Apparently Sex Gets Texas' Panties in a Twist - Calling Romance Fans to Action

News hit today that the Texas Department of Transportation is suing Author Christie Craig over the title of her brand new release Don't Mess With Texas.

So okay, I'm not saying they can't defend their brand but they way they are going about this makes it a direct attack on the content within the book.

Check out this article for some eyebrow raising quotes from TxDOT.  Not to mention the total asshole headline the blogger uses.

It also pisses me off that according to a MSNBC article, they have never sued anyone before. (looking for that article again - why didn't I save that link!?) Which kinda has everyone questioning why this book? Sounds like Texas doesn't like sex to me.

So what can you do? Tell the TXDOT what you think of this on twitter @TxDOT. Even better? GO BUY THE BOOK! I've read and reviewed Mrs. Craig's books before and they are hilarious and fun -so I expect no less from this one.

Go to Christie Craig's Website For Buy Links!

Book Review: Cowgirls Don't Cry by Lorelei James

Book Review: Cowgirls Don't Cry
By: Lorelei James
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
4 Heart Review

Cowgirls Don’t Cry is the story of Jessie McKay and her deceased husband’s brother, Brandt. This may seem like an odd pairing, but as I learned while reading, the McKays are a modern day soap opera and this is not very surprising. Jessie is trying to find herself again about the death of her cheating husband, Luke, and Brandt is in love with his brother’s widow. He has been since her met her. Brandt and Jessie come together while they take of Luke’s illegitimate child, Landon, while his mother is in jail.

Cowgirls Don’t Cry by Lorelei James pleasantly surprised me. I expected a sweet romance with a lot of heat and that’s what I got.

As my introduction to this series, I think this book was a very good one. I have never read a western romance before, but let me tell you, Brandt has me wanting to move to Wyoming and become a cowgirl. Brandt is sweet and kind, but also gruff and strong and powerful- everything a woman can hope for in a man. Their romance is one that wasn’t typical because of the family drama surrounding them, but they persevere through it anyway. It was wonderful to see both Brandt and Jessie grow as characters and to help each other through their problems. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are plenty of family problems between the characters that make your heart break but also make you feel strongly for the two main characters.

There are quite a few sex scenes that are quite steamy. From a few of the reviews of her other books, it’s not quite as out there as her other sex scenes. It seems to be pretty vanilla, but they are good either way. One of my favorite thing about the sex scenes in this book was that they were real. None of them felt fake or unrealistic. It was refreshing. Plus, it was lovely to see the connection blossom and deepen between the two lovers.

I would recommend this book for anyone that loves a good romance with steamy sex and amazing characters. I give this a 4/5 Hearts.

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Meagan

Romance Book Review: Wanted by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Book Review: Wanted! Sons of Chance
By Vicki Lewis Thompson
Harlequin Blaze - June 2010
4 Heart Review

He's everything she's ever wanted...

Photographer Dominique Jeffries has come to Wyoming to find herself - her creative self, her sexual self. After escaping the engagement from hell, she's dying to break loose and live a little. And seducing a shirtless, sweaty cowhand looks like just the place to start...

Nick Chance isn't exactly a cowhand but, hey, he'll be whatever the lady wants! Only he soon realizes that this is more than just a quick roll in the hay. There's something about Dominique that calls to him, something about her that completes him. 

There's only one problem. Dominique wants a fling, not another relationship. 

Little does she guess how easily she'll be persusaded to take a Chance -- again and again and again!

This book starts off seriously hot and never lets up. The heat steams up the pages becuase the chemistry between Nick and Dominique rocks. These characters are perfectly matched both in attitude and sexually.

Vicki Lewis Thompson is one of my all-time favorite writers and although this is much different from her Nerd or Hex series, her voice still shines through. It's a wonderfully crafted story full of great characters and you will smile as you read it.

One theme that Vicki seems to use in some of her books is that it's the heroine who doesn't want to commit. These heroines know what they want and at first it doesn't include a relationship. I love that! It's a nice change from books where the heroine is pinning for the hero who doesn't want more than a roll in the hay until the end of the book.

This book was so good I read it straight through - love how I can do that with a good Harlequin. I loved all the characters, it was very steamy, and had a great ending. And lets not forget about that cover - I think Vicki scored one of the best covers I've seen in a long time! It surely inspires you as you read the book to imagine the photos that Dominique takes of Nick.

If you've ever wondered if a Harlequin can be hot enough for you, check this book out!


Have you ever read a Harlequin Blaze? Anything by Vicki Lewis Thompson? Let me know if you have and what you thought.

Book Review: Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown – 5 Hearts

Book Review: Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Released: January 2010
5 Heart Review
Getting Lucky Amazon Link

I ADORED THIS BOOK!

That’s the main thing you should know about my thoughts on Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown. You should also know that cowboy romances are some of my least favorite and somehow not only did I enjoy this one, I can say this was by far one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Here’s the book description:

One Stubborn Cowboy Who’s More Than Willing To Cross Horns

When single dad Griffin Luckadeau thinks his new neighbor is scheming to steal his ranch out from under him to benefit her own daughter, sparks really being to fly…

One Hotheaded Schoolteacher Who Doesn’t Take Guff From Anybody

Julie Donovan moves to town, determined to leave her troubles behind. As soon as she meets the absolutely infuriating, oh-so-sexy cowboy next door, things quickly go from bad to worse…

Until these two Texas hotheads admit that it’s fate that brought them together, running from the inevitable is only going to bring them a double dose of miserable…

Everything about this book stood out for me. The writing is first rate – it’s smooth and enticing and makes you want to read every word. Since I’ve been known to scan over a few “boring” paragraphs in books before, that’s a big statement for me.

There is so much to this story and it never seems to overwhelm. I love how Carolyn added to the story with side plots and characters instead of taking away from Griffin and Julie.

It’s been a long time since anything close to a sweet romance did it for me. Lately, they’ve all made me want to scream that no one is that naive or goody-goody all the time. That’s why this book rocks. It has the timeline of a sweet romance, a way more believable timeframe where the hero and heroine really fall in love, but with the awesome hotness still sizzling between them. It’s a hybrid I hope I see more of!

I loved how seriously Carolyn’s characters seemed to take falling in love with each other, and how they considered what it meant for their kids and families. This story rang true with every page I read. Amazing that after reading so many Paranormals and Urban Fantasies (I love both don’t get me wrong), how I could connect so much with a book that read like seeing into my next door neighbor’s diary.

An insanely fantastic book, Carolyn Brown wowed me with this book and her expertise in crafting a perfect romance. Put me down as her newest Super Fan!

Check out Carolyn’s Website here.

Read the fun interview I did with Carolyn here.

Have any of you read Carolyn’s books before? What did you think? If not, what author have you read lately that really seemed to stick out above and beyond the rest?

Interview & Giveaway with Carolyn Brown, Author of Getting Lucky

I'm excited to start this week off with a bang, and introduce author Carolyn Brown and her latest book Getting Lucky! Carolyn has authored over 40 books and writes some awesomely hot modern cowboys in her latest series. That coming from a me, the girl who doesn't really enjoy westerns! These modern cowboys will have you taking another look at heros in blue jeans and Stetsons.

Please welcome Carolyn to Cheeky Reads. Be sure to enter to win one of two copies of Getting Lucky, by answering Carolyn's question at the end of her interview.

Hello and thank you for having me on your site today to discuss Getting Lucky, the third and final book in the Lucky Series. Writing the whole series was so much fun that it wasn’t easy to see it end. The blog tour is like reliving all the fun and excitement of writing it.

Getting Lucky is the third book in your Lucky Series of cowboy romances. What is it about modern day cowboys that inspired you to write this series? Any particular cowboys you had in mind while writing? Cowboys make wonderful characters. There’s just something about boots, tight fittin’ jeans and a T-shirt stretched over a broad muscular chest that puts a woman’s hormones into overdrive. Throw in one that can hold his liquor and execute a good two-step to a country music song and what more could a woman ask for? I couldn’t name a particular cowboy or group of cowboys that I had in mind when I was writing this series. But cowboys in general are hardworking, hard loving, passionate and caring so it’s easy to see that any one or all of them could be a role model for Beau, Slade or Griffin.

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of historical western romances but I really love your modern cowboys. For those readers who normally steer clear of westerns, would you tell them a little about your three modern cowboy heros and how utterly enticing they can be! Thank you! If the Lucky series makes you pick up western romances then I am a happy writer. Beau in Lucky in Love is lucky in everything but love until Milli Torres locks horns with him over a barbed wire fence. Who wouldn’t want to see those two find love when we all know they are meant for each other?

Slade Luckadeau, the hero in One Lucky Cowboy, would sure like to run Jane Day off his ranch. But she sets her heels and dares him to try to push her anywhere. Then the day comes when she has to trust him with her heart and her life. We have to go with them to see if they decide to kiss or kill each other on that journey.

Then Griffin, in Getting Lucky, doesn’t know why or how the new kindergarten teacher wound up with a daughter who is the spittin’ image of his child down to the white forelock but he intends to find out. Little does he realize what's in Pandora's box when he opens the lid.

But you asked what makes them enticing. It’s those same qualities I mentioned before. They love hard, work hard and fight for what they believe is right with passion. That should entice anyone to open the book and read it … after they stop hyperventilating over the covers!

Like most readers I'm all about connecting with the hero and heroine in a book. So, I always ask authors to describe their hero in three words. Three words: Strong, sexy and stubborn

What about your heroine? What three words would best describe her? Three words: Sassy, independent and smart

Now that we know more about your characters, what was it about them that had you wanting to write that HEA for them? Was there a particular scene that was the most fun for you to write? All the characters deserved a happy ending. They’d overcome obstacles and jumped through hoops to help me get their stories written. An editor once told me to put my characters in a tree and throw rocks at them. Sometimes the characters in the Lucky series must have felt like I was launching boulders rather than river stones. Sometimes I felt like they were being pretty persnickety in the way they wanted their stories told. We reached a happy medium and “drum roll please” together we told their stories. I loved the scene in Lucky in Love when Beau found out that Katy Scarlett was his daughter. And the one in One Lucky Cowboy when Jane and Slade’s former girlfriend have a catfight in the middle of a beer joint parking lot. Also the one in Getting Lucky when Julie sets Griffin’s sister on her ear for being rude. And then there was that scene where the three heroines finally made peace and started to become friends in Getting Lucky, and the one where … how much room do we have here?

I hear you have another series debuting later this year. What can you tell us about the series and the first book? The Honky Tonk series kicks off in June with I Love This Bar. It will be followed in August with Hell, Yeah; October, My Give a Damn’s Busted, and November, A Honky Tonk Christmas. Each book centers around a beer joint in Mingus, Texas called the Honky Tonk where every thirsty rancher and lusty woman in a fifty mile radius come to dance and have a cold beer. It’s the stories of four sassy lady bartenders who have no desire to ever leave the Honky Tonk and four strong cowboys who convince them otherwise.

I always find that Authors have the best book recommendations. Anyone you've read recently that you loved reading or a new author you've discovered? Reading is a passion that even supersedes cooking and I love to cook. And I’ll read almost anything. Didn’t ever get around to War and Peace but that’s probably because my high school English teacher (Hello Mrs. Williams) praised the guy who sat behind me for reading it and wasn’t so happy that I was constantly turning in book reports from the romance genre! I just read the new Sue Grafton mystery U is for Undertow. High Noon by Nora Roberts and the new James Lee Burke mystery are at the top of my TBR pile but we won’t talk about that pile. It’s like a teenage boy, growing all the time!

Where can readers find you next and is there anything else you'd like to share with us? I’ll be stopping by Love Passion Romance tomorrow and then The Good, the Bad and the Unread on Jan. 13. Check out my website at www.carolynlbrown.com for the rest of the blog schedule and for any new and wonderful news in my world.

I’m wondering which three words would readers use to describe their heroes if they were writing a book? Or how about three words to describe their heroines? Tell us your answer in the comments section and be entered to win one of two copies.

Contest open to US and Canadian residents only.

GETTING LUCKY BY CAROLYN BROWN—IN STORES JANUARY 2010
Book 3 in The Lucky Trilogy

Single mom Julie Donavan is looking for a place to start over. What she finds after buying a small house on five acres is nothing short of a nightmare.

Single dad "Lucky Griffin" Luckadeau has been crossing horns with his elderly neighbor for years. But when his daughter, Annie, decides she wants the new little girl who lives on the feuding property to be her friend, or better yet her sister, the sparks fly.

These two stubborn hotheads, who irritate each other beyond endurance, refuse to admit that it's fate that brought them together. And running from the inevitable is only going to bring a double dose of misery…

About the Author
Carolyn Brown, an award-winning author who has published 36 romance novels for the library market, credits her eclectic family for her humor and writing ideas. She was born in Texas but grew up in southern Oklahoma where she and her husband, Charles, a retired English teacher, now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. For more information, please visit http://www.carolynlbrown.com/. Be on the lookout for Carolyn’s new series, The Honky Tonk Series, in 2010!