November 30, 2012

Book Review -- Creatures of the Moon by Kristine Overbrook!!! (5 STARS) #goodreads @krisoverbrook

Creatures of the MoonCreatures of the Moon by Kristine Overbrook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Normally cop/detective books are not my go-to read, but a friend highly recommended Creatures. So I checked it out. I'm so glad I did! The characters were intriguing and I looked forward to finding out more about them and the case they were solving. One of my favorite things about this book was the way the author made the werewolves so realistic.

 

I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Couple of my fave lines:
Ryan: "Getting neater at eating, too."
Lydia: Pleasure coursed through her like sunlight invading shadow.


Stalk--uh, follow--Kristine here:
~ eBook ~ Facebook ~ Paperback ~ Twitter ~ Website ~  

Creatures of the Moon - Book Trailer!


November 28, 2012

My Midweek Mayhem, Upcoming Vacation Reads, #WIP Snippet and Random Picture Goodness! #amblogging

Working it out…  
  • Over Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday of last week) I wrote over 3k words!!! For me that is a great success and I'll take it! Happy dance! :D
  • #PitchWars is now open! Stop by, pick your coaches and next week we'll find out if we made it into the agent round! Click here for more info.
Getting personal... 
  • The hubby's family came up for a visit over the weekend and we had a fantastic time! Went to see Skyfall, which I loved! *wants to live in a house like Skyfall...all stone and enormous--just don't wanna clean it* Way better than the second movie. Watch the preview here. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law brought (Rusty pup's cousins) their two doggies, a husky mix and a weimaraner... Rusty had so much fun playing, but now he's so melancholy that they're gone. He's pitiful!! O.O
  • In other news... Leaving on Sunday for Monterrey, California!! The hubby is presenting a brainiac aerospace paper at a JANNAF conference. So, what that means for ME is: writing and reading and coffee drinking...ohhhhh my!!! Le sigh. :)
  • Depending on internet access, there may not be a Midweek Mayhem post next week, so prepare yourselves now. ;)   
Hearing voices…
  • Am doing setting description edits for Running From Shadows. Gotta make my demon-slaying unicorn story sparkle and shine even more than it already does!! Am nearly finished...
  • Currently going gangbuster on my dark and gritty work-in-progress (a new adult urban fantasy with cursed dragon shifters and is unlike anything I've ever written)! Crossed over 45k words today! 
  • Read last week's snippet here :)   
  • Here's an unedited teaser for you (one of the two heroine's POV--Taylor, the "blonde goddess," is kind of like a female Dexter). This snippet starts with Taylor's father speaking to her...
     “Listen, I’ve lived your life. Fought your battles. I know how difficult it is to buffer the war inside of you.”
     “I’m coping just fine.” Yes, that was a lie.
     “I beg to differ. You’re asking for a new list every week now. That’s two kills per day on three of those days. And the electricity bill at the warehouse continues to go up each month.”
     “Is this about money? I’ll pay for whatever I need to.”
     “This isn’t about money, Taylor Mae. It’s about control. You’re losing it. Ever since the transplant—”
     He doubts my ability? The Beast growled. Kill the girl who owns my heart, and I will be free. You shall be free, Taylor Mae. It mocked.
     “No!" Taylor shouted. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud. Cradling her neck, she turned her back to him and stole a couple steps to the railing.
     “Now you’re talking to it? This is a slippery slope you’re climbing. We tried to do things your way. I cut my own daughter’s heart out of her chest and gave it to another, in the hopes of ridding you of the curse.” He moved next to her. His shoulder bumped against hers. “It. Didn’t. Work.”
     She wouldn’t argue with him about this. It didn’t matter what hadn’t worked or what he thought. Only how she felt. She had tried it his way. It wasn’t as though she wanted to murder people her entire existence, but she also couldn’t force herself to be who she wasn’t. Not anymore.


Waiting game
Cover Art by Danielle Fine
  • On week #25 of waiting to hear back from a lovely agent who is reading Running From Shadows.*continues to keep fingers and toes crossed and keeps querying*
  • On week #17 of waiting to hear back from the editor I pitched to at the RWA conference in July. *also continues to keep all possible body parts crossed*
Reading...
  • Currently I am beta-reading for an awesome friend and writer... Katheryn!
  • 55% through reading Winter Fairy by Lola Karns!! Check it out here! Absolutely adorable! Am loving it!!
  • Planned vacation reads: Terms & Conditions Apply by Pippa Jay (a sci-fi, romance short story/stunning cover art designed by Danielle Fine) AND after watching the trailer preview for Warm Bodies movie and being told by a friend that it's a book (author is Isaac Marion)...I totally bought it! Stoked to read both!! 
Bonus material...
*Tune back in for SSS on Sunday for more steamy goodness from Running From Shadows! Pax is dressing Greta's wound...yes, this is gonna be hawt :)

*Would love for you to stalk, uh, follow me on Pinterest! Click here, my darlings... I pin back :P teehee

*Add Witch Way to Turn to your to-be-read list here

*Watch the awesome Witch Way to Turn book trailer here!!

*Beautiful cover art for Running From Shadows and Witch Way to Turn book trailer by Danielle Fine... Check her website for more cover art, editing and book trailer services.

Random Alert! Random. Alert. Alert. Alert...
Look at how pretty I'm sitting. Give them to me, human!! (What you can't see is the pan of freshly baked biscuits on the island. Yeah, Rusty pup was super focused.)
This was at the Breakfast Club in downtown Charlotte (an 80s club--so awesome) for my SIL's bachelorette party earlier this year. Boom. Random!! Look how pale I am!! Sheesh. It's okay tho, cos looking like a vampire is totally in right now ;)

November 25, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Running From Shadows... Such a Tease! #SSS #YAPNR #Pinterest

Hooray for Six Sentence Sunday!

Thank you for stopping by. I'm excited to participate with such a fantastic group of writers!

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows, currently being read by a lovely agent and an editor!! Squee!!

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love.
 ****
Last week... Greta wants to know how Paxton knows her name. He says it's because he's seen her at the mall, but she works at the bookstore three days a week and has never seen him. When she realizes that conversation is a dead end she brings up her 'marked' status and demands information. Of course, King of Evasion says, "I know you have questions, but they'll have to wait. I need to look at your injuries." And she's bleeding all over his couch--or so he says to distract her...

Cover Art by Danielle Fine



He walked to the kitchen and grabbed a small first aid kit.

Once he’d laid the bandages and ointment on the coffee table he sat next to me. Right next to me. I held my breath, trying not to stare. But that sexy dimple in his chin drew me in…up the smooth, sharp line of his jaw…to the messy perfection of his sandy blond hair. 

“Relax. I’ve dressed a wound before.”

How's a girl supposed to relax with Mr. Sexy so close she can taste his hotness? Tune in next week for more Greta and Pax!! ;) Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated! Get a sneak peek for more awesome authors at SSS.

****
Extra! Extra!

*Would you like to see some pics of Greta and Pax? Check them out here! Gotta love Pinterest!! Ooo, stalk me there too, please...uh, here! ;) 

*Witch Way to Turn is doing so well!!!! It's getting great reviews! I'm just so proud of my baby!!! Can you tell??? ;D Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lyrical Press. Would love for you to add it to your to-be-read list here

*If you'd like more information on having a custom book cover designed for your next publication or WIP inspiration, check out Danielle Fine's website

November 21, 2012

My Midweek Mayhem, Excellent News, #WIP Snippet and Random Picture Goodness! #amblogging

Working it out…  
  • (Announced on my Six Sentence Sunday post) Running From Shadows has finaled in another contest!!! This makes THREE total so far!! Squee!!! Reveal Your Inner Vixen! (Maryland Romance Writers chapter of RWA)!!!!! They said: "Your impressive entry was deemed one of the most seductive, compelling and well written by our first round judges."  
  • Monday I found out that Running From Shadows didn't make it into the 3rd Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Pitch Contest...but never fear, I press onward!
  • Upcoming Pitch contests I'm entering in December...check them out! #PitchMas and #PitchWars
Hearing voices…
  • Am doing setting description edits for Running From Shadows. Gotta make my demon-slaying unicorn story sparkle and shine even more than it already does!! Am on page 230 of 281...
  • Currently going gangbuster on my dark and gritty work-in-progress (a new adult urban fantasy with cursed dragon shifters and is unlike anything I've ever written)! Crossed over 40k words today! 
  • Read last week's snippet here :)   
  • Here's an unedited teaser for you (One of the two heroine's POV--Taylor, the "blonde goddess," is kind of like a female Dexter)... 
       His stare lingered on the bit of exposed flesh her gesture caused since her coat was unbuttoned. “What seems to be the trouble?” He rubbed his hands together, blowing on them.
      She walked to his side, trying to keep his eye contact. She pictured the raging beast inside of her. Mentally clipped it wings and docked its tail. Anything to keep it from exploding out of her in public. Even the monsters who didn’t care what life they took, still kept the secret. They had to. The knights would always hunt them. Claim their flesh. Live, forever.
      “I just don’t know.” She batted her eyelashes as bile crept up her throat and coated the inside of her mouth. “Tried to start the engine and it wouldn’t turn over. Do you mind taking a look under my hood?” She licked her top lip and watched his eyes as the last part of her question finally clicked in his mind.
      “I can look at anything you need checked.” His words tasted of saccharine in her mind. She’d turn his phrase…in due time.
      She forced a schoolgirl giggle and followed him to the front of the car. He lifted the hood and checked a couple of valves followed by fluid levels. “Everything seems to be fine. It may’ve gotten too cold.” He unhooked the latch and tucked it to the side of the engine before dropping the hood closed. “Try cranking it again.”
      “Sure.” She did a slow spin on her heel, knowing he would check out her ass. “Like what you see?” She glided her hands over the smooth, red paint of her car.
      “Hell yeah, I do.” Opening the door for her, he leaned closer, a domineering stance between door and car.
      Taylor let her legs spread further apart than needed to settle into the cold leather of the driver’s seat. He wouldn’t see anything since she wore black stockings, but he most definitely got the message. She turned the key in the ignition and the BMW purred to life.
      “Seems to be working now.”
      “Thank you.” Looking up at him, she added, “Uh, I don’t even know your name.” Not that it mattered.
      “Kyle.” He leaned even closer, until his breath washed over her one onion wave at a time. “Anything else I can do for you?”
      Swallowing back her repulsion, she pretended to fiddle with the seat belt. “So, I don’t normally do this, but… Well, I feel like there may be something, you know, between us, and…”
      “Yeah, go on.”
      “I live about ten minutes from here. Why don’t you come over to my place? I can thank you properly.” She bit her lip. The beast inside of her could taste his excitement.
      Prey hooked.

Waiting game
Cover Art by Danielle Fine
  • On week #24 of waiting to hear back from a lovely agent who is reading Running From Shadows.*continues to keep fingers and toes crossed and keeps querying*
  • On week #16 of waiting to hear back from the editor I pitched to at the RWA conference in July. *also continues to keep all possible body parts crossed*
Reading...
  • Currently I am beta-reading for an awesome friend and writer... Katheryn!
  • Currently reading Winter Fairy by Lola Karns!! Check it out here
  • I'm a judge in the Finish The Damn Book Contest. Excited to participate! One read! One to go! (This is my local RWA Chapter's contest.) Check out my awesome Chesapeake Romance Writers' Chapter here.
Bonus material...
*Tune back in for SSS on Sunday for more steamy goodness from Running From Shadows! Pax and Greta are FINALLY in his cabin... And Pax is oh-so sexy and distracting :) Bwahaha

*Would love to get more Likes for my author page! Click here... Thanks! 

*Add Witch Way to Turn to your to-be-read list here

*Watch the awesome Witch Way to Turn book trailer here!!

*Beautiful cover art for Running From Shadows and Witch Way to Turn book trailer by Danielle Fine... Check her website for more cover art, editing and book trailer services.

Random Alert! Random. Alert. Alert. Alert...


So Saturday, the hubby and I went out for an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch. Omigosh, by the third plate, I thought I was gonna die! That didn't stop me cos what you don't eat you have to pay extra for! Oh! Oh! I tried something new! See the brown pod looking thing on the right side? Bean curd nigiri. Delicious! Could've had like four of just those.

Rusty pup and I watching The Big Bang Theory. Love that show! And, yes, those are teal and purple striped pajama pants! haha Awesome, right?

Tada! Randomness at its best! LOL Okay, so, most people probably don't take pictures of toilets, but let's face it... I'm a bit odd. :P Anywho, this was at a restroom in the Chicago airport. It took me, like, FIVE minutes just to figure out what was going on. For those of you who have never seen a toilet quite like this, you wave your hand in front of the middle sensor and the plastic cover rotates around. Being the germaphobe that I am, I waved my hand about three times before I was satisfied.

November 18, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Running From Shadows... Such a Tease! #SSS #YA #PNR #Pinterest

Hooray for Six Sentence Sunday!

Thank you for stopping by. I'm excited to participate with such a fantastic group of writers! 

(NEW!) Guess what?? Running From Shadows has finaled in another contest!!! This makes THREE total so far!! Squee!!! Reveal Your Inner Vixen! (Maryland Romance Writers chapter of RWA)!!!!!

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows, currently being read by a lovely agent and an editor!! Squee!!

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love. 
 ****
Last week... Greta FINALLY goes into Paxton's cabin. It opens into one big room, sparsely furnished but neat, with a loft above the living room and an eat-in kitchen with a warm and inviting woodsy pine scent. The smell reminds her of him…Goddess, this boy makes her feel tingly and good and oh-so nervous. She stumbles over her words. “I’m Greta, by the way. Greta Shore.” 

Cover Art by Danielle Fine


“I know.” Tall, with the kind of body that got you a billboard in Times Square, the way he watched me with his blue-eyed gaze set my skin on fire. If only I could give myself to the flames.

Goddess, I must be losing it. 

“How?” I started to pick at a hangnail on my thumb and stopped--this boy didn’t need to know my bad habits.

Tune in next week for more Greta and Pax!! ;) Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated! Get a sneak peek for more awesome authors at SSS.

****
Extra! Extra!

*Would you like to see some pics of Greta and Pax? Check them out here! Gotta love Pinterest!! Ooo, stalk me there too, please...uh, here! ;)

*Autumn's Harvest Blog Hop winner is...Susan Platt!! Thank you to everyone who entered!! And a BIG thank you to my virtual assistant, Florence Price, for organizing everything. She rocks!! For more info on her services, click here.

*The winner of editor Danielle Fine's FREE critique is Lucy D. Briand!!!! Congrats, Lucy, you'll love working with Dani!!
 
*Witch Way to Turn is doing so well!!!! It's getting great reviews! I'm just so proud of my baby!!! Can you tell??? ;D Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lyrical Press. Would love for you to add it to your to-be-read list here

*If you'd like more information on having a custom book cover designed for your next publication or WIP inspiration, check out Danielle Fine's website

November 15, 2012

Book Review -- Keir by Pippa Jay!!! (5 STARS) @pippajaygreen #bookreview #Goodreads

KeirKeir by Pippa Jay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! Keir was a fantastic read. The hero (Keir) and the heroine (Quin) had so much rich character development. Both of them were riddled with emotional--and physical--scarring; however, it was beautifully woven into the storyline to make them stronger people. Together they were able to overcome their insecurities.

Keir is packed with action, adventure, intrigue and spicy love scenes...but one of my favorite things was the role reversal. Keir was the inexperienced one, and I loved that Quin taught him--not just how to make love, because that was hot--but how to experience life and to open himself up to forgiveness. Keir suffered a great many things, but Quin was there to support, encourage and bring him back to life.

A few of my favorite lines from the book:

“I am not friendly. I am dangerous.”

He felt her presence in his mind still, like cool hands soothing his fevered thoughts. It both disturbed and comforted him. Was she an angel in human guise? Or some demon sent to torment him before delivering him to his final hell?

His words filled her with a sadness so sharp she had to fight down tears.

He screamed for help as they took him through shadowy streets to an unknown place, but no one came.

Why am I such a sucker for tortured souls?

“We weren’t meant to have these powers, Keir, but it’s how we use them that defines who and what we are.”

“Friends may easily become enemies. Prosperity attracts envy. We must always be wary of complacency and misplaced trust.”

Would learning the truth justify the risk?

For the first time in remembrance, he wanted to touch and be touched in return. To hold her and have her return his embrace freely, with more than a friend’s affection. To feel her white skin under his fingertips. To brush the hair from her face as the breeze did now, and run his fingers through it.

He leaned close to her, and the darkness of his eyes seemed to swallow her soul. “Your fears will come to pass.”

I have more, but pretty soon I'll be quoting the entire book! So go buy it! :) Keir is a must read!

Special features!!!

The author was kind enough to share the song that was her inspiration for Keir's character... Justify by The Rasmus! Check the vid here!

Watch the Keir book trailer here

Buy Keir!! Amazon ~ B&N ~ Lyrical Press

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View all my reviews

November 14, 2012

My Midweek Mayhem, #WIP Snippet, #CritiqueGiveaway and Random Picture Goodness! #amblogging

Working it out…  
  • Loved this 5 Star review of Witch Way to Turn from The Romance Studio! Check it here :) 
  • Next Monday, November 19, I find out if Running From Shadows made it into the 3rd Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Pitch Contest, so keep those fingers crossed! Check the line-up of amazing agents here!
  • Awesome interview with my talented editor, Danielle Fine!! Stop by (here) and comment for your chance to win a FREE critique of your query, synopsis and first chapter (Ends Tomorrow)!
  • Stop by tomorrow for my review of Keir by Pippa Jay!! A 5-Star sci-fi romance!!  
Hearing voices…
  • I've gotten Witch Way book #2 back from my editor! Update... I'll be rewriting chapters 1-4 to have it better match flow/tone of the rest of the story... I'd written the first 80ish pages a long time ago before WWTT was published. Soo the beginning needed some re-vamping! Get it?? Vamp...teehee :P
  • Am doing setting description edits for Running From Shadows. Gotta make my demon-slaying unicorn story sparkle and shine even more than it already does!! Am on page 90 of 281...
  • Currently going gangbuster on my work-in-progress (a new adult urban fantasy with cursed dragon shifters and is unlike anything I've ever written)! Crossed over 35k words yesterday! 
  • Read last week's snippet here!   
  • Here's a teaser for you (the opening page)... 
         Impatience gnawed at the edges of Zoe Moore’s sanity. She clicked her phone on. Again. Why hadn’t he texted? Looking at it isn’t going to make him text any sooner.
         She shoved the cell back in her messenger bag and willed herself to face the professor. The PowerPoint show he clicked through could've been pictures of naked people for all she cared, even though Introduction to Psychology was her favorite class so far. But knowing she’d finally get to meet the one person who had been there for her all summer took precedence whether she wanted it to or not.
         Screw it. She took the phone back out, her heart hammering and clicked it on. Nothing. Still. Scrolling through she reread the text from last night, even though she had it committed to memory: Can’t wait 2 meet u. Will send place & time in the morning.
        Not to nitpick or anything, but morning had come and gone. When the bell rang in ten minutes it would be noon. Keeping the phone hidden under the white speckled desk, she scanned through what she’d written. Maybe she’d said something to turn him off. How had she responded to his last text? Can’t wait to meet you too!
       Oh hell. She’d spelled everything out and used an exclamation point. Maybe that’d been too much? Had she come across as needy? Did a stupid punctuation mark determine her future happiness? She’d tried to play it cool. But he was always so sympathetic. She’d almost told him about the surgery. No time felt quite right though. Was he really standing her up? No explanation or anything? Damn. This was ridiculous. How neurotic could she get?

Waiting game
Cover Art by Danielle Fine
  • On week #23 of waiting to hear back from a lovely agent who is reading Running From Shadows.*continues to keep fingers and toes crossed and keeps querying* (Update: The lovely agent retweeted me on Twitter over the weekend...not sure what the tweet-age could mean, but it made me smile!)
  • On week #15 of waiting to hear back from the editor I pitched to at the RWA conference in July. *also continues to keep all possible body parts crossed*
Reading...
  • Currently I am beta-reading for an awesome friend and writer... Katheryn!
  • Currently reading Winter Fairy by Lola Karns!! Check it out here
  • I'm a judge in the Finish The Damn Book Contest! Excited to participate! (This is my local RWA Chapter's contest.) Check out my awesome Chesapeake Romance Writers' Chapter here!
Bonus material...
*Tune back in for SSS on Sunday for more steamy goodness from Running From Shadows! Pax and Greta are FINALLY in his cabin... Oh yeah, baby! LOL

*Would love to get more Likes for my author page! Click here... Thanks! 

*Add Witch Way to Turn to your to-be-read list here

*Watch the awesome Witch Way to Turn book trailer here!!

*Beautiful cover art for Running From Shadows and Witch Way to Turn book trailer by Danielle Fine... Check her website for more cover art, editing and book trailer services.

Random Alert! Random. Alert. Alert. Alert...
Rusty pup: Whaa? That was already there. Swear. Me: Uh huh, don't believe you. Rusty pup: Look into my innocent eyes, human, I own you. Me: Demon pup!

Absolutely no idea why I took a picture of my kitchen... Maybe cos it was actually clean? For once :)

iHeart weeping willow trees! I normally mention them at least once in my stories. LOL They are one of my top three fave trees...followed by Japanese Maples and Crepe Myrtles.

November 11, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Running From Shadows... Such a Tease! #SSS #YA #PNR #AHHop #EditorInterview #Critique #Giveaway

Hooray for Six Sentence Sunday!

Thank you for stopping by. I'm excited to participate with such a fantastic group of writers! 

(NEW) Guess what?? Running From Shadows is a finalist in the Launching a Star Contest (SpaceCoast Author's chapter of RWA)!!!!!

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows, currently being read by a lovely agent and an editor!! Squee!!

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love. 
 ****
Last week... Pax tells Greta that she's been marked by a shadow demon and if she wants to find out why she needs to come inside. But will she go inside his cabin?? Well, my lovelies, after weeks of teasing, today you FINALLY find out whether she does or not!!! Are you shocked? :P

Cover Art by Danielle Fine


Alone with a strange boy in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. How smart was that?

I turned to walk away, but it was so dark. Goddess, this deep in the forest even the stars were blotted out by the trees and…it almost seemed as if the darkness was moving. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I turned and raced up the stairs after him.

And since you've waited so long...here's a little bit more about Pax's cabin. teeheehee Paxton's cabin opens into one big room, sparsely furnished but neat, with a loft above the living room and an eat-in kitchen with a warm and inviting woodsy pine scent. The smell reminds her of him…

Tune in next week for more Greta and Pax!! ;) Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated! Get a sneak peek for more awesome authors at SSS.

****
Happy reading!

*(Ends TOMORROW) I'm participating in -- the Autumn's Harvest Blog Hop!! Enter here for your chance to win an e-Book copy of Witch Way to Turn and a $15 Amazon Giftcard!! Comment on the post for a chance to WIN a Kindle Fire or a Nook Tablet!!

*(WIN a FREE Critique) For a chance to win a free query, synopsis and first chapter critique by Editor Danielle Fine just comment on the post here!!!
 
*Witch Way to Turn is doing so well!!!! It's getting great reviews! I'm just so proud of my baby!!! Can you tell??? ;D Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lyrical Press. Would love for you to add it to your to-be-read list here

*If you'd like more information on having a custom book cover designed for your next publication or WIP inspiration, check out Danielle Fine's website