The naked dude

My youngest daughter is a freshmen this year at Kent State U, majoring in fine art. The other day she texted me that her drawing class started figure drawing that morning. In response to my telling her that figure drawing should be really interesting, she texts back "Yeah, but we had to draw like, this naked dude." I reminded her that she knew this was part of the course and that I knew she would do fine. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable with too many inquiries. End of conversation.
Until, that is, I mentioned it to her older sister who then started teasing that she was a perv, etc. Oldest then asks if the guy was cute or not. Youngest replied "No, he was kind of homely actually, which made it lots easier to remember that it was for art." Too funny.
Don't get me wrong, we're not some kind of backwoods family who doesn't understand or appreciate fine art. Nudity is a huge part of art and art history, and we know that the human body can be beautifully illustrated. This was just the first time we've encountered it on a "personal" level.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. It's cool and rainy here for the next couple of days, then partly cloudy on Sunday which is perfect because there's a Veteran's Day parade here on Sunday afternoon and we're all hoping for no rain! I'm planning to stay inside and do some baking.
Laurie

LOTS OF WINNERS!

First off, Stacy S. has already picked up a copy of KISS & TELL so I've pulled another name - Anna, you're the new winner (you can thank Stacy!)
Winners of Lori's books are as follows:
HEARTBREAKERS/SERVANT: THE AWAKENING - Terri W. (you can thank Judy!)
SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE/SERVANT: THE AWAKENING - Karin
THE WATSON BROTHERS/SERVANT: THE AWAKENING - kh
CAUGHT/SERVANT: THE AWAKENING - Angie la
Winners, please contact me with your mailing info (ljodamron@gmail.com) by Saturday evening. After that, I'll pull a new name for each winner I don't hear from.
Thanks to everyone for playing!
Laurie

HOT AS HELL - the latest from HelenKay Dimon!

HelenKay Dimon has a stellar new release, HOT AS HELL and I promise that you won't be disappointed. The cover is just the beginning of goodness in this book - every page from beginning to end is enjoyable.

Here's a little blurb:

Lexy Stuart is nobody's fool...not since she wised up to the fact that her fiancé, Noah Paxton, wasn't just sporting the hardest bod this side of the Ironman competition. No, he was also harboring enough secrets to make a CIA operative blush. Little things he never thought worth mentioning like, oh, a previous marriage. So Lexy gave back the ring—with extreme prejudice—and made sandy tracks straight to a remote desert spa. Problem is, with a man like Noah, a girl can run, but she can't hide. Nor does she particularly want to...
Alexa Annabeth Stuart. The stuffy name couldn't be less suitable for a woman as fiery and free as Noah's Lexy. And Lexy is his—always will be—the tricky part will be getting her to realize it. Of course, Noah's always up for a challenge. Which is a good thing, since between the crazy heat at this god-forsaken “retreat” and the looks Lexy's shooting him (not to mention the shockwaves he's getting from her hot-pink bikini), winning his ex back could be one dangerous mission. But if Noah doesn't survive it, well, he intends to die a very satisfied man...

My review:
When Alexa “Lexy” Stuart breaks her engagement with security specialist Noah Paxton, it isn’t strictly because he has secrets he won’t share, although the fact that he evidently forgot about having been married before remains a bit of a sore spot. She goes to a spa to get away and do some investigative thinking of her own only to have Noah follow, trying to talk her back. When a dead body shows up in Lexy’s room and she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, Noah sticks by her. Noah knows about and accepts Lexy’s weaknesses and insecurities from being raised by parents who are hoarders, and he goes above and beyond to make her feel safe and secure. The inexplicable need to be surrounded by her belongings is something Lexy battles constantly, sometimes more successfully than others. If only Noah could see that Lexy needs some truths from him before her mistrust will be completely set aside so they can return to the loving, passionate relationship they had before.
Noah has secrets, yes, but Lexy is being plenty secretive herself, breaking their engagement and then inexplicably bringing some of his work files with her to this Godforsaken health spa, where he’s forced to eat sprouts and go on endless hikes in the scorching sun. When the subject of those files is found murdered in Lexy’s room, Noah’s instincts are to keep her safe while doing his own investigation. Lexy is the most intriguing yet frustrating woman he has ever known and he knows that being the one steady constant in her life is his only hope for recapturing their relationship, despite the craziness surrounding them.
HelenKay Dimon always gives readers the most fascinating characters. Her storylines are always fresh and new and I have yet to not enjoy one of her books. Lexy is a wonderful heroine who is an interesting mix of strength, self-sufficiency and vulnerability and while she may think she doesn’t need Noah, the truth is she’s incomplete with him. Noah, on the other hand, readily admits that he wants and needs Lexy and that his life is empty without her. I find the hoarding issue to be especially interesting and think it goes far in making this story incredibly realistic. Kudos to HelenKay for daring to bring this topic to light in a romance! I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys contemporary romance with a touch of humor and mystery.

Thanks to HelenKay for allowing me to review HOT AS HELL for her - I hope you'll all be more than tempted go grab a copy - here's a quick link to Amazon so you can do just that! If you've already read it, please share your thoughts with us (but no spoilers, please)!
The week's half over - I hope it's treating everyone right! I doubt that I'm the only one who's relieved that the election is said and done - I hope our nation will unite now in making the future better for everyone - not to mention that we can return to our regularly scheduled programs (and commercials)!
Laurie

I'm so embarrassed!

I have a group of friends that I get together with for dinner once a month and tonight was my night to host. I've been busy the past couple of nights getting my house and food ready and totally forgot to draw a winner for Alison Kent's KISS & TELL last night. My apologies.
Lindsay drew a winner for me and that winner is STACY S!! Stacy, please email me with your mailing info at ljodamron@gmail.com by Thursday. Thanks to everyone who participated! Don't forget the Lori Foster prizes being drawn for tomorrow evening - there are four altogether so you'll want to get your name in the hat!!
Laurie

ONE MORE DAY of political mumbo jumbo

Thank heavens the election is tomorrow! I never thought I'd hear myself saying that I've missed the commercials for Bounty, GM and Viagra! I'm sick to death of politicians on every governmental level insulting, slamming and putting up unattractive photos of each other. We are averaging no less than 11 political phone messages each day and I feel certain the trees are screaming over the number of flyers that are being left between our doors and under our doormat.

That said, I do hope everyone in the U.S. is planning to vote tomorrow - it's our right and a privilege to vote - let your voice be heard!

Happy Election Day!

Laurie

THE PINK WINNER IS . . .

CRYNA!! Lindsay drew your name - Congratulations! Thanks so much to everyone who played! I hope you'll check out the Susan G. Komen site - the Promise Store has lots of neat gifts to choose from, especially for the women on your holiday shopping list. Don't forget the two contests that are still running here! Cryna, please contact me by Sunday evening with your mailing info.
Have a great Friday, everyone!
Laurie
xo

THINK THIN THURSDAY - this one's for the Hungry Girls!

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Lori Foster - one busy woman!

Update: A dear friend of mine, Judy F., has offered up another book duo for giveaway - Lori's HEARTBREAKERS and SERVANT: THE AWAKENING! Thanks Judy, you're such a doll!
My good friend Lori Foster has releases and reissues all over the place right now (with even more coming up) and I thought I'd chat about a few of them, starting with SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE. This series has been a huge hit with Lori's readers and her "L.L." readers, but this is where I have to admit that I haven't read the first book in this series (yes, Lori knows this and no, she doesn't hate me for it!) and don't know if I'll read the second, but I do have the first one in the event I decide to start. As a matter of fact, I have three extra copies of the first book, SERVANT: THE AWAKENING. At Lori's get together in June there were a couple of books at each person's place at their table - dear friends Judy, Chris and Lisa gave me their copies to use for blog giveaways, as they already had copies (thanks, ladies!). More on the giveaway coming up!







DOUBLE THE PLEASURE will be coming out in December and I can't wait! Four very well-known authors of women's fiction share the bill on this one. I especially like the cover - clean and simple beats a glitzy, too busy cover anytime as far as I'm concerned.











CAUGHT! is the reissue of Taken and Say Yes. Thanks to Lori I also have a copy of CAUGHT! for giveaway. It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?











One more! THE WATSON BROTHERS is only available at WalMart stores. I have yet to see it at either of the WalMarts I frequent, so I'm hopeful it's been more available in other areas. It is the reissue of My House, My Rules, Bringing Up Baby, and Good With His Hands. Lori has also provided me with a copy of THE WATSON BROTHERS for giveaway.


Here's how I'm going to do this one. I'll draw one name for CAUGHT! and SERVANT: THE AWAKENING, another name for THE WATSON BROTHERS and SERVANT: THE AWAKENING, and a third name for SERVANT: THE AWAKENING. If I get to the bookstore between now and the time I draw names, I'll get a copy of SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE to put with the lone copy of THE AWAKENING, but I can't make any promises. Interested? I thought you might be! Post a comment below to be entered. If you're interested in one set of books and not another, feel free to mention that and you'll only be entered in that drawing. Is that clear as mud? lol I'll draw a name on Wednesday, November 5th.
Scan down, there are still two other contests running!
Laurie

Alison Kent's KISS & TELL - you could win a copy!

Alison Kent churns out books that are never anything less than satisfying. And by "churns" I don't mean they're coming out with assembly-line quickness - readers can't get them soon enough and often it seems like forever between releases! I'm sure you all get tired of me talking about (IMO) so many Blazes being too fluffy or silly, with ridiculous reasons for the characters to immediately have sex. Ok, yes, Alison's characters do have sex, often immediately, but it doesn't have the slutty feel of so many. Her characters are sensual (although I remember her disliking that term) creatures who are aware of and embrace their sexuality. They're written with grit, sharpness and intelligence and know what they want and how to get it. They don't come off as hormone-driven young men and women who simply can't control themselves.
I'm not doing a full-fledged review of KISS & TELL because 1) I'm only about a third of the way into it and 2) I do have some other review obligations to wrap up, but I did want to share the love, so to speak.
When I first saw the cover for this book, I thought "That's Logan from The Gilmore Girls!" - I've adored Logan (Matt Czuchry) since he first appeared on TGG and often thought that if I was a young woman (as in not old enough to be his mother, sniff) I could sure go for him! Look at these two pics and see if you don't agree!

I have a copy of KISS & TELL for giveaway. If you're interested, just say so in the comments. I'll pull a name on Monday 11/3.
I hope everyone has a terrific week!
Laurie

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND - don't forget the "pink" contest!

Does anyone have exciting plans for the weekend? I'm going to be under a self-imposed house arrest tomorrow to do some heavy duty cleaning that has been overlooked for far too long. On Sunday we might head to the Prime Outlet mall in Jeffersonville, a little south of Columbus. I'm a fair weather outlet mall shopper - if it's too hot or too cold, I'd just as soon stay home. I think it's supposed to be cool, like low 50's with a chance of rain all weekend around here.
Don't forget the PINK contest below - it runs until Thursday the 30th, so there's plenty of time to enter!!
Look for upcoming contests for books by Lori Foster and Alison Kent! I'll also be introducing the newest member (of the four legged variety) of our family!
Have a great weekend!
Laurie