For the Love of a Soldier, musings and contest

For the Love of a Soldier  
by Victoria Morgan was a delightful historical romance.  It is my understanding that this is the author's first novel and it was a finalist in a prestigious contest under a different name.  The allure of this beautiful novel is its focus on a hero who is a survivor of the carnage immortalized in Lord Tennyson's famous poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade.  This war veteran suffers from PTSD and has tried to alleviate some of the suffering of his fellow soldiers who have been forgotten or ignored by society.

My Amazon review is at this link.  I think this author is going to be a great addition to the field and I look forward to other works with her lovely voice.

 *****
I occasionally think that I suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder since I start so many things and don't get many of them finished!  I finally realized that, although I have posted some of my recent Night Owl Reviews books on Goodreads, I thought I'd start keeping up with the books I was reading and post the reviews once I was done...ha, ha...that was back in October or so...and it has just now dawned on me that I neglected to ever go back and take care of those.  Then, of course, there are all of the reviews that I haven't cross-posted on Amazon after writing them up.   Hmm, maybe I need to find a better way to keep things scheduled, not to mention stop volunteering to read the beginnings of the series to catch up.  Well, maybe after I reading the Linda Robertson 'Circle' series...it's so much fun so far, lol.

And...speaking of ongoing things to keep up with, don't forget to go to Lisa Renee Jones' blog, read about nice recipes and enter the contest every day.  If you mention that you were sent from my blog...if you win, I do too!  Please go to this link.

Night Owl has a fun scavenger hunt that will lead you to lots of fun authors at this link.

Romance Books 4 Us has a new contest at this link.

and
Coffee Time Romance always has plenty of contests at this link, make sure you scroll through all of the pages.

A fun contest (or two)

There is a fun feature starting on Lisa Renee Jones' blog on April 1, 2013 that was the brainchild of the inventive cook Rae.  She has gathered a collection of recipes that are fun and easy and even better, there is a contest...if you leave a comment AND if you tell them that The Reading Addict blog sent you, if you win I will too!  Please browse there throughout April at this link (and I will try to remind readers to return at various times throughout the month!).  Kudos to Rae for this fun and delicious addition to Lisa's blog.

            

The contest is to remind you about Lisa's delicious Inside Out trilogy which began with the suspenseful and erotic, If I Were You.  My Night Owl review is at this link.  Be warned, this title ends in a cliffhanger...but Lisa has found a way to keep you occupied while waiting for the next title to release (Being Me is due to be released in June 2013) and is doling out journal entries from the woman at the foundation of the search described in If I Were You.  The exquisite covers on the series, Rebecca's Lost Journals, remind you of the sensual nature of these vignettes and they add to the mystery surrounding this suspenseful description of a pair of women and the charismatic and dominant men they become involved with.  My Amazon review for Rebecca's Lost Journals, Volume 1:  The Seduction is at this link.  The next novella in the series is Rebecca's Lost Journals, Volume 2:  The Contract and my Amazon review is at this link.  Rebecca's Lost Jourmals, Volume 3:  His Submissive is being released in April and the fourth volume will be out in May!

                



 
  

Ok...back to the contests...don't forget to visit Lisa Renee Jones' blog starting April 1 at this link and leave comments (and PLEASE mention that you were sent there by The Reading Addict) and we will keep our fingers crossed, lol.  Enter now in the If I Were You contest at this link.

Changes, A simple craft and Happy Easter!

I am nose-deep in edits (although I am nearing the final pass for two of them, yay) so I may not catch up on reviews for a few days.  I did enjoy Uncommon Pleasure by Anne Calhoun (unlike many other reviewers) and For the Love of a Soldier by Victoria Morgan and I look forward to sharing my opinions about those with you next week...but not until I end my dry spell with my word games (Words by Post)!  I am very sorry to hear that Words With Friends is moving to Facebook only...I stopped playing it quite so much because I was irked by the wimps who would abruptly quit in the middle of the games!  I am not so obsessed with my rating as some of the players but I do like to finish the games even if I am losing badly, lol. 

                     



I also am dismayed by the news that Amazon has acquired Goodreads as I think there was a function for each and I am not thrilled by the ability of meanies to bring down reviewer's ratings just by voting against them for no reason.  I always am suspicious of the coalescing of large organizations and I suspect that this will be a change for the worse.

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Handicrafts:


I was fascinated by this relatively simple way to make a decoration for one's wall.  It involves something that is probably found in every home (I hope, lol) that can be changed from something to fill up the recycle bin into an item of beauty that can be personalized to every color preference.  Please see this link (and look around, there are lots of great ideas on this site)

Finally, to all who celebrate, HAPPY EASTER!  I am still sad that Lifesaver Jelly Beans no longer carry the pineapple flavor but there are still plenty of ways to give my dentist fits since I refuse to eat sugar-free candy.  I hope everyone has a great day!

Give in to Me (Adult title) and musings about ice cream flavors

Give in to Me   

is an ADULT title by Lacey Alexander and continues the 'H.O.T. Cops' series that includes Bad Girl by Night and Party of Three.  The policemen in this series are undeniably sizzling but somehow I just don't appreciate this series as much as I adore the other works by this talented author.  I don't remember reading the first of the series but I was pretty disappointed by the second one and I was a little startled to realize that the hero of Give in to Me figured prominently in that book and I was really disturbed by the menage that gave the book its title.  Viewing the event from the perspective of Rogan Wolfe makes him a little less of a jerk but I still was not comfortable with the events in that book.  Now we have Rogan in an entirely different city and state, interacting with a very different woman who is very erratic about her responses and can't seem to accept and own her desires but rather wants to be forced to participate.  This is disturbing to me because I think that it would be difficult to establish when 'no means no' and can lead to very scary consequences.  Yes, I know that this is a book but my enjoyment of these stories relies on whether I am engaged in the story and whether the characters' actions ring true for me.  Unfortunately, I didn't think that Rogan's use of his nightstick was at all erotic (or sanitary, lol) and I felt that the story ended a little too abruptly but I can't deny that there is plenty of heat in this story.  My Amazon review is at this link.



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One of the benefits of celebrating one's birthday is all of the coupons one is entitled to.  We have an ice cream chain called Coldstone's which offers a buy one get one free deal for quite a few things (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) and one of their claims to fame is the addition of interesting things to a base ice cream flavor.  I decided to try mint ice cream with white chocolate chips because I am not terribly fond of the chocolate pieces that they use.  Hmm...I think I will try something else next time.  I like mint ice cream and I like white chocolate.  I don't like them together.  This was the combination I tried with my husband's coupon, I had caramel ice cream with pecan praline pieces for my own coupon...that one was pretty good but I think I should have stayed with the sweet cream flavor.  Oh well, I have a year to plan my next combination, lol.

Always Faithful (a request and a reminder about a contest)

Always Faithful        


by Julie Miller is a romantic suspense tale that features Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ramsey who is engaged in a terrible struggle with a man known only as the Chameleon.  Their disappearance results in a mystery that still has not been solved five years later, an ongoing source of pain for Ramsey's wife, Emma, who has never given up hope that her husband will somehow return home.  Their daughter has found a sometimes disturbing coping mechanism in that she seems to have a companion named Faith who guides her through the turmoil of everyday life.  The simple trust of a child contrasted with the complex decisions that her mother must make when her heart and her mind are in opposition add a lovely poignancy to the tale.  The story is occasionally a bit predictable but still a very entertaining read and I would definitely be interested in reading more about the very capable women who have bonded and formed a very successful company.  My Amazon review is at this link.


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Randi Alexander has written a spicy short story that she wants to share with her readers.  She would like to get it offered for free on Amazon but somehow they are dragging their feet.  It would be great if interested readers would do the following:

1. Go to the book (A Gentleman and a Cowboy):  http://amzn.to/11H8MGB

 

2. Scroll down to Product Details, there’s a line “Would you like to give feedback on images or tell us about a lower price?” Click on ‘tell us about a lower price’

3. Choose Website

Enter this URL in the box:   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299739

Price ($): 0

Shipping cost ($): 0

4. Then click Submit feedback.

Thank you so much! If you know anyone else who would be willing to do this for me, please pass on this message.

Don't forget there are several contests going on, including the one at The Romance Reviews which is celebrating their anniversary. You can find it at this link and while you are there, perhaps you will join in and vote for their 'best books of 2012'.  I didn't vote in every category but I was delighted to vote for Laura Griffin in the Action-Adventure/Romantic suspense category and Lisa Renee Jones in the Erotic Romance Action-Adventure/Romantic suspense category as well as Thea Harrison and Jennifer Estep.  I refrained from voting in the categories where I was unfamiliar with the authors and I regret that I didn't notice when the nominations were open because several of my favorite titles didn't even make it to voting.  Please vote at this link.

Tumbling Blindly (Adult title)

Tumbling Blindly    

is an ADULT m/m erotica novella by Sue Brown that is the first book in 'The Arches' series.  This lovely quick read introduces Matthew (Matt) Collins who is devastated when his lover cruelly dumps him for another man.  PC Gabriel (Gabe) West is one of the men who investigates Matt's condition at the instigation of a neighbor.  Matt is startled to encounter the sexy policeman at the Arches, a gym for gay men that both of them patronize, but he is even more astounded to discover that Gabe is interested in getting to know him better.  The reappearance of Matt's ex-lover threatens to derail the relationship before it begins but not if Gabe has anything to say about it.

This entertaining and sizzling story is a delicious read that provides a nice flavor of a different country.  I enjoyed the description of the hunky policeman (and the reminder of the importance of not judging by appearances, given his silver hair) and the sweet way the romance between the two main characters unfolds and what a yummy cover although I think they got the haircolor wrong (this from a person who doesn't normally pay much attention to covers for just that reason, lol).  I look forward to reading more titles in this series and I am delighted to have won this particular novella as it is the first work I have read by this author.

The Importance of Being Wicked

The Importance of Being Wicked    
by Victoria Alexander is a fun historical romance that is part of a series that centers around an English estate called Millworth Manor.  This edifice is also featured in What Happens at Christmas which is a madcap romance that features Grayson, Winfield Elliott's cousin as he deals with the farcial arrangements involving actors, assumed identities and miscommunications which accelerate through a whirlwind series of misadventures which culminate in a Christmas that he will never forget.

                     


The Importance of Being Wicked continues to follow the adventures of Winfield, the Viscount Stillwell, and intersects with the family featured in another entertaining series by this prolific author because the heroine, Miranda, is the youngest of the Hadley-Atwater siblings.  I love the combination of romance and humor in these fun tales and I was delighted that Win has finally found someone to truly give his heart to after so many failed engagements.  There is a nice bonus novella in the back of this novel that gives a description of those very engagements but I am not sure whether it is better to read it first or last if one has no familiarity with the family.  I somehow think it is better to be read after one gets to know Winfield better, lol.  Now I just have to find the time to go back and read the rest of the series!  My Amazon review is at this link.

Heart of Danger (adult title)

Heart of Danger is an ADULT title    

by Lisa Marie Rice which is the beginning of the 'Ghost Ops' series and features a very special unit of men who have been betrayed by those who they should have been able to depend on.  This author is expert at creating very driven men who combine a lethal expertise with an intense loyalty to those who are important in their lives.  The brilliant heroine finds a way to turn the lives of these men upside down when she forces her way into their protective enclave.  The searing heat between her and the main character is something that this author excels at describing and the heartpounding action that accompanies the story makes it an exciting read.  I love the variety of characters that we get glimpses of and am fascinated by the descriptions of the hidden world that these wrongly accused warriors have created for themselves where they work as a unit to counteract the ugliness that most of them have experienced.  The paranormal elements just enhance the story for me and that combination of intense action, sizzling romance and the mystery of the capabilities of the mind make this my kind of story.  One of my favorite descriptions of an author can be found at this link, it provides a great thumbnail description of an ideal person...who it would be hard to live up to (make sure you read it to the very end)...and gives a wonderful insight into this talented person's quirky personality.  My Amazon review is at this link.

Kids' books

Yes, my reading tastes are very eclectic although I prefer stories with happy endings, lol.  For some reason, a batch of kids' books came through and I offered to review several of them for various reasons (yes, there is some logic to it even though I don't have children!)

One of these days I will learn French so that I can at least hold a rudimentary conversation when I finally make it to Paris (one of these days!).  After all, I will have to be able to ask for those sinfully delicious croissants and pastries and I suppose I will have to find my way to the beautiful tourist attractions (although my husband recently told me that he heard about some study which says that the number one thing that women think about is food--no points for knowing what the number one thing the study says that men think about, lol).  Sorry, I digress, as usual. 

    

I was intrigued by the idea of a children's book entitled, My French Sticker Dictionary and thought I'd try it out.  I was entertained by the cute pictures and delighted by the attempts to help with pronunciation (who'd thought that l' ecureuil is said 'leh-kooray'?  It means squirrel, btw) but I think that it would be a little confusing trying to figure out some of the translations if I was too young to understand about looking for the word list in the back and just depended on the pictures (especially the one for le beurre...'leh ber' which means butter).  I understand that this was just to give a smattering of words which were arranged on pages of similarities such as things you would find in the kitchen but I still think it was confusing and think that the English and French forms of the words should be on the appropriate page.  Nonetheless, I love stickers and I thought that this was a fun way to learn a few words.




The Three Little Pigs pop-up book delighted me for awhile because I am fascinated by the engineering that goes into making a piece of paper stand up and help tell a story.  I amused my self by partially opening and the closing the pages just to watch the buildings and characters change their shape (yes, I get distracted sometimes) and it is still fascinating to watch, especially to a person who has trouble creating an aerodynamic paper airplane.  This is a fun book but naturally any young child reading it has to be supervised closely because it won't take much to bend one of the figures the wrong way and destroy its pop-up capabilities.


     

Richard Scarry's All the Colors of Busytown is a very cute board book that helps introduce little ones to nine colors.  The characters are very busy animals who endeavor to help children identify commonplace things in characteristic colors and the tabs help set the various colors apart.  My only concern is that the tabs can be accidentally bent if the book is left open and sat on (ok, that tells you about the kinds of kids I watch with books).  This is a cute vibrant book.


      


And finally, Too Small for my Big Bed, is a cute story about a tiger cub named Piper who keeps finding excuses to sleep in his Mommy's bed.  I was attracted to the story because I have a niece named Pieper and it made me think of her but I thought it was a great tale of a way to gently encourage independence.  I love tigers and that was a wonderful bonus to the story because the illustrations are beautifully drawn.

Wicked All the Way and One Dom to Love (adult titles)

Please continue reading only if you are an ADULT


Wicked All the Way       

by Shayla Black is a delightful novella which revisits her 'Wicked Lovers' series but focuses on a different generation, i.e. Caleb Edgington and Carlotta Buckley, whose children have found love and passion with each other.  Caleb has nobly refrained from pressuring Carlotta who is living vicariously through her daughter but not looking for her own happiness.  A delightful read.  My Amazon review is at this link.


One Dom to Love        
is an erotic title by Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob and Isabella LaPearl.  It is filled with very sensual scenes centered around the BDSM lifestyle and features an intense tug of war between two very opinionated Doms over a submissive who has been part of their lives on a different level for several years.  This story is undeniably spicy but made me uncomfortable and I wasn't thrilled about the actions of either male, but particularly disliked the description of the physical marking performed on the heroine and her unquestioned embracing of all of the acts perpetrated on her.  I am normally a very big fan of this author but this particular tale just wasn't to my taste and I thought the heroine was too erratic in her behavior, flipping between outright defiance and malleability and I found certain scenes to be a little hard to believe in terms of the degree of discomfort which was acceptable (or blithely ignored).  My Goodreads review is at this link.


Mini-rant...you have been warned....

Ok...I have been REALLY swamped lately (4 edits, about 650 pages!) and I also have 5 reviews that are due today but they were all yummy reads so it won't be as hard to write up as it is when I don't like them.  I've also read a couple of titles recently that I was really disappointed in because of the number of errors in them and I am disappointed in the lack of editing that they display.  I think that if publishers expect us to pay our hard-earned money for these works...they should make sure that a polished product is released.  I'm fortunate because these titles were either won by me or offered to me for review so I didn't spend anything on them but I still am disappointed that they are being offered to unsuspecting readers.  I hope that all of you who are noticing an excess of typos or editing errors take the time to either send a polite note to the publisher or the author because I think that the standards are steadily eroding because not enough people complain.  I admit that I am human and undoubtedly leave errors behind when I proofread and edit but I think that we still should all strive to improve and when our mistakes are pointed out to us, it makes us more aware.  My unsolicited opinion for the day, lol.

St. Patrick's Day Blog Hop and MORE! (updated 3/17/13)

I have no time to wander around but there are at least 300 (!) participants in this blog hop...it should be lots of fun!  Please go to this link.


The Fondled and Gobbled (ADULT title!) authors have a blog hop at this link (also for ADULTS only!)

The Romance Reviews is still celebrating its 2nd Anniversary party at this link

and

The Romance Studio is still celebrating their St. Patrick's Day Party at this link.


Sorry everything is disjointed...buried in an edit AND it's my wonderful hubby's Birthday!!!  Good luck and happy wandering.

Shadows Before the Sun and another resource for romance readers

“Shadows Before the Sun”     

by Kelly Gay continues the ‘Charlie Madigan’ series which features the feisty heroine who has Charbydon genes and is linked to one of the First Ones who were the precursors of the human race.  Her partner is still missing and she is determined to follow him to the siren city of Fiallan and find out what his true fate was.  Her allies include the Jinn who is occupying her ex-husband’s body and the arrogant oracle Sandra but nobody can prepare her for what she discovers among the home of the sirens.  An epic battle is destined to be fought again but few rational beings would even contemplate fighting Death itself but Charlie has never let a little thing like logic deter her from taking on a seemingly impossible fight.  Fortunately, she may have a weapon or two up her sleeve.

A gritty urban fantasy that continues to combine the modern world and a fantastical alternate universe peopled by remarkable beings which operate according to their own often horrific rules.  The intriguing concepts of interdimensional travel, a self-cleaning floor, and an entire race of beings who can control one with just their voices give this tale a unique twist.

Romance Books '4' Us is a fun website (and also has a nice contest every month) and it is holding a membership drive.  The site itself is at this link
(I forget how it's supposed to work but it would be great if you mentioned that I referred you if you join...there is a contest for new members as well as those doing the referral).  Even if you don't want to join, go to the site and enter the contest and wander around the author pages (and the model pages if you want to look at some eye candy, lol) at this link.

Contests and blog hops

Randi Alexander has a wonderfully appropriate title out...Cowboy Jackpot:  St. Patrick's Day.  She has a contest on her blog to celebrate the new release at this link.

The Romance Reviews is still celebrating its 2nd Anniversary party at this link.

Shirley Hailstock has a nice blog tour to promote her book White Diamonds at this  link
I am reluctant to share it because I figure I would have a much better shot at the $20 GC, lol but it looks like she could use some love

Skhye Moncrief has a blog hop at this link.


Secret Cravings has a Just Desserts blog hop at this link.


Don't forget the regular contests at:

Night Owl Romance at this link.

Coffee Time Romance (a very long list, scroll down the page) at this link.

Writerspace contests at this link.

Fresh Fiction contests at this link.

(and don't forget to set your clocks forward if you live in a place that practices Daylight Savings)

Meanwhile, I am working on reviews for:

Julie Miller's fascinating romantic suspense, Always Faithful
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's wonderful science fiction addition to their Liaden Universe, Necessity's Child
Jayne Krentz's  paranormal tale (sorry, no dust bunnies) Dream Eyes
Rob Thurman's urban fantasy Slashback
Sandra Leesmith's women's fiction tale about cycling The Price of Victory
Pamela Clare's American Historical romance Ride the Fire 
(as usual, I am reading them faster than I can write them up...but I 'm working on it!)