trueromance

Well, aren’t you surprised to see me again? Wires got crossed & lucky you all, here I am

Today, I would like to start the discussion on emotion in romance. There have been a couple of books of late I’ve read that had an emotional level of 300% — you know those books, “WOW, that was something”, as you wipe the tears from your eyes. I’m really not that emotional of a person, but if something really hits the mark, or resonates with me in such a way, those feelings start to take on a life of there own

So! to start, I’d like to tell you about what I’ve almost finished reading, ETERNAL HUNGER by Laura Wright — let me qualify this review by saying, even if you are not a paranormal romance fan, this story has characters you & I adore — the heroes are very tortured, set apart from vampire society. The Roman brothers escaped the world of where they were raised. The culture, their family, did not support them & how they wanted to live their lives. Unfortunately, a threat to the Roman brothers emerges & guidance is needed from the higher power. The thing that sold me on this book was definitely the emotion but also the strong heroine - Sara works in a hospital, psychiatric ward, where her brother is a patient. Sara is a strong women, that cares about her family especially after all they went thru. Sara also feels responsible for the fire that killed her father, sent her mother away & is the reason that she has had to hospitalize her brother. The strength she shows as the book develops is one you can only respect, as does Vampire Alexander, the man who literally sweeps her off her feet. Now, Alexander is a very tortured character who finds a connection with Sara, his soon to be mate. Alex sees her strength & respects her loyalty & commitment to her family & in the end tries to help her heal her brother.

Together these characters fight their own battles but also help each find answers to their own demons. The emotion is huge & you feel the depth of Alexander’s emotion immediately which makes you want to fly thru this book.

Characters readers, don’t miss this -

Another book that I’ve recently read is Maya Banks, THE DARKEST HOUR.. The beginning of a new suspense series, The KGI, Navy Seal, Ethan Kelly, finds out his wife is still alive. After a year of guilt, feeling as if he drove her away from him & their marriage, he receives a message of her being alive & how she can be rescued. All works well & she comes home, however, what Ethan is not prepared for is her memory loss & the guilt that just gets stronger & stronger until he finally faces Rachel with his feelings & the truth. OMG, people, talk about emotion! & does this author know how to make you read until wee hours of the morning — each chapter is a clincher to transcend you into the next — WOW! The reader is literally taken on an emotional roller coaster, so if you like that intensity — read this book.

Robyn Carr’s, PROMISE CANYON, is another one! No surprise there, as Robyn’s Virgin River series has taken us on one big emotional ride — well, in PC you meet a man & woman who are of Native American descent & learn a little about their very traditional cultures & families. The reader understands that partially because of their upbringing these characters are very committed people . . to their families, friends, work & in the end to one another, however, both have had pasts where someone has not felt the same way & has badly hurt them. The story is about being able to overcome the fear that comes with learning to trust someone again .. .. & if you’ve ever been there, it is something that is not easy to do. Robyn does a phenomenal job in portraying these characters & how they overcome their pasts. Need I say, this was a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry emotional book!

I could not find a cover but hopefully you’ll enjoy this picture of the grand canyon

So see where I’m going here? I personally have thought, that this level of emotion I’ve described in these books has been missing in the genre. . . not that you want this commitment in every book you read, but you want there to be strong values, feelings . . help me out here . . . Ladies, where do you want the level of emotion/commitment in your books? What author does that for you?

Comment below, 2 randomly chosen will win Sue’s Stash — Thanks for chatting with me,
SueG

Wow… How on earth do I give the awesomeness of this book justice in my review? I think it’s taken me three hours, at least, to finally think of something to say.

I enjoyed SIN UNDONE. I adored Sin and Con and the dynamics of their relationship. I loved the way Larissa skillfully weaved problem after problem into the book without ever making me sick of all the drama. (Let me tell you, there was a lot. I actually gave a sigh in relief when everything was finally resolved.) And most importantly: I love how Sin’s origins–how she’s the only female Seminus demon–is explained. Yeah, it was brief, but it worked.

But primarily? I adored Sin and Con.

I’ll admit, I was curious about how the two were going to connect as a couple and resolve all their issues. Con had to have issues, otherwise, the pairing wouldn’t have been convincing. Not when Sin’s past was so messed up. In this regard, readers are not let down. Con’s got emotional baggage up the wazoo, just like Sin. It definitely made for an interesting read, that’s for sure.

Unlike other paranormal romance series, Larissa continually reconnected readers with her past couples. That is something I find fairly important while I’m reading. Usually, when I’m reading other series, I start to ask myself questions such as: are these past couples dead? Is the current couple living on a deserted island away from civilization? What the hell happened to the past heroes I used to drool over!?  (okay so maybe I don’t think so much about the first two questions… but the last one is fairly important)  I mean, older characters/couples were painstakingly created, why not bring them back for a quick scene or two? Well, Larissa did that, and so much more. They became an integral part of the storyline… much like every other book in this series.

There was sap with the reunions, yes, and usually sap will make me cringe, but I felt it was necessary for SIN UNDONE… especially because this book was also the end. We, as readers, participated in a family’s journey. First with Eidolon, then with Shade, Wraith, Lore, and finally with Sin. And I must say, the journey was draining, heartbreaking, heartwarming, gut wrenching, holy-shit-I’m-going-to-bite-all-my-nails-off dramatic, sappy, lovey dovey, and AMAZING.

For some reason, though, I wanted to see more fighting in this book. Especially because Sin’s the leader of the Assassin’s Den. I mean, there was a lot of fighting, but I wanted a little bit more. I think it’s because I had a True Blood marathon for three days straight. Right before reading this book… Yeeah.

Oh and before I forget: Luc’s in this story! If you’re like me and you were rooting for this poor were’s HEA, prepare yourselves, because you’re gonna get it.

SIN UNDONE is a stellar finish to a wonderful series that I am somewhat sad to see go. I say somewhat because, while I will miss the Demonica series, I cannot WAIT for Larissa’s spinoff series with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If you buy this book, I highly suggest checking out the preview of ETERNAL RIDER, book 1 of the Lords of Deliverance series coming out in March 2011.

As for SIN UNDONE? Well, I already think highly of this series, and Sin and Con’s story is one you would regret missing out on. All five books were definitely worth their price and time.

Overall verdict: 5/5 Stars

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

-Tori
Check out my paranormal book review blog, Book Faery (http://book-faery.blogspot.com/).

Writing Herstory

Hi, all! It’s me (Sylvia Day) again. Back as one of my other selves (Sylvia Day, S. J. Day, Livia Dare).

The idea for the Marked series came to me while I was in the shower. This is actually where a lot of my new ideas begin. Also, when I’m driving. I think this is because my brain goes into standby mode at those times, and my subconscious can take over. Sometimes, it rears its head somewhat ferociously, which is what happened with the Marked series. A scene unfolded in my head and it was so vivid and so different from anything I’d ever written before, I knew I couldn’t stand losing it. I hopped out of the shower with soap still in my hair and dashed off a few paragraphs of notes on my laptop, which was–very luckily–sitting on my bed.

After I finished my shower and got dressed, I sat down with the notes and realized the Marked series begins as a woman’s story, not a couple’s journey. It’s an urban fantasy tale, but it came to me in third person and with multiple points of view–the heroine’s and the two heroes’. There are angels and demons, vampyres and werewolves, and a host of somewhat lesser known creatures from the lore of various cultures around the world. Set in Orange County, CA–home of the Happiest Place on Earth (Disneyland)–it’s not so much urban gritty (crime-ridden metropolis at night) as it is urban sunny (affluent tourist destination with lots of sunshine) . Just as IN THE FLESH is a little of this and a little of that, so too is the Marked series.

Focusing on one character’s adventures was awesome for me. I’m grateful to my character, Evangeline Hollis, who made it fun to spend a year writing the first three books in her story. She’s far from perfect. As a Mark (one of thousands of sinners drafted via the Mark of Cain to hunt demons on God’s behalf), she’s supposed to be kick-ass, and she is, but her greatest weapon is her brain. She’s horrible with a sword and knives, which–go figure–are the two primary weapons of Marks. She doesn’t deal well with celestial bureaucratic red tape, and she definitely doesn’t tolerate the ultra alpha tendencies of the two men in her life–Cain and Abel.

Because all three of the main characters have separate agendas, switching point of view among them was part of the process of sharing the many facets of Eve’s story. Seeing her through the eyes of those around her is important to knowing who Eve is. One of those facets is her love for the two heroes, which brought in the romantic elements I love so much as a reader and writer. I can say without reservation that the Marked series, while so very different from anything else I’ve written (hence the pseudonym), is very dear to me. There’s a lot of my history in the locations used in the books (I’m a SoCal native), so in some ways, it’s very personal. From my heart to your hands, you could say.

I have a FREE Marked series story, “Eve of Sin City,” that is available for your downloading pleasure (in multiple popular e-reader formats). You can enjoy the short story without having read the first three Marked books. For those of you who are already fans of the series (thank you!) the next original Marked story is in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE 2 (with Lara Adrian, Karen Chance, Ava Gray, Gail Carriger, and many more!), which releases in October. “Eve of Warfare” picks up where EVE OF CHAOS left off.

So, my question for you is this: have you found books set in places where you’ve lived or live now? Does that increase your enjoyment of the story or not? What’s a particularly good example of book set near you?

One commenter will win a $25 Borders gift card!

Captured by Desire – Kira Morgan
Setting: 1500s Scotland
Subgenre: Historical Romance
Hero: Rane MacAllister
Heroine: Florie Gilder

One sentence summary: When the queen’s jeweler, Florie Gilder, claims sanctuary for a crime she didn’t commit, huntsman Rane MacAllister is charged with preventing her escape, leaving him torn between duty and desire when he begins to fall in love with his spirited captive.

Scene you like most and would never cut: When Florie’s time in sanctuary is running out, Florie steals Rane’s bow, threatening to shoot him in order to flee. Rane is forced to trust that her love for him outweighs her desperation, and he disarms her with nothing more than the power of his words and a confession from his heart. That scene can still give me a lump in my throat.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Sure, I’ll do whatever you say.”

What celebrity is your hero like: Philip Winchester, star of “Crusoe.” Want a special treat? Check this out:

What celebrity is your heroine like: Winona Ryder, beautiful but mischievous, like a darling elf.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Florie Gilder is apprenticed to her goldsmith stepfather, the jeweler to Mary Queen of Scots.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Rane MacAllister is the sheriff’s huntsman, but he poaches game on the side to feed the poor.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I think readers will enjoy the high-spirited blend of genres. I call Captured by Desire an action-mystery-adventure-comedy-romance.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: I’m hoping it’s Josselin, the spunky little lass at the end of Captured by Desire, because she’s the heroine of my next book, Seduced by Destiny!

What’s next: Seduced by Destiny is coming out next spring!

I like writing about simple folk, people whose names aren’t recorded by history, but whose self-sacrificing actions are nonetheless heroic. Who are the unsung heroes in your life–a favorite teacher, a parent, a kind neighbor?

If you’d like a chance to win the gold vermeil necklace featured on the cover of Captured by Desire, come to www.glynnis.net/KiraMorgan and enter my monthly sweepstakes! And I’d be delighted if you’d friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kiramorganauthor .

Setting: Modern day Fairview, a small, coastal city in the Pacific Northwest.

Subgenre: Paranormal romance/urban fantasy

Hero: Captain Reynard, younger son of family of landed gentry from the 1700s. He is an immortal guardsman of the Castle, a prison for the supernatural. After two and a half centuries trapped in the dungeon, he’s more than ready for a vacation.

Heroine: Ashe Carver, witch, kick-butt monster slayer, and librarian. As a single mother of a ten-year-old daughter, Ashe is also desperate for a holiday. But, instead of getting some R&R, she’s being stalked by vampires, demons, lawyers, and a killer rabbit.

One Two sentence summary (c’mon, I can’t do anything under 100,000 words!): Faced with a custody battle, Ashe Carver has hung up her stakes and taken a job at the public library, determined to show the courts and her ten-year-old daughter that she’s as good a mother as she is a hunter… but after centuries guarding a supernatural prison, Captain Reynard strides into her world like a hero from the library’s Must Reads. Smokingly gorgeous, passionate and courageous to a fault, he has only weeks to live unless Ashe finds the thief who took his soul.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Ashe and Reynard’s first love scene. They’ve both got huge emotional barriers and even bigger challenges at a survival level, but they finally connect and surrender to each other. They’re both looking for a shot at life before it’s too late—and for Reynard, every second counts. The fact that they can find joy in the face of such odds is incredibly affirming.

The scene gave me a chance to go deeper into the characters than I had before. This moment really moved me. I wanted so badly for everything to work out for Ashe and Reynard, and at times I had serious doubts.

Never mind that the fate of an author’s characters is completely at your own whimsy. I have these oddball fantasies like: what would happen to my characters if I were hit by a bus before I finished the book? Would they be stuck in limbo forever? The thought is utterly horrible to me. Yeah, writers are very weird people. But at least I watch for speeding cars.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Ashe is a tough girl—she’s had to be—but there’s a softer, feminine side buried under the motorcycle gear and bad attitude. However, she would never willingly wear anything baby aspirin pink. She’d fall on her own stake first.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy: Given that Reynard is used to historical dress, I would assume boxers, if anything.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: I love the character of Errata Jones, the radio announcer of 101.5 FM CSUP, “the radio station denies and defies the normal in paranormal.” Writing her spots is often a highlight for me, because I can be totally loopy and serious at the same time.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: Ashe enjoys any sort of extreme sports. Rock-climbing, wind-surfing, vampire origami.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Reynard didn’t get much hobby-time as a Castle guard, but travel fascinates him—not a bad thing, since he ended up a time traveller of sorts. He’s also an avid horseman.

What you think readers will like best about this book: Non-stop action, hot sex, and killer rabbits.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Ashe and Holly Carver (Ashe’s sister and the heroine of Ravenous) have a half-brother, Brendan, on their dad’s side. He’s actually only mentioned in the Monsterpedia on my web site—he doesn’t have anything to do with the witchy side of the family—but a number of readers have picked up on his existence and started asking me when he’ll get a book. Soon, I hope—I’m planning some new Dark Forgotten stories right now!

What’s next: The next book after Unchained will be out in the spring of 2011. The title is still up in the air. It is about the young hellhound Alpha, Lore, and some very nasty, evil enemies that show up in Fairview.

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Ashe is a slayer not only of vampires, but also any supernatural creature that threatens humans. What do you think would be the most dangerous monster to face? Vampires? Werewolves? Demons? The cable guy? How would you get rid of them? Give us your opinion, and somebody will win signed copies of the first two books in the Dark Forgotten series: Ravenous and Scorched.

And if you’re looking for inspiration in dealing with monsters, check out Ashe’s advice for shooing the undead and the fanged from your life by clicking on the following:

I know there are some of you out there that just are not into Paranormal/Urban Fantasy romances.

Let’s face it, vampires, werewolves and shape-shifters do not make for tender, cuddly hero-types.

Ah, but they do, it seems. And therein, I believe, lies the appeal. These guys are really no different from the world-weary soldier just home from war, perhaps scarred inside and out, the bored and decadent rake who sees no real purpose in his life, the rich and propertied Duke who must marry to continue the line, duty and honor ruling and guiding his whole life.

These guys are all those things…and more. Dark and tortured goes without saying.

They are usually all 6′5 or taller, their bodies and faces would make the Greek Gods weep, or romance cover models slink off in shame, not worthy being in their presence.

They are all hugely endowed, and in a perpetual state of arousal. They carry big weapons.

They usually have dark pasts, whether the curse of immortality, (hence centuries of pain and loss tossed into the mix), or their life state itself.

Complicating their lives, is dealing with that life-state. The burden they carry, the agony of being a vampire, a were-wolf or a shape shifter. A curse. No one can know what they endure. So, they shut themselves off, emotionally. Until they meet…her.

And in almost all cases, ‘her’ is a human. Why these men are drawn to human females, perhaps, to regain some humanity they lost long ago, if they had it at all. A human feels, shows emotion. Can touch one’s heart.
And what human female would not want some hunk of man who would see to her every carnal need, who would turn out to be amazingly tender, love completely and unconditionally. Protect her with his life.

Okay, so he has this…thing. No one is perfect. So he changes into a werewolf once a month, or can shape shift into a Jaguar, or has this bug-a-boo with blood. We can work around that, right?

I would. In a New York minute. It’s all make believe, fantasy. Another reason these appeal. The authors usually create amazingly detailed mythos and worlds to surround these dark, tortured hunks with, making for an immensely rich and satisfying read.

Dragons are popular. And Demons. And Angels. The darker it seems, the better. And for someone who loves dark and tortured, these books appeal.

And yes, the love scenes are smokin’ hot. As I said, these guys have incredible stamina, barely containing the beast within. Come on ladies, that appeals in spades.

But what I believe is at the heart of these books is finding your true soul mate, the love of your life, who will understand and accept you for what you are. Unconditional love. So rare. And it all is an extension of the fairy tales of old. Kiss a frog, you get a prince. Same concept. Only this time, you get the Prince of Darkness.

And the human heroines in these books are not some wimpy little mice, they usually are defiant, and stand up to these man-beasts, which appeals to them. But in the end? The women throw aside the shackles of their former lives to live with their new found love, and become part of his world. A real fairy tale ending.
Dark, sometimes violent. Intense and sometimes scary, but at the core, imminently romantic. Paranormals I feel, have something for everyone.

Do you have a paranormal series you just cannot miss? One you can recommend? If you do love paranormals, what appeals the most to you? What paranormal creature do you prefer the most, vampires? Werewolves? Something else? And if paranormals are NOT your thing, tell us why! We won’t bite, we promise!

One lucky commenter will win Sue’s Stash! Happy Romance!!

(Place the Romanorum Pic here) Visit Karyn Gerrard at ‘The Romanorum’ http://karynsromanorum.blogspot.com/ For some Book reviews, and more!

Vonna’s Last Release, TAMING THE COUGAR
Grandfather Lost

By
Vonna Harper

As a published writer, I’m sometimes given interview questions. The one that goes, “If you could talk to any person who has passed on, who would it be?” is simple to answer: my grandfather Homer Eon Flindt. He died at 38 when my mother was only six so why do I care about a man she barely remembers?

Reason number one is so I can thank him for passing his writing genes onto me. He too had been bitten and bitten hard by the bug, and I imagine the two of us talking for hours about the mysterious forces inside our minds that somehow wind up on the printed page. We’d shrug, shake our heads, and laugh because we accept that the muse dances to its own tune and is a strong-willed beast.

He’ll never read anything of mine which makes me sad because I believe Grandpa, a man from another century, would understand why I now write erotica. Yes, the genre intrigues me, but as he did to help support his wife and three small children, I also write what I do these days to pay bills. For grandfather and granddaughter, writing isn’t an art. Its a career, a job.
Self-taught like he was, I cut my teeth on the confession magazines, then moved onto category romance in a classic case of being in the right place at the right time. Later I became a research junkie while writing eight Native American historicals for Tor. My books haven’t caught the publishing world on fire, but its long been what the IRS sees me as and fulfills me as I can’t imagine anything except motherhood doing.

I’ve read almost everything Grandpa wrote thanks first to his widow (my Nana) and later his children. They kept the stacks of pulp magazines containing his stories and I know the names by heart: Lord of Death, Queen of Life, The Money Miler, The Devolutionist, the Emancipatrix, etc. His stories don’t make for light reading as they tackle social and political issues, a number of them under the science fiction umbrella. A letter he wrote his father about engineering and science when still in his twenties awes me. What an intellect! He co-authored one book The Blind Spot which has been republished at least a dozen times. Unfortunately nothing remains of the eight movie treatments he wrote for the then fledgling movie industry except for the titles: When Chemistry Counted, The Footprint Clue, With The Crooks’ Trick, Fast Fright 3205, A Six Shot Hero, The Cipher Telegrams, and To Save The Road.

The mostly short stories that paid family bills aren’t my only treasure. Nana also held onto his letters to various editors and those from them to him. Lets just say certain things about the publishing industry haven’t changed.
During the last year of his life, financial circumstances separated him from his family, and he and Nana wrote hundreds of letters to each other which are now in my possession. Those are unbelievably dear to me, his oldest grandchild. Here is his heart and soul, a pragmatic man living in San Jose California with his sister and working in his brother’s shoe repair shop while writing fiction evenings and weekends. Each letter ends with hugs and kisses for his wife, son, and two daughters. Sometimes the pain of being apart breaks through practical discussions and gossip.

Nana and the children had moved to an isolated Northern California mining town so she could she fulfill her contract to teach all eight grades in a one room schoolhouse—the same town my sister, and mother (also a teacher) lived in many years later. Shortly before Grandpa’s death, things had fallen into place for a reunion of sorts. A daily stage filled with mail, groceries, and supplies traveled between the little town and the county seat eighteen miles away. Grandpa had been hired to drive the stage. Although he’d have to live in the county seat, he’d see his family every day.
But it wasn’t to be. Two days before the anticipated move, he died at the bottom of a San Jose area canyon in a wrecked taxi. Nana, who never remarried, raised her children alone and helped raise me.

I said there were two reasons I’d love to talk to him. I need to ask him a question. “As I suspect, were you murdered?”

Is there anyone who has passed close to you that you would love to ask a question? What would that question be?

1 randomly chosen will win 3 FREE Kensington books!

Happy Romance!

Vonna’s July Release - FALCON’S CAPTIVE

The Search for a Soul Mate

Werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, oh my! On the rise in popularity, Paranormal Romance comes in as many varieties as shape shifters. What type of hero can make your skin tingle with a glance, a masculine scent, or the danger behind his mysterious secret? Is it an elusive vampire, a werewolf, or a regular, muscular guy in tight jeans confronting an apparition?

What we individually find attractive, sexy, romantic, or sensual is also as varied as the characters in a paranormal romance novel. The romance can build page by page throughout the book almost forcing you to hold your breath until that first magical kiss. Or, perhaps you prefer when the mysterious hero struggles with his dominant instinct to conquer the heroine with a kiss. When he kisses her without permission, and with urgency, the soon-to-be lovers discover they both desire more.

The century, the place, and the circumstances change in the storyline of romance, but to me the most important aspect of the romance is the connection between the characters. Connecting on an emotional level can lead to the physical level in a romantic novel. Perhaps that is why paranormal romance is so popular, it’s the primal desire and the all consuming need to find a soul mate.

Check out a variety of paranormal romances and experience the innate desires of the human or not-so-human need to connect with someone on the deepest level, the search for a soul mate. Leave a comment here about what you find sexy or romantic. I will be giving away a pdf paranormal romance book of my choosing to one winner that contacts me through my website at www.victoriaroder.com and mentions this blog post on Borders.

Connect with popular Paranormal Romances found at Borders:

Haunted by Heather Graham

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Hotter After Midnight by Cynthia Eden Hotter

Blood Born by Linda Howard and Linda Jones

I was reading a book by one of my favorite authors and was struck by how much less romance there was compared to her earlier works. It got me to thinking about some of my other favorite authors and how as they progress in their careers, the romance seems to lessen.

No, I’m not going to point fingers, nor will I speculate as to why their books start to veer away from the heavily romantic, feel good, heart squeezing books that made me fall in love with them in the first place. Maybe it’s just me who feels this way.

But in talking to other readers and listening to my mom and other women her age, I’ve often wondered if we outgrow romance. Even typing this made my eyes widen and I flinched. Do we become less tolerant of really romantic, awwww, “sigh” books as we age? Or do we become more cynical?

I’ll be the first to admit, I love romance. I mean not just a light smattering here and there. I want it pouring off the pages. I want to feel the emotion between the characters. I don’t want it glossed over and mentioned in passing. Basically, I don’t like being TOLD the characters are in love and will live happily ever after. I want to be shown. And lately…well, I’m not being shown much by some of my favorite authors that I’ve loved for years.

This makes me sad.

I’m pushing 40, and I can honestly say that I love romance every bit as much as I did when I was sixteen. But I wonder if I’ll feel that way at 60? I like to think so. I don’t want to become intolerant and roll my eyes at the notion of romance and happily ever after.

Romance novels…make me happy. What else could I ask for in a book?

What are your thoughts? Do you find that some of your long time favorite authors ease up on the romance the longer they’re in the game? And do you find as you grow older that you become more cynical of heavily romantic books?

3 book (print) GIVEAWAY from Samhain to 3 randomly chosen commenters — GOOD LUCK! & Free ebook backlist to an additional 5 randomly chosen commenters, winners email contests@samhainpublishing.com directly for your book!

Click here for more MAYA BANKS Books!

Let me just start by saying, we all read a whole bunch, & we know that because we’re always here chatting & MUCH thanks for that! But what else do you enjoy doing, what are some of your favorite hobbies? Note below & enjoy some of Virginia’s awesome recipes!

Easy Apple-Berry Crisp

Ingredients:
1 can apple pie filling
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (or 1 can cherry pie filling)
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dry oatmeal

Preparation/Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10″ x 13″ baking pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine fruit. In a separate bowl, mix together butter, sugar and oatmeal (mixture will be crumbly). Spread fruit mixture evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle oatmeal topping evenly over fruit. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp (do not over bake). Serve warm or cold. If desired, top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Comfort food from Gran herself : )

Gran’s Mac & Cheese

Boil 16oz elbow macaroni in large pan of salted water until slightly undercooked. Drain pasta quickly so that it will not continue to cook in hot water. Butter a 13in by 9in baking pan. Layer pasta with at least 16oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (sharper the better). Feel free to be very cheesey! Pour one pint of half-and-half or heavy cream over pasta and cheese. Add some whole milk if needed to bring liquid to top of pasta and cheese. Dot with slices of real butter and a very light sprinkle of coarsely ground black pepper. Liberally top off with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let Mac & Cheese set in covered pan for 10 minutes before serving.

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Chocolate Gingerbread Squares
4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tsp ground ginger
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1/8 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 Cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 Cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1/2 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Butter and lightly flour an 8-inch square baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, spices and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in vanilla extract and chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly firm to touch. When cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into 16 squares. Store in airtight container.

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VIRGINIA’S APPLE CAKE:

1 cup light cooking oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups roughly chopped unpeeled apples (two big red apples & one small green apple)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, blend oil and sugar and beat in eggs. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate small bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to large bowl, mixing well. Stir in apples and walnuts just until coated. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9in by 5in loaf pans. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until almost set. Turn off oven and let pans rest in oven for another 5 minutes. Allow loaves to become mostly cool before removing from pan. Store tightly wrapped. Keeps well in refrigerator and can be frozen.

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Pizza Pasta Salad

I box tri-color spiral pasta
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper (or red or yellow), chopped
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 small pkg. sliced pepperoni, slices halved
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large bottle favorite Italian dressing

Cook pasta in cups boiling water to al dente. Don’t overcook. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to remaining ingredients in an extra large bowl, then toss with enough dressing to coat well. After salad has thoroughly chilled in refrigerator, may have to moisten with additional dressing. If desired, top with additional shredded mozzarella cheese before serving.

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PHILADELPHIA DESSERT DIP

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 tsp orange marmalade or strawberry jam

MIX ingredients until blended.
SERVE with assorted graham crackers, vanilla wafers, and cut-up fresh fruit.

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“Darn Good Dip”

1 large tub (16 oz) ready-made Ranch or French Onion dip
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (3 oz) pkg or approximately 1/4 cup real bacon bits or pieces

Combine all ingredients in serving bowl and cover. Store in refrigerator overnight or until well-chilled. Serve with chips, crackers, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and assorted cut-up fresh veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and bell peppers.

Some of my favorite hobbies include bike riding, skiing & cleaning (seriously, cleaning). I love to get into a closet that has not been touched in months & find clothes I’ve not worn in years & sort thru it all. Cleaning drawers is the same way — love to down size & simplify Strange I know, but someone’s got to do it & thank God I enjoy it!

Comment below — & ONE randomly chosen US commenter will receive an Audiobook from our friends at Brilliance Audio! Enjoy!

Giveaway!

Winning ticket is good for ONE ($125) Reader Registration to RomCon 2010 - July 9-11, 2010 in Denver, CO. Winners must be US residents. The base ticket grants admission to all RomCon 2010 award ceremonies and core reader events, but does not include meals, travel, or hotel accommodations. Meals are available for purchase when the attendee registers. The ticket has no monetary value and cannot be redeemed for cash. Unclaimed tickets expire June 15, 2010.