Monthly Archives: August 2011

Dark Enchantment by Anya Bast

Title: Dark Enchantment

Series: Dark Magic bk 3

Author: Anya Bast

Genre: Paranormal

A sultry dream can become a real-life nightmare…

Tax consultant Charlotte Bennett isn’t the type to lose control. Until she’s seduced in a dream by a handsome, rugged man named Kieran. In her dream state, she decides to let loose, letting pleasure and desire lead the way. But she quickly discovers her “safe” night of passion has dangerous repercussions.

The lust-driven dream was in fact a magick illusion that’s left Charlotte indefinitely bound to a controlling fae named Kieran. Under his order, she must find the last piece of a powerful relic. Only Charlotte knows the location of the bosca fadbh, but the knowledge is hidden deep within her bloodline—and only wicked magick can draw it out.

Forced to work with the enticing Kieran, she finds it hard to escape their seductive chemistry. Even though he’s harboring a deadly curse, one that puts Charlotte in danger—and could make this attraction fatal…

I’ve had this book on my nightstand for months now and for some reason or another never picked it up. Then I cleaned off my nightstand and decided what the heck nothing else sounded good at the moment so I picked it up. I read this book in 2 days. Ever spare moment I had went to reading it, I read it in the car at stop lights, when ever I had a spare minute or two I was reading it. It is that good.

Anya isn’t a new to me author as I loved her Witch’s series. For some reason however I never read this series until now. I have this theory about series, if you haven’t read any of the books in the series and there is at least three books out read the third book, if it is good then the first couple of books will be as well. In the case of this series I will be getting the first two books as soon as I can because this series is flat out amazing. It is a different take on the Fae and I really like that.

Charlotte likes her life, in fact she is very content with her life. She has a job that she is really good at, even if she doesn’t necessarily love it. As far as she is concerned the only thing missing is her own family. She would love to have a husband and children. When she wakes up from the most erotic dream she has ever had she doesn’t know what to think. That is until the voice of the man in her dreams starts to control her and forces her to his side. By the time she gets to him she hates him with everything in her being and wants nothing to do with him.

Kieran wants nothing to do with Charlotte and bitterly hates that he had to do what he did to get her to his side. If there had been any other option he would have, but there wasn’t and so they all will have to deal. Even if it means he has to deal with a Fae bigot.

What neither of expected was that they wouldn’t be able to forget the amazing dream that they had together or that by working together and getting past their mutual distrust and hatred of each other something amazing would happen.

As I said earlier I flat out loved this book Kieran and Charlotte are amazing characters that despite their feelings about each other are willing to work together in the beginning because by doing so will send Charlotte back to her life and leave Kieran in peace and in the end because they no longer hate each other, but have come to like each other.

One of the things that I liked about it was that as Charlotte worked through why she hated the Fae so much she discovered who she really was in the process.

I do have to say that one thing did bug me quiet a bit, in fact I was really looking forward to it, was Charlotte’s confrontation with the person that had taught her to hate all things Fae. This never happens, and I think that it took a little away from the closure that Charlotte needed to have as far as I’m concerned. The person and the reason why it never happens are an important part of the story that I’m not going to share I want you to discover on your own.

If you like your paranormals with a different take on all things Fae then you will definitely want to check out this series.

Grade A-/B+

Other books in the series are…

Wicked Enchantment

Cruel Enchantment

Midnight Enchantment (coming Jan 2012)

 

WoW Sunday

There are times when all you want is to be left alone in a room full of books by your favorite authors.

Winner

The winner of Lauren Dane’s Once and Again is….

Kati R

Congrats Kati..

September 2011 Book Watch

There are a lot and I do mean A LOT of great books coming out in September. Instead of Melanie and I going through the list we asked some people which books they were excited about that are coming out and these are them. There are 17 amazing books, some we have already read and the reviews will be posted in the next couple of weeks, and others we are just anxious to read. So get comfortable open up amazon, or your favorite bookstore online and get ready to add to your wishlist.

Mel did have this to say however about one of the upcoming books..

There is a book that is coming out in September that we have been anxiously waiting for.  I first heard about it on her website when she was discussing how much she enjoyed writing this story, all the more reason to want to read it.  So when the review copy arrived Heather and I were jumping for joy.  No it is not one of the many paranormals, nor a historical, just a good-old-fashion-fall-in-love-with contemporary written by an author who has mastered the art of story telling.

The book is titled Serendipity (LOVE IT) and the author is Carly Phillips.  That alone should convince you to buy a copy! If you have never read a book by Carly than this would be the perfect one to start with.  It has all the makings for an unforgettable series.

 

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.

SOPHIE BARRETT THINKS SHE’S LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. SHE MAY BE DEAD WRONG.

On a sweltering summer afternoon, Sophie Barrett walks into a nightmare. A sniper has opened fire on a college campus. When the carnage is over, three people—plus the shooter—are dead and dozens more are injured. Sophie escapes virtually unscathed. Yet as details emerge from the investigation, she becomes convinced that this wasn’t the random, senseless act it appeared to be. No one wants to believe her—not the cops, not her colleagues at the Delphi Center crime lab, and definitely not Jonah Macon, the homicide detective who’s already saved her life once.

Jonah has all kinds of reasons for hoping Sophie is mistaken. Involving himself with a key witness could derail an already messy investigation, not to mention jeopardize his career. But Sophie is as determined and fearless as she is sexy. If he can’t resist her, he can at least swear to protect her. Because if Sophie is right, she’s made herself the target of a killer without a conscience. And the real terror is only just beginning. . .

Princess Bria Visconti demands the return of the money her brother rashly invested in Cutter Salvage. Treasure hunter Nick Cutter is too reckless, too arrogant—and far too handsome—for his own good. But he can’t charm his way out of this one. Bria plans to make Nick pay up even if she has to board his boat, don a wet suit, and dive for the treasure herself…

Nick sees Bria as a beautiful but spoiled princess who’s never done a day’s work in her pampered life. But once they set sail for the dive site, and the legendary fortune in gold the wreck carries, Nick begins to see Bria in a new light. This princess may be out of her depth, but she’s ready to take on the hidden danger and excitement a treasure hunt stirs to the surface. Together they must fight unexpected enemies—and reveal their darkest secrets—before they’re pulled into a rip current of danger.

 

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .

When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .

Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Red Hat Club comes a story about two unlikely friends who would never have imagined they’d end up married to the same man

Neighbors Betsy Callison and Kat Ellis were oil and water when they met thirty-five years ago.  Betsy was a prim, neat freak, Republican wife, and Kat was a wild, irreverent, hippie Democrat. But they soon discover common ground that creates a bond that lasts for decades. Until Betsy’s husband leaves her for his secretary, then comes sniffing back around two years later and convinces newly widowed Kat to marry him! Not that Betsy wants him back, but it’s hard to move on when the newlyweds are flaunting their love right across the street. But there’s trouble brewing in Paradise, and no one knows philandering Greg better than his ex-wife Betsy. Can Betsy get involved in her best friend’s marriage–even if it means helping her wife-in-law figure out the same man she shared a bed with for thirty years? Told with Haywood’s Smith inimitable southern voice, WIFE-IN-LAW provides loads of laughter, insight, and plenty of heart.

Second in a stunning post-apocalyptic paranormal romance trilogy.

Three years of wandering the postapocalyptic wasteland has stripped Dr. Chris Welsh of hope. A harrowing loss drove him from his home, and he hasn’t stopped moving-until he encounters Valle de Bravo, a haven of civilization amid the chaos of the Change. Soldiers take their orders from Rosa Cortez-the iron hand within a velvet glove. The last thing Rosa needs is a feral loner upsetting the town’s tentative balance. However, for the good of her people, she lets Chris stay, and as bloodthirsty raiders strike again and again, Chris and Rosa battle hellhounds and dust pirates while also fighting desperate attraction. To save them, love must overcome the pain of the past-and build a future in this brutal Dark Age…

Bode DeLong knows that his playboy brother Bram isn’t really in love with Miss Comfort Kennedy, even though it’s clear that she’s enamored with him. With Bram’s motives for the engagement suspect, Bode figures the safest place for Comfort to be is in his arms. Now, Bode just needs to convince Comfort that the childhood fancy she has for his brother is no match for the incredible desire that sparks between them every time they touch.

Eli Di Luca lives in Bella Terra, but now the family vineyard he runs is in financial trouble. Enter Italian magnate Tamosso Conte, who makes a proposition Eli can’t refuse: marry his daughter, and Conte will solve Eli’s money problems.

Unfortunately, the beautiful Chloe has no intention of getting married without a fight. Soon she discovers Eli’s been keeping secrets from her, and the truth will put them both in mortal danger.

Faith Harrington was the classic girl of privilege–until her father was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and then her marriage crashed and burned.

Now Faith is back in her hometown, hoping for a fresh start. But her father’s betrayal has rocked Serendipity – and not everyone is ready to welcome her with open arms. Then she runs into her teenage crush — the dark, brooding Ethan Barron. Ethan, no stranger to scandal himself, never imagined he’d own the mansion on the hill, much less ever again come face to face with Faith–the princess he once kissed senseless. The chance meeting reignites the electric charge between them.

Still, when Ethan hires her to redecorate what was once her childhood home, Faith is sure that getting involved with the town’s notorious bad boy will only lead to trouble. But her heart has other ideas. And so do the townspeople of Serendipity …

The new novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author, which takes readers deeper into the mind of Eve Dallas than ever before.

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…

As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas “Veck” DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father—while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers…to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.

Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer.

The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

Thirty-two-year-old Angie Powell has always spoken her mind, but in the presence of Dare Callahan she nurses a simmering rage. After all, why give Dare the satisfaction of knowing he can push her buttons andpush her to the edge?

Three years ago, Dare returned home to rural western Montana and opened a hunting business to rival Angie’s. Complicating matters is the fact that Dare has asked Angie out (not once but twice) and has given her a gift of butterflies in the process. Angie has no patience for butterflies. They only lead to foolish decisions. And now the infuriatingly handsome Iraq war vet has siphoned away Angie’s livelihood, forcing her to close up shop.

Before Angie is to leave town, she organizes one last trip into the wilderness with a client and his guest, who wants to bag a black bear. But the adrenaline-fueled adventure turns deadly when Angie witnesses a cold-blooded murder and finds herself on the wrong side of a loaded gun. Before the killer can tie up this attractive loose end, a bear comes crashing through the woods—changing the dark game completely.

Luckily, Dare is camping nearby and hears the shots. Forced together for their very survival, Angie and Dare must confront hard feelings, a blinding storm, and a growing attraction—while being stalked by a desperate killer and a ferocious five-hundred-pound beast. And neither will stop until they reach their prey.

Honor Stone is a young, idealistic FBI agent when her path collides with Seth Cavanaugh. For a girl who has never walked on the wild side, the dark and dangerous Seth is a temptation she can’t refuse. But then Seth walks out the door and out of her life. Five years later, Honor is an operative with the elite Last Chance Rescue organization and Seth is a desperate ex-cop searching for his missing niece—one of many young women who have mysteriously vanished from college campuses. Going undercover, Honor will attract the maniacal cult leader behind the kidnappings and find a way to work with Seth—while steering clear of the passion and need that’s just one touch away from explosion. Seth knows he had all the right reasons for the wrong he did five years ago. And from the moment he sees her—and takes her in his arms again—this former undercover man will risk everything for one more chance with Honor.

As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Now his stark and savage journey has ended. For his brothers, Zacarias had walked to the edge of madness, but with centuries as a killing machine now left to the past and without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders, for the first time in his life, who he really is.

The answer awaits him back home, in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman who is readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy-and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined…

 

Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens

Title: Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue

Series: The Cynsters bk16

Series: The Cynster Sisters Trilogy bk 1

Author: Stephanie Laurens

Genre: Regency Historical

Three heros, three rescues, three weddings.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Miss Heather Cynster

…but not before she encounters kidnappers, danger, and a daring rescue at the hands of Viscount Breckenridge.

Determined to hunt down her very own hero, one who will sweep her off her feet and into wedded bliss, and despairing of finding him in London’s staid ballrooms, Heather Cynster steps out of her safe world and boldly attends a racy soiree.

But her promising hunt is ruined by the supremely interfering Viscount Breckenridge, who whisks her out of scandal-and straight into danger when a mysterious enemy seizes her, bundles her into a coach, and conveys her out of London.

Now it’s up to the notorious Breckenridge to prove himself the hero she’s been searching for all along

I am a very picky historical romance reader. In fact it takes a lot to make me want to read them, even though when I first started reading romance books it was historical that I read. Course those were all set in the Wild West, however from the first moment I read a Cynster Family book I was hooked on Stephanie, and will buy her books as soon as they come out.

Heather Cynster is a character that we have seen glimpses of but knew nothing about other than the fact that she was Gabriel and Lucifer’s little sister and was friends with Gabriel’s wife Althea’s sisters.

Heather is a Cynster to her toes, as the saying goes. She is stubborn, certain that what she is doing is the only course of action especially as others of her family are in danger. When she decides to follow in her cousins Amanda (On a Wild Night) and Amelia (On a Wicked Dawn) footsteps and find her hero she had no clue what it would lead to.

When Breckenridge looks up and sees Heather Cynster the lady that drives him nuts and not in a good way standing in the door way at a party that she has no business being at, he does what comes naturally to him and forces her into leaving by not very nice means. Not trusting her to do what he wants her to do, he follows her outside to make sure that she gets in her coach and witnesses her kidnapping.

What happens after that was a journey that neither one of them expected. Heather stays with the kidnappers in a bid to find out who wants her or her sisters kidnapped. Breckenridge only agrees if she meets with him nightly. It is in these nightly visits that they begin to really get to know each other as people and not as peers in society.

When they finally make their escape and travel across Scotland to get to The Vale those feelings that started in their nightly meetings grow stronger, especially when they are forced to pose as husband and wife.

When they finally reach The Vale a whole new set of problems arise between these two. As Breckenridge knows what must be done and is even looking forward to it, Heather wants no part of it. What transpires next almost had my heart breaking.

Okay what I loved about this book. Heather is great character, she is bold and daring and has a sense of right and wrong that won’t let her save herself just to put one of her sisters in jeopardy. Everything that she does is to protect them. She also knows what she wants in a husband and will settle for nothing less, especially as none of her cousins, cousins-in-laws, sister-in-laws have.

Breckenridge is a character that I didn’t even realize I wanted more of till I figured out who he was and remembered how much I liked him. When he sets out to rescue Heather he does it because it is the right thing to do, and he doesn’t want to face her brothers and cousins and explain why he did nothing. As he follows her and comes up with a plan that will rescue her, he realizes why she has always rubbed him wrong. From that point on it is all about his future.

I really liked this book and was getting excited as they got towards The Vale because Scandal is one of my favorite characters in this series. However once they got there I started to get irritated with Heather, in fact she was driving me absolutely crazy with her thinking and reasoning. In the end though it made sense to me as I realized that she was being true to herself, even if I didn’t think that she was being fair to Breckenridge.

What I didn’t like about this book was that it seemed really wordy to me. There could have been a lot more dialogue between the two of them especially as they were walking across Scotland and less internal dialogue. I also didn’t like how she kept calling her brothers Rupert and Alasdair, I had no clue who they were and had to look them up. In all the other books she has always referred to them by their nicknames and in one book she commented that the only person that called them by their real names was their mother. I also would have liked to see more of the Cynster family, especially her brothers.

Over all I have to say though that I really liked the book and thought that it fit in with the other books in the series.

Grade A-/B+

On a side note you will notice on the cover of this book there is a Kiss and Teal label this is a new campaign where a portion of the sale of this book will go to Ovarian Cancer Research. Before she became a successful writer Stephanie Laurens was a cancer researcher.  Please visit the website and see a complete list of books that will are participating in this campaign.

Other books in the series..

The Cynster’s

Devil’s Bride A Rake’s Vow Scandal’s Bride A Rogues Proposal A Secret Love All About Love All About Passion The Promise in a Kiss On a Wild Night On a Wicked Dawn The Perfect Lover The Ideal Bride The Truth about Love What Price Love The Taste of Innocence Temptation and Surrender

The Cynster Sister’s Trilogy

In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster (coming  Sept 2011)

The Capture of the Earl of Glencare (coming Jan 2012)

 

 

Once and Again by Lauren Dane

Title: Once and Again

Series: Petal Georgia bk 1

Author: Lauren Dane

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Seven years ago, Lily Travis was only too glad to see her hometown of Petal, Georgia in her rearview mirror. Thanks to her father running off with a twenty-year-old, though, here she is, trying to pick up the pieces. First order of business: meet with her brother’s teacher in a quest to pull his grades out of a downward spiral.

Nathan Murphy is pretty much resigned to his bachelor status—until he looks up from his desk to see an all-grown-up Lily walking into his classroom. Of all the women who turned out to be totally wrong for him, she’s the only one who felt right. At least until his foolish, immature mistake drove her away.

Lily has to admit that time has been more than kind to gorgeous, sexy Nathan. Except there’s no room on her full plate for another complication. Especially with a man who broke her heart once before.

With a little help from his friends, Nathan has a plan to rekindle the flame. It isn’t long before they’re burning up the sheets. Winning her heart? That’s another matter.

Warning: Hot, sexy high school teacher in denim and boots. Strong-willed females abound. Bad words and naughtiness, too. Come on, you know you want to read it.

When I was given the opportunity to read and review this book I jumped at the chance as I have recently fallen in love with Lauren and her books. Her books To Do List and Sweet Charity are among two of my favorite books.

From the minute that I started to read this book that is all I thought about and it took everything in me to get done the things that I need to do so that I could dive right back into the book. One of my favorite themes in romance is second chances. I love it when two people that were completely in love and then are no longer together for whatever reason are given the opportunity to make it right and get that magic back and have their happily ever after.

Lily is back in town to take charge of her brother before it is to late for him, and she knows that she will have to face Nathan again. He was her great love and when they ended in college she was devastated. In the years since she has made a good life for herself and is becoming successful in her career of choice.

I really liked Lily. It takes a lot to give up your life to move back home into a bad situation and take charge of teen-ager that is very angry, and have to face the man that broke y our heart. The one thing that she does have going for her is that her best friends are still in town. The bad thing is that they are Nathan’s sisters.

Nathan has done a lot of growing up since he and Lily broke up, and the one thing he has always regretted was how it ended (which he admits was his fault) and now has the opportunity to make it right and get her right back where he has always wanted her. There is just one problem okay a couple 1) she isn’t sure she can trust him again 2) he is her brother’s teacher.

Nathan has a couple of things going for him in that Lily isn’t indifferent to him, and he has Chase family in his corner and they know a thing or two about wooing. And the help him pull out all the stops to help him get Lily back.

I did have two scenes that are my favorites, the first is when Nathan finally gets Lily in bed for the first time since the break-up seven years ago and his reaction to the changes that she has to her body are priceless, and the second is when they talk about their recent past relationships and a certain girl in his past that if you read the Chase brother’s books you will recognize.

If you loved the Chase Brothers series than you will love this book, and I can hardly wait to see whose book is next.

Grade A

Guest Post: Petal, Georgia – Small Town Love by Lauren Dane

We are super excited to welcome one of my new favorite authors. I discovered her on twitter and have been in love with her characters ever since. So when she was getting ready for her blog I volunteered. So without further ado I turn the blog over to Lauren…

Petal, Georgia – Small Town Love by Lauren Dane

I love to write books set in small towns. There’s a sense of intimacy, of community there and I love to use that in the story. There’s also a sense of everyone knowing your business, which is often lovely, but often a pain in the butt.

Of course not every town is Petal. Most towns are whatever the people living there make them into. Big or small, home is where you make it.

But when I open up any manuscript set in Petal, it just sort of automatically transports me there, calms me. I can smell the air, thick with honeysuckle on a hot day, or cool and crisp in the winter. I can see Main Street all done up with fairy lights at the holidays, and red, white and blue banners near Fourth of July.

The Chase family only has four sons so with Making Chase, the series ended. But I wasn’t’ done with Petal or the people who lived there. I just had to find the right story and the right characters for the newest chapter.

And then Nathan and Lily came to me. I’ve wanted to give Nathan a book for a while, but no one seemed right for him until I started thinking about Lily. And then as I began to write, I started thinking on Petal as the setting for Beth Murphy’s story too. And so on.

Nathan Murphy loves his family. They’re all very close knit and supportive. The Murphys are loud and rambunctious and a whole lot of fun. So I wanted to write a heroine who could fit into that on her own terms.

Lily grew up in Petal. Beth Murphy was her closest friend, but it wasn’t until she was in college and he was finishing his teaching degree that they got together. And then he messed up and she moved on.

But now she’s back in Petal and neither of them are the people they were years before.  And he’s got some groveling to do and she needs to deal with her own stuff as well.

You’ll see the Chases in the book and in the others in the series. They’re a big part of the Murphy family and of Petal in general J  I don’t know whose story will come after Beth’s just yet, but it’ll most likely be a four book series (seems to be my sweet spot 3-4 books in a series).

I hope you all enjoy Nathan and Lily’s HEA!

What about you all? Do you like small town romances/stories?

I’ve got two different prizes to give away: 1) A digital ARC of ONCE AND AGAIN to one lucky winner chosen from the responses to this post.

2) And then from all the comments to all the guest blogs and posts I’m doing for Once and Again, I’ll choose THREE winners of a complete set of the CHASE BROTHERS books in digital or paper – winner’s choice.  International entries are absolutely welcomed.

www.laurendane.com

 

 

Haunting Desire

Haunting Desire
A Mists of Ireland Novel
by Erin Quinn

A woman lost in a nightmare

 Shealy O’Leary thought the ancient Book of Fennore a myth until she and her father are sucked into the past—and into the cursed no-man’s land called Fennore. There Shealy learns that she has a rare power that their enemy seeks. Aided by the dangerous and compelling warrior, Tiarnan, Shealy must find her father and learn how to wield her gift to save those she loves or die in this waking nightmare…

 A man desperate to regain his honor

 After failing both his land and people, Tiarnan was damned to spend eternity in the black heart of Fennore. His only hope comes in the shape of a beautiful, frightened woman from the future. For she possesses a gift she is unaware of. A gift with the power to save …or destroy them all.

 A desire that drives their destiny

 Together, Shealy and Tiarnan begin their perilous quest—a mission that draws them closer and closer together. And as the odds against them mount, so does their passion. The intensity of their bond electrifies the couple, their love powering Shealy’s gift and Tiarnan’s strength. But their newfound connection threatens to ruin them both—and bring to life a long ago prophecy of devastation and betrayal…

 

One of the nights we were at RomCon, or I should say very early morning, I could not sleep so I decided to start reading a book that was actually sent to us as part of the giveaway stuff.  Earlier that day Heather was going through all the books and noticed it; I don’t know how it slipped past me earlier but when I saw Haunting Desire, here is the kicker, A Mists of Ireland Novel I grabbed it and said think I will keep this one.

 

I did not get in very far before I realized that Erin Quinn is one of the most powerful writers I think I have ever read.  She can write in a way that makes you not only visualize everything but you honestly feel like you are there, gave me goose bumps.  In fact I was so impressed I packed the book around with me and had anyone I came in contact with read just one paragraph just to make sure I was not imagining anything and she was really that good; Consensus was WOW over and over again.

 

So I am going to do something that I don’t normally do since it does not give any of the story away it is just an example of how awesome the book is; I am going to put this powerful paragraph in my review just so you can see for yourself what I am talking about.

 

“A sound – like a hundred nails running down a chalkboard, like a thousand knives scraping china, like millions of screams that went on unending – ripped through the oppressive quiet.  The blistering cacophony surrounded them, an invisible wall that herded them into shadow and gloom.”

 

Did that grab your interest?  I know it did mine.  The rest of the book was just as good!

 

The sparks fly from the moment Tiarnan and Shealy see each other and they quickly learn that they need each other to overcome the obstacles that are all around them. They are attacked from monsters both human and creature from the get go, and are immediately thrown into a quest that neither of them are sure they will survive.  There is plenty of heartbreak along the way along with discovering that family bonds are strong no matter what has happened in the past.  And while there is evil out there love can overcome all.

 

This is the third book in the series, the previous two were Haunting Beauty and Haunting Warrior, yeah I once again started in the middle but when I closed Haunting Desire I immediately went online and bought the other two.

 

Grade A+

WoW Sunday

SIL posted this on FB the other day, not sure exactly who he was talking to but it sure was funny..

You just ruined that awesome experience you ass!! – Matheu

Yes this was my child talking..I am raising a couple of smartasses, I think that they take after their dad :)

RomCon 2011 Recap

Be warned this is a long post but well worth it for what happened to us on the last day :) ALL PICTURES HAVE BEEN POSTED TO OUR FB PAGE.

When Melanie and I planned our trip this year all we knew was that we were going to have fun, meet more authors and new people. One of the things that we did differently this year was we signed up to be buddies. In both our groups we had authors so that made it different as we had already made these connections with attendee’s and authors. I had Terry O’Dell and Mel had Dee Davis and Julia London. We also had some fun people that we were able to hang out with and get to know a bit better.

On Thursday we got to Denver early and were met at the hotel by our friend Tiffany (who has a book coming out soon with Ashley March and Bernandette Marie). Once we had dumped the luggage we were off to help stuff the swag bags for various events.

As we were stuffing we got to visit with new to us authors Shayla Black (well she is new to Melanie as I talk to her on twitter), Sophie Oak, Sylvia Day, Erin Quinn and a friend from last year Erin Kellison.

As we were standing by the registration desk we meet Robyn Carr, unbeknown to us Robyn lives up the street from us. I promised to go to her event that she holds at our local library if she comes to dinner with us when our dinner group meets.

Then it was time for dinner. Before  RomCon started we thought it would be fun to have dinner and catch up with our author friends from last year so we sent out the invite and was happy to see that all of them said yes. Before we knew it our dinner of about fifteen turned into a dinner of thirty three, with some new author friends and new friends joining us. It was amazing. The list of authors could be read as a who who in romance, and yes I am going to brag that we got to eat dinner with these authors. Robyn Carr, Melissa Mayhue, Janelle Denison, Carly Phillips, Shayla Black, Sophie Oak, Sylvia Day, Isobel Carr, Jessa Slade, Erin Quinn, Erin Kellison, Gabi Stevens, Delilah Marvelle and Jenn LeBlanc.

After dinner the authors had their author event so we went and unpacked our clothes before heading down to the meet your buddy event. This event this was a lot of fun as the different buddy groups ended up just hanging out together and having a great time visiting.

Friday morning dawned bright and early. We meet Terry O’Dell for breakfast but our waitress was really slow and we ended up not getting anything (next year we are taking oatmeal). Then it was off to the various events.

I went to the Build  a Hero event that was a huge hit last year and sat at a table with Jenn Le Blanc and another whose name escapes me at this moment I and I will probably remember in a week and go that was her name. At our table we also had Kati from Romancing Rakes and Jamie @jamielyn831. Our hero name is Ewan MacGregor who is a 9th century highlander that ends up in the 21st century won the event.

While I was building a hero, Melanie went to a contemporary authors panel and got to listen to Carly Phillips and an intimate chat with Julia London.

We then ran into Melissa Mayhue and went to lunch with her. It was great getting that one on one time with her as we count her as a friend.

After lunch it was off the Highlander Panel with Melissa Mayhue, Margret Mallory and Kimberly Killion. Kimberly was gracious enough to provide a model Brooks to show what the highlander wore. While Mel was in playing with the highlanders I was over playing taboo with the paranormal authors. Jessa Slade was on my team however we lost.

Then it was time for Melissa Schroeder’s Luau. I was super excited for this as I LOVE Melissa and her A Little Harmless Series.

Halfway through the Luau however we went over to help finish setting up for dinner.We got to meet and hang out with Beth Williamson there. Beth and I bonded over our love of Angel from Johanna Lindsey.

Dinner was wild west theme, there was a mechanical bull and sepia pictures to be taken. Mel and I had our picture taken with Melissa Mayhue and Tiffany James, and then I got on the bull. There is apparently video of this event.

After dinner it was time for the Choc Mangasm. This was a huge success. Delilah did an excellent job of organizing it. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. (All pictures are on FB).

Saturday I swear we were busier than ever. When we left the room at 8am I didn’t return until almost 11pm. We ran ran ran.

In fact Saturday seems like a giant blur to me. I know that I was in the intimate chat with Tara Janzen, where she talked a bit about the upcoming anthology that she and Cindy Gerard are participating in along with several other authors. I’m sure you have all seen the picture of the cover of the book. It has a SEAL with his back to the camera and is titles Seal of my Dreams. She shared with us the fact that the SEAL on the cover is an actual SEAL and the picture was taken as a SEAL stationed in Faluga was getting ready for a mission.

We both went to Melissa Mayhue’s intimate chat where she told us about her new book Warriors Redemtion (I think that is the name) and showed us the cover. This book is one that will be read as soon as it comes as the premise is amazing.

Melanie then went to the Historical Fashion show where Deeanne Gist, Melissa Mayhue, Mary Wine, Kimberly Killion, Jade Lee, and Delilah Marvelle modeled the clothes of the time periods we love to read about. She took a lot of pictures and had a great time. Here are just a few of the outfits that were modeled.

While she was doing that I played madlibs with Janelle Dennsion and helped Jessa Slade judge her game (the name of which is escaping me at this moment) I got to judge with Jeanne Stein, having never met her before I was excited to visit with her.

We had lunch with Erin Kellison and great conversation as well.

I went with Erin to help her with her game of quick draw that where there was a bit of drama, but was worked out really well I think.

I then got to go to Julie James intimate chat where she dished on her books, and how she made the transistion from lawyer to full-time author, oh and she gave us a sneak peak into Kyle’s book (I will just say this it is going to be great).

Then it was time for the FAB 5 cocktail hour, hosted by Shayla Black (who bless her heart had been sick most of the day), Sophie Oak, Sylvia Day, Erin Quinn and Erin Kellison. They had some awesome swag that they gave out.

Dinner was a paranormal themed event and we had great conversations with our table mates.

After dinner we had Melissa Mayhue’s blogger event, she had some great authors and swag as well, I won the big prize from her, a Melissa Mayhue bag signed by all the authors as well some great goodies.

Then it was time for the pj party. At the pj party the amazing Jessa organized a round robin story telling that got more than a bit weird.

Sunday morning brought us to our event. Melanie and I had been stressing for months about this event and how it would go off. A couple of publishers had sent us a lot of books and several of the authors had given us the left over from their events so we had A TON of books to giveaway.

When I walked into the room ten minutes before the event and saw how many people were in the room I was floored. The conversation was great as we talked about the books and authors that we love. We talked about Vampires and what we liked in Paranormals. We all agreed that if there is a guy wearing a kilt on the cover we will buy it. I also discovered that there is a place for me to utilize all the book info I have in my head and that is in this event.

We dashed around the author signing like mad women making sure we hit everyone and said good bye to everyone as we were leaving after the signing.

The Double E’s (Erin Kellison and Erin Quinn) invited us to lunch as we were all catching the same shuttle, so we had lunch with them Sylvia Day and Mary Wine.

Up to this point we had been drama free (unlike last year) then we got off the shuttle at the airport to discover that the hotel hadn’t loaded one of my suitcases onto the shuttle. Erin Q and Sylvia were with us as we were all flying the same airline and didn’t want to check in without making sure that we were okay (wasn’t that sweet of them). It took the hotel 40 minutes to find my suitcase, at this point we were on the verge of missing our flight. As we were waiting for the hotel manager to bring me my suitcase we got a message from the airline, our flight was delayed by an hour. This gave us plenty of time to check in, make our way through security (as we entered the airport we were told if we walk to the other end of the airport the line through security was shorter, it was a bit of a hike but well worth it) Melanie got the privilege of going through the full body scanner, I told her to ask for the mammogram image. We figured it was a perfect way to get a free cancer screening.

By the time we got the plane we were flat out exhausted. Then halfway through the flight all the bookmarks in my bag (and there was a lot) fell out of my bag. As the flight was full we had no room whatsoever to bend down and pick them so Melanie used her toes.

The thing that I wasn’t able to do was to pin down Cindy Gerard about the MAJOR cliffhanger at the end of Luc’s book.

This was our RomCon 2011 adventure and we will be going back again next year. The dates have been announced June 21-24.

Here is a picture of Heather’s swag haul, one of the more popular items was the trading cards. These seem to have been a huge hit with everyone.