Corsets, Kisses and Kleypass Contest Winnters

And the winners are
I'll be contacting the winners later today for mailing instructions

Book Beginnings and Friday 56- Assassins in Love by Kris DeLake

Book Beginnings is a weekly MeMe hosted by A Few More Pages every Friday.


To Participate:

• Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments below. 
• Include the author and the title so we know what you are reading. 
• If you like, share your first impressions of the book based on the first line and let us know if you liked or didn't like the sentence.
• Share your link at A Few More Pages

My Friday Book Beginnings comes from a book I've been reading this week:  Assassins in Love by Kris DeLake 

Hands Fumbling, Fingers Shaking, Head Aching, Rikki leaned one shoulder against the wall, blocking the view of the airlock controls from the corridor.  Elio Testrial leaned against the wall at her feet. She hoped he looked drunk.  

Friday Fifty Six (56)

Is a weekly MeMe hosted by Freda's Voice. To Play along:

• Grab the book closest to you, not your favorite but what's closest
• Turn to page 56 
• Find the Fifth (5th) sentence and post it to your blog, or if like an additional sentence or two. 
• If you don't have a blog, post your sentence in the comments below.

My Friday 56 is also from Assassins In Love by Kris DeLake: 

Which Mischa hadn't finished paying her for, even though she had reminded him as she left the suite.  She doubted he would ever pay her now.  The last part of the payment and expenses were probably never going to arrive in her account.

So what are your Book Beginnings and Friday 56 this week?

Waiting on Wednesday - Oracle Moon

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights 

upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This weeks pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is :  Oracle's Moon (A Novel of the Elder Races) by Thea Harrison

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra's husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister's two young children - neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid - driven by his genuine caring for the children - has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace's impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace's life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her - and offer her more than a mortal man...

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Want to participate?  Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog and leave your link below, or if you don't have a blog, leave it below in the comments.  

Teaser Tuesday - Assassins in Love

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be Careful Not to Include Spoilers (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser.

My Teasers: Assassins in Love by Kris DeLake     

She Walked Away From Him, Her Heart Pounding.  She had never felt like this.  She was furious with him - had been furious at him throughout the entire waltz - and yet she wanted to kiss him, to go under the stairs and pull off that delicious coat he wore, and find the muscles underneath.

Assassins in Love 

When one killer falls for another

Agent: Misha

Profile: Highly trained in every method the assassins guild has to offer. Always goes by the book.

Agent: Rikki
Profile: Rogue assassin who kills only to rid the world of hardened criminals. Hates organizations. Always does it her way.

Love becomes a matter of life and death

Misha's mission is to get Rikki to join the guild or give up her guns. He completely underestimated the effect she would have on him...and what heat and chaos they could bring to each other...

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesday post, or if you don't have a blog, share your "teaser" in the comments below.  Thanks for playing along!

Musing Mondays - Feb 20, 2012

Musing Mondays is a weekly Meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  
This weeks musing asks: 


What is the last book that you learned something from? What book was it, and what did it teach you?

I really had to think about this question because most of the books I read are read for the sole purpose of enjoyment.  I have learned a few things about society as a whole from the historical books I've read and have also learned about different contraception methods over time.  Overall though I have to admit that most of the books I've read really don't teach me a lot and can't think of any specifically that have.  


Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post or share your answer in the comments below if you don't have a blog.  


Thank you!

The Sunday Salon - Catching Up On Stuff on Sunday

The Sunday Salon is a weekly event where bloggers gather with a favorite beverage in a cozy room and reflect on the previous week.                              

I had a really busy week at work this week and on top of that the weather has been really strange - warmer than usual.  Then a winter storm blew into town and we got some snow - not enough to stay home but I did end up staying home because I got sick and managed to catch up on some shows I'd recorded on the DVR.


The blog was busy this week with the Love is in the Air Blog Hop and with the  Corsets, Kisses & Kleypas Blog Hop - don't forget to enter.  


I also realized that it's been a while since I actually posted a review on here, a major fail on my part, which I intend to fix as soon as I can.  


Since my theme seems to be on catching up on things, I have totally gotten hooked on The Lost Girl, a new show on the SyFy Channel.  It's a little campy and maybe a little cheesy, but it's also brilliant, fun and I would even say sexy.  It's definitely not a show for little kids but I definitely give it a thumbs up and have added it to my series recordings on Uverse.  While I'm not a fan of a lot of the shows on that network, some of them are just so over the top, when I find something good, I have to give them a shout out for getting it right.  I love this paranormal show featuring a kick-butt heroine with identity issues. 

Gotten hooked on any new shows?  What have you added to your recording list lately?

Corsets, Kisses and Kleypas Blog Hop

Welcome to one of the stops on the Corsets, Kisses & Kleypas Blog Hop hosted by Under the Covers Book Blog and Lisa's Divas celebrating the upcoming release of Rainshadow Road by New York Times Bestseller Lisa Kleypas.  

Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, Book 2) Release Date February 28, 2012

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy’s own sister. Lucy's bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger. Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses. Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life—even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful. 


For a Sneak Peak of Lucy and Sam's first meeting

Rainshadow Road - The Trailer

Book Beginnings and Friday 56- Prior Bad Acts

Book Beginnings is a weekly MeMe hosted by A Few More Pages every Friday. 

To Participate:

• Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments below.  
• Include the author and the title so we know what you are reading.  
• If you like, share your first impressions of the book based on the first line and let us know if you liked or didn't like the sentence.
• Share your link at A Few More Pages 

I've been on a Suspense/Mystery kick for a couple of days and going through my TBR pile and My Book Beginnings comes from:

                                                       

Prior Bad Actsby Tami Hoag. 


"He knew before he entered the house that day that something was very wrong".   

Friday Fifty Six (56)

Is a weekly MeMe hosted by Freda's Voice.  To Play along:

• Grab the book closest to you, not your favorite but what's closest
• Turn to page 56  
• Find the Fifth (5th) sentence and post it to your blog, or if like an additional sentence or two.  
• If you don't have a blog, post your sentence in the comments below. 

My Friday 56 is also from  Prior Bad Actsby Tami Hoag.

Bobby Haas and Liska returned then, and the son handed the father half a glass of water.  Liska gave Kovac a look and nodded toward the door.  They stepped out onto the porch, and Kovac drew the door shut behind them.  


So what's your Friday Book Beginning and Friday 56?
 

Rainshadow Road - The New Trailer

As I eagerly anticipate this upcoming book I stumbled across a new trailer - and I love it!

 

 

I think the music is just perfect and it definitely makes me think that Rainshadow Road is someplace I want to visit!

Don't forget to come back on Saturday for the blog hop!

 

Waiting on Wednesday - The Seduction of Phaeton Black

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.  




This week's pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:


The Seduction of Phaeton Black (Phaeton Black, Paranormal Investigation Book 1)   


In the gaslit streets of Victorian London, phantoms rule the night, demons dance till dawn, and one supernatural detective dares to be seduced by the greatest power of all…

He’s The Man With The Magic Touch

A master of deduction, seduction and other midnight maneuvers, Phaeton Black is Scotland Yard’s secret weapon against things that go bump in the night. His prodigious gifts as a paranormal investigator are as legendary as his skills as a lover, his weakness for wicked women as notorious as his affection for absinthe. But when he’s asked to hunt down a fanged femme fatale who drains her victims of blood, he walks right into the arms of the most dangerous woman he’s ever known…

She’s The Devilish Miss Jones

Pressing a knife to his throat—and demanding he make love to her—Miss America Jones uses Phaeton as a willing shield against the gang of pirates chasing her. As deadly as she is, with a derringer tucked in her garter, Miss Jones is not the vampiric killer he’s been staking out—but she may be just what Phaeton needs to crack the case. As the daughter of a Cajun witch, she possesses uncanny powers. As a fearless fighter, she can handle anything from Egyptian mummies to Jack the Ripper. But when an ancient evil is unleashed on the world, she could be his only salvation…or ultimate sacrifice. 

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Want to participate? Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog and leave your link below or if you don't have a blog, leave it below in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday - The Price of Temptation

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading.  Anyone can play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be Careful Not to Include Spoilers (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author too so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser

My Teasers:  

 "Why yes, I went with Countess Elizabeth last week".  

  Countess Elizabeth? Not his mother! Sinjon's eyes shot to her placid profile.      

The Price of Temptation

Lady Evelyn Renshaw is married to England's most notorious traitor...
Or is she?

No one has seen Lord Philip alive for months. The Crown wants to hang him. The ton wants to know if Evelyn is as guilty as her husband, and Philip's enemies expect Evelyn to pay the price for her husband's sins.

Captain Sinjon Rutherford has troubles of his own. He needs a place to hide while he proves himself innocent of some very nasty charges. The Crown offers assistance, but only if Sinjon helps them uncover the truth about Evelyn's part in her husband's treason. He's planted as a spy in her household, disguised as a servant. But Sinjon is no footman...and he doesn't have time to fall in love with the enigmatic Evelyn, but the lady needs a strong protector, and a lover.

And it seems the lady has some dark secrets of her own, secrets that can get them both killed...

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or if you don't have a blog share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here. Thanks for playing along!

Relaxing Sunday

Have a nice relaxing Sunday.  I wish I could be here.

Quote It Saturday

Quote It Saturday is a weekly MeMe hosted by Freda's Voice.
Please feel free to grab the button and create your own post, or if you don't have a blog, you can leave your quote in the comments below.


Add as many quotes as you wish,from whom ever you wish.  It can even be the lyrics of a song or a line from a movie.  Just tell us who the quote is from.  Anonymous are welcome too.  


"To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing, and one does not see anything until one sees it's beauty." from An Ideal Husband by by Oscar Wilde.


"To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage" by Lao-Tzu.


"The story of a love is not important - what is important is that one is capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity." by Helen Hayes


What's your Quote It Saturday?

Love Is In The Air Blog Hop - 2012

Welcome to the Love is in the Air Blog Hop being hosted by Under the Covers Book Blog.  All of the prizes will be book related, nothing is better than getting something to do with books for a book lover over Valentine's Day.  

I'm doing an International giveaway and will be giving one winner their choice of either an Amazon Gift Card for $10 

or their choice of book from The Book Depository (as long as they can ship to your country).

Since the topic of the hop is love, I thought I'd share a clip from one of my favorite romantic movies.  This scene always makes me smile.

Musing Mondays - February 6, 2012

Musing Mondays is a weekly Meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  To play along you just post your answer to her question of the day.

Today's Muse wants to know:

Did you do any reading in lieu of watching the football game, yesterday, or were you foregoing reading to watch the game? If you read a book (or books) what did you choose?

 

I didn't do any reading during the game and I didn't really watch the game either. HBO had been running their "Game of Thrones" recap, where they showed all of the first season's episodes, and I found myself glued to the screen watching that instead. It really is a well done show and I can't wait for the next season to start in April.

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post or if you don't have your own blog, share your answer below in the comment section. 

RELAX AND WATCH THE GAME

Today I plan to relax and watch the game!                Enjoy the day off!

I'm really interested in seeing the new commercials this year.  I don't think anyone is going to beat my favorite from last year.

Have fun!

Audio Book Review - Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Book Title: Chasing Fire
Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, Inc.
Read By: Rebecca Lowman  
Release Date: April 3, 2012


Book Blurb: 

Little else in life is as dangerous as fire jumping. Flying past towering pillars of smoke, parachuting down to the edge of an all-consuming blaze, shoveling and sawing for hours upon hours, days at a time, all to hold the line and push back against the raw power of Mother Nature. But there’s also little else as thrilling — at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are one of the most exclusive firefighting squads in the nation, and the job is in Rowan’s blood: her father is a legend in the field. She’s been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home — even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air. 

Fortunately, this year’s rookie crop is among the strongest ever — and Gulliver Curry’s one of the best. He’s also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids’ arcade. He came to Missoula to follow in the footsteps of Lucas “Iron Man” Tripp, yet he’s instantly more fascinated by his hero’s daughter. Rowan, as a rule, doesn’t hook up with other smoke jumpers, but Gull is convinced he can change her mind. And damn if he doesn’t make a good case to be an exception to the rule. 

Everything is thrown off balance, though, when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year’s tragedy. Rowan knows she can’t complicate things with Gull — any distractions in the air or on the ground could be lethal. But if she doesn’t find someone she can lean on when the heat gets intense, her life may go down in flames.

My Review: 

This is first audio book I've listened to in a while.  I used to enjoy audio books but then for some reason I stopped listening to audio books.  When Audible.com ran a deal on subscribing, I decided to give audio books a chance again and I'm glad I did.  Listening to a book can be a very enjoyable experience if both the material being read and the narrator are well suited.

Rowan Tripp is everything you would expect for a contemporary thriller type story; she's tall, well built, and dedicated to her demanding and dangerous career.  As the only child of Lucas "Iron Man" Tripp, she's carrying on the family tradition of being a smoke jumper, firefighters who jump out of airplanes and deal with large forest fires.  She's a pragmatic character, used to facing danger in her job and keeping her emotions at bay, in her own words she's got " a mean temper, a low bullshit threshold, and a passion for fighting fire".   Abandoned by her mother when she was a baby, Rowan keeps people at arms length and is only emotionally close with her father.  She doesn't believe in long term relationships or on getting close to others.

Determined to become a smoke jumper, Gulliver "Gull" Curry, has finished training and impressed everyone with his performance.  Strong, handsome and rich, Gull is a man who is in touch with who he is and what he wants and when he meets Rowan, he decides she's what he wants.  Finding out she's "Iron Man's" daughter makes him want her even more, he's admired Lucas Tripp for a while.

As the fire season begins, the team finds itself the target of a vandal.  When Rowan becomes the vandal's target, it's clear this season is going to be more dangerous than any of them thought.  As Rowan and Gull try solving the mystery of who is sabotaging the team, tensions increase and two burned bodies are found.  As the stakes climb higher and higher, Rowan and Gull will have to lean on each other to stay ahead of an arsonist hiding out on their team.  Will they be able to survive to the end of the summer?  You'll have to listen to Chasing Fire to find out.   I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns

Waiting on Wednesday - Fair Game

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which highlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication

"can't-wait-to-read" selection is

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs              

Release Date: March 6, 2012                

From the Publisher:

They say opposites attract.  And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate.  The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American Werewolves, Charles is a dominant Alpha.  While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm the others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity.  Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case.  They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves- all of them were.  Someone is targeting their kind.  And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights.

Sounds great doesn't it?

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Want to participate? Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave your link below!  Or if you don't have a blog, leave your WoW entry in the comments