READING CHALLENGE: Indie Author 2010 with Erotic Horizon

Indi Author Challenge 2010: Hosted by Erotic Horizon
 

This is the third and final challenge for 2010 I'm adding (well, for today!) and I could not resist this one since I do read a lot of Indie Books from various Indie publishers and self-published/POD, too. The challenge is to make a point of reading 12 Indie Books in 2010. I'm game! Thanks E.H> :)

Timeline: 01 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2010

1. Crystal Companions; The Use of the Mineral Kingdom Within Modern-Day Metaphysics - Marion Webb-De Sisto- Review here! Tuesday, 19th Jan 2010.

2. Crystal Skulls: Emissaries of Healing and Sacred Wisdom | Marion Webb De Sisto - Review here! Tuesday, 19th Jan 2010.

3. South Crop Forest | Lorne Rothman | Review here! Wednesday, 20th Jan 2010.

4.  Love Writing: How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction | Sue Moorcroft
Accent Press UK | Review here! Friday, 19th February 2010

5. As I was Cutting and Other Nastiness | L.V. Rautenbaumgrabner | New Pulp Press. Review here! Monday, 22nd February 2010. 

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READING CHALLENGE 2010: Books to Read Before I Die hosted by Diane

Books to Read Before I Die Challenge, is hosted by Diane, the Bibliophile by the Sea. This is the second challenge for 2010 I am joining in with, as you can see it's very close to my 1001 Books to Read Before You Die ongoing challenge! It couldn't have come at a better time. Now I have to pick a "tentative" list of books to read, so I am using this one HERE! So I don't have to write them out all again. :)

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READING CHALLENGE 2010: 100 Books+ Reading Challenge with J-Kaye

Here are the books I have read so far this year: 

1. Crystal Companions; The Use of the Mineral Kingdom Within Modern-Day Metaphysics - Marion Webb-De Sisto- Review here! Tuesday, 19th Jan 2010.

2. Crystal Skulls: Emissaries of Healing and Sacred Wisdom | Marion Webb De Sisto - Review here! Tuesday, 19th Jan 2010.

3. South Crop Forest | Lorne Rothman | Review here! Wednesday, 20th Jan 2010.

4. Stolen | Lucy Christopher | The Chicken House | Review here! Saturday, 23rd Jan 2010

5. Fallen | Lauren Kate | Doubleday | Review here! Friday, 29th Jan 2010 

6. Love Writing: How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction | Sue Moorcroft
Accent Press UK | Review here! Friday, 19th Feb 2010

7. As I was Cutting and Other Nastiness | L.V. Rautenbaumgrabner | New Pulp Press. Review here! Monday, 22nd Feb 2010. 

Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. I'm signing up for a few challenges due to start in 2010 and this one looks good because it will also help me with my own personal challenges! So, please excuse an empty blog post, because I have to publish this to get a link to join up. :) Interested?  Click here to join!

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Rednecks ‘n’ Roses by Judy Mays

Title: Rednecks ‘n’ Roses
Author: Judy Mays
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Romantica/Erotica/ - sub genre
Publication date: 2004
ISBN: 978-1-4199-23364
Length: 99 pages, novella
Format: eBook
Reviewer: Clayton Bye
Alternative-Read.com

Buy Now


When Amber moves out of the city and into the house she has inherited from her late aunt Ernestine, all she wants to do is write a sexy, hit vampire novel. But her life isn’t going to be anywhere as simple as this. You see, her house comes with its own vampire, one who doesn’t have a clue how the undead are supposed to behave.

Rusty Nipple is a good old boy, and he has the wild, red beard, the requisite pair of overalls and a penchant for poaching deer out of season to prove it. The last thing he’s going to do is move out of his comfortable home (he likes the bathtub he sleeps in) for some high and mighty city girl, especially when she’s as hot as this one.

Who will win the ensuing battle? Will it be the girl who knows exactly how to turn Rusty into a respectable vampire (and a top-of-the-list novel), or will Rusty seduce her with his wicked and unorthodox ways?

I enjoyed Rednecks ‘n’ Roses. It was unpretentious, never trying to be anything it wasn’t. Judy Mays writes tongue in cheek, calls an ass an ass, doesn’t back away from her choice of erotic presentation and entertains all the way. This was a fun little read I zipped through in one sitting. Mays also left me feeling satisfied with the story, something a lot of authors don’t manage when dealing with the restrictive nature of a novella.

The only point of improvement that comes to mind is since the story came very close to being too lighthearted for a vampire novel, the writer could have included a few more glimpses of the underbelly of Rusty’s world. However, as Mays brought things around at the end, one could also argue she nailed it, that her novella is perfect just the way it is.

Read Rednecks ‘n’ Roses and decide for yourself.


Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye



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GUEST BLOGGER: Giveaway, with Shelley Munro!!

*New Giveaway!*

Want a copy of either Summer in the City of Sails or Playing to Win? Well, you've come to the right place! LOL To be in for a chance to win one of these two beauties, please

1) follow this blog with "Google follow"
2) go to Angelika's review of Shelley Munro's latest book, Soldier of Fortune, and leave a comment.
3) come back here to say you have done so, leaving your email so I can contact you should you be the winner.
*This instantly counts as TWO entries--BUT you have to do both!*

You have a week to enter! Competition closes next Sunday 6th December 2009. The winner gets to choose from either a download of Summer in the City of Sails or Playing to Win.

Good luck!

Extra Entries
These are all "only if you want to!" There is no obligation at all to do any of these - unless you want to increase your chances of winning, of course!

For each individual tweet or post/join/digg etc. you can come back here and leave a separate comment (with your email address)
*Unlimited extra entries*

How?


For loyal followers (Google Follow)
(Let me know if you already follow, with email -- in comments)
*FIVE extra entries*


For loyal followers (Networking Blogs)
(Let me know if you already follow, with email -- in comments)

*FIVE extra entries* Join the Readers and Reviewers Twitter Twibe!
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*THREE extra entries*

Digg this post!
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*THREE extra entries*

Become a networking blog follower (find these on the top right side of the blog)
(Let me know if you are already-- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Link back to this post/
(leave a link to your blog so I can come and visit!)
*One extra entry*

Sign the AR Guest book!
Between now and the end of the competition
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Mention the giveaway on Facebook
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Mention the giveaway on MySpace
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Follow me on Twitter!
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Re-tweet this post! If you follow me on Twitter I will see it!
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Follow me on Digg.com
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Comment in the AR Yahoo group!
Between now and the end of the competition
You get free ebooks and can join in with author chats using this method
(Let me know you have -- in comments)
*One extra entry*

Yeah, I am everywhere! LOL


Phew! Good Luck to everyone.

Sassy
:)



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GUEST BLOGGER: AR Welcomes author Shelley Munro!

Check out the AR/SHELLEY MUNRO GIVEAWAY and our Review of Soldier of Fortune! 

When I first started writing for Ellora’s Cave, I wrote a story called Summer in the City of Sails. It’s a contemporary story with a slight suspense element. Nikolai, the hero is in the military, part of the New Zealand Special Air Services, our elite force.

From the start, I had lots of emails from readers and reviewers about Nikolai’s two fellow NZSAS friends and also about Summer, the heroine’s two brothers who are also military men. Readers wanted to know if I intended to write stories for these characters.
“Yes,” I said, because I was curious about these characters as well.

But, that was where things came to a screeching halt. I couldn’t think of exactly the right idea, so instead of working on a follow-up, I moved on to other stories and series like my Middlemarch Mates.

Fast forward at least three years, and I saw two documentaries on television here in New Zealand. There was one that followed the rigorous training of the applicants who wanted to become members of the NZSAS. Another documentary followed the journey of New Zealand soldiers who had left the military and taken up jobs in the private security sector in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Finally a member of the NZSAS was awarded a Victorian Cross for valor, one of the few awarded internationally  since the Second World War. All these things bubbled together in my mind, and suddenly an idea was born. Soldier of Fortune became the next story.

Soldier of Fortune features Louie, who is one of Nikolai’s friends. Here’s the blurb:

Joanna “Mac” McGregor loves her father, and she’ll do anything to keep him safe after Alzheimer’s starts to steal his mind. That takes money, and Mac uses her only skills—those of soldiering—when she takes up a security contract in Iraq. She doesn’t have time for men, her last vacation fling in Fiji relegated as one perfect moment to hold close during the grim reality of war.

Soldier Louie Lithgow is tired of fighting, the constant danger, and has decided this is his last contract. He wants to retire, sink his savings into a place on the beach, and find the sexy Joanna, his holiday lover.

Mac’s arrival in Iraq causes consternation. They’ve both been economical with the truth, but the attraction sizzling between them flares hot and bright. They embark on a clandestine affair—professional and confident during their high-danger day, passionate with the release of emotional stress during their torrid nights. One thing is clear—they have different goals and the future is both murky and dangerous. If they survive their contracts.

One thing I’ve found with writing is that inspiration for stories comes from all directions. I read lots of different magazines, watch movies and TV shows, read newspapers and watch documentaries. The library is a great source too. I wander the aisles and pick up non-fiction books at random. I never know when inspiration might strike.

Buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7810-127-soldier-of-fortune.aspx
Buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-6126-127-summer-in-the-city-of-sails.aspx
Website: http://www.shelleymunro.com
Blog:       http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

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REVIEW: Soldier of Fortune | Shelley Munro | Ellora's Cave

Title: Soldier of Fortune
Author: Shelley Munro
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Erotic Romance / Contemporary / Military
Length: 134 pgs
Format: eBook
Reviewer: Angelika Devlyn
http://angelikadevlyn.wordpress.com/
Alternative-Read.com

"...Louie's weapon of choice comes with some serious issues." 

New Zealand soldier, Joanna "Mac" MacGregor, has a contract in the security sector with Chesterton, UK which lands her in Baghdad, on a dangerous six month assignment in the Red Zone to keep workers safe during the reconstruction process. But she's running away from her former lover, Louie Lithgow, who is also there and his presence is going to be a big problem. She can't believe her bad luck, but it gets worse. They're full and she has to share a room with him. Not only are they fighting the same dirty war, but they have their own personal war to contend with - an attraction that neither of them can deny.

As the only woman on camp, Louie (although loathe to admit it and sound defensive) is very protective of Mac. Add to that, he is her boss and any move on her would be classed as sexual harassment and the fact that if he doesn't pull himself together and stay focused on his mission, he's going to get everyone he's responsible for killed. But when two people crave each other, whilst dealing with the stress of war, and other personal problems, what happens is inevitable.

Soldier of Fortune is an emotionally charged story, which combines heaps of sexual tension, hot sex, with oodles of inner and external conflict. Wanting sex but no love and romance is always going to cause problems, especially when two people "shouldn't" get together, and their situation dictates that they must resist. I feel Shelley Munro has written the military aspects into the story with a realism that packs more detail into not just the plot, but the tension between them. Baghdad is no place to let their emotions run away with them, not when their own and their friends survival could be jeopardised. To see how they cope is part of the beauty of this story and their romance, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In addition, when Mac is forced to "go it alone" as the only woman on the team, this made for a suspenseful read. The real fight, however, is keeping their affair a secret and their reputations intact in a place where testosterone rules and Louie's weapon of choice comes with some serious issues. A worthy addition to the erotic romance reader's virtual bookshelf!

Take me back to the GIVEAWAY PAGE---->

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REVIEW: 11, 002 Things to be Miserable About: The Satirical Not-so-happy Book

11, 002 Things to be Miserable About: The Satirical Not-so-happy Book


I have to say that this is one book where only a negative review will do! It's gloomy, depressing, bleak as the bowels of Hell itself, and oddly funny because of it, even though all it amounts to is a list of 11,002 Things to be Miserable about. Rather a clever idea, which I liked, but I am not sure it's everyone's idea of fun. It's bizarre, and reads like a hate list out of a manic depressive's diary, but is strangely addictive.

I like the look of this book, it's short, fat and mainly black, with grey edges and a white miserable smiley face. With 448 pages, it is thicker than I expected.

Although there isn't much to it content wise, (it is just a list after all) 11,002 Things to be Miserable About is a handy book to have on your coffee table, a quirky stocking filler for that grumpy young or old person in your life, antipsychotic medication, and an easy read to pick up whenever your abysmal life needs a shot of satirical wretched wit. It had me laughing so much it reduced me to tears.

Sitting on a tack, self-sodomy with broomsticks, photographs of places you'll never go to, and knowing that tomorrow will be just as terrible as it was today - are prime examples of the kind of miserableness you'll find here. Incidentally, I have to wonder what life is like in the husband and wife Lia and Nick Romeo household. Bet there's always something for this dismal duo of authors to moan about!

Finally a book that not only makes you feel more miserable than you were, but one that gives even more reasons to end it all.

This is an Amazon Review

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Length: 448 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-0810983632Format: Paperback
Review by Sassy Brit
Alternative-Read.com


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REVIEW: Angel Warriors, Archangel Series Book 1 | Stephani Hecht | eXtasy Books

Title: Angel Warriors, Archangel Series, Book One
Author: Stephani Hecht
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Series, Fantasy
Publication Date: March 2008
ISBN: 978-1-55487-040-0
Length: 280 Pages
Format: eBook
Reviewer: WitchGiggles
Alternative-Read.com


Healer to Cam, Gabi has enjoyed being part of the Lehor family, but would much rather be mate to Abdiel. Only problem with that scenario is that he doesn't know she's alive and she doesn't have the courage
 to tell him to open his eyes. Then he's suddenly in her house, leader of the new Angel Warrior team Michael has set into motion and things go from bad to worse. Her head may say she shouldn't care, but somehow her heart didn't get that memo.

Literally torn to pieces by his own family for not siding with Lucifer when the revolt in Heaven started, Abdiel has made a passionate practice of solitary existence. Then Michael, big boss of the Archangels decides he needs Abdiel to train and lead a group of angel warriors to protect the people of Earth from the devil demons who have orders to destroy indiscriminately. What he's not expecting is the empath with untold gifts and a healer who was there when his family did their best destructive work on him. Gabi has a mouth that makes him want more than he thinks he deserves.

I do like a book with the premise that maybe, just maybe when it comes to the battle of good and evil there might not be any straight line to follow in regard to who is what.The angels, demons and humans in this book run the gamut of angst, love, confusion, betrayal and vengeful retribution. The sex is steamy, the characters many and varied and the action fairly constant.

Sassy Note: Somehow I messed up and published these books out of order! So, here are the following links to the reviews that have been already published on AR:

The Archangel Series

Angelic Desires, Prequel to Angel Warriors, Appolion's Story
The Prequel to this series I posted yesterday.

Book 1 - Angel Warriors - This book.

Book 2 - Captive Angel 

Book 3 - Rogue Angel

Book 4 - Hells Angel

Book 5 -  Angel's Blood - Coming soon!

Book 6 - Angelic Redemption - Coming soon!

Book 7 - Angel's Quest - Coming soon!

Book 8 - Heart of an Angel 



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REVIEW: Angelic Desires, Prequel to Angel Warriors, Appolion's Story | Stephani Hecht | eXtasy Books

Title: Angelic Desires, Prequel to Angel Warriors, Appolion's Story
Author: Stephani Hecht
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Series, Fantasy Games, Light BDSM
Publication Date: 2008
Length: 29 Pages
Format: eBook
Reviewer: WitchGiggles
Alternative-Read.com

What's a harpy to do when the bounty she's supposed to be bringing in happens to be the scrumptious Appolion? Lucifer thought it would be an easy job for Cadean and it probably would be if the prey wasn't enough to make a girl want to play before committing mayhem.

While short, Ms. Hecht certainly put in plenty of action, hot sex and some most entertaining characters. Tough as nails with an intriguing vulnerability, Cadean is an unusual outtake on what is normally considered a monster, while Appolion is simply what I always dreamed an angel could be. Yet again it's some of the sub-characters that sometimes steal the scenes

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REVIEW: Acid Rayne by Nathalie Gray, Ciana Stone from Ellora's Cave

Title: Acid Rayne
Author: Nathalie Gray, Ciana Stone
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Romantica/Erotica/Contemporary
Publication Date: July 2009
ISBN: 9781419920905
Length: Novel
Format: eBook
Reviewer: WitchGiggles
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At six foot of statuesque blond mercenary, Rayne Brogan was used to "cleaning up" for her bosses. What she wasn't used to was a man who could meet her head on and make her love it. Her biggest fear was how he was going to react when he found out the truth about who and what she really is.

Ripley "Rip" Knight, ex soldier turned carny owner has met more than a few women over the years, but never has he met his match as he has in "Betty". For once he can't get a woman out of his mind, but it's his heart he fears for, for the voluptuous, hard as nails female has gotten deeper than any ever has and his "gladiator" is keeping secrets.

This one just didn't grab my interest at first, but when it got going, the authors more than delivered the action, sex and emotions with descriptives that painted magnificent pictures. I have to say that Sheila has become an intense favorite and in several instances "stole the show". Rayne is the type of female I love reading about- one with strength, cunning, moves to die for and grace, while Rip is the kind of man I dream about,but probably wouldn't be able to handle in real life.

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PRODUCT REVIEW: Look Out Tarantino, here I come!

CyberLink PowerDirector 8 Deluxe (PC)


How to Install

This is so easy to install I thought I'd first run through the process: Slip in the disc, and click PowerDirector for a screen that will give you a short introduction and three icons, which lead to a "Read Me" file, a 126 page PDF "User Guide", and "Install". Click this Install button for the InstallSheild Wizard. Read and accept the License Agreement (you have to do this) and then approximately 12 minutes for it to install. That's how long it took me, only stopping midway with one pop up that asked me if I wanted to install the SmartSound feature (26 music files). Then eject disc and click on your new desktop icon to start. You need to add the activation code (supplied on the disc cover), wait for a second pop up and then you're ready to go!

What can this do?

For the proficient, which I am not, it lets you create professional looking video movies and photo slideshows with music, voiceovers and all sorts of special affects. For newbies, it does the same, but with clear instructions and easy to learn buttons to help you on your way.

How did I cope?

I played around with this and within ten minutes I had made my own, very short video with music and a frame, titles and special effects. Now I understand totally how to take this one step (well, actually several steps) further and produce something that I really want. It is surprisingly and quick easy to learn, and I fully recommend it. Admittedly, I'm not an expert so I am unclear to what other similar products are on the market, but this proves that for a beginner it's an easy programme to get along with.

What features do you get?

There are several features, listed as "rooms" that have clear, recognisable buttons. You get the Media Room, Effects Room, PiP Objects Room, Particle Room, Title Room, Transition Room, Audio Mixing Room, Voiceover Recording Room, Chapter Room and finally the Subtitle Room.

Simply chose your picture, or music track and select or drag it to add to your Video track or PiP track. Then continue with other features from different "rooms"; themes (birthday, baby, Christmas, etc), select media, background music, specify movie duration, Magical style (analyses what you have so far), preview and then save to create. After this you are then ready to output movie as a video file (for places like YouTube) or burn it to disk. Another simple, but great feature is that you can save (lock) each item individually. So if you make a mistake you don't lose the whole lot. A welcome bonus in my book!

What are my favourite features?

You can sign into the DirectorZone, a space for sharing your creations with other users. A great way to see what can be accomplished, if you do not already know. Plus, after creating an account in a few easy steps, you are then registered once for both sites, the DirectorZone and Cyberlink, where you can download, share and manage your favourite creators. The downloads are good too, since you can get proper looking DVD menus, picture frames, gadgets, scenes and fancy titles, to name but a few items available there. I found this so useful to get a feel of what I can confidently learn to achieve, but you know what this means don't you? You are going to see a lot more mini-movies on my website from now on! Lucky, lucky you! I'm as pleased as punch and hope to be the next Tarantino! (Well, I can dream!)

This is an Amazon Vine Review

Platform: Windows Vista / XP
Review by Sassy Brit
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REVIEW: Taking Karre, Divinity Warriors, Book 4 | Michelle M. Pillow | Ellora's Cave

Title: Taking Karre, Divinity Warriors, Book Four
Author: Michelle M. Pillow
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Romantica/Erotica/Fantasy
Publication Date: August 2009
ISBN: 9781419923456
Length: Novel
Format: eBook
Reviewer: WitchGiggles
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Ever had so many aliases that you don't know who you are ? In her bid to take out Divinity in payback for ruining her life, Karre became one of the best inter-dimensional thieves around. Then she gets caught, Divinity gets even and some huge warrior on an unknown dimension gets a free bride.

Ordered by his king to wed, Sir Vidar reluctantly goes to the Claiming and falls into lust with the alluring Lady Karre. Maybe being wed won't be such a bad thing after all and the sex is to die for. Then Karre is taken and Vidar almost loses what sanity he has in an effort to get her back. Now he has to figure out what these overwhelming emotions are.

The books get smoother as the series gets more developed, the characters more varied and the sex is still sweltering. With it being dimensional I'm waiting to see how many more unusual places and occupations Ms. Pillow can add to her already extensive repertoire. It was an overall lusty, fun read.

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REVIEW: The Noughties: A Decade That Changed the World...

The Noughties 2000-2009: A Decade That Changed the World


21st Century Decaditis

This book highlights the incredible ups and downs during the first decade of the 21st century, 2000-2009. From life changing technical innovations (Wiki, Twitter, iPod, YouTube and the less popular surveillance and CCTV explosion), to the horrors that shook the world - the War on Terror and 9/11. It's all explained here in a detailed and revealing account of our history and all the fiascoes within.

Author Tim Footman takes us through the rise of celebrity culture, online shopping and even the decline of America and the emergence of a new world order. To astounding events we rather wish had never happened, fears and conspiracy theories of the millennium wipe out and financial meltdown, 9/11 and (dare I add) people many love to hate such as President Bush, Simon Cowell and Paris Hilton.

All in all, I found this an enjoyable and quite eye-opening reminder of what we've been through over this decade. At the back of the book there is a section called "New Beginnings" which is an interesting selective list of novel words and phrases that became prominent during the period of the Noughties, and the years in which they pertain to. Great examples include, Bling, Zombie Bank and Googleganger. Following this is a "Selective list of people, concepts and cultural landmarks that we lost in the Noughties," which I really liked. Remembering people like musician Kirsty MacColl (2000), author Douglas Adams (2001), comedian Spike Milligan (2002) and more recently, author JG Ballard, and actor David Carradine (2009) is a nice touch. Finally, a Bibliography and further reading section, and 115 End Notes, completes this well thought out look at our fast moving, ever changing world, which raises points to ponder about what our future holds. What is interesting is this is a reference/history book of a time we lived through ourselves and that makes it intriguing to me. Possibly a good choice for a Christmas gift, or to bury in a time capsule for future generations.

This is an Amazon Vine Review

Publisher: Crimson Publishing
Publication Date: September 2009
Length: 224 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1854585356
Format: Paperback
Review by Sassy Brit
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REVIEW: Questing by Barbara Huffert | Bk1 | Ellora's Cave

Title: Questing, Cosmic Connection, Book One
Author: Barbara Huffert
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Romantica/Erotica/Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: August 2009
ISBN: 9781419921926
Length: Super Plus Novel
Format: eBook
Reviewer: WitchGiggles
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What's a girl to do when a man's voice renders her mute and inept? For Kiley Fisher it's avoidance at all costs, until a man with nasty intentions plans to use her for nefarious purposes. Dealing with the sexual frustration of wanting a man who turns you into a moist puddle of wantonness doesn't help an already precarious situation.

From the first moment he sets eyes on Kiley, Jordan McKade knows he's met his future. All he has to do now is figure out how to get the woman of his dreams to even speak to him. Promising himself to take it slow and easy works until a crook makes use of Kiley to make himself "disappear". Then all bets are off and the only thing to do is go for it and keep her safe at the same time.

I found this an amusing (not in a bad way) look at the possibility of love/lust turning a normally capable female into a mass of palpitating nerves incapable of coherency when faced with the object of her desires. It has all the makings of a good read with the insecurities, good sense, chivalry and "normalcy" of it's characters creating vivid pictures of important scenes. There are a few twists to keep it interesting.

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