Blog Tour & Giveaway~Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee

As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess. Years later, Will finally makes his way home-as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.

about the author~

Laurel McKee is the pen name for regency romance writer Amanda McCabe.

Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen--a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject...)

She's never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Oklahoma with a menagerie of two cats, a Pug, and a very bossy miniature Poodle, along with far too many books.

When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network--even though she doesn't cook.

Email her at laurel@laurelmckee.net

my thoughts~
The first book in a trilogy (Yay!!!) Countess of Scandal is a story that centers around a heroine who is strong and steadfast in her beliefs. She is loyal to Ireland, as she thinks of herself as Irish since she was born there. The hero is torn between the woman he loves and his loyalty to his country. They loved each other when they were younger, but when Will joined the British Army, Eliza turned her back on him. He comes back into her life 7 years later and there are 'fireworks'!! This story is one that I will be rereading in the future! The next story is Anna's - Duchess of Sin, scheduled for release in December, 2010.

About The Contest

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group
Five winners will be choosen
The Contest ends at midnight on February 27th
Open to US & Canadian addresses.

No PO Boxes please.To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Giveaway~ The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock

Sophie Heller's family immigrated from Germany to Victory, a small town in Illinois, before WWII began. Now that the war has affected the town, the townspeople discriminate against Sophie and her family. When a train derails, it is an accident but the Heller family is blamed. Coming to Sophie's rescue is a teacher from the high school, and despite their cultural differences, a romance starts to bloom.

About The Contest:

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group
Five winners will be choosen
The Contest ends at noon on March 11th
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

To win:
Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)

Waiting On Wednesday...

Waiting on Wednesday was started by
Jill overat Breaking The Spine

The Search by Nora Roberts
Release date: July 6, 2010
Hardcover; Amazon price: $17.79

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare...Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner. On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end. To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones. As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands...

Tasty Tuesday! Ranch Chicken from Betty Crocker

from Betty Crocker Recipes

ingredients~

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup Progresso® dry bread crumbs (any flavor)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil


directions~

1. Dip chicken into dressing, then coat with bread crumbs.
2. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until outside is golden brown and juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

I fixed this a few weeks ago and it was delish! I served it with lumpy mashed potatos, broccoli with cheese sauce and for dessert I made the Apple Crisp also found on the Betty Crocker website. I had issues when I made this. Some of the breading came off.

Blog Talk Radio Interview with Larissa Ione~Ecstasy Unveiled

Please join us in a live interview with Larissa Ione, author of

ECSTASY UNVEILED!!

Date: February 17, 2010

Time: 2:00 PM ET

Author: Larissa Ione

Title: Ecstasy Unveiled

Publisher: Forever Romance

BlogTalkRadio/HBG Program:

Larissa Ione, an Air Force veteran, lives a nomadic lifestyle with her U.S. Coast Guard husband and young son. She currently lives in Wisconsin and is hard at work on her next Demonica novel. Visit her website at http://www.larissaione.com/. She writes: "After I'd joined the Air Force and was in dire need of something to read between shifts at the weather station, I continued to read horror, but I'd branched out into fantasy, and then, finally, romance (though I admit I went kicking and screaming to the latter.) Turned out that I loved romance! So I started writing it, but again, my style and voice leaned toward the dark, paranormal side. Fortunately for me, paranormal romance, as a sub-genre, was booming. I let my imagination fly, and soon I'd sold a series of dark, sexy paranormal romances to Grand Central Publishing. I still read a lot of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and in fact, one of my all time favorite books about writing is On Writing, by my favorite childhood horror author, Stephen King. If you're an author or a reader, I highly recommend this book for an insight into an author's mind—which can sometimes be a very scary place. Go ahead; Seduce your dark side."

Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ 646-378-0039. Listen-in or chat on the Grand Central Publishing channel on BlogTalkRadio. If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@hbgusa.com.

Blog Tour & Giveaway~Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side, sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary-even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again-one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.


about the author~(from Hachette Book Group site)
I began writing the way so many writers do—the moment I learned to wield a pencil. But even as a child, I didn't write "kid" stories. I preferred something more dramatic. Something that didn't include Dick, Jane, and a dog named Spot. I wanted my characters to be named Dracula and my dogs to have names like White Fang or Cujo. I'll always have my parents to thank for that. They never censored my reading material (though I suspect that if they had truly known what was between the covers of some of the books, they'd have been a little more careful,) so when other girls my age were reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Judy Blume, I was immersing myself in Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
Later, after I'd joined the Air Force and was in dire need of something to read between shifts at the weather station, I continued to read horror, but I'd branched out into fantasy, and then, finally, romance (though I admit I went kicking and screaming to the latter.)
Turned out that I loved romance! So I started writing it, but again, my style and voice leaned toward the dark, paranormal side. Fortunately for me, paranormal romance, as a sub-genre, was booming. I let my imagination fly, and soon I'd sold a series of dark, sexy paranormal romances to Grand Central Publishing.
I still read a lot of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and in fact, one of my all time favorite books about writing is On Writing, by my favorite childhood horror author, Stephen King. If you're an author or a reader, I highly recommend this book for an insight into an author's mind—which can sometimes be a very scary place.

Author Website~ LarissaIone.com
MySpace Author Page
Author Article: Bond of Brothers
Follow @LarissaIone on Twitter

my review~ I finished this book in less than 12 hours. Once I picked it up, I had a really hard time putting it down! Larissa Ione has created a world that centers around demons, angels, vampires, yippee!!! 'Ecstasy Unveiled' is book 4 in the series and luckily for Larissa's fans, it isn't going to be the last! I haven't had the chance to pick up the first 3 (Pleasure Unbound, Desire Unchained and Passion Unleashed) but these 3 books will be in my hot little hands by the end of the day!

About The Contest:
Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group

Five winners will be choosen

The Contest ends at midnight on February 28th

Open to US & Canadian addresses.
No PO Boxes please.
To win:

Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)

Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)

Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)