Thursday, July 22, 2010

Summer in Ohio, aka Hotter than Hades

What do you think of when you study this picture? I think of how it feels when I step outside. It's hot as hell in Ohio right now. I know it's hot other places too, but I'm in Ohio so I know that's where it's the most miserable. ha!

Is it hot where you are? How are you staying cool? I love going to the pool but haven't been yet this year. We've already had a little vacation to Gatlinburg - where it was 99 degrees, just as miserable as being at home. The farm markets are really starting to get an abundance of produce now - we buy zucchini, yellow squash and candy onions, slice them thick and grill them - so very good w/just a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Sometimes we'll sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top too, yum!

I'm working on a review for the third book in the Dee Davis series - I don't know if anyone has picked up the first two in the series yet, but I absolutely suggest that you do.

One book that I'm practicaly antsy about is Erin McCarthy's HOT FINISH - the other two books in the series were great fun and I loved them, but Ryder and Suzanne's story is going to be fabuloso, I just know it! Some of my friends have advance copies and I'm trying very hard to tone down the green!

Let us know what's going on with you - please! I want to know what you're doing this summer, what you're reading, what you're cooking, etc.

Laurie

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Older than dirt


Remember last year Barbie and I turned 50? Well, we're both another year older this year. Yes, I know that Barbie has held up better than me but hey, she's plastic - I'm the real deal!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. No special plans here. Maybe dinner at Benny's, my favorite pizza place ever!
Laurie
xo

Friday, July 16, 2010

More Jaci Burton!

Coming soon - more Jaci Burton!
I'm excited for another, and the final, installment in Jaci's Wild Riders series (releasing September 7), but know that I'm not the only one who hates to see it come to an end.
About the book:
AJ and Pax work together as undercover operatives for a government agency of bad-boy bikers known as the Wild Riders. And though they play as hard as they work, both men are looking for the one woman who can tame them…
On vacation, AJ and Pax run into AJ’s high school sweetheart, Teresa. While they’re catching up at Teresa’s bar, a fight erupts between two biker gangs, leaving one man dead and Teresa’s brother wrongly accused of murder. With no proof and Teresa as the only eye witness, the trio points their Harleys toward the annual bike rally in South Dakota in hot pursuit of the real killer…
Her life in jeopardy, AJ and Pax become Teresa’s fierce protectors. But a past trauma keeps Teresa guarded, unable to trust them–until AJ and Pax uncover her secret and vow to do anything to help her heal. And in their arms she discovers a sensual desire that knows no boundaries, a passion strong enough to overcome her tragic past and awaken a force that brings both men to their knees.
Danger may temporarily bind the three together, but it’s their shared passion that will lead them to the ride of their lives: love.
From Jaci:
RIDING THE NIGHT releases September 7th and is the final book in my Wild Riders series. I know. The last book in the series. I’ll be sad, and yet I’m SO excited about this book I can’t even begin to tell you.
Do you have a blog? Facebook? If so, check this out:
And now I have ARCs to give away, but there’s a catch. You have to earn the ARC. So you have to tell others about this contest. Yes, it requires sharing. Blog it, talk about it in a group, then in the comments, tell me where you passed the word along (link required). So if you blogged about the contest, give me the link to your blog post. If you shared it in a forum or a group, give me the link. If you posted about it on Facebook, give me your Facebook url. If you tweeted about it, give me your twitter name. All of the above things make you eligible. And if you share the contest in more than one place, you can comment more than once which means you get more than one entry. Wheee!
I’ll draw ARC winners (yes, there will be more than one) on Wednesday next week. Be sure you check back on Wednesday next week to see if you’ve won. Winners will have 7 days to claim their prize or I’ll redraw for new winners.
Please note that RIDING THE NIGHT is an erotic romance suitable for those over the age of 18. If you are under 18 years of age, please don’t enter the contest.
RIDING THE NIGHT is also a menage story, so if menage isn’t your cuppa tea, please don’t enter the contest.
And hey, if you haven’t read the other books in the Wild Riders series, check them out here!
Thanks!
Laurie

Thursday, July 15, 2010

NAUTI AND WILD, coming soon from Jaci Burton and Lora Leigh



I was fortunate enough to win an ARC of NAUTI AND WILD from author Jaci Burton in a Twitter contest (thanks, Jaci!). NAUTI AND WILD is a two-story anthology with stories by Jaci Burton and Lora Leigh . Like most romance readers, I've read many of the books by both of these authors, always enjoy them very much, and have no reservations about recommending them to anyone who enjoys fast-paced, extremely heated romance.

Lora Leigh's NAUTI KISSES
John Walker, Jr. left his family’s Boston law firm to return to his father’s hometown of Somerset, Kentucky where he makes a houseboat home and runs with the well-known McKay boys (from previous “Nauti” stories). His leaving came on the heels of a broken engagement, with long-time family friend and his father’s goddaughter, Sierra Lucas, being instrumental in causing his breaking things off with his fiancĂ©e. A year later, there’s been a vicious attack on Sierra, leaving her battered and broken. When it’s determined that this was not a random or serial attack, John’s father decides that Sierra needs a safe place to stay until her attacker is found and she is secreted away to John’s houseboat in Kentucky. The heat and long-repressed attraction between John and Sierra is a tad predictable, but it’s satisfying, as is catching up with characters from previous “Nauti” books.
Loving romantic suspense, I like that Lora Leigh’s heroines are typically in need of an alpha man to protect them and keep them safe, but have recently felt that her stories are a tad repetitive. The hero is usually on the verge of going ballistic over someone mistreating/injuring/threatening the heroine, which makes me wish they would administer some gentle, lovingly tender ministrations rather than immediately (and often roughly) screwing the heroine’s brains out. That said, I keep buying and reading them, because there’s an abundance of good emotion and well-written family/friends dynamics going on!

Jaci Burton's RIDING THE EDGE
Rick Benetti is beyond aggravated at the thought of “babysitting” Ava Vargas, daughter of a hard-nosed Senator, who has followed her best friend into the dark, dangerous world of the Hellraisers motorcycle gang. Ava is concerned as to why her shy, studious, lifelong friend has ditched grad school and turned to a life centered around drugs and wild, unpredictable behavior. She has no desire to follow her friend on her path to destruction as her father worries, but feels a determined desperation to get her friend back before it’s too late. Rick’s undercover job for the government as a Wild Rider has him returning to a life he left behind years before. This time though, he’s working to protect a beautiful, incredibly sensual young woman while keeping his finger on the criminal pulse of the gang. Equally troubling is the fact that his own cousin, who was like a brother to him while growing up, is one of the ringleaders of the gang. Rick and Ava are quickly and unexpectedly caught up in a passionately heated relationship but Rick, having never received or given love, doesn’t see a place for Ava in his future.
Jaci Burton's story has the most meat of the two, in my opinion. Rick and Ava are both highly intelligent and although their first attraction may have been sexual, it isn't long before they see much deeper into one another. Soon Rick's case is wrapped up and it's time for them to go their separate ways. Rick has put his past behind him his entire life, and despite feeling unfamiliar new emotions, he has no doubt that he'll be able to put Ava behind him. Unfortunately, his heart didn't get the message and the result is a savagely painful ache, the likes of which he's never experienced.

I hope you'll check out these authors' sites and works - be sure to pop over to Amazon and do some shopping!
Thanks for checking it out!
Laurie

Monday, July 12, 2010

DANGEROUS DESIRES, the latest from Dee Davis


Author Dee Davis has a new book available, with another releasing hot on its heels! DANGEROUS DESIRES is on the shelves now and DESPERATE DEEDS will be out around the first of August, 2010. The powers that be at Romance Junkies were smiling down on me (thanks, Cat!) and I was able to get all three books for review - talk about excited! I'm thrilled to share my review for DANGEROUS DESIRES with you now and will be chatting about DESPERATE DEEDS in a week or so!

About the book:
Stranded in the Colombian jungle after a mission goes bad, Drake has only one objective: evade the mercenaries hot on his trail and deliver "the package" to U.S. officials. But "the package" has a mind of her own, and she has no intention of trading one set of captors for another. Madeline Reynard is beautiful, headstrong, and hell-bent on escape after years as a crime lord's pawn. She'll risk everything for freedom, even if it means deceiving the dark, handsome operative who now holds her life in his hands.
Drake has been burned too many times to let a woman manipulate him, especially a secretive one like Madeline. Even so, they cannot deny the attraction between them. Now as enemy forces close in, Drake and Madeline must trust each other with their lives-or face certain death.

You'll find an excerpt and more great info here - be sure to go check it out.

My review:
A woman desperately in need of rescuing and a man whose life revolves around danger and intrigue, a potent combination as they fight for their very lives in the jungles of South America. DANGEROUS DESIRES is the latest release from author Dee Davis, and readers who love suspense won’t be disappointed.
Madeline Reynard has had very little pleasure in her life. She survived an abusive childhood, committed murder to save her sister and spending time in prison. Add to that her spending the past three years purportedly as the mistress to one of the world’s most vile, evil crime lords. The loss of the only friend she had in prison was almost her undoing, but when she learned of the loss of her sister to a long battle with drugs, she gave up and played her very last card, hoping for salvation. When Drake Flynn and the A-Tac team come to her rescue, she’s skeptical about being delivered to safety and tries to escape them. Drake is nothing if not determined however, and Madeline soon finds herself safe and secure, a feeling she is unaccustomed to.
Drake is, to say the least, not very trusting of women. Seriously burned by the last woman he allowed to share his life, he’s even more distrusting of Madeline when she tries to escape, jeopardizing everyone on his team. Once both are confident that they are on the same side, they head to meet up with the rest of the A-Tac members. It’s hot in the jungle and passions flare to match the intensity of the harsh, steamy heat that surrounds them. Drake knows that he’ll never love again, but he can’t deny a strong attraction to Madeline.
DANGEROUS DESIRES smoothly follows DARK DECEPTIONS and is an outstanding continuation of an intriguing series by Dee Davis. Drake is instantly distrustful of Madeline and she in turn fears betrayal upon being returned to the U.S. Dee Davis has an incredible talent for taking readers on action-packed thrill rides, this time through the wilds of the jungle. The CIA’s A-Tac team works behind the guise of ivy league professors, but their knowledge of specific subjects add a realistic and interesting aspect to the series. Crucial research has been done to give characters the knowledge and expertise to carry out their roles as educators. Catching up with characters from DARK DECEPTIONS was a bonus. Back story is excellently written so as to not overpower or take away from Drake and Madeline’s story. I know that I won’t be the only reader anxiously awaiting DESPERATE DEEDS, available in August, 2010.

Ready for your own copy? Of course you are - buzz on over to Amazon and grab one! You might as well pre-order DESPERATE DEEDS while you're there because I guarantee you'll want it too!
Thanks for checking it out!
Laurie

Sunday, July 04, 2010

It's Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I hope you're all planning to celebrate in some way, big or small! Besides Christmas, July 4th is my favorite holiday. We have no special plans besides going to our local parade and tossing some burgers and hot dogs on the grill later.

What are all of you doing? Parades? Picnics? Fireworks? Neighborhood block party?

We're leaving on Tuesday for a few days in Gatlinburg, TN. Tim and I honeymooned there, some 31 years ago, and used to go back almost annually but we then started going to Myrtle Beach every year and we haven't been there for several years now. We're looking forward to getting away, even if it's just for a few days.

Have a safe and happy holiday!
Laurie