Has It Really Been Two Weeks Since I Last Posted?????

O Dopey Me!!  I can't believe it has been so long since I even thought about posting.  No wonder so many of you don't stop in anymore.  I offer my sincere apologies for not keep up -- just trying to find a new house, trying to get lots of other stuff done that will mean we must start packing up our junque, and I just didn't stay up with this blog.  I love to read all your blogs, but I haven't been good about doing my part in the So. California blogging community.  Anyway . . . I have been reading some really good books and one that has piqued my interest is timely for the Halloween observance that is just a couple of days away.  We have been enjoying all the decorations people are putting up on their homes, at schools and public buildings, etc.  Even the fellowship hall in our church now has lots of fun decorations and the congregation really had a good time with Halloween cupcakes after church yesterday as well as a yummy potluck complete with my favorite:  deviled eggs.

Anyway . . . back to the book . . . I found it online just recently and so I want to share it with you.

Jordan Cross has returned to Holiday, Montana after eleven long years to clear out her late aunt’s house, put it on the market, and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Soon, she finds herself facing the town that turned its back on her because she was different. Because being labeled a witch in a small town didn’t earn her many friends...especially when it wasn't a lie.

Matt Cooper has lived in Holiday his whole life. He's perfectly content being a bachelor alongside his four single brothers in a very small town. After all, the only woman he'd ever loved ran out on him without a goodbye. But now Jordan’s back and just as bewitching as ever. Can they rekindle their romance with a town set against them?

Lots of fictional characters have piles and piles of personality flaws and inner hang-ups, but few have to contend with the burden of magic that has been handed down from female ancestors.  Jordan is a woman who has borne the burden of being different and her responses to a community rife with prejudice has crippled her views of living, her choices of future endeavors, and entering into positive personal relationships.  Most of all, the man she has really loved all her life has been left behind because she has given power to mean-spirited, prejudiced, angry and hurtful people in her hometown who even after she returns are continuing to make her life miserable.   A simple display of her magic when she was five years old alerted the community that she was a powerful person in the making and small-minded people, especially members of their "ruling" family, took it upon themselves to destroy her and drive her away.

Many of us are thankful that there are places in the world where a live and let live attitude prevails.  That is not so in towns and communities like Holiday, Montana where the community has allowed a powerful and greedy family to run rough shod over them, all because there is no one with the gumption to stand up against this brother and sister who think the town is there to serve their interests.    Now Jordan Cross has returned and along with "finding herself" she is also finding that the old feelings between her and Matt Cooper are still very much alive.  But Matt has a mysterious problem that is eroding his sense of purpose about any future he wishes to have with Jordan.  In a way this novel is a mystery upon a mystery even while we agonize with Jordan as she searches for the inner fortitude to take a stand for herself.

Yes, these people are really irritating . . . any town that allows the prejudice and small-mindedness of their mayor and his family to be the predominant spirit should all be horse whipped.  But the truth is that such communities with their closed off thinking really do exist.  I have lived in some of them, and one recognizes the power that some families--the power they don't deserve nor have earned--to influence strongly the way a community responds to people who are different.  Matt and Jordan are irritating too, as they are reluctant to deal with their own inner questions.  But those of us who have worked with people with sizable piles of insecurities and fears from the past know that breaking through that kind of obstacle to positive living is often very difficult.  It was a testimony to the power of their early life connection that Matt and Jordan were able to have any kind of renewal at all in their relationship.

I found this short novel to be interesting on lots of levels, even though I was P. O.'d lots of times at the arrogance of the mayor and his sister.  I don't deal well with cruel, arrogant, manipulative, abusive people, whether or not they be real or fictional.  Yet I appreciated the loyalty and comradeship of Matt with his four brothers, their acceptance of Jordan's unusual powers, and even the willingness of one of the brothers to speak his mind in a loving and corrective way during a crisis.

I think it is a fun read -- not long and certainly not complicated.  But it will be well received by Carrie Ann  Ryan's fans as well as those who are in the mood for a story with family and friendship that stands against prejudice and meanness.  I give it a rating of 3.75.

This short novel was released by Fated Desires Publications in October, 2012 and it can be purchased at Amazon.com

The Uber-Alpha Male: What's With This Guy? "Staking His Claim" by Lynda Chance

Twenty-one-year-old Elaina Ruiz has only just begun college when she meets Raul Vega for the first time. Recognizing his ruthless intensity for what it is, she doesn't correct him when he assumes she is an eighteen-year-old freshman.

Raul Vega has never met a woman he couldn't do without. Until he meets Elaina Ruiz and knows she has to belong to him--even if it means waiting for her to grow up.

Right from the beginning of this short novel you will be introduced to this I'm-going-to-have-you-whether-you-like-it-or-not kind of hero and if you are like me, you won't like him very much.  He spies Elaina, makes some assumptions about her, not the least of which are that she is way too young for him.  But he is determined that she is going to be his woman and from that point on he makes sure that no other male gets within shouting distance from her.

There is, however, one other factor in Raul's response to Elaina.  He is Hispanic and macho to the core.  He not only has his own personality traits to contend with, but he also has his cultural norms mixed in as well.  He is the man and his woman will always recognize that or else.  For a good portion of this book I really silently applauded Elaina's  subtrefuge about her age.  She had no intention of making it easy for this man.  That she responded to him with equal wanting is never in question.  But she has enough steel in her spine that she is going to  make him work for her and that she does with a vengence.  

Yet this story has a very tender and loving back story and as Raul and Elaina's relationship goes from turbulent lust to deep connections, the reader is aware that as she steals his heart she is also discovering that he is a man of great loyalty and gentle protection.  A simple touch of Elaina's hand is sufficient eventually to calm Raul when he is ready to fight the world.  He will fight the world to keep her for himself or to protect her, but her deep love will keep him tender and caring when nothing else will.

This is another one of Lynda Chance's great stories and is one that will be an emotional roller coaster for most readers.  It will be the kind of story that one will either like completely or dislike completely.  Alot of that has to do with the reader's own context and one's ability to relate to such strong characters.  They are gritty and lusty and there is no half measures here.  Her love scenes are very erotic and the loving is hot.  So all in all, this is another of her works that will please most readers and especially those who are really "into" the alpha male.  But don't worry:  Elaina is just as strong.  Her soft curves hide a woman who is every bit as determined to be herself as Raul is to have her.  It makes for some very entertaining reading.  I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.  

A Reno Wedding With Baggage . . . "No Holds Barred" by Jaydyn Chelcee

Rimrock—Home of the Montana men and the women who tame them.

Professional horse trainer Kaycee Spencer decides to relocate when she becomes the target of an insane stalker. She chooses remote Rimrock, Montana where no one can find her.

Jace Remington, co-owner of the Dancing Star Ranch, refuses to allow women around his thoroughbreds—females are nothing but trouble with a capital ‘T’—that is, until he meets Kaycee Spencer, a woman who crashes into his peaceful life with trouble close on her heels. 

Set against the backdrop of the rugged mountains of Montana, Kaycee and Jace discover that if they are going to survive the vicious serial killer stalking Kaycee, they will have to learn to trust each other.   No Holds Barred, a roller-coaster ride of murder, romance, and the discovery that love just might conquer all.

This second novel in the Montana Men series was first released in 2008 and has now been re-released by Secret Cravings Publishing and is a doozy.  There is a sick stalker/serial killer who wants Kaycee and will do and has done unspeakable things to get her just so he can abuse, molest, and ultimately kill her.  In the Arms of Danger began this series and told the story of Sheriff Danger Blackstone and his love relationship with Lacey Weston who eventually became his wife.  There story continues on here as part of the back story, but this is Kaycee and Jace's story, two strong people who have been overwhelmed by life in many ways and whose encounter in Duel Remington's casino in Reno, Nevada, ends up being hot, erotic, and capped off with a marriage license.  That's just the beginning of the "road to true love" that is loaded with potholes, not the least of which is Jace's stepmother, a woman who is perverted in her own special way, and with Kaycee's brother Taylor, a man who has been severely injured in an auto accident with Kaycee driving.  You can imagine the dynamic between that brother/sister combo.

This is a story that is filled with high emotion, sexual hijinks, old wounds from family abuse, a stalker/serial killer whose sickness seems to continually escalate, secondary figures who become more important as the story moves along, and the pain of hurting lovers and the loss of people who become more important in death than they did in life.  There is deep sadness here as well as hope and deep family loyalty.  This is a novel that may be set in the beauty of Montana, have the potential for being a wonderful love story, but which is tainted and colored with greed, distrust,  and anger.  The novel is intense in a gritty and edgy way, with the story moving from character to character, scene to scene, all of it in such a way that the reader wonders what else can happen and will the bad guy really manage to do harm to so many people.  It is a cliff hanger of sorts and is filled with suspense that will surely carry over into the following novels.  This writer was new to me before I found Book One but I have been enthralled with both the first two books and can't wait to read the next three.  It's a book that suspense romance fans will enjoy, but be prepared:  you will be hooked.  I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

I've Inherited What??? "Her Cowboy Stud" by Randi Alexander

Trace McGonagall's quiet life on his Houston stud ranch is shaken up when gorgeous Macy Veralta arrives to claim an inheritance left to her in his uncle's will. Trace sees her as just another gold digger, but he also can't resist her curvy body. When she hints at being the perfect submissive to his Dom, he has to have her.

Macy wouldn't have been three months late to claim her inheritance if she'd known Trace was sin in jeans. The cowboy's dominant bearing and the smoldering glint in his eyes send shivers to her toes and stirs images of being bound in his bed and disciplined at his hand. But could Trace's perfect seduction be part of his plan to reclaim her inheritance?

He's everything she has been led to believe he is--at least, in the "looks" department. Tall, muscular, steely gaze, looks great in those worn but tight jeans--just as his Uncle Silas claimed. Now Macy is there to see for herself, and to claim whatever she has inherited from this mysterious old gentleman she met while sharing a curious conversation in the first class compartment of an airplane along with a very good bottle of wine. Now, old Silas is dead and his nephew is looking at her like she has just crawled out from under the nearest rock. Yet there is something about her. Little did she know that Silas has spoken of her in his last letter to Trace, the letter found after his death.

This is a very entertaining novella about two people from very different walks of life who have been literally brought together by an old man who seems to have had the knack of getting what he wants. He also seems to have had that uncanny ability to read people, and as much as he loved Trace, Silas knew that his nephew was way too withdrawn for his own good, and way to prone to think negatively about someone he doesn't know. Silas saw a new and bright spirit in Macy, knew that her joie de vivre would be just the bright light Trace needed in his life. The sexual tension was apparent right from the first, but the trust wasn't there yet.

This short read really keeps the heat up from almost the first. There are some unhappy moments, but these two stumble along in trying to find their way toward each other, in spite of the sexual stuff--sometimes that can be more of a obstacle to understanding than a help. This story is definitely erotic and yet there is that sense that the underlying story is important--two people who really, really need to find each other. This novella is another in the "Cowboy Kink" series written by several different authors, and this author has added nicely to the line-up. There is, indeed, some kink involved, but it isn't the first thing out of the shoot. It is a mutual discovery that Trace and Macy make together that then becomes an enriching ingredient in their growing awareness of something deeper than just lust.

This entire series is fun and entertaining and I hope you'll check it out if you like studly cowboys. I give this novella a 4 out of 5.

This publication was released in March, 2012, by Wild Rose Press.

My Feelings Exactly!! "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" by

Garrett was sure his obsession with Tessa would be the death of him. He'd watched her patiently for a very long time. Okay, so "patiently" wasn't exactly a good description. He'd run off every man within a mile of her for years. He knows her habit of skinny-dipping in the lake that joins their properties, and this time, he plans on taking advantage of it.

Tessa thought Garrett was out of reach. He's ten years her senior and always has a horde of slim blondes hanging off him. She's short, curvy, and black. Definitely not his type. Too bad no one told Garrett that. Now, Garrett is determined Tessa will be his, and this is one cowboy who won't take "no" for an answer.

While this story isn't a part of Cara North's Country Music Collection, I still noticed the book because of the title and its reference to a current contemporary country/western ballad. It is one of those stories that is tense and filled with less than optimum relationships right off the bat with characters that must struggle with the social barriers of race, color, and an age gap. It is about a cowboy who has never veered away from his wanting Tessa even though to most people it looked like he was a player--he always had the cute blonde salivating over him. Perhaps that is how he dealt with the issues he had to confront about their differences. His heart and his libido paid little attention to the social difficulties. They wanted Tessa.

I have always enjoyed interracial romances because they, like so many stories, take the reader away from the comfort zone most WASPs live in and they pose some scenarios that challenge every reader to be open to new possibilities. I have always thought that it takes a very determined couple to live outside what many would see as "norm" -- within their own racial structure and finding life partners within that context. Love is not aware of color barriers or even age gaps. Ten years is a lot of years--they make little difference initially, but eventually they make far more of a difference. Men simply don't live as long as women--at least, that is the national average--and those kinds of age differences can separate lovers eventually in the course of growing old. Don't get me wrong--I don't think that should make any difference in deciding who will be one's life partner. It's just the reality folks have to face.

I found this story to be so readable and enjoyed it a lot. I hope some of you will check it out. I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

Potholes In The Road To Love: Rosemary's Double Delight

Rosemary is a firecracker, the one who completes them. Wes and Evan have loved this fierce little ebony-haired beauty since kindergarten, even when she’s being a spoiled rotten brat. The brothers still adore Rosemary now that she’s a woman, but Evan has issues. Her mouth gets her in trouble, Evan’s temper gets him in trouble, and even tempered Wes is always caught in the middle.

Rosemary won’t tolerate Evan’s controlling ways, especially when he threatens to spank her. Why can’t Rosemary just do as Evan tells her, especially when it’s for her own good? Wes spends his time making peace, when he’d rather make love. They bring out the worst in each other, and hurt Wes in the process. She won’t give up because they’re also magical together, when they manage to get along! Add in a hot spanking, a fit of temper, and something’s gonna have to give.

Of all the stories in this series, I think this was the most adversarial and filled with the angst that long-term relationships often entail. These three characters have grown up together and have weathered the challenges of moving from childhood to adulthood, with varying success. One very important piece to this entire story is that from their earliest years, these three people planned to be "married" and planned to do so long before they knew the full ramifications of what that meant.

Time has not been kind. Rosemary is indeed a woman who has yet to learn that spouting the first thing that comes into her head may not be wise or kind. Wes is his patient self--wanting all three of them to be together but most of all, wanting to find a way that Rosemary can be in his life. Rosemary insisted that being together sexually needed to be the "grand finale" to their courtship--the wedding night. All through high school and college they waited and planned until just as their goal was in sight, Evan's self-interest prevailed and he wandered away, finding another bed-partner, and ultimately marrying her to his great distress. Now divorced and bitter, Evan's pain over his own foolish past is tarnishing his hopes for the future with Rosemary and Wes. Wes lives in quiet disappointment over Evan's bitter resistance to their triad while Rosemary is locked in fear that she will once again be betrayed by Evan's selfishness.

This is not, in my opinion, the most delightful of stories in this series, even though that word is a part of the book's title. But I hand it to Ms Rainier for dealing openly with the stresses that immaturity and fear can engender and the pain those factors cause in people we love. That Wes keeps on working to bring them together is the bright spot in this floundering relationship. But ultimately I think this story is about the lessons Rosemary and Evan must not only learn but make a part of their own personas, the patience and trust each must build in their relationship with the others, and how triads like this must put the hurts of the past behind them. In this book, more than in any of the other novels in this series, there are delightful flashbacks to their childhood which build the reader's understanding of where each of these characters is "coming from." There are also memories of betrayal and disappointment, of pain and hurt that seem to wipe out the joy of hope and the anticipation of dreams realized.

This is a complicated story in many ways, but it is one that is gut-wrenching in its honesty and one which allows the reader to participate on some kind of level as these three work through their difficulties and as they find tentative and fragile foundations upon which to rebuild their dreams for the future. As always, there are some hot and sweet loving and there is a sense of watching three really delightful people come together in a relationship that has the potential to be all they hoped for from the beginning. As in other novels, Wes, Evan and Rosemary are helped greatly by counsel from Grace & Jack Warner, and Grace's other husbands, Ethan and Adam. These four individuals seem to form the foundation for all the succeeding friendships and each of them continues to prove that they are the kind of people we would love to have as neighbors.

Heather Rainier has drawn us all into the lives of these people who are connected with the Divine Creek Ranch, and I don't think it is too excessive to say that all her readers await the next book in this series with bated breath. And as with all the books that have preceeded it, I am curious how these new characters are connected to the Divine Creek cast of characters her readers have come to love. I hope all of you will begin at the beginning of this series--Divine Grace-- and read all the novels that have been released so far. As for this book, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

The Ranch Foreman and the City Girl: Spurs & Heels by Heather Rainier

Ash Peterson falls for her the moment he lays eyes on her. She’s a stereotypical city girl, from her manicure to her high heels. Judging by the sparks that fly between them, he knows there’s a fire burning deep inside the blue-eyed beauty. But department store manager Juliana Meyers is thrown by her attraction to Ash. Everything about this quintessential cowboy sets her on edge, from his Stetson and mutton chop sideburns down to his dusty boots and spurs. All he’s gotta do is walk into a room with those damn things jingling and she’s putty in his hands.

When Ash unintentionally injures Juliana, he feels that it’s his responsibility to look after the hoity-toity redheaded workaholic. He pushes her to reexamine her perfectionist lifestyle, but it’s hard for Juliana because she’s used to doing things her way. Can she learn to relax and let him lead?

Unlike the other novels so far in this "Divine Creek Ranch" series, this is not a menage romance but rather about two characters that are as different as night and day. Ash is a man who is Texas cowboy through and through, a long-time friend of the owners of the Divine Creek Ranch, and a character that has shown up in previous novels. He knows ranching from start to finish, is comfortable in his skin, and knows what he wants in a woman he wants in his life. He has no doubt that the citified and overworked Juliana is "his" from the moment he lays his eyes on her. But convincing her of that may take some doing.

Juliana Meyers is determined to be the best retail manager this part of Texas has ever seen. She knows nothing of Texas politics or ranching, but she is determined that she will make her department store function like a well-oiled machine, even if it takes over her life--which it has! She think she is content with her life, but even as she is enjoying an infrequent social occasion at the Divine Creek Ranch Christmas gathering, her "boyfriend" of five years calls to break up with her over the phone and confesses he has been cheating on her for some time. Ash is present when this call comes through and even though he is willing to help her sort of deal with the shock, she wants nothing from him, then or in the future, to hear her tell it. Ash is nowhere willing to accept that from her. He knows that somehow she has to re-order her priorities, if not for any future she might have with him, but simply because her obsession with her work is hurting her physically and mentally. He is just that kind of caring man.

Caring for her after an accidental injury which occurs while packing up Teresa in preparation for her wedding to Angel & Joaquin has thrown Ash and Juliana together. The attraction that began at that fateful Christmas gathering continues to escalate, and they begin their affair. For Ash, it is a "forever" kind of thing. Juliana is hesitant--she is afraid he wants to control her life. How they work out the dynamics of their growing relationship is a major part of the story. Juliana's insecurities and a major miscommunication almost torpedo what could be a wonderful future for these two. How this all works out is fun and a marvelous ending to the novel.

As always, Ms Rainier has succeeded in telling a wonderful story, developed the characters of Ash and Juliana in such a way that the reader feels that they are real people, living just a bit down the road. Their struggles to re-configure their lives--to make some way of reconciling Ash's life as a ranch foreman with Juliana's drive to succeed in a non-ranching occupation, to come to some kind of acceptance that she needs to live unobsessed is the core of the tale that flows beneath all the action and the narrative. As in the other novels in this series, their romance is very erotic and these are two characters who are lively and passionate, who both want to experience a love that can withstand the challenges of any life situation. Set within the context of other characters that have been introduced in previous novels, Ash and Juliana's love story not only stands on its own merits but is a part of this community of people who are connected to the Divine Creek Ranch. And as Heather herself says in one of her interviews, these characters have lives and hearts that are as big as the country they live in. All her characters demonstrate that none of us lives apart from the people who exercise their influence and presence in our lives. And even though this couple are the focus of this book, their love is celebrated as a part of the wider community.

One of the on-going scenes in all Heather's novels is the fact that all these women love to dance. Gathering at the Ethan Grant's club, The Dancing Pony, Grace, Rachel, Rosemary, Teresa, and Juliana all love to get out on the dance floor and let the moves loose. Their men love to watch them, too. It is one of the grace-filled moments in these novels that I enjoy as much as any others. It just seems that Heather has filled this and all her novels with men who truly love and appreciate their women, who protect them and surround them with a kind of love that is empowering and heartwarming. This novel is no exception. I am really looking forward to reading the next novel in this series and am curious about the characters whose story will be highlighted--I am sure we have already met them somewhere. And they will, as do all the heroes and heroines, delight and entertain. Don't miss this really wonderful novel!

A Forever Kind of Guy: "Her Gentle Giant, I & II, by Heather Rainier

Eli Wolf provides security at The Dancing Pony Nightclub in Divine, Texas. He'd like to provide security and a whole lot more for the beautiful and voluptuous Rachel Lopez. Rachel is attracted to this cross between a huge Viking and Indian warrior brave, but knows her jealous nature will keep them from being happy together. Can she compete with the women who flock to him like moths to a falme at the club? When her apartment burns down, Eli is determined to make her a permanent houseguest. Can she deny the attraction she feels when he has always made it abundantly clear she is the only woman he wants?

Tragedy strikes, and Eli and Rachel are forced to relive painful memories from their pasts. Eli proves he is willing to do what it takes to protect and avenge her, and Rachel discovers the inner woman who longs to live life with no regrets. Part I: No Regrets; Part II: Remember to Dance.

This is a very erotic romance about two people who bring vastly different heretages to their relationship. Written in two parts, their story details the difficulties Rachel had in even allowing herself to get involved with Eli initially and moves on to the tentative bonds they forged to their wedding and honeymoon. This author doesn't seem to write stories that are fraught with upset and adversarial encounters as is true in so many romance novels. Rather, she has simply chronicled the development of their relationship over a period of months.

Rachel has been taught to be an independent woman by parents who are strong and loving. But in her early experiences living on her own she was hurt deeply by a man who took advantage of her innocence and enjoyed hurting her. After that she pulled away from the dating scene and spent her time going to college and working to build up a financial base for her life. And then one night she went to The Dancing Pony with some co-workers and she caught the eye of Eli Wolf, a man who had been around and who was tired of the here again, gone again kind of relationship. When he saw Rachel on the dance floor, it was very nearly love at first sight. But it took him several months of continually asking her out to get her to even share a meal with him. His quiet patience finally won her over, and they began to build a very tentative relationship.

Eli was a strong, Alpha male who was confident in his abilities, whose position as security at the club was really his second job. He was a specialist at climbing the towers that carried electrical cables all over the countryside, and his body mass made him a force to be dealt with. He was comfortable in his skin, and because he was so large, he wasn't looking for a skinny, tiny woman. When he saw Rachel's lush curves and her tall frame, he was captivated, but he was willing to take as long as needed to get her to feel comfortable with him. From the very beginning he treated her with such respect and care that she began to lose her fear of being hurt, of being taken advantage of, of being used for someone else's pleasure alone. Instead, Eli made it plain that her safety and welfare, her comfort level and pleasure were more important to him than anything else.

This novel is a part of a series about the town of Divine, Texas, and some of the characters continue to be a part of this second novel, individuals who first made their appearance in the first book, Divine Grace, Their continuing story forms the backdrop of this novel and some of those characters are an integral part of Rachel's friendship circle. In fact, Eli and Rachel first showed up in Divine Grace and it was there that Eli's interest was first noticed.

This story is just pure romance. It is very erotic but there are some very fun scenes, lots of authentic friendship and caring from Rachel & Eli's families, good friends who are counselors to them individually and together, and which give the reader a sense of community that forms the context of this story. Eli & Rachel's relationship is hot from the very beginning, yet they are not living apart from those who are important to them. There are some struggles and an accident that puts Rachel's life in critical danger. All through the difficult times their love is sustained by Eli's faith in Rachel, their innate goodness, and his confidence that together they can meet any challenge.

This is also a story about the futility of jeolousy, and as Eli helps Rachel work through her fears and insecurities about herself, she slowly finds strength to deal with her jeolousy. She also comes to realize that Eli is a man who can be trusted and whose all-consuming love for her leaves no room for anyone else. This story is classified as "erotic contemporary cowboy romance" and that is exactly what it is. But it is, at its core, a beautiful love story and how that relationship allowed both Eli and Rachel to become better people than even they dreamed of becoming. That's the kind of love we all hope to have at some time in our lives. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.