Don't Adjust Your Screen...

Well, it's finally happened.  The one thing that I have been absolutely terrified would happen one day.  My hard drive crashed.  It is DOA, DNR and OMG!.  Luckily for me I had backed up my Documents/Pictures/Music/Downloads, etc., but I didn't get time to back up nearly 3 years worth of emails!  {bugger!}  Just what I didn't want to happen.

So I will be taking a little while to reorganize my digital self, and will only return once I'm up and running.

Until then, I'll concentrate on other my studies {oh God!  All my emails from my advisor... s*!t} and figure out a way to get all those email addresses again.

See ya soon.

How does your garden grow?

Nothing book related today.  Since I've been freezing my butt off I am grateful for every semi-warm winter's day we get.  It's been quite good to us this year.  I've managed to get my 2 roses to flower well this season.  The first one was just a miniature creamy white rose.  There is a small scent to the flowers, but when I was in Bunnings about 2 months ago, I smelt the most gorgeous rose perfume imaginable.  So off I went in search of this delectible scent.  Turns out that it belonged to a new rose called 'Love Potion'.  Boy, was it potent!  I bought one and every time I went passed the laundry door, you could just smell the perfume waft over from beside the tank.  I mean, it was heavenly.  The flowers were a beautiful lavender colour and it looked stunning.  Then... oh, boy.

After the first 3 buds flowered, I found another one coming up.  "Oh goodie" says I.  I'll have another bud to put in a vase on my dresser.... yeah, a pink one!  Turns out that while it had come with purple tinted blooms, it really has pink ones.  God knows how they worked that, but yes - I have a pink rose.  A very sweet and lovely princess pink rose!  I'd have loved to have taken a photo of it, but sadly, a sudden rainstorm ripped all the petals off.  But still... a pink rose?

My ferns, on the other hand, are just throwing up new fronds.  I have been cursed in the past with a black thumb.  But over the past 12-18 months I've found that that doesn't extend to roses or ferns... go figure?  So, I have been collecting a multitude of ferns to place in the courtyard area off my bedroom door.  They add a lot of lovely green colour to my small room, and make the area seem larger than it is.  I also find it very relaxing just to watch them bob around in the dappled sunlight.

Freezing my freckles off!

God, it's cold here at the moment.  For anyone who lives in QLD, you just know that it's not supposed to get cold like this!  I'm sitting at my computer with a hot water bottle on the way, and I'm contemplating putting on my knitted wrist warmers.  This cold snap really bites :P

On the plus side, I've been able to snuggle up amongst my warm quilts, blankets underneath, to do a little winter reading.  I've been through my crime/mystery/romance kick - loved Karen Rose's books, especially "I'm Watching You" - and have once again returned to the fantasy realm.  I've been re-reading my already battered copy of 'Magic Bleeds', and even dragged out my copy of 'Archangel's Kiss' by Nalini Singh.  I know these books have only been out for months, but I really wish I had the next books in the series in my freezing little hands.

I've already ordered a copy of Kylie Chan's new book "Hell to Heaven" which is released on Aug 02 in Australia, sorry to those in the US, but it's not available on Amazon!  Thankfully, she's got the third book of her second trilogy scheduled for release in early 2011.... yes!

Apart from that, the only other reading I've been doing is for my course.  Studying to become a librarian involves a lot of boring reading - don't let anyone tell you that working in a library is only about reading good books all day.  By the time I've gotten my Diploma, and hopefully gone on for the Adv. Dip., I'll be working full time in the library industry, cause I've gotta tell you that studying all the cataloguing techniques while not working in the industry is a right royal pain in the butt!

So, enough about that.  I'll have to leave this entry here because I think my fingers are about to snap off.  For all of you basking in a northern summer.... you lucky sods, you!

Cheers

Books Galore

And I've been so good recently too!  Last week I just dived right in there at the local shopping centre.  I cut a swathe through QBD and Bookworld, sauntered through Big W and meandered in K-Mart.  I bought 7 books on my want list that I really don't need at the moment - seeings how I still have about half a dozen books left from my last little splurge :P  Still, I jumped right into them.  Moon Sworn is the last of Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series.  I found it a little different from the other books, but not a bad read.  A good Aussie author, Ms Arthur has another series in the works that spins off from this one.  It sounds good and I will definitely give it a go.

Master of Fire is the Mageverse story that I know alot of people have been waiting for.  It's about Logan MacRoy, the son of King Arthur and Guinevere.  I've been following this series on and off for the last 5 or 6 years.  Not a bad book, but not as great as Master of Swords.  The next book however, Master of Smoke, sounds like it'll be a cracker of a story.

Dead in the Family is the latest Sookie Stackhouse book out.  After reading the comments on the Amazon website for this book I was a tad apprehensive about reading it.  For me the series has been slightly less enjoyable for each book.   DitF was different.  I enjoyed it much more than I did Dead & Gone.  Sookie is finally finding her feet in the supernatural world, and she is in a stready and loving relationship.  She is able to say NO to people she would have trusted in the first couple of books, and there are some great moments in it.  All in all, a good addition to the series.

My copy of Magic Bleeds arrived in the mail last week too.  It was great.  I devoured it in a couple of hours - yes, I know that's quick, but I just can't help it.  And I also received my Amazon UK stuff as well (yeah Dr Who!).  Then to top it all off, last Friday I went on a day trip with some of the family and ended up in Maleny. 

For those who aren't familiar with it, its a gorgeous little dairy/craft town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.  Absolutely stunning views as you climb the mountain range in the morning and look back over the coastline to see the sun reflecting gold off the water.  Although if you're looking to visit in winter... take a hot water bottle with you! :D  Unfortunately for me, once I got there I found 2 secondhand bookshops as I was wondering around the main street, and a few other little crafty stores that I just had to stop in.  Now, I went up there hoping not to buy anything, but I just found the most delightful looking fern (yes, I am a closet gardener okay!), and a nearby store that sold quilted blankets.  If I had of had a spare $250 dollars there was a beautiful country quilt that would have been accompanying me home.  One place I did indulge in was the handmade sweets shop.  The fudge was to die for!  I tried the Rum & Raisin (mum's favourite), but fell in love with the Cookies 'n' Cream fudge.  It was heavenly!  So we bought a few chunks, and went for a lovely hot coffe at a local bakery.

My one regret of the day was that I didn't buy a book at the secondhand shop that I was drooling over.  My only hope is that it will be there when we next go back... hopefully soon?

Swamped

Wow, over a month has passed since I last wrote anything here.  I'm so slack at this at times.  I get busy, and presto... no blog!

I've been good lately and have resisted the temptation of the written word.  Well, the bound and very expensive word anyway.  I've been study a lot as I have 3 units on the go at the moment.  Who would have thought that studying for Librarian qualifications would be soooo intense?  {grinning as I slave over the keyboard!}

My recent orders have been research based, not recreational so nothing new to report unless you are interested in early nineteenth century/Georgian England.  It's a fascinating period in history, and one that has hard to find resources.  Everything seems to be Victorian this, Edwardian that, or Medieval who... it's enough to drive you potty at times.  Still, once you find the information you've been slaving for hours to locate... :P

I am awaiting the arrival of the last of my earlier orders from Amazon.  They sent me a nice little email last week to tell me that I should have Magic Bleeds in about another 2 weeks.  Now riddle me this - how is it that Amazon in the US takes over 2 weeks to get an item to me, when Amazon in the UK only takes about 3-4 days?  It's still as far away from Australia as you can get, but the Brits still manage to get things here earlier {psst, come closer.... and their DVDs and some books work out cheaper too!}  I find that a majority of my research information can be found there cheaper.  Ordinary fiction titles are not really worth the quibble over, unless the dollar is doing badly.  Hopefully it'll pick up in the next few days so I can order Season 3 of Doctor Who - yes, I know, I know.

So, for the next week or so I'll be haunting my mailbox.  Waiting for the elusive amazon parcel.  Then I have to do so all over again as I pre-ordered Laurell K Hamilton's Bullet!  Oy!  When will I learn? :D

New Arrivals

I know, I haven't written anything for a while now.  Bad bibliophile, no cookie.

I've just been inundated with my latest orders from Amazon that I just don't know where to start.  So I'll just dive right in and use the books closest to me.

Lion Heat by Lora Leigh is a great addition to the Breed series.  This is one of the stories I've been waiting years for.  Finally, it's Jonas Wyatt's turn to deal with the mating heat.  His mate is a little different from all the other mates, and some of the troubles encountered in Mecury's War are finally closed in Lion's Heat.  I can't say too much about it.  If I drop the wrong plot spoiler, well... it could just be the one thing you wanted to find out for yourself.
The characters are well written, and the book itself is fast paced.  There are plenty of storylines to follow, and as I read on Lora Leigh's blog this morning, she still has about 25 characters that she'd like to write books for.  Oh, boy.  That means more shelfspace to find in the future!

One of the other books that I want to put up here today is the fantastic Patricia Briggs book, Silver Borne.  I received it on Wednesday, and by Wednesday afternoon it was all over.  I just can't help myself.  I get a new book, start reading, and a few hours later it's all over!  But this was worth reading through lunch for.  Mercy is back and her relationships with Adam and Samuel are put to the test.  The pack is in turmoil thanks to her inclusion, and Samuel is having a rougher time than anyone knows.  There is a huge dustup at her shop, and Mercy manages once again to get herself caught up in a fae mess.
Silver Borne is a well written, fast paced book that has surprises everywhere.  There is unrequited love, betrayal and jealousy and a certain someone finds their mate.  Fabulous read, and I can't wait for the next installment.

And lastly, the final installment of the Kelley Armstrong series The Darkest Powers.  The Reckoning was a much anticipated book that I was so happy when I got it.  I wanted to know how Chloe and the others finally rid themselves of the Edison Group and the other supernaturals who are forever trying to pick them off.  I was disappointed in this book however.  While the story was fast paced, and the characters were engaging, the ending just ruined it for me.  I was hoping for Jeremy's pack to have a cameo, or one of the other characters like Jaime, who could look out for and possibly guide these supercharged teens.  But alas, I was doomed to disappointment.  They went in, powers blazing and with a few other teasers thrown in regarding a future demonic visit for Chloe, they were captured, the nearly escaped, they got caught and then kicked butt.  Not my ideal ending, but I suppose for most readers, this will be an ending that they expected.

Want a new author?

I've been searching for something new and interesting to read for ages now and I think I've found just the thing.  I happened to read a quick synopsis of "Die for Me" by Karen Rose a few weeks ago.  It's about a Homocide Detective who ends up working with an archaeologist on a grave site.  Since I'm a sucker for archaeology and a good mystery I tried to find it. 

I found Scream for Me instead and bought it.  It was great!  It's part of a trilogy, the Daniel Vartanian trilogy to be precise, and although Daniel is in it briefly, this story sets up the next two books (which include Daniel and his sister, Susannah).  Their family history isn't all that good... in fact it makes the Simpsons look like the Cleavers!

The next two books in the trilogy are Scream for Me and Kill for Me.  Both are really good.  Intense and have twists and turns that you really don't expect.  These books are then added onto through characters you meet in them, and their siblings.  My favourite so far is I'm Watching You, a wonderful book about Abe Reagan, a Homocide Detective, and Kristen Mayhew, ASA (lawyer), who are thrown together on a case involving Kristen and her 'humble servant'.  You follow Abe as he struggles to deal with his feelings for Kristen (he's a widower), and Kristen trying to overcome her past to grab onto this wonderul man who comes into her life.

In all, there are about 8 or 9 books now.  You can read them in whichever order you like (I started with Scream for Me- Yes, I know, it's book no. 2 - then I'm Watching You, and then on to Die for You).

Daniel Vartanian Trilogy

• Die for Me
• Scream for Me
• Kill for Me

 Others (set before and after trilogy)

• I'm Watching You
• Nothing to Fear
• Count to Ten
• You Can't Hide
• Have You Seen Her?
• I Can See You

If your looking for a great police suspense/mystery then I'd heartily recommend these.  One word of warning though, they do have a lot of physical violence, and the bad guys have done a great deal of harm to their victims (both mental and physical.  There are rape survivors, spousal abuse survivors, etc.).  If you don't mind that, and as I wasn't informed about that it was a shock to find it.  The rapes aren't rehashed or told as part of a backstory, but it isn't hidden either what they have suffered.

So I'm giving Karen Rose's series 2 thumbs up!

Lazy Dayz

I'm having a lazy day today.  Yesterday was a nightmare at the shopping centre.  I spent too much on clothes that I didn't really need... but they were soooo cute, and there were rude people and screaming children everywhere.

So today, I'm going to just lounge around, read a book, maybe play a little bit of AOM (Age of Mythology) and then check out our local deposit library.  Fingers crossed that my parcel is going to be in today's post.  I've been waiting for ages for them.  Still have about 3 or 4 left, but after waiting 2 weeks for them I no longer stalk the postie to see if he puts something in the mailbox :P

I'm going to finish my work on the computer, make up a batch of chilli-con carne and then settle down with either my Kylie Chan series, or start re-reading JD Robb so that when Fantasy in Death hits the shelves, then I'll be up to date.

Thought that I'd add a little pic of my cat.  She's such a pain in the butt about being outside.  Because of all the wildlife around our house, our cats are strictly indoors, unless on their leases.  Yes, you read it right, leashes.  They have an enclosed courtyard to mooch in, but leave a door open accidentally, and this little grey ghost is out the door like a shot, and the rolls around on the bricks outside the back door.  She strops herself along the bricks.  It's kinda cute, but trying to catch her later is not so cute.  It's a good thing that she's a total lap cat :)

Happy Reading

Audio Fix

Okay, I'm now doing something that I never thought I'd do... yep, that's right - I'm listening to audio books!
Since I'm spending part of my days studying, and while I do my vocational placement I end up shelving for quite a while.  So when I suck it up and head out to shelve, I now have my iPod {thank you Santa!} to keep me sane.  I've loaded it up with music, but that can get a bit embarassing in public.  I've been caught more than once either humming away to a song, or quitely singing to myself.  Doh!  The solution was given to me by one of my supervisors.  Sarah told me while we were stocktaking the collection that she listens to audio books.  I thought this was a novel idea, so for the last few weeks I've been hunting for some titles that I think I'd like.

The best ones so far are the Stephanie Plum books read by Lorelai King.  I started with To the Nines, and after the first few sentences I was hooked.  Lula is hysterically funny in audio, and it's a good way to just tune out when doing a boring job.  My only problem was that there wasn't a man doing the Morelli and Ranger voices, but in all, Lorelai does a wonderful job.  I've managed to get my hands on a few of them.  I'm waiting for One for the Money, Two for the Dough and Three to get Deadly (abridged unfortunately) to arrive from Amazon.com - you know I love that place! - and Eleven on Top.  I have Hard Eight, Lean Mean Thirteen and Visions of Sugar Plums already.  I just wish they were in the MP3 CD format.  I'd borrowed a friends copy of A Lick of Frost (LKH), and it was already done.  In chapter form.  It was fabulous.  No mess, no fuss, just load it onto the iPod.  I wish all audio books had the option of being MP3 format.  It would certainly make my life a little easier.

Oh, and if you want to rip an LKH audiobook CD to put onto your iPod, forget it.  There was about 100 tracks just for the first CD of Micah.  That means your either going to have a hell of a lot of tracks on your iPod, or you've got to fiddle around in an audio editor to put them together.  Not really worth it if you have 16 CD's to combine now is it.

I Found It! Earth to Hell is here

I can't believe that after nearly 18 months of waiting, and waiting, and waiting, that I only found Earth to Hell (Book 4) by total accident!  Here's what happened.... I'd been out shopping with my mother, and we'd been cruising through Big W - as you do, and we had decided to meet in the book section.  I was just browsing the shelves and had just about lost interest, when there, on the top shelf, was the book.  It's been soooo long in the works that I'd completely forgotten to check the author's website to find out when it was being released.  So I snapped it up (2nd last copy to :P) and proceeded directly home.  Do not stop, do not collect $200.

I got myself comfy in a little nest... drink... check, nibblies... check.  Now, when I opened up the book I realised something.  It had been so long since I'd read the darn series that I wasn't making instant connections to the names printed.  So I had to down tools, drag out the first trilogy and re-read them.  Not a chore, since as the character were being refreshed in my mind I just sailed into the 4th book, et voila, finis.

Earth to Hell picks up 8 years after Blue Dragon.  Emma Donahoe is now nearing 40, still as scruffy as ever, and is trying her best to look after the Northern Heavens for her love.  Simone is now 16, and a powerful creature.  She and Emma are holding on until Xuan Wu pulls himself together and comes back to them.  But the Demon King still has a few tricks up his sleeve.  His demon children are again causing havoc for Emma and her friends, and they are desperately trying to find the missing Black Lion.

I won't tell you anymore because to do that would be to give the story away.  Rest assured that all your old friends are there, and you will see Emma's snake in action, you may catch a glimpse of Xuan Wu's snake, the White Tiger is still an ass, and there may be one or two little surprises :P

Now, being the complete obsessive compulsive person I am about these sorts of things, I went onto Kylie Chan's website and found out that the other 2 books in the second trilogy - The Journey to Wudang, will be out mid and late 2010.  Wuhooo!

The series works best if you read them in order....

The Dark Heavens Trilogy
White Tiger
Red Phoenix
Blue Dragon

The Journey to Wudang
Earth to Hell (out now in Australia, April everywhere else... sorry)
Hell to Heaven (out mid 2010 in Australia)
Heaven to Wudang (out late 2010 in Australia)

There will be a final trilogy to this series, and I can't wait to see what it will be.  I'm hoping that there will still be enough of a storyline, but knowing the series so far I don't think that'll be too much of a drama.

So I'm finally over my Regency Rut, and thank you Kylie Chan for that.  I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for the rest of the series this year, oh, and there is a small prequel coming out late 2010.  It's Gold's story.  Details are on Kylie Chan's website www.kyliechan.com

Cricket, Rain & Regency

Wow, it's already the 3rd of January!  How did that happen?  It seems the older I get, the quicker the days pass.  Gotta do something about that :P

Well, today is the first day of the 2nd test match between Australia (Go Aussie Go!) and Pakistan in their 5 game series.  Personally, I will be avoiding it as much as possible, but the rest of the household is glued to the couch for the next 5 days.  I don't get it?

So I'll be happily surfing the net, studying (not so happily) and waiting for the rain to cool things off here.  We've had so much rain recently that anytime the sun pokes it's head out from behind the clouds... instant sauna.  Thank god I have my trusty hand fan nearby.  Who doesn't!?

Now while I am waiting for the rain - and ignoring the cricket fueled calls from the lounge room - I'll be relaxing with a few books.  I have found a new paranormal romance author, Terry Spear, and have read her Destiny of the Wolf.  This is a good general lycanthrope romp, but not as involved or compelling as the Anita Blake series lycanthropes.  Not something that I would pre-order-and-pray-that-it-gets-here-soon list, but okay for the bus or train ride.

However, on the other end of the scale, due to my recent purchase of Temptation and Surrender (see Tea & Scandal blog), I had to rummage through the historical section of my bookcase(s) to find the other Bar Cynster books.  I even pulled out the Bastion Club series for good measure.  And of course, when reading any historical/Regency series, I have to get out some of my reference/great costume books to start drooling over.  This of course led to a Regency madness fuelled trip to Amazon.com where again I bought too much.  I did however, get 2 books that mum was wanting so... yeah me!

Now I get to sit back, make a cup of tea in my fine bone china english teacup, and kick back and get into the Regency vibe.

Happy New Years

Merry Christmas!

Well it looks like we'll be getting a wet, humid Christmas this year.  It's been raining on and off for the last 2 days and the weatherman thinks it'll continue until Christmas Day.

I've been in a mad rush to wrap all the pressies and get them under the tree.  We've had to put the tree up into a container this time after last years debacle.  Our little devil in disguise decided that we'd find it really cute if he got into the lower ornaments and then chewed the string of lights!  Thankfully we caught him just as he was picking out a strand to start chewing, but really, you'd think he was a dog the way he keeps chewing on things and following us around the house.

My recent arrivals from Amazon kept me busy for all of 2 days.  I devoured the 2 books.  I liked Cast in Silence, but wasn't all that fussed on "When Demon's Walk" by Patricia Briggs.  If you haven't tried it yet, stick with her Mercy Thompson or Alpha & Omega series.  While it shows promise, it's not quite up to her recent style.

One package left to come is my copy of Supernatural (Season 4).  Can't wait to get my mitts on it and settle down to reacquaint myself with the story.  Gotta love Jensen and Jared.  I mean, who doesn't mind staring at them for a few hours.

Anyhow, I'm now looking for a Megan Washington CD.  I saw her on Rockwiz and Spicks and Specks a few weeks ago.  She has an amazing voice.  I forgot to ask when I went to JB Hi-Fi last week.  I had to go and get my mum the CD she's been subtly hinting at... yes, it is the Susan Boyle CD.  I think nearly every mum and grandma will be getting it in their chrissie stocking this year.

Have a Merry Christmas, and a wonderful 2010

Sequels galore!

So many books, so little time until Christmas!
I've been up to my ears in books and reference materials lately (study, study, study), but I've had a bit of time to squeeze in some of the more important titles :)

First cab off the rank is the 2nd book in the new Lili St.Crow series, Betrayal.  The first book, Strange Angels, set up the world of teenager Dru Anderson.  In Betrayals, we pick her up at a new school, trying to learn the skills she'll need to survive.  But someone is trying to make sure that Dru doesn't make it.
This book follows on seemlessly from Strange Angels, and there are a few twists and turns to the plot that keep you guessing.  Dru and some of the other characters are back from the first book, and Betrayals nicely sets up the 3rd (as yet unnamed) title.  A great book for teens and adults alike.  No swearing, no sex scenes.  Just a good read.

Another 2 books I've just managed to get my hands on are the PC Cast books Elphame's Choice and Brighid's Quest.  These are the last 2 books in the wonderful Parthalon series that follows the lives of Epona's Chosen Ones.  These have only just be re-released in Australia under the Harlequin Teen label (I found mine in Big W for $11.94!)  If you enjoyed Divine by Mistake, then read these - you'll love them!

NOTE:  Also newly released is the Kindle e-book, Divine Beginnings.  I don't know if it will be available in the re-released Divine by Mistake, but surely there should be a version available for those who live outside of the US?

Now, I've just finished the new JD Robb book, Kindred in Death.  At number 28 in the series (I think), I'm amazed that she can still make the characters so likeable.  This time Eve is chasing a devious killer who struck the family of one of their own.  When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.

I've still got a huge pile to go (with more on their way from Amazon... oops!)

Stuck in a Regency Rut

I know, it's typical isn't it.  You get bored with one subject, then dive feet first into the next thing that tickles your fancy.  Yep, I'm guilty.  I've been so overwhelmed with everything lately - study, work experience, family etc, that I've just escaped into my favourite era :)  If only I could pull off a Lost in Austen... only replace P&P with the Bar Cynster - hmmm, Devil Cynster {sorry, had to wipe the drool off my keyboard}. 

So with that in mind, I've made myself a Regency Only blog - Tea & Scandal (http://tea-scandal.blogspot.com) where I can escape the annoying vulgarities and aggrivations of today, and dwell in my no technology, no pollution, daydreams of a bygone era.

Regency Blues

I've been feeling at a loss lately. I'm over my paranormal books at the moment, and am leaning towards more hysterical... sorry, historical titles. It's been so long since I've found a decent Regency author like Stephanie Laurens. I received the last 2 books in her Bastion Club series last Friday and spent the whole day just demolishing them. I wasn't too enthused on Christian's story. Boy mets girl, boy falls in love, boy looses love and moves on.... girl comes back to boy and needs his help to solve her husbands murder, girl fills boy in on what really happened, they forgive each other after she's nearly killed, they marry and live happily ever after. It was better than some other titles I've read, but The Edge of Desire wasn't my top Stephanie Laurens book.


Now Mastered by Love on the other hand was great! After waiting for years, we finally find out who the mysterious and dashingly dangerous Dalziel is. He is none other than a Duke! After resigning his commission, he goes home to take up the reins of the dukedom after his father's unexpected death. He overcomes past hurts and finds true love while trying to keep his private life out of the gossip of the grand dames of the ton. Especially since he now has to wed to prevent his title being resumed by Prinny! His is a story that tugs at the heartstrings, and makes you just want to keep reading more. A great strong finish to a wonderful series.

The only downside to getting these 2 books is that in the back of MbL, the author lets us all know that she has another series, The Black Cobra Quartet, that will include the characters from both the Bastion Club and the Bar Cynsters series. OMG! Just when I thought it was safe to go to the bookshop, she does this to me... I've been online and checked out the online previews available and the Untamed Bride (out 27 October 2009) looks to be quite a ride. Although it seems to be more in line with the Bastion Club vibe with ex-Whitehall agents ferrying sensitive information home. It will involve Royce, and other of the Bastion Club and will end up at Somersham Place for a Cynster gathering... is she trying to kill us?

The Bastion Club titles can be read individually, but work better when you read them in order

• Captain Jacks Woman

• A Lady Chosen

• A Gentleman's Honor

• A Lady of His Own

• A Fine Passion

• To Distraction

• Beyond Seduction

• The Edge of Desire

• Mastered by Love

So keep your eyes peeled for the new series. If they are anything like the Bastion and Cynster books, then I'll be happy.