Even though I am neither a chef nor a foodie, books where the hero or heroine can cook great food have always grab my attention. While I do like the nurturing aspect of assembling tantalizing food, that is not the biggest pull. The greatest appeal is the its creative aspect. Most of us can follow directions and cook, but taking basic, raw ingredients and making something tempting and luscious from taste and imagination—well, that's a special talent.

This fascination has no limits, pulling me from romantic suspense books like Angel Falls by Nora Roberts to How to Bake a Perfect Life, a women’s fiction book by Barbara O’Neal, to small town romance books like Home Town Girl and Almost Home, by Mariah Stewart to chick lit stories such as Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella and Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan.

But even more appealing is when the author incorporates symbolism or magic in the story along with the food preparation, bringing two of my favorite plot devices together.

[Two great tastes that, well you get the idea...]

Earlier, we reported on the casting for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series being turned into film (and Chelsea Mueller assured us “it's going to be okay.”)

In addition to the three leads—Rose, Lissa, and Dimitri—the producers have announced more cast members, including the parts of Mia, Mason, Jesse, and Karp. Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) has already been cast as Kirova.

Here's Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters' description:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school–it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's–the very place where they're most in danger. Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi–the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires–make Lissa one of them forever.

Mia will be played by Sami Gayle (Blue Bloods), Cameron Monaghan (Shameless) will be Mason Ashford, Ashley Charles is Jesse Zeklos and Claire Foy (White Heat) will play Karp.

Interestingly, the producers have decided not to feature Eddie Castillo in this film, since it's only later in the series that Eddie's actions and role become important. The producers commented, “Basically, it is difficult to find a charismatic, high-caliber actor to play an unfortunately but necessarily reduced role. We all felt it best for the first film and the Eddie Castile character himself to wait for Frostbite, where Eddie's role is more full-bodied so we could find a more special actor. Apologies for any pain this decision may cause…”

Filming begins in two weeks, with a scheduled release date of on Feb. 14, 2014.

Vampire books have ensnared readers for years. Sometimes we think they’re sexy, other times we think they’re scary, but the creature of the night mythos follows a familiar trope.

If you think you might be burned out on vampires, maybe it’s time to try a vampire book done in a fresh way. Authors are changing the game with vampires, modifying the worlds they live in, the ways they can be killed and how they interact with their own kind.

What if vampires thought humans were extinct?

Andrew Fukuda plays with this idea in his book The Hunt. In his world, the few remaining humans have to pretend to be vampires. They go to school and work with vampires and force themselves to fake it. They hide all emotions, conceal goosebumps, never laugh and even fake the vampires’ reaction to something humorous—scratching at their wrist.

[Just be careful how hard you scratch...]

Many of the books in the New Adult category feature college students falling in love with each other.

In reality, how many women end up marrying the guys they dated in college?

If you didn't marry your college boyfriend(s), how different would your life have been if you did?

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 schedule and, more importantly, new shows that ABC announced at its Upfronts presentations in New York City today (CBS and the CW will present over the next few days):

ABC's Fall 2013 Schedule (all times ET)

SUNDAY
8-9 p.m. — Once Upon a Time 

9-10 p.m. — Revenge
10-11 p.m. —  BETRAYAL (DRAMA) – Twisty and infidelicious, this soap/legal drama hybrid follows a female photographer who has a torrid affair with a defense lawyer. But when he gets a big murder case, he has to go up against her husband, the prosecuting attorney, in court. James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum), Henry Thomas (E.T.), Hannah Ware (Boss), Stuart Townsend (Night Stalker), and Wendy Moniz (Damages) star.
Ship watch: Sara/Jack

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. — Dancing With the Stars
10-11 p.m. — Castle

[What about the rest of the week?...]

In addition to more Crossfire books and the Cosmo Hot Reads, Sylvia Day will also be publishing a stand-alone book on October 15th titled Spellbound.

She's just posted the cover and blurb on her Facebook page:

Max Westin. Sex incarnate. She could smell it, feel it with his proximity. Everything about him was a little rough, a little gritty. A primitive creature. Just like she was.

He held her hand a little too long, his thickly-lashed gaze clearly stating his intentions to have her. To tame her…

Read the rest of the blurb at Sylvia's Facebook page.

Jilted, rejected, abandoned, left at the altar, deserted, however you want to term it, having it happen on your wedding day is not a cool thing. It is what happens directly afterward that most interests me. I love to see the heroine jump back into things. Seeing her thumb her nose at her ex, leave with another man, have a honeymoon in spite of the jerk, really fall in love and find happiness; all of these things make for a wonderful HEA.

Most of the books of this plot type, that I have read, are based off of the groom cheating on the bride. I would love to be able to find a “Runaway Bride” type book but for the plot to really work for me, the groom has to be a dastardly jerk. If he isn’t cheating or horrible how can I possibly justify the heroine hooking up so quickly afterward? Here are a couple of books that I have found with this theme:

Down for the Count by Christine Bell — Lacey finds her groom in a supply closet with one of her bridesmaids so what is she to do? Well she goes on her honeymoon with her best friend’s older brother. Galen happens to be a boxing stud with a bit of a reputation but Lacey does not care. All she wants is a good time and Galen is there to provide it.

[I'll bet he does...]

Get a sneak peek of Zoe Archer’s Sweet Revenge (available June 4, 2013), with an exclusive excerpt. Plus, enter for a chance to win a copy!*

Click here to read the excerpt!

Click here to enter for a chance to win!*

When Jack Dalton escapes from Dunmoor Prison, he has only one thing in mind—finding the nobleman who murdered his sister and making him pay. But when he reaches the inn where the Lord Rockley is rumored to be staying, three well-dressed strangers are there to meet him instead. And the pretty blonde is aiming a pistol right at his head …

Joining Nemesis, Unlimited has made Eva Warrick much more than the well-mannered lady she appears to be—one who can shoot, fight, and outsmart any man in the quest to right the injustices so often suffered by the innocent. She’s not afraid of the burly escaped convict, but she is startled by their shared attraction. She and her partners need Jack’s help to get to Rockley, but Eva finds she wants Jack for scandalous reasons all her own…

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins May 14, 2013, at 12 pm ET, and ends May 21, 2013, 11:59 am ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Click here for details and official rules.

Watch Downton Abbey: The Cast on Hopes for Season 4 on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

PBS has just announced the date of Downton Abbey's Season 4's return: January 5, 2014. And they've shared a video featuring cast members teasing us about what might be happening to their characters.

What do you hope to see in Season 4?

*****MAJOR SPOILERS for How I Met Your Mother's Season 8 finale, “Something New,” below.

Seriously, DO NOT READ until you've seen the episode—and the mother—for yourself.*****

Okay so Barney and Robin still haven’t walked down that aisle, Marshall still hasn’t told Lily he’s been offered his long-awaited seat on the judicial bench days before they’re set to spend the next year in Rome, but HIMYM fans still have reason to celebrate. Ted, so distraught over losing Robin to Barney that he plans to move to Chicago the night of the wedding, hasn’t met the mother of his future children, but we have.

In the last shot of Season 8’s finale, “Something New,” we finally get to put a face to the still unnamed Mother, as she purchases the fateful ticket that will take her to Farhampton and her date with destiny. In this case, a destiny named Ted. She doesn’t yet know that she’s about to meet the man who will love her drawings of robots playing volleyball and delight in the way she makes breakfast foods sing show tunes, but she’s only hours away from her life changing forever.

[And without further ado, the mother was revealed to be...]

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?...]