Novellas, Novels & Box Sets

          I usually prefer long novels where I can really sink myself into the plot and subplot and watch the characters grow and change. I’ve been reading them for years (and writing them, too); however, I’ve been given the opportunity to read several novellas and I have to say, I’m hooked on those as well (what can I say? I’ve been a reader all my life starting with Little Golden books. I read the back of the cereal box and peruse the headlines on all those magazines at the checkout….can’t help myself….if it’s in print, I gotta read it). I still prefer the longer stories, but you know, I’m really liking the shorter reads, too.

          Especially on my Kindle, which I read while on the treadmill. Especially if the story is hot. And fast paced...because then I seem to walk just a little faster and get a better workout.

          I admire these authors who can pack a heck of a story in 50,000 words or 35,000 words or 25,000 without skimping on anything. Romance, character development, plot, hot sizzling sex….nothing is missing. Not a thing. It’s not always easy to do that…I can’t do it….I tend to get a bit wordy.

          I’m liking those Box Sets, too, whether they are novellas or full length novels. It’s a wonderful opportunity for readers—not only do you get a story from an author you know and love, you also have the chance to read a story from a new favorite author you haven’t yet met. I love this! I’m currently knee deep in the box set Lexi Post is part of (Cowboy 12 Pack) and it’s fabulous! Every author, some of whom are new to me, has something unique to offer. My biggest problem is which story to read next. It’s like winning the lottery (well, okay, not quite, but close enough for me).

 

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Behind the Scenes at RWA Nationals 2013 (Part I)

Recently, I spent the week in Atlanta with two thousand other Romance Writers of America members, including authors who’ve just started writing, bestsellers, agents, editors, and a pile of other mighty interesting people.

The main focus of the conference is to learn good writing, the art of publishing, and to meet up with friends along with making new friends.  That’s the basics, but I’m going to tell you about a few of my encounters with people whom would make great characters for future novels.

One evening I had dinner at a bar and grill and an older woman sat next to me at the bar.  She was delightful as she told me her story.  She’s eighty years old and yearly makes a trip-by car-from her home in California to another in Pennsylvania.  Along the way, she stops wherever her AAA guide book gives her enticing information on a location.  This stop happened to be Atlanta.  The highlight was when she told me she’d finished her bucket list with a recent trip to Australia after she’d already visited the other six continents!  I forgot to ask how Antarctica was.

 

Another woman I won’t forget accompanied me to the terrace of our hotel-purely by coincidence, or maybe Karma(!)  This woman astounded me as her job holds a mystery of the U.S.  She designs the American embassies around the world.  I’m not talking about the furniture or flooring, but rather the cameras, secret rooms and corridors, and placement of the things the average citizen will never know.  Her next stop will be Miami, then Brazil, and followed by another trip across the ocean.

Can’t leave out the interesting men!

As Atlanta is the headquarters for CNN, I attended a workshop by Mike Brooks, a crime analyst (CNN, HLN) with a resume two pages long.  He described in detail former assignments with the DC Metro   Police, FBI, and other tags on his list.  He was a deep sea diver who recovered pieces and parts of luggage and people after the TWA flight (1994) crashed into the ocean.   He’s been at massive slaughters involving AK47’s with gruesome descriptions of the victims.  He’s definitely been around the block. 

I’ll leave you with two men, one from Ethiopia and the other from Egypt.  Their focus was on taking advantage of the opportunities in the great United States of America!  They reminded me of what many of us take for granted daily-a home with bathrooms and heat and AC, your own car, availability of technology for anyone who wants to use it, jobs-yes, they are out there, and so much more.

So don’t forget to pick up any book you want to read, I suggest a great romance, and exercise your freedom of the press!

Happy Reading,

Dawn 

 

The Unsung Hero

     Pirates and scoundrels and rakes, oh my! Cowboys and Highlanders and Dukes. Let’s not forget spies and corporate raiders, doctors, lawyers and military men. Lawmen and thieves, too. These are the heroes who populate the novels we love. And admittedly, we fall in love with each one as we read their stories.

           

     Why wouldn’t we? Indeed, how can we not? Each and every one has something to offer. Excitement and daring. A chance for redemption or forgiveness. The promise of love, eternal and everlasting.

           

     How many times have you been lost in the pages of a romance and fallen in love with the wounded Duke, the one who, despite it all, falls in love with the heroine, no matter how hard he fights it? Or the Highlander, bound by duty, who falls for the spirited daughter of the rival clan’s laird? Or the lawman, sworn to uphold the law, who can’t help loving the woman who breaks those laws.

           

     Even lonesome cowboys have their code of honor. I admit, I have a certain weakness for cowboys. This weakness dates back to my younger years when I saw my first John Wayne movie, but then again, I have a weakness for debonair spies (James Bond, anyone?) and men in uniform. Oh, and let’s not forget sea captains….I have a weakness for them too, but what about the unsung heroes? The men whose stories aren’t told in the pages of a book? The men who work hard every day and come home, kiss their wives and read bedtime stories to their daughters? Or play catch with their sons? He may not be an Earl. He may not be rich as Midas, but he’s still a hero. At least in my eyes.

           

 So who’s your favorite? And aren’t you glad you don’t have to choose?

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Have I Read This Before?

     I don’t know about you, but I have a problem…Wait! Don’t laugh! I’m serious! Okay, let me explain while you wipe the tears of laughter from your eyes…..my problem is…books.  I should rephrase….my problem is buying a book I’ve already purchased. And maybe even read already. Now, I can’t be the only one. Can I?

           

     Recently, I went through my bookshelf because there were so many books in there that I couldn’t possibly fit another one and I realized I had doubles of several books. Much more embarrassing? I had triples of three different romances. How could I have done this?

     Well, it’s simple really. I read so much (and several books at once), that I will occasionally forget. Or, and this happens quite often, I have purchased the book and put it in one of my TBR piles but haven’t gotten that far in the pile so when I see a striking cover on the rack at my local grocery store, I’ll buy it then come home and put it in the TBR pile….vicious cycle, isn’t it? This does not happen with Kindle. If you attempt to purchase a title again, Amazon very kindly tells you you’ve already done so and isn’t that nice?

     So what’s your solution to avoid having doubles and triples on your shelves? Do you keep a list stashed somewhere? Written in a notebook or perhaps you have a spreadsheet on your computer, which is actually a really good idea and I should start mine today and why haven’t I done that before?

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Rate A Story

     You’ve just finished reading a novel and you loved it. Marvelous doesn’t begin to express how good this story is. So, if you were going to recommend it to a friend, what would you say? How would you rate it? Would you give it five stars? Or five roses?

      I rate the stories I read a little differently. There are no teacups (with five being the best). There are sighs. If a story has made me sigh while reading, it’s worth its weight in gold. There are no pairs of lips….there are chuckles. A book that makes me laugh out loud is definitely worth my time (and yours). There are no lightening bolts, but there are tears.

     A book that makes me cry is a book I’ll read over and over again. Cathy Cash Spellman’s Paint the Wind comes to mind. I’ve read this novel probably ten times (or more…I’ve lost count) and yet, I still cry in the same place EVERY time….even though I know the scene is coming up, even though I’ve cried over it before. Heck, I’ll head for the box of tissues long before I hit that chapter because I know I’ll end up in tears anyway and I might as well have that tissue handy. Believe it or not, this is a GOOD thing…but I digress so let me finish my rating system.

     For the occasional spooky thriller, there are shivers and lastly, there are gasps. Yes. I wrote gasps….because there are stories out there that have made me suck in my breath and whisper “Oh my!” while my heart pounded in my chest. Sometimes I’ll be laughing at the same time. Or crying.

            So, how do you rate the stories you read? Roses? Daisies? Or do you just hand the book to a friend and say, “You gotta read this!”

    
As always, happy reading!

Marie