Real Life

It's taken every bit of the past week to get back to real life after the RWA conference. Work is as busy as ever and I'm beginning to think with my on-going training it's just going to be that way now. This is my new normal.

On the home front even though Beanie was always gone a great deal and had a busy life I'm still adjusting to him living away from home. It just feels different and don't tell anyone, but I'm feeling a bit hollow. I miss him.

Reading was pretty good over the weekend. I not only finished TURBULENT SEA by Christine Feehan, but I read two of the stories in the FIRST BLOOD anthology, Meljean Brook's and Erin McCarthy's. Both pretty good. In Meljean's "THICKER THAN BLOOD" I just wanted more, more, more! McCarthy's was a bit too pat and ended a little quickly for me, but a pretty decent tale. As anthologies go, it's good news here folks.

I also read/skimmed an ARC of MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME by Julia Quinn. I was a bit disappointed with this book, not because it wasn't good or well written, but many parts of the story are the same as THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM but from a different character's perspective. Unfortunately, there's really no new story, or at least I didn't think so. The backdrop for this love story is the same one as THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM so it was like reading the same book over again to a certain degree. Thus the skimming.

I also got some packages ready and mailed on Monday (yesterday). Praise be. It took me a week to get organized enough to do it. So all of you who are expecting a package from me...'it's in the mail'.

It was fantastic to have a reading day. We got other chores done around the house too, but being able to have big chunks of time to read was grand. I actually feel better and less agitated. Weird, huh?

So now I'm dying to read the ARC Ann Aguirre so graciously (I only begged a little bit) gave me at the conference. WANDERLUST is the follow up to GRIMSPACE. I can't wait to read it, but I need to get a book in for the TBR challenge. And, no Nath, I'm not a book ahead...again...wait maybe I have something in draft... Gah! Who knows, I should read something out of the TBR anyway that's the point of the challenge to begin with.

So real life, it goes on and I'm rolling with it. It feels pretty good.

Praise be I finished a book!

I finally finished MOUTH TO MOUTH by Erin McCarthy. Cute. Sexy. Predictable. One different twist was the heroine was deaf. Made for some interesting moments in the book. I haven't liked Ms. McCarthy's Vegas Vampire series too much. Just not for me, but I've enjoyed a few of her romantic comedy contemporaries. This sort of falls in that category.

Now I have Lucy Monroe's new book DEAL WITH THIS staring me in the face, but I think I'm going to dig a couple of westerns out. Yes, I know I've mentioned this about six times (more?) recently but I haven't gotten the books out yet. But I'm really in the mood. Anybody's guess why Christmas puts me in the mood for a western?

You know I feel like my reading has been paralleling my eating habits. I seem to be indulging in a lot of desserts and not anything I can really sink my teeth into. It's not for lack of choices. I think I just need to sit my butt down and honestly go through my tbr and choose.

Having said that I'm eagerly anticipating BLOOD BROTHERS by Nora Roberts which is due out on Tuesday. I so enjoyed HIGH NOON that I have high hopes for BLOOD BROTHERS to be something I can really dive into.

We are hoping to make a Christmas holiday trip to Disneyland this afternoon. Both GG and I are off and the boys each only have classes in the morning. I love seeing the seasonal decorations so that will be a highlight for me. Besides we all seem so busy lately that I've learned to really embrace and enjoy the moments we can all be together these days.

I think I finally have my top ten favorite heros list put together and hope to put it up tomorrow. I hope none of my favorite literary romance heroes feel slighted. Rather than have trouble picking ten like I originally thought I would I actually had to whittle the list down. I think I'll work on a top ten heroines list next. This was fun and gave me a chance to reminisce about some favorite heroes. Can you have a favorite hero and the book not necessarily be a favorite?

Read and Reading

Raise those arms and steeeeerrrrreeeeetch! Feels good, no? Yeah I'm stretched out, relaxed from lap swimming and all caught up on my blog hopping. I feel so balanced and happy because I'm reading every day again. Right now I'm reading Jo Goodman's IF HIS KISS IS WICKED. Only 50 pages in and I'm hooked pretty good.

I have, however, surrendered to the fact that I now read more than one book at a time. It's snuck up on me little by little. GG just asked me the other night if this was the 3rd or 4th book I was partially through. He thinks I've put the books down because I didn't like them. Au contraire! I just see another book in my TBR and like a toddler with a short attention span pick it up and start reading.

Although I did read CARESSED BY ICE straight through. As previously mentioned that is one rockin' good book. Anyway I thought I'd do a quickie review of the other books I read over the Labor Day weekend and the books I'm currently reading.

MY IMMORTAL by Erin McCarthy. This is nothing like any of her other books. Damien du Bourg is in service to a demon for his "gift" of immortality. Marley Turner comes to New Orleans looking for her sister. This isn't one of her humorous tongue in cheek books. Straight up dark paranormal. I liked it very much and hope she keeps writing in this vein. As I've noted previously in reviews, I like when the characters are struggling with internal issues that make me examine moral issues in my own life. Good solid read.

DARK POSSESSION by Christine Feehan. Yes I bought it. Hardcover no less. I have to say this branch of the Carpathians who live in the rain forest are a bit intriguing to me. Ms Feehan certainly has pushed my curiousity buttons about the eldest of the DelaCruz brothers, Zacarias. This is the second eldest, Manolito's story. No real new ground broken here just another chapter and entry into the saga. At the very least this is a much better installment than the horrendous and plotless DARK CELEBRATION.

THE PRICE OF DESIRE by Leda Swann. Someone somewhere in the blogosphere mentioned liking Ms. Swann's erotic novels. So I gave this one a whirl. This was a very well done version of formerly wealthy young lady having only one thing to barter to keep she and her four siblings from starvation. No trite story here. Elements of realism, sorrow and heartbreak that go with leaving your respectability behind make this a cut above other books of this type. I will definitely be looking for other books by Ms. Swann.

FOR HER PLEASURE by Maya Banks. I'd read a couple of Ms. Banks ebooks. One I liked and one I didn't. While in reality this is one book it's broken into three parts almost giving it an anthology feel to it. This is a spicy read and I have mixed emotions about it. Some of it was very good and some of it not so much. Not a lot of depth here. What you see is what you get. If you are looking for a sexy romp with a bit of plot this is the book for you.

Here's the books I've started and haven't finished yet:

TANGLED UP IN YOU by Rachel Gibson

BREATHLESS by Laura Lee Guhrke

THE SERPENT PRINCE by Elizabeth Hoyt

THE DEVIL MAY CRY by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I don't have any particular problems with these books. In fact I was enjoying both BREATHLESS and THE SERPENT PRINCE but I just got distracted by another new shiny book. I've never had so many books started and in limbo before. New experience for me. I'm hoping to catch up and finish them over the next week. Then I'm feeling a hankering for some westerns coming on. I'll have to crack open my tub and see what I've got languishing for me to read. Seriously? I can hardly wait.

Where have you been Joe DiMaggio?

I have really been out of the loop since last Friday. My sister was here from Georgia, I had some advanced testing for a job I'm interviewing for and then, of course, Sunday was Mother's Day. Which I have to say doesn't quite seem the same to me since my Mom died, but that's a conversation for another day.

I have done some reading. As I mentioned before my reading has slowed way down. It's more about the great weather and being busy than a reading funk...at least that's what I think today.

I received the two of the books I won over at BOOK BINGE in the mail. Getting a box of books delivered to your front door is just sublime, isn't it? Anyway, I received the first Linda Lael Miller McKettrick book, HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE and the Karen Rose book COUNT TO TEN.

What I've read this past week:

HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE by Linda Lael Miller
This book isn't badly written, but the pacing is slow and I found the H/H too reminescent of the melodrama of junior high school. Would a young woman raised in a brothel not know whether or not she's had sex? If she's sheltered would she get up one day and go sign up to be a mail order bride? Rafe McKettrick supposedly decides to send for a mail order bride in response to his father's announcement that he will give the family ranch to the son who marries first. The characters seemed too far fetched for me to really enjoy this.

BLED DRY by Erin McCarthy
Interestingly enough I don't really like the humorous sort of paranormal. The paranormal books I enjoy most are dark. In fact the darker the better. Which begs the question why I'm reading a book about the headquarters for the Vampire Nation being in Las Vegas and elections of the new vamp president. The story of the election has been drawn out over three books now which was about two books too long. Of the three books BIT THE JACKPOT, HIGH STAKES and BLED DRY, HIGH STAKES is the best of the three. These are lightweight fare and there is nothing new here. Oh, except for the discovery that vampirism is a virus and in BLED DRY a French vampire Corbin Atelier is working on the vaccine to cure the virus. While I've enjoyed a couple of Ms. McCarthy's books. This series really didn't work for me.

FOREVER YOURS by Janmarie Anello
I bought this book because it was a regency and it was priced at $3.99. I figured it was worth the minimal risk to try out a new author. Ms. Anello is a very capable writer. While this book doesn't break any new ground it has some nice moments in it. The back blurb is misleading as the "secret" Sophie Treneham is guarding is not so secret and Jagger Remington does not come across as a man living solely for vengence. These are two lonely and wounded people who are trying to make a life for themselves and make sense of their pasts.

WILD, WICKED, & WANTON by Jaci Burton
I mentioned this book before. It's a fun, hot, squirmy read. Three friends make a bet to jump start their dormant sex lives. Two friends will pick the guy for the third friend to do the mattress mambo. So three friends, three stories. Since I'd read the review at Dear Author I knew what to expect and if you read the book on that level it works.

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date...

Busy interviewing and with life. I took a brief moment yesterday to stop and shop for some books. The new haul:

1. WILD THING an anthology with Maggie Shayne, Meljean Brook, Marjorie Liu and Alyssa Day

2. NIGHT LOST by Lynn Viehl which is the 4th Darkyn book

3. I'M WATCHING YOU by Karen Rose This is a new to me writer because I usually like authors that both Tara Marie and Wendy like. This isn't a book that either of them mentioned, but it was one of two titles available at my B&N so I'm giving her a try.

4. CASTLE OF THE WOLF - Sandra Schwab This is totally Sybil, Sybil, Sybil. Another new to be author brought to my attention by Sybil and whose story premise intrigued me.

5. THE DEMON YOU KNOW - Christine Warren I've read some of her stuff from EC in the past and am interested to see how she does with a single title. I read the prologue in the store and figured what the heck.

6. BLED DRY - Erin McCarthy I've mostly enjoyed her books as entertaining romantic comedy. I've been sort of hit or miss with these vamp books, but this was the next installment. I'm crazy because these are expensive trade sized books, but there it was in my hands... I'm weak!

Right now I'm finishing up SATISFACTION GUARANTEED by Lucy Monroe. This book has been a change of pace from the more intense and involved books I've been reading. Not a bad book, but nothing new either. I guess Megan Hart and Meljean Brook have spoiled me...huh?

No links today. I've got alot of regular household stuff to do before a call back interview. Try to stay out of trouble out there, okay?

Just Finished...

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN by Julia Quinn and BIT THE JACKPOT by Erin McCarthy.

Both of these books were just enjoyable reads. I won't be stopping people in the aisles at my local B&N or Borders to tell them to read either one of them, but I enjoyed each of the books for being unapologetically what they are.

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN is pretty much standard Regency fare, but Ms. Quinn does have some very clever and witty exchanges between the H/H. I very much enjoyed their relationship and its dynamic. This is a quick read and an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Great for when you are in the mood for something light.

I have to admit that I wasn't all that thrilled with the first Vegas Vampires book HIGH STAKES by Ms. McCarthy. Vampires and Las Vegas seem like a match made in...umm...er...hell? What surprised me is that after enjoying Ms. McCarthy's contemporaries so very much the foray into the vamp world didn't do much for me. Imagine my surprise when I decided to purchase the second book. Not only was I expecting not to like it, but I picked it up when I was in a defiant and obnoxious mood. So up against all that I still got engaged in the story and enjoyed it. Don't expect to read this and think you will be reading about the dark side of vampires particularly when the vamp world is in the middle of a presidential election. Yeah, interesting hook, huh? Again, an enjoyable read. Definitely a dessert of books and not the main course.

Right now I'm waiting for February 6th even with the TBR I have I'm anxious to read SEP's new book which is due out then and also, I'm going to give Lora Leigh another chance. I've been a big fan of her Breed series, but her storylines are beginning to have a repetitive theme to me. What books are you looking forward to this spring?

Erin McCarthy, Roseanne Cash and the OB Waiting Room

I just read another good book by Erin McCarthy, HEIRESS FOR HIRE. I'm mentioning her again because it is actually pretty amazing when I read three books in a row by the same author and am very satisified with all three reads.

Yes, I have my auto-buys authors I love, love love. Now Ms. McCarthy has made it to this list too. If you haven't tried her yet I recommend starting with PREGNANCY TEST.

She writes kind of screwball romances. This sort of description usually puts me off because I'm hooked on tortured and/or intense men who do what they have to but not without a personal price. This means I'm crazy for the Carpathians that Feehan writes, the SEALS that Brockmann writes, and those Dark Hunters that Kenyon writes. But, I digress, as usual.

Ms. McCarthy writes about regular people with regular people conflicts. Her characters frequently have a sharp and witty edge and lots of humanity. What can I say I like 'em!!

___________________________________________________

About fame...

I read an article in the LA Times yesterday about a new CD by Roseanne Cash, daughter of Johnny Cash. I've always liked her voice and have enjoyed her music over the years. She's one of those people whose music the listener feels.

Anyway, my interest in the article was regarding her feelings about the movie WALK THE LINE, the biopic about her Dad, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

Roseanne is still grieving for her father and her mother, Johnny Cash's first wife who died just 6 weeks before the movie came out. As you can imagine, it was a painful experience for Roseanne and her sisters. While Roseanne was able to see the movie at a private screening, she spoke about how difficult it was to see. Can you imagine watching a movie that shows the love of your father's life, to the exclusion of almost everything else, isn't your own mother but another woman? Not only that, but you have to share the knowledge of this with the world?

I don't think there is enough compensation in the world that can make up for that kind of exposure of your personal life. Artists and performers, even those I don't like who are publicity hounds, have no privacy. No amount of fame and fortune is worth losing the quiet enjoyment of just living. I'm so grateful for the anonymity to live my life in peace.

___________________________________________

Ugh...the annual OB-GYN

Tomorrow is my lucky day. Annual visit to my gynnie. I don't know what I hate worse...the excruciating wait in his office, or the fact that I will have to come back when he reviews the test results for all the crap he is going to order for me to take. The actual exam never bothers me, but the waiting room sucks!

You know when you've never been pregnant it is absolute torture to sit in a room full of pregnant women who invariably end up in a discussion of their swollen ankles, hemmoroids, constipation, sore boobs, what current cure they are using to prevent stretch marks, and either a colorful recounting of a previous delivery or an equally colorful accounting of a delivery gone wrong. Or there is a first-time mother who is nervous and worried about what can go wrong to which there are several accountings of horror stories about birthin' babies followed by lots of pats and words of encouragement that "everything is going to be okay". At this point the first time mother is hyper ventilating and needs to be medicated almost as much as I do.

You think torture is too strong a word? NO! Because almost without exception someone will ask me if I have children. "Yes" I reply knowing what is coming next. Which is usually some question to include me in the conversation. At this point I have a lightening decision to make. Tell them my children are adopted or lie and make up a fake pregnancy story. I'm not that good a story teller, so I opt for the truth. And as God is my witness I end up in a Q&A about adoption.

While I'm an enthusiastic proponent of adoption I usually don't like to say too much to strangers about it. For one thing there is a lot of judgement on women who choose adoption for their babies. Since I'm the happy beneficiary of this unbelievable act of courage and love, I get a little testy with the "I could NEVER give my baby up!" comments. Who asked you anyway, I always wonder?

Secondly, a room full of women who are pregnant don't usually have any interest in adoption beyond morbid curiousity. Yes, I know, maybe one of them is contemplating adoption herself. From personal experience, I can assure you, if there is a woman among them who is thinking about relinquishing her baby, she isn't going to be discussing it in a roomful of pregnant women at the OB's office.

So what do I do? I book my appointment either very early or end of the day. I isolate myself to an unused corner of the waiting room...if it isn't packed. And lastly, I bring a book which I immediately open and bury my face in. The conversation can still be loud and distracting, but as long as I don't make eye contact and keep my nose buried I won't get sucked into it.

After enduring that the big TRANSITION MEETING at work on Thursday will seem like a piece of cake!

The Book that Broke the Block!

TA-DAH!!! This is the book that I culled from the ever expanding TBR pile. I pulled it out on a whim for something light to read.

Normally I hate, loathe, detest anyone mentioning the word "cute" when associated with a book. It's an automatic pass for me. I don't usually like the "oh it was a cute, sweet, funny story" type of a book. I like my characters slightly flawed...not perfect. But I have to admit "cute" is a word that comes to mind with this book.

However, having said that fatal word...I hope it doesn't put you off like it ordinarily would me. What is great about this book is that both people are flawed and yet turn out to be right for each other. Yeah, I know it's been written before, but I think the snappy dialogue between the characters and particularly their internal dialogue makes this book a worthwhile read.

I came to be an Erin McCarthy fan quite by accident. She won a writing contest by Lori Foster and got published. Okay, call me a cynic, but I thought either she was a ringer or the best of some mediocre submissions. Sorry Ms. McCarthy! Anyway, I picked up a couple of her books at the used book store and recently bought PREGNANCY TEST new and really enjoyed it.

Have you ever had the hots for someone...or been infactuated and every time you were around that person you were so nervous and anxious that you did something embarassing? Enter surgical resident Josie Adkins who has a bad case of the dropsies every time she is in the presence of Dr. Houston Hayes, a rising star surgeon who just happens to be her mentor. How many times can you drop a scalpel before they drop you from the surgical rotation altogether?

While the story has it's funny, and even bittersweet moments there is an underlying sexual tension. How much and how often they should give into it is part of the dilemma. They both start out thinking that a one nighter might be the ticket to relieve the sexual tension and put things in perspective. It's amusing to me in life, and this book, how people will rationalize almost anything to get some nooky!

It's one of those mysteries of life why this book did the trick, but it did. The reading drought is over! I also read and enjoyed Christine Feehan's new book, but it didn't grab me the way this one did. For spicier fare I read two books from EC. I liked Annie Windsor's THROWBACK and the second book in the Fallon series by Jory Strong.

Can't believe it's been a week since I posted anything. That's the longest I've gone without posting since I started this page.

Karen's (link on sidebar) got a beautiful new page done up. Under her new profile comments she says she doesn't like wankers. Well, Karen I don't either as a rule, but I do have a quick update about my countdown to my job being done which involves a bit of a wank...so I beg your indulgence everyone!

The great candidate for my job didn't pass the background check. Yikes!!!! Of course we aren't allowed to know what it was that prevented his approval, but I can say...WTF? I'm beginning to think fate conspires against me leaving this job.

Sure, you can say, "You gave your notice moron! Move on!" My dilemma is that I promised to train someone. Currently no one else in the joint knows how. The flaw in my thinking was believing they'd hire someone and that I would be doing the training on a consulting basis about 8 hours a week for maybe a month. Now they're back to square one. So next, I guess I have to give them a deadline for a new hire because otherwise I'll never get out of that place!

There, wanking is officially over. For now I'm on vacation this week. I'm going to go see what else I can dig out of my TBR pile! BTW, have you caught Jennifer Crusie's latest blog. Funny!

Lots of Stuff...

Have you ever been in a situation where your employer keeps offering you a promotion to a job that while you are flattered to be asked, you really don't want the job? It's been happening to me for a couple of months now. It actually began when I turned in the ill fated two week notice and got sucked back into my original job, albeit with a lot more money.

As for the promotion, I have emailed, phoned and had face to face conversations being as polite and firm as I can refusing. I've finally gotten blunt. It's heady stuff that ego boosting "we can't do it without you" pitch. But I think they finally know I really, really, NO REALLY don't want the job. In fact, I'm holding on to my original agreement to leave in another 5 months (of the 6 month term I agreed to come back for).

You know I've had some tough employers, nice employers...all whom have given me great reviews and references, but I don't think I've ever had an employer seem so genuinely anxious to retain my services. Like I said...very heady stuff. Have to keep your eyes or your personal goals and ideals or you end up prostituting yourself for more money and hating your life. Okay I totally said that to remind myself of same. ; )

Next on the agenda...book news.
I'm pretty excited about some recent book purchases. First of all I'm a Lisa Kleypas fan and her latest IT HAPPENED ONE AUTUMN was a fine read. I admit that I try to refrain from having too high expectations with authors I like because it never seems to fail that as soon as I get hyped they pen a real clunker. This was good though.

OTOH, I usually enjoy Christina Dodd's books and her latest which was a part of her governess series was, to borrow Karen's phrase, a real snooze fest. Bummer!

Off and on I read Erin McCarthy books which to date have pretty much fallen into the "okay" category. However, I really enjoyed THE PREGNANCY TEST. For those of you who don't know, Erin won a writing contest put on by Lori Foster and that's how she started her publishing career.

Right now I'm anxious to read the second Lynn Viehl book in the Darkyn series, PRIVATE DEMON. I'm anxious to see if she can continue the intrigue and uniqueness she created in the first book.

Lastly I just purchased Emma Holly's COURTING MIDNIGHT. I've read Emma Holly books that I absolutely love and other's I've finished scratching my head and saying WTF? So I've got my fingers crossed on that one.

By the way since I know I haven't mentioned it before. I think Suzanne Brockmann did an awesome job with the Gina and Max story line in her last release BREAKING POINT. If you go to the Amazon link it only show 3 1/2 stars with a lot of complaints about how she handled the age difference, etc. If you are a fan I think she did a great job. Most people would be conflicted if they were Max about the circumstances of their meeting. If you don't know the history and haven't read the book that set their story up I think you may have a problem with the book, but as a fan with high expectations, I thought she did a great job with their story line.

Don't be fooled by this paltry list. I've got a TBR pile that is shameful, but I just can't stop buying a new release that catches my fancy. I'm damn lucky I have such a generous book allowance and a very indulgent husbink.