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Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and CommentaryBook reviews, industry news, and commentary from a reader’s point of view
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Archive for January, 2008Jan
31
2008
British critic and literary editor suggests that one of the reasons for the shrinking print media coverage of books in the US is the dull book reviewing. William Skidelesky says “book reviewing in [Britain] is in fairly robust health . . . A lively chatter surrounds the British book scene, of which newspaper review sections are a central part.” Via Media Bistro. Jan
31
2008
For Valentine’s Day, Sony is offering its eReading Device with a pink “Cross Your Heart” Skinit covering and 14 free Harlequin ebooks. “Cross Your Heart” reminds me of Playtex bras and is probably one of the more unfortunate slogans Sony could come up with for its female crowd, along with the suggestion that librarians aren’t sexy. Jan
31
2008
by Jane ♦ 14 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: angels, contemporary-paranormal, demons, Guardian Series, guardians, Meljean-Brook, vampires Filed under: B Reviews Category, B+ Reviews Dear Ms. Brook:
Charlie Newcombe was an opera singer whose voice rivaled the angels (real ones who know what angelic voices sound like). Her love for the bottle was greater than her love for music. A car accident that she caused while drunk stole her voice. She picked up the broken pieces and decided to make a new life for herself. She’s in the midst of studying for a degree that will enable her to get a job besides serving up drinks. Just when it seems like Charlie is on the verge of making something good of herself, she becomes a pawn in the fight between vampires, nosferatu, demons and guardians. Long lived beings view humans with some disdain and while demons … Jan
31
2008
A Columbia University sociologist Duncan Watts a long-time opponent of Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping Point” theory, has published a piece showing with empirical and computer simulated tests that the Gladwell’s hypothesis is inaccurate. The ‘Tipping Point’ phenomenon has been used by marketers and advertisers to target individual influencers of opinion.  Watts says that “Almost all of the action is away from the center.” Essentially, the sphere of influence of any one individual is small compared to the greater population base and it is word of mouth that creates and spurs virality. Via Ars Technica. Jan
31
2008
Jennie F.: Yes, it seems to be a theme with us! Janine: LOL! Jennie, I’d like to start with a brief discussion of the labeling of this book and of its cover. First, Tempted is described as “An Erotic Novel” on its front cover; and simply as a “Novel” on the spine. Are the book’s romantic elements strong enough that you would consider it a romance? Are its erotic elements prominent enough that you would call it erotica? Or do you feel that “erotic novel” is the right definition? Jennie F.: I think coming up with a niche for this book (and to some degree, Hart’s other books) is a bit problematic. I would have a problem calling Tempted a romance, because I didn’t find the … Jan
30
2008
by Jane ♦ 10 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Bertrice Small, Cassie Edwards, Jennifer Blake, plagiarism, Roberta Gellis, Romantic-Times Filed under: Publishing News In one of the most positive things to come out of Savage Gate, heavyweight authors Bertrice Small, Roberta Gellis and Jennifer Blake will be teaching a new seminar at the 2008 Romantic Times about writing a historical without plagiarism. While the change has not yet appeared on the RT BookLovers Convention webpage, Bitchery reader Kay has forwarded me some information that Romantic Times sent out earlier today. It seems they’ve added a session with Bertrice Small on research without plagiarism. According to the post at Smart Bitches, the announcement reads as follows:
Kudos to all those Bertrice Small for spearheading this seminar and for taking the extra step in educating those within the writing community about this important topic. I’m off to buy some books now to support these authors. RWA, the spotlight’s on you now. Via SBTB. Jan
30
2008
Jan
30
2008
by Jayne ♦ Leave a Comment » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: English-Regency, Italy, Julia-Justiss, poor relation Filed under: Book Reviews, C Reviews, C Reviews Category, Ebooks Dear Mrs. Justiss,
Will is a rake. Orphaned in his youth, brought up by those who did the bare minimum of their duty to him, he’s been on his own for years. The only relative who has ever cared for him shows up at his door and forces him to agree to squiring her around during the latest Season. Maybe while doing this, Lucille will help him nab a young lady of fortune. Like Lucille, I found it hard to believe that some girl who … Jan
30
2008
Dear Ms. Mead,
Let’s start with Georgina. Ignoring the discussion of the strict heterosexuality of the succubi/incubi and preachy moralizing brought up in Jane’s review (which I also agree with), Georgina just doesn’t act and think like a succubus. When Seth’s novella is published and her co-workers assume the elevator-loving dominatrix character is based on her, her first reaction is outrage and embarrassment. Why? She’s been a succubus for several centuries. That can’t possibly … Jan
29
2008
by Jane ♦ 83 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Ace, Ann Aguirre, futuristic, spaceships Filed under: A Review Category, A- Reviews, Book Reviews Dear Ms. Aguirre:
Sirantha Jax has the J-gene, a sensory gene that allows her to be a jumper. Jumper’s are vital for interstellar travel and therefore minor gods. Only Jax made a mistake or someone made a mistake and her last jump ended with the death of her pilot and lover. Pilot and jumpers are often lovers. Its nearly impossible not to be because the pilot and the jumper become one for that infitesmal moment that the ship and its occupants are “about to slingshot through our target beacon and back out to straight space.” Some pilots can’t even get it up without being “jumped in”.
… Jan
29
2008
Powell’s Books, home of the largest independent bookstore in the US, is launching a new book club by mail. For $39.95, you’ll receive one box every six weeks with a book and a gift. The book could be anything from a first edition hardcover with a special case or a signed high quality ARC. The gift might be a DVD, CD or mug. Powell’s compares it to the Cracker Jack box surprise. The goal is to highlight new and emerging authors. Publishers are encouraged to include items for the reader such as a note or a reader response card. I think this is a neat gift idea. I’ve frequently bought Harry and David’s Fruit of the Month club as gifts but for the bibliophile, the Powell’s subscription sounds like a great idea. I can’t help but wonder why it wasn’t launched before Christmas. The club is limited to 200 at this point but Powell’s hopes to expand. I believe this will sell out quite soon. I’ve sent the link to Ned with a broad hint that Valentine’s Day is coming up. Chocolate is … Jan
29
2008
It’s books, not gadgets, that is the top selling product online across the world. According to a new Nielsen report, 41% of internet users worldwide (48 countries) and 38% of US internet users (estimated 57.5 million) buy books online. Nielsen expects this number to grow.  Foner Books sales statistics show that 2007 sales numbers for Amazon sales are beating out Borders, $3.58 billion v. $3.41 billion respectively. Via Shelf Awareness. Jan
29
2008
Book Title Plum Lucky debuted at no. 1 Plum Lovin’ Morning Light The Manning Sisters reprint Blood Brothers Shadow Dance paperback release of hardcover Iron Kissed The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) Hide and Seek Shadow Music Blood Dreams Wizard’s Daughter Sadly her contemporaries has killed my desire to read her books even though I got this one for free. The Devil’s Web Someone to Love Out of the list Taming Natasha & Luring A Lady Luring a Lady just does not sound like a title for a NR book. The Accidental Vampire Sands is getting the 3 book back to back release so it will be interesting to watch the trend of her sales. Just a Taste Jan
29
2008
After weeks of thinking, whining, ranting, and being generally disoriented in the aftermath of Savage Gate (phrase courtesy of Seressia Glass), it finally dawned on me that all of the brouhaha, both with the plagiarism thing and the mean girl thing, is all about boundaries (yes, I know I’m slow). Where does “inspiration” end and plagiarism begin? What is and isn’t appropriate for readers to discuss? What is and isn’t okay for readers to want to know? What once seemed like a series of no-brainers to me have suddenly become contested territory, with ongoing struggles and negotiations, not only on the limits of intertextuality (which is a wonderfully vexing or fascinating gray zone, depending on your perspective), but also of where blogging ends and “reporting” begins, and even on the limits of civility (this last, of course, not always addressed directly). For every right someone claims, of course, a boundary in the form of a competing right or limiting obligation circumscribes it. And every boundary one person thinks is obvious seems foreign to someone else. For example, as someone who doesn’t really need to know … Jan
28
2008
The winner of the Wendy Nelson Tokunaga Midori by Moonlight festival is Andrea. I’ve emailed you so be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see anything from Dear Author. The second winner of the “guess that book” contest is Shannon Stacey. Thanks for commenting folks. We have a great giveaway tomorrow. Jan
28
2008
by Jayne ♦ 3 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Diane Gaston, English-Regency, Harlequin Historical, road-romance Filed under: B Reviews Category, B- Reviews, Book Reviews, Ebooks Dear Ms Gaston,
Adam Vickery, Marquess of Tannerton, known as Tanner to his friends, strikes the right note as a bored nobleman. He’s not a rake nor is he a spy for England, though he did help the English forces during the nightmare that followed Waterloo. He’s not too proud of what little he’s done in life nor of some latest episode that took him to Ireland. When he sees a woman prisoner aboard the ship taking him back to England, he studies her trying to figure her out. When she maintains her composure even as those around them panic as the storm hits, he’s intrigued. When … Jan
28
2008
Is it the anniversary of Mills&Boon, the publishing juggernaught that is Mills&Boon or the impending holiday that is all above “love” (gag gag)? Whatever the reason, Guardian can’t stop writing about Mills &Boons books. Another article about the publishing house that sells a book every 6.6 seconds in the UK addresses, a bit, the idea of the books’ “retrogressive plots” (I love that term btw) and the snobbery toward the genre. Via The Guardian. Jan
28
2008
Sadly what could have provided salacious gossip in the publishing world for months is put to bed. Judith Regan and HarperCollins have put away their litigation swords for an undisclosed sum of money and a sort of apology.
Jan
28
2008
by Jane ♦ 15 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Fantasy, guest-blogger, Mobile Read, Orson Scott Card, Young-Adult Filed under: A Review Category, Book Reviews Today’s review is by NatCh who helps run MobileRead. MobileRead is one of the best sources about ebooks, ebook hardware and software on the internet. The site has over 3,000 public domain books in ebook format hand coded by its members and freely available. Ender’s Game
The story originally began as a … Jan
27
2008
Harlequin launches its Paranormal Romance blog. The blog has been lurking about but its official launch is Monday, January 27, 2008. The blog will feature posts from editors and authors with insights about the genre, favorite titles, series and personal experiences. So go on over and give your feedback about what you like and what you want to see more of from Harlequin’s paranormal line. Jan
27
2008
Book Title Plum Lucky debuted at no. 1 Plum Lovin’ Morning Light The Manning Sisters reprint Blood Brothers Shadow Dance paperback release of hardcover Iron Kissed The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) Hide and Seek Shadow Music Blood Dreams Wizard’s Daughter Sadly her contemporaries has killed my desire to read her books even though I got this one for free. The Devil’s Web Someone to Love Out of the list Taming Natasha & Luring A Lady Luring a Lady just does not sound like a title for a NR book. The Accidental Vampire Sands is getting the 3 book back to back release so it will be interesting to watch the trend of her sales. Just a Taste Jan
27
2008
Last week, we posted a super positive guest review for Bettie Sharpe’s Like a Thief in the Night, a novella from Samhain. Sharpe had the benefit of a solid audience from the serial that ran on Dionne Galace’s blog. I watched the My Bookstore and More top ten ratings and Of the books listed as bestsellers at Samhain, 2 of the top 3 feature threesomes or more. At All Romance eBooks, 7 of the top 10 also feature some form of multiple partner sex. I admit that while there are many e-publishers out there, I mainly identify epublishing with erotic romance. Maybe it’s because of Ellora’s Cave’s success and public prominence. Maybe it’s because it seems like the most successful launch of careers from epublishing to NY publishing are the erotic romance authors (discounting MaryJanice Davidson). In the past week, I’ve had a few conversations with readers and … Jan
26
2008
In the grand tradition of the Smart Bitches Trashy Books’ Guess That Lonely Heart, Dear Author presents its first (and probably last) book quiz. What famous romance author’s book features a lesbian love scene and concludes with the heroine having her cake and eating it too. (pun kind of intended). Excerpt:
Guess the author and the book and we’ll send you a copy of the book and $5.00 gift certificate from Fictionwise. Jan
26
2008
by Jane ♦ Leave a Comment » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: 1930s, Ann-Christopher, Harlequin, heiress, Kimani Filed under: Book Reviews, C Reviews Category, C+ Reviews Dear Ms. Christopher:
Maria has had nothing expected of her all her life other than to look good and smile pretty – both tasks she does extraordinarily well. Except her father has decided that he has to get tough and tells her that she won’t gain access to her trust as planned unless she starts working at his firm. She must start from the ground up. While I at first applauded the father’s attempts at “tough love”, I was disturbed at the way in which he was complicit in her humiliation. David Hunt had met and fell in love with Maria four years ago, but left her when she went and married someone else. He learned of her divorce and rushed back … Jan
25
2008
Patricia Briggs has signed with Dabel Brothers Publishing to produce a four episode? comic mini-series featuring Mercy Thompson to be released in the fall of 2008 with a hardcover collection from Del Rey in 2009. Via ICv2 News. Jan
25
2008
by Jayne ♦ 21 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: 20th century, across-the-tracks-romance, crime, Jennifer Donnelly, Kenya, London, medicine, saga Filed under: Book Reviews, C Reviews, C Reviews Category, Ebooks Dear Ms. Donnelly,
After a trip over to the Big Internet Bookstore to check out reviews of the prequel to this novel, “The Tea Rose,” I found that a lot of readers must want to read this genre again or for the first time. Reviews ran heavily towards five and four stars. However it was the three and under ones I chose to read and I found that they eerily mirrored my … Jan
25
2008
by Jane ♦ 4 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Claudia Lonow, Dan Savage, New York Press, plagiarism, Savage Love Filed under: Publishing News New York Press debuted a new sex column yesterday authored by Claudia Lonow who, rather than thinking up her own weird sex question or asking her friends to make one up, copied the questions from a 2006 Dan Savage column. Savage Love is published online in The Onion’s A.V. Club and, according to Wikipedia is “internationally syndicated.” I guess it makes sense to copy from the best, but I wish more people would pay attention to my top ten tips on how to be a plagiarist.   Your career might be longer than a day. The copying was noticed almost immediately and yesterday the New York Press accepted Claudia Lonow’s resignation. Apparently “she was unaware that using questions from Savage’s column was a breach of journalism ethics. She has offered her resignation, and we’ve accepted it. We apologize to our readers, and to Dan Savage, for this error in judgment. ” Jan
25
2008
The Atlantic Monthly is following a trend of print media giving away their online content for free. Earlier this week, the archives and web site dropped the subscriber only features and is now freely available. The Wall Street Journal can’t be far behind. Via Teleread. Jan
25
2008
But I wanted to write a romance novel, because I loved to read romance novels, and that made plenty enough sense for it all to work out, right? ;-) My first effort took a third place prize at a local writer’s conference. … Jan
24
2008
by ジェăĽăł(JÄn) ♦ 4 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: chick-lit, Contemporary, Japanese-American romance, Wendy Nelson Tokunaga Filed under: B+ Reviews, Book Reviews
I am endlessly fascinated by Japan, both the good and the bad of it. The reserved Japanese styles of interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions are particularly fascinating to me, and though I’m not Japanese I felt you really nailed that aspect of the main character, at least from what I know. You portrayed the shortcomings of Midori’s style of thinking and acting when it came to her dealing with a new culture, and fairly portrayed the good and bad as she saw it of American behavior. There’s not a lot of overt emotion here, just always measured responses, which are accurate but also unfortunately not all that exciting to read about. That kind of sums up the pros and … Jan
24
2008
by Jia ♦ 2 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: chick-lit, Contemporary, Japan, Wendy Nelson Tokunaga Filed under: Book Reviews, C Reviews Category, C+ Reviews Dear Ms. Tokunaga,
In Japan, thirty-year-old Midori Saito is the nail that can’t get hammered down. She loves all things American, balks at her parents’ matchmaking attempts, and dreams of moving to the United States to work as a tour guide. When an American proposes to her after a whirlwind romance, it’s her dream come true. Unfortunately, the dream doesn’t last long — her fiance dumps her the day after their engagement party. Midori has no desire to return to Japan. She’s finally in the U.S., where she’s always wanted to go, and she has no intention of proving her mother’s dire predictions correct. Lucky for her, her ex-fiance has an old college friend, Shinji, who offers … Jan
24
2008
by Jayne ♦ 6 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: chick-lit, Contemporary, illegal immigrants, Japan, Wendy Nelson Tokunaga Filed under: B Reviews Category, B- Reviews, Book Reviews Dear Ms. Tokunaga,
You start the book by dropping us straight into the action. Midori Saito has arrived in San Francisco to marry her American fiance. It’s the culmination of a dream for her since she’s always wanted to 1) marry a non-Japanese man and 2) live in the US. I guess her desires must have blinded her to what an asshat Kevin is. He’s one of the characters who has no side except asshatiness. Later in the book Midori wonders what on earth she ever saw in him but this was my thought from the minute he steps … Jan
23
2008
Dear Ms. Giles,
When Kip McFarland was nine years old, he set his seven-year-old neighbor on fire because he was jealous of the baseball glove the boy received for his birthday. Three days later the boy died and Kip was committed to a juvenile facility for the criminally insane, where he spends the next four years in rehabilitation. At the age of 14, Kip is released and moves with his father and stepmother to a new town, with a new name, to begin a new life. But the past is not so far behind and Kip, now known as Wade, has to reconcile his new perfect life with that of the child monster the media once portrayed him to be. This is a very quick read but that … Jan
23
2008
This will make some authors deliriously happy, but RWA is no longer providing press passes to internet media at the annual convention.
I asked for a clarification of the word “affiliated” and received the following response:
… Jan
23
2008
Called a dream machine by Polymer’s CEO, Karl McGoldrick, the Readius is getting ready for the public. Taking advantage of flexible eink technology, the Readius will be a cell phone/ereading device that contains a 5″ display that folds up when not in use. The device is due out Summer 2008 with a high end mobile phone pricetag. The content for the phone cannot be downloaded or accessed directly. Rather the information such as emails, rss feeds, and the like must be downloaded to the computer and then it is “pushed” to the device upon updating. Given that you’ll have to buy a data plan to take advantage of the “reader” portion of the mobile device, the current system sounds unwieldy. It’s certainly an exciting step forward in design and technology. Let’s hope that function can keep pace. Via Reuters and friend, Sergio. Thanks. Jan
23
2008
by Jane ♦ 8 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Female-Private-Investigator, Harlequin, Harlequin-Blaze, Jill Monroe, lottery, mini series, television producer Filed under: Book Reviews, C Reviews, C Reviews Category Dear Ms. Monroe:
The title is a complete misnomer since the hero might be tall and dark but is not filthy rich. His lack of riches, in fact, is part of the conflict. For some reason, though, I became fixated on the idea that the title simply did not fit the book and that bothered me the whole time I was reading. Jessie Huell specializes in catching cheaters; sometime she is hired to catch people who are in it for the thrill but most of the time, she stakes out spouses and significant other to see if they are straying. She’s asked to do an interview on a local TV show called “Just Between Us”. Jessie would like to drum up some business and she agrees only to find an old high … Jan
22
2008
As if the Cassie Edwards’ copying scandal hasn’t demoralized your faith in the publishing industry enough, Ishmael Beah’s bestselling memoir, A Long Way Gone, is the subject of two investigative pieces by The Australian. The first article was published on January 19, 2008, and tells the story about a couple who were keenly interested in Beah’s story. They engaged in some research and thought that they might have uncovered Beah’s father. This discovery led to a revelation crucial to the timeline of Beah’s memoir.
The date difference is important since it mean that Beah might have only spent a couple of months in the army and not the years the memoirs describe. The article is not an indictment of Beah’s story but rather the oversight that the publisher took in fact checking the book. Perhaps this would be a non story if not for the Frey hoax but the reporters of The Australian note that … Jan
22
2008
Dear Readers, Jan
22
2008
by Jayne ♦ Leave a Comment » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Connie-Brockway, Contemporary, Minnesota Filed under: Book Reviews, C Reviews Category, C+ Reviews, Ebooks Dear Ms Brockway,
For Mimi Olson Chez Ducky, as the family place is fondly known, has been her refuge from her demanding mother and from life in general. I understand that Mimi is the type of person who wants to let the world just slide on by with the least amount of effort. Heck, I have those moments myself. And as I get older I … Jan
22
2008
Card is a Latter Day Saint and has more than one disturbing article regarding his views on homosexuality.
Reading the above article does, indeed, make one wonder why an award that is … Jan
22
2008
It’s clear from emails, message boards, forums, and blogs that there is no common language that we speak, either readers or authors or both, as to what plagiarism is and is not within the fiction writing community. There is a fear amongst authors that some readers are trying to set the bar too high. Conversely, I have heard some people posit publicly there should not be differing standards for differing communities. I definitely believe that the academic standard for plagiarism should not be applied to fiction publishing. The academic standard would penalize those who cover even the same idea without attribution. Given the fact that there are very few plots, character motives, theme motifs, etc, the academic standard is too stringent. However, I also think that using copyright law as the defining boundary for plagiarism is too broad. I don’t think that copying text in the fiction writing community should be determined by what is “fair use” and what is not. The reason that I think that the legal definition of “fair use” shouldn’t be the standard is because “fair use” was primarily designed to … Jan
21
2008
by Jane ♦ 1 Comment » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: awards, Fiona Harper, Julie Cohen, Kate Hardy, Liz Fielding, Lucy Gordon, RNA, Romance Novelists' Association Awards Filed under: Publishing News Mills & Boons sweeps the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards shortlist for category romance. The nominated titles include:
The RNA gives out a Romance Prize and Romance Novel of the Year. This years judging panel of authors are Zoë Barnes, Trisha Ashley and bestseller Katie Fforde. The three determine the winner of the Romance Prize 2008. Jan
21
2008
Dear Ms Glass:
Yvonne Mitchelson is on the verge of large-scale success with Your Heart’s Desire, a growing chain of Atlanta boutiques specializing in her own line lingerie and other romance-related items. When she hires Michael Benjamin’s marketing firm to take … Jan
21
2008
According to an India Times article, men are big consumers of the Mills & Boons books. The article states that a Mills & Boons book is sold around the world every four seconds. There doesn’t seem to be any one reason for the increasing male readership. Andrew J. Go, director of the Mills & Boon-India, speculates that it could be as simple as the fact that the mothers and sisters are reading them and thus they are easily available to the men; it could be that M&B books are one source of sex and romance in a culture where both are not readily available; or, as the article states “Perhaps it’s just that Indian men appreciate the good read that most M&B novels are.” Via India Times. Jan
21
2008
Random House Children’s Book is releasing the third Christopher Paolini book, Brisingr on 12:01 am, Saturday, September 20. The first printing will be 2.5 million copies. The change was brought about due to booksellers desiring to have a Harry Potter-esque release party. Via Publisher’s Weekly. Jan
21
2008
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Tagged: guest-blogger, Masquerade, My Favorite Things, Sylvia Day Filed under: B Reviews Category, B+ Reviews, Book Reviews This review comes to us from guest blogger, Yapaway Jay who has given up her fiction books for law books. Go Jay, only one semester left? * * * Dear Ms. Day,
Amelia Benbridge is betrothed to her longtime … Jan
20
2008
There’s been a backlash of sorts on some authors’ blogs around the internet due to the exposing of Cassie Edwards’ borrowing. I’ll be posting on Tuesday about some thoughts about the definition of plagiarism as it could be defined in the romance writing and read community, but today, in lieu of a ebook post, I thought I would ruminate a bit on the meaning of a fan. Here’s what I thought the fan/fangirl definitions were: Fan - someone who appreciates, enjoys, and is positive about either an author and/or her work. Within the fan definition, there are varying degrees of fandom. Fangirl - zealots, irrational in their devotion to an author. A person who has so personalized his or her relationship with the author that s/he becomes one with the author and presents herself/himself as the author’s voice throughout the internet. Now it appears that fangirl is being used as a weapon, not against people who are fetishizing a particular author, but for those of us who take personally what we see dismissals of issues importance to the … Jan
19
2008
by Jane ♦ 1 Comment » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Erin-McCarthy, vampires, Vegas, Vegas Vampire Series Filed under: B Reviews, B Reviews Category, Book Reviews Dear Ms. McCarthy:
Sucker Bet, as most of the books in the “Vegas Vampire Series”, are written a bit tongue in cheek as you take advantage of the vampire motifs to poke fun at the mystique of both vampires and Las Vegas. Vampires and Vegas – it’s the perfect combination. Gwenna Carrick, is the sister of the President of the Vampire Nation and ex-wife of the VP, Roberto Donatelli. She has been known for almost all of her life by her association with the men in her life. Recently divorced from Donatelli (300 years ago but these are immortals), Gwenna still lives in the shadow of her brother, living in his hotel, supported by his money. Gwenna spends a lot of time online because that is when she feels useful, as … Jan
18
2008
by Guest Reviewer ♦ 74 Comments » ♦ Email This Post
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Tagged: Assassin, Bettie Sharpe, Dionne-Galace, free-book, Sherry Thomas Filed under: A Review Category, A Reviews, A- Reviews, Book Reviews This special guest review is from author Sherry Thomas. You’ll want to read the entire thing down to the end because Sherry and I are sponsoring a pay it forward Bettie Sharpe giveaway. You see, Bettie Sharpe gave away a fantastic retelling of the Cinderella story. Only we got it in drips and drabs, one installment a week on the blog of Dionne Galace. But it was so good that I think everyone was salivating for Bettie’s release from Samhain. I suspect that Bettie is bound for New York. You heard it here first. (okay, maybe not here first since I think any number of people said that on Dionne’s blog). *** Dear Ms. Sharpe, I’ve railed on my blog that although romance is largely a genre by women for women, there is a lack of memorable heroines that almost rivals that of Hollywood action flicks. This is, of course, one picky woman’s opinion. But I don’t think I’m at all alone in it. Romance, … Jan
18
2008
How many authors have a book with the gorgeous Cate Blanchett looking queenly with the words “Woman Warrior Queen?” Jayne is grateful for that choice because it ultimately led to Alexander writing some fantastic period mysteries. She has reviewed Alexander’s first two novels featuring young Victorian widow, Emily, and her instinctive mystery solving abilities : And Only to Deceive and A Poisoned Season. Alexander is a powerhouse of historical writing that brings to life the period drama that we hunger for when reading about those past glories. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl, obsessed with reading and re-reading the Little House on the Prairie books. I wrote a number of very well-received short stories. Well-received, that is, by my parents. “The End Piece of Bread” is the only one I remember, and really, it’s best forgotten. I’d make … |
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Thank you for sharing your book with me. As you know, I’ve always thought you were a tremendous writer and I appreciate that you bring to the genre an unusual pairing of individuals. In Demon Angel, it was the halfling demon, Lilith, and the honorable knight, Hugh. In Demon Moon, it was the unworldly gorgeous Colin and the tech genius, Savitri. Demon Night brings us still another unusual hero and heroine.
I don’t share 
I’m not sure why I respond so well to urban fantasy stories. I think it has to do, in part, with the escapism factor. These books are often gritty but because of the otherworldly nature, it is easy to take. Easy to lose oneself in an entire other world. While Grimspace is not an urban fantasy story (i.e., no retelling of myths and legends) but rather a space odyssey, it still works for all the same reasons.
A few years ago I read the first book you had published, “The Mysterious Miss M,” and was delighted that you turned a few Regency standards on their heads. I then tried another of your stories and have to be honest and say that it seemed more of what everyone else was churning out. “The Vanishing Viscountess” marks my return to your writing and while it doesn’t quite capture the novelty of “MMM,” it does offer something different from a staid London Season or a spy nobleman plot.
At first glance, 
never once saw Like a Thief break the top 10. While Sharpe’s book featured plenty of steam, it didn’t have a menage. It wasn’t focused on the erotic aspects despite being very sensuous.
Thank you for sending us this book for review. I have to admit that when I first read that the heroine was a spoiled rich girl, I groaned. Paris Hilton, unfortunately, is like the poster child for spoiled rich girls and I couldn’t imagine enjoying a romance showcasing someone like her. However, I loved Maria Johnson and her growth from indolent rich girl to competent rich woman.
When I opened the package containing the arc of your latest book “The Winter Rose” I gulped. Reason one: it’s got a very nice cover. Reason two: it’s a hella lot of book. 700+ pages of trade paperback sized book to be exact. It’s the type of book that requires a big time commitment from a reader. Not only because of the length but also because of the plot and intensity of the read. Readers who have longed for a return to the sprawling sagas of days past will rejoice, I think. That is if they really want to read this type book again. As I read it, I unfortunately found that that type of reader is not who I am anymore.
I admit that I never read 
While I’ve read many young adult novels since I rediscovered the genre a few years ago, I will be honest and say that I haven’t read many contemporaries told from the perspective of a teenage boy. I’m not sure why that is. It’s not like I purposely ignore young adult novels featuring male protagonists, but it sure seems like there’s fewer out there.
Basically, every month I go over to the eHarlequin site and I randomly pick books based on title and cover. That’s it. I think of it kind of as a book Russian roulette or something like that. Yours was a November read that I picked because I had never read you before.
In 2006 you gave us “
Orson Scott Card was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award by the 
One of my main disappointments with contemporary Romance is that the heroine often seems emotionally isolated. If she has a career, it gets shorted for the sake of the romance. If she has friends, they are there more in spirit than actual character presence. If she has family, they may make an obligatory appearance during the wedding or present a meddling presence during the courtship phase of the romance relationship. So I was surprised and excited when I started reading your debut novel, No Commitment Required, because right from the beginning of the book I was thrown into the heroine’s complex world of career, friends, business associates, and family, both blood and surrogate. Although it reads in some parts like a first book, overall I found No Commitment Required to be an emotionally satisfying and well-developed romance between two multi-layered characters dealing with complex life issues.
I fell in love with the first book I read by you, 
I’ve really enjoyed this series and with the release of the series in mass market from the original trade publications, I think you might start finding the audience you deserve. The vampire genre is full but I do believe there is always room for well done fun fiction and this series surely fits that niche. 
None other than the equally gorgeous 
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