It is 12:00 do you know where your books are...

Amanda asks in her blog - Where have your used books been?. I thought it was an amusing thought. Do you ever wonder? Where your book was? Who owned it? I have found a few things in my books, so I am very careful now when I take in books to flip through them to make sure I haven't left anything behind. Things I have found: photos - twice in one book there were three pics and in the other it was just some guy instructions for cleaning a vibrator a grocery list receipts - this happens often coupon paper with a name with a phone number a short personal note postcard Now I am pretty sure whoever was reading the book, needed a bookmark and just picked up what was handy but it was amusing none the less. And taught me to always check my books ;).

linkslutting and general ramble

1. This is a great post by Shannon it even has dirty pictures. Sort of. 2. I need to go finish The Lady in Red if it kills me. 3. Master of the Moon by Angela Knight and Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris came in the mail today. WOoT. 4. I bought Indiscretion by Jillian Hunter and plan to buy her new book The Seduction of an English Scoundrel next time I am in Walmart. 5. To celebrate not being sick anymore I bought Return the Warrior by Kinley MacGregor, Talk of the Ton by Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee, Jacqueline Navin and Lord of Sin by Madeline Hunter on Sunday. 6. I am not at all surprised by the bad review on AAR for Lord of Sin. 7. I think it might be time to give up on Rebecca Hagan Lee, oddly enough I don't recall why I started buying her books. 8. I can't make up my mind if I want to buy The Companion by Susan Squires or Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister. 9. I have decided I really like Books A Million. 10. Turns out there is a coupon in Lady in Red for two dollars off of Return of the Warrior. Since I bought them both new and LiR bites, I am so sending it in. I want my two dollars back damn it.

Morals, Values and Standards oh my

Everyone has some sort of moral code or way of life that guides their actions and how they behave in the world. We all have our lines we don't cross and our limits. We all have 'hot buttons' or issues that make our hair stand on end. We are all right about everything and nothing. And that is ok. I am very happy for you that you live a good, clean life and or are a better person than me for whatever fucking reason. Go team you. But don't get the fuck bent out of shape when I decide I don't want to follow your lead. Don't tell me what to think. Tell me what you think, why you think it, how you came up with it and expect me to respect you but don't expect me to join you. We can be different. Don't tell me what to read. Tell me what you like, why you like it or why you don't like it and expect me to respect you. Don't expect me to read or not read something just because you do, even though sometimes I will. Tell me you agree with me or tell me you don't, understand when I change my mind and agree with you and understand when I don't. Open your mind to listen to why I don't agree with you, or don't. That is your choice. But don't ever fucking tell me what I HAVE to do, read, say, watch or be. No one has the right to decide the course of anyone else's life or how they live it. Period. You raise your children to be people and to find their way. You give them tools and knowledge (if they are lucky) but you can't live their life for them. You love your friends and try to be there if you can when they need it and if you are lucky they are there when you need them. But at the end of the day it is their life. You love your husband/wife/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend/assholeoftheweek but they might have morals, values or standards that are different than your own. The world will not explode if this happens. Live your life. Make your choices. Write your book. Watch your shows. Enjoy your wants. And stop worrying so fucking much over what everyone else is doing. And if romance or the company in it degrades you, leave, you won't be missed. Cuz ten to one whoever you hate, hates your happy ass just as well, they just have more style about it and DON'T FUCKING NEED TO TAKE AWAY YOUR CHOICES TO VALIDATE THEMSELVES. There is room for everything. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong and evol, otherwise no one would write anymore inspirational novels because I don't like them. But you know what, I don't buy them. They don't bother me, I don't bother them. And we can both be in the same world and everything is ok. So honey if I can live with inspirational novels stalking corners of bookstores, you can live with erotica. Just don't buy it. Don't read it. Don't worry about it. I promise it will not jump down your throat, make you swallow or force you to have anal sex when you aren't looking. And if it does, you should be looking into medication not telling other writers what to write. And you should carry lube, just some friendly advice. Learn to fucking play well with others. k?

Fantasy Fix by Christine Warren

Fantasy Fix is another Ellora's Cave novel. This time it is vamps! I love a good vampire tale. The idea is a group of friend form this club of sorts. They write down five fantasy, when it is their turn the others randomly pick one and make it happen. They get around the, don't go home with a stranger rule by using friends of friends. All I can say is they must have really good friends. Regina doesn't want to do it, and missed her last turn because she was in a relationship. So they wanna 'fix' her twice. She writes what she thinks are five stupid impossible fantasy. And poof next you know they are at a goth club. All doesn't go as planned and she goes home with a real vampire, Dmitri. He is an alpha pushy guy, go figure, so if that isn't your bag baby skip this book. My only bitch is no ones friend should ever get that pissed off you didn't go home and fuck the guy you were suppose to. Honestly that was a lil odd.

Dangerous Desires by Julia Templeton

Dangerous Desires is a Ellora's Cave book and for those wanting to read an EC title but not wanting to jump into the deep end of the smut pool, this might be a good trainer book for you smutwise but it isn't really a good novel. If it wasn't for the fact the hero kept screwing his mistress, this wasn't any different than you read in most romance novels. Hell make it a Susan Johnson novel and it could be this book. Honestly I didn't really like it, which is a shame because I have been wanting to read Julia Templeton. And I can say part of it is I expected a steamy novel and it really wasn't. Well that and the fact there were many things that annoyed the hell out of me. Things that annoyed me: Arlie finds herself ward to Dominic, a rakehell of the worst order who her father helped out once. They stay alone in a house together for most of the novel and this is ok. The first public 'outing' she has is a house party at his married mistress' home. Where tonish people, not the husband, know this is his mistress but it is ok. She isn't noble blood but he plans to try and pass her off as a baron's daughter - even though she is a daughter of what seems to be a well known actress (who left her father for some man aka she is a whore). He brings a whore (not the mistress) back - along with a friend and his whore - to his house where his ward is staying. He talks her into turning down a marriage proposal to be his (new) mistress. Then he waits four days, without a word, to come see her at the townhome he sets her up in to see if he can stay away and in control of himself. He did get a point here for not fucking anyone else during the four days. He takes his mistress (Arlie) to his best friends wedding, well attended by the ton. He gets engaged without fucking telling arlie first. Arlie hops into a carriage and goes to best friends house and asks him about the engagement. This didn't really bother me, in fact I could see the BF and his wife still being friends with them but historically it seems odd. And the author didn't sell it to me that the wife was the sort to be friends with her husbands friends mistress. yeah.... uh... there is the HEA at the end but I just wanted to deck them both. I do want to try another Julia Templeton book, I like to read at least two or three before I write an author off. And I want to read Surrender to Love - yay for the smutty western!

Heat of a Savage Moon by Jane Bonander

Heat of a Savage Moon ('93) comes before FM and was a better book. It does have GASP a virgin!widow. Her hubby is murdered right after she get to Pine Valley. (I giggle every time I see Pine Valley and want to know where Erica is) I liked Rachel and Jason. Buck is hard ass, drinker at the end of his rope asshat but you feel for him more here. I wondered if I would have liked FM more if I had read it after this. The big theme that runs through the novel is how the settlers treated the Indians. We do see how horrid the Indian's could be as well, so there is something of a balance going on - but I would rec Ride the Fire over this. The book was ok but nothing I would shout about.

Forbidden Moon by Jane Bonander

Forbidden Moon ('93) ouch this was bad. Molly wants to be white and forget she is part Native American. She wants to marry for money and have everything she ever wanted as a child. She wants to be able to take care of her mother (who was raped and is slow and very child like, you never learn what is wrong with June but considering the time they wouldn't have known other than she wasn't well). Buck is sleazy for a hero. I kept hearing 'my name is buck and I am here to fuck' - I swear that is from a movie but can't for the life of me place it. At the start of the book he is married to Honey, who he married cuz he knocked her up. Molly is 14 and a hellion on the make. She wants buck, buck is starting to notice the kid he has always looked out for. yes I know omg 14 but the year is 1879 The nice family that has taken in June and Molly pay to send Molly away to school before she screws something or just the rest of her life. 1886 Molly is engaged to a nice, wealthy, bigoted, fucks the Mexican and Indian help that are beneath him, white man. Ok he isn't nice. But omg she thinks he so loves her and she will be a good wife and omg look at the money wwwwwwwhhhheeeeeeeee. Stuff happens but really I didn't care. The characters so didn't do it for me; hell the plot didn't work for me. I must say I skimmed lots of this book. Bad reader.

Scent of Lilacs by Jane Bonander

Scent of Lilacs ('98) is a book I wonder if I would have enjoyed more if I hadn't read it right after Wild Heart. beautiful sister - check (although selfish this time not slutty) secret baby - check (although it really is hers this time) gosh I love him I want him I can't touch him - check (this time without tits, well you know...) The hero, Jake, thinks he is gonna die young because his father and grandfather did. Heart thing... Jake is a dr as is our hero, Lexy Tate. Or at least she is trying to be, the fact that it is the 1890s and she is female sort of screws with her want. The book starts with Jake losing a mother giving birth and the daughter and having to tell the father he just lost his family. So jake is upset and goes to lexy - his friend. Jake had/has a thing for her sister, megan, who has married his best friend max. Jake and Lexy do the comfort sex thing - and guess what he says when he hits the high note. Come on you can guess... I will give you a hint it is a name and it isn't lexy. I wasn't really sure how the book was going to recover from that. Cuz, well, if I am ever in bed with a man and he calls out a name not mine, he is so out of there. But hey I read stories with virgins and people that get married without having sex first and I am not doing that either so I kept reading. Four years later lexy decides to move west due to her daughter having weak lungs and the weather being better for her than in Rhode Island. She goes to her sister and her husband, which works out great cuz her sissy is preggers. Of course Jake is the dr at the fort. Now Jake did try to see Lexy before he tucked tail and ran - he asked Ben a guy who was trying to get Lexy to marry him and who didn't like Jake to set up a meeting. yeah that was what I thought Ben said Lexy wouldn't do it and oh yeah wish us happy cuz I asked her to marry me. Ben was a lying, in case you didn't know that. Well he asked but whatever. I had a hard time buying a pregnant, unmarried woman becoming a dr in 1890something and the story drags in parts. But all in all it is an ok read. And there are no evol gays in this one.

Wild Heart by Jane Bonander

Wild Heart was written in 95. And was something of a kick off for me last week of reading 90s romance novels. I liked it. It is an author I had never heard of before I saw a post complaining about how great this book was if it wasn't for the sex. I can't remember what the complaint was about the sex - to graphic or word choice or something. It has to be something along those lines to make me hunt it down. Yes I am odd but I am ok with that. So we have lots of cliche's here but cliches are cliches for a reason right? Julia Larson doesn't like our hero, Wolf McCloud, who happens to be the best ranch hand her father has hired. She is afraid he is going to end up screwing her slutty, beautiful sister. The sister, Josette already has one kiddo - that of course smart, dependable Julia is raising as her own. Most people know she is josette's but not wolf. Wolf leaves after josette sluts herself around him one to many times and after he decides staying near julia (who he wants) isn't smart. Enter daddy, he offers wolf some land if he will come back but before he gets there daddy is dead. The will says they (wolf and julia - josette has run off at this point) must wed if he wants the land and if she doesn't want the land to go to the bank. Of course it is in name only. bbbbbwwwwwaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Really I like the book, the characters are people I cared about and the sex was done well. And I am thinking the tits and such are what the post was about (wish I could credit whoever it was) but a man who lives like wolf has and was raised as he was is a man I can see using the word tits. Sorry, men have been known to use such words while fuc...making love. And they do, make love as well as fuck ;). You can see that there is more to them just the shagging so even though it can get purple I didn't mind. Oh and I forgot the worst part of the story! The evol gay villian! I really thought for a while she was going to be able to pull off a gay chacter without making him the bad guy, well I had hope damn it. But alas it wasn't to be. His mother (who was wolf's evol mommy too and I did have an issue with being anywhere near a woman who tried to have you buried alive as a child) was worse. Yes I said there were some cliches didn't I? And I didn't even mention the twin... This turns out to be a book in the middle of three. I enjoyed it and would like to read more of her work.

Back from the dead

I have been awake most of the day and have even left my apt. I so missed the blogs! And omg I was in such pain and my eyes hurt so much I couldn't even read. I think if you have to be sick and in bed, you should at least be rewarded with reading time and at worst tv time. I have a few Jane Bonander books I want to bitch about - one I liked even with the cheese and I read Deborah Martin's Stormswept (Sabrina Jefferies) it was written in 95. Book aside (will chat on it later) the cover screams for the smart bitches. hmmm so do the jane bonander books... So I will prolly be a postingslut tomorrow. ok I have been up for as long as I think I can be so I am bound back for the couch to try and read The Lady in Red by Karen Hawkins and try not to stop to read Lord of Sin by Madeline Hunter instead. Has anyone reviewed Talk of the Ton with Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee and Jacqueline Navin yet?

I think I have died

I will come back and tell you when I am sure. My mother is certain I have caught a virus she had a few weeks back and said it should last three to four days. I going on day three. Someone should just kill me now. please and thank you

Books A Million

How do they have books out before their release date? HOW! And why didn't I know this? I could already have Lord of Sin and Master of the Moon in my hot lil hands.

I think I have decided

on my amazon order... yes you would think this was a big decision or something ;) Lady Lies, The (Berkley Sensation) - Samantha Saxon; Paperback Master Of Pleasure (Zebra Historical Romance) - Jessica Trapp; Mass Market If You Dare (Dark Heart) - Kresley Cole; Paperback Return To Me - Shannon McKenna; Mass Market Paperback Beauty Like The Night (Sonnet Books) - Liz Carlyle; Paperback The first three are not out yet, but say they can be used with free shipping. Not sure how that would work. So that is how it stand right now, if I don't change my mind I will order in the morning. I would order Lord of Sin and One Night of Sin but I so know I would end up buying them before they got here.

Hard Candy by Angela Knight, Sheri Gilmore and Morgan Hawke

Hard Candy These stories are erotica with a romance angle, but since each one features a threesome some readers might not agree. There is even some man on man action in one so skip this one if that offends you. I think the summaries on the loose id site are pretty good so I would go over that again. Where I have to say I am not one of those woman that swoon with giddy joy over slash, if done right I can enjoy reading it. But it is really hard to sell me a HEA where three isn't a crowd. Emma Holly has done it but that is the only author I can think of off the top of my head. And now I would say, Fortune's Star did it. Hero Sandwich by Angela Knight I have to say with a title like this I wasn't expecting much. The story is about superhero's, yes I so thought of Wendy when I read that. It amused me. It wasn't the best I have read of AK and no where near the worst - I reserve that spot for The Forever Kiss. Candy for her Soul by Sheri Gilmore... the devil made her do it. But when she did the devil or whoever Nico's dad was, she sort of lost me. Fortune’s Star by Morgan Hawke brings new meaning to sleeping with your boss. The story amused me and I thought was the best of the bunch. cyborg, fems and ghosts oh my... what? I didn't say it was Shakespeare, go read it, tis fun.

Bad Boys... bad boys... what cha gonna do

what cha gonna do when they come for you post I. since I can't seem to read the whole book at once... I Love Bad Boys by Lori Foster, Janelle Denison, Donna Kauffman Indulge Me by LF is the second story of three (started with Asia in All Through the Night ) about 3 friends who make a bet to visit a newly opened porn shop across from their work. This is Becky Harte's story and the only virgin in the group. Hey you had to have one, not that there is anything wrong with that. And everyone can be calm, she isn't a virgin!widow. Out of the three this is my fave. There is something of a big misunderstand regarding her fantasy, they are suppose to pick up a guy in the porn shop displaying interest in their fantasy. What? You don't think of picking up men in pornshops? Where have you been? Her thing is bondage, which everyone assumes means she wants to be tied up when really she wants to be the tie-r-uper not tie-ie. Naughty by Night tbr And When They Were Bad tbr I Brake for Bad Boys by Lori Foster, Shannon McKenna, Janelle Denison Drive Me Wild by LF is the final tale in pornoland (see Indulge Me) and this one involves the Bad Girl of the group. Of course she does have issues, which made her the slutpuppy she is today (can't have a woman have sex just cuz it is fun). Things to like about the story: Ian knows Erica and accepts her... faults and all Ian isn't concerned about being her 'first' he just wants to be her 'last' Bad things: The big group hug moment which happens during the last few pages. I could have done without the gang getting together to kiss it and make it all better. They are adults and there is a really nifty thing called a phone. Something Wilde tbr Touch Me by Shannon McKenna. I read this coming off a Standing in the Shadows high and wasn't really impressed. I enjoyed her story in All Through the Night much more than this one. I think the whole - guy trying to ask you our repeatedly invites you to his home for the weekend to massage his guests and you don't understand he really just wants to fuck you, was a lil silly. Of course she came dressed in a kill red teddy, so she prolly knew and was just going with it. Cuz he was hot. Not a bad story and so far my fave of the book (still need to read Something Wilde) Immortal Bad Boys by Rebecca York, Rosemary Laurey, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom Night Ecstasy by Rebecca York tbr Velvet Nightin Rosemary Laury tbr Midnight Court by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom oh wow that was bad. The vamphero spends most of the book mooning over another woman, that he calls his angel. Angel is something not right, but we never really learn what she is. The heroine knows he is mooning over the chick, so much so that after he screws her, he leaves her bed to go stand over his angel's. And decided if he wants to fuck her or not. There is no HEA or even a Happy Right Now ending. The story might have worked if it was longer and MADE SENSE. But yikes, it makes me want to take it to the ubs without reading the other two stories. Bad Boys Online by Erin McCarthy has its own post as will Bad Boys Down Under by Nancy Warren when I finish it. Bad Boys Over Easy by Erin McCarthy, Jen Nicholas, Jordan Summers Fuzzy Logic by Erin McCarthy is great and makes this book worth reading all by itself. That is good since it is the only one so far I have read. I enjoy McCarthy's humor and heart. And with the first line of - Lucas Manning was absolutely certain he hadn't ordered a box of neon pink dildos. how can you not want to read this story? hee There is a geek hero and I did read this before the smart bitches took on geek heros, so I can't really say if he was a good geek or not. But I enjoyed the story ;). The Cupid Curse by Jen Nicholas tbr although I have to say the summary for this doesn't interest me in the least. Mesmerized by Jordan Summers tbr Any other bad boy books I should look for? I shall make the II post when I have at least one story read from each book. Yes I know, you are just breathless with anticipation

The Man For Her by Alice Valdal

The Man for Her is really a sad book. I went back and forth with feeling like I wanted to slap some sense into lottie and thinking awww true love will wait a lifetime. But I had a hard time with the setup, I had a hard time believing she was in love and loved in return. I think you are suppose to feel that way, given that Patrick isn't the hero of the book but I just couldn't get past it or stop thinking about it. Patrick and Lottie's story is pretty much... A woman and man fall in love. He buys some nice property for them to settle down and raise a family but first he goes off to look for gold - one last time. THEN he is going to come home, marry her and they will live HEA. 10 years later, she is still waiting. 10 years! She has been waiting for him for 10 years, with their son! Now I could never decide if he did or did not know about the son when he left, but he knew he fucked her and I am taking a guess he knew where babies came from. So explain why any man in love, really in love, would leave his love alone, unmarried and maybe carrying his child in 1876. Even if I could buy that he would leave her for his golden whore, just one last time, why wouldn't he marry her first? That sort of soured the whole thing for me, even though Patrick is never really in the story, he is apart of it. The book opens with it being 1886 and 'Crazy Lottie' running into Sean O'Connor. Their eyes met and for just a moment Lottie thinks Patrick has finally come home to her. You very quickly find out Sean is his cousin. And he tell her, the day after he follows her to her ranch looking for work so he can earn money to (you guessed it) go find gold and make his fortune. I love that isn't some big ol secret he is Patrick's cousin and we don't suffer from the BIGMIS. All in all the story is nicely written, for what I think is a first time writer. But I could never buy Patrick was a good man or he had been in love. And I so couldn't see a woman (who was pretty much a lady at the start), alone, making a ranch successful in this time frame. Has anyone heard of Alice Valdal?

Drive Me Crazy by Nancy Warren

Drive Me Crazy It took me three days to finish this book, which for me is a long time. I was excited when I started reading it and loved the opening. And hey there was a sexy librarian! There are so funny moments but nope the story didn't work for me. And I expect a hotter book from Brava. I really didn't care much for the h/h or what happened to them. But there was a secondary couple that worked for me, so I will try the authors writing again. Well and I already have Bad Boys Down Under and Turn Left At Sanity.

Buy Me

Due to the ever wonderful Smart Bitches I have a $10 gift cert to use at Amazon. So I must spend 25 so I get free shipping. duh So what do I want to get? Any suggestions? I want Lord of Sin, but I want it as soon as I can. So I shouldn't order it. I just bought: Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise (my first of her) Only with Your Love by Lisa Kleypas Prairie Wife by Cheryl St John Angel Rogue Mary Jo Putney Turn Left At Sanity by Nancy Warren Lady's Choice by Winnie Griggs Bad Boys Down Under by Nancy Warren sssssoooooo what books do I get now ;)

Winnie Griggs

Any one read any of her books? What cha think of them?

The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!

quick name that movie* hee New and used books to me!!!!!! Drive Me Crazy by Nancy Warren White Heat by Jill Shalvis The Good, the Bad, the Undead by Kim Harrison (thought I had bought this already but didn't - bad me since it named my blog) I Brake for Bad Boys by Lori Foster, Shannon McKenna, Janelle Denison Blue Flame by Jill Shalvis Tell Me No Lies by Elizabeth Lowell (I have never even heard of this book) All Tied Up by Alison Kent The King's Mistress by Terri Brisbin one of these days I will not have a tbr pile... hee I just made myself giggle the movie, with more quotes just in case you can't remember and it is driving you up the wall

The King's Mistress by Terri Brisbin

The King's Mistress by Terri Brisbin Hey look I read a beta hero book. It was odd to see a Harlequin Historical with a nonvirgin/been a kings whore/had his baby heroine. That took guts, at least I think so. I would recommend the book on that alone. Brisbin's writing is something I find I enjoy, she was the one story I really liked in The Betrothal. She doesn't seem to always take the easy way out, not that she doesn't wrap up some things with a nice neat bow. But not in normal HH fashion. I don't read many beta boys and I have to say I am not much for REALLY beta boys. But I don't like over the top alpha's (mostly) either so I think I might just be bitchy and hard to please. Then again, I can't really think of too many beta hero's. Maybe I have read them and just didn't notice. And Marguerite of Alencon isn't a good girl. She doesn't always make the right choices. And when she fucks up, it isn't so much TSTL, as it is a reflection on what she has learned growing up as she did. But how in the hell she couldn't have known what a whore Henry II was is laughable. I guess it feeds into the want that 'this' person loves you, that you are different and you will make a impact in this person's life. So you see what you want to see and not what is there. Or not. I digress... I would recommend this book. It is a good HH with a good written character in Henry II. There is some life in him and he isn't just holding up the wall. Sort of makes me what to go pull out a historical fiction novel and read. Although I think the only thing I have to do with Henry II is The Book of Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Or not, I think I will go read Drive Me Crazy by Nancy Warren.

Three Blind Mice

Main Entry: anon·y·mous Pronunciation: &-'nä-n&-m&s Function: adjective Etymology: Late Latin anonymus, from Greek anOnymos, from a- + onyma name -- more at NAME 1 : not named or identified < an anonymous author > < they wish to remain anonymous > 2 : of unknown authorship or origin < an anonymous tip > 3 : lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability < the anonymous faces in the crowd > < the gray anonymous streets -- William Styron > - anon·y·mous·ly adverb - anon·y·mous·ness noun Is that hard to understand? And the whining about gosh you could have kept it a secret without lying has just got to stop. My god, if I asked someone 'Are you doing x' and they answered 'no comment' I would have thanked them for telling me. Cuz duh, if that doesn't scream yes what the hell does? If I was bestest friends with someone from the RTB secret circle and they had lied to me, I would most likely be hurt right now. OMG I hate you mad? No, but hurt. And you know what... I would beat them over the fucking head with email and tell them so. Even while understanding why they did it. The keyword being email. Because I am much harder on my friends than I am on every day normal people. I expect more because they are my friends. But I wouldn't whine about it on message boards or blogs and make a deal out of it. BBBBUUUUUTTTTTTT if I wasn't a good friend, if I was a reader, or a fellow writer... they wouldn't owe me shit as an explanation. The site said from the get go that the people behind it wanted to remain anonymous. So I figured it was a secret. And well, I didn't think joe blow who had nothing to do with romance was putting all that time and work into it. I knew it was people involved or with a stake in romance. Because why the fuck do it if you didn't care about romance? It would be one thing if the people behind RTB did nothing but pimp themselves and say how wonderful they were under socks. I could see tar and feathering them in that case. Really that is just stupid and wrong, but I can't say I saw that. Did I miss a few posts or something? Do I feel differently about RTB? no Will I continue to go there? yes More or less than before? no Do I think people over apologize for shit they don't have be sorry about? yes Am I amazed once more over the amount people can whine over nothing? yes Personally I like people on both sides of the argument but really it is time to get the fuck over it. And really I came so so so close to not commenting on this whole stupid thing. But well... when did the word anonymous become hard to understand?

gmail invites

This came up once today, so I figured I would post it here... If anyone would like a gmail account, let me know. I have 50 invites to give out. What is gmail you say? It is a free email put out by google. I think it is still being beta'ed but since they are upping the invites they are giving people, I am not sure if it is still in 'beta'. And yes I know they have cookies and word trackers and what not , so does yahoo, hotmail and the like. If you would like one, comment here. I will need an email address to send the invite to and a 'first' and 'last' name to type in. Mine is Red Wyne, so no I don't need your real first and last name. If you type your email here use at for @ and dot for . so spammers don't pick up the address you use to get the invite. Hell I am not even sure if that can keep the spammerrobotthings from picking up address anymore but it helps, hee I think. you can email me at redwyne at gmail dot com (replace the at and dot and take out spaces) if you don't want to answer here...

Standing In the Shadows by Shannon McKenna

Standing In The Shadows There isn't much I can say about this book that Sandy Coleman of AAR hasn't already said in her review but that has never stop me from rambling before so why start now. Oddly enough I hadn't read the review before I read the book. I think it is because I bought it off a rec on Alyssa's blog. I wish I had cuz stupid me thought this was the first book. Yes and I already had Behind Closed Doors, I just screwed up. I really thought Connor was going to be a hero I had to apologize to myself for liking. In my, omg I would never be in the same room with this person but in the book, he is hot. But nope. He is Alpha. I mean is he ever Alpha and then some but he is always ready to pull back if he thinks he has gone too far. And there is guilt if he thinks he hurt her. He pushed during sex and do they ever have sex, and then have sex, and then some more sex and gosh it has been 10 mins lets have sex sex. And it is HOT. But even while he is pushing (hee) you can tell he cares for her, would never hurt her and is very much in love with Erin. But there is a story here, there are characters you can care about and learn to understand. And did I mention the sex? Just checking. My biggest WTF moment was when we learn Erin stopped going to the hospital the day after she begged him to wake up and he, well, WOKE UP. I mean what the fuck! You go every day for weeks, finally break down and tell him how much you need him and want him and love him - if he would only wake up and let you tell him. Then when he does, you go away. But even if I did want to slap Erin a time or two, I felt bad because boy has her life ever sucked ass over the last year or so. And Connor does have a few big bully moments but I wouldn't kick him out of bed for it. Hell I can't think of any reason to kick him out of bed. Ever. So do I go back and read BCD or get Return to Me?

Harlequin

I read Harlequin Historicals but I haven't read much else. I have picked up a few Blaze and Temptation's. Can someone tell me what the difference is? And why is Desire different then the above?

was it just me

Or was blogger being a bastard last night? I couldn't get crap to post and it kept erroring out. ETS: it is still being a bitch. I really should pick a tense and stick with it and if I wasn't so annoyed right now I would go edit things and fix it but since I am just happy to see two posts up I have been trying to do for days I am not fucking with it. I am so tempted to dump this blog stuff and make another lj.

The Betrothal by Terri Brisbin, Joanne Rock and Miranda Jarrett

why the fuck can't I get links to work? blogger hates me The Claiming of Lady Joanna by Terri Brisbin was the story that caught my eye. I started reading it while in line at Wal-Mart and decided I needed to know what happens at the end of the story. It is your basic, man wants to marry girl, girl doesn't want to marry man because of his evil wicked rep. Girl runs away. Yes you didn't see that one coming did you. Joanna sneaks out dressed as a monk, and she cuts her hair to do it. YES! I gasped. How do all these chicks run around pretending to be men and keep their long hair? I can't put mine under a hat. Anyway, I like this story. I hated the hero, wanted to hug him, wanted to slap him being stupid and thought he handled the betrothal well. And this was just in the prologue. And Joanna? Hell if you can argue why you don't want to marry a man, in front of the man, your parents, king and court - you have balls and I like you. And I thought it was interesting that we didn't meet Joanna at court, you saw it through Lord Braden's eyes. The set-up intrigued me and I wanted to see how it played out. Hence how I ended up with a new book with three authors I have never read before. Highland Handfast by Joanne Rock had another strong female... stops - thinks - hmmm all three stories did - damn I am quick. Ok, where was I, we start the story with Brenna Kirkpatrick rushing to get help from Gavin Blackburn. She had been imprisoned in England after warning the scots of an attack; her husband's family had kept her children and wouldn't give them back. Blackburn is something of a young crush/love of hers and the only person she can think of to help her. He lost his wife in childbirth a year before, a wife he loved. YES he loved her. And hasn't left a woman in his home since her death. He agrees to help if she will handfast with him. See he needs an heir and she has three sons, survived childbirth, is a woman he respects and had feelings for at one time. She doesn't think so and wants him to do better... you know the rest. I enjoyed the story, but I can say I paid no attention to the history here so I can't tell you if it was right or wrong. Bad reader A Marriage in Three Acts by Miranda Jarrett was a much lighter tale than the other two. And well it was something of a star-crossed lovers story. An earl and an actress... the story is really two short for me to buy the pairing. The banter is amusing but I didn't really care for the story. Of course if you follow the amazon link (not that there is one because blogger hate me), the one review there is the reverse of mine. Got to love it ;). I would like to read Brisbin's next The Duchess's Next Hustband and will look over the next Joanne Rock I see but will need to be rec'ed another Jarrett.

Oath of ... by Marly Chance

Oath of Seduction: Seducing Sharon is a story I bought by chance ;). It was in The Best of Ellora's Cave along with The Switch by Diane Whiteside. I had just read The Switch and wanted a 'paper' copy of it. So I glance at the first story, it didn't seem all that and I put the book in a pile. When I finally got to moving books around to make room for new books I came across this again. I started it, probably trying to avoid cleaning. I loved it. The set up is basically an alien world (planet Shimerian) is dying out due to lack of women. So to prove that earth girls are easy females are 'encouraged' to register to become mates for the Shimerian (alien) males. Many didn't get called in fact so few did Sharon didn't think she would, something like 1 in 20,000 get picked. Once an Earth female reached the age of 30 or married an Earth male, she was removed from the register. Yes you can guess what happens... Once you are called there are three different 'oaths' the mates can take for their courtship, Seduction, Challenge, or Capture. Yes sharon goes for Seduction. Lucky girl. The characters are interesting and the world Marly Chance makes with Shimerian is creative and fun. This was the third EC book I had read and liked it. So once it was done my happy self hopped onto the net to find the next book and YAY it was out... Oath of Challenge: Capturing Kate was out in print so I was going to get walden's to order it if they didn't have it but before I made it over there I ended up at a ubs that rents EC books. I tried to buy it but the owner wouldn't let me :(. I ended up in the store for a few hours and in the end rented the book so I could read it NOW. I figured it was cheaper than downloading it then buying the print copy (which I have done with two other EC books). Well turns out I was glad I only paid 2 bucks for it. I didn't like it at all. Kate is of course Sharon's best friend. And the hot shot, smartass, in control chick of the pair. She picked challenge (yes you prolly figured that out). The book was boring. And really we didn't even get to see most of their weeks together - the time just passes. I like erotica. But the whole part of picking 'challenge' was Tair was suppose to work for it! He was suppose to challenge her body, interest, heart, mind whatever... and well hell he didn't get my interest not sure how I can believe he got hers. There is suppose to be a third book in the series Oath Of Capture: Capturing Cass. I would still like to read it, so far we have one great and one ack. So I still have hope. But I see no release date!

note to self

Dear self, When clock strikes 3am put down the damn book and go to bed. I promise it will still be where you left it the next day. The plot will be the same. You will live if you have to wait a little while. Honest, 2 hours sleep does not a happy sybil make. thank you tired-self

The Veil of Night by Lydia Joyce

The Veil of Night is Lydia Joyce's debut novel. It is a great book on its own but add in the fact that it is her first it is outstanding. The majority of the novel takes place over a week. It is a setup I have seen before - stupid bother/father/uncle/male relation has gambled too deep and screwed the family. The (in this case) sister takes it upon herself to go to the evil, wicked rakehell who holds her brother's note to 'reason' with him. I have to admit this set up makes me giggle, cause really why would the rakehell care? But we aren't talking real life we are talking romance so... We see early on that TVoN has a different spin on the old plot because honestly the sister doesn't care. I mean she does, in a way but really not. She isn't about to lose her home, her family isn't about to be thrown out on the street, she is an 'older spinster' so no worries about being able to get married. It seems to me, she is going because she can. Because she is likes to be in 'charge' of the family and takes it on herself to fix the problem. And because she is 32 and bored. If she didn't make the trip, she might have lost a few dinner invitations but it didn't come across as she stood to lose much more than that. And hell it wouldn't be the first time some noble in the ton had lost money. Her independence and thought process seems to be completely at odds with the person she pretends to be. It is interesting to watch and to see her grow into her own skin. And if I can say anything, it is if you don't enjoy reading about what the characters are thinking, this isn't a book for you. But that made the book for me. It is centered around the characters, the plot has to do with their lives and how they are living and the secrets they are hiding. There aren't a lot of outside forces at work here, even though you do see a small secondary love story and the helpful housekeeper nudging them together - they never take over the scene, chapter or book. This is Bryon and Victoria's story. I had a lil trouble with Bryon's past wild ways working into how he lives now and the WHY of how he lives. I don't see how it changed all that much from the 'london years' to the past year. Other than just saying he has grown up and tired of living the life of a character he created. Which is honestly Bryon and Victoria, neither one is true to who they are. They are characters of their own making and along the way I think they forgot WHY they are living as they are. Of course that is just my own lil thought and I could be completely off base. The setting is 'darker' than many romance novels but there is a reason for that. And I have read reviewers say that it can border on purple, but I thought the love scenes were great and worked in the story. And wouldn't call them close to purple. I do think Bryon should have told Victoria his secret sooner, if even by a few pages. But I can understand why he felt he couldn't. I liked that even he questioned if he was over reacting to what happened to him as a child and if he should just tell Victoria. Over all it is a great book and worth the read. I enjoyed the authors style and look forward to her next book. I am really wanting to read Beloved Stranger but it doesn't even have a release date yet. That always seems to be my luck ;)

not much to see here...

You know for someone who doesn't put a whole lot of thought into her posts about the books she has read, it is amusing I have four drafts going at once. Oh but I have decided that for each anthology I will start a blog post right away, so when I finally finish the book I will remember the first story ;). I have no memory at all. anyone have any thoughts/rec's on Jane Feather I really need to work on getting the rest of Danelle Harmon's 'One' series. I have the last two and am kicking myself for not buying the first one months ago when I had it in my hand. working is seriously cutting into my reading time, this annoys me greatly

Weekend buys

I think I have just about all of the books on my to be bought list for April. Save three that haven't come out yet and one I haven't been able to find - yet. My B&N trip was sort of a bust, in the fact I didn't get the two books I went there for. I did get To Love a Thief by Julie Anne Long. A book I wasn't sure I was going to buy new, since I am not much on thief books. But I enjoyed The Runaway Duke and bought that used so I figured this one should be new. Bad Boys Over Easy by Erin McCarthy, Jen Nicholas, Jordan Summers is a book I went back and forth on buying. I have the first two Bad Boys books and haven't finished either. In fact I have a bitch of a time reading anthologies and had decided I wasn't going to buy anymore unless I finished a few of the ones I already have, or until Beach Blanket Bad Boys comes out in june. But I enjoy Erin McCarthy and really her story has a hell of a first line that drew me in. That fact mixed with I have wanted to try something of Jordan Summers and Alyssa gave it good blog, made me buy it. Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas rounded out my B&N trip. Wal-Mart: I finally found The Veil of Night by Lydia Joyce and so far, 100 pages into it, I am really enjoying it. Truly a Wife by Rebecca Hagan Lee even though I still need Hardly a Husband. I had thought I had given up RHL but enjoyed Merely the Groom enough to give this series a try. If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl wasn't a book I had planned to buy. But the cover was interesting enough to make me pick it up and the back read like something I would like. I look forward to reading this.