A Book Look Back at 2014

Wow. I can't believe another year has come and gone. New Year's is a great time to look back at the year behind us and to reflect. So, as this is primarily a book blog, I thought I'd take a look back at my favorite books from 2014. Some of these may have been released in prior years, but all are books I read in 2014. You'll notice a lot of authors more than once, but that's because they are simply that amazing.

In no particular order, here they are. My top 12 (because narrowing it down to 10 was impossible). 

What were your favorite books of 2014?

Happy Holidays!

I hope that no matter where you are or who you're with, you're having a happy holiday. I'll be taking a couple days off from blogging to spend time with my family.

Best wishes to you and yours.

Brink of Passion Excerpt and Pre-Sale

 I'm incredibly excited to announce that Brink of Passion is now available for pre-sale on Amazon. Click HERE to reserve your copy! To celebrate, I thought I'd share the official excerpt of the book. 

Enjoy!


       “Are you hungry?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Drinks then?” Although he’d phrased it as a question, he had no intention of letting her refuse. Now that he’d found her, there was no way he’d let her go. He couldn’t. The beast inside him wouldn’t stand for it.

Taking her arm, he steered her toward the front of the hotel. Sure, he could have taken her to the hotel bar. It would have been faster, and more convenient. But the bar was no doubt packed full of shifters, and he wanted more privacy than that. He didn’t need a bunch of strangers, who would no doubt sense what was happening, staring and whispering while they were getting to know each other. Earlier, he’d seen a pub around the corner from the hotel that seemed promising. He pointed toward the hotel entrance as they walked and she nodded before moving ahead of him to maneuver through the crowd.

His fingers still tingled from touching her skin, and every nerve in his body thrummed with awareness. His gaze strayed downward to the swing of her hips as she walked, and he bit his lip to hold in a groan. No doubt the two of them together would burn up the sheets once he got her into his bed.

Soon. They both knew they’d end up there. Why deny themselves the pleasure?

She hesitated a moment, looking over her shoulder, as they walked out of the hotel, making him wonder if she were in fact with a man. If so, he admired her loyalty, even if it was no longer relevant. The poor shmuck would have to find someone else. He grabbed her hand, almost groaning at the pleasure merely touching her gave him, and led her down the street.

She had to feel the connection between them. The inexplicable pull toward each other. He’d never felt so certain of anything before in his life. Suddenly he understood the possessiveness other men displayed toward their mates. A part of him had always sneered at men who found their mates and ignored everything else. The ones who became so enamored that they professed undying devotion to someone they barely knew. He’d always thought those men weak-willed, or somehow kidding themselves. But now he knew differently.

No, he wasn’t in love with Laurie—he didn’t even know her—but he was completely and utterly captivated by everything about her. Love would grow. What they had between them was more intense and consuming than that.

As they walked down the street, more men stared at her, some shifters in town for the convention, but plenty of full humans as well. Annoyance grew at every eye he caught looking at her with interest. Laurie appeared either oblivious to the attention, or used to it. The thought of the latter irritated him further. Was she looked at so often that she’d become immune to it? Even women’s eyes were drawn to her.

When they got to the pub, Max pulled Laurie away from everyone else and into a secluded circular booth. Away from prying eyes. He scooted into the booth until they were seated together in the back.

Her scent drove him wild, and he couldn’t resist rubbing the tip of her hair between his fingers. Her eyes tracked his movements, her mouth opening as if she wanted to protest, but after a moment, she closed it. Pleasure filled him. Before the end of the night, Laurie would be his.

The smile vanished from his face as a waiter came to take their orders. The man’s eyes were riveted on his mate. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

Pure male satisfaction filled him when the waiter’s eyes widened in fear. He left so fast after taking their drink orders, Max was surprised he didn’t leave skid marks.

“Are you always this friendly, or do I bring out the best in you?” Sarcasm dripped from the words. He’d admit it, watching other men ogle his mate was awakening his beast.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Because it sure as hell was bothering him.

“The growling? Nah, I have three brothers, so your ultra alpha-ness doesn’t scare me.”

Alpha-ness? Was that even a word?

“Not me. You. Doesn’t it bother you to have so many people making eyes at you?”

“Making eyes? What are you, eighty?” She laughed and the sound swept through him, punched through his frustration and brought a steady burn of lust in his gut. Low, with a hint of roughness that sent chills down his spine.

Desire burned in the back of his throat and pooled in his belly until thoughts of Laurie took over his entire being. With another growl, this time one of pure need, Max leaned forward and nipped the top of Laurie’s ear. Her laughter ceased, breath catching on a quickly indrawn gasp. Fingers dug into his thigh, right above his knee, until he released her ear, soothing it with a small lick before pulling back.

“I’m being serious.”

Her eyes stared at him in confusion, lust still clouding their depths. He’d be lying if he said the sight of her desire didn’t fill him with pride and no small amount of excitement for the night ahead.

After a minute, she shook her head. He could almost see her scattering droplets of bewilderment just as a dog shakes off water after a bath. The image broke through the tension from frustration and lust. He could be patient, because tonight would be the start of forever.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

She didn’t know. He could see it in her face. She wasn’t trying to be cute, or pretend innocence. She really didn’t see the way everyone stared at her. Somehow, that only made her more attractive.

Unable to resist, he tangled his fingers with hers and leaned his other arm along the back of the booth so that he could play with her hair. Then he began to get to know her in earnest.

Madly in Love - Xmas Movies

One of the best things about December are all the holiday movies on television. I love stories about Christmas, the funny, the heartfelt, and even the shoot-em-up ones. So I thought this week, instead of featuring a favorite book, I'd show off my favorite Christmas movie. Of course, as soon as I started down this path, I realized I couldn't possibly choose just one. So here are some of my favorites in different categories (please note that some fit into multiple categories).



Kids Movie:
Not much to say about Home Alone. It's funny, perfect for both kids and adults, and made Macaulay Culkin a household name.















Comedy:
This movie almost didn't make the list. Not because it isn't good, but because over the years I've forgotten just how good this movie was. Last night, I happened to catch a showing of it on cable, and I found myself laughing multiple times. Tim Allen always makes me laugh, and this, in my opinion, is a knockout all around.







 




Action:

There aren't enough good things I can say about this movie. Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson are both superb in this movie. It has action, it has adventure, it has a woman who only wants to search for her lost memories only to have the world crash down around her. And yes, it even has Christmas. If you've never seen this movie, you should Netflix it, because it is great.














Song and Dance:
I'm not sure if it's the romance, the dancing, the singing, or a combination of all three that lands White Christmas on my list. Whatever it is, I never pass up the opportunity to watch this movie when it's on tv.












Family:
Last on my list, but certainly not least, is the Wizard of Oz. Okay, I know there is nothing particularly "Christmasy" about Wizard of Oz, but my family used to watch it every year, so for me at least, this is a holiday movie. And really, how could you not love the Wizard of Oz?

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Sexy Saturday - A Sexy Morning

I'm once again participating in My Sexy Saturday, and this weeks theme is A Sexy Morning.


This scene from Worth Fighting For takes place after Misty and Cody's first night together. 
 

"For the second day in a row, sunlight pierced her closed eyelids, waking her from a sound sleep. Burying her head in the pillow, Misty groaned, attempting to shut out reality and recapture her dream. It had been a wonderful dream. 

A warm chuckle tickled her ear from behind as an arm wrapped around her stomach. Misty's eyes flew open as memories of last night assaulted he.

"Cody?" She turned onto her back.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Of course not." She smiled at him, feeling downright giddy. Between her legs, her sex was deliciously sore from their adventures the previous night."


 


Blurb:
As leader of a fox skulk, Cody is used to feeling protective. But when his best friend, Misty, gets attacked, his panic has nothing to do with duty. Suddenly, he's noticing Misty as a woman instead of the girl he grew up with. But pursuing those feelings would risk their friendship, something he's unwilling to do.

Misty's tried everything, without success, to convince Cody she's not "one of the guys". Yet now that he's looking at her like she always dreamed, he pulls away every time she gets close.

Danger lurks in the background, waiting to pounce. Someone plots against the foxes, leaving them all in jeopardy...especially Misty. Will Cody overcome his fears in time to save the woman he loves?

Worth Fighting For is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other digital bookstores. 


Check out the other Sexy Saturday posts by visiting:

 

From the Archive: The Magic of Romance

I’m a huge reader. I think you have to be in order to write. When other girls went to the mall to buy clothes in high school, I headed straight for the bookstore. There is no greater feeling than picking up a book and sinking into the story, to be transported to a different world. By far my favorite world to escape to is romance. It has been since the first time I picked up a Nora Roberts book when I was twelve. My tastes have varied over the years, from contemporary to historical to erotica to paranormal, but through it all, the one constant has been the heart of the story.

There’s something truly magical about romance. It’s a world where anything is possible. Vikings, rakes, and pirates all reign supreme as they take their worlds by storm. At least until that moment when they find the one woman they can’t live without and do whatever they must to keep her safe and happy. The stories are full of heartbreak, adventure, and triumph. But no matter how dark the future looks for the hero and heroine, one this is always assured…there is a happily ever after on the horizon.

There’s a lesson in that for all of us. Never give up hope. Sure, our characters will give up at the darkest of times. They’ll wail at Fate or resign themselves to “inevitable” hardship. But they always win in the end. For us as readers, it’s uplifting. It makes us believe that if we try hard enough and keep trudging forward, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It gives us a reason to believe in love. And a way to fall in love again. That is the magic of romance. When we pick up a story we’re able to fall in love over and over again.

A good book causes us to run the gambit of emotions. We’ll sigh as the hero sweeps the heroine into his embrace and hurt right along with the characters. That’s what I want my readers to experience. And when the story is finished, I want them to feel uplifted, to believe that love is out there for everyone.

I was once asked what I want my readers to feel when reading my stories. I want my readers to get the bubbly feeling in their stomach when they watch my characters interact. I want them to fall in love. Because that’s exactly how my favorite authors make me feel.

Madly in Love: Christmas edition - Penny Watson

We are only a couple weeks from Christmas (I'm cringing even as I'm typing as I am woefully behind on my shopping this year), so I decided to have a Madly in Love Christmas edition. I'm not normally big on holiday stories. As I reread books (and scenes from books) my favorite romances are ones I can enjoy year round, and themes like Christmas and Valentines Day aren't as enjoyable in July as they are in December or February. That said, about four (?) years ago I decided to pick up Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson. I had communicated with Penny a few times on various social media sites and a. liked her, b. thought she was funny, and c. wanted to support someone I felt was so nice, funny, and genuine. And I am so glad I did. I LOVE these stories. The only complaint I have is that I have to wait a whole year for the next one (yes, the irony of me saying that when it's been two since my last AWS book is not lost on me).

Sweet Inspiration,The Klaus Brothers #1, kicks off the series by introducing the oldest son of Santa Klaus. We see him struggle to balance his new found love, with the weight of a future as the next Santa. It's a cute story, perfect to get you in the holiday spirit. We also meet his four brothers which leads the way for the next books in the series. Book three, Sweet Adventure, was recently released. I downloaded it immediately, knowing how much I loved the others, but have not had a chance to read it yet (it's next on my list).

So even if you don't like holiday books, I recommend you give these a try. They're available for $2.99 apiece on Amazon, but I noticed a box set of the first three books available for $0.99 (not sure how long the deal will last).

Sweet Inspiration blurb:
What if the legend of Santa Claus is in fact, true? What if Santa has five big strapping sons who help him run his empire? Five single, sexy sons looking for romance...

Nicholas Klaus is a master pastry chef, a strict disciplinarian, and the eldest son of the legendary Santa Claus. One look at café owner Lucy Brewster sends him into an unexpected tailspin of lusty desires. When Lucy is injured, Nicholas makes a decision that catapults both of their lives into turmoil.

Lucy Brewster, the free-spirited proprietor of Sweet Inspiration, has a flair for concocting sugary confections but no time for adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when she awakens in the North Pole...rambunctious elves, a fitness-obsessed Santa, and the man of her dreams. Does she have what it takes to become the next Mrs. Klaus?

Sweet Magik blurb:

Oskar Klaus' job is killing him. Not even his favorite hobbies (extreme snowboarding and browsing old bookstores) are enough to snap him out of his funk. It's not easy living in the shadow of four successful older brothers and a father named Santa. Little does he know that a kiss on New Year's Eve is about to turn his life upside-down. 



Kiana Grant's Manhattan life is a world away from her childhood in Oahu. She traded sunsets and surfing for a respectable career in library science, but Oskar Klaus is a temptation that's hard to resist. Before she knows it, she's in the midst of an outrageous adventure in the North Pole, dealing with mischievous elves, wicked demons, and a devastating attraction to Santa's youngest son. 



There's just one problem…a bitter elf hell-bent on revenge threatens the future of everyone in the North Pole, even Santa himself… 

Sweet Adventure blurb:

Sven Klaus, Chief Toy Designer for Klaus Enterprises, will protect his family at any cost. He’s prepared to battle the most threatening adversaries to do it—frost flowers, snowstorms, Yeti. And beautiful tenacious tabloid journalists.

Andi De Luca’s reporting career is built on lies—about corrupt politicians, greedy Hollywood stars, and Bigfoot. Now she’s determined to uncover the truth about Klaus Enterprises, and she always gets her story. Even if it means revealing her own secret desires to Santa’s son.

After all the lies and deception are exposed, will Andi and Sven survive this North Pole adventure? Or will YETI MAKE THEM DEADY?

Penny Watson presents a 45,000-word holiday fantasy romance, #3 in the Klaus Brothers Series. Includes paranormal phenomena, Christmas spirit, and yes…an abominable snowmonster.

SWEET ADVENTURE can be read as a stand-alone novella.

Do you have any favorite holiday reads?

Guest Post: L.K. Below

I'm so excited to have L.K. Below on the blog today. L.K. was one of the first authors I met when I first joined Lyrical Press in 2011. She's here to talk about second chances and her latest release, Hellish Haven, a Dystopian Multicultural Romance.

Second Chances

By: L.K. Below

Do you think people are capable of changing?

When I was in elementary school, I was (very briefly) considered one of the “cool” kids. I attribute this more to the group of friends I kept, three out of the other four being infinitely more outgoing, fun, and daring than I was. The last might even have been shier than I was, at least until you cracked her shell.

One of this group, I trusted above the others, having been joined at the hip with her since second grade. In elementary school, three years of friendship is like a lifetime. It’s infallible.

But two girls, outside our little clique and just as popular, if not more so, decided that they wanted to be friends with our group. That is…with everyone except me. Everyone in the group, especially my best friend of old, idolized these girls. These girls who lived in our quaint little town instead of in the country outside it. These girls who were allowed to walk around town, whereas we, having protective, responsible parents, were not. I didn’t much like these girls, who didn’t read, who didn’t do well in class, who essentially, were nothing like me.

But my friends did. And before I knew it, that winter, I was no longer friends with the group I’d grown to trust. The hardest of all, and the person I still think of as the instigator even if I no longer hold a grudge, was that elementary school betrayal by my then-best friend.

The funny thing is, a scant year later, our positions were reversed. Don’t get me wrong, I still wasn’t “cool,” nor did I aspire to be. But I had a close-knit group of friends who held the same ideals of friendship as I did. And that best friend of old, I found sitting beneath the big tree in the school yard, crying.

I remembered what that was like, to suddenly find myself friendless and bullied. At twelve, I didn’t hesitate. I welcomed her into our group. A couple years later, she shrugged me aside again in favor of the “cool” kids. I probably should have seen it coming.

Because, after all, do people really change?

Humans are not infallible. Mistakes are made, time and again. In fiction and in reality, we see the time old-question of second chances. Do you give someone a second chance? Do you give them a third? At what point do you give up and wonder if perhaps it isn’t worth trying?

In Hellish Haven, I explore that theme. After a prolonged absence, when Eva is held captive by the tyrannical government, I send her back into her husband’s arms as a different person. I give them not only a second chance at happiness, but a clean slate. Because, you see, having been brainwashed while in enemy custody, Eva doesn’t remember Grant or their son. At all.

In fact, Eva never escaped the government’s clutches at all. They sent her back, to study and gather information for them.

If possible, this transition is even harder on Grant than it is on Eva. Without memory of the war the resistance has been fighting since before her son was born, she is thrust into this world falsely innocent. She has an ideal of the way a person, a family, should be, and can’t reconcile the parts of Grant which have to, out of necessity, act against that ideal. She even considers offering an ultimatum, not realizing that she herself has been marked in ways unseen, and might unwittingly jeopardize her family.

Grant remembers her as she was, the strong and capable woman he married. The woman who fought alongside him without reservations. He doesn’t quite realize just how much she has changed while under government control, not until it’s almost too late.

Then the question between them rests. Do they each deserve a second chance? Should they try, for their son’s sake? Or would it be too dangerous…

Hellish Haven

Synopsis:

Two lives. Two realities. But only one truth.

The Senator reigns all-powerful in a manifested picture-perfect world. No worries. No wars. Only the unspoken threat of oblivion if you step a toe out of line. On the other side of the divide, the rebels face a debilitating war against an invulnerable robotic army. Every day is a struggle to earn back their freedoms. Freedom to feel. Freedom of speech. Freedom of thought.

Sergeant Grant Baker is pivotal to the war effort. But ever since his wife’s abduction, he’s been walking around in as much of a daze as the Senator’s brainwashed citizens. Then Eva reappears—without memories of him or their son. And he’s willing to do anything to keep her. Even if it means jeopardizing the war.

Eva doesn’t know which side to believe. Her predictable life as a single nurse, or the man claiming to be her husband. All she knows is she needs to discover how to end the war, quickly. If she doesn’t choose sides soon, she may lose the man—and the life—she never knew she wanted.

Excerpt:

Acting as vanguard for the injured squad, Grant turned a corner and froze. A hulky man carried a limp woman over his shoulder.

Grant automatically reached for his gun. Even if they weren’t yet across the divide, he couldn’t stand idle as a man accosted a woman. Or worse. He aimed the rifle at the criminal. “Set her down nice and easy.”

The man froze. He glanced over one meaty shoulder, his unshaven mouth set in a scowl.

“Set her down, or I’ll shoot.”

A gold tooth flashed as the criminal grinned. He hurled the small woman at Grant and dashed for the slim space between two buildings.

Grant moved without thinking. His gun clattered to the ground as he lunged forward to catch the woman before she split her head open on the sidewalk. He grunted as he caught her with her weight against his bruised forearms. He shot a flickering glance her way. A riot of brown curls obscured her face. He set her gently on the ground.

He dashed for the opening the shady figure had disappeared into, but saw no sight of the man. The delinquent was long gone.

Ashland panted as he jogged to Grant’s side. “What happened?”

If Grant never heard that question again, it would be too soon. He shook his head wearily. “Mugging, I guess.”

“They still have those here? I thought the Senator brought an end to violence.” Ashland drew sarcastic quotes in the air as he spoke.

Grant didn’t bother to answer. He turned to the woman and where his squad was now gathered. A horrified private glanced from the woman to Grant and back again. “What do you want us to do with her…sir?”

If they left her, the Senator’s people might find her and stick her back in the pen with the rest of their brainwashed sheep. Then again, that same goon might double back to continue what he started.

He crossed to the woman and crouched to lift her into his arms. Her tangled hair fell away from her face. He nearly dropped her. “Eva?”

Frantically, he pressed his ear to her chest. Her breathing was shallow, but her heartbeat steady and strong. He clutched her tighter. He couldn’t believe it.

He’d found his wife.

Buy links:

Kensington Books - http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/31107

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/Hellish-Haven-L-K-Below-ebook/dp/B00NJ0VL6A

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hellish-haven-lk-below/1120341817?ean=9781616506254

Kobo - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/hellish-haven

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/hellish-haven/id918575625?mt=11

Bio:

L.K. Below grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, where her only peek into the wide world was through books. She’s been a bookworm ever since she learned to read, and loves any book with characters and worlds she can lose herself in. She wrote Hellish Haven to take one of her favorite classic books, George Orwell’s 1984, into the modern day…or, in this case, near future. She writes as obsessively as she reads and likes to Tweet about both at @LBelowtheauthor.

Find her online at www.lbelow.net.