She Who Loves Romance Novels

Happy Easter

2007-04-07T13:04:00.000Z

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd check in to wish you all a Happy Easter. A few days ago the mother of two of my friends died after a couple of weeks of serious illness. It has shaken us all quite a bit, the woman was almost a mother to me. So if you could spare a thought this Easter for my friends and their family I'd much appreciate it. Thanks.

Winner!

2007-04-02T17:28:00.000Z

It's the 2nd of April and we have a winner.

Congratulations

CAFFEY!!!

You've won a copy of 'The Perfect Stranger' by Alison Kent,

Email me your full name and mailing address at orangesponge (at) gmail (dot) com, without the spaces,

You're gonna LOVE this book!

The Dead Horse Who is Actually Alive

2007-03-31T21:49:00.000Z

WARNING: If you are sick and tired of reading blog posts covering the topic of the argument surrounding the level of snark present in some reviews, DO NOT READ ON. You will only succeed in pissing yourself off even more.

If you've been around blogland these past couple of days you'd know there has been a lively debate taking place about the level of snarkiness in some reviews. I posted my feelings on the issue at Alison Kent's blog on Wednesday. The basic point of the post (to save you from trawling through it) was that I have a difficult time understanding why reviewers are sometimes so bitchy about a book. I was so amazed how many people weighed in with their opinions. It was great! And so many of them made points which actually made me think again.
For example, Robin said this:

'But is that even the point — assuming you can *accurately* ascribe a motive to be mean to these bloggers? I mean, if you want to go the intent route, then if I think an author intended to write a book that offended me as a reader, can I then call it “disgusting”? I just think it’s an issue of perspective, as you said. Because your perspective is that certain reviews are over the line, you don’t see your wording of “immoral and disgusting” as aggressive or over the line itself. Because you feel passionately that you are in the right. Just like a reader-reviewer feels passionately disappointed in a book she paid for and spent time reading and feels right in sharing her opinion on that book in language that reflects the passionate righteousness of her own response. '

and

'Which is probably when a lot of those reviews are written, too. I know that when I just finish a book that pisses me off, it’s pretty red hot for a while. It takes a good while to get to a point where I can even articulate my responses without a lot of sputtering and cursing and elaborate hand gestures.'

You see this never happened to me. I have never been so let own by a book that I got angry. But when it does happen (it has to with the amount of books in my TBR pile) I'll probably feel like that, angry for wasting my time. I'll probably even want to rant about it here. I don't think I will though, because like I said, I don't want to kill an author's spirit.

But then I thought, 'Actually Maria, a really bad review, no matter how bitchy, might not ruin an author's spirit.' This was backed up by something Nora Roberts said(Nora Roberts commented on my post, MY POST!)

'Maria, I appreciate your take on all this, and I’m sure many others do, too. Authors and readers. For myself, harsh reviews may make me wince, then I move on. But I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve had plenty of harsh reviews for a wide variety of sources.'

Wow, Nora Roberts gets bad reviews. And she's still alive (at least I think she is).
So maybe I'm just going to have to grow up a bit, and recognize that some people have thicker skin than I do (seriously, it's like tissue paper)

It was a great, learning experience, and I feel so much better for it.

But.....(there's always a but)....some people weren't quite so willing to listen to my point of view. Instead, they completely misunderstood the point of the post (I'd go as far to say that some of them intended to misunderstand the point of the post just to cause drama).
Because I gave an opinion conflicting theirs, they got pretty antsy about it. Most of what was said had nothing to do with the point of the post. It became Operation Maria, put the girl in a box and don't let her come out. No way did they listen to anything I had to say, that was apparent when I read back over the comments, just to check I hadn't made an ass of myself. Instead, it all got quite personal. I was called quite a few things, accused of hypocrisy, preaching, adocating censorship, thinking my fellow readers are stupid.
I guarantee you none of that is true. Most of it was people twisting my words to suit themselves and actually putting words in my mouth. And they tried to make it all seem funny, that they were amused by my childish ways, but you could sense the agitation in what they wrote. They were bleeding stones in an effort to shut me up. It was bizarre. What I found most bizarre was that these people are the very ones who shout their opinions to the world, no matter how outlandish or politically incorrect. They preach about free speech but if you dare disagree with them, you're in trouble.
I guess they're insecure in some way, maybe their parents ignored them while they were growing up, maybe they were bullied at school, I don't know.

1.I wasn't preaching, I was giving my opinion.
2.I wasn't trying to change anyone's views, I was looking to understand other people's views.
3.I think readers are incredibly clever (hell, I am a reader.) It takes a lot of cleverness to write some of the bitchy reviews, well most of them anyway:)
4.Not an any point did I want to silence anyone, I only wanted to understand why people were so extreme when slating a book (and Robin gave me a great insight into that)

I do not believe this is kicking a dead horse. How can the horse be dead when everyone gets so riled up over it, and everyone has an opinion. And I do think the debate over at Alison's gave us who participated, a deeper insight into the issue, for me anyway.

But as interesting as all this was, it was sad too. My respect for some people lowered dramatically, I saw them in a light my rose-tinted glasses didn't want to see.
But there you go, c'est la vie.

Sorry for being a pest, but I had to get this straight. I'm weird like that, it's all to do with suppressed anger.

Last Day to Win 'The Perfect Stranger'

2007-03-30T15:57:00.000Z

Jesus Christ, I'm exhausted! I was up til 4.30 this morning arguing. Not that I would have slept anyway with the insomnia crap.

I have nothing to tell you, except that you have one more day to enter the Alison Kent contest here. All you have to do is tell me a joke, it doesn't even have to be funny!

This is a joke my little cousin told me yesterday:

Knock Knock.

Who's there?

Doctor.

Doctor who?

Doctor Banana.Yes, banana is a very funny word to seven year olds.

Thursday Thirteen #8

2007-03-29T16:48:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria
Thirteen Things I Should do But.....

1. Train my dog to stop pulling his leash.

2. Go on a diet.

3. Start that new novella.

4. Read my new Bravas.

5 Review, review, review.

6. Learn how to sew.

7. Get my hair cut.

8. Visit that grave and accept that person is dead.

9. Clean this house, no-one else is gonna do it!

10. Start saving for next years US of A trip.

11.Go back to college, or at least get a job.

12. Finish painting my room.

13. Learn how to fight like a man!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I'm at Alison's Today

2007-03-28T19:17:00.000Z

Okay, after a day at a spa with my sister I feel much better. And I'm so lucky to have the BEST critique partner in the world.

Some people are evil...

Anyway, bitterness aside, I have a post up at Alison Kent's blog about The Political World of Romance
And speaking of Ms. Alison, the contest to win a copy of 'The Perfect Stranger' ends in a couple of days. Find a joke, no matter how bad, and enter it here.

Tears on My Pillow

2007-03-26T18:25:00.000Z

I am so sad. So very very sad.......

I need chocolate

Jazz It Up For Me

2007-03-25T04:20:00.000Z

Hi everyone, well it is 5.24 a.m. here on Sunday morning, the clocks all went forward tonight. So it's officially spring for us then.

I actually need your help with something. I'm looking for some good jazz music. Does anyone have any suggestions??? I'm pretty desperate!

Don't forget to enter my Alison Kent giveaway here, you have about 6 days left to enter,

Slainte, have a great Sunday:)

Thursday Thirteen #7

2007-03-22T17:55:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria

Thirteen Things I Do When I Can't Sleep

1. Take photos of my dog who sleeps in really bizarre positions

2. Write random angry emails to people who piss me off and then delete them.

3. Check my email at regular intervals.

4. Rewatch favorite movies and write up notes on characters, themes etc.

5. Plan the following day.

6. Write, write, write chapters for my novel.

7. Read romance novels.

8. Download music from different music sites.

9. Order dvds and books from Amazon.

10. Make up really bad jokes.

11. Turn on the tv and watch late-night porn, then quickly turn it off when I remember how much I hate those movies.

12. Daydream about Brad Pitt, David Boreanaz, Clive Owen and me in a hot tub together :)

13. Bake muffins for my housemates' breakfast.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

I'm Happy, oh so happy..I'm happy and happy and gay! (in the happy sense)

2007-03-22T01:31:00.000Z

Hey everyone, Whew has this been a busy week for me! I'm decorating, I'm writing, I'm making sure my dog doesn't eat my other dog (don't ask!)

So what about the rest of you. Was St. Paddy's Day good to you? Did you drink a lot of beer?

I did.:)

I'm still not able to kick this insomnia thing. It's driving me demented. Does anyone have any tips? Pleeeeeease help me!

I checked out 'Fight Club' the other night. Has Brad Pitt ever been hotter?

And 'Bones' this side of the pond is starting to heat up. I love that couple. I wish they'd just get it together already!

I've also submitted a novella to EC and queried an agent. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. But I gotta say I love my manuscript. ANd I have the best critique partner ever! (Yes, I know everyone says that, but in my case it's true!)

So life is good.

Except for high cholesterol.

Doc says I have to cut back on fatty foods. It's tough work. I love my Ben & Jerry's!

I have so many books I have to review, they're all stacked high beside my bed. I suppose I'll get to them sometime this week. I really want to read 'Blood Bound' by Vivi Anna.

Which reminds me, I have Brava! Yes, Borders has started stocking Kensington Brava and Aphrodisia. That's right. Ireland has Kensington! I am so over the moon. Now I don't have to buy these books through Amazon.

And don't you just hate ignorant people? Recently on some blogs I've seen the rudest crap in the comments sections. I think people are getting a bit too big in their boots. I can't wait until they're taken down a peg or two. They're such drama queens!

In other news Alison Kent is renting out her blog. I am seriously considering sending her a post. Just have to think of something to say.

Okay, I'm done rambling. Don't forget to enter the contest below. All I need is a joke.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-17T19:00:00.000Z

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!!!!

I just spent the day at a parade, in a pub with family watching 'The Quiet Man' (ain't John Wayne divine?) and dancing to some Irish jig music. It was great!
So I hope you all enjoyed your Sunday too.

Don't forget to enter the contest here to win a copy of Alison Kent's 'The Perfect Stranger'. You have until the last day of March to enter.

Slainte!

Thursday Thirteen #6

2007-03-15T15:17:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria

Thirteen Reasons I read Romance

1. It rocks!

2. Happy endings make me happy

3. There is a severe lack of fanciable males where I live, and the heroes in these books make up for it

4. I don't lose track of the plot every five pages

5. The heroines are either admirable or too stupid too live. Either way I get a kick out of it

6. Romances are my dreams put down in words

7. Love makes the world go round (or is that money?)

8. Only the nicest people read romance novels :)

9. There are dozens of subgenres like paranormal and suspense and erotic and futuristic and historical, you can never get bored.

10. Great new authors are never in short supply in romance.

11. They can work as a great aphrodisiac if you read them aloud to your partner (not that I have or anything, lol)

12. Good always overcomes evil.

13. ? Damn, can't think of a thirteenth!

Well, don't forget to enter 'The Perfect Stranger' contest below, happy Thursday!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

'The Perfect Stranger' by Alison Kent

2007-03-13T16:12:00.001Z

This is a republished review designed to entice you to enter the contest to win a copy. Scroll down to do so!
I am a big Alison Kent fan. So you can imagine my sheer delight when I opened a package yesterday to find an ARC of ‘The Perfect Stranger’ inside (I was jumping up and down like an insane kangaroo and screeching like a banshee). Now I have only been acquainted with the Brava line over the internet for about a year now as it is not available in most bookstores here (we Irish are so deprived). So seeing as the first few books in Kent’s SG-5 series are currently en route from Amazon, I decide to wait until I had those read before I opened ‘The Perfect Stranger’. That didn’t work. At about midnight last night, I switched on my light and began to read, not stopping until I had the last page read.

The hero of ‘The Perfect Stranger’ is Jack Briggs, a pilot working for the Smithson Engineering crew on their project on the South American island of San Torisco. They are building a road through the mountains of this dictatorship, whose ruler, Carlos Sabastiano, is not as peaceful as he would like people to think. Jack is kidnapped by a World Relief Team leader, Jillian Endicott, who is on a recon mission which requires a pilot. Together they embark on a trek through the jungle of San Torisco, facing various dangerous obstacles along the way to the point where Jack can fly Jillian and her cargo to safety.

‘The Perfect Stranger’ was littered with good points for me but I’ll try to keep the gushing to a minimum.

First off, the plot. Fantastic! ‘The Perfect Stranger’ is a romantic suspense, and there are so many twists and turns that make it the best romantic suspense I’ve read in a while. I was kept on the edge of my seat (well, bed) throughout this book. And every surprise Kent through at me while I was reading contributed to what a great book this is. There was great flow in ‘The Perfect Stranger’. It never occurred to me to stop reading because the pace was fast, and the author kept me entranced. None of the twists seemed out of place or contrived or ridiculous. I was swept along for the ride.

Besides the suspense there was humour. Humour in the way Jillian would get ones over on Jack, humour in their banter, the witty replies. Humour in the situations Jack got himself into (especially with his clothes off). And it did provide some much-needed light relief in what is prominently a serious novel

It is clear that Kent did her research for this book. San Torisco is fictional, of course, but the issues raised in the book like political corruption and the ancient traditions like Voodoo ceremonies are the same as those of so many South American dictatorships. I was transported to San Torisco while reading. I could taste the heat, feel my arms brushing aside the foliage, I felt as if I myself was present at the captivating Voodoo ceremony. The author’s description of the San Torisco jungle was so vivid that now all I really want to do is take a trip out to South America and get lost in one of the magnificent jungles.

When you pick up any Alison Kent novel you are always guaranteed three things, one of which is real characters. Something which I found even in her Harlequin novels is real characters. They’re not perfect. They have pasts. They sweat, they urinate, they make mistakes. And I always think this all makes for a stronger book. This is certainly the case is ‘The Perfect Stranger’. Jack has a past. He lost his wife and son in a terrible accident. And when they were alive he wasn’t the perfect husband and father. He can be insensitive towards Jillian, and he can be stubborn too. And I found him irresistible for it.

I seem to be on a roll with great heroines at the moment because I loved Jillian too. She’s a strong, independent woman, which is the description given for heroines in many other authors’ books, but in this case Jillian proves it. She gets herself and Jack out of some pretty sticky situations in the book including escaping from a Voodoo cult. She deals with some of her demons head on, one in particular which many women would rather die than face. It gave me a great respect for Jillian. She has responsibilities as a mother and as a World Relief Team worker. She has to keep her child safe and she does this to the best of her abilities. Of course she makes bad decisions and she’s just as stubborn and insensitive as Jack. But I was still on her side, praying that everything would work out right for her.

Besides great characters, Alison Kent always provides great sexual chemistry and steaming hot sex. The chemistry between Jack and Jillian is there from the very beginning, even before Jack has laid eyes on Jillian’s form. The two have an immediate connection. The quick-witted banter they engage in is full of underlying sexual tension. And try as they might to avoid it, Jack and Jillian finally give in, and I felt the relief that they felt.

Even in Kent’s Harlequin romance novels, she has always pushed the boundaries when it comes to sex. The love scenes are always that bit spicier that those in her fellow authors’ books, the passion that bit more raw. I’m guessing that Brava gives a little more room for sexual exploration as the sex in ‘The Perfect Stranger’ is hotter than I can say, much more basic than other romance novels. You wouldn’t want to read this book in a public place, you could be arrested. What I really loved was that the author doesn’t try to pretty it up. The sex is what it is. She uses coarse language to describe the acts making it all seem more, yes I’m using that word again, real. None of the sex scenes seem to be gratuitous, which shows the skill of Alison Kent as making sex scenes in erotic romance not seem gratuitous is tough. The sex is fundamental in the developing relationship between Jack and Jillian. The scenes show how much Jillian trusts Jack, and how much Jack wants to give her.

And the sex is vital in showing that these two really are falling in love. Their desperation to be together, to be as close as possible is so evident. My heart broke for them as they knew how impractical it was for them to be together, what with their work and Jillian’s son. I became so involved in their relationship, and prayed that Kent would find some way for them to be.

In terms of bad points I would have to say none. None. None. None.

I loved this book. And I can’t wait until I read the rest of the series and then reread this again. ‘The Perfect Stranger’ had everything I look for in a book and I became so involved with the characters that I think they’ll be on my mind for some time to come.
Please do yourself a favour and pre-order this book here now here. Come April, you will be very happy.

Rating: 44/50 (highest so far!)

'The Perfect Stranger' Giveaway

2007-03-13T15:54:00.000Z

Some like it hot. The men and women of Alison Kent’s sizzling SG-5 series like it hotter. In this all-new novel of steamy suspense, the jungle is the only place wild enough for a hotshot helicopter pilot and a renegade rich girl with one hell of an agenda…
Bachelor parties are fun, as long as you’re not the poor sap getting hitched…or slipped a Mickey and waking to discover you just became the poor sap. Not to mention that your “wife” is pregnant, and if you don’t go along to her village to meet the in-laws, the nice police comandante will be muy unhappy. Just another day in the life of helicopter pilot J. Jackson Briggs? Not so much. His Smithson Group gig wasn’t supposed to be dangerous, but the the woman who drugs him, then knocks him out, then drugs him again certainly is. She also may or may not be a nun. She’s definitely a lying, scheming, lethally gorgeous…American. Jack’s light years from believing the story Jillian Endicott gives him about her noble cause in the sweltering wilds of San Torisco, but he knows one thing: he’ll get the truth—and plenty more—from her, one way or another…
Being an Endicott of the Boston Endicotts taught Jillian plenty about the haves vs. the have-nots—and made it easy to choose sides. But there’s nothing easy about her mission in San Torisco, and things only get harder when Jack Briggs is thrown into the mix. Six-foot-three of big Texas mouth and big…other things…Jack’s pegged her as a bored little rich girl. Hey, he can think what he wants, as long as he does what she wants. Do unto others what needs to be done—that’s Jillian’s motto. Problem is, Jack knows how to push her buttons from minute one—and the closer he gets to pushing her over the edge, the more she wants him to…
Now under dark velvet cover of jungle nights, two rebels with a cause are going deep—and falling hard—for the perfect stranger…

Okay everybody. This is a contest you sure as hell don't want to miss. The lovely Alison Kent has offered me a copy of her forthcoming Brava release 'The Perfect Stranger' to give away here on She Who Loves Romance Novels.

Before I tell you how to win, here's a little teaser to wet your tastebuds.

Golden had been too optimistic a word. It was a damn sweltering pig sty out here.

The bandana he’d tied around his head was drenched, sweat dripping off the fabric and into his eyes.

He wasn’t about to complain, what with Jillian ahead of him silently soldiering on, and him not relishing looking like a puss.

She was a hella strong woman, both physically and mentally, doing what needed to be done and staying smart every step of the way. She had yet to make a move or decision he’d felt might be the wrong one.

Of course, she knew where they were going, and he had absolutely no clue, but there was more to her confidence than her sense of direction. She’d been doing this guerilla thing awhile, and it showed.

He could tell by the way she pressed forward, always alert, never hesitating over a change in direction, never ending up with a low-hanging branch in her eye, never sinking up to her ankles in fetid jungle muck.

And it wasn’t like he was some kind of sissy metro boy who hated the thought of getting dirt under his nails, or breaking a sweat outside of the gym.

Hell, look at what he did for a living, the places he had to fly into, the scrapes he had to dig himself and the SG-5 operatives out of.

In fact, the last time he’d sat behind a desk had been during his aeromedical training.

But damn if Sister Jillian didn’t know her way around the great outdoors.

And if she wasn’t the sexiest thing ever to wear army boots, then he’d been downloading the wrong photos.

To be entered to win a copy of 'The Perfect Stranger' tell me a joke. Any joke, simple or complex. I really need to laugh. And if you need even more enticement to tell me your joke scroll up to read my review of 'The Perfect Stranger' where I will tell you why I think this book ROCKS!

Post your jokes on this thread. And keep it clean people! Or at least rated R, :)

'Atlantis Rising' and Contest Reminder

2007-03-09T21:02:00.000Z

Okay, I'm going to leave the contest to win 'The Rest Falls Away' by Colleen Gleason open until Sunday morning, probably 2-3 a.m. America time. All you have to do is post a comment on the interview thread, so scroll down and do that.

Now here's some info about Alyssa Day's upcoming release 'Atlantis Rising'. I can't wait :)

Eleven thousand years ago, before the seas swallowed the Atlantaens, Poseidon assigned a few chosen warriors to act as sentinels for humans in the new world. There was only one rule-desiring them was forbidden. But rules were made to be broken…

When she calls…
Riley Dawson is more than a dedicated Virginia Beach social worker. She's blessed with a mind link that only Atlantaens have been able to access for thousands of years. Being an "empath" may explain her wistful connection to the roiling waves of the ocean, the sanctuary it provides, and the sexual urges that seem to emanate from fathoms below…

He will come.
Conlan, the High Prince of Atlantis, has surfaced on a mission to retrieve Poseidon's stolen Trident. Yet something else has possessed Conlan: the intimate emotions-and desires-of a human. Irresistibly drawn to the uncanny beauty, Conlan soon shares more than his mind. But in the midst of a battle to reclaim Poseidon's power, how long can a forbidden love last between two different souls from two different worlds?

Doesn't it sound fabulous? Go find out more and enter a contest at Dee and Dee Dish...About Books

Colleen Cleason Has Entered The Building

2007-03-08T14:09:00.000Z

Yay, Colleen is here! Colleen Gleason is the author of 'The Gardella Vampire Chronicles'. She was kind enough to answer my burning questions about authorhood and you can ask her your own questions in the comments. I'll be choosing one lucky commenter to win a copy of 'The Rest Falls Away'.

1. How did you get started? Were you an avid reader as a child? How
long did it take you to get published? What was the story behind you
getting published?

I’ve been writing since I was very young, and always had stories going on in my head. I wrote a version of Gilligan’s Island starring me and my 6th grade classmates, and a story about my high school girlfriends and me meeting our favorite rock band, and so on. But I got serious about the time I got out of college and finished my first novel—about three years after I graduated.

I have always been an avid reader; and still am today, although I don’t have as much time to read for pleasure—but I still do, or I’d go insane, since I don’t watch much TV. Plus as a full-time writer, I can consider any books I read as research—at least on some level.

Anyway, to answer your question—it took about fifteen years of writing before I got published. But there were times during those fifteen years that I tabled the writing in order to have babies, raise them, get my graduate degree, and also try to have a career in sales and marketing. I wrote eight books, and none of them sold; then I wrote The Gardella Legacy, which became The Rest Falls Away, and it sold immediately to the first editor my agent sent it to.

2. Why did you choose to write paranormals? Were you a Buffy fan? What
is it about vampires that appeals to you?

About three years ago, I became aware that paranormals were an emerging “hot market” in romance and genre fiction, but I don’t really like vampires and haven’t read very many vampire books (including Anne Rice or Dracula!). So I knew I couldn’t ever really write about them.

However, a friend of mine loaned me his Season One of Buffy on DVD and I got completely hooked…and since the vampires were pretty much the bad guys (with few exception), I felt able to relate so much more easily to Buffy and her world.

Then as I realized that Buffy was only one in a long line of vampire slayers, I got to thinking what it would have been like for her predecessors…ones who lived in much more restrictive time periods. And thus the idea of a Buffy-type character living in the time of Jane Austen’s manners and propriety was born.

3. When you are writing a novel, where do you look to for inspiration?
Is it movies, other books, magazines, people on the street, your own
imagination?

I’d say it’s pretty much my own imagination that drives my books…once I have the characters in place, things sort of evolve because of who they are and what kind of situations I can put them in that would really challenge them and rock their world…in a not-so-good way.

I do pay attention to the Hero’s Journey elements when I write and structure my books, however. These are common events/stages that are common in movies, books, legends, and other stories—and have been in many cultures all over the world for centuries.

Since these elements are found everywhere from Star Wars to Harry Potter to The Wizard of Oz and elsewhere, they really become part of a reader’s expectation and it makes sense to pay attention to them.

For example, most “heroes” (ie, protagonists) have a Call to Action, which is the moment their lives change. And then they also meet a “Mentor” (eg, Obi-Wan), and they have tests and meet up with Allies (eg, the Scarecrow)…and so on. (There’s an article on my Web site about this very thing for people who are interested in more detailed information.)

These elements help to drive my imagination and plot when I’m working on a book.
4. When you're thinking of your hero do you have a picture of a male
model or movie star to inspire you, or maybe a randomer from the
street?

Sometimes I do, although, alas! I haven’t found anyone who looks enough like Sebastian Vioget to do the trick. To me, he sort of looks like Matthew McConaughey, but taller and not as scruffy as Matthew is looking now.

Max Pesaro looks like a young Christopher Plummer, or possibly Clive Own (sigh).

Philip de Lacey, the Marquess of Rockley, reminds me of Colin Firth in Pride & Prejudice, although he has dark hair and eyes like Steve Coogan.

So I guess the answer is, yes, I usually have a person in mind who looks sort of like the male characters—but often that’s after I’ve already started to write about him. That is, I don’t find a picture and then turn him into a character; I create the character and then think about who he might look like.

I do make collages for my books, so it does help if I have a photo to include that looks like the characters!
5. How much of you is present in your heroines?

Well, some of her internal thought and the way she approaches things is probably right from me—my logic and my perspective.

However, I certainly wouldn’t be brave enough, strong enough, or capable enough to stake vampires! (Well, if I had a vis bulla I might, I guess.) I don’t look like her at all, and of course some of the things she does aren’t me…but I’d say there is a fair amount of my perspective built into her character. It’s hard to write convincingly about her if I don’t at least share some of her opinions and thoughts.

6. What is your daily routine as a writer? Are you a full-time writer?
Do you write a little bit each day? Or do you go into crazy mode, not
leaving the computer for days on end to get a book finished?

I am fortunate enough to be a full-time writer. It’s a life-long dream come true, and I continue to pinch myself every day that I have the best job in the world.

I try to write a bit each day, usually in the afternoon and/or evening. I’ve always written at night—that was how I got books finished when I was working a day job and raising kids: I’d do it after they went to bed, from 9-11 each night, sometimes longer if the mood struck.

When I get near the end of the book, things move along more quickly, and that’s when I sort of get attached to the keyboard and hate to leave it for, say, the last twenty to thirty pages. During that time, the husband and kids are left to fend for themselves as far as dinner, laundry, housework, etc. They’re glad I only have to write three books a year, or they’d probably get tired of it!

7. Your books are historical paranormals. Do you do a lot of research
into the time period you're writing in before you start?

I’m fairly familiar with the time period because I’ve read so many books set in that time period over the years—both fiction and non-fiction, so I don’t have to do a lot of research as far as the historical aspects, in general.

However, I do research particular things for each book. For example, in the book I just finished writing, which is the third in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, and will be released in February 2008, I had to do a lot of research on Rome in 1821: what it was like, what was going on with the historical monuments, and what it was like during Carnival, etc.

In the next Gardella book, I’ll be researching a particular aspect of London, and also some information about Jack the Ripper.

8. What can we expect from you in the future? Will you continue
writing vampire historicals?

The second Gardella book comes out in June, and is titled Rises the Night, and the third, The Bleeding Dusk, will be released in February 2008. The fourth will come out in late 2008, and I’d like to write a fifth book about Victoria Gardella Grantworth.

After the last Victoria book, I’d like to write more stories about different characters in the world of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles.

9. And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Especially those writing in this genre. How should they go about
getting a novel published?

The best way to get a novel published is to first, well, write it! Write the whole thing, because it’s well nigh impossible to sell a novel that hasn’t been written if you’ve never been published before.

So, write the book. Then, research which editors and/or agents are interested in the kind of book you’ve written, find out what they like to see from a prospective author, and send it to them.

While you’re waiting to hear from them—and it will be months, possibly a year—write another book. Don’t just sit there and wait, because it’s nearly as unlikely that you’ll sell a first book as it is that you’ll sell a book that’s unwritten.

After you finish the second book, send that one out.

And then write another one.

And then send it out. And so on. Keep doing this until: you give up, or you get published.

That’s it! That’s the way to do it. Research your market, join writers groups, go to conferences—but above all, write the book and send it out.

Good luck!

And thanks for having me, Maria! I’m so delighted to be on your blog!

Contest Winner and Interview Reminder

2007-03-07T20:22:00.000Z

Just a reminder that I'll be interviewing Colleen Gleason tomorrow. She'll also be popping by to answer your questions so come prepared. I'll be giving away her paranormal 'The Rest Falls Away' to one lucky commenter.

And the winner of the Susan Lewis novel is Susan. Congratulations. Send me your snail mail at orangesponge (AT) gmail (DOT) com, without the spaces.

a

Chick-Lit versus The World

2007-03-07T00:11:00.000Z

After watching a fascinating documentary about women’s fiction on the television I had to write this post. This documentary focused on the snobbery in Ireland and all over the world towards the genre of chick-lit. I think it really tied in well with a few blog posts I’ve read in recent days. The main one which was at Access Romance’s Reader’s Gab where the writer basically (I’m paraphrasing here) told us that books written by women are stupid. I couldn’t post a reply to this post because I was so outraged. The bloody cheek. It made me wonder what books this woman had been reading, that she would come out so strongly against women’s fiction/romance. As the lovely May put it, you cannot make such a generalisation across the board.. It was bullshit. Crap. Rubbish.

Okay, the vent is out of the way, now about that documentary.

I was really impressed with this programme, the way it dealt by this issue of prejudice against women’s fiction. I was actually quite taken aback by it. It was a lesson to me how arrogant people, especially men can be. And how insecure women can be.

Do you know that most women won’t display their chick lit novels in a bookshelf for people to see? I didn’t, but that’s what this documentary told me. And did you know that most women will not tell a man that she reads chick lit novels on a first date? I didn’t know that either. Apparently women will only admit to reading thrillers and ‘literary’ fiction on a date. This is to impress the man and show that they are strong, sexy women. If they admitted to being chick lit lovers, they’d be portrayed as Bridget Jones-esque, needy, desperate and stupid.

Isn’t that terrible?

Something else that was addressed in this documentary was how so many authors are being branded as chick lit because it is so marketable. Basically, any novel, written by a woman that is related to domestic life is chick-lit. No literary fiction, just chick-lit. And I was so surprised to learn that men who write in the chick-lit/romance genre like Nicholas Sparks and Nick Hornby are considered literary authors who have been compared to really famous esteemed writers. You can read those books, even though they are the same genre as those written by women, but you don’t have to feel ashamed. Because they are written by men.

I really feel like a feminist here.

And going back to that AR blog post for a second. What was insinuated was that women do not write intelligent fiction. Bollocks. I can list off so many female authors who write ‘intelligent’ thrillers. Susan Lewis, Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, Patricia Cornwall, the list is endless. And then let’s move away from the thrillers. Just because a novel isn’t full of twists and turns does not mean that it is not intelligent. Any book that is true to life, deals with universal themes, brings a new angle to an ongoing debate is intelligent. Authors who can do this include Nora Roberts, Alison Kent, Maeve Binchy, Helen Fielding, this list is endless too and I am sure lots of names are popping into your head. And what about those authors who are intelligent enough to create these amazing paranormal worlds that suck you in like JR Ward, and the new kid on the block Lara Adrian? It must take a great deal of intelligence to do that, I sure as hell couldn’t.

And something that cropped up quite a lot in the interviews with the Irish authors in the documentary was that people are always telling them ‘I could have written that’. And the fabulous Maeve Binchy put her response perfectly when she said ‘Yes, you could have………..but you didn’t.’

I’m not saying by any means that every book written by a female is fantastic. Of course not. And there are many authors out there writing chick lit by numbers, just for the money. I can name so many females who do it, but I won’t. And I can tell when I read a book if that is the case. That is not intelligent fiction.

In the documentary one of Ireland’s radio DJs took on to write a chick-lit novel, purely for the sake of the documentary. He insisted he could do it by just following the basic rules of chick-lit, and he said he’d do it better than any female writer. When the producers of the documentary took the outline to a publishing house it was rejected. And when they took it to another publishing house it was rejected again. I laughed my ass off, the pompous git.

I love chick-lit, the good chick-lit. The books with real characters who are flawed and you can say, that’s me, or hey I know that person, or wow, what a great story. And after watching the documentary and reading that god-awful AR post I feel even prouder of this genre and I will stand by it to the bitter end. Because chick-lit and romance rock my world. They are ‘an amusing companion in a hostile world.’

What Makes Me Happy

2007-03-05T22:24:00.000Z

As promised, paranormal romance author Colleen Gleason will be joining me on Thursday. So pop by and ask her your burning questions.

Now, just a little musical treat for you today.

This is genius, pure bloody genius.

And this is beautiful, pure bloody beautiful.

'Kiss of Midnight' by Lara Adrian

2007-03-04T16:28:00.000Z

I was ever so lucky to receive an ARC of ‘Kiss of Midnight’ a week ago. Since then I’d been struggling to find the time to read it. Finally, I was able to open it early this morning, four a.m. or thereabouts when I was having another of my sleepless nights. I had been wary about reading ‘Kiss of Midnight‘ because I had only recently finished JR Ward‘s ‘Dark Lover’ which had been a breathtaking read. ‘Kiss of Midnight’ is a vampire novel and I was certain that I would end up comparing the two books in my head while I was reading. I needn’t have worried. I read the final page of ’Kiss of Midnight’ at eight a.m.

One night while out dancing with friends, the twenty-seven year old Gabrielle Maxwell witnesses a terrible crime. It is her first true encounter with the violence carried out by a breed she is unaware exists, vampires. The pictures Gabrielle captures of the crime on her cell phone put her in a danger she doesn’t understand. In steps Lucan Thorne, a vampire himself, he is a Breed Warrior, sworn to protect his kind and the unknowing humans living alongside them, from the growing threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman but in an effort to protect Gabrielle, he has to draw her into his dark world. And in doing so, he finds himself falling for her.

I really liked this book. Most of all for the strong, memorable characters Lara Adrian has created. Gabrielle is a woman lost. After a youth of being thrown from one foster home to an other she doesn’t understand herself, the reasons why she is drawn to blood, and where she has come from. Gabrielle is a very likeable heroine, a woman any one of us can relate to. She pulled me into this novel when I first met her and I was ready and willing to join her on her journey through the novel. When she finds herself attracted to Lucan Thorne I felt the attraction too. And for good reason. Lucan is the type of hero that I love to sink my teeth into. A brooding, strong, flawed alpha male. A yummy treat for us ladies. He is reluctant to get involved with Gabrielle but he can’t help himself. Through the course of the novel, Adrian takes us deeper into his past, allowing us to discover his character. And I was grateful to her for that because I was fascinated with his persona.

Besides great characters, Adrian sure knows how to make sparks fly. The sexual tension between these two is smokin’ hot. The love scenes are deliciously raw and sexual. And unlike many books, the tension does not decrease after the first sex scene. Instead it grows even stronger, which I thought was highly unusual and a testament to Adrian’s writing skills. But most importantly, the love scenes are emotion-fuelled. Fear, anger, longing and love are undercurrents in these scenes, and throughout the book I really felt the emotional connection between the two characters. I was desperate to see them together, that’s probably why I didn’t stop reading until the book was finished.

This book is mainly character driven but Adrian has intricately woven themes of war and death between the pages. Though this is a paranormal, ‘Kiss of Midnight’ resonates strongly with the war and conflict in our own world. There is a long running war taking place between the Breed Warriors and the Rogues who recklessly kill as they want to. We get a front seat to the violence as men and vampires alike are killed. I enjoyed learning about Lucan and the other Breed Warriors‘ battle against their lawless brethren. I was interested in hearing the backstory which I thought was clever and not at all contrived.

‘Kiss of Midnight’ is set in Boston and Adrian gave me a feel for the city, especially the city after dark in its grittiest and most unnerving moments. Something I also found to my delight in this novel is Lara Adrian’s beautiful narrative voice. It carried me along through the novel. There were no jarring moments for me, everything flowed. And whether it’s to describe murder or sex, Adrian is on the money with her use of language. She manipulates adjectives and nouns to evoke the most sensuous images which give a feeling of luxury when reading the book (does that make sense?) But Adrian is clever with her words, not going too OTT with the elaborate language which would distract the reader from the story. She goes just far enough to entice the reader into her imaginary world as if sinking into a hot, scented bubble bath (insert sigh of pleasure here.)

I had very few problems with ‘Kiss of Midnight.’ One would be that the unusual names of the vampires and some of the plot lines made it easy for me to confuse this book with one of ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series. But as I was reading at such an early hour of the morning I was bound to get muddled up at some point.

And also towards the end of the book I was so caught up in Lucan and Gabrielle’s relationship that I found myself skimming over some of the parts about the enemy Rogues. But I don’t know if I’d necessarily call that a flaw because I was so involved in the relationship, and this is primarily a romance novel, I’m guessing anyway.

I loved this book. It surprised me because I expected it to be a rip-off of the many other vampire books on the market at the moment. But it’s not. It is completely its own novel, a good novel that I would recommend to anyone who is on the hunt for a really great paranormal with sizzling sex, a hotter than hot hero, and a wonderful heroine. Go pre-order it now here; you’ll thank me when you have it read.

And Lara, if you happen to have any ARCs of ‘Kiss of Crimson’ lying around, feel free to send one to me. You know, just if you were to feel so inclined. (please, please, PLEASE……with a cherry on top)

Rating: 41/50

'Past Secrets' by Cathy Kelly

2007-03-02T23:01:00.000Z

I am a big Cathy Kelly fan. I don’t know what it is about her. She has a storytelling voice that I much prefer to Maeve Binchy, which is a big statement to make if you live in Ireland. Her characters are always likeable and well-written. There are always elements of suspense in her books that keep you reading. And she deals with so many universal themes. So instead of waiting for ‘Past Secrets’ to come out in paperback, I bought the hardback and it was well worth the price.

‘Past Secrets’ is a novel encompassing a few intertwining stories about the different people living on Summer Street. There is the widow Faye who is trying to raise a teenage daughter Amber. Amber ends up running away to the US with her wannabe rock star boyfriend causing a huge furore. There is Christie, the art teacher at St. Ursula’s secondary school, who everyone comes to for advice. Maggie ends up back home from Galway after her partner Grey cheats on her to look after her sick mother. All the characters have secrets that are to be revealed through the course of the novel.

As always, I loved these characters, each and every one of them. They aren’t particularly multi-dimensional, but they come across as the people you pass everyday on the way to work. Ordinary people living ordinary lives. My favourite character would be Christie. She is probably the most developed in this book. She is a long time married to James her loving husband. What James doesn’t know is that Christie had an affair years ago when they were going through a rough patch. Christie’s dilemma in this book is that Carey, the artist she slept with, is back in town and is making advances towards her. Finally her secret might have to come out. I loved Christie because she was a lovely woman who made a mistake. She’s only human after all, and that was a theme that I think Cathy Kelly put across very well in ‘Past Secrets.’

Then there is Faye. She has been alone for years. One of the main things stopping her from going on the dating scene again is that her daughter Amber idolises the father she can’t remember. Amber still believes that her dad died in a tragic accident. The truth is that Faye got pregnant in her teens to a druggie who never wanted anything to do with Amber. Faye has to decide now whether to tell her daughter the truth as Amber seems to be taking the same path as her mother had when she was younger.

I really warmed to Maggie too. She, at thirty is still haunted by demons from her bullied past. Those demons have now led her into a destructive relationship with Grey who has no respect for her. Maggie has to figure out how to get out of this pattern and become strong again.

The various plotlines in this novel intersect very well together. And something I notice in all of Kelly‘s books where there are a few interlinking stories is that I enjoy them all equally. You know when there are lots of different stories and characters in a novel, you often prefer one to another and you’re skipping over half of the book just to read the story you like best? Well, this does not apply to a Cathy Kelly novel. Kelly knows exactly the pace at which to unravel the secrets, she knows her characters well enough to know what they would and wouldn’t do. This novel flows without any hitches or wtf’s. The language is easy to read, Summer Street is idyllic, maybe not entirely true to Irish weather, but wonderful all the same.

I was emotionally involved in this book and was sorry to see it end. So as you can probably guess ‘Past Secrets’ gets a thumbs up from me. It’s the perfect summer read so buy it here and save it for a hot June day when you can read it in your back yard with a crisp glass of wine.

Rating: 40/50

Thursday Thirteen #5

2007-03-01T22:05:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria

Thirteen TV Shows I have developed an obsession with during my not-so-long lifetime

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2. Bones

3. Angel

4. Felicity

5. Friends

6. The Oprah Winfrey Show

7. The Power Rangers (original)

8. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

9. Skins (a new show on UK television)

10. Dawson's Creek (I don't understand it now, James Van Der Beek was gratingly annoying)

11. Sex and the City

12. Fawlty Towers (John Cleese is a comedic genius)

13. LostLinks to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Late Night Randomness, yet again

2007-02-28T02:28:00.000Z

Eeeek, I can't sleep. I'm really starting to worry about this.
Could it be insomnia?
And I tried to read but I couldn't. And I tried to watch a movie and I couldn't. And my roomates are all asleep and would beat me if I tried to wake them. Ugh.

So I decided to post a couple of random youtube videos that make me smile.

First up,the puppies

How bloody cute is that?

And here's a pic of my own little puppy, Dusty

And the other lady of the house Ms.Bessie, though she looks like a puppy, she's actually ten years old.

And just to let y'all know that the lovely Colleen Gleason will be joining me in a week or two so watch this space.

Tawny Taylor's Sweet Bites Contest

2007-02-26T18:20:00.000Z

February Sweet Bites Contest

In celebration of Valentine's Day, and all things decadent, Tawny will be holding a contest on her website. The prize: This dreamy bag of books sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

To enter, read the rules below.

The rules: On FEBRUARY 1, Tawny will post the picture of the
candy hearts above on a page of her web site
(http://www.tawnytaylor.com). Simply locate the picture and email
Tawny with the page's full url (http://www.tawnytaylor.com/pagename.html). Hint: it's not www.tawnytaylor.com/contest.html.

Note: entries MUST include contact information to be valid--this includes first and last names and MAILING address.

Additional entries for the drawing will be granted to anyone who posts Tawny's contest on their blog. Please email Tawny with a link to each blog post for an additional entry.

The winner will be randomly selected from all valid entries on February 28, and the winner will be announced on Tawny's site and blog (http:tawnytaylor.blogspot.com) on March 1. Tawny's website is here

'Where Rainbows End' by Cecelia Ahern

2007-02-25T15:48:00.000Z

Cecelia Ahern, daughter of our prime minister, shot to fame here in Ireland after signing a huge book deal at the age of only twenty-one. Wanting to see what all the fuss was about I borrowed her debut novel ‘PS, I Love You’ from a friend and I loved it. So as soon as ‘Where Rainbows End’ hit the shelves I rushed out to buy it.

This book focuses on the intertwining lives of Alex and Rosie, from their childhood in Dublin to their adult lives. Best friends, they stick with each other through thick and thin, knowing somewhere in their hearts that they are each other’s soul mate. Misunderstandings, bad luck and troublesome circumstances keep them apart until finally they are presented with the ultimate opportunity to be together again.

Cecelia Ahern proved in ‘PS, I Love You’ that she has an understanding of life beyond her years. She proves this ability yet again in ‘Where Rainbows End’. This book deals with all sorts of life’s trials and tribulations including young motherhood, marriage, adultery and grief. Rosie becomes pregnant at a young age and her struggle as a young mother are well-documented in this book. She has to make so many sacrifices for her daughter Katie, career-wise and in her personal life too. While Rosie has to stay in Dublin to raise Katie, Alex marries Sally in Boston. And then Rosie marries Greg. Neither marriage is beneficial to say the least and both end eventually . The various themes in this ’Where Rainbows End’ makes it well worth a read.

I loved the character of Rosie in this novel. She is an ordinary girl leading an ordinary contemporary life who is easy to click with. Her personality is lovely, she is witty, kind and responsible. She doesn’t deserve the bad luck which destiny throws at her. I was with her when baby Katie was born, felt her pain when Alex married, was so angry on her behalf when Greg cheated on her. I was emotionally involved in this book because of Rosie.

I didn’t click with Alex to the same extent. I think this is always the case in women’s fiction. We tend to empathise with the woman rather than the man. But that said, I really did like his character. He makes some stupid mistakes like marrying Sally. But his unwavering love of Rosie made me fall in love with him, his devotion to her and Katie made me want to cry at certain points in the novel, it was so touching.

And because this novel spans over the greater part of their lives we really get to see Alex and Rosie grow and mature into two wonderful, strong people. At the end of the book I wanted to stand up and applaud them for being the people they had become. This I think is a huge achievement on Ahern’s part and it really shows her skill as an author.

The author does a fabulous job in portraying the relationship through the years. Nearing the end of ‘Where Rainbows End’ I was growing desperate to see Rosie and Alex together. But although this book follows the love between Alex and Rosie, it is not a romance. This is chicklit, chicklit at its very best. This novel is about the characters’ growth, their journey of self-discovery. Alex and Rosie’s magical connection makes you feel the strong love between them, but there is no ‘romance’ in this novel.

There were a few down-points for me in ‘Where Rainbows End’. Nothing too serious, but enough to make me roll my eyes in frustration. This book is narrated completely through the use of emails, letters, instant messages etc. This is not my favourite way of reading a novel. But I was still able to enjoy it. Ahern manages this style just as well as Meg Cabot who uses it on a regular basis. But this book is a long book, and towards the end the constant emails and letters began to irritate me and even Ahern’s witty and clever style couldn’t keep me from gritting my teeth.

Because of the emails and letters I wasn’t able to get a feel for the setting. A sense of time and place is something I look for in novels. But I know a lot of other people wouldn’t care so I wouldn’t take that criticism too seriously.

Although I love the ‘almost but not quite’ incidents in books, there were too many in ‘Where Rainbows End’. Too many misunderstandings, too many instances of destiny interrupting Alex and Rosie’s lives. I was emotionally exhausted when I finished this book. It wasn’t what I would call a relaxing read.

Overall I enjoyed ‘Where Rainbows End’ and would recommend it to any of my friends. Not once did I want to close it. So if you’re looking for a good women’s contemporary fiction read, go pick this up here.

Rating: 31/50

The Visions of Heat Meme

2007-02-24T19:07:00.000Z

1. Which psychic power would you most like to possess?
Telepathy, for obvious reasons.

2. If you could see the future, what would you like to see?
What the hell happens when we die?

3. Imagine you woke up one day and could shapeshift - what would you shift into?
A cat. I'd try out those 9 lives.

4. What kind of a paranormal creature would you invite over for dinner if there were no limits on who you could ask?
A leprechaun for luck.

5. Which future innovation do you wish would hurry up and get here already? i.e. flying cars, a transporter, computers with artificial intelligence, an auto chef?
A machine that sucks the body fat out of you with no pain.

This meme was begun by Nalini Singh to get the word out about her next book, Visions of Heat [http://www.nalinisingh.com/visions] (releasing March 6). Want to play, too, and enter to win a $50 Amazon voucher plus an ARC? Click here for details.

Richelle Mead's Succubus Blues

2007-02-23T19:52:00.000Z

(BCC)
Succubus (n) - An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men.

Pathetic (adj.) - A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants. The wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven’t stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up complete with whip and wings. And she can’t have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore—free books, all the white chocolate mochas she can drink, and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny…

Go to Dee and dee Dish to enter the contest to win SB and other goodies.

And don't forget to enter my first contests which both end on the last day of February.

Thursday Thirteen #4

2007-02-22T18:36:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria

Thirteen Books I've Read At Least Twice

1. The Harry Potter Series, need I say more?

2. Any book by Susan Lewis especially Darkest Longings and Summer Madness.

3. Wuthering Heights, yum yum yum.

4. The Mallory Towers Series by Enid Blyton. These books rocked by childhood world.

5. Jane Eyre, great for in front of a fire.

6. A Kept Woman by Louise Bagshawe

7. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice, incredibly touching.

8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I love you Mr. Darcy

9. The Secret Garden by Francis Hodges

10. Entertaining Mr. Stone by Portia Da Costa, seriously hot stuff.

11. One of those old Sweet Dreams books (Harlequin/Mills & Boon for preteens) featuring Bruce and Darby, can’t remember what it was called but I loved it.

12. Every book in the Babysitters Club series up to number 90, I was a fanatic.

13. Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly, chick lit at its very best.

N.B. Last week I left out one of my favourite albums on my albums list. Dido’s No Angel. How could I forget?
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Ranting and Gushing

2007-02-21T05:17:00.000Z

Well, it’s just after 4 am here in my cold little living room in Ireland and I can’t sleep. So I thought I’d share a few thoughts, you don’t have to care, just let me ramble.

Firstly, I would like to address the whole review idea. I’ve noticed a few posts lately about how some authors aren’t getting reviews and what a true review is. Well, when it comes to reviewing books, I try to choose books that haven’t been reviewed a hundred times, or won’t be reviewed a hundred times. For example I loved Dark Lover by J R Ward but that book has tonnes of reviews so I won’t add to that number. But a book like Lara Adrian’s upcoming book, I will review, because she is not as well-known as Ward. I do tend to break this rule when it comes to my favourite authors though. I mean ‘The Perfect Stranger’ by Alison Kent will have no shortage of reviews when it is released but I had to do the gushing thing because I loved it so much.

And then there is the question of what exactly is a review. I know tonnes of sites and blogs that give you a synopsis of the plot, and sometimes the reviewer will say if they liked it or not. This is of no use to me as a reader. I can read the synopsis from the back cover if I want to. And I need reasons why a person likes a book. Why did it work for them? Was it because the hero was a tight-ass, if so then this is not a book I will like. Is it because it is littered with sex but is lacking in chemistry, well I’m not really interested. You see what I mean? I need back up, proof. If there is no proof evident in a review as to why the reviewer enjoyed or disliked the book I will completely disregard the review and say what a waste of time. So if you are a reviewer like this, especially one who is constantly saying ’I didn’t enjoy this’ but have no proof to back it up, please stop. Because it is dreadfully unfair to the author.

Okay, after that I would like to talk about authors, particularly romance authors. Where do you all get your generosity? Does it come with the gift of writing? I know, I know, you get dozens of author copies but still. You have to pay postage and packaging, sometimes overseas. And there are often times when an author is giving away gift certificates to Amazon and B&N. I have been on the receiving end of this generosity quite a few times, as have a couple of my friends. And I think I speak for all romance readers when I say thank you.

And just one last thing. I discovered blogging by authors only a year ago. And from there I discovered romance readers’ blogs. It’s like a community. And I can’t tell you all how grateful I am to be a part of this. I have friends who love romance novels but don’t have the same passion for them as I do. They don’t share the same need to tell other readers what books to watch out for. So to find such a large community of authors and readers of romance, from the sweetest to the hottest is a big deal for me. I feel like I’m part of something very special and it really feels wonderful.

Okay, now I’m done with my gushing. Thank you all for listening. And please bear in mind that it is 4.30 on the morning so if I don’t make sense in this post it is to be expected.

Cheers

Pancake Tuesday

2007-02-19T20:33:00.000Z

Hi everyone, I'm off for a spa break tomorrow with my sister so we had Pancake Tuesday today on Monday. And boy was it good.

Do you guys in America have Pancake Tuesday the day before Ash Wednesday? I'm pretty sure the UK does.

So enjoy those pancakes everyone, I'm so full:)

Me and My Randomness

2007-02-17T14:11:00.000Z

Well, my exams are over. I'm so relieved. I have a couple of reviews coming your way soon, a paranormal from Lara Adrian, and one of Cecelia Ahern's bestsellers too. And at the beginning of the week I began to write a book. And I'm surprised and pleased to sy that I'm really enjoying it so watcg this space.

Have a great weekend everyone!

And for fun take this test, I got 6 out of 11 . Think about the questions before you answer

Thursday Thirteen #3

2007-02-15T20:52:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria

My Thirteen Favourite Albums

1. Grace by Jeff Buckley

2. Stop The Clocks by Oasis

3. My Prerogative by Britney Spears (don't laugh)

4. Back To Basics by Christina Aguilera

5. The Chicago soundtrack

6. Disney's Greatest Hits

7. The Best of 1980-1990 by U2

8. Dangerously in Love by Beyonce

9. Survivor by Destiny's Child

10. The Marshall Mathers by Eminem

11. The Best of The Eagles

12. Coast to Coast by Westlife

13. Crush by Bon Jovi
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

It's Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T19:32:00.000Z

Lauren Barnholdt is holding a contest to win an ARC of her new tween book, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY -- and all you have to do is mention the contest on your blog to enter, and then email her at lauren (at) laurenbarnholdt.com to let her know. You can find the details on her blog at www.livejournal.com/users/laurenbarnholdt

Happy Valentine's Day!:)

'In Pursuit Of Anna' by Natasha Rostova

2007-02-12T19:36:00.000Z

I have a love-hate relationship with Black Lace (the line of erotic novels, not the material). Black Lace has produced some really great erotic fiction for me, coming from the likes of Portia Da Costa and Kristina Lloyd who can always be counted on for fabulously decadent sex. But I have read some serious duds, one in particular recently that put me off Black Lace for months. This book, though choc-full with sex scenes, was the most unsexy book I had read in a long time.

So when I picked up ‘In Pursuit of Anna’ it was with a great deal of reluctance. But it was a good choice.

The tagline for Black Lace is ‘erotic fiction for women by women’. The books range from pure erotica (which I adore when it is well-written) to erotic romance, the category into which this book falls.

There are an assortment sexual liaisons in this book, at least one for every taste. The three central characters, are Derek, a bounty hunter, Freddie, his colleague and best friend, and Anna who Derek is tracking down for theft. Derek finds himself drawn to this pixie-like fugitive while Freddie is busy with her own new lover. Conflict arises between the two comrades, both of whom are convinced that the other is being taken for a fool.

Though it is not the primary focus for erotic fiction, characters are always of the essence. Derek is delectably sexy, tall, dark, well-built, hard hotness. Freddie is the tomboy complete with baseball cap with a penchant for lacy and silky underwear which drives Derek to distraction. She’s a natural beauty, curly hair, freckles, athletic figure. She’s ballsy, out to prove herself capable of the tough job that is bounty hunting. But she finds herself being overpowered by Derek’s concerns for her safety. Anna is a rebellious little minx, bisexual (there’s always one in Black Lace) and innocent of the charges that have been brought against her. She’s on the run to find evidence against her evil stepmother Cassandra to prove that she’s having an S&M fuelled affair behind Anna’s father’s back. All undemanding but likeable characters. Just what I’m seeking in my erotic fiction.

Now on to the eroticness (is that a word?). I have to give props to Ms.Rostova, she did a damn good job with the sex scenes. This being an erotic novel, sexual encounters are in abundance involving various people. Rostova managed to make it all seem so natural, nothing gratuitous about it. And this amazed me as it is rare that I read a novel of this genre where I don’t stumble upon at least one tumble in the hay that is mind-numbing. No, it was all very steamy and erotic. From the lesbian love to the extreme rear-slapping which involved Cassandra and her dominator.

I really wasn’t anticipating romance in this novel, but it came flowing between Derek and Freddie. A love that has gone unnoticed for quite some time. ‘In Pursuit of Anna’ follows the two of them as they come to terms with their mounting feelings for each other. And it’s sweet (yes, sweetness in a Black Lace novel). It’s also fiercely sexy too especially when it all comes to a head in the closing stages of the book.

Besides sex and romance, we get a look-see into the world of bounty hunting which I found very exciting. And as I’m writing this review I’m imagining Derek doing his job, taking down big bad men………ooohhh, it makes me shiver.

So I’m so pleased to say that Black Lace is has redeemed itself again and Natasha Rostova can join Kristina Lloyd and Portia Da Costa as the princesses of erotic fiction. If you’re looking for a little romance and adventure with your sex ( a lot of sex) go buy ‘In Pursuit of Anna’ here.

Rating:24/30

'Pride & Prejudice', the Ultimate Romance Movie

2007-02-11T19:29:00.000Z

‘Pride & Prejudice’ is a classic tale, based on the timeless novel of the same name by Ms Jane Austen. It follows Elizabeth Bennett (Keira Knightley) and her sisters’ search for love, guided by their nuisance of a matchmaking mother (Brenda Blethyn) and their sensible father (Donald Sutherland). Elizabeth, against her better judgement, finds herself falling for the distant and stuck-up Mr.Darcy (Matthew MacFayden).

In my opinion, the casting for this movie was exceptionally clever. I thought Keira Knightley was born to play Elizabeth. Many people say that she was far too pretty for the role and that this took away from the movie but I disagree strongly. Knightley was made-up as plain as possible with dull, frizzy hair and no make-up. And at the time where ‘Pride & Prejudice’ is set, it wasn’t attractive to be flat-chested and skinny, unlike nowadays where size zero is accepted to be the norm. But anyway, pushing past appearance, Knightley does an excellent job in portraying Elizabeth Bennett. She’s ballsy, she speaks her mind, she reads, she is witty, Knightley plays Elizabeth just as how I imagined Elizabeth to be when I first picked up that wonderful novel.

Knightley’s character clashes with MacFayden’s Mr.Darcy exquisitely, creating waves upon waves of sexual tension that had me hooked from their very first scene together. I loved MacFayden’s take on Mr.Darcy, Aloof, self-important and endearingly awkward when in the presence of Elizabeth. I found myself daydreaming about MacFayden after seeing this movie. He was so magnetic. This is something that I can’t say for the BBC version. I know, I know, Colin Firth is very handsome. But he looks like my Dad. So you can see why that didn’t work for me.

I thought Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett was pure genius on the part of the casting director. His quiet wit was the perfect tit for his wife’s meddling tat. Brenda Blethyn was hilarious in this movie. Her desperate efforts to find her daughters suitable husbands are misguided and cause only trouble and embarrassment for the family. Her lack of tact and her drama-queen antics had me in hysterics at times during the movie. Judi Dench as the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourg was fabulous as one can only expect from this legend. And Mr.Collins played by Tom Hollander provided some of the most scene-stealing performances in the film.

It is common knowledge that ‘Pride & Prejudice’ is the ultimate romance novel alongside ‘Wuthering Heights’. And after the tremendous success of the BBC’s production, this movie had to live up to some pretty high standards. Especially in terms of romance. Well, it sure as hell did it for me. I thought the chemistry between Knightley and MacFayden was positively electrifying. I so badly yearned to be Knightley during the scenes featuring only the two of them. The highlight of this movie for me was when Darcy and Elizabeth danced together, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. Believe me, the movie is worth seeing for this scene alone.

Besides the fabulous cast and the delectable romance, ‘Pride & Prejudice’ can also boast some of the most stunning scenery I have seen in a movie. The English moors are so luscious and the quaint villages and the great manor houses are to die for. This film is beautifully shot, using tiny details like a hand movement to generate a startling effect. The soundtrack creates a charming atmosphere of old England especially during the dancing scenes. The music also contributes to the romantic ambiance which is vital to the success of this movie. This is most definitely a romantic comedy, the comedy being much more subtle than movies like ‘American Pie’. My tummy was aching with laughter when I finally stepped out of the movie theatre.

I guess you can say that I loved this movie and that it is ideal for a night in on Valentine’s Day.. So hop to your nearest DVD rental store and pick up a copy. You can find more details about ‘Pride & Prejudice’ here.

By the by, a little bit of trivia for you. The ending for ‘Pride & Prejudice’ is different for the UK. The viewers in US cinemas got to see the final kiss in front of the moon, while we in the UK and Ireland don’t get the scene at all.

Rating: 43/50

Contest Update

2007-02-09T19:33:00.000Z

It has been brought to my attention that I wasn't to clear in the contest post and sure enough when I checked back, I was even confused. So here is what I want you to do.

Fot the first contest, I want you to order a Susan Lewis novel. I'd recommend that you get the latest one 'A French Affair'. And when you receive your confirmation email, send a copy to me. Scroll down to the contest post to find links to where you can get Susan Lewis novels.

The prize for this contest is a couple of romance novels, a good bit of chocolate and some Valentine treats.

For the other contest, you can post on my blog, books that you would like me to review and why. That's all you have to do for this contest. And the prize for this contest is a Susan Lewis novel that I would love you to review when you have it read.

So that's it, two contests.

Jill Monroe and Gena Showalter

2007-02-09T19:08:00.000Z

Two great friends - Two February books!

This is the first time Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe
have books out at the same time!

For your paranormal taste, we have Valerian. Females young and old, beautiful and plain crave Valerian's touch. None can resist his blatant sensuality and potent allure…until he steals Shaye Holling from a Florida beach and holds her prisoner in his underwater kingdom.

And when you're ready to read something contemporary, there is Hitting The Mark. Danni's a woman with a little revenge on her mind. Romantic Times says Hitting The Mark is, "impossible to put down."

'Sparkles' by Louise Bagshawe

2007-02-09T04:48:00.000Z

I’ve read Louise Bagshawe for a few years now. I could always bank on her to produce a trashy, steamy, entertaining romp. So when she rediscovered her Catholicism and felt that she would no longer be comfortable writing her saucy sex scenes I thought well, that’s it, it’s over. Now don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy books without sex, but it would have to be a truly hilarious book a la Marian Keyes or an riveting crime novel like Lisa Gardner. But I decided to give Bagshawe’s new writing a shot and picked up a copy of ‘Monday’s Child’. And I didn’t like it. It was unbearably dull. Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t think I could even finish it. Naturally, I didn’t bother trundling through the follow-up ‘Tuesday’s Child’ as it looked like it would be just as boring. So when I found myself eying up Bagshawe’s latest offering ‘Sparkles’ I was slightly surprised. But I allowed myself to be swindled by the pretty cover and the back cover sounded like it was right up my alley so I went ahead and bought it.

And you know what?

It wasn’t half bad.

‘Sparkles’ is a book set in the beautiful city of Paris. Seven years ago Pierre Massot, the enigmatic head of one of the last great jewellery firms in Paris, vanished. Now his widow Sophie needs to finally move on and decide what to do with the family business. But she has enemies, ones she doesn’t even know about, who wish for her to tumble and fall. There is a scandal waiting to be exposed. What really happened to Pierre and what is the family secret he has so desperately tried to bury?

This was an easy read. Nothing too complex, a bit of glitz, glamour, mystery and romance. The plot focuses on Sophie and her efforts to distance herself from the past and Pierre. She finds herself getting involved with the very attractive Hugh Montfort. The problem is he is working for the company who are striving to take over House Massot. Lurking behind the scenes is Judy, the conniving ex-mistress of Pierre Massot, who is working herself to the bone, attempting to seduce Pierre’s son Tom. And then there is the question mark that is Pierre. What on earth happened to him? In a delicious climax at the end of ‘Sparkles’ the truth is unveiled. And I would say it a very satisfactory finale.

I wouldn’t label these characters as well-developed. They’re not. One-dimensional and clichéd are the terms that come to mind. And this in my opinion was a failing for this book because chick lit needs good characters. And besides that, Bagshawe has the skill to create decent characters so I want to know, what the hell happened here? Sophie was way too naïve for my taste. Even with something right under her nose she couldn’t smell the rat. Judy, the villain of the piece was probably my favourite character. She was smart and she had her own troubles. But preferring the villain to the heroin is never a good sign. There aren‘t any memorable personas in ’Sparkles’. Though while reading, Hugh was suitably sexy.

I love books set in France. I don’t know why, maybe because it adds such a glamorous quality to a book. No, glamorous is the wrong word. Maybe ‘cultured’. No, not that either. France gives an ‘international’ air to the book and the scenery in France is so beautiful, the countryside and the city of Paris too. The author can use the scenery to really involve the reader in a book. I don’t think Bagshawe uses this to the fullest advantage in ’Sparkles’ but nonetheless, it’s there.

I enjoyed the romance between Hugh and Sophie. It was sweet. Sophie had been controlled by Pierre from a very young age, she had never experienced other men. So being in Hugh’s company was virgin territory for her. But I didn’t feel any heat between them, no chemistry so it was hard to accept them as a bona fide couple.

All in all I did enjoy this book. It was a fun, no-brainer. Perfect for the beach or a lazy Sunday afternoon. But there are a lot of books in this genre that do it so much better. I would get this through your library unless you’re really desperate.

So if you’re desperate (that sounds horrible doesn’t it?) get ‘Sparkles’ here.

Rating: 21/50

Thursday Thirteen #2

2007-02-08T18:33:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about Maria

Thirteen Things That Can Make Me Cry

1. Some movies like ‘The Lion King’, ‘Steel Magnolias’, ‘The Family Stone’, ‘Shrek’ (this makes me cry with laughter), ‘The Notebook’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Stepmom’.

2. An animal in pain, especially when it’s a dog.

3. The song ‘The Blower’s Daughter’ by Damien Rice playing on the radio.

4. If I can’t get into my skinny jeans (sob!)

5. A generous and sweet gesture done for me out of the blue.

6. Christmas, when the family is all together, well-fed, and feeling nostalgic.

7. A tragic accident that kills a person or people before their time.

8. Peeling onions.

9. A fabulous novel that I mourn when I finish.

10. The death of a child, that’s really awful.

11. Those real-life heroic stories that are always on Oprah.

12. Anything even slightly upsetting when it’s that time of the month.

13. The last episode of Buffy, that hurt real bad.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

My First Contest

2007-02-07T19:28:00.000Z

I am currently engrossed in Dark Lover by JR Ward so I don’t have any reviews for you. But I thought I’d offer a contest to you.

The prize will be a Valentine’s box of Cadbury’s chocolate, a couple of romance novels and a few lovey-dovey treats. What you have to do is order a Susan Lewis novel at Amazon or some on-line bookstore. I’d recommend Darkest Longings or A French Affair and send me a copy of your confirmation email at orangesponge@gmail.com. That’s all you have to do. And I promise it will be worth it because those two books are to die for.

And I’m also offering a Susan Lewis novel to someone who tells me in the comments section of this post what book by which authors you would like me to review and why. And there is something else you have to do. You have to review the book and write it on your blog or on Amazon etc. So what do you think?

I’ll draw the names for both contests on the last day of February.

'Saffron Skies' by Lesley Lokko

2007-02-06T04:24:00.000Z

‘Saffron Skies’ is the follow-up to Lesley Lokko’s blockbuster debut ‘Sundowners‘. It focuses on Amber and Paola, the two daughters of self-made millionaire Max Sall. Amber is the ambitious, driven high-achiever determined to follow in her father’s footsteps and Paola has been groomed by her gold-digging mother to find a wealthy man to marry her. Although they are the polar opposites of one another, Paola and Amber have one thing in common. A fancy for Max’s associate Tende, a South African who works for the government.

This is a very well-written novel, some might call it ‘intelligent chick lit’ (let’s be clear, ‘some’ not ‘me’). The novel spans five decades, giving us Max’s history and his daughters’ futures. ‘Saffron Skies’ deals with some very serious topics. One of the main issues raised is racism, and the struggle that has been going on for years in South Africa. Lokko herself is a native of Ghana and she has a great understanding of the issue. I myself learned quite a lot about apartheid from this novel. There is also rape, abortion, incest, you name it, it’s here. And it’s all dealt with very well.

There is a very strong political feel to this book. It is clear that Lokko is trying to get a message across. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m intelligent enough to figure out what that message is. Or maybe I wasn’t in the frame of mind to read such a serious novel. I picked up ‘Saffron Skies’ thinking this would be an easy beach read, but what I found required much more concentration than I was prepared to give.

My favourite character in this book is Amber, and I think the author has set out to make it this way. She has had a lot to deal with growing up, a cold father and an alcoholic mother. She strives for perfection, she wants to be the best. She works hard, she is a good friend and she has sense, unlike Paola. She finds herself drawn to Tende, whom she meets at one of her father’s grand parties. They fall in love, much to the disgust of both Paola and Max. But it is a lovely relationship, and I enjoyed watching it develop. There is a considerable lack of chemistry between the two though, and for those of you who like your erotica, you won’t find it here.

Paola, like I said before, is the polar opposite of Amber. Her mother Francesca fell pregnant to Max while working as a stewardess. Max went on to divide his time between Italy and England, being the father of two families, though Paola knows that she is the one who’s illegitimate. Even though she is vain, spoilt and very selfish, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Paola. She hadn’t a chance of becoming a well-rounded human being. All she knew was a cold as ice father and a frighteningly selfish mother. So it isn’t any wonder that Paola’s life becomes one made up of mistakes.

Besides Amber and Paola, there is Madeline and Becky, her two childhood friends. Though, they don’t have as much room as Amber, they are well developed, likeable and they have their own issues to deal with. And I became very caught up with them, particularly Madeline.

Tende, although I liked him, was not the most developed character in this book. He was lost in the politics of ‘Saffron Skies’. Whenever we meet him, he is involved with something to do with the struggle in South Africa. So we don’t see much of him as one person.

I found Max to be a fascinating character. And quite sexy. He had the whole ruthless thing going on that I find quite appealing (maybe that’s something I should worry about). What I found so fascinating was that we as readers get to see the real Max. We get to see how he becomes the cold, ruthless millionaire that his family know. And I actually found myself sympathising with him. Like Paola, he didn’t really have a hope. After fleeing from Germany in 1939, the Jewish Max was left to seek work on the streets of London, dirt-poor and foreign. He soon learned what to do and what not to do to become accepted. And the things that he had to do required a very cold heart. Throughout the novel we are given glimpses of the man Max could have been, and these glimpses are what probably caused me the most upset in this novel.

‘Saffron Skies’ was a good read. Lokko does a fine job at narrating the story, the glamorous locations give the book an international feel, and it was very interesting. I only have a couple of complaints.

Though I liked the characters, I didn’t find myself sucked into their world, I didn’t become as involved in the story as I would have liked to be. I think this was because too much emphasis was placed on the issues raised instead of the characters. I was able to leave the book for days without going back to it and this is never a good sign.

Also, while reading ’Saffron Skies’ I felt that I was reading ’Sundowners’ all over again. Very similar themes are present in both books and I think in a few weeks time I will have trouble distinguishing between the two of them.

All in all a good book. If you are looking for a novel that will give you glamour along with something to think about, I suggest you pick up this book here.

Rating: 30/50

Wasting Time

2007-02-06T03:24:00.000Z

I got these through Amie Stewart, pop on over to Brain Bomb to do it yourself
1. Cigarette: cancer
2. Sex:yum
3. Relationship: over
4. Ex: hot
5. Power: money
6. Create: dream
7. Job: why
8. Food: stew
9. Type: words
10. Home: cosy
11. Care: nurse
12. Value: life
13. Eve: adam
14. Jest: circus
15. Religion: Rocks!
16. Thunder: Mountain
17. Fear: Hatred
18. Marriage: break-up
19. Back: Street
20. Spark: fire
21. Tear: water
22: Trust: good
23: Boredom: yuck
24. Inside: blood
25: Fire: burn
26. Game: playing
27: Soft: centres
28: Ice: cold
29: Hard: man
30: Because: I want to
31. Community: spirit
32. Wood: harvest
33. Theme: Shakespeare
34. Love: myself
35. Hate: everybody
36. Friendship:matters
37. Money: rich
38. Heartache: hurts
39. Lust: betrayal
40. Time: sucks
41. Divorce: new

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Countess Maria the Prickly of Mellow under Trollness
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

A fun waste of time.

Susan Lewis

2007-02-04T20:31:00.000Z

What do you look for in a book?

Great characters, followed by a spanking good plot is what is essential for me.

So why are there so many authors out there that are so distinguished, when their writing isn’t that great? And why are there authors out there that are not well-known at all but their writing is pure genius?

Now I know that luck has to be a major factor in whether a book is published or not, especially for a first time author. And I also know that different books appeal to different people. But sometimes I’m so stunned at which authors are popular and which are not.

I have three auto-buy authors for me and they are all very different. .Susan Lewis who writes romantic thrillers, Alison Kent who writes erotic romance and romantic suspense, and JK Rowling (need I say more?)

Now, I think for all of us who love the romance genre, we are acquainted with Alison Kent and her seriously sexy books. You’d have to be living on another planet not to have heard of JK Rowling, creator of boy wizard Harry Potter.

But what about Susan Lewis?

Susan Lewis is a British author of outrageously brilliant romantic thrillers. I discovered her writing a couple of years ago when I picked up ‘Chasing Dreams’ at a book sale. As soon as I had the first chapter read I knew that I had discovered treasure, and after reading ‘Chasing Dreams’ straight through, I made an order on Amazon for a further three of her books. And within a year I had caught up on all of her paperbacks to date, that’s fifteen full-length novels in the space of twelve months. And I loved every single one of them.

Why do I adore these books so much?

Oh, there are so, so many reasons.

Firstly, the plotlines. Never, ever have I been able to predict how any one of her books will end. Never. And the various twists in her stories keep the reader captivated until the thrilling climax that is the end. And with every ending I have reached, I have mourned the book, wishing that I could wipe my memory clean, and start the whole reading process all over again.

In many of her books Lewis touches on very delicate subjects, like grief over a lost child, the after-effects of rape, and many others. But she handles them expertly, showing such great writing talents and a deep understanding of human nature.

Then there are her characters. I have never become so involved with characters like this with any other author’s books. I become the heroines, I feel every emotion that goes through them throughout the course of the novel. And when the book is finished, I feel as if I’ve been ripped in half, no exaggeration, and I without fail, have the book reread within a week.

Something I have to refer to when I’m talking about Susan Lewis is her men. Oh Lord, the men. The male heroes of Susan Lewis novels are the sexiest men I have ever read. Francois, Luc, Max, Chris, Jake, the list is endless. They are different, flawed, divine, they will leave you pining for them in the night, and wishing that somehow they could be made real. There is not a trace of stereotypical males in these books And I have to wonder where Lewis gets her inspiration for these godlike creatures. Does she know men like these (if she does I want to meet them), or are they figments of her imagination (let me in there Susan, please!)? Wherever they come from, they are as authentic to me as the people I work with, just a heck of a lot more desirable.

And then there is the fabulous language that is present in all of Lewis’ novels. She uses her way with words to conjure up images of the breathtaking scenery of the French countryside, traditional English townhouses, rustic cottages that transport you to the setting of the novel.

The relationships forged in each book become valid to the reader, the chemistry between the hero and heroine is always electrifying, the love scenes incredibly erotic. The romance in every novel sweeps you off your feet until you are as dizzy with love as the heroine.

What I really hope to get across to romance readers out there in this post, especially those who love a little plot with their sex, is to order a Susan Lewis novel here. Start with her newest triumph ‘A French Affair’, and then go on to her older ones like ‘Summer Madness‘, ‘Wildfire’, ‘Darkest Longings' or ‘Wicked Beauty’.

I really don’t think that there is a possibility of you being left disappointed, these books will only leave you with highly erotic dreams featuring the heroes (and nobody would turn away that now would they?).
These books are heart wrenchingly good so be kind to yourself and surf your way to Amazon, or you can order a Susan Lewis book through her website here.

Enjoy!

'Tristan And Isolde'

2007-02-03T21:35:00.000Z

I’ve been given so many contradicting opinions of ‘Tristan & Isolde‘. This is a movie that appeals to some romance lovers and a movie that others would rather die than watch again. So a night in with my sister gave me the chance to see for myself.

Set in Medieval Times, ‘Tristan & Isolde’ is a take on the ongoing feud between Britannia, made up of Scotland, Wales and England, and the kingdom of Ireland. At this time, Ireland has the upper hand, as Britannia is divided between the three tribes. After a particularly ferocious battle, Tristan (James Franco), a warrior for the leader of England Marke (Rufus Sewell), and considered his son is wounded and presumed dead. The daughter of the Irish king, Isolde (Sophia Myles), finds him on a beach on the East Coast of Ireland. She nurses him back to health and the more time the two spend together, the deeper they fall in love. The danger for Tristan to stay in Ireland is too great so the pair are forced to say farewell. Soon after Tristan returns home Britannia decides finally to unite against Ireland.The Irish King Donncha offers Isolde as a peace offering to Marke. Tristan and Isolde then embark on an affair behind the English King’s back, betraying the man who loves them both more than anyone else in the world.

‘Tristan & Isolde’ is a movie that could have worked. The plot, though not very original, is quite strong. I don’t know how accurate this movie is in terms of Irish and British history as I’m no expert, but this movie does give an insight into the ancient traditions of Britannia and Ireland. In those times honour and duty to your king were more important than anything else, kings would promise their daughters to other kings, one man killing another was an everyday part of life. It’s almost shocking to think that people once lived that way.

This movie is shot beautifully. The director(Kevin Reynolds) captures the darkness of the Middle Ages. I don’t know whether it was shot in Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales but wherever, the scenery makes a very effective backdrop for ‘Tristan & Isolde’. I also loved the ceremonies that take place. The wedding between Isolde and her king is beautifully done, the funeral of Isolde’s mother is wonderfully traditional, the coronation of Isolde and king is awe-inducing. If nothing else, ‘Tristan and Isolde’ is visually stunning.

Considering how much violence there is in ‘Tristan & Isolde’, there is a noticeable lack of gore, so this movie won’t turn your stomach. And the battle scenes are very effective, not that I know much about battle scenes. There are a few cheap laughs thrown in too, most provided by Isolde’s maid Bragnae(Bronagh Gallagher)and her strong Irish accent (anything said in this accent sounds hilarious).

The big let down for me was the love story. I didn’t like it. I didn’t feel the passion between Tristan and Isolde, I was left cold by every kiss they shared. At the beginning I thought James Franco would be perfect in the role of Tristan, but it soon became clear that he didn’t have the skills to make an audience feel his love for Isolde. Or maybe there really was no chemistry between the two actors. Myles is fine in the role of Isolde, just fine, not great.

And the king was so nice, so good, that I was angry at Tristan and Isolde for betraying him. At the end of the movie, I was empathising with the king, not the young lovers. This, I think shows how much ‘Tristan & Isolde’ failed for me. This movie was supposed to be an epic love story. But half way through I wanted them to finish whatever it was they had, and for Isolde to fall in love with the king. Because, to be honest, I much preferred Sewell as the king than Franco as Tristan. And the ending of this movie should have made me bawl my eyes out, but instead I blew out a sigh of relief and went to find my copy of ‘Shrek’.

I’m not saying that this is a bad movie, it was watchable as far as I’m concerned, so rent yourself a copy and make up your own mind.

Rating: 20/50
Find out more about ‘Tristan & Isolde’ here.

'The Perfect Stranger' by Alison Kent

2007-02-02T21:16:00.000Z

I am a big Alison Kent fan. So you can imagine my sheer delight when I opened a package yesterday to find an ARC of ‘The Perfect Stranger’ inside (I was jumping up and down like an insane kangaroo and screeching like a banshee). Now I have only been acquainted with the Brava line over the internet for about a year now as it is not available in most bookstores here (we Irish are so deprived). So seeing as the first few books in Kent’s SG-5 series are currently en route from Amazon, I decide to wait until I had those read before I opened ‘The Perfect Stranger’. That didn’t work. At about midnight last night, I switched on my light and began to read, not stopping until I had the last page read.

The hero of ‘The Perfect Stranger’ is Jack Briggs, a pilot working for the Smithson Engineering crew on their project on the South American island of San Torisco. They are building a road through the mountains of this dictatorship, whose ruler, Carlos Sabastiano, is not as peaceful as he would like people to think. Jack is kidnapped by a World Relief Team leader, Jillian Endicott, who is on a recon mission which requires a pilot. Together they embark on a trek through the jungle of San Torisco, facing various dangerous obstacles along the way to the point where Jack can fly Jillian and her cargo to safety.

‘The Perfect Stranger’ was littered with good points for me but I’ll try to keep the gushing to a minimum.

First off, the plot. Fantastic! ‘The Perfect Stranger’ is a romantic suspense, and there are so many twists and turns that make it the best romantic suspense I’ve read in a while. I was kept on the edge of my seat (well, bed) throughout this book. And every surprise Kent through at me while I was reading contributed to what a great book this is. There was great flow in ‘The Perfect Stranger’. It never occurred to me to stop reading because the pace was fast, and the author kept me entranced. None of the twists seemed out of place or contrived or ridiculous. I was swept along for the ride.

Besides the suspense there was humour. Humour in the way Jillian would get ones over on Jack, humour in their banter, the witty replies. Humour in the situations Jack got himself into (especially with his clothes off). And it did provide some much-needed light relief in what is prominently a serious novel

It is clear that Kent did her research for this book. San Torisco is fictional, of course, but the issues raised in the book like political corruption and the ancient traditions like Voodoo ceremonies are the same as those of so many South American dictatorships. I was transported to San Torisco while reading. I could taste the heat, feel my arms brushing aside the foliage, I felt as if I myself was present at the captivating Voodoo ceremony. The author’s description of the San Torisco jungle was so vivid that now all I really want to do is take a trip out to South America and get lost in one of the magnificent jungles.

When you pick up any Alison Kent novel you are always guaranteed three things, one of which is real characters. Something which I found even in her Harlequin novels is real characters. They’re not perfect. They have pasts. They sweat, they urinate, they make mistakes. And I always think this all makes for a stronger book. This is certainly the case is ‘The Perfect Stranger’. Jack has a past. He lost his wife and son in a terrible accident. And when they were alive he wasn’t the perfect husband and father. He can be insensitive towards Jillian, and he can be stubborn too. And I found him irresistible for it.

I seem to be on a roll with great heroines at the moment because I loved Jillian too. She’s a strong, independent woman, which is the description given for heroines in many other authors’ books, but in this case Jillian proves it. She gets herself and Jack out of some pretty sticky situations in the book including escaping from a Voodoo cult. She deals with some of her demons head on, one in particular which many women would rather die than face. It gave me a great respect for Jillian. She has responsibilities as a mother and as a World Relief Team worker. She has to keep her child safe and she does this to the best of her abilities. Of course she makes bad decisions and she’s just as stubborn and insensitive as Jack. But I was still on her side, praying that everything would work out right for her.

Besides great characters, Alison Kent always provides great sexual chemistry and steaming hot sex. The chemistry between Jack and Jillian is there from the very beginning, even before Jack has laid eyes on Jillian’s form. The two have an immediate connection. The quick-witted banter they engage in is full of underlying sexual tension. And try as they might to avoid it, Jack and Jillian finally give in, and I felt the relief that they felt.

Even in Kent’s Harlequin romance novels, she has always pushed the boundaries when it comes to sex. The love scenes are always that bit spicier that those in her fellow authors’ books, the passion that bit more raw. I’m guessing that Brava gives a little more room for sexual exploration as the sex in ‘The Perfect Stranger’ is hotter than I can say, much more basic than other romance novels. You wouldn’t want to read this book in a public place, you could be arrested. What I really loved was that the author doesn’t try to pretty it up. The sex is what it is. She uses coarse language to describe the acts making it all seem more, yes I’m using that word again, real. None of the sex scenes seem to be gratuitous, which shows the skill of Alison Kent as making sex scenes in erotic romance not seem gratuitous is tough. The sex is fundamental in the developing relationship between Jack and Jillian. The scenes show how much Jillian trusts Jack, and how much Jack wants to give her.

And the sex is vital in showing that these two really are falling in love. Their desperation to be together, to be as close as possible is so evident. My heart broke for them as they knew how impractical it was for them to be together, what with their work and Jillian’s son. I became so involved in their relationship, and prayed that Kent would find some way for them to be.

In terms of bad points I would have to say none. None. None. None.

I loved this book. And I can’t wait until I read the rest of the series and then reread this again. ‘The Perfect Stranger’ had everything I look for in a book and I became so involved with the characters that I think they’ll be on my mind for some time to come.
Please do yourself a favour and pre-order this book here now here. Come April, you will be very happy.

Rating: 44/50 (highest so far!)

Snap!

2007-02-02T20:26:00.000Z

Okay, I saw on Helen Kay's blog yesterday two different books with very similar covers. And some people were complaining that this can be very confusing. Well the two books above are two chicklit novels. I've read both of them. I read Jaye Carroll's first a couple of years ago. Then, last year, I picked up Bagshawe's book and thought 'Hey, I've seen you before'. But after reading the back cover blurb I knew I hadn't read it. So as I was going to pay for it I stopped in my tracks. On one of the top shelves I saw Carroll's book. The same cover except different colours. And I thought to myself, wow, I never knew that could happen.

So any thoughts?

Thursday Thirteen #1

2007-02-01T21:05:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about YOUR NAME

1….My middle name is Angela but I'm far from angelic.

2. I cannot sleep unless my dog is lying on top of my legs(and so I wake up having no feeling from the waste down.)

3. I do not function unless I have at least 50g of Cadbury's chocolate in my stomach by 11am.

4. My favourite tv character is and always will be Angel/Angelus from Buffy.

5. The first romance novel I read was Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff will always be my hero.

6. There is nothing I like better than watching and rewatching Pride and Prejudice(BBC version) with my sister and a large bowl of popcorn on a Friday night.

7. I eat, sleep and breathe romance novels, in all genres.

8. I spend a very unhealthy amount of time on the internet.

9. I actually like cabbage.

10. I am obsessed with celebrity gossip, yes I know I'm a fool.

11. Oprah Winfrey rocks my world.

12. I hate anything that even closely resembles pressure.

13. I am going to make a career out of dog-walkingLinks to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

'Hell's Belles' by Jackie Kessler

2007-01-31T20:36:00.000Z

‘Hell’s Belles’ arrived in the post yesterday afternoon to my absolute delight. I opened the book at 10pm last night and stopped reading at 4.30 this morning. What does that tell you?

Jezebel is a demon on the run. She’s on Hell’s Most Wanted list and there’s a very attractive bounty on her head. So it isn’t any wonder that poor Jezebel is shaking in her hooves. Seeking refuge in the form of a human, she begins work as an exotic dancer (what else would a former Seducer do?) at the strip club ‘Belles‘. Though she dances for scores of men, she’s only thinking about one, the devilishly handsome and sexy Paul, haunted by a former love.

What a great book! For so many reasons.

The most significant being….I absolutely adored Jezebel. Finally, a heroine I could actually like.

I didn’t expect to like Jezebel. She’s a demon-turned-human, and all demons are evil. But what I found was a very endearing heroine, innocent to all the emotions of a human. She’s astounded to discover that as a human she is actually, well, nice. Constantly looking over her shoulder, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery (yes, I know that sounds clichéd but it’s true) and I was with her every step of the way cheering her on. It was so easy to empathise with Jezebel. laughed with her, I cried with her (real tears), I was afraid with her. And it’s been so long since I connected with a heroine like that, since I’ve truly verbally encouraged one to overcome all of her obstacles, and boy were there obstacles for Jezebel!

And what about her hero, Paul? Though there is not as much character development with Paul I still really liked his character. He was the perfect tit for Jezebel’s tat. I thought Paul was seriously sexy, and so sweet, and he treated Jezebel so well, just like a lady. I rooted for these two to get together, they’re so different but work so well together. Paul also had the whole ‘haunted past’ thing going on which I’m a sucker for in a hero. The secondary characters in ‘Hell’s Bells’ are so much fun. There’s Jezebel’s sleazy boss, her fellow exotic dancers, her various acquaintances in hell. Sure, most of them are one-dimensional, but that’s always the case with secondary characters, their isn’t time to develop them in one novel. But I loved them anyway.

Besides being able to write wonderful heroines, Kessler also has a great writing style. She kept me entertained throughout ‘Hell’s Belles’ with so much wit and humour that on occasions I almost wet myself with laughter. Her descriptions are hilarious, her pacing is fast, I never once felt the book drag. And that’s no mean feat. There are so many books out there, written by some of today’s well-established authors that I yawn my way through because of the sluggish pace. When I first started ’Hell’s Belles’ I noticed that there was a pattern of inner monologue and my initial reaction was: ‘that is going to get old very quickly’. But by some miracle, it didn’t. Kessler kept it witty, kept it natural, kept it sharp. I loved it.

Kessler’s depiction of hell was fabulous. She was so creative with the whole hell/heaven system. She gave a whole new lease of life to the concept. And it was easy to navigate the underworld. A key factor in this book is that it is not so complicated where you have to really think to figure out the plot. I’m not saying I’m against complex novels, they are often the best books out there. But I was grateful for an easy-to-follow plot, especially as I was reading into the wee hours of the morning.

Also, something that surprised me, and that can also be attributed to Ms.Kessler’s fabulous writing style was that the whole strip joint/exotic dancer thing did not come across as seedy. Sure Roman, the owner, was a slimy bastard but besides that it was just like any other work place. With girls in g-strings.

In terms of this being a romance novel, I don’t think so. Sure, there is romance there and some hot sex but the book really focuses on Jezebel coming to terms with being human and all that can mean. It says ‘Paranormal Romance’ on the cover but I would say it’s more Paranormal Chick-lit.

And there were plenty of twists and turns in the story to keep me locked in.

Down points? None. Yay!

It may not be the most well-written book on the market, it may not have the most developed characters, but it is so much fun and it is so original, please everyone not prejudiced against paranormals, PICK THIS UP HERE!

And thank you Jackie for writing such a great book! I’m already ordering your second!

Rating: 38/50

Lady Of Sin

2007-01-30T21:59:00.000Z

I picked up ’Lady of Sin’ on a whim in my bookstore, and after reading the back cover blurb I bought it. I am a sucker for anything that has to do with the ‘scandal and intrigue of nineteenth-century England’, and that is where ‘Lady of Sin’ is set. And that is the last time I pick up a book purely because of the setting.

‘Lady of Sin’ is a tale which centres on Charlotte, a leading crusader of women’s rights and the widow of Lord Mardenford. She is seeking to win the notorious courtroom advocate Nathaniel Knightridge to her campaign and secretly hoping that the man will not recognise her as the reckless masked woman who succumbed to his sexual magnetism at a party a month ago.

‘Lady of Sin’ could have been a good book. I tend to enjoy historicals with a roguish hero and a determined, outspoken heroine. I also love the extravagant language used in historicals, and lord knows there’s plenty of that in ‘Lady of Sin’.

As I began to read this book I thought it would be right up my alley, the first chapter held some promise but unfortunately it did not hold out.

The biggest failing for me was the character of Charlotte Mardenford. I found her completely unlikeable and cold. It surprised me that she had the time to think about Nathaniel or anything else as she was so obsessed with championing her campaign. And that got old very very fast. There was also unevenness in her character. It’s very hard to believe that this type of Lady would even know what an orgy is, let alone attend one.

In the first chapter of this book there is undoubtedly some very strong chemistry between Nathaniel and Charlotte. Their banter is filled with underlying sexual tension, and the first love scene which takes place on Nathaniel’s sofa is admittedly quite hot. But then it all disappears. Maybe because by the time they meet again, Charlotte is already making me crack my knuckles.

I suppose the streets of London are correctly depicted as dirty and dark, the class system is very much at the fore as Nathaniel and Charlotte deal with the upper classes’ snobbery towards the poor, and the poverty-stricken children who have to resort to crime to keep them alive. And people not acquainted with women’s struggles for reform in the nineteenth century might find this book interesting from this point of view. But there are other non-fiction books out there that deal with this topic much more efficiently. And it is not the purpose of romance novels to teach history, in my opinion.

The extravagant language I love in historicals was definitely present in ‘Lady of Sin’. But after the first couple of chapters it got on my nerves as I just wanted to get the book finished and the flamboyant language just took longer.

The one and only emotional connection I felt was with poor Nathaniel. I pitied him that he was stuck with Charlotte as his heroine. I found Nathaniel very charming, very sexy. His ‘devil may care’ attitude and his concern for those worse off than him really got me. Although he’s not the most developed character I’ve ever read about, he is the highlight of this book.

I don’t like giving bad reviews, especially bad book reviews as I know authors put an awful lot of effort into their books. But this really was a laboured read for me. I diligently read every word, desperately praying ‘Lady of Sin’ would develop into something great, but by page two-hundred-and-thirty-two I gave up, and skim-read the rest of it, blowing a sigh of relief when it came to an end.

This was my first read from Madeline Hunter, so I don’t want to completely write her off my reading list. I do have another book by her in my TBR stack so hopefully that will be the redeeming factor for Ms.Hunter.

Rating: 16/50

You can buy 'Lady of Sin' here

'The Holiday'

2007-01-29T22:11:00.000Z

On Saturday I went to the movies with a friend. The movie which we wanted to see (‘Blood Diamond’) was booked out so we ended up seeing ‘The Holiday’, a festive romantic comedy starring the oh-so-pretty Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jack Black.

The story focuses on Iris and Amanda, two thirty-something women fed up with their lives, looking for escape this holiday season. They participate in a house-swap in the vein of ’Tara Road’ by Maeve Binchy. Amanda flees to the English countryside and Iris heads to Los Angeles to live it up in Amanda’s swanky pad. A romance blossoms between Amanda and Graham (Law) while Iris and Miles (Black) develop a lean-on-me relationship as each try to figure out their love life.

When I got past the fact that I wasn’t going to see the violent seriousness of ‘Blood Diamond’ (bummer) I started to get fired up about ‘The Holiday’. I find Black hilarious (loved ‘School of Rock), I like Diaz’s sense of comic-timing too. I had yet to see a movie starring Winslet that I disliked and as I said above, Law is the ultimate pretty boy.

But this movie did not work for me.

‘Why?’ you ask.

Well for starters, there is absolutely no romantic chemistry in this movie. I would be willing to bet that Jude and Cameron never went out for an after-work drink when shooting this movie. And to be honest I expected this liaison to be the main relationship in ‘The Holiday’. They look good together don’t they? And they come across as people who would get along well together in interviews and the likes but alas, they seemed like strangers throughout the movie.

So what was the main relationship in ‘The Holiday’?

Not Winslet’s relationship with Black, that’s for sure. They spend most of the film desperately in love with other people. For Winslet, it’s her slimy boss Jasper (doesn’t that name say it all) played by Rufus Sewell, and for Black it’s some air-headed model only in it for the money. They come to depend on each other for comfort sharing their trouble over sushi and popcorn.

I found the main relationship in ‘The Holiday’ to be the rapport shared between Iris and the sweet old man living next door to Amanda. The sweet old man is Arthur (Eli Wallach) a washed-up Hollywood director who some big movie people want to award a lifetime achievement honour . Arthur, being an old man, is of course grumpy and doesn’t want any award, but Iris takes over fairy godmother-style as she knows that this award means a lot to Arthur underneath it all. (All together now……………… ‘Awwwwwww’)

The high points of this movie for me? There ain’t many.

My favourite character was Iris, I felt she was the most developed character in ‘The Holiday’. I consider Kate Winslet to be one of the best actresses in the industry at the moment and she did her best with the script. It did irritate me that Iris was so hung up on Jasper when he was such an a**hole, but I think that is true to life. So many women are attracted to men who are bad to them.

I also enjoyed Arthur, sweet old men always get me. But that said he is very one-dimensional, the typical Hollywood sweet old man, grumpy and irritable on the outside but soft as butter on the inside.

And now, onto the bad points.

In short, everything else.

As I already said I didn’t buy Graham and Amanda’s relationship. I think this was because of the lack of chemistry, weak acting on Law’s part and Amanda being completely unlikeable. I just found her too cold, and I could not sympathise with her.

In regards to the California side of things, I wasn’t really into Miles. I hate to say it, but I don’t think Black can do serious acting.

And I didn’t buy into how quickly the relationship between Iris and Miles changed. I mean seriously, you don’t go from being totally in love with someone one day, to flying across the world to spend Christmas with someone else the next.

One thing that really niggled at me throughout ‘The Holiday’ was that there were new born lambs in the English fields. Lambs. In December. But this won’t bother you unless you have a sheep farmer in the family like myself.

And seeing as I saw this on the 27th January, the cheesy Christmas songs drove me crazy, but even if you saw this movie on Christmas Day, I don’t believe you’d leave the theatre feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Rating: 19/50

Harsh I know, but this really was a dud for me.

But if you don't trust me and think I'm talking out of my arse you can click here and find out all you want to know about The Holiday.

'Something Naughty'

2007-01-28T17:15:00.000Z

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (January 2, 2007)
Language: English

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of 'Something Naughty' a while ago so I thought the least I could do would be to review it. Judging by the cover I assumed that this would be just like every other erotic romance, full of steaming hot sex and nothing else.

'Something Naughty' is Delilah Dawson's fifth book. It revolves around Tanika Davis, the co-owner of the lingerie and sex toy line ‘Naughty Devil’, and Damon Becker, an executive of Becker Style Business Wear. Damon’s grandmother, matriarch of Becker Style has decided to go into business with ‘Naughty Devil’, a move that conservative Damon is completely against. The conflict between Tanika and Damon in the boardroom quickly becomes sex in the bedroom and other places. What begins as a harmless fling turns into something more, which neither party is ready for.

This book surprised me. For the first few chapters there was a lot of mindless shagging and I thought this would be the case throughout the book. But I was proved wrong. 'Something Naughty' went on to explore the blossoming relationship between Damon and Tanika. Damon wants more than just a few quickies, while Tanika wants the deal to remain just about sex. I enjoyed the humour in the book, the banter between the two main characters. Towards the end, Damon has to deal with a major loss and Tanika is there to help him through it.

What also surprised me was that this book is about a black couple. I was a few chapters in before I realised it, and when I looked at the cover again, sure enough, those gorgeous legs belong to a black woman. Not that it makes a difference what colour the couple is, it’s just that I’d never read an erotic romance focusing on a black couple before. And it was really sexy, probably because some new words were used in sex and banter and that added a newness for me, which I really enjoyed.

When I was first introduced to Tanika, I rolled my eyes thinking “not another one. I thought “oh, yay, another modern chick who only does no-strings-attached sex, wears business suits with stilettos, and drives fast, cold as ice“. These females seem rife in every contemporary romance I read these days, and maybe that is a reflection on today‘s society, but sometimes I would like a break. But I was happy to find that the author delves past the hard exterior into Tanika’s character, as deeply as one can delve in an erotic romance. She lets the reader in on Tanika’s issues with men, her insecurities, her personality. And I really appreciated that. There is one particular scene in ‘Something Naughty‘, after a meaningful session of love-making, where Tanika uses a camera to hide how vulnerable she is feeling. That was probably my favourite scene in the book.

I didn’t feel like I knew Damon as well as Tanika when I finished the book. But that said, I did like him. I found his character very sexy, stuffy in the office, but an animal in the bedroom. And he has a killer body too, which is pretty useful in an erotic romance. I liked that the author showed his relationship with his grandmother, how much he cared about her. It added something to the book.

One thing that really got to me is that the word ‘impaled’ is used in one particular love scene, and that totally threw me. I just hate that word, it’s so ugly. But that’s a personal thing and doesn’t take away from the fact that I really liked this book.

Overall, I think ‘Something Naughty’ is an easy, sexy contemporary designed to keep you reading ‘til the very last page and then to put it on your shelf and totally forget about it.

Rating: 21/30

Buy 'Something Naughty' here and read it on a dateless night with lots of wine.

My Rating System

2007-01-28T14:08:00.000Z

Okay, I'm trying to figure out a rating system. Because I want to review both movies and books, and a lot of genres, I can't rate everything the same way. I mean what you want in a regency is totally different to what you're looking for in an erotic romance.

So I'm gonna start with my rating system for historical romances, like 'Dark Desires'. This rating system will be used for other romances, but I'll come to that when I review other romances.

Pretty simple really:

Plot-10
Characters-10
Romance, chemistry-10
Language, setting-10
Extras,like humour,different themes,action, originality-10

With erotic romances, I will mark easier on character development and plot, as they are not the most important aspects of erotic romance in my opinion.

Plot-5
Characters-5
Sex scenes, chemistry-10
Language, settings-5
Extras-5

Romance Movies, Romance Adventure Movies, Romantic Comedies etc.

Plot-10
Characters-10
Romance, chemistry-10
Setting-10
Extras l,ike humour for rom coms, adventure, unusual themes etc.

As I go on and review different things I will add to these.

Maria

Dark Desires Did it For Me

2007-01-27T19:37:00.000Z

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Zebra (November 1, 2005)
Language: English
I decided to review Dark Desires first as Eve Silver is a new author and because I actually enjoyed this book, best to start out on a positive note.
Dark Desires is a gothic romance. Set in London, it focuses on Darcie, a young girl who comes to the front step of Dr.Damien Cole, seeking employment. A romance develops between the two when Darcie is elevated from the servant to assistant of the good doctor. But it is not clear to Darcie if Damien is all he appears to be, she is warned to steer clear of him by various people from the butler to her sister.
After reading a series of duds, this was the first romance that I could truly just sink into and I am very grateful to Eve Silver for that. There are quite a few things that I loved in this book. Firstly, I just loved the language. It was so rich and it just transported me back into the past onto the dirty streets of London, where brothels were common, and ladies wore beautiful gowns on a regular basis. One phrase that I loved which I think really caught the Dr.Jekly, Mr.Hyde vibe in this book was ‘His eyes were bleak and cold, his expression chilly as ice-kissed granite’. Isn’t that gorgeous? ‘Ice-kissed granite’.

Throughout the book I really liked the different aspects of Damien’s character. He is very unaware of the people around him, in the sense that he doesn’t seem to notice how his actions might be perceived by others. Damien is involved in plenty of obscure incidents in the book, and he never seems to think that an explanation is needed. I also like the ambiguity of his character. At times he shows so much kindness, and then he can be so cold. We never really know whether he is truly good or not until the end of the book, and you know what, it works. Though some people might have trouble with that since this is a romance novel and there can only really be one ending, can’t there?

Something which I will always remember about this book is the sexual tension between Dr.Damien and Darcie. It was so palpable, that I found it was safer not to read it in public. They struggled to resist their passion for quite a while, the first love scene didn’t occur until about half-way through the book.

But I’m afraid that is where the problem for me lies. After they made love, I lost interest. Not enough to leave the book unfinished. But enough to feel that I wasn’t really bothered if I finished or not. The love scenes were okay, romantic but not out of this world. And after the first love scene the sexual tension seemed to disappear, but I suppose that can be very common in books.

Another problem I had with this book, not a major turn-off, but something that irritated me was that despite all the warnings Darcie still became romantically involved with the doctor. And this little irritation, I think, prevented me from liking Darcie as much as I like Damien. But this is really my problem, because this is a romance novel, and she did resist him for quite a while and the sexual tension between the two was very strong.

And, one more thing that might bother some people is that it is not entirely clear what time period this book is set in. But that didn’t bother me one tiny bit.

For me I think the author’s biggest achievement in Dark Desires is keeping me in suspense about Damien’s true nature. And that suspense kept me reading until the very last page.

Buy this book here and on a very cold, horrible day, read it in front of the fire with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

Rating: 38/50
Happy reading!
Maria