The best in romantic suspense, hot erotic paranormal and urban fantasy romance

Victoria Day and Over Achievers – Why Do They Fall?

For the Canucks amongst us, Happy Victoria Day.  Enjoy the sunshine (if it’s sunny — not always a given, especially in my neck of the woods) and I hope your long weekend has been fabulous.

This is one of those rare years when Canada’s Victoria Day and the US Memorial Day weekend don’t coincide.  The US Memorial day is next weekend.

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Although for a good couple of weeks, until I consulted a U.S. calendar, I had it in my head that next weekend was the Columbus Day weekend in the U.S. — because today is the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ death.

Poor ol’ Chris Columbus…for all his exploring and astonishing achievements, he died penniless in Spain, 507 years ago.

It’s not unusual for famous overachievers to end their life in obscurity and poverty.  Apart from Columbus I can think of five or six without straining too hard.  (Bet you can think of one or two, as well).  I always want to know why, though.  Circumstances and/or really, really bad luck?  Or did they bring it upon themselves?  Or was the world simply unable to stand their success and brought them down more than a peg or two?

Do you have any theories?

Mt. St. Helens – 23 Years Ago Today

When Mt. St. Helens blew its top twenty-three years ago today, the explosion was so powerful, it was 1,600 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb.

Despite weeks of warning earthquakes and the extraordinary work of geologists who had kept the public away from the volcano despite tourism pressure, fifty-seven people died in the resulting explosions, lava flows and pyroclastic clouds that belched out from the volcano.

Lava and pulverized rock moved so fast it overtook the avalanching north face.  One of the victims caught in this racing river was photographer Reid Blackburn, who was in his car.

After the initial explosion and venting, the top of Mt. St. Helens was lowered by 400 feet.  Over the next two decades, minor venting and explosions have rebuilt the summit, but there have been no major eruptions like the May 18, 1980 one, which has been classified as the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States.

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On the Road – Book Monster Reviews + Giveaway

I’m at Book Monster Reviews today, talking about another one of my favourite obsessions.

…and absolutely, positively, giving away a book. ;) Promise.

Cheers,

t.

The First Academy Awards

The first Academy Awards were held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, eighty-four years ago today, in 1929. Compared to the razzmatazz and glitz that the Oscars draw these days, the first Academy Awards ceremony was a very low key affair, as you can tell from the photo.  Tickets cost five dollars, 270 people attended the event and the ceremony lasted fifteen minutes.

My, how things have changed…

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What I’m Reading – May 15, 2013

It seems like it’s been a while since I did one of these posts.  Time has not been nice to me lately.  :)

What do I have on the recent reading list on my various reading devices?  Let’s see:

Let’s Get Visible – How To Get Noticed and Sell More Books

Dave Gaughran’s follow up to Let’s Get Digital is not quite a PR and promotion treatise as it is a manifesto on how to take advantage of Amazon’s inner workings…the algorithms and the tricks that they play.  The book is required reading for any indie author.

 

Accept No Substitutes – A Sugar Divorce Resource

Suzanna Stinnson — A great theory overall, but like a lot of free books, very short on real help that hasn’t already been repeated umpty thousand times somewhere else.

 

Wheat Belly

William Davis M.D.

I think everyone has heard of a beer belly before, but the world is slowly catching onto the idea that the spread around our middles that many people struggle with is the same thing.  It’s caused by excess wheat consumption, but it’s not our fault:  Wheat has been genetically modified to feed starving millions efficiently and in the process it has become addictive, toxic and dangerous to our health.  Don’t believe me?  Read the book.  The proof is all there.   People who have gone wheat free have lost 20-30 pounds and more in weeks, and their flabby gut in the process.  Even if you don’t convert to the idea of wheat-free yourself, the book is compulsive reading.

 

Dirty Martini

J.A.Konrath

He’s the guru of self-publishing and the defacto spokeperson for indie publishing, and currently ranked the #2 author on Kindle overall.  While I’ve spent years quoting Konrath and reading his blog for every skerrick to do with indie publishing, I had never read one of his fiction books until now.  I thought it was time to attend to that ommission.

While I can see why they’re very successful, I can say now that they’re not my cup of tea.   Even as a taut suspense thriller with a finely-crafted plot, and a female heroine close to my own age, this book just didn’t hit my buttons.  I am going to have to stew for a while over it to figure out why, because there is nothing wrong with the book and I started reading it with every intention of liking it.  I don’t dislike it, either.  I’m just halfway through and in no rush to finish…and probably won’t despite the entire population of the greater Chicago area being in dire straits when I left off reading.  It could simply come down to it being that tough wise-cracking female cop thrillers are not my thing.  That’s okay – Konrath will never read one of my books, either, because mine are most certainly not his thing.  J

 

If Tomorrow Comes

Sydney Sheldon

I read this book when it was first released, back in the eighties.  It was a smash hit back then, and it was made into a mini-series on TV (mini-series were also big back then).  This was the book that started my love affair with professional thieves in fiction, which I’ve written about twice — so far.  I may yet feature them again, because there’s so much fertile ground for drama and conflict.

I was immediately drawn into this story because the heroine was called Tracy, and the antagonist’s last name was Cooper…

I re-acquired and reread the book just recently because of this remembered fondness and was disappointed.  Sheldon hits all the right points with precise mastery:  There’s angst, emotional conflict, a romance, suspense, action, bad guys, glamour…all the right ingredients, and they’re all stirred precisely.  It’s no wonder the book was a runaway smash hit.

But I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a writer now, and have fourteen years of publishing experience under my belt, or if I’m just that much older (ugh), but I actually feel the author working the wires.  There’s no genuine feeling there at all.  It’s a story put together like a paint-by-numbers landscape.  I usually perk up at any hint of a romance which can, for me, pull a dull book into the readable category at least.  This one left me as flat and uninterested as I would be in yesterday’s teapot leavings.

But I finished the book out of curiosity — after all, I had loved it back when I was just a reader.  I wanted to see why.

I’m still not sure.  More food for thought.

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Have you had any joy with your reading lately?  Tell me about it!

On the Road – What Daydrmzzz Are Made Of

Another stop on the mini tour for Kiss Across Time.  Today I’m at What Daydrmzzz Are Made Of.   I’m also giving away another book — Bannockburn Binding.

Cheers,

t.

Don’t Forget to Pick Up Your Free Copy of LUCIFER’S LOVER

Just a reminder that Lucifer’s Lover, a long contemporary romance, one of only two I’ve ever written, is free today and tomorrow and has been since Wednesday.

It’s currently sitting at #333 overall on the Kindle Top #100 Best Sellers list, and it’s ranked #63 on the Contemporary Romance Best Seller List.

If you’ve grabbed your copy already, thank you kindly.

Do you have any romance novel reading friends who might like a copy — please pass this post on to them.

Can you love the one you hate?

Lindsay is determined to outshine her mother’s illustrious career. As head of marketing for the exclusive Freeman Hotel, in the rarefied mountains of northern Washington, Lindsay grapples with her rival, the charming newcomer, Lucifer Furey Pierse.

No one knows much about Luke except that he could turn murder into a comedy routine, that he likes classy women and is oddly drawn to the prickly, definitely not-interested Lindsay.

It starts with a bet that goes horribly wrong. If Lyndsay wins, then Luke leaves town—forever. If Luke wins, he gets a date with Lyndsay. But when Luke wins and Lindsay is forced to pay the price, she learns more about Lucifer Furey Pierse than she thought existed, and the date kick-starts a bitter-sweet journey as they learn why they are the people they have become.

Then life hands them an unexpected twist they must deal with…one that tests both of them to limits.

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Reviewer’s Top Pick – Night Owl Reviews

Lucifer’s Lover is an emotionally vested romance between two people who think they know what they want. Fact is they truly have no clue until fate forces them to face them to take a cold hard look at what’s important. Lyndsay and Luke are exceptionally drawn characters. - Kristi Ahlers, Amazon Top 500 reviewer.

Lucifer’s Lover had me breathless from the first page …You will not want to miss this tale that will have your crying with the characters as they face their hurt and rejoicing. — Briana for Romance Junkies

I could not help but fall in love with this well-written story and the characters on their path to self-discovery. Cherokee, Coffee Time Romance.

The ending is so real-life, the arguments, the words and actions draws the reader into the characters lives and you’re left feeling as though you’ve experienced the entire thing yourself. … I personally can’t wait to pick up another of her novels. — Valeen, The Romance Readers Connection

Lucifer’s Lover is an obsessively enchanting tale of a battle of wills that turns into a life changing romance. If you love your characters with a bit of gumption and a whole lot of personality then this is one you cannot pass up. — Sheryl for eCataromance

Click here to get your free copy of
Lucifer’s Lover

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On the Road – Risque Reviews (and Giveaway)

I was filleted and laid out to fry by Risque Reviews.  Check out the results for yourself.  I didn’t exactly hold myself back.  :)  It was nice to be asked some tough, interesting questions.

Oh, and I’m giving away goodies, too.

Come and see.

t.

 

On the Road – I’m at Queen of the Night Reviews

I’m at a new-for-me site today.  Queen of the Night Reviews is hosting my post (ooh!)

See you there.

t.

LUCIFER’S LOVER – Free until Sunday

Lucifer’s Lover is a long contemporary romance, one of only two I’ve ever written, and it’s free for the next five days.

Get it while it’s hot.

Can you love the one you hate?

Lindsay is determined to outshine her mother’s illustrious career. As head of marketing for the exclusive Freeman Hotel, in the rarefied mountains of  northern Washington, Lindsay grapples with her rival, the charming newcomer, Lucifer Furey Pierse.

No one knows much about Luke except that he could turn murder into a comedy routine, that he likes classy women and is oddly drawn to the prickly, definitely not-interested Lindsay.

It starts with a bet that goes horribly wrong.  If Lyndsay wins, then Luke leaves town—forever.  If Luke wins, he gets a date with Lyndsay.  But when Luke wins and Lindsay is forced to pay the price, she learns more about Lucifer Furey Pierse than she thought existed, and the date kick-starts a bitter-sweet journey as they learn why they are the people they have become.

Then life hands them an unexpected twist they must deal with…one that tests both of them to limits.

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Reviewer’s Top Pick – Night Owl Reviews

Lucifer’s Lover is an emotionally vested romance between two people who think they know what they want. Fact is they truly have no clue until fate forces them to face them to take a cold hard look at what’s important. Lyndsay and Luke are exceptionally drawn characters. - Kristi Ahlers, Amazon Top 500 reviewer.

Lucifer’s Lover had me breathless from the first page …You will not want to miss this tale that will have your crying with the characters as they face their hurt and rejoicing.  — Briana for Romance Junkies

I could not help but fall in love with this well-written story and the characters on their path to self-discovery.  Cherokee, Coffee Time Romance.

The ending is so real-life, the arguments, the words and actions draws the reader into the characters lives and you’re left feeling as though you’ve experienced the entire thing yourself. … I personally can’t wait to pick up another of her novels.  — Valeen, The Romance Readers Connection

Lucifer’s Lover is an obsessively enchanting tale of a battle of wills that turns into a life changing romance. If you love your characters with a bit of gumption and a whole lot of personality then this is one you cannot pass up.  — Sheryl for eCataromance

Click here to get your free copy of
Lucifer’s Lover

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