• 864 and counting …

    Finished McKettrick’s Luck by Linda Lael Miller.

    Real estate developer Cheyenne Bridges has a problem. She has to get rich playboy Jessee McKettrick to sell some of his land to her for a condominium development or lose her job — and her way of supporting her mother and younger brother. Too bad Jesse’s more interested in Cheyenne than the lucrative settlement she’s offering for his land.

    I love Western romances (historical and contemporary), and I picked this book up at a conference a couple months ago. It’s set in Indian Rock, Ariz., and Miller really gives you a feel for the beauty of the landscape — and cowboys. Who doesn’t love cowboys?   

    I also liked Cheynne’s character a lot. She’s worked hard all her life, struggling to support her family, and she’s afraid she could lose what little she has at any moment. She’s a really sympathetic character. In contrast, all Jesse has to worry about is getting knifed or shot during one of his card games (he plays poker just about every night). I didn’t like Jesse quite as much as Cheyenne, but he redeems himself by helping Cheyenne with her disabled brother.

    Sometimes, you just want a good, quick comfort read. If you like Westerns, this one should fit the bill. Plus, there are a whole slew of McKettrick books to choose from, both contemporary and historical. So if you like this one, you can read about all the whole family — past and present.

    Thumbs up. 

    Up next: Working with the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.

  • Reading recommendations …

    5 Comments

    Every month I send out an electronic newsletter, and one of my features is a couple of book recommendations. I also ask folks to write in with their own recommendations, which I share here on the blog.

    For March, Purple Ranger recommends the Demon series by Julie Kenner. According to Purple Ranger, there are three books out in the series so far: Carpe Demon, California Demon, and Demons Are Forever. A fourth book in the series, Deja Demon, will be released later this year.

    I’ve read the first book, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom. Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a soccer mom, and you’ve got Kate Connor, the heroine of Kenner’s series. Kate juggles the needs of her family (husband, teenage daughter, infant son) while tracking down and killing demons and other nasty things in San Diablo, Calif. It’s mommy lit with a paranormal twist.

    Anybody else read something good recently? Share in the comments.

  • And the winners are …

    So, I rolled the dice and the Easter contest winners are:

    Signed copy of Karma Girl: Shannon Condie

    Signed copy of Hot Mama: Crystal B.

    Karma Girl T-shirt: Christy H.

    Hot Mama T-shirt: Katiebabs

    Winners, please e-mail me your snail mail addresses so I can send your prizes to you. If you’re getting a T-shirt, please tell me what size (M, L, or XL) you’d like. I’ll try to accomodate you as best I can.

    Check back this summer. I’ll be doing another big contest then to celebrate the mass market re-releases of Karma Girl and Hot Mama and the debut of Jinx.

    Until then, happy reading!

  • ·

    Updates, updates, updates …

    So I’ve finally finished updating the Web site. I’ve added the new mass market covers, tweaked the frequently asked questions and other features, and posted some character quotes from Jinx on the Links & Fun page.

    If there’s some other feature about the Bigtime books or writing or whatever you’d like to see on the Web site, leave me a comment here. I’ll try to post another excerpt or two from Jinx a little closer to the release date (Sept. 2, less than six months away now. Where has the first third of the year gone already?).

    Please forgive the typos. I’m sure there are many. But for now, enjoy! :buttercup:

  • Here comes the Contest Bunny …

    24 Comments

    I can’t believe Easter is next weekend. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating Valentine’s Day. Where does the time go? Shakes head.

    But I promised you guys I’d do another contest around Easter — so here it is. I’m going to give away signed copies of Karma Girl and Hot Mama, and Karma Girl and Hot Mama T-shirts — four prizes total.

    All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite thing about Easter is. You can also post about the contest on your blog if you want to, but it’s not a requirement. I’ll announce the winners on Good Friday, March 21.

    My favorite thing about Easter? This is a toughie, since it’s my second favorite holiday (after Thanksgiving). But I’d have to say coloring eggs with my mom. We still do it, mainly because somebody once told my mom it’s bad luck not to color eggs for Easter. Every year, we drag out the food coloring and vinegar and haphazardly color a dozen or so eggs. The colors always run and streak and never look as pretty as they’re supposed to, but we still have fun doing it. And that’s the most important thing.

    So spill — what do you love about Easter? :bubbles: