Favorite books and TV shows of 2019

Once again, 2019 was a phenomenal year in books and TV for me. I didn't watch a lot of movies, so I'm going to skip over those. If you're interested in any of the books, click the covers for buy links. 

Favorite books of 2019

The Soulless/Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger -- I've had a paperback of Soulless sitting on my bookshelf for oh, umpteen million years it seems. I finally got around to reading it this summer and laughed my ass off! And then I promptly set about reading everything else Carriger has written. (I'm still working on it and enjoying every minute.) You might think, like I did, that Victorian steampunk crossed with vampires and werewolves isn't your jam. Well, you're wrong. Read these! You'll thank me later. 

The Fire from Heaven series by Ava Martell -- I picked the first one up because it was about Lucifer, and I was suffering during the drought between seasons 3 and 4 of Lucifer the TV show. Martell's Lucifer is more serious, but still great fun, and she's built a rich story world for her characters to play in. Add some swoony romance and plenty of angst, and I'm a goner! 

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster -- More Victorian steampunk with vampires and werewolves, but this time of the sexy and angsty variety. Great worldbuilding! There's a lot more to this series, and I can't wait to dig in. Guess where my Christmas money is going!!!

Soul on Fire by Tal Bauer -- Another fantastic book from Tal Bauer. I really loved both of the leads (Ikolo and Elliott) as well as the African setting. Once again, Bauer puts you firmly in both men's shoes as they fight to stop a terrorist from hatching a horrible plan. There are some unexpected twists, and the story feels very real (and possible). I also liked how Bauer truly shined a light on the problems that plague Africa and her people and on the systemic racism that Elliott faces in the United States, instead of treating these issues as mere plot points. After seeing the problems that Ikolo and the people of Africa face, Elliott realizes that while his problems are big, theirs are enormous, and he's inspired by Ikolo to try to be part of the solution.

Bauer is truly talented; his books aren't just page-turners. They dig into the issues the lead characters face and give you some insight into what's going on around the world in cultures that aren't as frequently explored as they ought to be.

Ruined by Fen Wilde -- As with Close (a truly excellent book), Fen Wilde writes a complex, multi-layered story of complicated, true-to-life characters. I found myself puzzling over this story and characters for days after reading it, and I thank the author for writing a story that made me think long and hard about race, the immigrant experience, and the kind of psychological damage that people can inflict through the best of intentions. Fen Wilde is truly a writer to watch, and I look forward to whatever she does next.

Enemy Within & Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard -- I'm ashamed to say that Enemy Within sat on my bookshelf unread for WAY too long. I'm glad I finally picked it up because it had everything I love in a story -- impossible conflicts, twists I never saw coming, and leads who truly complement each other and are both worthy of the labels "hero" and "heroine." The same is true of the follow-up, Enemy Games. I hope more books are coming in this series, because I'm not ready to leave it yet. If you love sci-fi romance (or even if you think you don't), pick these books up now!

Favorite TV shows of 2019

Supernatural -- This final season of my all-time favorite show is the best kind of torment. Yes, it's been fifteen wonderful years, but I'm not ready to say goodbye to my boys, not ready one bit. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, and the rest of this fine cast and crew for giving it your all, and for being most-excellent people in real life as well. 

The Rookie -- The Rookie was my favorite new show of 2018, and it got even better in its second season. Nathan Fillion is great as usual, but the rest of the cast is equally good, and the storylines are compelling. Again and again this show asks: What makes a good cop? What makes a great one? And can you lead with your heart, or will that get you killed? 

Peaky Blinders -- How did I go so many years without watching this show??? Cillian Murphy is phenomenal as Thomas Shelby, the head of a crime family in post-WWI Britain. Shelby is a fascinating character, by turns cynical and mercenary, fiercely loyal to his family, and unabashedly in love with a woman who's just as complicated as he is. 

Deadwood, the movie -- Deadwood fans waited forever for this movie, and we were not disappointed. Okay -- it would have been great to have several more hours (years!) to wrap everything up, but what we got was fantastic. And even though not everyone got the HEA I was hoping for, I loved every minute. If you've never watched this show, drop what you're doing and pick up the remote!  

9-1-1 -- Yes, it can be (and often is) over the top, and I love every second of it. I especially love the characters. My hat's off to Ryan Murphy for building a show around a cast that's diverse not just in terms of race and sexual orientation, but also in age. I look forward to every episode!

Schitt's Creek -- Another show I took way too long to discover! I was in stitches from the very first episode and settled in for what I thought would be a cynical snarkfest. But the writers (father and son Eugene and Daniel Levy, who play father and son John and David Rose) surprised me by bringing real heart to the show. The romances between David and Patrick, Alexis and Ted, and John and Moira have been a pleasant surprise, as has the revelation that the Roses' lives are far richer now that they don't have any money. Catch up on Netflix now before season 6 debuts in January!

What We Do in the Shadows -- My hands-down favorite new show of 2019! If you loved The Office or Flight of the Conchords or if the idea of a vampire mockumentary sounds good to you (or even if it doesn't), check this show out. Every episode is absolutely hilarious. And so is the original WWDITS movie. You'll never look at crepe paper, traffic cones, or topiary sculptures the same way again. 

Evil -- I wasn't sure what to expect when I tuned in to this show. I'd heard it compared to The X-Files, and sure, it has a bit of that vibe in the believer/nonbeliever dynamic of a priest in training and the psychologist who works with him as they investigate possible cases of demonic possession. But Evil isn't just a "monster of the week" show. It's an intriguing examination of faith, the supernatural, and science, and the show refuses to come down on one side or the other of the argument. And with a truly chilling villain (is he a demon or is he a psychopath?) circling the two investigators and invading their lives without them quite knowing it, I'm hooked!  

Mindhunter -- I meant to check out this show about the beginnings of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences unit last year, but I lost track of it somehow. Fortunately, I was reminded of it when season 2 debuted this year, and I was hooked from the very first episode. The blend of fact and fiction isn't always easy to watch (many real-life cases and killers are featured and the details of the cases are often gruesome), but the characters are intriguingly complex, no matter which side of the law they're on. 

Prodigal Son -- I was curious to see what Tom Payne would do after leaving The Walking Dead, and I'm so very glad he decided to take on the character of Malcolm Bright -- brilliant forensic profiler and utter basketcase. Malcolm chases murderers, and he's exceptionally good at it because he grew up around a famous serial killer -- his father. The interplay between Malcolm and his dad -- who may or may not have involved Malcolm in his crimes -- is the best kind of cat and mouse game. Are the haunting images that plague Malcolm the product of a fractured psyche or are they repressed memories? And if they are memories, what does that mean for Malcolm? 

Lucifer -- Thank you, thank you, thank you, Netflix for rescuing Lucifer and giving it a new lease on life. Season 4 was funnier, sexier, and better than ever as Lucifer and Chloe deal with her realization that Lucifer is in fact, a devil of his word and always has been. While I'm sad that season 5 will be its last, I'm overjoyed that we got to spend more time with this fine cast. I can't wait to see what they cook up next year! 

Ozark -- A master class in acting and writing. Every episode of this show about a financial planner (Marty Byrde) turned money launderer for a drug cartel ups the ante. I tuned in for Jason Bateman, and I'm so glad I did. He does some of his finest work here, as does Lauren Linney playing his wife. But the real revelation of the show is Julia Garner, who plays a low-level local criminal the Byrdes get entangled with. Her character, Ruth, desperately wants a better life than she's been stuck with, and she sees an opportunity when Marty reluctantly involves her in his schemes. At first they're adversaries, and then they come to care about each other in a father-daughter relationship that neither one expected or wanted. One of the best surprises of the show is that the female characters are exceptionally well-drawn, with storylines as compelling as Marty's. I can't wait to see where the next season of this show goes. No doubt I'll be on the edge of my seat the whole time! 

50% off SALE on 2020 Seattle Readers & Writers Event tickets!

Woot! Here's your chance to get 50% off on tickets to the July 18th, 2020 Readers & Writers Seattle event! I've signed at this event the last two years (and I'll be there again in 2020) and I absolutely love it.

General Admission and After-Party tickets are only $7 with the promo code HOLIDAYSPECIAL, so get your tickets now! (Offer ends December 31st)

http://readerswritersevents.com/product-category/seattle-20/

HER TWO MEN IN LONDON is a finalist at the 2019 Kindle Book Review Awards! #Menage #Romance

I'm so excited to announce that HER TWO MEN IN LONDON is a finalist in the Romance category of the 2019 Kindle Book Review Awards!

Get your copy to see what all the fuss is about!

More about HER TWO MEN IN LONDON

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

“This book... this book was everything I wanted it to be and more. It was hot, it was sexy, it was knock your socks off great.”—Ruby Red Romance Review

“I have never been so envious and turned on while reading a book in my entire reading existence. … This MMF is a downright MUST READ for the summer but be sure to have a man or two on standby.” —Reading By the Book Blog

“What an amazing new novel that I came across by Dana Delamar and Kristine Cayne! Two new authors that will be on my radar from this fantastic MMF novel that I consumed in a matter of hours! Her Two Men in London is scorching, emotional and a breathtaking unputdownable novel that will be on your mind long after you are finished!” —Up All Night with Books

“I LOVED the story. I fell in love with this book after just the first chapter... I just kept reading and before I knew it, I was reading the last page of this book!” – Amazon reader review

When three isn't a crowd... 

It was only supposed to be a vacation fling during a writers' retreat to England and Scotland. So why does being with him--with them--feel so right?

PAIGE

My work and my daughter are my life. I agreed to a vacation fling with one man--and now there are two! Things are getting far too complicated...

RILEY

I lost hard at the game of love, and now I don't even want to play. I just want to have fun, but there's something about him--and her--that's calling to me...

CARTER

My relationship with my ex-wife gave me PTSD. I've found the man I want--but he wants us to have a girlfriend too. I'm not sure I can do that, even for him...

#FREE to read with #KINDLEUNLIMITED

GET YOUR COPY NOW!

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Amazon IN | Amazon DE

Universal link

Paperback US | Paperback UK

Paperback CA

Add to your Goodreads TBR

Join our exclusive Total Indulgence VIP Reader's Lounge! 

"Whew!! Wow! I am in love!! This is the first book I have read by either author, but I cannot wait for more!! This is a super steamy story, but it also has all the emotions! Paige, Riley and Carter are well written characters with real human flaws and feelings. I really enjoyed this book!!" - Rachel Loren's Love of Reading blog (Goodreads)

Meet me in person and get signed books! Seattle Readers & Writers Event, July 13, 2019!

Come join me and over 50 amazing authors in Seattle on July 13th at the 3rd annual Readers and Writers Author Events: Seattle. I had a total blast at this event last year!!! 

Tickets and info:

https://www.kruseimagesandphotography.com/author-events

Come get signed books from my Mafia romance series, Blood and Honor, and from my erotic romance MMF menage series, Total Indulgence! 

Finally getting to meet Xavier Neal was a real highlight of last year's event! 

Tickets and info: https://www.kruseimagesandphotography.com/author-events

Meet me in person and get a signed book! Readers & Writers Event, Seattle, WA, July 13, 2019!

Come join me and over 50 amazing authors in Seattle on July 13th at the 3rd annual Readers and Writers Author Events: Seattle. I had a total blast at this event last year!!! 

Tickets and info:

https://www.kruseimagesandphotography.com/author-events

Come get signed books from my Mafia romance series, Blood and Honor, and from my erotic romance MMF menage series, Total Indulgence! 

Finally getting to meet Xavier Neal was a real highlight of last year's event! 

Tickets and info: https://www.kruseimagesandphotography.com/author-events

99¢ Limited Time Sale -- HER TWO MEN IN TAHITI is only 99¢ March 25 - April 14!

.99¢ SALE! Her Two Men in Tahiti by Dana Delamar & Kristine Cayne is on sale NOW March 25 - April 14 or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

“I am at a loss for words to describe just how much I love this story. I am an emotional reader and I fell in love with every character in this story…. While reading this story, I felt everything these characters feel; their joy, their fears, their hope, their heartbreaks…. I could not put it down, absolutely addictive. I am truly sad that the story is over and I cannot wait for the next one!” – Amazon reader review

“I really enjoyed this book! … There were times I was mad, sad, confused, and straight up laughing. This book was truly a great read and I will be going back to read the first and am looking forward to the next in the series.” – Amazon reader review

“Wow, this book has all the feels! The story was very well written and the characters were deeply developed. The book was funny, sad, sexy and hopeful. The problems each character faced were very real and relatable. Love the books in this series. Highly recommend.” – Amazon reader review

“…a full-on hyper-drive rollercoaster ride of sex, adventure and love. There are so many obstacles in their way and no one is on their best behavior but sometimes being bad is the best way to be.” – Amazon reader review

HER TWO MEN IN TAHITI 
An MMF Bisexual Menage Romance 
(STANDALONE)

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3552FG

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D3552FG

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07D3552FG

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07D3552FG

Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07D3552FG

Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07D3552FG

Universal link: https://books2read.com/HTMTahiti

Three hearts face the music...

They've haunted my dreams since the last time we hooked up. Two hot British rock stars who spent a week devoting themselves to my pleasure. I never thought I'd see them again. Yet here we are in Tahiti, trying to keep their band, King's Cross, from fracturing. But how can I help, when I'm at the heart of their problems?

SKY

I left them to save them, but I nearly destroyed myself in the process. Can my heart survive doing it all over again?

ROD

I had them, for one brief week before it all fell apart. Now she's gone, and he's rejected me one too many times. How can I be around him every day, when he reminds me of everything I've lost?

DEV

I had a glimpse of happiness, but it came in the form of all I knew to be wrong. I was raised to deny what my heart so desperately wants. How much longer can I go on this way?

ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR 

Book 1, HER TWO MEN IN LONDON

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BPS81JT

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BPS81JT

Universal link: https://books2read.com/HTMLondon

Book 3, HER TWO MEN IN SONOMA

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD3C46P

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GD3C46P

Universal link: https://books2read.com/HTMSonoma

Join our exclusive VIP Reader's Lounge!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/totalindulgencevipreaderslounge/

Win a $50 Amazon gift card in the March #KU #Giveaway! March 1 - 31

☆҉➹☆Check out the March KU #Giveaway from Love Kissed Books! 03/1 - 03/31. ☆҉➹☆

Check out these KU books! Read for FREE. Plus enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! 

http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/2019/02/27/march-ku-giveaway-2/

Avalanche of Books #Giveaway - win a waterproof Kindle Paperwhite or Amazon gift cards!

📖 FIND NEW-TO-YOU AUTHORS & BOOKS HERE 📖

LitRing’s Avalanche of Books Giveaway encourages you to meet new authors in a wide range of popular genres. Follow your faves on BookBub so you’ll be among the first to know when they release a new book or recommend another author’s book to you.

Oh, and hey, each time you visit one of their BookBub pages via LitRing’s giveaway page, you’re entered to win a waterproof Kindle Paperwhite or one of two Amazon gift cards! The fun starts here >> https://www.litring.com/the-avalanche-of-books-giveaway/

Interview with 425 Magazine - Writing Romance

In the midst of Seattle Snowmaggedon 2019, I completely forgot that I was interviewed for the article about Eastside Romance Writers in this month's 425 Magazine!