Hello, and welcome back! The flower and herb beds are nearly set for the season--finally!--and we're just about to the play-offs in Little League. Between all that and work, it looks like things might start settling down around here again at last! I can hardly wait to have my regular reading and writing time back. Today, though, I have two new releases to share with you.

When You Believe (Zebra) by Jessica Inclan has Miranda Stead running from three men and stumbling into a secret meeting of weirdos on another plane. Sariel Valasay is charged with returning her to her own world in one piece, mostly--he's to erase her memories of him and his people. You can all guess what happens next. For readers who like whole other worlds in their reading, this one should be right up their alley. For me, it just didn't grab me. Sariel's too wishy-washy and sadly, I just didn't find him all that appealing. Miranda seems to make the switch from 'normal world' to 'there's more than one world' rather too easily for me. An intriguing premise, to be sure. Just not for me.

Dark Side of the Moon (Dark-Hunter Series) (St. Martin's Press) by Sherrilyn Kenyon is also in bookstores now. Reporter Susan Michaels is tired of writing tabloid fodder and wants her old career back. Taking in a cat she's allergic to wasn't part of the plan. Of course, neither was it in her plan to have the cat turn into vampire slayer Ravyn, who expects her to actually believe in vampires. You all know I'm not a big fan of the subgenre, and, as usual, this one hasn't converted me. I don't find torture and fighting appealing, any more than I think blood-sucking is erotic. I realize vampires are quite popular, but not in my house. Fans of the series will be happy to get hold of this one, but be warned--it's the first in the series to be released in hardcover rather than paperback.

Until next time, happy reading!