Susanna Carr's Blog

An almost daily blog about reading, writing and romance fiction

Weekend Read: Sexy Silent Nights by Cara Summers

Posted on December 23, 2011

Jonah is a club owner and prefers to be in control of his surroundings. When he starts receiving mysterious and threatening letters, he reluctantly accepts a bodyguard, but he’s not going to play by their rules. However, the bodyguard turns out to be Cilla, a woman with whom he recently had a one-night stand!

Cilla is good at her job, but being close to Jonah is distracting. Sleeping with a client is forbidden. She has had bad experiences when the client thinks sex is part of her services, but she really wants to break the rules with Jonah. As Cilla and Jonah find themselves under attack and receiving death threats, the pressure is on to find the culprit.

I enjoyed how the author combined a suspenseful mystery with Christmas. Sexy Silent Nights is an unpredictable holiday read.

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Holiday Movies

Posted on December 22, 2011

Congratulations to Felicia P. and Lauren G. They won $25 Amazon.com gift cards that I was giving away in my e-newsletter. I had asked subscribers about their favorite holiday movie. Here are the top 5 (along with a summary from IMDb.com):

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947). When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he’s the real thing.

3. White Christmas (1954). A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.

4. A Christmas Story (1983). Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun is really the perfect gift for the 1940′s.

5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). The Griswold plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite holiday movie. For those who haven’t heard about my monthly e-newsletter, subscribers get up-to-the minute news, bonus content and exclusive contests. You can sign up here or at the footer of this page.

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Tiffany and Co.

Posted on December 20, 2011

I’m not a big fan of jewelry. I don’t wear it and I rarely notice it on other people. So why does the Tiffany and Co. advertisements make me pause? It’s because they really know how to create a romantic moment without saying a word!

 

And this one is my all-time favorite:

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Holiday Cookies

Posted on December 19, 2011

I’m not much of a baker. It’s always hit and miss with me. There are times when I’m feeling ambitious and try to bake a cake or cookies. I usually regret it once I make a mistake or the smoke alarm goes off. But there is one cookie recipe that I use every holiday season because friends and neighbors love it. It’s Paula Deen’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. They are as decadent as they sound but they are so easy because it uses a box cake mix!

Paula Deen’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies are my favorite to make for the holidays. What’s yours?

CONTEST

Question: What is your favorite holiday cookie?

Prize: a $10 Amazon.com e-mail gift card

Contest rules, guidelines and fine print can be found here. Contest ends Friday, December 23, 2011, midnight Pacific Time. I will choose a winner using random.org and contact the winner on Saturday.

Good luck!

*Update: Congratulations to CrystalGB. Her name was chosen using a random number generator and she receives the gift card. Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite holiday cookie!**

Posted in Win It | 11 Comments

Weekend Read: The Child Who Rescued Christmas by Jessica Matthews

Posted on December 16, 2011

Sara and Cole are happily married. There are a few challenges they face: Sara is struggling to conceive and Cole doesn’t share the same eagerness to start a family. But when they get
the news that Cole has a son they never knew about and they have to raise him, their
marriage is in jeopardy.

Sara can’t decide whether she should stay or go, and the child’s rejection of her doesn’t help matters. Cole has to face some deep-seated fears about his childhood. If he doesn’t, he can’t be the husband and father he needs to be.

The Child Who Rescued Christmas is a Harlequin Medical Romance with several emotional issues. While Cole and Sara are doctor and nurse, and there are some hospital scenes, the focus is less on the medical drama and more on saving the marriage.

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2012 releases

Posted on December 15, 2011

Next year I will have two books out. The first book is Suddenly Sexy. The best way I can
describe it is that this is what would happen if Miss Moneypenny decided to seduce 007 and discovered her inner Bond Girl. Suddenly Sexy is a Harlequin Blaze and it will be available in North America June 2012.

The second book is a Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern. It’s a sheikh romance with a Beauty and the Beast vibe. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it has a United Kingdom release in July 2012.

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Monday contest

Posted on December 12, 2011

According to Goodreads, I’ve read 50 books this year. That sounds about right, although a few of the books were novellas or short stories. I already posted my Top 10 Book List for 2011 here. (I couldn’t pick just one favorite!) The list might be premature but my reading has really slowed down this month. I’ll be surprised if I add a couple more books on my Goodreads page by the end of the year.

CONTEST

Question: What was your favorite book of 2011?

Prize: a $10 Amazon.com e-mail gift card

Contest rules, guidelines and fine print can be found here. Contest ends Friday, December 16, 2011, midnight Pacific Time. I will choose a winner using random.org and contact the winner on Saturday.

Good luck!

**Update: Congratulations to Cheryl English. Her name was chosen to receive the gift card. Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite book of the year!**

Posted in Win It | 19 Comments

Weekend Read: His Christmas Acquisition by Cathy Williams

Posted on December 9, 2011

Jamie is a very private person and she doesn’t want to let anyone in on her personal life, especially Ryan, her boss. The last time her personal and private life intertwined had been devastating. When a family crisis interferes with work, Ryan becomes intrigued with his enigmatic secretary. The more he tries to find out more about Jamie, the more she
deflects.

Ryan is a persistent man! At first he’s trying to figure out what makes Jamie tick, but he quickly wants to be a part of her life and help out. This goes against his personal goal of staying focused on creating his empire. Jamie is just as much of an influence on Ryan’s life as he is with hers.

His Christmas Acquisition is the pure holiday fantasy. Jamie is overwhelmed with family and the holidays and is whisked away to the Caribbean by a hot rich guy. Who wouldn’t want that?

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Can’t Fake This Launch Party

Posted on December 6, 2011

Today I’m over at Casey Crow’s blog and celebrating her book launch
party. There are 12 giveaways to go along with the 12 Days of Christmas theme
in the story. The list of authors who will be at the blog during the day are
Kimberly Killion, Judi Fennell, Cynthia Eden, Cat Johnson, me, Katie Reus, Ella Jade,
Catherine Mann, Desiree Holt, Paige Tyler, Juliet Burns and Mercy Celeste.

Drop by for a chance to win books and other prizes!

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One Question with Casey Crow

Posted on December 5, 2011

Last week I got the chance to read an advance copy of Can’t Fake This by Casey Crow. It’s a very romantic story about a holiday fling that quickly turns into something much deeper. I should also mention that this story is hot. Supernova hot. Crow gives an erotic twist to the “Twelve Days of Christmas” that now I can’t listen to the song on the radio without blushing!

One of my favorite parts of this story is Anna, the heroine. You see her as a friend, a mother and as a woman getting back into the dating game. She’s sassy, vulnerable, fun and ready to get more out of life. She reminds me a lot of the women I know and admire. See what I mean by reading an excerpt.

You can also order the book here when it comes out December 6.

Since Can’t Fake This uses “Twelve Days of Christmas,” I asked Casey about her favorite Christmas song. She said:

“Oh Holy Night” is one of those songs that sends chills up my spine, but “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” is my all time favorite because of the movie. I’m a sucker for musicals and “White Christmas” has been my favorite as long as I can remember. I love Rosemary Clooney’s voice and Vera Ellen’s dancing is… wow. Just wow. As a dancer, choreographer, and instructor myself, I’m simply blown away by Ms. Ellen’s ability. So ahead of her time. And what’s not to love about dreaming of a white Christmas? In the deep South, dreaming about snow it is all we can do!

Thanks, Casey! To find out more about Casey Crow, visit her website, blog, Twitter and on Facebook.

CONTEST

Now it’s your turn! Name your favorite Christmas song in the comment section for a
chance to win.

Question: Which Christmas or holiday song is your favorite?

Prize: a $10 Amazon.com e-mail gift card.

Contest rules, guidelines and fine print can be found here. Contest ends December 9, 2011, midnight Pacific Time. I will choose one winner using random.org and contact the winner on Saturday. Good luck!

**Update: Congrats to Wynn Huddleston. Wynn’s name was randomly chosen to receive the Amazon.com gift card. Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite holiday song and thanks to Casey Crow for dropping by!**

Posted in Read It, Win It | Tagged , | 30 Comments