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)

Tasty Tuesday! Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake by Kraft Recipes

Our perfect zesty chicken tortilla bake by Kraft Recipes

Ingredients~
1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
16 flour tortillas (6 inch)
Make It!
HEAT oven to 375°F.
MIX dressing and flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened. Add 1 cup cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Reserve 1 cup sauce.
STIR chicken, salsa and parsley into remaining sauce; spoon 1/3 cup down center of each tortilla. Roll up. Place 8 roll-ups, seam-sides down, in each of 2 (13x9-inch) baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray; top with reserved sauce and remaining cheese.
BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

When I made this recipe, I thought, ugh, mayo? so I changed it to 1/4 C of mayo and 1/4 C of sour cream. I kept everything else the same. I used mild salsa but it was a little bland, so next time, I will be changing it to medium salsa. But this was a really good recipe that Jim liked!

and the winners for...

Seduced By A Rogue

are:

Sue A.

Bethie

Joye

booklover0226

Jane

Congratulations!

Check your email!

and the winners for...

Sleep No More

are:

CherylS22

pixie13

donnas

renee

booklover0226

Congratulations!

Check your email!

ENDING TODAY!! Seduced By A Rogue by Amanda Scott

A fair-haired beauty at 19, Lady Mairi is heiress apparent to her father Lord Dunwythie's rich barony. He has carefully taught her how to manage their estates, but a feud between his clan and the Maxwell clan is brewing as the two families edge toward a clan war - their dispute over money owed. Mairi's father believes he owes nothing, and of course Mairi sides with him.When the impulsive and blue-eyed Rob Maxwell chances to meet Mairi in a barley field, they feel instant attraction, despite their families' antagonisms. Knowing he must put his clan first, Rob enacts a plan to force Dunwythie to pay his debt: Rob kidnaps Mairi, making the abduction appear the work of a stranger; then he and his sheriff-brother offer to help Dunwythis rescue his daughter IF, and only if, he will pay them the monies due. Yet after Rob captures Mairi's body, she captures his heart. When Dunwythie summons the aid of the most powerful clan in all Scotland (the Douglases), clan-tensions rise to a fever pitch. Love takes its own feverish course, as Mairi and Rob join forces to prevent a clash between hot-headed clans, and to protect their budding love.

Go HERE to enter!

AND THE WINNERS FOR...

A Black Tie Affair

are:

Luvdaylilies

Virginia C

donnas

holdenj

Emma

Congratulations!

Check your email!

ENDING TODAY!! Sleep No More by Susan Crandall

The night was always Abby Whitman's enemy. As a young girl she walked in her sleep, and one night, she started a fire that scarred her sister for life and left Abby with unbearable guilt . . . and a loneliness that echoes within her. Now Abby has begun blacking out again-with apparently fatal results. A car accident has killed the son of a prominent family. Even though the evidence seems to exonerate her, Abby is plagued by doubts-and soon by mysterious threats. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is intrigued by Abby and offers to help her explore the dark recesses of her mind.

Go HERE to enter!!

ENDING TODAY!! A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her hands on the Clayworth family's couture collection for her exhibit. So she's thrilled when she's called in to authenticate the gowns...until she falls ill while examining them and wakes up face-to-face with notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth.Drew doesn't trust Athena one bit. He still believes she betrayed him years ago. So when his family's gowns go missing and Athena offers her help in exchange for the dresses, he reluctantly accepts. But they're both taken off guard by the barely restrained passion that's still between them...and the memories that are both bitter and sweet. As they work together to find the dresses, can they resist the sparks between them?

Go HERE to enter!

Blog Tour~ A Highlander's Destiny by Melissa Mayhue

JESSE CORYELL, a descendant of the Fae, is a man in search of his destiny. He's tried to lose himself in his work, taking on the worst mankind has to offer, but what he really needs to find is his true love. When he sets out to help a mysterious woman find her sister, what he gets is much more than he bargained for: battling an undeniable attraction to his sexy new client while fighting an ancient evil to keep her safe.
DESTINY NOBLE, abandoned by everyone she's ever loved, will stop at nothing in her desperate quest to find her sister. Authorities have declared Leah a runaway, but Destiny knows better. Her dream visions have shown her the frightening truth. They've also shown her Jesse. But finding her Soulmate could result in the most painful loss of all, when she's forced to choose between loving Jesse and saving Leah.
Jesse and Destiny race against time to save an innocent girl from a powerful ancient evil. Is true love their best weapon...or will they be required to sacrifice their own destiny?
about the author~from Amazon.com


Melissa Mayhue knows a great deal about men -- after all, she's wife to one and mother of three. She and her family live in Colorado, in the shadow of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, with three insanely spoiled dogs, one domineering cat, a turtle with an attitude, and way too many fish in their aquarium.

Authors Website
Facebook
Twitter

my review~It's been awhile (or so it seems) since I've read a story about the Fae & highlanders combined. Boy have I missed it! Melissa Mayhue brings everything I enjoy reading in a book to life in "A Highlander's Destiny". Adventure, romance, hot hunky men! A Highlander's Destiny is book 5 in the Daughters of the Glen series. Unfortunately I have not read the first 4, but they have been added to my TBR list!

Tasty Tuesday! Club Pasta Salad from Betty Crocker

ingredients~

1 package Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® ranch & bacon pasta salad mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 cup cherry tomato, cut into fourths
1/2 cup julienne strips Cheddar cheese
4 cups bite-size pieces lettuce

1.) Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2.) Drain pasta. Rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
3.) Stir Seasoning mix and mayonnaise in large bowl. Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients except lettuce. Serve on lettuce. Refrigerate leftovers (if desired, moisten with a few teaspoons milk before servings).

The reason I chose Club Pasta Salad as my recipe of the week...I absolutely LOVE Suddenly Salads Bacon Ranch pasta salad mix! Brittni introduced me to it right after I got out of the hospital in November and I'm addicted it. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! So when I saw a recipe using it, I thought, oh HECK YES! I have even substitued tuna instead of using turkey or chicken. But I do prefer chicken...

Blog Tour~Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles

Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?
Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?



Product Details~
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star; Original edition (December 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416572821

about the author~(from the authors website)

Jill Myles has been an incurable romantic since childhood. She reads all the ‘naughty parts’ of books first, looks for a dirty joke in just about everything, and thinks to this day that the Little House on the Prairie books should have been steamier.
After devouring hundreds of paperback romances, mythology books, and archaeological tomes, she decided to write a few books of her own – stories with a wild adventure, sharp banter, and lots of super-sexy situations. She prefers her heroes alpha and half-dressed, her heroines witty, and she loves nothing more than watching them overcome adversity to fall into bed together.
She wasn’t born with a pen in her hand, like most writers. Jill did stick the occasional crayon up her nose, but she eventually grew out of that.
Mostly.

Author's Website
Jill On Facebook
Follow Jill On Twitter


my review~ OMG!OMG!OMG! This book is steamy!!
Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is the first book in The Succubus Dairies and is a funny, fast paced read, that had me LOLing, alot. I'm really glad that Jill Myles stopped sticking those crayons up her nose since she probably used those crayons to learn to write. Thank goodness that she did!!! The characters that she has created are sharp, witty, and just plain fun! Jackie's world has turned dangerous, and she has to (of course) save the day and the guy. Before I even finished with 'Gentlemen Prefer Succubi' I put 'Succubi Like It Hot' on my TBR list! Thank goodness, it's already out!

In MY Mailbox 01/24/10

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.
If you haven't visited her blog, you should!

Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

A DEMON ENSLAVED

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.

AN ANGEL TEMPTED

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.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.
The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

Cover Story:
FLUTTER CARDIGAN
A Little Feminine Frill Adds a Lot of Flirty Style!
Also Featured:
PURSE-ONALITY PLUS!
Make Multiple Covers For One Basic Bag
STITCHES OF LOVE
Warm a Homeless Child With a Cozy Hooded Scarf

in my email...

The Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk For The Cure

So, Britt, Matt & I are thinking of taking part in the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk For The Cure in Chicago. I have to get the OK from my doctor (you know, the heart issues that cropped up when I was in the hospital in November). The dates are August 6-8th, you walk 20 miles (*gasp) a day, sleep in tents they provide. I go back to my cardiologist on February 4th, so I'm going to ask then. I'll let you know what he says and what we decide to do! But we are going to need a team name!!

Friday Fill Ins #4

1. You have a chance to make things right.
2. I need a nap right now!
3. There is a cat sleeping on my lap!
4. Buy now and pay later.
5. It's time to make the donuts.
6. Its seems as though my life is up in the air but it's just giving me a chance to think about what I really want to do with my life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching Ghost Whisperer and tomorrow my plans include catching up on my reading and Sunday, I want to watch the COLTS win the AFC Championship and head to the Superbowl, baby!!!!

Blog Tour~ Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo

Counting on each other...
Meet the Black Sheep knitters -- five smart, funny women who love to knit, gossip, and solve crimes.
Gloria Sterling had it all -- money, looks, and a new sexy young husband. So when she's found floating face down in her own swimming pool, shock waves ripple through tiny Plum Harbor. At the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, Maggie Messina and her circle are devastated to lose their dear friend -- a woman as colorful as her fabulous yarn creations.
The police are quick to call it an accident, but sorting out Gloria's final hours leaves too many loose ends to satisfy her friends. The vivacious, fiftysomething cougar had her French manicured tips in more than a few pots, and the threads of some inside deals stashed in her chic knitting tote.
Who was the last person to see Gloria alive on that quiet summer night? Two empty wine glasses suggest she wasn't home alone knitting the entire evening.... The Black Sheep need to know the truth and set out to unravel -- stitch by stitch -- the weighty secrets that pulled poor Gloria under.

about the author~

Anne Canadeo lives and knits in Northport, New York. While My Pretty One Knits is her debut novel, and the first in the Black Sheep Knitting Club series.

Product Details
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (December 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 141659812X

my review~ Knit, Purl, Die is the second book in the Black Sheep Knitting Club series, written by Anne Canadeo. I have not had the chance to read 'While My Pretty One Knits' yet, but it is on my TBR list! Knit, Purl, Die can easily be a stand alone book but I'm looking forward to reading 'While My Pretty One Knits' as well as the books to come! Knit, Purl, Die reads easily & quickly, Ms. Canadeo knits together a story that draws you in. The characters are very realistic and theres a few twists in the story to keep you reading!

I've never read a book that is centered around a hobby before, and while I don't knit (yet!) I found it great that Ms. Canadeo mentions the Warm Up America blanket (actually the club is making one!) and I crocheted a blanket myself! Theres also a couple of recipes and knitting pattern websites mentioned!

Tasty Tuesday! Tuna Cakes from Kraft Foods

I'm going to start blogging about some of the recipes that I find online and I'm calling it 'Tasty Tuesday!' They will just be recipes that I find that I will be making or have made for my picky eaters. Nothing fancy just everyday food! So today's recipe is: Tuna Cakes! I found this recipe on the Kraft website (I just love Kraft!).

Ingredients~

2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked (I use StarKist)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish


1.) MIX all ingredients. Refrigerate 10 min.

2.) HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Use ice cream scoop to add 1/3-cup portions of tuna mixture, in batches, to skillet.

3.) FLATTEN into patties with back of spatula. Cook 6 min. or until golden brown on both sides, carefully turning patties over after 3 min.


Substitutions-
Substitute 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, 4 chopped green onions and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for the Cheddar, carrots and relish.
For Easier Handling in the Skillet-
Mix all ingredients. Shape into patties as directed. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour before cooking as directed.

So for dinner tonight we are having:

Tuna Cakes, homemade mashed potatos, green beans and pineapple upside down cake!

Blog Tour & Giveaway~A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

SUITED FOR SEDUCTION
Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the Clayworth family's celebrated couture collection for her exhibit. So when she's called in to make sure the gowns are the real deal, she's ecstatic...until a dress she's examining turns out to be loaded with toxins (talk about killer threads!) and Athena faints, only to wake up face-to-face with the One That Got Away, notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth.Drew still believes Athena betrayed him all those years ago, and he's sure he can't trust her. But when the priceless gowns go missing, she offers to help track them down. Reluctantly allied in the quest, Drew and Athena are soon stunned by the barely restrained passion still sizzling between them...and memories both bitter and sweet. Is their new partnership just a business arrangement? Or is this something more than...




Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Forever (January 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446618594

about the author~
(from the authors website)
Author Bio
I’m sure growing up in my grandmother’s house, taking care of my developmentally disabled mother, forged who I am, but I don’t believe any one thing defines me. My philosophy of life is that we are all in this together—and we need to embrace one another with as much grace, humor and compassion as we can muster. I see life as big, bigger, biggest, and I want to take everyone along with me on the journey. I not only attend black-tie affairs and work on charity board projects, but I am also just as likely to be taking a grandchild to lunch and a movie. I’m happily married to John, with whom I eloped when I was an 18-year-old freshman in college. It was quite the scandal. We have four beautiful children and 11 grandchildren. I won my first writing award in the seventh grade in a statewide essay contest about a television broadcast of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. Instead of Silver Skates, they sent real skates, which I enjoyed immensely. I’m only sorry I don’t still have them so they could hang in my office. While moving 22 times across the country and rearing our children, I sold stories to Fate Magazine, Home Life Magazine and True Confessions. In 1988, I sold my first novel and a week later received a two-book contract from Fawcett. Sixteen novels later, I’ve seen The Other Amanda win the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America Write Touch Readers’ Award and Talk of the Town chosen by Cosmopolitan magazine as its “Red Hot Read” for February 2009.

Visit SherrillBodine.com
Follow @SherrillBodine on Twitter.

my review~
Who doesn't love a book about having a second chance at true love? Throw in a little mystery and what a ride! A Black Tie Affair is the telling of Athena & Drews second chance at love. This is the first book that I've read of Mrs. Bodine, but it will NOT be the last!

Go HERE for the giveaway~GIVEAWAY ENDS 01/28/10

Blog Tour~ Veracity by Laura Bynum

Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.
But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439123349

about the author~
Laura Bynum was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1968. Childhood plans to be a writer of novels and screenplays and a director of films are currently underway. Laura completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications at the University of Illinois at Springfield and Eastern Illinois University respectively. She’s since done some filmmaking (Ugly Girl Productions) and marketing consulting. In 2006, Laura won the Rupert Hughes Literary Writing Award at the Maui Writer’s Conference. As a result, she was signed with the Writer’s House. Her Literary Agent is Dan Conaway and her Books to Film Agent is Sylvie Rabineau of Rabineau, Wachter, Sanford & Harris. Laura’s first novel, Veracity, is due out January of 2010. In the summer of 2008, while moving from Illinois to Virginia, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer and has since been successfully treated.
Laura’s favorite books are both by Steinbeck- East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath. Her favorite song is Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. Her favorite movie is The Quiet Man. She lives with her husband and three daughters in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah foothills and is currently writing her second novel and first full-length screenplay.