Hot Dish - Connie Brockway

Hello Lovelies, I do hope this post finds each and every one of you fully recovered from a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, laughter, and love. And for our non-U.S. Lovelies, I hope this post finds you with all of the above in your life each and every day. I have been on an extreme lucky streak lately with regards to the books I've read. I have been so sure of my ability to pick up a book, whether or not I knew the author, and have it be solid gold, that I wasn't prepared for the book I'm getting ready to review. This isn't going to be a favorable review, just a warning - if you don't like reading reviews that have something less than good to say about a book - STOP NOW! Of course, I will be as honest as I can be without being cruel, but I just thought you should know.

So, without further ado...

Hot Dish by Connie Brockway
(BCC)
Here She Is...
Years ago, Jenn Lind's family's dynasty crashed, forcing them to move out of their Raleigh penthouse and into a cabin in Fawn Creek, Minnesota. But Jenn saw a way out:She'd win the Buttercup pageant, grab the scholarship, and run far, far away. The plan almost worked too until some conniving townspeople cheated her out of her tiara. Still, she swore she'd make it out someday...
Miss Minnesota?
Twenty years later, she's on the cusp of real stardom. She's about to leave for New York to be crowned queen of daytime TV when Fawn Creek asks her to be grand marshal of the town's sesquicentennial. Her network accepts, delighted over the PR, especially since she'll be sharing the "honor" with international celebrity Steve Jaxx, a man she got tangled up with once long ago. Between the all too attractive Steve, the townspeople, and a hundred-pound butter sculpture, Jenn may never escape Fawn Creek. Or even worse, she might.

As far as this BCC goes, I don't know. Jenn didn't get "tangled up" with Steve Jaxx years ago. He sculpted her head in butter. She cried while he did it. Then she watched him get arrested. This does not make tangled up. Her parents did lose every penny of their considerable wealth, and they did have to move to Fawn Creek. For the most part, it is truthful.

This book has a Prologue that isn't really a prologue. And you know, I'm not that fond of prologues to begin with, so if a book is going to have a prologue it needs to be a good one. For instance, I love the two prologues in Going Postal by Terry Pratchett and I like the way Nora Roberts used the prologues in her In The Garden Trilogy. But this "prologue" is a scene from the end of the book and when I think prologue, I think before the story started. Not, read this and I'll get back to it in, oh, 400 pages. This "prologue" felt more like a scene the author loved and didn't want to kill, so she talked the editor into including it as a prologue. It lends nothing to the book but it did serve the purpose of annoying this reader.

Then after you read this "present day prologue", Chapter One takes place 21 years earlier. Then, after five chapters, we're back to present day. The first five chapters were filler. Bad filler. Everything that was put in those pages could have been used throughout the book in a much more creative, easier to read format.

And speaking easy to read, I was never sure what POV the author was using. Third Limited? Third Om? I just didn't know. I can't stand that. I was actually starting to think that I had a grasp on the whole POV thing, and then I read this book. I think it was an attempt at Limited, and turned into very loose limited. And if it was indeed Limited, there were far too many perspectives. There were no less than 6 characters with a POV and quite possibly there was 7. Hint to author - That is, at the most, 5 POV's too many, and at the least 4.

When you have that many POV's, the reader isn't going to bond with your H&H. And that was definitely true in this book. The female protagonist in this book was Jenn Lind. Or, Jenna, Jenny, Jennifer Hallesby. I got the feeling the author couldn't decide what variation she liked best, so she just used them all. Jenn wasn't especially well written. I didn't like her. Not one bit. I knew I was supposed to, and I even tried, but all I felt towards her was irritation. She couldn't let go of her past, she couldn't see her blessings. Jenn seemed to sit on her pity pot a lot, and I don't like TDTL characters. And Jenn was definitely TDTL.

Then you have Steve Jaxx. The sculptor that sweeps Jenn off her feet. Steve was so terribly written he annoyed me. I think what I was supposed to think of Steve, was that he was such a genius artist, that he could see the beauty in everything, even when we wouldn't. What I actually thought of Steve, was that he was a few chapters short of a full book. Heck, he was a few chapters shy of a novella. Absent minded and short sighted doesn't begin to describe the way Steve was portrayed.

There are also thieves in this book. Three local yahoo's that decide to hold the butter head hostage, and the man that was going to steal it but was beat to the punch. I'm not sure what it says about me as a reader, but the author actually did a fairly good job of capturing these guys. They weren't funny, but they were supposed to be. They did, however, have a believability.

When I bought this book, I did so because I saw the quote at the bottom that says, "A dazzling contemporary debut." I had just read an excellent debut author and had hopes I'd discover another. The thing is, I didn't see the mention that she was a NYT Bestseller. Silly me, it was on the COVER, but I saw debut, and grabbed! Apparently, Brockway is established in the historical genre, and you know, I don't read that many historicals, so I didn't recognize the name.

The problem with historical authors that switch to contemporary is that they so seldom make the switch well. Suzanne Enoch is a great exception to this rule (and I'll be posting a review by her soon) and I adore her contemporaries, but in general, whenever I read a contemp penned by a historical author, I end up greatly disliking it.

I'm not a stupid person. In fact, I like to think I'm fairly intelligent. Not the smartest kid in school, but definitely not the dumbest. But while reading this book, I had to stop several times to re-read a paragraph or sentence just to understand what was written. "...Not that she remembered Steve's kissing her-he was a really good kisser and well worth remembering-but this young stud who embodied everything she generally found appealing-success, good grooming, financial security, sophistication, efficiency-should hold no appeal for her whatsoever." There are far to many "-" in this sentence, and it slowed me up.

Then there were Brockway's choice of words. For instance, people capitulate a lot in this book. There's also this little doozy, "...all sorts of hitherto ignored chivalrous impulses rushing to the fore." And while I understand what this mean, I don't understand how this sort of phrase belongs in a contemporary novel.

I found this authors style very pretentious. There were words like, semisomnambulism, and I have no idea what that means, so don't ask. Then there were sentences like, "It was called chiaroscuro, she recalled, light and dark, and it made magic of the reflected light and shadows composing his face." Um, WHAT? "She moved away from Natalie, toward the window, her thoughts a tempest." I bought what sounded like a light fun contemporary romance. What I got was a headache.

As far as the romance between Steve and Jenn is concerned, it was not believable at all. The two characters have very little interaction between them and yet they still fall in love within the course of 3 days. And finally, I really don't like it when authors fake what they don't know. Towards the end of the book, Brockway describes Texas Hold 'Em and says the last 2 cards dealt are called "the river." No. The second to last card is the "turn" card, then the last card, and ONLY the last card, is called "the river."

I do not recommend this book. Save your money. If you must read it, wait until it hits your local library.

Take Care

Testing Kate, by Whitney Gaskell

I have been in the middle of Whitney Gaskell adoration this past week. It all started a while back, actually, when this book here, Testing Kate, was released. I read about it over on the Literary Chicks website. You know how I love my LC, right? It started with Beth Kendrick, then Alesia Holliday, Lani Diane Rich, Eileen Rendahl and Michelle Cunnah followed. Meeting Michelle and Lani in New Jersey was one of those FanGirlSqueeMoments that you all already know about though. Whitney was the last of the Chicks for me to "find", which is kind of odd, since I really love her posts. Reading them is sometimes like reading one of my diaries. I just sit there thinking, "Yeah, we would be such good friends, I just know it. Well, if I lived in Florida, near her, and could ever get up the nerve to actually speak to her, I'm sure we'd be like this, you know, BFF, just like me and Joss". (Ok, so maybe my friendship with Joshilyn is slightly exaggerated in my head, but hey, they are my delusions, and I quite like them, ok?) However, I hopped on the Whitney train last week, when I couldn't find this book anywhere in town, and I resorted to ordering her other three off Amazon. At full price. Because I like doing that sometimes. And now, I don't regret it. Pushing 30, True Love (and other Lies), and She, Myself & I were so worth it. And then there was Kate...

Kate Bennett is almost 30 when she decides to make some major changes. She quits her job, her boyfriend, and her town, and heads down South for law school. She doesn't land in just any town, or at any law school though. Oh no, not our Kate. She ends up at the mother of Southern law schools - Tulane, which is located in the mother of Southern towns, New Orleans.

Quickly finding a group of older students to befriend, Kate starts making a new life for herself. However, her life-long streak of bad luck seems to have followed her south. Case in point - Hoffman, her Crim Law professor. He is about as sadistic as you can get without actually entering hell. From the very first day, Kate seems to have landed square on his bad side, and nothing she does can change that. Of course, her friends try to ease some of the stress, but there's only so much that friends can do.

No book would be complete without a bit of romantic suspense, right? Well, Kate has that in spades. When her now ex-boyfriend shows up to try to make things right, Kate is torn between the safe and familiar path, or the road less traveled. Throw in a slightly eccentric writer, a whiz kid, and three other mismatched souls just trying to make the Law Review, and you've got yourself one helluva interesting story.

With Kate, Ms. Gaskell has created a character that you just can't help cheering. She is dealt some really tough breaks, and you see that, and you feel her struggles. But still, she has hope. The writing is smooth, the dialogue is believable, and the situations are very real. This is not over-the-top humor, nor is it melodramatic. It's an eye-opening look at the first year of law school, and a soul searching peek into the life of one endearing woman. I enjoyed the way that Ms. Gaskell seamlessly tied bits from Kate's past into most every chapter. I didn't feel like it was infodump. I felt like it was a glimpse inside of Kate's heart, into her psyche, and it was inspired.

I also really enjoyed seeing New Orleans, pre-Katrina, through Kate's eyes. As a long-time lover of all things N'Awlins, as well as having a brother that lives there, it felt like coming home to me. This book was in the edit stages when the hurricane struck, and Ms. Gaskell chose to leave the city alone for her story. I think it was the absolute right choice. In her Author's Note, she cites the courage of the city's citizens in the aftermath of Katrina, as well as admitting her own love affair with the city (see, I told you I felt like we'd be friends!). It was obvious that she wasn't exaggerating her feelings and that she was very familiar with the places she mentioned (including the Cat's Meow, but I won't even go there, my husband reads this blog!). Along with Ms. Gaskell, I have the deepest admiration and respect for those people and that wonderful city. She did their city proud in her story, and it wouldn't surprise me if people decided to head down to the Big Easy for a spell after reading this book.

The worst part about reaching the end of this book was knowing that I can't read a new Whitney Gaskell for about another year. I guess that means I'm going to have to read the four she has again. And again. And again. Because I really enjoyed them. And I know you will too.

Keep turning those pages,
dee

Killer Insight-Victoria Laurie

Hello, Lovelies! And Congrats to the winners of this month's contest. I think Dee did a fabulous job putting it together and deserves a round of applause! Also, a BIG THANK YOU to author Kristan Higgins for judging! How cool is it that we had an author judge the contest?! Too, freakin' cool - that's how cool. I've already got next months contest set up, and it's just gonna be your average put a name in a hat and draw kinda contest. After all, it's Christmas next month and if you are anything like me, coming up with a contest entry is just gonna be too hard. Anyway, more details on that later. We're still plugging away at setting up the new blog, hopefully it will be ready for launch the first of the new year. Hopefully. This time of year it's tough to accomplish very much. And now, without further ado...

Killer Insight by Victoria Laurie

(BCC)

A wedding retreat in Colorado finds Abby Cooper tending a broken heart and taking a mental break, but psychic intuition isn't the sort of thing you can leave at home...

Died to Match

When her relationship with FBI agent Dutch Rivers skids to a halt, Abby Cooper is fully aware that a wedding isn't the best post-breakup scenario. But when a friend from the Mile High City finds herself short one bridesmaid, it doesn't take a professional psychic to see the opportunity for a much-needed getaway.

High altitudes can be healing, and Abby reunites with friends-especially her childhood crush Duffy McGinnis, now town sheriff...not to mention tall, dark, and yummy. But Abby needs more than a shoulder to cry on. One bridesmaid after another is mysteriously flying the coop, and Abby's intuition tells her their final destinations aren't pretty.

With the wedding party falling apart and her gift of sight never quite so foggy, Abby has to save the date-and herself from becoming the next tafetta-clad target...

Other than a few minor faults, this is a rather well written BCC. Not at all misleading, and if it wouldn't be putting in spoilers, I would give some corrections. I will say, that Abby's intuition isn't so much foggy, as they suggest, as it is ignored. Several times in the book Abby mentions her intuition buzzing and she gets distracted or something else and never tunes into it.

I've been following this series since book one, Better Read Than Dead, came out it June of '05. I was in the bookstore looking for the newest Dead End Job Mystery, when the gal working the desk showed me this great new book. "First in a new series," she said to me, "And I really liked this one. Try it, you may to." So I did, and she was right. I liked it very much. Aside from the fact I could tell Laurie was new to writing, I liked the story and had faith she would get more comfortable as an author. She has, and the result is a very fast paced, fun read.

Abby Copper is a professional psychic. So why didn't she see she was going to end up dead? That's exactly where we find Abby at the start of the book, staring down the barrel of a .38 and BOOM - she's shot and floating Heavenward.

After a devastating break-up with Dutch, on Valentine's Day no less (Dutch got Abby a cell phone - one for himself, too. It was two for one deal and things went down hill from there), Abby agrees to fly to Colorado to be a fill in bridesmaid for her childhood friend Ellie's upcoming wedding, when one of them takes off without warning.

Abby has unique gifts, to say the least, and one of them is the ability to look at a picture and tell weather or not the person in the photo is alive or dead. When she gets to Colorado, Abby is terrified to learn, her friend's missing bridesmaid, didn't just leave town, she died. Confiding in Duffy, the town sheriff and Ellie's older brother, about this, they set out to either find the missing woman or her body. Not wanting to upset Ellie, they keep it to themselves until they know for sure.

But while doing a reading for Ellie as a bridal shower gift, Abby sees that Ellie's future husband, Eddie, has done something very bad, and will be spending time in jail. She also sees it was something he was forced into, but when more bridesmaids go dead, Abby isn't so sure the altitude isn't messing with her sight, and perhaps Eddie DID do something terrible and that he perhaps DID do it of his own free will.

Laurie has a hit with this series, this book in particular had a great cast of characters, people that made me laugh and touched me with their kindness. There was Ellie's Aunt Viv, a cantankerous old broad, who has a penchant for swiping anything that catches her fancy was great comic relief, in a rather heady mystery. Then their was Ellie's parents, who have always been like family to Abby, when her own parents couldn't stand the sight of her. "...you know not many people can appreciate it when someone like you comes into the mix. But I want you to know that we understand how special you and your gifts are. If you ever want to come over and hear how much we love you and your gifts, you just knock on my door. Okay?"

We also get more of Kat, Abby's rich and caring older sister, and even get to see the meanness that is her parents. One of the things I liked so much about this book, aside from the great mystery, is the way Laurie showed how special Abby was to certain people in her life and how those friends were her family. Sometimes, we forget just how special our friends can be to us, and that they are indeed, just like family. Laurie captured the honest feelings of love and friendship with Insight and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

And even though this is a series, like most series, you do not need to read them in order, but it will definitely help if you do. If you haven't checked out these books yet, I highly recommend you do. Abby having the gifts she does, lends a great twist to the amateur sleuth genre.

Take Care

November winners! (revised, with WINNERS names, doh!)

I just got this fabulous e-mail from Kristan Higgins. She is our November Guest Judge for the Veterans and Rookies contest. Charity gathered up all of the entries and put them together, minus the names, for Kristan to be able to read through. She picked the winners. Yes, I said winners, plural. Since there were way more entries than we thought there would be, I just didn't feel right about only having one winner. So, First place will get the books already mentioned: Fools Rush In, Talk Gertie To Me, gods In Alabama, Whitney, My Love, and Don't Look Down, as well as Nearlyweds. However, as I know the winner, I also know she already has DLD, so we'll figure something out. Second and third place will both get a copy of either gods In Alabama or Between, Georgia, or another one of the books that we've reviewed here this month. Contact me right away (like TODAY, if possible) so I can get your addresses.Post a comment here, or e-mail me at deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net. Be sure to include "I'm a November winner!" in your subject line!! Now, without further ado, here's Kristan!

Dear Lovelies,

This was the first contest I've ever judged, and it was, well, wicked hard! The answers were diverse, well written and funny, and trying to rank them kept me up till one a.m., so if my kids find waffles in their lunchbox today, you're all to blame.

THIRD PLACE - winner is HOPE

Well, we all love a Crusie. Personally, it's the banter that draws me to her books. In my own humble opinion, the dialogue is what sets Ms. Crusie above most other writers, those zinging one liners that have us wheezing with laughter. I also liked the way this entrant described Sue Ann Jaffarian's novel...that she bought it for the plus-size heroine and ended up so drawn into the story that her original reason faded. When the story is that powerful and well crafted, you know the author has succeeded in writing a memorable book.

1. Crusie, I will read anything buy her because I know that it will be good. Also anything by Alesia Holliday or Lani Diane Rich are great books that I will pick up just because.

2. For Crusie, Faking It was the first one that I read, and just the banter and fun caught me, but the basement scene when she confesses all her sins hooked me and I haven't passed a book since.

3. The banter in all three of the books are great. They are things that I would say provided I had someone to write for me and I was able to come up with a comback that quickly.

4.Sue Ann Jaffarian. At first I just wanted to see how she would portray a plus size lead character, but as I got into the mystery, I became hooked on her character portrayal. It was real and made me feel what all the characters were going through. Also the mystery aspect of the story was one that kept me guessing to the end.

SECOND PLACE - winner is Orangehands

I confess to not knowing the authors that this reader chose, but now I'm dying to read them. This answer hit the nail on the head of why we love an author--characters who engage our hearts and minds. The response was beautifully written, too.

*******************************
Considering how many books I have read over the years, it is surprising that I can easily pick out my favorite veteran author. But I can. Chris Crutcher. There is no other author that engages so much of my heart and mind. There is also no other author who so unflinchingly looks at the reality behind teen life and writes about it. There are a lot of authors I like, a good amount I even love, but Crutcher is the top of it. (Besides which, all of his novels have been banned. How can you beat that?)

I actually don't remember which of his books was the first I read (and the first hooked me), but I do know the one that means the most to me: Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes (though Whale Talk and Ironman are close seconds). This book helped me in numerous ways, but first and foremost, it made me think about things that I never really saw teen books address before. It gave me even more ammo to fight for a cause I had at that time already spent a lot of years on, and it also made me sit up and take notice of the other side and their thought process. It was smart and it was well-written, and it didn't hide behind the easy road.

Rookie: I just discovered J.R. Ward and so far I am really enjoying her series about the Black Dagger Brotherhood. She writes in a seemingly casual way, she's telling a new slant on an old story (vampires) and making it one of the best ones I've read (though to be fair I still haven't tried Anne Rice), and I love her characters.

FIRST PLACE... - winner is McB

Congratulations, Lovely! I chose this entry because this reader picked veterans who bent the genre of historical romance long before anyone realized it needed bending. As the reader so wisely points out, we'd all been swimming in a pool of heroines who were inept to the point of the ridiculous, just waiting for the literal knight in shining armor to save her from her own boredom/silliness/evil father. Writers McNaught, Garwood and Deveraux (a personal fave) gave us heroines who fought, kicked, swore, led, thought and quipped...oh, sure, they all had sapphire eyes and flaming tresses, but they had brains, too.

As far as the second part of the answer, I liked this reader calling Jen Crusie a rookie. Points for just being creative.

************************************************
Whitney, My Love

Dee, oh my - you have opened the flood gates, my dear! I LOVED that book. Actually I totally adored all of Ms. McNaught's historicals. And yeah I still have every one of them. I'm such a sucker for a good historical. They were my introduction to romance. Ms. M, along with Julie Garwood and Jude Devereaux. I had fantasies involving the Montgomery men for years!

Before I found those ladies, I didn't read romance. I was very heavily into mysteries and still really enjoy reading them now. What changed my mind? What made these authors so special is that they wrote not just fabulous historical romance, but they did so without resorting to the then ubiquitous bodice-ripper trend. They showed me that romance fiction could be GOOD fiction, with great heros, heroines who were capable of more than waiting around to be saved, and wonderful humor. They've moved on to writing great contemporaries now, but its these early, historical romances that live forever in my heart.

And from them I eventually braved reading *gasp* category romance. My previous experience with these was my grandmother's occasional Barbara Cartland and Harlequin books(rich European doctor learns about love and laughter from the brave village miss who ventured into the big city to work as his receptionist).

And I discovered through trial and error that there was some worthy fiction mixed in among these little paperbacks. Among them and among my very first discoveries? GETTING RID OF BRADLEY by the Cherry, Jennifer Crusie. Oh my Bob I laughed so hard reading this book. I still recall snorting with laughter on the subway as I read those words for the first time "Oh no, dead dog?" (okay, you had to be there). That wasn't Jenny's first book, but it was an early one, so does it qualify for rookie status?

No wait a minute. I have another that most definitely qualifies for rookie status on account of her first book has not *yet* been accepted for publication. But I've beta-read it and I'm guaran-dang-teeing you its going to be on your bookshelves one day soon. When that day happens I promise to spread the word, and then she can be your rookie find too.

So there you have my veterans and my rookie.

Thanks for inviting me to judge the contest. Enjoy your gifties, winners, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Kristan Higgins

Pink Jinx - Sandra Hill

Hello Lovelies!!! Finally I'm getting another review up! I know, it's been a couple of days, and I apologize. But, I've been busier than a one legged man in A... oh, you get the picture. We here at DeeandDee have been working on switching over to the beta version of Blogger and it's taking a LOT of work. The reason for the switch is to make it easier for you guys to find reviews. They will be tagged and you'll be able to search just contests, or Authors A-D, etc. The template isn't what we want yet, but most of the posts have already been put over there. As I was moving posts, I did notice one thing, I've come a LONG way, baby! I'm getting much bettah at reviewing, and I hope that continues. I'm not sure when it will be up and running with us posting only over there, but believe me, YOU will be the first to know!!! And now, Without Further Ado...

Pink Jinx by Sandra Hill
(BCC)

Baited...Straitlaced Boston lawyer Veronica "Ronnie" Jinkowsky knows some-things fishy when her estranged grandfather lures her to his New Jersey treasure-hunting business with woeful takes of old age and bankruptcy. But she never expected the salty old dog to shanghai her into a hunt for pink diamonds with her poker-playing, four-time ex-husband Jake Jensen in tow.

Hooked...Betting her heart on Jake was always a losing proposition, yet just the sight of his come-hither blue eyes is still enough to melt her steely resolve. Now Ronnie's on a high seas adventure that throws together lost gems, a lost ship, and lost love-not to mention a Mafia widow, her two goons, and an elderly Cajun matchmaker.

And Going Down for the Last Time! Trapped with the man she could never learn to live with-and was never happy without-is Ronnie fated to be forever jinxed in matters of the heart?

All in all, this BCC isn't bad. It does a good job at describing the book and has no major misleading statements in it. In fact, it was because of the BCC I laid the money down. So when I finished reading it, I was glad to discover I didn't feel cheated.

Ronnie Jinkowsky has lived her life terrified of her grandfather Frank Jinkowsky. It is because of him she is terrified of the ocean, hates the smell of sea water, and is terrified of roller coasters. He is a gruff man that has never seemed to care much for her and has at times bordered on the cruel, so when suddenly he turns all of his assets over to her, including his treasure hunting business, Ronnie is suspicious, and doesn't want it. Unfortunately, the trust he set up is iron-clad, and Ronnie would know, after all, she's a tough corporate lawyer.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Ronnie uncovers that her ex-husband Jake Jensen has just recently invested $100,000 in Jinx,Inc. Off to Atlantic City Ronnie goes to confront Jake and find out what he knows. The problem is, Ronnie and Jake aren't just divorced, they are divorced FOUR times. Ronnie has never been able to resist Jake. She loves him. She just can't live with him. He is a professional poker player, and the instability of it all has always scared Ronnie.

While in the middle of a major poker tournament, Jake spots Ronnie. During his first break he pulls her aside and finds out why she showed up now of all times. You see, Jake loves Ronnie just as much as she loves him. But like Ronnie, he doesn't see anyway they can live together. If he learnt anything from their four failed marriages, it was that they just don't work. Unfortunately, Jake wasn't ready to see her, because his heart and mind underwent the same longing they always do. And just as they start talking, Ronnie gets the surprise of her life, Jake's fiance shows up.

After running for the bathroom to be sick, Ronnie heads back to tell her Grandmother she is taking off for a few days to figure out what she is going to do with Jinx, Inc and is given an ultimatum. Leave now for your grandfather's and you have no job, and no grandmother. Well, what's a girl backed into a corner supposed to do?

Ronnie leaves and heads to Frank's to find out what he expects and finds that the old glorious house he once loved is falling apart, most of his treasures are off the walls, and her once well put together, polka-loving grandfather is wearing rags and has Don King hair. Her first instinct is to run, far,far away, after all, what has this man ever done for her? She just needs to figure out a plan first.

But Frank has a plan all his own. He knows he's been a terrible grandfather to Ronnie, and an even worse father to her dad, his son. And he's getting older and he wants to set things right between them, and if by doing so he gets her and Jake to finally grow up and stay together, well then, all the better for him, he wants a great-grandbaby from them, so he can finally do it right.

This book was hilarious. It wasn't just funny though, there were some strong emotions the characters had to deal with, and Hill tackled those feelings with true to life charm. I have only read one other book by Hill, and that was her, The Red Hot Cajun , and while I don't remember a great deal of that book, I do remember I really did enjoy it. And it was neat seeing some of the people from that book join the wacky cast of characters in this one. Tante Lulu is back, and oh man, that old lady is as funny as ever.

Another thing that really tickled my funny bone was the four marriage thing between Ronnie and Jake. Each marriage had a name, there was The Sappy Marriage, The Cowboy Marriage, The Tequila Marriage, and the Insanity Marriage. Hill incorporates the background of the marriages into the start of chapters and it works very well. You can see shades of their past and it gives the reader just enough to see the parallels to their present.

This is the first book in a new series for Hill, and I will definitely be checking out the rest of them. I'm also going to see if I can't find all the Cajun books and check them out as well.

For a fast paced, fun and touching read, I highly recommend, Jinx. It has it all, laughs, tears, and action. Oh, and some really, really, hot sexy love scenes. And let me tell you, she writes them very well!

Take Care

November contest UPDATES

Oh friends, November is just so full! We have fried turkey day coming up, my husband is off in Texas (the land of all things BIG, donchaknow?), Charity's done with that carnival, and I'm eeking out an average of 2500 words a day on my NaNo story. PLUS, we're doing this fabulous contest here at Dee & Dee, where you, our favorite people in the world (besides our kiddies and hubbies, and well, each other!), get to win some fabulous, free BOOKS. I wanted to update you on the contest, because I promised that I would. And because this is just too much fun to hold inside my little ol' self any longer.

First, we have a Special Guest Judge for the contest! That's right, we're not just going to call on the CherryBombs this month. While they do an incredible job, I'm guessing they might just be sick of me begging them to be the judges every single month. Frankly, it's too hard for me and Charity to judge these things, because, well, we love ALL of you. Plus, it's much easier for us to put it off on someone else. So. There you have it. Our SGJ is none other than the amazingly talented Kristan Higgans. Charity reviewed Kristan's book, Fools Rush In, earlier this month, and Kristan was gracious enough to do a mini-interview with her. I plucked up the courage to ask Kristan to judge the contest and SHE. SAID. YES! WOOHOO! How freakin-A cool is that?

As a bonus, Kristan is going to send the winner a signed copy of Fools Rush In, as part of the prize package.

Also, Lois Winston, author of Talk Gertie To Me (reviewed here this month), is also sending out a signed copy of her book to the winner.

Plus, I'm getting a signed copy of Joshilyn Jackson's gods in Alabama (reviewed here by me and in another review by Charity) sent to the winner as well. Don't think that Joss and I are all close or anything. We're not. Well, in my very most embarrassing FanGirlSqueeMemories, we are like this, BFF and all, you know. But in reality, I'm just an almost stalker fan. However, since I read her blog all the time, I know that the book will be sent out. I'm just good that way.

So, that's three "Rookie" books going out to the winner. There will be two other books in the prize pack, but alas, they won't be signed. They are coming straight to the winner, and they are personal faves of mine. They are both from "Veteran" authors, and I hope you enjoy them. They are Whitney, My Love, by the incomparable Judith McNaught, and Don't Look Down, by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. Of course, if the winner already has either of these, I'll be more than happy to substitute the "Veteran" books for different ones, but we can haggle that out later.

I just have to tell you that Kristan has her work cut out for her. We already have at least 12 entries, from comments and e-mails. I am SOOOOO glad that I don't have to judge! Just remember that the contest closes on Saturday, at 11:59 ET. Please make sure that all comments or e-mails are sent by then. I will gather them all together and get them off to Kristan shortly after the contest closes, and she can judge them. Then the winner will be announced, and the books will be mailed. I'm just so excited I can hardly wait! Until then...

Keep turning those pages!

dee

NOVEMBER CONTEST!!! Win More BOOKS!!!

Veterans and Rookies

Yes, that's right. I wanted to tie in one of my most favorite holidays with this month's contest. And while I just LOVE me some fried turkey, that's not the holiday I mean. In honor of Veteran's Day (tomorrow), and because, well, I'm a Veteran (hey, after TEN YEARS in the Navy, you're darned right I'm a Veteran, and VERY proud of it, thankyouverymuch!), this month's contest is called: Veterans and Rookies.

Here's the deal. You know that Chariity and I both write, and we love it. Really though, at heart, we both are READERS more than anything else. I can only hope that Char is not nearly as bad as I am, because if she is, then her family probably wants to have huge bonfires in her front yard with all of her books. See, I have literally thousands of books. Everywhere in my house. I have a hard time clearing a path in my office sometimes because of all of the books. I read just about every genre that is written. I've hardly ever met a book I didn't finish. And, I think that there is something to be learned from just about any/every book ever written. So HUGE is my respect for authors, that it is difficult for me to ever get rid of a book.

Ok, here's another truth: My books become more than just words printed on paper bound together with a cute cover to me. They become, at the very least, my friends. Sometimes though, they become even more than that, almost like adopted children. Yes, you read that correctly, sometimes I love a book so much that it becomes almost part of my family. Now, I can count on less than all of my digits the amount of times a book has been elevated to 'family' status, but it has happened. Even this last year, you here at Dee&Dee have witnessed it. (We really don't have to turn this into a SqueeFest though, do we? You all know which author/book I mean.)

When that happens, when a book goes from a friend to a family member, I tend to take notice of just about every other book that the author has written. Yes, it happened with Jennifer Crusie (I am Crusified and Burned, baby!). And Susan Elizabeth Phillips (though I'm still working on her backlist). And Ms. Jackson (though, sorry to say, there are only the two right now). I've read everything by Tom Clancy, and John Grisham. I don't know that I've ever read a Sandra Brown I didn't like. These authors have all reached the VETERAN status as writers. They are tried and true, virtually guaranteed to be a page-turner.

But they all started out as ROOKIES. Yes, my beloved Jennifer Crusie, long before the days of her amazing partnership with Bob (God Among Men/GAM) Mayer, started her career with Sizzle. Of course, you can't hardly mention that book to her without seeing her cringe. I know, I've seen it happen. While some authors, like The Cherry, don't start out on a bestseller list, some shoot right to the top. The first romance I ever bought (purchased with my babysitting money at the tender age of 14, I might add) was Whitney, My Love, by Judith McNaught. I have owned at least 5 different copies of that book. It might be that it's a sentimental favorite, because it was, well, my first. But OTOH, it is a damn fine book. As is every other Judith McNaught book I have ever owned. She's a VETERAN, but her ROOKIE book was the one that hooked me.

Do you see where I'm going with this? So this month's contest is all about those Veterans, who were once Rookies. Dig deep, friends, and tell me your stories. I want to know what Veteran authors you will read, just based on their name on the cover. But there's more. I want to know what book of theirs hooked you. AND... I want to know why. Also, I want to know if you've read any good Rookie authors recently, and if so, who are they? (Ok, really, I just want to know what new people you've found and love.)Was Welcome To Temptation your first Crusie, and you just couldn't get over that scene on the dock? Do you now wave goodbye and hello to every state as you cross a state line, just like Lena in gods in Alabama (JJ's Rookie book). Or, like me, can you still picture Clayton's hands as he dried Whitney off from her bath, like McNaught wrote in her Rookie book?

So, these four things must be included in your post. 1)What writing vets you read just cuz of their name, 2)What book of that vet hooked you, 3) WHY did that book hook you, and 4) Know any good Rookies, that you think might one day be Veterans?

Tell Me. And Win.

It's that simple. Oh, and did I mention we will be having a special judge? Well, we will. I'll tell you all about that next week. And the prize? Well, we're giving away a bunch of Rookie books by authors that we're sure are destined for Veteran status. A few of them have been reviewed here (or will be reviewed, as soon as I take a break from NaNo to write up the reviews). Plus, as a special treat, I'm going to include the Rookie books of a few of my favorite Veteran authors. I'll have a complete list posted on the day the contest closes. See, I don't want you to enter just because you're getting cool FREE books. I want you to enter and tell me who makes your head turn, and what it was about those books that turned that head.

Post your comments on THIS POST, or send us an e-mail at deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net Contest will run from when this is posted until next Saturday, 11/18/2006, at 11:59 Eastern time.

Now... Spill your guts.

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And Finally - The WINNERS

Thank you all so much for being patient with me while I recover from my oral surgery. I'm not quite 100% but I'm getting there, and the stitches should come out Wed!!!

There was a tie in the voting process, so I put both names down on a piece of paper, put them in a hat and drew for the winner of the Jennifer Scales books, best I could do with a tie.

Lucy you have won a signed copy of Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace and Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi

Sheri you have won a signed copy of braced2bite by Serena Robar

Angela you have won a signed copy of a YA Paranormal book by Gena Showalter

Congratulations you three! Please e-mail me your snail mail addy to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net and I will forward it on to the authors so they may send them out (with the exception of the Jennifer Scales, I will send them out since I have them).

I also still need the winners of the Playing With Fire contest to e-mail me at deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net your snail mail addy's so I can order the books and have them sent your way.

I will be posting a review today and several more in the days to come. So stay tuned. I also think Dee is working on an ultra-cool contest for this month AND doing NaNo! So if you get the time, click her name over there and leave her good vibes on the NaNo thing. I wanted to do it this year, but with the surgery and a million PTO things going on this month, there was no way I'd be able to write, sigh.

Congrats again to the winners!!! The readers here at Dee&Dee are the BEST!

Take Care

Bring In The Judges!!

Okay Lovelies, the time has come to pick the winners for this months contest! The mini-contest had two entries, and since I just can't choose, both of them will receive a copy of Playing With Fire by the beautiful Gena Showalter . Lucy and Christina please send your snail mail address to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net and I'll get the copies sent out!

Contest Entries:

Linda - I think I would like to be able to read peoples thoughts. And I don't think I would mind a bit being a Vampire. Like in the Argeneau series. gurrr especially if I got to be life mates with a hunky loving McDreamy Vamp. (I had to let Linda know, if I was a vampire, I'd want Eric from The Dead Series, hubba-hubba)

Lucy - For a superpower, I would like to disappear from the current location and then be able to astral travel to somewhere else.

Kim - I might like to fly. I'd like to be a shapeshifter that could morph into a bird or Pegasus or something.

Kay (Gret) - ... for the "superhero thing", it's kind of a cross between quite a few of the X-Men powers. Mind Reading- Xavier; Power Sucking- Rogue; ShapeShifting- Mystique. All put into one. I just think that those ones are pretty cool. (Um, me too, I would never be able to pick just one, give 'em all to me!)

Cheryl - I think a superpower trait I would like would be the ability to read minds. Perhaps, knowing what someone is thinking ahead of time would give me a chance to thwart bad intentions.

Christina - Asking me to choose just one paranormal feature or creature is just mean! I think some kind of were animal would be good because they probably have killer metabolisms and weight wouldn't be an issue, Can you imagine being able to eat all the chocolate you wanted and never gain weight? Then there is the super strength thing, being able to pick up your furniture to vacuum would be awesome. Perhaps a psychic turned werewolf? Then I would have super mental powers as well as the stuff I already talked about. And as much fun as flying would be, a were canary just doesn't have the same ring as werewolf.

Robin - Playing With Fire was a great book and I would LOVE to have the powers in that book! Control of the elements - wow. (I know. My kids watch this cartoon Avatar and he is master of all the elements, I am so hooked on that show it isn't even funny!)

Angela - My favorite super power would probably telekinesis.

Jordan - ..."invisibility". When I asked why she came up with a couple of answers: 1) It would be great to be able to play tricks on your friends!2)New way not to be late for class--if you are invisible you can usually go through walls so you could just slip into class late and appear in your chair!

Sheri - Super powers, eh? I think I would like to be able to shape shift. I have always loved horses and I think it would be so cool to be ale to change into a horse... Just picture it: high mountain meadow, wildflowers spilling over the hills on every side, a bubbling creek running through the middle of it. At the edge of the trees stands a wild horse. Sunlight glistens off her golden hide as she surveys the open space before her. Head up, she tests the gentle breeze that blows gently through her white mane, alert to any danger. Satisfied that she is safe, she steps delicately into the meadow. Thirstily, she dips her muzzle into the stream, blowing and snorting as the cold water tickles her nostrils. Having drank her fill, she nibbles at the succulent blades of grass, a mouthful here, a morsel there. The wind shifts and she raises her head, ears twitching, alert to a hidden danger. With a squeal she wheels away from the creek and gallops swiftly into the safety of the forest, and she is gone...

Hmmmm....That would be me, all right! But I would only want to be a wild horse--no saddles for me!!

I would also want to be able to shift into ANY shape--how cool would THAT be?! Just think, I could literally be that "fly on the wall" everyone always talks about! Or the stapler on the desk--who would suspect a stapler of being able to spy?!! It could be fun!

Whitney - The paranormal trait I would most want to have is telepathy so that I could communicate with my extremely adorable boyfriend all the time and we wouldn't run up minutes on the cell phone bill. Maybe then I could get my cell phone back...


And that, my dear readers, is all of the entries! Dee and I aren't picking the winners, so as soon as the winners are e-mailed to me, I'll post them and arrange for the books to be sent!

Thanks for entering our contest this month, and I cannot wait to see what we have for next month!

As always...

Take Care

Contest Entries

Hello Dear Readers! I want to thank every one for entering the contest this month, I have been so very excited about it and cannot wait to announce the winners! The following is a list of all entrants for the main contest and the 3 winners will be announced on Tuesday.

Robin Snodgrass
Angela
Jordan
Cherry Red
Kay (Gret)
L. Salterbach
Linda
Cheryl
Christina
Sheri
Whitney

If I have missed anyone, please send me an e-mail to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net or comment on this post by tomorrow, Monday October 30 by Noon and I'll make sure you get added. Thank You again to every one who entered. The judges will be contacted and the three winners will be chosen by them. With so many great books up for grabs, I thought it would be better to get some third parties in!

As for the mini-contest , I only had two entries (see, catchy titles are tough) so BOTH of the entrants will receive a copy (unsigned) of Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter . Lucy and Christina, if you would please send your snail mail address to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net I will get the books ordered and out to you! Thanks for entering!

Stay tuned for the winners on Tuesday!

Take Care