ROMANCING THE BLOG - TODAY!!

I'm the columnist at Romancing the Blog today. Take a minute and pop over! Better yet, take a minute and pop over and then take another minute and leave a comment!

Have a great day and a great weekend!

Laurie

Many of you are familiar with my good pal Cindy, aka Lil Cinny - check out her new Myspace contest page - it's brand spanking new and will soon be chock full of author contests. I don't know any reader who doesn't like contests - make sure you keep checking back to see what Cindy has going on!
Thanks!
Laurie

SUPERB AND SEXY, the latest from Jill Shalvis

Great news! Jill Shalvis has a new book releasing at the end of this month - SUPERB AND SEXY. Jill's readers have been impatiently waiting for this next installment in her "Sexy" series, and trust me, no one will be disappointed.
Here's a blurb from Jill's website:
When you want to fly the best, you fly Sky High Air. And when you want spectacular adventure and scorching seduction, Jill Shalvis’s tantalizing, talented pilots Noah, Shayne, and Brody will get you there-fast, slow, or any way you want it.
BUCKLE UP. IT’S GOING TO BE QUITE A RIDE.
Despite his brooding bad-boy attitude, Brody knows life has treated him pretty well. His luxury charter airline, Sky High, has given him financial security and the means to take to the skies whenever things on the ground get complicated. And lately, things have become very complicated, thanks to the insanely passionate, or perhaps just insane, kiss he shared with Sky High’s gorgeous, wisecracking concierge, Maddie. He’s tried to keep his distance, but now Maddie desperately needs help, and it’s triggering protective alpha-male urges Brody didn’t even know he had.
For months, Maddie hid her crush on sexy, exasperating Brody behind a cool, kick-ass exterior and then blew that to smithereens by jumping him in the lobby. Yeah, real smooth. She’s tried to break her ties with Sky High, but Brody won’t let her walk away-especially now that he knows that Maddie and her twin sister Leena are in big-time trouble. To save Leena, Maddie and Brody must pose as husband and wife, and Maddie is amazed that the man she thought was oblivious to her existence knows her very well indeed. But that’s nothing compared to the way she’s about to get to know him-intimately, in depth, and over and over again.

My review:
When the three owners of the incredibly successful Sky High Air can't reach their concierge, Maddie, they become concerned and it's decided that Brody West should go to Maddie's home to check things out. Sparks have always flown between Brody and Maddie - so much so that one of the last times he saw her, Maddie plastered herself against him in a soul-stealing kiss. It was nothing short of incredible. Not so incredible was that she promptly ran out and ended up getting shot by a jealously unstable Sky High client; she's been on medical leave since then. When Maddie refuses to open her door to talk to him, Brody becomes suspicious that she's in some sort of trouble. After he meets her identical twin, Leena, and there's double the strange behavior, he's determined to get to the bottom of what has them so jumpy.
The next thing Brody knows he's on his way to a private island, posing as Maddie's husband (while Maddie poses as Leena), facing goons with more brawn than brains that work for the girls' criminal uncle. It isn't long before Brody realizes that the emotions he's experiencing while spending so much time with Maddie run much deeper than simple anger at the blackmailing uncle. Maddie can't deny that the things Brody makes her feel are very new to her, and more than just a little frightening. She and Leena haven't had the best of luck with guys and are wary, to say the least. But the way Brody jumps in to protect them, and the passion and emotion he has stirred in her, have given Maddie second thoughts . . .
Jill has once again served up a book that's full of fun, quirky characters who simply don't seem to understand that she knows what's best for them by putting them together. SUPERB AND SEXY has danger, desire and humor, and while it is a romance, it delves into the love and devotion of twin sisters as well. I highly recommend this book for all romance readers.
To celebrate the release of SUPERB AND SEXY, Jill is offering a prize to one reader here - a book from her backlist (subject to availability/limited to U.S./Canada addresses). All you have to do is post a reply - maybe share what you've enjoyed most about Jill's "Sexy" series, or any other book of hers that you've loved. Heck, you can even just say that you want to be entered, we're really not that picky! I'll draw a name next Friday, May 23rd. Send your friends over to enter too - if they mention your name I'll enter them and put your name in the hat an extra time for each friend.
Thanks for checking out Jill's book!

Laurie

PROM '08

Tonight is Kelsey's Senior Prom. Our last formal high school dance - more than just a little bittersweet. Between two daughters, we've had twelve formal dances over the years. Winter formal and prom, both formal, and that's not counting Homecoming, which is a semi-formal dance. We have more gowns hanging in the backs of our closets than Macy's. The girls have talked about donating those dresses for needy girls next year. Evening purses, glittery sandals, sparkly rhinestone jewelry - you name it, we've got it!
These two look like little kids, don't they? Kelsey's boyfriend, David, has been in the Army reserves for close to a year, already achieving a Pvt. First Class ranking while he's still a student - pretty impressive from what I'm told. The scary thing is that he'll most likely be deployed somewhere that involves a war zone by this time next year. He's doing it for the education; I hope everything goes well for him so he can take advantage of that.
My next review will be for SUPERB AND SEXY by Jill Shalvis - and there will be a contest, so stay tuned!
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there!
Laurie
xo

STAMP OUT HUNGER FOOD DRIVE - MAY 10th

This Saturday, May 10th, is the National Association of Letter Carriers annual
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. It only takes a couple of minutes to toss some food in a bag and set it out for your postman/woman.
We've participated in this for several years now - I think I've told the story here about my daughters (when they were much younger) and how they kept going out to add food to the sack I had placed by the mailbox. I thought they were just being sweet and thoughtful, until I looked in the cupboard later and discovered that every single can of vegetables was gone!
One additional thought - please make sure the expiration dates haven't passed on the food items you put out. Some people simply don't understand that just because these families are in need doesn't mean they don't deserve fresh food. Our local food pantry has to throw out an unbelievable amount of food because it's past the expiration date when it's donated - don't donate anything you wouldn't give your own family.
Thanks!
Laurie

New from Erin McCarthy - FALLEN

has a new book, FALLEN, available from your favorite bookseller now! This is the second in her Seven Deadly Sins series and shouldn't be missed. Here's a blurb from Erin's website:
New Orleans, 1880s. Sent to watch over the decadent city, the angel Gabriel loses himself in the liquid pleasure of absinthe. So when his mistress, Anne, is murdered—and all evidence points to him— a foggy Gabriel cannot be sure he didn't do it. His penance: to be forever denied love. Should he seek pleasure with a woman, she'll know the depths of despair.
New Orleans, today. Hoping to unlock that unsolved mystery, forensic scientist Sara Michaels, Anne's great-great-granddaughter, meets the ageless, tormented Gabriel. To work together would mean suppressing their mutual attraction—he can't allow himself to touch Sara, for her own sake.
And for Sara, already familiar with the dangers of addiction, Gabriel poses the ultimate threat to her self-control. But can the desire burning between them turn into their salvation—or lead them both to destruction?
My review:
FALLEN, the second book in Erin McCarthy’s Seven Deadly Sins series, shouldn’t be mistaken as a continuation of the introductory book, MY IMMORTAL. This book stands alone and is written around an entirely different sin (gluttony), in the form of addiction. Angel Gabriel St. John is a watcher, whose purpose on Earth is to protect humans in the dark, sinful city of New Orleans. When despair and pain become too much to bear, he turns to the mind-numbing pleasures of absinthe and opium. One morning after an evening of excesses of the mind and body, Gabriel awakes to find his mistress, Anne Donovan, murdered in her bed. Gabriel has no recollection of the night and soon finds himself transformed into a fallen one, doomed to the immortal life of a demon.
The book moves forward in time to present day, with Gabriel sober and working on a book about Anne Donovan. He's determined to find out what happened to her. He joins forces with Sara Michaels, whose mother Jessie was killed in an identical manner to Anne. After her mother’s violent murder, Sara turned to pain medication to mask her grief, so she too is familiar with addiction. Sara finds herself strongly attracted to Gabriel and he’s equally attracted, but refuses to act on the undeniable passion between them, leaving Sara to feel the ache of rejection. Gabriel has his own reasons for denying them both pleasure; he knows that Sara will endure a lifetime of deep despair should they give in to their desires.
When it becomes apparent that someone intends to harm Sara, Gabriel realizes that he will do anything to keep her safe, even at the risk of losing his only chance at redemption. What Gabriel doesn't know is that Sara is keeping a secret of her own.
As one would expect of any book from Erin McCarthy’s vivid imagination, FALLEN has an abundance of dark intrigue and intense sensuality. The dialogue between Gabriel and Sara draws readers into each and every scene and her descriptions allow the mind’s eye to see every detail with clarity. Flashes from past to present together with old newspaper articles serve to give the story depth and set the foundation for Gabriel and Sara's passionate story.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a deeply emotional romance. Be sure to keep an eye out for the next book in this series, THE TAKING, with the sin of choice being greed - guaranteed to be another winner!
Thank you, Erin, for giving me the opportunity to read FALLEN!
Laurie

Mom's Weekend at OU - woohoo!

Depending on Lindsay's grad school intentions for next year (still up in the air), this may be my last Mom's Weekend at Ohio University. We have always had such a great time, with lots of fun activities. There are so many things to do that we can't begin to catch them all, but we do have some fun things planned. And before you ask - no, we won't be going for tea with the President's wife on Saturday morning. Sorry, but that just doesn't sound like much fun to me.
My best friend since high school is going with me again. On Friday night Lindsay, her friend Eliza, my friend Carly and I are going to Lui Lui for dinner - I've only been there once before; it's an ecclectic little place with great food. Then we have a date with The Royales, a local Athens group who will be playing at a fun bar/restaurant, Casa Nuevo. Lindsay is very familiar with this group, never missing a performance, and she's especially anxious for us to see them. One of the guys in the band ("Junebug") told her that he'll be happy to get to meet her Mama! I'll try to get a picture of us with Junebug.
Saturday morning we'll be participating in the 5K Walk for the Cure, benefitting the Susan G. Komen and Stephanie Spielman Breast Cancer Foundations - weather permitting. I'm buying the t-shirts anyway, but I'm not walking if it's storming, which there's a good chance of. We'll shop for crafts at The Dairy Barn which unlike it sounds, is a beautifully restored barn, chock full of booths where local craftspeople sell anything from wrought iron yard art, jewelry, woodenware, fiber arts and glassware to handmade soaps and lotions. We might take in a student stand up comedy show or some other student music acts, or we might just hang out at Lindsay's apartment for the evening.
Sadly, there won't be a synchronized swimming exhibition like in the past. Laugh if you want, but I love synchronized swimming! The only thing that makes missing it tolerable is that we saw an exhibition they put on just a couple of months ago.
I'll be gone from Friday around noon until Sunday afternoon, leaving Tim and Kelsey to fend for themselves. Kelsey's high school is putting on the musical "Fame" and she's going to the matinee on Saturday to see it, so I guess Tim will be the one fending for himself for a bit!
I'll have bunches of reviews coming up over the next few weeks. I've been fortunate enough to get some excellent books for review and while I haven't yet read them all, I can't wait to get to them so we can chat about them! Two that I have read are Erin McCarthy's FALLEN and HelenKay Dimon's HARD AS NAILS - both are excellent, totally different flavors, but I highly recommend both. Those will be the first two reviews coming up.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Be safe if you're out on the road.
Laurie
xo

THINK THIN THURSDAY - I'm moving to Arkansas!

300-pound inmate complains Ark. jail doesn't feed him well

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- An inmate awaiting trial on a murder charge is suing the county, complaining he has lost more than 100 pounds because of the jailhouse menu.
Broderick Lloyd Laswell says he isn't happy that he's down to 308 pounds after eight months in the Benton County jail. He has filed a federal lawsuit complaining the jail doesn't provide inmates with enough food.
According to the suit, Laswell weighed 413 pounds when he was jailed in September. Police say he and a co-defendant fatally beat and stabbed a man, then set his home on fire.
"On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out," Laswell wrote in his complaint. "About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again."
But Laswell then goes on to complain that he undertakes little vigorous activity.
"If we are in a small pod all day (and) do next to nothing for physical exercise, we should not lose weight," the suit says. "The only reason we lost weight in here is because we are literally being starved to death."
The suit also asks that the county be ordered to serve hot meals. The jail has served only cold food for years.
The meals, provided through Aramark Correctional Institution Services, average 3,000 calories a day, jail Capt. Hunter Petray told The Morning News of northwest Arkansas for a story Saturday.

You say you'd rather not be incarcerated in Arkansas? Oh all right, but be sure to check out this CNN link for inspiring success stories and some sensible advice.
Have a great Thursday!
Laurie

SAD NEWS

Author Dianne Castell has been a good friend for several years now and I'm sad to report that her husband Dave lost his long and courageous battle with cancer early this morning. I met Dave once at Lori Foster's house and he was a very nice man - a true gentleman with a fun sense of humor, just as you would expect of Dianne's husband.
Dave and Dianne have four children and they're all incredibly close - I hope you'll keep them and their family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Donations in lieu of flowers are requested in Dave's memory (Dave Kruetzkamp) for Hospice or the Animal Adoption Foundation (in the Cincinnati area).
Thanks,
Laurie

REDUCED FAT BANANA BREAD - Yum!

This is the only recipe I use for banana bread - it's a real winner. I usually add a few mini chocolate chips and sometimes bake in three mini loaf pans instead of one bigger one. I haven't made any since the holidays and can't tell you how long it takes the bake the three smaller ones - obviously it doesn't take as long, so you need to keep an eye on them.
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, beat the white sugar and margarine or butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, water and bananas with the sugar mixture until it is well blended.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder just until the mixture is moistened. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to blend all ingredients.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degree C) for about 60 minutes. Bread is done when the top is firm to the touch and a golden brown color. Time will vary according to loaf size and oven type. When bread is removed from oven, allow it to cool on its side for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. This bread is also excellent if you add mini chocolate chips or small fruit pieces to the mix just before baking.