Piles

by Cassondra Murray

No, I'm not talking about the disease. I'm talking about the mountains of books which surround me.


I've been reading, you see. I had a job change, and finally, after four years of having almost no time to do what I wanted, I have more time to write and...ahhhhh...to read. The reading marathon is actually what I'm doing to fill the well as I start down and dirty to work on a neglected manuscript.

My keeper shelf is sagging from the weight of having more books crammed in than should fit. The list of just-read, reading-now, and to-be-read has sprawled off of my "by the bed" bedroom shelf and is now piled up against the wall and my nightstand.


You know, the books that you just read but want to keep close because they made you feel so darn good? And then they get all mixed in with the ones waiting to be read, then when you're looking through the stack you see an old favorite, so you have to re-read it? Yeah.

It's sad really. All those books and nary a shelf to be had. Something must go. You know--I have to vacuum before the dust bunnies animate and eat the cats. I have to be able to get to the bed. I have to make room for MORE! Oh....uh...ahem...

Before the entire pile goes the way of all things, divided among "Keeper Shelf", "Pass On To Friends," and "Library Donations," I thought I'd share a few of the titles in my progressive pile. I've never done a What I'm Reading Now blog, so bear with me, as the choosing is nearly impossible. I'm bound to list way too many. I may break the blog with cover pictures. If there's only text at midnight, you'll know what happened. These are most of the books from the last three weeks. I'm hoping at the end of it you'll tell me if you've read the ones I'm reading, the ones I'm avoiding (yes there IS a category for books I'm avoiding, though not for the reason you think), about-to-read, and what you thought of them.


In order--sort of--here's the first couple of stacks in my pile.


What I've just read:


Y'all already know Kate's book is wonderful. She's the first Bandita to hit the NYT list, and she absolutely deserves that honor.

Homicide In Hardcover was a fantastic read. I've already read it twice. I loved the heroine, and I WANT MORE of the hero. Ahem (raises voice) AHEM, KATE! WE ARE GONNA GET MORE OF THE HERO IN FUTURE BOOKS AREN'T WE? Ahem. Okay....now to recover my sense of decorum.


Kate is to blame, you see, for a disturbing trend in my TBR pile. A complete deviation from my purpose--trimming the darn thing down--and she's corrupted me with a whole forgotten genre. It's romantic mysteries. I liked Kate's book so much that I went back to the shelf the following day (yes, I stayed up all night to read it) looking for more to feed the new habit. I bought two more books. And that, my friends, was the beginning of the end.


Right there on the shelf near Kate's book, in front of God and everybody, I found Madelyn Alt, and her Bewitching Mysteries.


Y'all have to read these books in order, starting with The Trouble with Magic. (No, of COURSE it's not required, but it's better that way. Trust me.) I didn't. I started with A Charmed Death, then I went back to the store and bought the entire series, and started over from the beginning . Yes, they're that good. So far my favorite is Hex Marks the Spot, but I've just picked up book four, and book five is due out in July. Circling like a buzzard I am. I immediately began stalking Madelyn and, mostly to get rid of me I'm certain, she's agreed to be our guest here in the lair when the next book comes out. Yay!

She has one of the hottest heroes in these books that I've read, ever. Subtle. Sexy. Nice in that way that could lure you in big time and make you not notice the wicked under the charm. Okay, somebody fan me now. But there are actually two guys....okay I'll shut up and move on. Y'all will like this series. I promise.

Another great read from the romantic mystery shelf is A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair.

I haven't read this whole series yet, but I'm starting on them next. Seriously Kate, you are SO on my list to smack next time I see you. You did this to me. Okay maybe I won't smack you. Maybe I'll buy you a drink instead.

All three of these authors weave a really good mystery plot, along with enough romance to keep me circling like a buzzard forever, waiting for the next installment.

Last but not least on the I-Just-Read-It pile is The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor. I found
this book because Trish interviewed Helen weeks ago here in the lair. Remember, Helen was the American Title IV winner this last time. She was in the running with Trish and they were the last two. I just got around to reading this book last month.
I am so impressed with this story! This is a really good read, and Helen did a great job of creating a world and mythology--plus a hero that you can't help but love and a heroine who comes into her own in such a fulfilling way. If you haven't read this one yet, I recommend it.


Okay, ignoring all the other good reads piled up over there, I'm moving on.

Now for the TO-BE-READ stack:

Alas,I can include only a few.

Y'all know I love Susan Crandall. If you don't know her work, check out this link to the blog from last summer: http://romancebandits.blogspot.com/search?q=Susan+Crandall

Her latest, Seeing Red, was released in February. I've read the first two pages
and I can tell you it looks like her best one yet. Nobody does small town suspense better than Susan. I got interrupted (only two pages in, thank goodness, or I'd have been homicidal) and this book is sitting next to my lamp, making faces at me, taunting me that I haven't read it yet. Grrrrrr.

If I died having written a set of books even half as good as Susan's backlist, I'd die happy and fulfilled. Anyhow, Seeing Red is at the top of the pile.



Next up is Christie's new book, Every Time We Kiss. I loved Every Night I'm Yours, so I'm excited to get to this one.

Sorry about the cover picture from Amazon. It's the only one I could find that was large enough to include.

Christie sets up such interesting, different plots. That's hard to do with the number of historical romances on the shelves. It hasn't been out long. Have y'all read it yet?

There are four in the pile that I know nothing about. Three of them came from the RWA National conference last year and are still in line to be read.

They are as follows:

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole, This one won't leave me alone because the guy on the cover looks strikingly like Erith from Anna Campbell's Tempt The Devil. Okay, fan me again.

The other two are by Victoria Alexander. I have What A Lady Wants and A Little Bit Wicked. Have y'all read any of these?

Now for my two other categories.

Books I've been avoiding

Tempt The Devil by Anna Campbell. Yes. It's a dark truth. I'm avoiding Anna's latest. But there's a reason.

You just don't trifle with an Anna Campbell book.

It will live with me for weeks. I'll read it two or three times immediately. I won't be able to focus for a while afterward. I know this. So I've been saving it. This week, however, I'm out of class for Spring Break (I've been taking a Spanish class). I have four glorious days with no work and no class. Then I have a long weekend of long hours ahead of me next weekend, but I'm thinking this week might be the time.


What do y'all think? Should I do it? I'm serious. Do you think I can recover for the weekend? I won't be worth a darn while I'm reading, or for a good while afterward. I'll have to be certain there are groceries in the house. Such is the power of a Keeper-Shelf author, and Anna is one.



The other one is a book Anna recommended to me. It's The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. (Picture me, ducking flying fruit.) Yes, yes, I KNOW. EVERYBODY who loves romance has read this book. It's on more keeper shelves than any classic out there. But somehow I managed to get through years of reading and writing without finding this book. Anna made me get it.


Now I have it. I read the first few pages--into the first two or three scenes on the boat, and I admit that I had to stop. I didn't have the mental stuff to keep reading right then. Even Anna's Kylemore in Claiming the Courtesan didn't have this kind of effect on me. He was dark and haunted and even mean, but the situation was a little different, ya know? And Anna gave us, always, that glimmer of guilt to make us believe Kylemore was not what he appeared. With this hero, I've seen no glimmer as yet.

I have to pick it up again, but the hero is such a jerk, and he's treating her so horribly, that I just can't do it yet. I know, I KNOW...the worse they are, the harder they fall when they're redeemed, and the better we like it when they get their comeupance. I have to do this. I know it. I'll just have to be in a good frame of mind. We're heading out of winter when it's not so gray and depressing. Perhaps.....


Last, but far from least are the re-reads.

The first is what someone in the lair recently called a comfort read. I have a keeper shelf full of them. But a couple of weeks ago I pulled out an old faithful. One I didn't have to work so hard for because I've read it before . But it's still powerful enough to give me a solid fix.


That comfort read, recently has been Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This is a forever keeper book for me. I'm not crazy about most of Susan's sports heroes, but this book, I love. I love everything about it.



The other re-read in recent weeks has been Tawny Weber's Risque Business .

I love this heroine. I love her all-too-real human-ness. I love what she learns about herself, outside and mostly, inside. I LOVE that Tawny could do this in a short book like a Blaze. Oh, and I love the steamy parts too.

Tell me, Bandita Sisters and friends, what are you reading right now?

Have you read any of the ones I've been reading?

Are there others you think I should be reading right now? Somthing I should drop everything, go out, buy, and read?

Have you ever avoided a book because you knew it would be too powerful and you weren't ready?

How do you decide whether a book is a keeper or is just passing through. I mean, we can't keep all of them. Can we? If you do keep them all, where do you put them?

Inquiring minds want to know.

BLOOD MAGIC Booty!!

My favorite witch, Jennifer Lyon, chose a random winner to receive a signed copy of BLOOD MAGIC, her fabulous dark paranormal story of Witches and Wing-Slayer Hunters! The winner is ...

Barbara Monajem!!!

Congratulations, Barbara!!

Please send your snail mail address to Jennifer at Jenapodaca@aol.com and she'll rush the book right out to you!!

In Defense of the Popular

No, this is not a blog post defending all those popular, mean girls who made so many people's lives miserable in high school. It's my defense of popular culture, things that so many people love but which end up being the whipping boy of critics and those who think they are above such popular things. Pffftt, I say.

Romance novels are favorites when it comes to making fun of something that has a huge and dedicated audience. I honestly don't understand this. Why, in a world where the news carries stories of murders, kidnappings, a tanking economy and a 50% divorce rate, do these critics not understand the validity and attractiveness of empowering stories of enduring love? Why is a happily ever after something to look down upon? Isn't that what most people really want in their lives?

That said, I have to say I don't like it when those in the romance genre make fun of other types of writing either. If you don't like Nicholas Sparks' writing, fine. But there are lots of people out there who do like it. If you don't like something you heard him or any other writer say in an interview, I totally get that. But, to me, calling someone like Sparks a hack doesn't do anyone any good. If you don't like a writer or his/her work, simply don't support their career by not buying or reading their books.

I saw an interview recently with Chad Kroeger, lead singer of the band Nickelback, in which he talked about how some critics say that Nickelback "sucks." He said that the band doesn't suck. They have zillions of fans and top-selling records that say otherwise. Kroeger said that they don't appeal to everyone, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean they suck. I saw Nickelback in concert a couple of weeks ago, and it was awesome! Loved the music, loved the show, loved the energy.

Another very popular figure who has been criticized very publicly is young adult author Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series of novels. Even Stephen King, who I've admired for defending genre fiction, jumped on the "attack Stephenie" bandwagon recently. I've seen many a fellow YA author publicly criticize Meyer's writing, saying it's not very good. So many times, those comments smack of jealousy to me.

Will Meyer win a Nobel Prize for Literature anytime soon? Probably not. But they've been giving out that particular Nobel Prize since 1901, and you know how many of the winners I've read? One -- John Steinbeck. I like Steinbeck, but give me a Meyer novel for pure enjoyment any day. There's a lot to be said for writing an engaging story, one that attracts lots of kids (and adults, for that matter) to reading.

So, is anyone out there a popular culture junkie like me? Is there something you love which takes a beating from the critics? What would you like to say to those critics?

And here, a little extra bonus -- the video for Nickelback's "Gotta Be Somebody," off their new album, Dark Horse. I like the lyrics to this song, which include:

"Cause nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else who feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there."

Sophia's Winners!

by Anna Campbell

Thanks, everyone, for a stellar day in the lair yesterday. I'm delighted to say that Sophia Nash has picked the winner of the signed copy of LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL. And it's...

DIANNA (Hrdwrkmom)!!!!!

Congratulations, Dianna. Please email Sophia on snashours@aol.com with your snail mail details and she'll get your book off to you.

Spring Ahead!

By Kirsten Scott

My apologies to those of you (Susan!) still buried under multiple inches of snow. The picture to the right is my forsythia bush, in proud display of the first new blooms of the year. That little bush has a secret to tell me. 

It's almost here. 

Spring.  

I'm a huge fan of spring. I love the metaphor of it, the rebirth after the long winter, the resurrection and opportunity to believe again in life after so much darkness. I love the daffodils, the tulips, and the crocuses. The tiny, pale green leaves on the trees are like magic after a long cold winter. Here in the Pacific NW, spring comes much earlier than it did when I lived in Buffalo. By March, our spring bulbs are pushing through the earth and finding their way to sunlight. By April, the tulips are getting ready to bloom. It will still be cold and rainy for months to come, but the spell of winter is broken and we are our way toward the glory of summer. 

Of course, spring isn't just about the garden. There are lots of other fun things about spring. There's the days getting longer, so we can finally come home from work and school in the light and have time to play outside before going to bed. There's the warmth that allows us to get out for our afternoon walks and hikes. Putting away the thick sweaters and pulling out the t-shirts. Getting out of the car and onto the bike. The first trip to Dairy Queen of the season.

This year, I think we're all ready for the optimism, the rebirth and the renewal that spring offers. I'm looking forward to this spring more than I have for years. I'm ready to watch things grow. I'm ready to plant some seeds and see what sprouts. I'm ready to lie in the sun like a cat and feel it in my bones.

So what are you looking forward to this spring? Gardening? Easter candy? (Joanie, I know those Peeps are calling you!) Baseball? I'd love to hear your stories -- especially stories about your gardens! And what do you think of my pussy willows? Gorgeous, right? :-)

Colleen's winners

The three winners of a Gardella book of her choice from Colleen Gleason are Davina, Pat Cochran and Karin. E-mail me at trishmilburn AT yahoo DOT com with your full name, mailing address and the title of the Gardella book you'd like to receive.

Bonjour to Madame Sophia Nash and her Tres Merry Widows!

by Anna Campbell

It is my huge pleasure to introduce one of my favorite people in Romancelandia, the RITA-winning, endlessly witty, stunningly intelligent, gorgeously attractive Sophia Nash!

Sophia, I hope you're soaking all this up - I certainly don't say it to your face. To your face, I call you a Tim Tam hound, which is also true!

Sophia writes sparkling, emotional historical romance for Avon. The latest instalment in Sophia's THE WIDOWS' CLUB has just been released. You can find out more about Sophia and her books at her website: www.sophianash.com

Sophia, welcome to the lair. I think you're going to fit right in. Yeah, I saw you steal that margarita from that cabana boy. And all with a smile on your face! Grand larceny, yikes! The latest in your wonderful Widows Club series hit the stands at the end of February. Could you tell us about LOVE WITH A PERFECT SCOUNDREL?

This is the third book in the series I've had so much fun creating for Avon. The book’s back cover blurb follows:

Twice jilted in the last two years, the achingly beautiful yet stoic Grace, Countess of Sheffield has given up on love. Now she's no longer capable of maintaining the elegant, serene facade with the members of the Duchess of Helston's secret circle of friends. And so she flees… only to encounter wretched disaster during the carriage ride north. But little does Grace know that once she faces all fate has tossed her way, she will find a new life…with a tall, rugged stranger who not only saves her life but forces her to dig deep into her hidden reserves of desire and fortitude to blossom into the woman she was destined to become—a lady willing to sacrifice all for a mysterious, yet powerful man who insists he is nothing more than a perfect scoundrel.

Sounds delicious! Where next for your wonderful widows?

There will be an anthology: FOUR DUKES AND A DEVIL which arrives in book stores June 30th. In this stand alone novella, the most eligible gentleman in London’s marriage mart reluctantly rescues a stranded school mistress. When the duke is forced to go heart-to-heart with the spirited siren, (Victoria Givan introduced briefly in LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL, the well-documented Catch of the Century finds out she’s the only one he can’t have.

And after the novella, the final book in the Widows Club quartet, which I'm currently writing, will be on shelves. Although...there might be another widow or other liar lurking about in mourning if the powers that be have a say... You just never know!

Can you tell us about your writing journey?

Journey? I was NOT one of those writers who started scribbling stories in the 1st grade. But I did love to read as did my father. We would sit like two zombies on the couch until my mother dragged us to the dinner table each night. But I did figure out that I liked to “create” when I worked at PM Magazine in WTVJ-Miami after college. I loved writing and producing stories. I spent many years in television, then as a congressional speech writer, and head of a non-profit. But when my father was very ill, he made me promise I would do what he and I had always talked about: write a book. He edited parts of A SECRET PASSION before he died, but I’m sorry to say he didn’t see it published.

You won a RITA award for your Regency A PASSIONATE ENDEAVOR. Congratulations! Can you tell us about that experience? Just in case, you know, a Bandita has to appear with panache and style on that stage one day. Also what is your feeling about awards? Do you think they help a writer’s career?

I recently wrote about this subject, but it’s one I always like to tackle, because my take on awards surprises many people. While the initial glow of winning any award is lovely, I've also learned the hard way not to take any of it seriously. Author Anne Lamott wrote something like, "whenever the world throws rose petals at you, beware the cosmic banana peel right behind." This could not be more true in my case. Right after the RITA and having a book named "Top Ten Romance of the Year" by Booklist, the Signet Regency line closed, I struggled with a proposal that flopped, changed agents, wrote a new proposal, etc. ad nauseum before FINALLY, my stories found a new home. And of course the opposite is true re my Banana Peel View on winning awards: All the writers who don’t win awards are the ones with the last laugh since they're being offered "significant" deals and selling television rights to HBO, right?

You write luscious heroes. Do you want to give us the lowdown on the men in the Widows’ Club?

Luc, Quinn, Michael . . . and coming soon: John and Rowland. They are a big, bad bunch except Quinn, the only Beta male of the group. He was the toughest to write because he is so calm, serious, and has a heart of gold, not a hot-headed, brute like Luc, who knows his power and uses it, or Michael who is capable of seducing half the female population at first glance.

I will admit that I love writing in the hero’s point of view and writing about male posturing between them. I was an only child surrounded by a huge number of French and American male cousins. All of them are very good looking, funny alpha males. I watched them blaze a trail littered with broken hearts on two coasts. I also watched what sort of women brought them to their knees (as in “Will you marry me?”). It was a wonderful education especially for writing romance!

It looks like when the series is finished there will be: 2 dukes, 1 earl, 1 marquis, 1 viscount, and a “gentleman” (or not). How is that for leaving a loophole?

Ooh, la la! You’re half French and I really feel there is a strong European influence in your writing. Do you draw on your French heritage in your work?

I think writers draw on everything they’ve got, don’t you? But, yes, I have so many paintings and beautiful crumbling photographs of my French ancestors surrounding me in my house, and I swear that while I’m writing, I have the ghosts of the lot of them looking over my shoulder (kind of like those dead ancestors hanging over Mulan’s shoulder in that Disney movie ). But you see, I also have an American father, with British roots. And those Brit ghosts are always keeping a stiff upper lip and trying not to tell the frogs where to go. So when I’m writing scenes in the ballroom, the Brit/American voice inserts itself, and beyond the bedroom door? Well, there’s a reason it’s called French kissing;-}

Where do you find your inspiration?

In the strangest places, like most writers. Sometimes it’s as simple as a movie, or a newspaper article, or a conversation with a friend. The entire concept of the widows club came from a ladies lunch when I asked the group what they would do if they lost their husbands (one absent friend had just lost her husband.) Each lady had a different answer . . . and a series was born. The plot for Love With the Perfect Scoundrel came to me after driving 1,200 miles through a gazillion hair-raising roundabouts in England. I arrived in Derbyshire--right into the teeth of a freak snowstorm. And I wondered....what if Grace Sheffey got caught in a blizzard in Derbyshire?

Thanks, Sophia! What great answers! I can't wait to read LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL. It sounds fantastic.

We're giving one lucky commenter a chance to win Sophia's latest. So good luck, Bandita buddies. Sophia, do you have a question to get the conversational ball rolling?

When reading a romance, do you have a favorite point of view? Do you prefer to be in the heroine’s head or the hero’s head, and why? What about during a love scene?

Victoria Gardella's Saga Draws to a Close

Colleen Gleason and I have been friends since we both finaled in Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest in 2003. There have been many times when we've instant messaged each other late at night or sat in a hotel lobby somewhere bemoaning the fact that we hadn't sold any books yet. Fortunately, now we both have -- after many years of writing, submitting and those dreaded rejections in the mailbox. Colleen hit upon a fantastic, high-concept idea with her Gardella Vampire Chronicles -- Buffy in Regency England. Even if I didn't know Colleen, I would adore these books. Unlike a traditional romance in which the heroine gets her man in the course of one book, Colleen has forced Victoria Gardella (and us!) to wait five books to see if she gets her happily ever after. The last in the series, As Shadows Fade, hit bookstore shelves yesterday. I'm SO looking forward to reading the final installment and hoping my guy (of the two potential heroes), Max, is the one Victoria ends up with. If not...well, I have Colleen's address. :)

Q: In this final book of the series, does Victoria finally get her happy ever after? Was it difficult for you to make her choose a hero?

A: Yes, she does!

It wasn’t hard for me to make Victoria choose her man, because, even though she hasn’t always known, I have always known, since the beginning, who her true love would be. That’s never changed, and I’ve never wavered.

But she, like most of us, has had to experience different relationships, and see them begin, end, and change, before she could decide who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She also has had to grow into her role not only as a woman, but as a Venator, as Illa Gardella, before she was ready to make that commitment.

It had to be a man who understands her, to accepts her, who respects her–and with whom she shares beliefs, morals, and judgments. Again, just like the rest of us! So, Victoria chooses a man who will support her in her role as Illa Gardella and help her make those choices from now on. She won’t be alone.

Q: This is the last book in the series about Victoria. How did you feel about the end, and did you find it difficult to wrap up all the loose ends?


As far as the series goes, I felt it was time to wrap up as many loose ends as possible (there are still some that remain unanswered–such as, the mystery behind those paintings in the Consilium!), as Victoria’s story was winding down. I found it both exhilarating to give Victoria her happy ending, as well as completely devastating. I loved her and her character and her world, all of her men and supporting cast, and it was hard to say good-bye.

But at the end of the day, I thought it was important to end not only on what I felt was a high note, but also now, before it went on too long and became predictable or, as I’ve said in the past, before Victoria has had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at her.

When I decided that five books were perfect for Victoria’s story arc, I did have that thought in mind…that I didn’t want to go too far with her so that the series was battered or done to death. For me, as a reader and watcher, I find that series that go on for too long lose some of their sharpness and freshness. As for how the series was to end…I wasn’t exactly sure how it was going to end until I was finished with When Twilight Burns, insofar as other threads. I mean, you know I’ve always known who Vic would end up with…but the other threads…I wasn’t certain how they would be resolved.

Q: A lot of books get attention because of their heroes. However, in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, you have created a very strong standout heroine who gets more time onstage than the possible heroes. Was this by design or did it just happen that way?

A: The series has always been about a woman faced with the desire to do and be “everything”–wife, woman, vampire hunter, Society lady, etc.– and her challenges when confronted with having to make choices and decisions about her priorities.

It’s about a woman who is so unique in her world of Regency England that she is stronger than any man, is charged with a special duty…and yet is a woman, and wants what most women–heck, what most people want: to be appreciated, respected and loved, to have companionship and friendship, and to have someone to partner with.

So, it was indeed by design that Victoria is the cornerstone of the series. And it is Victoria who makes Rockley, Sebastian, Max and even Beauregard and Lilith do things and make choices that they might not have made. She changes them, even as they change her. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

Q: Victoria has grown into her strength a lot throughout this series. What can readers expect to see from her in As Shadows Fade?

A: You can expect to see a very strong, capable woman who has finally come into her own. She knows what she wants (but not always how to go about getting it when it doesn’t have to do with vampires), she has made mistakes in the past and has learned from them, and she is Illa Gardella. She has been through a lot, and by the end of this book, we’ll see that she’s as happy as she can be, that she’s found her place, and has accepted it, even embraced it–with courage, experience, and confidence.

In short, she’s a very different woman than the one we first met in The Rest Falls Away…and I really like the person she’s become.

However, in this book, she faces a different sort of pervasive evil than anything she’s come up against previously. People who have read this book see that the paranormal antagonists are very different than the stake-able vampires in the first book…they’re darker and creepier and more inherently evil. Those scenes feel different than other fight scenes that I’ve written, and that’s purposeful, because I wanted to end the series with her showing that she can fight any evil…not just vampires.

If she’d come up against this particular enemy in the first book or two, Victoria wouldn’t have made it. She’s grown in confidence and knowledge, and only because of that has she been able to come this far.

***

Thanks for hanging out with us here in the lair today, Colleen. I'm sure we've got many Gardella fans here. And if they aren't now, I hope they will be soon.

If you've not read this series, go forth and purchase all five books (made easy by clicking on the cover of As Shadows Fade in this post). Also, you have a chance to win one of your very own today. Colleen is giving away a book of the winner's choice from the Gardella series to three lucky commenters today.

And if you are already a fan of the series, I'm curious who you're rooting for -- Max or Sebastian. I will endeavor not to say snarky things if you say Sebastian. :)

Linnea Sinclair, aiming to misbehave

hosted by Donna MacMeans

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Linnea Sinclair to the lair. Linnea and I first knew of each other back in 2003 when we participated in a paranormal anthology, Dream Quest. We reconnected in 2006 in Atlanta when Linnea was nominated and then won a RITA award for Gabriel's Ghost (Best Paranormal). Don't be surprised if she does it again with Hope's Folly. Romantic Times Bookreviews awarded the story a coverted Top Pick and called it, "a roller-coaster ride in the extreme!" Please join me in welcoming Linnea Sinclair.

HOPE’S FOLLY: Aiming to Misbehave…

Firefly fans will recognize Captain Mal Reynold’s quote in the title of my blog. Others will hopefully be intrigued enough to read on (and maybe even be encouraged to seek out Firefly and Serenity on DVD—yay!) But I’m not here to plug Joss Whedon’s works (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but to talk about Hope’s Folly and the subgenre of science fiction romance—and why you should read it, if you don’t. And why you should read more of it, if you do. And how reader expectations might be a bit skewed either way.

Hi, I’m Linnea Sinclair and I write space opera romance (I always feel like I’m standing up at some meeting, apologetically, when I say that.) It’s also called science fiction romance and sometimes labeled futuristic romance. I actually think Great Fun Book With Hot Hero And Lots Of Action is the preferred label but as of yet, I can get neither Bantam (my publisher) nor the chain bookstores to agree to that.

Science fiction romance is a genre that misbehaves. It puts the intellectual and thematic issues of science fiction smack-dab up against the emotional and angst-y issues of romance, and forces them to cohabitate. It’s tastes great-less filling fighting with less filling-tastes great. It’s you’ve got chocolate in my peanut butter. It’s…still a genre—despite the best efforts of Catherine Asaro, Susan Grant, Jayne Ann Krentz, Robin D Owens, yours truly and others—that makes people go “Huh?”. At least, according to my forays on places like GoodReads and Shelfari, it does.

Science fiction romance scares some readers. It angers others. (How dare you put chocolate in my peanut butter!) These reactions have a lot to do with reader expectations, something you all have, whether you admit to it or not. Romance readers expect an HEA—a Happily Ever After. Mystery readers expect a puzzle to solve, a dead body or three, a stolen object or two. Inspirational romance readers expect a plot line heavily involved with faith issues. Science fiction readers expect the book to be based on a theme question—a deep “what if?”—and they expect alien worlds/concepts and/or detailed world building. For starters (and yes, I know many of these things wax and wane depending on current book trends).

As with any other cross-genre book, science fiction romance has to take two (or more) reader expectations and address them in the same “real estate” (to quote Mary Jo Putney) as a one-genre novel. That means SFR authors have the same 350 pages to work with as any other author—they just have to do twice as much. Two times the plot arcs. Two times the world-building. Two times the “what ifs.” In the same space.

You know. It’s like when you were single and you had your whole bedroom closet to yourself. Then your significant other moves in and suddenly your clothes have half the space…


Let’s take my current release, Hope’s Folly (and in fact, I hope you do. Hope’s Folly can be found on either the romance shelves or the science fiction shelves of your local bookstore for only $6.99 US and $7.99 CAN! Get it now, while it’s hot, fresh out of the author’s mental oven!)

Sorry. Got carried away. Anyway, Hope’s Folly at its essence is a May-December romance. The hero, Admiral Philip Guthrie is (and I like the way Laurie at Spacefreighter’s Lounge describes him:

“Guthrie is, of course, the ex-husband of Captain Chasidah Bergen of the first two books in the series, GABRIEL'S GHOST and SHADES OF DARK. And alive he is. Injured, hobbling, disillusioned, lonely and with the weight of the universe and the hopes of the rebel Alliance on his shoulders...but still breathing. He's dismayed to find he's saddled with a derelict former citrus hauler as his command ship. This scrap-ready heap is named HOPE'S FOLLY, an unfortunate tag that Philip must live with. He hopes it's not prophetic.”

http://spacefreighters.blogspot.com/2009/02/hopes-folly-review.html

Philip is forty-five. Rya Bennton is twenty-nine—and the daughter of Philip’s first commanding officer and long-time friend, Captain Cory Bennton. With her father’s death, Rya finds herself assigned to a ship that is—unbeknownst to her initially—under Phillip’s command.

Trouble is, that last time she saw Philip, she was about ten years old, and he hated her. Well, okay, he didn’t hate her. But he was a young military officer and found her…annoying.

She found him beyond dreamy:

Lieutenant Philip Guthrie. Odd how over the years she’d forgotten his face but not the effect he’d had on her. And not certain details. The way he’d lounged at her parents’ dining room table, a slender-stemmed wineglass in his thick fingers. Strong fingers. Strong enough to hold something so delicate without breaking it. Strong enough to fire those powerful weapons that were her father’s passion.
She’d tried so hard to behave that night, but when her father said he was bringing home one of his officers, she’d never thought it would be someone like Philip. She’d met his officers before. Gruff women who pinched her cheeks. Fat men who smelled like cigars.
And then Philip strode in, tall and strong, with those beautiful blue eyes, like a prince from her storyvids. And for the first time in her life she’d fallen in love with a man who wasn’t her father.
She could not sit still. She’d wanted to fling her arms around his waist and hug him.
But she was just a child. Fat and freckled with frizzy hair.
Then he’d put his Carver in her hands, talking all the while about the weapon’s problems as if she were a grown up and really understood, and he held her small hands in his large warm ones while she aimed at the target and fired.
She didn’t wash her hands for a week after that.
(from Hope’s Folly by Linnea Sinclair, Bantam Dell, 2009)

But she was ten and he was twenty-six and it was a one-time meeting.

At least it was for the next nineteen years…

Sounds like classic historical May-December, doesn’t it?

So why did I have to set it in the science fiction genre and by so doing, have to deal with that extra set of reader expectations and the problem of romance readers who get the yips when they see the words “science” and “fiction?”

The short answer is because I’m nuts and have an affinity for gin and tonics.

The long answer is that the genre of science fiction permits me to write outside of reader expectations, to create worlds and cultures and ethical issues we may or may not have here on this planet aptly named after dirt, and permits me to draw my characters out of such worlds. I don’t have to deal with the current (or past) stereotypes of what women can or cannot do. I can invent my own stereotypes. I can invent my own ethical issues. And I can wrap all that around a story which is very familiar to most romance readers: May-December.

It’s been noted that agents and editors often demand: “Give me more of the same, but different.”

I don’t think there’s any better avenue for that than science fiction romance.

Fear, hope, longing, the desire for love…all those common human issues are found in science fiction romance. Just the settings, the cultures change but because they do, and because they’re often so different, those same human issues take on greater impact. You can see them more clearly because they’re not surrounded by things we know so well we often fail to recognize. We make inferences as to what a city girl from Manhattan is like, or a country boy from Alabama. We carry stereotypes with us that may not be at all what the author wants to convey.

In science fiction romance, those stereotypes are for the most part, gone. It’s all new, fresh and exciting. And yet it’s still fear, hope, longing and the desire for love.

He watched her handle the weapons and saw clear echoes of Captain Cory Bennton in her movements, in her scrutiny. He wondered what Cory would think of his daughter’s situation now. He wondered what Cory would do if he knew Philip had kissed her.
“Rya—”
“I’m a grown woman, Philip.” She hefted the Carver-10 in her hand and faced him, chin lifting almost in defiance. “The fat little girl you taught to shoot a Carver has been through a lot in the past twenty years. Enough that she—that I—have very few illusions about myself. I know what I am. I know what I have to give. And I know what I want. And when you’re ready to discuss that in a mature fashion—without guilt or excuses—you know where to find me.”
(from Hope’s Folly by Linnea Sinclair, Bantam Dell, 2009)

Sadly, the very things that make SFR familiar yet at the same time unique are giving chain store buyers and publishing house marketing departments the fits. Is it tastes great or less filling? Borders shelves me in romance. Barnes & Noble shelves me in science fiction. Readers get confused. And sales…well, the numbers for most SFR authors aren’t where we’d like them to be (except perhaps in the case of JD Robb’s In Death series but then Nora is a galaxy unto herself). And until publishers and bookstores invent a shelf labeled Great Fun Book With Hot Hero And Lots Of Action, SFR is destined to be bounced around and at times, overlooked.

So your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to throw out ideas for getting the word out on Great Fun Books With Hot Heroes And Lots Of Action also known as Science Fiction Romance.

In return, I’ll throw out an official Linnea Sinclair “Interstellar Adventure Infused With Romance” canvas tote bag and an “Interstellar Adventure Infused With Romance” coffee mug! Now, who wants to play catch?

~Linnea
www.linneasinclair.com

Bandit Booty Time

The treasure chest was opened again. The winners from Christie's launch party are:


A copy of Every Night I'm Yours -- Jane

A copy of Every Time We Kiss -- Buffie

A $10 gift certificate from Amazon.com -- Dianna (hardwrkmom)

Thanks to everyone who helped make my launch party so much fun! I need the winners to send me an email at christie @ christiekelley. com (remove the spaces)

Jennifer Lyon and BLOOD MAGIC!

By Kate

My friend, award-winning author Jennifer Lyon, always wanted to be a witch. Since her witch-powers never materialized, she moved to plan B and now creates magic in her books. Her latest is BLOOD MAGIC, the first book in the new Wing-Slayer Hunter series, which garnered a 4-1/2 star HOT rating from Romantic Times Book Review. NYT bestselling author Lara Adrian says “BLOOD MAGIC brims with passion, adventure and paranormal intrigue. Jennifer Lyon's sexy, immortal slayers will get your pulse racing!"

Whew! My pulse is racing already!

Please join me in welcoming to the Lair the wild and witchy Jennifer Lyon!

Jennifer: Hey! This is so cool! I'm in the Bandita Lair! Look, there's Sven! Sven, appletini please!

What? No appletinis until I'm finished? Oh well, okay.

So, thanks Kate for having me here! I'm really honored. I love the Banditas! You guys rock! Never a dull moment when the Banditas are in town!

Kate: Uh, sorry about the appletinis, kiddo, but it's business before pleasure around here! [Note to Banditas: If she gets her hands on Sven's appletinis, we're all in big trouble.] So Jen, I can’t believe I finally have my own copy of your fabulous book! I love the idea of Witches and Wing-Slayer Hunters. Can you give us a hint or two about the story of BLOOD MAGIC?

Jennifer: I'd love to!

Once earth witches used their magic to shield and heal mortals, and the witch guardians were the immortal hunters who protected the innocent while tracking and killing the demon witches. Then a demonic curse broke the ancient bonds. Now the hunters are driven by a bloodlust to kill the witches they once guarded, and in doing so, lose their souls. The witches have diminished power and their guardians have become their killers. Humanity has lost the shield that stood between them and demons.

Darcy MacAlister has lived with being labeled strange, even evil, all her life. But on the day of her beloved mother's funeral, events are set into motion that forces Darcy to learn of her heritage—she is a witch.

Axel Locke is a witch hunter who refuses to give into the curse and kill witches. But when Alex's baby sister, Hannah, is marked for death by a demon witch, all bets are off. He'll do anything to save her, including kidnapping the witch Darcy MacAlister to force her to remove the death mark.

Darcy must learn her craft, and learn it fast. Axel must resist the siren call of Darcy's power-laced blood to keep his soul. And both work in a race against time to unravel the tangle of the curse to save Hannah ... and themselves.

I loved writing this book! The chemistry between Axel and Darcy was almost uncontrollable! As I wrote the book, the pages were practically curling at the edges from the heat. :-)

Kate: My toes are kinda curling from the heat, too! Yeow! Okay, I've got to ask you, since you’ve also written an award-winning mystery series as well as plenty of sexy contemporary romances, how did you come up with this dark, sexy paranormal concept of Wing-Slayer Hunters and the Witches who love them? Is it because you’re a witch? No, really. Is it?

Jennifer: Okay, I'll confess. For years, I tried to keep the witch thing under wraps. People can be a tad judgmental, you know? So I used my married name Jennifer Apodaca and wrote mysteries and some contemporaries, but all the witches in my head started to get restless.

Let me tell you, restless witches are NOT a good thing.

Finally, I took my broom out of the closet, so to speak. And I let the voices in my head have their say … in the books written as Jennifer Lyon. Lyon, of course, is my witch name. Everyone has one, right?

Kate: Uh, right. [Note to Banditas: Were we supposed to have witch names? Discuss at next Bandita board meeting.]

Jennifer: As to how I came up with the series, it was a process. I started knowing I wanted to write a book about witches, but it was the men I saw first. Five hot men struggling with a dark curse, and I knew they were called Wing Slayer Hunters. Then I saw the witches…and it went from there. Creating the mythology was the hardest part, but it was also the most fun! Gods, demons, curses with hot hunks and beautiful witches caught up in the fallout…oh yeah, what's not to love?

Kate: What a cool process you went through! [Yeah, I'll bet she saw the men first. Hello!] Ahem. Jen, can you give us a little sneak preview of book two?

Jennifer: Hang on, let me get my crystal ball. Okay, see the fog clearing?

Book two is titled SOUL MAGIC. Psychologist and witch Dr. Carla Fisk discovers that her dead twin sister's soul is trapped in the knife of the rogue who killed her. Convinced she failed Keri in life, Carla is determined to free her sister's soul before it dies off permanently. She knowingly risks her life by asking for help from the one person who might be able to find the knife—witch hunter Sutton West.

Sutton's father killed himself rather than go rogue. Sutton lives by that same creed, and now Carla is igniting both blood lust and searing passion in him. But Sutton can't turn his back on her, and so they work together while fighting against their deadly attraction.

Things take a more sinister turn when a demon and rogue witch hunter team up and use the knife to gain more demonic power and destroy Carla. Time is running out for both Carla and Keri.

Will Sutton find the answer in time to save the witch he loves and the soul of her twin sister? Is love really enough?

Both characters have so much at stake in SOUL MAGIC!

Kate: Wow! That sounds fantastic, Jen! I love the title, too. Okay, last question. What’s with you and the appletinis? Are you just a lush or is this some weird witches’ brew you concoct to lure hot men to your Lair?

Jennifer: See? There's that judgmental thing again! Stay out of my lair, Kate! I have a crystal ball! I've seen you lurking around, trying to lure my men out with your Irish Coffees and fancy shmansy wines. I saw you holding your book HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER and whispering seductively, "How about working for a New York Times Bestseller, Boys?" I put a stop to that nonsense! I soundproofed the Lyon's Lair!

Kate: *whistling innocently* [Note to Banditas, we need a crystal ball for our Lair!]

Jennifer: What was the question again? Appletinis? Mmmm. Why do I like them? Oh! Well because there is nothing as hot as a shirtless hunk shaking up an appletini! It's pure inspiration for my writing!

Kate and Banditas, thank you so much for having me today! You make a witch feel all warm and thirsty with your hospitality! Oops, did I say thirsty? Where's Sven? Can I have my appletini now?

Kate: Sven, appletinis for everyone!! Jennifer, thanks so much for visiting today! Wow, Wing-Slayer Hunters. I want one! Maybe if I used my WITCH NAME, I could get one! Hmm, okay, I'm officially revealing my witch name here, today. It's ... Kate Coco Mocha!! Kind of exotic, don't you think? I feel it working ... hello, Hunter!!

What's your WITCH NAME? Come on, share with us! You might get one of those hunky Wing-Slayer Hunters to show up at your door. Yum! AND one lucky random commenter will win a signed copy of Jennifer’s BLOOD MAGIC!

P.S. Be sure to visit Jennifer at her wildly popular -- because she’s always posting pics of hot Wing-Slayer Hunters! -- website/blog, http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/

Party Time in the Lair!

by Christie Kelley

I am celebrating more than just the launch of Every Time We Kiss today, so I’m opening the treasure chest up with 3 big give aways!

I’m giving out a copy of Every Night I’m Yours to anyone who posts and tells me they haven’t read it yet. I’m giving away a copy of Every Time We Kiss to anyone who doesn’t have it yet. And for those few people who have both of my books, I’ll give a $10 Amazon gift certificate. The only way to win a prize is to post a comment.


So what is that other thing I’m celebrating? Book number 3 was emailed off to my editor yesterday!!! I seriously wondered if I would get that book done on time.

Now that I have, I invited Sven up for the massages, the cabana boys are here with the drinks, and Joanie’s Romans? Well, they’re just sweet to watch.

Every Time We Kiss is the second book in the Spinster Club series. The Spinster Club revolves around five friends who swore they never wanted to marry, mostly due to issues in their past. But there happens to be a matchmaker among them who is secretly working to get them all married.

Here is the back cover blurb for Every Time We Kiss:

GUILT KEPT THEM APART

It’s been five years since Lady Jennette Selby’s fiancé died. Each courting season since has been filled with suitors eager to win her affection. But Jennette’s guilt has prompted her to swear off marriage. For her secrets are as dark as she is beautiful, and the accidental death of her fiancé was tainted by a forbidden attraction…

PASSION BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER

Matthew Harris, the new earl of Blackburn, has been scorned by the ton for unintentionally killing Lady Jennette’s fiancé. Forced to sell his estates and abandon his tenants if he does not marry a wealthy, respectable woman, Matthew turns to Lady Jennette to help him find a suitable wife. But sharing such close quarters only re-ignites an all-consuming desire neither can resist–even as every shadow of the past threatens to tear them apart….


So sit back and enjoy the party today. But if you want a prize, you have work for it.

Most importantly, what drinks are the cabana boys bringing you today? What do you think makes Regencies so popular? If you have read one or both of my books, who do you think will be the 3rd spinster to march down the aisle?

And the question that I seem to get asked a lot: Who gets Somerton?

Don't forget, 3 lucky people will win a prize! Let me know which prize you want your name in the drawing for. I’ll post the winners by Wednesday so don’t forget to check back and see if you’ve won!

March -- Coming Attractions & Contests

Before we proceed to our coming attractions round-up, the Romance Bandits are THRILLED to make a very special announcement.

The Romance Bandits are sponsoring an RWA National Scholarship to cover the cost of the conference early registration fee (value = $425, the RWA member price) for one winner to attend the 2009 conference in Washington, D.C. The scholarship is for the registration fee only. The fee will be paid to RWA directly.

To apply, please provide the following information: your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, if youʼre published or unpublished, if you have ever attended an RWA National Conference before, and a short explanation (no more than 150 words) about why you want/need the scholarship. Applications will be accepted until April 15. The winner will be contacted by the end of April.Please e-mail all the required information in the body of your e-mail to Joan Kayse at JoanieT13ATgmailDOTcom.

Now, on to what's up this month!

Tomorrow (March 2) our very own Christie Kelley will celebrate the launch of EVERY TIME WE KISS, which Romantic Times gave a 4 star review, saying Christie's "well on her way to capturing readers' hearts". Come and join in the fun with Romans, cabana boys, Sven the Swedish Masseur and plenty of those colourful drinks with umbrellas in them!

March 3 - Multi-talented, multi-genre author and wannabe witch, Jennifer Lyon, will be here to talk about BLOOD MAGIC, the first in her new dark paranormal series about witches and the extremely hot and hunky Wing-Slayer Hunters who love them.

RITA winning author Linnea Sinclair will join us to talk about her February release, another exciting sci-fi romance, HOPE'S FOLLY on March 4. Romantic Times awarded Hope's Folly a 4.5 TOP PICK calling it "a roller-coaster ride in the extreme."

On March 5, creator of the fabulous Gardella series, Colleen Gleason will be here to chat about her new release AS SHADOWS FADE.

RITA-winning historical romance author Sophia Nash is great fun and her visit to the lair on 6th March promises to turn into a party. She'll be talking about her new release LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL and giving away a signed copy to one lucky commenter!

Debut Avon author Miranda Neville joins us on 10th March to talk about her new historical romance NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION. Originally from England and now a U.S. resident, Miranda has led a really fascinating life which will keep our visitors to the lair intrigued.

On March 16, best selling author and 2008 RITA finalist, Kay Stockham, will be here to talk about her new Harlequin Superromance, HER BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER, another in the Tulanes of Tennessee series. Romantic Times gave her latest a 4.5 TOP PICK calling this "a heartwarming and delightful tale of love."

We're excited to welcome Joanna D'Angelo to Romance Bandits on March 21. Joanna is a writer/filmmaker who co-produced and directed WHO'S AFRAID OF HAPPY ENDINGS? - a witty and revealing documentary about romance writers and the world of romance fiction.

On March 27, Jaye Wells takes us into her world of Urban Fantasy with the series debut book: RED-HEADED STEPCHILD.

And to round off the month in spectacular style, NYT bestseller and RWA Hall of Fame member JODI THOMAS is here on March 31. Woohoo, give us a cowboy any day, Jodi!

CONTESTS!!!!!!

Anna Campbell's I Heart Historical Romance contest is giving away four signed historical romances by Amanda McCabe, Anna Campbell, Nicola Cornick and Donna MacMeans. Just email Anna on anna@annacampbell.info and tell her what your favorite historical romance is and why. The contest closes on 30th April. For more details, please visit her contest page.

FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK!

The Romance Bandits facebook group has more than 400 members and we're still building. Join us! Invite all your friends! Sven will roll out the welcome massage table to greet you at the door.