Ancient Chinese Secret

Every once in a while a book just hits me the right way. It's not that it's a particularly outstanding, breathtaking read. It might just be an average read. It might even have story elements that aren't quite working for me. But I still find myself devouring the book in record time. Which is what happened with the last book I had to read for my contest judging, The Dragon Earl by Jade Lee.

Since Lee has been floating around the paranormal waters lately, I think this book might have slipped under a lot of reader radars. Yes, it's a historical. Yes, it's a straight-up historical with no woo-woo in it. Honest.

Description:

ONE MAN

A Chinese monk striding down the aisle was the first shock at countess-to-be Evelyn Stanton’s wedding. To watch him dispatch three groomsmen, unarmed, and to learn that he was white and the long-lost heir to the Earldom of Warhaven, was the second. He would be her husband?

ONE MISSION

After the slaughter of his family in far-off China, Jacob Cato found sanctuary. In a Xi Lin temple he learned to be strong, but now he had a grander goal: to reclaim his English heritage and the woman he’d left behind.

ONE DESTINY

Revenge. It poisoned everything he’d learned, everything he’d done, and yet every fiber of Jacob burned for it—just as he burned for the beautiful but very English Evelyn. Long ago, the conspiracy to kill his family had stranded him, lost Jacob in the exotic East and made him unrecognizable to his countrymen…and women. He had not forgotten that past. It was to make peace that he had returned. The manner was yet to be decided.

One thing of note about this book, that did give me pause, was that Leisure slapped the tagline "A new stand-alone novel from the USA Today Bestselling Author of Dragonborn and Seduced by Crimson" right on the front cover. OK, color me crazy, but I took this to mean that we had a stand alone book here. And it very well could be - although the ending gives me pause. So much pause that I actually e-mailed the author and said, "Hey, is there another book in the works cuz there's some dangly bits floating around." (This was a late night e-mail and I haven't heard back from the author yet) Which I'll admit (especially in light of my last post) annoys the ever-lovin' crap out of me....but....sigh....I really enjoyed reading this book. I mean, how much of that annoyance do I want to hang on to?

The answer? Not a whole lot. So as a teaser, here's an excerpt of one of my favorite exchanges in the book. Enjoy!

"I cannot tell if you are making a joke at my expense or if you truly believe that." She leaned forward. "Do you even know what monks do?"

"You are back to thinking I am a liar." The idea depressed him much more than it should.

"I merely wish to understand."

"Why?" The word was startled out of him. He could hardly credit that any woman wanted to understand his religion. It was unusual enough in China, where monks were revered. He couldn't imagine it in a Christian English-woman.

"If you really are Jacob, then you will know why." She frowned. "Or perhaps not. Jacob was such a thoughtless boy."

Was I? "I am not Jacob. I am Jie Ke, and I...I don't remember a great deal from our first meeting. I was a boy and you were...." He looked at his hands trying to sort through his thoughts. "You were a girl who was too proper to be fun."

She laughed, but the sound had no humor. "Jacob called me stupid - too stupid to be a countess."

He stared, the memory not settling well in his spirit. "I do not recall that."

She looked at him for a long moment, then finally sighed as she pushed away from the harpsichord. "You are right. You are definitely not Jacob." And with that, she turned and walked away.

Exhibit A

Longtime followers of this blog will remember a time when I would bitch whine incessantly about how I was burnt out on Regency Historicals and for the love of God, why was every historical romance published set in Regency England? However thanks to a starvation diet, and the new Harlequin Historical Undone e-book short stories, my moratorium on all things Regency is starting to lift. Unfortunately, I've traded one burn out for another.

Yep. I am so over (really over) paranormals.

Now some of you are probably wondering, "What does that bitch librarian have against paranormals?"

Well I'll tell you.

First, I've never been a big fantasy reader. Not even as a kid. As fantasy as I get is Harry Potter. Second? Paranormal and urban fantasy authors are apparently incapable of writing series books that stand alone. And that pisses me off some kind of awful. Mostly because I think it's sloppy writing.

Maybe it's the fact that I discovered the joys of reading by browsing the public library as a kid. Or maybe, it's the fact that most of the mystery series I follow I got hooked on by starting the series out of order. Patricia Cornwell. Laura Levine. Marcia Muller. Sue Grafton. All authors I discovered out of order, and that I still follow to this day. I have a hard time believing that mystery writers know some sort of secret handshake that allows them to write stand-alone series books. So why? Why, why, why, why can't paranormal romance and urban fantasy authors do this? And don't give me that world-building crap - because any writer worth their salt does world-building in their stories. Whether or not the book is populated by vampires, wood sprites, or werewolves - any decent book, regardless of genre, has world-building in it.

This is all a long-winded way of saying I finished the second to last book in my required batch of contest reading - Night Secrets by Cherry Adair. It's book two in a paranormal romantic suspense series, and the book does stand alone well...until the end when the author leaves about 398 plot threads left dangling in the breeze. So yeah. If you like paranormal romantic suspense hybrids and you want to try this series? You're going to need to read all three books, or at least read books two and three in order. Just sayin'.

And that's why I'm burnt out on paranormal anything. It's why I skim every review for anything paranormal I run across in Blogland (sorry y'all, I just do). I think series books need to stand alone, and no I do not think this is remotely unreasonable. Mostly because not every reader is 1) anal retentive or 2) knowledgeable about the author's work beforehand. Note to authors: You're doing a big disservice to a large, huge chunk of potential readers by ham-stringing your writing. Yeah, I said it. And yeah, I meant it. Every. Single. Word.

/ Rant over

Unicorns Are Real, Who Knew?

Something amazing has happened. Hell, the impossible has happened. I almost didn't believe my own eyes. It's like a unicorn. Or a leprechaun. Shit, I think we've just sighted Big Foot.

Yep, it's true. A historical romance author is temporarily leaving England behind and publishing...

A Western!!!!!!!!!!

Gory details over at Sybil's blog....cuz she broke the news to me several months back and I owed her.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The Broadening Your Horizons Department

When I first started this blog it was more like my online diary. Some personal stuff, some library stuff, and the occasional book stuff tossed in as an afterthought. Over the years the blog as evolved into mostly romance novel stuff with personal stuff tossed in. If one was stumbling across the Bat Cave for the first time, they'd probably think all I do is sit around reading and buying romance novels all day.

Um yeah, no. Romance novels are my passion, but are actually a small part of my job. The key to any good library is diversity in the book collection. I always tell librarians they "need a little bit of everything" in their collections. So I'm constantly reading up on books, across all genre ties. And every now and then I come across one that sounds really intriguing. Like this one, How To Buy A Love Of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson. Yes, I know it sounds like Young Adult Fiction, but it's not. This one is being marketed as adult, all the way.

Description:

To Carley Wells, words are the enemy. Her tutor’s innumerable SAT flashcards. Her personal trainer’s “fifty-seven pounds overweight” assessment. And the endless reading assignments from her English teacher, Mr. Nagel. When Nagel reports to her parents that she has answered “What is your favorite book” with “Never met one I liked,” they decide to fix what he calls her “intellectual impoverishment.” They will commission a book to be written just for her—one she’ll have to love—that will impress her teacher and the whole town of Fox Glen with their family’s devotion to the arts. They will be patrons— the Medicis of Long Island. They will buy their daughter The Love Of Reading.

Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine loving books, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley’s best friend and Fox Glen’s resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her lately as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.

When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy—author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus’ failed journey home through the Internet—into their mansion to write Carley’s book, Carley’s sole interest in the project is to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. But as Hunter’s behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself increasingly drawn into the fictional world Bree has created, and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories—those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person. Or save her.

See, doesn't that sound great? OK, I think it sounds great. And guess what? The author has a contest going on for your chance to win a copy of this May hard cover release. A free hard cover book? It just doesn't get much better than that. So head on over to the author's web site and submit your story on how reading saved you. Three winners will be featured on the author's web site and will receive an autographed copy of the book.

As for me? I'm adding this to one to my reading list.

2009 RITA Nominees

Romance Writer's Of America announced the RITA nominees this morning, and yes - I'm doing a blog post about it. Some things to remember before we get started: 1) Only 2008 books were eligible 2) Authors had to submit their books for consideration. So no bitching about why SoAndSo wasn't nominated because they might not have entered the contest. Although if you know they entered? Feel free to bitch. I wish RWA would publish a list of all the titles that were entered for consideration. It would make these blog posts a lot more lively me thinks. Anyway....

(Title links will take you to Amazon)

Best First Book
Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion
No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Passionate by Anthea Lawson
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor (Harlequin Intrigue)
The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley

Wendy's Commentary: This category is always a hodge-podge, this year being no exception. We have everything from category romance to women's fiction to historical romance. I've only read Private Arrangements, which was wonderfully, amazingly written, even though I spent 98% of the novel wanting to bitch-slap the hero and heroine.

Contemporary Series Romance
A Mother’s Wish by Karen Templeton (Silhouette Special Edition)
Adopted: Outback Baby by Barbara Hannay (Harlequin Romance)
Antonides’ Forbidden Wife by Anne McAllister (Harlequin Presents)
Falling for the Lone Wolf by Crystal Green (Silhouette Special Edition)
Last-Minute Proposal by Jessica Hart (Harlequin Romance)
Texas Heir by Linda Warren (Harlequin American)
The Children’s Doctor and the Single Mum by Lilian Darcy (Harlequin Medical)
The Cowboy’s Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne (Silhouette Special Edition)
The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers (Harlequin American)

Wendy's Commentary: Happy, happy, joy, joy for Karen Templeton getting nominated! I really enjoyed this book, although the epilogue was totally unnecessary and hit on one of my pet peeves. Emotional, wonderful book though. Just skip the epilogue. Also happy to see Crystal Green get nominated. She's going to be at my library's literary event wearing her Chris Marie Green paranormal/urban fantasy hat and this is something cool I can add during my introduction.

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
A Sexy Time of It by Cara Summers (Harlequin Blaze)
Cold Case Connection by Kathleen Long (Harlequin Intrigue)
Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
Lethal Attraction by Diana Duncan (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor (Harlequin Intrigue)
Tall, Dark and Lethal by Dana Marton (Harlequin Intrigue)
The Man Behind the Cop by Janice Kay Johnson (Harlequin SuperRomance)
The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
Twin Targets by Jessica Anderson (Harlequin Intrigue)

Wendy's Commentary: OK, the Janice Kay Johnson book rocks the house - although it's kinda light in the suspense department. Oh sure, it's there, but it's more of a secondary plot thread. Still, it's an awesome book. I gave it an A-.

Contemporary Single Title Romance
No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Out of Time by Samantha Graves
Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery
Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley

Wendy's Commentary: The Jane Graves is in the TBR. Wasn't Sweet Talk the book in the Mallery trilogy that a lot of people really, really disliked? I think I have that one in the TBR too. Oh and neither here nor there, Out of Time not only sounds suspense-y, it has paranormal elements. Just sayin'.

Historical Romance
Duchess by Night by Eloisa James
In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal
The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens

Wendy's Commentary: OK RWA, I was totally on board when you gave Regency Historicals their own category. I foolishly thought it would open up the Historical Romance category to books that weren't set in England. Yeah, Epic Fail! Congrats to Sherry Thomas again though - whose Private Arrangements is a Victorian. And yeah for Joanna Bourne who I kept running into at RWA San Francisco last year and is really a top-notch fabulous chick. Still, All England All The Time Makes Historical Romance A Dull Girl.

Inspirational Romance
Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist
Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck
Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte
The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher
Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon

Wendy's Commentary: OK, so I don't really read inspirational. But I'm pleasantly surprised by how many of these I've already bought for work. Go Team Wendy!

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
The Paper Marriage by Susan Kay Law
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Tribute by Nora Roberts
Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris

Wendy's Commentary: The Morsi and Roberts are in the TBR. Has the Kearsley been released in the U.S.? Anyone know? I've got a couple of her older titles in my TBR, thanks to recommendations from a reader and HH author Nicola Cornick.

Paranormal Romance
Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn
Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
Moonstruck by Susan Grant
Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwen Cready
The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
The Healer by Sharon Sala
The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks
Thunder Moon by Lori Handeland

Wendy's Commentary: Um yeah. Paranormal burn out. Major burn out. I need to pick up the Grant book though. I buy all her books, brand new - and this one slipped through the cracks.

Regency Historical Romance
Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
The Dangerous Duke by Christine Wells
The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens
Three Nights of Sin by Anne Mallory

Wendy's Commentary: I've got the Bourne in the TBR. Kinda surprised to see the Quinn here, since I know several readers who weren't wild about it. Still, it is Julia Quinn.

Romance Novella
“All He Wants for Christmas” by Jill Shalvis in Heating Up the Holidays (Harlequin Blaze)
“Blame It on the Mistletoe” by Terri Brisbin in One Candlelit Christmas (Harlequin Historical)
“Only You” by Jacquie D’Alessandro in It Happened One Night
“Our Day” by Jean Brashear in The Valentine Gift (Harlequin SuperRomance)
“Penance” by Sharon Sala in Aftershock (Silhouette Nocturne)
"Snowy Night with a Highlander” by Julia London in Snowy Night with a Stranger
“The Fall of Rogue Gerard” by Stephanie Laurens in It Happened One Night
“Thicker Than Blood” by Meljean Brook in First Blood

Wendy's Commentary: One Candlelit Christmas, It Happened One Night and Snowy Night With a Stranger are all in the TBR. Kinda surprised I don't have The Valentine Gift. I mean, it is a HSR.

Romantic Suspense
Killing Fear by Allison Brennan
Night Secrets by Cherry Adair
Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire
Scream for Me by Karen Rose
Stop Me by Brenda Novak
Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard
The Angel by Carla Neggers
Triple Exposure by Colleen Thompson

Wendy's Commentary: I'm reading the Cherry Adair right now, and hello? It has paranormal elements. Although yes, technically it's also romantic suspense. So far? I'm not hating it, but I'm also not loving it. Very much meh. The Karen Rose, Allison Brennan and Carla Neggers are all in the TBR.

Young Adult Romance
Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore
How to Hook a Hottie by Tina Ferraro
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

Wendy's Commentary: I think it's great that RWA has a category for YA, but something has gotta give. Only three nominees? And I suspect it's because they get few entries. Maybe there needs to be more promotion about RWA within the YA writing community? Of course, I'm almost positive you have to be an RWA member to enter the RITAs, which is probably the major stumbling block here. ETA: From RWA web site: "The contest is open to members of RWA and to non-members as well. Any lapse in membership during the course of the contest shall result in the entrant being required to pay the higher non-member entry fee."

That's it. One thing I'm struck by (besides the total absence of any historical not set in England?) is how few of these I've got collecting dust in the TBR. My book buying really has slowed down. Who knew?

Epic Fail

I often like to refer to myself as a "Michigan refugee." I'd still be happily living in Michigan, except for the fact that I like both me and My Man to be able to have gainful employment at the same time. I know, I'm wacky. Hence the move to southern California. We both could get jobs here.

So I find it kind of interesting that so far in my contest reading I've had one book set in Los Angeles, another set in San Deigo, and now The Cowboy And The Angel by Marin Thomas, which is set in good ol' Detroit. Coincidence?

I'm going to be honest. I can't really think of a good teaser for this book. Mostly because I had a lot of "personal" issues with the story. The heroine? Yeah, I just better not go there. The hero though? Quite yummy. I'm even a sucker for cowboys when they transplant themselves to the Motor City. Who knew?

Since I really won't can't go into why this story didn't work for me, I thought I'd mention a moment in the story that had me laughing out loud. The author does a good job with the Detroit setting. The hero even takes the heroine to a Red Wings game. Unfortunately the author did not do her homework when it came to the Detroit Lions.

Hero watches football game with heroine's brother. The Lions "score." Yeah, anyone who knows anything about football knows that would not happen. You know....the Lions actually putting points on the score board. Points that belong to them. Points the Lions help their opponents score do not count.

Although this is a fiction book. Certainly the author is allowed some creative license. I'm just not sure she should have taken that much.

Hardy har har.

Saturday At The Movies

My Man: So, what did you think of Watchmen?

Me: Meh. Long and slow. The editor should have been burning the midnight oil.

My Man: Yeah.

Me: I think they were a little too faithful to the graphic novel. I mean, it's not exactly a smart move to kill off your most interesting, and deeply flawed, character in the first 5 minutes of the movie.

My Man: Agreed. And your Comic Book Guy brother-in-law is right. Blue penis is distracting. The world doesn't need that much blue penis. In fact, I could have done without Dr. Manhattan entirely. All-powerful, all-seeing characters are really boring! If he's so all-powerful, why not just dismantle all the nuclear warheads with a snap of his fingers?

Me: Yeah, and they tried to give him a flaw - but it was a pretty boring one. His detachment from humanity. Oooooooh, deep stuff / end sarcasm. It bears repeating, it's a bad idea to kill off your most interesting character in the first 5 minutes. Although I liked the fact that Nite Owl/Dan was a total dork. A guy who doesn't stand out, who blends into the woodwork, and turns out to be a bad ass superhero. I also liked that it was a bunch of relative No Names in the movie. No big marquee-grabbing movie stars.

My Man: I did like that it was dark. And unapologetic. This might have been the most unapologetic movie I've seen since Se7en.

Me: Yeah, I loved the story idea. I loved that it was dark. The world needs more dark comic book stories, in my opinion. But that might be the crime noir pulp girl in me screaming for satisfaction. In the end, I didn't love it....and I didn't hate it.

My Man: Yeah pretty much me too. I'll probably watch it again when it hits cable, but I'm in no rush. If I had to do it all over again, I probably wouldn't have bothered seeing it in the theater.

Me: Well, at least we didn't pay for it. We'll have to thank Lil' Sis again for the gift card she got you for Christmas.

Final Grade = C

Kick Ass Librarian Awesomeness

First things first, The Demon's Librarian by Lilith Saintcrow (which I originally blogged about here) has finally made it's way into print - for those of you who don't "do" ebooks. You should all hop on over and buy it new (Lilith even tells you how you can get your very own signed and personalized copy). Any book with this much librarian awesomeness in it (that I helped inspire) should be bought new. Skip your daily Starbucks run for a couple of days. Don't order pizza one night. Heck, this book even has fewer calories than Starbucks or pizza. Buying this book new will help your waist line and improve your figure! Hmmmm, how's that for a great tag-line on a book?

To add to the awesomeness of today's blog post, I totally stole this from Kwana's blog. Head on over to The Hero Factory and make yourself over into a superhero! Granted, I already am a kick ass superhero babe - but since Rosie is always joking about my cape, I thought I'd finally unveil it. And the whip? Yeah, that just goes without saying.

Dippity Doo

I'm still working on my contest reading, so that means more book teasing in the form of blog fodder. When I first ripped open the package to pet the entries that OC RWA sent my way, Up Close And Personal by Joanne Rock was the one that made me pause. And scratch my head. And send up a silent "Oh dear God - please. Let it not be too horrible" prayer. Why? The dippy back cover copy. I mean, really dippy.

Official Back Cover Blurb:

He’s good undercover... and under the covers.

Posing as a live model in a sex class was bound to be hard—but Rocco Easton will, uh, rise to the occasion. The seductive moves of sensuality guru Jessica Winslow are no match for Rocco’s SEAL training. He’ll expose her scam—even if it means he gets a supercharged sex life out of the deal....

But things get weird when his sultry sex maven turns out not to be the con artist he thinks, but the victim of identity theft. Gone are his plans for getting even. Now he’s in protector mode. Because the identity thief is getting braver, pretending to be Jessica everywhere. Including his bed!

Seriously, my brain melted a little.

So for this go around of contest reading book teasing, I thought I'd write my own back cover copy for this book. You know, that wouldn't cause my brain to melt. Here it goes:

Super Librarian Cover Description:

Could he repossess her heart?

When an accident ended Rocco Easton's Navy SEAL career, he went to work as a repossession agent. Now his elderly father has been swindled by a smooth-talking hottie and Rocco is making it his mission to bring the woman to justice. Instead he uncovers a case of identity theft!

After a traumatic past, Jessica Winslow is determined to make her self-help Better In Bed workshops a success. But she's not prepared for Rocco, who interrupts her session on sensual massage. When she learns her fledgling business is in jeopardy thanks to someone stealing her identity, she'll do just about anything. Even if it means reclaiming her own sexuality and partnering up with one drop dead sexy repo man.

See, way better. Note to Harlequin: Will work for free books.

Dancing In September

Rosie and I had a very brief conversation recently about anticipating book releases. I confessed that I don't tend to get all jazzed up about romance releases. You know how some of y'all count down the weeks until the new Lisa Kleypas, Linda Howard, Nalini Singh, whomever book? Yeah, I just don't do that with romance. I don't know why. I just don't. The closest I've ever come is with Maureen McKade. After reading A Reason To Live, I was thisclose to selling a kidney to get my hands on A Reason To Believe. And while there are many authors I like quite a lot (Cheryl St. John, Karen Templeton, Cheryl Reavis to name a few) - I don't plan my entire life around getting their latest book. Sorry ladies.

Although I told Rosie that if Maggie Osborne ever comes to her senses and "un-retires," all bets are off.

That being said, I do get that anticipation itch (wonder if there's an ointment for that?) when it comes to mystery/suspense novels. I suspect it's because that genre consistently gives me "white knuckle reads." The kinds of books that I do not want to put down. The kinds of books that are so exciting, so thrilling, so.....so.....unstoppable, that I consider calling in dead to work just so I can read more. I've read great romances in my day. Wonderful, fulfilling, emotionally wrenching romance novels. But they just don't "speak" to me on the same level as a great suspense book.

And vice versa, suspense doesn't speak to me on the same level as romance. Romance is the genre I love to reread. Romance is the genre that is currently taking over the Bat Cave. Suspense? Yeah, not so much. Go figure.

All of this is a long-winded lead-up to say I uncovered a plot description online for Chelsea Cain's September release, Evil At Heart. Oh. My. God. I sort of feel like one of those half-crazed girlies who will be camping out to get the DVD of the Twilight movie. I'm trying to think of what I wouldn't do to get my hands on a copy of this book - and frankly, it's a little scary. It's March and I'm already starting to drool out of the side of my mouth. Seriously. I might need help.

I found this description over at Fantastic Fiction. Hopefully it's accurate, since Amazon is showing the exact same one.

Description:

This is the blistering new serial-killer thriller in Cain's "Gretchen Lowell" series. A college student is found dead, floating in a rowing boat on a lake, a gaping wound in his abdomen. The autopsy reveals that his spleen was removed while he was still alive. A media frenzy ensues, the press reaching the same conclusion as the local law enforcement: Gretchen Lowell, the 'Beauty Killer', still at large following her prison escape, is back and she's killing again. But Detective Archie Sheridan, on medical leave following his last run-in with Gretchen, isn't so sure.

The more he discovers about the murders the more convinced he is that they could be the work of a copy-cat. Plus Archie has other things to worry about - his health is declining sharply and he is being stalked by a strange young man. At first Archie dismisses him as one of a disturbed group who are obsessed with Gretchen and romanticise Archie's ten-day ordeal with her. But as the young man's attentions begin to intensify, it becomes clear that this group will go to great lengths to feel close to the Beauty Killer...

Archie, along with journalist Susan Ward, is desperate to find the truth behind this new spate of killings. But it is Gretchen who holds the answers and copy-cat or not, she still has one more victim in mind.

:::drooling::: I need to snap out of it. I do need to be able to function between now and September.

Luck Of The Irish

I'm sure I've probably mentioned it before on this blog, but my bachelor's degree (AKA My Ticket Into A Library Science Graduate Program) is in British history. Like a lot of college degrees, it is a fairly useless one - although it did teach me the finer points of research and writing (which I know you can't really tell by reading this blog).

When I was a history student I tended to gravitate towards the tragedy end of the spectrum. Not so much because I like reading about death and misery, but because I'm fascinated by how resilient human beings are. That in the face of unspeakable tragedy, human beings have the ability to dust themselves off, start over, and rebuild their lives.

The tragedy I spent a lot of my undergraduate years devoted to was the Irish Potato Famine, which in turn led to me studying the Troubles, and British/Irish relations in general. I have to say, I never thought I'd see peace in Northern Ireland. Too many years. Too many old wounds. Too much idiocy, stupidity, and senseless violence. But peace came - and while the wounds are still there, they've scabbed over. Unfortunately, every now and again, someone waltzes in and rips one off.

News came last week that two British soldiers and a Catholic police officer were murdered. Blood-curdling news when I read about it in my local paper, and certainly cause for concern that violence was returning to Northern Ireland. Luckily though, it seems that old adversaries are determined to not let this recent spat of violence derail peace. Anybody who remembers (or has a lick of sense) does not want to relive the violence that swept through the area during the 1970s and 1980s.

I've never really seen the point in St. Patrick's Day. A throwaway holiday Americans use as an excuse to drink shitty beer and getting shit-faced drunk (I know, I'm such a little killjoy). So in honor of the day, I instead hope that Ireland is successful in overcoming this latest tragedy. That the work of a few militants will not derail the peace that the greater good has fought so hard for.

I'd also like to take the time to recommend one of the few books I was forced to read in college that I actually enjoyed. Belfast Diary: War As A Way Of Life by John Conroy was originally published in 1987, and has become somewhat of a classic when you're talking books about the Troubles. The author lived in Belfast for a time, and details roughly 25-years of the conflict, covering quite a bit of the 1970s, the hunger strikes, and Bobby Sands. An excellent, haunting read that takes you through the Troubles by way of the streets, and one that has me praying that this latest spat of violence will quickly pass and not ignite into an inferno. There's nothing quite as senseless as history repeating itself, and I hope Northern Ireland doesn't fall into that trap.

Book Tease

I did a post some weeks back on how I overextended myself in the Reading Obligations department. So how am I doing? Well my homework reading for my library's upcoming literary event is done (as is the outline for the panel I'm moderating and the discussion questions have been sent to the participating authors thankyouverymuch - I rule!). I still owe Sybil a review for a March HH I have sitting on my Sony reader - but since I know she won't shove bamboo shoots under my finger nails (well, I don't think anyway...), that's on hold until I plow through the 5 books I agreed to judge for OC RWA's Book Buyer's Best contest. It's a pretty cool contest actually. It's judged by "industry book buyers." Um yeah, of which I'm one. Did y'all know I buy adult fiction for 30+ libraries? In a very densely populated area? Just sayin'.

Anywho, my scoring sheets are due back by April 7. I would probably be panicking more if not for the fact that three of the books I have to read are category romance, and I can knock those out pretty quickly. This weekend I wrapped up One Tough Avenger by Diane Pershing. I was looking forward to reading this one for two reasons: 1) I don't read very much in the category suspense lines. I don't know why, I just don't. I mean, I like romance. I like suspense. I like romantic suspense. Yet, I don't seem to naturally gravitate towards Harlequin's romantic suspense lines. Go figure. 2) I've never read Pershing before. Yeah, new to me author to try!

This is where I become a book tease. I want to talk about what I'm reading for the contest, but I don't think it's right that I do actual "reviews." OC RWA hasn't told me I need to keep my big mouth shut - but admittedly, I tend to approach contest judging, homework reading, what have you, a bit differently than stuff I read for personal enjoyment and dissect (most of the time quite sloppily) in some half-assed review I throw up on my blog. So sorry, y'all are getting teased. And for this book? It's an excerpt that I found particularly enjoyable. Probably my "favorite moment" in the story actually. Enjoy!

He spread her hand, palm up, on the table and used his thumb to trace the delicate blue veins of her wrist. "I came here tonight to say goodbye," he told her.

Her face fell. "Yeah, I figured."

"And I will have to say goodbye, tomorrow. I don't have a choice."

"I know."

"But it's still tonight, and I wonder if you'd like to come up to my hotel room." He lowered his voice to a seductive whisper. "It has the softest pillows I've ever experienced. And a huge bathtub with jets."

"Does it have a mirrored ceiling?"

"Sadly, no."

"Then I guess it's not perfect."

"Willing to settle for just this side of perfect?"

She considered, a frown forming between her perfect brows. "Should I play hard to get?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know. They say it increases anticipation."

He brought her hand up to his mouth and gently sucked on one of her fingers. "If you were to reach under the table and place your hand at the bottom of my zipper, you would have, shall we say, ample proof that I am already fully anticipating."

::wiping off my fogged up glasses::

And since I am the Super Librarian, I thought I'd mention that Diane Pershing is also pretty super in her own right. And way more super than me since girlfriend is a villain. One of the coolest villains ever. Pershing does voice over work, and was the voice of Poison Ivy in Batman: The Animated Series which originally aired during the 1990s. Incidentally, one of my favoritest cartoon shows of all time. Sigh, I really need to think about picking this series up on DVD.....

This One Is For The Lurkers

For all the authors who read my blog and lurk. This one is for you.

Well, I thought it was funny - but I'm admittedly kind of warped.

It's Good To Be King

Kathleen Givens' Rivals For The Crown was the last of the books I had to read in preparation for my library's upcoming literary event. That's right kiddies - I am officially done with my homework reading! So far I've read, and enjoyed to varying degrees, a paranormal and a contemporary. What did I think of this Scottish historical set in the late 13th century? Well, it ended up being a mixed bag.

This story is more historical romantic saga than traditional historical romance, following the adventures of several characters. The author mostly focuses her story on Rachel Anjou and Isabel de Burke. The story opens with Rachel and her family getting kicked out of London. Their crime? Being Jewish. King Edward I, formerly their champion, has decided he no longer has use for them. So Rachel's family travels to the Scottish border, changes their last name, and open an inn.

Isabel has only known London, and has just been tapped to be the queen's newest lady in waiting. She is heartsick that the king has forced her BFF, Rachel, out of London, and is hoping to gain enough influence in court to bend the queen's ear. Unfortunately the stupid chit didn't listen to her mother, a bitter hag of a woman who sees conspiracies around every corner. Well surprise, surprise - turns out mama was right and trouble follows.

Naturally this story needs some men, and the author provides us several. Rachel catches the eye of a brave Highlander named Kieran MacDonald, while Isabel attracts the attentions of two men- an English knight and Kieran's cousin Rory. On top of all this, the crown for Scotland is up for grabs, with England's King Edward I throwing his considerable weight around. Y'all know what this means right? Yep, enter stage right - William Wallace.

The last book I read that featured saga-like tones and scope was Broken Wing by Judith James. Interestingly enough, I had the exact same problems with both books. Rivals For The Crown spans a seven-year period, and even though the author is working with over 500 pages, there were still moments where I found this story very choppy. There's quite a bit of jumping ahead in time, several instances of info-dumping (this is a sequel to a previous book, On A Highland Shore), and a little too much telling over showing. Also, there were several events that were glossed over entirely, some of them extremely important to the plot at hand. The best example of this is when Rory comes across a gang of men raping a woman. He kills one of the men, rescues the woman, but naturally he was a moron and left the others alive - thus putting a price and blood feud on his head. This big scene? Yeah, takes place off stage. The author tells the reader about it after the fact. And since Rory spends 3/4 of the story with thugs chasing after him, it's kind of a significant plot point. To not be privy to the details, as they were happening, was a little disconcerting. This isn't the only example from the book either - just the most glaring one.

The most memorable aspect of this story for me was Rachel. I think Lori would enjoy her as well, given that she's Jewish and not a stereotype. It was nice to read about the traditional Jewish religious practices/customs and the author does a fine job creating the unsettling times for Rachel's family under Edward I's rule. Isabel wasn't nearly as interesting, mostly because I wanted to shake some sense into her. Her mother practically beats it into her head that she must watch herself at court, to trust no one. Of course she doesn't heed mama's advice and is betrayed. But does she learn? Of course not. Her entire time in court is one huge misstep after another.

I admired the author's scope of the story, her handle on the history, and the fact that she kept the use of the brogue to a minimum (basically just ken, ye and dinna are tossed around). This is a big, sweeping book, and should appeal to those historical fans who bemoan the lack of "saga-ness" in today's offerings. Also, I think it will really appeal to readers who have watched the movie Braveheart so much that they can recite whole passages. As for me? While I didn't get swept up in this book, and it didn't make my heart go pitter-patter, it certainly didn't make my brain melt either. Which means I recommend it with qualifications - just like I did Broken Wing. If it sounds like your cuppa, by all means - take a drink.

Final Grade = C

Cat And Mouse

My Man is a movie junkie, so it goes without saying that IMDB.com is one of our go-to web sites. Last night we were looking ahead at movies coming out this summer, and I noticed there is now a full-length trailer for Public Enemies. My Man is jonesin' for the new Terminator flick, and pretty much every woman I know can't wait to see Hugh Jackman half-nekkid in Wolverine. Me? I can't wait to see Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, and the added bonus of Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover. The only thing about this movie that gives me pause is that it's directed by Michael Mann, who I personally find a little uneven as a director. He's done masterpieces (see: Heat), turned what should be good movies into ho-hum movies (see: Ali) and done outright, mind-numbing dreck (see: Miami Vice, TV show or movie - take your pick).

But it has Jonny Depp and Christian Bale - so I'm thinking it's not going to suck. Also, given the current state of the world economy, I'm thinking a movie about a Depression-era bank robber who captivated the public might be just the ticket. Release date is July 1.

All About My Man

I haven't blogged in a couple of days, and my brain is toast. So I'm stealing this from Rosie, who was just as unoriginal and stole it from Holly. At least I'm in good company. Let's see how much I really know about My Man:

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV. What is on the screen?

A toss up between a movie, Dirty Jobs or Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

Ranch.

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?

Peas. He refuses to eat peas. Which sucks, because they're my favorite veggie.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?

He rarely drinks alcohol anymore, but if he does, it's generally a beer. A dark beer - and not American thankyouverymuch. He tends to favor Irish and German brews. Non-alcoholic? Generally just water. I know, how boring can you get?

5. Where did he go to high school?

Upstate New York.

6. What size shoe does he wear?

13. Hello Big Foot!

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! We often joke that if he didn't live with me that he would be able to fit all of his worldly possessions in his car. He's very much a minimalist. Maybe DVDs. And that's a big maybe.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?

Cheese. Yes, plain cheese sandwiches. I think it's a comfort food thing.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?

New York-style pizza. Or maybe Chinese food.

10. What is his favorite cereal?

Corn Pops. We rarely buy them though since he lacks impulse control. Seriously, he'd eat a whole box of Corn Pops in a day if he could get away with it.

11. What would he never wear?

Pastel colors, specifically pink.

12. What is his favorite sports team?

Sit back, this could take a while. Baseball = Toronto Blue Jays. Football = Buffalo Bills. College Football = Notre Dame. College Basketball = Syracuse Orange. He tends to follow players in the NBA, moreso than teams. And when he's paying attention to hockey, it's the Detroit Red Wings.

13. Who did he vote for?

He's one of the very few independent voters I know. He will vote for either party, and has! Let's just say he was extremely unthrilled with one of the vice presidential candidates and leave it at that.

14. Who is his best friend?

Me. But if we're talking male bonding? One of his college roommates - The Tater.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?

There are several, but here's just one. My OCD Dance. Before I leave for work in the morning, I have to double (and in same cases triple) check to make sure that 1) my curling iron is unplugged and 2) the stove is turned off. Yes, I know - I need help.

16. What is his heritage?

Irish and Austrian. Pretty much half and half.

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?

Angel food. Plain angel food. I know. It's not normal.

18. Did he play sports in high school?

Baseball. He was a pitcher.

19. What could he spend hours doing?

Watching movies. He loves to watch movies.

Coming in second place - he's an NFL draft junkie. Any of you ladies got one of these at home? He will scour web sites, listen to analysis, and watch video. He loves, beyond all reason, the NFL draft. It's like Christmas to him.

20. What is one unique talent he has?

He can always make me laugh. Even when I'm pissed off at him. He's also really, really, really good with a budget. I handle our bills, but if he had to take them over for some reason? I wouldn't worry about him screwing it up. Oh, and he's good at putting stuff together. None of this stuff is terribly unique - but hey, it's all I got.

Unholy Union

Brace yourselves kiddies - a blog post about American football. Turn back now while you still can.

I was thisclose to completing a blog post about my bookstore run today when My Man literally screamed from the living room, "Holy fecking shit!" Fecking, obviously, not being the exact word he used. I'm thinking someone died. No - but turns out I wasn't far off.

Terrell Owens has signed with the Buffalo Bills. Yes, my Buffalo Bills.

Somebody stop this train, I want to get off.

Anybody who tells you they saw this coming is a dirty rotten liar. I suggest backing away from them as fast as humanly possible in order to avoid the lightning strike. And since this is my blog, and I know y'all are dying to know that I think of this (OK, so probably only Kati cares what I think about this), I'm gonna tell you.

I'm actually looking forward to T.O. in Buffalo and all the drama that will ensue. Because even though the Bills only signed him to a one year contact, that is certainly enough time for T.O. to create havoc in the locker room, get our mediocre coach fired, resulting in the entire dismantling of the boring-ass mediocrity that has plagued the Bills organization ever since Jim Kelly And Company left.

But what does this deal truly mean? Well, I'm here to tell you:

• T.O. has officially worn out his welcome. Seriously people, he's now playing in Buffalo.

• The Bills are desperate. The owner, Ralph Wilson, AKA The Leprechaun, is officially 327 years old. OK, he's like 90. Whatever. There is no line of succession. When Ralph is gone, that team is up for grabs, and sure as shootin' their days playing in Buffalo are numbered. Yes, it will be sad - but look at the facts. Buffalo is a dying city. It has been a dying city for at least the past decade (and that's a conservative estimate). Anyone willing to buy that team is going to want to move it somewhere they can actually make some money. In a desperation hail mary play, the Bills played a game in Toronto last year, hoping to expand their marketing base. Their next move? Bring in a player who will get some butts in the seats - and that's T.O. Love him or hate him, the guy knows how to grab the spotlight for good or ill. T.O. is going to sell tickets. This is, of course, assuming any fan in this economy can still afford to buy tickets.
  

Over this weekend, as your husbands or boyfriends watch ESPN, you'll probably overhear some spin on how this will make the Bills "better." Um yeah, I call bullshit. Yes, our other wide receiver, Lee Evans, will no longer be double-teamed. What everyone seems to be forgetting is the minor detail that we don't have a quarterback. No Bills fans, I'm not a believer in Trent Edwards. There's also the fact that our offensive and defensive lines need major help. So unless T.O. can also play defensive end? Yeah, I'm just not convinced.

But like I said, maybe this one year contact will be enough time for T.O. to be T.O. and my team will finally blow up our huge steaming pile of mediocrity and, you know, rebuild itself into a team that actually has a prayer of winning more than 6 to 8 games a season. That would be a nice change of pace. In the meantime My Man and I are placing bets. He thinks it will take until game three of the regular season for T.O. to start bitching about how he's "not getting the ball." I'm thinking he'll overachieve and start whining even before preseason is over.

::headdesk::

Promotion 101

I know this topic has been beaten like the proverbial dead horse, but I have a full head of steam and need to get this off my chest. I was half-tempted to break out Little Miss Crabby Pants, but decided against it because I really don't want this to be a rant. No, I merely want to offer some advice, specifically to Harlequin writers.

First, a little background:

I reviewed Once An Outlaw by Debbi Rawlins for TGTBTU this month. It's a time travel western from Harlequin Blaze, and that was enough for me to try it. I found it to be an OK read, my main quibble being with the abrupt ending. Frankly, the heroine's sister is left hanging and I wanted answers. Since it screamed Sequel Bait to me, I thought I'd do a little searching.

I found out that Once A Rebel is due out in May. But no plot description since Debbi Rawlins' web site has vanished. OK fine. The cover art is similar and it's got the same "Stolen From Time" tag line - so I took a leap of faith. And fell on my face.

Someone commented on my review (thanks ldb!) and basically said, "Hey looks like there is a sequel out next month." And they're right. The heroine's sister is getting her own book, called Once A Gambler, which is written not by Debbi Rawlins, but Carrie Hudson. I didn't even consider a multi-author series. So does Carrie Hudson have a web site? No. Of course not. But thanks to Harlequin's Browse The Book feature, I find out that Carrie Hudson is really Barbara Ankrum, who wrote several historical romances back in the 1990s. So does Barbara Ankrum have a web site? Of course not.

Lather, rinse and repeat.

I'm going to be blunt here. This is way more work than I should have put in to find out about these books. And I'm a librarian for cripes sake. If I need the secret handshake, chances are your average Jane Schmoe Reader would have given up long before all of this. Plus I'm still stuck with the problem of not knowing what Once A Rebel is about. I'm assuming the hero of that story will be the drunken doctor, who was a secondary character in Once An Outlaw. But I'm assuming. I don't know for sure. Why?

BECAUSE NEITHER OF THE AUTHORS HAS A BLOODY WEB SITE!

Ahem. Sorry. I really don't want to rant.

Every author needs a web site. Even if the thing is bare bones. And if you're a Harlequin author? You know, someone who's books have very short shelf lives in retail outlets? It's imperative. Because readers can only buy your books during an allotted period of time, and trust me on this - not all readers are buying their books online. I know it's easy to think that they are - but trust me - they all aren't.

Oh, I can hear y'all thinking, "But gee Super Librarian, I'm just a fledgling baby author. I don't have the money for web site hosting and design!"

Seriously, just shoot me now.

Anyone, and I mean anyone, can set up a web presence for free. It's called a blog. I've been blogging (for free!) for the past 6 years. And the best part? The whole process has gotten idiot proof. With Blogger's new interface a damn monkey can throw up a blog (which I haven't converted to because I'm scared to push the button). Seriously. And it won't cost you a single dime. An example of an author using blogging software to host her web site? Long time Harlequin writer, Gina Wilkins (who is using WordPress). Oh sure, I wish she had plot descriptions of her books, but at least she's got a list there for readers, and has her series books marked.

It doesn't have to be hard. It doesn't need a ton of bells and whistles. Truly. But you all need something. Otherwise I get annoyed. And if I'm getting annoyed....

I'm thinking other readers are annoyed as well. Just going out on a limb with that one.

Fun In The Sun

If it weren't for the fact that I once read books entitled Honk If You Love Real Men and Million Dollar Stud, I would say How to Knit a Wild Bikini was the dopiest title I'd ever seen on a book. At this point, it's coming in at third place. Since I know the question is on your lips - the reason I read this dopey titled book was because Christie Ridgway is one of the authors on the romance panel for my library's upcoming literary event. Yes, the panel I'm moderating. Yep, more homework reading.

Nikki Carmichael is a chef with a shitty knee. It's because of her shitty knee that she's quit the restaurant job she loves. Now she's unemployed with a shitty knee, but luckily there is hope on the horizon. One of her culinary school friends has recommended her to magazine editor Jay Buchanan. Jay runs a Rah-Rah-Man magazine that's like a cross between Playboy, GQ and FHM. He's Hef Jr. Peter Pan. A love 'em and leave 'em sort of guy who has a bevy of beauties more than willing to warm his bed for one-night-stands. Unfortunately he made the mistake of sleeping with his insecure next-door neighbor, Shanna (yes, named after the Kathleen Woodiwiss novel) and Jay wants her off his back. So he hires Nikki as his personal chef (he and his visiting teenage cousin, Fern, need to eat real meals after all) and to play his girlfriend on the side until Shanna gets the hint.

Most of my issues with the story stem from Jay who spends 3/4 of the novel walking around shirtless, calling Nikki "cookie," and just not manning up and being honest with Shanna. In real life guys of this ilk set off my Douchebag Alarm. They just do. And while Jay has his nice moments (he's not all douchebaggery), those initial first impressions are hard to shake.

Nikki seems like a nice, albeit distant, girl. She's very much a loner. An I'm An Independent Woman Gosh Darnit So Back Off. What I really liked about her was that she called Jay on 99.9% of his douchebagginess. She's got a smart mouth. Hell, I have a smart mouth so naturally I loved her. Unfortunately she's got a mountain of baggage and hang-ups. Almost too much really. A panel of shrinks could have a field day with this girl. After a while I was desperately hoping for something (anything!) "normal" to crop up about her.

The secondary characters round out this story - Fern, Jay's niece; Cassandra, who owns the local yarn shop; and Shanna, the bimbo next door. I have to admit the secondary romance featuring Shanna intrigued me quite a bit. Think of Shanna as Paris Hilton in ten years. A girl made famous by her famous family (Daddy is an Aaron Spelling-like TV producer) and her wild child ways. Well now she's 30-something, no longer all that famous, totally alone, and with no skills outside of being able to call her manicurist and hairstylist. Ridgway pairs her up with a blue-collar guy, and it was a great mix until the ending which got very soap-operay. I can't decide if the relationship is doomed to be toxic or built on a lifetime of enabling. I suspect it would have worked better for me if Shanna had her own book devoted to her. Girlfriend has some issues that needed hammering out in more pages than a secondary romantic storyline can allow.

So where does that leave me? Well, I generally liked this book. I wasn't madly in love with any of the characters, but it flew along at a good clip and I think Ridgway writes quite well. It was breezy and sunny (not unlike the Malibu, California setting), with some depth added to the mix so that it wasn't total cotton candy. I happily kept flipping the pages to see how it would turn out for all the characters. Hell, I'm even mildly curious about the next two books in the series. Which I guess means I'm more than willing to read Christie Ridgway again....you know, when it's not homework.

My Grade = B-/C+. I'm still waffling.

Those Crazy Kids

One of the sucky things about living 3000 miles away from most of my family is that I don't get to spend any real quality time with my niece (The Fairy Princess) and my nephew (The Flash). The little wieners sure do grow up fast, and it's more than a little depressing that I only see them live and in person once a year. Seems like only yesterday that I was getting ready for RWA in Denver (for the record, that was 2002) and the Big Sis and Comic Book Guy brother-in-law were bringing her home from China. Now she's 7, and on her last birthday I was told to "Get her a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. She loves to pick out her own books."

The Big Sis occasional sends me cutesy stuff the kids do in school, and the latest arrival appeared last week. The Fairy Princess did this in school. They're currently learning about the concept of "big" numbers, and right now they're talking about "100." The teacher asked them what they would do with a $100, and here's what the smart girl wrote/drew:

Click on the images to make them larger












Here's exactly what it says:

If I won $100.00 I would spend it on books I like at Barns and Noble and then I would come home and read all of my new books.

Sigh, it's enough to bring a tear to your eye isn't it? Just like her Auntie Wendy. She likes to spend money on books and favors run-on sentences. Bless that child's heart. I couldn't be more proud.

The Month That Was February 2009

February may be the shortest month of the year, but I read a very respectable 10 books. OK, so the majority of them were Harlequins, and one of them was a short story. But I'm done feeling guilty about reading "shorter" books. Well, not quite as guilty anyway. Here's how it all breaks down (title links will take you to full reviews):

Stranger by Megan Hart, Contemporary Erotic Novel - I continue to love Hart's voice and writing style. I also enjoy how she puts her characters through the emotional wringer to get their happy endings. But this book felt a little long to me. I wanted a lot more of the heroine with the hero, not the heroine with the studly gigolo she was macking on. My Grade = B

Night Rising by Chris Marie Green, Paranormal - This is one of the authors on the romance panel at my library's upcoming literary event which I am, once again, moderating. I was surprised how much I liked this story given that I'm so bloody sick of all things paranormal right now. Interesting heroine, good mystery, and a vampires-are-bad storyline. I'll probably read the next two books in the series. My Grade = B-

Sexile by Lisa Lawrence, Erotic Thriller - The third book in the author's Teresa Knight series. Teresa continues to kick ass, and I love that she's strong, independent and smart. The mystery here is a real doozy, and it kind of makes my head swim just thinking about it. Not a book you can read and half-assed pay attention to, that's for darn sure. My Grade = B-

The Concubine by Jade Lee, Harlequin Blaze - The second historical (ever) to be offered through the Blaze line. I loved the 19th century China setting, and the premise made for an intriguing read. I could have done without some of the purple prose though (Jade stalk? Seriously?). My Grade = B-

The Texan's Tennessee Romance by Gina Wilkins, Silhouette Special Edition - Reviewing Harlequins for TGTBTU allows me to pick up some "impulse reads." This one was, unfortunately, a dud. There was enough conflict to make it interesting, but the author instead chose to focus on things like the hero and heroine feeding a stray dog (gag) and going on a hike together. Also, this one has a terminal case of series-itis. My Grade = D+

Pleasured by the English Spy by Bronwyn Scott, Harlequin Historical Undone - Another short story from the eBook-only Undone line. I loved the setting of this one (Italy!), and Scott utilizes the locale for marvelous effect. I could have used a bit more dialogue though. My Grade = B

Wanted in Alaska by Kate Bridges, Harlequin Historical - Bridges' latest set in very late 19th century Alaska. This was a quick read that I enjoyed at the time, but didn't have a lot of "staying" power. My Grade = B-

The Earl's Untouched Bride by Annie Burrows, Harlequin Historical - Extremely well-written, but with a Big Misunderstanding plot that goes on and on and on and on.... Even though I wanted to bitch-slap both the characters (on multiple occasions), I stayed up until 1:30AM finishing this book. I really enjoyed Burrows' writing and story-telling capabilities. I'll be reading her next book. My Grade = C-

Once An Outlaw by Debbi Rawlins, Harlequin Blaze - A western time travel that I picked up out of curiosity. A good story until the ending, which felt very rushed. I'm not convinced that the past won't come back to haunt the happy couple, and that knocked my grade down a bit. My Grade = C+

A Texan On Her Doorstep (TGTBTU review forthcoming) by Stella Bagwell - Compelling conflict, and there's a scene between the hero and his long lost mother (who abandoned him as a child!) that about ripped my heart out. But this book pushed every single one of my feminist hot buttons. A 38-year-old virgin heroine (::headdesk::) who happily gives up her entire life to be with the hero. "No darling, don't you worry about a thing. Let me sacrifice everything so we can be together." Puke. Those must have been some seriously good orgasms is all I'm saying. My Grade = D+