Announcing the 2008
Lora Leigh
Reader Appreciation Weekend!
Friday, September 19th to Sunday, September 21st

Join Lora and friends for a weekend of fun, fellowship and great food. RAW will be held at the Pullman Plaza Hotel, in beautiful down town Huntington, only miles from the airport, and providing free shuttle service from Huntington Tri-State airport to the hotel.


Friday night Slumber Party and Author Panel, the Saturday Masquerade Dance, as well as the Sunday Night Get-together for all of those staying over.

Join authors:
Shayla Black ◊ Diane Whiteside
Veronica Chadwick ◊ Kay Stockham
Lorie O’Clare ◊ Lora Leigh
Lucy Monroe ◊ Shiloh Walker
J.R. Ward ◊ Sylvia Day/S.J. Day
Jacquelyn Frank ◊ Kate Douglas
Nalini Singh ◊ Diane Castell
Jules Bennett ◊ Mary Wine/Dawn Ryder
Angela Knight ◊ Bianca D’Arc
Jasmine Haynes/Jennifer Skully/JB Skully
Delilah Devlin ◊ Donna MacMeans

My ultimate dream is to once attend this weekend....I hope they keep organizing it so one day I'll be able to go.
Man I would give the world to be able to see those wonderful authors one day and actually talk to them about the amazing books they write.

Well a girl has to have a dream, doesn't she....

...Romantic Suspense and Single Author Anthologies.

After reading Cherry Adair's Mercenary I found out I really, really like the romantic suspense genre...Everyone develops their own favourite genre in the proces of reading a lot of books and now that I've read english romance novels for over a year now I have discovered that this theme is the theme I'm most into...Don't get me wrong I love the paranormal and the historicals too but romantic suspense really does it for me...especially when it's combined with hot and steamy romance.

Another thing I'm finding out is that I also like the Single Author Anthologies with short connected stories.
Have some on my shelves now by Lucy Monroe, Jasmine Haynes, Sasha White, Maggie Shayne and some others are on the wishlist and although I'm not really into antology-stories this particular kind does appeal to me. I'll be reading and reviewing some soon.

THE MERCENARY AND THE COWARD...
Prim and proper Victoria Jones knew she was a coward- heck, she'd quit her job at the accounting firm because she found tax time too stressful! Only, her nice little job at the auto-parts store, eating bland food and dating nice, predictable men never prepared her for...

MARC SAVIN
Tough, sexy, everything she feared in a man. But he was the one man who could rescue her brother. Besides, Marc owed her – he'd sent Alex on that dangerous mission. For once in her life Victoria would do whatever it took to get Marc to help her. No matter what Marc wanted from her...

When Tory asks Marc to help her rescue her twin brother and his former T-FLAC partner she doesn't know what she's getting herself into. Terrorists and bullets are the least of her problems compared to dealing with this tough ex-mercenary.
Marc is very reluctant to help Tory, partly because of his past and partly because of the feelings she stirs in him. Feelings he tries to ignore but fails miserably at.

Cherry Adair kicks of the T-FLAC series with a short and sweet explosion of feelings. This book was worth waiting for and I'm glad it got re-released because obtaining the original out-of-print release proved to be impossible and now I understand why.
Marc is the hero who makes you weak in the knees with his charisma and masculinity.
Tory is the heroine who tugs on your heartstrings with her loyalty and innocence.
And together they provide a sensual and explosive chemistry that sets the pages aflame. They are drawn to each other like bees to honey and they try to fight it but fortunately for the romantic readers they don't succeed.

This book proves that Cherry Adair is the undeniable queen of romantic suspense! She has the talent to combine nail biting suspense, exquisite fight scenes, heartbreaking emotions and extremely hot and sensual love scenes into a book that keeps you enthralled.
It's a perfectly mixed combination topped of by a brooding hero to die for and a heroine who is brave and strong despite the fact that she thinks she's everything but that.
The plot is not complicated but that doesn't mean it's not intriguing. It had me at the edge of my seat with a pounding heart. I finished the book in a heartbeat, wondering at the end where the time had gone.

Within the span of 250 pages Cherry Adair served a real treat to lovers of romantic suspense. A treat that was exciting, moving and sensual. The only thing wrong with the book was that it was too short. I wanted it to go on forever.

This was the kind of book that makes you want to be a damsel in distress and have a T-FLAC operative of your own come to the rescue.

Quote:
His mouth, fixed on hers, was greedy, devouring. He seemed to want to absorb her. He kissed her hotly, insistently, and she gave back to him, tasting, savoring the dark flavor of him.

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to Nightfall Island, where women are forbidden. This presents a challenge for the brother whose magic has been destroyed…

Evanor, fourth-born of the Sons of Destiny, lost his voice—and with it, his powers—in the violent battle that freed his family from their greatest enemy. Thankfully, with the safe return of his twin, Evanor now knows precisely who can bring his songs back to life.
She is the enchanting widow Mariel, a Healer brought to Nightfall to help the brothers in their hour of need. For Mariel and her young son, that means leaving their beloved homeland for the unfamiliar island of Nightfall and its still-forbidden shores…and with it, risking the passion she stirs in her intriguing patient’s heart.

But a new danger looms when the Council of Katan learn there might be women on the Isle…

Finally...Evanor's story has arrived. From the first book his character intrigued me. The musical twin who was happy to take care of the household.
And I can say his story was beyond my expectations. Jean Johnson has the knack for surprising her readers. Just when I thought that I had an idea of where she was taking us in the previous book, she came, saw and conquered with unexpected and very original turns in the plot and the romance between Evanor and Mariel.

The Song brings us the story of Evanor, where we return to the Isle of Nightfall, the problems with Katan and the Curse.
Evanor has a hard time dealing with the loss of his voice and his magic, drawing more and more towards depression. But his salvation comes in the form of Mariel. The Healer who brings him hope and is destined to be his Prophesied bride.
I adored both Evanor and Mariel. Evanor is capable and romantic. He melted my heart with both his sweetness and his determination. I liked him in the other books but I loved him in his own. Mariel is very much like Evanor. A gifted healer, lovely and outspoken.
They are both down to earth and realistic despite their magic abilities, wanting to have simple things in life, the things all people want: happiness and love. I closed them in my heart easily and throughout the book I wished for their happiness, knowing they both deserve it.
Mariel's son Mikor was endearing. A true nine-year-old boy. Blunt, direct and with an inquiring mind. He put a smile on my face several times.
The brothers and their wives were as magnificent as before. Bit by bit we get to know them all, especially the ones who haven't found their destined brides yet. I'm anxiously anticipating their stories.

This time we also get more information on the mysterious Council of Mages from Katan. The veil was lifted from the people who exiled the brother to Nightfall. It's very nice how in every book more and more of this magical world is unveiled, how the plot thickens and how it takes new and unexpected turns. I really look forward to what the stories of the remaining brothers will bring.

The world building Jean Johnson does is detailed and exquisite. Both in the magical and mundane things. The way the Isle of Nightfall is evolving into an independent and self-sufficient kingdom is described in an intriguing and amazing way. But also the way Jean Johnson describes how the Nightfallers take 21st century concepts like the concept of cell phones and turn them into magical artifacts, or the way the concept of religion is explained. I was really amazed by the way this was blended with the love story. This is only possible because of Ms Johnson's extraordinary writing talents.
This talent also stretches to the love scenes. They were absolutely spine tingling. The sensual tension between Evanor and Mariel is built up gradually in a formidable way. I was just as wooed by Evanor as Mariel was.

With The Song Jean Johnson has only made me more eager for the following installment so I can explore this magical fantasy world she has created with it's delicious twins, their wonderful women and the never-seize-to-amaze-me plots.

Quote:
Eyes shut, body melting, Mariel tried not to let herself drool too much. The man had the hands of a god, and he was using them to do utterly delicious things to her body.

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to the Isle of Nightfall, where women are forbidden. But when the abducted third-born brother is taken by a powerful and beautiful mage, he wonders if she is his own Prophesied Disaster, his foretold wife-to-be

Kidnapped from the Isle of Nightfall, taken captive by slavers, Dominor is sold to a lovely mage, who promises freedom. But Lady Serina has plans for him; she needs another powerful mage to re-enact a mating ritual, to help reverse a Tantric spell cast centuries ago. Agreeing to help her, Dominor doesn’t suspect the secret she holds back from him: there is more to this magical mating than the Arithmancer has revealed.

Once the ritual is complete, he will be returned to Nightfall. But when that secret finally shatters, baring the truth behind the misunderstandings now separating them, Dominor is determined to retake possession of the woman who is his Destiny.

The third book in the series and a fresh set of twins, starting with Dominor whose destiny will unfold first.

The story of his kidnapping by the Mandarites continues in his own book. Picking up where we left of in the Sword, Dominor suffers being bound and shackled, being captured as a war prize and being sold off on a slave-market. Luckily for him he's bought by Lady Serina, his Prophesied bride. With the purchase of Dominor starts a lovely story of trust and love, sprinkled with magic and passion.

Dominor is proud, competitive, self-assured and a just that bit arrogant he pulls it of without being annoying. He appreciates the finer things in life and he knows what he has to offer, whether it's to his family or to his destined bride.
Serina is intelligent, bossy, logical, practical and headstrong. She tends to lose herself in her calculations and projects creating a wonderful absentminded contrast to her intelligence. It also makes her very endearing.

I truly enjoyed myself reading their story. They are perfect for each other, complementing the other one and at the same time challenging each other, both in intelligence and in passion. Dominor shows Serina there is much more in life than mathemagics and arithmancy and Serina shows Dominor he has more to offer than competition and dominance.

I liked that the story was mainly focused on Dominor and Serina with their relationship and their part in the whole puzzle but of course I was happy to get reacquainted with the eight gorgeous brothers and to new meet new secondary characters such as Mariel and her son Mikor.

Jean Johnson knows how to write compelling characters, both primary and secondary. Each one has its big or small part in the recurring plot. They are only waiting to be placed in the right spot at the right time. Little by little she reveals more of the ongoing and intriguing plot of the curse, surprising me with twists and turns I really didn't see coming. I admire the way she can spread it out over such an amount of books and still keep it fresh and surprising. Small hints are given to where Evanor's (Dominor's twin) story is heading to but they are so subtle it's intriguing and enticing without disturbing the focus on Dominor and Serina.

I also thought it was nice to see the story taken to other scenery besides the Isle of Nightfall. I really liked reading about the people of Natallia, the nuns of Koral-Tai and the customs of The Moonlands, where Serina originally comes from. But the developments on the Isle of Nightfall are just as intriguing, seeing how they are building their own kingdom under the rule of Queen Kelly.

Jean Johnson has created a complete and fascinating magical world of fantasy mixing known and unknown concepts together. She makes unknown concepts easy to understand because of her simple and accessible writing style, but she also manages to cover everyday things such as lock picking, showers, mathematics and science in a magical blanket that makes them feel extraordinary.

With the Sons of Destiny Jean Johnson has created an enticing and intriguing world in which you effortlessly submerge because of its ease and simplicity.
You're lured into a new world full of unknown and known concepts in a different context and you easily embrace them all because of the way Johnson describes them.
A world that's complete and fascinating and seriously arouses the imagination.

Quote:
Dominor: " I find intelligence in a woman to be very arousing. Your little dissertation on your projects just now was very...stimulating. You have maybe a minute before I throw you on that desk and do my best to sexually nail you to it."

A Woman With a Plan
For most people, being held at gunpoint by inept bank robbers disguised as Yoda and SpongeBob SquarePants would make for a bad day. For local librarian Turner Hastings, it's an opportunity. Using the distraction to pull a little heist of her own, she dives into a new life... on the run.

A Cop on a Mission
FBI Special Agent John MacKinnon always gets his man... or woman. After watching Turner Hastings dump the contents of a safety deposit box into her purse on a surveillance tape, he knows this case won’t be run of the mill. What he doesn't expect is how the cell phone contact between him and his bounty is about to blur the line between professional ambition and personal desire. When bullets from a hired hitman start flying in Turner's direction, giving weight to her claims of injustice, John is willing to cross any line to save her life...even if it means losing his own.

When town librarian Turner Hastings, the person most unlikely to commit a crime, turns a bank robbery into her own heist in the name of personal revenge, the chase to capture her ends up being as unconventional and surprising as the act of the heist itself. Special Agent John MacKinnon, the FBI agent in charge of the case, finds himself capturing a lot more than he bargained for and Turner in the end doesn't mind being captured by this intriguing agent at all.

Both John and Turner are characters you can easily identify yourself with, their feelings are normal and everyday feelings and their motivations are ones that aren't that far-fetched although they find themselves in less everyday situations, thrown in an unusual and extreme setting. Their sanity and logic are a big contrast with the almost over the top stupidity and insanity of secondary characters of the bank robbers Fish and Nald.

But still as normal as John and Turner might be they are not average characters. They both have something special that comes to life in their interactions. John doesn't seem very alpha male but when he talks to Turner or is with her he has something utterly appealing.
Turner is a woman with a mission, a mission to right a wrongdoing committed a long time ago. She's waited for the perfect moment to execute her revenge and nothing is going to stand in her way. She has her hang-ups and complexes but with John she forgets all about them and relaxes into a heroine who's focused and determined but sometimes also very headstrong.

Under the pseudonym of Julia Harper, historical romance writer Elizabeth Hoyt has gone in a very different direction and I found it a refreshing and witty one although I also must be honest and say I liked her historicals more.

In this book humor has the upper hand, sarcastic humor, laugh-out-loud humor, witty bantering, slapstick humor. You name it and this book has it, especially in the first half where the focus is almost purely on the plot and less on the romance/relationship between John and Turner. The love story gradually picks up though, evolving more after the first real contact between hero and heroine, be it on the phone. After that the perspective alternates between, Turner on the run and John chasing her down, the emotional interactions between John and Turner on the phone and later in the flesh and the slapstick, almost absurd scenes of the fleeing bank robbers.

I found it difficult to classify this book into one particular genre. There was a bit of suspense, a bit of action, a bit of comedy, a bit of romance and a bit of drama. This is definitely a contemporary with many layers to it.
I was able to discern to different parts in the book, the first half being witty, funny and hilarious, focusing more on the robbery and the chase. The second part being more emotional and intense, focusing more on the relationship between Turner and John. But you are able to see the slow build up in the first half towards the second half. It starts out seeming a funny story about a robbery but underneath you know there's something more waiting to come out.

There's something very down-to-earth and straightforward to this book that appeals to me despite it not being extremely intense or mind-blowing. I can't pinpoint exactly why but it somehow got to me on a whole other level than other contemporary novels I've read. I do think the small twists in the plot, the witty bantering, the unusual characters, both primary and secondary certainly contributed to this feeling.

I enjoyed Ms Harper’s first contemporary romance even though it wasn't the emotional rollercoaster I prefer my romances to be.
She was able to turn an average small-town robbery into a story of revenge, justice and companionship, spiked with romance, wit and a main couple who both give as good as they get. She has this cunning talent of getting away with bringing together plots, characters and emotions that seem irreconcilable, in a very easy and believable way.

Quote:
There was something essentially erotic about his need to pursue. To capture and reveal her. He was the predator, and she was his wily, seductive prey.

Flora MacLeod is determined to avoid the sad fate of her mother—bartered between rival clans through four unhappy, politically arranged marriages. Now Flora, considered the greatest marriage prize in the Highlands, has become a political pawn herself. Despite the determination of no fewer than three powerful Highland Chiefs to force her hand, she has vowed never to become any man’s prize. Flora’s resolve is soon put to the test by the fiercely handsome, enigmatic man who’s kidnapped her for a ransom she’ll never pay…her heart.

Lachlan MacLean has gotten more than he’s bargained for. The battle-hardened Chief has kidnapped the beautiful heiress with the intention of wooing her for marriage. But the gruff Highland chief isn’t used to wooing women, especially not the most exasperating, stubborn woman he’s ever met. And when the curse surrounding an old tragedy puts Flora’s life in danger, Lachlan realizes his ploy may well have cost him a chance at love.

It seems destined to fail, a woman determined never let any man control her, let alone a Highlander and a dominating Highland chief born to rule and control everyone under his responsibility.

Lachlan MacLean is the Highland warrior at his best: rugged, masculine, handsome and fierce but underneath that all there is tenderness, honor and pride. He made my heart flutter with his intensity and passion. Although all the heroes in this trilogy are utterly scrumptious, he is most definitely my favorite. His devil's bargain to regain what is taken from him by Flora's brother turns void when he finds the woman who can make him yield to a love so strong everything fades away in comparison.

Flora McLeod is known as the Holyrood Hellion and she certainly lives up to that title. All the heroines in this trilogy are strong women who won't be controlled or ruled by anyone and Flora is absolutely no exception. She is willful, headstrong, proud, feisty and defiant in every way. Trouble has no problem finding her, even when she is not looking for it. Of the three heroines Flora is the most spirited one and the one who has no regard for the dutiful Highland ways. In her eyes duty equals the misery her mother went through and she vows she'll never end up that way.
The recurring theme of duty and loyalty to the clan versus love applies to Lachlan in this book but not to Flora, her only loyalty is to herself and this may come across as selfish or egotistical but I can assure you that Flora is anything but that. It is the only way to protect herself from the agony she saw her mother live in. Her plans to avoid being pawned of as a marriage prize in the political schemes of her relatives by arranging her own marriage of convenience is irrevocably interrupted by an abduction that will change her life forever. She finds herself wanting the one thing she was always warned for by her mother: a Highland chief and warrior.

After reading only the prologue I knew for certain that the final book in this trilogy was a matter of saving the best for last. This was the most intense and heart wrenching of the three books. At the risk of sounding like a broken record I must again admire the writing skills of McCarty. She is able to describe the feelings and thoughts of the characters with such intensity it had me glued to the pages. Their dialogues and interactions go from sarcastic bantering, to sensual awareness to full-blown passionate without a hitch. The love scenes are lush, enticing and stimulating. Masterfully dosed into the story and contributing to the emotional development of the characters.
But McCarty also has the ability to pull you deep into a historical plot of Highland feuds, this time enhanced with a family curse that hovers over the main couple's head.
The intricate connections between the different clans and families throughout the trilogy also stretch to the family connections surrounding Flora and Lachlan. Puzzling at first but more and more intriguing along the way.

Where in the other two books the plot is disclosed fairly early in the book, in this one she gradually fed me with tidbits of the plot and eventually it all fell into place in an amazing conclusion. This certainly contributes to the intensity of the book, keeping you on the edge of your seat wanting to know how it's going to unravel.
And the descriptions of the Scottish Highlands were equally sublime. Even more than in the previous books the descriptions made me long to see and experience the rugged and magnificent Highland Isles, full of history, for myself.

In short, Monica McCarty is a refreshing and original new voice in the Scottish historical genre who's earned my admiration for her writing skills, her amazing characters and her ability to turn true historical facts into lovely historical romances that stir the emotions.

Quotes:
Lachlan: "Don't play with me, Flora. I'm not one of your pet courtiers. Poke me and I'll bite."

Men had stolen kisses from her, but no man had ever kissed her in a way that made her want to weep, her heart slam into her chest, and her knees go weak all at the same time.

Meg Mackinnon knows she has to find a loyal, trustworthy husband to support her simple brother as chief. Her father has entrusted her with the decision, and letting him down is not an option. So she leaves for court begin her search. The dark, mysterious outlaw who rescues her on her way meets none of her criteria, but arouses her passions in a way that Meg cannot ignore.

Alex MacLeod claims to be a mercenary, a man with no loyalties. But soon Meg suspects that Alex is not what he seems and she must learn to trust her heart, or risk losing the right man forever.
Driven by the demons of his past, Alex fights against the king’s injustice. But when he uncovers the details of a royal plot to colonize the Highlands with Lowlanders, the last thing he needs is to be distracted by a lass who interferes with his mission at every turn. Thrust into a web of deadly intrigue, which binds him and Meg ever closer together, Alex soon faces the ultimate battle between love and duty.

When Meg MacKinnon goes to the king's court to find a husband to ensure the future of her clan, she sets out to find the right man for her clan but she never thought she would find the man who would capture her heart and soul.
Alex McLeod is at the king's court for his personal mission of redemption and for his mission only. There is no room for a love in his life so he tries to resist the alluring attraction to the lovely Meg, but this is one battle he's sure to lose...

Alex is the brother of Rory, the hero in book 1 of this trilogy and he also made an appearance in book 1 but to be honest I didn't pay much attention to him then and now I wish I had. He turned out to be an amazing character and a hero to die for. He's a mercenary and warrior to the backbone. He is compelling, honorable and intelligent.

Meg McKinnon is the epitome of a Highland lass: dutiful and brave, but also pragmatic and outspoken. She is blown away by Alex's fierceness and masculinity. She approaches everything with logic, but logic goes right out the window when she meets Alex. She is a lovely heroine you have no choice but to sympathize with.

Meg and Alex are very alike though you wouldn't say so at first glance. They both put their duty to their clan above anything else, including their own happiness. Until they discover that love is not only stronger than duty but is also empowering, giving them the strength to do their duty.

The attraction between them is instant and sizzling and can't be denied. But their story is one of the choice between love duty and love against the background of the battle between the Highlanders and the Lowlanders. A story of treason and loyalty laced with Highland politics and schemes

The characters, both primary and secondary are top-notch. Intense, emotional, charming and entrancing. Every connection falling into place along the way and every character has his or her role in the plot. And still despite every character being appealing Alex and Meg are the stars of the show. They carry the plot and book in a formidable way. Nonetheless I’m hoping for books on the Campbell siblings Jamie and Elizabeth. They made quite an impression and I hope they will be featured in McCarty’s new trilogy coming in the beginning of 2009.

The sensual tension is build up gradually and slowly but nevertheless with intensity that make the beautifully written love scenes sensual and seductive, emotional and touching. McCarty has real talent for describing the feeling and emotions so vividly it just comes of the pages, holding your attention in a tight grip.

The book is character based with the focus on their feelings but still the emphasis is very much on the mix of a character based love story and the historical plot. Neither outweighing the other but rather contributing to the perfect balance. The alternation between the characters and their feelings and the plot is more present than in book 1 but this didn't bother me at all, it all blends perfectly together.

Again this is not an action driven plot, which absolutely doesn't mean there is no action in it. On the contrary: The battle scenes are enthralling with the battle on the Isle of Lewis as the breathtaking climax. McCarty knows how to write these scenes with so much intensity and accuracy it left me with a pounding heart and holding my breath.

With this trilogy (and I have yet to read book 3) McCarty has definitely put her stamp on the genre of Scottish historicals. Both the romance and the historical background are captivating and fascinating.
This trilogy is another hidden treasure on my bookshelves! Thoroughly researched and masterfully written again I was taken to the Highlands of King James in the 17th century. McCarty's thorough research makes her settings and characters utterly real and believable.

Quote:
His pulse hitched and then broke out in a full race when a slow, sensual grin played across her lips. "Now it's my turn," she said. "I wonder if I can make you beg?"