Monday, November 29, 2010

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

How was your Thanksgiving? How about your weekend? Did you do anything fabulously fun? Read anything wonderful?

My Thanksgiving was wild and wonderful as usual. My family always gathers at my mom's and though illness kept several of our loved ones away, we put together care packages filled with lots of delicious goodies for them and enjoyed a smaller, but still fun family get-together. We always have way too much food, but I came away with leftovers for Friday, which is always a good thing.

This coming Thursday, my friend, the fabulous author Marie Force, is featuring RESCUE ME on her Romance & Oreos Bookclub. Special thanks to Hope Frost who picked RESCUE ME and will co-host the discussion. So, grab your copy of RESCUE ME and if you haven't visited with Jordan, Eden and Noah in a while, give it a reread and come on by. I'm giving away two signed copies of RESCUE ME and one signed copy of NO CHANCE to three commenters. Here's the link: http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com/ Hope to see everyone there!

This week, I'll be working with Dylan and Jamie as we plan their SWEET REVENGE. So far, they are cooperating and it's perking along quite nicely. This couple surprises me every day. There have been more than a few snarky comments between the two of them, one crushing let down and a major surprise, all in the first few pages. I'm loving it!

No newly read book recommends for me this week. I was reading a book that I was enjoying immensely, but, for me, it took a wrong turn and never recovered. However, never despair, I do have one that I can highly recommend. Have you read Ain't She Sweet by the fabulous Susan Elizabeth Phillips? She's an auto-buy for me, however, this is one of my all time favorites of her books. No one can turn a bad girl around and make you love her quite like SEP!

What about you? What fabulous book(s) did you read that you're dying to recommend? And if you loved it, feel free to tell us why (no spoilers though). And don't forget, while you're shopping for the holidays, books and book store gift cards make fabulous presents. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!

Okay, that's it for me. Looking forward to seeing what everyone's been up to and reading. Be sure to come back on Friday. I'm starting a new contest and will collect comments until Monday, December 20, when one random commenter will win a LCR prize package filled with all sorts of treats, goodies and most of all, books! The more times you comment, the better your CHANCEs of winning.

See you Thursday at Marie's Romance & Oreos Book Club and then, back here on Friday.

Hope everyone has a fabulous, fun-filled and productive week!

47 comments:

Hope said...

Last week was a busy one for me. The night before Thanksgiving, I was informed that the holiday festivities were going to be moved to MY HOUSE...yep, scrambled to get house family ready and all the shopping...I was EXHAUSTED before the prime rib hit the table, but the food was delicious (have a wonderful cook for a hubby). I did brave the crowds and did some Christmas shopping on Black Friday. I got tons of great deals and had fun with one of my friends.

I didn't get a ton read last week, cause of the crazy schedule. I read Sharon Sala's Deep in The Heart. This is an older book by Sharon. I really liked it, took me a bit to get in to it, but it was good.

I also read Allison Brennan's The Prey. I really loved this book and can't wait to read the rest of the series. Really intense.

I am currently reading Stephanie Tyler's next Shadow Force book Promises In The Dark.

Have a great week everyone :)

krisgils33 said...

Glad to hear things with D&J are moving along nicely. I read three books last week, but none of them I'm willing to recommend, so I won't mention them. They weren't awful, but just okay.

Thanksgiving weekend was mostly quiet. We did go to National Harbor where there was "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" ice display. Artisans from China carve massive amounts of ice to bring the story to life. Since we went on Saturday, we waited in line outside (and it was cold!) for almost an hour, and then more than another hour inside the building waiting to get in. The display itself was very nice, but freezing cold. They give you coats to wear (over my t-shirt, sweater and coat....and I was still frozen!!!). The worst part was the lack of coordination and information while standing in line. There was alot of chaos and not really worth it after all the standing around! My daughter said "let's not make this a family tradition, okay?". I'm soooo okay with that!!!!

I'm starting on the Christmas shopping, although I'm still not in that Christmas frame of mind!!

Christy Reece said...

Oh Hope, I can't imagine my family calling me the night before and telling me they're descending on my house. I would imagine my screams of panic would be heard around the world! So glad it turned out well for you though. And you even had energy to brave the crowds on Friday. Wow, I'm very impressed!

I don't think I've read Sala's Deep in the Heart. Will keep an eye out for it. And yes, The Prey is awesome, isn't it? That was Allison's first published book and oh wow, what a fabulous debut. The Hunt, which is the second in the trilogy, is one of my favorites. I loved the hero!

Enjoy Stephanie's new book. I've heard marvelous things about it already.

See you on Thursday at Romance and Oreos Book Club!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Kris! You know sometimes a book that people adore just doesn't do it for me for some reason. Other times, I've read one, didn't like it and then went back a while later and loved it the second time. Not sure why that is either. I may try the non-recommended book again at another time and see if I like it any better. The one I read has never been recommended here, that I recall, however, it is considered one of the best books in its genre, so maybe it was me. ):

Wow, the ice display sounds like it would be awesome but oh, so, cold! It's about 50 degrees here today and I'm freezing, so I can't imagine how cold it must've been for you. LOL Good to know what you don't want as a family holiday tradition.

Good luck on your shopping and getting into the holiday spirit. My entire neighborhood has already decorated and we're looking, once more, like the Grinches. Going to have to find a sprig of mistletoe or something!

Alison said...

Hi All! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My sister joined my husband and I for Thanksgiving…we played board games and ate way too much:)

I read my first Troubleshooters book…The Unsung Hero and loved it! I’m reading the 2nd book right now. I’ve also started my quest to get the rest of the books in that series.

I also read Stephanie Tyler’s new book Promises In the Dark…I definitely recommend this book and her new series! I’m so sad I have to wait until next summer for the next one.

Kara C said...

An entire blog written by you about RESCUE ME, D&J, and SEP. Four of my all-time favorite things. :-)
I finally read Maya Banks' new book this week. Right now I'm about half way through Roxanne St. Claire's Edge of Sight and have started Marie Force's True North. Although I haven't finished either of them yet, it's fairly safe to bet they will both be recommended for everyone to read.

Big week for my boys, so we hit the ground running this morning, and probably won't let up until this weekend.
Hope everyone has a great day.

Luci said...

Hey Christy, no Thanksgiving here but i love your celebration. Wish we would adopt it here too :). Had a quiet weekend with nice weather. Sunday afternoon had my weekly ironing marathon. Next weekend should be much better as my husband and I are going for a weekend break alone.

As usual love your rec. Love SEP's books. She has a fantastic BB made up of lovely women from all over the world. Have pimped your books there a few times :).

I ordered Stephenie Tyler's latest two books following the recs here - they ar eon the way. Have also ordered Lorrian Heath's latest two books - i only read her Scoundrels series but she has a fantastic writing style IMO. I ordered a couple of other books on impulse - cannot remember which precisely.

This week i read Sarah Maclean's Nine Rules to Break When romancing a Rake and i enjoyed it. Started the next b ook in the series straight off - Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord.

Hope said...

Kara, I am glad you are liking Edge of Sight, I really loved that one, I didn't know there was an earlier series and I am waiting on Santa to bring my Nook, so I can download the previous series...(have to wait for the Nook to get Marie's books too dang it).

AlisonP, I knew you would love Troubleshooters as much as I do. I am a late bloomer too, as I think I am on book 10, and pretty much everyone else has read them all...but Tom is one of my top 3. Keep going, they get better and better.

Alison said...

Kara, there's a free prequel on Roxanne's website if you want to see how Sam and Zach meet.

No wonder I havent seen Marie's books in B&N or Borders stores...Here's hoping my husband picked up the hints a Kindle or Nook would make a good b-day gift for me :)

Christy Reece said...

Hey Allison P. Your Thanksgiving sounds wonderful. I love board games! My hubby only enjoys them if he wins, so we don't play very often. (:

Unsung Hero is a fabulous read, isn't it? And I agree with Hope, keep on reading, they're addictive!

Great to see another recommend for Stephanie Tyler's new series. Can't wait to get started on it!

Christy Reece said...

Kara, you sure know how to make an author smile on a dreary Monday. Thanks, SWEETie!

Wishing you and your boys a fabulously successful week! Be sure to stop back by and tell us how everything went.

Christy Reece said...

Hey Luci! Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays. No pressure to do anything other than eat fabulous food, spend time with loved ones and be reminded of all the blessings of life. Doesn't get much better than that.

Thank you for recommending me on SEP's board. What a SWEETheart you are!

Oh, I love Loraine Heath! Have you read her historicals that take place in the US? British lords who come to America and start over again. I think there's an official name for the series, but I can't think of it right now. Anyway, they are all wonderful.

Hope you have a relaxing and fantastic weekend away with your honey!

Crystal (cmac) said...

I'm late today! Oh well better late than never I guess. lol

I read two super reads last week! Surrender an Untamed by Pamela Clare. I've been waiting to read these from all the recommends for it here. It took me a little bit, but Kara came through for me and found Surrender for me. Big Thanks to you KK! I highly recommend them, even if your not a huge historical fan (Hope) it is worth the time to read. I can't wait for the next book! Hopefully PC gets it published quickly!!
I had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I had family in from Missouri. I am thankful that they made it okay they had about 100 miles of solid ice. A couple close calls, but safely made it. I hated to see my sweet step daughter leave. :(
I walked out to huge snow drifts this morning.. Thought I would be nice and start the truck for hubby... I will think twice next time lol.
Christy I can't wait for Dylan and Jamie to be in NY waiting for their story to be printed! I want to get my hands on some sexy Dylan!!lol
Kara tell your amazing boys I said good luck with this week! I am so proud of them and have yet to meet them personally. Although I feel as if I know them well. Two amazing boys reflect an amazing momma! You should be proud of yourself!
Hope super excited about Thursday!! Have I successfully followed your blog yet?
AlisonP!!!! I am so excited you started the Troubleshooters and are enjoying them. They are all on my keeper shelf and I reread them regularly! I am going to start my reread of #3 this week. Izzy's book comes out in March!! Yay!
Okay so I guess I have rambled on an on long enough. I must get back to my Montana Legacy Jesse is calling my name! Thanks for the recommendation Hope I'm loving it!

Elke said...

amptedinHi Christy, hi everyone,
no thanksgiving holiday here in Germany - but I love to hear about it. Sounds like a great family festivity - kind of like the way Christmas is celebrated here - with family gatherings and lots of food.
We had a quiet weekend with great winter weather - we had the first snow and then the sun came out and and as it was freezing during the night the pastures and trees were covered with snow and frost.We very much enjoyed walking our dog this day , although it was really cold.

Last week I read some books from the bullett catchers series by Roxanne St. Clair - a great read.Currently I am reading the new book by Laura Griffin "unforgivable" and I´m thrilled.I like it much better than the previous book in the tracer series .
Next on my reading list is "promises in the dark" due to the recommendation here.
Hope as you are currently reading it, do you like it so far ?
Iam glad you managed the familiy invasion so well - I would go crazy preparing a festivity for my whole family on such short notice.

Christy I hope I will have the time to stop by on thursday - when will the discussion start ? As I am going to a folk concert on thursday evening (the Sands Family from Ireland)it might collide with the discussion due to the time difference( its quarter to nine p.m. right now)

Have a great week everyone!
P.S. My mom is getting better and we hope she will be released from the hospital this week. Thanks again for all the good wishes and prayers.

Heather D said...

Good afternoon everyone!! Im having all sorts of fun getting all my shopping done on line. I dont know what any one ever did with out amazon haha (im an amazon addict)

This week I finished The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks. Then I devoured Take Me by Bella Andre, only to move on to the even hotter sequel Love Me (which im almost done with) Bella Andre writes some pretty intense books! I really loved how she wrote about a woman who was not model perfect and still got the guy! What a nice twist. I also enjoyed The Darkest Hour, but before I go back to the Kelly boys, I think im going to check in to the Bodyguard series by Cindy Gerard.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the day!

Hope said...

Heather D - I haven't read that series by Bella Andre and I love her so I will put that one on my list. Gotta get back to the Bodyguard series, they ROCK (Dallas is my fav), have you read the BOI series by her?

Elke - I am so happy your mom (or mum) is on the mend. I am about half way through Promises in the Dark, it took me a bit to actually get in to it, but I am liking it a great deal.

Crystal - NO you are not following my blog yet, sheesh what is it with you girl? LOL - I only have 2 posts on there so far, but I am loving blogging. I am also glad you love the Montana series, I think the 2nd is my favorite, but they are all good.

Heather D said...

Hope- Thanks for the recommendation! My boyfriend just found out that he can send books to my kendle with out me knowing, so I will make sure to add the BOI series to the list on the fridge.

Hope said...

Heather D - The BOI series comes after the Bodyguard series, they run in to each other in the last Bodyguard book. But I LOVE the BOI's fo sho...

Jackie P said...

Read acouple of books this week one by Bella Andre "Game For Anything" that was good.

@Elke, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is coming to Germany in May and you get to vote on 2 of the cities she goes to. I can get you the link if you want it. Glad your Mom is doing better.

Heather D.... What an Awesome guy you have! My hubby wins major brownie points with books!

Linda said...

Thanksgiving was lots and lots of food and lots and lots of company - it was great! LOL

I am still reading Shelly Laurenston, however I am ready to get 'intense'---so tomorrow, I will start reading Kylie Brant Deadly Intent.

Christy Reece said...

Hey Crystal, I'm so glad your family made it safely to spend Thanksgiving with you. Wow, traveling 100 miles of solid ice definitely says love to me! And how SWEET are you to go out into a snow drift to start your hubby's truck.

Surrender and Untamed were wonderful, weren't they? Definitely looking forward to Conner's story too.

I can't wait until Jamie and Dylan are in NY either. I'm really enjoying this new twist the story has taken. I'm hoping they keep up the fun!

Christy Reece said...

Hi Elke! I'm so glad to hear your mom is doing so much better. That's fabulous that she's coming home soon.

Your snow sounds so pretty. I love looking at winter weather, but getting out in it is another matter. Gives me shivers just thinking about it.

Sounds like you've got some great reads going this week. Hope you enjoy!

Regarding the Romance & Oreos Book Club, I believe it's an all day thing, so feel free to drop by any time, night or day. Hope you can make it. Enjoy your concert!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Heather, I'm the same way about Amazon. it's just so convenient!

Looks like you had some great reads and now your on to even more. I'll check out the Bella Andre book you mentioned...sounds great! And you'll love Cindy Gerard's bodyguard books. They're awesome!

And wow oh wow, your boyfriend buys you Kindle books? What a wonderful, wonderful man!

Marie Force said...

Hi everyone,
I'm reading (and recommending) a wonderful book called Rescue Me by the fabulous Christy Reece! :-) Looking forward to book club on Thursday, which posts at 6 am Eastern Standard Time (same time zone as New York City for those overseas), so come by any time! I've also read all four of Pamela Clare's I-Team books in the last week and loved everyone one of them! (Yay Team Julian!) As much as I've loved this romantic suspense tear I've been on, I'm in the mood for a historical so that genre will probably be next.

Thanks for the interest in my books! I hope Santa has lots of Kindles, Nooks and iPads in his bag this year!

Hope said...

TEAM JULIAN :)

Glad you liked the book Marie...all 6 of them are wonderful but the 1st is my absolute favorite. Kind of like the I-team series, everyone has a favorite :)

Crystal (cmac) said...

Hey Marie
If you haven't read Karen Hawkins or Elizabeth Hoyt they both write really good historicals! Also the books by PC that I read last week of course!!

Marie Force said...

Thanks for the recommends, Crystal. I need some new historical authors to check out!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Jackie, so glad you enjoyed Bella's book!

Tell Mama Gail I said hey!

Christy Reece said...

Linda, glad you had a good Thanksgiving. I've heard great things about Kylie Brandt's Deadly Intent. Enjoy!

Christy Reece said...

Thank you, Marie. Hope you enjoy RESCUE ME. I'm looking forward to the bookclub on Thursday. Thanks again!

And I totally agree about Pamela's I-Team series. Fabulous books! If you're wanting a great historical read, try Pamela's Ride the Fire. It's one of the best historicals I've read in years.

See you Thursday!

Marie Force said...

Looking forward to checking out PC's historicals, Christy!

I LOVED Rescue Me! Now I'm on to Return to Me! This iTouch makes it all far TOO easy! :-)

Mary G said...

Hi All
Glad your mom is better Elke.

Kara, you'll love the prequel to Edge Of Sight. Love the witty dialogue when these two meet.

Christy, looking forward to Marie's book club this week.

I read:
Best Laid Plans - Sarah Mayberry
Simply Irresistible - Rachel Gibson
True North - Marie Force (loved it)
Mr. Complete - Sheridon Smythe

Ellke said...

Jackie P., I would very much like to get the link for the vote to the Germany tour of SEP although I must confess I have´nt read one of her books yet. Which of her books should I try first ?
Btw. did you try the zwiebelkuchen recipe yet ?

And exciting news for all Troubleshooters fans! The excerpt of Izzies book is out. You can find it on Suz´ website. Reading this short piece makes it even harder to wait till the book comes out.

Christy Reece said...

Marie, thank you. So glad you enjoyed RESCUE ME! Hope you enjoy RETURN TO ME too!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Mary G! Looks like you've had some great reads last week. I'm going over now and getting True North. Sounds great!

Look forward to chatting with you on Thursday!

Christy Reece said...

Elke, my personal faves of SEPs are the Chicago Stars series, starting with It Had To Be You. Also, Ain't She Sweet, not related to the Chicago Stars is wonderful.

Enjoy discovering the magic of Susan Elizabeth Phillips!

Marie Force said...

Christy,
Thanks so much for checking out True North, my first foray into do-it-yourself publishing. Have books, have readers, have a business! :-) Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the support!

oklanannie said...

Hi Everyone! I agree with hope that last week was "busy" -- very very busy! Glad we've got a month to prepare for the next family encounter!

I've read several books over the holiday but one stands out above the others . . . EVERYONE LOVES A HERO by one of our fav authors, Marie Force! I was lucky to get an early peek (release date is February 1) and I've read it twice over the holiday. It is another fantastic contemporary romance from Marie that you won't want to miss! A fantastic leading couple, along with a wonderful storyline, pulled me in from the first page through the last page. Lots of sizzle, too!!! Marie really turned the heat up in this one!

Christy! I watched that football game and my heart broke for Bama! Soooooo close! You might be aware that my OSU Cowboys suffered a killer loss as well. Made for some sad faces around here this past weekend for sure!

I'm getting ready to start "Unforgivable" by Laura Griffin.

See you guys on Thursday for Marie's bookclub. Can't wait for the discussions on one of the best romantic suspense books ever! RESCUE ME -- the beginning of my love affair with the LCR gang!

Luci said...

Thanks for the Lorraine Heath books rec Christy will check them out!

If I manage I am hoping to go to Germany for the SEP tour in May. fingers crossed!!

Marie Force said...

Thanks so much, Anne. SO glad you loved ELaH. *Red Face* I did turn up the heat in this one, and as I was reading the galleys, I was asking myself, what the HELL were you thinking? LOL!

My agent is about to take a true erotica out on submission that would require a pen name. That one is REALLY hot! :-)

Christy Reece said...

Marie, I'm sure I'll love it. And congrats on doing this yourself! That's great!

Marie Force said...

Thanks, Christy! It's a brave new world out there for authors, so I figured why not give it a whirl? Very pleased with the response so far. Hope you enjoy it!

oklanannie said...

Marie - you were thinking your readers will enjoy the heat! And the chemistry between Cole and Olivia was perfect!!! I like some sizzle!!! Every encounter between these two was superior entertainment and delicious!!! Everyone is going to enjoy this ride!!!!

Marie Force said...

Awww, thanks so much, Anne. I really appreciate that. You're the best!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Oklanannie! Thanks for the heads up on Marie's Everyone Loves a Hero. Will have to get that on pre-order asap. Sounds wonderful.

Thanks for the condolences on Bama's loss. It hurt, but Auburn really deserved that win. Now I'm rooting for them to go all the way. And I'm sorry for your Cowboys loss too. Amazing how something like that can really put you in the dumps. Good thing there's stuff like pies and fudge this time of year! (:

Thank you for your kind words on RESCUE ME and LCR. You are such a SWEETheart! Looking forward to chatting with you on Thursday!

Jackie P said...

@Elke Are you on Facebook? Because the link goes to a Facebook page and well I can't read German very well anymore. I can only pickout pieces. LOL Go to Susan Elizabeth Phillips page and Like it. Then look down the page and you will see the link. I would post it BUT.. well I don't know what it says..:) LOL

Tried recipe with Sister and it was AWESOME, we just need the Nuwine!
I like SEP's Chicago Stars series too. They are great.

Elke said...

Jackie P., thanks I found the link. The line is open till Dec,6th,so I think I ´ll read one of her books before I decide if I will vote for a city.
Glad the recipe turned out ok - maybe I can get you an address for a nuwine order for the next season .