Time to Spread my Wings and Fly
Moving is always tough. The packing and unpacking and yada yada yada. Anyway, I have decided I needed to grow a little, to spread my wings and fly if you will.
So, I have moved. I will no longer be writing here on wordpress. Technically I will still have a wordpress blog, but I will be over at my own site. I will still be writing about the same things, still giving reviews, still having fun… so please follow me on over to the new place.
Just click that link and come check me out. If you are from the old place let me know what you think of the new site. I am always up for constructive criticism.
So without further delay, I bid you adieu for now.
And the Winners are…
AND the WINNERS of Carolyn Brown’s Honky Tonk Series give away Are….
can I have a drum roll please…
Robyn and Lanelle!
Congratulations ladies. Enjoy your books and come back by and let us know what you think.
Thank you to all the participants and remember that we will be having more giveaways soon (as a matter of fact, another series give away is going on right now here), so better luck next time.
Christmas Give Away
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to pass the word. I was reading the Reading Between the Wines Blog, which I absolutely love, and noticed their Christmas give away. You simply must enter to win.
They are giving away a signed copy of Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost plus a book mark!
An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears – this fearless, beautiful….human who braved death to rescue him. Though her burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.
But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.
Just click over here to jump on over to the amaze – zing Reading Between the Wines blog to enter. Though I have entered so the less people the better I guess…hehe just kidding. Hop on over and enter, I think it is a great deal.
Lydia Dare Book Give Away
THE TAMING OF THE WOLF BY LYDIA DARE—IN STORES NOVEMBER 2010
A fresh and imaginative world of noble werewolves, each of whom encounters nearly insurmountable problems in his quest to live a normal life among England’s Regency society.
Dashiel Thorpe has grown up with the sobriquet “The monster of Eynsford.” Each full moon, when he turns into a wild beast, he has been chained to the wall to protect those around him. He has never before encountered a creature like himself, until he goes to visit his university friend and encounters a family of Lycans living just next door.
When the full moon turns the pack of them into wolves, Dashiel’s feral ways bring him to near-disaster, and when he bites Caitrin McLeod he unknowingly sets off a chain of events that could lead to his ultimate destruction.
Banished to Scotland to find a mentor and get trained in how to be a proper werewolf, Dashiel must also find Caitrin and persuade her that she’s his only chance for salvation…
Want to Know Even More About Lydia Dare
Lydia Dare is the writing team of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson. Both Tammy and Jodie are active members of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and live near Raleigh, North Carolina. They are working together on their next paranormal historical trilogy as Lydia Dare, which will be released by Sourcebooks Casablanca in 2011! For more information, please visit Lydia Dare.com
Taking part in Sourcebooks Inc October Virtual Tour, Lydia Dare has given a special interview which you can view here, if you haven’t already and check out my review of The Taming of the Wolf.
How to Win – Free Stuff
After such a successful kickoff for October’s Virtual Tour, Sourcebooks is giving away a free copy of Lydia Dare’s newest release; The Taming of The Wolf plus the other books in the series. Yes you heard right. If you win, you don‘t receive one book, you receive A Certain Wolfish Charm, Tall Dark and Wolfish, The Wolf Next Door and The Taming of the Wolf . Email me (with ”Lydia Dare give away” in the subject line) at jkhastings@yahoo.com, and tell us the name of your favorite romance novel and why you love it to be entered to win. Contest ends 12am EST October 20, 2010. If you don’t want to send an email, you can simply comment here. And don’t forget to suscribe via email to the Laugh Love Write Blog…just click the sign me up button on the top right of the screen. (Canada and US Residents Only)
Good Luck and stay tuned for more interviews, guest posts and give aways.
P.S.
I want to publicly apologize to Lydia Dare too. This post was supposed to be up sooner, and then readers would have had a chance to converse a bit with the authors, but alas…
Veterans Day
Love today goes out to the Veterans of the United States of America also to those of Australia on this their Remembrance Day. Being Australian-American I have to show love to both sides, proudly might I add. Today is Veterans Day and I for one am proud to be the daughter of a Marine Corp Veteran. Semper Fi rings true to those jarheads more than anyone knows and the old adage “once a marine, always a marine” too. I will not go into detail on all I feel for the brave men and women who fight for their country, their families and their freedom. It is a soft spot with me, as I think Veterans today don’t get half the respect they deserve. I love these Veterans; those who fought in wars, and those who prepared too if they were called. My heart weeps for their sacrifice today and remembers their loyalty and faithfulness to God and Country.
A Nation’s Strength
Walt Whitman
Not gold, but only man can make
A people great and strong;
Men who, for truth and honor’s sake,
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly —
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
The Still Fighting Veteran
Jessica Hastings
Even when our shores are not wrought with war,
men and women take up arms to be ready for one.
In between these wars we remember well,
Vietnam and Korea and World War 1,
there are still men and women who answer the call
to prepare for what may some day come.
Mothers weep for sons and daughters,
Children dressed in green, blue and white,
Walking away from their empty arms,
Tall, proud, brave, a soldier
Evident by their high and tight.
They rise up amidst their battle call,
Running to defend and protect
Their country, their family, their freedom,
All of them ready to give their all.
Some returned, some remained,
Other still fight to this day.
Those who are home, what have they left?
Pride upon their backs, pain in their hearts,
Burdens weighing wearily upon them
Nightmares and dreams that torment and remember
Hidden to civilians who don’t know the cost
Or what they have forsaken
“You were not there, you do not know”
Ready to jump from their lips,
As they stand and listen to the sign holders
And nay sayers who glare and curse
So unwilling to in a soldiers shoes take a trip
So returning again to a mother’s arms,
She looks at a son different some how,
Down her cheek slides a tear he brushes aside
“Do not weep for me, I am not here,
My heart still fights by my brother’s side”
Semper Fi.
“Waiting on” Wednesday
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:
Ok, yes I am one of those people that love old films and shows. Black and white films would be part of my ideal perfect day. So, along with Bonanza, Bewitched, I love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie…I love, love, love “I dream of Genie.” Do, do, do-do-do-do-do, do, do…I can hear the tune in my head right now. Yep I love it. Naturally the title of this book drew my interest. Lucky me, I get to review this as an ARC, but I still can’t wait to read it.
I Dream of Genies
Judi Fennell
Sourcebooks Casablanca; (January 1, 2011)
From Amazon:
Having a 2,000 year old magic genie fall right into your lap should be a good thing. At least, that’s what down-on-his luck Matt Ewing thought. But Eden is no subservient fairy tale genie. Beautiful and independent, Eden isn’t so keen on having to answer to yet another master. Then, after centuries of being alone, and against her better judgment, Eden suddenly finds herself in danger of falling for Matt. When she flips his already unstable world upside down, Matt is at his wits’ end-if only he didn’t find his inept genie so darn irresistible!
The Forever Queen Book Review
My Book Review for The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick is up and running on Suite101. Read a bit about if from Sourcebooks Inc. below then check out the review.
Forever Queen
What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more?
Saxon England, 1002. Not only is Æthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom—and her crown—are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England’s shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.
Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.
Give Away of the Honky Tonk Series by Carolyn Brown
Carolyn Brown, author of the Honky Tonk romance series, has taken on a guest blog spot on the Suite101 Romance Fiction Blog. She is currently available for questions throughout the day. To go along with the release of Books 3 and 4 in her Honky Tonk series she is also giving away free books. To find out more about the author or her series, just scroll down. Don’t forget to enter to win the prize, it is one you wouldn’t want to miss.
How to Win – Free Stuff
Carolyn Brown and Sourcebooks Inc. is giving away 2 sets of the Honky Tonk Series (I Love This Bar, Hell Yeah, My Give a Damn’s Busted and Honky Tonk Christmas). 2 winners, US and Canada only. To enter for your chance to win this great prize, just Email me (with “Carolyn Brown give away” in the subject line) at jkhastings@yahoo.com, and tell us the name of your favorite country song (or you can simply comment on this post). Contest ends 12am EST November 15, 2010.
THE HONKY TONK SERIES BY CAROLYN BROWN
My Give a Damn’s Busted (Book 3)—In Stores Now! (Read a Review)
He’s just doing his job…
If Hank Wells thinks he can dig up dirt on the new owner of the Honky Tonk beer joint for his employer, he’s got no idea what kind of trouble he’s courting…
She’s not going down without a fight…
If any dime store cowboy think’s he’s going to get the best of Larissa Morley—or her Honky Tonk—then he’s got another think coming…
As secrets emerge, and passion vies with ulterior motives, it’s winner takes all at the Honky Tonk…
Honky Tonk Christmas (Book 4)—In Stores Now!
She Means business…
Sharlene Waverly is determined to have the “new and improved” Honky Tonk up and running before the holiday. For that, she’ll need Holt Jackson, the best darn carpenter in the state. But his warm, whisky-colored eyes make her insides melt, and before she knows it, she’s sharing her darkest secrets and talking about the nightmares…
He’s determined to keep things professional…
Holt Jackson needs the job at the Honky Tonk, but is completely unprepared to handle the beautiful new bar owner he’s working for.
Sharlene and Holt try like crazy to deny the sparks flying between them, but their love may just be the best Christmas present either one of them ever got.
Want to Know More About the Author
Carolyn Brown is an award-winning author who has published 36 historical and western romance novels for the library market, many of them bestsellers in that market. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. For more information please visit
Casual Friday Comes to an End
OK folks, after many a Casual Friday joke session and funny photo, the Casual Friday’s will be over until further notice. Limited supplies of photos makes for a difficult weekly obsession, so here is to one last Friday hoo hah.
P.S. Another Weekly event will take it’s place, I just don’t know what yet 😉
The Beatles above and to the left we have the Career Builder job fairy from Career Builder.
Star Wars fans will appreciate the above pic and no offense intended for the pic on the right.
And that concludes our Casual Friday fun. Again no offense intended, I have nothing against fuller figured girls considering I am one myself 🙂 Maybe.
Waiting on Wednesday
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:
Now, I have to say…I have read the first book in the Keepers series and have a review waiting on the second, but I would really love to get my hands on the third and final part in the trilogy…if only to ogle the guy on the cover, YUM!
Anyway, you can check out my review of the first novel; The Keepers by Heather Graham if you want to get a more detailed grip on the series.
The Wolven
The Keepers Series
Deborah LeBlanc
Harlequin Nocturne Dec 2010
From Harlequin Nocturne:
Someone—or something—is systematically murdering the members of Danyon Stone’s werewolf pack. As Alpha, he knows that finding and punishing the murderous entity is his responsibility, and he’s not about to rest until he sees justice done. But to stop the slayings he has to accept help from the most unlikely source—a wickedly sensual mortal woman.
Mystic-shop owner Shauna MacDonald has a special interest in the recent string of otherworldly deaths. As the Keeper of the werewolves, it’s her duty to guard and protect the packs. Working by Danyon’s side to stop an unknown killer—and trying to deny the potency of their illicit attraction—poses a threat to her heart unlike any she’s ever known, ;and if she becomes the killer’s next target, it could be the death of her….
Laugh Love Write 
