Book Tease

I did a post some weeks back on how I overextended myself in the Reading Obligations department. So how am I doing? Well my homework reading for my library's upcoming literary event is done (as is the outline for the panel I'm moderating and the discussion questions have been sent to the participating authors thankyouverymuch - I rule!). I still owe Sybil a review for a March HH I have sitting on my Sony reader - but since I know she won't shove bamboo shoots under my finger nails (well, I don't think anyway...), that's on hold until I plow through the 5 books I agreed to judge for OC RWA's Book Buyer's Best contest. It's a pretty cool contest actually. It's judged by "industry book buyers." Um yeah, of which I'm one. Did y'all know I buy adult fiction for 30+ libraries? In a very densely populated area? Just sayin'.

Anywho, my scoring sheets are due back by April 7. I would probably be panicking more if not for the fact that three of the books I have to read are category romance, and I can knock those out pretty quickly. This weekend I wrapped up One Tough Avenger by Diane Pershing. I was looking forward to reading this one for two reasons: 1) I don't read very much in the category suspense lines. I don't know why, I just don't. I mean, I like romance. I like suspense. I like romantic suspense. Yet, I don't seem to naturally gravitate towards Harlequin's romantic suspense lines. Go figure. 2) I've never read Pershing before. Yeah, new to me author to try!

This is where I become a book tease. I want to talk about what I'm reading for the contest, but I don't think it's right that I do actual "reviews." OC RWA hasn't told me I need to keep my big mouth shut - but admittedly, I tend to approach contest judging, homework reading, what have you, a bit differently than stuff I read for personal enjoyment and dissect (most of the time quite sloppily) in some half-assed review I throw up on my blog. So sorry, y'all are getting teased. And for this book? It's an excerpt that I found particularly enjoyable. Probably my "favorite moment" in the story actually. Enjoy!

He spread her hand, palm up, on the table and used his thumb to trace the delicate blue veins of her wrist. "I came here tonight to say goodbye," he told her.

Her face fell. "Yeah, I figured."

"And I will have to say goodbye, tomorrow. I don't have a choice."

"I know."

"But it's still tonight, and I wonder if you'd like to come up to my hotel room." He lowered his voice to a seductive whisper. "It has the softest pillows I've ever experienced. And a huge bathtub with jets."

"Does it have a mirrored ceiling?"

"Sadly, no."

"Then I guess it's not perfect."

"Willing to settle for just this side of perfect?"

She considered, a frown forming between her perfect brows. "Should I play hard to get?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know. They say it increases anticipation."

He brought her hand up to his mouth and gently sucked on one of her fingers. "If you were to reach under the table and place your hand at the bottom of my zipper, you would have, shall we say, ample proof that I am already fully anticipating."

::wiping off my fogged up glasses::

And since I am the Super Librarian, I thought I'd mention that Diane Pershing is also pretty super in her own right. And way more super than me since girlfriend is a villain. One of the coolest villains ever. Pershing does voice over work, and was the voice of Poison Ivy in Batman: The Animated Series which originally aired during the 1990s. Incidentally, one of my favoritest cartoon shows of all time. Sigh, I really need to think about picking this series up on DVD.....