|
 The
Willing Wife
By Claudia Dain (www.claudiadain.com)
ISBN# 0-8439-5111-7
Leisure Books (www.dorchesterpub.com)
Pub. Date: 10/2002
Historical Romance
384 pages
$5.99
Paperback
King Henry II gifts Rowland the Dark of
Aquitaine with lands and a wife, but Rowland doesn't want a wife. Tell
King Henry no and offend him is not an option. So off Rowland goes to
claim the gift of land and wife.
Nicolaa of Cheneteberie would like to keep all men from her door.
Unfortunately, she has just been informed that she has been given by
the king in marriage. Nicolaa would rather work at her tapestries or
run her estates than to cater to any man, especially a temporary husband.
When Rowland first sets eyes on Nicolaa, he sees a slim maid with fiery
tresses and pale skin. Nicolaa has had to be strong and determined to
survive four weddings.
The more that Rowland and Nicolaa are thrown together, the more they both
want to have their way. Rowland has a secret, while Nicolaa has
problems of her own that Rowland is just finding out about. How is
Rowland going to get her to trust him? Does he even want a true
marriage? Will Nicolaa realize that he is perfect for her? Will
they team together to help their people?
THE WILLING WIFE'S cover artwork is fabulous. Nicolaa started out
immature, particularly where men are concerned. With Rowland's
patience, both characters came to life. I like a more sensual book,
but this one, Claudia Dain's seventh book, shows that she has great
potential. Keep writing, Claudia! I'll be watching for your future
titles.
Reviewed by:
Hunter McKenna (Hunt4Me2@aol.com), GWN Book Reviewer
Book Rating 2/5 roses
Tuesday, November 14, 2002
Double
Dare
By Elaine Hooper
http://www.awe-struck.net/AUTHORS8/dd.html
Awe-Struck Ebooks
Date of Pub: 1999
ISBN# 1-58749-008-0
Romantic Comedy
Pages 90
$4.00
Format: HTML
Heather opens the door to find her mother Senator Darlene Dare. What is a
mother to do with an unwed pregnant daughter?
When Jack Weber stops by his best friend's place, he walks into something he
wished he hadn't. To avert what he thinks is a heart attack, Jack volunteers
to be Heather's fiancée. What can possibly go wrong helping out a friend?
The answer: everything! Poor Jack has too many fiancées. How
does he keep the one he wants with out hurting the one that he's beginning
to think he shouldn't marry?
I laughed, I cheered, I got angry along with the characters in the book.
My heart melted when Jake said, "I don't care one whit what your
mother's constituents say. My only concern is you and the baby."
Now, ladies, this man is tall, blond and handsome with brains to boot.
This is a sweet romance with a happily every after ending.
3 out of 5 baby rattles
Hunter McKenna, GWN Book Reviewer
11/13/2002
From
Highlanders to Cowboys
An Interview with Ruth Ryan Langan, New York Times Best Selling Author
By Linda Morelli, GWN Historical Editor
As a special treat for the holidays, I have the distinct pleasure of
presenting an interview with Ruth Ryan Langan, author of seventy
contemporary and historical novels. I first fell in love with her
writing many years ago, when I read THE HIGHLANDER. I read the book in one
sitting and have been hooked on her romances ever since. A special
thrill for me was when I had the opportunity to meet her in person in 1998,
when I chaired the Washington Romance Writers' Annual Spring Retreat.
She was our featured Saturday Luncheon speaker, and I can assure you she is
a charming and wonderful speaker, in addition to being one of my most
favorite romance authors.
Ruth is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, as well as a member
of the Detroit Women Writers and Sisters in Crime. She has appeared on
Donahue, Good Morning America, and CNN, as well as dozens of radio and TV
shows across the country. She has been quoted in such diverse
publications as The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, and the Detroit Free
Press. Her latest release, BADLANDS HEART, Book 3 in her Badlands
Series for Harlequin Historicals, is available now in bookstores, just in
time for holiday reading and giving.
Now, on to the interview:
Linda: Please tell us something about yourself.
Ruth: I'm married, the mother of five children. I live in Michigan, on
a lovely resort/golf course setting, and start most days by jogging along
the cart paths with my husband. We've followed this routine for years,
and love the fact that it gets me away from my computer for a while. Love to
travel. We've seen most of the country, and have been to Canada,
Mexico, the Caribbean, Ireland, England. Hope to see Scotland and
Wales, and would go back to Ireland any time. Really loved it.
Linda: Please tell us why you decided you wanted to write romance novels.
How long have you been writing?
Ruth: I love reading romance, so it's a natural thing to want to write
them. Since I cut my teeth on mysteries, I love adding suspense to the
romance, whether it's contemporary or historical. My first book was
published in 1981.
Linda: Did any authors influence you and, if so, why?
Ruth: Sidney Sheldon was a favorite of mine. I absolutely loved the
romantic suspense. I also loved adventure yarns by Jack London.
And Gothics by the Bronte sisters.
Linda: Did you have an agent to send out your first book?
Ruth: I didn't get an agent until after I'd sold my first book. My
first was discovered in the slush pile, and bought by Silhouette Books.
Linda: How do you go about developing your characters and plots? Do you use
an outline when writing?
Ruth: I just let the characters play in my mind until I get a handle on
them, then start writing. I've never used an outline.
Linda: Do your characters ever surprise you?
Ruth: Constantly.
Linda: Who has been your favorite hero so far, and why? Favorite heroine?
Favorite couple?
Ruth: That would be like choosing a favorite child. Not
possible. I always love the one I've just finished writing. My
readers are very vocal, though. They were crazy about my Wildes of
Wyoming, and recently my Lassiter family. But my historical readers are just
as vocal, letting me know that they love anything set in Ireland or
Scotland, as well as the old West.
Linda: What is your writing schedule like and, on average, how long does it
take to complete a book?
Ruth: I write every day. Most days I write about 6 to 8 hours. I
have no set time for completing a book. However long it takes to tell
the story, and tell it well.
Linda: Have you ever suffered from Writer's Block and, if so, what do you
do?
Ruth: No writer's block. Don't believe in it. I simply keep on
writing, even if it's dreck, and has to be deleted the next day. Then I
start over and keep on slogging though.
Linda: Did you belong to any critique groups when you started? If so, did
you find them helpful?
Ruth: There were no critique groups when I started. No RWA, no local
writer support groups that I knew about. In fact, when I started, I
didn't know a single person who was trying to write. But I've heard
from pals who belong to critique groups, and they've found them to be
wonderfully supportive. It helps to have friends who understand the
ups and downs of this business.
Linda: How do you go about researching your books? How much time do you
spend on research before you begin writing the story?
Ruth: I used to spend a great deal of time at my local library. Now I
find the Internet a wonderful resource. If I'm writing about something
unknown to me, I spend as much time as necessary to know the subject.
Linda: What type of promotion do you do for your books?
Ruth: I write an annual newsletter, then pay a publicity firm to handle the
mailing of it, along with a bookmark and refrigerator magnet, which goes out
at holiday time. With the release of each book I do as many local book
signings as I can accommodate. I've been fortunate because Silhouette
Books sent me, along with several other authors, around the country doing
interviews and workshops. It was a great education.
Linda: What do you like most and/or least about writing?
Ruth: I love every aspect of this wonderful career, although like most
writers, I hate deadlines. But they keep me going. Without them,
I'd probably enjoy becoming lazy.
Linda: Your family must be very proud of you being a romance writer. What
did they say when you got the call that you sold your first book?
Ruth: They went crazy. You can imagine with a husband and five
children that it was a very noisy celebration, with the kids screaming and
my husband phoning everyone he ever knew. I jokingly say that there
are probably people in foreign countries still wondering who that crazy man
was calling them in the middle of the night to rave about his genius wife.
Linda: What are you going to be writing next?
Ruth: I've already completed my story for our sixth Once Upon A novella for
Jove, which will be called Nora Roberts' ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT. My
story, "Dream Lover," is, like all of the stories, an adult fairy
tale with a happy ending.
I'm also contracted to write a grand historical family saga for Berkley, and
a three-book contemporary romantic suspense series for Silhouette Intimate
Moments.
Linda: What advice do you have for new romance authors?
Ruth: Have faith in yourself. Don't talk about it; just write, write,
write. Write every day at a particular time, in order to become
disciplined. Learn from every rejection and move on. And, as you
tell your children when they feel disheartened, don't let the turkeys get
you down.
Linda: Where do you see the romance genre going in the future?
Ruth: There are always cycles, whether Sex In The City copycats, or Love and
Laughter types. But I believe pure romance, and romantic suspense,
will always sell. I also think well written historicals will always do
well.
Linda: Is there anything you're working on that you would like your readers
to know about?
Ruth: I guess I listed them above. My latest series is MYSTICAL HIGHLANDS
for Harlequin Historical. A 3-book series set in the Highlands, about three
sisters with unique gifts. Book 1, HIGHLAND SWORD, will be in April,
with Book 2 THE BETRAYAL in July and Book 3 THE KNIGHT'S SEER, in
October. This will also mark the publication of my 70th book.
Anyone interested in getting on my mailing list can e-mail me with their
full name, address and zip, and they'll receive my annual newsletter,
bookmark and refrigerator magnet with future titles. Also, if they'd
like to be on my e-mail list, alerting them whenever a new book has reached
bookstore shelves, they can e-mail me with their e-mail address. My website
is www.ryanlangan.com
Linda: Thank you so much, Ruth, for taking the time from your obviously busy
schedule to visit with Gotta Write Network Online. We all look forward
to reading your latest release and more of your excellent novels in the
future.
- Linda Morelli
GWN Online Historical Editor
RomRiter@aol.com
Song
of Isis
By Diana Kirk
Hard Shell Word Factory
Historical Romance
Sept. 2001
Trade Paperback
ISBN - 0-7599-0341-7
$12.95
235 pages
A Spectrum 2000 winner
Cover art by Dirk A. Wolf
Alexandra Stone, a physician and expert on orthopedics, is summoned from her
class at Chicago's Northwestern University for her opinion on a x-ray. A
4,000-year-old sarcophagus is recovered from a find near Abydos, the Valley
of the Kings. A number of impatient scientists await her comments about the
condition of its sternum. Her verdict on the x-ray is that the breaks along
the sternum are indicative of a modern day procedure known as CPR. Their
reaction isn't the one she expected. She puts their ignorant remarks behind
her and heads out to Egypt to team up with her father, Professor Ezekiel
Stone. Alexandra rushes to her father's dig when a fallen square block
injures Ahmed, an Egyptian workman. The fallen block reveals a hidden room
and what could lead to her father's validation as a scientist. There is a
myth that a great healer taught the Egyptians the art of medicine. Was he
right?
After attending to Ahmed, Alex returns to the tomb to get her doctor's bag.
Her curiosity coaxes her to read a song or prayer from a scroll. Soon the
earth begins to rumble and she runs for her life. Runs right into two men, a
physician named Tarik and his servant. Against her will they force her to
journey with them back to Tarik's home. Because she came from the tomb she
is considered a gift to Mentuhotep, the Pharaoh. Tarik is honor bound to
make the presentation. Alex is stunned by her situation, but not willing to
play the role of servant. She's an intelligent woman from the 21st century
and whatever she did to come to this long-dead civilization, it will be her
actions that send her home. Her first solution lies in escaping Tarik's home
and returning to the tomb. With Seta's assistance, (a Nubian princess forced
to be a slave) she manages to get as far as a well to fill her pottery jug
before Tarik locates them. She tells him that she's a Sinu, (physician) from
ano! ther place and time. That their escape was not Seta's idea, but her
own. He considers her request to protect his slave if she submits to the
teachings of Nafair. Alex agrees, but secretly plots a way back to the tomb
to find Isis' image and song.
As time passes, Tarik finds himself falling in love with Alex making it
difficult for him to give her up. He observes her skill as a physician and
feels blessed working with her. The day comes when his greatest gift is
given to his Pharaoh and he quickly realizes that her life is in danger
should she become the Pharaoh's concubine. Betrayal of Egypt is not simply a
threat. Beyond the shadows of tomorrow wait the Herakleopolis warriors and
their leaders, the enemies from the North.
SONG OF ISIS is not a fairy tale, an enchanting romance cast in an ancient
setting. It is a "what if" story spiced with danger. It takes an
unusual instrument of time travel to place two people never destined to meet
with the same desire to heal. It shows how fragile freedom is, how love is a
gift and respect comes with a high price. Diana Kirk did a great job
capturing what Egyptian life might have been like during the tenth or
eleventh Dynasty. This book is a definite keeper and easily receives GWN'S
Romance Recommendation.
--five out of five mummies
Denise Fleischer, GWN Book Reviewer
11/10/2002
 From
Satellites to Romance
An Interview with Jen Holling,
Author of The Brides of the Blood Stone trilogy
By Linda Morelli, GWN Historical Editor
This month, I have the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jen Holling, an
extremely talented historical/paranormal romance author.
Jen can't remember a time when she didn't want to be a writer, but she was
hesitant to show anyone the writing she had composed in private. She joined
the Air Force right out of high school to "see the world," and was
sent to Omaha, where she worked on satellite ground terminals. She married,
had two children and, in 1996, quit the Air Force to become a stay-at-home
mom, then returned home to Oklahoma when the Air Force sent her husband to
Korea. Her mother urged her to read Diana Galbadon's Outlander trilogy.
She loved the books and began reading everything she could find about
Culloden and Bonny Prince Charlie, then the Templars and the Bruces. She
soon realized that she should be writing historical romance, instead of just
reading them.
I'm glad she did, because her first book, A Time for Dreams, a
time-travel romance set in 16th century Scotland, received outstanding
reviews. Her subsequent novel, Forever, My Lady, likewise received
rave reviews. Jen has recently completed the final book in her The
Brides of the Blood Stone trilogy, Captured by Your Kiss, to be
released by Sonnet Books in January 2003. She is currently working on
another Scottish/paranormal trilogy.
Jen now lives in Texas with her husband and two children. To learn
more about her wonderful releases, log on to her website, Jen Holling.
(http://www.jenholling.com)
And now, on to the interview:
Linda: Jen, please tell us something about yourself.
Jen: I'm 31, married, with two daughters. Before I started writing
historical romances I was a Satellite communications technician in the Air
Force.
Linda: Why did you decide you wanted to write romance novels? Did any
authors influence you and, if so, why?
Jen: Yes, several authors influenced me, some directly and some indirectly.
When I was 13, I read Victoria Holt's My Enemy the Queen and fell in
love with history. I read everything I could get my hands on about
Elizabethan England. Then I read Anya Seton's Green Darkness and fell
in love with paranormal. But it wasn't until nearly 14 years later, when I
read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander trilogy that I realized that I wanted to
write-historical romance with paranormal elements. That's when I finally sat
down and wrote my first book.
Linda: Did you have an agent to send out your first book?
Jen: No, I sold my first two books, A Time for Dreams, a Scottish
time-travel romance, and Forever, My Lady, a Scottish historical
mystery romance to Harper unagented. It wasn't until Avon and Harper merged
and I was orphaned (my editor was moved to another department) that I
realized I needed to get myself an agent. I had one when I sold the Brides
of the Bloodstone trilogy to Pocket.
Linda: How long have you been writing?
Jen: I've been writing all my life, but I've been writing novels for five
years.
Linda: How do you go about developing your characters and plots?
Jen: I don't know where the seed ideas come from, the ether I guess, but
once I have an inkling, I hit the books and start researching. I spend a few
weeks researching and while I'm doing that, I'm also developing the
characters and the basic plot. Research feeds my imagination. I do character
worksheets, GMC charts, characterizations diamonds, Hero's Journey, anything
I can find to help me develop characters and plot. And then I sit down and
write a synopsis. At that time I generally only know major scenes and
turning points, as well as the progression of the romance. It's not until I
start writing that I do the detailed plotting and I do that a section of the
book at a time-practically as I come to it. But since I know the framework,
I don't run into structural problems anymore (and I used to-my first 4 books
were written 'seat of my pants"-no plotting and they required extensive
revisions and rewriting).
Linda: Do you use an outline when writing and, if so, do your characters
ever surprise you?
Jen: Yes, I do use an outline, and yes, my characters always surprise me.
Linda: Who has been your favorite hero so far, and why? Favorite heroine?
Favorite couple?
Jen: This one is hard, because my favorite characters are usually the ones
I'm writing, but I'd have to say Patrick from Captured by Your Kiss (Book
3 in the Brides of the Bloodstone trilogy) is my favorite hero. I really
love writing wounded, tortured heroes, and Patrick is a mercenary knight
suffering from PTSD. And I would have to say that he and Mona are my
favorite couple. As for a favorite heroine, the one I'm writing now is. The
book is the first in a new trilogy for Pocket and the heroine is a witch.
She's very spirited and witty-and fun to write.
Linda: What is your writing schedule like and, on average, how long does it
take to complete a book?
Jen: I write in the mornings, sometimes into the afternoon. I also spend a
few hours researching every day. I've written books in as little as 4
months, but I don't enjoy that pace. 6-9 months is a good pace for me-that
includes revisions, polishing, etc.
Linda: Have you ever suffered from Writer's Block and, if so, what do you
do?
Jen: Yes, though never for long periods of time. It almost always signals to
me that there is a problem with the direction of the story. It could be a
character or a plot point-but once I figure it out, the story flows again.
Figuring it out can be difficult, though, especially when I'm on a tight
deadline and I'm impatient. Reading, researching, driving, walking, baths or
showers are often conducive to insight for me.
Linda: Did you belong to any critique groups when you started? If so, do you
find this helpful?
Jen: I've never belonged to a critique group, but I've always had critique
partners. They've changed through the years, but I find it very helpful to
get a critical eye to read my manuscript. But you have to be careful-I've
had people who are more interested in changing my voice/style to what they
think it should be than to read for story/character/plot-which is what I
want, and what I give as a critique partner-I don't touch personal style. So
it takes time to find a good match.
Linda: How do you go about researching your books? How much time do you
spend on research before you begin writing the story?
Jen: All my books are set in 16th century Scotland, so I don't have to do as
much preliminary research as I did for my first books. With those I spent
about a month in preliminary research, and then continued to research
throughout the writing and revising, and so on. In fact, I was never
actually finished until I could no longer change the book. Now, I spent a
week or two in the preliminary research and continue to research while I'm
writing and revising.
Linda: What type of promotion do you do for your books?
Jen: I've done bookmarks, postcards, website contests. I have a website (www.jenholling.com)
and an announcement-type e-newsletter. I rarely do booksignings anymore.
With Tamed by Your Desire I did banner ads and spotlights on a few
websites. I don't know how effective these things are, but am getting a bit
burned out on it and plan to do a lot less with Captured by Your Kiss,
the last book in the trilogy.
Linda: What do you like most and/or least about writing?
Jen: I love being my own boss, setting my own hours, and working at home. I
love being home for my kids-but then, that can be the drawback,
too-sometimes I have so much family stuff going on, I wonder when I can fit
in writing.
Linda: Your family must be very proud of you being a romance writer. What
did they say when you got the call that you sold your first book?
Jen: Well, my kids were too small to understand what it meant, but they're
really proud of me now and tell everyone their mom is a published author. My
husband was as shocked as I was when I finally got the call. But now he has
a lot more confidence in me than I have in myself!
Linda: What are you going to be writing next?
Jen: I'm working on another trilogy for Pocket. It doesn't have a title yet,
unfortunately, but it's about three sisters who are witches. And it's set in
late 16th century Scotland when the country was in the midst of a nationwide
witch-hunt.
Linda: What advice do you have for new romance authors?
Jen: Read, write, and never give up. Persistence and practice are the keys.
Know the market.
Linda: Where do you see the romance genre going in the future?
Jen: Single title series books with connecting characters that carry over
from book to book, as well as trilogies where the elements are more
intertwined seem to be more popular than ever. I think that trend will
probably continue. There also seems to be renewed interest in paranormal (yay!).
Linda: Is there anything you're working on that you would like your readers
to know about?
Jen: Not really!
Linda: Thank you so much, Jen, for taking time out of your busy schedule to
visit with Gotta Write Network Online. We look forward to more of your
excellent novels in the future.
--Linda Morelli
GWN Online Historical Editor
RomRiter@aol.com
VetCop
By Donna Conger
A Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Port Town Publishing
2002
ISBN: 0-9716239-3-7
$7.95
Setting: Massachusetts, Alaska
When Mark and Susan Baker and Mark's mother, Martha, are stabbed to death in
their home, the police realize that robbery wasn't the motive. It was the
guest they were after, a very valuable mynah bird named Treasure.
Veterinarian Paul Conner was operating on a pet warthog when Detective
George Christensen called for his assistance. Conner, having treated
Christensen's Akita, was the only man he could trust to go to the scene of
the murder, recover the mynah bird and see to its safety. After earning
Treasure's trust, Conner takes the bird home with him. When he returns from
an emergency house call, he learns that someone made a second attempt to
steal Treasure. She is alive, but afraid. Now Conner wants to know what he's
up against. Who wants the bird and doesn't care who he has to kill to
retrieve it? Because he's entitled to know why his life is in danger,
Detective Christensen tells him that Treasure was in the custody of a M.I.T.
researcher. She was stolen three days ago, but escaped her kidnappers. M.I.T.
reps were able to track her down to Martha's home in Brewster, Massachusetts
because of a device planted under her skin. Someone may have been paid to
steal the bird because she! was of prime egg-laying age. Apparently, a
feature article about the bird landing in Franklin's backyard drew the
attention of the kidnappers, telling them exactly where to locate her. Not
wanting to be identified, they killed the family.
When Veronia Mason, a researcher from M.I.T. shows up on Conner's doorstep
he's instantly attracted to her, yet painfully reminded of his first wife's
death. Feeling that Treasure is no longer safe in Conner's clinic/home, they
head out to her parents' home in Woodstock, Vermont. Veronica's mother and
Officer Brent Michaels, who was sent by Christensen, immediately greet them.
A dangerous request is then made for Conner and Mason to take part in a
sting operation at an animal warehouse. Will it insure that the animals bred
for pet shops are adequately cared for? That exotic animals won't be sold
illegally? Will Treasure ever be safe? With all the danger at every twist
and turn, can two people fall in love and have a life together? Will
Conner's interest lead to a new career in law enforcement? Read the book and
find out.
VETCOP centers briefly on increasing animal intelligence. Though this book
is considered a contemporary romantic suspense, I was hungry for more
information on the scientific nature of such research. The cutting back and
forth from Massachusetts to Conner's father's home in Alaska was a bit
distracting. All in all, the storyline draws you into poor Treasure's
struggle to survive and Conner's own decision to go on with his life.
Secondary characters add to the charm of the book, but have little effect on
the outcome of the story. They were there for moral support. Had I room for
Treasure in my home filled with pets, I would have put out the
"welcome" sign.
3 cups of mynah bird seed out of 5
Denise Fleischer
10/25/2002
The Wedding Dress
By Virginia Ellis
Ballantine Books
ISBN: O-345-44482-5
304 pages
$21.95
June 2002
Hardcover
Setting: Oak Creek, Virginia
Period: Post-Civil War
Determined to see that Claire lives a fulfilling life, Julia Atwater devises
a plan for her younger sister's future. Julia and sister, Victoria, will
create a wedding dress, a symbol of love and a new life. They will barter
for the materials and find her a husband.
Though there are no men in their home, there appears to be a number of
ghostly individuals watching over them. At first only Julia notices the
fallen soldiers, but then her sisters witness them at camp fires, walking
down the road or leaning against the tree.
And then there are those who help the sisters by smoking meat and promising
them an extra package of venison in the spring. Selling them necessities and
providing buttons for the gown free of charge. Julia now believes she is
getting what she wished for. That all the pieces of the dress are coming
together one by one and that her neighbors are pledging their faith in her
enterprise. All they need now is the groom.
Who should walk into their parlor but Sergeant Monroe Tacy. He has a
mission to perform on behalf of Julia's deceased husband, Lt. Lovejoy.
Apparently, Monroe fought beside him and is going to fulfill his last
request. It was a miracle that brings him into their home. Now comes the
task of getting him to fall in love with Claire. Soon the days turn into
weeks. Monroe tends to the home and barn's repairs. He yearns to remain with
the sisters because he is needed here. He finally admits to Julia that he's
in love with her, but she's still committed to William.
THE WEDDING DRESS stitches together the fine details of life during the
post-Civil War era. It focuses on three sisters trying to put the pieces of
their lives back in order after the war. Julia is the backbone of the
family. She thinks nothing about her own future, only what is best for her
sisters. Victoria and Julia are not strangers to grief and Claire is trying
to live the dream, but reality gets in the way.
This book is about miracles and the power of faith. It reminds the reader
that sometimes things don't turn out as you planned. That even during the
worst of times there is hope. And, yes, there is a second chance for love.
4 out of 5 bolts of buff-colored calico
--Denise Fleischer, GWN Book Reviewer
Netera@aol.com
10/13/2002
A
Little Piece of Heaven
By Linda
Blesser
NovelBooks
http://www.novelbooksinc.com
Romance
Electronic and Trade
April 2002
180 pages
ISBN 1-59105-030-8
Twins Ashley and Lexi Kincaid, as with so many twins, may look alike, but
inside are entirely different people. Ashley is a prolific romance
writer, Lexi is a brilliant marketer. Together they create the
character Lace Kincaid, a single woman who writes steamy popular romances
and drips sensuality and charm at conventions and books signings. Only
a select few know that Lace is really two people, but now that reporter Rick
Orlando has been assigned to follow Lace Kincaid around a major romance
convention, where Lace will be given the prestigious Crystal Quill award,
that secret will become hard to keep.
Since Ashley has become a victim of writers block, Lexi has decided that
what she needs to get back into her story is the attentions of Rick.
Rick, she realizes, looks like just about every main male character
Ashley has put on paper. Her attempts to kick start the relationship
by wooing Rick make for some funny -- and frustrating -- complications,
because Rick finds Lexi's version of Lace cold and fake, while he finds
Ashley's version the embodiment of his dreams. Throw in the sexy cover
model who everyone knows as The Sapphire Man (or Sapphie to those who love
him) and you have a tale brimming with misunderstandings, humor and romance.
Strong characters are key to any book, but in romances they are essential.
Ashley and Lexi are excellent, both fitting their prospective men,
Rick and Sapphie, to a T. Rick is a fabulous romantic hero, sensible
and sensitive. His confusion of how he reacts to the different
sisters, while thinking they're the same person is fun to read. His
friendship with photographer Peggy is well done...I was relieved and
gratified that Blesser avoided the whole stereotypical thing where the
female friend all of a sudden gets jealous and decides that she actually
loves the main character. She does not actively try to sabotage the
relationship, even though she's set against Lace, figuring Lace for a man
eater. I also enjoyed the setting of the romance convention. Blesser
made them sound like fun, while using the plot catches inherent in such a
place to keep up the pacing. She also takes the time to make some very
valid points about the! stereotypical view of romance books and writers,
pointing out that she has to work just as hard as any other writer, and that
her works are just as worthy.
This tale is incredibly charming. It takes the well loved concept of a
comedy of errors and creates a very sweet, very endearing romance.
4 out of five hearts
--Cindy Lynn Speer, GWN Book Reviewer
9/3/2002
 The
Rebel
By May McGoldrick
Signet
Historical Romance
July 2002
360 pages
ISBN: 0-451-20654-1
England, 1770
$6.99
Sir Nicholas Spencer's reputation described him as a rogue, a womanizer and
a sportsman and he was damn proud of it. He wanted his life as uncomplicated
as possible with no emotional ties. During his years as a soldier, and his
time spent in the colonies, he witnessed how anguish reached beyond the
dying to their families. Recently, he has begun to experience discontentment
and is unsure what he can do to change it. No doubt it comes from witnessing
the happiness his best friend as found with his second wife.
Shortly after leaving his friend's home, a child approaches him as he walks
through the park. The boy begs for money so he can care for his sister.
Nicholas offers him money and his coat and then lifts the frail child in his
arms. He turns around to find the boy is gone. He takes the child to a
shelter and learns that she's dead. Now a new goal forms in Nicholas' mind:
influencing the fate of lost souls. He also needs a wife to share the
remainder of his years, to be loved and have children.
Nicholas' mother, Alexandra, and he and his sister, Frances, are on holiday
in August 1771. Their carriage is destined for Woodfield House,
the home of Nicholas' possible future bride, but is detained when they
approach a stalled carriage on the road. According to the bishop's man, who
fled from the scene and approached Nicholas' carriage, five masked men on
horseback confronted the bishop. The "Whiteboys" were angry with
the bishop for not baptizing poor Irish babies because their parents
couldn't afford it. After sending his family to safety, Nicholas quietly
seeks out the rebels, knocks the leader to the ground and after feeling a
knife cut into his flesh learns that the rebel leader is a woman posing as a
man. Nicholas meets with Sir Thomas Purefoy, owner of Woodfield House and
ex-magistrate of the King. He is greeted by young Clara and is then
introduced to their eldest daughter, Jane. She is the mysterious woman who
attacked him on the road. She is also the woman who has captured his heart.
Jane is involved with a secret resistance group for over 9 years. Her first
love, one of its hanged leaders, made her aware of the injustices of the
British military. The horror of night attacks on poor, defenseless villagers
is revealed in Jane's phenomenal paintings. All are hidden away in her attic
studio. Now her family wishes to restore her reputation, as well as the
family name. The man believed to ask for Jane's younger sister's hand in
marriage seems more like a highwayman than a respected member of the ton.
And Jane wonders what reason is behind his silence having unmasked her. Is
it to protect her sister, Clara, or to gather information about the young
rebels?
THE REBEL presents two windows to the past that both educate and demand your
attention. One focuses on how lives where governed by appearance and
impressions of the ton. It states that the role of marriage was a bargaining
tool. A young woman's thoughts on the matter were not important. You lived
the life they told you to live. The other guides you through the courageous
acts of a woman, not a man, in trying to pull innocent lives out of the jaws
of death. It is a constant struggle for Jane. To think that all it
took was a command and your entire village was eliminated reminds us of
other countless historical chapters.
Control and violence merge with guilt, lost loves, unrecognized talent,
second chances and history in this very special tale by May McGoldrick.
4 ½ out of 5 paintbrushes
--Denise Fleischer, GWN Book Reviewer
Netera@aol.com
gottawritenetwork.com
10/6/2003
Call
Back Yesterday
J.A. Ferguson
ImaJinn, August 2002, $14.00
ISBN 1893896757
Darcy Kincaid is half-English and half-Egyptian, which makes her a pariah in
Victorian England where bloodlines are most important. Her grandmother
wants Darcy to marry an Englishman, produce heirs, and ignore her tainted
Egyptian heritage. Rather then take the easy way out, Darcy is
determined
to earn enough money to pay for her passage to Egypt. She is working
on
writing a collection of Egyptian stories that she hopes will get published
and she accepts the position of secretary to Dr. Simon Garrett, writing a
book on the derivation of words.
When she first arrives at Rosewood Hall, Simon wants to dismiss her because
he expected a male but Darcy's typing skills persuades him to give her a
chance. From the very beginning Simon and Darcy are attracted to one
another as if they knew each other in another lifetime. Both try to
fight
the attraction, but neither are successful. If they are to find any
happiness, they must fight the evil that dwells within their midst.
J.A. Ferguson has written a beautiful reincarnation romance starring two
lovers who must fight and win against an old enemy if they are to have a
second chance at life and love. Set against a mid-Victorian English
background, CALL BACK YESTERDAY is a gothic ghost tale that will appeal to
lovers of romance that have a strong dose of the paranormal in the plot.
Harriet Klausner
On Wings of Time
Dolly Lien
ImaJinn, Sept 2002, $14.50, 288 pp.
ISBN 189389681
Raven embraces the Navaho part of her heritage while rejecting the Anglo
component of her blood that comes from her estranged father. She plans
to
marry a Navaho and doesn't even date any Anglos yet when she is summoned to
a different time and place, she finds herself attracted to the son and heir
of the castle Tristan Sanct Joliet. Tris was wishing for a woman like
Raven
and the invisible dragon ring on his finger plucked her out of the future
and brought her to his era.
At first, Raven, a veterinarian doesn't believe she's in another time and
place when dragons existed taking human form while sorcerers and witches
practiced magic. When confronted by the living conditions, Raven is
forced
to accept her new reality and comes to care for Tris and he for her.
Their
path to happiness is not an easy one because Marek, an evil sorcerer wants
Tris' ring and he must kill him before it can be removed from his finger.
Dolly Lien has written a wondrous tale filled with gallant knights, evil
wizards, and a woman from the future who has the strength to make a place
for herself as a stranger in a strange world. The hero and heroine are
endearing characters and the story line is magical. ON WINGS OF TIME
is a
beautiful story that readers will cherish.
Harriet Klausner
 East
of the Sun, West of the Moon
By Carole Bellacera
Forge
381 pages
Hardcover ISBN 0-765-30079-6
$25.95
Paperback ISBN 0765340291
Setting: Northern Virginia
Award-winning illustrator Leigh Fallon has always put her family's needs
before her own. As the wife of Congressman Bob Fallon, she's played the role
according to his rules. As Mark, Aaron, Mel and Melissa's mom, she is a
cook, car pool driver, homework helper and a good listener. But she's dying
inside of loneliness.
Then a 27-year-old foreign exchange student Erik Haukeland comes to live
with the Fallons. His attention stirs her, yet she pushes the attraction
aside. Betraying her vows is the last thing she wants to do until she finds
condoms in her husband's overnight travel bag. Thoughts of his Capitol Hill
secretary come to mind. He's never home and wants nothing to do with her. He
also missed her book cover award ceremony to be a fill-in speaker at the
National Rifle Association Convention and their Anniversary lunch
engagement. Reality sets its vicious claws around her heart and she makes
love to big, blond, blue-eyed Erik who is equally attracted and falling in
love with her after his return from Norway. Though Leigh's family adores
Erik, (with the exception of Bob) the affair will be considered an act of
betrayal.
For a time, Erik's ploy to have a fellow psych class student named Dawn fill
the role as his girlfriend works. Offering a shoulder to lean on is young
adult author Deanna Harper who was introduced to her by her agent, Ellen.
Deanna, who is living the "dream life," in terms of a luxury
apartment in New York and all the young men she can handle, understands what
Leigh is going through. Deanna offers her a place to live after Erik is
rushed to the hospital and Bob witnesses Erik embracing Leigh. Adding more
tension is Dawn's confession to the affair.
Now Leigh has to live with the consequences of her affair. Her children feel
she betrayed their father unaware of his many affairs. She also has to
create a new life for herself now that her world has crumbled around her.
Just when things start to come together at the art gallery, she receives a
telegram from Erik. She takes Deanna's advice at meets him in Norway. On the
flight there she is seated beside Knut Aabel, who works at the Norwegian
Embassy in D.C. They talk during the flight and she accepts his business
card. It was a conversation and nothing more.
If life was complicated before, it's more so when she meets Erik's family
and learns that he has a son named Gunvor. Gunny's mother, Margit Lovvig,
now stands in the way of Erik and Leigh having a life together. Can she
accept a life without him? Is Erik willing to accept the fact that Gunny is
his son? Is there another romantic interest awaiting Leigh? Read the book
and find out.
EAST OF THE SUN, WEST OF THE MOON focuses on the hidden realities of
contemporary marriages. It explores the "older woman's" difficulty
in dealing with her lover's age difference; how an affair can destroy a
family and how fragile are the little things called trust and morals.
Norway's land and culture are well portrayed and offer you a
behind-the-scenes look at life a world away.
5 out of 5 paintbrushes
--Denise Fleischer, GWN Online Book Reviewer
Netera@aol.com, gottawritenetwork.com
9/1/2002
Command
Performance
By Linnea Sinclair
Novel Books, Inc.
http://www.novelbooksinc.com
Science Fiction Romance
Trade Paperback
April 2002
300 pages
$18.95 US
ISBN 1-59105-089-8
Captain Tasha "Sass" Sebastian has never really gotten along all
that well with Admiral Branden Kel-Paten, who runs the space-faring
Huntership Vaxxar like a well oiled machine. Maybe it's his constant
scowling or stuffed shirt attitude. She knows he can't help himself, being
that he's half cyborg and his humanity has been trained out of him.
She respects him, and tries to figure out why he acts like he doesn't
trust her. In turn, Kel-Paten respects Sass, and trusts her despite
what she thinks. His actions are motivated by love, an emotion
forbidden to a man of his programming. The fact that Chief Medical
Eden Fynn, an empath and Sass's best friend knows what he's feeling doesn't
help matters. Fortunately, she's distracted by hunky pirate Jace
Serafino.
This duel space romance is funny, charming, and even a bit quirky.
From the first page, where you meet Sass, clad in a tee-shirt, bearing
the legend "No, no! Bad Captain," you know that you're
in for a pleasant run. Sinclair manages to balance the humor and the
action, making it funny without being over done or satiric. There's
enough action to please any Star Trek junkie such as myself, filled with the
exploration of a Medieval-feeling world, intergalactic politics, and fights
with imaginative aliens. Sometimes it feels a bit like a comedy of
errors, where people work and think at cross purposes even when they're on
the same team, which only adds to the humor element of the story. The
main focus, however, is on the romance between these two unusual pairings as
they try and figure out Kel-Paten's true plans, and if those include loving
Sass, or killing her.
Kel-Paten is perhaps the most likable character, because he is so honest
about the fact he loves Sass and needs to come to terms with his own
emotions. The internal fight between his human side and cyborg side
comes across as very sympathetic. Sass is an admirable heroine, a
gutsy and flippant foil to his dark seriousness. Eden and Jace are
also on the opposite sides of the spectrum, she a conscionable and caring
doctor, he a rakehell pirate. The fact that they can meet
telepathically, and that she can meet the "real" Jace is what
makes their romance believable and enjoyable.
This is the perfect book for someone who wants a light romantic adventure.
A sequel to it, called Command Decisions will be out sometime, and I
am looking forward to reading it. Definitely the book to make any boring
rainy day pass happily.
4 out of five 5 tractor beams
--Cindy Lynn Speer, GWN Book Reviewer
 The
Ways of Grace
By Linda Francis Lee
Ballantine Books
Contemporary Romance
Sept. 2002
ISBN 0-8041-1995-3
$6.99
368 pages
Setting: New York City
Grace Colebrook was nearly thirty. Her mother and sister were chipping away
at her sanity. Her father had a big problem with fidelity. And what should
have been the best day of her life was destroyed when she caught her
groom-to-be having sex with her closest friend in the church she was getting
married in.
In a single moment, anger and heartache replaced the possibility of this
future becoming a reality. Grace escapes the betrayal with a long drive to
Coney Island and eventually travels back home again, for you can only run so
far. Overwhelmed with emotion, she sits alone in front of a small church
still dressed for a wedding she never attended…her own. No sound nor the
blur of passing cars can invade her private world, until she senses a man
across the street, in her building, gazing down at her from his apartment.
Jack Berenger, a man who prefers to bury his past and not make commitments,
was completely drawn in by the sight of the solitary figure. Being an
emergency room physician, he knew better then to approach her, wrap her in
his arms and bring her to his apartment. She didn't refuse his invitation
and in his eyes she recognizes the soul-deep hunger for love and to taste
life, even if it was with a stranger. They made love and then she was gone.
He was not exactly a stranger to her. They lived in the same apartment
building and Grace found out his identity and profession. Now, if she could
only avoid him for a lifetime. Put that moment of perfect sex behind her and
go on with her miserable life.
Fate, always one to send challenges, deals out a few powerful blows. J.
Hastings Rodman steals Grace's idea for a new toy. With the evidence of her
proposal no where to be found, Mr. Devious gets her position and she gets
the door.
Newly unemployed, unengaged and her ex-fiancé demanding back her ring,
she's about to hit the ground head first. But that isn't going to happen.
Some people give a damn. Mark, who worked with her at Kendrick Toys,
immediately offers his support. He loves Grace because she understands his
reworking his gender identity. Jack, who learns that the mysterious woman he
made love to lives a few flights up, isn't willing to call it a one-night
stand. He wants an explanation as to why she was sitting out there on a cold
night in a wedding gown and why she left him after they made love. For the
most part, he makes her stronger and fills her emptiness. Mark and Jack pull
her out of her depression, that and her love for Desperately Decadent Double
Fudge Delight and She's No Angel Cake.
Then comes a bit of hope in the form of a child. Seven-year-old Ruth
Colebrook's mother died in a car accident. Jamie Colebrook was the daughter
of Grace's father's cousin and now her child needs a home. Grace's parents
are divorced and neither of them wants the responsibility of caring for
Ruth. Grace's sister, Suzanne, has several children of her own and 'just
can't handle another.' This opportunity is just want Grace needs to give her
life meaning and so she agrees to foster little Ruth. Caring for Ruth is no
easy task, though. It's obvious that the child is heartbroken having lost
her only parent, though she's a pro at veiling it. Grace is determined to
chip away that barrier not allowing Ruth to know happiness and to build a
better life for both of them.
THE WAYS OF GRACE is not a fairy tale. It doesn't set out to prove you can
find a man and live happily ever after. Instead, it shows us that until we
accept our pain of loss and move on with our lives we can't be whole. That
we are who we are and that there's nothing wrong with it. That betrayal
usually brings you down in the end. And, just sometimes, fate isn't working
against you, but trying desperately to make you whole.
5 out of 5 roses
--Denise Fleischer, Gotta Write Online Book Reviewer
Netera@aol.com
July 6, 2002
Time
for Alexander
By Jennifer Macaire
Jacobyte Books
Time Travel Romance
Trade Paper
April 2002
http://www.jacobytebooks.com/
$13.01 Trade, $5.64 eBook US
ISBN 1 74100 088 2
Ashley is a Time Journalist, chosen to go back in time to interview her life
long hero Alexander the Great. She manages to speak with him, only to
fall in love. He is a man like no other, beauty like the sun,
brilliant of mind and intense in his search for more knowledge. She
confesses her love to him, then leaves to rendezvous with the beam of frozen
light that will take her back home. Alexander has other ideas.
He pulls her out of the beam, and is convinced that he has just robbed
the god Hades of his bride, Persephone. She stays with her beloved
gladly, hiding her secret, looking forward to becoming his bride.
Unfortunately other forces conspire to keep them apart.
I hate reading books off of the computer. I try and avoid it because
it gives me a headache, and I really can't get comfortable enough to get
into the book I sat down and began this book, and was pulled into it
so deeply that I couldn't stop reading. I really got involved with the
characters and the setting. Ms. Macaire has studied the ancient
civilizations of Greece and Persia extensively, weaving facts into prose
that has a magical feel. In a way, it feels like we're the travelers
as we see things through Ashley's eyes. Since it's told in the first
person, we get to experience her thoughts and discoveries first hand.
One of the things I liked the best is the fact that she mostly accepts
the culture around her. When she can, she frees slaves, but everything
else she tries and goes with. In most romances, if a husband or other
major love interest were to bed another woman, our heroine would throw a
fit. Whic! h is fair, for who wants one's beloved rolling around in
bed with someone else? But Ashley understands that this is the way of
things, and when his first wife visits, she goes to her tent and tries not
to think of it. She even befriends the woman, a barbarian lass with an
incredible personality. I felt this was the best tact, since Alexander
is a historical figure with several documented wives. The best part
is, you believe that Alexander loves Ashley very much, despite the thought
that he is, perhaps, incapable of love. Ashley makes a marvelous
heroine, brave and resourceful. Macaire also has fun with the
details...and with how historians perceive things, such as when the costumer
makes Ashley shave her head and don a wig for her trip. When Ashley
gets there, she discovers many women wearing their own hair. The
romance is very believable. Alexander is incredibly charismatic, and
everyone around him can't seem to help lov! ing him. Ashley, who has
been trained to keep her emotions under so tight a reign that she has been
dubbed the "ice queen" becomes even more fascinating as the ice
melts. There is also a certain wistfulness to the story. Ashley
knows that she only has a handful of years with him, just as she knows the
fates of many of the people she meets. It is, in a way, her personal
tragedy as she says goodbye to people, knowing she will never see them
again.
This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good time travel romance.
It will also appeal to anyone who enjoys reading about ancient lands
and people.
Five out of five lances
--Cindy Lynn Speer, GWN Book Reviewer
6/12/2002
 Enchantment
By Kathleen Nance
Love Spell
A Heartspell Romance
Sept. 2002
384 pages
Setting: New Orleans, LA
Kaf, the realm of the djinn
www.dorchesterpub.com
Biomedical engineer Jack Montgomery is determined to defend himself should
he be threatened by a djinn. A rainbow-faceted crystal, nested in a veil of
metal and worn around his neck, is his key to taping into magic. Logic
aside, he knew magic existed because his sister, Isis, married Darius of Kaf,
the Protector of the Ma-at.
After leaving the lab one night, Jack becomes restless and heads over to a
neighborhood bar. There he sees an exotic woman, who weaves her magic into
his mind and tries to enchant him. She leaves when her lure is unsuccessful
and is nearly attacked by another man in the bar until Jack steps in. For
Leila, it was a great risk coming to Terra, yet it allowed her to find Isis'
brother, Jack. More than anything, Leila wants a child of her own. For most
djinn females, the chances of having babies are slim for they are not a
fertile race. Mating with a human male increases her chances.
Upon sensing she is a djinn and one that's intent on transporting him, Jack
calls upon the power of his talisman. It intervenes and they are cast into
the Tower lands. Not a good place to be for djinn or human, but they endure
the challenges of the harsh and ever-changing terrain, the crystalline
spires, the forest of trapped souls, the deserts of Kaf and the Night of No
Moon. Upon their journey, they find what little food is available, chant the
necessary prayers to show respect for the land and are befriended by a
living rock. Mistrock has a fondness for Jack and attaches himself to him
when he desires closeness. Then there is someone evil who senses a foreign
power and wants to control it. That someone is only a heartbeat away.
So begins Leila and Jack's quest to be reunited with Jack's sister, Isis,
and to do it without revealing that Jack is human. Djinn distrust humans
because they are known to bind them into slavery.
ENCHANTMENT invites readers into the mystical and seldom explored realm of
the djinn. It unites a woman of magic and a man of science after they learn
that trust is as important as love. It presents the colorful, sensual,
natural ways of the djinn in their liberated environment. It warns that
magic alone can not satisfy those with a deliberate desire for total power.
And, it promises that sometimes two very different people can find the
oldest form of magic….love.
4 out of 5 djinn
--Denise Fleischer, Gotta Write Online Book Reviewer
7/9/2002
KillJoy
Romantic Suspense
Julie Garwood
Ballantine, Sept 2002, $24.95, 400pp
ISBN 0345453808
Jilly was born evil and her sister, Carrie, knew it even though their mother
didn't state it until Avery was born. Jilly dumped her on her mother
and left to see the world and what it could do for her. When Avery was
five, she blackmailed her mother into giving her money in order to kill
Avery. When Avery was eleven, her mother's boyfriend tried to abduct her and
Avery was shot and almost died.
Now Avery is all grown up and working for the FBI. She thinks Jilly is
dead until her mother corresponds with her, telling her if she doesn't do
what Jilly says, Carrie will die. Avery agrees to play KILLJOY and
even accepts the help of ex-agent John Paul who is after Monk, Jilly's
partner in crime. Avery and John Paul become emotionally involved as they
evade Jilly and Monk, but they have much more to overcome if they want to
stay alive and together.
KILLJOY has more than enough action to keep thriller fans happy and has just
enough romance to placate romance fans. Julie Garwood has created a
female Hannibal Lechter, a woman so evil that readers will root for her
downfall. The hero is a knight in shining armor who demonstrates to the
heroine that she should be cherished because of her scars, not in spite of
them.
4 1/2 out of 5 cloaks
Harriet Klausner, GWN Book Reviewer
Bone
of Contention
Historical Mystery
Roberta Gellis
Forge, Sept 2002, $25.95, 431 pp.
ISBN 0765300192
Once she was a wife to a minor lord and mistress of her own manor until her
husband, in a fit of jealousy, tried to kill her and she defended herself by
killing him first. She ran away and thanks to her beauty became a
courtesan but even then two men were killed because of her beauty.
Now, Magdalene la Batarde is determined to be her own woman. She is the
whore mistress of the Old Priory Guesthouse and her patron is William of
Ypres, King Stephen's chief enforcer.
William asks Magdalene to meet him in Oxford where the king is conducting a
council. He needs a place to go where he can hold meetings that will
be kept secret and nobody can arrange things better than Magdalene. She is
accompanied by her lover Sir Bellamy, the Bishop of Winchester's chief
knight and together they find a place to serve William's need as well as
their own. While in Oxford, a series of murders occur and to protect
William's interests (and her own sense of justice) Magdalene conducts an
investigation in hopes of flushing out a murderer.
She is the grand mistress of medieval works of fiction and her series of
medieval mysteries are some of the best ever written. One gets a sense
of the era as well as an idea of how the different classes acted and
thought. Although this is a work of fiction, the historical events are very
true and make a fascinating reading experience. BONE OF CONTENTION
will be sought after by those who like the Brother Cadfael mysteries and
those written by Peter Tremayne.
5 out of 5 cloaks
Harriet Klausner, GWN Book Reviewer
Irresistible
Romantic Suspense
Karen Robards
Pocket, Sep 2002, $7.99, 368 pp.
ISBN: 0743410602
In 1813, Claire Banning Lynes escapes from her abductors who are in deadly
pursuit. They insist they just want a ransom, but Claire knows her
feckless spouse does not have the money to pay a small sum as the glamorous
heir to the Duke of Richmond David wastes his little income on hedonistic
pursuits. So the determined and logical Claire concludes that fleeing from
her kidnappers is her only chance to survive.
However, Lord Hugh Battancourt intercepts her flight to freedom. He
thinks Claire is an evasive French spy that he, as an agent of His Majesty's
Secret Service, has been after for quite a while. While Claire
protests otherwise, Hugh goes from disbelieving cynic to a besotted
lover. However, not only is she married but he still wonders if his
heart is betraying his brain?
Regency romance readers will find Karen Robards second Banning sister tale
an IRRESISTIBLE exciting romantic suspense starring two delightful lead
protagonists sharing two things: love and distrust. The story line
never eases up on the action, yet the talent of Ms. Robards enables the
audience to appreciate Claire and Hugh even in an adulterous
relationship. Though the solution to their problem is too obviously
facilitated, fans will relish this tale as much as the first installment
(see SCANDALOUS) and look forward to the next sibling's novel.
4 1/2 out of 5 cloaks
Harriet Klausner, GWN Book Reviewer
River
Road
Romantic Suspense
JoAnn Ross
Pocket, Sep 2002; $6.99, 416 pp.
ISBN: 0743436830
For the past five years, Julia Summers has starred as an Erica Kane-type
vamp on the number one nighttime soap opera, RIVER ROAD. However, when
her contract ends in less than a month, Julia will leave the TV show to
become a "Bond Girl." Currently, Julia is on location in
Blue Bayou, Louisiana filming her last story line for RIVER ROAD.
After three years trying to capture a serial killer, FBI Special Agent Finn
Callahan succeeds. However, when his prisoner tries to escape, Finn
gleefully uses more force then is necessary. Though his peers quietly
applaud Finn for doing what they wanted to do, he receives a one-month
suspension. Finn returns to his hometown of Blue Bayou where his
brother, Nate, serves as the mayor. When an unknown assailant stalks
Julia, his sibling asks Finn to protect the actress. Neither Finn nor
Julia wants that, but reluctantly both agree. As their passion for
James Bond surfaces, the duo falls in love, but before either can decide
what to do about their feelings, Julia's stalker must be stopped before he
kills her.
RIVER ROAD is an engaging romantic suspense that brings back favorites from
BLUE BAYOU and provides the added bonus of James Bond trivia. The lead
characters are a delightful duet and the support cast provides a touch of
the Deep South. Though the suspense is the impetus to bringing the
couple together, it feels insignificant until the climax when played out
against their love for 007 and for each other. JoAnn Ross creates a
winner that leaves her audience impatiently awaiting the third and final
Callahan tale.
4 1/2 out of 5 cloaks
Harriet Klausner, GWN Book Reviewer
This
Dangerous Magic
Paranormal Romance
Jayel Wylie
Sonnet, Sep 2002, $6.99
ISBN: 0743418409
In 1172, Malinda Brinlow becomes a favorite of Queen Eleanor of Aquitane.
However, the impish Malinda, who has faery ancestry, foolishly turns herself
invisible to spy on her Majesty. Knowing the trouble Malinda can get
into especially with the Queen suspecting she is a witch, her parents send
her home accompanied by mercenary Tarquin FitzBruel as her protector.
Tarquin and Malinda have had visions of each other and quickly fall in love.
However, though she is a sorceress, he believes what his mother has told him
since birth that he is a demon that no human or partial mortal could love.
Tarquin has lived up to his mother's expectations, as violence is his sole
companion. As war threatens to engulf them, his beloved must persuade
Tarquin that his mother was the demon for her unkindness towards him because
Malinda believes that she can only love someone with a pure soul.
THIS DANGEROUS MAGIC, the sequel to the delightful A FALCON'S HEART,
continues the medieval sorceress tales with the story of the daughter of the
debut novel's lead couple, who appear in this book, too. The plot uses
fantasy elements to add depth and intrigue to the twelfth century romance.
Malinda behaves more like a modern day teen, as she is unable to heed the
obvious advice of her mother until she meets her beloved. Tarquin is
an interesting soul who is a classic example of the Pygmalion Effect having
attained the level of humanity that his mother barraged into his head.
Fans of medieval fantasy romance will enjoy Jayel Wylie's enchanting novel.
Harriet Klausner
4 1/2 out of 5 cloaks
Harriet Klausner, GWN Book Reviewer |