Revenge Gifts [Mass Market Paperback]

Cindy Cruciger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2005

TARA COLE SPECIALIZES IN REVENGE

In fact, she's an expert. Lace pillows filled with cat hair-for your least-favorite, most allergic relative; boxer shorts that set off metal detectors-for your cheating spouse; and her best seller at RevengeGifts.com: chocolates for your worst enemy, so you can watch gleefully as she packs on the pounds.

Tara's best friend warns her that all this revenge is damaging her karma, but Tara doesn't care about her next life-she wants to enjoy this one. Besides, her kitchen is full of cranky ghosts. Tara figures she'll be the same one day, when she leaves the mortal plane.

That might happen sooner than she thought, because someone has put a curse on her. A black cat, a black dog, even a black goat, appear, each followed by bizarre, almost-disastrous events. And it all started around the time Howard showed up. Howard says he wants to go into business with Tara, but it seems like he wants to go to bed with her. Unless he's the one who cursed her . . . .

Is this karma coming full circle-or destiny knocking on Tara's door?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cindy Cruciger was born on a full moon night in Okeechobee, Florida. A few days later, the doctor who delivered her disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.

Her first work of fiction won a Romantic Times Book Club contest, and for three years she has been chronicling the strange world of an aspiring author, trying to get published. Her Path to Publishing column appears monthly in RT Book Club Magazine.

She currently lives in the village of Islamorada -- until her neighbors read this book and kick her off the island.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"You ready?" He looked directly into my eyes, and I definitely got the feeling that Howard was all business now.
Hell no, I'm not ready, but I'm not about to tell him that. Even though the big secret is out that I haven't had sex in ten years -- maybe more now that I think about it -- I've never fessed up to anyone about how bad the sex was when I was actually getting it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was a college kid. Sex was everywhere, so there's no excuse for not finding the big "O" with someone, or even by myself -- but trust me, had I known the dry spell after college was going to be this long, I would have strapped a mattress to my back and gone to class naked until the goal was reached. Maybe.
I swallowed hard, "Ready."
He smiled that wicked little smile guys do when they know they are about to get lucky. I love that smile. It does things to my inner thighs. You have no idea. He stood up and poured two glasses half full of Merlot and walked over to hand me one. Tapping his glass against mine he leaned in to my ear and whispered, "So am I."

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tor Paranormal Romance (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765352257
• ISBN-13: 978-0765352255
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,390,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Not looking forward to speed reading your way through the same tired plot, the same predictable characters?

I sympathize.

Allow me to introduce you to a different kind of writing and a far weirder reality. Take the road no one else traveled and do lunch with the people who paved it.

I write romance ~ for the lunatic fringe.

~ Cindy Cruciger

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do NOT miss this one! Enough said., September 4, 2005

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revenge Gifts (Mass Market Paperback)

Rumor has it that the people who actually choose to live on the Florida Keys are strange. Some are experts in scuba diving [...]. Some are experts in shark repelling suits (chain mail). But Tara Cole is an expert in revenge. [...] People all over the nation must love getting revenge on others, because Tara's business is booming. Tara is even considering accepting Howard Payne's (A.K.A. Muffin) business proposal. Revenge Gifts also gets more than its share of hate mail. Too bad Tara does not have time to read them. She is busy keeping her home's food poltergeist from throwing too many eggs around in the kitchen and her Uncle Lester's ghost from shooing away guests or turning on ALL the lights when she is trying to sleep.

But now someone has put a curse on her. Gris-gris bags, a black cat, a black rooster, even a black goat are showing up. Each is followed by bad events. A voodoo gauntlet has been stuck in the sand and Tara must accept the challenge before she ends up dead.

***** This is one of the most amusing novels I have read this year! Tara has a most unique outlook on life that almost convinced me to join her for a walk on the dark side! This modern contemporary romance adds just enough of the paranormal element to make the characters' lives interesting to those of us forced to live in reality. "Revenge Gifts" will win awards, mark my words. Highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pyschodelic Read, September 13, 2005

By 

Elaine C McTyer "avid reader" (Dawson, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revenge Gifts (Mass Market Paperback)

I hardly ever like books written in the first person, so I read the first 30 pages expecting to be bored to death. Instead I was tittilated, fasinated, and just stunned by this book. I really didn't know what to think at first. But by the 3rd or 4th chapter I was hooked.

Tara is a non conformist, she is totally self absorbed, and not interested in any romantic efforts by her few friends. But along the way she gets cursed by a voo-doo priest and priestess. Then she gets involved with a man who is lost from Wall Street. To add to the mix she manages a bar for a friend and runs a business called Revenge Gifts on line. The story line has more twists and turns than a snake caught in a headlock.

This is not really a romance nor is it a drama, what it is, is just an unbelievable fun read. A Wild, weird, farce with so much humor it knocks you for a loop. Read it with your tonque in your cheek and a mixed drink at your side.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a keeper and I can't wait for more..., July 30, 2006

By 

Debbie B (South Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revenge Gifts (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book and was stunned to discover that it was a debut; I had assumed that it was from a seasoned author that I had somehow overlooked. It is written in the first person, and in my opinion that style contributes to the success of this book.

Tara Cole lives in the Florida Keys, which she tries to convince us is not the paradise we all believe it to be (probably to keep us from going there). Even better she has a boss from hell and does what each one of us wishes that we could do - she gets revenge. And best of all, she starts a business providing revenge gifts for others, so she no longer has to toil for anyone else. I only had to read a few pages to decide that I wanted to be Tara Cole.

Despite a great idea for a story and really interesting characters, this book could have fallen flat if not for the excellent writing. Tara is sharp witted and the dialog (internal & external) is the same.

I am glad that my local bookstore decided to prominently display this book because I am not sure that I would have otherwise found it. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to future offerings from this author - although I would not be surprised if they were published in trade size as "chick lit".