The Midas Trap

My experience with the Silhouette Bombshell books I've read has been pretty hit or miss. Sharron McClellan's The Midas Trap is one of the few I've read that falls somewhere in the middle: 3.5 out of 5.

Veronica Bright was disgraced in the academic community when she presented a theory about myths such as the one about Midas being real. Without evidence, Veronica wasn't able to prove her theory's accuracy. Simon Owens was one of the scholars who dismissed Veronica's theory. Now he has evidence that her theory might be true, and he needs her help.

I liked the book's set up. The mythology angle was interesting, and I enjoy the adversaries-becoming-lovers plot. I wasn't as intrigued with the characters. While they were interesting, they didn't quite cross the level into compelling. The theory about mythology ended up being the most interesting part of the book.

There were some predictable moments in the suspense story, and the romance could have been stronger. Still, it has some nice moments, and I learned there is a sequel. I plan to give it a try, too.

October Reviews

Here are links to my October reviews at The Romance Reader.

Fangs for the Memories
Only for a Knight
Too Wilde to Tame

Meeting Alan Lee

"You can't afford to have an off day."
--Artist Alan Lee, when asked about artist's block and the experience of working on The Lord of the Rings movies

I stopped by Borders on Thursday to use a coupon, and while I was there, I saw an announcement about Alan Lee doing a book signing Friday night. He would be signing The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook, and I called two of my sisters to see if either of them wanted to go. Michelle was able to go with me, so I agreed to pick her up after work on Friday night.

The announcement indicated that there would be a presentation and a signing, scheduled to start at 7:00 PM. Michelle and I arrived around 6:45. I felt pretty lucky to get a seat. We had been there for about 15 minutes before we learned that we needed to have a ticket for the signing part. This was a bit frustrating, because we could have gotten the ticket much earlier if we had known we needed one.

Anyway, before the presentation started, Alan Lee was talking to a teenage boy about drawing. I couldn't hear what the boy was saying, but he was showing his sketches, and I thought it was wonderful that Lee paid so much attention to the boy. The boy was grinning from ear to ear when the presentation began.

The presentation itself consisted of 30-40 minutes of slides. Some were of sketches Lee did for The Lord of the Rings movies, while others were photos from the movies. It was amazing to see how the concepts were played out.

After the presentation, Lee answered questions from the audience. Here are a few of the questions and answers.

• Someone asked about the most satisfying part of working on The Lord of the Rings movies. He said that he really enjoyed following the process from one drawing to the finished scene. As for the set he liked most, he was most happy with the Golden Hall.
• One fan of the movies asked Lee to talk about Rivendell. He said that the idea for Rivendell was that it should have an air of melancholy, since the Elves were soon to leave. This was why there were leaves on the floor and trees growing over the architecture.
• Lee was asked about what he received as his farewell gift when he was finished on the movie. He said that he got one of Gandolf's staffs.
• One person asked whether the sketches of the cast would ever be available for sale. Lee said he is asked that question at every appearance. :) Anyway, he said he thought that would make a nice portfolio, and perhaps it would happen.
• Someone asked an interesting question about whether Lee is able to capture on paper the ideas he has in his head. Lee responded that quite often the idea crystalizes on paper rather than in his head beforehand.
• One person asked about the artists who influenced him most. He said that he was influenced by so many artists that it was difficult to say, but he named a few: Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer, and Edmund Dulac.

Some other interesting things Lee mentioned are that the anatomy and life drawing classes he took were the most valuable to him. Also, he believes that art has more to do with temperament than innate ability. Artists are happy spending hours in an interior world, and should be prepared to be self-critical about their work.

After the Q&A session, he asked to take pictures of us because he is doing a travel blog. I was quite intrigued by this. Anyway, my sister and I are in two photos on his blog.

Everyone lined up to get their books signed. When everyone was lined up, I realized that my sister and I were 2 of the last 15 or so people in line. This was frustrating, because we probably should have been in the first 20 or so based on our arrival. We ended up waiting about an hour and a half to get to the front of the line. It was worth it, despite the long wait. I got a picture (albeit a fuzzy one, below) and a signed book.

Party

Yesterday was my annual Halloween party for my nieces and nephew. We had a lot of fun, and I got some nice pictures, though some turned out a bit fuzzy. Here are some of the better ones.









Once I recover a bit (LOL, I'm pretty tired), I'll post about the book signing I attended on Friday. It wasn't for a romance author, but that's the only hint I'll give you. You'll just have to be patient. ;)

Through a Crimson Veil

With the surge of paranormal romance and the fact that I can't seem to get enough of the subgenre, you'd think I'd have read about every paranormal being out there. Patti O'Shea's Through a Crimson Veil offers a new one for me--both the hero and heroine are half-demons. It sounds unusual, but it works: 4.5 out of 5.

Mika has a mission: get inside Conor McCabe's house and find a certain incantation that may be dangerous to the demon world. She approaches Conor with a request for protection. Though both Mika and Conor are half-human, half-demon, Conor is from a type of demon that is strong and physically aggressive. This makes him a good choice to protect Mika, who is from a less aggressive demon branch.

When Mika spends time with Conor, she realizes that he is her vishtau mate--the demon version of a soulmate. Some authors rely on the idea of the couple being "mated" to skip the getting-to-know-you and falling-in-love stages of the romance. Thankfully, O'Shea doesn't do that. Conor and Mika may be vishtau mates, but they have to fall in love like anyone else; in fact, they go through a lot before getting to their happily-ever-after.

Through the Crimson Veil is the third book in the Crimson City series. I've read and enjoyed books two and three.

In other news, I'm trying to make my house somewhat presentable before my Halloween party on Saturday. It's been a slow process. I don't know how I've managed to accumulate so much stuff. Yikes!

Charmed and Dangerous

I couldn't resist buying Charmed and Dangerous by Candace Havens. It was a paranormal romance that sounded terrific. The story wasn't as terrific as it first sounded, but it got better in the second half: 3.5 out of 5.

Bronwyn is a witch who protects the British Prime Minister through charms and spells. Soon she's also protecting Sheik Azir, a man who is the target of several assassination attempts. Bronwyn finds herself drawn to Azir even as she starts to develop a relationship with Sam, a warlock.

The story starts well; Bronwyn's voice is an interesting one and the book is told as journal entries from her point of view. As the story continues, however, there starts to be a sameness to the journal entries. There's danger, she casts a spell, she averts disaster. From pages 40-100, I put the book down several times. Things pick up a bit toward the end, but not enough to overcome the slow start.

To Love and to Cherish

I'm back in town. I made my annual trip to the Shakespearean Festival, this time with my mom and sister. I had a nice and busy time. For plays, we saw The Foreigner (not Shakespeare) and All's Well That Ends Well. They were terrific. I liked the latter far more than I thought I would, considering it's a somewhat problematic play. We did some fun shopping, too.

Now I'm back at work, feeling like I need a vacation to recover from my vacation. Typical.

In any case, I read an amazing book during the trip: Patricia Gaffney's To Love and to Cherish. There is an author quote on the cover describing this book as "one of the most hauntingly beautiful love stories I've ever read." This description is totally accurate.

Christian (Christy) Morrell is the vicar of Wyckerley. As the book begins, he is at the bedside of a dying parishioner. That man is the father of Christy's childhood friend Geoffrey, whom he has not seen in years. Geoffrey soon arrives with his wife, Anne; Christy discovers that Geoffrey is not the same person he knew years ago. This Geoffrey is ill, cruel, and violent. When Geoffrey goes off to war, Anne and Christy get to know and come to care for each other.

At first, I wondered what I would think of a hero named Christy, but 100 pages into the book, I decided I wanted a Christy Morrell of my own. He is the kind of hero I adore: observant, intellectual, and serious. He is strong, but not in a physically overpowering way; instead, it's a strength of character. I loved the way he lived his faith--it's not overbearing; it's simply part of who he is.

Anne is an equally fascinating heroine. The contrast between the way she is when Geoffrey is around in the first part of the book and the warm woman she becomes with Christy is amazing.

To Love and to Cherish features rich characterization, not just with the two main characters. Gaffney paints a vivid picture of the town and its inhabitants. I enjoyed the small touches, such as the fact that neither Anne nor Christy seems aware of how beloved they are by the townspeople.

The book isn't perfect. In one section, Anne believes that God was punishing her, and something happens toward the end of the story that is kind of glossed over. Neither of these things is completely explored; I felt a little like I'd been left hanging. Still, I adored the main characters, and I found myself going back and rereading, which is my indication of a keeper: 5 out of 5.

Dark Lover

I'm distracted today. I'm going out of town for the weekend, starting tomorrow, and I've still got some packing and cleaning to do. I'm afraid this blog entry is going to be a bit short.

J. R. Ward's Dark Lover is getting quite a bit of buzz right now, so when I saw it on sale, I couldn't resist. It would have been well worth the purchase even if I'd paid full price: 4.5 out of 5.

Dark Lover has a vampire hero, but I'm not going to say more about the plot, partly because I don't have time and partly because a short summary couldn't do it justice.

Why I liked it: I enjoyed the world-building and the characters. The hero and heroine had terrific chemistry. I also liked the direction Ward took with Butch. It surprised me; I had predicted a different result, and I like that kind of surprise. Like many other readers, I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series.

The Murder of Lil Miss

The Murder of Lil Miss chronicles the murder of Lisa Marie Kimmell and the subsequent investigation and trial. The author is Lisa's mother, Sheila Kimmell. I found it to be an exceptionally well-written book that offered tremendous insight about how one person's death affected an entire family: 4.5 out of 5.

Regular visitors of my blog will not be surprised to hear that this case was profiled on Unsolved Mysteries. That's how I learned about it, and it's one of the cases that really stuck with me. I always wondered if it would be solved. It was solved, but it took 16 years to get there.

Lisa disappeared during a road trip. Her car had personalized license plates that read "Lil Miss," and people searched for Lisa and her car for a week. Lisa was found murdered eight days after she disappeared. The subsequent investigation was frustrating for family members and investigators. Leads didn't pan out, and politics plagued the investigation.

The breakthrough occurred when a DNA match was made and a suspect, Dale Wayne Eaton, was identified. Lisa's car was found buried on Eaton's property. Eaton was eventually found guilty and received a death sentence.

I liked getting a more complete story about what happened and what the family went through. No family should suffer like that, and this book showed the Kimmells to be strong and admirable people.

Hot Rod Heaven

I decided to try Melani Blazer's Hot Rod Heaven after reading Angie's endorsement. I'm so glad I did; I loved it: 4.5 out of 5.

Bree's fiance was killed in a car wreck two years ago, and her best friend, Sebastian (Bash), went missing at the same time. Bree is trying to move on when Bash shows up on her doorstep needing help for his car, but primarily wanting to see her again. Their chemistry soon leads to a relationship that is threatened by ominous appearances by a black Corvette. There's not much more I can say about the plot without venturing into spoiler territory.

This book is excellent on so many levels. Bash and Bree are real people, and I felt like I got to know them quickly. Bash in particular is keeping secrets, but his love for Bree was obvious. As for Bree, her emotions were portrayed so vividly that I felt like I was right there with her. That takes no small skill on Blazer's part.

The mystery of the Corvette is an intriguing one. With each appearance of the car, I speculated about what it could mean and how the story would develop. I guessed part of it, but the ending was a complete surprise.

Hot Rod Heaven is definitely a keeper. I didn't start rereading it immediately (which is how I gauge whether a book is 5 out of 5), but I know I'll enjoy rereading Bree and Bash's story in the future.

TBR Challenge: Go Fetch

I decided the TBR challenge (paranormal romance this month) offered the perfect opportunity to read the second book in Shelly Laurenston's werewolf series. The first is Pack Challenge, which I really enjoyed. Go Fetch was also wonderful: 4 out of 5.

1. Title/Author
Go Fetch by Shelly Laurenston.

2. Brief Synopsis
Conall has wanted Miki ever since he first saw her, but she's continually given him the brush off. When she is attacked by unknown people, Conall becomes more protective than ever, even though Miki can take care of herself. She finds herself liking to have him around, however.

3. Copyright Year
2004.

4. Indicate if you liked or disliked it?
I definitely liked it for many of the same reasons I liked the previous book. Miki is not a heroine who says she can take care of herself and then immediately gets into danger and must be rescued. She is tough and strong. Conall is a great character as well. They are definitely well matched.

I didn't like the end when everyone had to give their opinion about the situation (I'm trying to be vague to avoid spoilers), but other than that, I enjoyed it a lot. I'm interested in the third book of the series, so I'll have to get that sometime. Wish it would come out in print.

5. Was the book designated a DIK or Five Heart book at any of the review sites?
Not sure.

6. Do you agree or disagree with the reviewers?
Not applicable.

7. Is this a new author for you?
No.

8. Would you read more by this author?
Definitely. I just have to decide what.

TBR Challenge: Summer Heat

Paranormal romance is the subgenre of this month's TBR challenge. I chose Jaci Burton's Summer Heat, a book I've had for several months but hadn't gotten around to reading it. I seem to be on an e-book binge right now, even though I read them in print format whenever possible.

1. Title/Author
Summer Heat by Jaci Burton.

2. Brief Synopsis
Melissa Cross enters Aidan Storm's life when she comes to New Orleans on business. Aidan isn't an ordinary man; he has a unique ability to affect the weather. Soon he and Melissa are having an affair. Even as they enjoy a sexual relationship, both characters fight their feelings in a desire to avoid emotional involvement.

3. Copyright Year
2004.

4. Indicate if you liked or disliked it?
I liked it but thought it had a few problems, too. Usually I'm able to set aside problematic issues when it comes to romances between characters who work together. I just enjoy the fantasy and go with it. I had problems doing that here, perhaps because the characters know so little about each other when they first have sex. Then there's the back-and-forthing they do--they have sex, then Melissa decides it won't happen again, then they have sex, and so on. The pattern became tiring after a while.

Nevertheless, I ended up liking Summer Heat. I liked the paranormal element of the story; it was original and interesting enough that I wanted to know more about it. The second half of the book picks up a bit. There's still some back-and-forth business, but it worked better somehow or I was more accustomed to it. I'm not sure which. The ultimate rating is 3.5 out of 5.

5. Was the book designated a DIK or Five Heart book at any of the review sites?
I didn't check any review sites.

6. Do you agree or disagree with the reviewers?
Not applicable.

7. Is this a new author for you?
Yes.

8. Would you read more by this author?
Yes. There was an excerpt from Burton's contribution to an anthology, Mesmerized, that intrigued me so much that I headed for the bookstore to buy it. Some day I will develop more self control in this area, but apparently not yet.

Virus Free, I Think

Thanks to the help of Nicole and Angie, I am virus free. I think. I posted my lastest HijackThis log and am waiting to hear the results. Judging by the posts this forum is getting, a lot of people are being hit with Vundo. I think it's terrific that there are people like this willing to help.

I'm in a bit of a reading funk. After starting several books and setting them aside, I've reached the conclusion that it's not the books, it's me. I'm just not in a reading mood. I guess this shouldn't be a huge surprise. I've spent hours at the computer trying to get the virus figured out and am dealing with a few other things. I'll get back in the swing soon, I imagine.

Halloween is approaching quickly. I throw a Halloween party for my nieces and nephew each year, so I've started shopping for party favors and fun things they can do. I'm also looking for my costume, and have narrowed it down to a few. As you can tell, I take Halloween very seriously. Ha ha!

Hope you're having a good week.

Trojan.Vundo Hell

I was on my computer, minding my own business, when a window popped up saying that Norton AntiVirus has detected the Trojan.Vundo virus on my computer but is unable to repair the file. I went in and tried to delete the file without success. If anyone has dealt with this and can explain what to do in plain English, I'd appreciate it.

There is a special place in hell for people who create computer viruses.

A Family Portrait

JJ Massa is a new author for me. I decided to try A Family Portrait after seeing an ad for it in the RT Bookclub magazine. There were a number of things I liked about the story, but I found it to be a rough read in some ways, too: 3 out of 5.

Tavist lost his mate and his child years ago, and he never expected to find love again. When he gets to know Tracey and her three children, he realizes that they are his new family.

A Family Portrait is part of a series, and it shows. I felt very much as if I had missed a big part of the story, like Massa assumed that readers would be familiar with the earlier books and therefore didn't include some background that would have helped, both in terms of character relationships and the world of werewolves.

I wish the story had included more build up. Tavist's previous loss and Tracey's abused past could both have been played up more than they were. In Tavist's case, it would have made finding a new family more touching. With Tracey, building up to a revelation of her past would have made it even more heartbreaking. Knowing about it so soon decreased the impact for me.

The book also has a few stylistic issues. First, commas are a helpful and lovely piece of punctuation. This book could have used more of them. In addition, the main characters also have a habit of using each other's name in dialogue. In one section:

"Tavist," Tracey said breathlessly when he sat down, "I'm so happy to be going home. I just hate hospitals, I've spent so much time in them."

"Tracey, you know you'll need help at home for a while." She nodded. "I'd like to help you. Would you let me?"

She looked at him for a minute. "Tavist you've been so wonderful since this crazy thing happened. Are you sure you want to be tied down any more?"

"Tracey, I'd like to be tied down to you much more."

This occurred frequently. This type of dialogue makes me think, Stop! I get it, already.

Now that I've spent a lot of time talking about the problems, I'll talk about the things I like. There are some great moments with several characters, times that just shine. Tav is gentle with Tracey's children and patient with Tracey. He's a great hero. Massa also drew me into the story enough that I wanted to know more about the characters and their world. That's definitely a good thing.

Misled

After reading Catching Caroline, I wanted to read more stories by Sylvia Day. Misled is her latest book, and while I didn't love it as much as Catching Caroline, I still enjoyed it: 4 out of 5.

Sable is a bounty hunter. Derek is a task force agent. These jobs put the two at odds when they are searching for the same fugitive, but Derek is determined to get past the obstacles. His new goal is to get the woman he's wanted for two years: Sable. He succeeds, but not for long. Although they spend two erotic days together, Sable ultimately leaves. Derek isn't ready for their relationship to end, so he goes after her.

Misled is pretty steamy. If you're looking for characters with substantial heat and attraction between them, you'll get what you want. The sex starts early in the story and continues throughout. I would have liked to get to know the characters a bit more before they jump into bed, but I also liked how the relationship evolved during sex. Spoiler (to read it, click the beginning of the white space and scroll over it): There's some anal, which just isn't my thing. This scene demonstrated Sable's trust in Derek, and I understood that. I was still glad this was limited to one scene. Other than that, the sex was plentiful and explicit--Day calls a spade a spade. Readers who prefer euphemisms may have trouble with the language, but it worked for the story.

I wanted more explanation at the end. Spoiler: It would have been nice to know the thought process that led to Sable's sudden reappearance. I didn't quite understand what drove her to return at that particular point. Still, I think this is an interesting story by a talented storyteller.

I've read two other stories by this author: Catching Caroline (historical) and "Magic Fingers" (contemporary), both short stories. Misled is the longest one I've read, and it's a paranormal futuristic. Day is clearly a versatile author, and I'm interested to see what she'll write next.

Private Relations

Nancy Warren is one of my auto-buy authors, and I love her Blazes. When I visited her website yesterday, I realized that she had a new book out. Off to the bookstore I went, and I read the book, Private Relations, this morning. It's terrific: 4.5 out of 5.

Kit Prescott is the PR director at the Hush Hotel, and she has selected several winners of a contest where winners will stay in the hotel and enjoy their fantasy weekend. She and Piper, the hotel owner, are intrigued by one man's contest entry, and he is chosen to be the first winner. What Kit doesn't know is that the man is Peter Garson, the man who literally left her at the altar three years ago.

Peter's contest entry is no accident. Piper agreed to help Peter see Kit again. At first, Peter believed that he wanted to apologize. After spending a day with her, Peter realizes that he never stopped loving Kit. Peter's new goal for the fantasy weekend is to win her back.

Warren's Blazes are usually terrific, and Private Relations is no exception. While I thought Kit slept with Peter too soon after meeting again, especially after the way they parted before, the emotions of both characters seemed real and were well depicted. I was particularly affected by a scene on the roof when Peter admitted his feelings for Kit. It was so beautifully written that it brought tears to my eyes. Warren writes great love scenes, too. They are always an integral part of the story.

This book is part of the Hush Hotel series. I've read two of them so far and enjoyed both.

Her Best Friend's Lover

After reading many people recommend Shiloh Walker's Her Best Friend's Lover, I decided to try it. I read it this weekend and thought it was quite good: 4 out of 5.

Lauren has loved friend and neighbor Dale for five years. She's never acted on her feelings, however, because Dale has loved another woman as long as she's known him. Everything changes one night when Dale drinks too much and starts to see Lauren with different eyes.

Spoiler (to read it, click the beginning of the white space and scroll over it): Her Best Friend's Lover is a secret baby story unlike any other I've read. Dale tends to lose time when he's drunk, so when Lauren leaves after they make love, Dale thinks it was a dream. So the child is his baby, but he doesn't know it. He helps Lauren through the pregnancy and falls in love with her in the process. Certain elements of the plot rely on coincidence, which is at times challenging to accept. The story also includes point of view changes that are occasionally abrupt.

Besides these two points, I enjoyed the story. Dale's journey from thinking he loved someone else to realizing he loves Lauren is great to watch. I loved his wonder when he goes with Lauren to the doctor. Because of her past, Lauren struggles with worry that the people she loves will always leave her. This added a poignancy to the story. This is a sexy read with plenty of sexual tension and chemistry.

This is an e-book, but I bought and read the print version. Print books are still my preference, but Walker has a book that looks interesting coming out later this month, so I'm not going to wait for it to be released in print. She has a few dozen other books, too, so I'm planning to take a look.

September Reviews

Here are links to my September reviews at The Romance Reader:

Get a Clue
Love Underground
Miss Bubbles Steals the Show
X-Treme Dating

I just got a new batch of review books, so more reviews are coming this month.

I've Been Tagged

Nicole tagged me, so here I go.

1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

My twenty-third post is about Suzanne McMinn's Her Man to Remember. The fifth sentence:

Instead of getting a peaceful resolution, Roman sees a woman who looks like his wife, Leah.

As for meaning, this sentence is part of my summary of the book. Subtext and hidden meaning: if someone is just looking at this sentence alone, she might wonder why a woman who looks like Roman's wife wouldn't give him a peaceful resolution. She might also speculate about why Roman wants a peaceful resolution. Was he expecting one? Gotta love looking for hidden meaning.

I'm tagging: Angie Pedersen, Renee, Rosario, Sybil, and Sylvia

Edited to say that I'm a dork. I counted back 23 posts rather than referring to post #23. Sigh.