Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Happy Book Dance

Is there a better way to ring in a Wednesday than with happy book news?



Oh thank heavens! Cheryl Reavis is still writing! Her last book was published in January 2003. I was beginning to fret that another American historical author had jumped ship/retired. Reavis writes fantastic characters, which is the main reason why I like her books so much. She reminds me of Maggie Osborne in that respect - you really believe in these fictional people by the end of the story. Sure it's only a novella - but maybe we'll see a novel from Reavis soon? She's written some fantastic books for Harlequin Historicals and Silhouette Special Edition over the years. Spring Brides is slated for June 2005.



Shari Shattuck is an actress - at one time playing Ashley Abbot on The Young And The Restless. I loved her actually - this was back in the day when I still watched soaps (working five days a week sort of killed that addiction).

Her first book, Loaded, came out in August 2003 and I really enjoyed it. My wait is finally over, book 2 in the Cally Wilde series is set for June 2005 - Lethal.

My only concern here, is that while Loaded was published as a Pocket paperback - Lethal will be published by Downtown Press. The best things about Loaded were that it had a gritty noir feel to it, and Cally had some rough edges. So I hope this move to a different line (both Pocket and Downtown are Simon And Schuster lines) won't mean that Cally will loose that edge. If she starts grousing about losing 15 pounds, drinking too many cosmopolitans, and getting the latest Jimmy Choos I'll be really, really unhappy.

6 comments:

sybil said...

I haven't read Cheryl Reavis but I love American historicals and westerns. Any you would rec to start with?

Wendy said...

My favorite historical by her is "The Bride Fair."

Here's a blurb: Union military occupation commander, Max Woodard, has returned to the small Southern town where he was once a prisoner of war. The war is over, and he has absolutely no love for the place or the people. There is nothing these so-called ex-Rebels can do to make up for the suffering he endured in the Confederate prison, but he still wants reparation, and he will start with the Rebel girl, Maria Markham. Maria can't bear the thought of having yet another Yankee officer billeted in the house. She despises them all, and with good reason. She knows Colonel Woodard's history. She recognizes his animosity immediately, and she returns it in kind. Even so, he is always watching her -- as if he somehow knows she has something to hide.

I also hear "The Prisoner" is very good - but alas it's still sitting in my TBR. "Harrigan's Bride" was also pretty good - just not a keeper for me.

And if you like contemporaries - a couple of really good older SSE titles are "The Older Woman" and "The Long Way Home."

shayera said...

I liked "Harrigan's Bride".
True story: I went to library school with a cousin of Cheryl Reavis. One of the sweetest, nicest guys in the world. And he always said sweet, nice things about Cheryl.

Anonymous said...

You made my day. Anything by Cheryl Reavis, even a short story, is better than most books I read. I can't wait for June. BTW, The Prisoner is excellent. A great prequel to The Bride Fair, a book I love and must read again. I also love The Older Woman, I think I've read it three times. A great contemporary from the male point of view.

Jen

Wendy said...

Well I'm glad I made your day Jen! I also loved The Older Woman - but The Long Way Home is still my favorite of Reavis' contemps.

All this talk about Reavis has me itching to read one of her books. Maybe I'll have to dig out one of her HH titles I still have in my TBR to read next.....

sybil said...

Thanks for the recs!

Sybil