Vacation Reads...

I'm not sure what it is, but when I'm on vacation inevitably I enjoy whatever it is I'm reading. Actually I finished the Quinn and Barton after we got back, but my brain is still in vacation mode. I probably wont write full reviews for each, but here are a few thoughts...

• Never Lie to a Lady by Liz Carlyle -- There are a handful of authors that always work for me, Liz Carlyle is one. I am a huge fan of Liz Carlyle's writing style and voice. Once again she delivers a winner, with smart and interesting lead characters and visits from some old favorites. And honestly, is Kemble not one of the best secondary characters in romances today?
• Son of the Morning by Linda Howard -- I reread this one after my husband finished it. He's promised to come up with a review. I think he liked it--he gave his brother a detailed synopsis and made it sound very interesting, so much so it was screaming for a reread. His last comment to me "The ending was predictable." I pointed out it's a romance it's supposed to be predictable.
• The Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn -- I didn't know what to expect when I read this one. I didn't particularly like the last two books in the Bridgerton series. I'm starting to think I was in Bridgerton burn-out, because even though I didn't like the stories themselves, I still thoroughly enjoy her voice and style. This one worked for me.
• Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton -- This was my first Beverly Barton. I haven't decided whether or not it will be my last. Which may seem odd as I liked the book, but didn't particularly like the hero--a little too alpha for me. Which in and of itself is rather for me as I've not yet met an alpha I didn't like on some level. For those who didn't like Dante in Raintree Inferno you probably wont like Judah either. I'll leave it at that as I'm probably going to write a review/commentary on the entire series.

That's it for now, hoping the hubby will have something to post in the next day or so.

Have a good one and happy reading.

We're Back: The Good and The Bad

The Good--we had a fabulous time on vacation. Very relaxing, the weather was perfect, the beach was beautiful. We arrived at the Aquarium early enough to avoid the crowds. And, the breeze off the Connecticut River at the Seaport was amazing.

The Beach:



Mystic Seaport:



Mystic Aquarium:



The DH's brother and SIL moved to Rhode Island in November of last year. This was our first visit. And it was wonderful, they live 5 minutes from the beach, in a beautiful and fairly rural area. Their home is incredible, like visiting a B&B. We're hoping to go back before the end of the summer at least for a weekend.

The Bad--My sister's MIL passed away on Monday. The funeral is today. She'd been chronically ill for quite a while. We also found out my dad has a blockage in his carotid artery. Tests today and if it requires a procedure it will be done by the doctor that saved his life when the aneurysm ruptured in his abdomen.

More later...

PS--The DH finished Son of the Morning more to follow :)

Getting ready *edited*

I'm supposed to be packing. Instead I find myself Googling "Paul Potts". He's all over and yet I can't help but want to post his audition for Britain's Got Talent. I cry every time I play it.


A few other things before we leave,

1. The DH doesn't seem to be in love with Son of the Morning. I wont repeat the comments I've heard so far--none of them good.
2. The DH surprised me by coming home yesterday with To Kill A Mockingbird and announced he'd never read it.
3. The Child is bringing the stuffed animals from his bed. We're not really into them and never bought him that much. As a baby/toddler he didn't show a particular attachment for them. But it seems he likes the ones that sit on his bed... Snoopy, Teddy, Anthony Bear, Sean, Mr. Nobody, Big Froggy and Little Froggy have all found their way into the toy tub.
4. The child wants to go whale watching while we're in Rhode Island. I talked to the SIL and there aren't any close by this weekend. But we will be going to Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium. We haven't been there since before The Child was born.
5. I'd like to go to Newport, but have a feeling the DH and the Child wont be as interested as I would be. I'd also love to take the ferry across to Long Island and head out to Montauk, which may sound a little strange considering we live in NY and will travel hours to reach the Adirondacks or Lake George, but it would take us 5+ hours to drive to Montauk and there's no way the hubby is sitting in Long Island traffic to get there.
6. I have no idea what books are coming with me. I'm going through a real dry patch nothing interesting me. I did get a call from the local bookstore yesterday some of the books I want are in. Maybe I'll pick them up, since the 200+/- on the TBR pile hold absolutely no interest for me.

We're leaving early tomorrow morning and should be back sometime during the week, but I do think I may be able to get on-line, so there might be some pictures and thoughts as we go.

***ETA*** The Best Friend's Mom called and invited Junior for the day, they're just back from vacation. The child has already been delivered w/bike. And I get to pack in peace :)

Have a great week and I'll catch up with everyone soon.

Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy by HelenKay Dimon

If you're a fan of exceptionally good, sparkling dialogue then Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy by HelenKay Dimon is a must read.

From the Publisher:

Her mouth should be a dangerous weapon. So should his—but for different reasons. Thrown together by chance—and a pair of handcuffs—they're about to make Hawaii even steamier.

NEVER LET ME GO

Annie Parks came to Hawaii to gather information and settle a score, not spend time handcuffed to a sexy stranger's bed. Okay, so this particular stranger saved her from drowning after she was pitched overboard by some goons. And he's about six feet of hard, Hawaiian muscle and gorgeous cool that's making forgotten parts of her say, "A—lo—ha!" She needs to stay focused, but a side dish of Kane Travers is awfully tempting.

Kauai Police Chief Kane Travers is not a vacation kind of guy. So it figures that when Internal Affairs suspended him, he'd end up rescuing a sarcastic, dishonest, extremely hot redhead who is clearly hiding something. Amnesia? Yeah, right. Kane's got half a mind to give Miss Whoever She Is something she'll never forget. His cop senses tell him that the lady's in deep and needs his protection. But how can he get her to tell him anything when all he wants is to take her home and do everything?

HelenKay's Viva Las Bad Boys convinced me that not only could she write, but she writes fantastic dialogue. Knowing this I had high expectations for YMDMC. And then I saw "Amnesia" in the blurb and went "Oh! No!" anyone that knows my reading habits knows how much I hate amnesia story lines. But it's evident Kane doesn't buy Annie's story and the fun begins. The attraction and tension between them immediate.

Annie's on a mission--revenge. And she's not talking. Well, that's not really true, she's running her amazingly clever smart mouth, but not explaining how she ended up naked on his beach. But Kane's right there with her with a come back for every one of her smart mouth comments. It's a perfect balance of dialogue--clever, sarcastic with lots of sexual innuendos.

The suspense part of the plot is good, with just enough twists and turns, but I had small issues with how the story unfolds. Annie can come clean as to what she's doing sooner, but this doesn't really take away from the suspense part of the story, and it allows the banter to continue.

Without the dialogue this would have been a good romantic suspense. But the dialogue kicks this up to Very Good and quite possibly a "Keeper".

I take my turn at Romancing the Blog today.

Busy Week and Vacation...

Once again we're having a very busy week. So of course a couple of monkey wrenches get thrown in. Junior has a little bit of a cold, yesterday he was very tired and a little feverish, nothing horrible, but that left us home for the day. Today we had a funeral (a well loved Parish Priest--standing room only in our little church) in the morning and I got called in to work bingo this afternoon, got paid for this one, can't complain. Tomorrow the errands I didn't get done on Monday. Thursday an early morning meeting at school.

And Saturday we leave for VACATION in Rhode Island.

The hubby is finally reading Son of the Morning. He announced that if it's a "Time Travel" he's not reading it. Not a good sign--LOL.

I told him he had to finish it the Ladies were expecting a review from a man's POV. He didn't say no. So maybe sometime in the next week or so he'll post his thoughts.

The Graduate

The Adorable 5 Year Old graduated Kindergarten yesterday. Big happenings at our little school. They sang some songs, told the story of Noah and the Ark, sang some more songs, and each received their diploma.

Junior was Noah, now if I'd gotten one decent picture of him as Noah, I'd have posted that. But unfortunately my digital camera isn't good enough to take pictures with a black background. I have to say he was really cute. I was amazed at how great a job the kids did--can't imagine how much work the Kindergarten teachers and the Music teacher had to put into creating the show. Every child knew their lines and got up in front of parents, teachers and the entire student body, picked up their props, walked up to the mike and spoke loud and clear--great job.

Monsignor told the history of Junior's behavior at Mass over the years. The quiet and/or crying baby at 7:30am Mass, the loud toddler, the twitchy little boy and now the well behaved "Noah"--I got all teary eyed.

We had the Grandparents and God Mother (my sister) back to the house for cake and coffee. Watched the Yankees, and went out for an early Chinese food dinner.

And, then we had our Last T-Ball Game of the year. Thank God :) followed by a trophy ceremony (the coach paid for these out of his pocket--nice man). Each kid got bubble gum and ice pops.

Does life get any better for a 5 year old?

No idea

I've got an RTB post due next week, and have no idea what to write. The only topic I can think of may cause a riot, and to be honest I'm not completely ready to be ostracized.

Any ideas?

One More Try

After coming across numerous posts from readers I trust, I decided to give Lora Leigh one more try. I ordered Forbidden Pleasure. If it's a wallbanger I'm sure you'll hear the bang.

Waiting for a call...

This week the Kindergarten students at my son's Catholic school have dress down days. T'shirts and shorts.

Dropped mine off and noticed his Cars T'shirt has in large letters across the top "Snot Rod".

Hoping no one else notices.

Anxiety... a busy weekend and an even busier week...

Saturday morning I woke up particularly early 5:15, noticed the child's bedroom door was open and at first thought the hubby had left it open. But realized Junior wasn't in his room, and he wasn't in our room or the bathroom. I fly down the stairs he's not in the living room, dining room or kitchen. Anxiety and panic were setting in--I found him out on the back porch, quite comfortable on the wicker sofa.

Last week I spent an entire day resurrecting our back porch, it's enclosed with 3 walls of windows. For the last years it's been the collection spot for all things that didn't have a "home" somewhere in the house. Mostly outdoor decorations for various holidays and school stuff, I can't believe how much paperwork 1 kindergartner can generate :) I also rearranged the furniture giving us a TV area and an eating area, which is great for entertaining as it adds much needed space to our little house.

Apparently Junior thinks this is one cool room, and he wants to move in permanently.

Saturday was T-Ball and Sunday was Mass, shopping and a barbeque.

Monday's school obligations. Tuesday's Bingo. Thursday's Kindergarten Graduation, his last T-Ball game (thank God) and an end of season pizza party. Saturday is the Little League Barbeque and we're going out to dinner with my dad. And of course, Sunday is Father's Day--Brunch at the BILs.

Honestly, I don't know how working mom's do it all.

ETA: Hooray for me, I managed to make it through my entire blogroll and even posted comments. Now I really have to go--errands, you know.

Romantic Advances Calling All Authors Contest

Romantic Advances is

Calling All Authors

for an interesting advertising contest.

I'm not sure how many authors actually visit Romance Reading Mom (Hi Meljean and Megan) but if there are any lurking, pop on over and take a look.

Catch up

So I'm still busy copy and pasting over on Romantic Advances and still neglecting my poor blog. But the site is really coming together nicely. Make sure you check out the "Wish List" feature--love that. Still lurking at all my favorite blogs. I should be more of a social blogger next week.

I've finished two of Deidre Martin's Hockey books, neither were keepers, to be honest, I'm really not that impressed by them. Which is probably rather rude considering I'm not planning on doing reviews for them--oh, well.

I should be writing a review of Desperate Duchesses, but instead I'm watching Eddie and the Cruiserson VH1 Classics.

Am I showing my age by admitting I love that movie and the music?

Have a great weekend, we've got a busy one planned, t-ball, barbecues, fun family stuff.

Demon Moon by Meljean Brook *originally posted May 14, 2007*

I've been putting off reviewing this one, not because I didn't like it, but rather because...

• I'm afraid I wont be able to do it justice--it's that good.
• I was waiting until closer to the release date (June 5th)
• It's almost impossible to write without spoilers

The back blurb:

No one would call vampire Colin Ames-Beaumont kind, but they would call him unnaturally beautiful. For two centuries his tainted blood has kept him isolated from other vampires, sustained only by his beauty and vanity—bitter comforts, since a curse has erased his mirror reflection, replacing it with a terrifying glimpse of Chaos.

Savi Murray's insatiable curiosity had gotten her into trouble before, but she'd always escaped unscathed. Then came Colin. In the midst of Heaven, he gave her a taste of ecstasy—and of Chaos. Deadly creatures from that realm herald the return of an imprisoned nosferatu horde, and Colin and Savi’s bond is their only protection—and their only passion…

Meljean has created a book with two characters that could have been unlikeable, but she creates smart, sympathetic and loving characters instead. After finishing Demon Angel I knew I'd be interested in Colin's story even though he was vain and self-absorbed, but I was less enthralled with Savi, her "insatiable curiosity" isn't the most endearing quality. But I should have realized that if Meljean could make Lilith sympathetic then Savi would be an angel.

One of the things Meljean does well is create levels of fear and horror that I normally find lacking in paranormal romance. The opening scene hits this mark and in the process completely hooks me for the rest of the book. It's hit again with the scenes involving Chaos and in the process we feel Colin anxiety and fear being thrown into that environment.

And while she's created this at times frightening world, the romance never suffers. There is a sexual tension that is palpable. She moves us through their attraction--desire and ultimately love.

Their backstories are told beautifully. We realize how much Colin misses his sister and Anthony. With glimpses into Savi's past we come to understand why her relationship with her grandmother is so important. And why she's willing to pass on love to find someone that would please her grandmother. There's a resigned sadness in Colin when he's willing to stand back and just be friends.

I found myself on the verge of tears as they try to figure out a way to be together.

I've already read it twice, reread the ending several times.

This one's good, it's better than good, it's a keeper.

Test

test....

Because Mejean's too clever for words and Colin ROCKS!!

Dear People Magazine,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So I’m beginning my campaign to get a vampire on the cover of your magazine. To no longer be forced to stare longingly at men who can’t read my mind. Men who can’t use a sword. Men who can’t wear satin-lined capes and look good doing it. I’m calling for all readers, living and undead, to fight for vampire equality.
And I’m nominating Colin Ames-Beaumont to the be first representative of the “Sexiest Man Alive (and Undead)” for 2007. What separates him from other vampire romance heroes, you wonder? He’s strong, as they are. He sucks blood, as they do. He’s got out-of-control sexual appeal, as they do. But there is one thing, People Magazine, that makes Colin stand out from the rest of the vampire heroes.
Colin … is blond.

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

Sincerely,
Meljean Brook

Living and Undead Readers for Vampire Equality

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

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

Weekend Stuff

WINNER!!! WINNER!!! WINNER!!!

We have a winner. The number I was thinking of was 43 (my age) and that makes Megan the winner. Megan when you get a chance email my your new address, use the sidebar link--I'll get it faster.

I found enough time to finish Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James and start Abandon by Carla Neggers, have finished about half the book. I also read the first novella (which was incredibly hot) in Wild, Wicked and Wanton by Jaci Burton.

I absolutely loved Desperate Duchesses and will work on a review sometime this week. In fact I may reread it before I write it. Can't wait for the next one.

We took Junior to see Shrek The 3rd which was a very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The child loved it, we'll have to get it on DVD when it comes out.

My poor neglected blog... and a little contest

I decided to take a break from posting books on Romantic Advances and give my poor neglected blog some much needed attention. I spent about an hour this morning blog hopping to all my favorite blogs. I ended up only lurking, for some strange reason blogger was revolting and didn't let me click into comments.

A call from my local bookstore on Thursday sent me scurrying over there yesterday afternoon. Some of my June book order was in:



Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James--I've read about 1/2 of this already. It's probably safe to say I'm an Eloisa James fangirl. I am thoroughly enjoying this book. Set in the Georgian period there's this fun naughty feel to it. I'm enjoying the h/h, but I can already tell there's a book that's being built to. Two of the secondary characters are married but have been living separate lives. I have a feeling that their relationship will be the series arc and am already looking forward to that one. Now, was that vague enough--LOL.

Abandon by Carla Neggers--I've only recently discovered Carla Neggers, having only read a couple books. I liked her writing voice and style enough to add her to my autobuy list. I'm very picky when it comes RS, so far she works for me.

Lady Beware by Jo Beverley--this one was a no brainer. I've been a Jo Beverley fan for years and how could I possibly pass up a "Rogues" book :D

Wild, Wicked and Wanton by Jaci Burton--I think this was actually a May release, but I hemmed and hawed last month, read a few good reviews and decided to give it a try. If I'm picky about Romantic Suspense, I'm even more so about Erotic Romance, only getting one or two a month. Wild, Wicked and Wanton is this months pick.

A quick little contest:


I discovered I have 2 copies of Nalini Singh's Visions of Heat. Since I'm too tired to come up with something clever I'm going to think of a number between 1 and 100. Make sure you list a number in your comment. Closest wins.

Pretty easy, right?

It Takes a Village

So, for the last week the laundry has piled up and books have gone unread. Life got very busy, even busier than usual.

Why do you ask? It started with Jane and Sybil, their newest brainchild.

What if there was a website that was all about upcoming book releases? What if it was created by readers for readers?

Last week I received an email--'what do you think? you interested?' Well, what obsessive/compulsive reader wouldn't be interested? LOL. Everyone involved is taking on different jobs. I've been slowly working my way through June releases, and am now a copy and pasting champ, can load an upcoming release with all its information in less than 5 minutes--the OCD thing comes in handy for this :D

So, GO and visit. Click your way around and send us your thoughts.

What's on my agenda today? Laundry there's so much I need to go to the laundromat to get it all done. Maybe I'll bring a book and catch up on that too.

Guilty Pleasure

The only book I've read in the last week was Susan Mallery's The Marcelli Princess.

Conceptually this book should have annoyed me, the whole plot line is beyond odd. Winery heiress becomes American spy after ex-boyfriend (domestic terrorist) tries to kidnap the President's daughter (her sister-in-law), falls in love with an antiquities thief she's supposed to be covertly watching, who turns out to be a prince from a small European Kingdom. also working undercover. She secretly has his baby after she thinks he's dead. He sees a picture of her and her child in a newspaper and realizes he's got an heir and the little boy's a "Prince". And, to add insult to injury, he plans to take the child away from his poor mother. Far-fetched enough, convoluted enough? **eyes roll repeatedly**

And yet I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Why you ask? Because it feeds one of my reading guilty pleasures--Commoner/Royalty stories. I don't read them very often, but when I do inevitably it's going to be a favorite--LOL.

Nora Robert's Cordina series is on my keeper shelf and it's now itching for a reread.

Trains

Yesterday we took a trip on a tourist railroad. Junior's still a train fanatic.



First we went for an hour long ride, then he got to visit the conductor, who let him ring the bell and honk the horn. He had such a good time, I guess it wore him out.

Back to books tomorrow. Have a great day.

PS--Click on the pictures to see larger versions, in the last picture you may notice he sleeps with his eyes slightly open (and see up his nose--LOL)

odds 'n ends...

I haven't read anything all week. School stuff and other things seem to be taking up a lot of time.

Somehow I was named chair of a new committee at school, Marketing and Publicity. This happened at a meeting I wasn't even attending. So, I've been busy collecting rate charts for the various newspapers, and gathering press release info for radio and television stations as well as newspapers. I need to come up with a budget and plan by June 21st. I also have to design an ad that will be in a local "Parenting" magazine, this I need to do next week. I also need to create an ad for our graduates.

Junior only has 2 weeks left of school. Graduation is June 14th. The Kindergarten class is putting on a play about Noah and the Ark. Junior's Noah, I was able to borrow a Joseph costume (my nephew was Joseph in a Christmas Pageant a few years ago and that costume fits) but I still have to make a beard. To quote the music teacher "Whatever you do, don't cover up the beautiful face." :D

He was supposed to be able to tie a bow by today. He's left handed and I'm having a heck of time teaching him, it's the reason he wears loafers. I have a feeling they're testing them today. Do you think you can fail Kindergarten because you can't tie?

We have a barbeque tomorrow and a day trip planned for Sunday, maybe I'll find time to read Monday, probably not--LOL.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, and buy a poppy.

LOST...

My initial thought after last nights LOST episode...

OH!! MY!!! GOD!!!!

Then I was left wondering...

• Is Charlie really gone?
• What the heck is healing Locke?
• Why can't they kill Mikhail?
• Who the heck is on the boat? If not Penelope then who???
• Who was in the coffin?
• Was the "forward" flash for real?
• What the heck happens to Jack if/when they get home?
• Who did Kate need to get back to?
• Was Walter alive?
• And, where the heck is Michael?

I hate cliffhangers!!

Interesting LOST "connections"

Creepin' -- Anthology

Creepin' -- An anthology of African American paranormal erotic romance featuring L.A. Bank, Donna Hill, Monica Jackson, J.M. Jeffries and Janice Sims.

I'm going to start by saying I'm not a huge fan of anthologies, normally something doesn't work within each story, whether it's pacing, or amount of story or back story.

But, I absolutely LOVED Creepin'. Each story is unique and different. Each hits different levels of romance, erotica and horror. It's the horror mark that really works for me. Each story deals with revenge and justice, but in a paranormal environment.

Payback is a Bitch by L.A. Banks--Sidney Coleburn-West has a cheating bastard for a husband. And he needs to be dealt with, in comes Mitchell "Brick" Brickland to the rescue. Turns out Brick is a werewolf and decides Sidney's going to be his mate, but first they need to deal with the husband. I particularly liked this one, it was my first L.A. Banks story and I'll be looking for her back list.

The Heat of the Night by Donna Hill--Chris has been in love with her best friend, Melody, for years. Mel has no idea, but Chris now has a nightly visitor, and she is completely hot for whatever it is and loves what it does to her body. And, she's not willing to share, not even with Mel. This is by far my favorite story of the five. It's hot, it's spooky and it has an ending that could rival anything by the favorites within the horror genre. If you like the odd ironies of Stephen King short stories, this one will probably work for you--it did for me.

Vamped by Monica Jackson--another fun story. Joy's fiance, Andre, is a bit of a homebody. Goes to work and comes home, nothing in between. Joy insists he make an appearance at a work related event to prove to her coworkers he actually exists. Well, there's a reason he doesn't go out in public, regular visits from a vampire named Dahlia, she uses him for feeding and sex and he wants no part of it. Somehow (I'm not telling) Joy is infected. I'm stopping here in the story synopsis because I don't want to give anything else away. This one's an erotic romance and the ending is a little convenient, but I liked it and it certainly didn't take away from the overall story. And, I'm not certain if there would have been any other way to reach the HEA--so it works.

Balancing the Scales by J.M. Jeffries--Paloma Alexander is a Superstar with a lying, cheating, thief for a husband. She's willing to give up everything to be free of him even her most prized possession--her voice. Loved this story, not only is it about revenge, it's about the poetic justice that can go with it.

Avenging Angel by Janice Sims--Sarai is a member of the Nephilim group Grigori. The Grigoris are dedicated to God, unlike the Nephilim group The Sons of the Morning Star who are dedicated to Lucifer. It turns out an old boyfriend from The Sons of the Morning Star wants her back, but she's happily married to a human, a professional boxer turned politician, a good man doing good things and Sarai loves her husband and wants no part of the ex. The ex needs to be dealt with--that's it anything else is a spoiler. This was my least favorite of the group and it's still a good story, of course a Good vs. Evil story always works for me.

Be prepared not all the stories are romances, but all are extremely erotic. I read the entire book in one sitting at my computer, anyone who knows me, knows that's saying something about just how good this book is.

Annoyed...

After spending almost an hour writing a blog post about this weekends reading, somehow the new "Now Blogger saves drafts automatically!" ate the damned draft.

Not happy.

Oh well, there's worse things in life. I'll be back later and try writing it again. Have a good one.

Today is our 24th Wedding Anniversary.

Is that possible? :D

So Bad It's Good...

After a few loops around blog and review land, I've discovered there are some really "bad" books out there. I've posted about this in the past. Bad books are so tempting.

And once again, I'm left pondering "Can they really be that bad?"...

• Mrs. G's review of Lori Foster's Causing Havoc, not that I'm remotely a fan of Lori Foster, but yikes a 05--that's worse than bad.
• AAR's review of Caroline Davidson's Nightsong, AAR calls it an "Indian" romance, I've reached the point where political correctness has taken over my thinking, before I read the review I thought it was going to be set in India and not The Dakota Territory.
• SBTB's review of Lucy Monroe's Take Me, it's tempting.
• And then there's Dear Author's and Karen's reviews for Carol Lynne's Ben's Wildflower, I'm not going to link to the reviews as if you somehow missed them last month, you apparently live under a rock. I had absolutely no interest in this until I saw Mrs. Giggles campy grade of 80.

Ben's Wildflower is the only one truly tempting me. Can it be so bad it's good?

Just because a trip to blogthing is always interesting...

You Belong in Brooklyn

Down to earth and hard working, you're a true New Yorker. And although you may be turning into a yuppie, you never forget your roots.

Where Should Your Inner New Yorker Live?

The Brooklyn thing is kind of funny since we left East 23rd Street in 1972.

You Are An Apple Tree

You are quiet and shy at times, but you have lots of charm and appeal. You are quite attractive: your pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, and adventurous spirit draw people in. Sensitive and loyal in love, you want to love and be loved. You are a faithful and tender partner - who is generous in sharing your many talents. You love children, and you need an affectionate partner.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

A Quickie...

It's been a busy reading month so far, but I haven't had time nor the inclination to write reviews for everything. So I thought I'd post snippets about what I liked/disliked about each one...

Shana Abe's The Smoke Thief completely blew me away. It's been out for a while and to be honest I wasn't all that interested, I picked it up on a whim and it's now a keeper. I had to fight to keep from doing an immediate reread.

I chose not to review this one because I thought it would turn into a gush fest and that wouldn't do the book justice.

I'm heading to the library today in the hope they have The Dream Thief available.

I'm a Susan Squires fan and her Companion series is one of my favorites, though I didn't particularly like The Burning, I did like her new one One With The Night. The heroine is strong and smart, the hero is a bit of a "poor put upon me" vampire, but not enough to put me off the story, and considering his backstory it may be understandable. There's an interesting twist to the Loch Ness Monster(s) in this one that I originally thought was over the top, but the more I think about it the more I like it.

I like that Ms. Squires leaves the HEA on the ambiguous side, it's a series about vampires--forever is a really long time :)

Castle of the Wolf is my first Sandra Schwab book. It's a Gothic--I love Gothics.

I liked the hero and heroine, her brother's pathetic, her SIL's a bitch, his parents are sweet, the servants are loyal, the heroine has an interesting rat killing friend, and his brother's the villain. The gargoyles add a cool twist to the story. The setting is interesting--Germany's Black Forest.

What's not to like? :D

Hmmm, I've been at a loss for words (I know--a loss for words--right :D) regarding Loretta Chase's Not Quite A Lady and it finally hit me, I'm not a huge fan of Loretta Chase's voice, it's why I'm sometimes hit or miss with her stories, because if the story doesn't completely grab me I'm just reading, not really loving it but not hating it either. I also did the comparison thing--Mr. Impossible is one of my favorite books, this one didn't compare for me. Darius isn't half as entertaining as Rupert and Charlotte just seemed immature, at one point near the end she says something about not growing past 16 and that's exactly how I felt as I was reading the book. Good because she's a good writer but it didn't completely work for me.

I'm not a huge "contemporary" reader, because I often find them trying too hard--too funny, too melodramatic. I'm picky about romantic comedies and I've reached a point in my life that too much melodrama is, well, too much. Susan Wiggs' contemporaries are melodramatic, but for some reason they don't bug me. Her The Lakeside Chronicles are set in the Catskills, which is basically my backyard. I find myself nit picking the details of the area, how long it takes to go back and forth to NYC, calling the local government a "city" instead of a "town" or "village". But, not enough to completely pull me out of the story. I liked the hero and heroine (Rourke and Jenny). The Winter Lodge is a nice story,add a little mystery, and truths uncovered--it worked.


Thanks to Wendy I've become a Cheryl St. John fan, slowly collecting her backlist as I come across them. She's a nice storyteller, her books are simple, straightforward and always work. Joe's Wife is a sweet story about a man from the wrong side of the tracks and a widow in need.

I've got 2 or 3 more of her books on my TBR pile, she's become my go to author when I need a western fix.

You know that deja vu feeling you get when you read something that seems familiar but you can't quite figure out why? It's the feeling I got when I started Asking for Trouble by Elizabeth Young. And then it hit me, the plot was the same as that movie that came out a couple of years ago with Debra Messing--The Wedding Date, no kidding, after a quick pop in to B&N and I find out the movie's based on the book. Well, I have to say I loved the first half of the book, found myself smiling at the basic craziness of it, but then the second half disintegrated into a mass of misunderstandings. It could have been better but wasn't horrible.

It really wasn't a quickie, was it? :D

Brilliant

Jane's opinion letter completely rocks, go and read it NOW. :D

Thinking...

Wendy, The Super Librarian tagged me for the Thinking Blogger award, which is rather funny considering most days I feel somewhat clueless. :)

I'm going to spread the "Thinking" joy and tag 5 more bloggers that always make me think and entertain at the same time...

1. Megan's Writer's Diary


2. Kristie J


3. Rosario


4. Jenster


5. Jaye

Ladies, it is now your responsibility to spread the "Thinking" wealth, please tag 5 more great thinkers.

Brings a tear to my eye...

My adorable child made me a Mother's Day card. I wish I had a scanner to post the cover. It's a picture of him with his heart on top of his head. When I asked why there was a heart on his head he told me... "That's my heart coming out of my body to give to you because I love you so much." He's good, isn't he?--LOL

On the back he wrote...

"Be Happy It is your 'specialest' day."

He came into me three times and asked me how to spell "specialest". I tried to tell him it wasn't a word, but he insisted.

Love that kid. :)

Happy Mother's Day
I'd like to wish all my friends a Happy Mother's Day. That includes all the Moms, Grandmoms, "Pet" Moms, and future Moms.
Hopefully all will have the day off with lots of pampering.
Take care, with hugs and love,
Tara

Figured it out...

While I was posting responses to the comments on my That Darned Grading Curve the other day I finally figured IT out. I read for voice, writing style and characters, not necessarily story. Not much of a brainstorm but it worked for me.

It's explains...

• why my keeper shelves are filled with less then perfect books.
• why I have autobuy authors that always work for me, but may not love or even like all their books.
• why I have old favorites that no longer work for me, it's not the stories they're now telling, it's a change in their writing voice and style I don't like. Joan Wolf went from lush to sparse. Catherine Coulter historicals went from dark to humorous to just too witty.
• why some authors are hit or miss. I may like the story they're telling enough to compensate for not loving their writing voice or style, but may not like other stories enough to do the same.

Don't get me wrong, a good story is always important, but for me it's the writing voice and style that make an autobuy.

Autobuys... Mary Balogh, Meljean Brook, Liz Carlyle, Susan Carroll, Laura Lee Guhrke, Linda Howard, Madeline Hunter, Eloisa James, Lydia Joyce, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julia Quinn, Karen Ranney, Nora Roberts, Karen Rose, Susan Squires, Anne Stuart, Lynn Viehl... To name a few :D

Posting Thoughts Here... ** edited **

I decided to post some thoughts about today's RTB post here instead, since the column is directed to published authors and not *grin* lowly readers. So go over and read it, I'll wait... *tapping fingers on desk*

Are you back?

"I hated this book. Seriously, when the book ended I needed Tylenol and therapy.”

“Pure crap. I’ll never read this author again. I want my money and my time back. The author’s head on a platter would be nice, too. What an idiot!”

“This book was terrible. There isn’t one nice thing I can say about it.”

So what do you think, are these quotes real?

And if so are they from Amazon/B&N or part of a review giving reasons why "I hated this book...", "Pure crap..." or "This book was terrible..." If they're Amazon reviews, does anyone take these seriously? And I still haven't come across a blogger review that doesn't explain why. Some may be harsh, but they inevitably share all the painful details.

Ms. Showalter doesn't qualify where they came from and the context, but then I guess if I was on the receiving end of these context may not matter. But, what if the reader did "...hate this book..." or think it "Pure crap..." or "This book was terrible..."?

The bad review, the invisible and sometimes not so invisible line between reader and author.

Edited to add...

But if I just say - “this is crap” what do they get out of that? Even when I give my oh-so-carefully constructed advice they probably don’t care but at least I didn’t just say it was crap.

"...oh-so-carefully constructed advice"???? For crying out loud why is it so hard to realize reviews aren't for the author, they're for READERS.

Is Locke dead or will the island heal him again??

That Darned Grading Curve...

Doing my daily round of blog hopping I discovered Kristie's Cover of Night Review with it's two grades. And it got me thinking more about something I was going to save for an RTB post but decided to post here instead, because I didn't want to wait 6 weeks. Then I found myself at the AAR message boards and this post giving such rave reviews to Adele Ashworth's The Duke's Indiscretion. And I was left thinking "Did we read the same book?" I realize everyone's taste is different and she obviously loved this while I did not.

But, I had to wonder if my dislike of the book stemmed from it being a so so story or my love of some of her other books. Winter Garden (my favorite), Stolen Charms and My Darling Caroline are all keepers for me.

I know I'm comparing. I also know I do it with Catherine Coulter, Jane Feather, Mary Jo Putney and Joan Wolf--loving older books and being disappointed in later ones. I no longer read Coulter and Putney, Wolf I keep trying simply because I can't believe her writing style has changed that much, and I vacillate about Feather from book to book. I realize my reading tastes evolve at the same time authors writing styles are evolving and perhaps we're going in opposite directions.

It leaves me wondering...

1. Is it fair to judge a book by previous ones, instead of on the merits of the story and storytelling?
2. Obviously I'm not the only one who does this :) So for those who don't, how do you not make comparisons?
3. How is it possible that a writer like Joan Wolf's writing style and voice evolve into something SO completely different?
4. And do editors, agents and publishers push authors to fit their molds? ie Avon and their interchangeable stable of Regency/Victorian writers?

That last question might be a little snotty, but I find myself reading less and less books published by Avon, there are only a handful of authors with their own truly distinct voice, the rest seem like so much of the same. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think so.

So, what do you think fair, unfair?

Now, the flip side of that. Do you give freshman authors a break?

When a book is by a new author or a new to you author do you give them a break as long as the story is good? I'm starting to think so. When I look back at my list of books read YTD I've read 17 new to me authors, some complete newbies and some I've tried for the first time. If I compare some of these to my keepers, in some cases there's no comparison, but yet I still liked the stories. Does any of this make sense?

And then do you have different standards for different genres or romance sub-genres? This I know I don't do, but am pretty sure others do, and they may not even realize it. I'm leaving this thought rather vague on purpose :D

PS--you may have noticed I didn't include Linda Howard in my list of evolving authors. Though I know so many people don't feel her newer books are as good as her older ones, I'm apparently bordering on rabid fangirl status and if she wrote the phone book I'd at least like it, if not love it :D

May Contain Spoilers...

Finally, I'm sitting down to review/comment about Lynn Viehl's Night Lost.

Have you ever picked up a book and after reading it realized whoever wrote the back blurb nailed the description? ...

A Noble Prisoner...
Gabriel Seran has fallen into the hands of the fanatical religious order known as the Brethren. Though abandoned by his fellow Kyn, he remains honor bound to protect their secrets from his interrogators. Blinded, nailed to a cross,k and sealed in a chapel cellar beneath a ruined chateau, Gabriel faces an eternity of suffering.

An Obsessed Thief...
Nicola "Nick" Jefferson has been traveling across Europe, looting churches of their precious artwork and fencing the treasures to make her living. At each destination, she liberates the captive vampires, hoping they'll provide her with information leading to the one artifact she so desperately craves: the Golden Madonna.

A Fateful Coupling...
Gabriel and Nick have met before in each other's dreams. Bound together by more than coincidence, their destinies intertwine even as their passions ignite...

Well, there you have a perfect summary. Actually a perfect summary of half the book. Gabriel and Nick's story. Both characters are strong and smart, devoted to their own causes. Once she's saved him from the Brethren it turns into a little bit of a road tale--pulling them toward Ireland and the rest of the story... Alex, Michael and Richard...

If you've been following the series at the end of Dark Need Richard has kidnapped Alex and brought her back to Ireland to help cure him. The King of the Darkyn has a problem. When he was held in captivity by the Brethren he only feed on animals, his system doesn't tolerate human blood. And we also discovered at the end of DN that Kyn who don't feed on human blood slowly become changelings turning into a bizarre version of animal/human. Richard's becoming more animal than human. He desperately needs Alex to save him. Alex wants out, Michael wants Alex out and this slowly builds to a climax that includes Gabriel and Nick and a villain they're all looking for.

Ms. Viehl does an amazing job combining story line and overall series arc--it completely works and flows together beautifully, and yet the overall series arc isn't finished only a part of it, leaving the Brethren, John and other Kyn with interesting story lines that still need to be told--LOVE IT :D

Next up on the TBR pile was Ms. Viehl's Midnight Blues, another great tale. On some level it's a small continuation of DN bringing us back to Sam and Lucan, almost an epilogue with an extra tale for Rafael, Sam's detective partner and also Kyn. Daniela Nieves needs rescuing from an evil Kyn member many have thought long dead. Rafael to the rescue. What makes this novella particularly entertaining is just who the villain is, and I'm not telling :D

So after a reading high I moved on to another "favorite" author. Unfortunately it lead to a little bit of a let down. I like Adele Ashworth's stories, writing style and voice. But The Duke's Indiscretion didn't really work for me. Conceptually it's an interesting story. An Earl's sister living a double life as aristocrat and opera singer attracts the attention of a smart, rakish Duke. She manipulates him into marriage and he's willing because he thinks he's getting the hot opera singer, what he actually gets is the cold aristocrat. He's made to feel the cad and she needs to work through her "feelings" about the whole thing. Throw in a little mystery and that's it.

Basically, I liked Colin, the hero, but didn't like Charlotte/Lottie, the heroine.

And again Ms. Ashworth falls victim to bad proof reading. The opening of one chapter has Charlotte spelled without the "h".

Officially a Lynn Viehl Fangirl

I just finished Lynn Viehl's Night Lost. I am now an official Lynn Viehl fangirl. I knew it was coming. I loved the first book in the Darkyn series, If Angels Burn, even though there were other readers announcing it was too dark, not enough romance, it completely worked for me. The next two, Private Demon and Dark Need were both keepers too. This one may be my favorite, with the main storyline and the overall series story arc working together for a GREAT read.

You know the feeling you get when you close a book and realize the next one wont be out for at least 6 months? I'm devastated, okay not devastated, but really annoyed that this one's done and nothing is on the horizon until January of '08.

Before I can write a review/commentary I'll need to gather my thoughts, this one left me craving more and I'm a little scattered. Why? Because I just realized there's an ebook download for this series that somehow I missed. How? I rarely visit author websites (exceptions--the ones on my sidebar). I'll be adding Paperback Writer. I hate to admit it I've never been there before. So, while I'm there I see a cover I've never seen before, for a story in the series I've never read... Midnight Blues, a Darkyn Novella. "A Darkyn Novella", why don't I remember anyone mentioning this?? Not only does Adobe pop up with 108 pages, there's a huge list of other free downloads. I'm so pathetic I'm sure someone somewhere must have mentioned this. I live in my own world, surrounded by books, rubbernecking at on-line train wrecks, but go no where.

So, you can probably figure out what's up next on the TBR pile, but then I'm bereft, with nothing to read (not--LOL), knowing what I really want is Evermore. I've read the excerpt and already know it's going to be fantastic.

I wonder how hard it would be to get on Signet's ARC list? I somehow managed to get myself on Simon & Schuster's Historical Fiction list. Hmm, I'll have to work on this :D

I've a post up on Romancing the Blog.

Hoping a grassroots campaign can make a change.

Done

Okay, I'm officially done with the latest brouhaha to hit the on-line romance reading community. Ms. Falk is officially "out there" as far as I'm concerned and I need to turn my attention elsewhere...

What the Hell is going on with LOST? Literally?? Are they all DEAD? Is it possible they're in Hell?? Is Ben the Devil? Are the rest of the "Others" his evil minions? Is it some sort of Purgatory?

We've got 2 episodes left and I'm thinking we're heading for a doozy of a cliffhanger.

Last weeks books... This will probably be long :)

Annie Dean emailed me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I'd be interested in reading her new book The Average Girl's Guide to Getting Laid. I'd read a couple of reviews (Dear Author and Mrs. G) and from those reviews I was expecting an average read.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised when it was more than that. I enjoyed this book. I felt comfortable with Ellie, she's sweet and self conscious and at times full of forced bravado, but not in a bad way. Ash is cool.

Sexy and smart, well paced. The dialogue works (though I hated the "babygirl" endearment--but that's mostly because one of my BILs calls his 3 year old "babygirl). Mostly I liked Ellie and Ash, they were good people. A very sexy story about everyday average people falling in love.

It's not perfect, some of the conflict seemed a little forced and there's little side trips within the story that aren't really necessary, but don't really hurt the story.

This one was better than average for me.

I wish Mary Balogh's Simply Magic was better than average. I was disappointed with this story. I'm not going to write a full review or commentary for this one. All I can say about it is BORING. The hero and heroine are both nice people, but the story is a character driven one and it basically goes absolutely no where. I found myself skimming and skipping whole sections. Mary Balogh is still an auto read for me, simply because I like her writing style and voice, but this book didn't work for me.

Count to Ten has put Karen Rose on my autobuy list. This is a non-stop thriller with a great balance between suspense and romance. I'm very picky when it comes to romantic suspense, I usually find the balance doesn't work for me (to heavy on the romance not enough chills and thrills). Smart, well-developed characters (main and secondary), strong story, good dialogue, the pacing was perfect. I tried to find some of her backlist at the UBS today, but there wasn't a single book in stock.

They Call Me Naughty Lola Personal Ads from the LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS--Edited and with an Introduction by David Rose. Incredibly fun reading. The ads are funny, sarcastic, dry and at times beyond desperate. If you have an opportunity to pick this one up--do, it's worth it. I borrowed it from the library and hate having to give it back. I may have to buy myself a copy.

That's it for last weeks reading.

I've got some good books on the TBR pile, I may come up for air long enough to post about them as I finish them.

Have a good one and happy reading.

The RTB post from the other day got me thinking about how many books I've read over the years. Based on the logic we read 3000 in our lifetime I think I'm well into my 2nd lifetime and expect to reach three or four. I've been reading addict for 25 years, since I've only been keeping track of them for the last two I'm going to take a guess, 200 books a year for 25 years--that's 5000 books. I know there are years I've read more and years I've read less, but the last 2 years are a good indicator as to how much I do read.