A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Naughty & Nice Holiday Reads - 2011



It's that time of year again. We just got our first real winter weather of the season here in Indiana. A little snow and some adult hot chocolate has got me in the holiday mood. Again, I'm compiling a list of Holiday Naughty & Nice Reads. Most of my this years picks are brand spanking new, while some are past favorites that deserve a re-read!


These books are spicier then a mug of hot mulled cider, and what better to keep you warm this winter!


Title: The Bite Before Christmas
Author:
Lyndsey Sands & Jeaniene Frost
Release Date: 10/25/11
My Rating: 5/5
Naughty Rating: 4/5
Product Description:

In Lynsay Sands' "The Gift," Katricia Argeneau knows grey-eyed cop Teddy Brunswick is her life mate. She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget.

It's "Home for the Holidays" in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.


Title: A Vampire for Christmas
Author: Michele Hauf, Laurie London, Alexis Morgan, Caridad Pineiro
Release Date:
11/18/11
My Rating: 5/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

Tis the season…for these darkly sexy tales.

All they want for Christmas is you…
It’s the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow. And they don’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice. Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there’s no place like home for the holidays—and these dazzling vampires can’t wait for an invitation.



Title: Tied with a Bow
Author: Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Eileen Wilks, Kimberly Frost
Release Date:
11/1/11
My Rating: 5/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

For the holidays, giving can bring as much pleasure as receiving. — Come, as these four bestselling authors invite you to savor the sweet anticipation of unwrapping these never-before-published novellas of searing sexuality, rapturous romance, and paranormal pairings. — Experience the feral fire of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh's latest novella of the Breeds in her story, An Inconvenient Mate.

Feel the incendiary passion that cannot be extinguished in New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra's tale of the Children of the Air novella, Upon a Midnight Clear.

Explore the other limits of carnal craving in USA Today bestselling author Eileen Wilks's world of the lupi in her novella, Human Error.

Enter national bestselling author Kimberly Frost's all-new world of desire and devotion in First Light.

As intimate as they are imaginative, these unique holidays stories reveal the flush of surprise and joy when the most unexpected package turns out to be just what you always wanted...




Title:Unwrapped
Author: Megan Hart
Release Date: 12/6/2010
My Rating: 5/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:


Naughty is Nice

Newlyweds Leah and Brandon Long are finally taking a honeymoon. But just a few days into their Christmas-in-Vail vacation, Leah takes a tumble on the slopes, severely spraining her ankle. Being stuck indoors isn't so bad though: the luxurious chalet boasts a hot tub and cozy fireplace. Besides, sitting with her feet up while Brandon serves her in every way a man can serve a woman is exactly how both of them like to spend their time.

Leah would be in heaven, if only Brandon didn't insist on playing with the dynamic of their relationship. With kinky sex and deep conversation the only things on the agenda, Leah can't avoid the discussion of how things might change. Will she be ready to take their marriage to the next level in the New Year?


Title: Believe
Author: Lauren Dane
Release Date: 12/6/2010
My Rating: 4.5/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

Their First Christmas, Bound Together…

All Jude wants for Christmas is Rori, all to himself. It’s their first holiday season as a couple, and staying home, seeing friends and family, means they’ll be surrounded by the memory of Rori’s late husband. It’s time for Jude and Rori to create their own traditions. Time for them to fully explore their most intimate desires to dominate and submit.

Rori is thrilled when Jude whisks her away to a luxury resort in the mountains. Spending Christmas away, just the two of them, is the perfect time to show him she’s ready to give herself to him completely…



Title: Red Hot Santa
Author: Tori Carrington
Release Date:
11/1/11
My Rating: 4/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

Subject: Marine Reservist Jackson Savage Current Status: Security expert, ready for his first assignment.

Mission: Playing Santa at a local bar.


Obstacle: A woman who tempts him to be very, very naughty.

Jackson Savage is all ready to start an exciting new career at a local security agency. But for tonight, his job is to play Santa…until his good friend and co-marine Maxine "Max" McGuire sits on his lap, ready to tell him exactly what—or rather, who—she wants for Christmas!
Before long, Jackson has Max in his bed, exploring all manner of things naughty and nice. But soon, they'll have to join forces on a critical, incredibly dangerous mission. Will they be able to objectively watch each other's backs…or will memories of their naughty bedroom antics put both of their lives at risk?


Title: Unwrapped
Author: Erin McCarthy
Release Date:
9/1/11
My Rating: 4.5/5
Naughty Rating: 4/5
Product Description:

From the streets of Chicago to the back roads of Kentucky to the wild dunes of a Scottish isle, mistletoe and mischief are this season's hottest gifts...

Blue Christmas --author Erin Mccarthy

While a blizzard blankets the world outside, Blue Farrow burrows into the arms of her highway hunk at the No Tell Motel. The road might be closed for dangerous conditions, but the couple navigates their own Kentucky Christmas curves. Nice and oh-so-naughty, Blue and her man open up to each other as they keep the Yule log burning.

Santa in a Kilt --author Donna Kauffman

The wind-whipped December sands of the isle of Kinloch invigorate Kira McLeod as she sets out to tame rugged Shay Callaghan, a Scottish bachelor as wary of a wedding ring as a snowman is of the hot sun. It'll take all the wiles of the canny islanders to weave a perfect Celtic Christmas for all....

Snow Angel -- author Kate Angell

Snowed under in Chicago, free spirit Allie is trapped in Dutton's department store on Christmas Eve when the lights go off and the holiday romance heats up. Our snow angel finds herself face to face with the dashing Aiden, the heir to the retail riches and her host for a night of winter wonder...


Title: Merry Christmas, Baby
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jennifer LaBrecque, Rhonda Nelson
Release Date:
11/15/11
My Rating: 4/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

Who will you find under your Christmas tree? A cowboy? Ranch hand Tucker Rankin isn't crazy about the holidays...until a wintry night before Christmas, when Lacey Evans shows him how much fun it is to be nestled all snug in her bed.... A wealthy New Yorker? Stockbroker Jared Martin needs to get away, and Alaska's the perfect place to unwind. Especially once actress Theodora "Teddy" Monroe gets him to loosen his tie—and take it all off! Or maybe even a man in uniform? Soldier Silas Davenport is on Christmas leave. But when he arrives at his parents' home, no one is there...except for the irresistible Delphie Moreau. And she's one gift he won't be exchanging!


Title: A Red Hot New Year
Author: Cynthia Eden , Diana Mercury , Virginia Reede
Release Date:
11/27/07
My Rating: 4.5/5
Naughty Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

This New Year's Eve, turn up the "heat" . . .

At the stroke of midnight a new year begins--a time for passionate resolutions and brand-new pleasures; a time to let go of past restraints and embrace new sensual boundaries. Four masterful writers offer a quartet of boldly erotic tales guaranteed to heat up those winter nights.

Anna has always been the good girl, until a mysterious and powerful encounter with a wolf brings out her wild side Now she's unleashing her long-repressed desires on the sexy stranger who comes to her rescue . . . in Cynthia Eden's New Year's Bites.

Seducing her lover at a lavish party seems like the perfect way for Chantal to rekindle their lost passion. But the tables are turned when she finds herself the target of an even more intoxicating man's desire . . . in Diana Mercury's Night Resolutions.

During a weekend getaway at a cozy mountain cabin, two couples decide the long winter nights lend themselves to exciting sensual exploration. But no one expects their red-hot sessions will turn good friends into lovers for life . . . in Virginia Reede's Snow Blind.

Gina is your average female who just happens to become a bit of a . . . dragon when she's turned on Good thing she's found the kind of savagely sexy man who can bring out the beast in her . . . in Denise Rossetti's Coming on Strong.



These are some of my favorite heart warming tales of inspiration, love, family, and the Holiday Spirit.


Title: Only Us
Author: Susan Mallery
Release Date:
11/1/11
My Rating: 5/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

Pet groomer Carina Fiore wants nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loves. She's drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie's good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. But he's also her boss and a good friend. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever.

Since his divorce, Cameron hasn't been willing to trust his heart—or his daughter—with anyone else. For months he's pushed away all thoughts of taking Rina in his arms and kissing her, unwilling to risk their friendship for a single night of pleasure. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all...

An ebook exclusive Fool's Gold series novella.


Title: Bring Me Home for Christmas
Author: Robyn Carr
Release Date:
10/25/11
My Rating: 5/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

This year, Becca Timm knows the number one item on her Christmas wish list—getting over Denny Cutler. Three years ago, Denny broke her heart before heading off to war. It's time she got over her silly high-school relationship and moved on.

So she takes matters into her own hands and heads up to Virgin River, the rugged little mountain town that Denny calls home, as an uninvited guest on her brother's men-only hunting weekend. But when an accident turns her impromptu visit into an extended stay, Becca finds herself stranded in Virgin River. With Denny. In very close quarters.

As the power of Christmas envelops the little town, Becca discovers that the boy she once loved has become a strong and confident man. And the most delicious Christmas present she can imagine.


Title: Holiday in Stone Creek: A Stone Creek Christmas\At Home in Stone Creek
Author: Linda Lael Miller
Release Date:
10/25/11
My Rating: 4/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

A Stone Creek Christmas

Stone Creek veterinarian Olivia O'Ballivan communicates easily with animals, but men are another story. Especially rugged architect-turned-rancher Tanner Quinn. Olivia's uncanny bond with his daughter Sophie's pony has him questioning her sanity, while she wonders if he's not just a drugstore cowboy. Then twelve-year-old Sophie conspires with Olivia to get Tanner into the spirit of Christmas. But will a holiday miracle transform the globe-trotting Tanner into a rancher—and family man—for all seasons?

At Home In Stone Creek

Everyone in Ashley O'Ballivan's life is marrying and starting families—except her. But why bother dating when no one can compare to Jack McCall, the man who left her heartbroken years ago? Now he's back in town —and maybe he isn't who she thinks he is.

While recovering from a dangerous mission for the DEA, security expert Jack rents a room in Ashley's bed-and-breakfast. For both their sakes, he tries to keep his distance, though neither can deny the growing spark between them. But when his past catches up with him, he'll have to leave again…just as he realizes where he's always belonged—in Stone Creek.


Title: Mistletoe & Margaritas
Author: Shannon Stacey
Release Date:
12/5/11
My Rating: NOT RELEASES YET
Nice Rating: NOT RELEASED YET
Product Description:

Heating up the Holidays

Claire Rutledge still believes in love, despite losing her husband. So, after two years, she's not surprised by the steamy dreams telling her it might be time to start moving on. But she didn't expect her friend Justin to have the starring role.

Justin McCormick has loved Claire since the moment he first saw her, but his best friend got there first. Now that Claire is ready to move on with her life, Justin is finding it harder than ever to hide his true feelings. And when they both get caught up in the holiday spirits at a party, their simmering mutual attraction boils over into a night neither of them can forget...


Title: 1225 Christmas Tree Lane
Author: Debbie Macomber
Release Date:
9/27/11
My Rating: 4/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise. But…someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, puppies she's determined to place in good homes. That's complication number one. And number two is that her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth's ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas. The girls have visions of a mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads. As always in life—and in Cedar Cove—there are surprises, too. More than one family's going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending!


Title: An O'Brien Family Christmas
Author:
Sherryl Woods
Release Date: 11/27/11
My Rating: 4.5/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

Dating Matthew O'Brien—a playboy and a younger man—cost Laila Riley her career and her parents' respect. A high price, even for love—and when Laila decides it was just a fling, she breaks it off, despite Matthew's objections.

But the O'Brien family has other ideas, and they conspire to get Laila to join them on a Dublin holiday. It's a great time to get away from it all, but Laila has reservations about the trip. Matthew's bound to be there, and she's far from immune. What if she can't resist temptation?

Meanwhile, the O'Briens are in an uproar over matriarch Nell's unexpected romance with an old flame. Will she follow her heart despite the risks? And will Laila discover that some risks are actually once-in-a-lifetime opportunities?


Title: Midnight Kisses
Author: Robyn Carr, Jean Brashear, Victoria Dahl
Release Date:

My Rating: 5/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

These are New Year's resolutions worth keeping!

Take a risk.

At the inaugural New Year's Eve party at Jack's Bar, two lonely revelers decide the best balm for their broken hearts might just be each other.

Find the perfect work–life balance.

When a flinty lawyer with a bad-boy addiction meets the quintessential nice guy, sparks fly that consume their expectations of life and love.

Get those finances in order.

Working over the holidays on a messy bank takeover is made worse for two federal specialists by an ill-advised kiss that will never happen again…right?


Title: Holly and Mistletoe
Author: Susan Mallery
Release Date: 08/17/09
My Rating: 5/5
Nice Rating: 4.5/5
Product Description:

A storm had claimed her apartment and now Holly Garrett was without a home for the holidays. But just when she saw her plans for Christmas crumbling, a miracle came her way...

The handsome firefighter who'd saved her and her cat - and who'd injured himself in the rescue - was now asking her for help. And he was inviting her to live with him. Sure, she could cook and clean for him while he recuperated, but was that really all he wanted?

Jordan Haynes couldn't let Holly be alone for Christmas - not when she brought out his every protective instinct. No, he could play the needy patient as well as anyone... and just maybe he could convince her to keep him company through the holidays - if not longer.


Title: The Naughty List
Author: Donna Kauffman, Cynthia Eden, Susan Fox
Release Date:
10/1/11
My Rating: 5/5
Nice Rating: 4/5
Product Description:


Donna Kauffman -- Naughty But Nice Businessman Griffin’s never believed in luck…until sassy-sweet small-town baker Melody turns his world around. Except there’s a catch: There’s no way he’ll be able to build his empire and hold on to her. His new “lucky charm” could destroy all his dreams…or make this Christmas better than he ever imagined possible…

Cynthia Eden -- All I Want for Christmas
Good girl toy inventor Christie takes a walk on the naughty side when she sparks a no-strings fling with Santa—actually, sexy cop Jonas in a Santa suit. She loves her new “bad girl” persona, except as the holidays approach, she starts falling, and hard, for this known’ “love ’em and leave ’em” ladies man...

Susan Fox -- Tattoos and Mistletoe
Charlie returns to her hometown to fix up her aunt’s B&B, but she doesn’t count on LJ handling the renovations. Nerdy LJ pined for her in school, but now he’s grown into the town’s hottest bachelor. Charlie’s been burned before and won’t let him get close. But LJ’s determined to break down her walls and make her dearest Christmas wish come true.



Title: Highlander for the Holidays
Author: Janet Chapman
Release Date:
10/25/11
My Rating: 4/5
Nice Rating: 5/5
Product Description:

After a brutal attack, Jessie Pringle moved to the small mountain town of Pine Creek, Maine, to start over. But she never expected to meet Ian MacKeage, who had seemingly stepped right out of the Scottish Highlands. As drawn to Ian as he is to her, Jessie finds it more and more difficult to deny her own desires... Then, on one of her long walks through the wilderness, she meets a kindly hermit who sells her a walking stick-one imbued with a magic that may allow Jessie to finally be rid of the pain of her past, and build a future with Ian.



What holiday book will you be reading this year?

THE RESURRECTED: Contest Winner!!!


I wanna thank everyone who stopped by to check out Megan Hart's spectacular guest blog. I'm super excited for her new series, THE RESURRECTED. She was kind enough to give away the entire series to one lucky reader. The winner is.............


Brie R. who said, "I don't read zombie fiction, but I really enjoy movie or television shows based on them."


Brie, please e-mail me at NiceGirlsBkBlog at aol dot com! You have two days to e-mail me, or I will re-draw for a new winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered! If you didn't win, take a few minutes and stop by Megan's site to check out: Part 1 of THE RESURRECTED!






Monday, November 21, 2011

GUEST BLOG & CONTEST: Megan Hart 's THE RESURRECTED



I'm very excited to bring you one of my all-time favorite authors, Megan Hart. She has taken the time to stop by the Nice Girls Blog to talk about her series THE RESURRECTED. Megan is know as much for her sexy writing and gritty language, as she is for her deep, realistic characters. Her new series THE RESURRECTED may be change from her usual genre, but still contains that same thought provoking, emotional writing style.


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When a series of freak storms sweep across the world, they leave behind something more than devastation. First come the swift-growing flowers, smelling like heaven and dying as quickly as they bloom. Next comes the infestation as the flowers breed and multiply inside their hosts. After that, chaos, mayhem and death.

And after that…resurrection.


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I started working on The Resurrected in the spring of 2011. I’d been wanting to write some horror for a while, and had been tossing around the idea of doing a serial set of stories, released one a month, each standing on its own but being part of an overall story. I knew I’d want to write in an “end of the world” type setting -- something with zombies, maybe, because I love shows like The Walking Dead, movies like 28 Days Later and books like I am Legend and The Stand.

I came up with the idea that something would trigger an outbreak of irrational, furious behavior, but I didn’t want it to be a virus. As I thought more and more about the story, I was intrigued by the series of tornadoes that swept the country, along with other really strange weather anomalies we’d been experiencing. When my husband sent me a link to an article about a fungus that can show up in the aftermath of natural disasters, I knew I had my premise. An alien flower something like a mushroom, transported and distributed by strange tornadoes (including a water spout in one story) roots, blooms and dies while infecting human hosts which then incubate the spores inside them. The growing spores cause irrational behavior culminating in rage, violence and finally, the expulsion of the spores through the eyes, nose and mouth, thus spreading the spores to infect other hosts!

The Resurrected is a little horror, a little science fiction, there’s a little sexy romance. The best part of writing the stories has been the ability to include whatever I wanted, making each story a unique piece while tying them all together and telling a story about many people’s experiences when the world as they know it ends. At their heart, though, the stories are all about people and their relationships and how they react to their situations -- just like all my other books.

Part One features Cal and Abbie, strangers who meet in a bar and find an instant connection that leads to something more as they share a night of passion and destruction. Cal...mmm, Cal. Long and lean, sexy as all get-out...and he knows just what to do in an emergency. You gotta love that!

Currently, I have five completed stories. Parts one and two are available now at Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, BN.com and the iBookstore, with other digital retailers to be added in the future. Part three will be released in December. You can find Part One for free on my website (and also from the iBookstore!) I plan to release ten to complete the first overall story, with more in the future depending on where the story goes.

I hope readers of my sexy romance or mainstream work will give The Resurrected a try, especially if they enjoy a little scare now and then. And, because Heidi was so kind to invite me here today, I’m going to give away a complete collection of The Resurrected to one lucky winner -- parts one through five to be send immediately, with six through ten as they’re completed. Just leave a comment here telling me why or why not you like zombie fiction!

So, don’t forget to visit http://www.meganhart.com/short-fiction/the-resurrected/ to get your free download of the first part of The Resurrected, as well as up-to-date information about the upcoming releases!




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Excerpt from The Resurrected-- Part One




That man walked like he’d never been afraid of anything.

That’s what Abbie Monroe thought when she looked at her own reflection in the mirror behind the bar at the Hole in the Wall and saw him passing behind her without so much as a second glance. That man walked like he’d never been afraid of anything and would never have to be. She turned to look at him in the real world, not in the mirror, thinking maybe it was the shadows or flashing lights from the tiny dance floor, or maybe simply the backwards, through-the-looking-glass reversal of everything that had made him stand out to her so clearly.

Nope.

It was still all him.

Her grandfather had been a sailor in the Navy during World War II and for most of his life, and he’d never lost that sort of rolling lope of a man for whom the ground beneath him was never still. The man heading toward the pool table at the back of the bar didn’t walk quite that way, but there was something familiar in the stride, in the shift of his hips. In the way he looked neither to right nor left unless he was focusing his gaze on someone reaching out to shake his hand, and even then, he shifted his entire body so briefly, so intently, that it was clear very little could ever take him by surprise.

And, Abbie reasoned as she signaled the bartender for another beer, she was probably full of seven different kinds of shit.

Maybe she just wanted him to not be afraid of anything, she thought as she sipped cold, foamy beer and twisted in her stool to watch the man nod at the couple playing pool. Was he going to play? She watched him tip his cap with some sort of letter logo on it, a big OU. It looked like a giant Kosher symbol to her, which was so unlikely it had to be wrong. Out here in the middle-of-nowhere, Oklahoma, it was all boots and hats and worn denim jeans with big belt buckles, shirts with the mother-of-pearl snap-front buttons and sleeves rolled up to elbows. Even on the women. She looked down at her skinny jeans and ballet flats, her fitted t-shirt and cardigan sweater. Maybe if she wore a hat like his, a pair of shit-kicking boots, she’d never be afraid either.

The bartender slid a basket of onion rings toward her along with a small plastic cup of some kind of spicy dip. It smelled so strongly of horseradish she had to blink and turn her head to hold back a sneeze, but her mouth watered in anticipation of the burn. She dipped a ring, thick with batter and grease and the size of her fist, into the dip and took a bite.

Damn, she thought with a sigh of ecstasy. That is some good dip.

“You like it?” The bartender laughed and rapped the top of the bar with his knuckles. “It’ll grow hair on your chest.”

“It just about seared my sinuses, that’s for sure.” Abbie gulped some beer and wiped her lips with a napkin. Gave the guy a grin that felt a little too big, a little too bright but was nevertheless genuine and didn’t seem to scare him too much. “Not sure if I need any hair on my chest, though.”

“Can I get you anything else?”

She shook her head. “I’m good for now.”

Behind him, above the mirror, a flat-screen TV flickered and danced with pictures of products and services she’d never used or bought but could easily be convinced she needed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d watched television — cable had been one of the first things to go when she took her own place, and though she’d taken her share of the DVD collection, she’d never gotten around to getting a DVD player. Even in hotels she rarely turned on the television, having grown out of the habit of needing mindless background noise. When she’d still been paying for her smart phone, Twitter had provided her news, and if her tweet stream filled up too much with chatter about some subjects that had become incomprehensible to her because she wasn’t up on pop culture she simply tuned out for a few days. It had been months since she’d had a smart phone.

Television, the great hypnotist. When her children were smaller, Abbie had often needed to physically stand between them and the set in order to break the force it had on their attention. Ryan had been the same way, gaze ensnared by infomercials and cartoons with the same sticky strength. Now Abbie found herself understanding, sort of, the allure. Watching the TV meant she didn’t have to think much about anything but the steady stream of images, the sound turned down so it became a game for her to match the Closed-Captioning with the action on the screen.
“Can you believe that?” Beside her, the man she’d noticed earlier had sidled up to the bar, unnoticed while she’d allowed herself to be numbed by the TV. He tipped a glass rattling with ice cubes but otherwise empty, toward the screen. “Fella’s been on the news all day long.”

She gave her stool a half-turn, feeling rather than hearing the squeak of metal on metal. “What for?”

“Bud, turn it up, will you?” With a nod for the bartender, the man turned to her. “Says he’s had a sign from God the world’s gonna end.”

“Oh.” Abbie’s mouth twisted. She looked at the screen, noticing the captions were a couple seconds behind the actual words, which was disorienting. Especially when they were misspelled.

“Ice cream suit.”

The man laughed. “Huh?”

She pointed. The guy on the screen wore a white suit, white shirt, white tie. She’d bet he wore white shoes, too, but she hadn’t yet caught sight of his feet even though he was walking up and down on a small stage, shouting his proclamations to a rapt audience of a couple hundred moon-eyed faces.

“Ice cream suit,” she said. “Um, it was a story by Ray Bradbury. The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. Whenever I see a suit like that, that’s what I think of. Also, it makes me suspect the guy wearing it is full of shit.”

The man laughed again, louder this time, and turned to rest his elbow on the bar while he looked at her. “Is that so?”

Abbie smiled, just a little. “Well. What do you think?”

The man kept his body angled toward her but tilted his head to look up at the TV. He watched for a second or two, smiling though his eyes were narrowed. Assessing. He noticed things, she thought, and her throat gave a small, dry click when she swallowed. He noticed everything.

He looked at her. “I think you’re right. Overflowing with shit.”

Her smile hadn’t faded while he studied the d-bag in the ice cream suit. Now it slanted just a little wider — not as freakishly broad as the one she’d given the bartender earlier, and this one sat more naturally on her face. “A veritable river of it.”

“An ocean,” the man agreed and gestured at her drink. “Buy you another?”

She hadn’t planned on drinking another beer, but then…when did she ever plan to drink another one? They usually just followed one after the other like stepping stones set into a stream, and she hopped along them one at a time until she lost her balance and fell into the drink. She nodded and pushed her empty glass toward the bartender. “Sure. Thanks.”

“Cal,” the man told her, and held out a hand for her to shake.

“Abbie.”

His palm was callused, his fingers strong and warm. He held her hand for a second or two longer than was absolutely necessary, and that’s how she knew she’d be taking him back to her place.



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THE RESURRECTED -- CONTEST


Megan has been kind enough to offer one lucky reader the entire series (parts one through five to be send immediately, with six through ten as they’re completed)! Entering this contest is extremely easy.

The contest begins today and ends on Monday, November 28 at 11:59pm EST. Check back on Tuesday, November 29, when I will post the winners name!


Here is what you need to do:
  • In the comment section below leave you first name, last initial
  • Tell me why or why not you like zombie fiction

Rules and Legal Disclaimers:
  • I will use random.org to choose the winner.
  • Entrants must be at least 18 years of age to enter.
  • The winner has Two days, from the day I post the winners name, to claim your prize. Failure to contact me result in forfeit of your prize.
  • These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.
  • Contest is void where prohibited.
  • By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

DRINK DEEP Blog Tour & Contest - Interview with Merit



Publishers Description: Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city iself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago’s mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late for vampires and humans alike.


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Hey readers! With upcoming release of Chloe Neill's newest Chicagoland Vampire novel DRINK DEEP, I have invited Cadogan very own Sentinel, Merit, to the Nice Girls Blog for a little Q&A. Also in celebration of my Birthday today, I'm giving away an eBook copy of DRINK DEEP!!!




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Welcome Metit! We're excited to have you here at the Nice Girls Blog. Thank you for taking time out of you ass-kicking schedule to chat with us!


Q: What is your favorite part of being a vampire?

Merit: Being able to eat whatever I want whenever I want and not gain a pound. The metabolism is awesome!


Q: Knowing what you know now, would you become a vampire again if given the choice?


Merit: That's a hard question. I've been given the gift of immortality, but I've also had to completely change my life and my lifestyle, and give up everything I knew before. I'd have to think about that one.


Q: What is your favorite book from Cadogan Library and why?

Merit: There are some books of vampire literature--gothic stories written by vampires for vampires--that humans don't even know existed. It's the kind of stuff I would have loved to read while in graduate school! Think Jane Eyre with vampires.


Q: What is the best piece of advice you have been give since you've became a vampire and who gave it to you?

Merit: Ethan told me once that I'd have to make a decision--pick a side between vampires and humans and commit to one or the other. I think that's true in a lot of areas of life. You can't stand around and wait for things to happen. You have to do them yourself.


Q: You seem to love your local Chicago eateries. Where is you favorite place to eat?


Merit: I love Crust, a pizza restaurant in Wicker Park. And Rosebud Trattoria. The vodka sauce is LEGENDARY.


Q: If your fellow initiates were to plan the perfect birthday party for you, who would attend, where would it be held, and what flavor of cake would they choose?

Merit: Can we have the vodka sauce at Rosebud Trattoria? No, I kid. Mallory would be there, obviously, and my grandfather. Maybe my sister, and definitely Jeff, Luc and Lindsey. And Margot and Katherine from the House. I'm pretty flexible on the location, but there must be chocolate cake. Lots of chocolate cake!


Merit: Thanks for having me today!


Merit, we really appreciate you stopping by to answer a few questions! Also thank to everyone for stopping by on this DRINK DEEP Blog Tour Stop, and if you haven't purchased DRINK DEEP run right out and get it!



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BIRTHDAY CONTEST: DRINK DEEP


Enter below for the chance to win one an eBook copy of Chloe Neill' DRINK DEEP. The contest closes Saturday, November 18, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have FIVE days to respond & claim their prize! Since I'm gifting this eBook through Amazon.com, the winner must be have a US amazon.com account set up to receive their prize.

Here is what you need to do:

  • In the contest entry box below, please leave your first name/last initial and e-mail address
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Rules and Legal Disclaimers:
  • I will use random.org to choose the winner.
  • Contest is open to readers in the USA only.
  • The winner has FIVE days, from the day I e-mail them, to claim your prize. Failure to contact me result in forfeit of your prize. At that time, I will choose either to re-award the prize to another entrant or not.
  • These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.
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