Recipe Saturday - Bacon Cheesburger Meatloaf

Hello Lovelies,

It's Saturday and recipe time again. I explained last week that I am a caterer, and food is my other passion besides reading. I usually don't post on Saturday's and Sunday's, but I decided I want to share some of my favorite recipes with my readers. I hope you enjoy these foods as much as I do. This week I decided to post one of my favorite comfort foods recipe. So.. Here is the recipe for Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf.
Enjoy!!

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted

1 small onion diced
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 9 ingredients, mixing well.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.

Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

Enjoy!!

It's Thursday... What are you reading?

Hi All,

Wow .. Can you believe it's the end of the month already? This summer has flown by, and next month the kids will be going back to school. I don't know how I feel about that. I will be glad not hearing the word "mom" a thousand times a day, but I will miss being able to sleep in. I can't really complain though, my kids have been very good this summer. My oldest hasn't really bothered me too much, preferring to do her own thing with her friends. My youngest on the other hand has been a little needy, but for the most part been spending time with cousins. I have had it pretty good come to think of it. Anyway.... Getting to the point of this post, this is what I'm reading this week......


All in Time by. Ciana Stone

Blurb:

Sara's life is filled with mysteries. Why did her parents abandon her as a baby? What's behind the baffling blackouts she suffers and the frightening images she creates while she's out? Who is the strange woman claiming to hold the answers, and why does she keep calling Sara a Hussy?Morgan's got a few mysteries of his own. What was his father going to give him on the day he died - the gift he said would change Morgan's life? Who is this bewitching woman who keeps passing out and creating pictures of his past and future - and why was she sent to save his life?All they both know from the moment they meet is that the bond between them is stronger - and more passionate - than anything either has ever known. And that fate has brought them together for a very important reason. If only they knew what it was.

This is the first book by this author that I've read, it seems promising and I'm liking it already. I will have to get back at you to let you know what it's all about.

I'm also reading....


Trouble Under Venus by: Autumn Piper

Blurb:

For some love lasts a long time, for others a lifetime. Can theirs outlast space-time? Randi's summer vacation plans? Attending Professor Sudo's Time Travel Academy so she can blast back to 1980 Miami and figure out where her father disappeared to. She's the head of her class until hottie Mitch arrives disguised as a geeky geologist and totally messes up her meditation. Goodbye Soulful in Sedona, hello Yearning in Yoga. So long solo time-travel, hello pushy partner--who happens to be a buff tri-athlete, a sympathetic listener, and an ace FBI agent on a top-secret mission. With his help, she'll conga her way into the Cuban mafia, try not to destroy the delicate fabric of the space-time continuum, dodge a few bullets, and solve The Mystery of the Missing Dad. And maybe fall just a little in love... Content Warning: A new adventure in women's fiction, with a heroine who boldly goes where no chick has gone before, tons of danger and intrigue, a roller-discoing Granny, life and death betrayal, steamy Miami nights and one hot FBI agent.

Again, this is the first book by this author that I have read. I'm only a few pages in, so I don't have any thoughts yet. I will definitely report back on how it all turns out.

So that's my rundown..

What are you reading?

Review: Love Remembered.. By: Ellen Fisher

Tawania
Review: Love Remembered
Author: Ellen Fisher

From the Back of the book....

Gwaltney Harris has struggled all his life to acquire wealth but still cannot purchase the respectability he desires. Desperate, he weds the shrewish but well-bred Cordelia Ashton, who has concealed a warm nature beneath a spinsterish exterior. Gwaltney, however, has secrets of his own, and he doesn’t dare grow too close to Cordelia. Despite this, they begin to fall in love, but can their relationship survive a mysterious assailant who will stop at nothing to kill Gwaltney?

Review:

I don't even know where to begin with this review, I really am at a loss for words. Love Remembered was not at all what I was expecting when I sat down to read this book. When I realized that this story was set in the eighteenth century, I started to put it down. Then I thought maybe the characters were going to travel through time, by sci-fi means, or becoming Vampires. I know you are probably wondering why I thought that, but the truth is the only book of Ms. Fisher's that I had previously read was a sci-fi futuristic fantasy Romance. I assumed this book would fall in that genre as well, I could not have been more wrong. I know you are probably saying to your self "why doesn't she know more about the book she's reading". The truth is I was so excited that an author who's work I admired, offered me a copy of her book to review. I didn't care about the details. That being said, I am so glad I didn't put this book down, the best thing I could have done for myself was read this book. It had been so long since I read a historical romance, I didn't realize how much I missed them. The funny thing about it is, I thought I had been successfully transformed into a paranormal/urban fantasy romance junkie. Ms. Fisher's book has proved that I was wrong, I loved this story.

Qwaltney made his fortune as longhorn hunter, and now he's a tobacco grower in colonial Virgina. He is despised by the gentry because of his heritage. The only thing he wants is respectability, but no matter what he does it's unattainable. When his best friend approaches him with the idea of marrying respectability. Qwaltney thinks it over, and realizes maybe that will be the answer to his problems. Qwaltney doesn't know what a challenge he is in for, nor does he realize his best friend has other motives for wanting to help his friend. Qwaltney is also suffering from his own personal demons, and the atrocities done to him by his father in his child hood.

Cordelia vows that she will never get married, no matter what her father says or how many eligible bachelors he sends her way. She has decided to live the rest of her life as a spinster, and has made herself as unattractive as possible. She longs to get the attention her beautiful sister does, but because of a past betrayal she has hardened her heart against anything like that ever happening. Because of how unattractive she has made herself, and her sharp merciless tongue, she believes she can drive any man away from her until she meets Qwaltney Harris. No matter how mean she is or how hard she tries she can't drive Qwaltney away. Cordelia is torn between how she feels about Qwaltney, and she doesn't believe he wants anything more from her then the promise of respectability by marrying her.

This story was wonderfully written, I immediately fell in love with Qwaltney and Cordelia's characters. Don't get me wrong there were many frustrating moments in the book when they were mean to each other. Some of the banter back and forth between them had me wincing when I was reading it. That being said I never wanted A couple to have a HEA more then I wanted this couple to. Qwaltney with his tortured memories, and self loathing for himself touched me. I hated that he didn't believe in love, or even believed that he was worthy of love. I thought it was funny that he loved so fiercely his dead sister, and his orphaned niece, but didn't realize that it was love. Cordelia never wanted to love any man, but she couldn't help the feelings that Qwaltney was starting to inspire in her. She slowly realized that she was caring for him, but that he might not ever care for her.

This book had so many memorable moments in it, that it's hard to pick one. Even the secondary characters Jonathan, and Elsabeth Cordelia's sister were very memorable. Jonathan and Elsabeth romance is like another little story inside of this story. It all went together so well. Ms. Fisher also kept the story interesting with true facts about Virginia, the tobacco industry, and slavery. I was happy that she kept true to the times, as a native Virginian it was exciting to read true facts about my state's history.

All in all this was a fabulous story to read, I loved the humor that came from the banter between Cordelia and Qwaltney. The love scenes were hot and memorable, the characters were easy to fall in love with. The best compliment I can give Ms. Fisher is, she made me want to pick up another historical romance when I finished reading her book. If you knew how unbelievable that is to me, then you would recognize that's the highest form of praise for this book that I'm capable of giving.

If you are into historical romances, and you want to read a true love story that will transport you back in time. I highly recommend this book to you.

****4stars



Product Details

Paperback: 388 pages
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing (January 30, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1586086804
ISBN-13: 978-1586086800
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces

Tuesday's featured poem... Places.. by. Sara Teasdale

Places

Places I love come back to me like music,

Hush me and heal me when I am very tired;

I see the oak woods at Saxton's flaming

In a flare of crimson by the frost newly fired;

And I am thirsty for the spring in the valley

As for a kiss ungiven and long desired.

I know a bright world of snowy hills at Boonton,

A blue and white dazzling light on everything one sees,

The ice-covered branches of the hemlocks sparkle

Bending low and tinkling in the sharp thin breeze,

And iridescent crystals fall and crackle on the snow-crust

With the winter sun drawing cold blue shadows from the trees.

Violet now, in veil on veil of evening

The hills across from Cromwell grow dreamy and far;

A wood-thrush is singing soft as a viol

In the heart of the hollow where the dark pools are;

The primrose has opened her pale yellow flowers

And heaven is lighting star after star.

Places I love come back to me like music --

Mid-ocean, midnight, the waves buzz drowsily;

In the ship's deep churning the eerie phosphorescence

Is like the souls of people who were drowned at sea,

And I can hear a man's voice, speaking, hushed, insistent,

At midnight, in mid-ocean, hour on hour to me.

~Sara Teasdale~

We cannot escape fear. We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures...

Take a risk a day--one small or bold stroke that will make you feel great once you have done it.

Susan Jeffers

Heidi Reviews Kresley Cole's The Captain Of All Pleasures & The Price Of Pleasure

Heidi Cheramie
The Captain Of All Pleasures

The Price Of Pleasure
Kresley Cole-Author

 THE CAPTAIN OF ALL PLEASURES AND THE PRICE OF PLEASURE REVIEW

I love Kresley Cole books. Her Immortal after Dark series are my favorite paranormal romance books and I eagerly await each new story. I decided to read her older historical romances and these two books are her first published novels. The Captain Of All Pleasures was her debut novel written in 2003. If you are a fan of this talented writers paranormal’s you will enjoy her historical’s as well.

The Captain Of All Pleasures is about Captain Derek Sutherland. He is the Earl of Stanhope and the middle son of the Sutherland family. Derek is a drunk and wastrel. He cares for little but his ship and crew. Nicole Lassiter is. the daughter of his biggest shipping rival, American Jason Lassiter. Derek first meets Nicole in a tavern and mistakenly thinks she is a prostitute.

Nicole Lassiter has been raised on her father’s clipper ship and is an excellent sailor and navigator. Derek and Nicole compete against each other in a high-stakes competition: the Great Circle race from England to Australia. The sailing subplot is very interesting and informative about conditions on board ships during the 1850’s.

The romance between Nicole and Derek is full of misunderstandings, secrets and passion. I really enjoyed both these characters. Derek is a flawed hero that must overcome years of alcohol abuse, disappointment and mistrust. Nicole is fiery and tough and stands up to the Earl of Stanhope’s moody temper. Kresley Cole always writes interesting characters and her plots always have little twists and unexpected turns.

The Price of Pleasure is the story of Derek’s younger brother Grant. Captain Grant Sutherland is an upstanding man of integrity and duty. Grant is rigid and follows all the rules until he meets the wild child, Tori. Victoria Dearborn was shipwrecked on an island in the South Pacific at the age of thirteen and has survived by her wits and strength. She loves her freedom and is spontaneous and wild. Their love story is passionate and this novel is full of sexual tension.

I loved both these books and it was wonderful discovering some older Kresley Cole books. She just gets better and better as an author but these historicals stand the test of time and are impressive debut novels. I recommend them to everyone who likes a fun summer sexy read!!

I give both books Four STARS!!! Happy Reading! Product Details




Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket (July 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743466497
ISBN-13: 978-0743466493
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.4 x 1 inches









Product Details


Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket (June 29, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743466500
ISBN-13: 978-0743466509
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches

Recipe Saturday - Crab Cakes!

Hi All,
I don't know if you all are aware of this, but I'm a Caterer. Food is my other passion, and I love what I do. While I was sitting here planning a engagement party menu, I was thinking... How cool would it be to share some of my favorite recipes with my readers. Soo.. I'm making Crab cakes as an entree for the party, and I thought I would share the recipe with you. I was given this recipe by a friend two years ago, when I was looking for a crab cake recipe. I changed a few ingredients, and added a lemon dill sauce (courtesy of Paula Dean). The party I was catering at the time was a little sophisticated, and the lemon dill sauce was a big hit. If you choose to make this recipe, you could leave the lemon dill sauce out, and they will still be wonderful. So here is the recipe, I hope you like it.

Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

Ingredients

Lemon Dill Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

Crab Cakes:

3 tablespoons butter

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Cayenne pepper

1 cup bread crumbs (Panko are best)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 pound white or claw crab meat, picked free of any bits of shell

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Refrigerate until chilled. The sauce will thicken as it chills.

To prepare the crab cakes, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the pepper is limp, approximately 3 minutes. Add the cream, mustard, 1 egg, parsley, cayenne pepper and 1/2 cup bread crumbs, to taste, and mix well. Gently fold in the crab meat.

Form the mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2-inch thick. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs with the Parmesan. Pat this topping onto both sides of the patties. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Using a skillet, combine the oil and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Saute the crab cakes in the hot oil-butter mixture for approximately 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. These crab cakes can also be baked for 7 to 10 minutes in a 400 degree F oven.

To serve, spoon a dollop of the lemon dill sauce along side each crab cake.

Enjoy!!

A Thoughtful Friday..

I was sitting here on my day off thinking of all the many things I need to get accomplished this weekend. While I was sitting here contemplating how I should approach each obstacle, two of my favorite quotes from passages I have read came to mind. I would like to share them with you....

Worth Living

Three passions have governed my life:

The longings for love, the search for knowledge,

And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].

Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.

In the union of love I have seen

In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision

Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.

With equal passion I have sought knowledge.

I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].

I have wished to know why the stars shine.

Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,

But always pity brought me back to earth;

Cries of pain reverberated in my heart

Of children in famine, of victims tortured

And of old people left helpless.

I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,

And I too suffer.

This has been my life; I found it worth living

~Bertrand Russell~

If I Had My Life To Live Over

If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax; I'd limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.


You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after the other, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over again, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dance; I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies. -

~ Nadine Stair ~

I know after reading them, you can understand why they are two of my favorites.

Have a Fabulous Weekend My Friends!! :))

It's Thursday... What are you reading?

Hi All,

Soo.. It's Thursday and I want to know what everyone is reading this week. I have been having a great week so far, and a lot of good opportunities have come my way. I have some big things planned for Wicked Readings, and I can't wait to get everything together, so I can share with all of you real soon. So here's wishing all of you a fabulous weekend :))

This is what I'm reading...

Ordeal by. T.K.Varenko

From the back of the book...


Luella, fierce, strong vampire,

Falls for a pretty human catch

Sent on her fiance's desire

To celebrate they are engaged.



This unexpected turnabout

Is doomed to come to a dead end:

Her human sweetheart's dead to shroud;

Her fiance's avenged for that;



And she is punished for blood treason,

Banished into a mortal child,

Whose human body is a prison

For all her powers to bind.


Her memories obliterated,                        

She is to find her love at last

Who proves to be too much related

To the misfortunes from her past.
 
 
I was requested to review this book, and it is very intriguing. I can't wait to finish this post so I can get back to it. Be sure to look out for the review!
 
I am also reading..
 
Eternal Hunter by. Cynthia Eden

From the back of the book...

Cynthia Eden delves into the dark realms of the Others, where desires and dangerous games await the unsuspecting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.


Assistant DA Erin Jerome has a secret. Make that two. One: She's not entirely human-she's Other, desperately trying to keep her supernatural strength under wraps. Two: she's got a killer stalking her-an Other rogue set on "gifting" her bloody corpses, not to mention nights lying awake in terror. Small wonder she's been having bad luck with men.

But the bounty hunter on her new case isn't worried about any of that. Jude Donovan is a shapeshifter himself, and the new DA's midnight hair and addictive scent tell him all he thinks he needs to know: She's gorgeous, she's definitely not human, and she's bringing out the animal in him in a really good way. He might have to track a psychotic Other stalker through half of Louisiana. But he might also get the chance to watch Erin's wild side come out and play.

Cynthia Eden is a new author to me, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Well.... That's my Rundown.

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Tuesday's Poem..Child of Dawn.. By: Harold Munro

Child Of Dawn

O gentle vision in the dawn:

My spirit over faint cool water glides,

Child of the day,

To thee;

And thou art drawn

By kindred impulse over silver tides

The dreamy way

To me.

I need thy hands, O gentle wonder-child,

For they are moulded unto all repose;

Thy lips are frail,

And thou art cooler than an April rose;

White are thy words and mild:

Child of the morning, hail!

Breathe thus upon mine eyelids -- that we twain

May build the day together out of dreams.

Life, with thy breath upon my eyelids, seems

Exquisite to the utmost bounds of pain.

I cannot live, except as I may be

Compelled for love of thee.

O let us drift,

Frail as the floating silver of a star,

Or like the summer humming of a bee,

Or stream-relfected sunlight through a rift.

I will not hope, because I know, alas,

Morning will glide, and noon, and then the night

Will take thee from me. Everything must pass

Swiftly -- but nought so swift as dawn-delight.

If I could hold thee till the day,

Is broad on sea and hill,

Child of repose,

What god can say,

What god or mortal knows,

What dream thou mightest not in me fulfil?

O gentle vision in the dawn:

My spirit over faint cool water glides,

Child of the day,

To thee;

And thou art drawn

By kindred impulse over silver tides

The dreamy way

To me.

 

~Harold Munro~

Review: Black Cat by Cat Johnson

Tawania
Review: Black Cat
Author: Cat Johnson

Blurb...

Lar has existed as a cat for a thousand years, with all the discomforts and indignities that go along with it. But when he is adopted by Belinda and gets a look into her life, can his curse finally be coming to an end?

Review:
 
This was a short but very enjoyable read..
 
Lar is a warrior, who is injured in a battle and wakes up to find himself in shelter with a strange woman. The woman informs him that she saved his life, and now he owes her. The payment she wants from him is more then he is willing to pay. The woman turns out to be a witch and she curses Lar to be a black cat for a thousand years.
 
Belinda is in a relationship with Max, she's not happy in her relationship,  because Max is always making her feel insecure, and unworthy around him. Belinda's two best friends Donna and Grace doesn't like Max, and hate the way Belinda has changed since she has been with him. While on a Spa vacation with her two best friends Belinda realizes that her friends are right about how she has changed, and she decides to do something about it. When Belinda returns home she finds Max the way he always is, working odd hours and not paying any attention to her.
 
Belinda decides to buy herself a cat, so that she won't be so lonely when Max is away on his many business trips with his young assistant. Belinda doesn't realize that the cat she rescues from the shelter is really a man. Lar is attracted to Belinda right away, he does everything in his power to make her want to choose him from the shelter. When he gets home with Belinda, and gets to know her, he finds himself falling in love with her. Lar knows he has to get her cheating boyfriend out the way, and find a way to end his curse if he ever wants a chance with Belinda.
 
This was a short cute story to read. Lar is the perfect sexy alpha male, up until he gets turned into a cat. Belinda is sassy, but insecure and vulnerable. I thought Lar and her were perfect together, and the chemistry between them was definitely hot. There were also humorous moments in the story between Belinda and her best friends. Lar and the bad boy boyfriend Max also had a humorous scene, when Max set him up to get caught cheating on Belinda.
 
After reading this story I am very curious about Ms. Johnson's other published works. I will definitely be checking out her other books, because I enjoyed this short story so much. If you want a quick read with memorable characters, and hot passionate sex I am recommending this book for you.
 
****4Stars
Black Cat
Author: Cat Johnson
Published By: All Romance eBooks, LLC

ISBN # AReFree00024
Word Count: 12,139

Purchase link All Romance
 
Here is a excerpt from the story..(from All Romance website)
 
Excerpt:


She awoke in her king-sized bed tangled in the sheets and feeling extremely satisfied…and actually, a bit sore. God, she had had one hell of a dream. It must have been a combination of the rum, the thoughts of love spells and those two hunky fireman.

Although, the man starring in her dream last night didn't look like either one of them. This one was a strong, dark haired man with the hard body and muscles of a warrior.

She'd have to tell Grace that her red candle caused extremely vivid sex dreams. She remembered tangling her hands in his long hair, seeing those piercing blue eyes bore into hers as he loved her.

She rolled from her side to her back and smacked into a warm hard body. “Sorry, Black Cat,” she mumbled.

“No problem.” A deep man's voice answered her. Her eyes opened wide. That was not Max's voice. And that was definitely not Black Cat. A scream ripped from her throat, followed by many more.

The man leapt from the bed. Looking down at himself, his face showed as much shock as she felt as he said, “What in the bloody hell…?”

She did take a moment to consider his odd accent as she scrambled from the bed and sprinted for the door, still screaming.





 
 

It's Thursday... What are you reading?

Hi All,

It's Thursday and payday, I can't wait to hit the book stores. I love reading books on my computer, or my  e-reader but there's nothing like opening a book and turning pages. I have to say tho, that the book stores are my favorite kind of stores. I know I'm not alone in feeling that way :))

So... This is what I'm reading this week....

My Way To Hell by Dakota Cassidy

The blurb....

After defying Lucifer to save her best friend Delaney, ex-demon Marcella Acosta has been banished to exist in the plane between heaven and hell-and there isn't a shopping mall in sight. After numerous failed attempts to contact Delaney through a bunch of hack mediums, Marcella's at her wit's end. But there's one medium she's hasn't tried yet, and he just happens to be Delaney's scorching hot brother Kellen- the one guy who never gave Marcella the time of day.

I love Ms. Cassidy's book , and I'm finding it hard to put this one down. Whenever I want a romance with a good laugh I always read Dakota Cassidy.

I am also reading..


Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan

The blurb...

Ivory-a rare Carpathian female-has been protected by her brothers for most of her life. But once she frees the mage Razvan from his prison cave, they must flee together, enemies of Carpathian hunters as well as vampires. Ivory senses that Razvan is more than he appears to be, and she vows to go against the entire Carpathian race to help him, risking both their lives in order to save their love.



I have read all of Ms. Feehans Dark series, and I have putting this one off for a while now. I can't wait to finish Ivory & Razvan's story..

So.... That's my Rundown

What are you reading?

Heidi Reviews Stieg Larsson's.. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Heidi Cheramie

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO REVIEW

Everyone has heard of this book. It is the international bestseller that has spawned a successful Swedish movie and the United States is currently searching Hollywood to cast their own version.

The author, Stieg Larrson was a Swedish journalist who wrote about neo nazis and fascists and died tragically in his thirties from a heart attack before he ever saw his three novels published. I thought often of the author while reading this book and wished he could have enjoyed the popularity of his books.

I am a little torn in my review. Possibly I was expecting too much since there has been so much hype and press about this book and the movie. I feel like the author put too much in the novel. There are many subplots and the mystery of a young girls disappearance from an island in the sixties doesn’t really start until halfway through the novel. This book deals with so many subjects. It touches on journalism, ethics, computer hacking, violence towards women, neo nazis, the corporate world and their dishonesty even the Swedish mental health system. However, I enjoyed every subject and found it a learning experience. Larsson’s scathing observations on the corporate world and the stock market is amazing considering this book was written several years before the problems in the United states. It seems Mr. Larrson could predict it was coming.

I really enjoyed the character, Lisbeth Salander. She is the girl with the dragon tattoo. She is a skinny, goth girl with a photogenic memory and incredible computer hacking skills. At one point in the book the author mentions she might have Aspbergers Syndrome. I don’t believe so but it is an interesting theory and I look forward to his second book to learn more about the fascinating Lisbeth.

The most intriguing part of the novel for me was the background portrayal of the Swedish mental health system. How the system has broken down and can harm people was personally the most interesting part of the book for me. Lisbeth is caught in this system as a twenty-four year old adult. I work closely with the mental health system in the United States. The indigent, welfare system of mental health in our country often labels adolescents and children as mentally ill and it is a label that is extremely difficult to break away from.

The main character, Mikael Blomkvist wasn’t as interesting for me. He is an every man with a divorced wife and child he rarely sees. He is a kind man and I liked him but I laughed a little at all the women who want to have sex with him. Every woman he meets wants to jump into bed with him but I just found that amusing and it didn’t ruin the book for me.

I don’t want to give away the story but it starts out as a financial crime and the journalist who tries to uncover it. Halfway through the book it becomes a mystery about the wealthy Vanger family then the last third of the book deals with the corporate crime again. The missing girl mystery is the best part of the book and is well plotted. Mikael and Lisbeth don’t meet until late in the story. I found the parts of the book dealing with Lisbeth and her viewpoint more interesting and was glad when the two main characters finally start solving the mystery together.

This is a Swedish novel that has been translated to English. It is an interesting portrait of Sweden. Apparently the names of businesses,, publications, cities, etc..are real and European readers would be more familiar with them. I enjoy reading about other cultures and it was refreshing to be reading about Swedish main characters instead of Americans for a change. Larsson is methodical in details about the food, weather, and dwellings and it can be odd for an American reader.

Just a warning there is much violence towards women in this book and it can be disturbing to read. There is a scene with Lisbeth that I found particularly horrifying and her revenge though deserved is also uncomfortable to read.

I recommend this book and look forward to reading the other two novels that Larrson had completed before his death. It is sad that he was never able to write the ten books he had anticipated writing about Lisbeth and Mikael.

 I give this book ****4 stars! Happy Reading!

Tuesday's poem...Our Souls Have Touched Each Other .. By. Mathilde Blind

Our Souls Have Touched Each Other

Our souls have touched each other,

Two fountains from one jet;

Like children of one mother

Our leaping thoughts have met.

We were as far asunder

As green isles in the sea;

And now we ask in wonder

How that could ever be.

I dare not call thee lover

Nor any earthly name,

Though love's full cup flows over

As water quick with flame.

When two strong minds have mated

As only spirits may,

The wold shines new created

In a diviner day.

Yea, though hard fate may sever

My fleeting self from thine,

Thy thought will live for ever

And ever grow in mine.

Mathilde Blind

Review: NyteBeauti by. Kristin Roisin

Tawania

Review: NyteBeauti

Author: Kristin Roisin

The Blurb...

The epic journey of one woman's search for identity, belonging, and love.

When Desta awakens each evening, all she knows is that unquenchable hunger, and a familiar pair of gray eyes. Aside from that, she doesn't remember anything... yet.

It doesn't take long, before she finds herself thrust into the adventure of a lifetime (or several, as the case may be) as she dodges danger, experiences heartbreak, and ultimately, discovers herself, and true love.

Review:

I received this book from the author, and was excited to read it. This is Ms. Roisin's first published novel, and it was a very good read.


Desta awakens every night to a terrible painful hunger, and no memory why or how she has become what she is. All Desta remembers is a pair of grey eyes that make her feel safe. Desta is drawn to the same tavern every night, and she doesn't know why. She is sure someone is following her and her life is in danger. One night at the tavern Desta meets Cyrus, a hunter with a secret of his own, he attempts to take Desta's life, but realizes she is innocent and only wants to protect her. Then Desta runs into a man with familiar grey eyes, but she has no memory of him, and is afraid he is the one after her, so she runs from him.

Logan has been searching for Desta for over two hundred years, since the night he saved her from her abusive father and attempted to bring her over. The process was interrupted, and all he was able to grant her was immortality before she was taken from him. All he wants to do is protect her, and help her remember who she is. He's hurt and saddened that she doesn't remember who he is, and he recognizes that he will have to be patient and slow with her as she regains her former memories. Logan finally finds Desta again, and brings her to his home, and begins the process of helping her remember. As Desta remembers her past, she remembers the important role that Logan plays in it. She unconsciously looks up to him for guidance and protection even as she is falling in love with Cyrus. Cyrus doesn't trust Logan, but he understands to have Desta in his life he will have to get along with him.

Logan doesn't trust Cyrus, but his love for Desta causes him to accept Cyrus in her life. Logan knows he has to stay close to Desta to keep her safe, because whoever took her from him is still out there. Worse Cyrus's brothers and fellow hunters are after her too..

This story was epic in the sense that Desta experiences tragic lost and heartbreak, but she is stronger then even she knows and she survives it. I love that her character was unwittingly strong, but also very vulnerable. My heart ached for her tragedies and rejoiced in her triumphs. I loved Logan's character he was the perfect male hero. He loved Desta from the moment he saw her, and even after he searched for her for two hundred years his only mission is to make her happy. This was so endearing to me, because even though he was in love with her, he accepted that she wanted another and agreed for her sake. I liked Cyrus's character in the beginning, but I found him weak towards the end of the book. The secondary characters Alex and Morrigan were memorable and I really liked there loyalty towards Desta and Logan. Morrigan is a sexy Irish warrior woman Vampire, and Alex was a magic wielding vampire, and they did there parts in the book justice. They showed true friendship and courage. I would be interested to see what Ms. Roisin does with there characters in future novels.

All in all this was a very good read. There were a few parts throughout the book where I was confused, but the story flowed well together. I almost tore my hair out wanting Desta to recognize Logan as her true love, but it had to happen at her own pace. This book also had a few unexpected twist that I was not prepared for at all, but they made the story all the more interesting.

If you want to read an epic love story that spans over three hundred years, and takes you on a emotional ride that will  leave you feeling uplifted in the end. I  recommend this book for you.

***4 Stars

Author Name: Kristin Roisin

Publisher: PublishAmerica

Book Title: NyteBeauti

Number of Pages: 200

Genre of Book: Paranormal Romance/ Dark Fantasy/ Adventure/ Vampires

Author Website:

http://www.kristin-roisin.webs.com

Purchase Links: http://www.publishamerica.net/product91983.html

 

What are you Reading? I would love to know...

Hi All,

My week has been all out of wack, so my postings have been all mixed up. Hopefully this week will be more tamed, and I can get back on track. I did receive a lot of goodies in the mail, and I finally finished mailing off my contest winners books and swag. If you are waiting on goodies from me, I promise it's on it's way.

Soo... This is what I'm reading this week.

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick- by. Sherrilyn Kenyon

From the back of the book...


At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

I love Ms. Kenyon's Dark Hunter Series and Nick is one of my favorite characters. I am interested to see him as a teenager, and not a battle hardened squire or tortured Dark Hunter.

I am also planning to read..

MoonRise by. Crymsyn Hart

Blurb from the book...

It’s only at moonrise that he can be reunited with his eternal love.



Laura has been searching for Horus for centuries. In her dreams they are together, but in real life her heart howls for him.

It’s only when they meet by chance that he helps her discover her true nature.

This will be the first book of Ms. Hart's that I have read, but I have heard nothing but good things about her books. I'm optimistic  that I will enjoy it.

Well that's my rundown..

Soo... What Are You Reading?

Tuesday's featured poem... Corrine's Last Love Song

Corrine's Last Love Song

How beautiful, how beautiful you streamed upon my sight,

In glory and in grandeur, as a gorgeous sunset-light!

How softly, soul-subduing, fell your words upon mine ear,

Like low aerial music when some angel hovers near!

What tremulous, faint ecstasy to clasp your hand in mine,

Till the darkness fell upon me of a glory too divine!

The air around grew languid with our intermingled breath,

And in your beauty's shadow I sank motionless as death.

I saw you not, I heard not, for a mist was on my brain--

I only felt that life could give no joy like that again.

II

And this was Love, I knew it not, but blindly floated on,

And now I'm on the ocean waste, dark, desolate, alone;

The waves are raging round me--I'm reckless where they guide;

No hope is left to right me, no strength to stem the tide.

As a leaf along the torrent, a cloud across the sky,

As dust upon the whirlwind, so my life is drifting by.

The dream that drank the meteor's light--the form from Heav'n has flown--

The vision and the glory, they are passing--they are gone.

Oh! love is frantic agony, and life one throb of pain;

Yet I would bear its darkest woes to dream that dream again.

Jane Francesca Lady Wilde

What are you Reading? I would love to know...

Hi All,

I thought I would do my What are you reading post today, since I didn't do it on Thursday. BTW.. Happy Independence Day!

So this is what I'm reading this week.....

Never Love A Stranger by. Ellen Fisher

From the back of the book...

A hero like no other...


One seemingly ordinary evening, Annie Simpson finds an extremely gorgeous (and totally nude) man in her kitchen. When James tells her he’s an escaped criminal from the future, she figures he’s crazy. Before long Annie and James are running for their lives, and Annie’s falling for James in a big way. But now they have to find a way to change the future before fifty million people die...

I read Ellen Fisher's Farthest Space and loved it, she is definitely a Author that I will be keeping on my must read list.

I am also reading..

NyteBeauti by Kristin Roisin

Taken from the Author's website...

About "NyteBeauti"


The epic journey of one woman's search for identity, belonging, and love.

When Desta awakens each evening, all she knows is that unquenchable hunger, and a familiar pair of gray eyes. Aside from that, she doesn't remember anything... yet.

It doesn't take long, before she finds herself thrust into the adventure of a lifetime (or several, as the case may be) as she dodges danger, experiences heartbreak, and ultimately, discovers herself, and true love.



This is Kristin Roisin's first publication and I'm excited to be reading and reviewing it.

Soo.... That's my Rundown..

What Are You Reading?

Book Tour: Pack of Lies by Vanessa Vaughn

Pack of Lies by Vanessa Vaughn
Released: June 2, 2010
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Genre: Paranormal Romance M/M

 
You can purchase Pack of Lies from these retailers:
 
Amazon
Ravenous Romance
All Romance eBooks
Fictionwise
 




Synopsis: (provided by author)

When Jack is attacked by a powerful werewolf one moonlit night, his world is forever changed.


Marcus is that wolf, the strong leader of his pack, who never imagined a mere mortal could ever escape him, much less ever become one of his kind. And yet, as time passes, he can't deny the handsome human is slowly beginning to change.

No longer the civilized architect he used to be, Jack feels a new power coalescing inside of him. He barely even recognizes himself as he becomes more sexual, more impulsive, more wild in every way.

But as the bite transforms him, it also binds he and his attacker together forever. The two share a powerful unbreakable link, no matter how forcefully they may each try to deny it.

Marcus is already hiding secrets from the other wolves, and his position as Alpha is threatened. Could Jack be the new ally Marcus needs to set things right, or will their desire for one another draw them away from all they know and alter the course of their lives forever?

Review:

When I was first asked to review this book, I accepted with much trepidation. Not because I thought it wasn't going to be a good read, but because it was a m/m paranormal romance. I had never read a m/m book in my life, and I didn't know if I would be able to read this. Luckily I'm not a coward, and so my adventure in m/m romance world began..

Jack is a wealthy successful architect on his way home from a party with his best friend Ivy. While driving down a deserted desert road something  steps out in front of there car and he hits it. Being a responsible citizen Jack stops and trys to help the wounded creature, not realizing that it is a wolf. The wolf is actually Marcus in his wolf form, he attacks Jack and Ivy, but they manage to get away. While Jack is in the hospital recovering from his savage wounds, he starts dreaming about a beautiful blue eyed man. He has no idea that the man is real and he's even more disturbed that he's having extremely erotic dreams of a man. Jack also starts to notice changes in himself and Ivy, they both have healed extremely fast from there wounds. Jack doesn't understand what's happening to him or why he's desperate to find out who the beautiful blue eyed man is from his visions. Jack doesn't realize that he's sharing a mind link with the very man he's obsessing over, and worse it's the same thing that bit him and is now causing the changes in his life.

Marcus is the Alpha and leader of his werewolf pack, he is the strongest of all the wolves and they show him much respect. Julian is the true leader of the pack, but the status was passed over him and he hates Marcus for it. Julian will do anything to remove Marcus as Alpha and claim the status for himself. Marcus knows that his Alpha status is being threatened, so he can't reveal his true gay nature to the pack. If the pack knew of his forbidden passions they would challenge his status. That leads Marcus to roam out on his own and straight into Jacks path. Marcus realizes after he returns back to the pack that there is a chance that Jack survived and it's possible he may turn. He admits to the pack what happened, and they set off to discover if it's true. He realizes that Julian will use this transgression against him, and worse he's sharing a mind link with Jack as if he was his mate. Marcus will do anything to keep Jack safe, and keeping that promise may cost him everything.

I really got into this story, to be honest it was no different then reading any other paranormal romance except instead of a man & woman it was two men. This story was well written, and flowed together. I liked the fact that the author didn't try to sugar coat the wolves or make them seem kind and gentle. She portrayed the wolves as history portrayed them, blood thirsty killers. The exception to that was Marcus, I think falling in love with Jack calmed his nature a little. He was so sweet when protecting Jack, or loving Jack. All the main characters in the book are memorable, and different in there own way. Miss Vaughn has stated that this is the first book in a new series, and I think she did an excellent job. If you like to read m/m paranormal romances with sexy alpha wolves, suspense, and hot werewolf sex then I highly recommend you read Vanessa Vaughn's  Pack of Lies.

****4 Stars

Here is an exerpt (page 1)

The moon.


That soft sensual glow is always with me. Even when I can’t see the night sky, I feel its dark caress.

As the moon’s phases change, it breathes a coy suggestive whisper in my ear. It presses close, and I feel its fingers brush my skin. That light sparks something inside of me. Something primal. It starts a fever somewhere deep and spreads like slow-burning fire through my limbs.

I can always sense the Change starting. The full moon’s strong hand curls around my throat. I feel its grip tighten like a man’s thick fingers on my neck. When that grip makes me suddenly lightheaded, my pulse quickens, and I sink quietly to my knees. I know I have to give myself over, and I know how impossible it is to resist.

Some humans dream about submission. They crave it, complete with soft tortures and the smooth caress of expensive leather. They want to be bound and made to feel wonderfully, blissfully helpless. They enjoy feeling compelled to give in.

Humans like to play with their toys.

But what do they know about pleasure and pain so naturally intertwined?

When the animal in me takes over, I feel sensations more intense than any whip could offer. My teeth descend to sharp lethal points against my tongue, and I feel the lovely, horrifying ache as bones lengthen and skin is stretched.

But that ache only makes me smile.

In that instant of agony, my instincts wash over me like a hard drug flooding my veins.

Desire takes over—the desire for sex and for the hunt—obscuring all logical thought, all worries,absolutely all guilt. I feel ecstasy as I flex my teeth and claws. I feel a need building urgently and unstoppably between my legs with an intensity that few experience.

So, you see, as the gut-wrenching agony of the Change grips me, so does the all-consuming pleasure.

Perhaps that is why we wolves prefer our hunts so vicious.

And our sex so rough.



 
Here is the Book Trailer for Pack of Lies..



 
 
 

Don't forget to visit these other stops on the blog tour

 

July 1 - Wicked Readings By Tawania

July 2- Strange Candy Reviews

July 3 - Obsidian Bookshelf

July 4 - Stuff Of Myth and Men

July 8 - Leilani Loves Books

July 9 - Urban Gypsy
July 10 - Paranormal Haven

July 11 - Not Really Southern Vamp Chick
July 12 - Marilyn's Room
July 14 - The Book Vixen

July 16 - Kristina Wright

July 17 - Larissa's Bookish Life
July 18 - Prurient Interests

July 22 - What Book Is That?
July 23 - Parajunkee
July 24 - Man Eater

July 25 - Lusty Literati
July 30 - Can't Find A Bookmark
July 31 - Addicted To Romance
Aug 1 - Leontine's Book Realm