Friday, April 27, 2012

Free ebook Friday!! Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan

Unfortunately It's come to my attention that this is only free now for Amazon Prime members. Last night when i put this together it was free for everyone. Sorry. Sometimes Amazon changes these at inopportune times like this one. My apologies.
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Beth Brown doesn’t believe in premonitions until she dreams a sexy stranger is gunned down during the brutal hijacking of a commercial airliner. When events in her dream start coming true, she heads to the flight’s departure gate. To her shock, she recognizes the man she’d watched die the night before.


Lieutenant Commander Zane Winters comes from a bloodline of elite warriors with psychic abilities. When Zane and two of his platoon buddies arrive at Sea-Tac Airport, he has a vision of his teammates’ corpses. Then she arrives—a leggy blonde who sets off a different kind of alarm.

As Beth teams up with Zane, they discover the hijacking is the first step in a secret cartel’s deadly global agenda and that key personnel within the FBI are compromised. To survive the forces mobilizing against them, Beth will need to open herself to a psychic connection with the sexy SEAL who claims to be her soul mate.

FORGED IN FIRE is exclusively available through Amazon. Get it here www.amazon.com/Forged-Fire-The-Series-ebook


Find out more about the author and the book here http://trishmccallan.com/


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Book Review: ( Wild Pleasure series book 2) Consent to Love by Abby Wood ( 18 and older please)

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Twenty-four-year-old small-town girl Ana Reynold serves beer at the local bar, tries to keep her beater car running, and dreams of a better life as a painter. If she can learn to make a decent steak, she might get promoted to cook—and earn enough for her real heart’s desire. Right now, that doesn’t include romance.


But when she meets a tall, dark and sexy Native American man named Kane, Ana can’t take her eyes off him—or stop thinking about him. But she’d better. Everyone knows the proud Lakota who raises horses wants nothing to do with a townie barmaid who’ll bring shame to his people.

Except Kane can’t get Ana off his mind. He proposes a red-hot weekend in bed, a no-strings affair to end Monday morning. Yet once Kane brings the outsider onto Lakota land, everything changes…

This is a short 219 page book. The man is hot the sex is hotter. You meet Ana in Consent to the Cowboy the first book in this series. Ana hasn't a lot of options. She just getting by basically. Working as a Waitress in a bar and taking cooking lessons from a friend so she can get away from all the grabby men and work in the back cooking at the bar. On the side she paints and sketches for personal enjoyment. She has no lofty ideas of marrying a rich man like her friend Daphne (from Consent to the Cowboy). Then she meets Kane. a local Native American and brother to Sarah the friend whose teaching her to cook. Kane lives on the reservation. Makes his living training horses and making saddles etc. that a man comes to get and sell for him. He's been burned by love before. At this point he's dedicated to staying on the reservation.  The two have a weekend tryst and that's supposed to be it but when it's over there's more feelings there than anticipated. What follows is a bit of a back and forth for both characters. Unsure of themselves at times they push each other away. Kane doesn't want Ana to have to deal with people who will give her a hard time about him being Native American. Ana is simplistic though and doesn't care what others think. She just wants to be with him. They finally figure it all out. This was a fun read but it was hard to follow a time line. It kind of jumps here and there and your not really given the actual passage of time. Didn't really bother me a lot though. It's a fun and short sexy read. Nice break from heavier reading. 3 out of 5 Modokker Book Picks.

Find out more about Abby Wood and her books on her website here www.authorabbywood.com

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Book review: The Witness by Nora Roberts

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"Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.


Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems—and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail’s reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something—and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed." - Penguin Group

This past week was a big week for Nora Roberts. The Witness came out last Tuesday as Nora Roberts 200th book. She doesn't disappoint with this light suspense/contemporary romance. The book is broken down in 4 parts. Elizabeth, Brooks, Abigail and Elizabeth again to finish. Elizabeth has a awful childhood. She was born and bred with one purpose to be what he mother wanted her to be. To be molded. At the age of 16 she took a stand against that and rebelled. It's not often teenage rebellion turns into death by Russian mafia though. In the first part you get young Elizabeth's story. What leads up to her whole life changing forever and being on her own at the age of 17 when she witnesses a violent crime. In Brooks part of the book you get a intro to him and his intro to Elizabeth now known as Abigail. The story goes through Abigail and Brooks and him  finally getting through to her that he's there for her. She can trust him. Elizabeth/Abigail is this amazing character. Her mind analyzes everything and she is extremely smart but lacking in some social areas because of her early upbringing. The woman is simply amazing. With all she's been through she's not bitter but she is cautious. She's got guns everywhere and a big ole dog to protect her. Knows how to look out for herself. Brooks is awesome. A Easy going guy with a big heart and enough humor in him that rubs off bit by bit on Elizabeth/Abigail. He teaches her about what it's like to really live. She never learned that as a kid. How to have fun and just be and Brooks gives that to her along with unconditional love. I loved all the characters. Probably Brooks the most but Abigail got into my heart. She didn't really have a life until Brooks came along. When he did she resisted at first because she had made her life a pattern. Surviving was her life. Staying physically alive and that's it. Once Brooks got under her skin she was finding it was OK to just be and do things that felt good just because she wanted to. This book feels like it's going to be suspenseful based on the first part where Elizabeth's past is explained but it's actually  more on the relationship of Brooks and Abigail and her finding her way to be free. I liked it a lot. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars. Congrats to Nora Roberts on her 200th book. Hope there are many more in her future to come.

Find out more about this book and Nora Roberts other works on her website. You can also access a excerpt there for this book. www.noraroberts.com

The Witness is available now everywhere books are sold.


Thursday, April 19, 2012

Book Sale alert! The Storm that is Sterling (Zodious series) By Lisa Renee Jones is on sale for 99 cents!

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He may be invincible to everyone else…


Sterling Jeter has remarkable powers and has shown himself to be just about indestructible. But beautiful, brilliant Rebecca Burns knows that even a Super Soldier needs comfort, and so much more…

But she can see that deep down, he’s just a man…

Sterling and Rebecca’s teenage romance was interrupted, but years later the heat between them flares back to life. Even though it endangers everything they’re fighting for, it’s impossible to resist picking up right where they left off…


Here's your chance to get the 2nd book in the Zodious series for 99 cents. Hurry sale ends April 30th.
Buy from Amazon kindle here www.amazon.com/Storm-Sterling-Zodius
Buy from B&N for Nook here www.barnesandnoble.com/w/storm-that-is-sterling

Find out more about this book and the Zodious series on Lisa Renee Jones website here www.lisareneejones.com

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Book Review:(Wild Pleasure series book 1) Consent to the Cowboy by Abby Wood ( 18 and older please)

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Surrounded by beer-swilling, skirt-chasing cowboys her whole life, barmaid Daphne Norris has no intention of ever settling for any of the men in her Podunk hometown. So when bronc rider Will Hanson sends shock waves to her core with just one glance from his striking green eyes, no one is more surprised than her.


But Will is no ordinary cowboy, and he can see that Daphne is no ordinary small-town girl. He can sense in Daphne the quiet strength and devotion needed to satisfy a man like him, a man who needs to be on top, in every aspect of his life.

Daphne hasn’t ever succumbed to her submissive desires before, and Will awakens her in ways she never imagined. While she’s not prepared to give him her heart, she agrees to Will’s offer of three days of intense pleasure, and then she’s walking. But Daphne falls hard and fast, and now she has a decision: return to a normal life, or give up everything for Will…


It's been a while since I've read any BDSM and when i started this i thought it was mostly jut plain ole garden variety erotica. Yeah... Not so much. Will knows what he wants. He's quite possessive and demanding. He also protects what's his. He wants Daphne. She helps him out at the local rodeo and he can't forget her. Tracking her down at her waitressing job with the local bar he proposes 3 days together. He's her Dom to her submissive. While Daphne likes being Will's sub she's is still nervous about whether she can fulfill all of his needs. She's had a rough life with her mom passing away and taking care of her while she was ill and her dad pretty much not being there for her or her mom. Will doesn't get along with his step dad and left home at 15 and fought for everything he has. He things Daphne is just the person to complete his life. The sex scenes are to die for hot in this book. a little blunt but it is BDSM/erotica so it's not totally out there. While Will turns me off sometimes he comes across as caring and loving other times. I liked that there was a story to go with all the crazy sex. If you read this please watch for the cherry smex scene. Quite impressive. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Consent to the Cowboy. This is a quick short read of 169 pages. The Title says it all.

Find out more about Abby Wood this book and her other work check out her website here. There's even a excerpt for this book. www.authorabbywood.com

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Book review: Under Fire (book3 Elite Force series) By Catherine Mann

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UNDER FIRE


“Elite Force”

May 2012

A decorated hero, pararescueman Liam McCabe lives to serve. Six months ago, he and Rachel Flores met in the horrific aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. They were tempted by an explosive attraction, yet parted ways. Still, Liam has thought about Rachel every day—and night—since.

Now, after ignoring all his phone calls for six months, Rachel has turned up on base with a wild story about a high-ranking military traitor. She claims no one but Liam can help her—and she won’t trust anyone else.

With nothing but her word and the testimony of a discharged military cop to go on, Liam would be insane to risk his career—even his life—to help this woman who left him in the dust.

Wow i think this is my first full fledge Catherine Mann book. Talk about exciting. This book takes off with the action right from the beginning. A Pack of hot and sexy in shape pararescue guys swimming  miles and miles and all the while playing a somewhat dirty word game. What a way to open a book. Liam or Major McCabe is thinking about retiring. He's not that old at 38 but for what he does he's getting to be ancient. Rachel Flores met Liam 6 months ago in Bahamas rescuing people after a earthquake. She and her dog were part of team sent there to work with Liam and his team of pararescue men. They had a big attraction for each other but Rachel was afraid of getting hurt so she held off. Back stateside she ignored his calls and him for 6 months until something happened and she needed his help.  Rachel is training therapy dogs because she is burned out on the rescue jobs right now and that's how she meets Lieutenant Brandon Harris a wounded vet with PTSD who has a secret that could get them all killed. He shares part of that secret with Rachel and when she tries to help she finds out that people don't believe them and someone is out to silence them. That's where Liam comes in. She goes to him for help and that quickly launches them in a race to survive and find out who is after them. In the middle of that they try to figure out what's between then which leads to some funny and some really hot sexy moments. I loved Liam and his team and Rachel is pretty kick ass tough. Both Liam and Rachel have to work through some pretty intense issues in the story as where they are with each other and with the threat against them. One thing i didn't care for was how many times it was brought up that he'd been married 3 times. At one point he tells Rachel about each one and why he married etc. It seems to stick out like a sore thumb. Rachel finally gets past that and has some big realizations of her own. This book was intense with some humor and romance thrown in to balance the whole thing out nicely. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars for Under Fire by Catherine Mann. This book is part of a series but can stand on it's own if you have not read the first two. For myself though I am getting and reading book 1 and 2 soon.


Find out more about Catherine Mann this book and her other work here on her website. There's even a excerpt there for this book. www.catherinemann.com



Friday, April 13, 2012

Free ebook Friday. A week at the Beach by Virginia Jewel

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Thanks to a scandalous affair, NYC girls Chrissy and Cami were banished from their usual beach vacation in the Hamptons. Needing to get away, Chrissy begged her stepfather for the keys to his family’s Outer Banks beach house. Darren needed to get out of LA, and his best friend Nick was delegated to keep an eye on him. Hoping to stay out of trouble, the boys flew off to the Outer Banks to spend a week at the family beach house. When the boys discover that the house is already occupied by two beautiful NYC girls, the fun begins.


What happens when these four very different, and very headstrong, people are forced to share a beach house? Will wild child Chrissy set her sights on one of the eligible bachelors? Has Darren learned his lesson and learned to behave himself? Will Cami and Nick survive the week with their undisciplined friends? More importantly, what will they each take with them from their week at the beach?

Get it free for Kindle from Amazon here www.amazon.com/A-Week-at-Beach

Find out more about Virginia Jewel on goodreads here www.goodreads.com.Virginia_Jewel

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Book review: Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins

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SOMEBODY TO LOVE


After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled…even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox.

Having to fend for herself for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC

I've read a small handful of Kristan Higgins books so far. All pretty good but this one i think i like the best. Parker Welles was rich and then she wasn't. In the blink of a eye literally she finds out she must move out of the mansion she's been living in and all her money in her trust fund and that of her young sons is gone. All of it gone. Her dad is going to prison and the feds are taking everything that's not in her name. She finds out she owns a house Maine and she's hoping that she can fix it up some flip and she'll be OK. Turns out the place is a dump. Really the place is loaded down with stuff. Turns the aunt that left it to her might have been a bit of a hoarder. James Cahill is her dads personal lawyer. Where Harry Welles goes he goes. He's the one who has to tell Parker who appears to hate him that everything is gone and she has no place to live.  Both Parker and James had traumatic events happen to them as kids that has damaged their hearts and souls. James decides he needs to help Parker with her house. He's got the skills as a carpenter he learned  from his dad so he shows up and moves into the house with Parker and they start fixing it up to sell.  What follows is a eventually a hot summer romance that maybe could be something more. This was a great book. I laughed and cried dammit. I felt a lot of things and i guess that's the point. All the characters were great. Lots of personalities to deal with and lots of changes for the main characters. This is a book that if i had a solid block of time to read i would read it in one sitting. I just wanted to see what would happen next. There are a few mysteries that are hinted at throughout the book that you can guess about before they are revealed. James and Parker each seems to have a separate journey to take to get to the point of taking another journey together. This was just a really full book with so much story. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and will. 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Somebody to Love. You'll laugh and often and cry too.

Find out more about this book and Kristan Higgins other work here www.kristanhiggins.com. There are a couple secondary characters in this book Ethan and Lucy. If you want to read about them scroll down on the book page and find The Next Best Thing which is their story. You can read a blurb and more for both books on her website.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Book review: Dangerous Secrets (Tall, Dark and Deadly series book 2) Lisa Renee Jones

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Tall, Dark, and Deadly #2: DANGEROUS SECRETS



THE HERO: Luke Walker—the middle Walker brother and a former Navy SEAL. He is the chameleon, able to get along with anyone, able to fit in anywhere. Growing up as the middle brother, Luke was always the one who kept peace between siblings, instinctively knowing how to calm tension. When he joined the
Navy SEALS, he found his steady, easy going, personality a tool under pressure. He liked the structure within the SEALS, the way the team resembled the family unit he once had been with his brothers and parents. Soon Luke became a leader, not just a fighter for the SEALS, but an injury stole his career and forced him to rethink his future. He took the change in stride, just as he does life. Now he’s home, playing mediator to his brothers again, and loving every minute of it. Still, he clings to his SEALS roots, and he’s more conservative than his brothers, very regimented. He wears his hair short and keeps his workouts intense. He is ready and waiting for the next place life will take him.


The story:

Being a divorce attorney for the rich and famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Julie Harrison has learned that love doesn’t last, and she’s sworn never to make the same mistakes as her mother, or her clients. She uses the games men play to keep them at a distance. The only man who managed to break down her walls was Luke Walker, a Navy SEAL who loved her and left her, and changed her forever.

When Luke arrives back in New York, running Walker Security with his brothers and having left his Navy SEAL days behind, he sets his sights on Julie, the woman he’s always wanted and couldn’t have. Except, she runs from him every time he gets close.

But now, one of Julie’s clients, a powerful judge, gets involved with a dangerous cartel, and his soon-to-be-ex wife ends up dead. Julie’s next on the list, and she finds herself on the run from those who believe she knows too much, and counting on Luke to keep her alive. In the deepest, darkest moments of the night, passion will bring them together while danger threatens to tear them apart. Can Julie and Luke trust each other and find their happy ending before they find … the end?

This is the 2nd book in the Tall, Dark and Deadly series but Lisa Renee Jones. The series is about the three Walker brothers and the women they love. Book one was Royce and Lauren's book and book two is Luke and Julie which will leave Blake for book three. In book one you get a intro into all the brothers.  They are all tall, capable and sexy as hell. They have the kind of relationship you wish you could  have with your siblings. Family loyalty to each other. In this book Luke had a relationship of sorts with Julie before. A month long affair while he was still a Navy seal. When they parted ways he felt there was something more there but wasn't sure Julie felt the same.  Now they find themselves together again when they are both trying to catch a flight home for Royce and Lauren's wedding ( Lauren is Julie's best friend). Seems like they end up stranded by a snow storm at the same hotel. Julie has a problem though. At the hotel she feels like she's being watched. The threat follows her home.  It seems the judge she is representing in a divorce might be up to no good and his soon to be ex comes to see her to warn her and next thing you know the wife is dead. Supposedly committed suicide but she's cremated and buried before if can be investigated. Now someone is after Julie because they thinks she knows something. Luke's protective instincts kick in and in turn heats up the vibes between the two. Lots of action, mystery, great sex scenes and figuring out who exactly is the bad guy. I loved the dialog between the brothers and between Luke and Julie and although throughout the book Julie is kind of dragging feet she really catches up fast at the end. Great book. 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Picks Stars for Dangerous Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones.

Find out more about this book and the entire series on Lisa Renee Jones website here www.lisareneejones.com Then go to her blog to find out the big contest that is associated with the release of this book. You can find that here www.lisareneejones.com/blog. Good luck!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Book review: The Highlander's Prize by Mary Wine

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BASTARD ROYAL DAUGHTER, PAWN IN A DEADLY GAME


Sent to Scotland to be the king’s mistress and produce an heir, Clarrisa of York has never needed a miracle more. But the brusque Highland laird who kidnaps her is a bit too rough to be considered divine intervention.

HE’LL DO ANYTHING TO THWART HIS KING

With rival lairds determined to steal Clarrisa from him and royal henchmen searching for her allover the Highlands, Laird Broen MacNicols has a mess on his hands. Worse yet, there’s a magnetic attraction berween them, although he’s betrothed to another. But even an independent–minded lady like Clarrisa knows that a Highlander always claims his prize…

 This is my first Mary Wine book. I think i picked up a free ebook from Amazon by her a while ago and that was my intro to her books. I saw The Highlander's Prize on Netgalley.com and the cover spoke to me. I love a great cover and in my opinion this one evokes the sexy strength i think all Highlanders are duty bound to have. lol Clarrisa finds herself in a terrible place. Basically sold to a King who only wants to use her to further his own ambitions. Broen vows to steal her to help himself and his fellow Scots against said King. What Broen didn't anticipate is the effect Clarrisa would have on his heart and soul. This book was good but it felt like it took me a long time to get to the halfway point. I can't really pinpoint a reason why. I will say that once i did reach the halfway point it really picked up for me. Much of the beginning was Broen and Clarrisa and then you start adding in the other characters in the story. The sneaky stealing of Clarrissa from Broen and how he gets her back. There is plenty of action and wondering how it this ever going to work out because it seems pretty impossible. I really thought a time or two that Clarrisa was going to switch hero's on me. I really liked this and the fact that you weren't sure how it would end. I think you get a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. Hopefully for the next book? 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars for The Highlanders Prize by Mary Wine.

This is available right now. Find out more about Mary Wine and her books on her website here www.marywine.com . You can read a excerpt for this book there too.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Free ebook Friday Wicked Werewolf Night by Lisa Renee Jones

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THE WORLD:

These are the stories of the elite Royal Guard who protects both the wolves of the Society and the innocent humans. For a century now, the natural born werewolves have been in the midst of a civil war. The Rebels would make humans a food group, rather than living with them in peace. The war is a distraction from a bigger problem, THE REDS. The Reds are wolves created by a virus much like the rabies virus. The RED virus turns humans into vicious killers. Now the Society must fight the Reds and the Rebels to protect humanity.


Natural born wolves live hundred of years, again very slowly. They have an uneasy alliance with the Vampire world, as you will learn in the first three books of the Vampire Wardens. It is not necessary to read the Wardens first though I think its a good introduction into this world.

A witch after his secret. A wolf after her pleasure.


Nico Moore is the leader of of The Werewolf Society’s elite Royal Guard. Aylia Richardson is the witch who calls to the beast in Nico, but destiny has also made her the keeper of a gift that threatens the very existence of his race. To destroy this gift will destroy this woman…the only one he has ever dared to call ‘mate’.

Buy it from Amazon for Kindle here www.amazon.com

Find out more about Lisa Renee Jones and this book as well as her other work here www.lisareneejones.com

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Do you save your favorite books? The Bride by Julie Garwood

This is the original cover in 1989
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A later cover which most of you might recognize.
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By edict of the king, the mighty Scottish laird Alec Kincaid must take an English bride. His choice was Jamie, youngest daughter of Baron Jamison...a feisty, violet-eyed beauty. Alec ached to touch her, to tame her, to possess her...forever. But Jamie vowed never to surrender to this highland barbarian.



He was everything her heart warned against-an arrogant scoundrel whose rough good looks spoke of savage pleasures. And thought Kincaid's scorching kisses fired her blood, she brazenly resisted him...until one rapturous moment quelled their clash of wills, and something far more dangerous than desire threatened to conquer her senses...

Sigh I love this book. Just finished re-reading it for the probably 50th time??? yeah....

How many of you re-read your favorite books? Do you have keepers that you love so much you can't bear to let them go? I do. To be honest i have at least 7 boxes of various sizes filled with books by authors i can't bear to let go. I'll borrow them to friends to spread my love for these books and authors but I make sure they come back. In between new releases i re-read these. If i need a comfort read i go to one of these boxes and pick whatever strikes my fancy. I keep a handful of these by my night stand for when i can't sleep. Julie Garwood and Nora Roberts were the first two authors that made my keepers list. I bought a few Nora Roberts books at my local libraries used book sale several years ago. I had not read since high school due to work, stint in the Army and having small children. It was actually the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers and all the talk about it that got me to try reading again. After reading that series i was kind of stuck not knowing what to read because i didn't know any authors. Luckily a friend dragged me to the used book sale where i picked up Miss Nora. I had Nora Roberts then so i read and read and read and finally decided a couple months later i should try someone else too. Who though? My friend was reading a Julie Garwood book and I looked it over ( she was reading it and wouldn't let me have it right then lol). I went to the library to see what else they had by her. I checked out Murder List and was very hooked on Julie in no time. This is where my love for the Scottish highlanders came from. I had a copy of Shadow Music from somewhere and i kept thinking I don't want to read some old historical. It's probably really stuff and boring. One day I decided to at least read the first chapter. If i didn't like it i would give it away or donate it. HA!! I think i read that book in one sitting and stayed up half the night. I think most if not all Julie Garwood's back-list is now in ebook form for those of you with ereaders who love Julie Garwood like i do or who would like to give her a go. She only writes one book a year and i wait patiently although sometimes not so patiently for it to come out. This year we're waiting for August to come around.

I would love to hear about your list of keepers if you would like to share. Do you keep books or at least re-read books if you have a ereader only? Do you have a list of authors that you always buy and always keep? Who are they and why do you love them? Here's a short list of mine.


Julie Garwood
Nora Roberts
Jill Shalvis
Susan Mallery
Linda Lael Miller
Christine Feehan
JR Ward
Lori Foster
Debra Kayn
Dana Marton

This is my long standing list. Authors I've been collecting so to speak since i started reading again several years ago. I have discovered many more since then.  I confess i can add to it right now but it would get really long. Many have been around for a while that i just didn't have the opportunity to read ( to many authors not enough time in the day). In the past year though I have discovered more and more debut authors. Brand spanking newly published authors. Please be sure to give these authors a try as well as the more established authors. There are really good books by some really great authors everywhere. Best place to start finding these fine people is on Facebook and twitter but i think a even better place in through reading blogs. All kinds of blogs. Even authors have blogs where they talk about not only their own work but work of fellow authors. The romance community is kind of a family and most everyone is really nice and helpful. Most authors are down to earth real people just like everyone else out there. My blog has links to several blogs to the left side of this post. I encourage you to start there and see where it leads you. Almost every blog has a blog list like mine so you can keep finding new authors and books and reviews that way.

PS Some new debut authors I've read and enjoyed in the past year are:
Sierra Dean
JB Lynn
Besty Horvath
Heather Snow
Jenn LeBlanc
Jodie Griffin
Lexi George

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Book review: Enraptured (Book 4 Eternal Guardians) by Elisabeth Naughton

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ORPHEUS—To most he’s an enigma, a devil-may-care rogue who does whatever he pleases whenever he wants. Now this loose cannon is part of the Eternal Guardians­—elite warriors assigned to protect the human realm—whether he likes it or not.


Orpheus has just one goal: to rescue his brother from the Underworld. He’s not expecting a woman to get in the way. Especially not a Siren as gorgeous as Skyla. He has no idea she’s an assassin sent by Zeus to seduce, entrap, then ultimately destroy him.


Yet Skyla herself might have the most to lose. There’s a reason Orpheus feels so familiar to her, a reason why her body seems to crave him. Perhaps he’s not the man everyone thinks… The truth could reveal a deadly secret as old as the Eternal Guardians themselves.

This is the first Elisabeth Naughton book for me. I was aware of this series and wanted to read them but never got around to it until Enraptured came up on my radar. I think i saw information about it on twitter and thankfully Netgalley.com had it. I started it hoping that not reading the first 3 books in the series wasn't going to be a bad thing. I was drawn in pretty quickly in the first chapters and decided i was going to like this book a lot. Orpheus is on a mission to save his brother who was sent to the underworld. Gryphon was always the worthy one the good that was a real hero. Orpheus feels tremendous guilt that he is free and his brother is stuck in the underworld being tortured in ways he can't fathom. His mission puts him in contact with a Skyla a Siren who works for Athena and Zeus. Skyla has been a Siren for thousands of years. Essentially she was hiding from herself after something happened to her with the man she loved who she discovers is Orpheus reincarnated. In the beginning she doesn't trust him. In his old life he hurt her terribly and she cannot let herself go there again.  As the story goes on their relationship evolves. It can't be helped the attraction is there no matter how hard they try to deny it. Both keep getting flash backs but only Skyla knows what the flash back or visions are. Orpheus was given a second chance a new soul by the fates to prove himself but he was never supposed to remember the past. When he's with Skyla something about her triggers the visions and he doesn't understand what they mean.  This is a fast paced story it moves a long quickly and there is plenty of action. You get to see many of the Argonauts in action as they come to Orpheus and Skyla's assistance in getting to Gryphon and bringing him home. It's a journey of love and trust and finding something in yourself you didn't think you were capable of. Orpheus comes to care for Skyla deeply and Skyla finds she never quit loving him in the first place. Then there is this realization at the end that could make it all come crashing down. Wow what a ending. I was afraid that Ms. Naughton was going to go in a different direction that what i was hoping for. lol I will say for me anyway that this book would probably have been better had i read the first three books. You can read as a stand alone but some of the secondary stuff will not make as much sense and you have to make assumptions on some things. The story between the two main characters is solid though. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Enraptured ( love that title) by Elisabeth Naughton. I plan on reading the first three book in this series and following along with whatever book comes next in this series.

Find out more about Elisabeth Naughton, this book and her other works here www.elisabethnaughton.com . There are excerpts there for all four books as well.

Available for purchase now at these retailers •Amazon•Barnes & Noble•B-A-M•Borders•Chapters•IndieBound•Powell’s

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Book review: Surrender by Pamela Clare

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A hand-picked cadre of warriors, they had the fierce courage of their Scots forefathers, combined with the stealth and cunning of the Indians who lived beside them in the wilderness. Battling the French in no-holds-barred combat, they forged a new brand of honor, became a new breed of men…


MacKinnon’s Rangers

Iain MacKinnon had been forced to serve the British crown, but compassion urged him to save the lovely lass facing certain death at the hands of the Abenaki. He’d defied his orders, endangered his brothers, his men and his mission, all for a woman. But when he held Annie’s sweet body in his arms, he could feel no regret. Though he sensed she was hiding something from him, it was too late to hold back his heart. In love and war, there are times when the only course of action is… Surrender.

This book was recommended reading by my friend and author Jenn LeBlanc. She gushed over this 3 book series by author Pamela Clare so i decided i needed to check it out and see what i was missing. Surrender is the first is the The MacKinnon's Rangers Trilogy. Iain MacKinnon is the oldest of the three brothers. Iain is forced into service and charged with forming a rangers to take on the french for the British Crown. Of course his two brothers Connor and Morgan can't let him go it alone. Iain becomes Major MacKinnon or Mack to his fellow rangers.  One day Iain almost literally runs into Lady Anne or Annie and Iain comes to know her. Annie is running for her very life and Abenaki Indians are after her. They've already killed and she's to be next. Iain's not supposed to let himself be seen but he can't help but save her.  This was a odd book for me. Not in a bad way. Just that is was different from other historicals I've read.  The twist if fusing the Scottish Highlanders with Mahican Indians was not something I've ever read before. The Scottish banter was interesting and done enough to get it without getting overwhelmed by it because let's face it after a while you want to rip your hair trying to read it. Loved the three brothers. They are close and as loyal as can be and that really goes for all the rangers. All with different personalities. There's more than one bad guy but the one guy  Lord William Wentworth you love to hate by the end. He's not all bad just partially bad. lol  It's really the love story of Iain and Annie that gets to you. The misunderstandings and the things they do to protect each other are huge.  You are pulling for them to get together and make it work. Pamela Clare puts this great ending on that Iain and Annie deserve after all they go through. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book picks for Surrender by Pamela Clare.

Find out more about Pamela Clare this book and her other works on her website www.pamelaclare.com .She writes more than just historicals so check her out. You can find excerpts to her books including Surrender as well as other fun stuff.
As a side note there is a newer version of this book with bonus material etc. I read the original version.