Yankee Romance Reviewers

King of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab (Terra's Review)

2012-01-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA...
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human--although, drifting among the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons' blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the king of vampires this party girl's life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME'S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF VAMPIRES...
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate has gotten it seriously wrong...

(Terra's Thoughts) I love a good paranormal book as good as the next person but this one just didn't give me the oomph to say it's a five star. I would most likely give this a three and a half. It was okay but needed a bit more of something.

Isabel Anthony is a rogue vamp who basically has grown up on her own without any help. Her parents died when she was young thus leaving her knowing that she needed certain things for the vamp life but not having the proper training to realize her full potential. She is a beauty with some scruples though and doesn't just feed off anyone. She actually gives back as much comfort to the donor as she gets for her meal.

Thad Morgan is I don't know....hmm...maybe a bit dim witted and self absorbed. He is the next ruler of his people but has no powers without his life mate. Searching finally brings him to her only to have what should be a bit more dialogue but ends up being a bit more steam under the covers. With more work I think Thad could be much better developed.

The story has some action, quite a bit of steamy sex, confusion and misunderstandings that could get you killed and a whole can of worms that will explode on contact should it leak out that the King is powerless at the moment.

Not my favorite cup of tea but no two opinions are alike. Give this a chance as you may find you like it better than I did. I'm more into intense action than steamy sex so that could explain alot.

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402263155
ISBN-13: 978-1402263156

A Cowboy Comes Home by Barbara Dunlop (Terra's Review)

2012-01-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

After years of being the black sheep, an unexpected inheritance has finally drawn Caleb Terrell home. But that doesn't mean the cowboy-turned-CEO plans to settle down on his family's Colorado ranch. His single-minded goal is to sell and get out…until he's reunited with the sexy girl next door, Mandy Jacobs.

Her mere presence reminds him of happier times. Denying Mandy seems impossible, but seducing her can lead only to heartbreak. There's no room in Caleb's agenda for such a delectable distraction. Because once he gives in to temptation, he may not be able to walk away.

(Terra's Thoughts) This is an adorable little romance with a country twist and a bit of one of those awe stories. I enjoyed it as it was quick, to the point and an easy read.

Caleb is ohhhhhhh so handsome in a suit and it's been some time since he was in jeans and a flannel shirt with cowboy boots and a Stetson on but oh just the thought is enough to heat the blood and sizzle other parts off limits. He left his home and ranch at the age of seventeen penniless to escape a life that would break even the strongest of bullies. Now he's back since his dad has parted from a miserable life. Caleb is the new owner of the ranch that his brother coverts so much but will they be able to patch up a rocky sibling relationship in time or will the ranch be a piece of history past?

Mandy is a cute little filly and more of the cute girl next door type. She cringes when she sees Caleb's assistant and feels inadequate in all feminine ways. After a few monkey wrenches thrown into the story will Mandy come out a winner to the man she has looked up to since she was in her early teens.

These little Harlequin books are a great in between quick read and perfect so as to break up the genre' or subgenre' you've been reading. This has some action, lots of loving, jealously and rivalry that will surely make you sit up and pay attention. Who says surprises don't come in small packages.

Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harlequin (January 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373731477
ISBN-13: 978-0373731473

Miss Hillary Schols a Scoundrel by Samantha Grace (Terra's Review)

2012-01-15T15:39:00.000-05:00

There’s no taming the wicked. Jaded heiress Lana Hillary learned this lesson the hard way when the dashing man of her dreams turned out to be a lying scoundrel. With two Seasons behind her and the memory of his betrayal still fresh in her mind, Lana seeks a match with a respectable gent. But why must they all be so properly boring? Unable to rein in her bold nature for long, Lana flirts with trouble and finds herself entangled with the exact type of man she’s vowed to avoid.

Love ‘em-and- leave ‘em Lord Andrew Forest lives for pleasure and offers no apologies. But he receives a dose of his own medicine when his family’s innocent houseguest beds him then disappears without a by your leave. Rejected by the most captivating woman in England, Drew is determined to intercept Lana Hillary before she reaches London and convince her to marry him. Then he’ll teach the little vixen a thing or two about how to love a man.

(Terra's Thoughts) Oh what a way to start a series. Whew....!

This story is delightfully romantic, silly, and a give them a dose of their own medicine type of romance. More romance than carnal lust I found this a treat to cherish. Even good girls have fun sometimes, LOL!

Lana Hillary is a red haired beauty who has been stuffed to the sidelines for two seasons of the tons best parties. Her mother is desperate to find someone for her and I don't think I would wish this man on even my worst of enemies. Luckily Lana's heart has a mind of it's own and over rules her sense of propriety.

Lord Andrew Forest is a devil of a rake and too handsome for any woman to ignore. Known as the best of the worst of rakes with his gaming and women won't help him out one little bit when he finally finds a fire haired beauty who can give him a run for his money. Must be the appeal of the chase that makes our Drew chase this lady as if her skirts were chocolate flavored with a buried surprise just waiting for the daring.

The story is everything we could possibly want from a delectable romance that sizzles with heat. A story that turns innocence into scorching need, a wall flower into a lustful siren and a debauched man into a caring lover. I really can't wait to see what else the author has in store for us after this book especially when there are three more to come. YUMM!

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402258313
ISBN-13: 978-1402258312

The Rogue Pirate's Bride by Shana Galen (Terra's Review)

2012-01-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

Revenge should be sweet, but it may cost him everything...

The Marquis de Valère escaped certain death in the French Revolution and is now an infamous privateer. Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood...

Forgiveness is unthinkable, but it may be her only hope...

British Admiral's daughter Raeven Russell believes Bastien responsible for her fiancé's death. But once the fiery beauty crosses swords with Bastien, she's not so sure she really wants him to change his wicked ways...

(Terra's Thoughts) "Merde"! Our wonderful Shana Galen has done it again with another ripping romance that's sure to tickle your fancy plus some. The last of the Harcourt brothers has been found by a beautiful wild woman of the sea which leads us to a soul searing romance that will leave scorch marks instead of love bites.

Raeven Russell has a vendetta to act on and now only to find the man that shall see that Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn or hurt for that matter. Raeven is a small delicate beauty to behold but none looking at her would expect this petite to breath Brimstone and Fire should you hurt someone she loves. This is a woman that is a perfect match for any rogue.

Sebastien Harcourt, Marquis of de Valere has been at sea for more years than he would care to count. Having lost his family at a young age during the Revolution, young Bastien left to find himself and try to bury all the horrors and memories that plague him. What better way than to find himself saying, "A pirate's life for me, ha ha, he he".

Our story starts out with a challenge issued for the death of one's love in a tavern of ill repute. More of less a Pirate's Cove that the average person would avoid at all cost but not for our lass petite.

Disguise and lies begin our adventure to an action packed romance that will rival the rolling seas. Every now and then a whitecap appears in the way of soul searing lust that will curl your toes and redden your nose. Ah....to be young and unpredictable looking for love, trouble, revenge and a little tit for tat. Sigh...........!

To say I loved this book is an understatement! I think this is the best of the trilogy and I would take a Bastien of my own any day of the week. My heart aches though as our storyline has ended with this book but I do so hope that our author will dream up something new for us very soon.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402265557
ISBN-13: 978-1402265556

Dylan (The Secret Life of Cowboys #2) by C. H. Admirand (Terra's Review)

2011-12-14T17:10:00.000-05:00

Sexy rancher Dylan is temporarily covering his brother's shift at the Lucky Star ladies club when he meets Ronnie DelVecchio, a darkhaired beauty with snapping green eyes. Sparks and tempers fly and Dylan can't resist the urge to see what it would be like to kiss her senseless.

(Terra's Thoughts) I normally don't read western romances but I'm ever so glad I did in this case. Gonna hunt down book one about Tyler next as they boys are totally hawt! It was such a treat to read such a sensual story with high emotions and even higher heat.

Ronnie is a very attractive young lady from the East Coast who has decided that a change of scenario and of life in general is a major must need after dumping her cheating ex. Starting over financially and geographically is the easy part but when she comes to the bump in the road of a tall, dark and hunky cowboy she shies away like a spooked horse.

Dylan has been hurt hard. Tall, dark and handsome is an understatement for one of his clan of brothers. With lips that will sizzle your panties off and a Texas drawl that can rope you in heart and soul it's hard to imagine any woman saying no to him. Texas cowboy to the hilt, he works hard, loves hard and plays harder and this is as easy to him as putting his boots on in the morning. Ahh....Yumm!

This is a wonderful story of ranch life in full swing with all it's hardships and wonders. A story ripe with everything in enormous proportions. Life's hard, work's harder, love is like a Thunderstorm hovering on the horizon with emotions flaring from one extreme to the next lickity split without a pause. A story where the sex is actually hotter than the Southern heat. Yowzer!

I loved this actually. It brings you on a level of sexual tension that is almost primal in intensity. Spark meets spark, flame meets flame only to explode into a wonderous thing that we all wish we could have just once in our lives. Maybe Texas and her cowboys do things harder and rougher and I for one wouldn't mind finding out on a personal level.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402258070
ISBN-13: 978-1402258077

Sins of The Highlander by Mia Marlowe & Connie Mason (Terra's Review)

2011-12-14T14:38:00.000-05:00

Elspeth Stewart’s gift of Sight hadn’t warned her of the dark-haired madman who charged into her wedding and bore her away into the wild Scottish highlands. Pressed against his hard chest and nestled between his strong thighs, she ought to fear for her life. But her captor silenced all protest with a soul-searing kiss, giving Elspeth a glimpse of the pain behind his passion—pain only she could ease.

“Mad Rob” MacLaren thought stealing his enemy’s bride would be the perfect revenge. But Rob never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would awaken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, he longs to introduce the luscious Elspeth to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his, and only his forever.

With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join—body, breath and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the … Sins of the Highlander.

(Terra's Thoughts) This action packed romance was beyond wonderful. There's nothing like snatching a bride from the alter and then running like the devil is on your heels from her father and the man she was to marry while wondering if the Fates are for you or against you.

Elsepth Stewart is a beauty and with a really nice dowry that makes her quite a nice catch. Resigned to marry the man her father has decided upon and doing her duty so as not to shame her family is the only thing to do. Or is it? Did you ever stand in front of the alter at church and wish to God that your life could be different? Possibly wishing that since you are the dutiful daughter that may hap you might be granted a love match only to look into the face of a stranger? Marriage is for life so why should it not be perfect in all ways.

Rob MacLaren is thought to be a madman since the death of his beautiful wife. His was a marriage arranged in Heaven but was not to last unfortunately. He knows what happened to the love of his life and will stop short of nothing to revenge his beloved. So needless to say, our dear Mad Rob is about to kidnap his enemies bride at the alter before she can possibly say, "I do". No matter she be hag or raving beauty he is bound and determined to take an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and so on.

Mia Marlowe has done an outstanding job with this story giving us a luscious romance to make betting odds on. Action packed with enough love, deceit, hatred, betrayal along with just the right amount of ghosties, beasties and backstabbing servants to make the story a cliff hanger right to the end.

I really don't think I can convey my feelings enough here to show you just how darn good this is. I was quite taken by surprise and a delightful one at that. It's just what a body needs along with a hot cuppa tea and a nice comfy blanket to curl up with on a cold winters night.

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402261829
ISBN-13: 978-1402261824

Fires of Winter by Roberta Gellis (Terra's Review)

2011-11-13T20:54:00.017-05:00

A sparkling prize, the beautiful Mellusine of Ulle is awarded to the bastard-born Bruno of Jernaeve as a spoil of war. Bruno vows to tame the rebellious spirit of the captive beauty– but ultimately surrenders to her charms. Born of different worlds, joined in the flames of passion and intrigue, they find new strength in each other's arms...and a burning love that defies all eternity."

(Terra's Thoughts) This delight is a classic of yesteryear and a great winter read for those long cold nights with a good cup of tea, warm throw and a bit of chocolate. Ahh.....Relaxing!

Bruno is the bastard child of the Blue Blood but with a mother who was a whore. This label will affect each and every part of him for the rest of his life even though those who love him don't see him as such. A man of impeccable loyalty, honor, patience and intelligence as well as handsome as the day is long is an understatement. Beloved trusted friend of the King of England and trusting handsome love of the Queen puts Bruno in a position of some import. There are those who will not see the right of a bastard born being held so high.

Mellusine of Ulle is a captive of the King of England who is treated more than fairly. Her father turned traitor to the King of England by siding himself and his sons with the King of Scotland thus leaving his lands and beloved daughter unprotected and in dire danger. Mellisune is not the mousy vapor stricken chit who cannot hold her own in times of danger and hardship.

Bruno and Mellusine are trust together into a marriage of convience for the realm of England. Neither are happy with the arrangement but make due and eventually come to care for each other. Their respect and honesty is a balm for wedded bliss and for a Queen who doesn't trust her captive servant.

This is a really nice story that shows we can have an honest romance with a history lesson thrown in without the sexual prominence overtaking our story line.

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Reprint edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402255012
ISBN-13: 978-1402255014

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel (Terra's Review)

2011-11-13T20:18:00.000-05:00

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

(Terra's Thoughts) This has to be one of the best books of 2011. I have only read two or three steampunk and this one has to be the ultimate best. Hah, Steampunk vs. Zombie's, need I say more? Yah.........Delicious!

This story is about as action packed as you could possibly get and a well paced action story to boot. The romance you get here is a true romance and not the slap and tickle of eroticism. A well suited story for teens and older that will please. I just can't say enough about how much I absolutely loved it.

You have a new civilization set in the future due to massive warfare having decimated the worlds population. The earth's poles change and thus thrust the population that has managed to survive to move to more temperate climates in order to live and prosper.

Our survivors decide to start their lives over from the Victorian times but embellish with some of the technology that was present just before the disasters started. The only monkey wrench is a virus that is kept secret by the current government that happens to make the dead come back to life.

I am in awe of our author and the wonderful job she has done and can't wait to see what comes out next.

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (October 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345523318
ISBN-13: 978-0345523310

The Highlander's Heart by Amanda Forester (Terra's Review)

2011-11-13T19:59:00.000-05:00

Fleeing into the wilderness to escape an abusive marriage, Lady Isabelle Tynsdale would sooner face down a wild boar than spend another night with her wretched husband. Battered by the elements, desperate to elude a band of attackers, and defending herself against, as fate would have it, a wild boar she is rescued by the handsome Laird David Campbell.

Campbell knows holding Isabelle captive for ransom is his best chance to temper the storm threatening to destroy his clan. The ransom of an English countess should be more than enough to pay off his debts to England and save him from an unwanted marriage. But Isabelle didn't escape her husband just to become another man's captive and Laird Campbell is seriously misguided if he thinks she's going to go quietly.

(Terra's Thoughts) This is an adorable story and one of how persistance doesn't always get you what you want. Patience is a virtue though and our heroine should have learned this long ago but alas it's not one of her strongest traits.

Lady Isabelle is a real beauty but a little of the persistantly daft side. She will do anything to stay away from her husband and will even tempt the nine lives of a black cat. She's daring, crafty, gutsy, smart but without an ounce of common sense and ever so desperate. Being so desperate does bring on some truly comical situtations and you can only sit there and shake your head while chuckling.

Laird Campbell is about the most handsome man a girl could hope to come across on the road while trying desperately to flee from a loathsome husband. His clan is top priorty and ransoming a beautiful wealthy heiress would be quite productive for everyone under his protection. What would his clan say should he whisper about his affections for said heiress considering she's English? I think we all know that answer.

Our hero gets mighty frustrated that his captive is always trying to escape and then getting herself into pickles that he has to rescue her from. How many times does a man have to rescue and recapture a woman to make her understand that just maybe he might feel a wee bit kindly towards her? Sheesh!

How can a woman of Lady Isabelle's status be so dense that she doesn't see safety even when it's staring her right in the face. Mayhap a time out would give our Lady some insight if she could ever stop her escapades for a few moments.

Amanda Forester has given us another wonderful Highland Romance that will tickle your fancy and tingle to the toes. A story of good guys and bad guys that give you all the action you could possibly want with a solid storyline that is sure to please.

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402253044
ISBN-13: 978-1402253041

The September Queen by Gillian Bagwell (Guest Post)

2011-11-06T19:08:00.007-05:00

The Most Romantic Ride of All Time?

In 1651, an English girl named Jane Lane embarked on a dangerous adventure that not only saved the life of the king but preserved the future of the English monarchy.

On September 3, 1651, the young King Charles II, the exiled son of Charles I, who had been executed in 1649 – made a valiant attempt to take back his throne. His defeat by Oliver Cromwell’s forces at the Battle of Worcester set off one of the most astonishing episodes in British history – Charles’s desperate odyssey to reach safety in France, which came to be known as the Royal Miracle because he narrowly eluded discovery and capture so many times.

Charles and his ragged and outnumbered army knew that all their hopes rested on the outcome of the battle, and Charles thought that for him, the outcome would be “a crown or a coffin.” Their bloody rout ended the Royalist cause. Once Charles had been convinced that the best he could do was survive, he fled as his supporters made a last ferocious stand, and legendarily dashed out the back door of his lodgings as the enemy entered at the front, slipping out the last unguarded city gate.

One of Charles’s companions during his flight from Worcester was the Earl of Derby, who had recently been sheltered at a house called Boscobel in Shropshire. He suggested that the king might hide there until he could find a way out of England.

Jane Lane lived at Bentley Hall in Staffordshire, not far from Boscobel. She became involved in the king’s troubles because she had a pass allowing her and a manservant to travel the hundred miles to visit a friend near Bristol – a major port where the king might board a ship. In a story that sounds like something out of fiction, the 21-year-old king disguised himself as Jane’s servant, and Jane rode pillion (sitting sidesaddle behind him while he rode astride) along roads traveled by cavalry patrols searching for Charles, through villages where the proclamation describing him and offering a reward for his capture was posted, and among hundreds of people who, if they recognized him, had every reason to turn him in and none – but loyalty to the outlawed monarchy – to help him.

It was an improbable scheme. Charles was six feet two inches tall and very dark complexioned, not at all common looking for an Englishman of that time. And yet time after time he rode right under the noses of Roundhead soldiers without being recognized.

I learned about Jane Lane from Derek Wilson’s book All the King’s Women, and was convinced by the evidence he presented for his belief that Jane and the king became lovers when they were in each other’s company, in close physical contact, and in perilous circumstances from September 9 to September 18, 1651.

Jane remained in touch with Charles until he was restored to the throne in 1660. Then she became famous, and Charles rewarded her richly, awarding her a pension of £1000 pounds a year – quite a lot of money then – as well as giving her a watch that had belonged to his father, paintings of himself, and many other personal mementoes. He also offered her brother a title and gave her family the right to add the three Lions of England to their coat of arms.

The time that Charles spent on the run was an enormously formative experience, he told the story for the rest of his life, and Jane was clearly someone who he regarded with respect and affection until his death.

Gillian Bagwell’s novel The September Queen, the first fictional accounting of Jane Lane’s romantic and perilous adventures with the young Charles II, was released on November 1. Please visit her website, www.gillianbagwell.com, to read more about her books and read her blog Jane Lane and the Royal Miracle www.theroyalmiracle.blogspot.com, which recounts her research adventures and the daily episodes in Charles’s escape after Worcester.

2011-10-31T18:14:00.002-04:00

The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes (Terra's Review)

2011-10-16T18:12:00.001-04:00

The highly praised trilogy of Regency romances by award-winning author Grace Burrowes concludes with gifted pianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland. Val retreats to the country after an injury robs him of his musical ability, only to learn from impoverished widow Ellen Markham that he can be loved even when his music falls silent.

(Terra's Thoughts) Ahh, Grace Burrowes writing is comfort food for the romantic soul. This is yet another installment of the Windham's and I think this is the best yet. A sweet savory story with just the right amount of spice in the ultimately perfect moments.

Valentine Windham just has a place in my heart and has had since I first met him. Don't get me wrong as I do so love his brother's stories but this one touches the soul deep down. He is handsome if not down right beautiful, has a sense of humor, a heart felt undying love of music and more compassion than any man should possibly posses. Sounds like love doesn't it?

Ellen FitzEngle Markham is a delicate beauty who looks very fragile but is stronger than she herself will attest to. She carries the title "Duchess of Roxbury" but she has not used such title since her beloved husband died some years back. Will a sudden strange man appearing in her life give Ellen the courage to go against the current Duke of Roxbury and finally grab a hold of her life and live it the way a lady of her status should?

Our author has given us a story of two people who have a bit of luck suddenly drop in their laps but first they must overcome all the perils and dastardly deeds that will plague them. Two very sensitive artistic souls that truly belong together forever. Two very wonderful people that you will fall in love with the first moment you encounter them in this story.

The story is a game of luck, a stroke of chance with all kinds of meddling in the affairs of the heart. A story that makes the hero and heroine realize in due time that they are more alike than not but can they do anything about how they feel about each other before it is too late. A story of greed, spite, hatred, fear, loathing, dangers around each and every corner only to confront friendship and love that will surly must overcome this evil. Oh how I wish it were me in this story.

Now that we have had stories about our Windham brother's I do hope to see some about the sibling sisters. I would also love to see a story about the Duke and Duchess of Moreland. Ahh, one can only hope that this is not the end to such beauty.

I wish I may, I wish I might, I wish a wish on stars tonight that Grace Burrowes will delight me more in the near future with her storytelling of yesteryear's delights.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140224570X
ISBN-13: 978-1402245701

A Lawman's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller (Terra's Review)

2011-10-16T14:27:00.001-04:00

The sudden death of the town marshal leaves Blue River, Texas, without a lawman…and twenty-five-year-old Dara Rose Nolan without a husband. As winter approaches and her meager seamstress income dwindles, she has three options. Yet she won't give up her two young daughters, refuses to join the fallen women of the Bitter Gulch Saloon and can't fathom condemning herself to another loveless marriage. Unfortunately she must decide—soon—because there's a new marshal in town, and she's living under his roof.

With the heart of a cowboy, Clay McKettrick plans to start a ranch and finally settle down. He isn't interested in uprooting Dara Rose and her children, but he is interested in giving her protection, friendship—and passion. And when they say "I do" to a marriage of convenience, the temporary lawman's Christmas wish is to make Dara Rose his permanent wife….

(Terra's Thoughts) This is my first western romance that I have read and oh what a book to start out with. Linda Lael Miller knows her stuff and makes you feel right at home in the story with her characters.

Dara Rose is a pretty thing with two lovely children. Sad for her though is that her husband was the last marshall of Blue River who was shot with his pants down in the upper floors of the saloon. She is living on the mercy of the town in the house slated for the marshall's family and is wondering how long it will be before the town throw's her out on her cute little tush with two littles ones and not a penny to her name.

Clay McKettrick is about as handsome as they come and he's coming Dara Rose's way. He has been offered the job of Marshall of Blue River and figures he'll take on the job for a bit while building up his own ranch. Little does he know that the last marshall's wife is going to be an uncontiencious theif in the area of the heart.

This story is set just before Christmas and even though it's in Texas they still have snow and plenty of it. What starts out so heart wrenching and innocent will soon grab your heart by the spurs to suck you into an era past that where innocense can get you thrown out in the street with only the stitch of clothes on your back no matter that two little ones are hugging your apron in hopes of staying warm, fed and loved.

I absolutely loved this story. It has all the wonderful qualities of the Christmas spirit as well as the grappling reality of what life was life back in rustic America. Things weren't always coming up roses folks and that's a reality that hopefully we won't have to deal with in today's day and age.

I must say that I will be looking forward to more of Linda Lael Miller now that I've had a wee taste of what was and the simple beauty of true romance in a simplier time.

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373776144
ISBN-13: 978-0373776146

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes (Terra's Review)

2011-09-17T00:21:00.001-04:00

All she wants is peace and anonymity...
Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

But Sophie's holiday is about to heat up...
With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits-but when Sophie's brothers whisk her away, Vim's most painful holiday memories are reawakened.

It seems Sophie's been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true...

(Terra's Thoughts) Christmas miracles do happen to those who are good. This delightful story deals with true love in it's purest and most innocent form. If you are looking for a story of slap and tickle sexual encounters then look else where. Yes there is the occasional sex here but the main emphasis is on True Love! Quite refreshing if you ask me.

Lady Sophia Windham finally has some time alone or so she thinks. The family has removed to Kent for the Holiday Season with the promise from Sophia that she will come along at a later time with her three stubborn, nosy and bossy brothers.

Our Sophie is a rare beauty with courage, dependability and a strength that takes a snow storm for her family to realize that she is the pillar on which all her siblings lean on in times of need. How could Lady Sophia possibly find anything but quiet in a house devoid of servants and family in the biggest snowstorm of the era?

Vim Charpentier is a tall handsome devil that has finally caved in and is returning to his family seat in Kent after a long absence. Dreading the holiday season and his family has gone on long enough and as Vim arrives in London his luck seems to go on it's usual route downward as he is trapped by the biggest storm to hit London in some time. Little does he know that the fates will throw a wee bairn and a lovely lady right in his path to show him that the bah humbug of his ways must change if he is to follow his heart.

Grace Burrowes has given us the most romantic story of Christmas miracles, wishes to come true as the love and purity of the deepest part of our souls pulsates its way into our hearts.

This is not a action packed story but a touching story that takes time to peel back all its layers and reveal the hidden delights of true humanity. There is enough sexual content to appease the appetite and more than enough Christmas cheer and wishes come true to sate even the most bah humbug of hearts.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402261543
ISBN-13: 978-1402261541

The Goblin King by Shona Husk (Terra's Review)

2011-09-14T19:21:00.001-04:00

Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?

(Terra's Thoughts) Oh this was ever so wonderful. A grim story that we should make our bodies quake in fear during the throws of our nightmares but with a sexual spin that will make you wonder if all the fairy tales from our youths have been exaggerated.

The first thing that comes to my mind with this hero is David Bowie. Hey I watched Labyrinth millions of times with my kids when they were younger and I always have loved Bowie and his other worldliness. Who else could pull off the role of the Goblin King? Hmm....Gerald Butler, Mel Gibson are just a few I would say.

Eliza our heroine is a tall blond beauty who is supposed to be getting married soon but is quite the reluctant bride until she finds out what a schmuck her bridegroom is. Already having a brief history with the Goblin King she should know better than to summon him but in her lost despair she calls out to the one with whom she could lose everything, including her life.

Roan is tall, dark and handsome with an evil that nearly swallows him. Gliding from shadow to shadow under a dire curse, Roan waits for the greyness of his life to engulf him in blackness so deep that he can only hope that death will take him before the evil does. Once a proud Celtic warrior King now reduced to living in a cave roaming the Shadowlands with little to no hope. A Goblin King in a mans body with only a thread of sanity holding him glued to a darker dimension.

A story made of nightmares with hideous creatures burned into our minds and memories from childhood. Creatures that steal little children and eat them if they are bad. Evil creatures that have no sense, honor or knowledge other than to eat and obsessively hoard that which they hold so dear, gold!

Can our hero escape a fate so terrible before he succumbs to it's life force as so many of his brothers have done? Can there be a cure for a curse that was put on him and his unjustly? Can there be an end to a curse that has consumed him for nearly two thousand years other than death? One can only hope.

I have to say I was very leery of this book by it's cover image and title but I should know better than to judge a book this way. The storyline grabbed me right from the first paragraph and held me in it's spell through the last words. My guesses on the ending were all wrong and what a lovely surprise that was in and of itself. It's nice to be surprised every now and then. I absolutely love what Shona Husk has done with this storyline and hope to see many more wonders from her.

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402259859
ISBN-13: 978-1402259852

A Dash of Scandal by Amelia Grey (Terra's Review)

2011-09-14T00:19:00.000-04:00

When Millicent comes to the aid of her injured aunt, she never imagined her "help" would require her to do all of the legwork her aunt can't do– attend society's most fashionable events in order to help write her aunt's gossip column!

But the devastatingly handsome Chandler Preswick, Earl of Dunraven, is on to her when he sees Millicent writing notes on her dance card. Outraged, he believes she's connected to the mysterious "Mad Ton Thief " and vows to expose her. Millicent must stop him before they are both plunged into scandal. If only he weren't so irresistibly attractive...

(Terra's Thoughts) This was so adorably cute and unpredictable. Our characters lead us on a merry chase as they not only try to get to know each other or not to but also try to find out who in all of London is a thief that steals right under their preferable noses.

Millicent has arrived from the country to aid her ailing Aunt with a most secret mission. Auntie tells her she is not to bring notice to herself but to mingle with the ton during their every evening parties gathering every juicy bit of gossip that's to be had. Poor Millicent has two itty bitty problems though. One, she's quite beautiful and catches the every without trying and two, she has a terrible memory so writing notes to herself is a must but how to do this without notice is quite challenging.

The Earl of Dunraven is a wicked rake and one of the trio of bad boys that the ton loves to wag their tongues about. He is the Adonis of London at the moment and loves a challenge so when Millicent slides by him trying to make herself look shy, demur and unattractive our beloved Earl finds himself a wonderful challenge. But oh how is our Earl to find himself a thief when a raving beauty keeps churning his mind like a vat of butter?

The author has given us a delicious scandal, intriguing thief, raving beauty and wicked Earl. The story is light but with an action packed base that will surly keep you sitting on the edge of your seat salivating for more and more of what's to come.

The best part is an innocent heroine who is put in the most wonderful pickles and watching intently to see how she will wiggle out of each and every one. This is one of those lovely instances where the author has literally thrown our lovely mouse into a nest of vipers. Oh dear, oh dear, how will she survive?

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402239793
ISBN-13: 978-1402239793

Pride & Passion by Charlotte Featherstone (Terra's Review)

2011-09-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

They each have their secrets. But what they share is Passion

Lucy Ashton had long ago given up her quest for true love. In the rarified society of Victorian England, Lucy plays the game--flirting, dancing and dabbling in the newly fashionable spiritualism. Even marrying when--and who--she's supposed to. If the stuffy Duke of Sussex cannot spark the passion she craves, he can at least give her a family, a home of her own,and a place to belong. But when her polite marriage reveals a caring and sensual man, Lucy begins to wonder if she can indeed have it all.

But Lord Sussex is not the man the London ton has come to admire. And Lucy has some ghosts of her own, as well. Thus, when a blackmail scheme turns to threats of danger, the newfound peace of the Sussex marriage is cast upon the rocks. Passion has a price, Lucy learns. And not all ghosts stay buried.

(Terra's Review) This is one of those stories that will make you froth at the mouth like a rabid dog. It's action packed, luscious, deliciously intimate and just such a wondrous shivering treat that you won't be able to set it down for the life of you. This is the second book of the series and in my very high opinion it is a must have series. OMG!!!

Lucy Ashton is in love with a dead man. She witnessed the fire but can't bring her mind to the finality and reality of the fact that the man she loved was consumed in this horrendous accident. She is in love with the man who was a killer amongst other things. A man that no decent lady of the ton should ever be involved with. But will the man she loves stay dead? Do ghosts exist and can she face a reality that this man is not whom he says he is even with faced with undeniable truths?

Lord Sussex is tall and handsome but to the woman he loves he is anything but. He is a man of perfection, rigid and passionless and doesn't have a romantic bone in his body if what is whispering on the wind of the waggling tongues of the ton can make one believe. Ah and this irks him like nothing else he's ever heard. Will it irk him enough to show his true colors to the woman he loves or will he continue with the mask of what the ton believes.

This is a high action story and is second book of the series. Charlotte Featherstone is a wonderfully fantastic storyteller that will make you swoon with delight and moon for more. I really am at a loss as to what to say because this book and series soooooooooo speaks for itself from page one to the last word.

I feel this is a story that has a bit of Indiana Jones pumped up with electric sexuality that you can't help but feel the sparks of eroticism with mere little words. I think the word Delicious is just too mild for this sparkling treat.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (November 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373776179
ISBN-13: 978-0373776177

Unleashed by Sara Humphreys (Terra's Review)

2011-09-11T15:47:00.000-04:00

What if you suddenly discovered your own powers were beyond anything you'd ever imagined...

Samantha Logan's childhood home had always been a haven, but everything changed while she was away. She has a gorgeous new neighbor, Malcolm, who introduces her to the amazing world of the dream-walking, shapeshifting Amoveo clans...but what leaves her reeling with disbelief is when he tells her she's one of them...

And shock turns to terror as Samantha falls prey to the deadly enemy determined to destroy the Amoveo, and the only chance she has to come into her true powers is to trust in Malcolm to show her the way...

(Terra's Thoughts) This story got better as you read further. A bit slow in the beginning but that is only due to needing to set up the background of our characters. History is a must where our hero and heroine are concerned.

Samantha returns home to her grandmother following a strange and compelling set of dreams that seem to pull at her like a magnet. Her mother and father died when she was young so she really doesn't know anything of her heritage and that will become quite a problem as the story unfolds and gets more involved.

Not quite fully human and not quite fully animal thus fitting into the hybrid, halfbreed category is what makes her dangerous to some and a great hope to others. The question lingers, "Will the unknown save her or destroy her and all those who have placed a great hope on her?"

Malcolm is Amoveo. Half human, half animal total male and beyond handsome will make him irresistible to almost all females. Malcolm has found his soul mate but how to get her to him and how to tell her of the real him is going to require a ton of patience. Not only that but he must try and convince her that she is also as he is but not quite so. This will become a difficulty that will show patience is a virtue and can sometimes become deadly.

Our author has done a good job at giving us some much needed background in order to see where this story comes from and where it will be going. It just takes a bit to get to the better more action packed parts. Don't give up on this one as it does have fantastic potential that will hopefully pour into the next two installments. I was a bit reserved but really did like it in the end.

The story is quite believable with sizzling sexual chemistry that is sure to please all. I really can't wait to see where we go to next.

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402258437
ISBN-13: 978-1402258435

Never been Bit by Lydia Dare (Terra's Review)

2011-08-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

Alec MacQuarrie's after-life has become an endless search for pleasure in an effort to overcome his heartbreak and despair. Wandering through the seedy world of London's demimonde, he's changed into a dark and fearsome creature even he doesn't recognize until he stumbles into a magical lass he knew once upon a time and sees a glimpse of the life he could have had.

But the ton is no match for one incorrigible young lady...

After watching each of her coven sisters happily marry, Sorcha Ferguson is determined to capture a Lycan husband of her very own. When she encounters Alec, she decides to save her old friend from what he's become, all while searching for her own happily-ever-after.

Over his dead body is Alec going to allow this enchanting innocent to throw herself away on an unworthy werewolf, but that leaves him responsible for her, and he's the worst monster of them all...

(Terra's Thoughts) Lydia Dare never fails to please. This is a wonderful fulfillment to our naughty Scottish witches that we have all come to love and cherish. This is a story that shows us that we don't always get what we want but do get what we need. True love in it's purest form.

Sorcha Ferguson is the youngest of the coven of Scottish witches and her wonderful gift is with nature. Just a encouraging whisper from her lips to a plant in need of TLC will have said plant spring up faster than hare running to it's bolt hole. Sorcha is the most easy going and less judgemental of the witches and her personality touches all whom she encounters. Will her easy going nature plunge her headlong into the arms of the wrong man or can Sophia save an innocent dear friend from a wronged evil?

Alec MacQuarrie is the poor sap who was head over heals in love with a witch who didn't love him back. Tall and handsome, timid and pure in life has him fall victim to an evil at the other end of the spectrum. His soul lost, his heart broken, will there be a redemption for a wayward lost being such as he? Will his chances of finding love ever pass his way again and if it does will he dare even hope that it can give him back the courage to go for it?

This is a story of what one hopes to come true only to do an about face and go exactly opposite. An adorable story of long friendships that had no possibility of anything more to become such a surprise that both characters really question their own sanity.

Alex is faced with a dreaded decision being thrown against him only to have Sorcha come to the rescue to save him by jeopardising her own reputation. One heartless scandal stopped only to reveal another scandal made of innocence, love, friendship and protectiveness. It only takes a whisper on the wind to bring the house of cards falling down all around them all. Can fate take the past, present and future and tie it up in one neat loving package or will innocence be damned for all eternity?

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402245130
ISBN-13: 978-1402245138

The Wedding Affair by Leigh Michaels (Terra's Review)

2011-08-20T00:22:00.004-04:00

The Duke of Somervale's sister's wedding brings together three couples who must sort themselves out to avoid scandal. The handsome Duke persuades Lady Reyne to pretend to be his fiancée so he can avoid the matchmakers but falls in love with her anyway. Lady Reyne's friend Kate discovers how much she has in common with adventurer Andrew Carlisle, and Lady Penelope Townsend discovers new love with her estranged husband.

(Terra's Thoughts) This was a thoroughly delightful story packed with action and romance. Three couples all set with their own story lines but entangled like a spider's web. This was great fun trying to guess who is going to compromise whom, when and where. Gotta watch those dark corners and sneaky out of the way places dear Duke!

We actually have six characters in this story that are the focus of plenty of to do's. How our author keeps her head on straight is a miracle in itself.

First there is the Duke of Somervale and Lady Reyne playing at being betrothed to avoid a mansion full of bride's maids. A chance meeting gives the Duke just what he needs but more than he bargained for. Lady Reyne is short funded so she sees her chance at securing her future in the way she wants it only to have it slip right between her fingers into another destiny. Quite cleaver really.

Secondly, we have Kate who is boarding with Lady Reyne and is a dear friend to her. Kate becomes entangled with Andrew Carlisle whom she knew when she was young and impressionable and despises more than a bed full of fleas. Their encounters through out the story are full of misconceptions with a powerful hunger of attraction that will leave them reeling.

Third, we have Lady Penelope Townsend with her husband. A husband in name only with an incredible chip on his shoulder and a powerful loathing for the woman he married. What can Lady Penelope do to try and get her husband to be the man whom she thought would be her whole world. How does one seduce one's own husband who is not willing to even be in the same room with you? Hmm......a house full of bride's maids with conniving minds and other wedding guests are sure to prove to be some help. Well, at least I would hope so or our Lady is in dire trouble.

The author has given us every element of emotion, seduction, trickery, misconceptions and anything else you would love to throw into the mixture. A very busy book that doesn't confuse you when having to deal with three sets of characters but a very, very entertaining one. I honestly couldn't put the darn thing down for the life of me. It was delightfully fun and I look forward to see what Leigh Michaels comes up with next.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402244215
ISBN-13: 978-1402244216

Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton (Terra's Review)

2011-08-14T18:09:00.000-04:00

DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora is missing. The words pounded through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius had done all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she was gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned. As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.

(Terra's Thoughts) Glad I paid attention during High School to my Greek mythology. This is one seriously hot book with all kinds of surprises that one hasn't seen before. I truly didn't know if I should sit on the edge of my seat with all the action or to grab a bib for all the sexual actions. Good gosh!

Isadora is a beautiful princess about to become Queen weather she likes it or not. Her father is failing rapidly and is trying to have Isa binded before he should pass from this world to the next so that she will have a King and consort to watch over her and to make sure the monarchy stays in place in a nation that is at war. Isa is beautiful, petite and delicate. Unfortunately for her it seems like shes on every ones wish list including the Gods and not the very nice ones at that.

Demetrius is the most gorgeous hunk of male walking around but unfortunately he has a stick up his ass with an attitude of I-don't-give-a-shit-so-make-my-day. He is rude, crude, bitchy, sarcastic and just a royal bastard to anyone and everyone. He is only accepted into society because of the markings on his arm that make him one of the Argonauts (Guardians of all that is good). Hmm..........I'll take a piece of tall, dark and brooding Greek male any day if it looks like he does. YUMM!

The story bounces around between different places with tons of action, lots of Greek mythology, plenty of bad guys and monsters with a dash of Gods with horrible tempers and bad manners. There is also tons and tons of sexual heat, lust that will sizzle your panties off and ultra hot sex that will make you want to pounce on the first male that comes into vision. Well at least males that are of age and don't mind being part of a fantasy come true. LOL!

Elisabeth Naughton has given us a story that so reminiscent of some other authors but with it's own cranked up style. A story that can stand alone but there are a few books before this one that would only add a little more spice to this one if you should read them first. Tempted does however leave you lapping your chops for the next book which I truly hope is as powerful as this one.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402260466
ISBN-13: 978-1402260469

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Terra's Review)

2011-08-13T18:31:00.000-04:00

Harm no human…

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief—Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.

A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster…

Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he’s not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.

Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they’ve sworn to protect.

(Terra's Thoughts) This was such a delicious treat and I waited ever so long but ooh......it was worth it. The story has a Western US flair that includes more new creepies that what we've seen in previous books. A drawing on the Native American myths and legends gave this the oomph that it needed.

Jess Brady was a notorious killer back in his day. He was probably as bad if not worse than Billy the Kid. He trusted no one until along comes a woman who sees only the good in him and this gives Jess the daring to take the chance at trying to have a normal life. We all know how this one is going to go though don't we.

Abby Yager is a beautiful young thing with a chip on her shoulder and a vendetta twice as big as the Grand Canyon. Having seen her dear mama killed at a young age and then being kidnapped by the Dark Hunters enemies puts Abby in a pickle. Who do you believe when being told one thing but you could swear you seen something different? Who do you believe when presented with the supposed truth by those who kidnapped you but have been the only stability in your life for so many years? Abby has to make a choice between those she's loved for so long and the one man that she instantly falls in love with. A choice between dark and darker, evil vs. mega evil. Can she do the right thing?

I loved the way Sherrilyn Kenyon brought in legends and myths from the Old West and from Native Americans of that area. I found it quite refreshing to have a bit of something different while still running hard with the Dark Hunter story line. They say variety is the spice of life and this is so true with this story. Variety is what gives it the spice and a wonderful life of it's own.

What we have come to love with our beloved Dark Hunters is brought forward with lustre. Action packed with creepies galore, sizzling sex that will ignite that stick of dynamite in Jess's pants along with so much more keeps this fan happy as a pea. I can't wait to see what comes up next as I'm loving the little changes to the original theme.

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312546599
ISBN-13: 978-0312546595

Winners of Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2011-08-08T13:51:00.001-04:00

Dina is the winner of the Hardcover copy!

*CrystalGB is the winner of the Audio copy!

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. You have fourty eight (48) hours to claim your prize or it will go to someone else. Congrats to our winners and I hope you enjoy your prize!

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon Trailer & Giveaway (US only) Update: 1 Hardcover and 1 Audiobook up for grabs!

2011-08-01T13:02:00.015-04:00

I just finished reading this and it is Kick Ass awesome! Love the Southwest flair! Oh give me some Sundown to do some lovely nasties with!

About the Book

Original Publication Date: August 02, 2011

Setting: Las Vegas, NV

Harm no human…

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters...

This is for the hardcover copy:

Okay now for the fun stuff. St. Martin's Press is allowing me to give away one copy of this most fantastic book to one lucky winner (US residents only) who leaves a post with their email addy. Winner will be picked on August 8th and you have 48 hours to respond to my congrat email or another winner will be chosen. Let's get this one going everyone as it's a quicky and a goodie! Thanks to St. Martin's Press for a goodie to be sure. Good Luck to all!

Update: Oh boy we're going to up the ante! Macmillan Audio has just informed me that they are willing to put up one copy of the Retribution Audiobook for grabs to one lucky winner in the US of A! That's right everyone now you have two chances if you're real good. Thanks to Macmillian Audio for this lovely surprise!

Now how about this for a teaser:
Characters
The Hero: Sundown

Jess grew up hard under the hand of a father who hated him, and a mother who was fighting illness. At age thirteen, he ran away and headed out west where he quickly learned life wasn't fair and it wasn't easy for a boy with no family. By age sixteen, he'd learned to make his living as a gunslinger, train robber and card sharp. He lived his life hard and was ruthlessly shot in the back outside the church where his fiancee...

The Heroine: Abigail

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of Apollites and raised on one belief: Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both Apollites and mankind. They must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meets the man who killed her family... Jess Brady.

Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore (Terra's Review for the Blog Tour)

2011-07-31T19:26:00.000-04:00

Serena Donovan left London six years ago, her heart broken and her reputation ruined by devilishly handsome Jonathan Dane. Now, with her family's future in peril, she reluctantly agrees to return to England and assume her late twin's identity. The price? Marry a man she doesn't love and spend the rest of her days living a lie.

Jonathan Dane, Earl of Stratford, has become an incorrigible rake, drinking, gambling-and trying to forget Serena Donovan. Yet the moment he's introduced to the prim and proper "Meg", he recognizes the sensual young woman who captured his heart. Haunted by his past mistakes, he refuses to lose Serena again. But convincing her to trust him is no easy task. Claiming his lost love means exposing the truth and destroying the life Serena has sacrificed everything to rebuild. With the future of all the Donovans at stake, and their undying passion capable of triggering yet another scandal, how much will Jonathan and Serena risk for a chance at true love?

(Terra's Thoughts) Now this is a book worthy of it's luscious characters with all their secrets and baggage on board. What starts out as a major scandal in the Ton leads to emotional pain and suffering so profound that it scars our characters for what seems a lifetime. Can deception bring about a sense of peace and less guilt or will it carve out a new saga that will only intensify what was started so many years ago?

Serena and Meg Donovan are identical twins in London for their first season. The girls mother has sent them to hopefully snatch a rich husband with a magnificent title thus hoping to influence the hubbies into bringing the rest of the family home to London from the West Indies and destitution. Unfortunately the girls are young and even though they have a proper chaperon with their Aunt it's not quite enough to keep them in check.

Jonathan Dane is tall, dark and handsome but quite immature. Second son of an Earl with no hopes of inheriting the title, Jonathan is left to his own devises. Unfortunately for him he gets caught with his hands in the cookie jar so to speak and must publicly cut his conquest or be forever banned from the family and left destitute to find his own way in life as a pauper after having lived the life of Riley with carousing, gambling and drink.

Our story starts out with the girls on their way home to the West Indies disgraced and tossed out by the Ton but if that isn't bad enough there is a terrible accident that will forever scar everyone involved.

Six long years go by before the story picks up again with a much older young lady heading back to London with her sister to live a lie with a deception so cruel that it could permanently cast them out if they are caught. It would also cause severe pain to the man involved and who knows what else may happen if such a dire secret were to become known.

Not long after the return to London do our Ladies meet up with the intended victim but also with another notorious rake by the name of Jonathan Dane that will make the females quiver in fear if he should become to close and discover that which could destroy them.

Will the Ton catch wind of the dirty little secret? Is it true that some things are better left unsaid or will our characters find the courage to tell all even if it kills them?

Jennifer Haymore has given us a wonderful Cinderella story that does have more than it's share of pain but also has more than it's share of passion. A wonderfully paced story that will take you from London to Greta Green and back with a lush amount of sass, finesse and pizazz to keep you well satisfied like a cat in front of a bowl of milk. Just delicious!

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (July 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446573140
ISBN-13: 978-0446573146

The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright (Terra's Review)

2011-07-21T19:43:00.000-04:00

Skilley, an alley cat with an embarrassing secret, longs to escape his hard life dodging fishwives brooms and carriage wheels and trade his damp alley for the warmth of the Cheshire Cheese Inn. When he learns that the innkeeper is looking for a new mouser, Skilley comes up with an audacious scheme to install himself in the famous tavern. Once established in the inn, Skilley strikes a bargain with Pip, the intelligent mouse-resident, and his fellow mice. Skilley protects the mice and the mice in turn give to Skilley the delectable Cheshire cheese of the inn. Thus begins a most unlikely alliance and friendship. The cat and mouse design a plan to restore Maldwyn wounded raven and faithful guard in the service of Queen Victoria to his rightful place in The Tower, but first they must contend with a tyrannical cook, a mouse-despising barmaid, and an evil tomcat named Pinch. Will the famous author suffering from serious writer s block who visits the Cheshire Cheese pub each day be able to help?

(Terra's Thoughts)This book was so much fun. A Dicken's of a tale of a stray Tom cat who happens upon a local inn that makes the best cheese in all of England. And yes, our beloved kitty does in fact have a strange addiction to this particular cheese and will do anything to get it.

The story centers itself in the Cheshire Cheese Inn with an array of characters that are down right hilarious. You find the quirkiest bunch of throw togethers that I have had the delight of reading about. Even the most esteemed Mr. Charles Dicken's is incorporated here and his part is of a quiet, patient and intelligent observer.

I found this book absolutely refreshing for a book that tweens and teens can read without all the violence and sexual undertones of some of today's novels that are supposed to be for their age group. But don't let this turn you off if you are much, much older as I am because you will truly miss out on a lovely lighthearted read that will make you giggle as well as teach you some manners.

I really can't say enough good about this particular book but I will say this, I will be purchasing a hard copy of the book for my 9 and 11 year old granddaughters for Christmas this year. Reading is fundamental but also just fun and should be encouraged as much as possible.

To Pip and Skilley I say, Jolly good going and hope to see you in another book soon.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1561455954
ISBN-13: 978-1561455959

The King's Courtesan by Judith James (Terra's Review)

2011-07-20T20:45:00.000-04:00

Her body is the battleground

Sensuous, beautiful and determined, Hope Matthews is a favored mistress of the king. Her many charms have helped her rise from the gutter to the king's bed. But with the new queen's impending arrival, her nights in the royal chamber— and her hopes for security—will swiftly come to an end.

His honor a distant memory

Haunted by his past, hardened by the recent civil war, Captain Robert Nichols lives only for revenge. When told he must marry the king's courtesan to provide a cover for their affair, he's faced with a new low. Both are pawns of a great man, but married to their dreams of independence, their clash is inevitable. Can these two wounded souls realize the answer to all their dreams might lie in each other's arms?

(Terra's Thoughts) This is one really hot delicious book that you won't be able to put down. Two characters aching for something they can't have and they both carry enough baggage of hurt and sorrow that your heart can't help but open up for them.

Hope Matthews comes from a poor background but as if that isn't bad enough her mother sells poor Hope to the highest bidder at the tender age of fourteen to live in a life of sexual servitatude that is sure to scar her forever. Will she find a wealthy powerful benefactor?

Hope's chances at marriage are slim to none and she knows the best she can hope for is a bit of kindness here and there if she's extremely lucky.

Robert Nichols is a man of war and that is what has ruled his life since the tender age of fifteen. Having lost his family this is his only chance at becoming a man of means. His need to hunt down certain characters for their dastardly murderous behavior sets him in places at the right time to take his revenge. But what Robert doesn't know is that a whispered word to the King will cause him enormous confusion and will upset his life and vengeful vow to the point that he may just loose his quarry.

Our couple is deviously thrown together at an innocent May Day party that starts out so enjoyable but turns out so traitorous. Locked together for life will they be able to sort through their hurts, fears and memories and possibly be able to trust each when the getting gets rough? Hmm....this is a tale you won't want to miss just for this last sentence alone.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; 384 edition (August 23, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373775598
ISBN-13: 978-0373775590

Seduction and Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone (Terra's Review)

2011-07-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

With the scandalous nature of her birth to live down, Isabella Fairmont dreams of a proper marriage—even if a passionless one. She saves her deepest desires for the novel she dares to pen, wherein a handsome lord with dark powers seduces her. But then her courtship with an appropriate suitor is threatened by the sudden attentions of the reclusive Earl of Black…whose pale blue eyes and brooding sensuality are exactly as she described in her book.

Isabella tries to resist the mysterious Earl of Black. Yet as he pursues her, with inexplicable knowledge of her past and kisses that consume her, Isabella fears she will succumb.

If only the earl could tell Isabella the truth. With very real, and treacherous, thieves endangering her life, Black will need to protect Isabella from the very people she trusts the most….

(Terra's Thoughts) Oh my, this one was so delicious it was wickedly sinful. I just could not put it down for the life of me. A story that is written smooth as silk, two wonderfully colorful characters for our hero and heroine make for a sweet treat to be savored. That is.........savored if you have the patience.

Isabella is a fiery passionate beauty who's one love is to pen a novel of her own and have it published. Little does she know that what she is actually penning down each night before retiring is a fiction that will become truth in the most succulent of ways.

The Earl of Black is just that, dark and dangerous. He has a treasure to be found but how to acquire it when a intriguing beauty happens to live where the supposed treasure is. How to lure her away without giving himself away. Oh and how to protect her from a member of his own family whom has no scruples and will kill to get what he wants.

The beauty of the writing style that Charotte Featherstone employs here will make you long for more within moments of finishing the last paragraphs. Colorful and exciting will make you lust for the next book due out this December.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373775873
ISBN-13: 978-0373775873

American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout (Terra's Review)

2011-07-15T19:50:00.000-04:00

Buried in the Heartland is a town that no one enters or leaves. Graf McDonald somehow becomes its first visitor in more than five years…and he was only looking for a good party. Unfortunately, Penance, Ohio, is not that place. And after having been isolated for so long, they do not like strangers at all.

Jessa's the only one to even remotely trust him, and she's desperate for the kind of protection that only a vampire like Graf can provide. Supplies are low, the locals are ornery for a sacrifice and there's a monster more powerful than Graf lurking in the woods. New men are hard to come by in this lonesome town, and this handsome stranger might be Jessa's only hope for salvation.

Even if she has to die first…

(Terra's Thoughts) I had a very hard time getting through this one. I felt the characters are just not really all that believable and the amount of whinning just about drove me crazy. A bit to far out there for me.

I have read other books by Jennifer Armintrout and liked them so this was a complete and utter surprise to say the least. I think this is about as much as I will say on the subject other than give it a try. What I like and what you like are two different things and you should not take the opinion of one person as gospel.

Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Mira (February 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778328783
ISBN-13: 978-0778328780

The Soldier by Grace Burrowes (Terra's Review)

2011-07-15T19:37:00.000-04:00

Even in the quiet countryside he can find no peace...

His idyllic estate is falling down from neglect and nightmares of war give him no rest. Then Devlin St. Just meets his new neighbor...

Until his beautiful neighbor ignites his imagination...

With her confident manner hiding a devastating secret, his lovely neighbor commands all of his attention, and protecting Emmaline becomes Deviln's most urgent mission.

(Terra's Thoughts) Another wonderful read by Grace Burrowes that will tug on your emotions. When I noticed this a few months back I could not wait to get my grubby little hands on it as I did so love Grace's first book, "The Heir". I can tell you that it was soooooo worth the wait but now I fear I will have to wait again as book three doesn't grace our bookstores until October. (Big Sigh) Balderdash!!

Miss Emme is the perfect baker and a delightful woman in general but she can become a little grumpy when a six year old by the name of Winnie doesn't comply with the rules. Emme tries her dearest to hold to her vow of not becoming a jaded woman like her mother and Aunt were but little does she know that passion is not so easily thwarted.

Deviln St. James is Emme's new neighbor and the new Duke. Having inherited his current estate by his family to keep him out of trouble and to bestow a title on him doesn't seem to make our dear Duke all that happy. Unfortunately for him the said estate is in dire need of help and the nightmares of war are a constant in his life. Let's hope that with some TLC for the estate, Deviln's nagging demons and the little waif that keeps showing up that things will come about in due time.

I have to say I really loved this story not only for it's character's which seem to dig themselves right into your heart but also for the wonderful writing style that Grace Burrowes brings to us. Wonderfully vivid, emotional, sensitive and delicate but with a dash of temper and female hysterics makes this such a wonderful treat.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (June 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140224567X
ISBN-13: 978-1402245671

To Wish or Not to Wish by Mindy Klasky (Terra's Review)

2011-06-14T18:52:00.001-04:00

Erin Hollister is waiting for her big break—or even a small one. She's been dumped by her boyfriend, canned by her employer and it doesn't seem that her dream of making it on Broadway will come true either. But then she's given a lantern—complete with genie!—and it looks as if a little magic may be in store….

That is, if she can decide what to wish for. There's the rub. Career? Family? Love life? Even a charismatic genie can grant only so many wishes. Or maybe Erin should just hold on to all those magical chances and think about what might be (instead of seeing just what's under her nose).

Time's running out. Ultimately, it's Erin who must decide how to keep the magic alive—forever.

(Terra's Thoughts) I love Mindy Klasky! It's funny as I'm not into chick lit but this author writes in a way that no matter who you are you will surely chuckle if not down right laugh out loud with some of the antics. I think this is her best so far.

Erin is our heroine and oh what a poor dear she is. She thinks she pregnant so her boyfriend up and departs, she loses her job, has no money and worst of all has a know it all sister who happens to be somewhat of a pest.

Erin ends up being in the right place at the supposed right time and is asked to baby sit this really gorgeous upper side New York apartment for a year. Rent free mind you but little does she know that it comes with a catch. Hey nothing really wonderful is ever really free is it?

Well a surprise Genie who changes genders like one changes their clothes, three wishes that our comical genie needs to grant make it OCD about getting to it and poor Erin who doesn't want to make the wrong wishes decides that she needs to think about all of this make for a hysterical array of events.

To tell the truth, if I were Erin I would want to throttle our beloved Genie too. Oh why can't anything ever be easy and why do hunky men need to have strings attached and baggage? Sheesh!

I'm sure you'll love this book as much as I have if you like a light really funny read. Mindy Klasky writes ultra smoothly, with class and a smart ass attitude that will please the most discerning taste. Just be careful you don't have a mouthful of liquid when reading as you might just find yourself either choking or spitting it out as you laugh. These types of books are great with comfy clothes and chocolate.

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (October 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780778328308
ISBN-13: 978-0778328308

(Iestyn Again) Sea Lord by Virginia Kantra

2011-06-14T15:29:00.001-04:00

From Sea Lord

A grunt, another thump, and a man--a young man's legs--appeared as he backed over the threshold, carrying one end of a large trunk. His companion followed, carrying the other. Setting their burden down, they turned to face her.

Boys. Lucy released her breath. They were just boys--sixteen? seventeen?--in long white shirts and ragged shorts, one big and broad with a shock of dark hair and a belligerent expression.

Tough guy, Lucy thought with a teacher's instincts and a smothered smile.

His companion was wiry and lean, not quite grown into the strength of his wrists or the size of his feet. Beneath a mop of blond-streaked hair, his eyes watched her, guarded and golden as the dog's.

He nudged the trunk with one foot. "Warden said you needed clothes."

She swallowed. "Yes. Thank you."

The bigger boy shifted his weight awkwardly. "There's more."

"Other clothes. If these do not fit you." The tawny one frowned in apparent concern. "You are taller than Miss March."

"Miss March?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"She was our teacher."

Was? "What happened to her?"

"She got old." A girl spoke from behind the two boys.

Their age, Lucy thought, or maybe older. With girls, it was hard to tell.
She had sleek, dark hair the color of mink and a wide-lipped, sulky mouth.

"She died," said the big, dark boy.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said.

The girl shrugged, her eyes cool blue and disdainful. "She was human."

Her casual dismissal chilled Lucy. "She" was human. Did that mean...

"Are you a teacher?" asked the tawny-haired boy.

"I..." Lucy dragged her scattered thoughts together. "Yes."

"We don't need a teacher anymore," the girl said.

The boy shot her a look. "Speak for yourself."

"Suck-up," taunted his companion.

The wiry teen clenched his fists. "Stupid."

"Fisheyes."

"Tell me your names," Lucy said. As if this was the first day of school, the first fight on the playground.

The tough guy scowled, unwilling, maybe, to back down in front of the girl.

"Iestyn," said the other boy, the one with the strange, pale eyes. "This is Roth."

The girl tossed her head. "Kera."

She looked like a model, a girl made up to look like an adult. A beautiful almost adult in a short silk tunic the color of apricots that left her arms and most of her legs bare. Beside her, Lucy felt like a scarecrow. She resisted the urge to pull the slicker tighter.

"I'm Lucy."

"Warden said to call you Miss Hunter."

She smiled easily, encouragingly. "I think we can drop the 'Miss.' I'm not that much older than you."

For some reason that made the bigger boy laugh.

Iestyn poked him to shut him up. "Warden said anything you want, you can ask us."

Anything you want... She would have killed for a shower. A long, hot one. But she suspected enchanted castles didn't run to indoor plumbing.

"Maybe...A fire?" she suggested hopefully.

Iestyn nodded. "We brought wood. And water for your bath."

"The prince said you would want one," the girl—Kera—said.

Conn had ordered her a bath.

Something softened in the center of Lucy's chest. That was thoughtful. It didn't make up for kidnapping her, of course, but she could still appreciate the gesture.

Roth came back with a bundle of driftwood and dumped it by the empty fireplace.

Lucy roused. "I can do that." She nudged the hound Madadh out of the way to kneel on the cold stone hearth.

While she arranged wood and kindling, Kera drifted from the room, delivering an armload of towels before disappearing again. Iestyn and Roth trudged in and out, dragging in a copper tub big enough to sit in and buckets of clear, hot water. A faint sulfur smell rose with the steam.

Lucy shivered with cold and anticipation. "Did you have to boil all that?"

Iestyn grinned and leaned down to strike a spark to the fire. "No, there's a spring deep in the cliffs under the castle. Where all the elements meet, earth and air, fire and water. But--"

"It's a bitch of a climb," Roth said.

"But my lord thought you would appreciate some privacy on your first night," Iestyn continued.

Roth snickered.

Blood surged in Lucy's face. They weren't talking about the bath anymore. Conn's clothes hung in the armoire. This was his room. She sat back on her heels, hoping the boys would blame her sudden flush on the fire. She cleared her throat. "I bet you enjoy that. Having your own hot springs, I mean."

"Oh, aye," Roth said darkly. "If you don't mind demons looking at your butt."

Iestyn's bucket slipped, splashing water out of the tub.

Roth jumped back, cursing. "You great wanker!"

"Here." Lucy got between them with a towel, reassured by their squabbling, glad for something to do. They were just boys after all.

She mopped up the mess while the fire crackled and the boys trudged in with more buckets and went out again. Red shadows danced on the hearth. Under the slicker, a line of sweat traced down Lucy's back. She glanced from the half full tub to the open door and sighed. She was not getting naked in front of the boys. Still she was beginning to relax, lulled by the fire and their uncomplicated wrangling, soothed by the promise of the bath and the possibility of clean clothes.

To pass the time, she opened the trunk.

A long red buttoned cloak lay on top. She lifted it carefully, shaking the scent of lavender from its folds. Below were neat piles of thin drawers and thick socks, tidy stacks of yellowed shifts and bright shawls, sturdy dresses of no particular color or style. She looked dubiously at some of the dresses. The waists were so tiny, the shoulders so tight. Several pieces she was sure would fit: a hooded cape in deep green velvet, a padded turquoise robe, a sheer silk nightgown that whispered of seduction.

Everything was clean and creased, as if it had been lying unused for a long time. Lucy frowned. A very long time.

When the boys came back, Lucy was smoothing the wrinkles from the green cape, trying not to notice how her hand trembled against the velvet. "Your teacher, Miss March...How old was she?"

Iestyn looked surprised. "Almost a hundred, I guess."

Lucy's heartbeat quickened. Her suspicions grew. "And how long ago did she die?"

"I don't..."

Kera reappeared and set a silver hand mirror on one of the chairs. "Fifty years ago."

Iestyn nodded. "Maybe more."

"But you knew her. She taught you." Her mouth dried. Over fifty years ago.

"Aye." Roth's grin revealed strong white teeth. "The prince said he was not having us grow up as little savages."

"But we were the last," Kera said. "Or almost the last."

Iestyn set another bucket on the hearth. "There was Dylan."

"But he had already gone through the Change before he came," Roth said.

"We were the last on Sanctuary," Kera said.

Lucy moistened her lips. Her pulse drummed in her ears. "The last what?"

Iestyn regarded her with wide gold eyes. "Why, the last children."

Back in Business

2011-06-14T12:10:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know I'm back. Surgery went fine and it took some time to heal but hope to be getting back up to speed. Sorry for the delay in the winners postings and letting you guys know that you won but couldn't be helped. Now let's pray for some gloreous weather and great books to make our Summer more enjoyable.
huggs,
Terra

Winners of Ripe for Pleasure by Isobel Carr

2011-06-14T12:05:00.002-04:00

winnie

Karen Gerrard

librarypat

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. You have seven (7) days to claim your prize or it will go to someone else. Congrats to our winners and I hope you enjoy your prize!

Winners for The Guardian by Margaret Mallory

2011-05-23T20:00:00.001-04:00

Mariee

Danielle Gorman

JudyH

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. You have seven (7) days to claim your prize or it will go to someone else. Congrats to our winners and I hope you enjoy your prize!

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory (Terra's Review)

2011-05-11T14:10:00.000-04:00

THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK I
Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.

PASSION IGNITED
After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past . . . and claim the bride he's long resisted.

As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas - and he won't take no for an answer.

(Terra's Thoughts) I have so enjoyed this story. What's not to like about a dishy Highlander that is more than drool worthy. Margaret Mallory has done it again with another delicious book sure to rouse the hunger lust in all of us.

Ian MacDonald is tall, dark and handsome. Oh my goodness what a specimen of male perfection. Well, in all but the common sense part and in that he needs a smack upside the head. He is everything a lass could possibly want in a man with honor, courage and devotion to his clan.

Sileas is a pretty slip of a lass and has had the hots for Ian since she was a wee one. Having been forced into a marriage to Ian because of a misjudgement, Sileas has been waiting for her husband for five long years to return home after fighting for his country and crown. Will she get the man she so wants or will she still have to deal with the lad that he was when he left for battle?

The author has given us a wonderful story of what life is like in the highlands of Scotland. Not only the beauty but the rugged hard life and the one rotten apple that seems to appear in every family. The story is ripe with vivid descriptions and emotions aplenty that will keep you turning page after page to see what could possibly happen next. A very cleaver story that also prays on the superstitious nature of the people in this time period. I say kudo's for another book well done and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Forever (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 044657516X
ISBN-13: 978-0446575164

One Wicked Sin by Nicola Cornick (Terra's Review)

2011-05-11T13:25:00.000-04:00

Once the toast of the ton, Lottie Cummings is now notorious for being divorced. Shunned by society, the destitute beauty is lured to become a Covent Garden courtesan. Until a dangerous rake saves her with a scandalous offer.

The illegitimate son of a duke, Ethan Ryder rose to the ranks of Napoleon's most trusted cavalry officer—until his capture landed him in England as a prisoner of war. Now on parole, Ethan is planning his most audacious coup yet. But he needs Lottie's help to create a spectacular diversion. Yet their pact ignites a passionate bond that may scandalize even these two wicked souls….

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a wonderful story and it flows very smoothly. It is also wickedly hot. Enough so that it will sizzle your fingers as you turn each page but with characters that are venerable, untrust worthy, shunned by the Ton and just down right naughty.

Lottie our heroine has been shunned by the Ton for flaunting her affairs in the face of her rich husband who divorces her and leaves her completely destitute. Ending up in a brothel of all places for someone who was on the highest point of the ladder in the ton, she comes to realize that she can depend on no one but herself and trust is a word that will no longer be in her vocabulary.

Ethan our hero is a prisoner of war and in search of a mistress with the highest amount of scandal attached to her. He needs her to divert attention from his activities and he gets a bit more than he bargained for in Lottie. She will most certainly give him a run for his money.

Both characters have had a less than happy past, both are defiant and will push as far as they are possibly able to. They are more like kindred spirits in almost every way possible. Hot sex seems to be the one and only thing that they can delve into and trust each other with. Both are very passionate but hide it with a mask made of steel so as not to be hurt.

The author has given us a really hot sizzling tale of two broken hearts, venerable to the core and self preservation is the number one key to all that they are. They are both good at what they do and sparks not only fly in the bedroom but also in each and every deception that they throw at each other. I have truly enjoyed this and will have to look at some of the other work of this author as it's nice to read something that flows as smooth as silk.

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (October 26, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780373774876
ISBN-13: 978-0373774876

Collision Course by Zoe Archer (Terra's Review)

2011-05-11T11:59:00.001-04:00

In a galaxy torn apart by war…
Mara Skiren is a scavenger, a black-market dealer. Blackmailed into helping Commander Kell Frayne infiltrate a treacherous corner of the galaxy, Mara learns that her biggest danger is from her sexy, by-the-book partner. She's a loner with more than a few battle scars on her heart, but something about Commander Frayne stirs up her long-buried need for an intimate connection.

An ace pilot for the elite Black Wraith Squadron, Kell's mission is to rescue a lost pilot and ship. Unable to deny his attraction to the beautiful, rebellious Mara, he decides bedding her would cool his ardor. But one taste is not nearly enough, and he finds himself sharing more of his real self with her than he has with anyone.

With deadly criminals on their heels and an increasingly dangerous assignment to complete, he's starting to wonder…if they survived, could he let her go? And will Mara want to stay?

(Terra's Thoughts) I love Zoe Archer! I'm not a fan of Sci-fi but because Zoe was the author of this I just had to read it knowing that she would give it everything I've come to expect of her writing.

Mara and Kell are two incredible characters with enough heat sizzling between them to make a supernova look pale in comparison. Sparks fly right from the first look they give each other and only intensifies as the story progresses.

The Sci-fi aspect was actually really good and I did so enjoy the vivid descriptions. You could actually feel every emotion that from fear, hatred, excitement, loathing, jealously and so much more from all the characters. Each and every character was so realistic it was like you could actually reach out and touch them.

This is one Sci-fi romance that I was very happy to read and will have to look into more. I think it's about time I expand my horizons now that Zoe has given me a taste of sizzle, sizzle, blastoff!

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 326 KB
Publisher: Carina Press (April 4, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004RQA6Q6

Many thanks to NetGalley.com and Carina Press for allowing me to review this title.

Ripe for Pleasure by Isobel Carr Blog Tour (with Giveaway)

2011-05-09T00:03:00.004-04:00

Blog Tour Topic that I asked Isobel Carr to elaborate on:

Daily life and strife for a courtesan during this time period.

The life of a mistress, regardless of the era when she lived, wasn’t easy. On top of the fact that she had do everything a lady of the ton did (dress well, shop, lead an active social life, run a household), she had all the concerns of a small business owner combined with the problem of having only one major client and a limited shelf life. The savvy ones followed the ants’ advice and put something away for rainy day (money, jewelry, even annuities [though these could be very hard to collect if the man baulked at paying]).

Most mistresses had an establishment of their own, paid for by the man who had them in keeping. Some gentlemen slept over, but this was a rarity. Some men set up house with their mistress, and some even married them (most famously, Charles James Fox and Elizabeth Armistead, but there quite a few others as well). The bills could be ruinous (especially if your protector’s friends were fond of port, champagne, and lobster patties and the cost of entertaining them came out of your allowance). As a result, some women took lovers on the side, while others were constantly on the lookout for gentleman with a plumper purse.

Some took to the courts when their former protectors failed to pay their annuities, with varied degrees of success. Others took to the pen, and to blackmail. Harriette Wilson wrote a fabulous memoir of her days as the queen of the fashionable impures during the Regency. “Publish and be damned.” was supposedly the Duke of Wellington’s response to her demand for money to be left out of her book, though some sources say this story is apocryphal. Whatever the truth may be, her memoir makes for fascinating reading (as do Katie Hickman's COURTESANS and Jo Manning’s MY LADY SCANDALOUS).

Ripe for Pleasure

Second in line, first in love

A secret society of younger sons, sworn to aid and abet each other, no matter the scandal or cost.... Their fathers and brothers may rule the world, but they run it . . . and when it comes to passion, they refuse to accept second best.

Searching for hidden treasure,

London's most sensual former courtesan, Viola Whedon, is incapable of being seduced-she does the seducing. Until she meets Leonidas Vaughn. Her salacious memoirs have made her the target of half the lords in England, and Vaughn is the only man she can turn to. When he promises to protect her-and to make her beg for his touch-the alluring beauty finds both offers impossible to refuse.

Leonidas Vaughn secretly believes Viola possesses a fortune given to his family by the King of France. So the strong and sexy Vaughn charms his way into Viola's life . . . and her bed. But when their arrangement is consummated, he'll experience pleasure far beyond his wildest fantasies-and realize his heart may need the most protection of all.

I've got 3 books to give away, many thanks to Brianne at Forever Romance (Hachette Books) for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on May 30th 2011!

Happy Mother's Day to all our Moms!

2011-05-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory Blog Tour with Giveaway!

2011-05-01T19:57:00.002-04:00

The room fell away as Ian stared at the young woman who stood in the glow of the firelight. Her hair was the most beautiful shade of red he had ever seen. It fell in gleaming waves and framed a face so lovely it squeezed his heart to look at her.

When she lifted her gaze and met his, the air went out of him. There was something very familiar about this lovely, green-eyed lass, but Ian could not place her.

"Ian." Alex jabbed him in the ribs.

Ian knew he should stop staring at her, but he couldn't help himself.

"Hmmph," Alex grunted as he pushed past Ian. He strode across the room and greeted the young woman with a kiss on her cheek, as if he knew her well. "Ach, you are a sight to behold," Alex said. "If I were your husband, Sìleas, ye can be sure I wouldn't have kept ye waiting a single day."

Sìleas? Ian shook his head. Nay, this could not be...

The young woman was nothing like the scrawny thirteen-year-old he remembered. Instead of gawky limbs and pointed elbows, she had graceful lines and rounded curves that made his throat go dry.

"Welcome home," the young woman said to Alex in the kind of throaty voice a man wanted to hear in the dark.

"Ye two must be hungry after your travels. Come, Sìleas, let us get these men fed," his mother said, taking the lass by the arm. His mother gave him a wide-eyed look over her shoulder, the kind she used to give him when he was a lad and had committed some grievous error in front of company.

When Ian started to follow the two women to the table, Alex hauled him back. "Are ye an idiot?" Alex hissed in his face. "Ye didn't even greet Sìleas. What's the matter with ye?"

"Are ye sure that's Sìleas?" Ian said, leaning to the side so he could see past Alex to the red-haired lass.

"Of course it is, ye fool," Alex said. "Did ye no hear your mam just say her name?"

From the corner of his eye, Ian saw the back of Sìleas's skirt disappearing up the stairs. It occurred to him he had the right to follow her up and take her to bed. Tonight. Right now. Before supper, if he wanted. And again, after. The part of him between his legs was giving him an emphatic "Aye!"

His reaction startled him. For five long years, he had planned to end the marriage as soon as he returned. He'd harbored not a single doubt.

But he made that plan before she turned into this enchanting lass with curves that would have him dreaming of her naked as soon as he closed his eyes.

Aye, he most definitely wanted to take Sìleas to bed. Any man would. The question, however, was whether he wanted her to be the last woman he ever took to his bed.

I've got 3 books to give away, many thanks to Brianne at Forever Romance (Hachette Books) for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on May 23rd 2011!

Happy May Day!

2011-05-01T11:24:00.002-04:00

Beat This Cookbook by Ann Hodgman (Terra's Review)

2011-04-08T12:01:00.001-04:00

Do you think you have the absolute best recipe for apple pie? Maybe your neighbor claims to make the best meatloaf around. Did your Italian grandmother serve the best spaghetti sauce this side of the Atlantic? Well, unless you or that neighbor or your grandmother is Ann Hodgman, you’re wrong!

The book that the editor in chief of Vanity Fair called “the funniest, most engaging book about food I’ve ever come across” has now been revised and updated: more than half the recipes are completely new, and many of the originals have been “oomphed up” to make them even more shamelessly delicious.

Beat This! Cookbook contains more than a hundred all-time favorites, from Burnt Sugar Ice Cream and White Chocolate Raspberry Pie to Chili-Cheese Casserole and Onion Rings. Each one is guaranteed to make people take a bite, stagger with joy, and beg you for the recipe.

(Terra's Thoughts) First off let me say that I am a cookbook junkie. Love looking through these wonderful books for delicious treats that look good or may not look so good but taste like heaven. I have learned from the wisdom of years to not judge a recipe by it's looks but by its ingredients, aroma and taste.

I think this is one that will be a favorite for many people especially those that like good ole fashioned comfort food with a delightful story about it to make you chuckle when looking the recipe over.

The thing that I think got to me first off was when I was skimming through the recipes and seen that 98 percent of what is in them you already have in your cabinets and freezer or refrigerator. AAA+++ on this for I hate having to go hunting for exotic ingredients and then find out I don't like the recipe.

Each recipe has a little story to go with them that the author has experienced and some of them will make you chuckle if not down right laugh out loud. Hey they say, "Laughter makes the best medicine", and by golly it's true.

I would say that most of the recipes in here will be ones that I will try. It was extremely refreshing to find that the recipes weren't containing things to make them hot and spicy. I don't do hot and spicy so I'm sold here. The one recipe that seemed to come up and smack me upside the head was for a Concord Grape Pie. Darn why didn't I think of that. I grow my own concord grapes so why not use them for something besides jelly. :) I'm a real happy camper with this.

Overall, I found this book refreshing, humorous and down right lip smacking good. Kudo's to the author for making something that brings back wonderful memories, delicious comfort food to soothe the soul as well as the belly and for giving us an easy bunch of recipes where we can just pluck from our stock and cook and eat.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Revised edition (March 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0547437005
ISBN-13: 978-0547437002

The Return of Black Douglas by Elaine Coffman (Terra's Review)

2011-04-02T13:19:00.000-04:00

While visiting the Scottish tombs of her forebears, American archeologist Isobella Douglas encounters the ghost of her famous ancestor, Sir James, the Black Douglas. The matchmaking ghost seizes on her romantic fantasies, and before she knows it, Isobella and her twin sister, Elisabeth, a doctor, find themselves whisked to 16th-century Scotland, inappropriately dressed. When the dastardly Macleans capture Elisabeth, Alysandir Mackinnon, entirely fascinated by half-naked, strong-willed Isobella, offers to help her get her sister back. Bestseller Coffman (The Bride of Black Douglas) spins a rewarding love story between her two intelligent, stubborn protagonists, keeping their relationship fresh and their conflicts credible. Toss in a boy in need of a father, intriguing details of 16th-century customs, and a substantial but not overwhelming dose of sex, and the result is a satisfying time travel romance.

(Terra's Thoughts) I enjoyed this story with the exception of the poorly written dialogue in the beginning between our hero and heroine. Once you get past that bit of tedious chatter then the rest of the book is quite wonderful and the storyline is one that I really love. I can see myself going back in time to an age long ago just to find my tall, dark and handsome. The ending even made me a bit weepy and not because it's all sad but because of the great way the author finished it off.

Isobella Douglas is a beauty in a tom boy sort of way. Being an archaeologist tends to leave Isobella looking like a dirty urchin but that comes with the territory. Watch out though when she takes a bath and wears a gown. Whew! Talk about turning heads! She is so polar opposite during the day and night that it's like there are two different people in one body.

Poor Isobella has been jilted by her to be wed boyfriend so off she and her sister Elizabeth go to Scotland for some R&R. They go in search of family history as their heritage comes from Scotland and little do the know how up close and personal their history is about to become to them thanks to a meddling ghost and a sincere heartfelt wish for a man tall, dark and handsome. Isobella wishes for her own Mr. Darcy and you know what they say, "Be careful what you wish for cause you may just get it".

Alysandir Mackinnon, clan chief of the Mackinnon's has been hurt so badly emotionally that his heart is nothing but a stone shape encased in human flesh and blood. Tall, dark, handsome, brooding, lustful and honorable makes him the perfect catch for any woman with eyes in her head. He has sworn not to fall for a woman again and never to marry under any condition but will a meddling ghost and a wee slip of a woman as tough as he is. We can only hope that she can put a crack in his armor and seep through to the inside.

The storyline is wonderful and I love the way the time travel actually gets pulled off. The author has given us a plausible look into the long ago days of a brutal land and the people who lived there. A look into their lives intertwined with an interruption from a ghost from the past and a lass from the future. A fairy tale story of love and wishes come true that will make your toes curl as you sit on the edge of your seat waiting to see what could possibly happen next.

I would recommend this story for the fact that it is a delight waiting to be unwrapped even though it needs a bit of help in the beginning. Don't give up on it once you start as you won't be sorry you continued on til the end.

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781402250743
ISBN-13: 978-1402250743

Highland Heat by Mary Wine (Terra's Review)

2011-03-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

In 2010's Highland Hellcat, Deirdre Chattan took a lover, who used her and cast her aside. This dramatic and vivid sequel, set in 1439, opens with Deirdre in a convent, atoning for her sin. When Joan Beaufort, widow of King James I, seeks sanctuary in the convent, Deirdre disguises herself as the queen and sets out to draw away her pursuers. Quinton Cameron, earl of Liddell and a friend of Deirdre's father, captures her, discovers the subterfuge, and decides to keep her in custody so he can seduce her. Determined never to trust a man or her own passionate nature, Deirdre tries to resist her attraction to gruff yet gentle Quinton. Scorching love scenes threaten to set the sheets aflame as Deirdre's sparring with Quinton creates the perfect romantic tension for their lusty affair.

(Terra's Thoughts) This story was richly delicious and one that I could read again and again. Our characters are perfectly pitted for each other and the heat they throw off is volcanic in proportions. Is it no wonder that Highlander's are a tough breed!

Deidre Chattan is headstrong, willful, quick to temper and distrustful. Having been betrayed once leaving a stain of shame on her family she is off the the nunnery in no time at all. Just her luck the Scottish Queen shows up as she is in flight from the men who mean to rule her or keep her prisoner until her son reaches the proper age where he can take over as the King of Scotland. Deidre and the Queen share very similar looks so it off to an adventure that Deidre will go and get caught up in a political web that may just cost her her life if she's not careful.

Quinton Cameron is laird of his clan and a handsome devil of a Highlander to boot. He is fair, honest and headstrong. If he sees something he wants then it's his place to make sure he acquires it at almost any cost. The safety of his clan is the only thing that will get in his way. He's a man with passion and an unquenchable lusty thirst especially for a pretty face.

Our two characters come together as Deidre strides along on her adventure. Everyone thinks that she is the Queen and thus this becomes the ball and chain around her neck especially when caught by Quinton's men.

The author leads us a merry chase in this story along with some sizzling sex that will leave you itching for more. It's a well balanced story with wonderful characters and an ending that I found to be utterly perfect. You really don't find out who the bad guy is til just about the end and it's short and sweet. The story left me satisfied and not wondering if it was finished and it didn't drag the climax half way through the book. This is a new author for me and I will most certainly be looking into more of her work.

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402237391
ISBN-13: 978-1402237393

I am The Chosen King by Helen Hollick (Terra's Review)

2011-03-27T18:07:00.001-04:00

England, 1044. Harold Godwineson, a young, respected Earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. He marries Edyth despite her lack of pedigree, pitting him against his turbulent family and his selfish King, Edward. In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power. Brutal and dangerously smart, William sets his sights on England, finding ambition a difficult lust to conquer.

In 1066, with the old King Edward dying, England falls vulnerable to the winds of fate-and the stubborn will of these two powerful men. In this beautifully crafted tale, Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the last Saxon King, revealing his tender love, determination, and proud loyalty, all shattered by the unforgiving needs of a Kingdom. Forced to give up his wife and risk his life for England, the chosen King led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honor and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes.

(Terra's Thoughts) As I am writing this I must admit that I have not finished the book as of yet. This is not because I don't care for it because I do. This is a book of meaty substance that cannot and should not be rushed. A book to be savored for the incredibly artistic literary work that it is. A book that no matter if you have read it once or ten times, you will always find something you might have missed and enjoy each and every moment and word within.

Harold Godwineson is such a richly portreyed character that you can't help but love him right from page one. Second son of Earl Godwineson, Earl of Wessex, Harold has found favor with the King of England. Given a duchey of his own he works hard and learns quickly all that will be important to him if he is to succeed and stay in favor. We all know that nothing is perfect and there are many bumps in the long road of life but Harold takes each bump in stride and comes out that much stronger for it.

Helen Hollick has done a supberb job with the cast of characters that filter through this story. You can't help but love some while love hating others. The story is rife with uncountable emotions, vivid descriptions to actually make you want to reach out and touch someone. Smells and sights that color the painters palete in your mind with a richness that is as rare as the Hope Diamond. You will cry, laugh, find yourself cursing as you slowly and delicately devour page after page.

This book is an extension of Helen's book called "The Forever Queen" and should be read as such so that you won't get lost with some of the back referencing. I can't wait to finish this book but will do so with patience and reverence so I can enjoy it for the wonderful work that it is.

Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140224066X
ISBN-13: 978-1402240669

staying at daisy's by Jill Mansell (Terra's Review)

2011-03-16T19:37:00.000-04:00

Daisy MacLean is the manager of Colworth Manor, a beautiful county hotel. In the year since her cheating husband was killed in a car accident, she's been purposefully single. She doesn't trust handsome and charming men, so former rugby star Dev Tyzack clearly doesn't stand a chance with her, and the two initially grate on each other—but they can't deny their increasing attraction. Unfortunately, Daisy's past is getting in the way of her future, in more ways than one. With a madcap crew of characters, including unlucky-in-love chambermaid Tara and Daisy's gregarious father, this screwball romantic comedy piles on the humor and humanity for a clever, absorbing, and very enjoyable read.

(Terra's Thoughts) Let me just say that if you need a good chuckle then this is the author for you. Jill Mansell delivers a comic parody of what life is like in the wacky world of soap opera chicklit. It is so nice to have a break from heavier reading with adorable fiction like this.

Daisy is just so full of bad luck that she wonders what it would be like just to be normal. She's married to the man she loves. Whoops......hold that thought for a minute as we see that there has been an accident with dear hubby and OMG, who's that with him? Eek!

Well, life does go on and other characters more quirky come into play to make this such a delightful treat.

You have Daisy's bestest friend Tara who just can't help being in love with a married man. Tara's aunt is giving favors to a man who wants a discreet liaison and almost gets caught numerous times by Tara. Whew.......these are really close calls.

Next is a man that shows up in Daisy's life to thank her for giving him a rare gift that saves his life. Well it doesn't take him long to find love at first sight with a young lady he chances upon as she's trying to get her baby and its carriage out of a doorway. Little does he know that this young woman and child have a tie to Daisy that will really shock the pants off of her.

We have a man from Daisy's past that shows up just in time to save her from making a fool of herself with a handsome rake who could charm grandma out of her false teeth with a dazzling grin.

Oh and this dazzling rake, I'd love to get a go at him. He doesn't give up easy and I think there is love in the air. LOL!

I think you get the picture now so I won't say much more than our author has keep pace with her other books in giving us such great quality writing that I know I can't wait for her next book and I just finished this one. Ugg, too long to wait!!!

Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Reprint edition (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402243847
ISBN-13: 978-1402243844

It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare (Terra's Review)

2011-03-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

Blaire Lindsay has been warned that her ancestral home is haunted. But it will take more than tales of fictional ghosts to frighten Blaire, a battle-born witch with supernatural strength and the ability to make sparks fly from her fingertips. Hearing spectral wails, she decides to search for their source, and is surprised to find a handsome English baron chained to the dungeon wall. As soon as Blaire frees James, Lord Kettering, from his bonds, she quickly finds herself in the arms of the vampyre lord, whose perfect manners are more dangerous than anything Blaire has ever faced... Soon her family's castle is overrun with vengeful vampyres from James' past, which threaten both of their futures. Blaire and James join together in the fight of their lives to save everything they hold dear from the forces of evil...

(Terra's Thoughts) This book was most certainly cute and I did enjoy the extension of the witches that we have come to love in the were wolf series but I must say that I think I liked the were's better. What can I say, I prefer a warm fuzzy body to a stone cold one. LOL!

Blair Lindsay is most certainly a colorful character. Strong willed with a mind of her own she can give any male a run for the money. Easy on the eyes is probably one of the only things about Blair that is easy to deal with. Not that she's a harpy or anything but she sure knows how to make herself seen and heard if not felt. Hmm.........a witch with a bit of a temper can be a dangerous thing especially if a certain creature of the male persuasion thinks he can pull the wool over her eyes.

Blair follows her brother to a castle deep in the Highlands of Scotland only to find out that this was where her mother had grown up and by rights this is her ancestral seat. Blair can't understand why her mother never confided the were abouts of this place before her death considering it's importance. It doesn't take long before a reason presents itself but it does take some time for the small Linday clan to realize that maybe their mother was trying to keep them safe in death as she did in life.

The story brings about the beginning of the vampires to involve themselves in the lives of the witches whereas we've only dealt with the werewolves of England to this point. I found it interesting and comical and not lacking a dangerous element that starts out as a smolder but quickly ignites into flames as more characters are introduced to the story.

I do enjoy the talents of the writing team of Lydia Dare and can't wait to see what comes next from two very talented writers.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402245076
ISBN-13: 978-1402245077

To Defy A King by Elizabeth Chadwick (Terra's Review)

2011-03-13T20:05:00.001-04:00

The adored and spirited daughter of England's greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt's planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. Mahelt and Hugh come to care for each other deeply, but Hugh's strict father clashes with the rebellious Mahelt. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple's lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not knowing if she-or her marriage-will survive.

(Terra's Thoughts) Elizabeth Chadwick has done it again with another outstanding piece of literature that will be a must have keeper for anyone who loves the artful writing of a true historical novelist.

This book is an extension of the William Marshall fame but that of his eldest daughter who was the apple of his eye and the seed that didn't fall far from the tree so to speak. A dutiful daughter who is not only beautiful, elegant and refined but also spirited and headstrong.

Mahelt Marshall is a rare character for the time. Bethrowed at a young age to Hugh Bigod, married a few years later and sent to her marriage family for protection when her own blood family must seek refuge in Ireland as they haven fallen out of favor with King John. Mahelt has been taught well her role in life and knows that this is as it must be as life is ever so unpredictable.

Hugh Bigod is his father's son. A man of honor who stands up for his beliefs steadfastly. He knows his place as heir and tries his hardest to make things go smooth when his new wife joins the family. Will he be able to bridle Mahelt is the magic question. Will he make the right decisions when chaos evolves from a whisper to full outright danger. The story will show Hugh's growth and where his true dedication stands as it evolves.

This is a vivid action packed story of trust, family, honor, evil, unforeseen dangers as well as those in open sight and so much more that it will have you on the end of your seat throughout the book. I lived the action scenes, smelled the scents of the country life, felt the stares of those in court jealous of this family's station in life. It is all so real that you can't help but use all of your senses to try and melt into the pages of the story.

It really is astounding how a good author can bring to life so vividly words on a page to seem as if they are actual clips of a time so long ago and insert them into the here and now. Elizabeth Chadwick has this particular rare talent. An author I will endear for quite some time to come.

Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402250894
ISBN-13: 978-1402250897

Pale Rose of England: A Novel of the Tudors by Sandra Worth (Terra's Review)

2011-02-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

It is 1497. The news of the survival of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, has set royal houses ablaze with intrigue and rocked the fledgling Tudor dynasty. With the support of Scotland's King James IV, Richard-known to most of England as Perkin Warbeck-has come to reclaim his rightful crown from Henry Tudor. Stepping finally onto English soil, Lady Catherine Gordon has no doubt that her husband will succeed in his quest.

But rather than assuming the throne, Catherine would soon be prisoner of King Henry VII, and her beloved husband would be stamped as an imposter. With Richard facing execution for treason, Catherine, alone in the glittering but deadly Tudor Court, must find the courage to spurn a cruel monarch, shape her own destiny, and win the admiration of a nation.

(Terra's Thoughts) This is such a heart felt story of what True Love really is that it will toy with your emotions like a cat plays with a mouse. I so admire our heroine Catherine for not only her total dedication to her husband and the love she has for him but for her courage to stand up against that which is wrong even in the light of extreme danger to those whom she loves most dearly.

Lady Catherine Gordon, cousin to Scotland's King James IV is a beauty of such rare quality in both looks and manner. Her elegance is what lands her the long lost Duke of York whom is the rightful heir to England's throne and a threat to Henry VII.

Wedded bliss in short in duration as Catherine and Richard head to England to fight for what is by blood and right his, the English throne. Perils plague them along the way but this is but a minor nuisance compared to what awaits them as the days progress into weeks, months and years.

As Richard is captured by King Henry and then guards are sent out to bring back to the castle Catherine and a separate set of guards take their child to places unknown, Catherine and Richard are put to the ultimate test of faith, love and hope as they are tested beyond extremes. King Henry is a fool though as to think that he can break a love so rich as it shines like Heaven's Golden Glow. You have to give King Henry credit for trying though by any and all means but alas it's not to be, Catherine his Black Swan whom he feel instantly in love with at first sight is not to be his come Hell or High Water.

Our author has given us a rare treat of purity in it's most primitive form. Love, true and real love is not to be trifled with for it will forestall all who brook against it and will most assuredly last not only in this lifetime but in all eternity to come.

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425238776
ISBN-13: 978-0425238776

The Mistress House by Leigh Michaels (Terra's Review)

2011-02-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

The rules are made to be broken...When the handsome, rakish Earl of Hawthorne buys the charming house across the back garden from his town home, he never expects the lovely lady he installs there to ensnare him completely...

Again...

After Lady Keighley marries the earl, it seems a shame to leave the house empty, so she offers it to her childhood friend Felicity Mercer, who discovers that the earl's gorgeous cousin is precisely the man she's been waiting for...

and again...

Finally, feisty Georgiana Baxter moves into the house to escape an arranged marriage, and encounters the earl's friend Major Julian Hampton late one night in the back garden. The handsome soldier is more than willing to give her the lessons she asks for...

There is plenty of gossip, scandal, and torrid speculations surrounding the "mistress' house", but behind closed doors, passions blaze...

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a wonderful book of what love at first sight can bring about. Three stories interwoven as one large one doesn't deter from how deliciously vivid each interaction is.

The story starts out with Lady Anne Keighley who just wants to have lessons on how to be a mistress. After having been married to an old man with one foot in the grave for a number of years she is in no way ready, willing or wanting of marriage again anytime soon. Little does she know she is about to get more than she bargained for.

The next candidate for the Mistress House is Felicity Mercer who decides she just wants to have a child no matter what. Her best childhood friend Lady Anne invites her to stay at the hotter than hot love trap in Mistress House and it doesn't take long for Felicity to find that she will get her wish plus some.

Our last candidate is a very young and lively Georgiana Baster who is the ward of the Earl of Hawthorne who just happens to put her up at the Mistress House to protect her virtue. Haha, yah right! Georgiana trying her best to escape an arranged marriage throws her into the arms of a returning soldier who is friends with the Earl. The code of honor is pushed to the limits and both our innocent characters are drawn into something that will surprise them mightily at the end. This is just too cute.

I loved the book and the stories of the three lovely ladies but I just feel the interchange between one set of characters and the next could have been a wee bit smoother. This however doesn't deter from the book and you will still enjoy it with a delicious appetite.

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402241356
ISBN-13: 978-1402241352

Winners of Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt

2011-02-21T13:51:00.000-05:00

Judy H

Shaunesay

Stephanie

Winner of Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth

2011-02-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

Soft Fuzzy Sweater

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. You have seven (7) days to claim your prize or it will go to someone else. Congrats to our winner and I hope you enjoy your prize!

Pale Rose of England: A Novel of the Tudors by Sandra Worth (Guest Blog and Giveaway)

2011-02-13T22:01:00.001-05:00

The Course of True Love

Shakespeare said, “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

And never did his observation prove more accurate than in the case of Lady Catherine Gordon, the dazzling princess of Scotland and cousin to James IV who was loved by a romantic prince, a cold-hearted king, and three of the most powerful men of her time. When forced to choose between the captive prince she loved, and the king who could lay the world at her feet, she did not hesitate. She chose the captive.

Lady Catherine Gordon was married to the dashing and devastatingly handsome young man believed by many of her era to be the younger prince in the Tower, Richard, Duke of York. It was a whirlwind courtship. No sooner had the prince arrived in Scotland from Europe than they were married—with a baby already on the way!

So deeply did Lady Catherine love her husband, and so firmly did she believe in him that she accompanied him to England to reclaim his father’s crown, gambling everything on a single roll of the dice and placing herself in the same appalling danger he faced..

We know what happened. The Tudors established a dynasty. They were bloody, and ruthless. Under the Tudors, the Tower of London acquired a reputation as a chamber of horrors. Today, we associate the place with torture and can scarcely believe it was ever a lovely royal residence with a zoo to delight children of the nobly born.

Into this dark pit, our careless young lovers sailed blithely, seeking their fortune. Catherine’s devotion would cost her more than most of us would ever be willing to pay. Thanks to Fate’s brutal intervention in the form of a tempest, their ship was blown off course, wrecking their timing, and destroying their chance of winning the inheritance they thought was rightfully theirs.

The course of true love did not run smoothly for Catherine and her husband, but her love and her loyalty to him won the envy of a royal poet and the admiration of all who witnessed it. Catherine and Richard stood hand in hand in Henry Tudor’s glittering, dangerous court, bearing what they must together, never wavering in the face of temptation or revenge. Catherine carried herself with such grace and dignity that she won the obsessed love of a cold-hearted tyrant and the admiration of the nation that called her its “Pale Rose of England.”

Today, on Valentine’s Day, it is good to know that Love Conquers All and that love can triumph over tragedy. Catherine and Richard’s story illuminates for us the grand passion that brings humanity its greatest joy, and embodies the shining ideal that we call “love.”

Synopsis

From the award-winning author of The King's Daughter comes a story of love and defiance during the War of the Roses.

It is 1497. The news of the survival of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, has thundered across Europe, setting royal houses ablaze with intrigue and rocking the fledgling Tudor dynasty. Stepping finally onto English soil, Catherine arrives at the island of Saint Michael’s Mount, along with her husband and young son Dickon, their second child already on the way. With the keen support of Scotland’s King James IV, Richard—known in England as Perkin Warbeck—has come to reclaim his rightful crown from Henry Tudor. Based on a prophecy given Catherine by a seer that she would be loved by a king, she has no doubt Richard will succeed in his quest. But rather than assuming the throne she believed was their destiny, Catherine would soon be prisoner of King Henry VII, and her beloved husband would, unimaginably, be stamped as an imposter.

Nothing could shake Catherine’s belief in Richard and her loyalty to the man she loved. She became a favored lady-in-waiting to the queen, Elizabeth of York, but her dazzling beauty only brought her unwanted affections from a jealous king and enmeshed her in a terrifying royal love triangle. With her husband facing execution for treason, Catherine, alone in the glittering but deadly Tudor Court, finds the courage to spurn a cruel monarch and shape her own destiny, winning the admiration of a nation.

About the Author:
Sandra Worth is the acclaimed author of five historical novels chronicling the Wars of the Roses. Each is the recipient of multiple awards and prizes, including three Reviewers Chloice Awards and a Best Books of 2009 nomination.

http://sandraworth.com/index.html

Contest Time: Many thanks to Sandra and Penguin Books for providing one copy of Pale Rose of England for us to giveaway to one lucky winner. This is for the U.S. only everyone! Make sure and leave your email addy along with a comment for Sandra letting her know what you think of True Love and Valentine's Day!

Winner for the Mistress House by Leigh Michaels

2011-02-13T17:18:00.001-05:00

karen!

throuthehaze

The Mistress House by Leigh Michaels (Guest Blog & Giveaway)

2011-02-08T00:06:00.002-05:00

I’ve been a writer since before I could actually write – there is poetry in my baby book (dreadful poetry!) which I dictated to my long-suffering older sister. And I wrote my first romance novel when I was a freshman in high school. Mercifully, I maintained enough common sense to burn it. I also burned the next five books I wrote (including a romance/murder mystery where I never could decide who the guilty party was).

I learned to write by reading and analyzing romances and then by writing and writing and more writing. Eventually I knew I couldn’t learn any more by myself, and since this was back in the Dark Ages before Romance Writers of America had chapters everywhere, and before writing classes were offered on the Internet, I submitted a book to a publisher in the hope that my rejection letter would give me clues on how to take the next step in making my writing better.

However, instead of the “No, but here’s why” letter I hoped for, an editor with great vision – the legendary Jacqui Bianchi of Mills & Boon – responded with an analysis of where my story fell short, and after a complete rewriting, she bought the book. After that I wrote 80 sweet traditional contemporary romances published by Harlequin Romance and Harlequin Presents in the US and by Mills & Boon in the UK, and I thoroughly enjoyed my 20-year career in contemporary romance.

Then I burned out. I’d tried to do too much and write too fast, and though I still loved my stories, after 80 books I didn’t feel I had anything new to say. I crashed hard and didn’t write a word of fiction for about two years. When I finally went back to creating characters, I wrote miniature pieces – a thousand-word short story to start, gradually building up to longer stories.

When I wrote the first pages of the story that became The Mistress House, I thought it was another short story… but the characters soon demanded more space and more time. Then they introduced me to their friends, and before I knew it, I had three intertwining stories set in a house which had managed to make itself a character, too.

That makes it sound like the writing was easy, which it wasn’t – but it was enjoyable to open up the file each day and retreat to 1815 to find out what was happening with my characters.

Fortunately for me, my agent, Christine Witthohn of Book Cents Literary Agency, and my editor, Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks Casablanca, both loved the book as much as I do. But now when I start writing a new historical romance, I know there are going to be three heroes and three heroines whose stories weave together. It’s the relationships between people – not only lovers but friends and families – that make my stories different, and I hope as special to readers as they are to me.

THE MISTRESS’ HOUSE BY LEIGH MICHAELS – IN STORES FEBRUARY 2011
Three beautifully intertwined love stories…

The rules are made to be broken…
When the handsome, rakish Earl of Hawthorne buys the charming house across the back garden from his town home, he never expects the lovely lady he installs there to ensnare him completely…

After Lady Keighley marries the earl, it seems a shame to leave the house empty, so she offers it to her childhood friend Felicity Mercer, who discovers that the earl’s gorgeous cousin is precisely the man she’s been waiting for…

Finally, feisty Georgiana Baxter moves into the house to escape an arranged marriage, and encounters the earl’s friend Major Julian Hampton late one night in the back garden. The handsome soldier is more than willing to give her the lessons she asks for…

There is plenty of gossip, scandal, and torrid speculations surrounding the “mistress’ house”, but behind closed doors, passions blaze…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels and more than a dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published by Harlequin. A 6 time RITA finalist, she has also received two Reviewer's Choice awards from Romantic Times, and was the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award. She is the author of On Writing Romance, published by Writers Digest Books. Leigh also teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Ottumwa, Iowa. For more information, please visit www.leighmichaels.com.

Contest Time: We have two copies of the Mistress House to give away to 2 lucky commentors. This is for the US and Canada only! Please leave an email addy along with your comment if you would like to be considered for the contest.

Many Thanks to Sourcebooks for bringing us such a wonderful author and for the books provided for the giveaway!

Fierce Eden by Jennifer Blake (Terra's Review)

2011-02-01T00:05:00.002-05:00

She was living in fear...

Beautiful, young widow Elise Laffont embraces her freedom during the daylight hours, running the farm she loves so dearly, but the night brings with it painful reminders of the torment she endured at the hands of her abusive husband. Fate may have taken her husband, but it hasn't erased the scars he left, and Elise wonders if she will ever be able to bear the touch of a man again.

He was a man torn by desire...

From the moment he laid eyes on the beautiful widow, Reynaud Chevalier wanted her. When disaster offers him the chance to claim her as his own, Reynaud seizes the opportunity to bind Elise to him, unaware that behind her determined bravado lays a heart shattered by the past.

(Terra's Thoughts) This is my first time reading a book by this author and I must say that I am impressed. It's not a fast paced story but a much meatier one than your average fluffy light historical romance.

Sorry ladies but this one doesn't have a sexy legged Scotsman but does have a sexy bare chested half breed American Indian. It does leave me in a quandary as I am partial to kilted Scotsman but after the descriptions here in this story it's making me think I might have to broaden my horizons.

Our heroine Elise Laffont is a very attractive young widow living in Louisiana and trying to make a go of things on her own. Considering the time period it does make this very hard for her as women are still frowned upon as far as intelligence and anything other than being barefoot and pregnant. Elise however is quite happy in her current situation of striking out to make her own path due to having a cruel and abusive husband. Who can blame her really?

Our hero Reynaud Chevalier was born on the wrong side of the tracks. Half Indian and half French he is a man of no people. Upon seeing our heroine though he does make himself indispensable to a fleeing group of French after they have been attacked by the Indians in a brutal raid. But, why should he do something like this even though he is a half breed. He knows the Indians and the French will both despise him for who he is and what he's done so what could be worth the possible cost of his life to help these people.

We travel through the harsh back country of Louisiana striving to stay one step ahead of the Indians while praying with all our might that we make it to the French fort unscathed. Dangers and disagreements abound aplenty, trust is just a five letter word that is tossed around like juggling balls and tempers blaze when all is not as it seems and some find out they have been deceived.

The descriptions are vivid while the historical aspect is over the top intriguing. Throw some romance, sex, brutality, lies, passion and patience and you have one interesting storyline.

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Reissue edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402238487
ISBN-13: 978-1402238482

Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain (Terra's Reveiw)

2011-02-01T00:02:00.003-05:00

Moonstruck Madness

She's one thing by day, something else altogether by night...

After escaping the slaughter of her clan at a young age, Scottish noblewoman Sabrina Verrick provides for her siblings by living a double life, until the night she encounters the Duke, and her secret and all she holds dear is threatened...

He's so disillusioned, he's completely vulnerable...

With his inheritance at stake, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, sets a trap for the Scottish beauty with the piercing violet eyes, never imagining what will happen when the trap is sprung...

As their lives become irreversibly entangled, Lucien and Sabrina become each other's biggest threat, as well as their only salvation...

(Terra's Thoughts) How often is it that you can say that a story has caught you by the seat of your pants from the first page of the prologue and not let you go until the very last sentence. This is one of those stories. It really took me by surprise and such a lovely surprise indeed it was.

Sabrina Verrick is a wee lassie that sees death and destruction up close and not very comfortable. A spirited child that has a bit of luck on her side that allows her to escape death's grip and flee to lead her family safely into exile penniless though they may be.

A Highland Hellcat exists in this little body of pure beauty but also one of determination and strength. She does what needs to be done for her remaining family to survive not only because of the primal need to provide and protect but also because of a hatred that is so encompassing that it's a wonder she doesn't self destruct with it's intensity.

Lucien, Duke of Camareigh is a bit of a frightening man with a scar that adorns one cheek and a temper that can singe the hair off one's head with just a quick glance. He's a man that doesn't take no for an answer and always gets what he wants but will his cost come so high as to cheat him out of a life of some happiness in a world where proprietary comes first and foremost?

Our hotheaded devilish Duke needs to marry to gain his inheritance and is on a strict time line in which to do this. Twin cousins are awaiting in the wings for Lucien to miss that deadline so that they may claim the riches and lands but to what lengths will these twins go to in order to claim a right not due to them by birth.

An interruption from a Highwayman named Bonnie Charlie and his two giant friends put a crimp in the Dukes bonnet so to speak as the thieves boldly take what they need when they want only to sneak away without a trace.

The story is a non stop action packed romance with sizzle, sparks and flames aplenty. If one doesn't ignite from a fit of temper then one will surely ignite from a blast of pure sexual intensity that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402242433
ISBN-13: 978-1402242434

Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt Blog Tour (3 Copy Giveaway)

2011-01-28T00:03:00.008-05:00

Their lives were perfect . . .

Lady Hero Batten,the beautiful sister of the Duke of Wakefield, has everything a woman could want, including the perfect fiancé. True, the Marquis of Mandeville is a trifle dull and has no sense of humor, but that doesn't bother Hero. Until she meets his notorious brother . . .

Until they met each other.

Griffin Remmington, Lord Reading, is far from perfect - and he likes it that way. How he spends his days is a mystery, but all of London knows he engages in the worst sorts of drunken revelry at night. Hero takes an instant dislike to him, and Griffin thinks that Hero, with her charities and faultless manners, is much too impeccable for society, let alone his brother. Yet their near-constant battle of wits soon sparks desire - desire that causes their carefully constructed worlds to come tumbling down. As Hero's wedding nears, and Griffin's enemies lay plans to end their dreams forever, can two imperfect people find perfect true love?

I've got 3 books to give away, many thanks to Anna at Forever Romance (Hachette Books) for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on February 14th 2011!

Winners of Sins Of A Highland Devil by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

2011-01-26T11:32:00.003-05:00

*Cecile Smutty Hussy

*Shannon

*tabbylewis

Winners of How to Marry a Duke by Vicky Dreiling

2011-01-26T11:24:00.004-05:00

*Maureen

*rubymoon

*Estella

Liar's Fire by Dee Burks (Guest Blog and Giveaway)

2011-01-20T09:37:00.001-05:00

When I was a kid, I used to write stories with titles like “The Dead Body Ravine” and “Night Terror” – not that I’m any kind of horror writer but because it freaked my mom out. I started my first romance novel in high school but soon set it aside when I married and started a family. Finally, in the mid 1990s, it happened that I had to drive to Amarillo, TX from the small town I lived in for my yearly defensive driving course (be glad you aren’t on the roads with me!). That same day a NYT Bestselling romance author, Jodi Thomas was speaking at the community college and I went to listen. It was great and I thought, I can do that! So I bought some writing books and started trying to write a novel for real. It was a historical romance but there was a problem. While I was great with dialogue and one liners, I struggled with the setting and descriptions so I didn’t get very far.

In 1998, I owned a regional magazine and we interviewed artists for each issue. I decided to call up Jodi Thomas and see if I could interview her. She agreed and came over to our office. Of course half way through the interview I was gushing about this book I wanted to write and babbling on like a crazed stalker. Her eyes glazed over like most authors’ do when faced with yet another person who has the greatest idea ever for a book. But she was encouraging and even invited me to her critique group!

I was so excited I could hardly sleep and I tried in earnest to find a way to fix my problems with setting and description while letting my dialogue shine. Then it hit me: in the opening scene I would have him immediately chase her through a rainstorm, at night, directly into a cave! Yeah, that’s it! Then all they could do was talk, I mean its dark, right? So no description was necessary! It was genius – or so I thought. The critique group quickly set me straight and ripped the chapter apart. I went home wondering if I really had what it takes and even considered giving it up.

I’m glad I didn’t. Jodi became my first mentor as an author and still is. Years later she told me she intentionally threw me in the deep end and knew that either I would sink or swim. Turns out I’m a swimmer! Some writers’ journeys to publication are relatively short while others, like mine, may take a decade or more as I had to work through a lot to really find my voice. Liar’s Fire is the culmination of that effort.

A contemporary romance, this book really reflects those things that appeal to me as a writer. The characters are imperfect in many ways and on many levels, but all are people you would really want to know and be friends with. In every book, I use in interesting mix of fiction and real life drawing on many experiences that I have had or that people around me have shared. For example my main character, Serena, got pregnant in high school and it left her with many emotional scars. So did I. So I know firsthand the emotional repercussions of that experience and I think it adds depth and realism to the story.

Two of my characters who provide much of the comic relief, Nolea and Will, are a conglomeration of people I worked with when I was in financial services. Many of the circumstance – and much of the dialogue - came straight from real conversations. You know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction and it turns out its funnier too! All of my books have an animal in them somewhere and the star of this book is Shadow, a boxer owned by my hero, Tyler. Shadow is a real dog and is owned by one of my poker buddies. I think animals allow an author to convey emotions and show depth of character in a way that is not always possible without them.

I get asked all the time what I want readers to take away from my books. My bottom line is that I want readers to laugh so hard they pee and cry so hard snot runs down their lip and I will do or say almost anything to make that happen. One thing I learned direct from Jodi was that rules are made to be broken and only way to make an impact is to surprise, thrill, but certainly satisfy the readers. I hope that is what I’ve accomplished with Liar’s Fire.

I’m offering three free copies of Liar’s Fire! Just go to my website (www.deeburks.com) and enter your email in the contact form with the phrase “Pick Me!” in the email before Feb 1. I will draw the winners and send three luck readers an autographed copy of Liar’s Fire.

Book description:

I'm proud to announce my latest book, Liar's Fire is now available from all major retailers and is also available on Kindle! The first in the Cooper Brothers series, its funny, hot and filled with lots of great romantic tension! Here's a quick tease:

Three Dates. Three Hours.
No Commitment. No Kidding.

It seemed like a really good idea at the time to Serena Finley, editor of the Cranfield Reporter-Star. Faking a romance couldn't be that hard could it? No one said it had to be read and if everyone thought she was in love, they'd stop hounding her to find a man. Serena knew could do this and no one would ever be the wiser - best case scenario.

Then Tyler Cooper walked into her life and best case scenario became iffy. He fit her idea of Mr. Wrong in every way. From a failing business, to limited social skills, Tyler would never have made her list of datable men. He was a cowboy for heaven's sake, who probably wouldn't know cashmere if it bit him in the butt. But she needed his help and he needed hers, which made him perfect. Until tonight.

Somewhere in the midst of the pretend and the lies, her heart had been drawn to his. His kisses stirred her soul while his friendship gave her the strength to deal with old hurts and past heartaches. Serena knew this had no future. She was bound for Manhattan; Tyler was determined to stay in Texas. Would she risk everything for a chance at real love? Or walk away from this flame with her heart in ashes?

Author Bio

Dee Burks has been in the publishing business for more than ten years. She has written articles for Magazines such as Credit Union Business, Saddle Baron and Route 66 as well as working as a business book reviewer for Kiplinger’s. In 2006 she started a ghostwriting firm with her business partner Liz Ragland and has personally ghostwritten over 40 books including six Amazon.com #1 bestsellers. Dee also has taught writing classes on the collegiate level including Ghostwriting and Freelancing, Writing the Great American Novel, and Writing Your Memoirs. Her first book, Picks & Shovel: How to Cash in on the Gold Rush in Ghostwriting was publishing in 2007 and a new revised and expanded version is due for release in 2011. Liar’s Fire is her first contemporary romance.

Winners of The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent Audiobook

2011-01-18T20:09:00.003-05:00

Jo-Jo
*Susan (safoga)

The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell (Terra's Review)

2011-01-18T13:27:00.001-05:00

A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans.

From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.

Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a story for the ages and one that will surly reach down and touch the very heart of your soul. A story that will show you that a lady is not just a lady because of her attire, a courtesan who is so well loved by King and Country that she is Queen in all but name and station. A story of rags to riches that keeps Nell grounded, thankful and ever thoughtful of those less fortunate.

Nell Gwynn is a ragamuffin from the poorest of the poor, a child of abuse, lovelessness and poverty but yet a child with a gnawing determination to do whatever it takes to improve her life in any way she can. An intelligent and attractive child that brings joy in one form or another to all those who meet her.

This is a story of King Charles II who finally comes out of exile to claim his rightful birthright as the true King of England. A fair King but with a verousis appetite for the fairer sex that will provide him with bastards aplenty but with no true heir.

During this reign of power comes hardships that will test England to the brink of oblivion. We see the Black Plague in all it's horror along with the burning of a large portion of London it a great fire. There is much history here and it shows a people of great strength that I don't even think exist today.

The Darling Strumpet is a story that will wreak havoc on all your emotions and yes it did have me crying at the end. I did not cry just for the loss of our characters but for who they truly were and what they represented. Also for a time in history that I would most assuredly would love to visit should we ever be able to time travel.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (January 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425238598
ISBN-13: 978-0425238592

Last weeks winner of The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell

2011-01-16T17:56:00.001-05:00

*librarypat

Cleopatra Audiobook Winners

2011-01-13T11:30:00.002-05:00

*My name is Patricia

*Tina

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. You have seven (7) days to claim your prize or it will go to someone else. Congrats to our winner and I hope you enjoy your prize!

Sins Of A Highland Devil by Sue-Ellen Welfonder Blog Tour (3 Copy Giveaway & Review)

2011-01-13T00:11:00.001-05:00

The first book in the Highland Warriors trilogy, in which three heroes make a pact to insure that a rival clan does not take over their Glen of Many Legends. At the same time, three women plot to marry these heroes to insure peace.

In SINS OF A HIGHLAND DEVIL, James Cameron is concerned when the King's decree states all three neighboring clans must have a battle to the death in order to lay official claim to the scared Glen of Many Legends. James attempts to make a pact with the heads of the other clans to fight this decree. But he ends up fighting his own fierce desire when coming head-to-head with Lady Catriona of the opposing MacDonald clan, who has her own plan for peace.

I've got 3 books to give away, many thanks to Anna at Forever Romance (Hachette Books) for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on January 27th 2011!

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a delightful story of Scottish lads and lassies that will make you wish you were standing in their place. A story of love, lust, longing, ghosties, hatred, rivalry and honor. A story that will talk to your soul of times long past when adults actually knew how to act like adults while chivalry stands tall and bright as a beacon in the night.

Catriona MacDonald is the epitome of the red headed Scottish woman. Daring, proud, fearless and loyal as any clanswoman could possibly be. Only problem with Catriona is that she is lusting after the wrong man, her clans most hated rival.

James Cameron, Laird of Clan Cameron is a true and just Laird. His honor stands pure until a red headed devilish temptress stalks him testing his will power beyond what even the Gods could possibly have. It's time that the Laird take a wife and beget an heir and when our daring heroine shows up will he have the restraint to resist her womanly wiles or will he cave to honor after ravishing her.

This is a story that will delight even the most critical of historical romance readers. A story that keeps a quick and even pace to leave you panting in its wake.

GILLIAN BAGWELL ON THE DARLING STRUMPET (Guest Blog with Giveaway)

2011-01-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

The Darling Strumpet has had a very long and twisting path to publication. In fact, Nell Gwynn’s story didn’t start out as a novel. When I was an ambitious 23-year old actress, an actor friend got a lot of attention for a one-man show he was doing. I thought it was a great idea, and decided to write a show for myself to perform. I thought some historical character would be a good subject, and my father suggested Nell Gwynn. I began researching her, and the more I learned, the more I fell in love with her and her story.

She was born into poverty in London in 1650, and rose to great heights by using what she had: smarts, determination, charm, humor, and a very likeable sex appeal. At the age of 13 she began working as an orange seller at the brand-new Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. She got noticed, and soon became the lover and protégé of Charles Hart, the leading actor of the King’s Company.

Nell was one of the very first English actresses, and her gamine sex appeal and saucy personality made her an instant hit with London audiences. After the long closure of the theatres under Cromwell, a new generation of playwrights was at work, and Nell and Hart quickly became the William Powell and Myrna Loy of the 1660s, playing opposite each other as sparring and witty lovers in a series of star vehicles written just for them.

The newly-opened theatres were popular with the nobility – and the king - and Nell soon caught the eye of Charles Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, later the Earl of Dorset, and became his mistress. It wasn’t long, however, before she rose even higher – to the bed of the king himself.

Charles II had many mistresses, but Nell was unique for several reasons. She wasn’t a noble lady, and she never put on airs or pretended to be other than she was, and this won her the love of the people.

Another reason Nell was better liked was that she was English, unlike another of Charles’s long-term mistresses, the baby-faced Louise de Keroualle, who promoted French interests, cost the royal purse quite a lot of money, and was spoiled and weepy into the bargain. Nell called her the Weeping Willow and Squintabella.

Nell didn’t care about politics. She cared about Charles for himself, and was faithful to him until his death, and that too set her apart from Charles’s other women, notably Barbara Palmer, later the Duchess of Cleveland, and Hortense Mancini, the Duchess of Mazarin.

So I set out to put Nell’s life on stage. I did write the script, but never completed it to my satisfaction. And no wonder – I found it was impossible to cover the richness of Nell’s story – which encompassed not only the dazzling worlds of the theatre and court, but also the devastating plague of 1665 that killed a third of the population of London, and the Great Fire of 1666 that destroyed most of the old City – in such a brief format.

So I put my script aside and embarked on an acting career that encompassed a lot of stage work and some film and TV. Eventually I began directing, and then founded The Pasadena Shakespeare Company, producing 37 shows over nine seasons. There was no time for writing during those years, but Nell stayed in my mind and heart and sometimes at the back of my mind I could hear her whispering “Someday….”

But in 2005 my mother, who was living alone in London, became terminally ill. I put my life on hold and went over to spend time with her and take care of her. It was an enormously difficult time in many ways, but there were also good things about it. I made some very good friends. I got a chance to really get to know London, which I had visited a few times, and had always been in love with from reading so many books and seeing so many movies set there! And for the first time in my adult life, I didn’t have a creative focus or a career taking up all my time. I decided that what Nell needed was a novel of her life, and the time had come to start it!

I read biographies of Nell that had been published since I had first learned about her, reread the famous diaries of Samuel Pepys, which not only gave a vivid picture of daily life in London in the 1660s, but also preserved for posterity Sam’s reviews of Nell performing some of her most famous roles as well as their occasional friendly encounters. I scouted out the sites of the old theatres where Nell had performed, and walked the streets that she had known.

London is an amazing place. In central London, the layout of the street is pretty much the same as it has been for centuries; even millennia. After the Great Fire in 1666, there were grand plans to create a street design that was more organized and formal, but it didn’t happen, because people couldn’t wait long enough for that to happen – they had to get on with their lives. So they built houses and shops and everything else in exactly the same places they had been, and there they stand now!

So in most of the areas that Nell knew well, where she lived and worked and performed, the footprint is basically unchanged from her time, though of course many of the buildings are gone. This is particularly true in the locations where many of the theatres were. Years ago I was walking near Lincoln’s Inn Fields and felt impelled to turn down a certain street, and felt somehow that the place was very significant. When I looked at my books, I discovered that I’d found my way to the place where the Vere Street Theatre had stood, the place where the King’s Company converted a tennis court into their first home when they began playing in 1660.

Very close to there, at the northeast corner of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, is Newman’s Row, where Nell’s first house was. Her own house, I mean, that Charles rented for her when she was going to have their first child. Newman’s Row is now little more than a passageway to High Holburn, but the layout of the streets is pretty much unchanged. I stood there and could feel very clearly how it must have been for her to look out over the square, where duels and executions occasionally happened, although it was a very posh area with many noble residents, and that Whetstone Park, a little street running along the top of the square, which was pretty unsavory, must have been noisy and squalid.

And of course the current Theatre Royal in Drury Lane is on the same spot as the original theatre, the one that Nell performed in. The original theatre was smaller, and burned down and was replaced, and the current building is the third on the site, I think. But standing there I can feel Nell with me.

About the Author

Gillian Bagwell is the author of The Darling Strumpet, a novel based on the life of Nell Gwynn, who rose from the streets to become one of London’s most beloved actresses and the life-long mistress of King Charles II, which was released on January 4, 2011.

For further information about Gillian’s books, other articles, and blogs of her research adventures, please visit her website, gillianbagwell.com.

Contest time: We have one copy to giveaway to one lucky winner. This is for the US and Canada only please!

Ask Gillian a question about one of her characters or the time period and don't forget to leave your email addy to be entered.

How to Marry a Duke by Vicky Dreiling (3 Copy Giveaway)

2011-01-11T11:23:00.001-05:00

Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne is a man with a mission: find a wife he can tolerate as long as they both shall live. Love is not necessary--nor desired. But how to choose among a dizzying array of wealthy-yet-witless candidates? Hire London's infamously prim and proper matchmaker. Then pretend she's not the most captivating woman he's ever met...

Helping a devilish Duke create a contest to pick his perfect mate is the kind of challenge Tessa Mansfield relishes. Her methods may be scandalous, but she's determined to find the notorious bachelor more than a wife--she'll bring him true love. Yet when Tessa watches the women vie for the Duke's affections, she longs to win his heart herself. And after a stolen kiss confirms Tristan's desire, Tessa knows she has broken a matchmaker's number one rule: never fall in love with the groom.

I've got 3 copies of this book to give away, many thanks to Anna at Forever Romance for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on January 26th 2011!

The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent (2 Copy Audiobook Giveaway)

2011-01-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

In the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin's household, taking charge and locking wills with everyone. Thomas Carrier labors for the family and is known both for his immense strength and size and mysterious past. The two begin a courtship that suits their independent natures, with Thomas slowly revealing the story of his part in the English Civil War. But in the rugged new world they inhabit, danger is ever present, whether it be from the assassins sent from London to kill the executioner of Charles I or the wolves-in many forms-who hunt for blood. A love story and a tale of courage, The Wolves of Andover confirms Kathleen Kent's ability to craft powerful stories of family from colonial history.

I've got 2 Audiobooks to give away, many thanks to Anna at Hachette Books for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on January 18th 2011!

The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham (Terra's Review)

2011-01-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

A man other than my husband sits on England's throne today.

What would happen if this king suddenly went mad? What would his queen do? Would she make the same mistakes I did, or would she learn from mine?

Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he slips into insanity. And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when England turns against them. This gripping tale of a queen forced to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds is at its heart a tender tale of love.

(Terra's Thoughts) This story was absolutely wonderful with vivid scenes that pop before your eyes. The characters shower you with feelings so raw that you can't help but feel as they do. This is a story that is very difficult to put down.

Margaret of Anjou is but a child when wed to King Henry and the House of Lancaster. A child who not only needs to grow up quickly but is pulled between loyalty to the man she marries and her Uncle, The King of France. She is a strong character that bears much for those she loves and most of all for a country that is now her home and life, England.

King Henry is a gentle, trusting and loving man. He could be seen as week by his enemies for his trusting nature and the forgiveness he so easily bestows on those who wrong him. His most prominent worry is that he will go mad just like his ancestors. But, all in all King Henry is a man that everyone and anyone could, would and will love.

The author has done a remarkable job with research and showing us the true human side of royalty as it might have been in the ages of yore. Down to earth elemental emotions that will wring you out like a wet rag as you worry, laugh, cringe, hope and so much more. A story of love that will certainly show you that there is indeed true love in all places even the most unexpected.

The only drawback I had with this story was adjusting to the change of characters with each chapter. Whomever the chapter is about is who will be telling you his or her details and accounts of what might have prevailed at the time. It takes a bit of getting used to but the storyline makes it so worth this little nuance.

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (January 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402242816
ISBN-13: 978-1402242816

Kiss At Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe (Terra's Review)

2011-01-02T14:03:00.001-05:00

He needed a killer woman...

Blaine Underhill is one lucky man after having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch. Now he's determined to save his still-enslaved friend, but in order to do so, he'll need the help of one of the world's most lethal women.

She was drop dead gorgeous, literally...

Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she's one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever.

When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!

(Terra's Thoughts) This was a cute read and a first that I've read that had a black widow in it. There are four luscious hunky men involved even though we have only one major male character that is revealed in all his glory. Black Widow and Fire Warrior = Kidd Gloves.

Trinity Harpswell is so far from normal it's not funny. She longs for love but knows that it is forbidden. Talk about dying with a smile on your face, I think Trinity gives that phrase a whole new meaning in this story and I don't know of one male who would object. Kidnapped as a infant and cursed with venomous love that really comes up to bite you in the behind. Too bad she's such a wuss!

Blaine Underhill has been a slave to a love starved witch for more years than he likes to keep track of. Tortured to the point of death and given a femine hobby that he craves due to the witches curse make for a mighty T'd off warrior. When Blaine gets hot under the collar it's advisable for all in the vicinity to take cover. Blaine hates this witch so much he literally jumps from the frying pan to the fire upon seeking out a Black Widow in order to take revenge and rescue a friend from said Wicked Witch.

Stephanie Rowe has given us a comical situation with two deadly characters that is sure to give you a chuckle or two. This is a nice fluffy light read that will leave a nice flavor on the palate but watch out cause it just might be a bit spicy hot and singe your hormones.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140224195X
ISBN-13: 978-1402241956

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (2 Copy Audiobook Giveaway)

2011-01-01T16:11:00.001-05:00

Synopsis

Her palace shimmered with gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Cleopatra, the wealthiest ruler of her time and one of the most powerful women in history, was a canny political strategist, a brilliant manager, a tough negotiator, and the most manipulative of lovers. Although her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.

At only 18 years old, Cleopatra was already one of history's most remarkable figures: the Queen of Egypt. A lethal political struggle with her brother marked her early adulthood and set the tone for the rest of her life; a relationship with Julius Caesar, forged while under siege in her palace, launched her into a deadly mix of romance and strategy; a pleasure cruise down the Nile followed, a child, and a trip to Rome, which ended in Cleopatra's flight. After Caesar's brutal murder, she began a nine-year affair with Mark Antony, with whom she had three more children...

I've got 2 Audiobooks to give away, many thanks to Anna at Hachette Books for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on January 13th 2011!

I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell (Terra's Review)

2010-12-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

He needs to change his luck, and fast!

Matt Ewing would gladly hunt down a fortune in lucky pennies if he thought it would help save his business. But for all his hoping, Matt's clueless when his long-awaited lucky charm falls in his lap in the form of a beguiling genie. He just can't believe that this beautiful woman could be the answer to his prayers...

She's been bottled up for far too long!

Spending 2,000 years in a bottle would make any woman a little stir-crazy. So when Matt releases Eden from her luxurious captivity, she's thrilled to repay him by giving him the magical boost he needs...

But for all her good intentions, Eden's magical prowess is a little rusty and her magical mistakes become more than embarrassing. And though Eden knows falling in love will end her magic and immortality, she can't help but be drawn to the one man who wants her just for herself...

(Terra's Thoughts) First off let me say that I enjoyed Judi's Mermaid series immensely but I Dream of Genies makes the rest of them pale in comparison. This book is such a hoot! I started laughing right from the very first page and couldn't stop even after I finished the book. I still giggle when I think about so many different scenes. If you want to start your New Year off with a bang and full of laughter then this is something you must read. It rates right up there with Godiva chocolates everyone! YUMM!

Poor Eden our heroine has been stuck inside a bottle for nearly two thousand years. Not that she's been deprived in said bottle for all the creature comforts but hey we all need some shopping, sex, chocolate, sex, fresh air, sex. Get my drift? Guess there are a few drawbacks to having all the creature comforts. LOL!

Matt Ewing is luscious. Works out everyday running past Eden's bottle only to unknowingly torture her with a body of Adonis. He's as kind and the sun is bright but has the Luck o the Irish, or is it bad luck you might say. Try as he might he just can't seem to get things to go the way he would like them and he puts all his effort and skills into whatever he tackles. That's enough to give anyone a complex. And if that's not bad enough, his brother is perfection personified which irritates the Hell out of Matt to no end.

The story starts out with Eden wishing like crazy for a way out of her glass prison and Matt wishing for a break. Well I guess you can say they both get their wish when Matt happens to be in the right place at the right time to have Eden land face first in his lap unconscious and he just doesn't know what to do. Should he thank God for this delivery or try and wake up this raven beauty before someone thinks he might have done her harm. Talk about an opener to a book. Whew..........!!!

Judi Fennell has really done her homework here. This story is ripe with one liners, unpredictable predicaments, Genie on the run, poor sap as a hero that just can't seem to keep his flag from flying at full mast and a array or quirky hilarious characters. This goes from giggle mode to all out laughter in less time than it takes to snap your fingers.

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402241895
ISBN-13: 978-1402241895

Christmas Treat Recipe that is oh so Delicious!

2010-12-19T12:14:00.001-05:00

Trash

1 stick butter or margarine
12 oz. Semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
12 oz. box Crispix cereal
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 white kitchen trash bag

In two quart sauce pan, melt butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Pour Crispix into large bowl. Slowly pour chocolate mixture over Crispix. It will look horrible! Gently fold mixture over until all Crispix are covered. Take a medium white kitchen trash bag and pour ½ lb. powdered sugar into the bottom. Pour the bowl of chocolate covered cereal on top of the sugar. Cover with the rest of the sugar. Tie top of bag with a twist tie and shake the bag. The Crispix are now individual and each one is covered with the white powdered sugar and tastes like a peanut butter cup. After cooling, place in an air tight container. Will keep for several weeks.

Winners of Duchess of Sin by Laurell McKee

2010-12-17T11:28:00.001-05:00

*Lustee

*ape2016

penney

*Jane

♣BRN♣

Winner of Vow of Deception by Angela Johnson

2010-12-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

Carol L.

No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Terra's Review)

2010-12-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there’s a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she’s ever faced before.

Shapeshifter Dev Peltier has stood guard at the front of Sanctuary for almost two hundred years and in that time, he’s seen it all. Or so he thought. Now their enemies have discovered a new source of power- one that makes a mockery of anything faced to date.

The war is on and Dev and Sam are guarding ground zero. But in order to win, they will have to break the most cardinal of all rules and pray it doesn’t unravel the universe as we know it.

(Terra's Thoughts) Honestly let me ask you this, how can anyone not love The Dark Hunter Series? Dark Hunter's are the epitome of good and evil wrapped up in one tiny little package but with one Hell of a punch. This installment is right in tune with the rest of the series except that now we have a female Dark Hunter. Hell hath no fury like a Women's Scorn and our little heroine fits this to a T!

Our heroine Samia (Sam for short) is an Amazon warrior with a temper to match. Talk about feisty. Whew.......Sam gives the word a new meaning. She has a gift, well maybe a curse if you want to look at it that way, that will make her on the top most wanted list of the Denizens of evil. Can she be saved? Will she cave into a forbidden love after the pain and heartbreak of losing her husband and son in her natural life? Can she keep her emotions in check before they cost her more pain and suffering that she doesn't know if she could possibly face again?

Dev Peltier is as tall, dark and handsome as they come and with one heck of a bite to boot. He's snugly as a big ole teddy bear and has finally decided to start looking for a mate. Working for Sanctuary as a bouncer gives him the opportunity to check out all the females but will there be one in particular that will catch his eye? Will he be able to fight his lust and his big ole heart to save his kiester from the frying pan for a relationship that is forbidden by all? Most of all will he be able to save his temper and put a stopper on his lust to save him from getting killed and an eternity in Hell?

Sherrilyn has given us a much awaited new installment to a beloved series. Action packed with plenty of lust, love, romance in the most unusual settings and a believable storyline that will make you wish the next book was here now so you could just keep on reading till your hearts content. The story has the perfect pace with a writing style that is as smooth as silk that you can't help yourself. You will try as hard as possible to go find a little hiding spot and just curl up and ignore the outside world until the very last page.

I must say that I found it absolutely wonderful to finally have a female Dark Hunter. A woman with baggage aplenty that she tries to bury in order to exact the revenge on the death of her beloved family. The author has given Sam a personality to be wary of but also a human side that succumbs to the emotions that make her so real that she could easily be a member of the family that needs a little love and lots of hugs to help her through the tough times. You really can't help but cry with her and wish that maybe you could have been there to help prevent what happened in her previous life. You can feel her wariness of love like its a second skin and cringe at her temper and stay out of her way.

Out of all the Dark Hunter books I would say that Acheron is my favorite and this one is my second in line favorite. I really can't wait to see what the author has up her sleeve for the next book.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312546564
ISBN-13: 978-0312546564

Holiday Stories by Tawny Weber (Guest Blog)

2010-12-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

I’m a big fan of this time of year. The magic of the season, the message of caring, and the comforting traditions. And, actually, of the romance as well.

Every year my daughters and I like to make a big batch of cookies, pop a bowl of popcorn and curl up in front of the fireplace to enjoy a few of our holiday favorites.

Our top ten favorites are (in no particular order):

1. Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer
2. Frosty the Snowman
3. It’s a Wonderful Life
4. The Year Without a Santa Claus
5. A Christmas Carol
6. Charlie Brown Christmas
7. A Christmas Story
8. Miracle on 34th Street
9. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
10. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

My favorite holiday reads are the anthologies. This time of year gets so busy, I rarely find the few consecutive hours of reading time (and once I start a book, I really REALLY want to finish it), so a collection of novellas is a perfect fit. Something I can read between batches of cookies or while taking a gift-wrapping break. Which was why I was so excited to participate in Harlequin Blaze’s MUST HAVE BEEN THE MISTLETOE anthology. My story, A BABE IN TOYLAND, was all kinds of fun to write. The kind of story I enjoy during the holidays, and one I hope readers will like as well.

So how about you? Is there a movie you love to watch each year? Or a holiday book you love to read? Are you a fan of the holiday romances?

Excerpt:

This was what drowning in lust must feel like. Waves of passion poured over her, overwhelming Rita’s senses with excitement. She tried to catch her breath, but her mouth was too busy playing slippery-slide against a pair of deliciously erotic lips.

Her body melted as molten heat swirled. Jelly-like, her legs buckled. Rita had never had a kiss like this. Never. A single hands-free, fully-dressed kiss and she could taste the edge of a hot, wild orgasm.

Wanting—needing—more, she pressed tight against the hard, well-sculpted chest and moaned.

It wasn’t until someone tugged at her arm that she realized she’d lost her mind. Kissing a total stranger. At work. Insane. Barely cognizant of the whoops and whistles, Rita slowly pulled back to stare up into blue eyes she recognized from her naughtiest secret dreams.

Tyler? Tyler Ramsey? No way. Had Santa come early?

Duchess of Sin by Laurel McKee (5 Copy Giveaway and Review)

2010-11-29T00:04:00.003-05:00

Blonde and beautiful Lady Anna Blacknall is in the mood for mischief. Entering Dublin's most notorious den of vice, she finds herself in the arms of a mysterious, emerald-eyed Irishman. And although he is masked, his tender kiss is hauntingly familiar.

Conlan McTeer, Duke of Adair, has come to Dublin to fight for a free Ireland. But he's suddenly reunited with the young Englishwoman who had once claimed his heart, and his passion turns from politics to pleasure. When their sizzling encounter brings danger to Anna's door, she must decide where her loyalties lie-and quickly. For someone will do whatever it takes to destroy Conlan . . . and anyone he dares to love.

I've got 5 books to give away, many thanks to Anna at Forever Romance (Hachette Books) for this fantastic giveaway!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).

This is for the USA and Canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if they win the same title in two or more contests, they will receive only one copy of the title (or one set in the case of grouped giveaways) in the mail.

Winners will be announced on December 14th 2010!

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a book that will make you sizzle so watch your toes. Whomever said that the French make the best lovers evidently haven't had the chance to try an Irishman that's for sure. Yowzer!

Lady Anna Blacknall is Dublin's newest wonder of beauty. An air of radiance surrounds her in a cocoon so beautiful that you don't see the need for finding trouble until she's right in the heat of it. If there was ever anyone who could find trouble without looking it would be Lady Anna. It seems to follow her around like a love struck puppy panting at her feet. Needless to say, a tall, dark and handsome Irishman practically falls into her lap leaving Anna no choice or willpower for that matter to not take advantage despite all the warnings.

Conlan McTerr, Duke of Adair is every mischief seeking females man of dreams. He's tall, dark and handsome but not overly so but those emerald green eyes of his will most assuredly make you think twice about trying to avoid him. Eyes like the most specular of gems draw you in and suck the breath out of you before you can even let out a minuscule squeak of surprise. I say YUMM!

The author has given us an action packed love story with a hero and heroine that are more than a match for each other. It's like a dark cloud seems to follow these two around as if it's attached at the seams of their souls. The friction of romance is remarkable and rememberable. It will make you wish that you could find your own Irishman in the dark shadows of nights embrace.

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (November 30, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446544760
ISBN-13: 978-0446544764

Beneath The Thirteen Moons by Kathryn Kennedy (Terra's Review)

2010-11-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

He's a ruler in a divided world...

In the magical, watery world of the Sea Forest, the divide between the rulers and the people is an uncrossable chasm. Handsome, arrogant prince Korl Com'nder has lived a life of luxury that is nothing more than a fantasy to the people he rules. Until the day he is accidentally kidnapped by a beautiful outlaw smuggler and is forced to open his eyes to the world outside his palace walls.

She's an outcast, but at least she has her independence...

Mahri Zin would stop at nothing to save her village, and when they needed a healer she didn't think twice about kidnapping one. But when she realizes that the healer she so impulsively stole is none other than the crown prince of the Sea Forest, Mahri knows that this is her only chance to change the fate of her people...

(Terra's Thoughts) Let me say first off that I am very particular about what I read and watch in the category of SciFi/Fantasy and I really was hesitant about reading this because of my peculiar tastes. I have to give credit where credit is due as I absolutely loved this book in almost every way possible. This is a rare gem hidden behind a beautiful cover and it's shine is so brilliant that it will ignite your interest right from the beginning. It's a romance that will take you on a colorful 3D journey through some very vivid scenes of rare beauty and ugly, dangerous reality. Have I got your interest yet?

Mahri Zin is a striking red headed water rat from the out reaches of citified existence. She is a rarity in the world of magic and avoided by just about everyone due to her wild nature. She loves her people and would do anything for them including laying down her life to save each and every person in her village. She has courage that would overflow the largest of oceans and a rare perception of what beauty really is.

Korl Com'nder has lived a life of luxury as that befitting a royal. Gifted with the ability to Heal puts Korl in the right place at the wrong time when a striking red head decides to kidnap a Healer. Yanked from his bed and dropped out of a tree starts off a relationship that is reminiscent of someone waking up on the wrong side of the bed. A lot of mistrust between the hostage and his thief take them on a journey of unknown places that will leave not only them in awe but you the reader as well.

Kathryn Kennedy has done more than a superb job in this book. When I first started reading it I was absolutely stunned by the vivid 3D descriptions of sights, sounds, smells and touch that I really felt could see this being a great movie. It reminded me of the great experience I had of watching Avatar and all it's colors, smells, and dangers that abounded in plenty. With rapt attention not only to what was going on around the characters but also of their budding romantic relationship made me reluctant to put the book down to even sleep. This is one author I will keep a sharp eye on for more good reads to entice my appetite in the future.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (December 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402236514
ISBN-13: 978-1402236518

Vow of Deception by Angela Johnson (Terra's Review)

2010-11-26T02:28:00.000-05:00

As a knight, Sir Rand Montague's allegiance is to King Edward I. But when the king orders Rand to escort Rosalyn Harcourt to court in order to wed her off to Sir Golan - a crass knight Rand abhors - he's torn between duty and desire. For Rand has never forgotten the woman he spent one incredible night of passion with...After suffering abuse at the hands of her deceased husband, Rose wishes to never wed again. But when Rand rescues her after Sir Golan attempts to compromise her, she agrees to marry Rand in name only. However, sharing such close quarters with Rand brings back memories of their torrid rendezvous - and tempts Rose to give in to an all-consuming desire...

(Terra's Thoughts) This is a new author to me and this is only her second book but one I'm sure most will enjoy. It's wonderful to see a hero get a conscience after being such an ass. I really need to know if duty to your King should stand ahead of duty to someone you love especially when you know what is about to happen is not in her best interest.

Rose Harcourt married a man she feel head over heals for as a young maiden only to find on her wedding night that this man is more scary and evil than the imaginary monster that we all fear to be hiding under our beds at night. She starts out as an innocent, shy and loving girl to become one who is broken with a secret close to her heart that terrifies her daily should that secret become known. A woman with a lot of abused baggage that may just scar her for the rest of her life to even the most gentle of men.

Rand Montague is a King's man and one of some importance. He is a man of duty and loyalty to his Liege no matter what the cost but will it come back to bite him in the ass later is the million dollar question. His secret love for a woman he cannot have rages a battle of his loyalty to the King or to this woman he has loved more than life itself for such a long time. What he is about to do will change Rose's life forever. Will he have the courage to do what is right though when faced with the possibility that even loyalty comes at a high price.

I really enjoyed this battle between right and wrong, good and evil, danger around each and every corner. The author has played her characters well and you just have to hate the evil, love the innocent and long for love to bloom in the face of uncertain odds.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (November 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420108581
ISBN-13: 978-1420108583

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T22:10:00.000-05:00