Guest Author Post: Carolyn LeVine Topol and Character-Driven Stories *Book Giveaway*

KB: I met Carolyn a few weeks ago at the NYC Rainbow Book Fair where Dreamspinner Press had a table chockful of their books. If you're a fan of M/M fiction, definitely check out what Dreamspinner Press has to offer. Carolyn was voted the #8 Best New M/M Romance Author of 2009 at Goodreads and has five releases out.

I have been writing fiction and non-fiction for a number of years but only began to explore the option of having my fiction published a couple of years ago. It has been an exciting journey and I have enjoyed sharing my stories with a number of readers, a number of whom follow my updates on Live Journal (carolyn_l_topol) and Facebook (Carolyn Topol).

I feel honored and privileged to be invited to visit KB’s blog today and appreciate the opportunity to share this day with all of her readers!

One of my main focuses when I begin to write a new novel or novella is to get to know my protagonist(s). I strongly believe the main character drives the direction of the story and leads me to a logical conclusion. While in my writer mindset, each evening, before I go to sleep, I close my eyes and imagine myself as the character who is driving the next part of the story forward. He or she takes me on his or her journey of discovery, pain, fear, and romance. I actually visualize the actions and adventures the character is experiencing and fall asleep with those images on my mind.

By the time I wake the following morning I can’t wait to grab a shower, a cup of coffee, and begin to write all that was revealed to me the previous night.

In my first novel, entitled “Veiled Security”, the night before I was to write a particularly terrifying experience Del endures, I actually awoke from a nightmare. As the character moved past his ordeal, following his heart and body to recover from a frightening terror, I too became more and more uplifted.

In my second novel, “Waves of Fortune”, as the mystery unfolds and the two main characters become closer, both they and the reader also grow closer to learning the identity of a murderer in their midst. The light nature of the mystery, akin in style to that of an Agatha Christie intrigue, makes it no less challenging to wade through the small group of suspects, each one having a motive to have carried out the deed.

Even throughout my less intense pieces, true contemporary romances, such as “Healthy Obsession” and its sequel, “A Risk Worth Taking”, the characters run the show. They tell me when they’re ready to connect both physically and emotionally with the person they are clearly meant to be with.

My most recent release, the novel “Seasons of Change”, follows a life-changing year for a young rabbinical student. He faces the emotional challenges of moving past a lost love to finding and accepting new love, while at the same time dealing with his estrangement from a family who has sadly remained judgmental of his desire to come out of the closet and still be an active part of his religious community. This moving drama was written by the main character, Andrew, as he journeyed through a difficult time in his life to come out the other end as a whole, loving, passionate man.

This coming summer, Dreamspinner Press will be releasing my light-hearted series of three long novellas. “The Male Room” trilogy explores the ups and downs of finding love in the world of online dating and how three very distinct and different sets of men allow themselves to fall into the new age of dating.

Each story, set to be released consecutively throughout the summer months of June, July, and August, takes its main characters through the tangles that can arise despite the assistance of the sophisticated world of internet matches.

“The Male Room”, followed by “The Attorney” and “The Playwright” all demonstrate how, despite the perfectly suited profile, the people involved make their matches work... or not. Each man directs his romance to its logical conclusion.

I have to admit, there are times I feel like the character is whispering in my ear as my fingers take to the computer keyboard. Each of my stories enables the reader to follow the thought processes important to the lead character or characters. While I would love to determine the finale of the story, it only reaches my personal choice for conclusion if it makes sense for the character involved. No one can force anyone to make choices that are inappropriate and I believe my stories follow that line.

Plot forced stories are just that -- forced. The novels I have written, and will continue to write, allow the main characters to unfold, sharing with me how they intend to resolve the challenges and obstacles facing them. The one thing I can always guarantee is love will win out, for while I won’t challenge my characters choices, they live in the mind of a true romantic at heart.

I hope you’ll stop by my website (www.carolynlevinetopol.com) and take a more detailed look at all the stories I’ve written so far. I have just started a new novel. Hopefully you’ll get to see that one in the not-too-distant future.

Synopsis: Andrew Klein is going through the motions of life. He was one half of a perfect couple, and then tragedy struck, leaving Andy alone and consumed by grief. While his friends rallied around him, Andy is estranged from his Orthodox Jewish family, who find his sexual orientation and desire to follow the tenets of the more modern Conservative sect of Judaism intolerable. Despite the loss, Andy continues in rabbinical school, and then he finds comfort in the company of Jake Singer.

With the encouragement of his dear friend Kira and the unselfish support of a wonderful mother figure, Andy begins to face his growing interest in Jake, and the two begin a tenuous relationship. It will cause a cascade of change in Andy's life, change that will affect how he deals with the painful past, how he lives in the rocky present, and how he'll plan for a brighter future

Carolyn has a copy of Seasons of Change to give one lucky reader! Just leave a comment here by Tuesday, May 3rd for your chance to win.

Guest Author Post: R.A. Vaughn on Why She Writes M/M Romance *Book Giveaway*

KB: I met R.A. at the Liberty States Fiction Writers' Conference back in March. R.A. is one of the founding members of the conference and writes M/M romance. I asked R.A. to stop by and talk about why she writes M/M romance and about her release, The Demon He Knows.

Thank you to Katie for inviting me to guest blog today. Who am I? Well, I answer to two names, R.A. Vaughn and Rayna Vause. As Rayna I write paranormal romance, and as R.A. I write M/M paranormal romance. If I’m not writing I’m getting caught up in a video game, planning my next trip to Disney World, or attending karate class. I’ve worked my way up to a green belt. You can find me at my website www.ravaughn.net, on twitter @Rayna_Vause or on Facebook.

So now that you know about about who I am, let’s get to the fun stuff. Let’s talk about LGBT romance. Who out there loves LGBT romance? I know I do. I’m especially partial to M/M, although I do enjoy F/F and multi-partner stories where everyone plays together as I like to say. For me, though, there is something so sexy about two (or more) strong men making themselves vulnerable to each other, bucking the norm, and grabbing their happiness. That’s why I submerged myself in reading it and eventually started writing it. I still remember the first one I read. It was a book called Easy by Ally Blue. I remember reading the book blurb and being really intrigued, but hesitant. I wasn’t really sure I’d like it. I mean I’m not a gay man. Would I be able to connect to the characters? Would it be able to hold my attention? But I’m really open to going on whatever ride an author wants to take me on, so I gave it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did. It opened the door to a trove of fabulous books by amazingly talented authors, full of angst and the pursuit of love.

What made me sit down and write one? In large part it was to see if I could. I love to learn, hence my three and a half (I’m a few credits shy of completing a 4th degree) college degrees. So writing an M/M romance was an educational exercise for me. I wasn’t sure if I could create realistic gay men, and I really didn’t want to fall into stereotypes. I wanted to write a story about two guys who happen to be romantically interested in other guys. Something I’m always saying is you don’t know until you try, so that’s what I did. I learned something interesting while I was writing. I found it easier to connect with my male characters then with my female characters. I wish I could explain why. I think it’s just how my brain is hardwired. At any rate, three quarters of the way through writing that book, I saw a call for angel and demon stories go out and the ideas started sparking. You see this was really up my alley because not only could I write M/M, but I could also indulge my other love, paranormal romance. I’m a huge paranormal romance fan. I’ve always been attracted to paranormal stories. When I was a kid I readi books like Witches by Roald Dahl, The A Wrinkle in Time series by Madeline L’Engel, and The Bunnicula series by James Howe. So, when I started writing, it was natural for me to create these types of stories. I love the freedom of writing paranormal because the only thing that limits you is your own imagination, but I digress.

I scrambled to finish the book I was working on, sat it on my ‘I’ll-edit-this-later-’ shelf, and jumped into the new story. I procrastinated for about three weeks tweaking the plot until I was happy with it. Once I settled into the story I charged ahead full steam, hence The Demon He Knows was born. Unfortunately, the story did not get acquired for the anthology. Those are the breaks in publishing, but just because one house didn’t want it didn’t mean another wouldn’t be interested. My novella eventually found a home with Lyrical Press.

So now comes the shameless self promotion part of this post. Let me tell you a little bit about The Demon He Knows.

He’ll do anything to protect the man he loves…even sacrifice himself.

Fifty years ago, Zavier became a Collections Demon in order to save his lover’s life. He hates his job, but once you make a deal with Corporate South, there’s no backing out. Answering a routine summons, he never expects to come face to face with his reincarnated lover.

Ryan Monroe is a desperate man searching for a way to save his dying sister. His attempt at summoning a soul collection demon to exchange his soul for his sister’s life finds him face to face with Zavier.

For the first time in years, Zavier’s life has purpose. Despite his employer’s disapproval, Zavier intends to rebuild his relationship with Ryan. Corporate South has other plans.

Can Zavier and Ryan find a way to break free of Corporate South and beat death?

Warning, this book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.

The Demon He Knows (available now from Lyrical Press) was really a fun story for me to write and I am currently working on the next book in the series. If you enjoy M/M romance, I hope you’ll consider checking it out.

So now that I’ve told you a bit about me and my writing I want to hear from you. If you’re a fan of LGBT romance, why? What appeals to you about this genre? What are some of your favorite books? (I’m always looking to add to my TBR pile. LOL!) If you have any additional questions for me, I’m happy to answer!

I’ve got a free copy of my novella for one lucky commenter by Monday, 5/2.

Thanks for stopping in today and thank you again Katie!

Want to Melt Into a Pile of Too Cute Bunny Goo? *Video*

Nom Nom Nom!

I was waiting for the bunny on the left to try and eat his buddy's head.

KB Pimpin' Future Releases

Some future releases to keep your eye on...

I saw this cover over at Book Smugglers and it gave me chills. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd (Candlewick Press, May 2nd).

Synopsis: The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming... The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.

We finally see how the  twins, Felicity and Thalia's parents fell in love. Lord Langley Is Back in Town (Bachelor Chronicles #8) by Elizabeth Boyle (Avon, May 31).

Synopsis: Lord Langley and Minerva, Lady Standon, began their faux engagement with three simple rules set down by the baron's all-too-proper (and utterly unlikely) bride-to-be.

1. No more kissing. The intoxicating kiss Langley stole from her lips still has Minerva aflutter.

2. She will not share his bed. (For if his kiss is that tempting, Minerva doesn't dare imagine what a night in Langley's embrace will do to her already addled senses.)

3. No scandals during their engagement. With the infamous Langley back in Town, there is no lack of trouble he can bring to Minerva's unblemished reputation.

Oh, the wily Lord Langley will keep his word—but that doesn't mean he won't use every rakish trick he knows to get Minerva to break her own proper rules, especially once he realizes that this convenient arrangement has led him to the only woman he's ever loved . . .

An author triple hit here! Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane and Jill Myles have come together in an anthology. This will be self-published and released in June.

Synopsis:

Kitten-tiger & the Monk by Carolyn Crane - A Disillusionists novella: Sophia Sidway, Midcity's most dangerous memory revisionist, seeks out the mysterious Monk in the wasteland beneath the Tangle turnpike, hoping for redemption...but it turns out that the Monk is not all that pious, and the turnpike is no turnpike at all.

Mina Wentworth and the Blushing Bounder by Meljean Brook - An Iron Seas novella: Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth isn't pleased when she discovers that her new assistant is the prudish Constable Newberry. With a brutal murder to solve, the last thing she needs is to be shadowed by a disapproving bounder. But while the search for the killer puts their lives in danger, Constable Newberry faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay?

Vixen by Jill Myles - A Midnight Liaisons novella: Miko's denied her were-fox nature for far too long and turned her back on her vixen heritage. But when she meets two very sexy cat-shifters, she has to decide if she truly wants to give up on her frisky side, or embrace it. Because the were-fox in her doesn't want to choose between both men...it wants them both.

Looks like a spooky, disturbing love story. Dead Rules by Randy Russell (Harper Teen, June 21st).

Synopsis: Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were destined to be together forever. Of that, Jana was sure.

But Jana just died—in a bowling accident. And now she’s trapped in Dead School. Jana is certain that it won’t be long before Michael kills himself in order to spend eternity with her—but the days are passing and Michael is, inexplicably, still alive. So Jana decides to take matters into her own hands. And nothing—not even Dead School bad boy Mars Dreamcote’s enticingly warm touch or the devastating secret he holds about her death—will stop her from making her dreams come true.

Romeo and Juliet meets Heathers in this hilariously macabre take on paranormal romance, packed with heart-stopping suspense and sizzling star-crossed love.

The Bed and the Bachelor (The Byrons of Braeborne, #5) by Tracy Anne Warren (Avon, July 26th).

Synopsis: Everyone knows the Byron brothers are “mad, bad and dangerous.” But the devilishly desirable fourth son, Drake, is too scholarly to misbehave…or is he?

Lord Drake Byron has no time in his busy life to worry about taking a wife. He is more interested in the unbreakable code he has developed to defeat Napoleon’s forces. Little does he know that the irresistibly lovely new housekeeper he’s hired is really a French secret agent.

Sebastianne Dumont is not at all who she seems to be. Forced to spy to save her family, she embarks on a mission that takes an even more dangerous turn when she falls in love with the surprisingly tempting man she must ultimately betray. And if she succeeds in her mission, will she also break Lord Drake’s heart, while leaving her own behind?

Heart Search (Celta's Heartmates #10) by Robin D. Owens (Berkley, August 2nd).

Synopsis: Noble Laev T'Hawthorne must rebuild his life after marrying a woman he believed was his HeartMate, only to fall victim to her greed.

Abandoned at fifteen, Camellia Darjeeling values her independence above all-even as her father and uncle emotionally scourge her and extort money. For Camellia, trusting men, even her HeartMate, is too risky.

When Laev and Camellia meet, they refuse to acknowledge that they are true HeartMates. But their destiny cannot be avoided...

Cheri on Top by Susan Donovan (St. Martin's, August 30th).

Synopsis: Sun-drenched beaches, designer-label clothes, drop-dead-gorgeous boy-toys…all paid for with a series of high-risk real estate deals. That’s the lifestyle Cherise Newberry and her BFF Candy enjoy after leaving rural North Carolina for Tampa—until the market tanks and they lose everything. Cheri is surviving on Ramen Noodles and temp jobs when she gets a call from home to come back and run the family’s small-town newspaper. Just one catch: She’ll become the boss of her high school crush—and former brother-in-law—who might have the power to crush her all over again…

But Cheri is surprised to see how “bad boy” J.J. DeCourcy has grown into the hard-working and principled managing editor of The Bigler Bugle. Still, according to Cheri’s bitter sister, he’s not to be trusted. If Cheri’s going to co-exist at the with this sexier-than-ever man from her past, she needs to stay professional—and keep her distance —even though he sets her on fire. When they’re handed the biggest news story in the town’s history, Cheri must trust J.J., even it means putting her life in danger.…and her heart on the line.

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (Delacorte, September 13th).

Synopsis: Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love

Another Dystopian YA that is the best YA in the history of ever! Or so the publisher would like us to think. We shall see. Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu (Puntam, November 29th).

Synopsis: The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history....

Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.

Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.

Only one person could be responsible.

Day.

And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.

The truth they'll uncover will become legend

More sexy man chesty goodiness from Larissa Ione! Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #2) by Larissa Ione (Grand Central, December 1st).

Synopsis: Sexy, powerful, and immortal, Limos is on a crash course with destiny. She’s been marked as Satan’s bride and her jealous fiancé wants her all to himself. The only way this Horseman can keep herself—and everyone else—safe is to keep her distance. But not even Limos can save herself from the secrets she’s kept . . . or resist the seductive allure of one very brave human.

Arik Wagner knows the saying “love hurts” better than most, yet he never thought stealing a kiss from Limos would land him in Hell. Literally. It takes all his military training to survive the demon torture, but once he’s topside, Arik realizes that the agony has just begun. With the Apocalypse looming and Satan demanding his bride, will Arik and Limos surrender to the desire smoldering between them? Or will giving in to their passion unleash hell on earth?

How Would You React If You Found Out Your Child's Teacher Wrote Romance Books as a Second Job?

It seems to be a slow news day for for WNEP, Channel 16 out of Snyder Counter, Pennsylvania.

Parents are in an uproar over an English teacher in Snyder County with 25 years of experience who's also a published author of romance. The author is Erotic Romance novelist, Judy Mays, who writes for Ellora's Cave and Changeling Press.

Why do I automatically think of the Salem Witch Trials in regards to this?

And can you believe these quotes given for the article?

Parent Deanna Stepp said the evidence is clear. "She is teaching children that are under the age of 18 and definitely the books that she is writing are adult books. I think she needs to make a decision as to what she wants to do. Either be a school teacher or author," Stepp said.

"I was shocked. If you are a teacher you shouldn't be doing that," said former student Shanette Apple.

"I was sort of shocked.Sitting in her class I had no idea. She is a good teacher but I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes," said former student Drew Hollenbach.

Question, how does WNEP know that Judy writes "racy novels"? Did they read any of her books?And also a book being considered "racy" is subjective. What level of raciness are we talking here?

Judy has kept her job as an author separate from her job as a teacher, and I can pretty much assume she wasn't reading passages of her books to students during class.

What's the big deal? And why are parents in an uproar? They treat this as if Judy had a side job as a stripper or worked for an escort service. What if this was a male teacher who wrote horror books about serial killers or gruesome murders? Would the parents be upset then?

If you were a parent and found out your child's teacher wrote what some considered to be "racy" novels, would you be upset?

I think we have more important hings to worry about such as bullying in high school trying to get teens to read than putting an educator like Judy on trial over something so silly as writing romance and making a second income.

Why not lend your support for Judy and leave a comment on WNEP's Facebook page?

Long Time Coming Book Review *Scarlett Parrish*

Scarlett Parrish is a new to me author. I found out about her from Fiction Vixen. Long Time Coming was released last May, and if I had known about the book last year, it would have been in my top 10 of 2010. Long Time Coming is so full of win and a book I’m giving my call to action for readers to buy. The book is well worth the price, and one you’ll adore reading as much as I did.

When a hero such as the snarky, tell it like it is Irishman, Leo Carson, almost puts another to die for Irishman hero known as Roarke from JD Robb’s In Death series to shame, you know an author has created something special. Long Time Coming not only excels with the storytelling and an amazing hero, who had me begging for more, but has unique and emotional love scenes with a touch of erotic kink. Leo is the reason to get your hands on Long Time Coming. He puts the swoon in swoon worthy.

Long Time Coming is told from the first person POV of Piper Holt. Piper is bored with her recent boyfriend, Andrew, and after a less than mediocre romp in her bedroom, she throws him out. Andrew has no clue that Piper was so unhappy, or rather, he didn’t care to notice. There are some instances alluded to where Andrew has a temper and Piper was on the end of a few of his tirades. Piper doesn’t want to be tied down to one man. She wants to have fun, mainly some flings or one night stands since she’s so young (only 24 years old). She doesn’t want to be managed and wants to live life on her own terms.

After a false start where she brings her brother’s friend home for a night of fun, which ends with him admitting his love to her, Piper is back at square one. She just wants to have a no holds bars sex with a man who doesn’t want anything else in return. One night while trolling at a bar, she meets Leo. They hit it off and make plans to meet up elsewhere. One things leads to another and Piper invites Leo back to her place. Not only does he have her up against her door, but in her bedroom for hours. Leo gives Piper too man too count orgasms. Leo is raunchy, snarky and unbelievable dirty. He tells Piper in graphic detail what he wants to do to her. Piper is a puddle of lusty mush when it comes to him. After their night together, Piper doesn’t want it to end. Leo invites her to spend the weekend at his place, where they’ll have a ton more lusty relations between them.

Leo is a dream come true to Piper, but one who makes her very confused. Piper loves how Leo treats her, as well as pushes all her buttons. She can’t get him off her mind and this upsets her because even though she doesn’t want to admit it, she has fallen for the Irish stud with the body tattoos that makes her drool. While she’s all for giving Leo her body and finding her pleasure with him, she tries her best to shut down her emotions where’s he concerned. But Leo won’t allow Piper to do that. He wants to be her knight in shining armor, especially when it comes to her ex-Andrew, who wants revenge for Piper rejecting him. Leo is more than willing to come to Piper’s rescue, but that means she’ll have to open her heart to him. And that’s something she is unwilling to do and because she’s emotionally stunted that way.

Scarlett has created something special with Leo, the sex god lion. I adore Leo with everything I have inside me. This is a man who’s cocky, but in a loveable and sexy type of way. The moment Leo appears, you’ll be star struck by him. Piper takes some time to warm up to. When we’re first introduced to her, she comes across as immature and a bit cruel. I chock it up to her age and how she feels adrift in her life, especially with love. She’s a girl who just wants to have fun and can’t accept it when man to comes into her life and takes control of the relationship. Leo does that in his own way without backing Piper into a corner. What’s so special about Leo is although he comes across as a bad boy, he’s not at all. He may be in charge in the bedroom, but deep down he’s a big old pussy cat, a gentleman who treats Piper like a princess. Leo has money and a flashy lifestyle that worries Piper because she has the complete opposite. But Leo doesn’t rub that in her face. He enjoys being with Piper because of who she is. He wants to take care of her because he has that instinctual need in him. Leo has cavemen like tendencies and makes no excuse for them.

Roar! I'm Leo the sex god lion

If you’re looking for excellent raunchy and smuttastic sex scenes, look no further! Long Time Coming has them and more. Leo is a giver and I’m surprised Piper could still walk after Leo got through with her. There’s one scene where all Leo has to do is rub Piper’s lower back while they’re having sex and she falls apart. She also gets off on Leo’s very blunt way of speaking. Leo doesn’t have a filter and the things that come out of his mouth will have you hysterical.

Here’s a small taste of some Leoisms:

“Piper: “I’m just trying to examine you for signs of body art."
Leo in return: "If I said I had a tattoo on my cock, how closely would you examine that?"

And when Leo talks to Andrew on the phone:

“Unfortunately Piper is unable to come to the phone right now... Um, well you see...she has her mouth full." Leo’s gaze never wavered from mine as he added, "Of my nuts.”

Leo is a very chatty fellow and I can’t remember the last time I’ve read a book where the main couple talk so much to one another during sex. It was refreshing and cute.

The ending is a bit abrupt for my tastes. I wanted one last love scene between Piper and Leo before things ended because these two connected so well together with not only their bodies but their minds.

I just can’t get enough of Leo and how he romances the stubborn Piper. Scarlett has written the best type of hero you can think of. Long Time Coming is one romance that really should be given high marks for excellence. This is one not to be missed. READ THIS BOOK and fall for the charms of Leo Carson. (Available from Carnal Passions)

Final Grade: A-

Scarlett will stop by here on May 5th, one year to the date since Long Time Coming was released. She tells me she has a shower scene between Leo and Piper that was deleted from the final copy and one she may post here for all to read.

For Fans of Cherry Adair... HUSH Out Now!

Title: Hush

Author: Cherry Adair

ISBN: 9781439153826

Price: $7.99 ($9.99 CAN)

On sale: 4/26/11

New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair introduces an edgy, sexy new suspense series with this exhilarating international tale of hide and seek.  Book #1 in the Lodestone Trilogy.

A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise.

Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world's highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death—where they don't know the rules.

A one-night stand that will change his life forever.

Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, deathdefying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak's life . . . until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense.

An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences.

Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game: a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead—at any cost.

Follow My Lead Book Review *Kate Noble*

There’s a famous song from the 1934 Cole Porter Broadway show, Anything Goes called “It’s De-Lovely.” The chorus goes as follows- “It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely”. I can’t help but hum this song when I read a Kate Noble book. Her books are all of these things- delightful, delicious and lovely.

Follow My Lead is a light hearted, on the road romance between the hero and heroine who match wits while falling in love with one another. The hero, Jason Cumming, Duke of Rayne made quite a splash in The Summer of You. I love Jason, and not only because he’s a redhead. In that book he was too young and immature, but so very lovable and endearing. Now in Follow My Lead, Jason has come into his own. As a duke, he feels the next logical step is to get married because Jason is about to turn thirty. His sister Jane still likes to coddle him and wants him to find the best possible woman to be his wife. She prefers he fall in love with his wife, just like she has fallen in love with her husband. But Jason is more practical. When his brother-in-law, Bryne asks him why he wants to get married, Jason replies that marriage is the next logical stage in his life. How romantic of Jason to think this way.

While Jason maneuvers through the parties, searching for his future bride, a Miss Winnifred Crane has come to London. Winn is on a mission to be accepted as a member of the Historical Society that only allows men. Winn thinks she has an “in” because she writes under a pseudonym, as the well-respected C.W. Marks. When she meets with Lord Forrester, the head of the Historical Society, she explains how he gave a letter of introduction to her father, inviting Marks to join the society. Forrester assumes Winnie’s father was Marks and doesn’t believe her. Winnie’s cousin George then says he’s Marks, which causes Winnie to take action. She’ll prove that the painting hanging up in Forrester’s office isn’t by the artist he believes it to be.

Winnie has a lot going against her. First of all she’s a woman alone and her cousin George, who expects to marry her, wants to stop Winnie on her hunt. George has waited far too long to claim Winnie as his own and will do whatever he can to sabotage her. But he doesn’t expect Jason to accompany them. The moment Winnie smacks Jason in the face by accident, he finds Winnie equally strange but fascinating. He’ll escort her to the Port of Dover where she, George and their companion, Totty will board a ship that will take them across the channel to Calais. But Winn has something else up her sleeve. She has tricked everyone and plans to take a ship to Hamburg, Germany. Winn has lied to get out from under the thumb of George. Jason follows Winn, thinking she got on the wrong ship. But when he realizes what she’s done, he’s forced to go along with her.

Winn rather go on the journey alone, but Jason being such a gentleman, won’t allow Winn to go off unprotected. Unfortunately, Jason doesn’t have any of his funds readily available and he and Winn must find ways to make money to keep from starving. They meet a few choice characters among their travels, and Winn is always looking over her shoulder because she knows George will figure out what she’s done and come for her. As Jason and Winn rely solely on each other, they soon follow each other’s lead into their arms and in their hearts.

Plucky comes to mind, especially with Winn, who may have lived in a small town and preferred books over people, but when her father dies, and she ventures off to London, she’s finally free for the first time in her life. Winn is honest and forthright, especially around Jason. I love a heroine who befuddles the hero, and Winn definitely does that where Jason is concerned. But Jason takes everything all in stride. He doesn’t act lofty with his nose up in the air like most his lordish counterparts and his adventure with Winn is a breath of fresh air for him.

One of my favorite passages in this book is where it finally hits Jason that Winn is the woman for him. When he first meets Winn, he doesn’t find her attractive, but respects her intelligence and stoic manner. While Jason is doing some manual labor for money, he comes to the conclusion that Winn’s hair isn’t just plain brown, her face no longer small and her eyes sparkle. He loves how he finds out that Winn has breasts and she’s full of energy and light. This is where his regard changes for her and he wants her as a man wants a woman he desires. Jason is smitten and nothing Winn can do or say will change his mind.

I loved Jason and Winn’s banter. Kate Noble had a way with words and dialogue. These two complete each other perfectly. The love scenes are not overly passionate, but have just the right amount to keep the reader happy. Also, Jason is more a beta than an alpha with an instinctual need to protect Winn, but never forces her to do what he wants. He treats her like an equal in every way.

Follow My Lead is the best in what historical romance has to offer. If there’s an author you should be reading, it’s Kate Noble. This is one book that shines in every possible way. (Berkley)

Final Grade: A-

**Kate Noble will be here on Monday, May 2nd where you can win you chance for a copy of Follow My Lead**

Book Release Alert! Sleeping with the Frenemy by KT Grant *Update*

I have some news to announce! **The release date has been changed**

Sleeping with the Frenemy

A Lesbian Romantic Thriller coming from Ravenous Romance on May 5th

Synopsis: Deborah Murnay has a life most women would die for. She has a loving wife of four years who gives her anything she wants. But, Deborah hides a dark secret. Her wife Genevieve not only enjoys kinky, dangerous sex, but is insanely jealous and possessive. When a violent argument between the two leaves Deborah bruised and battered, she has no other choice but to run away.

Through some intricate planning on Deborah’s part, she’s able to trick Genevieve into thinking she’s dead. Deborah becomes Sharon Wade and ends up hundreds of miles away in the small town of Woodberry Creek where she can start over again, even though she lives in fear that Genevieve will find her and kill her.

When grade school teacher Bridgette Woodberry notices her new neighbor, she quickly figures out Woodberry Creek’s new resident is hiding something. Deborah knows she can’t have a future with Bridgette, but finds herself attractive to the kindhearted redhead whose kisses and warm embrace makes her feel protected.

As Deborah turns to Bridgette to help heal her scars, Genevieve is waiting for the right moment to take back her wife and make her pay for deceiving her.


Excerpt from Chapter 1...

The howling of the coyote in the distance gave Deborah Murnay a chill. She wrapped a towel around her body after rubbing in the vanilla-scented lotion her wife had ordered special for her from Paris. Deborah could barely stand the smell of vanilla any longer, but since Genevieve enjoyed the scent, and always took time out of her busy day to kiss a part of her body covered in the lotion, Deborah wore it nevertheless.

Ignoring the howl of another—or possibly the same—coyote, Deborah walked out of her bathroom and into her bedroom where lying on her king-sized bed was the short gold dress she planned to wear for the season opener of the Peyote Springs Opera House. The opera always started the year with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s 1853 La Traviata. The first time Deborah had seen the tragic opera, she cried. The second time she was overcome by the beauty of the music. Now, her fifth time, she was bored. Even though Genevieve hired a tutor to teach her Italian, Deborah could barely understand a word of it. Genevieve loved going to the opera, which they tended to do every three months. Deborah would rather see something more modern, like a Broadway show, but since her wife found popular musicals gauche, Deborah kept her mouth shut.. Genevieve would expect it no other way.

The clock on the far wall released a soft melodic ping. Deborah had less than a half hour to get dressed before they had to leave. Sighing, she pulled a comb through her damp highlighted blond hair that would dry soon enough in the Nevada heat. At six in the evening, it was still a stifling ninety degrees. Her dress was perfect for tonight, and for the after party that always followed. They always attended, since Genevieve was one of the opera’s generous patrons. Deborah hoped Genevieve wouldn’t be upset by her wearing gold instead of the standard white she wore on Sundays.

Pulling open a drawer, she found her beige thong. Her lips curved as she almost decided to go buff; a small surprise for Genevieve in case she wanted to play with her under her skirt. But she wasn’t that outrageous, so she concealed herself with the small scrap of fabric. Searching through the pile of underwear and socks, she found the small shiny box she planned to give Genevieve before they left. Inside lay a silver locket with her picture in it—even though she purchased the jewelry with Genevieve’s money—in celebration of their anniversary tonight.

I can’t believe I’ve been with the same woman for so long. Deborah turned her diamond-covered wedding band around her finger and took a moment to reflect as the blazing orange sun dipped below the horizon.

The bedroom door opened and in walked Genevieve, wearing a short tight black dress complete with a choker and high-heeled sandals that added even more height to her five foot eight inches. Deborah held her breath, stunned by Genevieve’s beauty.

Genevieve held a small box wrapped in silver and left it on the dresser as she rested her hands on Deborah’s shoulders and smiled. Deborah smiled softly, her heart speeding as it did whenever she was in Genevieve’s presence. Her wife’s straight, copper-toned hair falling down past her shoulders complemented her wonderful dark tan. Unfortunately for Deborah, she didn’t tan as well as Genevieve, even with the smattering of Native America blood that had been diluted centuries ago.

“Dearling, why aren’t you ready yet?” Gen pursed her lips, tilting her head to the left as she examined her.

Deborah stopped herself from wincing. She hated when Gen called her dearling. She’d rather be called ‘my sexy nurse’, as Gen sometimes said. It reminded her who she was and where she came from.

“I wanted to take the extra time to look perfect for you tonight.” Deborah wrapped her arms around Gen, lifted up on her toes, and kissed her under her ear. Gen shivered and tightened her hold. Deborah closed her eyes and inhaled Gen’s scent—a combination of aloe and papaya. They stayed like that until Gen’s hand went under her towel and caressed her bottom, her thumb drifting into her thong and brushing in between her ass cheeks. Deborah stiffened and almost clenched down on her wife’s roaming finger.

Gen released a husky laugh and stepped away. She removed her hands and wagged a finger in front of Deborah’s face. “If we had another hour to spare, I’d lay you out on our bed and rim you until you screamed, but you’re running late.”

Deborah blinked at the crude words Genevieve used to explain the intimate act she enjoyed doing. And the emphasis on how she was late, and not we, had been noticed as well.

“Give me ten minutes and I’ll be already to go,” Deborah said and dropped her towel, contemplating whether or not she needed to wear a bra. Genevieve observed her openly through the mirror as she fluffed her hair.

Before she could pick up her dress, Gen walked over and held out the box. “I know you’ve wanted to open this since I came in the room. Happy fourth anniversary, dearest.”

Genevieve gave her a kiss and her tongue went deep into Deborah’s mouth, licking the inside of her cheeks and eliciting a moan. Deborah almost fell back onto the bed when Gen tweaked her nipples and rolled the hard nubs with her thumbs. When she went to slip her hand inside Gen’s bodice, Gen backed away, breaking the kiss. She patted Deborah’s mouth with her manicured hand and laughed.

“Open your gift,” Gen urged and Deborah slowly untied the bow when all she wanted to do was rip it apart.

She took her time, building up the anticipation, and when she pulled off the lid, her jaw dropped at what she saw on lying on a red satin pillow.

“Oh, it’s breathtaking.” Deborah lifted up the fragile gold strand with a small diamond in the middle.

“It’s not a necklace, but a belly chain. Knowing this will be tied around you would please me immensely.”

“Like a collar?” Deborah joked weakly.

“You can call it that if you’d like.” Gen took the chain from her and latched it around her waist.

Deborah stood in front of the mirror admiring her gift. Gen fingered the chain and dipped lower, cupping her mound and pressing her fingers in deep.

“Thank you. I love it as much as I love you,” Deborah said in a husky whisper and spread her legs apart, hoping Gen would push aside her panties and play with her clit for a minute or two.

Gen laughed again and backed away, leaving Deborah hot and frustrated. She loves teasing me. Hiding her irritation, Deborah went over to the dresser to give Gen her gift.

“Before I forget, I have your—” Deborah turned around, finding herself alone. Her beautiful gold dress was missing, and when she glanced over at the walk-in closet, Gen came out holding a silky white tank top that gaped low in the bodice, and a matching miniskirt. Deborah had only worn it once when she and Gen had gone to Las Vegas for a weekend getaway. This type of ensemble was suited for a dance club or a casino, but would be very out of place at the opera.

“Did you forget it’s Sunday, dearling?” Gen asked, placing the outfit on the bed.

Deborah’s pulse increased. “I thought I’d shake things up a bit. I bought the gold dress to impress you. I know how much you love the color.” Deborah flicked her anniversary gift for emphasis.

Gen gave her an easy smile, although irritation lurked in her eyes. “You’re sweet, but I prefer we stick to protocol. Don’t you agree? We can’t have you going back to wearing ratty T-shirts or those horrible-colored scrubs you once wore.”

Deborah shut her eyes for a moment to stop from saying something that would lead to an argument. Those scrubs Gen always denigrated were what Deborah had worn when she worked as a nurse for her sick mother.

She opened her eyes and gave Gen a remorseful smile. “Sorry. I hate disappointing you.” She looked down at the bright white, very expensive outfit. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“That’s perfectly okay. We all make mistakes,” Gen responded and gave her a delicate kiss, gently rubbing over her small brown mole near the right corner of her mouth. “How about I help you with your makeup?”

Deborah gave Gen a full smile. She loved when Gen did her makeup. “Oh yes, please.”

Gen pulled her by the hand and into their bathroom where not only did Gen make her look beautiful, but also well loved and pleasured since they did have five extra minutes to spare.

Guest Author Post: Is There a Noelle in your Life? by Diane Chamberlain *Book Giveaway*

Please welcome Diane Chamberlain, the award-winning author of twenty novels and New Jersey native (like me!) Diane is here to talk about her latest release, The Midwife's Confession, that will be released tomorrow from Mira. If you like books with a combination of romance, family drama, intrigue and suspense, then you should check out Diane's books.

I bet every one of you has known a woman like Noelle, the midwife in The Midwife’s Confession--a woman who's passionate about women’s health and who has devoted herself to others. She runs a program to help babies who need special care, is an advocate for the environment, eats healthy food and would do anything for those she loves. She lives in a small, cramped house that she doesn’t care all that much about: it’s shelter, that’s all she needs. And she owns a cat, of course! Does she sound familiar? I only hope the Noelle you know doesn’t carry a secret like the Noelle I created. Of course I’m not going to reveal what that secret might be, but it might cause you to look at the people in your life—not just the Noelles, but everyone, including your best friends--and wonder what deep wounds they’re hiding.

Noelle loves her two closest friends, Tara and Emerson. They’ve known each other since their college days. You may be lucky enough to have friendships as deep as theirs. If not, you probably wish you did. These three women couldn’t be closer. They’ve celebrated the joys in their lives and consoled one another over their losses. They think they know everything there is to know about one another . . . but they don’t.

I love writing about secrets. My previous career was as a psychotherapist and hospital social worker and I’m well aware of the damage secrets can to do to families and friendships, as well as to the person who holds them. I’m not giving anything away when I tell you that Noelle’s secret becomes so weighty and painful that it causes her to take her own life. Tara and Emerson, shocked that their life-embracing friend would do such a thing, decide they must figure out why. They have no idea the magnitude of what they will uncover until it’s too late.

I’ll let you in on my own secret. When I wrote the first couple of drafts of The Midwife’s Confession, Noelle had no point of view in the book. It was my editor who suggested I allow her to tell part of the story herself, and what a difference it made when I gave Noelle that opportunity! She took me back to her past where she revealed things even I hadn’t imagined about her. By doing so, she not only surprised me but gave my readers a far richer story as well.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading The Midwife’s Confession. The next time you think about your friends, you may find yourself looking at them a bit differently . . . and loving them even more for all their flaws.

Synopsis: When Noelle Downie is found dead of an apparent overdose, her best friends Tara and Emerson are left blindsided by her death and struggling with burning questions. Everything they knew about their longtime friend—her natural calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—portrayed a woman who completely embraced life, not someone suicidal.

Clearing out Noelle’s small home, Tara and Emerson encounter old photos, handwritten birth records, and sincere thank you notes from Noelle’s former patients—no hint that Noelle had been unstable during the years leading to her suicide. But among Noelle’s belongings, an unfinished letter is discovered—a clue to a disturbing past and an unbearable secret. With just one piece to the puzzle, Tara and Emerson commit to digging deeper for clues, slowly peeling back years of hidden deception that had been silently tearing apart their best friend.


Bestselling author of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Lies We Told, Diane Chamberlain returns with her twentieth and most gripping novel to date, THE MIDWIFE’S CONFESSION (Mira Books; May 2011, $15.95), about two women who embark on a investigation of their best friend’s untimely death, ultimately revealing a powerful secret that threatens to destroy everything they thought they knew about her.

Contest! I have one copy of The Midwife's Confession to giveaway. In order for your chance to win, just leave a comment here by Thursday, April 28th. Open to US and Canadian residents only.

WTF Or Not? You Decide

Here comes the WTFckery!

1. Plagarism is the worst type of WTFckery. A writer by the name of Christine Phoenix, who was going to have her debut novel out with Siren Bookstrand , was caught plagarizing from J.L. Langley's With Love. Teddy Pig has all the information on his blog about this.

Since then Siren had taken down Phoenix's book and wouldn't you know it that Phoenix has taken down her blog and the excerpt from I Will Follow You.

Here's a small taste of what was found:

Christine Phoenix: I Will Follow You

"Sebastian looked around and took everything in, trying to decide who he would tear apart first. The clearing was surrounded by trees. It was roughly the size of half a football field. This must be where the pack met and shifted on full moons since it was far outside town. If a werewolf had the ability to shift, the pull of the full moon was too much for them, and they shifted. Sebastian didn’t have that problem. Lycans learned to control their shift at puberty. The location was good for him, no witnesses to their fight, and it was good to be close to the earth, surrounded by nature As a shape-shifter, his magic was defined by the elements, so he was stronger if surrounded by its source.

The fragile Omega went limp, nearly succeeding in making the two men holding him let go. It didn’t work, but it surprised them all enough to allow the little man to get a good kick in. He hit the third man, who was wrestling with his pants, right in the mouth. Blood flew as the man’s head jerked to the side. Blood splattered over the Alpha."

J.L. Langley's With Love

"Dev looked around and took everything in, trying to decide the best point of attack. The clearing was surrounded by trees. It was roughly the size of half a football field. This must be where the pack met before they hunted on a full moon.

The Omega went limp, nearly succeeding in making the two men holding him let go. It didn’t work, but it surprised them all enough to allow the redhead to get a good kick in. He hit the third man who was wrestling with his pants, right in the mouth. Blood flew as the man’s head jerked to the side. Crimson splatters splashed over the Alpha."

2. Is it just me, or when an author wins a very prestigous award, they start having diarrhea of the mouth? Jennifer Egan really has such disdain for Chick Lit? Who knew she was such as Lit-Fic snob? From The Frisky:

"A Visit from the Goon Squad, a novel about the ravages of time on characters working in the music industry (to distill it way, way down) got so much attention from publications like The New York Times Book Review this past year. The Wall Street Journal interview Egan about winning the Pulitzer Prize for the book.

"Smack dab in the middle of her verbal happy dance about winning the award, while discussing what she’d like to see from other female writers, Egan trashes the chick lit genre:

“My focus is less on the need for women to trumpet their own achievements than to shoot high and achieve a lot. What I want to see is young, ambitious writers. And there are tons of them. Look at The Tiger’s Wife. There was that scandal with the Harvard student who was found to have plagiarized. But she had plagiarized very derivative, banal stuff. This is your big first move? These are your models?... My advice for young female writers would be to shoot high and not cower.”

"When she says “the Harvard student,” she’s referring to Kaavya Viswanathan, a very young novelist whose first young-adult work of fiction, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life, plagiarized veteran chick lit authors Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, and Megan McCafferty. The book was pulled from the shelves by publisher Little Brown and Company, and Viswanathan’s contract for a second book was canceled. It was ugly.

But Egan’s disgust isn’t about the plagiarism — it’s that Viswanathan wanted to write chick lit. Judging by the quote, Egan thinks chick lit is “derivative,” “banal,” and not shooting “high.”

How sad Ms. Egan to show your snobbery. I hope it keeps you warm at night.

3. Raise your hand if you have a zarf. What's a zarf you may ask?

"Originally, a zarf was a metal chalice keep the heat from your coffee from burning your fingers. The name for the fancy cupholder has morphed into the modern-day cardboard sleeve that comes wrapped around your hot coffee."

A cozy sounds better than a zarf, doesn't it?

4. A peeps topiary? A whole lot of sugar high going on here. From Craftzine:

5. Perfect way to stop robbers from stealing your purse: From I Haz a Cheesburger:

6. I'm in love. Walls made out of books in a resturant! How WTF awesome is that? From the Gothamist:

"David Bouley's long-delayed Japanese restaurant Brushstroke, which puts 12,000 boring old (recycled) paperbacks to good use as the walls in the bar/lounge. Bouley is not in the kitchen for this venture, which was inspired 15 years ago by his Japanese friend Yoshiki Tsuji, who runs a culinary institute in that country.

A team of chefs from across Japan staff Brushstroke's kitchen, overseen by Chef Isao Yamada, who owned his own restaurant Hana-Eiraku (where he earned 3-star status from a top gourmet magazine). Brushstroke’s "vast" repertoire of dishes—we're told 10,000 have been developed—will be currently available 8-course ($85) and 10-course ($130) menus in the main dining room. It's not a sushi restaurant, but a separate á la carte menu, as well as a full selection of sushi, will be available in the bar and lounge. Both dining rooms will have a complete selection of wines and sakes."

7. For those who have a hot dog fetish. From Gizmodo:

"Nienke Klunder's rocking hot dog sculpture. Apparently eight were made from fiberglass, aluminium, leather, maple wood and chrome." Giddy Up!

8. Would you wear a dress made of Starburst wrappers to the prom or say, another fancy affair like a wedding? I wonder if someone can make me a M&M dress? From News Record:

"Grimsley High School senior Kelly Henriksen made her prom dress and accessories -- and her date, Max Spiewak’s, bow tie -- out of Starburst candy wrappers. Spiewak asked her to the prom by spelling out the invitation in Starburst candies. Henriksen, 18, made her dress from duct tape, masking tape and about 450 individual wrappers and 20 packages of Starburst candy.

“A couple of years ago, I made an iPod case from Starburst wrappers, and I saw a dress made out of newspapers and I thought 'I can do that,’” Henriksen said.

“I picked Starburst because the wrappers are made of wax-covered paper,” she said. “It’s more sturdy, and the candy doesn’t stick as much.”

The dress started out as a class project for her honors art and design class. her art teacher Kat Kraszeski said."

9. Bearded dude is a bored dude who has nothing else to do with his time but try and stick 3000 toothpicks in his old man time beard.



10. And your Regretsy WTFckery is a T-shirt that looks like it's covered in roadkill. Would you wear this work of T-shirt art?

And for those who are celebrating Easter today, I leave you with one of the most awesome WTFckery scenes in a movie. I give you the killer bunny scene from Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail:

Three Books That Didin't Work For Me

The reason I picked up Hollywood Spank by Shoshanna Evers because of the title. I did a combination groan and chuckle over it, and after reading the blurb about a big Hollywood actor who’s into spanking, I thought this would be a nice little steamy BDSM erotic romance. Unfortunately, Hollywood Spank is ridiculous and not cute or naughty in regards to the romances I’ve read where there’s a case of a dominant/submissive relationship between the two main characters. If an author is going to have BDSM as a main storyline, even with something as simple as spanking, they really should do some sort of research on the topic. I found none whatsoever in Hollywood Spank. And what’s worse, the spanking wasn’t titillating or sensual in any shape or form.

Andrea wants to be taken seriously as a reporter, but is a lowly secretary to an oily tabloid publisher. When she answers an ad for a personal assistant online she never thought it would be for leading man, Mark Cannon. Mark can’t keep an assistant because one of the job requirements for the position is to be spanked by him. Why? There’s really no reason given, other than he gets off on it. Andrea lies and says she has experience in BDSM and spanking. She’s hired. Not only does she give Mark his coffee and pick up his dry cleaning, but she’ll bend over, lifted her skirt and allow Mark to give her some bottom abuse. She finds out she enjoys it and soon Mark is falling for her. His spanking leads them to more intimate pursuits. But Mark has no idea about Andrea’s job with the tabloid and her boss who lurks around expecting her to expose Mark with every tawdry detail of their relationship.

Even with my issues with the inane spanking, there was absolutely no sexual connection between Mark and Andrea. These two are dull together. I even yawned during one love scene. The sex was more than underwhelming, and because of that, I couldn’t finish this sloppy and stale romance. This one was DOA (dead on arrival). An interesting concept that fails big time in the delivery. (Available at Ellora’s Cave)

Final Grade: DNF

Other Hollywood Spank reviews:
Happily Ever After Reviews
Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

The Reluctant Nude by Meg Maguire was one I thought I’d really enjoy from all the buzz and raving reviews behind it. Halfway through, this story stalled for me. The major reason was the underdevelopment of the heroine, Fallon Frost. We’re told she has some deep seated issues and doesn’t seem comfortable with affection. I really couldn’t see it at all because of not showing and using the good old fall back device of telling to get a point across. Fallon is too one-dimensional and flat. I didn’t believe at any point the chemistry and passion world-renowned classical sculptor, Max Emery has for Fallon. Meg tries to make a good case why Max is attracted to Fallon and wants to break down those self-imposed walls she has placed around her, but the way it’s shown doesn’t have enough reasoning to back it up.

Fallon is trying to save her house from an evil, rich man, who we only see in passing through phone calls Fallon has with him. Fallon will be able to keep her house if she poses nude and has a sculptor made into her likeness by Max. With no other choice, Fallon accepts and will spend the three months it will take Max to create this work of art. He thinks Fallon is doing this for her fiancé and since he’s been given a great deal of money for the commission, he has no qualms about doing it. Right from the beginning he figures out Fallon is hiding something and he’ll get to the bottom of it. Max has a way of taunting Fallon into opening up, which slowly evolves into an interesting friendship between them that leads into the bedroom. As Fallon puts her heart on the line, she’ll eventually have to leave Max for her life she has put on hold, as well as try and tell him the truth about the why she’s being sculpted into stone.

I found Max to be very appealing as a playful, hermit like Frenchman who loves to eat and drink wine. Fallon is just too weakly written to keep up with him and carry along the story and the growing sexual tension between them. Max’s courting of Fallon is very slow until it builds up and explodes. The love scenes were tastefully done, but again because I couldn’t believe the bond Fallon and Max have created, I wasn’t involved emotionally. The writing isn’t bad, but I wasn’t swept up in what should have been a grand and all-consuming romance. (Available at Samhain)

Final Grade: C

A few other The Reluctant Nude reviews:
Alpha Reader
Book Utopia
Penelope's Romance Review

The reason Emily and Einstein caught my eye is because I’ve enjoyed Linda Francis Lee’s books in the past and the cover has a dog on it. Also the idea of one of the characters finding redemption and being reincarnated in a dog to right the wrongs he’s done to his faithful and loving wife has great appeal. I thought this would be a tender reflection from the male protagonist with great character study and a bit of a romance. But this book fails for me because I couldn’t stand the two main characters. They have nothing to recommend for themselves. Emily and Einstein is somewhat cruel in its telling and has a major lack of heart I was hoping for.

Sandy Portman is ready to tell his wife, Emily he wants a divorce. Before he can, he’s hit by a car and dies. He wants a second chance because he feels he still has a life worth living. He’s given this second chance by his soul being placed into a stray dog. Coincidentally, his widow adopts him and names him Einstein. Sandy can’t believe he’s in this mongrel and must witness Emily’s breakdown he’s responsible for. She finds out how deceitful he was by cheating on her throughout their marriage, leaving her to be a victim to his mother who never liked her to begin with and wanting to take away the home Emily created that Sandy never put in her name in his will. Now Emily may end up homeless and lose her job. But then a hunky neighbor appears suddenly to lend support and is the total opposite of Sandy in every way. Sandy has to figure out how to help Emily find joy in her life again and forgive him before he can move on himself.

It’s such a shame Linda couldn’t have created better characters with Sandy and Emily. Sandy is horrible, plain and simple. He’s selfish, egotistical and he doesn’t change at all during the course of the story, even as Einstein the dog. (He may have, but I decided not to finish the book). Emily isn’t much better. I understand her hurt and depression because of what Sandy has done to her, but her actions have left much to be desired.

I feel when someone loses their partner due to death, they should have a mourning period before they move on and date or attach themselves to the next person they want sexually. Emily ends up making out with the hunky, blue collar neighbor soon after Sandy’s death. Now I know she’s in pain from finding out what a jerk Sandy was, but climbing all over your neighbor for some sort of comfort doesn’t garner my sympathy.

Why did Linda have to make all the other characters as cold and calculating individuals? Just to make Emily suffer more for the sole purpose to find the inner strength to rise above her problems? Making caricatures of these characters, who I expected to twirl their mustaches and throw Emily under a train turned me completely off. With enough books written, you’d think this one would be a winner from Linda. It wasn’t, and Emily and Einstein was a big disappointment that left me unable to finish. (St. Martin’s Press)

Final Grade: DNF

A few other Emily and Einstein reviews:
Book Babe
Geeky Blogger's Book Blog
Read in a Single Setting

Cover Alert: Defiant by Pamela Clare

I've been such a big fan of Pamela Clare's MacKinnon’s Rangers series. One of my favorite characters from Pamela, and in this series, isn't any of the heroes she's written, but the dastardly, at the moment villain, Lord William Wentwort. If you've read these books like I have, then you know why William has made such an impression.(I'm dying for William to have his own book like you wouldn't believe)

Defiant, book #3, isn't Willam's book (yet) but about Connor and William's niece. Pamela just post the cover on her blog:

Synopsis: Charged with a crime they didn’t commit, the MacKinnon brothers faced a death sentence until they agreed to serve the British Crown in the Colonies and take up arms against the French. Allied with the Indian tribes who lived beside them in the wilderness, the Scottish Highland warriors forged a new breed of soldier…

Major Connor...more Charged with a crime they didn’t commit, the MacKinnon brothers faced a death sentence until they agreed to serve the British Crown in the Colonies and take up arms against the French. Allied with the Indian tribes who lived beside them in the wilderness, the Scottish Highland warriors forged a new breed of soldier…

Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth’s niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as arrogant and contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.

Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier—or for the attraction she feels toward Connor as he guides her first through the consummation of their forced union and then through the dangers of the wilderness. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.

But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.

We have to wait until February 2012 for the release *KB pout*. This isn't the final cover, and I must admit, I'm a bit underwhelmed by it (even with the long sword being held). But I'm so glad this series has found a new home with Berkley.(The series was dropped by Dorchester. Their loss!) This will give you time to go back and read Surrender and Untamed.

Surrender is one of my all time favorite romances and has one of the most shocking, yet titillating and naughtiest shaving scenes I've ever read. Does that persuade you to pick up this book? It should.