Winners: Alternate Winners for Deep Kiss of Winter & A Highlander Christmas

As surprising as it may seem, I had several books that went unclaimed....again :(  So I have several alternate winners to announce.  If the alternate winners do no contact me by the specified time, then the remaining books will be given away in a quickie giveaway on Sunday.

I never heard from either Anna, or Katrina by Wednesday so I still have  two copies of Janet Chapman's A Highlander Christmas to giveaway courtesy of Pocket books.  The NEW winners are:

• Mitzi H
  
• Kara
  

Ladies, please contact me using the link in "novel spotlight" and send me your snail mail address, no later than Saturday 1/2/10.  If you have already won this book please email ASAP.  If I don't receive the information from you by this date any remaining copies will be given away in a quickie giveaway on Sunday.

I also didn't get mailing info from the previously announced winner Alba, but I did receive info from the other winner so I only have one copy remaining of Deep Kiss of Winter to giveaway courtesy of Pocket books. The NEW winner is....

•  Scorpio M

Please contact me using the link in "novel spotlight" and send me your snail mail address, no later than Saturday 1/2/10.  If you have already won this book please email ASAP.  If I don't receive the information from you by this date alternate winners will be selected.  Again, if I don't receive the necessary information by this date the remaining copy will be given away in a quickie giveaway on Sunday.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

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Contests & Giveaways

If your looking to find contests and giveaways from around blogland and the www world that I found interesting and wanted to share with Musings readers, then your in the right place :) I'll try to keep this as updated as possible, and since it is now a post instead of being listed in the sidebar it will be easy for you to bookmark this page in your browser for easy access...it's a good thing.  

Good Luck and I hope at least one of us wins :)

Giveaways @ Seductive Musings

I don't have any right now, but check out the ones below!

Giveaways around the web:

•  The Bibliophilic Book Blog is having a "Clear the Decks" giveaway.  She's got swag and lots of books up for grab.  How do you enter?  It's as simple as completing a survey and for every answer you provide you get extra entries!  Check it out here.  No end date is listed.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Reading Lists: June, September, October, November & December 2009

As I was putting together my list of favorite books I read in 2009 I found that there were several months where I had not posted a summary (eek).  While I usually like (or plan to) give a brief (meaning just a couple sentences) summary of each book I read, in the interest of time and playing catch up I am just going to list the books and the star rating I gave each one.  If you would like more detail on what I liked and disliked about a specific book (or books) email me and I would be more than happy to explain why I gave it the rating I did.  I really need to add this to my new year's blog resolutions...

June 2009:

• Deeper by Megan Hart (5.0 stars) 
• Wicked Ties by Shayla Black (4.5 stars) 
• A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore (4.0 stars) 
• Sweet Persuasion by Maya Banks (4.0 stars) 
• Edge of Hunger by Rhyannon Byrd (3.5 stars) 
• My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel (3.0 stars) 
• Heat of the Night by Sylvia Day (3.0 stars) 
• Valentino's Love-Child by Lucy Monroe (3.0 stars)
•  Tall, Dark and Deadly by Lorie O'Claire (2.5 stars)

September 2009:

• Rocky Mountain Heat by Vivian Arend (4.5 stars)
• Don't Bargain with the Devil by Sabrina Jeffries (4.25 stars)
• Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries (4.0 stars)
• To Wed a Wicked Earl by Olivia Parker (4.0 stars)
• Servant: The Kindred by LL Foster (4.0 stars)
• Heat Seeker by Lora Leigh (3.75 stars)
• Forbidden Fantasies anthology by Ellora's Cave (3.0 stars)
• A Highlander's Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder (3.0 stars)

October 2009: 

• All Jacked Up by Lorelei James (5.0 stars)
• Songbird by Maya Banks (4.50 stars)
• Traditions (A Christmas Ball) by Alissa Johnson (4.50 stars)
• Letting Go by Sarah McCarty (4.25 stars)
• A Christmas Wish (Hot for the Holidays) by Lora Leigh (4.25 stars)
• Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair (4.0 stars)
• Rough Stock by Cat Johnson (4.0 stars)
• Tempting Fate by Alissa Johnson (4.0 stars)
• The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens (4.0 stars)
• Bad Boys and Their Toy by Shayla Black (3.75 stars)
• Wolf Flight by Vivian Arend (3.75 stars)
• My Lady Below Stairs (A Christmas Ball) by Emily Bryan (3.75 stars)
• The Longest Night (A Christmas Ball) by Jennifer Ashley (3.50 stars)
• Weekend Games by Cara Carnes (3.50 stars)
• An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (3.0 stars)

November 2009:

• Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton (4.5 stars)
• Bah, Handsome by Jill Shalvis (4.25 stars)
• Hard to Hold by Stephanie Tyler (4.0 stars)
• Seduce Me in Shadow by Shayla Black (4.0 stars)
• Dirty Deeds by Lorelei James (4.0 stars)
• To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt (4.0 stars)
• This Wicked Gift by Courtney Milan (4.0 stars)
• Possess Me At Midnight by Shayla Black (3.75 stars)
• So Into You by Sandra Hill (3.75 stars)
• The Northern Devil by Diane Whiteside (3.75 stars)
• Marrying the Marquis by Patricia Grasso (3.25 stars)
• Tucker's Claim by Sarah McCarty (3.25 stars)
• It's Hotter at Christmas by Helen Kay Dimon (3.0 stars)
• Sexual Secrets by Melissa MacNeal (2.0 stars)

December 2009

• Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan (4.50 stars)
• To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt (4.75 stars)
• To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt (4.25 stars)
• Running Wild by Jaci Burton (4.25 stars)
• Sunset Knight by Sami Lee (4.0 stars)
• The Pheonix Charm by Helen Scott Taylor (4.0 stars)
• Riding on Instinct by Jaci Burton (3.75 stars)
• Knight of Pleasure by Margaret Mallory (3.75 stars)
• "Untouchable" from Deep Kiss of Winter (3.0 stars)
• A Highlander Christmas by Renwick, Halliday & Miles (3.0 stars)
• Sin on Skin by Mari Freeman (2.50 stars)
• Seducing the Sheriff by Marie-Nicole Ryan (1.0 star)
• These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer (DNF)

p.s. you can find all of the reading lists by using the blog label feature to search for them.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Ratings Guide

Coming Soon

A new and improved ratings guide that will include sensuality/heat levels

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

FTC Disclosure

In order to comply with the new FTC guidelines and regulations for book endorsements and blogging please assume that any book reviewed or featured at Seductive Musings has been submitted for free as a review copy from the author, publisher or promoter, even though this may not always be the case. I also review books that I purchase with my own hard earned cash, and receive on loan from my local libraries, but in case I forget to disclose this information in each review, please presume I received it for free as stated above.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Seductive Museum: Masterpiece of the Year 2009

I can't believe that 2009 is almost history.  Where has the time gone?  Seriously.  I guess one of the great things about the end of the year is reflecting on what some of your favorite things were.  One of mine has been the Seductive Museum Gallery of Fine Cover Art meme.  It's definitely something that I will be doing more of in 2010.

Since the end of the year is just hours away it's time to announce what I feel was the best romance cover from all of the books that I read in 2009.  This pick may or may not come as a surprise depending on when you first started reading this blog.  I absolutely love this cover and I consider it a masterpiece of cover art.  My pick for Masterpiece of the Year for 2009 is Deeper by Megan Hart. 

I absolutely loved this cover the very first time I saw it. I loved the image of the couple in an intimate (but not explicit) embrace under water. I loved the blue background, and the font of the text. Love Love Loved it all!  And after reading the book (and loving it even more than the cover) I found the cover art even more compelling and perfect for this story...in essence it wasn't just a pretty picture or all about appearances. It epitomized for me so much what this book was about.  

Congrats Megan and everyone at the Harlequin Spice art department! 
Not only was it a five start book, but also a five star cover.

Seductive Museums-Gallery of Fine Cover Art monthly meme is hosted by Seductive Museums the last Thursday of every month. Want to participate? Here's how:

• Share your favorite romance novel cover from any of the romance novels you’ve read this month, and remember this has nothing to do with the actual content of the book…just the cover.
• The romance novel can be a new release, a current release, or an older book. As long as it is in print, it is available for purchase (no preorders), and is classified as a romance then it qualifies (historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, erotic romance...).
• Present your book cover art on the last Thursday of the month (barring any special events) on your blog using the Seductive Museums icon and following these participation rules. Tell us what you love about the cover, and then link your choice to the current Seductive Museums Gallery.
• The following week I will compile a list of the submitted book covers and I'll have a poll where you can vote for your favorites. At the end of the year I will list the top book covers for each month and you can vote for the top 5 covers of the year. Once the masterpiece of the year has been chosen we will honor the author and the cover artist with an award.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

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Guest Author & Giveaway: Beth Williamson featuring The Stranger's Secrets

 ***This giveaway has ended, but you should still read the post...it's worth your time.  Thank you for commenting and joining the fun!***

Some of my favorite romances have involved heroes and heroines with some kind of disability.  I don't know why, maybe it's because oftentimes these characters feel ashamed, or reserved about what makes them different;  "less than perfect" in their own eyes, which in turn often seems to make them feel they are less worthy of love.

I love how the characters learn to connect and communicate with the person they eventually fall in love with and the world around them...growing to embrace who they are, their value to others, and learning to give and receive the love they have been lucky enough to find.  That's why when I first read about the heroine in Beth Williamson's newest Brava historical romance, The Stranger's Secrets, who has a disability, it went straight to the top of my wish list.  Beth Williamson + steamy historical western romance + character w/ disability = an almost guaranteed great read (at least for me).  I can't wait to get my Booklover hands on this one!

I couldn't wait to have Beth as my guest to celebrate the release of The Stranger's Secrets, and she was gracious enough to accept.   Read on for an exclusive excerpt from The Stranger's Secrets just for Seductive Musings readers, not to mention a book giveaway :)  Woo hoo!  I love days like today.

What Makes It So Tantalizing

Writing erotic romance or even highly sensual romance is writing hot. So, what makes it hot? How does a writer keep the heat level high when she/he is writing? Hm, that ladies and gents, is a very good question.

For me, I think the emotional connection between the hero and heroine is what makes the sex as powerful as it is. If there isn’t a connection between them, the heat level just doesn’t go as high. Now when I say emotional connection, it could mean love, hate, like, dislike, or just that animal attraction between two people.

You won’t find my characters without that connection because that’s when things get interesting. In my new release, The Stranger’s Secrets, the hero and heroine have something of an adversarial relationship when they meet. However, they each sense the underlying attraction immediately.

He’s a Yankee, and she’s a former Southern Belle. He’s a soldier in disguise and she’s a disabled woman with a cane and an attitude. They’re at opposite sides of everything they know or believe in, yet that connection is there, it brings them together whether or not they want to.

And oh boy, when they come together, it’s like the fourth of July. Sincere sexual heat and erotic pleasure are inevitable with such passion. That’s what it is at its base level – passion. They fight with it, talk with it, and have fabulous sex with it.

I think pitting a hero and heroine against each other like Sarah and Whitman allows the reader to root for one or the other. Then when they finally roll (or is that tumble?) into bed, you’re right there along with them, feeling the heat and the erotic experience too.

I had a book club friend ask me once, “Why do you have to use words like p*ssy and c*ck? Is that necessary?” Now you have to know she’s a lifelong attorney, just retired ADA and outspoken (love her to pieces!). She would always ask me directly what she was thinking. So what do you think I told her?

What two people in real life don’t have sex in a relationship? And that sex is heightened the more descriptive the words I use to paint the picture for the reader. I find as a reader, I like to read the explicit words because it’s much more, ah, stimulating. ;)

I hope that you readers feel the same way, or rather, get the feeling the same way. LOL.

Betrayed By Her Own Heart

Sarah Spalding has learned to forge her own way and never to trust anyone—least of all a Yankee. But when her companion abandons her while on a train to Colorado, Sarah begrudgingly accepts the help of Whitman Kendrick—a Yankee, yes, but one with the most bewitching green eyes. Allowing Whit to be her traveling escort is one thing, taking him as a lover is another—even though she’s tempted beyond reason…

Whit Kendrick isn’t quite sure what to make of the sharp-tongued, sassy woman sharing his train compartment. All he knows is that Sarah is refreshingly different from most women—and his urgent, primal attraction for her is unlike any he’s experienced. Breaking down Sarah’s wall of defense won’t be easy. But Whit is determined to prove to Sarah that they’re more alike than different—and loving each other is all they need…

Read Chapter One
Read an additional excerpt
Read bonus excerpt for Musings readers

My many thanks to Beth for being my guest today. I absolutely adore her historical romances, and frankly I can't get enough of them no matter which name she writes under.  Have you seen the covers for her two newest books written as Beth Williamson and Emma Lang?  There's some serious cover hotness goin' on....which I am sure accurately reflects the contents of the love story within considering her post today :)

You can find out more about Beth and her books written as Beth Williamson and Emma Lang on her website and blog www.bethwilliamson.com.  You can also find her at the After Midnight Fantasies website, Brava Authors, and Facebook.

To celebrate the release of The Stranger's Secrets Beth has generously agreed to giveaway one signed copy of The Redemption of Micah (the book that precedes The Stranger's Secrets).  Here's how you can enter to win:

Ways to earn entries:

• Mandatory: Answer this question:  How hot do you like your romances? (good for 1 entry) 
• Mandatory:  You MUST be a Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower in order to be eligible to win (unfortunately an email subscriber and a follower are not the same thing so make sure you are signed up as a follower if you'd like to win this book)
  
• Blog about this contest on your blog and leave a link with your comment (good for 15 entries)
• If you don't have a blog, don't worry you can earn extra entries by telling your friends. If they leave a comment on this post and mention that you sent them you can each earn extra entries (good for 5 entries for the referrer and the commenter for each friend) 
• Purchase any item from the Seductive Musings Amazon store by using this link, or the Amazon widget contained within this post and email a copy of your purchase receipt to me no later than the deadline to enter (email available in sidebar). Sorry purchases made prior to this date do not apply, and link contained in this post must be used. No faxes or snail mail copies are allowed. No purchases are necessary to win. (good for 25 entries, or 50 entries if a purchase is made from the featured author's available titles)

How to enter:

• You can choose to enter as many different ways that you want, but please place all of your entries in ONE comment
  

Rules and disclaimers: 

• This contest is open to anyone as long as you are at least 18 years old
• The contest will end on January 2nd 2010 at 11:59 pm EST and winner will be posted after they have been selected
  
• Winner will be selected using Random.org
• The winner will have THREE days from the date they are posted to provide a mailing address. If you do not contact me within three days a replacement winner will be selected. NO EXCEPTIONS
• The book(s) will be mailed directly from the publisher or author and no substitutions are allowed
• Seductive Musings is not responsible for prizes that are not honored, distributed in a timely manner, lost, stolen, or damaged during transit 
• All giveaways are subject to change/cancellation without prior written notice 

Good Luck!!!

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

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Teaser Tuesday: Proof by Seduction

"In Gareth's time with this woman, he'd developed quite a vocabulary for her.  Fraud.  Charlatan.  Madame Esmerelda.  Liar."   p. 187 from Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan*

Courtney Milan will be my guest at Seductive Musings on January 8th.  Mark you calendars for this week, as I have a whole lot of great authors and their new releases to start the New Year out right.  I also hope to post my review of this fantastic historical romance sometime this week....I'll keep you posted :)

As always you can click on the cover to learn more and/or buy this book.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Monday's Muse: Muse of the Year 2009

Today is the day you've all been waiting for.  You've voted for three weeks to help select the Muse of the Year for 2009....and today is the day you finally get to find out who you all selected as your favorite Muse.  It's kind of funny because in the previous weeks there were many ties which resulted in more selections in the final round of voting than I had planned for, but in the final round of voting the winner was the overwhelming favorite.  And I have to say that you have excellent taste in Muses!   He happened to be my favorite  Muse this year...I think we are kindred spirits :)  Here he is in all his glory....Muse of the Year 2009...

Doesn't get much better than that...he is weak in the knees, leaves me breathless worthy.  The eyes with that intense stare, the little bit of facial hair...and his chest....and OMG those abs.  His hands, the biceps, the reclining pose...yeah you could say he does it for me in every way possible.  I can't wait for more inspiration from 2010's Muses!  

Have a great Monday!

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Winners: Knight of Pleasure, A Highlander Christmas & Deep Kiss of Winter

Hello my friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I had a great one, even though I didn't get a Kindle or a Nook :(  But don't you worry, I've already added them to my wish list for next year :)  

I have some winners to announce today:  a few alternate winners for Knight of Pleasure, the two winners of A Highlander's Christmas, and two winners from Deep Kiss of Winter.  So let's get this party started!!

Unfortunately I never heard from Chey and CrystalGB by Saturday 12/26 so the alternate winners for a copy of Knight of Pleasure by Margaret Mallory courtesy of Hachette books are:

• Bethie &
  
• Linda Henderson

Ladies, please contact me using the link in "novel spotlight" and send me your snail mail address, no later than Wednesday 12/30.  If you have already won this book please email ASAP.  Any unclaimed copies will be given away via a quickie giveaway sometime this week.

Next, I have two copies of Janet Chapman's A Highlander Christmas to giveaway courtesy of Pocket books.  The winners are:

• Anna &
• Katrina
  

Ladies, please contact me using the link in "novel spotlight" and send me your snail mail address, no later than Wednesday 12/30.  If you have already won this book please email ASAP.  If I don't receive the information from you by this date alternate winners will be selected.

Finally I have the two winners from the Deep Kiss of Winter giveaway courtesy of Pocket books.  So without further ado, they are....

•  alba & 
• ck.twilighter
  

Ladies, please contact me using the link in "novel spotlight" and send me your snail mail address, no later than Wednesday 12/30.  If you have already won this book please email ASAP.  If I don't receive the information from you by this date alternate winners will be selected.

So there they all are!  If you didn't win this time, there will be plenty of chances in the New Year.  I am going to have a special event to ring in the New Year with lots of great books featured!  

Don't forget to check back on Monday to find out which Muse was the winning pick for Muse of the Year 2009.  Did your favorite Muse win?  And on Wednesday Beth Williamson will be my guest to celebrate her new historical romance The Stranger's Secret....ooh I love a book with secrets.  Then on Thursday and Friday I will give you my picks for my favorite Hidden Gem and Seductive Museum's cover of the year, as well as my favorite romances of 2009.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Happy Holidays

I'm off spending time with my family and friends for the holidays, but before I signed off for a few days I didn't want you to think I forgot about you. Here's a little something just for you....

He's all wrapped and underneath the tree just waiting to be enjoyed. It was just what you were wishing for wasn't it?  I know I would like Santa to bring me a prezzie like him!  So, anytime the holiday craziness gets to be too much, your relatives just got on your very last nerve, or you just need a break...just stop on by, take a deep breath and enjoy the view. Repeat as necessary and talk to you again soon.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

Read more...

Share the Love: My favorite holiday songs

Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit more than holiday music.  I find myself singing (really just humming) to the music while shopping in stores.  It doesn't make me spend more, but does make me more tolerant of long lines and rude people....and when you are waiting in traffic, or are in the parking lot in the mall stalking people for a parking space I am much more patient (but ruthless nonetheless).  

It's the very first holiday item I get out each year at Thanksgiving...because you can't decorate the tree without the holiday music, and the last thing I pack away after the New Year.  I bake to it, wrap to it, clean to it...basically anytime I can I listen to holiday music during the season I do.  I have a whole CD case dedicated to Christmas music.  I absolutely love it and here are some of my favorites:

So turn on some music, and know that the craziness is just about over.  Let the Christmas spirit move you...and enjoy!  What are some of your favorite holiday tunes?

Share the Love is a weekly meme hosted by Seductive Musings every Wednesday. 

• Every Wednesday post whatever it is that you love on your blog or website.
  
• Then leave a link to your post in the comments on the weekly Share the Love post at Seductive Musings. If you don't have a blog, that's ok you can still share the love in your comment on the weekly Seductive Musings post.
  
• What can you share...well that depends on what you love :) Here are some ideas: a new blog or website, a great recipe that is a taste bud triumph, new shoes or purse that you seriously can't afford but lust after anyway, a great love story like the ones from When Harry Met Sally, a love note to someone special in your life (or wish was), a book you just adore and can't wait to share with someone, a song or CD that plays on repeat until it's worn out, poems, pictures, videos, or even baby giggles :) I think you get the idea.

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

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Teaser Tuesday: Riding Wild & Riding on Instinct by Jaci Burton

"Now the cold realization smacked her across the face--she'd been in love with a man who had never loved her back:  a man who was wholly incapable of emotion.  No man who claimed to love her could treat her with such utter disrespect, could touch her and take her to such heights of passion, could promise to be truthful to her, and then in the next instant lie to her with the clear intention of severing all ties with her." p. 157 from Riding Wild* (book #1 in the Wild Riders series) by Jaci Burton

*This book is currently a bargain priced book @ Amazon for only $4.35 (for a trade size paperback that is a steal!)

"He was so incongruous, this tough guy who had a heart he didn't want to expose, didn't want to share.  But he had, just enough to give her a glimpse into the hurt little boy who longed for someone to love, and tried to mask his needs under a shield of armor." p. 212 from Riding on Instinct (book #3 in the Wild Riders series) by Jaci Burton

As always you can click on any cover to learn more and/or buy any of the books featured.  

And on a side note if you missed the update to the Deep Kiss of Winter post, I announced an revision to the post that I have two copies of the anthology with Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter to giveaway so make sure you comment on that post if you are interested in winning this paranormal romance.

*Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

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Review: These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer

Title: These Old Shades 
Author: Georgette Heyer
Series: N/A
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks/Casablanca
Format: Trade paperback
Date/Year: October 2009

This book was provided to me by the publisher for review

Summary from the publisher: 

Set in the Georgian period, about 20 years before the Regency, These Old Shades is considered to be the book that launched Heyer's career. It features two of Heyer's most memorable characters: Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, and Leonie, whom he rescues from a life of ignomy and comes to love and marry.

The Duke is known for his coldness of manner, his remarkable omniscience, and his debauched lifestyle. Late one evening, he is accosted by a young person dressed in ragged boy's clothing running away from a brutal rustic guardian. The Duke buys "Leon" and makes the child his page. "Leon" is in fact Leonie, and she serves the Duke with deep devotion. When he uncovers the true story of her birth, he wreaks an unforgettable revenge on her sinister father in a chilling scene of public humiliation.

My Musings:

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer is the first book this year that will receive the “DNF” or Did Not Finish rating from me.  I’m actually kind of shocked about this because I’ve rarely ever NOT finished a book.  I was so excited to read this reissued version because I have heard so many good things about this author, and all of the reviews I read have had nothing but glowing and complimentary praise.  These Old Shades was Georgette Heyer’s most popular and beloved romances, and it’s the one that launched her career.  So where did it all go wrong for me?

I’ve picked up this book three separate times to read it, but it wasn’t until this last time, and got past the first one hundred pages that I finally realized what I wasn’t liking and what was prohibiting me from finishing it.  It wasn’t the plot.  In fact I found the idea of the plot very interesting….a girl disguised as a boy, who had been switched at birth and was in fact nobility instead of base born.  It’s what actually propelled me to keep reading the book.  It wasn’t necessarily the characters.  I found Justin, the Duke of Avon to be as self conceited and self absorbed as the writer wanted him to be, and I can only hope that portraying him this way at the beginning left lots of room for growth and a redeeming transformation due to his love for Leonie.  Unfortunately, I did not make it far enough in the book for this to happen.  I felt like I did not know Leonie, the heroine, very well at all by page one hundred.  Her adoration and gratitude for her patron, the Duke of Avon, seems over the top and excessive, but maybe there were reasons I had not become aware of yet.  No, it was neither of these things, but in fact it was the lack of narrative in the story and the writing that bothered me.  That left me cold and excluded from the story.  

The majority of the story is written as a dialogue between characters with little introduction when new characters were introduced.  I never realized how much I rely on the author to tell us how a character looks, and presents him/herself to the reader until I was given only dialogue to try and picture them in my mind.  I was missing the inner dialogue, the feelings, and thoughts, descriptions of setting and personalities, and moods to put a context to what they were saying and how they were relating to each other.  There was no insight to what they were thinking and feeling beyond what they actually said to each other, which left me at times confused and uninterested as to who was who, and how they related to each other.  

I found myself continuously wanting to know what Leonie was thinking and feeling, and why she is the way she is.  The same goes for the hero Justin.  Is he really as shallow as he presents himself to others?  Is there more to him than meets the eye?  These questions may be answered by the end of the book, but as I scanned the upcoming pages I did not see that the writing style changed in any way so decided to set the book down for now.  My dislikes were shading my perception of the story, which would have made my review of the complete story inaccurate.  

Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it during the time I was trying to read it.  Maybe Georgette Heyer is just not my kind of writer.  It’s really bugging me that I don’t know how the writer resolved the mystery of Leonie’s birth and how Leonie and Justin found love with each other.  Did he use Leonie to get revenge upon his enemy, or did his love for her prevent him from taking it that far?  I haven’t been able to bring myself to pick it up once again to find these answers…yet.  But I am determined to...someday.

Ratings: DNF (sadly)

*I am an Amazon affiliate and receive a small (and I mean very small) referral fee for purchases made using a link on this blog. I don't use Amazon to earn money, I use it because the widgets are cool, easy to use, and serve my purposes to showcase books & such with minimal effort, but most importantly they have great prices and offer both new and used items. As a book addict I love that I can find just about anything I want in one place. If you are going to purchase a featured book anyway, and you know you won't pay more by using the links on this blog than you would by visiting Amazon on your own, I will be eternally grateful for supporting this blog by using the links :)

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