Gardening, Danielle Steel, Emjai Colbert, And Rita Winners = A Long Effing Ramble...

I really should be sorting through invoices, receipts and bank statements for our accountant to do what we pay him to do, but I just can’t be arsed, so I’m finding ways to procrastinate instead.

I did some gardening earlier, I finally got round to trimming our overgrown hedge at the front of the house. I got stung a few times by some alien plants, and a couple of spiders decided to nest in my hair, but apart from that, I got it done without any fuss. The Tall Guy was busy putting down new flagstones at the back of the house.

I also managed to find time to watch-but-not-really, Danielle Steel’s Family Album. I used to inhale her books (yes I did, and I’m not ashamed to admit it) but I guess I outgrew her, or something. My fave DS book ever was Zoya.

I’m rather hot on books set during Imperial Russia, which is why I’ve always been fascinated by the story of The Grand Duchess Anastasia, who may or may not have been mudered by the Bolsheviks. Give me a Tzar Nicholas over a Lord Bumstead-Higginbottom anyday.

How about you guys? Any of you admit to reading Danielle Steel books? Confession is good for the soul, so spill your guts wenches!

Anyway, moving swiftly on, I was at Cerridwen Press earlier, and I went to check out Emjai Colbert’s author page, to see if she’d released anymore books. She hadn’t, so I tried the link to her website. Her website no longer exists. Can anybody shed any light on what she’s doing now? I certainly hope she didn’t let my less than complimentary review stop her from continuing with her career, after all she got a five star review from those Harriet Klausners gals at Cupids Library:) I’m kidding of course, I do remember seeing a bad review there in March 05.

Anyway, if anybody knows what’s happened to her, let me know wont you? Thanks in advance.

Is anybody else trying to forget that Lisa Valdez’s Patience was due out in August, or am I the only one? *Sniff*

Oh, By the way, the RITA winners are out, here they are in all their glory courtesy of rwanational.org: (Erm, they list the authors who finalled then tell ya who’s won)





















Best First Book
Show Her The Money
by Stephanie Feagan
(0373513542) Silhouette Books (Bombshell) - Natashya Wilson, editor

Best Contemporary Single Title
Lakeside Cottage
by Susan Wiggs
(0778321908) MIRA Books - Margaret Marbury and Dianne Moggy, editors

Best Inspirational Romance
Heavens To Betsy
by Beth Pattillo
(1-4000-7044-9) WaterBrook Press - Dudley Delffs, editor

Best Long Contemporary Romance
Worth Every Risk
by Dianna Love Snell
(0-373-27426-2) Silhouette Books (Intimate Moments) - Allison Lyons, editor

Best Long Historical Romance
The Devil to Pay
by Liz Carlyle
(0743470044) Pocket Books - Lauren McKenna, editor

Best Novella
“The Naked Truth about Guys” in The Naked Truth
by Alesia Holliday
(0-425-206149) Berkley Books - Cindy Hwang, editor


Best Paranormal Romance
Gabriel's Ghost
by Linnea Sinclair
(0553587978) Bantam Books - Anne Groell, editor

Best Regency Romance
A Reputable Rake
by Diane Gaston
(0263843912) Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited - Linda Fildew, editor

Best Romantic Suspense
Survivor in Death
by J.D. Robb
(0-399-15208-3) Penguin Putnam - Leslie Gelbman, editor

Best Short Contemporary Romance
The Marriage Miracle
by Liz Fielding
(0263 842754) Harlequin Mills & Boon - Emma Dunford, editor

Best Short Historical Romance
The Texan's Reward
by Jodi Thomas
(0-425-20584-3) Berkley Books - Christine Zika, editor

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Lady Luck's Map of Vegas
by Barbara Samuel
(0-345-46912-7) Ballantine Books - Linda Morrow, editor

Best Traditional Romance
Princess of Convenience
by Marion Lennox
(0263848795) Harlequin Books - Sheila Hodgson, editor


So, how many of these little puppies have you guys read? I’ve read exactly one: Survivor In Death. The only other author that I’m remotely familiar with is Liz Carlyle. I haven’t heard of any of the other authors, no surprise there then, it was more or less the same last year. How many of these books have generated buzz? How is it possible I’ve managed to miss some of these*ahem* ‘gems’? Beats the hell outta me.

BTW, is it churlish of me to be happy that a past Authors Behaving Badly candidate didn’t win the RITA for Best Contemporary Singles Title? It is? Ahh fuck it, I guess I’m churlish as hell then. (g)

UPDATE - Oh incidentally, I heard from Brenda Coulter's latest audio, that when Nora Roberts (who was the MC) accepted the award for Survivor, she said that JD Robb couldn't make it, but that had she been there, she'd have thanked Nora Roberts for everything. I thought this was rather cute...