New Author Mini-Challenge: the League

I have decided to participate in the reading challenge hosted by Jackie at Literary Escapism. The challenge runs from February 1st until February 28th, 2010.

I plan on reading these authors from League of Reluctant Adults:

• Michele Bardsley
• Richelle Mead
• Kat Richardson
• Jeanne Stein

I may still choose a 5th as time permits. I am very excited to get started on these new authors, share my reviews and expand my library!

Lynsay Sands Argeneau Releases

When I got the newsletter for February in my email I was very excited to see the new books coming out from Lynsay Sands. She is a fantastic author and does not disappoint. If you would like to sign up for her newsletter please visit her website. Her Argeneau vampire series is outstanding and her historical romances are too.

August 31, 2010: Born To Bite, the thirteenth book in the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter series, will be coming out this September. Armand Argeneau has been living on a farm squirrelled away from public life for decades without anyone bothering him. Until now that is. Lucian has been kind enough to volunteer Armand to babysit Eshe d'Aureus in order to protect her from a rogue vampire out for revenge. In reality, Eshe was sent to Armand on assignment to find clues to explain his many wives' 'accidental' deaths. This installment of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter series will also answer the unanswered questions from Nicholas's story, The Renegade Hunter.

November 30, 2010: Hungry For You, the fourteenth book in the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter series will be coming out this December. It involves the last of the Willan sisters, Alex, and one of Martine Argeneau's older sons, Cale. Alex is a successful chef and restauranteur trying to expand her business and the new location's debut seems to be riddled with bad luck. Can Cale, a successful european chef . . . er . . . businessman, help her keep her business afloat and still keep her frazzled attention long enough to see him for who he really is . . . the love of her life? 
Source: Lynsay Sands February Newsletter

IMM: In My Mailbox 01/25/10

Rogue by Rachel Vincent

Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

IMM: 1/28/10
Once Bitten by Clare Willis
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

IMM: 1/30/10
The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox
Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Piñeiro

Review: Broken

Broken
Shiloh Walker

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter for a private detective agency in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He's drawn to her-but he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Sarah McElyea is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She has a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can't risk telling him the secrets she's hiding.

But Quinn must get closer to Sarah when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and both Quinn and Sarah will have to expose their true feelings-as well as their fragile hearts-if their love is to survive.
Source: Amazon

Broken is a story of two very tortured and tormented souls. Though for different reasons both Sarah and Quinn have experienced hell in their lives. Leaving them haunted and desperate. Desperate for love, desperate for trust and desperate for peace. Shiloh Walker brings these two characters to life, she does a fantastic job of inspiring the reader to feel what the characters are feeling. From the first chapter I was caught in the grip of Quinn's turmoil. Walker writes Quinn's emotions with excruciating clarity and depth. His broken childhood tore at my heart. Being from a broken home myself, I was captivated and horrified at the details of pain in Quinn's childhood.

The book continues to introduce Sarah, who largely remains a mystery for the majority of the book. Bits and pieces of her past are revealed in broken segments through the story. I found myself desperate to know more and my mind was constantly reeling in possible scenarios for her flight. She is strong and courageous. Her character is not without fault though. Walker gives Sarah a very realist and stark view of life and the people around her. She struggles with her choices, lifestyle and feelings. As a reader, I was engrossed by her faults as well as her strengths.

Sarah and Quinn's relationship is raw, wounded and refreshing. They hid from each as well as themselves. They are both hesitant to commit while struggling with their inner demons. Seeing these two strong willed characters loose themselves to one another was a treat. I found myself smiling at their banter and sighing at their surrender.  Much like the characters themselves, the love scenes are passionate and furious. Romance lovers will not be disappointed. 

Chapter 13 is the turning point of the story. When the right questions start being asked and answers start revealing themselves. I had a hard time putting the book down at this point. All I wanted to do was curl up by the fire with a warm blanket and loose myself in their world. From start to finish this book was engrossing and exciting. As each part of the story is crucial for the ending I do not think I would change a thing.

Intense Whispers:
Well, hello... he could all but feel his libido kicking up as he stared at that mouth. Every last one of his senses tuned in on her–
The way she looked... sex and sin.
The way she smelled...sex and sin.
The way she sounded...sex and sin.
~ page 37

"Would you?" she whispered.
He cupped her face in his hand, rubbed his thumb across her lower lip. "Would I what, baby?"
~ page 113

Say NO to Piracy

In light of the many authors finding their precious works being illegally traded online, I have made some buttons for sharing. Please feel free to open these images and share them on your own blog or website.

1. CLICK on an image below to see a full page preview.
2. RIGHT CLICK anywhere on the image to save it to your computer.

Please do not link directly to these images.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Undead and Unfinished
MaryJanice Davidson

Release Date: July 6th, 2010

Publisher: Berkley

Website Link

 

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is fed up of trying to decipher the strange things prophesied in The Book of the Dead. At the end of her tether,she strikes a deal with Satan who promises to help -- if she and her half-sister Laura pay a visit to Hell. Hell, it would seem,is more terrifying than Betsy could have ever imagined -- a waiting room with bad carpeting,re-runs of 70s TV shows and ancient Good Housekeeping magazines. But when Betsy and Laura find themselves catapulted back and forth through time,they realize they could seriously screw everything up for good... Source: Paperback Swap

Read an excerpt! Click here!

The Waiting on Wednesday concept was created by: Jill from Breaking the Spine. This is a weekly event featuring upcoming book releases. Please share your Waiting on Wednesday link in the comments!

IMM: In My Mailbox 01/19/10

Born of Fire by Sherriyl Kenyon

Covet by J.R. Ward

IMM: 1/20/10
Maneater by Thomas Emson

IMM: 1/22/10
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

IMM: 1/23/10
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Teaser Tuesday (3) - Broken

Broken by Shiloh Walker:

He had to look at Sara–Sarah–and know why.
Why she'd lied to him.
Why she had run away from her life.
Why she'd stolen from her husband.

~ Page 200

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event created by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Review: To Crave a Blood Moon

To Crave a Blood Moon
Sharie Kohler

Imprisoned and tortured by a lycan pack, half-breed Sebastian Santiago is determined not to break. But now they've come up with a cruel plan -- starve Sebastian until he is half-mad with hunger, then force him to succumb to his werewolf instincts by giving him human prey to feed on.

Snatched from the streets of Istanbul, American tourist Ruby Deveraux has already seen the horror of her companions torn apart. Now she is thrown into a dark cell with a shadowy shape she can barely see. But Ruby is no ordinary woman. All her life she has been able to sense the emotions of others, and she knows instinctively that while Sebastian does not want to be her enemy, he is in the grip of sensations so dark and primitive that he can barely control them. But amid his surging feelings she can detect passion -- passion for her as a woman. This, she realizes, may be her only hope. In the unrelenting dark, trapped in a hideous prison, can Ruby and Sebastian somehow forge a fragile alliance and break free from their deadly captors to seize a love neither dreamed possible?
Source: Amazon

I have read the two proceeding books in The Moon Chasers series and this one was by far my favorite. Though they all stand alone a good reads. This book absorbed me right from the start. You truly get to live and feel what Ruby is experiencing. Because she is an empath, emotions are the true basis of the first half of the book. I found myself suppressing sobs for Ruby's plight very early in the book. It usually takes more time for me to feel a strong connection with a character, but I felt for Ruby instantly. She is described and feels like a weak person, but I found myself marveling at her strength and fortitude. She is probably one of the strongest heroines I have read of.

The last half of the book slows down into a more normal pace, while retaining the passion and action it starts with. I was finally able to catch my breath.  It develops a bit of a Wizard of Oz feeling as Ruby realizes that "she is not in Kansas" any more and the world is tipped on edge for both her and Sebastian.

I would have liked a bit more back-story on Sebastian and the other minor characters of the book. The book truly revolves around Ruby. An epilogue would also have been a nice addition, as the book seemed to end very abruptly. Regardless of the rushed end, this is a spectacular read and very unique. I do not believe I have ever read a novel with more raw feeling than this one.

Intense Whispers:
Ruby wrapped a hand around Amy's arm, vowing to never let go. Whatever happened. And something was about to happen. A thread of expectation laced the air. Readiness. Faint but there.
~ page 32

“So," she began, clearing her throat. "Have you ever heard the word Lycan before?"
~ page 216

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Broken
Shiloh Walker

Release Date: March 2th, 2010

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Website Link | Amazon Link

 

The national bestselling author of Fragile returns with a luscious new blend of sex and suspense.

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter for a private detective agency in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He's drawn to her-but he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Sarah McElyea is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She has a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can't risk telling him the secrets she's hiding.

But Quinn must get closer to Sarah when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and both Quinn and Sarah will have to expose their true feelings-as well as their fragile hearts-if their love is to survive.

Source: Amazon

Read an excerpt! Click here!

The Waiting on Wednesday concept was created by: Jill from Breaking the Spine. This is a weekly event featuring upcoming book releases. Please share your Waiting on Wednesday link in the comments!

Review: Her Vampire Husband

Her Vampire Husband
Michele Hauf

Werewolf princess Blu Masterson won't allow her seductive vampire husband to consummate their marriage with his bite, marking her forever. Alone in a secluded estate with her sworn enemy, Blu curses the marriage arranged to bring their rival nations together, especially since Creed Saint-Pierre calls out to her most feral desires. When Blu uncovers her pack's secret plot to destroy the vampire nation—and Creed—she is forced to confront her growing feelings for her sexy undead husband. Will she choose the only life she's ever known or accept his vampire bite?
Source: HQN Press Release/Michele Hauf

Her Vampire Husband is about the marriage and alliance of two very separate worlds. Far larger than just two people, Blu and Creed's commitment is derived to heal the long time feud between the werewolf and vampire nations. Both parties sign a tenacious peace contract and wait anxiously to see how the marriage will take. Neither Blu nor Creed knows what to expect from each other as a species or as a couple. Both are plunged into an uncomfortable and seemingly hopeless marriage.

From the first page I was drawn to the couples plight. The book starts rapidly, with very little buildup, which was a nice surprise. I was immediately engrossed in the characters and could not wait to turn the page and see what would happen next. Much like Blu and Creed I was surprised, shocked, and entranced as the two characters discovered each other and learned more about themselves in the process.

As a new reader of Michele Hauf's books I enjoyed the wide array of characters introduced in the book. And found myself wishing I could learn their story as well. The environments were skillfully written with flare and color, regardless of the scene I could easily envision each setting. It often times felt like the book was a mixture of modern and historical nuances, from the characters histories to their personalities. I would compare the story to a romantic ballad, full of passion and power. There is a great mixture of soft moments and exciting action.

My only criticism would be that Blu and Creed seemed to fall in love and pronounce it a bit too easily. Unlike many books where the characters deny their feelings and are insecure with their love, Blu and Creed embrace it. This is good and bad. A bit more angst would have seemed more realistic, but too much certainly gets very frustrating. I would also have liked to get to know Blu more. Very minimal information is given about her life growing up with the pack. In retrospect, I actually learned about her as Creed did, which makes for a very unique reading experience.

Intense Whispers:

Tears steamed down her cheeks, falling more swiftly and harder than the rain. “Creed Saint-Pierre,” she whispered. “Don’t hurt me like the others have. Please."

~ page 39

“Right now.’ You want me to be your angel, Creed?”

“An angel? You? The heavens must have pushed you out.”

~ page 136

To find out more about this book click here.

Say My Name

My business is named after me. Not because I am vain, but because me and my husband could not think of anything else to call it. Having my name as part of the business name has brought some unexpected delight to me as of late. I get phone calls for orders and answer, "Thanks for calling, this is Robin." Most of the time the conversation just moves forward with the standard, "How can I help you?" etc. etc., but occasionally I get this:

"Thanks for calling, this is Robin."
[a breif pause]
"THE Robin?!"
[preening]
"Yes, this is Robin."
"WOW, I did not except YOU to answer the phone!"

I love when this happens. I just want to say "Who's your mama!" or "Bow down your legions and surrender to my greatness!" Er.... did I just type that out loud!?

The feeling of being acknowledged is awesome. It is equally amazing to have authors reply on twitter, email and my blog. To have an actual conversation with my idols is absolutely phenomenal.

The moral here is, be personal with those around you, make connections and discover your inner super star!

Teaser Tuesday (2) - Her Vampire Husband

Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf:

He sucked in his breath at the searing contact, but was in no mood to play anymore tonight.

Gripping her wrist, he stopped her from leaning in to kiss him. "What did your friend have to say? Something about your lover?"

~ Page 113

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event created by MizB of Should Be Reading.

IMM: In My Mailbox 01/11/10

The Highwayman by Michele Hauf

IMM: 1/13/10
Moon Kissed by Michele Hauf
Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole
Crux by Moira Rogers
Broken (ARC) by Shiloh Walker

IMM: 1/14/10, A Hignlander's Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

IMM: 1/16/10, Crimson & Steam (ARC) by Liz Maverick

Definition: Intense Whisper

What is an Intense Whisper? I imagine it to be the feeling Bella and Edward have as they realize each other in the begining of Twilight or the feeling Joy has when she first encounters Christian in A Girl's Guide to Vampires by Katie MacAlister.

Perhaps the feeling of déjà vu or the feeling of being watched. When you walk in the dark and have the almost irresistible urge to run, as if fleeing. Goose bumps and chills. An Intense Whisper is soft, mysterious and passionate with a dash of danger. Mist over a bog or the dense smog of a city. An erie quite or deep, thick darkness of a moonless night.

The Intense Whisper is a cat stalking its pray. The last breathe of a lover or the first gasp of pleasure. It is a deep, penetrating and unflappable clam.

Win eReader

Visit The Bibliophilic Book Blog and enter to WIN a Nook, a Kindle, a Sony Touch, or a Sony Pocket. Not into ereaders or ebooks? How about $150.00 gift card to the bookstore of your choice instead. Just click HERE for more information. Deadline is: Mar 1, 2010 If you enter, please mention that Robin from Intense Whisper sent you.

Real Fantasy VII

Guess the theme!? This alien beauty is none other than the gorgeous Tiffany from Kindlevixen! Thank you so much for letting me play with your image. I will probably do another more traditional design of your photo soon. This was so much fun to create. Especially the eyes, which I hand drew the accents on. Designed in Photoshop.

So what was my inspiration? Click Here to see!

Ebook Drama

Ok, so I have 3 PDF files of books. One being the ARC of My Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf which I desperately wanted to read. So what's the problem, you say? While I have no E-Reader. There is no way I could read one from the computer, so I thought, I guess I will need to print it. Great thought as I have a semi-commercial high capacity duplex capable laser printer. Yah, I know sounds impressive. So I hit the button to print with only a little hesitation. An approximately 350 page book would only take 175 sheets of paper, no problem.  After much humming (the printer-not me), I ended up with a nice, warm stack of 8.5x11 book letterhead. So far so good.

Lunch time, no probelms reading. Plenty of room at the table to flip pages into two stacks. Though I did need to peek at page numbers because I could never remember what side of the sheet I started on.

Time to get kids from buss. 20 mile per hour winds. Hummmm... after glancing at the stack I decided I could go one day without reading on my walk out.

That was my AH HA moment. How was I suppose to read these unbound papers in the tub, bed or on my treadmill?! I cannot get the picture out of my head of papers flying everywhere and me getting a nice face buffing from the treadmill belt. *Shiver*

So, when my husband gets home I tell him, this is just not going to work. He thinks free books are the best thing ever. I can actually smell his thinking gears burning. So he reminds me that we have a stack cutter, while that's fine, but then I will just have a smaller bundle of loose paper. Which is better, but still not feasible for mobile reading. Then he started looking for binder clips. At this point he was getting a lot of eyebrow cocking from my. There was NO way a binder clip was going to work. In defeat I mention that we have ring clips. So my tool friendly husband clamped the sheets together and drilled two holes through the edge. And ta da, I have a paperback book!

Treadmill: Worked great!

Lunch: Book sat nice and flat so I could eat with both hands, yay!

Buss: Should be fine!

So as long as we have paper, toner and tools my E-reading days can commence! *Clapping*

Booking Through Thursday (1)

What books did you get for Christmas (or whichever holiday you may have celebrated last month)?
Do you usually ask for books on gift-giving occasions or do you prefer to buy them yourself?

For Christmas this year I bought sparkly, new first edition hardcovers from two of my favorite authors. I bought Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning and An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. Last year (2008) my husband bought me the entire hardcover Twilight set!

In the past I have not asked for books as gifts, as I buy them all of the time and making a list would be tough. I have decided, however, to request a Borders gift card from my Mom next year. So I suppose the answer is both! I will ask for a gift card to buy them myself!

I would love to GIVE books as gifts and share my passion for reading. But I fear the books will not be read and I would be crushed to see my book gift get dusty!

Questions provided by: Booking Through Thursday.

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Her Vampire Husband

Michele Hauf

Release Date: March 30th, 2010

Publisher: HQN Books

Website Link | Amazon Link

 

Eternal happiness is but a bite away… An arranged marriage between a werewolf and a vampire. There will be blood.

She may resist his bite, but she can't resist his charms... Werewolf princess Blu Masterson won't allow her seductive vampire husband to consummate their marriage with his bite, marking her forever. Alone in a secluded estate with her sworn enemy, Blu curses the marriage arranged to bring their rival nations together, especially since Creed Saint-Pierre calls out to her most feral desires. When Blu uncovers her pack's secret plot to destroy the vampire nation—and Creed—she is forced to confront her growing feelings for her sexy undead husband. Will she choose the only life she's ever known or accept his vampire bite?

“Hauf delivers excitement, danger and romance in a way only she can!”

#1 NYT bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon

“A paranormal Romeo and Juliet, so sexy it will leave you breathless!”

MaryJanice Davidson, NYT bestselling author of the UNDEAD series

Source: HQN Press Release/Michele Hauf

The Waiting on Wednesday concept was created by: Jill from Breaking the Spine. This is a weekly event featuring upcoming book releases. Please share your Waiting on Wednesday link in the comments!

Design Guidelines

As my artistic impressions of portraits have become startlingly more popular, I have run into a few instances when the photography sent was not possible to design with. Usually because it is too small. As I want everyone to be thrilled with the finished pieces, I wanted to establish some basic guidelines for the photos emailed. Initially, the designs I created were from high resolution stock photography and all of the graphics I use to enhance pieces are also high resolution. A great photograph is going to yield great results, at least I try to make that the case.

1. Most importantly, the images should be large. High resolution and preferably professional taken or taken with a very good digital camera. High resolution photos will show pores, eye lashes, creasing in lips and fine hair detail. If a face is blurry it limits the filters and effects because there is nothing to alter.

2. If you send professionally take photography, please make sure you have a copy write release or permission from your photographer to reproduce the image. I prefer not to work with scanned images.

3. A solid color background works best (though not required). Neutral colors, such as black, gray and white are the easiest to manipulate and offer the most flexibility. It is also not possible to turn a dark background light or light background dark.

4. If you have visited any of the photos I have previously done, you have probably seen comments I have made concerning smiles in photography. I can work with them, but a more casual facial expression offers more design options. It is hard to add the intensity of flames or darkening filters on a happy, sunny face. If you send a smile you will probably end up with flowers and butterflies.

5. Make sure you LOVE the photo you send. It should be your favorite. I am just adding enhancements, but the main subject (that would be you) is the most important part of the design.

6. Once the design is finished, let me know if I can share your design on my blog. I will be discrete and only share a small sample. Please follow my blog and Twitter account to enjoy all of the comments made on your finished design. Following and sharing are not required, but they are very much appreciated.

7. I do require complete artistic freedom with the designs I make. Have no fear, all designs will be done tastefully and will compliment your image. I will not add bushy brows or devil horns.

That being said, I appreciated and enjoyed all of the ladies I have worked with thus far and look forward to doing more in the future. As I do not charge for this freelance designing, work is done as my time permits. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Thank you again to all of the fantastic woman who have sent photos for design, I hope you are all pleased with the results.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, due to time constraints I am not able to offer these designs at this time.

Teaser Tuesday (1) - Undead and Uneasy

This is my first Teaser Tuesday! Today I am featuring my current read, which is Undead and Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson. So here goes:

"The place didn't look like a torture chamber. It looked like what it was: an old library, well-maintained, with plenty of money for books and computers. Heck plenty of money for fluorescent lights as opposed to, say, torches sticking out of the wall."

~ Page 224

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event created by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Grundge Comic Art

Here is my latest design featuring Larissa from Larissa's Life. I designed these images simultaneously using effect, filters and color alterations only. No stock art this time around. I think the end result has a dark, intriguing feel. Perhaps a bit film noir. Thanks again Larissa!

Frigid Miserable Weather

This post is intended for those of us not privileged enough to hug the equator during the winter months. Where do we live, well north, north of warmth and sun. North of happiness, it seems. I suppose some could live far enough south as well... 

So here are some thoughts to help heat you up this winter:

• I get heat rash every spring. I am white. No let me rephrase, I am SUPER white. But I was born white, so all you brown and tan people can suck it. Heat rash itches, but it also burns. Perhaps if I hold an arm in the window today for say 8 hours I can catch a winter rash?! Wind burn does not count!

• Florida. Let me give you a picture: In a line on a 90+ degree day (humid day) with 300,000 other people waiting to ride the imaginary safari boat. Now add two young kids. Oh wait it gets better, there are water fountains occasionally in line! Rust covered with condensation beads and looking like an oasis. Yah, if an oasis tasted like ass. So we stare and smack our dry lips, waiting for our 5 minute ride.

• The car glimmering in a unshaded black tarred parking lot on a summer day. Not just sitting there but smirking at you with a dragons fire welcome when you open the doors after 4 hours of shopping. The gasps of breath, opening the window does not help, the AC just blows more dragons breath... and the warmth!

• My husbands leather sofa on a "lets save some money and not turn on the air day". You sit and you stick. Gives a whole new definition to rip ass! Enough said.

• The smell of the fireplace when we flip the switch during a warm fall evening. The dust, the smoke and the promise of heat from flame. There is just something primitive about setting those fake logs ablaze.

• Eating. Eating spicy food. Wait not just spicy food, but get it good and hot, then burn the piss out of your mouth. Like a hot souvenir! A personal and unique branding to remind you of warmth.

Ok, that is all the BS I can drag out right now. Do you feel hotter? I, personally, still feel cold. But my pink fuzzy booties help. Perhaps I should put on a sweatshirt over my tank top, but where is the sport in that?! Maybe I can work up some heat if I keep bitching about being cold. Please take a moment to share your warmth!

How do I choose what to read...

The above image is just 4 shelves of my to-be-read books. There are more. So, how did I get to this point?! It all started with a little know author named, Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander series. From that point on, I was hooked on historical romance. No more reading of King or McCaffrey for me. I became a hard-core romance reader. The kind I had always scoffed at before. But it was OK, because they were historical and had knights! After reading the Outlander services I moved on to Julie Garwood's The Wedding. After exhausting all of her books, I started Hannah Howells, Murray Family series, which starts with Highland Destiny. This lead to a natural transition to Lynsay Sands and The Deed. Once I finished her historical romances I discovered her paranormal vampire books and that was the beginning of the end for me.

As you can see I tend to find an author and read through all of their books. I have also read most if not all of the books written by the authors to follow:

Lara Adrian - Midnight Breed
Jen Holling - Brides of Blookdstone & MacDonell Brides
Brenda Joyce - Masters of Time
Sherrilyn Kenyon - Dark Hunter, Dream Hunters and B.A.D
Sharie Kohler - Moon Chasers
Cheyenne McCray - Magic
Kinley MacGregor - Sea Wolfs, MacAllisters, Brotherhood of the Sword, & Lords of Avalon
Allie Mackay
Karen Marie Moning - HIghlander and Fever
J.R. Ward - Black Dagger Brotherhood
Sue-Ellen Welfonder - MacKenzie
Stephenie Meyer - Twilight

Authors I have waiting in my book shelves are:
Aguirre, Armintrout, Armstrong, Arthur, Bardsley, Chance, Caine, Cole, Delacroix, Dodd, Drake, Feehan, Frost, Hamilton, Harrison, Hendrix, Ione, Ivy, Jordan, Pettersson, Richardson, Rush, Shane, Showalter, Sparks, Stein, Taylor, Vincent, and Walker. 

Not romance but AWESOME:
Kate Elliott - Crown of Stars
Alice Borchardt
Elizabeth Haydon - Rhapsody
Anne McCaffrey - Freedom

Series I am currently reading:
Katie MacAlister - Dark One
MaryJanice Davidson

Whew, that is not even mentioning the authors sitting on my swap wish list. As you can see I have my work ahead of me. I will take this task and embrace it passionaltly. The end may never be in sight for these genres (urban fantasy, historical and paranormal romance), but I think I like it that way!

Please comment if I missed any good authors, there is always more room on my shelves!

Pop Culture Artwork

Thank you Sagi for sending a photo for me to play with. It is always fun to design around smiling faces, though I do have a harder time with it. This photo expresses a bit more of a pop-culture "party" feeling than many of my others. Designed in Photoshop CS3 with stock photography.