Is that a stake in your pocket?

On Hiatus...

2008-02-27T21:23:00.004-05:00

Making it official. I have decided to take some time off from blogging. Well, blogging here, anyway. I'll still be over at The Good Bad and the Unread, as Sybil's newest ~~bitch~~ duckie. How can I resist the lure of the ARC? Lots of cool stuff coming up, so please stop by.

I'll also be continuing my monthly gig at Access Romance: Reader's Gab. Amanda has a post up about Irish romance. Got any recs for her?

Also, debut author, Mark Henry, is giving away a copy of Happy Hour of the Damned (which I reviewed here) at Bam/Dionne Galace's. Go forth and comment. He funny.

So I shall be around, and returning to my regularly scheduled program of lurking and making incoherent comments at other's blogs. See ya'll around the Internets!

Come to The Good Bad and the Unread. Or else face the wrath of the devil duckie.

Vote Early and Vote Often...

2008-02-18T22:04:00.004-05:00

So this is an essentially meaningless poll, but I've always wanted to do one. The dilemma that I have been pondering is this: lately I have not had nearly the time to devote to blogging that I like. Some of this is just plain busyness, and some of was caused by "reader's block", if there is such a thing. I was having trouble finishing books. You know the drill. I haven't been blog hopping either, one of my favorite pastimes. So I have been wondering whether or not to fold the blog. Gasp! But of course I must waffle, and overthink, and now subject any visitors to it as well. So, out of curiosity, what would you do if you were me?

Zombies are sexy too!

2008-02-18T21:49:00.003-05:00

Over at The Good, the Bad and the Unread, check out my review of Happy Hour of the Damned, the debut novel by Mark Henry.

If you are amused by the thought of zombie chicks breaking into a funeral home to steal makeup (for the industrial strength full coverage), and repairing injuries with liquid leather, then you might enjoy this book. If the idea of the supernatural world as a place of kitschy-cool nightclubs, complete with themed cocktails, wall to wall with bored, gossipy creatures makes you grin, then give HHotD a try. It is unapologetically full of snarky humor, label dropping, pop culture references and other things I usually hate, but it fits so well with the silly, almost satirical tone, that I gave it a pass. Though at first I hated the narrator with a passion, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

Blog Slut

2008-02-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

I got some decent reading done in the past week and a half. First off, Demon Night, by Meljean Brook. Loved it. Ms. Brook writes great characters and dialogue, and always a hot romance. Read my review here.

I also read two great non-fiction books: Sex With the Queen and Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman. Very readable, totally absurd history. As you may have guessed, these books focus on royal adultery. Crazy shit. Those poor kings and queens, not only were they forced to marry complete strangers, they were also pretty sad cases themselves. All the inbreeding led to unattractive, weak-minded and stupid monarchs. I enjoyed Sex With the Queen a bit more. Queens definitely got the rawest deal. Very ruled in their own right. Most of them had to leave behind family, friends and country for a place with an unfamiliar culture and language, to be treated poorly by husband and in-laws. It was interesting to read how some of them grabbed happiness (and sometimes a bit of power for themselves) by taking a lover. Don't expect dry academic writing. Herman is very dramatic, almost purple-y. Take a passage like this, about Henry VII's ill-fated fifth wife, Katherine Howard:

Let us imagine the queen's duties in the royal four-poster. The king would likely have suffocated his petite bride if he had perched on top of her. He must have required her to ride astride him, careful not to disturb the stinking wound on his thigh....We can picture the happy king,perfectly sated, snoring, as his young wife lay silently beside him, her heart sinking (Sex With the Queen 79).

Hee. Fun. Read more about the books in Dirty Sexy History.

Now I just have to get something reviewed for this blog.

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

2008-01-29T15:41:00.001-05:00

I read Darkfever, the first book in this series, just over a year ago. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't blown away. So it took me awhile to get to the further adventures of MacKayla Lane. But I liked Bloodfever quite a bit more than Darkfever. It took off running and never slowed down. I found the book to be engrossing and action-packed.

Many of the things that irritated me about the first were gone. Mac has grown up a bit, gotten a bit darker and a lot more interesting. Jericho Barrons (man, I hate that name) has also gotten more likeable, while remaining a bit creepy and enigmatic. He is not really a nice guy, but I am enjoying the development of his relationship with Mac. I assume some kind of romance will develop, but for now things are nicely off balance. MacKayla now has three men in her life who have mysterious agendas: Barrons, the Fae Prince V'Lane and the dark horse Christian MacKeltar.

The world of the Fae is developed more and is rather dark and creepy. We also learn more about sidhe-seers like Mac, and those relationships aren't going to play out well :) Karen Marie Moning is a very popular author of fantasy, men-in-kilts romance. I've read one, and only found it okay. But this Fever series really has a lot to appeal to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who like Irish settings and folklore. The happy ending is not clearly in sight at all. But if the action remains fast-paced, and the characters and world keep developing like this, I'll be sticking with this series for awhile: B.

I've finally got an Ebook Reader!

2008-01-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

I made my IPod Touch into an E reader!! And it was easy! There are these things called webapps that you can put on your IPhone or IPod Touch and there's one called Readdle. Readdle makes it possible to view a variety of documents, including pdf, html and txt on your Iphone or Ipod touch. And it is easy.

The Iphone hack proved to be beyond my capabilities, but now I've got several books on my ipod. Once you download and open a particular file, you can bookmark it and thus read it even if you are offline, which is good. It's free to use and gives you 50 MB of storage, which is fine for me for now.

Unfortunately, it doesn't read docs that are in .lit, which is my preferred format for reading on my laptop. I find .lit easy on the eyes and easily navigable. Also, I guess it saves the document exactly as is. I downloaded a pdf without opening it up and looking at it first, and when I opened it up to read, it was way too small. I was unable to zoom in adequately, and I couldn't change from a two page to a single page display.

Readdle definitely has its limitations, but it's good enough for me for now until Apple smartens up and gets its own application going. Now I don't have to bring my laptop to bed, and I can read in the dark! And read e books and the Speech Therapist's office!

Review up at TGTBTU

2008-01-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

I've got a review up at The Good, the Bad and the Unread. Yet another Ellora's Cave novella. I don't know why these keep sucking me in. This was an all right read, though. Silly title and character names, and, well, premise. But Ride 'Em by Tilly Greene was pretty okay.

See ya, suckers!

2008-01-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

I'm off to New Hampshire for the long weekend. Not all that exciting, but I never go anywhere. Hopefully, it will be a break from the every day and I will return, refreshed, renewed and ready to read. Seriously, look at the paltry year to date total.

I did manage to polish off His Magical Student by Mary Winter. See the review at TGTBTU. Not one of my best review haiku. Not the best book either.

Heads up! Lisabea's got a contest. For a signed copy of Demon Night by Meljean Brook, no less. Advance word seems to be that it's as good as Demon Angel and Demon Moon, two of my favorites of 2007. Brook really stands out with her wonderful characterization, great dialogue, and dashes of humor. Worth checking out, and enter the contest!

Oh noes...

2008-01-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

When I wrote the last post, little did I know the dilemma that would be facing me. Tonight at 9pm, Masterpiece Theater kicks off its Jane Austen-a-thon with a new version of Persuasion. At the same time VH1 is premiering Rock of Love 2, featuring the increasingly creepy Bret Michaels. It's the highest of highbrow and the lowest of lowbrow! What's a girl to do? Thank God for DVRs!

TV Things that may be of interest for those who love love...

2008-01-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be strippers.
They may end up on tv puking drunk and throwing themselves at
washed up rock stars with bad weaves

**My post at Reader's Gab is up. Not a new topic, to be sure, but it certainly seems that there are more and more books being marketed as romance which really only have romantic elements. Is it a marketing ploy ? Does it screw readers who don't know beforehand?

** Have all the English majors and Costume Drama lovers set their TiVos for The Complete Jane Austen? I'm all excited. It's been slim pickings on the telly for me lately. First up, Persuasion. I love the Ciaran Hinds/Amanda Root version, but I always am interested in a different take. Dude, it's nothing but Jane and cute actors in gorgeous costumes romping around the scenic English countryside until April! I may actually OD on it!

**As I said, the writer's strike has really killed TV for me. I find myself turning to Television Without Pity, because it's far more entertaining than most anything on TV. There I discovered the joy of Rock of Love weecaps. The woman who writes them also does America's Next Top Model, and she is hilarious. I think it helps to have watched it, but seeing the scintillating dialogue in black and white really underscores the absurdity of the proceedings. Was there Rock? Was there love? Doubtful, but there was lots of entertainment. Read them, it will make you feel better about your life. Parents, this is what will happen to your daughters if you don't instill any sense of self-worth apart from their looks. I'm not even joking.

**Okay, there's this upcoming show called Lipstick Jungle that I had no interest in, then I found out that Julian Sands and Andrew McCarthy in it. George from Room with a View! Blaine from Pretty in Pink! It's like it's 1986 all over again and I'm starting with the celebrity crushes. Okay, I'm still not that interested in the show, but I may have to watch this to see how they're looking.

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

2008-01-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, while I was watching The Munster's Scary Little Christmas with the kids, it got me thinking about how paranormal romance (and its cousin urban fantasy) is really just so many variations on just a few themes. Humans and creatures living together (uneasily or unknowing), secret groups of vampire or shapeshifter warrior/defenders, and the kickass vampire/demon/monster slayer. It's the particular author's voice and style that makes a book rise above the cliches. For example, I passed over Dark Lover several times, thinking I'd had enough vamp warriors. But once I read it, a fangirl was born. Similarly, Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost flew completely under my radar. I think I dismissed it as a Buffy/Anita Blake ripoff (although I hate those books, I do give LKH credit for being innovative). Then reviews by Bev and katiebabs had me wavering. Young vamp slayer with superpowers and a bleached blonde vampire with a British accent? Certainly sounds derivative. But the reviews were so enthusiastic I found myself wanting to give it a try. And they were right, it is definitely worth a try.

Flirting With The Grave...

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership.

In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner – are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side ... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

So here we have a young half vampire who lives to kill vamps, meeting up with a mysterious stranger who kills vampires. And who, indeed has bleached blonde hair and is of English extraction. He teaches her how to hone her fighting skills, about vampire society and generally shakes up her world. Cat finds herself increasingly attracted to Bones, who goes against all her assumptions about vampires. Okay, not terribly new or different, but well done here. Just plain fun to read.

I think the characterization is what made the book stand out. Sure, Cat is immature, sassy, hot-headed and other potentially annoying traits, but her loneliness and alienation always shine through. It's pretty sad. She has always been different, and has never known unconditional love. Her grandparents and neighbors disapprove of her illegitmacy and unusual strength, and her rather unhinged mother is just waiting for Cat to go psycho and start sucking blood. Her vampire hunting is a way to avenge her mother's rape and also to gain her mother's love and approval. Cat's behavior always seemed appropriate in the context of how she had been raised. And as she begins to show vulnerability and just blossom because of her relationship with Bones, it was very nice.

And Bones was just lovely. All tough and scary and mysterious, but also so sweet and loving and protective with Cat. He was a great hero. The development of their relationship began with him beating the crap out of her, but from there on out it was a lot of fun to read. The interesting characters and romance, combined with the fast moving plot, made this one a winner for me. I'm going to give it an A-, and I really look forward to the sequel, One Foot in the Grave, out April 29.

I don't do politics...

2008-01-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

normally, because that ain't what I'm here for. And if you're like me, you're probably looking at the upcoming Presidential election with mixed feelings at best, mounting dread at worst. But in honor of the NH primary, and my awesome cousin, I just had to share this. My twelve year old cousin has been volunteering on the John Edwards campaign in NH, and he's been getting a bit of local media attention. Here's a little documentary made by a local filmaker.

Ah, to be young and idealistic! Isn't he fab? Perhaps someday he'll be a politician, and I'll be able to say I knew him when he insisted his name was SpongeBob Squarepants. Or when he used to create sagas with the refrigerator magnets called "The Powerful Helmet", starring a Jets helmet magnet.***

***"Powerful Helmet"--ever seen that one in a love scene?

Things...

2008-01-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

**I recently reviewed Deep Magic by Joy Nash over at TGTBTU (They are under construction. Please bear with the ducks, 'twill be awesome eventually!) It was very good and different.

**Spurred on my enjoyment of Deep Magic and craving more unusual settings, my first official read of 2008 was The Preacher's Daughter, by Cheryl St. John, who I've heard great things about. It was pretty good. I love me some Americana, especially when they have socials with lemonade and pie and fiddlin'. I liked the preacher's daughter, Lorabeth, the girl had gumption. But although the angst of hero Ben was understandable, given his upbringing, it felt kind of contrived. Lorabeth and Ben's courtship and marriage were so angst-free, for him to start acting cold made him seem like a jerk. I don't know, something didn't quite work. Instead of feeling bad for Ben, I wanted him to get a grip. But I'd definitely read St. John again, because I liked the setting and her style.

**I went to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum on Saturday. It was fascinating. Although the slums of the Lower East Side are certainly not romantic in and of themselves, I would love to see more romance set in 19th or early 20th century New York. I think it would be a great setting. Anyone know of any? I tried Brenda Joyce's Deadly series, but I didn't care for the heroine or her love interest (although apparently it changes).

**I found a new tough vampire hunter chick to love. Who'd have thought it possible? My review of Jeaniene Frost's debut should be up soon.

Read in 2007

2007-12-31T22:57:00.000-05:00

Interesting to no one but me...

I'm going to be making some changes on the blog tomorrow, and I'll be getting rid of my "Read in 2007" list on the sidebar. So for posterity, I'm going to paste it here. I'm having a quiet New Year's Eve. It's 11:00pm and everyone else is asleep. I literally just finished my last book of 2007, and it was great. I'll be reviewing Deep Magic by Joy Nash at TGTBTU. I'll link when it's up. I have a review of Scions: Resurrection by Patrice Michelle up over there now.

Without further ado:

* Deep Magic by Joy Nash
* Scions: Resurrection by Patrice Michelle
* To the Victor Go the Spoils by Sherrill Quinn
* Mistress on Trial by Kate Hardy
* Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon
* The Six Month Mistress by Katherine Garbera
* Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister
* Blame it on the Dog by Amy Frazier
* Coulda Been a Cowboy by Brenda Novak
* Back to Haunt You by Kate Hill
* Fairyville by Emma Holly
* Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr
* Virgin River by Robyn Carr
* Demon of Her Dreams by Sherrill Quinn
* Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
* Boundless by Dean, Dee, Galace
* Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward
* The Farmer Takes a Wife by Barbara Gale
* A Family of Her Own by Brenda Novak
* Howl at the Moon by Christine Warren
* Darkness Rising by Cynthia Cooke
* Driven by Eve Kenin
* Measure of a Man by Bonnie Dee
* Big Girls Don't Cry by Brenda Novak
* Father Material by Kimberly VanMeter
* Accidentally Expecting by Michelle Celmer
* Dangerous Lover by Lisa Marie Rice
* Familiar Stranger by Michele Hauf
* One More Time by Claire Cross
* Ghosts and Roses by Kelley St. John
* Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
* Starkissed by Lanette Curington
* Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton
* Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair
* The Strength of the Pack by Jorrie Spencer
* Pregnancy of Passion by Lucy Monroe
* Lady Strumpet by Gia Dawn
* Demon Moon by Meljean Brook
* Mistress for a Weekend by Susan Napier
* Fortune's Forbidden Woman by Heidi Betts
* Power of Two by Patti O'Shea
* Double Trouble by Claire Cross
* Beyond The Edge by Susan Kearney
* No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong
* No Rest For The Wicked by Kresley Cole
* All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
* Talons: Kiss Me Deadly by Shannon Stacey
* The Demon You Know by Christine Warren
* If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl
* Step into Darkness by Naomi Bellis
* Talons: Seize the Hunter by Michelle M. Pillow
* Persecuted by Lisa Childs
* Deadly Affairs by Brenda Joyce
* Realm Immortal: The Stone Queen by Michelle M. Pillow
* Realm Immortal: Faery Queen by Michelle M. Pillow
* Realm Immortal: King of the Unblessed by Michelle M. Pillow
* Anything for You by Sarah Mayberry
* Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren
* Blood Secrets by Vivi Anna
* Rock Star by Roslyn Hardy Holcomb
* Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
* Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi
* Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair
* She’s No Faerie Princess by Christine Warren
* The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain by Lucy Monroe
* The Bought and Paid For Wife by Bronwyn Jameson
* Jack Riordan’s Baby by Anne Mather
* Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
* My Sunshine by Catherine Anderson
* Guilty Secrets by Laura Leone
* Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann
* Demon Angel by Meljean Brook
* Man in a Million by Jessica Bird
* Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Do you see the tumbleweeds?

2007-12-30T13:29:00.000-05:00

Man, I've been neglecting this place! Well, I haven't been reading too much either. I debated whether or not to give up, but I'm not ready to yet. So hopefully I shall be back to blogging (and reading) form soon. Just wanted to say Hello and thanks to anybody who is still dropping in. Hope your holidays went well. Happy New Year!

A Mistress by any other name...

2007-12-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

would not be half so interesting...

I have to admit, I am always drawn to books with the word "mistress" in the title. And there's no dearth of them over at Harlequin. I think it's right up there with "baby", "bachelor", "tycoon", "millionaire" and "virgin" for words used most often in a title. [I'm just geek enough to love it if someone would do a statistical breakdown of Harlequin titles.] I am not certain what is so compelling about the idea of a mistress. My understanding of "Mistress" is that it is a woman with whom a married man is having an affair, or in the more historical sense, a woman who is set up in a house with accounts and such, in exchange for which she provides her "protector" with sexual favors. So what's the appeal? Infidelity isn't often an interesting subject for romance, and the idea of a "kept woman" in this day and age seems unreal. I'm sure it happens, but really, get a life! Get a job. Unless the guy provides a 401K and dental. And certainly, it seems as though some of these books aren't too clear on what it means to be a mistress.

For example, I recently read Mistress on Trial by Kate Hardy. I have no idea how the mistress thing comes into play, other than the fact that the hero and heroine are sleeping with each other. I bought this on the basis of the excerpt and because it's and "opposites attract" premise, with a stuffy lawyer and artsy chick. But it was quite a pleasant surprise, and lived up to the excerpt. Leo Ballantyne starts out as a typical Presents hero, glowering and making nasty assumptions about the heroine based on half-assed info. Rose Carter, a vintage clothing dealer, makes quite a few assumptions herself. But in the second chapter, he calls to apologize! The two realize they maybe have got it wrong. As they find they have more in common as they think, they both fight their attraction to each other, thinking that the differences are too big to overcome. There are no big misunderstandings, no contrivances, just two confused people head over heels. I particularly liked Leo, who went after Rose with the same drive that made him so successful. He even says "I love you" first. It almost seemed to real, lacking that entertaining but ridiculous element of unreality that many HPs have. I'm giving it a B, and I'd recommend it to those who are leery of HP. I'd definitely read her again. Note: It is veddy British, and some of the language and legal stuff is different from the US.

On the other hand, much is made of the heroine's "mistress" status in Katherine Garbera's Six Month Mistress. [Look at this cover. The guy is supposed to be suave, sexy businessman. But to me, it looks like the former fat girl with her best buddy (and co-president of the drama club and art society) at the prom. He's grabbing her chin like, "No, no, no, sweetheart. If you eat one more cocktail frank, you're going to bust out of that fabulous dress. Then you'll never get that adorable jock." I love teen movies.] In exchange for billionaire Jeremy Harper's help, the struggling Bella McNamara agrees to be his mistress for six months. There's a legal contract and everything. It ain't no thang for Bella, who has been into Jeremy forever. Jeremy has wanted Bella for years as well. So why doesn't he just ask her out? Well because his dad was happier with his mistresses than with his wife, so Jeremy figures that's the way to go. Whatever. Being mindful of her feelings, Jeremy lets everyone assume they are girlfriend/boyfriend, keeping the true nature of the arrangement secret. Again, why not just make her your girlfriend? Jeremy's kind of a bonehead. I loved the bit where Bella hesitates opening one of his gifts in front of her assistant, because the gift one gives a mistress is probably different from one you give a girlfriend. The possibilities abound--is it trashy lingerie? A feather boa? Birth Control? Silly contrivances aside, this was a fast read which would probably appeal to people who like these kind of books. Bella was quite a good heroine. Too bad Jeremy seemed monumentally clueless at times. A C+. Eh, real or fake mistresses, I'm sure I'll keep reading 'em. I guess "Fuckbuddy on Trial" or "Six Month Girlfriend" just resonates differently.

And the Winner is...

2007-12-16T15:57:00.000-05:00

Image from Someecards. [Man, I love that site!]

Jennie!!!

Jennie wins the Harlequin Holiday Prize Package, which includes Mistress on Trial by Kate Hardy (Harlequin Presents, Doing Ireland! by Kate Hoffman (Harlequin Blaze), For the Sheik's Pleasure by Annie West (Harelquin Presents), Restless Wind by Aimee Thurlo (Harlequin Intrigue), Accidentally Expecting by Michelle Celmer (Silhouette Special Edition), Coulda Been a Cowboy by Brenda Novak (Harlequin Superromance). FWIW, I read my copy of Mistress on Trial, and it was quite the pleasant surprise.

Email me at dempseymurphy at optonline dot net with your mailing address. Thanks to all who entered. They were a funny lot.

Sticky:Have a Harlequin Christmas!!!

2007-12-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

Image courtesy of Some ECards.

Having a contest, scroll down for new stuff.

If you don't get emails from Harlequin, let me tell you to go there now. They are running a Twelve Deals of Christmas Thing. Today's deal is 80% off of their Bargain outlet. Shit's like 95 cents each. Got me thinking, since I went on a Harlequin mini-binge over the weekend...

Many readers are probably like I used to be, thinking that Harlequins are full of secret babies, sheiks, passive women and other cliches and anachronisms. Perhaps you are slightly intrigued but unsure whether or not to spend your hard earned money on something that has "Mistress" in the title for no apparent reason. Well, you're right about the fake mistress, the overbearing men and the lack of condoms, but categories can also be very readable. Given their short length, they're the perfect quick fix, making it easy to try something you wouldn't normally.

In honor of the holiday season, I am going to give away a prize pack of new and gently used Harlequins. Here's your chance to experiment with category romance. The package includes:

Mistress on Trial by Kate Hardy (Harlequin Presents)
Doing Ireland! by Kate Hoffman (Harlequin Blaze)
For the Sheik's Pleasure by Annie West (Harelquin Presents)
Restless Wind by Aimee Thurlo (Harlequin Intrigue)
Accidentally Expecting by Michelle Celmer (Silhouette Special Edition)
Coulda Been a Cowboy by Brenda Novak (Harlequin Superromance)

All you have to do is comment and tell me about the worst present you ever got, for any occasion. One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen on December 15th. C'mon you know you want'em.

I've joined the Crusade!

2007-12-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Sigh, ugh! Tootie won Top Model. I think I'm hung up on her Tootie hair. She would've been so much prettier with, say, a flattering cut. Anyhoo, it was a pretty boring season (excuse me, cycle) altogether. At least I have Project Runway to keep me going. And perhaps, someday, The Office will be back.

Given the lack of appealing tv viewing, I was keen to hop on board the North & South train. If you've been by Ramblings on Romance or Sula's Space, you may have noticed a lot of posts devoted to this 2004 BBC miniseries. No, it's not the one with Patrick Swayze and Lesley-Anne Warren, as I first suspected. This is an adaption of Elizabeth Gaskell's 1855 novel about the industrialization of England. As soon as I read a little bit, I knew I had to watch it. I lurve BBC miniseries. There is nothing like beautiful people in beautiful costume swanning about lavish settings. Plus there is always restrained, yet smoldering passion. Good times, good times. One of the best things about becoming involved with blogging was finding like-minded souls. People who become obssessed with things like this or The Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea miniseries etc.

Okay, the show. North and South centers on Margaret Hale, the daughter of a country vicar who uproots his family to Milton, an industrial city in northern England. The dark, dingy city full of mills is nothing short of complete culture shock, and Margaret's low opinion of the area and its people is cemented when she meets John Thornton, a local mill owner. Thornton happens to be disciplining one of his employees for smoking. By beating the shit out of him. John Thornton is a self-made man who saved his family from poverty. Although he is wealthy, there is a great social divide between the two. Their deepening and changing feelings for each other are challenged by a union strike which tests the city and everyone's way of life.

North & South not only thrilled the romantic in me, but also the English major. This is a very interesting portrayal of a changing society. Margaret represents the traditional aristocratic way of life. Even though her family is not wealthy, she obviously has family and social connections, and she has that air of superiority. Her way of life is the best, and she assumes that those "in trade" lack the sensitivity that she has. John Thornton represents the more modern way. He had to work for money and position, and doesn't hesitate to hold on to what he has with whatever means at his disposal. He is honest and blunt, and basically kind, but he lacks the eloquence and refinement that seem important to Margaret. It's idealism vs. pragmatism, naivete vs. cold-hard experience, the ivory tower vs. down in the trenches. Margaret seemed overly harsh and kind of bratty at first, but she's definitely a product of her upbringing. And there is a third force here, personified by Nicholas Higgins, which is threatening to both of their ways of life. We see the beginnings of the working class attempting to take some power for themselves,through unionization and striking. Such actions are serious challenges to Thornton's wealth and power and to Margaret's assumptions about herself, Thornton and the workers.

But opposites attract, and oh the romance is hot! These are two people who do not want to be attracted to be attracted to each other. But they are, and they fight it, and it's fascinating to watch. The casting and acting was wonderful. Richard Armitage as John Thornton cuts quite the distinguished profile (he is extremely hot). He is fabulous too. You can see all of his conflicted emotions and his struggle to contain them. Daniela Denby-Ashe (as Margaret) is grave, pretty and luminous. She stands out among the dingy surroundings. She is intelligent and blunt and it's easy to see the attraction for Thornton. And the ending! The "train scene." It's anachronistic and unrealistic, but ohmygod they're finally kissing and yay! I re-watched it five or six times.

This was great entertainment. A sexy, sweeping romance set against a fascinating historical background. I've got to give props to the rest of the cast, particularly Sinead Cusack as Thornton's steely mother. I have to re-watch before it has to go back to the library, and I think I must buy it for myself. Count me as a new devotee.

Holiday Happenings...

2007-12-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

I was so excited yesterday. My copy of North and South had finally arrived at work. I was already to put the kids to bed early and join the Crusade! Then I fell asleep on the floor while waiting for HBomb to fall asleep (Yes, I have to keep him company until he goes to sleep. Sigh.) I woke up at 1:40 with the passing thought of turning it on, then went and passed out in my bed. I'm starting it tonight and nobody's stopping me.

Anyway, there's some fun holiday related things happening in blogland. First off, stop by TGTBTU for the duodecimal celebration. All manner of readers and writers contributing their romance related lists. While there, check out my review of the fourth Aisling Grey book, Holy Smokes, by Katie MacAlister. Mediocre, but I really liked the first two. For more info, see here.

Then a group of bloggers, many of whom are new to me, are doing an advent event. Each day leading up to Christmas, a blogger is writing about Christmas. I look forward to spending more time reading up on this. To see the what, when and who, go to Marg's blog.

And finally, the ladies of Book Binge are doing a totally awesome contest. They're giving away an Ebookwise! Although I hold out hope of making my IPod Touch into an ebook reader, I really like the Ebookwise device. You just have to complete a holiday meme. See mine after the cut.

Christmas Meme:

1. What is your favorite Christmas romance to re-read each year?
I feel like Scrooge, but right now I can't think of a single Christmas romance I've read.

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie/show?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's schmaltzy, but I try to catch Love, Actually every time it's on.

3. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Good old chocolate chips

4. When do you start Christmas shopping?
I started before Thanksgiving this year. It actually made my life easier, but now I have to wrap everything.

5. Do you re-gift?
Occasionally, but only if I think the gift is something the other person would enjoy and I have it or similar things already.

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?
I like traditional Christmas music sung by choirs and what not. Otherwise it's Do They Know It's Christmas (Live Aid), Christmas Wrapping (The Waitresses) or The Barenaked Ladies/Sarah MacLachlan version of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. Last year I bought my first non-classical Christmas Album, One More Drifter in the Snow by Aimee Mann. I like it a lot.

7. When do you get your Christmas tree?
A week or two before Christmas.

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?
HAAAATE! Thank God for gift bags.

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?
My in-laws hands down. Thank God for Omaha Steaks.

10. Christmas tree: Real or artificial?
We're thinking about going for a fake tree this year. I prefer real ones, but I'm bad at making them last. And the needles, oy vey.

Some SuperRomance...

2007-12-05T16:55:00.000-05:00

So I read two Harlequin Supeerromances over the weekend. I am finding myself enjoying the line, although, the books aren't necessarily awesome. They are character-driven stories, and they often have out of the ordinary settings, characters and premises. They're a nice change of pace.

Coulda Been a Cowboy by Brenda Novak
Miniseries: A Dundee, Idaho Book
Mini-Synopsis: A football player takes custody of his illegitimate and unwanted son. Trying to stay out of scandal's way and get back into playing shape, Tyler Garnier, accepts a former teammate's offer of a cabin in Dundee Idaho. Now he just needs to find someone to keep his kid out of the way. Frumpy, poor Dakota Brown seems perfect. Although the two seem like total opposites, and Dakota doesn't respect Tyler at first, they strike up an unlikely friendship. And perhaps these two very different people are exactly what each other need.

This is the fourth book I've read by Brenda Novak. She always has interestingly flawed characters and unusual plotlines. However, in the past, I felt that the romance aspect kind of went by the wayside. In CBaC, the focus is firmly on the characters' relationship. Tyler was not nearly as unsympathetic as he could have been. He is singularly focused on his career, and just particularly clueless about how attached he really is to his son, and later his nanny. Dakota is a practical, intelligent woman who has been held back by tragedy and family. I liked the way their relationship developed. They had a nice friendship, and when they got together it was because they really knew and liked each other. The things that held the story back for me were that a potentially huge conflict regarding the babymomma was wrapped too quickly and pat and the fact that Tyler carried on with his "I can't be a family man" schtick for far too long. But still a B. Novak is an author to try.

Blame it on the Dog by Amy Frazier
Miniseries: Singles...with Kids
Mini-Synopsis: A San Francisco artist with a twelve year old son and a rambunctious mutt, finds herself in need of a "dog behaviorist." The trainer's calm, stern demeanor and approach to disciplining animals alternately infuriate and intrigue Selena Milano. Jack Quinn finds himself fascinated by the mercurial Selena, bringing up emotions he hasn't felt since the death of his wife. But will these opposites be tripped up by Selena's need for independence?

This is the first book I've read by Amy Frazier. She has a nice writing style, and I read this book in a matter of hours. I liked the funky SF setting, and the unusual occupation of the hero and heroine. Selena is an installation artist, and Jack rehabilitates dogs and runs a huge rescue center. However the book suffered from an issue that I find happens often in books of this ilk. I'm always attracted to stories with free-spirited heroines and conservative heroes, but that "free-spirited" label tends to mean immature and bratty behavior on the part of the heroine. Selena is no exception. Her insistence on "self-reliance" and fear of losing control over her son, cause her to treat Jack like crap way too many times. I grew increasingly exasperated, and wanted him to cut and run. Jack was a great guy, but not nearly as uptight as you would think. He feel like a ton of bricks right away, and pursued Selena even though she was unpleasant to him. I wished he had a little more fight. When she changed her mind at the end I wasn't positive she wouldn't change it again. This one gets a C+. But I would try this author again, with a different storyline.

Some Christmas Cheer...

2007-12-02T13:05:00.000-05:00

I love this song!

Okay, amusing myself. I haven't actually seen this video in years. As I was watching it, these thoughts ran through my head. Perhaps yours too...I wrote some of them down.

It's Bob Geldof! The man, the myth!...Who's that guy? Oh it's Paul Young. He sang "Every time you go away, you take a piece of meat with you" (as my sister liked to sing it)...Sing it, Boy George!...Why did Phil Collins get stuck playing the drums?....George Michael,back when we thought he was straight...then again, eighties hair and fashion made everyone look gay...Why so unhappy, Sting? Don't want to feed the World?...Sing it Bono!!...Hmmm, lots of people I don't recognize...More Paul Young (he must've been more popular in the UK, he carried this song)...Lots more do-gooding British musicians I don't recognize...Bananarama was awesome...Sting still looks uncomfortable and unhappy...maybe b/c someone's smoking, how rude...I think it's Jody Whatley...heh, one of the other guys from Culture Club...Ok, who the heck is that guy?...and fade.

First snow of the winter. Reading and blogging ahoy!

I'm tired...

2007-11-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, did you know I've been blogging for two years now? This is one of the longest stretches of time that I've stayed with a hobby. It all began with this, on 11/14/05. Sigh. How far we've come. Or not.

Anyhoo, life has been super hectic, but that's name of the game this time of year. H-Bomb is still sick. He puked at school yesterday. Apparently due to to an ear infection. WTF? I know it's the school thing, but he was such a hale and hearty kid. A walking advertisement for the bennies of breastfeeding. I'm taking advantage by having a lounging around day. I'm sitting on my butt, reading and posting.

Although I've been leaving this blog to languish, I've been slutting around again. My first post at Access Romance/Reader's Gab can be seen here. What do you think of pop culture saturating romance? I also reviewed Fairyville by Emma Holly at TGTBTU. Lisabea, have you read any Emma Holly? May help you with the old slump. Well written ER in several subgenres.

I'm calling out to the internets, has anybody successfully made their Ipod Touch into an Ebook reader? I got one from my hubby recently, and a bit of poking around suggests that I can hack it, as DA Jane was able to do with her Iphone. I was able to get the Installer and the Ebooks app. onto my Iphone, but from there it went weird. I am having major difficulty figuring out how to get the files onto the Ipod. I have a feeling that the different directions assume a level of knowledge and technical expertise that I do not have. I got a "Network Connection Refused" message every time I tried this, and I found some other stuff here, but the easiest ways to do it seem to require a Mac OS. Word seems to be that Apple will be coming out with its own Ebook app in February 2008. Perhaps I should just wait. This guy found a way of doing it without hacking the IPod, but again I'm clueless. Not tech savvy enough to know what "Apache" and shit means. Bye the bye, if you're considering an e-book device of some kind, get thee to Jane's series at Dear Author. Start here, and you can access the other installments as well. Lots of good information. Be sure to read the comments for other opinions and suggestions.

Happy Turkey Day!!

Take Me Home, Country Roads...

2007-11-10T18:27:00.000-05:00

One of my least favorite romance storylines is the one where the city girl ends up in the country, learns the value of hard work and country ways, and gives end her materialistic life to be a rancher's wife or something. I often find it heavy handed and hokey, which is weird because I love it on tv, and I often entertain fantasies of moving to the middle of nowhere. But Robyn Carr's Virgin River trilogy had been given high marks by some bloggers I respect, and I had picked up the books at the library for $1.50. Needing a change of pace I decided to give it a go.

Melinda Monroe, an L.A. nurse practioner/certified nurse midwife, impulsively accepts a job in the small town of Virgin River, California. She is looking for an escape after suffering the tragic loss of her husband. Virgin River begins with some stuff right out of Northern Exposure: Mel drives off the muddy road, and gets rescued by an crotchety old man who turns out to be the doctor she was hired to assist. He takes her to her disgusting cabin, where she promptly falls through the porch and back into the mud. Quickly realizing that this was a colossal mistake, she ends up at the local bar and grill, owned by a gorgeous ex-Marine, and finds out that the old Doc didn't want her around, anyway. The next morning, planning to make a quick exit, Mel literally stumbles over a newborn baby girl on the doctor's doorstep. Her calling won't allow her to leave an abandoned child. And thus, Mel's plans slowly start to change as she finds a new beginning in Virgin River.

This book started off well enough. I knew what was going to happen: Mel would fall in love with the eccentric residents of the town, with country medicine and with the ex-Marine, Jack Sheridan. I liked everything, but my attention started to flag, as it has been lately. I even put it down for a couple of days. Yesterday I decided to give it one more chance while waiting in the OT office for my son. And I became completely engrossed and polished off the book in a matter of hours. When I finished, I sighed, popped a cold one in honor of the bar setting, and opened up the next book, Shelter Mountain. I read Shelter Mountain into the wee hours of the night, so engrossed with these characters was I, and finishing it earlier this afternoon. Later this evening I will probably begin Whispering Rock. I need the closure!

I really fell in love with the characters in Virgin River. The characterization was very strong in this book, the setting very vivid. But what really stood out to me was the way Carr focused on the internal conflicts of the heroine and hero. Mel fears that she will never get past her grief and love again. As her relationship with Jack develops, she feels almost as though she is betraying her husband, as well as fearing losing someone again. Jack was a lovely hero, a strong and steady type. He had always been married to the Marines, so when he falls like a ton of bricks for Mel, it takes him by surprise. But he fears he will always come second in her heart. It was sexy, romantic, moving and emotional and no big misunderstandings or contrivances. Just a troubled soul finding home and love again. A B+.

I was intrigued by Jack's Marine buddy and bar cook, Preacher, so I dove into his story, Shelter Mountain, right away. Preacher is a big, scary looking guy who keeps to himself. Late one rainy night as Preacher is closing up, Paige Lassiter comes into the bar with her son Christopher. Right away, he can tell she's in trouble (the split lip and black eye being a clue), and he feels driven to help. Preacher is a really shy guy, who has always hung back because people find his looks intimidating. But as he gets involved with Paige and Christopher, and falls in love, it gives him a new confidence and purpose. In Virgin River, Paige finally begins to feel safe from her abusive husband. She gets back her confidence as well, and can't help but fall in love with Preacher, who loves and accepts her in a way she has never experienced. Unfortunately, abusive men are not easy to get rid of.

AAAAAAA!! I liked this one even better than Virgin River. It deals unflinchingly with domestic abuse, and it put me through the wringer. I have to admit I cried several times, not only with the main plot, but with subplots as well (Ricky and Liz, Mel and Jack). I am definitely emotionally involved with these characters :) Preacher was great, and I really loved seeing these two people, so isolated for very different reasons, bring each other to life.

I'm looking forward to Whispering Rock, although I'm not enamored of Mike Valenzuela (the hero), because I want to find out what happens next. There are a couple of characters who keep recurring, and I'm curious to see if they get some closure (the pot dealer guy, and Cheryl the drunk). These books have taken me out of my reading slump, and I would definitely recommend them to anybody interested in a character driven contemporary. Not a vampire, demon or secret agent in sight.

I get around...

2007-11-08T08:54:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling seriously crappy. A cold is kicking my butt, and seriously infringing on my reading and writing time. I've only managed to finish one book, an EC novella, for review at The Good, the Bad and the Unread. Standard fare, not great, not terrible, but I'd be interested in checking out other stuff by the author, Sherrill Quinn. I also have a post up at Book Binge regarding the difficulties in parting with books.

While I'm being a blog slut, I may as well mention that I will be contributing to Access Romance once a month. Access Romance is a fun site to explore, lots of stuff there. It is a site meant to foster communication between romance writers and readers. They have a feature called Reader's Gab, with monthly contributions by JMC, KristieJ, Tara Gelsomino and Robin. Access Romance is now expanding to include me, Rosie,Amanda and RfP. Today's contribution is the debut by Rosie, concerning a topic likely to be of concern as my kids get older. Check it Out!

Right now I'm reading Virgin River by Robin Carr. Promising so far. Perhaps I will actually finish something to review on this blog!!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T10:25:00.001-05:00

Have a great day! And don't forget to check out the fun at The Good, The Bad and the Unread! Lots of prizes to win!

Shall add more Holiday stuff as I find it.

Movies that Made Me Keep the Lights on All Night (part 2)

2007-10-26T18:01:00.001-05:00

The Changeling--Sidekick has seen lots better movies than me, probably b/c his parents were more mellow about letting him watch stuff. This haunted house story sounds great. I'm going to try to find it at work tomorrow. Nothing spookier than a good haunted house story. Gets you thinking about your house, and what if...

Halloween--The original, the best. Mike Myers was just so damn creepy and inhuman, the way he kept coming and coming. Interestingly, in his remakeRob Zombie took also the scary out, by adding in more gore.

Seven--The horror of what a plain old human can do. I saw this in the movie theater, and I almost walked out during the "Sloth" part. Well-written, well-acted, but I find it really hard to watch.

Silence of the Lambs--Another serial killer movie that really worked. I can't decide who was freakier, Buffalo Bill or Hannibal Lecter.

Nightmare on Elm Street--One, two Freddy's coming for you.... I agree with Dev, this franchise got cheesy quickly, but this one was scary! The idea of someone who could kill you in your dreams...I had a lot of nightmares, too. Didn't sleep for awhile after I saw this one the first time.

We're going to a costume party tonight. H-Bomb is going to be a knight, the Destroyer is going to be a fairy princess. Sidekick and I are going with a The Warriors theme. He's going to be the leader of the Baseball Furies and I'll be the leader of The Lizzies.

For once, the weather is working for me, my hair is nice and big and frizzy, and the frizzier the better.

I Can't Stop Laughing at This

2007-10-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, but I could watch it for hours. But anyway, I'll send a copy of an old Johanna Lindsey and and a Barbara Cartland if you can tell me the actor and the movie it was clipped from. If you were a young girl in the early eighties and you enjoyed dancing, you'll probably can get it.

I have a guest review up at The Good, the Bad and the Unread (note the URL change). I'm actually going to be reviewing there regularly, you can see my bio here.

This weekend on Bravo, they are re-running The Scariest Moments in Movies (or something like that). Lots of good clips and interesting commentary.

Movies that Made Me Keep the Lights on All Night

2007-10-25T21:26:00.000-05:00

The Exorcist: I can't even bear the thought of this movie. I really hope that there's no such thing as demon possession.

Magic--One of Sidekick's picks. I've never seen it, but fuckin' dummy? No good. Not a big fan of dolls coming to life.

Psycho--Creepy, creepy, creepy. Less is more.

The Brood--Another one of Sidekick's picks, but it sounds disturbing. I'm curious, yet nervous to watch.

Freaks--Thought-provoking movie.
Seriously disturbing. My modern sensibilities are uncomfortable with the idea of people being put on display because of their physical differences. And I'm even more uncomfortable with them being the bad guys. I can't help but feel a lot of sympathy for the freaks, but the sequence where they get their revenge is really creepy. Gabba Gabba Hey!

Friday the 13th--The original. When Kevin Bacon gets it and the ending are among the good GOTCHA moments.

The Amityville Horror--The original never fails to creep me out. It's that demonic thing again. Man, is this house creepy. The creepiness factor is of course heightened by our relative proximity to Amityville. Finding the Amityville Horror house was a major pastime of LI teens. I wonder if they still do it. I worked in a school for awhile that had a number of kids from that neighborhood, and they all had debunking stories. The street names have been changed and the house extensively remodeled.

Part two to come later...

Five Vampire Movies worth watching...

2007-10-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

and five to probably skip...

With varying degrees of scariness, but little romance {sigh}

The Lost Boys--I think this is the one that did me in. It's all about Keifer Sutherland and his boys. I could care less that they were supposed to be the bad guys, they were way more interesting than the beauteous, but boring Jason Patric, and the Coreys. I was always fascinated by Corey Haim's "I love shopping" t-shirt and the Rob Lowe poster hanging in his room. Was Corey's character struggling with his sexuality? Whatever. Why couldn't they let the sexy and intense Keifer live? Sigh. These days they would've redeemed him.

Shadow of the Vampire--Fun one about the making of Nosferatu (which is pretty neat too, if you've got to patience for something really old). Willem Defoe plays Max Schreck the mysterious guy who played the "Dracula" in that movie. He is very mysterious, and weird things start happening on-set. This one is creepy, humorous and well-done.

Blade--It's too bad that Wesley Snipes went wacky. He made some good movies back in the day. I really enjoyed the first two movies in this trilogy (the third was bleh). An anti-hero type that will be familiar to paranormal romance readers. The second one (my favorite), was directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who also directed Hellboy which I loved.

Dracula--The Francis Ford Coppola one, with Gary Oldman. Very flawed, but it had some great moments. I loved it when Dracula sees Mina/Winona in London at the puppet show thingy. I love Gary Oldman. I definitely thought Mina should stick with Drac rather than Harker/Keanu and his mysterious accent.

Near Dark--A must-see for vamp fans. Travelling desert vampire, lots of atmosphere. Yummy Adrian Pasdar, Lance Henricksen, and Bill Paxton. It's been awhile since I've seen this. I should rent it or something.

And...erm...some others...

Embrace of the Vampire--My husband (who shall henceforth be known as Sidekick) loves this movie. But that's because he got to see Alyssa Milano's boobies. I suspect that your enjoyment of this film is in direct correlation to your enjoyment of Alyssa's boobies, because, lame.

The Breed--I randomly found this on Sci-Fi Channel late one night. It got slammed on IMDB, and Sidekick didn't care for it but I liked it. It takes place in a future where vampires have come out in the open. (Another familiar set-up). It features Adrian Paul from Highlander and Bokeem Woodbine. Everyone's kind of wooden and plastic because it's the future, I guess. IMO, worth a try if it's on TV or something.

Once Bitten--An early, early Jim Carrey movie, wherein he plays a teenage virgin who gets bitten by Lauren Hutton. I'm not a fan of the Carrey slapsick schtick, but someone else might like it better.

Fright Night--Total guilty pleasure. Totally cheesy, totally eighties, but I always enjoy catching this one. The guy from Herman's Head thinks his next door neighbor is a vampire, so he enlists the help of his favorite horror movie show host. And his girlfriend is Marcy from Married with Children. This one shows up on cable this time of year.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer--Can't compare to the series, of course, but kind of fun when judged on its own merit. I enjoyed it as a teen, but I don't like Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry.

While I was typing this I thought of Innocent Blood (good, romance fans might enjoy), and Underworld (total guilty pleasure, IMO.) Don't bother with Underworld Evolution. It stinks.

2007-10-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there was a little girl who was afraid of everything. Everything, including her own shadow. She was especially frightened of things that go bump in the night. Just knew that ghosts and monsters and scary things were there lurking in the shadows. Then came a defining moment. A mime was hired to perform at her primary school. To end his act, he imitated a vampire sucking the blood out of his prey (I swear to God this is true. This was in front of Kindergarteners and First Graders). Not surprisingly, the little girl started screaming her head off. Mom had to come and pick her up. That night she began to sleep with a blanket wrapped around her neck, a habit that was to continue for many years to come.

From this point on she was still scared, but also fascinated by that which scared her. She tried to read scary stories. She watched scary movies and tv shows for up to ten minutes before running out of the room screaming. She stayed up all night with the lights on after reading books of true ghost stories. An attempt to face her fears? Only a licensed therapist might know. Finally she started to be able to sit through entire movies (Except for "The Exorcist". Parents, don't let your 12 year olds watch this, no matter how much they beg. It might scar them for life.)

This fascination with the supernatural and disturbing followed her into teenagehood. This fascination, combined with a totally negative attitude seemed like a surefire recipe for Goth girl hood. Unfortunately (or fortunately), she would've looked awful with black hair and was cursed by the inability to take herself seriously. And so she masqueraded as a normal person, but never gave up her love of all things that go bump in the night.

So, anyway, it may or may not surprise you that this is my favorite time of year. I've been going a bit crazy with my new DVR, taping all the Halloween programming for young and old. We're watching Nightmare Before Christmas as I type. And I haven't read a darn thing apart from a re-read of Connie Brockway's As You Desire (great book, but that's a post for another time). So I've decided to dedicate the blog to all things spooky and supernatural from now until Halloween. Enjoy!

What scares the crap out of you? I've always been terrified of the idea of demons, thanks to Linda Blair and a book by those Warren people (Linda and Ed, maybe?) who investigate paranormal phenomena. To this day I periodically have dreams about someone I know and love getting possessed. Reading "demon" romances is helping though, because with the exception of Lilith (Meljean Brook's Demon Angel), they never seem particularly demonic. Anything gives you the shivers, even though you know it's silly?

Thank God for Lisa Kleypas...

2007-10-16T09:56:00.000-05:00

Man, am I finding it hard to get in the fall swing of things. I'm having a taste of the future I guess. H-Bomb is in Pre-K five days a week, plus I get to chauffeur him to Speech and OT three days a week. Plus work, storytime and various other educational and edifying activities. I also have all these "projects" planned, like organizing my photos and selling stuff on Ebay and weeding the file cabinets and shit. Add to that a LU induced reading funk and kids who take two hours to fall asleep and you have someone who's grumpy and not getting reading done. I did breakdown and get the DVR, though, because I've missed 4 episodes of ANTM and Ghosthunters. I'm in love with it, it's my new toy, though I've only taped kid's shows so far.

I have read one historical all year. Literally. And it was a mediocre one. I haven't even been re-reading old favorites. After reading Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas, I really have no idea why. They may be just the change of pace I was looking for. I feel like I've been doing so much moaning and groaning about authors skimping on creating chemistry and relationships, relying instead on mental lusting (although, to be fair, I have read some good books in the past few months). This book was able to accomplish so relationship development, though the time span is relatively quick, others should take note. All it takes is a few encounters, some banter, some conversation, where the h/h get to know each other, and we get to know them...and I am a happy camper. Lisa Kleypas is a very dependable author, IMO. Even her less memorable books have well drawn characters, good chemistry, great sex, and an HEA that leaves you with a big smile. And what more can I ask for? I would count MTM as one of LK's less memorable books, but it still gets a B+ from me, because I couldn't put it down...it made me laugh and tear up...and hotness!

When an unexpected inheritance elevates her family to the ranks of the aristocracy, Amelia Hathaway discovers that tending to her younger sisters and wayward brother was easy compared to navigating the intricacies of the ton. Even more challenging: the attraction she feels for the tall, dark, and dangerously handsome Cam Rohan.

Wealthy beyond most men’s dreams, Cam has tired of society’s petty restrictions and longs to return to his “uncivilized” Gypsy roots. When the delectable Amelia appeals to him for help, he intends to offer only friendship—but intentions are no match for the desire that blindsides them both. But can a man who spurns tradition be tempted into that most time-honored arrangement: marriage? Life in London society is about to get a whole lot hotter….

Those of you who read the Wallflowers Quartet will remember Cam Rohan from Devil in Winter (great book!). I quite like him. For all his Gypsy exoticism, he was a steady, strong, levelhead fellow. He was the sane one in the relationship. Heroine Amelia Hathaway was almost unhinged in her determination to control things and be independent. At one point in the book, she really bugged me. But her family had been through so much, it was a defense mechanism. They made a great pair, I thought that he would need someone with a strong personality, so as not to be overshadowed and she fit the bill. I enjoyed the Hathaway family, especially Beatrix, the youngest, with her mix of immaturity and intuitiveness. She brought tears to my eyes with the window story. I hope she eventually gets her own book. As a fan of the Wallflowers and Westcliff in particular, it was good to be back at Stony Cross Park. There were some funny moments, sexy moments and some emotional moments.

I found the incident at the end with Amelia's former suitor to be unnecessary. Didn't add to the story. I also disliked big brother Leo more than I should. Overall, I don't think this one will stick with me the way some of Kleypas' others do, but it was a satisfying read. If you enjoy Kleypas, it won't disappoint. If you haven't read her before, start with Then Came You or Dreaming of You. I went on to re-read Scandal in Spring. Am I the only one who really loves this one? I love taciturn, secretly obsessed heroes. Speaking of which, the sneak preview of her next historical at The Good, the Bad and the Unread, has me wanting to do a tap dance. I am so excited for Win and Merripen's book. Kleypas does surly, but seething with love so well, and paired with an invalid from a different class? You have a recipe for angsty, tear-jerky reader heaven. Go look. I think I'm going to go re-read Devil in Winter.

A round up...

2007-10-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

I wanted to talk about a couple of other books I read while sans computer. I was still in Harlequin mode. These are more impressions or comments than anything else. I'm not going to give letter grades or anything.

*Rising Darkness by Cynthia Cooke--I had read the first in the Dark Enchantments miniseries and enjoyed it, so I picked this one up. It started off with a great Gothic set-up: a British family in a crumbling estate held hostage by a pack of howling demonic wolves. The heroine, Emma McGovern, is the last of a line plagued by a Gypsy curse, and her face has been badly scarred by a wolf attack. Sadly, the book didn't sustain the atmosphere, the suspense or any interest on this readers part. Strictly paranormal romance by the numbers, it featured two bland ciphers (the hero a tormented vampire type) who fall quickly and deeply in love for reasons unknown to them and me. Seriously, I can't remember how it ended, but I remember being annoyed. Ah well. I still bought the next installment, Night Mischief by Nina Bruhns.

*The Farmer Takes a Wife by Barbara Gale--I wanted this story of a Boston doctor who brings new life to a sleepy town and a crabby farmer because it took place in New Hampshire and I love NH. Unfortunately, this book suffered from some of the worst editing ever. Both the hero and heroine's eyes change color, and the heroine's hair color changes several times before settling on Auburn. At one point the heroine suggests talking to the local congressman in Albany (which is the capital of NY, not NH). The hero reflects on his initial meeting with the heroine, recalling a scene which he was not in. He came in after she walked into the gas station. Also much ado was made of the hero's marrying too young and having a child too quickly. But he's 40, and his son was described as 8 or 9. Having a child at 31? Not exactly teenage pregnancy. It made no sense. And now? I know what people mean when they complain about head hopping. I found the pov confusing at several times. Nah, can't rec this one at all.

*A Family of Her Own by Brenda Novak.--I've been reading another book by Novak, and I think that she is a skilled writer who writes interesting and original stories. But the romance (frustratingly to me) always seems to take a backseat. This is about an ex-con auto mechanic named Booker and a "good girl" hairdresser named Katie whose intense affair ends when she runs off for SF with a guy that everyone thinks is a tool. Two years later she returns to Dundee Idaho unwed, alone, penniless and pregnant. Booker is unhappy to see the woman who broke his heart but he ends up taking her in when her family turns her away. There was a lot of focus on Katie growing up and becoming mature and independent, which was a good thing, because I wanted to hate her. Sure, no one approved of Booker, but they didn't like the other guy either. And once they got to SF he got a nose ring and a Robert Smith haircut and became a club kid who sponged off of her. But she stuck it out for two years? And gave him pity sex "one last time"? Whereupon she became one more victim of the dreaded romance novel condom failure rate? Great judgment, Katie. Dump the sexy, mysterious, intense guy who is kind enough to take in the village idiot (no, not Katie, this other guy) for a wannabe hipster tool. I wish there had been some flashbacks or something about Katie and Booker's relationship, so I could see what he saw in her, as well as why she didn't believe that he cared about her. I was also curious about what Booker did time for. Overall, not so bad though, just didn't quite satisfy.

*Driven by Eve Kenin--All is not lost, 'cuz this book was great! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes futuristic/sci fi or who is looking for something other the standard vamp/furry paranormal. Driven is set in a frozen future in which truckers have to bring goods to the various settlements. One particular company controls everything, and is run by a powerful and super nasty guy. There's a tough, kick butt and likeable heroine, Raina who is a great match for the unusual and very hot hero, Wizard. I lurved him, though an HEA with him would not be easy. See some reviews here, here and here. Worth your while. Bev from Bev's Books, if you stop by, I'm recommending this to you. You'll like it!

I'm baaaack!

2007-10-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

Woo-hoo! The drought is over. My computer is back and better than new. Hurrah! I've been so busy, and worked so little, that I have had very little computer access. So before I go bopping around catching up, I wanted to type up a review that I wrote out longhand. Yes it's that time of year again...Black Dagger Brotherhood time!

I've got to say I'm definitely curious to see what people have to say about Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward. This book had a lot going on, some of it pretty unorthodox for a romance. I've always been a Vishous fan myself. I find the fact that he is supposed to be super smart sexy, and I dig the tattoos, the weird abilities, the tortured feelings for Butch, the Dom tendencies. Just the kind of delicious weirdness I like. I was apphrehensive about how Ward would treat his kinky and queer leanings? Was he going to to meet some chick and undergo a personality transplant, a la a Dark Hunter? Would it be all peaches and vanilla cream? I was also invested in the Butch/Vishous relationship that had developed. Could I buy V's HEA with someone else? I bought Butch and Marissa, but she was a familiar character. Also, weak soul that I am, I gave in to the temptation to read some spoiler, which made me pretty nervous about whether I'd like this book at all.

Since there are probably many, many places to read about the book at this point, I shall dispense with the synopsis and get down to business. I'm going to try to avoid spoilers, but read at your own risk. I definitely liked LU better than Lover Revealed, but...well there are several buts.

The Love--Love V. Love him. Totally tortured hero. I've got to give JRW props for sticking to her guns and making it clear that V is not your average tortured hero. He likes sex rough and his feelings for Butch went way beyond friendship. I thought that both situations were acknowledged, handled and explained well, as was his horrible childhood. These things made V who he was, not some aberrations to be explained away, by meeting the right woman. And I did buy his HEA with Dr. Jane. As for heroine Dr. Jane Whitcomb herself, I liked her quite a bit. She was intelligent, strong willed and witty. V and Jane played off of each other well, and had a repartee somewhat like Butch/V [whose dialogues provide some of the best moments in LU]. But this brings me to the big but...

The But--Not enough V and Jane. These books have always alternated between the primary romance and the larger cast of characters within the BDB universe. Now being such a fan of these books and characters, it doesn't always bother me, but in LU all the scene changes detracted from the romance. I really liked V & Jane, but damn if the story didn't keep cutting away to John Matthew and his school chums. I've enjoyed the saga of JM/Tehrror so far,but this time I wanted him to go away. He was having quite the pity party also. The best part of a romance is seeing how the emotional connection develops, and I always feel short changed if it is rushed or if we are told rather than shown. V & Jane had great chemistry and good scenes, but they came after V's realization that he was "in love". Before that, one or the other was passed out. I would have preferred some 'getting to know you' banter. The later chemistry was not quite enough to overcome this. The Primale thing took from them as well, and was kind of unnecessary. It was resolved so quickly, it ultimately served only as Phury's sequel set-up (more on that later), and there was plenty of conflict without it. Question: If the Primale is to father future Brothers (sons) and Chosen (daughters), and if the Brothers and Chosen are expected to mate as well, won't there be all sorts of creepy incest going on? The only interesting thing about the subplot was V's relationship with the ever-annoying Scribe Virgin.

The Ending--I would imagine the ending is quite controversial. Didn't bother me too much. Perhaps it helped that I was mildly spoiled (and read a similar ending in Kenyon's Sins of the Night). So yeah (spoiler warning) Jane gets shot and dies and lives happily ever after as a ghost. Seemed a bit unnecessary but whatever. My biggest problem was all the questions that kept coming to mind. Like if Jane can have sex and eat, does she need to go to the bathroom or wash up? I appreciated the humor, but it was a bit sitcom-y. Uh-oh, Zsadist sat on Jane again. Fritz, you dog, you put Jane's clothes in the washing machine while she was still in them! Oh well, although the Scribe Virgin as Deus ex Machina is getting old, I did get a bit verklempt at the ending.

The Dislike--Not feeling the setup for Phury's book at all. Hate the Chosen. They just creep me the hell out. The only thing that made those scenes bearable were some funny lines and reactions. Phury's book is going to to be Dumber and Dumber, with who can be stupider about sex. At least Cormia has already seen Phury's (Ph's?) junk, so we'll be spared an "Oh My God, it's so big! And it moves!" scene. And I love Phury so. Would've like someone with a bit more fire for him. And Lordy, how I hate the idea of John Matthew with the 'hermaphroditic' chick with the dumb ass name. I try to be open minded, but something about how she is described squicks me out. Please don't let it be so.

The Conclusion--Lover Unbound is an unusual and compelling addition to the BDB series. Disappointing in that intriguing characters were given short shrift in favor of storylines I found almost painful to read I still enjoyed it, and was completely obsessed with finishing. I was going to give it a B, but I've been thinking about it a lot, and want to re-read soon, so I think I'm going to bump to a B+. This series is staying strong, and is definitely one to try. Read in order for sure and your can check out my previous ramblings here.

Thoughts, Opinions?

2007-09-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

I had been planning on getting some kind of ebook reader for my birthday, but I couldn't decide what I wanted. But with being without laptop for a couple of weeks, I was thinking of going ahead, b/c I was going to get a handheld pc device. This way I could at least check email etc. Does anyone have thoughts concerning the Palm TX or Tungsten E2 vs. an HP IPAQ like this? Or have any other suggestions? With the palm can you only use their software? Would you be limited to their store? I find all the different IPAQs overwhelming.

Nothing left to do but read, read, read...

2007-09-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

Saw-yee Mommy!

So the Destroyer lived up to her name today by popping the q key off of my keyboard. She's actually done it before, but I was able to wedge it back on. I'm still having a u problem. But this time we were outside, and I think the key went between the slats and under the deck 'cuz I can't find it anywhere. Sadly, I ran off to Best Buy. Good news, it's under warranty. Bad news, they have to send it out (2 to 3 weeks). In horror and shock, I left my laptop with them and headed home. Then I got all worried about someone hacking into my private info, so I went back and asked if I could clear my private data. And ended up taking it back home, clutching it to my chest. While I was gone, the Destroyer climbed onto my dresser and broke a bracelet that I'm fond of. It was from New Orleans, and had hand blown beads, which she filled her mouth with.

I'm sure any geek squad geek could bypass any password protection on my files, but I wasn't quite ready to say "bon voyage" yet. In fact, I found myself wondering if I could do without the q key, because, as you can see, if I stick my pinky nail in the little circle I can still get a q.

When did I become such a computer junkie? Probably when I was breastfeeding my son. I didn't want to expose him to television, but I needed something to do. I couldn't read one handed, but I could point and click a mouse. My computer chair had nice arms for support, and I could have my water there on my desk, easy to grab. And there you go. As they got older, I found that it was an easy way to grab a few minutes to myself here and there. If we do have the tv on, it's kid stuff, and reading requires too much concentration and it's hard when you have to keep putting the book down. On the other hand, reading a blog post, or TWOP snark doesn't require the same focus, and I can get up, change diapers, give hugs, food, drink, or play for a bit, then come back to the same screen. Thus blogging, emailing and browsing became a major form of leisure, entertainment and communication for me. I am dreading being without the computer for 2-3 weeks. I can't do much at work (shared computers), so I guess I'll be dropping in on my parents regularly. I'm going to hold onto it for another day, but then it's off to the computer hospital. I have to tell them to look at the u key also.

So I won't be around much. On the up side, I'll probably get lots of reading done. Maybe I 'll find some new tv shows to watch. Wanna take bets on how long it takes for the withdrawal shakes to set in?

Boundless

2007-09-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

Yummy Cover!

I had been looking forward to the anthology Boundless, for awhile now. Long ago, when I read and loved Bone Deep, I of course then went to check out Bonnie Dee's website. I was intrigued by a story about a scarecrow. But when I got around to actually purchasing it, it was unavailable, due to Venus Press going belly up. So I was excited to see it coming out again. Plus the other two entries sounded intriguing and were by Dionne Galace (the artist formerly known as Bam) and Annie Dean, who I was familiar with from lurking about at It's Not Chick Porn. Hmmm...I guess it's time to officially move Bam to the writer blog section. Anyhoo, I bought this immediately, and am happy to say that it's the most satisfying anthology I've read in a rilly, rilly long time. I actually can't remember the last time I finished an anthology.

**Seven Days by Annie Dean--As I said I was familiar with Ms. Dean through her blog presence, but was not particularly compelled to read her prior works. Well, that will change because I loved this story. A lot. It was my favorite of the lot. "Seven Days" is about a young novitiate named Teresa, who is visited by temptation in the form of a gorgeous incubus shortly before she is to take her final vows. If she succumbs to the temptation that the charming, handsome and demonic Dev presents, she will take his place in Hell, and he will remain to enjoy the delights of Earth.

Ms. Dean has a smooth and witty writing style that assumes the reader is intelligent. I appreciated that, as well as the fact that the story dealt thoughtfully with matters of belief and faith. The characters were great. Teresa is a devout young woman, intelligent, curious and serious. Though she can't resist her curiosity about Dev, she deals with him thoughtfully and deliberately, trying to figure out how to best outwit him. I could see how Dev would be as intrigued by her as she was by him. Dev is charming, sexy, and witty, as befits an incubus. The romance worked really well for me, a rarity in a shorter story. There was great chemistry built up by the conversations and banter between them. I loved how, even as they were adversaries aiming for opposite goals, they grew to care about each other and wanted to help each other. I even got verklempt at the end. Always a good sign (for the author, that is. Makes me feel like I'm getting soft). I'm giving this one a A, for good characters, good writing and good love story. Wonderful!

**Straw Man by Bonnie Dee--As I said, this was why I bought the book, and I must confess that I read this one first. "Straw Man" is the story of Marie, a lonely woman feeling increasingly stifled by life on her pumpkin farm. Out of boredom, she's talking to her scarecrow, for chrissakes! On Halloween night she wishes for the lover of her dreams. A few hours later he appears. That's right, ya'll, it's the scarecrow come to life!

Sounds kind of silly right? And yes, it's pretty much a standard "dream lover" type erotic romance set-up, but Dee makes it work. She captures that atmosphere of a quiet October night, when the air is crispy, the wind is blowing and the leaves are rustling, and it seems quite possible that something bizarre might happen. Marie is another likeable Dee heroine, a bit unsure, but determined to go for what she wants. And Sam (the scarecrow) was pretty delicious. He was perfect, of course, because he's what she wished for, but damn if it wasn't sexy how he just wanted to please her. Not only with awesome sex, but by eating together, or talking or cuddling. Whatever she wanted. The ending seemed a bit abrupt, but overall it was a nice, romantic, escapist, 'woman gets her every fantasy magically fulfilled' type story. I'd give it a B.

**Waking Kitty by Dionne Galace--Has-been reporter Jack Ridley and pink-haired Kitty Jones meet when a ship appears in the bar that Kitty waitresses at. Jack leads a team that investigates and debunks weird and supernatural events, and Kitty...well, Kitty has had a number of weird and supernatural events happening in her vicinity lately. The two are immediately drawn to each other, and fall in love while Jack tries to find out what's going down in Chicago and Kitty tries to figure out what is wrong with her.

I enjoyed this one as well, but I felt it could have benefited from being longer. There's a lot going on, and it felt rushed. Jack was a bad boy who just needs some good lovin' hero, right up my alley, and Kitty was a fun, quirky but not annoying character as well. But there was a little too much mental lusting at first, and the leap from attraction to love felt a bit fast for me. I also felt like the resolution, and the mystery behind Kitty's past was too quick. I liked so many things about it, but I would've liked to get to know the characters more, would've liked to see the relationship develop a bit more and would've liked to hear more about Kitty's mysterious past. I do have a liking a for quirky characters and stories where weird stuff just starts happening, and I liked Kitty and Jack, so B-. I will keep an eye out for Ms. Galace's future work, because she's got a fun style.

I'm going to give Boundless a B+ overall. I don't know if that's mathematically correct, and I don't care. This was the strongest anthology I've read in recent memory, with three slightly offbeat, romantic and enjoyable stories.

Contest-y Pimpage!

2007-09-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

I am almost finished with Boundless, an anthology by Annie Dean, Bonnie Dee and Dionne Galace (heh, they all have "dee" sounds in their names). Anyway, I'm hoping to get a review up of this book really soon (along with Driven), but in the mean time some contest pimpage. I love contests when they're easy.

From Annie Dean's Blog--

Which Boundless hero is right for you?

Which Boundless hero is right for you?

Jack
Jack is your meant-to-be man! He's the ultimate "reluctant hero". He fears there is nothing else in the world to explore, nothing else for him to see… until he finds the right woman. He just needs the right woman to make him believe in magic and love at first sight. He'll come through for you, just when you need him; he'll be your knight in slightly tarnished armor. In bed and out, Jack is exactly what you need.

How do you compare?
Take this test! | Tests from Testriffic

Read more about the book here. And see Ms. Dean's blog for more ways to win.

Pimping a friend and a quick review

2007-09-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

Any Broadway fans out there? Being a fan of a things review-y, and also of embarrassing my friends, I'd like to draw your attention to Broadway.com's new word of mouth panel. They have gotten rid of their professional reviewer in favor of "man on the street" type reviews. They chose 12 people to send to shows, then they get to review them for the site. And one of the reviewers is my old buddy Ellen! Here she is, in all her fabulousness. I look forward to seeing what she has to say about NY theater (despite the fact that I never go). Congrats on getting chosen. Can't wait to hear about what you've seen.

I also wanted to quickly review Measure of a Man by Bonnie Dee (who is that guy on the cover and why does he keep showing up everywhere?) This book is part of Liquid Silver's Terran Realm series, which is like...environmental paranormal. Or something. Terrans are a race who live alongside humans and they keep the environment in balance. Or something. Different people have an affinity with a particular element (earth, air, fire, water) and some sort of power that is related to that element. These are called Keepers and there are Protectors who, um, protect the Keepers so that they can do their work. Okay, let's be honest. I didn't really get the world building, nor did I care about it all that much. I didn't even quite get what the heroine's power of mental healing had to do with the air.

Whatever. Doesn't much matter, because I found this to be an enjoyable, fast read. After reading this and Dee's contribution to the Boundless anthology, I can firmly say that I really love this author's characterizations. She writes down to Earth, likeable heroines, and offbeat, tormented and very appealling heroes. In this case, it made the book work despite me being meh about the Terran thing. MoaM has a con artist/petty criminal (Ian) as the hero and he gets drawn into the world of the Terrans when one literally crashes into him. Mirabai has strong mental powers and she works as a psychic healer. Dee was able to make her charming and not overly hippy dippy and sage like, but rather a nice foil for the jaded and self loathing Ian. They had good chemistry and the relationship developed quickly, but worked. Mira has stolen an object from the bad guys (the Destroyers), and it's a pretty standard going on the run type plot. It was the characters that made it work, from Ian and Mira to protector Justin to the bad guy (whose name is currently escaping me). I give it a B, and I've already bought the follow up Fruits of Betrayal. Maybe I'll figure out why the Destroyers want to destroy.

Is nauseating the new scary?

2007-09-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, the husband and I parked the kiddies with my parents and took ourselves off to the movies to see our first grown up movie in ages, the remake of Halloween. Why on earth would we spend twenty bucks on this movie, with all that's out there? Upon reflection, good question. It may surprise you to find out that I am somewhat of a horror movie aficionado, and I think that the original Halloween, is one of the best movies ever, and certainly the grandaddy of all slasher films. But my husband and I have suffered through many Halloween sequels, including the one with Busta Rhymes in space (I may be mixing 2 movies together here) and the one with Paul Rudd and the cultists (don't ask, I have no idea what was going on). So in the interest of completeness, we went to see it despite not particularly enjoying the Rob Zombie ouvre (His films, that is. Love "Dragula" and "Thunderkiss '65").

The verdict: not awful, but not great. If you haven't seen the original, start there, but this wouldn't have been an awful rental. If anything, it served to show what made the Carpenter so great, by taking those elements away. As a young 'un, I wondered what made Michael Myers such a killing machine. Zombie gives Michael a backstory, which is supposed to show how he became what he was. Since Rob Zombie never met a white trash stereotype he didn't like, it features grimy, slutty characters spewing verbal abuse. Surprisingly, it weakened the story quite a bit. Are we supposed to believe that the 10 year old Michael snapped out and massacred his family because his mommy was a stripper and no one would take him trick or treating? Were we supposed to feel sympathetic? I preferred the mysterious, robot-like Michael Myers. Much more creepy.

Michael goes off to the Sanitarium, where he grows up to be enormous and super-strong despite the fact that he's spent his life in a small cell making paper mache masks. He escapes and returns to Haddonfield Illinois, where the story then closely mirrors that of the classic. Except that instead of dread and menace, punctuated by grab-your-date shocks, we get lots of blood and gore. I just don't get it. Lots of blood and gore is gross, yes, but not scary. I'm not closing my eyes because I'm scared, it's because my stomach is churning. What makes a killing sequence scary is that mounting dread, you know it's coming but not when. And leaving the details to the imagination works. What the viewers mind can come up with on their own is probably scarier than what the director can come up with. In the new version, Myers, quickly nabs his prey, then we're treated to endless shots of stabbing or bludgeoning then blood gushing and spurting. Sickening, but in an "enough already" way, not a truly frightening way.

In general, Rob Zombie's over the top sensibility is the problem. At times, it almost seems like he's parodying the slasher genre, but he doesn't take it far enough. Like I said, he loves him the white trash, but the characters are neither entertainingly ridiculous, or sympathetic, just repugnant. Similarly, the teenage girls are sooooo crass and slutty they seem like a joke, but the long drawn out death scenes are deadly serious. It comes off disturbingly like someone's got a fetish for topless young girls getting violently murdered. If you have a passing interest in horror movies, it might provide a good scare, but there's way better out there. The revisioning was pretty pointless, and shock value substituted for actual shocks.

Have you ever...

2007-08-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

pulled out a purchase you made a couple of weeks ago, and been like, "What the eff was I thinking?"

I went to the used bookstore a couple of weeks ago, sans kiddies, and I don't know if I was just heady with freedom or what, but I went hog-wild. I know that I wanted to get some Harlequin lines that I have never read before, and I was picking up and putting a lot of stuff down. I also know that I had meant to grab a Harlequin Intrigue and didn't, so I must've put down the wrong book. Or two. But apparently that day, I had a real fascination for the works of Christine Rimmer, secret babies, accidental pregnancies, and most inexplicably, a boss/secretary story. Called "The Boss and his Secretary." I never like those. Nothing against the works of Christine Rimmer, I'm just not sure why I was compelled to buy three books by an author I am completely unfamiliar with. Perhaps she will become an auto-buy.

Oh well, with trade-ins, the whole she-bang was about 4 dollars. I think some are going back unread.

Big Girls Don't Cry by Brenda Novak

2007-08-29T21:15:00.000-05:00

A two Haiku review!

Warning: I was unsure how to write this review. Part of me feels like I'm giving away the big secret. But there's no way around it, because that's what I both liked and disliked about the book. And the "secret" is revealed early on and is what pushes the whole plot. Here is the slightly misleading back blurb from the book:

Sometimes Mr. Right couldn't be more wrong...

Thanks to a devastating revelation about her husband, Reenie Holbrook's once-perfect marriage is over. For eleven years she had the life she wanted--and now it's gone.

Sometimes Mr. Wrong couldn't be more right...

Reenie decides that the first step in recovering from her ordeal is to find work; after all, she has three young children to support. She's thrilled when she lands a job at Dundee High teaching math--until Isaac Russell, the man who triggered the unraveling of her marriage, accepts a temporary position teaching science. Then she's tempted to quit. Reenie doesn't care if the whole town admires Isacc...and she won't admit that, secretly, she admires him, too. She doesn't want to see him or his sister in "her" town.

But a friendship with the most unlikely woman leads to a relationship with the most unlikely man...

If you are intrigued but don't want to know what's going to happen, don't click on the cut.

One man with two wives,
Wife two's brother finds out
and tells all the truth.

Reenie recovers,
but Isaac makes things tougher,
Intense, slow romance.

Comments from the peanut gallery:

This was an intriguing read. I devoured it in a matter of hours. Often in romances, the traumatic events have already taken place, but in Big Girls Don't Cry, we find out what's been happening along with the hero and heroine. It was very immediate and engrossing, but it also weakened the story a bit, for reasons I will explain.

Keith O'Connell lives with his wife of 11 years, Reenie (his HS sweetheart), and their three children in Dundee, Idaho. He also lives with his wife of 9 years, Liz, and their two children in L.A. His job as a software developer has him travelling between both places, and he has used both women's trust to great advantage over the past nine years. However, when Liz's brother Isaac becomes suspicious, he follows Keith to Idaho and uncovers the truth. After meeting the charming Reenie, he is unsure of what to do, but these things take on a life of their own and so the truth is revealed. The two women have to deal with a totally awful betrayal, while protecting their children. Keith abandons family #2, to try to get Reenie (whom he has always loved more) to take him back. Stung, and hurt for her children, Liz moves to Dundee to make him acknowledge his family and stay in his kids' lives. Loyal brother Isaac goes along to help. Now everyone's together in this small town. Can you say AWKWARD? Things only get more complicated when Isaac and Reenie grow increasingly attracted to each other.

This read more like women's fiction to me (but I'm not positive because I haven't read too much women's fiction). A lot of the book was focused on the big reveal, and everyone's reaction and recovery from it. I really liked the characters. They were well drawn, strong and had mixed and different reactions. But Reenie, Liz, and Isaac seemed human, never contrived or petty. That was some heavy shit to be dealing with. Keith, OTOH, was such a selfish, immature asswipe, it was hard to see why both women had loved him so much. But he was a bigamist, so I wasn't expecting to like him anyway.

The problem for me was that the book was so much about the fallout and recovery from the Keith betrayal, that the Reenie-Isaac romance felt a bit rushed. I was getting impatient for it to actually start. There was chemistry between them from the get go, but I would've liked a bit more focus on the relationship development and the sparks between them. Also, Reenie, had been totally in love with Keith prior to finding out the truth. Now, of course, I wouldn't expect her to remain that way, given the situation. But it made something like her telling Isaac that it was the best sex ever, ring a little hollow, given that she was shown to be sexually satisfied with Keith at the beginning. Overall, a moving and interesting read, but I'm giving it a B-, because I wanted more romance. I went to Brenda Novak's website , and I'm very interested in some of her other Superromances, especially the ones that take place in Dundee. She's got some unusual premises going on there. I hope the focus is on the advertised love story.

A Meme...

2007-08-29T15:09:00.000-05:00

Tagged by KristieJ

1. Total number of books I own:
400ish--I kinda stopped counting. I have increasingly limited space, so I have been ruthlessly weeding my collection. Of course, this is then counteracted by trips to the UBS where I pick up copies of books that I checked out of the library but now must own.

2. Last Book I bought:
A mini-spree at Liquid Silver: Alitus by Kayelle Allen, Measure of a Man by Bonnie Dee, Celeste by Tiffany Aaron

3. Last Book I read:
Big Girls Don't Cry by Brenda Novak. A Harlequin Superromance and new to me author. Good stuff, reminds me of the old days (see previous post's bitching). I polished it off yesterday evening and will review soon.

4. Five books that mean a lot to me:
**Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild--Read it until it fell apart, then bought a new one. Children's classic about three talented London sisters. I would still recommend it to any 9-10 y.o. aspiring ballerina/musician/actress.

**The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs--The first book I read by the author that started me down the path to being a mystery/paranormal junkie. Uber creepy, but they don't hold up that well. Now I find them kind of hokey, but still rec them to kids.

**The Witch of Lagg by Ann Cheetham--Totally random YA horror novel about three teens in Scotland and the ghost of a witch. For some reason I was obsessed with it and I think it had a big influence on reading habits to follow.

**The Street of Five Moons by Elzabeth Peters--I may have mentioned once or a hundred times that Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels is my favorite author ever, and has had the most profound effect on my reading tastes and twisted outlook on life. I'm particularly obsessed with Vicky Bliss and roguish art thief John, and still waiting patiently for Peters to return to them.

**Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon--Not even my favorite SK, but this book holds a special place as the book that introduced me to paranormal romance and re-introduced me to romance in general, reigniting the book obsession that had grown quite dormant during my twenties.

5. Tag 5 people

Margee
C2
QB
Jennie
Mailyn (whenever you're around, Kiddo!)

Ta for now. Off to the pool.

Whatever happened to

2007-08-27T15:13:00.000-05:00

the good old days of series romance? During what I fondly think of as my "first wave" of romance reading, I used to pilfer my mom's categories when I was home alone. We were regulars at this store, which I was surprised to see advertising on AAR recently (I haven't been there in years and assumed it had closed down). I would get mysteries, she would get her Silhouette Desire fix. Then I would rifle through them and quickly read ones that sounded interesting, hoping no one would come upon me. I don't know if I'm remembering things through a haze of nostalgia, but those books seem so much better than the categories I've been reading lately. Better is the wrong word, because I have certainly read and enjoyed a number of them. They're just...different.

I appreciate the breadth and variety Harlequin has to offer, but so many of them seem to fit within certain margins. You've got the secret baby/accidental pregnancy books, the big city girl goes(or returns) to the small town where she hooks up with a rancher, and of course the millionaire/sheikh/tycoon and the mistress/secretary. Or perhaps mix of two or three, with some blackmail and revenge thrown in for good measure. I experimented with the Blaze line, but often find them to be hampered by absurd plot devices designed to shoehorn as much sex in as possible. Sex themed hotels and artists who carve penises and magic potions and whatnot.

The books I remember fondly featured a variety of settings, characters who had all kinds of occupations, and lively romances with deep, emotional underpinnings. Not so much on external trumped up suspense plots. When my parents moved, I had the opportunity to grab some of my and (my mother's) old favorites. I've only re-read and reviewed one (Guilty Secrets by Laura Leone), and it was pretty much as good as I remember. So without further ado, here are some other old series romances I loved. Anyone remember these titles or authors? Anyone know why they changed the Silhouette Desire line so much?

*Contact by Lass Small: I've read several books by her, but this Desire was the most memorable. The story of a hotshot attorney who falls madly in love with a reclusive artist. But can he get her to allow him into her well-guarded life? Small has an extensive backlist, but nothing since 2000. Wonder why?

*Winter Morning by BJ James: Another Silhouette Desire author with nothing since 2004. This was about a doctor who returns to her North Carolina hometown to practice, fleeing her friend and for one night, lover, another doctor. He follows her five years later. Nice sense of place in this one, and I loved the heroine's best friend, a dyslexic, illiterate Native American sculptor. Wonder if he ever got a book?

*Summer Light by Jude O'Neill: A Silhouette Special Edition about an uptight curator and a bohemian artist who decide to have a summer romance. As a suburban teenager, I loved the New York City art scene setting. Great, memorable characters, interesting story. I can't find much info on this author. Anyone heard of her?

*Leftover Love by Janet Dailey: Okay, she's a big gun. Haven't read anything recent by her, but I vaguely remember reading some of those state books. I remember swooning over this story of an "ugly" rancher who falls for the Omaha beauty who comes to work for him and has ulterior motives for doing so. I think I'm gonna read it tonight.

*Lightning that Lingers by Tom and Sharon Curtis: Sigh. Who can forget the shy children's librarian with the Dorothy Hamill haircut and the wildlife biologist who strips to hold onto his family manse? So many great scenes in this one. Wonderful, unusual book. In a class all it's own. Worth finding (I'm holding onto my copy).

All of these books proved to me that you could pack a vivid setting, well-developed characters and a compelling romance into a relatively short length. Now, if you've made it all the way to the end of this post, I've got a question. Have you read any great Harlequins lately? Something really different that stands out from the crowd? Even a single title contemporary that might have a similar feel. And again, what did they do to the Desire line and why?

A New Look and a New Attitude...

2007-08-27T13:21:00.001-05:00

Hopefully.

I feel like I've been quite crabby and negative about romance lately. Although I have read and enjoyed some books, I'm just not excited about stuff like I used to be. Releases by two former auto-buy authors (Sherrilyn Kenyon and MaryJanice Davidson) have come and gone with no interest from me. I keep buying different things in an attempt to recharge the mojo, to no avail. I haven't read a book in over a week. I was annoying myself, wondering why (should I take a hiatus from romance? from blogging?), and then I realized, it's probably just summer. The heat and humidity fry my brain after awhile, and there always seem to be personal dramas that distract me. Well now that some of these dramas have been resolved, and my sister's lovely but exhausting wedding is out of the way (I looked fab, btw), I am determined to catch up on all that is going on in Romancebloglandia, and find something cool to read.

I bought myself Dangerous Lover by Lisa Marie Rice for my birthday. I really enjoyed it, and thought that it was what erotic romance should be. There were developed characters having scorching sex while developing believable chemistry and romance. Im not feeling like reviewing, but here are some reviews by Rosario, KristieJ and Gwen that I was in agreement with. There is something so durn delicious about a man who is just head over heels in love, nay, obsessed with a woman. In fact, his obsession is creepy, almost, if it wasn't so well written. I get so sick all the obsessive women in books, tv, and movies mooning over some dude on the basis of his looks or $$$. I liked seeing the tables turned. Ms. Rice guest blogged at The Good, the Bad and the Unread recently. There were a couple of interesting posts on her philosophies on Erotic Romance and the ever popular topic of Alpha Males. Her particular brand of sensuality and hero was definitely on display in Dangerous Lover, and whooo boy, I found it pretty much breath taking in its intensity. Will definitely be checking her out again. I'm thinking I'll start with Midnight Angel.

test post

2007-08-26T22:13:00.000-05:00

Too similar to the previous look? Well, I'm sticking with it, because any change seems to delete my sidebars.

This pyzam site has tons of free layouts. There were a couple I loved, but the post column seemed too narrow.

What's the failure rate of condoms in romance novels?

2007-08-20T08:46:00.000-05:00

As a public service, I would like to take a moment to talk to all those romance novel heroines out there who are pondering a wild night out or a wild vacation to break out the monotony of their stifling lives. You know, the plain ones, the dependable ones, the ones who get passed over for more exciting women. I'd also like to address the romance novel heroes, passing time at the local club or watering hole when they notice a mysterious and highly attractive woman at the bar. Oh, I know how it goes: a few drinks, a few laughs, blazing chemistry. That's why I'm going to take a moment to make a suggestion before it goes too far. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PLEASE USE A BACK UP BIRTH CONTROL METHOD!!!! According to this site,the reliability rate for the male condom is 87-98% effective. In fiction world, it definitely seems to be on the low end, with condoms failing left and right, and accidental pregnancies resulting in every other book. I have read a number of books lately wherein the lead couple used a condom, but still ended up expecting.

I find it endlessly interesting to see what kinds of romance plots I seem to be drawn to. While I find the secret baby plot to be kind of tired, I find myself drawn over and over to a plot I like to think of as "Help, I had a one night stand, we're pregnant, and I'm falling in love with my baby momma/daddy!" Not exactly pithy, but you get the gist. Recently, I read two books along these lines,with mixed results.

I didn't particularly care for Father Material by Kimberly Van Meter, mostly because the heroine was a pill and the hero was too stupid to live. Natalie Simmons decides to go on a white water rafting trip to show her ex-fiance (who's going with his new girl) that she's not boring. First sign that I wouldn't like her. How desperate is that? The handsome, charming river guide, Evan Murphy, provides a shoulder to cry on, and a bit more. Natalie ends up pregnant, and decides not to tell Evan, because as a river guide/ski instructor he's obviously not father material. Evan can't stop thinking about Natalie, and shows up on her doorstep to return a necklace. After finding out about her pregnancy, he decides to move into the apartment underneath her, to help her and make sure he's not excluded from the baby's life. I tried to be sympathetic, but I just couldn't like either of these characters. Natalie came off as whiny and petulant, constantly insisting that Evan wouldn't be a good pappy, when he seemed pretty involved. Evan was so scarred by relationship trauma, that he became a ski bum, and absolutely refused to talk about anything personal. They were a couple of knuckleheads, who really needed to have a conversation, and by the time Evan pulls a really dick move at the end, I couldn't even care. It was just dumb. Kimberly Van Meter writes ok, and there are some laugh out loud moments in their internal monologues. Too bad they couldn't be more likeable. C-, but I'm keeping an eye out for Van Meter's other releases, because the other two sisters sounded a bit more interesting, and I'm marginally curious about their dickhead father.

Next I moved on to Accidentally Expecting by Michelle Celmer. This was one of those books that I really wanted to read, inexplicably to me. For one thing, it was a traditional guy/independent woman stories, and those often make me groan. But at the same time, I like "opposites attract" stories. For another thing, the cover really annoyed me, in particular, woman. She's got this dumb, drunken, self-satisfied look that bugs me. Regardless, I wanted it. This was my first read by this author, and it won't be my last. I enjoyed it. Accidentally Expecting is the story of Miranda Reed, author of a guide to divorce which extols the virtues of women staying single, and Zack Jameson, a 'relationship guru' who promotes traditional values of commitment. After participating in a radio debate, during which Zack makes Miranda looks like a feminist harpy, Miranda resolves to seduce Zack at the hotel where both are staying. Well, it doesn't take much effort and the two share a most satisfying night, then agree that they shouldn't see each other again, too different from one another. But once again the condom has failed, and after recovering from her surprise, Miranda goes to see Zack with the news. Zack is shocked. Getting a woman knocked up after a one-night stand wouldn't look good for his image. But he's very attracted to Miranda anyway, and determines to be there for her during the pregnancy, and overcome her fear of commitment. He moves into the condo across the street, they begin to dance around each other, communicate (unlike the first book), and fall in love. This was a B read, lively, enjoyable, featuring two intelligent and likeable characters with chemistry who need to get past their fears. What I'm looking for in a Harlequin, pretty much. There was a subplot featuring Zack's younger brother and his wife which wasn't resolved to my liking. The wife was a sympathetic character, and she got screwed over by her husband. Maybe she'll get her own book. I would've liked to see a bit more fallout regarding the public revelations. Michelle Celmer has a nice style and voice, and I'll be looking to see what her backlist holds.

Next: A Erotic Romance that is both super romantic and scorching hot. It can be done!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-08-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

I think a trip to the bookstore is in order! I have decided that the problem is that I'm burned out on paranormals and erotic romances. I need a change to get my mojo going. With that in mind, I went off to the used bookstore (solo!)and took home a bag of Harlequin Romance and Superromance and Silhouette Special Editions. I am currently reading Father Material by Kimberly Van Meter. Not bad, but the heroine's a bit of a pill, so far. It's got one of those "knocked up from a one night stand, now I'm falling in love with my baby daddy" plots. When I read these blurbs, I shudder with distaste, because in my opinion, accidental pregnancies don't often lead to HEAS, but rather to bitterness and recriminations. Even though I'm not usually one of those people, I have to wonder about the message it sends: get knocked up, and the guy will love you and take care of you and your baby forever. Troubling. But day-um, if these stories don't just hit the spot sometimes. I'm sucked in wondering how she's going to tell him, how's he going to react, how, for jiminy's sake, are they going to make it work.

I finished Familiar Stranger by Michele Hauf. Am I becoming a Harlequin Junkie? This was good, very cute. I think the Nocturne line is starting to hit a nice stride. This one had a great heroine and a Jason Statham-like (in my mind anyway) hero. [OT: Did you know that Jason Statham's girlfriend dumped him for Billy Zane? Billy Zane?!] I liked the idea of two factions (The Cadre and P-Cell), who study paranormal entities and take very different approaches to limiting their presence on Earth. I also liked the odd world surrounding the Cadre's base. A bit heavy on the British-isms (cheeky bird, snog etc.), but being an Anglophile, I liked it. The romance seemed a bit rushed, but less so than many categories I've read. I'd give it a B-. Good (and kinda different) characters, interesting worldbuilding, entertaining story. I'll be reading the others. Check out the Dark Enchantments blog. Fun for crazy people like me who like to read about fictional characters as though they are real.

Click on the cut for pictures of me and the kids--
{Edited because I can't figure out the cut on the new layout and the pictures are slowing me down.}

Tired of Sex?

2007-08-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

What's that you say? Is it possible? Man, I think I've read one too many erotic romances that go something like this:

Hero and heroine meet. Wet, clenching pussies and rock-hard cocks ensue.
Although heroine and hero are not sure if they even like each other, they engage in some heavy petting, most likely at inappropriate time and place.
More heavy petting. Oral sex most likely occurs, and possibly intercourse.
Hero and heroine think about each other, realizing that feelings are involved. Hero wonders if he can ever meet another woman like this. [I agree, it might be hard to meet a woman who gives a blow job in the bathroom during a cocktail party so readily.] Heroine thinks there may be something about this man she will never find again. [Perhaps the huge, hard cock that can go for hours?]
More sex occurs. Perhaps some finger in the butt action. [Question: At what point in the relationship does one decide that finger in the butt action might be welcomed?]
They realize they're in love. The End.

Enough already. The sex is boring if the love story is all in the characters' heads. I need some sexual tension, some banter, some friendship. Interaction that doesn't involve bodily fluids. A relationship.

So I'm going for something different. I'm looking for some "Tender Romance," ending at the bedroom door. I'm hoping it'll be more satisfying. I'm thinking of some Harlequin Romance or Superromance. Anyone have any title/author recs?

OTOH, those new Spice Briefs are on sale for 99 cents. Never read any Sarah McCarty or Delilah Devlin. Hmmm...

I love stuff like this...

2007-07-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

Stolen from Anne at Let's Gab:

I'm doing this for me and the husband. My answers in pink, his in green.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current street name)
Molly Echo Lobo Echo

2. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your middle name) D'Gia R'Ant

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

Red Whale Green Dog

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Gianine Mineola Anthony Freeport

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom’s maiden)
Herdema Herriha

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The”, your favorite color, favorite drink)
The Red Pinot Grigio The Green Budweiser

7. NASCAR NAME: (the first name of your grandfathers)
Anthony Matthew

8. FUTURISTIC NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne and the name of your favorite kind of shoes)
Burberry Clogs Polo Timberland

9. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father’s middle name)
Marino Michael John Ann

Haiku Review Number 2

2007-07-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

One More Time by Claire Cross

Couple still in love,
No longer communicate,
After shock, he leaves.

Neither is honest,
With themselves or each other,
Flawed but warm story.

Comments from the Peanut Gallery:

My feelings about this book are similar to the ones I had about Double Trouble: that it was flawed, but enjoyable. Ms. Cross is a skilled writer, her books have a nice emotional depth. Like Double Trouble, One More Time deals with expectations, the high ones that people have of themselves and the ones they love. How sometimes these expectations can stifle a person. This is definitely a romance, with an HEA, but also a novel about marriage and family, learning to be honest with yourself and others, and how to live with others.

OMT is about Matt and Leslie Coxwell, who have been together eighteen years and have somehow lost what made them fall madly in love. After Matt loses a court case, with awful and unexpected consequences, he leaves Leslie, convinced that she doesn't understand him at all. He takes off for New Orleans, home of a sexy ex-girlfriend. Understandably, Leslie is hurt, angry and resentful. But they both have a lot of self-examination to do, figuring out where and how they went wrong, before they could come together.

This one definitely resonated with me (especially having some communication issues of my own), but it wasn't perfect. I found the characters unsympathetic at times. Matt had just been a huge trauma, but I was a bit confused about his motivations in going to see his old girlfriend. He was definitely still in love with Leslie, but then it seems like his intention was to get together with the ex. Leslie was a bit hard. There were reasons why, but she was frustrating at times. I would've liked a bit more romance, it was a bit "How Leslie and Matt got their Grooves Back." I'll still give it a B-. It was a satisfying, emotional read. Try it if you like stories about married couples.

The return of the review haiku

2007-07-29T13:43:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile, no?

Ghosts and Roses by Kelley St. John

Psychic Family,
Compelled to help troubled ghosts.
One plagued by hot dreams.

Gage must help victim,
Whose killer wants his dream girl,
Solid Blaze, fast read.

Comments from the Peanut Gallery: This book is saddled with the stupidest miniseries title evah: The Sexth Sense. Come on! I guffawed when entering it into Romantic Advances. I guess we should be happy the tagline wasn’t “I have sex with dead people.” But the description sounded interesting, and after reading the review at AAR, I decided to buy it. And it was pretty good, one of the best Blazes I’ve read. I polished it off on a round trip train ride to the city for Ellen S.’ thirtieth (So which is it? Filthy or Flirty? Happy Birthday!)

The miniseries concerns the Vicknairs, a family of Louisiana psychics who have been mandated by the family matriarch to help troubled spirits cross to the other side. Playboy ER physician Gage Vicknair’s most recent assignment is a murder victim who believes she was stabbed by the man who molested her and her three ‘sisters’ in a orphanage many years before. She needs Gage to help her warn and protect them. One of the women, Makayla Sparks, just happens to be the one Gage has been having intense sexual dreams about. But between her terrible past, and the present danger, they may not have a future.

I really dislike it when rape or sexual abuse is treated casually or carelessly in romance novels, and I was a bit concerned, given the high heat level and short length of the Harlequin Blaze. But St. John pulled it off satisfactorily, not giving the horror of the past short shrift. She made the whole “dream lover” device work too, which is kind of a cheesy one, by writing the heck out of the physical and emotional intensity for the two characters. The dream dimension angle provided a safe space for the heroine to explore her sexuality, and to try trusting a man. I wish Makayla had a little more character development than “former victim”, but there was quite a bit of plot going on here, too. I agree with the AAR reviewer that, after a pretty good amount of suspense, the ending kind of fizzled by making the characters seem, hmmm, not too bright. I’d check out St. John’s other work. The other ones in the series have ghosts as the love interest, which I’m not into, but there are another three interesting cousins, who I hope get stories as well. B-. Give it a go, if you like ghosts or psychics.

Finis...

2007-07-27T08:37:00.000-05:00

Done, done, done. Loved it. I laughed, I cried, it was better than "Cats." I'm actually feeling a little bereft that there is no more. I'm not going to write a review, because I find it rather difficult to think critically about these books. I'm not quite a rabid fangirl. If others offer up a critique, I can say, yeah, I guess I can see your point. I can see some things I find weaker in Ms. Rowling's writing. But quite simply, it doesn't matter. Rowling's writing is intricate and so...sensory? What would be the word? I can see it, hear it, feel it. Every time I opened the book, I got swallowed up in it. On Wednesday evening I stopped because I felt it was entering the end game. Sure enough, when I picked it up Thursday evening, I knew right away there was no way I was going to bed without finishing the book. The action really jacked up, and questions started to get answered.

Some things: I was surprised to find myself crying over a particular character, and crying hard. I really liked many things about the ending chapters: how different threads were finished, how different characters were used. My department head made the controversial decision to put all the books in YA, due to torture/violence. Any thoughts? I've got to run, but now I am free to blog hop. Mailyn and Margee, I'll be coming after you.

Happy Reading!

2007-07-21T23:19:00.000-05:00

Am off to read HP 7.

Don't do anything interesting while I'm gone.

Anyone, Anyone?

2007-07-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

So I spent the evening yesterday reading the conversation on Smart Bitches about the choice of a couple of authors to "dress up" for the RWA literacy signing. It was an interesting discussion, actually, and people had a lot to say (there are close to 100 more comments now than when I shut down last night). Can't decide if I can be arsed to check out the new comments. But while wading through 409 comments, I learned some new and fascinating things and my mind was sent on all kinds of tangents. Here are some things I am curious about:

**Two of the authors under scrutiny are Liz Maverick and Marianne Mancusi who dressed up in the style of the new, anime/manga inspired Shomi line. There was a lot of discussion about the appropriateness of the outfits etc. as well as the appropriateness of wearing said outfits to the events. I'm in the camp that doesn't find the outfits all that shocking. They remind me of something I would've worn for a party in college. All that's missing is some Wine with Everything lipstick and a Rolling Rock. The outfits are part of their marketing campaign to set the line (and themselves) up as the cutting edge of romance. They're aiming to grab that twentysomething demographic that's outgrown YA and disdains Romance. Mancusi and Maverick are calling themselves the Rebels of Romance. Now I am interested in the books (hate the covers), and will try it regardless, but I was surprised to find myself irritated. It bugged me. It seems kind of like this forced, we're cooler than you, cheesy thing. I think its the "rebels" thing that makes me want to sniff and say, "Poseur". A real rebel wouldn't call themselves a rebel. On the other hand, someone in high school would. So perhaps these ladies are just writing to an age group which I am no longer part of. Ehh, I don't really care, I like that someone's trying for something a little different. Didn't care for it though, and was curious if anybody else had a reaction.

**Why Trade? Seriously, I'm not being snarky, what is the point of the trade paperback? Why pay 13-15 dollars for a big paperback? How do they decide if an author will be published in MM, Trade or Hardcover? Is there a reason, publisher-wise for it? I figure there must be, but what is it?

**Dude, did you realize that there are sites that charge for reviews? Oh, I'm sorry, for "guaranteed" reviews. Wow...that's interesting. When I reviewed for SLJ, it was all volunteer reviewers, and I would imagine its the same for most of the other major review journals. Is it cool to charge for reviews? Now I spent all of ten minutes looking around Two Lips Reviews, and I haven't bothered to check out their fee structure. Perhaps it is very reasonable. But I did notice that for the most part it was erotic romance of the electronically published type. Probably doesn't get reviewed in too many places, and I would imagine any exposure is good for an author. I just don't understand the ire directed at bloggers who review honestly, if harshly, who do it because they love to read romance, but no one has a problem with the idea of someone taking money to write a bland, generic review? For the record, if anyone wants a review, I'll do it for free. I can't guarantee an A, but it'll be detailed enough that anyone will know exactly what worked and what didn't. I don't get a ton of hits, but I'm sure I could get my sister to link, and she gets lots of hits :) I was just surprised, and a bit dismayed. I thought people were joking about 4 wet thongs etc.

**This one has nothing to do with RWA, but sadly I can't stop thinking about it. Has anyone seen Rock of Love yet? Train-wreck compelling, for sure. I can't quite figure out what makes this one so much more depressing than, say, Flavor of Love or the one with Peter Brady and Adrianne Curry. That motley crue of chicks they've assembled is very sad. Most of them seem to be taking it deadly serious, and I think my dogs are smarter. At least he didn't keep the weepy, fall-down drunk on. Like I said, it's funny for now, but I'm definitely laughing at them, not with them, and I could see that getting old fast.

A Little Love in Space...

2007-07-17T14:11:00.000-05:00

So my low-grade cold has turned into a high grade cold. On the up side, I've gotten quite a bit of reading done. On the down side, I'm achy and cranky and almost had a throw-down with the children's librarian because H-Bomb was late for Storytime. Seriously, I'm still fuming a little bit, and that says a lot for her rudeness because usually fuckwittery rolls right off my back.

Now that I'm feeling a little bit better, I've been catching up on all the post RWA blogging. I'm surprised not to see a bit more about the decisions regarding RWA publisher recognition and PAN status(if you are interested, see here for more info). I think it's for the best though, if the people affected the most just ignore it. I doubt it would affect reader purchasing decisions, and epublishers are definitely here to stay. A quick glance at my 2007 list of reads shows that some of my favorites of the year are from E-Pubbed authors (Michelle M. Pillow), or authors who got their start with E-Pubs (Christine Warren, Linnea Sinclair). I've definitely read some mediocre or downright shitty e-published books, but for each one of those, there's a Pillow, or Bonnie Dee, or Joey Hill. And though the past couple of E-books I bought were disappointing, I had a happy surprise with my most recent impulse purchase from Samhain, Starkissed by Lanette Curington.

Now, I would be lying if I said that my attention wasn't piqued by the Poser cover featuring a reptilian alien and a bitchy looking brunette in an awkward embrace. And I would be lying if I said that my interest wasn't further piqued by Samhain's warning: Graphic sex between a human woman and an alien male who is anatomically different from human men! A quick mental inventory suggested that I hadn't read any books with human/alien sex. They're always humanoid. Well, what was I waiting for? I bought it immediately, and then was concerned that I let my prurient interests get the better of my good judgment. But it was good! Quite good!

Starkissed is the story of Leith McClure, a human woman, and J'Qhir, a Zi male. They meet during a trade that is supposed to take place between Leith's family's shipping company and J'Qhir, the Warrior (the protector, really) of his people. Each is surprised to find the other quite interesting, rather than disgusting. After the transaction goes wrong (due to a typically cartoony romance villain who wants REVENGE and is pissed Leith won't let him into her knickers), J'Qhir and Leith are kidnapped and abandoned on an uninhabited planet. The planet is a protected sanctuary of sorts, and so no one ever goes there. As the two try to survive, they find their initial fascination deepening into friendship attraction and more. But can their burgeoning love survive when they are rescued?

This one doesn't skimp on the relationship development. The hero and heroine are not only different species, they come from very different cultures, and it is very interesting to read how they try to understand each other's ways of thinking. J'Qhir's people, the Zi, are a very isolated and insular culture, governed by strict rules. He is a conservative fellow, with a strong sense of duty, honor and responsibility, and his struggle to come to grips with his intense feelings for Leith, so alien (heh) from all he has ever known, is rather charming. Leith is less vivid to me, pretty much a typical young woman, intelligent and a bit impulsive. All in all likeable, except for a few annoying moments toward the end.

Yes, J'Qhir is not human, but rather reptilian. He was different enough that I didn't feel the author was wimping out, but not so much that it was squicky (know what I mean?). The genitalia thing wasn't too creepy or anything. I liked that during the love scenes, they didn't suddenly become porn stars. Leith is a virgin (she's 21), and J'Qhir is very inexperienced, and the sex scenes reflected that, as well as their deepening feelings for each other. It was a natural extension of their intimacy, not just thrown in for the sake of titilation. Leith was a little more forward than might be expected, but it went along with their respective personalities, J'Qhir being a rather cautious fellow, and a product of a repressive environment.

In fact, so much time was spent on them getting to know each other, and getting past their differences, it slowed things during the middle section a bit. Also, as I alluded to before, Leith acts like an ass for a bit towards the end, wanting J'Qhir to read her mind, when he really ain't that type of guy (or critter). Luckily, that doesn't last too long. I would've liked an epilogue or something more at the end, because they had some obstacles facing them, and I wanted to know how it all turned out. Otherwise, this was an unusual and satisfying read, and one I'll be revisiting. A solid B+ for Ms. Curington. I'll be looking to see what else she comes out with.

Oh, and a big ol' thumbs up for Finders Keepers. I may not give it a full review, but it was very good. Linnea Sinclair rocks!

Becoming a Linnea Sinclair fangirl...

2007-07-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

I've been having a rough week. The combination of "women's troubles", a low grade cold, some upcoming things I've been trying to plan, and the fact that my kids, dogs and husband all seem to be conspiring against me, have made me a woman on the edge. Grumpy, achy, overemotional and exhausted. Each night I retired to bed with Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair, only to fall asleep 10 minutes later. My preliminary assessment? Pleasant, but not memorable. On Wednesday night I took the book to bed, expecting it to lull me into a pleasant slumber. All of a sudden, something clicked. The book just took off for me, and two hours later I forced myself to put it down. I didn't quite finish it last night, because I was really sleepy, but I look forward to getting back to it today. Ms. Sinclair writes great kick-ass heroines, with enough vulnerability to make them likable. I also love her uptight, arrogant, but secretly lonely and sweet heroes. The author doesn't skimp on plot either. She's quickly becoming a favorite. I had meant to post this a couple of days ago, but Ms. Sinclair is also quite kind to those of s who can't get enough Branden Kel-Paten. She has posted a number of snippets featuring the Games of Command characters over at Alien Romances.

Up next: Three books of very different genres, which all suffered similar afflictions: the sacrifice of character development and believable romance in pursuit of sexual content.

A Few Interesting Things...

2007-07-09T09:05:00.000-05:00

--Best e-card site ever: Some Ecards. Found at Kat O+'s blog. Great possibilities.

--How do you feel about Nut Cream as the title of a gay werewolf romance? Fabulous? Delightfully Trashy? In poor taste?

--Speaking of the gay, if I hear or read the phrase "It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," one more time, I may start throwing stuff. Yo, I know Adam and Steve. They've been together for 15 years, they have a well-appointed home in Chelsea, and they want to know why everyone keeps singling them out.[Okay, that's not true, but I wish it was, because that would be awesome.]

Seriously though, homophobic arguments might have a skosh more gravitas, if they didn't always trot out that old saw. Really, was it Adam and Eve? Was it? That one was tired by the time I was old enough to realize why Uncle Jimmy's "friend" got invited to go everywhere.

Okay, so that little rant was totally OT but I'm getting a cold, it's that time of the month, I have to bring the monsters to Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday party, and go to work tonight. I got no patience for fools today.

I don't remember what else I was going to mention. I really need a vacation.

Happy Birthday

2007-07-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

to Aunt Margee!

Yonda Lies the Castle of my Fodda: an original romance

Hark, is that a knight in shining armor I hear?

I hope it is Sir Go Diego Go.

It is I, Sir Cindy Crosby, come to sweep you off your feet. Marry me and we will rule together.

No way Dude, you just want my crown.

I will smite you and steal your outfit.

Haha, I am a feisty, crossdressing heroine, and I shall set off to find my true love, Sir Go Diego Go. Who knows what sort of adventures I shall find along the road?

To be continued...

I'll take a giant helping of douchebaggery...

2007-07-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

with a dollop of "Italian" machismo.

Hold the condom, please!

My reading mood has been capricious lately. Terribly so. One moment, I'm interested in a really meaty historical, the next I'm thinking of going for a Romantic Suspense, then I'm like maybe a light contemporary, then two hours later...well you get the idea. When I find myself suffering from a short attention span, I often find that reading a harlequin or a e-book hits the spot. Even if it's mediocre, there is often entertainment value to be had, for good or for ill, and it gets the reading mojo going again. Since Lucy Monroe has served me well in the past, I picked up her HP Pregnancy of Passion (Miniseries: Expecting! She's sexy, successful and pregnant!).

This was a rough go at first. I wasn't sure if I'd make it. We have Elisa, the illegitimate daughter of an American actress and a Sicilian businessman, who now lives in Italy and works as a jeweller. A year ago, she entered into an intense affair with her father's friend, Salvatore di Vitale, a security expert. It ended badly when she became pregnant and he rejected her, sure that the child was not his. Depressed and alone Elisa miscarries. Now having made the attempt to go on with her life, poor Elisa is in for an unhappy surprise, when Salvatore shows up at the behest of her papa, who fears that she is in danger (for reasons that aren't all that interesting, so I won't get into it).

Salvatore has been suffering from a bad case of Sicilian guilt and fears he caused Elisa's miscarriage. His solution: to marry her, of course. Even though Salvatore still believes she's a slut,'cuz her papa told him so. The man who saw her only during summers while she was growing up. But a Sicilian man must take the word of another Sicilian man, after all. And she turns him on so much, she must be a dirty whore. But he'll marry her, because he hurt her and he feels bad. Kill me now. I was hating this guy so much, I was blaming him for the damn miscarriage. It gets worse as the depth of his douchebaggery is revealed, because of course Pops wasn't calling his daughter a ho. Anyone with half a brain cell might've asked for clarification, rather than jumping to a nasty conclusion. And it turns out he made another bonehead move, which had me shaking my fist.

Our heroine Elisa is very unhappy with Salvatore's reappearance, but she still loves him, so she drops her drawers. And he takes the opportunity to try to knock her up again. I know, I know, sounds awful, but the book actually got better as it went along. Monroe does a very good job at showing that Salvatore is indeed, a dumb shit. She explains his reasoning without excusing it. Chalk it up to Sicilian this or that, it was a smokescreen to protect his feelings, and he effed up big time. Salvatore definitely shows geniune remorse as he realizes what a fucktard he was. And Elisa makes him suffer. But not enough for me. Although a good job was done explaining his actions, the hero was still too much of an asshole for me to really get behind the HEA. I will give it a C+ though, because at least I was able to understand Salvatore a bit by the end.

Challenge Roundup

2007-07-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

So I'm not so great with the willpower thing. Same reason I don't do diets. Also the same reason (during college) I would find myself swearing up and down that I'd never drink again, only to get stinky that very night. I read a grand total of 4 books out of the 20 on my list. Two others were DNFs, although I would not completely rule out attempting them again. In addition to that, I read three books that were not on the list (my bad), and bought 12 others (my very bad). Ah well, I think the act of listing them will help to keep them on my radar. I think I will be getting to some sooner rather than later though, in particular the Hoyt and Stacey books.

Man, summer is a busy time. I feel very behind on blog-hopping, as well as reading. Alas, lounging by the pool with a fun read is not an option for me. I glance at the other moms enviously as I chase the Destroyer. I think the lifeguard on duty at the kiddie pool cries inside when he sees us coming. No more staring into space, wondering which 7-11 parking lot he's going to hang out at tonight. The Destroyer is going to make him work for his pay as she throws herself under the water, flailing and choking and insisting that she can swim all by herself.

I'm getting excited for Harry Potter time. Both Book #7 and Movie #5. I have to see if my "Republicans for Voldemort" T-shirt still fits. We're doing a program at work, and I got drafted to help run it, ~~since I'm such a geek~~ since I'm full of brilliant ideas. There was a fun article in the local paper about the various theories and what has been debunked and not. Plus, a little crash course for those who don't care (although I can't possibly understand why you wouldn't).

For the past couple of days, Sybil has had the Shomi launch authors guest blogging. I think this line looks very promising. BUT, gotta admit I'm not feeling the covers. I'm not one for anime/manga. Don't have anything against it, but I don't have anything for it, either. The covers are too cutesy, to me. I hope it finds its intended audience, because the blurbs are pretty good. I particularly like the sound of Driven by Eve Kenin, who also writes historical Gothics as Eve Silver. Anybody out there read any of them? I haven't read a good Gothic in a long time. Anyway, go check it out. Sounds different.

Lightening my Load! (Part A)

2007-06-30T20:20:00.000-05:00

This will be here awhile. Scroll down for new reviews and stuff.

Recently, I've gotten into the habit of continually increasing my TBR pile. I'm constantly checking out books, buying from the UBS and library Friends shelves, buying new, then surfing the net and seeing e-books I want to. Meanwhile, books that I was excited to read get tossed into the milk crate while I go on looking for bigger and better things. Then I'm like, hey, didn't I want to read that? So, taking a cue from Ames (and I think someone else too), I'm setting myself a challenge. I'm not going to read anything new until I read these twenty books. Or at least give it the old College Try. If it just ain't happening I'll put it aside, but no more amassing until I'm done. This is gonna be tough, so let me see what happens in a month or so.

So here's the list:

1. ~~Beyond the Edge by Susan Kearney~~
2. Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
3. ~~The Power of Two by Patti O'Shea~~
4. Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell
5. 72 Hours by Shannon Stacey
6. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
7. Warrior or Wife by Lyn Randal
8. ~~Double Trouble by Claire Cross~~
9. Third Time Lucky by Claire Cross
10. One More Time by Claire Cross
11. All or Nothing by Claire Cross
12. The Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon
13. The Revenge of the Second Son by Sara Orwig
14. Twilight Magic by Shari Anton
15. ~~Mistress For a Weekend by Susan Napier~~
16. Midnight Eyes by Sarah Brophy
17. Summer Light by Jude O'Neill
18. Down the Garden Path by Dorothy Cannell
19. Love at First Bite by Sherrilyn Kenyon et. al.
20. Divine By Mistake by P.C. Cast

Purple means that I tried to read it at some point, then put it aside for whatever reason. Green means that these are old, old loves that I've been meaning to re-read to see how they stand the test of time.
I'm almost finished with No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong. I'm really enjoying it. I'm not going to read in any particular order, just whatever grabs me. But it must be off of this list. I do think I'm going to try the Susan Kearney next. I tried one by her before and it didn't quite work for me. But I thought she was worth trying again, and I'm curious about what an "Extreme Blaze" is. Extreme in what way?

Any thoughts, votes, comments? I wonder how many I'll read before the B&N gift card burning a hole in my backpack gets put to use.

Lightening my Load! (Part B)

2007-06-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

This will be here awhile. Scroll down for new reviews and stuff.

This time inspired by a post at The Good, The Bad and The Unread, I'm doing a giveaway. When my parents moved last summer, I absconded with many, many paperbacks of varying quality. I had originally planned on reading some of them and using them for the blog, and also selling some on Ebay. It's been nine months and I can't quite be arsed to do anything about them. But after reading the post and comments at Sybil's, I thought some of them might have nostalgia or amusement value for others. So, without further ado, here is my list of vintage romances up for grabs. For the most part they are paperback editions from the late seventies.
Barbara Cartland (from the Bantam Barbara Cartland Library)
The Tears of Love
The Penniless Peer
The Wicked Marquis
Call of the Heart
The Impetuous Duchess
The Karma of Love
The Bored Bridegroom
A Dream From the Night
The Cruel Count
The Elusive Earl

Harlequin Romances
My Heart's a Dancer by Roberta Leigh
That Man Simon by Anne Weale
Under Moonglow by Anne Hampson
Love's Sweet Revenge by Mary Wibberley

Signet Regencies
~~An Honorable Offer by Catherine Coulter~~
The Counterfeit Marriage by Joan Wolf

Harlequin Presents
by Anne Mather:
~~The Arrogance of Love~~
~~Forbidden~~
Rooted in Dishonour
Beware the Beast
by Anne Hampson:
Dear Plutocrat
~~Fetters of Hate~~
Passionate Involvement by Lillian Peake
Tidewater Lover by Janet Dailey

This is how it will work. If you are interested, comment and we will get in touch. Each commenter can have up to four. I will pay for Media Mail postage if you are in the US or Canada. If you live elsewhere, we will work together to come to a cheap solution we both like. If nobody wants any, I'll find some other use for them. Perhaps a cover collage.

Demon Moon by Meljean Brook

2007-06-29T20:29:00.000-05:00

Demon Moon by Meljean Brook
Every once in awhile a book comes along that makes you think the author may have written it just for you, so well does it push all of your buttons. Demon Moon was such a book for me. It's hard to write a review of a book you really liked. I don't want to sound totally gushing and fangirly. But I swear, this book had so many of the things I love, which is tough to find. An unusual (yet hot) hero, an intelligent, fully realized heroine, loads of internal and external conflict, as well as great emotional and sexual tension. It wasn't a perfect book, but I loved it. It just got the angsty romance bit so right, while still having a nice wit to it. It was a genuinely smart book, with a fast moving plot. Let's get to some specifics.

The Hero: Colin Ames-Beaumont is the oldest and strongest of his kind, after many vampires were wiped out in an attack. He is different from other vampires though. He can't feed others because his blood carries a taint. Thus, he has to drink from different human women each night. He also carries a curse which makes it impossible for him to see his reflection in a mirror. Instead, he catches a glimpse of Chaos, the horrifying realm above Hell. Colin is cursed, isolated and tormented, for sure. He can also kick ass, owns a nightclub, and wears leather pants at at least one point in the book. But this is where the similarity to other vampire heroes end. He doesn't particularly sweat who he is. He's still the handsome, indolent second son of a nobleman, after all. Colin is unashamedly vain and arrogant, sarcastic and superior. He is very smart and witty, and can come off like an asshole. And I loved him. I think it's the influence of too much Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, PBS Mystery and British mysteries (in general) growing up. Nothing revs my engine like an arrogant, witty, overbred Englishman. I think the reason I love heroes like this is because when they fall, they have far to fall, and the fall is hard, and it's bewildering to them (and highly entertaining for the reader). Colin just adores Savi, and is amused and fascinated by everything about her. There are a number of reasons they can't be together, but it's clear that's going to be a losing battle. He tries to keep away, and acts like a douchebag, and it's almost like he can't help himself, which I actually found kind of endearing. I just loved how in love he was. A great flawed hero.

The Heroine: Sometimes in romance, "geeky" or intelligent heroine are rather annoying and TSTL, but I really liked Savitri Murray. The techno-geek (and Hugh from Demon Angel's "sister") who invented the video game based upon Hugh and Lilith's past, she genuinely seemed like a smart, slightly eccentric twentysomething woman. She lacked the other characters' supernatural abilities (to start with, anyway) and fighting skills, but in her own arena she was very confidence. I liked her curiosity as well. Too often these human chicks just get swept off her feet by some sexy otherworldly dude, and don't ask enough damn questions! Her strong sense of responsibility to her Grandmother was another interesting trait. Having some close friends of Indian heritage, the doing the whole matrimonials bit, and the pressure to marry a fellow educated Indian rang true to me.
And man, she had it bad for Colin!

The Conflict: She's a human, and mortal, and he's not. Plus, even if she was turned into a vampire, Savi would not be able to feed from Colin because his tainted blood will kill her. He can't feed from her to often without seriously weakening or draining her. Savi would have to deal with Colin feeding from a parade of other humans. In Brook's universe, the need for blood and sex are tied (called "bloodlust"). After a certain point, the lust for sex as well as blood overtakes the vampire. Not surprisingly, Savi doesn't think she can handle Colin screwing other women. All this makes for lots of lovely angst, because these two are just so head over heels for each other, and they know it won't work, but they can't stay away from each other. They have a fun relationship, a real battle of wits. They can make each other laugh even when bad shit is going down. I liked the sense of friendship and appreciation that came through, as well as the desire.

Oh man, I'm sleepy. I had more I was going to write, but I have a feeling I'm just babbling and not doing the book any justice. But hopefully this expresses a bit of why I gave Demon Moon an A. As I said, it's not a perfect book. The worldbuilding is pretty intricate, and sometimes I had to stop and mentally review who was who and what was what, when I just wanted more Savi/Colin loving. Pesky thing, that plot, although I did enjoy the plot as well. This series is definitely worth a try, especially if you enjoy good characterization, writing that actually assumes you're intelligent, and something a bit out of the ordinary. I'm going bye-bye now.

Here an epub, there an epub...

2007-06-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

Everywhere an epub!

I've been following the folding of Triskelion with interest. Dear Author has been providing thorough coverage of the situation, as well as the implications for authors. I know so little about the whole business end of books, and I feel so bad for the authors, it just has me so darn curious. While reading the comments, several authors had mentioned electronic publishing companies that I had never heard of. I've purchased books from Samhain, Ellora's Cave, Liquid Silver, Loose-Id and Changeling Press (Shit, the covers are off putting at this site. Too bad, some decent authors, and heavy on the parnormal/fantasy). There are some others I had heard of (like Triskelion), but had never bought from. And now, some others I had never heard of? Just how many small romance-focused epubs are there? Investigating was in order. Because I'm a librarian, I am prone to information gathering and lists. So without further ado here is the list of new-to-me epublishers:

Amber Quill Press (Having a 25% off storewide sale, btw. The site is decent, i.e. the blurbs make sense. The covers aren't awful, except for a preponderance of eighties looking people.)
Cobblestone Press
Freya's Bower
Awe-struck
Champagne Books
loveyoudivine (Erm...are separate categories for "Tales of the Slave Girl" and "Erotic Power Exchange" really necessary? The brevity of the blurbs, plus the lack of excerpts makes me leery.)
Uncial Press
Mundania Press
Aspen Mountain Press
Phaze Books (An imprint of Mundania, upon closer look)
Extasy Books (Interesting logo, bad poser covers, their little bookshelf problem sounds troubling.)
Drollerie Press (I like the concept behind this one, we'll have to see how it turns out.)
Torquere Press--LGBT
Chippewa Publishing
Lady Aibell--Chippewa's Erotic Romance Imprint. There are some doozies of covers on this one too. Home of "Oklahoma Space Odyssey", one of my favorite Bam snarks ever. I think they did proofread the blurb a bit since then.

So what did I discover, besides the best author name ever (Trixie Stiletto), and some intriguing books? There's a shitload of e-pubs out there. I saw many authors whose names I recognize from blogs and other publishers. So feedback time--

Readers: Anyone ever read anything from any of these companies? How's the quality? Decent editing or no? Heard any buzz, good or bad?

If any writers pop by: Any experiences with any of these sites? Do they treat their authors well?

If anybody knows of another Epub that I left off, let me know and I'll add.

And the hits just keep on coming...

2007-06-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

To make a stupid story short, I whacked my head on my son's night table in the wee hours of Friday morning. Hard. Really hard. Like, maybe I should go to the ER--just in case--hard. But I didn't. I went to sleep on the floor next to H-Bomb's bed, woke up, dragged myself back to my own bed, then woke up feeling like I'd been doing shots of Stoli. The back of my head was incredibly sore and tender, but I also felt all headache-y and foggy. Maybe I should've gone to the doctor. Instead I lay on the couch with an icepack on my head and looked at random blogs, until I realized that staring at the computer screen might not be helping. I blame my mildly concussed state (rather than a lack of will power) on my impulse purchases from Samhain. [Sigh, at least I have a better idea of what's in the TBR now.] BTW, if anyone's interested in any of their most recent releases, they were 10% off at My Bookstore and More.

Felt a bit better on Saturday, but still desperate for sleep. I'm really behind on my blog hopping, but I ran across some interesting things this evening. There's a new group author blog, The Bradford Bunch, which looks to be interesting. I don't follow author blogs religiously, but I drop in from time to time, because they do have interesting topics and I like to see stuff from the author POV from time to time. The situation with Triskelion Publishing really stinks. I feel bad for the authors, who have not only gotten screwed financially, but the books they slaved over, some of which haven't even been published yet, will be in limbo for the forseeable future, from what I understand. This, from KarenS' blog, had me in tears, nearly, especially the bit where the woman wonders whether Karen is "that hag from Dear Author." (I love Jane!) To think I felt sorry for Carol Lynne! Be careful what you put out there, folks.

I think I had something else to say, but I don't remember. And I still need to write my Demon Moon review. But I need to sleep more, methinks.

It's Not Easy To Satisfy Me

2007-06-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, the whole challenge thing is just not working out. I'm going to plug away for another week, but I guess I just can't be arsed. I've tried a couple that just aren't grabbing me. That's kinda why they were in still in the TBR milk crate to begin with. I'm starting to think that it wasn't a case of "It's Not You, It's Me" after all. I did find time to read Demon Moon, and am currently mentally composing a rambling review full of gushing and squeeing, to hopefully go up tomorrow. It took me awhile to read, but it was because I was delaying the gratification, not that I couldn't get into it.

I've been a bit scatty in general. I was in the mood to change the blog, and spent the day trying out new ones. I couldn't make one myself, but I have very definite ideas about how they should look. I love the ones at Pannasmontata Templates, but the one I wanted was too dark. I wanted light and bright. Then there was one from Finalsense, but the font didn't stand out from the background enough, and the sidebars were too narrow. Then I was feeling pink, so I was poking around Blogskins. There was some neat and creative stuff, but a lot of it was very...busy. This is what I've settled on for now. I like the colors and the sidebars, but it's a little plainer than I wanted. Ho hum, just can't settle on anything.

I've been on a decluttering kick, so I took a bag of books to the UBS. Yeah, I'm really not sticking with the no new books thing. I ended up taking ten books home (Five dollars total). It was a good thing that the Destroyer kept trying to escape out the open front door, or I'm sure I would have spent more. It looks like the shadiest place on the planet, but it's got a great selection. I went a little wild with the Harlequins. I have such a weird relationship with Harlequins. I find so many of them disappointing, but they always sound so damn good when I read the blurbs. I ended up putting some back.

Here's what I got:
The Might Quinns: Ian

Coming Undone by Stephanie Tyler (Cute Butt!)

Release by Jo Leigh

Pregnancy of Passion by Lucy Monroe

The Prince's Virgin Wife by Lucy Monroe ("...Being naked in the prince's bed is no longer a firing offense--it's a requirement!"<gasp!>) Wait a second...some places consider that a firing offense?

Unforgiven by Lindsay McKenna

Crazy Cool by Tara Janzen (Already read it, but I needed to own it!)

Fool for Love by Eloisa James (Read this one too, but needed it.)

Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale (With Fabio Cover!)

A Woman Scorned by Liz Carlyle

Phantom Waltz by Catherine Anderson

More books to fill the milk crate!

Four down, Sixteen to go...

2007-06-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

HP the way it oughta be!

Mistress for a Weekend by Susan Napier

The two haiku review:

Nerd and the tycoon,
Corporate Espionage,
Or just a big klutz?

Weekend together,
He will find out. Fun banter,
characters, dumb end.

Comments from the peanut gallery:

Aside from Lucy Monroe, my previous HP experiences have fallen short. Instead of the titillating, glamorous cheese I expected to devour, they were a chore to finish. I'm going to add Susan Napier to the list of HP authors to read. I enjoyed this one. I liked the hero and heroine, and the banter between them and the growing tension were great. The big issue was the weak ending. I hate it when books fast forward and we're supposed to just believe that their relationship developed in the meantime. From what we did see, they seem like they are at the start of something big, but a marriage proposal? It seemed silly and tacked on. C+ for the ending and the stupid title. Will someone please explain to me the Harlequin/Silhouette obsession with the word "mistress"? They seem to use it interchangeably with "lover" or "f***buddy." What makes someone a mistress, and why does every other heroine have to be one?

Okay, okay I admit it!

2007-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday, and bought two books, which I wasn't supposed to do until the end of the month. But I get these weekly emails from Harlequin, and I always read them. And every once in awhile there is a book that I decide that I simply must have. Such was the case yesterday. I remembered that I had a B&N GC, so off to the store I ran, not wanting to miss it. You, know, with these Harlequins, they're only available for a limited time. It took two hours, tops, to read, but I'm feeling a bit guilty that I cheated on my challenge. But let's get to the two haiku review.

Fortune's Forbidden Woman by Heidi Betts

Step-sibling tension,
Wanting each other for years,
Him: cold, her: awkward.

Insecure female,
asshole male are among flaws.
But it was yummy.

Comments from the peanut gallery:

Yes, this was the book that I broke my challenge for. Was it worth it? Yeah. This was angsty, melodramatic, cheese at its best. Stepbrother and sister secretly in love with each other for years? He treats her like dirt because he feels guilty? She's still a virgin because she can't get him out of her head? Tawdry. Sign me up please! It wasn't without its flaws. The heroine's overriding character trait was being awkward and insecure, not the most attractive. The hero was a bit of a douche, and he was one of those mood swingy, "I won't, I won't, I won't, no, I will" types. But it was delicious, sexy and emotional and intensely readable. It gets a B- for keeping my interest and not making me roll my eyes too much. I devoured it. And for a yummy dessert I polished off an HP, which did come off of my list. Two books in one day! Review to come later.

Three down, seventeen to go...

2007-06-10T07:48:00.000-05:00

The Power of Two by Patti O'Shea

A two haiku review--

Soldier and Tech Geek,
Bound together by implants,
Partners on missions.

They meet, sparks fly,
Love blooms in time of danger,
Strong start, weak finish.

Comments from the peanut gallery:

This book started off great. I liked the idea of the quandem: a female anchor and a male recep, each fitted with a set of neural implants through which they can pass intel and communicate while the recep is out in the field and the anchor in front of a bank of computers. The book sets up an interesting future world which is refreshingly lacking in incomprehensible future speak. I liked the heroine Cai, a super intelligent computer nerd who lacks social skills and confidence. She could be quite kick ass, but also knew when to defer to the expertise of her partner, Special Forces Captain Jacob Tucker. I liked Jake as well, although I thought he got over the fact that she was a human rather than a computer rather quickly. Even though these two begin the book with an established relationship of intimacy and trust, when they finally meet in person, the tension is delicious. I quite enjoyed the banter and head butting that ensued.

Unfortunately, the book kind of fell apart for me. I thought that they were going on some mission to capture a rebel leader named Banzai Maguire (Awesome name, btw. I'm changing the Destroyer's name to Banzai, because that's what she's shouting inside as she leaps off the couch wearing nothing but a pair of Fairy wings). I was intrigued by this Banzai, a woman who had come from 175 years in the past. Was she a rabble rouser? Did the country need to be reformed? Was the man with her brainwashed, as thought by the military? As it turns out, this was just an excuse to get Cai into the slimy villain's compound to save her parents, a much less compelling story, IMO. Banzai does get captured in the end, but there is nary a face to face encounter with her. As it turns out this was #4 in a series. I guess the series has to be read in order, because this one felt very disconnected to me. You don't want an info dump, but I had little idea of the greater canvas. And was it ever explained why anchors are always female, receps always male? This gets a C+. I enjoyed the characterization and relationship development, and despite the many questions I had (or perhaps because of them) I want to seek out others in the series.

Calling all authors!

2007-06-09T20:38:00.000-05:00

"Just because it's free, don't mean it's no good", as my sister used to say. (A free book to anyone who knows the original source of that quote.)

Romantic Advances News from Sybil:

As you know we are in beta and while doing the design it made sense to put the ad space in now vs try and fit it in later. Since we are a new site and something of an untried idea it doesn’t seem right for us to open the site and charge for ads.

But we have received quite a few emails asking what to do to place ads (you guys rock!). So we brainstormed and came up with a plan. We will give the ad space away and how better to do that than a contest?

How do you enter this nifty contest you ask?

You send in your ad to romantic.advances@gmail.com. The size needs to be 200 x 350. And we will pick three to ‘win’ the ad space. We will do this for the rest of June and most likely July. Depending on the response we may continue and give away a spot or two per month but you know, we are in beta and all things are subject to change.

The first batch is due by Friday June 15, 2007 @ midnight and will begin running by Monday June 18 and will run for the week. We will be judging based on appeal to the reader (that’s us).

I am sure I am forgetting all sorts of stuff I should tell you, so ask any questions you like!

Good Luck!

This is a great, free opportunity to promote your work! Remember also that if you are published with an RWA recognized publisher, you can submit your book's information to Romantic Advances for posting. While RA's primary focus is to be an information resource for romance readers, I think it is also an easy way for newer authors to get their stuff out there to those who don't comb blogs and epublisher websites. See here for more info.

two down, eighteen to go...

2007-06-09T09:56:00.001-05:00

Double Trouble by Claire Cross

ETA: an actual review. Oops! I accidentally published.

Two sisters. One disaster.

First things first: I’m the bad twin. While my sister, Marcia, has the perfect family in the perfect suburb, I’ve been making my living as an Internet advice columnist and designing Web sites in my downtown loft. I always thought I had the right answer - and hair color - for any occasion. That is, until Marcia ran up loads of debt and ran out on her husband and kids, and I was left helping to pick up the pieces.

Her husband, James, is a lawyer who I hate on principle alone. But for a guy who’s just lost his job, his marriage, and his expensive toys, he’s keeping it together - and making me rethink my feelings toward him. It’s not that he’s traded in his conservative suits for sexy jeans. It’s that he’s not giving up what’s important to him, and oh baby, I’m a sucker for a guy who hangs tough.

That doesn’t mean I’m ready to step into Marcia’s designer shoes now that she’s gone AWOL. And it doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for James’s easy charm...not again, anyhow. Besides, I’ve had a lifelong policy of not being mistaken for my twin and I’m not backing down on that one now - no matter how convenient it might be for a certain sexy (and persuasive) man...

I'm not up to summarizing. DT was, for me, a book which had flaws, but worked very well in spite of it. Every problem or question I had was adequately explained or solved, and the few issues that remained didn't really matter, because it was such an involving and enjoyable read.

The basic premise of the free-spirited heroine and the uptight hero is one that I am always drawn to. It always seems like it could be exciting and sexy and a nice twist on the bad boy/good girl plot. Unfortunately, in romanceland, an independent or idiosyncratic woman is often characterized as self-centered, bitchy and judgmental. At first I thought that Maralys O'Reilly was going to be a heroine in this vein. The Boston computer programmer grated on me with her insistence on independence and her "unconventional" lifestyle, meaning she dyes her hair a lot. But as the book unfolds , the reader gets to know Maralys a lot better (it's from her p.o.v.). How she would like to see herself, and how she really is, are two different things. And they are also very different from how her family sees her. She ends up being very likable and sympathetic. She is someone who has had to build a hard shell around her because of events and treatment in her past, but underneath she is a very caring person. I was so pleased to see her get her HEA.

I was also concerned that the hero was actually her twin's husband. I thought it had some squick potential. James was a great hero though, and given what happens to him, i.e. the fact that his self-centered bitch of wife took off after practically bankrupting him, I got over it quickly. James is strong, kind, empathetic and intelligent. Totally dreamy, and the chemistry between James and Maralys was great. I would've liked to see some flashbacks or something, to better illustrate the dislike that was supposed to have existed between them over the years. But there was some great tension between them. It's clear from the start that Maralys' distaste for her brother-in-law is not what it seems. There is a surprising twist that really upped the emotional ante for me. I don't want to give it away, but it was painful and revealed a lot about the two of them, as well as the missing wife, Marcia.

The supporting cast of characters was interesting and sometimes surprising as well: Maralys' crochety Dad, James' not-annoying children, her group of girlfriends, even her twin sister. This book was about family and familial expections: how they shape a person, how they shape a person's self-image, and how hard it can be to subvert them. It takes awhile for things to develop (the characters, the backstory), which gave me a feeling of disjointedness at first. When the full picture became clear, that feeling went away. I found this to be a sweet and emotional read.

Hmmm...other things. I wasn't thrilled by some of the netspeak, which I found a bit forced and cutesy. This book was originally published in 2002, so at that point it may have been a bit different, but I found it unnecessary. The sex scenes were very brief, just barely getting through the bedroom door, which is bad or good depending on your preferences. I'm going to give this a B, and I'm keeping it. I recommend it for someone looking for a straight-up contemporary that is a bit different, and bit surprising, and more focused on emotion than sex.

Everybody Join Hands...

2007-06-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

board the L.U.R.V.E. Train!

I won a copy of Demon Moon! Yay! Meljean Brook left a comment mentioning that no one had nominated their own sexiest vampire alive yet, and I thought to myself,"Self, who would be better equipped to come up with a vamp than you?" But who to pick? Kiefer Sutherland in "The Lost Boys"? Max Schreck in Nosferatu? Vishous? Spike? Edward from Twilight? Glenn Danzig? But then I thought to myself what vampire commonly starts young ladies down the road to romanticizing creatures of the night? And an idea was born. (Or rather ganked from my sister.)

Without futher ado--

Dear People Magazine,

Meljean Brook wants us all to take a ride on the L.U.R.V.E. Train, and is nominating Colin Ames-Beaumont as the "Sexiest Man Alive (and Undead)" for 2007. Because Colin's picture can't be taken, she is submitting evidence in the form of her book, Demon Moon, and a long PDF excerpt.

But, come on! Everyone knows that Count Von Count is the sexiest vampire alive (or undead, anyway). He's great with kids, which is sexy. He's also good with numbers, which means he'd probably be good with money, and stay financially stable. And that accent! That laugh! Sends shivers down the spine. The Destroyer loves him, and she's a tough sell. He's got to be the most beloved vampire ever. Thus, I nominate for your consideration the Count Von Count for sexiest man alive (and undead), for his charm and his hard work teaching children numbers and making vampires lovable.

Living and Undead Readers for Vampire Equality

Join the L.U.R.V.E. Train - Because vampires are beautiful people, too.

(Want to join the L.U.R.V.E. Train? Nominate your own vampire, win books and Amazon gift certificates? Climb aboard here.)

Enter your own nomination! She's giving away lots of stuff!

Sigh...

2007-06-04T13:16:00.000-05:00

Perhaps this wasn't the best month to do a reading challenge. Reading is coming in a distant last to the usual family, home and work duties, getting my house back in shape post-construction, attempting to help out with Romantic Advances, trying to make my very first website ever (for my husband's karate school), and doing the occasional update and blog hop. I've read one more book, Double Trouble by Claire Cross, which I quite enjoyed and will review soon.

However, I've been thinking about preposterous plotlines. The other day, I began a Harlequin Blaze, and I became completely stuck on the setting of the book, a supposedly upscale, sex themed hotel for rich dilettantes, with armoires of sex toys in the rooms, and an erotic lounge for indulging one's pervy tastes. Wh-what? You know what three words come to mind? Used sex toys. I am expected to believe that those with too much money and time on their hands would frequent some kind of sex-themed tourist attraction, and risk ending up on Page Six of the Post? Some sort of top secret, members-only sex club featuring all sorts of debauchery is one thing, but the Plaza with dildoes? I don't think so. I was pondering whether or not I'd be able to go through with it when I realized that it wasn't on my list, after all. So I brought it back to the library. Phew.

I can't resist....

2007-06-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

Something as fun and loopy as this. From Meljean Brook's blog. I really want this book, already.

Dear People Magazine,

Every November, you come out with your "Sexiest Man Alive" issue; every spring, you print your list of the "World's Most Beautiful People."

But in 2007 -- for the last two hundred years -- the sexiest man and the most beautiful person has been ... a vampire.

George? Pffft. Brad? Come on! Jude? ...no.

Why isn't it that Colin Ames-Beaumont hasn't graced your cover? Is it simply because his picture cannot be taken? (He's so beautiful a blank cover with just his name on it would make your readers drool.) Because he usually only comes out at night? (How is that different than Johnny Depp?) Because you think he hasn't bared his assets for a Hollywood camera?

Are you afraid of his tainted blood? You shouldn't be: one look will not send you to the Chaos realm, surrounded by flying dragons and the screams of the damned. Only Colin sees that realm when he looks into a mirror -- it will not trouble you. Is it the woman he's falling in love with? Geeks need love, too, People Magazine -- a fact you have long overlooked (but that is another campaign to be won.)

Is it the fear that if you met him in a dark alley, the words "Oh my God you're so beautiful!" would hardly be past your lips before he had you up against the wall for some hot sexing that you wouldn't remember the next day?

No; none of those things are true impediments to being called "the sexiest" or "the most beautiful". I think the problem is that you've been stuck on one pesky little word in the "Sexiest Man" title: Alive.

But there are those of us -- readers and authors, geeks and norms -- who know that Undead can be just as sexy as Living. And we've got hundreds of paranormal romances to prove it.

So I'm beginning my campaign to get a vampire on the cover of your magazine. To no longer be forced to stare longingly at men who can't read my mind. Men who can't use a sword. Men who can't wear satin-lined capes and look good doing it. I'm calling for all readers, living and undead, to fight for vampire equality.

And I'm nominating Colin Ames-Beaumont to the be first representative of the "Sexiest Man Alive (and Undead)" for 2007. What separates him from other vampire romance heroes, you wonder? He's strong, as they are. He sucks blood, as they do. He's got out-of-control sexual appeal, as they do. But there is one thing, People Magazine, that makes Colin stand out from the rest of the vampire heroes.

Colin ... is blond.

But do not take my word for it; judge for yourself. And because he is cursed, unable to see his reflection or to have any pictures taken, the only proof I can offer is in Demon Moon. The book cover cannot do him justice -- you must look inside. Want a peek? The first four chapters are here. Or you can buy it at Amazon (it is available June 5 in stores everywhere).

Sincerely,

Meljean Brook

Living and Undead Readers for Vampire Equality

Join the L.U.R.V.E. Train - Because vampires are beautiful people, too.

(Want to join the L.U.R.V.E. Train? Nominate your own vampire, win books and Amazon gift certificates? Climb aboard here.)

It Takes a Village...

2007-05-30T07:57:00.000-05:00

of bloggers.

Excellent Website Alert!

Do you enjoy browsing the Internet, examining author, publisher, and bookstore websites,looking for upcoming books that you just have to have? Is your wish list bigger than your TBR pile? Then you must take a look at Romantic Advances, by readers (and bloggers), for readers.

The brainchild of Jane and Sybil, and ably assisted by a team of brilliant bloggers, RA is the place to go when you want to figure out what to read next. Go to Dear Author for more details, then go forth and take a peek. Jane the coding queen has been working around the clock, and credit must go to Jennie and her very creative Twin for the logo design and nifty button. We are definitely under construction, and open to input and suggestions.

Building the TBR mountain, One book at a time.

Later!

Contest Time!

2007-05-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

Demon Angel by Meljean Brook was one of my favorite reads so far this year. I'm looking forward to Demon Moon, coming out next month, which features fabulous (in a totally non-gay way) vampire, Colin Ames-Beaumont. I was alerted by KristieJ to a fun contest Ms. Brook is doing at her blog. See here for a glimpse into Colin's psyche. I love stuff like this. Anyhow, to be entered into a contest (three free books!), you must answer seven of the questions in the comments or on your own blog. So here I go--

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I'm finally (after many years) able to admit to myself that I have passive-agressive tendencies, which is something I hate.

6. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
There is this certain combination of arrogance and stupidity that I often encounter that drives me insane. You know, people who have no idea what they are talking about but are absolutely convinced that they are right.

10. On what occasion do you lie?
I have the deplorable tendency of lying to my son when I want him to go to sleep. "Dad went to New Jersey, that's why he can't come upstairs", "The television's broken", "Aunt Margee will buy you a pony if you just go to sleep." Horrible, I know.

13. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
From a quick scan of the blog: "fabulous", "meh", "apprehensive", "I can (or can't) buy...", "hot", and I'm sure there are many more.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Totally cheesy, but my kids. All else pales in comparison to their awesomeness.

24. Where would you like to live?
Steps from the beach somewhere in the Northeast. Perhaps in NH or RI.

29. What do you most value in your friends?
I don't know how to put it, but people who are "real." People who are just themselves, with real opinions, and interests, and who have something to say. So many people bore or annoy me, and I know I'm horrible for saying that. They don't have to have anything in common with me, they just have to be themselves, not fake or banal.

One down, nineteen to go...

2007-05-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

A two-haiku review of Beyond the Edge by Susan Kearney

Poor Little Rich Girl,
Meets Time Cop from the future,
On a tough mission.

A race against time,
Yet he finds time for sex games,
Hot sex, meh plot.

Comments from the Peanut Gallery: The sex scenes were hot, I'll give you that. Even though this was apparently the first "Extreme Blaze" I was still a bit surprised by the frank exploration of a dominant/submissive relationship. Nothing too freaky-deaky, more of a lie-back-and let-me-pleasure-you-as-I-wish sort of thing. Hot. So hot that I was distracted whenever the book returned to the "plot". It was like, "What are they talking about again?" Seriously, the plot was so wafer thin that I barely paid attention.The heroine, Fallon, was pleasant enough, as was the hero, Kane Kincaid (awkward name), although he remained rather enigmatic, almost to the point of being cardboard. In no way, did I believe these two fell madly in love within the week they were together. Had a rockin' good time, yes, twu wuv, no. Lots of time-travel and future technology clap-trap. One eye-roller (spoilers ahead): Kade came to the present carrying technology that can clean and shave a woman head to toe, body-paint her, and create the iluusion of clothing, but he can't put a condom in his pocket? They're too busy playing psychological sex games to use BC, so Fallon gets pregnant within their handful of days together. Not only that, her condition is detected during a physical exam, within days of conception. Whatever.

Hot Sex+Weak Plot+Not buying the HEA=C-. Not awful, but kinda silly, and slow (when they're not getting it on.

No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

2007-05-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

Kelley Armstrong is a longtime favorite of mine, and an author I'd immediately recommend to anyone who is apprehensive about reading anything paranormal. I think she's a great writer, with a crisp style, strong characterization, and well moving plots. Her books have a nice blend of the supernatural, mystery and a dollop of romance. Unlike the other writers she's compared to, Armstrong shifts protagonists/narrators from book to book. The shifting point of view works well, as we get to know characters little by little, until they get their turn to speak.

I was apprehensive about an entire book from Jaime Vegas' point of view. Jaime is a necromancer, that is, she can see and speak with the dead, as well as raise and banish spirits. She seems kind of flaky and insecure and makes her living doing stage shows a la John Edward, putting grieving folks "in contact" with dead loved ones. I never warmed up to her all that much and didn't like her mooning over Jeremy. Jeremy Danvers is the Pack Alpha (top dog werewolf), and one of my favorite fictional boyfriends. He's a different kind of Alpha: reserved, quiet, and controlled, but kind. He's also kinda mysterious and delicious. I wasn't too sure she deserved him, and would've preferred seeing him with a different sort of woman. Like say, a suburban mom/librarian, with newly reddish brown hair and a predilection for cardigans and early nineties alternative rock. But C'est la Vie.

No Humans Involved turned out to be one of the strongest in this series (along with Bitten and Industrial Magic), in my opinion. It revolves around a television special that Jaime is to star in, along with two other mediums. Their mission: to raise the spirit of Marilyn Monroe. While trying to navigate the wacky world of Hollywood types, Jaime is also growing nervous about aging and what it means for her career (there's always someone younger and cuter just around the corner) and her talents (many necromancers end up insane). She's also excited and aprehensive about Jeremy's impending visit. Does it mean that he possibly returns her feelings and is willing to take their relationship to another level? Jaime soon discovers that much more disturbing things are afoot at the Brentwood house where the special is being filmed than manipulative directors and spotlight hungry spiritualists. With the help of Jeremy and others, Jaime has to find out what is causing the strange experiences she's having in the back garden.

I don't completely love Jaime now, but I found her dilemma interesting: a woman in her early forties who has been on stage her entire life, only now starting to wonder what she really wants out of life. Her sense of self worth is so deeply tied to her success as a performer (thanks to a bitch of a stage mother), Jaime is only now realizing that she has more to offer the world. She is kind of insecure, but also practical. She knows the ways of the world and how to use them to help herself (without hurting others). I did love seeing Jeremy from her point of view. We usually see him through the point of view of characters who see him as a father figure. His whole life has been shaped by an almost crushing amount of responsibility (for his father, Clay, Elena, the Pack), and he, is now starting to think about life apart from all those responsibilities. Jaime and Jeremy have a mature relationship. And pretty hot too. I want to see more of them. Love Jeremy. Love.

The mystery was good and creepy, with some unsavory villains. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. I like Eve and Kristof, and was glad to see them helping out. Hope and Karl were the high point of last year's Dates From Hell anthology. I liked seeing more of them. I believe Hope will be the next protagonist, and I can't wait. I love grey-area type characters and Karl definitely fits the bill. Hope does also but her leanings toward the dark side are beyond her control, the legacy of her Chaos demon father. Should be some interesting internal/external tension.

A- for you Kelley Armstrong. Minus is because I just don't love Jaime as much as others, and I missed Paige, Lucas, Elena and Clayton. If you've read others in this series, you will enjoy this, and if you haven't, go get one. Really. Now. Start with Bitten.

**Questions I am pondering--Should Apolo have beaten the Fat One? Was the last episode of Veronica Mars a stunning return to the series' noir roots or a disappointing attempt to do so, with little closure? How long will I be sad that both shows are gone? At least Dancing with the Stars will get another season and who knows, perhaps Enrico Colantoni will be a contestant.

Throw your bra at me...

2007-05-21T14:06:00.000-05:00

...I'm the Featured Fangirl at Sportsquee! Pretty exciting, given that I'm totally uninterested in sports. Even when I'm trying to pay attention, the mind wanders. I usually look at sports events as an excuse to eat hot dogs and drink (then again, I look at most things that way). Check it out, Sportsquee rocks!

In brief...

2007-05-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

I'm watching Howard the Duck. It's a lot worse than I remembered. It was that or Pee Wee's Big Adventure. It's 80's nostalgia night on cable apparently, because First Blood is on too.

I've been all caught up in the newest kerfuffle, rubbernecking as per usual. The comments are flying fast, I can barely keep up. At least some good has come out of this all. Of course by this I mean Mrs. Giggles' Blog Drama Drinking Game. Excellent! Too bad I don't drink no more.

I've been wanting to review Kiss Me Deadly, a novella by Shannon Stacey. I won a download by her at Sybil's, and she was nice enough to send me two!! KMD takes place at the isolated cabin of Bridget Sawyer. When a raven flies into her bedroom, she doesn't realize that it is a messenger of Death, and a sexy shapeshifter. Khail is stunned when she doesn't die, and intensely drawn to Bridget. The two of them want to explore their attraction to each other, but Bridget was marked to die, and the other ravens want to carry out their duties.

This one was okay. I liked the idea of Death as an unkindness of ravens (love that phrase), and the idea of these two stuck in the cabin while the ravens circle the house and tap on the windows, a la The Birds. But it suffers from the curse of the erotic romance novella: how to get two strangers fizz-nucking quickly and also to have feelings develop between them believably. There was definitely a touch of the bamp-chicka-wow-wow factor. A bird shows up in your house, turns into a naked, hot dude, and you're getting it on with him in a matter of hours? Hmmmm...The heroine had isolated herself in the mountains to escape an abusive ex-husband, and memories of a horrible childhood. This made it even rougher for me to believe she'd hop into bed with random werebird so quickly, no matter how undeniably drawn they were to each other. However, I liked Ms Stacey's style of writing, in particular the dialogue and characterization. There were some moments that did reveal a nice chemistry between the two leads. Although I'm giving this a C because I was not able to buy it completely, I am looking forward to reading her 72 Hours. I would imagine that without the length constraints, she will be able to flesh (heh) out the characters and relationship quite nicely.

Okay, now for a very short review of No Rest for the Wicked, by Kresley Cole. In fact, it is a not one, but two Haiku review. Here goes:

Sebastian, sad vamp,
Kaderin kills vampires dead.
Can she be his Bride?

Fast pace and great sex,
Talisman's Hie was cool,
Bitchy chick, hot guy.

For more on this series, see here. I like the array of creatures included. The Valkyries are still kind of annoying, but Cole does soulmates well. I give it a B. For a fun review, which does a great job of illustrating the book, check out the video review at Dear Author.

Catching up with series books, part two...

2007-05-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

All Together Dead is the seventh book in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series, featuring telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse. I enjoy this series quite a bit. I like the tone and the main character,so different than the sometimes manufactured "edgy" "urban" "attitude" (blah, blah, blah) of so many other vampire series. In the further adventures of Sookie and friends, we have now finally reached the vampire summit hinted at in the last two books. Sookie is being paid to be there by the Vampire Queen of Louisiana to act as a sort of human lie-detector. Eric Northmann, the vampire sheriff who shares a complex relationship with Sookie (Eric+Sookie 4eva!) will be there, as will asshole vampire ex Bill, and current beau, the weretiger Quinn (Billy Zane, get outta my head!). Most of Sookie's friends and family are very unhappy with her increasing involvement in the Vampire world. But she's getting paid quite a bit of money, and the girl needs it. Yet again, Sookie is going to find herself up to her armpits in dead bodies, deceit, plotting, general vampire weirdness, and males of various species trying to get with her.

I enjoyed this one more than the previous couple of books, I think because it was more focused on the vampires (Surprise, Surprise!) I just like her vampires, some of whom are big, muscular and gorgeous, and others who are short and dorky, or have names like Cindy Lou or Jodi or Fred. They're pretty dangerous and not very pleasant, for the most part, with values and social mores quite different from humans. In the previous book, Harris thinned the herd of Sookie's suitors somewhat. I appreciated the increased focus on Sookie's involvement with the vampire world, rather than on Sookie's love life. It's pretty much down to Quinn and Eric. I'm stumping for Eric, and there were some interesting developments in their relationship. This one was full of plot and world building, and the insight into the strained relationship between the vamps and humans was interesting. I felt that the villains and some of the events were highly foreshadowed, which made the characters seem a little slow. But the story kept my interest very well. I'm not as invested in this series as I am in others, which is good, because one can only be psycho about so many fictional characters. So I'm willing to see where Harris takes Sookie without sweating it all that much either way. Her journey has been a fun one so far. A B for this one.

Right now I'm reading No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole. So far, so good. After that, I'm gonna hit Dark Need by Lynn Viehl, another Darkyn book. The latter has one of my least favorite paranormal romance premises: the new love as a reincarnation of a long lost love, so I'm a bit apprehensive.

Catching up with series books, part one

2007-05-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit behind on reviews, and I've got several books I want to mention. Looking at my sidebar, I can't believe how long I've been in a paranormal mood. And it shows no signs of ending. Usually, as the days grow warmer, I start longing for something light and historical, you know, witty banter, aristocratic titles, house parties, walking gowns, ladies maids, compromising positions, that whole deal. But no, give me creatures of the night, and make it dark.

I recently finished The Demon You Know by Christine Warren. Ms. Warren has not updated her website in a looong time, despite my fangirly plea that she do so, if you want more info about the book than I'm going to give, click on the title for the Amazon link. This addition to "The Others" series takes place six weeks after "The Unveiling", during which the supernatural creatures have made themselves known to the unsuspecting, human public. Not surprisingly, the humans are having a bit of a rough time with this, and tensions are high. When a riot breaks out, shy, unassuming Abby Baker gets caught in the middle. Awkward, inexperienced and "plain" (a former Catholic School girl), the only remarkable thing about Abby is that she has one blue eye and one brown eye. Unfortunately, her mismatched eyes signify some sort of openness to the "Other" world, and in the thick of the riots a fiend named Lou takes the moment to make Abby his new residence. Abby soon finds herself in the thick of the supernatural world, and she doesn't think she likes it, espcially the tall, gorgeous, overbearing Demon named Rule, who wants the information that the fiend inside of her has.

This was another fun, fast paced romance, but I definitely found it to be weaker than the other two books I've read by Warren. I've noticed that this author likes her heroines strong and sassy, and I like the way she writes them, but in this case it didn't work so well. We are told how shy and mousy Abby is, but then she's all mouthy and confrontational with Rule. Now I can imagine that being possessed must really stink, and that it would have an effect on one's personality, but her words and actions sharply contrasted with her description. She also exhibited some TSTL behavior. The chemistry between Abby and Rule was good enough. But Rule didn't quite work either. He was the strong, silent, but somewhat overbearing type, but almost to the extent where he lacked personality. I would've also liked to see the world of the demons fleshed out a bit more. Another concern: once again, an immortal character was paired with a mortal one, but the implications were not addressed, which places a damper on the HEA.

But the pace was good, and the story was interesting, and I liked many of the secondary characters old and new (Abby's older brother was good). So I'll give this one a B-,and I hope there's going to be more. There was no sneak peek, and since the site has been updated, who knows?

To Bamp-chicka-wow-wow or not...

2007-05-08T19:09:00.000-05:00

Or what I like and don't like about erotic romance.

For some reason, lately I've been pondering what makes certain books work better for me than others, from subgenre to subgenre. Erotic Romance is a genre that definitely sticks out. I can easily see the similarities between my favorites, and the things that make me cringe and groan may as well be written in neon.

Now, what I mean by erotic romance (as always, I am speaking only from my own personal experience), are e-published books which contain a number of sex scenes described in frank, explicit language. There are usually quite a few more sex scenes than in more "mainstream" romance, and acts are often included that you won't find on the regular shelves, like anal sex, bondage, and threesomes. Altogether more adventurous. There are certain things that I definitely like about erotic romance. I like there to be sex in my books as the physical expression of the hero and heroine's growing feelings. I also appreciate more straightforward language, as I'm not a big fan of grottoes of love and manroots. Pussy and cock, thank you very much.

But in order to accomodate the amped-up level of sexuality, authors often turn to certain devices that inspire the same reaction in me as when I'm watching a porno: uncontrollable laughter and cringing. Soon after the hero and heroine meet, they are undeniably drawn to each other, and the physical reactions begin. You know, the veritable waterfall from the heroine's nether regions, and the dick so hard it's gonna bust out from the hero's pants. You can hear that Bamp-chicka-wow-wow music begin, and you just know they're going to be getting it on soon, probably in an unusual location with the threat of being interrupted or discovered. But here's the thing: descriptions of biological reactions alone are not sexy if I don't really get why. That means some good physical description, some sparkling dialogue to reveal personality, etc. I've gotta want the hero and heroine to get it on. Just because the author tells me they want to, is not enough. There must be tension or emotion or something.

Many times authors have some kind of history between the hero and heroine, i.e. old friends, former lovers, work colleagues. Now this certainly makes sense, because if they know and care about each other already, the reader might buy their quick jump into the sack a little more. But sometimes this makes for an even bigger shortcut on the author's part. We get to hear about how often the characters think about/fantasize about each other (without glimpses of said thoughts and fantasies), and obligatory hardening and gushing, but the actual backstory is skimped on, as is any sort of character development or relationship development. It's just "Yes! We finally got to the fizz-nucking!"

I guess what I am saying is let me get to know the characters a bit, let me see their interactions, their chemistry (even if it's in dreams or flashbacks), so when we finally get to the no holds barred sexin', I'm interested. Otherwise, it's raunchy and boring. The books that have worked best for me, had characters that were neither cardboard nor blow-up dolls, and the connection between the two (or three) of them, was strong enough that I was excited to see them contort themselves and get up to wacky hijinks, rather than shaking my fist to the sky, angry once again at my impulsive purchase.

Attempting to keep it brief...

2007-05-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to get my reviews a little bit shorter. It's tough though, I've always got so much too say. Let's give it a go...

**Step into Darkness by Naomi Bellis, was new to me, though it came out last September. It is the author's publishing debut, and I checked it out based upon the intriguing cover and back blurb, which promised a slightly different historical setting (Georgian England/Revolutionary France) and a hint of the paranormal. Step into Darkness kept my interest pretty well, but a few things kept it firmly in the C range. The hero, "Gentleman Jack" Tremaine, is not actually a thief, but a spy. Sorry for the spoilage, but this is revealed rather quickly. I haven't read too much spy stuff, so the revelation didn't bother me, and Jack's spymaster was the most intriguing character in the book. Jack himself, and the heroine, Sarah, were likable but rather bland, as was their romance. I think they fell in love too quickly for my tastes. The tension had the potential to be really juicy, but it was defused too fast. The love scenes were rushed also, particularly the first one,which should've been a bigger moment. The idea of "The Circle", a group (or groups?) of European Aristocracy who have magic powers, was introduced, but not particularly fleshed out. Who were "The Circle?" Where did they come from? What could they do? What influence (if any) did they have on society? I was left with many questions. I'm not sure if some of the blandness and vagueness is due to this being the first in a series, or if it's due to Ms. Bellis being a novice author, but there was enough that was good to keep me from writing the author off. I'll give the next one a try at some point, see if it's a bit more developed or exciting.

**I finally read If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl. Ms. Viehl doesn't seem to have a website per se, but her blog is really interesting and has excellent resources for writers, especially. I had never read this series before, because I had read some mixed reviews. But I liked the titles and covers, and the descriptions sounded good. So I gave it a go, and I really liked it. I liked it so much that I dreamt that I was at Fortunoff's to get a dress for my sister's wedding, and there were used copies of all the books on a shelf, and in my haste to get to them, I knocked over a display of Lenox. Fortunoff's sells neither dresses nor books, but there you go. The heroine, Dr. Alex Keller, was prickly, without ever getting too annoying. I liked Michael Cyprien (the hero), as well. I did feel that the development into true love was a bit of a leap, but there was so much going on, I didn't mind. Viehl is building an interesting world here, with an intriguing cast, and good possibilities. Will Phillipe get a book, or is he sidekick material only? I really liked the explanation for the cause of the Darkyn's vampirism. It is very dark, though. Some scenes are not for the faint of heart. Damn, the Brethren (the Darkyn's enemy) are freaky! Although it is marketed as paranormal romance, I could give this one to my husband. In some ways, the love story took a back seat to the worldbuilding. But that was okay, because it was an exciting and intense read. I give it a B+ and I look forward to the next books, though I won't find them at Fortunoff's.

But won't someone think of the poor, innocent Australian booksellers...

2007-05-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

...they came to Texas, looking to see the sites, talk shop, maybe meet some cover models,
but then they were shamelessly exposed to blogging of the worst sort!

I should be ashamed of myself, following this with such glee. I'm like a rubbernecker...

It was a busy week in romance blog-land, as many already know. But a brief recap for my two or three readers who don't regularly read romance related blogs, or those folks who came by looking for shirtless pictures of Taylor Kitsch: KarenS reviewed a book and really didn't like it. Conversation ensued, then turned to whether or not the quality at EC is deteriorating. Opinions were strong, for sure. Then Kathryn Falk, the head of ~~High~~ Romantic Times, waded into the fray with a very long and largely nonsensical rant against bloggers in general, and accusing KarenS, specifically, of driving someone to contemplate suicide. Plus there was new-ageyness. It was pretty jaw dropping, especially when it turned out that it was really her, and not a joke, as most thought. No further response ensued, and I thought it had faded away, but then I read that Ms. Falk had an interesting phone conversation with Smart Bitch Sarah. Hee, this shit is crazy! Now I'm sure that Kathryn Falk could care less what anyone thinks (I think that's pretty obvious), but they should really consider not letting her speak in a public forum. It is kinda nice though, that you can be so successful in the media field with such a tenuous grasp on clear communication. And reality. It gives me hope for my future.

Plenty has been said about this all over, and I'm not a really a reader of Romantic Times, nor do I plan to start, as I don't feel that comfortable with their policies as regards gay romance, but I've just got one thing to say. The thing that really bothered me was the accusation involving suicide, which is nothing to bandy about lightly. As her comment was in response to a review, my first thought was that the author was contemplating suicide! After reading through all the discussion, I think that the comment actually referred to an EC staffer. But either way, to write such a thing lacked class, and I hope that Carol Lynne sells lots of books off of this, because it ain't right that things got so crazy and that she may have gotten tarred with the crazy brush. She has remained quite sanely and professionally silent. And now, I think I can move on.

It's Kelley Armstrong Day!

2007-05-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

She's at The Good the Bad and the Unread doing the guest blog thing. The ladies at Twisted Kingdom also have an interview up with her. She just seems like such a nice (and energetic) person, and such a good writer.

Fabulous things...

2007-04-30T21:53:00.000-05:00

*Oh how I love The Good, the Bad and the Unread. There's always fun reviews, rants and news of note there. Plus, Sybil's got many authors posting (and giving away free stuff!). So go and read and comment. Today's guest was Jennifer Estep, whose debut novel, Karma Girl, looks cute. Her next guest is Kelley Armstrong, one of my favoritest authors ever. So I shall be there once again, babbling away. Also she's got a sneak peek at the cover of Lover Unbound. (I haven't made any references to JR Ward in awhile, so I figured I better throw that in before I get my fangirl status revoked.)

*Found this at Alison Kent's, by way of AngieW. It appears to be some kind of hub for romance-related blogs. It's under construction, but it's pretty neat.

*In the Snorting Coffee Out My Nose" file: Check out Jane and Karen Scott's reviews of Carol Lynne's Ben's Wildflower. Now I haven't read the book, and doubt I will, but it sounds like a satire of an Ellora's Cave book, complete with a bored blonde chick riding naked piggyback on some dude on the cover. You must read to believe the magic! Of course the comments turned to a discussion of mean girls, but I will leave that alone for now (except to say, if someone's opinion is so insignificant, why would you take the time to read and comment? Just ignore it.) Lacey Thorn, a friend of Ms. Lynne's and a fellow EC author, pointed out how dismayed she was that someone would bring the review to the author's attention, which apparently happened. And I agree, that sucks. But I'll bet you a hundred bucks that it wasn't Jane or KarenS or any other meanie, mean blogger. No, I bet it was one of Ms. Lynne's "fans," who so ardently jumped to her defense. I've seen this sort of thing before on message boards, and it totally burns my ass. What is a more classic "mean girl" behavior than telling somebody about the nasty shit that someone said about them, "But that's okay, because I still like you?" Hypocritical and hurtful behavior in my opinion. That's not helping your favorite author in any way. It's one thing for an author to come across a harsh review, but you don't need to help her find it. Start your own damn blog with only glowing reviews or something.

Getting myself organized...

2007-04-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

Recently, JMC talked about the ever mounting TBR pile over at Reader's Gab. I realized that I'm starting to have a bit of a problem. I'm constantly buying stuff off the Friends shelves at the library, plus checking books out of the library, plus coveting stuff I'm reading about at the various blogs I stalk. Then it always seems like I'm not in the mood for something once I get it home. So then I pick up more stuff. I've got to get myself organized, because there's a lot of stuff I want. I'm going to take a little inventory of stuff I need, and I'm going to try not to get too distracted by other stuff.

Here we go *(edited to add more stuff that I forgot):

To be released on May 1st, a wonderful day:

No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

The Demon You Know by Christine Warren

No Commitment Required by Seressia Glass

Recently Released and other stuff:
Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase

The Object of Love by Sharon Cullars, as well as Again

Castle of the Wolf by Sandra Schwab

Demon Moon by Meljean Brook

Books that I checked out, returned, but now might be in the mood for:
Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Things in Ebook-Land:
Fallen: Celeste by Tiffany Aaron

Measure of a Man by Bonnie Dee

Love My Way by Bridget Midway

Go Fetch by Shelly Laurenston

Not Quite Dead by Sela Carsen

Midnight Sun by Rene Lyons

Jaded Hunter by Michelle M. Pillow

Anyone ever read anything by Ciar Cullen or Gia Dawn? I'm kind of in a fantasy mood.

So is that enough to start? Ooh, ooh, also Undead and Uneasy (I'm never giving up on this series). There'd be even more, but all my contest entering has finally paid off and I won a copy of the Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt and the entire Coxwell series by Claire Cross. Must stop blogging and start reading.

Bringing some things to your attention...

2007-04-27T08:01:00.000-05:00

The ladies over at one of my favorite review blogs have decided that a fresh start is in order. Holly, the artist formerly known as Dylan, and Isabel, have started Book Binge, a place for their reviews and discussion of things romance book and blog related.

Nicole has started Escape With Me, a place for her reviews. Beautiful template!! Best of luck to everyone! Sometimes a fresh start is what you need to recharge the creative batteries.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, AngieW is giving away many awesome things at her place. Definitely enter, and soon, I think the contest ends this weekend. Get thee there now.

Short and Sweet...

2007-04-25T19:21:00.000-05:00

...Or rather sexy.

On Sunday evening I read Michelle M. Pillow's novella Talons: Seize the Hunter. It only took about an hour to read, but it was an enjoyable hour. Seize the Hunter takes place on the planet of Falconia, where women rule, and men who can turn into falcons are the warriors and protectors of the planet. On the eve of her wedding, to be followed by her coronation, Princess Ari dreads seeing her childhood nemesis again. Commander Rurik, a natural born shifter, isn't looking forward to seeing Ari either. She seems to have it out for him, sending his men on the most dangerous missions. According to Falconian tradition, a female drinks from a chalice, which then brings her her chosen mate. You know what that means...will fate intervene for Ari and Rurik?

Novellas are a tricky proposition. Often they seem too rushed and I don't buy the connection between the h/h. But this one worked pretty well. I liked the sparks between Ari and Rurik. They went together well, and I liked each character individually. It did seem a bit rushed, particularly the misunderstanding and reunion at the end. But my main complaint was that I wished it was longer, and that's a good thing. I give it a B, which means more glomming for me.

I think somebody watched every season of Charmed...

2007-04-25T07:38:00.000-05:00

Persecuted by Lisa Childs is another Silhouette Nocturne (they're 25% off at Target, $3.93, and I just can't help myself), Persecuted is the second in the "Witch Hunt" trilogy. You're okay with not reading the first, because much of the info is reiterated (over and over). This trilogy follows three sisters who have inherited special powers from their Gypsy mother. Long ago, their ancestor was burned at the stake for witchcraft by a crazy, vengeful fellow named MacGregor. The girls' mother gave them up in order to protect them. Now the sisters are finding their way back to each other, because someone has begun the Witch Hunt again. Persecuted features the eldest sister, Elena Jones, who has visions of the future. Elena ended up back with her father (mama was a rolling stone, apparently all three girls have different fathers) and her wealthy, controlling, bitch of a grandmother. Elena is rather cold and controlled herself, as a result of the efforts of keeping her visions hidden. As the book begins, Elena is estranged from her husband and haunted by a dream lover. The lover of her dreams is Joseph Dolce, her grandmother's right hand man. In real life, Elena dislikes Joseph, but will have to trust and depend on him to save the lives of her daughter and herself.

This book was one of those experiences where I noticed a number of things I didn't like, even as I devoured it. It was very readable, especially in contrast to the other book I was slogging through. But there were certain elements of which I just wanted...more. I find this happens to me often with categories. It seems like a length limitation, trying to squeeze in plot, world building and character development. Let's see...how to explain...oh, like Joseph was supposed to be this former street kid who had made his fortune strong arming clients for the nutty grandma. But he just wasn't enough, never seemed tough enough or controlled enough, y'know? There were also hints that he had lusted after Elena (a married woman) for a long time, but again, not enough. I just think that being a little more in depth about it and the darkness and angst that it suggests, combined with Elena's dreams about and mistrust of him, would have made their connection more tortured and sexy, stronger. As it was, when he makes his speech about not being the type for family and commitment, I was like, whatever dude, you're not fooling me. I also thought the witch hunt thing a little silly, and the three sister who each have a different power? Who literally each have a charm to protect them? Inspiration comes from all over. I give this one a C+, because while I found it flawed, it also kept my attention. A little more depth and intensity would've made it really good. I noticed that this one and the first, Haunted, are both sold out, so others must've enjoyed it as well. I'm sure I'll check out the third and track down the first at some point.

"Stop It!", Part Deux (Spoilery)

2007-04-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

I think it's time to give up on For a Few Demons More. Every time I sit down with it, I start thinking about other stuff I could be reading, and indeed, I've read two other books before getting halfway through this one. Question is, do I give up on this series entirely? I couldn't finish the second one either (The Good, the Bad and the Undead) but I really enjoyed the third (Every Which Way But Dead). There are things I really love about Harrison's universe, like the secondary characters, and some of the little, funny, mundane details that make the Hollows come alive. But at the time, with all the detail and exposition involved, there are still sentences like this (p.149): "I took a quick breath and narrowed the inflow before my chi overflowed and I'd have to spindle it." And, five books in, I don't get it, the line stuff, the chi stuff, and I feel dumb. But many, many people love this series, so mebbe I am. So for now, this is a DNF (I'll skim the rest and I already read the end).

But I must address one thing. My biggest problem by far is Rachel Morgan, the protagonist from the series. I've gone from merely thinking the girl's kinda dumb, to full-blown dislike. I'd like to put my fake therapist hat on to try and help a fictional character. Just to refresh your memory:

Rachel, please try to learn from your mistakes. It is time to look before you leap, think before you act, take a deep breath before opening your piehole. Yes, you have pissed off half the critters in Cincinatti, as well as half the demons in the Ever After, but you've got no one to blame but yourself. Have you ever considered that there might be consequences to your actions? Stop it, you knucklehead. As for your relationships, you're starting to come off like a manipulative user.You know Ivy has strong feelings for you, and you appear to for her, but you don't do girls. So instead, you've turned to the closest thing to Ivy: Kisten. Fine, Denial Girl, but don't keep goading Ivy, asking her to drink from you, but that's all, no funny stuff. It makes you seem like a mindfucker. Have you ever heard the expression "Shit or get off the pot?" Just stop it! [Wo]Man up, get yourself some Birkenstocks, and Indigo Girls albums, and book a little weekend for you and Ivy in Provincetown. It'll get you what you both want.

Whew, I feel much better. Seriously is it just me? Hope I didn't get too spoilery.

If I had any sense of self-importance...

2007-04-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

I would take this as a shout out. From The Midnight Hour: Funny vamp romance blurb alert! I've never read any of Ms. Love's books, as I'm a bit leery of funny vamps, having been burned one too many times, but I do believe I've read some good reviews. Maybe I shall give her a whirl.

For those who enjoy YA lit, I found a fun blog: The YaYaYas. Over at Sybil's, of course. BTW, an author I'd never heard of, Claire Cross, is blogging over there. Her books sound pretty interesting. I wouldn't mind winning one of her fantasy romances. Go forth and post.

A Few Interesting Things...

2007-04-18T15:39:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. This series doesn't work nearly as well for me as it does for others, but there is something that keeps me going with it. I looked at my review of Fistful of Charms and a lot of the same things are bothering me about this one. It started off o.k., but now it's starting to drag. I think I've reached my limit with Rachel also. I just don't get why everyone is so enamored of her. I'm determined to finish and review, though.

Other things that have been distracting me:
**I was lucky enough to win an e-book of Claiming the Courtesan from Dear Author. (Have you checked out the forums, BTW? They're just getting going, but look to be fun.) This was especially awesome because I was planning on giving this one a pass, until all the controversy erupted. Now I must read it for myself. I think Campbell's next release sounds good too. Now I don't have an EBook reader, so my method of choice for reading e-books is Microsoft Reader. When I popped on over to Fictionwise to claim my book, I was told by the site that I didn't have the proper software. Huh? Apparently, my copy of MS Reader has never been 'activated' and thus cannot get downloads from Fictionwise (a security measure. Moreover, I cannot activate my copy because I lack "Active X" controls. When I attempted to find out more about this Active X nonsense, I got pages and pages of jargon I could not understand. Has anyone ever faced this issue? I tried to backtrack and get it in Adobe Acrobat instead, but no dice. Arrrghhh!

**Elizabeth Hoyt guest blogged at Sybil's and Rene Lyons guest blogged at Sanctuary's Finest. Must get on reading their books. [Woo-hoo, I'm having good karma lately, and my love of leaving comments for authors is paying off. I won a copy of The Leopard Prince.] I love it when authors do the guest blogger thing.

**Has anyone read these?
Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn

Night Life by Elizabeth Guest

When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy

**Things I'm excited about:

That's all. I shall return when I make it through the next round of birthday madness. And when I finish off the Harrison book.

More books and a meme...

2007-04-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

I've read the next two installments of Michelle M. Pillow's Realm Immortal series: Faery Queen and The Stone Queen. All titles can be found at Samhain Publishing. I enjoyed both, although the first book (see review below) was definitely the best. I liked Faery Queen the least. It focused on Juliana's older brother Hugh, and the queen of Feia, who first appeared in the King of the Unblessed. Hugh dislikes the Queen, whom he holds responsible for his sister's marriage. He also lusts after her. Queen Tania is lovesick for Hugh, and Lucien, the King of the Damned, seeks to use her pain to his advantage. I did not particularly like either Hugh or Tania, and never felt that there was more than lust between them (especially on Hugh's part). It did get me excited for the next one, and I pretty much focused on the parts with Merrick (the hero of the first book), and the evil but interesting Lucien. I give it a C+. I enjoyed The Stone Queen much more, which returned the focus to Juliana, Merrick, Lucien and Mia. In this one, the pregnant Juliana ends up encased in stone. While Merrick tries to find a way to free her and their child, the war rages on between the Blessed and the Unblessed, and Lucien plots to overthrow them all. This one was paced well, and I just love the gloomy but hot Merrick, and sexy, evil Lucien (I'm really fascinated by his weird relationship with his nymph mistress Mia). I did feel that Juliana was borderline TSTL (but how many fairy tale princesses are?), and I wasn't thrilled with the explanation of how Juliana ended up within stone. It didn't really make much sense to me, seemed like the author rushed through it to get on to more interesting stuff. But all in all, this was another fun tale. I give it a B. I don't know if this was a trilogy or if there will be more, but I'd definitely be up for Kalen (Merrick's ally) getting a story, as well as more Lucien/Mia.

Any other Pillow recs? I'm in a definite paranormal mood. Anyone read her vampire books?

Okay, I wasn't going to do this, but the more I saw this on everyone and their sister's blog, the more curious I was to see what I've read. I don't know where this list came from. It's a mix of classics and good and bad bestsellers.

Red=Ones I've Read
Green=Haven't read, but may attempt at some point
Purple=No interest in reading
Pink=Seen the Movie Only

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) (I was forced to listen to an audio on the way to NH and I hated it.)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18 The Stand (Stephen King) (well, the mini-series)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44.The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible (well, not the whole thing)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58.The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)9
96.The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) (Okay, I actually only read huge excerpts of this for a class, and I loved them (love the Molly Bloom section, but somehow I doubt I'll ever be picking it up again).

33 read. If I were honest, most of the greens are probably purples, but I like to think I'd read 'em at some point. Kind of a random list, if you ask me.

Dance, Magic, Dance!

2007-04-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

What movie is the post title referring to?

(Answer to come later in the post.)

I stayed up into the wee hours reading Realm Immortal: King of the Unblessed by Michelle M. Pillow. This is a dark fantasy romance set partially in a Medieval type England, and partially in an "Otherworld" populated by Elves, Faeries, Goblins and other folkloric creatures. Lady Juliana of Bellemare has always had a very active imagination, preferring stories of magic and mystery to the life of duty that awaits her as a noblewoman. On the eve of her marriage to a much older neighbor, Juliana asks somebody, anybody, to give her one adventure. Unbeknownst to her, Merrick, the King of the Unblessed (it's like the kingdom of mischief, bad luck and stuff that ruins your day) has become fascinated by Juliana, and has already planned on making her his. So he decides to give Juliana her adventure, ensure she doesn't marry the old guy and trick her into going to his palace, where he will keep her. So he goes to Juliana, and tells her he has kidnapped the village children. In order to save them, Juliana must journey to the palace of the King of the Unblessed and ask him a simple question. Horrified and fascinated by Merrick (not knowing his true identity), Juliana sets off.

First off, I am a monkey's uncle if Ms. Pillow did not get her inspiration for this book from the movie Labyrinth. Does anyone remember this movie? A teenage Jennifer Connelly plays a girl with her head in the clouds, who wishes for something to happen to her little brother. The Goblin King (David Bowie with big hair) listens to her plea and steals baby boy. The Connelly character, Sarah, must solve the Labyrinth in 13 hours or her brother will be turned into a Goblin. Musical numbers (including the catchy "Dance, Magic, Dance) and slightly creepy Jim Henson creatures abound.

This is not a carbon copy (I'd call it a homage), but there are definite parallels. Like Jareth/Bowie, Merrick rules over the Goblins. Neither king understands why the heroine is so angry with them, when they are only giving them what they want. Each want to rule over the heroine, and gain power from her fear. As for Juliana/Sarah, their "adventure" is really a journey of leaving childhood fancies behind, and realizing that things are not always black and white and not always what they seem.

I should admit that I adore Labyrinth. It is a wonderful, surreal movie, and I can't wait until H-Bomb and the Destroyer are old enough to watch it with me. As a twelve year old watching this movie, I wished that Jennifer Connelly had stayed with David Bowie and been his Goblin Queen. Icky as that may be, it may explain why I liked this book so much. Merrick was a great dark, tormented hero. He wanted Juliana, but he couldn't quite understand her, and despaired of her ever understanding him. Plus, why would she want to stay in his dark kingdom and share the burden of being disliked. Juliana was annoying at times, but overall I liked her. I also liked and was intrigued by the secondary characters like her brothers, Lord Kalen (Merrick's ally), Lucien, the Demon King, and the Faery Queen Tania.

Ms. Pillow's writing was very smooth and assured. I found the setting and world to be very vividly described. Sometimes the language had a bit of that stilted "Methinks" and "Whilst" thing going on , not a personal favorite, but then it would go away (in "reality" vs. "the Otherworld", I think). The sex scenes were well written, nothing more extreme than found in most mainstream romance. I found the ending to be a little perky compared to the rest of the work, but there are two sequels, so we'll have to see if Merrick gets all sweet. All in all, this was a compelling grownup fairy tale and lots of fun: B+. If you like, say, Kinley MacGregor's Lords of Avalon series, or if like me, you think they miss the mark, give this one a go. I'm going to buy the next two installments now, because I want to see what happens next. And I think I'm going to email Ms. Pillow about Labyrinth thing. I'm so curious.

It's difficult to read when you can't stop rolling your eyes...

2007-04-10T12:29:00.000-05:00

So I made my first purchase from Samhain Publishing yesterday. I got Sacred Places by Mandy Roth and Realm Immortal: King of the Unblessed by Michelle M. Pillow. BTW, isn't it interesting how the book lengths and prices vary from site to site? Not a lot, but just enough to get me wondering who provides the most words for your money. Samhains seem to be really well priced.

I've already read Sacred Places, a short story. And, well, to be honest, I thought it blew chunks. That may sound a little harsh but I was very disappointed. Very. I understand that in a short story, there is only a limited amount of character development, relationship development and world building (this is a paranormal) that can be accomplished. But a little should be attempted! I bought this because it appeared to be the prequel to the author's newest release, which I thought sounded interesting. As an introduction to an alternate universe, this failed, being a choppy, cheesy mess.

It is essentially a sex scene wherein Coyle O'Caha (Scottish brogue alert!) finally "claims" his "soulmate", Deri Sullivan. Yeah,one of those. We get no sense of them as people aside from the fact that they're hot for each other, or any real explanation of how their powers work, where they come from, or why. Every so often info's dropped like, oh yeah, he's a seven hundred year old Druid sorceror, or oh yeah, he's covered in tattoos (any significance to them?), or oh yeah, he can create storms. But even though this oh-so-powerful Druid's duty is to train witches and he recognized Deri as his mate three years ago, he had no idea she was a witch. This despite the fact that he regularly enters her dreams to sex her up. And she had no idea that he had magik (not a misspelling), either. Why weren't they able to sense each other? How does he find other witches? Why does Coyle hang around his bar shirtless? So he can flex his muscles in the mirror? Instead, we get a whole lot of mental lusting, replete with creaming pussies and very hard, huge cocks. Too many body fluids get me thinking about panty liners. Not sexy.

I just found this to be clunky, cliched and uninteresting. It's too bad because it sounded interesting. If had just been a sex scene without anything else, it would've just been boring. But the meager attempts at worldbuilding elevated it to annoying. Now I don't think I can invest in the sequel, too risky. Oh well, there was plenty of other stuff I wanted to buy.

Happy Easter, all!!

2007-04-08T20:06:00.000-05:00

We now have a huge amount of candy at my house, between going to the in-laws yesterday, the Easter Bunny hitting my house this morning, and then my parents this afternoon.

After spending many, many hours on it, I almost have the blog back the way I want it. And I've finally made the expandable post thing work again. It was a big learning experience in HTML for me. I think I'll be more comfortable making changes from now on.

Haven't been doing much reading. I've been so sleepy, and just not feeling anything. I actually think I'm going to hit some e-pubs once I get this post done. Something short and sexy, to get me going. I figure even if it stinks, it'll spur me onto finding something better to read.

I've only read one book so far this month, Anything for You by Sarah Mayberry.

I'm always drawn to Harlequin Blazes, but in the past I've found them disappointing. The relationship always seemed to be more about sex than love, and too rushed. This is the first one that really worked for me. Anything for You features a friends to lovers theme. Delaney Michaels and Sam Kirk have been best friends since they were teenagers, and are not only neighbors, but partners in an Australian extreme sports magazine. Sam is a footloose and fancy-free sorta guy, while Delaney is the former tomboy who has long been in love with her best friend. While Delaney is away on her annual holiday, she realizes that her unrequited love is getting in the way of finding other relationships, so she decides it is time to cut her ties to Sam. So she tells the gobsmacked Sam that she's leaving the magaazine. While Delaney tries to convince herself that she's doing the right thing, Sam is hurt by her sudden desire to distance herself from him. After getting the requisite makeover, Sam is stunned by Delaney's hotness, and the tension between them explodes.

This was a really fun read. Sam is a truly clueless hero. I would've been annoyed that he so quickly jumped Delaney's bones, just because she got a new hairdo and a clue. But it always seemed very clear, right from the beginning, that Sam completely adored Delaney and that his whole world revolved around her. We are given a hint about why he compartmentalizes his emotions so much, with a glimpse of his unpleasant mother, but it's not angst ridden or overanalyzed. Right up until the end, he doesn't seem to know what he's feeling, but it's pretty clear through his actions. He just has a horrible view of romantic relationships, and so believes his feelings for Delaney are just deep friendship. They seemed like real thirty year olds to me, and acted like people their age. And the sex was hot! I blew right through this one. A B. If you like friends turned lovers, give it a try.

Trying something out...

2007-04-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

I'll be amazed if this works. Please let me know if you see something that's broke, or if I'm missing something good.

Happy Easter! I want my list of books read back.