Hump Day Movie: Muppets from Space (1999)

With the new Muppet movie coming out soon, Muppets are back in style. At least in this household. The boys are finally enjoying our (vast) collection of Muppet movies. And while I love The Great Muppet Caper or the original Muppet Movie, my favorite is Muppets from Space. It's one of the newest muppet movies, and has some of the newer characters I adore. Like Pepe the Prawn.

The plot revolves around Gonzo. We all know he's a "whatever." But what we don't know is exactly what that is. We find out in this movie. And, as with all of the Muppet movies, there are some hilarious cameos. My favorite is Ray Liotta's where Miss Piggy fogs his brain with a mind control perfume.

A big part of what makes this fun for me is the soundtrack. It's wall to wall funk. An usual choice for the Muppets, but I think it works.

And, while looking up info on the new movie, I discovered a wealth of Youtube videos featuring muppets: classics and new ones! Including this one, which is so silly I was gasping with laughter.

Happy Fall!

Review: Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl

Format: mass market paperback, ebook
Pub Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: HQN
Length: 384 pages
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

Without a doubt, this is my favorite book of Victoria Dahl's new Donovan Brothers brewery trilogy. A sexy, vulnerable and yummy hero and a smart, compassionate, and sexually insecure heroine. With plenty of sizzle and outrageous humor to keep the pages turning.

Victoria Dahl's heroines are always interesting. Olivia is fascinating. I love that she's a mix of repressed sexuality and insecurity combined with a level headed competency.

Jamie is probably Dahl's best hero. He's so vulnerable. Sexy but with this inner core of neediness that just gets to you. In the first book of the series, he seems immature, selfish, but possessing a good heart. The second book, his book, shows that the immaturity isn't as real as his family perceives. His family really doesn't know him that well.Which is part of the tragedy in Jamie's life. Despite being so charming and friendly, no one is truly close to him.

Review: Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Format: mass market, ebook
Pub Date: October 2011
Publisher: HQN (Harlequin)
Length:432 pages
FTC: Digital review copy courtesy of the publisher

**Spoilers**

I love Courtney Milan's writing. It's very smart, with smart characters, smart dialogue and smart premises. Sometimes, though, it's a little too smart. And that was the case with Unclaimed.

The concept of this book was definitely unique: a virgin hero and a courtesan heroine. Everyone struggles with the concept of chastity in this book. Especially the heroine:

"But you're–you're—A virgin?"
There was a note of amusement in his voice. "True. But just because I don't believe in poaching out of season doesn't mean I can't hunt."

I loved Mark Turner. I loved his honesty, his self awareness, his compassion. I did not love the heroine. It wasn't her profession. It was her choices. It was her mercenary nature. It was her lack of honesty throughout the first 2/3 of the book.

Author Interview: Ashley March

Please join me in welcoming historical romance author Ashley March to the blog! Her new book, Romancing the Countess, was released earlier in the month.

Why historical romance? 


Thanks so much for having me today, Amber! The simple answer to this question is that it’s the type of romance that hooked me on the genre. I think my first year of reading romance mostly consisted of historicals checked out from my local library, and my favorite authors were Jude Deveraux and Catherine Coulter.

My love in reading historical romance has led me to a love for writing it. But now I realize that I also write it because I love exploring relationships in different time periods and countries. There are a lot of possibilities when the entire world’s history and cultures are open to you.

Are there other genres you're interested in exploring?

Yes! For romance specifically, my first contemporary novella will be released in the SWEET TALK ME anthology out in November of this year. I have plans for a contemporary series after that, but no finalized details yet on when it will be published. I also have a few ideas for YA romance… The funny thing about writing is that it seems the longer you write, the more your mind is open to all sorts of stories.

I also have a few mainstream ideas, although I’m not sure when I’ll have the time to write them. One’s a book of my heart, though, so I hope it’s soon. =)



How do you balance mom duties with writing?

I don’t sleep very much. In fact, as I answer this specific interview question, it’s currently 12:30am. But I’m having fun, and that’s what matters to me the most. =)

Apart from that, I have an absolutely terrific husband. We’re both staying at home right now, and we usually take shifts with the girls during the daytime so that we can each have time to work. At night after the kids go to bed, I work until early morning. He helps out a ton with the cooking and cleaning and other household chores so I can devote most of my free time to writing and the writing business.



Who is your favorite fictional character?


I’ve answered about literary fictional characters in the past, but I’m going to have to answer the question now with a cartoon fictional character. I LOVED Darkwing Duck. =) So much, actually, that I know I’m going to be buying the DVDs for my daughters when they get older.  (I have to admit, though, that Bugs Bunny is a very, very close second.)


Both your hero and heroine in Romancing the Countess have experienced unfaithful marriages. Did that create any special challenges when telling their story?


In my mind I knew this was a very special story right from the beginning. I didn’t want to treat it irreverently and gloss over the characters’ individual pain. But in the end, it’s still a romance, and the most challenging part was at the beginning, when I had to walk a very thin line between allowing the characters space to move on individually before the time came for their romance to start developing. I had to show that, even though they didn’t immediately fall in love, there was still something there between them, an awareness—not a sexual awareness, necessarily—but still something that made them take notice of one another.


You begin each chapter with an excerpt from letters written by the hero's unfaithful wife (and written to the heroine's cheating husband). And throughout the course of the novel, your heroine, Leah, reads them. I thought that a unique (and brave) idea. Did you start out with those epigraphs in mind or were they something you added as the novel progressed?

Thank you. To be honest it was something my editor suggested when the book was finished, so I went back through and added them after the story was already complete. And I think she’s a genius for the idea, because I believe it adds an entirely new depth to the story that we wouldn’t have without it. The deceased spouses become part of their own romance in a way, instead of the typical villains they would have been otherwise.



What are you working on now?

I’m currently hosting a reader-interactive online novella on my website each week (see www.ashleymarch.com/novella), where readers can read a new chapter every Tuesday and then vote for what they want to have happen next in the story. When the novella is finished it will be self-published, with 25% of proceeds going to a charity I choose (probably something to do with children).

I’m also finishing edits for my third Signet book. MY LADY RIVAL is the launch of a new Victorian series called A Belgrave Square Affair, and I’m so excited to share these characters with my readers! It is scheduled to release on May 1, 2012.

I also have a few other projects in the works for both 2011 and 2012. Readers can keep up with all the details for what’s coming next by visiting me at www.ashleymarch.com/coming-soon or by subscribing to my newsletter at www.ashleymarch.com/email.

Alright, I have to hear it. Whether you were born in the first half of the 20th century or the second half, I’m sure you watched cartoons. What is your favorite cartoon character?


One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS (open internationally)! Also, find out how to win the ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour Grand Prize of 50+ romance novels by visiting www.ashleymarch.com!  

Recipe: Fresh Peach Cake

Thanks to a generous neighbor, I had a few peaches to use up. This is a wonderful breakfast cake and goes together fairly quickly. I made it without the pecans, and it tasted just fine. Although I bet it would be way more delicious WITH.

I bet this would be just as yummy with other fruit as well.




Fresh Peach Cake by Ina Garten
 Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans. Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Hey, Look! I'm at H&H

Today, I'm over at Heroes and Heartbreakers talking about single genre romance readers. I'd love for you to stop by and say hello! (It's my very first blog post there, so I'm a teensy bit nervous.)

Banned Books Week September 24-October 1

I'm always surprised by the books people choose to take issue with.  Here is a list of books challenged in May 2010-May 2011. 

(PDF) http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/2011banned.pdf

Included in the list:

• Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• The Catcher in Rye by JD Salinger
• Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

TBR Challenge Review: No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Format: Hardcover (also available in mm paperback, ebook)
Pub Date: September 2010
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Length: 343 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

Once again, I'm squeaking in under the wire on the TBR Challenge post. This month's theme is series catchup...a book from a series you're behind in.  With the publication of Retribution, I was 2 books behind in the Dark-Hunter series. The last book I read, Bad Moon Rising, was so awful that I refused to buy another Kenyon book in hardcover. And since my library's romance selection sucks...well, it's been a year since No Mercy came out and I'm just now getting to it via a remaindered copy I picked up on clearance.

The good news? No Mercy doesn't suck nearly as hard as Bad Moon Rising did. It's a complete book (which BMR wasn't), the characters don't have a personality change mid-book (which BMR did), and the dialogue is far less sappy and more snarky. Which is something I had forgotten about the Dark Hunter series and really enjoyed while reading No Mercy.

Get Ready for Banned Books Week: September 24-October 1

Catcher in the Rye . . . Harry Potter . . . Captain Underpants . . .
Every year, there are hundreds of attempts to remove books from schools and libraries. Celebrate YOUR freedom to read and right to choose your book during Banned Books Week, September 24 to October 1, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.ala.org/bbooks.

Recipe: Blackberry Swirl Pound Cake

Blackberry Swirl Pound Cake
Recipe from Martha Stewart
(Photos and adjustments are mine)

I made this the other day to use some of the blackberries I had picked off of the vine. The berries are late this year, so I only managed to pick a few cups. Fortunately, this recipe only takes 1 1/3 cups (which means it won't cost you an arm and a leg if you have to buy your berries).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
6 ounces blackberries (1 1/3 cups)
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter (I use butter spray) a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; butter parchment. In a food processor, puree blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Transfer half the batter to pan (smoothing the layer down) and dot with 1/2  blackberry puree. Repeat with remaining batter and puree. With knife or skewer, swirl batter and puree together. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 30 minutes. Lift cake out of pan and place on a serving plate; let cool completely before slicing. (Yes, you really do need to let it cool. This is a delicate, dense cake that slices beautifully when cool).

(My attempt didn't swirl as well as it should have, but tasted fine just the same. The blackberry ends up with a taste and texture similar to jam.)

Happy Holidays! Oh wait...

It seems like Christmas merchandise creeps onto the shelves earlier and earlier every year. I've spotted Christmas crafts in July, and the holiday decorations are popping up in big boxes as soon as the back to school promos come down.

And with the holiday decor comes the holiday romances. Many of them with publication dates of September and October. Before Halloween! And there are a ton of them coming out this year. (See pictures and links below the break.)

I personally love holiday romances, but they do seem kind of risky for authors. Their sales season is fairly short (although there are some, like me, who read them all year long.) And so many of them center around Christmas, which means they risk alienating those who celebrate other winter holidays like Hanukkah or Kwanza.


What do you think of holiday romances? Do you love them, hate them, or just feel kind of meh? And are you like me, and read them all year long or do you only read them close to the holidays?

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Last Starfighter

My husband did the snoopy dance in the middle of Safeway when he spotted this little gem on Blu-ray. He loves those early 80s space movies. Loves, loves, loves. Me? I like them in a campy way, but still make fun of the horrible special effects. I almost prefer the string method of spaceship effects in those 1950s movies to the early computer animated stuff.


In this movie, a teenager stuck in the middle of nowhere, living with his family in a trailer park, dreams of doing big things. But circumstances constantly force him to put others before himself. His only escape is a video game (a really primitive arcade style game!) called the Last Starfighter.

After one really bad day, he retreats to the game and manages to break the all time record. Little does he realize that the game was a test, and soon he's recruited by an alien(!) to become a Starfighter.

Yes, it really is that silly. But other than a few explosions and some mild sexual references, it's much tamer than anything but children's movies being put out today.

Stuck in a Rut: The Dreaded Reading Slump Hits

I've been a little quiet on the blog this last week. And that's due in part to the fact that I haven't managed to finish a book ALL WEEK. I normally read 2-5 books a week, depending on length and what else I have going on in my real life. Not getting even one book read? It's a horrible feeling.

It's not that I don't have plenty to read. I'm in the middle of 6 books right now. I seem to be getting to about the 100-150 page mark and then losing interest. I'm in the home stretch of summer, only 1 more week until school starts for the kids, but I just can't seem to finish *anything*. It's really annoying.

I'm reading all kinds of different genres, so I don't think that's it. Maybe I need a reread or a novella to break me out of this funk.  What do you do when a reading slump hits?

Waiting on Wednesday: Devil's Kiss by Zoë Archer (Hellraisers #1)

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy, book-loving hands on.

I adored the Blades of the Rose series by Zoe Archer. I love her writing, period. So, naturally, I can't wait to read her new series: the Hellraisers.


Pub Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
Format: mass market paperback, ebook
Length: 370 pages

The Blurb:

A Handsome Devil
1762. James Sherbourne, Earl of Whitney, is a gambling man. Not for the money. But for the thrill, the danger--and the company: Whit has become one of the infamous Hellraisers, losing himself in the chase for adventure and pleasure with his four closest friends.

Which was how Whit found himself in a gypsy encampment, betting against a lovely Romani girl. Zora Grey's smoky voice and sharp tongue entrance Whit nearly as much as her clever hands--watching them handle cards inspires thoughts of another kind...


Zora can't explain her attraction to the careless blue-eyed Whit. She also can't stop him and his Hellraisers from a fiendish curse: the power to grant their own hearts' desires, to chase their pleasures from the merely debauched to the truly diabolical. And if Zora can't save Whit, she still has to escape him. . .

Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Predator by Christine Feehan

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy, book-lovin' hands on.

This one is a shout out for my mom, the hopeless Christine Feehan addict. There's a new Dark series book coming out on September 6th. Which means only 2 more weeks of waiting for her. This is the story she's been waiting years for.

Dark Predator
Format: Hardcover, ebook
Pub Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: Berkley hardcover
Length: 384 pages

The Blurb:

As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Now his stark and savage journey has ended. For his brothers, Zacarias had walked to the edge of madness, but with centuries as a killing machine now left to the past and without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders, for the first time in his life, who he really is.
The answer awaits him back home, in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman who is readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy-and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined...

Recipe: Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Recipe by Tyler Florence (with a few adjustments by moi.)

Blueberry Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough. (I usually end up moving the blueberries around by hand, as the dough is really stiff and not really amenable to "folding.")

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving. (The glaze has been halved from Tyler's original recipe. It is a thin glaze that disappears into the scone and leaves behind a tart/sweet shiny finish. If you want a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar.)

These are tender, moist, and not too sweet. 

My self congratulatory picture at left confirms it! 
<--------

TBR Challenge Review: Mesmerized by Lauren Dane

Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Berkley Heat (Penguin)
Pub Date: April 2011
Length: 294 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

The blurb:

Andrei Solace delivers death on silent feet as an assassin for the Phantom Corps. Mercenary Piper Roundtree thought she was over him. But against the backdrop of an impending war, their passion is rekindled. Now the lovers must join forces- in more ways than one-to save the Known Universe before the Imperialist enemy hurls it into irreversible chaos.

I'm a little late today getting this review written because...um...I just finished the book. Which I started today. This month's TBR Challenge theme was "spicy." I picked this book up at the RT Convention signing back in April. (Along with about 50 other books from the signing and convention.)

I'm struggling to give a grade to this book. It was compelling enough to read off and on all day. I didn't feel the urge to walk away from it. But I also felt really disconnected from the two main characters. I didn't plug-in to their emotions in the way I prefer. I'm not sure if it's something about Lauren Dane's voice that didn't click with me or if I was just too hung up on the Star Wars/Star Trek parallels.

Waiting on Wednesday: To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy book loving hands on.

I've read 3 out of 4 of the books in this series and have liked them all. (I will probably go back and read the one I missed, too.) I have to admit, I'm not a fan of this cover, though.

To Wed a Wild Lord

Format: Mass market paperback, ebook

Pub Date: November 22, 2011

Publisher: Pocket

Length: 384 pages

The Blurb: 

Like everything daredevil Gabriel Sharpe does, pursuing Virginia Waverly is a high-stakes game. Ever since her brother Roger died racing Lord Gabriel, Virginia has yearned to take her revenge on the reckless lord by beating him at his own sport. But when she challenges Lord Gabriel to a race, the hellion who has always embraced his dark reputation as the “Angel of Death” counters with a marriage proposal!

Gabe knows Virginia's family is in dire financial straits—why shouldn’t she marry him and solve both their problems? She claims to be appalled by his proposal, but her response to his kisses says otherwise. So when the two of them begin to unravel the truth behind Roger’s death, Gabe takes the greatest gamble of all, offering the cunning and courageous beauty something more precious than any inheritance: true love.

Indie is NOT Self Pubbed

I'm a little irritated this morning. There's been a brief discussion on Dear Author and a lengthier one on Twitter about this issue, but I still feel the need to rant a bit.

Self publishing is the bastard stepchild of the book world. The only thing worse according to many is vanity press. Self publishing has a reputation that makes that term synonymous with a slush pile of unedited, poorly written dreck.

Now that publishing is changing, and self publishing is having a few successes, there are some self published authors who are trying to use the term "indie" to refer to themselves. The problem is that the term is already taken. If self pubbers want to use a different term to describe themselves, more power to them. But they shouldn't do it by preempting a term that has been in use in the publishing business for decades.


An indie author is someone signed with an indie press. An indie press is also sometimes known as a small press, but not always. An independent press is to publishing as an independent record label is to the music industry. It's not owned by a large conglomerate which is then owned by an even larger media company. It's a stand-alone business.

Wiki has several pertinent sentences as well:

The terms "small press", "indie publisher", and "independent press" are often used interchangeably, with "independent press" defined as publishers that are not part of large conglomerates or multinational corporation.

and this

The majority of small presses are independent or indie publishers, this means that they are separate from the handful of major publishing house conglomerates, such as Random House or Hachette. The term 'indie publisher' should not be confused with 'self publisher', which is where the author publishes only their own books.

We don't consider an indie music artist as someone putting out records in his or her basement. We consider them musicians signed with an indie label instead of one of the big music companies like Sony or Warner.  The same concept applies with indie authors and indie pubs.

Why does it matter? It matters because conflating indie with self publication confuses the reader. And confusing/deceiving the reader is a bad thing. I don't care how many extra sales you think you'll get, once deceived, a reader will not only NOT buy your book, they'll tell every other person they can not to buy your book.

Indies are true publishing houses. They are a PRESS. They publish more than the work of a single author. They have editors who acquire or reject based on taste and quality. This is an entirely different thing from self publication.

Most writers I know are aware that words have power. How you use them is important. Using a term that means something specific to many people in the industry and pretending it means something else is a choice. And I'm not going to have a very high opinion of those who engage in that practice.

Don't like the self-pub label? Fine. But don't steal a well known industry term and use it to mask what you're really doing.

It's Fair Time!

If I've been MIA on the blog and Twitter lately, it's because I've been spending all week at our county fair. In the small town universe, the fair is a big deal. Sure, it's old fashioned, but it's also THE place to see everyone. Like a mini reunion. And then there's the bragging rights. We have an "art barn" where everyone enters their paintings, drawings, and photos. There's the Home Arts area that showcases the baked goods, jellies, and quilts. And there's the animal area where local 4H members show off their various animals.

Like this smug guy here.

Our fair is actually a 2 county fair. My county is small (only 20,000 people), but the neighboring county is even smaller. And although we live in the mountains, it's also a big agricultural area with ranches just about everywhere.

And then there's the fair parade which starts with the firing of the anvils. Basically two anvils stuck on top of each other with a little gunpowder or  accelerant in the middle. Then a long pole is heated up in this forge-type thing. Put the super heated pole end on the anvils and BOOM! The sound can be heard over a mile away where the parade starts. (You can tell the veteran parade goers by the fingers in their ears).

Review: Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

Format: Mass market paperback; ebook
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN (Harlequin)
Pub Date: September 1, 2011
FTC: digital review copy courtesy of the publisher
 *Mild spoilers*

Good Girls Don't is the first full length book in Dahl's new Donovan series. In typical Victoria Dahl fashion, it's filled with snappy dialogue, hunky guys, and a heroine that elicits some divisive reactions among readers.

I had some issues with the heroine in this book. I didn't dislike her, but failed to understand the source of her never-ending mistrust and need for keeping secrets. For me, being scared of a rift in the family didn't seem sufficient motivation to go behind her family's back and "fix" something by making a deal that threatened her financial security. And her insistence on covering for her adult brother seemed more than a little bit unhealthy.

Maya Banks Book Video by Tessa Dare

As part of Operation Auction, Tessa Dare offered up a book video (in a similar style to those for her Stud Club trilogy). I laughed myself silly watching this. Congrats to Tessa on a fabulous job and to Maya Banks for an awesome book video. And I say that as someone who doesn't like book videos.

Hump Day Movie: Mr. Frost (1990)

It's hard to believe that this movie is NOT available on DVD. I personally find it one of Goldblum's creepier movies. And it highlights both his appeal and his incredible skills with dialogue. Parts of it are available (potentially infringing) on Youtube. You can find used copies on VHS, if you happen to still have a VCR laying around.

Here's a brief synopsis from wiki:
A police detective named Felix Detweiler visits the palatial French estate of Mister Frost, whose first name is never given, to investigate a report of a dead body. Frost, with very little prompting, cheerfully admits that he has many bodies buried in his yard.Frost is arrested and ultimately placed in an asylum, not having spoken a word for two years. During this time the police are unable to establish his identity. The detective leaves his job and becomes obsessed with Frost and the 24 corpses dug up from his garden. Frost's long silence is broken when he encounters Sarah Day, a doctor at the asylum. Frost refuses to speak with anyone but her, then tells Dr. Day that he is, in fact, Satan. He reveals that he plans to goad her into murdering him.

This came out about a year before Silence of the Lambs, but it is similar in style.  It's a dialogue-driven film, filled with philosophical discussions between doctor and patient. It has a very early 90s/late 80s aesthetic, though, so be warned.


You can watch the trailer here. It's really awful, though, so it's no wonder the public's reception of this movie was tepid.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy book loving hands on.

The Bite Before Christmas by Jeaniene Frost and Lynsay Sands
Pub Date: October 25, 2011
Publisher: William Morrow
Format: Hardcover, ebook
Length: 352 pages

Sands and Frost write very different paranormal romances, so I'm intrigued to see how well these mesh in this hardcover release.

In Lynsay Sands' "The Gift," Katricia Argeneau knows grey-eyed cop Teddy Brunswick is her life mate. She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget.

It's "Home for the Holidays" in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.

Dishonesty in Romance

I really need to stop reading books where the hero or heroine keeps secrets. I've just been reading too many of them lately, and my tolerance is so low that even a whiff of it sends my blood pressure up.

I know that books need conflict to work well, but there's something about the 'I have a secret agenda' plot that drives me absolutely up the wall. Especially when the hero or heroine is STILL lying midway or later in the novel. For me, it comes down to trust.

Trust is important in a relationship. Without it, I'm not going to believe that a couple will ever have a lifetime Happily Ever After. Chemistry or attraction is all well and good, but without trust, I don't believe love can last.

I guess that makes me old fashioned in a way. But it's why I can't stand cheating in books, either. I'm not saying the 'secret agenda' plot can never work, but it loses its believability for me when it continues past the very beginning of the novel. Because I consider any hero or heroine who forgives someone who has been lying to them for so long as TSTL. How on earth can they ever trust that person to be honest with them when every aspect of their association is based on lie after lie?


Am I the only one who hates this trope with a passion? Are there more dishonest heroines these days or am I just noticing them? Are there any other plot devices that drive you up the wall or lead you to put a book down as a DNF?

Waiting on Wednesday Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event (although I've been slacking of late) hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy, book-loving hands on. 

I've read the first two in this series via Netgalley. (Yeah, yeah, I broke my NG boycott for them. What can I say? I'm weak).  The first one (out August 30th) is good, the second one is better. I'm unsure how much I'll like the 3rd one. Why? Because I didn't like the prequel story set up contained in the Guy Next Door anthology. And because the oldest brother is a bit of an uptight jerk.

But it's Victoria Dahl, so I want to read it anyway. Like RIGHT NOW. Anyhoo...

Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl
Publisher: HQN (Harlequin)
Pub Date: October 25, 2011
Format:mass market, ebook
Donovan Brothers Brewery #3


The Blurb:

It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.

Monday Crankiness

I have a case of Monday Crankies. Everything seems to be setting me off. Today, two things involved RT Magazine. Well, sort of.

First, there's the giant advertisement in the magazine by Avon promoting its k.i.s.s. and teal awareness campaign for ovarian cancer (September, page 7). That's a good thing, right? Right. But amongst the many participating new release titles, I spotted something odd. Avon had chosen The Deed by Lynsay Sands as a title to include in the program. My problem with that? It's not a new release. It's a reissue of a Sands backlist title that Avon purchased from Dorchester when they (Dorchester) first started having financial problems.

A little sleuthing around online revealed a bit more. While Amazon marks this book as a reissue in the product details, nothing on the front cover gives any clue that it's not a new book. And Barnes and Noble has no mention whatsoever of its "classic" status.

Review: Turn It Up by Inez Kelley

Format: ebook
Publisher: Carina Press
Pub Date: August 1, 2011
FTC: digital copy provided by the author because she knows I love witty banter

The Blurb:
 Dr. Bastian Talbot and self-proclaimed sex goddess Charlie Pierce heat up the air waves with their flirty banter as radio hosts Dr. Hot and the Honeypot. Off the air, they’re best friends…but Bastian wants to be so much more. He wants Charlie—in bed, and forever.

Problem is, Charlie doesn’t do commitment. Sure, she’s had X-rated fantasies of Bastian, but he was always just a friend—until he impulsively proposes and unleashes the lust they’ve been denying for years. Charlie’s willing to explore where their wild chemistry leads, but she won’t marry him. And he won’t have sex with her until she accepts his proposal, despite her seductive schemes.

What are Dr. Hot and the Honeypot to do? Ask their listeners for advice on how to tame a sex kitten and turn a perfect gentleman into a shameless lover. The Race to Wed or Bed is on…who will turn up on top?

I loved this book. I really did. A steady, responsible hero with a sense of humor, a heroine not afraid to embrace her naughty side, some sexy and outrageous banter, and S'moregasms*. Can't ask for much more than that.

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Black Cauldron (1985)

Before Disney princess marketing took over absolutely everything, Disney sometimes put out darker pictures. But nothing, I think, quite as dark as the Black Cauldron. Even with a Disney spin, this movie earned a PG rating from the MPAA. The first PG rating for Disney's animated division. And audiences were not quite as willing to embrace that darker vision.

Very loosely based on the Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, the movie bombed at the box office. I personally think it's one of the better movies from the mid-80s that Disney put out. It's not a musical, although there are elements of music throughout. It's a little rough around the edges, but I like the dark tone of the film. The creepiness. For fans of animation, this is a must-see film.



You can see a clip on youtube here: http://youtu.be/OlT3XbfU6e8

Cilantro Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

This is my husband's favorite deviled egg recipe.  The original version was from a cilantro cookbook, although we've tweaked it  a bit.

Cilantro Jalapeño Deviled Eggs
12 eggs, hardboiled, peeled and halved
1/2 cup Cilantro Aioli (recipe follows)
Salt
24 small springs of cilantro

Transfer yolks to a bowl and mash with Cilantro Aioli, adding salt to taste. Using a spoon, melon baller, or pastry bag, fill egg white halves with yolk mixture. Garnish with spring of cilantro before serving.

Cilantro Aioli
1 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves (or a good handful unchopped)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 jalapeño

In food processor, combine mayonnaise, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeño. Pulse to blend until fairly smooth. Add salt to taste.

Makes a little over 1 cup. You can mix sour cream with leftover aioli to make a terrific sauce for tacos.

TBR Challenge Review: When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

 This month's TBR Challenge theme was fairy tales. And, since I'm lazy, I went with the most recent and accessible matching title.

Format: mass market
Publisher: Avon
Pub Date: February 2011
Length: 372 pages
FTC: Purchased myself
Why it was in the TBR: picked it up during a Walmart excursion because I liked the cover. Yes, I am that shallow.

I used to be a rabid Eloisa James fan. Even when she was pilloried by readers and reviewers for writing wallpaper (and doing a substandard job with historical accuracy), I loved her. Especially the Essex sisters series.

But her Georgian romances left me cold and I drifted away.


When Beauty Tamed the Beast isn't set in any particular time period, but I can honestly say that the entire book felt anachronisitic.  It felt entirely too modern for me, and I'm sure much of that was the dialogue. I like witty banter as much as the next gal, but not when it's hollow. And that's what much of the dialogue felt like to me: too modern, and without any emotion whatsoever.

This is one of the few books I've read recently that redeemed itself towards the end. I had to force myself to get past the first 2/3 of the book because...I hate House, the TV series James used as a basis for her hero. I really, really hate that series. So it stands to reason I wouldn't be all that fond of the literary version, either. It wasn't until the hero and the heroine had to finally stop acting so cavalier about everything that I became involved with the story.

There's some spoilery for why the book gets more serious (which I won't go into), but I did end up liking that final third of the book and the growth of both the hero and heroine that I revised my grade upwards.

My Grade: B

The Blurb:

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.
Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman. Linnet is not just any woman.
She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.
If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

The Romance Masquerade

No, I'm not talking about the silly thing found in historical romances where rich people dress up and wear masks. I'm talking about when romance books masquerade as something other than romance. These are the books that non-romance readers forget to sneer about.

Catherine Coulter, Jayne Ann Krentz, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Nora Roberts and Diana Gabaldon are a few authors I can think of whose books are often shelved outside the romance area. Sometimes in mystery or fiction. During my tenure at BN, I spent quite a lot of time of escorting a confused buyer from the romance section to the fiction section when they were searching for Jennifer Crusie books or any number of other "romances in disguise."

Anyone who has followed the blog for awhile knows that I'm not a fan of my local indie. But I did manage to find some romance there. Just not in the romance section. And invariably, it was a big name author. In my observation, big names in romance seem to more frequently warrant the general "Fiction" label from the marketing department for their books. Which in turn allows them to skirt the stigma romance continues to suffer under and sell more to a wider audience. (Women's fiction and chick lit offer great camouflage, too.)

Review: Changeling Dream by Dani Harper

Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Kensington Brava
Pub Date: June 28, 2011  (different version prev. pubbed as Heart of the Winter Wolf)
Length: 376 pages
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher
(Spoilers!)

This one surprised me by how much I liked it. It's sort of like a Rip Van Winkle werewolf story, which is unusual by itself. But it's also set in Canada, which I found a bit refreshing, too.

Dani Harper has a strong voice, something I always appreciate. There's nothing worse than picking up a book that reads just like every other book out there, but thankfully that wasn't the case here.

Review: Never Cry Wolf by Cynthia Eden

Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Kensington Brava
Pub Date: July 2011
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher


I've been meaning to read Cynthia Eden's books for quite some time.  Her romantic suspense books come very highly recommended, but I haven't heard much about her paranormal series. I've been on a bit of a shifter binge lately, so Never Cry Wolf fit right in.

I have no idea why, but the pack came off a bit like a biker gang. It's likely the absence of women shifters in this story, but there doesn't seem to be any community here. And that's what I like about shifter books: the way packs have both an animal hierarchy and a human support system. It felt weird not to find that here.

Sunday Drive

We went on a family drive to the Lakes Basin today. It's a gorgeous area in a neighboring county. Partly in Plumas National Forest and partly in Tahoe National Forest.

The boys love the Sand Pond area. There's a lovely interpretive trail there, but it took a beating this winter.

I'm not really sure what these are. They look very, um... yeah. Suggestive.

Review: Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen

Format: Mass market; ebook
Pub Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: HQN (Harlequin)
Length:
FTC: Review copy from publisher via Netgalley

Way back in 2008, Susan Andersen was publishing a trilogy about 3 childhood friends. The first book, Cutting Loose, came out and I loved it. [Anyone looking for a rugged, hunky hero should check that book out!!] The second, Bending the Rules, came out 11 months later in summer 2009. It was ok, didn't love it like the 1st but didn't hate it either. Then I waited for the 3rd book. And waited. And waited some more. Turns out that Harlequin had up and decided to not publish the 3rd book!

Oh, I was pissed. As were the other rabid Susan Andersen fans who wanted that last story. We sent letters to her publisher. We gnashed our teeth on social networks and blogs.

Finally, HQN relented. I haven't heard exactly what had to happen behind the scenes to make this happen, but we FINALLY have the last story in the trilogy. Hot damn!!


Playing Dirty is a classic story of betrayal. Sort of a lovers to enemies to lovers story. And I'll admit, given what the hero does to the heroine, I didn't think Andersen could pull off a reconciliation that I'd believe.

Waiting on Wednesday: Wolf at the Door by MaryJanice Davidson

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy, bibliophile hands on.

I admit, the Betsy vampire series didn't really work for me. But I've adored Davidson's other series: the werewolves, the mermaids... Her humor is so quirky.

Wolf at the Door by MaryJanice Davidson
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Format: Trade paperback

The Blurb:

Rachel, a werewolf/accountant, is asked to keep one eye on Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor and the other peeled for a rogue werewolf who's itching to start a war. But her attention is mostly on a sexy, mysterious stranger she wishes she could trust.

Review: The Osiris Ritual by George Mann

Format: Hardcover (also available in Trade Paperback, ebook)
Publisher: TOR
Pub Date: August 2010 (orig. published in the UK in 2009)
Length: 319 pages
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

Egyptian artifacts, steampunk, and mystery together in one book? Yes, please. I was so excited to get my hands on this book. I'm an Egypt nut. And although I'm fairly new to the steampunk subgenre, it is definitely growing on me.

I was worried that I would be a little lost coming into the series in the middle, but this stands alone just fine. There are a few references to previous cases, but nothing that makes this book difficult to understand. In fact, the best parts of this book are the mystery aspects.

Happy Independence Day Part 2

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day!

This time tomorrow, I will be sitting in a chair watching a neighboring town's 4th of July parade.

And I will be taking pictures. Like the ones I took last year. Hopefully, I won't be as unobservant. Last year, I was so entranced by the little red Rudolph nose that I completely missed the other alteration to this sign.

Yeah. Not sure how I missed the giant deer dong.

Hope everyone has a safe, happy, and fun Independence Day celebration. Me? I'm going to watch some cheesy parades and take more pictures of the "local color."

RITA winners!

Congratulations to all of the RITA and Golden Heart Winners. Winners were announced tonight at the RWA National conference in New York City.