Musing of the Romantics

Trolling the Internet - Me Likey! by Marisa O'Neill

I’ve had some terrific fun on the internet this week. I’ve read all the horror on the economy I can stand – but I’ve also found some great things in romancelandia this week.
Thought I’d share a few of the blogs that made me want to engage.

There was a terrific commentary and review of Larissa Ione’s new book Pleasure Unbound on What Women Read. Shannon has some interesting commentary on the state of paranormal romances and what we as readers are wanting.

Then I stopped by Katiebabs blog to check out a terrific review on Lord of Scoundrels written by a – wait for it  - a man.   The male perspective on romance novels? You bet.  Interesting read, definitely check it out.

Our own Kati had a laugh out loud perspective on what kind of sex gives her the big ICK factor when reading romance on Adventures in Katidom.

And then the authors over at Write Minded are having a blow out Reader Appreciation Party with great guest authors, blogs and prizes until October 22nd that is just too much fun to miss.

I’m telling you – economy got you down? Check out these blog posts, you’ll be smiling before long.

Any of you have some interesting blog posts I need to read?

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October HOTM by Buffie Johnson

This month’s Hottie of the Month is dedicated to an author I met recently at the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference in Atlanta.   She is a wonderfully sweet person who has a wit that kept me smiling throughout the night.   A woman who could easily be your best friend -- one you could share your secrets.   This blog is dedicated to Jennifer St. Giles.

Not only is Jenni a wonderful lady and gifted author, but while the RNTV group was having dinner with her and fellow author Jacquie D’Alessandro, Jenni revealed an interesting fact that shot her WAY UP in points in my little book.    Sweet, darling Jenni has met, spoken with, and even touched . . . are you ready for this . . . the handsome, sexy, utterly delicious Gerard Butler.   GERARD BUTLER!!!!!!   Needless to say I was in complete shock and awe.   Can you imagine stand in front of this gorgeous man?   

I think we are all quite aware of just who Gerard Butler is, but here are few quick facts about this hottie.

~ born in Glasgow, Scotland (he has a sexy accent)
~ graduated from Glasgow University Law School (he’s got brains too!)
~ has appeared in several films including Dracula 2000, Phantom of the Opera, Tomb Raider, 300, PS I Love You, and Nims Island.

Now my question for you is . . . are you holding out on me too?   Have you meet, talked, and touched a famous, sexy man?    Girl, if you have . . . you need to spill.   Right.  This.  Minute.

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Fall Into Reading: October Releases by Andrea Williamson

Fall is here! It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of the year already. The leaves are starting to change colors, the air is starting to cool and the holiday season is on its way. And books make great presents! Here is your monthly dose of new releases…

 

Historical

The Christmas Countess by Adrienne Basso
Shadow Rider by Kathrynn Dennis
Under the Highlander’s Spell by Donna Fletcher
Scandalizing the Ton by Diane Gaston
Marry Christmas by Jane Goodger
Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke
Under the Blood Red Moon by Mina Hepsen
A Knight Well Spent by Jackie Ivie
As Luck Would Have It by Alissa Johnson
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
Come the Night by Susan Krinard
Passionate by Anthea Lawson
Night Falls Darkly by Kim Lenox
Veiled Passions by Tracy MacNish
Promises Reveal by Sarah McCarty
The Rustler by Linda Lael Miller
The Scarlet Spy by Andrea Pickens
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume
The Dark Viscount by Deborah Simmons
The Captive Heart by Bertrice Small
Hallowe’en Husbands by Lisa Plumley, Denise Lynn and Christine Merrill
It Happened One Night by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern
The Magic of Christmas by Carolyn Davidson, Victoria Bylin and Cheryl St. John

Contemporary

Risking Her Heart by Liz Allison & Wendy Etherington
Watch and Learn by Stephanie Bond
Lies Lovers Tell by Zuri Day
What Matters Most by Gwynne Forster
Bare Witness by Katherine Garbera
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber (Mainstream Fiction)
Power Play by Deirdre Martin
Driven by Desire by LuAnn McLane
The Ride of Her Life by Natasha Moore
Lucky Charm by Carly Phillips
Home for the Holidays by Lisa Plumley
Addicted to Love by Lori Wilde

 

Romantic Suspense

Night Fall by Cherry Adair
Caught by Jami Alden
No Escape by Shannon K. Butcher
The Private Concierge by Suzanne Forster
Show No Mercy by Cindy Gerard
Deadly Night by Heather Graham
Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin
For Her Eyes Only by Cait London
Where There’s Fire by Maureen McKade

 

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Veiled Truth by Vivi Anna
Night’s Master by Amanda Ashley
Bite the Bullet by L.A. Banks
Warrior by Cheryl Brooks
Untamed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Midnight’s Daughter by Karen Chance
Knight’s Fork by Rowena Cherry
Fallen by Claire Delacroix
Naughty or Nice by Sherri Erwin
Key to Redemption by Talia Gryphon
Blood Memories by Barb Hendee
Dark Harvest by Lynda Hilburn
Intimate Beings by Jessica Inclán
Red Fire by Deidre Knight
Kiss of a Dark Moon by Sharie Kohler
Mercury’s War by Lora Leigh
Up in Smoke by Katie MacAlister
Your Magic or Mine? by Ann Macela
Irreversible by Liz Maverick
Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead
Immortals: The Crossing by Joy Nash
The Rogue Hunter by Lynsay Sands
Angel’s Pain by Maggie Shayne
The Blackdagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward
One Bite With a Stranger by Christine Warren
Crate & Peril by J.D. Warren
Bond of Darkness by Diane Whiteside
King of Sword and Sky by C.L. Wilson (Fantasy)
Aftershock by Sharon Sala, Janis Reams Hudson and Debra Cowan
The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh and Linda Winstead Jones
Mysteria Lane by Mary Janice Davidson, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter and P.C. Cast
Vegas Bites: Three of a Kind by Monique Lamount, J. M. Jeffries, Seressia Glass and Natalie Dunbar
Blood Lite by Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kelley Armstrong
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe - Charlaine Harris and Toni L P Kelner, editors

 

Erotica/Erotic Romance

 

The Chosen Sin by Anya Bast

 

Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton
Whispers of the Flesh by Louisa Burton
Nights in Black Lace by Noelle Mack
The Diary of Cozette by Amanda McIntyre
Hot Silk by Sharon Page
Get Your Sexy On by Kimberly Kaye Terry
Leather & Lace by Beth Williamson, Rebecca Goings and Melissa Schroeder
Unwrap Me by Melissa MacNeal, Melissa Randall and Susan Lyons

 

 

As many of you know, I attended the Moonlight & Magnolias conference in Atlanta this past weekend and had an absolute blast! It was so good to see Buffie again and to finally meet PJ and Gannon. I was also able to see and spend time with several of my favorite authors (whom I also consider friends), Jenna Petersen, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Teresa Medeiros. So, I want to know -- which of your favorite authors have you met? Where did you meet them? Which author(s) would you absolutely LOVE to meet?

 

Until next month, happy reading!

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Guest Author Interview: C.L. Wilson

We’re thrilled to have with C.L. Wilson with us today.  C.L. is the New York Times best selling author of the wildly popular fantasy romance Tairen Soul series.  She has written a master work; a four book epic beginning with Lord of the Fading Lands, continuing with Lady of Light and Shadow and the newly released King of Sword and Sky; and completing the series with the 2009 release of Queen of Song and Souls

First a little background:
Rainier vel’En Daris (Rain Tairen Soul) is the Fey King who must save the dying tairen, magical winged cats of the Fading Lands.  Elyssetta Barrista is a wood carver’s daughter and his truemate.  Together – they fight to save the tairen and rid the Fading Lands and the mortal world of the dark evil that is trying to take over.

RNTV:  When you originally submitted the manuscript for Tairen Soul it was 1000 pages long.  Your publisher decided to split it into two books Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadow.  It has now become a four book series. Was the original 1000 page manuscript intended to be a complete book with no follow up?  Or did you always intend the story would cover four books?

C.L.: When I first started writing the original Tairen Soul book, I thought it would be one complete book, but it kept growing and growing, and I realized I had too much story to fit in a single novel, so I chopped the manuscript in half and decided to make the story a trilogy.   I had intended the trilogy to be: Tairen Soul, the Woodcarver’s Daughter (Book 1); Tairen Soul: The Fey King’s Bride (Book 2); and Tairen Soul: Queen of the Fading Lands (Book 3).  But for publication, I had to split the Woodcarver’s Daughter manuscript in two, and that book became the published LORD and LADY.  The rest of my originally envisioned trilogy remained intact: the Fey King’s Bride became KING (released October 2008), and Queen of the Fading Lands was renamed QUEEN OF SONG AND SOULS (coming out June 2009).  With the exception of the first book being cut into two, the quartet pretty much follows my original idea for the trilogy.

RNTV:  I read where you said the books started with a single image of Rain Tairen Soul – can you explain what that image was and how it started the story for you?

C.L.: I had a picture of him – this tall, brooding Fey king, sitting on a golden throne, pondering the looming extinction of his peoples.  I knew I wanted a soul-mates romance book and a high fantasy quest where the romance quest could not be completed without the fantasy quest and vice versa, but everything else in the story sprang from that one image.  Why was he there? What was killing his people? What did he want (personally) and why?  I just started writing, and the more the words flowed onto the page, the clearer I came to understand Rain, his past, and his current dilemma.  Everything else flowed from that.

RNTV:  You have the remarkable ability to write of eternal, pure, everlasting love and on the other hand an evil that is so horrible it will bring about total death and destruction.  The chief antagonist the High Mage is so malevolent; you can feel the evil dripping off the page when he appears.  How in the world did you come up with such a EVIL character? 

C.L. :I’m just sick and twisted, I guess.  LOL.  No, seriously, I wanted the High Mage to be the opposite of everything the Fey stand for.  He is their  antithesis.   And since they are such powerful forces for Light, he had to be a truly terrible force of Darkness.  He will stop at nothing to achieve his aims, but he isn’t crazy.  He is very intelligent, very ambitious, and he has a crystal clear vision of what he wants to achieve in life and exactly what steps he must take to achieve his goals.  He is quite methodical and deliberate, and utterly ruthless.  Basically, I thought of the most horrific, bloody-minded terrorist mastermind of our age and that is who the High Mage of Eld is to me.

RNTV:  You’ve built a world like no other, from the origins of the Fey to the names of the characters and language they speak.  How did you invent this new language? 

 C.L.:I love languages, I studied French extensively, German in college, and made a brief foray into Japanese.  (And, of course, English was my college major. *g*) I have always had fun making up words and names and playing with the way sounds fit together, so I put all that together (and used some of my foreign language and English studies to come up with grammatical syntax) to create the languages and names in my books.  I also tried to give each culture their own lingual attributes.  (Feraz words use the letter z often, for instance; whereas Feyan words do not, etc.)

RNTV:  You’ve got quite a following and on your Blog you ask readers to give their thoughts about the books and the characters.  Do their suggestions or desires influence your writing in any way?

C.L.: The blog series you are talking about was my two-week release countdown for KING which was a first for me – and terrific fun!  I really enjoyed reading all the answers to my daily questions.  I also read all the mail that comes to me, and I do take reader input to heart.  (Though I prefer nice input! LOL)   There are certain aspects of the story that have to go a certain way, but if I can meet reader hopes for a certain character and still be true to the storyline I’ve already got in play, then I will try to do both

RNTV:  You haven’t yet told us how the Tairen Soul came into existence.  Do we discover how they came about in the fourth book? 

C.L.: Actually, in LORD, I think there is a mention of the legend of Fellana the Bright, the tairen who fell in love with a Fey and sought the help of an Elden Mage so she could assume Fey form and be with her Fey beloved.  According to that legend, the first Tairen Soul, Tevan Fire Eyes, was the son of Fellana and her Fey mate Sevander. 

Although I’ve toyed with writing the truth that became the legend of Fellana the Bright, that’s a story for another day, but I will say the truth isn’t quite as far from the legend as Rain believes.   :)

RNTV:  Writing a series like this takes a lot of creativity, thought and time.  When you began, you were working at another career and raising your family, where did you find the time to write this epic?

C.L.: LOL 3am-7am each morning.  And weekends!  (And that is the Fey-truth.)

RNTV:  Is there a possibility that they’ll be a fifth book, for secondary characters that have a story to tell.

C.L.:After QUEEN, I have a book set in another world (THE WINTER KING) slated for release Oct 2009, but then I will be heading back to the Fading Lands for three more novels.  Those will be individual stories, each featuring a specific Fey warrior as the main protagonist.

Thanks so much for joining us today C.L.  We could ask you all sorts of questions, but we don’t want to hog ‘the stage’.  We’ll open it up now to the RNTV viewers…

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Book Review: Kind of Sword and Sky by C.L. Wilson

Reviewed by Maria Lokken
5 Stars

KING OF SWORD AND SKY is the third in a four book fantasy romance Tairen Soul series.  Rain the Fey King, who is also a tairen (a magical, winged cat of the Fading Lands) was sent to the mortal lands, Celieria, to find the answer that would save the dying tairen.  While there, he finds his truemate, a wood carver’s daughter, Ellysetta (Ellie) Barrista. Upon meeting Rain, Ellie discovers, her true being – she is not mortal but both  Fey and tairen. 

In this third installment KING OF SWORD AND SKY, we find Ellie traveling to the Fading Lands to help find out what is killing the tairen and to stop the Evil Mage from destroying the world. She is welcomed into the Mists of the Fading Lands with mixed feelings. Bearing the marks on her soul of the evil High Mage, Vadim Maur, there is uncertainty as to whether she is there to bring hope and salvation, or death and destruction.

And this is where I say – run and read the books.  Because how do you condense an epic into a cohesive review? It’s not easy; there are many characters, a tightly built world with rules and history, and an intricate plot.  The pacing in all three books is tight, and there’s one end goal for both good and evil – their own reign. How each gets there is the beauty of the series.  Each character is well defined with well written dialogue; every sentence advances the plot, giving the reader more information about the mysteries of the Fey, The Fading Lands and the evil Mage.

The author’s ability to write about shining pure beautiful magic on one hand and the deepest darkest evil you’ve ever seen on the other is rather remarkable.  The evil scenes drip off the page, and they aren’t always explicit.  Ms. Wilson can make the reader shiver to their bone, with the mere mention of the evil Mage or one of his subordinates walking into a room.      

Rain and Ellie are truemates, but they must complete their bond.  This doesn’t happen overnight, they must come to know one another emotionally and trust one another and themselves for the bond to be complete. As of this book they aren’t there yet.  But what does happen is the growth of their emotional ties, their increased understanding of each other, and their respect and deep feelings for one another.  And isn’t that what a love story should be?  Ellie may have started as a simple wood carver’s daughter, but she grows in her strength, her judgment, her compassion, and her powers.  She will defend what she thinks is right to the death as will her truemate Rain.  They make a powerful, believable couple.

For anyone who loves fantasy, the author has created a world filled with magic and deep history.  If you love romance, this is a love story between two beings that is deep and stretches the span of time. This is not a stand alone book.  You will want to start with the LORD OF THE FADING LANDS, and I promise, you won’t be able to stop

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Book Review: Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle

Reviewed by Andrea Williamson
3.5 Stars

MISTRESS OF PLEASUE is the debut novel by author Delilah Marvelle.  It is also the first in a planned five book series called The School of Gallantry.

At the age of twelve, Maybelle de Maitenon learned that her grandmother was a French courtesan.  Her father had passed away and she was left in the care of her only relative.  Now at the age of twenty-one, Maybelle, who has no desire to marry, treasures her independence and dreams of visiting Egypt and its wondrous pyramids.  Her grandmother, however, has other plans.  She wishes to see her granddaughter happily married and realize her own dream of opening a school to teach men the art of seduction.  Maybelle doesn’t want any part of either plan, but eventually compromises that she will humor her grandmother in the search for a husband and help with the school for two months in exchange for enough money to fund her trip to Egypt.  Her grandmother calls on some favors and gets them invited to a few soirées.  At the first ball they attend, Maybelle sets eyes on a man that absolutely takes her breath away (a vast improvement over other men she has been exposed to), which throws a wrench in her plans.

Edmund Worthington, sixth Duke of Rutherford, is no stranger to scandal.  Therefore, when he is caught ravishing a beautiful stranger in the garden at a ball, he thinks nothing of it.  Imagine his shock when his mother insists that he propose to the girl!  Of course he balks at the idea at first, but eventually gives in to make his mother happy.  Then he is even more stunned when Maybelle refuses his generous offer.  When her grandmother falls ill and Maybelle must take over her place at the School of Gallantry, Edmund formulates a plan to enroll so he can convince Maybelle to take him seriously and accept his suit.

There are a lot of things I like about this book.  I like the idea of a school for gentleman to learn the art of seduction.  It will certainly feature some great storylines in the future for this series, especially since the heroes of the upcoming books are introduced in this story and they are each quite intriguing, to say the least.  Also, I absolutely adore Edmund.  He is confident and forceful when dealing with his peers, yet is tender and sincere when it comes to his mother and Maybelle.  In one scene, he shares a dark family secret with Maybelle and his feelings are so heartfelt that I choked up and my heart went out to him.  Maybelle is a good heroine for Edmund.  She has the mettle to stand up to and hold her own with him.  And I love what she thought the first time she laid eyes on Edmund -- Now there was a chariot worth riding into hell on.  It made me laugh, but not as much as one particular, ahem, “phallic” scene that takes place at the school.  It is priceless.  Oh, and grab yourself a fan while reading this one.  The love scenes are blazing hot! 

I had a couple of quibbles with the story.  One was the use of “My Lord” instead of “my lord” that was spoken by the characters.  I’ve never read a book where it was capitalized and it threw me off when I saw it.  Maybe it just bothers me.  Also, I had a problem with the fact that Edmund’s mother, a duchess, was all right with and even encouraged his son to marry a French courtesan’s granddaughter.  I felt like there should have been at least a little bit of resistance from her, but there was none.

Despite the nit-picks, I enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out the next books in Ms. Marvelle’s series ... especially after I found out whose book was next.

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Book Review: Night Falls Darkly by Kim Lenox

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
4 stars

Kim Lenox has penned a compelling debut novel, the first in The Shadow Guard series.  Archer, Lord Black, is a member of the immortal Shadow Guard, a race whose purpose is to reclaim the souls of dark and evil individuals before they can cross over to the next realm and cause irreparable damage.  Archer has been summoned by Queen Victoria.  His mission is to find and eliminate Jack the Ripper, who has London paralyzed with terror.   But Archer’s focus is not just on his mission, but also on the lovely Elena Whitney.

Two years ago, Elena Whitney got caught in the middle while Archer was reclaiming a soul.  He saves her life, erases all of her memories of her past, and becomes her mysterious guardian.  Elena spends her time working as a nurse in Whitechapel, pursuing her dream of going to medical school and becoming a doctor.  One day she returns home to find the devilishly attractive Lord Black has arrived with his entourage.  Her enthusiasm is dampened when she realizes he doesn’t recognize her as his ward.  Archer had instructed his secretary to “take care of her”.  He thought she would be at a boarding school, instead of residing in his home.  Their attraction for one another is instantaneous, but Archer cannot allow himself to be distracted by Elena and his growing feelings for her.

As a Shadow Guard, Archer’s raison d’etre is to reclaim marked souls, and Jack the Ripper is at the top of the list.  It appears as if Elena is the Ripper’s next target.  But Archer will not allow her to be harmed, even if it means risking his own immortal soul.  The love and passion he feels for Elena have become his ‘reason for being’ now, and not even Jack the Ripper will stop them.  Archer is an alpha hero with a capital ‘A’.  Underneath his cool and composed exterior, lurks a sensual and sensitive soul.  When it comes to Elena, that sensual, sensitive animal leaps to the forefront….and how!    And Elena is strong heroine that I couldn’t help but like.  She is the perfect match for Archer. Their relationship is tumultuous, passionate and heartbreakingly poignant.  I cheered and wept for them, and I think you will, too.

The second book in The Shadow Guard series, SO STILL THE NIGHT will be released in May 2009, and I can’t wait.  The hero in that one is Mark, one of Archer’s fellow Shadow Guards.  Mark is a fascinating secondary character in NIGHT FALLS DARKLY—another sexy alpha male.  And when it comes to Mark, Lenox gives her readers quite a cliffhanger at the end of this book.  Discovering new authors is such a thrill, and I will definitely add Lenox to my list of auto buys!  Be sure to get this book….and the next one, too.  These sexy immortal heroes will take you on quite a ride!

Night Falls Darkly releases October 7, 2008.

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The Second Time Around... by LuAnn McLane

Let’s welcome today’s Guest Author – the one and only LuAnn McLane. LuAnn’s books are witty, tender, sassy and beautifully written.  She’s talking about finding love the second time – and reading her books and this blog made me smile and hope. 

Check out Buffie’s review of LuAnn's latest book Driven by Desire as well as A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

                          The Second Time Around... by LuAnn McLane

Is love lovelier the second time around?  That’s what the lyrics to the Summy Kahn/Jimmy Van Heusen song claims:

                                                                                      Writer(s): cahn/van heusen
                                               Love is lovelier, the second time around
                                              Just as wonderful, with both feet on the ground
                                              Its that second time you hear your love song sung
                                              Makes you think perhaps that love, like youth, is wasted on the young
                                              Loves more comfortable the second time you fall
                                              Like a friendly home the second time you call
                                              Who can say, what brought us to this miracle we’ve found
                                              There are those who’d bet
                                              Love comes but once - and yet
                                              I’m oh so glad we met
                                             The second time around

The heartfelt tune was recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1960 and caught my attention when it was mentioned in a recent interview with actor Robert Wagner.  The song was performed at his remarriage to the love of his life, Natalie Wood.  When I looked up the lyrics the thought occurred to me that it could be Jayden and Alexia’s theme song in my October release, DRIVEN BY DESIRE…

But then the words resonated to me on a more personal level. Little did I know that while writing a story about lover’s reunited, that I would begin dating my old college sweetheart whom I had not seen in twenty seven years. Like Jayden and Alexia, life came between us, we went on to marry others, and have children and then go through painful divorces. By some miracle (just like the lyrics) we found each other.  At a girl’s night out (wine and whine) party we were discussing past loves and the one who got away.  When I mentioned my old flame’s name, he turned out to be the cousin of my friend’s sister-in-law.  My friend (right then and there!) called her sister-in-law and when we found out he was single my friends (like girlfriends will do) badgered me into contacting him.  We went out two days later and have been together for over a year, now.

So, I ask you, what were the odds? 

Like the song says, love, like youth, can be wasted on the young… but is also more friendly, more comfortable and without a doubt more appreciated and treasured the second time around.

Do you have a similar story?  Someone who crosses your mind from time to time?  I’d love to hear them!

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Movie Sunday with Marisa - Friendships

It’s a rainy Sunday in New York and there’s a chill in the air.  I’ve got my three movies lined up, a bowl of popcorn and a Coke. I’m in the mood for movies about friendships.  I know there are hundreds of movies about friendships, but I’ve decided on three that take me through the emotional ringer.

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION is one of my favorite movies of all time.  This movie is not only well written, directed and acted, it is a testament to the human spirit. A testament to hope and to the bond of enduring friendships. Morgan Freeman is brilliant. His quiet, easy, and focused performance is one of the best I’ve ever seen.  If you’ve never seen this movie (and I’m talking to you Maria) because it takes place in a prison, or because the title turns you off, you’re missing one of the best movies made.

BAD GIRLS

I’m not sure how many of you have seen this movie; it didn’t get terrific reviews. BUT, I really like this one.   BAD GIRLS stars, Drew Barrymore, Madeleine Stowe, Andie MacDowell, and Mary Stuart Masterson. Madeleine Stowe and Drew Barrymore give a fine performance.  The movie takes place in the ‘old west’ and as the tag line for the movie says; “It was a dangerous time to be a woman. And a good time to have friends.”  Four women in trouble running from the law and the only protection and help they have is each other.  I love how each woman has separate goals and dreams and yet they help one another to fulfill them.  There’s some great riding, fighting and gun battles in this one.  However, the main element that draws me to this one is the bond between the women. 

GOOD WILL HUNTING

I could say it’s all about Matt Damon. And yeah, in a way it’s all about Matt Damon. His character is a genius, who suffered a horrific childhood, is heading for jail, and is wasting his potential, his genius.  But, for me it’s about friendships. The old and the new. The bond that forms between Sean Mcguire (Robin Williams) and Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is at first, tenuous at best, but the slow trust and understanding that forms and heals them both is a treasure to see unfold.

What are your favorite movies about friends?

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Book Review: Storm Born by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Maria Lokken
4 stars

I didn’t know if I should write a review or just use symbols.  My reactions to this book
are a cross between this? And this?!

I admit I was absolutely hooked from page one.  The author has created a heroine with a quirky, smart aleck, tough point of view.  She’s an assassin after all.  Using her athame, silver bullets and magic wand Eugenie Markham deftly destroys ‘Otherworld’ people who’ve crossed over into our world to wreak havoc, make mischief and play the nasty with humans. 

Raised by her mother and stepfather in the Arizona desert, Eugenie was taught by her stepfather how to be a shaman and follow in his footsteps… she’s good at it, really good at it, so the Otherworld Gentry are afraid of  her.

When Eugenie is hired to rescue a teenage girl who’s been kidnapped by a bad ass gentry named Aeson – she must cross over into their world.  Crossing over is not usual, in fact, it’s very dangerous.  But a little danger isn’t about to stop our heroine.  And this is where the journey begins – of good vs. evil, and Eugenie really finding out who and what she is.  Her travels into the Otherworld allow her to begin to develop powers she didn’t know she had, and it’s beginning to turn her… but we don’t know what it’s turning her into. And that is where I went quietly nuts.  Not knowing.  There was no definitive ending, and that’s because this book comes under the heading of ‘fantasy’, not romance.  So, I’m afraid there was no happy ending, at least not in this book.  There’s a sequel promised, so I’m assuming all comes out right in the end, I just don’t know where the end is.

The sizzle factor is high, whether outright or implied, sex is interwoven in this story so much so it’s dripping off the pages.  What I didn’t see coming was the love triangle, and I wasn’t sure who to root for. The author has created a world I didn’t expect. There’s nothing ‘neat’ or ‘pat’ about this story.  There’s always the question in the back of the reader’s mind about who is really good and who is really bad.  My one main objection would be a few of the sex scenes because I felt they were gratuitous, and didn’t really add to the story.  Otherwise, it’s a series I will continue to read because now I need to find out what happens to Eugenie, her two lovers, and what she’ll do with the powers she’s developing.  Ms. Mead has a terrific voice, she knows how to grab a reader and keep them turning the pages.

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