March 5th, 2010 — Author Interviews, P-R
I’d like us to extend a warm welcome to a Kensington Zebra debut author. Her name is Erica Ridley. Welcome Erica, to Love Romance Passion! We respect every author’s privacy and try our best not to intrude in their private lives. That being said, when did you have your first romantic kiss? I’m kidding, of course! Actually, here’s what I’d really like to know:
Susan: You became a reader at a fairly early age, age three to be exact; what do you like to read?
Erica: In those days, fairy tales. These days, romance! (The more things change, the more they stay the same... LOL.) Actually, I'm a huge fan of genre fiction in general, including mysteries and thrillers and just about anything that packs a punch. But my very favorite is definitely romance, primarily historicals, paranormal, romantic suspense, and contemporary romantic comedies.
Susan: What is it about Regency-set historical romances that appeals to you?
Erica: Oooh, everything! I love the clearly defined roles, the equally defined rules, and the characters who do their best to bend and break them. I love the fashion, the witty banter, the glamorous lives of the ton, and the not-so-glamorous lives of everyone else. In fact, some of my favorite stories involve just such class differences. I also really like the complete lack of modern technology--it opens up the door to so many plot twists that simply wouldn't work in a contemporary story!
Susan: What states and countries have you visited?
Erica: So far (because it's my goal to explore as many as possible!) I've been lucky enough to visit Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands (Holland), Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. I've visited exactly half of the continental US (namely: AZ, CA, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MA, MI, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WI) and I hope to some day have visited all 50 of our states!
Susan: Do your travels inspire you to write?
Erica: Well... on the one hand, my travels inspire me to procrastinate. I absolutely adore exploring new places, particularly when if the language and/or culture is different from my own. On the other hand, I've stumbled across the best surprises while traveling. Tours of historical houses, museums with period furniture or costumes, libraries of old texts. And every time I do, my head overflows with story ideas, and I definitely long to sit down and write!
Susan: In your novel Too Wicked To Kiss, you introduce us to one H-O-T hero named Gavin Lioncroft. Does Gavin know the effect he has on women?
Erica: Mmmm, Gavin Lioncroft...! When he was younger, it's safe to say he was pretty arrogant about his effect on women. But after being away from Society for so long, he no longer takes that for granted. If anything, he's now suspicious that those who try to engage him are concealing ulterior motives... and he's almost always right.
Susan: (Blushing) Does he know the effect he had on me?
Erica: He may not, but Evangeline sure does, and she's giving you the hairy eyeball right now... 
Susan: The sequel for Too Wicked To Kiss is Too Sinful To Deny. Will it be another whodunit mystery romance?
Erica: There's definitely a murder to be solved (the hero's primary goal is avenging his brother's death) but it's less of a whodunit-style mystery. It is definitely full of Gothic romance goodness, however!
Susan: Shameless self-promotion here. What would you like to say to readers who haven’t read your novels?
Erica: I would like to say... it's release week! What are you waiting for? LOL. Actually, I'd like to say that I try to write sensual, suspenseful, atmospheric love stories, and I hope you enjoy Too Wicked To Kiss!
Thank you Erica, for spending the day with us here at Love Romance Passion. Please feel free to visit us anytime!
Buy: Too Wicked To Kiss
Online Stores
January 30th, 2010 — 3 Stars, Comedy of Manners, Gentry, Great Britain, Mistaken Identity, Movie Reviews, Victorian
The movie is Victorian with over the top contemporary additions. It is clear that Oliver Parker, the writer and director, attempted to dress up Oscar Wilde’s play to make it appeal to younger audiences who watch romantic-comedies.
But the play simply didn’t need it with the casting involved. So the movie winds up being a near-miss due to the additional distractions instead of being a favorite to be rewatched as incessantly as one watches Pride and Prejudice.
Two major problems for me include Gwendolyn getting as ass tattoo then wearing a thong and Lady Bracknell’s scandalous past flashback which makes her a hypocritical ninny.
One can’t forget when Colin Firth and Rupert Everett serenade a love song to the girls either. I can't decide if I love it or think it's too cheesy.
Beautiful sets and costumes.
One of the few changes I liked wholeheartedly was the addition of paying an outstanding bill. It added to the confusion of who is Earnest and was pretty funny to watch as Jack Worthing (Firth) and Algernon McNiff (Everett) exchanged slings.
The star studded cast does a fantastic job despite the goofiness in which Parker thrusts upon them. If you’re like me you will watch it for Colin Firth and enjoy the film. Reese Witherspoon (Cecily Cardew) and Frances O’Connor (Gwendolen Fairfax) are frosting on the cake. They are truly delightful to watch.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a fun romp but I expect a better version to be made at a future date.
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: The Importance of Being Earnest
 |
|
US $6.12 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $3.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $9.56 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $24.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $6.95 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $8.33 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $9.99 |
Sale |
Online Stores
October 2nd, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Movie Reviews
I thought to start something new at RRN. I love romantic comedies and I have an entire collection of them so why not add movie reviews to the blog over the weekends as a refreshing break from novel reviews. Feel free to submit your own movie reviews at reviewromancenovel[@]yahoo[.]com.
The movie I've chosen to start us out recently came out on DVD. When I saw it in theaters I thought my best friend would just die! The heroine's name was her own and she had two beaus one a sexy NYC devil and the other a true Highlander, bagpipes and all. I was right!
Patrick Dempsey plays Tom Bailey the lovable schmoozer, who when in college invented the coffee collar and got into bed with the wrong girl. Hannah, played by Michelle Monaghan, is full of sass and her first act on finding Tom in her bed is to spray him with perfume right in the eyes. She follows the act by telling Tom that he's ugly in artistic terms and leaves him to her very drunk roommate.
After that it seems they were inseparable and the story picks up again at the start of a typical (Sun)day for them. Coffee, art, walk in central park, desserts at the best bakery in the city, oh and of course shopping for a wedding gift for another one of Tom's father's weddings... he's on five, six, seven? Both Tom and his father are very wealthy.
At the end of the wedding montage, Hannah announces the job offer to acquire paintings from Scotland. Tom urges her to accept and discovers that it'll be six Sundays before he'll see her again. We watch him bungle through them in mindless and sometimes desperate acts until he comes to the conclusion we as watchers have always known - he loves Hannah.
Unfortunately for Tom, he finds out the night he plans to tell her of his affections that she's going to marry someone else. This someone she met in Scotland and he's as perfect as any male can be. Poor Tom, how can he compete? To make matters worse Hannah asks Tom to be her maid of honor and that's when the story really kicks off and we discover if Tom is made of honor or selfishness. Can he love her enough to fight for her? Does he love her enough to let her go?
There were a few moments of ridiculousness that were over the top, the sex humor was funny and only a little gregarious, there was the obligatory bathroom scene in the male locker room but I laughed at it instead of thinking 'oh jeez, another one?' The chemistry between Dempsey and Monaghan was terrific and the whole cast was excellent. So pop the popcorn and kick up your heels to a Scottish tune and enjoy a night of tomfoolery - pun intended.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-09-21 17:22:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
September 25th, 2009 — 5 Stars, Cinderella, Movie Reviews
Ever After has been one of my all time favorite romantic comedies. Drew Barrymore is at her best in this Cinderella spinoff (the first of a long string that soon followed.) Her prince is played by Dougray Scott, a very handsome devil that captures the sulky spoiled regent character very well.
This movie is one of those movies takes place in France but everyone speaks English. Good thing too or you’d miss out on a lot of the subtle and fun expressions this cast of characters do on a regular basis throughout the movie. My favorite one is the sly glance Jacqueline gives near the very end. She’s a wonderful supporting character that you’ll love to watch.
Danielle, Drew Barrymore, losses her father at the tender age of eight. The very day following his first night with his new wife, the Baroness, played by Anjelica Huston. You would expect poison or some other form of trickery, but this is never revealed. From that moment forward Danielle’s life is changed irrevocably from the life of a wealthy merchant’s daughter to the unloved and unwelcomed position of an unpaid servant in her stepmother’s home.
Meanwhile, Prince Henry has lived a relatively easy life until his father has made the unpardonable declaration that he is to wed some Spanish princess he has never met. Horrified by this backward thinking, Henry runs away (and this is not the first time he’s run off either). He encounters Danielle during this mad escape when she knocks him off his stolen horse. Paying her for her silence of his passing, Henry takes off again as if the very devil were after him.
The money paid for her silence heavy in her pocket, Danielle runs back to the manor excited and bubbly at the prospect at being able to save a man who has been servant, friend, and father figure in her life. A daring plan to dress above her station and a sharp-tongued speech directed at his royal highness insure the release of her old friend but starts a delightfully enchanting tale of cat and mouse between Henry and Danielle as he pursues and she flees until finally she is caught.
If you’re looking for a Cinderella tale that features a headstrong, book-read, saucy female lead this is the movie for you.
Rating: 5 Stars
Originally posted 2008-09-28 05:16:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
