I always did have impecable timing. What with the July 4th holiday falling on a Tuesday this year, I thought I'd treat myself to an added vacation day on Monday. So I'm off work until Wednesday. What do I plan to do with this extra time off?
Be sick of course!
My evil coworker decided to wish me a happy holiday by giving me her sinus cold. Sore throat, congestion and a dull, throbbing headache (my favorite kind). I was ready for death yesterday, feeling slightly better today, hope I'm on the road to recovery tomorrow.
I find it slightly ironic that in the 2 years I was working at the library I only had one cold. I was dealing with the public. 2 years of helping adults who wouldn't know a bar of soap if someone chucked it upside their heads and hordes of germ-carrying children. One cold. Now I'm in a sterile, administration office for only 2 months of full time work and I have my first cold. The gods have a sense of humor.
Ah well, I didn't want to do anything fun this weekend anyway. If anything this cold gives me an excuse to lie on the couch, watch the Tigers and read. Ha - like I need excuse.
About The Bat Cave
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Average Land
I seem to be on a string of "average" books. These are the books that are neither good nor bad. They're just sort of "there." The true definition of a "C" student.
I finished my latest average read on my lunch break today - Something Like Love by Beverly Jenkins. I'm not sure how to talk about this book without revealing spoilers, so consider that your warning.
The heroine is a spinster in her early 30s. She was raised to have opinions, value education and to know her own mind. So when her father tries to force her into a marriage she does not want, she is naturally not happy. She sells her dress shop (she's a very successful seamstress/business woman) and runs away to an all-Black settlement in Kansas. She adapts quite nicely, opening a new shop and even becoming mayor.
Enter the hero - a Black Seminole who, after the government breaks yet another promise, opts for a career in train robbing. He crosses paths with the heroine and is immediately smitten. But given his career, and her being a "lady," a relationship isn't terribly practical.
I have to say that the heroine really carried this book for me. Oh sure, she's a 30 year old virgin. I will admit this sort of thing bothers the hell out of me (even in historicals) mainly because so often in romances virgin = incredibly clueless. However no one could accuse this heroine of being clueless (until the end, more on that in a bit). She truly does know her own mind. When the villain disparages her virtue - let's just say he's the one who ends up all wet. She is also capable enough to run a very successful business, has formal education and just all around kicks ass. For lack of a better description - the girl's got moxie.
The problem here is the plotting. The book isn't very tight at all. Early on it reads like a series of episodes and it never comes together into a cohesive whole. Also, the hero is an outlaw, which makes resolving some plot points problematic. No mistake - he's guilty as sin, but you can't have a romance novel ending with the hero going to prison! So to resolve this matter the author tosses in an arranged marriage that just does not work. For one thing, the previously level-headed heroine seems unprepared for the fuss this marriage kicks up. Um, hello?! You're the mayor! He's an outlaw! Blessedly this comes very late in the book, so it's not like I had to wade through it for too long, but it just seemed jarring and out of place.
Something Like Love features many secondary characters tied to Jenkins other historicals. This was one instance though where I felt the series was "loosely connected," so it was fine that I was reading this book out of order from the others.
Will I read Jenkins again? Yes. Despite the pacing issues I had with this book (my main complaint), I'm cutting the author some slack. This book was turned into her editor 5 months late due to her husband's illness and subsequent passing. I guess this makes me a softie - but it's apparent that Jenkins writes the type of heroines I like, and her glimpses of history were well thought out and researched.
I was informed by a fellow TRR reviewer that Jenkins earlier work is very hard to find - but it appears they should be easy to come by via ILL (god bless InterLibrary Loan). The next one I'll try? Probably Vivid - which is set in Niles, Michigan - not far from where I grew up and practically next door to my first "real" professional library job.
I finished my latest average read on my lunch break today - Something Like Love by Beverly Jenkins. I'm not sure how to talk about this book without revealing spoilers, so consider that your warning.
The heroine is a spinster in her early 30s. She was raised to have opinions, value education and to know her own mind. So when her father tries to force her into a marriage she does not want, she is naturally not happy. She sells her dress shop (she's a very successful seamstress/business woman) and runs away to an all-Black settlement in Kansas. She adapts quite nicely, opening a new shop and even becoming mayor.
Enter the hero - a Black Seminole who, after the government breaks yet another promise, opts for a career in train robbing. He crosses paths with the heroine and is immediately smitten. But given his career, and her being a "lady," a relationship isn't terribly practical.
I have to say that the heroine really carried this book for me. Oh sure, she's a 30 year old virgin. I will admit this sort of thing bothers the hell out of me (even in historicals) mainly because so often in romances virgin = incredibly clueless. However no one could accuse this heroine of being clueless (until the end, more on that in a bit). She truly does know her own mind. When the villain disparages her virtue - let's just say he's the one who ends up all wet. She is also capable enough to run a very successful business, has formal education and just all around kicks ass. For lack of a better description - the girl's got moxie.
The problem here is the plotting. The book isn't very tight at all. Early on it reads like a series of episodes and it never comes together into a cohesive whole. Also, the hero is an outlaw, which makes resolving some plot points problematic. No mistake - he's guilty as sin, but you can't have a romance novel ending with the hero going to prison! So to resolve this matter the author tosses in an arranged marriage that just does not work. For one thing, the previously level-headed heroine seems unprepared for the fuss this marriage kicks up. Um, hello?! You're the mayor! He's an outlaw! Blessedly this comes very late in the book, so it's not like I had to wade through it for too long, but it just seemed jarring and out of place.
Something Like Love features many secondary characters tied to Jenkins other historicals. This was one instance though where I felt the series was "loosely connected," so it was fine that I was reading this book out of order from the others.
Will I read Jenkins again? Yes. Despite the pacing issues I had with this book (my main complaint), I'm cutting the author some slack. This book was turned into her editor 5 months late due to her husband's illness and subsequent passing. I guess this makes me a softie - but it's apparent that Jenkins writes the type of heroines I like, and her glimpses of history were well thought out and researched.
I was informed by a fellow TRR reviewer that Jenkins earlier work is very hard to find - but it appears they should be easy to come by via ILL (god bless InterLibrary Loan). The next one I'll try? Probably Vivid - which is set in Niles, Michigan - not far from where I grew up and practically next door to my first "real" professional library job.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Gum Time!
I swear to God, I love the Internet. I mean, I really do. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Nate Robertson has a blog.
Now I'm going to forgive you here if you say, "Nate who?" but only if you aren't a baseball fan. Robertson is #4 in my Detorit Tigers five man pitching rotation. He's been with the team for a while. Long enough to have started a few games during the dreaded 2003 season (yeah, yeah 119 losses. Blah, blah, blah)
Nate's in the spotlight thanks to "rally chew." Yep, when the Tigers are down in later innings, you'll see Robertson in the dugout with the World's Largest Wad Of Gum, just working away at it. And naturally the Tigers have pulled out a few games late. I am one of those who totally loved the Anaheim Angels Rally Monkey - but have to admit that "rally chew" works better on a certain level. Where else can you see grown men acting like little kids, but not making complete asses of themselves? It's kinda cute actually.
Now I'm going to forgive you here if you say, "Nate who?" but only if you aren't a baseball fan. Robertson is #4 in my Detorit Tigers five man pitching rotation. He's been with the team for a while. Long enough to have started a few games during the dreaded 2003 season (yeah, yeah 119 losses. Blah, blah, blah)
Nate's in the spotlight thanks to "rally chew." Yep, when the Tigers are down in later innings, you'll see Robertson in the dugout with the World's Largest Wad Of Gum, just working away at it. And naturally the Tigers have pulled out a few games late. I am one of those who totally loved the Anaheim Angels Rally Monkey - but have to admit that "rally chew" works better on a certain level. Where else can you see grown men acting like little kids, but not making complete asses of themselves? It's kinda cute actually.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Because It's Ours
I tend to get the bulk of my news from the Internet these days, with the exception of CBS News Sunday Morning - which I TiVo since it's on ridiculously early out here on the west coast. I like this program for a couple of reasons. 1) They cover a lot of human interest stuff that just appeals to me and 2) my parents watched it while I was growing up so I tend to equate it with "comfort food."
This past Sunday they did a profile on the actor Robert Duvall, who much like Sam Elliott, screams "cowboy" to me. The reporter asked Duvall why he thought the western held appeal and he simply replied, "Because it's ours." I'd never thought about it in that simple of terms. The English can lay claim to Shakespeare - Americans lay claim to the western. At it's core it is the one truly authentic American ideal. Nobody else can claim it. Nobody else truly understands it. For Americans the Wild West is ingrained into our consciousness, our sense of history, and the very principles that Americans hold dear.
I've always said the western appeals to me because it signifies starting over and second chances. These are both very American concepts - the whole Horatio Alger thing that a man (or woman) can pull themselves up by their boot straps. Wealth and power are not only the domain of old money and the elite. A common man can also make his fortune. It's this idea that led to America being the country that it is - and it also makes this country very unique. Think about it. Think of the sheer volume of ethnicities and races that call themselves Americans. Sure it happens elsewhere in the World - but not on the level that it happens in America. It's what makes our country great - even if there are factions that don't want to admit it.
Now I'm not foolish enough to paint the western as wholly romantic. First, we have the Native Americans - whose way of life was decimated. You also have Chinese - who were singled out because they "looked different," spoke in a "strange tongue," and whose customs were completely and totally foreign to the largely European melting pot of America. Yet the Chinese played a huge part in building our railroads - hence ushering in an age of extreme growth and industrialization.
And then we have African Americans. The West most certainly held appeal for them. Sure slavery was abolished, but mostly in name only in the South where Jim Crow took root and thrived until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Also with slavery over, these people were left with even less than they had before. Think about it. No home, no money, no food, no education. Absolutely nothing. What option does that leave? Extreme options and dreaming big. The West most certainly would have signified a "second chance" and freedom for these men and women.
Which brings us to Beverly Jenkins - an author known for her westerns featuring black characters and black history. I've never read Jenkins. This is inexcusable on my part. Why?
After a couple of routine mysteries and a the Secrets Anthology Volume 1 (yawn) - I've decided it's time to read another western. So I've pulled out Something Like Love from my TBR. I got me a signed copy at RWA in Reno last summer, and being the good little monkey that I am, donated the unsigned copy already in my TBR to the library (which has since been stolen - so there you go). I've only read the prologue, but so far it's very promising. I hope to put a large dent in it on my lunch break today.
This past Sunday they did a profile on the actor Robert Duvall, who much like Sam Elliott, screams "cowboy" to me. The reporter asked Duvall why he thought the western held appeal and he simply replied, "Because it's ours." I'd never thought about it in that simple of terms. The English can lay claim to Shakespeare - Americans lay claim to the western. At it's core it is the one truly authentic American ideal. Nobody else can claim it. Nobody else truly understands it. For Americans the Wild West is ingrained into our consciousness, our sense of history, and the very principles that Americans hold dear.
I've always said the western appeals to me because it signifies starting over and second chances. These are both very American concepts - the whole Horatio Alger thing that a man (or woman) can pull themselves up by their boot straps. Wealth and power are not only the domain of old money and the elite. A common man can also make his fortune. It's this idea that led to America being the country that it is - and it also makes this country very unique. Think about it. Think of the sheer volume of ethnicities and races that call themselves Americans. Sure it happens elsewhere in the World - but not on the level that it happens in America. It's what makes our country great - even if there are factions that don't want to admit it.
Now I'm not foolish enough to paint the western as wholly romantic. First, we have the Native Americans - whose way of life was decimated. You also have Chinese - who were singled out because they "looked different," spoke in a "strange tongue," and whose customs were completely and totally foreign to the largely European melting pot of America. Yet the Chinese played a huge part in building our railroads - hence ushering in an age of extreme growth and industrialization.
And then we have African Americans. The West most certainly held appeal for them. Sure slavery was abolished, but mostly in name only in the South where Jim Crow took root and thrived until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Also with slavery over, these people were left with even less than they had before. Think about it. No home, no money, no food, no education. Absolutely nothing. What option does that leave? Extreme options and dreaming big. The West most certainly would have signified a "second chance" and freedom for these men and women.
Which brings us to Beverly Jenkins - an author known for her westerns featuring black characters and black history. I've never read Jenkins. This is inexcusable on my part. Why?
- She writes westerns! Yippee!
- She's a Michigan girl
- She's still with Avon
After a couple of routine mysteries and a the Secrets Anthology Volume 1 (yawn) - I've decided it's time to read another western. So I've pulled out Something Like Love from my TBR. I got me a signed copy at RWA in Reno last summer, and being the good little monkey that I am, donated the unsigned copy already in my TBR to the library (which has since been stolen - so there you go). I've only read the prologue, but so far it's very promising. I hope to put a large dent in it on my lunch break today.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Getting On With The Show
I know my last Romancing The Blog column addressed online behavior and flame wars - but it appears nobody actually read it. This is not a shock to me as by nature I have an inferiority complex and feel that I'm a rather horrid writer. Yeah, yeah - Wendy's suffering from Middle Child Persecution Syndrome again. Watch her curl up in the fetal position and start sucking her thumb.
The recent brouhaha (and no I'm not linking to it - why bother?) revolves around a rather opinionated reader blogger (love ya hon!) and a small e-publisher who took umbrage with the fact that said blogger ragged on their crappy CGI cover art.
This has since led to a new blog (again not linking to it - just cause I'm a bitch like that) that calls all of those who like to snark to the mat.
Now, I'm all for calling someone to the mat. Hey, it needs to be done occasionally - and none of us should be immune from persecution. That said, there is the difference between stating an opinion and being a raving asshole. You can say, "Wendy is just plain wrong about this." You cannot say, "Wendy is a megalomaniac bitch" Although delusional that I am, I think I'd like being called that.
So once again I'm going to offer some common sense advice (like I did in the column that nobody read) which in turn will continue to go ignored. Oh well.
First - We're talking about fiction here folks. Fiction. This is not war, genocide, world hunger, AIDS, cancer, or the multitude of other horrible things that go on in our world every day. It's fiction. It's entertainment. They're novels for cripes sake. Honestly I deal with this stuff for a living, it pays the rent and feeds me, and I don't take it that seriously - so why are you?
Second - Romance cover art has to be picked on. If it's not a law it should be. Frankly it's probably one of the top reasons why the genre has never gotten any respect and if we don't make fun of it that leaves all the assholes who sniff haughtily at our "questionable" reading choices to do it for us. And honestly, we're a hell of a lot funnier.
Third - There are more important things to worry about. Just watch the June episode of Real Sports With Bryant Gumble if you don't believe me. The current administration's environmental policies are enough to make your head spin. Oops - there I go showing my Liberal Softie Underpants again.
Fourth - Why aren't we bitching about spammers? I'm seriously getting up to 5 e-mails a day from various assholes pretending to be Paypal so that I'll click on their stupid link that takes me to some off-shore website so I can blithely "verify" my credit card/bank account information for them. On top of that, I have all the asshole spammers who are trying to pass themselves off as every bank and credit union in the nation. I like to think there is a special place in Hell for these people.
Fifth - Have I mentioned how absurd all this nonsense is? Completely totally absurd. I think of bloggers I "know" online who are living with real problems and heartache right now (you know who you are). There is real tragedy in the world. Real problems. And instead we're allowing trolls to get to us and dust up a bunch of drama that none of us needs or wants. I'm not suggesting we wallow in Real Life Misery - but lordy let's talk about fun shit! No more drama!
But there I go talking common sense again. My mother always told me that talking common sense to people who obviously don't have any is not only a waste of time, but just causes a major headache. Or leads to alcoholism. Either way, a waste of time and a nasty habit altogether.
I guess this post makes me part of the problem since I'm giving space to it (hey, but I didn't link!). I think there is still a little tiny piece of me that thinks if I shake hard enough that people will stop being jack-asses. Poor, poor delusional Wendy. Someday I'll get professional help for that.
The recent brouhaha (and no I'm not linking to it - why bother?) revolves around a rather opinionated reader blogger (love ya hon!) and a small e-publisher who took umbrage with the fact that said blogger ragged on their crappy CGI cover art.
This has since led to a new blog (again not linking to it - just cause I'm a bitch like that) that calls all of those who like to snark to the mat.
Now, I'm all for calling someone to the mat. Hey, it needs to be done occasionally - and none of us should be immune from persecution. That said, there is the difference between stating an opinion and being a raving asshole. You can say, "Wendy is just plain wrong about this." You cannot say, "Wendy is a megalomaniac bitch" Although delusional that I am, I think I'd like being called that.
So once again I'm going to offer some common sense advice (like I did in the column that nobody read) which in turn will continue to go ignored. Oh well.
First - We're talking about fiction here folks. Fiction. This is not war, genocide, world hunger, AIDS, cancer, or the multitude of other horrible things that go on in our world every day. It's fiction. It's entertainment. They're novels for cripes sake. Honestly I deal with this stuff for a living, it pays the rent and feeds me, and I don't take it that seriously - so why are you?
Second - Romance cover art has to be picked on. If it's not a law it should be. Frankly it's probably one of the top reasons why the genre has never gotten any respect and if we don't make fun of it that leaves all the assholes who sniff haughtily at our "questionable" reading choices to do it for us. And honestly, we're a hell of a lot funnier.
Third - There are more important things to worry about. Just watch the June episode of Real Sports With Bryant Gumble if you don't believe me. The current administration's environmental policies are enough to make your head spin. Oops - there I go showing my Liberal Softie Underpants again.
Fourth - Why aren't we bitching about spammers? I'm seriously getting up to 5 e-mails a day from various assholes pretending to be Paypal so that I'll click on their stupid link that takes me to some off-shore website so I can blithely "verify" my credit card/bank account information for them. On top of that, I have all the asshole spammers who are trying to pass themselves off as every bank and credit union in the nation. I like to think there is a special place in Hell for these people.
Fifth - Have I mentioned how absurd all this nonsense is? Completely totally absurd. I think of bloggers I "know" online who are living with real problems and heartache right now (you know who you are). There is real tragedy in the world. Real problems. And instead we're allowing trolls to get to us and dust up a bunch of drama that none of us needs or wants. I'm not suggesting we wallow in Real Life Misery - but lordy let's talk about fun shit! No more drama!
But there I go talking common sense again. My mother always told me that talking common sense to people who obviously don't have any is not only a waste of time, but just causes a major headache. Or leads to alcoholism. Either way, a waste of time and a nasty habit altogether.
I guess this post makes me part of the problem since I'm giving space to it (hey, but I didn't link!). I think there is still a little tiny piece of me that thinks if I shake hard enough that people will stop being jack-asses. Poor, poor delusional Wendy. Someday I'll get professional help for that.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Kapow!
So, what do you think of the new template? I found it while cruising around in BlogLand, and thought the starburst was superhero-like. You know, sort of like the campy Batman series from the 60s. When Batman and the Boy Wonder would fight the evil-doers words like Kapow! and Zing! flashed on the television screen with starbursts in the background.
Well that, and I was sick of the old template.
This one looks pretty good, although on my computer monitor at work the text runs up against the edges. Of course I'm using a monitor that is a relic from the 1970s, so hopefully it looks kick ass on my shiny new flat-panel at home.
And I was happy to see the search box now provided in the sidebar, but have discovered that it works about as well as I do after three Long Island Iced Teas. Such is life.
Well that, and I was sick of the old template.
This one looks pretty good, although on my computer monitor at work the text runs up against the edges. Of course I'm using a monitor that is a relic from the 1970s, so hopefully it looks kick ass on my shiny new flat-panel at home.
And I was happy to see the search box now provided in the sidebar, but have discovered that it works about as well as I do after three Long Island Iced Teas. Such is life.
Why Romance Readers Are Nuts
I knew it would happen sooner or later. I mean, publishers aren't stupid and the cash cow has a way of moo-ing rather loudly.
Yes, they're reprinting Suzanne Brockmann's Ladies' Man. See:
Laydown date is August 29 for you Nosey Nellies out there, and it's going to retail for $6.99
You have to wonder if Brockmann's more diehard fans feel kinda silly now. You know, those readers who paid ridiculous sums of money for this book on eBay - including that lady that RT featured some years back who paid over $1000 for her copy. Seriously, do you think she became unglued when she heard the reprinting news?
I'm sorry, not even a first edition signed copy of John Steinbeck (or J.D. Salinger - take your pick) is worth $1000. Me lying semi-nude on a tropical island while Juan the cabana boy fans me with palm fronds and feeds me chocolate covered strawberries - now that's worth $1000. But a paperback novel? I'm sorry, but I just didn't kill off that many brain cells during The College Years.
But to each his own. I also never saw the appeal of buying a purse that cost more than $30 - so obviously my sense of collectability as well as style is seriously lacking. I just fit right in here in hedonistic, materialistic southern California dontcha know.
To get the full scoop on why people are criminally insane and would pay $1000 for a paperback novel - Brockmann gives you the scoop here. And neither here nor there - girlfriend is a "name" she really needs a better web site. Seriously, I've designed better using Netscape Composer.
Yes, they're reprinting Suzanne Brockmann's Ladies' Man. See:
Laydown date is August 29 for you Nosey Nellies out there, and it's going to retail for $6.99
You have to wonder if Brockmann's more diehard fans feel kinda silly now. You know, those readers who paid ridiculous sums of money for this book on eBay - including that lady that RT featured some years back who paid over $1000 for her copy. Seriously, do you think she became unglued when she heard the reprinting news?
I'm sorry, not even a first edition signed copy of John Steinbeck (or J.D. Salinger - take your pick) is worth $1000. Me lying semi-nude on a tropical island while Juan the cabana boy fans me with palm fronds and feeds me chocolate covered strawberries - now that's worth $1000. But a paperback novel? I'm sorry, but I just didn't kill off that many brain cells during The College Years.
But to each his own. I also never saw the appeal of buying a purse that cost more than $30 - so obviously my sense of collectability as well as style is seriously lacking. I just fit right in here in hedonistic, materialistic southern California dontcha know.
To get the full scoop on why people are criminally insane and would pay $1000 for a paperback novel - Brockmann gives you the scoop here. And neither here nor there - girlfriend is a "name" she really needs a better web site. Seriously, I've designed better using Netscape Composer.
Monday, June 19, 2006
My New Toy And A DNF
I got my new toy over the weekend - an MP3 player! My main reason for forking over the cash? (Although it was surprisingly affordable)
E-Audiobooks.
I am an audio book junkie, mainly because there is no way in Hell I'm ever going to be able to "read" all the books I want to. I rely on audio to keep up with my mystery, general fiction and non-fiction interests. However, working for a very large library system (with a miniscule AV budget) has meant very long waiting lists for audiobooks - and when I do get them the quality sucks eggs because the evil patrons keep scratching the poop out of the CDs. Drat those patrons!
However this past year we signed a contract with Overdrive to provide e-audiobooks and I kept meaning to try them - but no MP3 player. And I guess I could have burned them onto CD but frankly that seems like "work" and I'm nothing if not lazy. So once The Boyfriend landed his New Job and we got ourselves out from under credit card debt, I decided to give myself a treat.
All I have to do is hook my MP3 player up to an FM transmitter and voila! Audio books in my car without having to juggle CDs.
I'm listening to The Island by Heather Graham right now.
In other news, I went to grab another Harlequin Historical to read Sunday and nothing jumped out at me. So I picked up Cutting Through by Joan Hohl, one of the early Harlequin Next novels. Big mistake. I've decided to chuck it after 65 pages. Why? Well...
I always find it amusing on message boards when readers say, "Well I had to stop reading that historical book because the author called the heroine Lady SoAndSo and that isn't correct - she merely would have been called Miss SoAndSo and golly, it just pulled me right out of the story!"
Most of the time I think "Oh honey get over it." I mean, I have a degree in British history and frankly the names, ranks and general bs of titles is so absurd that I tend to overlook them. Sorry, I do. But then, I like to read about "the little people" falling in love so what do I know.
Well Cutting Through had a "pulling out of the story" moment for me. One of the heroines is married to a neurosurgeon, and their marriage is on the rocks. One reason why? Their teenage daughter needed spinal surgery and he said he wouldn't operate on his own daughter. The heroine was incensed.
OK, anyone else see a problem with this?
Now contrary to popular belief, doctors are not gods. They make mistakes - hence malpractice insurance. I can't imagine any doctor anywhere being comfortable cutting into their child's spinal region. It's perfectly natural for me to believe that this guy wouldn't want to do that. Personally, I think it's a bad thing when surgeons begin to feel "fear" when they're operating on a patient. To a certain extent, I would imagine one has to remain detached. Sure bed side manner is great - but I'd rather have a doctor who is calm and cool under pressure than one who is emotionally wrought because he's cutting me open. That's just me though.
I mean, the heroine works in radiology for cripes sake. I know it's one of her babies - but she doesn't stop to consider why her husband doesn't want to wield a scalpel over his own flesh and blood.
And what happened to the girl? The guy got his mentor to do the operation, he assisted, and it was a success. The bastard!
It just drove me crazy. Nitpicking? Oh sure. Will I continue reading the book. No. Besides this incident that just bugged the crap out of me, nothing else happens in those first 65 pages to make me want to keep reading.
I never should have left Harlequin Historical.
E-Audiobooks.
I am an audio book junkie, mainly because there is no way in Hell I'm ever going to be able to "read" all the books I want to. I rely on audio to keep up with my mystery, general fiction and non-fiction interests. However, working for a very large library system (with a miniscule AV budget) has meant very long waiting lists for audiobooks - and when I do get them the quality sucks eggs because the evil patrons keep scratching the poop out of the CDs. Drat those patrons!
However this past year we signed a contract with Overdrive to provide e-audiobooks and I kept meaning to try them - but no MP3 player. And I guess I could have burned them onto CD but frankly that seems like "work" and I'm nothing if not lazy. So once The Boyfriend landed his New Job and we got ourselves out from under credit card debt, I decided to give myself a treat.
All I have to do is hook my MP3 player up to an FM transmitter and voila! Audio books in my car without having to juggle CDs.
I'm listening to The Island by Heather Graham right now.
In other news, I went to grab another Harlequin Historical to read Sunday and nothing jumped out at me. So I picked up Cutting Through by Joan Hohl, one of the early Harlequin Next novels. Big mistake. I've decided to chuck it after 65 pages. Why? Well...
I always find it amusing on message boards when readers say, "Well I had to stop reading that historical book because the author called the heroine Lady SoAndSo and that isn't correct - she merely would have been called Miss SoAndSo and golly, it just pulled me right out of the story!"
Most of the time I think "Oh honey get over it." I mean, I have a degree in British history and frankly the names, ranks and general bs of titles is so absurd that I tend to overlook them. Sorry, I do. But then, I like to read about "the little people" falling in love so what do I know.
Well Cutting Through had a "pulling out of the story" moment for me. One of the heroines is married to a neurosurgeon, and their marriage is on the rocks. One reason why? Their teenage daughter needed spinal surgery and he said he wouldn't operate on his own daughter. The heroine was incensed.
OK, anyone else see a problem with this?
Now contrary to popular belief, doctors are not gods. They make mistakes - hence malpractice insurance. I can't imagine any doctor anywhere being comfortable cutting into their child's spinal region. It's perfectly natural for me to believe that this guy wouldn't want to do that. Personally, I think it's a bad thing when surgeons begin to feel "fear" when they're operating on a patient. To a certain extent, I would imagine one has to remain detached. Sure bed side manner is great - but I'd rather have a doctor who is calm and cool under pressure than one who is emotionally wrought because he's cutting me open. That's just me though.
I mean, the heroine works in radiology for cripes sake. I know it's one of her babies - but she doesn't stop to consider why her husband doesn't want to wield a scalpel over his own flesh and blood.
And what happened to the girl? The guy got his mentor to do the operation, he assisted, and it was a success. The bastard!
It just drove me crazy. Nitpicking? Oh sure. Will I continue reading the book. No. Besides this incident that just bugged the crap out of me, nothing else happens in those first 65 pages to make me want to keep reading.
I never should have left Harlequin Historical.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
I Might Be Winding Down
I polished off two more Harlequin Historical titles this weekend.
The Horseman by Jillian Hart (Harlequin Historical #715) - One of the common criticisms of the romance genre (among idiots who like to talk out of their asses) is that it gives women "unrealistic expectations." I've always found this "reasoning" particularly insulting (and anti-feminist) because it implies women are such simpletons that we can't tell the difference between Fiction and The Real World. That said, reading The Horseman gave me an unrealistic expectation because the hero is incredibly perfect. I swear, I love The Boyfriend - but if I thought for one moment that Dillon Hennessey existed in real life I'd be out the door in a snap.
Heroine miscarries and her baby girl dies. Asshole husband (who likes to beat her in his spare time) tosses her out the door and dissolves their marriage because the miscarriage has left her barren. Heroine crawls home (literally) because she has nowhere else to go and she's incredibly weak from all that nasty blood loss and trauma.
Her mother is a petty, unfeeling bitch and her banker stepfather is only concerned with the fact that he's losing business because his stepdaughter ruined the family reputation.
Seriously, I wanted a gun.
Hero is a horse trainer a la The Horse Whisperer and essentially falls in love with the heroine the first time he lays eyes on her. But she's from a Very Good Family (ha!) and he's blue collar. Also, he's incredibly shy, gets tongue-tied around women, and just has no clue how to go about the whole courting business.
Circumstances come into play where the heroine runs away (still being very ill), hero rescues her, and nurses her back to health. He does his best - earning her trust and vowing to her that he would not only make a good husband, but would love her with such an undying devotion that she would never want for anything.
Hart has a tendency to do a lot of internal monologue-ing, and the story is slow in spots. That said, this hero is so dreamy that he really carries the whole blessed book. I have this thing for shy men who are "unsure" of themselves. I'm just a sucker like that. Still waffling on the grade for this one - so I'll say a B+.
High Country Hero by Lynna Banning (Harlequin Historical #706) - Another average read from Banning. Heroine has just returned to Oregon with her medical degree in hand and has opened for business. Hero is a loner bounty hunter who needs her to tend to someone with a gun shot wound. Naturally this wounded patient is several days away via horseback. Along the way hero teaches heroine to not be so afraid and enjoy the "little things" in life. Love and romance bloom on the trail.
This one was OK. My main complaint is that there is a big issue in the hero's past that was never fully fleshed out. Part of me understood why he made the choice he made - but I guess I wanted Banning to spell it out more for me. Final Grade = B-.
The Horseman by Jillian Hart (Harlequin Historical #715) - One of the common criticisms of the romance genre (among idiots who like to talk out of their asses) is that it gives women "unrealistic expectations." I've always found this "reasoning" particularly insulting (and anti-feminist) because it implies women are such simpletons that we can't tell the difference between Fiction and The Real World. That said, reading The Horseman gave me an unrealistic expectation because the hero is incredibly perfect. I swear, I love The Boyfriend - but if I thought for one moment that Dillon Hennessey existed in real life I'd be out the door in a snap.
Heroine miscarries and her baby girl dies. Asshole husband (who likes to beat her in his spare time) tosses her out the door and dissolves their marriage because the miscarriage has left her barren. Heroine crawls home (literally) because she has nowhere else to go and she's incredibly weak from all that nasty blood loss and trauma.
Her mother is a petty, unfeeling bitch and her banker stepfather is only concerned with the fact that he's losing business because his stepdaughter ruined the family reputation.
Seriously, I wanted a gun.
Hero is a horse trainer a la The Horse Whisperer and essentially falls in love with the heroine the first time he lays eyes on her. But she's from a Very Good Family (ha!) and he's blue collar. Also, he's incredibly shy, gets tongue-tied around women, and just has no clue how to go about the whole courting business.
Circumstances come into play where the heroine runs away (still being very ill), hero rescues her, and nurses her back to health. He does his best - earning her trust and vowing to her that he would not only make a good husband, but would love her with such an undying devotion that she would never want for anything.
Hart has a tendency to do a lot of internal monologue-ing, and the story is slow in spots. That said, this hero is so dreamy that he really carries the whole blessed book. I have this thing for shy men who are "unsure" of themselves. I'm just a sucker like that. Still waffling on the grade for this one - so I'll say a B+.
High Country Hero by Lynna Banning (Harlequin Historical #706) - Another average read from Banning. Heroine has just returned to Oregon with her medical degree in hand and has opened for business. Hero is a loner bounty hunter who needs her to tend to someone with a gun shot wound. Naturally this wounded patient is several days away via horseback. Along the way hero teaches heroine to not be so afraid and enjoy the "little things" in life. Love and romance bloom on the trail.
This one was OK. My main complaint is that there is a big issue in the hero's past that was never fully fleshed out. Part of me understood why he made the choice he made - but I guess I wanted Banning to spell it out more for me. Final Grade = B-.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Time For Detox
I read 8 books this week. Granted, I was wading in the Harlequin pool and none of those books clocked past 300 pages - but still. 8 books in one week! I also seem to be on a serious Harlequin Historical kick. God, I forgot how good this series could be. Besides the fact that it is one of the few houses still publishing western romances - they seem to publish a lot of good western romances. I finished another great one yesterday:
Married By Midnight by Judith Stacy (Harlequin Historicals 622) - Stacy is yet another hit or miss author for me. When she's good I really like her books. When she's bad - eh. This one is great, and the best I've read by her so far.
The heroine is a bridesmaid (again) for her 3rd wedding in 3 months. She's sick of wedding plans, simpering brides and saying words like "lovely" when the bride's trousseau is paraded out in front of her. I mean, how long can one talk about china patterns before losing one's mind? Anyway this wedding will be the toughest yet because the bride's brother is the man who broke the heroine's heart as a young girl. He's also our hero.
Meanwhile, in another room, the hero is drinking very good scotch with his best friend. They begin to talk about how they'd both like to get married but the thought of suffering through a year's worth of wedding goo-ga and planning makes them want to hurl. The best friend then proposes a wager. Whomever woos and weds a young lady within 30 days will be the winner of a fine case of the very scotch they're drinking.
The hero isn't much for the wager, until he lays eyes on the heroine. He's immediately smitten. She's smart, well spoken, beautiful - all in all the "perfect" wife for him. He woos her, they wed - and you guessed it, she finds out about the wager. She is not happy. In fact, she breaks stuff. Bless her heart.
I loved this book because it features some of my favorite types of characters. The heroine is smart, capable, and just a nice person. She loves the hero and is devastated that he married her just for some silly wager. Of course, the hero loves the heroine - but he's a man and doesn't realize it's love (or he just won't admit it to himself). He doesn't want to lose her, and spends the rest of the story trying to figure out how to fix the mess, only to fail miserably most of the time. I mean, the poor guy just doesn't have a clue. He finally gets it right in the end though.
Also, this story takes place in late 19th century Los Angeles - a setting you don't see every day.
A really great read. Final Grade = A.
Married By Midnight by Judith Stacy (Harlequin Historicals 622) - Stacy is yet another hit or miss author for me. When she's good I really like her books. When she's bad - eh. This one is great, and the best I've read by her so far.
The heroine is a bridesmaid (again) for her 3rd wedding in 3 months. She's sick of wedding plans, simpering brides and saying words like "lovely" when the bride's trousseau is paraded out in front of her. I mean, how long can one talk about china patterns before losing one's mind? Anyway this wedding will be the toughest yet because the bride's brother is the man who broke the heroine's heart as a young girl. He's also our hero.
Meanwhile, in another room, the hero is drinking very good scotch with his best friend. They begin to talk about how they'd both like to get married but the thought of suffering through a year's worth of wedding goo-ga and planning makes them want to hurl. The best friend then proposes a wager. Whomever woos and weds a young lady within 30 days will be the winner of a fine case of the very scotch they're drinking.
The hero isn't much for the wager, until he lays eyes on the heroine. He's immediately smitten. She's smart, well spoken, beautiful - all in all the "perfect" wife for him. He woos her, they wed - and you guessed it, she finds out about the wager. She is not happy. In fact, she breaks stuff. Bless her heart.
I loved this book because it features some of my favorite types of characters. The heroine is smart, capable, and just a nice person. She loves the hero and is devastated that he married her just for some silly wager. Of course, the hero loves the heroine - but he's a man and doesn't realize it's love (or he just won't admit it to himself). He doesn't want to lose her, and spends the rest of the story trying to figure out how to fix the mess, only to fail miserably most of the time. I mean, the poor guy just doesn't have a clue. He finally gets it right in the end though.
Also, this story takes place in late 19th century Los Angeles - a setting you don't see every day.
A really great read. Final Grade = A.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Back Away Slowly From The Book
My older sister fears I'm reading too much. I mean, if I'm reading this much I'm obviously not watching baseball and the Detroit Tigers still have the best record in all of MLB. (Skeptic that I am, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not having a winning record since 1993 does that to a girl).
Anyway - I have been watching baseball. Most of my current reading madness has been brought on thanks to quiet lunch breaks at work, and a few stolen moments in the morning before I begin my commute.
Long story short, I finished another one yesterday:
The Angel Of Devil's Camp by Lynna Banning (Harlequin Historical 649) - Banning is another HH author who's a bit hit or miss for me, but I acquired several of her books in my TBR before I figured that out.
It's post-Civil War and the heroine has just managed to wed off the last of her sisters. So she packs her bags and hits the trail for Oregon where she's going to marry a distant cousin who works at a logging camp. However when she gets there she discover her future husband has been killed in an accident. But being the kindly soul that he was, he left her all his worldly possessions, including the cabin he built for them. The journey west taking the last of her funds, she figures staying in that cabin is a jim-dandy idea.
The hero is a former Union colonel who does not want the heroine to stick around. He's running a camp full of uncouth, horny men and doesn't have time to babysit a pampered Southern belle. But she digs in her heels, so the two agree that she'll leave as soon as she raises money for the trip home.
Banning makes the Southern/Yankee conflict work well here. The hero lost his sister in the war, in large part due to a Southern sympathizer. The heroine was head of the household, scratching out a living, protecting her sisters, all the while Yankees were storming the area stealing food stuffs, family heirlooms and burning homes to the ground. So this aspect of the conflict really works well.
However the heroine comes off as a ninny sometimes. She just doesn't understand why the hero is reluctant for her to stay on. Um, OK. She's a single, gentle woman living in a mining camp with men who haven't seen in a woman, let alone gotten their groove thang on, in months. Gee, why is the hero so worried?
But the ending is exciting, culminating in both hero and heroine escaping a near death experience. Although the final happily-ever-after does feel hastily done. All in all, an average sort of read. Final Grade = C+.
Anyway - I have been watching baseball. Most of my current reading madness has been brought on thanks to quiet lunch breaks at work, and a few stolen moments in the morning before I begin my commute.
Long story short, I finished another one yesterday:
The Angel Of Devil's Camp by Lynna Banning (Harlequin Historical 649) - Banning is another HH author who's a bit hit or miss for me, but I acquired several of her books in my TBR before I figured that out.
It's post-Civil War and the heroine has just managed to wed off the last of her sisters. So she packs her bags and hits the trail for Oregon where she's going to marry a distant cousin who works at a logging camp. However when she gets there she discover her future husband has been killed in an accident. But being the kindly soul that he was, he left her all his worldly possessions, including the cabin he built for them. The journey west taking the last of her funds, she figures staying in that cabin is a jim-dandy idea.
The hero is a former Union colonel who does not want the heroine to stick around. He's running a camp full of uncouth, horny men and doesn't have time to babysit a pampered Southern belle. But she digs in her heels, so the two agree that she'll leave as soon as she raises money for the trip home.
Banning makes the Southern/Yankee conflict work well here. The hero lost his sister in the war, in large part due to a Southern sympathizer. The heroine was head of the household, scratching out a living, protecting her sisters, all the while Yankees were storming the area stealing food stuffs, family heirlooms and burning homes to the ground. So this aspect of the conflict really works well.
However the heroine comes off as a ninny sometimes. She just doesn't understand why the hero is reluctant for her to stay on. Um, OK. She's a single, gentle woman living in a mining camp with men who haven't seen in a woman, let alone gotten their groove thang on, in months. Gee, why is the hero so worried?
But the ending is exciting, culminating in both hero and heroine escaping a near death experience. Although the final happily-ever-after does feel hastily done. All in all, an average sort of read. Final Grade = C+.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Yes, Another One
I feel I should make a public service announcement to any new readers of this blog. I normally do not read this much, this fast in any given week. Seriously. I'm a woman possessed right now. I wrapped up book #6 for this week yesterday:
The Unexpected Wife by Mary Burton (Harlequin Historical 708) - It should be noted that Burton is usually hit or miss with me because she tends to write heroes that I want to shoot. That said, she also writes really strong heroines, which is probably why I keep buying her books. This one is a fairly conventional mail-order bride story that stands out thanks to the heroine.
Heroine leaves behind San Francisco for a new life in Montana. After the death of her missionary parents, she goes to live with an aunt and uncle who treat her like a servant, and keep reminding her that she's lucky they didn't toss her out in the street after a perceived indiscretion with a smooth-talkin' ladies man. Heroine wants a husband and family - so answers an ad for a mail-order bride. One small problem though - the hero didn't write the ad, his meddling neighbors did. They feel he needs a woman to take care of his two sons, keep house and cook while he's working his growing horse ranch. He has vowed to never love again after his gentle wife died in child birth.
So there you go. I'm going to state up front here that the hero is a jackass and doesn't treat the heroine very well - but this girl has spunk and is the sort that will tell him to his face, "Hey asshole, you're being a jackass." She is a hard worker and has dreams of her own. Of course it takes the hero the whole blessed book to realize what a great woman he has standing in front of him - and for that reason alone, I did feel the ending was a bit rushed. Also, I like my jackass heroes to grovel a lot. He grovels, but not enough for my liking.
Still a very good read. Final Grade = B+
The Unexpected Wife by Mary Burton (Harlequin Historical 708) - It should be noted that Burton is usually hit or miss with me because she tends to write heroes that I want to shoot. That said, she also writes really strong heroines, which is probably why I keep buying her books. This one is a fairly conventional mail-order bride story that stands out thanks to the heroine.
Heroine leaves behind San Francisco for a new life in Montana. After the death of her missionary parents, she goes to live with an aunt and uncle who treat her like a servant, and keep reminding her that she's lucky they didn't toss her out in the street after a perceived indiscretion with a smooth-talkin' ladies man. Heroine wants a husband and family - so answers an ad for a mail-order bride. One small problem though - the hero didn't write the ad, his meddling neighbors did. They feel he needs a woman to take care of his two sons, keep house and cook while he's working his growing horse ranch. He has vowed to never love again after his gentle wife died in child birth.
So there you go. I'm going to state up front here that the hero is a jackass and doesn't treat the heroine very well - but this girl has spunk and is the sort that will tell him to his face, "Hey asshole, you're being a jackass." She is a hard worker and has dreams of her own. Of course it takes the hero the whole blessed book to realize what a great woman he has standing in front of him - and for that reason alone, I did feel the ending was a bit rushed. Also, I like my jackass heroes to grovel a lot. He grovels, but not enough for my liking.
Still a very good read. Final Grade = B+
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
More Series
Yep, I wrapped up two more books since yesterdays blog post. Both of these had serious rough spots though:
The Heart Of A Cowboy by Charlene Sands (Silhouette Desire 1488) - Very pregnant heroine is widowed when husband dies in accident on their ranch. Hero (dead hubby's twin brother) makes a promise to him (on his death bed no less) to watch over heroine and unborn babe. Naturally, hero always had a thing for heroine, but when she married his brother he took off to join the rodeo. Heroine thinks hero is untrustworthy because of pranks he played on her in the past, and the fact that he up and left, leaving her husband to handle the entire ranch. This one starts out good - but the heroine is a bit of a harpy. I mean, the hero is bending over backwards for her and she still finds him untrustworthy. I started wondering how she was able to move around so freely when she obviously had a stick up her butt. Final grade = C.
High-Stakes Passion by Juliet Burns (Silhouette Desire 1644) - another one that starts out good and fizzles. Hero is a former rodeo champ (seriously, I have a cowboy addiction) whose career is cut short due to injury. Heroine is desperate for staff writer job at the magazine where she works, and goes undercover as hero's housekeeper to get the scoop on the now reclusive star. What she discovers in place of her childhood hero (he rescued her from bullies when she was a teen), is a slovenly drunk who is throwing the World's Largest Pity Party. This is great until we learn more about the hero's past. Yeah, you guessed it - Mommy was a whore, so all women are unfaithful shrews who like to beat up kids. Nevermind that his surrogate parents have been very happily married for 50 years. Nope, all women are destined to cheat. And when he finally boinks the heroine and discovers she is a virgin he "reveled in the fact that she hadn't slept around."
Yes, ladies - because if you aren't a virgin you must be a skanky ho.
But it was good until all that, and this was a well written debut even if the feminist in me wanted a gun. Final Grade = C-.
The Heart Of A Cowboy by Charlene Sands (Silhouette Desire 1488) - Very pregnant heroine is widowed when husband dies in accident on their ranch. Hero (dead hubby's twin brother) makes a promise to him (on his death bed no less) to watch over heroine and unborn babe. Naturally, hero always had a thing for heroine, but when she married his brother he took off to join the rodeo. Heroine thinks hero is untrustworthy because of pranks he played on her in the past, and the fact that he up and left, leaving her husband to handle the entire ranch. This one starts out good - but the heroine is a bit of a harpy. I mean, the hero is bending over backwards for her and she still finds him untrustworthy. I started wondering how she was able to move around so freely when she obviously had a stick up her butt. Final grade = C.
High-Stakes Passion by Juliet Burns (Silhouette Desire 1644) - another one that starts out good and fizzles. Hero is a former rodeo champ (seriously, I have a cowboy addiction) whose career is cut short due to injury. Heroine is desperate for staff writer job at the magazine where she works, and goes undercover as hero's housekeeper to get the scoop on the now reclusive star. What she discovers in place of her childhood hero (he rescued her from bullies when she was a teen), is a slovenly drunk who is throwing the World's Largest Pity Party. This is great until we learn more about the hero's past. Yeah, you guessed it - Mommy was a whore, so all women are unfaithful shrews who like to beat up kids. Nevermind that his surrogate parents have been very happily married for 50 years. Nope, all women are destined to cheat. And when he finally boinks the heroine and discovers she is a virgin he "reveled in the fact that she hadn't slept around."
Yes, ladies - because if you aren't a virgin you must be a skanky ho.
But it was good until all that, and this was a well written debut even if the feminist in me wanted a gun. Final Grade = C-.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Various Tidbits
My latest column is up over at RTB.
I've noticed my blog sometimes looks funky in Internet Explorer. Um, sorry about that. Will I ever fix it? Well, no. 1) I don't have the wherewithal to do it and 2) I hate IE with a burning, seething passion. So there you go.
In reading news, I'm in between batch of review books and currently suffering from TBR anxiety. This couldn't possibly have anything to do with the hundreds of unread books I have lying around (I haven't counted how many exactly. Frankly, I'm too scared to).
So in a delusional attempt to make me feel like I'm accomplishing something, I'm on a Harlequin reading binge. Yes, those cute little series books with dreadful titles that clock in anywhere between 200-300 pages. I polished off three this weekend:
Unfinished Business by Inglath Cooper (Harlequin SuperRomance 1214) - Lawyer heroine hurries home to pick up paperwork she forgot only to discover husband in bed with his pregnant lover. Instead of castrating him, she divorces his sorry butt. While in New York City on business she decides to stop feeling sorry for herself, buys a hot little black dress, and hits the hotel bar - only to discover the Hero, a childhood friend (and ex's former best friend) also in town. One night stand ensues. Fast forward - heroine must go home to take care of sick mother. Reunites with hero - who has always loved her. A nice story about nice people. Final grade = B.
Catching Calhoun by Tina Leonard (Harlequin American Romance 1045) - Book whatever in Leonard's Cowboys By The Dozen series. I once had a reviewer tell me she thinks Leonard should write for TV - and I think that's a fair assestment. Zippy dialouge and occasional silliness, but hey - hunky cowboys! Single mother heroine doesn't want to love a cowboy, but falls for hero - an artist/cowboy who gets roped into her life by her meddling children. Write this down - I liked the children in this story. But you kind of need to be versed in the series. Final Grade = B-.
Lost In Sensation by Maureen Child (Silhouette Desire 1611) - part of the Man Talk series, which feature stories told entirely from the hero's point of view. Doctor hero has been mourning his dead wife for 2 years. After he saves his best friend from a car wreck, he travels home with him for his wedding. Hero is greeted like a hero - but finds himself sharing living space with best friend's feisty sister. Sparks fly, naughty shenanigans ensue, but hero feels oh so guilty over dead wife's death. This book was really working for me until the author started slamming the dead wife. Honestly, it's OK for the hero to love twice in his life. Dead wifey starts out as shy and quiet and eventually is described as grasping, needy and cold. Blah. Really liked the heroine though. Final Grade = C-.
I've noticed my blog sometimes looks funky in Internet Explorer. Um, sorry about that. Will I ever fix it? Well, no. 1) I don't have the wherewithal to do it and 2) I hate IE with a burning, seething passion. So there you go.
In reading news, I'm in between batch of review books and currently suffering from TBR anxiety. This couldn't possibly have anything to do with the hundreds of unread books I have lying around (I haven't counted how many exactly. Frankly, I'm too scared to).
So in a delusional attempt to make me feel like I'm accomplishing something, I'm on a Harlequin reading binge. Yes, those cute little series books with dreadful titles that clock in anywhere between 200-300 pages. I polished off three this weekend:
Unfinished Business by Inglath Cooper (Harlequin SuperRomance 1214) - Lawyer heroine hurries home to pick up paperwork she forgot only to discover husband in bed with his pregnant lover. Instead of castrating him, she divorces his sorry butt. While in New York City on business she decides to stop feeling sorry for herself, buys a hot little black dress, and hits the hotel bar - only to discover the Hero, a childhood friend (and ex's former best friend) also in town. One night stand ensues. Fast forward - heroine must go home to take care of sick mother. Reunites with hero - who has always loved her. A nice story about nice people. Final grade = B.
Catching Calhoun by Tina Leonard (Harlequin American Romance 1045) - Book whatever in Leonard's Cowboys By The Dozen series. I once had a reviewer tell me she thinks Leonard should write for TV - and I think that's a fair assestment. Zippy dialouge and occasional silliness, but hey - hunky cowboys! Single mother heroine doesn't want to love a cowboy, but falls for hero - an artist/cowboy who gets roped into her life by her meddling children. Write this down - I liked the children in this story. But you kind of need to be versed in the series. Final Grade = B-.
Lost In Sensation by Maureen Child (Silhouette Desire 1611) - part of the Man Talk series, which feature stories told entirely from the hero's point of view. Doctor hero has been mourning his dead wife for 2 years. After he saves his best friend from a car wreck, he travels home with him for his wedding. Hero is greeted like a hero - but finds himself sharing living space with best friend's feisty sister. Sparks fly, naughty shenanigans ensue, but hero feels oh so guilty over dead wife's death. This book was really working for me until the author started slamming the dead wife. Honestly, it's OK for the hero to love twice in his life. Dead wifey starts out as shy and quiet and eventually is described as grasping, needy and cold. Blah. Really liked the heroine though. Final Grade = C-.
Friday, June 9, 2006
Author Interview: Jennifer Apodaca
Wendy: You started out with aspirations to become a historical romance writer, but ultimately found success writing a cozy mystery series about former soccer mom, Samantha Shaw. What led you to switch focus?
Jen: It was sheer frustration that drove me to murder. I was tired of trying to fit into the Historical Romance genre, trying to keep my voice “romantic” enough. So I decided to kill off a few people in my next book. I wanted a heroine who had made mistakes, learned from them and kept growing. It sounds a lot simpler now than it really was. But the truth is that I literally sat down and wrote the kind of book I would want to read. The Samantha Shaw Series is a little edgy for the cozy genre, so I’m still having trouble fitting in!
Wendy: Tell us a little bit about Sam. Why do you think she appeals to readers?
Jen: Samantha has a little bit of Every Woman in her. She’s a woman who wants to feel attractive, she wants to be a good mom to her two boys, she adores and worries about her beloved Grandfather, and she wants to do a job that makes a difference in peoples’ lives—whether that is helping them find love with her dating service, or find a murderer with her private investigating sideline. Those are things women can relate to. Plus, Sam says the things we all wish we had said!
Wendy: ::cough, cough:: I’ve been lucky enough to follow Sam’s adventures from the beginning (my unpaid reviewing gig does pay off occasionally), and I’ve noticed that over the course of the series you’ve really started to blur genre lines. Sure we have mystery, mayhem and laughs – but the sexy factor has increased as well! Talk about the men in Sam’s life.
Jen: Oh wow, you’ve caught me, Wendy! Actually, the sexiness is a natural growth. Sam repressed her sexuality in her unhappy marriage, and now she’s growing as a woman. I know there’s an endless debate out there on sensuality in books. But there’s nothing more intimate than sex, and it reveals so much about both a woman and a man. It shows their true vulnerabilities, their ability to trust, and how they cherish or abuse the trust of the person they are with. It shows a progression of their relationship. Take the men in Sam’s life….
With Gabe Pulizzi, Samantha is drawn to the strength in him. Gabe has a bad boy streak in him that he controls—that is really sexy to Sam. Gabe is hot, he’s five years younger and because he’s lived it, he understands danger in a way that Sam can’t. But the aspect of Gabe that is truly sexy to Sam is the fact that he believes in her. He knows her flaws, but he still knows she can do whatever she sets her mind to. He has helped Sam learn to view herself as a competent and sexy woman. And he protects the people she loves, her sons, her grandfather, even her best friend Angel. The bonus is that Sam’s mom doesn’t approve of Gabe. Sam has just enough rebellion left in her to like that.
Detective Logan Vance is the other side of the coin. He’s smooth, sophisticated, has a “respectable” job, and is exactly the kind of man Samantha’s mom thinks she should be with. Vance and Sam have a love/hate chemistry. Neither one of them would choose the other, but they are powerfully attracted to one another. What makes Vance sexy is that, at first, he pegged Sam for a blonde bimbo. But with every book he’s finding more and more depth to her. He’s impressed with her against his will. He’s coming to respect and care for her, but he knows they can’t be friends. He wants her too much, and he’s still annoyed by that. So far, nothing has ever happened between Sam and Vance. Sam wouldn’t betray Gabe, she’s been betrayed and won’t do that.
The irony is that when I first started writing the Sam books, I had no intention of having romantic entanglements. But you know, they are just so much fun! They complicated the plot, and really wring out the characters emotionally. It’s a fun way to torment them!
Wendy: The series takes place in Lake Elsinore, a locale familiar to many residents of Southern California. Do you find it challenging to write about a “real place” or does it make life easier?
Jen: At first I was challenged by it, particularly in deciding what to use from the city that is “real” and what to invent for the sake of the story. Eventually I settled on using interesting landmarks, a little history and the atmosphere that is unique to the city, then make up places where bad things happen. That’s worked out pretty well. Over time, it sort of divided in my mind into two different cities: Sam’s Lake Elsinore, and the real Lake Elsinore.
Wendy: I’ll admit to being a little bummed out that Sam’s taking a vacation for while, but you’ve still been busy writing. What can readers expect from you next?
Jen: I’m really excited about my next book, a romantic mystery titled The Sex On The Beach Book Club. It will be out in January 2007. I’m still blurring genres, and this book is even sexier than the Sam books. Holly Hillbay is a kick butt private investigator, and Wes Brockman is a serious hunk of a bookstore owner with a dangerous secret. On the trail of a cheating husband, Holly goes undercover in a book club and uses a little Sex on the Beach (the drink!) to pump Wes Brockman for information. But when a book club member is found murdered in Wes's locked bookstore, the danger heats up, nothing is what it seems and Sex on the Beach might not just be a drink after all...
Jen, thanks so much for chatting with us!
Wendy's Notes: Another author interview that will (very shortly) be running on my in-house work blog that y'all can't see.
I really love the Samantha Shaw series, as it appeals to the both the mystery and romance reader in me. The first book, Dating Can Be Murder, is especially strong, as Sam discovers that while she was playing dutiful PTA-soccer-mom, her worthless dead husband was cheating on her. She exacts her revenge by giving herself a total life makeover, only for reality to come calling when a hired goon threatens her over some money her dead husband reportedly has stashed somewhere.
Many comparisons have been made between Samantha Shaw and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series - but outside of the humor and tone of the stories, there are notable differences. Sam is a Mommy, giving her a totally different dynamic, and while there is a bit of a love triangle, Sam is committed to Gabe. Frankly, with each new book I half expect her and Detective Vance to kill each other. Also, while Stephanie continues to blunder around doing stupid shit (Hello? Try taking the gun out of your cookie jar!) - Sam will scratch out your eyes if you dare have the nerve to threaten her loved ones. She blunders around a bit, but back her into a corner and the claws come out!
Strong appeal for romance readers and lighter mystery readers. You can learn more at her website. Apodaca is also a contributor to a group blog called Murder She Writes.
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Dirty Old Men
I know, two posts in one day - but frankly this one was just too good to pass up. File this under double your pleasure, double your fun.
Playboy (yes, that Playboy) magazine has named their picks for the 25 sexiest novels ever written. Yeah, the link takes you to Playboy - but I promise there are no naughty bits if you stay on that page (this is either a good or bad thing depending on how your tastes lean). Just click on the title of any of the books, and a separate window pops up allowing you to surf through the entire list of 25.
Say what you will, but Hefner ain't nobody's fool and Playboy has had quite the stable of "names" over the years writing for the magazine. She-it, you have Shel Silverstein drawing cartoons and authors like Scott Turow, Kurt Vonnegut, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, and Tom Clancy contributing. Granted, all that tends to get lost amid the bevy of blondes.
Seriously Hef, what you got against redheads.
Anyway, going over the list of 25 is downright funny at times. I seriously question their sanity in picking Lolita for the list (oh baby, pedophiles make me so hawt!) but read this bit of commentary:
Or describing Lady Chatterley's Lover as: "why God invented English majors."
And quite possibly my favorite - calling Henry Miller the "original dirty old man."
I was, and still am, amused - if only the sheer fact that Judy Blume (yes, Judy Blume!) made the list as well.
Playboy (yes, that Playboy) magazine has named their picks for the 25 sexiest novels ever written. Yeah, the link takes you to Playboy - but I promise there are no naughty bits if you stay on that page (this is either a good or bad thing depending on how your tastes lean). Just click on the title of any of the books, and a separate window pops up allowing you to surf through the entire list of 25.
Say what you will, but Hefner ain't nobody's fool and Playboy has had quite the stable of "names" over the years writing for the magazine. She-it, you have Shel Silverstein drawing cartoons and authors like Scott Turow, Kurt Vonnegut, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, and Tom Clancy contributing. Granted, all that tends to get lost amid the bevy of blondes.
Seriously Hef, what you got against redheads.
Anyway, going over the list of 25 is downright funny at times. I seriously question their sanity in picking Lolita for the list (oh baby, pedophiles make me so hawt!) but read this bit of commentary:
"...the novel is a tale of hotels and guest cottages that Nabokov wrote on the back of 3 x 5 index cards as he and his wife traveled across America in search of butterflies. We've never been able to look at an index card the same way again."
Or describing Lady Chatterley's Lover as: "why God invented English majors."
And quite possibly my favorite - calling Henry Miller the "original dirty old man."
I was, and still am, amused - if only the sheer fact that Judy Blume (yes, Judy Blume!) made the list as well.
Politics Make My Head Hurt
I tend to keep this blog fairly politic-free, but I'm surly this morning. Consider that your warning.
It's damp here in Southern California - which means I woke up with a headache this morning. Seriously, how exactly does this happen? I mean, we had the AC on last night - so it's not like I was breathing in damp air all night long. Why the headache?
I suspect it's because of the current gay marriage fiasco going on in Congress. By now we all know that the Senate didn't pass it. The only reason I bring this up is because I read this quote that left me dumbstruck:
Um, it is? Really?! Color me crazy but I think the bigger issues at hand are the fact that Bin Laden is still floating around somewhere, there was a terrorist plot to behead the Canadian prime minister (gee ya think he's sleeping easy?), Iraq continues to spiral into a nightmare, and I still haven't seen pictures of baby Shiloh yet.
Silly me, compared to all that, gay marriage is a tad further down on the list.
But this is America - and we're a country populated with people who have the attention span of fruit flies. Think those folks down in New Orleans give a shit about gays marrying each other? I'm thinking probably not.
It's damp here in Southern California - which means I woke up with a headache this morning. Seriously, how exactly does this happen? I mean, we had the AC on last night - so it's not like I was breathing in damp air all night long. Why the headache?
I suspect it's because of the current gay marriage fiasco going on in Congress. By now we all know that the Senate didn't pass it. The only reason I bring this up is because I read this quote that left me dumbstruck:
"This is a big issue for lots of our members and frankly for lots of Americans," House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio told reporters on Tuesday.
Um, it is? Really?! Color me crazy but I think the bigger issues at hand are the fact that Bin Laden is still floating around somewhere, there was a terrorist plot to behead the Canadian prime minister (gee ya think he's sleeping easy?), Iraq continues to spiral into a nightmare, and I still haven't seen pictures of baby Shiloh yet.
Silly me, compared to all that, gay marriage is a tad further down on the list.
But this is America - and we're a country populated with people who have the attention span of fruit flies. Think those folks down in New Orleans give a shit about gays marrying each other? I'm thinking probably not.
Monday, June 5, 2006
Turning A Fancy
Ahhh summertime. That time of year when a young (*cough, cough*) girl's fancy turns to the smutty and trashy.
I am of course talking about beach reads.
The fine folks over at TRR recently threw together a helpful list of potential reads you can tote to the poolside, oceanside or lakeside (whatever the case may be). Check it out here.
You'll probably notice some things from this list. Some reviewers go for the meaty, emotional heart-tuggers, while I tend to go for the complete and total brain candy. For me, beach reads are those books you shouldn't feel guilty about reading - hence, my list. Let's take a look:
Frankly, summer is the time of year that people like Jackie Collins make all of their money. God bless their hearts. That's as it should be.
I am of course talking about beach reads.
The fine folks over at TRR recently threw together a helpful list of potential reads you can tote to the poolside, oceanside or lakeside (whatever the case may be). Check it out here.
You'll probably notice some things from this list. Some reviewers go for the meaty, emotional heart-tuggers, while I tend to go for the complete and total brain candy. For me, beach reads are those books you shouldn't feel guilty about reading - hence, my list. Let's take a look:
Sex, Murder and a Double Latte by Kyra Davis (Red Dress Ink)
Murder in the Hamptons by Amy Garvey (Brava)
Wicked Women Whodunit by MaryJanice Davison, Amy Garvey, Jennifer Apodaca & Nancy J. Cohen (Brava)
OK - these top three fall into Wendy's "fun, fast" category. The kind of books you can zip through in one day while soaking up surf, sand and oogling that hunky lifeguard you looks only old enough to be your son - like that's a bad thing.Personal Assets by Emma Holly (Berkley)
Just because a girl needs some wall-to-wall sex every now and then. The bonus with Emma Holly is that you'll actually get a plot as well.
Naked Truth by Amy J. Fetzer (Brava)
Romance Novel Land's equivalent to an action movie. Uncover girl spy on the run with a hunky hero hired to track her down. Lots of explosions and steamy encounters.
Now, everybody's idea of a beach read is different - and even though I live in Southern California (The World's Largest Beach), chances are if I'm slathering myself in SPF 45 (damn this pale Irish complexion!) I'm on vacation. Which means I want something that isn't going to render me weepy, bored or indifferent. Of course, feel free to disagree - but for me, The Beach pretty much screams sex, fluffy fun and/or serial killers running amok. I want reindeer games, violence and/or froth. No classics. No lit-ra-ture. For the love of God, no book club selections!Frankly, summer is the time of year that people like Jackie Collins make all of their money. God bless their hearts. That's as it should be.
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Daddy Issues
Every so often a discussion pops up online about what themes annoy you in romance novels. I usually give my standard, pat answers - stupid heroines, doormat heroines, Neanderthal heroes (I'm not talking regular Alphas - but knuckle draggers), miscommuncation (or lack thereof) and the Big Misunderstanding.
I have a new one. Daddy Issues.
I just finished Just A Whisper Away by Lauren Nichols, a June SIM. Now, I'm not expecting high art in category romances. I'm looking to be entertained. I want a book that will tug a few heartstrings, keep me engaged and take my mind off the fact that I've got to do A, B and/or C chore/errand once I get out of work.
I also like to read about adults. Which is a handicap with this story that features a 33-year-old heroine who won't tell her overprotective father to buzz off. Seriously, I know my father loves me. I know he worries about me on occasion. But if the old man ever told me how to run my life I'd put him in a home. Sorry Dad - but Mom raised me too.
The heroine in this story lost her virginity to the hero in her Daddy's backyard. Daddy caught them after the fact and was unthrilled. Now, granted - this would be a mite embarrassing plus his daughter did the nasty with the son of the town whore. He's never liked the guy after that - and even blackballed him from getting a business loan several years later (yeah, Daddy is a banker).
Now lest I forget to mention this - the heroine was 19 when this happened. 1-9. In college folks. I know that no father wants to think about his little girl having screaming orgasms (and this is a romance novel so you know the heroine saw stars her first time out of the gate). But 19!! Frankly, most fathers would kill for their daughters to wait that long.
And I can understand the guy not being happy with the hero at first. But over the course of the next 14 years (yes, 14 years!) the guy has turned into a successful business owner, has loving foster parents and a good relationship with his younger brother. Yeah - a real scumbag. Just the kind of guy you want your daugther to stay far away from! He's obviously one step away from being a crack-head.
So here we have a hero and heroine both in their 30s and Daddy who is at least in his 50s (if not older). It's been 14 years. Heroine has been married, divorced and is a successful lawyer. She obviously turned out OK despite having sex. Funny how that can happen. And the hero has turned into a good man - even though his only "fault" as a child was having the wrong mother. He never actually did anything "bad" himself.
Seriously, it's amazing my eyes didn't start to bleed.
Well written but mind-numbing conflict. I can't decide between a C- or D+.
I have a new one. Daddy Issues.
I just finished Just A Whisper Away by Lauren Nichols, a June SIM. Now, I'm not expecting high art in category romances. I'm looking to be entertained. I want a book that will tug a few heartstrings, keep me engaged and take my mind off the fact that I've got to do A, B and/or C chore/errand once I get out of work.
I also like to read about adults. Which is a handicap with this story that features a 33-year-old heroine who won't tell her overprotective father to buzz off. Seriously, I know my father loves me. I know he worries about me on occasion. But if the old man ever told me how to run my life I'd put him in a home. Sorry Dad - but Mom raised me too.
The heroine in this story lost her virginity to the hero in her Daddy's backyard. Daddy caught them after the fact and was unthrilled. Now, granted - this would be a mite embarrassing plus his daughter did the nasty with the son of the town whore. He's never liked the guy after that - and even blackballed him from getting a business loan several years later (yeah, Daddy is a banker).
Now lest I forget to mention this - the heroine was 19 when this happened. 1-9. In college folks. I know that no father wants to think about his little girl having screaming orgasms (and this is a romance novel so you know the heroine saw stars her first time out of the gate). But 19!! Frankly, most fathers would kill for their daughters to wait that long.
And I can understand the guy not being happy with the hero at first. But over the course of the next 14 years (yes, 14 years!) the guy has turned into a successful business owner, has loving foster parents and a good relationship with his younger brother. Yeah - a real scumbag. Just the kind of guy you want your daugther to stay far away from! He's obviously one step away from being a crack-head.
So here we have a hero and heroine both in their 30s and Daddy who is at least in his 50s (if not older). It's been 14 years. Heroine has been married, divorced and is a successful lawyer. She obviously turned out OK despite having sex. Funny how that can happen. And the hero has turned into a good man - even though his only "fault" as a child was having the wrong mother. He never actually did anything "bad" himself.
Seriously, it's amazing my eyes didn't start to bleed.
Well written but mind-numbing conflict. I can't decide between a C- or D+.
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