Cafe of Dreams

Tweet for Literacy!

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Tweet for Literacy Giveaways

Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!”

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways

Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/susieqtpies
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page. (http://bit.ly/1Qg2Y6)

Sample Entry Re-tweets

RT @cafeofdreams Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov. #Tweet4Lit http://bit.ly/1Qg2Y6

RT @cafeofdreams Enter Tweet for Literacy giveaways here! New prize sets every 2 days. #Tweet4Lit http://bit.ly/1Qg2Y6

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.

Official Rules

You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

Open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 18 years old to enter.

If you have any questions or comments about the giveaway, please contact Linda Thieman at blog (at) katieandkimble (dot) com.

Our Sponsors

Authors

Holly Hardin, author of the children’s picture book Aurora of the Northern Lights
Twitter name: @hollyhardin
Blog: Holly's Helpful Hints
http://hhhelpfulhints.blogspot.com/
http://hollyhardin.net/

Sheri Kaye Hoff, Life Coach and author of Keys to Living Joyfully
Twitter name: @sherikayehoff
Blog: Coach Sheri’s Living Joyfully Everyday blog
http://www.lifeisjoyful.org/id1.html

Nicole O’Dell, author of the Scenarios books for girls ages 10-15
Twitter name: @nicole_odell
Blog: Nicole O’Dell blog
http://nicoleodell.blogspot.com
www.nicoleodell.com
www.scenariosforgirls.com

Linda Thieman, author of the Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story chapter book series for ages 7-10
Twitter name: @lindathieman
Blog: The Katie & Kimble Blog
http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com

Bloggers

Susan Buetow, homeschooling mom/blogger
Twitter name: @susieqtpies
Blogs: The Homeschool Messenger; Scraps of Life
http://homeschoolmessenger.blogspot.com/
http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/

Cheryl Malandrinos, writer/mom/book blogger
Twitter name: @ccmalandrinos
Blog: The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection
http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/

April Pohren, mom/book blogger
Twitter name: @cafeofdreams
Blog: Café of Dreams
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com

Prizes and Winners

The Tweet for Literacy campaign was designed to encourage family literacy. Our motto is “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!”

Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

Our first prize package winner will be selected on November 8, 2009, at 6pm CT.

Prize Package One

A Guardian Angel Publishing Gift Pack ($55 Value) with the following titles:

Jamie's Dream by Susan Berger and Christopher Corbin
Color Me Happy! by Sally M. Harris (autographed)
A Horse of Course by Shari Lyle-Soffe (autographed)
Earthquake by Susan Berger
The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It by Bill Kirk

Plus, Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Christmas-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.

Winner of Prize Pack #1!!!

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Prize Pack #2!

Winner to be chosen Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Two is $114.

1) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Christmas-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

2) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

3) The Katie & Kimble chapter book series by Linda Thieman, for ages 6 to 10. Lexile® measures: 280L and 290L. This set includes Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story and Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish. These are stories of love and healing, and are not scary! Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. (Value: $11.90 per set)

4) Lexi by L.S. Matthews (Grades 4-8) ($14.99). Donated by our Tweet for Literacy sponsor, Linda Thieman.

5) Mark My Time, a totally cool digital bookmark/timer ($11.90 value), donated by our Tweet for Literacy sponsor Susan Buetow.

6) Light Up Your Child’s Mind: Finding a Unique Pathway to Happiness and Success by Joseph S. Renzulli, Sally M. Reis, Andrea Thompson ($25.99 value). Donated by Hachette Book Group.

7) And a little something for Mom! The Sidewalk Artist by Gina Buonaguro and Janice Kirk ($13.95 value), donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor Linda Thieman.

Prize Pack #3!

Winner to be chosen Thursday, November 12, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Three is $109.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) The Crypto-Capers: The Case of the Missing Sock (autographed) by Renee Hand ($12.95 value). Readers help the detectives solve the case by figuring out puzzles! For ages 9-12. Donated by the author.

4) Capital Mysteries #3: The Skeleton in the Smithsonian [A Stepping Stone Book(TM)] by Ron Roy, for ages 9-12 (Value $3.99). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

5) Truth or Dare (autographed), Book 1 from the Scenarios for Girls interactive series by Nicole O’Dell. For ages 10-15. ($7.97 Value) Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

6) 1 set of SnapWords™ List A Teaching Cards by Child1st ($23.95 value). These are the most popular SnapWords™ product and are excellent foundational help for kids who are just learning to read. Donated by Child1st Publications, LLC.

7) Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith ($24.95 value). Donated by FSB Associates.

Review - Colonel Trash Truck by Kathleen Crawley

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Colonel Trash Truck
By: Kathleen Crawley

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Big Tent Books (May 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601310331
ISBN-13: 978-1601310330
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8 x 0.1 inches

What an adorably fun book! There are many places that will make children laugh out loud, while at the same time teaching them the benefits and importance of helping to keep their earth and environment clean. Colonel Trash Truck is the perfect character to make a lasting impression in young minds and the rhyming text is sure to lodge into little thoughts.

With vivid and colorful illustrations, Colonel Trash Truck will keep even the jitteriest of child content and engrossed within the story. What a perfect introduction to teaching and reiterating the importance of taking care of our world, not littering, cleaning up and passing along the word without sounding "preachy". An excellent book to read again and again knowing that your child is having fun while learning a valuable lesson!

*overall rating 4/5

About Colonel Trash Truck:

Kids love trucks and are most familiar with the truck that visits their house every week – the garbage truck. So, there is no better way to teach them to respect the environment than to introduce them to Colonel Trash Truck - a likable, fun-loving hero who is extremely focused about his mission to win the garbage war. He sees the world and nature as a beautiful gift that we all need to appreciate and protect. Colonel Trash Truck believes cleaning up trash and recycling is something we all must do and he wants nothing more than to have kids join him in his quest. Now’s the time to become a member of his Clean and Green Team! KARUNCH!

Excerpt:

“From street to street, he sweeps and sweeps to keep our neighborhood clean. From dawn to dusk, clean up he must to make our world stay green.”

About Kathleen Crawley:

Kathleen Crawley has been an advertising executive for over fifteen years. She resides with her husband Ronald Thomson in Redondo Beach, California. She is a native Californian having graduated from UCLA with a B.A in sociology. Colonel Trash Truck is her first book. About writing for children, Kathy says, “I have a number of books I want to write for kids because I think children are fascinating. They are open, creative, and interested in everything; they bring out the kid in me.”

You can visit Kathleen online at www.coloneltrashtruck.com

Holiday Swapping Fun!

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:15:00 +0000

Who doesn't love a fun gift swap? I know I do and when I came across this, I jumped at the chance and signed up right away! If this is something you would have fun doing, please be sure to sign up for Book Bloggers Holiday Swap

It's quick, painless and ensures tons of fun and excitement!! Deadline for signing up is November 12th, so don't delay - sign up today!!

Review: The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:12:00 +0000

The Christmas Secret
By: Donna VanLiere

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312558368
ISBN-13: 978-0312558369
Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches

One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to curl up with a wonderful, touching and inspiring book. Donna VanLiere has become such a tradition for me, or rather her books have. Each year I eagerly anticipate her newest release, which I gobble up within a couple of days and then I am left downtrodden because I know I have to wait another year for another treasure by her.

Each of Ms. VanLiere's stories are filled with the greatest of struggles, perseverance, warmth, the greatest of goodness and bonds of selfless friendship. Each and every story has yet to fail to warm my heart and put a smile to my face at the acts of kindness and generosity of the characters.

The Christmas Secret is the story of a young single mother, Christine, who is constantly struggling to make money to feed, clothe and take care of her beloved young children. To make matters worse, her ex-husband is a vengeful man who tries, at every corner, to make Christine's life more stressful and worrisome with threats of taking the kids away from her.

This is a story of one young mother's deep and unyielding love for her children. A mother who would do anything to care for them. Christine's big break seems to come when she is hired by Betty who is the owner of a bakery/restaurant. It is here that Christine meets many new friends and learns the true meaning of faith, bonding and what it is like to belong. Not to mention this is also the place she comes in contact with an obnoxious and overbearing, but very handsome man, who she feels a strange sort of connection with.

The Christmas Secret is full of delightful twists and turns and a few surprises along the way. I have to say that I adored all of the characters and felt a very special adoration for Gloria, one of the most generous and caring woman you will ever meet. Throughout the entire story, I was brought to tears, laughter, warmth and every motion in-between. Ms. VanLiere has such a mind-blowing talent to bring her readers into the story, make them care deeply for the characters and make the characters and actions remain with the reader long after the final word is read.

I actually discovered Donna VanLiere a few years ago and have felt truly blessed by her work ever since. As I had stated previously, hers is one of the new releases that I eagerly anticipate each year and I have yet to be disappointed. For me, the holiday season isn't off to an official start until I have read a novel by this wonderful author.

I highly recommend The Christmas Secret for anyone looking for an excellent and engrossing story. A story that will remain with you for a very long time and turn you into a huge fan of Ms. VanLiere.

*overall rating 5/5

There are so many excerpts that I could pick to include to give you a taste for The Christmas Secret. I have decided on one of my favorite scenes that brought tears to my eyes.

Excerpt from Pg.152-156

The coffee-and-pastry lady sat in a booth by the window on Monday and her oversized coat dwarfed her. She looked so sad and small. "Morning," I said, placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

She took the cup between her hands. "Hi."

"Any luck finding work?" I'm not sure why I kept trying to have a conversation with her. She shook her head. "Would you like a day-old today?"

She looked into her cup and nodded. "That'd be great. Maybe I'll buy two today. It's my birthday." Her eyes were full of mist and sorrow and regrets and she took a sip of her coffee.

"Happy birthday!" I said. "So how young are you?"

She half-smiled but didn't answer me. I left her alone and walked to the baker's racks to find a day-old pastry but stopped, looking at the cakes. I picked up a chocolate one with butter cream frosting. "Hey, Karen," I said. "Can Stephanie or Rosemary write happy birthday on this cake?"

She stepped to my side and looked at it. "One of them probably could. Why?"

I nodded toward the pastry lady, "It's her birthday."

Karen reached in her apron and handed me a five dollar bill. "Here. To help pay for it." She glanced at Tasha. "If we all pitch in we can do something nice today."

"I don't even know the woman," Tasha said. I moved toward the kitchen and Tasha yelled after me, "Here!" She thrust two dollars toward me and sighed. "I have textbooks to buy you know!"

Rosemary wasn't in the kitchen but Stephanie was folding dough over tiny globs of jelly in the center of pastries. "Stephanie, can you write on a cake?"

She looked at it and frowned. "I can't even read my own writing," she said.

"What do you need?" Betty said, entering the kitchen from her office.

"Happy birthday," I said.

"Happy birthday who?" she asked, picking up a pastry bag.

I leaned my head toward the kitchen window that looked out over the dining room. "I don't know her name."

"That little gal who comes in here for coffee?" I nodded. She took the cake from me and grabbed a pastry bag filled with icing. Betty's hands were quick and graceful. I watched as she wrote the words and squeezed flowers out here and there on top of the cake. "Thanks!" I said, picking it up from the table.

"Hold on," she said. She walked to the grill and placed two slices of French toast onto the plate along with a side of fruit.

"That was Karen's order," Craig said.

"For Brewster," Betty said. "He can wait an extra two minutes. He should be ordering oatmeal anyway." She handed the plate to me and said, "Tell her it's on the house."

I turned the corner, holding the cake in one hand and the plate of French toast in the other. "Karen," I said, whispering. I kept my back to the counter so the woman wouldn't see what I had. "Can you help me sing?"

"Oh, please no," she said. "I hate those kind of restaurants. We;re not one of those restaurants."

"Can we be for one minute?" I asked. "Tasha? Would you help, too? That lady's always alone. I have a feeling that if we don't do this then no one will."

Tasha closed the cash register and rolled her eyes. "Like I'm going to say no now. Just make it fast. Not one of the slow, drawn-out versions."

They walked in front of me to hide the cake. When we got to the table I stepped out front and we started to sing. The woman was surprised and embarrassed, partly by our singing I think. We sounded like sheep stuck between the rails of a fence. Gloria and Miriam and the customers around her sang along with us and we all stopped when we got to the name. We had no ideas what to sing. "Tamara," she said, whispering. We finished the song and everyone clapped, because it was over, I'm sure!

"Happy birthday," Karen said before running to one of her tables.

Tasha set the French toast in front of her. "It's on the house," she said.

Tamara stared at the food. "Thank you," she said.

I picked up the knife and cut into the cake, putting a piece on the plate. "You'll be able to take this home," I said.

"Can you pass it around to the people who work here?" she asked.

"Sure," I said.

"I'll have a piece," Gloria said, waving both hands in the air.

"You don't need a piece," Miriam said.

"They could erect a statue to your sensitivity," Gloria said. "Happy birthday, darlin'," she said, looking at Tamara. Tamara's face softened and the lines that reached across her forehead faded to spindly creases. I don't think anyone had called her a term of endearment in ages. Gloria slid out of her booth and picked up her breakfast plate. "You know what? We are going to move over there with you because no one should eat alone on her birthday." Miriam sighed and followed. Gloria settled in and surveyed the table. "Now this is a birthday celebration," she said.

"Christine?" I turned to look at Tamara.

"I'm thirty-four."

"Happy birthday," I said leaving them alone.

I worked my other tables that morning but kept my ear tuned to Tamara's party. Gloria and Miriam made her giggle and one time I swore I heard a belly laugh. Tamara delivered pieces of cake herself to the staff and any customer that wanted a piece. For a few minutes on that windy December day she felt normal again, whatever that meant, and she smiled. In a world where she heard emptiness as she walked the streets and say alone in the park I believed she heard the song of people remembering her name. I watched her and realized that God was most likely felt in those ordinary moments - not in an explosion of light as I'd always thought or in the rumble of a story but at the side of a child's bed reading stories, rummaging through a drawer for a bright scarf, or at a breakfast table with birthday cake and coffee.

About The Christmas Secret:

When a struggling young single mother saves the life of an elderly woman, she sets into motion a series of events that will test her strength, loyalty, and determination, all the while setting her on the path to finding true love. Christine Eisley is the mother of seven-year-old Zach and five-year-old Haley. Her ex-husband provides little, if any, child support and makes life difficult for Christine by using the children as pawns. She works long hours as a waitress to make ends meet, but her job is in jeopardy because she’s often late to work due to the unreliable teenaged sitters she’s forced to use. When Christine saves the life of a woman who works in Wilson’s department store, the owner of Wilson’s wants to find her, to thank her, but Christine has disappeared, losing another job once again. He sets his grandson, Jason, to the task of finding the mysterious “Christy.” Jason, an accountant by trade who has lost his job to downsizing, thinks he is “above” working at Wilson’s. Soon, he discovers that this new task gives him more than he bargains for. The Christmas Secret is a novel for anyone who wants to see how love is a gift that keeps giving back; that hope is a treasure that never runs dry, and that faith is a miracle that is reborn with each new day.

About Donna VanLiere:

Donna VanLiere is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author and gifted conference speaker. She has published ten titles including The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing, both of which were adapted into movies (starring Rob Lowe, Kimberly Williams-Perry and Neil Patrick Harris) and garnered big ratings for CBS television. Lifetime has adapted The Christmas Hope (starring Madeline Stowe) with plans to premier it along with re-airing of the previous two movies in December. Her non-seasonal novel, The Angels of Morgan Hill, has captured the same warmth as her Christmas books and continues to please loyal and new fans alike.

Donna is the recipient of a Retailer's Choice Award for Fiction, a Dove Award, a Silver Angel Award, an Audie Award for best inspirational fiction, a nominee for a Gold Medallion Book of the Year and was recently inducted into the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges Hall of Excellence joining such luminaries as Coretta Scott King, Hugh Downs, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Senator John Glenn. Donna is an in-demand conference speaker having appeared at countless women's and family events, including select Women of Faith conferences.

Finding Grace (March 2009) is the powerful and often humorous story of her journey of broken dreams. There comes a time when the wheels come off in everybody's life. No one plans to get a divorce, go bankrupt, suffer depression, or get cancer. The wheels come off and we're left asking, "Now what?" This is the story of how pain and shattered dreams can be confronted and met with peace - simply put, it is the story of finding grace.

Donna's latest book, The Christmas Secret (October 2009) is the fifth title in The Christmas Hope Series and has galvanized her as a perennial favorite by entering the NY Times Bestsellers list a full two months prior to Christmas.

Donna lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, Troy, and their children, Grace, Kate and David, their labradoodle Lucy, their cats Cindy and Katrina and several raccoons who desperately want to be part of their family.

Spotlight: A Precious Jewel by Mary Balough

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:39:00 +0000

A Precious Jewel
By: Mary Balough

Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Dell (November 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440244633
ISBN-13: 978-0440244639
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches

About A Precious Jewel:

She was unlike any woman he’d ever met in the ton or the demimonde. But Sir Gerald Stapleton frequented Mrs. Blyth’s euphemistically dubbed “finishing school” for pure, uncomplicated pleasure—and nothing else. So why was this confirmed bachelor so thoroughly captivated by one woman in particular? Why did he find himself wondering how such a rare jewel of grace, beauty, and refinement as Priss had ended up a courtesan? And when she needed protection, why did Gerald, who’d sworn he’d never get entangled in affairs of the heart, hasten to set her up as his own pampered mistress to ensure her safety—and have her all to himself?

For Priscilla Wentworth, the path leading to Sir Gerald’s bed had been as filled with misfortune as it suddenly seemed charmed. But Priss couldn’t allow herself to believe she’d ever be more to a man like Sir Gerald than a well-cared-for object of pleasure. Now, despite Gerald’s deep distrust of marriage, neither scandal nor society’s censure can keep them apart—only the fear of trusting their hearts.

Excerpt:

Chapter One
“I am afraid Sonia is indisposed today, Sir Gerald,” Miss Katherine Blythe told the young man when he was shown into her private sitting room instead of being admitted to one of the downstairs salons, as usual. “She has taken a chill from walking in the park yesterday without adequate protection from the cold wind. I would scold her roundly if she were not feeling so miserable, poor girl.”

“It was a chilly day yesterday,” Sir Gerald Stapleton agreed. “I am sorry to hear that Sonia is not well, ma’am. Will you give her my regards? May I see her three days from now if she is recovered?”

Miss Blythe sat back in her chair and looked assessingly at the young man who stood before her. He was of average height, slim and well-formed, fashionably dressed. His face was pleasant even if not startlingly handsome. His fair hair curled into no particular style, but it was soft and clean. She appeared to come to a decision.

“I have one girl who is unexpectedly free for the next hour,” she said. “Prissy has been with me for almost two months and is proving to be very satisfactory. Would you care to see her instead of Sonia for this evening, Sir Gerald?”

The young gentleman pursed his lips and considered for a moment. “I am afraid I am a creature of habit, ma’am,” he said. “I have been seeing Sonia for three months.”

“As you wish, sir,” she said. “I am sure Sonia will be recovered in three days’ time. I shall make the appointment for your usual time?”

He bowed. But he hesitated as he turned to leave. “Of course,” he said, “I have no other plans for this evening.”

Miss Blythe smiled at him. “Why don’t you go down to the blue salon, Sir Gerald?” she said. “I shall send Prissy to you there and you may talk with her for a while. If you do not wish to stay after seeing her, you need not feel obliged to do so. If you do, well then, she is free.”

He bowed again after nodding an assent, left the sitting room, and went downstairs to the blue salon, where a cheerful fire crackled in the hearth and took the chill from the March evening. He held his hands out to the blaze.

Perhaps it was time he tried someone new, he thought. He was indeed a creature of habit—he had told the truth in saying that. But he was also a man who feared commitment or obligation. He had avoided long-term relationships for all of his twenty-nine years and intended to do so for the rest of his life. Even his family relationships had never lasted long. Self-reliance was the only safe way to live, he had concluded long ago.

Yes, perhaps it was as well that Sonia was ill. Three months was quite long enough. Too long, perhaps. And when he thought carefully about the girl, he had to admit that there was nothing about her that he would miss.

He turned when the salon door opened. The young lady who stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind her seemed strangely out of place in Kit’s house. She was small and dainty and dressed in a pretty green muslin dress, the neckline in a high frill beneath her chin, the sleeves puffed at the shoulders and then extending straight to the wrists. Her face beneath her short dark brown curls was pleasant and smiling, her gray eyes candid. She was pretty in a wholesome way. Her skin was creamy with a blush of color high on her cheekbones. She wore no cosmetics.

“Sir Gerald Stapleton?” she said. Her voice was light and musical, another discordant detail in the house. “I am sorry for your disappointment, sir, but Sonia really is dreadfully ill. Would you like me to entertain you for this evening?”

“Prissy?” he said, bowing to her. He did not usually think of bowing to any of Kit’s girls. “It seems like a good idea, since I do not have any other plans for the evening.”

She smiled, revealing to him white and even teeth. The smile extended all the way to her eyes, so that he was given the feeling that she really was pleased.

“I am glad,” she said. “Will you come up to my room, sir? There is a fire there, too. It is a chilly evening, is it not?”

“Deuced depressing weather for March,” he said, following her from the room and up the stairs, and wishing for some unfathomable reason that he had omitted the “deuced.” The top of her head reached barely above his shoulders, he noticed.

“But how lovely to know that it is March,” she said, “and that summer is to come. And how lovely it is to see all the spring flowers in bloom when one steps out of doors. Daffodils are my very favorites. We used to pick them by the armful when I was a girl.”

She looked scarcely more than a girl now, he thought. She spoke in refined accents. But then all of Kit’s girls did. She trained them to lose their regional accents and coarse vocabulary and to give the illusion of being ladies. Kit’s house had a reputation for refinement.

The girl’s room suited her, Sir Gerald thought when she opened the door and preceded him inside. It was decorated all in shades of blue. It was pretty and comfortable without in any way being either fussy or oversensuous. Plain mid-blue curtains were looped back from the bed, which was turned down neatly, ready for use, to reveal crisp white bedsheets and pillowcases.

She closed the door as quietly as she had the salon door earlier. She turned to him with a warm smile.

“How may I please you, sir?” she asked.

Her breasts looked small beneath the high bodice of her dress. So did her waist. Her hips looked as if they might be shapely enough, though it was difficult to know what exactly lay beneath the loose skirt of her dress, which fell from a fashionably high waistline.

“Would you like me to undress?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

She turned her back on him, presenting him with the long line of buttons that extended from the neck of her dress to the hips. “Will you, please?” she said.

As he opened the buttons, he could see that she wore nothing beneath. She turned when he had completed his task, drew the dress off her shoulders and down her arms, let it fall to the floor, and stepped out of it.

Yes. Small breasts, but they were firm and uptilted. As he had suspected, her waist was small, her hips shapely. Her legs were slim, her stomach flat. There was none of the voluptuousness he normally expected of a whore. And none of the wiles, either—at least, not yet. She stood quietly for his inspection, her arms at her sides.

“Do you wish me to unclothe you, sir?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No.” He shrugged out of his coat and raised his hands to his neckcloth. “Lie down on the bed.”

She did so and lay quietly on her back there, watching him as he undressed. She did not cover herself.

“I don’t like any tricks,” he told her when he was almost ready to join her. “None of the little arts you girls know to make things proceed faster. I like to take it slowly at my own speed. All I want you to do is lie still.”

Of course, none of them ever did. They seemed to feel that they were not doing their job if they did not use at least some of their considerable arsenal of arts until his control deserted him. Or perhaps it was in their own interests to make their encounters as brief as possible.

She smiled that warm smile again as he climbed onto the bed and on top of her, reaching up her arms for him, accommodating her body to fit comfortably around his, easing up her hips so that he could slide his hands beneath her.

“It shall be exactly as you wish, sir,” she said. “I am here to give you pleasure.”

He pushed himself inside her, and she raised her knees to hug his hips.

And she was as good as her word. Blessedly, during all the minutes that followed, she kept herself still, though she was relaxed and warm and yielding, very softly feminine. There were no tricks either with hands or hips or inner muscles. She allowed him to satisfy his appetite in the way he most liked to do it.

He sighed against her soft curls eventually and relaxed his full weight onto her. After a few minutes, when he was still hovering in the blissful state between waking and sleeping, he felt her lift one foot and reach down with one hand. A smooth sheet and warm blankets were drawn up about his shoulders. He sighed again and slept.

Fingers smoothing through his hair woke him. He did not know how long he had slept. He was warm and comfortable. Her hair smelled good. She smelled good and felt good beneath him.

“My time is up?” he said.

“Yes, sir,” she said. “Almost.”

When he turned to her after dressing, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in a modest pale blue dressing gown. She smiled at him.

“You are good, Prissy,” he said. “There are not many . . . girls who are willing to do exactly as I ask.”

“But it is my job and my pleasure to please you, sir,” she said.

“I will be visiting you again,” he said, one hand on the knob of the door.

“I shall look forward to it,” she said.

He almost believed her as he let himself out of the room, so warm was her smile. She was a good actress as well as being very good at her profession.

He tapped on Kit’s door.

“Ah,” she said after summoning him inside. She set aside her book and removed the spectacles she was wearing. “You decided to stay, then, Sir Gerald? I thought you would once you had seen Prissy.”

“I want her again,” he said, “in three days’ time. Is she much in demand?”

“Indeed she is,” Miss Blythe said. “Almost all of her clients return and become regulars. You were fortunate that one of them was out of town this evening.”

“Yes,” he said. “Three days’ time?”

She drew an appointment book toward her from a table at her elbow. “Four is the best I can do, I am afraid, Sir Gerald,” she said. “Of course, Sonia will be free.”

“Four days will do,” he said. “The usual time?”

“I shall record it,” she said. “I am glad that Prissy pleased you so well, Sir Gerald.”

“Good night, ma’am,” he said. He nodded to her and took his leave.

He did not, as he usually did when he left Kit’s, go to White’s in search of a card game and congenial company. He returned to his bachelor rooms and was in bed before midnight. He had a relaxed feeling of well-being and thought he would sleep well without the drugs of liquor and cards and male conversation until the early hours of the morning. He was not normally a good sleeper.

About Mary Balough:

MARY BALOGH is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly series and Simply quartet of novels set at Miss Martin’s School for Girls, as well as many other beloved novels. She is also the author of First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Seduction, At Last Comes Love, and Seducing An Angel, all featuring the Huxtable family. A former teacher, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada. To learn more, visit the author’s website at www.MaryBalogh.com.

*Please be sure to check out my upcoming review of this exciting book on Dec. 15th!

Review: Too Many Visitors for One Little House by Susan Chodakiewitz

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Too Many Visitors for One Little House
By: Susan Chodakiewitz

Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (February 11, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1419654705
ISBN-13: 978-1419654701
Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.2 inches

Too Many Visitors for One Little House is a delightfully fun and lively story. Told in simple text and vividly fun pictures, readers will want to revisit this little house overflowing with family and love, where there is always room for one more, again and again.

This is a story about embracing, including and keeping an open mind about others around you. When a new family moves into the neighborhood of a few not-so-happy neighbors, they bring the block alive with a rip roaring family reunion of unending members. These members include not-so-quiet teenagers, apple strudel toting Nanny, a gift bearing uncle, a sticky toddler, prune juice carrying grandma, a sweet baby, a dog and so many more. The cranky neighbors are up in arms about the entire ordeal until a kind gesture is extended to them, proving the point that no matter how small a place may be, it is always big enough for kindness and love.

I truly enjoyed every aspect of Too Many Visitors for One Little House. It is a delightful story to share and one to just embrace as a little escape from life's craziness. I highly recommend this for all ages and as a great family story.

*overall rating 5/5

About Too Many Visitors for One Little House:

The crabby neighbors of El Camino can’t bear all the music, fun and laughter at the house of the new family on the block as aunts, uncles, cousins and grannies arrive for a big noisy reunion. Too Many Visitors for One Little House is a joyful story about the importance of being included.

Excerpt:

The neighbors of El Camino Street did not like pets. They did not like kids. They did not like people with big families. They never had any guests and spent their day cleaning their houses, tending their gardens, and snoozing on their porches.

When the new family on the block moved in — a mom, a dad, three kids, and a fish—the neighbors kept an eye out for trouble. Yet life remained as
usual…until the day the visitors arrived.

About the author:

Susan Chodakiewitz is a writer, composer and producer. She is the founder of Booksicals Children’s Books- Encouraging the love of reading through the arts. Through her company Booksicals she has created the Booksicals on Stage literacy program which is currently presenting musical performances of the picture book Too Many Visitors for One Little House at schools, libraries, and special events.

Susan lives in Los Angeles in a lively household filled with music, three sons, a husband, a Dalmatian and lots of visitors. Susan loves picture books and when she wrote a musical based on one of her favorites, she realized it was time to start writing her own picture books. Too Many Visitors for One Little House is Susan’s debut book. You can visit her website at www.booksicals.com.

Tales of Thanksgiving Food and Friendship by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:58:00 +0000

When Caitlin Price from FSB Associates asked if I would like to share this delightful post by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel, authors of The Recipe Club, I was thrilled. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did!!

Tales of Thanksgiving Food and Friendship

By Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel,
Authors of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

For some people, Thanksgiving evokes warm feelings triggered by memories of a close-knit family gathering, where relatives share traditions and a home-cooked meal.

For others . . . it's the beginning of a holiday season stuffed with lunatic relatives, family dysfunction, bitter recriminations, and heartburn.

We heard a wide range of Thanksgiving Tales this year while traveling around the country for our Recipe Clubs. Inspired by the plot and structure of our book, Recipe Clubs are storytelling and friendship circles in which women gather to share true-life food-related stories along with recipes. Recipe Clubs are not about cooking; they're about creating community and fostering friendship . . . they're about laughing and crying . . . they're about honoring our own lives and the lives of others. They show us how the simplest, sweetest, or funniest tales about food can turn into deep revelations about our lives.

Just about everybody has at least one quintessential Thanksgiving food memory that perfectly captures the complicated feelings surrounding the holiday. Here are some of our favorites:

GIVING THANKS

One Recipe Club friend recalls the first time she ever cooked a Thanksgiving meal on her own. Her mother, who traditionally did the meal, was recovering from surgery. Her father was working. And her sister was flying in just in time for the meal, but not early enough to help cook.

So our friend rose to the challenge, proclaiming that she would do the entire meal, on her own. No problem -- until reality set in. She woke at dawn, shopped, chopped, and soon realized her oven was half the size it needed to be. By the time the turkey wanted basting the chestnut stuffing required baking -- and the brussel sprouts were definitely not cleaning themselves!

But things really went south when it came time prepare her grandmother's famous pumpkin pie. This was the pie recipe that had been handed down through generations. If it didn't come out perfectly, our friend knew she'd feel like a failure.

Of course, nothing went right. The pie crust was too wet, then too dry. There was too much nutmeg, not enough ginger. With every crimp of the dough her head swam with the imagined voice of her southern grandmother: "A woman is judged not just by who she is, but by what she can bring to the table."

When the pie came out of the oven, the crust was too brown, and there was a giant crack running down the middle of the filling. Our friend fought back tears, took a deep breath, and set the pie out to cool, knowing more clearly than ever that neither it -- nor she -- was, or would ever be, perfect.

But when it came time for everyone to gather at the table, something shifted. Her parents and sister praised her hard work and loved the meal. And our friend realized she had somehow been carried on the wings of the generations of women who had cooked before her, without complaining, to serve a Thanksgiving meal to their family. She felt truly thankful for all the work that her mother, grandmother, aunts -- indeed all the women she'd known through her life -- had accomplished each holiday. Triumphant, connected, and happy, she understood that food cooked with love is its own kind of perfection.

FINALIZING THE DIVORCE

One Recipe Club friend recalled her first Thanksgiving after her divorce.

Since carving the bird had always been her ex-husband's job, she delighted in finding a new, turkey-free recipe. She settled on an apricot-glazed ham, and went to work cooking a glaze of brown sugar, cloves, and apricot nectar (an ingredient that gave her extra pleasure knowing her ex-husband detested it.)

When her grown children came for dinner, they were childishly upset not to have their usual 12-pound bird. But it was delicious, and in the end each one complimented the chef. On her way out, the youngest daughter told her mother, "maybe we all need to learn how to gracefully accept change."

For this new divorcee, serving ham became a way of asserting her independence, showing her children there was life after marriage, and teaching the whole family to find new ways to be together.

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

The truth is, we don't pick our relatives. So if the Thanksgiving gathering of the clan is an annual emotional challenge, you aren't alone.

In a recent Recipe Club circle of old friends and new acquaintances, we met a woman who admitted that for most of her life she dreaded Thanksgiving; all it evoked for her were memories of family fights. The contrast of what she knew Thanksgiving was "supposed" to be, versus what it was in her home, always made her feel ashamed and disappointed. And yet every November she felt compelled go home for a family Thanksgiving meal.

But one year, that changed, when her parents and brother decided to have Thanksgiving away from home. They journeyed together to Nantucket, where they ate dinner at a seaside inn. The inn served a New England clam chowder, rich with cream and warm on a cold autumn night. And they discovered that a new location, with new foods, away from the house where memories were often more fiery than the jalepeno cornbread, turned out to be just what the family needed.

Now, every year, back at home, they have a new tradition: serving New England Clam Chowder at their Thanksgiving feasts, each spoonful bringing back fond memories of a peaceful and loving family holiday.

A FAMILY OF FRIENDS

Finally, a little tale of food and friendship.

A reader of our book told us that she had a choice this year. She could invite Uncle Tim and Aunt Zoe, the way she does every year, and spend the entire holiday worrying about whether or not the perpetually complaining couple were happy. She could include cousins Beth and Sean, knowing they would be competitive, putting down her choice of food, her way of cooking, her table setting. She could extend an invitation to her brother and dreaded sister-in-law, who would sit in silence the entire meal and pick at the food.

Or . . . she could shake things up and do something entirely different: invite only friends. True friends. People she enjoyed being with. Who made her laugh. Who spoke truthfully. Who shared her passions for good books, good wine, and good music.

She took the leap. She dumped the whiners, broke with tradition, irritated several family members -- and never looked back. The moral: good food and good friends are the perfect combination. Sometimes it's a good idea to trim the guest list before you serve the bird with all its trimmings.

©2009 Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel, authors of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship

Author Bios for The Recipe Club:
A Tale of Food and Friendship

Andrea Israel is a producer/writer for ABC's Focus Earth. She was a producer/writer on Anderson Cooper 360, Dateline, and Good Morning America (which garnered her an Emmy Award). Her story In Donald's Eyes was recently optioned for a film. Ms. Israel is the author of Taking Tea. Her writing has appeared in many publications.

Nancy Garfinkel is co-author of The Wine Lover's Guide to the Wine Country: The Best of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino(Chronicle Books, 2005). A creative strategist, design consultant, writer, and editor for magazine, corporate, and non-profit clients, she has won a host of graphic arts and editorial merit awards. She has written extensively about food and graphic arts.

For more information please visit www.therecipeclubbook.com

Lilly and Val are lifelong friends, united as much by their differences as by their similarities. Lilly, dramatic and confident, lives in the shadow of her beautiful, wayward mother and craves the attention of her distant, disapproving father. Val, shy and idealistic— and surprisingly ambitious— struggles with her desire to break free from her demanding housebound mother and a father whose dreams never seem to come true.

In childhood, “LillyPad” and “Valpal” vow to form an exclusive two-person club. Throughout the decades they write intimate letters in which they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets—and recipes, from Lilly’s “Lovelorn Lasagna” to Valerie’s “Forgiveness Tapenade.” Readers can cook along as the girls travel through time facing the challenges of independence, the joys and heartbreaks of first love, and the emotional complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality, and goals deferred.

No matter what different paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break them apart, Lilly and Val always find their way back together through their Recipe Club…until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal.

Now, decades later, while trying to recapture the trust they’ve lost, Lilly and Val reunite once more—only to uncover a shocking secret. Will it destroy their friendship, or bring them ever closer?

THE RECIPE CLUB is a “novel cookbook,” a deliciously funny, touching story of friendship, loss, and the ties that bind—with more than 80 recipes that keep the plot cooking. Compellingly readable, this heartfelt story celebrates the resilience and power of women’s friendships. It’s a charming pastiche of e-mails, hand-written childhood letters, third-person narration, photographs, illustration, and more than 80 delicious recipes.

Spotlight: For the Love of St. Nick by Garasamo Maccagnone

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:49:00 +0000

For the Love of St. Nick
By: Garasamo Maccagnone

I had actually read this delightfully wonderful book last year and adored it! (Click here) to read my review. When I found out that Garasamo was going out on virtual tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion this year, I was thrilled to spotlight him and to help get word out about For the Love of St. Nick! If you haven't already done so, be sure to check it out! It is absolutely wonderful and not easily forgotten! A great book to read year after year!

About For the Love of St. Nick:

Two California boys, coping with the loss of their mother, find themselves uprooted when their father, a Navy Commander, is transferred to a base in Northern Michigan. With the youngest boy continuously sick, the family must survive military life and the northern elements as they dwell in their little hunter’s cabin on Lake Huron. When the boys’ father must leave prior to Christmas to fulfill his secret mission for the United States Military, the boys are surprised by a chance encounter that saves a life, and reunites a family.

Excerpt:

Typically, when Johnny wasn’t feeling well, I tried to lift his spirits by telling him stories about mom and dad. The commander, vigilant in his hope to preserve mother’s memory, told many of the tales to me. In our old home, I sat on his lap on many nights while he showed old photographs of their courtship days or read me letters mother had written when the two were briefly apart.

Johnny’s favorite story was about the little game mom and the commander played on me on Saturday mornings – the mornings I knew cartoons were on. Since the television sat up high on top of a dresser, they were the only two who could turn it on. To wake them, I stood at the end of their bed and tickled their feet with a wild turkey feather. When I tickled the commander’s big ugly calloused foot my mother laughed. When I tickled my mother’s smooth petite foot the commander laughed. Every time I told Johnny that story he smiled, even if he had a high temperature.

Before falling asleep, Johnny often asked me about our mother. One time, using my nickname, he said, “Tiger, tell me how purdy mommy was.”

Our favorite photograph of mother was placed on the fireplace mantel. We called it the “Big Rock Picture” since she was standing on a giant rock while taking a break from a hiking expedition in New England. From my viewpoint, Mother was looking directly into my soul. The autumn wind played with her long blonde hair and she was smiling, smiling like she was so sure of herself, so confident, so healthy and vibrant. It was a smile I kissed a thousand times during the tender moments of my dreams.

“See Johnny, see how pretty she was?” Johnny took the picture from me and kissed and held it to his chest.

“Mommy will protect me tonight,” he said to me. Then he added, “Love you Tiger.”

“I love you more ya big dope,” I retorted back.

“You think mommy got on that big rock with a hoptacopter?”

By the time I got around to explaining how mother ended up on the giant rock, Johnny was fast asleep.

About Garasamo Maccagnone:

Garasamo Maccagnone studied creative writing and literature under noted American writers Sam Astrachan and Stuart Dybek at Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. A college baseball player as well, Maccagnone met his wife Vicki as a junior at WMU. The following year, after injuring his throwing arm, Maccagnone left school and his baseball ambitions to marry Vicki. After a two year stint at both W.B. Doner and BBDO advertising agencies, Maccagnone left the industry to apply his knowledge of marketing in a new venture in an up-and-coming industry. Maccagnone created a company called, “Crate and Fly,” and turned it from a store front in 1984 to a world-wide multi-million dollar shipping corporation by 1994.

In the mid 90’s Maccagnone decided to fulfill the promise of his writing career, by first penning the children’s book, The Suburban Dragon and then following up with a collection of short stories and poetry entitled, The Affliction of Dreams. His literary novel, St. John of the Midfield was published in 2007, followed by his For the Love of St. Nick, which was released in 2008. Maccagnone expanded the original version of For the Love of St. Nick and had the book illustrated for a new release in June 2009.

Garasamo “Gary” Maccagnone lives today in Shelby Township, Michigan, with his wife Vicki and three children. You can visit Gary online at www.garasamomaccagnone.com.

Lori Brighton - Interview + Giveaway!!

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:48:00 +0000

To celebrate the new release of Lori Brighton's debut novel, Wild Heart, I am thrilled to share an interview that she was gracious enough to do with me. I am especially thankful that she took the time to do so, since she was feeling particularly sick. Hopefully by now, Lori is on the mend and feeling much better!

If you missed my review of Wild Heart, please (click here)

As an extra special treat, Lori has offered to give 3 lucky winners a copy of her awesome book!! To enter, simply leave a comment at the end of the interview asking Lori a question. She is going to pop in now and then throughout the contest to chat and answer! Contest will remain open until midnight November 17th with the winners being drawn by randomizer shortly after that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First, I want to say thank you, Lori, for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope others enjoy your answers as much as I did. I have to mention that I LOVE the excerpt from the sequel to Wild Heart!! I truly can't wait to read it and know it will be a very long year waiting for its release!

Tell us a bit about Wild Heart. What is the story about, who are the characters, etc?

LB: Wild Heart is really two books in one. There is Leo, the hero, who is trying to find the people who murdered his parents while attempting to fit into a refined English culture he knows nothing about. Ella, my heroine, is there to help him learn. On the other hand, there is the paranormal twist. You see, Ella has a special ability to control and sense animals. Since Leo is more animalistic than most humans, she can often read Leo’s mind. But there are enemies who want to exploit poor Ella’s abilities.

Leo is very alpha male. I tried to keep him true to life; what a real person would be like if they’d experienced what he has. On a trip to India, his parents were murdered. He was forced to stay in hiding in a country he knew nothing about. Much like The Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorite books), vengeance has kept him going. He’s very determined and blunt, but he’s also very honest and loyal. He definitely doesn’t let people push him around.

Ella is the opposite. She’s very sweet and caring. She’s always been told what to do because she’s a woman and she’s poor. She’s almost too caring at times. She also has an underlying sense of guilt because of her powers. A tiny part of her thinks that perhaps her abilities are evil.

When she meets Leo, he teaches her to believe in herself, and she teaches him to let go of the past and see the beauty around him.

Do you have a favorite excerpt from Wild Heart? Could you share that with us, please?

LB:

The first thing she noticed was the large four-poster bed with its velvet coverlet fit for a king. Stunned, she merely stood there while her gaze traveled the expansive room. A massive mahogany fireplace dominated the wall across from the bed, while a copper tub lay in the middle of a plush carpet. What in the world was she doing in a room this richly decorated?

A chill of unease snaked across her spine. The inn keeper’s flushed face flashed to mind. The way he’d avoided her gaze and quickly led her to a room before she’d even asked if he had one. Something wasn’t right.

Ella breathed deeply. A familiar scent invaded her senses—male and pine mixed with salty air. Her heart stopped in her chest. With the lantern held high, she slowly turned. The light flashed across a shadowed form in the corner of the room. Ella squealed and dropped the lantern. It bounced across the carpet, before the light went out throwing the room back into darkness. She dashed around the bed, using the object as a barrier.

“So glad you could make it,” Leo’s familiar voice pierced the darkness and sent waves of heated consciousness through her body.

How do you come up with the names of your characters? It almost seems as though, as an author, you have the continuous fun of naming children!

LB: Ha, a friend of mine actually got me a small baby names book. I’ll use that, or look up baby names on the web. Sometimes they just come to me, sometimes I’ll look in magazines or other books. It’s definitely one of the hardest things to come up with.

What do you want readers to take away from reading Wild Heart?

LB: I think with any romance novel, I want people to take away that hope. Romance novels aren’t about perfect couples and their perfect lives; they’re about two people with problems, internally and externally. They’re about those two people overcoming those problems and accepting each other. At the same time, people should feel special when they’re in a relationship and romances remind us of that special feeling you get when you’re in love.

What was the hardest part about writing Wild Heart?

LB: Research into the Indian culture was definitely hard as I’ve never been there. I tried to be accurate, but I’m sure I got something wrong.

In general anytime you write a book there’s a lot of second guessing. I had people tell me to take out the paranormal element. Fortunately I left it in. When I wrote it I had a feeling it would get published. But then it was rejected over and over again. Kensington was my last shot and fortunately it worked! That’s definitely the hardest part about writing, the rejection.

Could you please tell us about your writing process?

LB: I’m not a big planner. I usually come up with an idea, or a “what if” question and go from there. Sometimes I will do a brief outline, sometimes I’ll just start writing. I work best under pressure and unfortunately I have no pressure right now! Nothing due. lol. I usually have the TV on while I’m writing. It’s sad. A few months ago we moved and I planned on having an office where I would write in quiet, or with music. Yet, I haven’t fixed up that office yet. Hopefully soon. So I have good intentions…

Do you have any particular habits that you take part in while writing? By that I mean certain music you like to listen to, foods you like to eat, environment that helps you write better, etc.

LB: Nope, I can write pretty much anywhere. I’m a bit addicted to having my computer on. Even if I’m just slowly picking at a book, I always have my computer on.

Where do you get your ideas and inspirations?

LB: Everywhere. A show or newspaper. I get ideas so often, I usually don’t remember where they came from. A lot of times it’s triggered by a “what if” question. My son was watching the Disney cartoon Tarzan a few years back. Around the same time, I saw a documentary on Discovery or some equally educational channel about feral children. I’d seen them both rather close together and thought, hmm, what it would it be like if my hero had been lost in the wild during his childhood? I also tend to like more alpha males and you couldn’t get a male more alpha than one who had had to survive on his own in a foreign country.

Where you an avid reader as a child? If so, what were some of your favorite books?

LB: Yes, I loved to read. It was definitely an escape from those angst ridden teenage years. I loved Anne of Green Gables and Chronicles of Narnia.

What are you working on right now? Could you give us a taste/teaser (aka excerpt) from your current WIP?

LB: Right now I’m working on a historical, but it won’t be ready for awhile. How about an excerpt from the sequel to Wild Heart?

Chapter 1
India 1857

She was naked. Naked as the day she was born. Naked as the winter was long in Scotland. Naked as the days were hot in India. Naked.
But the drunken sod who’d burst into her room didn’t seem to notice. He didn’t bother to glance Bea’s way as he cursed in slurred words and wavered about the moonlit bedchamber like he owned the small abode and had the right to be there, which he most assuredly did not.

Completely and utterly shocked, Bea stood frozen in the dark corner. Not bolting. Not screaming. Not fainting into a naked heap at his feet. Even when the wet cloth that was pressed to her chest dripped warm water between the valley of her breasts, over her stomach and tickled lower regions a refined woman best not mention, she didn’t dare move.

He turned. The moonlight filtering through the open windows hit his face. In one breathless moment, Bea took in his features. High cheekbones, square jaw and an aquiline nose were highlighted under a silver glow. Mythical, really. Or perhaps the light was playing tricks, for he looked almost handsome. One would think he was a spirit, or some beast come to seduce her soul. Yes, at first glance one would think he was magical, and that person would most definitely be wrong.

I loved how you ended Wild Heart! It left it wide open for a sequel, so please tell me that is coming and that it is coming soon, lol!

LB: Yes! I did that on purpose and thankfully when Kensington bought it they wanted a sequel. I just sent the second book to my editor but she hasn’t gotten to it yet. The second book will take place in India and will involve Colin, Ella’s cousin from book one and Leo’s cousin, Bea, who is briefly mentioned. It was a lot of fun to write. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately it will be at least a year until it’s out, at least. The great thing about this storyline is I could keep going with it. I could have five books, if I wanted. lol. Fingers crossed it sells well and then I can continue with the series!

What are you reading right now?

LB: My reading has really tapered off since I started writing. But I still do read, mostly romance. A few days ago I picked up Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas. I love the first line of the book, just pulls you immediately in.

If you could have lunch and chat with any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

LB: Jane Austen because I’d love to know the truth of her life. She had such a sad life really—Was supposedly in love but never married and died young. I’d love to know the truth about her love life!

What do you hope to accomplish within the next five years?

LB: Take over the world, of course. ;)
If I still have a career in writing, I will be very happy. People think just because you’ve sold one book it’s easy to sell another. Not so, unfortunately.

Where can readers get in touch with you? Twitter, Blog, Facebook, etc?

LB: I have a website http://www.loribrighton.com and a blog where I do lots of interviews with authors. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter. Just search for my name!

Review: Moonbeam Dreams by Gina Browning

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Moonbeam Dreams
By: Gina Browning

Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Eloquent Books (June 5, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606930486
ISBN-13: 978-1606930489
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches

Moonbeam Dreams is a delightfully wonderful children's story, that will keep both child and adult captivated with its lovely lyrical verse. This is a perfect bedtime story that will send you little one off to the land of fairies, unicorns, mermaids and dragons.

With colorful, vivid and fun pictures, also illustrated by author Gina Browning, you and your child will delight in the magical and whimsical world where anything is possible and the dreamer controls the world. Moonbeam Dreams encourages not only children, but adults as well, to reach for their dreams, aim high and never look back. Anything is possible as long as you dig deep and believe in yourself.

Moonbeam Dreams is such a positive and wonderful book for children and people of all ages. What a fantastic gift to give to someone you care about, or to a school or library. It is sure to bring continuous smiles for years to come!

*overall rating 4.5/5

About Moonbeam Dreams:

Moonbeam Dreams is an intricately rhyming bed-time story written and illustrated by Gina C. Browning. It takes the reader and listeners on a magical, Dr. Seuss-like romp to the Land of Beddie-byes, where they meet all sorts of wonderful and interesting creatures. There are butterflies with gems dripping from their wings, dragons riding in red wagons, Lycra-wearing newts skating on moonbeams, unicorns, a frog climbing a kite-string, extra large snails and cats with fish-tails, and many, many more fun creatures to meet. It’s a positive, up-lifting and fun story that encourages children that almost anything is possible if you can dream it and believe in it strongly enough. It also encourages children to not be afraid of the dark, and that they have the ability to take control of their dreams. It also encourages children to welcome the weird and wonderful things that they might see in their dreams.

It is a story with a vocabulary that a child can learn from and grow into. It is also entertaining and interesting for adults to read as well.

It contains some interesting rhyming mechanics, alliteration and 22 bright and colorful, entertaining illustrations.

Excerpt:

“I once spied way up high a bright butterfly

looking lustrous from even that height.

It was covered in gems that dripped from the hems

of its wings- then they’d brightly ignite.

The ‘fly gave a quiver, then off with a shiver

flew all around, much like a sprite.

It flew down to my finger where there it did linger,

and then at last, did alight.”

About Gina Browning:

Writer and illustrator, Gina C. Browning, says some of the verses in her poetry book first came to her in her dreams as she was recovering from surgery years ago. Gina Browning photo

The poems and illustrations in Moonbeam Dreams gradually evolved into “a keenly rhymed, fantastical romp through a fantasy land, with weird and wonderful characters for readers of any age to enjoy.” Her poetry truly is for the young at heart.

Browning thinks her dreams are fun and adventurous, as she always looks for the positive side to everything. Her book encourages children not to be afraid of the dark, and to believe in themselves and their abilities so that almost anything is possible. Browning says dreams can come true “either in daylight or night” if you believe in them strongly enough.

You can visit Gina online http://www.eloquentbooks.com/MoonbeamDreams.html

Review: The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:53:00 +0000

The Christmas Cookie Club
By: Ann Pearlman

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Atria (October 20, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439158843
ISBN-13: 978-1439158845
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches

The Christmas Cookie Club is a delightfully warm, enjoyable story of real women facing real issues. The Club consists of a group of women who come together once a year, to exchange cookies and cookie recipes. In addition to this, each woman must tell a story behind their cookie choice for the year. Through the years, these women have formed a close bond, are best friends and share their innermost secrets and turmoil. There is the loss of a beloved son, affairs, financial hardships and many other issues that are often commonplace in life. The bonds that these women share are apparent and wonderful.

Another fun addition within The Cookie Club is the fact that between each chapter, there is a section written about the history of a common cookie ingredient such a flour, sugar, nuts and ginger. I found this to be a interesting and fun aspect to an enjoyable story. Don't let us forget about the delightfully yummy cookie recipes that start each chapter. There Pecan Butter Balls, Pennsylvania Dunkers, Hanukkah Fruit Candies and the adorable sounding Cheeseburger Cookies, just to name a few.

I truly was able to empathize and step within each woman's shoes, for one reason or another. I particularly felt connected with Marnie's daughter, Sky, who is battling the infertility issue and waiting with nerves on edge to find out if the baby she is currently carrying will make it through the pregnancy. Then there is Charlene whose son's death is fresh and painful, as she seeks comfort in the spiritual, Sissy who is about to share Grandmotherly duties with Marnie, as her other daughter, Tara, is about to have Sissy's son's baby and Taylor who is battling with financial insecurities and single motherhood. This is just a taste of what you will find within The Christmas Cookie Club. The story weaves compassion, friendship, hope and love throughout, bringing the reader into the folds of each woman's background story, as well as the importance of the annual cookie exchange they share together.

While reading The Christmas Cookie Club, I was reminded of The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble, another book that I greatly enjoyed. I think the combination of struggles that women go through and the coming together, bonding and sharing of emotional support is a very clear connection between the two stories, as well as others out on the market.

The Christmas Cookie Club is a wonderful book that I recommend for anyone looking for a delightful, heartwarming and compassionate story of friendship and hope. Also the recipes and food facts add a great bonus!

*overall rating 4/5

About The Christmas Cookie Club:

Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story might end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal, and how can that be forgiven or forgotten, even among old friends such as these? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, and she has to decide, very soon, whether or not that's a deal breaker for the marriage. Taylor's life is in financial freefall. Each woman, each friend has a story to tell, and they are all interwoven, just as their lives are.

On this evening, at least, they can feel as a group the impulses of sisterly love and conflict, the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the agony of losing a child, and above all, the love they have for one another. As Marnie says, the Christmas Cookie Club, if it's anything, is a reminder of delight.

The Christmas Cookie Club is about the paths Marnie and her friends have traveled, the absolute joy they take in life and love despite the decisions they've regretted, the hard choices and amends they've had to make, and the sacrifices along the way. Ultimately, The Christmas Cookie Club is every woman's story. As you read about Marnie and her friends, their struggles and triumphs, what makes them laugh and what has made them cry, you'll see yourself and some of the ingredients of your own story. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of women's friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, Ann Pearlman has written a novel that speaks to us all.

Excerpt:

Prologue

We Gather Every Year
I am the head cookie bitch and this is my party. The Christmas cookie club is always on the first Monday of December. Mark it on your calendar. Twelve of us gather with thirteen dozen cookies wrapped in packages. Homemade, of course. We each bring a dish to pass and a bottle of wine. Sixteen years ago, when we first started, we'd drink the wine and then go dancing. Now we drink some and sit and talk, or put on Al Green and dance at my house. Love and Happiness, that's our favorite. We take turns telling the story of the cookie we have made. Somehow each story is always emblematic of the year. We pass out our packages and donate the thirteenth dozen to our local hospice. We donated cookies from the beginning. The Christmas cookie club is about giving, not just the yummy morsels we share with our girlfriends and our families, but also with people we don't know who are having a bleak time and might appreciate a wrapped sweet.
Because believe me, in the Midwest the depth of winter can be bleak. Gray skies. Cold. What daylight there is often overcast. The bountiful lakes make summer glorious, but hang clouds in the winter. You need to add light and joy. After all, isn't Christmas with its lights, and Chanukah with its candle-flames, about adding illumination to the dark time of year? We need to remind ourselves that the sun will eventually push the night to more reasonable margins. The Christmas cookie club, if it's anything, is a reminder of delight. And, of course, a reminder that girlfriends help each other to endure the grind and to celebrate the joy.

I have rules that have been devised over the years. Just so you know, if you want to form your own party, here they are:

1. No chocolate chip cookies. (one year 5 of us made them)
2. No bars. (They stick to each other and crumble)
3. No plates covered in saran wrap and bows. Just try carrying twelve paper plates wrapped in saran wrap. I used to be a waitress and even I can't do it. Plus, they're too limp to bestow to a charity. The containers have to hold the cookies and make an attractive gift. The added advantage is that we can use the containers later to wrap other presents.
4. No more than twelve women in the group. One year, there were fifteen and everyone complained it was too difficult to make sixteen dozen cookies. I never got that three more dozen were such a big deal. But I bowed to peer pressure. The group is only twelve. And we make a baker's dozen cookies. Besides, there's poetry to that.
5. You can't miss a year. If you can't come, send your cookies or you forfeit your place. There are other people who want to join the group. This rule resulted from the rule above.
6. After five years of coming to the party you have tenure and aren't ever dropped unless you don't bring or send cookies.
7. It's always the first Monday in December. Put it on your calendar and count on it.
8. Bring copies of the recipe for each one of us.

Jackie falls in love, marries and moves east and stops coming. Donna loves the party but hates making cookies. Janine has an affair with a colleague and divorces and she and her lover move to Benton Harbor. Thus positions open for cookie virgins. So the membership ebbs with the flow of our lives. Right after Thanksgiving, we bake, give delights to each other and the hospice, then pass the dozens of different cookies we've obtained to friends, family, neighbors, babysitters, and manicurists. They treat the guests of other Christmas and Chanukah and Solstice gatherings. A ripple effect of delicious nibbles in the darkest time of year. A ripple in our lives of the joy of each other.

Chapter One
Marnie
Pecan Butter Balls

* 2 cups chopped pecans
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup melted butter
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1/4 teaspoons salt
* confectioner's sugar

Chop pecans in blender or food processor. Combine all except confectioner's sugar. Gather into a ball. With floured hands, shape in one inch balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheet. I line my cookie sheets with wax paper or parchment paper and spray them with Pam. Bake in 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. Pull off the papers and let cookies cool, but make sure they're still warm and gently shake them in bag with confectioners. Place them back on the paper and add more confectioners while they cool. Makes five dozen.

My dream flutters away as I open my eyes. I stretch my arm out for Jim, but he is gone. Outside, the snow falls in tight crystals, almost like fog. Disney sits laughing beside my bed, his tongue lolling and his tail thumping the carpet. Today is a big and busy day and I had better start it. Reluctantly, I leave the remnants of the dream in the still warm bed and slide on my lavender fleece bathrobe, let Disney out, pour last night's coffee in a cup, and zap it in the microwave. My hands plunge under my armpits for warmth as Disney disappears behind the garage. I didn't cut back the perennials and now snow clumps in the hollows. Should have mowed the lawn one last time. The microwave tings and I grab the coffee and continue staring absentmindly out the window. Seven A.M. Only four in San Diego. I wonder if Sky is awake. She's supposed to get her results today...sometime this afternoon, her time. During the Christmas cookie party.

Disney bounds from behind the garage, black ears flopping and sits at the sliding glass door. He runs in when I open it and shakes off the snow. "You doing a good job bringing in winter?" I ask him.

He wags his tail.
"Good boy." He has simple answers to all my questions.

I sip my coffee and scan the kitchen and dining room. The cookie party forces me to get decorated for Christmas. Mini bulbs are strung on the tree outside. Chili pepper lights surround my kitchen window. Yesterday I trimmed my tree with the crocheted and macramÃ© ornaments I used to sell at the town's art fair in my hippie days. A few wrapped presents and my collection of Teddy bears cluster around the base. The one that Alex bought Sky for her first birthday lost an eye twenty years ago and Sky knitted him a lopsided red sweater when she was ten. A Steiff Teddy I bought when I was in Germany with Stephen holds his arms open waiting for a hug. Tara's Teddy bear sits in her perfection with a pink dress and tiara. Pretty, but unloved. I plug the tree lights in and it looks like Christmas.
After I turn up the thermostat, I make my bed, straighten the room, and slide on some jeans and a red tee-shirt. Then I tie on my cookie bitch apron, the one Allie had made with the stenciled cookie rules. At first, the pecans clattering around the Cuisinart sound angry until the nuts are sufficiently broken. This year, Sky and Tara will get an extra dozen of the pecan balls so the recipe is multiplied by three and a half. I put the butter, a pound and a half of it, in a glass container and turn on the microwave. My mother's Kitchen Aid mixer is on the counter. I add in the measures of flour, sugar, vanilla and salt. The microwave dings and I pour in the melted butter and turn on the mixer. While it stirs, I pull out cookie sheets, and reach in the drawer for parchment paper. Then I scrape down the batter into the depths of the bowl and this batch is done. I turn my ipod to my rock play list and Tina Turner wonders what's love got to do with it. Everything, I tell her. But I remember my dream and wonder if I had it because I love Jim or simply because I just want to recapture our great sex. Maybe both. I don't really like that I've fallen so in love with him. Flour feathers my hands as they roll the balls and I dote on the methodical, rhythmical work. My hands place the morsels in rows of four across the top edge of the sheet. Three dozen on each sheet. The simplicity and beauty of the math, and the routine reminds me of women spinning yarn with a drop spindle, kneading dough, harvesting berries, beading shoes, weaving, or grinding corn. I am connected to those ancient women, and to women around the world as all of us, each of us, make food, clothes, tools for our families, our friends, ourselves. I place one sheet in the oven and start on the next. The easy part is done. For a few minutes I return to the peaceful rolling, and place the sheet in the oven, check the timer. Five more minutes.

I cover the dining room table with sheets of parchment paper, fill a plastic bag with confectioner's sugar, and place potholders in the center of the table. The timer rings. I drag out a sheet and rest it on the table. The cookies are the brown of fall oak leaves, the aroma of cooked pecans fills the room. Seger sings about autumn rushing in and here it is winter. Already. How did it happen so quickly this year? I think about the revolving seasons and the motions we go through during each of them. I start rolling balls for the third sheet. And then slide the loaded parchment from the hot sheet onto the table, put the metal on the stove to cool and gently place the balls in confectioners. The work must be done quickly, the cookies can't be too cool or the confectioners won't soak in. Too hot and fingers get burned. The second sheet is done and I go into the kitchen to retrieve it. The phone rings.

I jerk around to reach the receiver lying on the counter next to the empty butter container and hit my cheek on the corner of an open upper cabinet. The door bangs closed, my cheek smarts and the sting spreads.

"Mom?"
"You can't sleep, uh?"
I can't stop working so I cradle the phone to my shoulder while my hands continue adding balls to the sugar bag.
"Nope. Just tossing and turning. Afraid I'd wake up Troy." Sky's voice trembles slightly.
The cookies roll in the sugar. "I wondered if you were sleeping."
"I figured you'd be up making cookies."
"You're right. I just got out the first sheet. I'm shaking them in confectioners now."
"Ah. Nana's pecan balls."
"My favorite."
"Mine, too."

I didn't know that Sky and Troy were trying to get pregnant that first time three years ago. After all, they were both in law school and Sky plans her life to achieve her goals. Bit she called to brag that they had gotten pregnant on the very first try. The way she said it, "We got pregnant on our first try," and then giggled, it sounded almost as if they had never made love before.
I bought fabric to make my first grandchild a quilt, was carrying it into the house, when she called, crying. She had lost the baby.

"Darling. I'm so sorry." My voice fell. "You'll be blue for a few months."
"That's what the doctor said. She said we could try again in six months. This is one helluva period." Sky sniffled and then tried to muster a laugh. "'It's not unusual to have a miscarriage. Especially for the first one,' she said."

"I'll come be with you."
"You don't have to." But her voice lilted with relief.
But then the next year she had a second miscarriage. Again she called to tell me, again I flew out to be with her. "I wish you were closer."
"Me, too."

When she was pregnant the third time, we held our breaths. I tried to wipe the tinge of concern from my voice when we talked. The pregnancy continued. "Maybe I should quit work," she wondered. "But they're monitoring this pregnancy." By the fourth month, I breathed again. Then in the eight month, movement stopped. An ultrasound indicated the baby had died.

About Ann Pearlman:

Ann Pearlman was born in Washington D.C. and then moved around several Midwestern cities, most notably Chicago and Pittsburgh, as a youth. As an adult, she settled in the town where Christmas Cookie Club is set, Ann Arbor. Ann received an undergraduate degree in Anthropology, and a graduate degree in Clinical Social Work.

Ann always wrote. She studied writing at the University of Michigan, attended workshops at Sewanee and Squaw Valley Writers' Conferences and published her first book, Getting Free: Women and Psychotherapy in 1982. Keep the Home Fires Burning: How to Have an Affair With Your Spouse, was published1985, and garnered the attention of the Oprah Winfrey Show and several other TV talk shows. Her memoir, Infidelity, was nominated for a Pulitzer and made into a Lifetime movie by Lionsgate. Inside the Crips, with a foreword by Ice T, took readers into the life of a Crip gang member and the California Prison system. As a social worker, Ann has practiced in a wide variety of settings: prison, poverty programs, children's clinics, schools, protective service. Several of her books have been inspired by her work as a psychotherapist.

When she's not writing, Ann enjoys making metal sculptures and painting. She also loves to dance, work out, and garden. On a winter day in Ann Arbor, you can find Ann with her friends or her granddaughters making homemade jams and cookies. Or escaping the snow for a beach and snorkeling. Ann has three children and four grandchildren. Christmas Cookie Club is her first novel.

You can visit Ann's website by (clicking here)

Review: Wild Heart by Lori Brighton

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:34:00 +0000

Wild Heart
By: Lori Brighton

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books (Mass Market) (November 3, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420108654
ISBN-13: 978-1420108651
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 1.1 inches

"A Paranormal Historical Romance"(with a mystery thrown in)! If that doesn't catch your attention, read on! When Lori asked me if I would be interested in reviewing her debut book, Wild Heart, I was very interested and intrigued. When she mentioned that it had paranormal aspects weaved throughout, I was excited and without hesitation answered a very firm "Yes!!". So onto my little Blackberry went Wild Heart and off my imagination flew on wings of days gone by.

Years ago, Historical Romance was a genre that I constantly read. Those covers of the ravishingly handsome men grasping the elegant and desire-ridden females where ones that graced my nightstand, coffee table and was seen held within my grasp on several occasions. After a time, I moved onto a broader range of genres including suspense, paranormal, non-fiction, and many more. Swimming in the literary sea of books, it has been a while since I have read much in the way of Historical Romance. There has been one here and there, but nothing such as Wild Heart. This story caught me from the very beginning; the paranormal and mystery aspects reeled me in for the long nights and the fact that my Blackberry never wanted to leave my hands (or rather I never wanted it to leave mine, so that I could continue my adventure within the story).

Ms. Brighton introduces readers to Ella Finch, a very timid, yet ambitious and strong-minded woman. Ella grew up in an orphanage with a very strict and unkind overseer. It is when she is hired as governess, for what she believes to be a young boy, that she escapes the confines of her current inhabitants and travels to a regal castle. It is not long until she learns that there is no young boy to be governess to, but rather a very viral and, at first glance, wild man. Ella is not sure what to think when she meets the stubborn Leo, she only knows that there is some kind of strange connection between the two.

Leo Roberts is a man who has come home after years of hiding and learning the art of self-preservation. As a young boy, Leo's parents were killed, brutally, within in the jungle, while he went to get help. It is Leo's one goal to avenge his parents' murderers by finding them and claiming justice. However, his grandfather has other ideas and wants Leo to become Earl and take his place. Thus, Ella is hired to "tame" Leo and make him "good enough" for society.

All of her life, Ella has had to deal with a special power that she beholds. It is the power to connect with animals, know their feelings and tame them with her mind and thoughts. This is a power that she has felt she has had to hide and one that is evil. What will Leo think if he knew the true Ella? What would Ella think if she knew that Leo's main goal and plan was to hunt his parents' killers down? As sparks fly between the two, tension builds and lives begin to hang in the balance. Will Leo and Ella be able to fully trust one another and allow their hearts to soar, or with death find them before it is too late?

Wild Heart is such an enormously pleasurable read. The romance between Leo and Ella is pulsating and pure, sensuously seductive from the start and never lets up - even as they try to deny it. In all honesty, there was just something about this story that grabbed me and held strong. I absolutely adored the characters of Leo and Ella. Ms. Brighton does a phenomenal job bringing their characters and personalities to life and really making the reader care for them. The mystery aspect keeps the reader in utter suspense, not wanting to leave the story until the scenes are fully played out. There are also a few excellent twists and turns that will bring a bit of surprise to the reader.

In addition to a great story, I wanted to also mention that I found Lori Brighton's writing style to be wonderfully done and incredibly flowing. I wanted to share a couple of passages that I highlighted while reading that I particularly enjoyed:

Ella choked on a sob and dared to open her eyes. Gray dawn‟s boney fingers crept through the cracks in the drapes, warning of daylights imminent arrival. Nothing else remained… no bodies lying in pools of blood, no men fighting, merely a richly furnished room. Her head ached with exhaustion. No wild animal had provided her with such painful memories. Only a human could store such grief, such horror…horror that frightened her as much as it tore at her gut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ridiculous, yet lovely. Her body floated as if she danced on clouds and only Leo‟s solid presence anchored her to earth. She closed her eyes and allowed him to sweep heracross the floor. He pulled her closer, yet she didn‟t protest, didn‟t even bother to open her eyes, but merely took in the feel of his form.

I really enjoyed Wild Heart and can't wait to read more by Lori Brighton (there is a sequel to Wild Hearts coming up!!)!! I urge everyone to grab a copy of this book and truly lose themselves within its words!

I have an interview coming up with Lori and also a way to win 1 of 3 copies of this awesome book! So please be one the lookout for those!

*overall rating 5/5

About Wild Heart:

Wanton. . .

Leo Roberts is next in line for an earldom and the power and fortune that come with it, but he is uncultured, unrefined--and completely untamed. . .until governess Ella Finch arrives upon the scene. Can so young and inexperienced a woman tutor him in the manners and mores of his class? Leo's mysterious past has rendered him an outsider, too wild for polite society. But he finds her innocence most intriguing. . .

Willing...

What manner of man he may be, Ella does not know. Yet he fascinates her and she must know more. Capturing Leo's reckless heart is about to free her in ways she never dreamed of. . .and his sensual touch releases the deepest yearnings of her body and soul. . .

Excerpt:

“My grandson is the next in line. I need him to be as well educated as possible when the time comes for him to take his place.”

“Of course,” Ella replied.

But the lanterns on the rock walls cast wavering shadows against the floor, demanding her attention and increasing her anxiety.

“Still, I feel I must warn you. My grandson,” Lord Roberts said, “has had a difficult life. He’s not exactly...normal.”

Ella tore her gaze from the dark hall to focus on Lord Roberts. His face was passive, but his eyes still held a sense of sadness that worried her. Against her will, her heart skipped a beat and she had to force her feet to continue forward, wondering over his ominous words.

“But I promise you, if you persevere, the reward will be well worth the effort.”

She parted her lips to question him further when he stopped outside double wooden doors carved with mystical beasts. Unicorns, dragons, elves all fought for attention like a children’s fairy tale come to life.

“Any family will hire you, Ella, upon learning you worked for me,” Lord Roberts said. “Just think, even royalty.” Before his words of promise could sink in, he reached out and pushed the doors wide.

A rush of apprehension washed over her like a chilly breeze. That feeling she’d had when she first arrived...that same feeling that had seeped in through her bedroom window. Her heart raced but her mind stilled. Her entire body focused on the hum that started vibrating in her core. A beast, a beast in dire need, a beast confused, angry, hurt.

“Do not be afraid, my dear,” Lord Roberts said, slipping her arm through the crook of his elbow and leading her into the room.

Afraid? Afraid! Why should she be afraid?

A crash made her jump. Even Lord Roberts tightened his hold. Blimey, is that where the noise had come from, Lord Roberts’ grandson?

“My lord, I do not have great experience with children.” Her face heated at the lie. “I mean, of boys, in particular.”

“Oh, that won’t matter much, my dear.”

He pulled her further into the gold room, her slippered feet whispering their resistance against the cold, marble floor.

“W—where is he?” Her gaze swept the pastel landscape murals on the walls, up to the ceiling where fat cherubs grinned down at her, demented sprites mocking her plight.

Her mind buzzed as a rush of emotion swept into her, then back out, like waves at sea. She couldn’t seem to catch hold of anything, merely hints of anger, frustration, sorrow and resentment. Another crash resounded from beside her. Ella spun around. An empty easel was propped in the corner of the room, under the glow of wall sconces. Movement near the windows caught her attention.

A man. The man from the garden.

Blond hair glistened in the low candlelight, his broad back to her. Her body froze, her thoughts spinning.

“I thought I’d created him in my mind,” she whispered.

“You’ve met?” Lord Roberts turned to her, confusion in his eyes.

“No, I saw him this evening. He seemed to be...” What was the right word? “Overwrought about something.”

With what could only be called a growl, he tossed a paint-splattered canvas outside.

“Oh my,” she gasped. “He seems rather upset now, too. Who is he?”

“My grandson, Leo.”

Ella’s stomach sank. “I see. And your other grandson, the one I will be teaching, is he here?” She pulled away and studied the room. It was empty.

The old man’s face flushed a telling shade of red. “Ah, yes. Well, you see-”

“My lord,” a servant whispered from the hall. He darted a glance at Lord Roberts’ grandson and scampered back, cowering behind the doors.

“Yes? What is it?” Lord Roberts strolled toward the hall. Ella resisted the urge to cling to the man, to beg him not to leave her alone, to beg him to send a rider for Lady Buckley.
As if sensing her vulnerability, Leo spun away from the window and faced her. Ella’s heart jumped into her throat. The set of his square jaw made him appear fierce, yet she could not ignore the handsome features that pulled together in a face that would inspire Michelangelo. His attention swept over her form, leaving behind a trail of heat that pulsed unwanted through her body.

Dear lord, he wore only trousers and a white shirt spattered in paint and completely unbuttoned. She couldn’t stop her gaze from traveling the trail of golden hair that swept down his muscled chest. Her body tingled and her gaze jumped back to his face. His wavy locks hung wildly about his shoulders. His body was tight, tense; a beast prepared for an attack. Surely he wouldn’t harm her.

With long, purposeful strides, he shortened the distance between them. And she couldn’t move, couldn’t move a bloody step, fear and something else holding her captive. Nearer...nearer. Would he stop or knock her over?

Then their gazes met and any thought of escape fled. Suddenly nothing existed. Ella fell into a warm pool of gold. An eerie gold that glowed from his eyes, pulling her under, drowning in emotion and leaving her gasping for breath. It was coming from him...the emotion...the need...the pain.

Birds, rabbits, even a fox, but never had she been able to read a person’s emotions. Mesmerized, she didn’t move a muscle when he stopped only a foot away, looming over her like some archangel come to take her soul. Was the floor still beneath her feet or was she falling? The room seemed to spin as his scent swirled around her; sea salt, pine and male; him.

“It is nice to meet you,” she somehow managed to get past her lips.

His eyes narrowed into slits and his nostrils flared, his breath a soft whisper as he inhaled deeply. Slowly, he moved around her as if she were prey and he the hunter. He stepped close, too close. With his chest hot to her back, his essence seeped into her skin. His fingers brushed her nape, wrapped around a loose lock and the fine hairs on her neck stood on end. She heard the distinct intake of breath, as if he smelled the strands. Paralyzed from fright and from another foreign emotion, Ella couldn’t move. Her heart hammered in her ears, drowning out every sound but her own harsh breathing.

He leaned forward, and the side of his face, rough with a day’s growth of whiskers, brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck. She closed her eyes, feeling every muscled contour of his body, every heated limb, every soft breath he took. Strange physical sensations pulsed through her veins, a deep aching need for only God knew what. Want, desire, anger so intense, her knees quivered and she feared she would sink to the ground in a dead faint.

“Leo,” Lord Roberts called out. The tap of the old man’s cane sounded muddled through the fog of her exotic reality. Part of her was weak with relief when Lord Roberts appeared, yet a small part, deep down inside, was strangely eager to see what this Leo would do next.

“I see you have met your new governess,” Lord Roberts said.

Governess? As if Leo were a boy when in fact he was a man, a very grown man.

His hold on her hair tightened and she resisted the urge to squeak.

The old man’s eyes flickered uneasily from her face to his grandson. “I believe Miss Finch would like to rest.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Ella studied her ward. His jaw clenched but he released his hold on her hair. With a curl of his lips and a stiff jerk of his arm, he pointed toward the hall.

“Right, of course, you would like some time alone. Well then, shall we?” Lord Roberts tugged her toward the open doors.

Her shoulder brushed against Leo’s hard chest and shivers raced all the way to her toes. Confused by her strange reaction, she stole a glance back as Lord Roberts led her from the room. Leo stood there, his hands on his slim hips as if sizing her up for the kill. As Lady Buckley had promised, she was indeed being punished by God.

Lord Roberts closed the doors and shut the man from view. The surge of emotion and heat receded, leaving her trembling and cold.

About Lori Brighton:

As a child, thoughts of far-off places and adventure consistently kept Lori up late at night when she should have been fast asleep. After graduating high school, she came to the conclusion that there was no better way to seek adventure and nourish her love of history than to become an archaeologist. She went on to receive a degree in anthropology, but digging in the dirt during humid Midwestern summers wasn’t exactly as fun as she thought it would be. Instead, she went to work in an air conditioned museum where she spent her days surrounded by creepy Victorian animal mounts. Still, she wasn’t satisfied.

Deciding the people in her imagination were slightly more exciting than the dead things in a museum basement, she set out to write her first romance novel. Shockingly enough, the book finaled in a few contests, lending to the crazy assumption that she would quickly be published and live happily ever after. That book was soundly rejected. As was the next. Years went by and she began to wonder if she’d ever see her dream fulfilled. Until one day she came up with an idea for a book that brought together her love of history and adventure: a book now titled Wild Heart.

But that book, too, was rejected. And rejected again. And again. Just when she’d given up hope of ever being published, Wild Heart came in first place in the Golden Acorn contest. The final round judge from Kensington Publishing requested the manuscript, and she was finally offered that elusive contract.

Lori currently resides in the Midwest, where she juggles her time between a husband, a son, a golden retriever, a cat, two goldfish and the many, many people in her imagination.

Friday Fun Quickie Contest

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:23:00 +0000

I've never done a twitter contest/giveaway before, but thought since I had to do a big mailing Monday for past book winners that this would be the perfect time to do a test run. In honor of Halloween, I have one copy of Bloody Good by Georgia Evans to giveaway. All you have to do is tweet the following: RT @cafeofdreams: Quickie Tweeter Giveaway! 1 Copy of Bloody Good by Georgia Evans. RT to enter. Winner drawn at 10 p.m. Central tonite!
It would also be awesome if you became a follower, that way I can DM you if you are the winner!!

Good luck and thanks, everyone!!

While the sounds of battle echo through the sky, a lady doctor has more than enough trouble to keep her busy even in a sleepy hamlet outside London. But the threat is nearer home than Alice knows. German agents have infiltrated her beloved countryside - Nazis who can fly, read minds, and live forever. They're not just fascists. They're vampires. Alice has no time for fantasy, but when the corpses start appearing sucked dry, she'll have to accept help where she can get it. If that includes a lowly Conscientious Objector who says he's no coward though he refuses to fight, and her very own grandmother, a sane, sensible woman who insists that she's a Devonshire Pixie, so be it. Indeed, whatever it takes to defend home and country from an evil both ancient and terrifyingly modern...

Review - Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Hold Tight
By: Harlan Coben
Narrated by: Scott Brick

*unabridged 12 hours, 3 minutes

Synopsis:

Mike held his son's hand and told him to "hold tight", and he could feel the little hand dig into his. But the crush got bigger, and the little hand slipped from his - and Mike felt that horrible panic, as if a wave hit them at the beach and it was washing his baby out with the tide.

The separation lasted only a few seconds, 10 at the most, but Mike would never forget the spike in his blood and the terror of those brief few moments.

Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they'd become the type of overprotective parents who spy on their kids. But their 16-year-old son, Adam, has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate, Spencer Hill - the latest in a string of issues at school - they can't help but worry. They install a sophisticated spy program on Adam's computer, and within days they are jolted by a message from an unknown correspondent addressed to their son: "Just stay quiet and all safe."

Meanwhile, browsing through an online memorial for Spencer put together by his classmates, Betsy Hill is struck by a photo that appears to have been taken on the night of her son's death...and he wasn't alone. She thinks it is Adam Baye standing just outside the camera's range, but when Adam goes missing, it soon becomes clear that something deep and sinister has infected their community.

For Tia and Mike Baye, the question they must answer is this: When it comes to your kids, is it possible to know too much?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Thoughts:

As a long time fan of Harlan Coben, I was beyond excited to get my hands on his latest release. While I enjoyed it, this one did not leave me on the edge of my seat as many of Mr. Coben's other works have. Hold Tight focuses a lot on technology - it's greatness as well as its curses, which worked very well and brought several aspects to light. The story line is one that may leave parents of teenagers (or children of any age, for that matter) really pondering and questioning the "what ifs" of the undesirable things that are out there for our kids today.

The narrator does a wonderful job and while this is not one of my favorites, as it lacked a bit of that intensity that other stories by Harlan Coben held, for me, I still greatly look forward to more by Mr. Coben!

*overall rating 3.5/5

Review - Vanished by Joseph Finder

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:43:00 +0000

Vanished
By: Joseph Finder
Narrated by: Holter Graham

*unabridged 10 hours, 42 minutes

Synopsis:

Nick Heller is tough, smart, and stubborn. And in his line of work, it's essential. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator - exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He's a guy you don't want to mess with. He's also the man you call when you need a problem fixed.

Desperate, with nowhere else to run, Nick's nephew, Gabe makes that call one night. After being attacked in Georgetown, his mother lies in a coma, and his step-dad, Roger, Nick's brother, has vanished without a trace. Nick and Roger have been on the outs since the arrest, trial, and conviction of their father, the notorious "fugitive financier" Victor Heller. Where Nick strayed from the path, Roger followed their father's footsteps into the corporate world. Now, as Nick searches for his brother, he's on a collision course with one of the most powerful corporations in the world - and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

This was my first exposure to this author and I was quite pleased. The storyline was one that kept the reader (or in this case, listener) wanting more. I loved the characters and found the twists and turns highly enjoyable. I did hope for a bit more in the suspense area, but was overall very pleased and am looking forward to more by this author!

*overall rating 4/5

Review - Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Wintergirls
By: Laurie Halse Anderson
Narrated by: Jeannie Stith

*unabridged: 7 hours 9 minutes

Synopsis:

"Dead girl walking," the boys say in the halls.

"Tell us your secret," the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.

I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.

I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way - thin, thinner, thinnest - maybe she'll disappear altogether.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrical book since the National Book Award finalist Speak, best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

I found Wintergirls to be a very eyeopening and emotional story. Eating disorders are such a widespread and often devastating problem and Wintergirls truly gets to the heart and core of this. I highly recommend this to everyone and feel that it gives an excellent account of what goes through the mind of someone suffering from this disorder.

*overall rating 4/5

Review - The Eleventh Victim by Nancy Grace

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:07:00 +0000

The Eleventh Victim
By: Nancy Grace
Narrated by: Kate McIntyre

*Abridged - 7 hours 10 minutes

Synopsis:

Hailey Dean is a young and tremendously successful criminal prosecutor in Georgia, equally proud of her career and her adoring fiance. But just a few weeks before the wedding, her fiance's murder and its aftermath send her into a tailspin. Grief-stricken and disillusioned with her profession, Hailey decides to leave Georgia for New York City; she hopes the change of pace and surroundings will help her heal.

Transplanted to a lively, vibrant city where she has no ties and no painful reminders, Hailey embarks on a new career as a therapist. But just when she's beginning to feel settled in her new life, another tidal wave of turmoil engulfs her: Someone is murdering her patients, one by one. And the killer operates in the same way as the victims of the last case Hailey prosecuted. Clearly, Hailey hasn't left her past behind quite as well as she thought - and unless she returns to her true calling and solves the case, still more innocent people will die.

Inspired by lawyer and television personality Nancy Grace's own beginnings as a prosecutor and the tragic death of her fiance, The Eleventh Victim is a compelling mystery full of intrigue that thrills from start to finish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

Nancy Grace is one of my favorite t.v. personalities. She has such a no-holds bar attitude and she is just an awesome person to watch and listen to. It is because of this that I was instantly set on reading her novel, The Eleventh Victim. Though with my stack, I wasn't sure when I would get to it, so opted to listen instead. I did not even realize this was an abridged version until after the fact, which leaves me highly curious what was taken out of the story in the conversion.

I greatly enjoyed this story and Ms. Grace does an excellent job in her characterization. I loved the way she really delved into some of the technical aspects of forensics and investigating, a clear indication of her own career experience. There were, however, areas where I was left feeling as though I had missed something. By this I mean that a gap in time passes that left me pondering a bit. To be fair, I don't know if this is where some of the story is cut to abridge it. This by no means "killed" the story, just left it a bit open. I will now have to check into the book to compare what I did, indeed, miss, lol.

The narrator does a wonderful job and really brings the story to life. Her vocal characterization is done very well.

*overall rating 3.5/5

Mini Audio Book Reviews

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Okay, the time has come. For some reason I have totally spaced off doing reviews for the audio books that I have listened to for months now! UGH! Now is the time to catch up. So, with this in mind, I am going to do several mini reviews which will basically just say how well I liked the story/book. Thank goodness for my audible manager, lol. With that being said, I am off to do some typing and brain racking...

Book Spotlight: Jesse's Girl by Gary Morgenstein

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Jesse's Girl
By: Gary Morgenstein

Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (March 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1441492240
ISBN-13: 978-1441492241
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches

About Jesse's Girl:

How much should a parent sacrifice for a troubled child? In Gary Morgenstein’s taut new thriller, Jesse’s Girl, the answer is – anything. Anchored around a floundering father-son relationship, finding roots and re-uniting vanished bonds, the timely novel about teen addiction and adoption follows a desperate father’s search for his son, who has run away from a wilderness program to find his biological sister in Kentucky.

Available exclusively from Amazon.com, Jesse’s Girl opens as a jarring phone wakes lifelong Brooklynite Teddy Mentor well after midnight. It’s the Montana wilderness program saying that his 16-year-old adopted son has vanished – and they haven’t a clue where he’s gone. Only two weeks ago, Jesse had been taken to the program by escorts to deal with substance abuse problems.

Jeopardizing his flagging PR job in New York, Mentor rushes across the country to find Jesse, who is off on his own quest: to find Theresa, the sister he’s never known. When Teddy finally discovers Jesse at a bus stop in Illinois, he is torn between sending him back or joining his son on a journey to find this girl in Kentucky. He decides to go. They become embroiled in a grisly crime when Theresa’s abusive husband Beau attacks her – Jesse stabs the big beast of a man, leaving him for dead.

Given Jesse’s misdemeanor criminal record, Teddy can’t go to the authorities without risking his son’s arrest. However, Beau is not dead, merely wounded, and he hunts them down, thirsty for revenge. Teddy, Jesse and Theresa flee across the Bluegrass State with Beau in hot pursuit. Seeking safety but finding trouble, their story leads them to an ultimately shattering question: is Theresa really Jesse’s sister or has he been scammed?

About Gary Morgenstein:

In addition to Jesse’s Girl, Gary Morgenstein’s most recent novels, both available exclusively on Amazon.com, are the political baseball thriller Take Me Out to the Ballgame and the romantic triangle Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman. His chillingly prophetic play Ponzi Man played to sell-out crowds at a recent New York Fringe Festival. A PR consultant for Syfy Channel, he lives in Brooklyn, New York, with lots of books and rock and roll CDs. You can visit him at www.facebook.com/people/Gary-Morgenstein/1011217889.

Sherrilyn Kenyon fans come my way....

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Much loved and world renowned author of several paranormal greats, Sherrilyn Kenyon, is soon to release her second novel in her "The League" trilogy. For those not familiar with this trilogy, here is a quick overview of the theme:

Hell's New Heroes

In the Ichidian Universe no one was safe. People were dragged from their homes and killed in the streets- victims of a ruthless tyrant who was bent on being the sole ruler of their entire empire. Those who opposed him and his army formed an alliance called The League which fell under the leadership of the Quorum.

The Quorum realized that the best way to keep trouble from starting was to cut it off at its knees. So a separate group of soldiers was needed, The League Assassins. Highly trained and highly valued, they are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption...

Welcome to a world where corrupt assassination politics dominate everything and everyone- because sometimes the cure really is worse than the illness. It's kill or be killed. You're either the hunter or the prey.

But there are those who will protect you. Men and women who come from the streets and from bloodied backgrounds of survival. You just have to decide is they're better than the ones chasing you...

Or worse.

Sarcastic, loyal, highly trained and lethal, these men and women are the next generation of heroes. They know how to laugh in the face of madness and danger, and to endure the worst The League and their enemies can hurl at them.

Most of all, they know to fight and protect.

Welcome to the madness...

The first in the series, Born of Night, which introduced us to and focuses on Nykyrian, Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades was born and trained to slaughter. Refusing to be a pawn, he turned his back on the League and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him and Kiara Zamir, who is a woman whose father's political alliance has made her a target. She wants nothing to do with politics, yet she is forced to submit to protection or die. And as her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead.

In the Ichidian Universe no one was safe people were dragged from their homes and killed in the streets. Victims of a ruthless tyrant who was bent on being the sole ruler. Those who opposed him formed an alliance called The League, which fell under the leadership of the Quorum.

The Quorum realized that the best way to keep trouble from starting was to cut it off at its knees. So a separate group of soldiers was needed, The League Assassins. Highly trained and highly valued, they are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption...

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades was born and trained to slaughter. Refusing to be a pawn, he turned his back on the League and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him. Now his assignment is to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father's political alliance has made her a target. She wants nothing to do with politics, yet she is forced to submit to protection or die.

And as her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them most-- each other.

The second in this trilogy, Born of Fire, releases on November 3rd and promises to be an all-encompassing read. In Born of Fire, we get to know Syn who was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole and Shahara Dagan who is the best bounty hunter in the universe. Fiercely loyal to her family, she will stop at nothing to keep them safe and the scum off the streets. One of the best trained Seax's and the only one of her generation who survived the training.

Here is a brief synopsis and excerpt from Born of Fire, just to give you a tasty treat and leave you wanting more!

In a universe where assassins make the law, everyone lives in fear- except for Syn. Born of an illicit scandal that once rocked a dynasty, he always knew how to survive on the bloodthirsty streets. But that was then, and the future is now.

He takes no prisoners...

Syn was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole.

She offers no escape...

Shahara Dagan is the best bounty hunter in the universe. When Syn comes back on the radar, she's the only one who can bring him to justice. There's only one problem: Syn is a close family friend who's helped out her brother countless times. Is Syn's protection worth the risk? The only hope Shahara has is to find the evidence he buried long ago.

Now it's kill or be killed- and they, the predators, have just become the hunted.

Excerpt:

Shahara moaned, her temples throbbing a painful beat. Blinking open her eyes, she wondered why she felt so terrible. Her sight focused on the white stucco wall before her where a beautiful Chinergov painting hung. As she stared at the impressionist's interpretation of a huge black bird in flight, she instantly remembered what had happened.

Where she was.

That slippery bastard had shot her!

With a gasp, she sat up, her head protesting the sudden movement. Ignoring the pain, she forced her blurry eyesight to clear and scanned the room.

It was empty. Thank goodness.

Silence buzzed in her ears and she wondered where Syn had gone.

Why he'd left her alone?

Well, she didn't care about the answer. As long as he wasn't here, he couldn't kill her, or keep her from leaving. Stealthily, in case he was in the bedroom or bathroom, she slid off the couch.

Without a sound, she crossed to the door and reached for the controls. Before her fingers touched the keypad, she glanced up and gnashed her teeth in frustration. He'd reactivated the scanner.

You double bastard, rat punk!

You didn't really think he'd make it easy for you, did you? No, but a woman could always hope for a brain injury that would leave him stupid and make it easier on her.

If only...

She wanted to curse and strike out at the almost invisible beams that cross-hatched the door, but she knew if she did that, they'd singe her flesh with a burn far worse than any fire. Worst of all, they'd trip an alarm.

She was at his mercy.

Instinctively, she reached for her weapons. As expected, they were gone along with the lockbox she'd used to breach the security system earlier.

Clenching her fists, she wished she could strangle Syn. Without her lockbox, she had no hope of guessing the scanner's code. Grimson had designed his security systems too carefully and the number sequences were too intricate to ever be guessed by random choice, or remembered from her earlier success.

There was a nine in it...

Some place.

Yeah, that wasn't exactly helpful.

Sighing, she looked around the room. She wasn't just going to stand here waiting for him to come back and discover she was awake. There had to be a weapon somewhere in this giant mausoleum.

She headed to the kitchen.

Maybe you should look for him first...

No. Better to get a weapon. If he happened to be in one of the other rooms, she didn't want him to know she was awake until she had some way to protect herself.

Gah, my head hurts.

It's what you deserve for letting him get the drop on you and you're lucky that's all he did.

Very true.

Carefully, quietly, she opened cabinets and drawers seeking a knife, but instead, all she found were empty shelves. No cutlery at all- not even a rusty spoon.

Frowning, she opened the equally empty refrigerator. What did the man live on? Air?

Aggravated at not finding anything, she had to force herself not to slam the cabinet shut- in case he was in the other room. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at the counter. Again she saw a bottle of wine resting near the sink.

Not quite her weapon of choice, but in a pinch...

A determined smile curved her lips. It should serve to at least knock him senseless for a moment or two. That should be long enough to pull a weapon off his body.

She picked up the bottle and glanced at the blue and gold label. "Hmm, vintage." Good year too. This bottle alone would probably make her fighter payments for six months. Such a shame to waste premium Gondarion grade on a worthless criminal.

Oh well.

Sliding her fingers around the cool, slick glass neck, she gripped the bottle and went hunting. With practiced, stalking strides, she inched toward the bedroom, then paused. The door to the bedroom slid upwards which would give him ample time to pull a blaster on her and shoot her again.

Her head pounded even more, reminding her the last thing she needed was another sharp blast.

There had to be something else...

She smiled as she noticed the partially opened door of the bathroom... it might also swing open into the bedroom.

It was her best shot.

Changing course, she headed for it.

She tried to calm the pounding beat of her heart that sent even more sharp pulses of pain to her head and played havoc with her eyesight. Damn him for that particular misery. She gripped the bottle in her icy, clammy hands and slipped inside the bathroom.

It was empty.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she crept toward the door on the opposite side which also had a knob. So far, everything looked good.

As silently as she could, she pushed the door open, relieved the hinges didn't creak.

She took a step into his room, then froze in shocked disbelief.

She didn't know what she'd expected, but it definitely wasn't the sight greeting her.

On the opposite side of the room, Syn knelt on a red, embroidered prayer cloth, his head sedately bowed, his eyes reverently closed. His ebony hair, pulled back into a ponytail, hung just past his wide shoulders.

He wore a pair of black leather pants and a loose, black silk shirt, the cuffs rolled back from his wrists. She could see the tiniest bit of white bandage on the arm where she'd cut him earlier and a bit of scroll work from a tattoo it covered. His gloved hands rested on his knees, turned palm upwards and before him lay an opened prayer book. The light glinted off two silver hoops in his left ear.

Even while he rested she could detect his aura of restrained lethal power. See the outline of steely muscles beneath the leather and silk, and for some unknown reason she wished she could hear the masculine, musical cadence of his voice while he whispered a prayer.

What are you? Insane?

He's a felon.

She tightened her grip on the bottle. Pray? How could anyone with his brutal reputation be so hypocritical?

The thought sent anger pouring through her.

Her eyes focused on the blaster strapped to his left hip and a slow smile spread across her face. That was the ticket to freedom.

Without making a sound to alert him to her presence or intentions, she snuck across the room and reached for his weapon. His hand closed around hers before she could snatch the blaster free.

He glared up at her with eyes that were....

Well....

As dark as sin.

And every bit as frigid and evil.

With a curse, Shahara raised the bottle to strike him.

Quicker than she could blink, he pulled the blaster free and held it under her chin. "I don't like scars," he gritted between his teeth in that deep baritone voice that sent a shiver down her spine. "And I really hate people who mess up my house. Put the bottle down, slowly, and take a step back."

Shahara weighed her options as she felt the cold barrel of his blaster pressing against her jaw. The air around her sizzled with his anger and ferocity. Two things belied by blank, emotionless eyes that stared into hers.

She knew he would kill her without a second thought.

BORN OF FIRE by Sherrilyn Kenyon

© 2009, St. Martin's Press

Psyched up yet?! How about just a bit more... St. Martin's Press is holding an awesome sweepstakes where 50 lucky winners can win their very own copy of Born of Fire! Entering is easy and simple, just click this link http://us.macmillan.com/smp/promo/bornoffire and fill out the short entry form with your name and address. Contest starts today (Oct. 28th and end Nov. 11th)

In the meantime, be sure to check out Sherrilyn Kenyon's website's at the following links:

http://www.Livetheleague.com
http://www.Sherrilynkenyon.com
http://www.Officialsanctuary.com

The Winner of The Keys to the Vault by Jim Colombo is....

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:39:00 +0000

It is my pleasure to announce the winner of a signed copy of The Keys to the Vault by the wonderful Jim Colombo! However, I first want to thank Jim for taking the time to stop by and answer questions, throughout the giveaway! I had so much fun reading everyone's questions and Jim's answers. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to stop by to ask questions, chat and enter.

Now, without further ado, the winner, chosen by Randomizer is.... Drum roll please....

Kristi!!!

Congratulations, Kristi! I have sent an email your way! I hope you enjoy The Keys to the Vault as much as I did! For those that did not win this time around, I sincerely hope that you check out Jim Colombo's work! You will be glad that you did!

Review: Hot and Irresistible by Dianne Castell

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:12:00 +0000

Hot and Irresistible
By: Dianne Castell

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Brava (October 27, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758223617
ISBN-13: 978-0758223616
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches

Sass and spice served up southern style. Who can resist such a combination?!

Dianne Castell does an excellent job as she merges saucy romance with mystery, in a city that is steamy and ripe with history and heat. If you're looking for a slow ride, look elsewhere because Hot and Irresistible is anything but. With fast and fabulous characters and a setting that you can't help but fall in love with, this is a roller coaster ride that you won't want to get off.

I had a lot of fun with Ms. Castell's writing style and the way she is able to bring the reader into the story. Bebe and Donovan make a sizzling couple and their characters are perfect for a reader to really sink their teeth into.

I truly love books that are placed within a southern setting, and Hot and Irresistible does not disappoint. I loved the romance aspect of it, as well as the fun sauciness and the intriguing mystery. With so many different aspects rolled into one, Hot and Irresistible is indeed an irresistible read. I look forward to getting my hands on a copy of the first in this series, Hot and Bothered, as well as others by this author!

*overall rating 4/5

About Hot and Irresistible:

SOUTHERN COMFORT, SAVANNAH STYLE…

Bebe Fitzpatrick’s hard upbringing taught her how to take care of herself, how to tell true friends from false, and how to be a good cop. She can also sweet-talk a man like she means it…until she stumbles into the arms of a damn sexy Yankee who’s gunning for Savannah ’s favorite shady entrepreneur…

As far as Donovan McCabe is concerned, the main obstacle to his investigation is the one thing he can’t help wanting in his way. Bebe’s smart, sassy, and utterly oblivious to her own appeal. Add the fact that a Boston cop trying to arrest one of Savannah ’s best-loved citizens is about as popular as the reincarnation of General Grant. What Donovan needs is a better game plan. What he’s about to get is southern “hospitality” that’ll make his toes curl…

Excerpt:

“Don’t you dare go feeling sorry for me because, Donovan McCabe, I sure as hell don’t need a pity party and now you want to tell me what you’re doing on my front stoop?”

Her gaze met his and she braced herself for the Oh, you poor thing look but instead Donovan bent his head and kissed her. She started to protest but her lips were busy and suddenly her tongue was too and then her arms got into the act and then her insides melted into goo which had acid beat all to hell and back. This was all wrong on every level except one…Donovan McCabe felt so darn good when she was feeling crappy as hell.

How many times had Dara struck and no one had been there? But here and now on this beautiful spring morning, there was Donovan McCabe. She breathed, a sense of peace she’d never known before in her whole life filling her up like a glass long empty. She leaned into him and took one more kiss, just a little with a tiny nibble of his bottom lip to chase away the lingering chill of Dara, then Bebe stepped back. Every cell in her body…except the two rational cells still functioning in her brain… insisted she was the most stupid woman on planet earth for not staying locked in his arms.

“What was that all about?” The question was as much for her as him because she didn’t know what to think about the effect he had on her.

“You look like a woman who needed a hug and the kiss part just snuck in.” His voice was steady but there was unsure spark in his eyes that said he didn’t just go around kissing every woman who may have the need. But she didn’t need him to be nice and she wished like hell he hadn’t seen Dara. It was Bebe’s private life, the part she kept tucked away as best she could even from Brie, Priss and Charlotte . A crappy childhood did not transfer into a crappy life. “Are you playing me, McCabe? Softening me up so I’ll help you nail Cleveland ? Well, I won’t and I can handle Dara.”

“How about I look the other way and you just shoot her.”

Bebe broke into a laugh and today she didn’t think she’d be laughing about anything. “I’ll lend you my gun,” he continued, looking perfectly serious. “Or at least blast the bitch verbally. I’ve seen you in action, you’re a hellcat when riled. Why not now?”

If he hadn’t offered his gun she would have told Donovan to butt out but he did offer and he’d kissed her when she needed it and she wasn’t in the habit of needing much. A new meaning of good cop, bad cop. “A conditioned response from when I was a kid. Dara’s favorite game was to threaten to leave me in the marsh if I didn’t do what she said. Scared the hell out of me and you never did say way you’re here.” Why the hell was she telling McCabe all this? Fallout from a dynamite kiss.

“When my mother tells me to stand up straight and get a haircut I still do it.”

A gentle smile that comes from thinking of good stuff softened his face.

“Except my mom’s nothing like yours, though I do remember threats of military school.” He leaned against the side of the apartment looking as if the place belonged to him. He was that kind of guy, one who fit in anywhere, probably even military school. Bebe felt as if she fit in nowhere and she’d lived in Savannah all her life. He said, “I’m here because I didn’t want to air our problems in front of the whole station. We need to talk about how we’re going to handle Ray Cleveland.”

This was better. Arguing over work was a piece of cake, reminiscing about a screwed up childhood was a piece of shit. “I said I’m not helping you with Cleveland, McCabe and I haven’t changed my mind so there’s no need for kisses that curl my toes.” Well damn. She was on a roll till the toes part. When Donovan was around she had to learn to think before she opened her big mouth…which could lead to more kissing and then tongues. What in the almighty hell was she going to do with Donovan McCabe!

About Diane Castell:

USA Today best selling author Dianne Castell writes for Kensington Books. She also writes a monthly editor interview column for Romance Writers Report. Her books have won Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, been on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine and included in Rhapsody Book Club, Doubleday Book Club and have made the Waldenbooks Bestseller list.

The second book in her Savannah Sizzles series for the BRAVA line, Hot and Irresistible, hits the shelves Nov‘09. Dianne lives in Cincinnati with her two cats and will do just about anything to get out of housework. You can visit her website at www.diannecastell.com or email her at dianecastell@hotmail.com.

Review - The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:15:00 +0000

The Broken Teaglass
By: Emily Arsenault

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press; 1 edition (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553807331
ISBN-13: 978-0553807332
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches

The Broken Teaglass is told as a story within a story. A mystery that is written in a truly unique, engrossing and wonderful way, the reader is instantly hooked from the beginning until the very end. For me, the storyline sounded very intriguing, however I was not quite sure how I was going to enjoy an entire, nearly 400 page book, that basically centers around the usage of words and characters that make their living defining words for the dictionary. I have to say that I was extremely pleasantly surprised. The Broken Teaglass is told in such a way that I flew through pages, wanting to see what happened next. I found myself trying to piece the mysterious bits of information together and solve this age old crime.

Emily Arsenault is an enormously talented writer, which any reader will quickly come to realize, once they start reading The Broken Teaglass. Her talent of using words and interweaving such clues throughout the story, clues that revolve around words and their uses, is amazing. Ms. Arsenault does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life and making the reader truly empathize and step within their shoes. I adored both Billy and Mona, especially their quirks and delightful personalities. They have wonderful chemistry and both display quick-as-lightening sarcasm that works perfectly together.

Told in a witty, unique and wonderful way, The Broken Teaglass will appeal to a wide range of readers. It is a story that reaches out and grabs a reader, pulling them within the pages and the story. Beckoning to follow the clues and help to solve an age old mystery. I utterly loved this story and cannot wait for more by this author!

*overall rating 4/5

About The Broken Teaglass:

The dusty files of a venerable dictionary publisher . . . a hidden cache of coded clues . . . a story written by a phantom author . . . an unsolved murder in a gritty urban park–all collide memorably in Emily Arsenault’s magnificent debut, at once a teasing literary puzzle, an ingenious suspense novel, and an exploration of definitions: of words, of who we are, and of the stories we choose to define us.

In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editors toil away in silence, studying the English language, poring over new expressions and freshly coined words–all in preparation for the next new edition of the Samuelson Dictionary. Among them is editorial assistant Billy Webb, just out of college, struggling to stay awake and appear competent. But there are a few distractions. His intriguing coworker Mona Minot may or may not be flirting with him. And he’s starting to sense something suspicious going on beneath this company’s academic facade.

Mona has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book, The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations from it are far too long, twisting, and bizarre for any dictionary. They read like a confessional, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona ransack the office files, a chilling story begins to emerge: a story about a lonely young woman, a long-unsolved mystery, a moment of shattering violence. And as they piece together its fragments, the puzzle begins to take on bigger personal meaning for both of them, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other.

Charged with wit and intelligence, set against a sweetly cautious love story, The Broken Teaglass is a tale that will delight lovers of words, lovers of mysteries, and fans of smart, funny, brilliantly inventive fiction.

Excerpt:

How did a guy like me end up in a place like this?

Excellent question. It’s the very question that ran through my mind on my first day on the job, and for many weeks hence. How the hell did I get a job at the offices of Samuelson Company, the oldest and most revered name in American dictionaries? In the end, this might strike you as the greater mystery—greater than the one I’d later find in the company’s dusty files: How does a clod like me end up in training to be a lexicographer?

Now that you’ve paused to look up lexicographer, are you impressed? Are you imagining lexicographers as a council of cloaked, wizened men rubbing their snowy-white beards while they consult their dusty folios? I’m afraid you might have to adjust your thinking just a little. Imagine instead a guy right out of college—a guy who says yup, and watches too much Conan O’Brien. Imagine this guy sitting in a cubicle, shuffling through little bits of magazine articles, hoping for words like boink and tatas to cross his desk and spice up his afternoons.

Don’t get me wrong. When I first got the job, I was pretty excited. I’d been starting to doubt my employability, since I’d majored in philosophy. Admittedly, I’d applied for publishing jobs on a whim, having heard some English majors talk about it. No one at the big New York companies bit at my résumé, but someone at Samuelson must have liked all the A’s on my transcript in heady-seeming topics like Kant and Kierkegaard, and they called me just in time—just as I was starting to thumb through pamphlets about the Peace Corps and teaching English in Japan. My interview was with one Dan Wood, a pale, bearded middle-aged guy who didn’t really seem to know how to conduct an interview. He mostly just described the defining process quietly, peering at me occasionally as if trying to gauge my reaction. I guess I didn’t make any funny faces, because two days later Dan called me to offer the job.

*Excerpted from The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault Copyright © 2009 by Emily Arsenault. Excerpted by permission of Delacorte Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About Emily Arsenault:

Emily Arsenault has worked as a lexicographer, an English teacher, a children’s librarian, and a Peace Corps volunteer. She wrote The Broken Teaglass to pass the long, quiet evenings in her mud brick house while living in rural South Africa. She now lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband. You can visit Emily Arsenault’s website at http://emilyarsenault.com/.

Hachette Book Giveaway - In the mood for love?

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Okay, my lovely readers, I have 5 delicious copies of It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale, for 5 lucky winners! Here's a bit about this wonderful sounding book:

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it.

Lana Biel has always wanted to shake the dust of Vermont off her feet and see the world, one exotic country after another. But when a lighthearted spring fling changes her life forever, she turns to the one man whose strong shoulders can lighten any burden: her best friend, Eli Ward.
Eli has always been there for Lana--after all, that's what best friends do. But Lana isn't the only one hiding something. Eli is keeping secrets of his own that threaten their relationship. Yet as summer turns to fall, new desires awaken between them, even as old fears tear them apart. Then, when another Vermont winter fills the valleys with snow, Eli and Lana are given the chance for an adventure greater than they ever dreamed possible...and a love that will last for all time.

I want to thank Hachette Book Club for providing this great contest. Contest will be open until Midnight, November 16th. The winner will be drawn shortly after that by randomizer.com. Prizes are sent directly from Hachette Books. Open to US and Canadian addresses only. No PO Boxes please.

Now for the tricky part - the rules....

To enter....

Just leave a comment and your email address. Yup, that's it, lol!

Good luck to everyone!

Hachette Audio Book Giveaway Time!!

ajpohren@iowatelecom.net (April) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:07:00 +0000

It's been a while since I have done a giveaway with one of the most generous publishers ever, Hachette Audio Books, so with the list of October releases, I couldn't resist!

I am going to do something a bit different this time around. Instead of just giving away 1 audio book, I am going to giveaway 3 sets of 2 audio books. I want to be sure you have plenty to keep you occupied while making those long holiday drives and/or preparing for the holidays at home. All that cleaning, cooking and decorating can get a bit tedious!

For this bundle, I have the following:

The Lovely Bones
By: Alice Sebold and read by Alice Sebold

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

To go along with this delightful audio book, how about a suspense-filled mystery?!

True Blue
By: David Baldacci, read by Ron McLarty

Ex-cop Mason “Mace” Perry and lawyer Roy Kingman investigate the death of a partner at Roy’s law firm, uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital. Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn-into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.

Contest is open to US and Canadian addresses only. Please no PO Boxes. Prizes will be shipped directly from Hachette. Contest is open until Midnight November 13th. The 3 winners will be drawn shortly after by randomizer.com

To enter:

+1 Simply leave a comment along with your email address
+1 Follow my blog
+1 Tweet this contest or put it in your sidebar (each tweet gets an entry!)

Thanks and good luck, everyone!!