Sunday Six and More!

Tags

Close Enough to Touch, Dylan and Cassidy, Fight For Me, Six Sentence Sunday, Sunday Six, Victoria Dahl

I am thisclose to finishing this book!  YAY!  Of course, that only means it will be time to edit, but we’ll pretend that’s fun and games and such, right?  So, first things first, let’s do six sentences.

His phone buzzed in his pocket at the same time he saw Chris’s car pull onto the rutted dirt road leading to the property. Evidently the detective had determined the same thing he had, finding his way out here. He checked the call, then slid his thumb across the screen. “I figured it out first, my friend,” he greeted.

“And you’re already here,” Chris guessed, his voice strained. “You haven’t killed anyone yet, have you?”

Now for the More! part of the post.  I read a book!  Yeah, I know I shouldn’t be screaming with excitement there, but I haven’t been reading much lately what with the writing and the working and the other crap life requires.  Anyway, I finally read Victoria Dahl’s Close Enough to Touch, and I really liked it (not exactly a surprise there–I love her).

The blurb:

For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn’t the land of golden opportunity. It’s the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she’ll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting….

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can’t help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay—and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They’ll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

This book features a left-of-normal heroine, a hot as hell–but not perfect–hero, and I loved the opposites attract storyline.  You know me, I’m not a recapper or a spoiler, so I’ll leave you at that.

‘Tis the Season

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DIANA DUNCAN, Norah Wilson, SEAL OF MY DREAMS, Victoria Dahl

I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but the decorations are up at our store, our hours are longer, and my desk is piled in work. So… I might not be around much on facebook, twitter or here (yeah, since I’m sooooooo good at updating here, huh?)

For now, I’ll tell you about some great books I’ve found time to read (lucky for me I’m a fast reader). Let’s start with the three I promised:

 Third in Victoria Dahl’s Donovan Brother’s Trilogy, REAL MEN WILL is oldest brother Eric’s story.  A great ending to this series, I love how the story ties into the intro novella, JUST ONE TASTE (from the anthology THE GUY NEXT DOOR), the heroine Beth discovering she spent a night with Eric instead of Jamie, tainting the magic of the night and, well, pissing her off mightily.  There’s so much more to this story than just that little blurb, but you know how I feel about spoilers, so I’m leaving you here.  All I can say is, “Read it!”

 NIGHTFALL by Norah Wilson is the second in her Vampire Romance Series, following THE MERZETTI EFFECT.  I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying Norah’s take on vampires.  Aiden is a sexy, charming vampire who also happens to hunt rogue vampires.  Sam is a professional nature photographer with psychic dreams that show her where to go to find the next violent storm.  When she inadvertently comes across Aiden while he’s doing a favor for Ainsley, her next dream sends her to the scene of vampire violence.  Aiden realizes Sam can be an incredible tool in his war against the rogues and enlists her help.  Sam is hesitant to say the least, but after some cajoling (and a helluva guilt trip), she agrees.  And that’s only the beginning!  There’s tons I won’t tell you, but I am so loving this series.

  First in Diana Duncan’s Morrigan’s Legacy- Warriors of the Light series, SWORD OF THE RAVEN is a fantastic paranormal.  Delaney’s cop brother has been framed for murder and she’s holed up in her friend’s cabin investigating when she trips over the body of a naked man washed up on the beach.  No ordinary find, Rowan is gorgeous and powerful, and has a war to fight.  The blurb does it more justice than I do, so click the link and pop over there for me will ya?  I’ll wait.

Okay, so sounds fab, doesn’t it?  It so totally is!  Delaney is so snarky, strong, and loyal.  And Rowan!  Wow.  Gorgeous, sexy, and a Water Mage.  I am so ready for the next book!  

Okay, so I told you about the last of a series, the second of a series and the first of a series.  Ha.  Told you I had an addiction!  

 Oh, and before I run away– right now I’m reading an awesome short story collection, SEAL OF MY DREAMS.  All the proceeds for this $7.99 book go to the Veteran’s Research Corporation, a non-profit dealing in medical research for veterans.   

Six Sentence Sunday

Tags

DANCE WITH ME, DIANA DUNCAN, NIGHTFALL, Norah Wilson, REAL MEN WILL, Six Sentence Sunday, SWORD OF THE RAVEN, Victoria Dahl

Let’s try this the right way!  Usually I post my 6 on my facebook page.  This morning, I did, and then added a little bit more of the scene, but let’s try it here.  (If I do it this way, maybe I’ll actually write at least one post a week!)

Anyway…  This is a scene from DANCE WITH ME, from our first actual introduction of our antagonist, Priscilla.

Giving in to the need to throw something, she hurled her glass of iced tea into the wall, reveling in the smash of glass and the rivulets of dark liquid running down the pale plaster. How dare he do this to her? 

Tearing her gaze from the carnage that used to be her tumbler, she stalked the room as she thought. Right this very minute, Mason would be taking his little dancer home. She kicked over an upholstered ottoman, swearing when her delicate Italian leather pump did nothing to protect her toes. The thought of him making love to the little whore made her seethe. She’d waited for him for sixteen years. Sixteen God forsaken years.

Okay, well, now I really want to give you more, but I won’t (of course, it’s there on my facebook if ya wanna look).  I really will be back soon to tell you about a few awesome books I’ve read in the last month… For now, I’ll leave you with links.  Read ’em, they’re fantabulous!

Reading is Fundamental

Tags

Contemporary Romance, Donovan Brothers, Fool's Gold, New Releases, Susan Mallery, Victoria Dahl

Shoot me for the cheeseball title, but it’s true.  Or, at least that’s what I tell myself when I know I should be writing but am reading instead.  Call it research, call it escape, but I call it necessary.  Oh, and new releases rock!  Well, until you finish them and want the next one RIGHT NOW.

So… What new releases have I read?  Well, let’s see…

Victoria Dahl has a new series she’s started, The Donovan Brother’s Brewery Series.  So far I’ve read everything out- there’s one more to go and I want it now!  The intro story, Just One Taste  is part of an anthology, The Guy Next Door (there are also stories by Lori Foster and Susan Donovan) and is, well, just one taste of oldest brother Eric’s story.  Since it’s short, I won’t detail it here, but it’s a great introduction to the Donovan family, the brewery and Boulder, Colorado.

Next is little sister Tessa’s story, Good Girls Don’t.  Tessa is the baby of the family and really the glue that holds them all together.  In fact, she finds she’ll bend over backwards and, um, bend the truth a little to keep everyone together.  While she’s trying to manage her brothers with a business deal in jeopardy, she’s also dealing with the hot detective, Luke, investigating the break-in at the brewery.  A hot detective with a past that puts her overprotective brothers on high alert.   What’s a good girl to do?

I just finished middle child, Jamie’s story, Bad Boys Do yesterday.  Branded as a playboy, never taking life seriously, Jamie Donovan has decided to grow up.  He has plans he wants to implement and finds himself intrigued by Olivia when she comes into the taproom for a book club meeting.  She’s nothing like the women he’s usually dated, and truth be told, he hasn’t dated nearly as much as everyone thinks he has. She’s buttoned up, mature, REAL, and she thinks she’s all wrong for him.

Those of you who have kept up with me and this intermittent blog know I don’t do spoilers, so there’s not a lot here.  I will say this: I love this series and can’t wait until October 25th for the last installment, Real Men Will.  Victoria Dahl writes very real characters, with real hang-ups and real dialogue, (guess I think it’s real, there, huh?), and I love it.  There is big-time familial friction, fun supporting characters with depth, and of course, hot sex.  You really can’t go wrong.  I thank Victoria Dahl and HQN for releasing these one after the other so we don’t have to wait too long for the conclusion.

This was also release week for Only His, the third in the Hendrix triplet trilogy within Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold Series.  This one centers on Nevada as she tries to challenge herself by moving from brother Ethan’s company to a much larger construction company working on a huge project in Fool’s Gold.  Little did she know, the man she was desperately in love with at eighteen is heading the project.  Tucker thinks love is a trap he refuses to fall into again, so when he and Nevada get together he wants to keep it short-term.  Of course, that won’t work in a romance novel, now will it?

This book ties up the Hendrix girls well, and definitely leaves itself open to stories about the two unattached Hendrix brothers, Kent and Ford and more intimately introduces us to Heidi, the goat girl, the fire chief, Charlie, and the new librarian, Annabelle.  I’m sure the blonde, brunette and redhead trio will be next in the the Fool’s Gold series.

Well, I think that’s all I have for now.  So, good night!

((hugs))

I’m a Sucker… For a Series

Tags

Anya Bast, book series, Candace Havens, Christie Craig, DESPERATE & DATING, DESPERATE & DECEIVED, DESPERATE & DELICIOUS, DIVORCED, Felicity Heaton, FOOL FOR LOVE, Lily Graison, MAID FOR LOVE, Marie Force, Pamela Clare, Roxanne St. Claire, Susan Mallery, The McCarthy's of Gansett Island, Victoria Dahl

 

Life has been crazypants lately, but I have had time to read (shocker!) and I’ve found that I have a few addictions.  Coffee, chocolate, silly wedding shows, Glee…  but book series most of all.

Yup, I am truly a sucker for a series and I am author-loyal to boot.  In fact, I have discovered some of my all-time favorite authors because I started a series, and just had to read the next one, and the next one, and so on and so forth and then ended up reading an entire backlist because I loved the author.   I’m looking at you, Pamela Clare, Anya Bast, Jill Shalvis, Roxanne St. Claire, Victoria Dahl, Christie Craig, Marie Force, Susan Mallery, Candace Havens, Susan Andersen, Felicity Heaton, Lily Graison…  Oh, there are too, too many to rattle off, (now I’m sounding like an Oscar speech!)   So, yeah, I think we can safely call it an addiction.

So….  Speaking of my addiction, Marie Force had book release yesterday and it’s wonderful.  Of course, you know me, I’m not one for recapping the story, but it’s the story of seemingly one-sided love until something changes everything.  I don’t remember if I told y’all about the first of the series, but it’s great too- always fun to watch a confirmed bachelor morph into a devoted man- and there’s more to come with this series.  The series is The McCarthy’s of Gansett Island.  The first one, MAID FOR LOVE centers around oldest brother Mac McCarthy and the second, FOOL FOR LOVE centers on youngest child and only daughter, Janey.  There’s another one releasing in July, and it would be pre-ordered if that option were available.

So….  What else have a read lately?  Let’s see… Ah, yes, the always funny Christie Craig.  Each of the three books (see, there’s that addiction again) revolve around one of three girlfriends who meet every Friday night to talk about sex and drink.  Not a bad club for three hot, divorced women.  Of course, since the series starts off with DIVORCED, DESPERATE & DELICIOUS, it’s pretty perfect.  The heroes are nothing to sneeze at either, although I’ll let you see for yourself (we can delve into my love of men in uniform another day).  The other two are DIVORCED, DESPERATE & DATING, and DIVORCED, DESPERATE & DECEIVED.  One thing I have to say, though- these women might call themselves desperate, but none of them would ever be called a shrinking violet.

Surprisingly, that’s all I have for now.  I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend (hopefully complete with Monday off!) and I hope to return sooner than later.