Title: One Week as Lovers

Author: Victoria Dahl

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Zebra books
Publishing Date: August 4 , 2009
Paperback: 352 pages

Stand Alone or series: Can be read as a stand alone but the hero first makes an appearance in A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure.

Summary: Even after finding his betrothed in the arms of another man, Nicholas, Viscount Lancaster, knows he must wed. Propriety–and the dire state of his finances–decrees it. At least a visit to his country estate provides relief from playing the role of loving fiance, as well as a surprising encounter with Cynthia Merrithorpe. Once his childhood companion, Cynthia has grown into a lovely, alluring woman–one who’s undertaken a daring ruse to avoid being sold into a miserable marriage.
When Nicholas left for London to assume his new title, Cynthia was forced to put aside her girlish infatuation. Now he’s returned, more wickedly attractive than ever. And this time, Cynthia is determined to experience the pleasure she’s dreamed of for so long. But with a man like Nicholas, seduction is only the beginning of a sensual journey that will tempt them both to defy convention, and uncover the very heart of desire…

Why did I read the book: I am a fan of Victoria Dahl’s novels and I had waited for Lancaster’s book since he walked in A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure with a scar around his neck.

Review:

One Week as Lovers is the love story between two childhood friends, Nicholas, Viscount Lancaster and Cynthia, the girl next door. Cynthia has loved Nicholas forever but once the boy turned 15 his family moved to London and they haven’t seen each other in ages. Until Lancaster receives the news that Cynthia has died and he travels back. Cynthia of course, is not dead. She faked her suicide so that she could avoid getting married to the most awful man in existence (Richmond is his name , one that we do not want to repeat in this review.) – because her family is in serious debt and she is basically being sold to “that man”. Cynthia plans to hide (in Lancaster’s estate with the help of his housekeeper) until she finds her ancestor’s buried treasure (no, really) to buy her ticket to America.

When Lancaster comes back she hides in the attic and tries to send him away by pretending to be a ghost (which was hugely amusing) but he soon finds out the truth and his joy at her being alive is unbelievable. They quickly become friends again and of course, you know what happens next: they fall in love. Easily and smoothly.

But there is a catch: Lancaster is also poor. He needs to marry money and quick. His family depends on him and he already has a fiancée waiting for him to get married in a few weeks. This is cause for angst for the lovers and it is a real predicament with no easy way out.
On top of that, and the most important thing of all: Lancaster is damaged. Like, REALLY damaged. Traumatised by an event that took place when he was merely 15 (and why he went away and never came back) and caused a scar around his neck. I am not talking about a hero with say, “daddy issues” or a rake bored with life. Lancaster is severely injured down to the soul and once I learnt why and how he got the scars (the physical one and the emotional one), later in the book, I cried. It is serious stuff , dark and horrible, and it makes it even harder because Nick is just an amazing, adorable hero. Beta to the bone , easygoing; there is an early sequence when Cynthia muses about something Nick’s mother told her that everybody loved Nick because he was born with a gift to put people at ease and fill a room with joy. A joy that unfortunately, he is unable to feel. He must keep up the charade of being easygoing as to not let anyone discover what is really inside of him. And with Cyn, there is the beginning of healing.

She is a worthy heroine for Nick, who understand his problems and is able and willing to help. Her heart is as huge as his and you know, for once a cover manages to capture the essence of a couple – the embrace of the couple above is completely accurate – this is Nick and Cyn and please note, her smile: it’s like being at home. And you know, sometimes, it is easy to forget to root for a couple to the together when it comes to romance because we all know that the HEA is always going to be there in the end anyways but in One Week as Lovers, I was completely engrossed by this couple and I wanted them to be together so every much.

But even if their love is easy, their lives aren’t – and I was also appreciative of that fact that there is no miraculous ending for these two. The money problem is a real one and not easily fixed. And Nick is not entirely healed by the end of the book. Both problems will take time and that’s one of the reasons why One Week as Lovers is so good. But don’t get me wrong – this is not a doom and gloom book. It has serious issues and a dark streak but also light and humorous moments and dear lord, the sex scenes are both excellent and meaningful.

This is the book I have always known Victoria Dahl could write. I am a fan, a huge fan of both her historical and contemporary novels but in most of them, if not all there was a secondary plot that detracted from the romance. There is nothing like this in One Week as Lovers, as the attention is wholly invested in the two main characters and for that I am greatly grateful: because Lancaster is a character, a hero that deserves attention, your attention and anything you can give him.

He has captured my eye when he first appeared in A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure and he had a scar around his neck and I waited with anxiety for his story. And now, after One Week as Lovers, he has captured my heart.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: the book is filled with goodness that I will let you find out. But there is this scene that was so funny: Lancaster thinks Cynthia is an innocent country miss and tries to tell her that they can’t be lovers because her jewel…her flower is something precious. Then Cynthia tries to tell HIM that hello, her flower has been plucked ages ago and hilarity and shoe throwing ensue.

Verdict: emotionally powerful , totally heart-warming with a fantastic hero and heroine that you can’t help but to root for.

Rating: 7 (leaning towards an – Very good

Reading Next: Wicked Lovely (Manga) by Melissa Marr

Howdy folks! As of right now, I’m saying hi to y’all from a sandy beach in Maui. That’s right. So while I drink something fruity and impossibly alcoholic, I give you the updates for this week at The Book Smugglers!

First, An Announcement:

This week, we gave away two copies of Susan Holloway Scott’s new novel, The French Mistress and we are proud to announce the two winners:

Adrienne (Comment #7)
Estella (Comment #13)

Please send an email to contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we will make sure to send your winnings out to you as soon as possible!

Around The Interwebs:

Sound the alarm! It seems that a new date has been set for Patrick Rothfuss’s long awaited sequel, The Wise Man’s Fear. At least, it’s available now for pre-order on Amazon UK (not Amazon US, however), with a release date of April 15, 2010. Of course, this just might be an Amazon money making ploy…but we’re hopeful.

Also, check out this new interview with Patrick Rothfuss, courtesy of Sci Fi London.

The blog Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem is having a YA spotlight. Every Saturday, they have a YA Author talking about the genre. You can read all about it here.

And speaking of YA…

YA Appreciation Month:

From July 19 to August 15 , we will be discussing the merits of the genre, the apparent boom of YA literature, and the crossover appeal of YA novels. Guest authors and bloggers will be talking about their reasons for writing and reading YA and how the genre differs from books written for an adult audience.

And you can be a part of it: just check this post, an Open Invitation.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Ana reviews thriller Echoes From the Dead by Johan Theorin.

Tuesday, Ana takes a look at Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran.

On Wednesday, we have our Guest Dare for July as Liz takes on Principles of Angels by Jaine Fenn (initially she agreed to do Hyperion by Dan Simmons, but after a bit into the book decided against it)…

Thursday, Ana takes on One Week As Lovers by Victoria Dahl.

And finally on Friday, Thea takes on Apocalypse 2012 by Gary Jennings.

Until tomorrow!

Firstly, let’s all celebrate together because my Thea-Bear has returned!! Woohoo! She will be back to smuggling full time this week.

Meanwhile, we have some business to take care of:

Rewriting Monday giveaway:

The winner of a signed copy of Rewriting Monday by Jodi Thomas and a tote bag is:

I Heart Book Gossip

Congratulations IHBG! Please send us your snail mail address to contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com .

This Week On The Book Smugglers

On Monday, a joint review of Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre which releases this Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Ann Aguirre will be stopping here on her Virtual Tour and you can learn about her Inspiration and Influences for this new series. Plus a chance to win a copy of Blue Diablo.

Thea reviews YA novel Graceling by Kristin Cashore on Wednesday

followed by Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund on Thursday

on Friday Ana reviews Fantasy novel Painted Man by debut writer Peter V. Brett – isn’t the UK cover absolutely stunning?

And speaking of UK covers, lookie wha we found:

New Cover:

Lisa Kleypas’ upcoming Tempt me at Twilight (Hathaway Sisters, book 3) has an official UK cover and a blurb:

Engaged to the very sensible Michael Bayning, Poppy Hathaway is content with her lot – having longed for a life of normality. That is, until she meets a mysterious hotel owner, Harry Rutledge – the most complicated and dangerous man she has ever met. Harry is wealthy and powerful, a collector of secrets, with hobbies more dangerous than Poppy could imagine. What Harry wants, Harry gets – and Harry wants Poppy, like he has never wanted a woman in his life. So when Michael breaks off their engagement and Harry makes his move, Poppy quickly learns that her life is destined to be anything but normal – filled with wild, passionate days and steamy nights …

Can we say:  WANT IT NOW?
We couldn’t find anything for the US just yet though.

On the Internets:

Ana recently reviewed Revealed by Kate Noble and really, REALLY like it. And you have a chance to win a signed copy at the author’s website. Run because the contest ends today, but you still have time!

From the series – Books Ana Must Get or DIE:

Blurb: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Complete with 20 illustrations in the style of C. E. Brock (the original illustrator of Pride and Prejudice) this insanely funny expanded edition will introduce Jane Austen’s classic novel to new legions of fans.

Seriously: If there was ever a book written FOR the Book Smugglers’ girls, this one is it. We will review it soon.

And, one of Ana’s favorite writers of both Historical and Contemporary romance, Victoria Dahl, has two books coming out later this year:

in July, contemporary Start Me Up:

and in August, one of Ana’s most anticipated Historical releases of 2009: One Week as Lovers which features the Viscount of Lancaster who first made an (awesome) appearance in the excellent A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure.

This is what the author has to say about the cover and how it works for her book:

When I saw the cover I got choked up. Why? Because it’s perfect. Look at them. They look like they’re in love!!! And this is my story that features characters who are actually in love. Not falling in love through the course of the book. Not mad with lust. But really in love from very early on. They’re in love and they can’t be together. It’s impossible. All they have is this one week. *sigh* Look how protective he is. Look at her happy, peaceful face.

*Ana says GAAH and disappears into the horizon in the hopes that August will be here pretty soon*

That’s it for today: May you have a most excellent week, dudes! See you around.

Title: Talk Me Down

Author: Victoria Dahl

Genre: Romance – Contemporary

Publisher: HQN Books
Publishing Date: January 1, 2009
Paperback: 352 Pages

Stand Alone/ Series: Stand Alone

Summary: Molly Jennings might look like the girl next door, but she has one naughty little secret: her job. Molly is a very successful writer of erotic fiction. Until her inspiration runs dry—thanks to a creepy ex—and she decides it’s time to move back home to tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado.

Tumble Creek doesn’t have much going for it, but one look at luscious chief of police Ben Lawson, who starred in her girlhood dreams, and Molly is back in business. But while her fantasies are pouring out on paper, the town gossip is buzzing at her door and, worse yet, a stalker seems to be watching her every move. Thankfully, her very own lawman has taken to coming over, often. The only problem now is that Molly may have to let the cat out of the bag about her chosen profession, and straight-laced Ben will definitely not approve…

Why did I read the book: I love Victoria Dahl’s historicals and thought I should try her first contemporary

Review:

The reviews for Talk me Down are all over the place – the first one I read, from Romantic Times Magazine calls the heroine a Dog in Heat. (I was shocked – it was the first time I read the magazine and I think it shall be my last.) The second one, from Dear Author, was a much more positive review. I was really curious to see how I would feel about the book – so I thought it was the perfect time to call for a Powerpuff Review with the Awesome Katie of Babbling about Books. You know the drill: Ana, aka, Bubbles, reviews it here. Katie,aka Blossom at her place. Buttercup, remains MIA, frolicking about with Gambit or Batman, maybe both.

>

Molly Jennings is back in town after ten years – small Tumble Creek, Colorado to get over a writer’s block and start anew after a few complicated months with a stalker ex-boyfriend. Being back in town also means being back into the life of Ben Lawson, the current Chief of Police and former adolescent flame. Last time they saw each other Molly ran into Ben and a girlfriend into a compromising situation – an image that has been present in her life both as fantasy and as inspiration ever since, for Molly is an Erotica writer – and this is the infamous Molly Jennings Secret. No one knows what she does for a living and she likes to keep it that way – not because she is ashamed of it but because not only she has a complicated family that has always looked down on her achievements compared to her brother’s but also because her first book is inspired by Ben and is too close to reality to comfort. Plus she likes her privacy and truth be told she now has fun with the whole secrecy thing.

Ben and Molly rekindle straight away, Molly is more than happy to finally work on some of the fantasies she has dreamed for so many years and wants a no-strings- attached relationship, whereas Ben wants to date. Right off the bat, this is exactly what I loved the most about Talk me Down – this inversion of roles. Where Molly is the chick coming up with the excuses for the sex and Ben with the excuses for the dates, where she is the one talking dirty and being unapologetically fond of sex. Where Ben is the one that needs to take it slow not to scare her off when trying to figure her out and know her secrets.

Victoria Dahl writes fantastically refreshing, away- from- the-norm heroines and Molly is no different. I just loved her – she was just full of life, fun , carefree, open and self- confident. She just knew who she was – even with her shortcomings – yes, she could at times, take things less than seriously and be thick as a wooden door which can drive some people (and some readers, I am sure) nuts, but that was part of her self-defense mechanism. People that are bubbly by nature have this tendency and Molly was just like that and that was part of her charm and also something she knew she had to work on. So there you have you have, a heroine that is aware of her strengths and weakness and she was proud of the first was prepared to face the latter.

As for Ben the hero, oh boy, deliver me strong and blushing heroes more often. And who seek the joy that their heroines can give them. I loved this passage:

“She seemed to draw eyes without even noticing, seemed comfortable with attention without needing it. And she laughed. A lot. Ben didn’t laugh much, and he thought it would be a grace in his life, a blessing, to hear a woman laugh every day, every hour. To hear her laugh in his bed.”

In this sense Molly could not be more perfect for Ben. If it wasn’t for the small matter of the Secret – being a policeman he simply cannot afford problems and being the child of a father who compromised the entire family by having an affair with a teenager he was not keen on secrets, or scandals either…so he spends the whole book trying to find out what she does for a living which is at first humorous, but later turns quite serious, as they fall in love and everything now is a matter of trust and of faith in each other.

The conflict between them, in my opinion, was enough to carry the book – could Ben live with an Erotica writer and the publicity that her life would bring to his? Could he forgive her for the secrecy? Add to that the VERY hot sex encounters, the funny moments, Molly’s hilarious inner monologues and I would have been a happy camper.

But no. We need to have not only one stalker but two! The ex-boyfriend Cameron which was ok, the story was cool, well done, the ending was both heart –racing and aw-worthy with Ben being all shook up and rescue-y; but the addition of a second one was completely unnecessary, and this is a bit of a spoiler for you, that person was the one to spill the secret of Molly’s profession to Ben, and with that the writer missed a great chance to have her characters have great interaction and for Molly to talk to Ben herself.

All in all though, I really liked Talk me Down. I am a fan of Victoria Dahl’s Historicals and now it seems I will be reading her Contemporaries as well.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Ben is an amateur photographer and Molly loved his photos. Because her mind is a gutter she asks him to take naked pictures of her, just for the two of them, of course. He says absolutely not – and she thinks this is it. The next morning she wakes up to find beautiful photos scattered around the place – all of them close-ups of her, but not naked her, only things like the curve of her neck, her blond hair spread across the pillow or “you, in morning light” . Awww. Needless to say, this is when Molly started to realize that she was in deep trouble.

Additional Thoughts: Go check Katie’s aka Blossom’s review at her place!

Verdict: VERY hot , funny, light contemporary. There are a couple of unnecessary secondary storylines but they do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. Go for it.

Rating: 7 VERY GOOD

Reading Next: The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor

Another Sunday, another stash! (No football though)

News, News, News

We have just learned that Joel Sutherland and Mike Stone have BOTH made the preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Award!!!!!! Joel’s debut novel Frozen Blood (our review HERE; interview with Joel HERE) has gotten a nod in the “Superior Achievement in a First Novel” catergory, while Mike’s collection Fourtold (our review HERE; interview with Mike HERE) has been honored in the “Superior Achievement in a Collection” category.

We have read, reviewed and loved both works and are so thrilled that Joel and Mike’s talent are being recognized by the horror community. A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU! And we will keep our fingers crossed that you will both make the final ballot and officially become nominees.

For anyone (especially active HWA members) who might be interested in reading Frozen Blood or Fourtold for consideration, please check out Joel’s and Mike’s blogs.

Speaking of authors, The Deadline Dames website & blog is now up and running! Noted urban fantasy, paranormal romance and YA authors Rachel Vincent, Devon Monk, Jackie Kessler, Jenna Black, Keri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow, Rinda Elliot, Toni Andres, and our very own Karen Mahoney make up the femme fatale team that runs the blog. They offer awesome giveaways, writerly advice, and just some damn insightful commentary on writing and publishing in general. Make sure to stop by and say hi to the Dames.

In book news, information about the sequel to the smash hit dystopian YA novel The Hunger Games has been officially released! Catching Fire will be in stores on September 8, 2009–and apparently it’s gonna be a doozy. If anyone’s planning on attending BookExpo America in NY this May, ARCs will be handed out!

We loved The Hunger Games and eagerly await the release of Catching Fire this fall.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

We have got a helluva week planned for you–are you ready?

On Monday, Ana and Katie (aka Bubbles and Blossum) team up for another Powerpuff Review–Victoria Dahl’s contemporary romance, Talk Me Down. Will they love it or hate it? Will they agree? We shall see.

On Wednesday, we bring you yet another Guest Dare! Graeme of Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review will be here, giving us his review of Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman! (Yes, we realize this will be the third review for Preludes and Nocturnes on The Book Smugglers…if you read the Sandman, you will understand the obsession!).

There’s a twist though! Graeme graciously accepted our Dare, but then he turned around and Dared us back (that dirty rat)! So, on Wednesday while Graeme’s over here, we will be over at his blog giving our joint review of fantasy novel The Briar King by Greg Keyes! Make sure to stop by and say hi to us.

On Thursday, Ana will have an early ARC review for The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor.

But the really big news is…

The Big Cheese:

You may have recalled that in last week’s stash, we alluded to a certain established, popular author. On Friday, Thea will have her review of Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs! That’s not all though–we will also be giving away ONE copy of the book (the giveaway will run for the weekend).

But wait–that’s STILL not all. The review and giveaway marks just the beginning of our Patricia Briggs coverage. On February 8th, Thea will hold an in-person interview with Patricia Briggs herself–and we’ll have another giveaway (details to be announced)! So stay tuned dudes.

Also, Patricia will be on tour during February, promoting Bone Crossed! If you can, try to check her out at a city near you!

February 3
University Books
7:00PM
Seattle, Washington

February 4
Third Place Books
7:00PM
Lake Forest Park, Washington

February 5
Powell’s Books (Beaverton Store)
7:00PM
Portland, Oregon

February 6
Borderlands Books
7:00PM
San Francisco, California

February 7
Mysterious Galaxy Books
2:00PM
San Diego, California

February 8
Barnes & Noble (Bella Terra)
2:00PM
Huntington Beach, California

February 9
Borders (Waters Place)
7:00PM
Ann Arbor, Michigan

And that’s all folks!

~Your friendly neighborhood Book Smugglers.

Day 16 (10 days to Smugglivus and counting)

Who: Victoria Dahl, writer of Historical and Contemporary romance novels. Victoria Dahl has an unique style and her characters, specially the female ones are not the usual run-of-the-mill heroines and they are all the better for that. She has written so far, two historical novels – To Tempt a Scotsman and A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure and one contemporary, Talk me Down.

Recent Work: A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure – released earlier this year . The book was a complete surprise and became one of Ana’s favourite reads of 2008. You can check our review here. To follow Victoria’s own style in her 2008 listing below: this is the best book you haven’t read yet – and she is giving away one copy for one lucky winner (details below) .

Victoria is releasing her first contemporary, Talk me Down, on January 1st and Ana cannot wait to read it. Especially after the very positive reviews that Dear Author and The Smart Bitches, published yesterday (they are also running a contest, giving away a few copies of the book. Follow the links above to find out more).

Ladies and gentlemen: Victoria Dahl and her 2008’s experiences:
__________

Victoria:

Let me open with a confession. I’ve been an awful, awful reader this year. It’s shameful, how few books I’ve read. I have three books and three novellas coming out in 2009, so that might give you a clue as to how I’ve been spending my time. There’s also been a lot of snacking. And non-leg-shaving days.

In fact, I’ve been so busy that I have only a vague recollection of the books I HAVE managed to read. I had to go back and review my old blog posts to jog my memory. So I can’t really give you a “best of 2008” book. There wasn’t much of a competition. But I couldn’t resist the chance to blog with The Book Smugglers, so I’ve come up with some ragged categories that may or may not have to do with romance novels. I hope you don’t mind! Here we go:

Best Book Packaging: Red by Jordan Summers. I’m still in the middle of reading it, so I can only tell you that it’s a great, fast-paced, bloody story so far, but the packaging is unbelievable! The cover art is gorgeous and compelling and one of the reasons I bought the book (in addition to the reviews I’ve read.) But what I didn’t realize when I bought it was that when you turn over the book, the edges of the pages are dyed… you guessed it… red! How cool is that? Somebody made a great decision in the marketing department.

Best Non-Romance Book by a Romance Writer: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris. If you love the Sookie Stackhouse series, try the Harper Connelly series! Not as romantic, but just as good if you’re in the mood for a change.

Best Book You Haven’t Read Yet: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. Jennifer is my critique partner, so I got to read it a year ago. But I swear I’m not being partial when I tell you this book is fantastic. Emotional, funny and surprisingly sexy for a young adult romance (without crossing the line, imho.) It’s for high school age, and I don’t normally read YA, but I LOVED this book and devoured it in about twenty-four hours. It’ll be out in March with MTV books. Prepare yourself!

Best Erotic Romance: A Mermaid’s Kiss by Joey Hill. I want to acknowledge this book for being totally erotic and totally romantic at the same time. There is some intense sex that may be too squicky for some of you. (Check out online reviews for details.) But the book is also beautifully lush and wonderfully sweet, and it made me cry! Also, the hero calls the heroine “little one” a lot. Some people hate this kind of thing. Me? I’ve been 5’ 7” and curvy since junior high. I’d pay good money to hear that whispered in my ear, but it looks like my best bet is reading about it in a book.

Best Romantic Hero You’ve Never Heard Of: Jax on Sons of Anarchy (FX channel).. I shouldn’t even be calling him a hero, honestly. He’s a murderer. He sleeps around with skanky women. His hair needs a good washing. Oh, and he’s the second in command of a motorcycle gang. Despite all this, he is honestly adorable. Flirtatious and gentlemanly. Cute. Sexy. Tortured by the road he’s taken in life. Sympathetic to others’ feelings. This is amazing characterization, ladies, and I’m fascinated!

And my Biggest Disappointment That Has Absolutely Nothing to Do with Books: Burger King’s apple fries. When I saw a commercial about these I almost fell out of my chair. “Apple fries!” I sobbed to my husband. “Apple fries!!!” At Legoland they have these amazing fried apples that are only sold at one stand. Granny Smith apples are sliced into french fry shape and deep fried, then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. They’re served with a sweet cream dipping sauce. *drool* So simple. So damn delicious! And now they were here! In my hometown!

As soon as it hit eleven a.m. I raced the twenty minutes across town to my nearest Burger King. I didn’t want fast food, but it was lunch time, so I ordered a meal and *drum roll* the miracle of apple fries. Before I even unwrapped the burger, I cracked open the box of apple fries… and stared in horror. You know what they are? Apples. Cut into the shape of fries. That’s it. No deep fry. No cinnamon sugar. No sweet cream dipping sauce. Raw apples. Unbelievable. I still yell at the TV every time I see the commercial. Wow, thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful 2008, and may your 2009 be even better!!!
____________

Thank you Victoria, and good luck with your new book!

TO WIN A COPY OF A RAKE’S GUIDE TO PLEASURE, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST. CONTEST RUNS UNTIL SATURDAY MIDNIGHT (PACIFIC TIME) AND THE WINNER WILL BE RAMDOMLY PICKED ON SUNDAY.

Next on Smugglivus: Kim Lenox