What I'm Reading....

*gasp* It's not Lover Mine!!! Although, honestly, by the time this posts at 3:00 am, I will have finished this book and be on to Lover Mine. But, I'm still going to talk about My Wicked Vampire, by Nina Bangs.

I've had this book for a while, but it's just made it to the top of my tbr pile. It took me a little while to get into it, but now that I've gotten going, I'm having a hard time putting it down.

Here's the cover and details from Nina Bangs' website:

The Castle of Dark Dreams is just part of an adult theme park, right? The most decadent attraction in a place where people go to play out their wildest erotic fantasies. Holgarth isn’t really a wacky wizard, and Sparkle Stardust doesn’t actually create cosmic chaos by hooking up completely mismatched couples. And that naked guy chained up in the dungeon? No way he’s a vampire.

Wrong...dead wrong, as botanist Cinn Airmid is about to find out. It’s up to her to save the night feeder’s sanity, but to do that she’ll have to get close to the most dangerously sexy male she’s ever encountered. And one look in Dacian’s haunted black eyes tells her close will take on a whole new meaning with someone who’s had 600 years to practice his technique. Even a girl with a name that conjures up images of forbidden pleasure has a few tricks to learn from…

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Hump Day Humor....

Women's Ass Size Study

There is a new study just released by the American Psychiatric Association about women and how they feel about their asses.

The results are pretty shocking:

1. Only 5% of women surveyed feel their ass is too big.

2. 10% of women surveyed feel their ass is too small.

3. The remaining 85% say they don't care; they love him; he's a good man and they would have married him anyway.


LOL...I didn't see that one coming. Did you?

Have a fantastic hump day! Only 2 more get-ups this week (we're cheating and going to the beach tomorrow night so I only have 1 more get-up this week - yee-haw!)

Have a great day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Food for Thought...

I couldn't decide on which of these to post today, so I decided to do both:

"You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life."
James G. Bilkey
Author


"People are like sticks of dynamite. The power is on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit."
Mac Anderson
Author

Have a great day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

My Life....and What I'm Reading

I failed to get a guest blogger for this week - this stupid cold has caused me to fail to do a lot of things that I should be doing - so I'm going back to "What I'm Reading" and why.

I've known all of you for a long time and you know most of what's going on with my family and in my life. Some of it I've shared in great detail, some of it I've only skirted around.

I don't know why I feel like today is the day to spill my guts (lol) but here it is in a nut-shell.

Everyone knows about my husbands tumor and surgery, subsequent chemo treatments and bouts with seizures. He's doing fantastic now and I feel like speedbump in life is behind us. Thank God!

I've also shared that our youngest has severe ADHD and a mood disorder that often displays itself like bi-polar disorder. As he ages and matures, this is getting much, much better. We can all see the positive changes in him and he's working really hard to control himself and make better choices, but it's a constant struggle for him. And, for us.

This is where I think I've been vague (I honestly can't remember how much I've shared). Last year, on Memorial Day, our oldest came to us for help with a severe opiate addiction. He was mid-semester at school, and when I asked if he could finish out the semester he teared up and said, "I'll be dead by then."

Okay.

The next day he went back to Raleigh, took a medical leave from school and work and the next day I had him in a detox center. He lived with us for the summer and did three months of out-patient rehab.

It's been a bumpy road for him since. He relapsed once, but for seven months now has been clean. I know every day is a struggle for him and I worry about him constantly.

On top of that, my best friend lost her son to an accidental overdose in December.

So, why am I dumping all of this on you? I'm not sure, really. I guess I just felt like it was time to explain why I've been eratic in my blog posts. And in my writing.

It's been difficult to maintain a consistent writing schedule - and honestly, to find the enthusiasm and excitement to write when all the people I love are struggling. But when I don't write, I'm not a happy person.

Writing is something that I do, it's who I am.

Fortunately, I found a book and a class that has helped me tremendously. It's helped me get back on track and I was doing really well...until my snotty head sidelined me. LOL I'm feeling much better now and am looking forward to getting back to my characters and stories.

Here's the details (from Amazon.com) and the cover:


Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Perhaps the leading choreographer of her generation, Tharp offers a thesis on creativity that is more complex than its self-help title suggests. To be sure, an array of prescriptions and exercises should do much to help those who feel some pent-up inventiveness to find a system for turning idea into product, whether that be a story, a painting or a song. This free-wheeling interest across various creative forms is one of the main points that sets this book apart and leads to its success. The approach may have been born of the need to reach an audience greater than choreographer hopefuls, and the diversity of examples (from Maurice Sendak to Beethoven on one page) frees the student to develop his or her own patterns and habits, rather than imposing some regimen that works for Tharp. The greatest number of illustrations, however, come from her experiences. As a result, this deeply personal book, while not a memoir, reveals much about her own struggles, goals and achievements. Finally, the book is also a rumination on the nature of creativity itself, exploring themes of process versus product, the influences of inspiration and rigorous study, and much more. It deserves a wide audience among general readers and should not be relegated to the self-help section of bookstores.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School--Tharp shows how and why artists must actively seek and nurture inspiration. The dancer/choreographer draws heavily on her personal experiences to guide readers into cultivating habits that give birth to success. In addition, she recounts the experiences of artists from other disciplines, including painting and cinematography. Vignettes from the lives of people such as Mozart underline the fact that even geniuses work hard to realize the fruits of their labor. A personable tone is carried throughout the book, and within the text is a gold mine of advice. Tharp not only promotes tried-and-true habits, but also encourages readers to dig deep within themselves and come up with their own answers. Most sections conclude with exercises; they are fun and almost seamlessly bring home the author's main points. The black-and-white illustrations and photos are few in number. Students from all manner of creative arts who wish to make their dreams come true would benefit from reading this book.--Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA


Me again...This book is awesome and I highly recommend it for anyone who is struggling to allow their creative nature out to play.

I also want you to know, you've been a huge bright spot in my life. It always makes me smile to come here and read y'alls comments and to know you're there cheering for me.

Thanks for listening and I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!!

Wishing you much peace and love,
Alannah

iPod - Let's Go To The Movies....

I was really surprised the other day to realize how many songs I have on my iPod that are from sound tracks. And sound tracks for movies that I've seen. Probably enough that I can do "Let's Go to the Movie's part I, II and III". LOL

Let's start with the hunks first....Back in the days when Jon Bon Jovi had prettier hair than most women!

Bon Jovi - Blaze of Glory - from the movie, Young Guns


John Parr - from St. Elmo's Fire


A song guaranteed to make me cry - like the movie did - Phil Collins - Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - from the movie Against All Odds


And, one of my favorite all-time movies - one that I never tire of watching. In fact, I can't wait until kidlet gets a little older so he can watch it with me. Prince in Purple Rain.


That's it for now. I'll revisit the movies in a few weeks.

Have you seen any of these movies? Did any of them stick with you for years and years, like they have me?

Have a happy Thursday!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Hump Day Giggle...

A man feared his wife Peg wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family doctor to discuss the problem.

The doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

"Here's what you do," said the doctor, "...stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens."

Then in a normal tone he asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Peg, what's for dinner?"

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again he gets no response.

So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. "Peg, what's for dinner?"



I just love this.....)




"Frank , for the FIFTH DAMNED time: CHICKEN!"


Sorry I've been AWOL the past several days. Hubby was kind enough to share his cold with me (on top of my already out-of-control allergies). I've only been on the computer enough to take care of business that I couldn't put off and then back to bed. Rain, glorious rain, is supposed to be coming in today to knock down the pollen and I sure hope it does!!

Have a wonderful hump day, everyone!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

A lot of the quotes that I post come from an e-mail that I get called, "Insights of the Day." On Fridays, they share the "Friday Story." I usually don't read them because they're longer than a short paragraph, and I just don't have the time (or make the time) to read the whole thing.

But this was last Friday's story and I really liked it a lot, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Refuse To Be Afraid

Tim Wrightman, a former All-American UCLA football player, tells a story about how, as a rookie lineman in the National Football League, he was up against the legendary pass rusher Lawrence Taylor. Taylor was not only physically powerful and uncommonly quick but a master at verbal intimidation.

Looking young Tim in the eye, he said, “Sonny, get ready. I’m going to the left and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Wrightman coolly responded, “Sir, is that your left or mine?”

The question froze Taylor long enough to allow Wrightman to throw a perfect block on him.

It’s amazing what we can accomplish if we refuse to be afraid. Fear – whether it’s of pain, failure, or rejection – is a toxic emotion that creates monsters in our mind that consume self-confidence and intimidate us from doing our best or sometimes even trying at all.

As a law professor, I saw scores of capable students fail the bar exam, not because they didn’t know enough but because their anxiety hindered their ability to remember or coherently express what they did know.

For most law graduates, passing the bar exam should be no more difficult than walking across a board 20 feet long and two feet wide. The trouble is, they don’t walk normally because they’re intimidated by the illusion that the board is suspended 100 feet in the air and that getting across is a life-or-death matter.

What’s the worst thing that could happen? Embarrassment, inconvenience, and expense – but none of these is fatal.

Perspective is an antidote to fear. Most things you fear will never happen, and even if they do, you can handle it.

By Michael Josephson


Go out there today and face your fears!!

Peace and love,
Alannah

Coming Full Circle...with Silver James

One of the things my CP's and I often talk about is how excited (and depressed) we get for each other. But it isn't just my CP's that affect me that way, it's also other writers that I've gotten to know along the way.

When I learned that Silver had sold to The Wild Rose Press, I was ecstatic. I've even had dreams about Silver making it big. I mean BIG!! This past week, I dreamed Faerie Fate was ranked #2 on Amazon (or B&N, I'm not sure which it was - that part of the dream was a little fuzzy). I do know she'd made about $72,000 in the first week!! LOL

I'm going to start having other authors guest blog on Fridays (or as often as I can get them lined up) and I'm so glad Silver is the first. Welcome, Silver!!!

*****

When Alannah asked me to guest blog, I thought of all the things I could write about. I could be serious. Erudite. Snarky. Or just plain humorous. I could compare my journey to publication to the Hero's Journey. (Okay, not so much...)

The Plotmonkeys are celebrating their 4th anniversary, and that got me to thinking. The first post on Penumbra occurred on April 8th, 2007. This is my 3rd anniversary as a blogger. On October 1, 2008, I wrote a post titled “Exposed.” Julie Leto, of the Plotmonkeys, had mentioned Penumbra. And Liza came to check me out and left a comment. Her first, I think. And the last paragraph I wrote that day was this:

Come on in and get comfortable. This is a rather slow ride at the moment but one of these days, I’ll be announcing my first sale and then you can hop on the roller coaster with me! (And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to be a guest blogger one Saturday in the Jungle. *wink*)

On November 17th of that year, I wrote a post title, “After the Adrenaline Rush,” in which I announced I'd sold FAERIE FATE. No one commented to that post. Which was okay. Because today? I'm here visiting with Alannah, whom I first met through The Plotmonkeys, celebrating the release of FAERIE FATE. And on April 27th, I'll be a guest blogger on...you guessed it, The Plotmonkeys. God winks, yes? So instead of being anything today, I'm simply going to say thank you to all the wonderful people I've met on my journey from then to now. And leave you with the obligatory excerpt and commercial pitch. Since this is Alannah's blog, I am going to turn up the heat a bit. ;) This scene takes place after a battle, in which Ciaran was injured.


Ciaran awoke slowly. Becca lay wrapped in his arms, and he kissed her hair. He needed to do something. He needed to say something to her, but like a will-o’-the-wisp, it danced just beyond his memory. Shrugging the need away, he kissed her awake as he’d longed to do since he’d first lain with her in his bed two months ago. Her mouth was just as sweet as he’d remembered.

Becca opened her eyes and stared into the stormy blue ones watching her intently. “We must be feeling better,” she teased. What had the king called him? The Wolf of the MacDermot. That was certainly apropos. He looked like he was going to eat her alive.

Before she could say more, Ciaran’s mouth covered hers, his tongue teasing her lips. Her hands tangled in his hair as her lips and tongue fought back. Her breasts strained against the soft linen of her shirt, desperate to break free so they could touch his bare chest. One of his big hands found a breast, and she pushed against his palm.

He smiled as he teased her already hardening nipple into a rigid peak. Rolling her backward, his mouth broke away from hers. He grinned at her little moan of protest then his mouth covered a nipple through the linen of her shirt.

Becca gasped as his mouth teased and suckled her breast. So this is what I’ve been missing, a small part of her brain complained. Her hands remained wrapped in his soft hair, and she squirmed against his hipbone when another part of her body demanded equal attention. As his mouth worked on her breast, his now free hand traveled languidly down her ribs, across her hip and down between her legs. Becca moaned again and pushed against his hand.

Ciaran wished she wore a gown, for she’d have been free and open to him at that moment. While the trews she wore left little of her curves to the imagination, the leather created a formidable barrier between them. Despite the trews, his thumb still found the tiny nub guarding her womanly entrance, and he teased it. Becca clamped her legs around his hand. Ciaran groaned. Ah, to have those lovely legs wrapped around him as he pushed into her hot depths. He didn’t think it possible, but he grew harder and thicker with the thought.

He rolled on top of her and groaned again, only this time from pain not passion. Becca immediately pushed him off and away. She sat up and checked the bandage on his hip. Despite the pain he was in, Ciaran grinned at her. Her lips were swollen, her skin flushed. A wet stain surrounded her still taut nipple, and its rosy bud was visible. He was the one who evoked that passion within her. He was the one who would one day soon make her his.

“You’ll pull out the stitches,” she chided as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.

“Stitches?” he asked. “An’ what have yee done, cailín? Have yee sewn me up like a fine, linen shirt?”

“Something like that,” Becca replied distractedly as her fingers tenderly checked his wound. “Ciaran, you almost died,” she scolded, at last satisfied he had done no damage. “You still could. I won’t take a chance with your life.”

He grabbed her hand and placed it around his thick shaft. “What of my boidín?” he asked with a wicked grin. “His life is in danger as well.”

For a long moment, Becca savored the feel of his erection—satin smoothness over steel, a hard ridge running up the underside and a flap of soft skin covering the tip. The muscles between her legs constricted, and she felt a gush of wet heat. She bent her head to taste him, her tongue caressing his swollen tip then swirling around the top of his shaft. His hips thrust helplessly at her, and she opened her lips to take him into her mouth.

Ciaran’s hands fisted in her hair, and he dragged her head up. “Nay, cailín,” he whispered, his voice husky with barely controlled lust. “Not until I can finish by burying myself deep within you.” He pulled her up and kissed her hard, his tongue sweeping in and out of her mouth in a preview of what the rest of him would do to her once he healed.

“You could at least wait until you get the cailín home and in a proper bed before you go about tupping her,” Riordan groused, poking his head through the tent flap.

****
Available now from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com. and barnesandnoble.com: FAERIE FATE by Silver James


It's me, Alannah, again. Silver, I'm so glad that I met you what seems like forever ago. As we all know, this is a tough business. It can leave you feeling like a total failure one day and on top of the world the next. Everything seems to happen at a grindingly (LOL..is that a word) slow pace and it can be so frustrating.

Having friends like you, Paula, Liza, Janet, Cara and Lu makes it all worthwhile. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. My absolute favorite thing about this "job" is the interaction with other writers and especially the readers.

Thanks for being here today and let me know when you get that $72,000 royalty check!!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Didn't We Just Do This?

We're back to Duke today for a follow-up appointment. This one is the regular 2-month checkup, complete with MRI. He had the MRI yesterday and we've already heard from the local doctor that everything looks great so that's fantastic news!

It'll just be a standard trip to Duke:

Leave at 6:30...AM (ugh)
Drive 2 hours
Wait ? hours (this varies anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours)
Have lunch with Son #1 (the highlight of the trip)
Drive 2 hours home
Sleep for 2 hours to recover from the stress of the trip.

I'm sure he'll have to go back in June again, but after that, it should be every 3 months instead of every 2 months. That doesn't seem like much of a difference, but it cuts the trips down to 4 times a year instead of 6. YAY!!!

Sorry I didn't have time to get an iPod playlist together, I'll do better next week. Promise!

Be sure and stop by tomorrow for our first guest blogger appearance. She's a regular commenter here and her blog is guaranteed to make you say, "Awwww... That is so cool!"

Have a great day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Special Announcement from TWRP

Since everyone here is an avid reader, I wanted to post this message for everyone to see. If I wasn't trying to focus so hard on my writing, I'd do this in a heartbeat! I kick-ass at proof-reading. LOL It was always my job at the advertising agency. I guess that's why my inner critique is such a bitch to deal with. Anyway....here's what The Wild Rose Press is looking for....


Along with our Preliminary Readers who read manuscripts to help in the decision process of whether a manuscript should be contracted, at the other end of the process we have Final Readers.

We've all read that book where we find a mistake and think "oh oh" someone didn't catch that. This is what this department is supposed to catch.

These readers take a complete, final manuscript that is ready to be published and they read it for any glaring mistakes. They are NOT copy editors, it has already been through copy editing, these readers are simply doing a final read to ensure nothing glaring was missed. Some mistakes they might catch would be a dropped quote or a situation where the heroine has green eyes in chapter one and blue in chapter five. Simple catches, nothing big.

It doesn't require anything special in terms of skill other than the love of reading.

These readers are paid the same as preliminary readers, with a point system. If you have questions or concerns or are interested or have someone who is interested, please contact Spencer Glenn at spencer@thewildrosepress.com.

Please put FINAL READER in the subject line so she can sort accordingly.

Thank you.

Rhonda

OK....here's a second e-mail from her that has more clarification. Umm....I don't think Paula is going to like this. LOL There's no paper involved! :)

At The Wild Rose Press we have a department that is dedicated to reading manuscripts. This group of volunteers is an important part of our selection process. But is definitely NOT the only basis on which we decide whether a manuscript lives or dies.

When a manuscript comes in the door and an editor finds it promising, she will send it to the reading department to get two other opinions on it. The reader reads the manuscript and fills out a questionnaire/opinion page and sends it back. The editor uses this information to help in her decision process. If she thinks the manuscript is strong enough for a contract, she will then use those reader sheets to help her "sell" the story to her Senior Editor for a contract. IF the readers hate the story, then she will use their thoughts to help craft her rejection letter and offer opinions/suggestions to the author. This way a manuscript that is fairly strong gets a good solid 3 sets of eyes on it.

Readers are not paid. They are volunteers but they do earn points for every manuscript or partial manuscript they read and these points are redeemed for a variety of items such as amazon.com gift certificates, TWRP promo items, free books, etc.

If you feel you or anyone you know would be able to help us out and join this preliminary reading team, please contact Spencer Glenn directly. Spencer can be reached at spencer@thewildrosepress.com. Please put Preliminary Reader in the subject line.

While there is usually a timeline of 10 days on a full manuscript, there is no other pressure to take on more than you feel you can read at one time.

I should note that all of this is done via the computer. No hard copy is sent anywhere. You will receive the manuscript through email and send it back the same way.

If you or anyone you know loves to read and would like to be part of our garden, please contact Spencer and help us out. You do not have to be a writer for us to do this. In fact you don't have to be a writer at all, if you know someone who simply loves to read, this is a great chance for them to pick up some free romance reading.

Spencer can answer any questions you might have as well, but I am always here if you need to come to me.

Thank you.

Rhonda Penders

Hump Day Humor....

Larry gets home late one night and, Jill, his wife says, 'Where in the hell have you been?'

Larry replies, 'I was out getting a tattoo."

'A tattoo?' she frowned. 'What kind of tattoo did you get?'

'I got a hundred dollar bill on my privates", he said proudly..

'What the hell were you thinking?!" she said, shaking her head in disgust. 'Why on earth would you get a hundred dollar bill tattooed on your privates?'

"Well, One, I like to watch my money grow. Two, once in a while I like to play with my money. Three, I like how money feels in my hand. And, lastly, instead of you going out shopping, you can stay right here at home and blow a hundred bucks anytime you want."


OK...I wonder if this guy is still alive?! LOL

Have a great hump day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Food for Thought...

"It's the little things you do that can make a big difference. What are you attempting to accomplish? What little thing can you do today that will make you more effective? You are probably only one step away from greatness."

Bob Proctor

Have a wonderful day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

My iPod - Island Style

Okay, so it's not exactly island style, it's more like beach style. But going to "The Islands" sounds even better than going to the beach. And going to the beach sounds pretty darn good!

Hubby and I are taking a little get-away this weekend and in honor of our trip to Myrtle Beach I thought I'd pick a few songs from my iPod that are great beach music.

No beach trip would be complete without a little Jimmy Buffet...


I have the "Island Steel Drum Collection 4." Not sure what happened to Collections 1 - 3.


And while Colbie Callait isn't necessarily beach music, her music has a beach flavor (at least to me) so I'm including it in here too.



Of course, the 80's are going hasta la vista, baby and it's only going to be in the 60's. But I don't care. A rainy day at the beach is better than a sunny day at home! :)

Be sure and stop by tomorrow for Silver's Fairie Fate release party!!!

I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have this weekend, but I'll try to stop by this afternoon and again tomorrow - don't want to miss the hunks!! hehe

Have a great day!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Two 90-year-old women, Rose and Barb had been friends all of their lives.

When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day.

One day Barb said, 'Rose, we both loved playing women's softball all our lives, and we played all through High School. Please do me one favor: when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's women's softball there.'

Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said , 'Barb, you've been my best friend for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favor for you.'

Shortly after that, Rose passed on.

A few nights later, Barb was awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to her, 'Barb, Barb.'

'Who is it?', asked Barb, sitting up suddenly. 'Who is it?'

'Barb -- it's me, Rose.'

'You're not Rose. Rose just died.'

'I'm telling you, it's me, Rose,' insisted the voice.

'Rose! Where are you?'

'In Heaven,' replied Rose. 'I have some really good news and a little bad news.'

'Tell me the good news first,' said Barb.

'The good news,' Rose said, 'is that there's softball in Heaven. Better yet all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we're all young again. Better still, it's always springtime, and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play softball all we want, and we never get tired.'

'That's fantastic,' said Barb. 'It's beyond my wildest dreams! So what's the bad news?'

'You're pitching Tuesday.'

Life is uncertain - eat dessert first.

Happy Hump Day!!
Peace and love,
Alannah

Food for Thought...

"The world is full of abundance and opportunity, but far too many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car, a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little and as a result they get little."

Ben Sweetland
Author of I Will

Peace and love,
Alannah

What I'm Reading....

I'm reading something a little different than the norm. Harlan Coben doesn't write romance, but he writes awesome stories! The first two books of his that I "read" were actually audiobooks that kidlet and I listened to while we were driving to Ohio. We were both totally into the books and the drive time flew by! Now, I'm reading a novel of his called, "Tell No One."

Here's the cover and blurb from his website:


TELL NO ONE is a story of loss and redemption. It begins innocently enough. Dr. David Beck and his beloved wife, Elizabeth, are celebrating the anniversary of their first kiss in the quiet of Lake Charmaine. They grew up together, first kissed at age twelve, and now, twenty-five years old and married less than a year, they return for an idyllic weekend away.

Tragedy shatters their solitude. Elizabeth is abducted and murdered, her body found in a ditch. Her killer is caught and brought to justice. But for David Beck, there can be no closure. Eight years pass. He never gets over Elizabeth's murder. He loses himself in his work as an inner city pediatrician.

But everything changes on the eighth anniversary of Elizabeth's death. Two unidentified bodies are found at Lake Charmaine, unearthed years after their deaths. But even more disturbing, Beck gets a bizarre email that mentions a specific phrase - a phrase known only to him and Elizabeth. The email also tells him to click a hyperlink the next day at a specific hour - “kiss time” - 6:15PM.



His books are fast paced and always have surprise twists and turns. I'm going to the library tomorrow to see if they have any others in audio format so we can listen to them while we're driving to Ohio on Sunday.

If you like mystery/thrillers, I strongly recommend Harlan Coben!!

Have a wonderful week and a happy Easter!!!
Peace and love,
Alannah