Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

Dear Ms. Apodaca,

I’m not sure where to begin with this letter. Just moments ago I finished your newest release from the Brava line, Extremely Hot. I should mention that I’m a fan of Brava books. I find that I’ll forgive those that are a little light on plot if they make up for it with teh sex. While, I can’t say that Extremely Hot was light on plot, the problems I had with the book weren’t made up for with sex either.

It’s hard for me to explain exactly what was going on in Extremely Hot, mainly because I’d only be able to read a couple a pages before wanting to alternate between throwing my copy against a wall and pluck my eyelashes out one by one. I gather that this gist of things is that there’s a radio talk show host neé accountant named Ivy Somethingorother. Years ago she was an accountant and when some money came up missing all fingers were pointed at her. She wasn’t the thief, but the man she had been sleeping with was. Ruined as an accountant, Ivy used her experience to become the host of …

Brava Short Story Contest Finalists were announced today. Ann Bruce and Annette McCleave were the winners and the entries can be read at the Brava Authors forum. The finalists are read by editor Kate Duffy of Kensington and has led to publication in the past.

I’ve only read the Ann Bruce one but it’s pretty good and makes me interested in other Bruce offerings. Congrats authors.

Dear Ms. Cullars:

The Object of Love turned out to be a big surprise for me. The past Bravas I’ve read have been fun but without a great deal of depth. This book had a lot of depth that drew on more than its unconventional romance. The story has a romance but its primarily about learning to live with oneself and one’s choices in the face of the consequences. When the book focused on Lacey, Calvin, and Sean, individually, the book was at its most interesting. It was the romance, ironically, that I found least emotional.

Lacey Burnham has suffered the worst blow that a mother can endure–the loss of her child. Calvin Burnham was a bright star at Columbia whose athletic skill made him a sure bet to get to the big leagues. Unfortunately, his penchant for recklessness resulted in a high speed collision which ended his life. At the funeral, Sean Logan, Calvin’s estranged best friend appears to lend support to Lacey. Sean has long had feelings for Lacey and, while this may not …

This is a great thing for readers as trades are expensive, libraries rarely buy them and authors and readers lose out. Releasing the trades in mass market at a lower price point makes sense all around. Ms. Duffy announced the following releases:

September, 2007 - FANGS FOR THE MEMORIES by Kathy Love

October - THE IRISH DEVIL by Diane Whiteside

November - MOUTH TO MOUTH by Erin McCarthy

December - ALMOST A GENTLEMAN by Pam Rosenthal

I suggest readers post with requests over at the Brava Forum for releases you would like to see.

Via Brava Authors.

Dear Ms. Whiteside:

I wanted to like this book. It had a nice cover (albeit very modern in feel) and it was a Western. I know that Jayne gave River Devil a poor grade but Jayne and I don’t always see eye to eye on books. A perfect example of this is the fact that I love Dream Man by Linda Howard and Jayne couldn’t finish it. I should have listened to Jayne.

You know how they say authors should start with the action? I believe that wholeheartedly. The book should start with the action. It shouldn’t pretend to start with the action with a two page teaser which then plunges into several hundred pages of backstory. It was Chapter 5 before we were back where we started in the opening two pages. And those first four chapters were such snoozers that I can barely remember why I continued reading the book.

What did I learn in the backstory? That Morgan and Jessamyn were promised to each other. That Morgan betrayed Jessamyn’s trust early on. That Jessamyn married someone else and had good sex …