Upcoming Events

I’m very excited to announce that on Monday, October 11th, multi-published author CASSIE RYAN will be visiting. She will answer some of my questions and will be here all day to answer yours. She will also be checking back during the week. At the end of the week, we will pull a name from all the comments received and that person will win her latest release with a personal autograph!

Cassie will be talking about her latest book, Seducing the Succubus published by Berkley. This is a paranormal erotic romance. If you have no idea what that is, or even if you do, you may want to stop by. Cassie is also the author of the Seduction series, Ceremony of Seduction, Vision of Seduction, and Trio of Seduction. You definitely don’t want to miss this witty and fun lady.

On October 24th, DAWN KUNDA will be visiting. Her debut romantic suspense novel Court of Lies is currently available electronically and will be coming out in print soon. Dawn will be taking questions and comments all week and will also choose a lucky commenter to win a download of her new release.

Dawn quit her life as a Private Investigator to delve into the world of writing. But she’d didn’t leave her past behind. Bringing her skills and knowledge from her last career to writing romance, Dawn spins a suspenseful tale of intrigue and romance. You won’t want to miss chatting with her about everything from legal details to her garden walk.

Hope to hear from you next week :-)

Alexis

Riveting Romance

“Alexis.” “Alexis.” “ Alexis!”

“Huh? Oh, what?”

This is how the start of a conversation usually goes between me and my husband if I’m reading a romance novel. For some reason when I delve into a great romance, I don’t hear anything. Many people may not find this surprising, but for me, anything that requires concentration requires silence, pure, uninterrupted silence. Whether I’m writing, preparing class, or going over my budget, I need complete quiet, no music, no lawn mowers, no people talking in the background.

But when reading a romance novel, all bets are off. I can read in the airport, the doctor’s office, standing in line waiting to buy tickets to the ballet. I can even read in front of the television. I start off by reading during commercials and before I know it, I’ve missed the last half of the movie!

Does anyone else experience this complete shut out of the real world while reading a romance? Or is my experience just a little out of the norm? Please, do chime in on this. I’d love to hear if you find romance novels as riveting as I do.

Alexis

A Place to Read

Having just moved, I find myself in a quandary as to where will be the most comfortable place to read. Of course, not everything is unpacked nor all the furniture in its place; however, that doesn’t preclude me from wishing to get comfortable with the next book from my “to be read” shelf.

I could always go outside and lay in the sun, but I have found over the years this is not a good idea. In addition to the obvious risks, I discovered I’m one of those people who can sit still for long periods of time. Yes, I’m a portrait artist’s dream. The only problem with this ability to remain motionless is it usually results in a very serious sunburn. It is one thing to get a burn while being active. It is a completely different experience to do so while remaining perfectly still!

So, where will my comfort area for curling up with a good book be? I don’t know, but I’m open for suggestions. Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a comfy chair or is a lounge chair by the pool more your style? Let me know :-)

Alexis

Animals Show Heart

I just finished reading a Lisa Kleypas novel titled LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON. I was struck by how much the animals in the story added to the characters, the plot, and the suspense. Being an animal lover myself, I related to the heroine and her empathy for animals. However, her knowledge about them far eclipsed mine.

In this romance, the heroine, Beatrix, feels more at home roaming the forest and helping hurt animals than dressed in her gowns and conversing in drawing rooms. But it was more than the heroine’s character that was proven by the animals in the story. In fact, the hero, Christopher, inherited a terrier mutt during a battle and was at a loss on how to control the animal. But the dog, Albert, eventually becomes a war hero himself, letting the reader see a reflection of the hero in the mangy but honorable canine. The many animals including a mule named Hector, Albert, Lucky the three-legged cat, a wild horse, a hedgehog and a goat, all have special roles to play that move the plot along and unbelievably help the hero and heroine fall in love.

I started thinking back to other romances I had read that had animals. Perhaps because I am an animal lover, I found them to be additionally satisfying. Another I recall is entitled MY UNFAIR LADY by Kathryne Kennedy. In that romance, the heroine, Summer, is also a savior to animals, but having grown-up in early America, Summer’s personality is quite different from Beatrix’s. Summer’s constant companion is a Chihuahua named Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi manages to turn the tables on the hero at the first meeting, but also manages to help move the plot along while continuing to reveal Summer’s character.

I know I’ve read others through the years and I’m sure there are many I haven’t read. Do you have a romance you particularly like that includes animals that are important to the story? If you do, I’d love to know what they are. I’m in the mood for more romances with companionable animals of the heart :-)

Alexis

Don't Bother Me . . . Please

This cat knows how to relax. For him it means nothing more than an afternoon nap on his back, but for some of us two legged creatures, relaxing can be difficult, especially when under the stress of deadlines, jobs, family responsibilities, etc. Unfortunately, I’m not one who can meditate or enjoy a good massage; however, I can enjoy a good romance novel.

What I do to relax is take a day to read. I sit down with a great romance novel and read all day. I do nothing but read. Forget about the laundry, Monday’s lesson plan, or the bills that need to be reviewed and just relax with a good story. When I allow myself this indulgence (not often), I usually have the book finished by dinner. I always take a day to read whenever I have to work an event on the weekend or help a friend move. I take the only day of my true weekend and read. It’s as if I’ve been away from work a week. I feel completely refreshed by Monday. Of course, I’ve traveled back in time, gone to Scotland, and fell in love, so of course I feel as if I’ve been away from work for a long time.

We don’t often treat ourselves to a guilty pleasure, but it seems there are a lot more expensive and time consuming addictions than reading romance novels. Are there tasks you push aside when you want to read? I’d love to know I’m not alone in shirking my daily chores once in awhile for a good read. Do you ever take day and tell your loved ones not to bother you so you can read? Do tell.

Alexis

When you just want to read.

Have you ever had the experience of reading a great romance novel and in the middle you have to put it down? Then every time you try to get back to it, it seems there is some other responsibility that has to take precedent over finding out how the heroine and hero finally fall in love? This has happened to me recently and made me very frustrated.

I’m reading Jennifer Ashley’s book, Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage. It is a wonderful book, as usual for this author, and I expected to read it in a couple days, but alas, the best laid plans of mice and men and me often go awry (apologies to Robert Burns). First it was the forty college essays I had to review so I could post the final grades for my students. Then it was preparing for a completely different class for a new University. I was able to sneak a few pages here and there while my computer loaded information from my designated websites, but it has been very frustrating. I’m dying to find out how Mac and Isabella are going to reunite while a Mac impersonator throws illogical hurdles in their way. But I just moved and I have to take care of address changes, water service, cable not working, etc., etc., etc. Ugh, how frustrating!

Have you ever had this happen? What makes you put down a good book and deal with the real world first? What tears you away from a love story to face reality even though you know you deserve the break? Please share. Misery loves company :-)

Alexis

Cover Complaint

One of my followers wrote me about a complaint she had regarding some of the historical romance covers. I decided to share her thought and see what you think.

Covers, as a topic of conversation among romance readers, is not a new one. The recent (last 7 years or so) trend of showing only a body without a head, has been discussed numerous times on many blog sites. And the old “clinch” covers are, thankfully, far and few between now. But what this follower takes issue with is the tastefully done historical cover where the hero, heroine, or both is standing proudly against all odds. They appear beautiful, determined, heroic, and . . . modern?

Yes, modern as in present day. I would have to agree. I have seen some of these covers and despite the period costume, there is something too modern about the facial features. Now, who is to say that a particular face hasn’t been around the human race for eons and could very well be historically accurate? But sometimes historically accurate is not enough. If I’m reading a medieval romance and I come across the “f” word, it immediately throws me out of the period. That’s not to say the word did not exist back then because actually it did, but to today’s reader it is a contemporary word.

So, I think perhaps this follower has a point. She said when she sees historical romance covers with modern faces she just can’t get past it and buys a different book. When writers create fiction, their first duty is to suspend your disbelief. If the cover has one thinking “Macy’s” instead of “village market day,” the suspension fails.

Have you ever noticed a historical romance cover with a modern face? Has it bothered you or made you think twice? We’d be interested to know.

Alexis