Monthly Archives: January 2014

Guest: Debra Mullins

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Hello my dears! I’ve missed you! Although I’ve been a terribly absent and neglectful blogger, I have been thinking about all of you. And most likely, if you know me at all, you know that I’ve been feeling guilty as well. (Sadly for you I’m used to guilt so it wasn’t bad enough for me to be arsed to do anything. >.>) As you see we have Debra Mullins visiting with us! And … talking about 3 – because it’s the 3rd blogiversary and I’m all about my favorite number. I asked generally who wanted to help me celebrate ALBTALBS turning 3, and Debra said she wanted to. 😀 WHOO!

All About Three
By Debra Mullins

Congratulations to Limecello on ALBTALBS’s third anniversary! Per her request, my guest post today will focus on the number three.

I wasn’t certain where to start on this topic, so I researched the meaning of the number three on the internet. One thing that stuck in my mind is that the number three is the first time we actually can create a geometric shape. I mean, One is just a line. Two is a set of parallel lines. But Three lines, and we get a triangle.

Maybe this is why we tend to do things in sets of three? That sense of balance? Three little pigs, three blind mice, three times the charm, three strikes and you’re out. The number three is everywhere.

There is three act structure in storytelling, and often three books in a romance series. We measure things in threes. Beginning, middle and end. Past, present and future.

Three is all over TV and the movies. My Three Sons, about a widower with three boys. Charmed, which features three witches whose power is strengthened when they come together with ‘the power of three.’ Each of the Brady parents in The Brady Bunch has three children. (I personally think this was required so you could have some ‘middle child’ syndrome going on.) The Star Wars trilogy, where all three movies together tell a larger story.

In Star Trek, when the starship Enterprise has to activate the self-destruct sequence, it requires three officers to do so. There are Three Musketeers. The most common chord in Western music is the Triad (1,3,5). In Greek mythology, the three-headed dog Cerberus guards the entrance to the underworld. There are three branches of government in the United States. There are Three Stoodges. There are three ghosts that come to visit Ebenezer Scrooge.

Three is everywhere. It gives a sense of balance, of completeness.

I even use three a lot in my new paranormal series, the Truth Seers. I have three books in the series, featuring three siblings descended from the survivors of Atlantis. The Atlantean culture in my world has three types of “super-humans” with three types of other-worldly abilities. Everyone is chasing three special crystals that will bring back the power of Atlantis. (Or at least, the bad guys hope so.) Even the symbol of Atlantis in my book is three triangles linked together with a circle. Three is all over the place in my fictional world, and in the world around us.

Happy 3rd anniversary, Limecello! May there be many more!

So yeah. Three. Maybe by the end of January we can scare up three prizes. XD I’m working on it! What “things of three” can you think of? Inspire us! I’m sure Ms. Mullins would love for you to add to her list!

And cuz we all love the book talk… here’s the cover and back cover copy of the aforementioned book! 😀

Prodigal Son Bounty hunter Rafe Montana is a Seer, descended from the fabled Atlanteans. He uses his inherited power to “see” criminals across the globe and track them down, and he’s just started on a new case. Danny Cangialosi is accused of disappearing with a stolen car…but for the first time in his life, when Rafe goes looking, he is unable to “see” him. Instead, his search leads him to Danny’s stubborn, meddling, and very cute stepsister, Cara McGaffigan.

Cara is looking for Danny, too, but not to turn him in. He is her brother, after all, and she’s convinced he has a good heart. If she can just find him before the cops do, she’ll figure out a way to get him out of this. But Cara didn’t count on a scorching-hot bounty hunter getting in her way.

Despite instant chemistry, Rafe and Cara know they’re never going to see eye-to-eye when it comes to Danny. What they don’t know is that Danny didn’t just steal a car—he stole a precious stone, a stone right out of the legends of Atlantis. It holds powers they can only dream of…and its owner wants it back.

Blogiversary Guest: Alexia Adams

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Hello my doves! … Ok I can’t keep up analogies or anything, but here I am dive bombing you with posts! >.> But in a good way! We have new friend Alexia Adams visiting with us, and I hope you enjoy the post – I think it’s quite clever and fun. 😀

3 Free Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Singapore FlingJanuary is not my favorite month of the year.  I’m cold, broke, and spring seems an eternity away. It’s dark when I wake up and dark by the time I start dinner. If you’re anything like me, and are not so fond of January, I have three suggestions to help beat the winter blues. And in keeping with Limecello’s tag line, they’re a little bit tart, a little bit sweet.

•    Escape in a book. I’m a writer, what did you expect me to suggest? Read a book. Reread your favorite book if that’s what makes you happy. Borrow a book from the library. Grab a free read from your preferred e-retailer. Or win one (see below).  A word of caution, select a book with a happy ending or you’re likely to wind up even more depressed. I don’t suggest you read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky or anything by Thomas Hardy, even though they’re great books. Try a romance novel, because then you’re guaranteed a happy ending. Want to escape to the tropics but don’t have the funds? Read a romance set someplace warm. Grab a blanket and your preferred hot beverage and give yourself a mini vacation for a few hours. Enjoy.

•    Be Sweet. Compliment someone, preferably a random person you don’t know. This may seem hard, especially if you’re rather shy, like me. Consider it your brave quest for the day. Please be genuine. Find something you can honestly say and go ahead and do it. “That scarf looks wonderful on you.” “I really love your boots.” “Have you just had your hair done? It looks fabulous.” Try to choose someone over the age of 30 who may not get regular compliments. Harassed mothers or the elderly would be prime “targets”. Don’t be creepy, pass on your compliment and leave. You can stay around long enough to hear the startled, “Thank you,” but don’t linger. I challenge everyone who reads this post to randomly compliment one person in the next three days. For maximum benefit, try complimenting three people. You’ll probably make their day and I bet you’ll feel better at the end of yours as well.

•    Be Tart. Have you picked up your mail today? How many credit card applications did you get? Look inside. Does it have one of those postage prepaid envelopes? Have other junk mail you want rid of? Send it off to the credit card company. I bet the person who opens the mail would love some coupons for leg waxing or fast food or new vinyl windows. Imagine their joy as they munch on a half price triple cheeseburger, thanks to your generosity. And think of all the postal jobs you’re saving by using the mail. Plus you’ll have less to put in the recycling. Win, win, win.

So, there you have it – my three, free ways to beat the winter blues. I’d love to hear how you get on with these suggestions, especially the second one. I’ll be checking back for comments over the next few days. And further, to celebrate ALBTALBS 3rd Blogiversary, I’m offering three electronic copies of my debut novel, Singapore Fling. By the way, Lime, did I tell you how great your shoes are today?

And you know cuz I love the book info … 😀

Singapore FlingLalita Evans has always instinctively sensed that she is not the biological child of John and Julia Evans. So she has done everything she can to be the perfect daughter, the perfect future CEO of the family business. Her focus only slipped once in the past five years, when she met Jeremy Lakewood. Now her father has appointed Jeremy as Director of Marketing, and the one man who can melt her mind with a single kiss is to accompany her on a tour of the Asian offices. But before she can listen to her heart, Lalita needs to discover her true identity and learn to put personal desires ahead of corporate profits.

Jeremy Lakewood is not afraid of a challenge. Rising from an impoverished childhood to the upper echelons of the corporate world has allowed him to live up to his vow to support his widowed mother and disabled sister. The one crater in his road to success is Lalita Evans, the one that got away and the only woman who has ever turned his blood to molten lava. She’s not only the woman he can’t forget, but also his boss’s daughter. Sent to Asia with her on business, her father’s warning echoes in his ears – seduce Lalita and his career is over. Will he risk his livelihood and all the success he’s achieved to win the woman who haunts his dreams?

Eight countries in three weeks, a quest to find a birth mother, and a mutual attraction as intense as it is inconvenient leaves both Lalita and Jeremy questioning what they really want in life – love or their careers?

Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Good times, yes? You know you want it! 😉

Blogiversary Guest Jackie Uhrmacher: The Power of a Three Star Review

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We’re playing flexible time again, at ALBTALBS, and I hope you enjoy the ride. Because I’m doing it and you will like it. … Anyway somehow I messed up (beyond the obvious) and this blogiversary isn’t much of a blogiversary because there aren’t any prizes being offered but fuck it because that’s how I’m feeling. Well, I’ll be offering some prizes… but I’m rambling and I shouldn’t be doing that during Jackie Uhrmacher‘s post.

The Power of a Three Star Review

Love You To DeathFirst of all, I wanted to thank you for having me on ALBTALBS and wish you a very happy anniversary! It took me a while to come up with The Right Post and received divine inspiration over the weekend.

To give a little background, I’ve been a book reviewer for over five years, and I recently made the transition into published author in September. It’s always been my dream to see one of my books on a bookshelf somewhere. Anywhere. Even in my own home. My mom badgered me on a daily basis as to WHY I hadn’t done it yet so I finally pulled up my big girl panties and published Love You to Death on the one-year anniversary of her death. I had no grand plan as to what I was going to do after the fact. My website, if you’d call it that, was a mess. I didn’t even formally announce I was publishing Love You to Death until it was done. As far as Marketing went, I was an example of how not to self-publish a book, but I was okay with that. It was out there. Mom could stop dropping by in my dreams asking why it wasn’t done. If I sold one copy so be it! If it turned into something bigger…well, shit.

And, of course, it turned into something bigger. If I’d developed a well-thought out Marketing plan and hired someone to build a kickass website, it wouldn’t have sold a single copy. So here I am with a crappy website, decent sales, and surprisingly wonderful reviews.

What does this have to do with anything? Like I said, I was a reviewer for many years so, for the past four months, I’ve waited for the other shoe to drop. Consistent four and five star reviews?? That didn’t happen. I waited…watching…knowing, at some point, someone wasn’t going to like Love You to Death.* Then it happened. A beautiful one star review floated its way onto Amazon for one and all to see. It was a simple two-sentence review and explained quite well why the reader didn’t like the book. I’d prepared myself for what I would do when this happened – would I cringe internally? Get pissed and chuck the keyboard? Vow to never write again?

Nope. Crazy person that I am, I smiled. THIS is what I needed to feel like a real author.** It’s not the praise, the profit, or the rush in knowing that people you’ve never met are laughing at something you wrote – it’s realizing you can take the criticism and not want to give up.

I’m glad I received that one star review because it prepared me for the most crushing and most inspiring review I’ve yet to receive. It’s a simple three star review. That’s right – not a one or two star, a three star. It’s not harsh. It doesn’t personally attack me. In fact, it’s an excellent review. I say it’s crushing not because I feel like the reviewer was trying to hurt me or demean Love You to Death in any way – I say that because she pointed out something that I *know* I could have done better.

This is where the inspirational part comes in and if there are any new/soon-to-be/want-to-be authors out there, pay attention because this is something you can claim to be prepared for but you never are: your book will never be perfect. I know, this seems obvious, but hear me out. You can read it over and over and over, checking for grammatical mistakes, misspellings, inconsistencies. You can have beta reader after beta reader give you feedback. Your editor can have it in the best shape he/she can hope for. But you know what? It still won’t be perfect. There will be some mundane fact or some plot point that someone brings up in a review or conversation that makes you stand there and think, “DUH! I KNOW better!”

Don’t beat yourself up. In fact, absorb the information and move on. Next time, you’ll know better. Your book still won’t be perfect but it will be better because of the previous book’s imperfections.

And to the person who left that three star review: Thank you.

*Please note: There has never been a book in the history of the world that EVERYONE liked especially a dark romantic comedy about female serial killers who like to drink, smoke, and kill their husbands. A less than stellar review is expected and, honestly, welcome.

**Again: I’m not saying authors who don’t receive low-rated reviews aren’t real authors.

So you know (or actually you probably don’t since I haven’t mentioned it yet? But … this is the third blogiversary of ALBTALBS), that’s why Jackie wrote about the number 3. That’s the general theme. What do you think of her post? And come on – that cover? Pretty great, yeah? 😀

Blogiversary Guest: Lucy Woodhull

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My friends, I hope you carefully read this post and strike up some conversations. Lucy Woodhull is new to ALBTALBS, and I’m afraid she’s gotten a bad impression. :X This post has given me absolute fits, from the formatting to it going live. It’s a wily one, so I hope you’re entertained. And Ms. Woodhull also sent pictures to attach, and we all know how everyone loves bright colorful things, yes? ;D

Hi there, I’m romantic comedy author Lucy Woodhull, and I feel honored to be a part of ALBTALBS’ third anniversary!  In honor of that number, I’m going to tell you about the three locales in my new book The Dimple Strikes Back, sequel to The Dimple of Doom.  Here’s a blurb for the series:

The Dimple of DoomThe Samantha Lytton Series: Obviously, the solution to a failed acting career and depressing dating desert is to take up with a dimpled art thief, get chased by thugs, lie to the police and almost die.

That’s not what Samantha Lytton thought would happen when she kissed the guy who said he was an accountant at the office Christmas party. But in her defense — it was an amazing freaking kiss. The kind of lip-lock that frustrates you in the wee hours.

Turns out, thinking with your nether regions can lead to poor decisions. Or perhaps…fantastic ones. Samantha and her burglar travel from Los Angeles to Vegas to Paris to London on adventures that bring Samantha’s wildest dreams of stardom to fruition. After spending years falling on her face, she learns to fight for herself and her heart’s desire. You can’t choose who to love, but you can try to keep his cute butt out of jail and in your bed.

No matter where in the world you go, or how many hot movie stars you kiss (um, professionally), you never forget your first criminal. Hopefully, only criminal. Although bad boys with dangerous dimples are nothing but trouble, a relationship can still work as long as the goons don’t get you. And if they do, well, at least an actress is good at improvisation.

* * *
In The Dimple Strikes Back, actress Samantha films a movie in London, England; takes a rather kidnappey side-trip to Bruges, Belgium; and unwinds from chasing/being chased by criminals by jetting to Maui, Hawaii.  Why did I pick these amazing settings for the novel?  Well, because they’re drool-worthy, and because I’ve been blessed enough to travel to all three, and on anniversaries, no less!  (There’s a theme in here somewhere…)  I thought I’d share some of my pictures with you, and then we can all sigh and wish we were on vacation.  Sigh.

London:
London

My husband is a bit of a photography buff, and we stood overlooking the Thames for a long while to capture the sun going down over Big Ben.  Worth it, right?  I adored London, and would move there tomorrow if I got the chance.  It was definitely wishful thinking that made me send Samantha there to shoot a heist caper, and inside the British Museum no less!  You’ll have to read the book of you want to know what she and her sexy co-star Daniel Zhang are directed to do on the Rosetta Stone.  (Hey, I didn’t say it was a classy film.)

Bruges:

Bruges

Poor Samantha gets her heart broken by an art thief in Bruges, but my husband delighted me there.  We travelled to Europe for our tenth wedding anniversary, and he planned the night we spent in Bruges by himself and surprised me with the stop as we drove from Amsterdam to Paris.  Bruges is a magical place — all cobblestone streets and centuries-old facades.  And, for some reason, it has a huge number of lingerie and chocolate shops.  The chocolate is pretty understandable, but the plethora of lingerie storefronts were a bit more surprising.  (The chocolate boobs we bought were both delicious and dirty — an excellent combination, especially for a lady smut writer!)  This is a picture of the Rosary of the Quay, which I feature in the book.  Some call it the most photographed place in Europe.  It’s terribly ugly, as you can see, and you should never go there.
Maui:

Maui

We spent our honeymoon as well as our twelfth wedding anniversary in Maui.  The people are kind, and the weather is so perfect it gets tiresome.  Ha ha!  Just kidding — Maui is literally where angels live.  Our number twelve happened just this last October, and I wish I were there now instead of talking to you people.  But how can you blame me?  I sent Samantha to Maui with her beau for a little R&R after all the hell I put them through in the book.  And then, naturally, I put them through more hell.  Sure, I write comedies, but laughter for the reader comes at a terrible price, and my heroine has to endure more than any short lady should for your amusement.  Good thing I gave her a happy ending, or else she might declare herself on strike during book three!
* * *
You can read about both books in more detail, and read excerpts here.  However, below is an exclusive excerpt just for Limecello’s readers!  I wish all of you wonderful anniversaries (no matter what you’re celebrating), and much travel around this gorgeous world of ours.
Thank you for reading, and for Limecello for having me!
XOXO, Lucy — Website Goodreads Twitter Blog Facebook

The Dimple Strikes BackExcerpt:  The Dimple Strikes Back by Lucy Woodhull
The deets:  In keeping with the idea of “three,” I present you with a love triangle.  (In the book, it turns into the dreaded love parallelogram, which is extremely complex — I do not recommend.)  Here’s the setup:  Samantha and Danny Zhang (insanely hot British movie star) are in London to film a heist caper called What Could Go Wrong?  After a long night of shooting, they go out to breakfast to the Princess Margaret.  Samantha’s ex, Sam (be-dimpled art thief), invites himself along.  He’s in town posing as Samantha’s assistant named Zach. (Got it?  There’s a quiz after.)
* * *
We three grabbed a booth in the back. Through some sort of dark wizardry, Sam arranged it so that he sat between me and Danny in the curved seat. As he bumped my hip to scoot in next to me, he smiled, grim satisfaction in his tightly-set mouth. I remembered I’d told him that me and Danny were doing the hump-de-hump. I smirked at him with a challenge of my own. He thought he would separate me from my international movie star, whom I enjoyed for good reasons and not because it irritated him?

Oh, was he wrong.

So, so wrong.

We settled in, dispensing awkward, pleasant smiles all round. A middle-aged, cheery waitress took our orders of three full English breakfasts, with mimosas to start. I wasn’t sure those things went together, but when in the Princess Margaret…

And when you’re sitting at one point of an actual, physical love triangle…

Never in history had three people reached for champagne glasses with such speed. Danny bounced the ball and launched the first volley. “So, Zack—how long have you been Samantha’s assistant? Are you enjoying London?”

Sam settled back and spread out his arms. His fingers crept toward my shoulder, but I leaned sideways to search for something pretend in my purse. “I’ve worked closely with Samantha for a little over a year now. I like to stay on top of her.” He chuckled, and I snapped my head up. “You’ve got to ride these artist-types, or else they go off, half-cocked. Know what I mean?”

Danny played with his napkin, clearly having no idea what Sam meant.

“He’s been to London before,” I added to shut Sam the hell up. “I thought today went really well. We made up for some of the scenes we got behind on last night.”

My adorable co-star winked at me adorably. “It helped that no one tried to destroy the museum tonight.”

“I did so try! I may be clumsy, but I’m not a quitter.” I’d had a bit of an ‘oops’ encounter with a Plexiglas box containing Roman coins while suspended above it by a crane. There’s a steep learning curve to high-wire flying. Could happen to anyone.

Leaning forward on the table, Danny said, “They really ought to find a way to secure your zipper. If it continues sliding downward when you run, we’ll be making soft-core porn.”

I giggled and tossed my hair. “It’s so gentlemanly of you to avert your eyes, the way you do sometimes.”

His chuckle curled around us, warm and soft, and caused Sam to utter a sound like that of a wounded moose. Sam tried to cover by draining his drink.

“Did you hear about that fifty-car pileup in Edinburgh?” Actual crickets chirped after Sam said this.

“I’m going to visit the ladies’ room,” I announced, as thoughts of peeing were preferable to giant car accidents. I scooched out of the booth and gave Danny a cheery, obvious shoulder squeeze on the way. The moose-gurgling noise haunted me all the way to the toilet.

Upon my return, I enacted my plan. I headed straight for Danny and sat on the few inches of booth on the end beside him. “Care for some company?” Quick as a horny bunny, he moved to let me in. Now the three of us jammed together in one-half of the booth, for Sam refused to move. Since we were so close, I put my arm around Danny’s shoulders and began recounting a funny thing our director had said today. Sam’s eyes glowed like molten darkness, and he inched away from us without breaking his hostile regard.

Victory!

A fresh round of mimosas arrived, thank goodness. Danny didn’t even seem to think that me being so cold to Sam was weird, for he stared at my ex as if he were leprous, or perhaps suffering from a disease of the brain. I’d never seen Sam so awkward—he could normally win a charm competition from two counties away with one dimple tied behind his back.

Sam took a deep breath, drained half of his fresh glass and said to Danny, “What’s next for you, Daniel? After What Could Go Wrong?”

Ah, an actual thing a human being might say! He was fighting dirty now.

“I’ll shoot a film adaptation of Midsummer Night’s Dream next year, but I think I might take some time off the latter half of this year. Reconnect with real life.” Danny glanced at me ever so briefly. “Remember what’s it like to see friends, relatives. Maybe even date a little.”

“That’s just crazy enough to work,” I said.

“I hope so.”

A whole mess of subtext rippled beneath those three words, and a wave of guilt washed over me. I had exactly no reason to feel guilty, but the raw, pained lines on Sam’s face and the tense cords of his neck made my innards recoil. A full minute of silence descended. Danny bit his lip and shot me a warm look, which I returned. It wasn’t his fault that Sam and I had enough history to fill a college textbook.

The food arrived, smelling wonderful and large enough to feed, well, a ploughman. Holy crap, these English could embarrass even an American breakfast—there was sausage, ham, hash browns, eggs, tomato, mushrooms, beans and something black and circular. “What is that?” I asked Danny.

“Black pudding. It’s good—try it.”

“What’s it made of?”

Sam cracked his first real smile of the day. “Don’t tell her until she tries it.”

I froze. “Now I’m afraid.”

“Don’t be.” He leaned in and locked onto my eyes. “You’ll like it. You like anything having to do with meat.” The way he imbued meaning into ‘meat’ made me straight-up blush. My entire face heated, and the fire spread south until I tingled in a way that no lady should at breakfast.

To conceal my overheated everything, I was forced to try the mystery meat. He’d practically dared me, anyhow. It tasted salty, crumbly—a richness on my tongue that lingered. “Mmmmmm,” I offered to all and sundry. This pleased both men greatly.

“It’s congealed blood,” Sam said.

I stopped a fresh bite halfway to my mouth. But then I thought…is blood any different from meat? The second bite tasted better than the first. I fancied I could detect the tang of blood. It made me feel…metal. Powerful. As if I were a queen who devoured my enemies’ hearts and washed them down with champagne. And then went home to her castle to find her two husbands awaiting her. One with a dimple, and the other with an honest smile that warmed the heart…

Perhaps I read too much into pudding.

I couldn’t help my laugh at Sam getting my goat, and he cocked one eyebrow at his win before he tucked into his own food. When I turned to Danny, I found him watching me hazily. I blushed anew.

Why couldn’t I just have both? I decided I needed to find myself a romance novel that ended with a duchess and her two stable boys living happily ever after. Perhaps I’d produce the movie based on the book…

My breakfast grew cold while I was woolgathering dirty thoughts. Not the first time that had happened.
* * *
I’m giving away both books (pdf or ePub) to one lucky winner!

Sounds fun doesn’t it? What do you think about foreign foods and places? And all such things?

TBR Challenge: The Plus One Chronicles by Jennifer Lyon

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The Plus One ChroniclesSince this is the first challenge, I went all out, and read three short stories! They were all combined though, and really should be read all together. I read (as you can see) The Plus One Chronicles by Jennifer Lyon. (The Proposition, The Possession, and The Obsession.)

​I remember reading Part I: The Proposition around the time it came out. I also remember being surprised that it was a series series … because a) I tend to avoid them b) it was still relatively new for romances to not have closure at the end of the “book.” So, I knew I didn’t want to read on until it was finished and I could read the series in one go. I like Jennifer Lyon’s writing, and have since she wrote as Jennifer Apodaca. Remember those Brava anthologies? Good stuff. I know the theme for this month was “a short,” but I’d also been wanting a well written sexy story. I re-read The Proposition then immediately glommed on to The Possession, and immediately The Obsession​​.

The PropositionI’m not going to write a formal review because … well I don’t want to. But I do want to talk about the stor[ies]. Here’s the book blurb.

Savagely sexy billionaire Sloane Michaels ruthlessly controls his life and everything in it. Even his sex partners are carefully negotiated plus-one arrangements, including his latest, the fiery bakery owner, Kat Thayne. But Sloane’s control is challenged when his mentor becomes seriously ill, and his need for Kat, his need to possess her at all costs, rivals only his single-minded goal of vengeance for the murder of his sister.

After surviving an attack six years ago, Kat Thayne escaped her fears in the protective world of her beloved bakery. Then Sloane Michaels storms into her life, making her feel beautiful, strong and sexy. Yet as Kat pushes her boundaries and uncovers a dangerous secret in her past, Sloane’s controlling side emerges. Worried that Sloane will possess her mind, body and soul, Kat fights to keep her hard won independence. But just as Sloane demands her complete surrender, she discovers he has a dark side that could destroy them both.

The PossessionKat Thayne is a great character. I love how real she is – she’s damaged, but not broken, flawed, insecure, yet steady and certain. She’s basically the best we can all hope to be. I’d really love to be her friend, and to have a friend like that. Sloane Michaels is … as close to perfect as a guy (and hero) can get. He’s a giant teddy bear. And I mean giant. I liked how Ms. Lyons made the MMA aspect relevant, but not pedantic. The story is hot, but it’s also all about the relationship, which I find great. There was a part either in the second or third story where I got a little eye-roll-y, but the third story also made me cry. There’s this section that just … tears you up emotionally.

I don’t want to write huge spoilers, but I think Sloane’s driving force is habit, and his horrible mother. She’s what leads to the resulting conflict between Kat and Sloane, but they work it out. Usually I think the heroine is too soft for giving the hero another chance, or pursuing the relationship, but here it really worked, and I think was the best possible way for the story to be written.

Sloane’s light bulb moment is also a tiny bit deus ex machina, but I’m ok with it nonetheless. I know I sound incredibly vague, but I want you to read this trilogy! And then come back and talk to me about it!

I mean, chemist turned baker heroine, and MMA fighter turned billionaire mogul hero. They’re both damaged in different ways, yet the best they can be. Even the uber tragic past works – and usually I’m turned off by the excessively sad back story that doesn’t seem that realistic. (Thanks a lot for that, real life.)

The ObsessionI finished The Obsession at 3:30 AM and was practically screaming. Ms. Lyons is evil for ending Part II thus, and I was so glad I already had The Obsession on hand, so I could keep reading until I felt I reached an ok (and sufficiently happy) stopping point.

I also appreciate how Ms. Lyons gives us sufficient closure, and ends on a high note. I knew that things were good, that Kat and Sloane were going to work, and have their happy ever after, and that life would continue to happen, but they’d be ok. And isn’t that all we can ask for anyway?

So yay TBR challenge for pushing me to find and finish this series. I know I’ll be re-reading it, and looking for more of Ms. Lyon’s books. In fact, I found myself wishing for Marshall’s story, despite him already being engaged. In a way though, I hope that’s the end – always good to leave people wanting more, right? And I expect more wonderful, different stories from Jennifer Lyons.

(Incidentally, The Proposition is free right now for kindle/the kindle app, so go and get it right now!) Have you read these stories? Or anything by Jennifer Lyons/Apodaca? Any thoughts? 🙂

Guest Author & A Giveaway: Erica Monroe

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My dears, I am alive! Alive and not cold for the moment and a happy girl. Today we have a new author visiting with us, Erica Monroe, and it was all very much a surprise, but a good one. 🙂 She’s also continued the new trend of asking herself questions. … In a way. I like that she put her own twist on it. Very fitting for A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet.

Even more fun, she’s a debut author, and her book just came out two days ago! Everyone give her a very warm welcome!

A Dangerous Invitation So, when Lime told me about the author interview on her site, she encouraged me to really go whole-hog with the questions. Be original. But see, here’s the thing about that—I write dark, gritty historical romances. Inside my head is a weird place to be, as I’m sure you’ll understand from my answers to the following questions. I polled my readers to see what they’d like me to talk about today, and made the solemn promise I’d answer whatever they asked.

What’s your favorite thing to research when writing?

Lord hope the FBI doesn’t ever find my bookshelves or Internet searches, as with writing historical romantic suspense, things get a little suspicious. Upstairs I’ve got a bunch of books with titles like “Body Trauma,” “Crime and Punishment in the 19th Century,” “Madams, Bawds, and Brothel Keepers,” “The Italian Boy: A Tale of Murder and Body Snatching” (basis for the case I use in A Dangerous Invitation). My newest exciting purchase is “Pleasure and Pain: Opium and the Orient in the 19th Century.” I enjoy learning about how the lower class lived, and the more obscure the statistic is, the more I love it.

What’s the weirdest death you’ve used in a novel?

In my debut novel, A Dangerous Invitation, my hero is charged with the stabbing of a warehouse laborer. Said laborer had his throat slit, which isn’t very original, now that I think about it. I’m just getting started with my Rookery Rogues series, so it’s my new personal goal to make sure I write a death scene that hasn’t been used 5,000 times before. The “Death by being oversexed by one’s mistress” is always a classic, but I’m thinking more like death by a vicious disease that makes it so Scully from the X-Files has to come investigate your demise. (What? I like the X-Files, and I really wish Scully would pop out of my TV.)

Any favorite snacks you like to eat while writing?

Ah, you’ve found the way to my heart with this question. I’m married to a man who is a classically trained chef, and I’ve never met a (gluten free) pastry I didn’t love. When writing, I like to eat chocolate, almonds, and potato chips. Sometimes I go through a period where I eat an entire box of Dots while writing a scene. Said husband does not enjoy this, as then I’m loaded with sugar and springing off the walls.

You’ve been known to have a Twitter Army. Should we be concerned?

Yes, very much so. Given enough coffee, I’m pretty sure I could put my world domination plans into action. I have a friend who addresses me as “The Dictator.” I’d like to institute this as a national order, personally. All applications for joining my fabulous pink-wearing, glitter-covered Army can be taken through carrier pigeon.

Have you ever tried to stand on your head?

Yes, and it went very badly for me. I am highly uncoordinated. My idea of “dancing” is to bop around because I cannot move my hips independently. As a child, I tried to take both dancing and gymnastics classes. Eventually when they figured out I could neither do a split nor had the ability to maintain silence throughout an entire routine, my mother was kindly told by my instructors maybe it’d be best if I didn’t come back to class. I guess they feared the damage I was doing to my brain by continually falling down, to which I want to say, “hah, fooled you, it just made me more creative.”

If you could have dinner with any four people, dead or alive, who would you pick? And WHY?

I’d like to see my father again, so that’d be one for sure. Then I’d like to meet Jane Austen, as she founded my love for British literature. I’d also like to meet Aubrey Hepburn, because she’s my all-time favorite actress and she intrigues me as a person. I was once Jean Jacques Rousseau in a historical reenactment salon for high school, so I’d kind of like to meet him and punch him in the nose. (As much as I found his social philosophies intriguing, he was kind of a tool.)

A Wayward ManWhat author’s works do you avoid like the plague?

There are certain times in your formative education when you are forced to read books you don’t like, and because you then have to attend a three-week unit on them afterwards, you get a little angry and bear a probably entirely unjustified resentment toward that author. I’ll confess I harbor such resentment toward Richard Wright for having to read Native Son while I should have been studying for my AP Euro final. Intellectually, I recognize the value of his book and its contribution to American literature, but I will never, ever read it again.

I also hate with the passion of a thousand burning suns Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, though it has been explained to me now in a way that makes me a little less ragey. As much as I love 19th century British lit, this just isn’t the book for me.

Would you be a man for a week?

Sure, why not? I’d like to be like Jack on Will and Grace. I don’t really think I could pull off an alpha male type man. Assuming I’d keep my current voice, it would sound like Minnie Mouse has been put into Sylvester Stallone’s body, and nobody could take that seriously. I assume I’d also still be quite short, which just adds to the awkward picture.

If you could be any piece of (time) period underwear, what would you be?

I’d like to be a bustle. I mean, think about it. Have you ever tried to wear a bustle? You start knocking into stuff—and people—with your rear. Imagine the chaos you could cause as bustle. Whole parties of people could be rolled over by the sheer might of your fanny. That kind of power might get to my head, though.

What’s your favorite words for naughty bits?

Cock. It’s a rooster, it’s a tilt to your head, it’s a penis. I admire the ambiguity. Plus, it works in both historical and modern times.

What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done when drunk?

I’m not actually a heavy drinker, given the fact that I’m definitely a lightweight. But I do remember one time about four years ago in which I decided I was very angry at my husband over something he did four years prior to that, and I smashed two wine glasses and poured wine in his lap. I have no idea why I was that astronomically angry, but there you have it. Suffice to say he was not pleased. Then I had to buy two new wine glasses, which totally goes against my cheap-ass mentality.

Top or bottom?

Why, a lady never tells…or something equally vague here, right? But I will say it depends on the position.

What’s your favorite TV show?

So many. Top contenders are Castle, Chuck, The X-Files, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Friends, Modern Family, The Originals, Elementary, and Sleepy Hollow.

I’m giving an e-copy of my debut novel, A Dangerous Invitation.

Pertinent information about me you may need:

A Dangerous InvitationOne fatal mistake cost Daniel O’Reilly the woman he loved, spiraling him toward drunken self-destruction. Now sober, he’ll have to prove he’s innocent of the murder he was accused of three years ago. But pistol-wielding Kate Morgan hasn’t forgiven his sins.

Torn from her privileged existence by her father’s death, Kate Morgan has carved out a new independent life in the Ratcliffe rookery as a fence for stolen goods. Daniel’s invitation to assist him jeopardizes her structured existence. Yet Kate can’t resist his touch, or the wicked desires he stirs within her.

As their renewed passions grow reckless, their investigation takes them through the darkest and most depraved areas of the City. To catch a killer, they’ll have to put secrets behind them and trust only their hearts.

Bio: Erica Monroe writes dark, suspenseful historical romance. Her debut novel, A Dangerous Invitation, Book 1 of the Rookery Rogues series, released in December 2013. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina, and the Beau Monde Regency Romance chapter. When not writing, she is a chronic TV watcher, sci-fi junkie, lover of pit bulls, and shoe fashionista. She lives in the suburbs of North Carolina with her husband, two dogs, and a cat.

So now I want to know, what questions do you have for Ms. Monroe? (And how has the new year been going for you?)

Worst Day/Game Ever

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If you don’t know anything about me … let me tell you now that I am a big football fan. HUGE. I’m a football girl through and through.

I get depressed at the end of the season. I am unreasonably happy when football season rolls around. I LOVE football. I can happily sit and watch football from 12 PM – 12 AM on Saturdays. And eagerly wait for the 1 PM kickoffs on Sundays. When I grow up I want to be able to afford the NFL channel.

… How my teams do affects my mood.

You should all know as well that I am a proud Buckeye. [Even though we ended the season on a HORRIBLE note.] If you know nothing about sports, let me tell you, The Ohio State University was on our way to the national championship. But we lost the Big Ten Championship to MSU (a team I normally like. I mean, Spartans! Whoo! … At least the Spartans won the Rose Bowl.) But the Bucks just played in, and lost the Orange Bowl to … Clemson. [Which I guess maybe fate wanted it that way? What with Clemson being orange and hello Orange Bowl and their first appearance to a BCS bowl and this being the last year…] But I don’t care. Because a) I wanted the win b) everyone loves to hate on OSU and we had to prove them wrong. Only… we proved them right.]

So it makes me sad, and sulky, and grumpy, and not want to do a damn thing. So there you have it. Expect posts, but when I get to them.

I might also ‘break” one of my own “rules” – and you know what? I think I’ll make the 3rd ALBTALBS Blogiversary Grand Prize tie into SMSG13 somehow. Because I can. [And as far as I can recall at 12:22 AM and in grumpy+ mode… it’s not illegal.]

To Be Honest …

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I know I’ve dropped the ball. And I owe all of you, and the various guests apologies.

I’m sorry.

Unfortunately, this might be one of those “offends people” apologies, because … I don’t know how much I’ll change.

I just need a break, and you’d think the holidays would be it, but not with the people I’m around.

I will continue to post, and I will try to be timely. But I just want it put out there that … you shouldn’t hold your breath or set your schedule by me.

But January 2014 does mark the third year for A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet, so that’s exciting, yes?

Look for lots of prizes etc this month.

Much love,

Lime