Want to make sure your Valentine's Day is romantic, satisfying, and non-fattening? Then forget about waiting for the flower deliveryman, expecting your significant other to make reservations at your favorite restaurant, or devouring that box of chocolates your sister got from her honey because you didn't get any from yours. Instead, curl up with these books from some of my favorite authors. They'll make this Valentine's Day one you'll not soon forget!

Lip Service novellas by Julie Leto and Lori Foster In Julie Leto's MY LIPS ARE SEALED, Lacy Baptiste suppresses her wild, sexy side in order to become a top FBI field agent. She needs to let loose. But a blind date mix-up lands her in bed with hunky P.I. Seth Kingston--and up to her thigh-high stockings in his latest case. And she's thinking about staying there a while...

One Hot Weekend by Katherine Garbera Assistant District Attorney Sophia Deltonio is squaring off against hotshot lawyer and ex-lover Mitch Hollaran. Their scandalous case is the talk of steamy Florida. But it's the explosive heat the two of them generate outside of court that really rattles Sophia.

French Twist by Roxanne St. Claire An accomplished thief and an eager art expert become wrapped in a ribbon of danger and desire that threatens to unravel them both as they flee for their lives across the French countryside.

The Thing About Men by Elizabeth Bevarly Claire Willoughby, nationally famous lifestyle diva, knows what it takes to cook luscious meals from scratch, stencil a wall border from a grocery bag, and create beautiful holiday ornaments from common household items. But then her Number One Fan leaves her custody of a small, rambunctious toddler, and suddenly the style goes right out of her life.

Do Not Disturb by Christie Ridgway Investigative reporter Angel Buchanan wants to uncover the truth about her dad--and finds more than she bargained for, including sexy, elusive bachelor Cooper Jones, who holds close secrets of his own.

Don't Tempt Me by Julie Ortolon Adrian St. Claire, the sexy chef at the Pearl Island B&B, is as tempting as the dishes he serves. In fact, he's never had a woman tell him no--until his family needs help searching for a legendary heirloom on the sunken ship in the island's cove. To find the treasure they need the help of a woman whose history is as linked as theirs to the island's romantic past.

Yes, folks, believe it or not, the holidays are upon us! If you're like me, you've probably left everything until the last minute and the month of December is nothing but a mad craze to shop, ship, and celebrate. The good news is, all of this madness makes me want to bury my nose in a good book. For whatever reason, I don't really like "seasonal" books--that is, I'm not a big fan of reading about Christmas during December. I suppose it's because I'm reading to escape, not to be reminded that I should be stringing popcorn and cranberries or making my own holly wreaths (tough to do now that I'm in Florida--there's not a lot of holly around these parts) instead of relaxing with a good book! So, here are some of my favorite "holiday" reads. But, be warned, these are not books about Santa and his elves!

	Linda Howard, CRY NO MORE
	Stephanie Bond, KILL THE COMPETITION
	Jennifer Worick & Joe Borgenicht, THE ACTION HERO'S HANDBOOK
	Jennifer Worick & Joe Borgenicht, THE ACTION HEROINE'S HANDBOOK
	Cara Lockwood, I DO (BUT I DON'T)
	Happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful new year!

I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I have to admit that I am a great cook. My husband and I love to host dinner parties, and one of our favorite things to do is to invite 30 or 40 of our closest friends over for a big bash. We do everything ourselves—from planning the menu to doing all the cooking to (my least favorite task!) cleaning up afterwards. To me, having guests over is the best excuse to experiment with new recipes. That is, with one notable exception: Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the one meal where I stick with the tried and true. Here’s what’s going to be on my table this Thanksgiving:

Turkey with sausage stuffing
Gravy (and lots of it!)
Mashed potatoes
Baked yams with mini-marshmallows on top
Creamed peas with pearl onions
Spinach salad with bacon, goat cheese, and pine nuts
Rolls
Deviled Eggs
Sweet pickles, dill pickles, black and green olives
Pumpkin pie with whipped cream
Apple pie with crumb topping and vanilla ice cream

I feel especially fortunate to be able to prepare meals for my family and friends during the holiday season. It wasn’t always so. I remember being twenty years old and away from home for my first Thanksgiving and looking into my cupboard and seeing nothing but cheap packages of Top Ramen, which was all I could afford at the time. Just when I had resigned myself to a meal of chicken-flavored noodles, a miracle arrived at my doorstep in the form of a box of groceries donated by a local charity. In the box was a gift certificate for a turkey, along with five pounds of potatoes, some canned corn, a frozen apple pie, and a bag of stuffing mix. As difficult as it was to be so far from home that day, my heart was cheered by the generosity of strangers who donated their time and money to brighten my day. It was one Thanksgiving I will never forget.

In order to get inside the head of aspiring country music star Bradley Nelson in DREAM ON, I spent quite a bit of time listening to (ok, and looking at!) some of country music’s top male vocalists. Believe me, it was no hardship! Some of my favorites, including album titles, are:

	Tim McGraw, SET THIS CIRCUS DOWN
	Clint Black, D’LECTRIFIED
	Toby Keith, HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW
	Kenny Chesney, NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO PROBLEMS
	Rascal Flatts, MELT
	Vince Gill, WHEN LOVE FINDS YOU