Annie's Winners!

Wow, what a huge day we had in the lair yesterday. Thanks to Annie West and everyone who swung by to turn her visit into a party.

Annie very generously offered commenters two prizes and without more ado, the winners are:

ANTONIA (PRINCE OF SCANDAL)

GANNON (RAFE'S REDEMPTION)

Congratulations, girls! Please email Annie on annie @ annie-west.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your books off to you. Happy reading!

All's Fair with Beverley Kendall!

by Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to welcome back a Lair favourite and a great supporter of the Banditas, Beverley Kendall!

Beverley has joined us today to tell us all about her fab new novella All's Fair in Love and Seduction.

So, without further ado, let's get right to the important stuff.

Lovely to see you here again, Beverley.

Thanks Anna, and the rest of the Bandits, for hosting me on your lovely blog. It’s always great to be back in the Lair. :)

We're excited about your novella. Can you tell us about it?

I'd love to. Here is the blurb:

With her seduction she hopes to gain his affections

For Miss Elizabeth Smith, sharing her first kiss with the charming Lord Derek Creswell is nothing short of a dream come true...that is, until she is spotted by one of the most influential gossips of the ton. With scandal nipping at her heels, to avoid total social ruin, Elizabeth must present a fiancé by the end of the Season. But when the viscount proves reluctant, Elizabeth is forced to employ a seduction of a different sort...

With his seduction he is determined to ruin her

Viscount Derek Creswell believes Elizabeth set out to trap him into marriage. After all, her sister attempted the very same thing with his brother six years before. Now the delectable Miss Smith expects a betrothal and a ring, while Derek finds her ruination infinitely more appealing...

But as Derek sets out to seduce only her body, Elizabeth is intent on claiming his jaded heart.

Oooh! Sounds delicious. What inspired you to write this story?

I started writing this novella because there was going to be a year gap between my first book, Sinful Surrender and A Taste of Desire (the first and second book in The Elusive Lords series) and I wanted to put something out in between to keep readers interested in the series. Unfortunately, that didn’t occur so I decided to move the story so it occurred between A Taste of Desire and An Heir of Deception (the final book in the series).

What a fun idea! I know readers will be thrilled that they have something to tide them over until An Heir of Deception is out.

What did you particularly love about Derek and Elizabeth?

I really love that Derek is so torn when he discovers who Elizabeth is. His initial instinct is to seek revenge but that begins to war with his growing feelings for her. I love that even though he doesn’t intend to, he defends her, instinctively protecting from slander and gossip.

I love that Elizabeth is a woman who knows what she wants and she allows her heart to lead the way. And like Derek, she has a loyalty streak a mile wide. She’s vulnerable, which to me, is a good thing as that vulnerability makes her human and not wimpy or missish. Yet she has a steel spine and takes her knocks in stride.

Together, the two are combustible and that’s what made writing them so much fun.

What appeals to you about historical courtship?

I love the formality of a historical courtship. There is an interesting challenge not being able to just throw them into each other’s company at any given time or day. I love having to make my hero and heroines work to be alone together—which is no small feat.

Do you have to read your other books before reading this one?

No, readers don’t have to read the other books to follow this book. However, I will say, you will meet characters in All’s Fair in Love & Seduction who you will immediately sense had their own book. Hopefully, spending just a little time with these characters will have new readers eager to go back and read their love story. ;)

What’s next for you?

Right now I’m working on An Heir of Deception, the first three chapters of which are included at the end of All’s Fair in Love & Seduction). This is probably the most anticipated book of the series and it is definitely the darkest. This book will tell the tale of the tumultuous relationship between Alex and Charlotte. This story is my personal favourite.

After An Heir of Deception, I will start a new connecting series—The Temptresses. The first book in the series, Twice the Temptation, will feature Catherine (Charlotte’s identical twin sister) and Lucus Beaumont, the gorgeous American Charlotte befriended in New York.

Lots to look forward to! And, we're especially glad to know that you have a new series coming up soon.

All's Fair in Love & Seduction is an ebook and is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smash Words, All Romance eBooks and The Season.

Beverley has graciously offered one lucky commenter a $15 eGift Certificate and an entry for the Grand Prize Drawing (December 17, 2011) of an iPad 2. All you have to do is tell her how you like to read connected books or books in a series. Do you prefer to wait until they’re all out and read in one sitting or read them as they come out? Do you have to start with book one or are you happy to start anywhere in the series and catch up later?

Beverley Kendall has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in Georgia with her young son. All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing. Readers can visit her at: http://www.beverleykendall.com/, follow her on twitter: @beverleykendall, friend her on Facebook or on her review site and blog http://www.theseasonforromance.com/

The Best of the West

by Anna Campbell

Annie West is one of our lair favorites and I'm delighted to have her back again to talk about not just one, but TWO new releases. Oh, lucky Romancelandia!

PRINCE OF SCANDAL is a luscious royal romance with touches of Pygmalion - you'll love these two characters right from their first meeting which is an absolute doozy.

RAFE'S REDEMPTION was originally published in the U.K. as THE BILLIONAIRE'S BOUGHT MISTRESS. It's one of Annie's sexiest and most compelling love stories, full of drama and emotion.

You can find out more about Annie and her wonderful books on her website: www.annie-west.com And don't forget if you click on the covers, it takes you right to Amazon. We make it so easy for our Bandita Buddies!

Annie has very generously offered two prizes today so two lucky commenters will win either RAFE'S REDEMPTION or PRINCE OF SCANDAL. Good luck!

So without more ado, here's ANNIE!!!!


Annie, delighted to have you as my guest again on the Romance Bandits.

You’ve been really busy lately with not one, but TWO U.S. releases in the last few weeks. Let’s start with your wonderful PRINCE OF SCANDAL featuring the gorgeous and very tortured Prince Raul (that’s RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROWL to any red-blooded woman). Can you tell us about this story?

Hi Anna, it’s fantastic to be here with the Banditas again. Thanks for slipping me into the packed schedule! Waving here to all the Banditas and guests. I feel I’ve been missing in action for a while due to a recent tough schedule and severely limited time online (advice to all other computer users – NEVER neglect a back problem – it won’t magically fix itself, as I’m learning to my cost).

Ooh Anna, I’m so pleased you like Raul (I can hear that RRRRROWL from here!). But of course, as he’s tortured he’s right up your alley. I know you have a fondness for wounded heroes. I suspected you’d like him even while he gave me a difficult time as I wrote. What is it with princes wanting things to go their own way?

Ahem, OK – that question again? Well, no prizes for guessing it’s a royal story. Plus it’s a Marriage of Convenience story (no, I wasn’t ticking off themes – it’s just the way the story worked out). Take one serious, and seriously gorgeous prince who must marry (not just anyone but the woman specified in a dynastic marriage contract) before he can inherit the throne he’s spent his whole life preparing for. Ensure his past and present circumstances make it imperative he do his duty by inheriting. Mix with an independent business woman who wants nothing to do with her mother’s long lost aristocratic family or the perks of royalty (she’d seen the negative side of that world of privilege and position as a kid). Stand back and enjoy the sparks.

I have to admit (and Anna will bear me out on this) that I snickered with anticipation over this story from the moment I imagined Raul and Luisa meeting on her farm. He’s all Armani tailoring, serious shoulders and lean, dark looks. Luisa’s in dungarees, a battered hat and head to toe mud after an altercation between a cow and a flooded creek. He’s expecting a princess. She doesn’t own a dress. He’s come looking for his bride to be, expecting excitement and gratitude. Being ordered off the property comes as something of a shock. But being a true alpha hero he recovers quickly and sets about getting what he wants.

There’s a touch of Cinderella to the story but Luisa isn’t a woman to be ‘made over’ and quietly defer to other people’s expectations of how she should look and behave. That was part of the fun of this story – watching Luisa do things her way, not taking the tried and true route expected of her. She takes the wind out of Raul’s sails more than once, which is fair since he plays havoc with her expectations of a buttoned up royal. She’s never sure what to expect next. There’s a fair bit of sizzle in this story and reader feedback so far has been very nice indeed.

I'm not surprised. It's a brilliant classic love story. American readers have a bonus Annie West available now in your wonderful RAFE’S REDEMPTION which was originally released as THE BILLIONAIRE’S BOUGHT MISTRESS. Can you tell us about this story?

Oh, I’m so very pleased Rafe and Antonia are finally crossing the Atlantic to visit North America. This book was written in response to a request from my editor for a three story anthology to showcase new authors. It was one of my favorites to write – it kept me on the edge of me seat all the way through – I think that’s a good thing. Speaking of sizzle, this one has it in spades. It’s available now from the eHarlequin site but don’t look for it in other bookstores as it’s a limited release.

Rafe Benton is planning revenge against the man he’s grown up hating – his estranged father. He will do whatever it takes to succeed, including using a stranger as a pawn in his plans. He sees Antonia as his father’s latest favorite and decides to steal her from under his nose, flaunting her as his mistress while he brings down his father’s business empire. Antonia is between a rock and a hard place, not because of what she’s done, but because of her beloved, recently dead father. Why else would she even consider accepting a position as a rich man’s mistress? It’s a story about redemption and the power of love.

This book was a real challenge to write and I’m so glad I did. The clash between these two is so strong, as are their feelings. Frankly I was a little scared about whether I could do Antonia justice as it would be too easy to write her into a situation where she was simply a victim. I needn’t have worried though as I discovered the more difficult her position the stronger she grew, finding new and inventive ways to assert her independence even when Rafe thought he was the one in control. It’s had a few reviews already including “Sizzling, emotional and poignant…” Pink Heart Society (5 stars) and "will keep you turning the pages late into the night with its captivating blend of drama, passion, intrigue and romance”(CataRomance 4.5 stars).

Congratulations on the wonderful reviews. It has to be asked – what is it with you and heroes whose names start with ‘R’? Was your first boyfriend a Rasputin or a Rattlepate?

If only my first boyfriend had been anything like so interesting! No, I wasn’t going through an R phase. The books were written a couple of years apart so it’s coincidence. But I do like R, I have to say. Just think about Rupert Carsington or RRRRichard Armitage.

What's next for you?

I’m putting the finishing touches (fingers crossed) to what I hope will be my first Beauty and the Beast story. In the meantime, my next release is for those who enjoy a sultry hot sheikh romance. GIRL IN THE BEDOUIN TENT begins with my heroine being given as an unwilling sex slave to a visiting prince. Again, Anna will confirm I couldn’t wait to get started on that one – it was a treat to write.

GIRL IN THE BEDOUIN TENT is up for pre-order at the Book Depository at a bargain price - check out this link: http://www.bookdepository.com/Girl-Bedouin-Tent-Annie-West/9780263886900

I don’t know when the North American release will be but I’ve seen the UK edition (it’s out in September) and the cover is my fave so far. Here’s a link if you want to check it out. My next American release is THE SAVAKIS MERGER in November – about a clash between two very passionate Greek lovers. The opening scene from this story is one my writing group will never let me forget (in a good way!).

Ooh, I remember that steamy opening scene! A little bird (well, you, actually!) tells me you’re about to embark on another wonderful European trip. Given the last one inspired your beautiful fairytale romances PROTECTED BY THE PRINCE and PRINCE OF SCANDAL, we avidly await the fruits of the inspiration you’ll find from your journeyings. Can you tell us about your travel plans?

Try to stop me, Anna! We’re away a little over a month. During that time I’ll be in London catching up with my editor and some other authors (can’t wait!). I’m hoping for time to visit the Faberge collection at Buckingham Palace as well as see some other sights. There’ll be a week in a tiny Parisian apartment with, I hope, lots of strolling and window shopping and café sitting while I people watch. Did I mention tasting the marvellous food and wine? A short stay in the Loire Valley learning about Chateaux, a longer stay in the Dordogne which I think will be a real highlight, and a quick visit to Germany where my daughter will be studying. Jealous yet? Yes, I’m already thinking of using some of this in an upcoming story or two. How could I not be inspired?

Ooh, I'm envious! Have a wonderful time. So do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandita Buddies?

Thanks so much, Anna. I’m looking forward to chatting with everyone.

I’m giving away two books so maybe I should combine two questions to give people a chance to win.

Since I’ve been spending so much time lately thinking about fantastic heroes, and just a little time looking forward to my next vacation, how about telling me your perfect match – who you’d feature as the hero of your perfect romance and where they’d be.

Since the letter R was mentioned I’ll venture an example – Anna’s personal fave, RRRichard Armitage in a castle in Romania, surrounded of course by dark woods that harbour wolves and at least one daredevil heroine. Of course it would have to be a gothic romance.

How about you? What combination of hero and location match. Of course you can throw in the heroine too if you like.

A signed copy of PRINCE OF SCANDAL and a signed copy of RAFE'S REDEMPTION are up for grabs today. So let's get this party started!

Five Fabulous Superheroes

by Beth

With Ryan Reynolds starring in The Green Lantern and the upcoming release of Captain America starring Chris Evans I have Superheroes on my mind *g* Summer is a great time for a good Superhero movie complete with over-the-top special effects and tons of action to go with all those super powers!

Another thing to love about superhero movies? The super hot actors who don those (super snug) superhero costumes :-) Here are a few of my faves:

1. Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man. I've been a RDJ fan since his days as a member of the Brat Pack so it was great to see him make such a huge comeback with this film!

2. Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk. I haven't seen The Hulk (with Eric Bana) and I'm not saying this is the best superhero movie ever (is The Hulk even a superhero? Hmm...something up for debate *g*) but I do love Edward Norton in this movie and how he played Bruce as only wanting to give up his power and return to his normal life.

3. Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Oh, how I loved Michael Keaton as Batman! What a wonderful surprise to see the man who'd played Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice go all dark as the world's most angst filled superhero :-)

4. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. As you can see, Michael Keaton was my favorite actor to play Batman until I saw Batman Begins. Even darker and edgier than the earlier versions and oh so perfect *g*

5. Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman. I fell head-over-heels for Christopher's Superman the first time I saw this movie at the tender age of seven. Those shoulders! Those amazing blue eyes! *sigh* I adored him both as Clark and as Superman and always thought (and still do *g*) that Lois Lane wasn't nearly good enough for him.

Do you like Superhero movies/movies based on comic books? Which ones are your favorites? Who are your favorite superhero characters?

Booty from Jon Land

Tonight we have three copies of Strong at the Break to give away. Each of these lucky winners will receive a signed copy from Jon Land. They are:

Becke Davis, Jenn 3128, and Louisa Cornell

The winners should visit Jon's website, www.jonlandbooks.com and use the "contact" link to send him their snail mail information.

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who stopped by today!

Adventures of a Texas Ranger

posted by Nancy
I discovered bestselling author Jon Land's thrillers because K.J. Howe recommended them, so I owe her for a lot of reading pleasure. The first one I read, A Walk in the Darkness, featured a Palestinian policeman Ben Kamal and Israeli security agent Danielle Barnea, not exactly the couple everyone would predict. And they have issues aplenty, of course. I loved the book and started looking for more.

A short time later, I was walking through a bookstore and spotted Strong Enough to Die, the first in Jon's series about Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong and her extremely unlikely and unofficial partner. The book sucked me in like the proverbial black hole. I couldn't wait for the next one. Or the next.

Jon makes his Lair debut today with the latest installment of Caitlin's adventures, Strong At the Break. He has published thirty novels, with the second Caitlin Strong adventure, Strong Justice, named Library Journal's top thriller for 2010. His first nonfiction book, Betrayal, will be published by Forge Books in January. It's about decorated FBI agent Bob Fitzpatrick and his struggle against overwhelming odds to nail gangster Whitey Bulger. Welcome, Jon!


I love writing Caitlin Strong—let’s get that out of the way right from the start. In my thirty years of writing novels, there’s never been a character who’s come more to life for me. But how did she come to life in the first place?

Actually, Caitlin’s origins go back to a conversation my editor Natalia Aponte had with one of the heads of sales at Tor/Forge, my publisher. They were discussing the state of the genre and bemoaning the fact that with all the thrillers out there, bought predominantly by women, there wasn’t a single female thriller series hero. Not one. Sure, there were lots of women heroes driving less action-oriented mysteries, but nothing akin to what I like to call a female Jack Reacher after Lee Child’s seminal creation.

Well, after Natalia relayed this conversation to me, a light bulb went off in my head. I was looking for a new theme and potential series hero, something dramatically different than the Michael Tiranno “Tyrant” character I was coming off of in The Seven Sins. That was truly an over-the-top-book, as many great thrillers are, and the last thing I wanted to do was another just like it. I wanted instead to work with a character who was more conflicted, flawed, down-to-earth.

I’d always wanted to write about the Texas Rangers, having long been fascinated by their well-earned reputation for being badass lawmen and gunfighters. So the light bulb that went off shined squarely down on the notion of featuring a female Texas Ranger in the first of what I already envisioned as a series.


Making Caitlin a Texas Ranger, and a fifth generation one to boot, provided instant credibility for her character as an action hero. She’s got a past she’s not too proud of and the first book in the series, STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE, opens with her sorely searching for some form of redemption she finds by going up against an evil military-industrial company called MacArthur-Rain for reasons more personal than professional.

As always, I knew very little of this when I got started. Things just started falling together and if you asked me where it all came from, I honestly couldn’t say. But I knew I had something here that I’d never experienced before and STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE left plenty of room for Caitlin and Cort Wesley Masters, a man she wrongly put in prison and ultimately falls in love with, to grow and develop as does the second book in the series, STRONG JUSTICE.

I think I actually have the most fun with Caitlin’s relationship with Cort Wesley and his two sons for whom she becomes a kind of surrogate mother. The thing I love about their relationship is that it’s defined by conflict. The romance is there, yes, but so is the tension. It’s never easy for them. Take the following excerpt from the just published STRONG AT THE BREAK, for example. Caitlin and Cort Wesley are headed to Mexico, where he’s wanted for murder, on the trail of his runaway 16-year-old son Dylan.


“You call the cops?” Caitlin asked him.

Cort Wesley looked like he couldn’t believe she’d even posed the question. “I called you.”

“What about Dylan?”

“His phone’s going straight to voicemail. Turned off so you can’t locate him by GPS.”

“What kind of head start he got?”

Cort Wesley checked his watch. “An hour now. Bit more maybe.”

“Guess we both know where he’s headed.”

“You casting blame on me in that statement?”

“Why, ‘cause you never took him down there to see Maria Lopez like you promised?”

A year before, Dylan had saved the life of a runaway Mexican girl named Maria Lopez who’d been part of a kidnapped group of girls being ferried to a worksite outside San Antonio. Problem was the man he’d saved her from turned out to be behind four hundred serial murders of women across the Texas-Mexico border, embroiling both the Texas Rangers and Cort Wesley Masters in a battle with drug cartels and a renegade Mexican colonel. The embroilment ended with a host of bodies being downed and Dylan emerging with a chip on his shoulder he dared the world to knock off.

Facing down one of the deadliest men ever born, as close as to the spawn of Satan the world would ever see, had imbued the boy with a bravado and hardness that had come to define too many of his actions and thinking. That attitude had made school an afterthought and had led inevitably, Caitlin knew, to his actions of today.

“I’ve been busy too, in case you haven’t noticed,” Cort Wesley told her.

“South of the border, right?”

“Why you looking at me that way?”

“What way is that?”

“You got something to say, just say it.”

“I think you should have stayed clear of Mexico,” Caitlin said, the words feeling like ground glass in her mouth. “You’re not exactly popular with the federalés, one Major Batista in particular.”

“You ever know something like that to stop me?”

“No, that might actually take some honest thought.”

Cort Wesley stopped looking at the road ahead of them and turned to glare at her. “You know what takes some thought? Figuring out how many Americans still got legitimate business south of the border they’re too scared to conduct given the danger involved.”

“So they pay you to make them feel safe.”

“Where’s this headed, Ranger?”

“You kill anybody in Mexico?”

Caitlin watched him freeze up, his features locking as his chest stopped its quick motions in rhythm with his nervous breathing. She drew the folded-up piece of paper from the pocket of her jeans.

“You’re wanted for murder down there, Cort Wesley. And I’m supposed to bring you in.”

There it is, all the ingredients that define their relationship or, should I say, their struggles to build that relationship. Relationships, and emotion in general, form the basis of virtually every great story ever told. I have very high aspirations for my Caitlin Strong books and the primary thing that distinguishes this series from others is that the characters continue to change and evolve. And so do their relationships. While the three Strong books can be read in any order, reading them in sequence definitely adds to the enjoyment since you can follow the development of these complex relationships, especially the romance between Caitlin and Cort Wesley, from the beginning. You can see the dichotomy that is Caitlin who finds herself pulled toward the familial life offered by Cort Wesley and his sons and life on her own in the classic mold of a Texas Ranger or old-time gunfighter.

You see what I’m getting at? The Strong books have as much emotional or romantic suspense as they have tension derived by Caitlin’s pursuit of villains before they can do terrible harm to the country. My plots are always big, the stakes very high, and in the Strong books I’ve made the emotional stakes just as high to make sure you’ll always care about the characters. I guess that’s why I keep writing them and you can look forward to Caitlin’s fourth adventure, STRONG VENGEANCE, next June for more of the same.

For more about Jon Land's books, check out his website.

Jon is giving signed copies of STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE to three commenters today. The prize post will go up at 11:45 tonight.

So post a question for Jon about the book, the Texas Rangers, or his writing, or tell us about a couple in a book or a movie you enjoyed who started out as fierce antagonists and ended up together and why you liked it. Or tell us about your favorite book or movie featuring a law enforcement officer or a criminal (reformed, unreformed, or somewhere in between) in the lead and what you enjoyed about it. Or tell us about your favorite book or movie that has lots of things going boom.


(To keep the FCC happy, I'm letting you all know I received a free copy of Strong Enough to Die after I asked Jon to be a guest).

The Watcher Is Coming SOON!

by Aunty Cindy and Jo-Mama


AC: Hey Banditas and BBs! Did you notice the new covers on the sidebar under August releases? Did you also notice a name you haven't seen on a book cover until now? YES! Our very own Jo-Mama will have her debut release next month -- a scary, can't-put-down tale of romantic
suspense called THE WATCHER.

J-M: Aunty Cindy, this is a real squeeeeeee moment for me! Holding a proof copy of my book in my hands was beyond thrilling.

AC: I gotta agree! Seeing the uncorrected Advance Review Copy of your book ranks right up there in the Thrill of a Lifetime category!

As most of the Lair regulars know, we Banditas first met because we were all Golden Heart finalists in 2006. Jeanne, Cassondra, Suz, Jo and I were all finalists in the romantic suspense category. But Jo was THE BIG WINNER that night, and the book was THE WATCHER! Now, at long last, we all get a chance to read this award winning story. I've read it and I have to tell you it kept me up most of the night! THE WATCHER is a spooky tale of a serial killer and the people in law enforcement working to catch him.

J-M: Thanks, Cindy! That's a fine compliment for a suspense writer. But, not to worry, Bandita Buddies, there's plenty of romance in the story, too, as my hero and heroine work together to track down the killer.

AC: Jo, please tell us where you got the idea for this book and how you came up with such unique and fascinating characters.

J-M: The idea for my killer came from an abnormal psychology class I was taking at the time. I can't reveal too much about the killer's pathology or I'll give a key point away, but I thought, "If a person with this particular condition were to experience these particular traumas as he grew up, what might be the result?" I sort of ran with that idea and came up with my bad guy.

I wanted my hero to be a steady, dependable sort of guy, who ended up as deputy sheriff in this small town to escape a heart-breaking event in his past.

Kate Myers, my heroine, is a plunge-into-the-thick-of-things-without-thinking kind of woman. She's been tracking this killer for a long time.

AC: Ah yes, your hero Ben Slater is definitely DROOL worthy! I'm sure everyone who reads this book will adore him. Was there anyone you used as a "model" for this character?

J-M: I didn't have a real person in mind for Slater's physical attributes, but I definitely relied on the men in my life -- my four sons and husband -- as a template for his personality. My guys are very protective kinds of men.

The operative word for Slater is "steady."

After I'd long finished the book, however, I realized that he looks very much like Alcide in HBO's "True Blood." Here's a picture if you don't follow the series.

AC: Oh my! (fans self vigorously) I really must put this series in my Netflix queue!

Now, where was I? Oh, right! Your heroine, Kate is very much his match! She is also a forensic psychiatrist. How did you come up with her occupation? Anyone who served as her "model?"

J-M: Kate is tall and leggy, very California "fresh" and healthy looking. I wanted her to be smart and an expert in her profession. By the way, forensic psychiatry is a real career, a sub-speciality of psychiatry and often an adjunct to law and criminality. I may have taken a little literary license with the kinds of things my heroine can do, however!

AC: That's why it's called 'fiction' m'dear! And why we love reading and writing it! I can't wait for THE WATCHER to hit the shelves (and e-book readers) because I want to talk about some of the interesting plot twists without spoiling the story for others.

J-M: Thanks for hosting me, Cindy, and giving up your blog day to talk about my book!

AC: My pleasure! I love to be the first one to interview you about your debut release.

Okay, everyone, I hope we have you intrigued enough to read Jo's book.

Don't miss our July 30 Launch Party for THE WATCHER here in the Lair!

What unusual occupations have you read about lately? Are there some different forms of employment you would like to see a hero or heroine of a book doing?

What was the last book you read that kept you awake at least half the night?

Also, send your snail mail addy to Jo at jo.lewisrobertson@yahoo.com to receive a free postcard of her book's cover and be entered in a contest to receive a print copy of THE WATCHER when it releases.

Summer Reading

by Christie Kelley

One of my favorite things about summer is sitting outside (when it's not 90+ degrees) and reading. The fresh air, sunshine, a breeze and a book...nothing like it!

A couple of friends recently told me their choice in books changes quite a bit in the summer. One friend loves romantic suspense, except in the summer when she switches to cozy mysteries. Another friend said she reads mostly historical romance, except in the summer when she loves to read contemporary romance.

I never noticed this trend in my own reading. In fact, as I sat down to write this blog, I realized that my choices are all over the romance genre map.

I just finished a wonderful Harlequin Nocturne, Poisoned Kisses, written by a friend of mine, Stephanie Draven. I read it one Sunday when it was too hot to even think about going outside.

Next up for me, is Do You Take This Cop by our own Beth Andrews. I can't wait to start this book. I've loved all of Beth's books so far.

After that, I'll be reading an ARC of Season of Temptation by Theresa Romain. She'll be joining us in October to chat about her debut book.

So what's everyone reading or what's next in your TBR pile? Do you find yourself choosing books that are lighter in the summer?

I'm in a giving mood today so I'll give away a signed copy of my June release, One Night Scandal so one commenter today.

Women and Home Repairs

by Caren Crane

A few weeks ago, my best friend confessed that she had no water running from her kitchen faucet, although the side sprayer worked fine. Her husband has been dealing with a mother in very poor health, who lives 4-1/2 hours away from them. He has been trying to work his full-time job while also running her to dialysis, therapy, doctor's appointments and the hospital (which is 3 hours from where she lives). Bad situation and not one that is conducive to DIY plumbing repairs. They don't have money to call a plumber, so the faucet is still not working.

My friend has friends from out of town coming to stay in a little over a week, so the plumbing issue is making her anxious. After listening to her lament about it this week, I finally said the words I had been carefully holding back behind my bitten tongue ever since I first heard about the faucet. "Why don't you fix it yourself?"

As most women know, those words can put a strain on a friendship if not said with lots of love and every intention of pitching in to help. I said them with love and promptly began to offer help – from my desk at work, with links to articles and videos on the Internet. Every suggestion was met with stumbling blocks as to why it wouldn't work in her case. Finally, I realized the real issue was the same one I knew existed all along: my BFF, whom I love so dearly, is a Damsel In Distress.

Now, there is nothing wrong with being a Damsel In Distress. Most of the time, the Damsel flings her soft white hands in the air and rushes off to inform the closest male (significant other, relative, friend or co-worker) of her plight. He rushes in (or moseys over, or rolls his eyes) and fixes it (or promises to...someday or calls someone). I confess, I am not a Damsel In Distress, but I have played one on occasion, especially when it's computer-related and my techno-nerd husband is just upstairs. Or, you know, when I just don't feel like cleaning the dead bird off the porch or mucking out the gutters or whatever.


Damsels are very clever women, well-versed in the art of getting men (or other women) to do distasteful things for them. But they need lots of patience and I simply don't have enough! I tend to be more of a Rosie the Riveter. The kind of woman who rolls up her sleeves and gets things done, by gum. I come from a long line of Rosies and my mother and oldest sister were (and are) amazing DIY role models.


After my lovingly offered advice was dispensed, I took what was, perhaps, a rather unhealthy interest in my BFF's faucet with the stuck diverter (my diagnosis). I learned more about kitchen faucets this week than I ever wanted to know! I was determined we would fix it this weekend while her husband was out of town. I also figured if the Allen screw was corroded in place or something, I could always call my husband, Damsel-style, to come lend us his muscle. :P Then we found out it is impossible to get replacement parts for this particular faucet, so my poor BFF will have to get by with the sprayer alone until they can afford a new faucet. So much for me playing Rosie and getting things done! :(

So, are you a Damsel in Distress, willing and able to coax men (or other women) into riding to your rescue? Or are you a Rosie the Riveter, hitting the home improvement store for parts and the Internet (or even a man) for advice? And what is the toughest home repair you have either tackled yourself or convinced someone to tackle for you? I can't wait to hear your stories!

The Circle of Life

When you read the title of this post, the song from The Lion King probably popped into your head. I loved that movie, the Broadway play and the soundtracks to both. In that story, we're shown that there truly is a circle to life. We are born, we live and then we die. That cycle is very much on my mind today as I've been a witness to that circle in the past week.

While I was out of town, my dad passed away. (That's him with Mom and me last Christmas.) I'd seen him a couple of days before I left for New York, on Father's Day when I'd gone to Kentucky for a family reunion. The thought that it was the last time I'd ever see him never entered my mind despite the fact he'd not been fairing well in recent years. But here's the thing -- we'd always joked that Dad was like a Timex. He took a licking and kept on ticking. This man had been shot and lost the lower half of his right arm at age 27, had a massive stroke at age 50 but went back to logging as soon as he was able, and had a heart attack sometime in his 60s. He was a tough bird, one too stubborn to die. But at age 72, his heart gave out as he slept. It still doesn't seem real. On the way through my hometown on the day of his funeral, I found myself looking at the parking lot of one of his coffee-drinking haunts expecting to see his car. It wasn't there. It's still parked in front of his house. I think the most surreal thing was seeing the fact of his death in black and white -- in the obituary, on the memorial video they showed at the visitation, on the death certificates I just received in the mail yesterday.

But I don't want this post to be morbid or too sad because after I came home a couple of days ago, I was reminded that while lives must end, they also begin. My husband told me that while he'd been mowing our back yard he discovered we have a little burrow with two baby bunnies in it. I love bunnies, and these little guys are just adorable. They are at the beginning of the circle of life. Granted, my dad hunted his share of rabbits in his life and never quite understood my huge soft spot of animals of all kinds, but I think even he would have thought these little fellas are too cute for words.

So I'm going to watch them grow, smile every time I see them, and appreciate each day I have here on this earth and be thankful that my dad was tough enough to survive longer than a great many people. He got to see my sister and me grow up, graduate, and get married. He got to see his two granddaughters, my nieces. He got to see the pictures my sister took when she worked at Yellowstone National Park and me publish six books. I've been told he carried that first book with him everywhere he went and told everyone he met that his daughter wrote it. We didn't always see eye to eye or have the most perfect relationship, but I know he loved my sister and me and was proud of us. Not everyone can say that.

So here's to Dad. I hope you're hanging out with some bunnies in Heaven.

Gardeny Goodness

by Tawny

It's no secret that I like to make things. Books, crafts, trouble... (okay, really I don't make trouble. I do tend to find it somehow, though). So I am so excited to have a garden this year. I'm making vegetables!! Or, at least, I am trying to make vegetables.

The first step was the wonderful raised garden bed my husband built for me. Isn't it pretty? I planted lettuce and tomatoes and squash and peppers and herbs and strawberries and so so much more.

I had high hopes. I planned for big, crunchy salads and strawberry shortcake and hot salsa and jars and jars of tomato yumminess. But despite my hopes, my wonderful large garden had a slow start. The plants weren't growing, the leaves were turning yellow. We had an abnormally rainy spring and very little warmth to make their little roots happy. Once my clever husband found the right fertilizer that made these little plants perk up, things started getting interesting. I've had two lovely salads, but that's about the extent of my gardenly goodness so far. I have hopes, though!!

But while I wait for my garden to grow, I was thrilled to see my plum tree overflowing with delicious fruit. Last year, we missed the bulk of the plums because, well... we didn't realize what we had LOL. And by the time we did, the dogs were snacking on fruit off the ground (and boy oh boy did they get tummy aches!) This year we were prepared, though. Some judicious pruning and a careful watch and we were there to harvest bags and bags of plummy goodness. I spent a few hours this week (okay, 4) making plum jam. I have plans to make another big batch, but have to get more jars. I've only done jam a couple times before, but have to say I love the the process!!

So even though I'm still waiting for my salsa and salad, I will be having yummy plum jam on my english muffin. And, better yet, I'll have a dozen or so cute little jars all ready to go for the darling Christmas baskets I'm planning.

So how about you? Are you a gardener? Do you love homemade goodness? Any suggestions on what to do with my multitude of plums? And do you think it's crazy to be planning Christmas gifts in July?

Bandit Booty for Something in the Coffee

There's SOMETHING IN THE COFFEE and

JENNIFER TANNER (PINK)

is the recipient! Jennifer, please email Rose at RoseMaybud@live.com for your free download.

Thanks everyone for participating!