unwillingly drawn to this catchy song/video...

Beth Kery's upcoming book release...

Beth writes steam for the sophisticated reader, and my favorites by her include Release, Come To Me Freely and Daring Time.

Beth's stories are not always the traditional HEA, but they are definitely emotional and well-written reads. Check out the author's alter ego Bethany Kane for more great reading. For more information on Silken Rapture, just click on the image above.

hitting "replay"

Some songs I've been listening (and singing along) to lately...

kelly clarkson:



adele:



colbie caillat:

well-said...

Here is the direct link if video does not display (it is not the Dirty Dining video, though I did view that too). Watch in its entirety, but re-watch from 5:02 onwards. Moves me every time.

music watch: Laurell

What have I been up to? Lots of singing along to Vancouver, BC artist Laurell. Enjoyed the various "Canadian" references throughout the song(s), can you spot them?

author watch: Gina Gordon

I came across posts on author Gina Gordon at various readers' blogs, and her stories sounded very appealing. Gina's latest book is titled Forever In Lingerie, and is the first in her Bare Naked Designs trilogy. Follow the link for an excerpt, but here is the story blurb:

Martina Jackson spent the last two years running from her past. Through the practice of Holistic Medicine she has meticulously transformed into a self-fulfilled woman, with one tiny exception…hot, steamy sex with no strings.

While she waits for the job offer of a lifetime, why not quench her sexual desires with an eager man willing to push her to the limit? What she doesn’t plan for is, the fling is exactly what she’s been running from.

Rob Taylor has been waiting his whole life to find the woman he can call forever. He didn’t expect to find her in his parents' living room wearing nothing but white lace and stockings. When he overhears her discussing her secret sexual fantasies, Rob decides to give her what she’s been missing.

As they play out each fantasy he connects with Martina on a deeper level, confirming what he knew the very first moment he heard her voice…that she is the one he’s been waiting for.

Currently, Gina has three ebooks published plus several works in progress that promise to be equally sexy and romantic reads. When I contacted Gina partly to express my delight in discovering a fellow Canadian whose stories I wanted to read, Gina very generously offered one of her books to me. I was drawn to the description of Her 5 Favorite Words, and yes: the story delivers on the heat rating promised by the cover!

Becca always starts her day sipping a latte and watching the piping hot Mr. Sexy. When they get stuck together in an elevator, it only takes a minute for Becca's panic attack to take over. What she needs is to focus on something else. Something hot. Something dirty. Good thing Mr. Sexy knows a thing or two about distraction.

The meaning behind the words of the title are delightful. The non-stop pace of the story's shorter length kept the focus on the interaction between Becca and Jordan (aka Mr. Sexy) - just the way I love my romance reads! The verbal exchanges are sassy and sexy. It was too short but a very enjoyable story. Luckily, Gina has already completed a sequel read! As well, do check out Gina's very active blog: full of good stuff. I'm looking forward to more writing by this author.

review: Sweet Disgrace by Cherrie Lynn

ISBN: 9781609282202
Publication: October 12, 2010

She has Heaven to lose. He has Hell to pay.

Centuries of heartbreak. Grinding failures punctuated by too-few victories. What angel in her right mind would want this job? Celeste, who’s driven to save Devil-contracted souls before Hell can claim them, is weary, but not beaten. Yet.

Her latest case makes her wonder if it’s all worth the anguish. A demon enticed a too-young musician into selling his soul for fortune and fame. To make matters worse, that demon is Damael, an insufferable, frightening minion with airtight contracts—and a body that makes her long for sin.

Damael’s always had a soft spot for Celeste, but if his bored superiors want drama, he’ll give them drama. Though it pains him to trick the angel he wants with all his black heart, eons of restrained lust win out. He makes the deal: her body in exchange for the human’s soul.

She wasn’t supposed to accept.

Damael can’t be trusted, but with the deadline bearing down, Celeste lays everything on the line in a last-ditch effort to save just one precious soul. Even if it means losing hers—along with her heart.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, explicit sex, an angelic heroine with attitude…and a demonic hero who’s smoking hot. Literally.

Sweet Disgrace is a novella read that I wholeheartedly recommend. There is so much I enjoy about romance reading that I found in this book: characters that already know one another when the story starts (although it's been a more-than-a-few-mortal-lifetimes-long acquaintance), and paranormal elements that are always fascinating and provide great conflict: angels/demons, good/evil, heaven/hell. The connection between Celeste and Damael is mesmerizing and well-developed, wrapped around their fight over the fate of the human musician. I was seriously rooting for Damael and Celeste to find a way through their differences and major obstacles, and fulfill their clearly irresistible attraction to each other! There is lots of sizzle, tears, sacrifice and joy to be found. In this tightly packed read, we also meet fellow angels and demons who perhaps will find their own HEA in future stories.

I was fortunate to win this book as a prize from Samhain Publishing's recent 5th Birthday celebrations, but I would not hesitate to purchase another book by this author. I love the "warning" at the end of the official blurb for the story - I believe the authors themselves come up with the description! Here is the link to buy Sweet Disgrace from Samhain's eBooks Store.