Last week I read a book and stumbled upon a description which instantly made me think; Did I not read that is someone else's book already? I was so stupified because I thought there was only one character with that kind of hair!

Here is the quote:

Her breath caught in her throat. Never in her life had she seen a more handsome man.
Never.
At first glance his hair was dark brown, but in reality it was made up of all colors; ash, auburn, black, brown, mahogony, even some blond. She'd never seen hair like that on anyone. Long and wavy, it was pulled back into a sexy ponytail.

Everyone who has read J.R. Ward immediately thinks Phury, right? Well, I wasn't reading Lover Enshrined or any other BDB book. So I wonder, does any of you know who this character is with the same kind of hair as Phury?

I just had to google images of Phury...see if anything like that kind of hair actually excitst...without coming from a bottle. Alas...no such color but I found men with heads of hear 0.0 They so make me green with envy:

 Okay...perhaps not a wild mane of hair but *drool* he's so good to look at ;)

 Now this is a mane...dear lawd, he would make Shakira look green with envy at that!

Love this guys face...even with all that hair...he's still all man to me!!

Can't wait to hear who you think the quote guy is ;)

Sex and the City – Which girl are you?

Somewhere last week, a Sex and the City special was aired on our cable-TV, and I absolutely loved an evening with these four girls. Ever since the show started airing here in the Netherlands I’ve been hooked on it and couldn’t wait to see what the girls in New York were up to next. It got me thinking however, why did this series appeal so much to me? Was it the setting? Well to be honest New York is not my thing. I am a bling bling girl but Manola Blahniks don’t get my hormones raging, I’m no big fan of designer clothes and the partying scene. But if this all didn’t do it for me, what was?

To be honest the guys playing in the series were nice eye-candy (most of the time, I mean Alexsandr Petrovsky – Carrie girl, you can have him anytime, he’s not my cuppa tea, but then again, if the shoe fits…) but that was not it, the topics discussed were fabulous ofcourse, but coming from the country housing the all-time famous Amsterdam for all it’s… uhm… attributes… not shocking. Although I have to admit I just love the fact us woman were able to shock the unknowing guys out there. These four fabulous woman outted us in that way. All over the world men were stunned to see what we all talked about out of their earshot. You thought your talks about the “next-door-neighbours-sexy twins” was a hot topic in the gym’s dressingroom, wait till us girls get out to lunch, diner, walk in the park, on a shopping spree or just at home!



What appeals to me so much is that four completely different girls, brought together in friendship, sticking with eachother in the good, the bad and the ugly times, is what really got me hooked onto this series. The humor in dialogues, incredibly funny, and for those who know me… I just got to have the laughter in whichever I do.

But looking at the four totally different personifications I got to look at myself as well and started thinking, which one do I resemble the most? That was a difficult question! I’m not sure really, because looking at the characters of Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte and Carrie I see some of them back in myself. On one moment I would like to think I’m as out-going and open like Samantha, however I used to be very carreer-driven (BCA (before car accident)) like Miranda, I am old-fashioned and a romantisist as Charlotte and I can be pointy and spot on like Carrie and definitely as frivolous as well. Hmmm self-analyzing, I’m wondering is that a 30-y.o. thing? I don’t remember doing so in my twenties, but ever since that big 3-0 hit me it’s a total shift in thought-prosessing, anyway, enough said about me, I was wondering, which of the SATC-girls do you resemble most?

SAMANTHA JONES
Samantha Jones is a powerful, uninhibited public relations executive and probably the most outgoing female character in television history. Samantha loves men and sex and doesn't care who knows it. She boldly goes after any man she finds the least bit attractive or appealing, but only to have sex with him. Throughout most of the series Samantha does not believe in the conventional relationship. She believes monogamy is unnatural and makes it her business to have as much sex as she possibly can. She describes herself as tri-sexual ("I'll try anything once!"), she brags about the fact that she can "have sex like a man", without getting emotionally involved. The number of sexual partners she has had throughout the show is way up there.

SATC: The Movie - quote
Samantha Jones: Jesus honey! Wax much?
Miranda Hobbes: What? My marriage is going through a rough spot. I dont have time to wax!
Samantha Jones: Don't blame marriage. She's married and she's not growing a national forest.

SATC: Series - quote
Carrie : I'm not going to replace a man with some battery-operated device.
Miranda : You haven't met The Rabbit.
Samantha : Oh come on, if you're going to get a vibrator, at least get one called The Horse.

MIRANDA HOBBES
Miranda Hobbes is the feminst of the group, a career-minded lawyer at a New York firm (bordering on a workaholic personality), she is firm in her belief that men and women should be equal, and has cynical views on relationships and men. She eventually finds a way to balance career, being single, and motherhood. Of the four women, she is the first to purchase an apartment (an indicator of her success), which she gives up when she moves into a Brooklyn townhouse in the final season to make room for her growing family.

SATC: Series - quotes
Miranda Hobbes: I'm in the woods in my negligee and my cell phone only has two bars left. HELP!

Miranda Hobbes: Why do we get stuck with old maid and spinster and men get to be bachelors and playboys?

CHARLOTTE YORK
Charlotte York is the daughter of Dr. Stephen Foster York and Sandra Whitehead York. She is an art dealer and Smith College graduate (where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma) with a Connecticut blue-blooded upbringing. Charlotte is the more laid back girl of the four characters from Sex and the City and she is the most conservative and traditional of the group, placing more emphasis on emotional love than lust, she is always searching for her "knight in shining armor." Presenting a more straightforward attitude about relationships, usually based upon "The Rules" of love and dating, she often scoffs at the lewder, more libertine antics that the New York dating scene entails (primarily like Samantha’s life). Despite her conservative outlook, she has been known to make concessions that surprise even her sexually freer girlfriends (such as her level of dirty talk, oral sex in public, etc.).

SATC: Series - quotes
Charlotte York: Allow me to get right to the point, guys. After careful consideration, I have decided that I am getting married this year.

Charlotte York: Everyone needs a man. That's why I rent. If you own and he still rents, then the power structure is all off. It's emasculating. Men don't want a woman who's too self-sufficient.
Samantha Jones: I'm sorry, did someone just order a Victorian straight up?

CARRIE BRADSHAW
Carrie Bradshaw is a New York Times columnist with an extreme case of shoe-fetishism and designer-clothes. She is the frivolous one, and cannot stop thinking about the love of her life (who she has an on-off relationship with). When she is not writing about her relationships, sex, men, women, careers, etc. for her column, she is shopping (mostly for designer shoes) or chatting and going out with her three best friends; Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte.

SATC: Series - quotes
Carrie Bradshaw: Modelizers are obsessed not with women but with models, who in most cities are safely confined to billboards and magazines, but in Manhattan actually run wild on the streets, turning the city into a virtual model country safari where men can pet the creatures in their natural habitat.

Carrie Bradshaw: One woman's Titanic is another woman's Love Boat.

You can find me back at my personal blog:
Natascha's Place (still a work in progress, so bare with me for a week or two before it's finally up and running)
or
Twitter-account: Natascha_ROOB

Eric Dane: Hello Everybody. I’m here as your host for the grand opening of Realms On Our Bookshelves – the blog format. I’ve heard that my ladies have been working their collective booties of to revamp website to blog and now I’m sitting here in the kitchen of the mansion to serve them a hearty breakfast and ask some questions.
Natascha gets out of the pool, after toweling off and putting on a sarong joins Eric and Leontine at the breakfast-table. She pulls up a bar-stool and set’s herself down for some ‘breaky’ “Great juice Eric!”

Ladies, let me start by asking who occupies this incredible mansion?

Leontine: “Eric, you know how to whip up one tasty breakfast *licks jam of fingers* Normally, it is me, Natascha, Pearl and Marissa but we’ll invite guests to party with us here. That’s the fun part, we have a pool, a garden full of secluded areas, a sun room, a play room *waggles eyebrows* and much more, so we can go all out! ”

Eric fills his glass with juice and looks at the women across the table, “I’m going to have fun with you both right here in the kitchen if you don’t mind. There are just a few questions I want to ask you so that both new and old visitors get to know you a bit more.” Leontine rolls her eyes, “McSteamy, like nobody already knows us! We’ve been around, since like 2006, it’s not like we’re a couple of young grasshoppers in the genre and community!”

Eric laughs out loud and humor makes his eyes get a wicked gleam, “Leontine, but I have never asked you ladies questions and my mind just wants to know a few things.” Natascha frowns…

“Hmm Leontine, I think we should set up some ground rules for these questions, I don’t like that twinkle in his eye’s one bit…”

Eric “Tough luck sweetheart, my game, my rules…. So you better set your booty down again and get ready for my questions…”

Describe your sister in five words.

Leontine: “Humorous, creative, stubborn, loyal and loving. (<- I hate to be short and to the point!)”

Natascha: “I wonder, is there spanking involved if we don’t stick to the question?”

Eric: “That depends on how much pleasure you take from it.”

Laughing out loud Natascha adds: “Eric, love of my life, you cannot torture me like that!” mumbling to herself: ‘describing my sister in five words, like that will cover it all.’ “ok here goes, giving it my best try: Sweet, impulsive, wickedly naughty, loyal and loveable.”

If you could have breakfast in bed with any man, fictional, actor, anyone, who would that be?

Leontine: Eric, you do know that my bed is big enough for at least a few men and I’m a fictional hussy *grin* A few new ones have captured my heart and I will invite Phantom (from DEVIATIONS series of Chris Owens) his deviant humor and ways pushes my major buttons :) - Jamie Fraser (from THE OUTLANDER series) nothing beats a man with a *rowr* brogue to deliver a lingual orgasm and Quinn (from Shiloh Walker’s BROKEN) – I lurv the tortured hero!

Natascha: “I’m not giving you the satisfaction…”

Eric chuckles.

“To be honest, with 3 men already holding up a space in my bed, I’m keeping my other spot for my future husband to be. However up to when that memorable event will happen, I wouldn’t mind sharing my breakfast toast with either Jeffrey Dean Morgan or Rafaello Balzo, both for different reasons. And if you look deep into my heart I won’t say no to Jeroen van Koningsbrugge either mwoahahaha. Sorry Leontine, I just had to mention him, because well let’s face it, if a man can make you smile and laugh out loud, that’s a man to cherish!”


Girl, that is not the ways of man-candy I taught you!! *gives Natascha a stern look of an older sister* I mean Jeffrey Dean Morgan, oh yes, just looking at him in GREY’S ANATOMY and SUPERNATURAL he’s all bleeding heart, dimples and sad smiles *sigh* Rafaello Balzo, oh yes, those abs trigger the need for some whipped cream and he rises my body temperature instantly and then…Jeroen van Koningsbrugge = cold shower. I should’ve added weird like only you can be when Eric asked to describe you in five words, and I say this with all the love I have for ya!! (((hugs)))

“Yea but sis, I love the all bleeding heart, dimples and sad smiles, it’s THE way to my heart!”

Eric starts to look at Natascha all star-crossed lover like, but all it gets him is a raised eye-brow.

“Anyway, I don’t claim a lot of men but Rafaello is one gorgeous alpha of a man! Jeroen is in no such way a cold shower, he is incredibly funny and easy on the eyes. It’s not the looks but inside that counts!!!” *shakes head as if to say oh-oh what am I to do with you*

Leontine laughs out loud, “Wasn’t wildly naughty one of your words to describe me?? I guess this is one of those moments.”

Romance is…?

Leontine: “Oh man, this is a tough one and making me all serious. Romance is…*frowns* In books I love it when the stakes are almost insurmountable high and the hero and heroine still make it to a happily ever after. In books romance is small gestures speaking of intense emotions, feeling an absolute passionate hunger for each other, an attractions that is an undeniable force and romance is claiming the other when nothing makes sense but you go with your gut feeling.

In real life I feel that romance is baring your darkest secrets, showing your best and worst, sharing your deepest desires, and knowing that the other one will do his/her utmost best to accept and love all of you. It is enjoying a sunset together where your hubby squeezes your hand and receiving a hug when you need one but haven’t asked for it. So much can speak of romance and I hope to always keep recognizing it in both the small and the bigger gestures.”

Natascha: “Hinting for ways to woo us right? Hmmm should I bare my soul on this question or let men ponder about how to romance me? To me I think romance can be found back in the littlest things in life. Making a cup of tea when you are sick, opening a door for you, know how you feel before you feel it, things like that. To me one rose says more than a dozen, and a home-made ring says more than the most expensive diamond wedding-ring. It’s the thought and work put into it that makes it more special. I think romance can differ in each relationship you have, because the connection you have with a loved one is different.

Which picture in your man-candy folder describes sexy in capital letters?
 
 
Leontine: There are no words...you just enjoy the scenery with this one *grin*
 
Natascha: “I think for me that picture of Rafaello Balzo is one heck of an eye-candy from my folder but as I already used that one *cheeky me…* I’ll put down another one gnagnagna. I have absolutely NO idea who he is but he makes my hormones run around wildly!
 
“Oh, sis, I remember him from a Dark-Hunter profile, I love his face, that look, he makes me go a bit feral and rip his clothes from his a$$ to find out if he has that tawny skin all over those fins muscles :)”

You’re stranded on an island and the only bag that survived contains which five items?

Leontine: My e-reader filled to capacity with e-books, of course it was wrapped in a water resistant casing. Gawd, I feel so sneaky right now *grin* Tampons, I’m practical, I can still remember the scene where Brooke Shields was swimming and suddenly visited by Aunt Flo in BLUE LAGOON. I’ve got to have sunscreen factor 200 or else I’ll burn alive, summertime for my skin means; White – getting some sunshine – going tomato red – and after a few days it turns in to an off white skin color. A clean pair of underwear…is it me or am I horribly practical? And a device with a panic button which will conjure up a survival of the fittest he-man who can rescue me out of situations like killing or fishing for my own dinner, building a fire, making a hut out of palm leaves and dealing with natives – somehow I keep having images of BLUE LAGOON *frowns*

Natascha: “God girl you are so practical. Tampons, exactly I would have a pack which contains an endless supply of them because, ieuwhhhh I wouldn’t want to go without them! A knife, being practical here too, because you never know which gorgeous Alpha Male is passing by and not only is a knife handy for cutting stuff but don’t forget the shaving!!!! I mean if I’m going to be a bush bush lady doesn’t mean I’m a *uhm* bush bush lady hahahaha. I’m saving on the sunblock as I don’t need it, so I can fit in a laptop with wifi and am not forgetting the generator with foot pedals, I need energy to be able to charge my laptop.

As I am taking a leap of fate with hoping at least one Alpha Male is on that Island, I mean the question did not state it was a deserted island… (grinning cheekily at Eric for not thinking about that little factor, but I am willing to consider the fact it is an island far far away from the everyday life ;-) ) I’m most definitely bringing my blanket, I can’t go without it.”

“Natascha!! OMG, now I have images in my mind of bush bush ladies and for some reason humming shaka zulu song. I so need to scrub that image from my mind…”

Natascha starts singing *badly I might add* “In the jungle the mighty jungle….”

Eric Dane coughs and laughs at the same time, “Well ladies, this has definitely been very enlightening and fun to do, which leaves me only with the announcement of the giveaway.”

*drumroll please*

10 books will be given away and all you have to do is leave a meaningful comment to this blogpost. This giveaway is international and will run from May 2nd till May 16th and on May 17th the winner will be announced.

The swag contains:

Ilona Andrews – Magic Bleeds (send via Book Depository Store)

Gena Showalter-The Darkest Kiss; The Darkest Night & The Darkest Pleasure.

Lori Handeland – Any Given Doomsday

Nina Bangs – Wicked Nights

Beth Williamson – The Legacy

Paula Quinn – Laird Of The Mist

Carly Phillips – Lucky Charm

Susan Donovan – He Loves Lucy

I hope we all will have a blast here now that the ROOB-Posse has arrived in blog town with this spanking new blog and that we can party with many authors, share many reviews with you all and talk about lots of book stuff :)