Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and fangirl moments!

Well, unusual for Southern California, we have cloudy overcast skies today (better than yesterday, when it was alternating rain and drizzles) but it isn't dimming my enthusiasm (yet, lol).  I had looked at the authors attending a few weeks ago, and was going to be lazy and not go (as opposed to being too cheap to drive to Las Vegas and interact with some of my favorite romance authors!), but then I saw that Sylvia Day was being featured on one of the panels...and while researching that, I discovered that one of my favorite fantasy authors, the VERY prolific Mercedes Lackey was also going to be speaking!

Wow!  She and the late Anne McCaffrey are two of my very favorite fantasy authors, and I have always waffled between whether I would want my very own Bronze Dragon or to be linked to a Companion.  These two women helped my imagination soar while exposing me to a wealth of different social issues while entertaining me.  I was delighted to see that Mercedes Lackey's 'The Last Herald Mage' trilogy has been re-released as a single volume, and am looking forward to re-reading it for review.  That was probably my first m/m story, and stayed with me for a very long time, just because of the drama portrayed so strikingly.

So...today is my day to get ridiculously tongue-tied, I have retrieved one of my copies of "Arrows of the Queen" (yes, I wanted to be one of the Queen's Own), as well as one of the 'Serrated Edge' novels and I was reminded of all of the great characters Ms. Lackey introduced me to (the hertasi, Shin a' in, hawkbrothers, those in the Elemental magic series, and so many more)...which is one of the reason there is not much room on my bookshelves, lol, and I look forward to at least getting a picture of this fantastic and fascinating author!

And to add icing on top, the wonderful Brenda Novak received an award, and she should be signing as well!






                                




The perpetually busy Brenda Novak has a new book coming out in the Whiskey Creek series...


                      


And then there's the sizzling erotic tales by Sylvia Day for ADULTS only!

         


Yep, this should be a great day!

This Heart of Mine by Brenda Novak (SBB, excerpt and GIVEAWAY)

This Heart of Mine

by Brenda Novak

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BLURB:


4.5 Stars TOP PICK from RT Book Reviews!


First love. Second chance?

As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him—especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next.

Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob’s father isn’t exactly welcoming.

Riley doesn’t trust Phoenix, doesn’t want her in Jacob’s life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he’s about to find both!



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EXCERPT

As soon as they were gone, Riley grabbed Phoenix’s elbow, hanging on even when she tried to avoid the contact, and guided her to his truck. “Let’s get you to a doctor.”

The second Riley mentioned doctor, she wrenched away from him. “No, I―I don’t need a doctor.”

“He’ll check out that cut, tell us if it needs stitches.”

“A doctor will cost money. And I…I have other plans for…for my income in the next while.”

What income? He doubted she had any, but he couldn’t say that. “Phoenix…”

“Stop,” she said. “I’ve had worse than this. This is nothing.”

Watching her closely, he could see that she was dizzy. “Do it for Jacob’s peace of mind, then.”

“Please, don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“I haven’t got the money for a doctor. I’m sure you know that.”

“I’ll look after the bill,” he said, but he should’ve known that wouldn’t convince her.

She edged farther away from him. Then she started down the street at a faster clip than he felt she should. “I’m okay,” she called back. “Go take care of Jacob.”

“Damn it, Phoenix.” He hurried after her. “Why do you have to be so stubborn? It won’t cost that much.”

She hadn’t bothered to turn when he spoke, so he’d been talking to her back. “It’s a waste of money,” she told him over one shoulder. “I’m fine, like I said.”

“It’s five miles to your place. You’ll never make it.”

She made no comment.

“Soon you won’t even be able to see where you’re going, what with all that blood.”

Again, she didn’t respond. She’d managed to put a little distance between them and obviously thought she was getting away. But he wasn’t about to let her go. He had no idea whether she’d make it. So he jogged after her and swept her into his arms, which wasn’t hard since she didn’t weigh much.

“Ah!” she cried. He’d startled her. She hadn’t expected that move. He guessed her head hurt, too, and being jarred hadn’t helped.

“We’re doing this my way,” he said, and carried her to his truck.


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:


New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of fifty books. A four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.4 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.


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GIVEAWAY




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here

A Matter of Grave Concern by Brenda Novak (Book blast) GFT

A Matter of Grave Concern
by Brenda Novak

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BLURB:

When Maximillian Wilder joins the notorious body snatchers known as the London Supply Company, the last thing on his mind is love. He’s worried about Madeline, his vanished half sister, who was last seen in the company of Jack Hurtsill, the gang’s conscienceless leader. Raiding graveyards, stealing corpses, and selling them to medical colleges as dissection material is dirty work, but he has to gain Jack’s trust. He’s determined to find out what happened to Madeline—and to bring Jack to justice if she was murdered for the coin her body could bring.

Beautiful, spirited Abigail Hale, daughter of the surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine, detests the challenging, hard-bargaining Max. But she must procure the necessary specimens if she is to save the college and her father’s career. She believes she is going to be successful—until Jack double-crosses her. Then she’s swept into a plot of danger and intrigue, one where Max must intervene and protect her, no matter the risk to his plan . . . or his heart.




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EXCERPT:




“Ouch! That hurts! What are you doing?” she asked, trying to wiggle away from the roughness of his chin as he chafed it against her face and neck.

Max could feel the ridge of Miss Hale’s collarbone beneath his cheek, then more smooth skin as he slid his chin up the column of her throat. “I am leaving a few marks on you, for Jack’s edification,” he said. “He will never believe you were ravished without something to show for it.” Pausing just below her left earlobe, he began to suck on her neck.

She squirmed some more, resisting, but that soon subsided and she started to giggle. He guessed from her bossiness that she didn’t laugh often but, strangely enough considering all the trouble she had caused him, he liked the sound of it.

“Nothing in my father’s books said anything about this,” she said. “What on earth are you doing? Stop! It tickles. What could possibly be the point?”

He lifted his head only when he was satisfied that he had left a deep purple mark. “What your father’s books didn’t tell you, Miss Hale, is that much of what goes on between a man and a woman, at least in the bedroom, has no point. It is simply for the sake of pleasure, for the pure, heady passion of reveling in the opposite sex, of letting go of all inhibition long enough to enjoy giving everything and receiving everything all at the same time.”

He knew his voice sounded slightly hoarse, but she smelled so damn clean and fresh. And her skin—it had to be the softest he had ever touched.

Moonlight lit her face as she cocked a finely arched eyebrow at him. “You seem quite well-versed on the subject.”

“I have never read any bloody medical journals, that’s for damn sure. After hearing what they have to say, I think I’m glad.”

“What’s wrong with what they say?”

Max ignored her in favor of nipping at her neck again. Why did she have to feel so good? Not five minutes earlier, he had told himself he wouldn’t have any difficulty sharing a room, even a bed, with Miss Hale. He could control his “drive to mate” as she put it.

But that was before, when Miss Hale—Abigail—was at an arm’s distance. Now that she was so close and not nearly as stiff as he had expected, he found his perspective changing. And he was only rubbing his chin on her cheeks and neck. What would it feel like to part her lips and slip his tongue inside her mouth for that first sweet taste?

Under the guise of more chafing, he let their lips brush once, felt their breath mingle, and measured Miss Hale’s response. The tension in her shoulders, where he had anchored his hands, relaxed ever so slightly. Her eyelids lowered as her gaze fell to his mouth, and she kept her head tilted at just the right angle for their lips to brush again.

She’s curious, he realized. She has never been kissed.

Amazon buy link






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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of more than fifty books. A four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised over $2 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

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A Good Cause

Just a reminder...Brenda Novak's auction to raise money for Diabetes research is taking place NOW!  Every year, those involved in the world of writing and publishing join together to provide a wonderful selection of auction items.  I enjoy drooling over things that range from trips to ARCs (advanced reading copies) to meetings with various poplular authors, not to mention the hand-made items that many of the multi-talented participants provide.  It's also a way to see various meetings that are taking place since they are mentioned in reference to some of the items.  A worthy cause and fun to just browse and see what your favorite authors are offering.  Please check this link (but don't get so caught up in the frenzy that you spend more than you can afford!).