Carina Guest Author: Rebecca E. Grant

Next up among my fellow Carina Press authors is Rebecca E. Grant, whose contemporary cowboy romance LIBERTY STARR was released June 14. That means you can go buy a copy now! Here's the blurb:

Rafe had never met a truly irresistible woman, until he met Liberty...

Libby has the kind of beauty that comes on slow--strikes a guy the longer he looks. And Rafe sure is having a fine time looking, and touching, and loving Liberty Starr. The only problem is that Rafe is pretending to be just another cowboy down on his luck. Working for the FBI, he's come to Stone Hill, Colorado, to investigate the man Libby loves like a father.

He was just another cowboy...

Free-spirited Libby offers him a job and a place to stay. Together they spark like wildfire, their intense passion filling their days and nights. But Rafe is only in town for the summer, and while Liberty is willing to risk her heart, secrets threaten any possibility of a future together...

***

From Chapter Five

What would he do if she couldn't forgive him? He felt his face grow dark, and tossed his cigarette. When this job was over, he was going to have to give the dirty things up again. Reclaim his place with the nonsmokers. He sighed. Giving up cigarettes might not be the only thing he'd have to give up.

"Please, Rafe. Just try it out. If you don't like it for any reason, you can leave."

He took her by both arms and jerked her close. He wasn't rough, but he wasn't gentle, either. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I'll do it. But only because you want me there. You do want me there, don't you?" What the hell was he saying? He was so off script.

He felt her arms close around his neck. Her body folded into his. Her breasts teased his torso. He couldn't stop himself. He kissed her the way he'd been dying to kiss her ever since the storm. He tried to keep his hands around her waist, but they were the devil's hands. He cupped her buttocks. When that wasn't enough, he slipped his hands under her shirt, teasing her breasts. Yet still it wasn't enough. He opened her shirt and took her breasts into his mouth one at a time, as if he were starving and only her body could save him.

He must stop. He had to stop. He couldn't keep his head straight around her. He tried to push her away, but even as he pushed her away, he pulled her back.

"Come with me." He wasn't sure if he'd said it, or if he only thought it. He had the tip of her shoulder in his mouth. She was pure ambrosia. He couldn't stop kissing her long enough to go anywhere, even though all he wanted was to get to her bed.

She stepped back and took his hand. "Come with me."

***

He was moody and unpredictable. She never knew if he was going to kiss her or avoid her. She knew they had chemistry because she could feel his body burn when she was around him. She knew he liked her because he was always going out of his way to help her. She also knew that she had a tendency to fall for underdogs. As a result, she learned early that sometimes underdogs are underdogs because they choose to be. Whenever she hooked up with one of those, she unhooked very quickly. Others, she'd actually managed to help before sending them on their way. Rafe was a breed unknown to her. And her body craved him as if he were a part of her.

She led him into her bedroom. He pulled her down on top of him.

"What if I told you I couldn't wait?"

She tried to ask him what he meant, but he wouldn't stop kissing her. He loosened her belt. "I can't wait another moment. Not another second." He yanked her jeans off. His hand slid between her legs. "I can't wait another moment to feel you." His fingers slipped into her. She moaned. Her moan caught on his tongue and he volleyed it back, matching her moan for moan. She was so ready for him it was all she could do to keep from begging him to fill her. But she couldn't speak because he would not relinquish her mouth.

His body was so tightly wrapped around hers, she didn't think he could find a way in. And then he was there. She gasped and spread her legs to let him fill her more.

"You are like a narcotic. My own personal habit. I just can't have a little." He ground into her. He was the perfect fit. "Every time I'm around you, I want more. Until I just want to be inside you." He pulled her closer and ground. "Deeper." He plunged. "And deeper." He plunged again. He moved her legs and drew his fingers across her until she begged him to finish it or keep going--she didn't know which she wanted more.

He pulled away, amplifying her need for him, and bent to kiss her breasts. "You are the most dangerous woman I've ever met." He drove into her like a man possessed, then matched his movement to hers until they found the rhythm of the ages and let the sound of their heartbeats pull them over the edge.

***

You can find Rebecca at her website, on her blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

So You Think You Can Dance, Week Two

I didn't post last week because, well, I was lazy. It would've gone something like this: Alex is wonderful, Kent is adorable and win the whole shebang, and Melinda should've gone home. Oh, Billy Bell may be overrated--not as a technician, mind, but as a dancer able to evoke emotion. I'm concerned that the judges' tongue-bathing will ruin him as it has many other technically superior but boring dancers in the past, especially if the little kiddies have Kent and Alex to vote for. Plus, Kent has small-town factor!

OK, on to this week!

Cristina (w/ Pasha; Jean-Marc & France's paso): I could watch Pasha do paso doble all day. Every day. Yes, please! Cristina has a lovely energy and fire that meant she looked right standing up to him. She was a solid womanly presence. I liked the opening sequence with all the tricks, but I much preferred it when they got down to the hardcore dancing. Very nice. Very safe.

As an aside, I like that they're letting the All Stars stand with the contestants during the critique. While exile those we want to see??

Adechicke (w/ Allison; Mandy Moore's contemp): Mandy's work here was lovely, very elegant and fluid. I would've liked the camera work to be steadier to get a closer view of their faces. We were in the nose-bleeds for half the dance. Allison is amazing. I am falling in love with her this season, so mature and poised. Adechicke...ugh. Last week it was Kathryn's sexy vibe. This week it was Allison's adoring happiness. He deflects them like Wonder Woman's bracelets. Not safe.

Alex (w/ Lauren; Tasty's Broadway): I love the Fosse style, but not as filtered through Tyce. I just think Tyce's chorey and I have issues. I liked some of the poses--good shapes and unison. There was some nice cheekiness from Alex, but I liked what Adam said about a "lot of flash but no smolder." I still don't like Lauren's plastic face. But Alex is safe.

Ashley (w/ Mark; Travis's jazz): Could it be that the golden child, Travis Wall, was receiving criticism this week? Whoa! I really liked this routine and will probably be saving it to my collection, but that's because of Mark and his open shirt. I am shallow. He did a lovely job centering Ashley over her supporting leg, which just shows how marvelous he's become at partnering. The story of loving him, losing him, and wanting him back didn't come across at all. But Ashley's safe.

Billy (w/ Comfort; Lil C's krump): Oh no oh no oh no. Don't do that. Ever again. Billy almost held it together for the first 30 seconds, but that was just painful. Stop it. Whoa for Comfort + Lil C, tho. She kicked its ass. I'm hoping Billy isn't safe. He doesn't deserve to be this week.

Richard (w/ Anya; Jean-Marc & France's tango): I'll have to watch this one again, because I agreed with Mia. There was no zip, no chemistry. They were very sharp and together, with Anya as OMG sexy as always, but Richard wasn't doing it for me. All the connection he had with Courtney last week didn't show up on this dance. I think the boys have a helluva time partnering with such experienced female dancers because they have to come out and be THE MAN. But sometimes that's just not possible when their partners are so terribly experienced. I think he's safe.

Melinda (w/ Ade; Stacey's contemp): I love Stacey's work. LOVE. IT. But this is the first piece of hers that fell entire flat for me. I don't know what failed, other than Melinda being such a cold fish. I get no emotion off her at all. Notice that the judges discussed everything about the dance except how there was no heart? Boring and clinical. I hope she goes home.

Jose (w/ Kathryn; Nakul's Bollywood): This was such a hilarious train wreck. The boy done good. His effort and commitment trounced all over Billy's attempt at krump. Could Kathryn look any better? She was amazing. Jose is safe.

Lauren (w/ Dom; Tessandra Chavez): I really liked this. Great to see a new lyrical hip hop choreographer on the show. Dom was The Shit. I forgot how fabulous he can be when he puts away the clown and does his thang. Great emotion from them both. Lauren had wonderful sharpness and hard-hitting retraction. I got goosebumps from the whole piece. Very safe.

Oh, and Cat + Dom 4-ever.

Kent (w/ Courtney; Tasty's jazz): I wrote down, "Kent is a boy on the journey to becoming a man," just about when Cat said something very similar. Funny how Richard + Courtney and Kent + Anya last week produced such entertaining, believable results, but the switch in partners this week did none of them any favors. Chemistry is an indefinable mystery. I would've preferred Courtney's floofy skirt to be a little less floofy. Good enough to keep Kent on the path toward SYTYCD domination.

RESULTS:

I give up. Melinda needs to be put down. But no. We get rid of Cristina, whose performance on Wednesday was stellar. Can you imagine Melinda performing that way with Pasha? Nope.

But let's get back to the voting results. I'm wondering if this "one goes home regardless of gender" issue may bite the producers even worse than the All Stars when it comes to format changes. What if, all these years, the votes have been going toward pretty young men by a ratio of 7-3? That would mean that even the worst of the boys--such as Adechike and Billy from the other night--have an automatic advantage over even the best of the girls. And what was up with the pity vote for Billy's krump. Gah. A bad nigh.

On one last aside, if the producers think they can get me to watch their guest performers by including the All Stars as back-up dancers...they're right. Mark shirtless. I already said I was shallow.

Carina Guest Author: Inez Kelley

Next up among my fellow Carina Press authors is Inez Kelley, whose SALOME AT SUNRISE was released this week. Here's the blurb:

It's not nice to piss off Mother Nature...

Called to bring peace to Bryton's tortured soul, Salome is a spell, a windsinger with the power to harness the air. Commanding nature is far easier than handling her new charge. She offers him harmony while longing to sing a different tune, one of love and devotion. She can soothe him with song or touch but she can’t be human.

Bryton Haruk is the King's Might and His Law. Forced to watch his wife die by his enemy's hand, he turns his back on his destiny in grief and guilt. He has vowed to avenge her death and join her on the Otherside. No beautiful peacemaker is going to change his course...even if he is tempted to forget his pain in her arms.

A band of murderers plot to overthrow the kingdom and claim the land for themselves. The only thing standing in their way is one bitter man and the whispering wind.

***

Confession. I hated my hero in SALOME AT SUNRISE. Bryton first walked on page in MYLA BY MOONLIGHT and I thought, "Meh, whatever, throwaway character. He'll never get more than, what, two lines?" But he was a good foil for a hero I did love, Taric.

*lifts skirt* See that boot print? That is where Bryton kicked me in the ass for that thought. He has major page space in MYLA BY MOONLIGHT. Hell, he even...uhm...ahem, got lucky and fell in love. I figured that was enough to shut his redheaded, smart mouth up.

Nope.

From the beginning, there was a small but rabidly loyal group of fellow writers who nagged and pleaded for Bryton's story. I refused. I didn't like the big turd for one thing. For another he is a ginger. Now, I am a ginger. I love red hair on a woman but really never found it attractive on a man. Thirdly, he has a mouth that mimics my own. (Trust me, I was once voted Most Likely to Make a Trucker Blush. I know curses).

But then, I listened to him. I listened as Bryton told me his story, his pain, his fears. I saw beyond his military discipline into the man that held honor more deeply than most men hold their religion. And I'd be damned if that big turd didn't make me fall in love with him. And I didn't like it.

My Carina Press editor Deborah Nemeth said this about him: "I love Bryton. He's the perfect hero: the super-honorable warrior with a wicked sense of humor and a filthy mouth, who loves passionately and wants to protect the weak."

Yeah, okay, so she is right but still... We have a love/hate relationship, he and I. I hate that he is so fascinating. He loves to spring surprise crap on me as I am typing. For example, I was working along nicely, minding my own business and he started nudging me. I ignored him. He growled. I ignored him more. (Hey, I have 6 yr old twin boys, I am good at ignoring stuff). But no one ignores Bryton. Words started pouring out and I stared at the screen saying, "WHAT THE #$%&@! What is this crap?"

It was and is a glimpse inside the mind and heart of a soldier that lost his love and his will to live without her. It is the story of tears, pain and redemption through a magic spell with eyes like infinity. It is a tale of not letting go but healing and learning to love again. It is SALOME AT SUNRISE, the birth of hope where none existed.

But I still think he's a turd. An amazing, wonderful, heroic turd.

Heart & Scroll

On Friday after England painfully drew against Algeria, I drove south to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, in preparation for the workshop I was to present first thing on Saturday morning. The drive was pleasant enough. I missed most of the rush hour traffic in Chicago and slipped right in between two thunderstorms. Later I learned that the winds had been so bad that a few windows were blown out on the Sears Tower.

The hotel was a little...isolated. Had it not been a Ramada Inn, I would've been more in mind of a Bates Motel situation. One dude on call at the front desk. Two teenagers in pajamas playing games on the lobby's computer. Weird vibe. The Ramada was at the end of a long line of new hotels along an interstate, most of which had empty parking lots. It's as if they expected a boom-town need for tons of hotels and then realized, no, not that many people come to visit when the university's not in session. So I locked the door and settled in with The Thomas Crown Affair--well hello, Pierce!--as the rain pounded down.

But then it was time to work. My talk was for the Heart & Scroll chapter of RWA. Technically speaking I was to present my workshop on point of view, which is what took up the majority of our three hours together. But then we moved on to topics such as elevator pitches, in-person pitch sessions, general industry gossip, and Carina Press. I was a little worried about participation because only eleven people showed up, but as it was with HIFA a while back, this small group was comfortable together. They talked and shared in-class writing assignments and readily asked questions--no awkward silences. All good! Oh, and there were Krispy Kremes for breakfast. Can't beat that.

After the talk, the chapter took me out to lunch at a local restaurant near the Illinois State campus. I liked that, after I took off my instructor hat, it became just a bunch of gals having lunch. Everyone was in high spirits, very gracious and friendly. A few hours on the road and a few mochas later, I arrived back home with KFC in hand for the family. I took a nap--so worn out!

But the trip was a great success. I got paid, the chapter reimbursed me for the hotel stay, and they bought tons of books. I had lots of fun too. Thanks so much to Heart & Scroll for inviting me down!

Chat Reminder...and Cleaning!

Just a reminder that I'll be a guest this evening at Coffee Time Romance for their open mic chat at 9pm eastern. I'll be giving away a copy of SONG OF SEDUCTION before the session is over. Hope you stop by!

Otherwise I'm just cleaning today. Lots of cleaning. My lovely in-laws, Trevor and Linda, arrive from England tomorrow afternoon and will be staying with us through July 7. So good that they can come in the summer this time around, as opposed to our much more generally icky spring. We'll be able to go to the beach and enjoy July 4th festivities. I think a trip to Brookfield Zoo will be in order, and maybe the Museum of Science & Industry in downtown Chicago. Looking forward to spending time with them!

But first, off to make the house hospitable...!

Carina Guest Author: Donna Lea Simpson

Today I'm continuing to feature fellow Carina Press authors as we celebrate the June release of our books. Next up is Donna Lea Simpson, who also has a historical romance with a lovely cover! LOVE & SCANDAL is available now wherever e-books are sold! And don't forget the free companion novella, LAST DAYS OF A RAKE!

Nothing sells like love and scandal...

Collette Jardiniere writes of passion and seduction but has experienced neither. Her pseudonymous novel, "The Last Days of a Rake," has shocked Victorian society and become a runaway bestseller. Infamous roué Charles Jameson is "revealed" as the author, and Collette is outraged when the cad does little to curtail the gossip.

Intrigued by the book the tabloids claim is his thinly veiled autobiography, Jameson tries to find the real author. Returning to London after an unsuccessful hunt, he is pleasantly distracted by a plain country miss reading the wicked book.

Collette is dismayed when she learns the identity of the devastatingly handsome man who kissed her senseless. And Jameson cannot believe that she wrote "The Last Days of a Rake." As Collette tries to convince him of the truth, their mutual attraction reaches a fever pitch, and soon they find themselves in a real-life scandal!

***

Saturated and shivering, Collette stood in the middle of the room, her bonnet bedraggled, her hair wet against her neck. Charles took her hat, removing the long hat pin carefully and setting it aside.

"That is what is wrong with fine feathers," she said mournfully, holding her arms out and staring down at her green silk dress, now spotted with rain. "This dress will never look the same. A little rain would not have injured my old brown one. If I had not been so vain as to wear this, but I thought it looked so nice..."

He took her into his arms and held her close, feeling her shiver against him. "My housekeeper will take care of it," he murmured into her ear. "She is a very discreet woman and will never see you, anyway. But to do so, to save it, you must remove it, you know." He released her and held her away from him, ducking down to look directly into her eyes. "I am not trying to do anything but save your pretty dress, my dear. I will get you a robe and leave you alone for a minute."

He exited into his bedchamber, which opened off the sitting room, brought back a robe and then left again, merely saying he would order tea.

Collette undressed down to her petticoats, but they were wet as well. May as well dry them too, she thought, since she had Jameson's voluminous robe to cover her. She climbed out of all her things and laid her underthings over a chair....

A half hour later, with a fire blazing and a tray laid with tea things on a low table by the fire, they were comfortable. He had ensconced her in the only chair and he, wearing only trousers and a shirt, open to the waist, sat on the floor, his legs drawn up and his arms wrapped around them. His damp hair was drying, and it was tousled from the rain and wind. She reached out and pushed back his tumbled locks. He caught her hand in his and kissed her palm.

"I'm so sorry for all of this, Collette. You don't know how much I regret what you are going through."

Was he as sincere as he sounded? That was the problem with gentlemen of rakish habits; they were by nature accomplished flatterers and liars. But she would choose to think him sincere. She listened to the pattering rain against the window and the crackle of an ember popping in the fireplace. "I'm afraid, Jamie."

"Afraid? Don't be. Please, my dear. I will slay the dragons, you know, even if I suffer immolation in the process. I will do anything to make this right, Collette."

He knelt beside her chair and took her into his arms and she buried her face in his neck, smelling the spicy scent of his cologne. When he tipped her face up to meet his and found her lips, she surrendered to the sweep of desire and kissed back, allowing her mind to go blank. In one swift motion he picked her up, cradled her to him and took the chair, holding her close to his chest on his lap. But then they stilled, the sound of the wind and rain filling the room.

"We should talk," she murmured finally, tucking her cold hand under his shirt and tracing the musculature of his abdomen.

"Yes. We will. But kiss me again first. I cannot seem to get enough."

"Ashes to Ashes"

Philip Glenister (Gene Hunt), Keeley Hawes (Alex Drake), Dean Andrews (Ray Carling), Marshall Lancaster (Chris Skelton), Montserrat Lombard (Shaz Granger)

Summary: "My name is Alex Drake. I've just been shot and that bullet has sent me back to 1981. I may be one second away from life, or one second away from death. All I know is I have to keep fighting, fight to live, fight to see my daughter, fight to get home."

Arrh, mateys, thar be a ton of spoilers ahead!

Naturally I had to keep going, especially when the opening episode reveals that Sam Tyler lived on for another seven years. I wanted to know what happened with/to him and Annie. Alex Drake...not so much. Sure all the snide remarks about "hello, constructs" are quite funny, but I never felt for her in the first series. I have a theory as to why that's the case.

Fashion interlude! Here is definitive proof that 1983 was far, far cooler than either 1981 or 1982. A known truism.

Perhaps because Sam Tyler was very much like the Doctor in that his fashions changed minutely, or perhaps because I'm a woman looking at historic examples of women's fashions--fashions I would've worn in some variant or another during my youth--I was constantly distracted by Drake's clothes, jewelry, hair and make-up. Keeley Hawes must've had a ball, although I'm convinced the skin-tight trousers and jeans of 1982 were expressly designed to make women look as chunky as possible. Why, trends, why???

Enough girly fluff.

Season, The First: Alex Drake's driving issue is to save her parents from a car bomb. Naturally, as with Sam's quest to save his dad, she assumes that this is the puzzle she must solve in order to get home. Back in her 2008 life she's been shot and left for dead, which means that in both worlds she literally needs a hero.

Enter Gene Hunt.

He's rather a softy in the first season, especially compared to his initial interactions with Sam. He is Alex's shoulder to lean on, sometimes while she's wearing only a bra. She's as crazy as a bag of bees and needs his stability. And when she's a little girl who just lost her parents, Gene is the hand she holds. All of this is a reflection of her lonely, abandoned circumstances back in the real world, even though her actions in 1981 are flippant and nutty, always under the assumption that her stay will be temporary. Why take any of the ramifications seriously? I think that flippancy, as well as Alex's complete unwillingness to blend in or join forces with her teammates, made connecting with her difficult.

Season, The Second: Alex begins to forget things about her origins. She begins to...blend. She becomes a true member of the team, with Gene as her touchstone and partner. The sexual banter of the first season is almost entirely replaced by a strong trust and respect for one another. Why? Alex has been trapped in the past long enough to give up hope of a quick return. Even the cinematography creates more muted shades, creating a world where she doesn't stick out like a roman candle.

In addition, her body was discovered. She's alive and in need of immediate medical care. The Alex of 2008 needs teamwork, organization and professionalism if she's to survive. Thus her 1982 persona requires it too. She doesn't need a hand-holding hero in Gene Hunt, but a no-holds-barred stud who gets the job done and won't let her down. It's about trusting in a system and believing in goodness. The worst scenario would be to learn that the whole system is corrupt or inept. The ultimate failure of that system to prevent the inevitable is represented by Gene's accidental shooting. No one means for bad things to happen, but sometimes they just do. The system did its best...to no avail.

My favorite scenes dealt with the revelations about Chris's corruption. His confession made me well up. His shame was gut-wrenchingly palpable, and Gene's disappointment and anger radiated out through the screen. Mesmerizing acting on the parts of Lancaster and Glenister.

Season, The Third: Well...sorry, Alex. Here we have yet another cinematic change. There is continuity with the second season in that Alex blends with her teammates, but the cinematography is all "heavenly." The sky glows gold, never blue, which mirrors the golden glow on Sam and Annie's faces when they kiss during the finale. Gene is almost always backlit by a halo of light. I knew what I was looking for, but the effect was actually quite subtle. It simply looks...off.

All of the characters revert to type. Instead of being what Alex needs in order to get home, they are free to be who they really are--especially Gene. His personality is no longer defined by Alex and her desperation but by the circumstances of his demise. He's really a surly, immature 19-yo with a cowboy complex, which makes his popularity in current British culture so amusing...and vaguely disturbing. They're idolizing a foul-mouthed little kid. But at least we can better understand why Sam and Alex were always showing him the error of his sloppy attention to detail and quick hunches. After only a week on the beat, how much could he have known about police procedure?

In fact all of the cops in the CID need tutoring, perhaps an explanation as to why they'd been stuck so long. They needed Sam and Alex, more mature cops, to show them how to behave. Their steady growth is slow, slow, slow--but it's there, which endeared me to Ray, Chris and Shaz. Oh, and did you notice how Chris and Shaz avoided marriage, and how none of them ever had kids? Not even Sam and Annie married. If you get old skool and consider that marriage is a contract made between a man, a woman and God for the purpose of procreation, then there's no place for it in purgatory.

But the chemistry between Hawes and Glenister hits its high-point in season three. They are mature friends by this point, as much adversaries as colleagues, as much strangers as would-be lovers. Watching them come to their various realizations was actually painful, squeezing my heart, because neither could protect the other from the truth. All that was done had already been done, and they could only comfort one another so far. Brilliant acting, brilliant writing.

As far as the overall nitty-gritty of storytelling, "Ashes to Ashes" and "Life on Mars" have very little in common. LOM is a single arc of 16 episodes. It's told entirely from Sam's point of view, with no on-screen action taking place without his involvement and observation. The idea that it's "all in his head" is maintained faithfully. The "happy" ending is much easier to get on board with, because who can say what happens inside the brain during the final few seconds of life? If the show's idea had ended right there, that's the explanation that would've stuck. End of.

But A2A is told through multiple points of view. There are clues everywhere that the story is not entirely Alex's to tell, in that figments of Sam's imagination have lived on without him. Rather than one continuous arc, the three seasons are distinct in look, in theme and in how the characters interact. I didn't like how jarring that jump felt, especially when trains of thought and characters from season one just...disappeared (Alex's fixation in season one with control and being able to manipulate her surroundings; Arthur Layton). Also, to buy into Alex's "happy" ending, one must presuppose the existence of God, which added a mythic element I hadn't expected.

That said, I cried like a lonely little baby during 3/5 of the finale. To have come so far together...only to have to say goodbye? Ouch. But The Railway Arms is as good an idea of heaven as any biblical passage. Go for it.

When it's all said and done I much preferred LOM over A2A, but both are utterly brilliant television. I won't see their equal again for some time.

"Life on Mars"

John Simm (Sam Tyler), Philip Glenister (Gene Hunt), Liz White (Annie Cartwright), Dean Andrews (Ray Carling), Marshall Lancaster (Chris Skelton)

Summary: "My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident, and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home."

Note: This review concerns the British version, not the short-lived US remake, and contains a great many spoilers. If you haven't seen it, just run to the nearest DVD-dispensing corporation of your choice and partake. Don't wait as long as I did!

See, Keven had been trying to get me to watch it for ages. I don't know how he learned of it, and I don't really remember why I held out so long. But Keven often recommends things I should watch, rather than what he thinks I'll enjoy, and I resist out of protest. See also: The Fog of War.

But the combination of accidentally watching an episode of its sequel series, "Ashes to Ashes," and being fascinated by John Simm from his performances as The Master in "Doctor Who," I decided to give it a go.

Now I'll never live this one down. I loved it. Loved. It. Loved it so hard that I pulled a muscle and chipped a tooth. (I don't know what that meant.)

Frankly, there's less theory and symbolism for me to discuss regarding "Life on Mars" than about "Ashes to Ashes," which I'll review tomorrow. The storyline is straight-forward: Sam got hit by a car, Sam fell into a coma, Sam woke up n 1973. His goal is to fight with his subconscious, which is trapping him amongst a bunch of 1970s thugs and shoot-from-the-hip coppers, until he wakes up. I'm reminded of a line from "Doctor Who": The past is another country. So Sam becomes an explorer of sorts, constantly observing the myriad differences between 2006 and 1973. In the meantime he solves crimes and generally becomes a thorn in DCI Gene Hunt's paw.

Sam comes from an age where police procedure is governed by human rights legislation and a keen awareness of PR and the public trust. Gene Hunt...not so much. Their disagreements generally center over differing opinions regarding how to proceed about a case: Sam wants it by the book and Gene wants to break heads.

What works so brilliantly is how the writers worked with archetypes. Disregarding what we learn in "Ashes to Ashes," the characters are all fragmented elements of Sam's subconscious. There's the clever lizard brain id of Gene Hunt, the misogynist thug of Ray Carling, the sympathetic friend of Annie Cartwright, and the uncertain newbie of Chris Skelton--because everyone has a part of them that still thinks they don't belong in a certain position of authority. It's a credit to the writing and the acting that these archetypes never feel like cardboard. They are living, breathing people, no matter that they almost always responded to situations according to the dictates of their place in Sam's subconscious. Only as he starts to heal do the characters begin to blur.

Sam and Gene, in particular, are two halves of the same coin. Sam is thoughtful, sensitive, orderly, vaguely metrosexual--and yet still hard as nails. He wasn't DCI in his 2006 life for nothing. Scenes in the opening sequence when he takes down a prisoner with a retractable truncheon--while reciting how badly resisting will look on the man's arrest report--are key to demonstrating his potential to be both intellectual and brute-in-a-suit. He is a faultless, powerful beta, doing good through his own goodness.

Gene, by contrast, is Gary Cooper in High Noon. He's crass and mysterious, foul-mouthed and short-tempered, misogynistic and egotistical. Later we learn more why he always seems to be on the wrong side of a hunch, and why Sam knows so much more about policing than he does, but Gene is, at his heart, a good man trying to do good in a shitty world. No wonder his character won so many fans in Britain. (More on that when I talk about A2A.)

But for my money the hero was always Sam, with John Simm as one of my new favorite people. It is by his example that the CID becomes a cohesive unit, more able to police itself as it keeps the streets of 1970s Manchester safe. His relationship with Annie, too, is very heroic. Who can think about the promise he made to her--and the lengths he took to keep that promise--without evoking tragic heroes of old?

The finale saddened the shit out of me. Yes, Sam gets his happy ending of choice, but I couldn't help but dwell on what happened to get him there. The golden glow and the rainbow over his shoulder as he kisses Annie aside, he's still just another statistic. The rather clinical way Alex Drake speaks of his case during the opening moments of A2A shows what the real world remembers of Sam Tyler, even as he rides into the sunset with his girl and his mates, with the Guv behind the wheel of a very cherry Cortina.

SONG OF SEDUCTION Round-Up

The following is a list of appearances I'll be making to promote today's release of SONG OF SEDUCTION. Yay! Some of the posts have already gone live, and some have free giveaways, so make sure to see what goodies you could snag. I'm keeping this pinned to the top of the page until June 18th.

And throughout the month I'll be featuring other Carina Press authors who will stop by to promote their new releases. Should be some nice variety!

May 28: Why I Love Classical Music on Historical Tapestry

May 31: Window Characters on Texty Ladies

June 3: Pointless Networking on 1st Turning Point; On Being Distracted over at Babbling About Books

June 4: Hot (Historical) Musicians at Romance Bandits; When Regina Met Mozart at Scandalous Women; Why Austria? at Working Girl Reviews

June 5: The Morgengabe on Joely Sue Burkhart's blog

June 7: an excerpt and post about The Sound of Music at Book Binge; the inspiration for Arie de Voss at Claire Robyns' blog; Who Are Carina Press? at Magical Musings

June 8: Historical Attention Deficit Disorder on the RT Book Reviews blog; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Getting Published at Book Junkie; Historical People in Fiction at Literary Escapism; an exclusive excerpt on Leah Braemel's blog; First Sex Scene at Romance Dish; Mourning and Marriage in Austria at Vauxhall Vixens

June 9: Interview and Excerpt at Cindy Spencer Pape's blog; Tastes of Austria at Toni Anderson's blog; Featured New Release on West of Mars

June 10: My experience with Carina Press at Realms on our Bookshelves; Interview at The Otherworld Diner; Sympathetic Best Friend Characters at Yankee Romance Reviews

June 11: Regina Strinasacchi at The Book Pushers; excerpt at Donna Lea Simpson's blog; excerpt at Lindsay Townsend's blog

June 13: Guest post at Risky Regencies

June 17: Excerpt at Unusual Historicals

June 19: One Thing at Plot Monkeys

June 20: Picturesque Salzburg at Unusual Historicals

June 23: Excerpt at RomCon; Summer, Kids and Writing on Mama Writers

June 29: Why Carina Press? at Nite Owl Reviews

I also have one more chat scheduled:

June 22: An open-mic chat between 9-10pm eastern at Coffee Time Romance

Carina Guest Author: Ann Bruce

Today I'm continuing my month-long welcome of fellow Carina Press authors as we celebrate the release of our books. Today I'm featuring Ann Bruce and her steamy contemporary romance PARKER'S PRICE, available now from Carina Press wherever e-books are sold.

She was sexy, smart...and not for sale. But that won't stop him.

When Parker Quinn is forced to accept an outrageously high bid at a charity auction, she has no choice but to go out with the last man on earth she wants to spend time with. Dean Maxwell may be one of Manhattan's most eligible bachelors, but he's also the man who had an affair with her sister and abandoned her when she became pregnant with his child.

Dean doesn't know why Parker hates him so much, but he's determined to show Parker the type of man he really is. Whisking her away to a private island in the Bahamas for a sensual, sun-drenched week together, Dean leaves Parker's preconceptions shattered and her desires inflamed.

But even as their passion reaches irresistible heights, Parker has a decision to make. Can she allow herself to fall for the seductive magnate, or will family secrets and a dangerous ex tear them apart?

***

At my high school, we used to raise money by holding slave auctions. Students, girls and guys, would volunteer themselves as slaves for a day and be sold to the highest bidder. A lot of the girls volunteered to be slaves knowing their boyfriends would be obligated to buy them. Me, I preferred to do the buying because there was too many people in high school who would've loved to humiliate me as payback for my smart mouth.

One year, at the end of an auction, someone ran up onto the makeshift stage and made a bid for me. I glared at him but he didn't take back the bid. I remember thinking that he probably wanted me to do his homework or some such nonsense because while he was--and still is--very, very cute, he wasn't gifted academically. When I said, "No way in hell," but in much nicer terms because teachers were present, he upped the bid. And I, rather ungraciously, gave in.

Turns out, he only wanted to see me take my hair down--and walk two steps behind him all day.

Many years later, I took that high school incident, wildly embellished it because that's what writers do, and turned it into PARKER'S PRICE, a contemporary romance that has "all the alpha-male goodness of a category romance combined with all the hands-on, sizzling attraction heat of an erotic romance" (Night Owl Reviews).

To celebrate my first contemporary romance, I'll give away an e-copy of PARKER'S PRICE to one commenter here.

If that's not enough, I'm also giving away three $50 Amazon gift certificates on my blog, The Not-so-deep Thoughts. Please stop by to enter!

Carina Guest Author: Kelly Lynn Parra

Today I'm continuing to feature fellow Carina Press authors as we celebrate the release of our books. Next up is Kelly Lynn Parra, whose romantic suspense novel CRIMINAL INSTINCT is available now wherever e-books are sold. So nice of her to make time to stop by and pretty up my blog!

Five years in prison or five years working as an undercover agent?

Not the easiest choice for Ana Moreno, who has a history of B and E convictions and a problem with authority. But it's a decision she and four other felons are willing to make to stay out of a jail cell.

When a deadly shipment of Ecstasy heads for San Francisco, Ana's team is sent to stop it. Ana's task: get close to the handsome and dangerous Jonas Saven, right-hand man of a suspected drug dealer with a deadly agenda. As Ana uncovers a web of secrets, betrayal and revenge, her heated attraction to Saven grows.

But with time running out to stop the dangerous drug lord, Ana must complete her mission--even if it costs her everything...

***

"Kelly Lynn Parra brings a distinctive voice and style to her intense suspense novels that sucks you in from page one and holds you prisoner." ~ NYT Bestselling Author Dianna Love

"Kelly Lynn Parra wrote a romantic suspense that hit the right note with me. I read it breathlessly from first to last page and the ending had my mind spinning." ~ Pearl's World of Romance

"As a suspense novel, there is plenty here that will keep readers guessing. The line between the good guys and bad guys is blurred, and no one is exactly as they seem." ~ RT Book Reviews

***

"You okay?" He walked to her and grabbed her chin with one hand. Her eyes narrowed.

He had a moment to realize her skin was soft like silk before she jerked from his grasp, distrust flickering across her soft features.

"Hands to yourself," she ordered. Her voice was low, and as smooth as the feel of her skin. "You...have a scratch beside your eye." Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, he forced the smile he knew could draw in females in a heartbeat.

Not this time.

She raised a hand, hesitantly touching the scratch as she stepped slowly backwards toward her friend on the ground.

They were alone now. The big guy had run like hell the minute Jonas had grabbed his friend, and now the other idiot scrambled behind him. Let them go.
They weren't his concern.

She kneeled beside her friend. "Mouse, you all right?"

The kid moaned.

Jonas had witnessed grown men unable to keep their cool in an emergency situation. For someone who'd been through an assault, she seemed okay. No tears. She was physically tough, too. He'd been caught off guard when she flipped the guy over her and scrambled up to fight.

But she wasn't too smart. She'd picked the wrong guy's wallet.

"Mouse?"

Jonas shook his head. Out cold. "Does he need an ambulance?"

"Yeah." She nodded, the breeze causing a sweep of hair to veil her eyes.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 9-1-1. It took some time to be connected, but he finally relayed the situation.

"They're on their way," he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket. When she didn't say anything, he cleared his throat. He wanted to ask about her connection to Dolini, but damn, with her guarded attitude it didn't look like he'd get much information. And now with cops on their way, Dolini wouldn't stick around.

"I need you to answer some questions," he said.

No answer.

Irritation flickered. "You were talking fine a minute ago."

She whipped her head up. "Excuse me for not being in a conversational mood." She offered him an expression of disgust. "I only answer questions if I feel like it."

Those green eyes taunted him.

"Well," he told her, "feel like it."

Carina Guest Author: Leah Braemel

Today I'm continuing to feature fellow Carina Press authors as we celebrate the release of our books. Today it's Leah Braemel and her erotic contemporary novel TEXAS TANGLE, which will be available from Carina Press on June 28.

Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an over-drawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued...and a little gun-shy.

Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki’s life, but he's determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki's heart.

Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?

***

First of all, big thanks to Carrie for having me here today. I'm often asked where I get the ideas for my characters, if they're based on anyone. No one specific, I answer. Usually they're a conglomeration of some spectacular women I've met who have overcome odds that would cripple most of us. You see, I used to teach at a local college, I taught courses that catered to helping women in abusive relationships find their feet, and more importantly find employment so they could afford to leave the situation they were in. We had to give them not only the skills to support themselves but also to regain the confidence they'd lost after enduring years of put-downs, and usually physical abuse as well.

The change I saw in some of these women was remarkable. I'll always remember one woman--when I first met her on her first day of school. She'd huddle at her desk, never looking up. She was afraid to ask questions and sat quiet as a mouse. A couple weeks later, she was the very first student (and I think she was the only one) to ever ace any of my exams. When I handed her the exam and pointed to her mark, she broke my heart by breaking down in tears. As was usual with most of my students, her husband had told her for years she was stupid, that she'd never be capable of anything without him. And now she'd proven to him--and herself--that she wasn't.

She not only breezed through my course, but she went on to graduate at the top of all her classes. When I met her at her graduation (she was the valedictorian), I didn't recognize her. She was a totally different woman. She'd found a job working at one of the top law firms in downtown Toronto, was providing for her children, and had dealt with her ex. (To be honest, she'd already managed to walk away from him before she'd started school, but he continued to stalk her and her children to the point where we were afraid for her safety.) But where that first day I'd met her, her body language was one of total submission, now she had the confidence to hold her head high and look people in the face. I got to know a lot of women that like.

Women who have not found their happy-ever-after with the first guy. Who endured a marriage and come out the other side, jaded about love, and unsure who to trust with their love, unsure if they ever can trust anyone ever again. So I tend to draw some of those women's stories, some of the characters I saw them as they emerged from their cocoons into beautiful, confident woman.

In TEXAS TANGLE, the heroine Nikki Kimball is like many of my students. Heck, she's like most of my friends. She's always tried to do right by her parents, by her family, to do the right thing, but when she's down, there's seldom been anyone around to help her back up. Nikki married young, straight out of school, with stars in her eyes. She'd thought she'd found her Prince Charming. Except she quickly discovered he wasn't just a frog, he was a snake. Oh, he didn't hit her, but sometimes words can hurt just as bad as any fist. By the time you meet Nikki, she's already kicked the snake to the curb and is on her own, looking to write her own happy ending, trying to maintain her dignity and regain her self-respect, to be independent. Trying to help her brother up when he's landed himself in a pickle, help him the way she'd wished someone would help her. Except she's just come home to find her brother has taken her for everything she owned. Her clothes, her furniture, even her bank account.

Enter Nikki's neighbor, Dillon Barnett. Dillon's laid back; he's confident; he's optimistic that everything will always work out. Whenever I was writing Dillon, I'd picture him whistling happily, smiling about something. (I actually have a friend like this--everyone's his best buddy. It's rather nice being around someone who's always happy. Although sometimes you just want to swat him up the back of his head because he's so trusting of everyone. All right, maybe it's just me who gets frustrated by his naivete.)

What was most important to Nikki is Dillon's always been there, and that helps break some of her reserve, gives her the confidence to take a chance again. Oh, there's never been anything between them before. That Nikki is aware of, anyway. What she doesn't know is that Dillon had a crush on her back in high school but never acted on it. That when his foster-brother and best friend Brett kissed her during senior year, Dillon got downright snarly and mean. She never heard about the fight over her that just about ended their friendship.

When I originally outlined TEXAS TANGLE, it wasn't supposed to be a ménage. It was supposed to be a novella following Nikki and Dillon having a fun weekend, of Dillon trying to cheer Nikki up and remind her how much fun life could be. But once I started Brett, I realized it was going to be more. Brett had loved Nikki for years. He deserved his shot with Nikki too. So when Dillon and Nikki and connect at the start of TEXAS TANGLE, Brett has to make a decision. Even though he's been stopping by and offering Nikki his own form of support, he decides to stand back. Because he's afraid that if he doesn't, he'll lose not only Dillon's friendship, he'll lose the love of Dillon's family who all but adopted him.

What's a writer to do when both men loved the heroine and they both deserved their happy-ever-after? There was the challenge. Because I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves a happy-ever-after.

If you want to read more about Nikki and Dillon and Brett in their TEXAS TANGLE, you can find excerpts on my website or on my blog, where you'll find trailers and excerpts. You can also friend me on Facebook or on Twitter.

Want a sneak peek at Nikki's story?

Project Update

Now that the main push of promo for SONG OF SEDUCTION is over--you bought your copy, yes?--and the kids head off to camp today, I'm turning my attention back to writing. Yes, I know! Crazy! So what's up for me?

First off, I'll be finishing the first draft of PORTRAIT OF SEDUCTION, a sequel to SONG OF SEDUCTION, that features Venner's trusty yet mysterious valet, Oliver. PORTRAIT is due to my editors at Carina by November 1, but I'd like to have most of it taken care of by Nationals in late July. The expected release date will be early 2011. You can read the (temporary) blurb and an unedited excerpt here on my website.

Later this summer I'll also be working on SHAMELESS, the second of my two contracted books for Pocket--the first of which is FLAWLESS (temporary blurb and unedited excerpt here). SHAMELESS will be the second of the Christie family romances, where youngest sibling, Gwen, and her twin brother, Gareth, head off to Australia. Gwen falls for the master vintner who works a winery in the Hudson River Valley. I'm brainstorming with my editor on Friday, then starting the draft as soon as PORTRAIT is nailed down--likely early August. This is set for an early 2012 release.

Simultaneously, I'll be re-teaming with Ann Aguirre to draft the second of Ellen Connor's "Dark Age Dawning" trilogy. MIDNIGHT is a change of scenery for us both, heading from the Pacific northwest to the desert borderlands between the US and Mexico--very Mad Max. MIDNIGHT will hit the shelves in the second half of 2011, tentatively September.

And last but not least, I'm sneaking in a proposal for a new trilogy of very exciting (to me, anyway) books. These are historical, but they take me and my imagination to places I never thought I'd venture. I'll be sure to clue you in as soon as I make headway of any kind.

What are you working on this summer?

"Strike Back" (2010)

Richard Armitage (John Porter), Andrew Lincoln (Hugh Collinson), Jodhi May (Layla Thompson)

Directed by Daniel Percival

Summary: Follows the actions of John Porter, a former SAS Sergeant, and Hugh Collinson, a Section 20 officer in the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Both took part in a botched operation on the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq where two soldiers in their unit were killed. The series is divided on three main story lines that take place seven years later: in Iraq to rescue a kidnapped British journalist; in Zimbabwe, where he works to extract a deep-cover British agent accused of trying to assassinate Mugabe; and in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he sets off to retrieve a computer hacker responsible for killing American troops.

Let's all admire this pretty distraction and get it out of the way:

Oh, wait, that's right--Richard Armitage is the best reason for watching this frustrating miniseries. See, there are shows that spark my imagination because of their greatness, and there are shows that approach greatness and yet fall so miserably far that I feel compelled to intervene. "Strike Back" was one of the latter. I was so frustrated by its disjointed elements and squandered chemistry that it motivated me to come up with a whole new idea for a historical series. It's a ways off because of other projects I'm obligated to complete first, but you just watch--I will set this right!

Anyway...some great British character actors in here. Andrew Lincoln, who loved Keira Knightley's married character in Love Actually; Toby Stephens, who played Rochester in the 2006 version of "Jane Eyre" and who performs here with an utterly marvelous American accent; Ewen Bremner, who played Spud in Trainspotting; and Jodhi May, who played doomed sister Alice in The Last of the Mohicans. But the centerpiece was, of course, Richard Armitage. He basically took Mr. Thornton, his deeply troubled, introverted character from "North and South," adds seven kilos of muscle, and picked up two machine guns. Nice!

The writing and the structure of the mini-series, however, left a great deal to be desired. During the first two episodes, which take place in Iraq, I didn't notice the expository dialogue so much, but that's because that storyline was intensely engaging.

I loved the character of Katie, played by Irish beauty Orla Brady, and I especially loved the chemistry between her and Armitage. They positively ignited off one another, portraying intellectual equals who happen to find themselves in a situation where he's in charge. His training, reflexes, and determination to take hold of this second chance all give him the motivation to take the lead. But Brady's performance was such that I never got the impression she was a meek follower. She was just being smart: let the SAS dude take charge! Back on home soil, safe in society, she would hold her own against anyone.

But did we get to see that? Did we get to follow them as they healed? Did we get any inkling of that potential? Nope. All wasted.

Instead of following up on the natural emotional and psychological consequences of the events in episodes one and two, the series moved on to Zimbabwe for episodes three and four, then Afghanistan for episodes five and six. What the hell? You wouldn't want to follow a train of thought to its natural conclusion, would you? Apparently not. Porter loses people who are close to him, but those losses are never explored. His relationship with Katie is never followed up. His rather skanky relationship with a fellow member of MI6 is brief and meaningless.

You can tell that men had the upper hand in writing this dreck. It all fell off toward MANLY HERO cliche and might as well have been Rambo by its conclusion. My frustration grew with every episode until I couldn't do anything but stare at RA's pretty prettiness and grouse about the piss-poor dialogue.

Ugh. So frustrating!

I loved parts of it. LOVED. Loved them so much that I will revisit them again and again. And there are parts I'll never think about again for fear they'll spoil my inspirational mojo.

But it was fun to share watching this with my critique partner, Lorelie Brown, who went crazy with the screen caps and shared this fortuitously-subtitled pic:

Why, indeed, Mr. Armitage.

So You Think You Can Dance S7

So here we are again at the start of another round of "So You Think You Can Dance"--and it's one regular US viewers can follow, as opposed to my off-season forays into Canada, the UK and Australia. I'll combine my early impressions of the Top 11 with their specialty dances from Thursday night's show. BTW, Top 11? I think someone miscounted the weeks and decided they needed one more contestant...

I'm a little torn about this season's All-Star format for a few reasons, the most prominent of which is that it will distract from the new contestants. These poor kids have to kill it right away because they'll be dancing alongside some of the best, most charismatic dancers that have ever come out of the show. (OK, some are filler. I mean, Neil? You have to figure that past winners like Joshua and Jeannine must be well-employed elsewhere.) The advantage, of course, is that they have professional partners to guide them through the process, give them pointers, and make them look good when all else fails.

That said, I'm afraid that if I complain too much about the All-Star format, they'll take Pasha and Mark away! So no more about the format. It is what it is, and it'll be better than the rushed back-to-back thing they tried last year.

But the opening "Fame" number (choreyed by Wade & Amanda, of course) highlighted the vast gulf between the experienced dancers and the newbie-noob contestants. Even though people like Billy, Alex and Robert have danced professionally--and even gave up high-profile dance positions to go on the show--they don't have television experience. It must be a whole other type of performance, and part of it has to do with capturing people's imaginations and hearts. Company dancers try to blend in and look like all the rest, to better highlight the choreographer's vision and the cohesion of the chorus line. But the level of personality required to win SYTYCD goes well beyond even being a soloist.

So who did the camera keep coming back to on "Fame"? Mark. Always Mark. Granted he's just about Wade Robson's ideal lead, but he's also an extremely gifted dance-actor. Everyone else needs to step it up or risk appearing wooden. I'm slightly afraid that the gulf between new and All Star will keep coming across that way through the season.

But...Mark!! So happy! Now, on to the dances:

(New) Lauren and Kent, with Mark and Kathryn (jazz by Travis): Who's higher on the totem pole than an All Star? A former contestant who's now so famous that he doesn't need to come back on stage! Travis! He's beyond adorable and mind-bogglingly talented. The choreography was very clever, in that he gave the most difficult lift sequence to Mark and Kathryn while the noobs did solo tricks.

That said, Lauren and Kent are exceptionally mature performers. I don't get any giggly-stupid vibe like I did from S6's Molly or Nathan. Kent has a depth of on-stage charisma that goes well beyond his Wapakoneta roots. (Yes, I've been there.) Bottom line is that they held their own against two exceptional dance chameleons and with killer chorey. Aside from the "Fame" routine and the ballroom, this was my favorite of the night.

Alexie and Melinda, with (Old) Lauren and Allison (Broadway by Tasty Oreo): Alexie was the center of this routine for me. First, I never liked Lauren. Ever. Second, I didn't watch all of S2, so I don't know Allison outside of a few select performances. My emotional connection to both is near zero.

Melinda, I'm afraid, is the big CHOKE contestant among the girls. She had very bad posture; her shoulders slumped forward as if ready to break into tapping at any moment. She also kept her face very static, never varying. I did feel sorry for her, however, in that she was the only one who didn't get to dance in her own style. I would've thought that Tyce could come up with a Broadway routine with a little tap in it, but no.

Alexie, however, was fantastic. She's a bright beam of sunshine. I don't know how she'll do overall, but she's intensely likable and doesn't strike me as the least bit forced. She must be a helluva force to reckon with, too, because of how long she's been trying to get on the show. No one gets back up that many times without being a super competitor.

Does Cat get lonely up there all by herself, a giraffe among pygmies?

Jose, with Twitch, Comfort and Dom (hip-hop by Tabitha & Napoleon): Ballz! That's what Jose had for stepping onto the same stage as those three wicked monsters. He's cute and obviously game for anything, but he's no Legacy. I'm thinking he's the CHOKE contestant among the girls, because I just can't see him pulling off a waltz or a lyrical jazz piece, even with an All Star to guide him. But I'd love to be proved wrong. Nice kid.

Oh, Dom, ya little weirdo freak. How I've missed your antics. He's adorable, and it seems like Cat was totally getting into the performance aspect of having him back and very, very close. Twitch and Comfort just murder hip-hop. Two years have only made them better performers. His chest pops and her bootie shake can't be topped. Fab.

Cristina, with Anya and Pasha (ballroom fusion by I Heart Jason Gilkison): Oh! Oh, my! Can't...breathe! How cool is it to see Anya and Pasha reunited on the SYTYCD stage? They've been all over the place, on "Dancing with the Stars," "Superstars of Dance," and as leads in Jason's Burn the Floor, but this is where it started for them on their fame journey. I have as much respect for Cristina as I do for Jose, the lone noob thrown in with utterly brilliant dancers. Plus, Anya and Pasha have been partners for something like a decade. They go together: AnyanPasha. For Cristina to step in there and establish a sense of competitive chemistry with them was bold.

I had to watch the dance about three times before I got past Pasha. But then I noticed how Cristina's bachacadas were not nearly as sharp as Anya's--what Nigel mentioned about the lazy feet--and she lacked Anya's extra zing: the hair flipping, the sharp arms flairs, and the talent of making all of that look like second nature. After analyzing it critically, I then returned to Pasha. I could watch him all day. Happily.

Billy and Alex with Ade (contemporary by Mia): Ade took one for the team on this routine. Had he been competing, his role as the old man would've been a serious disadvantage. As it was, however, he rounded out Mia's clever, enthralling vision and made it work. Then came the freak and the beast! Billy played the child so well. What could've been a throwaway role as the boy with the fire truck become the energy of the piece, the youthful innocence--and his feet were still pointed! His illness last season was actually to his advantage because he didn't need to go head-to-head with Jakob (another freak). Alex is a ferocious dancer. He's wonderful. I really, really hope he steps it up with regard to personality, because his facility is incredible.

Robert, Adéchiké and Ashley, with Neil and Courtney (jazz by Sonya): I love these best-of shows because the absolute top-notch choreographers come out to play. Mark is hot and a very good dancer, but he needs to STFU. He kept talking over Cat! No one talks over Cat! I will like to see more of how Courtney has grown, but I could care less about Neil. Still. Adéchiké will have to prove himself to me, because I would've preferred Andrew instead (the one who fought through the pain of his hamstring injury in Vegas week). And I still don't know who Ashley is.

Great show. Very good numbers, several of which I'll be saving. Now I'm stoked. With the boredom of the auditions out of the way, I say bring on more of Mark, Pasha and Anya, and other people!

Carina Guest Author: Alice Gaines

Today I'm continuing to feature fellow Carina Press authors as we celebrate the release of our books. Next up is Alice Gaines, whose MISS FOSTER'S FOLLY will be released on Monday. I'm happy she stopped by today to share an excerpt!

Manhattan, 1886

Juliet Foster has just become the wealthiest spinster in town. Her domineering and thoroughly unpleasant father has died and left her millions. She's free to be her own woman, and seek a life of adventure.

David Winslow, Marquess of Derrington, is in search of a wife who can break the Winslow Curse. Every second generation heir inherits a restless, defiant nature that can only be tamed by a mate as independent and rebellious as himself.

Miss Juliet Foster is perfect--and eager for seduction. But when he wants more than a few nights of passion, Juliet runs like the devil's on her heels. Can the Marquess convince her that marriage isn’t a trap, but the greatest freedom of all?

***

About this excerpt: Miss Juliet Foster has decided that Lord Derrington is the man to take her virginity. Unfortunately, the stubborn fellow has decided he'll only share the pleasures of the marriage bed with her after they're married. Determined women make desperate decisions, so Juliet has taken matters into her own hands by finding her way into his bedroom.

One lone candle hardly lighted more than a foot or two in front of Juliet, but she'd come this far and wouldn't give up before she reached her destination--the Marquess of Derrington's bedchamber. She'd opened several doors only to find cold silence inside. Typical of him to put her as far away from him as he possibly could, but she'd find him, and when she did, she'd get what she wanted.

She tried another door and found another empty room, curse it. That left only one more before she'd have to double back and check them all again.

The moment she turned the knob, the sound of breathing told her she'd found him. The tone was deep and masculine, just like his speaking voice. Dark. Sinful. The mere fact that she'd found his bedroom sent a little thrill through her. She tiptoed inside and closed the door silently behind her.

Now that she'd come so close to her goal, she'd allow herself some anticipation of her victory. And, of her reward. Derrington was everything any woman could want in a first lover. Handsome, gentle, and oh, so talented with his hands and mouth. If any man could make her ready to accept the bulk of his cock inside her, this man could.

And he would. Now.

She crept to the bed. He'd set his candle on a table there, so she lit it with the one in her hand. That gave her a bit more light to study him, and she gasped. His arms and shoulders above the covers were naked. Did he sleep in the nude? He might have some type of pants covering his lower regions, but everyone--women and men--wore the same type of nightshirt.

Oh, my. Oh, my, my.

She stood, drinking in his male beauty. Besides never having looked at so much male flesh before, she'd also never watched a man sleep. With his eyes closed and his features relaxed, he looked almost innocent. His chest rose and fell gently with his breaths, his lips parted as they had been when he'd kissed her the first time. Dark hair framed his face, and she carefully reached down to touch one lock. Warm silk against her fingertips.

He seemed a creature of myths and dreams, so entirely foreign to her experience he might have been another species. And yet, nature had made their bodies to fit together in the most basic way. Miraculous, really. She'd waited so many years for this--from the day she'd turned marriageable age until she'd grown too old to attract multiple offers and then to spinsterhood. This would be good. She'd will it so.

She'd find some way to please him, despite her lack of experience. Honestly, she shouldn't care, as she wouldn't stay in London once she'd known him. But, somehow it did matter for that she could do a good job of satisfying him. She didn't have feelings for him. Not at all. Feelings complicated things. She'd have this one night with him. They'd both remember it for as long as they lived, and then, she'd exit his life for good and follow her own adventures.

Damn it all. Why was she worrying about something like this now when she'd gotten so close to what she wanted with every inch of her body?

He gave out a soft snort and rolled over, clutching his pillow against his chest and presenting the width of his back and the spread of his shoulders. Suddenly, he appeared huge, even though he stood only a few inches taller than she did. What did she know of men's bodies? More important, what would she learn in the next minutes?

She set her candle next to his and took a steadying breath. She'd removed all her clothing except for her chemise, and that came off easily. It pooled around her feet on the floor, and she stepped out of it. The chill of the night air made her shiver, so she quickly lifted the covers and slipped into the bed. His body's warmth clung to the sheets, surrounding her. He must have had a furnace in him to produce all the heat he put out.

And yes, he was completely naked. Her hip snuggled up against his bare bottom. How odd it felt to lie with him this way and yet how right. Even in marriage, she'd wear something to bed. Decency would require that he do the same if he was to sleep with her. No wife with any sense could bear to send a husband to another room if he felt like this next to her.

She ought to wake him up and get things going, but why rush this heaven? Maybe if she touched him softly, she could feel his flesh without waking him. She'd never get the chance again, at least, not with this man. Besides, she'd need to know her way around a male body if she was going to pretend to sophistication.

She started with his shoulder. Broad, strong, firm. His skin was softer than she'd expected of a man. Smooth and stretched over the muscle beneath. From there, she traced her palm over his shoulder blades and along the furrow down the center of his back. When she reached his buttock, she savored the firmness of it. She'd called his cock magnificent when, in truth, the word described all of him.

Suddenly, he turned over, and his arm flopped on top of her. She bit her lip before a cry escaped, but he roused. For a moment, his eyes opened but didn't focus properly. Then, they closed again and he was everywhere on her. His weight pinned her to the mattress and his mouth captured hers. No niceties, just a savage kiss as if he'd devour her.

Finally. She'd come for this. She answered with her own mouth, although she could hardly keep up with the pace of his caresses. His hands moved over her, stroking her flesh, molding her body to fit against his own. Just the friction of their bodies was enough to ready her for the joining that would follow.

"Yes, David," she whispered against his lips. "Yes, oh yes."

"What?" He propped himself on his elbows and shook his head. Finally, his eyes came into focus. "Bloody hell, Juliet. What are you doing here?"

Legion (2010)

Paul Bettany (Michael), Dennis Quaid (Bob), Charles S. Dutton (Percy), Adrianne Palicki (Charlie)

Directed by Scott Stewart

IMDB: An out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in humankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner with the Archangel Michael.

Oh, dear. Such wasted potential! Just look at the lovely, tattooed, shaven-headed Paul Bettany, who's come a long way from the first performance of his to catch my eye: William Chaucer in A Knight's Tale.

(Here, check out this montage of his introductions. "In Greece he spent a year in silence, just to better understand the sound of a whisper." Brilliant stuff, with Alan Tudyk long before he was Wash, and Heath Ledger long before any mention of him induced sadness in my heart. This clip alone is much more entertaining than Legion!)


He was much, much paler in that role, wasn't he? But in Legion he was set to be the best sort of badass--the guy who defies GOD by cutting off his own wings, standing up to his fellow angels, and toting a pair of machine guns. I think that was in the Bible.

Anyway, yada yada, end of the world. You'd think the end of the world would be, I dunno, scarier? The red band trailer was much more effective, condensing an entire film's worth of icky into five minutes. The actual movie is stuffed with bizarre character studies that go nowhere. I need an arc, people! The young man who cannot fire a weapon when crazy lady crawls on the ceiling? Oh, yeah, he fires a gun at random halfway through--with no mention of how he overcame his boyish hesitancy. Angry Black Man who wants to see his son again? Yeah, randomly dead with no morals or lessons learned. Anywhere. Just stick a few vaguely biblical references--a dude with boils, a plague of bugs--in with some distinctly non-biblical stuff, such as the spiderish man who emerges from an ice cream truck, and call it profound.

Then again, maybe that was in the Bible too.

And when was the last time you noticed lousy editing? Isn't that the realm of student filmmakers still learning their craft? In the climactic fight scene between Michael and Gabriel, I had a seriously difficult time understanding the flow of action. It was all a jumble. So frustrating. Worse than that, the whole ordeal just dragged. Move along, apocalypse! This is supposed to be edge-of-your-seat stuff.

Side note: When did Dennis Quaid get so old? Remy! What happened to you?

Can we go back to Paul Bettany being hot? He was. Truly. Any scene not featuring him, preferably with his tattooed arms bared, was a wasted opportunity. Unfortunately the poor boy is set to continue in this vein. The director has cast Bettany to star in his next picture, Priest, which is about vampires. Of course it is. Maybe the folks involved will have learned how to tell a story by then. If not, it's just more wasted eye candy.