The World of Ilona Andrews

Do you want to know why I was interested in reading Ilona Andrews? She has a heroine named Kate. In my mind, that was the perfect reason to pick up Magic Bites and Magic Burns. There aren’t many heroines I can think of with such a wonderful name *G*.

But the name of a character alone cannot sell a book, so when other reviews came out and some of my fellow bloggers, such as Ciaralira, raved about Ilona Andrews and her character, Kate Daniels, I had to give her books a read. And how right Ciaralira was! Kate Daniels is in good company with such great heroines as Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax, JD Robb’s Eve Dallas and Jeaniene Frost’s Cat Crawfield, among many others. These three women stick out in my mind because they all have the same personalities as strong woman who live on the edges of society but are needed by those who are weak or cannot protect themselves. These are the new super heroines of the 21^st century book world!

Magic Bites takes place in Atlanta, Georgia where magic cripples the city. There are things called flares that can take out modern conveniences such as cars and electricity. During theses times, creatures that enjoy using their magic for their own devious means come out and cause problems. That is where Kate comes into the picture. She is a sort of freelancer mercenary who keeps control and cleans up these problems. Kate has her own special magic at her disposal. She has a pretty nifty sword she can use along with another secret weapon up her sleeve. Kate has two magic words from her deceased father she can use as a last resort if need be. When Kate says one of these words out loud to whomever, the unlucky fool must do what she orders. In Magic Bites, Kate acquires four new words from her mentor who has been murdered. She now has six words and her sword to use. Just because Kate may have these powerful words to use whenever she wants to, there are consequences. Every time she says one of these words, the pain she experiences is unbearable, only to be used if there is no other option.

Greg, Kate’s mentor, was a powerful knight who belonged to a group called the Order of Knights and Magical Aid. Kate has the option of joining but she doesn’t deal well with authority. Now that Greg has been eliminated, she must enter the world he was involved with to find his killer. This is where she is introduced to a whole new group of characters. Not only are there magicians and witches, but vampires, werewolves and all different types of shift changers.

Once such shifty creature is Curran, who is the Beast Lord. He is also the Pack King a.k.a. the lord of the shift changers. Curran can change into this monster lion and does not like to be told “no” and feels he must be obeyed in all things. You can just imagine his reaction to Kate when they meet. Sorry, folks, this is no love at first sight or even a twinge of lust between the two. Curran can’t stand Kate and she feels the same way about him. These two not only come to blows but try their best to kill one another. Remember how Kate has a problem with authority? Well, Curran is the top dog, er… cat and he wants Kate out of the way mainly because of her nose in the air attitude. As the story progresses, Kate and Curran come to an understanding and help one another. Kate eventually finds out who killed Greg, gets her revenge and helps Curran and his pack keep control of Atlanta.

Magic Burns (book #2) has Kate looking for a young girl’s missing mother who happens to be a witch and this time Kate ends up with a great deal more bumps and bruises than in Magic Bites. Both Magic Bites and Magic Burns are very heavy on blood and gore with some excellent fighting scenes. Again Curran shows up, but this time he is a bit more reserved around Kate. He no longer wants to kill her and only throws her against a wall a few times. Ilona is a wonderfully, tricky storyteller. She is planting those seeds between Kate and Curran so they have a more permanent relationship between them. Whereas I am a fan of two characters getting together as soon as possible, I feel that Ilona is better at building up whatever attraction Curran and Kate may have for one another. I really wouldn’t be surprised if this series went on for a very long time before we even see Curran giving Kate a peck on a cheek or some friendly touch that can lead to more, shall we say intimacies?

Ilona (and don’t forget her wonderful husband Gordon who lends a hand) has come up with a gritty, dark world that has some great potential. I look forward to Kate and her future adventures with her six magical words that can cause so much damage. And, if Kate and Curran end up sharing a kiss or two, I wouldn’t mind that either.

3 ½ stars out of 5 stars for the Kate Daniels Series

Do you want your chance to win a copy of Magic Burns and read a great interview with Ilona? Stop by All About Romance's After Hour Blog where there is a interview and contest with Ilona all this week. And can you guess who helped with the interview? :D

Katiebabs(KB)

RWA Dress Concerns And An Annoucement

Two weeks from tomorrow, Kristie and I head out to San Francisco for some sight seeing fun and relaxation before the hectic RWA Conference starts.

You would think two weeks would give me enough time to to decide what type of clothes to pack. I am very much a t-shirt and jean type of gal. I kind of have an idea of what I should pack but it seems the closet monster has eaten all my clothes which makes me think I should go shopping for some outfits. Yup, I am using that excuse and sticking to it! *G*.

So, what type of clothes or outfits should I bring with me? Should I dress to impress? Are jeans acceptable? Do I leave my $2.50 Old Navy flip-flops at home? HELP!

And for my BIG announcement... cue the band...

Not only will I be reporting my coming and goings here, but I was asked by All About Romance to be their RWA star reporter! You get two Katie(babs) for the price of one!

AH THE PRESSURE!! *gulp gulp*

Any idea what I should report about?

Katiebabs(KB)

Blog Shout Outs

I have about 10 minutes before I have to leave for work - yes *sigh* I have to work today.

But I direct you to two blogs you simply MUST visit. First off is this one.

And then you simply HAVE to go here!!!

You won't be soooorrrrry. *mischievous wink*

I'm going to be very mysterious and not say who or what or why - just go - heh heh heh!

Speaking of which - now I have the germ of an idea for contests. And guess what I will soon have as rewards!

I Have A Book Issue

This is going under the, "WTF?!" Files!

I have just finished Hot Property by Susan Johnson, which will be released in August, and I have a major issue with this book.

To begin with, the hero doesn't trust the heroine. He believes she may be a mole from the nasty villain to bring him out into the open so he can kill the hero. But that doesn't stop the hero having sex with the heroine.

That is not main my pet peeve. The point in the book where I wanted to throw it against the wall is where the hero and heroine are in the middle of having sex. First off the hero doesn't have a condom on him and even though the heroine refuses to have sex without protection, that doesn't stop him by overpowering her and doing what he wants. And then the hero thinks the heroine is about to reach over near the night stand and try to shoot him or hurt him. He decides he will stop her by wrapping his hands around her throat and start to strangle her. She is practically turning blue and about to pass out from the lack of air. I really thought he was about to strangle her to death when he suddenly stops. You would think she would run as far away as she can from psycho hero. Nope. Not only does she continue to lie there, but she lets bygones be bygones and they continue where they left off and have some hot sex.

WTF???

If that was me, I would have punched him in the face, grabbed a lamp and bashed him over the head and stomped on a certain part of his anatomy where he would be squealing like a little girl.

I am rolling my eyes in disgust because of this scene and it has been a long time since a book has made me uncomfortable. Am I overreacting? Is there such a book that made you feel the way I do now?

Katiebabs (KB)

Best video Evah!!!

I enjoyed this one even more than the North and South videos!

SB's posted a hilarious Friday video. I thought it was so funny I checked out more along the same line and found this one that will go down as one of my favourites of all time.
My sons played baseball for years. And Ron coached for years, first the boys and then after they grew older and stopped playing he continued to coach. And he was a GREAT baseball coach. I was never so proud of him then watching him coach kids playing ball.
When I watched this, I could picture it so clearly. After years of being a baseball mom, you were lucky if half the parents came out to watch.
So when I saw what they had planned, I howled, I teared up a bit and I clapped while watching it. Behold - a video that really got me going......

Getting Ready!!!!

I hate shopping. I hate shopping for clothes. I hate shopping for shoes. I hate shopping for purses. There are only two things I do like shopping for - books (that one is a given) and watches. I love collecting watches to match outfits - though I hate shopping for said outfits.

But with a trip to San Francisco coming up soon, I knew I had to start getting ready. Since it's my weekend to work, I had today off and I figured today was as good as any to get started.

I shopped until I dropped. Literally - I got into the house and simply dropped on the couch. Right now I'm so pooped I can't even get excited about what I bought. I'm lucky I even made it into the house with my purchases. I was tempted to leave them in the car until I was less pooped.

So, I got mega clothes. And I mean MEGA. I started from the inside and worked outside. My sisters despair for me over bras. I hate buying them and usually just stick with one or two until they wear out - drives Lisa and Nancy nuts!! But I knew I needed some good ones. And I found one that was comfortable. It was funny though - since the one I wear the most is almost worn out, I've been drooping if you know what I mean. When I tried on the new bra, my chest was higher. It was most disconcerting to look down and see my puppies - OK truth time. They aren't puppies. Puppies makes them sound young and...well.....perky. Mine are more like the old hound dogs you see sitting on porches. Very droopy. Anyway - this new bra gave them life and well - perked them up some.
TMI - I know. I'm going to kick myself when I'm over being so pooped.

Then I had to get new sleepwear. I'm sharing a room with Wendy, Rosie and Kate - with a couple of special guests showing up some of the time. Female guests - just want to make that clear. But I couldn't wear my normal sleepwear. While it's very comfortable, I kind of spilled hair dye on them not long ago while getting rid of that gray hair - which by the way will be taken care of come Monday! I have a hair appointment to get highlights - which Nancy, a former hairdresser herself assures me is the right word to use - not streaks - which is what I was thinking of getting - nope, it's highlights. It seems odd saying that though 'cause I'm getting more than that done. I'm having it coloured then highlights added! I do this about once a year - the rest of the year I colour it myself - and get it all over my comfy sleepwear.
So I had to get nice sleepwear. And since I'll be there for a few nights, I had to get more than one set.
Then I got pants and tops and something special to wear to the RITA's. If I think of what that all cost, I'll have a heart attack. When I paid for them all, I just pretended it was someone else. That should work until the credit card bill comes in. Although a lot of what I got was marked down at the register. It turned out to be $50 less than prices marked. And that allowed me to get another pair of PJ's
SCORE!!

When I was visiting Nance not long ago, I got shoes, two pair of walking shoes - not running shoes because I'm afraid hell will freeze over before I run anywhere. But I remember from last year that comfortable shoes are an absolute must. I also got a couple of pairs of sandals so I was all set for daytime. But I knew I needed something a bit dressier for evening.
Now I don't know how long it's been since I wore heels. I know many women swear by them, and I'm in awe of the people who actually dance in them, but I'm just not a heel wearer. I'll wear high heels right about the same time I start running.
So after my clothes shopping excursion, I headed over to the mall.

At this point I feel compelled to confess something. *Deep sigh*. I lied. I lied to myself and I lied to anyone who reads this blog. I had to walk by the bookstore. It called to me. I could hear it whispering "Kristie, come in. You know you want to. Give in. Give in to my power. Come here Kristie. Enter me" It was like I had no resistance at all. I was compelled to enter. I folded like a wet Kleenix. I don't understand why book stores can't leave me alone when I walk by them. It's that damn Siren call.
But. I did get the last laugh. I didn't go down the romance aisle. Instead I stayed at the front where they have hardcover books on for really good prices. So I picked up a hard cover copy of Innocent as Sin by Elizabeth Lowell for(regularly $34.00) $8.00 minus 10% 'cause of my Chapters Avid Reader Card and Nora Roberts Angels Fall (regularly $29.95) for $10.00 - less 10%. That's $63.95 worth of books for only $18.00 - minus 10% - I'm much to tired to do the math.
SCORE!! I showed those Sirens - oh yes I did. Try to lure me in again - hmphh

So - after that brief stop at a shoe store. Now I knew I was going to have to get something that lifted me a couple of inches off the floor, but heels were out. And the sales clerk pointed out a very nice pair of shoes with wedge heels. I tried them on and low and behold - they were comfortable!! "I said that's it! I'll get these." They gave me a bit of height, were comfy and while not as dressy as I wanted, still two out of three wasn't bad. Plus they were on sale. A Very Good Sale price.
Only one problem. Something odd happened and one was a size 7 and the other was a size 7 1/2. And no matter how hard the clerk looked, she couldn't find a matching pair in either size. The store was getting busy so she asked if I could come back since her manager was on a break. I said no problem.

After that I headed to the bank. I got some American money and some American Travelers Cheques so I'm all set now that way. The only I need to do is hide it somewhere until I go and remember where I hid it. I see a problem with that.
I stopped briefly at the food court for some bottled water as I need to whet my whistle and avoid thinking about all the money I'd spent so far today.
I didn't have to worry about a purse as I got a real cute one in Massachusetts. Funny story that.
Brief history. As well as despairing over my lack of bra sense, Lisa and Nancy HATE my purses. They hate them bad. I need big purses in order to hold 2 or 3 books, but they don't seem to understand that. They complain my purses are Mom purses - the kind our mother used to get. Well, I have to inherit something from my mom. What's wrong with the same taste in purses??? But this latest one I have they hate more then any other purse I've had. Lisa says it looks like a diaper bag and Nancy says it looks like a pair of fat old man's dirty underwear. They are good at coming out with insults those sisters of mine.
So while we were in Massachusetts, I figured I'd shut them up and get a nicer, smaller one to take with me. I saw one that was ever so adorable. I picked it up and wandered around to do some more shopping. Imagine Lisa's horror then, when I went to find the two of them and showed them the purse I was going to get. LISA WAS PLANNING ON GETTING THE SAME PURSE. She was horrified, HORRIFIED I tell you that me - the one who has a purse that looks like a fat old man's pair of dirty underwear, had chosen the same purse she had. There was just no way she was going to get the same one. Heh heh heh. I won!!
So by now I was ready to head back to the shoe store. I went in and the sales clerk told me they couldn't find a matching pair of either 7 or 7 1/2 shoes. But both the ones I tried on were comfortable and I liked them so she said I could get them and they would give me a 10% discount because they were 2 different sizes.
SCORE!! They were regularly $100, marked down to $30 and then with an additional 10% off - I'm too tired to do the math - I got a squeal of a deal for 2 unmatched shoes.
I was on my way out of the mall when I passed a jewelry store that was going out of business and had earings and necklaces marked AS 70% off. Of course I had to get some to match my new clothes.
SCORE!!

So - I think I'm ready clothes, purse and shoes wise. And that's a pretty good feeling!
OH - And I got a new watch too!

One To Make You Cry. The Other To Make You Smile

While I was reading Promise the Moon by Elizabeth Joy Arnold, one word came to mind- heartbreaking. Not many books can bring me to tears, but this one came close. There is a lot of heavy hitting subject matter here that ranges from suicide to the aftermath of war and the emotional impact it can place on a family.

Natalie is recent army widow. Her husband Josh, a Marine, came back from his second tour in Iraq a changed man. He suffered from post traumatic stress and had major memory loss. But Josh did not die in battle. Instead, he blew his head off in the garage. And guess who found the body? His five year of son, Toby who now will not talk (For that alone I wanted to hate Josh). Natalie is at a loss and is left alone to pick up the pieces, which she is not sure she can do. The only thing she does hold dear of Josh’s, is his electronic Blackberry where he wrote down his daily schedule. Natalie is afraid to even look at what Josh had programmed in the Blackberry because she may find his suicide note. Along with Toby, who suffers silently, she also has to help Anna, her ten-year old daughter adjust to the loss of her father.

Natalie must leave the army base and move back in with her parents. Under the circumstances, this seems to be the best thing for now even though Natalie is barely keeping it together. But Natalie is an amazing mother and does the best she can for her children. Toby and Anna are upset about leaving their home because they think their father won’t be able to find them from heaven. Josh use to play a game with Anna and Toby, where he would put special notes and trinkets in a secret hiding place that only he, Anna and Toby knew about. These notes were proof that while Josh was away, he always had his children in his thoughts. Toby still believes that his dad writes him from Heaven. Natalie knew about the hiding place and for awhile would write these notes after Josh’s death, pretending they were from him and would hide them in their new bathroom. Eventually she stops and Anna has decided to keep writing the notes for Toby. Perhaps this will help Toby to speak again.

Natalie has to decide where her new life is headed. Along the way, an old boyfriend of Natalie’s comes to her aid. Seth was the man Natalie was with before she met Josh. At first she welcomes his friendship but as they begin to know each other again, their friendship begins to change into a more romantic one. Anna can’t stand Seth and Toby begins to lash out in other ways by biting people. Plus it seems that Josh has kept secrets from Natalie. When Natalie was going through Josh’s possessions, she found a picture of a young Arab girl. Now Natalie has even more questions about her deceased husband. Who was this young girl and why did Josh have a picture of her? Why didn’t she have a clue that Josh was thinking of ending his life? And will she ever be able to turn on Josh’s Blackberry to see if he left a suicide note?

Promise the Moon is such a powerful book that after you finish reading, you may find yourself trying to breath very slowly and deeply to keep the tears at bay. I certainly did. Natalie has gone through such a horrible experience that no woman should ever have to deal with. She cries, becomes depressed and rages against Josh for his selfishness at leaving herself and their two children so very much alone. She wants answers and deserves them, but the worst thing about this whole situation is that she may never get them.

Anna is a troubled little girl, but she has so much love for her brother. Some of her actions may seem strange as she tries to figure out how to handle her father’s death, but Anna is the key character of this tale that will help both Natalie and Toby heal. Unfortunately I was so angry at Josh because of what he did. We see Josh through Natalie’s memories and flashbacks, but I couldn’t get a good grip on his motivation. He simply wasn’t fleshed out enough for my tastes. I didn’t want to feel sorry for him, unlike the way I felt towards his wife and children.

Elizabeth Joy Arnold really does write some great family relationships, especially that of Natalie’s father who becomes the rock for all of them. Even Seth is written in a sympathetic light and he lends a shoulder for Natalie to cry on for no other purpose because he cares for her.

Promise the Moon is one of the most poignant books I have read this year. The subject matter may be uncomfortable for some, but Elizabeth makes sure to give these characters, who have suffered so horribly, a light at the end of the tunnel. This is one book you should not pass up on.

4 ½ stars out of 5

A Rather Curious Engagement by C.A. Belmond is the total opposite of Promise the Moon. This is one delicious book about an American television freelancer researcher named Penny Nichols who came into a great deal of money from her great aunt in England. I didn’t have the chance to read A Rather Lovely Inheritance, which is the first book in this series. Belmont did a fine job of bringing the reader up to speed about Penny and her very distant English cousin and boyfriend Jeremy Laidley who also has a piece of this pricey inheritance. Penny and Jeremy have decided to pool both their inheritances together.

These two realize they have to be careful on how they spend their money and try to invest wisely. Their financial advisor must be the coolest guy around because he gives them great advice. He recommends they should given themselves one big personal splurge before they sock their money away. Jeremy is quick to agree with this plan and the one thing he wants to purchase is a 1920’s classic motor yacht. He spends a few hundred thousand pretty easy at an auction for this yacht. But, as soon as Jeremy acquires his toy, that is where the real adventure begins!

The yacht, called Liesl’s Dream is quickly stolen. Liesl’s Dream was originally owned by a German Count. Penny and Jeremy first assume the Count may have tried to steal his yacht back and even though the authorities are able to find Liesl’s Dream, both Penny and Jeremy decide to vacation at Lake Como in the Alps where the Count lives. Perhaps by meeting this Count, they can find out who stole their yacht and why.

Penny and Jeremy do meet the Count and find out that the theft of the yacht may be linked to the theft of another priceless artifact called the Beethoven Lion. The Beethoven Lion is an aquamanilia, which is a piece of pottery used as a ewer for washing hands. This lion was commissioned by a German family as a birthday gift of the composer himself. But the lion was never given to Beethoven and has been missing for hundreds of years. The Count has an extensive collection of aquamanilia animals and had been searching for years to find his priceless piece. He never was able to and now his son hires Penny and Jeremy to investigate the whereabouts of this small lion.

Soon Penny and Jeremy are sent on a wild adventure where they travel all over, from London to the coast of Corsica and back to Lake Como. A Rather Curious Engagement is a high seas adventure with a wonderful little mystery and some nice laughs as Penny and Jeremy try to outwit some thieves along with his crazy ex-wife and a cousin who steals anything that is not tied down.

If you haven’t read C.A. Belmond, I certainly recommend you start with, A Rather Lovely Inheritance and then A Rather Curious Engagement. I found both Penny and Jeremy to be a very endearing and sweet couple that I wouldn’t mind reading more about in future books to come.

3 ½ stars out of 5

Katiebabs (KB)

For our Newest Crusader

This one is for Carolyn Jean who is just now as our latest Crusader - check her blog for her episode by episode thoughts. And can I just say she has some kind of will power!!

She is now beginning to see the attraction of RICHard. So to further encourage her along......

Which Austen Heroine Are You?

I am Marianne Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! I am impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a bit too brutally honest. I enjoy romantic poetry and novels and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, my singing voice is captivating *snort*. I feel deeply, and love passionately!

Take the Quiz here!

Why not play along? *G*

Katiebabs (KB)

Kristie here:
OK - I played along. This is who I turned out to be

Take the Quiz here!

You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

Those Covers that make you go "HUH?"

Let's have some fun with some upcoming covers!
My idea for this post came about because of this cover on the Ellora's Cave website that made me go "hmmm..." At first glance I thought it was pretty hot. One girl (with red hair!) being sandwiched in between two hot? men. But then someone pointed out to me that the woman in the picture should be nicknamed "Bendy Girl" because if you look at her butt, it seems very out of place. This is a WTF cover if any!
Then I found this one and I can't decide if they are doing the mambo in the shower.



















Um, where is the Onion?? What does the title mean? Sorry, this has to be one of the corniest titles I have ever read!

I originally saw this cover on Kmont's blog and honestly, the vampire broody looking man with the abs of steel scares me. That is quite a long sword he is holding. *G*


But let us end on a positive note with some lovely covers that make me want to go out and spend!


Are there any covers that make you go "HUH?"or "YUCK!" that we should be aware of?

Katiebabs (KB)

Recent Reads

I’ve gotten behind in doing my thoughts on my latest reads so I’m doing a 4-fer here.

Call of the Highland Moon by Kendra Leigh Castle

Why this one: Katie sent me a copy and as it’s a werewolf story and I never had a thing going against werewolf stories I was quite happy to receive it.

Steam Level: Nice and steamy

Amazon Blurb: A Scottish Highlands werewolf fleeing his destiny ...

Gideon MacInnes is a werewolf from the Scottish Highlands. He loves the haunting beauty of his home, but runs away to upstate New York, grappling with his destiny of being his clan's next alpha. As a snowstorm closes in, Gideon is attacked by rogue wolves working for an enemy he never imagined existed. He stumbles, wounded and bleeding, to collapse on the doorstep of Carly Silver's tiny romance bookstore-ironic, as she's never been very good at relationships with men.

A warmhearted woman, looking for a new pet ...

Thinking he's a dog, she takes him home, treats his injuries and wakes up to find a devastatingly handsome naked man in her bed.

Trapped together through the raging storm, Gideon discovers that he's found his mate and Carly has to choose between becoming a werewolf, charged with protecting humankind from the inhabitants of an evil otherworld, or giving up the one man she's ever truly loved ...

My Thoughts: *sigh* oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. First off, this one started out quite good. Gideon has traveled to the US to escape his destiny – or at least put it off for a while – as his clan’s next Alpha. When he is very badly injured in a fight with another werewolf, he finds Carly – while still in werewolf form – and she takes him home with her. For quite some time, I was really digging the character of Gideon. He was a very fine hero. But then the hero train stopped at the station and he got off the train and for me, lost all rights to be called a hero. *sigh* he was stupid. STUPID IN CAPITAL LETTERS. He withheld vital information from Carly and as a result of this, her life was put into deadly jeopardy. And if that wasn’t bad enough

*spoilers here*

After when she was bitten by the bad werewolf, because our hero was STUPID, he whisked her back to Scotland, to his clan, she was about to go through the change, the change that killed most of the women because they weren’t strong enough – AND HE LEFT HER!! He left her all alone with the knowledge that she would probably die like so many other mates of werewolves. And this was after promising her he would stay with her!! I wasn’t too keen on him before that – the STUPID thing, but to me this was totally inexcusable. Yes, I know he had to go and fight the bad guys and as Mr. Spock says, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” but surely he could have found someone to be with her in her final painful horrendous hours. He didn’t even wait to tell her what to expect! Nope, he just left her there – all alone. At this point he was on the Unforgivable train.

Of course since this is a romance, she didn’t die – but still. If I were her, I would have stayed in werewolf form and bitten off a certain piece of his anatomy for what he did!

Still, I give the author props for good writing and an interesting world. I’m not writing her off. Gideon has a brother who will have a story coming up and I plan on reading it. I just hope his isn’t as STUPID as his older brother.

And one other thing of note. Carly owns a book store – which is cool – but I hate the name of her bookstore; Bodice Rippers and Baubles. The only type of books she sells are romance books. I didn’t find that entirely believable – that she would make a success with such limited options.

Grade: 3 out of 5 – it would have been higher except for the hero taking the wrong train.

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

Why this one: Because it’s Loretta Chase! I’ve read almost all her books excluding her earliest Trads and while I have Lord Perfect and Not Quite a Lady, I haven’t read them yet. But I decided to jump ahead and read YSW because of the great buzz

Steam Level: Just the way I like it

Back Cover Blurb: James Cordier is all blueblood and entirely dangerous. He's a master of disguise, a brilliant thief, a first class lover--all for King and country--and, by gad, he's so weary of it. His last mission is to “acquire” a packet of incriminating letters from one notorious woman. Then he can return to London, and meet sweet-natured heiresses--not adventuresses and fallen women.

Francesca Bonnard has weathered heartbreak, scorn, and scandal. She’s independent, happy, and definitely fallen; and she's learned that “gentlemen” are more trouble than they're worth. She can also see that her wildly attractive new neighbour is bad news.
But as bad as James is, there are others far worse also searching for Francesca's letters. And suddenly nothing is simple--especially the nearly incendiary chemistry between the two most jaded, sinful souls in Europe. And just as suddenly, risking everything may be worth the prize.

My Thoughts: I’ve seen in a few places that this one rates as high as Lord of Scoundrels. For me it wasn’t quite that good – but then very few book are. But aside from the comparison, I liked this one very much. It was refreshing in a number of ways. First off the setting is Venice rather than England. That alone gives it bonus points. Secondly, the heroine is an unabashed courtesan. Francesca made no bones or no apologies for what she did for a living. And I really liked her character. She was intelligent and fun.

James was a good match for Francesca. He was quite a hoot in his pursuit of Francesca. He acted totally out of character from himself. Yet I loved that she remained calm – at least on the outside. She really made him work for herself. I like that in a heroine. And I really adored her later on when we got to see some her vulnerabilities. And I give kudos to James for not holding it against her for her life and for wanting to marry her anyway.

Overall this was quite an enjoyable read.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves

Why this one: I’ve read all of Ms. Graves books and enjoyed them.

Level of Steam: Between warm and hot

Author Web site blurb:

Marry in haste...

Accountant Heather Montgomery is a planner. So never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd run into sexy charmer Tony McCaffrey in Vegas, play lady luck, and celebrate his jackpot with a champagne-soaked night. And she certainly never expected to wake up the next morning married! How could this good girl pick a man whose fridge is empty and whose apartment is a disaster zone, yet still drives her so crazy with lust she can't see straight?

Lust at leisure!

Quickly hitched and happily ditched, Tony can't wait to get back to his playboy ways. But when Heather's family is thrilled that their no-nonsense daughter is finally in love, he proposes a plan: stay married for a month to repay his good luck charm, even though she sterilizes his toothbrush and forbids anything between the sheets. But Heather is more than he bargained for--a sharp-witted, passionate woman who just might turn his near miss into wedded bliss!

My Thoughts: Ms. Graves has a wonderful way of taking a character you’re not sure you are going to like and writing them in such a way that by the time you’ve finished the book, you quite like that person. She did it with the character of Darcy McDaniel in Hot Wheels and High Heels and now she has done it with Tony McCaffery. I must admit when I first started reading, I didn’t really care for his character. He was a real player and that isn’t my favourite type of character. But as the book went on and his past is slowly revealed, I came to like him better and better.

But what I really enjoyed in this book was Heather, the heroine. When she wakes up the next morning and realizes they were married, her reaction is horror – much to Tony’s surprise who thinks she will be upset when he says it was a mistake.

I loved her character. She isn’t the brainless beauty that Tony usually dates, but she knows her own worth. She doesn’t take any crap from him and doesn’t hesitate to dress him down - in very funny ways. She’s had kind of crush on him for a while but she still sees him for the player he is.

The secondary characters are also quite interesting from Heather’s best friend to her cousin who’s getting married – with Heather as a Very Reluctant Bridesmaid. This one recently got an A at AAR and I can see why. It’s so refreshing to read a straight contemporary. They are getting more and more rare

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian

Why this one: I’ve read the previous three books in this series and I’ve really enjoyed them

Steam Level: Hot!!

Author Website Blurb: In a world of shadows and dark, consuming hungers, desire is the deadliest weapon…

The Breed Warrior Rio has endured a shattering betrayal of the heart – one that has left his body scarred and broken, his mind on the brink of madness. For him, redemption seems out of reach, and never more so than when he finds himself craving a fiery tabloid reporter in pursuit of a story that’s closer to the truth than she could ever imagine. A dangerous seduction begins, blurring the lines between predator and prey, lover and enemy…

My Thoughts: I haven’t got caught up in the whole JR Ward and BDB phenomenon, But I have in this lesser known (and lesser appreciated I think) vampire series. What I like about this series over the BDB series is the heroines are much stronger – they seem to be on a more equal footing with the heroes and I think the world building is more consistent, something I’ve said before about the previous books. The strong bond behind The Breed is just as strong I think.

This book is Rio’s story. Near the end of the first book he was badly injured in an explosion and it turned out he and his fellow band of warriors were betrayed by his breed mate.

Scarred both inside and out, he feels he is no longer any use as a Warrior and after his final mission, blowing up a cave that once held one of the monsters they were all descended from, he was going to seal himself inside the cave.

But before he can do that, our heroine, finds him hiding out in the cave and proceeds to take pictures. She plans on doing an article for a rag type newspaper. She’s a journalist but at the time, this is the only kind of work she can find. As this could reveal things that are not to be known about the Breed, Rio has no choice but to ditch his suicide plans and follow her and take her captive. But much to his dismay, she is a breed mate, one of the few humans that can mate with Breeds and as such is to be treated with care and reverence.

Because Rio is so damaged, he has trouble controlling himself at times and suffers breakdowns. When Heather witnesses one she is terrified. But she gradually begins to see beneath the surface to the tender, kind and honourable man underneath.

I was fortunate to read the first four books of this series in a relatively short period of time but alas now I have a longer wait for the next one. But I have a feeling it will be worth it as so far I have quite enjoyed each and every one of these books.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Meet and Great and BBQ... and Margaritas!

*EXCLUSIVE MEET AND GREET* (yup, I am going to use the word "exclusive" till I beat it into the ground)

So, who lives near the New York City area and loves BBQ and Margaritas? Well, I certainly do!Something really fun has been planned for Tuesday, July 22nd.

Sci-Fi Romance author extraordinaire, Ann Aguirre and I have decided to meet up and we welcome anyone else to come join us for dinner and drinks at this great place on 42nd Street called Dallas BBQ's. Ann has all the information on her blog.

The author-reader BBQ rendezvous:
When: July 22

Time: 7:30pm

Where: Dallas BBQ (Times Square) 241 West 42 Street (between 7th and 8th Avenue)

The more, the merrier! (I may need a few to help me to my bus home after the mass quantities of margaritas and beer to be consumed) *G*

Katiebabs (KB)

My laugh for the day came early. And in other news

To all my American friends - you're president........ well I don't want to get into a political rant, but this news item just cracked me up!!!!

TOYAKO, Japan (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday kept up his tradition of informal relations with fellow world leaders by summoning Prime Minister Stephen Harper with a brusque "Yo Harper!"

Bush and Harper, a rather stiff and shy figure, are in northern Japan for a summit of leaders of the Group of Eight major industrialized countries.

Television footage of a G8 lunch with African leaders showed Bush talking to Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua and saying "Yo Harper! The president of Nigeria."

At a G8 summit in 2006, Bush landed ally Tony Blair in some trouble by calling out "Yo Blair!"

Critics said the greeting showed what they described as the unequal nature of Bush's relationship with Blair, then the British prime minister.

And at the same summit, Bush shocked German chancellor Angela Merkel by briefly massaging her back as he walked behind her chair.

Harper's ties with Bush are sensitive, since critics of Canada's right-wing Conservative government regularly accuse it of taking orders from Washington.

It was not the first time that Bush has surprised Harper in public. In July 2006, after the two men met at the White House for the first time, Bush publicly called the Canadian "Steve."

Analysts said at the time this might actually help Harper dispel questions about the closeness of his relationship with Bush, since no one who even slightly knew the somewhat wooden Canadian leader would ever think of him as "Steve."

Bush has since referred to Harper in public as "Stephen."

Asked for a reaction to the "Yo Harper!" comment, Harper's spokeswoman said she had not been at the lunch.

Now Stephen Harper has disappointed me as PM. He's quite a cool (and I don't mean that in a groovy kind of way) rather distant person - though that's not what I find disappointing. So to imagine Bush hailing him as Yo, Harper really tickled my funny bone!

And in other news - as of last Sunday - I've stopped buying books!
No, no, no - not for good. That will NEVER happen. I've just stopped buying them until I get to San Francisco. As one of the BIG draws is books, books, hundreds of wonderful book - I don't want to have them all before I get there. So for the time being I've banned myself from Chapters. It will be tough, but I KNOW I can do this - I hope.

Another Brand New Baby Blogger

In fact Pidute of Nothing Interesting is so new, her first post is today. So it really is her Blog BIRTH DAY. And her first post is on a well loved favourite - a book that has caused some disagreements in Blog land as to which hero is better.
AND she loves North and South! Be sure to welcome her to this nutty world.

RWA UPDATE: 2008 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing List of Authors is Now Posted!

From RWANational.org:

The "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing has become one of the most popular events at RWA's annual conference. Over 500 romance authors participate in this two-hour autographing event, and each year we raise thousands of dollars, which are donated to ProLiteracy Worldwide. Since 1991, RWA has donated over $600,000 to literacy charities.

The 2008 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing takes place on Wednesday, July 30, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Marriott, Yerba Buena Ballroom.

Click here to see which authors are attending!

Which authors would you want to meet if you could?

So - speaking of RWA conference.......

Just when are they going to post the authors who will be there?

Inquiring and anxious minds want to know!!

Now that we've made it 'Official'

For those who want to see RWA from a blogger perspective, Jane of Dear Author has designed a most clever way of having an all in one place to go see.
Since all of us will have our own unique spin on things and our own reasons for going, you can go to a kind of one-stop shopping area at Blog Nationals, a great site to see what's happening.
Be sure to stop by and see what we have to say. Or just stop off at our own blogs too. I think we all want to share the experiences we have.
I don't know about anyone else, but I really have to start moving!! New hairstyle, shopping, packing, finding the cord to my camera so I can upload pictures, pedicure, booking my shuttle ride to Detroit airport etc, etc, etc EEEEEKKKKK

Sam's Creed Book Review... warning this one gets a bit scandalous!

I have never been a big fan of western romance in particular, but ever since Sarah McCarty came on the scene with her erotic and perhaps scandalous westerns, I have been hooked. I started reading Sarah’s books during her Ellora’s Cave days and I have a complete set in her Promise Series. So, when Sam’s Creed came out a few weeks ago, I just had to get it. And let me tell you, some of the sex scenes are so very creatively written that I had to re-read some a few times to get the full understanding about what is happening between Sam, our sexy Texas Ranger, and Isabella, the spunky heroine who steals his heart. The majority of Sam and Isabella’s shocking loving happens on a horse. One such act that happens from page 210-216 had my head spinning because I couldn’t understand how it was possible. But, I will get to that in a moment.

Sam’s Creed is book two in the Hell’s Eight series about Sam “Wildcard” MacGregor, who was first introduced in Caine’s Reckoning, book one. Sam is part of Hell’s Eight, a group of men who uphold the law as Texas Rangers set in Texas during the mid 1850’s. This is the time of the Wild West where men used their guns proudly to defend their honor. The Hell’s Eight have such a scary reputation that you do not want to mess with any of them and who they lay claim to. Sam is on a mission to find the missing sister of Desi, who is Caine’s wife. Sam does find a woman but she is not the one he is looking for. He and his trusty sidekick dog, Kell, find a group of wagons that were ambushed. He doesn’t think he will find another living soul since the ground is littered with dead bodies. He is wrong, because under one of these wagons, is a young Spanish woman very much alive and one who is very annoyed. Isabella is the last person alive from this wagon train heading to San Antonio where her family home is. She is on the run from Tejala, a nasty man who wants to marry Isabella because of her fortune and her nice ranch spread. Sam, being the man that he is, decides to bring Isabella safely to her family.

Isabella has a lot of sass and doesn’t mine telling Sam the way to do things. She has become one of my favorite McCarty heroines because of this. Isabella is no weeping violet and will defend herself, even against Sam. Sam threatens to beat her butt too many times to could because she doesn’t listen to him and if Isabella wanted to, she would bend over and allow Sam to have his way. Isabella may be a virginal little miss, but she believes the evil Tejala will get his way even with Sam protecting her. She fears she will be raped by Tejala, so, why not give up her innocence to a man like Sam? Sam would love nothing more to introduce Isabelle to sex. Sam just can’t get over the fact that he is not good enough for his Spanish Duchess. Still, this doesn’t stop Sam from giving Isabella some interesting foreplay, which leads to some eye popping love scenes.

If you have read Sarah’s erotic westerns in the past, you know about one such act that Sam introduces Isabella to. I call it, “fun with the butt-butt”, but not only does this intimacy happen out in the wide open desert, but on a horse while it is in motion! Of course there are some other straight forward intimacies that I have enjoyed between these two. The majority of them happen in a cave or as they are camping down for the night. But again, since this is the desert and with that lack of water, well, bathing is not really an option. I would say both Sam and Isabella have been traveling for a few days to a week, but that doesn’t stop Sam and Isabella from having fun, which includes Sam rubbing a certain type of fluid into Isabella’s skin as to mark her as his own.

Overall, I found Sam and Isabella to have nice chemistry and Isabella is a wonderful heroine who stands by her man. I would have liked to see Sam act a bit more alpha, like most of Sarah’s heroes have been in the past, but Sam was quieter and more subdued which seemed to work especially as Sam tries to handle Isabelle. It was nice to see one of Sarah’s heroines take control of the relationship for a change. Sarah also showed that the Wild West is a place where the townspeople don’t always smile and welcome strangers with opens arms. It is a harsh vast wilderness and if two people such as Sam and Isabella can find some sort of happiness, then, more power to them.

I give Sam’s Creed 3 out of 5 stars….

That is not all! Earlier in this post I had mentioned another sex act that starts on page 210 that Isabella and Sam engage in on horse that I could not wrap my mind around. I was so confused by what Isabella does to Sam that I needed advice. About a week ago, I emailed about twenty-five of the smartest and funniest ladies in blog land to help me out. 180 emails later, my initial question started an email conversation, the likes I couldn’t believe!
DISCLAIMER: WARNING!!
What you are about to read is very graphic, somewhat shocking and so funny that you may want to put down whatever you are drinking or eating because you may laugh so hard you may just pee your pants. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent, and others didn’t mind at all as I asked permission to post their emails.

Without further ado, I give you the condensed version of, BJ on a Horse:

Katiebabs: I have an interesting question, so maybe you can help me out. I am in the middle of a book where the heroine is riding with the hero on a horse. She is sitting behind him. He is quite large, the manly muscular cowboy type and she is a bit petite. While they are riding along, she decides to relieve some of his tension and give him a blow job. The thing is I have read this scene three times and I can't figure out how it is possible! Even if she put her head under his arm, how can she reach her face around to his crotch and get a good grip on his penis and with her mouth? Can someone explain how this is logistically possible?

Katie R: Honestly, unless she's an acrobat, I don't see how this is possible. She'd definitely have to put her head under his arm, but if she's small and petite, what the hell is she holding onto? They'd have to be riding bareback since it's two of them so it's not as if she could hold onto the saddle horn....yeah, I don't think this could happen.
Ana: It's doable, it's doable .If she grew up as a contortionist on a circus and if his wee (tee hee) is not wee at all, if it is loooooooooooong and if points north, she could contort herself around his waist, lift her bottom, turn her face around sideways, I say it's totally doable.
SB Sarah: Or if she's not human, and instead is made of a flexible protein compound that lets her bend and stretch in any number of ways, like that guy on the X-files who could slither through the mail slots.
DA Jane: So you are saying it’s a Western paranormal with a shape-shifting heroine?
Katiebabs: It is from Sam's Creed by Sarah McCarty. And yup, she decides since Sam was so kind to her the night before, why not give him a helping hand or a nice kiss. Nope, not a western paranormal at all. Straight up erotic western romance.
SB Sarah: Erotic western romance with... bendy girl! I'm seriously still pondering how that would work. I think it might be impossible. Like that one Susan Johnson novel I read where the hero carried the heroine still joined at the naughty bits down a hill into a cold lake, and she had, like, two orgasms on the way there just from the walking bounce. Then another in the cold water. But that was just sexually suspicious. this is just plain anatomically - wait. What if the hero has a giant hole in his abdomen, and she crawled through?
MaryKate: I would think the bite down instinct if jarred would be enough to get the fella to say no. ;o)
Kristie(J): I believe in the cartoon Mr. Gadget, he could extend his neck for quite some distance. They made a real live movie out of the cartoon. While I didn't see the movie, if the heroine had the same kind of ability - it might be possible. Or if she shape shifts to a snake.
DA Jane: Hmm. the shape shifting snake heroine. Sounds really, um, non-erotic.
LisaBea: Well her jaw would dislocate to swallow that thing down. Now that's sexy. Experience? I mean in a CAR across the console is one thing...
Carolyn Jean: I'm going to be the voice of dissent here. I could see it. Assuming, of course, we are not talking gallop here. I have been sitting here imagining it. I have done a scientific thought experiment! Further clarification from my mind: I think that man would have to lean to the side a bit, and aid in the stabilization of his lady as she goes to. Oh, yes! I'm seeing it, cowgirls. I could also see a BJ position riding with both legs on one side of the horse while behind the man. I could see bending around him then.
Jen B: I have done lots of crazy things in lots of crazy positions, but I can honestly say I've never given head to a guy that's sitting in front of me on the back of a horse. I'm totally impressed. I need to read that book, if only to try to draw a diagram as I'm reading the scene.
Shannon M: I have to admit that I am just not seeing how it is possible. Perhaps I have a limited mind. Having only ridden a horse 2 or 3 times, I just imagine her sliding right off the side. Oh, and the whole BJ in a moving car? I just read a book by Shannon McKenna called Extreme Danger in which the heroine finds out her fiancé is cheating on her the day before the wedding because his ex was giving him head in a moving car. They crashed. The ex ended up with a neck injury and the fiancé had a nice set of teeth marks.Of course, this is what sets things in motion for the heroine to meet the hero. Sadly, I could not buy into their relationship. But yes, a cautionary tale about giving BJs in a car.
Katiebabs: Well I am almost done with this book and want to hear another interesting thing that goes on? Sam has this habit after he blows to rub his jizz all over the heroine. This happens a lot and a week later or so, she still hasn't had a bath or nothing. But, hey, Sam enjoys her feminine musk, so who am I to complains? Thoughts?
DA Jane: What? They are in the desert? No creeks? No little water holes to fill the canteen? No cacti to break open to gain access to aloe vera?
Jen B: Well, some women like being marked that way. ;) But not without a bath every day. That would get pretty nasty.
Carolyn Jean: have come across men who think their sperm is really, really precious. Like a gift.
Shannon M: Yeah, that's not a gift I want to be carrying around with me all week.
SB Sarah: OH HOLY MOTHER OF STANK. Is this the new sequel to Oil of Olay Body Wash? Essence of Sam Jizz Lotion?
DA Jane: I have no problem with the marking thing. I just read Jasmine Haynes's Show and Tell (hot) and she spreads it on her chest and that makes her excited BUT there is definitely washing that is going on. There is nothing wrong with a little hygiene.
SB Sarah: I mean, let's be honest: there is nothing better than the hot shower after really fun sex, because you're clean and the water is warm and maybe you're not in there by yourself. (ahem) Cleanliness is very sexy. Fun. And A GOOD THING. Smelling like day old wank is NOT.
Carolyn Jean: Maybe it scares the coyotes away.
DA Jane: Plus, could all that jizz be comfortable? I mean, like a face mask when it tightens as it dries is not very comfortable. Layers and layers of dried jizz? Baked on dried jizz. Desert hot dried jizz? Maybe she could peel it off and eat it. Jizz Jerky.
Holly: I'd think it would be more crispy, like potato chips, no? Mmm, week old jizz potato chips.
Katiebabs: I am so scarred at this moment in time. I will never look at the WISE owl the same way again.
Tracy: Ok - after rubbing his "jizz" as you put it all over her for a week and her not having a bath it wouldn't really be HER feminine musk now wouldn’t it? It would be his. Ok, a mixture of both, but still! Ah the old west! Gotta love it!
Little Alys: Oh, could we stop with jizz jerky? It's a horrid imagine and now I think of glue (like when were kids and use to dry glue on our hands just to peel it off).
DA Jane: It's a human salt crust. When you peel it away, the meat is all juicy and tender underneath. I think it’s the fountain of youth.
SB Sarah: dunno, I think "jizz jerky" might be the new trend in erotic romance.
Agent 69: Mmm, the horse thing. I could see how it would be possible. But, I don't see how it would be a good BJ. Too many variables at work. The horse's gait, the contortionism, etc. If she is small and he's big I guess she could sneak under his arm, but she'd be uncomfortable as hell while doing that, and who wants to read about a BJ where at least one person isn't having fun? Was this the first time she'd done it? Maybe if this was a regular part of her repertoire, with other guys maybe? then she could do a credible job. But the first time? Like I said, doable, but not that enjoyable, unless you're the guy. They seem to like it no matter how inexpertly it's done. Does she deep throat him at all, or just keep it relatively superficial, you know just sucking the head or something? Cause the deep throating is the part that would be really hard I'd think. A lick or two sure, but anything more would be really hard.
DA Jane: I pretty sure you just described how all the cirque de soliel acrobats do it.
Katiebabs: These are very interesting questions I didn't think of. It was her first time and she swallowed it like it was water, probably because she was so thirsty because they haven't bathed in days and were all dusty and the bodily fluids were being rubbed in their skin. I may never eat pudding again.
DA Jane: Oh, so the blowjob was like a medical necessity. Of course, it all makes perfect sense now. She had to do it or they might not live.
Agent 69: Well, if she was that thirsty, I could see it as a life-saving last-ditch maneuver. Pretty much this exchange has ruined pudding for me. And while I wasn't a big jerky fan to begin with, I will never eat it again. Potato chips are now on the iffy list. And I will never call anyone a lard ass again without laughing till I cry.
Kristie(J): This reminds me of a book I read years ago - either Hotel New Hampshire or The Word According to Garp - where the wife is giving another guy a bj in the car in the driveway. The husband drives in the driveway real fast and smacks into the back of the car. The wife's teeth chomp down and bites said instrument right off.

And this says it all:
Jen B: Hotmail just told me I have "sent the maximum number of messages allowed in a 24-hour period". Shit. I'm so pissed. Hotmail just *grounded* me. Sonofabitch.

Katiebabs (KB)

Just a quick shout out

for all fellow Crusaders.
Be sure to stop by Carolyn Jean's blog. She is our latest Crusader. I don't know how the girl is doing it, but she's parceling out her North and South viewing. She actually STOPPED it halfway through episode 3!!
I was looking through YouTube for another video to post. Is it just me or do there seem to be more every single time I check?
Anyway - since the obsession has never really gone away, here are a few more in honour of our latest Crusader



And keeping in mind that some have not seen this yet who may want to, here's another one that I don't think has spoilers


Now!! I really must kick my ass in gear, get away from YouTube and get to work!

Which one to choose, which one to choose?

I often have more than one book on the go at a time. I think there are quite a few of us like that. But lately I've gotten even worse!! It seems I read a book, put it down and then kind of forget where I put it. So I pick up another book, start reading it, put it down and forget where it is and move on. I also have "work" books and "home" books. Work books are the ones that I can safely take to work and if someone comes and asks what I'm reading I can show them.
Ice Storm by Anne Stuart is a good example of a 'work' book. I've come out of the closet a lot at work now. Most of my coworkers know I love romance books and that I'm headed to San Francisco to a romance writers conference. So I have no problem pulling that one out and showing them.
In fact I even have two coworkers reading and loving the Stephanie Plum books. One is all the way up to Eleven on Top and the other is reading Two to Score.
But as open as I've become in my love of romance, there are still some that I just wouldn't be comfortable with being seen reading in public. Such is the case with Warrior by Angela Knight. And that's one of the tamer covers.
Another book that I don't really consider a 'work' book that I'm reading is The Cat by Jean Johnson. While I don't mind the cover at all *g*, it's a bit too man-titty to pull out at breaks and lunch.





But I've never had so many books on the go as I do at the moment!! I don't know why that is! And then - I spend too much time on the computer to read them all!

I'm currently reading the above Ice Storm and Warrior. As well I'm also reading Time's Captive by Kate Lyon. This is my TBR book for Keishon's challenge in July. It' s proving to be a very emotional book so I can only read bits at a time.
I'm also part way through Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves. I've loved her books in the past and it's not a bad 'work' book.
I started Netherwood by Michele Lang but it's proved to be one of the books I've misplaced *sigh*. I'll find it - I know I will - and then I'll be back to it.
I was so taken with the Authors Talk series, I ordered a couple of Jill Monroe books and I've started reading Primal Instinct.
(and here's a fascinating post they did on how Author Talk came about.)

So - I just counted. That's seven books I have on the go right now!
Is anyone else a multiple book reader like me? And if so, what's the most you've had on the go at one time?