S.C. Stephens – Thoughtful

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This is part of the Thoughtless Series.  In terms of the story line it parallels the the first novel, Thoughtless, but is told from Kellan’s point of view.

Loved Thoughtless?  You absolutely MUST read Thoughtful!  This is not some regurgitation of Thoughtless with a simple change of POV.  It is a completely different emotional ride.  A very intense ride.   My heart was breaking for 545 pages.  S.C. Stephens makes you feel Kellan’s pain.  It is everything you were dying to know while you read Thoughtless.  Kellan is a very guarded character, so while he speaks certain words, he thinks many other things.  It is these other feelings and emotions that are shared in Thoughtful.  Yes, he is a “moody artist” and his “moods” are described in an amazingly articulate and heart wrenching manner.  It is a roller coaster of emotions as Kellan is brought to feel hope, happiness, and love but then the rug is pulled out from under him and is left falling into a deep pit of despair.  I honestly felt it in my stomach as if I were falling, too.

This is a love triangle story like no other.  If you only have time to read one romance book this year, this is the one to read.

Check out my other posts about the Thoughtless Series:

S.C. Stephens – Thoughtless

S.C. Stephens – Effortless

S.C. Stephens – Reckless

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to S.C. Stephens!

Peanut Butter Fudge

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Fudge is a deceptive dessert.  It doesn’t look very special – simply cut into cubes of some sort.  You can’t always tell whether it is soft or hard by just looking at it.  But when it is perfectly smooth and the balance of flavor and sugar is ideal, fudge is heavenly.  Tonight, it turned out superb.  (Which was a good thing, because last week’s fudge was a disaster)  Whether the fudge is yummy or nah, baking with my daughter is a heartwarming occasion.

Harlequin Blaze August 2013 Bundle

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Book 1 – The Heart Won’t Lie by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Here, the main character is an author of westerns with romance.  This is a perfect set-up for a story because if he can write romance then he should be great in bed.  (Tee Hee!)  In fact, Michael ends up being so motivated from his relationship with Keri, he writes an additional heated love scene.  The chemistry between the characters works well because of the threads of commonalities that they share and the direction that their lives are moving.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Vicki Lewis Thompson!

Book 2 – To the Limit by Jo Leigh

This is a great story to read if you ever had a Top Gun, Tom Cruise fantasy.  Does it get any better than a fighter pilot?  Answer, yes it does.  A fighter pilot that has wanted a girl for years and is grounded from flying due to an eye injury.  That’s a whole lot of frustration and energy to get out between the sheets.  The ultimate question is what is the measure of love: what are you willing to give up for it?

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Jo Leigh!

Book 3 – Half-Hitched by Isabel Sharpe

Love is in the air at a friend’s wedding.  Two friends each find the person they’re meant to be with.  You know it is hot, when after having sex a number of times, one couple realizes that they have never been together in an actual bed.  Sometimes loves comes at you quickly and knocks you over the head.  Other times it takes years.  Both, can be just as real and astounding.  All relationships can be risky.  If you really love someone, then they are worth the risk.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Isabel Sharpe!

Book 4 – Taking Him Down by Meg Maguire

Imagine a perfectly sculpted champion MMA fighter with sweat pouring over his tan latin skin.  Now, imagine that same man with a heart so big that he puts his family, mom and sister, first.  He’s sexy and has his priorities in order.  Absolutely HOT!

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Meg Maguire!

Fiction Fan Friday 2/27/15

Pinterest Book Boyfriend Boards

Great romance authors make the reader fall in love with the characters. The descriptions of their build, the way in which they speak, and their prowess in bed electrify the characters and make them hot and desirable. I love to re-read the best of the best, but sometimes there isn’t enough time. Enjoy these pinterest boards that celebrate some of the most titillating characters and combine both provocative images and amazing quotes.

All the men of the Sea Breeze Series by Abbi Glines 

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/billanddallas/sea-breeze-series-by-abbi-glines/

Kellan Kyle in Thoughtless Series by S.C. Stephens

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/wallinmt/thoughtless-kellen-kyle/

Drew Evans in Tangled Series by Emma Chase

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mariskabell/emma-chase-%7E-tangledtwistedtied/

Remy by Katy Evans

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lilyslibrary/real-mine-remy-by-katie-evans/

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/beckybookworm/travis-mad-dog-maddox-3/

Nanaimo Bars – A Canadian Dessert

Naniamo Bars

I first found this recipe during the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Columbia.  Oddly enough, I had a recent request to make the bars again. They are a great textual blend of sweets.  The base is a mix of graham, chocolate, coconut, pecans and sugar.  It is dense and a bit nutty.  The middle layer offers a smooth creamy vanilla compliment.  It is then topped off with a thin layer of chocolate.  If cut into bite size portions, one can enjoy all the flavors at once.

S.C. Stephens – Reckless

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This is the 3rd book in the Thoughtless Series

If it is true that you need bad days in order to truly appreciate the good days, then that explains why this book takes the reader on a gut-wrenching emotional ride.  STOP reading here – SPOILERS ahead.  Usually, I can avoid including spoilers but this book makes me want to share everything and I can’t hold back.  Kiera and Kellan continue their epic love affair, but their love continues to get tested.  There is no doubt that their love is strong and that they are completely faithful to each other.  However, as Kiera’s mom had once pointed out – is Kiera strong enough to be the woman for Kellan?  As much I seem to get engrossed in romance novels, I’m not one to cry at weddings.  However, Kiera and Kellan’s was my one exception.  Their vows to each other were beautiful.  Then afterwards, Denny apologizes to Kiera, “For the record, I always thought you were gorgeous.  I’m sorry if I didn’t make you feel that way.”

The second best part of the book was the Griffin transformation.  The story between Anna and Griffin is always colorful and fun.  The birth of their daughter, Gibson (coolest name), brings out a whole new side in Griffin.  Happy Birthday Gibson

(I originally baked this cake in the shape of a Gibson Workhorse for a friend, but it would definitely be perfect for Anna and Griffin’s daughter)

Finally, S.C. Stephens ties up all the relationships, which culminates in an awesome happily-ever-after.  Ultimately, her last line in the novel was perfect, “Passion, friendship, love, loyalty, trust . . . if you found the right person . . . you really could have it all.”

THE BEST PART – THOUGHTFUL comes out February 24, 2015 – can’t wait to hear Kellan’s POV.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to S.C. Stephens! 

Warm Cookies or Cookie Dough?

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 9.31.45 PMScreen Shot 2015-02-21 at 9.30.24 PMWhich do you prefer: warm chocolate chip cookies or chocolate chip cookie dough?  It is an even split in my house; two prefer the dough and two prefer the warm cookies.  In order to appease all the members of family, I baked one tray of cookies and placed cookie size portions of cookie dough in a sealed container in the freezer.  That way my cookie-dough eating daughter can grab a chunk of cookie dough when she so chooses.  And, I can pop a tray of dough in the oven when the males in the house want some warm and gooey chocolate chip cookies but I don’t have time to whip up a new batch.  Hopefully, when I dig in the freezer, I won’t find an almost empty container of cookie dough. 🙂

If you are a fan of cookie dough, my daughter found the following cookbook. These recipes do not use eggs.  So, you don’t have to worry about any bacteria issues.

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Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Lindsay Landis!

See my other posts with desserts from this book:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Triple Cookie Dough Cheesecake

I probably love cookie dough as much I do romance books.  In Mystery Man (Book #1 Dream Man Series by Kristen Ashley) the main character, Gwen, is a fan of cookie dough, too.  Hawk, Gwen’s fat-free-eating perfectly sculpted boyfriend, loves Gwen’s cookie dough curves.

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Kristen Ashley is a fabulous author; I recommend both her Chaos Series and Dream Man series.

Chaos: Own The Wind

Tough biker dudes were a bit hard to warm up to, but once I did – oh my my.  A great exploration of balancing of whether you can like someone in spite of their faults.  Now that I’ve developed a greater understanding of the biker world – can’t wait to read more of Kristen Ashley’s books.

Dream Man: Mystery Man, Wild Man, Law Man, Motorcycle Man

Badass Commando, sexy DEA Agent, honorable police officer, and righteous biker make for some hot tales.  It is very difficult for me to decide which highly protective character should win the most desirable.  However, in Wild Man, Brock’s appreciation for Tessa’s cupcakes (not a euphemism) earns him my vote. Gotta love a guy that has a sweet tooth and an amazing body.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Kristen Ashely!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

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Chocolate and Peanut Butter is almost always a good thing.  These are definitely good-to-eat treats.  But what in the world is a buckeye?

Buckeye

Just what exactly is a buckeye and why is it Ohio State’s mascot?

“In preparation for Monday night’s national championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks(more on that in another story), it seems appropriate to clear the confusion up.

According to The Ohio State University’s athletics department website, a buckeye is “a small, shiny, dark brown nut with a light tan patch that comes from the official state tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree.”

According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck. It has been the official Ohio State nickname since 1950, the website says, but it had been in common use for many years before that.”

See the full article at

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/what_exactly_is_a_buckeye_and.html

Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.comBy Cheryl Wray | cwray@al.com 

Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on January 12, 2015 at 5:45 AM, updated January 12, 2015 at 9:06 AM

Fiction Fan Friday 2/20/15

Pinterest Book Boyfriend Boards

Great romance authors make the reader fall in love with the characters. The descriptions of their build, the way in which they speak, and their prowess in bed electrify the characters and make them hot and desirable. I love to re-read the best of the best, but sometimes there isn’t enough time. Enjoy these pinterest boards that celebrate some of the most titillating characters and combine both provocative images and amazing quotes.

Kellan Kyle in Thoughtless Series by S.C. Stephens

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/wallinmt/thoughtless-kellen-kyle/

Drew Evans in Tangled Series by Emma Chase

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mariskabell/emma-chase-%7E-tangledtwistedtied/

Remy by Katy Evans

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lilyslibrary/real-mine-remy-by-katie-evans/

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/beckybookworm/travis-mad-dog-maddox-3/

Jaci Burton – Quarterback Draw

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As a fan of the Play-by-Play Series, this one is a win.  Katrina is a supermodel, which initially made me not like her.  But, she is admits to having read a great deal of erotica – that I can relate to.  Grant is a man with the right priorities.  “He wanted to make her come again.  And again.  Until she wanted no one else but him.”  Katrina and Grant are a hot pair and their steamy scenes will make you sweat, too.

The balance between family and romance is what makes this series particularly outstanding.  In addition, being a native of St. Louis, I appreciate how well Jaci Burton incorporated elements of the city.  Her description of the heat reminded me of how brutal the humidity in St. Louis can be in the summer.  Also, she nailed it with the scene at the Jewel Box – it is an amazing place for wedding photos.

As a side note, I conducted a poll conducted last month: Quarterback Draw won for Favorite Jaci Burton Play-by-Play Cover.  See all the results at:

Results of Favorite Jaci Burton Play by Play Cover

Check out all the drool-worthy covers at my original poll post:

Which is your favorite Jaci Burton Play by Play Cover?

I cannot get enough of this series!  My life comes to a halt when I bring one of these books home.  Ripped sports guys that have depth, too.  The characters are amazing and I adore how the characters from all the books are intertwined.  I’ll be racing faster than Gray Preston, in One Sweet Ride, to get the next in the series.  “All Wound Up” is set to be released in August 2015.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM to Jaci Burton!