The Best of the Best - NUMBER ONE(s)

Before we announce the NUMBER ONE picks for our Second Annual BEST OF THE BEST contest, we have some Housekeeping to do. Get out your brooms and get this floor swept, please. Oh wait, y'all are not at my actual home, and haven't spent the past few days eating all the cookies. Don't worry about the brooms. :)

I need you to make sure that you enter this Big Contest here. It's pretty simple (she says, with a maniacal grin). All you have to do is tell us your favorite three books of the year. Easy as pie, right? I also need to make sure that you enter this mini-contest here. Again, piece of cake. Just tell us how you found us. You have until 3 p.m. central time on Christmas Day to enter, at which time, I will take all the entries and announce the winner at around 5.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for dee & Dee's Top Picks of 2007!

Chari-Dee's Best of the Best:


Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

(Chari-Dee's original dish here)

Seriously, you're not surprised, right? If a paranormal book is awesome enough to hit dee's keeper shelf, then of course I, Chari-Dee, lover of all things paranormal, am going to totally wig out over it.

Mead has written an incredible start to what I hope is a LONG, series. This is not your average paranormal, and at a time when vampires and Were's run rampant through the shelves (and don't get me wrong, because I lurve me some vamps and Were's), Succubus Blues was a refreshing change. A good natured succubus, an enemy that has both Heaven and Hell trying to find it, sex, suspense, humor, and Romance, Succubus is a keeper, and Georgina will worm her way into your auto-buy list for a long time to come. Not an easy feat for a debut author to find their way on my list of favorites, but Mead not only did just that, she's at the TOP of that list.



dee's Best of the Best 2007:


Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

(dee's original dish here)

Wanna know a (notsomucha) secret? dee has read this book OVER 50 times. Wanna know something else that's amazing? She thinks it gets better every time.

There is a reason Higgins is classified as one of both the d/D's favorite authors, and COTD is a perfect example of it. Higgins books are the perfect mix of Women's Fiction and Romance. With flawed and incredibly funny heroines and a cast of characters that are so real you practically know them. Higgins will have you laughing, crying, laughing again, and smiling so hard your face hurts for the rest of the day.

When your heart needs a smile, when you want to believe in falling in love again, or when you just want to read a great book, grab one by Higgins, you can't go wrong.

Take Care and Keep Turning Those Pages

Now, get thyself over and enter those two contests!!!

Do you know us? mini-contest

Books are pretty much what keep us sane. You know this. We love finding new authors and bringing them to you. You know this also. We have a monthly feature, called the FABPick, where we bring you a new author and their first (or new) release (or one of the first books published in a genre under a new name). So you know a few things about us already, right?

Here's a chance for us to see how well you've read us this year.

You have ONE DAY ONLY (that would be today, Tuesday, from 1200amET until the Wednesday post) to get in your entry for this very quick mini-contest for two free books. Contest is easy, really. All you have to do is tell us what our TOP THREE picks for 2007 will be.

On THIS post, leave us your comment. Say something like "I think that dee's TOP PICKS will be: 1.Blah; 2. Blah Blah; 3. Blah blah blah". Remember to distinguish between the D/dee's, please. Don't know which is which? Check out our FAQ page here for clues (and remember: Chari-Dee signs her posts "Take Care" and dee signs hers "Keep Turning Those Pages".)

And stay tuned all week long. We're going to do a FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS to count down our BEST OF THE BEST OF 2007. We're posting our #3 picks on Friday, #2 on Saturday, HMs on Sunday, #1 on Monday, and the BIG WINNER from this contest on Christmas morning. Don't forget to enter the contest, and tell your friends, blog it, or spread the word by skywriting for extra entries. Last year's winner got SEVEN free books, and I do believe that they were ALL signed by the authors.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

Best of the Best CONTEST!

Remember last year when we did our Best of the Best of 2006? Dee and I (the other dee) each picked our Top Three Books of the Year. The only requirements were that the books had to be published in 2006, and we had to have reviewed them. That was it.

And, of course we did a contest. You do remember that, don't you? If you don't, just follow the links to refresh your memories. We asked you to tell us YOUR Top Three of the Year, and then we picked a winner. The winner, Joan B., got signed copies of all six of our books, plus a bonus book.

So naturally, we're doing that again this year.

Starting today, you can enter this contest to win at least six books, and they might even be signed by the authors (if we can get in touch with them to do this. Cross your fingers!). There's even a chance for you to earn extra points, and you can just ask RACHAEL (the Big Winner from our last contest) how good those extra points are.

If you're interested...

- Leave us a comment on THIS POST. Tell us the name of your Top Three Picks of the Year, the author of each book, and WHY it is your favorite. Missing or incomplete entries will not count.

That's it.

For extra points, post something on your own blog, favorite loop or group, about this contest and link it back to THIS post. That will earn you three extra entries in this contest. Each time you mention us out there, let us know, and we'll give you credit. You MUST mention the contest AND our web address ( www.deeanddeedish.blogspot.com) to earn the extra points.

So come on... tell us your faves!

And we promise to tell you ours very soon.

Contest ends Friday, 12/21/07. Have your entries in by the end of that day. That gives you TWO WEEKS to figure out your favorites, tell us, and spread the word.

Good luck!!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

HHW: Wrapping it up!

I'm wrapping up the Hometown Hero Week with this final post, a sort of tribute to my hometown. I'm also announcing the winner of the signed copies of Hope Tarr's THE HAUNTING and Elaine Fox's GUYS & DOGS and MUST LOVE DOUG.

Here's the deal though - the "hero" in these books is not a man from Fredericksburg, at least in my mind. The main male lead is sometimes from very far away from Fredericksburg, either in miles or time, actually. But that's ok. Because as you may (or may not) have guessed - the "Hero" in the books that I'm featuring during HHW is really not a man at all - it's all about the town.

The idea of a themed week, featuring books that feature my hometown, came to me a while back, when I saw an article about Hope Tarr in my local paper, then picked up MUST LOVE DOUG in the store. Both of the books are set in Fredericksburg, both are actually set in "Old Towne", and I've really come to love that place even more this past year. I have some really great friends (like Hannah and Burton) that live in the Old Towne area, on historic Caroline Street, and they have shown me a side of the 'Burg that I never would have imagined. From private "Founder's Day" parties (that coincided with my husband's birthday), to special events at the Rec Center where the Dixie Jims play at least once a month, to different pubs and restaurants that hold 'open mic' nights virtually every night of the week for local musicians, I've been welcomed and encouraged to expand my horizons. Not everyone is lucky enough to have good friends introduce them to such a cool scene, I realize that. But I've still never met a stranger on Monday's at The Tav (or Colonial Tavern, Home of the Irish Brigade, as the sign on the building says), or Thursday's at Happy Endings. And this past week, I was heartily welcomed to Tuesday nights at Bistro Bethem (or The Bistro, to most). Featuring a superb menu and a full wine list, with amazing local artist's work displayed on their walls, The Bistro is yet another place to hear hometown musician's playing their hearts out for their very loyal fans. Of course, with my friends Hannah and Jim, and my new friend Hope, I had quite an amazing time!

Some people have love affairs with people, and I understand that. I have one with my own hero, my husband Shane. Some people have love affairs with a job, or an object. I've seen those enough to understand that. And some people have love affairs with a city. If ever I were to leave my husband (which is highly unlikely!), it wouldn't be for another man. It would be for a second floor walk-up, open floor planned, studio apartment, with a claw-footed tub, built in bookshelves, and floor to ceiling windows that open onto a balcony overlooking Caroline Street. Yes, my "other" love affair is with my 'Burg, and both Ms. Tarr and Ms. Fox do a marvelous job bringing my 'Burg to life in their books.

When I went in search of GUYS & DOGS last spring, it really was for research. I was starting to get really serious about my writing, reading all sorts of books about craft, style, technique, voice, and I wanted to see how an established author handled setting. What better way to see that than by reading a book supposedly set in my hometown. I'd be able to see how much liberty she took with the place, how much she let the town enter into her story, if the town actually became part of the story or was just backdrop. It was eye-opening to me, seeing my beloved 'Burg in the pages of a book. Over a year later, having grown even more familiar, more intimate, with my town, reading MUST LOVE DOUG and THE HAUNTING was even better than that long-ago research read. The love for my 'Burg has seeped into my own writing already, and seeing two other skilled women navigate and detail the streets and feelings of my town has given me encouragement.

Thanks Hope and Elaine, for doing such a wonderful job of showing the world what a wonderful place this town is!

As for the winner - danetteb get in touch with me for your books. Please e-mail me at deenddeedish @ sbcglobal . net (remove the spaces, ok?) and put "dee, I'm a Hometown winner" in the subject line so I can find your e-mail easier, and get your books out quicker. Make sure to include your mailing address!

Keep Turning Those Pages,

dee

HHW: MUST LOVE DOuG, Elaine Fox

So, it's Two-fer Tuesday here, thanks to horrible winds that took out both my power and my internet satellite yesterday. And for all of you that heard about the tragedy down the road from me in Blacksburg, please keep those folks in your thoughts and prayers.

This is my final Dish for Hometown Hero Week, and it's a super great way to be ending this special "theme-week" with you guys. I'll have the final Hometown Hero Week Wrap-up post on Saturday, to announce the contest winner of the three books that we've Dished this week, THE HAUNTING by Hope Tarr and GUYS & DOGS and BEWARE OF DOUG, both by Elaine Fox. Let me tell you a bit about BEWARE OF DOUG now though...

He's nobody's best friend!
Lily Tyler's very interested in her sexy new neighbor, private jet pilot Brady Cole. Brady could really go for smart, gorgeous Lily. The fire that's generated whenever they're together isn't just chemical... it's nuclear!
But then there's Doug...
The real ruler of the roost - Lily's noisy, nasty, matchmauling pooch - Doug likes to greet anyone he dislikes with yaps, nips and very unpleasant surprises, And Doug does not like Brady. (Doug, in fact, doesn't like anybody - except Lily, of course. And, oddly enough, the squeaky clean, partner-track attorney whom Lily's domineering dad would love for his dutiful daughter to marry.)
Brady's no canine fan to begin with - and Doug's the devil-dog incarnate! But Lily could never get serious with anyone who doesn't click with her precious puppy - so Brady's going to need a lot more than great looks, smooth charm, and hot passion to get himself out of the doghouse and into Lily's life!

It sounds pretty light from the BCC, doesn't it? Well, it's lighter than some of the books I Dish here, but really, it's not a fluff read. Plus, this BCC doesn't even begin to touch on some of the things that really interested me about the book.

The girl. Lily Tyler is a blast. She's an English professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. She has a very nice and orderly life, with her students, her neighbors, and her friends all having their own places in her heart. She tries not to think too much about her domineering Dad, but the way he insinuates himself into her life makes it difficult. She's got issues, of course. Most of them center on her trying to live her own life while not disappointing her father, walking that tight rope between seeking parental approval and fulfilling your own dreams. It's a theme that I enjoy seeing, and Ms. Fox does it well enough in this story.

The guy. Brady Cole is sex on two wheels. Well, at least he was. Now, he's trying to make a fresh start, and that includes not falling into old habits. He wants to see if he can try to be friends with a woman before going to bed with her, as all of his past relationships went too far too fast, and ended in disaster.

The dog. Doug. What a dog is Doug! He's even got his own POV. Ms. Fox does a terrific job of catching glimpses of what's going on in Doug's head and making him real for us. I never thought I'd enjoy being inside the head of a bossy pooch, but Doug was just too mischievous not to enjoy.

The friends and family. Friends play a big part in this second 'Burg book. Besides Megan Rose (and Sutter) from GUYS & DOGS, we also get to see Georgia and Penelope again. The four women get together to walk their dogs, to hang out, and to help each other through a few more of life's surprises during this story. Brady's brother and Lily's dad show up, each with their own special way of advancing the story. And there are even a few new people introduced, some with hidden secrets that not even a trained dog can detect.

The romance. Ahhh, the romance. It starts out rocky enough, with Lily first meeting Brady as he literally roars into her life on a Harley. Her initial feelings about him ( Didn't everyone know about pilots? They were all cocksure and obnoxious. She knew. She'd seen Top Gun. ) was so typical of Lily. There were some steamy encounters, of course. Lily was trying to deny her attraction to Brady, and Brady was trying to not re-make past mistakes with Lily. It boiled down to some really entertaining scenes, with a very satisfying love story that seemed more than realistic.

The setting. How could this be featured in my Hometown Hero Week if I didn't mention the town? Again, Ms. Fox features the 'Burg to perfection. Between stops at Hyperion (one of my favorite Old Towne coffeestops, to Mary Washington, to dinner at Augustine's, local places are prominently and proudly described. Right down to the running jokes about there being only a handful of eligible men in the entire town ( a sentiment with which many of the local women seem to agree), Ms. Fox captures the feel of Fredericksburg, brings it to life within the pages of her book, and almost seems to make it a character of its own.

BEWARE OF DOUG is available in your local bookstores, indie stores, and possibly even in the chain department stores and supermarkets still. If you get the chance, pick it up. It's a great read, deeper than the BCC indicates, but still light enough to be truly enjoyable. As it follows the story that began in GUYS & DOGS, I'm hoping that Ms. Fox is already at work on the stories of the other two women, Georgia and Penelope. You'll be the first to know if I get to read them!

Don't forget to enter the contest for your chance to win a signed copy of both BEWARE OF DOUG and GUYS & DOGS by Elaine Fox, as well as a personalized copy of THE HAUNTING by Hope Tarr. Just tell me why your hometown should, or should not, be featured in a book for an entry. For five entries, copy the BCC and cover of either THE HAUNTING or BEWARE OF DOUG onto your own blog, then come tell us in the comments. Contest ends Friday, and I'll announce the winner on Saturday. Good luck!

Keep Turning Those Pages,
dee

HHW: GUYS & DOGS, Elaine Fox

Hometown Hero Week continues with Guys & Dogs, by Elaine Fox. If you've been around here form the beginning, you read my personal blog, or you have read through all of our dishes, you know that Guys & Dogs is one of the very first "reviews" I ever posted. I'm re-posting it here, and adding a bit at the end, because I have more to say about the book now (after a re-read and some experience doing this). Take a look at the original dish:

I just finished Guys & Dogs by Elaine Fox. I've never read any of her books before, though I have noticed them in stores. I actually went to Borders to look for this book last week, but couldn't find it, so they ordered it for me. I really wanted to read it after reading a very short review in my local newspaper. Normally, I'm not big on reviews, because everyone has different feelings about books, and I don't trust very many people out there when it comes to recommendations. I have different standards than most people, and I also hate being told what is 'good' or 'really awful'. Please know that this doesn't apply to my friends, though, and I truly love it when you guys tell me what books I should get. I mean, I TRUST you guys, and besides, you all have great taste.

Anyhoooo... I had to pick up this book because it's supposedly set in my town. The heroine, Megan Rose, has recently moved to Fredericksburg. Basically, reading it was a study in research, to see how much of a place shows up in books, if the author had actually ever been here, if the places were real. See, it just ticks me off when I read a book that is set someplace that I've been, but I can't recognize the place from the description. I mean, if you've ever been to NYC, you know that you can't see the Statue of Liberty from Tiffany, right? You also know that the Crab Cooker is NOT on the beach in Newport Beach, California. It's close to the beach. You can see the beach. They have damn good clam chowder. But on the beach? Not so much. It's a pet peeve of mine, and I wanted to see how close Ms. Fox came to capturing the spirit of my 'Burg.

She did ok. Well, better than ok, really. She made up a few places, and that's to be expected. She made the town seem much smaller than it really is, but not smaller than many of its longtime residents want it to be. But all in all, she did a decent job of letting the reader get a feel for my town, without the town losing anything. Plus, she mentioned Sammy T's, for which she deserves my undying loyalty.

Sammy T's is such a cool place. She calls it "a Fredericksburg institution". And it is. It's also happens to be the end-of-the-mommy-daddy-date-night place for me and Shane. It's our secret escape to the days before the rest of our lives seemed so busy. We discovered it our first year here, almost 6 years ago. It was my mission to go to every restaurant in "Old Town" with my husband. We found Sammy T's after wandering the streets one night. It seemed inviting, so we snuck in. The place was awesome. The waitress was welcoming, the atmosphere was relaxed, and they had beer bottles from all over lining the walls. Plus, they make the best chocolate mousse I've ever had in my life. And Shane swears by their Apple Crisp. The coffee cups are bottomless, and the booths are comfortable. It has since become the place we head to before we head home, if we're out alone. We love it there. So Ms. Fox gets bonus points for adding it to her book.

The story was pretty good too. Megan is a vet, and she's come to town and taken over her dad's animal hospital. She ends up befriending a Brittish billionaire, Sutter Foley, talking him into adopting a dog, and falling in love. Along the way, there are new friends, tabloid reporters, a wacky secretary, and dog-napping charges to keep Megan and Sutter on their toes. It was cute.

This was not a "You must rush out RIGHT NOW and buy this book" like some of the others that I've reviewed. The book did distract me for the morning, and that was bad. But I enjoyed the distraction, so that was good. If you're at the store, and you need something light to read, and you see it, pick it up. It's worth the few hours of your time. It had a good feel, and was pretty enjoyable.

And besides, she mentions Sammy T's. That alone is worth the price I paid for the book!

Well, after reading the book again, then looking at the Dish above, I don't have all that many changes to make. You can still get GUYS & DOGS in many of your bigger book stores, and many of your indie stores may have it as well. I know that you can order it from any of the online retailers. It really is a decent read. I think I enjoyed it more the second time I read it though, just a few weeks ago. I am in a different place in my life now, and the story appealed to me in different ways. Plus, I actually got to meet Elaine (and her charming sister!) in Boonsboro last month, and I think that may have colored my view just a bit.


Don't forget that you have until Friday to tell me why your hometown SHOULD or SHOULD NOT be the setting in a book. Tell me about the nosy neighbors, tell me about the Mom&Pop diner down the street, tell me about the crime, or lack of crime. It doesn't matter to me, but I want to hear all about your hometown. Plus, if you're willing to post the cover pic and blurb from either THE HAUNTING, by Hope Tarr, or BEWARE OF DOUG, by Elaine Fox (I'm posting that one later today!), then you'll get five extra entries. I'll pick a winner at random from all of the entries, and the winner gets signed copies of all three of the HHW books. Best of luck!

Keep turning those pages!

dee

HHW: THE HAUNTING, Hope Tarr

Finally, Hometown Hero Week is here! This is going to be a really short "week" for me, because frankly, there aren't all that many books written about my "hometown" (unless you count the endless number of Revolutionary and Civil War books!). That's sad, because my hometown (or at the least the one I'm claiming at this stage in my life) is an incredible place. The three books that I'll be spotlighting this week are all centered right here, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

For me, the historic district of Fredericksburg (affectionately known as "Old Towne", "Downtown" or just "the 'burg" to many) is one of the most wonderful places I've ever been. The streets are dotted with buildings that have stood through two wars, including major battles that left the town in tatters during both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. In fact, Fredericksburg is one of the few towns that can claim the rather sad honor of being "destroyed" in both wars fought on American soil.

But it's not just the history of the place that you feel when you walk the streets. The town seems to literally pulse with the energy of the people that live here, within the small section of town where most everyone knows each other and there is practically no such thing as an outsider. I've got some wonderful friends that live on Caroline Street, one of the main streets in Old Towne, and they have introduced me to a town that I never dreamed existed. I've been welcomed into a group of people that don't care where I come from, or what I do for a living, but are willing to share their time with me when we meet. It's amazing!

In Hope Tarr's latest book, THE HAUNTING, she writes about a contemporary woman living in Old Towne and the man from her past that haunts her... literally. Check out the BCC:

Red-Hot and Union Blue
Investigating a noise in the attic of her historic home, Maggie Holliday encounters a handsome man in a Civil War uniform. Her calls her "Isabel," seduces her in ways the shy academic had never dreamed of... then literally vanishes.
With every fleeting visit, Maggie's mysterious lover - Ethan - takes her closer to the edge of ecstasy and madness. Is he really a ghost? Far from chilling her, his touch is incendiary - it all feels so real and so very, very good. And so very familiar...
Ethan insists Maggie's the reincarnation of his long-lost love. And after a few incredible nights in his arms, Maggie is inclined to believe him. But does she dare surrender to a passion that transcends time, tragedy... and even death?

I should mention that this is an Extreme Blaze by Harlequin, and it more than earns that distinction. As the Blaze moniker denotes, it is a very, very hot book. But that's not all it is. It's a love story that begins in tragedy, but ends (as most good romances do) with happiness. Maggie is a heroine worth waiting for, and Ethan has been doing that for years (one hundred and forty five years, to be exact!). She's a little troubled, a tad independent, and very adventurous. She's also full of fire, though she doesn't always recognize that about herself, nor is she willing to admit it. When Ethan enters her life, she slowly realizes that nothing is impossible, even falling in love all over again.

I enjoyed this book as much for the storyline as I did for the descriptions of some of my own favorite haunts (no pun intended!). For me, nothing beats reading a book and being able to picture it in your head, actually being able to see the street that the heroine walks down, see where she's shopping, where she goes to dinner. With this story, not only could I picture it, I could actually drive by if I wanted. That's the beauty of having a Hero from your own Hometown. And that's why I'm hosting this "week".

You know me. If there is a way to do it, I'll have a contest where I can give away signed books. This week is no different. You'll have the chance to win signed copies of each of the three books that I'm featuring this week. All three of them take place right here in my hometown. To enter to win a copy of today's book, all you have to do is spread the word, or share your story. Yep, copy the cover and BCC onto your blog, or post the info about Hope's book to your favorite loop, group, or forum, and be sure to let us know where you posted in the comments. OR In the comments you can tell me why your hometown (make sure you tell me where you live) should (or should NOT) be the setting for a book. Tell me what makes it special and unique, or why nobody would ever want to write about it. I'll leave the contest open until Friday, to give you all time to blog/post or comment. Next Saturday, I'll have a short post announcing the winners. Don't be shy - this is your chance to shine!

Also, as a bonus, Hope told me yesterday that she might be stopping by here. So if you have any questions for her, please feel free to ask them in the comments section. And be sure to drop by your local bookseller and pick up a copy of THE HAUNTING. It's a love story you don't want to miss!

Keep turning those pages!
dee