In the Thrill of the Night by Candice Hern
Sex and the City meets Almacks.
No, I'm serious. If you loved Sex and the City (I cried when it went off the air), and you love Regency England (and if you don't, I can't imagine how you ended up on this website), then you will adore this latest by Candice Hern.
In the Thrill of the Night is the first in Hern's new Merry Widows trilogy, featuring five respectable widows who decide to take lovers and then share the juicy details with one another. The heroine of this tale is Marianne Nesbitt, who truly loved her late husband David. But lately she is beginning to think that perhaps the physical side of their marriage was lacking, and she decides that even if it's only once in her life, she wants to experience passion.
Marianne enlists the aid of her close friend and next door neighbor, Adam Cazenove, to help her learn how to seduce a man. Adam has a reputation with the ladies, but he has just betrothed himself to a young twit, and so he cannot himself be intimate with Marianne. But he can't bear the thought of another man in her bed, and so he secretly thwarts her every attempt at seduction.
If you want a book that will make you laugh out loud and tug at your heartstrings, look no further. I can hardly wait for the next installment--Just One of Those Flings, due out in August.
posted »3.01.06
 Kiss Me Annabel by Eloisa James
Annabel Essex makes no bones about it: She wants a rich husband. She’s had enough of genteel poverty, thank you very much, and when she meets the very wealthy and mild-mannered Lord Rosseter, she knows that she has found her man. Except...
(Hey, you knew there was going to be an except, didn’t you?)
An unexpected turn of events leads Annabel into a very compromising position with the Earl of Ardmore, who, while admittedly handsome and clever, is also a penniless Scot -- in other words, the last man in the world she would consider for marriage.
It’s no secret that I adore Eloisa James’s writing. There is something about her exquisite prose and subtle wit that never fails to draw me in. Her characters are never stereotypes, and their relationships are always rich and real. I loved Much Ado About You, the first book in the Essex Sisters series, and I am now dying for The Taming of the Duke, which, thankfully, comes out next spring. (Three cheers for Eloisa, a much faster writer than I am.)
If you haven’t yet read Eloisa James, please do. You won’t regret it. I promise!
posted »12.01.05
 This Rake of Mine by Elizabeth Boyle
Why are the bad boys of romance so hard to forget? When last we saw Jack Tremont (in Elizabeth Boyle’s Something About Emmaline), he was kissing the very innocent Miranda Mabberly. Unfortunately, he was doing it at the opera, in full view of her fiancé’s mother.
Ten years later, when This Rake of Mine opens, both Jack and Miranda are still suffering the cold shoulder of society. Jack is living in exile at a tumbledown estate he inherited, and Miranda has changed her name and is teaching at a girls school. Enter three matchmaking students who, having witnessed a chance meeting between the pair, decide to test their matchmaking skills by pairing their decorum teacher with one of England’s most notorious rakes.
What I loved about This Rake of Mine were the surprises, in the plot and in the characters. The matchmaking students are hilarious, and I’ve been told, one of them was modeled after me. (I’ll let you decide which one.)
The minute I met Jack and Miranda in Something About Emmaline, I knew they would need their own book. And believe me, I know a thing or two about sequels!
posted »11.01.05
It's the end of summer, which means that I am behind on my deadline, which means that I don't have time to read all the books I've been wanting to read. So in lieu of a recommendation, here is a list of books I already have waiting on my bedstand for when I have time to read again:
 Not Quite a Gentleman by Jacquie D'Allessandro
 One Night of Sin by Gaelen Foley
The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie
The Marriage Bed by Laura Lee Guhrke
Daring the Duke by Anne Mallory
After Midnight by Teresa Medeiros
Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Still in My Heart by Kathryn Smith
To the Castle by Joan Wolf
posted »9.01.05
 Beyond Temptation by Mary Reed McCall
I may write regency historicals, but I adore a good medieval romance, and I can always count on Mary Reed McCall to deliver a book that is rich with passion, history, and adventure.
To whet your appetite, here is a bit from the Author’s Note:
“Templar Knights were the elite warriors of their day, akin to our modern-day Navy SEALs, Green Berets, or other special military units. They were first established in Jerusalem in the early twelfth century to provide protection of pilgrims to the Holy Sepulcher, and were highly trained combatants who followed a strict code of moral conduct and honor, answering to the authority of the pope alone, regardless of their country of origin or residence.
“This autonomy, combined with the suspicion concern what happened during their “secret” meetings, and their perceived wealth (for though their vows prevented them from amassing personal fortunes, they were considered so honest that they served as the world’s first international bankers and therefore had in their control vast quantities of gold, jewels, and other valuables), helped to lead to their downfall.
“The beginning of the end occurred at dawn, on Friday, October 13, 1307, when King Philip the Fair ordered secret missives that he’d sent to every sheriff and seneschal in the kingdom to be opened and acted upon; by nightfall, nearly six thousand Templars were in dungeons and prisons throughout France--however, approximately twenty men managed to escape the country. These men, and what I imagined they might have experienced as hunted warriors in the days, weeks, and months following the violent and sudden mass arrests, served as the inspiration for my series The Templar Knights.”
Can you imagine a better set-up for a series of medieval romances? Nobody writes the noble warrior hero better than Mary Reed McCall, and now she has them on the run, fighting for their lives and their honor, picking their way through political intrigue, and oh yeah, falling in love at the same time.
In Beyond Temptation, Sir Richard de Cantor escapes the Inquisition in France and makes his way back to his home in England, only to find that his wife, Eleanor, is still in the grips of madness. He had joined the Templar Knights in part to atone for his sins in relation to the accident that has led to Eleanor’s insanity (I don’t want to give away too many spoilers here). But something is new. Eleanor’s cousin, Lady Margaret Newcomb, has come to care for her.
Meg has secrets of her own. She is the daughter of an earl, but she has been exiled to this out of the way keep to care as punishment for her own sins. But she has carved out a life for herself at Hawksley Manor. She has found some contentment, and maybe even some peace. All this changes, however, when Sir Richard, whom she has never met, returns…
I loved this book from beginning to end, and in fact was mightily peeved every time I was forced to put it down. And the end--oh, the end! Talk about putting your characters in an impossible position! I won’t give anything away except to say that my mouth was hanging open as I thought to myself, “How on earth are they going to get out of this one?”
Put simply, Beyond Temptation is beyond compare.
Visit Mary Reed McCall's website. posted »5.02.05
If You Dare by  Kresley Cole
It used to be that historical romance was grander in scale. The action would move from country to country, heck sometimes continent to continent. Political intrigue peppered the plot, and danger was often a character in and of itself. The men were always alpha and the women were strong. And always, always love was an adventure.
Well, if you sometimes long for this old-fashioned sort of romance, look no further than If You Dare by Kresley Cole.
This is where I should make a confession. I was apprehensive about reading this one. You see, I don’t often long for the old-fashioned sort of historical romance. A lot of those old books from the 70s and 80s had rape fantasies and heroines who seemed to have been written with the word “spitfire” in mind. So when I realized that If You Dare was a grand, sweeping adventure in the old-fashioned style, I was a little nervous.
Boy, was I wrong.
If You Dare is everything good about the old-fashioned sort of romance with none of the bad. The hero, Courtland MacCarrick, is total bossy alpha, but you love him, anyway. The heroine, Annalia Llorente, is stubborn and occasionally spitfire-ish, but she has good reason. The action opens in the Pyrenees, where Annalia lives in near-seclusion, trying to avoid becoming a pawn in the political struggles of Andorra. When she discovers Court, nearly dead, she takes him in, even though she correctly assumes that he is one of the Scottish mercenaries who have recently come to her country.
I’m not even going to try to recount the plot; there are far too many twists and turns to do it justice. Suffice it to say that Annalia is trying to save her brother, Court is trying to save Annalia, and they’re both trying not to fall in love. Plus, there are some wonderful secondary characters who make an appearance in the latter half of the book.
So if you’re looking for something grand, something larger than life, with an alpha hero and an exotic setting (although half the book does take place in England), pick up If You Dare. I promise, it’ll leave you breathless.
Visit Kresley Cole’s website. posted »5.02.05
Something About Emmaline by  Elizabeth Boyle
Remington Steele, anyone? Alexander Denford, Baron Sedgwick, makes up a wife so that the matchmaking ladies of the ton will leave him in peace. Imagine his surprise when a stranger arrives and announces that she is “Lady Sedgwick!”
As always, Boyle’s books are fun and engaging. Read this one and see why I never miss one of her novels.
For an interesting discussion on Something About Emmaline, visit All About Romance’s Pandora’s Box.
Visit Elizabeth Boyle’s website. posted »3.01.05
Yours
Until Dawn by  Teresa
Medeiros
If there is one word I can
use to describe a Medeiros book, it’s “compulsively
readable.” Okay, that’s two words. But she is
one author whose books I never want to put down until I reach
the last page, and even then I’m miffed because I want
it to keep going.
In Yours Until
Dawn, Gabriel Fairchild is a naval hero
who lost his sight in battle. Samantha Wickersham arrives
to nurse him, despite the fact that he wishes no help.
I’m not even going to try to describe the journey
that the two take together, because I know I will not
do it justice, but trust me when I tell you that this
story is at turns emotional, at turns funny, and the
twist at the end is fabulous! (I didn’t guess it.)
Visit Teresa
Medeiros’s website. posted »3.01.05
Much Ado About You by  Eloisa James
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James. I think her style is absolutely unique, and her ability to create flawed but lovable characters is unparalleled.
Much Ado About You begins a quartet of books about the impoverished Essex sisters, taken under the wing of the Duke of Holbrook after their father dies. In this, the first book, Tess (the oldest) must decide whether to marry for money or love, passion or convenience.
No one does an ensemble cast quite like Eloisa James, and by the end of Much Ado About You I was dying to read the next book in the series. I adored these characters, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Visit Eloisa James’s website.
posted »3.01.05
Duke Of Sin by  Adele Ashworth
Wow.
Can I say it again? Wow.
Vivian Rael-Lamont is a widow. With secrets. And when a disreputable actor tries to blackmail her, she finds herself forced into contact with the Duke of Trent, a reclusive nobleman who is rumored to have murdered his first wife.
Will Raleigh, the duke in question, didn’t kill his wife, but let’s face it, standing trial for murder --even if one is acquitted-- tends to change a man. He doesn’t leave his estate very much, and to be honest, he’s kind of… lonely. So when Vivian calls upon him out of the blue, asking to purchase a rare manuscript, he is intrigued. He has seen her before, from afar, and he found her attractive. Up close, he wants her desperately. And so he offers her a deal: the manuscript for her companionship.
Sound straightforward? It’s not. It could be your typical romance plot, but remember, this is Adele Ashworth doing the writing, and this means that the characters are wonderfully layered and deep. And when they fall in love, the reader feels it every step of the way.
I have not done this book justice with this short review. Not nearly. Just take my word for it and read this wonderful book. You won’t be sorry.
Visit Adele Ashworth’s website.
posted »11.01.04
His Every Kiss by Laura Lee Guhrke
 “Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know.”
Lady Caroline Lamb made this famous observation of Byron in 1812, but I think it could easily describe Dylan Moore, the hero of Laura Lee Gurke’s latest historical romance, His Every Kiss.
Dylan is a true tortured hero. A celebrated composer, he is driven nearly to madness after a fall leaves him with a permanent ringing in his ears. He can no longer “hear” the music he wishes to write, and finally, he decides to end his suffering the only way he knows how—with a pistol to his head.
But before he can take his own life, he meets an extraordinary woman who convinces him not to pull the trigger. And then… she disappears.
Fast forward five years. Dylan finds his mysterious muse again. She is Grace Cheval, a impoverished, violin-playing widow. He wants her, badly, but she is not interested in becoming his mistress. Then fate intervenes when an eight-year-old girl lands on his doorstep, claiming he is her father. Dylan needs a governess, and he convinces Grace to take the job.
Phew. And that’s all in the first few chapters!
Laura Lee Guhrke has penned another fabulous historical romance. Dylan and Grace are real, full characters. The prose is elegant, the dialogue sparkles, and this reader was entranced. Don’t miss it!
Visit Laura Lee Guhrke’s website.
posted »11.01.04
I am on deadline. No, really, I’m
really on deadline. For the first time ever, I wrote
sixty pages of a book, decided it wasn’t the right
book, and started all over again. The result: I’m
way behind. Unfortunately, that means I have little
time to read, “little” really meaning “none.”
I still, however, seem
to find time to shop! So since I can’t actually
recommend any new books right now, here instead is a
list of historical romances I’ve purchased this
year but haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
They’re sitting in a tempting little stack in my
office, and let me tell you, it’s just killing
me that you all are going to get to read them before
I do!
posted »8.02.04
 It Takes A Hero by Elizabeth Boyle
I can always count on Elizabeth Boyle to deliver an original and intriguing plot, and her latest novel is no exception. In It Takes A Hero, an anonymous author has inspired the debutantes of London to make a collective vow not to marry, so their panicked mothers hire Rafe Danvers to get to the bottom of this mess. His job: to find the instigator. His payment: a house with land and income—no small prize for a younger son.
Rafe travels to the infamous village of Bramley Hollow to find the instigator. Once there, he meets Rebecca Tate, a tart-tongued spinster who sets him quickly on his ear. A battle of wits ensues, with a wonderfully eccentric cast of secondary characters adding to the fun. But just as Rafe gets close to unmasking the writer he’d been sent discover, danger begins to encircle Rebecca, and Rafe has to decide between his prize or his heart.
Don’t miss this final installment of Elizabeth Boyle’s action-packed and always fun Danvers series. (But don’t worry—if you haven’t read any of the earlier books, you’ll have no trouble jumping right in with It Takes A Hero!)
To visit Elizabeth Boyle's website, click here.
posted »4.01.04
 Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
Let me just say this at the outset: Guilty Pleasures is one of the most entertaining historical romances I've read in years. I adored everything about it. Guhrke's writing is smooth and superb, the narrative is underlined with quiet wit, and most importantly to me, as a reader, her characterization is flawless. In other words, when Daphne Wade and the Duke of Tremore fall in love, I really believe it.
Daphne Wade is alone in the world. The only child of the noted antiquities restorer Sir Henry Wade, she has grown up all over the world, helping her father at various archeological sites. When her father dies quite suddenly, leaving her alone in Tangiers, she does the only thing she can: she uses the tickets to England, sent to her by the Duke of Tremore, who has hired her father to oversee the restoration of the Roman ruins at his ancestral estate. And she manages to convince him that she can do the job he'd intended for her father.
When Guilty Pleasures opens, Daphne has been working for the duke for six months. Two things have happened. First, she has exceeded his every expectation and proved to be an essential employee. And second, she has fallen desperately in love with him. But she dares not say a word; the social gap between them is huge, and besides, she is plain and unremarkable. Men like the duke don't fall in love with women like Daphne.
Everything changes when Daphne overhears a conversation between the duke (Anthony) and his sister Viola. Viola, who has befriended Daphne, mentions to Anthony that she might like to introduce Daphne to society and help her find a husband. Anthony is horrified at the thought of losing his prized employee, and furthermore, he says that such a plan is doomed to end in failure. Men don't notice women like Daphne, he says. She stands out about as well as an insect on a stick.
Daphne is crushed. And she quits her job. Or at least she tries to.
What happens next is a quietly charming battle of wills. Anthony does everything in his power to convince Daphne to stay and in the process discovers that she's more than the antiquities drone he'd thought her. And Daphne, who had sought to please him by keeping her nose to the grindstone and doing nothing but work, finally blossoms and allows her true personality to show.
Guilty Pleasures has no intrigue subplot. There is no villain, no evil stepmother or jilted fiancée. Rather, it is a love story in every sense of the word, a true romance. And I loved it.
To visit Laura Lee Guhrke's website, click here.
posted »2.01.04
 THE
SOUVENIR COUNTESS and SOUVENIR
OF LOVE by Joanna Novins
It's always exciting to find
a new author, and even more so when you happen to stumble
upon her very first book (no searching for out of print titles,
no accidentally reading a series out of order...) So you'll
understand why I was so excited when I was lucky enough to
receive early pre-publication copies of debut author Joanna
Novins's first two books.
How do I get early pre-publication
copies, you ask? Perk
of the trade... My favorite perk of the trade, I must admit.
But I digress.
 A lot of romance readers have
been complaining that historical romance is all regency all
the time (not that I'm complaining, mind you, since that's
what I write). So if you're one of those readers looking
for a little variety, look no further than these two books.
THE SOUVENIR COUNTESS opens in tumult of the French Revolution,
with the aristocratic Alix de la Brou hiding from a mob that
is out for blood. She escapes with her life and little else...
just a few family jewels and the titles to her family estates,
all sewn into her clothing. But when she makes her way to
Paris, she finds that her mother, who had been living in
the capital, has fled to London. And she discovers that the
streets of a revolution are a very dangerous place for a
young woman alone.
Enter Rafe Harcrest, the Earl
of Moreham. He is in Paris on a business venture, and he
saves Alix when she is set upon by three thugs. Together
they make their way back to the safety of England, but even
there, Alix must confront secrets from her past and find
a way to look to the future.
Don't miss THE SOUVENIR COUNTESS
or its fabulous sequel, SOUVENIR OF LOVE, and find out why
I think Joanna Novins's writing is the perfect blend of passion
and intrigue.
To visit Joanna Novins' website,
click here.
posted »01.02.04
THEN
CAME YOU and DREAMING
OF YOU by Lisa Kleypas
These books were published
in 1993 and 1994, respectively, but they still hold a cherished
spot on my keeper shelf (and I'm not alone in this, if the
reviews on Amazon are any indication!)
 THEN
CAME YOU is the story of Lily Lawson, sometimes called "Lawless
Lily" because she has never been able to fit the mold
of proper English womanhood. Although she is estranged
from her family, when she hears that her younger sister
is engaged to marry the arrogant Earl of Wolverton, she
immediately steps in to try to prevent the match. Lily
has been burned in love before and is determined to save
her sister Penny from a similar fate. This may sound like
a pretty typical romance novel plotline, but I assure you,
it is anything but. Lily has secrets, which add a dash
of intrigue, and the characters here (both primary and
secondary) are among the best developed you'll ever read
in romance. Especially Lily's delicious best friend, Derek
Craven, which leads me to...
 DREAMING
OF YOU. So what happens to Derek after the woman he
secretly longs for (yes, that would be Lily) falls in love
with someone else (you guessed it, the Earl of Wolverton,
who turns out to be a fabulous hero)? He discovers, of
course, that what he felt for Lily was mere infatuation
once he topples head over heels for Sara Fielding, a successful
young writer who visits his gaming establishment to conduct
research for her next novel. Sara represents everything
Derek has never had in his life--innocence, goodness, and
honesty (but don't worry--she's no sanctimonious prig!)
And although Derek, who grew up in abject poverty and lifted
himself up through sheer force of will, thinks he's not
good enough for her, in the end, he can't resist his own
heart. This one's a masterpiece, folks, and now that Avon
has reissued both of these classic Kleypas titles with
gorgeous new covers, you have no excuse for not running
out and getting yourself copies right now! Enjoy!
To visit Lisa Kleypas's website,
click here.
posted » 12.03.03
 THE
IDEAL BRIDE by Nonnie St. George
Okay, confession time here.
I haven't read this yet. But I met the author 18 months ago,
and she was so funny in person, I told her she --had--
to finish the book she was writing, and then she --had--
to get it published. She did, and it's out, and I guarantee
you, it's the first book I'm picking up as soon as I turn
in the manuscript I'm working on now.
To visit Nonnie St. George's
website, click here.
posted » 10.01.03
 STEALING
THE BRIDE by Elizabeth Boyle
There is never any doubt in
my mind that when I pick up an Elizabeth Boyle book that
the story is going to be tremendously fun and fast paced. Stealing
the Bride was no exception.
Lady Diana Lamden has waited
for the Marquis of Templeton (or Temple as the ton refers
to him) to declare his heart for more years than she cares
to consider. Tired of waiting for him, she elopes with one
of London's most wretched rakes. In desperation, her father
offers her hand in marriage to any man who can stop this
disastrous marriage, and the race is on as every fortune
hunter in London heads for Gretna Green, hoping to catch
the runaway heiress.
Temple finds himself forced
(somewhat unwillingly) into the race, and soon he discovers
that he’s not just rescuing Diana from some nefarious
suitors—he’s trying to save himself from falling
in love with her all over again.
Stealing the Bride has
everything that readers have come to expect from an Elizabeth
Boyle romance. The plot has more twists and turns than does
the road to Gretna Green, and the characters are vivid and
full of passion. You’ll laugh out loud, but you’ll
also be swept away as Diana and Temple rediscover each other
and gain a second chance at love. Don’t miss this one!
To visit Elizabeth Boyle's
website, click here.
posted » 9.01.03
 ONE
NIGHT OF SCANDAL by Teresa Medeiros
Carlotta Anne Fairleigh is
about to make her debut in society when she learns that her
next door neighbor, Hayden St. Clair, is back in town. Normally,
this would not be cause for comment, except that Hayden has
more commonly been known as the Murderous Marquess since
the mysterious death of his wife. Carlotta is nothing if
not curious, and all she wants is a quick glimpse of this
man, so she sneaks out, intending nothing other than to peek
at him through his window...
Unfortunately, Carlotta's
plans go hopelessly awry, and she finds herself faced with
a terrible choice: a ruined reputation or marriage to the
Murderous Marquess!
I loved ONE NIGHT OF SCANDAL
from start to finish. Medeiros's characters are not perfect,
but you love them, anyway, and her prose is laced with poignancy,
humor, and just a taste of the gothic. (Attention all fans
of Victoria Holt: read this one! It's a lovely homage.)
To visit Teresa Medeiros's
website, click here.
posted » 8.01.03
 THE
CRIMSON LADY by Mary Reed McCall
I tend to be a Regency fan (well, duh, that’s
what I write) but every now and then I long for a
passionate medieval romance, and when I do, I always
turn
to Mary Reed McCall.
Fiona Byrne was sold into
prostitution as a teenager, but she has, through her wits
and bravery, escaped her fate and made a new life for herself.
But the legend of the Crimson Lady (that was what her captor
called her) lives on, and when Braedan de Cantor needs help
in finding his foster sister, who has been stolen away by
the same man who held Fiona captive. Braedan is desperate
to save his sister, and he is certain that the Crimson Lady
can help him find her. Fiona does not want to return to London,
but Braedan gives her no choice. She is suspicious at first
--she has not known much kindness from men--but Braedan soon
wins her over with his constancy, honesty, and good humor,
and much to her complete surprise, she, who thought her heart
hardened beyond repair, is falling in love.
If you’ve been looking
for a new author to try, please consider Mary Reed McCall.
She writes with beautiful artistry, and her stories are full
of passion and emotion, with realistic, wonderfully realized
characters that you can’t help but root for, every
page of the book.
To visit Mary Reed McCall's
website, click here.
posted » 7.01.03
LONDON’S
PERFECT SCOUNDREL by Suzanne Enoch
 What
happens when an author who usually writes nice
guy heroes decides to turn everything upside down
and write the baddest bad boy around? Lots and
lots of fun.
The Marquis of St. Aubyn
is a rake. Make no bones about it. He is wicked through and
through. There is no hidden softer side, no beloved sibling
(or even pet) who brings out the best of him, and he’s
certainly not secretly supporting an orphanage or two. (In
fact, he’s doing his best to get the one his mother
saddled him with razed to the ground.) He is bad bad bad.
Which is what makes this book
so much fun. Every time Saint opened his mouth, he’d
say something so wicked my jaw would drop. I couldn’t
believe Enoch had managed to cast him as the hero of her
tale, and I couldn’t stop reading, wondering how on
earth she’d rehabilitate this man and make him worthy
of the love of Evelyn Ruddick, the heroine of the tale.
I won’t tell you how
she managed it. That’s for you to find out for yourself.
Enjoy!
To visit Suzanne Enoch's website,
click here.
posted » 7.01.03
top
 Secrets
of a Lady (formerly titled Daughter
of the Game) By Tracy Grant
In 2003 I posted a rave review of Daughter
of the Game by Tracy Grant. And trust me, every single
person I talked to about this book agreed with me.
It was fabulous--a perfect blend of romance, history,
and suspense. If you missed this book when it first
came out, fear not--it has been reissued with a new
title, Secrets of a Lady, and a gorgeous new cover.
Herewith, my review from 2003 (with
the title changed where appropriate):
Charles and Mélanie Fraser lead
a charmed life in London--he a distinguished politician and
she a renowned hostess--when their lives are shattered by
the kidnapping of their young son Colin.
Years earlier, during the Napoleonic wars,
Charles had been involved in a military operation gone awry,
and he’d lost the legendary Carevalo Ring, purported
to lend the bearer special powers. Now the Spanish Marques
de Carevalo wants the ring back, and the Frasers must find
it if they wish to see their son alive. But as they search,
the secrets and lies of their past are uncovered as well,
testing their marriage in ways they’d never dreamed
possible.
Secrets of
a Lady is
a like a tapestry--a rich and multi-layered historical
mystery. Just when you think you have everything
figured out, Grant reveals yet another secret, leading
you (and oftentimes the characters as well!) right
back to square one.
posted »8.01.07
Visit Tracy
Grant's website.
 The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Okay, I lied. I did manage to read one novel this summer. But it wasn’t even a romance! It was The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and I was just blown away. It’s the story of Henry de Tamble, who suffers from Chrono Displacement Disorder, which means that he has a genetic disease that causes him to suddenly and without warning, travel through time.
But this book is called The Time Traveler’s Wife, and as such, it’s equally about Henry’s wife Clare, who must learn to live with a man who often simply disappears and with the fear that eventually he won’t come back.
My brief description hasn’t begun to do this book justice. As a writer, I’m in awe of the skill with which Niffeneggar plotted this book. The narrative is in the first person; sometimes Henry, sometimes Clare, and we often jump back and forth through time. We see Clare, as a young child, meeting Henry, who has traveled back to meet her. We see Henry, as a twenty-eight year old, meeting Clare for the first time, only discover that she has known him all her life.
A fascinating book, and a beautiful, if bittersweet, love story. Don’t miss it!
posted »8.02.04
DAUGHTER
OF THE GAME by Tracy Grant
Charles and Mélanie Fraser lead
a charmed life in London--he a distinguished politician and
she a renowned hostess--when their lives are shattered by
the kidnapping of their young son Colin.
Years earlier, during the Napoleonic wars,
Charles had been involved in a military operation gone awry,
and he’d lost the legendary Carevalo Ring, purported
to lend the bearer special powers. Now the Spanish Marques
de Carevalo wants the ring back, and the Frasers must find
it if they wish to see their son alive. But as they search,
the secrets and lies of their past are uncovered as well,
testing their marriage in ways they’d never dreamed
possible.
DAUGHTER OF THE GAME is a like a tapestry--a
rich and multi-layered historical mystery. Just when you
think you have everything figured out, Grant reveals yet
another secret, leading you (and oftentimes the characters
as well!) right back to square one.
To visit Tracy Grant's website, click here.
posted » 7.01.03
WEB
REDESIGN | WORKFLOW THAT WORKS
by Emily Cotler & Kelly Goto
Okay, this is personally exciting
for me. Emily is my sister!
Web Redesign focuses on the
project management of website development. If I had to redesign
my website on my own (which thankfully I don't since Emily
is my web designer), I would have a clear guide as to what
steps to take in what order.
Since Emily wrote it,
lots of images from romance author sites pop up. Most notably, caseyclaybourne.com is
featured as a "Case Study" -- a full page about
her redesign project. Also seen: images from janeporter.com,
a visual plug for cjcarmichael.com if
not an actual image from the site, and a mention of yours
truly and Susan Andersen in Emily's bio where she cites
a cross-section of clients. As a special treat for me,
Emily even managed to include a screenshot from the sliver
of time where AN
OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN was #1
on amazon.com's movers and shakers list, ahead of HARRY
POTTER!
I definitely recommend this
book to anyone bent on doing/redoing their own site.
Emily's site: www.waxcreative.com
For a photo of Emily and me
freezing our fannies off in Denmark in MARCH (what were we
thinking?), click
here.
top
FROM
BEIRUT TO JERUSALEM
by Thomas L Friedman
I was getting really
sick of watching the news without understanding it, so
after hearing Thomas L. Friedman
(a columnist and foreign correspondent for the NEW YORK TIMES)
interviewed on Nationa Public Radio's "Fresh Air," I
decided to pick up FROM BEIRUT TO JERUSALEM, his memoir of
life as bureau chief in Beirut, followed by bureau chief
in Jerusalem.
The book was mesmerizing. Written in the late
1980s, with a chapter added after the Oslo peace accords
in 1994, it is sadly out of date, but nonetheless, provides
a clear and easy to read history of the middle east, and
if you don't emerge truly understanding the conflict as it
exists today, you do feel you understand how the entire situation
originated, and perhaps a little of why it has escalated
out of control.
An excellent choice for anyone
wanting to understand her world a little better. I've already
purchased Friedman's
new one, LONGITUDES
AND ATTITUDES, and look forward to digging in.
posted » 4.01.03
|
The Frog Prince
It’s My Pleasure: A Revolutionary Plan to Free Yourself from Guilt, Find Your True Self, and Create the Life You Want
