Okay, whatever crud was going around the RWA Nationals kicked my butt. Big time. By the time I got home Thursday night, it had progressed from what I thought was sinuses and hay fever to upper respiratory infection and fever. I missed Leslie Parrish’s live blog talk on Saturday afternoon. That makes me very sad but I was flat in bed all day Friday and Saturday. The good news is that I’m on the mend. I actually made it to the grocery store today. Go me. LOL

So, who hasn’t read Leslie’s latest book, COLD SIGHT? I figure by now, if you’re a regular here and if you haven’t read it, you probably won’t. I know a few of you have trouble with the subject matter. The book is dark. REALLY dark. But I love Leslie’s dark side and this book rocks like damn and whoah! If I have any stragglers dropping by looking for the Nook from Long and Short of It’s Third Anniversary Party, and if you happen to like dark romantic suspense with a twist of paranormal, check out this book! And how about a prequel to the series? Check out the FREE READ HERE!

Ready for some fun? FAERIE FIRE comes out in just over a month. I think it’s time to start giving stuff away. (Not to mention that I have a bunch of swag and books from RWA Nationals!) So…Let’s have a contest this week. One lucky commenter between now and Friday will win a Samhain canvas tote bag, tee shirt (size 2X), water bottle, and a book. They’ll have their choice from a title list I’ll post later.

Oh, and Joe won the Mr. Summer semi-finals Saturday. He’ll be moving on to our final round. And he now has a recurring and regular role in TRUE BLOOD. w00t!

Iffy has a question…good guys or bad guys for FAERIE FIRE interviews this week?

Julie Leto is doing a really cool thing one day this month over on Plotmonkeys–a book club discussion of her latest release, 3 SEDUCTIONS AND A WEDDING. I bumped this book to the top of my pile so I can take part. (It may be today…I’ll check back with an update if today IS the day.) While contemporaries aren’t my favorite genre, I always get Julie’s. Hers are quick, sassy, and fun–and very, very sexy! Here’s what Julie has to say about the book (from the eHarlequin site):

Dear Reader,

My family is in the manufacturing business and has been for over fifty years, but honestly, we should be party planners. Need a sit-down dinner for forty? No problem. I don’t know if it’s because we’re Italian or just because we love to have fun, but throwing together bridal showers, surprise birthday parties and even weddings is something we relish.

I’m not sure that Leo Sharpe, one of the heroes of this collection, thought it would be so easy—especially with the ulterior motive behind his decision to throw a surprise wedding for his best friends, Coop and Bianca. Yeah, Leo’s a die-hard romantic, but he’s also a man with an agenda. He’s wants his ex-girlfriend back in his bed and since she’s Bianca’s best friend, she can’t avoid him while they’re planning sexy, romantic nuptials!

Little does Leo know that the rest of the bridal party has also decided to take sensual advantage of this whirlwind wedding.

And to find out precisely why Bianca and Coop can’t seem to make it down the aisle—and how they overcome their obstacles—check out my free short story online at eHarlequin! Links and details are up at my Web site, www.julieleto.com.

Happy reading,

Julie Leto

Hopefully, this link will take you to Harlequin: browse the book 3 Seductions and a Wedding

Browse this book

Add to your site

Buy this book

From the back of the book:

Why wait for the wedding night?

Tying the Knot
Jessie might not forgive Leo for his long-ago betrayal, but after one scorching kiss, she can’t fight the chemistry anymore. But a girl can’t base her future on great sex. Or can she?

Take This Man
Can hunky Drew convince his long-time crush Annie that he’s the man for her? All he has to do is sweep her off her feet…then make her forget that he’s a much younger man….

Bedded Bliss
When playboy billionaire Ajay is ready for real commitment, he thinks sexy, sensible Mallory is his woman. Too bad her only desire is to experience his reputed prowess in bed!

If not, there’s always the Amazon link. Bottom line, even if I didn’t adore Julie’s writing style, this one would be a keeper! On Kindle AND in paperback. It’s going on the shelf. Also, I’m finally over at Carolyn Clemmons’ blog today! Come see what I’m up to. If you leave a comment, you are entered in Carolyn’s weekly contest. Happy Hump Day!

See larger image 3 Seductions and a Wedding (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback) By (author) Julie Leto List Price: $4.99 USD New From: $2.10 In Stock Used from: $0.26 In Stock

Okay. I have to admit it. I’m not a big fan of demons. Not even Julian McMahon as Cole on Charmed could twist me to the dark side. He came close, but….you know…demon!

I’m slowly working my way through my TBR pile. I was looking for something light, funny and entertaining. I pulled out Maureen Child’s A FIEND IN NEED. I loved her book, BEDEVILED and have its sequel BEGUILED on the Kindle. (I have this thing about reading a paper book in-between Kindle books so I can whittle down the pile.) If any of you have read Maureen’s paranormals, you know how clever she is! If you haven’t, you are missing a real treat.

From Amazon:

It’s only been a month since single mom Cassie Burke unexpectedly became the hottest demon killer in town-and already there’s a price on her head and a website calling for her murder.

Then a sizzling hunk of a faery shows up on her porch in need of protection. Cassie’s happy to help because, after all, he is an expert love slave. Plus, he gets along great with her teenage daughter-a heroic feat in itself.

After a few not-quite-chaste nights, Cassie knows why Queen Vanessa wants him back so badly-and why she’s planning an all-out attack on her. Suddenly Cassie’s wondering if she can fend off an entire city of demons-and if a little faery tail is even worth it…

Brady, the fae, is also a gourmet cook. And there’s Devlin Cole, the demon owner of Magic Nights, the local sex club, and Cassie’s lover from the previous book MORE THAN FIENDS. Who knew there were so many demons and half demons in Cassie’s home town, La Sombra (which translates as The Shadow, fyi!). And we shouldn’t forget the hunky human cop, Logan–Cassie’s ex and father of her daughter. Oh, yeah. It’s complicated. And funny. Written in first person POV (not a favorite for me), I nonetheless zipped through this book, giggling along the way. You can’t help but identify with Cassie.

Yes, this one stays on the keeper shelf. And I’ll need to grab the first book one of these days, too!

About the Author
Maureen Child is the author of more than 75 books. She lives in Southern California with her family. Author website: www.maureenchild.com.

See larger image A Fiend In Need (Paperback) By (author) Maureen Child List Price: $14.00 USD New From: $2.72 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

I love Leslie Kelly. I need to be upfront with that. I don’t care if she’s writing sexy bits for Harlequin Blaze or dark romantic suspense as Leslie Parrish, this woman can write. I especially love her wicked sense of humor in the BLAZING BEDTIME STORIES series. In Volume V (sadly the rumors say this is the last one Les will be writing for this series), she gives a most interesting twist to the story of The Prince and The Pauper. Leslie created the “alternate reality” of Elatyria for her entries in this series. A land where fairy tales are reality, Elatyria is a parallel world to Earth with “border crossings” flung in various places. The fun comes when that world gets mixed up in the “real” world.

I must put a LIQUID ALERT warning on this story due to the laughs and gigglesnorts. Queen Verona is a control freak. When Prince Ruprecht, who is a little light in his loafers, hasn’t returned for his coronation, she sends Olivia Vanderbrook, Captain of the Amazon Guards, to San Francisco to retrieve him. Rafe Cabot more than makes up for Ruprecht in the testosterone department. Carpenter by day, lead singer in a band by night, Rafe could be Ruprecht’s twin, and Olivia mistakes him for the prince. Olivia is one damsel who doesn’t need rescuing, except from her self-imposed lonely existence and Rafe wants to be the knight in shining armour who teaches her all about the big “O.” With twists, turns, and lots of blazing heat, this novella is a fast, fun, and terrific read.

From Amazon:

A Prince of a Guy by Leslie Kelly

Hunky rock-and-roller Rafe is sure it’s a case of mistaken identity. After all, he doesn’t know Olivia, the gorgeous woman who accosts him outside his club. But he’d sure like to. So when she assumes he’s her runaway prince and tells him she intends to take him home with her, he’s more than game. Sure, he might not be a true prince. But a few nights in Olivia’s bed make him feel like a king!

Goldie and the Three Brothers by Jennifer LaBrecque

Goldie Dawkins works with three sexy brothers. And she’s willing to go the extra mile to convince them of her ideas for the business. Too bad that extra mile gets her stranded at their remote cabin, in a storm, all alone. So what’s a girl to do but check out the food, the recliners and the bedrooms to discover which one is just right? Only once bad-boy brother Jake Malone shows up, Goldie has no doubt which bed she intends to occupy….

I’m not familiar with Jennifer LaBrecque’s work but I have to say, based on this novella, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up one of her books. She has fun recreating the Goldilocks tale. And while Jake might be a gruff old bear at heart, he’s certainly sexy enough to hibernate with. Goldie Dawkins works for a Georgia winery in the marketing department. The founder retired and left the business to his three nephews: workaholic Chad, sports nut Scott, and the super salesman Jake. Each brother has his own area of expertise. Goldie is hired to develop a new marketing plan. She’s also on the rebound from breaking up with her long-time boyfriend. She wanted marriage. He wanted to live together. Jake, the inveterate bachelor thinks Goldie is bad news and vows to stay away from her. Goldie’s “been there done that” when it comes to men like Jake. Unfortunately, their common sense forgot to mention their differences to their hormones. Another fast read, and one that left a smile on my face.

I downloaded the Kindle version but will definitely have to get the paperback to go on the keeper shelf. I mean…it’s LESLIE!

See larger image Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume V: A Prince of a Guy\Goldie and the Three Brothers (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback) By (author) Leslie Kelly, Jennifer Labrecque List Price: $4.99 USD New From: $1.54 In Stock Used from: $0.98 In Stock

Last year, I read Eve Silver’s DEMON HUNGER, the second book in the The Compact of Sorcerers series. I enjoyed the book so when an autographed copy of DEMON’S KISS, the first book in the series, came up on Brenda Novak’s auction last May, I bid on it and won! The book arrived, I put it on the top of my TBR shelf and…it sort of fell into the black hole the shelf became after RWA Nationals last year. The other day, I made the conscious decision to read one paperback for every Kindle edition book I read. I’d pulled KISS from the shelf in preparation, but then I won Karin Harlow’s debut novel but when I pulled it out of the envelope and read the opening, I couldn’t put ENEMY LOVER down. Once finished with EL, I grabbed KISS and started on it. From the Amazon description:

The Compact of Sorcerers, a brotherhood sworn to guard the wall between the human world and the demon realm, have relied only on one another for centuries. But now there’s a traitor in their midst…

Struggling medical student Clea Masters knows she’s unique. Ever since her parents’ death, she’s been kept safe by an inexplicable force inside her that knocks back any threat. But when a demon attacks her, Clea is launched into a dangerous world she never knew existed. Her only ally is a lethal, seductive man who arouses a hunger stronger than anything she has ever imagined…

Compact of Sorcerers member Ciarran D’Arbois will not let harm befall Clea. In her, he sees a strength he admires and a body he longs to caress. Yet demons are determined to break down the portal Ciarran has sworn to protect, using Clea as their key. Now as a rogue sorcerer leads the enemy ever closer, Ciarran and Clea have only one hope. Both must surrender to their darkest passions–and unleash their most dangerous, untested deisres.

DEMON’S KISS–Which is more deadly, his passion or his powers?

Ciarran is probably my favorite of the sorcerers and in many ways, he’s the darkest. Clea was almost too accepting of the situations she’s thrust into, but that’s okay. This was another fun read by Eve Silver and I’m sorry I waited so long to pull KISS off the shelf to read it! If you are looking for demon-based paranormal that’s a little different, Eve’s books hit the spot!

About the Author
Eve Silver read her first romance novel when she was in her teens. She fell in love with these tales of love, honor, strength, and perseverance, these stories that transported her and helped carry her through the rough patches of her life. Eve holds two post secondary degrees. She teaches microbiology and human anatomy at a local college. After school she returns to romance, having found her own happily-ever-after with her husband and two sons. Her website is: www.evesilver.net.

See larger image Demon's Kiss (Compact of Sorcerors, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback) By (author) Eve Silver List Price: $6.99 USD New From: $5.81 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

A few weeks ago, I won a bound galley copy of ENEMY LOVER, Karin Harlow’s debut novel. Life intervened and I finally got to finish reading it yesterday. OMGOMGOMG! Harlow grabs a gritty political thriller, wrestles it into a dark paranormal, and body slams the book with a romance that will curl your toes, if you aren’t too scared to finished reading it!

Yes. Really. Marcus Cross gives whole new meaning to Alpha male. Jax Cassidy put the kick-ass in the word “heroine.” Both are emotionally damaged, both looking for acceptance and redemption, neither of them likely to find it.

From the Amazon listing:

When you have no alternative, then you call in L.O.S.T. Because with the Last Option Special Team, it’s do or die. . . .

It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator.

Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, Special Ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus’s right-hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.

This book will be available May 25, 2010. You can preorder it now at Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. I’m sure it’s other places, too. I’ll be buying a keeper copy of this book for the shelf. Hopefully, this will turn into a series and I’ll get to go back a reread ENEMY LOVER when/if the next book comes out. Even if it’s a stand-alone, I’ll be pulling it down from the shelf to read again. Heart-stopping, heart-hurting, heart-warming. Yeah, this book has it all!

See larger image Enemy Lover (Mass Market Paperback) By (author) Karin Harlow List Price: $7.99 USD New From: $1.94 In Stock Used from: $1.74 In Stock

I just finished reading the Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romance. The operative word is MAMMOTH!!!! This book contains twenty (yes TWENTY!) novellas by some of the top romance writers and some very talented newcomers. Here’s the list of contributors: Debra Webb, Gennita Low, Nicola Marsh, Sydney Croft (Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler), Liz Muir, Caitlyn Nicholas, E. C. Sheedy, Jordan Summers, Shiloh Walker, Gina Robinson, Cheyenne McCray, Michele Albert, Charlene Teglia, Marliss Melton, Rachel Caine, Shannon K. Butcher, Charlotte Mede, Laura Griffin, Rinda Elliott, and Penny McCall.

According to the introduction in the book, “Everybody needs a hero…. If you like your military suspenseful, you’ve come to the right place.” There’s something here for everyone, and every taste! I don’t have time to list each story. I think we all have at least one favorite author on the list. However, there were some standouts, in my opinion. Rinda Elliott’s CANE RIVER, set in the Louisiana bayous, brought a best friend’s kid sister (all grown up now) and in need of protection back into the purview of the hero. Shannon K. Butcher’s A KEPT MAN in which the heroine, now grown up, calls upon the body guard she crushed on as a kid to help her save her uncle. Wait…I see a trend here. In Laura Griffin’s SURRENDER AT DAWN, a sister goes to rescue her brother in Thailand, with the help of an expatriate American pilot who is a bit more than he appears. Debra Webb’s THE TRAITOR kept me up way to late!

The two novellas I wanted to read more of (and I’ll go check out both authors as they weren’t on my radar!) are RUSSIAN ROULETTE by Rachel Caine and Michele Albert’s THE ANGELS OF PUNISHMENT. Yes, I know. How could I not have read Rachel Caine? My bad! I plan to rectify that as soon as I have time. And Albert’s world of archangels, demons, fallen angels, and heavenly warfare left me wanting to spend much more time in that place!

I bought this for the Kindle and got the early, English edition. In the mood for some quick, satisfying reads for when you’re limited on time, this is the anthology for you! While I’m glad to have it on the Kindle, I would be tempted to get the paperback and have it on the shelf.

See larger image The Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romance (Paperback) List Price: $13.95 USD New From: $8.93 In Stock Used from: $4.40 In Stock

See larger image Fantasy in Death (Hardcover) By (author) J.D. Robb List Price: $26.95 USD New From: $2.04 In Stock Used from: $0.89 In Stock

As everyone knows, I am a huge JD Robb/Eve Dallas fangirl. I preorder every book in hardback and hope to eventually replace all the paperbacks with hardbacks in my library. I also download the new ones to Kin for ease of reading. It took a week or so for the publisher to release the Kindle version after the hardback release. Grrrr. And then I got crazy busy and my reading time bottomed out. However, I did finish FANTASY IN DEATH yesterday morning.

I’m not a gamer. I don’t *get* World of Warcraft. You could beat me over the head with an MMORPG and I’d simply stare at you. (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, btw.) Even so, I loved this book. (Oh, like that’s a surprise, right?) Like others, I had things figured out but that’s okay. With Eve, the payoff is always how she sews up the criminal in interview. And, this book gives the reader an amazing peek into Eve’s brain and her thoughts on relationships and Roarke. A most satisfying read, and well-worth the double expense of two reading platforms. I’m not going to copy the book teaser here. Most of you are already familiar with it, or have read the book. Instead, I’m going to put a question to the Dallas/Roarke fans out there. I know we all want a Dallas movie (or TV series!) but finding actors to play the parts creates raging debates among fans. I did a blog about PROMISES IN DEATH just over a year ago, picking out some possibilities of people to fill the main roles. Since then, I’ve changed my mind on Eve and have another possibility for Roarke, though he’s a singer not an actor, and Greek, not Irish. Even so, for your discussion, I offer Stana Katic (Beckett on CASTLE) as Eve:

See? She even has her murder board and I picture her office as that small and cramped. Now, for Roarke, the blue of Greek singer Kostas Martakas blew me away on Saturday’s brunch. I went looking for some more photos an while most of his shots show him with a shadow beard (and I always picture Roarke as clean-shaven), I really think the eyes might just overcome any deficiencies. What do you think?

Go back and check that link to my previous post about actors to play the roles. Agree? Disagree? The one I can’t pinpoint is Summerset. I just haven’t come across anyone. Ideas? And what about Mavis, Morris, or Nadine? Mira and Feeney? Jump right in here! Give me ideas. Photo links. Whatever! Maybe I’ll do an “All Access In Death” post with all the players! We’ll cast our own movie.

Last week, I did a couple of posts for Shiloh’s new release, partly because I follow her on Twitter and her tweets are fun to read, partly because I like her work, and mainly because I’d read her snippets and this book really grabbed me. After a few fumbles on Amazon’s part, I finally got the Kindle edition I bought downloaded and settled in to read. And read. And read. Wow! Quinn broke my heart. And Sara won my admiration and respect. Shiloh writes with a red, hot poker that sears the emotions. Yet even as she tugs the heart strings, she ramps up the heat with heart-stopping sex and suspense.

From Amazon’s product description:

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter for a private detective agency in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s drawn to her-but he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She has a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding.

But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings-as well as their fragile hearts-if their love is to survive.

BROKEN is the follow-on book to Shiloh’s best-selling novel, FRAGILE. I haven’t read it. Yet. I plan to, ASAP. I have three books in the queue on Kin before I can get back to it. I suspect it will take me those books to get over Quinn and Sara’s story anyway. Haunting and heart-stopping.

Happy Monday and happy reading!

See larger image Broken (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback) By (author) Shiloh Walker List Price: $15.00 USD New From: $2.43 In Stock Used from: $2.24 In Stock

When Kate Carlisle’s first book, HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER hit the NY Times list, I wasn’t too surprised. The same goes for her second book, IF BOOKS COULD KILL. Once again, Brooklyn Wainwright is right in the middle of murder and mayhem, this time in Edinborough, Scotland. She has lots of company this trip: her parents and best friend, a hot Scottish cop named Angus, and of course, the mysterious man who makes her blood run hot, Derek Stone. Who happens to be a former commander in the British military. And is a security consultant. Or is he? That question wasn’t answered in the first book, and this second book leaves some enticing questions as well.

Carlisle is a talented story-teller who keeps me glued to the story, turning pages madly, and laughing like mad even as I’m wincing for poor Brooklyn. If ever there was someone prone to bad luck, it’s our girl Brooklyn. From Amazon:

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is attending the world-renowned Book Fair when her ex Kyle shows up with a bombshell. He has an original copy of a scandalous text that could change history-and humiliate the beloved British monarchy.

When Kyle turns up dead, the police are convinced Brooklyn’s the culprit. But with an entire convention of suspects, Brooklyn’s conducting her own investigation to find out if the motive for murder was a 200-year-old secret-or something much more personal.

I bought this book on Kindle and yes, I’ll get a paper version for the keeper shelf. If you read HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER, you must read IF BOOKS COULD KILL. If not, you must read both these books! I mean it. Or else!

And since it’s my birthday…a contest! Today, one random commenter will win a surprise I brought back from the cruise: A Celebrity pen and notebook. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.

See larger image If Books Could Kill: A Bibliophile Mystery (Paperback) By (author) Kate Carlisle List Price: $6.99 USD New From: $3.53 In Stock Used from: $1.22 In Stock