All about Books

I liked Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I liked it a lot. I was a bit scared at first by Anastasia Steele’s frequent use of the word “crap,” a singularly unappealing word. However, I soon found Ana to be a relatable young woman. Who hasn’t felt overcome in the sight of a human being so attractive it should virtually be a crime? I don’t wonder why she fell so hard for Christian Grey. He’s a very attractive character.http://fakerain.blogspot.com/2012/05/50-shades-of-pinning.htmlI wanted to...Read Full Story

It's Friday, so I'm recovering from Thursday night TV. The Vampire Diaries season finale - spoiler alert! - had Elena becoming a vampire. It happened in the book series, but the TV series doesn't follow the books very closely at all. So that was surprising, but it wasn't the most shocking thing. The big shocks were a) Alaric Salzman is dead, and b) Klaus is not truly dead, but somehow transported into Tyler's body.I hope Tyler's not dead. I love TV-Tyler and TV-Caroline together. I'm already...Read Full Story

This is the cover art for Ravaged, the anthology that will contain my short story "Sheep Shifter." I'm on round 2 of edits right now.When I wasn't editing yesterday...or drinking beer and eating veggie pizza...or watching the Vampire Diaries next-to-season-finale, followed by a particularly poignant Person of Interest (dead ex-girlfriends and all that), I was reading Intimate Strangers by Laura Taylor.Intimate Strangers by Laura TaylorMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThe cover blurb says "Ms. Taylor...Read Full Story

This book marks the beginning of the Jessica Walsh era - Jessica takes over as heroine of the Dead Is series from Daisy Giordano. Psychic Daisy and her sisters are the Walsh's next door neighbors, and Daisy's boyfriend Ryan is the best friend of Jessica's older brother Sean. Jessica doesn't have psychic powers, but she does have a strange new tattoo that just appears without the use of needles. She learns she's a virago, a supernatural warrior-woman destined to guard her hometown of...Read Full Story

It's a convention in mystery writing to 'start with a body.' Starting with a body sets up some immediate questions: who is the victim? Who killed him or her? Why? What makes the case compelling to the character seeking to solve the murder, and, by extension, to the story's readers?The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo takes a different tack. Here's there's no body, just a mystery around what happened to a missing girl. It is the mystery of the situation that creates the initial hook to draw in...Read Full Story

Thanks for having me as your guest on your blog again, Erin. Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my debut novella, Little Red Riding Wolf. Little Red is a spicy twisted paranormal novella where Red is a werewolf and the stranger in her woods is a human forest ranger named Evan. When Red decides to rebel by seducing Evan it all turns topsey turvey as she not only falls in love but realizes Evan holds the knowledge to expose her pack to discovery. The following excerpt is take from chapter one...Read Full Story

She is left with an offer she cannot refuse...Upon his death in 1823, English nobleman, Lord Peyton leaves his daughter Lady Aveline with two choices—stay single and inherit only a small farm in Ireland, where she might just be able to eke out a living, or get married and live in luxury, inheriting all his wealth and property. Fiercely independent, Aveline heads for Ireland only to run afoul of her father’s farm manager, the devastatingly handsome Ciaran O’'Devlin. Alone in a strange country...Read Full Story

Kiss Crush Collide by Christina MeredithMy rating: 2 of 5 starsI really hesitate to state that I didn't enjoy a novel, especially since this is Christina Meredith's first novel and I really don't want to discourage her. Her writing style isn't bad, but I disliked this book for specific reasons that have to do with character development. The main character and narrator is Leah Johnson, the youngest of the three gorgeous, wealthy, high-achieving Johnson sisters. Meredith does not make her...Read Full Story

I don't love every single story in this collection, but there are a few VERY good ones. The opener, by Portia Da Costa(*), gives us Terrence, one of those yummy fictional boyfriends I like to imagine myself with. "Her, Him and Them" by Aimee Pearl is wonderful because it's pure erotica, all want and sensation. "Smoke" by Elizabeth Coldwell is another nice entry - I don't know why Dutch people are so sexy, but they certainly are (even if you're not a big fan of their cigarettes). Editor Rachel...Read Full Story

A wedding, an evil plan, a love story and a sacrifice are the order of the day in this modern retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman.Susie White and her stepmother-to-be have never seen eye to eye, despite all of Susie’s best efforts to be friendly. Eager not to spoil her father’s happiness, Susie still agrees to be bridesmaid at their wedding. When the big day comes, she meets Louise’s right hand man, Scott. Susie had never believed in love at first sight until that moment. The pair hit it...Read Full Story