I’ve finally returned from the annual Romantic Times convention in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Whew! It was a lot of fun, but I’m exhausted from four days of workshops, mixers, dinners, and networking.
Anyway, I’m going to blog all about it this week (hopefully with some pictures of the various events).
So stay tuned! :bubbles:
Is it just me or has this year flown by so far? It seems like I get up in the morning … and then I’m getting up the next morning … and then I’m getting up the morning after that. Almost like I’m stuck in a time loop like in Groundhog Day or something. Or this one episode of Xena: Warrior Princess that I remember was pretty cool.
When I was a kid, the days (especially school days) seemed to drag on and on. Now, I blink, and I’m a week in the future — and not quite sure how I got there to start with. And the previous week? Well, it’s pretty much a blur.
It’s mid-April — already. And I’ve accomplished very little of what I set out to do this year. I’ve only finished one book — and I wanted to finish at least four.
I did get the Web site updated (finally), and I’ve been on a pretty good reading clip recently. But still … ack! Too much to do, not enough time. Must be more productive.
What about everyone else? Are the days flying by for you too?
Finished My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon. This anthology features stories from nine popular fantasy authors, including Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, and Marjorie M. Liu.
One thing I like about anthologies is they give you a chance to try several new authors at once — and perhaps discover some writers you might not have read or found any other way. I’d never read Armstrong before, but I really enjoyed her werewolf story, Stalked, and plan to move her novel Bitten closer to the top of my TBR pile.
I also enjoyed Her Mother’s Daughter by P. N. Elrod. It reads like a classic detective noir story (love those!), except with a vampire as the put-upon gumshoe. And there’s a nice little twist at the very end I didn’t see coming.
But my favorite story, once again, was Roman Holiday or Spq-arrrrr by Rachel Caine. Caine brought back her pirate story characters Cecilia and Captain Liam Lockhart from the first anthology, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding. This time, the newlywed couple have to face down a mutiny and ancient Roman pirate. I hope Caine writes a whole book about Cecilia and Liam someday. And I’m so buying some of her Weather Warden books to try.
To me, the weakest story was A Wulf in Groom’s Clothing by Ronda Thompson. It’s about an outdoors-loving, cursed werewolf who marries a bona fide city girl who’s never been hiking or fishing. Nothing really wrong with the story. I just thought the world building wasn’t quite as elaborate as the other stories, and the werewolf curse didn’t really seem to get resolved in the end.
But overall, I thought this collection was even better in the first one. There’s plenty here for fantasy fans to enjoy.
So, thumbs up.
Up next: Don’t Look Down by Suzanne Enoch.
What about you guys? Anyone read anything good lately? Share in the comments.
I e-mailed a new book to my agent yesterday. Well, not really new. It’s called You Only Spy Twice and is the second book in my proposed urban fantasy series about Abby Tome, a Druid and bookstore owner who’s forced to become a spy to stop some magical terrorists.
I’ve been working on the book since last summer and had about 87,000 words. My agent wanted to see some pages, so I kicked it into high gear and finished the whole thing so I could have a break for the RT convention. Final word count: 98,000 and change.
My agent also wanted a bunch of synopsi for various projects we’ve been talking about. In addition to finishing You Only Spy Twice, in the past two weeks, I’ve also written:
1) Spy 2 synopsis — titled You Only Spy Twice
2) Spy 3 synopsis — titled A Spy Never Dies
3) Assassin 2 synopsis — titled Gin With A Twist
4) Heist synsopis — titled The Southern Cross Affair (about a group of Robin Hood-like thieves who steal from the rich and give to the poor)
I’d guess this all adds up to about 25,000 words total. Whew! My wrist needs a break before it, you know, actually breaks. :bubbles:
Now, my goal is to decide what I want to write next, while I wait for my agent to read and for other stuff to happen. I’m leaning toward Assassin 2 or Heist, although there’s one problem with Heist — I haven’t come up with a supercool way to do my actual heist yet.
Plus, I have two more ideas — a Southern romantic comedy about a high school reunion and assorted hijinks. That one’s called Do Me Over. Then, I have an idea for (yet) another urbanish fantasy titled Charm Queen. That one would have an Old West vibe crossed with fairy tales.
Argh! Too many ideas, too little time … What would you guys be interested in reading from me (or in general)? More fantasy or something else?
Finished Hell’s Belles by Jackie Kessler. Jackie won a copy of Hot Mama during one of my contests and was nice enough to suggest we do a book swap. Thanks, Jackie! 😎
This book is about Jezebel, a succubus (demon) who seduces men and steals their souls during sex. But when there’s a major change down in Hell, Jezebel decides to get while the getting is good. But her superiors aren’t about to let her go that easy, and send demons out to search for her and bring her back. With a witch’s reluctant help, Jezebel disguises herself as a human and goes to work as an exotic dancer to escape her pursuers. What she doesn’t count on is falling for Paul Hamilton, a sexy guy with a secret of his own.
I’d heard of this series, but I’d never had a chance to read it until now. This book and especially the character of Jezebel reminded me a lot of MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead series. Jezebel is bubbly, full of life, and a little ditzy, just like Betsy Taylor in the Undead books. The book is written in first-person, and Jezebel’s breezy voice really shines.
I like fun characters who don’t take themselves too seriously, and Jezebel was certainly one of those, although she has her difficulties adjusting to being a human. For instance, she can’t understand why people willingly drink milk, which she finds utterly disgusting. But Jezebel loves her first taste of pizza, pastries, and shopping, of course. Especially when she’s charging everything on someone else’s credit card.Â
The strip club setting was interesting and rather depressing at the same time. Not because of the writing, but just because strip clubs aren’t the nicest places to work. Especially when you have a creep of a boss like Jezebel does — and her demon friends keep popping into his body.
One thing I do want to mention is the plot doesn’t unfold in a straight line. Whole chapters cut between the action at the strip club and Jezebel’s former life in Hell, slowly revealing why she left in the first place. So, you really have to pay attention and remember what’s going on between the flashbacks. But it all comes together nicely in the end.
Overall, if you’re looking for a lighter, very steamy take on demons, you’ll probably like this book.
So, thumbs up.
Up next: My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon anthology
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