June 2007 RT, the long rambling version

So....the June RT mag came today. And hmmm....interesting stuff. :-)

Mailbag: Someone's upset at the ads that feature M/M stuff. RT may not review it, but they don't have anything against having advertising for it. "I was shocked and offended by the ad...with a picture of two men in bed." Yeesh. -page 6

Ad for Avon books. Looks like more epilogues for Julia Quinn books. - page 7

Article about the new Immortals series from Dorchester. Looks interesting, I might have to read them. Okay, actually the article is more about Jennifer Ashley, who created the series. She's also Ashley Gardner and Allyson James. Which I did know already. But maybe someone else doesn't. Info about the series is at Immortals-Series.com and a Myspace page. -pages 8-9

Pages 10 and 11 have a huge ad for Jacquelyn Frank's new books, Gideon and Elijah. I still haven't really heard that much buzz from her first one, though I do have it around here somewhere. So I'm not tempted to buy these until I read Jacob for myself.

Ooh....article about Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series. Timely for me, since I just read the first Jack Reacher book, Killing Floor, and really enjoyed it. Good article and very interesting. - pages 12-13

Fan Forum - not much here, bit about Harlequin's call for "real men", bit about the romance that happened in the Lisa Scottoline booksigning line, and American Title stuff. -page 15

Page 17 has an Avon ad that shows the cover to Lost & Found by Jacqueline Sheehan. OMG, it's sooooo cute. It's amazing what a cover will do. I wouldn't ordinarily have sought out a book that sounds like this one, but the cover hooked me and I think I'll have to at least check the book out from the library. It does sound rather good.

Paperback Roundup (page 18) - Hmm...what looks interesting here?
- The Marriage Spell by Mary Jo Putney is going to MM.
- Angels Fall by Nora Roberts to MM
- On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens to MM
- Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot is going to trade (I hate when a hardcover goes to trade like this, since the price really doesn't go down much.)
- bunch of reissues of Cassie Edwards books. Please, Leisure, spare the trees. And sadly, looks like these have been renamed, too.
- Ugh, Warner is reprinting 1st to Die by Patterson in a trade version. Like there aren't enough of his books as it is.
- more Nora Roberts reissues of Silhouette titles

Ad on page 19 for A Distant Magic by Mary Jo Putney. Most likely another library book for me, as I did like The Marriage Spell.

Ad on page 20 for Eloisa James' Desperate Duchesses. I'm so there.

RT Bookreviews 2006 Award Winners:

Career Achievements - hmmm.....Shana Abe won for Innovative Historical Romance, Susan Mallery for Contemporary Romance, Susan Kearney for Contemporary Paranormal....and others.

Reviewers' Choice Award Winners (no way am I going through them all):

Best Harlequin Blaze went to If You Could Read My Mind... by Jeanie London. I started reading this one and lost it somewhere, but I remember enjoying it. Will find and finish it sometime.

Best Harlequin Next went to Who Makes Up These Rules, Anyways? by Stevi Mittman. I liked this one!

Best Harlequin Superromance went to A Man She Can Trust by Roxanne Rustand. Local author, w00t! I might have this one, but if not, I'm going to try to find it.

Best Silhouette Bombshell was Dressed to Slay by Harper Allen. I don't remember hearing much good about this series. Hmmm....

Best American-set Historical Romance went to A Reason to Live by Maureen McKade. Heard good things about this one and I have it.

Lorraine Heath won for Best British Isle-set Historical Romance for Promise Me Forever

Sweet, Elizabeth Hoyt won for Most Sensual Historical Romance with The Raven Prince.

Best Fantasy Novel went to Eyes of Crow by Jeri Smith-Ready. I was unfortunately rather underwhelmed with this book, so I find this a bummer.

and yay! Lilith Saintcrow won Best Modern-Day Fantasy with Working for the Devil. Loved this book!

Hmmm...nothing else really stands out. - pages 21-23

Article about new publisher/imprint Vanguard Press. - pages 24-25

Ad for St. martin's Press featuring Chasing Eden by S.L. Linnea and Into the Dark by Cindy Gerard. Anyone else get all excited that maybe S.L. Linnea was a pseudonym for Linnea Sinclair and just think they'd missed that bit of news? Sadly, this is NOT the case. - page26

RT Clubhouse talks about Cara Summers' new Blazes. What is it about Greek heroes? Really, what is it?

Also has articles on Eileen Rendahl, Holly Peterson, Yasmine Galenorn, Faith Hunter, Andrea Pickens, and Kristina Cook. - pages 27-30

Personally, I always skip the Pros on Prose section. - pages 32-35

Book Bites: Looks like Jeanne C. Stein will have more books in her Anna Strong series, bringing the series up to 5 books. I liked The Becoming.

Allison Brennan has ANOTHER trilogy coming out from Ballantine.

Marie Brennan will have another fantasy. She says, "Midnight Never Come is an Elizabethan faerie fantasy and the city of London will be extensively featured." 2008 release.

More American Title stuff, but I never paid much attention to it.

Hmmm.....on to reviews. yes, this is getting to be a long, rambling version.

Historical Romance:

Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James got a Top Pick.

The Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsey got a Top Pick. Yes, I'll probably read this one, but from the library.

Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason for 4 stars.

Mainstream Fiction:

How To Be Cool by Johanna Edwards looks good. 4 stars.

And that seems to be all from that section that interests me.

Teen Scene:
Eh...nothing that really stands out except that there's a bit about Everything I Need to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume.

We'll skip the Inspirational stuff. But the covers, they are so pretty. Hmph. For a cover whore, this is difficult. But I have learned my lesson. And there is a cat on my magazine. ALLL over the magazine. And feeding time isn't for another 35 minutes. It is hard to do this blog post with a CAT ON THE DESK AND MAGAZINE!!!!!!!!!! And a mouse just flew by....seems DH has a problem keeping his mouse on his desk. And the cat is STILL HERE. How is it that something so cute can get so annoying. And he looks so darn cute that I almost don't want to move him, yet he's ON MY MAGAZINE. Looking pathetic. With his head down on the desk. Poor starving kitty. Oooh...got the magazine free. Cat still on desk. With post-it note stuck to his side.

On to post.

Looks like MJD will have two books out in June. Undead and Uneasy and The Silver Moon Elm. - Kitty is gone. He started batting a watch around and jumped down after it when he batted it to the floor. But he'll be back. Oh yes, he will be back.

Science Fiction/Fantasy:

Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey got a Top Pick. I'm so far behind on this series.

Places to Be, People to Kill anthology looks fun. Has a short by Ed Gorman, who comes in to work on occasion. Will have to get the book.

Shelter by Susan Palwick sounds vewwy vewwy bizarre. But intriguing. But bizarre.

Romantic Suspense:

Into the Dark by Cindy Gerard got a Top Pick. I'm behind on this series.

Mystery, Suspense & Thriller:

Murder With Reservations by Elaine Viets got three stars, as did Death by Pantyhose by Laura Levine. Bust despite this, I will read both of them as I like their series. Half the appeal is just reconnecting with the characters.

Contemporary Romance:

Sun, Sand, Sex by Linda Lael Miller, Jennifer Apodaca & Shelly Laurenston for 3 stars. Will probably get it though. Reviewer didn't seem to like that the Laurenston was paranormal when the first two weren't.

A Wedding in Paris by Barbara Bretton, Marie Ferrarella, and Cindi Myers got 3 stars, but looks cute and sweet.

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy:

Undead and Uneasy by MJD got a Top Pick. Will be a library book cuz it's hardcover.

Demon Moon by Meljean Brook got 4.5 stars! Will be grabbing this one from the store when it comes out.

Goddess of Love by P.C. Cast got 4 stars. But ugh, it's gonna be trade!

Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian got 4 stars. Can't wait to read this one. Me wants.

Witch Fire by Anya Bast got 4 stars. Me also wants.

Wraith by Phaedra Weldon got 4.5 stars. Me wants. Looks good.

Key to Conflict by Talia Gryphon got 4.5 stars. me want. Me want. Me want.

Stray by Rachel Vincent got 4 stars. Me want. Ooph, this will be the month of fantasy, I think.

Hmmm.....DH said I'd better either have a good bonus check to pay for these or sexual favors. *grin*

Series Romance:

Shadow Hawk by Jill Shalvis got a Top Pick. She's an auto-buy.

No Rules by Shannon Hollis got 4.5 stars. I've liked her stuff in the past, I think.

Risking It All by Stephanie Tyler got 3 stars.

Mr. Irresistible by Karina Bliss looks good. Got 3 stars.

Unbound by Lori Devoti looks good. Top Pick.

Also Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones. 4.5 stars. The cat is back. Whining. Mewing, but hasn't jumped back up on the desk yet.

Erotica:

Hmmm...looking kinda pathetic in the interesting department.


Almost done!

Publisher's Previews for August 2007

Well....new Rachel Gibson. new Suzanne Brockmann, new Susan Carroll. New Grant County karin Slaughter book. Book 5 in Keri Arthur's series. How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days by Susan Grant. Virtually Hers by Gennita Low. Wednesday Night Witches by Lee Nicholas. new Shannon McKenna. On the Prowl anthology. Sex and the Psychic Witch by Annette Blair. Monkey Star by Brenda Scott Royce. I loved Monkey Love. New Rachel Caine. In the Midnight Hour by patti O'Shea.

And that is all. Time to feed the cat now.

And I told you it would be long and rambling and not consistently formatted. Oops, did I forget to mention that part?

Ack!

So things have been a bit crazy around here. We found a house and will close in less than a month. Which means packing. And actually, most of my books have been packed up already and are in this huge mountain of boxes in the living room. *scream* Things are going by so quickly.

I've read quite a few good books. Killing Floor by Lee Child, Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot, errr.....some other books too that I can't remember. Grrr. Bunch of decorating and gardening books.

I wish I knew what was causing this huge blogging block. I want to blog, but I have so much trouble making the time. Perhaps I'll have to make myself a schedule once we're moved in.

And oh, the house is fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.

Books read lately

Just so I don't forget, even though I'm sure there are lots that I have forgotten. I completely missed doing my spreadsheet for quite awhile now. ugh.

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo
Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz
What's a Ghoul To Do by Victoria Laurie
The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson
Bacchus by Jordan Summers
Candy Store by Bella Andre
Challenging Carter by Kate Davies
Just Desserts by G.A. McKevett
Reforming a Rake by Suzanne Enoch
An Improper Proposal by Patricia Cabot

There are more, just need to remember them!

Christmas Showdown by Janette Kenny

The night before Christmas, a deadly blizzard traps a lawman and a madam with a price on her head in a deserted town with a sadistic outlaw hell-bent on revenge.

High-class madam, Katherine Winter, caters to wealthy men and vows nobody in her Kansas bordello will suffer the abuse she endured in the horrific marriage she’d escaped. She can choose her lovers, but longs for one who can match her in bed and out. Her senses tell her Daniel Creed is the man she’s longed for—a man with a dark secret like herself, a man who’d do anything to protect what’s his. But he’s a lawman, and dallying with him is playing with fire.

Sheriff Daniel Creed has known Katherine Winter is the husband-killer on the wanted poster since she came to his town. The reward he’d get for turning her in would make him rich, but something about the aloof beauty stirs longing inside him. There’s no future for a half-breed gunslinger hiding behind a badge and a wanted woman except life on the run. So he keeps his mouth shut, figuring the most he can ever hope for is to love the lady from afar—and protect her.

He never banked on the bounty hunter from his past hunting down Katherine, then setting the town ablaze to force Daniel into a fiery showdown.

I grabbed this one on my latest shopping trip at Samhain. Got it along with Steelflower by Lilith Saintcrow and Tethers by Sara Reinke.

Christmas Showdown is quite short, but it packs a fair amount of story into that space. Both Daniel and Katherine have lusted after each other from afar, but the snow storm brings them together. Add in a bad guy and you get a fun, suspenseful short story. And it's a western. *grin*

Tough Enough by Michele Albert

Title: Tough Enough
Author: Michele Albert
Year published: March 2007
Why I picked up this book: Looked good and I like Michele's blog. She's got an awesome blog and I love her anime and manga recs. And she's very nice. Love nice authors.
Do I like the cover? Yeah, though I have an ebook copy so no cover.
Is this part of a series? Yes, it's related to some of her others, but I think it's the first to really be an Avalon book.
What I enjoyed about the book: I really enjoy Albert's writing and did whip through the book fairly quickly. And the idea of a mercenary group that focuses on art is very interesting.
What I didn’t like about the book? Tough Enough didn't have quite the action punch that I was expecting. It did move slowly at times (though not enough that I got bored and set it down) and I didn't believe in the relationship between Will and Mia as much as I would have liked, at least as it was at the end of the book. I suppose I just thought there was so much stuff that happened between when they first met and their reunion that wasn't touched on. They're obviously different people, so I expected there to be a bit more conflict from that.
Is this a new-to-me author and would I read something by this author again? Not a new to me author and I'll definitely get the next book in hopes that it's better than this one. This one isn't bad, more average, but it could have been better.
Am I keeping it or passing it on? Keeping it since I got it as an ebook, but I'd still keep it if it had been print.

I'm here, really.

Well, I seem to have taken a hiatus and not told anyone. Of course, I was around the blogosphere, so I guess that's why I don't seem to have been missed much.

Read lots and hope to write up a few reviews tonight. We actually had snow this last week, but it's all gone now.

Also went house-hunting for the first time with our realtor. Didn't find any that we had to have, but it looks like there are some great houses out there in the price range we want.