New Mika

I love when my favorite artists have new music.

Talk About You is Mika's latest single, and is hopefully part of a new album, that we will hopefully be getting later this year.

I love shiny happy pop music, and this song is just that. It is the type of song that you can't help but smile while you are listening to it.

The only other song that makes me want to get up and dance as much as this one, is Walk The Moon's Shut Up And Dance.


 

Goddess Fish Promotions Virtual Tour Book Review: Contract To Wed

Contract to Wed

by Holly Bush

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

1891 . . . Jolene Crawford Crenshaw, heiress and Boston socialite, went from her family home directly to Landonmore upon her marriage, the mansion she shared with her handsome and charismatic husband. She’d never in her life worried in the slightest over anything as crass as the dollars required to maintain that home or the lifestyle she’d been born to. Her extensive yearly wardrobe, the stables and the prime horseflesh within it, even the solid silver forks and knifes that graced her table, were expected and required to maintain the social standing that she’d cultivated over the years. But suddenly she was a widow with little money and just her pride and her secrets to keep her upright.

Max Shelby made his fortune in oil wells and cattle, but lost the love of his life the day his wife died. Now, his happy, carefree daughter needs instruction and guidance as she grows into a young lady and his dream of becoming a Senator from his adopted state of Texas seems out of reach with few political or social connections. The right wife would solve both problems. As it happens, his sister knows of a woman, a recent widow, charming, beautiful and socially astute, but in reduced circumstances, who may want to begin again. Max signed the wedding contract sight unseen.

Will Jolene be able to shed her sorrows, anger and fears to begin anew away from the censure and hidden tragedy that marred her life? Is her new husband, confident, strong and capable Max Shelby, the man, the only man, to see past her masks to find the woman beneath?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

“Thank you for coming to see me this morning, Jolene,” Calvin Billings said as he assisted her into the red leather chair across from his desk.

“The reading of the will, I understand, is not until Wednesday morning,” Jolene replied and straightened the folds of her black silk skirt. “I’m curious to hear what prompted this meeting.”

“I’m not sure I should have asked you here to tell you what I’m going to tell you,” Calvin said as he shook his head. “Turner’s will was very specific.”

Jolene shrugged. “Don’t put yourself out for me, Calvin.”

The attorney was silent a long moment and then leaned forward. “I wanted to talk to you about some of the details of Turner’s will before Wednesday’s meeting so that you can process it privately, rather than in a room full of people.”

“What details?”

Billings sorted through papers laid out before him on his massive gleaming desktop. He settled on one and looked at Jolene over the tops of his glasses. “The bulk of Turner’s estate will be settled on one, Jillian Crawford Shelling currently residing with your sister in South Dakota.”

“I don’t understand,” Jolene said.

“A little over fifty million dollars will be set aside in an estate for Miss Shelling, overseen by myself and her step-father, Jake Shelling, as executers. Various charities will receive an amount totaling nearly one million dollars. Family members, including Turner’s mother, brother, nephews, and your sister Jennifer, have been gifted annual annuities. In addition, his mother’s home expenses will be taken care of for as long as she lives. A few servants and his secretary have been given lump sums ranging from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars.”

Jolene stared at her gloved hands lying in her lap. She picked at a stray thread in the crocheting and thought she’d have to correct Alice for handing these particular gloves to her to wear. But perhaps she’d best let Alice alone on this error. Perhaps she’d best contemplate what Calvin had just said. She looked up at him.

“He has gifted our fortune, my fortune as well, to Jillian? Did he not understand that he would have still been a clerk in my father’s bank had he not married me? Did he forget what I did for him? He would have been nothing without me. I made him!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review:  I'm a sucker for a good historical romance. Usually my setting of preference is Regency England, but I do love stories that involve marriages of convenience/mail order brides.

Jolene isn't a mail order bride, but her second marriage is a sort of arranged one. She's also not a character that you really like from the get go. She's stuck up and snobby and a little bit unpleasant. As the story progresses you see her change and grow.

Max is a widower with a daughter that needs refining and he has political aspirations. There really couldn't be a more perfect hero for a story like this.

The growth of their relationship will bring you smiles and maybe a few tears. Ok, a lot of tears near the end.

The focus of the book is on Jolene. There are a lot of issue with her and her family, as well as her first husband and his family. She inspires a lot of emotions from the reader, pity, anger and finally pride in the way she's changed. Considering the way she was treated by her family, it is amazing that she was able to change as much as she did.

This book is the second in the Crawford family series, and I can't wait to go back and read the first book.

Rating:  5 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Holly Bush writes historical romance set on the American Prairie, in Victorian England, and recently released her first Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com and on Twitter @hollybushbooks and on Facebook at Holly Bush.

www.hollybushbooks.com

Twitter - @hollybushbooks

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Holly-Bush/247399131941435

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D381HR6/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

Amazon Pre-Order Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Contract-Wed-Prairie-Romance-Crawford-ebook/dp/B00RASQZ6S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419214775&sr=1-1

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Coach Is Coming Back

First there was news that The X Files were coming back. (The sci-fi geek that I am, squeed in delight at that one)

Today we learned that Craig T. Nelson is going to reprise his role as Coach for NBC.

I'm amused but kind of bummed that its looking like other cast members won't be returning, particularly Shelly Fabares, who played his wife.


Granted, it would be nice of the writers in Hollywood would come up with something new, I'm not going to complain when we get to see actors that are good, returning to a role that they wee really good at playing

Here's hoping the new version of Coach lives up to expectations.

Goddess Fish Promotions Book Promo & Review: New York Minute

New York Minute

by Melinda Dozier

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Shy accountant Veronica Bass is determined to live it up a little before settling down with a perfectly respectable man to live a perfectly respectable life, just the way her mother wants.

So when rock star Diego Diaz flashes his bedroom eyes at her during a wedding reception, Veronica swallows her shyness and leads him to the nearest hotel room. Now this total sex god keeps popping up in her life, and she finds herself telling some not-so-little white lies to keep him interested.

Diego’s world evolves around music, women throwing themselves at him, and having fun. His lifestyle hasn’t allowed him to find the right girl to settle down with until now, but his own secret stands in the way of forming a lasting relationship with Veronica.

Is their love destined to last for only a New York minute?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt :

He removed the key out of his pocket. “Room 707.”

She stopped in her tracks and blinked at him. “Really? It’s a palindrome.”

“What’s that?”

“When numbers read the same forward and backward.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him across the gold, diamond-patterned carpet to the door. “Want to know something else?”

He supported his shoulder against the door jam and smiled at her. He liked that she became talkative about random things—not his career, his life or the other crap women tried to get out of him. “Of course.”

“I kind of have a fascination with the number seven. It follows me everywhere.”

“Lucky sign?”

She inserted his key into the slot and opened the hotel room door. “Come in and find out.” She walked in backward, pulling him in by the tie. A thoughtful smile curved her mouth, those damn red lips taunting him. He still hadn’t even kissed this woman.

The door slowly closed behind them and he walked her toward the huge king-size bed behind them until she perched on the edge of the mattress. For a second, anxiety crossed her face, her gaze avoiding him.

Okay, he’d take it slow. “Let’s find some drinks.”

He pulled out three mini-bottles of hard liquor from the mini-fridge and held them up. “You won’t believe what I found.”

She lifted a sexy eyebrow in response.

“Jack Daniels … Old Number 7.”

“See what I mean? Number seven and I are old friends.” Before he could open the bottles, Vero was in front of him, her long, dark hair out of the ponytail, curled around her shoulders.

She pushed him against the armoire, opened his jacket, and her hands roamed over his dress shirt. Her long fingers trembled, and it reassured him that she didn’t always do this. Her words said one thing, but her actions conveyed another. She was a novice at seduction. He loved her hesitant yet obvious desire to lure him in.

He bent down the few inches to touch her lips with his. A lightning bolt of energy shot through his body. Her body was like heaven, her lips soft, pliable, accepting and eager. His heart beat faster and he hardened even more than he thought possible. Damn, it’d been too long.

He grabbed her waist, the curve of her hips under his fingers, and pushed her against the desk next to them. When her lips opened, he delved deeper with his tongue. She still tasted of whiskey and a whole other unique flavor. It turned him on more to know she had a taste that was all hers—and his for the night.

Her voice quavered when he pulled back. “I hope I’m doing this right.”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s perfect.” Again, her uncertainty was a clear indication of who she truly was. She didn’t seduce him to get in the limelight. She wanted him for him, just as badly as he wanted her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review:  This is a short review, because this this is  a short sweet and spicy book.  Veronica and Diego are quite a couple. They start as one night stand and then meet again at a speed dating thingie.

Diego is a rock star and Veronica is anything but. I think that's what makes this such a wonderful story. I mean who doesn't dream of hooking up and then falling for a rock star? Granted Diego isn't my type. I don't usually go for the tattooed type, but you can't help but love him. He's a hot hot Latin lover.

This book reminds us to be ourselves, because Veronica wasn't and that caused a few glitches between her and her Latin Hottie! I actually felt a little bit sorry for her, because she felt she had to be someone else to get Diego to like her, even though that wasn't the case.

Oh and this book gets props for have the best date scene ever, at FAO Schwarz! If that scene doesn't tug at your heart strings, I don't know what will!

This is a great afternoon read!

Rating: 5 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author Bio:

Melinda Dozier is a multi-published contemporary romance author represented by Blue Ridge Literary Agency. After hectic days of teaching English to middle school students, Melinda finds time to write and read in the evenings.  She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her husband/college sweetheart who brings "mucho amor" to her life. Melinda enjoys being the queen of her household and dreams of being pampered fully by her three boys once they are grown. Melinda's guilty pleasures include reality TV, traveling, blogging and playing Zynga games.

Author Links:

Website: www.melindadozier.com

Blog: http://melindadozier.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/melindadozier

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/melindadoz

Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/vRwpL

Street Team – Melinda’s Misfits: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MelindasMisfits/

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Movie Review: The Boxtrolls

The Boxtrolls is a wonderful family film.

I'm a sucker for all things animated, well besides Frozen, and this film didn't disappoint.

At times it is a little bit dark, but most fairy tales are too. I loved the Boxtrolls, especially Fish. These are probably some of the cutest monsters I've ever seen.

Then there's Eggs. He's a boy, who was raised by the Boxtrolls. His existence is really why the Red Hat man wants to exterminate the all the boxtrolls. (I had to giggle at this because it reminded me of Doctor Who's Daleks).

What some of the older viewers might notice is how much the boy, Eggs, looks like a young George Harrison. Maybe, its just me, but that's who the character reminds me of.

The film has a really strong message too. The "not all things that look different are bad." There are a lot of people that could improve themselves by watching this film and heeding its message.

The other hilarious thing about this film is the adults obsession with cheese. The town the story is set in is called Cheeseridge and its mayor is Lord Portly-Rind.  His club The White Hats, enjoys a good cheese tasting. His daughter, Winnie, befriends Eggs and the two have to save the boxtrolls from Archabald Snatcher and his henchmen.

The characters are really quirky and even the bad guys are endearing. You had to feel a little bit sorry for Archabald, because he so wanted to be a member of the upper crust, even though cheese just didn't agree with him. (You have to see the movie to understand all of it)

The other thing that makes this movie so splendid is the closing song, Little Boxes performed by Loch Lomond.

This movie is a must see!

RIP Terry Pratchett

Today the world lost a wonderful writer.

Terry Pratchett was one of those writers whose stories you could really get lost in.

I was introduced to Discworld when I was in college. I wasn't a big Sci-fi or Fantasy reader, but Pratchett's style hooked me.

I loved Discworld and I still do. The characters feel like old friends to me.

I was so amused when several of his books were made into films in the UK.  I adored Going Postal, which starred my favorite actor, Richard Coyle.

I credit Terry Pratchett for getting me to read out of my comfort zone, which has always been romance and chicklit.

He was a wonderful writer and fantastic storyteller and he will definitely be missed.