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The best thing about this book (and this book has a lot going for it) are the characters. You’ve got a psychic quiltmaker. And her ex-husband, who is now the owner of the art supply shop in town. And a woman. An adorable beta artist as love interest. Sisters who are all so individual. A mom who disappeared 17 years ago and suddenly comes home. There is a big cast. And they all contribute. And they’re all real, complex, fully-formed. And yet, they don’t overpower the story.

And, at it’s core, it feels good. There are messages about accepting oneself and forgiveness that are very personal and moving (mostly because you come to care so much for these people. Um, characters.).Read More →

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I think I need to look into the gratuitous overuse of “Just”.Read More →

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Yes, I write romance, and I’d never (until this past December) read a Jane Austen book. Any. At all. Yes, I was ashamed of this deficit. When I was growing up, I didn’t get new books. I had trips to the library, occasionally, which I reserved for horror and mystery. I don’t know why. Well, I do, and this is the reason I never read Jane Austen. *Ahem*, when I was a kid, I didn’t get new books. I read everyone else’s leftovers. I read them thankfully and voraciously and often multiple times. I read fast. My mom loved horror, mostly Stephen King. Which IRead More →

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I know, subtle title, right?  So, I’m revising because I realized I need more sexual chemistry.  And how do I get that?  Subtle sensuality. It’s not that I’m an idiot when it comes to writing the sex.  Some people have told me I’m quite adept at it.  It’s just that, sometimes, when you’re trying to get a hundred other things right, like plot and characters and goals and motivation–you get it, it’s easy to forget that people who just jump into bed aren’t sexy. I started thinking about personal space.  I’m married with kids, so people are in my space all the time.  We hug,Read More →

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I found Sex and the Single Vampire by Katie MacAlister at the Dollar Store for $1.25! Squee! One’s To Be Read (TBR) pile can never be too large.  Especially when it’s a favorite author. Update 03/14/2011–I think I bought this book for my Kindle because I never get in my TBR drawer anymore.  Those books are all heavy and awkward and stuff. Update 08/26/2011–I gave this paperback to my daughter’s best friend’s because she loves vamps and I love Katie MacAlister.Read More →

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On changes in the romance genre: The relationships had also modernized: by the 1990s, it was rare to see a book which featured a man raping his future wife. via Romance novel – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Yeah, thank goodness those crazy men finally came to their senses.  In the NINETIES.  What the? I get that this still happens in books.  Not books I read, but, it happens.  I get that some people enjoy this… forced intimacy.  But, damn it, who the hell marries someone who respects and loves them so little they just commit a crime against them?  Who else do they fall inRead More →

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Writer’s Digest is studying the romance novel today (and giving you a bit of a glimpse into the book I’m currently reading, On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells by Leigh Michaels). I say: If you’re not a beginner, the first 85 pages are full of info you’ve heard before.  But then, it’s writing gold.  Give it a shot. My favorite, the real “formula” of a romance: What romance novels have in common is this: A romance novel is the story of a man and a woman who, while they’re solving a problem that threatens to keep them apart, discover that theRead More →

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I’d love to have this book. (Makes a note to add to Amazon wishlist).  I’ve been reading the bitches for a couple of years now and I love them.  They’re funny “like damn and whoa,” they have awesome commenters, they call their readers the bitchery, and they’ve got something to say.  We shouldn’t be ashamed of loving our romances.  Hold those Fabio covers up proudly and proclaim to the world, “Yes, I am a smart bitch and I freaking love trashy novels!” Found: A video made by assorted pubbed romance authors endorsing the greatness of their book (above).Read More →

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In my new manuscript, my heroine is a romance writer with a list of ten characteristics she expects her heroes to live up to.  I think she uses it a little bit for a personal measuring stick as well.  Anyway, for your reading pleasure: Skye’s Ten Traits of a Hero Always keeps his word/promises. Respects the heroine as an individual with intelligence and many other ass-kicking qualities. He loves her brand of crazy. Once they begin their own mating dance–even if it involves slammed doors and acidic wit–he doesn’t/can’t sleep with another woman.  If he does, he finds the experience hollow and unsatisfying. Even ifRead More →

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This book, by Kelly St. John*, broke several big rules. There was no clear antagonist. The majority of the book, the heroine and hero’s relationship doesn’t immediately progress to HEA simply because of verbal misunderstanding and some insecurity and doubt on both parts. And the end? The black moment is based on a huge misunderstanding that the heroine won’t give the hero a chance to explain. It breaks all the rules I’ve read, and yet… it’s a really good book. I love the characters, I enjoyed watching as they fell harder for one another (since they both basically start with major crushes). Despite the misunderstandingRead More →