Emily from What Book is That Blog and the Perfect Gift is a Book

I [Emily from What Book is That blog] know that books are my favorite gifts to receive, and they're certainly my favorite books to give! For folks who like their romance feisty and their world building creative and intense, I highly recommend the first two books in the Iron Seas series by Meljean Brook:  The Iron Duke and Heart of Steel.

The Iron Duke was one of my top rated books of 2010 so I'm always looking for new people who might enjoy it.

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
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After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.

But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
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Named one of Publishers Weekly’s “Best Books of 2010,” The Iron Duke introduced the gritty, alluring adventure of the Iron Seas. Now, Meljean Brook returns to the world where nanotech fuses with Victorian sensibilities — and steam.

As the mercenary captain of the Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.

Treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in the Lady Corsair — he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she’s no easy conquest.

When da Vinci’s sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco — and straight into their enemy’s hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart…

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Naomi Bellina and the Perfect Gift is a Book

This is the book for anyone who has ever opened a Christmas card anticipating a friendly greeting, a heartfelt message, or perhaps a family picture, and instead received a lengthy report from the sender on all the banal, tedious events of the past year. You can shriek, you can cry, you can run straight for the paper shredder, howling like a banshee, or you can buy a book that will make you laugh at the absurdity of holiday newsletters.

For those who need a little pick-up during this festive season, Christmas Letters From Hell by Michael Lent is the perfect gift to lighten the mood and spread holiday cheer. Grab a copy for your loved one, your best buddy and yourself, and get ready to laugh out loud at this collection of Yuletide epistles from the Wac-A-Moles, the family dog, Dr. Phil, a sea monkey, and many others.
And when you're in the mood for a scary, sexy adventure, check out:

When Irish Eyes Are Evil by Naomi Bellina
Paranormal Erotic Romance

A sexy vampire with evil on his mind has Rachael playing detective to find a way to subdue him before he can destroy her.

Sent to the space station in lieu of prison, Rachel longs to escape and return to Earth. An encounter with a charming bartender, Brody, makes her reconsider, until she realizes that he is not what he seems. Racing against time, Rachel must find a way to permanently eliminate Brody before she falls prey to his evil plot and is killed in the process.

With the help of a sexy crew member, a friend back home and another of Brody’s victims, Rachel devises a dangerous plan to kill the fiend and save herself and other potential victims.

Buy eBook at Total-e-Bound

Visit Naomi at http://www.naomibellina.com/

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Mary Hughes and the Perfect Gift is a Book

No holiday in our family is complete without a trip to the bookstore. The hardest person to buy for is our twenty-something punk-rock writer son. But now I just look for the latest in the Fables series, a great set of graphic novels with a contemporary take on favorite fairy tales. Not only does he love them, we do too!

Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile [Paperback]
Bill Willingham (Author)
Lan Medina (Illustrator)

Bite My Fire by Mary Hughes
Red-hot vampire romance with humor

At last, the perfect lover. Now what? Stake him, shoot him or screw him?

Elena O’Rourke lusts for two things—her detective’s shield and a good lay. Sass-Cgal’s “Bad Girl Sex Tips” will win her the man. But keeping the shield hinges on solving a murder.

Warrior-gorgeous Bo Strongwell stands in her way.

Powerful as a Viking warship, Bo would be Elena’s one-stop solution to celibacy—except for his apartment building full of mysteries. Plus, his kisses…and nibbles…and full body tongue-swipes…keep distracting her from the case. As if a caped clown named Dracula, a hooker with a heart of gold (and boobs of steel), and Elena’s own clueless partner aren’t distraction enough.

Bo Strongwell is a master vampire who needs a cop snooping around like he needs a garlic enema. Fighting rogues keeps him busy enough without Elena trying to pin the murder on one of his kind…even if she does taste like heaven.

Two fighters for justice. One incredible attraction. A terrible secret. Drunken women dancing on the bar… It all rides on Elena solving the Case of the Punctured Prick.

Warning: Jammed with hot explicit sex, graphic fanged violence, and acid cop humor. May contain donuts.

Buy ebook from Samhain Publishing and Amazon
Buy paperback from Samhain Publishing

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Samantha Sommersby and the Perfect Gift is a Book

The perfect book gift?

I've lost count of the number of Intercourses cookbooks I've given as gifts. This is a wonderful cookbook filled with fabulous recipes, memorable stories, and beautifully shot photographs.

The New InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook [Hardcover]
Martha Hopkins (Author), Randall Lockridge (Author)

Spice up you life with this collection of fabulous recipes.

The Temptation (Forbidden) by Samantha Sommersby

There’s a fine line between man and beast…one only the heart can cross.

A year ago, Jacob Madison got more than he bargained for during a rock-climbing trip to Yosemite. A freak accident left him badly injured, at the mercy of the elements—and the wolves who rescued him. If it hadn’t been for them, he’d be dead. He’d also still be human. Now he’s back, hoping to find out who he is and what he’s become. Instead, he finds smart, sexy Allison Connelly.

A forensic psychologist, Allison is newly divorced and proudly standing on her own two feet…until an unexpected storm shears off the snow bank she’s standing on. She plunges down an icy ravine, thinking she’s heading for oblivion. Then she lands in the arms of a tall, dark Texan. Jake.

Brought together by circumstance and bound by passion, secrets from their past threaten their future before it can begin. And somewhere in the mountains lurks a rogue Were turned serial killer. Whatever the danger Jake’s inner beast poses to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it. Even if it costs him her love.

Warning: This book contains raging winter storms, truly inspiring sex, a kick-butt heroine, and one very hot, dirty-talking cowboy…who’s sometimes furry.

Buy paperback from Amazon
Buy eBook from All Romance

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Berengaria Brown and the Perfect Gift is a Book

I travel a lot for my day job, and many of my friends wish they could do that, too. But I have to go where the company sends me. I think I’ll give them copies of this book, and together, we can all plan the journeys we’d choose to do for fun. Maybe next year we’ll even take one of the trips we plan!

“Raw Craving” Book 1 in the “Raw Claiming” series: Ayla thought it’d be just like Y2K all over again. But this time the world really did change. Now, she’s living in a community with far more men than women and has to choose some to live with. Ethan and Gideon helped rescue her, and she’s drawn to them. The sex is great, but she has to learn to live in a community that must become self-sufficient.

Also, what’s going on outside? Has the world changed forever? Will the men be torn from her and sent outside again? Should she go, too? And into what?

Buy Raw Craving from Bookstrand

Berengaria Brown
berengariasblog.blogspot.com
berengariabrown.webs.com

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Jayne Rylon and the Perfect Gift is a Book

Long before I was an author I was an avid reader. Nothing I love more to receive as a gift. In fact, my family bought me a Kindle for Christmas before they even knew I was writing ebooks because they knew how much I would love the device (and I do!). So, I also give plenty of books. While I like to tailor the book to the person, I have a few fallback books. One that's fun and great for future events, is called Hello, Cupcake. The book has cute, fun and easy to follow direction for making sweet treats!

Eastern Ambitions by Jayne Rylon and Mari Carr
Contemporary Erotic Romance (menage)

He’s lost everything. Can he win her heart?

Compass Brothers, Book 3

Sam Compton never liked getting his hands dirty, at least not on Compass Ranch. Armed with a business degree, he’s about to become the youngest VP at an illustrious Wall Street investment firm. Until his partner in an office romance turns into an ultra-refined snake in the grass.

Staggering from the punch of betrayal, another blow threatens to level him. His father is dying. He races home to lend his brain to his brothers’ backs at the ranch, and finds something he never expected. A sophisticated yet playful woman stimulates his mind…and parts below the belt.

Compass Ranch gave Cindi Middleton’s wounded soul everything it needs: a home, acceptance, and respect—not to mention unlimited sex—from the ranch’s sexy cowboys. Despite their instant and intense sparks, Sam’s defection to the bright city lights she left behind is a big red flag. She’s been there, done that, burned the T-shirt.

Yet the heat of their attraction brings them circling back to each other’s arms…until a certain snake reappears, threatening to endanger the acquisition of the one thing Sam has realized is truly priceless.

Warning: Tissue alert! The authors recommend you have a few on hand while reading this book. To make up for any sniffles, a host of cowboys with open arms await to console you, distract you or make your wildest dreams come true.

Buy from Amazon
Buy from BN
Buy from Samhain

http://www.jaynerylon.com/
http://www.maricarr.com/

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Beverly Rae and the Perfect Gift is a Book

My favorite gift book for children is Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. I used to read this book to my daughter from when she was very young to well after she was able to read it on her. Not only is the book fun, but we gave it a twist by making it a challenge. Every night she would give me the book and say, “Bet you can’t do it!” I would then try to read the book as fast as possible and see if I stumbled over any of the tongue-twisting text. I did, in fact, get very good and made it through several times without a mistake. Of course, that wasn’t what my daughter was hoping. She loved to laugh whenever I fumbled. Buy a copy for any child and let them laugh, too.

One of my favorite books of mine is Howling for My Baby (Cannon Pack, Book 1), an erotic paranormal romance for those who like sexy along with humor.

Romeo and Juliet never had to worry about being skinned alive!

Sydney Skeller’s father is spitting bullets over her reluctance to join the family business as a shifter hunter. The last thing Daddy needs to know is why—she yearns for a lover who’s man enough for a relationship but animal enough to give her the wild ride of her dreams. After a treadmill mishap lands her in a tangled heap with Jason Cannon, she wonders if she’s finally found her beast, er, man. One session in bed and one bite later, she’s sure. Now if only she can keep her father from mounting Jason’s head on a wall…

Jason is all man on the surface, but wolf shifter down to the bone. He’s more than ready to stop “playing the pack” and find his one true mate, and Sydney of the luscious curves is the woman of his dreams. Finding out that she comes from a family sworn to eradicate his kind isn’t a deal-breaker. But her outrageous plan for him to masquerade as the wolf in hunter’s clothing, right under her father’s very nose, could be asking more than he ever expected to give.

Buy book from Amazon

Find more Beverly Rae books at:

http://www.beverlyrae.com/

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Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

MJ Fredrick and the Perfect Gift is a Book

Books as gifts—my favorite!

I’m a teacher, so I love to give books to children. My favorite picture books are the Skippyjon Jones series by Judy Schachner. They’re adorably illustrated stories about a little Siamese cat who thinks he’s a Chihuahua. He has Mexican-flavored adventures with things he finds in his closet.

Tikki Tikki Tembo is another book my students love, with the repetitive parts they can recite along. It’s a Chinese fable explaining why Chinese boys now have short names.

For older students, my students loved Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. It’s a bit dated, the story of a fourth grader and the trials and tribulations he has with his toddler brother.

The children also enjoy Twisted Journeys, which are a choose-your-own-ending graphic novel. There is a series of them.

For the women in my life who read (sadly not many in my family), I bought my friend Trish Milburn’s Living in Color. It’s a women’s fiction about a woman reconnecting with her sheltered mother after the death of her father. It’s wonderful and I would say so even if she wasn’t my friend.

The Phillipa Gregory books are fantastic for people who enjoy history. I particularly like the performances on the audiobooks.

If anyone is interested in steampunk, I can’t recommend The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook highly enough. The second book is out now but I haven’t had time to read it yet. It’s the story of a female police detective in London in an alternate past, a woman who bears the physical reminder of England’s conquerors. It’s far too complicated to explain here, but it’s wonderful.

For the men in my life, I buy David McCullough’s books. He writes those big fat historicals.

I’m buying my dad Seal Team Six and David Crockett, the Lion of the West, both non-fiction, kind of self-explanatory.

You can see I think books make wonderful gifts!

My romantic adventure, Midnight Sun, might make a fun gift for someone who enjoys a sexy hero, a spunky heroine and an unusual setting—a cruise ship to Antarctica.

This wasn’t the adventure she’d signed up for…

A sexy boss, a rough crossing, and pirates—all Brylie Winston wanted was a job to help her earn money to buy her own restaurant. She hopes to earn it by working as a chef on a cruise to Antarctica. But she’s slept with her boss, which throws her off-balance even more than the rough seas and warnings of pirates in the area. And he’s determined to have a repeat performance…

Bad boy former snowboarder Marcus Devlin is running from his reputation, sent to learn the family business after decking a senator’s son and making the papers. So maybe he indulged in a last-minute fling before boarding his family’s cruise ship to Antarctica. Perhaps Fate is showing him that wasn’t so bad—the gorgeous redhead who snuck out of his bed is on the cruise. She’ll be a lovely distraction during his exile.

But when South American pirates take over the ship, his instinct is to protect her and the other passengers. But what does a spoiled rich boy know about saving people’s lives?

Buy eBook at Amazon

REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Tilly Greene kicks off the Perfect Gift is a Book Event and Contest

We have friends whose grandkids [from 3 to 6 yo] who come to their house a couple times a week and they're hosting an annual Christmas party, so we need a hostess gift - a book. I think the perfect gift for them this year would be a book they’ll keep, love and read every year with their grandkids, is one that possesses wonderful illustrations that feeds the little ones imaginations and pop-ups! I happen to love pop-ups and often think of which one would suit kids I know.  And with all that said, I've decided we’ll be giving them The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore and illustrated/paper engineered by Niroot Puttapipat.

Missing in Paradise by Tilly Greene
Contemporary Erotic Romance + Bondage

When the love of Mike’s life breaks up with him abruptly, he doesn’t know where to turn. Mary is an emotional mess who reacts without thinking, and immediately regrets her decision. Making things right with Mike isn’t easy. It requires privacy to rebuild their love and share their lust. Neither expects their getaway to become a major news story.

The tattooed retired surfer and daytime TV star are opposites, yet perfect for each other. But paradise isn’t easy on them. Their bond will need to stand up to the strain of a public-relations nightmare if they have any hope of making it work.

Mistakes are made and they need privacy to fix things, but what about the media?

Buy eBook from Ellora's Cave│All Romance│Amazon│BN│Sony

Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
www.tillygreene.com

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REMEMBER
Commenting and/or asking questions on an author or blogger’s blog for the day will enter you into The Perfect Gift is a Book contest for a one of a kind prize. Unfortunately, this contest is open to US residents only.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Greene Household

Originally posted November 26, 2009



Today is a day full of family and traditions. In fact, when I lived abroad, I used to take Thanksgiving thursday and the following friday off. I cooked a turkey - even though the butchers balked because they were all needed for Christmas - and the fixings. The cutie says he misses my "green salad" [its so special, it will never be made public], but I know it's not because he likes it, but because it's traditional to me and my family. Another one of our traditions, no matter where we are on this day, is to sit down and watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation".

Kitty gnawing on the lights, squirrel in the tree, seriously overcooked turkey [the mark of Thanksgiving throughout my childhood, sorry Grandpa, but it was so very dry], and Randy Quaid's character on the side of the road, well these and more make me laugh.

Enjoy your Thursday, be there turkey or not.

The picture above is from The Situationist and the link leads to an interesting Thanksgiving article they first posted in 2007, and again in 2008.

Let's Talk About Books for Thanksgiving

Originally posted November 23, 2010

Not to long ago I mentioned in a Book Talk and eBook Talk about not liking to read holiday set romances and I also mentioned not understanding why, when I loved the picture book side of the holidays.

Well, I still don't know, but thought I'd share some of my Thanksgiving related picture and pop-up books that I truly enjoy revisiting every year.

Macy's on Parade by Pamela Pease is a pop-up with all the details of what goes into the parade on the side panels.

Milly and The Macy's Day Parade by Shana Corey and illustrated by Brett Helquist.  You might recognize his work from the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events series and Blue Balliett's fantastic YA mysteries, but this is where I first discovered him and bought A Christmas Carol edition he illustrated and The Lump of Coal treat of a book - love his work!

A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley and illustrated by Jim LaMarche may not be Thanksgiving specific, but with us having to deal with leaves falling, it's a perfect book to read, especially to others.  And on a personal note, it also is one we tend to get for family and friends who have a baby.  That's right new borns are given a couple books to get their libraries started and for the parents to start reading to them.  Very important.

Just love books!

The Perfect Gift is a Book Event and Contest is Almost Here!

That's right, I think the perfect gift to give someone you care about is a book, and the holidays are all about giving! So, with that in mind, I asked authors across the romance genre to share what book they enjoy giving and why.

It was fun to see what the authors and bloggers had to say and I'll be sharing them with you from November 25 through December 24.

To add a bit of festive spice into the mix, I'm putting up a one of a kind prize at the end.  There will be treats from a variety of countries and places all put together in a hip bag, and a few other things like an All Romance gift certificate as well.  What you need to do to be entered to win is comment. Comment once or everyday to be entered 30 times, that's all there is to it and enjoy learning a bit more about an author or blogger you've read or want to read.

Remember, it all starts on the 25th, so get your holiday lists ready to take down suggestions because there are some really good books being talked about.

An Easy Way to Make Mince Pies in the US

Originally posted December 12, 2009

In my case it's a lack of skill and attention that led me to learn how to make Mince Pies.  They are very simple to make and don't take long either.  So here you go, something for workmates, neighbors, relatives, or yourself - a little something to put you in the holiday frame of mind.

Here we go, Mince Pies:

You need flour, sugar, milk, rolling pin, two different sized glasses, teaspoon, anti-stick method [I use Pam, but anything will do], muffin tray for mini muffins [bite size :-)], pastry for pies [I use Pillsbury, yup, told you it was easy], and Mincemeat. 

This comes in basic mincemeat and the other is with Brandy and Rum.  I've used both, but the latter is my favorite - can't taste it, but it does add a little unique flavor to the mix. 

Now, like there are recipes for the pastry, there is help around the next for making your own mincemeat.  Good on you for going there, but I get the Crosse and Blackwell.  You'll find it in your local supermarket in the "baking aisle" or in the "holiday aisle".  There are other brands, but after ten years of making these, C&B is my preferred brand.

Throw a bit of flour on your counter, roll out the pastry, not too much, but some.  Now take the larger glass and cut out your bases.  After making sure your tin is sticky proofed, gently push the pastry disk down into the muffin holes.  Gently.  Don't press the pastry to the sides and don't leave anything poking up, should be flush.

Next, use your teaspoon, put a dollop of mincemeat into the pastry cup, making sure you don't overfill.  When all the holes are filled, use your smaller glass, cut out the tops, and lay them on top.  You may have to put scraps together in a ball and roll it out again, but that's fine.

The last thing you do before cooking them is have a small bit of milk in a dish, dip two fingers into it, and gently [again with the gently] paint the top.  Now you're ready to cook them.

Cook at 425, middle of the oven, for about 15 minutes.

When you pull them out, they will be seriously hot - especially the mix - give them a couple minutes [no more] to cool down.  Using a knife tip, release the mince pie from the cup and place them on a cooling rack.  When you have them all there, add a pinch of sugar to each top, and there you go:  Mince Pies.

They taste great whilst still warm and with brandy butter on them, but they are good any way you can get them.  You'll often find Hard Sauce by CandB being sold beside the Mincemeat, as well as Plum Pudding, which the hard sauce can also be used on - well, after you've lit it up that is - but that's another thing.

Enjoy!

Did you blink and miss my exciting news?

Night Owl Reviews gave Highland Heat a 4.5 Top Pick!  I'm so excited about this because Hamish Buchanan, the gorgeous hunk of Scottish manhood who wears a kilt in the correct way - commando! - is and always will be one of my favorite heroes!

The other exciting news was that Tied Up For Love was nominated for a 2011 BDSM short story Authors After Dark (by the way, 2012 convention is in New Orleans and registration is open!) Bookie Award.  If you know only one thing about me other than I write erotic romances is that Greek Mythology is a love of mine.  To keep the joy alive, I write the Mythological Messes Redux series of which this is book #5, and the hero is Marsyas - he also happens to be one of my absolute favorite sculptural pieces.

Now, next month, December, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid is releasing both Call Me Lucifer and My Angel in one ebook and it's called Good, Bad and Kinky.  Whether in Heaven, Hell or on Earth, the people are good, bad and occasionally kinky :-)  By the way, Lucifer is another favorite hero of mine - the man has forever acquired quite a bit of bad press and yet he's one of the most loveable characters I've ever written.

My second to the last bit of squeeling good news is that Konnichiwa Cowboy, book 2 in the Branded series of which Ride 'em is book 1, is now available.  It's a short and slightly unconventional in a couple of ways, but I enjoyed my research into geishas and wanted to share the scorcher with everyone.  A side note to Konnichiwa Cowboy is that I'm almost finished with its follow up called Giddy-up (Branded #2.5).

The last bit of news I'll keep brief - there will be more about this next week - is that there's a big book event coming real soon [starting November 25] and I'm giving a one of a kind prize away at the end!

There you go - my squeelworthy news!

Fashion Adopts Bondage Elements with Elegance

Recently I've noticed high fashion has been inspired by the BDSM world.  I get Elle Magazine and over a couple of months there's been two full pages and a box under the table of contents that highlighted these elements and use the headlines to vamp up the connection even further.

One trend box was noted as "Naughty by Nature: Severe high heels and glinting handcuff bracelets succumb to the seasons's decadent fetish fixation" and accompanied by pictures of a Nicholas Kirkwood patent leather bootie and Jack Vartanian gold handcuff bracelet with diamonds [to the right].

A full page about trends stated "Lock and Key: Obey your fancy with exposed bonding and risque accessories secured with arresting wrist and ankle cuffs".  This page included pictures of a John Galliano* patent and suede pump with chain details, Louis Vuitton brass handcuffs and a crocodile and brass clutch with handcuff clutch, and Betony Vernon's gold collar [to the left].  I've noted Vernon's collection before on a Naughty Thought posting.

The last page I noticed was a shopping guide called "Collars and Scarves".  There were eight collars on this page and they were labeled collar, cuff, necklace and chockers, but they all encircled the neck much like a "collared" BDSM participant would wear.

Intersting stuff.  I wonder if this means we'll see serious lifestylers stepping out onto Main Street in their real collars and cuffs on date night - hmmm.

*this site has music, but can be turned off.

Rugby's Wolfman - oh my!

Australian rugby league player David Williams and 25 years old and he possesses a full Grizzly Adams beard. His nickname used to be Wolfman, probably from the messy hair and beard.

He's cute, but hot?

One day his best friend, Michael Roberts, shaved him live on a TV show and guess what there was behind all that hair?

Serious hotness!

Read Your Books to Save Them from Bookworms

Actually, they aren't worms that eat the pages of your favorite books, it's more likely to be beetles, moths, lice, roaches and other insects that are looking for the nutritious fare found on bookshelves.

Through the years a variety of poisons have been used to rid a library of these evil beasts, including cedar oil, citrus leaves, cyanide, carbolic acid and mercury chloride, but they have limited success.  It looks like the best advice came from Lucian of Samosata, a Greek satirist from 160 AD.

He criticized "the ignorant book collector" at length, charging that anyone who amassed books to show off their wealth rather than to read them deserved a plague of bugs:  "What else is he doing but buying haunts for mice and lodings for worms?" [Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart]

In other words, read your books and pests will have no time to settle into the feast attractively set out before them!

What is a Folly?

"A costly structure demonstrating the foolhardiness of its builder." is how the Encyclopedia of the Exquisite describes a folly and is largely true, but I think of it as more romantic than that - which is why I had Hamish Buchanan from "Highland Heat" have one on his property in The Highlands.  They were often built as little palaces to bring a smile to a lovers face, even though they weren't all that habitable.

My cutie and I frequently visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden in Ripon, Yorkshire, England and it has a few follies dotted around the extensive site.  The one in the picture below is the best preserved and easiest to peak through the windows.  In case you're wondering, it would make a lovely reading nook.

One of the ultimate folly dabblers is King Ludwig of Bavaria with his Neuschwanstein Castle, which literally translates to "new-swan-stone".  It was built to resemble a 13th century palace like those found in a German folktale about a German prince who morphed into a swan, but Ludwig went a bit wild on the details:

By the way, Neushchwanstein, in case you don't already know, is the model for Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland.

"It took fourteen carpenters more than four years to complete the carving in his bedroom alone.  A trapdoor in teh dining room allowed the table to be lowered into the kitchen and set while the servants remained out of sight.  The throne room was decorated in fantasy Bysantine style.  A stalactite grotto off of Ludwig's study came complete with a waterfall and an electric "moon" moving through its phases."

What is the Dark Tower?

Not the Stephen King series, but the real Dark Tower?

"A swank literary salon-cum-nightclub in 1920s Harlem." is what the Encyclopedia of the Exquisite is talking about.

Let's be honest, this establishment offered everything that was fabulous in that time, book discussion from the Harlem Renaissance period and music, and it was handled in an open-door policy by A'Lelia Walker, heiress to the Madam C.J. Walker [her mother] Manufacturing Company hair care and beauty empire.  Everyone from luminaries such as Langston Hughes and WEB Du Bois to royalty from Europe and the fat cats of Park Avenue.  Black and white, rich or poor, I'm sure it was an exciting mix.

"...unless you were there early there was no possible way of getting in," Hughes [1902-1967] wrote in his autobiography.  "Her parties were as crowded as the New York subway at the rush hour."

Okay, now that's a packed house and she sounds like wonderful lady who, by the way, liked to wear turbans, jewels and carry a riding crop, so let's add sassy to the wonderful.

What is a Good Swing?

I've written a scene or two that involved a swing - "Highland Heat" and "An Invitation to the World: China" come to mind - and the Encyclopedia of the Exquisite tells where the inspiration for such a device came from, at least it has to my writing.

"A suspended seat that oscillates backward and forward." is the brief description and pretty much states the basics, but the good stuff is in the details.

"In this diversion there are very many pretty shrieks, not so much for fear of falling off as taht their petticoats should untie," The Specatator noted in 1712.  "The lover who swings his lady is to tie her clothes very close together with his hat band before she admits him to throw up her heels."

Even better were the from Honore Fragonard who made swinging appear to be a bit of naughty foreplay.  Her skirts aren't tied and her lover is looking at her, um, dainty ankles and lovely legs.  Back in the day, The Swing [to the right] by Fragonard was denied entrance into England, but it now hangs in that country's Wallace Collection.

What is a Pillow Book?

I know what they are, but only because I used one as the reason a model was talking naughty pictures in my ebook, "The Painted Lady".  Actually, I first read about them in a Johanna Lindsey romance, although I can't remember which one.  I really need to reread her Malory backlist - I'm sure it's one of those randy guys - to find that book!

However, in the Encyclopedia of the Exquisite, a pillowbook is descibed as "A diary, or book of musings, kept under the pillow."  The Pillowbook of Sei Shonagon, a lady-in-waiting to Japan's Empress Sadako, was a few lines written about the day before she fell asleep kind of book.  Apparently it offers great insight into the era [965-1020] in which she lived.

There were lists included in her pillowbook such as "Squalid Things", "Vexing Things", "Hateful Things", but I laughed at the "Embarassing Things" where she added an oafish lover:

"Lying awake at night, one says something to one's companion, who simply goes on sleeping."

At least she doesn't complain about their snoring.

What are Painted Ladies?

I'm betting they probably aren't what you think they are.  In the Encyclopedia of the Exquisite by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins they are described as "Made-up muses who sat for prominent artists in the 1920's."

The two women she puts in this category are Alice Prin [Kiki de Montparnasse] and Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.  They were wild model-muses who played their roles with "guts, gusto, and striking originality, never forgetting the powerful effect of the unusual makeup."

Montparnasse modeled for artists, mainly nude, but got into her stride when she moved in with Man Ray as lover and muse for his work.  The artist took over her making her up and it's been described thusly:

"Before they went out for the night, Man Ray shaved Kiki's eyebrows, then replaced them with glued-on designs - sometimes cut like the accent over the Spanish n.  Her eyelids might be cobalt blue one day and copper the next, while her searing red lips "blazed agaisnt the plaster-white of her cheeks on which a single beauty spot was placed, with consummate art, just under one eye."

The baroness took things a bit further in Greenwich Village.  Artist George Biddle remembered meeting Elsa in 1917 and described the meeting in great detail.

"Over the nipples of her breasts were two tin tomato cans fastened with a green string around her back.  Between the tomato cans hung a very small bird cage and within it a crestfallen canary.  One arm was covered from wrist to shoulder with celluloid curtain rings, pilfered from a furniture display in Wanamaker's.  She removed her hat, trimmed with gilded carrots, beets, and other vegetables.  Her hair was close cropped and dyed vermillion."

Seriously, Lady Gaga has a long way to go before she's even in the same ballpark as these two Jazz age ladies!