just an ordinary dik day at kris' hut

"An aperitif, Mademoiselle Kris?"

"Why thank you, Hercule. You're such a dear." *scoots up in sun lounge and adjusts gold bikini*

"Monsieur le Duc asked me to bring these to you." *handing over a small stack of papers*

"Wonderful! I've been waiting for these reports." *beginning to read* "Goodness. No wonder he was the head of an elite band of spies. He is very, very thorough."

"I believe he mentioned that Monsieur Valek was able to assist him after he had completed the task Mademoiselle had requested of him."

"Oh." *a bit distracted* "I should have realised those two would get on given their lines of work."

"Indeed. Although I am uncertain as to whether Monsieur Valek would have used his other, err, skills in much the same way he has since arriving in this *grimace* place."

*stops and looks over sunglasses* "Hercule, I believe you've made your feelings quite clear about your current environment. *going back to flicking through papers* "Did Dalziel, I mean Royce, say anything else to you?"

*tugging down waistcoat in embarrassment* "He reported seeing Monsieurs Valek and Sebastian arrive back to the hut in the early hours of the morning. They should be stirring shortly. Shall I see if they are awake?" *seeing a nod* "Very well then." *bows and departs*

*a gravelly voice from the next lounge* "You know, it won't take him long to find out the whole of it. Once a copper, always a copper."

*looks towards the voice* "What on earth are you talking about, Sam?"

*leans back and lights up a cigar* "Besides the fact that I'd dearly love to see you meet a certain Patrician of Ankh-Morpork at some stage, I'm talkin’ about you getting our arses kicked."

*waving a hand to a figure practising katas on the beach* "I'd imagine the Chinese God who invented martial arts would tip the odds in our favour should any of the fighting you're so worried about occur."

*turns in lounge to face Sam* "What are you really getting at?"

"Well *watching a smoke ring float up into the air* I've been wonderin' if that 'task' you gave to Valek has somethin’ to do with the little botany trip you got that fella... whassisname... Spike... to make when we first arrived. *takes another puff* Must be handy havin’ both a space pilot with, err, interestin’ connections and a poison expert around, eh."

"If you say so, Sam, although I think you do Valek a disservice. He enjoys hanging around the other heroes and listening to their tall tales." *faint smile* "Is there anything else?"

"I reckon that... that..."

"Incubus?"

"Yeah, him. Sebastian. He's probably knackered from those classes he's been paid to give by those gentlemen who've suddenly found themselves... well, you know... *makes flopping hand gesture* "It's interestin' how it only takes a couple of lessons before those men are working like normal."

*mutterbelievemetheywillbeevenbetterthannormalmutter* "You must admit that Sebastian is uniquely qualified for the role."

*nods* "Sure. It's just also interestin' that those couple of lessons allows time for the Duke to get all those ladies' secrets together for Sebastian's 'final lesson'." *pointing at the papers*

*faint smile turns into a grin* "Remind me to send a message to Spike that he needs to get certain toys for a couple of kinky redheads as well as some extra lube for a Canadian lady who apparently doesn’t hate ménage as much as she says she does."

*places papers on side table and picks up aperitif* "And?"

*snorting* "It's like I said. When the ladies and fellas find out the truth, you're gonna get our arses kicked."

"Do you really think so? Or do you think the ladies especially will be too grateful, not to mention satiated, to care? I imagine they may well want their men to continue with their lessons." *ponders* "Perhaps they may even offer their books (or drinks) in trade."

*shaking head at the unrepentant obsession, stands up and stubs out cigar in sand* "Oh, I almost forgot. You wouldn't happen to know where the tall, skinny fella with the big scythe is, would you?"

"I'm not certain. You know HE has other duties."

"I don't s’pose those 'duties' would have anything to do with a certain missin’ cop from Miz Lisabea's hut, would it?"

*sips drink and raises eyebrow* "Now why would I know that?"

*walks off toward hut* “Yep, arses kicked for sure."

*MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!*

what kris brung or...

... a drunken ditty performed by a slightly tipsy Kris.

*ahem*

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale -
A tale of an Aussie chick,
Who’s s’posed to talk heroes ‘n’ books with y’all
And thought this’d do the trick.

Her first hero is an incubus who wants to protect his world.
The second is an awesome spy who’ll do anything for his girl.
Third is a Chinese God who succumbs to his rockin’ nanny,
But will they have a HEA? Find out in the next trilogy.
The next trilogy.

Her fourth guy is a mysterious Duke in battle with a traitor.
Fifth is a space age bounty hunter running from his past.
The sixth is a little skeletal and scares peeps with his scythe,
But he talks COOL, has a cat and a horse he named Binky.
Horse he named Binky.

Her seventh is a detective with a thing for little grey cells.
Last is Sam, a grumpy cop, who’s pissed he’s on the isle...
With Sebastian, Valek and John too,
Dalziel and Spike,
DEATH, Hercule and Kris as well,
Here on D-I-K Isle!

Let’s not forget the Aussie chick’s books;
No way she’d leave ‘em behind.
She snuck a three-in-one in there,
And hopes the others won’t mind.

The first’s a satire about Armageddon.
Second’s an epic about land and rule.
Third’s the coming of age of a superhero.
The fourth’s hot men’ll make you drool.

Then it’s Eve! It’s Roarke! It’s mystery!
And last but by no means least
It’s a geek and a jock in a romantic feast.
So join Kris here tomorrow my friends.
She plans to make you smile.
That’s it for now for her heroes ‘n’ books...
Here on D-I-K Isle!

hello dik. it's me, kris.

G’day! *squinting* Where the hell are my sunglasses?? Oh, thanks.

Well, considering the fact that I come from an island, albeit a big one, it might seem strange that I sent in an application to DIK.

Hmmm, now I think of it, given I also live in what is said to be the most isolated capital city in the world, it could be argued that I actually come from a ‘desert island’.

O_o

Dear God, I’ve run away to my own home! What the hell was I thinking?! I-…

Tracy: Jen, would you stop giving her G&Ts. She’s starting to get maudlin and paranoid.

Jen: *snort* You try stopping an Aussie from drinking.

Sarah: You have to admit she’s doing pretty well. Let's face it she’s been on the grog since the day the newbies arrived.

LB: Sarah’s right. Who knew that someone could dance on the roof of a cabana like that?

Lea: *giggling* She did look cute wearing my blowfish top, didn’t she?

Hey! I can still hear you, you know. *hic*

Sarai: *beginning to wonder if she should have listened to Wave’s warnings* Kris, you need to finish your Day 1 and introduce yourself to everyone.

Jen: *rolls eyes* Some of us know way too much as it is.

Sarai: Nevertheless…

Alright already, but first… can someone get me some berocca and pain killers please? *touching temples* I’m feeling a tad delicate.

Favourite Reading Position
After I’ve locked up the front of the house so no one thinks I’m home, turned on the answering machine and flicked my mobile phone to silent, my favourite reading position is curled up on my couch in my PJs and, depending on where the yardarm is, a drink beside me.

Favourite Heroine
Eve Dallas. I think she; her vulnerability, her strength, her sense of right and wrong, her passion for justice, her tough cop attitude, her compassion, her loyalty to her friends, her love and relationship with Roarke, is probably one of the most well-developed characters I've ever read. Everything about her appeals to me as a reader and as a woman.

Author everyone loves but you don’t
Aussie authors Bryce Courtenay and Thomas Keneally. *ponders* Having said that, their books do make great door stops.

If you could be in one book/series/world which would you pick
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series!!!!! I love it muchly. Two of my heroes - DEATH and Sam Vimes - are from this verse so I guess that kinda goes without saying. In all seriousness though, Pratchett is the only author I religiously buy in hardcover. He is a master of satire and extraordinarily clever and witty. He is my favouritest author.

How old is your inside voice
Usually it’s a 34 year old woman, but with a 12 year old boy’s sense of humour. The evidence:

Friggin' hilarious!

If you could be a hero who would you be
A 976 year old time lord, who not only goes on masses of adventures through space and time, but has a very cool home/ship and a K-9. I want a K-9. I think he would keep my boy kittens in line.

What heroine is most like you
My Mumma insists there is no one else like me in the whole entire world! *beams*

What heroine would you like to be
I have a habit of imagining myself in the life of whatever heroine I happen to be reading at the time so I'm not sure I have one stand-out heroine as such, although I do favour those who have some sort of mystical power. I think I'd like to strut around in leather being all kick arse whilst hunting for a missing *insert magical object here* and at the same time fighting my attraction to either a powerful Alpha who I know I'll have to submit to one day or a bad boy who's after the same object that I am. I think I would rock at it.

Boxers, Briefs, boxer briefs, kilt (I say we add commando)
Boxer briefs for sure. Any naysayers should check out the book cover below. I predict you will be instantly converted.

Yowzer!

Favourite book set on a tropical island
The only book which immediately springs to mind is Lord of the Flies. However I wouldn't call it a favourite because, even after reading it eons ago for high school English, it still scares the crap out of me to this day. I find stories dealing with children in extreme circumstances (such as that of survival) very confronting.

What hero is most like your significant other
I’ve yet to find an SO who will not only keep me in the high number of books to which I've grown accustomed, but will leave me alone to read 'em. I live in hope.

What hero would you like to be your significant other
Roarke. Besides the whole intelligent, loyal, generous, sexy as hell thing, I’m pretty sure he’s rich enough to keep buying me all the books I want.

If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring
Well, since the other newbies have already discovered that there’s a solar powered generator on the island, I’m definitely bringing my ereader (with AC adaptor!). The other two things I’m bringing with me are tampons and toilet paper cos no matter where a girl goes in the world she’ll inevitably need one or the other.

Favourite drink to bring to the DIK party

I can only choose one?? The hell you say! Was that in the fine print? Where are my papers again?

So, I’m pretty sure I’ll be here tomorrow *sometime*, otherwise you can try catching me here.

Gotta go now. I feel my seventy-second wind coming on and there’s a beer esky over there with my name on it.

Wave to a muttering Sarai: I told you so.

Day 3 - is it really all over?

Wow I cannot believe that my three days are up! My boys and I don’t want to go home!! Can we stay purlease???

I have had so much fun blogging here with you all. I was worried that my first time blogging would be an absolute disaster! But I think it went ok! Although it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be.

So we’re on to the hero’s that I brought to the island, I had a hard time picking my hero’s because some of the other ladies had already claimed them….. but hey I’m not complaining I’m happy that someone has claimed them that means they’re in good hands.

So here are the heros that I brough to the island

Daegus MacKelter (Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning)
Alex Knight (The Seduction of His Wife Janet Chapman)
Ian McCullough (Highland Guardian by Melissa Mayhue)
Hawk (Beyond The Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning)
Mr. Knightley (Emma by Jane Austen)
Carter Maguire (Vision in White by Nora Roberts)
Richard Cypher (Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkinds)
Roger MacKenzie (Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon)

Psst be sure to click on the Roger MacKenzie link for a fantastic offer from Diana Gabaldon!

Well as some of you have probably seen from my first and second posts I am a huge Karen Marie Moning fan, so for this reason I have claimed two of her highlanders…. Which reminds me I really should have asked Karen first LOL, but I’m sure she’ll let me borrow them if I ask nicely!

Daegus is a man that is fiercely protective of his family and those that he loves. He is strong, capable, and sexy as hell! Daegus has loved being on the Island, although when I see the other boys outside the hut and a nine inch nails pumping form inside the hut I know that its time I ran inside…… if you get what I mean!

Daegus, Hawk and Ian get on really well being all cut from the same cloth and having similar tastes and ideas, including being fiercely possessive! OMG what was I thinking having three highlanders! They have a hard time sharing me but we’re getting there. Ian is liking the time off from having to deal with the fae and their meddlesome ways. Hawk I think is finding it the hardest here as he misses his beloved hawks. Maybe the next time we come he can bring some and show us all how to go hawking. In fact all three are happy to be getting a respite from the pesky fairies.

Alex has been a busy little beaver replacing MsMoonlights hut, being a logger he knows how to use the wood here on the Island. Although he does have a few conditions, no rum fires near the new huts please!! Although he has no objections to rum!

Richard has been keeping to himself and monitoring the whole situation. When we first arrived he took off for an inspection of the area to ensure my absolute safety the sweetie, I think he is still waiting for something to happen so he remains on constant vigil and makes sure that I have everything I need.

Roger has been helping Alex with building the new huts and keeping the others in line while trying to adjust to modern life, but I think the Island suits him, thank goodness there are no standing stone circles here!

So there you have it, we’ll be having one last massive shindig before Kris takes over the island. Everyone is welcome to join us at our party and we’ll teach you some Irish, Scottish and all other kinds of dancing!

Thanks so much for joining me here for the past three days and I can’t wait to do it all over again! Maybe I should start my own blog?->

Day 2 on the Island the books that make me smile!

Morning all! How are you all feeling after our major ceili last night? I think the boys are still sleeping…….. Poor dears they had no idea what I meant when I said set dancing!
So on today’s agenda is my choice of books to bring to the island. First off can I say that there is an amazing selection of books here on the Islands, the ladies here have fantastic choices. Picking them with my fellow newbies was a lot of fun despite the time differences for some of us…. I always seemed to be asleep when it was my turn!




Ok so enough rabbiting on…….here are my choices;

1. The man must Marry by Janet Chapman, Here is rainy Ireland, romance books are hard to come by believe it or not, there are only a few select places that sell the genre and the choice is very limited!
I came across Janet Chapman by accident one day in the store, one of her highlander books, I picked it up and for the next few days became completely immersed. She fast became one of my fav authors. The man must marry was recommended by a friend of mine so I decided to give it a try OMG it was amazing it tells the story of Willa and Sam. Willa is a simple girl of simple tastes, Sam is son of the CEO of a huge shipping company and has no intention of falling in Love with Willa, through the trials and tests that follow their meeting they fall in love, their journey is beautiful! I can’t wait to hear more of the Sinclair family.

2. Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati. This book I picked up on a whim because it had a cover comment from Diana Gabaldon. It was a choice that I didn’t regret. It tells the story of Elizabeth and Nathaniel. Elizabeth goes to upstate New York with her brother to a remote town where their father lives. Here she meets Nathaniel a Native American and they fall in love. To make a life together they have a lot to overcome before they can make it. I won’t say anymore about this book except READ IT!!

3. Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The legend of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table told from a female perspective in the guise of Arthur’s half sister Morgaine. It is a very interesting take on the whole story and tells of the driving force behind it all, Avalon, its Lady and Merlin. It’s a long book but I found it thoroughly engaging.

4. Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning. This was the first Highlander book that Karen wrote. I love all of Karen’s writing, This tells the story of a modern girl Adrienne, who is tossed back in time by the Fae to a man who has never had a woman say no to him….. Our spunky heroine has a perfect no on her lips. Follow their adventure as Adrienne tries to battle her desire to make it back to her own time and her growing feeling for this perfect man. Hawk is a strong willed highlander who is captivated by this woman and he vows to change that no into an OH!

5. The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning. See I told ya I love her writing! Daegus is the baaaaad twin, possessed by 13 evil druids, now is not the best time for a woman to become a permanent fixture in his life even if she is beautiful. Chloe is a smart intelligent woman, she loves all things historical, if she only knew how old Daegus really was she’d understand a lot! This book won an audie award this year for Phil Gigante’s narration of the story, it is definitely worth a listen!

6. And last but certainly not least Sebastian by Anne Bishop. Welcome to Ephemera, full of thousands of magical landscapes interconnected by bridges that may or may not take a traveler where he wants to go, for here the destination is always determined by the heart's true desire. One such landscape is the Den, a town of perpetual twilight inhabited by creatures of the night because it shelters all things hidden, secret, and dark. Half-incubus Sebastian and his friend, Teaser, have lived in the Den for years, happily plying their trade to lonely women in the flesh and in their dreams. But something evil roams among humans, trolls, waterhorses, and other creatures, and the corpses of heinously murdered victims are found with alarming regularity. When that evil enters the Den wearing Teaser's and others' faces, Sebastian must perilously journey to Wizard City for help. There, another, more insidious evil awaits. With the help of cousin Glorianna Belladonna, Teaser, and his love, Lynnea, Sebastian will risk everything to save Ephemera. But will everything be enough? Fantastic Story!


So there you have it, my island picks, that should keep me going for a spell, while I’m here! Hope you enjoyed my choices and if you haven’t read any of them I highly recommend them all!

Hi everyone!! My name is Amanda and I am so excited to be finally on da island!! I have lurked here and posted here on and off for the past few months and I’ve always wanted to come to the island and well here I am. Da Boyz and I will be chilling here for the next three days so pull up a deck chair grab a cocktail and let’s get started!!

First off please forgive me if my post is so utterly boring you can’t finish it! I am a blogging virgin and this is truly my first time blogging so here we go…….. (hope I get it right!)

Favorite Reading Position:

For me my preference is by a big open fire, on the comfy couch or chair that we have in my parent’s home, with a big mug of something hot. But mostly during the week I don’t get that as I share a house so its lying on my bed……… but that is all set to change at the end of this week when I move in with my honey and I have a couch of my own but sadly no open fire but at least I’ll have someone to make the tea for me right? Not that he knows it right now!

Favorite Heroine Oh for me this has to be Gwen, from Karen Marie Moning’s Kiss of the Highlander. This was technically my first ‘true’ romance book and what started me on my love affair with happily ever after or romance novels!

Author everyone loves but you don’t Hmmmm this one is tough because my reading pattern is so varied…… But I think I’m going to go with David Eddings and I know for some who read the fantasy genre are going to want my hide for this!!

If you could be in one book/series/world which would you pick

This is my ideal question! Oh there are so many that I could pick, I am a complete geek in that when I read a series I ‘get into’ the series, I completely immerse myself in it and I daydream about scenario’s that I could get myself in if it were me. I have been told before that I was not meant for this modern world that I would be suited somewhere in the past, but with so many fantastic historicals which to choose? My choice would be the Avalon series by Marion Zimmer Bradley, more specifically to be one of the Lady’s of Avalon.

How old is your inside voice
My inner voice still thinks it’s a child so I would say somewhere in between 8-10, but then it does have moments of being about 30 and going all sensible on me for the likes of big decisions etc!

If you could be a hero who would you be
Oh there are so many hero’s I adore, but if I could be a hero I think I would have to be Jamie Fraser! That man is so darn interesting! He knows so much and is so innocent in some ways at the start of Outlander that it is so endearing. But yet at the same time he is so tuned into the world and he knows so much about life

What heroine is most like you
What heroine do I identify with most? I think it has to be Jude Francis Murray out of Nora Roberts Jewels of the sun. She is an intelligent woman who wants to break free of the mold that she ahs created for herself that isn’t quite her at the same time……. A little like me, I’m a scientist and at points in time I wish I could just pack it all in and move on to somewhere and start fresh………

What heroine would you like to be

Is Elizabeth Bennet, I love Pride and Prejudice!

Boxers, Briefs, boxer briefs, kilt (I say we add commando) Kilt! That’s pretty much commando right?
Oh this is tougher than I thought……initially straight away I think Kilt but on reflection I think now its boxers…… Although Commando is good too!

Favorite book set on a tropical island
I’m hoping to get plenty of suggestions here, I haven’t read anything on a tropical Island.

What hero is most like your significant other

Hmmm this is tough because my significant other is in my opinion amazing! I think Jamie Fraser

What hero would you like to be your significant other

Oh this is easy, Drustan MacKeltar….. darn that man is gorgeous!! The good twin! Now I just gots to find me a cave that has him in it!!

If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring

I would bring my ipod loaded with audio books, my solar powered laptop and a box stuffed with my favorite books!!

Favorite drink to bring to the DIK party
My favorite drink to bring to the island would probably be Bulmers (Magners to the rest of the world) Irish cider. Fantastic drink for hot weather!!

So Ladies that’s me! Hope you’re still awake at this point!! I’m having a party tonight and you’re all invited so stop by and say hi!! The boys will b serving drinks!

MsMoonlight's Photo Diary (day 3)

Good heavens I don’t know where to begin today! Oy vey! You just wouldn’t believe all that’s gone on here in three days if I didn’t have photo proof of everything! I’ve kept a photo journal of my time here on the island and took lots of photos of my heroes and of course Johnny. At the end of each day I compiled the photos with a brief description of what the photo is about and what transpired each day. That is what I am going to share with you today.

This is a look at my DIK photo journal…but be warned! Some of it is not pretty, while the other half is downright drool worthy so bibs are recommended - and it's not for children's eyes.

It’s a beautiful sunny day when we arrived on the island. It didn’t take us long to get settled into our cozy beach hut before we set out to explore the beautiful island, collect some seashells, enjoy the sun and waves. Sounds good right? The guys were really excited! Even when they were trying to relax and soak up some rays...they just couldn't contain their excitement!

I don’t know if the island is always full of naked people (was that in the fine print??) but that is what my heroes told me, so off came their clothes. They even went fishing naked!


Zane MacKenzie spent much of his day lying on his back in the sun working on a tan with no tan lines. He later regretted falling asleep in the sun and now knows what it’s like to burn and peal where the sun doesn’t shine – if you get my drift.

Warren Anderson also liked to sun bath, but kept his buns to the sun and frolicked by an icy fresh water stream during his alone time on the island.

My other guys were much more interested in group activities, drinking rum and causing mayhem (with Johnny as the ring leader, don’t ya know!). That is how I ended up with a new tattoo! Johnny said he had it all worked out and knew what he was doing, the guys were fully on board and talked me into a getting a tattoo on my ankle.


My guys were creative, I gotta give them that. Besides the lei’s which you saw on day 2 of my stay, they also got creative with the grill. No typical weenie roasts for my guys! Nope, they had to go out and make their brand of what a REAL weenie roast is.

Moving right along…after our weenie lunch Nicolas Eden decided to add music to our time on the island and being the talented piano player he is, put on quite a show – one I don’t think I will ever forget.

While I was enjoying the music and scenery, John Dunbar baked me a cake. Not you’re typical cake, but a manly man cake that I quite enjoyed – it had a delicious cream filling that melted in your mouth.

Then Johnny broke out the rum again! A few bottles of rum down and the guys are getting a little carried away. I don’t know what the hell Warrick de Chaville thought he was doing but he let out a shout (scaring me near to death), grabbed a sheet off the bed and ran naked to the beach where he proceeded to do some sort of naked sheet dance. (He had no memory of this the next day – he hasn’t seen this photo yet).

Perhaps this is where the term “Three sheets to the wind” comes from??

At this point the guys are glossy eyed, grinning like fools and thinking up trouble to get into (do they ever grow up?). Johnny’s determined to have a big bon fire and party around it. I’m thinking this isn’t a good idea, but they give me the “You’re the little woman, we’re the big tough guys and we can handle this” brush off. So I go looking for some fire extinguishers while they build and build and build their bon fire that would set off a three alarm fire had we been anywhere else in the world.

Just as the bon fire gets going, a very drunk Royce of Wyndhurst decides to show us his fire dance that he is sure will get him a win on the next America’s Got Talent season. Naked as the day he was born, Royce starts dancing with fire. Most of the guys have gone a bit pale when the flames got close to his man pride area, but when he completes his drunken naked fire dance without burning off his manhood the guys burst into a round of applause.
(I am still grasping the fire extinguisher).

Johnny does his own fire dance, singing and reenacting his scene from the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and before I know it, he’s set our hut on fire! Flames are shooting up into the air and guys are running to put it out and others to rescue our possessions from inside.
My little fire extinguisher saves one suitcase and a pair of flip flops.

The hut goes up in a blaze of glory with military man Zane MacKenzie saluting it, as it burnt to a crisp and topples down.

The DIK authorizes arrive and can’t quite believe their eyes. They've never seen so much destruction on their island from one group before. OH dear!

They handcuff Johnny and toss him in DIK prison (I hadn’t even known the island had a prison!) where he slept off this drunkenness and was released in the morning after he promised not to play with fire any more or he’d be banned from the island for good. The only reason they didn’t ban him this time was he promised every woman on the island “leis” again.

Jamie Graham was so happy that everything had worked out that he put on his kilt and did cartwheels down the beach.

So that sums up my three days on the island – now I need to go home and sleep for a week to recuperate! I wonder how long it will take for the damages bill to get here? I'm forwarding it to Johnny!

(photos compliments of GOOGLE images)

MsMoonlight's 2nd Day on the island

“Good morning all! MsMoonlight here with all my heroes and my sidekick Johnny Depp. Boy what a night we all had last night! Johnny got everyone bombed on rum then the guys got all stupid as drunk guys do…”

Johnny: “Hey I resent that comment! We didn’t get stupid, we just had some fun. Can I talk now?”
Me: “Sure, but make it kinda quick? I’ve got to tell everyone about my heroes.”
Johnny: “Ok, I just wanted to say that the guys and I will lay any woman who visits the island today.”
Me: *slaps forehead* “Johnny! Now look what you’ve done! Slow down ladies, don’t riot! Someone’s going to get hurt! What Johnny means is while him and the heroes got bombed last night on all that rum they decided to make their own LEIs, as in the traditional wreath of flowers necklace given to visitors in Hawaii.”
Johnny: “Well of course that’s what I meant Elizabeth, the other…that would be quite a challenge.” He pauses here to think it over, then with a grin says; “Hmm…lay…lei…I’m willing to give it a go either way here.”
Me: “Then I suggest going sleep now, because I know some of these women! Besides, the guys have a big bon fire party planned for tonight. I'm thinking rum and fire probably aren't a good idea, but I can't talk them out of it.”

Ok now where was I? Oh yeah my DIK heroes! My picks are from over a decade ago because all my current picks were already taken by previous islanders (this shows I have good taste in hunky heroes because others have already gobbled them all up!). I had to dig deep in the way back of my keeper shelf to come up with these heroes and while I recall really liking them, it’s been so long (more than 10 years) since I read then I honestly can’t give specifics on them now.

But before I list who my heroes are I wanted to share again my current favorite books (which I mentioned in my Q&A welcome to DIK post back in June) that have already been picked, because I haven't mentioned why these are my favorites. This is from question #3:
3. What are your 5 favorite books?

Paranormal favorite: "Lover Eternal" by JR Ward

Historical Romance: "Prisoner of my Desire" by Johanna Lindsey

Mystery: "Dead to the World" by Charlaine Harris

M/M Romance: "The Assignment" by Evangeline Anderson

Young Adult: "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer

“Lover Eternal” is my favorite paranormal because Rhage is my hands down favorite paranormal hero of all time. I think he’s perfect – inner beast and all.
“Dead to the World” is my favorite mystery fiction (favorite mystery series actually) because of all the phenomenal characters. As weird as they are, they are engaging and compelling drawing assorted emotions from me with each chapter of every book. Few books can do that for me, but Charlaine Harris never fails to take me on a roller coast ride of emotions and leave me begging for more.

“The Assignment” was my first step into gay romance. I had read other bloggers reading and reviewing these books and my first thought was “Why? If you’re not gay, why read a gay romance? What’s the appeal?” – that was very shallow of me and I am glad I quickly got over it because I now love gay romance books! What I learned is romance is romance and if the writing is good and the characters engaging it draws me into the story - I just love a good romance story and gender hasn't got a thing to do with it. That is what Evangeline Anderson’s “The Assignment” did for me. Totally opened my eyes to gay romance and sent me on a spending spree for more gay novels which are now beginning to fill my keeper’s shelf.

“Eclipse” is my favorite of the “Twilight” YA series that is making teens swoon around the world. I liked this book in the series because I think you see the most growth in the characters and the story turns strongly to how to make things work after a heartbreaking break up and where to you fit in the guy (Jacob) who supported you and took you through the worst time of your life, when your boyfriend is back but things aren’t exactly like they were before. Loved this part of the series. Bella had a lot of decisions to make and Edward and Jacob both had a lot of accepting to do. Personally, (my unasked for opinion) I think Stephenie Meyer should have stopped at this book in the Twilight series, and then gone on to a new spin off werewolf/shapeshifting series for Jacob at this point instead of the horror of what happened in “Breaking Dawn”.

So that’s the ‘why’ behind some of my favorite books, I left out “Prisoner of my Desire” because that is in my current island hero list that I will talk more about soon. So now to get to my hero list from my keepers shelf!

My first hero is Zane MacKenzie from “MacKenzie’s Pleasure” by Linda Howard. I love Linda Howard’s books; they are my number ONE keepers of all time. She tops my list and had I been able to pick any hero from any book it would have been hands down John from “All the Queens Men” – my favorite book by her of all time. But her “MacKenzie” series is phenomenal and I really liked Zane – a military stud. The heroine is being held prisoner by a terrorist group and NAVY SEAL Zane is sent in to save her, he does and loses his heart to her in the process. Great story and a fast read.

My second hero is Warrick de Chaville from “Prisoner of my Desire” by Johanna Lindsey. Back in the 1980’s when I began reading romance (yeah I’m that old!!), I stocked my shelves with this author. I was completely consumed by historical romance and read that nearly exclusively until Jude Deveraux began turning out some contemporary romances. In “Prisoner of my Desire” the tables are turned. The heroine needs to conceive a child fast, so she kidnaps hero Warrick then…rapes him. Yeah, I know rape is bad and prominent in many of these historical romances and it’s usually the woman saying ‘no, no’ but supposedly meaning ‘yes, yes’ (that’s a whole other topic for discussion) but in this story it’s good. Well no, being rape isn’t good, but it makes for a good story when written by Johanna Lindsey, that’s what I mean. The heroine is a virgin, hasn’t got a clue what to do but finally manages to get it right. The hero is not happy being used and seeks retaliation, but of course they fall in love and have their happily ever after.

My third hero is also from Johanna Lindsey, its Royce of Wyndhurst in her “Hearts Aflame” book. The hero is a Saxon who captures the Viking heroine and makes her a slave in his household, but she doesn’t remain one. Soon he can't get enough of her and they fall in love, but have all sorts of problems between them. I love the depiction of this time period that author Johanna Lindsey creates, it’s like watching it being played out for you. Her details are great as is the love story that unfolds between the characters.

My fourth hero is Jamie Graham from “The Lion in Glory” by Shannon Drake (another author I filled my bookshelf with for decades under all the names she writes under). This is the story of the Scottish vs. the English and the romance that blooms between them. The Scots have turned the war and King Robert the Bruce has taken more land from England. His knight Jamie takes heroine Christina as hostage, but he’s got his hands full because Christina will stop at nothing to help her brother. Jamie is continually frustrated by the stunts Christina pulls and she keeps him on his toes and eventually in her bed. Fun romance for anyone who loves those Scottish men in kilts!

My fifth hero is Lord Ware from “Lion’s Bride” by Iris Johansen. I read this one last year and really enjoyed it because I hadn’t read a dashing knight falls for the lady he really doesn’t want to love in a very long time. This had an element to it of mystery and magic, they come out in the second book, but the second book doesn’t come close to being as good as the first. The hero is an ex Templar Knight with a target on his back – he’s supposed to be death and there is a hit out on him. The last thing he wants is to fall for a woman and put her in danger, but that is exactly what happens. Together they fall in love and save each other.

My sixth hero is Nicolas Eden from “Love Only Once” by Johanna Lindsey. This is part of her Malory series, the book that started it all – a series I reread over and over and over again for at least ten years! So good. If you like historical romances with sexual tension and characters that are near combustible together, this is a book you want to read.

My seventh hero is Warren Anderson from “The Magic of You” by (you guessed it) Johanna Lindsey. This is another book in the Malory series but this was is different from the rest in that the heroine is Amy Malory and the hero Warren (whose been wounded by love in the past) does his very best to stir clear of her but she simply will not take no for an answer and Warren being so studly can only hold out for so long. Warren is the wounded hero you want to be happy and find love, and Amy sees his pain, loves him already and is determined to be the one to heal him and bring him happiness. This is a battle of wills with love winning out. Loved it!

My last hero is Lt. John Dunbar from Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake. I love watching John transform and grow as a person while he struggles with just who he is and what side he’s going to stand on when things begin to go bad. He’s a hero and Kevin Costner did a great job portraying him in the movie based on the book in my opinion.

So those are my heroes from my deep dark keeper’s shelf. They were pushed to the back and buried by books from JR Ward, Charlaine Harris, Nora Roberts, Kresley Cole, Evangeline Anderson, Cheryl Brooks, Kendra Leigh Castle, Anne Rice, Lori Foster, Stephenie Meyer, Lora Leigh, Jude Deveraux, Maya Banks, Lisa Marie Rice, Christina Dodd, JK Rowling, Judith McNaught, LaVyrle Spencer, Erin McCarthy, Lisa Kleypas, Tami Hoag and many others.

It was wonderful to revisit these heroes and I hope to one day soon reread their stories and recall all the details of what made them so special that they have stood the test of time for me and remained on my keeper shelf even after a decade- or two!

So my question to all of you is, who do you have buried in your keeper shelf from years ago that stands the test of time?

MsMoonlight's first day on the island!

It’s my first day on the island and I am thrilled to be here! But I did not arrive alone.
One of the things I was asked when I first joined DIK was what “fun thing” would I bring to the island (see below). Being a mature woman I didn’t think of toys or gadgets, my mind went right to men *grin* and the first man who came to mind was Johnny Depp. Aside from his talent as an actor and his sex appeal *fanning self here*, I really think Mr. Depp is a great guy. He is kind hearted, gives to assorted charities and is wonderful to his fans – especially kids. He’s got a great sense of humor from what I’ve seen (I’ll find out sharing a hut with him and all my heroes soon enough) and I love his eyes and sexy grin. To me, he was the obvious choice in my one “fun thing” item I got to bring along. And as promised, I won’t hog him all the time, I can share. But don’t be surprised if he’s drunk, he brought an excessive amount of rum with him to the island – for more on that check out my post yesterday on Moonlight to Twilight Blog.
So that means I have eight book heroes in my hut PLUS the sexy and talented Johnny Depp as my “fun thing” – yummy – 9 hot men in the sun. In tomorrow’s post you’ll meet my heroes. Today it’s a bit more about me. I’m not very exciting so you may need toothpicks for your eyelids – sorry.

Favorite Reading Position – flat on my back sprawled out on my sofa; book perched over my face about 3 inches from my nose if it’s a good one.

Favorite Heroine – Sookie Stackhouse (series by Charlaine Harris). Even when she’s scared she does what needs doing and she’s sassy. I like that.

Author everyone loves but you don’t –Shh…don’t tell Lea she might smack me, but I just don’t like Shakespeare. I found Romeo & Juliet depressing and a waste of life and don’t get me started on Hamlet! I am just not a fan of Shakespeare- too much tragedy and darkness for me in most of his works that I’ve read.

If you could be in one book/series/world which would you pick – Oooh good question! The easy answer for me is the world of Harry Potter. I fell completely in love with the world JK Rowling created with her boy wizard. I think it would be great fun provided I was one of the magical people (I’d hate to be called a ‘muggle’) who had a wand and knew how to use it.

How old is your inside voice – it remains forever a 20-something but with 40ish hindsight and experience.

If you could be a hero who would you be – My young hero pick is Harry Potter, though I wouldn’t want to fight off the evil Voldemort and his Death Eaters year after year. Harry is a great hero, faithful friend and compassionate. He’s smart, a quick learner and when he stumbles into trouble he works a way out and comes out better for it in the end. Harry has my respect because he’s earned it as he’s grown through the HP series.
For a more mature hero my pick would be Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice) because he’s smart yet vulnerable, rich yet generous and completely romantic. What’s not to like about all that?

What heroine is most like you – Hmm… let’s see...umm…who is a passed her prime, over-weight book addict? *snaps fingers* I’ve got it! “Amanda Briars” in “Suddenly You” by Lisa Kleypas – a great book with a not so perfect or young heroine.

What heroine would you like to be – ‘Bella Swan’ from Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series so I could pick “Jacob” instead of Edward! Bella is so dumb! Who wants cold, dead and glittery (I mean really! Ewww) when you can have a hot hunky beast rippling with muscles?! Team Jacob!!

Boxers, Briefs, boxer briefs, kilt (I say we add commando) – I love buffets! I’ll take one of each please, with seconds on the commando in a kilt! :o) I gotta say authors JR Ward and Lora Leigh do great commando style heroes.

Favorite book set on a tropical island – Easy one - “Sins of Summer” (4 erotic stories set in hot tropical locations by 4 authors: Annmarie McKenna, Mackenzie McKade, Marie Harte, Dawn Halliday) But warning, this book is smokin’ hot with all sorts of sex going on… m/f, m/m and m/f/m. Read with a tall glass of ice water and the AC cranked up.

What hero is most like your significant other – if my significant other had been anything like the heroes I read he wouldn’t now be my ex. :o)

What hero would you like to be your significant other – Good question! The possibilities are endless! I am tempted to pick either “Rhage” (Lover Eternal by JR Ward) or “Eric” (Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris) but since they are both vampires and would burn up in the sun, that’s a major drawback- especially on a tropical island.
It’s a tossup between Navy SEAL Clint “Iceman” McIntyre (Dangerous Games – Lora Leigh) or James “Dawg” Mackay (Nauti Nights – Lora Leigh). Apparently I like Lora Leigh men!

If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring
-my computer (solar powered of course)
-Johnny Depp (this was question 6 in my Q&A welcome post back in June: Name one fun thing you would bring to the island?Hmm...'fun thing'? Johnny Depp if he's available! I think I'd have lots of fun with him. )
-a razor (can you imagine being all hairy and stubbly with Johnny Depp walking around?)

Favorite drink to bring to the DIK party – rum & coke on the rocks with a lemon wedge.

This has been great fun! Johnny and I will be back tomorrow to introduce my heroes. Right now Johnny is still drinking rum, but he's not a sloppy drunk so its all good! :o)

You can visit me back here tomorrow and at my blog “Moonlight to Twilight Blog”.

I'm Loving This Whole DIK "Hero" Thing - Lea & Tori Day 3

This is Tori's and my last day on the Island therefore I decided to follow tradition and talk about the "heroes" I brought along to DIK.

I've never been involved in a polyamorous relationship involving different species and sexual dominants before and I learned quickly ground rules were required. There certainly have been a few "moments", particularly when one of my vamps decided he needed a "drink" in the middle of the night and a certain demon required his "needs", to be met at the same time. ::waggles brows:: Then of course Tori got a little jealous when everyone was doing this group hug - bonding thing. But once I made sure she was included all was well...

So, as Renee and Jenre so eloquently mentioned, us newbies did this sort of round robin draft and each picked 8 favorite "heroes", from novels to bring to the island. Therefore I'm listing them in order picked.

"Guys, guys, I love all of you equally! God, don't get your knickers in a twist."

Sorry, about the little distraction, there was some grumbling about who gets mentioned first. Man, these guys, everything is a competition. Not that I mind, of course. ;)


First is Eidolon (Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione). Eidolon is a seminus demon, and these guys are BIG (and very horny). Eidolon is dark haired, has a sexy smile, and boasts sort of a chiseled facial bone structure. His muscled arms are adorned with intricate tattooing or "dermaglyphs", which shimmer and writhe and are an indication of his parentage.

As I mentioned yesterday, he is a physician (handy to have on a desert island) and even though he is a demon, is kind, gentle and empathetic. Eidolon has a total sensual aura about him that is inherent to seminus demons. When I read "Pleasure Unbound", for the first time it was David Boreanaz who was the visual. I think he fits the persona of a "tortured hero so well. ;)


It's been interesting having humans, mixed with vampires and one demon all vacationing in the hut. However, once the ground rules were set with respect to not eating the humans and sharing, everyone has gotten along just fine. :)

Vic Savian (Wicked Burn by Beth Kery), is my second choice and I was so relieved he wasn't previously taken by one of the other islanders. Vic is a total "Alpha" guy who doesn't mince words. He is a ruggedly handsome, temperamental, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, who loves the country. I think he has enjoyed our stay on the island though, kicking back with the guys, enjoying a drink, checking out the other "Island Girls". Ahemmmm... ;)

When I read "Wicked Burn" the fantasy visual I had for him was Sam Shepherd. I think the picture on the right depicts him perfectly. That craggy handsomeness, no nonsense persona, and an inherent sensuality. ::sigh::


Shane "Dom" Dominic (Sweet Restraint by Beth Kery), has really enjoyed our island holiday because he is a FBI ‘Special Agent In Charge’ of an investigation into the largest organized police theft ring in Chicago's history. Dom is an absolute ‘force of nature’. He is handsome, brilliant, driven and has an innate ability to comprehend people’s motivations and to predict how they would act in a certain set of circumstances. He is strong, enticing and dominant, another "Alpha".

So a little 'vacation' away from it all is just what the 'doctor' ordered.

Dom's eyes are a different color than Josh Harnett's, however I could see him as Dom. Intense, pensive, and damn sexy. My kind of guy... lol


I pirated this picture of 'Jude Law', from fellow newbie Renee, as the perfect depiction of "Devereux" (The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn), my next hero. To quote Renee, Jude Law is almost "criminally handsome", as is Devereux IMHO.

This is Devereux:

"He stood when I opened the door and it was fluid motion. As if he had simply willed himself to stand. His body was all lean muscle radiating some kind of primal power. He moved elegantly over to me, gave a slight bow of his head, and offered a glorious smile.

Dressed all in black, his snug leather pants, form-fitting silk T-shirt and long leather duster gave the impression of high fashion rather than Harley Davidsons.

I froze in the doorway with my mouth hanging open, speechless, staring into the most amazing pair of turquoise eyes I'd ever seen.

He picked up my hand gently and kissed the back, his lips soft and silky, "I am Devereux. Is this a good time for an appointment?"

"The Vampire Shrink" © Lynda Hilburn

Devereux, hangs back in the hut during the daylight hours for obvious reasons. But he is so down with the beach party every night! ;)


Nicholai Hel (Shubumi by Trevanian) is my next hero. He is an aristocratic, reclusive genius without a country, and an assassin. He is also written as the world's most artful lover and has this amazing, powerful aura. I had a rough time forming a visual of Hel but then I saw a movie staring Clive Owen and knew he was the man.

"Shibumi" is apparently going to be made into a movie and I have no doubt it's author, Trevanian, is rolling over in his grave. He would consider it an insult. And I doubt Hollywood will do the book justice. I mean, Hel is supposed to have survived the ravages of Hiroshima, so that would make him pretty old. Then I read Keanu Reeves had been cast as Nicholai Hel, and choked on my own spittle! Seriously? IMHO Clive Owen is the only actor on the planet who could possibly do Hel justice...


Next is Mitch Magruder (Unraveled by Jaci Burton). Mitch is a forty something self made millionaire who has the body of a man fifteen years younger, midnight black hair and stunning turquoise blue eyes. He is brilliant, tough in business, but also inherently kind and sensitive. (And, HOT)

Mitch owns a hotel chain and was never much interested in settling down until he is reacquainted with his old friend's sister, Greta. It is an unusual love match, but a beautiful story.

Mitch also loves to surf, so you gotta know where he is spending his days while on the island.

My image of Mitch? It had to be Gerard Butler, he is perfect to fit Mitch's character... :)



Rupert Campbell Black (Riders and Rivals by Jilly Cooper) has been a bit of a pain in the ass since we arrived. Devereux and Iollan have actually kindly volunteered to eat him a couple of times, but I reminded them of the rule number one, "No eating the humans". Nicholai wanted to use his "naked kill", technique on Rupert, and I quickly reminded him that eating humans is equated with "killing" them. Eidolon then offered to administer an anesthetic just to shut Rupert up for a while and I considered that one, but the guy is just so damn hot, I decided I wanted him awake and "alert" for the rest of our stay.

Rupert, you see, is an upper class British rake. He loves horses, money, making trouble and was a non-repentant womanizer. That is until he met "Taggie". Then he became a reformed rake and was much less fun. I think what I love about Rupert is his sarcastic wit and his cunning. He is also none to tough to look at and a studley. IMHO Matt Damon (who is mine in my next life), would play the perfect Rupert. I know Matt is an American, but hey look at Bridget Jones! ;)



Last but certainly not least is Iollan Drake (Embracing Midnight by Devyn Quinn). This vampire, wow, just *sigh*...

This is Iollan:

"Iollan Drake. In the flesh. Right here. Right now.

All lean muscle and sinew, the outlaw was stunning. Thick hair brushed his brow. An unusual shade best described as pearlescent smoke, it settled in tousled layers around his chiseled face. Deep-set eyes, wide strong nose, and an absolutely sensual mouth ruled over a jaw brushed with stubble."

"Embracing Midnight" © Devyn Quinn

Iollan is a "Niviane Idesha", an alien vampire wanted by the FBI for very unsavoury purposes. His feeding habits are rather "unusual", but we have been able to accommodate him quite nicely while on the island. (Not that I've complained.) Iollan becomes invisible when he is resting during the day, so staying in the darkened hut hasn't been an issue. His other most striking feature is his eyes, they are copper colored. 'yum' He and Devereux have enjoyed discussing the differences in their vampiric species, and have actually developed a fragile friendship while here on the island.

The picture on the right was Devyn Quinn's visual when she was writing Iollan, which I think is PERFECT. However, I think the only actor who could actually play Iollan would be Johnny Depp, he has the aura and chameleon like ability to play almost any character to perfection.

I am looking forward to my last night of hosting the big Island bash in my hut and I hope you all will have fun with Tori, myself and my guys. By the way, I'm going to leave my blowfish bikini top and the rest of my island wear here for my next visit so if anyone would like to borrow the fish lips.. GFI!!

I've had great fun here on the island this past three days, thank you again for allowing me to join in! When Tori and I aren't here we make a nuisance of ourselves at closetwriter blog.

Ms. Moonlight takes over the helm here tomorrow so be sure and stop by for some REAL fun!