Snow, Snow, Go Away!

My feeling on snow is this: If it can't make it here for Christmas, then I don't want it at all! We were in the middle of an extremely mild winter, 50s and 60s in December, and then temperatures decided to plummet in January, wavering between zero and the mid-teens. About two weeks ago we had our first "significant" snowfall of about five or six inches, and then we were dumped on with an additional 15 inches this past Tuesday. We were sent home from work early on Tuesday and then everything in the area was closed or canceled for Wednesday. We shoveled out by hand twice because Tim's snow blower wouldn't start. Bummer. He and two other neighbors went together a few years ago and bought this big industrial-sized snow blower, capable of taking down anything in it's path. He finally got it started on Wednesday afternoon - I think I heard a collective sigh of relief from the neighbors when they heard that bad boy start! Tim spent the next three hours cleaning out all of the neighbors' driveways, sidewalks, and around their mailboxes so the postman can get his truck up to the curb. He was like a kid in a candy store - too funny! Men and their toys.
I don't think I would even mind the snow so much if it wasn't so danged cold - five below zero this morning, with wind chillls nearing -20. A couple more inches of snow are predicted for tomorrow, and then I think I heard the weather guy say this morning that our temps will be heading into the 30s and 40s sometime next week - woohoo!
The above pics are of Fred, who enjoys the snow the most if he's looking out at it from the comfort of his doggy bed! The other is looking down our court, taken from our driveway.
I hope you're all staying warm and dry, and being extremely cautious out on the road if you're under cover of the white stuff too!
Have a terrific weekend!
Laurie

Let me call you sweetheart . . .

Sing with me now - -

Let me call you Sweetheart, I'm in love with you.
Let me hear you whisper that you love me too.
Keep the love-light glowing in your eyes so true.
Let me call you Sweetheart, I'm in love with you.

I have always loved that song; I remember singing to my girls when they were babies. I sang to them all of the time, if I wasn't reading to them, at least until they were old enough to realize that my singing totally sucked. Once they started to laugh at me, I quit singing and stuck with reading! They are both avid readers, to the extent their school schedules permit, and I'm sure it's because of all of the reading we did when they were little. Their dad didn't read to them much, but taught them equally important lessons, like how to bait a fish hook, how to mow the grass so the lawn has perfect stripes, how to check the oil in the car, and how to play poker. He and Kelsey used to play poker every morning (after he did her pigtails or ponytail) while waiting for the time to roll around for him to take her to kindergarten. One of the perks of having a dad who works second shift, I guess!
Do you have a sweetheart this Valentine's Day? I have the same one I've had for 27 years. Neither of us is quite as shiny and new as we were 27 years ago, but we're still very happy together. He's my one true love, for sure. We don't exchange traditional Valentines, haven't for several years. I'll bake him some Valentine cookies and make some fudge, two of his favorites, and he'll buy me something I've been eyeing at the Scotts Antique Market when it comes to Columbus next weekend. I have a bracelet that he bought me last year that's made from old typewriter keys (the round, buttony looking kind) - this year the woman who makes them has some that are made from other, larger keys, like "Tab," "Margin," "Shift" and so on. I was checking them out when the market was here last month, and Tim remembered, telling me last night that he would buy me one on Saturday for my Valentine. He's such a good guy.
I hope everyone has a fun, loving Valentine's Day. If you don't have a sweetheart this year, then by all means, do something nice for yourself!
Big Valentine hugs,
Laurie
xo

Cindy Gerard's UNDER THE WIRE

Cindy Gerard's Bodyguard Series offers up intrigue, suspense, and heartpounding passion. I have read all but one of the books in this series and have loved each and every one. I have to be honest with you and say that the upcoming May '07 release of INTO THE DARK is the one I'm anticipating the very most - Dallas and Amy have had me rooting for them for two books now!
Here is my Romance Junkies review for UNDER THE WIRE:

With seventeen years separating an exciting love affair to present time, can a former Special Forces soldier and a dedicated nurse attempt to put past hurts and misunderstandings behind them and find their way to a future together?

While Lily Campora, nurse for Doctors Without Borders, works in the damp, dark jungles of Nicaragua, she eventually finds herself discouraged by the death and destruction that she and her medical team face every day. When a fellow nurse, who is a dear friend, is killed in a helicopter crash, a flight that Lily should have been on, she is stricken with guilt. When Lily meets a handsome young soldier, Manolo “Manny” Ortega, that same evening at a dinner hosted by a general in the Nicaraguan Army, she feels an immediate attraction, and despite her initial reluctance, she gives in to unexpected desire and the two begin a secret love affair. The affair ends almost as quickly as it begins a few nights later, with Lily being called away in the middle of the night and then told that Manny has died. Seventeen years later, Lily learns that Manny is very much alive, and working as a police detective in the United States. When serious threats are made against someone especially dear to Lily, she knows the only person she can turn to for help is Manny, although she is confused over why he never searched for her when he came to the states.
The moment freedom fighter Manolo “Manny” Ortega first sees Lily, he is determined to get to know her and learn the reason for the haunted look in her eyes. Despite her being a few years older than him, he immediately connects with her, telling her things about himself that he has never told anyone, and quickly falls in love with her. When Lily quietly leaves him in the night, and he is subsequently taken away, shot and beaten, and left for dead, he is certain that she has betrayed him. Manny never forgot Lily; his hatred of her seeming to strengthen his motivation to fight for his life and survive. When Manny is approached to help Lily some seventeen years later, with Lily literally begging him herself, he cannot refuse, although he still isn’t convinced that Lily wasn’t the one who betrayed him all those years ago.
Cindy Gerard has written a wonderfully suspenseful book with UNDER THE WIRE. Lily and Manny are both extremely likeable characters, whose emotions and beliefs are excellently and realistically written. Locations and settings are described with absolute clarity, taking readers into each scene with the characters. Secondary characters, with their unique personalities and relationships, add a great deal of interest and intrigue to the story, past and present. Frequent flashbacks take readers into the past and go far in interpreting the lives and personalities of Lily and Manny. I have read all but one of the previous books in this series and have enjoyed each and every one; UNDER THE WIRE is no exception. These books are a real treat when read in order, but each capably stands on its own. I give a high recommendation for this book, as well as the previous books, to all readers who enjoy riveting romantic suspense.
Check out Cindy Gerard's very cool website http://www.cindygerard.com/ - if you'd like to go to Amazon and order your own copy, here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/031298104X/ref=s9_asin_image_1/103-2381367-0694212
Thanks for checking it out!
Laurie

LORI FOSTER'S CAUSING HAVOC!

This is a very bad pic of the book cover, but I couldn't get it to come out any clearer, I apologize for that.
This book is a sensual treat - another winner from Lori Foster! http://www.lorifoster.com Below is my review for CAUSING HAVOC - I hope you'll read it and then go grab your own copy - on sale February 6!!

When extreme fighter Dean “Havoc” Conor receives a letter from one of his estranged younger sisters, he decides to take advantage of an upcoming lull in his fight schedule to make an unannounced visit. Dean was sent to live with an uncle after the deaths of their parents when he was nine, while his sisters remained in the family home with an aunt. Dean always assumed that his sisters were living the good life while he lived meagerly with his uncle. It turns out that he could not have been more wrong; things were not at all as he had assumed. His sisters have worked hard for everything they have. On Dean’s first night back in Harmony, Kentucky, he stops for a cold beer and runs into Eve Lavon, a beautiful, stubbornly independent woman, and is instantly smitten. Dean immediately has his hands full, pursuing a relationship with Eve, getting to know his sisters, making repairs to their house, and dealing with his own personal business matters.
Eve isn’t looking for a relationship when she meets Dean. She is more concerned with persuading her best friend, Cam, to dump her no-good boyfriend. When she finds out that Dean is Cam’s long-lost brother, the two join forces to protect the sisters. Dean insists that he isn’t going to act like a big brother to his sisters, but once he gets to know them, he can’t help but want to protect and spoil them, which is very pleasing to Eve. Eve has witnessed first-hand how Cam and Jackie have struggled, and she is thrilled that Dean is stepping in to take care of them. It’s the attention that Dean has been giving her that has Eve confused. She’s afraid to let herself get too connected, for fear that he will be leaving soon.
It is heartening to see Dean soften and become very protective of his sisters. Equally touching is watching the relationship between Dean and Eve blossom. They both deserve happiness and need each other far more than either is willing to admit. Lori Foster never fails to write characters that are caring and comfortable. Secondary characters keep the story moving without bulk or confusion, and you can’t help but hope that you’ll see more of them in future books in this series. It is easy to give this book a strong recommendation, especially to those who appreciate a heartwarming story with an abundance of sensuality.

Here's a link to Amazon.com so you can throw a copy in your shopping cart! http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0425214230/ref=s9_asin_title_1/103-2381367-0694212
As always, thanks for checking it out!
Laurie

GO RED FOR WOMEN!!

Friday, February 2nd is NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY FOR WOMEN. So pull out your red dresses, sweaters or slacks, and be sure to tell everyone why you're wearing them!
Here's a link to the American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000 - it's chock full of great information about heart health and how to support their wonderful research. I hope you'll all go check it out.
We are finally experiencing winter in Ohio. Several inches of snow on the ground and more on the way over the next few days. The biggest shocker is going to be the cold temps that are on their way - they're predicting that it will be below zero for several mornings early next week. I hate walking from the parking lot to my office (about two blocks) when it's that cold - you know how uncomfortable it is when the little hairs in your nose freeze? lol
Kelsey is going to Sibs Weekend at OU this weekend. I'm leaving work early tomorrow to drive her down, it's about two hours each way, and then will go back Sunday to pick her up. If the weather is bad, we won't be going. Since Lindsay is living off campus this year, Kelsey can go stay with her anytime, so it's not a huge deal if she misses this weekend. Tim has to work Friday and Sunday, so he can't go with me, but he is off on Saturday and we're going on a date. Probably just to dinner and the mall or something, but it will be nice to spend some time together - alone.
I hope everyone has a terrific weekend - please be careful if you're out on the road.
Laurie

A Funny for Friday

My cousin sent me the little story below - I thought it was too cute to not share. I hope everyone has a terrific weekend. I will be at a solo/ensemble contest with Kelsey all day tomorrow. She has an oboe solo in the morning and her flute trio performs in the afternoon. Any good wishes that could be sent her way would be much appreciated! On Sunday, I'm going to a new Costco in our area - my first time there. My boss recently purchased memberships for everyone in the office, so I'm going to check it out. I'm hoping to find some new lamps for my living room - without having to buy an entire pallet of them! Wish me luck!

Here's the story - it's supposed to be true - I can't vouch for that, but it is cute!

George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.

George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" and he said "no". Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.

George said, "Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now cause I've just shot them all." Then he hung up.

Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips ' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the Policemen said to George : "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

Thanks for stopping by!
Laurie

Upcoming Karin Tabke

I stopped by Karin Tabke's site http://www.karintabke.com/index2.php
a moment ago and the cover for her upcoming release caught my eye - is this not beautiful? I adore Karin Tabke's work and I'm certain that this will be another great one - releasing in April '07 from Pocket Books. The blurb is brief, for now anyway, and reads "Jaded cop vs mafia princess and all hell breaks loose."

I'll be talking about this one as soon as I've read it, so stay tuned! I can't wait!!

Come one, come all - Romancing the Blog

I'm the columnist at Romancing the Blog today - please stop by and give me a shout!

http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/

Thanks!
Laurie :)

PLAY WITH ME by Janice Maynard

Janice Maynard sent me an arc of her latest book, PLAY WITH ME, some time ago and I’m deeply ashamed that I’m just now getting a review posted for her. I can’t even explain myself except that it’s mostly because the holidays kept me incredibly busy this year, and partly because I was a total slacker and just couldn’t get into reviewing for a while. I can’t begin to apologize enough to Janice.
This book is a lot of fun, overflowing with sensuality - and look at that beautiful cover! Three heartwarming stories – just plain feel-good tales with smoldering love scenes. If any of you haven’t met Janice and you have the opportunity to do so, you should jump at it. You won’t find anyone who is sweeter than Janice Maynard. She is genuine and real, truly kindhearted and caring.
This is my review for PLAY WITH ME:
STILL WATERS
Catherine Maderis, sedate museum archivist, finds herself in a sticky situation after making a pact with her two best friends Kallie and Gina, to meet again in one year, after they’ve each made their wildest, naughtiest fantasies come true. Catherine has set her sights on Phillip Trent, a long-time friend who has been asking her out for some time. Phillip intimidates Catherine with sheer potent maleness; he is an alpha male to the core and quiet, reserved Catherine has been just too shy to go out with him. Catherine proves to be a provocatively sensual woman underneath the delicately cool facade and Phillip finds himself struggling for gentlemanly restrain whenever he is around her.
SKIN DEEP
Kallie Bradshaw sets out to seduce her best friend, Beau Donovan, in keeping with the pact she made with Catherine and Gina. Kallie has wanted Beau for more than just a friend for a very long time. This seduction could prove difficult seeing how Beau treats her like a sister. Little does Kallie know that Beau is equally interested in her. He had just decided to do something about it when Kallie shockingly makes the first move. The odds seem to be against the young lovers and both begin to question their relationship, and whether they can successfully take it to the next level.
PARTY GIRL
Gina McCutchen reluctantly agrees to go on a cruise in an attempt to keep her end of the three-way pact made with her best friends Catherine and Kallie. They both took their chances at love and came out on top. Gina doesn’t have high hopes for this cruise to be the shoehorn for her glass slipper, but she’s determined to give it her best shot. When Trey Lipman ends up on the same cruise, Gina is briefly convinced that her trip is destined for certain ruin. An encounter with Trey a few years earlier left Gina shamed and humiliated. It turns out that Trey’s rejection of Gina before was simply an effort to protect himself because he cared for her. He still cares for her but isn’t sure that there will be time on this cruise to get through the barriers that Gina has put up around her heart.
Janice Maynard has put together an excellent collection of stories that mesh well together. Her characters are always extremely likeable and so well-suited that you can’t help but give them a mental push towards each other.
I give the highest of recommendations for this book – anyone who enjoys incredible sensuality, sexy fun and romantic settings will adore this book.
Take a moment to visit Janice's newly revised website http://www.janicemaynard.com/ and if you have a notion to get this book, which you definitely should, here's a link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Play-Me-Janice-Maynard/dp/0451220234/sr=1-1/qid=1168307795/ref=sr_1_1/105-2938839-8820417?ie=UTF8&s=books .
Thanks as always,
Laurie

A Whole Lotta Lottie

Ok, there's not really a whole lot to Lottie, weighing in at two pounds, she's pretty tiny. Lottie's brother, who I named Parker while he was in my care, has gone back to school with Lindsay and her roommate. Eliza will take him with her after the school year is through. His name has been changed to Algernon. These are two kitties from the second litter of cats born next to our parking lot at work. My friend and I rescued two from a previous litter earlier in the fall. Found a home for one and she kept one. There are about five more from earlier litters, almost full grown now, but they have proven to be very elusive and we just can't catch them.
I hope everyone's new year is off to a good start. I am so far behind on book reviews that it isn't funny. I feel just rotten that I haven't had time to sit down and pen the reviews. I've read excellent books by Ciar Cullen in Mayan Nights and Lords of Ch'i, and haven't been able to finish Love's Alchemy. Ciar's books aren't ones that I flit through by reading a page or two here and there - I like to be able to sit down and escape with her books when I'm able to take time to absorb their goodness. Denyse Bridger has two books released in her Michael Devane series and I haven't been able to read either of them yet. I've read Sasha White's The Cop and Bound, both get down and dirty, just plain gritty - incredibly good. She has a writing style like no one else. I've also read Judith McNaught's Every Breath You Take, which was excellent, just as expected. She is one of my absolute favorite authors, one of few that I will actually buy in hardcover.
I know what you're thinking, she should take time to write a review or two rather than doing all of this reading. I agree, but just couldn't get into writing reviews for quite a while. Even went on hiatus from Romance Junkies for a few months. I do reading/proofing for a handful of authors and did lots of reading for a few weeks, and then once the holidays got close there was just too much going on and I couldn't even think about reviews, but now I'm off of hiatus and ready to get back on the ball. The review I feel the worst about being late with is Janice Maynard's Play with Me. This is an incredibly good, very sensual book, sent to me by Janice long ago, and I still haven't finished the review. I suck.
I thank anyone who has continued to stop by - after all, I haven't updated or commented for quite some time.
Happy New Year everyone - I hope you'll come back soon and that I will be popping reviews out right and left very soon!
Hugs,
Laurie