AND THE WINNERS ARE ...

The winner of SLOW HEAT is Sue Hussein. The winner of the Komen mug is Lisa Freeman. Congratulations, ladies! Sue and Lisa, please contact me at ljodamron@gmail.com with your mailing information so I can get your prizes in the mail. If I don't hear from Sue and Lisa by Friday, I'll draw new winning names.
Thanks to all who entered! Look for author Jules Bennett to guest blog next week - she'll have a giveaway to celebrate her upcoming Silhouette Desire release, so I'm hoping you'll all stop back.
My mom's surgery went well yesterday. All of the wires in her kneecap were removed, so she should be back on the road to recovery.
Have a great week!
Laurie

Winners will be named Monday evening

I'll announce the winners of the copy of SLOW HEAT and the mug from the Komen store on Monday evening.
Look for a new review for Jules Bennett's upcoming Silhouette Desire, SEDUCING THE ENEMY'S DAUGHTER, in the next couple of days. This is an especially good book and I'm excited that Jules will be guesting here very soon!
I hope you're all having a great weekend! I'm just happy to have gone four days without any snow!
My mom will be having an outpatient surgery this Monday morning to remove the wires they used to put her kneecap back together. One of them has somehow turned and is poking through the skin. Yes, it's just as awful as it sounds and has been causing her considerable discomfort. Poor Weezy. We're having an 80th birthday party for her next Saturday and look forward to her having a special day with family and friends.
Be sure to come back Monday to see who my winners are!
Laurie

NAKED EDGE by Pamela Clare

I know I've talked before about how much I love the work of Pamela Clare, but my love has grown by leaps and bounds after reading NAKED EDGE. Her romantic suspense series unquestionably tops the list of the best I've ever read. You know the feeling of satisfaction you get when you’ve just finished a great book? The one that won’t let you to start another book for a while, because that would take the sweet taste out of your mouth? Those books are few and far between, but this was one of them for me. I was fortunate enough to review UNLAWFUL CONTACT for Romance Junkies and have been waiting patiently for NAKED EDGE. Imagine how thrilled I was when I was able to snag it from the RJ review list!

What do you do when desire drives you to the very brink?
The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met Gabriel Rossiter, the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rockslide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger's hands. Although she can't forget him she thinks she'll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends off Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.
Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he's determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte and to keep Kat safe.
But asking questions can be dangerous almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth and each other makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land.

You'll find a great excerpt here - check it out!

My (5 blue ribbon) review:
When you have an emotionally damaged man who thinks he has nothing to give and who wants nothing in return, and a woman who’s genuinely pure and good; you just know they’ll each be a strength for the other’s weakness. Such is the case with Pamela Clare’s NAKED EDGE. Romantic suspense or action adventure, I don’t care what you call it, it simply doesn’t get any better than this.
All Denver Independent I-Team reporter Katherine James wanted when she set out on a hike was a speck of peace and quiet away from the hustle and noise that is Denver, a little one-on-one time with clean air and sunshine. What she got in return was a tumble with a rockslide that left her terribly bruised and broken. Thank heavens for park ranger Gabe Rossiter who was enjoying the solitude of off-duty rock climbing when he saw Kat’s fall. Shocked that she was still alive, he called for help and stayed with her until the rescue helicopter took her away. Three months later, Kat is mostly healed and participating in a Native American prayer ceremony that is violently attacked by officers in the name of upholding the law. She is greatly disappointed to see Gabe there in uniform – her recollection of her accident didn’t include his telling her he was in law enforcement. It turned out that Gabe is one of the good guys and he quickly takes action to get to the bottom of the violation. When the attacks on Kat and the Navajo community escalate, it quickly becomes clear that Kat’s life is in danger and she and Gabe have a serious fight on their hands to keep her alive.
Gabe becomes more attracted to Kat and her unusual beauty every time he’s near her. She quickly makes it clear that she is a virgin and yes, she intends to remain one until she finds the right man. Unlike most men who would find this absurdly cliché, Gabe respects her decision and understands that she only wants to share her body with the man she’ll share children and the rest of her life with. That doesn’t mean he wants Kat any less, but Gabe is still tortured over the loss of his fiancée three years prior and considers himself undeserving. Part of Gabe’s training as a park ranger included education in decades-old beliefs and traditions of the area’s Native American community. He has the utmost appreciation for those customs and is incensed when he witnesses the cruelty of some of the local police force against the Navajo residents. His deepening investigation serves to further exacerbate the attacks against Kat and he soon becomes her round the clock protector. He quickly realizes that Kat’s pure goodness runs far deeper than her virginity and being with her makes him wish that he could be the man on the receiving end of her love and affection.
NAKED EDGE is undoubtedly one of the most powerful love stories I have ever read. The intrigue and suspense are plentiful as are smoldering passions, but the love story especially is solidly told with a rhythm that slowly and continuously gains momentum. Kat’s genuine goodness and purity are a balm to Gabe’s tortured soul, yet she is unaware of how uniquely special she is. Gabe sees a woman in Kat that she doesn’t even realize exists. Navajo customs are beautifully written and woven into this story without being stereotypical and I feel certain that most readers will find themselves educated and more understanding as a result.
Appearances by previous series’ characters are just part of the rich deliciousness that is NAKED EDGE and catching up with them is an added treat. This book very capably stands on its own but because this is such a strong, wonderfully told series, I highly recommend reading in order.

Want a copy? You should! Here's a link to Amazon for easy ordering!
Because there's no way I'm parting with my ARC, I've decided to do a little different kind of giveaway to celebrate the release of NAKED EDGE. I'm going to embrace Kat’s spirit and strength with the giveaway of a cool mug that I bought from the Komen for the Cure online store. Want it? Leave a comment and your name will be put in the draw for it. I'd love to know if you've read any of Pamela Clare's work - historical or suspense. I have two of her historicals, UNTAMED and SURRENDER, but haven't read either yet so I'd really like to hear your thoughts!
Like the Jill Shalvis contest, I'm going to let this one run for a while and will announce the draw date in a few days. Feel free to enter both contests, ok?
Thanks so much for checking out NAKED EDGE!
Laurie

The latest from Jill Shalvis - SLOW HEAT - she's giving away a copy!

You all know that I squee when my good pal Jill Shalvis has a new book out - SLOW HEAT is her current release and it is worth checking out, especially if you're a hopeless romantic! Obviously, it has a baseball theme but trust me, you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it.

After a woman claims she's pregnant with Wade O'Riley's love child, Major League Baseball's most celebrated catcher and ladies' man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team's publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha McNead.
When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding, Sam steps up to the plate as his "girlfriend." But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stalled elevator with too much Scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension.
Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade's used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his "pretend" girlfriend, he needs a home run -- even if it involves stealing a few bases...
Jill has an excerpt on her site - you can check it out here.
My review:
Wade O’Riley, catcher for the Santa Barbara Heat Baseball team, has landed himself in PR trouble and corporate sponsors are demanding that he clean up his act. Owners decide that no one can make Wade look better than Samantha McNead, the team's gorgeous, strictly business, publicist. Given their one-time alcohol-fueled tryst in an elevator a year before, Sam isn’t initially open to the idea. Turns out that Sam has no say in the matter and ever the professional, she's determined to make it work. Wade is still attracted to Sam and loves "messing her up" and making her squirm every chance he gets when they’re in public. Wade makes every attempt to appear laid-back and carefree, but there are complex layers to him and he’s surprised when Sam gets close enough to find and understand them.

Sam isn’t at all happy about acting as Wade’s girlfriend. She’s far too serious to act like just another one of his playthings. Not only does she have to “babysit” Wade, but serious family issues have Sam’s young nephew, Tag, being sent to stay with her. Tag is bent on driving her crazy, acting out as a cry for attention, and Sam is seriously stressed. She's in a constant state of sweet frustration between the two "men" in her life, but determined to take good care of Tag and show him the unconditional love that he so desperately needs. When it comes to Wade, her feelings aren’t quite so easy or understandable. It isn’t long before Wade and Sam’s attraction is undeniable and they both discover that there’s much more to the other than meets the eye.

Jill Shalvis writes the most delicious heroes and Wade O’Riley is no exception. Despite being a constant in baseball’s fast lane, Wade has painful secrets that are keeping him from finding true happiness. Sam appears a little starchy early on, but it isn’t long before readers see her vulnerability, just as Wade is finding them for himself. The two are like oil and water at first, but they quickly mix and it’s almost immediately obvious that there’s something powerful going on between them. I don’t typically care for children in my romance, but Tag is beautifully written as a somewhat neglected, emotionally needy little boy and Wade’s interaction with him is priceless, serving to make him even more endearing. Check out SLOW HEAT, I feel certain you'll be glad you did.

Jill is graciously offering a copy of SLOW HEAT to one lucky reader here (once she has copies) - thanks, Jill! If you'd like to be in on the draw, just leave a comment - preferably about Jill, her books, or her blog about family and fun in the Sierras. I'm going to let this contest run for a while and will announce an ending date in the next couple of days. There's plenty of time for you to get your name in and send your friends over - you know how that works, right? For every friend who comments and mentions your name, I'll throw your name in the hat an extra time!
Have a great weekend!
Laurie