March 14th, 2010 — 3 Stars, ARC, Bodyguard, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, Demon, Enemies, Foster/Orphan, Interracial, J-L, Magic Users, Paranormal, Survival, United States of America, Warrior
My Forbidden Desire starts with Harsh (from the first novel) and Alexandrine reconnecting. They are brother and sister. Alexandrine has been certain of Harsh's death for years, she's resentful for his sudden presence and insistence she needs protection from an evil mage... who just happens to be her real father.
Xia, a secondary character in My Wicked Enemy, is a newly freed fiend and the one charged with protecting Alexandrine. When Carolyn said she had refashioned bad boy Xia into a hero I knew I had to read his story! His intense hate, eagerness to kill, and desire to give out pain would be hard to overcome for any writer. Even more so when you planned to pair him up with someone who Xia considers his enemy, no matter how harmless. In my opinion, Carolyn has done a phenomenal job revealing the witch hater’s inner good qualities. Xia is very easily worth the price of the book.
Alexandrine Marit as a heroine is very likeable... despite being a witch. She possesses a great amount of unselfishness, though she has to work for it. The talisman she has found is putting a number on her similar to Golem’s reaction around the one ring in The Lord of the Rings
. Her self-sacrifices pile up throughout the novel – if I were to list them it would seem ridiculous, but I assure it is not. Simply put it is quite the only way to prove her character to Xia.
It took me a while to get into this book. The first chapter or two was pretty rough. I started and stopped twice before finally overcoming the strangeness of the novel's set up. As with Carolyn’s other novels, once you are involved in the story you simply can’t put it down!
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: My Forbidden Desire
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Originally posted 2009-06-25 03:31:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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March 13th, 2010 — 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, ARC, Blackmail, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Georgian, Gothic, Great Britain, Paranormal, Revenge, S-U, Spinster, Survival, Suspense/Thriller, Werewolf
I have a funny story with this book and by story I mean an epic fail. I was returning some books back to the library and somehow Lady Anne sneaked back with them. When I realized what I’d done it was as if I’d been amputated! So painful. Of course I returned the books on a Sunday; the only day in the week the library isn’t open until late in the afternoon or early in the day.
After a pretty good freak out, I waited until I could call. Ended hanging up once because I was on hold for five minutes and called back. Then I had to wait on the phone for twenty plus minutes before somebody from circulation got to me. They either forgot me or they were busy. I told them about the book and the person I talked with probably never got a call like this before because I was given a hard time.
Finally, I managed to convince them that the book was mine and not a library book. I don’t understand how this was so difficult as 1) it is not stamped with the library name nor was it 2) tagged with a detector strip or that pocket thing and 3) clearly says advance review copy on the cover! This is why I write in books to identify and claim them.
In the end they put the book on hold for me and now it was a matter of getting back over there. The library where I dropped the books off while on errands was all the way across town. I really didn’t make this easy on myself. Luckily I got there, but it was close! One more red light and it would have been better luck next time. Needless to say I was very, very pleased to get this book back and finish it… which I did later that night.
What I liked best about Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark was its tribute to Gothic romance, followed swiftly by a capable intelligent heroine. The hero liked that best about her too so how could you not fall in love with him? Lady Anne is very plain and a spinster to boot, which are some of my very favorite things to read in romance.
Simpson writes in a witty and engaging voice. I loved Lady Anne. She was such a treat. Her musings on Lord Darkefell are particularly fabulous:
It was either that or go back to pondering the feel of Lord Darkefell’s too-perfect lips pressed against hers. And his too-perfect body against hers. He was entirely too perfect—if there was such a concept as overabundant perfection—in a physical sense and entirely too maddeningly imperfect in every other way.
Without giving anything else away I will say this: if you like mystery, intrigue, werewolves, and Gothic you will love this book! Oh and chances are you're going to jump to conclusions about the mystery and be totally wrong - I was!
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars
Buy: Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark
Originally posted 2009-03-29 05:55:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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September 19th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Book Review, Children, Farming, Foster/Orphan, Historic America, M-O, Slow, United States of America, Virgin Hero, Widow or Widower, Working with Land
After reading Courting Miss Hattie, A.M. Hartnett recommended I try Pamela Morsi’s Simple Jess
. I really like Pamela as an author. She writes historical American romance in a similar vein as LaVryle Spencer who’s one of my favorite authors. I will definitely read more of Morsi’s writings. Any suggestions on which one I should grab next?
Apparently not remarrying is a crime in Marrying Stone. The whole town is determined to see Althea Winsloe wed by Christmas but she won’t have it. Althea is determined to remain as a widow so that her child will never feel as she did when her father remarried and moved on with his new wife leaving her behind. Baby-Paisley will never be unwanted or considered a burden.
To make matters worse the men who wanted to marry her wanted not her, but her farm land or her late husband’s dogs. She could do nothing about the first but she would do something about the second. She hires Jesse Best to help her get ready for winter in exchange for the whole set of hunting dogs.
Jesse Best is known as Simple Jess because his mind is slow. It takes him a very long time to learn something but when he does it stays with him forever because he memorized it. One of the hardest things for him to do is articulate his thoughts. When a lot of people start talking he can’t follow their conversation and can’t remember what he meant to say. The same goes when people put him on the spot or pressure him to get to the point. But Jesse Best’s heart is true and his wants very simple. He wants those dogs, he wants to own a gun, and he wants Ms. Althea for himself.
I had a hard time with the grammar. I know Pamela Morsi wrote it as the people probably spoke it back then, but country or backwater hick is not something I particularly take to. Most of the time what I wanted to do involved red ink and editing. I also didn’t particularly like the thoughts about Jesse’s simplemindedness and its genetic implications. There was too much of that.
Also I wanted more kissing – peaches or something! It’s very cute when Althea takes charge and initiates Jesse in the ways of man and woman but I was hoping for lessons! The peaches spoiled me.
Rating: 3 Stars
Find and Buy Pamela Morsi Books.
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September 17th, 2009 — 4 Stars, Book Review, G-I, Great Britain, Heiress, Highlander, Kidnapping, Knight, Survival, Virgin Heroine, Warrior
I had a hard time setting Highland Hearts aside to get some work done once I started it. I ended staying up late last night to finish it. This story is exciting and thrilling and you'll be sure to love it even if Highlander romance is not your cup of tea.
Contessa Delgado's journey to love begins the moment she releases Sir Revan Halyard from her Uncle Thurkettle's dungeon. Footsteps and voices descend the stairwell leading down to where they are and Revan does what any dashing knight would do when life was in danger - hold a girl by sword point and threaten to skewer her if Thurkettle and his men don't drop their weapons.
Feisty Tess has a wicked tongue and gives him a verbal lashing even as he drags her onto his horse and rides into the woods as if the devil were on their heels. When arrows start to rain down on them without a care to Tess' safety and some aimed even more deliberately at her the urge to get away is even more dire. What uncle would shoot to kill his niece? An uncle who wanted all the wealth she just inherited from her trust, that's who.
When they rest at last Tess tells Revan what she thinks of his gratitude for her saving his life and he swears then that he never truly meant to run her through with his sword, the threat just had to look real. Then Revan asks Tess to face some hard facts. Tess acknowledges to Revan that she is aware of at least three other incidences where her uncle's tried to kill her and make look like accidents. Revan having kidnapped Tess has made it far easier to kill her and lay the blame elsewhere.
Revan guesses it is because of fortune and Tess murmurs her agreement and tells him a paltry version of her inheritance not revealing her full wealth to the handsome knight. She then asks Revan why her uncle had locked him up and he reveals that he is a knight in service to the king. Together they patch what clues Revan was able to gather on his mission to spy for King James II and what Tess can deduce from clues she unwittingly encountered in her uncle's keep of treason and betrayal her uncle and their neighbor Douglas were cooking up together.
Their knowledge puts them in even more danger as they now have to get their information to the king, avoid her uncle's men and the Douglas men out to get them, and while they do not fight the growing fires that flare between them their love is not an easy one. This novel is truly about passion on the run as Revan and Tess land in one mess or another.
Rating: 4 Stars
Originally posted 2008-09-18 05:44:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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August 13th, 2009 — A-C, About, Guest Blogger, Writing Tips
by Clare Austin, guest blogger
Hello out there is cyber world…I’m Clare. Happy to be here.
I was asked to share what I think are the indispensible points to consider when writing a story…specifically a romance.
I’ll be shooting from the hip on this one. I’ve never thought about it before. I’m sure I’ll miss some important things, but here goes.
- Think about this little fact: If your characters are interesting, engaging, tantalizing and you like hanging out with them for hours at a time, you have the biggest part of your book tackled. Your characters tell your story. Sometimes they even take you where you didn’t want to go, but if you listen to them, they rarely will lead you completely astray. Fabulous characters make your job easier and more fun. They also make your book a seller.
- Give the reader a setting that is hard to leave. I’m not a fan of “drawing room” romance, but if you make it so compelling that I have to stay in that room to find out where the old aunt has the bodies buried, you might be able to keep my attention. Whatever setting you choose, make sure you can keep your reader there because even the best and hottest hero needs a stage.
- Conflict. Ah...yes. Why conflict? Because humans like to solve problems and puzzles. We like to see others solving them too. Your conflict can’t be simply a difference of opinion and it must not be something that your characters could resolve by looking up the facts on the internet. The conflicts have to be gut level. Read up on Internal and External Conflict…it will force you to focus your characters and plot. I had a hard time with this when writing Angel’s Share. I’d not written this type of romantic suspense and I constantly had to go back to my basic conflicts and keep my characters actions consistent with those points.
- Other writers will probably disagree on this one but when I write I have to have both humor and pathos. I want comic relief in my very serious books and I need to have some heart wrenching moments in my comedies. There needs to be a balance. I sometimes categorize Butterfly
as a romantic comedy. When I wrote it I hoped I would make someone crack a smile…maybe even a belly laugh. But, a couple of the scenes made me tear up and they might have that effect on you too.
- Finish what you write and write often. Simple but oh so important. I know too many writers who have been working on the first couple of chapters of their only book for years. It has to be perfect and it’s their only story. NOT. Just write it! Get it down dirty and fix it later. If you are hopelessly stuck, write something else, switch your genre, do a short story or novella. If you are writing a Regency family saga, put it aside for a while and let your mind fly away with an alien invasion of an unknown planet full of time traveling, brain sucking, zombies. Let yourself have a success and then go back to the “troubled child.”
- When you submit to an agent/editor or enter a contest be professional. Submit only the best you can do. Punctuate and spell without an error. If you are not good at grammar, have someone else take a look at your work and fix the problems. Get yourself a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style
and use it. Always submit in a format that is easy to read… double space everything. Your editor will love you if you send her/him a clean piece of work. If they love you, they will want more.
- Finally, this may be the most important…have fun! Remember, even in the hard times, when you think you will soon have enough rejection letters to wallpaper your bathroom, when the words on your page only make sense to your three year old or the hermit crab and Windows Vista keeps asking your permission to open the next document…remember, you are doing this because you are a writer and you love it.
Thanks for hosting me on your blog today. Please go to my website www.clareaustin.com for more of my books. Butterfly is now available in trade paperback and e-book formats from www.thewildrosepress.com and other booksellers.
Buy: Butterfly
Excerpt of Butterfly:
He lost sight of the fiddler in the mobs of tourists enjoying the April sunshine.
No sooner had he decided to give up on his quest than he heard hands clapping in rhythm with the beat of the now familiar Irish drum.
Then he saw her.
She lifted her instrument and, with the surety of a bird’s wing slipping through the air, bow was laid to strings and life was breathed into melody.
He moved to the edge of the gathering where he could have an unobstructed view of the musicians. She looked up, and he thought she recognized him for an instant. Then her eyes turned and followed another. She smiled and nodded.
Cade had never thought of himself as the jealous type, but he did feel cheated out of that smile.
As soon as the last vibration of strings quieted, a man Cade recognized from O’Fallon’s came up behind the fiddler and, with disturbing familiarity, spoke in her ear. She responded with a hug and an adoring look in her eyes.
Cade had been raised to be competitive, in sports as well as in business, and the appearance of a rival on the field made him want to draw blood. He wanted the fiddler in his studio, and if she ended up in his bed, that might be as nice.
He stood and listened until the sun set and the air held a chill that thinned the throng. The musicians were packing it in.
He hadn’t realized he was staring, until she walked up to him and stood so
close he could smell the scent of her warm skin in the cool evening air. Her approach to introduction took Cade completely by surprise.
“Are you lookin’ at me or waitin’ for a bus?” she said, one hand on her hip and a sassy smile on her lips.
Buy: Butterfly
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July 7th, 2009 — 2 Stars, Book Review, Captain, Category, Cross-Dressing Female, Dukes and Earls, France, Friends, Great Britain, M-O, Mistaken Identity, Regency, Russia, Secret Agent, Soldier, Travel, Virgin Heroine, Widow or Widower
His Cavalry Lady was a very clever concept, but I had a hard time with the romance. I understood how Alex could fall in love with the duke, but the poor duke spent half the time fantasizing about two females (who are Alex in different getups). Most of the hero and heroine’s interaction was when Alex was dressed as a Russian soldier with Dominic treating her as a younger brother.
The story was additionally a little long in tooth. I got bored with Alex always running away. She runs from Dominic at a ball, back to Russia, to her family’s estate, etc. There’s a lot of it for a woman of extensive bravery. I guess battling for love is a tad bit scarier than storming Napoleon troops.
I thought it was exceptionally cool that the story was in part based on a real Russian female who dressed up as a man and joined the army. Her name was Nadezhda Durova and she managed to conceal her gender for ten years! Like the heroine she started off as a common foot soldier and was promoted to an officer position by no less than the Tsar himself, who knew who she really was. Talk about an inspiring woman!
Rating: 2 Stars
Buy: His Cavalry Lady
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May 11th, 2009 — 4.5 Stars, Contemporary, Executive, Friends, Interracial, Jewish, Movie Reviews, Religious, United States of America
This love triangle features a priest, a rabbi, and a–oh you heard that joke have you? Well, drat there goes my punch line!
Anyway this movie is a bit old, but I saw it for the first time the other day and I’m so glad I sat down to watch it, VHS tape, preview ads, broken remote and all. Can you imagine? Wow! If you’re a person who has a hard time watching Ben Stiller because he stars in movies along the same vein as Will Farrell you’ll be pleasantly surprised by his comedy routine in this movie. There’s nothing over the top, gross, or poorly done on his part to disrupt the romantic overtones of the story.
Jake, Brian, and Anna were friends in eighth grade until tragedy struck and Anna had to move away. Jake and Brian continued on being the best of friends. They were both interested in religion and teaching each other about their faith. Eventually their interest lead them to seek becoming leaders of their respective faiths. Years of study, devotion, and passion for their cause lead us to present day where Rabbi Jake Schram (Ben Stiller) and Father Brian Finn (Edward Norton) are making a splash in the community. New York will never be the same. As luck would have it Anna Riley turns up after all their years apart, as a high power executive woman ready to kick butt and take names and with a little... erm... faith reconnect with old friends. She laughs herself silly upon hearing their occupations.
Jake and Anna are immediately attracted to one another, but Jake must marry in order to receive his due (a promotion when the old Rabbi leaves for retirement). Unfortunately the woman must be Jewish and all the mothers in his congregation are trying to hook him up with their daughters and he can't say no for fear of offending them. When Jake gives up trying for the perfect Jewish girl, he pursues Anna with a vengeance and passion that leave them both stunned and Jake a little fearful. Nobody will understand - not his parish, not the board members, and most certainly not his mother.
Meanwhile, Brian is struggling his his vows of celibacy as he faces the undeniable truth: he's in love with his best friend, Anna. Every conversation, every touch, every look feeds into his confusion. He's reading more into her every action. When things come to a head after a teary phone call from Anna, Brian is stunned, hurt, and furious with his other best friend Jake.
Will the friends be able to patch up their broken hearts, misunderstandings, and keep the faith? Watch and find out!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Originally posted 2009-01-11 05:28:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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