Karen Apologises For Dissing Nora... JD Robb Rocks!

OK, I can admit when I’m wrong.

I’ve had three of Nora Ro- er JD Robb’s ‘In Death’ books on my TBR list forever. I had to go to the Doctor’s on Wednesday, so I randomly selected Judgment In Death to keep me from passing out from boredom, whilst I was sat in the waiting room.

And thank Lucifer I did. Nora, even if I never read any of your other books again, as we speak, I am now ordering every single In Death book you have out.

Yes folks, I fucking LOVED it!!!

Eve and Roarke rock!!!

All I have to do now is to start where I should have started in the first place. At the beginning. I believe the first book is Naked In Death…

Karen Does Monica Jackson's Mr Right Now...

So, I read Monica Jackson’s, Mr Right Now. Here’s the blurb:

Luby (I hated that name cuz I kept wanting to call her Luby-Lou, which is ridiculous for a grown woman really, yech!) Jones accidentally bumps into her new neighbour, Jake, in her hallway, and she immediately finds herself thinking of ways of getting into his pants.

She can’t understand why she finds Jake so attractive, so in an effort to deny her feelings, she tries to set him up with Danni, her best friend who has the unfortunate habit of falling for dead beat guys, with no jobs and no prospects.

Luby invites Jake round to meet her scary best friends: Danni, the nympho single-mum who has chronically bad taste in men. Cat, the take-no-prisoners broad married to the man of her nightmares, and not forgetting Winston, who’s gayer than Madame Minelli’s David Gest. (If I was meeting these guys, I think I’d probably have some Ritalin on hand.)

Jake is instantly attracted to Luby, which is an unusual occurrence for him, because, unbeknownst to Luby and her madcap friends, Jake Koseva has this unfortunate affliction, which makes all the people he meets, want to instantly have sex with him, and Luby and her friends (including Gay Winston) are no exception.

Jake is so used to not feeling anything for the hoard of females who are constantly trying get hold of his penis, that his attraction for Luby blindsides him, and all he can think about is getting his piece of meat between her very willing thighs. Jake realises that Luby may be his destiny, and so he takes the necessary steps to ensure that he’s not just another notch on her (non-existent) bedpost.

Mr Right Now, is basically a story about three women looking for that one person who sees who they are, and loves them anyway, and one man, who has almost given up on finding his one true love. Throw in a demon-inhabited mother who sees dead people, a wacky granny, and a bipolar ex-girlfriend, you surely have a recipe for a hell of a ride.

My Verdict:

Shit, this book was funny. I started laughing at page one, and didn’t let up till I finished reading the book. You know that’s always a good thing when it comes to any genre of book, and even more so when it’s a romance.

Unfortunately for me, the romance element of this book took a backseat in terms of enjoyment. What I loved most about Mr Right Now, was the interaction between Luby and her friends. I’m a lover of films and books that showcase strong female friendships, (even though I thought Cat took the whole friendship thing a little too far) and Mr Right Now, seemed to embody that.

It’s been said that the cover doesn’t match the story, but I think I disagree. I think it matched the story perfectly actually.
Although in essence, it was a paranormal romance, to me, it had a definite chick-lit (or clit lit, if that works better) feel to it, which for me personally, wasn’t a bad thing. You may disagree.

My only complaint about Mr Right Now, was Jake’s character. I usually love Alpha male leads, and I found that Jake didn’t inspire me, as far as romance heroes go. I thought he was a bit of a pansy if I’m honest, and so for me, he was the one character that I didn’t particularly care so much for. Some of you will find him sweet, but I just felt like patting over the head, and sending him to bed with a cup of hot cocoa, and a compilation CD featuring Cher’s greatest hits.

Nope, not my kind of hero unfortunately, but this fact didn’t necessarily effect my enjoyment of Mr Right Now.

Overall, it was a fun book that didn’t make me want to gnaw off my own arm in frustration, and for that alone, I was very grateful.

I Couldn't Have Said It Better...

Let me refer you to the most fantastic review of Shelby Reed’s Midnight Rose.

Fab review Jen!

Thank God Christmas Is Over, And A Teeny Little Rant...

Hi Guys, yes I know it’s not quite January, but hey, The Tall Guy is currently driving me out of my mind with all the hammering going on in the attic, One Tree Hill no longer comes on TV on Thursdays (yes I love, OTH, and so what?), so I’m left with re-runs of Will and Grace, thus I’m suitably bored, so I thought I’d return to my blog.

Over the holiday period, my Ball and Chain, and I, noticed the ridiculous amount of parents who seemed quite happy to let their little kids wander away from them whilst shopping.

As we were busy doing the last of our Christmas food shopping last Friday, there were at least twelve public announcements over the PA system, from parents who had lost their kids amongs the throng of shoppers.

Now I know that it’s difficult to always know where your little ankle biters are, especially during weekend shopping sprees, but for the love of all things Oprah, couldn’t you try a little harder to keep an eye on them?

It would takes mere minutes for a wily predator to grab your kid and run. That’s the reality of the world we live in today. You can no longer give the excuse that they are too hard to control when outside the house. This is about keeping your kids safe, so you do whatever you have to.

The one incident that nearly drove me to gnaw on my own arm, was witnessing a child in a pram, left outside a newsagent, whilst the mother went to buy something in the shop. What kind of frickin lunatic does a thing like that? Leave the pram outside by all means (even at the risk of it being thieved) but for Lucifer’s sake, take the godammned child in with you!

Kids are hard to keep track of, but that’s just how they are, so you just have to deal with it. Their well-being should be of the highest priority, at ALL times.

As a parent (which I’m not, but I sure want to be) wouldn’t you hate for your child to become a statistic, just because you took your eyes off them whilst you were deciding whether to have melon balls or soup as a starter during dinner?

I would. I suspect the parents who let their mind wander away from their children whilst out, would too.

A moment's inattention. That’s all it takes. Just ask Jamie’s mother.

Rockin' Around, The Christmas Tree, I'll Be Gone Until January...

I'm not going to be able to post anything for a while, so I'm taking a hiatus until the new year. I owe Monica Jackson and Kate Rothwell a review each, but I just don't have time, so there's no point even thinking about.

All that's left to say is, I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas for those of you who celebrate it, and for those of you who don't, have a happy whatever!

Be nice, eat lots, engage in lots of horizontal excercises, make babies, whatever, just as long as you have a good time doin' it!

I just have to add a special message, to Sarah, Dawn, Anne, JenB, Joy, Soozie, Kelly, Linda, KarenB, Lori, and everybody else in Sarah Mccarty’s Group, as well as Jenn, Eve, Ro-Ro, Paz, Scott, and Marilyn Lee!

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Tuesday Special Author Interview: Monica Jackson

Author Name: Monica Jackson
Website: http://monicajackson.com
Genre: Romance, paranormal romance and erotica, women's fiction
Latest book in shops now: Mr. Right Now


Before we begin this interview, I need to check that you’re still grounded and that your head isn’t swollen from all of your success, so with that in mind, what was the last thing you bought at Target, and do you know how much a loaf of bread costs? (grin)

The last thing I bought at Target was about three of those little girl's make-up kits to give to my daughter for the holidays! They were cheap, about five dollars each. I usually buy my bread at Aldi's, a store that maybe you're not familiar with, but a lot of people on a tight food budget are! A loaf of wheat bread is seventy-nine cents; white bread is forty-nine cents.

{Oh, we have Aldi's here too, I didn't realise they were an international chain...}

They have a more upscale multi-grain loaf for a dollar twenty-nine too. The selection is far more limited than a regular grocery store, but the food is decent and I can cut my food costs by a third by shopping there.

What were your favourite books as a child?

I loved fantasy and science fiction. I was also a comic book buff! Those old fashion kind—this was before anime became popular in the states. I loved Ursula Le Guin, Madeleine L'Engle, Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was pinnacle. I reread them every year. I knew the Chronicles of Narnia were racist, but I loved them anyway.

What does a typical day as a writer consist of?

I try to write first thing in the day. Once my daughter gets home, I can forget about it. She's an only child and takes time and attention. How many times I wished there was somebody I could tell her to go play with! I get more writing time on weekend days when she has playmates over. I think I'm very blessed, the way my life has turned out and the way my days run.

Name your top five favourite books of all time.

Alice Walker's The Color Purple, powerful, emotional, unbelievably strong characters.

Madeline D'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, I just loved this book. I must have read it fifty times.

Pearl Bailey's The Good Earth made a huge impression on me.

Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God. This is a classic romance.

Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Women of Substance, Why aren't more historical romances like this book? I was hugely disappointed when I read the others in comparison.

Which authors are you glomming at the moment? (reading a lot of?)

I adored Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. I went out and read them all at once. I bought him in hard cover! (That's huge for me).

I'm trying to get into the e-books, to become familiar with the authors, and to see what those publishers want. It costs to print out entire books, so I read them on my Dana. I love Lilith Saintcrow and I'm looking forward to reading Shiloh Walker and Cheyenne McCray. I also tend to pick up the books of bloggers I like. It feels a little as if you know them and it's neat to read their work.

Do you have other close romance writer friends, and if so who are they?

Donna Hill, I’d say. I'm not really the social type.

You? I don’t believe it! (grin)

When did you realise that you wanted to write books, and who or what inspired you?

I've wanted to write since I was a child. The books I read inspired me. Yep, I was the reader type, happiest up in my room with my nose in a book.

If you could have a one-to-one conversation with a famous historical figure, who would it be with and what would you talk about?

I would talk to Jesus and find out all about heaven and the death and suffering thing in a straight forward fashion. I'd find what He really thinks about all these religions.

I could tell you what I really think, but we’d be here all day, so I’ll just move on.(g)

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your writing?

I would love to be able to write what I love and support myself comfortably doing so.

How has the romance industry changed from when you first started writing, and which of these changes were you happiest/unhappiest with?

In my little corner of it, the publishers were few at first. Black genre authors have only been published in any significant numbers since 1994. Over time, more major publishers such as Harper Collins and St. Martin's Press were acquiring genre romance and women's fiction by black authors.

Harlequin buying BET will rock the landscape for black romance and women's fiction writers. We have to see what it brings, but most are pretty positive about the change. I am too.

The huge popularity of urban and street lit among black readers is interesting. I'm hearing some authors say there are feeling a push to blacken up their prose (I'm going to crack up if folks start writing dems and doses). The readership and market is just being tapped and explored. Who knows what will happen next? It's exciting, really.

Which of your books is the dearest to your heart, and why?

I was really proud of A Magical Moment (I wanted to title it Black Magic, but that was a no go). It was my first book with a paranormal slant and also a small murder mystery. I wrote it right after my divorce and fictionally killed man after man rather bloodily. It was very freeing. It'll be reissued in 2006 from Harlequin along with The Look of Love and . . . Heart’s Desire, I think?

Somebody near and dear told me that all romance was formulaic, that I couldn't write what I wanted. They bet I couldn't blow up a boat, for instance. So I blew up boats in my first three books! Yep, in every blessed one of my first three titles, a boat explodes.

Better than therapy huh?

Has anything a reviewer or reader said or written about you changed the way you write?

I do pay attention to reviews, negative ones too. They are something like critiques, usually by experienced readers. Any writer that has been critiqued by a tough and savvy reader appreciates that her critiques are generally private! But public feedback goes along with having your words out for public consumption.

Not everybody has the same taste, but if someone says this or that didn’t work for her, and they are thoughtful comments, it's always good to take note. Writers should always be endeavoring to improve. But I don't think writers can change their styles on someone's say-so or should try to do so.

When was the last time you went overseas and where did you go?

I haven't been overseas in ages. I've been to Asia and South America. I've never been to Europe. If I had money to travel anywhere, I'd go to India, East and West Africa and Brazil.

Who are your favourite romance hero and heroine of all time?

Romance? That's hard. It really doesn't stick with me. I'd have to go upstairs to see if I can find a book in my bookcase to jibe my memory, but since I have to do that to even recall a fav couple—I guess I don't have any.

JR Ward's (I hope to heaven I'm writing her name right) bad boy vampires were quite appealing. I remember them well. Great writing too. But the heroine and the romance? Meh. I can't remember.

Is it a cop out to say Cleopatra and Marc Anthony? They were a hot couple.

I’ll let you have Cleo and Mark, they were pretty hot.

What kind of characters would you say you typically wrote?

Real ones. I don't think I can do romance cut-outs. In Love’s Potion I wrote a character that was in a 1999 release, a best friend of the heroine. She was embarking on an affair with a married man in that book. I picked her up six years later, in the bitter aftermath of that long affair.

I've read reviews where people have said they've never read a romance heroine who had an affair with a married man. I can't fathom why. (I did manage to keep the heroine sympathetic, which is important). Men have affairs and women fall in love with married men. It’s a reality of life, not a pretty one, but a true one. Why would an author have to avoid truth in their book just because it's a romance? I dunno.

It’s all about the fantasy me thinks. We like our characters perfect when it comes to fidelity.

If only one person could read your book, who would that be? (as in the person who you would want most to read your book)

Oprah, girl! Who wouldn't say Oprah? Whoop! Give romance a chance, Oprah! I'd give her Never Too Late For Love. It has my most angst and characterization, though my beginning is smarmy (I wanted to see if I could start out hot).

Hey, it’s my dream for Oprah to Google search her name and find me, so I mention her as often as possible, and say nice things about her. She may decide to adopt me when she finds me. What? You never know…

If you had to pick, who would you say has been most influential within the romance genre?

Nora Roberts. She's monstrously successful, prolific, consistently readable and a hard act to follow. I think she sets the standard for romance and women's fiction writers.

How long has it been since you first got published?

My first book came out in October 1997. I sold it at the end of 1995. That makes ten years.

How did you get your first book published? Did you have a mentor?

No, I've always bopped to my own beat. I was off work recovering from surgery and I just sat down and wrote it after reading around twenty romances, mostly stuff like Harlequin Intimate Moments and Superromances, all by different authors.

Which of your books do you feel that you are best known for?

The Look of Love has gotten the most props and awards. I have no idea if I'm known for any of my books. I certainly don't feel very known.

What was the last movie you saw?

The Chronicles of Narnia and before that Harry Potter. We generally wait for the movies that aren't kid's movies to come out on DVD.

Name your top five favourite romantic films.

I'm terrible at remembering names and titles! I liked the one with the Hispanic woman and Will Smith. He was yummy in that. I liked the one with Kate Hudson where she worked in magazine publishing and she had a bet to turn off a guy when he had a bet to turn her on. That was cute. I want to rent the Wedding Date, but I haven't seen it yet.

I obviously don't have five. Sorry!

OK, me thinks you meant Hitch, and How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, right?

What was the last book you read?

Um, I'm reading Threads of Malice now by Tamara Siler Jones. I love it so far! It's rich and different, a forensic mystery set in a fantasy sort of world—sort of a medieval European historical setting. It's definitely not romance though. I read Talyn by Holly Lisle, another fantasy, before that.

In this day and age, do you think it’s possible for new romance writers to make it without having some kind of presence on the internet?

I think so. I have the old fashioned belief that the writing is the most important. People would read Linda Howard and Nora Roberts regardless if they have an Internet presence or not.

Sometimes knowing the author too well might even be a deterrent to some sorts of readers. My philosophy was/is that I'm so unknown that my web presence doesn't matter much. Most romance readers haven't read me and may not ever read me. It made me feel free for a while.

But my reckless feeling is changing and I may scale back soon, keep more of my opinions to myself and so on. I shall reinvent myself to be proper! Do you think I can? Ha!

£50 says you wont be able to keep your opinion to yourself for any length of time. (evil grin)

In your experience, what would you say was the most effective method of marketing a romance novel?

Marketing a novel is a gigantic crapshoot. What works, what doesn't ... who the hell knows? Authors try to brainstorm and do the best they can. The more resources an author has—money, publisher backing, (did I say money?), the more an author can do.

Publishers usually have access to more money and means than authors and they can make a book a bestseller as long as it's decent.

Well, to be honest, they can create a bestseller if it sucks too.

{Oh too true…}

Sometimes I think rather than dropping all these thousands of dollars on promotional schemes and gimmicks, some authors would be better off going out and spending that money buying their books retail when they first come out and giving them away. That would be simple, at least.

I’ve always wondered about this, but as an author, once your books are published, do you actually go back and read them yourself, and if so, are you able to enjoy them, or do you perhaps see things that make you want to chew your own arm off in frustration? (grin).

Especially typos and grammatical errors! It would never hurt to simply write the suckers over! I always want to do that.

Have you ever written a book that you didn’t particularly care for, and do you cringe if you see people picking it up to read it?

I'm quite good at denial. What book? People reading my book? When? Where? Are you sure?

Earlier this year, RWA attempted to try to define romance, and it caused a bit of a furore round the romance blogosphere, due to the limitations of the definitions. What were your thoughts on this at the time, and do you think it’s possible/necessary to define romance in a way that doesn’t exclude other sub-genres?

Genre writers organizations should be an advocate for their writers—all their writers. The RWA is showing clearly that its agenda is different at this time. It's interested in narrowing the definition of romance and excluding certain writers rather than being inclusive.

The RWA is very active in promoting successful, popular and rising traditionally published majority romance authors with their awards, recognition, sensitivity to their needs and some programs such as Bookscan, where best-selling romance authors can pay a small amount to see real sales numbers. I think the RWA can be beneficial for those sorts of authors.

Their chapters and programs can be very helpful for the aspiring romance novelist too. Since I don't fit into either demographic, the RWA interests me little at this time.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

The fact that a few people do read my books and enjoy them. It blows me away.

What do you least enjoy about being a writer?

The promotion part of it is hard to get a grip on, but I'm not alone in struggling with that.

Defining yourself is more difficult when you're a black romance or women's fiction author. You are stuck in a certain category and have to try to wiggle around to get comfortable within it. I love the edgy, humorous paranormal romance style and white writers are doing well with it--but that isn't what I'm supposed to write.

I'm supposed to write a certain sort of thing and fit in this sub-genre box solely because of my race. New York is about money, not race. It's a money thing. A white author of similar quality, style and subject matter is going to have different readership than I do.

I crashed up against that fact at the beginning of my writing career and it's chafed at me ever since. It's a facet of this very difficult business that white authors don't have to deal with and it's hard—at least for me.

It might not bother other black romance and women's fiction writers who feel more comfortable within their pre-defined niches. And things always change. Before the mid-nineties, there was little chance that I would be able to publish at all and now see how many books I've put out into the world!

As you’ve been there, done it, and have the badge to prove it, what is the number one advice that would you give to aspiring writers out there?

Don't give up and be persistent. My opinion is to always try to write the better book, the fresher and more original book. Be true to yourself, rather than the market. I think it's all about the writing, not the market and not what they tell you you're supposed to be.

Write the best book you can and find joy in your stories. Bottom-line, it can't be about the money. The money is a crapshoot, a lottery, and about luck as much as anything else. Concentrating primarily on the money and the market will make a writer crazy—it has to be about the words.

Finally, when’s your next book due out, and what’s it about?

Mr Right Now is available and on the shelves this month. It’s funny, short, fast-paced, hot, hot atypical paranormal with a white hero and a black heroine. Some areas won't carry it because of my race and their marketing demographics—but it can be ordered through any bookstore. The first three chapters are online, linked from my site.

Hey, I read it, and guess what? It didn’t suck! In fact, dare I say, I rather loved it!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to answer these very nosy questions!

They were great questions and they made me think. Thanks for asking me to participate!

Well that’s all guys, there will be no more interviews for the rest of the year, I’m too damned busy, but rest assured, once I’ve gained about 50 pounds from stuffing my face with Christmas food, I shall be back!

What The F*ck? Oprah, Please Save Me From Well-Meaning Left Wing Celebs…

Are you f*cking kidding me? These effing celebs seem to have forgotten that the reason Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams had been on Deathrow in the first place, was because he went out and killed four innocent people.

If those people had been members of their own family, I’d love to know if these celebrities would be mourning so hard for him. As for Jesse Jackson, well that man just needs to be put out of my misery. F*cking idiot.

I don’t give a shit about Tookie's nomination for a Nobel peace prize. He could have turned into Pope John Paul the f*cking 2nd, and I’d have still wanted his execution to go ahead. I bet those four people he killed, would have liked a second chance at life too. They didn’t get it, so why should he have?

The Terminator did the right thing. The man had to die. Sorry.

The Totally Random Saturday Blog...

Sorry about the lack of posts again, but Jesus, I'm busy! If you want a a more interesting blog entry, head over to Angiew, who has an interesting post about the assholedom of organised religion, (ok, that's just me, paraphrasing, but you get the gist right?) I have to say, I agree with her on most of the points she made.

Went shopping today cuz we've got a few Christmas parties to attend. I bought 3 wraparound dresses, which are absolutely adorable. I also bought a ton of fake jewellery, my favourite being these huge, eighties style onyx beads. I also bought a couple of chokers and matching bracelets. I had fun shopping today, but that's probably cuz my Ball and Chain wasn't with me. (Luv you really TG!)

Anyway, I'm trying to decide which dress to wear, so I'll just leave you with some Barbie lyrics that I'm listening to right now. Good to sing along to whilst getting dressed. After that, I'm off to get drunk as a skunk! Happy sigh...

Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile happy your days
( I can dream of the old days)
Life was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning

Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn’t give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The still cold smell of morning
A street lamp dies ,another night is over
Another day is dawning

Touch me,
It is so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me,
You’ll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun.

Memory, by Barbra Streisand, courtesy of Romantic-Lyrics.com

Tuesday Special Author Interview: Julie Kenner

Author Name: Julie Kenner
Website: www.juliekenner.com
Genre: women’s fiction
Latest book in shops now: (June) The Givenchy Code, (July) Carpe Demon, (September), First Love


Before we begin this interview, I need to check that you’re still grounded and that your head isn’t swollen from all of your success, so with that in mind, what was the last thing you bought at Target, and do you know how much a loaf of bread costs? (grin)

LOL! I buy half my things at Target and the other half at Wal-Mart. Last thing at Target was a pair of black shoes for my 4 year old :) As for bread, about $1.29

Congratulations on your book Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom being optioned by Warner Bros for a movie! How did you feel when you heard the news, and who was the first person you told?

Thanks! How I felt: pretty much over the moon, which is probably one of the world’s biggest understatements. First people I told (other than husband) were my critique partners: Kathleen O’Reilly and Dee Davis

Do you have any reservations in terms of the ‘artistic license’ that may be taken by the film producers whilst making Carpe for the Big Screen?

Nope. For one, the book is a book and the movie is (or will be, knock wood) a movie. They’re different creatures. For another, some license will have to be taken.

One of the things about the book that (I think) works well is the humor and Kate’s running internal dialogue. But that drives much of the story, and it’s all in Kate’s head. Film, however, is a visual medium. Except for maybe Being John Malcovich, movies in people’s heads don’t work. I think the screenwriters have quite the task ahead of them. From what I’ve heard, though, they’re doing an awesome job!

What were your favourite books as a child?

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
A Wrinkle in Time
Half-Magic
The novelization of Star Wars
Splinter of the Minds Eye
Chronicles of Narnia
Go Dog Go
Deenie
Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret


Did you read romance books as a teenager?

Actually, I didn’t. I wasn’t really aware of romance as a genre (I’m sure I read the occasional book) until I was about 24.

What does a typical day as a writer consist of?

Get up.
Drink a million cups of coffee while listening to Dora the Explorer
Feed child
Read emails.
Urge child to get dressed
Look at calendar and figure out what I’m supposed to be doing.
Urge child to get dressed
Answer emails
Threaten child with no Dora if she doesn’t get dressed.
Help child get dressed
Drive child to day care
Drink more coffee
Read over what I wrote yesterday
Edit same
Surf Internet
Write
Read over what I wrote
Wander aimlessly around the house thinking about story
Write more
Check email
Read and edit
Make more coffee
Write more
Do promo related stuff and feel guilty for not writing more
Swim for ½ hour
Wash, rinse, repeat until 4ish
Pick up child
Evening with family
Answer emails
Write until late into the night
Add up pages.
Curse or rejoice depending on how close I came to pre-set goal

(pretty glamorous, huh?)

Is that the equivalent of wash, rinse, and repeat? (grin)

Name your top five favourite books of all time.

Pillars of the Earth
Atlas Shrugged
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
A Wrinkle in Time
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir


Which authors are you glomming at the moment? (reading a lot of?)

J.D. Robb
Charlaine Harris


Do you have other close romance writer friends, and if so who are they?

My two closest friends are my critique partners: Kathleen O’Reilly and Dee Davis

When did you realise that you wanted to write books, and who or what inspired you?

From as early as I can remember, and I have no idea re the source of inspiration, other than all the wonderful books and stories I’ve read (or been read to) since day one!

How long has it been since you first got published?

First book came out in Feb 2000

How did you get your first book published? Did you have a mentor?

No mentor, but by that time I was critiquing with Kathleen O’Reilly, and I know her feedback helped. I sold my second manuscript after winning a first chapter contest sponsored by TARA. Brenda Chin requested the full, and soon after I sold. It was VERY exciting!

Which of your books do you feel that you are best known for?

In romance, probably Aphrodite’s Kiss. Overall, probably Carpe Demon.

If you could have a one-to-one conversation with a famous historical figure, who would it be with and what would you talk about?

Ack! I don’t know! How about Leonardo Da Vinci: Who was really the model for the Mona Lisa?

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your writing?

To entertain by telling a page-turner of a story

How has the romance industry changed from when you first started writing, and which of these changes were you happiest/unhappiest with?

Um. I guess the paranormal thing has been the biggest change. When I was marketing my first single title in 1999 (The Cat’s Fancy), I was told it wouldn’t sell in a million years.

Paranormal just wasn’t selling. What was this shape-shifting cat thing, anyway?? It did sell, got great support from Dorchester, and did really well. After that, though (actually, more after Aphrodite’s Kiss – a superhero romance) the market shifted. Suddenly, paranormal, which had been stone cold dead, was the hottest thing around. And I think it’s fair to say it probably is still sizzling hot (figuratively and literally).

In this day and age, do you think it’s possible for new romance writers to make it without having some kind of presence on the internet?

Anything’s possible :) Would I recommend it? Nope.

In your experience, what would you say was the most effective method of marketing a romance novel?

Placement, which can only be controlled by your publisher. And word of mouth (which, really, deserves the number one slot)

Which of your books is dearest to your heart, and why?

Well, they’re all my babies, so I can’t really play favourites. But I could say The Cat’s Fancy because it truly was a book of my heart. I loved the concept and pursued selling that sucker despite tons of people telling me it just wouldn’t happen. After that, Carpe Demon, because I am absolutely head over heels in love with the heroine.

I just love writing her stories, and this is the first book I’ve been able to follow the same protagonist throughout multiple books – something that isn’t really feasible in pure romance because of the nature of the genre.

I’ve always wondered about this, but as an author, once your books are published, do you actually go back and read them yourself, and if so, are you able to enjoy them, or do you perhaps see things that make you want to chew your own arm off in frustration? (grin).

I don’t because:
1) I’m terrified they didn’t correct the mistakes I marked in the galleys and would just rather not know
2) I’ve moved on. I’m on another story now and don’t really have the inclination to re-read (honestly, by the time the thing is published, what with writing and editing before submission, then editing for your editor, then line-edits, then copy-edits, then galleys, you’ve usually seen the story so many times you do want to gnaw your arm off.)
3) I already know the story (see above). If I’m going to sit down and read, I want something I haven’t read before!

Even so, I have done it a couple of times. Once, I picked Cat up off my shelf and opened it on a whim. Started reading, got absorbed in the story, read to the end, and cried my eyes out. That was very gratifying!!

More recently, I re-read Carpe Demon as I was working on the sequel because (ahem) I didn’t do as good a job on the series bible as I should have, and I wanted to go back and check a few things. I’m happy to report I was still happy with the story!

Has anything a reviewer or reader said or written about you changed the way you write?

Nope.

Ok, that was to the point (grin).

Earlier this year, RWA attempted to try to define romance, and it caused a bit of a furore round the romance blogosphere, due to the limitations of the definitions. What were your thoughts on this at the time, and do you think it’s possible/necessary to define romance in a way that doesn’t exclude other sub-genres?

Well, I guess I have to admit that I didn’t really pay attention. I was probably on deadline (I usually am!). (Yes, with deadlines, various other commitments, and a four year old, I can be extremely tunnel-visioned!) So I didn’t actually have an opinion at the time!

When was the last time you went overseas and where did you go?

Paris. November of 1997 (might have been 1996). I took my mom there for Thanksgiving because she’d never been to Europe before. I left my poor husband to have Thanksgiving dinner alone at Luby’s :)

Who are your favourite romance hero and heroine of all time?

Roarke and Eve.

What kind of characters would you say you typically wrote?

Strong and smart. They have issues and vulnerabilities, but they know their own minds

If only one person could read your book, who would that be? (as in the person who you would want most to read your book)

Hmm. Not sure I can answer that because having my books “out there” is part of the reason why I write. So I can’t really pinpoint one person and say “this book is for you.”

If you had to pick, who would you say has been most influential within the romance genre?

Nora Roberts, maybe??


What was the last movie you saw?

Derailed (I’m assuming you mean in the theatre.)

Name your top five favourite romantic films.

French Kiss
The Cutting Edge
Dave
Bringing Up Baby
Notting Hill (primarily for the press conference scene at the very end )
I know I’m blanking on tons of fabulous romantic movies, but it’s late ...

What was the last book you read, and did you enjoy it?

I’m in the middle of Eragon, and yes!
I finished The Professor and the Madman a few days ago, and it was fabulous.

Have you ever written a book that you didn’t particularly care for, and do you cringe if you see people picking it up to read it?

Nope. They’re all my babies :)
Though, as an honest parent, I can critically examine them and say that some are stronger than others.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

The creativity, the schedule, and the fact that it gives an outlet to the voices in my head

What do you least enjoy about being a writer?

Nothing. There are some annoying aspects about the business of being a published writer, but even those I cherish because, hey, I could still be practicing law full time....
(Actually, I suppose one thing that’s frustrating is that it’s just physically impossible to write all the stories I want to write. So I have to pick and choose. And that’s hard!)

As you’ve been there, done it, and have the badge to prove it, what is the number one advice that would you give to aspiring writers out there?

Read, read, read and write, write, write! Seriously, I think you learn both how to write and the components of story by reading and absorbing, and you discover your voice and build your skill set by writing.

Since all authors are readers, too, do you have any books you've especially enjoyed over the last year or so that you'd like to recommend to readers who've enjoyed your books?

Tons. I really should keep a list because I get asked these questions and my mind goes blank.
Okay: The Professor and the Madman (non-fiction; wonderful)
Eragon
Plum Island
The most recent In Death book (I can’t keep up with the titles!)
The Earth, My Butt, & Other Big Round Things

I can’t say they’d necessarily appeal to folks who’ve enjoyed my books, but I loved each and every one of them!!

Finally, when’s your next book due out, and what’s it about?

The next one is The Manolo Matrix, and it will be out in February. It’s the second in a 3 book series that started with The Givenchy Code and will end in 2007 with The Prada Paradox. Each book totally stands alone, but once you read all 3 books together, the underlying questions will be answered (and, with regard to some plot points) even revealed!

Ooh what funky book titles!!

The book (and the series) is about a computer game brought into the real world by an unknown person, in which the players have to solve a series of clues in order to stay ahead of an assassin whose only goal is to kill them! Much fun to write, and so far readers are telling me the books are just as fun to read, which is always gratifying to hear!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to answer these very nosy questions!

Thank you!

That’s it for this week folks, next week’s author should be Lisa Valdez, fingers crossed!

Ciao for now!

Winter-time, And The Blogging Is Hard, Turkey, and other Random Meaningless Thoughts...

I was going to apologise for the lack of posts, but I thought better of it. Instead I will share the news that I'm to become an auntie for the first time! Woo hoo!!

My blogging will be erratic at best, seeing as Christmas is nearly upon us. Christmas is at our house again this year, I will be cooking for eight of us, and as per our annual tradition, there will be no hint of turkey in my kitchen. Turkey is just so bloody drab, dry, and boring. It'll be chicken all the way again.

I just need to decide what I'll be making for starters and dessert. Any suggested recipes will be more than welcome.

In a totally unrelated stream of consciousness, I'd be gutted if we had to swap the word Christmas for something as inane as 'the holidays' (no offense to you Americans)! Thank God the bleeding heart liberals haven't got to us yet, mind you, one of England's local councils, tried renaming Christmas, by calling it Winter Festival. What a load of bollocks.

I think the people of Birmingham boycotted the council, and the name was changed back. I should think so. Winter Festival indeed. Close, but no cigar.

Being a borderline atheist (sp?) my feelings have less to do with God, and more to do with the way myself and my family have always celebrated Christmas. Christmas is Christmas and that's that. You celebrate it how you want, and I'll celebrate it how I want.

Anyway, I gotta go, cuz I've got a million Xmas cards to write!!

Bombs and Planes Do Not Mix…

Surely we all know by now that shouting bomb anywhere near a plane is just asking for trouble?

I have to say, If I’d been there, I would have shot the f*cker myself. Mentally ill or not. Sorry.

I'm In Mourning...

Boo Hoo!!

Benfica 2 - 1 Manchester United

We're out of the Champions League for this year, even f*cking Rangers qualified for the group stages!!! Yes, I cried buckets, and what of it?

Damn Glazers, Go back to effing Tampa Bay, shit's not been right since you got here!

Is There Such A Thing As Keeping it Too Real...?

You know, as much as I like a little realism in romance books, after reading Haunting Love Alley, by S.L Carpenter and Sahara Kelly , I totally changed my mind.

No, I don’t want heroes who fart, burp, and scratch themselves in their nether regions. I don’t like it in real life, I’m certainly not going to appreciate it in my romance.
Love Alley is a house in Louisiana. Cory Lavalle is a psychic who sees dead people in the house. Louis Beekman is the city slicker love interest who inherits the house, and its see-through residents.

Basically, they shag like rabbits, and try to right past wrongs, and ultimately they reunite two ghostly lovers, who were hanging around in limbo.

The premise was interesting enough, if a little on the overdone side, but unfortunately, there was just too much ‘guy’ humour in the story, and that didn’t impress me much.

Throw in nymphomaniac twins, a bimbette with a penchant for teeny-tiny bikinis, and a Mamie-type character named Zulee, how on earth could you go wrong? Erm...Easily?

I think Haunting Love Alley was meant to be a comedic romance, but if I’m honest, I spent most of the time with my mouth open in awe.

Oh yeah, and the fact that the hero was dreaming of other women whilst he was with the heroine, didn’t endear me to him either.

Nope, I’ve gone right off realism in romance!

As the book was co-written by a man, I’m willing to bet that the farts and the scratching inspiration came from him.

Tuesday Special Author Interview: Stephanie Bond

Author Name: Stephanie Bond
Website: www.stephaniebond.com
Genre: humorous romantic suspense
Latest book in shops now: In Deep Voodoo

Before we begin this interview, I need to check that you’re still grounded and that your head isn’t swollen from all of your success, so with that in mind, what was the last thing you bought at Target, and do you know how much a loaf of bread costs?

Oh, wow, I’m going to blow this interview. I live in midtown Atlanta, with no car and no Target within walking distance, so I can’t even remember the last time I was in Target, and I think the last loaf of bread I bought was some kind of fancy whole grain, seeded type that was about $2.39 US dollars.

BUT you might be surprised to know that I don’t buy a lot of bread because I make biscuits and/or cornbread from scratch two or three times a week! (Does that mean I’m still grounded?)

Baking your own bread definitely means that you’re well grounded! *g*

What were your favourite books as a child?

All the series books like Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Meg. In fact, I still have my complete set of 54 hardcover Nancy Drew books, including the cookbook.

Did you read romance books as a teenager?

Did I! By the bagful! I lived in a tiny town with no bookstore and no library. The highlight of my year was when my aunt visited and brought me bags and bags of romance novels that she’d read. I devoured them, especially the ones by Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney.

What does a typical day as a writer consist of?

I’m still waiting for a ‘typical’ day! What I strive for is to get up, workout to a 30-minute yoga tape, then update my website’s Open Book blog, return e-mail, and tackle the paperwork on my desk until noon.

Then I grab my AlphaSmart, head to the gym and write while I’m on the treadmill for an hour. I come back with 4-5 pages written, shower, then continue with my writing and whatever the phone/email/FedEx brings throughout the afternoon.

Since I write for two publishers, it seems as if I always have something to review (covers, copy, ads) or some kind of supplemental material to send them (bios, photos, dear reader letters, research notes, synopses for twelve different uses, etc.) Since I write 3-4 books a year, there’s always something up in the air. If I’m on deadline, I will write until bedtime!

Name your top five favourite books of all time.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
The Velvet Promise by Jude Deveraux
Christy by Catherine Marshall

Which authors are you glomming at the moment? (reading a lot of?)

Hollis Gillespie, who is an Atlanta humorist—her writing just grabs you by the throat.

Do you have other close romance writer friends, and if so who are they?

Oh, sure! I’m lucky that there are lots of romance writers who live in Atlanta and they’re all friends of mine—Rita Herron, Carmen Green, Karen Hawkins, Haywood Smith, Jacquie D’Alessandro, Sari Robbins, Wendy Wax, Patti Callahan Henry, Sandra Chastain, Karen White, Jennifer St. Giles, Virginia Ellis, Wendy Etherington, Tanya Michaels, and many more!

Ooh you name dropper you! *g*

When did you realise that you wanted to write books, and who or what inspired you?

I was seven years deep into a systems engineering career with a large petroleum company and finishing my MBA at night when an instructor commented that I had a flair for writing. He suggested that I submit my thesis to academic journals, but all I could think was, “I wonder if I could write a romance novel?” And I did!

How long has it been since you first got published?

After two years of writing on my lunch hour, in the evenings, and on weekends, I sold my first book, Irresistible? to Harlequin Books in 1995. (November 15 was my tenth anniversary of being a published author!)

Oh congratulations!

How did you get your first book published? Did you have a mentor?

I got published by attending conferences, connecting with editors, and submitting my work. An editor asked for a full of something I pitched to her at a conference, and she bought it. I didn’t have a mentor, but my home writing chapter, Georgia Romance Writers, is very supportive of its unpublished members.

Being part of a large chapter that can afford to sponsor events for its members, such as bringing in editors and agents, is very helpful in getting your work in front of the right people.

Which of your books do you feel that you are best known for?

Hm, my most notorious book is Too Hot To Sleep, that a reviewer for Romantic Times Bookclub magazine gave its lowest score, a 1, because the reviewer didn’t like the theme of the book, which was phone sex. But the review itself caused so much controversy and my readers revolted against the reviewer in such a backlash that it became my bestselling Harlequin book of all time, and has since been reprinted. Otherwise, I’ve gotten the most feedback from my first single title, Our Husband.

If you could have a one-to-one conversation with a famous historical figure, who would it be with and what would you talk about?

Amelia Earhart, what happened, girl?

Oooh good answer, I’d like to know what happened too!

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your writing?

To build and maintain a steady, loyal fan base. For me, it’s all about consistently giving my readers a few hours of entertainment that will make them recommend my books to their friends.

How has the romance industry changed from when you first started writing, and which of these changes were you happiest/unhappiest with?

It was tough enough to break into the industry in 1995, but it’s even more competitive now, and everyone seems to be earning less because so many titles are released every month. I do wish that publishers would cut back on the dozens and dozens of reprints that come out every month.

In this day and age, do you think it’s possible for new romance writers to make it without having some kind of presence on the internet?

Oh, sure, it’s possible, but it makes getting your name out there much harder and you’re leaving the task of building your name (your brand) to your publisher, and very few authors get the kind of attention from their marketing/publicity department that they think they deserve. A website is one thing that a writer can do better than a publishing house.

In your experience, what would you say was the most effective method of marketing a romance novel?

Through a great website, by building a reader email list to continue marketing to.

Which of your books is dearest to your heart, and why?

Our Husband is dearest to my heart because it was my first single title romance and the most challenging book to write of my career.

I’ve always wondered about this, but as an author, once your books are published, do you actually go back and read them yourself, and if so, are you able to enjoy them, or do you perhaps see things that make you want to chew your own arm off in frustration? (grin).

I read them when I have time and surprisingly, I do enjoy them because my memory is so short, I can truly read them as if they’re someone else’s book.

Has anything a reviewer or reader said or written about you changed the way you write?

No, that can paralyze a writer. For my current book, In Deep Voodoo, between the two most prominent review magazines, one reviewer said my heroine was ditzy and the secondary characters saved the day, the second reviewer said they loved my heroine, and could have done without the secondary characters. As a writer, what can you do with that? Nothing but get back to work.

Earlier this year, RWA attempted to try to define romance, and it caused a bit of a furore round the blogosphere, due to the limitations of the definitions. What were your thoughts on this at the time, and do you think it’s possible/necessary to define romance in a way that doesn’t exclude other sub-genres?

RWA has to be careful about what they define/include as romance because then the writers of those sub-genres (such as gay romances, for example, or erotica) will demand their own categories in the RITA contest, advertising space in the official RWA publications, etc. It’s a slippery slope because RWA has to balance inclusion with their budget/resources for fulfilling the needs of their entire membership.

When was the last time you went overseas and where did you go?

I was in Germany for three weeks in May/June—beautiful!

Who are your favourite romance hero and heroine of all time?

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice.

What kind of characters would you say you typically wrote?

Mostly I write morally good, smart women who find themselves in extraordinary situations, pitted against reluctant heroes.

If only one person could read your book, who would that be? (as in the person who you would want most to read your book)

Since this is hypothetical, I’ll put the impossible out there: my aunt who turned me onto reading romance novels passed away six months before my first book came out; if I could have any one person read my books, it would be my aunt Fonda, God rest her soul.

If you had to pick, who would you say has been most influential within the romance genre?

Not a person, here, but a publisher: Avon Books. I’m not saying this because they are one of my publishers, but because it was Avon that really put romance novels on the map in the 1980s.

What was the last movie you saw?

Just Like Heaven, with Reece Withersoon and Mark Rufalo—great flick!

Name your top five favourite romantic films.

Pride & Prejudice (the A&E version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle)
Sense & Sensibility
While You Were Sleeping
13 Going on 30 (unexpectedly cute)
Good Will Hunting

What was the last book you read, and did you enjoy it?

The last book I read was Hollis Gillespie’s Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch, and I loved every sentence.

Have you ever written a book that you didn’t particularly care for, and do you cringe if you see people picking it up to read it?

LOL!! None of them make me cringe, but there was one book that I wrote for Harlequin called Two Sexy! that the production date was moved up on me and I had to get it in way earlier than I’d planned. I always wished I’d had more time to develop the characters in that book.

That’s on my TBR pile actually, I got it absolutely ages ago, I think it’s a Blaze title?

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

Working on my own schedule.

What do you least enjoy about being a writer?

No one respects my work schedule!

Lol!!

As you’ve been there, done it, and have the badge to prove it, what is the number one advice that would you give to aspiring writers out there?

Join a national writing organization for the genre/area in which you want to write, connect with local writers who are writing what you are, and get into a critique group of 2-3 writers to meet with once a week to exchange work.

Since all authors are readers, too, do you have any books you've especially enjoyed over the last year or so that you'd like to recommend to readers who've enjoyed your books?

Look for anything by Beth Ciotta.

Finally, when’s your next book due out, and what’s it about?

My next book is Body Movers, from Mira books, the first book in a new sexy mystery series! The heroine works at Neiman Marcus by day and helps her brother move bodies from crime scenes by night. Three delectable heroes—how will she ever choose? Look for it in trade paperback in August 2006.

Ooh, what an original plot device!! I may just have to check that out!

Thanks so much for taking the time out to answer these very nosy questions!
You’re so, so welcome!

Well that’s all folks, Lisa Valdez’s interview wont be up for another couple of weeks, but don’t worry, we’ll have some great authors in the hot seat in the meantime!

Ciao for now!

To Die Or Not To Die, That Is The Question...

Joseph Edward Duncan III, Child Molester and Murderer

Every time I hear about cases like this, I pray for the death penalty to be brought back to this country.

Logically speaking, there are many reasons why I should be against the death penalty, but every time I think about some sick pervert, abducting, raping then killing children, I go cold inside.

Child killers and pedophiles are the vilest creatures on earth, and as far as I’m concerned, we gain nothing by keeping them alive.

What use are they to the world? Sure we can learn about how they think, and what motivates them, but after we have gained whatever information we need from them, I say string the fuckers up.

I’ve heard the “what if we get it wrong?” argument, but let’s face it, there was more than enough evidence to suggest that this sick fuck really didn’t deserve to live. I felt sick when I learned that the police could have apprehended him on several occasions, but somehow failed to do so.

Thank God, one of his fellow prisoners did us all a favour, and put him out of our misery. That’s what I call poetic justice.

I always thought that it was hugely unfair that Jeffrey Dahmer had killed at least 17 people, yet the state were prepared to pay to keep him alive, for the rest of his life. That was seriously fucked up.

If it was up to me, I’d bring back the death penalty, not as a deterrent, but as a way of making sure that justice is served. In my mind, keeping alive a serial killer, or a child killer, whilst his/her victim(s) lie cold in their grave, is just wrong, and I’m afraid nobody will be able to convince me otherwise.

What say you? (And yes, you’re allowed to disagree with me *g*)

Tackling The TBR Part Three...

Well it’s Friday again folks, where does the time go?

I read quite a few books in November, so I thought I’d write up some reviews for your benefit. There are some books missing from this list, but I’ll get to those when I can be arsed.

So, let me start with Linda Howard’s Son Of The Morning. How freaking fantastic was this book?

Basically, our heroine, Grace St John, specialises in ancient manuscripts, and she comes across some old documents which turn out to be the missing link to a lost Celtic Treasure.

Grace soon discovers the legend of the Knights of the Templar, a bunch of blokes who apparently knew the secret to time travel. Keen to translate the documents, Grace rushes home to make a start on them. She is outside when she notices that her boss, Parrish Sawyer, is at her house questioning her husband and brother, about the very documents that she has been researching. Puzzled as to why he should be in her house, Grace is hesitant to enter, which was just as well, because she then sees Parrish, shoot her brother and husband in cold blood.

Grace has no choice but to go on the run, and with the help of her friend, Kris the computer genius, manages to escape from her boss, who in the mean time frames her for the murder of her husband and brother.

The story then unfolds into Grace’s survival as she runs from both the law, and the murderous villain, who is determined to kill her for the documents she has.

I LOVED this book. When we first meet Grace, she’s a fat lass, who’s basically known love and security all her life. Her and her husband have a very happy, and fulfilling marriage, but in the space of a few hours, all that is shot to shit.

Grace has to come to terms with losing her whole family in the blink of an eye, and once she does (ish) she’s determined that Parrish must be made to pay for his crimes. The bastard.

The transformation that Grace goes through is incredible, but at the same time believeable. I spent the majority of the book feeling really proud of her achievements, and I didn’t even notice that she didn’t physically meet the hero till much later on in the story. I wont talk about him, because as far as I was concerned Grace was both the heroine and the hero in so much of this book, that it’s hard for me to even introduce Niall into this review. Overall, if I had to rate this book, it would definitely be an A!

The next book (ok it wasn’t the next book, but for the purposes of this review, we shall pretend it was the next book) that I read was Linda Howard’s Cry No More. (hey, she does good work).

Once again, she didn’t disappoint.

Milla, her husband David, and her 6 week old baby live in Mexico. One day, Milla goes to the local market, when suddenly from out of nowhere, some assailants try to grab her baby, she fights back, but she is viciously stabbed and left for dead. When she comes to, it is to the devastating news that her baby is gone.

I wanted to start crying right there.

Anyway, ten years later, Milla and David are divorced, and have been for a number of years. Milla now runs a charity organisation called Finders. Finders basic function is to help people find loved ones who have gone missing.

For ten years, Milla has never stopped looking for Justin, a fact that has alienated her from her family, and was mainly the cause of her divorce.

One night, Milla receives an anonymous tip telling her that the people involved with her child’s abduction were due to meet that night. Milla of course goes along, and whilst her and her colleague are waiting, some men pull up to the designated spot.

Milla recognises one of the assailants who attacked her that fateful day. For a moment, she loses her professional focus, and is about to shoot the man, when somebody jumps her.

Anyway, it turns out that the fellow who jumped her was James Diaz, a man well known in those parts for his ruthlessness and helpful assasination skills. Milla cautiously join forces with Diaz in order to find out what happened to her son.

I started crying at page 10, and continued on and off for the duration of the book.

Cry No More was such a moving story, that I suspect anybody who reads it, would find it very difficult to not cry.
Howard pens a beautifully poignant book, which is emotionally compelling, yet at the same time, manages to retain a fast and furious pace of mystery, danger and excitement.

I was most impressed with Milla’s character, she was a strong woman who’d gone through a lot, but was still determined to persevere. Her emotional journey was such that you couldn’t fail to be impressed by her.

Diaz’s character was my ideal hero. He was tall, dark and brooding, and just an absolute walking witch’s brew of all things sexual, rrrrrrr!

Towards the end of the story, Diaz does something that is totally unforgiveable, followed by the most delicious piece of grovelling, I’ve ever read in a book. Howard handles the closing scenes so well, that once again, I had to reach for the Kleenex.

Overall, a bloody brilliant read, and one that I would happily recommend to anybody and her dog. Cry No More will forever retain its keeper status on my book shelf.

Next on the list was Loretta Chase’s satirically brilliant Lord of Scoundrels. Once again, how f*cking fantastic was this book?

Jessica Trent’s brother’s an idiot. An idiot who happens to be consorting with Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain.
Jessica, who’s quite adept at getting her knobhead of a brother out of various scrapes of his own making, is determined to free him from under the influence of Lord Dain.

At the beginning of the book, we learn about Dain’s upbringing, and this helps the reader understand his motivations later on in the book, especially when he’s being an arse.

When he was born, his father was horrified by him, and called him an abomination. He was disgusted by Dain’s big nose, and his ill-proportioned limbs. (I think that means he was a bit of a bruiser)

All through his childhood, Dain is reminded of how ugly he is, and after his mother runs away, and leaves him with his cruel father at the age of eight, things become much worse. His father sends him away to school, where he is bullied by his peers. One day he decides that enough is enough, and he fights back. Dain then descends into ADHD territory, and basically becomes the biggest rogue in the school.

Dain has an aversion to proper ladies, and thus mostly consorts with tarts and whores, but to his consternation, when he meets Jessica Trent (the one who obviously got the brains in the family) he finds himself wildly attracted to her.

Dain is determined to forget her, but alas, the wench is forever in his face, and every time they meet, he manages to make an utter fool of himself.

Dain’s reputation being as it is, most of Paris start placing bets on how his relationship with Jessica will pan out.

Whilst they are at a ball, (thrown for the soul purpose of getting these two ticking-time bombs together) Jess and Dain indulge in a little sucky-facy and touchy-feely liaison, out in the garden. As Dain’s hands are trying to undo her knickers, they notice that a crowd has gathered, and is watching them in fascination.

Now if this were to happen these days, nobody would care, what with the copious amounts of drugs and alcohol that would invariably be involved, but this is the 1800’s, so this was about the most scandalous thing that could happen to a lady of virtue.

Dain and Jess end up getting married in order to protect her reputation.

Little by little, these two head strong characters learn to compromise, and discover a deep and abiding love for each other.

What I loved about this book was just how goddamned funny it was. It was absolutely hilarious. Jess was such an amazingly feisty heroine, and Dain was such a loveable rogue, that you couldn’t help but like him.

Once again, a fantastically written book, helped along by Jessica anhd Dain’s clever one-liners. I would heartily recommend Lord of Scoundrels to anybody venturing into the world of historicals for the first time!

Next on my list was Annie’s Song, written by Catherine Anderson (my new fave writer).

Annie’s Song was just a beautifully bewitching love story book. It was one of the recommendations from Sarah McCarty and a few others, in response to my Blind heroes and heroines post earlier this month.

Annie Trimble is a deaf woman shunned by a town that mistakenly thinks she’s mentally retarded.

Her ignorant and overprotective parents hide her away from the rest of society, and Annie grows up in a solitary world that she inhabits alone.

One day, Annie is playing in the woods, (as was her usual habit) when she is captured and raped by Alex Montgomery’s younger brother.

Alex of course is horrified to learn that his brother has done such a thing, and throws him out of the house. He feels so guilty about the rape, that he goes to Annie’s parents and offers to help them in any way he can.

They initially refuse his help, but months later when they discover that Annie is pregnant, they tell Alex, who decides to marry her, and raise the baby that she carries as his own.

Alex marries Annie and takes her home to live with him. Annie doesn’t understand why her parents are abandoning her to this stranger who looks remarkably like the man who rapes her, and she erroneously comes to the conclusion that it must be because she’s getting so fat (she has no idea that she’s pregnant).

Alex initially hires a nurse for Annie, but after he discovers the bitch being cruel to her, he sacks her, and starts spending more time with Annie himself.

Alex accidentally discovers that Annie isn’t mentally retarded, but is in fact deaf. He never dreamt that he would fall in love with this woman/child, but fall he does, and his head-first descent was wonderful to behold.

I love what Anderson did with this book, it was just an amazing piece of writing. I like flawed characters, and as you read this book, you’ll see that she wasn’t afraid to create an imperfect hero, a hero with the same prejudices that the rest of the town has when it came to Annie.

As much as I loved Alex, my favourite thing about the book has to be Annie’s character. She was absolutely amazing. There was a scene in the book where she’s finally told she’s pregnant, and because for all intents and purposes, she has the mind of a 6 year old, she thinks that she will be laying eggs, so every morning she looks round her bed to see if her eggs have appeared. Utterly charming.

Needless to say, when she finds out what giving birth will actually be like, she’s not too happy. Who is?

I thought that Catherine Anderson handled Annie and Alex’s relationship really well, although I gather some readers were a little put off by the fact that she was so child-like, and naïve.

I must say, it didn’t even occur to me to be bothered by this, so I wonder what that says about me? Hmmm…

Annie’s Song was disarming and captivating, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody looking for a break from the norm. Fabulous darlings!

Next on my TBR list was Linda Howard’s Sarah’s Child, and After The Night, and Jeanie London’s In The Cold, all of which I enjoyed immensely, but seeing as the Tall Guy just got home, I’ll leave them for another time!

Have a nice weekend y’all!

Racist Murderers Get Life In Prison...

They killed him because he was black

OK, seeing as it’s Blog Against Racism day, I thought this would be particularly poignant.

Exactly three months ago today, I blogged about Anthony Walker, a Liverpool college student, who was axed to death in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack.

His killers, Paul Taylor and Michael Barton were handed down life sentences today for his brutal murder.

Anthony’s family are devout christians, and in a statement to the press, his mother said that she forgave her son’s killers.

She’s a better woman than me, because I couldn’t.

The Death of The Strong Black Man and The Black Family Unit...

Apparently today is anti-racism day, but I'm not going to lobby for more tolerance and understanding from non-blacks, instead my post will focus inside the black community itself.

I’ve often wondered why a lot of black males don’t seem to have the same sense of family values and responsibility that males of other creed do.

What is it about the black man that makes him think that looking after his family is a fate worse than death?

Why do a lot of black men feel the need to impregnate ten different women, and then refuse to take responsibility for their actions?

This isn't to say men of other cultures don't have the same issues, but somehow, it seems more prevalent amongst our black men.

In my little town, I see it every day. Black teenage girls pushing their babies around in prams, when they should be studying for their GCSE’s. When you ask them where the father of the child is, nine times out of ten, they don’t know.

I get really mad when I see these young teenage black girls, pushing their babies around, especially when they are little more than babies themselves. I feel that it’s just such a waste of their lives.

This phenomenon is not only restricted to teenage girls and boys though, oh no, mature black men seem to be just as bad. A lot of them seem to have the same problem with commitment and responsibility. They’ll shell out thousands for a top of the range ride, but will begrudge every penny they have to pay for their child.

Where does this attitude originate from? Who can we blame?

I’m bold enough to say that a lot of the problems that we have as black people, in the here and now, are generally caused by the actions of young black men. This is certainly true in a lot of British towns and cities.

In turn, a lot of the blame for their bad behaviour can be firmly laid at the door of their mothers. As Trixie points out, we can’t blame the fathers, because a lot of the time, they’re nowhere to be seen.

We could always blame racism and societal stereo-types that pigeon-hole our black men, thus causing them to live up to the low expectations, but that just wouldn't be right would it? A lot of Asian and Hispanic men manage to look after their families, so why can't more of ours do the same?

As long as black mothers keep burying their head in the sand when it comes to their male off-springs, they will continue to under-achieve, they will continue to make babies without taking responsibility, they will continue to refuse to protect their women sexually, thus creating the ever decreasing circle that is the strong black family unit.

DEATH TO ALL SPAMMERS!!

Seriously, I don’t know how many more of these things I can take:

“S-ensational revolution in medicine!
Enlarge your penis up to 10 cm or up to 4 inches!
It's herbal solution what hasn't side effect, but has 100% guaranteed results!
Don't loose your chance and but know wihtout doubts, you will be impressed with results!”

Hey arseholes, that's not how you spell 'lose', and that's certainly not how you spell 'without', and no, I wouldn't be impressed by anybody sporting a 4 inch dick.

So listen up you mother f*ckers:

I don’t need a penis enlargement
I’m not interested in stocks and shares
I don’t need a new Microsoft package
I don’t want to accept a trillion pounds from some dodgy bloke in Nigeria
I don’t want a new health plan
I don’t want to f*cking look at young naked teenage girls
I don’t want to enter my bank details to access my account, seeing as I’ve never even heard of your frickin’ bank!!
And, I especially don’t want to masturbate whilst on a web cam!!!

SO EFF OFF YA SICK B*STARDS!!!!

And to the person from Bangladesh who found my blog by google searching “I want to watch the names of the girls to fuck without penny”, you need help. Seriously.