“He rode a blazing saddle, he wore a shining star.
His job to offer battle to bad men near and far.
He conquered fear and he conquered hate.
He turned dark night into day.
He made his blazing saddle a torch to light the way.”

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a bromance so here goes with one of the funniest movies from Mel Brooks. Not only is it an homage/spoof of the great Western classics but it’s also a social commentary on race relations of the time. A comedy with layers. The first time I saw it was in its 1975 summer re release in theaters and, to be honest, most of it went right over my head. I still thought it was funny then but with age and movie watching experience, I can understand a bit better what Mel Brooks was trying to do with it.

Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), the crooked Assistant to the crooked Territorial Governor William Lepetomane (Mel Brooks), wants some land to sell to the railroad. The only problem is it’s currently owned by the citizens of the peaceful town of Rock Ridge (all with the last name of Johnson). He schemes to send his hired thug Taggert (Slim Pickens) and his band on a No 6 – where they go tearing into town awhooping and ahollering and ashooting everything. When this fails to send the townsfolk fleeing, he maneuvers the Gov into appointing a black sheriff, Bart (Cleavon Little), to replace the one Taggert and the boys shot. But along with his deputy, Jim the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), Bart settles into town and begins to slowly win the town over. Undeterred, Lamarr then sends Mongo – who is more of a what rather than a who – against the town but Bart soon tames Mongo thus earning his devotion. Well if the Beast didn’t work, maybe Beauty in the form of Lili Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) will be able to bring Bart to his knees. Bart, however, turns the tables on Lili after a night of hot lovin’. But Hedley is supremely greedy and keeps trying. Can the townspeople pull together, overcome their prejudices, give Bart the 24 hours he asks for to devise a brilliant plan to save the town – after all, they’d give it to Randolph Scott – and prevail?

The poster for the movie has the line “Never give a saga an even break” and this one doesn’t. Is it vulgar? Does it offend most ethnic/social/whatever groups? “You bet your ass!” The film gleefully skewers a lot about the Western genre – the cavalry escapes but little else. The references to bits and pieces of famous westerns come thick and fast but the film is still funny even if you don’t catch all this. It’s also chock full of anachronisms including Cole Porter songs, Count Basie and his Orchestra, Boris the medieval executioner, Hedy Lamarr jokes, mentions of Academy Award nominations, German storm troopers and a tollbooth with flashing electrical lights. It was un PC before PC even existed. It goes for shameless laughs and usually succeeds including more than once when the actors break the “fourth wall” to address the audience directly plus the ending which shows that the whole thing is just a movie. The not-to-be-missed campfire scene is movie making history.

Blazing Saddles is also a powerful commentary on race. Sort of like the original Star Trek of a few years prior, it uses a different setting – in this case the historic west of a hundred years ago instead of the far distant SF future – to shine a spotlight on current social situations. I think most people will already know that there are offensive racial slurs used in the film but they are words which would have been commonly used in the historic time period and I think Brooks deliberately employs them to make a point. Plus, it’s the white characters – the common clay of the new west, you know … morons – who are portrayed as racist while every other POC – including the Indians/NA – isn’t. Could the film be remade today? I have my doubts.

But beyond all this, the film is LOL funny. Bart is the dazzling urbanite in the sophisticated Gucci ensemble. Jim has “probably killed more men than Cecille B DeMille.” Hedley Lamarr uses his tongue “prettier than a $20 whore.” Mongo is “only pawn in game of life.” Lili the “Teutonic Titwillow” flatly announces that “everything below the waist is kaput.” Honestly I’ve never gotten tired of rewatching the entire film and probably never will. It’s that great. Sure the plot is off the rails – so to speak – from almost the beginning and the ending certainly takes it beyond even that. But the writing is brilliant, the casting is fabulous and it’s totally quotable. And those elements are what helps make a movie for me.

~Jayne

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One of the reasons I was excited to read The Whip is that I lived for quite a while in Santa Cruz County, where some of the novel is set. I was also intrigued by the idea of a fact-based story about Charley Parkhurst, a woman who not only lived for most of her life as a man, but who was one of the most respected “whips,” aka stagecoach drivers, for Wells Fargo. While not a great deal is known about Parkhurst’s life, especially her early life, what is known provides a lot of rich material for any novelist, and certainly there is a great deal of drama in this fictionalized account of Parkhurst’s life. I found some of that drama moving, and there were significant stretches of the story I felt immersed in as a reader, but I ended up feeling ambivalent about both the kind of drama created around Parkhurst and the amount, which for me too often crossed the line into melodrama.

In 1812, Charlotte Parkhurst was left as an infant on the doorstep of the Boston Society for Destitute Children. Her first days at the orphanage were hardly auspicious, as the overworked, uncaring caretaker sees fit to lock the crying infant in a laundry closet at night so she will not keep the other children awake. Were it not for the immediate interest and devoted protection of a four-year old boy named Lee Colton, who rescued Charlotte from the closet and then kept her under his protection for the first four years of her life, Charlotte may not have made it through that first night alone in the closet. The relationship between Lee and Charlotte is somewhat like brother and sister, but the appearance of a new headmistress and the imposition of new rules, including the separation of male and female orphans, jeopardizes Lee’s authoritative protection of Charlotte, and his open defiance of the rules results in the kind of discipline that brings out the bad in Lee, a darkness that never leaves the bond he shares with her.

As Lee and Charlotte grow, their relationship becomes fraught, both with Lee’s conflicted feelings toward his “sister,” and the perceptions of others about the nature of their closeness. Charlotte is much more innocent than Lee, and while she escapes most of the brutality that Lee suffers under the orphanage’s “improvements,” her persistent efforts to spend time playing games with the boys instead of learning the domestic arts eventually results in her banishment to the stables, where the headmistress is certain she will learn humility and a desire to be a “good” girl. Instead, Charlotte discovers her love of horses, and under the wise tutelage of the stable master, Jonas, she gains both skill and the protections of a father-figure, both of which become necessary once Lee’s mixed feelings become dangerous to her and she needs to fashion a life without social, financial, or family connections.

Charlotte lives as a woman for the first four decades of her life or so. During that time, Lee moves in and out of her life, becoming more and more unstable and belligerent, and Charlotte moves from job to job, each more drab than the last, and the sum total causing her to “disappear” from her own life. Until, quite unexpectedly, she meets the local farrier and blacksmith in Providence, Rhode Island, where she is working and living in a women’s boarding house. Byron Williams, who was born into slavery and sent North through the Underground Railroad at 12 by his mother, who also taught him to read and write so he could support himself as a free man, introduces Charlotte to Emerson, and their mutual passion for the Transcendentalist’s ideals is matched by their physical passion for one another and their eventual love. Although their relationship is shunned in Providence, they eventually find happiness and stability on a farm, and the birth of their daughter brings them fulfillment neither ever thought possible.

So when tragedy comes to the farm donning white sheets and masks, and fueled by racism and a personal anger that is definitely not brotherly, Charlotte heads out West to California, where she hopes she will find the master of her misery and exact well-deserved and long-overdue revenge. Instead what Charlotte finds is a new life as Charley Parkhurst, stagecoach driver and Sacramento resident. Although small and slim, Charley manages to pass as a man, although the parts of the narrative told from Charley’s point of view continue to use female pronouns, suggesting that Charley never thought of herself as male. Whether this was the case in real life is not clear, but for the purpose of the book, Charley’s dual identity is necessary because of the various relationships she has during the second half of her life, one of which is as a woman with a local gambler she periodically trysts with in San Francisco, and another as a man with an actress and her daughter who live with Charley as caretakers of a sort. I will not describe this section of the book in much more detail, because it is difficult not to venture into serious spoiler territory, but I will say that this was the most problematic part of the book for me.

Fictionalized biographies are interesting creations, because the choices the author makes for her “characters” are as significant as the real life history on which she draws. In Parkhurst’s case, there are so many gaps in the story that Kondazian invents the majority of the biographical details, incorporating those that are speculated or known alongside the fictional aspects. For example, it is known that Parkhurst was abandoned and raised at an orphanage, but the content of those years is not known. The invention of Lee Colton is interesting and provocative, because it is Lee’s idea to initially disguise Charlotte as a boy so she can stay with him once the orphanage is divided along gender lines once the new headmistress arrives. He is the one who dubs her Charley, and even though her real gender is discovered almost immediately, the ruse sets the stage for the second half of the book and problematizes the relationship with Lee in a way that creates a lot of dramatic attention throughout the novel. Lee is characterized as possessing “anger” that is often seen “showing off its sexual side.” He feels possessive and protective of Charlotte/Charley, but is also attracted to her, and it baffles and angers him that she does not easily submit to those desires.

Lee’s dark ambivalence is later mirrored in Charley’s dualistic experience of herself as both male and female. She is most at home on the stagecoach driving her beloved horses, but experiences some of her happiest moments dressed as a woman and making love with a man who knows her secret:

Charley could sense Edmunds not only made love to Charlotte, but to Charley as well. The vision of Charley on the driver’s box, sweaty, dirty, whipping the six-team, powerful and brave as any man. She imagined it excited him to feel Charley beneath him or on top. As it excited her . . . the freedom to be a man and a woman in the same body – at the same time.

But that dualism can also be extremely difficult, as when Anna, the woman who lives with Charley, wants to make their relationship sexual and Charley can neither satisfy Anna’s desires nor tell her the truth.

And, indeed, this ambivalence, which can be so interesting when it’s explored in terms of the fluidity of gender identity and issues of power, also becomes problematic and ironically constraining when it comes to the novel’s dramatic structure. For example, why is it that Charley can trust her male lover with the truth of who she is but not the woman who claims to love her? And why is it that Charley necessarily thinks of herself as female when she not simply passes as male but seems so embedded in male culture and so infused with male habits and behavior as to be considered male and to be characterized as relishing the freedom of being male? Is there really a gender duality or is it more about conforming to the varying demands of the fictionalized drama? Also, why is it that some people conveniently see through her disguise but not others? Why does no one who could be dangerous to her see through it? And if, as she is told by her doctor at one point, that she is not the only woman living the way she is, that there is “nothing unusual” about her choice, why doesn’t she run into any of these other women? It feels that her secret is alternately urgently well-hidden or not so necessarily hidden depending on the circumstance, and the differences feel more contrived for plot than realistic consistency.

Realism is not necessary for the success of a fictionalized biography such as this one, but believability is, and there are so many coincidences in the book, especially in the second half, that for me that crucial believability became strained to the point of frustration at several crucial points in the story. In some ways it was fun to see all the artifacts and details packed into the book – the historical speculation that Charley was the only woman to vote in the US during her lifetime; myriad locations from Rhode Island to Sacramento to San Francisco to Soquel to Watsonville; Transcendetalism; saloons and chewing tobacco and sound horse knowledge and relevant social issues and events; even the preserved head of Joaquin Murrieta! But in other ways the novel had a kitchen sink feel, and more importantly, a sense that the book could not decide whether it wanted to be a serious, even heartbreaking, examination of prejudice and social identity or an indulgently pulpy historical melodrama. Even the prose shifted from banal to lyrical to purple:

Byrne had heard that old Charley Parkhurst was one of Wells Fargo’s most adept drivers…that he could get his coach along twisting roads in the dead of night as a dog can follow a trail by his nose.

. . .

It was March of 1812, the month when wagon-ruts were filled with cold, dark puddles – the month of mud and suicide in New England.

. . .

She tried to take all this in. That the woman in her had died in anguish and a vengeful man had been born in her place apparently brooked no notice of the universe. Nor had the universe even blinked in the absorption into itself of her tragedy.

And speaking of tragedy, there is a lot of it in this book. During the first half of the book, I felt that the darkness was effective at engaging my emotions and empathy. But the second half, where the tension between Charley’s tragic past and the almost ebullient indulgence of her masculine identity creates some over-the-top melodrama, I felt like The Whip was drawing on a number of stereotypes of life in 19^th C America more than constructing a believable tale about a complex and provocatively fascinating character. Consequently, my experience of the book was mixed and while I’m glad I read it, I cannot recommend it without reservations. C+

~ Janet

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In general, with the exception of Deadwood, I have never been a fan of the western. I’ve read good things about your Hell’s Eight series, however, so I thought I’d see if perhaps your book Shadow’s Stand might be the western that changed my mind. After finishing it, I am open to reading another western. That said, I don’t think it will be one of yours.

My struggle with Shadow’s Stand began with the opening scene. The time is the summer of 1859; the place, the West Kansas territory. Fei Yen, a young Chinese American woman, needs a husband and she needs him fast. There’s a new law that forbids Chinese from holding mining claims and Fei has a claim on which she’s found gold. (Were you were referencing the Foreign Miners Tax passed in California in 1850 that taxed any non-citizen—which meant non-white–claim owners at astronomical rates?) There’s also, in your book,—I couldn’t find any mention of such a law after a cursory internet search so I’m taking your word for this—a law that allows a woman to take a condemned man as a husband thus saving him from death and giving her a spouse. This law also states that should the woman become displeased with her convict, she may return him to the gallows where he will be immediately hung.

Fei, who has just locked her literally crazy father in the cellar and has no one to turn to, rides into town and claims the half Mexican, half American Indian Shadow Ochoa just as he’s about to be hung. Shadow, though, despite the noose around his neck, refuses to be claimed by Fei until she actually asks him to marry her. The sheriff, racist asshole that he is, starts to hang Shadow before Fei has a chance to say anything. Fei grabs up a knife conveniently sticking out of a nearby boot, runs up Shadow’s body and, as he is choking to death, saws through the noose around his neck and, in the literal nick of time, cuts him down. Even after she’s saved his life, he still won’t take her up on her offer until she gasps out “Marry me,” to which he replies, “I thought you’d never ask.”

None of this made much sense to me. If Fei needs someone who could legally protect her claim, why pick Shadow, a non-white? Won’t he run up against the same prejudices and laws limiting the Chinese? The men hanging Shadow are violent racist drunks; Fei, a young unmarried attractive “half-breed” Chinese with an out of it dad, lives near them and yet none of these cretins have managed to rape or harm her. Shadow viciously fights the men trying to hang him, despite having his hands tied behind his back, and yet, when offered escape, he refuses it. This seemed unlikely to me. One moment he’s fighting for his life and the next he needs to be wooed?

After the two are (maybe legally, maybe not) married by a drunken “padre,” Fei, who married Shadow so she’d have protection, then asks the same men she’s worried will harm her and steal her claim to put Shadow in shackles and toss him in her wagon.  Fei puts the key to the shackles “into the lace-trimmed pocket above her breast” and Shadow thinks “Of all the things that pissed him off about the last day, it was her drawing attention to her breasts that he resented the most.” REALLY? Being beaten, hung, knifed, and shackled all rankled less than having to notice his new wife has breasts?

Shadow doesn’t want to have hot flashes for his bride because “inside him there was only darkness.” He’s a bad, bad man, or so he tells himself over and over. Fei, of course, can tell by page 30 he’s wrong about himself, that really, he’s an honorable guy. That dynamic pretty much sums up most of the book. Shadow can’t stay with Fei because he knows he’s not a marrying man, he can’t love, he isn’t worthy—the dude’s got quite a list. Naturally Fei falls for him like a ton of gold bricks. Everything about him–his voice, his body, his arrogance, his strength, his overly thick eyelashes, and, especially, his outrageously stimulating kisses—gives her pleasure. She’s sure he’ll leave her once he’s helped her but she gives herself to him anyway—she wants what she believes will be her one shot at passion and love even if she knows it can’t last.

Part of the problem with this dynamic is that it allows both Fei and Shadow to act inconsistently. Fei picks Shadow as a protector, and then locks him up. She kisses him passionately, and then tells him they can’t have sex. A few chapters later she’s changed her mind and goes to great lengths to be able to make love with him. Shadow behaves just as contradictorily. He freaks out when she’s in danger, and yet plans to leave her as soon as he honorably can. He’s consumed by lust for her and yet doesn’t have intercourse with her. Until he does—I had no clue what changed his mind.

Their relationship flip flops between the two sharing their deepest thoughts to not telling each other the most basic pieces of important information. At times, Fei trusts Shadow with every aspect of her being. A chapter or two later, she doesn’t tell him the truth about her plans or her feelings. Shadow is at times all action and the plot whooshes forward; other times, he just lets things happen, too busy feeling sorry for himself to take charge. Neither of them really owns their separate and combined fates—it takes the other Hell’s Eights to show up and push the two into their happy ending. Fei and Shadow were more irritating than interesting, despite their unusual backgrounds.

Your plot was marred by Fei’s and Shadow’s emotional melodrama. The most interesting parts of the book involved the two fighting against the racist establishment’s efforts to steal Fei’s claim. I enjoyed all the information about explosives although I thought it unlikely that Fei’s sexist father would have taught Fei his craft as an explosives expert for the mining company. But the parts of the book—and they seemed to go on forever—that dealt with Fei’s relationship with her Chinese family dragged for me. I haven’t read the first four books in the series, so the plotline revolving around Shadow’s being wanted for murder by the United States Army was both a little hard to follow and clearly not resolved in this novel. (It bothered me Fei risks her life, at the end of the book, to steal a notebook that may or may not shed light on the truth about the man Shadow killed, and then nothing more was mentioned about it.) I felt like the novel had some exciting scenes and far too many meandering confusing scenes.

I wish you’d done more with the social issues faced by your main characters. The American West in the 1850’s was a brutal place in which to be a woman, a Chinese, an Indian, or a Mexican. You touched on the prejudices Fei and Shadow faced but didn’t really explore them. Your book showcases what Fei and/or Shadow are thinking rather than what they are experiencing. One of the oldest adages on writing is it is better to show than to tell. Shadow’s Stand is full of telling—it would have been a much more riveting book had you spent less time elucidating your characters’ inner musings and more time describing the world around them.

Your sex scenes were detailed without being very sexy. Shadow clearly has a dominant side but keeps it suppressed around Fei. He swats her butt, uses lots of four letter words when the two have sex, but for all that, their love making is a bit uninspired. Here again, I got a better sense of what the two were thinking when they made love rather than what they were feeling and/or doing. I understand the earlier books in your series are quite spicy–this book was not.

You also have Fei, the first time she wants to have sex with Shadow, do a truly creepy thing. Fei and Shadow have rescued Lin, Fei’s more traditional Chinese cousin from an angry old lecher. (Fei’s father had sold Lin to the man to pay a debt.) The three of them are traveling to the town of Barren Ridge to return Lin and Fei to their Chinese family. Although Fei and Shadow have only known each other a few days, Fei has decided she wants to do the deed. However, since they are in the middle of nowhere and being pursued by several different villains, Fei and Shadow can’t head off into the hills and abandon Lin while they get busy. Fei’s solution to this? She gives the unwitting Lin an herbal tea that knocks Lin out. Fei tells Shadow, “If I had not, she would have spent the night talking and I would not have had this time with you.” Even Shadow “didn’t know whether to be flattered or appalled.” I was appalled. There’s just no way that’s an acceptable thing to do.

Ironically, the thing I liked best about your book was the setting. The American Wild West was crude and violent; poverty beat out prosperity for most who journeyed there. The rule of law rarely existed, women were far and few in between; the prejudice faced by and done to immigrants and Native Americans was extraordinary. That world which you convey bits and pieces of is a fascinating place.

Sincerely,

Dabney

(I give this book a C.)

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Note from Jane: Dabney is a new guest reviewer for Dear Author and will be reviewing here during the Spring to see if she feels comfortable with us. You can find her at her blog http://thepassionatereader.blogspot.com/. You can also find Dabney at All About Romance.

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I am a big fan of Western romances and your books have been praised by many of my trusted reviewers. So when I was offered the opportunity to review your latest, the middle book in the Runaway Brides trilogy, I was happy to accept. Although I haven’t read the first book, I felt this novel largely stood on its own. My reading experience was very mixed, but by the end I understood why your work is so popular. Be warned, readers, this is going to be a long review, but Colorado Dawn is a long, rich, book, the kind we often complain that publishers don’t offer anymore.

The book is set in the Colorado Territory after the Civil War, but the prologue takes place in England. This is because the main characters, Maddie and Ash, are English and Scottish respectively. Maddie married Angus Wallace, an officer temporarily billeted near her home, soon after meeting him. He went back to his regiment and she went to Scotland and lived with his family. In the prologue, Maddie has just come back to England to bury her parents after they were killed in a carriage accident. Feeling unhappy and abandoned by Angus, she decides to pursue her love of photography. She receives a commission to photograph the American West, sets off across the ocean, and doesn’t look back.

Chapter 1 begins two years later, when Angus, now known as Ash, is searching for Maddie in Colorado because he has become heir to his brother’s earldom and he needs her to come back to Scotland and take up her duties. Maddie is fulfilled by her photography and mostly content. But when she sees Ash again, her long-repressed feelings for him re-emerge.

There are two primary conflicts in the book. The internal conflict between Maddie and Ash first arises because each feels abandoned by the other and resentful, and then it continues because Maddie genuinely doesn’t want to give up the life she’s built and Ash feels duty-bound to return to Scotland and his family responsibilities. The external conflict involves a very obvious villain. Both conflicts play out over the entire course of the story.

I had real trouble warming up to Maddie. I couldn’t understand why a woman (even a young, inexperienced one) would think that when her husband returned to his officer duties it would constitute abandonment. The lack of letters from him offers some justification, but not much, frankly, given the places he was posted (we get the real reason for the lack of letters soon after they are reunited). She complains about her treatment by Ash’s family, but again, we don’t get much evidence beyond what Maddie tells us, and she came across as spoiled and demanding rather than neglected. Until quite late in the book, where she makes a short and unsatisfying apologia, Maddie shows little or no awareness of the responsibilities she assumed when she married him.

Maddie definitely improves as she spends time with Ash, and her growing maturity and the way she agonizes over her dilemma is well portrayed. By the end I liked her quite a bit, which is testament to your characterization. I just wish the setup to make her a Runaway Bride had been more convincing.

Ash is much more likeable. He is a career officer whose injuries have invalided him out of that life and who never expected, as a third son, to be in a position to succeed to the earldom. He shows considerably more understanding for Maddie’s perspective than she does for his, and he genuinely respects her talent and ambition. That respect didn’t feel modern to me, but rather the way a man in any era might take seriously the things that make the woman he loves the way she is.

The first section of the book, where Ash finds Maddie and her right-hand man, Mr. Satterwhite, and the villain is introduced, unfolds in a leisurely way. When Ash and Maddie return to Heartbreak Creek we are introduced to her friends and the town community and the pace picks up. This part of the story is more of an ensemble piece, but since we have spent a lot of time with the main couple already, I felt it enriched the book without taking too much away from the central relationship. There is plenty going on: Ash and Maddie try to work out their difficulties, a secondary couple’s romance is sketched out, the villain subplot intensifies, and there are trips back and forth to Denver because of the statehood debate.

Aside from the over-the-top villain (not only does he verbally and physically abuse his mentally challenged brother, he abuses his horse), I found most of the Heartbreak Creek setting enjoyable and well portrayed. You know your Colorado geography and history. The American Indian character, Thomas Redstone, veered a little close to a Noble Warrior stereotype for my comfort, but I’m probably hyper-sensitive to multicultural depictions compared to many readers.

What made this a mixed read for me was the portrayal of Maddie and Ash’s backstories and Ash’s “highlander” culture. We begin with a prologue where Maddie is in her parents “small, stone cottage” near London. The family is apparently so poor that the house has to be sold to pay for their funeral and she has no other family. But her father is a baronet; there was no heir to be found anywhere? This combination of circumstances is certainly possible, but it isn’t likely, and I would think it unusual enough to warrant an explanation, or at least a passing reference to the baronetcy reverting to the Crown.

But while the impoverished baronet who had no heirs to the baronetcy seemed odd, it wasn’t enough to keep me from suspending disbelief. Then I reached the description of Ash’s position as heir to the earldom:

Turning to the old man, Ash said in a friendly tone, “In the future, Satterwhite, you willna call my wife ‘missy.’ She is a viscountess and should be addressed as my lady or Lady Madeline or Viscountess Ashby.”

“Oh, rubbish,” his wife interjected. “And I suppose next you’ll insist I call you Lord Ashby. Don’t be such a stick. Missy is fine, Mr. Satterwhite. We are friends, after all.” Turning back to Ash, she added as if he were a blithering numptie, “Americans do not recognize titles, Angus. And as I have not yet accepted yours, I choose not to use it.”

He managed to keep his voice calm. “It’s not a matter of choice, Maddie. I am Viscount Ashby. You are wedded to me. Thus, you are Viscountess Ashby. And even though it’s customary for peers to be addressed by their titles rather than their given names, if Ashby is too lofty for you, I’ll answer to Ash.” He punctuated that with a wide grin.

Let’s count the errors. (1) Lady Madeline is incorrect address for a Viscountess unless she is the daughter of a Earl, Marquess, or Duke and chooses to retain that form. (2) Courtesy titles do not elevate the holder to the peerage. (3) As the current Earl’s brother, Ash is the heir presumptive, not the heir apparent; therefore he wouldn’t become Viscount Ashby because only sons and grandsons of title-holders may use courtesy titles. If the Earldom is Scottish (pre-1707), then Ash could be termed “Master,” but Maddie would still be the Hon. Mrs. Wallace.

These errors wouldn’t have grated on me so much if they weren’t reiterated throughout the book. Maddie says several times that Ash is a “member of the peerage” and refers to her privilege as the wife of a peer. His nickname, Ash, is given him by his fellow officers (who are British and would know better, and would probably keep calling him Wallace anyway). While I can skate over occasional miscues, this one is central to Maddie and Ash’s relationship, conflict, and interaction, and it is repeated over and over again.

The misconstruction of their social rank was compounded by the use of “Scottish” words. I have little patience for “dinna fash yerself lassie” language of Ochlassieland (TM Maili) at the best of times. In this book Ash is constantly substituting dinna, willna, wasna, and “bluidy” in place of their generic English equivalents. Since the book is written in third person omniscient POV, with much of the narrative from Ash’s perspective, we get a lot of passages like this:

Ash blinked at the old man, deafened by the ring of truth in his words. That joy in life was what had attracted him to Maddie in the first place. Attracted him, still. But a member of the peerage couldn’t go haring about in disreputable places just to pursue a hobby. It wasna safe. Or proper. Or acceptable. Such behavior would make her the laughingstock of society, and he dinna want that for the lass.

I know there are readers who like dialect in their historical romances. For those who don’t, the dialect detracts from some really lovely writing. Indeed, the writing and the western setting are strong enough that at times I was swept up in the romance and the story despite the dialect. The scenes where Maddie and Ash are trying to work out how they can stay together made me understand why your previous books have had such ardent fans:

He looked away, afraid she would see the wanting in his eyes. He would bargain with the devil himself to keep Maddie by his side. But he couldna let her give up her art. She would end up hating him for it.

He felt her hand cup his cheek and gently force his head around until their eyes met. “It’s all right, Ash. This is what I want to do. My decision. Just give me a little more time, that’s all I ask.”

Tipping his head into her hand, he kissed her palm. Then he gave her a smile he hoped would hide his doubt. “As it happens, love, time is all I have right now.” Then before she could see the despair in his eyes, he pulled her hard against his chest. He took a deep breath and let it out, knowing what he was about to do was wrong, but unable to keeping himself from clutching at any reprieve he could find.

“All right. I’ll stay here with you, lass. As long as I can.” But he wasn’t convinced it was the right decision. In the end, she still wouldn’t be able to leave, and duty wouldn’t allow him to stay.

She reached up and pulled his head down and kissed him hard. Then again, gentler, her tongue sweeping the seam of his lips.

That was all the invitation he needed.

Regular readers of Dear Author know how pedantic I can be about historical errors, but I am often able to gloss over inaccuracies. Several circumstances prevented me here: first, the mistakes weren’t brief or superficial; they were repeated and they were integral to the plot and relationships. Second, there was some excellent historical contextualization, so the missteps stood out. And finally, I’m more easily able to overlook howlers in a fluffy book than a serious one, and this is in many ways a serious book.

I dithered and waffled over my grade. How do I reconcile the wallbanger parts, the parts I dislike but know other readers will enjoy, and the really well done parts? In the end I have to give it a C. But it’s not a “meh” C. It’s a “good + bad = split the difference” C.

~ Sunita

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo

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This is the first book in Six Pack Ranch series which, given that there are six boys in the Coleman family, means that each book will likely feature one of the Coleman brothers.  The oldest brother is Blake and this story has a friends to lovers theme.  While I liked the concept – young girl blossoms into a woman who knows her own mind and pursues the reluctant prey, err, man – much of the story involving the family seemed extraneous and strange.

Jaxi is a friend of the Coleman family. She grew up around the boys and is considered by many to be one of the family. Perhaps kissing cousin may be a better descriptor because at one point or another, all of the Coleman boys have kissed her or more.  All except the one that she wants, Blake.

“You and Jesse kissed Jaxi? At the same time?” Blake was still reeling from the thought. “Was this before or after she went out with Travis?”

“Before.” Joel plopped on the bench next to Blake. “I still don’t understand why she ever dated him. I know he’s our brother and all, but sometimes he’s such an ass. Of all the guys she could have gone to Grad with, why’d she pick him?”

“I still don’t believe she kissed you and Jesse. Together.”

“Well, it wasn’t her idea, Blake. We were rather insistent. And she kissed us one at a time. It’s not as if I want my lips right next to Jesse’s. I’m not into that.”

Daniel sat across from them on a stool and joined in. “I kissed her once.” Blake barely stopped his jaw from hitting the floor. “Yup, only it was kiss her or kill her. She rode Thunder without permission, and when she managed to get him back into the barn without getting killed, I kind of lost my head.” Daniel winked at Joel. “You’re right, she is a sweet kisser.”

Joel poked at Blake. “You ever kiss her?”

“No! Course not. She’s just a little girl. I’m surprised at you, Daniel. She’s five years younger than you.”

“If I had been fifteen and her only ten, it would be have been a problem,” Daniel said. “She was old enough and she knew what we were doing. I didn’t give her much choice in the matter either. Looks like you’re the only Coleman boy she hasn’t kissed yet, Blake. Maybe we’d better set you up or something.”

…..

“Oh, that. Matt kissed her when she was thirteen. She told me about it.” Joel shrugged. “We were all down at the swimming hole, and Travis was teasing her how she didn’t need to wear a girl’s swimsuit yet, that she could still join them like she had as a little tyke, shorts and nothing else. Matt stopped the ass from being himself, then escorted her home. Jaxi told me he talked about changes, and how she would be a beautiful woman and not to worry when and where things would grow. Then he kissed her. She didn’t remember exactly what he said because she’d been surprised but it was something about a kiss for the woman she was going to become.”

When mother of the Coleman brothers gets injured, Jaxi comes to the house to help with the household duties.  While there, several of the Coleman boys flirt with her at nearly every encounter.

I struggled with all of the text around the romance between Jaxi and Blake.  Why did the story start out with Jaxi fighting with Trevor Coleman?  Why was she even dating him?  She had purportedly known that she wanted Blake forever so why would she date his brother when she had no real interest in the brother?  Her excuse was that she was trying to find someone her own age but why the brother?  At one point, she even offers to give Trevor a blowjob just to get him alone. There are no other boys in the region?  Some of her interactions with the Coleman brothers had an uncomfortable tinge of harassment in that they were constantly after her for some kind of sexual contact even though she wanted them to leave her alone.

After dinner Matt tugged her aside. “You want to go to the children’s summer theater performance at the community hall this Wednesday?”

She hesitated, panic flooding her. Not Matt too. Sweet, considerate, usually insightful Matt. He excited her about as much as a bouquet of dandelions. The expression on her face must have shown her fear because he chuckled and quickly reassured her. “I don’t mean with me, Jaxi. Hell if you need that kind of complication in your life right now. Not to mention you know Helen would have my balls if I stepped out on her.”

Her muscles unclenched slowly as he patted her shoulder. A pat from him felt proper, caring and supportive. It wasn’t a cop-out like the treatment from Blake the other day. If any of the Colemans was a big-brother figure to her, it would be Matt.

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Olivia Didn’t Believe in Second Chances

She and Cal Devlin had been in love a lifetime ago, before she’d lost everything and been branded a “scarlet woman.” And though she longed for nothing more than to be back in Cal’s arms, their passion could only mean his ruin…!

Caleb had learned that some Texans never forgave their native sons who fought for the Union, but as the new lawman in town, he was determined to prove himself worthy of respect, and win back the heart of the woman he’d left behind.

Dear Ms. Grant,

Of all the bizarre things, it is the cover of this book that made me check it out. I’m trying to remember the last time I saw a romance cover with a mustachioed hero on it. Yep, it’s been a long time. And his eye patch shows. Even when heroes are allowed to be scarred and less than perfect, often the cover won’t reflect this but here – large as life – there it is. And he’s not one of those otherwise perfect, almost airbrushed people either. Neither is the heroine. She’s cute but not stunning. Covers certainly have changed in the past 14 years.

Writing styles have changed too and this one definitely seems more 90s but in a good way. The pace is slower but after I got used to it – again – it seemed like I really got to know Olivia and Cal plus several other characters. Nothing felt rushed or shortchanged. And it definitely feels like a book from before the shorter word counts of today. It might take getting used to but I enjoyed the leisurely way the story plays out.

It’s a post Civil War story though not so much a Reconstruction one. Issues from the War are still there especially since Cal fought for the Union – something that initially causes him grief in his hometown – though Gillespie Springs folk appear a bit more ready to at least forget if not outright forgive. Perhaps his background and reasons for fighting against the South are explored in the previous book but it seemed odd that there is only a glancing mention of any black characters in this book. It’s as if all the main characters in the book have decided to put the past behind them and not think much about it anymore. Anywho, it appears that enough time has passed for tempers to die down and reflection to have taken place. Cal shows the scars of his Army time – at least on the outside though he doesn’t appear to suffer from any PTSD. If the book were written today I’d bet he would though.

Olivia isn’t the Belle of Brazos County anymore either having married and then lost her husband in circumstances which make for an interesting introduction to her character. The whole town thinks she’s a Scarlet Woman who did the deed with her husband’s – who came back from the war with an interesting injury – hired hand. A husband who then murdered the Mexican hired man than killed himself from the shame of what his wife did. Only we soon learn this is far from the truth, Still it’s an interesting background for Olivia and one that’s more truly gutwrenching than I’ve seen in a while. I did wonder if she would ever face what happened to her in terms of a future sexual relationship and was glad that some thought and care is given to this issue.

One thing that stands out is that both Cal and Olivia have suffered in their years apart and still bear the scars of this but Cal at least doesn’t use this as an angst anchor around his neck. He doesn’t whine about how no woman could ever love him or how he can’t bear to risk love and loss again. He’s quietly hopeful that eventually he and Livy can find their way back to the love they once shared and perhaps the marriage that they’d both wished for. Livy is the main one dragging her feet but only because she is living down the shame of what the town thinks she did and doesn’t want Cal to have this burden added to what he’s already got on his plate. Once they get their feelings worked out, they’re both gung ho for love and marriage which is another delightful change.

Cal used to be a preacher so his references to God and the Bible make sense in context with this and the greater emphasis on religion in that day. At times near the start of the story, I almost wondered if it was an early inspie but this is toned down later on – plus Cal swears a time or two. Or three. One thing that might piss some people off is the secondary character Jovia Mendez. It’s not the fact that she’s Mexican so much as the dialect given to her with Mees Livy, eef, and other misspellings used to convey her accent and speech pattern. Faux brogue drives me nuts and I can see this Tex-Mexican having the same affect on readers.

Few things are kept hidden from the reader and everyone’s motives are spelled out clearly early on so it’s just a matter of watching things happen. The villain is known from the start as well as why he’s doing what he is. I kind of liked the fact that this shifts the oomph of the story back on Livy and Cal instead of sidetracking it to what might be planned by said villain.

This is the second book in a trilogy of the brothers but after some initial exposition things settle down and I didn’t feel that I was missing much by not having read the first book. At some point I would like to go back and read “Devil’s Dare” for the background information as well as the fact that the hero and heroine appear to meet under unusual circumstances. Since Westerns are certainly fewer and harder to come by in the past decade, I’m happy that Harlequin has reissued this one though I wish more time had been spent dealing with the aftermath of the War. B-

~Jayne

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1939 was apparently the year that the Western came into its own. “Stagecoach,” “Destry Rides Again” and “Dodge City” were all released then and elevated the genre from B grade status to vehicles for the studio stars of the day. “Dodge City” is slightly different in that the studio heads took a chance and cast star Errol Flynn, an Aussie, in a genre that usually featured only Americans in the lead role.

It’s Kansas 1866 and the Civil War is over thus opening the way for increased western expansion. The railroad is being built and one of the new towns on the line is Dodge City where cattlemen drive their herds for transport. Wade Hatton (Errol Flynn) along with his sidekicks Rusty (Alan Hale) and Tex (Guinn Williams) have been supplying the railroad gangs with buffalo meat. But they draw the line at the actions of Jeff Surrett (Bruce Cabot) and his boys who go on Indian land and slaughter their herds for hides. A confrontation seals the enmity between the two men which hasn’t died down six years later.

In the intervening years, Dodge City has grown into a sprawling cow town that specializes in wild times, gunfights and lawbreaking of all kinds. It’s the place from which decent folk are fleeing as any attempt at law and order results in sheriffs being killed or run out of town. Wade is leading a cattle drive up from Texas that includes pretty Abbie Irving (Olivia de Havilland) and her drunken brother Lee (William Lundegan). When Lee foolishly starts a stampede, Wade confronts him then is forced to shoot Lee in self defense. Abbie blames Wade and refuses to speak to him once they arrive at her uncle’s (Henry Travers) house in Dodge City.

Wade has no plans to stick around longer than it takes to sell the cattle but events show him that the town desperately needs someone to clean it up. Backed by his buddies, he’s soon filling the jail cells. And along with an intrepid newspaperman Joe Clemens (Frank McHugh) and Abbie, who’s joined the news staff, he starts to build a case against Surrett. But the corrupt Surrett hasn’t gotten to where he is by playing nice and Wade and Abbie find they might have bitten off more than they can chew. Can Wade bring this last villain to justice even as he romances Abbie?

“Dodge City” is another Warner Bros production. It was shot in Technicolor (look for the dance hall girls’ dresses), directed by Michael Curtiz and had a flashy debut in Dodge City complete with trains bringing in studio stars for the event. It was also something of a gamble for Warner Bros to see if Flynn, who up til now had been cast in European historicals or contemporaries, could carry a film other than his usual swashbucklers. Here he’s a transplanted Irishman who’s junketed around the world – which I guess is a background designed to account for his accent. He also wears the biggest (not quite white but tan – and we all know what that means) 10 gallon hat of them all. It even has a rakish brim that cries out for a gigantic plume. He plays the role as a peaceable sort who only resorts to violence when pushed to the limit but who is ready with his six shooter when that time comes. He and de Havilland have their usual onscreen chemistry and once he decides to woo Abbie, Wade is as slick as silk with stories of how his parents met.

de Havilland is beautiful as the fresh faced, feisty Abbie. Abbie and Wade, of course, strike sparks early in the film which builds the romantic tension between them. They have a few funny scenes in which they’re still sparring but then suddenly! they seem to have resolved their differences. I can’t help but think a scene was deleted that showed the relationship breakthrough. Abbie is brave and a bit foolishly fearless in a final “confrontation with the villain sequence.” But watch for how Curtiz uses Abbie on the train to include his trademark “shadow figure” in the film. Abbie also turns into a selfless martyr who urges Wade to accept the position of lawman in a new and even wilder western town. The final scene shows the newly married couple, along with Wade’s sidekicks, headed to Nevada in a covered wagon – what a delightful honeymoon.

There are a ton of great character actors in Dodge City many of whom loyal Warner Bros movie fans will recognize. Alan Hale is his usual comic sidekick self, Henry Travers might be recognized as Clarence from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” villain Victor Jory was the slimy overseer in “Gone with the Wind,” Ann Sheridan played the lead in the post war “I Was a Male War Bride” and Guinn Williams made a career of playing in westerns.

“Dodge City” contains almost all of the elements that have come to be classic “Western” fare. Cattle drives, cattle stampedes, flashy saloon ladies, gunfights in the streets, big 10 gallon hats, railroads, wide open vistas and one helluva saloon brawl. The only thing missing were Indians. The costume department made sure that the clothes showed up well in Technicolor even if perhaps those duds are a bit too clean to be believed. Also watch for the Pure Prairie League (anyone else besides me remember that group from the 70s?) out to reform Rusty. It’s even got the standard inspiring speech from Flynn’s character that could easily be transported to the deck of the “Arabella” or a tree branch in Sherwood Forest.

While a lot of the things that happen in “Dodge City” might come off as cliches now, it’s actually one of the movies that inspired the imitators. It’s another rousing lead hero performance from Flynn and a romantic pairing with de Havilland that, truncated as it is, still works for me. It also proved to Warner Bros that westerns could be A grade pictures. So check out Flynn and de Havilland in this “western swashbuckler” and see how big his hat really was.

~Jayne

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It recently dawned on me that I haven’t reviewed all that many Westerns. They’re just not the first genre of films I think of when I’m looking for romance. So in an effort to remedy that I give you “Two Mules for Sister Sara” though where the second mule comes from, I don’t know. Guess it sounds better than “A Mule and a Burro for Sister Sara.” From what I understand this film received lackluster reviews when it was released. People wanted more of Eastwood in his “High Plains Drifter” mode but weren’t sure what to make of MacLaine in her role as the nun on the run in Mexico. It did okay at the box office but not much more. I think now though, people can appreciate it for the humorous pairing of these two stars doing something not seen before.

A lone, dusty rider (Clint Eastwood) comes upon three lowlifes about to rape a young woman. He’s nobody’s hero but takes exception to the men’s idea of fun. Gunning down two of them, he throws a stick of dynamite at the third then shoots him in the back when he runs. Pulling the too long fuse from the dynamite, he suggests the redheaded woman (Shirley MacLeane) dress before she sunburns then calmly goes through the pockets of the dead men. When he turns around, to his astonishment he discovers the woman he saved isn’t what he thought. “What the hell is a nun doing out here?”

Sister Sara demands that Hogan help her bury the three men to which Hogan replies “Sister, I don’t mind shootin’ em’ for ya, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna sweat over ‘em for ya.” True to his word, he sits and watches while Sara does the honors. That explains his character in a nutshell. Just as the two are setting out in different directions, they spot a French patrol headed their way. Desperate, Sister Sara pleads for Hogan to help her escape because the French are after her due to her Juarista activities. Hogan obliges though he tells her if she weren’t a nun, he’d leave her to save herself.

Later as they eat, Sara tells Hogan about her life and volunteers her knowledge of a French garrison where she tells him she taught French officers to speak Spanish. Sara despises the French for what they do to the Mexicans and Hogan makes a deal with her for them to travel together because he’s got a job to help the Juaristas in exchange for half of the money in the treasury of the garrison. Sara asks why Hogan isn’t helping these people out of convictions and Hogan replies – of his military service during the Civil War – he was allowed to be a sucker just once.

So the two of them head out and along the way to the Juarista hideout they remove a Yaqui arrow from Hogan’s shoulder, blow up a train, scandalize a bar full of peasants before finally reaching Colonel Beltran (Manuel Fabregas) and his men. Will their plan work to surprise and subdue the French garrison? Will Hogan have a change of heart? And what’s the secret Sara’s been hiding from him all along?

Filmed on location in Mexico, the movie starts with a great, almost comic score from Ennio Morricone that includes “braying” sounds. Listen to it throughout the movie and I almost guarantee it’ll stick in your head for hours. The title sequence also shows what kind of countryside and hazards these two will be facing – and animal lover that I am, I still laughed at what the horse stepped on. Some inaccuracies have been pointed out such as the type gun Hogan carries and the fact that dynamite had only recently been invented but they aren’t enough to douse my vibe for the movie.

Eastwood does a great job with Hogan’s frustrated facial expressions when confronted by a holy sister whom he happens to find damned attractive and who, in whiskey veritas fashion, he tells that he can’t stop thinking about her almost naked. He’s got his trademark scruffy beard, chomped cigar, serape and snarl. Added to those are some delicious deadpan lines that cracked me up.

Hogan: [Sara has stopped at a small shrine by the road, and begins to pray] Now what’re you doing?
Sara: I must say a prayer at this shrine.
Hogan: You said your prayers last night and this morning. You’re gonna’ wear ‘em out.
Sara: It’s a sin to pass a shrine without praying.
Hogan: Not if you close your eyes, it isn’t.
Sara: Please, Mr. Hogan.
Hogan: All right. It’s a small shrine. Let’s make it a small prayer.

MacLeane is delightful as the beautiful nun who serenely puts Hogan in his place whenever he questions or snaps at her. Her replies are conveniently religious and thwart Hogan at every turn. But I have to agree with her that the false eyelashes she wore were a touch much. Plus she must have been baking under that black habit. From an early point in the film, clues are spread about that the holy sister isn’t quite what she seems to be and it’s fun to watch her hide this from Hogan. She also has some great lines especially when a drunk Hogan isn’t steady enough to aim properly to set off some dynamite.

Sara: [Helping Hogan practice shooting, before the train arrives at the trestle] Sober up! Sober up, you dirty bastard, or I’ll kill you!
Sara: Dear Mary, Mother of God, help this no-good atheist to shoot straight.

Hogan: Did I or did I not hear you call me a bastard?
Sara: Well! I suppose whiskey can make a man hear anything. Oh, Dear Lord, forgive him for the impurity of his thoughts!

This is basically a two person, road “romance” movie during which the Juarista cause doesn’t become reality until we’re into the last third of the film. The sparking and feuding that makes the movie so much fun are toned down and lost as Hogan and Sara are now working together almost harmoniously. Though I’m glad to see that Hogan never loses his “me first” cynical attitude and becomes a fervent adherent to the Cause. When the battle for the garrison starts, there are explosions, stabbings and shootings galore – almost too many which makes the sequence drag out to a conclusion. But director Don Siegel makes up for the overly extended fight with a bang up finish as Hogan wheels the treasury strongbox to where Sara awaits him in a bathtub. As he steps – fully clothed – in with her, he replies to her question of if he’s even going to take off his hat “I haven’t got time for that.”

MacLeane and Eastwood managed to generate crackling chemistry onscreen despite the reported problems on the set during filming. The Mexican scenery is beautiful and lovingly shot. If you’re looking for something a little different than the usual white hatted good guy shooting it out with the black hatted villains then look no further than the mercenary and the nun. B

~Jayne

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Another reader can win the action/suspense bundle:  Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts and Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley.

Petticoats or police?  State your preference in the comments…

Opening Line:

DEBORAH COONTS, Wanna Get Lucky?: As her final act on this earth, Lyda Sue Stalnaker plummeted out of a Las Vegas helicopter and  landed smack in the middle of the pirates’ lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel, disrupting the 8:30 pirate show.

KELLY ANN RILEY, Firestorm: The shattering glass broke the stillness of the moonlit forest, startling birds into flight and scattering grazing deer in the meadow below.

KAKI WARNER, Pieces of Sky: I’m a dead man.

KIERAN KRAMER, When Harry Met Molly: Thirteen-year-old Lady Mary “Molly” Fairbanks, daughter of the widowed Earl of Sutton, seethed with emotion on a daily basis, whether she was cleaning her teeth, breaking the shell on her morning egg, or riding her favorite mare.

KAREN WITEMEYER, A Tailor-Made Bride: “Red? Have you no shame, Auntie Vic?  You can’t be buried in a scarlet gown.”

Main Character’s Six-Word Memoir:

DEBORAH COONTS: Bordello born, Vegas raised, romantically challenged. 

KELLY ANN RILEY: Tough firefighter finds love through adversity.

KAKI WARNER: (For Brady): Bound by duty, freed by love.  (For Jessica): Ask me to stay. I will.

KAREN WITEMEYER: (Jericho Tucker) Stubborn-minded. Kindhearted. About to fall hard.  (Hannah Richards) Sees beauty everywhere, even scarred hearts.

KIERAN KRAMER: Misunderstood, isolated second son gains community.

What my heroine does for a living:

DEBORAH COONTS: Vegas crisis management in a large Strip hotel/casino.

KELLY ANN RILEY:  Kitty is a Los Angeles firefighter who would like to get into arson investigation.

KAKI WARNER: Jessica Thornton is a milliner and writes pamphlets on deportment.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Hannah is a seamstress who is on the verge of opening her first dress shop.

KIERAN KRAMER: Companion to her aunt, assistant to her father.

What makes my hero heroic:

DEBORAH COONTS: She rises above her background, solves everyone’s problems, and learns and grows along the way.

KELLY ANN RILEY: He changed his life to help his son and despite past hurt he opens his heart again to love Kitty.

KAKI WARNER: He keeps his word and is willing to make any sacrifice for those he loves…even give up his ranch.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Jericho is fiercely loyal, especially to his younger sister. He’s a bit crusty on the outside, and even though his head demands he keep the new seamstress at arm’s length, his tender heart compels him to watch over her and see to her needs.

KIERAN KRAMER: His sense of honor, which he reveals when he drops the façade of his rapscallion identity and embraces his true essence.

A favorite line/scene/moment from the story:

DEBORAH COONTS: “A naked man, duct tape around his member, a rope, a trapeze, how’d you get so lucky?”

KELLY ANN RILEY: Luke assumes Kitty is a burglar and tackles hers as she tries to run away. In the struggle he knocks off her hat and discovers she’s a woman. Thus, their adventure together begins.

KAKI WARNER: When Brady reveals to Jessica his part in his brother’s death. It ends with: “He looked down, saw the pale hands stroking his chest, and the strength left him. It was just a touch—but coming now—from this woman—it nearly broke him.”

KAREN WITEMEYER: I love letting my characters tease each other:

He prowled forward, jaw clenched so hard, his facial muscles ticked. “The name’s J.T.”

“No,” she said, tapping her chin as if pondering some great mystery. “Those are initials. Your name is Jericho.”

Wiggling his fingers to keep them from curling into fists, J.T. reminded himself that she was a woman. “Are you purposely trying to rile me?” His voice rumbled with menace, warning her against such a dangerous path.

An all-too-innocent smile stretched across her face. “Why, yes. Yes, I am. Is it working?”

KIERAN KRAMER: When Molly first gets to the house and worries about having to swim in the lake naked.

I wanted to tell this story because…

DEBORAH COONTS: Vegas is a wonderful city, full of magic and mischief. I wanted folks to see some of that..and I wanted to make them laugh, then maybe shed a tear or two.

KELLY ANN RILEY: I was a firefighter in a small mountain town for a while and wanted to set a book in a similar setting.

KAKI WARNER: I love the Old West. It took a unique kind of American hero to persevere during those lawless, wide open years just after the Civil War, and I wanted to show how one family met those challenges.

KAREN WITEMEYER: …writing from a Christian worldview, I wanted to show that living right is more important than being right. And that sometimes, loving one’s neighbor can spark a romance that can change two people’s lives forever.

KIERAN KRAMER: I wanted to tell the story of women bonding in the midst of a male-dominated environment and, of course, to show that some males–like Harry—are worth falling in love with, LOL!

An unexpected research detour I made while writing the book:

DEBORAH COONTS: Nothing in Vegas is “unexpected”–even a trip to the male strip club….

KELLY ANN RILEY: I originally wrote the book as a contemporary romance story and set the book down for several years before deciding to make it into an inspirational.

KAKI WARNER: When setting up the timeline for PIECES OF SKY, I came across a reference to “The Great Epizootic of 1872”—a horse flu epidemic that brought the entire country to a standstill for several weeks. It became a sub-plot in the third book of the trilogy, CHASING THE SUN.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Would a 19th century makeover be too improbable, I wondered. Nope. As it turns out, the mid 1800s was a great time for social reform, including an emphasis on fitness for women and children. I found books with wonderful diagrams of the equipment they used, including something called Indian clubs (think bowling pins), and I had a great time incorporating these elements into my story.

KIERAN KRAMER: Period- and theme- appropriate poems for my mistresses to recite.

I’ll never forget the reader/fan/reviewer who…

DEBORAH COONTS: … said my novel was too over-the-top to be real. Gosh, good thing I write FICTION:)

KELLY ANN RILEY: …is my husband uncle. A Vietnam vet who hunted my book down in the stores and then showed the book to his buddies, telling everyone his niece wrote this.

KAKI WARNER: …was the first reader to email me. It made my day, knowing a stranger spent money and time on my book, then took more time to tell me how much she enjoyed it. I doubt readers know how thrilled authors are to hear from fans—especially new authors like me.

KAREN WITEMEYER:…said that not only had my story been an entertaining read that she couldn’t put down, but it had encouraged her to return to her faith roots and begin to seek God anew. Reactions like that one are what make all the hard work worth it.

KIERAN KRAMER: …told me she laughed out loud when reading it,

even though she’d had a very bad day.

What’s great about my sub-genre:

DEBORAH COONTS: ): I’ve been told I write comedic thrillers, which is patently absurd–an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one.  Which, come to think of it, is fairly appropriate.  What is great about what I do is making folks laugh. I am the comic relief, part funnybone, part hambone and I love it.

KELLY ANN RILEY: That you can weave in elements of faith into stories of love and suspense.

KAKI WARNER: Western Historical Romance is so uniquely American. Readers can immediately identify with the country, the characters, the motivations, even the historical aspects of your plot. Because of that sense of connection, the setting almost becomes a character within the story.

KAREN WITEMEYER: I’ve been an avid reader of historical romance novels since my teenage years. I love the fairy-tale feel of traveling into the past. And as a woman of faith, writing for the inspirational market allows me to blend two of my lifelong passions into one creative outlet. For me, inspirational historical romance is the best of both worlds.

KIERAN KRAMER: Regencies rock because you can put lots of eccentric characters in them–and men in tight breeches.

When I got the call about the RITA nomination, I…

DEBORAH COONTS: …was in the shower in a cheap hotel in Texas–no, I will not tell you what I was doing there.  But it couldn’t have been that interesting–I answered the call, didn’t I?  Two hours later, when I received another phone call from RWA, I was driving.  After explaining that, while I was still delighted, they had already called, the voice on the phone laughed, then said, “I don’t believe you understand…”  She was right!  TWO nominations!  I almost made the truck in front of me a Texas-sized hood ornament.

KELLY ANN RILEY: I must’ve missed the call and had already assumed I hadn’t finaled when a friend emailed me a congratulations. My heart was pounding and my fingers were shaking as I pulled up the RWA web site and read my name. I screamed with joy and called my daughter to come to my office. I was so excited.

KAKI WARNER: …was in the shower (it was 6:30 here in the Pacific Northwest).

KAREN WITEMEYER:…grinned so big and for so long that I got a cramp in my cheek. Didn’t even know that was possible.

KIERAN KRAMER: …was shocked, and then almost had an apoplexy when I got a second call 45 minutes later.

If I win, I…

DEBORAH COONTS: …Will celebrate Vegas-style for sure!  Something wildly inappropriate….with the Chippendales or something.  Hmmm, I must think about this.

KELLY ANN RILEY: …will be honored and surprised. There are some great looking books in my category. Then I’m going to celebrate for at least a week.

KAKI WARNER: …will be stunned…and honored. There are some great writers in this group, and I’m thrilled to be in their company.

KAREN WITEMEYER:…will probably need some good old-fashioned, 19th century smelling salts to wake me from my shock-induced stupor. That or a fairy tale kiss from the handsome prince I married.

KIERAN KRAMER: …will be totally flabbergasted and thank all the people who’ve supported me and maybe even cry, although when I really feel like crying, sometimes I laugh. I have no idea why.  It’s terrible.

Number of books I wrote before selling:

DEBORAH COONTS: WANNA GET LUCKY?, my first novel-length fiction sale, was my third full-length manuscript written.

KELLY ANN RILEY: 3 complete books and several partials

KAKI WARNER: Pieces of Sky was my first book.

KAREN WITEMEYER:I wrote two novels before selling, but only one of those was turned down for publication. The second book became my second release after my third book was contracted as my debut. How’s that for confusing?

KIERAN KRAMER: Four and a half.

How I found my agent:

DEBORAH COONTS: Over several glasses of cheap wine at the Southwest Writer’s Workshop in Albuquerque…14 years before I wrote a book good enough for her to sell.

KELLY ANN RILEY: Through a writing buddy who saw her (Kelly Mortimer) advertising for submissions. I took a chance and sent in a query.

KAKI WARNER: I sent out 35 query letters, and was starting on my next batch when Nancy Coffey called. That was a great day.

KAREN WITEMEYER: I found my agent (Rachelle Gardner, WordServe Literary) at the same writing conference where I met with the editors from Bethany House. Being able to say that I had a publisher interested in my books made for a great selling point during that 15 minute appointment slot. I signed with her a couple weeks later.

KIERAN KRAMER: I cold-queried her with an outrageous query letter that she talks about to this day as being the wrongest kind of query letter one could ever write.

My biggest surprise as a published author:

DEBORAH COONTS: Everything is the same, but different. Writing is an art from, but now it is a business.  Now my picture is on a book jacket and not in the Post Office as my mother feared.  People still treat me the same, BUT, people in New York now take my calls….okay, SOME people in NY, but it’s a start.

KELLY ANN RILEY: was how many people take the time to write to a new author to tell them what they loved about the book and tips on how to make stories better.

KAKI WARNER: is that I got published in the first place, and that

Berkley keeps asking for more books. There are many worthy writers out there waiting their chance. I got lucky.

KAREN WITEMEYER:…learning how many dozens of people have a hand in producing my book. It simply boggles the mind. I am so thankful to be working with such a talented team.

KIERAN KRAMER: …realizing how much I take to heart every bad review, how devastated I am personally…and then recognizing that beneath my sensitive, nice-girl exterior, there is a fighter who won’t ever, ever give up and will keep trying to write a better and better book, no matter what the review! :>)

My oddest or most reliable writing habit:

DEBORAH COONTS: I write in public places–Sambalatte, a great coffee shop in Vegas–when the writing is going great.  Any casino bar with a good happy hour, when it isn’t going so well.  Curiously, I seem to write better after a glass of Pinot Noir….

KELLY ANN RILEY: I tend to mull about the story and dither around (okay … some call it procrastination) until the urge (sometimes panic) sets in and I dive into the story and write and write and write until it’s all down.

KAKI WARNER: Reading every word aloud to check for redundancies, awkward transitions, over-written dialogue, pacing. It used to bother the dog, but now I think she’s getting into the stories. Bless her heart.

KAREN WITEMEYER:My oddest habit is my most reliable habit. I edit as I create. Most authors frown on this technique because it inhibits the natural, creative flow. But I’m too much of a perfectionist to let unpolished prose go unchecked. So I edit as I write. It makes the process much slower, but I essentially write only one draft.

KIERAN KRAMER: Eating sunflower seeds and staring at the wall to think.

A book or author I recommend again and again:

DEBORAH COONTS: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, not at all what I write, but brilliant and a great read.

KELLY ANN RILEY: As a Christian, I point to the Bible for the ultimate reading experience. For other books, I’ve found that recommending them can be tricky since it’s such a subjective business. Not that I’m biased or anything (grin) but for readers who love insprirational books with suspense, Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line is great. For those loving cozy mysteries, small towns, and quilting, Guideposts Patchwork Mysteries are lots of  fun.  For writers looking for a great how-to book, right now I’m reading Donald Maass’ Breakout Novelist which is full of helpful advice.

KAKI WARNER: There are dozens from all different genres and they change every week. But I guess the western historical I’ve recommended most is LONESOME DOVE. As for western romance authors—Jodi Thomas.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Other books, movies, television, research, overheard conversations – there’s no telling what catalyst will start the creative juices stirring. I’m just thankful when something clicks.

KIERAN KRAMER: Jayne Ann Krentz.

A hobby/interest/passion of mine beyond the book world:

DEBORAH COONTS: Flying. Working out. But most of all, holding hands with the love of my life and spending time with family and friends.

KELLY ANN RILEY: My kids are my passion right now. I homeschooled both of them. One is in college now. I want to have lots of adventures with them before they go off into the world on their own.

KAKI WARNER: Traveling, gardening, music, and my grandkids.

KAREN WITEMEYER: Author – Deeanne Gist. She writes in the same sub-genre as I do, and her characters are always so full of life that I’m glad to point my fans in her direction. Book – Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Truly a masterpiece.

KIERAN KRAMER: Teaching teenagers.

What I’m working on now:

DEBORAH COONTS: You mean besides shameless self-promotion?  I forget….oh yeah, Book Four in the Lucky series.  Book three, SO DAMN LUCKY, is turned in and will be out Feb 1, 2012.

KELLY ANN RILEY: I’m working on a book proposal for Love Inspired Suspense and a contracted book for Guideposts Books Patchwork Mystery series which will be out in 2012.

KAKI WARNER:My sixth book, Book 3 of the Runaway Brides Series, slated for release next summer. I’m also promoting the first book in the series, HEARTBREAK CREEK, which comes out this July 5th. I’ve had a lot of fun writing about these ladies. They’re a hoot.

KAREN WITEMEYER: I’m currently working on my fourth historical romance for Bethany House entitled Short-Straw Bride. Four brothers draw straws to see who will marry the heroine in this twist on a marriage of convenience story. All Travis Archer cares about is his brothers and his land, but when a good deed goes awry, he’s stuck with a bride who endangers both.

KIERAN KRAMER: A new Regency series that I’m super excited about, but I can’t tell you about it just yet!

Kieran, Karen, and Deborah’s books were all nominated in a second category as well.  One of the sequels in Kaki’s series, Open Country also received a nomination. The RITA winners will be announced July 1st in New York City.  Many thanks and good wishes to the authors.

Links: DEBORAH COONTS KELLY ANN RILEY KAKI WARNER KAREN WITEMEYER KIERAN KRAMER

Related posts:

1. Dear Author Intro Interview & Giveaway:  The RITA Best First Book Nominees, Part 2
2. DA Intro Interview & Giveaway: RITA Best First Book Nominees, Part 1
3. Dear Author Intro Interview: The RITA Best First Book Nominees, Part 1

When I saw that Kristie J. highly recommended your self-published Western, Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold, I admit I was excited but also trepidatious. I’m always a bit wary of Romance novels featuring Native American protagonists, because the stereotypes seem so entrenched in the genre. The opening scene of the book was so suspenseful and compelling, however, that I knew early on that this was not the book I was expecting, which turned out to be a good thing. Despite the fact that I think the book would benefit substantially from additional editing and less telling, I found the voice fresh, the characters engaging, and the storyline emotionally satisfying.

Anne Wells does not want to marry any of the men her father wants; in fact, she has proven so resistant that her father has locked her in her room and is starving her, hoping he can weaken her will enough to wed her to his latest pick. Anne is already more desperate than her father could ever guess, but her desperation drives her to escape her home and run to the one place she hopes she can hide in safety. And when Cord Bennett finds a wet, cold, sleeping woman in his barn, it seems Anne is correct, because Cord merely sends her into his house for a warm meal and a frank conversation.

Anne knows it’s not Cord Bennett she has to fear, despite his reputation for being a “half-breed bastard,” Cord is merely a man tired of living under everyone else’s prejudices, and who now keeps to himself and to the horses he trains to support himself on his family’s Colorado ranch. Cord and Anne met as children, and they developed a mutual affection and respectful trust early on, even though it never really went anywhere. Still, Cord is willing to help Anne escape her father’s tyrannical marriage plans, which gives her great relief. Until, that is, some men her father hired manage to track her to Cord’s place, where they proceed to force Cord and Anne to marry on the spot, celebrating the event by beating both of them brutally, believing they have killed Cord and almost raping Anne (she saves herself by accidently vomiting on her attacker).

Anne’s father, Edward, who has been present for the whole disgusting event, merely admonishes his daughter, who is lying on the ground near her would-be savior:

“You brought this on yourself, daughter. Honoring thy father as commanded would have spared us all this disgrace. . . You are filthy in every way and I won’t have you on a horse with me. You get yourself cleaned up and consider how you’re going to convince me to allow you back under my roof.”

Not surprisingly, Edward’s stubbornness is matched by Anne’s own, and thanks to her tenacity and nothing short of a miracle, both Cord and Anne manage to survive. For days following the attack, Anne is solely responsible for Cord’s animals and for Cord’s care. She has no idea if he will survive, or even what is wrong with him internally. And she doesn’t know when the men who tried to kill them will return, or what will happen when they do. Still, the experience emboldens her:

Anne had lived her whole life following the dictates of others. Now all the decisions were hers. What to do, when to do it. How to do it, so much depended on her, but instead of feeling weighed down, minute by minute, hour by hour, this new life wove a spell around her, leaving her feeling lighter and freer than she had ever dreamed possible.

So when it becomes clear that Cord will ultimately heal from his injuries, Anne is determined to protect him and Bennett Ranch from any and every predator, including Cord’s mistrustful brothers, her own brother and father, and myriad townspeople who think that Cord’s Indian blood and proud, defensive personality make him a virtual savage. In fact, Cord’s sister (his father married twice, and his second marriage, to an Indian woman, yielded Cord and his sister), Marie, married a white man and moved away from the family at her first opportunity, leaving Cord to fend for himself against the town’s ambivalent attitudes. Cord had spent some years in Texas, but homesickness brought him back to Colorado, where he has become a talented horse breeder and trainer, work that brings him enough income to live somewhat isolated from the townspeople.

Some of those people, like Sheriff Noah Reynolds Cord’s older sister, Hannah, and his sister-in-law, Martha, respected Cord and wanted to protect him. Others, like his brothers, Ephraim and Frank, kept their distance from Cord, and were not sure what to think of his violent reputation. No one really knew what to make of the purported marriage between Anne and Cord, including Anne and Cord themselves:

He could smell the slightly spicy scent of her. “Mm.” He wondered what would happen if he just put an arm around her here and now and tried holding her. If she made a face in the darkness, he’d never know.

What happened was she nestled in the curve of his arm, head on his shoulder, and whispered, “This is the nicest Christmas I’ve ever had.”

It sure as hell was.

I have always been a fan of the arranged marriage device, because I think it forces an emotional intimacy between characters who might otherwise have only a physical attraction or who would likely walk away from each other because of a difficult relationship. In Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold, however, the device serves a dual purpose. It forges the natural alliance the characters have with each other, and with the reader, who immediately sympathizes with their persecution. But it has a deeper narrative purpose and effect. Because Cord’s racial identity is so much a part of the town’s distrust and dislike of him, it would be easy for the reader to identify Anne and Cord’s relationship purely in terms of that prejudice – to root for the success of their marriage merely because of the unfair discrimination against Cord. While that might be emotionally satisfying, it would not necessarily challenge a lot of the racial stereotypes leveled against Cord (or the stereotypes the reader might bring to the book from other Romance novels featuring Native American characters, namely the “noble savage” hero-type).

Here, though, the arranged marriage between Cord and Anne places their own relationship – one that exists within an awareness of the racial hatred aimed at Cord – above the stereotypes. In other words, it draws the reader into a position where they must confront Anne and Cord, as well as the difficulties in their relationship, within the context of the individual characters. Cord, for example, has certainly been affected by the negative views of his Indian heritage, but some aspects of his personality are intrinsic. He is independent, quiet, assessing, and scarred by personal loss in a previous relationship. Like Anne, he is hardworking and straightforward, inexperienced with love and expectations that go beyond physical intimacy and the daily responsibilities of a shared life. That Anne has to stand up for both herself and Cord both builds her confidence and increases her sensitivity to the attitudes Cord has encountered his whole life.

Watching them struggle with the uncertainties and discoveries of a strong emotional and physical connection is made more poignant by the misconceptions people have about Cord, but for me the novel struck a nice balance between focusing on racism and developing a romantic relationship between two complicated, multi-layered individuals. The sub-plot around Anne’s father’s revenge (and her brother’s racism and her mother’s weak betrayal) was nicely executed, with several unexpected turns away from easy melodrama to something more interesting.

The way the book handles the relationship between the town’s prejudice and Cord and Anne’s relationship is one of its greatest strengths. There were moments in the book where I felt that given the book’s setting, Mason, Colorado, the late date, 1885, that the profoundly negative views of both Anne and Cord were not nuanced enough for the changes the second half of the 19^th century had wrought on American multiculturalism and intermarriage. There was also the use of the word “haters,” which threw me out of the book every time I read it and belittled the serious issues the book was contemplating. Further, the overall language was relatively plain, sometimes downright flat, which sometimes weighed the narrative down but, at the same time, fit well with the Western setting and ethos of the novel.

The book’s real weakness, however, is that it is overwritten. In fact, it reminded me a lot of the first Judith James book I read, which was fresh and compelling but way too long. Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold shares that problem to the point where the telling sometimes threatens to overwhelm the emotional impact of the story:

Edward Wells had been angry when he’d realized his daughter would not come home. When he realized she was not in Chicago as everyone supposed, his fury knew no bounds. In Edward’s opinion Anne needed to spend the rest of her life living like a recluse in Chicago to mitigate the disgrace she had brought on the family . . .

Having for years been obsessed with seeing his daughter married, Edward was now obsessed with seeing her marriage ended. He would have like to just ride out to the ranch with another mod and take her, but Edward knew that when the Double M men left town two of them had gunshot wounds. He had heard rumors about how they got those wounds.

There are a total of seven in a row detailing Edward’s obviously villainous perspective on Cord and Anne, and the mix of omniscient third person narration and interior monologue can sound pedantic and even rambling. With some good content editing, though, I think Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold could have been an A read for me. I enjoyed the protagonists, was engaged with the large cast of characters and the negotiation of so many different relationships, and appreciated that the issues around Cord’s race were not, for the most part, simplistic and heavy-handed. And while the somewhat undisciplined narration served as a periodic distraction, it wasn’t enough to ruin my interest and make me put the book down. B-

~ Janet

Book Link | Kindle | nook

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Ah, the beauty of the West, of a herd of wild horses, of a campfire crackling at night, of a group of young Chinese women being driven to a fate worse than death in a rough hewn mining camp – wait, back up, strike that. Let’s start again. Last fall I reviewed another movie, “Thousand Pieces of Gold,” set in the old west featuring a young Chinese woman who is sold across the Pacific to be a prostitute but who manages to escape and build a better life for herself. At the time, I mentioned that movie reminded me of aspects of this one and now I’ve finally had the time to watch it again and review it.

It’s 1898 and Print Ritter (Robert Duvall) is riding up to a cow camp in Oregon where his estranged nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church) is working. Print brings Tom a letter from his (Tom’s) dead mother and the news that she left Print, her brother, her estate. Print then proposes a plan to square things with Tom. The two of them will round up a herd of wild horses and drive them 800 miles to Wyoming to sell to the government then divide the profits. Seeing a way out of a future becoming a broken down man tending another man’s cattle, Tom agrees.

Still settling into a relationship, the two begin the journey and quickly pick up an itinerant Virginian, Heck Gilpin (Scott Cooper), to help with the herd. A little while later, they come across a suspicious man, Billy Fender (James Russo), driving a wagon full of young Chinese women (Jadyn Wong, Olivia Cheng, Caroline Chan, Gwendoline Yeo, and Valerie Tian). It quickly becomes obvious what he’s driving them to – a mining camp where they’ll be prostitutes – and that he’s already sexually abused one of them. Though the men find him distasteful, their initial plan is just to part ways with him in the morning. Until they wake up to discover he’s drugged them, stolen their horses and left them with the women.

Tom takes Fender’s old horse and tracks the man down, dealing out the Old West justice for a horse thief. But the men are now faced with the question of what to do with the women.
When they try to leave them at the mining town, they discover there’s no law there and are told by Lung Hay (Donald Fong) that slitting the womens’ throats would be a kinder fate. With no other choice, they decide to take the women with them along with an older whore Nola Johns (Greta Scacchi) who’s desperate to get out of town.

But Big Rump Kate (Rusty Schwimmer) the Madame who paid for the “Celestials” for her business isn’t about to let her investment slip through her fingers and she recruits Ed “Big Ears” Bywaters (Chris Mulkey) to go after them. Will Print and Tom get the horses and the women safely through to Wyoming before Bywaters and his ruffians catch them? And is there any hope for a romantic future for Tom or Print?

At a roughly 3 hour running time, the made for TV movie takes its time – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There is time to develop the plot, the characters and their interactions with each other as well as show the magnificent scenery of Alberta, Canada which stands in for Oregon and Wyoming. There’s enough mud for realism and the towns have a rough “just hacked out of the wilderness” quality. The whores don’t wear satin dresses or feathers in their hair while the men’s hats have a nice “broken in” look to them. It’s obvious that the production crew took time to try and get the details right.

Robert Duvall is the obvious star of the show but only because of his great acting and ability to bring out the best in his coworkers. He’s at home on a horse and as Print has a gruff charm that reassures the frightened women who don’t speak a word of English. I figured before things started that he’d be just fine in his role but it’s Haden Church who surprised me. As one person said, he’s come a long way since “Wings.” He’s not trying to play the handsome, younger man role – in fact he looks kind of rough around the edges. The John Wayne quote “Talk low, talk slow and don’t talk too much” describes the character of Tom to a T. But along with his uncle, he’s a decent man who can’t simply abandon these women.

Another thing I like about this film is how it treats the female characters with respect. They aren’t just pale shadows upon whom wrong is done merely to serve as an excuse to goad the men to action. Greta Scacchi, in a wonderful character role, gives Print an unsentimental view of life as an aging prostitute. As the film progresses, she slowly regains her dignity – like a wilted flower given water – and ends up forging her own future. The Chinese women, despite their situation, provide some subtle wry humor as they comment among themselves about these strange men with whom they’ve ended up. I wish there had been more time allotted to differentiate between their characters but as it the two I remember best are Gwendoline Yeo – who goes after a relationship she wants – and Valerie Tian – who plays a woman whose feet were bound and who often has to be carried around. Hell, even Big Rump Kate – you’ll understand the nickname after seeing the movie – is a strong woman who takes nonsense from no man and who is a force to be reckoned with in the area.

The movie is filled with big sprawling scenery but manages to stay focused on the character driven plot. It has a natural, low key feel as the emotions flow from the acting and aren’t forced. I get the feeling that I’m seeing how life really was back in the day when life was still hard for everyone but especially still for women who had few options for survival. There is plenty of violence so be warned. But the chemistry between all the actors is superb and if you’re looking for a Western to sink your teeth into, it’s a film I highly recommend.

~Jayne

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“San Francisco, 1870

Huiann arrives in America expecting to be wed to a wealthy businessman. She no sooner disembarks from the ship than she realizes Xie is not looking for a bride: Huiann is worth more to him as a high-end prostitute. Though her fate is better than that of other Chinese women forced into the sex trade, she has no intention of waiting for Xie to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. At the first opportunity, she escapes and disappears into the city.

When a beautiful woman takes refuge in his store, Alan’s life changes forever. He’s spent the last five years trying to forget the horrors of war, and had almost given up hope of finding love. He hires Huiann as his housekeeper, and though they can only communicate through signs and sketches, they quickly form a bond that transcends the need for words.

But Xie is determined to recover his property, and love may not be enough to protect Huiann from his vengeance.”

Dear Ms. Dee,

I’m always on the lookout for something slightly different. Different settings. Different eras. Different occupations for the characters. Something to offset the feeling of “I’ve read this so many times before.” “Captive Bride” fits the bill nicely.

In Huiann you’ve created a heroine who is strong, mentally and emotionally. She may be little but she’s not going down without a fight and proves it. She doesn’t cry or carry on while at Xie’s establishment. Instead she plots and waits and when the moment arrives, she decisively seizes it and escapes. She’s not quite the self saving heroine as she does need Alan’s willingness to lie to her pursuers once she ends up in his store but she’s the one who recognized the opportunity.

Alan Sommers is an emotionally wounded man who falls in love with Huiann at first sight and charges to her rescue, so to speak, like a knight errant he always wanted to be. He’s a decent, honorable man as Huiann sees from his treatment of her, the elderly neighbor and poor abused Dora. You give enough detail about his time spent in a Confederate POW camp to give depth to his character without troweling on the “oh, woe is me pathos.” I also like that Allan isn’t always perfect. He has his moments when he lies about his relationship with Huiann to protect his potential political future.

These two communicate fairly well with pictures but I like that you make it take some time and effort before either begins to learn the other’s language. The conversations they have are charming and provide an intimate view of their thoughts and feelings. With no chance of the other understanding spoken words, they can be honest and talk out some things that help them even if the other party doesn’t understand. Allan finally talks about his experiences in the war – for which he never had found a willing listener before and Huiann discusses her sea voyage and how mad she is that her family – though unknowingly – sold her into this situation. Neither would have opened up had the other spoken their language.

Huiann and Allan feel an instant attraction but don’t act on it. Huiann because of what she’s been though and Allan because, again, he’s an honorable man who would never force a woman. I enjoyed the touching scene when Allan goes and buys Chinese things for Huiann – little things show how much he cares for her. It also provides a nice chance to work in some information about Chinese culture without turning it into a history class.

Madame Teng’s instructions to Huiann allow her to go from zero knowledge of sex, which I would have expected given her higher position in society, to ready to give Allan a wonderful experience without all this “instant, instinctive for a virgin” crap. It also allows her to be attuned to her sexual feelings for him and to be ready to act on them when she feels like it. They think about this sexual relationship and when they move on it, it makes sense and doesn’t feel rushed as by then they trust each other.

Huiann might feel slightly wrong accepting money for her seamstress work but she’s smart and eventually does it. She also longs to be reunited with her family and not wander the earth as a ghost after death but she’s honest about what might happen to her should she return – no control over her life and even possibly a worse situation. She also feels that Xie Fuhua might have a lot of power in China and to return would endanger her family as well. I’m a methodical thinker and so appreciate a heroine who is one too.

During the final confrontation with Xie, Huiann and Allan don’t hesitate. Huiann had already armed herself and when the moment comes, she strikes! And she gets revenge on the other guy too. Go Huiann! The reminder that Xie’s death will set off Tong warfare in the city and Dong Li’s worry about retribution against him for helping Huiann and Alan are nice points to bring up. One thing I do wish there had been more of is time spent in Chinatown.

The future won’t be totally rosy for these two – no happy bunnies and rainbows are going to magically appear. You make it clear there is enough prejudice against the Chinese and against misalliance for that. But these two have had their love and feelings for each other tested enough that I think they’re going into the future with their eyes open and ready to deal with what comes. B

~Jayne

Book Link | Kindle | nook
| Sony| KoboBooks | Carina Press

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****

Dear Ms. Goodman,

It was nice to revisit Reidsville, Colorado and its colorful cast of supporting characters, now rounded out by the addition of Cole Monroe, a handsome and single young doctor, and his younger sister Whitley. (Marry Me is set in the same frontier community as Goodman’s previous book, Never Love A Lawman.)   I can’t get enough of romances in American historical settings.

It is challenging to write about this book without spoilers; you’ve written a story with some pretty big surprises, and I want every reader to experience them as I did, totally without warning.   So here is what I think I can safely say.

First, I really like both the hero and the heroine. Cole is intelligent and capable, committed to both the welfare of his patients and the integrity of his profession.   Rhyne is at a huge disadvantage dealing with him, in terms of education, sophistication, socio-economic class and experience. But he sees this and works to make her feel comfortable, encouraging her to ask questions and recognizing her intellect and potential. He admires her strength and bravery; in turn, she comes to see ways in which she can act as his equal, offering him help and support that eventually develop into a believable partnership.

Rhyne has many obstacles to overcome. Not only does she feel inferior to and unworthy of Cole in some ways, she also has experiences in her past that have put her out of touch with her femininity, her sexuality, even her identity.   (You handle these issues with sensitivy and insight.) It easy for her to admire, respect and value Cole; the challenge is for her to value herself enough to feel like a worthy partner for him.

Another thing that really worked for me in this book was the balance between plot and character.   The first three-quarters of the book is devoted to the development of Cole and Rhyne’s relationship, which mostly occurs in the context of “everyday” interactions and events.   Once they have established a foundation of loving trust, the action picks up to encompass more external obstacles, providing the characters with a challenge to overcome together. As a reader, I appreciate this. It is easier for me to accept a happy ending when I’ve seen the hero and heroine functioning as a couple. Plus it allows me to enjoy them doing so in more than just a brief epilogue.

As usual, you write interesting and unique minor characters. It’s fun to see the couples from the earlier book reappear as integral to the story, rather than as “walk-on” figures.   The Western setting is done well. I like how you evoke and develop the feeling of a small frontier town and the values and priorities that predominate when people are interdependent.

I fully enjoyed the length of this book. You took time to tell the story and develop the characters, and I never felt rushed or sensed a short-cut.   The end of the book was a little odd for me; I felt that you could have ended it in several places, and a couple of times I was actually surprised that the story wasn’t over.   But each of those final scenes tied up another loose end, so while I would gladly read more stories set in Reidsville, I won’t feel that there’s unfinished business if you don’t return there.

Looking back, I see that this review is very serious in tone. That’s because this booked awed me, but I don’t want to give the impression that there’s no humor in the book. On the contrary, there are some delightfully humorous moments in the book, along with some that are tender and some that are touching. My emotional responses to this book really ran the gamut, with the notable exception of never being angry or disappointed with the central characters. Not that they were perfect, but they acted in character and with a level of nobility of spirit that I truly appreciate in romance heroes of both genders.

Grade: A

~Sonoma Lass

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The first books that were ever read to me-’aside from children’s picture books that is-’were C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, thus establishing a long history of love for the fantasy genre. As a child, my favorite books were those that had any kind of magic, fairy tale or fantastic elements in them. For example, I read ever single one of Frank L. Baum's Wizard of Oz series, the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, you get the idea. However, one of the problems with fantasy, science fiction, or anything like either of those genres, is that they are incredibly dependent on the series. And, as you know, if you are a fantasy reader of any sort, series can really, really suck. They start out with so much potential, you love the characters, things seem to be going so well. But in the end it is like being in the literary equivalent of an abusive relationship. At some point, the series betrays you. And yet, you keep picking up the next book and the next book in the series, hoping against hope, that this time the characters will be like their old selves; that the plot will make sense; that there will be an ending, satisfying and gratifying. But it never is and you are finally forced to give up the series, knowing that it’s never going to change. With instance that this happens, a person becomes more cynical.

So I gave up reading fantasy for the most part for this. I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't put myself through that inevitable disappointment of waiting for the sequel and then the sequel (or nineteenth billionth book, as the case often was) breaking my heart.

But every once and awhile, a book comes a long in the fantasy genre that cries out for me to read it. This, Ms. Hobson, was one of those books. I read the interview you did here at Dear Author with Jane and I found the entire premise of your book very intriguing. So I went to the bookstore and did what all readers do at the bookstore . . . I read the first chapter. It hooked me.

Here’s the first sentence:

Five loud, hard, sharp crashes. Someone was knocking-’no, not knocking, rather pounding-’at the door of Mr. Everdene Baugh’s house on Church Street.

The story is about Emily Edwards, a witch living in the small town of Lost Pine, California during the Reconstruction period of the U.S.A. (that's post-Civil War). Things are . . . problematic. The winter was hard, with little fuel, less business and almost no food. She and Pap, her foster-father, aren't getting the kind of jobs they sued to thanks to the infiltration of Baugh's-’the mass-produced spells that are running Emily and Pap out of business. Clearly, something needs to be done, and Emily is going to do it. If things keep progressing the way they are, she and Pap are going to starve to death next winter. So they need an income. They need a home. Emily decides, like generations of women before her, that getting married will solve the problem of penury and she consequently picks the most eligible bachelor in Lost Pine, one Dag Hanson. The book starts just after the night Emily performed her love spell. She knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, but she was desperate and she swears to herself that she’ll be a good wife to Dag, even if she doesn’t love him.

Meanwhile, there’s also the problem of Dreadnought Stanton, an insufferable (ha!) warlock whose presence in Lost Pine is . . . curious, to say the least. He wasn’t around much during the winter but before that he was pestering her and Pap with his lectures on the modern application of magic. Emily wishes he would just leave her an Pap alone. Besides, what an educated man like is doing hanging around a small town in the Sierra Nevadas doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, he says he's there to help local witches and warlocks move into modern times, but since that's just Emily and Pap, well, nobody can understand why he stays.

Things do not go as planned. The love spell Emily puts on Dag is too strong. From the get go, it makes him a little crazy. Then, during Dag’s barn raising party, the local, drunken prognosticator makes an ominous prediction; a prediction nobody believes because he calls Emily a bad witch whose been doing bad magic. He also says there’s going to be trouble up the mines, the mines that are worked by zombies. Emily alone knows she's a bad witch, which means that Besim was right about the danger up at the Old China mines. The only other person who believes the old man is Dreadnought Stanton.

It’s at the mines that Emily meets her destiny and encounters the native star of the title. The spell that keeps the zombie miners under control is no longer working-’no, it’s working, it’s just no longer working on the miners. Why? They don’t know, but suddenly, Emily and Stanton find themselves faced with hundreds of undead miners clawing their way out of the mine, ready to attack the town, not to mention the two of them. Through a series of events, they manage to save the town, but Emily walks away with a strange piece of rock embedded in her hand-’a rock that sucks any magic performed near it right into itself.

What follows is a cross-country adventure as Emily and Stanton attempt to solve the problem of the rock, whilst avoiding the various nefarious groups bent on acquiring the stone and, consequently, Emily as well.

For me, this book was a perfect trifecta of plot, character, and language.

On the plot: it was tightly woven, the simple story at the beginning explodes out into something rich and complex without ever losing sight of that original story. Similarly, one of the many pitfalls of fantasy is that of world-building, specifically in the rules that govern magic. The limits and limitations of the characters are never well-defined and it often seems that abilities appear and disappear when it is convenient. You avoid this. There is a system and it is obeyed. As a reader I never felt like I was in WTF territory as far as the rules for magic were concerned. Moreover, you merge history and fantasy together fairly seamlessly, without resorting to info-dumps or pedagogy.

On character: Emily is awesome. She was intelligent, clever, and valiant, but she was neither a kick-ass Mary Sue or TSTL. Her actions, her failures, her flaws, and her perspectives all arose organically out of her character and her context. Similarly, Stanton is an unrepentant snob but again, his actions, his abilities, his flaws and his perspective are all clearly an outcropping of his character and context.   Additionally, we aren't told about these characters, they are revealed to us through the dialogue, their interactions with each other, the events of the book. They grow but remain true to their character.

Finally, you paid attention to language. Your descriptions were vivid and rich. You managed, somehow, to convey that period of time in an American history even at the level of word choice. It felt as if it occurred in a similar world to that of Mark Twain and the Pony Express, while still not feeling contrived. For example:

It was close to noon, and Ogden was flooded with warm spring sunshine. IT was the biggest and nicest station they’d yet stopped at-’an elaborate profusion of peaks and gables and awnings, with a high clock tower rising up from the middle. The paint was so fresh it still reeked of linseed oil. Ogden was a hub of transcontinental rail traffic, and the station teemed with feverish activity. Bags and trunks whizzed by on carts, salesboys hawked snacks and supplies, travelers crowded in a churning mass.

Alas (or huzzah?), this book is the first in a series? a trilogy? I don't know. But clearly, the ending was pointing towards another book (and your blog indicates as much, too). YET, I felt that this was a whole and complete book in and of itself. It did not leave me hanging. The major narrative arc was resolved. I can only express my thanks for this because I think, too many times, fantasy novels rely on the expectation of a series rather than working within a smaller narrative framework.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, romance, steampunk, and historical novels. A

Lazaraspaste

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Early last month, Karenmc contacted me about a movie she thought might make a good Friday Film Review called “Thousand Pieces of Gold.” After tracking down a VHS copy, I have to agree with her.

In 1880s China after years of drought, Lalu (Rosalind Chao) is sold by her father to a man he thinks will find her a husband. Instead she is transported to Chinatown in San Francisco then sold again to a Chinese pack driver who takes her to a mining town in Oregon. There she is to be the newest attraction in a saloon owned by Charlie Bemis (Chris Cooper) and Hong King (Michael Paul Chan – perhaps better known now as Lt. Tao in “The Closer”).

China Polly, as she’s now called, is horrified at the fate that slowly dawns on her as she enters this rough hewed place filled with demons (white men). On the night that she’s sold for the first time, she shows the men what she’s made of by fighting them off with a knife and threatening to kill herself and haunt Hong King. Bemis intervenes and Polly begins to work off her passage money through hard labor in the saloon.

But as she works hard and learns English, Polly starts to understand that in this new world, it’s illegal for her to be a slave – though as Charlie reminds her, she really has no other place she could go then. But after a pivotal confrontation and game of poker between the two saloon owners, Polly leaves to live with Charlie and start working for herself. But as racial tensions escalate, will Polly and the other Chinese be allowed to stay. And will she ever give in to the feelings she’s starting to have for Charlie?

The story is loosely based on a real Chinese immigrant woman and is adapted from books I’ve seen called “Poker Bride” and “Thousand Pieces of Gold” (though that title also seems to have been used for another biographical book of a Chinese woman). In real life, China Polly was never called “Lalu” and she lived in Idaho instead of Oregon. Here the story has been romanced up a little though it’s still what I would call a more gritty western. Shot on an obvious shoe string budget, it still manages to convey the era well and has good performances from its lead actors.

The story pulls no punches and portrays the obstacles Polly must overcome. She’s supposed to be an ethnic Mongol which is a strike against her in China. She’s a woman – strike two in China. And both of them count against her in America. The film shows the lack of options for most women at that time and how hard Polly must work in order to support herself by any means other than on her back. However, it also shows how Polly eventually earns the respect of not only her fellow Chinese but also the whites who were initially set on exploiting her as well.

We also see how white Americas were willing to turn on the Chinese immigrants when the economy went sour. What I found really interesting is how long it takes Polly to even begin to think of Charlie in any romantic terms. For over a year, to her he was little better than a nicer white demon than the average white man she dealt with and even as the film was almost over, their relationship was still iffy. Their romance is shown with little sentimentality and those waiting for a payoff clinch backed by soaring violins will wait in vain. Still, in the end, I think the film is stronger for not resorting to the obvious.

Right now finding this film will be the biggest hurdle to liking it. I finally found a reasonably priced VHS copy at half.com and have seen a DVD-R recording for sale. Email me if you want specifics. It’s also been uploaded at youtube in 11 parts. Check it out for a nicely done western from a POV other than a white cowboy.

~Jayne

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I’ll be honest and admit that I approach westerns written by men with a degree of trepidation. From the ones I’ve read or tried in the past, it seems men have an almost irresistable urge to have their female characters assualted or raped during the course of the story and then treat the event as if it’s nothing more than a hangnail. I don’t know why this is but it drives me nuts. Thanks, for not falling into that same rut.

Marshal Dallas Blackwood and the stage driver try to tell Easterner Anastasia Forsythe that she’s better off waiting for the next stage to Baxter Springs since Blackwood is hauling a prisoner there for trial but the young woman has no intention of waiting a day longer. Which is something she lives to regret when the prisoner’s gang members try and spring him from custody. After picking up a dandy who is much more to Anastasia’s taste than the loutish Marshal, a wild shootout and hell for leather chase across the prairie, the stage finally arrives in the small town.

Anastasia isn’t much more impressed with Baxter Springs than she was with the Fort nor has her opinion of Dallas improved much however she does admit that he seems to know what he’s doing and does it well. Which is a good thing as the outlaws aren’t finished trying to free their man from trial and a hanging. Will Dallas be able to bring the outlaws to justice and change pretty Miss Forsythe’s mind?

At first glance Anastasia is a pretentious snob, which is your point. I was amused that Dallas might enjoy her looks but not her attitude though he quickly cottons on to the fact that she’s a fish out of water trying to hide her unease. Still that doesn’t stop him from giving her an order or two – much to her distaste – or not coddling her. I knew when the dandy Royal Darling (oh, what a fun name!) showed up Anastasia would initially fall for his slick ways and fancy talking, which she does, but she also slowly begins to show some discrimination in her choice of picnic partners as well as more common sense about life in the west and the people who live there. By the end of the book, she’s even getting a touch feisty – though in a good way – and more than proves her worth after the run in with the Kiowa warriors.

Dallas is a man of the west. He doesn’t waste words or actions where they’re not needed, rides hard, does the job he’s paid for and takes care of his horse. And no one tells him how to do his job, not even the mayor. He also seems to have a touch of PTSD from his time in the Union army during the late War though the tracking he did going after Quantril and his raiders stands him in good stead when the time comes to go after Pendergrass and his gang. He might not impress Anastasia at first sight but I like the way she has a chance to form a different view of him from his deeds and his kindnesses – both to widows and working girls. Dallas is one hell of a lawman, stubborn about seeing the job done, patient in following the trail to catch his man whether in town or not and determined to see justice done even if most people don’t think a dead indian is worth the effort. He tries to see both sides of an argument and enforces the same law for everyone. He also doesn’t view taking a life lightly, though if the need is there, he’ll do it.

The secondary characters add depth to the story without taking too much attention away from Dallas and Anastasia. My favorites are Reuben Huff who takes over the reins of the Concord coach with a boyish delight, Widow Opal Wilson who shoots straight and takes her own revenge for her loss at the hands of the outlaw gang and deputy Guy Stephenson who does his own good job in law enforcement but can’t help doubling over in laughter at the thought of Anastasia heading out with Dallas to track a killer. The details of the story and life in the west, from the wildly careening stagecoach being hauled over a high ridge by the powerful six-horse team during a gun battle, to the layers of dust ever present and able to choke anyone who steps outside, to the wildness of the cowpunchers out to spend their money while still in town, make the book feel immediate.

The romance here is both slow and measured as well as quick. Dallas and Anastasia aren’t too impressed with each other to begin with though the thaw in their feelings is believable. It does take a while before anyone even thinks the “love” word and the first time it comes to Dallas’ mind he’s just as astounded as Anastasia is when she finally admits to her feelings. Hopefully she’ll get more used to his teasing manner once they’re hitched.

Overall, I am very impressed with this book. I ended up liking and cheering for the two main characters, the length is just right and it highlights an area of the country, Kansas, that I don’t often see in western romances. Some of the sentences were overly long leading to convoluted descriptions of the characters that were hard to unwind in my mind until I’d read the sentence a time or two. But for readers looking for a grittier historical western with romance, this is a good one to try.

~Jayne

Book Link |   Amazon |   BN | Borders | Fictionwise

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“A woman’s revenge and a man’s honor meet on a collision course… Isaac Gilpatrick witnesses the killing of old Marshall Blodgett, and when his mother Ione is threatened with death–or worse–he is intimidated into remaining silent. But the guilt he carries wears at Isaac’s nerves until he can bear it no longer and vows to put the information into the new marshal’s hands. Unfortunately, Marshal TJ Osgood arrives in town too late. He finds Isaac silenced for good after a crooked judge ordered him hanged. Now, with an under-aged deputy and a hound dog as his only allies, Osgood must sort out the truth, protect the bereaved Ione Gilpatrick, and bring a rough bunch of backwoods timber thieves to justice. That is, if Ione doesn’t beat him to it…”

Dear Ms. Crigger,

Your Westerns remind me of the gritty style of 1970s movie westerns where the bad guys didn’t always wear black hats and the good guys were often frayed around the edges. Anti-heroes, I think they were called and Marshal TJ OSgood is a great example of one. The story is really more focused on Osgood and his arc than Ione. She changes a bit, is willing to trust men despite her miserable husband and the villains who killed Isaac but it’s mainly TJ Osgood learning that he’s a better man than he thought and that he’s still got a good lawman in him.

Osgood a man who feels he’s weak but who is really stronger than he thinks. He knows he’s got demons – hell the man who hired him knows Osgood has issues, ones he’s still fighting after they almost licked him. But he’s also got a strong sense of right and wrong and is passionate about the law. Something that those who counted on his weakness didn’t realize. He’s also faced with a strong woman determined to get revenge for her murdered son and at times I get the impression Osgood isn’t sure which side is causing him more problems!

Ione might look scrawny but she’s rawhide tough. As with Osgood, you don’t load us down with backstory which means nothing or current angsting. I can’t see any of your characters wallowing in angst. They do what needs doing and keep going. Ione has obviously had a hard life but no one hears her complaining. When her son is killed, the villains don’t know what they’ve unleashed – the power of a mother seeking vengeance and not afraid of doing what must be done to see to it.

Osgood first has to prove himself to himself and then to the town and then to Ione and then to the villains who misjudge him almost to the end. I enjoyed watching him rise to the occasion and outthinking his opponents. Brains almost didn’t beat brawn but he’s a tough old coot and not above fighting as dirty as those who have no honor and laugh at those who do.

Ione lets her temper and anger spur her into danger, not that it wouldn’t have found her soon anyway, but she senses the danger, acts to avoid it and when it kicks down her door, she still thinks then continues to fight. When she’s the one who takes revenge on one who helped murder her son and the man who would have helped to eliminate her – and an interesting “true to the period” way it was too – I cheered. When a character’s been done that wrong, I have little patience with forgive and forget. A steady trigger finger works just fine for me.

I love the dog and love the dog’s actions. I sense that he’s going to be a figure in keeping the peace in Black Crossing for some years to come. Bennie is a dear too. He’s young, he needs a little more seasoning to grow into the lawman I think he could be but with Osgood to bring him up, he’ll do just fine.

I like the individuals of Black Crossing and how, even if they’re only on stage for a short time like the stage driver, the postman, the general store keeper and the old cusses at the bar, they stand out as people and not just a clump herd of secondary/tertiary cutouts. But why are Western town doctors always drunk?

Osgood is a good lawman. He doesn’t rush to judgment, he checks his facts, he looks into the situation from all angles and refuses to believe the worst until he sees the evidence. But then he does act and he does what he says he’ll do. He proves to Black Crossing, the Coeur d’Alene people and most of all Ione that he’s a man to be trusted at his word. He also takes care of his horse. I like that he’s a bit beat up and has seen a thing or two. I think he and Ione will still strike sparks off each other in their later years but they’ll be pleasant sparks as well as feisty ones.

~Jayne

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| Amberquill |

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Dear Ms. Thompson:

I know I haven’t read you in a while although I think I read a few of your “nerd” books and enjoyed them.   I think I stopped reading contemporaries for a while and your books suffered the ax from my shopping list along with other stalwarts of the time like Susan Andersen.   But in the past couple of years, my interest in reading contemporaries has increased as has my affection for the category novel.   I haven’t been reading as many Blaze books as I have in other categories so this month I sat down to read all six Blaze releases and Ambushed! was one of them.

If I had to use one word to describe Ambushed! it would be charming. The hero was charming, the heroine was fun, and the story was sweet. There isn’t a lot of depth but it was a decent way to spend an afternoon reading.

Gabe Chance is the youngest of three brothers who are still recovering from the loss of their larger than life father, Jonathan Chance. The patriarch’s death has left a big hole in the life of the entire family and has created some familial tension as Jack, the eldest, tried to extend their father’s legacy. The Chance family are known for breeding the best paint horses around and Gabe has a champion paint that he rides in cutting competitions. Gabe is nearing a hall of fame earning mark and wants to continue to compete but Jack believes that the fees are too high to justify in the future.

Morgan O’Connelli moved back to Shoshone to start up a real estate firm. Her family had moved all over the country and spent some time in Shoshone when Morgan was a teen. She felt a connection to this town and the friends she made and always vowed to come back. As the Fourth of July rolled around, Morgan mounts an unfamiliar horse to participate in the annual parade, a life long dream.

When Gabe sees a gorgeous redhead battling an appaloosa, he moves to assist her and in the end, maybe distracted by her too tight shirt with the popping buttons, puts her up on his prize winning horse and invites her to ride with his family. His family is none too welcoming, having suffered a number of uncouth propositions from other land sharks after the death of the Chase patriarch.

There are decent conflicts in the story: Gabe’s desire to continue on the competition circuit weighing against Jack’s need to be what his father was to the family; Morgan’s lack of interest in a family paired with Gabe’s deep seated familial belonging. Yet, the conflicts are there simply to move the story along and neither of the issues are dealt with in any real depth.

Where the story shines and how it is elevated above others is the humor that is woven throughout. Gabe is portrayed as a rueful scapegrace who pretends to live life on the surface but Morgan quickly points out that he is just as single minded about competing as Jack is about running the ranch. Morgan is a very confident woman. She’s confident about her body and her sexuality and her skills outside the bedroom. I loved that. There is a scene in which Morgan is unpacking her boxes and comes across her vibrator and an old issue of Playgirl. (as an aside, it wasn’t until law school that I learned the majority of Playgirl subscribers were gay men). She decides she’ll put the vibrator to good use as Gabe has “flown the coop.” Only Gabe shows up on her doorstep.

Judging from the way she was glaring at him, she wouldn’t allow that to happen in the next million years.She looked as if she’d like to beat him over the head with that vibrator. She was obviously pissed, and he could understand that. Apparently it didn’t matter to him whether she welcomed him with open arms or not. Smiling or frowning, she was the most delicious woman he’d ever met, and he ached for her.

She kept tapping that vibrator against her thigh. “You’d better state your business, cowboy, before a neighbor drives by and gets the wrong idea.”

“I need to talk to you.” He tipped the brim of his hat up with his thumb. “How about it. Can I come in?”

“Depends.”

Tap, tap, tap went the vibrator. “How long will it take you to say what you have to say?”

“Not long, but as you pointed out, with you in that getup and me standing at your door, it looks like we’re negotiating a price.”

“All right.” She stepped back and used the vibrator like an usher with a flashlight to motion him in. Then she closed the door and faced him. Once again she tapped the vibrator against her thigh.

“Okay, talk.”

“Could you put that damned thing down? You’re making me nervous.”

Instead of doing as he asked, she switched it on. “Oh, pardon me all to hell.” She advanced on him, the buzzing vibrator poised like a dagger. “I would hate to make you nervous.” She poked him in the chest with the thing.

Call me names, but I laughed like a loon at this scene. I also loved the sexy integration of the use of condoms. Thank god someone in romancelandia is using them! Particularly since Morgan had an aversion to children.

The romance is too brief to really deal with the conflicts (it happens over the course of a few days) but I laughed out loud in several places and I really enjoyed reading the confident female with the aw shucks guy that Gabe played. It was a welcome respite to the brooding alpha male and his female counterpart. A little levity can go a long way.

B-

Best regards

Jane

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| Sony | BooksonBoard | eHarlequin |

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I first saw this movie shortly after it was made in 1991 and immediately went out and bought the book upon which it was based. Louis L’Amour was better known as a writer of traditional westerns but here he includes a bit of romance along with punching cows and riding the range.

After Evie Teale (Katherine Ross) and her family arrive at their new home in Arizona, her husband rides off almost immediately to buy what they plan to be the start of their cattle herd. Shortly after that a stage drives through the area and the manager makes Evie a deal to be a stopping place for food and rest until the stage line builds its own station. It’s extra money the family can use as it’s been too long now without word for Mr. Teale to be anything but dead.

When the stage cowboys drive in some horses, Evie meets Con Conagher (Sam Elliott), a tough older cowpuncher who admires her from afar. But what does he have to offer such a fine woman? So he hires on to the Tay (Ken Curtis) outfit and along with one other man, fights off the rustlers who plan to kill the old man and take over his cows.

But he, like several other cowboys, is chasing after sagebrush and the notes which some lonely woman is writing and trying to them to drift across the wide open spaces of the county. Will he admit what Evie already knows, that he does have something to offer her?

Conagher is a straight up and honest man. When he takes a man’s pay, he rides for the brand. It’s all he knows and his honor is bone deep. He thinks that killing a man when there’s another way to settle the problem is crazy and we see several instances of that. We also see that in the end, it saves his life after a final run in with the rustlers who actually admire him as a man. Elliott has a lived in, weathered face such as I would expect to see on a middle aged cowboy and his gravely voice is one I could listen to all day.

Evie is a woman of nerve and grit. It’s never made plain if the move west was as much her idea as Mr. Teale’s but when she’s left on her own with her stepchildren, she buckles down and gets the job done all while trying to do right by Laban and Ruthie. Hers is a dignified beauty and strength which Ross shows throughout the story. I love how her dresses are obviously meant to look homemade unlike so many worn by actresses in those old 1960s westerns.

In truth this is more a western than a romance. Conagher and Evie share little actual screen time but when they do, the quiet connection between them is obvious. Shoot, Con spends more time with his horse than he does with Evie but the fact that he’s willing to chase after sagebrush shows that he’s got a romantic streak.

There are several secondary actors who are probably known more by face than name including Ken Curtis and Buck Taylor (both of Gunsmoke fame) and Buck’s father Dub Taylor (in decades worth of westerns) as well as James Gammon and Barry Corbin (Brenda Leigh Johnson’s father on “The Closer”). All of them turn in great performances and are a pleasure to watch.

And then there are the great open spaces of the West where you can hear the wind in the grass and cedars. I love that everything is a little rough and slightly ragged around the edges here. That scenes are shot by firelight and we get a real sense of how jostling a wagon ride was and how hard it was to keep clean when you were a cowboy trailing through the dust after cattle.

The western payoff is all through the movie and considering it was originally done for television, I think they did a fine job. The romance payoff takes the whole film but the first, and final, kiss is well worth waiting for. B

~Jayne

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3. Film Review Friday: Firelight

Thanks for offering Dear Author the chance to review your latest historical from Liquid Silver. And then for following up with me to be sure I got the book. I do fall behind on my reviewing at times.

After the death of her fiancé, Catherine Johnson, a New York schoolteacher in 1901, travels to Nebraska to teach a one-room school and escape her sad memories. One afternoon, violence erupts in the sleepy town. Catherine saves deaf stable hand, Jim Kinney, from torture by drunken thugs.

As she takes charge of his education, teaching him to read and sign, attraction grows between them. The warmth and humor in this silent man transcends the need for speech and his eyes tell her all she needs to know about his feelings for her. But the obstacles of class difference and the stigma of his handicap are almost insurmountable barriers to their growing attachment.

Will Catherine flout society’s rules and allow herself to love again? Can Jim make his way out of poverty as a deaf man in a hearing world? And together will they beat the corrupt robber baron who has a stranglehold on the town?

The scenes of Catherine teaching Jim to read then of them both learning sign language are fascinating. Since I’m not a teacher, I wouldn’t have the first clue as to how to start. I think you did a great job showing how Jim’s new learning is opening up the world for him. I can’t imagine not being able to communicate beyond simple pantomimes. Not being able to hear, speak or write would be terrifying and immensely isolating. You conveyed this well.

The book avoids sugary sweetness. It is matter of fact and down to earth. Brava. I did get tired of reading about the state of Jim’s cock. It was almost to the point where I was looking for the scene “cock alert.” Is it hardening yet? Has Jim managed to hide his physical condition from Catherine? The inclusion of the hawt sex scenes at the end of the book were jarring as compared to the low heat level of most of the rest of the story.

Jim is ready to help people, even when he initially doesn’t like them as we see with Dean and his filly, but when the chips are down, he steps up to the plate – though thank you for not turning him into a sudden Superman. He’s never fired a gun, as I believe was the case with most men of the time, and it shows. This is a good thing, IMO.

The villains and the lengths to which Karak is willing to go to get what he wants don’t surprise me. This was the age of range wars and men owning towns – just as you’ve described him as doing.

Jim isn’t made to be a poster child for pc-ness nor does Catherine treat him like some pet project – she sees him as a man and realizes early on she is attracted to him as more than a friend. But here’s the trouble for me – the first time they kiss, she’s not expecting it and she feels guilty and thinks – “we can’t do this because of the social differences.” Then – while they’re on their picnic – she thinks that if there’s going to be any kissing that day, she’ll have to instigate it. WTF? And she does, knowing that she doesn’t feel they’re social equals and that she could hurt Jim with any rejection. Then she keeps letting them get more physical all the while knowing that she isn’t up for a social relationship. I know you want to present a flawed heroine, and I’m grateful for that, but I couldn’t help but finish reading the story thinking that she’s damn lucky to get Jim rather than the other way around.

The ending is nicely done. They obviously can’t stay in a town that views Jim as nothing but low class hired help and the location of the School for the Deaf in Catherine’s home state is fortuitous. Win-win situation all around.

Despite the issues I have with the book, I’m glad I read it and glad that you sought out a review for it. I’m sorry that it didn’t work quite as well for me as you would probably wish it had but it’s still a B- for me.

~Jayne

FTC discloser – A free copy of this book was provided to DA by the author for a potential review.

This book can be purchased Liquid Silver Books in ebook form.

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