Dear Author » Jennifer-Ashley

REVIEW: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

Jane — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:00:55 +0000

Dear Ms. Ashley:

In The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie, Mac says to Ian:

Mac sighed, cutting through the memory. “We’re Mackenzies. We don’t get happy endings.” Ian wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and didn’t answer.

Their father lived by the mantra that sparing the rod spoiled the child. He beat his youngest son, Ian, because Ian couldn’t look him in the face. He beat Mac because Mac was unnaturally attracted to art. He beat Hart, the eldest, because he felt the heir should be beat. He left Cameron only, mostly because of Cameron’s interest in horses and women seemed to parallel the Duke’s interest the closest. At about the age of nineteen, Cameron married a high strung society beauty Elizabeth. Elizabeth had never been stable and Cameron’s attempts to reign her in, made her strike out at Cameron in cruel ways. There seemed to be few parts of Cameron’s body that did not bear the physical scars of her madness and all his encounters with women after her death reinforced his emotional scars–that women were capricious and faithless, at best; cruel and dangerous, at worst.

When Cameron first meets Ainsley Douglas, he places her in the first category—capricious and faithless. Ainsley was found lurking about his chambers. She wouldn’t be the first married woman to want to get tupped by Cameron and he was happy to oblige only at the last minute, Ainsley found her wits and refused Cameron, stating that her elderly husband was a good man and did not deserve to be cuckolded. When Cameron finds her in his chambers six years later, he’s not so sanguine. Ainsley has been on the fringes of his life for six years. The Ainsley/Cameron connection is one of the weakest parts of the book. Cameron really shouldn’t fall in love with Ainsley because she’s sneaky. She’s lied to him before. She’s always in his chambers trying to take something from him.

If Cameron really believes that women are cruel, capricious and faithless (and I believe that the text shows that he does) then why he falls for Ainsley is befuddling. Yet, he does and quickly. Ainsley is one of the queen’s ladies in waiting and she is attempting to retrieve something that belongs to the queen from a former lady in waiting. Cameron assists Ainsley in this task and invites her to have an affair with him. His feelings toward her, however, are stronger than simply wanting to have her in his bed. Perhaps it all dates back to Ainsley’s first rejection of Cameron, based on her devotion to her aged husband.

Ainsley considers the offer, even consults with Eleanor the woman who jilted Hart MacKenzie. Should she give up her reputation and her place with the virtuous Queen Victoria to have an affair with Cameron MacKenzie? It’s not a small decision because Ainsley has spent a long time carving out a life for herself. Her family loves her but she didn’t want to live in their pockets, the spinster aunt, for her entire life. She knows that Queen Victoria would never approve and she does not have the status nor resources to recover from a liaison with Cameron MacKenzie.

Cameron’s love for his horses is much more understandable. Part of the story is about how Cameron is asked to train a particularly beautiful but mistreated mare by her wastrel owner. Cameron wants to buy the horse, but the owner refuses. Cameron’s relationship with Ainsley is often frenetic, as if it will end at any moment, and thus they both try to shove in as much living as possible in each day. It makes their union tinged with a sense of foreboding.

Ainsley is the right foil for Cameron. She’s very grounded, perhaps because of her past mistakes. She’s patient. I liked that she came from a loving family and while not well off, she wasn’t so destitute that she had to do anything. When she went to Cameron, she did so because she wanted to, not because circumstances forced her to do so. I also thought that the pairing of Ainsley and Cameron felt right. Even though I felt that how they fell in love was glossed over, I did believe that these two people fit together perfectly and that only Ainsley could have saved Cameron from himself, brought him back from the precipice. In the end it didn’t really matter that I never saw what brought the two of them together. The end justified the path it took to get there.

Cameron is not very heroic. He sleeps around with seemingly no real standards, he’s an indifferent father at best, and he cares mostly about his horses. Ainsley is the hero in this story. She’s there to save yet another MacKenzie from utter emotional ruin. I can’t resist the strong, pragmatic Ainsley and the wounded Cameron. B

Best regards,

Jane

PS Someone on twitter said that Lord Ian steals whatever scene he is in and I have to agree. He’s my favorite MacKenzie brother yet.

The Mackenzies (aka Highland Pleasures): Saving a Series by Jennifer Ashley and editor, Kate Seaver

Jane — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:00:14 +0000

From Jennifer Ashley, author

I’m thrilled to announce the August 2 release of The Many Sins of Lord Cameron, the third book in the Mackenzies series, which began with The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (reviewed here).

Not only am I excited to see a new book hit the shelves, I’m also happy that Berkley has picked up the rights to and is re-releasing The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (book 1), which has been out of print for some time. The book has a new cover and is once more available in bookstores and in e-format.

The reason for my great paroxysms of joy is that the Mackenzie series almost died right out of the gate.

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, which features a hero with Asperger’s Syndrome, came out to amazing critical acclaim and more reader buzz than I’d had for any other book.

At the same time, there were quite a few distribution problems in both print and e-formats. Readers had a hard time finding the so-much-talked-about Madness of Lord Ian. I spent most of my time in those first couple of months answering hundreds of emails from frustrated readers who could not find and read the book.

At the same time, the publisher began to have internal problems, and I knew that I’d need to find the series a new home.

The trouble is, most publishers do not like to pick up a series in the middle, unless it’s already a blockbuster, or the author is already a blockbuster. Publishers prefer to launch a debut author or at least a debut series.

Why? So they can package and market the series with a coherent, consistent look and marketing plan, the better to sell it to the distributors and bookstores. Unless a series is already a huge, top-of-New York Times, blowing-out-the-numbers success, it’s unlikely an author can leap houses with his or her series.

I was extremely lucky to know Kate Seaver at Berkley—she bought my very first romance at Dorchester and worked on my historical romances until she departed for Berkley a few years later. She’d also purchased books from me under my Allyson James pseudonym at Berkley.

So when I was looking for a new home for Jennifer Ashley, my agent contacted Kate. Keeping in mind that publishers don’t like to buy a book mid-series, I was expecting to have to abandon the Mackenzies (as well as the Shifters Unbound books), and start all over again.

Not something I wanted to do! Both the Mackenzies series and the Shifters series had haunted me for a long time, and I’d been so happy to be able to write them. I was looking at seeing them both dropped, and this was quite distressing.

Happily for me, Kate not only wanted the next three books in the Mackenzies series, but, when the rights to Madness of Lord Ian came free, she picked up Madness as well (plus Pride Mates, book 1 of the Shifter series). The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is re-releasing, with a new cover, the same day as The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (August 2).

And so it goes.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on Cameron’s book. I love horses and used to ride extensively, so I got to put my firsthand knowledge of horses and their (real) personalities into the novel.

Another aspect I enjoyed was exploring the character of Daniel, Cameron’s son. Daniel’s mother died when he was an infant (rumors are that Cameron killed her), and so Daniel was “raised” by the four Mackenzie bachelors.

Daniel has become a favorite not only of mine, but of readers as well. After Hart’s book (up next in April), I will write related books, including Daniel’s book (tentatively titled The Life and Love of Daniel Mackenzie). Another book will be about Elliot McBride (brother to Ainsley of Many Sins of Lord Cameron), who was captured and imprisoned in India for a time. His journey back to life will be told in his book (tentatively titled, The Seduction of Elliot McBride).

I have a page on my website devoted to the Mackenzies series: http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/Mackenzies/mackenzie_main.html, which includes character bios, forthcoming books, blurbs, the Mackenzie family tree, and the introduction of the McBride family.

I hope readers enjoy the Mackenzies, and I’m thrilled to be able to put Madness of Lord Ian back into readers’ hands.

From Kate Seaver, Sr. Editor, Berkley / Penguin

When Jennifer’s agent called me about the possibility of publishing the rest of the Mackenzie series, I was thrilled! I’ve been an avid fan of Jennifer’s writing since I bought her first historical romance. At Berkley she and I had continued to work on her paranormal romance titles under her pseudonym Allyson James, but I adore Jennifer’s historical romances and The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie was one of my favorites.

A hero with Asperger’s Syndrome is so unique, and Jennifer’s talented writing made it one of the most compelling romances I’d read. I wanted the three remaining—and just as intriguing—Mackenzie brothers to also have their stories told.

Not long after that, the opportunity arose for Berkley to also publish the rest of Jennifer’s Shifters Unbound series. Suffice to say, it was Christmas come early for me! In Pride Mates, Jennifer introduced a unique Shifter world, and I wanted her to have the opportunity to continue to develop that world—and I wanted to see more of the gorgeous guys. Primal Bonds (book 2), which came out in March, blew me away. The world building and emotional love story—with Jennifer’s trademark humor—is wonderful! More is coming up in that series with January 2012’s Wild Cat.

It’s a real treat for me as an editor to work with Jennifer on both her historical and her paranormal romances. I love these two series, and I’m pleased Berkley was able to make the first books in both of them available again. It was important to me that readers be able to read and enjoy the complete series.

So August is an exciting month! Both The Many Sins of Lord Cameron and book one in the series, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, are on sale.

I’ve wondered about Cam since he was first introduced in The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. Did he really kill his wife? How could this horse crazy man find love? But Ainsley is his match in every way and keeps Cam on his toes. I love horses and grew up riding, so I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Cam in his stables and smiling as he learns about love from Ainsley, who has enough grace and grit to challenge him.

I hope you enjoy Cam and Ainsley’s story as much as I did, and either reread the first book in the series or have the pleasure of discovering another Jennifer Ashley gem!

REVIEW: Primal Bonds by Jennifer Ashley

Jane — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:00:58 +0000

Dear Ms. Ashley:

I have to confess that if I hadn’t gotten an ARC of this book, I would never have read it. The cover is just so, well, 70s? I mean, there is definitely something about this cover that screams Miami Vice or Chips. Too bad the dude is not wearing a white nylon windbreaker. But! You are the Jennifer Ashley who writes those amazing historicals and this book is about shifters which have become my latest hunt. I know that I was taking a risk because I was jumping into the series at book 2 and frankly I wish I had read book 1 because there are definitely storylines begun in book 1 that carry over into this book and I wondered if I had missed some of the romance buildup between our two main protagonists.

Andrea Gray is half Fae and half Lupine shifter. She was raised in a lupine pack but because of her fae blood and her illegitimacy, she was treated as an outcast. Andrea is faced with mating with an abusive Lupine or leaving her back. She appeals to her Aunt Glory. Glory petitions her pack leader, Liam Morrissey for permission to bring Andrea into their Pack. Liam required Andrea to be mate claimed as an unmated women can cause dissension and in fighting amongst packmates. Females are scarce and fertility is low. Sean, his brother, agreed to mate claim Andrea, sight unseen. A mate claim is simply a verbal commitment by one pack member that he would mate with another. All other males had to back off unless the woman rejected the mate claim.

Sean Morrissey is a “Collared Feline” who is the Guardian of his pack. As Guardian, Sean is responsible for using the Sword of the Guardian to conduct what are essentially mercy killings wherein he finishes off a dying pack member and uses the Sword to usher them into the afterlife. It’s a painful and somber responsibility.

The world structure reminded me a little of Native Americans and reservations. The shifters came into being as a result of Fae magic but when the Fae realized that the shifters were strong and could represent a threat, they became frightened. Ultimately, they worked with humans to contain the shifters by requiring the shifters to be collared. The collars control their ability to shift and keep them monitored (serving as a kind of geo locator). Generally, shifters stay in their shifter towns, away from humans. They live and work in their shifter towns, noted as other by their collars. Sean’s clan is attempting to overcome the fae infused magic of their collars but with gruesome effects so far.

While there is an overarching romantic thread between Andrea and Sean, the driving force behind the story is the world and the mystery elements injected such as Andrea’s Fae nature; the growing shifter rebellion; and the fight between the humans, the fae, and the Shifters.

What really wasn’t explained to me was why Sean would have mate claimed Andrea or if he did it just to allow her to move, when did he decide that he lusted/loved her? I wondered if some of that was included in the first book. Sean is the one that is calling Andrea love, dreaming of her, anticipating the consummation of their mate bond. In the beginning of the story, it seemed like Sean was already in love with Andrea whereas we see Andrea fall in love with Sean over the course of the book. It’s not that I found Andrea unloveable but I had wished I had seen the course of Sean’s emotional arc as well.

There is a secondary romance that takes place between Andrea’s aunt Glory and Sean’s father who stepped down from being the Pack leader in favor of his son. The romantic conflict between Glory and Sean’s father resonated a bit more for me as did Sean’s father’s conflict with not being Pack leader.

This isn’t a bad shifter romance, but I definitely don’t anticipate the next one like I do the historicals. I wonder if some of my problems with the book would have been answered if I read book 1 but I guess I shouldn’t have to read book 1 to get the full flavor of the romance between the main protagonists. I do think shifter fans will enjoy it. The story moves fast and has plenty of heat. C.

Best regards,

Jane

This book is published by an Agency publisher meaning that the publisher sets the digital book price and there are no discounts.

REVIEW: Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley

Jane — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:00:14 +0000

Dear Ms. Ashley:

I really enjoyed The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie and started reading the sequel featuring a brother of Lord Ian the minute Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage dropped on my doorstep. Lady Isabella met and married Roland Mackenzie on the night of her debutante ball. Mac, as he is called, crashed the party on a dare but the moment he saw her, he had to have her. In true Mackenzie style, he swept her out onto the terrace and convinced her to elope with him.

Her father, Earl of Scranton, disowned her for eloping with Mac, a debauched artist with a dissolute reputation. Isabella’s father was a good judge of character because while Mac did truly love Isabella, he was an alcoholic whose moodiness, debauchery, and frequent, unexplained abandonments drove Isabella to leave the marriage. At the start of the book, Isabella and Mac have been separated for three years. They both love each other deeply but Isabella feels like the pain of living with Mac was simply unbearable. Mac, spurred by his brother Ian’s happiness, is determined to win Isabella back.

At the start of the book, Mac has dried out. He has changed a great deal from the man that Isabella loved and then left. All of his former friends have left him because Mac is simply no fun anymore. He’s not into whoring or drinking or general revelry. His entire passionate focus is on one thing and that is Isabella.

Isabella brings herself into Mac’s sphere in order to inform him that he is being expertly forged by some unknown artist. Mac, who hasn’t painted a decent work since Isabella has left him, is intrigued rather than dismayed. Mac defined himself as an artist but never thought much of his own product. Upon seeing Mac, Isabella is struck by how much she misses him in her bed and in her life but also that he looks like the same Mac – tartan clad, wild eyed, and bad for her.

Because the book starts with a reformed Mac, it was hard to get a grasp on why Isabella, who so clearly loved Mac and who believed that Mac loved her, would not immediately forgive and begin anew. As the story progresses, we get a clearer idea of the painful tragedy that was Isabella’s marriage. There were some very poignant images portrayed toward the end of the story which would have made Isabella’s initial resistance more understandable. (For example, at one point Mac is remembering how he delighted in showing off how he could convince Isabella, a very proper young woman, to engage in scandalous acts which embarrassed her but she did anyway because she loved Mac so much).

I wish we had seen more of Mac’s recovery from alcohol dependence rather than having been presented with a fait accompli but the book is focused on how Mac wins Isabella’s trust post alcohol dependence versus having her see him struggle to recovery and renew their relationship in that way.

Isabella’s inability to trust Mac waged war with her deep affection for him and, well, her lust for him. Everything that the two of them had shared was built upon that first instance of impossible-t0-ignore lust which deepened into love despite the troubles of their marriage. The elopement typified the marriage. It was an act of recklessness and brought them both to their knees, emotionally.

A romance built around two people who really truly love each other from page one and are open about their feelings for one another seems like it would be conflict free but instead it’s fairly heartbreaking. Mac isn’t sure what he can do to convince Isabella he is changed and Isabella feels like she has gotten to a point in her life where the poignancy of the loss of her marriage isn’t killing her emotionally. Mac wants to be in Isabella’s bed but recognizes that lust has never been a problem for them. Both of them struggle with whether being physical with one another is harmful and so each sexual encounter is tinged with a bittersweet emotion and post coitus recriminations.

I’ve always loved a marriage in trouble story and this is a slightly different take on a favorite trope. The suspense plot was a bit ridiculous and I think the story could have easily excluded it without making a bit of difference. I loved revisiting Ian and Beth and the other members of the family. I think you are doing a great job of building interest for the future books without being intrusive about the fact that these brothers are sequel bait, even if they are sequel bait. B-

Best regards,

Jane

DA Recommends for July

Jane — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:00:16 +0000

It’s hard to believe that July is here and 2010 is half over. This year seems to have flown by. I think I might have slept through some of it because I certainly don’t remember the months of April or May.

Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Lover by Jennifer Ashley. Recommended by Jane.
Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh. Recommended by everyone (or so it seems because when the DA loop gave out their recommended reads list to me, everyone was like “me too” on the Bonds of Justice book. Shuzluva won the right to review it).
Demon Blood by Meljean Brook. Recommended by Jane.
Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun. Recommended by Jane. (It is for sale at Amazon but it is far cheaper at Ellora’s Cave).
I Kissed an Earl by Julie Ann Long. Recommended by Janine.
Life After Joe by Harper Fox. Recommended by Sarah F.
SOS: Convenient Husband Required by Liz Fielding. Recommended by Sunita.
The Surgeon’s Miracle by Caroline Anderson. Recommended by Sunita.
“A Bride After All” by Kasey Michaels. Recommended by Jayne.
Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik. Recommended by Jayne.
Unspeakable by Laura Griffith . Recommended by Jayne.

Got a recommendation for us? Disagree with our recs or agree? Let us know in the comments.

Top Romances of 2009 by Janet

Janet — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:53:20 +0000

We will be posting our Top 10 of 2009 this entire week. Today’s list is from Janet (aka Robin). The list is unranked. You can find more of her reviews here.

****

I hesitated about making a list this year, since my reading was largely dictated by what I volunteered to review. Consequently, there are many, many wonderful books I haven’t yet read and some books I did love that I didn’t put on this list, either because they were not straight Romance (Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, Dead and Gone), because they just didn’t stick with me with way other books did, or because I wanted to make room for a book that I think might be otherwise overlooked. So rather than my “Top Romances of 2009,” this list is more “10 Memorable Romances I Read in 2009″ — and they’re books I heartily recommend to the DA readership.

Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
Demon Forged by Meljean Brook
Courtesan’s Wager by Claudia Dain
Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran (review by Jane)
Never Love A Lawman by Jo Goodman
Highland Rebel by Judith James
Indiscreet by Carolyn Jewel
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas (haiku review!)
Double Play by Jill Shalvis (no review)
Hunt Her Down by Roxanne St. Claire

Dear Author Recommends for May

Jane — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:55:02 +0000

I’m sorry for my delinquency in posting this. My lame is excuse is real world things interfering with my online fun. Without further ado, here is our May recommendations.

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt. A beautiful courtesan falls in love with a scarred, tormented lord. Recommended by Jayne.
Gift from the Sea by Anna Schmidt. Enemies turned lovers historical set in early 20th C America. Recommeded by Jayne.
Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch. True rogue tries to shed his past bad association and help a pratical woman about to be trapped in marriage to a man who takes pleasure in destroying others. Recommended by Jane.
Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy. Dyslexic stock car racer falls for sociology graduate student. Funny and sexy. Recommended by Jane.
The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Asperger sufferer seduces a widow who curbs his madness. Recommeded by Robin and Jane.
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris. Robin says this is one of the best in the series.
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas. Estranged couple reuintes and rekindles their love after overcoming past betrayals. Recommended by Janine, who by way of disclosure, is Sherry’s critique partner.
The Conqueror by Kris Kennedy. Medieval knight woos barons and landowners to Henry II’s side while plotting to regain his birthright, Everoot, and uproot its current residents including the woman he is falling in love with. Recommended by Jane (it’s on sale for $2.38).

REVIEW: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Janet — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:44:19 +0000

Dear Ms. Ashley:

As a satisfied reader of your Regency pirate series, I was definitely on board to try your new late Victorian book about a hero who suffers from Asperger’s. The barbaric aspects of a growing medical tradition and the increasing urbanization and complexity of British society are a perfect fit for a story that explores the sometimes narrow gap between obsession and madness. And in a genre where love is often portrayed and expressed in extreme measures of desperation, the fit is very fine. So it should be no surprise that I enjoyed The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, both in its unusual choice of hero and its deft use of many solid genre conventions.

Lord Ian Mackenzie has been out of the asylum for only a bit longer than Beth Ackerley has been widowed. Ian’s father had him committed at the age of nine, ostensibly for his uncontrollable rages, inability to meet another’s gaze, and obsessive tendencies. Beth’s husband, an East End vicar, left his young wife in roughly the same state he had married her in: poor. Although her maternal grandfather was a squire, Beth hardly grew up in comfort, and by the age of ten, she had practically grown up in a workhouse, only finding financial security inheriting a substantial fortune from a woman whose caretaker she eventually became. Newly engaged to the clearly unworthy Lyndon Mather, Beth cannot help but notice the handsome and unusual Lord Ian at the opera, especially when he approaches her with news of her fiancé’s unsavory proclivities.

Determined to win Beth Ackerly into his life and his bed upon the first moment he sees her, Ian shows no hesitation in maneuvering Beth away from Mather, in the same way he takes Ming bowls into his appreciative possession. Although convinced he is incapable of love and unable to pierce the more affective aspects of interpersonal communication, Ian knows desire, and something about Beth focuses every bit of Ian’s physical and intellectual attention upon her. Proposing to her the very first night they meet, Ian is unfazed by Beth’s reluctance, following her all the way to Paris to win her. Beth is more than a bit intrigued by the handsome and intense Ian, although she is nowhere near ready to marry a man she has just met, even one that kisses so wickedly and passionately as Ian Mackenzie:

His hand loosened more curls, rendering the maid’s work useless. “You were a vicar’s wife, respectable, the sort to be married. Otherwise, I would offer a liaison.”
Beth resisted rubbing her face against his glove. “Have I got this right? You want me to come to your bed, but because I was once a respectable married lady, you must marry me in order to get me there?”
“Yes.”
She gave a half-hysterical laugh. “My dear Lord Ian, don’t you think that a bit extreme? Once you’d had me in your bed, you’d still be married to me.”
“I planned to bed you more than once.”
It sounded so logical when he said it. His deep voice slid through her senses, tempting her, finding the passionate woman who’d discovered how much she loved touching a man’s body and having that man touch her.

The budding passion between two mutually attracted, passionate people cannot be restrained, though, at least not in Romance, and it is not long before Beth and Ian are engaged in a variety of sexual explorations, with Ian’s eagle eye still firmly focused on the prize of marriage, and Beth’s on the deepening feelings of attachment she is having toward the powerful yet vulnerable Ian. Against the backdrop of 1881 London, Paris, and Kilmorgan, Scotland, Beth and Ian’s relationship seems idyllic, except for the unwanted attentions of one Lloyd Fellows, a Scotland Yard detective convinced that Ian and his eldest brother Hart (the Duke of Kilmorgan) are responsible for the murders of two High Holborn prostitutes. Fellows’s fixation on finding the Mackenzies guilty is as strong as Ian’s on securing Beth in marriage, and all too soon Beth finds herself between the two men, convinced of Ian’s innocence but determined to uncover the truth behind the murders.

Without a doubt, the heart of The Madness of Lord Ian is Ian, despite his repeated insistence that he does not have one himself. Ian is incredibly gifted in languages and mathematics, a musical prodigy despite the fact that he cannot read the notes, and capable or memorizing documents, maps, and conversations word for word despite not necessarily understand them. He cannot comprehend irony or subtext, is beset by constant migraines, as well as frequent nightmares, and while is a masterful puzzle-solver, his lack of confidence in his own mental stability makes him susceptible to rages that rob him of memory. Further, those close to him vacillate between pity and fear of his “madness,” undermining any confidence Ian might gain in his own faculties. While the asylum may have been a horrific punishment for the sensitive, struggling boy that Ian was, his emotional problems were/are very real, and nothing, not even the love of a good woman, will exorcise most of his demons.

In truth, Ian does not know whether or not he has killed in one of his rages, which makes him fight Beth’s determination to clear his name. He is also extremely loyal to Hart, because it was his eldest brother who rescued him from the asylum after their brute of a father died. In some ways Ian reminded me of Faelan from Kinsale’s Uncertain Magic, and despite his autistic tendencies, Ian is in many ways the ideal romantic hero: physically strong yet emotionally vulnerable, passionately devoted to the heroine yet tortured inside, determined to protect those he loves yet firmly in need of rescue himself. In fact, it may be less that Ian is unique among Romance heroes and more that his more pronounced, more extreme difficulties reveal the relative “madness” of many epic heroes within the genre.

Beth, while very strong in character and intelligence, also functions to enrich Ian’s characterization. She is that standard Romance combination of plucky and innocent, despite having an alcoholic reprobate father and being raised in a workhouse among poverty and crime. Both aspects of her personality function in critical ways within the novel, of course, because the tortured hero is always most powerfully attracted to the woman whose goodness is crystal clear, and the heroine’s background allows her to accept Ian’s eccentricities without judgment, as well as facilitating her own investigation through the more degraded areas of London:

The woman was incredibly innocent. She’d seen what she’d seen in London’s slums, she’d been destitute and desperate, and yet she still looked for good in the Mackenzies. Unbelievable.

Exactly. Like Ian, I could never really believe that a woman who had lived most of her life among prostitutes, criminals, and impoverished laborers would be quite as naÃ¯ve as Beth.

I had some moments of confusion about Ian, too, especially when “[h]e always had difficulty deciphering what another person was feeling,” but he was so adept at figuring out how Beth would proceed once she was determined to clear his name. Was that the Asperger’s or the characterization – I was never sure. Also, because Beth cannot always communicate her complex emotional state with Ian, she journals much of it, which sometimes felt clumsy and as nothing more than an excuse to fit more sexual encounters into the novel amidst endless speculation on whether Beth was a “lady” or whether her sensuality was a mark of baseness. I am, I think, so very tired of that characteristic in historical Romance heroines that I easily find it intrusive. On the other hand, though, I was charmed by the fact that Beth liked to joke with Ian, even though Ian could not understand a word of it. I found that amusing, in part because it emphasized a larger truth of male-female conversational disconnect.

The Madness of Lord Ian is the first book of a series encompassing all four Mackenzie brothers, and still to come are the stories of Mac, the famous artist whose estranged wife befriended Beth in Paris; Cameron, the widower genius horse trainer whose son is a slightly less wild Mackenzie male; and Hart, the politician and widower who promises to be the most complex and difficult of the lot (I am most looking forward to his story). And as Ian points out,

“All of us are mad in some way,” Ian said. “I have a memory that won’t let go of details. Hart is obsessed with politics and money. Cameron is a genius with horses, and Mac paints like a god. . . We all have our madness. Mine is just the most obvious.”

If I remember correctly, Mac and Isabella’s book is next, and there was plenty in The Madness of Lord Ian to set the stage for this tempestuous couple, another brooding, complex male paired with a devoted but independent female. In fact, I suspect that this series will gain a wide readership because of the way so many standard Romance elements ground the love story, despite the unusual circumstances of the heroes. Also, while not rich, the historical elements are not insultingly anachronistic, either (although I wondered about the existence of ice used to reduce swelling during the Scottish summertime, when the sun barely sets). Further, the draw of Scottish heroes who do not use fake Scots-speak is a big bonus, as is the fact that the Kilmorgan title holds high status in both Scotland and England, making the transcontinental path of the story believable. The plotting is relatively predictable, but the emotional connection between Ian and Beth remains strong enough to make it interesting, in part, I think, because of the incredibly magnetic presence of Hart Mackenzie, whose own sexual history may be even more scandalous than Beth’s one-time fiancé, the unsavory Lyndon Mather.

It strikes me that these novels will all investigate the line between passion and madness, and that they will all offer a new perspective on the concept of “normal,” which is itself a welcome addition to the genre, as far as I’m concerned. I was definitely entertained enough by The Madness of Lord Ian to recommend it and to look forward to Mac and Isabella’s story. B

~ Janet

This book can be purchased in mass market from an independent bookstore. I can’t find the ebook version of it yet.

REVIEW: Confessions of a Lingerie Addict by Jennifer Ashley

Jane — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:36:35 +0000

Dear Ms. Ashley:

The premise is that Brenda, our heroine, wakes up on New Years’ Eve, naked and in bed with a buff naked man. He jumps up, covers himself and runs out. Brenda has just been dumped by her boyfriend Larry, one of the richest men in Southern California. Being in bed with a stranger somehow awakens a new Brenda, a wild new sexy Brenda who is addicted to buying sexy lingerie.

The anonymous naked man turns out to be Nick, Brenda’s arch radio DJ rival for the hearts and ears of the morning drive commuters. After finding out who the other is, the two begin an on air banter, causing the listeners to start taking camps and some even rooting for the two to get together. While I thought the concept of the banter was cute and interesting, I wondered at the logistics. Like how could a commuter listen to both at the same time (this was before podcasting and the like). Also, I thought the online banter was a little, well, weak. It was more corny than witty.

It’s a bit of a slapstick contemporary with Brenda’s radio station changing formats faster than rakes change their mistresses. Then there’s Brenda’s mother who is dating her son’s ex best friend. And finally, there’s Brenda’s brother who is sleeping on her sofa after losing his job, money, and wife. Brenda is trying to deal with her family while trying to come out of her cocoon.

Nick is pretty much a saint to put up with Brenda who can’t decide what she wants, Brenda’s f-ed up boss, and her crazy family.

The storyline with Brenda kind of bothered me because how could he be “sued” for everything he had by his soon to be ex-wife when he had also declared bankruptcy? Further, it didn’t matter who had an affair, really, in the divvying up of assets.

Suffice to say, while this book was readable, I didn’t really believe in the romance and I wasn’t drawn to the “humor” aspects of this book which really drive the story. C.

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon. No ebook format (was originally printed in 2005).

My First Sale by Jennifer Ashley, Two Sales Means No More Mac and Cheese

Jayne — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:00:39 +0000

Jennifer Ashley, wows readers in two different genres. Not only does she write romances – historical, contemporary and now paranormal, but she also pens historical mystery novels under the name Ashley Gardner. We’re happy to let her tell us all about her favorite dinner and how long it took to break into this business!

***

My first sale story is a little odd because I sold two different kinds of books practically on top of each other.

I'd wanted to be a writer from age eight, but when I went to college, I had this notion that I had to go for a "real" job. I majored in biology (so practical) but later switched to English lit (ever more practical). Not content with a B.A., I stayed in school and went for my master's (thus avoiding a "real" job for another year or so).

Armed with an M.A. in English, I found employment as an editor at a medium-sized publisher that published reference books. In five years I worked up to senior editor in charge of several product lines. I was sitting pretty until the company got bought by a NY publisher, and there went my fine job. I took another job, which I hated and quit in eight months.

Now determined to be a full-time writer (published) I wrote novels from dawn to dusk and beyond. We were flat broke and existed on macaroni and cheese, but I have a very understanding, supportive husband. :-)

I'd written about six romances, won contests, and even finaled in the Golden Heart, but got no bites. I wrote Perils of the Heart in early 2001 and sent it to Dorchester's "New Historical Voice" contest. This is before it became "American Title," where the work is critiqued in front of God and everybody. Tired of rejection I decided that Perils was my last shot at publishing romance. If I didn't win the contract, I was switching to mysteries.

I didn't win the contest. I didn't even final. But I got a letter from Dorchester asking if I'd let them keep Perils and consider it. Fine. I figured they'd stick it in a pile somewhere, and I'd never hear from them again.

About the same time, I got nibble from an agent I'd queried about a historical murder mystery, The Hanover Square Affair. He requested the full, and then signed me! Woo! Double helpings of mac and cheese.

Then, on Feb. 26, 2002, Kate Seaver at Dorchester offered to buy Perils of the Heart.

I'd been at the eye doctor and returned home, pupils dilated, to a phone message. The first play through didn't really sink in. After blinking blindly at the machine it dawned on me that I'd just sold a book!

I couldn't see to write down the phone number. I went through my files with severely blurred vision, trying to find letterhead with the number on it. At last, at last! I punched numbers, praying they were right–and got voice mail.

We eventually connected, and I accepted the offer. Almost on top of that, my agent called and said he sold the mystery series to Berkley. Because I accepted Dorchester's offer first, they asked me to take a pseudonym (Ashley Gardner), but that didn't phase me. After years of rejection I was suddenly published in two genres!

The lessons I learned? Never give up, take advantage of opportunities, and don't let rejection stop you cold. And when you go to the eye doctor, pay the extra fee for a laser photo so you don't have to get your eyes dilated. You never know when you'll have to search for the most important phone number of your life.