Where did the time go...(yes I'm whining)

EEK..summer is gone, and we are already in the midst of fall.  Boy is it starting to feel it in Northern Michigan!   I love the crisp fall air and the changing of the leaves. The anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the beginning of the Christmas shopping season!

Now if only things would slow down enough for me to be able to enjoy it all.  This summer was spent driving back and forth from my home in Northern Michigan, to my in-laws in the metroDetroit area. My FIL was in the hospital all summer and only recently got out. 

We made a quick trip to Wisconsin to pick the boys up from my Mom's, to go to my cousin's wedding and we went camping in the UP on our way back home. Then it was time for school to start.  Both of my boys are in football, so I've been running back and forth from work  to practices and games...and this weekend we are going back down to the metroDetroit area.

I've not gotten in much reading or reviewing lately...and now I'm ready to play with my card-making. Football is almost done, maybe I can squeeze in some extra time then.

My husband is on the AWESOME list!!!!

He bought me a nook for no reason other than because he knew I wanted one!!!! I figured it would make a great Christmas present.  How can I not love someone who's so sweet and thoughtful!  So far this is what I've purchased and loaded onto my nook:

Susan Mallery:

CHASING PERFECT

ALMOST PERFECT

Shannon K. Butcher:

BURNING ALIVE

FINDING THE LOST

RUNNING SCARED

Tessa Dare:

THE LEGEND OF THE WERESTAG

Sydney Croft:

UNLEASHING THE STORM

RIDING THE STORM

SEDUCED BY THE STORM

Christina Dodd:

CHAINS OF ICE: The Chosen Ones

Lisa Marie Rice:

DANGEROUS LOVER

DANGEROUS PASSION

Maya Banks:

SEDUCING SIMON

...I may have went a bit overboard...but I LOVE my nook, and I want to use it OFTEN.  Sure I still love the feel of my print books, but this is such an awesome tool. I love that now when I go anywhere, esp. on vacation, I no longer have to pack an extra bag just for my books!!! My husband definately loves the fact that now I won't be taking up so much space with NEW purchases of books, but we all know that I will still stroll the USBs to find great deals. o.O

Jumping off the Band Wagon

Joanna Bourne seems to be a popular author on the top of many bloggers and reviewers  lists...with all the talk I decided to finally giver her a try.  I was given the chance to review her newest book THE FORBIDDEN ROSE for NightOwl Reviews. I figured that since she has been given glowing reviews for this book and her past books that this would be a safe choice.

Boy was I wrong, I was burned bad by this one as it didNOT work at all for me.  I found very little in her writing to like.  Her prose and her characters' conversations rambled on without going anywhere, only succeeding to bore me.  The heroine was lackluster to say the least, she had no passion for the cause she was fighting for and to make matters worse, she seemed to hold those involved in her rescues in contempt.
The most interesting character of the whole book was the street urchin turned spy.  Adrian Hawker has the potential to grow up into a great hero for somebody, I just hope that his heroine gets an exciting personallity.

I've discovered some great authors from the bloggers and reviewers online, just sometimes what works for many doesn't work for me.  Without them I never would have discovered Tessa Dare, Shiloh Walker, Larissa Ione, Maya Banks or Jaci Burton to name a few.

Tessa Dare ... a great New To Me Author...

I just discovered historical romance author Tessa Dare.  Now to be fair, she's only been published for a year, so I'm not that far behind. She's one of the authors that I heard many many blogs praise, so I was a wee bit leery to pick up.


I received a ARC of her up coming ONE DANCE WITH A DUKE (review to be posted closer to the release date -May 25, 2010- @NightOwlReviews.com) Needless to say, I loved the book and proceed to glom onto her first three books and really enjoyed them.
Lucy was my favorite of the heroines and Gray was my favorite hero, though there were all great. Sophia was a bit on the selfish side and Bel was a bit too idealistic, but they were all still great reads.  I can't wait for more!

What I read today was...

SMOOTH TALKING STRANGER (Travis Family #3) by Lisa Kleypas

...and it was freakin' great!!!!  Jack and Ella are now my favorites of this series.   Jack is just so damn yumm-mmm-my!

I love LK's historicals and her contemporaries are even better...that's saying a lot for me, as historical is usually my prefered genre, aslo, I usually hate first person, but she really makes it work.  Her contemporary writing style is very different from her historical, though in both subgenre's she can totally suck you into a character and scene.

I loved this book so much that I hated finishing it.  Now, I want Joe's story!!!!  I really hope we get it ...and we get it soon. :oP

Could You Read...

a romance with one of the main characters being named Dangerous Dan and another is named Raging Thunder?  OMG I saw these names and couldn't stop the giggling! I know that I COULD NOT read this, I would giggle every time I read their names, it would totally throw me out of the story.  To top it off, when I see Dangerous Dan, my brain changes it to DASTARDLY Dan.

The only way I COULD read something with such bad names is if this was a Mel Brooks style spoof, ala BLAZING SADDLES...then it might be a good funny read, but not a romance. 

Maybe it's just me, but an author's choice of names for the h/H can alter my view of a book, and a bad name can ruin a romance book for me.  I read one book where the hero's name was Milton, it just didn't work for me.  Other names of romance h/H (when they have NO nickname, and only go by "this" name) that could take me out of the story, and cause a serious fit of the giggles:
Herbert, Kirby, Bertha, Beuhla, Edna, Ethel
Sure, there's more that wouldn't work, but I don't have time to list them.  Also I get sick names like Tucker and Austin, but they don't disturb me to the point that I giggle.

What name would take you out of a romance?

Ereader Contest

I love the fact that  Monica is not only running an Ereader contest,  but she is also active donating books to soldiers, I spent 4 years in the Army so this is dear to my heart.
You can find her eReader contest here:
 http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2009/12/ereader-anyone-you-choosei-knowagain.html

AND

Dontate books to Soldiers here:
http://www.readingatwar.blogspot.com/2009/12/it-begins.html

Slow reading...for me

Well I haven't read a whole lot lately, the mood just wasnt' there.  I found myself "playing" on the internet and with my card and jewlery making supplies.  But I did mangage to get in the following, which I still need to write reviews to post on http://www.nightowlreviews.com/ :

EARLY DAWN by Catherine Anderson (very ho-hum read for me)

THE BLISS FACTOR by Penny McCall (really enjoyed this book...and that this took place in parts of Michigan that I was familiar with and could visualize)

HOW I MET MY COUNTESS by Elizabeth Boyle (great book, I can't wait until her next release in September!!!)

It's the weekend again...this is what I'm Reading

 Well, we're getting ready for the weekend again, and I really don't know how much reading time I will have...I'm going Stampin' and Scrappin' at a good friend's house on Saturday.  I don't usually get much accomplished at these events, but I always have a great time catching up with friends and getting new ideas, and Tina is an excellent hostess, so I know there'll be great food, and she even goes as far as having door prizes for her friends (a great way to clean out her stash!!!)

SO anyway, I've got my hands on this awesome looking urban fantasy.  Straight  from www.sff.net/people/lucy-snyder/spellbent.html

SPELLBENT

by

Lucy A. Snyder

Jessie Shimmer's roguish lover, Cooper, has been teaching her ubiquemancy, the art of finding the magic in everyday things. But things go terribly wrong when the couple try to call a rainstorm in downtown Columbus. A hellish portal opens, and Cooper is ripped from the world. Worse yet, a vicious demon invades the city. Jessie barely manages to slay it, but she's gravely wounded and the capital's center is destroyed. As if losing an eye and a hand isn't bad enough, the city's ruling mage, Benedict Jordan, brands her an outlaw. With only her ferret familiar to help her, Jessie must find the dimension Cooper's trapped in and bring him back alive before sinister machinations make both of them vanish for good.

I'll be posting my thoughts and opinion on http://www.nightowlreviews.com/ when I finish.

Re-reading before the next book comes out

In great anticipation for Larissa Ione's book #4 in her Demonica series ECSTASY UNVEILED,(available January 26, 2010) I'm re-reading Wraith's story, which I will also be reviewing for Enchanting Reviews at:
http://www.enchantingreviews.blogspot.com/

PASSION UNLEASHED

by

Larissa Ione

Forbidden Temptations…


Serena Kelley is an archaeologist and treasure hunter—and a woman with a secret. Since she was seven, she’s been the keeper of a powerful charm that grants her health and immortality . . . as long as she stays a virgin. But Serena isn’t all that innocent. And when a dangerously handsome stranger brings her to the brink of ecstasy, she wonders if she’s finally met the one man she cannot resist.

Fatal Desires…

Wraith is a Seminus demon with a death wish. But when an old enemy poisons him, he must find Serena and persuade her to give him the only known antidote in the universe—her charm. Yet, as she begins to surrender to his seductions, and Wraith senses the cure is within his grasp, he realizes a horrible truth: he’s falling for the woman whose life he must take in order to save his own.

I already know this is a great book...otherwise I wouldn't be re-reading it!

What I'm Reading . . .

Well, it's not really warmed up much in the last week, though I'm lucky enough to live just far enough NORTH to have missed all of last weeks snow!!!  Usually we get hit by the snow, but not this week.  Soooooo, to heat things up here (hey, my husband isn't home...) I've picked up a sizzling ARC of

DARE TO SURRENDER

by

Lilli Feisty

Blurb from  www.www.lillianfeisty.com/

HE MEETS HIS MATCH.

SHE MEETS HER MASTER.

Art gallery curator Joy Montgomery has never liked her body’s generous curves. And she’s always been too shy to explore her wild side. But tonight, everything is going to change…Desperate to save her job, Joy approaches bad-boy artist Ash Hunter and asks him to exhibit his erotic work at her gallery. Ash agrees on one condition: Joy must pose as his model. But business soon turns to pleasure, as Joy experiences a passion beyond her wildest imaginings and Ash finds more than just inspiration in his voluptuous new muse

This sounds like a hot one. I really hope its got a great plot and the sex is well written! 

*Update - You can read my full review on Night Owl Reviews, at: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5332

Leary of Overly Praised Books

Okay, everytime I see a book that everyone absolutely loves and raves about...I go running the opposit direction!  Does anybody else do this?  I've been burned by too many of these "top picks".  It's not as if I go by just anyones reviews, I usually check out multiple trusted sites, but sometimes it just doesn't work for me. Granted, some top picks have also turned out to be favorites of mine also, but I usually discover them before the lovefest begins.

What I'm Reading . . .Today

I forgot that when I did yesterday's post that, well, it would quickly change.  Usually on the weekend I can finish a book in a day, unless I'm busy or the book really sucks... It's not like I sit around reading all day, well, sometimes I do :o) but I'm also a fast reader. Yesterday I manged to cram a day of cleaning, shopping, internet browsing and a book. Today will just be a bit of housework, some time online, and a good (hopefully) book.

I've got another new to me author off the TBRR pile:

SIREN'S SECRET

by Trish Albright

Here's the blurb straight from the author's website, http://www.trishalbright.com/ and the back of the book:

Lady Olivia Yates enjoyed a wide array of scholarly pursuits. And she had an astounding vocabulary to prove it. Thanks to her archaeologist father, she also knew just about everything there was to know of ancient Egyptian artifacts—including a code no one else had yet deciphered. But she had no idea what to do when it looked as though someone was trying to murder her.

Samuel Stafford understood only about half the words that came out of the woman’s mouth. But he didn't mind—so long as he had a chance to watch those luscious lips at work. Too bad he wasn't paying more attention, because suddenly Olivia was dragging the shipping captain halfway around the world on a perilous treasure hunt. From fighting Barbary pirates on the high seas to exploring centuries-old tombs, only together could they unlock the... SIREN'S SECRET.

My impression so far (I've only read the first chapter) is to think of the movie, THE MUMMY, action, adventure, Egyptian archeology, Brendan Fraser -yummy, only move it back about 150years. 

Update - My opinion of this is now posted on Night Owl Romance, at: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5336

What I'm Reading . . .

On this chilly freezing Michigan winter night, I'm going to curl up with my fuzzy blanket and a book.  Top of my TBRR (To be read & reviewed) pile is an ARC of :

THE HIGHLANDER'S SWORD

by Amanda Forester

Blurb straight from http://www.amandaforester.com/ :

Swept up in the turmoil of 14th century Scotland, Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent until her brother’s death leaves her an heiress. Soon she is caught in the conflict between the hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot’s insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all. Her new husband, Padyn MacLaren, is a battle-hardened knight, scarred by betrayal, who seeks Aila’s fortune to save his clan. Yet Aila is not what he expected and has secrets of her own.

This is Ms. Forester's debut novel, available March 2010. I'll be posting a review when I finish at http://www.nightowlromance.com/.

My little rant...Women's clothing-Tall/Long in sizes above a 14, where in the HELL are they?!?!

What the hell is it with clothing stores that decide not to carry Tall/Long in certain sizes anymore!!!! How frustrating.  Do they think that ALL tall people are a size 14 and below...if we're fat/chunky/heavy/etc..., we must also be average or short????!!!!????!!!!  Now don't get me wrong, I know that I need to shed a few pounds, and I'm working on that, but until then I still need to buy work clothes.  I can't buy anything without trying it on first, because EVERYTHING fits so differently. 

So, what started this rant...
Yesterday I was all set to go to my favorite retailer at the local outlet mall (Eddie Bauer) to pick up some pants for work, a pair of jeans, and maybe a new top or 2, and SPEND some of my hard-earned CASH.  I've ALWAYS been able to find size 16 Long, much to my dismay (boy is that putting it mildly) I ask the sales lady, and she informed me that "oh they stopped stocking that in the stores, you can buy it online or in the cataloge though...) yeah, um, NO, first off the catalog/online doesn't have the great deals that were in-store (yes, I checked), and second, I need to try them on before I buy, since no 2 pair fit the same. 
Oh, and I can't forget to mention that the sales associate was sure to bring it to my attention that their average sizes run really long, to the point I was almost rude when I finally told her "Not LONG enough."  really this wasn't my first trip there...I think I know what length I need by now.

As a result, I bought NOTHING. 

Eddie Bauer is not alone either.  I've tried Gap, Old Navy, Kohls...nobody wants to carry them. Some stores don't carry tall/long at all, others also think that nobody over a size 14 is tall.  Am I alone out there, some sort of freak of nature, being tall and chunky.  No, I know this is not the case.  I see women like me all the time. So why don't the stores want me to spend my money???? Or is this some freaky scheme to get me to finally loose the weight I've been wanting to-it's not helping, now I'm even more stressed out because I REALLY need some new work pants. 

I did find that Tractor Supply (my husband only wears jeans from there) carries women's jeans in a size16x34 -yippee and they are really cute and very inexpensive-I paid less than $20 (the brand is C.E. Schmidt).