The Reading Spot

Morrigan's Cross By Nora Roberts

This the the first of her new trilogy called the Circle Trilogy. It is fantasy, which I think is awesome. This is my first "official" Nora Roberts book, I have only read her J.D. Robb books. I loved it. I am excited for the next book, which just came out but I have not gotten it yet.

In this world, the vampires are bad and the goddess Morrigan has picked six people ("the witch, the warrior, the scholar, the one of many forms, and the one you've lost" plus Hoyt, the sorceror) to stop them. The first book is bringing those six people together and sorceror, Hoyt Mac Cionaoith, is supposed to be their leader. Hoyt's brother was turned to a vampire in twelth century Ireland and Hoyt was determined to get him back, so Morrigan sent him into the future (21st century our present) and reunited him with his brother (still alive and still a vamp). It is then then that they start to meet the others from their group. The first being witch, Glenna.

As a storm rages, the tale of a powerful vampire's lust for destruction-and of the circle of six charged by the goddess Morrigan to stop her-begins. One of the chosen is a medieval sorcerer whose quest will take him through time-and into the arms of a woman courageous enough to link her destiny to his own.

Sebastian by Anne Bishop

I read this because someone told me that if I liked Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books then I should read Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. Well my ubs did not have them and neither did my library, but they did have Sebastian. I really enjoyed it. I have been on a fantasy kick lately, I guess I did not realize how much I missed reading them. But this one I loved because it also had romantic elements in it, and those are my favorite fantasies to read. The description is difficult though.

The world of Ephemera is one that is affected by the people that live theres and made by Landscapers, who are women with special abilities. The worlds are linked together by men who are Bridges (have the ablility to create bridges between the Lands). This story is about three people. Sebastian, who is a half-incubus that lives in the Den of Iniquity (a world created for demons). Belladonna/Glorianna who is a Landscaper who is outcast for creating the Den. And Lynnea who is a simple girl who just wants to be loved and accepted somewhere. I like the Publisher's Weekly Review posted at Amazon, so I will use some of that for my description.

The maid is Lynnea and the succubus is Sebastian, and their unlikely romance is at the heart of the impressively unclichéd battle between light and dark raging through the world called Ephemera, where the land changes in response to the deepest desires and fears of the inhabitants. When the Eater of the World came into being, the Guides of the Heart shattered Ephemera into myriad pieces, each shaped by the will of a Landscaper and linked to other pieces by Bridges; they also cornered the Eater in a Landscape unconnected to the rest of the world. Now a foolish student has set it free, and Sebastian must help his cousins, Glorianna and Lee, a Landscaper and a Bridge of unusual power and talents respectively, to trap or destroy it.

Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter

This book was a great YA book. I loved it. I borrowed it from my teenage sis because I love Gena Showalter and she wrote another great book. I highly recommend it for teens and those who like teen books. Though it is hard to explain and I would not have wanted to write the description on the back of the book. So I will go with the back of the book for the description.

Jade Leigh is a nonconformist who values individuality above all else. She has a small group of like-minded Goth friends who wear black, dabble in the dark arts, and thrive outside the norm. They're considered the "freaks" of their high school. But when Jade's smart mouth lands her in trouble -- again -- her principal decides to teach her a lesson she'll never forget.
Taken to a remote location where she is strapped down and sedated, Jade wakes up in an alternate universe where she rules the school. But her best friends won't talk to her, and the people she used to hate are all Goth. Only Clarik, the mysterious new boy in town, operates outside all the cliques. And only Mercedes, the Barbie clone Jade loathes, believes that Jade's stuck in a virtual reality game -- because she's stuck there, too, now living the life of a "freak." Together, they realize they might never get back to reality...and that even if they do, things might never be the same.

Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan

This was an enjoyable book to read because you got to revisit all the characters from her Dark series in one book. This is the latest in her Dark series and do not read it if you have not read the other books. This is one book that would not be as enjoyable if you had not read the series. it seems that the whole point of the book was to revisit past characters. There was a little more story to it than that but not much. You get to see a couple of Carpathians meet their mates, but nothing is resolved in this book, it is more of a novella than anything. A nice blip between books. It was a nice story, but I am not collecting these anymore, the series has become a library series for me. I visit and then give them back.

The Carpathians are all getting together for Christmas, for a celebration to promote unity and hope. Some of them have not been "home" for centuries. You get to see all the old characters as Mikhail goes around to each of them before the feast that night.

This is the first in her new trilogy. It is still T-FLAC but a different department, it is T-FLAC/psi, which means that they are wizards. The trilogy is about three brothers that are under a curse. The brothers have sworn to end the curse with their generation, but you know what they say about plans...
All three were excellent and I highly recommend them. They must be read in order and preferably one after the other is best so you don't forget anything in between. If you have not read the other T-FLAC books that is fine because none of those characters come up.

Edge of Danger by Cherry Adair
This is about Gabriel Edge. His mission is to find Dr. Eden Cahill and read her thoughts about her latest invention. A lifelike robot that has been stolen by terrorists.


Edge of Fear by Cherry Adair
Caleb Edge's desire to not be sitting around while recovering from an injury, lands him on survailence duty. He is to monitor Heather Shaw, whose father is a terrorism financier (basically a investor for terrorists). His gift is to be able to go back in time.


Edge of Darkness by Cherry Adair
The youngest brother, Duncan Edge's goal has always been to be the head of the Wizard's COuncil and he is now a candidate, along with his childhood playmates Serena and Trey. But he and Serena are literally fire and water together (his element to control is fire and hers is water) and both are fiercely competative as well as fiercely attracted to one another.

Room Service by Jill Shalvis

I grabbed this when I saw it at the library sale table, I was so excited. I read it at once and was thrilled as always with Ms Shalvis's work. The characters were fun and nicely flawed. And there were some great secondary characters. I enjoyed reading this very much.

Emmaline (Em) Harris is getting her last shot as a producer for a tv network. She has had three strikes so far and is at the end of the line. The network has decided that they want a cooking show. Em's boss suggests that she check out the astounding and sexy chef, Chef Jack Hill, at the Amuse Bouche restaurant in the Hush hotel. Em blushes at the sexy theme of the hotel, but saunters on. Then she meets him and the heat sizzles, but will he do the show?

Behind Closed Doors by Jodi Lynn Copeland and Tawny Taylor

My first Ellora's Cave book, wow! I loved it. It was three stories which was surprising to me because it is only two authors, but Tawny Taylor has two stories in the book.

Naughty Mistress Nita (JLC) - Conservative Anita is doing her best friend, a professional dominatrix, a favor by going to her client's house to cancel an appointment for her. But she is mistaken for her friend and decides to try to take her place with sexy Zane Matthews.

Lesons in Lust Major (TT) - The music teachers (Kate and Lukas) from a private school are going to a music conference together. Unknown to them, they have been lusting after each other for months and after a series of mishaps they decide that they have waited long enough.

Sexual Healing (TT) - Lara Woods is known for her scathing book reviews. She may have just stepped over the line though when she tears apart the book of her former lover, Dr. Adam Roy. She feels that his book promoting that sex can improve your health is just an excuse for men to get some. Now Dr. Roy sets out to prove her wrong and also to prove that he still loves her.

Well I got a job, but it is really cutting into my readng time, that is the only thing that stinks about going back to work. Oh, well what can you do. Now if the paperpushers at work will get my stuff together, I will be an even happier camper. I will stop rambling now. Have a great weekend.

Viva Las Bad Boys by Helenkay Dimon

This was a very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was nice and sexy, and fun to read. I did not know but it is three stories in one book. All three stories take place in a Vegas casino called the Berkley.

"Jackpot" Is about two guests (Jack and Laine) of the hotel/casino who meet while gambling. The girl is wearing a wedding dress.

"Players Club" Is about the awesome playboy chef (Zach) of the hotel and his overseer that the hotel has hired to curb his antics (Jenna).

"Two of a Kind" Is about one of the managers (Alex) and a hotel reviewer (Caroline). Who are both workaholics.

Lover Awakened by J. R. Ward

Well I finally finished it. Yeah!! Now I am not sure if I have the patience to wait for the next one (Lover Revealed does not come out until March '07). I love this series. This is the third book in the series the others are Dark Lover and Lover Eternal. This book rocks and is a must read if you have not read this series yet. They must be read in order though because the stories build upon one another.

It is hard to give a description of the book without giving anything away. Even the book description does not tell much "Even within the vampire brotherhood, Zsadist is feared. Still bearing the scars from a tortured past, he is renowned for his unquenchable fury. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion-until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society" The female is Bella. To avoid spoilers I am not going to say much about the plot.

Wild by Lori Foster

We return to the Winston brothers to see the last one fall to the "Winston curse". It was a great book, I enjoyed it alot. It was nice to be able to read about all the brothers one after the other. I would say if you have the ability, read them all at once. This book also sets up their cousin, Joe Winston, for his own book, Say No to Joe? which is also the beginning of the Visitation books.

Zane Winston is working in his store one day when the gypsy (Tamara Tremayne) from the new age store next door comes in and says, "I want you." That is the opening of the book and it does not stop there. After he gets to know her a little better, he finds out that someone is trying to run her out of town by forcing her to sell her store. This of course does not go over well with Zane.

One of my favorite authors, Suzanne Brockmann is blogging over at Romance by the Blog and is talking about the SEALs and about one particular SEAL that needs some help. You can be that help by becoming a bone marrow donor. Getting typed is very easy and painless, it is just a cheek swab. For more info check out Visit www.ImASwabbie.com and www.soldierangels.org or www.marrow.org

So please check into it.

The Winston Brothers by Lori Foster

This is a collection of three stories about three of the four Winston brothers. (The fourth one, Zane, has his own book called, Wild.) They were great as is Ms Foster's usual quality. I just wish they had been longer, but if that was the case, I probably would have been annoyed at all the not needed stuff. Great book, now I am off to read Wild.

The first story is about the oldest brother, Cole Winston. He owns and runs a bar called Winston Tavern with the help of his other brothers. The four are the most sought after bachelors in Thomasville, KY. He is attracted to shy demure Sophie who likes him as well, but is too shy to admit it. So she invents her "twin sister" to come to town to seduce him for her.
The second story is about quiet Chase Winston. He is the bartender of the bar and an excellent listener. His story has a paranormal element in that he is spontaneously (there is a reason but you have to read it to find out) able to hear the thoughts of Alison (works for Sophie at her boutique) and realizes that she is attracted to him.
The third story is about the youngest Winston, Mack. He is trying to get a teaching job, and while he is waiting he gets wrangled (by his sister-in-laws) to be a model for Sophie's boutique. He agrees and goes to the photo shoot only to find out that the photographer is the woman that he lusted after in college.

Primal Heat by Susan Sizemore

This is the latest in her vampire series that is made up of: I Burn for You, I Thirst for You, I Hunger for You, Master of Darkness, then this one. I enjoyed it, thought that it was decent, but a very fast read or at least it seemed like it.

As Prime of his vampire Family, Mathias Bridger is sworn to protect his own kind at any cost -- but years of acting as a fierce guardian of his people have left him yearning for more out of life. His chance comes in the form of Phillipa Elliot, the beautiful police officer whose allure hasn't dimmed in the two years since they had a brief, torrid affair. And though she's involved with someone else now, Phillipa can't deny the feeling that Matt is her destiny.
When the Family comes under attack from fanatical vampire hunters, Matt uncovers treachery that shatters his world. So how can he possibly invite Phillipa into it? Fighting to protect his kin, he tries to push Phillipa away to the safety of her mortal life -- but he aches for her, and his will is no match for the flames of their all-consuming passion. . . .

Captive Moon by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

The others in the Sazi series are Hunter's Moon and Moon's Web. It was good, but it is not one that I am going to collect. The books definitely need to be read in order or you cannot follow the story.

World-class entertainer and Sazi councilmember, Antoine Monier has taken his big cats all over the world without any trouble-until his latest trip to Stuttgart, where one of his tigers is stolen and killed. To Antoine's surprise, the German police have another tiger in custody-a tiger who is actually a lovely Turkish-American woman, Tahira Kuric. Like Antoine, Tahira is a shapeshifter, but of the Hayalet Kabile, the ghost tribe of shapeshifters. And despite their immediate attraction, Tahira wants nothing to do with Antoine-the Sazi are the enemy of the Hayalet Kabile. But Tahira doesn't have a choice, because she and Antoine have discovered that she is a fabled "power well," able to store magical energy from other shapeshifters-and something is hunting her, eager to use her powers for itself. Only if they can set aside their peoples' ancient rivalry and rely completely on each other-body and soul-can Tahira and Antoine save themselves and their people.

Murphy's Law by Lori Foster

LOVED IT!!! This book comes after her book Jude's Law and needs to be read in order. This book was awesome. I love Lori Foster's writing, she has some of the best heroes. Okay, I have to go read them again, bye.

Ashley Miles (May's best friend from Jude's Law) is a woman who is determined to succeed on her own. She works two jobs and goes to school full time, she is a very busy woman with very little time. She has worked too hard to lose her focus because of a guy, even if he is a hunk like Quinton Murphy. But he is sooo cute and the chemistry is great, so lets try a little. But when Quinton finds out that Elton is gunning for her, he lets loose his alpha protective side to keep her safe.

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
I enjoyed this latest installment of the Wallflower girls (Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn, Devil in Winter and this one) . I had heard good and bad about this book, but the most I heard about it was about Lillian in the book, and not the main characters of Matt and Daisy. I thought Lillian's character was just Lillian. Daisy is growing up and might leave her, she is pregnant, miserable and about to pop, so yes she is going to be against anyone Daisy likes at that point. Unless it is someone she knows can be controlled and will stay in the area. Matt does not fit the bill. I really liked this series and cannot wait for Cam's book, A Man For All Seasons, but I have no idea when she is going to get around to writing it.

After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman's father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can't snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses-the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.
Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn't count on Matthew's unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.
But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy's wildest fantasies.

Lone Wolf's Lady by Beverly Barton

Loved this book. It was recommended to me and I love Beverly Barton's recent stuff, but I have not read much of her older stuff. I found this at my ubs and grabbed it. It was great. You had that tortured hero thing going. He had to forgive her and himself for how he treated her.

Deanna Atchely was resposible for sending her boyfriend, Luke McClendon, to prison for five years because of her testimony in the death of her father. Then she was just 17 and scared of her family, now she is 32 and determined to clear his name.

I cannot wait for this book to come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Earth, Wind and Fire aren’t just a band anymore…

Used to be my greatest achievement was holding a job more than three days. Now suddenly I can shoot fireballs, chill your drink, or blow-dry your hair at fifty paces with a blink of my eye!

It all started when this crazy scientist dropped something in my grande mocha latte. Of course I got wicked sick. Next morning I’m waking up with this total hottie bending over me. He tells me 1) his name’s Rome Masters, 2) he’s a government agent and 3) I can control the four elements with a thought.

He seems even less pleased by my (apparently irreversible) transformation that I am. . . because now he’s supposed to kill me. The only good news: I didn’t make this bed of trouble, but Rome sure seems to want me to lie in it. With him.

Read an excerpt

Order your copy from Barnes and Noble or Amazon or Books A Million

And if you’d like a chance to win signed copies of *all* Gena Showalter’s books, all you have to do is post this entry, too. Post the cover, the blurb, the links, and this contest announcement, then head over to Gena’s blog (http://www.genashowalter.blogspot.com ) and let her know you posted the material. A name will be randomly selected on September 3rd from those who do!!

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Wonderful book. I first read this author when I was a teen and read The Silver Kiss (teen vampire romance) I adored it. It was my first paranormal romance and I have loved them ever since. Recently I remembered her and found out that she had written more paranormal books for teens, so I am tracking them down for my collection. This one was great, it encourages you to embrace yourself and accept who (and what) you are.

Here is the book description:
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?
Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.
Vivian's divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood or chocolate?