Monday, January 31, 2011

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a good week and weekend. Did you read anything wonderful? If so, please share!

Last week was a productive one for me. Jamie and Dylan cooperated quite nicely and SWEET REVENGE is hopping along. Can't wait to see what these two have planned for me this week!

Since back cover blurbs, covers and excerpts will be coming in the next few months, I'm going to make some necessary changes to my website. Of course, the SWEET books need to be front and center. However, when a new reader visits my website, I want to make sure they know about the first six books in the series. I'll be talking with my website designer on Wednesday, so if anyone has suggestions for changes, feel free to let me know. You can post here or email me at christy@christyreece.com. I may not be able to incorporate all ideas, (changes can get pricey) but I would love to hear your suggestions.

In between writing and making website changes, I'm also enjoying some great books. Once again, I'm judging in the Rita contest and have really enjoyed the entries I received. I wish I could tell you what they are, but since no one can know who read the entries, I can't. However, I will say this, 2010 was a great year for some wonderful books! LOL. Yes, I know that's not terribly informative!

Also, since I have the SWEETest readers in the world, I'm doing a giveaway for the month of February. One random commenter will win a $25 gift card to Books-A-Million. I'll draw at the end of the month, so be sure to comment each Monday (today) and throughout the month of February for a CHANCE to win!

Okay, that's it for me. I'm one month from deadline and need to hunker down. Hopefully Dylan and Jamie will be cooperative once again.

Can't wait to see what books you're recommending!

There's more snow coming to much of the nation this week. Stay warm and safe. Heck, stay home and read a great book!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

Hope you had a great week and weekend. Did you read anything wonderful you can't wait to share with the group?

My week was a busy but enjoyable one. I spent the week with Seth Cavanaugh and Honor Stone. We worked together on SWEET JUSTICE, finalizing their HEA. I love these two characters and watching them overcome their difficulties to reach for their happiness has been so much fun. Can't wait for you to meet them!

Revisions are due today, so again, a necessarily short and SWEET post from me. Thanks everyone for your patience. I'll check back in later this week, after some much needed sleep.

Until then, tell us what you read last week that you loved. Looking forward to seeing your recommendations.

Happy Monday!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fabulously fun? Did you read anything you want to shout out to the world with a "You have got to read this book!" enthusiasm?

I posted the SWEET JUSTICE excerpt last week. Did you get a chance to read it? If not, take a look at it (it's in the post below this one) and let me know what you think. Other SWEET news I'd hoped to share was that SWEET REWARD was going to have an earlier release date than what was originally planned. I talked with my editor last Monday and we discussed the possibility of SWEET REWARD being released in December. That would mean three SWEET books this year. Glad I didn't share that news because the next day, I heard it had changed to January. And now, though we know it'll be coming, the release date is still up in the air. As soon as I know for sure, I'll let you know.

On Friday, I got a sneak peek at the cover for SWEET JUSTICE and all I can say is, "Oh. My. Gosh!" It's gorgeous! It's a completely different look for the LCR books. Both my editor and agent love it too. With a few slight adjustments, I think this one will be it. I cannot wait to share it with you. Stay tuned!

I'm still in the midst of revisions for SWEET JUSTICE. Gearing up for the big emotional scene. I've read this book through at least a half dozen times and still I sob. I've never done that with any of my books before but with Honor and Seth...I don't know. Something about their story and struggles really touches me. I hope it touches you too.

After revisions are done (they're due next Monday!) I'll return to SWEET REVENGE where I left Jamie staring in awe of Dylan. And Dylan none too happy about that either. Can't wait to see what these two have been up to since we last visited.

And though I have the back cover blurb for SWEET REVENGE all ready, I'm going to wait a while to reveal it. So stay tuned for that too!

I have no reading recommends this week but I did visit BAM over the weekend where I picked up the following: Monica McCarty's The Ranger, Joyce Lamb's True Colors and Teresa Medeiros's Goodnight Tweetheart. All three look fabulous!

Okay, that's it for me this week. I'm going to be offline most of the week polishing up Seth and Honor's HEA. If you have a question, email me at christy@christyreece.com or message me on Facebook or Twitter.

Can't wait to see what everyone is recommending today.

Have a wonderful week everyone. Stay safe and warm and read a great book!


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday All!

I'm in the midst of revisions for SWEET JUSTICE and wow, I so love Seth and Honor! Such strong minded characters who are having to work together and try their best to ignore their heated past! These two will keep me busy for a while, but I wanted to stop for a moment and give you a SWEET treat! I don't have covers or buy buttons yet. SWEET JUSTICE is up for pre-order at the Random House site, Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and several other places. When the covers come in, I'll add all of these things to my website. In the meantime, I thought you might like a sneak peak at the back cover blurb for...


SWEET JUSTICE

LIVE FOR HONOR. DIE FOR LOVE.

Honor Stone is a young, idealistic FBI agent when her path collides with Seth Cavanaugh. For a girl who has never walked on the wild side, the dark and dangerous Seth is a temptation she can’t refuse. But then Seth walks out the door and out of her life. Five years later, Honor is an operative with the elite Last Chance Rescue organization and Seth is a desperate ex-cop searching for his missing niece—one of many young women who have mysteriously vanished from college campuses. Going undercover, Honor will attract the maniacal cult leader behind the kidnappings and find a way to work with Seth—while steering clear of the passion and need that’s just one touch away from explosion. Seth knows he had all the right reasons for the wrong he did five years ago. And from the moment he sees her—and takes her in his arms again—this former undercover man will risk everything for one more chance with Honor.


Monday, January 10, 2011

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All!

I'm writing this from the frozen tundra of Birmingham, Alabama. (: We were supposed to get 6 - 8 inches of snow. Instead, we have about a 1/2 inch of ice. Yikes, much prefer the snow!

Hope you had a good weekend. Mine was busy doing lots of things except writing. Hate it when that happens, but one can only put off doing laundry and running errands for so long. But now it's Monday and I'm ready to write. However, just got revisions for SWEET JUSTICE, so that'll occupy my time for a couple of weeks. Since I adore Seth and Honor, I'm okay with that. Then it'll be back to SWEET REVENGE, where I left Jamie staring in awe at something Dylan has just done. Can't wait to see how Dylan reacts!

Later on this week, I hope to have some news to share. Be sure to check back frequently. As soon as I can, I'll give you the skinny on some very SWEET things!

No new recommends from me today. What about you? What fabulous books are you dying to tell us about?

I'm offline most of the week working on revisions, but feel free to email me if you have a question or message me on Facebook or Twitter. And again, be sure to check back frequently this week to get the latest news!

Hope everyone has a great week. Be safe! And be sure to keep the victims of that horrible event in Arizona close to your heart and your prayers.


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Marie Force is here!


Hi All-

I'm so excited that Marie Force is visiting with us today. As you know, FATAL JUSTICE, the second book in her Fatal series was released yesterday. Marie is sharing an excerpt with us, will answer your questions and is giving away a copy of her new release. How cool is that!

Thank you, Marie, for taking time to chat with us. Can't wait to read FATAL JUSTICE to see what Sam and Nick are up to now.

Back Cover Blurb for FATAL JUSTICE:

She looked into the dead face of the man she'd dined with the night before

Standing over the body of a Supreme Court nominee, Lieutenant Sam Holland is hip-deep in another high-profile murder case. The fact that she was one of the last people to see Julian Sinclair alive just complicates things even more. On the plus side, her relationship with Senator Nick Cappuano is heating up—but it's also attracting a lot of unwanted media attention and blinding flash bulbs.

The pressure is on for Sam to find Sinclair's killer, but a new lead in her father's unsolved shooting puts her in unexpected danger. When long-buried secrets threaten to derail her relationship with Nick, Sam realizes that while justice can be blind, mixing romance with politics has the potential to be fatal...

Sam and Nick: The Next Chapter

By: Marie Force

Hello to Christy and all the Reece’s Pieces! Thanks for having me over to talk about Fatal Justice, book 2 in my Fatal Series. The series began last June with Fatal Affair, which introduced readers to Sam Holland and Nick Cappuano (Christy’s lovely quote about Fatal Affair adorns the cover of Fatal Justice—thank you again for that!) Six years after a memorable one-night stand, Sam, a cop, and Nick, chief of staff to a U.S. senator, reconnect to figure out who murdered his boss—and best friend. Fatal Justice opens with each of them being promoted—Sam becomes a lieutenant and Nick takes the oath of office to finish the last year of his friend’s term in the Senate.

The biggest challenge of writing this book about a newly in love couple was keeping their relationship challenged and conflicted. Conflict is, of course, where all the fun begins, and for some twisted reason, I love torturing these two people I love so much! Just when things are going really well for Sam and Nick, enter Lt. Stahl, Sam’s long-time nemesis in the police department. Here’s a little piece of what Stahl has in store for Sam in Fatal Justice:

Sam’s good mood once again dissipated when she found Lieutenant Stahl waiting for her in the office that used to be his.

“I need to call maintenance.” She flipped on the lights and hung her coat on a hook behind the door. “The rat traps they set in here clearly aren’t working.”

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

The revolting wiggle of his double chin made her want to puke.

“Things not working out for you in the rat squad?” she asked, referring to his new post in the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

“Actually, I’m settling right in.” He bit a chunk of skin off his cuticle and spit it onto the floor.

Sam made a mental note to stay away from that corner of the office until it was fumigated.

“And you’re my first order of business.”

“I’m flattered.”

His beady eyes narrowed. “You won’t be so mouthy when your sordid affair with a witness gets you busted down to patrol.”

She leaned on her desk to look him in the eye. “Three words, Lieutenant: Bring. It. On.”

Fuming, he hauled his portly ass out of the chair. “Your wish is my command.” He slapped a piece of paper on her desk. “Administrative hearing next week. Be there, and be ready to explain yourself.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” she said, taking a shallow breath to short-circuit the pain grinding in her belly.

“Don’t think your precious daddy can get you out of this one, Lieutenant.” He stopped at the door and turned to leave her with a greasy smile. “And you’d better enjoy that title while you can. By the time I’m through with you, you’ll be thankful for a night security job at a parking garage.”

Sam let him have the last word because she couldn’t have spoken if she had to. The moment she was alone she lowered herself into her chair and fought to breathe through the pain. This was not how she wanted to start her first day.

I’m really excited to get Fatal Justice out to readers this week! You can find it athttp://ebooks.carinapress.comunder the Romantic Suspense tab. This is the start of a big year for Sam and Nick. Coming up in February, we’ll be asking readers to help us plan their wedding. Watch my website (www.mariesullivanforce.com) and blog (http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com) for more information about how you can participate in the wedding planning and qualify to win some great prizes. Then in July, watch for book 3, Fatal Consequences. In September, we’ll release the Fatal wedding novella, Fatal Destiny, and then comes Fatal Flaw in February 2012.

I’d be happy to take any questions today about the Fatal Series or any of my other books (including my Feb. 1 release, Everyone Loves a Hero). Sam and Nick are available to answer any questions you may have for them as well. We can talk about writing, parenting teenagers, dealing with a wild-child puppy or why it is that I can’t stop watching the Kardashians. Sky’s the limit! I’ll give away a copy of Fatal Justice to one of you so fire away. Looking forward to chatting with you all!

Marie Force is the author of FATAL AFFAIR (June 2010) and FATAL JUSTICE (Jan. 2011), Books 1 and 2 in her new Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press. Book 3, FATAL CONSEQUENCES, is coming in July 2011, FATAL DESTINY in September 2011 and FATAL FLAW in February 2012. “This novel is ‘The O.C. does D.C.,’ and you just can’t get enough.” (RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars for FATAL AFFAIR). In its July 2010 issue, RT Book Reviews named Marie a “Future Star of Romantic Suspense.”

Marie is the author EVERYONE LOVES A HERO (Feb. 2011), LINE OF SCRIMMAGE (Sept. 2008) andLOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT (July 2009). Of LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, Booklist said, “With its humor and endearing characters, Force’s charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans.” Wild on Books said, “LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Marie Force is most definitely a keeper. It is an astounding book. I loved every single word!” Marie is also the author of TRUE NORTH and THE FALL, available as ebooks via Amazon.com and Smashwords.

Since 1996, Marie has been the communications director for a national organization similar to RWA. She is a member of RWA’s New England, From the Heart and Published Author Special Interest Chapters.

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of Emily, 15, Jake, 12, and a feisty dog named Brandy.

Find her atwww.mariesullivanforce.com, on her blog athttp://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com, where she runs the popular weekly Romance & Oreos Book Club, on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Force/248130827909, and on Twitter at twitter.com/MarieForce. Marie loves to hear from readers. Contact her atmarie@marieforce.com.


Monday, January 3, 2011

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday All and Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a fabulous New Year's Day and you're ready to move past the excitement into an absolutely wonderful 2011. I know I am!

A new year has such promise, and 2011 looks to be a banner year for many things and a busy one. As for me, I plan to write three books and a short story, attend at least 2 conferences (Romantic Times in Los Angeles and RWA in New York), make some changes to my website and oh yeah, do some major promotion for two SWEET releases! Woohoo!

Last week I finished up the synopsis for SWEET REWARD. First time ever I got all teary-eyed over a synopsis, but the ending was just so SWEET! I'm was already in love with Jared Livingston from seeing glimpses of him in SWEET JUSTICE, and now that love has only grown stronger. And Mia Ryker is a real match for him. Funny, but most times my couples are kind of opposites. Not only does that make for interesting, volatile scenes, I love seeing them find their commonalities and then fall in love. With Mia and Jared, it's a different world. They are so much alike, there's immediate antagonism. And, of course, they're assigned to work a case together. Oh, that Noah McCall is a devious one, isn't he?

Since last week was such a busy work one, I didn't get a CHANCE to read anything new. However, I did manage to drop by the bookstore on the way home from church yesterday and picked up the following: Allison Brennan's first book in her new Lucy Kincaid series, Love Me To Death, Cherry Adair's Undertow and Kat Martin's Against The Wind. They all look great and I plan to start one of them this week!

What about you? Any fabulous reads over the holidays you can't wait to tell us about? For those of you with new e-readers, what books have you downloaded and are excited to read? And for those who received bookstore gift cards, any exciting buys you want to tell us about?

Don't forget about tomorrow's special guest. I'm so excited Marie Force is chatting with us tomorrow about her new release, Fatal Justice, which is the second book in her Fatal series. Congrats to her on today's release! I noticed it's already been downloaded to my Kindle. I'm sure it's going to be a sexy, suspenseful, fun story with Sam and Nick falling in love and solving another intense crime.

I'll be off-line most of the day working on SWEET REVENGE. Had to take a few weeks off and now Dylan and Jamie are chomping and growling, ready to get back to their story. I think I've become their peacemaker. (:

Hope everyone has a marvelous Monday! Can't wait to see what you're recommending today!