Book review: Touch of Twilight (Anthology) Erin Quinn,Calista Fox and Mary Leo

A Chill at Twilight

By Calista Fox
Hell Hath No Fury Like a Best Friend Scorned…

With her country music career in a downward spiral, Rachel Holt returns to her hometown of Onyx, Texas. There, a sexy cowboy named Luc Winston and a ghost as ominous as the town’s namesake awaits her. Not only is the ghost of Rachel’s best friend, who died seven years ago, haunting the Whispering Willow Inn where Rachel is staying, she’s terrorizing Rachel.

Believing Peyton’s ghost feels slighted by her long absence and her sizzling, rekindled romance with too-hot-to-handle Luc, Rachel tries to make amends with the scorned spirit. Only to discover a web of secrets and lies that leave her questioning whether Peyton’s death was an accident, as reported…or murder.
But can she survive the ghost’s fury long enough to get to the truth?

A Shadow at Twilight
Mary Leo
When is love enough?

Hilly Thomson must once again give up her much-anticipated vacation in favor of her overbearing boss’s needs. Granted, her boss, Dillon Spencer, is now in a deep coma from a nasty car accident, but still…

To make matters worse, his spirit keeps appearing, mostly while she’s in the shower, asking questions and teasing her with his charm and sexy good looks. Before long this kinder, gentler Dillon has won her heart. But Dillon wasn’t alone in his car on that snowy road, and when he learns of the tragedy surrounding the accident his desire to return to his life is in question. Now Hilly, with the help of a few spunky, notoriously famous hotel ghosts, must convince Dillon that his life is worth fighting for, and nothing in this world or any other world can stop her from loving him, not even the threat of his returning to his old overbearing self.


A Shiver at Twilight
Erin Quinn
Destiny brings them together, but ghosts of the past try to tear them apart . . .

When Carly Ryan answers her friend's SOS on Halloween, she has no idea she'll end up stranded in a haunted house. But circumstances conspire against Carly and her rescue mission soon becomes a night of terror. Only the appearance of JD Dover helps her fight off the ghosts that lurk in every corner. Sexy, capable and undaunted, JD is more than happy to be Carly's knight in shining armor. Despite the creaking walls and eerie footsteps, despite the inexplicable ghostly happenings, Carly and JD can’t fight the attraction that consumes them and the passion that burns in their blood. Their coming together feels fated, but is it destiny or something more sinister that has drawn them to this haunted house? As they explore the attraction flaring between them, they fight to stay alive—but neither can guess the identity of the enemy they face or the lengths to which that enemy will go to cover up its sins.

All i can say is wow. I like anthology books i really do but it kills me when i read them and wish for more. It's a good sign but frustrating too. I find myself thinking man if this author had another 100 pages to work with to expand the story wouldn't it be awesome!?? Oh yeah. All three of these had that effect on me especially Calista and Erin's novella's. Mary's seemed much shorter than the other two but i could see her novella expanded to. These are ghost stories and i think that gives a author a liscense to have a little more fun. It felt like it anyway especially when you started reading about famous people as ghosts. I've got a say i am not much into thrillers and these all have a touch of thrill especially Erin Quinn's A Shiver at Twilight which she warns you about right before you start reading. I can definitely say i felt the chill she was going for but luckily the romantic bits were also there.  All three of these were really delighful romances if not a bit scary and creepy too. The perfect mix. I am not new to Erin Quinn's writing but this is different than her Mist of Ireland series. Far as i know I have never read Calista Fox or Mary Leo so it was a cool intro to their work as well.  4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Touch of Twilight. Find out more about these three authors by checking out their websites.
Erin Quinn
Mary Leo
Calista Fox

Update on me and my journey with Romance Biggest Winner!

Ok i meant to do this the first week of October which was the halfway point of Romance Biggest Winner. BUT like it happens sometimes i didn't get around to it and then forgot for a bit. We are heading into week 17 i think it is and more than halfway through the challenge. I have lost 22 lbs at this point. Feels good but my goal was 30 by January 5th which seemed crazy at the time but totally doable now. Fingers crossed!!!  Now that it's gotten colder I have pretty much given up outside exercise with one exception. Tell you about that in a minute. I primarily use my Wii for exercise. I use Zumba for Wii which i rent for $1 for 3 days at the library. Cheap way to try before you buy. I also use Wii's Gold's Gym too. They both give you a full body work out in dance form but Zumba seems to work my legs more and Gold's gym the arms more.  I also use My Fitness Pal online and for iPhone to track my calorie intake and exercise. It even keeps track of hip, thigh and waist measurements and exercise. I love it for iPhone i can take it with me anywhere and check calories etc.  Back to the one exception for outside exercise. I participated in my first 5 K in over 20 years this past Friday. Walking not running. I used to run in high school. I actually have not walked for exercise in a month so i was a bit leery BUT!!!! i ended up coming in first place in my age group with a time of 39 minutes and 36 seconds. I think i could've done better but i was figuring my way through the whole thing and it was dark. It was a Halloween walk. Pretty cool deal. I got a nifty medal for my trouble and bragging rights against my mom who does these all the time and was sure she'd beat me. She came in a couple minutes after me.  Anyway i am a bit worried about December. No one give me candy please. If you do it better be the really really good kind worth killing my calorie intake for the day. lol Lastly i want to share a couple before and after pictures. Well not the before one but you need it for impact. First one was taken July 5th or about and the 2nd Oct. 8th and that was at 18 lbs lost i believe. Follow along every Wednesday when results are posted on the Romance Biggest Winner blog to find out how everyone including me is doing. You can also search for the hashtag #RBW on twitter to find out what participants are saying. My cool team of authors and readers are called The Naughty Nine if you want to find us in particular. The Romance Biggest Winner blog is here http://romancebiggestwinner.blogspot.com/. Check there tomorrow to see how we all did with today's weigh in.

Lisa

 

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