Susanna Carr's Blog

An almost daily blog about reading, writing and romance fiction

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!**

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Weekend Read: Merry Christmas, Baby by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jennifer LaBrecque and Rhonda Nelson

Posted on December 2, 2011

Merry Christmas, Baby is a Blaze anthology that delivered the heat and holiday spirit. This book contains novellas that are linked to ongoing Blaze series, but you don’t need to be familiar with the other books to enjoy this anthology.

Vicki Lewis Thompson’s novella “It’s Christmas, Cowboy” is linked to her Sons of Chance series. Tucker gets caught in a snowstorm while chasing down a runaway horse and has to share a rental cabin with Lacey for the night. He and Lacey almost got together in high school, but nothing is holding them back now. Lacey just ended a serious relationship and Tucker thinks he knows the score. He’s used to being the rebound guy and he can’t wait to give Lacey a Christmas to remember.

Christmas in Alaska sounds freezing, but Jennifer LaBrecque’s “Northern Fantasy” is scorching hot. Jared can’t wait to leave New York City and visits Good Riddance for a friend’s wedding when he meets Teddy. The attraction is red-hot and instant, but Teddy isn’t staying for long. She’s ready to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress in New York City. This novella is part of LaBrecque’s Alaskan Heat series and offers a cozy small town setting with lovable characters.

“He’ll Be Home for Christmas” is a Uniformly Hot! novella by Rhonda Nelson. Silas makes a surprise visit to his parents’ home for Christmas only to walk in on Delphine who is house sitting and enjoying a dip in the hot tub. Silas doesn’t get the homecoming he had expected, but as he enjoys a holiday fling with Delphine he finds a woman he wants to come home to. This is a sweet and spicy story!

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Anticipation

Posted on December 1, 2011

There is something that romance fiction has in common with the holiday season: anticipation. The build-up is an important element! It’s about expectation and hope. It’s the promise of something special. Something worthy of the wait.

Sometimes the anticipation goes on for too long. Like when your favorite radio station decides to be all-Christmas all-the-time starting in the first week of November. Or when one of your favorite shows– say Bones, for instance — teases viewers with the romance for six years. By the time the hero and heroine get together it’s anticlimactic.

Right now I don’t have to worry about getting sick of the holidays. Quite the opposite, in fact. In my part of the world it’s cold, gray and wet — so far removed from the picturesque Christmas cards. However, I just downloaded a few holiday romance novels and anthologies. I know that reading one or two of these books will jumpstart my holiday spirit.

Sometimes anticipation is half the fun because it allows you to get caught up in the magic.

A Christmas scene from an episode of Bones

 

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Monday contest

Posted on November 28, 2011

I didn’t venture out on Black Friday but I managed to get all my holiday shopping done this weekend. It’s a Christmas miracle! Okay, not really. I did all my shopping online. I hate shopping. My family likes to browse and hunt for a good deal but I am more of the strategic shopper — get in and get out before anyone gets hurt.

CONTEST

Question: Do you love to shop or do you hate it?

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

Contest rules, guidelines and fine print can be found here. Contest end Friday, December 2, 2011, midnight Pacific Time. I will choose one winner using random.org and contact the winner on Saturday.

(I’m extending the contest deadline at the request of some readers.)

Good luck!

**Update: Congrats to Anne. Her name was randomly chosen to receive the Amazon.com gift card. Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts about shopping!**

 

Posted in Win It | 13 Comments

Weekend Read: Improperly Wed by Anna DePalo

Posted on November 25, 2011

Belinda always does the proper thing. She has a stellar reputation and is part of a prestigious family. There was one time when she threw caution to the wind, but she thought she had taken the necessary action to erase that mistake. No one would have known that she married Colin in a Vegas wedding two years ago, but he had made a point to interrupt her wedding to announce they never got an annulment.

Belinda just wants to sweep that event under the rug, but Colin won’t let her. He wants her to honor her vows and he’s not above a little bargaining and blackmailing to make it happen. Belinda agrees to stay married to Colin to save the family fortune, but she soon discovers that she can’t wait to fall back into bed with her husband.

I enjoy how DePalo tells a story. Improperly Wed is a contemporary romance but with all the English nobility, warring families, arranged marriages and the fight for property, it could read like a historical. This book is part of a Harlequin Desire trilogy about Belinda and her friends. The connecting books are One Night with Prince Charming and His Black Sheep Bride.

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Autumn Leaves

Posted on November 24, 2011

I took my dog on a trail in the forest near my home. But I guess the rain and wind picked up this week because I couldn’t find the trail under all the leaves!

The trail is somewhere under all those leaves

Posted in Believe It | Leave a comment

Monday Contest

Posted on November 21, 2011

Right now I’m reading a Harlequin Desire called Improperly Wed by Anna DePalo and I’m enjoying it. (The opening scene is fabulous!) I bought the book not realizing that it was the last installment of a series. That is happening to me more and more these days! Obviously, I need to pay more attention when I skimming through the back cover. Or just assume every book is part of a trilogy or series! ;)

 

CONTEST

Question: Is the book you’re currently reading part of a trilogy or series?

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

Contest rules, guidelines and fine print can be found here. Contest ends November 21, 2011, midnight Pacific Time. I will choose one winner using random.org and contact the winner on Tuesday.

Good luck!

**Update: Congratulations to Lois M. Her name was chosen using a random number generator and she receives the Amazon.com gift card. Thanks to everyone for sharing about the book they’re reading!**

Posted in Win It | 9 Comments

The Half-Way Mark of NaNoWriMo

Posted on November 16, 2011

There are 15 more days to go in November and many NaNoWriMo participants I know have hit the wall. The energy has dried up along with the words. If you think it’s impossible to make your goal by November 30, here are three blog posts filled with NaNoWriMo tips and tricks:

Novel Publicity: 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of NaNo

NaNoWriMo.org: Tips and Strategies from Headquarters

Media Bistro: Read 30 Tips from Last Year

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TV Show contest

Posted on November 14, 2011

One of my birthday presents was Season 4 of The Big Bang Theory. I can’t find online so I have to wait for the DVD release. I don’t watch too many sitcoms (I’m more into mystery shows), but the characters on The Big Bang Theory always make me smile.

CONTEST
Answer the question in the comment section for a chance to win!

Question: Would you rather watch drama, the news, a reality show, or a sitcom?

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

Contest rules, guidelines and fine print can be found here. Contest ends November 14, 2011, midnight Pacific Time. I will choose one winner using random.org and contact the winner on Tuesday.

Good luck!

**Update: Kris Gilson wins the Amazon.com gift card. Congratulations! Kris’s name was chosen using a random number generator. Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite kind of TV show.**

Posted in Win It | 16 Comments

Weekend Read: Breaking Her No-Dates Rule by Emily Forbes

Posted on November 11, 2011

James doesn’t meet any of Ellie’s requirements. She has sworn off dating doctors, and James is Dr. James Leonardi. Ellie isn’t going to repeat her mistake of dating someone in her department and James now works in orthopaedics with her. But most of all, Ellie wants a family. The sooner she is married with children, the better. Unfortunately, James has made it clear that he doesn’t believe in marriage.

Ellie is taking a break from dating, and she wants different things in life, yet she is drawn to James. She breaks her rules to be with him, swearing that this relationship was meant to be temporary and fun, but it soon becomes clear that she will either have to give up James or give up her dreams of a family.

This classic romance story offers a look at two headstrong people who are in love but want different things in life. Breaking Her No-Dates Rule by Emily Forbes is a Harlequin Medical Romance and part of the Single, Free & Fabulous in Sydney miniseries.

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