TBR Challenge Review: Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken

Format: ebook
Pub Date: 2008
Publisher: Samhain/Zebra (print)
Length: 352 pages (includes prequel novella)
FTC: Purchased myself

Ok, so I cheated with this one. I DO have this book in print somewhere in my TBR, but since that book is currently boxed up and inaccessible, I bought a copy last month in e. *hangs head in shame*
But once I do find the print copy, I think I can finally let go of it, share it, pass it on.

I have several G.A. Aiken books in my TBR. The newer ones are *not* boxed up, and I suspect I'll be reading those shortly. This one I picked up because my RT Convention roommate shamed me into it. I LOVE Shelly Laurenston's books. And yet, for some reason, I had not read her as G.A. Aiken. There's no real explanation other than they didn't really appeal the first few times I picked them up. I love funny books, and this author is ALWAYS funny.

Brokedown Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Format: ebook, mass market paperback
Pub Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin
Length: 368 pages
FTC: ARC courtesy of the publisher

It's a happy, happy day when I get to read a book by Maisey Yates. She has a very strong writing voice which is funny, emotional, and not just a little bit sarcastic. Most are also on the lighter side, although that is not the case with this one.  All of that is to say that I tend to start every Maisey book predisposed to like it. It's also a friends-to-lovers story which are like catnip for me.

This is the second book in the Copper Ridge trilogy. I've read the first one, but of course didn't review it because I'm the laziest blogger on the planet. Or busiest. Whatever. We meet most of the characters in book one, but this is definitely a stand alone novel.

RT Convention: Day 3

Friday was kind of a chill day at RT, at least for me. Unlike Thursday, which had so much that appealed on the agenda, there wasn't all that much I wanted to see Friday.

I went to the Shooting Stars Gala where I sat at the lovely Delores Fossen's table. It was basically glorified Bingo (I swear there were 3 reader panels that were bingo related), but it was nice to sit and chat in a more relaxed atmosphere with authors.

Review: Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Marina Adair

Format: ebook
Pub Date: 2012
Publisher: Montlake
Length: 309 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

I am still clawing my way out of the Reading Slump That Will Not Die, so I took to Twitter to find some new-to-me authors who are similar to those whose books nearly always work for me (specifically Jill Shalvis and Maisey Yates).  Twitter, as always, came through. One of the authors suggested was Marina Adair.

I'm not sure how I ended up choosing this particular book, since it's a Christmas book, but it definitely fit the bill for what I was looking for: lighter, FUNNY romance. The set up is pretty simple: single mom Regan lands in Napa Valley with a new job prospect and a huge dollop of hope that things in her life will get easier. Soon she learns that her past has caught up with her and that her own personal nemesis is sabotaging her hopes and dreams again.

RT Convention Day 2

Thursday started out wondering where our morning events went. RT used to hold breakfast events, but this year, there was only one. After braving the epic coffee line, I "crashed" a bookseller/librarian panel with Jill Shalvis and Eloisa James (it was open to everyone, but I was the only blogger/reader there).

The panel was on curating the perfect romance collection and featured some brainstorming about how to get the word out about events, how to gather a good, representational selection of romance, and how to play around with displays to cross sell with other genres.

RT Wrap Up Day 1

I'm officially back from Dallas and the RT Booklover's Convention. As always, it's a truly magical experience to immerse yourself in a sea of other book people—most of whom read the types of books you do. Especially when you read romance and can't find people in your day to day life to talk books with.

This is my 4th RT, and I made a deliberate attempt to go to the more informational panels rather than the social ones. Don't get me wrong, the parties are usually fun, but I love the almost reporter like hat I get to wear as I live tweet the panels where new ideas, writing advice, and publishing updates are shared.

Wednesday's highlight was a Contemporary Romance panel featuring Sylvia Day, Liliana Hart, Jennifer Probst, Jill Shalvis and Julie Ann Walker.

Sylvia Day shared that the death of the mass market and the rise of the audio book were two turns in publishing that surprised her--although she doesn't usually pay too much attention to what's trendy. I'd have to agree (while also lamenting the fact because I LOATHE trade paperbacks.)

As for keeping sex scenes fresh, the entire panel agreed that if you're struggling to write a sex scene, that if it's feeling stale, it's because it doesn't belong there. Sex should move the plot or relationship forward. The story should not make sense without it. I think that's something most readers agree with, also.

More to come...

Review: Cordelia's Corinthian by Victoria Hinshaw

Format: Mass market paperback (OOP, unavailable in e)
Pub Date: May 2004
Publisher: Zebra Kensington
Length: 219 pages
FTC: Purchased used

This month's theme is Kickin' it Old School (at least 10 years old). I have plenty of those in the TBR, but I particularly love the old print Regencies that they don't make anymore. I haven't had a lot of luck finding many new entries of these tame gems in the ebook world. I miss them.

This one falls into the spinster/poor relation category. Corey (WTH is up with *that* name?) decides to help her very pregnant cousin with her children as Corey tries to figure out what to do about her future. Her parents are spending their money bailing her older brother out of trouble, so she feels like she must soon seek employment to better support them. A plot device that had me giving the side eye to this book early on.

It's Corey's bad luck that her cousin's confinement is coinciding with a traditional fishing tournament hosted by her cousin's husband. (Way to support your wife, jackass). The men in attendance are well known pranksters, and Corey is less than thrilled to have her visit interrupted by them.

The main problem with this book is that everyone except the heroine is a gigantic ass. They are self absorbed, deceitful, manipulative, childish... Even the hero. And there's a big pile of fishing filler. Like, everything you never wanted to know about fly fishing in the 19th century in teeny, tiny detail. Right down to which bugs are hatching. ZZZ.

I never really cared about the romance or any of the characters. It was a big pile of meh. This isn't the worst book out there, but there are definitely better ones.

My Grade: D+

The Blurb:

IS IT A PASSING WHIM...
Cordelia Bransford, a spinster at twenty-four, is happy to spend a few months at Lodesham Hall helping her expectant cousin care for her three little children. Among the guests attending the Earl's annual fishing tourney is Lord Matthew Allerton, a man with a reputation for more than his share of youthful scandal. Cory vows to resist his good looks and easy charm, believing his flirtatious manner is nothing more than habit. No dashing rakehell could possibly be tamed by a vicar's unsophisticated daughter...

...OR A ROMANCE TO LAST A LIFETIME?
Matt has spent the last few months recovering from his Waterloo injuries, and is much in need of pleasant diversion. He delights in teaching Corey and the children the fine art of angling, despite her witty dismissal of his flirtatious advances. She is refreshingly unlike the frivolous young ladies he's known--and now that he actually wants a woman to take him seriously, Matt is dismayed by Corey's absolute refusal to do so! But her love is a prize indeed--and her hand is well worth winning...

Headed to RT

Despite my lack of blogging, I'm still going to the RT Booklovers Convention. It's my annual sanity break from the boys. I love them dearly, but let's face it: they're boys.

This year, the convention is being held in Dallas which I'm kind of meh about. I've been there, done that. Next year is Vegas and ditto. So I don't have to worry about any sightseeing while I'm there. I might even get to eat between sessions. (Hahahahahaha).

If you're coming, please try to find me! I usually forget to introduce myself by my blog/twitter handle. I'll be AMBER...before I remember to say my blog name a few minutes later.

The best part of these conventions is that they are made for shy, introverts, too. And if you live in BFE like I do, they give you a rare chance to truly chat face to face with other readers who like what you read. It's a powerful thing.

TBR Challenge Review: Cold Sight by Leslie Parrish

Pub Date: July 2010
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Format: Mass Market
Length: 345 pages
FTC: Purchased from Borders (*sniffle*)

I remember hearing tons of buzz about this when it first came out, but I was on a non-paranormal kick then. I did grab it up when Borders was liquidating, though, along with the 2nd book and final book Parrish (aka Leslie Kelly and Leslie A. Kelly) published in the series. I had heard the sales of the Extrasensory Agents series were disappointing, which is too bad since I really ended up liking both books.

Hump Day Classic Movie: Double Indemnity (1944)

There are a lot of noir films out there.  Finding a place to start can be intimidating. Fortunately, Google is my best friend. If I find a movie on multiple Top 10 lists, I bump it up in my Netflix queue. Double Indemnity is on just about every list out there. It's iconic, not the least because of Barbara Stanwyck's performance. I spotted a clip featuring her scene in the bath towel playing in the background on NCIS last night.

Fred MacMurray, probably best known for his Disney goofball roles in the Absent Minded Professor and the The Shaggy Dog, plays an insurance agent who winds up getting in over his head with an unhappy housewife who manipulates him into planning the murder of her husband.

Directed by Billy Wilder (who co-wrote the screenplay with Raymond Chandler, based on James Cain's book) the movie has some intricate, razor-sharp dialogue. There's plenty of action, too, but to get the most out of this movie, you have to really listen.

TBR Challenge Review: Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long

Format: mass market paperback
Length: 371 pages
Pub Date: 2008
Publisher: Avon
FTC: purchased used

This is one of those series that everyone seems to love...but I honestly can't remember if I've read any of the other entries in it. I may have read I Kissed an Earl, but I have no record of it. It sounds really familiar. I hate my memory sometimes. Anyway, I think this qualifies for this month's theme, since I am *really* behind on the series. I'm especially behind everyone else who has read the series because they're all breathlessly awaiting Lyon's book. I'm back at #2. We'll just call this month's theme "aka Late to the Party."

I love Julia Anne Long's voice. Her writing is so evocative, you just sink into the story. It's sly and witty without being too obvious about it. I found myself smiling at turns of phrase, just because. And the characters were all uniformly well formed. There are no cardboard secondary characters here.

Why high ebook prices are insulting for readers

It's rare that I piggyback onto a Dear Author post. Usually, I just pop into the comment section or hop onto Twitter to chime in, but today's post struck a nerve for me. I'm just going to write my reaction in my usual, meandering style.

I'm reading the Clare Fergusson series by Julia Spencer-Fleming right now. Or rather, I WAS reading it. Until I went to buy the next installment and discovered that Minotaur has set the ebook price at $9.99. The rest of the series is priced at $7.99, but that particular volume is out of print in mass market. $9.99 for a book printed in 2006. I'm not paying that. I can afford to pay it, but I'm simply not going to.

Review: Fountain Filled With Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Format: ebook
Pub Date: April 2010
Publisher: Minotaur (Macmillan)
Length: 348 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

Yes, I'm very late to the Clare Fergusson series. I read In the Bleak Midwinter three years ago, but hadn't picked up any other book in the series. When the Reading Slump That Will Not Die grabbed ahold of me this last year, I decided it was time to bring back mysteries to my reading and the blog. So naturally, I thought of this series and purchased book 2.

I'm a very secular person. I don't attend church. Any church. Ever. And I tend to intensely dislike even the hint of infidelity in my reading. Which is what makes it so improbable that I'd like this series so much, but I really, really do.

Clare Fergusson is an Episcopal priest living in rural New York. A retired army helicopter pilot, she's attracted the danger of Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne's work. She's also reluctantly attracted to the man behind the title...the very married man. To complicate things further, he is reluctantly attracted to her as well. It's there. They're aware of it. But so far (this is book 2, after all) are doing their damnedest to avoid acting on it while trying to stay friends. Because they do click on a personal level that neither one wants to give up.

TBR Challenge Review: How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox

Format: ebook
Pub Date: January 2013
Publisher: Loveswept (Random House)
Length: 121 pages
FTC: purchased myself

Only 10 days tardy with this post. Yea! This month's TBR Challenge theme was Recommended Reads.  With the Reading Slump That Will Not Die, I'm pretty much stuck in recommended read territory anyway. I've taken to Twitter to help me find anything in my stack of books that is going to be GOOD. And I've been mostly staying away from romance because of the RSTWND. But since I somehow hadn't read Ruthie Knox (that I remember), and this came highly recommended, AND the heroine is named AMBER, I decided this one would do. It happened to be in my digital TBR. Probably was on sale at some point.

How to Misbehave is a prequel novella to Knox's Camelot series. And contrary to previous experiences with characters named Amber, this Amber is a smart, if young and inexperienced, person with a real job and real thoughts. What a refreshing change!

TBR Challenge Review: Imagine Me and You by Maisey Yates

Format: ebook
Pub Date: June 1, 2013
Publisher: HQN (Harlequin)
FTC: purchased by me

You'd think this month's theme would be conducive to me actually getting my review up early, but nope. As usual, I'm squeaking in under the wire. I bought this last year intending to read it because Maisey was nominated for a RITA. I didn't. I suck.

Imagine Me and You was part of an anthology headlined by Lori Foster called Animal Attraction, but I'm honestly (don't hate me) not a huge Lori Foster fan. But since I am really fond of Maisey's voice AND this is another friends to lovers story (I seriously can never get enough of those) I decided to dig this out of the digital TBR.

Samantha and Jace have been friends ever since high school. So it's not that surprising that Sam would turn to Jace when her lease runs out and she needs a place to stay. Even if it means bringing her giant, messy dog into Jace's immaculate house. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when the close quarters makes them both confront the blazing hot attraction they've been ignoring for years.

Jace is an interesting character: his mother was a hoarder, which means he likes things neat, tidy, and sterile. Letting Samantha move in with her dog is a huge concession from him, given his intense dislike of disorder. Sam is a bit of a free spirit, with her only constant in life being her best friend, Jace.

This is one of those stories where I wish it were a longer, full-length book. I wanted more of everything. My only gripe was that Jace seems to "get over" his love of order awfully quickly. Even with love-goggles, that's a bit of a stretch for me.  The best part of the book, as always, is the humor. Maisey Yates writes fantastic dialogue. The story is just intrinsically funny without being obvious about it. Definitely worth a read.

My Grade: B+

Review: Binary Witness by Rosie Claverton

Pub Date: May 2014
Format: ebook
Publisher: Carina (Harlequin/Harper Collins)
Length: 213 pages per Amazon
Why I picked it up: Recommended by several people on Twitter
FTC: Paid for by me

In my continuing efforts to thoroughly vanquish this reading slump, I'm switching up my genres. I recently asked for mystery recs on Twitter, my go-to place for peer recommendations, and several people responded with this series by Rosie Claverton.  After safely making it through the Kindle sample, I bought it. And I managed to read it in 3 days which these days is something of a miracle. Gone are the days I can read a book in a few hours. There's simply too much on my plate to have that much uninterrupted time.

I had hoped to keep up my good luck by sticking with print, but this book is a digital-first one, which means no print copy is available as of yet (if ever).

Although I liked the book, my biggest irritant was not really the book's fault: I kept getting distracted by the British slang throughout the story. I'm a devoted Sherlock watcher. Well, BBC mystery anything, really. I can usually puzzle out most British figures of speech without pausing, but there was so much of it (understandable given the nationality of the author (British) and the setting (Wales) that I was repeatedly dragged out of the story. It broke my reading flow, which in turn caused me to get distracted by the million other things I have going on. Which is why it took me three days to read 200 pages.

How Do You Defeat a Mega Slump?

It's no secret that I've been suffering through a serious reading slump.  The emptiness of the blog last year is a testament to that.

The anatomy of a slump for me is this:

Too many real life obligations (kids, kids' sports, school volunteering etc).
Too many unsatisfying reads in a row
Genre fatigue
Social Media kerfuffle exhaustion

In short, I had no time to read and didn't like what little I managed. I tried mixing up length. I tried doing audio. I tried rereads. I tried limiting my online interactions. Nothing seemed to work. 

And not being able to read was making me bitchy. Not just a little bit, but full on mega-bitch. I wasn't happy about not reading, but I couldn't seem to find my enthusiasm. I'm still struggling to find it. Reading used to be fun, but lately it's become a chore. I've stopped reading ARCs for the most part because it wasn't fair to the authors I was reading. Books that may have worked for me when I was in a normal reading mood were just not cutting it for me. My DNF pile was rivaling my TBR one.

I'm still not back to where I used to be, but I've made some important changes to help ease me back into reading. The first one is seeking out non-romance recommendations. I'm going to try to bring the mystery books back to the blog.

The second one is making better use of my alone time at night. I'm going to try for a blog post per week, even if it's not a review. I have plenty to blather about that isn't just grading a recent read.

The third is to head back to print. I've had better luck lately with physical books than ebooks. I'm not sure if that's because I tend to read on my phone and am easily distracted by texts or calls, or if it's just because the physical book stares at me, reminding me to read it, while the Kindle app is easily hidden.

Has anyone else had this problem? How did you fix it? I'd love to hear some other ideas.

Why Asking Your Readers to Fund Your Creative Process is Wrong

If you've been on social media the last day or two and are part of the book community, you probably saw the kerfuffle about the crowd-funding campaign by author Stacey Jay. In her now-cancelled campaign, she asks her readers to help raise $10,000 to help her produce her next book. But here's the kicker: most of that money was not earmarked for editing, cover art or any of the other admittedly expensive things that must be done to a finished manuscript prior to publication. This money was for LIVING EXPENSES while she sits back and writes the book! It's not written yet.


Here are some of the arguments I've heard that are supportive of the idea:

1. It's like an advance, something traditional publishers used to do all of the time.

2. Artists need to eat like everyone else.

3. It's voluntary. Don't like it? Don't contribute.

4. It's a commission. There is risk involved. All Kickstarter members know this going in.

5. Lots of Kickstarters pay their staff.

To understand what the fuss is about, you need to first understand that this is part of a trend. Most people made uncomfortable about this aren't objecting based on just this Kickstarter. [Full disclosure, I have contributed to two Kickstarters: the Veronica Mars Kickstarter and the Reading Rainbow one]

When I object to this, I do so knowing this is a trend that if sanctioned as an "ok" thing to do will continue to proliferate. It will grow. And I do NOT want to see that happen.

Review: Night Shift by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin, Milla Vane

Pub Date: December 2014
Publisher: Berkley (Penguin)
Length: 378 pages
Format: mass market paperback (also available in e)
FTC: Purchased by me at Safeway

Happy New Year! Here's hoping that this year doesn't suck as badly as last year did regarding reading and blogging for me. Ugh, but it was a tough year.

I've managed to finish a book, though, and for the most part was very pleased with it. It's an Urban Fantasy anthology with four stories in it. I went into this without any marketing buzz because I was too busy to procrastinate on Twitter much during the fall. So yea! It wasn't tired by the time I got to it.

Review: Blade of the Hunt (Goddess with a Blade Book 3)

Format: ebook
Pub Date: November 2014
Publisher: Carina Press
FTC: Purchased myself

After  I finished reading the first book in this series following RT this year, I read the 2nd one sometime over the summer. Finally, in the middle of my reading funk last month, I read this one. I think it's just what I needed, given that it's not a romance book. It's Urban Fantasy for sure. And it's definitely book number 3 in the series and makes no apologies for it. It's not burdened by a boatload of back story. This book assumes you've read books 1 and 2.

Although I did not like this one as much as I liked the previous two, probably due to the nagging reading funk, I did think it was a solid installment in the series. There's definitely far less noir in this one, which bummed me out a little. I like the almost gumshoe feel of the first book the best. Once we veer into European stuff, it becomes less original. Less edgy, to be honest.

There's far more romance, or at least more discussion of feelings, in this book. We get to see an expanded cast of characters. The action that is present is good, although there's far too little of it. Most of the book is planning and traveling, rather than actually doing anything. It's mired in political maneuvering and interpersonal issues. Which is fine, I guess, but I wanted more boots on the ground action and definitely more creep factor.

My Grade: B-

Hump Day Classic Movie: Gaslight (1944)

There are creepy movies, like last week's Wait Until Dark, that show criminality, greed, and desperation. Then there are movies like Gaslight that show just how subtle evil can be.

Ingrid Bergman didn't shy away from challenging roles, and this one is no exception. She plays Paula, a young woman who has suffered trauma upon finding her famous aunt's body as a child. She's sent away to school and returns to London 10 years later. Recently married, Paula is uncomfortable in the house and unsure of her relationship with her husband.

What follows is probably the creepiest, scariest act of evil as Paula is ever-so-slowly isolated from everyone by her husband. He limits her outings, spreading tales of how "fragile" she is. He avoids contact with the neighbors. He lectures and belittles Paula. And then he begins a campaign to slowly drive her insane by pretending that she's forgetting things, losing things.

What makes it so scary is that this is a classic set up for domestic abuse. It's a classic example of emotional abuse. And this was filmed in 1944.

Angela Lansbury, in her first big role,  plays a perfect accomplice. I love how even with her thick accent, she still sounds so very much like Angela Lansbury.

If you haven't seen Gaslight yet, you're missing out. It's a fantastic—if creepy—classic.

Hump Day Classic Movie: Wait Until Dark (1967)

Hey, they're back! It's Hump Day Movies again! Since the summer, I've treated myself to a DVD Netflix account (our internet is too pokey for streaming) and have been indulging in classic movies I can't get anywhere else.  I've come to appreciate Netflix's recommendation tool because it's recommended quite a few movies (new and old) I hadn't heard of before that I ended up really enjoying.

Wait Until Dark is one of those movies that on its surface is really simple. Blind lady gets terrorized by thugs...but what makes this movie so darn creepy is the performances of the stars and the way the story builds on itself. The audience watches as Audrey Hepburn's character, Suzy, is manipulated. Lied to. Threatened. They are in on it. Suzy is not. It's like watching something awful happen to someone and being powerless to stop it. That sense of helplessness the audience feels is what makes this movie work. It's immersive. And Hepburn sells it completely.

Alan Arkin is amazing in this, although he's so young it took me a long time to recognize him. You can find it on Netflix or on Amazon in digital format or DVD.

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars

I'm a very bad blogger. It has been 2 months since my last post. Never fear, I'm perfectly fine. Obligations with family and our PTO swamped me this fall. Which means not only did I not blog, I didn't read. Which is a travesty I'm correcting.

What I did manage to do was find my new favorite treat to bring to events on the spur of the moment. I know this isn't new to many of you, but for me, these were a revelation.

I've made homemade Rice Krispie Bars for forever. It's not difficult, after all. And the store bought ones suck. Ew. I even knew about various additions or flavors, although I was too lazy or uninterested to try them. Then one day, my husband calls me. He drives across the country for a living, and I figured he'd found a new favorite regional food. He had. It was these. He sent me two links to two recipes, figuring one of them had to work. They sounded ok—peanut butter and chocolate nearly always work for me—but kind of mundane.

Oh. My. God. It's always the simplest things that blow you away with their glory, but these are truly the best things I've had in forever. They are chewy, crunchy, salty, sweet...They hit every one of the perfect snack requirements...and they take 10 minutes or less and produce a 13 x 9 pan of the little darlings.

In the last 2 months, I've made 4 pans of them. I've taken them to my aforementioned PTO meetings where they were devoured. I made them for Oldest to sell at a Family Movie Night event for Student Council.  They sold out before the movie even started. I dropped some off for a friend having a not-so-good day, and she thanked me for saving the crappiest day ever because THEY ARE THAT GOOD.

The only modifications I made to the recipe were peanut butter amounts and subbing in butter for margarine. Butter is always better.

Recipe: Orange Cardamom Loaves

Guess what time it is?! It's Fall Baking Time. Yes, those vanity capitals are on purpose. I love it when the chill in the air "forces" me to start baking. It's too warm for a fire in the wood stove, but too cold to not want it warmed up just a little bit.

Plus the plethora of fall baking ingredients: fresh pears, pumpkin and all of the other "fall" stand-bys. I picked up a baking magazine the other day, an overpriced one that cost about the same as a trade paperback book *winces*, because I wanted to make just about every recipe in it.

The first recipe I attempted was Orange Cardamom Bread for a bake sale fundraiser. The recipe makes 2 loaves: one for me, one for the sale ;) While I liked it a lot, I could not taste the cardamom. So I fiddled with the levels a bit and found a balance between spicy and orange-y. The real sneaky part about this bread is that because cardamom enhances the orange flavor, you really aren't going to get much straight flavor except as an end note. 

Ellora's Cave

I don't have much to add to the current media landscape regarding publisher Ellora's Cave suing blogger Jane Litte and her blog, Dear Author, other than to say I will no longer be reviewing any book published by Ellora's Cave. I rarely did, anyway, because their prices were far beyond what I was willing to pay, but I'm officially done with them.

It's a shame, really, since I have some really cool swag from previous RT Conventions that I loved, but I'm adding my voice to the blogging boycott.

Review: I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

Format: Trade Paperback
Pub Date:  Aug 26, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin
Length: 352 pages
FTC: Review copy received for free at RT Convention 2014

I've been fairly outspoken in the past about my dislike of trends and the authors who chase them. I know that's ruffled a few authors' feathers, but from a reader standpoint, it does seem like some authors chase trends more than others. Ann Aguirre isn't really one of them, although she writes both Young Adult and, now, New Adult. In part, I think, because her writing roots are in Sci-Fi/Fantasy, she's always been a genre jumper.

I've also been fairly outspoken about my general disdain for YA and NA as "genres".  To me, they are not genres, but ways to dumb down marketing to the point where marketing departments aren't really needed. It's the self-service, neatly laid out section of the reading market where readers can pick and choose exactly which age group they want to read about in neat little rows. I greatly prefer the messier way it used to be.  When you got too old for the children's section, you moved on to adult literature. And you got to look at a far wider selection of books than is available in those carefully curated age-based marketing sections.

I try not to be a hypocrite, though, so I'm acknowledging that yes, this is an NA book. But it's also a book that used to be (or could be) filed in the regular fiction section alongside the Outsiders or other YA/NA classics. And even better, it's not written in the first person, present tense!

Review: Unbroken by Maisey Yates

Format: mass market, ebook
Pub Date: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Berkley (Penguin)
Length: 320 pages
FTC: ARC courtesy of the author

It's here!!!!! The book with the heroine named Amber who is NOT a bimbo stripper, buckle bunny etc. Woohoo! It really sucks having a name that somehow ends up being typecast as either the "quirky" bimbo sidekick or a stripper. Hell, even Veronica Mars's dingy undercover name is Amber. *Ahem*

I'm by no means impartial when it comes to this story. I've read (and loved) the previous books in the series, and I've been looking forward to this one for quite awhile. I was predisposed to like it, in other words, but the fact that it really hit all of my reader buttons is the real reason I ended up loving it.

This is a friends-to-lovers story, my very favorite trope in Romancelandia.  And it's funny and sarcastic. Button number 2. And HOT. So no big surprise that this really worked for me.

Review: Looking for Trouble by Victoria Dahl

Format: ebook, mass market paperback
Pub Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin
Length:352 pages
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher


Victoria Dahl writes powerful books. Sometimes they click with me and sometimes they don't. I have DNF'd as many books as I've loved, so I never know which it will be when I start one. This time, I really liked everything about this book.

Although all Dahl heroines are more than a little bit naughty, this one was different from anything else I've read by this author. She was two people: her public persona reminiscent of the stereotypical librarian, and her private love of thrills and apologetically dirty sex.

Summer Craft: Bleach Pen Shirts for the Boys

We're midway through summer already, and unfortunately stuck inside due to an unusually warm July. Like weeks of triple digits...in the Sierras. We normally get exactly 2 days of 100 degree temps in mid-August. We're not used to this :(

Enter: super crafting mom. I'm combating video-game-itis and couch-potato inclinations by making the boys craft with me. But I'm also lazy, so I tend to go with whatever craft looks like the most bang for the buck/time/mess. Pinterest came to the rescue yet again with pages upon pages of bleach pen ideas. Unfortunately, none of the feminine designs appealed to the boys, so we just made up our own.

TBR Challenge Review: No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

Format: Mass Market, ebook
Pub Date: December 2013
Publisher: Avon
Length: 382 pages
FTC: Received at RT14

Miracle of miracles, I had a book in the easily accessible part of my TBR that fit the theme. This book is a RITA finalist for this year, which means it hasn't been languishing in the pile very long at all...which is probably why it's accessible. Ah, well.

Looking at the list of finalists for this year, I was surprised by how many I have read. My reading time has been severely limited this last year, but I've managed to read 9 finalists. That's more than any other year. Woohoo!

I've read Sarah MacLean before, but I admit I've gotten out of the habit of reading historical romances lately. My tastes have been running to Urban Fantasy, romantic suspense, and small town contemporaries, but I decided to give this one a shot anyway.

Review: Goddess with a Blade by Lauren Dane

Format: paperback, ebook
Pub Date: 2011
Publisher: Carina
Length: 296 pages
FTC: Free copy courtesy of the publisher at RT14

 I've read Lauren Dane's erotic romances before, but this is the first paranormal book I've read by her. It's an unusual concept: the title is quite literal. The protagonist is a Vampire Hunter skilled with a blade, but she's also a vessel for a goddess. Basically, the person who cleans up vampire messes (crimes) if the vampires can't take care of it themselves: usually by killing the offending vampire. 

I know lots of people are suffering paranormal fatigue, but I'm not there yet. I tend to lean more towards the Urban Fantasy side than the romance side which probably helps...and this book is definitely one where the romance is a smaller part of the novel. A subplot, even, despite the explicit scenes.

Every UF/Paranormal romance claims to be different. Goddess With a Blade isn't completely original, but it has enough new ideas to seem fresher than the majority of other offerings. The goddess angle is part of it, but this also has echoes of the old hardboiled detective stories...with a twist. It's set in Vegas and the surrounding desert, and instead of dames in trouble, the dame is the one doing the investigating. It has the glamor vs. seediness element you'd expect, but just as you get a handle on the type of book this is, Dane throws you another curveball.

Summer Crafting: Dish Brush Painting

Fireworks painted by my 8 year old.

I've seen this technique featured all over Pinterest for 4th of July fireworks painting. The  instructions can be found here. Basically, you use an old dish brush as a paint brush, but there's a bit more to the technique than it first appears.

If you can't find an old dish brush, or if your dish brush was gross like mine, you can use a new one from the local dollar store. To get it ready for painting, take a dry brush and (bristles down) squish it against a hard surface with the heel of your hand. You want to separate the bristles.

You'll use the same technique to paint, too.

The second trick is to go easy on the paint. Dip your brush, then dab it either on a paper towel or an empty area of your palette. Then, firmly press on the brush until the bristles are flattened and the paint creates an impression. The dry brush technique gives you that wispy look for the fireworks.

Lastly, use different brushes for each color or thoroughly clean the brush between colors. I'd recommend letting the paint at least partially dry between colors.

The fluffy looking fireworks reminded me of colorful dandelions, so I applied the same technique using white paint and black paper. I also used a bit of gold paint in the center of the dish brush and dotted it in the center.

Now I'm wondering what else I can use this technique on...

Recipe: Striped Tea Sandwiches

I finally caved and signed up with the DVD Netflix service. We lost our local DVD store last year (the owner retired--amazingly, the business was financially healthy), and while most people have gone to streaming, our internet is just not up to snuff enough to reliably do that. So onto Netflix I went, determined to find some older movies that our crappy Redbox just doesn't offer.  We made it a film noir night with Out of the Past. Since my viewing buddies are my mom and her 70-something BFF, I made tiny tea sandwiches to go with. These are adapted from The Book of Afternoon Tea.

Striped Tea Sandwiches
3 oz sliced cooked ham
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper
1/2 cup (or more) butter, softened*

4 slices white bread
4 slices soft wheat bread

Finely chop ham. In medium bowl, mix ham, mayo and mustard well

In another bowl, mix cream cheese, chives, salt and pepper. Butter 2 slices each (4 total) white and whole wheat bread on one side only and remaining 2 slices each (4 total) white and whole wheat on both sides. *The butter provides a barrier and prevents the sandwiches from becoming soggy. It also helps "glue" everything together.

Spread half of the ham mixture on buttered sides of 2 whole wheat bread slices. (You are making two giant sandwiches). Cover with white bread that has been buttered on both sides. Spread cream cheese over white bread. Cover with brown bread which has been buttered on both sides. Spread with remaining ham mixture and top with white bread, buttered side down.

Cover sandwiches and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

Remove crusts from bread. Cut each sandwich into 6 pieces. Makes 12.

Review: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Format: print, e
Pub Date: 2012
Publisher: Self published
Length: novella
FTC: Print copy received from the author at RT14 in New Orleans

As a general rule, I avoid self published works. There's just been too much reviewer-bashing and an aversion to professional editing in that community. But I'm familiar enough with both Courtney Milan's professionalism AND her writing to set that aside. And I'm glad I did. I really liked this novella.

The Governess Affair is a prequel to her Brothers Sinister series. It's not very long, but it still manages to convey the story, the emotion, and the set up for the series.

Serena Barton is a problem. Her stoic, silent presence outside the Duke of Clermont's home is threatening the financial well being of the duke, and therefore of his problem-solver, Hugo Marshall.
The Duke's finances are tied to his wife's happiness and the duchess would be very, very unhappy if she hears just why Miss Barton is outside on the bench. Hugo, who has been promised a significant sum to help the duke regain his wife's affections, must find a way to solve the problem and get rid of Miss Barton.

This is a condensed version of a classic Regency set up. The main difference here is not the heroine but the hero. Usually this ends up with the governess and the peer. This time, it's the governess and a problem solver working for the very man who wronged the heroine. It's a sticky situation, one that surprisingly awakens Hugo's rarely used conscience.

Despite the short length, the characters are vividly portrayed and the romance is believable and moving. It's a very good prequel to the series and made me interested enough to immediately buy the next in the series.

My Grade: A

The Blurb:

Hugo Marshall earned the nickname "the Wolf of Clermont" for his ruthless ambition--a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner's son to the right hand man of a duke. When he's ordered to get rid of a pestering governess by fair means or foul, it's just another day at work.

But after everything Miss Serena Barton has been through at the hands of his employer, she is determined to make him pay. She won't let anyone stop her--not even the man that all of London fears. They might call Hugo Marshall the Wolf of Clermont, but even wolves can be brought to heel...

Happy Independence Day!

From the Taylorsville, CA 4th of July Parade. I hope everyone had a safe, happy, and healthy Independence Day!

Recipes: Gourmet Popcorn Party

For an entire week this month (the last week of school), I became obsessed with gourmet popcorn recipes. I bought myself an air popper like this one, and then I scoured the internet looking for recipes. The results were taken to my sons' elementary school and left in the teachers' break room. Partly because the teachers were getting summer-itis too, and partly so I wouldn't eat all of that popcorn. I'm definitely going to do this again and probably tie it in with Staff Appreciation Week.

To no one's surprise, the sweet popcorn recipes were by far the favorite, but there were some other good ones, too! None of these take more than 40 minutes to throw together (including curing time for the caramel corn), although there's some that require time to set up and/or cool. The cinnamon one was my favorite.

The Savory:

Italian Breadstick Popcorn

Chili Lime Popcorn

The Sweet:

Salted Chocolate Caramel Popcorn

 












Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

S'mores Popcorn 

TBR Challenge Review: Hellfire by Ann Aguirre

Pub Date:April 2010
Publisher: ROC Fantasy
Length: 315 pages
FTC: Received for free at an RT Convention event (no idea which one)

Today is TBR day, but I'm going off script and not following today's theme. I've read Ann Aguirre as Ava Gray, but not in her SFF persona. I'm not sure what prompted me to grab this out of the ole TBR, but I took it with me to read on the never ending plane rides to New Orleans and back.

I started reading this not really aware that it is #2 in the Corine Solomon series. So I was a little taken aback to find a ton of backstory missing. Grrr. My own fault, though, since it says in probably 3 different places that there was a book before this one. Oh well.

RT Convention 2014: Part Two

Yesterday, I highlighted what I think went wrong at the convention. Today, I'm going to dole out some praise.

The Marriott: I checked in Monday night, so I'm not sure how the lines were Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, but we had zero problems checking in. Our room was ready, check in was smooth and pleasant.

The Marriott also had plenty of security on site.  There were water stations in every hall. The chairs were set up in ways that allowed for aisles (that has not always been the case). And while we didn't have microphones when we really could have used them, they were responsive and polite when asked for help with any logistical problem.

It also took us until Friday morning (and an event on the 41st floor) to jack up the elevators. Other than Friday, I didn't have a problem with waiting on an elevator more than a few minutes. Friday, of course, they rebelled and began refusing to assign elevators to anyone. The escalators managed the heavy loads just fine, too, which was a nice change from when we broke them at the last convention I attended.

RT Booklovers Convention 2014

I'm back from my 3rd RT Convention and finally past that horribly narcoleptic phase of post-convention exhaustion. As always, I wish I had managed to see more of the city, but RT keeps you busy. I have some mixed feelings to this year's convention, but first, I have to annoy you with my travel photos.

*drumroll*

 

Our view from our room in the Marriott.

 

Canal St. Streetcar that I never got to ride :(

 

 Marie Laveau's tomb (left) at St. Louis Cemetery #1

The tombs have such intricate ironwork. I loved the patina.

TBR Challenge Review: Lover Reborn by JR Ward

Format: Hardcover (now available in mmpb and ebook)
Pub Date: 2012
Publisher: New American Library
Length: 590 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

There are a ton of reasons for a book to end up in my TBR pile. Sometimes I go on a book buying spree. Sometimes I pick up a book intending to read it, only to be distracted by a shinier title or by real life obligations. Sometimes the mood just isn't right. None of that happened here. This time, the book has languished because of Twitter spoilers. I made the mistake of going onto Twitter on release day before I had received my copy. By the time Amazon delivered my shiny hardcover, several major plot points were spoiled, and I was feeling meh about the book and the series. And Twitter, too.

This month's theme is More Than One (meaning more than one book by this author in the TBR), and yes, despite feeling uninspired by the series and the book, I bought the next book in the series anyway. It's a sickness. 

Ward's books are problematic for me. On one hand, I have to admire her over-the-top writing style. It's ridiculous, really, but still oddly addictive. It's highly consistent, with weird brand name dropping, verb-creation, and improbable dialogue. It's also problematic thanks to the not-so-subtle cultural appropriation, violence and misogyny.

In Progress Review: Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line Audiobook

Format: Audio Download
Length: 8 hrs 42 minutes
Narrator: Kristen Bell

Since life has gotten ridiculously out-of-control busy the last few months, I'm left with just listening to audiobooks to wind down at night. No time to actually read. As a fan of the series, and of mysteries, I was excited that they were coming out with a Veronica Mars mystery. I mean, the series is noir already, right? Unfortunately, it doesn't translate to audio well.

Set just after the recent Veronica Mars movie, the book opens with Keith Mars still recovering from his car accident and Veronica holding down the fort. It's not going well and cases are few and far between. Until the local Chamber of Commerce hires her to find out what happened to missing college coed on Spring Break.

As far as mysteries go, the missing Spring-Breaker isn't all that original. I must have read the same set up a dozen times over the years. I really wanted a lot more character interaction than I've gotten so far. It's dragging! (I'm a little over 3 hrs in).

The absolute biggest mistake the production team made was having Kristen Bell narrate this. No offense meant to Bell. It's not that her voices stink (although they do), it's that the book is written in the third person. After watching 3 seasons and a movie of Veronica Mars being told with Kristen Bell's first-person voice-over, this switch just doesn't work.

I'm not sure if I'm going to finish this book or not. Right now, it's an excellent way to fall asleep, but not really all that compelling otherwise. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that I can actually read a book on the plane to the RT Convention in New Orleans.

Local News

A few weeks ago, I asked everyone on Twitter if they'd heard of Wall's ice cream because the company had decided to film here in my little town in the mountains. Since it's primarily a British company, most had not.

They recently completed the commercial, which has been getting a lot more attention than I for one thought it would. It's been featured on HuffPo and Perez Hilton. It even made it to more mainstream news like this article on ABC.

It's interesting to watch the Negative Nellies in the comments. Some are outraged that cops would "misuse their authority." Some are upset that public resources are being "wasted" for a PR campaign.

Yes, that really is our sheriff. No, he really isn't neglecting anything. He's an administrator. And although we aren't crime-free here, this is an example of what happens around here. A snippet from our actual Sheriff's Blotter (all calls that come into the Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center).

As far as the "misuse of authority" thing, I'm sure Sheriff Hagwood checked this out with our county counsel. And I'm equally sure he covered his rear end by pulling over people for a real violation. It's not difficult to find something: speeding (the speed limit in that area is 25mph), something hanging off their rear view mirror, obscured license plates...

Although I didn't get pulled over, I'm amazed that so many were fooled by this. To be honest, our sheriff doesn't pull people over. We have SO MANY CHP in this county that nearly all traffic issues are handled through them and not our Sheriff's Dept. Parking at the front of the courthouse (where everyone is pulled over) is nearly always filled, but here it's obviously been blocked off. And if people were paying attention, they knew through social media that a commercial was being filmed here.

But what about those who were made late by this stunt? Well, everyone is late here in town. It's almost a cultural thing (that really drives my punctual self batty). But rest assured, no one has to deal with traffic issues: there are a grand total of 2 stoplights and 5500 people in the town.

People here thought it was hilarious. Not only do we nearly all know Sheriff Hagwood, but most of us know at least one person in that commercial. We love our town. We love that we have no traffic and very little crime. Sheriff Hagwood did not receive compensation for this, but Wall's did donate to our local animal shelter and our arts council in his name. I'm calling that a win.

In Defense of TSTL

In Defense of TSTL: or more, accurately, in defense of labeling characters as TSTL (Too Stupid To Live).

Today on Twitter, I stumbled across a series of tweets by Ann Aguirre where she railed against the gendered double standard when it comes to the TSTL label in genre fiction. She also made the claim that TSTL is a useless label because characters are supposed to be flawed and sometimes make poor decisions when scared or angry.

For me and many of my reviewing colleagues, we don't apply TSTL when a character acts in a way we would not. We apply it when the character acts in a way *they* would not based upon the characterization shown.

There's a second, separate application of TSTL, though, that comes directly out of the damsel in distress trope. Many, many readers cannot stand it when a character does something against all common sense that places themselves or others in peril. It's a judgment, absolutely, but it's one I make in real life, too.   For example: I can't stand those people who set out to go hiking ill prepared and end up risking the lives of those who have to come rescue them.

The main reason it's usually the heroine who gets the label is because it's usually the heroine who has been written as having done something that imperiled others. Show me a hero who puts himself or others in danger through poor decision making or a misguided belief in his own abilities, and I will slap him with a TSTL label as well. That includes the men who won't see a doctor when injured, who insist on doing something alone when they really need help etc.

The biggest reason any character gets that label, at least from me, is because the author failed to make me understand why the character made those poor decisions. It was a failure in storytelling. TSTL is a result of the reader being pulled from the story enough to be annoyed, frustrated, incredulous about the progress of the plot. Done right, with sufficient skill, a heroine (or hero) can act like an idiot and no one judges them. That's successful storytelling.

TBR Challenge Review: A SEAL's Seduction by Tawny Weber

Format: mass market, ebook
Pub Date: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin
Length: 229 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

Since I missed last month's TBR Challenge, I was determined to not miss this one. But of course, spring is crazy busy what with Easter AND Oldest's birthday on the same weekend. Which is why I'm squeaking this review in at the very last few hours of TBR Day. I have no idea when I purchased this; it was in the digital TBR.

A SEAL's Seduction did a much better job skirting my usual issues with Romantic Suspense than most of the books I've tried recently. I liked that the conflict was multi-layered and believable. I liked the characters, even the secondary ones. I really liked that the "sex in dangerous situations" was kept to a minimum although I admittedly skimmed them because as is usual with this line, there are just too many for my personal taste.

Review: Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston

Format: Trade paperback, ebook
Pub Date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Kensington
Length: 384 pages
ISBN: 9780758265241
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

I'll be the first to admit that I'm probably not as critical as I should be with Shelly Laurenston's Pride series. I'm a huge fangirl and the books are such unmitigated fun that I let things slide past me that would normally elicit criticism. I have to say, though, that this book was one of the better ones in recent memory. All because of these two word: honey. badger.

Audiobook Review: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Format: Digital
Pub Date: March 11, 2014
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Length: 10 hrs 5 min
FTC: Purchased myself

There are very few books I look forward to as much as a new Patricia Briggs book. Sadly, the anticipation was for naught with Night Broken. The story lacked punch and forward momentum, and the secondary characters we know and love pop in and out without much rationale or impact.

CYE: It's Ebook Settlement Day!

Woke up to a very nice email telling me I had over $30 to spend at Amazon thanks to the ebook settlement. Then I went onto Twitter and found out I'm a total slacker in the book buying department. Either that, or I was disciplined enough not to buy a lot of Agency-Priced books during the settlement period.

What are YOU buying with your settlement money?

Review: The Sheikh's Last Seduction by Jennie Lucas (Harlequin Presents)

Format: ebook, mass market
Pub Date: February 2014
Publisher: Harlequin
FTC: e-Review copy courtesy of the publisher

Apologies for the extended radio silence. Real life obligations just got out of control in February! I'm back!!

*****

As part of my January Harlequin Presents reading glom (and crash course in Harlequin Presents styles and tropes), I requested a few HPs from Harlequin. This was one of them.

I can't quite put my finger on what annoyed me most about this book. It is probably the extremely derivative plot. I haven't read a ton of HPs, but I've read enough of 19th century lit to spot the imperialism/exoticism trope a mile away. Yes, it's a sheikh book, but I'm certain there are tons of stories to tell that don't fall back on cardboard characters, tired plots, and the whole arranged marriage/forbidden love conflict.