Deja Vu? Roxanne St. Claire's MAKE HER PAY w/giveaway!

You might remember that I did a review a while ago for MAKE HER PAY by Roxanne St. Claire. When it showed up on the review list for Romance Junkies last week, I offered to do it since I'd already read it and could have the review ready quickly. My earlier review has been tweaked just a tad for the RJ website. There's a great excerpt on Ms. St. Claire's website and I hope you'll have a peek at it! Go here to grab your own copy of MAKE HER PAY!
Blurb:
Bullet Catcher and former Navy SEAL Constantine Xenakis has infiltrated a dive ship to discover who's plundering priceless gems from a legendary sunken Spanish galleon. When he catches Lizzie Dare red-handed in the locked treasure room, her story of a stolen ancestral legacy convinces him to work with the sexy thief instead of turning her in -- and not just because he wants to find the real culprit. Lizzie is willing to risk everything to save the Bombay Blue Diamonds from her sworn enemy, even if that means giving in to an irresistible desire to get closer to her accomplice. But when passion hits them like a rogue wave and danger surrounds them like a school of hungry sharks, their adventure on the high seas turns treacherous...and deadly.

My (5 Blue Ribbon) Romance Junkies review;
Intrigue, danger and heated passion on the high seas. Readers will experience these –and more – in Roxanne St. Claire’s MAKE HER PAY. When Constantine Xenakis and Lizzie Dare join forces, the bad guys don’t stand a chance. Much to their surprise, neither do their hearts.
Sent to work on a dive ship in an effort to find the person or persons responsible for priceless artifacts, Constantine Xenakis is surprised when he's only on the ship for a couple of hours when he discovers fellow diver Lizzie Dare sneaking into the lab where the artifacts are held. After an initial confrontation, it appears that the two have similar objectives when it comes to the artifacts. Seeing how Con's reaction to Lizzie is instantaneous and heated, cozying up to her in order to keep her under watch is not a hardship. But Con is hoping for a long-awaited, permanent return to the Bullet Catchers and soon finds himself torn between doing what's right and doing the job he's been probationally hired to do. Uncharacteristically attracted to Lizzie, Con soon realizes that his future, the job, basically everything, hinges on whether or not he's willing use her, break her heart even, to do the job he’s been assigned.
Lizzie's motives are much more personal than Con's. Her father’s death and the accompanying broken heart fuel her determination to return the artifacts where they rightfully belong. Constantine Xenakis is an unexpected force to be reckoned with. As if. There is very little reckoning with Con. Lizzie has never come across a more intimidating, capable, or frustrating male. She knows that staying on her toes – yes, the very ones that he repeatedly makes curl, is the only way she'll be able to keep her wits and take possession of the sunken treasures. It soon becomes crystal clear to Con and Lizzie that they're surrounded by evil, on ship and on shore, and their fight soon goes beyond keeping the artifacts safe to keeping themselves alive.
MAKE HER PAY is the latest, and for now the last, in the Bullet Catcher series. I have gotten my hands on every one of the Bullet Catcher books as soon as they were released, earlier if I was lucky enough to get them for review, and I truly think that I enjoyed the storytelling in this particular book more than any other in the series. Con is unashamedly a thief and Lizzie is a gentle, kind-hearted soul who has seemingly reached right in and grabbed hold of his heart, making it her own. Together they positively sizzle. I give MAKE HER PAY my highest recommendation!

To once again celebrate the release of MAKE HER PAY and all things Roxanne St. Claire, I'm going to be giving away a copy of MAKE HER PAY. It will probably be next weekend before I get to the bookstore to get a copy, so I'll let the contest run until the end of this coming week. To be entered, simply leave a comment. Chatter about Roxanne St. Claire and her work is encouraged! I'll draw a winner on Friday the 6th.
Laurie

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Looks like Halloween at the Damron house!

We started out with a pretty large pan of candy, and ended up with quite a bit too. We've had as many as 300 tricks or treaters before, but those numbers have dwindled to less than 30 in recent years. By the end of the designated tricks or treats time, we were giving handfuls of candy and we still have a good amount left.

I'm thinking it's probably because there are so many more subdivisions in our city than there used to be

I thought I'd share pics of the pumpkins we carved this year. The Superman and Elvis are an annual tradition and we've been doing them for more than ten years. We use templates that we've gotten from various places, pumpkin carving kits, from friends and online.

Lindsay did the crow.

Kelsey did the tree.

Kelsey's boyfriend, David, did the cat.

Lindsay also did the Elvis.

I did the Superman "S" but it didn't turn out as well as when Lindsay does it.

How do all of you celebrate Halloween? We handed out candy and Kelsey and David went to a friend's party after. It's pretty quiet around here now, except I have some more laundry to do. Kelsey brought her dorm bedclothes home with her, so we've had more than a typical weekend's visit to do.

I hope you've all had a fun day!

Laurie

FREE HALLOWEEN TALES!

You like free stories? What about free Halloween stories? If so, you'll want to check out Romantic Moments - click on "Stories" (on the left) once you're there and you'll be given the opportunity to download a fab Halloween anthology. This ought to put you in the mood for the upcoming Halloween holiday!

Contributing authors are:

Brigit Aine

Colleen Love

R.L. Stuemke

Vicki Gaia

Antonia Tiranth

Donna Hatch

Denysé Bridger
These are some incredibly talented authors offering up their writing talents for our enjoyment! So please check it out and be sure to let them know how much your appreciate their generosity and how much you enjoyed their work!
Do you have any exciting plans for Halloween? Parties, anyone? We decorate a little bit, carve pumpkins and hand out candy to the tricks or treaters. The little beggars will be out in full force here on Saturday evening. Used to have Halloween parties for the girls and their friends and loved that - another thing that I miss now that they're all grown up.
Have a great weekend!
Laurie

Denise Agnew's UNDER HIS PROTECTION

Denise Agnew has long been on the list of some of my "best liked" authors. Some of my favorites of her books have been the Heart of Justice series - WITHIN HIS SIGHT, IN HER DEFENSE, and UNDER HIS PROTECTION. A couple more of her recent releases are MELTDOWN and COMBUSTION. You'll find her entire book list complete with excerpts and ordering info here.
I've reviewed UNDER HIS PROTECTION on behalf of Romance Junkies (4 Blue Ribbons):
In Denise A. Agnew’s latest romantic suspense, UNDER HIS PROTECTION, a beautiful, mild-mannered British woman is rescued from a madman’s attack by a SWAT officer. It isn’t long before she’s at risk again because now that he’s saved her, he’s likely to break her heart.
Olivia Scott is in the U.S. on a librarian exchange program. She’s finding the experience exciting and fulfilling, and the escape from her over-protective parents back in England gives her some much-needed room to breathe. A routine day at work turns dangerous when a madman begins to harass and eventually attacks her. Fortunately, SWAT officer Trey MacGilvary is in the library and comes to her rescue. She never expects to need his continued protection and she certainly never dreams she would fall in love with him. Eventually realizing her feelings will never be returned, she decides to return to England.
Trey MacGilvary loves women, all women, but rarely for more than one night. When he sees Olivia Scott under attack in the library, the natural instinct to protect kicks in and he quickly has the crazed man subdued. Unlike with every case in the past, that instinct doesn’t turn off at the end of the day. Determined to keep her safe, Trey does what he’s never done with another woman and willingly gets involved. He stubbornly refuses to give in to the temptation of making a serious commitment though, and when danger continues to follow and threats escalate to deadly levels, he realizes that he’s waited too long and he’s going to lose Olivia.
Denise A. Agnew’s storytelling in UNDER HIS PROTECTION is a wonderfully satisfying example of romantic suspense. Trey and Olivia are a charming couple and their differences, while significant, work to keep them together. Olivia is sweet and gentle in contrast to Trey’s fearlessness and strength. He is tortured and damaged and Olivia’s affection is confusing to him, just as his determination to keep her from getting too close is frustrating to her. Secondary characters from previous books are a reader bonus, but their familiarity isn’t off-putting; this book capably stands on its own. I highly recommend UNDER HIS PROTECTION to all readers who enjoy action and adventure with their romance.

Thanks for taking a look - I hope you'll check out Denise's website and book list!
Laurie

Please help me welcome Marie Force - she wants to know "Do You Sweat the Small Stuff?"

Marie Force is guest blogging today - let's give her a warm welcome and see if you can top her messy room horror story below! There's a prize for two readers who comment! Personally, I think I could give her some serious competition with my daughter Kelsey's room, but I'm not sure I can even talk about it without getting teary! (sniff) Welcome, Marie!

Do You Sweat the Small Stuff?
I have a 14-year-old daughter who started high school this fall, was quickly elected class president, and has been caught up in all things high school ever since. We just survived our first spirit week and homecoming weekend, complete with the dance “pre-party” at our house. The open invite went out to the freshmen class, and we ended up with about 60 kids, who were beautifully dressed and even more beautifully behaved—at least while they were with us! My daughter is a great kid with one notable character flaw (other than the teenager attitude, which I’m told will pass—years from now...). Her room is a disaster area. I’m not talking messy. No, I’m talking central landfill.
Now, we run a pretty tight ship around here. My husband is retired from the Navy, and is neat to a fault. In other words, he cleans up after me, which is highly irritating! We’re on her about the room all the time. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to confess that my teenage bedroom was just like hers. (Shhh, don’t tell her.) My mother used to say that when I cut tags off new clothes, I dropped them on the floor. Guilty as charged. Let’s just say my apple didn’t fall far from the tree in that regard. My mother used to muck out our rooms when we were at school and told us much later that we never once asked for anything she chucked. She was very proud of that track record. Toward the end of her life, she made this startling pronouncement: “I wish I’d spent less time haggling my kids about their rooms. They both grew up to have lovely homes.” Stop the presses!
This past summer, my cousin heard me griping about my kids’ rooms and reminded me of my mother’s famous words. I sent her a “shut up now please” glare, which only egged her on. “Emily, Jake, come here,” she said, a glint of the devil in her eye. “I have something very important to tell you—something your grandmother would want you to know.” Fink. I revoked her maid-of-honor for life status after this incident. (In truth, that’s about the fifth time her status has been revoked for bad behavior.)
My mother died five years ago at 67 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. I think her message was clear: life is short, don’t sweat the small stuff. I agree with her for the most part, but when the landfill bedroom begins to creep into the hallway, am I not supposed to react? If I live by my mother’s credo, the answer is no. What about if rodents take up residence in there? Ignore it? (Update: Emily spent eight hours cleaning the landfill on Sunday—we suspect this was a thank-you for hosting the party the night before, but we can’t be certain because we didn’t dare ask what brought this on. All we know is we can see the floor again. Sing halleluiah! We’re enjoying it while it lasts. . .)
I make a concerted effort not to sweat the small stuff in the rest of my life, but in my books, I’m all about the tiny moments that send shock waves rippling through ordinary lives. A single look, a snippet of conversation, a brief encounter, and life is never again the same. In “Line of Scrimmage,” I featured a flashback to the moment a decade earlier when Ryan first spotted Susannah at a campus hangout. The University of Florida’s star quarterback was forever changed by that brief meeting with a woman who had no idea who he was—and didn’t much care when she found out he was a “stah,” as we say in New England. A conversation in an airport while awaiting a delayed flight changes the lives of Michael and Juliana in “Love at First Flight.” Life plans fly out the window, and everything they know for certain is upended. A series of small moments becomes a tsunami that takes them on a ride they could never have imagined, ending in a happily ever after they fight hard to achieve. It doesn’t take a “big dramatic event” to change a life. I wrote a book recently about a guy who accidentally knocks a woman off her bike and then insists on caring for her until she’s recovered. He steps off a curb and finds true love. Could it be any simpler?
Do you sweat the small stuff in your life? How do you feel about small moments vs. big moments in romance novels? Are your kids’ rooms a mess? (Tell me the truth!) One final kid room story. . . Years ago, when we lived in Florida, the kids had vanity sinks with drawers on either side. I opened the drawers in Emily’s room one day to find Pop Tarts stashed on both sides. Now, if you can top that, you might win a copy of one of my books. I’ll be giving away a signed copy of each book, so in honor of Halloween week, let me hear your horror stories!

Marie Force is my guest blogger tomorrow - there will be fun and prizes!

Marie Force is guest blogger tomorrow! Please check out this talented woman's books, her website and her blog, then come back tomorrow for some fun. Have questions for her? Bring them here tomorrow when she'll be chatting and answering questions - and two lucky readers will win autographed copies of LINE OF SCRIMMAGE and LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT! I have read both of her books and loved them! My favorite is LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. If you've followed my articles at Romancing the Blog, you know that I've mentioned this book on two occasions, first when discussing sports figures in romance and second when talking about books where the hero's "I Love You" comes before the very last pages of the book. My friend Judy told me about LOS and when I hadn't read it, hesitating because I wasn't familiar with Ms. Force, she loaned me her copy. I loved it so much that I returned her copy and bought my own, knowing I would want to reread it. And reread it I have - more than once! LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT isn't your typical romance either. Each character is in a relationship, albeit shaky for both, when they meet. The events that follow, intrigue and suspense wrapped up in a wonderfully timed romance, is extremely satisfying. Here's a little tease about both of Marie Force's excellent books:

In the Hail Mary play of a lifetime, a sexy NFL quarterback has just ten days to convince his wife to give him a second chance before their divorce is final—and he has to act fast because she’s already engaged to her high school boyfriend. Line of Scrimmage is a story of reunion, redemption, rejuvenation, and renewal. Readers will laugh and cry and hope—that at the end of the day, these two lovers, who clearly belong together, will somehow find their way back to one another.
You'll find a fun excerpt here - and here's a link to Amazon so you can grab a copy for yourself!




A Baltimore prosecutor set to begin the murder trial of his career and a hair stylist with a dysfunctional family meet in the airport on their way to visit their significant others in Florida. After they each endure a disastrous weekend, they meet up again on the flight home, striking up an unlikely friendship that leads to love.
There's an excellent excerpt at Ms. Force's website, and again, you can click yourself over to Amazon to toss a copy of LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT in your cart!

Thanks for stopping - be sure to stop back tomorrow to chat with Marie Force!
Laurie

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Sorry to have been such a stranger lately. For typically not doing much, I've been incredibly busy. Lots of fun stuff coming up here though, so stay with me, ok?
This Wednesday, author Marie Force is guest blogging (details tomorrow) and I'm certain a good time will be had by all! Yes, she will be doing a giveaway!
Upcoming reviews include Denise Agnew's UNDER HIS PROTECTION, on behalf of Romance Junkies, Dianne Castell's HOT AND IRRESISTIBLE (with giveaways), and a tweaked version of my earlier review of Roxanne St. Claire's MAKE HER PAY, on behalf of Romance Junkies (with a giveaway).
Because Breast Cancer Awareness month is wrapping up, I'll be doing a giveaway of some sort that will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. If you're at all able, please consider making a donation to them. I don't know anyone who hasn't been touched by breast cancer in some way - wouldn't it be nice to see a cure in our lifetime? My giveaway item will be purchased yet this month so it can go toward the Komen's dollar totals, but the giveaway will likely be sometime in early November. Where did October go? I think someone took all of the odd numbered days off the calendar or something . . .
Don't forget to stop back Wednesday for the wonderfully talented Marie Force!
Laurie

HUNT HER DOWN Winner!

I've been trying for almost 40 minutes to get online but our internet connection has been spotty. The winner of the autographed copy of Roxanne St. Claire's HUNT HER DOWN is Deidre! Congratulations, Deidre! Please contact me with your mailing info at ljodamron@gmail.com by Friday.

Thanks to everyone who took time to comment - I hope you'll rush out and grab all of the Bullet Catcher books you haven't read! No disappointments, I promise!

I'm at Romancing the Blog today!

I'm today's columnist at Romancing the Blog! I hope you'll stop by!

Roxanne St. Claire's MAKE HER PAY - celebrating with a giveaway!

Roxanne St. Claire has a new release, MAKE HER PAY, available now. Remember a couple of months ago I posted a review for HUNT HER DOWN, and said that I was looking forward to meeting Roxanne at the COFW conference book signing? That book signing took place about three weeks ago and I did have the pleasure of meeting Roxanne. She is an absolute doll -gorgeous, funny and charming; I wish I'd had more time to visit with her. Just as exciting was getting an early, autographed copy of MAKE HER PAY! Continuing the Bullet Catcher series, MAKE HER PAY is the story of Constantine "Con" Xenakis. Constantine made appearances in at least two Bullet Catcher books and I was extremely excited for his story, especially after his role in HUNT HER DOWN. Take a closer look at MAKE HER PAY with this great excerpt!

Blurb:
Bullet Catcher and former Navy SEAL Constantine Xenakis has infiltrated a dive ship to discover who's plundering priceless gems from a legendary sunken Spanish galleon. When he catches Lizzie Dare red-handed in the locked treasure room, her story of a stolen ancestral legacy convinces him to work with the sexy thief instead of turning her in -- and not just because he wants to find the real culprit. Lizzie is willing to risk everything to save the Bombay Blue Diamonds from her sworn enemy, even if that means giving in to an irresistible desire to get closer to her accomplice. But when passion hits them like a rogue wave and danger surrounds them like a school of hungry sharks, their adventure on the high seas turns treacherous...and deadly.

My review:
Constantine Xenakis is working undercover on a dive ship in an effort to find the person or persons responsible for recovered priceless artifacts. Imagine his surprise when he's only on the ship for a couple of hours and discovers fellow diver Lizzie Dare sneaking into the lab where the artifacts are held. After an initial confrontation, it appears that the two have similar objectives when it comes to the artifacts. Con's reaction to Lizzie is instantaneous and heated, which makes cozying up to her to keep her under watch no hardship whatsoever. But Con is hoping for a long-awaited, permanent return to the Bullet Catchers and soon finds himself torn between doing what's right and doing the job he's been probationally hired to do. Given his attraction to Lizzie, Con soon realizes that the job, his future, everything, hinges on whether or not he's willing to break her heart.
Lizzie's motives are much more personal than Con's and the emotion blanketing a heart that's heavy after her father's death is fueling her determination to return the artifacts where they rightfully belong. Constantine Xenakis is an unexpected force to be reckoned with. As if. There is very little reckoning with Con. He's the most intimidating, capable, frustrating male that Lizzie has ever encountered and she knows that staying on her toes, the very ones that he repeatedly makes curl, is the only way she'll be able to keep her wits and take possession of the sunken treasures. It isn't long before Con and Lizzie realize that they're surrounded by evil, on ship and on shore, and their fight soon goes beyond keeping the artifacts safe to keeping themselves alive.

MAKE HER PAY brings to a close the Bullet Catcher series that has brought readers so much pleasure over the years. I'm excited for the new series Roxanne St.Claire is working on, but at the same time, I'm extremely disappointed to see this series come to an end. I know that authors appreciate their readers and happily absorb the positive comments and feedback they get from them about their work, but wonder if they fully understand how deeply their talents touch (and stay with) readers? I have gotten my hands on every one of the Bullet Catcher books as soon as they were released, earlier if I was lucky enough to get them for review, and I truly think that I enjoyed the storytelling in this particular book more than any other in the series. Con is unashamedly a thief and Lizzie is a gentle, kind-hearted soul who has seemingly reached right in and grabbed hold of his heart, making it her own. Together they simply sizzle. I am trying to content myself with the knowledge that Roxanne St. Claire is hard at work on a new series, but in the meantime, I give MAKE HER PAY my highest recommendation!

Go here to order MAKE HER PAY!

To celebrate the release of MAKE HER PAY, I have an autographed copy of HUNT HER DOWN for giveaway. If you're interested, please leave a comment. I'm very interested in what your favorite book in the Bullet Catchers series is. Do you have a favorite character, locale, or couple? Haven't read any of the series? That's okay, and you can even say so in your comment, but then I'm going to ask "What rock have you been living under?" just to give you a hard time! Send a friend over who mentions you and you'll be entered an extra time for each friend. I'll draw the winning name on Tuesday, October 13. Good luck, everyone!
Can't wait to win a copy? I'll make it easy for you to get a copy of your own - go here to toss a copy of HUNT HER DOWN in your Amazon shopping cart alongside MAKE HER PAY!
Thanks for taking a look!
Laurie