RWA here I come!

I am so very tickled to be going to the RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference in Anaheim this week.  My very favorite historical romance writer, Stephanie Laurens, is the keynote speaker and I am thrilled that she has come all of the way from Australia to our side of the continent!  I have been reading her works since I first discovered the Cynster family and have enjoyed the various Bastion Club, Black Cobra titles as well as the many anthologies she has contributed to (yes, her books take up a couple of shelves on my bookshelf).  I am also delighted and hope to glimpse from afar some of my other favorites including Jayne Anne Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick, Nora Roberts (I figure I'll know where she is because of the hordes of people around her) and Suzanne Brockmann.  I am amazed to have been reading works from all of these lovely ladies since most of them wrote in the series romance categories and I fell in love with their styles then.
 
   

I am ecstatic to realize that I may also get a chance to meet some of my newer favorite authors such as Maya Banks, Sylvia Day, Nalini Singh, Jennifer Estep, Thea Harrison, Jaci Burton, Cheryl Brooks, Tamara Hogan, Lauren Dane, Karen Erickson, Lori Handeland, Elisabeth Naughton, Brenda Novak, and Terry Spear to name just a few.  Just looking at the map of the room makes me tired so who knows if I will get the opportunity to make it all the way around to meeting all of them.
                 


I am looking forward to attending the "Christmas" party that Sabrina Jeffries is giving for her fans and I have had the very wonderful experience of being invited to the Kensington reception so it will be a fantastic week!


Then there will the wonderful and whirlwind experience of seeing Kim (that dynamo from the SOS Aloha blog) and her young men.  It is always breathless hanging with Kim since she seems to know practically everyone and she just brightens the room whenever she appears!  So....I will be a little quiet for the rest of the week but I will be definitely immersed in the world of BOOKS!

Chase Me

Chase Me  
 
by Tamara Hogan continues the story of the paranormal beings introduced in Taste Me.  A coalition of non-humans including werewolves, valkyries, sirens and incubi are involved in excavating an archaeolgical dig that is searching for the origin of their species on Earth.  The main character, Gabe Lupinsky is a werewolf who is losing his eyesight and he is constantly challenged by the Valkyrie second, Lorin Schlessinger who is reluctant to accept his authority.  Several mysteries are being explored but ultimately their off-world origins may be closer to being exposed than ever before.

I liked the idea of explaining the presence of vampires and otherworldly creatures as survivors of a spaceship having crashed and the archaeological exploration is interesting.  The attraction between the handicapped werewolf and the valkyrie heir is incandescent as they each struggle against the expectations conferred upon them because of their race and their position.  The valkyrie tendency to solve stress through eating, sex or fighting makes it a little difficult for Gabe to accept that their attraction is mutual but they are constantly drawn to one another even though they have trouble expressing their true feelings to one another.  There are a few rather kinky sex and somewhat cliched sex scenes depicted that seem a little gratuitous but there may be future revelations which put this into perspective.  I actually read this book before the first in the series so my recommendation would be for the books to be read in order.  My Amazon review is at this link under ELF2060.  A 'yes, this was helpful' vote is always appreciated if appropriate.

My Goodreads review for Taste Me is at this link. 

For Adults Only

Please only read if you are 18 or over.

I have read several enjoyably spicy books recently.  A few have rather edgy erotic scenes so make sure you read the blurbs before you decide whether to purchase if you tend to shy away from kinky sex.
Jaymie Holland (the spicier alter-ego of Cheyenne McCray) has a series of novellas called 'The Auction'.  Thus far I have enjoyed Sold and Claimed




Shiloh Walker has Bound Temptations.  Both were written with her usual flair for combining intense emotion and searing intimate encounters.



Tamara Hogan has a new title Chase Me being released so I have also recently read Taste Me which started the series.  I actually enjoyed Taste Me  a great deal and probably will have to go back and re-read Chase Me since I read it without the background that will undoubtedly enhance my enjoyment.


Marissa Day will soon be releasing another of her erotic paranormal Regency titles, Fascinated. Yum!  (Update:  It released on June 5 and my post is at this link)




Opal Carew has a new title that released on May 30... 
Debt of Honor


And...Shiloh Walker is writing under a new pseudonym as J.C. Daniels and has a new release, Sexy Little Surprises