing out loud and shaking your head in disbelief. Her Kittyisms like: "Okeydokey Richard and I are off to save the world while the rest of you save everyone else we happen to love. Chop, chop times a waistin'." were in full force and better then ever. The only thing that bugged me was how many times Kitty mentioned that she had to breast feed the baby. Maybe it's because I'm not a mom, but I just didn't get why it was mentioned so much. Other then that though, Kitty was in rare form and I enjoyed seeing her as a mom.

One of the best thing about this series is that just because Kitty has a new life doesn't mean her old friends from her life before Martini and gang are forgotten. This story centers around her friend Amy from high school and helping her get out of trouble while saving the world. Amy was a great addition to the other characters that I've come to know and love in this series.

Alien Proliferation is unputdownable and just when you think you have everything figured out, something happens that just makes you go wait, what just happened here? I adore that about this series. There is just never a dull moment when Kitty and Martini are in action. Have I mentioned that they are my new favorite book couple? I don't think that anything can get in their way and I can't wait to see what happens to them next in Alien Diplomacy.

Favorite Quote:

Martini to Kitty: "You really fell in love with me the first time you looked at me? He sounded like he didn't believe it but hoped it was true. I turned and looked at him. "The moment you smiled at me I was hooked and by the time you told me your name I was yours."

Martini Sigh Meter: Off The Charts High!

(for those of you wondering, this is named after Jeff Martini, so of course it's off the charts!)

Curran Crush Meter: Off The Charts High!

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Off The ChartsHigh!

Sizzle Meter: High

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: Off The Charts High!

Finn Sidekick Meter: Off The Charts High!

and....introducing:

The Kitty Sarcasm Knob Meter: Off The Charts High!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Liia Ann White

2011-12-06T11:57:00.000-05:00

When I start writing a new story or series, I know there will always be one element that’s included – an Australian character. Why? Well, because I’m a proud Aussie myself and also because it’s what I know. Sure, I could write about a lead from another country, but it wouldn’t seem completely authentic. Another reason I make them Australian is because I like to add a little bit of myself to each character I write.

Her First White Christmas is, of course, no exception. Though the story may be set in Alaska, the hero and heroine are both Aussies. My hero, Remy, is an Australian expat, who’s been based in Orlando for the last ten years and wants to find a nice Aussie girl to settle down with. But the problem with that is there’s a limit of Australian women in the United States (funny that!).

He is the Chief Financial Officer for an international charity – whose initials just happen to be the same as those of my 2 dogs – and is an animal loving vegan.

Bella Donna, our heroine, is a typical Aussie girl, who lives in Melbourne and runs a rehabilitation centre for dogs, specialising in power breeds. (Those who know me know of my mild obsession with Cesar Millan and how I praise his techniques and how he’s helped change my life). She’s also vegan and clearly an animal lover.

As a vegan myself, I thought it was important to include in my 1Night Stand stories just how difficult it is to find another vegan, let alone one you connect with. For example I’ve only ever met one vegan. Aussies are big meat eaters; I think about 5 per cent of our population is vegetarian (okay that’s an exaggeration but ya know…). So I felt I wanted to include that in all of my stories. My editor calls it ‘vegan erotica’ which I love and am totally borrowing from her!

I also like to add the animal loving qualities to my characters because I just feel it’s important to have that aspect of my personality in my stories. You’ll never see me writing about horse racing, bull fighting or eating meat. (I definitely don’t judge those who eat meat etc, but I just don’t myself).

Every single one of my heroines has included some attributes or beliefs of my own. How many? Well, you’ll just have to guess and ask me later.

So I have to ask, do you like reading stories that include just a little bit of the author themselves? If you’re a writer, do you include some of your own attributes or beliefs in your characters?

Bella Donna has had enough of blind dates. She’s always left bitterly disappointed. On the advice of a friend, she contacts Madame Evangeline, hoping her reputation precedes her and she can find Bella Donna her perfect man.

A mysterious invitation from Madame Evangeline leads them both to the secluded and exclusive Castillo Lodge in Alaska for a holiday event.

Will they get their happily ever after? Or will their first white Christmas end in disaster and disappointment?

Buy link: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=410&osCsid=mbtln37kb6ku2lmlkggu1c01e2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Liia Ann White is an Australian author, hailing from Perth, WA.

She spent her childhood daydreaming about far off lands, creating her own unique characters. She read books about witches, faeries, demons, ghosts and a host of supernatural creatures and eventually gained the courage to put her imagination to work.

A self-proclaimed geek, Liia collects Disney and Star Wars memorabilia, loves animals and wishes to be the female Cesar Millan.

When not writing, she can be found reading, playing video games or spending time with her two dogs.

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, Romance Writers of Australia, Passionate Ink, Futuristic, Fantasy & Paranormal Chapter of RWA and Young Adult Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Always interested in meeting new people, Liia can be found on facebook or twitter most of the time.

Giveaway – Open Internationally

This is a blog wide tour meaning one lucky commenter from the blogs hosting will receive a paperback copy of Madame Eve’s 1 Night Stand Holiday Anthology; which features Her First White Christmas and other short 1Night Stand stories from incredibly talented authors. A second lucky person will win an e-copy of Her First White Christmas and my first 1NS story One Hot Australian Night. The winner will be drawn next week on the authors website.

Blog Tour Review: Her First White Christmas by Liaa Ann White

2011-12-06T07:19:00.004-05:00

Title: Her First White Christmas

Author: Liia Ann White

Genre: Erotica/Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Total Number of pages: E book (5 Chapters)

Source: Writer Marketing Services Blog Tour

Remy Sommers has grown weary of his playboy lifestyle. He’s ready to fall in love and settle down. Problem is, he doesn’t know where to start. After attending his sister’s wedding, he takes her advice and contacts the 1 Night Stand dating agency – the same agency she used to find her new husband.Bella Donna has had enough of blind dates. She’s always left bitterly disappointed. On the advice of a friend, she contacts Madame Evangeline, hoping her reputation precedes her and she can find Bella Donna her perfect man.A mysterious invitation from Madame Evangeline leads them both to the secluded and exclusive Castillo Lodge in Alaska for a holiday event.Will they get their happily ever after? Or will their first white Christmas end in disaster and disappointment?

Her First White Christmas was full of hot, steamy goodness. This novella is short-only five chapters, so I was impressed that I was able to fall in love with both of characters as much as I did.

Remy attends the wedding of his sister and decides that he's tired of his playboy lifestyle. There is just one small problem it's been so long since he's seriously dated anyone he's not sure how to go about it. His sister recommends the dating service that found her husband for her, and he agrees. Bella Donna is tired of dating losers. She's about to get out of the dating game for good when her best friend Sebastian suggests a dating service that a friend of his used with great success. Bella Donna figures she has nothing to lose and gives it a shot.

Six months later she has her match and goes to a private resort in Alaska to meet her match. Remy and Bella Donna are both instantly attracted to each other. Like all novellas, it is hard to have a lot of character development in such a such a short amount of time, but I was still able to get to know the characters and fall in love with them. I also liked how safe sex was thrown into the sex scenes. It's always tricky to somehow say that the couple in question are having safe sex, but it was thrown into the scenes in such a way that it didn't take away from the hotness of the moment. The novella was over before I knew it. I think I had it read in 20 minutes flat. It was just that good.

If you are looking for something short, hot & sweet that will get you in the mood for
Christmas then I highly recommend this novella. Her First White Christmas packs a powerful punch.
Come back this afternoon when the author talks about her book & has a giveaway!

Curran Crush Meter: High

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High

Sizzle Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: Medium

Other sites on the tour:
5th December: http://jswayne.wordpress.com
6th December: http://lovesromances.blogspot.com
7th December: http://lisafoxromance.wordpress.com
8th December: http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk
9th December: http://gnbstacks.blogspot.com

Conduct Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: With Good Behavior By Jennifer Lane

2011-12-05T08:16:00.001-05:00

In a world gripped by organized crime, family dysfunction, and dim hopes of redemption, can true love persevere? For Sophie Taylor, a beautiful psychologist who lost everything when she violated an ethical boundary, and Grant Madsen, a handsome naval officer who sacrificed everything to protect a loved one, finding that love may carry an unbearable cost.Starting their lives over in Chicago, both are fighting influences from their family and running as fast as they can to escape the past. When their paths cross outside the parole officer's door, the attraction is instantaneous. But a hidden connection may not only shatter their fledgling love, but prove deadly to them both.

With Good Behavior totally caught me by surprise. By now everyone knows that I have a love-hate relationship with Romantic Suspense novels. I want to love them, but they normally don't love me back. I usually end up figuring out the mystery half way through the book and get bored and never finish them. Or the heroines are so wishy washy that they make me want to pull my hair out and scream at them.

However, this book was the exception to the rule. The heroine wasn't wishy washy, and there were enough twists and turns that I was surprised by the ending. Just when I thought I had everything figured out something would happen to make me scratch my head and go: "I didn't see that coming." I fell in love with both Sophie and Grant.

The charm of this book was that it was totally different then most romances because the heroine and heroine have both been in jail. They meet at their parole officers office and of course are attracted with each other. The relationship between Sophie and Grant happened over time, and I loved that there was an actual romance between them and that she didn't spend all but the last 50 pages of the book hating him.

Sophie and Grant are both vulnerable and it made me love them that much more because of it. Both of them were sent to jail for trying to do the right thing the wrong way. I didn't think it was possible for me to feel for both of them, but I did. Early on we learn that Grant has a connection to Sophie that neither of them know about and I couldn't wait to for them to connect the dots and figure out the connection they had to each other. I thought I had the reveal scene all figured out and loved how wrong I was about how they figured out their connection to each other was.

One of the things that made this book special were the secondary characters. I loved them all, even the bad guys. There was Grant's Uncle Joe, Sophie and Grant's boss Roger, Officer Stone, the parole officer and a host of others that made me laugh out loud. I loved how tough they all were, but all had a soft spot for Grant and Sophie that made them super lovable and not so tough as they would like us to think they were. The bad guys in this book were great because they all had reasons for being bad that were understandable, but it didn't change the fact that they went the wrong way in life. I take that back-I did feel bad for Grants brother Logan, because he tried so hard to change, but just couldn't. He wanted to protect his family but went about it the wrong way.

With Good Behavior will have you cheering for Grant and Sophie and wanting to see justice served for those who turned their lives upside down. A big thank you to Jennifer Lane for giving me hope that this genre might be for me after all!

Favorite Quotes:

"Who were you telling "I'm Sorry?" You, he thought. I'm sorry you ever met me outside the parole office. I;m sorry I ever dragged your beautiful spirit into my wretched, worthless life. I'm sorry you've become such an essential part of my world, when obviously I should let you go.

"Of course I'm still here. I could never leave my McSailor."

Curran Crush Meter: Medium

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Sizzle Meter: Medium

Finn Sidekick Meter: High

The Conduct Blog Tour is being kind enough to give away one ebook copy of With Good Behavior, or the sequel to it Bad Behavior to one lucky commenter. There is also a tour wide giveaway of a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble or Amazon to one lucky person. In order to be eligible you must comment on every blog participating in the tour. The books will be sent to the winners after December 15th. To enter to win either With Good Behavior or Bad Behavior just state which one you would like to win in the comments and leave a way for me to contact you. Either a twitter handle or email address works fine. The giveaway is open until December 10th @ 11:00pm.

Review: Hotter Than Hell By Jemma Chase

2011-12-03T07:35:00.000-05:00

Title: Hotter Than Hell

Author Jemma Chase

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Number of Pages: EBook

Source: Sent

It’s summertime in Phoenix, Arizona, meaning it’s hotter than hell. So when Ruby Prince walks into the Private Investigator Nicholas Masters’ offices bundled up like she’s in Nome, Alaska, Nick thinks she’s crazy. But what Ruby wants is to find someplace truly hotter than Hell, and what Nick discovers changes his life…forever.

Hotter Than Hell was a perfect read on a night when I wanted something light and short to read. My only problem with it was that I wanted more! This novella is super short, but I couldn't believe that in the small amount of time it took to read it, I fell in love with both of the characters.

This is the second book I have read lately where the main characters point of view comes from a guy, and I have to say that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I think it gave the story a fresh outlook on the story. I loved trying to figure out along with Nick who Ruby was. This novella is only about 15 pages and if I say anything more it will give the story away. However, if you are looking for a quick read then look no further.

Jemma Chase is an alias for one of my favorite writers, Gini Koch and I am constantly surprised at how well she writes under different genres. I would love to see a full length book under this pen name.

I'm an amazon affiliate.

Review: Angel of Darkness by Cynthia Eden

2011-12-02T07:19:00.000-05:00

Title: Angel of Darkness

Author: Cynthia Eden

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Fallen #1

Publisher: Brava

Number of Pages: 305

Source: Advanced review copy from publisher

As an angel of death, Keenan’s job is to collect the souls on his list. He’s carried out his duty for two thousand years and never faltered once. Until he meets Nicole St. James. When the moment of death comes, Keenan hesitates, and instead of taking Nicole, Keenan touches the vampire who’s attacking her. Cast out of heaven for disobedience, Keenan plummets to earth. Six months later, he finally manages to track Nicole to a bar in Mexico. He’s stunned to discover that the woman he remembers has undergone a dramatic change—she’s become a vampire. And when he realizes that she’s the target of all manner of enemies—other vampires, demons, even shifters—he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if all hell breaks loose.

Angel of Darkness was full of non stop action and I found it hard to put down. However, it also is one of those books that even after reading it I'm still not quite sure about. There were a lot of good aspects that I really liked, but other things that drove me crazy. This was the first book I've read by this author, and I really wish I had read the Night Watch series by her first. I think if I had read that book I'd have a better understanding of the world created by the author and how things work in it.

Nicole St. James was supposed to die, but the Angel of Death who was assigned to her, Keenan took another life instead of hers. Because of that act, he broke the rules and was sent to earth as a fallen angel. What I liked about the book was that there was a lot of action. Keenan falls, and is shocked that the women he fell for isn't human any more. However, that doesn't stop him from still having the hots for her. Nicole isn't immediately won over by him, and the two are drawn together by trying to stop the bad guys who just won't Nicole go.

Nicole and Keenan were both the type of hero/heroine that I usually love. They are tough, independent and work well together as a team. However I had a really hard time getting into them as a couple. I'm not sure if it's because Nicole was questioning his motives for helping until the last 100 pages or so, or if it's because every now and then the point of view would switch to the people who after Nicole and Keenan just as I was getting into what was happening them. Once Nicole trusted Keenan though, I started warming up to her and I liked how both of them had each others backs no matter what came their way.

Even though I had trouble with the main characters, the story was so good that I kept reading to find out how Keenan and Nicole would get out of whatever trouble they were in. I loved how I thought I had the bad guys all figured out until the very end when there were some nice twists to the story. One of the secondary characters, Sam who is also a Fallen Angel really worked his way into my heart. I found myself liking him almost more then Keenan and I really hope that his story is the next one in the series.

Other reviews:
Vampire Book Club (4 stars)
Ramblings of a Chaotic Mind (4 Stars)
All Things Urban Fantasy (4 Stars)
Fiction Vixen (A rating)

Curran Crush Meter: Low

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium

Martini Sigh Meter: Medium

Sizzle Meter: Medium

Finn Sidekick Meter: High

Review: Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep

2011-12-01T07:52:00.000-05:00

Title: Karma Girl

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Bigtime #1

Number of Pages: 360

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Sent

Karma Girl was just plain fun to read! I loved that every town had its own superheroes and ubervillians. Carmen Cole finds out on her wedding day that her finace is a superhero and he has been cheating on her with her best friend, who happens to be her fiance's villain. When she finds out their identities, she does what any good reporter would do-she reveals their identities. She then spends the next year or so moving from city to city revealing superheroes and ubervillains identities. She doesn't want anyone to be hurt like she has been.

Carmen becomes famous and everything is great until she goes to Bigtime New York to reveal the identities of the Fearless Five and their arch enemy-the Terrible Triad. She discovers the identity of one member of the Fearless Five and it backfires on her and she becomes the public's most hated person.

After Carmen becomes Bigtime's most hated person, she is demoted on the paper to covering society events. They are boring, but she manages to do a good job with them because her work at the paper is all she has left. She is resigned to her life of seclusion until one night when she is kidnapped by the terrible triad. They want her to uncover the identity of who Striker is so they can get to him and the rest of the fearless five to control the city. If she doesn't do it, they threaten her with a horrible ending. Carmen though, has other ideas and works to find out who Striker is so she uncover the identity of the triad (she has found in the past that villains and superheros are linked together pretty closely) to stop them from revealing Striker's identity and keep herself from getting killed.

Through a series of events Carmen and Striker meet and I loved the tension between them. They are attracted to each other even though they don't want to be because of what happened to the member of the Fearless Five when Carmen revealed his identity. These two are one of my favorite paranormal romance couples. Carmen gives as good as she gets, and doesn't give up fighting even when the odds are stacked against her. I like how Striker helps her work through her emotions about what happened to the member of the Fearless Five who she revealed.

The secondary characters are wonderful as well. I liked how slow the Fearless Five was to accept Carmen even though they knew she was there to help them against the terrible triad. It was very realistic, and I enjoyed how it helped Carmen grow as a person and realize that even though her intentions about revealing superheroes and villains identity were to keep others from getting hurt, karma had a way of showing her what the consequences of her actions were.

There is just so much more I could say about this book, but I don't want to give everything away. Karma girl was enjoyable because the heroes were ones that I wanted to be friends with, and the villains were just plain fun to hate. I can't wait to read more in this series. Jennifer Estep has a way of making her worlds come alive and her characters becoming beloved book friends.

Favorite Quotes:

"But I burned for him, yearned to touch him the way he was touching me, longed to feel him inside me. My fingers probed and prodded and plucked, but I couldn't quite find a way to get through the thick leather that covered his body. "Damn superhero suit." I muttered.

I was falling in love with him. And I didn't know what to do about it. I thought about the puzzle, trying to make the pieces fit together in some sort of order. But the edges were too rough, too raw, too new. I couldn't make sense out of my feelings.

Curran Crush Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: Super High

Sizzle Meter: High

Review: A Bloody Good Secret by Sierra Dean

2011-11-30T07:54:00.001-05:00

Title: A Bloody Good Secret

Author: Sierra Dean

Series: Secret McQueen #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Samhain

Number of Pages: E Book

Source: My copy

**Warning: this review may contain some spoilers if you haven't read book one**

After cheating death twice in one night, confessing her true nature to her werewolf soul mates and being asked to kill one of her closest friends, Secret took a much-needed vacation. By running away.
Now she’s back in town—dragged kicking and screaming—determined to clear Holden Chancery’s name. Right after she finds out what he’s accused of. It shouldn’t be hard—Holden has a habit of using their new and scintillating psychic bond to break into her thoughts and dreams at some very, shall we say, awkward moments.Just a few things stand in her way: a secretive Tribunal leader, a group of would-be vampire slayers and two werewolf boyfriends who refuse to let her operate in her customary lone-wolf style. Even less amusing are the terrifying creatures that someone is using in an attempt to gain control of the council. Even for this out-of-the-ordinary bounty hunter, it’s a challenge with potentially deadly teeth.Warning: Contains an ever-plucky heroine with no shortage of weapons, super-hot mind games, an ever-complicated love triangle and one hell of a creepy amusement park

Before I begin, a poem to my favorite guy in the love triangle:

Desmond, Roses Are Red

Violets are blue,

and I love you.

Ok, now that is out of the way and everyone knows which guy I like best for Secret I can begin my review. I had A Bloody Good Secret read in almost one sitting, and if I hadn't started it late at night, it would have been done in that one sitting. This series has everything you could want in a good Urban Fantasy: Surprise endings, a great love triangle, lots of action and lovable secondary characters that you want as your friends.

Book one ends with Secret getting the order to go after her vampire mentor, Holden. Secret doesn't want to take the job, and hides out for a bit to get herself together. By the time she comes back, she realizes how much she's hurt everyone by being away. She's made a mess of the Pack that Lucas and Desmond belong to, and they were torn apart by the events that happened at the end of book one. They had no idea where Secret went to, and for the first Secret realizes how her actions have affected other people.

I loved the scenes between Secret and Desmond. The chemistry they have between each other is great, and he gets her. Lucas though, is fed up with her and lets her know it. I love how Secret puts him in his place all the time. I still can't quite believe I've chosen the nice guy to like in this triangle as everyone knows I tend to go for the jerks who have a hidden heart of gold. I think if Lucas had been in this one more, I might have leaned more toward him, but as it stands Desmond has won my heart. I love how as a sign of being soul bonded between Lucas and Desmond that Secret tastes Cinnamon when she's with Lucas and Limes when she is with Desmond. The scenes are such that I swear I can smell hints of lime and cinnamon in the air, but that's just me being fanciful. The two of them are great for Secret because they allow her to be herself in different ways. With Lucas she can be all tough and bad ass and Desmond brings out the softer side (such as it is) in her.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Holden. As my friend Bells from Hanging with Bells would say, there is an undeniable tension between him and Secret (and it pains me to admit that liking Desmond as much as I do.) and more then anyone he understands her vampire side and her job. As her mentor he's always been there for her and I love how she'll stop at nothing to prove he's innocent of the crimes that the council says he is.

I don't know which secondary I loved more ok so we know Desmond wins this battle but the others- Lucas, Holden, Mercedes, Dominick, Kellen, Brigit and Calliope, or Sig are all fabulous. All the secondary characters I grew to love in the first book return in this one and add layers to the story. Mercedes tries to bring a sense of normalcy to Secret, Desmond and Lucas are fun to cheer for, Holden is fun to try to figure out, Sig is great as the mystery figure, and the other vampires on the council are great at being fun to cheer against for being so strict.

Even with all the great secondary characters and the hint of romance, the thing I loved best about this book (besides Desmond) is that as soon as I thought I had everything figured out something would happen to surprise me. I love being thrown for a loop! The ending was another great one, and I can not wait until book three comes out in March. This series is one I devoured and can't wait to read more.

Favorite quotes:

Dominick to Secret:

You live in a special country of denial, Secret." Have you met me?" It's more like a planet."

Desmond to Secret:

"Don't ever leave me again."

I nodded, no hesitation, to my agreement. I'd longed for the warmth of his touch every night while I'd been gone, and now that I was with him once more, I never wanted to leave. "shut up and Kissme." I demanded and he didn't wait to be told a second time.

Curran Crush Meter: Super, Super High

Martini Sigh Meter: High (Desmond has some great lines)

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Sooo high

Sizzle Meter: Super High

Finn Sidekick Meter: High

Review: The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters by Sierra Dean

2011-11-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

Title: The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters

Author: Sierra Dean
Series: Secret Mcqueen .05: Prequel

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Samhain

Source: My copy

This novella takes place a year before book one, Something Secret Comes This Way. I enjoyed it because we got to know more about Secret's relationship with Holden, and Mercedes, her best friend who is a Detective. Secret gets set up on a blind date with a Detective that Mercedes knows, Tyler Nowakowski, but before she can go on it she gets a job-to take care of rogue vampire who just happens to be Hollywood's hottest star.

Secret doesn't really want to go on the blind date, but gets talked into it and then gets annoyed that her job keeps getting in the way. Right before she goes on the date she is told by Holden Chancery, her warden or liaison with the vampire council where the rogue vampire will be so she can do her job and kill him. It was fun watching Secret trying to have a normal life while at the same time trying to do her job. There was a lot of action and twists and turns and despite my best wishes I ended up liking Holden a lot more then I did in book one. (I am a Team Desmond girl.) Seeing her with Holden gave me a new perspective on their relationship and I can see why she is drawn to him.

The Detective who Secret was set up with also a lot of fun, and I hope he shows up in future books. He knows something is up with Secret when she keeps disappearing on their date, and I loved how he didn't freak out too much when he saw her in action with her job.I liked how he ended up helping her as much as he could, and he wasn't forgotten as Secret went after the Rogue vampire who was great at being the bad guy in the novella.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this novella but I don't want to give everything away. I'll just end with saying it's a fast, fun read and works great as a stand alone. No meters, because there wasn't a lot of romance in this one.

Review: Hot Text by Cari Quinn

2011-11-29T08:19:00.000-05:00

Title: Hot Text

Author: Cari Quinn

Genre: Erotica/Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Number of Pages: E book

Source: Sent

Sometimes what you think you want and what you need are two very different things.As a technical editor, Jeffrey Maddox deals with plenty of words, leaving him few to spare on people, except his baby sister. To keep Daisy from wrecking her newly rehabbed life by shacking up with her older, married lover Lonny, he impulsively texts Lonny’s wife, Karyn. And then meets her at a coffee shop on a snowy night, ostensibly to convince her to stay with her philandering husband.But soon texting turns to sexting. After spending the night getting to know Karyn, Jeff wants something much more personal—Lonny’s wife. For himself.Despite her misgivings about Jeff’s intentions, Karyn can’t fight their attraction. She’s still not divorced, though she knows there’s no way she’ll return to her husband. But maybe an amazing night of conversation—and even more amazing lovemaking—can lead to more than just one night of hot text

Cari Quinn is fastly becoming a go to author when I need something hot and erotic to read. Nobody does it better!

I have to admit I was a little worried about this one because of the storyline. I just wasn't sure about the hero going after someone who was married. Well it turns out that I had nothing to worry about. While Jeffrey might have gotten to known Karyn out of revenge motives-he thinks his sister is dating a married man, and wants Karyn to know what he is up to. However, not everything is as it seems and Karyn ends up surprising him.

That's right-this novella is told primarily from a guys point of view and I loved it. Jeffery has been hurt in the past, and isn't prepared for the emotions that Karyn stirs in him. He feels guilty for being attracted to some one who is almost, but not quite divorced and fights his feelings for doing what is right after a night of unexpected passion. It was wonderful watching both of these strong people fight for what they want and deserve. I like how both of them end up waiting and don't jump into a relationship right away. Karyn takes control of her life first and I loved that about this novella.

Hot Text is just very realistic and I loved how everything plays out and doesn't take away from the hotness that I have come to expect from Cari Quinn. All of her novellas impress me because they aren't your typical eroticas and their story lines somehow manage to pull at my heart strings while at the same time make me want to have a fan on hand for the steamy sex scenes.

Curran Crush Meter: Medium

Sizzle Meter: High

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: High

Martini Sigh Meter: Low (Jeffrey is too tough for the the sigh meter, lol)

Guest post & Giveaway with Lauren Hammond (Chatting w/Buckeyes)

2011-11-28T07:59:00.000-05:00

Please help me welcome Lauren Hammond back to Chatting with Buckeyes. She was my very first Ohio author interview, so this time I thought I would do something a little different. Lauren's here to talk about her favorite kind of hero/heroine.

Hi, everyone!
First, I'd like to thank for Colette for having me on the blog today! I'm super excited to share my guest post about my favorite kind of hero/heroine!

I don't know about everyone else, but I am huge sucker for strong characters, male or female. I like when the females are sassy, self-assured, and able to kick some serious butt!

For the guys.... I absolutely love the bad-a****! Or at least they appear to be that way and in the end they always turn out to be more than what you think they are.

Take Damon, from the Vampire Diaries for instance, (*swoons*) he's more than what appears to be. Yes, he's devilish, smoking hot, and a loose cannon. But there's still goodness in him, even if it's buried beneath layers and years of pain and immortality.

As far as some of my favorite female main characters, I'd have to say that Rose from Vampire Academy takes it. She's bold, snarky, and deadly with a silver stake. She's not afraid to put herself on the line or fight for what she wants and I think those are amazing qualities for a character to have.

As far as my character's go, goodness... I'm attached to all of them, but if I had to pick favorites... I'd pick Ellory from A Whisper To A Scream and Henry from He Loves Me...He Loves You Not.

I picked Ellory because she's mouthy, reckless, and kind of bitchy. She tells it like it is...She's also vulnerable, damaged, and a little on the crazy side. I think characters who appear to be hard, but really aren't are interesting characters to write.

And I picked Henry because.... Oh.. Henry. Henry. Henry. I love him. He's hot and cocky, but at the same time he doesn't want to be classified that way just because he happens to be good-looking. And if you haven't read he loves me... I don't want to spill too much... But trust me... Henry is a lover, not a fighter.

Where to find Lauren:
Lauren's Amazon Page:
Goodreads
Twitter
Blog

Lauren is being kind enough to giveaway one Ebook copy of He Loves Me... He Loves You Not. (Young adult) To enter, please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner Email or a twitter handle is fin & tells us what your favorite kind of hero/heroine. Giveaway is open until December 5th @ 11:00pm.

Riley loves Henry. Henry loves Riley, but he's dating Callie. Riley Davis is mixed up in an emotional love triangle that she wants out of. But she can't help the way she feels about Henry Garner. She's obsessed. And she's convinced that her on the sly relationship with Henry is going to end badly.And Henry has a secret. A secret that could make or break one relationship. But which one will it be? His relationship with Callie? Or his romantic entanglement with Riley?

Review: Something Secret Comes This Way by Sierra Dean

2011-11-25T09:45:00.002-05:00

Title: Something Secret Comes This Way

Author: Sierra Dan

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Secret McQueen #1

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Source: Bought

Number of pages: n/a E Book

Some secrets are dangerous. This Secret is deadly.For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself-and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn't enough to deal with, there's Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas's second-in-command...Warning: This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence. (goodreads.com)

This was such a fun, fun read!! I bought this book on a whim and am so glad I did. I can't remember the last time I had such fun with a love triangle! Everything in this book just worked for me. The heroine was spunky, heroes were sigh-worthy and the villains were cringe-worthy.

Secret McQueen is half vampire and half werewolf. She does her best to keep her half blood a secret from everyone-only four people know about it. Keeping it a secret isn't easy, but it's a must because there is no telling what will happen if either side found out that she has mixed blood. Secret is more at home with her vampire side, but she isn't happy about that either. She is a bounty hunter-she goes after the rogue vampires. Secret is good at her job, and her name is feared in the vampire community.

She has worked hard to ignore her werewolf side until she meets Lucas Rain, and his second in command Desmond. They confuse her because she doesn't want to be attracted to either of them, but is. Let me just say, this is one great triangle! I kept changing my mind over who I liked better Lucas or Desmond. The scenes with both of them were just HOT. I wish we had seen a bit more of Lucas, but every time he made an appearance I was like Secret-I just couldn't get enough of him. Desmond was just as much fun as Lucas, and if I had to choose a favorite in this triangle it would be him. :sigh: :drool: :sigh: Both of these guys were great because they were tough on the outside, yet loved how vulnerable they were around Secret. There is a moment when they thought she had died in a fight and when they found out she was ok afterwards was just full of all kinds of goodness.

As much as I loved Desmond and Lucas, the other characters in the book were just as fun as they were. There is Keaty-the only human who knows about Secret and helped her find her way in the world, Harlan the vampire who is her liaison with the vampire council, Calliope, the mysterious oracle, and Sig the head of the vampire council. Each of these characters brought a lot to the story, and it's rare that I like all of the secondary characters in the book. Even the villains in this book were great to cheer against.

This sounds like one big gushfest, but I can't help it. It's been a long time since I've fallen in love with a series so fast. I am glad that I waited to read this though, because the ending was full of anguish. It was just well, a doozy and left me wanting more.

P.S. A Big Thank You to Tasha over at Truth, Beauty Freedom & Books for my new header!

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: High

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High

Curran Crush Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: High

Sizzle Meter: High

Heat Level: High

Review: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

2011-11-23T08:38:00.002-05:00

Title: Kiss of Frost

Author Jennifer Estep

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy-Mythology

Series: Mythos Academy #2

Publisher: Keningston Books

Publication Date: November 29th, 2011

Number of Pages 358

Release Date: 11/29/11

Source: Sent by author

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I’m getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword. (goodreads)

The Mythos Academy series by Jennifer Estep is such a cute young adult read. I like it because it's light, yet touches on all the important things for the Young Adult crowd-namely that it's ok to be different and be yourself. I also liked the message that everyone has different gifts and are given them for different reasons that we may just not know the reason for them right away.

The characters in the series have become like old friends, and it was wonderful seeing Professor Metis, Nickamedes, Daphane (Gwen's best friend) Colin, and Logan again. I think my problem with loving the characters so much is that I wanted to see more of them. I think it would have been nice for Gwen to have included them a bit more in her quest (I especially wanted to see more of Logan) to find out who the reaper after her was, but realize that this book was more about Gwen finding out about herself and what to do with her growing powers.

Gwen is one of my all time favorite young adult heroines. She's vulnerable, yet tough at the same time. She's vulnerable in that she doesn't know why the guy she has a massive crush on, Logan doesn't like her back. She is mostly ok with being invisible at her Mythos, but at the same time would like to fit in more. Her new power of being able to touch someone or an object and see the past is growing, and realizes that it makes her stronger and tougher, but struggles not to abuse it or cause it not to let her get close to her. She knows that her best friend Daphane, Colin and even Logan are there for her when she needs them, but is tired of asking them for help all the time. I really enjoyed how we get to see the world the students, who are all Spartans, Amazons, Vikings or Valkyrie's through Gwens eyes. It made connect with Gwen more and realize how hard it was for her to fit in there. I loved watching her grow through this book.

While I figured out who the villain was pretty early on in the book, I still enjoyed watching Gwen work to figure out who it was. It was nice having a heroine who took charge of the situation and didn't rely on the boy to do everything. (even though this meant there wasn't enough of Logan for me)

The only thing that I couldn't wrap my head around was why Gwen kept referring to everyone as their race: Daphane was the Valkyrie, Logan was the Spartan, etc. I'm sure that this was probably done for those who were unfamiliar with the series, but it got to be a bit much by the end of the book-in fact I still think of Daphane as the Valkyrie instead of as Daphane. Aside from that small thing though, this series continues to be one of my favorites in the Young Adult Genre. I can't wait to see what adventures Gwen and her friends will go on next.

Favorite quote: (Gwen to Logan)

"I stared at him. "It'll be okay, I promise. No matter what I see or feel. You'll still be Logan and I'll still be your gypsy girl."

Introducing my new YA Meter....(still under development)

The Logan Cougar Meter-High

The Denburylicious (from Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber) Crush Meter: High

Caleb (from Unearthly by Cynthia Hand) Sigh Meter: High

The Tris (from Divergent by Veronica Roth) Heroine Kick Ass Meter: High

The Secondary Character Meter: High

Winner: Alien in the Family

2011-11-22T08:10:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Alex at the Blethering Bookworm!

I will be contacting you shortly for contact information!

If I do not hear from the winner within two days of contacting them, then a new one will be chosen.

As always, thanks to random.org for randomly choosing the winner!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Cari Quinn

2011-11-21T08:58:00.001-05:00

Please help me welcome author Cari Quinn to A Buckeye Girl Reads! Today she is talking about what she is thankful for and is giving away one ebook from her backlist (they are all smokin' hot) and a five dollar gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Nobles. To enter see the end of the guest post!

What are you thankful for?

Thanks so much to Colette for letting me take over her blog today! This time of year, I think we're all remembering what we're grateful for. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that seems on the surface to be about good food and good times - and also football and gearing up for Black Friday shopping, if you're one of those who enjoy it - but there's a deeper meaning. In times of stress the little everyday things you take for granted become so much more important. A warm bed, a smile from a loved one, the purring kitty that curls up on your feet. And yes, pumpkin pie and that new electronic gadget we're eyeing for Christmas definitely earn some points on the gratitude meter too. But there are so many other reasons to be grateful that can't be quantified on a shopping list.

For me, among many other things I'm grateful for like friends and family, I'm saying thanks this year for the opportunity to be an author. It still floors me that people spend time and money to read my words and there's no greater gift. Growing up - and to this day - books were my escape. If I ever manage to give 1/10th of that escape to someone else, I will consider myself unspeakably lucky.

Another thing I'm grateful for? My latest Ellora's Cave release, Hot Text, came out a few weeks ago and I figured I'd share the blurb and buy link with all of you. There's also an excerpt on the site if you'd like to check that out. Jeff and Karyn meet under unusual circumstances but they soon realize that not all twists of fate are bad. Some are downright amazing.

Sometimes what you think you want and what you need are two very different things.
As a technical editor, Jeffrey Maddox deals with plenty of words, leaving him few to spare on people, except his baby sister. To keep Daisy from wrecking her newly rehabbed life by shacking up with her older, married lover Lonny, he impulsively texts Lonny's wife, Karyn. And then meets her at a coffee shop on a snowy night, ostensibly to convince her to stay with her philandering husband. But soon texting turns to sexting. After spending the night getting to know Karyn, Jeff wants something much more personal—Lonny's wife. For himself. Despite her misgivings about Jeff's intentions, Karyn can't fight their attraction. She's still not divorced, though she knows there's no way she'll return to her husband. But maybe an amazing night of conversation—and even more amazing lovemaking—can lead to more than just one night of hot text.

Where to buy Hot Text: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9687-hot-text.aspx

Now it's your turn. What are you grateful for this year? It can be as big or small as you choose. I'll pick two random commenters to win one ebook of their choice from my backlist. And one of those two winners will ALSO win a $5.00 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card (your choice) to get something else fun. So go forth and comment. Giveaway is open until Monday November 28th, 2011 @ 11PM. To enter you must be a blog follower. Please leave a way for us to contact you if you are a winner. If I don't hear from the winners within two days of contacting them, then new ones will be chosen. For a list of her back titles go here.

THANK YOU and Happy Thanksgiving!

Where to find Cari:

Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Blog

Review: Tis The Season To Be Sinful by Adrienne Basso

2011-11-18T08:01:00.003-05:00

Title: Tis The Season To Be Sinful

Author: Adrienne Basso

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Zebra

Number of Pages: 343

Source: Sent

Juliet Wentworth knew what she was getting into: a marriage of convenience that will save her estate and protect her family long into the future. But she wasn't expecting to find the passion of a lifetime in her new husband's arms. After just one night, Juliet knows a marriage in name only will never be enough.Richard Harper's beautiful new bride has him reeling with desire--and running for cover. After all, falling in love was never part of the bargain. Yet when Christmastime celebrations bring him back to their country manor and back into Juliet's arms, Richard finds his wife is determined--and all too able--to win over his heart, one kiss at a time (goodreads)

Tis The Season To Be Sinful was one of my favorite historical romance reads of the year. It has everything I look for in a historical romance-a strong heroine, slightly stand offish hero, romance, love scenes that make me sigh and a story that I can't put down.

What I enjoyed most about this book was that the hero and heroine weren't your typical historical romance ones. Instead of the heroine being a young virgin, and the hero being titled or finding a long lost title, Juliet is older-39, and Richard is younger at 29 and an American. Juliet is older, more mature and knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. What she wants in this case is even though the marriage was not one of love, was for her husband to have more emotion toward her and to show some interest in her children, and not only focus on work. Richard has his reasons for staying detached and is determined not to let Juliet into his work. However, he finds himself getting closer to her then he imagined. I loved seeing Richard struggle with his feelings and Juliet doing her best to break them down.

There were some great love scenes in this book, but what I like best was that when they were over the two weren't automatically in love with each other. It was great seeing Juliet trying to have a real relationship and not just settling for one part of it. I also enjoyed how realistic Richard's relationship with Juliet's children was. The youngest girl gravitated to him right away, but the older boys kept their distance and kept playing tricks on him to try get him upset. They gradually came together as a family, but it didn't happen all at once. I have mixed feelings about the mystery surrounding Richard as to why he kept himself emotionally distant from the family and Juliet. It made him a little hard to like in the beginning, but I did love watching Juliet break down his walls and liked the fact way the reader didn't find out everything at once.

This book totally got me into the Christmas spirit and is one of my most favorite historical romances of the year.

Favorite quote:

Richard to Juliet: How old are you?
Juliet: Thirty Nine, you?
Richard: Twenty Nine this past Februrary
~Do you prefer Dogs or cats?
Juliet: Her brow wrinkled at his absurd question, but appreciated his willingness to play the game. Dogs.
Richard: Coffee, chocolate or tea in the morning?
Juliet: coffee
Richard: Bryon or Tennyson?
Juliet: You read poetry?

Curran Crush Meter: Medium

Barrons Hero Hotness Medium: Medium

Rhiannon Kick Ass Heroine Meter: High....just because Juliet was such a likable heroine!

Martini Sigh Meter: Medium

Ethan/Merit Sizzle Meter (I really have to rename this) High

Author Interview & Giveaway with Gini Koch

2011-11-16T21:32:00.004-05:00

I am so excited to welcome back one of my favorite authors, Gini Koch! Book four in the Kitty Katt series is due out December 6th and she is here to talk about some of her favorite things about my favorite Science Fiction Romance series! I love this series so much that I am going to giveaway a copy of book 3, Alien In The Family to one lucky commenter. Rules are after the interview! If you have time, make sure to head over to GoodReads where Alien In The Family is in the semi-finals for favorite Science Fiction book of the year! I really wanted to have this book read by now, but I'm taking part in NanoWriMo, and it's more time consuming then I thought it would be.

1. Alien Proliferation is book 4 in the Kitty Katt series, what should we know about the first 3 books?

They’re the best books ever written and a deal at twice the price! (Hey, you still cannot blame a girl for trying.)The series follows Katherine “Kitty” Katt, the world’s best accidental badass, as she first discovers that the Roswell rumors are true and that there are not only aliens living on Earth, but they’re here to help, have what humans consider superpowers, and are all drop dead gorgeous. As the series progresses, so does Kitty’s involvement with the Alpha Centaurions, Earth governments, and interstellar governments.

The books are science fiction with a lot of romance, action and humor, heavy emphasis on humor. Kitty’s a fun, funny girl with a quirky worldview, and that comes through and rubs off on the other characters. Politics, conspiracy theories, big bad fuglies, and more, Kitty and Company deal with them in their own particular way. It’s not always pretty, but it usually works…eventually.

The books are a lot of fun to write and readers tell me they’re a lot of fun to read, too, so it all works out. You can start the series with Alien Proliferation, but I think readers will enjoy the books more if they begin with Touched by an Alien and move on from there.

2. If you had to choose one character to clone for yourself, who would it be & why?

That’s a tough one because I love all my characters, even the bad guys. I think I have to go with Charles “Chuckie” Reynolds, though, because he’s brilliant, good looking, great in bed, wealthy, and human. I love my aliens, but someone has to support the human guys, too, right?

Colette: *gasps* Chuckie?! I thought for sure you’d pick my favorite AC, Martini or my second favorite one, Christopher-think how fast they’d clean your house!!

Gini: LOL, I know. But you asked and I’m a truthful girl. And Chuckie can afford to hire maid service. Chuckie can afford to have a full staff. Sure, it wouldn’t be the A-C Elves, but still…

3. Do you have a favorite Kittyism? If so, what is it?

Yep, from Touched by an Alien: “My crazy’s working a lot better than your sanity.”

4. Do you have a favorite Daniel Dos Santo cover? (it doesn’t have to be from your series)

Oh, mine, babe. The covers he’s done for me are my faves. LOL I have trouble picking, because each cover is great. I think probably Alien Tango’s, because it’s so cool and it features one of the ‘gators. But asking me to pick fave covers, books, or characters is like asking me to pick my favorite child (which is actually easier for me, since I only have one child, but many books). Each cover Dan does is awesome in its own right…and when they’re all together I’m constantly blown away by how good each one is.

5. What upcoming projects do you have in store for us?

Gosh. Lots. As you know, I write under a variety of pen names, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch. All of those have releases out or coming out from Musa Publishing.

In order of release date: “The Royal Scam - The Martian Alliance Chronicles 1” by Gini Koch, released Oct. 1; “Hotter Than Hell” by Jemma Chase, released Oct. 14; “When Josie Comes Home - The New West 1” by A.E. Stanton, released Oct. 28; “Field Trip” by J.C. Koch in Penumbra eMag November issue, released Nov. 1; “The Disciple” by Jemma Chase, released Nov. 4; “Deacon’s Ark - The New West 2” by A.E. Stanton, releasing Nov. 18 (tomorrow!); “Strange Protection” by Jemma Chase in Penumbra eMag December issue, releasing Dec. 1; “Alien Proliferation” by Gini Koch, releasing Dec. 6^th; “Contingency Plan - The Neighborhood 1” by Anita Ensal, releasing Dec. 23; “The Deacon of Desert Springs - The New West 3” by A.E. Stanton, releasing Jan. 27; “Wanted - The Asteroid Belt 1” by Anita Ensal, releasing Feb. 17; “Three Card Monte - The Martian Alliance Chronicles 2” by Gini Koch, releasing Feb. 24; “Being Neighborly - The Neighborhood 2” by Anita Ensal, releasing March 23; and last, for this list, but in no way least, “Alien Diplomacy” by Gini Koch, releasing April 3.

There’s more coming, including Alien vs. Alien next December, and Alien in the House and Alien Collective coming in 2013. So, I have a lot in store for everyone. And no, I never sleep any more. But I live to write, so it all works out. And the doctors say that the twitch in my eye is quite fetching.

Gini, thank you so much for stopping by! Here is where you can find Gini on the web:

Twitter
Website
Facebook
Blog
Goodreads
Official Fan Site of the Alien Collective

To enter the giveaway for Alien In the Family, all you have to do is:

~be a blog follower (If I hit 500 followers, I'll throw in Alien Tango and have 2 winners instead of 1)

~In the comments say who your favorite character in the series is!

~Leave a way for me to contact you-either your twitter handle or email address is fine.

The giveaway is open until 11pm Monday November 21st. Disclaimer: If I don't hear from the winner(s) within two days of contacting them I will unfortunately have to pick new ones.

Edited to add: Where is the love for Martini, Christopher and Chuckie? :) I love kitty and all, but Martini is so my favorite alien. :)

Review: Sodom and Detroit by Ann Mayburn

2011-11-16T08:35:00.002-05:00

Title: Sodom and Detroit

Author: Ann Mayburn

Genre: Erotica-Fantasy, m/m, f/f, m/f/m, BDSM

Publisher: Loose ID

Number of Pages: E Book

Workaholic Maeve Burgundy avoids any relationship where she might fall in love. She's forced by her best friend to take a vacation she won to the exotic Sodom Resort. They specialize in turning any erotic fantasy into reality. Virtual Reality. What Maeve doesn't know is that Angel, the owner of the Resort and her old college boyfriend, has rigged the contest in an effort to reconnect with Maeve. He wants to persuade her to become part of a committed ménage à trois with his best friend and lover, Luke. The three embark upon a sexual adventure that takes them from the sultry pleasures of a sheik's harem, to the forced seduction of a royal lady by two highwaymen, and the fun of having a handsome biker hanging chained from the ceiling-just begging for a flogging. During each fantasy Maeve falls a little more in love with the men she thinks she knows, and begins to trust them with her heart.
Luke warns Angel that they may lose Maeve because of his deception, but Angel will take any chance to win Maeve back and convince her how good a loving menage a trois can be.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, menage (m/m/f, m/f/m), same-sex interaction/sexual practices (m/m, f/f), voyeurism. (amazon)

Ok, I know the cover isn't that great,but appearances can be deceiving because this was one heck of a novella. All I can say is Wowzers! This was one smokin' hot book. I had it read in one sitting and I think my kindle might have been smoldering a bit when I finished reading it. Sodom and Detroit is one of my favorite eroticas of the year. It had a little bit of everything: m/f, m/m, m/f/m and f/f) It's amazing that it all came together and worked so well, but it did.

I found myself really liking the relationship between Luke and Angel. They are completely honest with each other, and I love how Luke tells Angel he's a full for trying to use deception to win Maeve back. I have to say I never knew virtual reality could be so much fun! I loved seeing Maeve let loose in the virtual setting, and then seeing her gain confidence out of the virtual setting because of her actions in there. (if that makes sense.)

This was a novella, and I have to say that ended much too quickly for me. It made me want a full length book with Angel, Luke and Maeve-if only so I can see more of them together in their everyday lives. I know this is a review is short, but it's hard to say more without giving everything away. I am so glad that I bought this on a whim and can't wait to read her backlist.

Curran Crush Meter: High

Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: High

Ethan/Merit Sizzle Meter: High (I really need a new name for this meter!)

Martini Sigh Meter: High

Finn Sidekick Meter: Medium
Heat Level: Smokin' Hot High.

Author Interview & Blog Tour Giveaway with Kathleen Kole

2011-11-14T07:29:00.000-05:00

Take one newspaper columnist; move her from the anonymity of her home city to a sleepy, small town; add a dollop of nosey, suspicious and just plain odd neighbors; a dash of mystery in the form of a stained garbage can and a rodent and, finally, a large pinch of unsettling attraction to a virtual stranger and you’ll find yourself with a recipe that imitates April Patterson’s life.
Sound strange? It is. April Patterson had no idea that when she decided to follow the path of family and love, she would find herself an unwitting player in an eyebrow raising cul-de-sac mystery, grasping for her privacy as she plays “Dodge the Neighbor” and being forced to examine her relationship motives … all before she had unpacked her last box! Taking a deep breath, and a large bite into a comforting donut, April consoles herself with the knowledge that it will all work out. It always does … doesn’t it?

Please help me welcome Kathleen Kole, Author of Dollar to Donuts to my blog as apart of the blog tour for Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour!

1. If you had a playlist for Dollars to Donuts, what would it be?

Wow, now that's a question! You really made me think, Collette! Finally, after much deliberation, I've come up with songs that I think are fitting for each character of the novel. Not sure if we'd call it a playlist, but hope it satisfies. Here we go!

April: "Firework" by Katy Perry.
Kevin: "Rush" by Big Audio Dynamite.
Gerritt: "I like the way you move" by Bodyrockers.
Thomas: "American Idiot" by Green Day.
Jessica: "Without You" by David Guetta & Usher.
Carol: "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.
Deborah: "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks.
Bob: "16 Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
And, to round it all out, Denise and Heidi: "The Siamese Cat Song" from the Lady and the Tramp soundtrack.

2. Do you have a favorite secondary character in the book?

Absolutely! That honor would go to the intriguing and eccentric character, Thomas. In fact, there's a story line waiting for Thomas, to be told in a future novel.

3. If you could use one word to describe the heroine what would it be?
Hmm, that's a tricky one; however, if I had to pick just one word I'd say April could be described as "determined".

4. I have to ask...do you have a favorite kind of Donut and what kind of coffee do you like to drink with your donuts?

What a fun question! I don't know if I necessarily have a favorite donut, but I am partial to crullers and Boston cream. As for coffee, I could make a list! haha! I'm a big fan of flavored coffees, but those aside, I will say the best I've tasted was a Jamaican Blue Mountain blend. If I could have that every day, whew, wouldn't that be something? Since that's not happening, I "settle" for a perfectly respectable Kona blend in my coffee maker each morning.

5. Would you consider Dollars to Donuts Chick Lit or Women’s fiction or a bit of both?
I would be inclined to say that Dollars to Donuts leans more toward Women's fiction, with perhaps a splash of Chick Lit thrown in to keep my readers smiling!

6. What was the last book you read?
I just finished, "Caroline's Sister", by Sheila O'Flanagan and have moved on to, "The Cinderella Deal", by Jennifer Crusie.

7. What's the one thing we should know about this book?

While Dollars to Donuts is my second book published, it was actually my first book written.

8. Do you have a favorite line or quote from the book? I don't have a favorite line/quote, per say, but I did really enjoy the Scottish slang that Thomas tossed into the mix. Doing the research for it was a lot of fun.

Thanks so much, Collette, for allowing me this opportunity to answer your questions and to be a guest on your blog! As well, a huge thank you for reading Dollars to Donuts and participating in the tour.

BLOG WIDE TOUR GIVEAWAY:

This is a blog tour wide giveaway and to enter please go here. One winner will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon.Com. If you purchase the book between now and Nov 28 you get five extra enteries! Thank you Samantha for hosting this giveaway!

Sunday Author Spotlight: Leanna Renee Hieber

2011-11-13T10:19:00.001-05:00

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York City, 1880. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing... Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Tomorrow I get to go and see Leanna Renee Hieber at Books and Company in Ohio. I am so excited!! Hardly any authors I read make it to my part of Ohio. They either make appearances in Cincinnati or Columbus, and while I don't mind the drive, it's nice not to have to drive an hour or so to see a favorite author. Leanna was the first author to do a giveaway on my site and was one of the first authors to send me an ARC of their books. Her Strangely Beautiful Series is on my keeper shelf!

On twitter a few weeks ago I was talking with Leanna and a few other people about Lord Denbury, the hero in Darker Still. I suggested a blog badge so we could all show our love of all things Denburylicious (his nickname on twitter) This is what they came up with:

Don't you love it? :) I am so excited to see Leanna Renee Hieber tomorrow-she was one of the authors I got to meet at Lori Fosters Reader/Author Get Together last May. My camera died on me so I don't have any pictures, but intend to have a working camera tomorrow! Here are some other stops on her tour:

NOVEMBER 13th - Books Of Wonder, NEW YORK CITY
BOOKS OF WONDER
18 W. 18th St.
New York, NY 10011
1pm
(Join Leanna along with these incredible authors; Tamora Pierce, John Connolly, Rae Carson, Matthew Cody, Lauren McLaughlin, and Delia Sherman!)

NOVEMBER 14th - Books & Co. Dayton, OHIO
Books & Company
The Greene Shopping Center
4453 Walnut St.
Dayton, OH 45440
7-9pm
Reading, Q&A, signing!

NOVEMBER 15th - Cudahy Family Library, WISCONSIN
Cudahy Family Library
3500 Library Drive
Cudahy, Wisconsin 53110
6:30-8pm
Brief reading, Q & A, signing!

NOVEMBER 16th - ANDERSON'S, Chicago / Naperville, ILLINOIS
ANDERSON'S Bookshop
123 West Jefferson
Naperville, IL 60540
7-9pm
Reading, Q&A, signing!

NOVEMBER 17th - The Bookcase, MINNESOTA
The Bookcase, WAYZATA, The Twin Cities' Oldest Independent Bookstore
607 Lake Street East
Wayzata, MN 55391
6:00-8:00pm
Reading, Q&A, Signing!

Can't go to a signing? You can still get a signed copy of the book here. I just hope that I am not grouchy when I meet her tomorrow because Mondays are always hard on me at work. I might need a lot of caffeine to keep me going! :)

Winners Chloe Neill Swag and Some Girls Bite

2011-11-12T10:03:00.001-05:00

I am soooo very sorry that this post is so late in going up. My only excuse is that I am attempting to do NanoWriMo this year. (It's not going so hot, but at least I'm trying.) The winners are:

The Surprise swag winner:

Julie from My Five Monkeys!

Some Girls Bite Winner:

Michelle from Book Briefs

I will be contacting both of you soon!

2011-11-11T09:48:00.001-05:00

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Series: Divergent #1

Number of Pages: 489

Publisher: HarperCollins

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

This book was amazeballs! Once I started reading it I could not stop. I think I had it read in 4 hours. This makes the Hunger Games seem like drivel. It's a hard book to review without spoiling, but I'll do my best.

Beatrice lives in Abnegation sector-where people put others before themselves. It's here were politicians and other political leaders come from. When she chooses Dauntless-a sector where courage is valued among all else, she's unprepared for what it really means.

Beatrice changes her name to Tris to fit into her new surroundings, and I've got to say as she was going through each challenge I felt like I was experiencing them with her. She's attracted to Four, the trainer of the new recruits to Dauntless but isn't quite sure what to do about him. I loved the mystery surrounding Four. He was just a great love interest. What I can say-he's cougar worthy, lol. Divergent just isn't a teen romance though. It's about discovering who you are, finding out what you are capable of and that not everything is what it seems. Courage means something different to everyone and I loved finding out what it meant to Tris.

The mystery surrounding what it meant to be Dauntless and how it interacted with the other sectors kept me turning pages. I just knew that another sector was up to know good, and I loved how there were so many twists and turns to keep me guessing. Divergent is one of the best Dystopian books I've read in a long time. I can't wait for book two, Insurgent to come out!