the I-Team and Pamela Clare (A to Z)

Doing things a little different today for the Blogging A to Z Challenge and handing the blog over to my friend Tonya so she can tell you a bit about one of our favorite authors, Pamela Clare, who just writes the.best.books! Oh, also! Next week for our stop of the Hunky Heroes Giveaway Hop we're giving away your choice of one of Clare's deliciously steamy books so be sure to stop back over and check that out!

Intense, Intriguing, Incredible

Just a Hint- Clint! (Visitation, NC #4) by Lori Foster

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed. That's what crosses Clint Evans's mind the minute he takes on the four thugs holding heiress Julie Rose hostage It isn't the danger--Clint's made his reputation by being reliably ruthless, a quality that keeps his wounds deeply undercover. What's got Clint in a lather is Julie herself. The pretty, petite schoolteacher he's been hired to return to her wealthy fiance is no fainting trust-fund baby. She's a bit of a hellcat, one who won't be deterred when she sets her sights on something. And her sights are set on Clint.


The one rule Clint never breaks is this--don't get involved with the client. He can look, but he definitely cannot touch--even if it's driving him crazy. Keeping Julie safe until he can figure out who's behind her kidnapping means never letting her out of his sight. And the closer he sticks to the feisty, seductive woman who makes him feel alive.. the harder it gets for him to ever consider letting her go....


Type: Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5

I loved this one! So far it's my favorite of the series. Again this series goes with a darker issue. This time kidnapping. But there was enough humor to balance the darker side of the storyline and keep me laughing throughout a good bit of the book. Clint is a retrieval specialist and on occasion that means getting people home safely. His current job is to get Julie back from a set of kidnappers. Simple enough but things just aren't adding up and he knows something more to it all than just a simple kidnapping for ransom. 

Heroes (A to Z)

We're always reading about fictional heroes. I know I have more than my share that I'm quite smitten with. Strong, honorable men who stand up for what's right, that don't take the easy route even if it means they'll end up in danger, who cherish the women in their lives. Men we spend so many hours getting to know and thinking about, that risk everything for others. But what about the real heroes in our lives? 

When I started thinking about this challenge and what to do for H I decided to write about heroes. There are so many from the books I've read that I just adore but I decided to do a post about one of my real life heroes instead. My great uncle Allen.

There have always been photos of Allen around the house. This is my favorite and one I have in my dining room. He is my grandmother's older brother and someone I never got the chance to meet but have gotten to know and love nonetheless. 

Ride the Fire (Firefighters of Station Five #5) by Jo Davis

After he lost his wife and children to tragedy, Capt. Sean Tanner drowned his pain with alcohol. Now, fresh from rehab, he wants to regain the trust of his team and begin again. The last thing he needs is to have feelings for beautiful firefighter Eve Marshall. But even as they dare to explore their growing desire, Sean learns that his family may have actually been murdered. And that a shadow from his past has returned to finish off Sean-and anyone he loves.



Type: Romantic Suspense, Firemen!
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5

Happy....sigh.... I loved Ride the Fire. This was the last of the Firefighters of Station Five books and I thought the perfect way for the series to end. Finally we get Sean and Eve's story! There are some incredibly emotional scenes where Sean is dealing with his grief that just break your heart. And while this could have easily been a very dark broody book Davis incorporated enough humorous moments (hello! charity firefighter auction!) that the emotional turmoil Sean faced  didn't feel overwhelming. Davis did a fantastic job of balancing everything out and creating a well rounded read. The reason behind the suspense/crime was a little outlandish but it's romantic fiction so you just have to go with it :) and, well, there are some really whacked out crazies out there so you never know, right?

Gladys Joy (A to Z)

Today....the most important "G", the house baby, Gladys Joy. Sorry if this gets a little long :) She's draped over me right now and keeps yowling at me every time I move. This girl does NOT like to share her momma's attention even if I'm bragging on her.  I adopted her back in 2008, or rather, she claimed me and then waited until I finally figured it all out and filled out paperwork with the rescue. 

Gladys was my first bottle baby and my little one did not have an easy start to life. She and her 3 siblings were left in a metal county shelter drop box in the middle of a March night, still wet from being born,  and without their mom to keep them warm. 

She was a screamer from day one as you can see :)

Fun Foto Fails (A to Z)

Just a little fun today with some of the herd, past and present, and their "special" moments. 

Follow Friday

Q: Have you ever bought a book BECAUSE of a bad review?

A: Hm. I honestly don't think so....off to Goodreads to flip through my books....nope doesn't look like it. I did just buy Christine Feehan's Deadly Games for a kinda similar reason. Someone in a group was complaining how Maya Banks new book was way too similar to Feehan's Deadly Games. I LOVED Banks book so decided to pick up Feehan's to see how similar I thought they were. So, kinda. 

Easter Treats (A to Z)

Not my eggs

We learned today that I stink when it comes to dying Easter eggs. I've got no talent for it what so ever and have the whole smurf thing going on now. 

So. It all started when I saw this photo of some rubber band eggs and I thought....THAT IS AWESOME!...and decided I had to give it a try. Yeah. Mine. Not so much. First, how they got the dye that vibrant is beyond me. The colors are gorgeous! 

My Soul To Keep (Soul Screamers #3) by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.Until something does. Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked. And so is someone else…

Type: Young Adult, Paranormal, Bean Sidhe
Heat: 1 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Vincent, you're killing me here! My Soul to Keep was an excellent addition to the Soul Screamers series but man alive did it pull me in all kinds of directions I really, really, didn't want to go. Talk about ripping my heart out and stomping on it! The story moves along quickly and in Vincent's usual style. Emotional turmoil, humor, characters that aren't perfect but you still love, the lovely world of high school and all the drama that comes with being a teen, some really creepy and scary moments for our main characters. 

Delicious David Gandy (A to Z)

First- Sorry all for having the word verification turned on. I turned it off ages ago but apparently it never saved. It should be off now. If not someone please let me know :)


So on to D. All I could come up with was dingoes. I don't know what it is but, like A and apples, my brain decided to stop right there and that was all I could think of. So, I sent out for help and one of the ladies jokingly said David Gandy!

Ooooh. Pretty. Topic picked :) So, a little Gandy Candy for you all (and, yeah, that always makes me smirk just a little).

The Conquest (Peregrine #2) By Jude Deveraux

Lovely Zared Peregrine was the pride of her family, a treasure her rough-hewn brothers would strive at any cost to protect from their ancient enemies, the Howards. The Peregrines had suffered loss enough. Thus Zared's brothers trained her in the arts of war, and dressed her in boy's clothing. Beyond the castle walls, none knew that the youngest Peregrine was a girl.... Yet when the magnificent Knight Tearle Howard returned from a lengthy sojourn in France, it took him but one glance to discover that Zared was most definitely female, and beautiful. Now, as the enmity between their families raged on, Tearle would mount a bold campaign to win the ravishing spitfire's heart -- and save her from his brother's dark and deadly obsession!


Type: Historical Romance
Heat: 2 out of 5
Rating: 2 out of 5


The Conquest arrived at my house in a "mystery box" of books earlier this year. I'd never read Deveraux but the timing was perfect since I needed a Deveraux book for a group reading challenge. Two families battling a deeply ingrained and decades old hatred set in 1447 Medieval England. A heroine and hero on opposite sides finding one another, dealing with the fallout, hatred and their families trying to kill each other.  While not the most original concept I did like the way the story played out with Zared, her brother and Tearle all attending a jousting competition. Tearle pretending to be a servant for the family so he could be close to Zared. 

Wordless Wednesday....the drive to Charlotte

Cupcakes are the devil. (A to Z)

Like I said. Cupcakes are the freaking devil. Almost as bad as petit fours and that was an astounding disaster. Cue my kitchen in shambles post the petite fours from hell debacle ---->

Total petit fours made....6.  Hours baking/cleaning....oh about 12. 


I can cook. I can bake things like cookies and torts. Hell, I can even make fancy things like Panna Cotta. But put me in a room with anything that has to rise and it's gonna be a bitch. Shameful for a girl whose mother is a baker and can make anything. Ah well. So I've set out to concur the cupcake. They're cute. They're little. 
They're yummy. They're slightly evil and my new nemesis. I set 
out to concur cupcakes and they quickly made me their bitch. 

Book Signings! (A to Z)

For some reason I got on a reading kick a couple years back after going on a cruise. Something I thought would be a pretty solitary activity turned out to be the complete opposite. This last year I started blogging about what I read and have met some great people through that, joined in on group reading challenges, gone to author readings, joined a couple street teams for authors I liked, gotten to know the ladies who run the area used bookstores (LOVE them!) and one of my favorite things....gone to book signings. I LOVE a good book signing!

My first signing was when Nicholas Sparks came to Cary. He's a favorite of one of my friends so we went and had a blast visiting with other fans. He's a great guy and very gracious. His signings start at 7pm but he always comes into the store early and starts signing at 1pm. He'll stay until the last person has their book signed too! And there are hundreds of people that come in for his signings. He visits with everyone, jokes around, and is an all around nice guy the whole time. 

Animal Rescue (A to Z)

Woohoo! Today starts day one of the 2012 Blogging from A to Z challenge! Every day in April (except Sundays) participants post about anything related to the corresponding letter of the alphabet. More than 1400 people are joining in. Pretty damn neat, right? This is my first year and gotta say I'm a little nervous about some of the letters. Should be fun though! *waves hi everyone on my team!*

I couldn't think of anything to do with the letter A that I wanted to write about. All that kept popping into my head was Apples and while they're pretty they that was about all I had on apples. Finally decided to go with Animal Rescue since that's what I do and what takes up a big chunk of my time. 

Random Reads! April: Tallchief

Random Reads is a monthly meme hosted by I'm Loving Books that sets out to help all those unfortunate books that always get picked last. All you do is pick a book at random from your TBR shelf and read it within in the month. Pretty darn easy! The more the merrier so jump on over to I'm Loving Books and sign up! You can pick your book at random any way you want. I used my Goodreads list and random.org to pick my lucky book.


Last month it picked Michele Bardsley's Never Again which was a book I really wanted to read. Loved the book even though it wasn't at all what I was expecting. My review is up here if you wanna check it out. 

So for April my Random Read is actually one I'd probably never pick up. It's the second Random Read for me that came from a "mystery" box of books I bought earlier this year. About half of the 50 books were ones I wanted to read. The others not so much. So yay for Random Reads helping some sad little books out. Tallchief by Dinah McCall actually sounds like it might be a good read and it has some nice reviews. Sounds like he thought she'd been killed in an explosion but really she had been placed in witness protection and shows up almost two decades later. Fingers crossed it's a good one:) 

"Ever since the night Morgan Tallchief lost the only woman he would ever love, he has struggled to seal away the past. But now Kathleen Ryder is back in his life--still pursued by the deadly secrets that forced her to flee before. And even though Morgan swears to protect her, he is helpless against his own rekindled passion.

Kathleen has never forgotten the achingly sweet hunger that bound them together years ago. Now, still on the run, all she dares ask is that Morgan keep her safe--neer expecting that he has the power to breathe life-giving fire to an ember that has grown cold. "

Deliver Me From Darkness (Paladin Warriors #1) by Tes Hilaire

A STRANGER IN THE NIGHT...

He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up at his doorstep.

COMES KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can't deny his heart.



Type: Paranormal Romance, Paladin, Vampires
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Deliver Me From Darkness is the first book of debut author Tes Hilaire's Paladin Warriors series.  And what a great start! Characters that may not be perfect but that you can be proud of. That have honor and strength. A tale of good versus evil and how the lines aren't always so clear cut. Surprising twists and a fantastic ending that had me biting my lip and my hands sweating I was so nervous one of the characters I'd grown to love might not make it. Writing that's easy and comfortable. Ahhh and a hero named Roland! I don't know why it gets me but I just love it! It's like Jo Davis' hero named Howard. Always cracks me up and Lord help me makes me giggle. But the Howards and Rolands of the world need love too, right? Well, I loved Roland from page one.  I enjoyed Karissa and Roland as individuals and a couple. The whole start to the book when his well organized and simple life is getting thrown all to bits with the arrival of an unconscious Karissa kept a smile on my face. She really did a number on him, poor guy never had a chance. Roland's a little growly and grumbly. Struggling with his inner demons and being a fallen Paladin. It broke my heart that he couldn't see all the good in himself. Karissa's got a good bit of sass in her. She doesn't just lie down and take it but fights back with everything she has when she thinks she's in danger. I liked the back and forth between the two of them from the start and enjoyed how their relationship and bond progressed through the story. It never seemed rushed or forced and just felt right. 

The secondary characters were very nicely done as well and left me excited for the books to come. I can't wait to read about Logan, Alexander, Valin and Gabriella. Each of them a little more than what was expected of them. Men and women that decided to make their own decisions and do what they thought was right even if it went against the rules and would likely cause them trouble. And how could you not love a vegan vampire? Yes, I'm just a little smitten with Gabriella and I hope we see more of her. I was jumping online as soon as I finished Deliver Me From Darkness to see who book two was about. Crossing my fingers and going "please be about Alexander, come on Alexander!". Even though he didn't have a huge role I just loved him. I'm looking forward to reading more from Hilaire and really hope Alex gets his own book one day.

Follow Friday- one book or two?

Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

A: I've tried reading more than one at a time but nope. Not for me. Once I get into a story I can't put it down long enough to pick up another book and get involved with that one. I know some people who can read 4 or 5 at a time. Would drive me nuts! I do read really fast though and can get through 4-6 books per week so that probably has a bit to do with only reading one at a time too.

Bitten (Women of the Otherworld #1) by Kelly Armstrong

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.


Type: Urban Fantasy, Shifters (Werewolves)
Heat: 2 out of 5
Rating: 3 out of 5

A couple weeks ago I saw a blog reading challenge for the Women of the Otherworld series and decided to give it a go. This was my second attempt reading Bitten and this time the book flew by and I really got into the story. Not only is a Rogue werewolf putting the Pack in danger by leaving a trail of dead bodies but the Pack itself is being attacked and has to come together to eliminate the threat. There are some truly sad and tragic moments in the story that had my heart breaking for Elena and men. I honestly did not see them coming and had little "oh no"s slipping past my lips. Knowing who was behind the threat didn't lessen the excitement of the chase. I liked the hunt and how the Pack had to fight to protect themselves. They've been safe for so long and suddenly everything is in chaos. Kelley did a great job of making you feel both the frustration and frantic-ness of the situation. The villains were pretty awful individuals and I was so ready for them to get what was coming to them!

Wordless Wednesday....embarrassment thy name is Utah.