Christy Reece - Romantic Suspense Author

Recommend Monday!

2012-01-30T07:52:00.006-06:00

Good Monday Everyone!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend and you're ready for a brand new week. My weekend was wonderfully full with reading, writing and spending time with my hubby and fur-kids. Our weather has been exceptional and though I'm afraid we're going to pay for it with a blizzard in May or June, I'm enjoying the heck out of it right now.

Wanted to say thank you again to Anne Woodall for doing such an exceptional job last week on the blog. Her post was so well thought out and had me adding several new-to-me authors to my TBR list.

My plan is to have one reader Recommend Monday blog a month, giving you all a chance to talk about your favorite books, series, authors, why you read romance or your favorite types of themes. Basically anything to do with books, reading or romance. If you're interested, email me at christy@christyreece.com and we'll chat. I've got volunteers booked through April, but the rest of the months are up for grabs.

I did read a fabulous book over the weekend, but I'm judging it for the RWA Rita contest and can't tell you what it is. (Yes, I know that's cruel!) I've got eight books to judge, with a deadline of early March. Got lots of reading to do and at some point, I'll definitely be recommending some of these books. So many fabulous authors and stories out there!

However, I wanted to mention again that if you haven't read Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton, you're missing out. I'm a sucker for an amnesia story and the way the heroine loses her memory is scarily realistic. There's a wonderful amount of angst, sizzle and suspense and I loved how Naughton allowed Kate and Ryan the time to fall in love again. Highly recommended!

SECRETS OF A SOUTHERN NIGHT is coming along very well. Zach and Savannah had a few more secrets than I originally thought. LOL I actually thought there was only one major secret. Boy oh boy do my characters love to surprise me. Now you know why I torture my characters so much...they do it to me first!

Okay, gotta go...hubby's calling. Saint's Alive, he's making me breakfast!

Can't wait to see what books you loved last week. And while you're at it, tell us what up-coming releases you're excited about reading.

Happy Monday All!

Recommend Monday with a Guest Blog!

2012-01-23T09:10:00.004-06:00

Good Monday Everyone!

I'm finally home for a few days. Hubby is taking my place looking after my mom. (Love that man!) Thanks to all for the prayers and good wishes. Mom's doing great and is scooting around on her walker faster than I can walk. (:

As I mentioned last week, I asked one of the blog's long time commenters to guest host for me today. Anne Woodall, or as you all know her, Oklanannie, has been a contributer to this blog almost as long as I've been blogging. And she definitely knows her way around a book. (: I was thrilled when she said yes and told me what she'd like to blog about. Her post fits in perfectly for Recommend Monday and I know you'll not only enjoy it, but you'll be adding more authors to your TBR list.

Thank you so much, Anne, for hosting today's blog. I loved your post and I know everyone else will too.

I'm headed into my writing cave where Savannah and Zach are about to discover that Alabama fireworks aren't always in the sky. Can't wait to see what you're recommending today. I'll hop on a little later and add my own recommendation.

Happy Monday All! And now, here's Anne!

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Happy Monday Morning!

Hope everyone enjoyed a good weekend doing what they like best. For me, that’s spending time with family, finding a real bargain on a snazzy pair of shoes, and a little time reading a good book.

It’s no secret to some of you that I had a really hard time making the transition from paper books to e-readers. I was determined that nothing would ever take the place of my beautifully covered books. And absolutely nothing was ever going to change my mind either. But one very stubborn daughter and a beautifully wrapped gift revolutionized my entire reading experience. Yes, a Kindle e-reader is now an important part of my daily life. The road has been long and the potholes filled with lots of those "naughty" words, but "Miss Kindie" (as I so lovingly named her) has won me over. Because of her I’ve been on new journeys into the world of new-to-me authors and books I may never have otherwise given a chance. We’ve definitely reached the BFF status. In turn, I want to give Miss Kindie her very own "Happily Ever After." I’m calling it an "arranged" relationship between Miss Kindie and a handsome Kindle Fire. "Fire" will be joining our reading family soon. A lesson learned and quoting my two-year old granddaughter’s current distraction, the Bieber (Justin, that is) -- one should "NEVER SAY NEVER!"

When Christy asked if I would guest blog today, I immediately thought it might be fun to share some of the experiences Miss Kindie and I had exploring the world of e-book mania in 2011. Some of our searches have been highly successful and rendered great rewards; others not so much. Today I’m only interested in discussing those that ended on a positive note. And you must admit, with the number of new authors offering freebies and 99-cent deals, there are plenty of experiences to be had.

Here’s a list of the "best new authors and e-book discoveries in 2011" that my new BFF and I stumbled upon:

1) Marie Force (While this author is neither new-to-me or unknown, her self-published e-books are certainly worth mentioning and an auto-buy the moment she releases them. I would be remiss in not recommending them.)

"Fatal Series’

"McCarthys of Gansett Island Series"

2) Kaylea Cross (This author’s "Deadly Descent" blew me away. I loved her realistic writing style which actually put me in the co-pilot’s seat when the helicopter went down! Her "Suspense" series is also pretty darn good and kept me coming back for more.)

"Deadly Descent" (Book #1 Bagram Special Ops Series)

"Out of Her League" (Books #1 - 5 "Suspense" Series)

"Cover of Darkness"

"No Turning Back"

"Relentless"

"Absolution"

3) Tracy Sumner (I read the introductory historical novella first and was hooked so I went looking for other books by Sumner. That’s when I found the Seaswept Seduction Series which skyrocketed her historicals to some of my favorites.)

"To Desire A Scoundrel" (introductory novella to 2012 "Southern Heat Series")

"Tides of Love" (Books 1-2 Seaswept Seduction Series)

"Tides of Passion"

4) Kristen Ashley (She writes all her books in first-person! And surprise, surprise-- it really works. Her books are all about the over-the-edge alpha male with off-the-chart sexual encounters and very dirty talk! What? You think Oklanannie can’t handle the heat and badasses? Note: Biggest problem is the editing in these books but for some reason the Harleys and the biker babes overshadow these problems!)

"Sweet Dreams" (part of a buddy-read challenge on Goodreads)

"Heaven and Hell"

"Mystery Man" (Books 1-2 "Dream Man Series")

"Wild Man"

5) Jaycee Clark (Very well-written and enjoyable romantic suspense series. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.)

"Deadly Shadows" (Books 1-4 "Deadly Series)

"Deadly Ties"

"Deadly Obsession"

"Deadly Games" (to be released in February, 2011)

6) Catherine West

"Yesterday’s Tomorrow" (An unbelievably emotional and touching story set during the Viet Nam War and probably my most favorite discovery in 2011.)

7) Melissa Foster

"Come Back to Me" (Another real tearjerker from beginning to end - you’ll definitely need kleenex but it’s worth it!)

8) Teresa Reasor (Can’t wait for the next book from this new author - her writing style "sealed" the deal!)

"Breaking Free" (Book #1 "SEAL Series)

9) Jessica Park

"Flat-Out Love" (Very different, extremely entertaining. Quirky writing style. Can’t say I enjoyed this one, but certainly it kept my attention making me glad I stumbled onto it. It got rave reviews on Goodreads.)

10) Rita Henuber (Another new author whose next book will be an auto-buy for me!)

"Under Fire" (Non-stop action suspense thriller with sizzling romance and great characters)

Along with your usual Monday Recommendations, I hope you’ll share your own favorite 2011 e-book discoveries.

And from all of us – GET WELL SOON wishes to Christy’s mom!

Recommend Monday!

2012-01-16T07:55:00.006-06:00

Happy Monday Everyone!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine was good but super busy and looks like this week will be even busier. More about that in a minute.

Thanks again to all those who have emailed or sent me messages about SWEET REWARD and the end of LCR. I so love hearing how much you've enjoyed the series. If you haven't heard back from me yet, please be patient. I promise to answer all your messages.

Your list of 2011 favorites was great! I've already added about twenty new books and a couple of new series to my TBR list. And thank you to those who included the SWEET trilogy on your list! Congrats to SusanT for winning an LCR book of her choice and a $10 Barnes and Noble card! Sue, I'll email you soon or you can email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing info.

I'm going to be out of pocket most of this week. Many of you may remember that my mom had knee replacement surgery last April. Well, it's time for the other knee, so I'll be spending a lot of time at the hospital and at my mom's home. The Internet service is spotty at best, so I won't be able to check in very often. Also, I won't be here for next week's Recommend Monday. However, I have a special treat for you! One of the blog's regular commenters, Oklanannie, is going to do a guest blog. I believe she's going to talk about all the wonderful ebook authors she's discovered recently and invite you to post your favorites, too. And of course, she'll ask for your regular recommended reads from the week before.

Since I'm going to be pushed for time over the next few months, I may make a reader's guest blog a monthly thing. So if you think you'd be interested in doing something like this, please let me know. I only have two rules for this blog: Stay positive and non-controversial. You can blog about your favorite romance book of all time, why you read romance or anything romance related. If you think you might be interested in something like that, shoot an email to me at christy@christyreece.com and let's chat!

Getting back to the business at hand, I do have a recommend for you. Last week, I finished up a fabulous romantic suspense by Elisabeth Naughton called Wait For Me. I believe it's an ebook only and was absolutely fantastic. Full of angst, tears, emotion, suspense and lots of sizzle. Here's the link over at Amazon if you want to check it out. http://www.amazon.com/Wait-Me-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B006P3B9MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326723753&sr=8-1

Okay, that's it for me. I'll try to check in later on this week and say hey. Looking forward to hearing about your recommends!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Recommend Monday and Favorites of 2011!!!

2012-01-09T08:33:00.005-06:00

Good Monday Everyone!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend. Mine went too fast but was excellent. Did some writing, reading, sleeping and eating. The four essentials for a restful and wonderful weekend!

Before we get started on the recommends, I want to thank all of you who have purchased SWEET REWARD, either as paperback or ebook. I got the fabulous news last week that my publisher is printing more books and that the ebook sold extremely well. So thank you, thank you, thank you! If you've not been able to find the book, hopefully with more being printed, you can find it easily now.

Also, thank you so very much to those who have emailed me or sent me messages about SWEET REWARD and how much you're going to miss the Last Chance Rescue gang. I sincerely appreciate your kind words. If you have the opportunity to leave a review at your favorite review site, that's certainly appreciated too! And if you get the chance, would you mind clicking 'like' on the SWEET REWARD Amazon page? Here's the link:

http://amzn.to/y4RVKQ

This week, I'm digging deep and hoping Savannah and Zach are ready to share all those secrets they're keeping. Just from what they've told me so far, I'm loving them both already!

With all the holiday craziness now over, I thought it'd be fun to chat about our favorite reads from 2011. Not necessarily published in 2011, but the ones you read and enjoyed in 2011. I won't limit the list to a certain number, so if you have 1000 favorite reads and you've got the energy to type them, go for it! I didn't get to read near as much as I wanted to last year, however, as I was going through my list, I realized I read more than I'd thought and with very few exceptions, enjoyed them immensely.

Here's my list for fun and memorable reads of 2011 (In no particular order)

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred

Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley

Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

Heaven Can't Wait by Pamela Clare

Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare

What Mattered Most by Linda Winfree

Bewitching by Jill Barnett

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

Because of You by Jessica Scott

You Belong to Me by Karen Rose

Circle of Desire by Carla Swafford

Face of Danger by Roxanne St. Claire

Hush by Cherry Adair

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

There were many more I intended to read but time ran out on me. They're at the top of my 2012 TBR list!

So what about you? What were your favorites? For extra incentive and to SWEETen the pot, one commenter will win a signed Last Chance Rescue book of your choice and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. I'll wait until next Monday to announce the winner. That way, you have all week to gather your favorites and make your list.

Okay, I'm headed out for a walk and hope that my characters come along, too. Then it's a day full of writing for me.

Hope you all have a fabulous week. Can't wait to see your 2011 Favorites!

Recommend Monday and Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T10:36:00.005-06:00

Good Monday All!

Sorry I'm late! (Bad way to start off a new year!) We just drove in from my mom's where we rang in the new year with champagne, old movies and Mayberryopoly. Fun was had by all!

How was your new year's weekend? Did you party, stay at home with family and friends or sleep through it? Any fun stories you want to share?

I had planned to start off the year talking about our favorite reads from last year but I didn't get a chance to put my list together. You might want to think on it too, so let's table that discussion until next Monday. That way we'll be sure to hit all the ones we loved in 2011.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me or sent me messages via Facebook and Twitter telling me how much you loved Mia and Jared in SWEET REWARD. There's no sweeter reward for an author than to hear those words!

I'm blogging over at Fresh Fiction today, talking about tortured characters, which, as you know, includes most of the LCR gang. Hope you'll come over and chat. There's a SWEET giveaway! Also, just got notice that SWEET REWARD is a Fresh Fiction Fresh Pick! Woohoo! How SWEET is that! Here's the link to the blog: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=3869

And here's the link to the Fresh Pick page: http://freshfiction.com/pick.php Come by and say hey!

The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy with the holidays and a SWEET release, but I did manage to read a fabulous book! I think I saw this book recommended on an Amazon forum and thought it sounded interesting. So glad I went with the recommendation. What Mattered Most by Linda Winfree was a fabulous angst-filled and emotional journey. The HEA isn't an easy one but well worth the effort it takes to get there.

What about you? What have you read lately that you absolutely loved?

This week I'm planning to write like the wind. I have a March deadline. I also have two characters who went silent on me during the holidays. Now that the fun and frivolity is over, I'm counting on them to get serious and tell me their story. Wish us luck!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Monday. Can't wait to hear what you're recommending today!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T11:38:00.002-06:00

Hey Everyone!

Just dropping by to say thank you for helping to make 2011 such a great year for me. I am so richly blessed and you are part of that blessing.

I hope that 2012 is a gloriously bright and wonderful year for you and that only good things come your way.

Be sure to come by on Monday for Recommend Monday. We'll be talking about our favorite reads of the year, so if you have some bookstore gift cards burning a hole in your pocket, get ready!

Stay safe and have a fabulous New Year's Eve!

See you back here in 2012.

Happy New Year!

Just Romantic Suspense Blog

2011-12-29T09:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Thursday!

I'm over at Just Romantic Suspense blog today chatting about Unexpected Heroes and Jared Livingston. Come over and chat for a chance to win a Last Chance Rescue book of your choice!

http://www.justromanticsuspense.com/p/guest-blogs.html#ANUNEXPECTEDHERO

Have a great day everyone!

The Day After...

2011-12-28T09:42:00.004-06:00

Happy Wednesday All!

After the partying all day yesterday, I'm feeling a little hung over. How about you?

Thanks again for making the SWEET REWARD release day party such fun. I'll try to get all prizes out very soon.

The Last Chance Trivia contest was a hit! And wow, you guys know your LCR trivia. With the exception of a couple of entries, everyone got the answers correct. Yay LCR fans! The winner was chosen using Random.Org. Congrats to Amanda Cantu for winning a $50 gift card to either Barnes and Noble or Amazon! Amanda, email me at christy@christyreece.com and let me know which one you want!

For another chance to win a SWEET book, I'm over at the blog Stitch-Read-Cook today, talking about A Day in My Life. Come visit me over there! http://www.stitchreadcook.com/2011/12/day-in-life-of-christy-reece.html

Tomorrow, I'll be over at Just Romantic Suspense chatting about when and why I fell in love with Jared Livingston before I even wrote his book. I'll post the link tomorrow. There will be giveaways!

Hope everyone has a fabulous day. Thanks again for being the most awesome loyal readers in the world. You're the best!

Thanks Everyone!

2011-12-27T16:10:00.002-06:00

Hey All!

Thanks so much for making release day so much fun! Prizes will be sent out asap.

I hope you enjoy SWEET REWARD. Jared and Mia were such fun characters to write. If you do like their story, I would sincerely appreciate it if you'd tell others about the series. There are still lots of people who haven't discovered the Last Chance Rescue series.

Don't forget to send in your LCR trivia answers. I'll collect them until 9:00 AM tomorrow and will announce the winner around 10:00.

Thanks again! Much love to all!

SWEET REWARD Release Day Par-tay Part VII

2011-12-27T15:53:00.001-06:00

Welcome back to the party! Congrats to Spav for winning last hour's contest!

Since this is the last one of the day and we've been partying so hard, we'll end with an easy one. First person to answer correctly wins an LCR book of your choice and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card.

What is Jared's ex-wife's new husband's name?

Ready. Set. Post!

Last Chance Rescue Trivia Contest (edited with answers)

2011-12-27T15:11:00.001-06:00

Hope you're having a great Wednesday. Here's the LCR trivia contest with answers. Thanks to everyone who played and congrats again to Amanda for winning the $50 gift card!

1) In RESCUE ME, what was Eden St. Claire's real name?

Devon Winters

2) In RETURN TO ME, what city and state was Samara living in when Noah came to ask for her help.

Birmingham, Alabama

3) What was the name of the villain in RUN TO ME who tortured Cole and Shea?

Donald Rosemount

4) In NO CHANCE, Skylar James and Gabe Maddox met on an island in the South Pacific. Name that island.

Kalamina Island

5) In SECOND CHANCE, what are the names of Keeley Fairchild's twin daughters.

Hannah and Hailey

6) What was McKenna Sloan's nickname in LAST CHANCE?

Ghost (Kudos to those who remembered that Dylan also called her Squirt!)

7) In SWEET JUSTICE, who was Seth Cavanaugh accused of murdering?

Montgomery Jenkins

8) In SWEET REVENGE, what was the name of Jamie's aunt?

Mavis

9) SWEET REWARD's Jared Livingston once worked for a secretive government agency. Name that agency.

International Deep Cover (IDC)

SWEET REWARD Release Day Par-tay Part VI

2011-12-27T14:24:00.004-06:00

Welcome back to the party! Congrats to Alison for winning last hour's prize!

A Last Chance Rescue trivia contest will be posted at 3:05. Everyone, including all of today's winners, are invited to participate.

Now, continuing the party...the first person to answer this question wins a signed copy of SWEET REWARD and a $10 Barnes and Noble card.

What kind of motorcycle does Jared Livingston ride?

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REWARD Release Day Par-tay Part V

2011-12-27T13:26:00.004-06:00

Welcome back to the party! Congrats to Danny for winning last hour's prizes.

Here's another easy one for you. Name all nine Last Chance Rescue books!

First person to name them all wins a signed copy of an LCR book of your choice and a $15 gift card to Amazon.

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REWARD Release Day Par-tay Part IV

2011-12-27T12:52:00.003-06:00

Welcome back to the party!

Here's an easy and quickie for a chance for a signed copy of SWEET REWARD and a $10 Amazon card. First person to answer correctly wins!

At the beginning of SWEET REWARD, Jared and other LCR operatives are trying to save a young girl from a bad man who has kidnapped her. What's the name of that bad man? (First name is in excerpt)

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REWARD Release Day Par-tay Part III

2011-12-27T11:22:00.005-06:00

Welcome back to the party! Congrats to Jennifer for winning last hour's prize!

Let's go for another quiz. The first person to answer correctly wins a signed LCR book of your choice and a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble.

Mia Ryker's rescue operation is located in what city and state?

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REWARD Release Day Par-tay Part II

2011-12-27T10:33:00.005-06:00

Welcome back to the party! Congrats to Jane for winning the first prize of the day! And there's more to be won!

Let's go for a little quiz this time. The first person to answer correctly wins a signed LCR book of your choice and a $10 Amazon gift card.

What country and city is Jared Livingston in when he gets the news that his ex-wife's daughter is missing? (Hint: answer is in the excerpt)

Ready. Set. Post!

How SWEET is is! SWEET REWARD is Here!!!

2011-12-27T08:40:00.008-06:00

SWEET REWARD, the final book in the Last Chance Rescue series, is finally in stores! Yay! Yay! Yippeee!!!

Happy Release Day to Jared and Mia! ! I'm so thrilled to be able to say those words! I love this book and these characters and hope you will too. SWEET REWARD is in stores everywhere and can be ordered online as well. If you're in a store and see it on the shelf, snap a photo and send it to me. I'll post it for you.

Okay, let's get this party started! We're going to have contests and giveaways every hour until 4:00 PM. That's six chances for you to win a prize! Also, I'll post an LCR trivia contest later today. Answer all questions correctly for a chance at a fabulous prize!

Now, to show my love and I do LOVE you all for the love you've shown the LCR gang, I'm giving away a signed copy of SWEET REWARD and a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card to the first person who comments with: "I WANT JARED LIVINGSTON'S BOOK!"

I'll announce each winner in the blog comments and then in the next blog post. Be sure to leave your email address in your comments so I can contact you.

Okay, let's get this party started! Who's going to be the first winner?

Ready. Set. Post!

Recommend Monday!

2011-12-26T09:44:00.004-06:00

Good Monday and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, lots of holiday fun with your family and I hope everything is wonderful and bright in your world. So many beautiful things going on this time of year. You can just almost feel the love in the air.

My Christmas was filled with laughter, too much delicious food and then more laughter. Our family celebrates together on Christmas Eve and it's always such a joy to watch the kiddies, young and old, tear into their presents and "ooh" and "ahh" over their gifts. And of course, there's always the one or two gag gifts that we seem to get the most joy from. My hubby is the number one culprit when it comes to gag gifts. He gave one to my brother-in-law this year that had everyone in stitches. Do you guys do that? What the best gift you received this year? What about the funniest?

Guess what? We're less than 15 hours away from the official release of SWEET REWARD! If you're wondering what to do with those bookstore gift cards, what better way to spend them but on a SWEET REWARD! I think some stores put it out early because I've heard from several people who have already read it. Early reports are that readers are loving it. Yay!

Tomorrow, we'll have a release day party for Mia and Jared. We'll start around 10 AM (CST) with prizes, trivia and lots of fun. Hope you can make it!

Did you get to read anything last week or during the weekend that you loved? If so, please share. All those bookstore gift cards are burning a whole in our pockets!

Thursday, December 29, I'll be at the Just Romantic Suspense blog talking about SWEET REWARD and why I fell in love with Jared Livingston long before I wrote his book. Hope you'll come by and chat with me. There will be prizes! I'll post the link here on Thursday morning.

The remainder of the week, I'll be do a little writing, a bit of reading and probably lots of sleeping. 2012 is going to be incredibly busy so I'm going to get as much sleep as possible. (:

And because this is the season of giving and because I love you guys so much, I'm going to give a signed copy of SWEET REWARD to one of today's commenters. All you have to do is either recommend a great book or tell me, "I WANT A SWEET REWARD" to be entered into the drawing. I'll announce the winner tomorrow before we start partying.

Hope you have a lovely day. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the party! It's going to be a SWEET release day party! Don't miss it!

Happy Monday!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:28:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to take a few moments and wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true!

See you Monday for Recommend Monday! And then Tuesday, for the release day party for SWEET REWARD!

God bless.

Christy

Four Days Till SWEET REWARD!

2011-12-22T08:20:00.002-06:00

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Hope you're having a great week and getting ready to celebrate large this weekend. I'm finally through with my shopping and am ready to do some wrapping, baking and candy making. Yay!

With the release of SWEET REWARD only days away, as an enticement, I thought I'd share some reviews over the next few days as we countdown to Tuesday. Here's an awesome review written by Dawn over at Guilty Pleasures.

http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews.com/2011/12/review-sweet-reward-lcr-9-by-christy.html?zx=db7f814882107a24

Recommend Monday!

2011-12-19T08:43:00.005-06:00

Good Monday Everyone!

How was your weekend? Do anything fun? Are you still shopping or have you finished your gift buying? Did you find time to curl up with a good book? If so, we want to hear about it!

My weekend was fun and full. As usual, I'm running late on my shopping. Wish I was one of those people who start their shopping December 26 for the next year. Are you one of those? If so, know that you have my admiration and not a little bit of envy. (:

Did everyone see my post last week? I was finally able to share news about the new series. At this point, I'm calling it the Wildefire series but that's subject to change. My heroines' last name is Wilde and they grew up on Wildefire Lane in a small town in Alabama, not far from Mobile. The town is fictional, but the southern will be fully authentic! Finally can use some of those y'alls that come so easy for me!

Not to be too melodramatic, but did you notice we're only 7 days away from the last of the Last Chance Rescue books? SWEET REWARD releases on Tuesday, December 27! Woohoo! I loved Jared and Mia and hope you will too!

I've lived with these LCR characters since 2006, when I first started writing RESCUE ME. I know their flaws and strengths, as well as their deepest fears and incredible courage. Saying goodbye is both a happy and sad time for me. I'll miss hanging out with these interesting, intriguing characters, but knowing they will continue to rescue victims as they live out their happily ever after is a great comfort. And Aidan, Angela, Kendra, Raphael and Sabrina Fox continue to whisper little snippets in my ear from time to time. At some point, I would love to return to them and let them tell me their story. We'll see!

I'm very excited about this new path and new series. I hope you'll fall in love with it too. I've already met Zach Tanner and Savannah Wilde, the hero and heroine of the first book, which I'm tentatively calling SECRETS OF A SOUTHERN NIGHT. Zach and Savannah have me intrigued already. Can't wait till they tell me more of their story!

In the midst of all the craziness of preparing for the holidays and a book release, I have been able to finish two books, too! I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. Jami Alden's Hide from Evil was deliciously riveting, causing more than a few breathless moments, especially near the end. And I read the second book in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, Shelter Mountain, which caused more than a few tears. I'm beginning to understand the addiction that goes with this series. I've already started the third one!

This week, I'm shopping till I'm dropping, a few more doctor's appointments and then maybe a little shaking and baking. LOL Hopefully more baking than shaking.

BTW, if you have an e-reader, you must jump over to Just Romantic Suspense and register for this awesome prize! The drawing is at 10:00 (EST) tonight. http://www.justromanticsuspense.com/2011/12/jrs-christmas-giveaway.html

Hope your week is filled with good things. I'll check back and chat a little later with you. Can't wait to hear what books you loved and devoured last week.

Happy Monday All!

Yay! Some Good News!

2011-12-16T08:33:00.003-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Hope you've had a fabulous week and are looking forward to a fun-filled and relaxing weekend. My week has been busy and very good. I've been promising you some information on what I've been working on. Now, I can finally share. I'm pleased to announce that I sold another romantic suspense series to Ballantine! The premise revolves around three sisters who return to their small Alabama to solve their parents' murders. The first book is tentatively titled SECRETS OF A SOUTHERN NIGHT. Don't know if that title will stay but it definitely reflects the storyline. And though it's quite different from Last Chance Rescue, the new series will feature strong, heroic characters, murder, mayhem, suspense and plenty of steam! No release dates have been set but I wanted to give you the good news as soon as I could.

Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you back here Monday for Recommend Monday!

Chatting over at Get Lost in a Story

2011-12-14T08:35:00.004-06:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm over at the blog Get Lost in a Story, chatting and answering questions. Come over and tell me which LCR character you'd most like to go to dinner with. I'm also giving away 3 Last Chance Rescue books, winner's choice. Come chat with me!

http://getlostinastory.blogspot.com/2011/12/three-last-chances-to-get-lost.html#comment-form

Recommend Monday!

2011-12-12T09:02:00.006-06:00

Good Monday All!

Did you have a good weekend? Do anything fun? Read anything fabulous? Tell us about it!

My weekend was full and fun and included shopping, baking and a bit of reading. I'm in the middle of two books, which is unusual for me as I generally like to concentrate on one story at a time. However, I'm finding reading a somewhat dark book, Hide From Evil by Jami Alden and a lighter book, the second Virgin River, Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr, is a good combination for me. When one gets too too intense, I go to the other and then go back again. Do you ever do this?

Can you believe we're 14 days away from the release of SWEET REWARD! I'm so excited for you guys to read this book. Mia and Jared were such fun characters to work with and I hope you love their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Over the weekend, I received two rather lovely reviews. The first is from Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=31728 and the other is from Night Owls Review, who named SWEET REWARD a Top Pick: http://www.nightowlsuspense.com/nor/Reviews/Reese-reviews-Sweet-Reward-by-Christy-Reece.aspx

Hopefully these reviews will whet your appetite and make you even more excited to read SWEET REWARD. With the holiday rush and things getting crazy this time of year, don't forget to pre-order your copy so you can get it as soon as it's released! And if you don't like to order online, don't forget to ask your bookseller at your favorite bookstore to pre-order it for you.

My time this week will be filled with shopping, end of the year doctor appointments, a bit more reading and some writing. Hope everyone has a fabulous week. Can't wait to hear what you're recommending today!

Chatting Today!

2011-12-10T09:25:00.003-06:00

Happy Saturday Everyone! Hope your week has been spectacular! Just wanted to drop by real quick and give you a heads-up on a giveaway and chat. I'm over at http://www.bitchcanwriteabook.blogspot.com today at 10:30 AM (CST). Also, Maureen is continuing her awesome holiday giveaway with a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE to one commenter. Come over and share your Last Chance Rescue love and stay around till 10:30 and chat with me!

Hope to see you there! And see you back here Monday for Recommend Monday!

Have a great weekend!

Recommend Monday!

2011-12-05T08:32:00.003-06:00

Good Monday Everyone!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? Did you shop till you dropped? What about reading? Did you find a buried treasure or discover a new gem? Tell us about it!

My weekend was busy but wonderful. I went to my RWA chapter's Christmas party at Carla Swafford's house. We had such fun! Fabulous food and lots and lots of laughter.

The fun and laughter continued Saturday night. My sister and brother-in-law came for a visit. After dinner, while hubby and brother-in-law watched football, my sister and I went to see Breaking Dawn. Such fun! There were no big surprises, but it was a good girly movie and we both loved it.

This week I'm going to do some writing and preparing for the new year. I'm anticipating that 2012 will be extremely busy and productive! However, there's still some excitement to be had in 2011. Anyone notice that we're only 21 days away from the release of SWEET REWARD? Wow, seems like we've been waiting for Jared and Mia's book forever! I love these two characters and cannot wait for you to read their story!

Last week, SWEET REWARD was reviewed by Joyfully Reviewed, with the reviewer calling it "a superb dramatic feat with a harrowing and unforgettable finish." Woohoo! And I was thrilled to learn that it's a Joyfully Recommended title for December! Here's the link to the review:

http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/recommended-reviews/december-2011-recommended-reads/sweet-reward-by-christy-reece

Remember last week when I mentioned I was in the middle of Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen? Well I finished and thoroughly enjoyed it. Such a fun, sweet and delicious historical romance. Highly recommended!

Okay, that's it for me. I'm headed into my writing cave for some quality time with some intriguing characters. Looking forward to hearing what you're recommending.

Have a great week all!

Recommend Monday!

2011-11-28T09:31:00.003-06:00

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend and if you're in the US, hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family, fun and lots of good food! In the midst of holiday chaos, did you have a chance to do any reading? If so, we're anxious to hear from you.

I've got lots going on today. My Internet was down for several hours and I was in a panic. It's back up now but my equipment is being upgraded today and that means I've got to clean house. I just hate for workmen to come into a messy house, don't you? (:

I'm reading a wonderful historical right now--Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen. Has anyone read it? I'm about halfway through and am thoroughly enjoying it.

It's going to be a rainy week here, so in between cleaning, writing, cyber shopping and a bit of decorating, I hope to do more reading. What would you recommend?

Anyone notice that we're just 28 days away from the release of SWEET REWARD? Yay for Jared and Mia! Hard to believe this will be the last Last Chance Rescue book. If possible, would you show your love for the LCR gang and pre-order SWEET REWARD? Let's show that there's lots of love out there for Noah and the gang! (:

Okay, I'm headed to the closet for dusting, vacuuming and cleaning materials. Woohoo! Hope everyone has a fabulous day. Can't wait to hear about your Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping and your great reads!

Have a great day everyone!

Recommend Monday! (edited for update)

2011-11-21T08:51:00.005-06:00

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a good weekend and hope you have some great recommendations for us today. With Thanksgiving coming up later this week, in between naps and football, there's got to be some time for a good book. Right?

It's a busy week here in the Reece household. We're getting both fur-kids ready to visit their grandmother, so that means baths, which they hate. However, it's got to be done. Then the food prep begins. I'm taking turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy and a cobbler. Told my mom I'm bringing all this to keep her from having to do so much. Then she tells me all the stuff she's still going to cook. LOL However, with over 20 relatives and friends coming, we'll probably need it all.

Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays. There're no expectations to do anything other than cook, eat and spend time with loved ones. When my family gets together, it's loud, full of laughter and there's always a football game, sometimes two, going on in the background. Can't wait!

What about you? Any big plans for this week? I know not all of you celebrate Thanksgiving, so tell us what else is going on. Any fun plans for the week or next weekend?

Thanks again for those who participated in the SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE chat. Lots of fun! And everyone who commented will get a signed copy of SWEET REWARD. Yay! If you didn't get to join in, don't worry. I'll have another chat sometime in January. And since it's the last of LCR, we might make it extra SWEET and chat about all the books! Stay tuned.

Last week, in between writing, editing a book I may self-publish and a couple of doctor's appointments, I did read a very good book! I think Ann, on GoodReads, recommended it and I'm so glad she did. The book is Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley. Has anyone read it? It's a wonderful contemporary romance with some of my favorite themes--tortured hero, feisty heroine, sexy, romantic and full of angst. Loved. It!

Forgot to mention a fun blog you guys will love. It's written by a former Border's employee and she knows her romance! Hope you'll check it out! http://bitchcanwriteabook.blogspot.com

Though I try hard everyday to remember and be thankful for all my blessings, the week of Thanksgiving always seems to highlight those blessings even more. So I want to take this opportunity to thank you, my readers. Writing is a passion for me and being a published author a dream come true, but it's never easy. There are often many more disappointments and hurts than there are triumphs and happiness. However, you, my readers, are the greatest happiness in my career. Thank you for buying and reading my books, telling others about my books, sending emails, comments and messages. You brighten up my writing life and I thank you most sincerely.

And, because I love you, I'm offering 5 copies of SWEET REVENGE to the first five people who comment with: "I WANT SWEET REVENGE!" I know many of you already have your copy, so feel free to tell others to come by and comment!

Okay, that's it for me. Gotta go bathe a SWEET but stinky Maltese and then do a bit of writing!

Wishing you all a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving week! And don't forget to tell us what great books you read last week!

SWEET JUSTICE is a Fresh Pick!

2011-11-20T13:28:00.003-06:00

Hey All-

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend. Just got word this morning that SWEET JUSTICE is today's Fresh Pick over at Fresh Fiction! Hope you'll drop by and take a look. Here's the link:

http://freshfiction.com/book.php?id=44266

See you back here tomorrow for Recommend Monday!

Recommend Monday!

2011-11-14T07:42:00.004-06:00

Happy Monday All!

How was your weekend? Do anything fun or read anything fabulous? Tell us about it!

My weekend was nice and restful, which was what I wanted and needed. Wrote a little, read a couple of books, watched some television. Just good stay-at-home fun. (:

Don't forget! The SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE chat is scheduled for tomorrow night from 7-9 CST. If you're not on the Yahoo loop and want to be involved in the discussion, send your email address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll send you an invitation to join. If you were on the loop last year, you should have received an email reminder from me. And if you don't want to be on the loop anymore, you can delete yourself off or let me know and I can do it for you.

The chat is meant to be a fun time. An opportunity to ask questions about the plot, character or "What in the world were you thinking when you let your character do that!" kinds of questions. There will be spoilers, so be warned if you've not read the books. And there will be prizes, too! Hope you can join us.

Also, if you're on GoodReads, I'm giving away five early copies of SWEET REWARD. Here's the link to enter: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/15967-sweet-reward

Did you notice we're only 42 days away from the release of SWEET REWARD? Time is zooming by at rocket speed! Last week, I posted a couple of links to excerpts, but wanted to point out that an excerpt is now on my website, on the SWEET REWARD page. Hope you enjoy!

This week, I'm going to do a bit more writing, reading and planning. I really hope that I'll be able to talk soon about what I'm writing. Once I can talk about it, I'll explain why I couldn't talk about it before. (:

As I mentioned, I did read a couple of very good books this week. Finally read Virgin River and I can definitely see why the series is so popular. Wonderful characters and Jack is such a sigh-worthy hero. Also, I reread one of my favorite Linda Howard books, Shades of Twilight. It's got some age on it, but still a great read.

Can't wait to hear what you're reading and what you're recommending!

Have a great day all!

SWEET REWARD Excerpts!

2011-11-08T13:55:00.004-06:00

Hey All!

Just dropping in to give you a couple of links for SWEET REWARD excerpts: Chapter one can be found over at Fresh Fiction. Here's the link: http://freshfiction.com/excerpt.php?id=47571

I just added a short excerpt over on my Facebook page. It's the scene where Mia and Jared meet! Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/notes/christy-reece/sweet-reward-excerpt/239357946119532

Hope you enjoy!

Recommend Monday!

2011-11-07T08:04:00.006-06:00

Good Monday All!

How was your weekend? Do anything fun and exciting you want to share? Read anything extra special you're dying to tell someone about? You're in the right place! We want to hear from you!

My weekend was fantabulous! Saturday was my chapter's annual readers appreciation luncheon. I was excited about this luncheon for many reasons. Being around avid romance readers always recharges my batteries. The wonderfully witty Victoria Dahl was the luncheon speaker and the fabulous and funny Jennifer Echols, Victoria's best friend and critique partner, was the welcome speaker. These ladies know each other so well and their speeches were wonderful. My table was filled with some of my favorite people: My mom and two of my aunts, one of my best friends, Marie, and then three very special ladies who came a long distance for the luncheon--Jackie, Gayle and Kara. I had a blast at the luncheon. Then, later that night, dinner with Jackie and her wonderful family, Gayle and Kara. We stayed up late and giggled like teenagers! (:

I didn't get a lot of reading in last week as I'd hoped. However, I did do a bit of writing and since that's my job, that's a good thing! This week, I'm going to continue to do a bit of writing, but I'm also going to be getting ready for the SWEET REWARD release. Have you noticed how quickly that date is coming up? Maybe it's because it's so close to Christmas--which always seems to come quickly once November hits. I'll be putting up an excerpt on my website, hopefully this week. If you're anxious to read part of the first chapter, you can view it on the Random House, Amazon and Barnes and Noble sites. Also, the first chapter is at the end of SWEET REVENGE. Tomorrow, I'll be posting an excerpt on my Facebook page of Mia and Jared's first meeting, so be sure to come over and take a look! Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristyReece

Also, if you're on GoodReads, I'm giving away 5 early copies of SWEET REWARD. Here's the link to enter:

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/15967-sweet-reward

Publishers Weekly had a SWEET review of SWEET REWARD if you want to take a look: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-345-52409-6 I loved that the reviewer called it a romance heavy plot. (:

The Yahoo Discussion of SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. That's Central Standard Time. That gives you a week to read or reread both books. There will be major spoilers, lots of discussions of why the story went in a particular direction and don't be surprised if some of the characters drop in for a visit. So get your questions ready and let's chat about Seth, Honor, Alden, Tabitha, Dylan, Jamie, Stanford, Raphael, Giselle and Lance! And any other characters you'd like to know about. If you're not a member of the Yahoo group and would like to be involved in the discussion, shoot your email address to me at christy@christyreece.com and I'll get you on the loop. Be sure to put 'Yahoo Discussion Group' in the subject line so I'll see it immediately.

Okay, that's it for me. Since I'm a little ahead of schedule, I'm going to take advantage of this absolutely gorgeous morning and take a walk. I've got some characters in my head who are interested in talking to me. Yay!

Have a great day all. And don't forget to tell us what great books you read last week!

Recommend Monday and Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:53:00.003-05:00

Good Monday All!

Did you have a fun-filled weekend? Go to any Halloween parties? I haven't been to a Halloween party in years but that used to be a tradition for hubby and me. It would usually take me about ten minutes to get ready; hubby could take hours. I always went for comfort and he liked to go for the squeals and chills. Tonight we're expecting all sorts of little ghouls and cute goblins to come by. Now, our Halloween tradition is for me to corral the fur kids and keep them occupied while hubby doles out the candy. Do you have any fun Halloween traditions or stories?

No new recommendations from me this week. I spent most of last week writing but I'm getting the yen to do some major reading and rereading. Here's what I have planned: Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Snapped by Laura Griffin, After the Night by Linda Howard, Open Season by Linda Howard, If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker, Hide From Evil by Jamie Alden and...(This is your cue to make a recommendation!)

So what should I read along with these fabulous books? And what other great books are you recommending this week?

Hope everyone has a marvelous Monday and if you or your kiddies are out and about tonight, have fun and stay safe!

USA Today Review on Happily Ever After blog

2011-10-28T16:23:00.002-05:00

Hey All!

Jumping on real quick to share a fabulous review of SWEET JUSTICE over on the USA Today HEA blog. Hope you'll drop by and comment!

http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-10-26/review-sweet-justice-by-christy-reece/558469/1

Welcome Carla Swafford!

2011-10-25T07:41:00.002-05:00

Why I Like To Write Romances Especially Hot Ones?

You probably can’t believe this but there are people out there who hate romance books. And to make it worse, a lot of those people are women. Yeah. Weird, isn’t it? I have a hard time understanding it too.

Considering women are naturally emotional creatures (duh!), and the best romances are filled to the brim with all kinds of feelings, you would think all of us would love them.

To me, romances have so much going for them along with all the mushy stuff. First and foremost, they guarantee you a happy ending. Then they offer numerous genres such as general contemporary, historical, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult (aww! puppy love) and the newest, horror. Yep. You read it right. The slasher, chill ‘em, thrill ‘em with blood and gore type. Hey, I don’t write it. I merely report it.

Now when it comes to my preferred reading material, I want them to be hot. It can be one of the first six above, but they need to be scorching with no bedroom door shut. I do read some young adult, but please leave the sex out. Even though they have the word adult in their genre description, most of the characters are younger than eighteen. The heavy kissing and petting can get a little steamy and that’s okay. Normal teenager stuff.

So when it came to writing my own book, it made sense I would write hot. I love reading a book where the hero and heroine have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves. I love how they have a problem thinking about anything but each other. When they finally get together, it’s so explosive, that the pages become singed by their lovemaking. Though they may call it having sex or by some other provocative word, we know what’s going to happen. It will be making love by the end of the book.

That’s what happens to Collin in the beginning of Circle of Desire. He has to pat down Olivia, check her for a locator beneath her skin. And for him to do that, she must be naked. He finds he can’t control his hands, and her enthusiastic reaction is a big turn on for him. Before he knows it, he … wait! You have to read the book. I will say that he’s a gentleman and keeps his clothes on. I do love to torment others with little teasing tidbits.

What I like best about that scene is that later you find out Collin is all about controlling his emotions. And every time Olivia is nearby, he’s so turned on, he’s nearly helpless. So he tries to twist the attraction into a means to manipulate her. But as time goes by, you can’t help but wonder if it didn’t backfire.

So to answer the question in the title of this post, I like them hot because it heightens not only the passionate love scenes, but all the emotions between the hero and heroine throughout the book.

So what are some of your favorite hot books?

Comment for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or one of three $10 Barnes and Noble gift cards that Carla is giving away during her blog tour this week. Winner will be announced tonight at 8:00 PM (CST).

Recommend Monday!

2011-10-24T08:37:00.003-05:00

Good Monday Everyone!

Did you have a wonderful weekend? Do anything fun and exciting? Read anything fabulous? If so, this is the place to be. Share with us!

Last week was a good one for me. Finally got a good grasp on my new characters, managing to finish a synopsis and a chapter. I know I've been teasing you all with this but until details are ironed out, I can't tell you very much about it. However, I can share that though it is quite different from the Last Chance Rescue series, the books are definitely romantic suspense involving strong, resilient characters, evil, devious villains and sigh-worthy heroes. In fact, I've already fallen in love with my hero! (:

Thanks to all those who have emailed me or sent me messages on Facebook and Twitter about the SWEET books. I'm thrilled to know that so many of you have enjoyed SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE. And I'm just as thrilled that you're looking forward to SWEET REWARD. I'll be sharing an excerpt with you soon, so stay tuned for that!

Today, Mr. Reece and I are celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary! It's a gorgeous fall day here--perfect for going outside and having fun. And you know when I celebrate, I love to have a giveaway, so one of today's commenters will win a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE! I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning.

I'm in the process of reading Carla Swafford's Circle of Desire. Wow! Really enjoying it. Dark, gritty and very sexy. In fact, Carla will be here tomorrow talking about her book and why she loves writing steamy. Be sure to drop by and chat with her. She's a wonderfully warm person with a great sense of humor. Oh, and there's a giveaway, too!

Okay, I'm headed out for a day of fun and celebration. Looking forward to reading your recommendations. There have been lots of fabulous releases over the last few weeks and several tomorrow, so there's definitely a bookstore visit in my future!

Hope everyone has a marvelous Monday. And see you back here tomorrow for a visit with Carla Swafford!

Quickie Saturday

2011-10-22T09:17:00.002-05:00

Hey All!

Hope your weekend has started off on a good note! Just wanted to let you know that I'm over at RomCon today chatting about SWEET REVENGE. There's an excerpt and a giveaway! Come on over and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE.

http://www.romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&year=2011&month=10&day=21&id=1589:sweet-revenge-by-christy-reece

Have a great weekend!

Recommend Monday!

2011-10-17T10:03:00.002-05:00

Good Monday All!

Did you have a great weekend? Do anything special and fun? Read anything fabulous? If so, this is your place to share!

Thanks so much to those who stopped by and celebrated SWEETest day with me by naming your favorite LCR heroine. I loved learning your favorite and why you love her. Looks like Eden St. Claire, from RESCUE ME, won the top spot, but Honor Stone, from SWEET JUSTICE, was a close second. Samara, from RETURN TO ME, McKenna from LAST CHANCE and Jamie, from SWEET REVENGE, tied for third place. I love all of my heroines equally and I'm so glad I didn't have to pick just one! (:

Congrats to Crystal Fulcher for winning the SWEETest Day prize of a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. Crystal, please email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing information.

My weekend was extra SWEET! I had the honor of signing books alongside the fabulous Jennifer Echols who writes wonderful young adult romances. We had a great turnout at Books-A-Million. For those of you who were able to come, thank you!

Last week I spent hours and hours agonizing over a synopsis. When talking to an author, if you wait long enough, you'll probably hear at some point how much most of us hate synopses. Limiting a 100,000-word manuscript to a few pages of description can be incredibly painful. Writers often angst over a word choices for an entire book but I think it must be a thousand times worse for a synopsis since there's so little space to work with. When it comes to writing the book, a synopsis has often been my best friend. However, it's painful until I can get it right. This week, I will continue with it and hope to write a chapter too. Big plans! Wish me luck!

No new recommends for me this week. Haven't had a lot of time for reading but am looking forward to seeing what you all are recommending. There's always room on my TBR list for your recommends.

I'll jump back on later on in the week and chat a while. For now, I'm headed back to my writing cave. It's time for me to kick this synopsis' butt!

Have a spectacular Monday!

SWEETest Day!

2011-10-15T08:35:00.003-05:00

Happy SWEETest Day! (For some reason, I feel the need to add Y'all to that greeting)

What is SWEETest Day? Good question. I’ve never observed it before. Have you?

Here’s what I copied from Wikepedia:

Sweetest Day is an observance celebrated primarily in the Great Lakes region, and parts of the Northeast United States, on the third Saturday in October.[1] It is described by Retail Confectioners International as an "occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember husbands, boyfriends,the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed."[2] Sweetest Day has also been referred to as a "concocted promotion" created by the candy industry solely to increase sales of sweets.[3]

I kind of believe the second definition/explanation, but really like the first one. So either way, it’s SWEETest Day!

Today, I’m using it to celebrate the SWEET trilogy! And when I celebrate, I always want to give something away. So there’s the deal, for a chance to win a signed copy of both SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card, name your favorite LCR heroine and why you love her.

I’ll collect comments all weekend and will announce the winner on Recommend Monday.

Have a great SWEETest day, everyone!

Thursday's Thoughts

2011-10-13T09:27:00.004-05:00

Hi All!

Hope you're having a good week. It's a beautiful fall day here in Bama and I'm considering taking my laptop and working outside. Our trees are finally changing and the colors are gorgeous.

I mentioned on Monday that I was going to review the giveaways I've had over the last month to make sure I had everyone's information. I was able to get what I need except for two winners.

J Barrett won on September 20, Day 14 - A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh

Johanna J won on September 27, Day 23 - Heartache Falls by Emily March

Ladies, if you'll email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing address, I'll send your book to you. If I don't hear from you within the next week, I'll add this to some other giveaways. I would love to give you the book you won though, so hopefully you'll send me your information.

This Saturday morning, from 10:00 - 12:00, I'm going to be at the Brook Highlands Books-A-Million, in Birmingham, off of Highway 280. I'll be signing both SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE. If you're in the area, would love for you to stop by. I will have chocolate, too!

Also Saturday is SWEETest day. Anyone ever observe this day? I never have but with the SWEET books, it just seems very appropriate to do something special that day. Be sure to stop by the blog Saturday morning for your chance to win something SWEET!

I've received several wonderful emails this week and I thank you so much for them. I love hearing how much readers are enjoying the first two SWEET books. I've been preoccupied with developing this new idea, but I'll answer all emails soon. Promise!

Okay, I'm headed outside to commune with nature and hopefully my characters! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. Be sure to read something good so you can come back on Recommend Monday and tell us about it.

Have a great Thursday!

Recommend Monday

2011-10-10T09:22:00.007-05:00

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was filled with football, writing and reading. Needless to say, it was a very good weekend!

The last few weeks have been so hectic and wild, getting back to a regular Recommend Monday feels odd. With both SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE on shelves, life has slowed down and I'm having trouble putting on the brakes. When we get closer to the end of October, I'll add an excerpt for SWEET REWARD to my website. If you're hungry for a sneak peek, the first chapter of SWEET REWARD in in the back of SWEET REVENGE, giving you a good glimpse of both Jared and Mia. I love these two characters and hope you will, too.

I want to take a minute and say a giant THANK YOU to all those who have emailed me or sent messages via Facebook and Twitter of how much you've enjoyed SWEET JUSTICE and SWEET REVENGE. Hearing from readers is one of the very best REWARDs of being a published author. I'm thrilled that Honor and Seth and Dylan and Jamie have become some of your favorite LCR characters. I'm quite fond of them too. (:

I'm in the midst of writing something new and I really hope to be able to share something with you soon. Since I'm still in the development stage, I'm going offline for the next few days and hitting it hard. If you need to get in touch with me, email me at christy@christyreece.com or message me on Facebook. I'll get back with you as soon as I come up for air.

Also, several of you who won prizes over the last couple of weeks haven't contacted me with your mailing address. I'm going to take some time this week and see which prizes I still have in my office and I'll post a list of those I need to hear from.

Thanks to everyone who dropped by the USA Today blog and read my interview with Joyce Lamb. That was such fun! I believe Marie Force is over there today. If you get a chance, jump over there and read her fascinating interview. Here's the link: http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-10-10/author-marie-force-talks-about-her-e-book-success/551964/1

I mentioned that I did some reading over the weekend and I'm excited to be able to give a recommendation. I was fortunate to read an advance copy of Jessica Scott's debut ebook, BECAUSE OF YOU. It was fabulous! Gritty, realistic, sweet, heart wrenching and romantic. In a word--unforgettable. The ebook releases on November 14 and is up for pre-order. If you love military romances, you're going to love this one. And Jessica's background--she's a company commander in the army--makes the book feel all the more authentic. Here's the link to her Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Scott/e/B005H8DT94/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Okay, I'm headed back into my writing cave with hopes that these new characters running around in my head come out and chat with me. Wish me luck!

Can't wait to see what you're recommending this week. Lots of great books out there!

Have a great week!

Interview at USA Today Happy Ever After blog

2011-10-08T08:34:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Hope you're having a relaxing and wonderful weekend. I'm popping in for just a sec to ask you to go over and check out the interview Joyce Lamb did with me for the Happy Ever After blog she talked about yesterday. I'm so excited about all the good press the romance world will receive from this new blog. Would love to have you come over and say hey on my interview or comment on the other blogs that are already up.

Here's the link to my interview: http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-10-07/interview-christy-reece-author-of-sweet-justice/551463/1

Be sure to come back on Monday for our regular Recommend Monday blog. I believe I'll have a recommendation you're going to love!

Have a safe, fun weekend and happy reading!

Welcome Joyce Lamb!!!

2011-10-07T07:40:00.003-05:00

Hi, Christy!

Thank you SO much for having me today!!! It’s a good day for romance, in my humble opinion. That’s because over at usatoday.com, there’s a brand-new blog devoted to the love of romance novels, the readers who read them and the writers who write them.

Happy Ever After will run lots and lots of book reviews, author interviews and other fun stuff. You can expect to see Christy’s name mentioned there a lot, too, cuz she just happens to be one of my favorite authors of ALL time. Not exaggerating.

I’m happy to report, too, that the woman in charge of this new blog is an award-winning romance novelist herself. That’s some pretty decent street cred, don’t you think? Oh, and that woman is me. : ) The best part is that we can all now be assured that this blog is about romance novel LOVE. No haters or "bodice ripper" rhetoric allowed.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll find at HEA:

Today, there’s an interview with Lavinia Kent, author of the new Regency romance WHAT A DUKE WANTS. Sample question:

HEA: What's the most interesting thing you've learned about the Regency period that you didn't already know?

Lavinia: “Much of what I found interesting was learning what didn’t happen. There is no evidence that dance cards existed during the Regency, or that heroines ever dampened their skirts to make them cling.”

She also talks about her love of the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Real Housewives of New York, as well as other Housewives shows. It’s pretty entertaining, if I do say so myself. A review of WHAT A DUKE WANTS will appear at HEA next week.

You’ll also find a review today of this summer’s RITA award-winning Jill Shalvis’ new ANIMAL ATTRACTION. Review snippet: Jill’s “Animal series is a fun, light romantic read. Definitely a good way to spend a few hours with some sexy characters.” If you haven’t seen the cover of this book, prepare for an “ooohhh” and an “awwww.” An interview with Jill will run next week.

Later today, HEA will talk with Christy. Yes, Christy!!! And next week, we’ll run a review of her SWEET JUSTICE, followed shortly by a review of SWEET REVENGE. It’s going to be, well, SWEET.

There’ll also be a review today of the new paranormal romance by Virna DePaul, CHOSEN BY FATE. You do NOT want to miss this book. It’s complex, it’s gritty and it’s un-put-downable. An interview with Virna will follow next week.

Other author interviews and book reviews coming up in the next few weeks: Erin Quinn (HAUNTING EMBRACE), Jane Graves (HEARTSTRINGS AND DIAMOND RINGS), Ann Christopher (DEADLY DESIRES), Mariah Stewart (HOMETOWN GIRL), Shawn Lane (DEVOTEDLY HIS), Keri Arthur (DARKNESS UNBOUND), Desiree Holt (BEDROOM EYES) and Jenny B. Jones (THERE YOU’LL FIND ME) -- and that’s just in the next few weeks.

HEA has many, many more interviews and reviews on tap, such as a review of ANGEL OF DARKNESS by Cynthia Eden, HEART OF A KILLER by Jaci Burton, ALL THAT REMAINS by Janice Kay Davidson, READY FOR LOVE by Gwyneth Bolton, THE BAKER'S WIFE by Erin Healy and ... well, I could go on, but I'm sure you're eager to hop over to HEA to say hi. But before you go, you can leave a comment here and I'll choose two random commenters to win the first book in my True trilogy, TRUE VISION. Please remember to leave your e-mail address!

When you're done with that, here's where to find Happy Ever After: http://bit.ly/ouV32w. And you can find out more about the street cred of HEA’s mistress (that’s me!) at JoyceWrites.com.

Let the romance novel love begin.

Two SWEET Chances to Chat!

2011-10-06T08:45:00.007-05:00

Good Thursday Everyone!

Hope you're having a stupendous week. I'm still feeling a bit hung over after all the partying here on Tuesday but yesterday I did some writing, which helped to unclutter my brain!

I'm at two places today talking about the SWEET books. Marie Force's blog, Romance and Oreos is featuring SWEET JUSTICE. Come on over and chat about Seth, Honor and the uber-evil Alden Pike. I'm giving away two copies of SWEET JUSTICE! Here's the link: http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com/

Also today, I'm over at the Romance at Random website talking about unsinkable heroines and SWEET REVENGE. Come on by and comment for a chance to win a book! Here's the link:

http://www.romanceatrandom.com/unsinkable-heroines-by-christy-reece-giveaway/

Joyce Lamb was scheduled to be here today to blog and make an exciting announcement for all romance readers but we're delaying it one more day. Be sure to stop in tomorrow and chat with Joyce. Not only is she a fabulous romantic suspense author, she has an exciting day job you'll want to hear more about. And she's giving away two copies of her fabulous books!

Also, be sure to come back on Monday for our regular Recommend Monday.

Have a fantastic day everyone. Hope to see many of you on the R&O and Romance at Random sites!

SWEET REVENGE Release Day Party (Part Five)

2011-10-04T16:56:00.005-05:00

Hey All! Hope you've enjoyed the SWEET REVENGE release day party as much as I have. It's my sincerest hope that when you get the chance to read SWEET REVENGE, you fall in love with Dylan and Jamie, too.

Now, for the final prize. Due to its size, it will have to be sent media mail, so I'm limiting the winner to US residents only.

The prize includes:

$25 Barnes and Noble or Amazon gift card (winners choice)
A box of books, hard back and paperback, including several from NYT bestselling authors
Two Last Chance Rescue books of your choice

Here's the quiz:

Name the one person, according to Noah, that Last Chance Rescue could not live without.

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REVENGE Release Day Party (Part Four)

2011-10-04T15:40:00.004-05:00

Welcome back to the party! Congrats to Anne for winning the 2:00 prize!

Since I'm running behind on time, I'm going to make this question as easy as the last one. The first person who answers correctly wins a signed LCR book of your choice and a $10 Amazon gift card.

Name the man who was holding Jamie hostage. (Answer is on the back cover blurb)

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REVENGE Release Day Party (Part Three)

2011-10-04T13:39:00.004-05:00

Congrats to Spav for winning the 12:00 prize!

Now, let's go for an easy win.

The first person to answer this question correctly wins a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card and a signed LCR book of your choice:

Name the young man (first name is fine) that left the door unlocked so Dylan could rescue Jamie.

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REVENGE Release Day Party (Part Two)

2011-10-04T11:37:00.008-05:00

Thank you all for the good wishes here, on Facebook, Twitter and your emails. As I've said numerous times before, I have the kindest readers ever!

Congrats to Angela for winning the first SWEET REVENGE prize! And there are lots more to be had. Though I'll continue to have quizzes for the contests, be aware that all the answers can be found in the excerpts either on my website or the Random House, Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.

Here are those links:

http://www.christyreece.com/excerpt_revenge.html

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Revenge-Chance-Rescue-Novel/dp/product-description/0345524055/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-revenge-christy-reece/1100643303?ean=9780345524058&itm=1&usri=christy%2breece

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/205127/sweet-revenge-by-christy-reece#excerpt

Now, for some more SWEET REVENGE fun and a chance to win a signed copy of any LCR book of your choice and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card, be the first commenter to answer this question correctly:

What were the VERY FIRST WORDS Jamie said to Dylan when he came to rescue her?

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET REVENGE is here!!!

2011-10-04T09:40:00.006-05:00

Happy Release Day to Dylan and Jamie! I can't tell you how excited I am about SWEET REVENGE. Writing this book was a labor of love for me. No characters have intrigued me, frustrated me and enthralled me as much as these two. I hope you enjoy their adventures and that SWEET REVENGE becomes one of your favorite LCR books.

I'll be having giveaways every other hour until 6:00 PM (CST). (10:00, 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00) That's 5 chances for you to win--one win per person.

To get this party started, we're going to do a fun, fast, easy quiz. The first person who comments with the correct answer wins a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE and a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. (winner's choice)

So here's your quiz:

Name Jamie's sister

Ready. Set. Post!

Recommend Monday and SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty-seven!

2011-10-03T09:38:00.007-05:00

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a good weekend. Did you do anything fabulously fun or read anything so fantastic that you can't wait to share the news? If so, this is the place to be and we want to hear from you!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and shared their favorite season. And congrats to Shelly E. for winning a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE. Shelly, email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing info and I'll get the book out to you soon.

Hard to believe that SWEET REVENGE is almost here! Tomorrow is the official release day but since I stopped by several BAM stores yesterday and signed the stock, I know it's already out there. If you happen to see it on the bookshelf and have the chance, snap a photo for me and send it to me. I'll post it on my Facebook page. And btw, if you're not on my Facebook page, I'd love for you to come over. I post excerpts, book news, covers and chats there. Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristyReece

I'm gearing up for an exciting and busy week. I'll be here all day tomorrow for the SWEET REVENGE release day party. Lots of prizes, fun quizzes and a little LCR trivia. Be sure to come by for the celebration! Tomorrow night, I'm doing a call in for a book club and we'll be discussing SWEET JUSTICE and all the LCR books. Really looking forward to chatting with this group.

On Thursday, I'm over at two places. First, Marie Force's Romance and Oreo book club chose SWEET JUSTICE as their book this week. (Thank you, Marie and Crystal!) I'll be chatting about Seth and Honor and the oh so evil Alden Pike. I'll also be giving away a couple of signed copies of SWEET JUSTICE. Here's the link: http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com/

Also on Thursday, I'll be chatting at the Romance at Random website about unsinkable heroines, which is how I viewed Jamie Kendrick in SWEET REVENGE. Hope you can come by and chat! Here's that link:

http://www.romanceatrandom.com/

Additionally, one of my favorite authors and people, Joyce Lamb, will be on this blog on Thursday, chatting about her writing, plus she's giving away a couple of her fantastic books. You don't want to miss this!

Since this is Recommend Monday, along with the last day of the SWEET giveaways, it seems only right that I'm giving a SWEET recommendation that I got from Recommend Monday. Thanks to Anne for recommending it and then Mary G for reinforcing it, I downloaded and finally read The Sweet Gum Tree by Katharine Allred. All I can say is Oh. My. Gosh. I can't believe it took me so long to read such a fabulous book. So many things in this wonderful story resonated with me. Ms. Allred describes southern living perfectly--the family dynamics, the small town mentality and the absolute joy of living in the south were all there. But what I really loved were the characters. Alix and Nick were written so realistically. You know when a book makes you cry on one page, laugh on the next page, want to shout at a character on the next page and then want to hug that same character on the next page, you have got a great book. I highly recommend this book but will warn you of two things. It is told in first person which is not my favorite kind of read but I got so caught up in the book, that it bothered me for all of one sentence and then I was lost in the story. Second, you need to schedule time to read this book. Not because it's long but because once you start reading it, you won't want to put it down. It is that good! And to make this book even more enticing, if you have a Kindle, the book is on sale for $1.49. What a SWEET deal! Here's the link at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweet-Gum-Tree-ebook/dp/B003370K3Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1317656040&sr=1-1

And with that SWEET recommendation, I'm going to give away a very SWEET prize. A signed copy of any LCR book and that also includes SWEET REWARD. (Beware that I won't have copies of SWEET REWARD until late November, but if you win, you'll get the first copy). For a chance to win, all you have to do is give a book recommendation. I'll announce the winner tomorrow before we get started on the SWEET REVENGE release day party.

Have a marvelous Monday, everyone. I hope you'll leave a recommendation today and then come back tomorrow for some SWEET release day fun!

SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty-Six

2011-10-02T13:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Sunday All!

I hope you're having a fabulous day and weekend. Mine has been busy but very nice. Thanks so much for all the comments the last two days on your favorite books when you were a kid. Brought back some great memories!

Congrats to Patty for winning a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and Ronlyn for winning a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE! Patty and Ronlyn, please send your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get your book out to you soon.

This week will be a busy one for me. I'll be on a couple of blogs, I'm doing a call-in book club meeting and let's see, seems like I'm forgetting something,. Oh yeah, SWEET REVENGE is coming Tuesday! (As if I could forget Dylan and Jamie!) I actually just stopped on the way back from church and signed several copies at the Books-A-Million, so even though they're not out yet, they are in stores so be on the lookout!

I'll announce the specifics of all the activities this week on tomorrow's blog but I did want to call attention to one event that's going on now and will end some time today. SWEET JUSTICE received a great review from Long and Short Reviews and is now up for Book of the Week at the site. If you've got a couple of seconds to click onto to the site and vote for SWEET JUSTICE, that would be so SWEET! Here's the link:

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/index.htm

Since I'm late with this blog and we're running short on time, I'm going to make this quick and SWEET. For a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE, what is your favorite season of the year? I'll collect comments and announce the winner on tomorrow's blog.

Have a SWEET Sunday All!

SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty-four

2011-09-30T09:31:00.006-05:00

Happy Friday All!

Yay, Friday finally arrived! Hope you've got something fun to look forward to this weekend. I'm headed to Georgia tomorrow with my friend and fellow author Carla Swafford for a day of exploring and chatting about writing. BTW, you'll be hearing more about Carla in the coming weeks. Her debut book, Circle of Desire, is a fabulous romantic suspense about a secret organization of assassins and will be released by Avon Impulse on October 18. Carla used to be my critique partner and was the first person to read RESCUE ME. I've invited her over here to blog in a few weeks. You're going to love her!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and named your favorite toys when you were a kid. Brought back many fond memories.

Congrats to Johanna J for winning a signed copy of Heartache Falls by Emily March. Johanna, please send your mailing info to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get the book out to you next week.

Wow, can you believe that in three days, SWEET REVENGE will finally be here? Seems like we've been waiting for Dylan and Jamie's story forever, doesn't it? I do hope you love their story. I'm already hearing that some people have it and are loving it, so yay! And don't forget the official release day party on Tuesday, October 4. Lots of prizes up for grabs.

I've got several things coming up next week to tell you about, but I'll announce them on Monday. Stay tuned though cause you'll have lots of chances to learn more about Seth and Honor from SWEET JUSTICE and Jamie and Dylan from SWEET REVENGE. I might even throw in a teaser or two for Mia and Jared in SWEET REWARD!

Now for today's SWEET giveaway. Since we're all readers and many of us loved reading when we were kids, I'm betting you had several favorite books or series when you were growing up. Mine, were Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, The Black Stallion, Heidi, Robinson Crusoe, The Call of the Wild and Greek Mythology books. Anything that sparked my imagination, I devoured.

What about you? What were your favorite children's books and stories?

Since I'm going to be gone tomorrow, I won't be able to have a day twenty-five giveaway, so I'm going to do two giveaways today and they're both SWEET!

For a chance to win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE or a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE, name your favorite children's books. I'll announce the winner on Sunday's blog.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Friday and Saturday! Can't wait to see what your favorite kid books were!

SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty-three

2011-09-29T09:20:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday All!

Has this week gone by fast or is it just me? Hard to believe tomorrow is Friday. Anyone got fabulous weekend plans? I'm going to Atlanta on Saturday with a friend for the day. We're going to the aquarium, having lunch and then we'll head over to the signing at the Moonlight and Magnolia Conference. I'm not signing...plan to play fan girl in a big way though!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and shared the names of their favorite cartoons. Brought back many good memories for me! Congrats to Gail for winning a signed copy of Maya Rodale's A Tale of Two Lovers. Gail, please send your mailing info to christy@christyreece.com.

Going down memory lane was such SWEET fun, let's stay in the past one more day and talk about our favorite toys when we were kids. I had a couple. One was a Creepy Crawler set that could cook up all sorts of wonderful rubber insects and little creatures. I remember going to church with rubber frogs and lizards in my little purse. And I also loved my Barbie doll. I used to spend all my recess and lunch money on Barbie clothes. She was much better dressed than me!

What about you? What was your favorite toy?

Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Heartache Falls by Emily March!

I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Have a great Thursday all!

SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty-two

2011-09-28T08:57:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday All!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and named their favorite new television show or returning favorite. I'm going to be DVRing a whole lot more in the next few days!

Congrats to Cathy M. and Amy for winning a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE! Cathy and Amy, please email your mailing info to christy@christyreece.com.

Since we had such a good response on the television theme yesterday, I thought we'd stay with it today, with a turn back in time. When I was growing up, Saturday morning was cartoon time. Seems like these days, you can find cartoons 24-7, especially since there are channels who cater only to cartoons. But for me, it was Saturday morning and I had several favorites: Casper the Friendly Ghost, Johnny Quest and Scooby-Doo were the ones I remember watching the most.

What about you? What was your favorite cartoon? And if you didn't have a favorite cartoon, did you have a favorite comic book character?

Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of a wonderfully lush looking historical romance: A Tale of Two Lovers by Maya Rodale.

I'll collect comments today and announce the winner tomorrow.

Have a fabulous day everyone!

SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty-one

2011-09-27T08:46:00.004-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Thanks to all who stopped by and gave their recommends yesterday. I've added several to my list! And thank you also to those who stopped by but didn't have recommends. I know there are always going to be books that don't suit our taste for whatever reason and I so appreciate you all only mentioning the ones you would recommend to others. There are lots of places where you can find negative book comments. I love that we've created a positive environment for the books you love!

Congrats to Susan T. for winning a copy of The Fallen: Raziel by Kristina Douglas. Susan, please send your mailing info to christy@christyreece.com.

Let's talk television shows. The new season has started and along with my favorites such as Criminal Minds, Castle and Blue Bloods, I've added several new shows to my evening viewing or DVRing. They are: Person of Interest, A Gifted Man and the one I'm most excited about is a show on the CW channel called REVENGE. Did anyone see the premier last week? It started off great and I'm really hoping it keeps up the intriguing storyline.

What about you? Any new shows catch your interest this season? What about your favorites? Which ones are you glad to see come back?

Comment today for a chance to win a signed copy of: SWEET REVENGE

I'll announce the winner on tomorrow's blog.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

Recommend Monday and SWEET Giveaway Day Twenty!

2011-09-26T09:39:00.003-05:00

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a good weekend! Did you read anything fabulous you can't wait to share? If so, here's your chance!

I'm headache free for the first time in days and the sun is shining. A great way to start a Monday!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and shared their favorite romantic movies. There were several I've never heard of, so I'll definitely be checking them out. And congrats to Mariee for winning a signed copy of an LCR book of her choice. Mariee, please email your mailing address and the LCR book you'd like me to send you.

Anyone notice what happens a week from tomorrow? As I write this blog, it's exactly seven days, sixteen hours and ten minutes until the release of SWEET REVENGE! Yay! Don't forget we'll be having a release day party on Tuesday, October 4. Book and gift card giveaways, so mark your calendars!

Joyce Lamb was scheduled to come over tomorrow and chat with you, but she's asked to reschedule her blog. She's got something exciting going on and is trying to coordinate and synchronize several items. As soon as I confirm a definite day with her, I'll be sure to let you know. And if you've not read a Joyce Lamb book, I encourage you to try her books. She writes fabulous romantic suspense!

For today's SWEET prize, I have a fabulous looking paranormal, The Fallen: Raziel by Kristina Douglas. And all you have to do for a chance to win is give a book recommendation. I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

As for my recommendation, Marie Force has a new book out! GEORGIA ON MY MIND looks amazing and I'm going to Amazon after I finish this blog to download it. Here's the order info:

Amazon http://amzn.to/qhKj6Z

B&N http://bit.ly/pDMObG

Smashwords http://bit.ly/qNNFlT

Coming soon to Apple, Kobo and other outlets.

Hope everyone has an outstanding Monday. Can't wait to see what books you're recommending today!

SWEET Giveaway Day Nineteen

2011-09-25T13:32:00.006-05:00

Happy Sunday All!

Hope you're having a good weekend. Mine has been unusually busy but also good. For some reason still fighting the headache from earlier this week, but other than that, it's been good.

Thanks to all those who stopped by yesterday to weigh in on their favorite cookie. Some diverse answers but looks like the chocolate chip cookie would win the popularity contest. I'm partial to them myself.

Congrats to Christi for winning a copy of The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde. Christi, please email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com.

Continuing our SWEET theme, but veering away from the sugary part, let's talk romantic movies. Do you have favorite romantic movies that you watch again and again? I know I do. Some of mine are: Sleepless in Seattle, The Princess Bride, Romancing the Stone, American Dreamer and an old 1940's film with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman called Notorious. Anyone remember this one? Great drama and some sigh worthy moments!

And since we're going low sugar on the subject matter, let's make the prize extra SWEET. For a signed copy of any published Last Chance Rescue book: RESCUE ME, RETURN TO ME, RUN TO ME, NO CHANCE, SECOND CHANCE, LAST CHANCE or SWEET JUSTICE, name your favorite romantic movie(s).

I'll announce the winner on tomorrow's Recommend Monday's blog.

Have a great Sunday afternoon all!

SWEET Giveaway Day Eighteen

2011-09-24T07:34:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday All!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and shared your favorite beverage. Interesting to see so many SWEET tea drinkers!

Congrats to Cheryl C! She is the winner of Captured by a Rogue Lord by Katharine Ashe! Cheryl, please email your mailing info to christy@christyreece.com.

I'm posting early today. My RWA chapter is putting on an all day law enforcement seminar that starts this morning. So let's get down to the SWEET nitty-gritty. Keeping with our SWEET theme, what is your favorite cookie?

And the SWEET prize? The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde.

I'll collect answers today and name the winner tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Saturday!

SWEET Giveaway Day Seventeen

2011-09-23T09:14:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday All!

Thanks to everyone who came by and named their favorite candy. I'm loving this SWEET theme! Congrats to Regina Ross for winning a copy of Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter! Regina, please email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com.

Since it's going to be another busy day for me, I'm going to get to the SWEET stuff asap. For a signed copy of Captured by a Rogue Lord by Katharine Ashe, name your favorite drink--non-alcoholic. (Mine is SWEET tea!)

I'll collect comments today and announce the winner tomorrow morning.

Have a SWEET Friday all!

SWEET Giveaway Day Sixteen

2011-09-22T08:22:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Going to be a busy day for me, so I'm posting the contest earlier than usual. Thanks so much to those who dropped in to share their favorite dessert to take to a friend or family gathering. They all sounded delicious. And special thanks to those who shared their recipes. Feel free to add more if you like. Recipes are like books, you can never have too many!

Congrats to Virginia for winning a signed copy of Angel's Rest by Emily March. Virginia, please send your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get the book out to you soon.

Today I have another fabulous Madeline Hunter book, Provocative in Pearls. And the SWEET and very simple question of the day is: What is your favorite candy? (If it's homemade, feel free to share the recipe)

I'll collect answers today and announce the winner tomorrow. Hope everyone has a fabulously SWEET day!

SWEET Giveaway Day Fifteen

2011-09-21T09:49:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone!

What a great list of pies you gave yesterday! For those who might want to give recipes, feel free. I know we have several great cooks who follow this blog and they would probably appreciate the new ideas. Wish I was one of those great cooks--hubby wishes that, too! (: However, with the holidays coming up, I might just try out a couple of recipes.

Congrats to J. Barrett for winning A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh and Rana for winning Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter! J. and Rana, email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get your book out to you next week.

Today's SWEET prize is a signed copy of Angel's Rest by Emily March!

And continuing our SWEET theme, what is your favorite dessert to take to a family or friend gathering? I usually take a strawberry cake from a great place here in Birmingham called Edgar's Bakery. If I'm doing the cooking though, I either go for brownies or fudge. Love that chocolate!

I'll collect SWEET answers all day and announce the winner tomorrow.

Have a great Wednesday!

SWEET Giveaway Day Fourteen

2011-09-20T09:45:00.003-05:00

Hi all!

Thanks so much for the fabulous recommends yesterday. Sorry I didn't get to participate--migraines are never convenient but yesterday's was particularly unwelcomed. I'll try to go back this afternoon and respond to your comments.

Congrats to Deb! She is the winner of a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE. Deb, please email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing information. Everyone else, stay tuned for more opportunities to win Dylan and Jamie's book!

SWEET REWARD is now in NYC and the next time I see Mia and Jared, they'll be wrapped up in a beautiful cover. Yay!

I have two prizes for today's SWEET giveaway: A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh and Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter. Both authors are two of my favorites in historical romance!

What do you have to do to win one of these prizes? This is going to be as easy as pie! All you have to do is tell me your favorite kind of pie. Yep, it's that easy!

I'll collect answers all day and winners will be announced on tomorrow's blog!

Have a great Tuesday all!

Recommend Monday and SWEET Giveaway Day Thirteen!

2011-09-19T09:22:00.002-05:00

Good Monday All!

How was your week and weekend? Do anything fabulously fun? Read anything incredible? If so, share with us here!

I spent most of my week and weekend giving SWEET REWARD one final polish. In a couple of hours, Jared and Mia will be headed to NYC. Please wish them well!

This week is catch-up week for me. All those things that get put on the back burner when I'm on deadline are now on a giant 'must do' list. Will be a very busy week.

Thanks again to everyone who has emailed me or sent messages via Facebook or Twitter telling me that you enjoyed SWEET JUSTICE. I so appreciate your kind words and I'm thrilled you enjoyed Seth and Honor's story! If possible, would you do me a favor and leave a review at your favorite review site? I would sincerely appreciate it! And for those of you who have already left reviews, thank you!

Anyone notice what happens two weeks from tomorrow? If you said that SWEET REVENGE will be released, you were right! Wow, seems like I've been waiting for this day forever. I can't wait for you to read Jamie and Dylan's story. I fell in love with both of them during the writing of their book and sincerely hope that you love them, too!

In fact, I love them so much, I feel the need for a very SWEET giveaway! Would you like to win a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE? If so, all you have to do for a chance to win is do what comes natural here on Monday--recommend a great book for us to read. I'll collect comments and will announce the winner on tomorrow's blog.

So, come on and share a book recommendation and get your name in for a very SWEET prize!

Happy Monday everyone!

SWEET Giveaway Day Twelve!

2011-09-18T12:52:00.002-05:00

Happy Sunday All!

Sorry I'm late today. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by yesterday and listed the qualities they loved in their favorite heroines.

Congrats to Spav for winning a copy of Blood Trinity! Spav, please send your mailing info. to christy@christyreece.com so I can get the book to you.

And because I'm still running late, today's contest is going to be a quickie. The prize, however, looks marvelous-a historical romance, The Heir by Grace Burrowes. To win, all you have to do is be the first commenter to say: I want THE HEIR by Grace Burrowes.

See everyone back here tomorrow for Recommend Monday!

Have a great day!

SWEET Giveaway Day Eleven!

2011-09-17T09:10:00.005-05:00

Happy Saturday!

Thanks to everyone who came by yesterday and shared the reason they fell in love with one of their favorite heroes. I loved reading the comments of why you loved that man: tough but tender, protective, caring but flawed, reformed bad boy, loyal, kind, honorable, devoted. All of those are wonderful characteristics and exactly what I love in a hero, too.

Special thanks to Crystal for choosing Ethan from RUN TO ME and her description of him as strong, kind, a bear and just sexy as can be! And Kris for choosing Seth from SWEET JUSTICE and her description of how honorable he is for sticking to what he believed in to his own detriment. Isn't it interesting that his heroine is named Honor. (:

Congrats to Lisa Filipe for winning a signed copy of Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden! Lisa, please email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get the book out to you next week.

Now, today let's talk about heroines. When I'm writing, I always fall in love with my hero and want to make sure I find a heroine who not only deserves him but is a perfect match for him. One who's strong enough to stand up to an alpha male but also has qualities that make that alpha male become all tender and protective when he thinks of her.

I won't ask you to name your favorite female character, unless you want to, however, name some character traits you like to see in a heroine. If she's going to be good enough for a hero you love, she's got to have qualities that you admire. What are they?

Today's SWEET prize is Blood Trinity, Book 1 in the Belador series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love! Looks like a fabulous book!

Okay, I'm spending the day again with Jared and Mia. Since this is the last book in the LCR series, I think I'm having trouble letting them go, plus they are just so much fun! However, I'm sending them back to New York on Monday so gotta get them ready for the journey.

Have a great Saturday all! And if you're a college football fan, hope your team wins today, unless your team happens to be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide! (:

Now, let's talk heroines.

SWEET Giveaway Day Ten!

2011-09-16T08:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday All! The weekend is here! Yay!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to share the name of your favorite hero. I totally understand the difficulty of picking just one. I have a couple of hundred favorites myself. But in a minute I'll show you there's a method to my madness. (:

Congrats to Chrisbails! She's the winner of the signed copy of Memoirs of A Scandalous Red Dress by Elizabeth Boyle! Chrisbails, please send your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get the book out to you next week.

Today's prize is a signed copy of Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden--an absolutely fabulous romantic suspense. And the contest? Remember the hero you named yesterday? Give one character trait that made you fall in love with him. Was it his sense of humor, tenderness with the heroine, courage, integrity or was he just flat out sexy? Or something else?

If you didn't get a chance to name a favorite hero yesterday, no problem. Tell us his name today and one of the character traits that made you fall in love with him.

Winner will be announced in tomorrow's giveaway.

Okay, I'm headed back to my writing cave to spend a few more hours with my wonderful characters, Mia and Jared.

See you back tomorrow for another SWEET giveaway!

Now, tell us why you fell in love with that hero.

SWEET Giveaway Day Nine!

2011-09-15T09:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday All!

Thanks to everyone who came by yesterday and chimed in on the last book they read. There were several I hadn't heard of that caught my interest. Will check them out as soon as I'm deadline free again.

Congrats to CrystalGB for winning a copy of Wicked Highlander by Donna Grant! CrystalGB, please send your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll get this out to you next week.

A few things before I announce today's prize. Since I'm on deadline, the prizes people have won will be sent next week. So be patient, they're coming! Hopefully when you read SWEET REWARD, you'll see why I wanted to spend so much time on this story. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this book? (:

Also, several people have emailed and messaged me that they can't find SWEET JUSTICE. Since print runs are down, there are less books out there. If you can't find the book at your local bookstore, please ask your bookseller to order it for you or you can order it from an online source. I'm sorry it's difficult to find but I sincerely hope you enjoy the book when you read it. I love Honor and Seth and I hope you will, too!

Additionally, I'm planning a Q&A discussion of SWEET JUSTICE on my Yahoo group in a couple of weeks. We haven't had a chat in a while--not since LAST CHANCE, so it'll be fun to get this group started again and see what questions you have about the book. Spoilers will abound in the discussion, so be sure to read the book first. If you're not a member of my Yahoo group and want to be added, please send me an email at christy@christyreece.com and I'll get you on the list. It may take me a few days, but I'll get you added asap.

Now, for the fun stuff. For a signed copy of Memoirs of A Scandalous Red Dress by Elizabeth Boyle, please tell me one of your favorite hero's name. (I know there are many many heroes you've loved, so you don't have to say he's the only one) I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Okay, I'm headed back to spend some quality time with two of my favorite people, Mia and Jared. Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

SWEET Giveaway Day Eight!

2011-09-14T09:35:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Thanks so much for the great list of rereads yesterday! Before I announce today's giveaway, I have a couple of winners to name.

First, thanks so much to everyone who entered my newsletter contest. I had a great response! Using Random.org, the winning entry was Lori Young. Congrats, Lori! You won a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card and a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE! I'll email you to get information on mailing.

Also, congrats to Holls! You're the winner of Eternal Prey by Nina Bangs. Please email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing information.

Today's giveaway is a fabulous sounding book, Wicked Highlander by Donna Grant. To win the book, all you have to do is tell us the name of the last book you read. I'll collect names and announce the winner tomorrow.

Okay, I'm heading back to spend some more time with Mia and Jared. Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday.

See you here tomorrow for another giveaway!

SWEET Giveaway Day Seven!

2011-09-13T09:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Tuesday All!

It's going to be an extremely busy day for me so I'm going to get to the fun nitty-gritty!

Congrats to Amber for winning a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE! Amber, please email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing information.

Everyone else, stay tuned, because there will be many more chances to win a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE.

And for today's SWEET giveaway, I have a signed copy of Eternal Prey, Gods of the Night by Nina Bangs. Looks like a fabulous romantic adventure with vampires and other creatures running amok. Who wants to win? All you have to do is tell us the last book you read that was a reread for you. Be sure to leave your email address in the comment, too!

Winner will be announced tomorrow during SWEET Giveaway Day Eight.

Okay, I'm headed back to make sure Jared and Mia will get their SWEET REWARD.

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Recommend Monday and SWEET Giveaway Day Six!

2011-09-12T09:15:00.005-05:00

Good Monday all!

It's a bright, sunny and somewhat cool day here in the South. I do enjoy this kind of weather where you can turn off the A/C and open doors and windows. And as long as I take my allergy medication, I'm sneeze free!

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me or sent messages via Facebook or Twitter to tell me how much you enjoyed SWEET JUSTICE. I'm thrilled that people are loving Seth and Honor! If you did enjoy their book, would you do me a favor and leave a review at your favorite review site. I would sincerely appreciate it!

After release day, I spent most of my time working on page proofs for SWEET REWARD. I so love Mia and Jared--they're so spirited and incredibly strong characters. Can't wait for you to meet them!

This week I'll continue working on the page proofs (deadline is Friday) so I'll be busy most of the week. However, each day I will return to have another SWEET giveaway as we continue our countdown to SWEET REVENGE. And speaking of SWEET REVENGE, two copies arrived last week and I'm dying to give one of those away. Be sure to come back everyday because I have a feeling I won't be able to wait much longer. (:

Even though it was an extremely busy week for me, I did manage to read a book and had high hopes that I would be able to make a recommendation today. Unfortunately I can't. What I thought was a romance turned out to be an odd kind of self-discovery or self-realization character study and the ending was most definitely not happy. The book only reinforced my preferences again: I want a happy ending! (:

But what about you? What book(s) are you recommending today? Oh, before I forget, a dear friend of mine posted her recommendation on my Facebook wall and I told her I'd share it here. LOL She read and loved SWEET JUSTICE and highly recommends it. Thanks, Deb!

Also, Ronlyn recently did an interview with me and Pamela Clare was kind enough to free up her blog today and post it. Here's the link: http://www.pamelaclare.blogspot.com/ Thank you Ronlyn for taking time from your extremely busy schedule to do this! I sincerely appreciate it! And thanks to the incredibly generous Pamela Clare for having me over to her blog.

And now for today's SWEET giveaway! LOL You guessed it! I can't put it off any longer! For a signed copy of SWEET REVENGE, please tell me the name of the first romance you remember reading. I'll announce the winner on tomorrow's SWEET giveaway blog.

And congrats to yesterday's winners: Tina Hale won a signed copy of Hummingbird Lake by Emily March and Kara C won a copy of Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Monday and don't forget to give us a recommend along with the title of your first romance read!

SWEET Giveaway Day Five

2011-09-11T13:46:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I'm late today. I overslept and didn't want to be late for church so I delayed the giveaway for this afternoon.

I struggled with what I could say today. Though I didn't lose anyone close to me in the 9/11 attacks, I, like many Americans and people all over the world, grieve for those lost. It's a somber day and even though I'm a writer, I struggle with the right words in something that's so deeply personal and profound to all of us. In fiction, I put my characters through horrific circumstances, but I can control their happy ending and that's one of the reasons I love to read and write romantic fiction. A happy ending is assured. Since no words of mine can create that happy ending here, let's talk about the kinds of reads we like to go to when we're looking for that comfort read.

At least once a year I read the following books: Sarah's Child by Linda Howard, Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Dream Man by Linda Howard, Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught, The Bride by Julie Garwood, It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Some To Watch Over Me by Judith McNaught

The above books bring me comfort. They're like visiting an old, dear friend and sharing memories or snuggling up with a warm blanket and cup of hot tea on a cold day. I have many keeper books on my shelves, but the above books are the ones you'd have to pry out of my hands to take from me.

What about you? What is your favorite(s) comfort read? Share and maybe our comfort read list will grow by one or two. Now there's a comforting thought!

Name at least one of your comfort reads for a chance to win a signed copy of Hummingbird Lake by Emily March or a copy of Absolutely Positively by Heather Webber. Both look like they could be future comfort reads!

I'll collect your comments today and two random commenters will win. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment. Winners will be announced tomorrow on our Recommend Monday blog.

So please share those comfort reads and also, take a moment to hug someone today.

Sending out cyber-hugs to all of you!

Day Five SWEET Giveaway Coming at 2:00 PM (CST)

2011-09-11T07:26:00.002-05:00

See you then!

SWEET Giveaway Day Four

2011-09-10T09:14:00.003-05:00

We're continuing our countdown to the release of SWEET REVENGE with another SWEET giveaway! Congrats to Taryn and Jackie who both won books yesterday. Hope you enjoy your book, ladies!

Since I'm in the midst of SWEET REWARD page proofs, I'll make this a quick one too. Once I finish, I'll start making these contests more challenging and fun. Promise!

Today, I'm giving away a lovely historical, Confessions of A Little Black Gown by Elizabeth Boyle. The story sounds wonderful and I must admit, I have cover envy--it's absolutely gorgeous. Also, this is an autographed copy!

So, the first person to comment with: "I WANT CONFESSIONS OF A LITTLE BLACK GOWN" wins the book!

And if you don't win today, be sure to come back tomorrow for a chance to win another book!

Hope everyone enjoys this lovely Saturday.

SWEET Giveaway Day Three

2011-09-09T09:39:00.002-05:00

Good Friday All!

Just want to say thanks again to Bella Andre for dropping by and visiting with us. Her question of your favorite kind of book setting was so intriguing, as were your answers. Thanks to all of you for giving me some ideas to muse over!

Congrats to Monica for winning a digital copy of Bella's The Look of Love.

Also, thank you to those who have emailed me or wrote reviews on SWEET JUSTICE. I'm so happy to hear that people are enjoying Seth and Honor's story. I have heard from a couple of people who have had trouble finding the book in bookstores. If you can't find SWEET JUSTICE on the shelf, be sure to ask your bookseller for it. Many times they're in different areas of the store. Also, if they don't have it, all bookstores should be able to order it for you.

We're continuing our SWEET countdown to the release of SWEET REVENGE (Did you notice the release day clock is ticking?) with another giveaway. Today, I'm giving away two books! They quite different sub-genres, but both look like marvelous reads.

Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves (I think we had several recommendations for this on Recommend Monday).

Love Bites by Lynsay Sands and it is signed by the author.

Oh wow, these books look so good!

Since I'm working under deadline with SWEET REWARD page proofs, I'm going to make this simple again. Remember, only one winner per book!

The first person to comment with: "I WANT BLACK TIES AND LULLABIES" wins that book.

The first person who comments with: "I WANT LOVE BITES" wins that book.

Please don't say you want both, even if you do. (:

And be sure to come back tomorrow for another SWEET giveaway!

Happy Friday all!

Welcome Bella Andre!!!

2011-09-07T22:05:00.006-05:00

I'm so thrilled to be a part of Christy's blog today to celebrate the release of my new contemporary romance, FROM THIS MOMENT ON, about the Sullivan family - 6 brothers and 2 sisters in a close knit family.

For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name - Nico - for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is...or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger - and the sinful promises - in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But nothing goes as they plan when instead of simply tangling limbs, they find a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated. Growing emotions - and sizzling attraction - keep drawing them closer together. Close enough for them to wonder if stealing one more secret moment together can ever be enough?

One of the reasons why FROM THIS MOMENT ON was so much fun to write is because my hero is a winery owner. I live in the Northern California wine country and am inspired by the gorgeous grapevines and mountains around me every day! In fact, I'm looking out at them from my office as I type. The first time my husband and I set eyes on this beautiful part of the country thirteen years ago, we knew we had to move here.

I'm having an absolute blast with my Sullivan family and can't wait to tell every single one of their love stories! Just ask my husband, who I was yabbering on to yesterday when we were in the car on the way home from a weekend in Lake Tahoe, about one of my Sullivans. He's very good at looking interested. :) The first book – THE LOOK OF LOVE – came out this summer and the third – CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE – will be out in December.

I'd love to know what some of your favorite settings are for books? I'll happily give away a digital copy of THE LOOK OF LOVE (Sullivans #1) to one of the commentors.

Happy reading!

Bella Andre

http://www.BellaAndre.com

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KB9WJO

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1105070172

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/85528

All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fromthismomentonthesullivansbook2contemporaryromance-599161-149.html

Apple iBookstore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9780983720263

Kobo, Google eBookstore and Paperback coming soon!

SWEET Giveaway Day One

2011-09-07T09:13:00.005-05:00

Hey All-

Wow, thank you all so much for coming by yesterday to party with me on SWEET JUSTICE release day. What fun! And one thing I learned--a lot of you are fast-fingered! I had barely clicked to enter the post before I was getting answers. That's awesome!

Hopefully everyone has gotten their copy of SWEET JUSTICE or you're planning to get it soon. And when you do, I sincerely hope you enjoy Seth and Honor's story. I'm hearing good things so far!

If you won a prize yesterday, congrats again! They'll be sent out later this week. And if you're entering the contest from the newsletter that went out to subscribers yesterday, please be sure to read and follow the instructions carefully.

Today, I'm beginning the giveaways in our 28 day SWEET countdown to the release of SWEET REVENGE. That's 28 chances for you to win! As I mentioned before, I've collected lots of books over the last few months and I've saved them just for you. I will give one a way everyday until October 4!

And I'm going to get us started with one of my very favorite authors, Linda Howard! This is two of her older Harlequin books reissued and bundled together in one called Trouble. The stories are: Midnight Rainbow and Diamond Bay. These are two of my very favorite of hers. To make it even more special, this book is signed by the author!

So, who wants to win? I'm kind of drained from yesterday's fun, so no need to answer questions or flip through pages looking for the right answer. All you have to do is be the first commenter to say: "I WANT TROUBLE!"

Tomorrow, Bella Andre, one of the loveliest and most generous authors I know, on top of being a fabulous storyteller, will be here to chat with you. And she's giving away a digital copy of her new book The Look of Love! Should be fun!

Okay, that's it from me today. Thanks again for all your kind words and excitement over SWEET JUSTICE. Now, who wants to win a signed book by Linda Howard? All you have to do is be the first to say: I WANT TROUBLE!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Nine

2011-09-06T17:54:00.002-05:00

Welcome back for the final and most fun of the SWEET JUSTICE release day contests! Congrats to Jane for winning last hour's prize!

Since this is the last prize of the day and you guys have been so much fun, I'm going to make the question the easiest of all and make the prize the best of all. The first person who answers wins a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE, a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, a $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card, plus one of the first copies of SWEET REVENGE.

And the question is:

Name your favorite LCR character. (Name only one)

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Eight!

2011-09-06T16:39:00.006-05:00

Welcome back for more SWEET JUSTICE fun! We're winding down the party but not the prizes. Congrats to Jennifer for winning last hour's contest!

Here's another question from the excerpt and actually it's in the very first line of the book. The first person to answer correctly and hasn't won today, wins a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $10 Amazon card.

Name the man Seth was accused of murdering. (first and last name)

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Seven!

2011-09-06T15:36:00.004-05:00

Yay! Welcome back for more SWEET JUSTICE fun! Congrats to Spav for winning last hour's contest!

Now, here's another question that comes directly from the excerpt. The first person who answers correctly and hasn't won today will win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card.

What is the name of Seth's restaurant? (two words)

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Six!

2011-09-06T14:45:00.003-05:00

Welcome back for more SJ fun! Congrats to Monica for winning last hour's prize!

Now, here's another fill in the blank question and the easiest one so far today. The first person to answer correctly and hasn't won already, will win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $15 Amazon gift card.

Before coming to work for Last Chance Rescue, Honor Stone worked for the _________.

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Five!

2011-09-06T13:38:00.004-05:00

Welcome back for more SJ fun! Congrats to Elma for winning last hour's contest!

Here's another question about Seth and the answer can be found in the SWEET JUSTICE excerpt on my website and on page 3 of the book.

Be the first person to answer this question correctly and win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card.

How many brothers and sisters does Seth Cavanaugh have?

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Four!

2011-09-06T12:40:00.004-05:00

Welcome back for more SJ fun! Congrats to Kris for winning last hour's prize!

Okay, now we're going to step it up a notch. For all you die-hard LCR lovers, you know the answer to this, so don't be shy, post the answer and win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $25 Books-A-Million gift card.

Honor Stone had a very brief fling with an LCR operative after she broke up with Seth. In fact, she admits to herself in SWEET JUSTICE that he reminded her of Seth. Who was that LCR operative?

Ready. Set. Post!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Three

2011-09-06T11:49:00.002-05:00

Welcome back for more SWEET JUSTICE fun! Congrats to ShellyE for last hour's win!

Now, how about another quick SJ teaser! It's a fill in the blank question:

_____ ____________ was many things--arrogant, opinionated, and quite often infuriating; an excellent cook, an incredible dancer, and one of the most wickedly handsome men she'd ever known.

Who is Honor thinking about above? First person to answer correctly wins a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $10 Amazon gift card.

Ready. Set. Guess!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!! Part Two

2011-09-06T10:34:00.006-05:00

Welcome back for more SWEET JUSTICE fun! Congrats to Angela for winning the first contest!

As promised, here's a small SWEET JUSTICE teaser:

That kiss had been ill advised, stupid, and the best thing that had happened to him in five years.

And here's the contest question. Who do you think had that thought above?

First person to name him wins a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card!

Ready. Set. Guess!

SWEET JUSTICE Release Day Par-Tay!!!

2011-09-06T09:46:00.003-05:00

Happy Release Day to Seth and Honor! I'm so thrilled to be able to say those words! It feels like I've been waiting forever!

I love this book and these characters and hope you will too. SWEET JUSTICE is out in stores everywhere and can be ordered online as well. Fingers crossed SJ sells out the first week! (:

Okay, let's get this party started! We're going to have contests and giveaways every hour until 6:00 PM. That's nine chances for you to win a prize! Also, I'll give you tidbits about the book and teasers for SWEET REVENGE and SWEET REWARD!

To show my love and I do LOVE you all for the love you've shown Last Chance Rescue, I'm giving away a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE and a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card to the first person who comments with: "I WANT SWEET JUSTICE!"

I'll announce each winner in the blog comments and then in the next blog post. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you.

Okay, let's get this party started! Who's going to be the first winner?

Recommend Monday!

2011-09-05T08:52:00.003-05:00

Good Monday All! And Happy Labor Day to the U.S.

If you're on holiday today, are you doing anything fun to celebrate? We're in the path of massive rain here, so cookouts or traveling are out for us. It's been raining since yesterday morning but I'm not complaining--we desperately needed a good soaking. However, for those who have had more than their share, I sincerely hope it stops soon.

How was your week and weekend? Did you do anything fabulously fun? Read anything wonderful you can't wait to tell us about? If so, you're in the right place. Tell us!

Last week, I worked on my new series proposal. I'm incredibly excited about how it's developing and though the storylines are quiet different from the LCR series, the books will still involve strong characters, nasty villains and a fulfilling happy everafter ending. As soon as I can share more, I will.

Now, there's something important going on this week and I've been scratching my head, trying to remember what it was...let me think. Hmmm. Oh yeah, I got it! SWEET JUSTICE is being released tomorrow!!! How could I forget that? (:

I've already heard of several sightings and I went to Books-A-Million yesterday and saw it on the shelf myself. Wow, it looked lurverly! I've heard from several people who've already read it and so far, the feedback is very very good. Yay! Even my mom, who is without a doubt (after reading thousands of romances) my toughest critic, says it's the best LCR book so far. Woohoo!

I sincerely hope you love Seth and Honor's story. If you do, I'd love to hear from you. And, if you wouldn't mind leaving a review at your favorite review site, I'd be grateful. Word of mouth still seems to be the best way to get books sold these days. So, if you enjoy SWEET JUSTICE, please tell others. Thank you!!!

Let's talk about what's going to happen this week. Tomorrow is our all day long release day party. Prizes and fun galore! We'll start around 10:00 AM (CST) and wrap it up around 6:00 PM (CST). I'll have giveaways every other hour, including signed LCR books, bookstore gift cards, restaurant gift cards, and a few surprises too! I hope you'll stop by frequently.

Then, on Wednesday, I'll start our month long giveaway extravaganza. Every day until Oct. 4, which is the release of SWEET REVENGE, I'll have a daily giveaway. I've got lots and lots of books from the RWA conference and other meetings I've attended this year and I've been saving them for a special occasion. That time has come!

Additionally, on Thursday, the incredibly talented and truly wonderful Bella Andre will be here. She's going to talk about her books and will give away a digital copy of The Look of Love. You definitely don't want to miss out on visiting with Bella. She is a delight!

And then the prizes will continue through the month. I may have special guests drop by to say hey and I'll be sure to give you a heads-up. One in particular I'm excited about is Joyce Lamb. She'll be here on September 27 to chat and will give away two of her awesome books, True Colors and True Vision. How great is that!

It's going to be a great month and I hope you'll come by each day for a little laughter and a chance to win!

Thank you to those who stopped by the Fresh Fiction blog on Saturday. We talked about villains and I got lots of recommendations from commenters. Am definitely adding some of them to my list!

What about you? Do you have some book recommends for us? Something wonderful you read and want the rest of the world to know about too? Then let us know.

Okay, that's it from me. I'm headed to do a bit more writing and perhaps will take some time to sit back, listen to the rain and read. Big day tomorrow, so need to chill and relax in preparation. (:

See you tomorrow!!!

Fresh Fiction Blog with a Chance to Win SWEET JUSTICE!

2011-09-03T08:42:00.004-05:00

Hey All!

I'm over at Fresh Fiction blog today talking about scary villains. Come on by and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE!

http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=3588

Hope to see you there!

Have a great day!

Happy Friday and Happy Labor Day Weekend!

2011-09-02T10:47:00.007-05:00

Hi All!

Hope you've had a good week and are ready for a long relaxing holiday weekend. Here at the Reece house, we're going to lay low, maybe see a movie and get together with my family for a cookout on Monday. Love those family get-togethers!

Wasn't yesterday fun with Marie Force here? She's so entertaining and such a great author too! I can't wait to download Fatal Destiny onto my Kindle on Monday. Marie asked me to announce the winner of the PDF file of her entire Fatal series is CrystalGB. Congrats, CrystalGB! Marie will be contacting you soon.

If you haven't heard the news yet, let me announce it here. SWEET JUSTICE is coming!!! Next week will be a wild, crazy week with lots of fun and prizes for you and more than a little angst for me. I'm always very nervous during release week. Sending my baby out into the world and hoping people love it as much as I do is very nerve-racking. It's my sincere hope that you enjoy SWEET JUSTICE. If you do enjoy it, I'd love to hear from you!

I'll be blogging at different places over the next few weeks and will do my best to give you a heads-up. Tomorrow, I'll be over at Fresh Fiction talking about villains. Alden Pike, the villain in SWEET JUSTICE, is, in my opinion, one of the most hideous ones I've ever created. Come over to Fresh Fiction tomorrow and learn why my villains are so very very bad. I'll post the link tomorrow as soon as it goes up.

Also, over at Romantic Times, I'm in the author spotlight talking about SWEET JUSTICE and sharing a short SWEET excerpt. Here's the link: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/authors-spotlight-34

Yesterday, I did an interview with Dawn over at WTF Book Review blog site and talked all things LCR. I'm giving away a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE. Come on over and comment for a chance to win. Contest ends tomorrow! http://www.wtfbookreviews.blogspot.com.

Tuesday, September 6, is the official release day and the release day party will begin around 10:00 AM (CST). We'll have contests, fun, prizes and lots of laughs. So mark your calendar for the all day extravaganza!

Here's another interview I did recently with International Thriller Writers about SWEET JUSTICE and my writing process. http://www.thebigthrill.org/2011/09/sweet-justice-by-christy-reece/

I'll be sending out a newsletter on Tuesday with the announcement of SWEET JUSTICE release. If you haven't signed up for my newsletter, you can subscribe from my website's home page, bottom right.

Okay, that's enough out of me. I'm headed back to do a bit more writing and then will take some time to just appreciate the beautiful sunshine and the last days of summer.

Wishing you and yours a happy happy holiday weekend. Stay safe and be sure to come back on Monday and recommend some great books!

Marie Force is in the House!

2011-09-01T07:51:00.004-05:00

Going to the Chapel and We’re Gonna Get Maried….

By: Marie Force

Happy September, everyone, and in my house happy—or not-so-happy, depending on your perspective—first day of school. This time of year is always a little bittersweet for me. While it’s nice to be getting back to some semblance of a routine, I’m sad to see the summer come to an end, and believe it or not, I’ll miss having the kids underfoot during the day. They are going into 7^th and 11^th grades, and the great college search is beginning for my daughter. I’m soooo not ready for that, but ready or not, here it comes.

This is also a time for celebration because Sam and Nick are getting married! Fatal Series fans have been looking forward to the big day for some time now, especially since they helped me settle on the details back in February. Over the last week and a half we’ve been unveiling all the specifics that will make up Washington’s wedding of the year. Visit my blog: http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com) to participate in the daily contests and to view the choices for the wedding.

The wedding novella, Fatal Destiny, will be out on Monday, and the best part is that it’s free! Here’s a bit about the novella:

With the week of their wedding finally upon them, Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her fiancé, Senator Nick Cappuano, are at odds. In the aftermath of a tragic loss, they struggle to reconnect as the big day draws near, but their work keeps pulling them apart. When a new clue into a cold case surfaces, Nick asks Sam not to take any foolish chances before the wedding and to leave it alone for the time being. Sam agrees, but she can't let it go entirely and winds up trapped in an explosive situation. Then an unwelcome visitor from her past threatens her future happiness… With trouble at every turn, will Sam survive long enough to walk down the aisle?

I had such a fun time writing Sam and Nick’s wedding, and I can’t wait to hear what you all think of the big day!

Next up for Sam and Nick is Fatal Flaw, coming in February. I finished Flaw in July, and we’re working through some edits now. In the next installment, Sam and Nick are just back from their honeymoon and are discovering not everyone is happy for them. They receive some menacing wedding cards that keep them on edge as one vexing murder after another has Sam, Freddie, Gonzo and the Metropolitan Police Department gang chasing their tails looking for a clever killer. In Flaw, you’ll see more of Sam and Nick’s young friend Scotty Dunlap and a blast from Freddie’s past will rock him and further test his strained relationship with his mother. Detective Jeannie McBride continues her recovery from a brutal attack and struggles valiantly to put her relationship with her boyfriend back on track. Finally, a health crisis for Sam’s dad opens the door to secrets that will resonate through the Holland family for some time to come. Oh, and one more thing from Flaw: watch for another relationship to form between a friend of Sam’s and a friend of Nick’s. Doesn’t Sam just love when their two worlds collide? Not!

One of the my favorite parts of writing the wedding novella was the relationship that develops between Sam and her wedding planner, Shelby Faircloth, who Sam calls Tinker Bell. Their dynamic was so fun that I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can keep Shelby on the canvas in future books. I think I’ve come up with a way to do that, and I’m looking forward to working that into the next book, which will be called Fatal…. something. LOL! Not quite sure yet!

Heading into the sixth book, I’m happy to report that the Fatal Series is still so much fun to write. Sam and Nick have become real people to me, and judging from the comments during the wedding planning,, readers feel the same way. We’ve gotten to know them quite well and have a handle on what they’d like and what they wouldn’t. I hope I will continue to surprise you as they continue to surprise me!

Next up from me is a contemporary called Georgia on My Mind, which I’m hoping to have out by the end of September, followed by a trilogy I’m super excited about: Treading Water, Marking Time and Starting Over. These last three are the first books I ever wrote, and they continue to be my favorites of all my books. I can’t wait to get them out to readers! Find out more about all four upcoming releases on my website at www.mariesullivanforce.com.

I’m sure all the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series fans will want to know how the next book is coming along. Well, not as quickly as I’d like, but with summer coming to an end my life will get back to normal, which means lots of writing time! I’m still hoping to have Grant McCarthy’s book, Falling for Love, out before the end of year. Stay tuned!

I have two last bits of news for you. First, I’ve done some work on my Facebook fan page at facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor where you can check out my bookshelf and gain access to exclusive content (including a first look at Georgia on My Mind) after you “Like” the page. I love what the designer did to the page, and I hope you do, too!

Finally, Christy asked me to tell you that my dog Brandy is now a singer—in addition to her many other skills (newspaper shredding, sock eating, bunny chasing, etc.) During our 50-hour blackout after Hurricane Irene, my daughter broke out her guitar and my husband (The Turnip) played his harmonica. Brandy started “singing” in a voice we’d never heard before. My daughter called it “Brandy Sings the Blues.” The blackout taught me that I wouldn’t have made for a good prairie woman—not that there was ever much debate about that—and that unplugged time with the family is priceless. A perfect end to a wonderful summer.

Some questions for you: What did you do for fun this summer? Any good wedding stories (horror stories)? And, does your dog sing like mine?

Great to be with you all today! I’ll give away a complete set of the Fatal books, so comment away!

SWEET JUSTICE Giveaway!

2011-08-30T09:32:00.003-05:00

Hey All!

Since today was supposed to have been the release day for SWEET JUSTICE, I wanted to do a quick giveaway to make waiting another week a bit easier. All you have to do to be entered to win is to answer this question: What is your favorite romance sub-genre? (Romantic suspense, paranormal, historical, inspirational, sci-fi, steam punk, erotica, contemporary or romantic comedy) Whew! Lots of choices. Did I miss any?

I'll collect entries until noon tomorrow. Also, be sure to leave your email address with your answer so I can contact you if you win. Winner will be announced on this blog at 12:30 PM (CST) tomorrow.

Good luck!

Recommend Monday!

2011-08-29T09:21:00.005-05:00

Good Monday All!

How was your week and weekend? For those of you who experienced Irene's wrath, how did you fare? I'm so glad it wasn't as bad as many had feared but looks like it still did substantial damage and unfortunately there was loss of life. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. I'm hoping and praying that hurricanes are over for the year. Even though the peak isn't until September 10, hopefully they'll die out in the middle of the ocean and leave us in peace.

Over the weekend, my family and I celebrated my mom's birthday. It was a rare treat to have both my sisters and my mom together. We went to see The Help, which was so very fabulous, then had a delicious dinner at Outback Steakhouse, then came back to my house for cake and coffee. Just a wonderful and SWEET time with family.

Last week I did a bit more promo planning and worked on a new proposal. I love meeting new characters--that's one of the most exciting parts of writing for me. And I so enjoy creating new stories and new worlds. That brings me to some bitterSWEET news. Several of you have asked if there will be more Last Chance Rescue books. I've put off answering until I knew for sure, but now I can reveal that SWEET REWARD will be the last book in the LCR series. I had hoped to be able to launch a new series with some of the secondary characters that I never got the chance to write about, but that's not going to happen either. Who knows what the future holds though--maybe at some point, I can do something with these characters, but for right now, I'm headed in a different direction.

So what's the SWEET part of this news? Well, I am working on something else and though I can't tell you what that is yet, I can tell you that it's a romantic suspense series. I'm already in love with my characters and storylines. Yay! As soon as I can share something with you, I promise, I will.

Tomorrow, as you'll recall, was supposed to be release day for SWEET JUSTICE. But then the release date was pushed back a week. However, I did promise that I would have a giveaway to take the sting out of having to wait one more week. So, tomorrow, be sure to drop back by for your chance to win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE.

Which brings me to next week. Tuesday, September 6 is the release of SWEET JUSTICE. I'll be having an all day release day party. Lots of prizes and books up for grabs, so be sure to mark your calendar!

After September 6, I'll start the month long giveaway I told you about. Everyday, from September 7 to the release of SWEET REVENGE on October 4, I'll be giving away a book, maybe two. I have lots of fabulous books I picked up at the national conference this past June, many of them signed. So be sure to check here everyday to see what's up for grabs!

This week I'm planning on continuing work on my new project as well as working on some upcoming guest blogs. As soon as I nail down locations and times for all of them, I'll let you know. Also, don't forget that the incredibly talented Marie Force will be here on Thursday, September 1 to chat about her awesome Fatal series and all of her upcoming releases. And she's generously offered to give away a PDF file of her entire Fatal series to one lucky commenter! Wow! Don't miss this opportunity!

No recommends from me today. I'm reading a bit here and there but when I'm focusing on a new project, I have problems concentrating on anyone else's story but mine. I'm hoping to complete my proposal this week and at least read a few more books before a new deadline hits.

Okay, that's it for me. Hope you have a fabulous day and don't forget to come by tomorrow for a chance to win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE!

Now, tell us what great books you're recommending this week!

SWEET JUSTICE Trailer!!!

2011-08-25T11:29:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday all!

Take a look at this very cool and STEAMY HOT trailer for SWEET JUSTICE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhN6ojvKyE

LAST CHANCE Winners

2011-08-24T16:03:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday for the LAST CHANCE chat! So much fun reminiscing about two of my favorite LCR characters.

And thanks to all those who played the trivia contest. Everyone got the answers correct. Wow! You guys definitely know your LCR trivia.

Congrats to the blog winner: Taryn

And congrats to the trivia contest winner: Joan Richard

Ladies, if you'll email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com, I'll send your prizes out to you.

Thanks again, everyone! Will check back with you soon.

Have a great rest of the week!

LAST CHANCE Trivia Contest

2011-08-23T19:10:00.002-05:00

Sorry I'm late but here it is!

For a chance to win a signed copy of the 2010 trilogy and a signed RT magazine featuring the SWEET trilogy answer all of these questions. Please don't answer on this blog. Email your answers to christy@christyreece.com.

1) Name the state where McKenna grew up.

2) What was the name of the evil guy that was holding Lucas hostage at the beginning of the book?

3) What was the name of the secret government agency that Lucas worked for before he took over his family's businesses?

4) What was McKenna's sister's real name?

5) What was the name of the man who embezzled money from Lucas's company?

6) Who is Lucas's best friend?

7) How did Jamie Kendrick come up with her name?

Remember, send your answers to christy@christyreece.com. You have until tomorrow 4:00 PM (CST) to answer.

I'll announce the winners of the trivia contest and the blog winner at 5:00 PM tomorrow.

Have fun and good luck!

LAST CHANCE Discussion

2011-08-23T10:09:00.003-05:00

Wow, hard to believe this is the last LCR book of our countdown to the release of SWEET JUSTICE. Only 13 days away now!

Welcome to the LAST CHANCE discussion. Grab a snack and your favorite beverage, sit back and let’s chat about McKenna, Lucas and Damon. Please be aware spoilers that will be revealed!

We first met McKenna Sloan in NO CHANCE. A seemingly tough young woman with a multitude of secrets. She instantly intrigued me. Why would she go to the lengths she did to protect and save a life—even a stranger. Why was she called Ghost? What had brought her to what she had become? Who was she hiding from? Though she was only in a couple of scenes in NO CHANCE, I was so fascinated by her behavior, I had a hard time not finding out her secrets before it was time. She made a brief appearance in SECOND CHANCE and only made me want to know more. Needless to say, when it was time to write LAST CHANCE, I was ready.

LAST CHANCE was a different story for me in many ways. For the first time, I had a British hero. One who had worked for an organization just as intriguing and mysterious as LCR. Also, neither the heroine nor the hero, at the beginning of the book, was employed by LCR. As you’ll remember, McKenna just jumped in to help on a rescue and then slowly began to take the odd LCR job, but she wasn’t an official operative until later.

The chemistry between Lucas and McKenna made their love story one of the easiest and most fun to write. The passion was off the charts, as was the tenderness. The gentle humor between the two often made me smile as I wrote their words. In other books, I’ve had to sit down and explain to my characters that they were destined for each other and they should fall in love before I had to make them do it. Not so with McKenna and Lucas. They fell in love easily and seamlessly—though their story is not an easy one.

Damon Hughes: Oh what a vile and evil man was he. The things he did to McKenna and her family earned him a place in the hottest fires of hell. When McKenna revealed what he had done to her, I cried as I wrote that event. I could only imagine her guilt over inviting the devil into her home. The sheer desperation she went through as he kept her hostage—so desperate at one point that she tried to take her own life. And then, the incredible loneliness and grief she felt in believing she was responsible for her entire family’s death.

Most people understood Lucas’s need to help her, however, I know some had issues with the way he went about it. I totally understood Lucas’s motivation and being ruthless in getting McKenna’s background information went with his personality and training. He knew McKenna was not going to willingly share her past—she was protecting Lucas.

Something not many people know is that I never intended McKenna’s sister to be alive. I wrote the first draft and Jamie Kendrick was a young woman who happened to have an eerie resemblance to McKenna and an unfortunate one since it almost got her killed. My editor believed people would assume Jamie was McKenna’s sister and encouraged me to change the story. I’m very glad she did. Not only was I able to give McKenna back a member of her family, but I got the chance to write Jamie and Dylan’s story in SWEET REVENGE, which has become one of my very favorite LCR books.

LAST CHANCE is special for other reasons, too. As you know, this book won the Romantic Times 2010 Reviewers Choice award for Best Romantic Suspense and was a Red Hot Read in the December issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. I was so thrilled that Lucas and McKenna’s story received these honors. Their love story was a joy to write and I still adore these characters. In fact, you’ll see quite a bit of them in SWEET REVENGE and a little in SWEET REWARD.

So what about you? What questions do you have for McKenna or Lucas? Heck, I’ll even reanimate Damon Hughes for a brief time if you want to ask him some questions. Do you have a favorite scene or quote? Any observations or comments you want to make? Have any questions for the secondary characters who will soon have their own story—Jamie, Dylan or Jared?

A random commenter will receive a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, a signed copy of LAST CHANCE and a signed copy of the RT magazine featuring the SWEET trilogy.

Later in the day, I’ll post a trivia contest. Winner will receive a signed copy of the 2010 LCR trilogy and a signed copy of the RT magazine.

Okay, let’s chat!

Recommend Monday!

2011-08-22T09:00:00.006-05:00

Good Monday Everyone!

Hope you had a productive week last week and a fun-filled weekend. Anything you want to share with us here? We won't tell, we promise! (: What about great books? Did you read something that you can't wait to tell your fellow readers about? If so, let us know. I don't know about anyone else, but my TBR list, though long, always has room for more books!

Last week I finished up copy edits for SWEET REWARD. Every time I read through this book I feel so excited to have met these two characters. Both Mia and Jared have so much heart and are such fun. I can't wait for you to read their story!

Anyone notice that we're only 14 days away from the release of SWEET JUSTICE? Yahooooooooooo! Seems like it's been forever since I had a release and I don't think I've ever been this excited about my releases. Each SWEET book is special to me in very different ways. I've loved each LCR book I've written and adored each hero and heroine, but somehow the SWEET books came together in a way that made them a little extra special. Once you read them, I hope you feel the same way.

I've had numerous emails and messages asking me what comes after the SWEET trilogy. All I can say is--there is something, but I can't share anything right now. Stay tuned though. Will tell all as soon as I can. Promise!

Is everyone ready for tomorrow's LAST CHANCE discussion? Do you have questions for McKenna and Lucas? Want to discuss the vileness of Damon Hughes? Want to know what late change I made in the story that made a huge difference to the outcome? If so, please stop by tomorrow. Remember, if you've not read it and don't like spoilers, be sure to read the book before tomorrow or read the blog at your own peril. (Sounds dangerous, doesn't it?) (:

What's up for this week is a lot of different things. I'm still working on promotion for the new trilogy and writing a bit on something else (that I can't talk about yet). I may do a bit more reading, too. Which leads me to a recommend of my very own. I read the first book (yes, I'm behind) in Roxanne St. Claire's new series and absolutely loved it. Edge of Sight has fabulous characters, lots of steam and plenty of suspense. And it's a reunion romance which you know I adore. I'm so looking forward to the next two in the series.

Oh, before I forget. I have an extra special guest coming here to the blog on September 1. The incredibly talented Marie Force will be here to talk about her Fatal series and all of her fabulous books. She's also giving away a complete set (PDF) of her Fatal books. How awesome is that!

Okay, that's it for me. I'm headed out for a long walk so I can have a chat with some new characters. We're in the getting to know each other phase. (:

Hope everyone has a fabulous Monday. Will see you here tomorrow for the LAST CHANCE discussion. And remember, there will be prizes!

Now, tell us what great books we should be reading!

Recommend Monday!

2011-08-15T05:40:00.005-05:00

Good Monday!

Hope you had a fabulous week and weekend. Did you do anything fun or read anything fantastic? If so, please share! And anyone who makes a book recommendation today will have a chance at an exciting prize. Read on to learn more!

Last week, I worked on copyedits for SWEET REWARD. Jared and Mia are such fun characters and I so enjoy working with them again as we polish up their story. Deadline is Wednesday, so we're definitely going to have to hit it hard until then to get everything done.

Did anyone happen to notice we're only 21 days away from the release of SWEET JUSTICE? Yahooooo! I'm so excited! I can't wait for you to finally meet Seth and get to know Honor better. BTW, if you didn't catch the video I made while I was in Los Angeles at the RT convention, here's the link: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/rt-daily-blog/video-interview-christy-reece.

Take a look at it so you can see what prompted Mr. Reece to say: "You certainly seemed to have a good grasp of the subject matter." *giggle* Since I'm talking about myself and my books I guess that's a good thing!

So what's going on with you? Do you have children returning to school today? Is it a mad, mad, mad Monday to rush and get everyone out the door? I remember those days of the bus driver honking, kids screaming and me rushing around trying to get out the door before the driver gave up and went on her way. Aw yes, good times. (:

So what's that prize, you ask? Well, last Monday, while I was sitting in my office, having a heated discussion with Mia and Jared, the Fed Ex man appeared at my door with a small package. And in that package were two copies of a book with a very hunky man on the cover. Yay! I officially have SWEET JUSTICE in my house! One is spoken for. (Crystal, something SWEET is on its way to you!) Because Crystal was such a great help to me in my research on Wyoming and the surrounding area, I promised her one of the first copies. Hope you enjoy, Crystal and thank you again for your help!

However, there's another copy up for grabs and it could be yours. All you have to do is give a book recommendation and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE. Be sure to give your recommendation by midnight (CST) to be entered in the contest. I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning (10ish).

Okay, that's it for me for a day or so. I'm headed back to spend some quality time with Jared and Mia. Have a wonderful day, everyone! Can't wait to hear what you're recommending!

SWEET JUSTICE Review

2011-08-11T13:46:00.004-05:00

Hi All-

Wanted to share this fabulous Fresh Fiction review of SWEET JUSTICE.

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=30444

Have a great weekend! See you back here on Recommend Monday for news on how to win a signed copy of SWEET JUSTICE!

Recommend Monday!

2011-08-08T05:56:00.003-05:00

Good Monday Everyone!

How was your week and weekend? Do anything fun or exciting you want to share with us? Read anything so fabulous you want to shout it from the rooftops? If so, this is the place to be and you don't even have to climb to the roof to tell us.

Did you notice that we're now only 28 days away from the release of SWEET JUSTICE? Wow! Time has flown--well, actually it's moved at a snail's pace for many days, but the last few weeks have gone by much faster. Now they'll zoom like a rocket! I'm so anxious for you guys to read Honor and Seth's story. I adore this couple and absolutely despise the uber-creepy villain. Hope you will too!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the SWEET JUSTICE release day party on September 6. We'll start around ten in the morning and party until around six that evening. There will be lots of prizes. And remember, from September 6 until the release of SWEET REVENGE on October 4, I'll be having a daily giveaway. I've got stacks and stacks of books just waiting to be mailed to lucky winners.

I spent most of last week working on copy edits for SWEET REWARD and this week, I plan to do the same. Good thing I love these characters so much! Can't wait for you to meet them.

Thanks to all who commented on the RT cover. I think RT did a great job with it and the article. Yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a couple of extras copies to give away, so the first two people who comment with: "I want the RT magazine featuring the hot LCR covers" will win a copy!

No new recommends from me this week. I am reading a book but it's not quite what I expected and may not be a recommend. Will wait and see. However, please share your recommends so I can add to my ever growing list.

Oh and be sure to mark your calendars for the LAST CHANCE discussion which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 23. This will be the last LCR book discussion before SWEET JUSTICE releases. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on McKenna, Lucas and the oh so evil Damon.

Okay, that's it for me. I'm headed back to my writing den to spend some quality time with Jared and Mia. Hope everyone has a spectacular week! Now, tell us what great books we should be reading!

Romantic Times Cover!!!

2011-08-02T14:45:00.003-05:00

Can't believe I forgot to post this yesterday. Thank you, Tara, for reminding me! Check out the awesome RT cover! And the great review for SWEET JUSTICE!

SWEET JUSTICE
by Christy Reece

Genre: Romantic Suspense, General Romantic Suspense
Sensuality: HOT

RT Rating

Another winning addition to the Last Chance Rescue series, Sweet Justice is a delicious read. Reece skillfully weaves a tense and downright creepy plot with the sweet rekindling of a hot romance. Seth Cavanaugh is a hero worth waiting for and the sparks between him and Honor are a delight.

It’s been five years since Honor’s last seen Seth and her life has changed in many ways, but she’s still not over him. That’s very apparent when he comes back into her life and needs her help finding his missing niece. Together they must track down a serial kidnapper, but to do so means Honor must trust Seth again — with her heart and with her life. (BALLANTINE, Sep., 400 pp., $7.99)