"Hey, I remember you..."

... she said shyly, as she slipped back into the room.

Where have I been? If you really want to know, click here. Otherwise, suffice it to say that there is just NO EXCUSE for me totally leaving you guys alone for so long. My goodness, the place is a wreck, there is dust everywhere, cobwebs from here to there, and I think a stray cat may have gotten in through the back door. I'll have it cleaned up in no time. I promise.

While I'm trying to get this place back in order, I thought I'd leave you with this...

Earthly Pleasures, by Karen Neches

Ms. Neches actually sent this book to me a little while back. I was planning on reading it as soon as I got it, then dishing it right away. Well, best laid plans aside, it didn't happen.

What did happen is that I picked it up one recent Saturday afternoon, after a rather rough week, and just got sucked right in.

The premise, basically, is that Heaven is nothing like my Preacher tells me. It's more like the ultimate cool town, where you can have literally anything you want through the use of your personal Wishberry. The Wishberry's like a Blackberry, but better, as it can even conjure up your favorite mocha latte in mere nano-seconds. The angels are stylishly dressed, there is the ultimate in shopping via Retail Rapture, and the secrets of life on Earth are taught through five Beattles songs. Oh yeah, and everyone can catch up on their favorite Earth people through the tv show called Earthly Pleasures. It's like Big Brother, but real.

One of Heaven's greeters is an angel named Skye. Skye loves everything about Heaven, and has no desire to ever be born and try her hand on Earth. Her life (for lack of a better word) is practically perfect, until the day that Earthly Pleasures current fave Rick Blaine ends up in her office. In the few seconds Rick spends with Skye before being revived on Earth, something happens. Skye becomes almost obsessed with secretly watching Rick on Earthly Pleasures, but she doesn't understand why. Meanwhile, Rick has some secrets of his own.

This novel was fast, fun, and totally unexpected. The writing was witty. The characterizations were solid. The ending was just enough to be satisfying without crossing the line into sappy.

Personal sidenote: I belong to a very independent, fundamental branch of Christianity. We have some pretty serious beliefs about Heaven and how to get there, as well as what it might be like if you do. This book didn't match those beliefs in ANY way. However, it is a BOOK, people. It's a work of fiction. The author doesn't say, in any place that I have found, that she has researched it and truly believes this is what it is like. It is a FUN read, and I in no way found it to be anything less than perfectly enjoyable.

Earthly Pleasures was a great find, and I am ever so thankful to have picked it up when I did. The light-hearted look at Heaven, as well as the deeper look at a love gone a little crazy, was just what I needed, when I needed it. Sometimes, it almost feels like I've got my very own wishberry. On that Saturday afternoon, I sat down on my front porch and prayed for a way to get my mind off that really rough week, and be whisked away to someplace magical, and then I picked up this book. And found laughter, and fun, and fantasy. And love.

And besides, taking a quote from the book, which borrowed a quote from a rather famous group... Love is all you need!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

The Warrior by Kinley MacGregor

Before I dive into today’s dish. I want to remind everyone about February With Author Island going on here at dee & Dee. There are several ways to be entered for prizes this month, 1 – comment on any of the posts that are about Author Island Authors. 2 – Join the Author Island Tiki Hut Forums and chat it up. 3 – Get your recipes ready, we’re going to be collecting a few of those as well! And speaking of recipes, don’t forget that the Author Island Chatters Cook Blog is now public, so you can search out some great recipes from both readers and authors.

And now without further ado…

The Warrior by Kinley MacGregor
(BCC)

Trust No One…

Lochlan MacAllister was born to lead. Ruthlessly groomed to take control of his clan, he has given his life to his people. But when he learns that the brother he thought was dead might still be alive, he embarks on a quest to find the truth.

Catarina wants a life of freedom. But now Catarina’s royal father wants to use her as a pawn to ensure a treaty between conflicting lands. So much so that he’s willing to kidnap his daughter to force the issue. But when she escapes, fate throws her into the path of a man she loathes.

Lochlan is stunned to find the shrewish Cat being hauled away by unknown men. Unwilling to see even her suffer, he frees her only to learn that she has her own demons to fight. When their fates intertwine, two people who know nothing of trust must rely on each other, and two enemies who have vowed their eternal hatred must find common ground, or see their very lives shattered.

This really isn’t the best of BCC’s. It’s good to a point, but severely misleading there at the very end. It does a great job of grabbing the attention, and while I understand that’s the reason there even is BCC, I still don’t like the feeling of being tricked.

That said. I really enjoyed this book. Lochlan and Catarina have met before, in fact Lochlan’s brother is married to Catarina’s cousin. However, Lochlan doesn’t really care all that much for Catarina and her smart mouth, and Catarina doesn’t really like Locklan’s arrogance.

Lochlan discovers that a brother he has long thought dead could still be alive, and family is very important to Lochlan. He would love nothing more to have his brother back with him, after he strangles him for lying to them all of these years, of course. So, leaving the clan behind in search of his lost brother Lochlan sets out only to come across men rough housing a lady. But it isn’t just any lady; it’s the smart mouthed Catarina that he really cannot stand. But, worse than his dislike for Cat, is his dislike for bullies. So to the rescue he comes.

Cat has had it. She finally gets away from her captures only to have them ask the town for aid in keeping her. When a rather large man comes at her, she prepares herself for defeat, only to find that he is sticking up for her. Too bad it’s Lochlan MacAllister, a man she loathes. But, he does save her, and for that she’s thankful. That is until she lets him know that her father is the King, and Lochlan says he’s taking her back to him. Cat doesn’t want to be married to some stuffy man who treats her as though she is property.

Lochlan decides he will help Cat find her uncles that have always looked out for her, but first, he must get to a tournament where a man is that may know of his brothers fate. On their journey, Cat and Lochlan face the kings men who want her back, an old enemy of the MacAllister clan, and their own insecurities of their past. Lochlan’s father was not a kind man, and not only does his past misdeeds follow Cat and Lochlan on their journey, they could eventually be both of their downfalls.

MacGregor also writes as Sherrilyn Kenyon, and as you know I really love Kenyon’s books and that’s how I came to read her books under the MacGregor name. When I first got The Warrior, I was thinking it was one of her Knights of Avalon books, so I was a bit disappointed when I realized it wasn’t and I was going to be reading a book that was one of a series when I hadn’t read the previous titles. However, I had no problems jumping right into the story, and any information I would have needed MacGregor gives throughout the book.

There were a few problems with the book, mainly MacGregor’s affinity for head hopping, but I’m used to that by now, and she actually does it in a way that doesn’t lose the reader. There were also a few points that sort of get mentioned that I felt were going to be a big part of the plot and they just got dropped.

The love story gets wrapped up fairly easily, and that also bothered me just a bit. It all seemed out of character for the King to just let these two be together, but the action throughout was amazing, and I could not put the book down. In fact, I’ll be going out and buying the other books in the series, just because I enjoyed this one so much.

Also, the very end has a bit of a surprise for fans of this series, and it makes me wonder if we may be getting a new Dark Hunter book that ties into this series. I know I sure wouldn’t mind reading it (hint, hint Sherrilyn, hint, hint).

All in all, for all of the little things wrong about the book, there were so many things right that I had the book read in less than three hours. Filled with action, steamy love, and a fair bit of suspense, The Warrior is a treat for any fan of Kenyon or MacGregor, and also an excellent way for new readers to join the Brotherhood.

Take Care

Trick My Truck but Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane

I want to remind everyone that this month is February with Author Island! The prizes are still a secret, but know there will be several. Don't forget that the Author Island Chatters Cook Blog is now public, so if you're looking for some great recipes, head over there click the name and you'll see some great search-able recipes. Every month Author Island will have a recipe exchange chat, and all of the recipes will be added to the blog, so it will be an ever expanding place to find good food. Also, you can be entered in a contest for joining up over at the Author Island Tiki Hut Forums. It's brand-new and we're announcing it here first, so this is truly a way to be on the ground floor of something so fun! New members and Chatters will be entered to win some contests. LuAnn McLane is an Author Member of Author Island. That means that from time to time you'll see contests for LuAnn's stuff (along with many other authors) over at the AuthorIslan.com home page. And now, without further ado...



Trick My Truck but Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane
(BCC)

FRIENDS...

When Candie Montgomery reluctantly leaves a good job in Chicago to help save her family's failing used-car business, she's shocked to find that the townspeople of Pinewood, Kentucky - all 876 of them - are shunning her. Rumor has it that Candie's to blame for the broken engagement between her twin sister, Sarah, and her close frined Nick. But how can she be the otehr woman without even knowing it?

...WITHOUT THE BENEFITS

With the family business, her reputation, and her relationship with Sarah on the line, Candie needs a boyfriend - pronto- to put a lid on the gossip. Damage control comes in the sexy form of Tommy Tucker. It was supposed to be a quick fix, but Candie might just be in it for the long haul.

Two years ago Candie Montgomery left Pinewood and headed to Chicago to make her own way. But, her daddy's had a heart attack and the family needs her help in running (saving) their car dealership. So back to Pinewood she heads, only to find out she's being shunned. Turns out her twin sister Sarah (who although a twin couldn't look more different) has told the entire town that Candie is the reason for Nick breaking off their engagement. Nick and Candie used to be best friends, and Nick misses that friendship. And while he loves Sarah, he also wants to have a friendship with her as well.

In order to get the town to quit shunning her, and in turn help with the saving of the family business, Candie gets herself a fake boyfriend. Tommy Tucker, a few years younger, and one fine looking cowboy happens to volunteer to do just that, all Candie has to do is say she'll play on his sand Volleyball team. The only problem is, this fake boyfriend of hers sure ignites some major feelings and trying to ignore them turn out to be impossible.

With a new guy in town running his daddy's car lot that used to sell the trade-ins to Dapper Dan's (Candie and Sarah's family car lot) business is a lot harder to come by. Thankfully, Candie has an idea that could save the business, but will hers and Sarah's hearts be able to stand the path it will put them on?

As with Dancing Shoes and Honky Tonk Blues, McLane captures what it's like to be a small town southern gal. With insecurities about our past, fears of the unknown and coming to terms with the curve-balls life throws us. McLane touches on real life topics with heart and humor. "I'm just not cut out for this stuff. In truth, I'm a pretty simple girl too." I shake my head. "I feel like I'm caught up in a redneck soap opera."

There are books in our lives that find themselves in our hands at exactly the right time, and TMT is one of those books for me. Candie finds herself dealing with how short life can be. Seeing her once strong and invincible (in her eyes anyway) daddy sick, helps Candie see that life doesn't always turn out how we plan. Today, I found out that my daddy, is not as invincible as once I thought, either. Daddy stopped by to tell me he's having surgery on Monday. Yeah, as in two days from now. We're a close family, so why am I just now finding this out? Because my daddy didn't want me to worry. Well, DUH, of course I'm gonna worry. Like Candie, I never though my strong, take-charge daddy would ever be sick. But - he is, and we have to deal with that. I can't tell you how glad I am that McLane's book will be in my hot little hand while I do.

Candie, Sarah, Tommy, and Nick also have to face the hard truth that we are what people expect us to be. You have to understand, that small town life defines a person. In a small town, a mold is set for us early on. We are either pretty, smart, athletic, or doomed to failure. Very rarely are we allowed to be anything else. Candie found a way to help herself and those she holds closest realize that we don't have to be what we once were, as long as we expect people to expect more of us, they will. The mold that was set for us, doesn't have to hold us, but it's up to us to shatter it.

Trick My Truck has it all. Humor, Romance, and Personal Journey. When life runs too fast and too hard, it's nice to know that you can reach for a book by McLane to lighten the mood and leave you with a smile in your heart. To take you to the small town South, where life seems just a big friendlier than our own. Written in First Person, Candie takes us on her personal journey that she takes with many, and sucks the reader right into her world. I didn't want it to end.

I have a ton of notes written for this book - passages or pages that caught my attention, so I thought I'd share just a couple, because I know once you read them, you are gonna go right out and buy the book yourself!

When Candie and Sarah decide to egg the competition for the car dealerships car.

- "Or maybe you were vandalizing my car."
"Yeah, and maybe your trouser monster is hanging out."
...
"So you didn't throw the egg at my car?"
"I most certainly did not. Oh, and by the way, when you call the police I want you to explain why you tackled an innocent jogger and showed me your trouser monster."

When Candie decides to flirt a bit with Tommy and pretend she's tough and gonna head-butt him in the gut. (I love this one because this is me to a T.)

" He's right of course. I especially wouldn't want to ram my head into his rock-hard abs but I narrow my eyes and he takes a step back, looking kind of nercous. Jusr for fun I decide to take a couple of steps backward and then act as if I'm going to head-butt him as threatened. The operative word here is act but the toe of my shoe catches on a raised crack in the sidewalk (I swear there's one there) and I go airborne like a chicken trying to fly. Well, we all know that chickens can't fly, so I find myself flopping forward in an odd almost slow motion tumble."

Another one that's me.

-"I finally fell asleep. I kept going over my incident with Nick and then my date with Tommy in my head and ended up having a weird dream that I was a mermaid."

Go get this book. You won't be sorry.

Take Care

Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles

*Sigh* Did I really say I resolved to do three dishes a week? Silly me. In all fairness, dee has FAB running right now so I've tried to post fewer dishes AND I started a job. It's only part-time, unfortunately that doesn't excuse me from being a full-time mommy and wife. Yeah, scheduling and me? We don't mix. Anyway....

I have a FUN FEBRUARY planned as I team up with DeNita over at Author Island to bring you some GREAT Authors and FABULOUS contests. There will be e-Book reviews, interviews, and chances to win stuff in droves. So, be sure to check back starting on February 1 when I kick off the fun! And now, without further ado...

Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles

(BCC)

THE LAST THING GAWAN OF CONWYK NEEDS IS ANOTHER LOST SOUL ON HIS HANDS.

A twelfth-century Welsh warrior turned Guardian who has protected his charges for nearly a thousand years, Gawan's got less than twenty-four days left on duty until he can shed his wings and finally become mortal. But the higher-ups have different plans. The beautiful, soaking-wet woman Gawan finds by the side of the road near Castle Grimm is actually his soul mate, and it's up to him to save her life.

What he doesn't know is that Ellie is practically a ghost already. She doesn't remember who she is, or how she got to the north of England, where her only chance to rejoin the living is this mouthwatering angel with a funny accent. Aided by the castle's eccentric spirits, they set out to solve the mystery of her near death, but neither Ellie nor Gawan is prepared for the soul-searing passion they discover... or the sacrifices that may lead to an eternity of love.

For once, I'm actually fairly speechless as far as a BCC goes. If I had read this BCC while purusing the bookstore shelf for something to read, I probably would have been fairly dissappointed by the book. On the other hand, I did not read the BCC as I had been looking forward to this books release after reading Miles first book SPIRITED AWAY (click the title for my dish on that one). It's not so much that the BCC is mis-leading as it so vague that after reading the book I wonder if the person who wrote the BCC read to book or simply a proposal for the book. OK, maybe I'm not speechless, just incoherant.

Gawan of Conwyk was one of the fiercest warriors to be found. But one act of kindness forever sealed his fate and turned him into an angel. After spending centuries as a Guardian Angel, Gawan is coming up on his retirement, where he will once again become a mortal. However, less than a month before this is to happen, Gawan finds a woman by the side of the road on a very rainy night. Not realizing she was to be his final charge Gawan offers her a ride, where he will take her to his castle to get dry and phone help.

It isn't until the young woman is in his car that he realizes he can hear her thoughts, which is a big indicator that she is in fact, a new charge. The only thing Gawan can't figure out is why, now so close to his retirement, is he getting a charge. Especially one who doesn't know who she is, why she's in a strage coutry, and oh yeah, is In Betwinxt - or mostly dead.

Using a made up name, Ellie, the young woman Gawan finds on the side of the road, has no idea what's going on, and she's fairly certain Gawan and his butler are missing a few. That is until she sees ghosts walk through the door and talk to her then she isn't so sure that she isn't the one that's missing a few. And then she disappears. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger for Ellie as she finds out that she herself is partly a ghost. Her real body is somewhere unknown and unless she and Gawan can find that body, Ellie herself will go from being a mostly dead ghost to being fully dead.

As Gawan and Ellie work to find out who she is and where her body may be, the sparks fly and love is in the air. But they both know how much is at stake. There are literally in a race against time to save Ellies life and Gawan's mortality. But, should they win the race they will lose forever the love they find along the way. As Gawan and his charges immediately forget each other and the events that happened during their time together as soon as the case is solved.

ITA is one of those mixed feelings books. The Romance was great, Miles really does an excellent job at portraying emotion and love. However, I had a very hard time getting over the fact that Gawan was an angel and having all sorts of carnal thoughts about Ellie. I know, grow up, right? I mean, I read about vampires, demons, wereworlves and more, but an angel having an affair squicks me out? Sad but true.

Also, as interesting as the "soul mate" aspect of the book was, I felt that far too much time was given to Gawan and Ellie flirting and getting to know one another, when they should have been looking for her body and fixing this mystery.

Gawan holds a lot of things from Ellie, and that also bothered me some. The ending was rushed and messy, with the mystery of Ellie's trip to England and who she really being summed up in one chapter.

I DID enjoy the book, though. It had many flaws but the dialouge was great, the sexual tension hot, and once again, the cast of characters in ghostly form were entertaining going from heartwarming to out and out hilarious.

Tristan, Andi and the knights from SPIRITED AWAY were also players in this book, and it's always fun to see characters I enjoyed so much resurface.

All in all, Into Thin Air is a book I'm glad I read, but won't be re-reading. While I appreciate the unique premise and Miles's strong voice, this one just fell way flat of the mark her debut made. I look forward to the next book due out in June of this year and hope that Miles can recapture the magic she had with AWAY.

Take Care

FAB Pick - Liza Palmer, SEEING ME NAKED and a CONTEST

I've come to think of much of my writing, and my reading, in terms of a Major Event of my life - attending the RWA National Conference in Dallas. Things before Nats were fun. Interesting, even. After Dallas? Things changed. Writing, and Reading, became something more, something different. I was exposed to new thoughts, new ideas, about my writing, and about myself as a writer. I was also introduced to so many new authors it was amazing. So, kinda like the Bible, I tend to think of my experiences in a BC (Before Conference) and an AD (After Dallas) way. This is especially apparent to me in regards to my FAB Picks.

You see, I'd never even heard of Liza Palmer BC. I hadn't read her book. I didn't know of the wonderful journey that Maggie from Conversations With The Fat Girl took in that book. And I certainly had no clue that someone had written a book that would so envelop me, grip me, and shift the very way I looked at things. But Liza did. And like I said when I gave you my Honorable Mentions for the Best of the Best, if that book had been written in 2007 - it would have been on my list. It was that good.

So you might think that when I got my hands on an early copy of SEEING ME NAKED, I was pretty ecstatic. Well, you'd be wrong. I was actually nervous. Charity mentioned the same feeling when she picked up the second Succubus book by one of her former FAB picks. See, I loved Conversations so much! But could Liza Palmer hang on to that love? Would she be able to create another book that moved me like her first one? What if I hated it? Or, even worse, what if it just didn't touch me at all?

Let me put your minds at ease right now - Liza Palmer can Write!

From the BCC...

Elisabeth Page has big shoes to fill. She's the daughter of a living legend, novelist Ben Page, and is the sister of literary wunderkind Rascal Page. But her career as a pastry chef is decidedly not up to her family's snooty standards - even though she works at the hottest restaurant in LA - and her five year plan to own a patisserie has morphed into an eleven year plan to nowhere. Also frozen in time is Elisabeth's personal life: She's still involved with Will, her family-approved childhood sweetheart, a journalist whose constant jaunts leave her lonely. Enter an exciting career opportunity and, even more terrifying, Daniel Sullivan, a beer-drinking basketball coach who is everything her family is not. Can Elisabeth, who's addicted to control and bred to criticize, finally embrace happiness? Only if she has the guts to let others see her naked... and let them love her, warts and all.

Can I just get a "Hell yeah"? That BCC is so spot on that it's almost scary! It hits upon most of the major plot points, as well as the internal struggles that Elisabeth is facing. It doesn't get sappy or sentimental, it doesn't lead you down any silly road. It's just straightforward and to the point. Very nice job.

As for the book... Whew! Really, that's the only word I can find to describe it.

Elisabeth Page is a very regimented young lady. From her early morning runs, to the precision with which she does her laundry and the sheer artistry with which she creates her desserts, she insists on having things just so. The closest she gets to spontaneity is figuring out which perfect delectably edible creation she will prepare for the patrons of one of LAs most chic restaurants every night.

Her almost obsessive need for order in her world might stem from the family in which she was raised. Her father, the winner of multiple Pulitzer's, is a cultural icon, and he takes that as the perfect excuse to be a perfect ass whenever he feels like it. Her brother, riding the crest of a wave from his bestselling debut novel, lives a sort of Peter Pan existence. And then there's her mother the heiress, who accepts nothing less than surface calm and strict adherence to an upper class code that seemingly forbids anything less than a beautiful life. Of course, you can't forget Will, the boy in the mansion next door, who travels the globe in search of the next big story, dropping back in to re-stake his claim on Elisabeth's heart every so often.

Elisabeth's struggles come from within, but they manifest themselves in every area of her life. She loves her job as a top pastry chef, but it's not exactly her dream of having her own patisserie. She adores Will, but he's not making any attempts to take their relationship to the next level. Her family still consists of all the people she's grown up loving from the shadows of their own fames, but the bonds that hold them together seem brittle. Basically, her life is good. But maybe just not good enough. And frankly, Elisabeth may just be the tiniest bit tired of all of the layers of figurative clothing that it takes to hide that she's just not perfect.

When Elisabeth donates cooking classes to one of her mother's charity auctions, she has no idea that her structured world is about to fall apart. Daniel Sullivan, a college basketball coach, wins the lessons. But can a man that is nothing like what she imagined for herself become everything Elisabeth didn't even know she really wanted? Doubtful.

SEEING ME NAKED is a beautifully written journey of a life on the verge of something... more. About a woman trying to find her own small place in a family of larger than life individuals, it packs a punch from the first page to the last. With characters that jump off the page, situations both serious and surreal, emotions ranging from poignant to heartwarming, SEEING ME NAKED is a solid follow-up to Liza Palmer's internationally bestselling debut novel.

I can't wait to see what Liza Palmer writes next!

If you're interested in a signed copy of SEEING ME NAKED, remember to enter the contest here. (You can use the .jpg and the BCC on this dish to enter!) And if you'd like an autographed copy of Conversations with the Fat Girl, go ahead and purchase SEEING ME NAKED today. Then e-mail us a copy of your proof of purchase to enter the random drawing. Either way, there's a good chance you'll end up with a FABulous book.

Don't forget to check back on Friday for a very candid, incredibly entertaining interview with my FABPick - Liza Palmer. And go ahead and click that link to buy SEEING ME NAKED today. You don't even have to take your clothes off to enjoy it!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead

Coupla things before I kick off today's dish. First, dee kicked off FAB week with Liza Palmer yesterday, so click here or continue to scroll after reading this dish for the details on a FAB week and contest. Second, whoever you are that keeps googling "To Kill A Mockingbird book report" - STOP! Read the book! It's the only way you'll ace your paper and ya know, actually learn something not to mention, you'll also get to read a really good book. So, stop googling and start reading. And now that that's out of the way...



Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead
(BCC)

Georgina Kincaid's job sucks. Literally.

Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses Seth Mortensen, the shy, sexy, incredibly gifted Seattle writer she's been dating, she'll drain his life force. Georgina is a succubus - a demon who draws her power from other men's pleasure. Admittedly, the shapeshifting and immortality perks are terrific, and yes, Georgina did choose to join the ranks of hell centuries ago. But it seems completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can't get hot and heavy with the one mortal who knows and accepts her for who she is...

It's not just her personal life that's in chaos. Doug, Georgina's co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects that something far more demonic than double espressos is at work. She could use help finding out, but Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, is preoccupied with corrupting an ultra-conservative talk radio star - and giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on the one - and fast because soon, Doug's life won't be the only one on the line...

The BCC is OK. I'll admit it's a tad misleading, but not so much so that I can out and out say it's wrong, so all in all, (sigh) I give it an OK.

It just so happens that this book is the follow up book to my last February FAB pick Succubus Blues. It's absolutely unnerving picking a FAB. Especially when it's a first time author and their first book. I mean, there is always a slight possibility that the next book will fall flat, right? However, dee and I have pretty strict requirements before we ask an author to join us for FAB, so we're fairly confident when we do so. Let me tell ya, Richelle Mead is most definitely FAB and most definitely did not let me down. Plus, any author that writes paranormal and has dee hooked, and her husband, and then just this week, hooked my husband (who hasn't read a book in whole since before we were married) then I know their golden.

Georgina Kincaid, succubus of Seattle, just got a certificate for excellence in being a succubus, she's got a great boyfriend, her best friend an incubus has just shown up to do a job in Seattle, her friend Doug's band (that she absolutely loves) is booking big gigs, and has a great job in a bookstore - pretty much, Georgina's life seems to be going good. Except, things don't exactly feel right.

Doug is acting very strangely, and although she'd love to attribute it to euphoria from the band doing so well, she just can't. Plus, there is the small problem of her friends bands new drummer, who seems to be at the heart of all of the madness starting, and weird otherwordly prickle she gets at odd times around both Doug and the band. Plus, her boss Paige is pregnant and it isn't going so smoothly, so Georgina's been having to work a lot at the store, Seth may have done something that has the entire staff acting funny around her, her friend Bastien, the incubus is having problems corrupting his mark and needs her help, and oh, yeah, she still has to have sex with other men to survive but can't even kiss the man she loves without shortening his life.

When Doug takes a dive into severe depression that sends him to the hospital, and another co-worker turns hollow-eyed and vacant after a night with the band, Georgina knows it's time to act. Stumbling herself into a world where "drugs" take on a whole new meaning, and gods still live. And if Georgina wants to save her friend, it's all on her, because this time, her boss the arch-demon Jerome and his Angel friend Carter can't fight the battle for her without starting a war.

Succubus On Top is exactly the kind of follow-up book I wanted. Sex. drugs, and rock-n-roll may be pushed by the greater majority of demons, but when they get pushed onto Georgina Kincaid's friends, hell hath no fury. SOT is a bit darker in parts, has several more erotic scenes than Blues, and just out-and-out keeps your nose in the book, page after page, until the very last page and you're crying for more. Georgina struggles with herself a good deal in SOT, and even ticked me off at parts, but Mead did a fantastic job of explaining what I had felt at times to be inexplicable. Seth is even more endearing in this installment, and more of Georgina's past is revealed.

While there were a few pages that seemed to jump off track while Georgina thinks about her past, it's well worth it for the information gleaned. I never thought I'd believe a succubus could actually have heart, but Mead has proven me wrong. For a fast paced, laugh out loud, have you on the edge of your seat thrill ride, grab SOT, and if you haven't read it yet, grab SB too, you'll never look at paranormal the same way again.

Take Care

Chari-Dee's next dish - Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles. I'm currently reading Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich and How Not To Look Old by Charla Krupp (non-fiction). And my stack of TBR is getting ever higher... Stay tuned!

FABPick - LIZA PALMER!! (and a contest)

OMG! I am so excited about my FABPick this month, because I have the incredibly FABulous LIZA PALMER here!!



As you may remember, I found Liza's first book, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, when I was in Dallas at RWA Nationals. I stuffed the book in my bag and promised myself that I would read it ... sometime. Well, when I finished it, I was kicking myself that I waded through so many not-so-great books before I landed on CWTFG. I immediatly had to dish it, even though it was the middle of the night. Then, as we usually do, I sent the author an e-mail telling her about the dish. Sometimes we get no response from these e-mails, sometimes the (usually very famous) authors will drop us a "thanks for letting me know" e-mail. But Liza? I knew she was FABulous when she actually took the time to e-mail me back, saying she'd read the dish and was thrilled with it. Big smile from me there. That, to me, shows that she pays attention to her e-mail, and that she actually cares what her fans have to say. And let me assure you, though I may wear a reviewer hat here, I am - first and foremost - a Reader, and therefore, I am also a 'potential fan'. She earned my respect right away, and has since maintained it because of her helpful and very professional attitude. Thanks, Liza!

But you want to hear about her book, right? Well, I'll get to that. I'm cheating a bit on this one though, as I'm going to re-post my original dish of CWTFG today. Then on Wednesday, I'll dish her new book, SEEING ME NAKED. Friday, you get the interview.

And you want to know about the contest? Well, ok then. I'm doing the usual "blog this book" here. You remember this one, right? You will post a .jpg of the cover of SEEING ME NAKED, along with the Back Cover Copy from SEEING ME NAKED, on YOUR website or blog (click here for .jpg and BCC). You will also link your post to THIS post. Then you will come here in the comments of THIS post and leave me a link. Don't have a blog? You can still play. Just mention this contest on your favorite blog, loop, or group. If ONE person comes here from your mention, and says in the comments that you sent them, then you get an entry. The prize is a signed copy of SEEING ME NAKED.

But there is also another contest afoot this time. If you decide that you really want SEEING ME NAKED after you read the dish (and come on! who wouldn't want this book!?!), then you purchase SEEING ME NAKED online. E-mail forward me the receipt that shows that you bought SEEING ME NAKED. (You may, of course, erase any billing info!) I will do one random drawing on Friday, and Liza will send that winner a signed copy of her debut novel, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL.

And speaking of CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL... here's the dish!


But really, I'm here to tell you about THIS BOOK, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, by Liza Palmer. I picked it up in Dallas, during the RWA National Convention. I met the beautiful author, and she even signed it for me. So, I'm just telling you right now that you are not getting MY copy of this book. Sorry.

Check out this BCC...

Maggie and Olivia have been best friends since they were in grade school. Both overweight, they befriended each other when no one else would. Now grown up, Maggie is still shopping in the euphemism-if-there-ever-was-one "women's section", while Olivia went and had gastric bypass surgery in search of the elusive size 4, the holy grail for women everywhere. So now Olivia's thin and blond and getting married to a handsome surgeon, and Maggie is the fat bridesmaid, again, in charge of planning "The Shower" and keeping Olivia's secret: that she's really a fat girl in a thin body. Ain't life grand?
With wit and wisdom, Liza Palmer gives voice to women everywhere who wish for just once that they could forget about their weight.

Checking it over, the only thing that I don't like is that it sounds a bit light, compared to the story. But it is actually very accurate, so no complaints from me on this one.

I'm not going to give away any plot points or secrets with this one. I'm not going to tell you my favorite part, or my least favorite part. Wait, I will tell you my least favorite - the end. No, I don't mean that the end was bad. I mean that the book ended. It ended, and I was sad, because I really LOVE Maggie.

This is a very well written book, that deals with so many different things that I can't even describe them all. It's got a great cast of characters in it that all seem so real, you can mix them up with people in your own life like I did. There is even the hint of a romance. But at the core of it all? Well, there's Maggie.

What's not to love about a woman named Maggie? (I have a daughter with the same name. No, not Margaret. Maggie. I LOVE THIS NAME!) Maggie has been bigger than most everyone else for as long as she can remember. She sees the world through her own special lens, in which she constantly judges how other people will react to her. She has a mile-high wall around herself, to make sure that nobody gets close enough to hurt her. It's painful to see at first, because though this story is written in First POV, you can see from the reactions she gets from people around her that the way she sees herself is very different from the way the world sees her.

Maggie has been working a dead end job for two too many years. She's wasting her Master's Degree at a coffeehouse run by a jerk of a boss, with a pseudo-surrogate mother figure who craves attention and a ditzy wanna-be actress as her co-workers. And then there's Dominic, the 28 year old busboy.

Maggie has a teeny tiny crush on Dominic. She loathes her boss, but craves his approval. She adores her mother and slightly envies her older sister. She wonders where she fits in to her now-skinny best friend's life. And she hates her "Area", that section of her body that she just knows is the center of everyone's attention any time she enters a room. Maggie has a lot to learn.

And well, she does. But I'm not telling you anymore about it. I can't. Because I want you to buy it for yourself, and sink your teeth into it like it was something out of a pink pastry box. It's just that good. Trust me!

This is, by far, my favorite book that I've read from my RWANats stash so far. It wasn't on the top of my TBR pile when I got home. I had to wade through dozens of books before it made its way to my hands. Most of those other books were decent. I may even dish a few of them. But this book? I truly regret not reading it sooner. I regret even more that I finished it as fast as I did. It was gorgeous and strong, sassy and fearless, funny and beautiful, all at the same time.

Just like Maggie.

Go order this book today. It's one Conversation you really shouldn't miss!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

Something Wicked by Catherine Mulvany

Couple of things before I dish this here book: 1 - We will be kicking off a contest tomorrow, so please check back to find out how you can win yourself a signed copy of CRAZY IN LOVE the newest book from Lani Diane Rich and 2 - if you enjoy the gushing dishes I do most of the time, this is not the dish for you. It won't be cruel, I just won't be gushing. And now, without further ado...

SOMETHING WICKED by Catherine Mulvany
(BCC)

Investigative reporter Regan Cluny is in hot pursuit of a reclusive philanthropist who is financing a mysterious archaeological dig in the California desert. Attempting to convince Charles Cunningham Nash to grant her an interview has proven impossible long distance, so Regan sets off uninvited for his dig to woo him in person. Instead, she meets with deadly trouble: a biker gang corners her at a remote rest stop, sabotages her car, and leaves her for dead on a country road. Miraculously, Regan survives with only one strange memory of her attack...and the man who comes to her aid is Nash himself. Strongly attracted to her handsome protector, Regan can't know that Nash is a vampire tied to her attackers by a vicious blood feud that dates back to the Civil War - or that he has hungered for the life and soul of a mortal for nearly two centuries. With the local sheriff determined to nail Nash for the violence perpetrated by his dire enemy, Regan must decide whether the dark secrets of a lover she can't live without are something wonderful...or something wicked.

First things first - The BCC. Well, to be honest it's a tad on the melodramatic side of things, and the tone of the BCC suggests the book within is going to be dark and edgy, when in reality - it's just not. But all of that aside, the BCC does sum up a good deal of the story so I'd give it a fair to middlen' rating.

Regan Cluny, as the BCC says, is an investigative reporter, doing stories for major magazines, that go in-depth and route out the truth in sensationalized stories. When she reads a tabloid article about space ships and aliens being found in the desert, and the dig that discovers them is funded by the mega rich and reclusive Charles Nash, something doesn't sound right to Regan so she goes in search of the real story. But, Nash isn't so willing to talk to her, or anyone it seems, and the mystery surrounding the story is just too much for the reporter in Regan to ignore.

So, setting off to the desert to get her story is just what Regan does, if Nash doesn't want to return her calls she'll just have to get her story face to face. But getting there doesn't happen as easily as Regan thought it would, and before she even reaches the dig site she is confronted with a group of scary, nasty bikers. When one of the bikers, Harper the leader, mistakes her for a woman names Katie and freaks Regan out, she fights back and finds herself getting away. But her get-a-way is short lived, the bikers catch up to Regan and after brutalizing her, leave her for dead in the desert.

As it turns out, Harper and Nash have a very long history. A history that dates back to the Civil War, when both Harper and Nash became vampires and fell in love with the same woman - Katie. But where Harper has reveled in the blood lust that is vampirism, Nash has despised it, and that's why his dig is so important. Nash believes that an old stream is hidden in the desert that can heal any sickness and he's banking on finding it so that he can live a normal life. Regan Cluny showing up is not what Nash had planned on and he is less than thrilled to have her around, even if the attraction and sexual energy they both feel is enormous. Because Nash falling in love is the last thing he wants, especially since Harper has made it his life long goal to destroy everyone and everything that Nash has ever cared about.

But Regan isn't going anywhere until she gets her story, and now finding the spring has become even more important, and time is of the essence, because both Nash and Harper see a resemblance to Katie (one no one else can see), and Harper has finally discovered that by using Regan, he may actually be able to kill Nash, something he has never been able to do, since Katie cast a spell upon her death that protects them both from killing one another.

Normally, a book that sounds like the one of above is one that I would love. Unfortunately, WICKED was a huge disappointment to me. I've mentioned before that one of my most favorite things about paranormals that include vampires is the unique way in which authors come up with the origins. And I have to say, that the explanation for the existence of vampires in this one just fell short for me, and unfortunately that is the first of many things that bothered me about the book.

The characters had no real substance to them, and the dialogue seemed forced. Regan Cluny seemed shallow and while the book tells us that she is really a strong woman, her actions and thoughts say different. Regan's also suffering from a disease, and the way it is brought to light was through some of the aforementioned forced dialogue. There were several threads in the story, but instead of being tightly woven, they were left loose and brought together in a very sloppy knot at the end.

I'll be honest here though and say that I have had a run of bad luck with PR lately. I have a couple of books to dish, but I have yet to be able to do that because I was so angry with them that it will be hard for me to do it in a fair way. So, perhaps I went into this with an expectation of being disappointed. Paranormal Romance has been such a big genre lately, and so many, many books are flying off the shelves simply because they have that label, that I'm starting to feel too many authors are simply writing to the current market, instead of writing the best story they can. This could very well be my problem and not the books at all. I just don't know.

What are your feelings toward some of the paranormals that have been hitting shelves? Is it getting to be too many? Is the genre suffering from a case of overplayed like songs on the radio? Have you read this one? What did you think?

Take Care



Nash

AGNES AND THE HITMAN, by Crusie/Mayer

Raise your hand if you're actually surprised that I'm reviewing this book the very day after it was released. Hmmm. No hands. You guys know me pretty well. :)

I've been waiting for this one for a while, just like many of you. I've got friends the world over (Quite literally. No, I'm not bragging, settle down over there. Yes, I mean you!) that have followed this book since before it was born. We've waited for it, and hoped for it, salivated for crumbs from it, celebrated over outtakes, even basked in the glow of drippings from it as very special holiday gifts. Some of us have met the authors and will be seeing them next week. (Yes, I KNOW it's ONE WEEK from tomorrow. I can't wait either!) And finally, finally, at a little after nine last night, my oldest girl child snuck into the Borders with me and helped me get my hands on my very own copy - soon to be one of YOUR very own signed copy.

Have you ever arranged your very hectic life around a book? Some of you are shaking your head in the affirmative, I can feel it. I did that with this book. My life has gone haywire this past six weeks, with friends passing away and friends giving birth and friends losing lots and gaining lots and me taking on a new more-than-full-time job and renters from hell and fighting spouses and so much more, and my only slice of sanity has been the thought of the new Crusie/Mayer book and my imminent departure to Ohio, of all places. It makes me laugh to think that I'm looking forward to Ohio, but you'd have to really know me, or read my personal blog often, to know why that's such a big deal. Knowing that (1)Agnes and the Hitman, the new (2)Romantic Adventure with the beautiful (3)Ta-Da! cover, by (4) Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer was finally going to be (5)on shelves August 21 (see, I got FIVE talking points in!) had me willingly working nine days straight, so I could have today all to myself, to be shared with only Agnes and Shane, Lisa Livia, Carpenter, Joey, Brenda, Maria, Palmer, Wilson, and, obviously, with Princess.

Of course, all good plans can go awry, as I learned early this morning. I sat on my front porch, book in hand, trying to read. I read the same sentence four times, not getting a word of it, while child number four yelled and child number six squealed, and dogs barked and horses whinnied and the goat made a racket almost as loud as a flamingo. I finally got through the sentence and just busted up laughing... It was hard concentrating with all the distractions... (AATHM, page 76). Truer words were never spoken.

Take one food writer named Cranky Agnes, add a hitman named Shane, mix them together with a Southern mob wedding, a missing necklace, two annoyed flamingos, and a dog named Rhett, and you've got a recipe for a sexy, hilarious novel about the disastrous side of true love...


Agnes Crandall's life goes awry when a dognapper invades her kitchen one night, seriously hampering her attempts to put on a wedding that she's staked her entire net worth on. Then a hero climbs through her bedroom window. His name is Shane - no last name, just Shane- and he has his own problems: He's got a big hit scheduled, a rival trying to take him out, and an ex-mobster uncle asking him to protect some little kid named Agnes. When he finds out that Agnes isn't so little, that his uncle has forgotten to mention a missing five million bucks he might have lost in Agnes's house, and that his last hit was a miss, Shane's life isn't looking so good , either. Then a bunch of lowlifes come looking for the money, a string of hitmen show up for Agnes, and some wedding guests gather with the intent to throw more than rice. Agnes and Shane have their hands full with greed, florists, treachery, flamingos, mayhem, mothers of the bride, and - most dangerous of all - each other.

Sounds good, eh? Well, duh! It's a Crusie/Mayer. Of course it's good. And I don't want to hear a single word about how it isn't really a Crusie, because of this or that. I'm telling you, it's a Crusie. A Crusie on speed maybe. A Crusie that has embraced the dark side of the soul for sure. But a Crusie nonetheless. It's got a lot of Mayer in there too, naturally. But a softer, gentler Mayer. Humor. Har. Indeed. Yes, it is fast paced. Yes, Agnes and Shane have a limited amount of time to finish off a To-Do list that includes finding a hitman, renovating a house, solving a twenty-five year old murder, staging a huge Mob wedding, and figuring out what love is really about. Less than a week to accomplish some pretty big things. Of course, their nights are pretty free. Or not. Depending on how you define "free". I define "free" as less distractions, enabling them to concentrate on the more important things in life. You'll probably agree, regardless of how long they may have technically known each other. That's not a criticism. The short timeline really works for me with Agnes and Shane. Really, really works.

Major differences between Agnes and the Hitman and the previous Crusie/Mayer collaboration, Don't Look Down? The body count is up, the laugh count is higher, and the food? Oh Lord, I would just about roll over on a Don for one plate of food from the kitchen at Two Rivers. There's trust and jealousy, revenge and redemption, loyalty and betrayal, flamingos and alligators, and cold-blooded murder to go with sex as hot as raspberries simmering in sugar in a heavy nonstick frying pan. Do you really want anything else when you open the pages of a book?

So take a hint from Agnes. Eat. As in - gobble up this book. Whatever. Just go out and grab this one as soon as you can.

Thank you, Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer, for bringing fun and laughter and love back into my life, when I needed it the most. It's been a long, hot summer, and this book arrived just in time.

Now be quiet out there. I've got a book to re-read.

Keep Turning Those Pages!

PS- Want the book? Blog for it! Copy/paste the cover .jpg and the highlighted Cover Copy onto your own blog, and link back here, or post me a comment. I'll list your blogs over on our sidebar. Next Wednesday, the night before I head out to Ohio, I'll have the oldest girl child pick a winner. You'll get my (slightly read) copy of AATHM. To make up for it being slightly read, I'll ask Jenny and Bob to sign it, just for YOU, when I see them on Thursday. NOW BLOG THIS BOOK ALREADY!

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, Liza Palmer

First of all, I'd like to say that I have been the "silent partner" around here for far too long. Life has been pitching lemons at me pretty darn fast, and I somehow lost my lemonade recipe. Those yellow things almost rotted while I tried to figure out a way to use them to my advantage. Thankfully, I've got a full complement of people around me that waited patiently for me to dig out my favorite cookbooks and figure out how to make a lemon torte. It was fabulous. And now I'm even starting to remember how to fire up my laptop and do this book review thing. Thanks, Charity, for holding it together as usual, while I plod away the hours and days (and weeks!) making sense of my life.

But really, I'm here to tell you about THIS BOOK, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, by Liza Palmer. I picked it up in Dallas, during the RWA National Convention. I met the beautiful author, and she even signed it for me. So, I'm just telling you right now that you are not getting MY copy of this book. Sorry.

Check out this BCC...

Maggie and Olivia have been best friends since they were in grade school. Both overweight, they befriended each other when no one else would. Now grown up, Maggie is still shopping in the euphemism-if-there-ever-was-one "women's section", while Olivia went and had gastric bypass surgery in search of the elusive size 4, the holy grail for women everywhere. So now Olivia's thin and blond and getting married to a handsome surgeon, and Maggie is the fat bridesmaid, again, in charge of planning "The Shower" and keeping Olivia's secret: that she's really a fat girl in a thin body. Ain't life grand?
With wit and wisdom, Liza Palmer gives voice to women everywhere who wish for just once that they could forget about their weight.

Checking it over, the only thing that I don't like is that it sounds a bit light, compared to the story. But it is actually very accurate, so no complaints from me on this one.

I'm not going to give away any plot points or secrets with this one. I'm not going to tell you my favorite part, or my least favorite part. Wait, I will tell you my least favorite - the end. No, I don't mean that the end was bad. I mean that the book ended. It ended, and I was sad, because I really LOVE Maggie.

This is a very well written book, that deals with so many different things that I can't even describe them all. It's got a great cast of characters in it that all seem so real, you can mix them up with people in your own life like I did. There is even the hint of a romance. But at the core of it all? Well, there's Maggie.

What's not to love about a woman named Maggie? (I have a daughter with the same name. No, not Margaret. Maggie. I LOVE THIS NAME!) Maggie has been bigger than most everyone else for as long as she can remember. She sees the world through her own special lens, in which she constantly judges how other people will react to her. She has a mile-high wall around herself, to make sure that nobody gets close enough to hurt her. It's painful to see at first, because though this story is written in First POV, you can see from the reactions she gets from people around her that the way she sees herself is very different from the way the world sees her.

Maggie has been working a dead end job for two too many years. She's wasting her Master's Degree at a coffeehouse run by a jerk of a boss, with a pseudo-surrogate mother figure who craves attention and a ditzy wanna-be actress as her co-workers. And then there's Dominic, the 28 year old busboy.

Maggie has a teeny tiny crush on Dominic. She loathes her boss, but craves his approval. She adores her mother and slightly envies her older sister. She wonders where she fits in to her now-skinny best friend's life. And she hates her "Area", that section of her body that she just knows is the center of everyone's attention any time she enters a room. Maggie has a lot to learn.

And well, she does. But I'm not telling you anymore about it. I can't. Because I want you to buy it for yourself, and sink your teeth into it like it was something out of a pink pastry box. It's just that good. Trust me!

This is, by far, my favorite book that I've read from my RWANats stash so far. It wasn't on the top of my TBR pile when I got home. I had to wade through dozens of books before it made its way to my hands. Most of those other books were decent. I may even dish a few of them. But this book? I truly regret not reading it sooner. I regret even more that I finished it as fast as I did. It was gorgeous and strong, sassy and fearless, funny and beautiful, all at the same time.

Just like Maggie.

Go order this book today. It's one Conversation you really shouldn't miss!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

Tempting by Susan Mallery

Don't forget, FAB pick Michele Bardsley is facing a major deadline, so in the meantime, Ter has taken over her blog to give away lots of goodies. As soon as Michele has finished with her deadline she will be able to get to the interview and we'll post it and the winners. For now, please bear with us and head over to her blog to win more FAB prizes! And now, without further ado...

Tempting by Susan Mallery

(BCC)

After three romantic flame-outs in a year and a restaurant career going nowhere, Dani Buchanan needs a fresh start. She goes looking for her biological father, but never expects to find a senator running for president. As his long-lost 'love child,' Dani could seriously derail the election— something his handsome campaign manager Alex Canfield isn't going to let happen. Dani isn't about to let Alex run her life, no matter how tempting she finds him—and Alex isn't going to allow Dani to melt his cynicism, no matter how close he has to get. The last thing either of them wants is love, especially with scandals brewing and family trouble on the way. But Dani and Alex are forced to trust each other, and when trust turns to passion, the potential for disaster is only a tabloid scandal away.

As far as the BCC goes, well, it's OK, but I'll tell you, it leaves a out a MAJOR fact. Like the fact that Alex Canfield is not only the senator's campaign manager, he is also the senator's adopted son. So basically, Alex and Dani are brother and sister. I realize that I should not let such a thing bother me, especially since I really enjoyed the book for the most part. Unfortunately, what joy I was getting kept being interrupted by the fact that the love interests were, um, kinda sorta related.

Dani Buchanan finds out that she is in fact, not a true Buchanan. Her mother had had an affair and she was the result. Dani finds this out by her Grandmother that she has never been close with, but tried her hardest to be loved by.

Feeling out of place, Dani starts a new job as General Manager at a new restaurant, and heads off to find her biological father. What she finds is her bio father is a senator getting ready to run for president. She walks into his campaign headquarters and meets her adopted brother Alex. He is refusing to let her see Mr. Canfield because he believes she is lying to him. Alex may be gorgeous, but Dani sorely dislikes being called a liar.

When it turns out that Dani is truly the senators daughter, it's time to meet the rest of the family. Unable to have children of her own, Katerine Canfield and her husband the senator have adopted the unadoptable. Children that are special needs. When Dani first meets them, she fits in wonderfully, and falls in love with the children. Something that Alex's ex-wife never quite managed.

Ultimately, Alex and Dani start to fall in love. Having hot sweaty monkey love though presents its own set of problems. For starters, Alex feels as if he is betraying his mother, Katherine because he sees how Dani's appearance has hurt her. The paparazzi are all over Dani's relationship with the senator, and now are having a hey-day with her and Alex's affair. Add to that an ex-wife that has no problem lying and cheating her way back into Alex's life, and Dani and Alex have quite a few obstacles.

For the most part, Tempting is a wonderful book. I liked Dani, and I enjoyed watching her come to grips with not being who she always believed she was. I enjoyed watching as Dani and grandmother mend fences. I enjoyed how the Buchanan's were still fiercely protective of her and how she never once forgot that other people had the ability to be devastated by her appearance.

If it weren't for the fact that Dani and Alex were both children of the senator, no matter if it was by blood or not, I would have absolutely no gripes about the book. As it was though, I enjoyed Mallery's voice, her grasp of craft that allowed her to make each and every character believable and real. Tempting is book four in a stand alone series, and it was good enough for me to want to read the other three.

I can tell you, Tempting is a good read. An easy way to spend a lazy afternoon. And Mallery will be added to my list of authors to read. I just wish I could get over...

Take Care

Spirited Away by Cindy Miles

I'm back from the land of sick today! YAY! It's been a rough couple of days at my humble home. But I'm feeling much better today and am ready to get down to business. I mean, it was so bad that I haven't even had coffee all week, and you know the lengths I will go to for coffee. I still haven't heard from last months FAB winner, and remember I drew another name, so Alyssa Goodnight, please send your snail mail addy to deeanddeedish at sbcglobal.net so that I may get that to R.L. And now that the business is out of the way, on with the dish...

SPIRITED AWAY by Cindy Miles
(BCC)

BELIEVE IN FAIRY TALES

When Tristan de Barre and his men were murdered in 1292, their souls were cursed to roam his estate for all eternity. It's been a long, dull, celibate ever after. But now Tristan's phantom heart is pounding again for the first time in more than seven hundred years because of the beautiful scientist who's digging up his castle's bailey. Can he make her notice him, or will she see straight through him?

The opportunity to excavate the remains at Dreadmoor Castle has forensic archaeologist Andi Monroe tingling with excitement. It's an incredible find and a chance to study the mysterious legend of Dragonhawk, a medieval knight who disappeared without a trace. Lately, though, rational Andi is having a hard time telling fact from fiction. She could just swear she met the vanished knight, and he's a fantasy come true. But until she finds a way to help Tristan lift the curse, their love doesn't stand a ghost of a chance...

I liked the BCC enough to buy this book. Now that I've read the book, I see a few flaws in it. Although, they aren't major enough for me to complain, I enjoyed the book, and really the facts were just skewed to make it sound more....I don't know. Anyway, not perfect, but not bad either.

At the age of eighteen, an adventurous Andrea Monroe was infatuated with the legend of Dragonhawk the original Lord Dreadmoor - a midevil knight who along with 14 of his knights disappeared without a trace. Taking a chance, she snuck onto Dreadmoor Keep, only to find herself in a deadly situation. Out of nowhere, a man with dazzling sapphire eyes, dressed in 13th century chainmail, came to her rescue. But as she reached for him, her hand passed right through, and as she was out of trouble he simply vanished. Unsure of whether or not she imagined the whole thing, the now 30 year old Dr. Andrea Monroe has been even more fascinated with the tale.

Now, a storm has taken out an old oak tree and uncovered a body of bones at Dreadmoor Keep and the current owner wants it excavated. Known as an incredible recluse and eccentric, he wants only one person working the site, and Kirk Grey, Andi's boss, has given her the opportunity. What's a girl to do? Of course Andi drops everything to explore her love of the legend.

Tristan de Barre, the original Lord Dreadmoor and Dragonhawk himself, did not believe in witchcraft. That is, he didn't believe in it until his foster father, Erik de Sabre killed him and his knights and cursed them to live in ghost form for eternity. Waking two hundred years after his death, Tristan has the help of the Jameson family in running Dreadmoor. Able to appear human, Tristan runs Dreadmoor, knowing the ones he has come to have feelings for will die, as mortals do, and his undead heart will break. So, he and his fourteen knights, live in Dreadmoor, hoping that one day, they will discover a way to break the curse. So when the centuries old oak tree is toppled in a storm and reveals bones, he wants to know who's they are, sure that the answer to undoing the curse lies within those bones.

When Andi arrives at Dreadmoor, she's amazed to see that the same man she imagined had saved her twelve years earlier is Tristan, though he denies it. Eventually though, Tristan and the knights' secret is revealed to Andi, and much to her and Tristan's dismay, they find themselves falling in love. Talk about a dead end relationship (pun intended). After all, how can a mortal and a ghost ever make a life together. But as time goes by, the mystery deepens, as a ghost that no one but Andi can hear, begins to give her hints about a way to save the knights.

Can Andi solve the mystery and break a seven hundred year curse? Especially since as a scientist it is hard for her to suspend her belief and believe in curses. Will there be any Tristan left if she can solve the mystery and break curse?

I have to say, I absolutely adore this book. Miles has an incredible voice, and the way she had me believing in ghosts and actually cheering that the ghost would get the girl, well, even I couldn't believe have believable it all was.

And to tell the truth, I loved the ghost aspect of this paranormal because it was so fresh. Tristan and his knights being from the 13th century had great dialogue. And Andi's reaction to and her interactions with the knights was both heartwarming and funny. The knights themselves were great supporting characters, and the mystery was fun to try and solve.

The only complaint I could possibly have is a few moments of head hopping, but not so many that I was distracted. Other than that, Tristan and Andi were a great couple, the knights , Jameson, and the other characters made for an entertaining supporting cast. Spirited Away, is definitely a must read. I can't wait to read the next Miles book.

Take Care

Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues by LuAnne McLane

When I'm feeling low - I read. OK, I read anyway, but when I'm in a funk I read a LOT. Hopefully, the book I pick from my TBR pile will do the trick to trigger a happy state and the book I'm getting ready to dish today did the trick. I am in a funk right now, so get ready for semi-regular posts for a while. Also, I haven't heard from last months FAB winner, so I drew another name, so Alyssa Goodnight, if you could e-mail me your snail mail addy to deeanddeedish at sbcglobal.net, I'll get that right over to R.L. And now, without further ado...

DANCING SHOES AND HONKY-TONK BLUES by LuAnn McClane
(BCC)

IN A RUT

Waitress Abilene Harper has always been a bit on the shy and clumsy side. So when the reality TV spoof Dancing With the Rednecks comes to Misty Creek, Kentucky, nothing could make Abby agree to participate...nothing except a fifty-thousand-dollar grand prize! While she doesn't relish being laughed at, it sure would be danged sweet to buy a truck with all the trimmings, fix up the diner for her hardworkin' mama, and send her brother to the fancy college he deserves.

BREAKIN' OUT

Abby's tall, dark, and smokin'-hot dance instructor, Rio Martin, is mighty ticked when he finds out the ballroom-dancing competition he signed on for is actually a joke. But Abby's spunk and determination soon have him setting his sights on winning. He whips Abby into shape, and she begins to cha-cha and rumba her way into the hearts of the TV audience, while the chemistry between the unlikely couple sizzles. Rio tries to remain all business, but Abby has her eyes on the prize - and it isn't just the money.

I actually like this BCC too. I didn't read it when I picked up the book, I just saw the cover and liked the title (the quote from Lori Foster didn't hurt either). But it does a really fine job of describing the book within, and that's always a pleaser.

When I first started to read DS-HTB I was a little surprised to see it written in First. Not many Romances are written in that POV and as you know, it's not one I generally prefer to read. However, it didn't take long for me to forget all about the POV and fall into the story.

Abilene (Abby) Harper is a small town girl. She works full-time and then some at her mama's diner and she loves her family fiercely. When her younger brother Jesse tells her that Comedy Corner is going to be putting on a reality TV show called Dancing with the Rednecks, she's more than a little appalled at the idea of the nation making fun of her neighbors and friends. But as her brother explains that he is the one that gave network the idea, and that not only did he give them the idea he suggested her to the producers as a possible contestant, and the winner of the competition would win $50,000, well, she agrees to go along. After all, her brother is uber smart and should have the opportunity to go to a great college, and her mama's diner needs some upgrades. And if there was enough for her to get a shiny new pick-up, well that would be great too. Only thing is, Abby is one clumsy gal. Tall and gangly her whole life with two left feet, Abby's dance instructor is gonna have a heck of a time getting her into shape.

Rio Martin, sexy Latin hunk, award winning dancer, and now Abby's dance instructor is less than thrilled with the way he was duped into doing the show. When he arrives and discovers the whole thing is meant as a spoof he's beyond mad. But, after working with Abby and discovering some series sexual tension, Rio is determined to secure Abby the win. And whoo-boy do spark fly with these two. Plus, Rio is always perplexed by Abby's Redneck slang, and he perplexes Abby with some of his Spanish - great laugh out loud moments on some of these!

I have to say, I loved this book. It was just the thing to lift my spirits. Abby is truly a gem. Polite beyond reason (as most of us Rednecks are), "I say weakly. 'Sorry for bein' so crude.'...'Sayin' pee and barf and everything. I'm just not thinkin' straight. I've been raised better than that.", she loves her family and she loves her hometown. She's beautiful and doesn't realize it, after all, she never had dates in high school, never went to prom and hasn't had the occasion to date as an adult.

The sexual tension with Rio makes for some great moments, and tell the truth, I was surprised how real it all felt being written in First (and manoman were the sex scenes fabulous). The cast of characters were amazing, I felt like I knew the other contestants, and Abby's family, and I genuinely cared about them.

I enjoyed watching Abby knock the chip off her shoulder she was carrying around about high school, and make "new" old friends. If you're from a small town you'll be able to relate to how important those high school years seem to us, especially since we see the same people we crushed on or hated everyday. Most of all, I loved how the book could have been an over the top farce on Rednecks and could have depicted us as morons - but it wasn't and it didn't. It felt like I was reading about people I know, people I see everyday, people like me, and that's something that will keep McLane on my radar, and Dancing Shoes on my keeper, re-read shelf.

But trust me, you don't have to be a Redneck to relate to - and love - the book, anyone who's ever had dreams and any one that just wants to read a good Romance, well, this books for you!

Take Care

The Scent of Shadows and The Taste of Night - Double Dish

I'm going to do a double review today, sort of like I did with the Sweet Magnolia books. There are two reasons for this: I am behind on my dishes and want to catch up and also because once you've heard all about the first you are going to want to rush out the get them, so I may as well do a double whammy right now. Also, be sure to scroll down or click here to see the winners of this months FAB contests. And click here to support a great author and enter a contest. So, without further ado...

THE SCENT OF SHADOWS: The First Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson
(BCC)

When she was sixteen, Joanna Archer was brutally assaulted and left to die in the Nevada desert. By rights, she should be dead.

Now a photographer by day, she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset - a grim, secret Sin City where Light battles Shadow - seeking answers to whom or what she really is...and revenge for the horrors she was forced to endure.

But the nightmare is just beginning - for the demons are hunting Joanna, and the powerful shadows want her for their own...

THE TASTE OF NIGHT: THE SECOND SIGN OF THE ZODIAC

(BCC)

Equal parts Light and Shadow, Joanna Archer must fulfill a destiny she never wanted. Once a photographer and heiress to a casino fortune, she is now dedicated to the cause of good...but susceptible to the seductions of evil.

A deadly virus is descending on Las Vegas - a terrifying plague unleashed by the powerful overlord of the Zodiac's dark side: Joanna's father. Chaos and panic grip Sin City as agents of Light fall prey to the terrifying epidemic. Death reigns supreme - and Joanna stands at dead center of an epic and terrible war long foretold, the last hope of a damned world.

But first she must somehow conquer the malevolence that grows all around her...and within.

These BCC's are actually pretty good. These books are so jammed packed (in a totally good way) with twists and turns, that I most certainly have to give my props to the writers of these two BCC's.

Have you ever in your life read a comic book and wondered if it was real? Or perhaps you watch one of the movies made from a comic book and wish it was real. If that's the case, these books are for you. Joanna Archer, casino heiress, and daughter to one of the nastiest (and most successful) casino owners in Las Vegas is the polar opposite of her sister Olivia. When Joanna was sixteen, she was brutally attacked while trying to save her sister and left for dead. In what can only be described as every woman's nightmare, Joanna miraculously survives. However, she is never the same again.

Spending her nights photographing the rarely seen Las Vegas back alley's, Joanna hugs the shadows and hopes to one day find the monster that attacked her and exact some revenge of her own. But just twenty four hours before her twenty-fifth birthday Joanna has a blind date with a madman, is rescued by her first love that she hasn't seen since her attack, and hits a crazy homeless man. After yet another assassination attempt on her life, that ends with her sister being slain, Joanna learns that she is no ordinary human and is the daughter of the most powerful being in the Shadow organization and her mother was an agent for the Light.

In Pettersson's new Zodiac series, Joanna finds herself half Light and half Shadow. There has been a prophecy foretold that she will be the one to balance the Zodiac, but both sides want her for their own, and with her the demons from her past haunting her, Joanna just isn't sure she can control the Shadow in her well enough to be on the side of Light like she wants. Reverting to the "manuals" which are found in a comic book store, Joanna must learn of her past if she is to see a future. She must leave behind her old life in order to survive and protect humanity, but revenge is a hard thing to put down, and Joanna has carried her hatred and lust for revenge for so long that those that want her help the most can't even fully trust her.

With so many twists and turns, Pettersson kept me up way past bedtime just so I could finish these books. I gulped them up, and am almost sad of that, since it will be awhile I'm sure before the next one is released. Joanna Archer is an amazing character, one you genuinely feel for. Pettersson has made Joanna and her comic book world so real, so touching, and so action packed that you won't want to miss a page.

Sci-Fi lovers will LOVE these books. Paranormal fans that want something just a little different will LOVE these books. In fact, there is a little something for every genre reader packed inside these wonderfully written books. Dig in and let me know what you thought of them. I know I'm hooked and hope that there are many more to come.

Take Care