Feeling like a real turkey

And no, it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. I'm feeling incredibly guilty about having neglected my blog for so long. Can't explain why, there've been no family emergencies, no work crisis, I have no excuse except sheer laziness and a temporary lack of interest.
I'd like everyone to share their Thanksgiving plans. Is anyone traveling far away to get together with family and/or friends? We're staying here in town and going to my cousin's house. I've been asked to bring a dessert. Since there will be pies, I'll be baking a cake.
I've been doing some decluttering and cleaning and as a result, have two shopping bags full of books. I'm going to do a couple of giveaways closer to the Christmas holiday and will be giving away boxes of books - however many books I can cram into the "if it fits, it ships" boxes from the postal service. The books are a wide range of sub-genres and include Harlequin Presents and Silhouette Desires, ARCs, trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks.
So please forgive me for sucking so lately, and share your Thanksgiving plans! I'll be back to discuss current reads very soon!
Big hugs,
Laurie

IMPULSIVE, new from HelenKay Dimon!

Okay, random number generator gave me number one! That makes Lisa F. the winner of HelenKay's IMPULSIVE ARC. Thanks to everyone who played - I truly appreciate your stopping by - now you can scroll down and order a copy from Amazon!
Thanks again, HelenKay!


IMPULSIVE is the latest release (available today!) from HelenKay Dimon - finally! Seems like it takes forever for a book to release when I'm really looking forward to it - such is the case with IMPULSIVE!

About the book:
Katie Long was supposed to be undercover. She was just supposed to watch Deputy Prosecutor Eric Kimura at his ex’s wedding and gather intel on his campaign for prosecutor. But he’s a lot hotter in person, and the kind of intel they accidentally shared in the hotel bathroom might lose both of them their jobs. Especially since it seems to be a recurring incident. Is it possible for a one-night stand to last ten days?
Kimura isn’t usually the impulsive type. He’s driven, he’s ambitious, and he knows what he wants—a respectable future in Hawaii politics. Which means wild half-public sex with a beautiful stranger in a short little caterer’s skirt is just tabloid fodder waiting to happen. Conveniently, just as his campaign is coming under attack. Sabotage, media gossip, and an insatiable desire for a woman he just met? If he’s not careful, Counselor Kimura might lose all control…

My review:
Working with her caterer sister at a wedding reception, Katie Long never guessed she would find herself intimately connected with Prosecuting Attorney candidate Eric Kimura. Keeping a close eye on Eric at the wedding reception of his former fiancee is not one of Katie's finer moments, but she desperately needs money. She doesn't know who, but someone was willing to pay for info on Eric's actions and reactions at the wedding and reception, and Katie was in a position to accommodate. Eric wants to explore the possibilities of a relationship with Katie, but she's keeping a secret that could tear them apart before they have an opportunity to see what the future could hold.
Eric knows his every move at the reception is being dissected. His run for the office of Honolulu's Prosecuting Attorney in the upcoming election has put him under the microscope. Meeting Katie is a real bright spot in the harried confusion that his life has become. As Eric and Katie are getting to know each other, his campaign is taking hit after hit with rumors and scandalous accusations about him and his former fiancee.
HelenKay's characters are wonderfully flawed with just enough imperfections to keep them real. Katie and Eric are no exception. Katie was more than a little lost when her parents died and she made some poor lifestyle choices. Eric knows about her mistakes and sees through them to the real Katie - and he likes what he sees. Katie's sister and her baby girl are crucial to Katie's story. The three may seem a little vulnerable, but they possess an underlying strength that bonds them. Eric has friends and family who are extremely protective of him and his professional reputation. Eric knows image is important to all candidates but realizes that he wants Katie in his life too badly to allow her to continue to hold her secret.
I highly recommend IMPULSIVE to all contemporary romance readers. If you've read HelenKay's work before, you already know what an amazing storyteller she is. If you haven't read her work, IMPULSIVE would be an excellent place to start!
Go here to check out an excerpt and then you can click your way over to Amazon to get a copy of your very own! While you're at HelenKay's site, be sure to take a look around - she's got some good stuff coming up!
Because I have a Kindle download of IMPULSIVE ordered, I've decided to offer up for giveaway my ARC. However, it's release week and those first week sales are so very important to authors, so it's going to be quick. I don't want to keep anyone from buying their copy this week. I'll draw a winner on Thursday (10/28). Leave a comment about HelenKay's work - your favorite book, character, cover, setting, etc. and you're entered. No worries if you haven't had the HelenKay experience yet, you can say so! Send a friend who mentions you in their comment and you'll get TWO extra entries. Good luck!
Thanks, HelenKay, for allowing me to read and review IMPULSIVE for you!
Laurie
xo

Fall Festivals abound!

(photo foliagenetwork.com)

Do any of you enjoy going to fall festivals? We absolutely love them - artisan-made unique crafts, great food and gorgeous changing leaves - if only everyone else would stay home so they weren't so crowded! Last weekend we went to the Bob Evans Farm Festival in southern Ohio and had a great time. Decided that having been there three of the last four years, we probably won't go for a couple of years. This weekend we're heading north to Attica, Ohio to a festival that we've never been to, but it came highly recommended from a vendor at the Bob Evans fest. last weekend. If nothing else, we'll enjoy the road trip as it's supposed to be sunny with temps in the low 60s.
What are your plans for the weekend? My weekend is starting off with a visit to the bloodmobile for donation after work. My house needs some serious tending and I have several books for review that I'm very far behind on, so I'll be trying to do some cleaning up and catching up!
Have a great weekend!
Laurie

POLITICS, MURDER, AND LOVE IN STALIN'S KREMLIN - there's a giveaway!

The winner is cories5 - congratulations! If you'll email me your mailing info at ljodamron@gmail.com I'll get your book in the mail. If I don't hear from cories5 by Sunday, I'll draw another name. Thanks so much to everyone for your interest. My oldest daughter is a history major and she is anxious to read it too!

This isn't the sort of romance that I typically chat about here, but Paul R. Gregory has a book that released earlier this year (April, 2010), POLITICS, MURDER, AND LOVE IN STALIN'S KREMLIN The Story of Nikolai Bukharin and Anna Larina, and while I haven't read it, it sounds fascinating. I have a copy for giveaway to one of my readers here. Read the description and if you too are intrigued, simply leave a comment and your name will be in the draw. I'll let this one run a while, drawing a name on Tuesday, October 12th. Know a history buff? Please send them over!
About the book:
In Politics, Murder, and Love in Stalin’s Kremlin: The Story of Nikolai Bukharin and Anna Larina, Paul Gregory sheds light on how the world’s first socialist state went terribly wrong and why it was likely to veer off course through the story of two of Stalin’s most prominent victims. A founding father of the Soviet Union at the age of twenty-nine, Nikolai Bukharin was the editor of Pravda and an intimate of Lenin’s exile. (Lenin later dubbed him “the favorite of the party.”) But after Bukharin crossed swords with Stalin over their differing visions of the world’s first socialist state, he paid the ultimate price with his life. His wife, Anna Larina, the stepdaughter of a high Bolshevik official, spent much of her life in prison camps and in exile after her husband’s execution.
Drawn from Hoover Institution archival documents, the story of Nikolai Bukharin and Anna Larina begins with the optimism of the socialist revolution and then turns into a dark saga of foreboding and terror as the game changes from political struggle to physical survival. Told for the most part in the words of the participants, it is, as Robert Conquest says in his foreword, “a story told to show the horrors of fate, of personal mistreatment and suffering by real people.” It is also a story of courage and cowardice, strength and weakness, misplaced idealism, missed opportunities, bungling, and, above all, love.
Here's a link to Amazon for anyone who wants to snag a copy for themselves or if you want more information!
Thanks for checking it out!
Laurie

GOING DOWN, the latest from Shelli Stevens

The latest release from author Shelli Stevens is GOING DOWN, Book 1 in her Holding Out for a Hero series. Check out Ms. Stevens' website for ordering details and an excerpt. I haven't read every one of Ms. Stevens' books, but have read a few and enjoyed them all. You'll have to excuse the hugeness of the book cover I put up - although I doubt that any of you are seriously complaining!

A little about GOING DOWN:

One man wants her heart. The other wants her dead…

Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It’s not that she doesn’t want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It’s making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats.
Tiny, remote Wyattsville, Oregon looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it’s hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town’s infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.
Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets—including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he’s not buying the story she’s selling.
Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life…

My Romance Junkies (4 blue ribbons) review:
When a woman on the run ends up in a small Oregon town to hide out and catches the interest of the local sheriff, it goes without saying that sparks are going to fly. GOING DOWN has sparks and more, as Shelli Stevens gives readers an intriguing love story about learning how to trust, and love, again.
Eleanor “Ellie” Owen has left Chicago in a hurry, but not before putting great thought and planning into her escape. She’s been subpoenaed to testify against her abusive, drug trafficking ex-boyfriend and is terrified that he or one of his friends, including a corrupt police officer, will act on their escalating threats should she testify for the prosecution. Renting a house in Wyattville, Oregon, under an assumed name seems like a good idea until she almost immediately catches the eye of local sheriff Tyson Wyatt. Wyattville is typical of most small towns, where everyone knows their neighbors – and their neighbors’ business. Tyson’s family and the local townspeople aren’t shy about butting in and trying to match the two. But the closer Tyson gets the more distant Ellie becomes, leaving both frustrated and confused.
Wyatt feels certain that Ellie is hiding something but she’s not talking. As their relationship intensifies, Tyson is more deeply bothered by her distrust. He has never fallen head over heels for someone in such a short amount of time but has no doubt that this could be the real thing, if only Ellie would trust him enough to tell him the truth. It angers him to think that someone could cause physical and emotional harm to someone as sweet as Ellie. Eventually, Ellie has to explain her painful, frightening past to Tyson, and the two work together to secure her safety in testifying.
GOING DOWN is a quick read but at no expense to the quality of the story. Ellie’s fear is believable and I feel certain it’s a fair example of the thoughts and actions of someone living in true fear. Tyson’s determination to find the truth is equally well written, and I appreciated that he wasn’t constantly hounding Ellie for the truth. He was patient and kind, waiting for her to come to him with the truth. Townspeople and Tyson’s family are secondary characters that add to the delicious richness of the storytelling. I give GOING DOWN a strong recommendation and encourage anyone who hasn’t read any of Shelli Stevens’ work to give her a try.

Thanks for checking it out! This book is a steal at $3.50 - I encourage you to go grab a copy for yourself! Here's a link to purchase from Samhain.

I'll be putting up a giveaway in the next day or two for a brand spanking new copy of POLITICS, MURDER, AND LOVE IN STALIN'S KREMLIN (The story of Nikolai Bukharin and Anna Larina)by Paul R. Gregory. Not the type of book you typically here and no, I haven't read it yet so there won't be a review, but it sounds incredibly interesting.
Laurie

SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE WINNERS!

I used the random number generator and it gave me numbers 28 - catslady and 23 - Helen L. Congratulations, ladies! Please email your mailing info to me at ljodamron@gmail.com, I'll pass it on to Jill. Your books will come directly from her. If I don't hear from catslady and Helen by Sat., October 2, I'll pull two more names.
Huge thanks to Jill for providing the two giveaway books, and thanks so much to everyone who entered! I loved seeing what your favorite "Jill" books were and have decided that I'm going to have to revisit some of them! It's difficult to choose a fave, but mine is still SERVING UP TROUBLE - I've reread that book so many times, I can recite several lines from it!


Laurie
xo

Melissa Schroeder's winner announced!

RHONDA VKD - you are the winner of the first two books in Melissa's "Harmless" series, signed in print! Congratulations! Please email Mel directly at melschro@aol.com with your mailing info so she can get your books out to you.
Thanks to Mel for great fun and conversation and thanks to all who visited while Mel was guesting!
Laurie

Jill Shalvis has a new release and it's, well, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE! She's giving away two copies here!

Jill Shalvis has a new book releasing tomorrow, and I was fortunate enough to get an early look from Jill. Thanks to Jill's generosity, two of my readers here will win a copy. Thanks, Jill!

Maddie Moore’s whole life needs a makeover.
In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother–a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.
Starting over won’t be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career–if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.
The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes–and mouth–are making it hard for her to remember that she’s sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie’s struggles to overcome the past, though she’s about to discover that there’s no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

Jill has a first chapter excerpt on her website - check it out!

My review:

When Maddie Moore loses her production company job in L.A., she decides to follow up on the invite to the Washington coast resort inn she has inherited with her two step-sisters. Maddie, who was raised by her father, wasn't especially close to her late mother and her sisters are more or less strangers to her. Her efforts at a new beginning get off to a rough start when she nearly runs over a fabulous looking biker on her way into town. She makes sure he's okay and then tries not to pay him much mind because although he is gorgeous with a capital "G" she has sworn off men. Seriously. No. More. Men.
Maddie and her sisters couldn't possibly be more different from one another if they tried. Each had a different father and were raised by those fathers, while their mother sowed her oats and lived free. The inn Maddie and her sisters, Tara and Chloe, have inherited is a little on the rough side, needing major repairs and even more major tender loving care, no easy task when they are all seriously light in the wallet. Maddie wants to connect with her now gone mother, and is desperate to make Lucky Harbor her home. She hopes with all her heart that she can convince her sisters to work with her to give running the inn a try but they're both proving to be a hard sell.

Jackson "Jax" Cullen, Maddie's near miss on the motorcycle, is intrigued by Maddie and wants to get to know her, charmed by her insistence that she's not interested in a relationship. Charmed isn't exactly the world that comes to his mind at the sparks that fly when they're together. When Jax discovers the secret behind Maddie's escape from her previous relationship, and considers the secret that he has neglected to tell her, he knows he's treading seriously rough water. He's hopeful he can change her mind into giving them a chance but fears that both of their hearts may end up broken.

I've told Jill at least twice that I seriously think readers will fall in love with her "Simply" series and the charm of the characters and the town. Lucky Harbor is one of those places where everyone knows you (and your business) and will do anything to help you out. Maddie puts heart and soul into everything she does and that is just one of the things about her that Jax finds irresistible. While Maddie is reluctant to enter into a relationship with Jax, his good-natured charm and kind, easygoing spirit are contagious. If only both weren't holding onto secrets from their past that threaten their future.

I highly recommend SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE to anyone who loved Jill's previous books and to anyone who is looking for a new romance author!

Next stop - Amazon - so you can order a copy! While you're at it, remember friends, family and neighbors who have fall birthdays - or if you need a hostess gift for that fall brunch or potluck, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE would be perfect!



And I know you'll want to go ahead and preorder Tara's story in THE SWEETEST THING, coming soon in March, 2011. Yes, I know March seems forever away but trust me, it will be here before we know it and you'll be saying "Boy, Laurie was right, it *is* March already!

Preorder THE SWEETEST THING here!!

Now for the contest, it's going to be a quick one so pay attention! Leave a comment about your favorite of all of Jill's books. If you haven't read Jill's work (I'll be shaking my head in wonder, lol) it's ok, you're among friends here and can admit it - so long as you tell us which of her books you're most interested in reading! I'll draw two winners on Wednesday, 9/29. Be sure to stop back because I do not track down winners and I seriously dislike having to repeatedly rename winners. Jot a note on your calendar if you must, but be sure to stop back to see if you've won.

Thanks again, Jill, for the giveaway - you're the best!

Laurie

THE ICING ON THE CAKE winner

is AMMY BELLE. Congratulations! Please contact me with your mailing info at ljodamron@gmail.com by Monday so I can get your book in the mail to you. Thanks to everyone who commented on Alison's books. You've probably noticed that she's one of my absolute favorites and I want everyone to be familiar with her work!!
Laurie

The winner of Janice Maynard's Desire is .....

ESTELLA! Congratulations, Estella! Please contact me at ljodamron@gmail.com with your mailing info. If I don't hear from Estella by Sunday, I'll draw a new winner. Thanks to everyone who commented - I hope you'll go grab a copy for yourslf if you haven't already. Janice is an auto-buy for me; I've never been disappointed by any of her books.
Have a great Friday, everyone!
Laurie