One thing about the creators and writers of Lost Girl: they’ve spent a lot of time constructing this interesting re-imagination of the world we live in. Everything from the Dal being a place of neutrality between the Light and Dark Fae...not to mention the unaligned ones...to incorporating Dyson’s wolfness into a variety of Fae are just a small sample of what we’ve encountered over the last three seasons. It has taken things we may have learned (and quickly disregarded) in high school to whole new levels.

Sure, along the way, they may have some continuity errors. They might have also irked their fans with storylines that sometimes go against popular opinion (you really can’t please everyone), but they work hard to bring interesting mythologies from around the world and make it entertaining for us viewers. With the introduction of Tamsin, a Valkyrie, in season three, we caught a bit of Old Norse in the works. If resident expert, Kiersten, is correct we’ll be looking at more to come in the form of the head Norseman himself, Odin.

While we wait for the big reveal (confirmation?) of the identity of Bo’s father, here are some book recommendations that may please the Fae worldbuilding contingent.

[May these recs soothe some of our Lost Girl needs...]

We were sad when Amanda Bonilla and Shawntelle Madison shared the news that their publishers wouldn't be continuing their respective series—but then very happy that the authors would continue to publish more books in the series on their own!

Which made us wonder—what unfinished series (book or television) do you really wish had gotten an ending?

It’s that time of year again, when the major TV networks unveil their fall schedules and we get a little glimpse of what we might be obsessing about at the water cooler from September to May. Here’s a look at the schedules and, more importantly, new shows that NBC and FOX announced at their Upfronts presentations in New York City today (ABC, CBS, and the CW will present over the next few days):

NBC's Fall 2013 Schedule (all times ET)

SUNDAY
7:00-8:15 p.m. – Football Night in America
8:15-11:30 p.m. – Sunday Night Football

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. — The Voice
10-11 p.m. — The Blacklist (DRAMA) — With shades of FOX’s The Following, James Spader (The Office) stars as a most wanted criminal who will surrender and talk on one condition—he works only with one specific rookie FBI agent to whom he seemingly has no connection. It’s nice to see co-stars Homeland’s Diego Klattenhoff and Dollhouse’s Harry Lennix back on our TV!
Ship watch: Too soon to tell.

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – The Biggest Loser
9-10 p.m. – The Voice
10-11 p.m. – Chicago Fire

[Is it fall yet?...]

Tessa Bailey
His Risk to Take
Entangled / May 13, 2013 / $1.99 digital

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation with the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control—until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he’ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy’s avoiding, but when she walks into the pub he’s at with his new coworkers and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her—risks be damned. But there’s a connection between Ruby’s shadowed past and a case Troy’s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

Troy Bennett, from Tessa Bailey’s His Risk to Take, is a cop with a very special talent. He is an alpha hero who takes protectiveness to a new level, especially once he meets Ruby Elliot, a pool hustler with a dubious past. But what is Troy’s special talent? When things heat up in the bedroom, Troy’s mouth goes into overdrive, talking—making Troy one of the dirtiest talking heroes I’ve run across in my years of reading romance.

[Talk dirty to me...]

Late last week, the internet lit up with another exciting rumor on the potential creative team for the film adaptation of E.L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey—this time, it was the stunning news that British director Joe Wright has become the front runner choice for director. His name has been added to a list of film makers under consideration that apparently includes Gus Van Sant, Patty Jenkins and, oddest of all, Bennett Miller.

(ETA: Deadline now reports that Wright is out of the running, but that doesn't mean he's not the best choice—plus, schedules can change!)

Van Sant might do this movie some justice; in fact he's proven himself quite able to cover male/male sensuality in past films such as Milk, My Own Private Idaho and Mala Noche. But Wright seems like the better choice, given his sensual-overload filmmaking style and proven talent for representing a woman's emotional inner life on screen. One can only hope that if he really is on the short list, that the folks over at the film company Focus Features, and novelist/producer E.L. James (in between her script burning sessions with Kelly Marcel) will seriously consider him.

Joe Wright has a well established knack for high-end book adaptations. His most recent film was last year's Anna Karenina, a fantastical satin-lined waltz through the original Tolstoy novel that explored many forms of love and desire. It was an extremely adult-themed film, full of romance and seduction, and rated R in the USA for good measure. Previous Wright films Pride and Prejudice and Atonement also included heavy drama, romance, and intense emotions, not to mention being flush with stunning visuals and sensual production design.

[How do you make a good Fifty Shades of Grey movie?...]

Today, Heroes and Heartbreakers is delighted to be the first to reveal the cover for J.C. Daniels's (Shiloh Walker's other author persona) Broken Blade, the the third book in her urban fantasy Colbana Files series.

After the soul-ripping, heart-breaking ending to Night Blade,
fans of the series are already chomping at the bit for its release.

Here is the official blurb for Broken Blade:

Kit Colbana: assassin, thief, investigator extraordinaire. Now broken. She always expected her past to catch up with her, but never like this. Haunted by nightmares and stripped of her identity, she’s retreated to Wolf Haven, the no-man’s land where she found refuge years before. But while she might
want to hide away from the rest of the world, the rest of the world isn’t taking the hint.

Dragged kicking and screaming back into life, Kit is thrust head-first into an investigation surrounding the theft of an ancient relic…one that she wants nothing to do with. Her instincts tell her it’s a bad idea to just leave the relic lying about, but finding it might be just as bad.

Forced to face her nightmares, she uncovers hidden strength and comes face to face with one of the world’s original monsters.

If she survives the job, she won’t be the same…and neither will those closest to her.

Broken Blade is slated for release in January 2014.

Game of Thrones Season 3 is here! Need to catch up? Don't miss Regina Thorne's Season 2 refresher or her recap of episode 3.01, episode 3.02, episode 3.03, episode 3.04, episode 3.05, and episode 3.06.  And now, onto last night's episode 3.07, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair."

*****SPOILERS*****

“People work together when it suits them. They’re loyal when it suits them. They love each other when it suits them, and they kill each other when it suits them.” Two characters disproved Orell’s bleak view of human nature tonight: Danaerys Targaryen put her plans to invade Westeros on hold for the sake of 200,000 slaves who are of no possible use to her war effort; and Jaime Lannister, whom we first met screwing his sister and throwing a boy out of a tall tower, risked his life to save a woman he’s come to respect and love.

We open in the aftermath of the Wildlings’ epic climb over the Wall. They’re in the green lovely area known as “South of the Wall” and Ygritte teases Jon about all his peoples’ quaint customs such as marching on roads, having flags and drummers for their armies and needing a drummer to give them a beat. Ygritte marches to the beat of her own drummer of course, although I notice that she didn’t mock the quaint southern practices Jon Snow uses in bed. Orell is clearly jealous of Ygritte and Jon’s relationship and tells Jon he’ll never hold onto Ygritte. I think he’s doing okay, actually!

[Maybe you know a little something after all, Jon Snow...]

If any of us who happen to also be parents were asked what we'd like to do most on Mother's Day, chances are we would want to answer (even if we didn't say it out loud) that we'd like to read.

(Because it might be seen as kinda rude to say “I want to do this totally solitary activity” rather than “have eggs Benedict with you guys, of course!”)

If you did get the chance to read yesterday, what book was it? What did your appreciative family members do for you?

Did you know that Christy Reece recently released a new book in her Last Chance Rescue series, titled Chances Are? I’m a fan of this series and have read all of the Last Chance Rescue books, but I had no idea that there was a new book coming out. I only learned about this because a blogger tweeted a link about it. When I went to buy the book, I learned that Reece had self-published this one. I was rather surprised because I had not heard this news. While I buy self-published books routinely, this incident highlights the difficulty in keeping track of self-published titles and their release dates. I hate missing new releases, but this has become a fact of life these days.

This same thing happened with “The Wrong Heiress,” a short story written and self-published by Claudia Dain in her Courtesan Chronicles series. I am a huge fan of this historical series which centers around the character of Sophia Dalby, a one-time courtesan turned countess. I was quite sad when I learned that Dain’s publisher would not be continuing with this series – before its completion. I was then thrilled to learn that Dain would continue the series herself. However, I stopped checking in on the series and missed the publication of “The Wrong Heiress” and also missed a previous novella released in an anthology (An Encounter at the Museum).

[How do you keep up with it all?...]

On July 20, 2013, at the Awards Ceremony of the 33rd annual conference of the Romance Writers of America, Mary Jo Putney will receive the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of a career that spans more than twenty-five years and includes some of the genre’s classic romances.

A perennial bestselling author and ten-time RITA finalist, Putney has won the prestigious award twice: Best Regency Romance in 1990 for The Rake and the Reformer and Best Long Historical Romance in 1995 for Dancing on the Wind (Book 3 in her Fallen Angels series). Five of her books have been named among the year’s top five romances by The Library Journal, and three were listed in the Top Ten Romances of the year by Booklist. Four of her books (The Rake, Thunder and Roses, Shattered Rainbows, and One Perfect Rose) have appeared on All about Romance’s reader-voted Top 100 Romances polls in 1998, 2000, 2004, and 2007.

Romance readers owe a debt to word processing because it wasn’t until she mastered word processing that Putney, a graphic designer at the time, wrote her first book. Three months later, she had a contract with Signet not only for that first novel, but also for two other traditional Regencies. The Diabolical Baron was published in November 1987, followed by The Would-Be Widow in July 1988 (expanded as The Bargain in 1999) and The Lady of Fortune in September of the same year. Collectors are now paying as much as $174 for a copy of the latter.

[My guess? Worth it...]

This week we're doing things a little differently with our weekly Beefcake. After the success of Megan Frampton's Heavy Stubble and Beards: Who's Your Favorite Bearded Hero? post, we decided that we want to hear from you and what's a better occasion than Mother's Day. Many women will give and receive flowers on Mother's Day this Sunday, but don't you agree eye-candy is a much yummier treat than silly flowers? We've started the gift-giving with this sweet picture of Ewan McGregor in Big Fish, but we want you to build-your-own-beefcake. In the comments, share the Beefcake you'd love to receive flowers from, get as a gift, or give as a gift (and then steal back!).

Is your ideal gift someone who your mother would approve of? Or a mother's worst nightmare? Share, discuss, obsess! We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Entertainment Weekly has just reported that Ansel Elgort has been offered the role of Augustus “Gus” Waters in the film adaptation of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars opposite Shailene Woodley's Hazel Grace Lancaster.

H&Her Kate Nagy had this to say about Green's The Fault in Our Stars in her review of the book: 

[It's a] well-received Young Adult novel about two teenaged cancer patients who fall in love, and…wow. This book is to typical teen romance as Veuve Clicquot is to Capri Sun. Both funny and—well, “sad” doesn’t begin to describe it—it’s the best book I expect to read this year.

Intense, right? Could this movie earn a place in Jennifer Proffitt's list of top “no HEA” movies? We shall see!

One odd note: Woodley and Elgort will first be seen playing siblings in the Divergent film. Will they be able to transition from fraternal to romantic?

Anybody here ever go into a show or movie already knowing which couple you'll be rooting for, or shipping? Because I absolutely do, and not only when it's a book-to-screen adaptation where I'm already attached to a version of a couple.

No, I mean brand-new-to-me pairings that I get prematurely hooked on with very little to go on, like promo pictures, interviews, or even just character descriptions. Such was the case for me with Jack/Rose in Titanic back in the day (yes, I admit it!) and Clint/Natasha in The Avengers just last year. I also blame a certain recent post on LiveJournal's Oh No They Didn't community for my recent marathon catchup of The Borgias, which, let me tell you, will really make you wonder what TV is doing to your moral compass, even when it's all fiction. Anyway. This ever happen to you? Just me?

I'm wondering now if this will be the case for me with a show reportedly a lock for the ABC fall TV schedule: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., an Avengers spinoff from Joss Whedon starring Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson and Ming-Na Wen's Melinda May that'll focus on lower-level agents in Nick Fury's Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) spy intelligence agency.

It is still VERY early days for this show (I'm literally only going on character descriptions, some throwaway lines, and, let's face it, WILD SPECULATION), but already two characters in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s supporting cast have caught my serial-shipper imagination: Agents Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, described as “A twosome so connected to each other they're known as 'Fitz-Simmons.' ”

[That all you got?...]

Yesterday on her Facebook page, Sherrilyn Kenyon announced the birth of Theron, the younger brother of Sebastos and second son of Acheron and Tory.

Today, to celebrate Theron's birth, Kenyon has revealed an excerpt of Styxx that features Bas (Sebastos):

Acheron brushed his hand through his son’s blond hair while Sebastos napped on his chest. There was nothing in the world more soothing to him, and the older Bas got, the less Ash was able to understand how his family could have turned their backs on him the way they had. He’d rather have his arm cut off than to hit his son. Never mind ignore him.

And the other acts of cruelty against him...

Never. He wouldn’t be able to put his worst enemy through the horrors they’d forced him to endure.

Closing his eyes, Ash listened to Tory complaining in Greek as she graded papers in her green armchair across from him.

“I’m sure they’re paying attention in class, love.”

“Really?” She looked up with a peeved grimace. “‘Cause I never knew either of the Thebes was in Yugoslavia.”

He cringed at that mistake. “Ouch.”

You can read more at Sherrilyn Kenyon's Facebook page.

Log in or register to enter for a chance to win a swag bag from the 2013 RT Booklovers Convention!*

Did you miss out on the RT Booklovers Convetntion this year? Sure you could always follow the gossip as it developed, but what about all that great swag? Well Heroes and Heartbreakers is heare for you. Team H&H's corrospondent in the field managed to grab a whole goodie bag full of books just for you.

You can enter for a chance to win a whole box full of books by authors like Tracy Wolff, Molly McAdams, Kelley Armstrong, Veronica Roth, Sherry Thomas, Jeannie Lin, Sarah MacLean, Jeaniene Frost and Nicole Williams!

[About the Books...]

Have you ever read a book that you thought was crazy, but loved it anyway? Has something ever happened in a book that made you raise your eyebrows and ask yourself: “Did that really just happen?” Did you then go check out the author because you wanted to know if she had more books you could read as soon as possible? You might’ve read a crack romance, a book that seemed oddly different but totally captured your imagination. With the advent of self-publishing, crack romances abound. I am a huge fan of these books and try to read as many as possible. I often live tweet them in order to amuse and/or horrify my followers.

Kristen Ashley, author of titles like Motorcycle Man and Dream Man, may be the quintessential crack romance author. She suddenly appeared on the romance reviewer/blogger scene and readers either loved or hated her. I, myself, was hooked by Tack, the anti-hero of Motorcycle Man who uses phrases like “Get me?” repeatedly and heads up a motorcycle club. In the book Knight, the hero is a pimp, and he likes for the heroine to call him daddy. But Ashley is just one example.

[Who else makes the list?...]

This post contains SPOILERS for all aired episodes of Scandal, including last night's Season 2, episode 21, “Any Questions?”

(Need a refresher? Check out Kwana's recaps of episode 2.12, episode 2.13, episode 2.14, episode 2.15, episode 2.16, episode 2.17, episode 2.18, episode 2.19, and episode 20.)

*****SPOILERS*****

Hey #Gladiators, how are you all doing? Me? I’m feeling used, and no, not in the ‘good morning after Fitz, tired but refreshed, we’ve taken a nice shower together’ kinda used. I’m feeling all sorts of “out too late in the VIP, morning-after raccoon eyes, run in my fishnets, going home in an unmarked Town Car with a call you maybe and some suspect sport memorabilia” kind of used. 

Last night’s episode opened with Cyrus thrown to the wolves—aka the press—where he had to dodge questions about Mellie’s allegations and call them “a private matter” with a straight face. Like that’s gonnna fly, Cy.

[Honestly, Cy, you know better than that...]

Amy Sue Nathan
The Glass Wives
St. Martin’s Griffin /  $14.99 print / $8.89 digital / May 14, 2013

Evie and Nicole Glass share a last name. They also shared a husband.
When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all. But Evie wasn’t counting on her children’s bond with their baby half-brother, and she wasn’t counting on Nicole’s desperate need to hang on to the threads of family, no matter how frayed. Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?

The title of Amy Sue Nathan's The Glass Wives is wickedly clever. Glass is fragile. Glass can break and shatter. Glass wives can, too. The premise alone—that of an ex-wife and a widow—had me thinking, could I do that? Could I share my life with someone who caused me so much pain? Could I share my grief over the death of an ex, the father of my children, with the woman he left me for and her newborn son?

[What a tough call...]