Contest Winner: Flashback by Jill Shalvis

One lucky reader has won a copy of Jill Shalvis' latest Blaze, Flashback. Click on the cut to find out who... Read more

Tags: 2008, August 2008, Contest, Contest Winner, Flashback, Harlequin Blaze, Jill Shalvis

Blazen Hot August Excerpt: Flashback by Jill Shalvis–CONTEST CLOSED!

Firefighters and reunited lovers...Sounds good to me! Jill Shalvis' Flashback was released this month. Read on for an excerpt and a chance to win (yes, WIN) a copy. And don't forget to visit Jill's blog. It's very funny.

Firefighter Aidan Donnelly has always battled the flames with trademark icy calm. That is, until a blazing old flame returns—in the shape of sizzling soap star Mackenzie Stafford! Aidan wants to pour water over the unquenchable heat between them. But that just creates more steam….

Kenzie is not the delicate, fragile female she looks like. She has one clear objective, and nothing will stand in the way of her goal—well, nothing but the red-hot touch of a certain dangerously sexy fireman, that is!

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Tags: 2008, August 2008, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Excerpt, Flashback, Harlequin Blaze, Jill Shalvis, Quacking About, Romance

REVIEW: Flashpoint by Jill Shalvis

Sandy M's review of Flashpoint (American Heroes: The Firefighters, Book1) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Blaze 1 Jul 08

Going up in flames.  Burning up.  Light your fire.  Sizzling.  Hot, hot, hot.   Jill Shalvis makes you feel every one of these and then some with her American Heroes series, The Firefighters.  Of course, a lot of great adjectives can also be used to described these books.  Sexy, sensual, lusty, handsome.  You get the idea. Read more

Tags: 2008, American Heroes, Contemporary Romance, Flashpoint, Grade A, Harlequin Blaze, Jill Shalvis, July 2008, Review, Sandy M, The Firefighters series

And I’m Still Pissed Off!

Ever have one of those days when nothing, not a damned thing, goes right and then to top it all off, something really stupid, irritating, outrageous and any other word you want to toss in there happens??  That happened to me just a few days ago. I was even relaxing at the time, trying to slough everything off and enjoy a good book while having dinner. And even though I pretty much laughed off the pinnacle of the bad day at the time, later I was just plain old ticked off. 

What could have happened you ask? Every time I turned around, it was something. First I had to wrap up a few books I was going to mail out to some friends. I love to share my pastime when I can.  But do you think I could find all of them on the first go-round of looking for them on the shelves, in the boxes, in the cupboards, or stacked on the desks and wherever else I have to stash them in this small townhouse? No. Of course not.  Why should something so darned easy be easy?  I go through every box before I find a couple of them, then through three cupboards to find a few more, a stack on the desk falls over when I go through those books.  I trip over the stupid flap of a box I left out the night before.  At least I didn't fall on my ass, but it ticks me off even further just because.  After a lot of cursing and muttering and yelling, I eventually found all the books, got them wrapped up and put in my nifty little American flag tote, and was finally ready to head out to do errands.  Now, in Central California in the middle of August, it gets hot.  Very hot.  Sunshine galore.  115 degrees in the shade hot. This doesn't bode well for running around doing errands.  You end up drenched and tired as all get-out when you're done, so you probably should have stayed home anyway.

Do ya think that even crossed my mind this particular day?   You guessed it.  And because I'm one who doesn't want to make two or three trips to the car in my detached garage here in the complex, I load myself and my handy-dandy rolling thingamajig up and lug everything I'm going to need in one all-inclusive trip.  It's only 10 a.m.  I'm already dripping just halfway to the garage.  But I get the car loaded and am ready to take off.  Then I remembered.  I forgot something.  In the house.  So I trudge all the way the back, continuing to mutter that string of swearing I had started earlier.  And adding a few extras for good measure.  At last I'm in the car and I crank the air conditioning to high.  Oh, that felt so goooooood!  So good that I decide to start with my errand that's furthest away, giving myself time to cool off and then later in the day when I'm finished with everything, I won't be too far from my nice air conditioned home.  A darned good plan if I do say so myself.  My optimism, which I haven't seen much of so far, is finally rising.  You know the old saying I spoke too soon?

I actually thought things were going well after I got on the road and got the first few errands under my belt.  Of course, if I was one to make a list of things I need to do I probably wouldn't forget one or two.  And drive right past where I need to be.  So I cussed a little more after realizing I missed a stop.  I heaved a big old sigh and decided to heck with it, I'll just do it next week.  By this time I expected my car to start smoking or just come to a chugging halt all together.  It was one of those types of days.  I hadn't yet had lunch, so I was hungry on top of the irritation, which didn't help one iota.  One more final decision.  Get the last couple of errands completed and then stop at my favorite Mexican place for my plate of taquitos to enjoy while I get back into Jill Shalvis' book, Flashpoint, the new Harlequin Blaze I got when I met her at the RWA conference in San Francisco.   I'd started it the night before, was really enjoying it, so figured this would be a nice way to end a really shitty day.  Or so I thought.

I ordered my taquitos, my diet Pepsi, had my bowl of chips and salsa at the table, which I was thoroughly enjoying.  Had my Shalvis propped open with my weighted bookmark (an absolute wonderful invention for readers!) and got lost in the story until my food came to the table.  A good book, good food in an air conditioned place away from home for a couple of hours.  Finally the day was coming to an enjoyable end.  Then I picked up my diet Pepsi.  You know what happened, dontcha?  I grabbed in the wrong spot, the lid wasn't on it tight, whatever the reason, the entire soda went all over everything.  Including me.  Including my autographed copy of Flashpoint.  Of course, that was the first thing I saved!  Forget my purse.  Forget the food.  I had to save my book.  But it was too late.  I could see the pages already warping, even though it was still wet.  I knew what it would look like later when it was dry.  So I took the towel the gal at the restaruant offered me, dried the cover of the book, dried the inside and outside of my purse, took everything to another table and waited for the new plate of food she kindly offered.  Then I started to laugh.  What else could I do?  I opened my wet book, continued to read about a handsome hero and his beautiful heroine, eventually enjoyed my taquitos, and that was the end of my lousy day from hell.  Thank god.

I've since finished Flashpoint.  Enjoyed it a lot.  Reviewed it and you'll see it here tomorrow.  My now crinkled copy of the book sits here next to me and sometimes I smile, sometimes I don't.  But it defintely reminds me how wrong things can go, whether you're ready for it or not.  What about you and that day you thought would never end?  Do you have any reminders that will suddenly bring it back and make you glad it's all over with and you hope to never see another day like it any time soon?  Or do you laugh instead?  Sometimes when I do happen to glance at my once-wet book, I get that irritated feeling at having lost it that way and I'm still pissed off!

Tags: 2008, Flashpoint, Jill Shalvis, Pondering, Sandy M

What a Week It Was!

Well, it's taken me a week to recuperate and get back into the swing of things since I got home from San Francisco.  Was it all worth it?  Damn straight!

I was supposed to be at the RWA National Conference as a writer.  I started writing only a year or so ago, so I was really looking forward to learning more about the craft.  But who was I trying to kid?  I was 99.9% reader in San Francisco.   I couldn't help myself.  Everywhere I looked were authors I'd been reading for years, authors who I just discovered, and even newer authors who I hadn't yet discovered while at the conference.   And the books!  You've all seen my TBR mountain.  You all know how bad my addiction is.  There was no way in hell anyone could have kept me away from the books in the city by the bay, no matter how they tried.  So while I did learn a little, I had a dream of a week just schmoozing and staring in awe the majority of the week. Read more

Tags: 2008, Bonnie Edwards, C.L. Wilson, Christina Dodd, Elizabeth Hoyt, Gena Showalter, Jennifer Ashley, Jill Shalvis, Jo Davis, Julia Quinn, Kathryn Smith, Kresley Cole, Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Lynda Sandoval, Marianne Stillings, Melissa Mayhue, Nancy Haddock, RWA, Sandy Blair, Shana Abe, Susan Crandall, Susan Edwards, Tracy Garrett

REVIEW: Strong and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Sandy M's review of Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Brava 1 Jan 08

I am having a great love affair with these Sky High Air men. They're handsome and know how to have fun. They're, of course, sexy. That goes without saying. But when they're going down for the count and falling in love, and they haven't realized it, they love and protect their lady with a greedy fierceness; and when they finally realize they are in love, well, you're a goner by that time. Read more

Tags: 2008, Brava, Contemporary Romance, Grade A, January 2008, Jill Shalvis, Review, Sandy M, Sky High Air series, Strong and Sexy

REVIEW: Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Liviania's review of Superb and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary romance released by Brava 1 Jun 08

Maddie Stone escaped her past. She cut her ties and made a good life for herself as a concierge for Sky High Air. I haven't read the rest of the Sky High Air series, but Shalvis introduces everything clearly so that there is no need for familiarity with the two preceding novels. While I liked both Maddie and Brody, Noah and Shayne did not make enough of an impression to cause me to immediately go back and read their stories. Read more

Tags: 2008, Brava, Contemporary Romance, Grade B, Jill Shalvis, June 2008, Liviania, Review, Sky High Air series, Superb and Sexy

Review: Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Limecello's review of Superb and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary romance published by Brava on 1 Jun 08
I have a confession to make. I’ve wanted to read Maddie and Brody’s story since I read Smart and Sexy in April, 2007. I actually found myself eagerly flipping through pages for more of Maddie and Brody’s witty repartee while reading Noah and Baileys story (which was enjoyable). So, I have good news for all of us – Maddie and Brody’s story is now out for all of us to savor. And I did.
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Tags: Brava, Contemporary Romance, Grade A, Jill Shalvis, June 2008, Limecello, Reviews, Sky High Air series, Superb and Sexy

Confessions of a Jill Shalvis’s Winner…

I know... five years later... sorry bout that

A Superb winner of free copy of any book from Jill Shalvis backlist (your choice)
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Tags: Contest Winner, Guest Post, Jill Shalvis, Superb and Sexy

Office Romance Confessions of Jill Shalvis *closed*

CONTEST will CLOSE @ 6/2/08 @ Midnight CST

Ever had an office romance? I really even hate to clarify what Brody and Maddie (in my just released SUPERB AND SEXY) have as an office romance. None of their story takes place in an office, but instead they’re on the run for most of the book. But technically, I suppose, he is her boss and she is his subordinate. (Read excerpts of Superb and Sexy here and here.)

Not that she is very subordinate. Nope, Maddie is one tough cookie... Read more

Tags: Excerpt, Firefighters, Jill Shalvis, May 2008, Office romance, Sky High Air series, Smart and Sexy, Superb and Sexy

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