Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Dust of 100 Dogs - A.S. King

*** 1/2 - This was definitely a different take on a pirate tale, and I enjoyed a great deal of it. But the book definitely hit one of my hot buttons - it simplified a complex issue and conflict (the U.S. Civil War) to the point of trivializing it. And in a book packed full of 'gray' moral and sexual choices, I found it jarring and insulting.

It's pretty much a given that an Irish childhood is a difficult one - but things are more difficult still for Emer Morrisey who was growing up during Cromwell's invasions into Ireland. But Emer is not one to be daunted easily. So when she is torn from her childhood love and meant to be married off to a Frenchman, she turns notorious pirate instead! And what's a pirate without a curse?

Saffron Adams is born in the 1970s in a trailer park with all of Emer's memories (and bloodthirsty inclinations) - and a drive to get the heck out of her dreadful life with her dull parents and nasty brother, grab her buried treasure and live a life of ease. After some initial difficulties, she hops over to Jamaica to see if she can't find the gold - and runs into some trouble with an odd lecherous middle-aged man who may or may not be the reincarnation of that very dastardly Frenchman.

I wanted to like this book so much. It's got a fun premise (who doesn't love pirates, or teenagers that dream of popping the eyeballs out of their algebra teacher?), dogs, and all kinds of quirky. And parts of it, I really did like - I was swept away by Emer's childhood in Ireland, and I enjoyed reading about her slow burgeoning romance with Seanie. But round-about the time she turns pirate, I stopped liking her much.

I admired Emer's strength in getting herself to Jamaica, but I was pretty pissed off about her sexual choices. Let me be abundantly clear here, I don't have a quarrel with the author or her presentation of Emer's decision. This is a very honest and real portrayal of a dilemma young women face (in a less drastic form) and Emer's decision to have sex with a man she doesn't love to 'get it over with' essentially isn't glorified or condemned. The decision, and its consequences, are dealt with in an unflichingly honest way - everything is very much shades of gray. My quarrel is thus not with the author, but with the character. I didn't like the character's decision. It made me lose respect for Emer. And that wasn't the only section where the sexual undercurrents of the novel squicked me out. The entire situation with the middle-aged creep in Jamaica gave me the heebie-jeebies.

As to the dog facts - I liked some of them, some were incredibly sad, several were irritatingly preachy (the one about the Civil War just made me downright irate). What I didn't quite get was how they tied into the rest of the novel. They seemed largely random with no real connection to what was going on in either Emer or Saffron's stories - and that made them seem more like a gimmick than anything, which was a bit disappointing.

Given my reaction to a lot of the moral dilemmas and the moral stances the author throws into the mix, this was never going to be a favorite of mine. But with the cover and the premise, I expected something with more swashbuckling adventuring in the past life, maybe some entertaining sections in math class about keelhauling someone. So I was taken aback by the novel's tone and by its grittiness. While others found a lot to love in Saffron and Emer's stories, The Dust of 100 Dogs just wasn't the story for me.

Interested in other opinions?

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fame (2009)

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a huge dance movie fan. I've seen a ton of them that came out relatively recently while knowing full well that they would be over-the-top and silly. I saw Step Up (though I wasn't desperate enough to see the sequel), Take the Lead, Center Stage, Mad Hot Ballroom. Some of them, I loved. Some were decent to pass the time. None were as dull as Fame.

Fame (for those of you unfamiliar with the 80s version) is about a bunch of kids at a performing arts high school in New York City - these kids study, audition and dream of a shot at the limelight. The movie follows them from audition day all the way to graduation, but it really didn't seem like it.

The entire movie was a host of vignettes (largely uninteresting) interspersed with all too infrequent large-scale dance production numbers or songs. Many of the scenes weren't really related, there was little in the way of over-arching story arc. And to me, there didn't seem to be any feeling of time passing - particularly not 4 years...

To be honest, the only story I liked was the pianist/R&B singer, and even that was quite ludicrously unrealistic, because (SPOILERS) if I was offered an honest to goodness record deal? Those guys who mixed me? They can stay in freakin' high school, because I'd be on my way to FAME!!! But that entire possibility is just shrugged off. Bizarre for a school that's meant to propel its graduates to stardom...

I also quite liked the cute boy who sang in his father's restaurant - but again, it just didn't seem to go anywhere at all. It was like he was only at the school to be the lackluster romantic interest of the woodenly untalented girl who just wants it too much to realize she's never going anywhere. And, honestly? For all her 'wanting it', I just didn't care. Weren't there some sort of guidance counselors urging these kids to consider other careers if they just couldn't cut it?

So - yeah, the numbers, when they happened were pretty cool. I loved the scene in the cafeteria where everybody starts a huge musical/dance mashup. But they were too infrequent and just not connected enough to the storyline to elevate Fame above ho-hum.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Tudor Rose - Margaret Campbell Barnes

**** - I knew very little about Elizabeth of York before reading this book - I knew that the Wars of the Roses ended through an intermarriage of the houses of York (white rose) and Lancaster (red rose), but I wasn't even sure which house contributed which spouse... so this was a real eye-opener for me.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing a review copy!

The Tudor Rose is the story of Elizabeth of York - the woman who would found the Tudor dynasty, the mother of Henry VIII, and the sister of the Princes in the Tower. The novel opens with Elizabeth trying on her wedding dress - and hearing that her betrothal is being broken off. It's a lovely beginning that brings home both to the reader and to Bess how much she (and her marriage) is being used as a political tool. The novel deals with several hot-button issues from The Wars of the Roses: the Princes in the Tower, the pretenders to the throne after Henry VII comes to power, and Richard III in general. And I was well-satisfied with all of them.

I first encountered Margaret Campbell Barnes when I read her book about Henry VIII The King's Fool, which offered an intriguing and multi-faceted portrayal of the king notorious for his temper and his many wives. In The Tudor Rose, Barnes offers the same interesting portrayal of Elizabeth of York, but also of her oft-reviled uncle Richard III.

I thoroughly enjoyed Barnes' version of Richard. He's charming, witty, and intelligent, but he is also thoroughly dangerous and capable of ruthlessness. Richard truly comes alive through the pages, and I found his depiction wonderfully complex (though by no means a positive one). Despite his actions, Richard is quite admirable in his own way, particularly when contrasted with the eminently practical and dispassionate Henry VII - who is easily his equal in ruthlessness.

I was charmed by intelligent and passionate Bess, who loved so fiercely, grieved so deeply for her lost brothers, and who nonetheless straightened her shoulders and did what she thought best for her realm. Given how strong she was, and how deeply she was prepared to love, I found much of her story very sad. She is betrayed on all sides and she can never quite shake her yearning to find her brothers again - I actually loved her interaction at the end with Perkin Warbeck - it was a beautifully slippery exchange!

I enjoyed The Tudor Rose a great deal, though I was a bit confused as to what was happening outside the palace during the Wars of the Roses - not surprising as the entire situation was pretty confusing. Elizabeth of York is shown as a lovely, strong and passionate woman, and her story is well worth reading. Just keep a hot cup of tea (or your comforting thing of choice) handy.

Interested in other opinions?

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Maze Runner - James Dashner

**** - I'm a big fan of dystopian novels, so I've really been looking forward to James Dashner's The Maze Runner. It didn't disappoint me, either - full of mystery, betrayal, and palpable danger The Maze Runner is certain to appeal to teenagers, and boys in particular.

A big thank you to Random House for sending me the ARC!
Coming OCTOBER 6, 2009!

When Thomas comes to, he finds himself in a brand-new society called the Glade composed entirely of teenaged boys - and he can't remember anything about himself or the past. All he knows is his first name, and he has a niggling sensation that he must join the ranks of those boys who spend their days mapping out the dangerous maze surrounding the boys' 'home base'. Because Thomas is sure he holds the key to their escape, and time is quickly running out...

I was really impressed with The Maze Runner - Dashner does a fantastic job keeping the reader invested by doling out revelations to Thomas' (and our) many questions. The society is well-thought-out and interesting. It's impressive to see how the boys have organized themselves into 'guilds' almost and how despite their best efforts at civilization, the barbarity of their surroundings has left its mark upon them as well. The horror of the maze is utterly heart-stopping. Dashner perfectly treads the balance between describing the Grievers and leaving it up to the terror produced by our own imaginations. And it works amazingly well - I stayed up late to finish this because I just couldn't bear to put it down while Thomas could still be in danger!

What did bother me a bit was the cliff-hanger ending. I wasn't aware that The Maze Runner was going to be the first in a series (though, I guess I should have known better - are there still stand-alone YA novels? ;) ), so I found the lack of resolution disconcerting. Actually, it struck me a lot like one of those movies where the last shot exposes a hidden twist... and, now that I'm honest with myself - I find those utterly frustrating, but I adore them anyway...

So if you like thrillers and/or dystopian novels? This is definitely the book for you. I really enjoyed it, even while it terrified me!

Interested in other opinions?

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

September Roundup

Books Finished: 15

Favorite September Book:

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

I adored Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter! I'm working on a review for it, so keep your eyes peeled.

What's so wonderful about Cleopatra's Daughter? Well, it's a story of power wielded (both the obvious and the more subtle) and succumbed to, the story of life in Rome - largely aristocratic but without ignoring the seedier sides of the Empire. I loved the way Selene worked hard to become useful and keep her wits sharp, and I enjoyed her love story a great deal. This was clearly a tale written with me in mind - a strong, intelligent young heroine in an intriguing historical setting - and I stayed up all night reading it! If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it.

Intrigued? Buy at Amazon or IndieBound


Author Encounters:
Over at Seductive Musings one of my favorite authors, Anne Gracie asked what we would like to see more of in historicals. My answers?

What I'd like to see more of in historicals is humor. It doesn't have to be slapstick (although I find Katie MacAlister's screwball Regencies hilarious), but I'm just not a fan of brooding tortured heros. I want someone who will make me laugh - which is why I'm still madly in love with Gideon from A Perfect Rake :)
Anne replied:
Lana, thanks for loving my Gideon. You know, I was trying for a dark and dangerous hero, and he just strolled on the page, being funny and flippant and madly charming instead. I fought him for ages before i decided to go with him, rather than against him. I can't always control my characters. I suspect Nash is shaping up to be a bad boy character, a bit like Gideon. We'll see.
Another thought:
I'm back again, and I thought of something a little more specific that I would love to see in a historical!

Vienna! I've been looking everywhere for a historical set in Vienna. In a city known for waltzes, champagne, masquerades, music and trick riding horses... I thought it would be an ideal setting to shake things up a bit, but I can't seem to find any romances set there at all.
Anne's response:

Lana, Vienna is a beautiful city and I'd also love to set a book, or at least part of a book there. And in the regency, my preferred time period, Vienna had so many things happening.

Have you read Eva Ibbotson's books? They're only *just* historicals -- set around the 1920's-30's-- and some of them are set in pre-war Austria. Gorgeous books. Try a Song For Summer.
I'm such a fangirl! I definitely grabbed A Song for Summer - such a gorgeous cover, it can hardly be

Books Read:
1. The Tudor Rose - Margaret Campbell Barnes
2. A Pearl Among Princes - Coleen Murtagh Paratore
3. Shrinking Violet - Danielle Joseph
4. Once a Witch - Colleen MacCullough
5. A Marquis to Marry - Amelia Grey
6. Psych Major Syndrome - Alicia Thompson
7. Cleopatra's Daughter - Michelle Moran
8. Suffer the Little Children - Donna Leon
9. The Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer
10. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
11. Practice Makes Perfect - Julie James
12. Me, My Elf & I - Heather Swain
13. Give Me Liberty - L.M. Elliott
14. Love on Cue - Catherine Hapka
15. The Season - Sarah MacLean

A Marquis to Marry - Amelia Grey

*** 1/2 - This is the second book in The Rogue's Dynasty trilogy, but it stands alone. I was charmed by Race and Susannah, the running joke of Lord Snellingly's dreadful poetry & Gibby.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy!

Alexander Raceworth is anything but keen when he hears that a Dowager Duchess has business with him and refuses to leave until she has seen him. But he was raised to be polite to ladies - and is he ever glad when it turns out the dowager is the young and beautiful Susannah. The tension between them instantly sizzles, but conflict rears its ugly head when Susannah insists that he hand over the pearls he inherited from his grandmother.

I very much enjoyed watching Susannah and Race spar with one another. I loved the little (incorrigibly presumptuous) notes Race sends her, the way she keeps her name a secret, and how straightforward Race is about wanting to spend time with her. It's charming to have a hero who's not running away from relationships. That said, he does have some maturity issues - and a tendency to flounce off and sulk when things aren't going his way. He gets over himself by the end, and as everyone is quick to discover - he could charm a leopard out of his spots.

Although I liked Race, Susannah kept drawing me further into the story. Susannah's independence and her determined efforts to discover who had the necklace (rather than allowing Race to do all the investigating for her). But she also had a vulnerable side that made her wary of flouting Society's rules. I loved how much of a role music played in her life, how she held on to keepsakes from Race, and how strong she was to overcome her own fears to give Race a chance. I really admire Amelia Grey's heroines - even more than her dashing heroes - and Susannah in A Marquis to Marry certainly doesn't disappoint on that front!

Book 2: A Marquis to Marry
Book 3: An Earl to Enchant

Interested in other opinions?




Monday, September 28, 2009

The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy - Sara Angelini

**** 1/2 - One of the best contemporary Austen re-tellings I've read. This really gets across the depth of emotion between Darcy and Lizzie without tying its story too closely to the original work.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending this my way!

Judge Fitzwilliam Darcy is seriously contemplating packing up and leaving California to return to his estate in England when Elizabeth Bennet walks into his courtroom. Her quick wits (and of course her fine eyes) soon make an impression on Darcy - both professionally and personally - but the ethical problems of a relationship between the two of them cause plenty of difficulty.

There is so much to love in The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy - far from simply taking Pride and Prejudice and inserting the story into a modern setting, Angelini took the characters and wrote the love story they would have had as modern people. Darcy is always tough to pull off, but I thought Angelini's Darcy was wonderful. He really comes alive when he's around Elizabeth, and I found the scenes where he realizes the depth of his feelings for her while they're at his estate breath-taking. The scenes of them falling in love evoked all the sweet, breathless, silly things I remember so well.

I enjoyed that there was no Wickham, the way the first 'rejection' was pulled off. I loved how truly funny so many bits were (Jane going after Bingley, the entire karaoke business), and Angelini certainly didn't shy away from the bedroom! But it never seemed voyeuristic or unnecessary - instead it was part of the characters growing to know and love each other, part of the reason they couldn't stay apart. That's important - it was only a part. I never got the impression that this was just a physical thing or that their relationship would peter out as their desire was sated. Angelini really managed to convey the characters' emotional involvement.

There was very little I didn't love about The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy. If I had to pinpoint something, I'd probably say that the entire Caroline/Lizzie jealousy thing. I'm tired of ploys to make people jealous - it never seems to turn out well for anyone. But that's really a minor quibble. I adored both Will and Lizzie. They were both smart, both occasionally did something stupid (as we are all wont to do), and both NICE people - people I was rooting for and wouldn't mind hanging out with.

So if you're looking for a modern P&P re-telling, look no further! This one was utterly fantastic (and I love the Legally Blonde look-alike cover).

Interested in other opinions?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Bright Star

Romantic poet John Keats (Ode on a Grecian Urn) had a tragically short career- he died of consumption at the tender age of 25. But despite his all-too-early demise, Keats wrote beautiful poetry and experienced a deeply felt love affair with the girl next door - the witty fashion designer Fanny Brawne. Money troubles, family disapproval, and Keats' illness conspire to separate the young lovers, but Fanny remains his steadfast Bright Star.

I was very excited to see Bright Star when I heard it was coming out. A BBC production, a period piece, Romantic poets, tragic love. It sounded like a movie I would really enjoy, and the critics were nigh-universal in its praise. I'm sure you can all hear the 'But' coming. So I'll just skip to that -I didn't really care for it. I was prepared for a slow pace, slowly growing affection and a great deal of subtlety, but I felt the movie dragged.

The story focuses almost exclusively on the relationship between Keats and Fanny, which is why I was disappointed in the manner they came to fall in love. True, there are some charming moments when they first meet (the mirror scene is cute and awkward), but I didn't really understand what they saw in each other. Keats disapproved of Fanny's 'frivolous' interest in fashion, flirting and dancing - and I never understood when or why he changed his mind. Nor did I get a sense of why Fanny became so completely devoted to Keats - other than boredom or simple proximity. While I often enjoy a slowly developing film, when there doesn't seem to be any plot unfolding...well, Bright Star seemed to be a lushly photographed montage of walking scenes...

There were several very evocative scenes where I got a real sense of the potential of the movie - there's a lovely scene with butterflies, Fanny's gut-wrenching reaction to the news of Keats' death. But much of the potential remained unrealized in my opinion. Much could have been made of the effects of Keats' break-up attempts or the lovers' last parting. But while sweet, I didn't get a sense of the consuming passion I expected.

Bottom line: I wasn't nearly as enamored with Bright Star as the critics. I would wait for the DVD.

And as parting, the sonnet that inspired the title of the film:

Bright star! would I were steadfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature’s patient sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
No—yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Interview with Jen


Hi everybody! For Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I've got an interview with Jen of Jen's Book Thoughts for you. I really meant to snazz this up more to do Jen and her fantastic blog justice - but life has really come down hard this month, so here she is - largely unedited and unfortunately unsnazzed. Luckily she's fascinating even without my help!


First off, congratulations on your BBAW nominations!


Thank you. I was actually pretty surprised by all the nominations I ended up with. I encouraged my readers to vote, but didn’t think five nominations would come for ME!


For your Mystery nomination, what posts did you send in? Which of your reviews are you particularly proud of? Any post that didn't make the cut, but you wish you could have sent?


For my Mystery nomination I wanted to include as much variety as I could in my submissions. So, I included my review of Craig Johnson’s ANOTHER MAN’S MOCCASINS because not only am I proud of that review, but it’s also a review of an audio book. I read print books but also listen to quite a few audio books.


So that was a look at my reviewing of not only a book but a reader as well. I also included the events I attended for Michael Koryta recently. I oscillated between my recap of the L.A. Times Book Festival and Michael’s event. I thought I probably did a better job of writing on Michael’s event, so I ended up with that one. I also have two series posts that I do: Monday Mystery Backlist and You Have the Right to Six Words. So, I included one post from each of those.


The Monday Mystery Backlist post is actually written by my friend Kaye Barley as a guest spot. I have been trying to encourage readers to submit their titles for Monday Mystery Backlist so I’ll have a much more diverse offering of backlist mysteries – not just what I prefer. Then “You Have the Right to Six Words” is an incredibly popular post each week. It was hard to pick just one for my Mystery nomination but I ended up with Week 3. The author combination was especially popular with folks. But, how can you go wrong with Ken Bruen and Michael Connelly? ;)


And the fifth post I chose was one of my author interviews. I recently interviewed Gregg Hurwitz, who is not only an incredibly talented thriller writer, but he’s also a super nice person. His interview came out great, but the credit really has to go to him. He’s fun; he’s fascinating; and he was completely open to any of the questions I sent. That interview practically wrote itself. It was a popular one.


And yes, there were quite a few I wish I could have sent as well. I syndicate my blog through BlogBurst, and another of my reviews of Craig Johnson’s books, DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY, was picked up by three newspaper sites. I would have liked to include that one. My reviews of BREATHING WATER, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, KILLER KEEPSAKES are all reviews I’m especially proud of and that received a lot of attention when they were posted. There were also several other interviews that I would have enjoyed sharing with the committee. Simon Lewis I think is absolutely fascinating and I enjoyed that interview. Alafair Burke is a great writer and a fun person. Her interview was one of my favorites, too. I’ve grown a lot with my interviews since hers – she was one of my first – but it will probably always be one of my sentimental favorites. Yikes. I guess I probably gave you a little more than you actually wanted to know on that question, huh? (Actually, I thought it was great :) )


I saw that you were nominated for your "You Have the Right to Six Words" feature (which is very cool). How did you come up with the idea? How do you get all these well-known authors to participate? What's your favorite Six Word Memoir so far?


The six-word memoirs have really become my baby. The idea actually started with my interviews. I had read the book NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING: SIX-WORD MEMOIRS OF WRITERS FAMOUS AND OBSCURE. And it was interesting what people came up with. So, then I would always ask people in my interviews what they thought their six-word memoir should be. Authors being interviewed and the readers both liked the question so much I decided to do something special with it and that’s how “You Have the Right to Six Words” was born.


As far as getting the authors to participate, I am still a bit stunned at the responses I’ve received. I simply started sending out emails. If the author had a direct contact email on his/her website, I sent the request there. If not, I tried contacting PR folks, publishers, whatever info I had for the author. I had quite a few not respond at all. Only three actually said “no.” But the rest were very receptive to the idea. I’ve had great feedback from many of them. And really the project has just been fun. People of the crime fiction community are great people all in all. And I’m working on a scrapbook version of everyone’s memoirs to take to Bouchercon so the authors can sign their memoir page. We’ll see how that part of the idea turns out!


My favorite – oh, that’s a hard one to answer. Ken Bruen’s “I acted like I understood life” is so vivid. As is Adrian McKinty’s “stillness, iceberg, crash, listing, sinking, stillness.” I think Tom Shreck’s is so apropos, but since his hasn’t been posted yet, I can’t reveal it. Really, almost all of them have been incredibly insightful and revealing. I had a lot of people say, “I didn’t know that about him” when Michael Connelly said “I wanted to be a detective.” And James Lee Burke’s “I never ran out of stories” was the one that made me say “awww.” And Marcus Sakey’s, which you’ll have to visit the blog to read, was very energetic and got a lot of great feedback. You just have to love Sophie Littlefield’s spunk with “Ain’t gonna be who I’m not.” So, I guess each one is a favorite in its own unique way.


It looks like your blog focuses mainly on mysteries and thrillers - what are some of your favorite subgenres?

I tend to favor the hardboiled crime fiction most. I love police procedurals and PI fiction. I also enjoy the forensic science books. About the only thing in crime fiction I shy away from is the real wacky, off-the-wall stuff. I don’t tend to like the bumbling idiot protagonist who inadvertently stumbles on the answers the police couldn’t come up with. I also haven’t really found any spy thrillers that truly hook me. I think it has more to do with my need for realism, and the bumbling idiot and secret spy require you to let go of your grip on reality.


What really draws you into a mystery?

The same thing that draws me into any other book: character! I am a fan of character. I need to connect with the characters in the book in some way. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy a series so much. I have the opportunity to see a character grow and change and develop. If you don’t have a dimensional character, he/she will never make it in a series.


And what are your 'turnoffs' when it comes to plots? Characters?

I guess I kind of answered that earlier, huh? I don’t click with books that require me to let go of reality. Time travel, paranormal, anything that would have me saying, “like that would really happen.” I don’t know intricate details about weapons and procedures and whatnot, so I’d never pick up on things that are incorrect there, but if I can’t imagine it happening and the author hasn’t written it so I’m convinced it could happen – it’s a turnoff. I don’t like detailed sex scenes and gruesome horror. And I am also a critic when it comes to a lot of fluff. I prefer a tight plot that doesn’t pad the pages with unnecessary detail or subplots. If it doesn’t advance the plot, it doesn’t need to be there.


Do you post reviews for every book you read? Just the ones you liked/loved?

So far this year I’ve posted reviews for all but two books, I think. I have five waiting for their reviews to be written – got a little behind. I didn’t review the two because of time factors. They weren’t awe-inspiring, but I didn’t not like them. I just needed to get caught up. Once in awhile if I get behind on my audiobook reviews I may review a couple together and shorten the reviews, but I try to review everything that I finish.


My blog's pretty eclectic, but of the mysteries/thrillers I've read, most of them tie into other interests of mine (authors as sleuths, art, strong romance subplots) - anything you'd recommend to those of us with a more romantic persuasion looking to cross over to the mystery side of things?


Well, there’s actually a bit of a subgenre that does cross the mystery/romance realm. Some of the authors I would recommend there are Hank Phillipi Ryan and Toni McGee Causey. I don’t necessarily think I’d lump it in with romance by you might enjoy Jane Cleland’s Antique Mystery Series. The relationships in the book are magnificent and the main character, Josie, owns an antiques auction house. You might also like a series that Karen Olsen started with a book called THE MISSING INK. It’s about a tattoo artist in Las Vegas. It’s quirky and fun. People (including myself) are speaking very highly of it. There is a thriller by Gregg Hurwitz called THE CRIME WRITER. It’s written in first person and the narrator is a crime fiction writer. If

you haven’t read that one, you may enjoy it. It’s very fast-paced and incredibly well-written.


Ooh! I see you have two

dogs! Tell me about them! Any particularly fun antics?


You don’t even know the land mine you just stepped on! ;) I can talk about my dogs for-EVER! I have two chocolate labs: Hershey, who is 8, and Nestle, who will be 6 at the end of October. Hershey I got as a puppy, and Nestle we adopted just before she turned 3. There isn’t a day that goes by that there aren’t some kind of antics going on with these two. They are typical labs, so we’re outside chasing toys constantly. Hershey does not like small tennis balls. Instead he has a full-size soccer ball and a full size football that he chases. Nestle chases a toy made from firehose. Labs are murder on toys; I’ve cleaned up more stuffing in their life times. They also like to get the little bladders out of the toys – the devices that make them squeak. So, I can’t leave them alone with stuffed toys or they start trying to get inside and find those bladders. They also like to play tug-of-war with their toys. If I don’t watch them they’ll pull all their toys apart. (I had a Doberman who used to do the same thing!) The coolest thing about these two is how much they adore each other. I don’t at all look forward to the day something happens to one of them and the other is left alone.



Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Jen! I loved to get to know your blog a little, and you've certainly added to my TBR pile! To the rest of you, please head over to Jen's Book Thoughts to take a look at her features, reviews and an interview with yours truly!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Digging for Cleopatra's Daughter


Don't forget to check out Michelle Moran's treasure hunt that starts September 15th! None of the locations are near me, but maybe you'll have better luck.


Three Column Modification courtesy of The Blogger Guide