Thank you all for stopping by, and for your imaginative responses. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for another interview & contest from a favorite author of mine :)

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2.9. donnas
3.7. Eugenia Tibbs
4.17. limecello
5.8. AliseOnLife
6.16. Liza
7.32. Marianna
8.25. Skyla11377
9.4. Kara
10.3. Natalie
11.13. jeanette8042
12.5. elaing8
13.18. Pamela SpazP
14.12. Estella
15.24. orannia
16.31. Stella
17.2. Sayuri
18.29. CrystalGB
19.1. MsM
20.6. Wulfie
21.20. Twimom227
22.22. I Love Book Gossip
23.10. smokinhotbooks
24.23. tetewa
25.11. LSUReader
26.33. layla418
27.19. Kaye Manro
28.28. Kelly M.
29.30. SiNn
30.21. Barbara
31.26. SusiSunshine
32.27. All the Wiser
33.14. van_pham
34.34. heatwave16

Labels: winner

Labels: healthcare

Labels: reviews

Okay. I will admit it. I love the Backstreet Boys. There. I've said it. And no, I'm not ashamed. I'm NOT. Though it's been years since I've bought one of their CD's, I still crank up the radio whenever a BSB song comes on the radio. I can't help it. They're catchy and lyrical, and this album, "Never Gone" got so much play from me it's not even funny. I freakin' LOVED it.

Labels: guilty pleasures

From the national bestselling author whose stories are "exhilerating [and] action-packed" (Midwest Book Review) comes a sinfully sexy novel of romantic suspense about a woman whos psychic gift drives away the man she loves - and years later draws him back to her...

LOVE LOST

As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn't understand - except for Cullen Morgan, the boy who stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered - and he couldn't forgive Taige for not preventing her death.

PASSION FOUND

Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED

Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can't help but wonder whether - if they find his daughter in time - it isn't too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them...

Once again, I am blown away by a story Shiloh Walker has written. It sounds almost negative, doesn't it, to say that I was predictably impressed with another one of her books, but well, it's the truth. I can't help it if I love them so much. I just do.

Taige Branch had always felt alone and unwanted since her parents died. Living with her God-fearing, disapproving uncle, she has had to learn to fend for herself, even against those bigger and stronger than her who thought she was an easy target. One night when she comes across some guys looking for trouble, it looks like she's finally found herself in a situation she cannot overcome, and it looks pretty bad. Just when the helpless frustration and desperation set in, someone comes along and saves her from being raped. That someone is Cullen Morgan.

Cullen has noticed Taige around, senses her loneliness and is drawn to her sad beauty. But she won't give him the time of day. Not until he comes across her being attacked, and fortunately manages to get to her before it's too late. It would have devastated Cullen to see anything happen to the brave, stoic girl he can't stop thinking about. She's unlike anyone he's ever known before.

From that point on, whenever Cullen and his family come to Alabama for vacation, Taige and Cullen are pretty much inseparable, and what started out as infatuation soon blossoms into a passionate and intense love. No other boy has ever made Taige feel special, or that she was worth something. But Cullen is different. He values her as a person, loves her as a woman, and even accepts the unusual gift she's had for as long as she can remember. Because of all that, she knows in her heart that he is the only man for her.

But then something horrible happens to Cullen's murder, and though there was nothing Taige could have done to prevent it, Cullen still blames her because she had an ability that could have done something to save her, and he cannot forgive her for that.

Years later, Taige is now someone who, by using her unique abilities, can find people who have been kidnapped, mostly children. Despite the terrible way things had ended between her and Cullen, she uses that experience to turn it into something that could be considered meaningful. Cullen has always regretted the way he handled things with Taige, but he never forgot about her. In fact, he's been keeping an eye on her over the years, and he knows his harsh words drove her to become this driven stranger who finds missing people for a living. He just never thought he'd ever need to come to her for help, but when his precious daughter is taken, there's nowhere else he can turn. Taige has to find his daughter...

My thoughts:

Labels: reviews, Shiloh Walker

Go wish her well :)

Labels: blog hopping

From Booksamillion.com:

The television series BONES is a crime drama that mixes elements of forensic science, romance, and comedy to excellent effect. Centered on the relationship between forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (played by Emily Deschenel) and FBI special agent Seely Booth (played by David Boreanaz), BONES is a hard-hitting, action-packed show marked by fine writing, acting, and direction. The episodes of the first season are collected here on DVD.

So yeah, so far I'm lovin' it. Season 1 is almost over and I'm tempted to put the reason of the seasons in my queue, but I will hold off...for now. But if the rest are anything like season 1, they will be worth the wait :)

Do you watch Bones?

Have a favorite season? (no spoilers please!)

Labels: television

Before I start my letter, I would like to give some credit to a few people who made this all happen. First off, there was Katiebabs, who forwarded an email from Kassa, who came up with the idea in the first place. And also to EH who created this fabulous blog button. LOVE IT. And last but not least to all the other bloggers who participated, and whose blogs I've visited and enjoyed over the last few weeks, and the others still to come. I've come across several amazing blogs and wonderful recommendations - some of which have been added to my list because I've been so intrigued by them - and my credit card weeps with fear now.

Now on to the main event....

Dear Ms. Shiloh Walker:

The first book of yours I'd ever read was an Elloras Cave release by the name of Touch of Fire, which, according to Books-a-Million, was released in July 2004. Even then, you wrote such a heartbreaking story that I ached from it, but it was the good kind of ache, like right after you exercise, or in this case, when your heart is fully engaged in the story and you never want to leave it.

Since then, I've read the majority of your books, most notably the Hunters series, which has always been sexy and dangerous and often poignant, and which always leads me to coming back for more of this haunting world. It boggles the mind how prolific you are as a writer, considering how young you are and how long you've been a published author, yet if anything, it is a fact that makes this reader exceptionally happy, because there always seems to be yet another story I find I haven't read yet, and that makes me feel like a kid at Christmas. There's nothing like knowing a favorite author has stories in publication that I haven't read yet. It's truly a beautiful thing.

I know that I am a failure as a reader in that I have trouble distinguishing the majority of most of the various author voices from one another, but in your case, that has never been a problem for me. When I read one of your books, there is no doubt in my mind that you have set yourself apart from other writers by "speaking" strictly from your own distinct POV. It's not anything obvious that I can explain, but there's a way you phrase your words that tends to call strongly to me as a reader. Does that make sense? In other words, there's just something about the way you write that affects me in almost a visceral manner, and it's rare that I don't have some type of strong emotional reaction to one of your stories. Most of the time, I cannot stay disconnected when I read a Shiloh Walker book. To me, that is the secret of your success.

At the risk of not sounding very stalker-ish, I will admit that there have been uncommon instances when a story went in a different direction than I would have liked, and some of your choices haven't always sat 100% well with me, but those instances are miniscule, and overall, you have provided me with untold hours of reading pleasure, and even the very few times a story hasn't completely moved me cannot even compare to all I've gained from reading your amazing stories. I am almost as thrilled as you are to see others so enthralled by your stories. To date, my absolute favorite book of yours would have to be Fragile, followed closely by The Missing (which I'd just finished this weekend) and I am really, REALLY looking forward to your fan favorite, Broken, sequel to Fragile. It fills me with anticipation to know I still have new Shiloh Walker stories to savor and sigh over.

I love that though you are most known to me for your paranormals, you've also written historical stories and some straight-up contemporaries, which tend to be my favorites, because you focus solely on the characters and their needs. These are the stories I like to re-read most, and also because they are beautifully erotic and edgy, which I love.

I've also been extremely lucky to have met you on several occasions, and for the most part I think I've been fairly rational and non-scary (though I'm sure you could take me out with one solid kick so why would you worry?), and I look forward to seeing you again next month at the get-together,where I will continue to behave in a mature and calm manner *g*

I dearly hope that you continue to write books for decades to come, and that more readers discover and fall in love with your stories just like I have.

Most sincerely from your (worst) stalker,

Stacy ~

And check out Nicola's blog tomorrow for her author letter :)

Labels: Shiloh Walker

I WANT!

Labels: Simone Elkeles

(gorgeous blog button created by Sagi!)

• if a sexy vampire offered to take you away from a life of bills, dirty dishes, and not enough time to read, and all you had to do is let him bite you and turn you into a vampire, would you do it?


• Which vampire would you want as your sire?
  
  

Can't wait to see those answers *g*

Labels: contest

So we've come to the 3rd and final installment of my interview with JA Saare. It's been a wonderful experience having her here, and I'm sad to see it come to an end, but I cannot wait to meet her in June! Squee! Something to look forward to :)

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Labels: author interviews, JA Saare

Jaime: I'm a huge James McAvoy fan and absolutely ADORE Chris Evans. Inspiration...hmm...Chris Evans is what Caleb (hero in Crimson Moon) looks like but I wouldn't say he inspired him. Most of my characters don't look anything like any celebrity I can envision.

"The Slip" NIN logo

Tomorrow I'll post the 3rd and final installment of my interview with JA Saare, and then later in the afternoon I'll post a contest for a copy of Dead, Undead, or Somewhere In Between. Stay tuned for your chance to win :)

Labels: author interviews, JA Saare

First off, I have to give a shout-out to my girls Mandi and Bells for introducing me to this amazing author. These ladies pimped her book - Dead, Undead, Or Somewhere In Between - left & right, and right from the start, I was hooked - and knew that I just had to meet this hot Disco dude.

The next thing I have to say is that Jaime is my idea of the perfect interviewee: she answers all the questions (even when I told her she didn't have to) with flair and good gossip. She definitely has a fun and imagative personality, and we, the readers & fans, reap the benefits from her books.

But enough about what I think. Let's get to what the adorable and sassy Jaime Saare has to say....

S~ Jaime, I recently finished reading your story Dead, Undead and Somewhere In Between and loved it, and especially enjoyed the character of Rhiannon. Is she based on any person, real or fictional, or a combination of many personalities?

Jaime: Rhiannon, for me, is someone who most people would like to be. She cocky, she loud, she’s brash, and depending on who you are, she doesn’t care what you think. She not based off of someone I know, although I have to say that her grasp of vulgarity in the English language comes from me.

I know it’s not attractive, but it’s me.

S~ I see you've written a variety of different stories. Where can fans find them, and which ones are in print? Any connected stories?

Jaime: Currently the only story in print is Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between. I am, for all extents and purposes at this time, an e-pub author. You can only purchase Dead in print from Amazon.com but my newest release, Crimson Moon (releases at The Wild Rose Press on June 25th), will be available in print from their site (and possibly will be an early bird special, meaning print will be available sooner than the e-book). [Yay!]

I have a batch of stories at Amira Press, although they are short stories and novellas. The first, A Kiss Before Dying, is a standalone, but Moon Kissed, Soft As Moonlight, and Lick of Frost are intended to be read in that order.

S~ Why vampires? And how did you set your paranormal world for the majority of those out there right now?

Jaime: To be honest, I chose vampires because I’d written Crimson Moon first and the focus in that series was werewolves. I wanted to change things up, so vampires were the obvious choice. As far as worlds go, mine isn’t that complex. I focused mostly on the characters but fully intend to expand the world build in The Renfield Syndrome.

S~ Your taste in music reminds me a lot of my own, especially since I can never resist cranking up a NIN song. Was there a particular song that inspired your fabulous story Dead, Undead and Somewhere In Between?

Jaime: Strangely enough, I didn’t do too much NIN during the creation of Dead. There were some instances where NIN would fit, like when Rhiannon entered the vampire club, RAZOR, and I couldn’t help but imagine “Closer” pulsing through the speakers. For the most part it was M83, a lot of industrial stuff, and some old eighties classics.

S~ Share with us some of your favorites: what was the first romance you ever read? Did it inspire you to write your own stories?

Jaime: My first romance was The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was thirteen (yes, young for romance, but oh well!) and it rocked my little world.

It didn’t inspire me to write my own stories, but it did expand my horizons and allowed a newfound creativity to flourish. I was always someone who enjoyed dark material (ironically enough, just before I read The Flame and the Flower I’d finished Firestarter by Stephen King) so it allowed me to dream up little scenarios where good and evil battled it out and the guy got the girl. I used to refer to these “scenes” as mini-videos in my head, sort of like a MTV without music, using flashing images.

S~ Name some of your pet peeves when you're reading a book: what's a deal breaker for you?

Jaime: How about a hero or heroine who can walk on water or take a bullet to the eye socket and survive…

Okay that’s a bit harsh, but I have to believe that there is a real danger to the characters in a story to invest in it. It’s that entire “no one is safe” rule in reading that I absolutely must have.

S~ How does writing affect your reading? Do you find yourself breaking down sentences and getting frustrated with grammar?

Jaime: I’ll notice things from time to time but, for the most part, when I enjoy a story I don’t pay attention to the little things. That isn’t to say that if a book has a lot of grammatical problems I won’t notice it, but usually it’s not an issue.

S~ Okay it has to be said: you left the readers breathlessly hanging with the ending to Dead. How has the reader reaction been and when can we see the next installment? (Personally I think it was a gutsy move that made me excited for the next story).

Jaime: The ending to Dead… Yeah, that’s a hot topic. What’s funny is, the original ending of Dead was much, MUCH darker and had my mother-in-law (who reads all my stuff) shaking her head and saying, “I don’t like it.” For the first time, I’m going to reveal (on a blog) what the “big” ending USED to be.

A warning, however. There are spoilers, so if you haven’t read Dead, please skip the rest of this answer, AND if you don’t want what are possible spoilers for future installments, please skip ahead!

All set? Okay, here goes. ***SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!***

In the original conception, I knew Disco had to go. From the moment he arrived on the page, his clock was ticking. As the story developed and a romance along with it, I started to fall for him, but I remained true to the vision. I wrote the original ending with Disco dying at the hands of Kibwe versus Paul, and it was an extremely emotional, draining, and very disturbing scene. The gist of it was that Paine arrives in time to see Disco dying in Rhiannon’s arms, Rhiannon blames Paine for not using his gift to circumvent fate, and it left a hell of a lot of tension for the second book (and took things in an entirely new direction) as I’d always envisioned Paine and Rhiannon as a couple and this created their roadblock, if you will.

In retrospect, the “original” ending did exactly what I wanted. It ripped your heart out, left it on the floor, and took the material to a very dark place that left you wondering what would happen next for Rhiannon. However, if my Mom says, “No way,” it’s usually best to listen to her. So I went back, rewrote the ending, and gave Disco a second lease on life.

If there is one thing I can say about me it’s this:

That “no one is safe” rule will apply to anything I write. I can’t seem to help myself sometimes.

END OF SPOILERS!

******

Okay folks, I'm going to stop there and whet your appetite a bit *g* But please come back later today for the 2nd installment of my interview with the sweet and talented JA Saare. And stay turned Friday afternoon for my giveaway, where I will be offering up a copy of Dead, Undead or Somewhere In Between.

Labels: author interviews, JA Saare

Welcome to Destiny, Ohio—where two families have been at odds as long as anyone in town can remember.

However the minute she sets foot back in Destiny, she clashes with the local authorities. See, Rachel has a bit of a hot foot when she's behind the wheel, and Mike Romo won't stand for it, not in Destiny, so he gives her a hefty fine. Finding out that she's a Farris certainly doesn't endear her to him either, so he feels he has even less of a reason to be lenient. Especially when he catches her speeding again.

Rachel cannot believe the nerve of that man! Mike Romo, also known as Officer Romeo in her eyes - which irritates him to no end - is a first class jerk. So she likes to drive fast, so what. There are worse things she could do. But Rachel knows the long-standing feud between their families is what's driving this anomosity between them. It certainly couldn't be some intense, deeply hidden attraction that has her looking forward to exchanging barbs with the blasted man, and if she's seeing sexual heat in his eyes whenever he looks at her, it must be a trick of light. There's no way that a Farris and a Romo could ever hook up and, God forbid, enjoy it. That would go against the laws of nature....

My thoughts:

In book 2 of the Destiny series, Toni Blake has once again written a sexy, intense story about two people who might seem all wrong for each other, but can't help falling in love anyway.

Mike and Rachel have a long family history, even if they never really knew each other growing up in Destiny. But the bad feelings that started with their grandparents has carried over into their own lives, and they can't help but react to it whenever they see each other. yet underneath it all, they both feel a crazy attraction that doesn't make sense. And when it's inevitable that they finally act on it, the results are amazing. Toni writes incredibly sensual and erotic love scenes (shades of Lacey Alexander) and it's sexy how Mike can't keep his hands off Rachel, and how he can't help but see to her pleasure because that turns him on. Rachel is no prude, and has had her fair share of lovers, but none of the men she's ever been with have ever excited her like Mike does, even if she thinks she hates him. It might not make any sense, but their forbidden attraction is what brings them closer together, and has each of them sharing a part of themselves that they don't show to other people.

In addition to being incredibly sexy, Toni has also written an incredibly poignant storyline featuring Mike and his family. I won't give it away here, but suffice it to say, it's something that most likely will make you cry, and it's not something that has a happy ending, a fact that I appreciate because Toni could easily have chosen that path and made everything perfect in the end, but she chose not to, not only because it made complete sense, but also because it wouldn't have been fair to the reader. Sometimes you have to make the tough choices and not try to wash away all the ugliness and unfairness of life, and I believe it was the right thing to do.

Of course this aspect of Mike's life affects him very deeply, and makes it difficult to connect with people. He's gruff and often unapproachable, but in Rachel he finds a woman who is not easily intimidated by his demeanor. She gives as good as she gets, and he respects her for that. Mike can truly be himself around her and not worry that it will drive her away. And once Rachel understands his history, she decides she's not going anywhere. At least not until the Apple Festival is over.

Rachel is dead set on returning back to Chicago because she loves what she's accomplished, and has worked hard to get there. Her insecurities about being replaced by a younger, more ambitious go-getter drive her to stay on top of her game, and even while in Destiny, she can't completely walk away from the Blackberry, no matter how many times her grandmother tries to hide it from her. Even when she starts to fall for Mike, she's not sure she can give up the career for a totally different lifestyle, one she'd gladly ran from years ago. While she misses her friends and family, she's worked so hard to make something of her life, and she worries that if she's not successful, who will take care of her family if she can't. Rachel puts a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, and it has her conflicted about what she really wants.

I loved coming back to Destiny, and though I wish we'd seen a little more of Jenny and Mick, it was nice catching up with some of Rachel's other girlfriends, and hopefully the men they will end up with. It was also a lot of fun getting to know Rachel's grandmother Edna, who proves that you can be old but not dead, and her candid opinions and comments are hilarious. We discover how the feud between the Romos and the Farrises started back all those years ago, and we learn forgiveness can be a very good thing. Sugar Creek is a lovely place to visit and I can't wait to return.

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****

Labels: reviews, Toni Blake

Labels: awards

Labels: movies

A real estate developer moves his family from Chicago to Oregon when his job calls for him to oversee the building of a major housing development. But when his latest project threatens the homes of the local forest creatures, the animals seek revenge by turning a peaceful cul-de-sac under construction into a battlefield of epic proportions. It's man versus nature and the fur is gonna fly!

Winter never looked so good ;)

Labels: bookcovers

****SPOILERS****SPOILERS****SPOILERS****SPOILERS****

I'm sure I drive other readers nuts, always picking on issues that others can easily let slide. But sometimes a particular scene or event occurs and I just cannot keep it to myself any longer. I get the overwhelming urge to vent about it. Such as the case with this book. Feel free to ignore me.

I won this book on Twitter about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and since I'd seen some really great reviews about it, I was excited to read it. I haven't been reading a lot of historicals lately, so this really got me ready to get back to the genre I've loved for so long. I was even more thrilled to read it because it sounded delightfully naughty, and that was right up my alley with the kind of mood I was in. It had shades of the forced seduction, which I know is a hot button for a lot of readers, and depending upon how it's written, I can take it or leave it. I was hoping to take it.

The book starts out really well, with a wicked night between the wrong sister and the hero. Charlotte "Charlie" Fallon wakes up and finds herself rather snug - and very naked - in bed with Sir. Michael Bayard, who believes she's his new mistress, and has already taken his pleasure of her. Ooooh, yes, I was loving how wrong this was. Charlotte protests, realizing that Bay has mistaken her for another woman, but he's not having it, and proceeds to take his pleasure of her again. And this time Charlotte cannot help herself as he so convincingly persuades her to enjoy his body and all the benefits that go along with it. The man has mad bedroom skills.

This proceeds for some time, and I'm enjoying the book, although by this point it's gone from steamy goodness to a rather tepid, whimsical mood, but whatever. We're experiencing more of the witty banter between the two characters and applauding Charlie's fiesty rejoinders, which Bay seems to take complete delight in. I'm resigned to the realization that the rest of the story shall proceed in such a fashion, without any more of the explicit carnality I was rather hoping for, given the plot. Oh well, still an enjoyable if rather light, lukewarm reading experience. Admittedly, I didn't feel very connected to the characters, and really, if they all would have died from the fever, I probably wouldn't have mourned their loss for long. This initially frustrated me, feeling as if I wasn't able to really care for either Charlie or Bay, however I soon accepted the fact that this book was not going to cause me to form a strong emotional attachment to it.

Then, something happens. Bay's ex-wife? - no, more like his not-wife, as they were never really married since her first husband wasn't really dead - Anne, shows up. She's now widowed, and decides she wants a baby, and propositions Bay to do the honors, however he refuses her quite firmly. At one time, he would have died to give her a child, to be a part of her life, but Bay no longer is trapped in her thrall. However she's convinced he's the one for the task of knocking her up. And see, well, non-wifey dear is a bit of a loose cannon after suffering at the hands of her first husband - who we get the impression treated her brutally for going off and marrying Bay in the first place, even though they all believed he was dead - so Anne decides she's going to have Bay's baby whether he agrees or not. So she kidnaps him. Drugs him. Ties him naked to a bed. And then, essentially, she rapes him.

The hero has been raped. How, you say? How can a man be raped? Well, let's look at the facts as they present themselves. Woman (rapist) wants a baby, so she needs a man's sperm. The man isn't interested in having sex with the woman so she goes to great lengths to ensure his cooperation. He has to become aroused to have sex, and one way to arouse an unwilling man is to force him to respond, so she has him kidnapped and drugged so that he cannot escape. Because a man can get turned on by a slight breeze, the woman uses her skills as his previous lover to get him hard, which admittedly doesn't take much, and she is smug with her success, subsequently jumping on his erection and riding her way - and his - to the finish line, because the most effective way to get a woman pregnant is to have a man ejaculate inside her. What? That sounds suspiciously like an orgasm. Well yes, in fact, he does come inside her, while thinking of Charlie to get him through it. (This I found most mistasteful).

But then afterwards (it appears it only happened the one time before he gets free) the hero goes about his business as if nothing has happened. No emotional distress, or feelings of being violated. Is it a guy thing? No one will believe he's been assaulted so he toughs it out and pretends it didn't happen, all the while praying to God she's not pregnant? I don't know. Regardless of his reasoning, he goes about his merry way, hooking up once again with Charlie, who'd run from him after she's almost killed by the female rapist, and after more of his effective persuading, takes her away to one of his estates to frolic like dirty dolphins in the sea. All is well with his world again.

Except I wasn't okay with it. As a reader, and as a woman, rationally or not, I feel some type of kinship with the heroine, and not only did I find the fact that the hero's rape was treated as an "unfortunate" event, I also felt like it betrayed the heroine in some fashion. Makes no sense, I get that, but that's how I felt when I first read it, and how I felt later when I re-read to collect my thoughts to write this post. Part of me sympathized with the hero since he had been tied up and drugged, and was unable to escape what happened to him, but another part resented that he was able to enjoy it, even in the most basic, elemental way. But then to have absolutely no real reaction to it afterwards really bothered me. Even if he hadn't really betrayed Charlie - as she was just temporarily his mistress - wouldn't there have been some emotional fallout from "the act"?

And to make matters worse, the bad rapist is still on the loose. Though the hero thought he'd put a tail on her to find out her whereabouts and to keep Charlie safe, no one can find Anne, not until she tracks down Bay and this time with a gun at the ready. He's alone on the beach, and she orders him to strip. Which he reluctantly does, hoping someone will come across them and stop her. Well sure, someone does: it's Charlie. She realizes that what she's seeing is Anne atop Bay as she rides him. So not only does she know about the previous time when Bay had been kidnapped, which was bad enough, but now she has to watch as her lover is acting as a stud for a crazed woman who is bound and determined to get pregnant. Charming. Lady, it's a real shame you had to see your lover with another woman, albeit against his will, but just go with it.

So that concludes my little rant about this otherwise endearing story. I easily could have tamped down my disappointment at the low heat level if I hadn't had to experience the hero's rape not once, but twice, and the heroine's unfortunate witness of the second occurrence. I could have reveled in the clever banter and sweet way they fell in love. Instead, a significant chunk of events puts a taint on the rest of the book for me.

Would I have reacted differently if I hadn't "witnessed" what happened to Bay? Most likely, I have to admit, yes, I probably wouldn't have been as upset. I wouldn't have liked it, but I could have accepted it much more easily. If it happened offstage and was mentioned later, I could have found a way to make it work in my mind. But to watch it happen was disturbing, not just because he had to be aroused, but because he walked away as if nothing happened. In the few reviews I have seen, nothing was mentioned about it, so I feel like I'm overreacting, but the thing is, it bothered me, and I can't shut up about it. Call me a drama queen, because I can be, but I couldn't let this pass without saying something.

Have you read it? What were you thoughts? Am I crazy?

(You don't really have to answer that last one LOL).

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day. No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy. She’s left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she’s managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her – until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire Disco knows her secret, and when he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, she discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

First off, can I say how much I love this cover? It rocks, and I would kill for hair like this.

I'd seen my girls Bells & Mandi chatting about this book numerous times on Twitter, and Bells was crazy in love with this vamp named Disco, so of course my eyes perked up and I knew I had to get myself a copy. I'd also started folloing J.A. Saare on Twitter so her comments had me even more intrigued by this dude. Disco was on my radar.

Labels: JA Saare