HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I don't know about you, but I love Halloween! I always have. Kelsey had a marching band Halloween party Saturday and she went as a carpenter. Not our most creative costume, but it was cute. In the past she's been a lunch lady, a bag of grapes, a bag of fall leaves and Martha Stewart in prison overalls. Lindsay is a student at Ohio University, famous for their downtown Halloween parties. She went as Amy Winehouse, a musician that I knew nothing about until a few weeks ago. I haven't seen pictures yet, but I guess everyone told her she looked great.
We carve the Superman and Elvis pumpkins every year and my mom comes out to sit with me for trick or treat. Since she's now in an apartment, she misses the trick or treaters, so we share ours with her!
I hope everyone has a happy Halloween - enjoy!
Laurie

SPIN THE BOTTLE by Elizabeth Scott

When author Elizabeth Scott (aka Janice Maynard) sent me her latest book, SPIN THE BOTTLE, for review it was with the directive that if I found it too risqué or became uncomfortable in reading it, I was under no obligation to do a review. This anthology contains the stories of three couples who are long-time friends. While vacationing together at a North Carolina beach house, the six of them over-imbibe and play a risqué version of Spin the Bottle. These stories center around the fantasies secretly divulged between each couple as they took turns playing a very adult version of the well-known game.

First in this anthology is MASTER OF THE HOUSE, the story of Rena and Paul, a highly successful corporate couple whose marriage is livened up by a game of master and slave. Rena is a fierce businesswoman, but it appears that something is missing at home. Her life changes dramatically both at work and at home when Paul becomes her master.

Second up is YOUR PLACE OR MINE? Jackie and Rod married young and lacked the maturity and wisdom to make their marriage last, divorcing after just one year of marriage. After nearly a decade apart, the two have remarried and have a fantasy that could will either strengthen their new relationship or bring it to a crushing end.

The final story is DOCTOR, DOCTOR . . . which gives a glimpse at the passionate marriage of Ed and Charmaine. While these two have a thriving marriage, typical female fears and insecurities have Charmaine wanting more. Cleaning out the medical office of Ed’s recently deceased uncle leads to some very interesting experiments with the strange instruments they discover.

I have to admit that the sexuality in these stories was a tad over the top for my own personal tastes, but unlike any erotica I’ve ever read, these characters are deeply in love and are totally committed to each other. Elizabeth’s book may be a little bold for fans of erotic romance, but if you are a fan of erotica with a softening from a touch of sweet (yes, sweet!) romance, you should run out and grab a copy because I feel certain that you will enjoy it.

Thanks to Elizabeth for asking me to read this, even knowing that it might be a little stronger, so to speak, than my usual reading choices.

You can find Elizabeth Scott on Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/authorelizabethscott

Laurie

KARIN TABKE AND JAMI ALDEN!

Return visitors here know that I love Karin Tabke's work - I always regret when I finish one of her books because I have to wait until the next one is released. On a recent visit to her website I saw that she and Jami Alden have a book coming out next summer, ITALIAN STALLIONS, and I can't wait! I've only recently discovered Jami Alden and while I've read two of her (very steamy) books, I have two more on order! Neither of these two very talented authors write fluffy sweet stuff - their books pack a powerful punch of raw sensuality with characters who know what they want and who aren't afraid to go after it.

Here's a blurb, (yes, I know it's dinky) about ITALIAN STALLIONS FROM Karin's website ( http://www.karintabke.com/index2.php ):

The swagger.
The sensuality.
Ya gotta love ‘em.
The hottest heroes are Italian-American, and every woman knows it…

Kensington Aphrodisia
July 2008

I certainly hate to wait until July for this one.
What upcoming books are you anticipating? Any recent reads that you can't stop thinking about?
I'm about to post a review for Elizabeth Scott's SPIN THE BOTTLE and soon after that, Sasha White's SEXY DEVIL.
Thanks for stopping!
Laurie

THE BEAST WITHIN - the winner is . . .

acdaisy95 - congratulations! Please email me at ljodamron@gmail.com with your name and mailing addy within two days and I'll get your book, poster/calendar, some author bookmarks and a couple of breast cancer awareness bookmarks from me in the mail right away!! I hope you enjoy your winnings!

Thank you again, Lisa, for your generosity!

Laurie

THE BEAST WITHIN - the latest from Lisa Renee Jones!

YAY! Lisa Renee has a new book in the November Silhouette Nocturne releases (admittedly my first venture into this line), THE BEAST WITHIN is a beautifully written love story, rich with suspense and intense danger.
My review:
When Jag lost everything he loved hundreds of years ago at the hands of the Darkland Beasts, he is saved and given immortality by a man known only as Salvador. Present day, Jag begins to have erotic yet disturbing dreams about a beautiful stranger, and he is torn as to their meaning. Salvador can only tell him that the woman is important to his future and that he must find the answers for himself, which frustrates him even more.
When travel photographer Karen Gibson receives word that her brother-in-law has been killed and her sister injured, she rushes home to Texas to be with her sister, Eva. Karen has a strange run-in at the airport with a man (Jag) who is inexplicably familiar to her. She doesn’t understand the angry accusations he flings at her, but is too concerned about her sister to dwell on it. The woman Karen finds in the hospital isn’t the Eva she knows; something very mysterious is happening to Eva and she continues to fail, appearing to be near death. The search for answers suddenly turns just as frightening as not knowing anything. When a hospital nurse secretly suggests that Karen take Eva to the Jaguar Ranch for help, she immediately heads there, thinking she has nothing to lose.
Karen doesn’t realize that Jag has been having the same bizarre, sensual dreams as her; imagine her shock when she arrives at Jaguar Ranch and immediately runs into him.
Jag and all of the other residents of Jaguar Ranch have their hands full when the very evil that nearly destroyed him all those years ago appears, determined to take Eva away. There is no doubt that they will fight to keep Eva and Karen safe, but Jag has some important decisions to make – the most important being whether he’s willing to risk his heart in order to save his soul.
Lisa Renee Jones has written yet another excellent story with THE BEAST WITHIN. Jag comes off as forceful and intimidating at first, but for good reason, given his past. Karen is a very strong heroine, full of independence and unselfishly dedicated to helping her sister. While Karen and Jag neither understand the familiarity or the attraction between them, they are seemingly helpless against it.
This will not be my last read from this series – BEAST OF DESIRE is next from Ms. Jones and I have no doubt that it will be just as satisfying.

NOW FOR THE FUN! Lisa has very graciously provided a copy of THE BEAST WITHIN for a giveaway, along with a beautiful calendar poster with the covers for THE BEAST WITHIN and Vivi Anna’s DARK LIES – it is especially nice!
I’ll draw names from all who reply here (US only, please) on Monday evening, October 29. As usual with my simple little contests (hey, simple mind = simple contest!), if you send a friend over, you’ll get another entry - so tell ALL of your reader friends!
Thanks for stopping by – I hope you’ll check out this incredible new release from Lisa Renee Jones – and don’t forget to go look at her website!! http://www.lisareneejones.com/
Laurie

HOLIDAYS FOR THE TROOPS '07

The holidays are rapidly approaching and while it's heartwarming and fun to buy for our family and friends, let's not forget the brave men and women who are protecting our country and our many freedoms, as well as the rights of others less fortunate around the world. As a show of support for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are proud to announce our third annual Holidays for the Troops project!

Please read below for details about the project, and email me at ljodamron@gmail.com for mailing info. or with any questions you may have.

Donations of either items to be sent to the troops or checks, money orders or gift cards to be used to shop for and ship items to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are being collected. This link - http://lorifoster.com/author/militarytribute.htm - will take you to a detailed listing of suggested items in the event you would like to do your own shopping for the troops. In addition to the items on this list, holiday items such as lights, decorations, ornaments, cards, etc. are much appreciated. In return for your donation, your name will be entered in a raffle for some exciting prizes. While the prize bundles haven't been put together yet, they will be generous and will include books and other goodies donated by authors and various others in the romance community. A detailed listing will be provided here as quickly as possible, but definitely by the first week of November.

Pretty fun, huh? The deadline for troop donations will be Thanksgiving Day, and the prize drawings will take place on Saturday, November 24. Winners will have four days to claim their prize; if contact is not made within that time, a different winner will be chosen for that prize. Cards and letters from those who donate are also welcome and greatly appreciated. If you have a blog it would be appreciated if you could give a shout about this project and provide my email addy, ljodamron@gmail.com as a contact for more information or for answers to any questions.

Please tell your author friends about this project; prize donations are being accepted through the first of November. Please note that there is absolutely nothing political about this project. It is simply a show of support for the men and women who serve our country.

A WHISPER OF HUMANITY - new from Denyse Bridger

Denyse Bridger is without a doubt one of the most prolific authors I've ever seen! I think authors sometimes give up a certain amount of quality when they produce mass quantities of work. Not so with Denyse, her imagination and writing talents are endless - seemingly bottomless vessels that she dips into whenever she takes the notion; arranging thoughts and words with the wave of a magic wand! Denyse is also one of the sweetest, most caring and loving women I know. One of her recent releases, A WHISPER OF HUMANITY, is a quick read but satisfyingly complete nevertheless, without the rushed feeling of so many shorter stories.
A WHISPER OF HUMANITY blurb: When Detective Faith Prentice is assigned as a liaison to the police force in Montreal, intent on helping the detectives there capture a killer who’s MO matches one she’s hunted at home in Los Angeles, she is ill-prepared for what awaits her in the beautiful jewel city of Canada’s French province. Mysteriously drawn to her temporary partner, Adrian Blackthorne, she rebels against his allure, only to be drawn into an even deeper darkness when Adrian’s past snares her—and she becomes a pawn in the deadly battle between the vampire Blackthorne and the powerful master he has long denied…
This blurb sets up the story much better than I ever could - I will just provide the oohs and aaahs! Denyse has created characters and a plotline that are very interesting, with a bit of darkness, a touch of violence and just the right amount of passion, but all cleverly and tastefully written. Faith Prentice could have easily turned into a soft, helpless woman, given the danger surrounding her but she doesn't. She is smart and courageous (but not ridiculously so) - and she appreciates and respects Adrian Blackthorne's strength and wisdom. If you enjoy vampires, strong characters, and intrigue, you should pick up a copy of A WHISPER OF HUMANITY - check it out at Forbidden Publications - http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/a_whisper_of_humanity.html . I hope you'll also check out Denyse's site, where there's an abundance of great reading to be found! http://www.denysebridger.com/home.html

Thanks for stopping!
Laurie

HOLIDAYS FOR THE TROOPS '07

For the third year we are putting together a Holidays for the Troops project! As much as I love sending stuff to the troops year-round, the holiday mailings are my favorite! A detailed announcement will be made around the first part of November, followed by a fast and furious campaign for donations and goodies for the troops!

I will tease you a bit by saying that I have already started to receive shipments of autographed books, promo items and other goodies, as well as the promise of much, much more to come! These will be some very generous prize bundles!

Keep an eye out here for future announcements!

Thanks,
Laurie

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

Tomorrow (Saturday) my daughter's high school marching band is competing in a statewide competition known as the Buckeye Invitational, hosted by the Ohio State Marching Band, also known as TBDBITL - THE BEST DAMN BAND IN THE LAND! The contest is held in Ohio Stadium and it is a huge deal for them to get to perform in The 'Shoe." I signed on as a chaperone before it was announced that this was the OSU competition date. Before I knew there were going to be 30 bands in the contest. Before I knew it was going to be 90 degrees. Our kids will be performing at 2:15, so if you think of it and can send some warm, success-laden thoughts our way, it would be greatly appreciated! The OSU marching band is putting on an exhibition at 5:00 which will be very exciting, with awards to follow, putting our ETA back at school around 7:00 p.m. A long day, for sure.

On Sunday, we are going to the Prairie Peddler festival - a bi-annual crafts festival that hosts craftspeople of every type and bunches of great food.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Please be careful if you're out on the roads.
Laurie