One Playing With Three Equals Four Play

I am a big fan of Maya Banks and after reviewing her newest KGI book last month, I was anxiously awaiting the release of her anthology with Shayla Black. But after reading it, what I really want to know is when will they team up again? The combination of their erotic romance stories was electric.

I will admit to blushing at some parts so strongly recommend that only more adventurous readers who enjoy spicy over sweet indulge in this anthology. Others may want to try another book by either author instead (since I love their books, I’d say you couldn’t go wrong in choosing). Both stories involve one woman with three male partners – not for the faint of heart – and hence, the title Four Play.

In the first story by Maya Banks, Pillow Talk, Zoe is in a committed relationship with her sexy fireman Chase. During a little pillow talk, Chase and Zoe share their fantasies; then set out to live their fantasies. This is where their roommates, equally sexy firemen Brody and Tate, become involved because their fantasies involve voyeurism, multiple partners and other more risqué scenarios. But it gets complicated when the other men fall in love with Zoe and a new relationship needs to be defined.

In the second story by Shayla Black, Her Fantasy Men, Kelsey is secretly in love with her three closest male friends – her childhood friend, her dominating boss and her sexy neighbor. Little does Kelsey know that they each want her too. But since her fantasy includes them all, she knows a relationship with any of them will change her relationship with them all and still not fully satisfy her needs. That’s when they set out to seduce her and each succeeds on their own, leaving Kelsey feeling guilty because she cannot choose one over the others. Torn, Kelsey runs away rather than forcing herself to choose one of them. But her fantasy men work out a plan to share her heart… and her body.

Both stories were a delicious indulgence into erotic romance. They were also quick reads that were light-hearted, fun to read, engaging. While there were parts of both stories that were a bit disjointed, and even a little unbelievable, I enjoyed the overall stories enough to ignore the small stuff. WARNING: The sex and sexy dialogue was very graphic. But if you like erotic romance I’d consider this on the top list of reads.

In the erotic romance category, I would give this anthology 4 chocolate dipped strawberries.

Happy Halloween Weekend!

Hello all, hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween weekend. A few of the Guilty Indulgence girls will be at my house to help me pass out candy on Sunday while our husbands take the younger kids around the neighborhood. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays I love to see the kids in all of their different costumes, that's why I love to stay behind and pass out the candy....that and our neighborhood has a LOT of hills. LOL Well I have a "treat" for you adults, I found a new to me author a couple of weeks ago and wanted to tell you about his book.

Home, William Neale, MLR Press, LLC

Lucas Reed is a Cleveland advertising executive who returns to his southern hometown to deal with the sudden death of his estranged homophobic father. There, he unexpectedly encounters Rogan James, the former high school bully and now local deputy chief of police who had once made Lucas's life miserable.
Reacquainted 12 years later, the two finally acknowledge a long held powerful physical attraction that quickly evolves into an even stronger emotional connection.
But all this becomes secondary when a local reporter's secret obsession for Rogan threatens not only the end of their newly found love, but their very lives.

This story starts with Rogan showing up at Lucas's fathers funeral, he has come to pay his respects but also wants to apologize to Lucas for the way that Rogan treated him through high school. Rogan invites Lucas back to his place for a drink and to try and explain why he treated him the way he did back then. Rogan has been in love with Lucas since the first time he saw him and like a lot of boys at that age doesn't know how to deal with those feelings and so he lashes out at Lucas, teasing him and calling him names. Lucas is skeptical of the apology at first but finally accepts that Rogan is being sincere.

Their relationship builds from there and the two together practically burn the pages up(seriously thought my computer was going to overheat)but they each have issues that they need to deal with. Rogan was married and has twins, he is also the deputy chief of police in a small southern town, will admitting his relationship with Lucas cost him his children and his job? Lucas is still not sure that Rogans feelings for him are real and isn't sure that Rogan could handle coming out. Well the coming out part is taken out of both of their hands when a reporter who is secretly in love with Rogan sends pictures of Rogan and Lucas together to Rogans boss and several high ranking public officials.

After the pictures are made public Rogans ex-wife calls and threatens to never let him see his children again, when Lucas hears this he leaves and goes back to Cleveland hoping that by leaving, Rogans life will go back to normal. Rogan gets support from his boss who tells him to take sometime off while he handles the fall out. When Rogan realizes that Lucas has left he goes after him. Rogan explains to Lucas that his wife can't take his kids away because of the custody agreement that he has and that his boss supports him and his job is safe. The two spend the next couple of weeks in Cleveland enjoying being "out" together.

When they return not only do they have to deal with Rogans family and friends ignoring him but Rogans house was broken into and Lucas's life has been threatened. The reporter who outed them wants Lucas out of Rogans life even if he has to take him out himself. While they know all along who is responsible for the pictures and the threats they don't have any proof and can't do anything until Randall actually tries something.

Now in most books, when Randall attemtps to kill Lucas would be the climax and end of the book, but not with this book and I think that's one of the reasons that I liked it so much. This author lets you continue to be a part of Rogan and Lucas's life. You get to see where they go from there. You get to be a part of their life and their love story. It also sets up the next book in the series beautifully....it made me want the next story NOW!!! I can't wait for the next installment in Lucas and Rogans life, and that is why I gave Home, 5 chocolate dipped strawberries.

WELCOME GUEST BLOGGER: JENNIFER ESTEP!!!!

The Guilty Indulgence Bloggers got reacquainted with Jennifer Estep at the 2010 Reader Appreciation Weekend in West Virginia last month. The event was great and she was interesting to talk with so after reading her her first Elemental Assassins novel, Spider's Bite, for our Guilty Indulgence Book Club read, we asked her a bunch of questions and her answers are below. We hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as we did!

1) Why, from the very beginning of Spiders Bite, do you refer to the killer as she? (Tyra thought maybe only women were elementals at first, but that was not the case. So she thought it was odd that you always used a feminine pronoun when referring to people. Not they or them but always she????)

Nope, men can be elementals too in my world. Usually, most folks use “he” when they are talking about an unknown person. I guess it’s the feminist in me, but I just wanted to use “she” instead. That’s all. Plus, Gin figures out pretty early on that the killer is a woman, so it just made sense to use “she” throughout the book.

2) I so totally thought the killer might turn out to be Gin’s little sister for a while too….did you plan it that way?

No, I never planned for Gin’s sister to be the killer in Spider’s Bite. I always knew that Gin’s sister was going to be a straight arrow – a detective, a district attorney, or something like that. Someone who’s dedicated to upholding the law … unlike Gin. LOL. I thought having Gin’s sister be in law enforcement or something like that would make for better and bigger conflict between the two of them – and I think that it has. Hopefully, everyone will agree when they read TANGLED THREADS, the fourth book, which is coming out on April 26.

3) So every time Gin makes one of her sandwiches, I wanna have one of my own! Where do you get these creation ideas? Is there a Gin Blanco Cooks book in the future?

My mom loves to cook, which is something that she’s passed on to me. I’m totally addicted to the Food Network. Plus, I just like writing about food. It’s a lot of fun, and it seems to be something I’m pretty good at, judging from all the e-mails that I receive from readers telling me how hungry they get reading the Elemental Assassin books. LOL.
Some of the recipes are things that my mom or I have made over the years, or that my friends have made. And then some of the food mentioned – like Fletcher Lane’s secret barbecue sauce – exist only in my imagination.
It would be fun to do, but there are no plans for a Gin Blanco cookbook.

4) Are there parts of yourself in Gin?

To a degree. We both love to cook, and we both love to read. I definitely gave Gin some of my own hobbies in that regard. Plus, we’re both Southern girls who love the mountains. I only wish that I was as mentally tough as she was. And I’d definitely love to be able to kick butt like she does, but without all the bloodstains. LOL.

5) Which element would you want to have?

Well, my significant other jokingly says that I have ghoul touch – in other words, my hands are like ice cubes all the time. So I’d have to go with being an Ice elemental just because of that. LOL.

6) This series is a pretty change from your Big Time series (Karma Girl, Hot Mama, Jinxed), why the switch?

I had been wanting to write a book about a female assassin for some time, so darker and grittier definitely seemed the way to go with that kind of story. And writing a character like Gin let me create a really tough heroine, so I wanted to put her in a dangerous world with villains who would challenge her at every turn. Plus, it seems to me like folks are enjoying the darker reads right now, instead of the lighter books. And I just thought it would be fun to try to stretch myself as a writer and do something different from what I had written before. So far, folks really seem to like Gin and all her crazy adventures.

7) What inspires you to write the stories you do? Are there certain genres you enjoy writing more than others?

I like reading stories with a little bit of everything in them – magic, action, danger romance – and those are the kinds of stories that I like writing. Some of my favorite movies are The Princess Bride, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the original Star Wars movies, and the Indiana Jones series, if that tells you anything about my tastes. I definitely like reading and watching a lot of action.

There’s not one genre that I enjoy writing more than another, but I will say that fight scenes are some of my favorite things to write. I love a good fight scene, whether it’s one of my own or one on the big screen. ;-)


8) How do you juggle work and writing? What do you credit as the "secret" to your success?

I work a full-time day job, so I write at night and on the weekends. It’s definitely tough, especially since being an author is more than just writing books. It’s also blogging, booking advertising, doing revisions, and a million other things. It’s a lot of work, but I love doing it.

I would say my secret is working ahead. I’m extremely anal in that I’m always working ahead. That way, if something unexpected was to ever come up (like a project at my day job or a death in the family), then hopefully I would be far enough ahead to put the book stuff on hold while I dealt with the crisis at hand.

9) When you have time, who do you like to read?

I love westerns, so I really like Linda Lael Miller, and I adore Lisa Kleypas’ contemporary romances. For paranormal, I like Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series and Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress books. I also like to read Robin McKinley, Kristin Cashore, Suzanne Collins, Robert Parker, Donald Westlake … I could go on all day!

10) With Halloween days away…does you like scary movies?

I HATE scary movies because, well, they’re scary. LOL. I’ve never liked scary movies. When I was a kid, one of my friends told me about the movie Child’s Play – and just hearing about it creeped me out. To this day, I can’t watch that movie – or any other scary ones. They’re just not for me.

I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy, though.

11) Of course, our final question is always... What is your guilty indulgence?

One of my favorite indulgences is strawberry cheesecake ice cream. And cheese fries. And dark chocolate. And macaroni and cheese. Do I have to have just one? ;-)





CONTEST ALERT!!!


If you would like to own one of Jennifer Estep's books, leave a comment. We will draw names at random for a chance to win one of her books. Entries will be accepted through 8:00am EST Saturday, October 30th. You MUST provide an email addy and be a follower so we can contact you if you win!

Give Me More Gin - Straight Up Please!

What a difference a day makes! Big sigh - the weekend is almost here and it's my favorite time of the year. Halloween rocks in our house! No, we aren't the most decorated house on the block. No, we don't throw big parties. And no, we are NOT going to talk about the time I let the Jack-o-lantern stay on the porch until it rotted down and returned as a large pumpkin vine the following summer! We just happen to really enjoy a holiday that allows us to let our "freak flags fly"! Jack Skellington knew what he was about celebrating Halloween year round - other holidays are fraught with potential disappointments: Christmas, New Years, Birthdays but not Halloween. It's just fun, costumes and candy highs....


Trick or treat? Treat it is then. Today's review highlights newly released third in Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series, Venom. Readers who enjoyed the first two books in this series will have their love cemented by this latest installment, the strongest by far. More of the same witty repartee, action packed fight sequences and, finally, some lovin' for tender hearted, stone cold killer Gin!

At the end of Web of Lies, book two in the series, Donovan Caine cuts bait and runs away from his tormented feelings for Gin, his moral opposite. Bruised but not broken, in Venom Gin continues life as she knows it: running the Pork Pit, supporting her friends, considering her retirement. Like a bad penny, the creepy giants who support the uber evil Mab Monroe manage to find Gin in the college parking lot one night and nearly beat her to death because she doesn't want to risk exposing her elemental gifts. First detective on the scene happens to be...the Spider's long lost sister, Bria. What a quandary - how precisely does an assassin reunite successfully with the po-po sibling sent to replace Donovan Caine?

Before she can make a decision that big, Gin gets forced out of retirement again when vamp nightclub owner Rosalyn Phillips requires her services to rid herself of a stalker, Mab's giant thug Eliot Slater. Horrified and riddled with guilt that she caused the pair to meet after her first assassination attempt on the mining tycoon in Web of Lies, Gin agrees to kill the sadistic Slater. During her planning phase, Gin also manages to save sister Bria from an attempt on her life with little thanks. Unfortunately for Gin, the best laid plans of mice and men and assassins often goes astray. Thanks to the support of her best friends, Finn and the Devereaux sisters, Gin manages once and for all to stop the scumbag Slater. In the process however, Gin throws down the gauntlet and openly challenges Mab Monroe: powerful elemental, arch enemy and destroyer of her family.

On the lighter side, for once things seem to be working out romantically for Gin. Owen Grayson, brother to Eva who was saved by Gin in Web Of Lies, pursues a full court press. Call it timing or uncanny coincidence, he seems to be wherever Gin is and their exchanges sizzle (and not just because she's a stone elemental and he's a metal). Gin opens herself up to Owen and is pleasantly surprised he not only doesn't reject her but is actually even more turned on! When forces like that collide, the result is magic. And, while ever the pragmatist, Gin appears to be warming to the idea of a relationship with this successful, fascinating hottie rather than fighting it as she had initially.

By far my favorite so far, I now have to suffer in agony waiting for the next book, Tangled Threads, set to release April 26, 2011. This one will definitely be a re-read once the TBR pile shrinks a bit more. Filled with sassy assassins, sexy heroes and a supporting cast that makes you want more BBQ than a girl can handle, Jennifer Estep's Venom totally rocks! Easily worth every one of the 5 Chocolate covered strawberries - I say bring on the Gin....Yummmmmm!

Please don't forget to drop by Friday, October 29th, to see guest blogger author Jennifer Estep and get her take on the world of Elemental Assassins, Halloween and those yummy sandwiches that tantalize and tempt!

Happy Last Hump Day of October!

Howdy again! So glad you're here. You deserve a reward for your hard work and patience with this never ending week....here ya go. Lick your lips, smacking sounds acceptable for this eye candy!

So, now that you are all good and distracted...I need your focus on this additional treat. Today's review is on Web of Lies - our latest offering in this week of Jennifer Estep. Web of Lies continues the tale of Gin Blanco, Elemental Assassin otherwise known as the Spider. In a very unique and creative twist on the paranormal, Jennifer Estep breathes life into her latest Urban Fantasy endeavor. Having done the lion's share of world building in Spider's Bite, what with all the dwarves, giants and vamps being mainstream and living the American Dream, the pace of this particular story starts with a bang: witty, fast and deadly. Throwing in just the right amount of recap, she manages to keep the plot rolling while dangling new bits of information about the mystery that is Gin Blanco.

Web of Lies opens to find the assassin formerly known as Spider endeavoring to enjoy her retirement. She's giving up the hit life in hopes of seeing her relationship with straighter-than-an-arrow police detective beau Donovan Caine blossom. Unfortunately for Gin, things don't ever seem to work out so well. Two punks enter her BBQ restaurant looking to rob the till, staff and patrons. Bad move....really bad move. Gin hasn't killed anyone in weeks and this insult really pisses her off. One of the robber punks happens to be an elemental too. Despite that, Gin and her trusty dwarf cook, Sophia, shut them down. Punk's dad is a big-wig attorney which is bad. Donovan Caine investigates the crime which is also bad. One of the victim's brother's is hot and very appreciative which is good - sort of. Gin lives and breathes angst...and stone...and ice!

Gin gets roped into a pro-bono case afterwards when the other victim returns to the Pork Pit looking for the Tinman to help save her grandfather's home. Gin works to fill the very big shoes of the dearly departed Fletcher Lane by taking on the case of his childhood friend against a corrupt mining tycoon. Lots of important back history gets filled in during this Elemental Assassin installment. Returning supporting cast of Finn, JoJo and Sophia help to balance out the tumult of Donovan Caine and his black and white world view, complete with self loathing. While the reader cant help but love the chemistry of Gin and Donovan, his rejection of her life, past, choices, etc. make it difficult to find much to recommend him to the kind-hearted, stone cold killer.

The action sequences of this tale are frequent and varied - mixing hand to hand fights and knife play with full-tilt Elemental showdowns. While empathizing with an assassin may not seem to come naturally to readers, in the end the bad guys die and the good guys remain standing and that spells satisfaction. The wacky world of Ashland takes on more form and substance with each story and the lives of the folks who frequent the Pork Pit are a little bit richer for it. Once again, Jennifer Estep impresses and delights with her tales of the sassy assassin, tangy as the BBQ she's slinging. Here's hoping that readers have the patience of the Spider waiting for the next installment!

This Happy Hump Day reviewer gives this second in the series a whopping 5 chocolate covered strawberries and I'd like some BBQ on the side!

Spider's Bite, Jennifer Estep, Pocket Books January 2010

This book is the first in the new Elemental Assassins series by Jennifer Estep and was quite the change from her previous books. This book is the epitome of Urban Fantasy and for me was an excellent read. It starts off fast and doesn't slow down, I mean there are two murders in the first chapter of the book!

Her name is Gin Blanco, but they call her The Spider, she is the most feared assassin in the South. She is a stone elemental which means she can manipulate and control stone but she prefers to kill using knives. She lives up to her reputation by killing the doctor that she is hired to kill in an insane asylum and then throws in the rapist orderly "pro-bono" and walks out of the place without looking back. When she returns to the BBQ restaurant that she works in when she isn't killing people, her handler and mentor, Fletcher Lane, has another job waiting for her. Kill Gordon Giles, an accountant who is embezzling from the company he works for. Seems like a pretty routine job until she is double crossed by the air elemental who hired her and they torture and kill Fletcher. She teams up with Donovan Caine, the only honest cop on the force, and the man who has vowed to bring her to justice for killing his partner. With the help of Fletcher's son, Finn, and some dwarves with some very helpful powers, they might just be able to figure out who double crossed Gin and killed Fletcher.

Along the way we learn more about Gin and her powers. We also learn that at the age of 13 a fire elemental murdered her mother and older sister and burned Gin's rune necklace into her hands leaving behind not only a scar but pieces of the metal. Gin also believes that by collapsing the house to escape she kills her baby sister. She barely survives on the streets when she is taken in by Fletcher and he teaches her the family businesses...BBQ and killing.

I really enjoyed this book and felt that the world building and the story itself blended together very well. I love the fact that Gin is a strong, kick-ass female that makes no apologies for the job that she does. While the sexual chemistry between Gin and Donovan is hot I am still not sure how I feel about a possible relationship between the two. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Web of Lies, and if there is ever a Gin Blanco Cookbook I am sooooo buying it.

I give Spider's Bite 5 chocolate dipped strawberries!!

Spider's Bite: The Power of Gin

Jennifer Estep’s first book in her Elemental Assassin’s series, Spider‘s Bite, has all the “elements” anyone would want in a book—a tough smart woman protagonist who is a skilled assassin, a mystery regarding who is the bad guy (or girl), characters with magical abilities and individual runes, a sexy policeman with the hots for the woman he wants to put behind bars or kill, and dwarves.  What more could you ask for?!

Still, at times I needed or wanted a little bit more.  It was not until I was at least halfway through the book that I felt invested in the characters and really wanted to find out who was behind their troubles and learn more about Gin Blanco’s childhood.  

On the plus side, once you do get that far into the world Jennifer Estep has created, you recognize the uniqueness of her characters.  My favorites included Gin Blanco’s “brother” Finn who has a good sense of humor, and is more of a lover than a fighter and the wacky Devereux sisters- Jo-Jo and Sofia,  dwarves with magical abilities who assist Gin in her professional endeavors.  Forget Merry Maids, call a dwarf if you need a dead body cleaned up! 

Another unique feature of the book that worked well was the author’s development of Gin Blanco’s culinary abilities.  If you are good with knives generally, why not use them in the kitchen too? 

I give the book three chocolate dipped strawberries and look forward to more revelations about Gin’s powers and her past, and a few more recipes….

Cat Devon

Trick or Treat - week of Jennifer Estep!

Howdy Cats and Kittens - heads up. Today was book club day and we all met to talk about our monthly selection - Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep, first in her Elemental Assassin's book series. You'll hear some of our thoughts in the coming days regarding this clever new twist on the paranormal world. Stay tuned all week for reviews on all three of her Elemental Assassin's stories, including her newest release, Venom!

Oh yeah - one more thing.....Jennifer Estep will be in the HOUSE this Friday, blogging about her newest series. Drop by and be entered in the contest - who doesn't love prizes????? (We had the pleasure of meeting this charming author at RAW 2008 and 2010 and lemme tell ya, she's a hoot!)

Smoochies - the Guilty Indulgence Bloggers

Dawn's Awakening

Hello All, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far!! I got my hair colored today(Thanks Jenn) and I have gone a little darker than in the past. I am loving it, but I think it's hilarious that my husband still hasn't noticed. LOL Can you say CLUELESS? Oh well...I like it and that's all that really matters.

Dawn's Awakening

Other than Jonas the breed whose story I most wanted to read was Dawn's. She was so broken I wondered if she would ever be able to trust and to love. In my opinion this was the most emotional of all the breed books. This is also the first book where we see Cassie as a character who is no longer a child, she has grown up and is dealing with issues of her own, but that book hasn't been written yet. LOL

We meet Dawn in the very first breed book and she is the quietest of the original pride. She has been tortured not only in the council labs but also by a pride member after their escape. She has already been through so much, but you can see the strong female breed that she is inside. In the second book, The Man Within, she meets the man that should be her mate. Seth Lawson is the brother of another breed mate, and he comes to Sanctuary to see his sister. Seth wants Dawn from the first time that they meet and even though they don't spend very much time together it's enough to start the mating heat.

Flash forward ten years and we find out that Callan and Jonas showed Seth the tapes of Dawn being raped in the labs to get him to leave the compound and Dawn behind. Seth leaves but promises the Breeds that they will have his financial support to continue to defend themselves. Then Seth returns to Sanctuary to inform them of a threat on his life and Callan assigns Dawn's team to protection detail while Seth attends a work conference on his private island. Seth doesn't want Dawn there because after ten years he is finally free of the mating heat and has decided to take a wife.

Dawn has been fighting the mating heat, and has been avoiding Seth, but when she finds out that he is in danger nothing is going to keep her from her mate....not even a fiancee, and she goes to the island to join the protection detail. As soon as she arrives the jealousy between Dawn and Caroline, Seth's fiancee, is so thick you know it's going to get ugly. And is does. Seth finally realizes that he can't live without Dawn even if he can never have her and sends Caroline packing.

When the two finally come together it doesn't get much easier because they still have a lot to deal with, Dawn finds out about Callan showing Seth the tapes of her and is very angry and hurt by this, one of Seth's board members is murdered and several board members want to cut off funding to the breeds and are planning a coup. And lets not forget there is still an assassin out to kill Seth.

The two have a hard time coming together but when they do it's some of the best scenes that I have read. Yes the sex is hot, but I think my favorite part is when Seth shows Dawn all of the soaps that he has had made for her from around the world. Everytime he was somewhere he wanted to share with her he had a soap made to smell like that place so her could share it with her some day.

There is so much action that happens in this book but the emotional journey that Dawn and Seth take to come together after so many years, makes this one of my favorite Breed books and one that I find myself reading again and again. So I give this story 5 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!!!

Fridaylicious!

Holla! It’s Friday and who isn’t happy about that! A big shout out to Tina for teaching me the word fridaylicious. What a great word! Use it wisely! As usual so much to read and so little time. What to do, what to do? This week we are taking a look at a wonderful author and lady Lora Leigh. Founder of RAW (Reader Appreciation Weekend) and as I mentioned before a wonderful person. Oh the things I could tell you about those weekends! But let’s not go there!
I’ve read several series that Lora Leigh has written and let me tell you I have never been disappointed. Ever! If you’ve never read anything she’s written what are you waiting for? Go to the bookstore already! No woman should go thru life without reading her Breed series... which brings me to my review this week of Lion’s Heat.
The story of Jonas Wyatt, Director of Breed Affairs. The man that everybody loves to hate. Naturally, he’s my favorite character. He’s generally a pain to everyone and disliked by most. He shows little feeling towards anyone and is pretty sure the already pregnant assistant Rachel he just hired is his mate, but has no intention of ever claiming her. She too has no intension of sharing her life with Jonas. As Rachel’s pregnancy progresses Jonas develops a bond with the unborn baby. But when Amber is kidnapped Rachel turns to Jonas to save her daughter. Now Mr. Hard Ass shows his softer side. All bets are off now that someone has dared to harm Rachel and her daughter. Turns out that Amber’s father is willing to sell his own daughter to Brandenmore for experimental purposes. Brandenmore is part of a group set on exposing and exploiting the Breeds. By any means necessary. Which means cruel and unusual experiments. Jonas does rescue Amber but not before Brandenmore has an opportunity to inject her with an unidentifiable substance. Jonas takes Rachel and Amber to Sanctuary. There they run tests and determine that Amber is fine for now but for how long? During this time Rachel sees the softer side of Jonas. How can you resist a man who gets up with a baby during the night to let you sleep. Cause let’s face it, that only happens in books! To add to the already tense issue of Amber’s health Rachel and Jonas end up cornering Brandenmore’s group which consists of none other than Amber’s father Devon. Devon meets his demise and Brandenmore is captured. In the end Jonas and Rachel complete the mating and Jonas takes Amber as his own. But what is actually going on with Amber is still unknown.
This leads right into the next book that Tyra reviewed, Styx’s Storm which deals with finding the key to Amber’s health and Styx finding his happily ever after. I have not read this yet and can’t wait to. It’s on that ever growing pile of books to be read but it’s getting closer! Whatever you do don’t read this series out of order! Tyra will hunt you down!
I give this book 4 chocolate dipped strawberries and since this is Lora Leigh we’re talking about let’s double dip those bad boys!
Have a great weekend.  Read on!

Along Comes the Coyote Breeds...

If I had to choose, I would say that Lora Leigh's Coyote’s Mate is my favorite Breed book. I read all of the Breed books, one immediately after the other, over the span of six weeks. I started in order (always recommend you do that with a series!!) with the Ellora's Cave books which were steamy, had a basic premise that held me but the story was woven around sex scenes as opposed to the sex scenes being integrated into the story. Still, yummy reads – I can’t deny I didn’t eat them up. But then came a change in the publishing company and Lora Leigh’s Breed books focused more on the story of the Breeds, their pasts, their struggles, their need to build a community and be accepted. I really liked this shift since it draws the reader more into the characters... and Coyote's Mate became my favorite because it has a unique storyline with strong, real characters including a few hilarious girlfriends to make you laugh.

The story of Del-Ray and Anya gives readers their first look at the Coyote Breeds with their similarities and differences from the other Breed groups. Finally the Coyote Breeds are taking their place beside the Feline & Wolf Breeds at Haven, one of the protected Breed communities. Yummy coyotes!

I can’t help myself; I need a strong Alpha Hero (who knows how to love his woman). While Del-Rey is far from my favorite of Lora Leigh’s heroes, he is a strong alpha male. Though his arrogance is like other Breed males, his disregard for his mate’s needs at times is unprecedented. I was angry with him throughout the book but assumed his struggles with assimilating into a loving relationship are because of his early life in the Council lab. Still, Del-Ray defines “stupid male”.

Del-Ray is the Coyote Alpha who survived Council captivity and now rescues others. When Anya approaches him with information on a Council coyote lab, he works with her to eliminate any traitors and plan a raid while steadily growing attached and possessive of her. But as a typical Alpha Breed, Del-Ray’s arrogance and cluelessness about women leads him to do just about everything wrong. Herein lies the premise of the entire book.

How stupid is he?  Let me count the ways… first, he lies to her, then he mates with her so forcefully that she is terrified, injures her father, kidnaps her and steals her virginity. Then he leaves her with his pack only to return and claim her, denounces her as his mate and Coya, but expects her to act as his mate in private. This is the part of the story when I threw the book across the room only to quickly pick it up again because the book has great action and mystery which I love. I can’t help myself; I want action, mystery and suspense. Coyote’s Mate has it all. The story moved fast and every page was a turn in their love story.

I can’t help myself; I need to feel the love to love the book. Despite everything they go through, the reader can sense the connection and love between Del-Ray and Anya. Anya is similar to many of Leigh's heroines... young, beautiful, and of course, she’s overwhelmed by the loss of control brought on by the mating heat. But here’s what I loved about her: Anya was the first heroine to stand up to the hero for what she believed in and was willing to walk away to stay true to herself. Her strength was amazing, helping to free the Breeds, stepping into the role of Coya and fighting for her mate while still doing what is right. I found myself wondering if I could’ve been as strong as she was. Anya intrigued me.  And I figured if any woman can deal with a man like Del-Ray it would be her.

Hot alpha sex, murder plots, suspense, good secondary characters, quick action, the full emotional spectrum and a happily ever after - it’s all here. Coyote’s Mate gets five chocolate dipped strawberries. Yep, it’s just that yummy!

Happy Hump Day - Let's Hear It For Authors We Love!

Deep breath in....now let it out. You did it! Pat yourself on the back - you're halfway there! These boys are so proud of you....Mmmmm. High praise from the eye candy...the true blue calorie-free treat!

So my guilty indulgence this week has been to catch up on that rapidly expanding T.B.R. (to be read) pile. Laid up with a broken ankle is a fabulous excuse to skimp on housework and indulge in gratuitous reading...so many books, so little time.

So, in honor of some of our favorite authors (and yes, I do also LOVE Lora Leigh), and in light of the fact that I like my sexy paranormal men with a side of laughter, I am serving up a dish of Kerrelyn Sparks' latest release: Eat, Prey, Love. (Avon books, October 2010)

Having discovered Sparks several years ago when at the height of my vampire romance obsession, her Love At Stake series remains on my current favs shelf for a few simple reasons. First, it has great Alpha Males and strong spirited heroines - spare me from the self loathing that seems to be prevalent in vamp and shifter series heroes. Second, it has quick, zippy plot lines that grab you and secondary characters that lend themselves well to their own HEA stories. And last, but not least, they make me laugh! I can't help myself, I am a fool for fools - I love stories that make me giggle and snort one minute, fan myself the next.

WANTED: Bride. Must love children. Mortals need not apply.

When the last Love At Stake story left off, Carlos Panterra, hottie Brazilian were-panther was juggling his security work at MacKay S&I and acting as guardian for the orphaned shifter children he rescued from his home village. Caitlin Whelan, recently fired State Department liaison and long lost sister to Shanna Draganesti (from the 1st L.A.S. novel, How to Marry A Millionaire Vampire) accepts an invitation to her nephew's birthday party hoping to reconnect. When Carlos and Caitlin make eye contact - oh my, sparks fly, blood sizzles and a basketball smacks Carlos upside the head! Realizing the damage this woman has the potential to wreak on his life, Carlos endeavors to leave for his "mate finding" expedition. However, before he goes, he must teach the brilliant but physically inept Caitlin some self protection as she agrees to become MacKay S&I's newest employee. Whether it's gun, knife or hand-to-hand, Caitlin consistently nails the target's groin, all the while proclaiming "I was aiming for his chest!"

Caitlin's attraction to Carlos, her desire to help his orphans and her unique ability to learn any language in a few hours makes her a valuable ally. Carlos constantly fights his attraction in return, telling her he must mate with a were-panther for the preservation of his species. They travel to Bangkok to seek out leads on shifter myths in the area. The pair are caught in the lies they tell to preserve their cover story by the village chief who tricks them into marriage. Their later explorations land them in a scary, booby-trapped cave that proves deadly for their guide and points them toward a vampire gang that has been serial killing locally for a very long time. Through all this Caitlin and Carlos toe dance around their attraction and the incredible chemistry between them. Carlos admits Caitlin is perfect in every way for him, aside from the pesky mortality thing. Caitlin willingly aides Carlos in searching for a shifter mate, even though she's in love with him. It is, however, watching him die several times and resurrect (Cats have nine lives silly!) and learning that he could just bite her and change her into a were-panther that just about sends her over the edge. The very real possibility of dying in transition isn't enough to dissuade her, but it doesn't happen until they reach a passionate crisis while being held captive.

This series has it's own unique mythos on vampires and shifters, as most original series do. Similar to the Lynsay Sands Arganeau series and Mary Janice Davidson's Queen Betsy books, Sparks' Love At Stake series takes the paranormal, adds a dash of camp, a handful of kook and a whole lotta love. Her secondary characters steal scenes, her one liners are total party repeaters and her heroes and heroines are real enough to feel like old friends - I love to see them over and over growing through the story lines. Long story short - this is one author I will always buy because I am guaranteed a chuckle and a good HEA sigh! This Happy Hump Day girl gives Eat, Prey, Love - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries....Yummmmm!

I LOVE Tuesday's!!!

I love Tuesday's because that is new release day for most publishers. I like to hit the websites and see what might be out there that will tempt me to put down the book I am currently reading and pick up something new instead. Some of my favorite authors have books that came out on Samhain today so be sure and check them out: http://www.samhainpublishing.com/.

Our theme for the blog this week is our favorite authors, let me tell you how hard it was for me to pick just one, but since this author just had a book that came out, it made it a little easier for me. Let me just start by saying that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lora Leigh, I think I have read everything that she has written and her breeds are the series that started my love affair, stalking, whatever you want to call it, with Lora. If you have not read this series, it's not for the faint of heart, because the sex in these books is HAWT!!! Now if you have not figured out yet that I am completely nuts about reading things in order let me just come right out and say it... "Hi, my name is Tyra and I am anal retentive about books being read in order", it makes my head spin around when other people read things out of order, so do me a favor and click here:http://www.loraleigh.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=61 for the suggested(ie:correct) reading order for the Breeds because it can get confusing with this series. Different publishers make it difficult but this list will help.

Styx's Storm, by Lora Leigh (Berkley, October 2010)

Styx's Storm was different from a lot of the other breed books in that the heroine, Storme Montague, is not secretly working to help the breeds, she doesn't like or trust them. She watched a breed kill her father and brother and so her distrust and fear is understandable. Before she escaped her father gave her a data chip that has information on it that he doesn't want in the hands of "The Council", and he tells her that someone will come to her and will say something that will prove she can trust them with the chip. This doesn't happen, so she continues to run and hide from both the breeds and the council for the next ten years.

Jonas has been trying to protect Storme and talk her into coming to them on her own for the past ten years, but when he realizes that the data chip may contain information that could help his daughter all bets are off and he calls on Styx to bring her in...willingly or not.

Styx seduces Storme and realizes that she is his mate...almost. He feels the overwhelming attraction and sexual heat and need to protect her but other manifestations that occur during mating do not happen. His glands don't swell with the mating hormone and he doesn't "knot" her, she also doesn't go into full mating heat and can, to a point, control her reactions to him. The fact that it is not a normal mating makes protecting Storme even harder for Styx because she is not protected under breed law. Dr. Armani, the wolf breed specialist, is confused by this and feels it might be due to Storme's fear of the breeds and that Styx's wolf can sense that and is blocking the mating.

The longer that Storme stays at Haven, the wolf breed compound, and is around free breeds the more she understands that her fears are not of all breeds but of the one that killed her family. She finally starts to relax and watching the trust and love grow between these two characters was nice to read. The sexual chemistry is always there, but what good is sex if you can't truly trust the person you are with? While attending the anniversary party of Dash and Elizabeth Sinclair, she decides to give the chip to the breeds, unfortunately the compound is attacked and Storme is kidnapped during the fighting. Can Storme make it back to the one man she has finally learned to trust and love?

I enjoyed this book because of it's differences but the attitude of some of the past characters toward Storme seemed harsh to me. I completely understood where her fear and mistrust came from and thought that Hope, especially, was too hard on her. The girl had been on her own and running for her life since she was 14, give her a break! I was also very happy that the editing in this book, compared to the many wrong words, grammer and punctuation errors in the last several books, was much better. I didn't find myself reaching for my red pen hardly at all. I happily give this book 4 "hot" chocolate dipped strawberries!

The Breed Series is Worth the Calories

Lora Leigh’s Breed Series is truly my personal guilty indulgence.  Yummier than chocolate dipped strawberries, her alpha males make my mouth water.  More intoxicating than too much red wine, her love stories make my heart pitter-patter.  With the newest in the series “Styx’s Storm” just being released, the Guilty Indulgence Bloggers are highlighting the series this week.  Hopefully we’ll entice a few of you to sink your teeth into some delicious books.

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Take my advice and start with the first book in the Breed series. It’s a deliciously yummy romance. Tempting the Beast is more like a short story that serves to introduce the reader to the breed community. Human, infused with DNA from predators of the world, Breeds were created to serve as secret operatives, assassins and killing machines. The hero in this first book, Callan Lyons, is one of these genetic experiments and one of the initial six lion Breeds we meet fighting for their freedom.

I can’t help myself; I judge a book first by the hero. And Callan Lyons is a master alpha hero.  You can actually hear him roar through the pages. After his Pride escapes the Council labs where they were held in captivity, Callan leads their Pride to secretly settle in the Kentucky Mountains, hiding from rumors of their existence.  He is smart, strong and determined.

Then along comes Merinus – also smart, strong and determined - who feels a pull towards Callan since the moment she first sees his photo. The moment they meet and touch for the first time, the pull Merinus feels turns into a burning lust that neither she nor Callan can resist. They are thrown into a frenzy which locks them in a battle of sexual heat from which there is no escape but to mate.  It was hotter than hot, especially how Callan tries to pass himself off as a common man but can’t keep his inner lion from roaring out with his mate. His lion DNA demands that he dominate and possess Merinus; and when his barb (yep, you know what I mean, girls!) emerges for the first time, it was weird and hot at the same time.

I can’t help myself; I need to feel the love to love the book.  For the Breeds, this “mating frenzy” is a chemical and emotional reaction that consumes them, not permitting them to refuse their connection to their mate. There is no doubt that though the force that brought Callan and Merinus together is the mating frenzy, Leigh diligently shows us that their connection is solidly love. And what woman wouldn't want a mate devoted forevermore, loving, and certain of his fidelity? It’s every woman's ultimate fantasy. (Or maybe it’s just mine?!)

Because Callan and Merinus are the first of the Breeds to experience the mating frenzy, they turn to the Council scientist who has helped Callan through the years to understand the DNA complications in their bodies. They discover that this evolving science of the Breeds might just save their Pride and bring Callan the family and sense of normalcy he has craved.  When Leigh unveils Callan’s dream of a family, it makes this alpha male more tender.

I can’t help myself; I want drama, mystery and suspense.  And this book delivers it all.  While in the throes of the mating frenzy, the Pride comes under attack and Callan and his pride are forced to run for their lives. A betrayal within their own Pride brings the Council back into their lives and puts Merinus in danger as well. Callan's lion DNA comes roaring to the surface at this threat to his mate – his fierce protectiveness is all-consuming. 

With the Council on their trail and attempting to uncover the deception that divulged their secrets, Callan has to use his lion’s strength to save them all. His choices will change his Pride’s life in ways they never imagined possible. His choices also set Breeds on the path to their future.  The book does a solid job of setting the stage for the entire series, both by providing a foundation for the series and by snagging the interest of the reader to continue on to the next book.

Now, don’t eat them all at once.  If ever there were calories in books, Lora Leigh’s delicious Breed series would be high in the calorie count.  I’d give the first in her series 5 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

Maya Banks BOOK GIVEAWAY Winners!

The following readers won a book in the Maya Banks CONTEST:

1. Leagh
2. Raonaid Luckwell
3. Aemelia

We cannot find you!  Please contact us immediately at GUILTY INDULGENT BLOGGERS if this is you so that we can get you your book.

GUEST BLOGGER Coming Soon: Jennifer Estep

Our next featured author is Jennifer Estep.  With her newest book, Venom, in the Elemental Assassin Series hitting book stores this past month, we are excited to be reviewing the series as well as welcoming her as our guest on Friday, October 29th.  Jennifer will also bring with her some autographed copies of her books to giveaway to some lucky readers!

Fun Friday!

Finally it’s Friday! I thought it would never get here! Got a super weekend planned with friends and family or in my case my friends are my “family”. If you got some time pick up my friend Jules’s book Love in Bloom. Jules’s and her sister Angel are two of my favorite people and have awesome taste in shoes and purses (by the way I have located one of those pink flower purses. It will be mine!) Tyra and I both read this book this week so she’s done laid the ground work for me. Thanks Tyra!
This story was so not what I expected it to be. A car accident, death of a young boy, the leading lady’s loss of sight and a custody battle. Whoa! Get me some tissues! In a nut shell Claire’s car hit a van that ran a stop sign and kills a young boy. Her trauma causes her blindness and it will go away but she has to deal with the accident. Her best friend Amy insists on landscaping her yard to coax her outside. In the process of the project the landscaper Jackson and Claire fall in love. Jackson faces a custody suite with his ex wife over their daughter Emma who she deserted shortly after having her. In the end Claire regains her sight, Jackson retains custody of Emma and Claire and Jackson live happily ever after. It’s a beautiful story that reminds us all to enjoy life.
I know Jenn has already reminded you that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month but you can never hear it too many times. I’m a long time supporter of the cause because my mom and my grandma are survivors. So ladies let’s save second base and protect the girls!

Jules Book Took Me Home Again

Newly introduced to Jules Bennett’s work and wanting to start from the beginning, I recently read her debut novel Home Again.  This is a sweet romance that legitimately weaves together deceit and despair with love.  The storyline holds the reader as they cheer on Ellie to overcome adversity and find her HEA (aka, happily ever after).

Foremost in a book, I want drama, mystery and suspense.  This book gives me what I want.  It follows Ellie during a time of transition while she hides from an abusive ex-boyfriend.  She has endured heartbreak over the past several years and returns to her childhood home distrustful and frightened, overwhelmed and exhausted, stalked by her ex-boyfriend but determined to get back on her feet.  She has strength but walks head first into her biggest weakness – Gavin.  When she arrives, she is surprised to find Gavin, the one man who she’s ever loved, moved into their old home.  With a shared history, the two tiptoe around one another as the story unfolds.  Ellie carries a secret that she now has to either keep from Gavin at the cost of a possible relationship or confess the secret and risk Gavin’s anger.

I have to admit, I also love a yummy alpha hero.  But I didn’t get that feeling from Gavin.  He is a successful attorney, living on his grandfather’s estate and dating a woman he is ambivalent towards.  I reconciled this weakness in character to the fact that he has been tormented by the love he continued to harbor for Ellie.  When Ellie shows up, he is overwhelmed by the intense feelings that he still feels towards her.  Gavin is a sexy man who impresses the reader by protecting Ellie and deciding to open his heart to her despite her past deceit.  But the yummy character I’d like to know more about was Shane, Gavin and Ellie’s childhood best friend.

I can’t help myself, I judge a book by its cover.  And I am bummed to say that the cover of Home Again does not do the story justice.  If the book hadn’t been handed to me and recommended by a friend, I may never have picked it up from a book shelf.  I am here to tell you: ignore the cover, read the book.  If you’ve never read Jules Bennett before, start here.  It’s a sweet and tender love story.

Most important, I need to feel the love to love the book.  Jules draws her characters’ emotions so intrinsically that the reader feels everything that the character experiences.  Despair, loss, anger, fear, and love are tangible in the story.  This book will grab you by the heart from the very start and it won't let you go.  I laughed and I cried (I don’t usually do this when I read but was completely taken in the moment).  If you want to believe in true love again, this is a book that you’ll want to read.

RATING: Three out of Five Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Happy Hump Day - Week O'Jules...Bennett

Happy, Happy Hump day! And holy guacamole! What a week it's been so far. So, big breath in...let it out slow. As a reward for you deserving folks (and you know who you are), as always a tasty bit o'candy - eye candy. Mmmmmmm.

Since yesterday was her big release day, it is my pleasure to also provide you charming book-a-holics a review of Jules Bennett's newest Desire print, From Boardroom to Wedding Bed? However, before I do I feel it is my duty and honor to remind each and every one of you as your friendly neighborhood nurse how much I care.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Affecting millions of women (and men) worldwide, breast cancer is the disease that hits so close to home. Most of us have known a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker who has been affected by breast cancer. Fundraising for research is crucial and there are so many ways to give. But first and foremost, it all starts with prevention. Do your monthly self-exams ladies. Get up close and personal with the Girls - make sure nothing is different, nothing new has happened. This is not like forgetting to dust the top of the entertainment center...don't skip a month, be consistent and, if something changes, get checked by your doctor! I want you all around to read all the fabulous creations our favorite authors work hard to put out there for a very, very long time. (Grunt, creak-crack - getting off my soapbox now....)

So, onward and upward. Where were we? Silly me! Jules Bennett's latest and greatest - From Boardroom to Wedding Bed? featured on side icon, available at bookstores and book sellers everywhere (even at WalMart!) Like a fine wine, Jules's stories get better with age. She is definitely coming into her own with this latest series for Desire. What she does best: spin a tale of love lost, of love unrequited and those who take the chance on love. Who doesn't love that?

Tamera Stevens and Cole Marcum were once college sweethearts, engaged and planning a glorious future together. Broken apart by manipulations from her father unbeknownst to her, they go their separate ways - Tam to follow her father's legacy, Cole to build his own legacy. Reunited eleven years later on a joint venture for a billionaire hotelier, the two have to get past their past and find a way to work together. Tamera is successfully running her father's company and maintaining the facade of his retirement while he is actually dying of cancer. Cole is out to show the world how successful and powerful he is and hoping to rekindle the flame he once had with Tam. Of course, he wants her in his bed, but not in his life. When he discovers the secret she is hiding about her father, he plans to swoop in and take over her father's company when she is at her lowest. Despite his attempts to harden his heart against her, Cole finds her firmly entrenched there.

I loved the vulnerability of Tamera Stevens - she embodies the type of strength you want to see in a romantic heroine. Watching her frustration, confusion and hurt resurface at reuniting and working with Cole and her grief contending with her father's terminal illness wrenches your heart. I was sobbing at one point (oh shut up, it was late and I was tired!).

Cole really angered me for much of the book - I understood his pain at the forced breakup and the desire to be a self-made man supporting his siblings, but using Tamera when he knew she had no clue about the real cause of their relationship demise and concocting the scheme to take her father's legacy as an act of revenge kinda grossed me out. She was definitely the bigger person to break down and "forgive" him after her dad's death. Of course, having them finally get their HEA was worth the pain and suffering but, man, what a roller coaster of a romance!

Hopefully the little hints of new romances brewing for the other Marcum siblings means a couple more stories in this hot, hot, hot Miami series! As always, Jules Bennett delivers a tasty little passionate romance - I am pleased to give this one 4 chocolate covered strawberries! Yummmm!

Happy Release Day!!!!

To continue with our Week O'Jules and to celebrate the release of her new book, From Boardroom to Wedding Bed?, I will be reviewing for your reading pleasure, Love in Bloom.

Claire Wilson's life was never more promising. She has a boyfriend and a budding career as a nature photographer.....until a tragic accident robs her of her sight.

Jackson Akers is a single father hired to landscape her yard, no matter how rude and irritating his client is he plans to see the project through to the end. When he learns of Claire's blindness his creative mind kicks into high gear.

Will Claire appreciate the heavily scented flowers and plants, the trickling waterfalls and textured paths Jackson made for her? Claire has shut out the world, but has Jackson found a way in?

This book begins with the tragic accident that robs Claire of her sight and a small boy of his life. The doctors feel that Claire's loss of sight is due to the trauma of the accident and not an actual injury, and will return with therapy. Claire feels that she deserves to be blind because she took the life of a small child, even though the accident was not her fault, and refuses therapy as a way to punish herself. Claire's best friend hires Jackson to do the landscaping at her cottage in the hopes that it will draw Claire out of the exile that she has placed herself in.

Jackson is a single father with problems of his own. It's not bad enough that he keeps losing babysitters left and right but now his ex-wife has come back into the picture after 5 years of no contact and wants custody of the daughter that she abandoned.

Jackson and Claire get off to a rocky start because she would prefer that he not be there and he won't walk away from the job. Jackson can't seem to leave Claire alone and eventually they start a friendship with some flirting thrown in. While Jackson finally talks Claire into seeing a therapist, she helps him with dealing with the upcoming custody battle. Their relationship builds over time and is really beautiful to watch. Everything works out in the end like a good love story should, Jackson gets custody of his daughter, Claire gets her eyesight back and they live happily ever after.

This book will grab you by the heart from the beginning and it won't let go. If you want to believe in love again this is a book that you want to pick up. It was a great read and I would gladly recommend it to anyone. I give this book 4 chocolate dipped strawberries.

Guest Author Jules Bennett!!!

We are pleased to have Silhouette Desire author Jules Bennett guest blogging with us today. Her new book, From Boardroom to Wedding Bed?, will be released tomorrow October 12th.

1. What did you do to celebrate selling your first book?

I was on my way out the door to my day job at a busy salon. Once I called everyone I knew, plus everyone in the phone book, to share my great news, I started receiving flowers galore at work which was nice. Then hubby took me out to my favorite restaurant, Cheesecake Factory. Great day and wonderful memories:)

2. Do you like to listen to music while you write, or does it need to be quite?

Oh, how I love quiet, but it doesn't happen at my house. I have two girls (5 and 2) a dog, hubby and a day job. I tend to write at the salon while clients are processing. I sneak to the breakroom and close the door:) If I'm under deadline, I work once my girls go to bed and I tend to get about 20-25 pages done when I stay up all night.

3. Do you carry around a pad and pen at all times in case inspiration strikes?

No. I just write it on the many receipts in my file cabinet, er, purse:)

4. Does your family read your books?

Most of them do. They love them and tell me they read them slow so they will last longer. I just give them other authors to go buy that are similar to what I write and that pacifies them for a while.

5. Where or when do you do your best writing?

I do my best writing when I'm sleep deprived. Seriously! I wish it weren't true. I'd love to sleep like a normal human being, but I tend to sleep from about 4a.m. to 6 or 7a.m. That's it. I write other times, but I know when I go back to edit, I can tell if I was tired because the writing is stronger. Maybe because all my emotions are kicking in and I just want to weep because I'm sleepy:) Who knows? I'm not knocking it...it's obviously working!

6. If you could be one of your characters, which one would you be?

Tamera Stevens. She's the heroine in FROM BOARDROOM TO WEDDING BED? She's very take-charge and independent, but once alone her vulnerable side comes out. She's a lot like me. Hey, I have a bond with a ficticious character...interesting:)

7. What is your guilty indulgence?

ICE CREAM! I eat it for meals. Seriously, why have the dinner and take up space in my belly when all I want is ice cream with hot fudge, brownies, sprinkles, and any other topping I can cram on there:)

What a Beautiful Sunday in the Valley!

Hello all, I hope this weekend has been as good for you as it has been for me. I got all of my fall decorations up and got to spend some time with friends, can't ask for much more than that out of a weekend. The book that I am reviewing today is actually the first in the series that Jenn reviewed yesterday. While my head is spinning about things being out of order I want to thank Jenn for jumping in and saving me yesterday when life got in the way and I did not have my review ready. I also want to give a BIG shout out to Jules Bennett who is guest blogging with us tomorrow. If you get the chance to meet Jules, you will find like I have, that she is one of those truly genuine people. Ok so lets get down to what you all read our blog for....the review.

Seducing the Enemy's Daughter
Brady Stone had just learned the new manager of the property he wanted was a woman...and quite desirable. Charming Samantha Donovan into giving away corporate secrets would be even sweeter considering she was the enemy's daughter.

This book begins with Brady Stone arriving in Hawaii at the Lani Kaimana resort with the sole purpose of regaining control of the property that, as far as he and his brother are concerned, was stolen from their dying father by Stanley Donovan. Brady doesn't realize that Sam Donovan is not the son of his enemy but is actually Samantha Donovan, nor did he expect the instant attraction he has to her. Brady is determined to use any means necessary to ensure that his family gets the resort back and he is ok with using seduction to do it.

Samantha is determined to make the resort into a successful business again to earn the respect and attention that she is lacking from her father. When Brady arrives and begins his seduction of her she has no idea who he is or what he is doing. Samantha has a lot of ideas to turn the failing business around but all of her ideas are shot down but not just her father but also her brother who is in line to take over the business from their father. She is instantly attracted to Brady but refuses his advances several times not willing to be distracted from her goal. However Brady is persistent and she finally gives into what she really wants and the two start a love affair.

When Samantha end up pregnant she goes to Brady to let him know when her brother arrives for an unexpected visit. When he sees the two together he tells her who Brady is and that Brady has just been using her to get corporate secrets from her. Samantha is devastated and orders both men to leave the hotel.

Back in San Franciso, Brady realizes how much he loves Sam and goes to her brother to tell him that he will give up the hotel if Miles will just let Sam run it the way that she wants to. In the meantime Sam has realized that she doesn't want the corporate life anymore and turns in her resignation, so she can raise hers and Brady's baby. She travels to S.F. to confront her father over their troubled relationship and they end up reconciling. When she returns to Hawaii she finds Brady in her room holding the doctors report on the pregnancy. When Brady tells her how much he loves her she confesses she loves him to, and they decide to marry.

Jules books always make me remember why I started reading romances back in high school. I always walk away from one of her books with just a little less pessimism. I give this book 4 chocolate covered strawberries!!!