Mancandy Monday! Beautiful Brown eyes!

This charming man is model Daniel Villa. find more info here Daniel Villa

Free ebook Friday! Come Monday ( book 1 Wild Irish series) by author Mari Carr

Perhaps Mari Carr is a author you've never read before and perhaps you've never tried erotica so you can try that this week. This book came out in 2009 but it's the first book in what looks like a pretty good series. Here's your chance to check it out for free!  Read a excerpt here if your not sure and the blurb is below
maricarr.com/ComeMondayexcerpt There are 7 books in this series to collect. This will get you started.




Wild Irish, Book One

Monday’s child is fair of face…

After the death of her mother years prior, Keira Collins willingly put aside her dreams to become a surrogate parent to her six younger brothers and sisters. At twenty-seven, she’s finally pursuing a college degree. Between classes, working at the family pub and still tending to siblings, she’s no time for romance. So why is she spending all her rare free time fantasizing about hot Professor Wallace bending her over his desk?

Will Wallace recognizes Keira’s unfulfilled desires, her habit of hiding her beauty, her obsessive need for control in every aspect of her life. But Will has needs of his own—and they run far darker than Keira’s. As he initiates her into his lifestyle, offering sweet punishments and sweeter rewards, Will’s sexual authority slowly strips away some of her precious control. The one thing Keira’s not ready to relinquish…

Buy if for free here at Amazon www.amazon.com/Come-Monday-Wild-Irish?Kindle
Buy it here for free at Barnes and Noble here www.barnesandnoble.com/w/come-monday-mari-carr

Read more about Mari Carr and her book by going here www.maricarr.com/

Book Review: Until there was you by author Kristan Higgins

UNTIL THERE WAS YOU

October 25, 2011
Available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Indiebound.

Posey Osterhagen can't complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she's surrounded by her loveable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something's missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-looking...something like Liam Murphy.

When Posey was sixteen, the bad boy of Bellsford, New Hampshire, broke her heart. But now he's back, sending Posey's traitorous schoolgirl heart into overdrive once again. She should be giving him a wide berth, but it seems fate has other ideas...

This was such a good book. I laughed i cried it had it all. Liam Declan Murphy. The name sounds sexy doesn't it. The man is too. Liam had a terrible childhood but a good heart he kept hidden for the most part. Posey got to see glimpses of it when they were young and still in high school. She has a huge crush on Liam but Liam fell for another girl and fell hard.  He broke Posey's heart with some nasty comments about her when she thought that they were at least friends. Fast forward years later and Liam is back in town with his 15 year old daughter and a now a widower. Posey is still struck by him but she is older and wiser and no ones sucker anymore. Liam has changed a lot too. Because of his wife's sickness and death and a near brush with his motorcycle he is now prone to terrible panic attacks and OCD it seems. He is over the top protective of his little girl because he is afraid of losing her and he feels she is the only thing he ever did that was good in his life. Little by little though Liam starts to see who Posey is. He likes her. She's different. Posey is wary but interested and then hell, she falls in love.  Then a series of bad things happen that throws Liam into a bit of a tail spin and he throws it all away. Now what? This book had great characters. A few i wanted to slap silly a few dozen times but real and believable. I seriously did alot of laughing and i usually didn't see that coming when i did. Yeah, yeah i cried a bit too. Sigh..... lol The end was just to damn sweet. The last line really got me. This is my 2nd Kristan Higgins book and the best of the two so far. I love love loved Posey. I could totally be friends with a woman like that. Lots of sass and loyalty. 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. To find out more about this book and Kristan Higgins other books and read a excerpt click here kristanhiggins.com

Book Review: Real Men Will ( The Donovan Brothers brewery series) by author Victoria Dahl

It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.

This is the last Book in The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. If you happen to have read " Just One Taste" in the anthology book "The Guy Next Door" then you had the chance to read the novella that opened the series, this book takes up 6 months after that novella. The First two books in the series are entitled " Good Girls Don't" and " Bad Boys Do". Aptly named if you've read these two. Book three is "Real Men Will" and is Eric Donovan's book who is the oldest Donovan. Eric seems pretty uptight in the first two books although you can kind of see him slowly start to unravel. This book completely unravels him before the end. Eric has to grow up fast at age 24 when his parents were killed in a terrible car crash. He had to run the brewery and take care of his younger siblings who were 14 and 16 i believe at the time. Since then he's had a hard time turning of the I am responsible for everything button in his head. He feels he's not good enough for the Donovan name since he was adopted by Michael Donovan who married his mom when he was young. He's got all this internal stuff working at him and he feels like he doesn't know what he wants to do. Beth reappears in his life and he doesn't know if he wants to jump her or send her away. He's got all these perceived ideas about who and what Beth is. Beth is the manager of the Wild Orchid a sex toy type shop. Because of this people think  of  her as a sexual being who probably has lots of sex and knows all the ways of the Kama Sutra. Not so. She has a bad experience as a teenager and is kind of afraid of sexual stuff except when it comes to Eric. He turns her on like no other. There are several conflicts to deal with in this story, The Kendalls' no they are not done yet, Jamie too which gets more heated than ever and it seems everything has to fall apart for it to all make sense in the end. I'd love a novella for 6 months after this book. Eric and Beth are just not getting to be a couple in public at the end of the book. Smashingly hot sex scenes almost erotica worthy for goodness sake. Victoria Dahl can write them like no other it seems. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars. Find out more about Victoria Dahl and all her other books and upcoming books by checking out her website by clicking here www.victoriadahl.com

Book review: The Rescue Pilot by author Rachel Lee

Available in paperback and ebook form  Read a excerpt here The Rescue Pilot excerpt
by


Rachel Lee
Harlequin Romantic Suspense
Sep 2011
Miniseries: Conard County: The Next Generation
Category: Suspense


Back of the Book blurb.


The plane went down—and sparks are flying…

As a Wyoming snowstorm rages around their downed plane, Rory Campbell knows survival should be all that matters. But she can't deny the desire that sizzles between her and ex-military pilot Chase Dakota. Rory is in capable hands…though it doesn't stop her from wishing for more than his protection.

Chase has flown his share of planes. There are no guarantees they're going to make it to safety—and see Rory's terminally ill sister to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Despite their dire circumstances, all he can think of is the captivating woman by his side. Dare he lose control long enough to let Rory into his heart?

I have never read a Rachel Lee book that i can recall so this was a first for me. I do love my romantic suspense and my military guys so that's a pretty good combo to start with. This was a good story initially. The plane crashes and Chase does his survival thing. Rory's sister is deathly ill and was on the plane to get to a hospital for treatment in a trial therapy for her cancer. They are lucky to have two more people on board who have survival and EMT experience. The book moves along at a good pace and then lags and lays there. For a shorter book it felt like it was never going to end sometimes. I kept waiting for something to happen. I expected rescue sooner or maybe they would have to leave the plane earlier. I don't want to say there wasn't suspense and the sex scenes were good but the pace just seemed to lag here and there. I loved the characters and the thing that really got me though it was wondering what would happen to Rory's sister Cait. Would she make it or not. In the end then the book was a mixed bag for me. 3 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars.

To find out more about author Rachel Lee check out her blog here http://rachel-lee.com/

Mancandy Monday! Want to go swimming?

Dianne Venetta Giveaway Winner!! Lust on the Rocks!

Sarah is the winner of a ebook copy of Lust on the Rocks! Follow up to Jennifer's Garden by Dianne Venetta. Both are available now. Winner has been emailed.



From Dianne's website
 Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iPad bookstore and Smashwords
LUST ON THE ROCKS premiers October 19th!

This is Samantha Rawlings story and I warn you: expect a bit more spice than JENNIFER’S GARDEN. Have you met Samantha Rawlings? The woman tends to have a one track mind–until Victor Marin, that is. She has what he needs, and he won’t stop until he gets it. Trouble is, what begins as a matter of death, becomes a matter of life.
One case away from partnership, Samantha Rawlings is forced to share her high-profile case with a sexy younger man, whose eyes are on a different prize. In the best interests of her client, Sam opens the door to his strategy. Turns out, a little too far…

Victor Marin has ulterior motives. The defendant in her case holds the key to his revenge, and his last chance for justice. But as he chases old demons, he uncovers a powerful woman with no inhibitions, one he wants to possess for himself. But decidedly single, Sam wants no part. Until Vic walks away.

LUST ON THE ROCKS embodies the conflict between a woman’s lust for sexual freedom and her desire for love and commitment. Sam is a tough-minded lawyer in Miami, Fl who has no interest in marriage or children and lives her life as she sees fit. She conducts her life by the social rules that govern men. But can her personal lifestyle choices—specifically her sexual ones—mirror those of a man? Are there different rules regarding what’s acceptable for a man versus an independent career woman? Does it matter how many partners she has, how she approaches them?

The main plot works off a legal case that Sam is prosecuting with the assistance of a new hire, Victor Marin. His interest in her case goes beyond the legal front he assumes with her and instead, is quite personal; it involves revenge for a personal loss fifteen years prior.

As they work together, the two engage in a physical relationship, but what starts out as purely pleasure–lust–turns into deeper emotions for both of them. Complicating matters is the subplot involving Sam’s younger sister Jessica. Her turmoil quickly pulls Sam and Vic into conflict regarding personal choices and decisions, ones that reach far into their relationship and force Sam to re-evaluate what she thought she wanted from life.


Find out more about Dianne Venetta and her books by clicking here. http://diannevenetta.com/

Debra Kayn Giveaway Winner!!! Is it you??

Winner of the Debra Kayn Giveaway is Rosie Haigh! Congrats!! I have sent you a email with instructions.

Rosie wins her choice of Chantilly's Cowboy or Val's Rancher. These are the first two books in the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series by Debra Kayn.

Find out more about Debra Kayn and the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series as well as her other works by checking out her website here www.debrakayn.com . Debra's next release is out November 4th. Love Rescued me. Look for a review here about mid month in November.

Free Ebook Friday! Promise by author Kristie Cook

Promise is Book 1 in the Soul Savers series. You get to try it out for free and if you like it move on to book 2 Purpose available right now. Book 3 Devotion comes out February 2012. There is also a novella out right now called Genisis. Plenty to read in this series and you get to start for free.


Alexis Ames has a life full of promise…but not all promises can be kept.


When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can’t be real, she decides it’s time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family’s secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy…until she discovers he’s not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.

Their union brings hope and promise to her family’s secret society, the Angels’ army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy – Satan’s minions and Tristan’s creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

Promise is the first novel of a series that explores the ideas of how damaged a soul can be before it can no longer be saved and how far we will go to protect the souls we love and those we do not. This first book introduces Alexis and Tristan and their trials and tribulations to unite. Their union is the Angels’ first step as they prepare for the war for human souls to enter the physical realm.

Find out more about Christie Cook and her books by checking out her website here www.kristiecook.com

Free for Amazon kindle link here www.amazon.com/Promise-Soul-Savers Sorry i checked and it's not free for Nook. 99 cents if you are still interested.  link http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/promise-kristie-cook

Dual Book review: Dark Predator (Book 22 Dark Series) by author Christine Feehan

Sarah and i are both going to offer up our review of this book. Fair warning we're both fans of Christine Feehan. Sometimes that's a hard thing though. I wonder if i my expectation will be met. Let's see how we did.





Back of the Book Blurb:


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...


Sarah's Review: First, I need to admit I am a Christine Feehan fan. I really love her Dark Series, the Ghostwalker Series, and her Leopard Series (oddly enough, I'm not so fond of her Sea Haven Series - go figure.). That being said, they are all essentially the same. The woman has a format and believes in sticking to it. For example:
Incredibly hot, aggressive, alpha male - check.
Beautiful, young, virgin/almost-virgin psychic female - check.
Hero and heroine have a psychic-type link creating an intense bond and really HOT sex - check.
Bad guys (vampires, megalomaniacal billionaires, evil, rotten humans) - check.
Fast paced action with lots of nature/wildlife background and awesome battles and weapons- check.


But her characters, and the entire worlds she creates, are so vivid and well-described that I feel like I'm in the rain forest, or a deep cave, or the ocean. I feel connected to her heroines, and care about the heroes. So reading one of her books is both entertaining and very familiar.


I was really excited to read about Zacarias De La Cruz, one of the oldest and darkest of the Carpathians hunters. The identity of his lifemate was a much debated question on the internet prior to the book release, and I certainly never guessed who it would be - well done, Ms. Feehan!

At its heart, Dark Predator is truly the intimate story of Zacarias and his lifemate, how they come together, fall in love/lust, and begin their relationship. Most of the other Dark books have sub-plots involving the battles of Carpathians against the vampires and some mages who are trying to destroy the Carpathian species. But Zacarias is unlike most other hunters, and the discovery of his lifemate as he is trying to die honorably shocks him. He quickly realizes that he is not like other Carpathians, and his relationship with his lifemate will not be the same as others of his species. I really appreciated how the author handled the fact that Zacarias is about a thousand years old, has avoided almost all human and Carpathian contact for centuries, and has spent the last half-millennia in South America. So the guy has zero people skills and thinks of women as objects. His attempts to "rule" his lifemate, while probably realistic, became pretty repetitive ("I will rule you" is a frequent quote). I found myself missing the steady action of most of her previous books. Feehan's writing often veers off the path of paranormal romance and skips along the edge of straight-up erotica, and I would argue that is the case here, with dominant/submissive themes in play here. All in all, a solid entry in the series.

As with her other Dark Series books, this can easily be a stand-alone read, although reading the series in order is helpful for understanding the complex and layered history and relationships.

4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars


Lisa's review

Wow you know. Sarah's right there seems to be a bit of a formula to this series but it's never bothered me.  I've read every book Christine Feehan has written as far as i know. I'm not sure what she has but i like it. lol I've been waiting for a long time for Zacarias story. I wondered how it would go and was excited to think it was going to be really good. Zacarias is about as close to the end as they come. He's been that way for a long time. He finally sees his brothers all settled with their lifemates and he's helped protect his race from terrible things and now is ready to let it all go and be done. He feels this intense need to go to his Peruvian ranch home so that's where he goes. You feel this anticipation as he gets there to who his lifemate might be and when he'll meet her. HA!! He meets her right away but things did not go as i thought they would. Marguarita who appeared in one of the other dark series books turns out to be his lifemate or is she?? Your kind of left guessing for a while because Zacarias does not exhibit all the usual signs that a carpathian usually does when they meet their lifemate. For me this book was a bit different in that Zacarias is kind of mean and it's explained that he was so close to turning and he had turned off his emotions for so long that he couldn't connect like he should. Didn't understand modern times. OK but still he was to mean for me. Kind of a let down for me there. Marguarita was one understanding women because not only does she get tossed around by Zacarias but by a couple of baddies as well. I felt bad for her. There were a lot of emotional moments. I kept waiting for it to click with Zacarias and i thought he'd never get there. This was not a easy love story but still in the end a good one. Christine Feehan really knows how to hit the details and bring wonder to her stories. The  only thing that was missing at the end for me was Zacarias taking Marguarita to meet his brothers and lifemates. That would've made my day.  4 out of 5 Modokker Books picks for Dark Predator by Christine Feehan. This one is not as romantic as the rest and the love story is one that was hard fought for by the heroine. Margauarita was really Zacarias saving grace.


For more information about New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan and her many books, visit her wonderful website at www.christinefeehan.com. She has a wonderful members only section. Find excerpts on all her books and read the first chapters too.

Book review, interview and giveaway: Jennifer's Garden by author Dianne Venetta

JENNIFER’S GARDEN epitomizes the showdown between a career woman’s criteria for the perfect husband and what true love means.


In a race against time, cardiologist Jennifer Hamilton is caught between her mother’s dying wish and taking the risk of a lifetime with Jackson Montgomery. He’s the man hired to complete the landscaping for her new home; the venue for her upcoming wedding. Jackson’s everything she never wanted in a man, but as the job progresses, his lure pulls strong. It’s an attraction she cannot deny.

And one that puts her career on the line.


This is the first book I have ever read by Dianna Venetta. I wasn't sure what to expect but i liked what i read on her website and the cover is lovely but at the time a bit confusing. Ever read a book where the title and cover don't really appeal at first maybe they don't make sense or don't hit you right between the eyes when you first see it? Yeah that was what this was for me. I think i was halfway though the book when i got it. I should've gotten it sooner but i was slow on the uptake. lol What can i say i have no idea why it took so long. This is a long complicated book but full of journey, discovery and a bit of romance too.  Jennifer is a cardiologist, a giver, and a person who gives up what she needs and wants to make others happy. Her mother is dying a slow and sometimes painful death from cancer. It's only a matter of time.  Jackson Montgomery is the man she hires ( not by choice) to complete her flower garden and landscaping so she can have the wedding in her backyard. They bang heads all throughout the book. They have multiple misunderstandings but no matter what Jackson is there for her. He feels her pain and wants to help. He gives her understanding. He wants to do more but she is engaged and her mixed signals are messing him up. You laugh you cry you feel a whole range of emotions with this book. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Jennifer's Garden.  You can find out more about Dianne Venetta and her books by checking out her website here www.diannevenetta.com .





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Below is a short interview i did with Dianne.

Dianne lives in Central Florida with her husband, two children and part-time Yellow Lab--Cody-body! When not whacking away at her keyboard crafting her next novel you'll find her in their organic garden chasing grasshoppers and plucking hornworms all while drawing wild analogies between kids and plants and men. Definitely men.

A girl's gotta have fun, right?

When she's not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice for various websites and volunteers in her kids' school garden (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses--or rosemary!—kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she's done all right.




1. What made you want write?

I always enjoyed writing but the inspiration to write novels didn't hit until about 15 years ago. An idea for a story popped into my head and I couldn't seem to let it go! It's the story of a mother-daughter relationship and while it has yet to be published, is definitely on the list of to be released.

What genre's do you write and are there others that you still want to take a crack at in the future?

 Most of my writing can be considered romantic women's fiction while I have a few straight women's fiction stories. Suspense is fun to write and I may take a whack at the genre in the future.

2. How do you write? What's your process i guess? Do you plan everything out or fly by the seat of your pants?

Ideas for stories take root in my brain and the details follow. Characters basically introduce themselves to me and "together" we delve into who they are and why they're having an issue at the moment. As to putting pen to paper, I'm an out-liner. Everything must make sense before I dive in to write the details but even then, things will change. These characters can get out of control and run in different directions on me!

 3. Tell us 3 random things about yourself people would be surprised to know.I enjoy fishing, can't read scary books (else I have nightmares) and spend a lot of my time in my organic garden.

 4. How do you try and relate to your readers? Get the word out there
about who you are and your books? Do you use Facebook, twitter etc? If so how can
people find you?

 I try and connect via Twitter, Facebook, my garden
blog www.BloominThyme.com . I visit bookstores and hand out review copies, offer to host book signings at various venues (gift shops, etc.) and basically talk to anyone I think might be interested in my novels!

 5 What's coming up for you? New releases etc?

I'm currently working on the third novel in this series, set for release next summer, followed by
the introduction to my other works, already completed (and in need of
revision!).

 Anything else you want to add Dianne?


Would love to give away a copy of my next book -- LUST ON THE ROCKS!

To be entered for a ebook copy of the next book in this series Lust on The Rocks ( this book is about Jennifer's friend Sam(Samantha)  from Jennifer's Garden) just leave a comment or question for Dianne. You must also be a follower of this blog and leave a valid email address so you can be contacted if you win. Ends Saturday October 22. Open in the US and international .

Book review and giveaway: Val's Rancher by author Debra Kayn

Val McDougal knows all about heartbreak. First, the love of her life, Sam Turner, left to join the rodeo circuit two years ago. Now she faces a new kind of pain—her beloved father is dying. The last thing she needs is Sam's unexpected return to Pike, Montana, to take over his family's ranch, stirring up desires Val doesn't think she can handle.


Sam knows he made the biggest mistake of his life when he broke things off with Val. He's determined to win her back, this time for good. But despite the sizzling heat between them, Val keeps pulling away. He has to convince her to trust him—and her own heart—again, especially as the time draws near when she'll need him the most...


Val's Rancher is book number two in the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series. There are 5 McDougal sisters  all names after different kinds of lace. All with the middle name Lace too. They were all brought up on a huge ranch with their protective daddy after their mama died when Valenciana  was still a toddler. Val took a shine to a older boy when she was a youngster and it kind of stuck over the years. Sam was older than Val but he waited for her and finally they started dating and she thought they had it all until he decided to leave. Told her to grow up and took off for the rodeo circuit. It about killed her but she decided that she would indeed grow up and find her own way in the world and didn't need him or any other man. She went to college and got a business degree and own and runs her own bar now. Suddenly Sam's back. He's hell bent on showing her he's back to stay. Val's daddy is dying from ALS and it's only a matter of time. This was introduced in the first book in the series Chantilly's Cowboy. This part of the story gets to me. I loved the girls daddy Stuart. He was such a presence in the first book and you could have knocked me over to find out he was dying. Turns out when Sam left he kept in touch with Stuart and he helped Sam find his way back to Pike. After Sam left he figured out he was the one who had growing up to do but it seems Val has some issues of her own to work through now. This book has love laughter, sadness and discovery. Of course it has a nice dose of sexy cowboys too. This has been a great series and i read this book in one sitting. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars for Val's Rancher by Debra Kayn. To find out more about this series and read excerpts for both books 1 and 2 check out Debra Kayn's website here www.debrakayn.com. You can find her on Twitter  here http://twitter.com/#!/DebraKayn . Next up in this series is Margot's book in  February 2012 Margot's Lawman. Plenty of time to get caught up in the series by then if you're interested.

Debra Kayn has been gracious enough to giveaway one of the books in the Sisters of the Mc Dougal Ranch away to one lucky commentor. Winners choice ebook of either Chantilly's Cowboy or Val's Rancher. Open  for US and internationally. Just leave a comment and a valid email address by Friday October 21st and your entered to win!  Must be a follower of this blog. Good luck!! Ends Friday October 21st.

Mancandy Monday Hello!!!!

Free ebook Friday HEATING UP THE KITCHEN Recipies with Love from Lucky Harbor By Jill Shalvis

This weeks free ebook is not a romace book per se but it's a companion book to Jill Shalvis Luck Harbor series book The Sweetest Thing. It's full of Tara's recipes. Let get cooking!!



Hello Readers,

Thanks for coming to Lucky Harbor. I'm sure your presence has already been noted by Lucille and the rest of her blue-hair posse and will shortly be posted on their Facebook page. Hope you don't have toilet paper stuck to your shoe.

Or any secrets...

In these pages are recipes on how to catch a man, how to cope with sisters, and bunches of wisdom. Whoops, sorry. Wrong book. (See either Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, or Head Over Heels).
There are, however, some fantastic recipes from my very own kitchen, and in the cooking of these recipes, I can guarantee you a culinary experience that will make you forget your troubles.

Happy cooking, happy eating, and happy reading!

Tara Daniels

Find out more about Jill Shalvis and her Lucky Harbor series and her other books her blog etc by checking out her website. www.jillshalvis.com The next book in the Lucky Harbor series comes out next Month. Head Over Heels. Pre-order Head Over Heels here pre-order Head over Heels

Buy Heating up the Kitchen here free for Kindle Heating up the Kitchen

Sexiest Vampire Alive by author Kerrelyn Sparks (Love at Stake Series #11)

Review by Sarah

Sexiest Vampire Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks
Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
September 27, 2011




Back of the Book Blurb:


The secret is out . . . Vampires do exist!

When a video reveals to the world that vampires live among us, it’s up to “young” vamp Gregori Holstein, VP of Marketing, to persuade the U.S. government to declare the video a hoax. But first the president wants a favor, one that requires Gregori to spend forty-eight hours in very close contact with the First Daughter.

Abby Tucker would rather spend her nights in a lab than attend her father’s state dinners. She’s dedicated her life to finding a cure that will save her dying mother and needs only two more ingredients. To find them, she’ll have to venture into the most dangerous region of the world—with a vampire. Her Armani-clad escort may be Undead, but he still makes her heart race. And the greatest danger won’t be the predatory hordes lying in wait for them; it will be her undying desire for the Sexiest Vampire Alive.



Review: Sexiest Vampire Alive is the story of one of the youngest (he was turned less than 30 years ago) vampires in the Love at Stake world, Gregori Holstein. As with her previous books, this one has all of Kerrelyn Sparks' trademarks - a fast pace, sparkling humor, witty dialogue, likeable characters, and a sweet and sexy romance. These books are just so much fun. I have to admit, though, that I was a little worried about Gregori's story. He has a reputation as a playboy, and is rather smooth and urbane, qualities I find unattractive and unappealing in a hero. But I should have trusted in the author's skill at revealing characters to have more depth to their personalities. As with previous stories, she takes characters who were seemingly one-dimensional, and realistically reveals aspects of their personalities that are both new and seem quite natural, not forced. We learn that Gregori is really not a playboy, but has a gentle kindness and consideration for the feelings of others. At the same time, he has been training as a warrior with the older Scottish vamps, and can definitely protect himself and Abigail, the mortal he is falling in love with. Abigail is a great heroine - she is the seldom seen eldest daughter of the President, and has devoted her life and brilliant scientific mind to studying her mother's disease in an attempt to save her. She has spent most of her life in a gilded cage, surrounded by bodyguards and the Secret Service, her behavior always on display and judged in relation to her father's political career. She misses freedom, just as Gregori misses a life in the daytime, and feels he must always act the right way in order to blend in with the older vampires. They are a great match, and their attraction is believable and very sexy.

The big bad villain of this series has been Casimir, leader of the Malcontents, but he was killed at the end of the last book. But by the end of this story we see a return of Master Han, and the introduction of a Demon, so the plot thickens as the good guys have more fights in their future. I'm hoping the next book will be Russell's story - he was turned by Master Han during the Vietnam War, and left in a vampiric coma for 39 years.

Readers new to the Love At Stake series will easily enjoy this book, but will probably get more out of the series by reading it in order. There is much history between these friends, and their centuries long battle with the Malcontents.

5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars

For more information, visit the author's website http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/

The Love At Stake Series:
How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire
Vamps and the City
Sugarplums & Scandal: Love at Stake Novella “A Very Vampy Christmas”
A Very Vampy Christmas
Be Still My Vampire Heart
The Undead Next Door
All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire
The Secret Life of a Vampire
Forbidden Nights with a Vampire
The Vampire and the Virgin
Eat, Prey, Love
Vampire Mine
Sexiest Vampire Alive

Book review: Dead Girls Are Easy by author Terri Garey

Review by Sarah



Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey
Amazon
Books a million
Barnes&Noble


Back of the Book Blurb:

There's something about almost dying that makes a girl rethink her priorities. Take Nicki Styx—she was strictly goth and vintage, until a brush with the afterlife leaves her with the ability to see dead people.

Before you can say boo, Atlanta's ghosts are knocking at Nicki's door. Now her days consist of reluctantly cleaning up messes left by the dearly departed, leading ghouls to the Light . . . and one-on-one anatomy lessons with Dr. Joe Bascombe, the dreamy surgeon who saved her life. All this catering to the deceased is a real drag, especially for a girl who'd rather be playing hanky-panky with her hunky new boyfriend . . . who's beginning to think she's totally nuts.

But things get even more complicated when a friend foolishly sells her soul to the devil, and Nicki's new gift lands her in some deep voodoo.

As it turns out for Nicki Styx, death was just the beginning.


Review: Love this! This is one of the smartest, most original paranormal books I have read in a long while.

Nicki is a great heroine - she is a smart, confident woman who came out of her goth stage with her black eyeliner and originality intact. She co-owns a vintage clothing store with her best friend, Evan, and has a nice life as a single girl in the childhood home she inherited. Nicki is a reluctant ghost whisperer following her near death experience, and her reactions are humorous and understandable, and show her inherent kindness, compassion and bravery. She doesn't want this ability, but feels like she should help the (sometimes nagging and annoying) ghosts who need her assistance. Nicki describes her new life as "dead people jumping up like Pop-Tarts to impose their unfinished business on me".

Nicki's new life has come with another change as well, in a loving and sexy boyfriend. Joe saved her life and is fascinated by her, as both a subject for his study of near death experiences, and as a woman. As Nicki navigates her feelings for him, he drops an emotional bomb on her, revealing that she may have a twin sister. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that this woman is named Kelly Charon, probable twin sister to Nicki Styx (yes, I'm a dork, but Greek mythology references make me so happy!). With regular plot twists that reveal how intertwined people and events are in Nicki's life, this is one satisfying read, and a delightful paranormal mystery/romance. The characters are well-developed, the action is steady and the bad guys genuinely scary, but the details are the delight in this book, setting it apart from others in the genre. Specific references to vintage clothing and jewelry labels and materials, music groups, voodoo and more lend charm and depth to the characters and the story. As if that isn't enough, the author manages to reference Edward Gorey - I am now a fan for life!

5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars!

Released in 2007, DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY was named 2008 Best First Book by Romance Writers of America©, and won the 2008 PRISM Award for Best Paranormal Romance.

For more information, visit the author's spookishly awesome website at www.tgarey.com. Her website motto is "Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies!", so you know it's gotta be good!

Winners Winners are you a one of them? Lexi George, Vanessa Kelly and Erin Quinn winners!

We had 3 giveaways last week and the winners are.........

Erin Quinn a mass market copy of Haunting Beauty goes to Raonaid


Vanessa Kelly a copy of her first book Mastering the Marquess goes to Tena ( @ the Crazy Book Slut)

Lastly we have TWO winner for Lexi George's latest release a anthology book So i Married a Demon Slayer. Congrats to... Cutiephinphin and Sarah (Jordan67)

Thank you to Vanessa, Lexi and Erin for swinging by to answer questions and the great prizes. All winners have been emailed.

Erin Quinn's website www.erinquinnbooks.com
Vanessa Kelly's website www.vanessakellyauthor.com
Lexi George's website www.lexigeorge.com

Book review: Animal Attraction (Animal Book 2) by author Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis October 7, 2011
ANIMAL ATTRACTION

Berkley Mass Market
Animal Magnetism
Book Two
Available at Amazon and B&N online and in bookstores.

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

Excerpt below:
“Come on, baby,” he murmured. “Give it up for me. You know you want to.”


Jade Bennett did her best to ignore the way the low, sexy voice made her shiver. Besides, it wasn’t aimed at her. Dr. Dell Connelly; dog whisperer, cat whisperer, horse whisperer, and known woman whisperer … was talking to a stray kitten.

The feline in question huddled miserably beneath the bench seat in Dell’s vet center waiting room, staring at him from narrowed eyes, clearly having none of the sweet talk. She was a scruffy/mangy grayish brown with sharp green eyes, and like Jade, not swayed by sweet talkers.

“Huh,” Jade said from behind the reception counter. “Most females leap right into your arms at the slightest encouragement.”

Dell craned his neck and regarded her from eyes as dark as his secrets. “Not all.”

There was a beat of silence during which she did her best not to break eye contact. He was right. Not all females, otherwise she’d have made the leap.

Jill Shalvis has been a must buy for me from the first couple books of hers that i ever read. Animal Attraction is the 2nd book in her Animal series. I read this in two evenings but had i strarted earlier in the day it easily would be a one sitting book. I read Animal Magnetism (book 1) when it came out and was ready for book 2 immediately I enjoyed  it so much.  It was well worth the wait. Dell Connelly and Jade Bennett both have issues. Even though they grew up with very different backgrounds their issues are similar. Both are afraid. Commitment for Dell because he has been abandoned in one way or another all his life. His group of friends he trusts is pretty small. Jade is a part of that circle but still he holds back. Jade used to a very confident person. Nothing fazed her until she was attacked at her work place 18 months ago. She didn't do anything to fight back at her attacker and other people got hurt and she feels guilt but also has not dealt with the after effects of it yet either. Dell knows something happened to Jade but she won't let him in enough to tell him. They bounce off each other though the whole book helping each other but misunderstanding a lot of things too. You wonder if Dell is ever going to get over himself and tell Jade he loves her. It is soooo clearly evident that he does. It's lot of fun watching him try to get there. The banter between all the characters in this book is great and you feel you would like to know these people. Be a part of their circle.  Animal Attraction is another keeper book for me. 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars.  Next in this series is Dell's brother Adams book. Can't wait. Next book out for Jill is the a Lucky Harbor series book "Head Over Heels" Lucky Harbor book 3.

To find out more about Jill Shalvis books and read excerpts as well as her blog check out her website here www.jillshalvis.com

Mancandy Monday! David Gandy

I heard the name David Gandy several times lately on twitter so i decided i needed to check it out for myself. Nice looking gentleman isn't he??




Don't forget there are 3 giveaways ending on my blog today. Scroll down to find Erin Quinn, Vanessa Kelly and Lexi George giveaways. A few have had trouble posting but the majority have not. If you have trouble just email me to enter. These all end today at midnight. Winners announced tomorrow. Low entries so you have a great chance at winning!!

Notice: Erin Quinn giveaway posting problems

Anyone who is posting to The Erin Quinn Giveaway. Erin and i have not been having trouble responding to blogger posts. She's tried repeatedly and so have i on her behalf. Below are some responses to those of you who posted to her yesterday. I hate to do it this way but i don't want anyone to think she isn't going to respond. If you can get through to post to any of the giveaways email me Modokker AT gmail DOT  com and I'll be sure to count your entry to the giveaways. The Lexi George giveaway that was to end today will be extended until Monday so that all 3 will end on Monday now.

Sorry about any inconvenience. Hopefully blogger will work out the kinks soon.
Lisa (Modokker)

Reginia and MadHatter--thanks so much. Good luck to you both in the contests! (PS Reginia, I got your win from another blog in the mail today--you should see it soon)


Jennifer, I work full time, have a family and go to school so I have to be very disciplined about my writing time. I work 4-10s so I have one day a week that's MINE to write and then I write Saturday and Sunday mornings. Needless to say, I have to really focus and get down to business to get all I need to do done in that time. I'm used to this though. I wrote my first and second books during lunch hours at work. :)

Raonaid--loved Kris's book. She and I were both in the Booksellers Best contest (different categories, though. I won for mine, btw :) Anyway, after the contest I went through and read all the finalist and really enjoyed hers! As a matter of fact, Haunting Embrace does have a druid in it. He's the hero...and the villian sometimes. :)

Ctuiephinphin--I hope you give me a read and like my books. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Free ebook Friday Sold to the Highest Bidder by author Donna Alward

All she wants is his name on the dotted line. He’s got other ideas…


For Ella, marrying Devin had seemed like a good idea at the time. Friends since childhood and in love with him for as long as she could remember, marriage had been the next logical step. Then the real world called, and Ella’s feet had itched to get out of Backwards Gulch, Colorado.

Now, with a new opportunity on the East Coast beckoning, it’s time to put her past behind her once and for all. When she sees Devin standing on a charity auction block, she decides it’s the perfect opportunity to finally get his signature on the divorce papers he never signed.

Devin’s certain about one thing when he sees Ella for the first time in twelve years—she’s not the girl he married. The way she left him still stings, and if she wants him to sign on the dotted line he’s going to make her work for it…for the full forty-eight hours she paid for.

When the old attraction flares between them, the years apart disappear and resolve melts faster than high-country snow in summer. But when Ella awakens with the same determination to get back to Denver, divorce papers in hand, she has a problem…

Devin still hasn’t signed them.



Check out more about Donna Alward's books by checking out her website www.donnaalward.com You can read a excerpt for this book there also.

Free until October 14th according to Donna Alward's website. Then it goes back to regular price. For Nook and Kindle.
amazon.com/Sold-Highest Bidder for Kindle
barnesandnoble.com/Sold-to-the-Highest-Bidder/Donna-Alward For Nook

Don't forget there are 3 giveaways still going on on the blog. Just scroll down to the last 3 posts for details. Don't forget to leave email address for contact purposes.

Haunting Embrace. Book review,interview and giveaway with author Erin Quinn

Today we have the fabulous paranormal author Erin Quinn! Haunting Embrace is the last book in her Mists of Ireland series. I've been fortunate enough to have read the first three in this series and everyone has been fabulous reading. Let's start with a blurb and then we'll get to my review and some questions for Erin.


HAUNTING EMBRACE
Erin Quinn
October 4, 2011
Amazon
Barnes &Noble
Books-a-Million
Indie-bound

ENDLESS LOVE
Within Meaghan Ballagh surges the blood of an ancient sorceress whose long ago love for the druid Áedán ended in treachery—a fate that ensnares Meaghan herself when she is thrust into the past. She can feel the desire between the sorceress and the handsome druid rise inside her. To ensure her survival, she must piece together the history of the woman who haunts her and the man who needs her.


ETERNAL BETRAYAL

Áedán recognizes Meaghan. He always will. For the spirit of his one true love—and immortal enemy—is in her. A woman for whom Áedán once risked everything he ever had only to be repaid with betrayal and eternal damnation. This time, he’s not going to let Meaghan escape—because together they have the power to change their destiny.

As the passion between them grows, so do their fears of arousing an ancient, haunted, and forbidden love, and for changing a past that could irrevocably destroy the future.

This series is set in Ireland and for some reason I've always loved Ireland for a setting in books. Aedan and Meaghan find themselves thrown out of the book of Fennmore and onto the isle of Fennmore in the 50's. Meaghan is in her grandmothers time changing her own fathers nappy. Although Aedan and Meaghan were both tossed out of the Book of Fennmore at the same time Aedan finds himself on the Isle of Fennmore 5 days before Meaghan and working for her fisherman grandfather. This book is surrounded by mystery right from the beginning. Colleen Meaghan's grandmother who is a young woman at this time seems to know she is coming and where to find her. A visitor Saraid gave her messages and a item for her to give to Meaghan. This starts Meaghan on her mission to find the book of Fennmore again and perhaps get back to her own time. Her and Aedan are at odds off and throughout the book. Each trying to find their way through the mystery and suspense going on around them denying their feelings for each other at first until they just can't anymore. Can they trust each other enough to work together to find the book and work together to close it permanently???  This book is a thrill ride of suspense, mystery and drama. It clicks along at a steady page making you want to turn page after page to see what's coming next. Loved this book and wish there was more. There were a few characters in this book that were in previous books and was surprised by what happens to the. If you read the previous books Eammon, Kyle and Jamie are in this book. The one person whose story i would've like to seen is Tiarnon's (Haunting Desire) brother Liam. I think i heard Erin mention that possibly there would be a book or two at some point with some characters from this series in it. I can hope. I give Haunting Embrace by Erin Quinn 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. What I have always liked about this series of  books is the unpredictability of the stories. They take you on a winding road and you never know where the twists and turns are going to be. If you like that in a book this series if for you.


----------------------------------------------------

Below is a quick interview I did with Erin.


Hi Erin. Why don't we start by having you tell us a little about yourself.

Hi Lisa, thank you so much for having me as a guest on your blog! I am so fortunate to have met you through my books and I love stopping by your site!
So, a little about me: Erin Quinn is an award winning author. Her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the Booksellers Best, WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Readers Crown, Golden Quill, Best Books, and Award of Excellence. Book four in her Mists of Ireland series, HAUNTING EMBRACE released October 4, 2011. You can find a chronoligical listing of my books here.

1. Haunting Embrace is the 4th and possibly last book in "The Mists of Ireland" series. Can you briefly tell us about it?

Haunting Embrace--the last in my Mists of Ireland series--hit bookstores on October 4. I'm very excited about this book because not only does it wrap up my series, but it allowed me to explore a hero to die for--Áedán Brady--once the most powerful druid ever known, For eons Aedan has been imprisoned by a curse...until Meaghan Ballagh sets him free. Meaghan is thrust back in time, where she and the devastating Áedán become ensnared by echoes of the past. She cannot trust him and yet she cannot resist him either. To survive, she must piece together the history that binds them and break the curse that has doomed their love throughout time.....

2. You write paranormal romance. How do you research something like that?

What a GREAT question. The answer...very carefully. I say this because sometimes research can enhance your stories and sometimes it can ruin them. I've had experience with both. When I was writing my third book (Whispers) I had developed a story line for one of the secondary characters. About two weeks before the book was due, I went on this ghost walk in Reno with some local psychics and asked one about the ideas I had. The psychic told me it could/would/should NEVER happen. By the end of the conversation, I thought the entire thinking world would laugh me off the planet for even coming up with such a lame idea. I went back, ripped the idea out of my book and wrote it another way. A month after the book released, I was watching Discovery and they had a special on EXACTLY the concept I'd wanted for that character. I learned my lesson after that. Books are about imagination and if I can imagine it, it can happen. :)

3. How do you give a character life in a book. Where do you even start? Basically you're building a fictional person so how do you get them to the point the reader thinks as if they are real?

I know many authors who do character maps, interviews, inventories (on and on and on). For me, a character becomes boring if I know too much about them going in. I like to discover and I think that gives my characters a freshness that readers like. Think about it. If you knew everything about the person across the table from you on your first date, where would the fun be in getting to know them? In fact, I did not know the biggest, major-turning-point characteristic of Sean Ballagh in Haunting Beauty until I was 1/2 way through the first draft of that book. If you've read it, think about the BIG thing that makes up Sean. Yeah, that one. I think my not knowing in the beginning made it more realistic that others didn't either.

4. This series takes place in Ireland right? How do you map out all the locations in your series. Do you use a map or keep a list of what goes where. I've always wondered how you keep everything straight.

Yes and yes. But mostly I keep it in my head. It's a scary place in there.


5. Tell us 3 random things about yourself we'd be surprised to know.

    1.I love pink, hate scary movies, but adore scary books

   2.I still have a day job, go to school (because I never got that piece of paper that says I'm as smart as       think I am) and I've been married to the same hard headed alpha male for 23 years

   3.I sat in the gas chamber at Florence State Penitentiary and lived to tell about it. :)


6. Lastly what's is coming down the pike next for you? Anything you talk about or want to share or anything you think readers should know about this series?

Well, where do I start? I've loved writing the Mists of Ireland. It's taken me to the shores of Ireland and back and managed to hit a few unknowns in between. Though Haunting Embrace ends the series, I still have a couple of stories on the back burner which will follow characters I've introduced in the series. The story arc I began with Haunting Beauty will conclude, but the people...ah, well, as you know from my books, they never really die. :)

In addition to that...I just released a story in the Halloween anthology A Touch of Twilight (excerpt) and so far it's been getting a great response. I also have two books I'm working on and another story for a Valentine's Day anthology. I love creating stories and I get so jazzed every time I get to start something new. I'm not ready to talk about any of my projects though--the ideas are still too new and vulnerable. :) But I think my readers will like what I'm cooking up!



If you want to try out this series Book Haunting Beauty just came out in mass market. Complete with a new cover too. Amazon/HauntingBeauty  
Also, here's how to reach me on the web www.erinquinnbooks.com

Erin has generously offered a paperback copy of Haunting Beauty to one commenter. She will be here answering questions off and on all day too so ask away. You must be a follower of this blog and ask a question or leave a comment to be entered. Leave a valid email address as well please so i can contact you if you win. Ends Monday October 10th.

Review, interview and giveaway with author Vanessa Kelly!

Another big day here on the blog. Today we have The wonderful historical author Vanessa Kelly.  We're going to start with a book review of Vanessa Latest release My Favorite Countess and then some questions. Let's start with first thing i read on a book. The back cover blurb!



MY FAVORITE COUNTESS

Kensington Books, May 2011
Spirited, stubborn, and entirely irresistible...

She is difficult, demanding, and at times, quite fierce. And Dr. John Blackmore can’t take his eyes off her. The Countess of Randolph is the most striking woman he has ever seen...and the most infuriating patient he has ever tended.

Mired in responsibility, Bathsheba doesn’t have time to convalesce in the country. She should be in London, hunting for a wealthy new lover to pay off her late husband’s vast debts, not dallying with a devastatingly handsome doctor.

But it is only a matter of time until the good doctor and the obstinate countess will have to contend with the sparks that fly between them. Once their bodies surrender, their hearts may follow...


This is actually my first Vanessa Kelly book. My Favorite Countess is a historical romance and a continuation of sorts from some of Vanessa's other books. I think you can feel a sense of this reading the book but it didn't interfere much with the story.  Widowed Bathsheba is in a bad way. She's almost out of money and is struggling to maintain appearances as The Countess of Randolf. Her husband was killed and left her mountains of debt and two estates to maintain. She is full of secrets as well. Her husband abused her and she has a secret sister everyone thinks as dead among other things. Dr John Blackmore is a accoucher or a male midwife.  He has some secrets of his own as well. John meets Bathsheba at a dinner party right before Bathsheba is to head back to London to search for a rich man to wed to save her. Although Bathsheba treats everyone to her sharp tongue he is still intrigued by her.  Instead of heading to London Bathsheba learns that her sister who already suffered a terrible fever years ago that left her permanently impaired is sick again. She runs off to stay with her and 4 days later arrives back at her place is the country with the same terrible fever.  Dr Blackmore comes to the rescue.  This is love/hate kind of book. You're not really sure at all you are going to like Bathsheba. She kind of abrupt and mean and if you haven't read the previous book she was in you still get the sense she did something pretty bad to someone.  Slowly as the book progresses you find out who she is behind all that sometimes nasty demeanor. Why she is like that and that it isn't really who she is. John i think is the only man who could find the real Bathsheba and he feels like she needs his help no matter what she says.  They kind of keep bouncing off one another until all their secrets finally come out.  Bathsheba redeems herself to old enemies and to herself in the end. John makes some revelations about himself and Bathsheba as well. You wonder how their going to work it out at all. I give My Favorite Countess 4 out 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. I think i need to go back and check out her back list for the titles that went with this one.






1. What made you want to be a writer? How did you decide to write Historical romance and is there another genre you would like to write besides historical?


I've been a writer for as long as I can remember. English was my favorite class and I always did well writing essays, short stories - you name it and I wrote it. I went on to get an M.A. in English and also spent several years in a Ph.D. program for British Literature. I didn't go on to teach or be an academic, but I did become a researcher for a public sector organization. So I was writing all the time, even if it was non-fiction. All that writing taught me how to think analytically, construct an argument or thesis, and polish my prose, which was really helpful when I switched to writing fiction. As for what made me want to be a writer...I guess it's because I always loved reading. When I began to think of my own stories, writing them down became the next logical step. I chose historical romance because I love the genre - it was the first I read as a teenager - and I love the Regency period. That's the period I studied in grad school so, again, it made for a logical choice. I do also write contemporary romance and romantic suspense with my husband, under the pen name of V.K Sykes. I enjoy writing in those genres as much as I do historical romance.

2. How long did it take to get published? Did you have anyone you looked to as a mentor to help show you the ropes?

It took me about 2-1/2 years to get published. I had several mentors, but Julianne MacLean is one who stands out. She critiqued the first three chapters of my historical manuscript, and gave me invaluable advice on how to take my writing to the next level. I also met several writers in my local Romance Writers of America chapter who showed me the ropes. Sharon Page and Opal Carew were very supportive when I was getting started. Sharon writes for Kensington and Opal writes for St. Martin's Press. They were so kind in taking me under their wings.


3. How do you research for you books? There is alot of thing you have to know to write historical romance with all the different ways things were done back then. It would confuse me to death. I think a lot of people imagine it's easy to write a book but taking into account all you would to know about time periods i would guess not.

You're right - it isn't easy to write a book! Historical fiction has its own set of research challenges, but any book worth its salt requires some kind of research. As I mentioned, I did my grad school work in the Regency period, so I had a foundation of knowledge from which to build. The internet does make it easier to do research these days, and there are tons of resources available for writers of historical fiction. I also love working from books. One of the first things I do when I start a new story is go to the library and check out a bunch of books that are relevant to my storyline. It's just sheer fun to browse the shelves, look through books, and find all kinds of interesting historical tidbits to spur my imagination. I'm also a big believer in asking people for help, especially librarians. And you would be surprised how willing experts are to share info. Curators at local museums and historians at cultural centers are usually very eager to share their knowledge.

At the end of the day, though, I'm not writing a history book. I want my books to have an accurate period feel, but it's the story and the characters that really count. You can have the most accurately researched book in the world, but if the characters are boring or unsympathetic, it won't matter. So it's a balancing act, but story and character come first.


4. Name 3 random facts about you that people would be surprised to know.

I used to work for a trade union, my nick name in university was Vulgarina (should be self-explanatory!), and science fiction movies are my favorite kind of movie.


5. What is in the works next for you? Can you tell us about it? Anything you thinks readers should know about your books?

I'm just finishing up the final book in my series. It's as yet untitled, but it's a Christmas book that will be coming out in October 2012. It's a really fun story - a bit lighter in tone than my others but it is a Christmas book, after all! In the meantime, I'll be writing a Regency novella that I'll be digitally publishing in May or June of 2012. And I'm also continuing to work on the V.K. Sykes books with my husband. We had one come out a few months ago - it's called HARDBALL, and it's a very, very sexy contemporary romance. My V.K. Sykes website is: http://www.vksykes.com/

Vanessa Kelly writes sexy Regency romance for Kensington Zebra. Named by Booklist as one of the "new stars of historical romance," she recently won the Maggie Award for her second book, SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL. You can find her on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com

Vanessa is taking questions today if you have any you would like to ask. She is also offering to one commenter her paperback copy of her first book,  Mastering the Marquess.  All you have to do is leave a comment or question for Vanessa. You must supply a valid email address so you can be contacted if you win and be a follower of this blog. Open in the U.S and international as well. Ends Monday October 10th.

Interview and giveaway with Awesome paranormal author Lexi George!

I was lucky enough to score a interview with wonderfully funny debut paranormal author Lexi George! I taxed her with answering 5 questions and one bonus question about herself and her writing.  I was lucky enough to read a copy of her debut Release Demon Hunting in Dixie and fell for humor of the book within the first few pages. Lexi's latest book is a Anthology book called So i Married a Demon Slayer where her novella "The Bride wore Demon Dust" can be found. I am happy to say the great humorous writing is there as well. Her cute and sometimes bawdy southernisms are to die for. Who knew that paranormal romance and funny could go together so well. Not to mention the hot sexy demon hunters. On with the interview.



1. What made you decide to be a writer and why did you pick humorous paranormal romance?

I wrote poetry up until law school and then the muse took a hike. She HATED law school. In my thirties, I got an idea for a fantasy romance about a 45-year-old woman who gets sucked into a magical alternate dimension and wakes up in another woman’s body. The idea wouldn’t go away, so I sat down and started writing. Worked on that novel for YEARS, joined a writer’s group and a local chapter of RWA, and started querying my by-then finished book.

After three years of querying and over 100 rejections, I finally got a clue that I needed to try something else. I decided to try my hand at a paranormal romance. I love romance and I love magic, and PN romance has both, so it seemed like a natural fit. As for the humorous part, it picked me! When I started writing Demon Hunting in Dixie this naughty, bawdy voice came out of me that I’d repressed since I was a teenager. It was both liberating and strange . . . like I didn’t know myself. The creative brain is very mysterious.

2. If you were to have a back up job besides the ones you have now what would you be?

I’d be a singer/actress. I love musicals and I love to sing. My husband and I actually met doing the play Oliver! He was Bill Sikes and I was the rose seller. Who will buy my sweet red roses? Two blooms for a penny.

Both our daughters have the acting bug. Bless their hearts, they got a double dose. I was active in community theater—I actually got to perform once at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival!—until I got the contract with Kensington. Something had to go, and acting was it. Right now, I’m the only one in my immediate family besides the dogs who’s not doing a play. The hubby was recently cast as Tevya in a local production of Fiddler on the Roof, and both daughters are doing plays. Sometimes I miss it, but I like writing more.


3. Where do you get all your funny southern humor? Do you know people who talk like they do in the book?

I have always loved euphemisms and funny expressions. I collect them like a magpie collects shiny objects. My dad had a wonderfully dry sense of humor, so I suppose I get my sense of humor from him. He was a total gentleman, however, and would be shocked, I think, at his daughter’s bawdiness.

In the South, people talk a lot and they are very colorful in their expressions, so, yes, I know people who talk like my characters in the book! Sometimes, when a character says something racy or inane, it’s totally me. I come across as a little staid and dignified, but once you scratch below the surface, it’s all there. Scary, huh?

I do have an appropriate valve when I’m out in public, though. I have a Southern mama, too!


4. What's the hardest part about writing the book Demon Hunting in Dixie and the Novella The Bride wore Demon Dust?

The sex scenes! I’d never written a sex scene until I wrote Demon Hunting in Dixie and it like to drove me crazy! I was intimidated and nervous, a total virgin at the writing-a-sex-scene thing. What would my mother think? My grammar school librarian? What would my uncle the Baptist preacher think?

Finally, I decided to quit being such a wuss and write the darn thing, for heaven’s sake. If you worry about pleasing everyone, you end up pleasing no one. Besides, I felt a little hypocritical. I mean, I LOVE a good sex scene when I read a romance, so why was I hair balling about writing one?

Having decided upon it, I then had to figure out how to approach the scene. I wanted it to be sexy and hot, but not too purple and flowery. Sex scenes are very important, in my opinion, as they represent the culmination of the physical and emotional attraction between the hero and heroine. I pulled my hair out over that first sex scene and then decided to write the kind of scene I like to read and hope for the best!


5. What say so did you get in the covers and titles? The titles are perfect if you ask me. Totally go with the books.

Technically, once you sell, you have no say-so in the title or the cover. Your publisher can wrap it up in a grocery sack and call it Attack of the Twenty-Foot Doo-Doo Heads From Outer Space if they want. I originally called the book Demons in Dixie. Megan Records, my editor at Kensington, wanted something about demon slayers in the title. After tossing titles back and forth for a while, we agreed upon Demon Hunting in Dixie. I think the title rocks and I LOVE my cover! I think it’s bee-yew-tee-ful.

6. Of course we have to ask if there is anything in the works for your next book yet. Can you dish for us and tell us anything about it?

Book two (tentatively titled Demon Hunting in the Deep South) is the story of Evie and Ansgar. It starts with a murder and poor Evie is the suspect. On top of that, she’s got a demon on her trail. Ansgar shows back up and acts as her bodyguard. She doesn’t remember him, because she has amnesia. She’s totally intimidated by this strapping, Viking god-like being, but she thinks he’s a hot-tay. Oh, and Mullet Woman from the novella is a secondary character! Love me some Mullet Woman.

I am currently working on Book three, which I call Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar. The heroine is a demonoid—half human and half demon, and she runs a bar for other demonoids. The hero is an uptight Dalvahni demon hunter, of course, in pursuit of a mysterious weapon the demons have developed to use against the Dalvahni. Think Superman and Kryptonite. He has no idea his real Achilles heel is a certain halfsie chick by the name of Beck. A demon hunter fall in love with the offspring of a demon? Pulleeze. And Beck thinks he’s a total pain in the behonkus. A cute pain, but a pain nonetheless.

Now for the books.



Demon Hunting in Dixie (April, 2011)

A warrior, a demon, and the girl next door…
Looking For Trouble

Addy Corwin is a florist with an attitude. A bad attitude, or so her mama says, ‘cause she’s not looking for a man. Mama’s wrong. Addy has looked. There’s just not much to choose from in Hannah, her small Alabama hometown. Until Brand Dalvahni shows up, a supernaturally sexy, breathtakingly well-built hunk of a warrior from—well, not from around here, that’s for sure. Mama thinks he might be European or maybe even a Yankee. Brand says he’s from another dimension.

Addy couldn’t care less where he’s from. He’s gorgeous. Serious muscles. Disturbing green eyes. Brand really gets her going. Too bad he’s a whack job. Says he’s come to rescue her from a demon. Puh-lease. But right after Brand shows up, strange things start to happen. Dogs talk and reanimated corpses stalk the quite streets of Hannah. Her mortal enemy Meredith, otherwise known as the Death Starr, breaks out in a severe and inexplicable case of butt boils. Addy might not know what’s going on, but she definitely wants a certain sexy demon hunter by her side when it all goes down…



So I Married a Demon Slayer ( August 30, 2011) Anthology.


In the lusty humidity of the Deep South, among the neon lights of Vegas, and the glitz of high-fashion, demon slayers are the new sexy…

“Hot!” by By Kathy Love
At Hot! Magazine, the devil really does wear Prada. When the CEO is an actual demon and the mail room guys are undercover demon slayers, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility for an up-and-coming photographer and a model possessed by much more than a sweet tooth to fall in love.

“What Slays In Vegas” by Angie Fox
When a sexy succubus comes up against a fearless demon slayer intent on killing her boss, a truly wild Vegas night turns into a quickie wedding. But in a city where anything goes, a demon slayer wedding a succubus is strictly forbidden. Which doesn’t mean either is rushing to jump out of the marriage bed.

“The Bride Wore Demon Dust” by Lexi George
He’s perfection in a tuxedo—more so out of it—and on a mission to protect his Alabama gal from the mysterious mayhem intent on her destruction. But the bride is a spunky steel magnolia with special powers of her own, determined to drop-kick evil forces across the state line and give her slayer a run for his money

Visit Lexi by checking out her website www.lexigeorge.com You can read the first chapter of her debut book "Demon Hunting in Dixie".
Find Lexi  on Facebook www.facebook.com/Lexi-George
and Twitter twitter.com/lexigeorge12

Lexi has offered a 2 copies of So I Married a Demon Slayer to two commenters today. She is also answering questions today so if you have any ask away. Must be a follower of this blog, leave a comment and a valid email address. Ends Friday October 7th. Sorry US only.


Giveaway extended until October 10th. Monday!!!

Fun Fabulous authors and giveaways this week

I don't do alot of giveaways on my blog but this week there are 3 days of giveaways! Tomorrow Tuesday October 4th we have paranormal romance author Lexi George. Lexi is a newly published author with a funny and sexy debut Novel Demon Hunting in Dixie. Wednesday October 5th we have the wonderful Historical author Vanessa Kelly who is also a member of my Romance Biggest Winner team the naughty Nines. I'm going to be reviewing her latest release and asking her some interesting questions. Lastly on Thursday  October 6th we have paranormal romance author Erin Quinn. Her latest is releasing tomorrow. Haunting Embrace is the last in her Mist's of Ireland series. I'm going to review that book and be asking her some questions as well. All 3 will be taking questions and you can win books from them!! Don't miss it.

You must be a follower of this blog and leave a comment or ask a question to be entered for giveaways.

Mancandy Monday!!

WINNER!! Janelle Denison giveaway!

The winner of a paperback copy of Night after Night by Janelle Denison is:

Jeannie Lim!!



Email has been sent.

Thanks to Janelle Denison for offering this great prize and to everyone who stopped by and spread the word. More giveaways next week!!