ONE GOOD MAN, the latest from Alison Kent - I have two copies for giveaway!

Seeing how I'm home alone this evening, I had to draw my own winners. The winner of the autographed copy of ONE GOOD MAN is Maureen! The non-autographed winner is Laurie! Congrats, ladies! I know you've both been winners here before but I didn't keep your addresses - please email me with your mailing info at ljodamron@gmail.com by Thursday. Thanks to all who left comments - I loved hearing your Alison faves!
I hope everyone has a terrific week!


I don't have to tell those of you who are frequent visitors how much I adore Alison Kent. I like to think that I'm her biggest fan, but realize that saying so might have the rest of you who also love her sticking your tongues out or making nasty hand gestures at me! I was thrilled to get a copy of Alison's latest release, ONE GOOD MAN, and am excited that she included an autographed copy for giveaway here! I'm going to give away a copy too (no, it won't be autographed), so everyone has two chances to win.
Here's a little chatter about ONE GOOD MAN, starting with the blurb:
Ten years ago Jamie Danby was the only survivor of a senseless killing spree. Because the killer was never found, Jamie has lived her life in hiding, waiting for the worst. Now she's in danger again and she's not sure she can handle it. Until one sexy, rugged, gorgeous man strides into her life, determined to protect her at any cost!
Kell Harding is a Texas Ranger—and how! They don't make 'em tougher. Jamie soon finds out that they don't make 'em hotter either!
But Kell plans only to keep Jamie safe—not keep her forever. As soon as his assignment is done, so is he.
At least, that's what he thinks….

Did you guys see the ABC news feature on recession reading? It was an interesting look at the increased sales of romance despite the economic decline - proof that literary escape is good for the soul, right? Anyway, part of that report includes the photo shoot for ONE GOOD MAN - how cool is that? Go here to take a look at it.
Want even more? Alison has a great excerpt on her site - check it out here

My review:
Jamie Danby has spent the past ten years looking over her shoulder. As the sole survivor of an attack that left five of her co-workers dead and their attacker never caught, she has much to fear. The the case is brought to light again and Texas Ranger Kellen Harding steps up the investigation, Jamie reluctantly agrees to undergo forensic hypnosis in a hopeful search for missing clues about the attack.
When the killer reappears and Jamie's life is once again in danger, she realizes that she has a formidable source of protection on her side this time in Kell. While they both understood the risks involved, neither of them were expecting to fall so quickly, or so hard, for each other. Kell is determined to simply walk away once the case has been put to rest, but that's no easy task when Jamie's holding on to his heart.
Does anyone remember a long, long time ago, when "filmed in living color" was how many television shows were announced? Shall I age myself even more by announcing that I was 14 before we had color television at home? My kids can't believe that. I digress, sorry. Alison writes in a sort of living color - she doesn't simply tell you a story, it's as if you open the book and she takes your hand, encouraging you to step into the story. Every sound, smell, texture, and emotion become almost tangible. Jamie's fear is real enough at times that you can feel it in your gut, and Kell's determination is realized with an almost spine-tingling desperation.
I highly recommend ONE GOOD MAN and hope that you'll all be encouraged to check it out!

Here's a link to Amazon - they are shipping ONE GOOD MAN now and you might find it on the shelves of your favorite bookseller - if not now, then very soon.


Up next for Alison is WITH EXTREME PLEASURE, releasing around Thanksgiving. This features Kingdom Trahan who was introduced in NO LIMITS - he's a uniquely interesting character from the bayou and I have a feeling his story will be sultry and steamy; maybe even a little dirty. King is a strong character in NO LIMITS with an easy, laid back style, and I can't wait to see what Alison has in store for him! WITH EXTREME PLEASURE IS available for pre-order at Amazon for just $10.29.

ONLY SOMETHING THIS DANGEROUS…
After three weeks in Manhattan, Kingdom Trahan is ready to get back to bayous, crawfish boils, and afternoons fishing on the Gulf. But before he can pull out of the parking garage, he meets a curvy detour. King noticed Cady Kowalski on the photo shoot he just endured—sexy and confident, with a waifish look that belies the way she corralled him into submission using only a can of hairspray. Yet Cady isn’t confident now. She’s bruised, edgy, and desperate to get out of town…
COULD FEEL THIS GOOD…
For years, Cady has been looking over her shoulder, wondering when the gang of drug-running criminals who killed her brother would make their move on her. She’s grown used to having no one to turn to, no one to trust. But King isn’t walking away—not even when their lives are threatened, again and again. Drawing Cady’s pursuers out of hiding is the only way to end this, and it’s also the most reckless thing they can do…short of diving into a red-hot affair from which there’s no turning back…
For a bigger nibble, there's a great excerpt here.

Now for the giveaway. I'll draw two names on Monday, 8/31 (Happy Birthday, Alison!) Interested? Leave a comment and you'll be entered. I always love to hear what other readers' favorite "Alison" book is, favorite series, favorite character, etc. My favorite remains The Beach Alibi with Kelly John and Emma - sigh - if only it could have been longer! But there's Leo and Macy to consider too, and oh, who could possibly forget Sebastian and Erin? Maybe you'd rather tell us what you've recently read, what you're reading now, or what book(s) you're looking forward to - and that's good!
Thanks everyone for stopping by and special thanks to you, Alison, for allowing me to review this one for you - and for the extra copy for giveaway!

Laurie

WE BE CANNING!

Any canners out there? I've wanted to try to can for the past two summers but found myself ridiculously intimidated by the entire process. I excitedly bought the canner and all of the accompanying equipment last spring and Tim gave me two beautiful books on canning for my birthday last summer. I poured over the books, reading the hows, whats, and the do nots but couldn't gather the courage to actually do it. There's a woman with a stand at our local farm market who always had the best zucchini relish in the world, but she stopped selling it last year. She was kind enough to give me her recipe, but there was still a big case of nerves in my way. I finally pushed them aside and made a batch of relish this past Saturday. It turned out beautifully! And now I'm hooked!

I'm officially a canner! Kelsey had all four impacted wisdom teeth out on Monday and I stayed home with her for the day. Spent the afternoon making strawberry/rhubarb jam while she dozed under Vicodin's lazy, hazy spell. Again, success!

Now I'm digging through my canning books like a mad woman, looking for recipes that my family will enjoy and that, just as importantly (to me), will look gorgeous in the jars when finished! I've decided that my next venture will be a three berry jam with strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, all picked by our own hands earlier this summer and frozen. After that, some pickled corn for Tim. I've never tried it but he claims to like it so I'll give it a shot. Did I mention that the zucchini and green peppers for the relish and the rhubarb for the jam were from our very own garden? What a wonderful sense of accomplishment! Sorry to ramble, but I get almost giddy just thinking about it!

Until my next batch of jam this weekend, I'll be baking more plain zucchini bread, blueberry zucchini bread and pineapple zucchini bread. I'm feeling very much the domestic goddess right now. Do you like to bake? Cook? Can? Did you grow up in a "canning" home? I remember my mother canning green beans and tomato juice every summer. We didn't have air conditioning and she would get up in the middle of the night so the house would be a little cooler. One Christmas after I was married, my mother gave me a case of green beans that she had canned as my gift from her - I enjoyed the heck out of every single quart! Are you as impressed as I am by the gorgeous ribbon-winning canned goods at your county fair?

Do any of you garden? We put out a few things this year - lettuce, peppers (green, purple and hot), carrots, onions, tomatoes (red, pink and "Tommy Toes"), and zucchini. The rhubarb has been growing in the front flower bed for a few years now. I have to be honest though and admit that I'm not such a good gardener. Tim gets the dirt ready and I plant the seeds and the seedlings, but once there's above-ground vegetation, there's also spiders, bugs, slugs, and other assorted critters for whom those stalks and leaves are the 'hood - I refuse to stick my hands in amongst them!

Hope you're all having a great week!

Laurie

JILL'S WINNER ANNOUNCED

Hey guys, I'm so sorry to be late with the winner. We seemed to do nothing but run all weekend and I totally forgot. The winner of DOUBLE PLAY is Cherie J. - congratulations! Please contact me with your mailing info at ljodamron@gmail.com by Friday.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments - stay tuned for another contest in a week or so. Hint: Who loves Alison Kent?
Have a great week!
Laurie

Check out ROMANCING THE BLOG today!!

I'm today's columnist at Romancing the Blog! I hope you'll stop by - let me know what you think!
Laurie

Celebrating Jill Shalvis with a giveaway!

Jill Shalvis readers should be pretty darned happy right now - two recent releases to entertain you!
The first, available now, is DOUBLE PLAY and is it ever delish!
Back cover blurb:
Pace Martin is the ace pitcher for the Pacific Heat. He's got the arm, the experience, and the wins. He's also got the pain, the pressure, and the possible end of his career looming over him. The last thing he needs now is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses.
Holly Hutchins knows a good story when she sees one, and the tall, dark and slightly attitude-challenged Pace Martin fits the bill. But when she realizes there's more at stake than just a win, she starts to see the handsome, broad-shouldered jock in a different light.
Pace and Holly begin a seductive game, but in the face of unexpected betrayal and challenges, they'll have to find the courage to swing for the fences.
Want an excerpt? Go here - and then you can pop over to Amazon to order a copy!


Next up is an August Blaze, STORM WATCH. Readers are going to enjoy this one - I like the clinch-free cover! I haven't subscribed to the Blaze series for several years now, but still pick them up on occasion, especially if I'm familiar with and enjoy the author, like Jill! They're typically quick reads; heavy on the romance.

Subject: Jason Mauer, National Guard.
Current status: Homeward bound.
Mission: Getting some R & R!
Obstacle: Lizzy Mann.
Sexy blast from the past.

Blurb:
After Hurricane Katrina, Jason needs some downtime—badly! But there’s no rest for the heroic. During another deluge, Jason’s savior skills are
suddenly in demand…by his hot friend Lizzy.
She’s fiercely independent. But that doesn’t keep them from having incredible sex as they, ah, ride out the storm!
Jason knows relationships and duty don’t mix. Still, he feels as if he’s being swept away by a flash flood of desire for Lizzy.
The permanent kind…

Uniformly Hot!
The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell.

Go here for a great excerpt! And here's a link to Amazon so you can snag your own copy!

First off, I have to apologize to Jill for not doing reviews for these two. I have read them both and give them each two thumbs up! If I had more thumbs, I'd give more than two! I'm behind on several Romance Junkies reviews right now and need to get caught up. I am doing a giveaway though! I have a copy of DOUBLE PLAY for giveaway. You know how it works, leave a comment if you're interested, and you'll be entered. A little chatter about Jill, her work, her blog, etc. is always nice, or tell us about any current/recent reads that knocked your socks off! Because I have something going on every night this week, I'm going to draw a name on Sunday, August 9.
Thanks for checking these out!
Laurie