Giving them up

I think romance novels are death to normal, real relationships. You start thinking all that action, adventure and passion is the norm in the real world. You start to look for a man with romance novel hero traits. As a woman who started reading romance in her teens I didn't realize I was doing this until my early twenties. If the guy wasn't exciting and romance novel like I didn't want him.


This is part of a message a reader posted on a message board recently. I found it to be interesting and quite likely true for some readers.
Since I seem be reading romance almost exclusively, this is something I find myself dealing with quite often too. Am I always able to tell the difference? This year my husband and I will have been married for 31 years. He is about as far removed from the heroes in the romance books as possible. One of his big beefs about me reading romance is that he thinks I expect him to act like “those guys in the books you read”. When he says this as long as I can think “Am not”, I feel safe reading romance.
First off, I am always aware that the heroes in romance books are not real. They are figments of the author’s imagination. Women write the majority of romance books so it only makes sense that the women authors would project what they would find appealing in a guy into their stories. That’s what makes them good. They are exactly what a number of us would want ‘cause they express what women look for. Do I wish my husband would act like the heroes in romance books? Well, he just wouldn’t – he’s a guy. He is from the planet Mars, whereas the imaginary heroes in books are from the imaginary planet of imaginary Venus.
On top of that, if I were to expect him to act like the hero from a romance novel than it is only right that he would expect me to act like the heroine out of romance novel. And THAT is not going to happen. I’m older than most of them, I’m more reubenesque than most of them, I’m more selfish than most of them. At this point in my life I’m suffering from both PMS and hot flashes. Sex is something I still enjoy but I certainly don’t require it the way I once used too. All in all, I’m just not romance heroine kind of a girl.
I love my husband more today, than I did when we first got married, not because he is romance material – but more I think because he’s not. His flaws make him more special because then I am allowed my own flaws.
Because he makes mistakes, I feel better when I make them.
The last grand romantic gesture he made was to buy central air conditioning for the house near the end of June. We’ve lived in the same house without it for over 20 years. The hot weather doesn’t really bother him so he would be quite fine without it. But he got if for me. I never asked for it, it was always too expensive. And I never really let on how much the summer heat bothers me – at least I don’t think I did. But he knew and believe me, I silently thank him every day this summer. This was something far more special than anything a silly ole romance hero would do.
So I think that maybe for her, the poster needed to take a break from romance and maybe I will someday if my expectations get out of whack. But for now anyway, I’m still able to differentiate between a made up romance hero who sprung from a fertile imagination and my own personal hero.

One of life's more embarrasing moments

Quite some time ago, Mail made a bet with a friend (she must have some of the most interesting bets) and posted some of her most embarrassing moments. Apparently, if no one responded in a certain time, she was allowed to delete the post. Well, it was a hoot of a list and it seems she had something like 10 minutes to go when myself and another person responded and she had to leave it up. At the time she said I owed her some embarrassing moments back. I’ve always felt that obligation in the back of my mind – I gotta get over this kind of feeling. Anyway, this one is for Maili!

I was in a department store – Giant Tiger -the other day. I’m not sure what to compare it too – maybe a smaller, friendlier Walmart. They have all kinds of things. Frozen food, discount clothing, toiletries, portable DVD players – you name it, they have it - almost. One of the items they have is great underwear. Now great underwear to me is an entirely different kettle of fish than great underwear to someone much younger. GU to me is something that will hold parts of me in, yet be comfortable at the same time. I am a thong virgin – and will remain so until my dying day. Medium to firm support for me if you please. For those who saw the movie Bridget Jones Diary, there was this really great scene where she was trying to decide between the practical ugly underwear or the sexy provocative underwear. She (and I) went with practical.
So with my GU, a few frozen dinners for my hubbie, shampoo and a half price chocolate bar, I went to the checkout. The cashier was an older lady so I (phew) was safe. After all these years, I still feel awkward when I buy personal things. I gotta get over this kind of thing. I was about 3rd or 4th in line and there were a few people that lined up after me. At this point a young and rather attractive cashier of the male persuasion opened up, looked right at me and said “I can help you over here”. I pretended not to hear him. He said it again. The person behind me tapped me, pointed and said “over there”. Now why couldn’t it have been one of those people who will mow you down trying to get ahead of you in line? Reluctantly, I walked over to the next register thinking “I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do this". I dumped all my purchases on the belt somehow hoping the GU would slip by unnoticed and started looking out the window like there was something very interesting going on out there. Twas not be. When he got to the GU, the ugly, the white, the full size for medium support UW, he held them up – I got two don’t you know – and said “You realize the sale is final on these items?” “Fuck off” I thought while giving him the royal “of course, proceed” wave yet inside dying of embarrassment. What I really wanted to say was “I’m over 50 fuckin’ years old and I still wasn’t aware that you couldn’t return underwear. How bloody thoughtful of you to point this out for me in front of all these people”
I made it out of the store, got in the car, hit my head on the steering wheel and thought “Damn! Shit! Shit, Damn. I really really gotta get over this.”

Wierd Fans

I was terribly and horribly bored at work yesterday and since my boss is on vacation, I spent much more time than I should have on the internet. I kept telling myself that a) there wasn’t anything else for me to do and b) I had already volunteered to help a number of people with their jobs but none of them took me up on it. I still felt very guilty about it though. Whenever I go on the internet at work, I always imagine some computer geek kept in a locked room somewhere tracking where all the employees visit on the ‘net. I really need to get over that.

Anyway, I had myself a rollicking good time at Amazon reading the reader reviews of a Certain Author. This author’s fans are weird. First off, there are no fewer that 20 reviews for every book she has published. Most have 30 reviews and one of CA’s books has an astonishing 61 customer reviews. Now that’s weird. And if you read the reviews themselves they are unintentionally hilarious. I give you this example:

[...]. I was thrilled to see that she plans atleast 6 more books to xxxxxxxx story. Yeah! HOWEVER, I am left steaming and nearly irate as I found out that there will be A YEAR BETWEEN RELEASE DATES! A YEAR! Come on! You've made us obsessed with your writing, we have money, give it to us now! I can understand MAYBE 6 months, she is a busy auther, but an entire year! And the next full book in her Xxxx Xxx's Series won't be out till March 2006!!!! Come on, if you think we are going to wait with this much enthuisiasm for that long you're crazier than some of your characters! (And not in the fun way we love!)
Now call me a snob, but if I was going to post a review somewhere, I would at least make sure the spelling was correct.
This one caught my eye:
After receiving this book I ran into the only private place I could find and eagerly tore into this book. (Bet it was the bathroom)
This one is also rather amusing:
When I read Anne Stuart I often ponder what she eats to stay so good from book to book. When I read Xxxxx Yyyyyyyyyyyy that never crosses my mind. (yes, I often wonder what authors eat too)

Some of the headlines amused me too. There was this one:

Best Book Since Lord of Scoundrels (I don’t think so)
it's gold, i like it. it's mine. (I hate when people are too lazy to capitalize)
headspinningly brilliant (headspiningly stupid title if you ask me)
But this is my favourite
Warning!! Don't not drink milk when reading this book!, (Oh thank you for that advice)

Now I have never read CA. Her type of books just don’t appeal to me at all. She may be good or she may not be. What I consider authentic review sites are not very kind to CA at all. A certain married lady who laughs a lot has some hilarious reviews. But even if I were to be tempted, her weird fans would certainly give me second thoughts. I must say, I don’t even understand the mindset that causes fans of certain authors to get so wrapped up in the author of their choice. If I were an author, I think I would be slightly spooked to have wacky fans that some authors do- keeping the movie Misery in mind Occasionally, very occasionally, I will write to an author and let her know how much I enjoyed her book, but that’s about it. So while I will always have my favourite authors, I truly hope I never get weird about them.

BTW - I still have settled on a favourite colour or font. That's why I'm still experimenting.

Recent Reads - Two goodies and a wallbanger

I Got You Babe – Jane Sullivan
Good news/ bad news on this one. The good news - this one’s a keeper. The bad news - I’m pretty sure it’s out of print.
John DeMarco is a cop who is burning out. He is ‘encouraged’ to take a vacation after he beats a paper towel dispenser up in a rage when a guilty criminal is set free. He is sitting, eating his meal, and minding his own business in a scruffy diner when a beautiful young woman propositions him. At first, very reluctant, he is eventually persuaded to take her back to his cabin.
Renee Esterhaus is a girl in trouble. Accused of a crime she didn’t commit she is on the run from the cops and a very persistent bounty hunter. When she happens into the same diner as John, she is desperate and tries to get him to take her away – anyway she can. Later when John discovers who she really is, he is torn between his duty as a cop and his ever-increasing belief in Renee’s innocence.
I loved both John and Renee as characters. John is truly a good man, more of a beta hero with pretty good overtones of alpha. He wants to help Renee; he eventually believes her and is very attracted to her, but still his duty as a cop tells him that he should be turning this wanted fugitive in. And I loved Renee. She is far from perfect. She was a juvenile delinquent who admits she was trouble when younger, but with a lot of hard work she’s managed to turn her life around. The author does a wonderful job in describing Renee’s panic at the thoughts of going to jail. There is a wonderful cast of secondary characters. I also found it delightfully funny in parts, such as the scene when John’s sister walks into John’s bedroom and discovers a handcuffed Renee. She is delighted at what she thinks is her brothers “kinkiness”.
I’ve read all the books in this series now with mixed but mainly very positive results. I hated, hated, loathed with every fibre of my being, hated with a passion Wild at Heat, Alex’s story – what a complete a$$hole this jerk was (DNF). I liked Flirting with Disaster, Dave’s story (the first one I read of this series) quite a bit (4 out of 5). I loved Light my Fire, Sandy the sister’s story (4 ½ out of 4) and adored I Got You Babe
Grade: 5 out of 5
**Note** – Jane Graves also writes series books under the name Jane Sullivan, mainly Temptation, a line now no longer being published. As I’m a fan of her books under that line, I hope she moves to another line at Harlequin and that we haven’t seen the end of Jane Sullivan.

Carved in Stone – VickieTaylor
This book was a bit of a fluke find. I was blog hopping and noticed it on Maili’s blog. It looked intriguing so I thought I’d give it a try. I am so glad I did.
This is the first I believe, in a series about another paranormal group – gargoyles, you know those scary looking statues on old buildings.
Nathan Cross is an excommunicated gargoyle. Not only excommunicated, his people are not allowed to speak or even acknowledge him. Having been banished from the group because he holds different and unacceptable beliefs, he is lonely but determined that this will be his last life. Rachel Vandemere is a tormented heroine. After witnessing her parents’ death at the hands of monsters when she was a child, she is determined to find and expose the monster for what they are. Now an Interpol agent, she senses something in Nathan and believing he can help her in her quest, she tells him her story and asks for his help. Little does she know that he is one of the very monsters she is seeking.
You can feel the sexual tension in this book between Nathan and Rachel. Nathan is an alpha hero and very quickly develops a very strong proprietary tie to Rachel. I’d love to have someone like Nathan watching out for me. I think Ms Taylor has done an excellent job in setting up this world. The gargoyles are human enough so I don’t get creeped out yet different enough to be intriguing. One of the most unique angles is while they live thousands and thousands of years; it is through reincarnation that they exist for so long. Their actual life span is just like ours. I’m looking forward to the next instalment as there are some threads left hanging.
I rather reluctantly gave up on Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series. This one I think will be an excellent replacement. I see quite a few others are also reading this book. I’d love to know what they think of the book and potential series.
Grade: 41/2 out of 5

Come Up and See Me Sometime – Lucy Monroe
I loved The Real Deal, Ms Monroe’s breakout book from last year so I was looking forward to enjoying this book. I didn’t. Enjoy it. In fact I couldn’t finish it. This one I hated. The hero Alec was arrogant and a quite a bit of a jerk. I could have kept reading it despite this though. But the heroine did the book in for me. I can’t remember her name at the moment and have no desire to look it up.
Alec is a man with vengeance on his mind. Determined to destroy the father of the heroine who he hold responsible for his own fathers death, he is hit be the desire to make the heroine his own when he finally meets her. He’s been drawn to her for a number of years ever since he saw her picture. He does woo her and win her but does he give up his plan for vengeance on her father? No, of course not. And what does she do when she finds out what he has planned? Does she get angry with him? Well, maybe a little. Not much though. What is her main reaction? She sleeps with the jerk. Not only that, she takes the lead in the sheets. As a heroine, let’s not voice our concerns when our new husband wants to ruin our family. Let’s not talk him out of it. Let’s reward the jerk. Let’s give him sex and not only that but let’s give him our very first blow job the same night we find out he has no intention of compromising on ruining a loved family member. I’m not one to advocate as a woman, using sex to get what we want, but come on now. No woman with any self- respect is going to do this. How does one spell doormat? “Heroine of this book whose name I can’t remember”. At this point I couldn’t finish this book and to be honest, I’m not sure I even care to try another Monroe book. It would take some heavy duty convincing to make me want to try her again. She hit a hot button with me on this one. A real hot button. She went from the top of the mountain to the bottom
Grade – DNF

A Beef about Book Stores

First off, part of me feels guilty even bitching about this. I have read how hard it for some people such as Rosario to find books. I’m not sure how easy it is to find romance books “across the pond” either. But I have a beef with the way the “system” works in Canada.
For those who don’t know, there is very little “free enterprise” here. There is one book store chain and only one. A few years ago, there were more. Coles Books and HB Smith Books were the two main chains. Both happened to be located in the mall near where I live and it was wonderful. If I couldn’t find a book in one store, then I could look in the other. Then there was the third choice, Woolco. I don’t know too much about the corporate happenings and I suppose I should do some research, but things changed, and not for the better a few years ago. First of all, Woolco was bought out by Walmart. One of the first changes I noticed was in the book department. Once it became Walmart, the selection changed immediately. When it was Woolco, I could find lesser known books by lesser know publishers but once it became Walmart, there just wasn’t the same selection anymore. Unusual books I could previously count on finding were no longer available. Then not too long after that, the Indigo Book Store Chain absorbed both HB Smith and Coles Book Stores. They the proceeded to open huge box store book stores known as Chapters. Coles still exists but it’s owned by Indigo books. They are located in malls and are much smaller than the Chapters Book Stores

Now you would think a big box type store would mean more of a selection wouldn’t you? Not necessarily. They don’t stock the lesser known publishers and even some of the more well known publishers such as Dorchester, aren’t carried.

This means I miss quite a few books. Luckily, I hear about quite a few of them on-line and I can and do order them. But for less savvy romance readers or those who don’t follow what’s being published via the internet, they are missing out on some very good reads. And authors who I feel deserve better are being left out. Here are just a few of the books I’ve had to order that never showed up in any of their stores.

Fallen from Grace – Laura Leone (Five Star Publishing)
PB Ryan Mysteries
Michele Albert’s - No Way Out
Body Check – Deirdre Martin
CJ Barrry’ earlier books

And I’m sure there are quite a few that I haven’t heard of that I missed because they weren’t on the shelves.

There are a few independent book stores, but there selections are even worse.
So, I will continue to use the internet to ferret out books I might never otherwise even know about. But I feel bad that so many other readers miss so many good books because there just isn’t the competition that there should be.

It's Friday, it's hot and I'm.......

exhausted from playing with pictures.
But I did it - YES
So this is going to be very simple tonight.

I have my top three eagerly anticipating August books. What are every one else's? I always love to see what other people are looking forward too.

Tomorrow - font colours or maybe tonight. I'm on a roll.

By Jove - I think I've got it

With much practice and with some help from Jay, it may have worked this time!
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Of course they are a bit bigger than I would prefer
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But they are still pictures

Leaving well enough alone and why can't I do that

Well Olly, it looks like you've done it again.

In my never ending quest for pictures, once again I have managed to mess things up.

Why is it I can put together an instruction book on my job duties that knocks my boss' socks off?
Why is it I can take a picture and wipe unwanted people right out of it?
Why is it I could send out a group email to everyone in the office that included a lovely bunch of flowers - no wait, that one crashed everyone's computer with it's 1 Millions gigabytes of memory or whatever and I had to go around and tell everyone not to open their email until the problem was solved
But I can't seem to "do pictures"?

As Sybil puts it so well
Le Sigh

More Recent Reads

Skintight – Susan Andersen
My son, who until he moves back home next weekend – sigh – still comes over for dinner every Sunday. Because he doesn’t have cable where he is presently living, one of the attractions I’m sure, to moving back home, and he loves poker, he insists on claiming the TV to watch The World Poker Tour. This has been driving me crazy but when I saw the hero of Susan Anderson’s latest is a World Poker Tour member I mellowed out and decided to watch it more in preparation. Nothing like a romance book to calm our nerves. So when I read the book, I could actually relate. Susan Andersen is an autobuy who has very rarely written a book I didn’t like. After finishing this one, her record is still intact. I really enjoyed this one, much better than her previous Hot and Bothered. The hero of this book Jax, is very likeable and unlike most of her other books is much more of a Beta hero. When he was young, he was much more into schoolwork than he was the sport’s his father insisted he play. He was a math geek who never measured up to his “good old boy” dad and as a result hadn’t had contact with him for years. After his father’s death, he comes up with a (and he admits it later) cockamamie idea to steal a collector’s baseball away from his father’s young widow. Treena is a great heroine, a showgirl with a heart of gold. She falls fast for Jax and is devastated when the truth comes out. The secondary characters are great in this book and there is a rather sweet secondary love story between a retired librarian who is wilder than she seems and a widowed handyman. It looks like there will be a second story and I can hardly wait.
Grade 4 ½ out of 5

His Secondhand Wife – Cheryl St. John
If I were given one word to describe Cheryl St. John’s books it would be tender. She has been an autobuy author for me for years and I think if she wrote for a publisher other than Harlequin, she might be a better-known author. As it is, I shall start doing more to get the word out on this wonderful writer. Since Lorraine Heath moved away from westerns, Ms. St. John has come the closest I think to filling that gap.
Noah, the hero, is a scarred and introverted man who upon hearing of the death of his younger and not so innocent brother (he is shot while with another man’s wife) tracks down his brother’s widow to deliver the news. Katherine is in a terrible situation. Left pregnant by her disappearing husband and living with her bitter and critical mother, she leaps at the opportunity to leave with Noah, when he offers to take her to his ranch. What follows is a tender story of two lost souls finding their way to each other. Noah is a wee bit frustrating as he continues to misunderstand Katherine, but he is very sweet nevertheless. What makes this different is Noah is the virgin in this story. I’ve always enjoyed that turnabout. To me this book is reminiscent of Heath’s Texas Destiny and Sweet Lullaby. While not quite as good – both of those ones got a 5 out of 5 from me, this one comes very close.
Grade 4 ½ out of 5

Wanting Something More – Kathy Love
Her first book, Getting What you Want blew me away. I gave this one a 5 out of 5 and could barely wait for story of the next Stepp sister. Wanting What you Get was a big disappointment after Ms. Love’s amazing debut. I gave it a 2 ½ out of 5. So with one big winner and one not so much of a winner for me, I was wondering how I would like the third book in the series. Well, I liked it much better than the second one, but not quite as much as the first.
This is the story of Marty Stepp, the youngest sister. She’s a burned out supermodel who has reached a turning point in her life. She decides to come home to think out what her next step will be. She runs into Nate Peck, during a snowstorm and is not impressed. In the prologue to this book, Nate had done something to hurt her I think we can all identify with. He was just as big a jerk on a recent visit Marty made for her sister’s wedding so she wasn’t about to by his changed guy claim. At least not till she put him through a few tests first. Nate has changed though and truly for the better.
As I said, this is a vast improvement over her second book. I liked both Marty who had her own insecurities despite being a supermodel and I liked the new and improved Nate – for the most part. He seemed a bit too good since his life altering experience. I like a hero who isn’t quite so perfect. For those who like the grovel, it took a while, but there is a pretty good one in this book.
I’m not sure if I’ll be buying Kathy Love in the future. It looks like she’s another author moving into the vampire fold and anyone who has read this blog knows how I feel about vampires…….
But, if she ever goes back to straight comtemps, I will have no qualms about buying her books again.
Grade 3 ½ out of 5

Interesting Lost tidbit for fellow addicts like me:
I don't know if the cover of the TV Guide is the same in the US as it is in Canada, but Josh Holloway (Sawyer) graces the cover of the one in Canada. Of course I picked up a copy of this issue even though I haven't bought TV Guide in years. He's in a feature on interesting facts on the 11 sexiest stars. Also one of the stars is Evangeline Lilly (Kate). Quote:
"I told (Josh Holloway), there's gonna be toungue in this kiss,' and he said 'fine by me.'

Survivor in Death and I really need to be stopped

Well I finished and returned Survivor in Death. It wasn’t quite as much fun having to return it as it was checking it out. And I didn’t even have to go in the library. They had a drop off box just like the video stores do. I didn’t really want to return it so quickly after waiting almost six months for it and I do have three weeks to have it checked out, but there is still a waiting list of over 70 so I thought I’d be nice and return it quickly so the next person in line who has been waiting so long will be just as excited as I was when I made it to the front of the line.

Anyway onto Survivor in Death. It’s always somewhat amusing to me that the very same thing that keeps from reading Nora Roberts anymore is the same thing that keeps me coming back to JD Robb. What I find hard to read anymore in her trilogies and single title books; the sameness in characters, are what I love so much about the In Death books. This was another excellent book in the series and I can’t see me ever tiring of them. I was a little concerned up to half way through the book. I love the ongoing and growing relationship between Roarke and Eve. It seemed to be missing for the first part of the book. Roarke would walk into a room, have some interaction with Eve and then they would part. There wasn’t any of the intense scenes between them and I was beginning to wonder if JD Robb was drifting away from that. No need to worry though, later in the book there were some heavy soul searching and soul revealing scenes. Ms Robb seemed to delve more into Roarke’s psyche this time around and I really enjoyed that. I loved how the author dealt with the girl who comes into their lives. I’m not nearly ready to see them have children but this was a nice way to see them interact with children. And again, it was nice to see the other characters that Ms. Robb has brought to life so well.
It’s wonderful to see Eve continue to develop as a person and begin to open up more with each book. She didn’t seem nearly as freaked out by Mavis’ pregnancy as she did a few books ago. She even was willing to contemplate having her own kids – along way down the road.
All in all this was another wonderful read by a well loved author..

Echoing what others have said recently, I really need to be stopped. I was out this morning and while driving by Chapters, it called to me. It really did. I just couldn’t seem to help pulling into the parking lot, getting out of the car, going inside and buying more books. Books I don’t need. Books I want.

Today’s haul:
Warprize - Elizabeth Vaughan (new to me author)
Come Up and See Me Somtime - Lucy Monroe (loved The Real Deal
Carved in Stone - Vickie Taylor (new to me author - I came across this one from Maili's blog)
Wanting Something More - Kathy Love (loved her first, didn't the second,which one will this one be)
The Marriage Bed - Laura Lee Guhrke (despite the mixed reviews, I've always loved this author and I want to know what everyone is talking about)
His Secondhand Wife - Cheryl St. John (I love her writing)

I had something completely different planned but

since I’m an unabashed copy cat, I saw Tara’s list of autobuys and thought I’d blog my own. It’s too long to add to hers.

Autobuys (in no particular order)
Jo Goodman
Gaelen Foley
Susan Anderson
Liz Carlyle
JD Robb
Linda Howard
Wendy Lindstrom (new addition)
Susan Donovan
Pamela Clare
Candice Proctor (if she ever writes another one – sigh)
Michele Albert
Loretta Chase
Susan Mallery
Kate Rothwell – even though she only has two – I loved them both
Leslie LaFoy
Lynn Kerstan

On the bubble (had some I loved – others not so much)
Lisa Kleypas
Laura Lee Guhrke (haven’t read The Marriage Bed – it will probably be the deciding book)
Kathy Love
Jo Beverly
Karen Ranney
Celeste Bradley
Rachel Gibson (she moved off the autobuy to the bubble after her latest one)
Patricia Potter
Jennifer Ashley

No longer buy but used to love
Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley MacGregor (most recent)
Nora Roberts
Jayne Anne Krentz/Amanda Quick
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Catherine Anderson
Elizabeth Lowell
Lyn Kurland
Mary Balogh
Julie Garwood
Julia Quinn (too many Bridgerton’s!)
Lorraine Heath (but she can move up if she ever writes another western)

WOW - and a fascinating discovery

A huge thank you to KarenS who said if she, who is weblogistically challenged could change her blog look, anyone could and then warned me to copy and paste. Anyone reading this has no idea how scared I was when I hit that change button. My palms were sweating and my heart was beating faster.
I love the new look - NO MORE PINK. I am so not a pink person.

Next step in the bold leap forward - another attempt at pictures. And look!!!!! I did it.
Wow!!!

Since JD Robb went to hardcover I've been depressed. I'm not about to start buying hardcover halfway through the series, but I simply could not wait for the paperback. I had an idea. Why not try the library. Our library system bites the big one as far as romance books go but since the In Death aren't considered romance, they would probably have them. So I went and got a library card - haven't had one of those in over 20 years. They are plastic now. I then put a hold on Survivor in Death. This was way back in February. I was 79th in line. Well it finally came in today so I stopped to pick it up. It was truly an unusual feeling to walk out of there with a book in my hands that I didn't pay for. I'm going to have to do this again. I'm 57 on the list for Origin in Death.

It's magic

I really enjoyed Monica’s column in Romancing the Blog today. It speaks so much as to one of the reasons I started this blog. I’m very fortunate in that my sons are grown and while not completely out of the house yet, at least are able to take care of their own needs and I have a fairly decent disposable income. Believe me, at one point I didn’t think we would ever get there. I was a SAHM for a number of years and when I did go back to work, it was in retail at a store near where my sons went to school. I worked a lot of afternoons and nights so we didn’t have the expense of daycare or babysitters. We don’t travel a lot so I have money to indulge my real passion and that is books. I read a lot of reviews on books, but have learned not to pay too much attention to the grades they get. I think it’s one of the greatest reading experiences in the world to discover’ a new author and echoing what Monica wrote, it is magic.
I think there are a couple of main reasons romance readers don’t try new authors. The number one reason seems to be money. That’s a very valid reason. For this obstacle, the library seems to be very helpful however. Not every city has a library system as pitiful as the one in the city I live in. The romance section of almost every branch is severely lacking. What they do have is a lot of Harlequins. My own collection puts the library’s to shame.
Another reason seems to be risk. Some romance readers just don’t seem to be big risk takers. They would rather stay with authors they are familiar with. Now there is nothing wrong with that, I still have some authors I’ve loved for years, although to be honest there are a lot more I’ve dropped. And let’s face it, a favourite author can write a bad book too. Fortunately there are a lot of risk takers out there. They are willing to try something new and different, thus explaining the explosion of paranormal romance. I don’t consider myself a risk taker at all, except when it comes to books. I’m about a staid and boring as it comes, but when it comes to books I’m willing to explore – somewhat. I figure when I see a book that looks interesting by an author I’ve never tried before “why not?” I’ve read all kinds of really nasty books by favourite authors so in a way it isn’t anymore of a risk than a book by an old familiar author. I don’t gamble in RL but I do when it comes to fantasy.
But what do I gain by taking risks. As Monica said in her column, when you find a new author, it’s like magic. I’ve experienced that magic a few times so far this year, Lips that Touch Mine by Wendy Lindstrom, Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare, The Cobra and the Concubine. Of course the good/bad side of that is back lists that must be found and read.
Another plus to taking chances on new books is I am tickled pink when I’ve shared a relatively unknown book with someone and they have really enjoyed it too. I’m almost as excited for them as I was myself when I read it. I love hearing the feedback.
So I will continue to read new authors and share the good ones. It’s too much fun not to.

I need help

What the hell did I just do and why is everything at the bottom? And anyone know how I can fix it?

"Dufus" she muttered, "You're such a dufus."

Empty Nest and Pirates - UPDATE

Come Monday, my husband and I will officially again be empty nesters. Our oldest son is moving out. The youngest one has been on his own for some time but the oldest one ran into financial difficulties and of course he came home until he got things sorted out. What was supposed to be a three month stay turned into a year and a half. I love my sons dearly, I really do, but at ages 25 and 27, they really should not be at home with their parents. This became abundantly clear to me last week. I was copying a file onto a disk so I could take it into work and add things to it on my break. I just picked up a disc that was lying next to the computer, copied the spreadsheet and got ready to leave. Just before that I thought I should check the A: drive to see if it copied all right. There were a few files on it I didn’t recognize and thought I would open them up to see what they were. Imagine my astonishment when they turned out to be pictures of a half naked girl. Well, I knew they weren’t my husbands – he has no idea how to copy files. That of course left the son. I deleted the spreadsheet popped open the A: drive and carefully put the disc back where it was. He is 26 and 11 months. This was on Thursday. On Sunday, I was making dinner when he came in the house with a girl behind him. When I looked at her I realized it wasn’t exactly the first time I met her. I just about said “oh, you’re the naked girl” but luckily I managed to keep my mouth closed. Yep, it’s time this little bird leaves the nest.

UPDATE

It's a good thing I laugh at life's ironies. Son number 2 was over this morning - it's a holiday here in Canda. My oldest son had been living on his own for a while with a roomate who skipped out on him - thus the financial troubles. Son number 2 moved out a month before son number 2 (hell, Brent = son # 1, Ryan = son #2) A month after Ryan moved out, Brent moved back for his extended stay. We had a month of no kids and for the first time in memory, the testesterone equaled the estrogen. When Ryan dropped in this morning, it was to inform us that he needed to move back for a while. He is having roomate issues and is saving for his own house. So, this empty nest will only be empty for a couple of weeks.

I read on Romancing the Blog how they were extending an invitation to guest readers. I decided to give it a shot. I couldn’t think of anything to write about for the longest time and then finally something came to me. I had been in a reading slump so why not write about that. I quickly typed something up because the deadline was approaching and got ready to send it out.
Now in order to appreciate this story, you must know I am completely and utterly useless about some areas of the computer and internet and pasting pictures and that kind of thing. Some time ago our Microsoft Outlook denied me access and I haven’t got it fixed, mainly because this is an area I’m a dufus on. I can, however get access to my email through our provider – the cable guys. The only problem with this is because my husband pays the bill, all emails going out this way appear to be coming from him. Which is a hoot because he’s about as good at email stuff as I am. If I'm sending an email to someone for the first time, I usually put a disclaimer in the subject line saying this email is NOT coming from Derwood, it's really Kristie. Back to the story.
I obediently copied my “column” into the email, ran it through spell check and sent if off, barely making the deadline. It wasn’t until the next day, it occurred to me that it went out under the name Derwood Stonehaven (name has been changed to protect the poor innocent). I completely forgot to say who I was, or add any kind of disclamier. I won’t copy the whole column, although I’m sure I’ve blown it for sure, but there were a couple of things I (Derwood) wrote, that when I think about the PTB at RTB, believing this came from Durwood crack me up.

This one for example:
“Being a fan of the rollicking pirate adventure genre, I think of a book slump as winds that die out on the ocean. The seas calm, ships are left becalmed on the ocean seas, unable to continue their journey until the winds pick up again.”

Or this one:
“Reading is essential to my psyche.”

Or then there is this priceless one:
“After years of reading all kinds of fiction and non-fiction alike, I have settled in very happily to romance. At this point I’m not really interested in exploring other reading types.”

And finally this one:
“ The slump is usually caused by the letdown of a run of very good books, like the adrenalin rush leaving my body after a strenuous workout”

So, if the judges at Romancing the Blog happen to read an entry from (Durwood Stonehaven) and think “this guy is wacked” he really isn’t. He’s just married to a computer dufus wife. And Durwood wouldn't read a romance if it was the last book on earth.
And hopefully, someone from there will take pity on me and give me another chance.

Author websites - And "keeping Maili amused"

I love authors websites. I love visiting them. That’s why I enjoyed Maili’s blog. I visited some of the ones she mentioned and already, I found a few books I’m interested in reading. I can spend hours on author web sites. I particularly enjoy reading about their backlists. One of the features I most enjoy but not many have, is the little tidbits and trivia that went into writing their books. Laura Lee Guhrke, Jo Goodman and Susan Kay Law all have wonderful little tales about what went into the writing of their books. And covers, I love seeing the covers of backlists. The perfect ones are when they have both printable backlists and cover backlists. Another feature of particular interest to me when visiting author web sites is their upcoming books. I like to see what they have planned as much in advance as they can post it. Even if there is no title or cover or even publishing date yet, I still like to see what’s up. It helps to build anticipation and it also reassures me that they do have more coming up. It is so disappointing to invest time and heart into an author and then discovering she is no longer writing. I know this happens and real life takes over, still as a fan of their work, it can be a bummer.
Updating web sites is vital. Even if there is nothing much happening, it’s nice for the author to update their web site and say there "Hi, I'm her but nothing much is happening. At least we fans know they are still out there wanting to keep in touch. If an author is going to take the time and energy to have a web site, keep it current and up to date. If not then I almost wish they would remove it. There are a number that I visit and when I get there, nothing has changed in 2 or 3 years. That can be frustrating.

And

"to keep Maili amused"

since I stole this idea from Mail, here's a website she might like. It's a love we both share
http://www-public.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de/~fischeni/

I don't know if you watch this show or not, but I am totally addicted - and it's on tonight
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/

My vote would be the mane
http://www.geocities.com/marcacito/Hair.html?1080146414836

Whenever I get bored, I think of changing my hair
http://www.hair-news.com/hair-styles.html

Ah, those stupid things we did when we were young
http://www.crazyfads.com/

Longing for yesterday

There was a post recently on a message board I often visit with a two point question. The first question dealt with the vanishing romance books on the bookshelves and the second point dealt with the lack of interesting historical romances being published today. This is about the second part of the question.

I love Historical romance. It's the genre that gave me my love of romance books BUT the Historical Romances in particular English setting being published today, except for the increasingly rare cases are not the same as the historicals that were published a few years ago. Another poster said today’s historicals are boring. I can’t say that I find them boring as much as I find them completely forgettable. Many of the older historicals are unforgettable. Even though I read some of them years ago, if you were to ask me the basic storyline I would have very little problem coming up with it. Compare for example the books written by Celeste Bradley to Loretta Chase. I’ve read all the books in Ms. Bradley’s spy series and while I enjoyed them, for the life of me I can’t remember the storyline or the characters six months, even three months later. If I read the back blurb, if I rack my brain, I’ll remember something, but it hurts to do that. On the other hand, while I haven’t read Lord of Scoundrels for a couple of years now, I can still vividly recall the glove scene between Dain and Jessica, the scene where she gives him the icon, the boxing match and so many other unforgettable moments. Early Mary Jo Putney books, Julie Garwood (although she hasn’t stood the test of time with me, I still vividly recall many of her books). Just out of curiosity, I went to my spreadsheet, picked a random year over 5 years ago and here is a list of some of the books published that year:

No Sweeter Heaven – Katherine Kingsley
Then Came You – Lisa Kleypas
Whisper of Roses – Teresa Mederios
Thunder and Roses – Mary Jo Putney
Dangerous – Amanda Quick
Deception – Amanda Quick
Lady Defiant – Suzanne Robinson
East of Forever – Christina Skye
A Rose at Midnight – Anne Stuart
Shadow Dance – Anne Stuart
Once in a Blue Moon – Penelope Williamson

The year – 1993

Many of these books are considered classics and are still highly sought after today in 2005, twelve years later. How many books published in the past couple of years will still have the staying power of some of the above books? Not nearly that many I’m thinking.

I know there are a couple of reasons very little stands out these days. First of all is the quality of writing. It just isn’t there for the most part. Words and descriptions and character development have gone to the wayside in a lot of cases. Instead, they have been replaced ad nasuem by stories of spies, of dukes, of marquis, of rakes. Dain in FoS was a rake, but at least his character was developed. A lot of readers may not care for him but I bet they remember him. The exact same can be said for Jessica.
Quick question, no cheating, who was the hero of Bradley’s The Spy (2003)? Me, I have no idea. I know I read it. I can look it up and if I read the storyline, I can probably remember, but off the top of my head – nada. Next question. Who was the hero of Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale (1992)?
Another major factor in the decline of the historical is imitation. I know it is the sincerest form of flattery, but how many spies, rakes, Dukes of Dullsbridge, Marquis’ of Mundanehaven, Earls of Boredom are we expected to read and remember? I have just about reached my saturation point. I can count of the fingers of one hand, how many English historicals I can still count on to remember a year from now.I want this to change. I want to remember books published today five, ten years from now. But I don’t know if it will.

More of my all time favourites

I want to say that even though these next books aren’t in the top ten, they just as easily could be. It’s a very miniscule difference that separates any of them in the top 100. I could reread one and it would jump right into the top ten. So without further adieu, the next group in my list

Dream Fever, Katherine Sutcliffe – This book stars Nicholas Sabre as a tortured loner sent to New Zealand when he killed an aristocrat in duel. He is tricked into marrying Summer O’Neal, herself running from trouble. He doesn’t want to love Summer but her joie de vie pulls him out of his dark and lonely life. Nicholas is a tortured hero, not always easy to like. There is one scene that many may not like in these PC days but I found it very powerful and I love this book.

Jackson Rule , Dinah McCall – This is a story of Jackson Rule, a young man who after spending years in jail, comes to work for Rebecca Hill, a preachers daughter, when he can’t find work anywhere else due to his prison record. Rebecca sees something in this tortured soul and they fall deeply in love even as Jackson fights to deny his feelings. If you like a tortured soul, you will love Jackson Rule. I think this one has recently been rereleased under Sharon Sala

Sweet Lullabye, Lorraine Heath – This book has the best Beta Hero I have ever read. Jake Burnett has loved Rebecca from afar, but believes he never has a chance with her. Then when Rebecca’s father offers Jake a pregnant Rebecca as wife, Jake marries her and moves away. This book is so incredibly poignant I cried when I read it. A book very rarely moves me to tears, but this one does. I miss Ms. Heath's westerns more than I can say.

Portrait in Death, JD Robb - This is the Robb book where we finally get to see Roarke showing some vulnerability. He is always so strong and so there for Eve. Finally, we get to see him needing Eve

Take A Chance on Me, Susan Donavan - Thomas Tobin a district attorney who frequently works undercover inherits Hairy the Chinesse Crested dog. Thomas is forced to visit vet Emma Jenkins for help with Hairy's neurosis. This is a wonderfully funny laugh out loud book and even if you don't live Thomas and Emma, I dare you not to fall in love with Hairy. I did and I don't like dogs.

Looking for Lacey, Linda Francis Lee - Bobby McIntyre is a football quarterback recovering from an injury back in his home town where he owns a sports bar. Lacey Wright is his uptight single mother employee. At first it would seem these two have nothing in common but when the layers are peeled back neither are what they seem. Even Mrs Giggles likes this one - I think.

Texas Destiny, Lorraine Heath - Another wonderful book from Lorraine Heath, this is the first book in trilogy of three brothers. This one is the story of Houston. He is forced to bring his brothers mail order bride home when his older brother is hurt. Along the way Houston, a loner who was seriously injured during the Civil Way and Amelia, his brother's promised wife fall deeply in love. Did I mention how much I miss her westerns? None of her current crop of historicals have even made it close to my top 100, but her westerns are beautiful.

Absolute Trouble, Michelle Jerrott(Albert now) - This is the authors first book and she had me as a fan at the first chapter. Dulcinea Queen is a cop forced to retire when she is injured on duty trying to take down a crook. Julien Langlois, who is after the same bad guy is posing as a male stripper. When this Cajun, is forced to hide out with Dulcie, sparks fly. I love the "dance" he does for her. This book is hot and this book is steamy and I love this book

Conor's Way, Laura Lee Guhrke - I just finished reading this book again (and again and again) Conor Braningan is an Irish boxer who was beaten bery badly when he refused to "throw" a fight. He is rescued by Olivia Maitland. He is slowly and very much against his will, drawn into the struggles Olivia and her three daughters face. Conor is a hero beyond words. I simply adore this book. It should not be missed!!

Morning Glory, LaVayrle Spencer - Will Parker, Will Parker, Will Parker. Oh what a wonderful hero. This is my all time favourite book by Ms. Spencer and I think this one is a classic romance in it's finest form. Will applies for the job of handyman for Ellie. These two lonely people find love and acceptance with each other. If you've never tried LaVyrle Spencer, there is no better book than this to start with.

I thought of a game

kind of like word association because I'm bored and feeling silly. I'll name five well known authors and you have to say the first book that comes to mind. You can't take time to think. It may not be your favourite but it's the first one that comes to mind. Just pass if you haven't read that author

Laura Kinsale





Susan Elizabeth Phillips




Jennifer Crusie




Linda Howard




Mary Jo Putney




Now think up five more for your own blog if you want.

(I'm trying to think up ideas for wish lists)

My All-time top ten

One of the good things about having read romance books for so long and so quickly is whenever I can't think of something else to blog about, I can blog about favourite authors recent reads, old read or top reads. Today's offering is my all time top ten favourite books.

1. Dreaming of You ,Lisa Kleypas - The reason? Derek Craven. I also like Sara quite a bit

2. Lord of Scoundrels ,Loretta Chase Dain is really just a big old teddy bear at heart and Jessica knows how to treat him. She's my kind of heroine. There's a reason this one always ends up so high on so many favourite lists.

3. After the Night, Linda Howard – This one I rate so high for the washroom scene alone. Sexy, funny and anyone who’s read it knows what I’m talking about

4. One Summer, Karen Robards – By all rights this one shouldn’t be so high. The mystery was only so so, but I adored the love story between Johnny and Rachel. One test is if I remember the characters names years later and I definitely remember these two.

5. Mr. Perfect, Linda Howard – The banter between Janie Bright and Sam Donavan is sharp, witty and delightful. This is the only book I have both in HC and PB and I plan on keeping both

6. Naked in Death, J.D. Robb - Although it’s hard to narrow down a favourite In Death book, this is the one that launched the series and I always go back to.

7. Whispers in Heaven, Candice Proctor – Jean Mason’s review (linked) at TRR says it beautifully what makes this book so special

8. Love Alters Not, Patricia Veryan – Anthony Ferrar is such a wonderful, tortured yet noble hero and I adore Mitten, the heroine. This one has it all (including a great cover)

9. Once and Always, Judith McNaught – Another surprising top ten. Jason is a bit of a jerk and Victoria is a bit too perfect, but still this is one I simply loved

10. Ride the Fire, Pamela Clare – I’ve blogged about this one recently. It’s the only book I’ve read in the past couple of years that has broken through to make it in the top ten.

If you really think about it

If you really think about it some of the expressions and actions that sound so good in romance novels wouldn’t really survive in the real world. I mentioned in my last blog about nostrils flaring. Then I got to thinking. This is a favourite in romance books
“His nostrils flared as he looked on her with hunger in his eyes” Hands up. How many of us have actually seen nostrils flare. I have but only on commercials where they have a close up of some weird guy moving them in time to the commercial jingle. While it sounds all ooohhhy in a romance novel, would we really notice if the nostrils of the men in our life flared. I think if I even noticed my husband’s nostril flare, I would think he was coming down with a cold or about to sneeze. And the hunger part too. I can’t say if I ever really noticed a “hungry” look in my husband’s eyes when he feels frisky. Of course, we’ve been married over 30 years now and maybe that’s too long now to notice that hungry look. Although I know he is “hungry” for the Leafs to win the Stanley Cup if hockey ever resumes. I guess I might have been replaced by a little rubber puck.
Another one that amuses me when I think hard enough about it how the hero always manages to lift one eyebrow. “His eyebrow quirked as he looked at her in amusement”. It’s never both eyebrows, it’s always just the one. Now I think the ability to quirk one eyebrow is one of those things not many of us are born with. Kind of like the ability to curl your tongue. My mother could do it, lift one eyebrow, I'm not sure about the tongue curling, but she practiced for hours when she was young. She used to tell my sisters and me that. How hard she would practice in front of the mirror. I think it was one of her proudest accomplishments, learning how to do that. A few times she would sit us down and try and teach us how. She was an odd woman but very dear. Only one of us managed to learn how and it wasn’t me. Although the sister who did learn how quirks her eyebrow at me and it is most annoying. This is the the sister who doesn't read romance novels and she usually does it when I try and discuss them with her. It was hard enough for me to learn how to do the Vulcan “live long and prosper” hand greeting. (I grew up watching the original Star Trek). Spock could do the one eyebrow thing very well though. And the greeting. Talented guy was that Spock, but emotionally very cold. So, did most of our heroes practice this trick when they were kids in the hopes that one day they would be amused enough by some future heroine to do it?
I think there is a lot of romance stuff I haven’t examined in close detail. I’ll have to do some more thinking on it.

I've been renewed and my leaves have been watered

I am obsessive compulsive when I am trying to track down a book that I’ve decided I simply can not live without. There’s an adrenalin rush. The book finding radar goes on full alert. I carefully make my plans to visit all the used bookstores around me, study my route, time my schedule. I can’t sleep the night before I make my run. I am on the hunt and I’m excited. If my nostrils flared, they would be flaring. And I don’t stop until I found the treasure or I have reached a dead end. There is always an unfulfilled feeling inside when I reach the dead end. I’ve only lately discovered Amazon but I only save them for a very last resort. The cost of shipping and handling, currency exchange rate and the price of some books can be quite hard on the pocket book (who really uses that word anymore).
It has seemed until recently though, that my book questing had almost run its course. I had found almost every older book I wanted or I gave up trying to find them. My visits to UBS’s didn’t have the excitement as they used to. There was a definite lack of passion in checking them out. It was almost a formality that I went to them and I didn’t really expect to find anything of value. I almost always left empty handed or with books I was just eh about. It just wasn’t the same as when I first started.

I feel lately though like I am renewed. I was at a UBS last night looking for books for members of the trading group. That adrenalin rush was back when I found a few books on the list. The desire to raise my hands in the air and shout “YEA BABY, COME TO MAMA.” That pure love of a treasure found had resurfaced.
I am pumped again about finding books. I plan to make an hour trip tomorrow after work to visit the best UBS in the area for romance books. I went on the internet to check their hours, I looked for other UBS’s in the other city I’ve never been too. I found maps. I HAVE A QUEST AGAIN. My passions have been restored. I didn’t have much of a reason to visit this store for a while and I couldn’t justify the time and energy to look for books I had no real hope of finding. But now I have reasons, over 500 of them. Tra-la-la-la-la-la¯
I think a number of members of the group feel the same way I do about the trading. I would much rather have someone owe me a book than to owe someone else. I think it must be something about being obliged to someone that makes us nervous. But for those who owe me books I’m stealing an oft-repeated phrase:

Cost of parking meter $ .50
Cost of book $4.00
Cost of envelope $ .69
Cost of mailing book $4.50
Cost of excitement in finding book, cost of knowing it’s going to a well wanted home, cost of imagining the same excitement I feel

PRICELESS

If anything, I owe YOU for making my book searching life worth living again.

Then of course too, there is the absolute joy in getting a book that was on my quest list. Found. Success. Mission Accomplished.

This and That

I know I have said (complained, whined) in the past that I am an island, that none of my friends or family truly understands my passion for romance books. A lot of them know and I’m sure in the back of their minds they are thinking “she’s a wee bit of an odd one isn’t she”. Thank heavens I have an on-line community I can share with. I have one sister who is semi-understanding, and one friend who somewhat shares my love of the romance genre. I am happy to report I am no longer an island of one. This friend, after a 2 year hiatus due to RL has come back to the romance reading world. Our public library system has an atrocious selection of romance books. They don’t even have Bliss or Dance on file. I know, I checked. Can you imagine such an oversight? Because of this, I am the main supplier of books for my friend. I’m about as comfortable as I can be in loaning them to her, as she also shows them the proper respect they are due.
Being the main supplier puts me in an odd situation. I always give her the best of the best, in my opinion. There are a couple of genres she doesn’t care for, but other than the rare book she hasn’t been able to get into, she loves what I love.
Has this I wonder sometimes given me an inflated opinion of my own tastes? Having someone almost unanimously agree with me, while good for the ego always causes something of a shock when I read a review on a book and it gets a completely different grade than I have given it. This happened recently when a book I quite enjoyed received a terrible review. All the points the reviewer mentioned on why she give it a bad review, I agreed with, yet when the reviewer closed the book, she hated it and when I closed the book I loved it. Now, it’s not that the reviewer is wrong and I’m right. That would be just way too presumptuous wouldn’t it? Besides, it’s an opinion and how can anyone’s opinion be wrong. Facts can be wrong but opinions can’t be. That’s what makes it interesting though when I disagree with someone about a book. I may not agree with them but I love that they love books just as much as I do.

It looks like books are starting to arrive now in the book trading group. I don’t know about anyone else who has received books yet, but when I get home and there they are, it feels so good I almost question whether what we are doing is legal or not. I’ve gotten 4 books so far with more to come and I don’t’ know where to start :) What a delicious decision I’m going to have to make. This should get me out of my slump.

Is anyone else like me when they get a book they have hungered for a while? It’s like I’m too excited to read it. I just have to hold it for a while, check out the back, check out the front, savour it, put it down and move to the next one and repeat the process then start all over again. It can take ages to actually start reading sometimes. So are you a savourer or do you just jump in with both feet?

Project Eve - Lauren Bach

I hate it when this happens. This one just didn’t work for me on many levels. The idea was great. Rachel is a kick ass private detective. She is hired by a US Senator to try and find out if his stepdaughter gave birth before her tragic death in a car accident. In order to find out what really happened she goes undercover at an exclusive college funded and run by a highly successful evangelist.
She is teamed up with Elijah, a CIA agent she shares a past with who also partnered with her beloved brother before his tragic death.
It’s hard to pinpoint why I didn’t care for this one, it just didn’t work on so many levels. The storyline sounds great. First off though, the author loaded Rachel down with too much tragedy. Her parents were both killed when she was young and it was left to her brother to raise her. This is where I began questioning things. Her brother raises her and is her sole support after their parent’s die, so why does he join the CIA and participate in dangerous missions?
And if loosing her entire family isn’t enough, she walks into a very compromising situation when she tries to surprise Elijah her lover. That takes care of that.
This poor girl is left with nothing.
When she meets Elijah many years later and is forced to work with him again, supposedly sparks fly. I didn’t feel any sparks. Not a flicker. Not an ember. Nada. Nothing. Lauren Bach has done excellent sexual tension in the past but I didn’t feel it in this one.
We know who the bad guys are right off the bat. Or at least we should. I’m lousy at guessing who the baddies are, but not this time. If I can get it, believe me, anyone can.
The ditzyiness and naiveté of the college students annoyed me to no end. And the college itself was just too far fetched to believe. I know it was supposed to be a religious institute and somewhat separated from the world but the author carried it to extremes. I can’t imagine any campus not serving coffee.
Then, right near the end of the book, out of the blue, her mentor , it is learned has a drinking problem. What on earth does this have to do with anything at this point and why even mention it. This is a character never seen or never heard from before or after.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. But when I closed the cover I was left with rather a nasty taste. A somewhat cold heroine, no real sparks between the hero and heroine, over the top villains and characters coming in and out of the story that add nothing.

Grade 2 out of 5

My Blog Slump

I’ve discovered you can have a blog slump just like you can have a reading slump. I know because I’m in one. I can’t think of anything to say, so I’ll just say why I have nothing to say, which will be saying something.
I was diagnosed with high blood pressure late last week. Now it didn’t come as a surprise as it’s in our family, but still it’s given me a bit of a jolt. In fact it was so high last Friday; I spent the afternoon in Emergency. The doctor has already doubled the medication I will have to be taking from now on. I’ve seen her more in the past few days than I have in the previous year. I’ve always taken my health for granted and now all of a sudden it’s not as good as it was. That’s taking some adjusting, not to mention the major life style changes I’m going to have to make to combat it. Because I’ve spent so much time at the doctor’s, I’ve been working later in the evenings to make up time and when I come home I’m wiped and my brain is functioning at half capacity.

A very good friend of my husband’s died on the weekend very unexpectedly. He was only 44 and had a massive heart attack. My husband isn’t taking it all that well. I’m trying to help him through it which is emotionally tiring.

My boss at work is leaving the company, in fact tomorrow is his last day. Now I haven’t been working there all that long, but I couldn’t have asked for a better supervisor. He loves the work I do and let’s me know all the time. He has been so good for my ego when I really needed it. His replacement is someone I like very well to so I’m not worried about that but still it’s hard to say goodbye to someone who has been good for you.

On the upside of things, I have been deeply involved with the book trading group that is going great guns. Other wonderful readers have found books for me that I have been trying to find for years. I had a wish list and all have been found except for one – Dance by Judy Cuevas and I have great expectations that it will be found. I’ve found a few for other readers, but I want to find more! It’s as much fun finding books for others as it is for me.

I just finished One Night of Sin by Gaelen Foley. Now I know some don’t like her, she can be a bit on the purple side, but I really liked this book. She is a hit and miss author for me and I’m happy to say this one is a hit.
Alex Knight, is our tarnished hero. In previous books he has been rather a bad boy. He got himself deep into debt from gambling and to get himself out of debt he offered his services as a gigolo, thus breaking the heart of poor Lizzie, the heroine in previous book.
Alex finds Becky our heroine fast asleep on the doorstep of a friend’s house. He immediately mistakes her for a lady of the evening and takes her home with him for a night of passion. But Becky isn’t what he thinks she is. Instead she is a woman in deep trouble running away from her nasty villain cousin who plans to ruin her. She had witnessed a murder and is running for her life. She agrees to go along with Alex in order to stay hidden.
For me, Ms. Foley does a good job in explaining the rationale behind Alex and why he is the way he is. His behavior explained and accepted I can sit back and enjoy the love story between an erstwhile rake and a damsel in distress. Becky was strong and while she did not like what Alex had done in the past, still she accepted him, mistakes and all. I did have a few eye rolling moments. The obligatory scene where Alex becomes a madman taking on four nasty guys at the same time. Gaelen Foley seems to like having her heroes do this doesn’t she? But still it all in good campy fun. I’m easily pleased and this book pleased me
Grade 4 out of 5

Now I have to dig into my TBR pile for some romantic suspense for Junes challenge. Before books start arriving :)

Recent reads and questions

Why is it that just as soon as I start buying nail policy because my nails are looking good, they start breaking? I’ve lost 3 in the past day, just after buying 4 new colours of nail polish. And then it takes a good year to grow them nice again

Why is it, just after I get my car washed, the birds have a rave overnight right above it?

The Cobra and the Concubine - Bonnie Vanak

This book took me by surprise. When I finished it, I thought why haven’t I heard of Bonnie Vanak before? For those who complain about same old, same old, this the book for you.
Badra was just a young girl when she was rescued from a brutal and sadistic owner by the Sheik of the Khamin (apparently the hero of her first book). Once he realized how badly she had been abused, he assigned Khepri as her guardian and protector. Skip ahead a number of years. Khepri has been secretly in love with Badra for years. Finally he decides she is old enough and asks permission to marry her. Because of the abuse she had suffered, she refuses him. He leaves discouraged and returns to England where it turns out, he is a peer.
The Cobra and the Concubine is different on many levels. First is the location. Much of it takes place in Egypt. The author does a very good job in evoking the atmosphere of the time and place of when the story takes place. Next, is the heroine. Badra is an Egyptian slave girl. I found this most unusual for a heroine. I think the author does a good job in explaining why she makes the decisions she does. The hero Khepri or Kenneth is what I liked best. I thought he made a wonderful hero. Brave yet vulnerable where his feeling for Badra were concerned, confused and lost when he is thrust into a world he doesn’t understand. I enjoyed this book enough to seriously need to read her back-list and hope (really hope) she writes a book on another character who appears.

Grade 4 out of 5
It was interesting reading this one so soon after Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase. Both took place in Egypt but the feel was entirely different. Mr. Impossible was outsiders looking into the time and place. The Cobra and the Concubine was like being right inside. Both different but very good.


Stargazer – Colby Hodge

This one is a typical futuristic. Now since I love futuristics, I was enjoyed it more than other readers who aren’t into futuristics. Princess Lily the heroine rescued the hero, Shaun Phoenix a prisoner when they ship they were both travelling on was attached by the same evil group who was attacking her planet. Instantly smitten, our hero decides his life mission is to keep our heroine safe. I had some problems with Lily in this one. I felt she was too self-sacrificing and willing to give her life for her people. I guess I like my heroines somewhat on the selfish side. The hero Shaun is good though. He is determined to rescue at all costs. I thought this was a pretty good effort for a first book and I would try her again. I just hope her next heroine is a bit less perfect.
Grade 31/2 out of 5

Going back to the vault

I thought since some of us might be visiting UBS's over the next little while, I go back to my excel vault and share some of my older favourite books again.

Once a Pirate by Susan Grant
This is a wonderful time travel/reincarnation book. I didn't read it that long ago. I had ordered it from Amazon when I was going through my pirate book phase. And it fit the bill wonderfully. Carly Callahan an airforce pilot (pre Bonzai) is forced to eject from her jet and into the ocean. She somehow travels back in time and is rescued by pirate Andrew Spencer

Once I read Once a Pirate, it triggered a Susan Grant glom and I ordered another book that turned out to be a real winner

The Star King by Susan Grant
A wonderful futuristic.Air Force Lieutenant Jasmine Boswell was flying her fighter jet over Saudi's no-fly zone when the missile coming out of nowhere hits her plane. She bails out of her disabled jet, but lands on an alien-looking desert with spaceships flying overhead. She also encounters an injured Romlijhian B'Kah, whose starfighter crashed killing his brother. This strange encounter remains in both their minds
Years later they meet again and the book takes off from there.

What I love about Susan Grant is the strength of her heroines

And in a complete switch

Homeplace by Dorothy Garlock
(and I can't believe I can't remember the names of the h/h as I've read this book probably 4 times)
This is a sweet tender story of love found in the depth of despair. The heroine travels to help her young stepdaughter during the birth of her baby. When her stepdaughter dies of neglect during the birth she stays to take care of the baby. At first she is furious with the baby's father but things aren't always what they seem. This book is a very real portrait of rural life and love.

Reaching beyond our comfort zone

The other day while surfing the net I came across a message board I don’t visit very often. They were discussing books and authors, mainly historicals, and I was struck by how much I’ve grown as a reader. Many of them seemed perfectly content with the market, what the authors were producing and very happy in their own comfort box. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that exactly, but I’ve discovered in the past number of years that life has a way of kicking us outside that box when we least expect it. Now I’m not going to go as far as too equate real life with reading romance novels, but in a small miniscule way, the more we are willing to experiment, to accept different ideas and concepts in romance books, maybe, the easier it will be to handle the changes real life throws us.
For example, for years I’ve heard how good Outlander was. A number of years ago a friend even lent me her copy to read. When I saw how thick a book it was and that it was written in the first person, I handed it back and said, “thanks, but it’s not for me”. It was far too away from my comfort reading level. But after hearing how good it was once I joined the on-line reading community, I saw it in a UBS and thought “what the hell, why not. Live a little.” So I did. Now whether I enjoyed the book or not isn’t really the point I’m trying to make. I did like it though by the way. Not as much as others, but it was the attitude I took that was important. I then began applying this same attitude towards other genres, some worked, others didn’t. Vamp books for example I tried with a why not, what the hell attitude and didn’t care for them. But the effort was made. Werewolves on the other hand worked. Go figure. Now in real life, over the past number of years, I’ve been thrown some real curve balls. I’m sure all of us have had those. But if we take the approach of “why not, give it a shot” I think it makes us more flexible people and able to handle change better. Life is always changing isn’t it?
That’s why I think Keishon’s challenge to read a different type of book from our TBR piles each month is such a good idea. Although yes, it’s to make a bit of a dent in my pile but I know in those brief moments of crystal clarity that I have sometimes, I will always have a huge TBR. I will exit this world leaving many books unread. For me though, the real challenge is to stretch myself as a reader. Some of her year’s worth of challenges will be tough for me, but I want to do it anyway. The last one worked J.
Something else that prompted these thoughts was reading Tara Maria’s blog about her leaving her zone. She spread her romance reading wings with great success. Congrats!
So if we start with an open attitude and a willingness to accept new ideas when it comes to romance reading and then apply it to real life, who knows what can happen? They won’t all be successful. I know for me, I’ve tried something from different genres and thought “well that was perfectly dreadful”. But the real gain is in the trying.
In my current job, I am a data analyst, about as far outside my comfort box as I can get. And you know something? I like it. And I’m good at it. Who knows *grin* what might have happened it I hadn’t read that Outlander book.


*note* For those who haven’t noticed and are interested, Sybil has set up a book exchange group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bookslostandfound/ I’m glad she did! I’m such a dufus with this kind of thing somehow I managed to sign myself up twice. I sent off my first package to another reader yesterday and believe me; the thrill was just as great if not greater when I sent it as the one I got when I received Bliss!!

Wow, I set a record with linking! Between that and pictures I'm not doing to bad. Now if I could only learn to sign up for things just once.