Book Review: Decieving Derek

Cindy Procter-King... question for you. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!
I love books that keep me asking that question. Deceiving Derek was extremely short and my only complaint was that I wish it had been expanded into a novel because I wanted to keep reading about the budding romance between Lacey and Derek.
The book starts with Derek looking through his files, another day on the job (in a series of long days as a police officer) when this "kook" comes in trying to press charges about how someone stole her underwear. Derek decides to give the woman a few minutes of his time, mostly because he's not sure if she's serious.... and, in a small way, because he can't keep his eyes off the gorgeous woman who just might be a little crazy.
The thing I like most about Deceiving Derek is that, until we get into Lacey's head halfway through the book, we have no idea that the entire thing is a ruse and Lacey lied to him in order to get him to come to a bachelorette party as the scavenger hunt wild card item. There was so much potential here for a great story full of funny and entertaining conflict between the two workaholics-- Lacey, the owner and designer of fancy underwear and Detective Derek--the twin brother of her friend. It's a fun story, a quick read (I think it took me about 12-15 minutes total?) and I really enjoyed meeting such a fun cast of characters!

Book Review: Deeper, by Blue Ashcroft

I'm not going to waste a lot of "blog space" talking about this book, because--to be honest--this book needs more help than I could possibly ever offer in this format. 
Deeper is a book about two emotionally scarred lifeguards working at an inner city theme park. Rain, the newest lifeguard and supervisor of this often misnamed and confusing motley crew, is looking for redemption after a terrible accident that led to the death of her fellow lifeguard (a boy who was in love with her) the previous year. 
Knight, the current supervisor, has been emotionally unavailable for the last 4 years, since his childhood sweetheart was raped and decided to end her own life. He blames himself for not being able to help her work through her issues, and as a result he feels especially protective of all of the women under his care, especially Rain.
Deeper is one of those books that you can definitely tell someone wrote "by the seat of (his/her) pants." There is very little structure, the events that occur feel like they could or should have a bigger emotional punch than they actually do, and throughout it's missing that central conflict that can only be developed by first doing some actual thinking about your plot/characters. Normally I'm fine with writing that way--honestly, that's how every great idea starts. However, all authors (and editors) need to learn how to REVISE. Your "seat of the pants" story should never be what you publish. Case in point, I saw several instances of where a character was called by the wrong name. A silly mistake that really led me to question the quality of this manuscript.Take your rough copy, work out the kinks, develop your central conflict, study your 3-act structure, and THEN publish.

One of the good things about this book is that-- with this motley crew of characters-- there was a lot of drama that inevitably ensued. It would have been much better if, instead of multiple dramatic incidents that incited very little emotional investment, the author had concentrated on maybe 2 or 3 incidents and wrote the hell out of them. Unfortunately, like I said, it just didn't happen. However, since this is Blue Ashcroft's first book, let's give her the benefit of the doubt that, from now on, her writing will only keep getting better.

Deeper got 3.9 out of 5 stars (by 21 reviewers) according to Amazon.com and is available for Kindle for $2.99. The book is 179 pages and has an interesting dual perspective, where sometimes Rain is the viewpoint character and other times Knight is. If you're into that first-person perspective, this might be something you'd enjoy!

 

Writing Tips from Christina Dodd

I love Christina Dodd and I follow her on Facebook and get her e-mail alerts when she updates her website. One of my favorite things about Christina's books is that she is utterly fearless and writes what will make the best story. She creates funny, smart-mouth characters who all really make you feel something. Today she posted her revised writing tips for writers, and I thought they were great (just like her!) so I wanted to share with you!
http://christinadodd.com/christina-dodds-brief-and-random-writing-tips/

CHRISTINA DODD’S WRITING TIPS

About Characters
In romance, plot is important. Characters are more important. Readers must care about the characters. The hero and heroine must march through hell and survive — and triumph!

Hero and heroine can do anything, no matter how stupid or trivial, if they’re well motivated.

Motivate your hero and heroine with *big* things: important issues, dramatic experiences.

Always ask, “What’s the worst thing that could happen to this character?” Then write it!

If your heroine starts the book being a timid, bookish librarian in glasses, by THE END she had better become a wild, passionate, smart adventuress.

If your hero starts out the book as a rude, revenge-driven, sexy, rich brute…hey, I’m a happy reader!
Let me try that again.
If your hero begins as vengeful sexy rich brute, by THE END he had better be tamed by heroine’s love. Still sexy and rich, though. ;)

Torture your hero early and often; it develops his character, sort of like roasting nuts brings out the flavor.

Tortured, brooding, sexy, ruthless heroes…I love them. Everyone does. Not really a tip. Truth.

About Ideas and Synopses
Ideas are everywhere. Watch movies. Read books. Improve bad stories and re-work good ones. 

Worried about writing a cliché? Clichés are clichés for a reason. 

A synopsis is a roadmap of my plot. Want to write quickly? Work out every plot point before you start.

Divide your synopsis into chapters so you always know what happens next. Of course, changes happen…

A synopsis is a roadmap. Off-roading is encouraged! Change, revise, do anything to improve your story!

About Writing
Most important: Put your butt in the chair and write.

Very important! Write the book you want to read.

Very, very important! The more you write, the better you get. Yes, there is a learning curve. I wrote two practice books which were never published. So what? I’ve published over fifty novels and novellas since then, and had (and have) a successful career as a writer. Put your butt in the chair and write! A lot!

Very, very, very important! As long as you produce pages, your writing method is the best. Yes, if you’re writing without a synopsis, but the characters and plot is shaping up and you’re putting out pages, IGNORE WHAT I SAID ABOUT SYNOPSES! Ignore everything. You’re the writer. There is no correct way to write!

Research is important, but I’ll never get it all right. Just write the book!

Stuck? Change location. Move to bedroom, deck, Starbucks. Don’t know why, but this jogs my brain.

Writer and pal Heather MacAllister says vacuum cleaner is your best writing tool. Stuck? Think about getting up from your desk and vacuuming (or performing any other hated task) and inspiration fills your brain.

Writer and pal Susan Elizabeth Phillips taught me to set a timer for an hour and write. Don’t get up. Don’t check email, or look at Facebook or Twitter or Goodreads. Don’t answer the phone. Write.

Email, Facebook and Twitter too much of a temptation? Write on an Alphasmart Neo. No internet!

Are you editing too much? Write on an Alphasmart Neo. Forces forward progress. Yes — I do write most of my original material on an Alphasmart. It’s cheap, light, portable, and restrictive in important ways that work for me. No, I have no investment in the company and I get nothing out of recommending the Alphasmart.

Promo is not writing. Blogging not writing.

Writing a sex scene is full of pitfalls. Suggest critique group/editor/much revision. Read about the nuts and bolts of writing sex…

Typos & misplaced modifiers are inevitable. And funny. Again, suggest critique group/editor/much revision. Read about my funniest mistakes…

Motivation can be as easy as giving yourself an M & M at the end of each complete paragraph. Whatever works! (Also, you must exercise. Yes. Exercise.)

If your goal is 5 pages and you don’t make it, don’t yell at yourself. Next day, start new and write 5 pages.

Finished your manuscript? Go back and take out half of the stage direction. 

Finished your manuscript? Go back and eliminate the “justs” and “suddenlys.”

Author is glamour overrated, especially at Costco in gardening clothes covered with dirt. 

Best words in the English language = THE END. Better than “I love you” or “Here’s your royalty check.”

Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. Quality words on the page don’t matter on the first draft. Quality comes later in revisions. I revise every scene at least five times before the manuscript goes to the editor. Then I revise according to those comments. Then it goes to the copy editor who check grammar/punctuation/continuity, and I revise again. I spend at least as much time revising as I do writing. Revise! Revise! Revise!

My favorite book is the one I just finished or the one I haven’t started. Never the one I’m working on.

Miscellaneous Writing Tips
For my money, the best writing book Chris Vogler’s WRITER’S JOURNEY. Problems? Flip open to any page and get immediate help.

Win a contest? Finish a first chapter? Or a book? Publish your 40th book? --Celebrate!

Selling your first book is An Occasion that will never come again. Celebrate! I took the family to Disney World.

Some stories are hard to write, some easy. Doesn’t matter, doesn’t affect how the book is received.

Don’t sweat reviews; good or bad, it’s just an opinion.

The book of your heart is important, but if you want a writing career, your heart had better be TEAMING with books. 

The best thing a romance writer can do for her career is to join Romance Writers of America. RWA has a monthly magazine with articles about writing and publishing local and online chapters filled with writers, both published and unpublished, and an annual conference with sessions on how to write and how to publish. I’m a long-time member, and every year, I learn something about important about writing from RWA.

Recap of the Most Important Writing Tips
The book of your heart is important, but if you want a writing career, your heart had better be TEAMING with books.

As long as you produce pages, your writing method is the best.

Put your butt in the chair and write.

Stop reading my writing tips and go write. Now.

My rough copy, "Like Father"

Sara McCartney slammed the door of her rental car and walked through the high-rise parking garage to the line of elevators. She pulled her new coat—especially bought for this trip—tightly around her as the frigid October air worked its way through the fine linen of her cream-colored trousers. 

As she waited for the elevator to take her to the third floor, Sara shuffled the flowers she was holding into her other arm so that she could pull out her phone and rechecked the message from her sister. 

Room 5386. Cardiology. Fourth door on your right past the nurses’ station.

Sara clicked the phone off and put it back as the elevator in front of her nosily slid open. She gave it a dubious glance before cautiously stepping in and pressing her floor.

Our Lady of Mercy was the only hospital close enough to send an ambulance when her father felt the telltale pressure in his chest during a hard day at the store. And although Sara was thankful that they had managed to save her father’s life, she decided that as soon as he was capable of moving she was getting him transferred to a real city hospital like the University of Pennsylvania. Somewhere that at least appreciated the value of aesthetics and bothered to replace the elevators, she thought. 

Sara entered the Cardiac wing, the click of her heels loud in the deserted hallway. She felt her heart start to pick up speed as she passed the first door, then the second, both dark and empty. Where is everyone? Sara thought, resisting the urge to recheck her phone. Ahead she saw a nurse dressed in cartoon character scrubs exit one of the rooms on the right with a pile of blankets in her arms. Was that the fourth door? Sara turned her head to be sure she had only passed two rooms. She finally heard the low murmur of voices as she passed the nurses’ station and came up to the third room, which was also empty. She heard a quickly muffled sob and, clutching the flowers, she raced to the next open doorway and saw two nurses and a doctor in her father’s room, leaning over his bed. Her mother was sitting in a chair by the window facing them, holding her sister Emily tightly as she sobbed. Silent tears ran down Emily’s cheeks as she met Sara’s eyes from across the room. Sara looked back toward the bed and realized belatedly that she hadn’t heard the heartbeat monitor. She looked up at where it was supposed to be and saw nothing but a flat orange line. Her father was dead.

I wrote this last night as a potential opening to my "Like Father" story as my graduate school submission. I wasn't going to have Sara's father die before she could see him one last time, and honestly, I don't know if that was the right move to make. The concept of the story is that Sara takes over the business from her father, figures out that The Bad Guy has been sabotaging them for the last several years, "defeats" him, and really moves back home and takes over the business and makes it her own. With her father dying in the hospital, will Sara have that same motivation to come back and fulfill (what I've roughly outlined) as the story plot?

See, last night I went to bed thinking no, but this morning I had an epiphany: I'm going to do some research and finds out what could be something that would make a heart attack go very wrong. I don't want the hospital blamed, though (of course) knowing Sara that's the first person she runs over to sue and kick some ass on. No, I want the hospital to do an autopsy and find out that someone had slipped him some sort of drug or something that reacted badly during the surgery and that was what ultimately killed him. Of course Sara's mom, whose been taking care of him, wouldn't have known that someone slipped it to him. Sara now knows that her father was murdered, and of course she's going to want to know who did it. Again, so she can exact revenge. (Clearly, my girl is not someone to mess around with, HAHA.)

So what do you think of my idea so far? totally lame? As a writer who's been reading some pretty bad books lately and giving everyone a hard time about their fundamentals, I want some feedback on my own. Nothing is better than a close (outside) eye on a story. When I write more tonight I'll post it tomorrow for review....... that is, if I can! Hubby and I are taking Buddy on his first beach trip down to Cape May, apparently there are some awesome beaches for dogs down there. Surf's up! :)

But, knowing Buddy, this will be our dog....

 (from http://www.stjohnsuntimes.com/node/2236)

Character Motivation

One of the things we talk about constantly in writing is MOTIVATION. Writers are often told to ask themselves why someone does the things they do. What could make a completely rational man with young children rob a bank, hold a hospital hostage, or willingly give up his own life? They say that anyone will do anything if properly motivated. Basic motivations for characters include the need for things: love, shelter, sustenance, freedom, etc. More specific motivating factors can be things like money, acceptance, and life or death situations. 

The point is that everyone must be motivated in your story, but your hero/heroine has to have the most pressing motivation of all. This character's motivation is what is driving the story, after all! The character's world is CHANGING, which is why we have a story in the first place. The motivating factor is what is causing this change. No one wants to read (or write) a story about "another day in the life of XYZ person." Look at your life, look at mine. None of our daily lives are interesting enough to carry a story because none of us are changing when we're living the status quo.

I want to talk for a minute about how motivation shapes a story, and why it's important for your lead characters to have different motivations.

I'm reading a story now from NetGalley about lifeguards at an inner-city water park. Both the hero and the heroine have experienced a loss while on the job: the hero wasn't able to save his ex-girlfriend, and somehow she died in the water. The heroine wasn't able to save her ex-boyfriend, and he died while going down a water slide. Both of these lifeguards are reliving these same terrible moments of experiencing their loved one slip away while "under their watch," and both have severe guilt complexes about it as a result. 

I don't know anything about the author, so I don't want to say it's an amateur move to make, but I do want to say one thing: it's boring.

And I'm not trying to be rude by saying that, because it must have been as boring to write as it is to read. And honestly, the concept really isn't that far-fetched or totally original either. Fancy that, someone who works in a life-and-death industry lost someone they each loved as a result of not being "enough" (fast enough, aware enough, etc.) in that industry. I bet there are many people who can relate.

Which leads me to the purpose of this blog: DIFFERENTIATE. Opposites attract, not people who have similar damaging experiences. Think about who you're friends with, think about the person you're involved with/married to. I'm willing to bet that they come from a totally different background or social situation, and I bet that the people you are friends with see things from a totally different perspective than you. Newsflash: this is what makes people interesting; i.e., when they can bring something new to the table, something you haven't thought of or a way of seeing the world that you would never see yourself.

People are attracted to other... (unless, of course, they are severely egotistical and want someone exactly like themselves. But honestly, these people aren't who we want to read about anyway so why waste time? :) )

In this story (and keep in mind, I'm only 16% of the way in right now so I don't have a lot of concrete facts yet), but Rain is an independent "don't mess with me" female lifeguard who is coming to this new park that just recently integrated something she specializes in: water slides and lazy rivers. Knight, who is a senior supervisor at the park already and Rain's partner, is a huge hunk of a man who sees her like he saw his ex: as someone to protect. So, maybe instead of losing his loved one to water (like Rain lost her loved one) maybe his motivation and need to protect comes from a childhood trauma of not being able to help his mother while she was being abused by his father. As a result, he sees a woman in trouble and--throughout training, Rain gets herself into some trouble--and he needs to be able to save her like he couldn't save this other person.

I don't know, but you get my point right? Trying to spin the same situation two different ways to make it work just doesn't work. We've heard it once already; give me a counterpoint character who can bring something new to the table to coax the character out of whatever protective shell they've entered into after that trauma, and give me someone with problems of their own for the hero to step to the forefront to solve. 

Another thing with motivation is to make sure it drives the plot. You want your characters to want something, which causes them to act. Whatever action they take has a reaction that ignites a whole other chain of events directly linked to the character. This new event challenges them by presenting an obstacle to what they want and forces them to make another move in the direction to achieve their goal. Character-driven fiction, with motivation at the forefront, will always be more interesting than plot-driven fiction because our characters reflect us and the human condition, and in them--and their decisions--we see ourselves.

There is very little motivation in this book and I'm wondering how the author is going to get through the second act with so little actually happening. I wonder if they are going to steal a page from the "most commonly abused cliches." According to Nora Roberts, “As a rule of thumb, I'd say one cliché per [Romance]--and then be damn sure you can make it work. But if you're going to try to write the virginal amnesiac twin disguised as a boy mistaken for the mother (or father depending how well the disguise works) of a secret baby, honey, you better have some serious skills. Or seek therapy.” :)

I'll let you know what happens!

 

Book Review: Her Favorite Temptation

Her Favorite Temptation by Sarah Mayberry is FREE right now on Amazon.com for Kindle... which is of course why I snagged it. (http://www.amazon.com/Her-Favorite-Temptation-ebook/dp/B00DPAN1BC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376397110&sr=8-1&keywords=Her+Favorite+Temptation) It's 179 pages, so not too long, and the Amazon readers who wrote a review of this book (27 readers) gave it 4.6 out of 5 stars. Me? Maybe a little less. (Alright, a lot less.)

Her Favorite Temptation is confused right off the bat due to the title. When you see the title, without knowing anything else about this book, what do you think? Maybe you're like me and think it's about a woman who knows that she can't have something, but it's something she wants desperately so she takes it anyway even when she shouldn't. Right?
Wrong.

Leah Mathews, an unhappy cardiothoracic surgeon who is making the transition into immunology against her parents' wishes, is in the midst of an emotional upheaval when the story opens. Her 30th birthday is looming and she doesn't want to spend her life living someone else's (namely her mother's) dream, so she decides to start making some changes in her life, starting with her career, and then herself. Not only does she leave her career, she decides to take a 8-week "holiday" to do some of the things she's been missing out on: namely running, since that is the only activity we actually see her perform that she hadn't done before.

During this period of emotional turmoil Leah meets Will Jones, half of the popular Australian rock band Galahad Jones. Will is in the city preparing for a major surgery, and he's not sure if he's going to make it out alive... and if he does, he doesn't know to what capacity he will be enjoying the life he has left. One night, frustrated with herself and needing an outlet, Leah walks on to her balcony and starts venting to the sky. She hears a noise and turns toward the adjacent balcony, and we see Will clutching a guitar as he attempts to make his exit and give her some privacy.

Flash forward to the next night: Leah can hear someone playing so she opens her door and allows the sounds from her neighbor's guitar to come in. She doesn't recognize any of the music, but she loves it and decides to introduce herself... properly.

Throughout the remainder of the first and second "act," we see Leah and Will skirt around the issues and obstacles that their attraction creates. Will knows that it wouldn't be fair to become involved with Leah in case his operation does not succeed and he dies on the operating table. Leah is convinced that someone as cool and as gorgeous as Will could never be interested in a "Brainstein" like her and so, in an effort to save herself some humiliation, she doesn't put herself out there and just go for it.

Neither make the move, though they both want to.

Until, on the night before Will's surgery, Leah comes to Will's door and changes everything. After their night is over, Leah finally finds out that the "appointment" Will left her for is to remove a brain tumor, and thus the climax is reached. We find out in the following chapters that Will made it through the surgery but extensive rehabilitation is needed to regain the use of his right side, namely his hand and his leg. Brainstein offers to help, and after a quickly documented few days, Will tells Leah he loves her and the story ends. Right there. Oh, there's an epilogue alright, but it has nothing to do with anything that anyone cares about.

Issues.....

Her Favorite Temptation has a fundamental flaw: it can't decide who the hero is, therefore, it can't define the story "problem" that the characters are attempting to resolve. Furthermore, I'm having a hard time trying to decide WHOSE temptation is the problem here, since it seems like Will is the one making all of the moves and all of the decisions, and Leah is just going along for the ride.

Here are the specific problems I'm having with Her Favorite Temptation:

• Will's story is SO much more interesting than Leah's, and I wish that instead of having a weak hero like Leah and a strong secondary character like Will, we had just let the story progress as it wanted to and made Will the star. There was SO much potential there, since he had the better motivation for staying away from her and, later, he is the one who makes the decision to move into a relationship. Leah's personal issues in her own head and her paltry career/family drama is not enough to carry the story. Will's drama is enough, which is of course why the author leaned on it so heavily toward the end of the book.
• I really like Audrey, but she didn't get nearly enough book time to make the "main problem" about how she and Leah are treated differently by their parents. A conflict like that just wasn't good enough. I started to read the first few chapters of the next book in the series, Her Favorite Rival, in which I can really see a conflict: Audrey and her counterpoint both really want this promotion at work, and they are going to battle it out and do whatever they can to win it. See? That's an obstacle. Something concrete, something that someone would be desperate to achieve (ie, their livelihoods are at stake). Unfortunately, Her Favorite Temptation--well, Leah's story, anyway--just didn't have it.
• Another issue I had was that neither Leah or Will actually HAD an issue-- a rock solid obstacle-- keeping them apart, and the entire book consisted of them skirting around their own opinions, self-doubt, and guilt. I hate books like that, and it was very misleading that the book was called "temptation" when they both did such a good job of avoiding it. It would have been better titled My Favorite Crush. Temptation insinuates that someone is taking something or indulging in something they are not supposed to and that they try to avoid; it was obvious that these characters were nothing like that.
• There were a few unresolved story threads that I would have liked to see: I would have liked to know where the "bad girl" laugh came back in again, since we saw it once, it wasn't mentioned during their night together, and it was just forgotten about. I would have liked to see her parents--at least one of them--respond to the comment about the differences in the way they treat Audrey and Leah; maybe it would have helped to have a "reflection" character to help them see that first-hand. I also would have liked to see the jelly beans make a reappearance or have some kind of closure.... I mean, she kept them like a talisman, but they ARE candy; what happened to that?

I don't know, there's just a lot that left a lot to be desired.
To be totally honest, I loved the book/writing until Will had his 2-page turnaround about his embarrassment while Leah was watching him put the marbles into the cup. I actually made a mental note to myself, because I wanted to call it the quickest turnaround in history. On the first day of his CIMT treatment, Will is so nervous and ashamed of his "claw," he almost backs out from going through the treatment. Leah's determined to get him to succeed, and of course Will doesn't want to look like he's afraid so he sits down and proceeds to put 7 marbles into the cup. The entire time he's doing it all he can think about is how disgusted she must be with him, how humiliating this is, how this is proving to her that he can be nothing to her, etc, etc, etc. Then, as soon as the 30-second time is up and Leah congratulates Will on putting the marbles in, he has this instant EPIPHANY about how she's great and wonderful and he is completely in love with her and he's going to do whatever he can to win her over and regain the use of his hand.

The story falls even deeper from there, mostly because Leah never takes the lead and fights for what she wants. If this was Leah's story, it's her obstacle to overcome and therefore her ultimate reward when she succeeds. Having Will make the final move and resolve the limbo that the relationship had been in was completely anticlimactic. It just didn't have the satisfying ending that it could have. If Will was our main character, it would have been a great ending. Because Leah was our "hero" and she didn't pull through in the end, it was a complete disappointment.

Book Review: Undone by the Duke

Undone by the Duke is the first book in the "Secrets in Silk" series by Michelle Willingham. The second book in the series, Unraveled by the Rebel, is out, but the other 2 that are anticipated are not published yet. But that's okay, these two are enough to keep you occupied until the others are released!
 
Undone by the Duke is the story of Victoria Andrews, one of 4 sisters whose family left London 5 years ago to visit property in Scotland that her father inherited when he obtained the title of Viscount. Victoria is a multifaceted character with a great "backstory": she was lost on the moors for several days on the trip up to Scotland, and now she refuses to leave the house. She hasn't been outside in 5 years and she has no plans to leave. It's not that she doesn't WANT to leave, but because of her experience, she has a paralyzing fear of the outdoors.
The Andrews' family is very poor since their mother mismanaged their finances when their father went to fight in Spain. In order to make ends meet, Victoria and her sisters have been sewing gowns for a famous modiste in London. While dressing one of her sisters in a new gown she made, Victoria's mind starts to wander, reflecting on how uncomfortable corsets are and if there's a way to make them more bearable while still being supportive. Maybe, she thinks, if I use silk to line the in- and outside of the garment.............
And thus, the story is born!
Victoria starts remaking corsets and chemises, a lady's "unmentionables," using old materials and out-of-date ballgowns in scandalous colors and they suddenly become all the rage in London, given the name "Aphrodite's Unmentionables." The corsets are selling for astronomical sums, and Victoria is designing them for all walks of women: courtesans, maidens, and married women alike. 
In the midst of all of this happening, Victoria has an unexpected house guest: the Duke of Worthingstone, who was shot by the son of a crofter and left to die. Afraid to reveal his identity and be killed by an indiscriminate mob who might misunderstand his position, Jonathan stays with Victoria as his wound mends but refuses to tell her the truth about himself. As they spend more time together and their relationship grows, Jonathan and Victoria each realize their feelings for the other. Determined not to leave Scotland without Victoria by his side, Jonathan makes her an offer she cannot refuse: if she marries him, he will offer the crofters who had been forced off their land his protection and allow them to build anew on his land. If not, he will sit by and let the Earl who had forced them out in the first place proceed to threaten their livelihoods. 

I like this story for a lot of reasons. I think the concept is hysterical; I like that a virgin recluse is crafting these daring garments and trying to save her family by whatever means are at her disposal. I also like how the author introduced these new "threads" into the story that will hopefully be answered in the remaining books. Namely:

1. Will Victoria's parents reclaim the relationship they lost, and be able to find happiness together again?
2. Why will Victoria's sister refuse to marry? What is her secret, and how will she overcome it?
3. What in the heck is going on with the house in London, and why does it need so many repairs? Has the Andrews' solicitor been scheming them all of this time, and if so, how will they get the money back that has been invested?
4. And, finally, how will Dr. Paul Fraser convince Juliette to let go of the pain she holds (which we discover in Book 2) and have her happily ever after?

In case you couldn't tell, we were introduced to quite a few characters all with less than stellar circumstances, and we are rooting for them all to come through whatever obstacles they are facing and make their own happiness. This is looking to be a great series and I hope you will all jump on board and give it a shot!   

Thursday Things

I'm calling this post "Thursday Things" because I have so much to share and none of it is technically related to writing or books (ie, the purpose of this blog) so I'm taking a page from The Brown Eyed Baker (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/) with her Friday Things musings :)

• I'm excited (and terrified) to announce that I've signed up for the Board Editors of the Life Sciences (BELS) exam, which will take place at Rowan University on September 14, 2013. In case you don't know anything about it, the BELS is an exam that comes to our area maybe once every two years. According to information on the BELS Web site, "the BELS was founded in 1991 to evaluate the proficiency of manuscript editors in the life sciences and to award credentials similar to those obtainable in other professions." So, I'm taking the test to see how my editing skills stack up. Wish me luck!!
• The admission process for Seton Hill is going swimmingly, by which I mean that I've done NOTHING in WEEKS. (AH!) I really need to get everything finished; I still have my letter of intent to revise... because who knew that they wanted you to answer specific questions, I thought I could just write about my goals and aspirations! I also have to submit my 10-page writing sample, which I haven't even started yet. BUT, I do know what I'm writing about so at least that's a step in the right direction! Due date for all of my materials is September 23, which is only 46 days away. I'm totally screwed. :)
• The reason I have no time for anything anymore is because the hubby and I adopted a puppy! His name is Buddy and we think he's a Jack Russell/ Wippet/ Hound/ some other mix. He has a TON of energy and he always wants to play. :) There are a few funny things about Buddy, though....

• He's a rescue dog, which means that he was found somewhere in Georgia and put in a high-kill shelter. Some nice people took him out and drove him up the East Coast to find a family. Therefore...
• Buddy is afraid of cars. Getting into them, stationary cars, moving cars, all cars. Every time we try to take him for a ride to go to the park it's a fight to get him in and out of the car!
• Buddy is also afraid of the shower and rain. I don't know why, but I'm guessing he had a pretty traumatic experience either in a shower or by being outside in bad weather. Unfortunately we only have a shower, not a bathtub, so we invested in some dry shampoo so that he won't have to endure the evil shower between groomings. :) poor baby!
• He also has separation anxiety. He will literally be in a sound sleep, and the moment one of us moves to go into another room, he will wake up and follow us. It's so heartbreaking to go to work, knowing he will sit there and cry for a long time after we're gone. I hate it! But, he's definitely starting to get better. Last night he went into the living room when hubby and I were in the kitchen and he stayed there for about 5 minutes before we called him back in. It's progress! He's a puppy so we don't want him out of our sight for too long, but 5-minute intervals is much better than what he had been doing..... which was scratching at the bathroom door whenever one of us went in. :)

• Our trip to Florida was a lot of fun, and I'm just getting back into the swing of everything again. It's crazy how so much changes yet so much is the same after a week away. The pumpkin patch now has a huge orange pumpkin where we had left a smaller, yellow one. My dad grew a beard, and Buddy found a cool new dog park to explore while I was gone. But, my workload and all of the drama is still here and still the same, and it feels like I hardly went away at all! Crazy how that happens :) BUT, it was wonderful to spend time with my Mom-Mom (double mom!) and see all of the places she frequents. We went to the Gulf, to Sholom Park, to Rainbow Springs, and to "the Square," which was unfortunately under construction during our visit. It was great, though, and getting to watch my beautiful niece experience new things was the best part of all. She LOVED the pools and had so much fun playing with everyone and making new friends with all of the boys at the restaurants hahahaha. What a flirt. ;)

 

• I've been seriously considering the trend of making pretty crafts out of book pages. One of my friends just posted a blog about making beautiful flowers like you'd see in Anthropologie: http://littlethoughtsaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-crafts-in-library.html. I think that is SO COOL and I really want to give it a shot. Has anyone ever made anything like this? I'm afraid to tear apart my books ( :'( ) but I know it would transform them into something way cooler than a dust trap. What to do, what to do?! :)

Hope you have a wonderful day today full of all of your favorite things!

Florida

We are here in Ocala, Florida visiting my mom-mom. My niece is such a doll and she's loving all the pool time we're getting :) I am rereading a favorite of mine in our downtime called Undone by the Duke. It's a fun, sexy story about a virgin recluse who sews these scandalous corsets and lingerie for ladies of the ton. When the Duke of Worthingstone appears wounded at her home in Scotland, Victoria takes him in and nurses him back to health. In return for her hospitality, Jonathan will help her heal as well, by helping her overcome her fear of the outdoors.
I love this story mostly because its so unusual for the daughter of a peer to be a seamstress, and--in this case--a seamstress who creates scandalous ladies' lingerie. The Duke is such a great character, as is Doctor Fraser. I can't wait to finish so that I can write a whole review for you, for those who are interested in romance novels placed in the Highlands. The Bride is also another favorite, though that will have to wait... It's back in Jersey!