Thursday, September 30, 2010

Romance Book Review: Haunted Honeymoon

Author: Marta Acosta
Series Connection: Casa Dracula Book 4
ISBN: 978-1416598879
Genre: Paranormal/ Vampire
Publisher: Gallery Books 


Purchase at Amazon

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This is the final installment to the Casa Dracula series for Marta Acosta. In a Facebook comment a few days ago, Marta said she would miss Milagro's character and I can understand why. It must have been fun putting together this series, which included Happy Hour At Casa Dracula,  Midnight Brunch and The Bride of Casa Dracula, as well as, of course, Haunted Honeymoon.

There were so many great characters in this series that had everyone from a mysterious vampire that everyone was completely charmed by, a grandmother that is as sarcastic as she is loving and in love with a younger man, a gay friend that every girl would love to take shopping and a best friend that would help even when she knew there was a dead body in the back of your truck.

Milagro's story starts when she is accidental infected with the vampire virus in a previous book. She becomes an anomaly because she doesn't die and she doesn't turn into a vampire. She does however become stronger and have an affinity for blood.

Problems seem to follow party girl Milagro. She is still in love with her ex-fiance, as well as in love with her current "boyfriend/lover/whatever". Both men are vampires. In Haunted Honeymoon there is a murdered body in her bed and a mad scientist who wants to learn all about vampires by taking a few of Milagro's vital organs and a few zombies and that is just a few pieces of the story.

This book is written in the first person, in a fun chiklit style. Readers who like vampire paranormal will get a kick out of the story. I think this book can be read alone, but it would be more fun read as the series.


Description:
As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She’s feeling guilty about her fling with enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and pining for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life. It’s when Milagro — irked by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor — travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan.

Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect? Milagro just wants to turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right, but no sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her now? And will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will she make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say "I do"?

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Novel: Live!

In a literary marathon 36 Northwest authors will write a complete novel in just six days under the watchful eyes of "Fairy God-author" Nancy Pearl. The public is invite to watch and cheer on their favorite authors take the keyboard at Hugo House's Cabaret through live streams at www.thenovellive.org.


Date/time:
Monday, Oct. 11 - Saturday, Oct. 16
10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. M-F
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday

Location if you happen to be in the Seattle area:
Richard Hugo House
1634 11th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-2419


Contact Info:
info@seattle7writers.org
http://www.seattle7writers.org/home/

Donate to their cause at:
https://co.clickandpledge.com/sp/d1/default.aspx?wid=37171

The 36 authors will be:
Kathleen Alcalá
Matthew Amster-Burton
Kit Bakke
Erica Bauermeister
Sean Beaudoin
Dave Boling
Deb Caletti
Carol Cassella
Maria Dahvana Headley
William Dietrich
Robert Dugoni
Kevin Emerson
Karen Finneyfrock
Jamie Ford
Clyde W. Ford
Elizabeth George
Mary Guterson
Teri Hein
Erik Larson
David Lasky
Stacey Levine
Frances McCue
Jarret Middleton
Peter Mountford
Kevin O'Brien
Julia Quinn
Nancy Rawles
Suzanne Selfors
Jennie Shortridge
Ed Skoog
Garth Stein
Greg Stump
Indu Sundaresan
Craig Welch
Susan Wiggs

Debbie Maccomber's new Mrs. Miracle book is a Hallmark Movie

FIVE-TIME EMMY® AWARD WINNER DORIS ROBERTS STARS IN
‘DEBBIE MACOMBER’S CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE,’
A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE,
A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE WORLD PREMIER NOVEMBER 27
 
BASED ON THE BOOK ‘CALL ME MRS. MIRACLE’ BY BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
DEBBIE MACOMBER


Hallmark Channel, the biggest holiday destination in television, presents Five-time Emmy® Award winner Doris Roberts in the World Premier of Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, Saturday, November 27, (8p.m. ET/PT; 7C). The telefilm is based on prolific writer Debbie Macomber’s upcoming literary release, Call Me Mrs. Miracle and is the sequel to the highest-rated Hallmark Channel Original Movie of 2009.  The film also stars Jewel Staite, (“Stargate: Atlantis”), Eric Johnson (“Rookie Blue”) and Lauren Holly (“The Town That Christmas Forgot”).

No one celebrates the holidays like Emily Merkle (Roberts) – Mrs. Miracle as she is known by some – who is back to insure that this Christmas is the most magical and meaningful of all. When Mrs. Miracle appears as a seasonal employee in the toy department at the financially troubled Finley’s Department Store, neither the store’s owners, nor the customers, have any idea of the saintly events that are about to unfold.

None of them can even say who hired Mrs. Merkle or where exactly she came from, but her illustrious and angelic spirit will dispel gloom, drive away misery, and prove that miracles happen every day, especially on Christmas.  With Mrs. Miracle in charge of the holidays, toys fly off shelves, Finley’s business is saved, and its owners and customers all find renewed faith in the spirit of Christmas.  Yes, just when it seemed Christmas might not come at all this year, Finley’s favorite employee proves they don’t call her Mrs. Miracle for nothing!

 Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle is an MRM Productions, Ltd.  Harvey Kahn is the producer. Michael M. Scott is directing from a script by Nancey Silvers, which is based on the novel Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber.

Debbie Macomber
is one of America’s leading voices in women’s fiction.  Her work has appeared on every major bestseller list, including those of the New York Times, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and Entertainment Weekly.  There are more than 140 million copies of her books in print.  Her 2010 holiday hardcover from MIRA Books, Call Me Mrs. Miracle goes on sale September 28. 

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 90 million subscribers.

The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country.

Hallmark Channel is the nation’s leading network in providing quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, general entertainment and home and lifestyle content.  Hallmark Channel’s sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on the family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Debbie Macomber brings you the gift of a story that’s destined to become a Christmas classic, in Call Me Mrs. Miracle

 Purchase from Amazon

Call Me Mrs. Miracle is a story that embodies the holiday season and everything it means and sees the return of Emily Merkle in her first appearance since Mrs. Miracle Debbie Macomber’s 1996 novel, and the 2009 Hallmark Channel TV movie of the same name starring Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond.

This Christmas, Emily Merkle (call her Mrs. Miracle!) is working in the toy department at Finley’s, the last family-owned department store in New York City.  And her boss is none other than…Jake Finley the owner’s son.  For Jake, holiday memories of brightly wrapped gifts, decorated trees and family were destroyed in a Christmas Eve tragedy years before.  Now the spirit of the season means just one thing to him – and to his father.  Profit.  Because they need a Christmas miracle to keep the business afloat. 

Holly Larson  needs a miracle, too.  She wants to give her eight-year-old nephew, Gabe, the holiday he deserves.  Holly’s widowed brother is in the army and won’t be home for Christmas, but at least she can get Gabe that toy robot from Finley’s, the one gift he desperately wants.  If she can figure out how to afford it…

Fortunately, it’s Mrs. Miracle to the rescue.  Next to making Children happy, she likes nothing better than helping others – and that includes doing a bit of matchmaking!

This Christmas will be different.  For all of them. 

Friday, September 24, 2010

Romance Book Review: Always the Baker Never the Bride

Author: Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN: 9781426707629
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Publisher: Abingdon Press/ United Methodist Publishing House

Purchase from Amazon

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Always the Baker Never the Bride offers a wonderful plot mixed in with a lot of humor, some great recipes, romance and some sage advice. Between each chapter author Sandra D. Bricker has filled pages with recipes from the story, tidbits of information about wedding planning and additional story placements.

Emma Rae is a baker who is moving up in her career. One of her wedding cakes has just won a prestigious award and the new wedding destination hotel in town has asked her to come work for them. Bringing her best friend and assistant Fee along for the ride, Emma is ready to make her mark.

Jackson is renovated a hotel to make it a wedding destination. It was his dead wife's dream and he is making it happen with the help of his three older sisters he call "The Hens". When he first meets Emma it is a small bakery where she works. The two don't hit it off so well. The second time is when his secretary arranges for her to come in for an interview. Emma is really excited and brings a try of samples, only to fall on her face and into the confections when she trips over a pile of linens.

Add to the story a whole host full of family members, a picky Italian chef, some strange themes for upcoming weddings and a whole lot of talk about sweets and you have a wonderful story. I will say that the religious aspect of this story may not be for everyone.

Description: 
Thirty-six-year-old Emma Rae Travis has been baking specialty cakes and melt-in-your-mouth pastries at The Backstreet Bakery in historic Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, for the last six years. But here's the rub about her job as a baker ... Emma is diabetic. When she tastes her creations, it can only be in the most minute portions. Emma is considered an artisan for the stunning crème brulee wedding cake that won her the Passionate Palette Award last year, but she's never even had one full slice of it.

When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. And for Jackson, that particular day has started out badly with two workmen trapped in a broken elevator and a delivery of several dozen 300-thread-count bed linens in the wrong size abandoned in the lobby. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It's going to be a really rotten day.

Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs?


Thursday, September 23, 2010

Romance Book Review: Mercy

Author: Eleri Stone
ISBN: 9781426890550
Genre: Paranormal/ Shifter
Publisher: Carina Press

Purchase from Amazon

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

In author Eleri Stone's debut novella Iada is a shifter jaguar who has spent most of her life trained for one goal to become the Queen of her people, the Yaguara. She has been kept in a cocoon by her uncles who hope to use her as their pawn once she becomes Queen.

Gabriel is an outcast from the shifter community. He isn't a full-blood shifter. The Yaguara do not claim those not born as full Yaguara as there own. Gabriel has seen the suffering of those life him and wants the Yaguara to take care of his kind. Member of the Yaguara would rather see them dead. Gabriel's plan is to participate in the ceremonies where those who lead the Yaguara fight to the death.

The championship for the crown comes down to Iada and Gabriel. Although she is the best of her kind and the battle is fierce, after one split second Iada loses her chance and Gabriel decides to spare her and take her as his mate. But can these two very different people learn to trust each other and claim the throne they both worked so hard to capture?

This quick read is filled with action and rich descriptive dialog about the surrounds of the amazon jungle. It is a nice read for a first published book, as Eleni Stone weaves a complicated storyline into few words. It will interesting to see what she can do with a full length novel.

Description:
To the Yaguara, an ancient jaguar shape-shifting people living deep in the Amazon jungle, nothing matters more than strength. Iada is their champion; genetically pure, she has been trained since birth to fight. Her destiny is to become the next Queen of the Yaguara by winning the tournament of succession-a battle to the death.

Her opponent is Gabriel, a half-blooded outcast whose mother was human. To everyone's shock, he defeats Iada but does not strike the death blow-instead, he extends mercy, thereby claiming her as his mate.

Despite their enmity, the attraction between them is powerful, and soon they are mates in more than name only. Their mutual distrust serves only to fuel their passion-two champions bested only by their overpowering desire for each other.

But Gabriel has an agenda that threatens the most basic tenets of Yaguara society-and that will force Iada to choose between her people or her King.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Romance Book Review: Doctor Right

Author: Janet Tronstad
Series Connection: Alaskan Bride Rush
ISBN: 9780373876204
Genre: Inspirational Romance/ Christian Romance
Publisher: Steeple Hill Love Inspired


Purchase from Amazon
 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Maryann came to Alaska to find her cousin who ran away from her wedding. She had no idea when she came to Alaska she would love it so much. She decides to stay on and when she hears their is a nurses job with the local doctor she applies for the job. She knows from the beginning that Dr. Alex Haven will only be staying on for a short time more but she also knows the town needs him.

At first Maryann decides to find a wife for the doctor that would keep him in Alaska, but once she really gets to know him, she wishes he would stay on to be with her.

Alex loves working in Alaska but someone needs to go home to LA and take care of his brother. Since he feels totally responsible for Rocco needing help, he vows to finish his time in Alaska and move home to take care of him.

Doctor Right is the third installment to the Alaskan Bride Rush series. The small town is written up in a magazine about it's lack of women. Women flock the town in search of the desperate bachelors. This was a nice installment to the series.


Description:
Treasure Creek, Alaska, has only one pediatrician: the very handsome, very eligible Dr. Alex Haven. But the former big-city doc is counting the weeks till his contract with the tiny town is up. All so he can return to Los Angeles to start a clinic in his brother's honor.

Nurse Maryann Jenner is determined to keep Alex in Alaska by finding him a bride and giving him a new reason to stay. But when a little boy's life—and Maryann's hope—is jeopardized, Alex may find his own reason to stay forever.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Romance Book Review: The Sweetest Deal

Author: Mary Campisi
ISBN: 9781426890536
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press


Purchase from Amazon

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

C.C. hopes that she is finally ready to work for her father and show him that he can do the job as good as any man. Unfortunately the job she thought she was going to do is turned over to a man. 


When C.C. first meets Max it is on the plane heading home to work for her father. Neither have any idea that they will be working with each other. C.C. thinks he might be the one, even after he throws up after eating her favorite triple chocolate cookies. Except for one thing, Max is in real estate and she vows never to date anyone she works with.


Max can't believe that the man he wants to work for has just told him that if he can have the job if he impregnates his daughter. And after he gets to know C.C. he isn't sure he wants to help her get pregnant as part of any deal he made with her father.

Quick read featuring a sweet romance and good writing.



Description:
An impossible demand...

Max Jernigan is ready to close the most important business deal of his life-all he has to do is agree to one request from Grayson Crowell: impregnate the mogul's daughter.

No way can Max do this. He's a decent guy. But he would love a child. He just doesn't want a wife.

An impossible man...

C.C. Crowell gave up on dreams of a family after Mr. Worse-Than-Wrong broke her heart. Hiding behind spreadsheets, boring suits and an icy attitude, she's more than a little suspicious when arrogant, handsome Max is suddenly chasing her. But she can't deny their chemistry. Until she learns about the deal and plans to pay Max back in kind....

Romance Book Review: Finding Perfect

Author: Susan Mallery
Series Connection: Fools 

ISBN: 978-0373774685
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books

Purchase From Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Finding Perfect is my first Susan Mallery book and I was generally impressed with her sharp, interesting and sometimes witty dialog and characters. I'm even impressed that she was able to come up with a different and interesting story line, which is saying a lot for a Harlequin book, which tend to keep with the same theme over and over again.

Okay so the story is a bit hard to believe. It is about a woman, Pia, who lives in a small town. The same town she grew up in. She is well liked by everyone in the community. So well liked that when one of her friends dies the woman leaves Pia her embroyos. There are no instructions what to do with them, but the woman also leaves her money for implanting them and money put away in a college fund.

Now Pia has to decide what to do with them. At one time Pia was the bad girl in the bunch, but a tragedy in her life changes her. Now she is the go to girl. Everyone relys on her to get the job done. So when Pia asks her friends why the woman would leave her embroyos to her they all can't believe she doesn't realize why.

Now Pia, a woman who can barely get along with a cat, has to figure out how she is going to raise another woman's children and if she can do it. So see this isn't your everyday romance storyline. It may seem unbelieveable, especially because Pia's friend never bothers to tell Pia that she left her such a strange bequest. Then again, this is a romance book and sometimes we need to let reality go a little bit.

Our hero in the story, Raoul, is a former football player who leaves the sport on top. He's loved by everyone, but he's hit a few bumpy roads along the way. He doesn't trust easily. After meeting a solider who dies in his arms on one of his trips to Iraq he decides to come to check out the solider's hometown and likes it so much he stay. He likes the people and the small town atmosphere is just what he needs.

He meets Pia on the day that she finds out about the embroyos and she is about to have a panic attack. As coincidences happen in romance novels, the solider just happens to be the husband of Pia's friend who left her the embroyos. For the sake of his friend Raoul wants to help.

Not a likely story, but actually a pretty well written novel. Some of the residents are a little quirky and there are references to the previous books in the series, but this is its own story and there isn't any need to read the others to enjoy this book.

Description:
When Pia O’Brian’s best friend dies, Pia expects to inherit her cherished cat. Instead, the woman leaves Pia three frozen embryos. With a disastrous track record in the romance department and the parenting skills of a hamster, Pia doesn’t think she’s meant for motherhood. But determined to do the right thing, Pia decides to become a single mother. Only to meet a gorgeous, sexy hunk the very same day.

A former foster-care kid now rich beyond his wildest dreams, Raoul Moreno runs a camp for needy children in Fool’s Gold, California. After his last relationship, Raoul thought he was done with women and commitment. Still, he can’t get sweet, sexy Pia out of his mind — and proposes a crazy plan. But can such an unconventional beginning really result in the perfect ending?

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Romance Book Review: Burning Up

Author: Susan Anderson
ISBN: 978-0373774982
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin


♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Purchase From Amazon

 Even through the theme of the bad girl coming home is over done, this book stood out for me because of the heroine. Macy O'James loves her family, so when her Aunt asks her to come home and help when her cousin gets hurt, she runs home to take care of her. Macy knows it won't be easy to come back to the small town she left after high school, but she goes.

A lot of Macy's reputation is made up. While some might bury their head in the sand, Macy is an in-your-face kind of gal. She may not really be the slut of the year, but if everyone is going to think she is why not play along? Her family knows who she really is and that's all that matters.

My favorite part of the story is all of the great outfits Macy wears. One day she's a goth girl and the next she's a 1940s pin up girl.

I wasn't as impressed with the hero of the story, but he isn't bad. Gabe is new in town and never met Macy, but his attraction to her keeps him from seeing who she really is.

Good weekend read for people who like contemporary romance. Check out the recipes in the back of Susan Anderson's book.

Description: 
She's So Good at Being Bad
Though it’s been years since the infamous Macy O’James stepped foot in Sugarville, Washington, everyone remembers what she supposedly did. The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment.

Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate  enough sparks to burn down the town, he’s a law-abiding, line-towing straight arrow. So not her type.

But, maybe—just maybe—he could change her mind about that.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Romance Byte: Ghost Moon

Author: Heather Graham
ISBN:978077832796-7
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: MIRA Books


Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Sears
Purchase from Barnes and Noble

Description:
Reclusive collector Cutter Merlin is seldom seen in Key West—lately, not at all. Officer Liam Beckett visits Merlin’s curious house and discovers the gentleman in his study. In his death grip: a volume of occult lore and a reliquary. His eyes are wide with fright, his mouth a horrified rictus where spiders now dwell.

Kelsey Donovan returns to the old house to catalog her estranged grandfather’s collection of artifacts and antiquities, vowing to see his treasures divested properly. But she cannot ignore the sense that she’s being watched, the reports of malevolent black figures, the pervasive smell of death.

Is the Merlin house haunted, even cursed? Liam knows well that some ghost stories are true and he swears to protect Kelsey. But there are forces at work for whom one more life is a pittance to pay for their deepest desire.…

About the author from her Website: 
Other names for Heather Graham: Shannon Drake and Heather Graham Pozzessere
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Romance Book Review: Dragonlight

Author:  Sherrill Quinn 
Series Connection: Dragons
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-685-7

Genres: Fantasy / Shapeshifter / Ménage (M/F/M) / Series
Publisher: Amber Quill



♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

In the continuation of her Dragon series, Dragonheat and Dragonfire, Dragonlight, follows the continuation of the fight between the human hunters and the dragon shifters.

Gav is captured by the human hunters and is about to become a lab rat until human Marina comes to his rescue.

Marina has been working hard to become accepted by the hunters lab people so she could find out what is happening to all the dragon shifters. When she realizes that the shifters are being killed in the name of research she can't let it happen anymore and works to gain the scientist trust in order to save as many dragon shifters as she can.

The first one she gets help is Gav, but even though she saves Gav the other dragons may not trust her. The only thing he can do is to wrap her in his protection to keep her safe.

Quick action filled read moving from the lab to safety and featuring one hot ménage.

Description:
Sequel to the Amber Heat best-seller Dragonheat...

Ice dragon Gavril Stasio was caught while doing recon on a new dragon hunter. He never expected her to save his life. Kidnapping her was certainly no way to thank her, but he had no choice.

Marina Rodriguez wants to do what she can to atone for the havoc her family has wrought on dragons. She finally gets her chance and ends up defending herself against charges that she’s a dragon hunter. Once she’s done that, she’s faced with two sexy dragon men who want to protect her. And make love to her.

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Romance Book Review: Midnight Crystal

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Series Connection:  Dreamlight Trilogy/ An Arcane Society Novel #9
ISBN-13: 978-0515148367

Genre: Paranormal/ Futuristic Romance/ Sci-Fi
Publisher: Jove

Purchase from Amazon

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Midnight Crystal is the final book of the Dreamlight Trilogy. Jayne Ann Krentz writes three different genres of Romance and uses a different name in each genre: Jayne Ann Krentz for contemporary, Amanda Quick for historical and Jayne Castle for futuristic or sci-fi. In her Dreamlight Trilogy she moved her Arcane series through the generations. She began with Fired Up, by Jayne Ann Krentz. Then moved to the past with The Burning Lamp as Amanda Quick and finally finished up with Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle.

The three books followed the Winters family who is the arch enemy of the Jones family from J&J Investigations. The story tells of the development and subsequent legend of Nicholas Winters' final attempt to kill off the Jones family by instilling a great power into a Lamp that will activate when the Winter's male with the right psychic powers comes into his full psychic power.

Interesting idea with a lot of imagination. As always Jayne brings great entertainment with the three books. I love her writing style and she worked well to relate the three stories. In many of the reviews I've read there are lots of complaints about repetitive explanation about how the Lamp works, repeating history and legends and so forth. That generally doesn't bother me. I think an author has to do that in case someone hasn't read the previous books. How would they be able to understand the story unless they were told. For them it will be the first time. For readers who have read the whole series it will be the third.

In Midnight Crystal we meet Adam Winters a new elected Guild boss sent in to clean-up the Frequency City Guild. In previous Harmony series books there have been mention about the corrupt Frequency Guild. Not everyone is happy that Adam has been chosen to clean-up the Guild. As a matter of fact two council members are out to try to kill Adam.

Adam has other things to worry about. For the past month he has been having terrible nightmares and he is afraid that the old legend about the Winters' Clan is coming true and he will be the one to set forth Nicholas Winters' plan. Not to mention the fact that the infamous family lamp has gone missing.

In walks Marlowe Jones. Marlowe is the first dreamlight psychic to be in charge of the J&J Investigations. J&J is still around protecting the Arcane Society. The only problem is that since most everyone in the new world of Harmony has some kind of PSI talent they aren't as busy as they used to be.

Last we saw the Lamp it had been given to J&J for safe keeping, but now we find that that was a fake. Although the Winters' family didn't want to use the Lamp, they didn't quite trust the Arcane Society to keep it safe. So when the Arcane Society's version of the Lamp goes missing as well, Marlowe seeks out Adam to find out what is going on.

At the same time, the underworld of Harmony is in great danger of exploding and Adam believes that the real Lamp can help fix the problems. Even after the two safe the underworld there is still the matter of those that are trying to kill Adam and Marlowe's problem with having men sleep in bed with her.

This might spoil it for people so you may want to skip this part:
Generally I liked the final book of the Dreamlight series, but there were a few problems with the story.  I hate it when mysteries are not answered at the end of the story, but unless I missed it, readers don't know who stole the real Lamp that Adam had. Also, and this is just a pet peeve of mine, but basically Marlowe had the same problem as Chloe had in Fired Up. Because of their dream talent it was hard to sleep with someone because of the other person's dreams. Makes sense, but it makes the story sound too much the same as that story. It would be nice if she could have a different reaction.

In Chloe's case it was clear why she could sleep with Jack. I just don't like that it was repeated in this story. Not really significant to the story, but just annoyed me.

I think Jayne fans will like this last in the Dreamlight Series. The next in the Arcane series is due out on Dec. 28 with In Too Deep. For all of you who have been following the series this is Fallon Jones' story.

Description:
For many earthly centuries, a legendary curse has plagued the Winters family, stemming from the tumultuous founding of the Arcane Society. But now, on the futuristic world of Harmony, the curse’s final mystery will be unraveled...
Adam Winters has enough responsibility as the new head of the local Ghost Hunter Guild without being saddled with the family curse. He’s convinced his recent nightmares and hallucinations will lead to him becoming a psychic rogue—unless he can find a stolen relic and a woman who can read dreamlight.

Marlowe Jones rides into his life on a motorcycle and with a dust bunny at her side. Though a descendant of the rival Arcane family, she’s just what Adam needs: a psychic private investigator and dreamlight reader extraordinaire.

Together, amid the glowing catacombs and steamy underground jungles of Harmony, Adam and Marlowe must break the curse, save the entire underworld—and fight a passion that could destroy them both...

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Romance Byte: Renegade

Author: Lora Leigh
ISBN: 0312945833

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Berkley


Purchase from Amazon
 
Description:
As a bridal shop owner, Mikayla Martin helps make women's wedding dreams come true. Her own life, however, has become a nightmare since she witnessed a murder--and got an up-close-and-personal look at the killer. What's worse: She knows she knows him. But the police, after doing an alibi check, don't believe her. It's up to Mikayla to prove them wrong...and do whatever it takes to solve the murder by herself. 

Elite Ops agent Nikolai Steele, code name Renegade, is asked to pay an old comrade a favor. This friend swears he's no killer--and Nik believes him--even though he's been mistaken as one by Mikayla. So Nik goes to set her straight...but the moment he lays eyes on the fiery and determined beauty, he knows he's in too deep. A woman this irresistible can only mean trouble and, sure enough, after sticking her nose in one too many places, someone wants Mikayla dead. Now Nik must find a way to keep her safe, clear his friend's name, and find the real killer, who remains on the loose...

Romance Byte: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White
Series Connection: Paranormalcy
ISBN: 9780061985843
Genre: Paranormal/ Shapeshifter/YA
Publisher: HarperTeen

Purchase from Amazon

Description: 
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Romance Byte: Born to Bite

Author: Lynsay Sands
Series Connection: Argeneau
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-147432-3
Genre: Paranormal

Publisher: Avon

Purchase from Amazon

Description:
Eshe d’Aureus is sent to Armand Argeneau under the auspice that she needs a safe place to hide from a rogue out for revenge, but Eshe is really on the job. She's been saddled with the task of finding out why Armand's wives keep dying, and what it has to do with his son Nicholas and the murder Nicholas is accused of committing 50 years ago. She's Nicholas's only hope of avoiding being executed for a murder he may or may not have committed. Eshe's agreed to take on the task, but that was before she realized she couldn't read Armand and he is the life mate she's been waiting for.

Armand Argeneau’s first sight of Eshe was her roaring up on a motorcycle that appeared to be aflame. That was inconspicuous?! She had the grace of a panther, the attitude of a pit bull and openly enjoyed thwarting Lucian’s orders whenever possible . . . all of which delighted him immensely . . . until he realized he couldn't read the woman and she might be a life mate. Having already lost a life mate and two wives to suspicious circumstances, Armand isn't willing to risk losing another.

Unfortunately, sending her away was pretty difficult when he couldn't keep his thoughts, not to mention his hands, off her. It seems it's time to once again try to get to the bottom of the deaths of his first three wives. While Armand's tried before, he's also failed, but this time he could lose his son as well as his life mate.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Romance Byte: Maybe This Time

Author: Jennifer Crusie
ISBN: 978-0312303785
Genre: Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Purchase from Amazon

Description:
Love has a ghost of a chance . . .

When Andie Miller goes to see her ex-husband, North Archer, to return ten years of uncashed alimony checks, he asks for one final favor: A distant cousin has died and left him guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already; will she take the job? Bribed with money and a need for closure, Andie says yes, packs her bags, and heads for Southern Ohio.

But when she meets the two children she realizes things are much worse than she feared.  The children aren’t any run-of-the-mill delinquents, the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers, and something strange is happening at night.  Plus, Andie’s fiance thinks it’s a plan by North to get Andie back, and since Andie’s been dreaming about North since she arrived at the house, she’s not sure he isn’t right.

Then her ex-brother-in-law arrives with a duplicitous journalist and a self-doubting parapsychologist, closely followed by an annoyed medium, Andie’s tarot card–reading mother, her avenging ex-mother-in-law, and her jealous fiancé. Just when Andie’s sure things couldn’t get more complicated, North arrives to make her wonder if maybe this time things could be different….

Romance Byte: Tough Customer

Author: Sandra Brown
ISBN-13: 9781416563105

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Simon & Schuster


Purchase from Amazon 

Description:
Colleagues, friends, and lovers know Dodge Hanley as a private investigator who doesn't let rules get in his way—in his private life as well as his professional one. If he breaks a heart, or bends the law in order to catch a criminal, he does so without hesitation or apology.

That's why he's the first person Caroline King—who after a thirty-year separation continues to haunt his dreams—asks for help when a deranged stalker attempts to murder their daughter . . . the daughter Dodge has never met. He has a whole bagful of grudging excuses for wishing to ignore Caroline's call, and one compelling reason to drop everything and fly down to Texas: guilt.

Dodge's mind may be a haze of disturbing memories and bad decisions, but he arrives in Houston knowing with perfect clarity that his daughter, Berry, is in danger. She has become the object of desire of a co-worker, a madman and genius with a penchant for puzzles and games who has spent the past year making Berry's life hell, and who now has vowed to kill her.

Dodge joins forces with local deputy sheriff Ski Nyland, but the alarming situation goes from bad to worse when the stalker begins to claim other victims and leaves an ominous trail of clues as he lethally works his way toward Berry. Sensing the killer drawing nearer, Dodge, who's survived vicious criminals and his own self-destructive impulses, realizes that this time he's in for the fight of his life.
From acclaimed best-selling author Sandra Brown, Tough Customer is a heart-pounding tale about obsession and murder, the fragile nature of relationships, and, possibly, second chances.

Romance Byte: Dark Peril

Author: Christine Feehan
Series Connection: Carpathians
ISBN: 0425236595

Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover

Purchase from Amazon
 
Description:
“The reigning queen of paranormal romance” (Publishers Weekly) returns with a darkly exquisite new tale of the Carpathians, as two lovers find themselves bound by the very desires that could destroy them.

Dominic, of the Dragonseeker lineage—one of the most powerful of the Carpathian lines—is desperate to go to the very heart of the enemy camp and learn their plans.  There’s only one way to do so: ingest the parasitic blood of a vampire.  He knows that it is a mission from which there is no return. With little time before the blood takes effect, he’ll get the information he needs, relay it to the leader of the Carpathians, and go out fighting.  There is no more honorable way to end his life.

Solange Sangria is one of the last of the jaguar people, a royal pureblood, a dying species that cannot recover from bad decisions made over hundreds of years. She has long been alone, fighting to save the remaining shapeshifters from the hands of Brodrick the Terrible: her own father, who slaughtered her family and everyone she loved.  Wounded and weary, she plans one last battle, hoping to stop the man who has made an alliance with the vampires, accepting that she will not come out alive.

They are two warriors who have lived their lives alone.  Now, at the end of their time, they find each other—an obstacle neither can hope to ignore.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Romance Byte: Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed

Author: Tracy Anne Warren
Series Connection: The Byrons of Braebourne
ISBN-13: 978-0061673443

Genre: Historical
Publisher: Harper Collins

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble


Description:
To her surprise, Lady Mallory Byron finds herself walking down the aisle with the last man she ever expected to ask for her hand.

Everyone knows the Byron brothers are “mad, bad, and dangerous.” Now their sister shockingly discovers she’s the newest talk of the Ton when she marries the scandalous Earl of Gresham. Faced with a tragic loss, she’d sought comfort from him as a family friend. But soon consolation turned to passion, scandal––and a wedding! In the bridal bed, she finds pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. But can nights of wicked delight change friendship into true love?

Charming rakehell Adam, Earl of Gresham, has secretly loved Mallory for years. He lost her once to another man, but now he has a second chance to win her love––and plans to do so by any means necessary. Will Mallory’s heart give him what he so dearly desires? Or is the past too much to overcome?

Romance Byte: Don't Cry

Author: Beverly Barton
ISBN: 978-1420110340
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Zebra


Purchase from Amazon

Description:
NOWHERE TO RUN
The crime scenes are horrifying: the victims arranged with deliberate care, posed to appear alive despite their agonized last moments and the shocking nature of their deaths.

NO PLACE TO HIDE

Chattanooga grief counselor Audrey Sherrod moonlights for the local police. It’s clear to her, and to Special Agent J.D. Cass, that the murders are the work of a deranged serial killer. At first, the only link is the victim’s similar physical appearance. But then another connection emerges, tying them to a long-ago series of horrifying crimes Audrey hoped would never resurface—crimes that hit all too close to home.

NO TIME TO CRY

Each grisly new discovery proves the past has not been forgotten, and the worst is yet to come. Audrey went looking for the truth and she is about to find it… and it will be more twisted and more terrifying than she ever imagined…

Romance Byte: Sin Undone

Author: Larissa Ione
Series Connection: Demonica

ISBN: 978-0446556811
Genre: Paranormal 
Publishing: 
Grand Central Publishing




Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble

Description:
HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

Romance Byte: Last Dragon Standing

Author: GA Aiken
ISBN: 978-1420108880

Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Zebra


Purchase from Amazon
Purchase at Barnes and Noble

Description:
I know what they see when they look at me. The charming, soft-spoken dragoness bred from the most powerful of royal bloodlines. A disguise stronger than any battle shield that allows me to keep all suitors at tail's length. A technique that's worked until him. Until Ragnar the Cunning, handsome barbarian warlord and warrior mage from the desolate Northlands. Unlike those who've come before him, he does not simply submit to my astounding charm and devastating smile. Instead, he dismisses me as vapid, useless and, to my great annoyance, rather stupid!

Yet I'll allow no male to dismiss me. Soon he'll learn my worth, my many skills, and the strength of my will. For this one challenges me enough to make me want to ruthlessly taunt him, tease him and, finally, when the trap is set, bring him to his knees.

Romance Byte: The Hawk

Author: Monica McCarty
ISBN: 978-0345518248
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble
 
Description:
The legend of the Highland Guard continues...

Handpicked by Robert the Bruce to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule, the Highland Guard is an elite fighting force unlike any the world has ever seen. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. But when Bruce is forced to flee to the Western Isles, his bid for freedom rests on the shoulders of one extraordinary warrior.

Erik MacSorley is unrivaled on the seas, a brilliant seafarer who has never encountered a wind he could not harness nor a woman he could not win—until he drags a wet, half-naked “nursemaid” out of the waters off the Irish coast. Ellie’s ordinary appearance belies the truth: she is in fact Lady Elyne de Burgh, the spirited daughter of the most powerful noble in Ireland, and a close ally of the English king. Worse, this confounding, fascinating, irresistible woman is determined to prove herself immune to his charms—a challenge he cannot resist.

Her captor may look every inch a powerful, rugged warrior, but Ellie vows it will take more than a twinkle in his blue eyes and a wickedly suggestive caress to impress her. Erik is as wild and untamed as the wind, sweeping away her resistance with a desire that resonates deep within her heart. Still, he is a man driven by loyalty, and she is a woman with secrets that could threaten his mission and jeopardize Bruce’s chance to reclaim his throne. As the battle for king and country sounds across the shores, will Ellie’s love be enough to finally tame the legend known as the Hawk?

Romance Byte: Burn

Author: Linda Howard
ISBN: 978-0-345-48656-1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Ballantine

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble

Description:
It’s true what they say: Money changes everything. And in Linda Howard’s red-hot novel Burn, the changes come fast, furious, and filled with the kind of sexy suspense, heart-stopping romance, beautiful people, and risky business guaranteed to give you the most bang for your buck. 



Money certainly changes Jenner Redwine’s life when she wins a lottery jackpot. But it also costs her plenty: Her father rips her off and disappears, her fortune-hunting boyfriend soon becomes her ex, and friends-turned-freeloaders give her the cold shoulder when she stops paying for everything. 

Flush with new money, Jenner can’t imagine ever finding a place in the world of the wealthy.

Seven years later, though, she’s rubbing elbows with the rich, despite the fact she still feels like a party crasher. Luckily she finds an ally–and a guide to the rarefied realm of privilege–in shy, kind-hearted heiress Sydney Hazlett, who quickly becomes Jenner’s confidante and surrogate sister. 



When Sydney invites Jenner on a charity cruise aboard a luxury liner, Jenner reluctantly agrees. But while she’s expecting–and dreading–two weeks of masquerade balls, art auctions, and preening glitterati, what she gets is more like a Hitchcock movie than a Love Boat episode. Taken hostage by a menacing stranger, Jenner must cooperate in a mysterious cloak-and-dagger scheme–or else.

With nowhere to run, and with Sydney’s life as well as her own at risk, Jenner is drawn into a game of dizzying intrigue and harrowing danger. But as her panic gives way to exhilaration, and fear of her captor turns to fascination, Jenner rediscovers feelings she hasn’t had in years–and realizes she’s found a life worth living. If she survives.

Romance Byte: The Devil Wears Plaid

Author: Teresa Medeiros
ISBN: 978-1-4391-5788-6

Genre: Historical
Publisher: Pocket

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble

Description: 
AN INNOCENT WOMAN
Emmaline Marlow is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor's prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abduts her in one strong swoop.

Though he is Hepburn's sworn enemy, Emma's mysterious captor is everything her bridegroom is not--handsome, virile, dangerous...and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.

A DANGEROUS MAN
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a fiery, defiant beauty whose irresistible charms will tempt him at every turn. But he cannot allow either one of them to forget he is her enemy and she his pawn in the deadly Highland feud between the clans. Stealing his enemy's bride was simple, but can he claim her innocence without losing his heart?

Romance Byte: Love Me If You Dare

Author: Carly Phillips
ISBN: 978-0373774708
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books

Purchase through Amazon
Purcahse from Barnes and Noble


Description:
Book # 2 – Bachelor Blog Series
The perfect catch is about to fall for the the one woman he’s always resisted … until now!
When hostage negotiator Rafe Mancuso takes a bullet to save Sara Rios, his ex-partner, his actions make him a bona fide hero—and New York City’s newest most eligible bachelor. Then Rafe admits that Sara is much more than just another woman he’s rescued. Suddenly, a firestorm of gossip turns him into exactly what he doesn’t want to be: the Bachelor Blog’s new hottest topic. His only solution is to leave town and get himself out of the spotlight… and sexy, jaded Sara out of his mind.
NYPD officer Sara Rios has Rafe to thank for saving her life, and Rafe to blame for the media chaos surrounding her. She wants to throw herself back into duty full throttle, but until her injuries heal, she’s on leave — and in search of her rescuer. From the moment she finds Rafe and meets his large, close-knit boisterous crazy family, she’s hooked. But mutual attraction doesn’t always mean happily-ever-after, and the these two have a long way to go to find their a fairy-tale ending….

Romance Byte: Burning Up

Author: Susan Anderson
ISBN: 0373774982
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin 


Purchase from Amazon  


Description:
She's So Good at Being Bad

Though it’s been years since the infamous Macy O’James stepped foot in Sugarville, Washington, everyone remembers what she supposedly did. The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment.

Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate  enough sparks to burn down the town, he’s a law-abiding, line-towing straight arrow. So not her type.

But, maybe—just maybe—he could change her mind about that.

Romance Byte: Demon from the Dark

Author: Kresley Cole
Series Connection: Immortals After Dark Series
ISBN: 978-1439123126
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Pocket

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble


From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this scorching tale of a demon outcast poisoned with vampire blood and the vulnerable young witch he vows to protect—even from himself.

Description:
A dangerous demon she can't resist...

Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A maddening witch he aches to claim...

Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

Trapped together in a savage prison...

For them to survive, Malkom must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When he becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

Love Inspired of the Month: Love Finds a Home

Author: Kathryn Springer
Series Connection: Mirror Lake
ISBN: 978-0373876228
Genre: Love Inspired/ Christian Romance
Publisher: Steeple Hill

Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes and Noble

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

New in town and now the new chief of police, Jake offers to bring flowers to the widow of an officer killed while on duty. On his way he decided to take a detour and rather than give the roses the other officers had planned to give, just as they had done for the six years before, Jake decided to give an apple tree instead. Praying that he is following the right path, Jake shows up at the Barlow residence seeing two people trapped in their grief in need to find a way out.

Emma can't wait for the police officer who is bringing the roses to her home to come and go. She's been through this routine before and only wants to be alone with her grief, not needing to feel the guilt the officers seem to bring. She has her young son to take care of and her grief to hold on to. That is until the new police chief walks into her life.

Since her husband died Emma has kept her distance from the people of Mirror Lake and from the church and God. With the help of her son Jeremy and Jake Emma slowly begins to feel that she can bring good back into her trust and find a man she can love again.

Well written inspiring book about living with tragedy and trusting God to help fill the empty void in ones life.

Description:
Seeking a Father Figure

Widowed mother Emma Barlow knows her shy, studious son needs a male influence. And where
better to find him than in the mentoring ministry at the local church? But when the new chief of police
becomes her son’s mentor, Emma is worried. As the widow of a fallen officer, she’s nervous about letting a lawman into their lives. Especially one as handsome–and conflicted–as Jake Sutton.
But when her son comes out of his shell, and even Emma finds herself smiling, she knows that love
just might find a home in Mirror Lake. . .and create a new family.