Winner of Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Happy Saturday All!

Thanks so much for playing yesterday. Everyone mentioned some great villains and I picked up a couple of book, movie and television series recommendations too!

Congrats to Linda, the winner of the 'grab-bag' prize package! Linda, email your mailing address to Christy@ChristyReece.com and be sure to let me know which LCR book you'd like to have included in the package.

I hope everyone has a safe, wonderful and spooktacular Halloween weekend!

See you back here on Monday for Recommend Monday!

Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Good Fabulous Friday Everyone!

Hope you've had a good, productive week. My week has been busy but oh so very good. The first draft of SWEET JUSTICE is almost finished. Once that's done, it's time for major revisions and edits, but then it'll be headed to my editor. Yayayayay!

Today, in honor of Halloween this weekend, we're talking favorite fictional villains. You know those really, really bad people we love to hate. Even though we despise these people and what they stand for, they are an important and integral part of the story. Not only do they give the story conflict and excitement, villains also make the hero look even more heroic. What would Superman be without Lex Luthor? Sure, he's strong, got some great super powers and is a genuinely nice guy, but how would we know just how heroic and strong he is if he didn't have to battle Lex and his evil minions? Villains bring the excitement and angst. They give you someone to hate and as a result, provide you with someone to root for--the hero.

Over the centuries, fiction has brought us some evil, devious and just plain mean villains. Usually when I think of memorable fictional villains, I don't think of those evil soulless characters who kill people willy-nilly--Halloween's Michael Myers, Jason in the Friday the 13th movies or even the demons or the devil in the Exorcist. To me those people or entities aren't as much villains as they are simplistic killing machines, without conscience or the ability to reason. The villains I love to hate and find much more memorable are those who can reason. They know the difference between good and bad and for whatever reason, choose to be bad. Those kinds of villains I find fascinating. I love to know what makes them tick or what made them into the evil, twisted people they've become.

We won't limit the list to just books. There have been some uber creepy villains in movies and television that are just as memorable. Who are your top five favorite fictional villains? Do you have five that you can remember hating so strongly that you couldn't wait until they got their comeuppance?

Not in any particular order, here are my top five:

Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs (Yes, I know he's a serial killer and a cannibal, however, he's a psychiatrist who knows the difference between right and wrong and man oh man, he doesn't just choose to be bad, he chooses to be very bad!)

Jim Beckett from Lisa Gardner's The Perfect Husband (He's a cop--supposed to be one of the good guys, one of the guys you root for, not a mean, sadistic killer. Creepy, scary guy!)

George Foyette aka The Boston Reaper from Criminal Minds (Cunning, devious and so very creepy. He outsmarted and out-manipulated so many, and in the end, did something so dastardly evil that when he got his just deserts, I was standing the middle of the room, my hands fisted and wanting to get in a couple of punches myself.)

The villain from Karen Rose's Have You Seen Her (Mentioning the name would be a spoiler, but I love the surprise and sheer audacity of who this villain is and how Rose keeps you guessing. By the way, if you haven't read Karen Rose, I highly recommend her...she's absolutely incredible!)

Carol Janes, the villain in Linda Howard's Dream Man (I think the fact that he was so ordinary and unexpected, that when you see his evil, it's even more chilling.)

Okay, now it's your turn. And if you can't think of five, feel free to give fewer.

One random commenter will win a 'grab-bag' prize package filled with all sorts of goodies. I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a fabulously spook-tacular weekend! See you back here on Monday for Recommend Monday!

Recommend Monday!

Oh my, I'm up way too early this morning. Thunderstorms started around 3:00 AM. My girls can't sleep during a storm and are quite insistent that I shouldn't either. Hopefully we can all grab a nap later.

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fabulously fun? Any Halloween parties? If so, what was your costume?

Thanks to the great comfort reads you gave on Friday, I've now started a whole new list. In my mind, if it's a reread, then it's definitely a must read. Looking forward to delving into more great books!

This Friday, in honor of Halloween, we're going to be talking about favorite villains. Since most of us read romantic suspense, there's got to be some memorable bad guys and gals who've given you the creeps over the years. And we won't limit it to books. We'll talk villains in movies and television series too. So start putting your list together and we'll share our top five on Friday!

SWEET JUSTICE is racing toward the end. Seth and Honor are in the midst of a nightmare and none of us know how it's going to turn out. Very worried about these two! And with a deadline looming, it's getting even tenser!

Even though I was consumed with Honor and Seth's difficulties, I did manage to read a couple of great books. They've been recommended here many times. However, I wanted to give my own hearty recommendations to Pamela Clare's Surrender and Untamed. They were fabulous, and my oh my, those MacKinnon men! Whew! Looking forward to Connor' book!

So what about you? What great books did you read last week you're dying to tell us about? Tomorrow's a big release day. What books are you looking forward to going out and getting this week?

Don't forget to come back on Friday for a discussion of your favorite villains.

Have a great week all!

Winner of Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Happy Saturday all!

Thanks to everyone who posted yesterday. Wow, looks like there's a whole new list of books I'm going to be adding to my TBR pile. If it constitutes a reread, then it's definitely a must read!

Congrats to Jackie P. She is the winner of the 'grab-bag' prize package! Jackie, please email me at christy@christyreece.com with your mailing address, along with the LCR book you'd like to have.

Don't forget to come back on Monday for Recommend Monday. And I will have one. Yay!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Good day all! Hope your week has been wonderful. The trees here in Bama are peaking and are absolutely gorgeous. The brilliant colors, combined with the flawless sky, has a breathtaking radiance that brings tears to my eyes. Oh, I do love October!

Last week was so much fun, talking about our favorite fall foods. The recipes look out of this world. Today, we're going to talk about comfort reads. You know those few books that you have to read at least once a year.

If you've read my Dear Reader letter on my website or my biography, you know that I started reading at an early age. I still remember (and I've heard this from so many avid readers) taking a flashlight to bed with me and the instant the house settled down, I was clicking the flashlight on and reading well into the night. Reading has been my comforter and friend for years, taking me to far away places and easing my own worries. I would be desolate if I had to do without it.

What does this have to do with today's blog? A lot! Every year, often when the weather turns cool and I'm wanting to snuggle up with my girls and a good book, I will turn to a tried and true favorite. With my reading time so limited, why do I reach for a book I've read before, probably many times? For me, these kinds of reads are the literary equivalent of my mom's chicken and rice or my late mother-in-law's Swiss steak. Delicious and familiar, they comfort me and take me to a place I've been before and loved. (LOL, wouldn't you know I'd have to bring food back into the conversation?)

I have about five books that I read every year. Sometimes I'll read the entire book, other times just certain chapters or the ending. Usually, in reading a story, it's all about the journey. For me, a comfort read is all about the destination--getting to that place in my mind I like to go when I reread a certain book. It's all about the predictability. I know exactly what's going to happen and that brings me comfort.

Here's a list of my must reads each year. I'm just listing five. I have many more rereads in a year, however, these are the ones I will return to again and again.

1) Almost Heaven - Judith McNaught

2) It Had To Be You - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

3) I'm Watching You - Karen Rose

4) MacKenzie's Mountain - Linda Howard

5) The Bride - Julie Garwood

I know there are some people who refuse to reread a book. As soon as they finish, even if it's one they loved, they'll give it away or take it to a UBS and get another book. Are you one of those or are you like me and love those comfort rereads?

If you have rereads, list your top five. Remember, one random commenter will win a 'grab-bag' prize package. And be sure to come back on Monday for Recommend Monday. Who knows, we might see some of today's rereads on Monday's recommended reads. Wouldn't that be SWEET!

Happy Friday all!

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend and that you're ready to recommend some great reads to us.

I don't have anything current to suggest, however, I have another recommend from the past. Have you read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers? I don't read a lot of inspirationals, however, this one caught my eye a year or two ago. I'd read about it online somewhere and was in the bookstore one day and saw it. I think it's been reissued several times, but this particular cover just caught my attention--absolutely beautiful. So I picked it up and quite frankly could not put it down. I ended up loving it so much, I bought three or four more copies and gave them as Christmas presents. It's a wonderful love story about redemption, marital devotion and faith and stuck with me long after I closed the book. Even if you don't normally read inspirational romances, give it a try!

Thanks to everyone who contributed such awesome recipes on Friday's blog. Wow! I can't wait to try some of these. They look incredible. And congrats again to Tigmode, who was the winner of the 'grab-bag' prize package. Tigmode, if you're reading this blog today, be sure to email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com.

This week's Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday blog, we're going to be talking books. So get ready to share with us your top five favorite rereads. You know, those books that you have to read at least once a year. Heck, we may discover a few books that we find ourselves recommending next Monday!

Okay, I promised you some news on the SWEET trilogy and here it is. The new dates and order are:

SWEET JUSTICE - September 2011 (Honor Stone and Seth Cavanaugh)

SWEET REVENGE - November 2011 (Dylan Savage and Jamie Kendrick)

SWEET REWARD - January/February 2012 (Jared Livingston and Mia Ryker)

Not really that much of a change other than the first book will be released four months later than originally planned. There were a lot of different reasons for the calendar and order changes. However, I plan to make sure it was worth the wait. I'm about 3/4 finished with SWEET JUSTICE and am loving the story and characters. I really think you will too!

Okay, that's it for me until Friday. Going back into my writing cave and spending some quality time with the dark and dangerous Seth.

Now, it's your turn. Tell us what we should be reading this week!

Happy Monday all!

Winner of Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Wow, everyone! Thank you so much for the fun yesterday! What fabulous recipes you all shared! I am so impressed with everyone's talent and diversity of tastes. Some amazing selections! When you try some of these recipes, be sure to pop back on the blog and let us know how they turned out.

The winner of the 'grab-bag' full of prizes is TigMode! If you'll email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com, I'll send your prizes out to you next week. Also, be sure to let me know which LCR book you'd like to have included in the prizes.

Next Friday, we're going to talk about favorite winter rereads, so start thinking of those special books that for some reason, you have to read at least once a year.

Be sure to stop by on Monday to give your recommendations of your great reads from last week. Also, I'll be sharing some news about the SWEET trilogy that I know you'll want to hear!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Good Fabulous Friday Everyone!

Wow, can it be October 15 already? Trees are changing to glorious colors here in Bama. We have a wooded backyard and in the fall, my favorite time of day is early morning when the sun comes up over the trees and like a spotlight, highlights the brightest of the autumn colors. This morning I saw glorious oranges, reds and a beautiful bright golden yellow. What a lovely start to my day!

Continuing our October celebration, today we're talking about our favorite fall foods and sharing recipes. I grew up surrounded by women who were fabulous cooks. My grandmother especially could make the very best of everything. And she did it with such seeming ease. Sadly, I didn't inherit those talents. When I go to make something elaborate in the kitchen, I usually come away exhausted, with a mess in the kitchen and my sweet hubby saying something like "But I thought it tasted really good". He's such a diplomatic SWEETheart!

However, I do have a couple of recipes that have become favorites in our house. They taste good and they're simple--my two requirements in making meals, especially these days. And they smell delicious. Don't you just love the fragrance of chili, homemade soup or pot roast wafting through the house. Somehow it just makes everything feel so much cozier.

I've heard from several of you who are planning to share lots of recipes, but don't feel that you have to give recipes. Today's post is all about favorite fall foods, so if you want to just tell us your favorites for this time of year, that's great too. However, if you also want to tell us how to make those fabulous dishes? Well...yum!

Here are two of my tried and true, extremely simple (did I already tell you I don't do anything else) favorite fall recipes:

Crock Pot Pot Roast (We both love this dish, as do my girls. The fragrance is amazing!)

Eye of Round Beef Roast

1 - 2 cans of Campbell's Mushroom Soup

1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Put roast in crock pot, pour canned soup and packaged soup over roast. Close lid and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. (If you want it faster, you can cook on high.) About every two hours or so, spoon gravy over the roast and after about three or four hours, turn roast over in the pot to cook more evenly.

LOL, yes, simple but oh so good! Makes a wonderful gravy that's fabulous with mashed potatoes.

The other dish that is super easy and a definite favorite of my husband's is my chili. I've tried the packaged 7-alarm stuff you get at stores and while it's good, if I have to read directions of things I already know how to make, I tend to get bored. (: I'm more of an experimenter about some dishes. Adding one thing one time, then maybe something else the next. Here's my chili recipe that I experimented with until I got it the way we like it.

Chili

1 lb. ground sirloin

2 cans diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

2 cans dark red kidney beans

2 cans light red kidney beans

2 cans mild chili beans

cayenne pepper

chili pepper

cumin

Brown ground sirloin, sprinkling cayenne pepper, chili pepper and cumin over meat as it browns. Drain ground beef, return it to the pan, open up all the cans and pour on top of the meat, mix together. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for at least an hour.

I deliberately left out measurements on the pepper and cumin. Hubby doesn't like spicy meals, so I maybe use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of each of the peppers. And a couple of sprinkles of the cumin because I love the fragrance of cumin. If I found I went overboard with the peppers, I'll add a can of plain stewed tomatoes. That's cuts the heat down quite nicely.

I serve it with cheese, crackers and Fritos Chili Cheese chips. (Oh, and my hubby likes it with cut up dill pickles because that's the way his mom fixed it when he was a kid.)

I know those are probably the simplest recipes you've ever come across, but they are definite hits in our house.

Now, it's your turn to share. Tell us what your favorite fall foods are and if you have recipes, go for it! If I think of some more later today, I'll post those too.

And remember, one random commenter will win a 'grab bag' full of goodies, including books! Winner announced tomorrow.

Okay, so let's have some fall Friday food fun!

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

How was your weekend? Did you read anything fabulous? Want to share?

This is a short post today. I'm hitting a pivotal point with SWEET JUSTICE and want to keep the momentum going. Seth and Honor are trying to work out their issues, but little do they know I'm about to throw them into the fire! Oh, I do love my job! (insert evil laughter)

I did get a CHANCE to read one book last week and really enjoyed it. Though it's been recommended here several times, I hesitated to try it because it's written in first person and I'm not usually a fan of first person. However, I must say that I was thoroughly entertained. What's that book? Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. I know many of you have read and loved it, so thanks so much for the recommend!

Okay, your turn now. What are you recommending?

And don't forget to come back on Friday when we'll be talking favorite fall foods and sharing recipes. Yum! Can't wait!

Hope everyone has a lovely, productive and wonderful week!

Winner of Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday is...

Shelly Estes! Congrats, Shelly! You are the winner of a 'grab-bag' full of goodies.

Please email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com. Also, be sure to tell me which LCR book you'd like to have sent with your goodies.

Thanks everyone for joining in the fun discussion yesterday. I now have several movies and books I'm going to look for to get me into the Halloween spirit.

Be sure to come back on Monday for Recommend Monday. And yay, I will have a book to recommend!

And, come back next Friday when we'll be talking favorite cool weather foods and sharing recipes.

Hope everyone has a fabulous fall weekend.

Chat Monday!

Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

How did the week treat you? Are you ready for the weekend? Ready for some football maybe? Or a fall festival?

Our fall weather is on a mini break while summer returns just to say, "You're going to miss me when I'm gone!" So, I'm going to do my best to be nice and appreciate those warm temps in the hopes that summer will make frequent visits this winter. That's probably not going to happen, but it never hurts to be nice, now does it?

However, it is October, so despite the summertime temps, I'm eager to continue our discussions on fall topics. I can't think of October without thinking of Halloween, so lets talk favorite scary movies and books. I've always enjoyed both. My hubby and I used to see horror flicks the first week they came out at the theater. We don't do that anymore though. Not only are we busier than we used to be, the gore in the new movies just doesn't appeal to us. However, when we see some of our favorites on television, it's popcorn and cuddling time and two hours of frightmares!

Some of our favorites are: House on Haunted Hill (the original, not the remake)
Fright Night (the first one with Christopher Sarrandon)
Stephen King's Silver Bullet
Halloween (Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance. We've seen them all, but the first one is the best)
Dracula (I'm fond of the Gary Oldman and Frank Langella. Hubby only likes the Bella Lugosi version)
The Wolfman (We both prefer the original with Lon Chaney, Jr.)
Dracula Meets the Wolfman (Abbott and Costello comedy. Hilarious!)

I'm sure there are many I left out, but these are the ones that come to mind. As far as books go, I used to read Stephen King all the time. Loved him! My favorite is Bag of Bones. LOL Probably because it has a love story and a ghost too. Also loved Bram Stoker's Dracula. Several years ago, I found an original copy of it at a used book store--what a deal!

I know some of you don't care for scary movies and don't get into Halloween, but is there a movie or book that you feel lends itself to reading during the fall? Have you seen the movie October Skies? Great movie and book!

So what about your movie and book favorites? Got any recommends for either? Got any fun fall plans for the weekend? Lets chat and share and one random commenter will win a 'grab-bag' full of fun fall freebies. I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning.

Next Friday, we'll talk favorite fall foods. Get those recipes ready to share! And don't forget to come back on Monday to recommend your great reads!

Happy Fall Friday all!

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday Everyone!

How was your weekend? Are you having fabulous weather in your neck of the woods? The weather here in Bama is beyond gorgeous. Low 70's, perfect, azure blue sky, just a slight breeze and sun so bright even the birds are squinting.

Thanks to everyone who commented on Friday's blog. Your comments made me appreciate autumn all the more. I even made a batch of chili yesterday and beef stew or vegetable soup might be on the agenda next weekend. That is, if I can persuade the hubby that he doesn't have to have pizza EVERY weekend! The man does love my semi-homemade pizzas.

SWEET JUSTICE is coming along very well. Seth and Honor are amazing together and I love watching them try to deny their feelings. Last week, I wrote a scene so steamy, I do believe my windows fogged up. Whew! However, there is a villain to catch, so this week, it's time to concentrate on finding this creature so JUSTICE can prevail!

I didn't get a CHANCE to read this weekend, however, I realized that I've read enough great books that I can easily make a recommendation every Monday. What was I thinking? So, this week's recommendation is one of my all-time favorite authors, Judith McNaught and my personal faves are: Almost Heaven, Once and Always, Something Wonderful, A Kingdom of Dreams, Paradise, Perfect and Someone to Watch Over Me. (The last three are contemporaries).

What about you? What did you read or have you read you want the world to know about so they can enjoy it too?

Don't forget to come back on Friday for another Fabulous Fall Friday Freebie. We'll be talking movies and books specifically geared toward October. And I'll be giving away another 'grab-bag' box full of goodies.

Until Friday, happy reading all!

Winner of Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Good Saturday all!

Thanks so much for all the wonderful posts yesterday about why you love this time of year. Your comments brought back so many SWEET memories.

Next Friday, we'll chat about movies, books and food! Three favorites of mine!

Congrats to Allison P! She is the winner of the 'grab-bag'.

Allison, email your mailing address to christy@christyreece.com and I'll send your box full of goodies out next week. Also, be sure to tell me which signed Last Chance Rescue book you'd like to have.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and be sure to stop in on Monday for Recommend Monday!

Until Monday!

Fabulous Fall Freebie Friday

Hey All!

It's October--my favorite month! There're so many things I love about this time of year. Cool evenings and warm sunny days. The sky so intensely blue it brings tears to my eyes. The colorful array of trees, the smell of burning leaves. And oh so many more!

October is my SWEETheart's favorite month too and because of our shared love of this month, we were married in October (years ago). Although to be fair, we weren't married on the day he wanted. Not only is October his favorite month, but he adores Halloween. So, you guessed it, he wanted to be married on October 31 and he wanted our wedding colors to be orange and black. Now, I know many people would think that was just fine, but having ultra conservative families, that was just not going to fly. We settled on the week before Halloween and our wedding colors did not include orange or black. Whew!

Since my SWEETie loves Halloween so much, he's been the creator of many self made Halloween costumes. His tastes varies but he favors the gross and disgusting. And it never seems to matter to him how uncomfortable or difficult the costume is to wear. In fact, I think the more difficult it is, the better he likes it. As long as people scream, laugh or say "ewwww, gross" he's a happy camper.

Years ago, when we lived in Indiana, he would dress up for the trick or treaters and do his best to scare them. Sounds affects, mannequin's arms hanging out windows, spider webs everywhere and him dressed up as the creepiest, most vile and disgusting creature he could come up with. Yes, we had lots of trick or treaters! And then one Spring day, the pay off came. He was given what he considered the ultimate compliment. He was working in the yard and two ladies were walking down the street in front of our house. He overheard one tell the other that he's the man who dresses so creepy for Halloween and she thought maybe something might be wrong with him. He loved it! The man does love attention.

Though we usually talk about books on this blog (and I'm not opposed to talking about them now) I thought it might be nice to share fun, fall memories or traditions. Each Friday in October, we'll get together to giggle, chat and share. And, as I mentioned in another post, I'll have a 'grab-bag' giveaway to one random commenter. What's that? It's going to be a box filled with books, some old, some new, bookmarks, excerpts and surprises. I have tons of bookmarks and other things I've collected and though it pains me, I have no room for them anymore. My intent is to introduce you to authors you may not have tried before. And yes, I will always include one of my signed books too.

The winner will be announced tomorrow morning, giving you plenty of time to come up with a fun Fall memory or, if that won't work for you, just stop in and say hi. We're here to have fun! Honest!

And since October is best known for Halloween, next Friday, we'll talk about our favorite horror book. And no, you don't have to have read one. I know some people don't like stuff like that, so, again, a comment will do just fine to get you entered in the giveaway. But give it some thought. You've got a whole week to come up with a scary book recommendation.

Okay, let's get started. And don't forget to come back on Monday for Recommend Monday!

Happy first day of October all!