Now That Nano's Done

As soon as I reached the 50K for Nano I cracked open Brenda Jackson’s Irresistible Forces and read it from start to finish. The premise is that a woman wants to start a family, but without benefit of a sperm bank or a husband. She propositions a like-minded man and they spend a passion-filled week on a tropical island with procreation in mind. Everyone once in awhile I like a mainstream romance and this one was surprisingly hot, if not a little predictable.

Oh, looks like I forgot to mention how I ended up with Irresistible Forces in the first place. Way back in October I was on Gennita Low’s blog and she posted a picture that she invited people to put a caption to. She picked my caption as the winner and as the prize I got to pick a free book. I naturally picked one of hers I didn’t have yet, and when she sent it she included the Brenda Jackson one too. As soon as I read the blurb on the back I wanted to read it, but I forced myself to wait until Nano was done.

Next I read Kerrelyn Sparks’ novel All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire. Although Sparks isn’t new, I hadn’t got around to reading her vampire novels yet. This one was so good I’m going to be forced to go out and get the rest of the series. A Scottish Vampire, doesn’t get much more nummy than that! I say series, but they’re not a series as in you have to read them in order to figure out what’s going on. This one worked well as a stand alone novel, but I still want to go out and get the rest of them.

Okay, just to reward anyone who happens to stumble across this blog, here’s some free reading for you:

Samhain Publishing is offering a free story every day this month. You can find them HERE

Also, Mari Carr is offering a free story HERE . I really enjoyed this story, especially the way she didn’t drag out the ended the way most authors do when using this particular scenario.

Although Nano's finished, the novel I'm working on isn't, so I'm trying to keep the reading to a minimum. Note the word trying.

Hiatus

Yeah, I know it's been a while. And it'll be a while yet.

Who's got time to read when they're doing Nano??

See y'all in December.

So Many Books, So Little Time

I've been reading about a book a day for the last couple of weeks. It would probably be more but I've been writing a lot too.

I finished my Gennita Low books and I enjoyed all of them. If you'd like a taste of the COS Commandos, you can go HERE to check out her first book, Big Bad Wolf, for free. Trust me, it'll make you want to run out and buy her other books.

After finishing with the commandos I read the new Nina Bangs book, Eternal Pleasure, which has a really neat twist on the shape shifter theme. It's book #1 of the Gods of the Night series and I can't wait for #2 to come out.

Next came the new J.R. Ward vampire book, Lover Enshrined, which continues her Black Dagger Brotherhood saga. I put off reading this book as long as possible because I knew once I was finished it would be a long wait for the next one. And of course I may have put off starting it, but once I opened it up I couldn't put it down until it was done.

This put me in the mood for vampires, so next I started re-reading the Argeneau Vampire series by Lynsay Sands. I love these guys. If I ever had the opportunity to be bitten by a vampire, these are the vampires I'd want to bite me. I was on my second to last book in the series when I just "happened" to see in a book store that there was a new one out, which I finished reading last night.

I'm still on a vampire kick so now I'm starting to wade through the Silhouette Nocturnes that I bought at Word on the Street.

The Protector

by Gennita Low

The ironic thing here is that I've been going to her site faithfully for about a year now, and I've bought several of her books, but I've never read any of them until now. I have a whole shelf full of books I haven't read yet. I have a bad habit of buying books I have every intention of reading, but then I get distracted and they're left to languish on my "To be read" shelves. But that's neither here nor there.

Jen has been posting her first novel on her blog, chapter by chapter. I've been enjoying it so much that I pulled out my copy of The Protector. I tried to read it slowly, really I did. But last night I was up until 3 a.m. and this morning I couldn't tear myself away to have my shower before I finished it.

It was good. It was more than good, it was excellent! Now I'm in the mood for more love and adventure with the covert commandos. Good thing I have a copy the next book in the series.

KISS

Houston, we have a problem here . . .

I don’t update this blog nearly enough. And why is that (you ask)? It’s because I read too freaking fast. I do not look upon this as a good thing, I see it as a bad thing. Fast reading = going through books like water through a sieve. Slow reading = savouring a book like a fine wine.

When I had my “Recently Read” list up on my other site, it never got updated because by the time I thought to add the book I just finished I’d be several books ahead of that one. Which is why I started this site.

I think my other problem is my lame attempt to try and "review" books. Most reviews are really just personal opinions anyway, so maybe if I stick to the plan of just telling you what I've been reading and my opinion of it I'll post more often.

As the man said: KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)

The Highlander Series

by Janet Chapman

What is it about ancient Scotsmen that make them the ultimate alpha male?

These particular Scots have been plucked from their time and sent into ours. Once they adjusted, they thrived in the back woods of Maine, where the story starts.

Charming the Highlander
Begins with the Laird Greylen MacKeage. The Druid Pendaar casts a powerful spell to send Greylen into the future where he was destined to meet his true love, and father a child on her that would become Pendaar's heir. Unfortunately, the spell goes awry and not only Greylen and several of his warriors are sent into the future, but several of their enemies, from the MacBain clan, are transported as well. The best part of this book is that it's only the beginning of the series.

Wedding the Highlander
Tells the story of Michael MacBain, the only surviving MacBain warrior. He, too, finds himself settled in Maine, and kin to his enemy MacKeage through marriage. This story takes place several years later but loses none of it's charm in the mean time.

Loving the Highlander
Tells the story of Morgan MacKeage, continuing the magical theme that runs through the series.

Tempting the Highlander
This is the story of Robbie MacBain, Michael's son. At this point in the series the magic becomes almost as important as the highlanders, and it's Robbie's job to keep the magic alive.

Only With a Highlander
This is the story of Winter MacKeage, Greylen's seventh daughter and Pendaar's heir. The magic is beginning to die, and it's up to Winter, and Pendaar's greatest enemy, Curam, to make sure that doesn't happen.

Secrets of the Highlander
Megan MacKeage has returned home without a husband, but pregnant. There's more to the situation than she's willing to admit, and it appears that the magic isn't done with the MacKeage clan yet.

Katie MacAlister

I cannot believe that I have yet to dedicate a post to Katie MacAlister!

I started with her Vampire series:

A Girl's Guide to Vampires
Sex and the Single Vampire
Sex, Lies, and Vampires
Even Vampires Get the Blues
Just One Sip
the Last of the Red Hot Vampires

It's not just the hot vampires and steamy sex - okay alot of it is the hot vampires and steamy sex - but they're adventuresome and funny as well. They're so well written that I even hooked one of my co-workers on them, and she didn't think she liked vampire books!

Then I figured that if I enjoyed her vampire books so much I just might enjoy her contemporaries:

Improper English
Men in Kilts
The Corset Diaries
Hard Day's Knight
Blow Me Down

Boy was I right! These books were every bit as funny and well done. One of the things I enjoy the most about her books is the heroines are far from perfect. They're sassy and out-spoken, one's had a stroke, one's overweight . . . They're real people.

I've just finished her dragon series:

You Slay Me
Fire Me UP
Light My Fire
Holy Smokes

I don't know why I put off reading this series so long. I think I enjoyed it even more because it was pretty much one story continued over four books. Or I guess a better description would be several stories about the same characters spread over four books. One of my big complaints about books in general is that they're too short. I guess that's what comes from reading so fast.

Dream Hunter Series

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Dream-Hunter; Upon the Midnight Clear; and Dream Chaser.

The Dream Hunter series is an off shoot of the Dark Hunter series, and you’re going to want to be familiar with the Dark Hunter universe if you want them to make sense. Okay, maybe that’s a little unfair. She does a fine job of explaining things, but there’s so many names thrown at you that I was glad I was familiar with a lot of them. One thing for sure, I never realized how many gods and demi-gods the Greeks had. Every time I turned a page there seemed to be a new god or demon or whatever to cause trouble. Don’t get me wrong, the books were good (as all of Sherrilyn’s books are) but I found after the third one they were getting a little repetitive. Will I read the next one in the series when it's out? You betcha!

Bitten - Stolen

by Kelley Armstrong

BITTEN
This is the story of Elena, the only known female werewolf in existence. We learn how she became a werewolf and witness her struggle to adjust to her new life.

It's not easy to create a life independent of the Pack, but she tries anyway. Unfortunately, the Pack needs her and she's forced to put her life on hold while she deals with her pack-mates.

Pack business spills over into her personal life and Elena is forced to make a choice.

To be honest, when a friend first insisted I read this book I was a little indifferent. I'm more into the vampires than the werewolves. However, it didn't take me long to get to a point where I couldn't put it down.

STOLEN
This book continues Elena's story. While investigating a report of "proof" of the werewolves existence, Elena meets up with a pair of witches who claim they're part of a group of supernatural beings who are being targeted by a quasi-military group of scientists who are funded by a rich psycho.

Before you know it, Elena herself is kidnapped by the terrorist group and held prisoner. We're introduced not only to witches, but demons, half-demons and vampires.

I enjoyed this one every bit as much as the first one. Can't wait for the next one.

Catching Up

Yeah, I confess. I've fallen way behind in my posting here.

To be honest, I haven't done a lot of reading over the last few months, but there's more opportunity to do so on my new shift at work so hopefully that will change.