The Professor, My Review

The Professor presses his palm against her flank, feeling the liquid warmth of her blood, hotter than her skin. Hot, like the life force that he has claimed... The power over life and death is the ultimate thrill.

Someone is murdering women on South Carolina's college campuses: three women, three different schools. The Governor's order to State Law Enforcement Agent Mick O'Shaughnessy is simple: make it stop. More political maneuvering diverts Mick to nearby Douglass College. There, instead of another dead body, he finds Meg Connelly, grad student and faculty advisor for the latest victim.

Determined to finish her master's degree, Meg doesn't need anybody's help - including her estranged family - to succeed. There's something irresistible about Mick, but the last time she let someone get close to her, she lost everything except her self-respect.

As the investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But Mick's interest in Meg doesn't just endanger her heart--it puts her in the sights of the killer.

Once he gets her alone, he can take all the time he needs...

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I loved this book! I honestly did not want to put it

We meet Agent Mick O’Shaughnessy at the beginning of the book when his is pulled in as part of a special task force to solve murders that are affecting small town college campuses. Crimes that are so horrific in type, but the killers unique calling card is the only thing that all three victims have in common. Mick and the rest of his task force find themselves working against the clock to stop the next murder from happening, but the killer is getting is getting antsy.

Meg Connelly is our heroine, a strong woman who has had to face much of the world alone. She finds herself placed in Agent O’Shaughnessy’s path after a drunken sorority member’s actions get reported to the police. Sparks immediately begin to fly  between the Agent and the Sorority Advisor, Meg. Having already survived abandonment, Meg tries to resist Mick’s advances until it is unavoidable

In the middle of the wonderful tension between Mick and Meg, our murderer begins to get nervous as Mick and his task force start to form a picture of who the killer might be. The Professor begins to make plans to move as he feels the path leading to him, but he will not move without one more kill, and this time it is personal against Mick.

Filled with enjoyable, down to earth characters, and one wonderfully rotten villain who you cheerfully despise, I never felt as if one character upstaged another. The secondary characters are woven into the fabric of the story so fluidly, that I could not see the story’s evolution without them.

Cathy Perkins’ debut novel, The Professor, from Carolina Press, is a fun, edgy, mystery, romantic must read. I promise you will become an immediate fan and look forward to the next book by Ms. Perkins.

• ISBN-13: 9781426893117
• Publisher: Carina Press
• Publication date: 1/23/2012
• Sold by: Barnes & Noble, Amazon
• Format: eBook
• Sales rank: 223,376
• File size: 924 KB

Sizzling HOT Read: FLASH POINT by Shelli Stevens

Flash Point (Holding Out for A Hero #3)

by Shelli Stevens

If you have NOT read books 1, Going Down, and 2, Command and Control, of this series, WHY HAVEN”T YOU!?! Oh, for goodness sakes, you must read the first two so you can meet the two older brothers to our Flash Point hero, Todd Wyatt and his cupcake dealer, Kate.

Kate is local home town girl who has been a friend to the Wyatt family forever, and has had a crush on Todd for almost that long. Owning a successful bakery in town, she stays busy tempting everyone’s sweet tooth, especially Todd’s. Kate soon finds herself the victim of some not so funny pranks that worry Todd, and he finds himself more upset by the comfort that she receives from the shop owner next door.

Kate is tired of waiting for Todd to see her as more than his cupcake supplier and honorary sister /friend and makes plans to seduce the man she loves, and to finally give herself to a man. The question is, will her heart survive?

Hometown boy. The youngest of three All American boys. Fireman. Todd has everything going for him. His reputation speaks for itself, he can have any woman he wants, and does, and he veers far and wide from relationships. That is until a drunken kiss by his longtime friend, ate, now he can’t stop thinking about her. His feelings become clouded after her total seduction of him and she finds herself in danger. Will our hero fire fighter find a blazing love, or will he extinguish her feelings forever?

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One taste of her lips, and friendship is off the menu.

Kate has always been everybody’s friend and the de-facto little sister to the Wyatt brothers. But her feelings for Todd Wyatt, the town’s hottest firefighter, run far beyond the sibling variety. Not that he’s ever noticed.

After years of nursing her crush, Kate decides it’s time to take action. Except she has one awkward little secret: she’s still a virgin. She hopes she can seduce Todd without him realizing just how inexperienced she is.

In Todd’s mind, Kate’s the sweet girl he teases and hits up for free cupcakes. One surprise kiss over the summer, though, and suddenly she’s jumped from the platonic side of his brain to the want-her-in-my-bed side. Even though the last thing he wants is to lose her friendship, his resistance to her determined seduction is slipping. Fast.

When malicious attacks on her bakery escalate, it soon becomes clear that for all Kate’s friends, she’s made at least one big enemy. And if they don’t figure it out soon, things could take a deadly turn.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781609283810
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
• Publication date: 3/8/2011
• Sold by: Barnes & Noble, Amazon
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 124
• Sales rank: 6,474
• Series: Holding Out for a Hero Series, #3
• File size: 801 KB
• Items ship to U.S, APO/FPO and U.S. Protectorate addresses.

TAKEN will Take Your Breath Away

TAKEN : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Three

by Jenn LeBlanc

A woman out of time.

A man stifled by propriety.

A nemesis determined to take her away.

A brother to the rescue.

How will a powerful Duke deal with a woman who doesn't know her place? How will a woman used to the 21st century survive in time where she is considered property?

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE Part THREE brings Francine and Gideon closer than they ever imagined possible, until the unimaginable tears them apart. What will Gideon do if he loses her, this time, forever? This is the third installment of the completely revised novel, with all new material.

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.

How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely?

If you are not following along with Jenn LeBlanc’s book, what are you waiting on?!? You have got to read this story! 

What can I say about TAKEN, the third installment of her unique, six book, illustrated romance The Rake and the Recluse serial? Several things come to mind. Before I start, there is one key suggestion for enjoying this story to its fullest and that is the books should be read in order. You cannot just jump into book three and know what is going on, you need to start at the beginning, because it’s a very good place to start.

Jenn LeBlanc not only draws you into a well-written story, but she incorporates one of her other passions, photography into the story. Not only is the story great, she is able to draw on that photographer’s eye to give such detail in her writing that it is almost tangible.

In TAKEN, Gideon begins to come loose of his propriety shell when it comes to Francine. We start to see glimpses of that ”thing” that his brother Perry, the rake has. Francine, our 21 century, time traveling heroine, tempts Gideon, and herself, looking for the elusive happiness she has wanted.  But there is trouble far closer than either of them expect…

Perry finds himself as the guardian of three young ladies, and now starts to appreciate those rules that he so enjoyed breaking, and I believe he gets a little kick discussing propriety with Gideon about Francine. Perry hires a tutor and chaperone for his new charges, and she is definitely a firecracker, keeping the men on their toes.

Jenn has succeeded in turning up the heat in TAKEN! Every book manages to get a few degrees hotter than the previous, and this is no exception. A midnight make -out session. a private dance lesson, not-quite-proper horse rides through the park…  Yes, steam is in the pages of this one. The chief complaint? Being forced to wait for book four, but I am certain it will be worth it.

So, as I said, “What are you waiting for”? Get your copy of TAKEN, and be prepared to be taken on a fun ride!

Available in ebook format at Barnes and Noble beginning JANUARY 17. 

         BN ID: 2940013744134

         Publisher: Iris Photo Agency

         Publication date: 1/12/2012

         Sold by: Barnes & Noble

         Format: eBook

         Sales rank: 167,476

         Series: The Rake And The Recluse, #3

         File size: 1 MB

                  Items ship to U.S, APO/FPO and U.S. Protectorate addresses

  

Taken Will Take Your Breath Away!

Command and Control, a Review

Command and Control (Holding Out for A Hero #2)

by Shelli Stevens (Goodreads Author)

Holding Out for a Hero, Book 2

Megan Asher has a thriving career, looks, self-confidence to spare. It all means little without the love of her life. Trevor has returned from deployment in Afghanistan a haunted man, emotionally distant and unwilling to connect—except in bed. Then even that fragile thread snaps. Brokenhearted, she is forced to call off their wedding and, after a few months’ separation, try to move on.

With every aspect of his life spinning out of his once-legendary control, Trevor Wyatt convinces himself that Megan is better off—and safer—as far away from his demons as possible. Until he comes back to town for his brother’s wedding, and discovers Megan is dating.

Suddenly realizing what he’s thrown away, he vows to breach the fortress she’s built around her heart. They come together in a cataclysm of rekindled passion that unleashes the very demons he never wanted her to witness.

Back to square one, Megan realizes she must take the ultimate risk to slip past Trevor’s defenses. Give him control in the one place she can. The bedroom. The seductive move is one she prays will be the first step in helping heal him and their love.

Let me start by thanking Mrs. Stevens for creating a hero who is so beautifully written and poignant in todays times when we see so many men and women who are returning home after serving in battle and experiencing PTSD. Mrs. Stevens reminds us that even our heros need help occasionally, and not all scars are visible…

I admit that I enjoy a book better when I fall a little in love with the hero.  Trevor Wyatt is that type of man, one you sigh over while simultaneously wishing you could smack him on the head to get his attention.  An Army Captain who returns to his small hometown on leave for his brothers wedding, he his forced to work cooperatively with his former fiancée, Megan with the preparations.  Trevor realizes what he pushed out of his life when he returned from Afghanistan bitter and angry about life, and suffering from the guilt that he returned when others under his command did not, yet he is not ready to accept that Megan has moved on with her life.

Megan Asher is a successful attorney who lives and works in Wyattsvile.  She loves her job, her town, her friends, and is still in love with Trevor. Megan’s only condition for any reconciliation with Trevor is that he gets help to deal with his PTSD. She and Trevor are forced to work together for the wedding, and she devises a plan to help Trevor battle his ghosts and guilt, she just needs to give up some of her own control to succeed.

If you are looking for a good story with a well-written hero, then look no farther, you really should add this to your to be read list!

This story contains scenes with light bondage and spanking,  

The flip of a coin

     Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.

Charles F. Kettering 

      I have been sitting at home this weekend, thinking about the past week, or even the past few months and morale at my day job. We have had a very tumultuous year, not in the 2012 sense, but from last January through this past week. It seems as if a piece of joy, of excitement, has vanished. It all began with a very untimely -well, I wont say lay off, because, technically it wasn't.
     I should interject here by telling you that I am a teacher. That does not quite cover it, I am a middle school teacher. That fact alone, the mere mention of the words  middle school tend to send adults in to tremors of fear when they consider the ages that I work with. I fully believe that even the elite Special Forces men and women would turn their backs on my sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, thinking they are no match for the hormones and the drama. Not everyone is suited for this group, but I have believed for the past six years that I am. I connect with them. I am "Other Mom" five days a week. I tell them I love them, and mean it. I let them know when I tolerated them that day, and mean it, but always letting them hear from someone that they are loved. And appreciated. And treasured, just for being themselves.
     But I am finding myself at a crossroad now, uncertain of the choice that I need to make. Do I throw up roadblocks on the road in front of me? It's the road i have been on for the past six years. My first class of middle schoolers are graduating high school this year. It is what I have known to do for a while now. Am I trying to hold on too tightly, choking and hurting myself by staying in this place? Right now, in this moment, it feels like "There's no joy in Mudville, tonight."
   Do I take a sharp turn? Do I close the cover on this and open a new book? Do I abandon these kids who have come to mean so much to me as I watch them grow, their kid brothers and sisters? All because that flame that I once carried is being snuffed out, deprived of oxygen needed to burn brightly? The fears and doubts sneak up on me now. What if I can't? What if I fail my family with this choice? What if I fail me? What then?
     My last option is not in closing the book, putting it away. It is merely in turning the page, the end of the chapter, and an opportunity to write my own story now. I would stay where I once found so much pleasure, where I would start every morning singing to my co-workers, my friends, my family, "Good Morning" from the Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds movie, Singin' In The Rain. With this, I can still hold onto the place where I found my niche, but I can take it to a new stage, literally. A new theater arts class that would be mine to make, to design. Do I have faith that there is enough of a spark left to rekindle the love I once had for this job? Do I loosen my grasp? Do I pick up the pen, okay, do I hit the keyboard, and start writing my next chapter?

   A hard choice to make. A job I used to love. A place I know, people who matter to me, at what cost to me and my kids? Or a completely new route. A new story? Or only a blank page, but my story to tell. The flip of a coin...
     I know this may sound trivial to you, but words, as any middle schooler can tell you, are powerful. Maybe I just needed to write it all out? I do not know. But I do know this, You will be among the first to know how the coin lands.
     At any moment, you have the ability to dramatically change any area of your life, or follow your heart's deepest desires. It's yours to create, any way you want it.
Craig Townsend
      Please, let me know what you think, sometimes the best advice comes from the outside. Share any thoughts, or tough choices that you have made, or are facing. Odds are, you are not alone. Maybe, together, whether it be heads or tails, we end up winning.

Going Down by Shelli Stevens

Going Down (Holding Out for a Hero Series #1) [NOOK Book]

                        By Shelli Stevens

OVERVIEW:

Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It's not that she doesn't want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It's making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats.

Tiny, remote Wyattville, Oregon, looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it's hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town's infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.

Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets-including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he's not buying the story she's selling.

Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life

Here’s what I think…

It is becoming apparent that I am a title junkie! What woman, or man, would not find themself drawn to this book by the title alone? Wjen you add in the cover shot… Well, hello there!

This is a pretty good novella that introduces us to the three main couples that will be showcased in the Holding Out For A Hero Series. The three brothers: Army soldier, Sheriff, and Fireman, and the women who capture their hearts (although not without some difficulty): a yoga instructor, an attorney, and a baker.

Going Down’s main story if about Eleanor, Ellie, Owen, who finds herself running from Chicago to avoid testifying at the trial of her ex-boyfriend. No, she is not some timid, mousy frightened woman in need. She decides as far west as possible and sets her sights on Wyattville, Oregon. She only has to lay low…

Enter Tyson Wyatt, as of THE Wyatt’s that the town is named for, and hometown sheriff. His decision to make like a good neighbor, slash sheriff and meet the new girl in town. I’ll just say their first meeting ignites his cop’s instincts. Can our Sheriff get the truth out of Ellie and keep her safe without losing his heart?

          ISBN-13: 9781609281120

         Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

         Publication date: 7/20/2010

         Sold by: Barnes & Noble, Amazon

         Format: eBook

         Sales rank: 6,535

         Series: Holding Out for a Hero Series, #1