Good Book Alert

I was finally able to wrap up Naked Truth by Amy J. Fetzer over the weekend - and you know what? It's really good. This coming from someone who normally doesn't go for military themed romances.

Why?

Because the heroines tend to drive me nuts.

Romance Novel Pet Peeve #27:
The author tells me over and over again that the heroine is "tough" and 'kick-ass" but she keeps doing stupid shit that the hero has to rescue her from.

Blessedly, while the hero does do a little rescuing in Naked Truth - the heroine really is kick-ass. She shoots at people - and isn't afraid to do so. She survives torture for cripes sake. Nasty torture that involves her head getting dunked under water repeatedly. Trust me, Fetzer did not make this sound like a barrel of laughs. I'm glad I didn't go into the military or CIA because I'm just way too wussy.

So anywho, our heroine, Alexa Gavlin, is a CIA undercover operative who wakes up naked (and tied down) in a Columbian sugar cane field. Not cool. What's also really not cool is that her informant is lying dead next to her with her knife sticking out of his chest.

Oopsie.

But it's not until Alexa visits another informant that she learns what deep shit she's in. The last 4 weeks of her memory has been chemically wiped away. And when she tries to return to CIA HQ in Columbia? Oh, her own people start shooting at her!

The hero, Killian Moore (only in a romance novel would this name exist), is a former Marine who now works in the private sector as a retrieval expert. The CIA deputy director shows up and essentially blackmails him into bringing in Alexa, dead or alive. See, Killian's reputation was toast after a DEA bust went bad. Now the DD is saying that Alexa is the reason why.

So Killian goes to Columbia, finds Alexa, loses Alexa, realizes the DD fed him bullshit, finds Alexa, loses her, rescues her and they fall in love. Ahhhhh.

I liked that Alexa was really tough. I really liked that Killian was a yummy Alpha hero but not a domineering asshole jerk. I really liked the action-packed storyline. This book just zips right along.

What's not so good? Well the romance doesn't hold up quite so well. Alexa and Killian spend a lot of time apart. Oh sure, there are a couple of really hot sex scenes here, but that doesn't make a romance. But given that they're trying to stop terrorists, find Alexa's memory and clear their names - well there's not exactly time for heart-to-heart soul searching.

But dang, this is such an exciting story that it's hard to quibble. If you go for military romances look no further. This one is great.

RTB #8

Yes, my new column is up at Romancing The Blog. Go forth! Read! Leave comments!

But more importantly, learn Wendy's theory on what finally killed the traditional Regency.

(and no, it has nothing to do with sex!)

Cover Snark Cure

I am not having a good day. Actually I wasn't having a good evening yesterday and it has spilled over into today. I'm talking complete...mental...breakdown. I need to get a grip, I have that job interview tomorrow, and I'll be of no use if I walk in there completely out of my mind.

So I need cheering up, and what better way than to make fun of something that cannot defend itself?

I was looking over some book titles that I was going to add to my wishlist with my book trading group and wanted to double-check the other authors listed for an upcoming anthology. What I found was the cover:


Oh boy. Here's a tip guys: if you see a woman looking at you like this - RUN! Run like the wind! Seriously, this chick just creeps me out. First, her hair is all greasey. And that look? I think female praying mantis' get that look right before they bite the head off their male mate.

Creepy, creepy, creepy.

For more (and better) cover snark, why not visit Bam? I've added a link to her cover art snark blog over on my side bar.....

The WTF Files

As a general rule, when I'm a reviewing a book I like to scope out the author's web site. Usually this is where I can find helpful information on the title - like if it's part of a series, the author's debut etc.

Since I'm currently working on Naked Truth by Amy J. Fetzer, I hopped over to her web site. Imagine my shock, and utter disbelief, when I saw this quote (right on the home page I might add):

“It's a page turner. . . . She's a saucy writer …"

Rush Limbaugh, Doctor of Democracy
The Rush Limbaugh Show.

OK, I'm not going to touch the "Doctor of Democracy" bullshit. However could someone explain to me what the purpose of having a Rush Limbaugh quote, promoting your romantic fiction writing, on your web site would be? Shouldn't authors NOT want to polarize potential readers?

Now before anyone starts calling me names (I prefer bleeding-heart-liberal-hippy myself), let me say I would be just as put-off if Fetzer had a quote by Al Franken or Michael Moore on her site.

What next, Ann Coulter pimpin' for Nora Roberts?

What do any of these pompous blow-hards have anything to do with a fiction book? It's a military romance for cripes sake - was Suzanne Brockmann too busy to toss her a quote?

It's bad enough I'm bombarded by these assholes' books at work (Why Liberals Need To Be Shot and Why Conservatives Can't Find Their Ass With Both Hands) - but the last thing I need is to have them invade my favorite leisure activity.

Get the hell away from my fiction books assholes. Shoo! Or I'm turning the can of Raid on you.

Thanks For Asking

Why yes, I am still alive.

So what's with the unreliable blog posting of late?

• I'm feeling whiny, and in the wake of Katrina "whiny Wendy" sounds like "ungrateful, spiteful bitch Wendy, she with no priorities."
• I'm in a reading slump. Please shoot me.
• Football season is here! All NFL all the time!
• I was feeling ill the last couple of days, but am much better now.

My solutions to these issues?

• I have a job interview on Friday. Wish me luck!
• I'm trying to ride it out. I'm about 60 pages into Naked Truth by Amy J. Fetzer and it's pretty dang good so far.
• Must stop drinking the Minnesota Vikings Kool-Aid.
• Must take better care of myself.
  

Back To Books

And so I'm back to books. I wasn't going to blog about Cindy Cruciger's debut novel, but I've already had 2 people on my book trading list ask - so why not enlighten the rest of the blogosphere with my humble opinion?

First let's talk about this cover. The first time I saw this cover I thought it was a YA novel. The heroine is supposed to be in her 30s. This girl looks like 15-year-old jailbait playing hookey and going to the beach for the day. The weird guy in the clouds could be the lecherous old man spying on her and her friends sunbathing.

Hell, I'm 30 and I'm ready to sell my soul to Satan for a body like that.

Tara Cole runs her own website called Revenge-Gifts.com. She specializes in getting even. If you want a decorative pillow filled with allergy-inducing stuffing or festive urns, she's your gal. However, Tara's bad karma may have finally caught up with her. Besides the two ghosts sharing her Florida Keys bungalow, someone is trying to put a hex on her. The black kitten was cute, but the goat and rooster have worn out their welcome. And what is up with the mysterious Howard Payne? He suddenly arrives on the scene and wants to go into business with Tara. Sure the sex is hot, but is he behind the hexing?

First, let's concentrate on what works shall we? Cruciger has a fantastic voice. Love it. Tara is also a great heroine. Let's be honest here - Romance Novel Land is often populated by too-good-to-be true heroines who are merely waiting for the Pope to grant them sainthood. Tara is a bitch - bless her heart. She's also sarcastic, funny and deviously wicked.

What doesn't work? Just about everything else. The plotting and pacing are a mess. Even when I don't factor in my parents' visit, this 272 page Advanced Reader Copy took me forever to read. The majority of the book just doesn't go anywhere. The hexing is sort of fun, but it's written in sort of a "ho-hum" kind of way. Also, the sex is super-hot, but the romance isn't fully fleshed out. Howard is a hottie, but given his tragic past I couldn't figure out why he wasn't more gun shy....especially when you factor in Tara's often abrasive personality.

I do think Cruciger is an author to watch. Unlike some authors who rely on their "hip" voice to carry a whole book - her characters don't speak in constant, crass one-liners. There are actual honest-to-goodness conversations going on here. I also loved the Florida Keys setting. It was different, tropical, and eccentric enough to carry the lite-paranormal flavor of the story.

All in all, a mixed bag.

Weepy Wendy

Consider the title of this post my idea for a new Harry Potter character.

I got up at an obscene hour this morning and drove my parents to the airport. I love my parents, I really do, but my mother cried. I hate it when she cries. Because then I start crying. Then I get homesick. I got home, crawled into bed and told The Boyfriend that I wanted my mommy, my binky and my blankie - in that order thankyouverymuch.

Yes, I am 30.

I consider this sort of behavior a direct side-effect of being the sensitive middle child.

Since my parents were visiting over the long weekend, I caught up on all the TV news coverage of Katrina. I tend to avoid TV news. My work schedule means more of my information comes from the 'Net. So I was in for a shock when I saw actual video footage.

I was also in for a shock when I found out Mike Brown's occupation before he became director of FEMA. All I can say is WTF?! Hey, The Boyfriend is looking for a new job, I told him he should apply for the soon-to-be-open position. At least he has a background in construction - which is a mite more revelent than Arabian horses. No offense to you horse-lovers out there - but honestly now.

All I can say is that someone is getting thrown under the bus for this disaster. Really and truly. My only fear is that the American public not living in the South will suffer from short-term memory loss and this will all be smoothed over by November elections. God, I hope not. This is a serious black-eye for our government officials - one which many of them so richly deserve.

And that ends our political rant for today. I normally keep this blog fairly "politic free" because I personally can't stand political blogs (I find the polarization among Americans these days frightening, sad, confusing and just plain fudged up). But alas, I'm behind on my reading thanks to Mummy and Daddy being here. I promise, I'll kick myself back into gear starting with today's lunch break.