A big family, a reading addiction, and the occasional celebrity scandal are the ingredients of life that create one woman's opinion on just about everything.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Thoughts on RWA

More economic issues going on here at home with my work and GG's work. It got me reconsidering about spending the money to go to RWA.

"Rosie," I thought, "you are being selfish taking this trip, maybe you should cancel while you still can."

Then something happened. A good something.

I've really enjoyed Jennifer Crusie's books over the years and I was thrilled to meet her last year at RWA. Anyway, a couple of mornings ago I read on her blog that she's getting an award at one of the luncheons at RWA this year. Call me crazy, but I was smack dab in the middle of reading WILD RIDE (not my favorite Crusie or Crusie/Mayer btw) and I told GG it made me happy to see her get recognized for her work promoting the industry, and mentoring other writers.

GG recalled (who knew he paid attention to these things) that I'd also read CINDERELLA DEAL recently and really liked it. Well stop the presses, but, you know all things considered, I figured it was a sign.

Right?

I mean for me to read the Crusie blog at the same time I was reading the book and thinking what I was thinking( about RWA) AND GG remembering about the other Crusie book I'd liked so much. Wouldn't any rational thinking person think all that was a sign?

"Rosie," I thought, again, "you know you really want to go to RWA anyway, and now you have a sign, so quit dithering already, you know you're going."

You would think the way I go on that we were down to our last slice of bread and the electricity was going to be shut off. GG, stalwart guy that he is, just sighs and goes about his business and was probably wondering why I was rhapsodizing about Jennifer Crusie getting an award. But then again, he didn't know how hard I was looking for some divine intervention.

Let's just keep those thoughts of mine between us, shall we?

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Friday, March 26, 2010

Random Thoughts

In the bookstore yesterday I picked up a recent PEOPLE magazine to find out the following:

1. Brad & Angelina's twins are 20 months old! That's almost 2 years old. I don't know why this shocked me, but it did. Maybe because I don't know how any couple could survive the constant scrutiny these two do. I'm not a huge fan of either one of them, but I just sayin'...they put up with a lot of crap from the media.

2. OTOH, Dakota Fanning is only 16 years old. Lordy, I thought she was like 23 already. Weird.

3. Merlin Olsen died on March 11th. Probably ancient news to all of you, but I missed this. Do you remember him from LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE? Or, maybe you remember him as part of the (then) Los Angeles Rams football team "Fearsome Foursome". Anyway, he was a nice man and I was sorry to hear about his passing.

4. Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet are splitting. Man! Do I know them personally. Course not. But, I sorta liked the "them" I did know through the media and was sad to hear this. Although, I was wondering where he was on Oscar night.


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Thursday, March 25, 2010

To Forgive is Divine

What are you willing to forgive? I'm talking about forgiveness and redemption at Reader's Gab. Go check it out.

ETA:
Sometimes I'm an idiot. I scheduled this to post at 3 AM this morning to coincide with my Reader's Gab post. Uh, yeah, that worked out soooooo well. So you know, feel sorry for me and go look at the post now, k?

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Friday, March 05, 2010

Drum Roll Please...


It's official. Yesterday I got my RWA registration confirmation. I'm going. For all my SoCal Blogger buddies who said to me, "Oh, you're going... You know you are!" All I can say is, you were right, I was wrong.

Now go write that down because I hate owning my flaws and faults.

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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

February 2010

Twelve is a perfectly respectable number of books to have read for February. I'm still working on my January list, but I more wisely was recording February as I read them, so you get this list more or less on time. Yay!

INTO THE FIRE by Anne Stuart
An oldie but a goodie, from 2003 that I decided on a whim to re-read. Jamie tracks down Dillon the bad-boy from the past to find out how her cousin, Nate, who was raised as her brother, died. The story takes place over a short period of time, but is quintessential Stuart.
My Grade = B+

THE CINDERELLA DEAL by
Jennifer Crusie

This was a re-release that I hadn't found or read before. Daisy is a teacher who wants to be an artist but is finding it financially challenging. Linc wants a job at a small but prestigious college where the Board would prefer to hire a married man. As neighbors in the same building, Linc decides he'll strike a deal and ask Daisy to pose as his intended. Loved this book. The wit and dialogue were wonderful. It's so refreshing to read a book where the author counts on you having a brain and figuring somethings out on your own.
My Grade = A-

PRIDE MATES by
Jennifer Ashley

This is the first book in a new contemporary paranormal series. I confess I bought this because I enjoyed THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE a recent historical by Ms. Ashley. There were a couple of new twists on ye olde shifter lore and I found myself enjoying this one quite a bit.
My Grade = B

NICE GIRLS DON'T LIVE FOREVER by
Molly Harper

This is the third in a series of books about Jane Jameson, the somewhat reluctant recently turned vampire who is also a librarian/bookshop owner. I enjoyed this book for addressing in an amusing way some of the practical issues one might face living their life openly vampire. I like Jane's pluckiness and plucky isn't usually one of my favorite adjectives when I describe heroines. This was my first book of the series and I had no issues starting here.
My Grade = B-

SEALed WITH A RING by
Mary Margaret Daughtridge

I've enjoyed the previous two books in this series so I was pretty happy when Toni from NEW & RECYCLED ROMANCES slipped this this ARC in with my UBS purchases after I had mooned over it during my recent visit.


This too is a marriage of convenience story, but it is written well with a lot of the obvious questions one might have if a friend came to you and said they were getting married for some purpose other than love.
My Grade = B

BACK IN BLACK by
Lori Foster

This book is a part of the continuing SBC fighter series. I haven't read all of them, and had no trouble with this as a stand alone. This time out we meet SBC president Drew Black who is a PR nightmare for his partners with his brash no-holds-barred news conferences. Enter one Gillian Noode, PR expert to clean up his bad boy image. Gillian is one of those "too competent" heroines almost to the point I didn't like her much. I've been hit or miss with Ms. Foster and was in the mood to give this one a try.
My Grade = C

SCOUNDREL'S KISS by
Carrie Lofty

I have Ms. Lofty's first book in my tbr, but picked up this one intrigued by a conversation with SL Wendy letting me know that the heroine is an opium addict. Talk about a hook... Ms. Lofty doesn't give her characters an easy time of it and weaves an interesting tale here. If you like a story rich with historical detail and complex characters, you'll love this one.
My Grade = B

BRIDE OF THE WOLF by
Susan Krinard

I am rarely influenced by a cover. In fact if someone describes a book to me by the cover I'll never guess who wrote it or what book it is, even my most favorites. *glancing at keeper shelf to see what Carolyn Jewel's books look like* I've read Ms. Krinard's wolf books before and have had mixed luck and picked this up totally based on the beautiful green cover with the dual faces in the water reflection and the wolf.


Having said all that, this is a competent wolf shifter story set in the west and was appealing to me on that level.
My Grade = B-

NOTHING DENIED by
Jess Michaels

Straight up erotic and a valiant attempt to have a real story intertwined with a man's need to be dominant and a shrew's need to marry. I didn't like the heroine in this book. She knows she's a shrew, admits she's a shrew and the author never gives us a chance to know her and understand, except in the most shallow and vague way, why her behavior is so extreme.
My Grade = C-


GUILTY PLEASURES by Laura Lee Guhrke
Daphne Wade, left with only the travel vouchers sent by the Duke of Tremore, travels to England after her father's death and is hired in her father's stead to help excavate a Roman camp site found on the Duke's property. I adored the opening of the this book where Daphne is unabashedly spying on her employer. With no aspirations and a self awareness of how far superior Anthony is in rank to her, Daphne adores him from afar. Ms. Guhrke does a wonderful job of introducing these two people to each other and in many respects we also see them come to their own self awareness as well. Very solid historical read from my tbr.
My Grade = B+

A BRIDE FOR JERICHO BRAVO by Christine Rimmer
Ironically I read THE STRANGER AND TESSA JONES which has siblings of the H/H of this book last month. I used to never miss a Christine Rimmer category and can't remember now what made me stop reading them. At any rate, I was happy to pick this one up and read it. Sometimes short and to the point is just the right thing and this fit the bill when I read it.
My Grade = C+

JUST THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE by Julie James
Do you ever pick up a book a second time and wonder why you didn't read it the first time you picked it up? I had that experience with this book. I really enjoyed Ms. James characters. With a sense of "realness" to characters most of us mere mortals would never meet, she finds a way to bring us in and care about these people through their flaws. Loved that. I'm anxious to read PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT which, fortunately, is in my tbr.
My Grade = B+


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