First Kiss

My local chapter of the RWA is hosting a First Kiss contest for unpublished authors. I love the concept behind this contest. There is something amazing and magical about that first kiss between the hero and heroine in a romance novel.

I am done with my edits for Sweet Magik! Yee haw! In celebration, I am posting the first kiss scene between Oskar Klaus and Kiana Grant. This is one of my favorite scenes in the book....enjoy!

*****

"Time for the countdown!" Gregor bellowed to his guests. His brother's announcement caught Oskar by surprise. Glasses of champagne were poured and served. People blew party horns and confetti rained down around them.

"It's almost midnight? I guess I lost track of time." He turned back to Kiana just as the voices started shouting.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven..."

He wasn't sure what prompted him to do it. He wasn't drunk enough to embrace a woman he barely knew. But as he gazed into Kiana's face, with the lights of the city reflected behind her in the huge glass window, something compelled him to lean forward and whisper, "Happy New Year."

Her eyes widened and she licked her full lips, staring at his mouth with curiosity.

He never heard the end of the countdown. One minute he was leaning toward her, and the next he was lost in a tropical Eden. Sweet and lush, surrounded by warm breezes and the feel of sand beneath his bare feet. The scent of perfumed flowers filled the air, and he groaned as Kiana's slender arms wound around his neck. She let out a breathy sigh just before her lips touched his. So softly, so gently, he wasn't sure if it was real. He brushed his mouth over hers and she opened for him, tasting of tea and honey and paradise. Greedy for more, his hands slid under her baggy blouse, stroking the smooth skin of her back. He pressed her closer until he felt the pounding beat of her heart against his chest. Her fingers fluttered like a butterfly against the stubble on his cheek, finally resting there and tracing his jaw.

He deepened the kiss, pushing her back against the cushions of the sofa, devouring her mouth. Her leg hooked over his knee pushing the drab gray skirt up her thigh. A long expanse of soft skin rubbed against his trousers. Without thinking, he moved a hand to her leg and dragged his palm along the bare skin. He could swear he heard the sound of the ocean, waves crashing and returning to sea. He moaned and Kiana gasped in delight. He was having difficulty breathing, so he pulled back, nipping her lip on the way. The heat of a scorching sun bathed his body, and before his eyes finally snapped open, he heard the faint sound of a ukulele playing. Then, silence.

His eyes opened and he found himself sitting in the darkened corner of the living room, alone on the sofa. In his hands he held a pair of tortoise shell glasses.

Kiana was gone.

Beard Of The Day

I guess I'll be running out to buy this issue of Details magazine!

Honestly, I didn't love Chris Pine in the Star Trek movie...he hammed it up a little too much, attempting to channel William Shatner from the original television series. He also is somewhat of a pretty boy, and looks too young for me. However, this mag cover may change my mind. He looks nice and scruffy hot with this I'm-working-on-my beard pic, and he's totally working that sleeveless black T-shirt, and his arms....yowzah!

When's the next Star Trek movie coming out? I'm ready! Beam me up, Scotty.

Hope y'all have a great weekend,

Penelope

Juosz és eläsz (Drink and Live)...A Carpathian Title for Smokinhotbooks!

Fall in New England is bliss. Two nights ago we lit our firepit, roasted marshmallows, sipped hot cider (with a dash of Calvados...oh yeah!) and the kids ran off to play manhunt. It just doesn't get any better than that.

My reading update: just finished Karen Hawkins' latest, Much Ado About Marriage. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. Not her best work...my favorites are still Lady In Red and An Affair To Remember. Those are 2 of my favorite re-reads. Love them! I'm also super excited to read A Fairytale Christmas, which is a holiday anthology including stories by Barbara Wallace and Susan Meier. I love holiday romances and I can't wait to read this one!

I hope Smokinhotbooks likes the Carpathian title of my post...she has been complaining about the plethora of Carpathian chants in Christine Feehan's books. Hee hee hee....they are sort of crazy! Here's a good curse expression if you're a Carpathian vampire...O jelä peje terád! (Sun scorch you!).

Also, just wanted to give a shout-out to some book bloggers who have thoughtful posts (Mia Marlowe--also a wonderful writer!), thoughtful reviews (Julie from Outlandish Dreaming--a serious class act), funny, thoughtful and insightful observations (Julia Barrett's World...Julia rocks!), and a great sense of humor (Carolyn from The Thrillionth Page). Also, if you check out my blog list on the sidebar, you'll notice some new ones, including herbal blogs, healthy eating blogs, and a blog by a pig (The Life and Travels of Sullivan McPig).

In the immortal words of Carpathians everywhere,

Arwa-arvo pile sívadet (May honor light your heart),

Penelope

Natick Artists Open Studios

Hi! For anyone who lives around Boston, I just wanted to give a shout-out about Natick Artists Open Studios, coming up on Oct 16-17. Anne Nydam, the amazing artist/writer who created my "Penelope" block print, will be participating, as well as many other artists (painters, jewelrymakers, ceramicists, sculptors, woodworkers and more). Anne will be showing her block prints and books, as well as demonstrating how she carves a printing block. She'll be in the Morse Institute Library (in the Lebowitz Room) from noon until 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

Here is a link to Anne's website, and an example of her work. This octopus is one of my favorites!

I'll be there on Saturday! Shopping!

Penelope

Beard of the Day

Daniel Craig looking veryyyyyy nice. I love the juxtaposition of the dapper suit and tie, and the oh-so-scruffy beard. Very masculine. You can just imagine a hint of sexy cologne going on with this ensemble to perfect the all-around appeal.

As for my reading and writing update.....well, I am a bit discombobulated. I am working on 3 WIPS simultaneously. Usually I write one story at a time, but right now I am somewhat scattered. It's much easier writing funny and light than dark and shadowy. I guess that's what my psyche needs at the moment.

As for my reading options, I still have not tackled Double Cross, which is on my Kindle. I am having the same unfortunate experience that occurred with Lover Mine. Too much pre-release day buzz and too many ARCs being read and discussed resulted in me never actually reading Lover Mine. I sort of lost interest by the time release day rolled around. Same thing has happened with Double Cross, although I am hoping I will get re-ignited about it in a couple of months or so. In the meantime, I am contemplating cowboys, Vikings, and The Iron Duke.

Thank God the sun is shining this weekend! Hallelujah!

Hope everyone has a great weekend,

Penelope

Hunky Swedes and Lusty Beekeepers: A Good Reading Week!

I read two fabulous books this week, thanks to recommendations on the Amazon boards. Woo! I am in a great romance-y mood!

The first one is The Endearment by LaVyrle Spencer. Oh mama, what a great read! I have a sneaking suspicion I am going to be working my way through all of Spencer's books soon. (I started with Morning Glory, which is another highly recommended winner).

The Endearment is a 19th century frontier historical romance. It's about a hunky Swede who places an ad for a mail-order bride from Boston. Of course, neither the hero nor the heroine gets what they're expecting....the Swede is a gorgeous, lonely giant of man who intimidates the heroine because he is so perfect and competent living in the wilds of Minnesota. The heroine is just a young girl, with her younger brother in tow, who has escaped a life of poverty and neglect and is searching for a miracle. The details about frontier life are absolutely fascinating, the budding relationship between Karl and the younger brother is touching, and the chemistry that grows between the skinny young girl and the strapping pioneer is wonderful, emotionally satisfying, and incredibly sweet. My only beef was that Karl's anger at Anna lasted a bit too long, but their reconciliation was the best. LaVyrle Spencer is a master storyteller, which is somewhat of a lost art in romantic fiction.

This book was close to perfection, and I can't wait to read it again!

Grade: A

Next up, The Viking Takes A Knight by Sandra Hill. I could tell right away this was not your typical romance from the chapter titles...for example, "Sometimes the best meals involve no food", "He never promised her a rose garden", "Even a thousand years ago, men were clueless", and my personal favorite..."Some men bang their heads against a wall, others bang..." Hee hee hee! Sandra Hill has a hilarious sense of humor. This book rocks! The heroine is feisty and fun, the hero is a wicked lusty beekeeper, and I honestly could not put this book down. It's a great mix of humor, sexiness and larger-than-life characters. Loved it!

I got a big kick out of the sonnets composed and recited by John's friend, Bolthor. Here's an example of a poem called "Ode to Katherine's Breasts"....

Once was a lady from Wickshire

With a bosom you had to admire.

Plump and rosy with a bit of bounce.

Caused many a man for her favors to pounce.

Big udders on women are surely a necessity

To give suckle to babes so pretty

And give a man something to hold on to in bedsport.

This book was a breath of fresh air. I was grinning happily at the end, and then I discovered....there are tons more books in this series! Oh happy days! Sandra Hill is going to be a new favorite author, there is no doubt in my mind.

Grade: A

Vikings Forever!

Penelope

In Search Of Halloween-y Stories

I love, love, love Halloween! It's such a great holiday, and autumn is the best season in New England. The pumpkins, the apple cider, the cool sunny weather, the gorgeous leaf display. Bring it on!

I am totally in the mood for some Halloween-y romance stories. Last year I read Linda Banche's Pumpkinnapper, which was really cute. This year, I've read Mischief in the Dark, a quickie erotica by Liza James, which I really enjoyed. I just downloaded Hunters Moon Magic by Sandra Sookoo, a short historical.

Any other suggestions for Halloween-y stories? Witches, ghosts, goblins and romance. What a great combination (especially with a frosty glass of sparkling cider).

Please leave a comment with recommendations. Thanks!

Penelope

Quickie Review for Wolf! by Marie Beau

Today is release day for Wolf! by Marie Beau. I really enjoyed this debut quickie paranormal. It was short, sexy and fast-paced...just the way I like them! From the very first pages Beau sets up a delicious chemistry between the heroine, Lyssa, and the scrum-didily-icious werewolf hero, aptly named Wolfe.

This story has the perfect balance of romance, sexiness and attraction, and the paranormal aspect is very well integrated into the story. You can really identify with their animal instincts....I love the nuzzling! Wolfe is so sexy and protective...he's a wonderful hero. (The fact that he has a nice furry pelt doesn't hurt either...hee hee!).

I love the scene where Wolfe and Lyssa's two younger brothers protect her while she is sleeping after she's been injured by a hunter. I was digging that whole pack mentality and protectiveness..it's so sweet and satisfying. The epilogue with the cubs is also adorable.

I'm looking forward to reading more stories by this new author, especially the sequel to Wolf!

Grade: A

Here's a book blurb and excerpt:

Lyssa Merrick is happy with her life leading wildlife and wilderness expeditions through the upper Adirondacks. She’s proud of the business she built on her own, and happy with the freedom to run whenever she feels the need.

Wolfe Reardon, as leader of his pack, wants to create a wildlife sanctuary to allow certain species to repopulate the area, as well as to provide a safer environment for his pack without fear of hunters.

When Wolfe walks into Wilderness Wanderings, he knows he’s met his mate. Lyssa, unfortunately, is not so happy to discover her destined mate is a wolf. Long ago she swore she would never be a member of a pack again and she’s sure nothing he says will change that.

Excerpt:

She was temptation incarnate. Wolfe wanted to let his fingers linger in her short white-blonde hair. Her pixie face and bright hazel eyes were enough to bring any hot-blooded man back for a second look…or more. The intelligence behind the eyes, the self-contained responses only made him want to dig deeper—get to know her—on every level. It was all Wolfe could do not to lift her over the counter and take advantage of the smell of arousal emanating from her body. But her look was anything but inviting. His fingers clutched the hand he was holding a little tighter, well aware of her resistance. Her sigh was his undoing. He reached behind her neck, his fingers luxuriating in the soft fur at her nape. He needed to taste her lips and take just a lick of her neck, maybe a nibble, mark her as his.

Wolfe leaned forward, tugging gently for her to meet him partway, and suddenly he was holding…air.

Silver white fur glimmered and he caught a glimpse of her twitching whiskers and pointed ears as she swiveled and raced to the back. Her transformation was beautiful. A lynx. A soft, furry, intoxicating cat.

Happy Release Day, Marie!

Penelope

Coming Soon! The Language Of Souls

I am really looking forward to this book. Lena Goldfinch, who is a fellow NECRWA member, has her debut novel coming out October 20. It looks great! Here's the book blurb and an excerpt for this sweet quickie. (It's published under the Faery Line with Wild Rose Press, which is the same line as my Klaus Brothers Series). How gorgeous is this cover! Lucky duck!

Book blurb for The Language of Souls...

Actions speak louder than words...

Solena, a young healer with a generous heart, is desperate to heal her dying grandfather. When she ventures into a hostile territory to find a rare herb, she finds out just how much she’s risked when she’s captured by the enemy and accused of being a spy.

As a soldier, Rundan has struggled all his life to please his father, a ruthless army commander, but when he’s ordered to take the beautiful trespasser to the royal courts, where she’ll be summarily tried and executed, he’s plagued by the most inconvenient desire to protect her at all costs.

Though terrified and anxious to escape, Solena is confused by the handsome young soldier who cruelly captures her and then displays uncommon kindness. When he risks his own life to save her, she discovers she may have risked more than her life… she may have lost her heart.

EXCERPT:

Rundan continued watching her as he ate. When the food was gone, he took a votif stand from his things and set it carefully by the fire. Then he untied his votif from his belt and, after removing its cork, began breathing prayers over it. Solena watched his every inhalation and exhalation in rapt attention. She couldn’t have moved or looked away if she’d wanted to.

After placing his votif in the stand, he glanced at her from under the sweep of unexpectedly dark lashes. After some hesitation, he removed the cork from her votif as well and breathed a quick prayer over it. He reached to place it in the votif stand, stopped mid-reach, and then replaced the cork and tied it again to his belt. With this done, he rubbed the back of his neck for some time and avoided her eyes.

Solena opened and closed her mouth with a snap.

He’d prayed over her votif?

The action was so unexpected, so shocking, she could barely connect her thoughts. What he’d done was the most intimate of acts. What a father might do for his child. Or a husband for his new bride.

Rundan’s unusually pale eyes met hers briefly and the flash of vulnerability in them disconcerted her. The expression fled as quickly as it had come and the cool mask he always seemed to wear slid into place. He was again Rundan: captor, soldier, enemy.

Solena moistened her suddenly dry lips and stared into the fire, desperately trying to make sense of her thoughts—and of the strange tightness in her chest.

Happy Thursday,

Penelope

Lemon Garbanzo Salad

Since I have embarked on my new heart healthy lifestyle, I have been eating a lot of salad! :)

Here's a great recipe for a chick pea salad, adapted from Cooking Light. The chick peas add a lot of protein, which I need since I eat mostly a vegetarian diet. Also, I used couscous instead of bulgur (you could also use whole wheat couscous).

Lemon Garbanzo Salad with Feta

Couscous (or Bulgur)

Fresh lemon juice

1 can chickpeas (I used no-salt added)

1/2 cucumber, finely chopped

1 large celery, finely chopped

2 T. finely chopped red onion (or more if desired)

2 T. feta crumbled

handful fresh dill, chopped

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

Cook couscous (or bulgur) according to directions on back of box (for 2 servings). Rinse and drain chickpeas. Gently mix chickpeas, cuke, celery, onion, feta, dill, and pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle olive oil on top, and squeeze juice from 1 lemon on top. When couscous has cooled, squeeze some lemon juice on top, then add it to the veggie mixture. (If you are so inclined, you could add a pinch of salt!).

You can eat this chilled or at room temperature. It's great stuffed into a whole wheat pita pocket with some lettuce.

Happy Eating!

Penelope

Play Nicely With The Other Children: 7 Rules of Etiquette for Book Bloggers

First let me say that I'm not a big rule gal. Especially about book blogging. None of us are "professional" reviewers, so our blogs should be conducted in any way we want. I love the fact that some blogs are more formal, some more relaxed, some mix it up, and some have special themes. Every blog has a distinct personality, and that's why they're so cool.

Having said that, there are a few things book bloggers should keep in mind that fall under the heading "common courtesy".....

1) Give a heads-up about spoilers. I have a sweeping statement on my sidebar...that all reviews are chock full of spoilers. Readers can decide if they want to proceed.

2) Give a heads-up about ARC reviews. If you are lucky enough to read an ARC, please put "ARC Review" in the title of your post and make sure you include the release date in the review. For the same reason as a spoiler alert. It lets readers decide if they want to proceed.

3) It's a nice idea to respond to comments. If a reader takes the time to visit your blog and leave a comment, give a shout-out. A simple "Thanks for stopping by" or a longer response. It shows you appreciate their visit.

4) It's nice to summarize with a grade. It could be stars, tombstones, smooches, letter grades, etc. Long winded reviews are fine, too....but a grade helps to wrap up your feeling about the book.

5) A lot of author/bloggers only recommend their own books on Goodreads. This pisses off a lot of folks. (It personally doesn't bother me....I just delete the message). However, it might be a good idea to scrap that form of promotion. Authors don't want to irritate the reviewing community.

6) If you have a twitter account, and followers re-tweet your posts, say thanks! It's nice to have good manners. (And re-tweet their posts for the day, too. Reciprocate, reciprocate!)

7) Leave the bad-ass attitude at the door, please. For the love of God, we're book bloggers. Not astrophysicists.

Any other rules of etiquette you want to add onto the list? Let me know!

Penelope

Review of Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James

I finally jumped into the Rough Riders series by Lorelei James. Lots of folks on Goodreads are reading them, and the covers look intriguing. I decided to start with Tied Up, Tied Down even though it's #4 in the series.....the book blurb appealed to me (M/F sex with the H/h instead of mega-multiple-partner stuff like some of the other ones--I was in the mood for a more "old-fashioned" story instead of menage-arama this time). Here are some observations.....

1) You need an Excel spreadsheet to keep the family tree straight. Not only are there 10 million brothers, cousins, in-laws, etc. etc, but everyone's name starts with C or K. Hee hee hee...that is totally hilarious! The party scene in this book, where the heroine Skylar has to meet all the family, is totally out of control. There are so many characters introduced you would need a cheat sheet to keep them all organized.

2) There was a fake gonna-be-a-conflict thing going on. One of Skylar's employees has an abusive husband. It seemed like this story was building up towards some sort of climax...maybe Skylar getting kidnapped, something? There was a dumb let's-punch-each-other-out scene, and that's it. There isn't much external conflict going on in this book. It's mostly about the relationship between Kade and Skylar.

3) I love, love, love stories with babies....and especially when the hero loves his children. I find it a big turn-on (even though some women hate babies in their romance novels, I personally love it). Kade can be a hot hunk of a sexy cowboy in one scene, and then a total love-bug with his daughter in the next. Love that!

4) Even though the book description says it's "kinky" I actually didn't find it that kinky at all. It seemed fairly vanilla to me. Maybe I've been hanging out with my critique group The Quirky Ladies too long!

5) The story is very emotional and very, very sexy. The heroine was just okay, but the hero...Kade....is absolutely delicious. Everything a cowboy should be. A rodeo rider, a rancher, loyal to his family, and madly in love with his baby-mama. And his baby. Cowboys+romance novels=HEA and total reader satisfaction.

6) I'm definitely going to be reading more of this series! (Once I can figure out who is who....hee hee hee!).

In conclusion, I will certainly be reading more of the Rough Riders series. And maybe planning a trip to Texas in the near future. Dude ranch, here I come!

Grade:B+/A-

Happy Reading,

Penelope

Beard of the Day

I've been listening to a lot of Nickelback lately...it's great music for my powerwalk. I LOVE Chad Kroeger's growly, sexy voice. He is definitely channeling the bad boy rock star in this photo. His beard is rough and sexy, just like his voice. Oh yeah!

Hope everyone has a great weekend,

Penelope

Best Run-On Sentence Ever

"It was unthinkable that his physical desire for the carnal pleasure afforded by one of those western women who came to the Gulf ready to trade their bodies for the lifestyle they thought their flesh could buy--a woman ready to give herself on the smallest pretext, shamelessly openly--should have driven him to the point where he felt his only escape from it could come from the same place where he had sought solace for the loss of his mother."

Nuff said.

Penelope

Weenie Carrots

Introducing....weenie carrots! Hee hee hee....

This is what happens when you don't thin your seeds properly, and forget you planted carrots under the pumpkin patch. Surprisingly, they are tasty and sweet.

Martha Stewart would heartily disapprove of my crazy, disorganized garden. But hey, I am still harvesting cherry tomatoes (which I didn't plant, they sprouted up from last years' seeds), basil, pumpkins, nasturtiums, mint, etc. My cute little watermelons are coming along nicely, too.

I have no reading update because I have been editing (Sweet Magik) and writing a new quickie story about Sven Klaus (Prologue to Sweet Adventure). I am trying to think of a title....the only thing that popped into my head was Sweet Hell (as in...Sweet Hell! These Klaus boys won't leave me alone!).

Happy Wednesday,

Penelope

A New Book Contract: Go, Oskar!

Yay! The Wild Rose Press has offered me a contract for Sweet Magik, book #2 of the Klaus Brothers Series. It will be coming out for the holiday season in 2011. (For Christmas 2010, Penelope will be stringing cranberries and popcorn for the tree, drinking low-fat eggnog and listening to Celine Dion's xmas album.....bring it on!).

Book #2 is Oskar's story (that's a photo of him.....nice!!!!!!!!!). Here's the book blurb:

***

Sweet Magik

Job Title: Director of Elfin Resources

Location: The North Pole

Employer: St. Nicholas

Description: Babysitting a bunch of ornery, cussing, crotchety elves

Oskar Klaus' job is killing him. Not even his favorite hobbies (extreme snowboarding and browsing old bookstores) are enough to snap him out of his funk. It's not easy living in the shadow of four successful older brothers and a father named Santa. Little does he know that an unexpected kiss on New Year's Eve is about to turn his life upside down.

Kiana Grant's Manhattan life is a world away from her childhood in Oahu. She traded stunning sunsets and bad boy surfers for a respectable career in library science. Oskar Klaus poses a temptation to her heart that's hard to resist. Does she have the courage to take a chance on love? Or will a vengeful elf turn her North Pole adventure into a nightmare?

***

I am going to try and whip off a quick freebie short story about Sven Klaus for this xmas and post it on my website. In the meantime, I am working on L'Araldo di Primavera, my botanical paranormal, and gearing up for the New Jersey RWA conference in Oct.

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

Penelope

Penelope's Super Quick Impressions About A Whole Bunch Of Books

Virgin River by Robyn Carr. Jack, you are way too good to be true. Where are you? Where? Where? You're an incredible lover, can accessorize a house, fly fish, shoot a bear, are super patient and a handy-dandy carpenter. Plus a war hero. Where are you again? My number is HURRY-UP-AND-FIND-ME!

Wolf! by Marie Beau. Short, sexy and sweet paranormal with a scrum-diddly-icious hero named Wolfe. This book is fast-paced...just the way I like it. Love the animalistic instincts, love the "furry pelt" on the hero. There's just not enough furry pelts in my romance novels...yum!

A Kiss At Midnight by Eloisa James. Still can't finish this sucker. Sigh. I'll keep trying.

Dark Peril by Christine Feehan. There's creamy skin. There are velvet sheaths. (There's a lot of velvet. Enough velvet to reupholster an entire medieval castle). But there's also a really calm, rational and patient Carpathian dude who totally rocks out. Calm, rational, patient Carpathian? Has Hell frozen over? I am digging this new hero. As in digging under the healing earth to find his hidden cave where he's sleeping. Naked. :)

The Sheikh's Virgin Princess by Sarah Morgan. "She couldn't be a virgin-she was a rebel princess who wouldn't be tamed. She was hiding secrets, refusing to do his bidding!" This is an actual sentence from the book blurb. Which is why I read the book. Hilarious. Even includes exclamation points for extra emphasis. A virgin! "Their wedding vows had to be sealed!" Another excellent exclamation point. I should be embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this book. Ridiculously fun.

Petals and Thorns by Jennifer Paris. Naughty, quick BDSM-light take on Beauty and the Beast. Super sexy and the beast is to-die-for. I do like my men hairy.

Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr. A re-read. Oh, Preacher. That bald head, those bushy eyebrows, your sweet gentle giant of a personality. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite re-reads. Preacher is one of the best...heroes....ev-ah!

Ciao!

Penelope

Penelope's Bucket List

After visiting author Mia Marlowe's blog this past week, I was inspired to create my own "bucket list" of goals for the year. (Thanks, Mia!). Mia has two lists--one professional and one personal--of items she would like to accomplish in the next 9 months. I actually think this is a great idea for everyone...it makes you really think about things you want to do, love to do, wish you could do, need to do. After my heart attack scare in early August, I decided to add some things onto my list that I have been wanting to do for years, and just never got around to.

I'm going to add this onto my sidebar like Mia did, and check off the items as I accomplish them. Special thanks to Mia for the inspiration!

Penelope's Bucket List for 2010-2011....

1. Attend the opera with my husband. (Of course I'll need to purchase a rockin' outfit and some stunning jewelry for the event!)

2. Plant hundreds of daffodil bulbs in my garden to enjoy next spring.

3. Write a quickie botanical paranormal story with a bearded hero. (hee hee)

4. Heal my heart. I want to hear these words from my cardiologist "Your heart is back to normal!"

5. Go for a run.

6. Visit the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. (The photo above is one of the glass models of a pitcher plant.)

7. Attend the NJRWA conference this October and the NECRWA conference next spring.

8. Go birding at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida.

9. Plant a terrarium this winter (and maybe get a turtle to go with it!)

10. Lose 50 more pounds (already lost 30) and reverse my diabetes diagnosis.

11. Go to the Nutcracker ballet with my daughter this Christmas.

12. Finish edits for Sweet Magik and look forward to my 2nd book publication next year.

13. Spend hours puttering around the fantabulous antique mall in Quechee, Vermont, followed up by a glass of sparkling apple cider at Simon Pearce.

14. Walk Sachuest Point in Middletown, Rhode Island and see the harlequin ducks.

15. Become involved in heart health education.

I'm done with putting off the things I want to do...from now on my new attitude is Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)!

Do you have any special things on your bucket list for the upcoming year? Let me know!

Ciao,

Penelope

Friday Reading Update

I am still half-way through several books I hope to finish this weekend: Dark Peril by Christine Feehan and Anytime Darlin' by Julia Rachel Barrett. I got side-tracked this week by several things.....

1) No school Monday or Thursday. I am so confused. Can't wait until we have a regular the-kids-will-be-in-school-5-days-in-a-row week.

2) I read Blameless and was massively disappointed (see review).

3) I read an ARC by a new debut author (Marie Beau). It's called Wolf! and I loved it! Review coming soon.

4) I had my first cardiology appointment and I am slightly bummed out. For some dumb reason I got it in my head that I would be all better by the beginning of Sept. The doc told me it will take at least 3 months to recuperate. My meds are wiping me out and I find myself falling asleep sitting up in a chair like a little old man. Oy.

5) Biggest distraction of the week: My daughter is trying desperately to convince me to get a new puppy. We have spent hours pouring over puppy photos from New England dachshund breeders. I'm trying to stay strong, but those cute little paws and expressive eyes and pink little tongues (and barking in the middle of the night, poops in the house, chewing up my furniture...). Not sure if getting a new puppy will be heart-healthy or push me over the edge of the abyss.

Well, I hope all of you have a great weekend. I will be reading, walking and eating celery sticks. And possibly getting my face licked by a little bundle of fluff.

Penelope

Review of Blameless by Gail Carriger

Oh! How I have been waiting with bated breath for the release of Blameless. I adored Soulless and Changeless--both wonderful, funny, sexy, inventive and one-of-a-kind steampunk/paranormal romances. The "romance" at the end of that description is intentional and very, very important in my opinion. The reason those books sparkled, sang, and popped was because of the fantastic chemistry between Alexia and Conall. She is a no-nonsense soulless heroine, primed for adventure and preoccupied with proper manners. Conall is an alpha werewolf, rough and grumbly and sexy and prone to emotional outbursts. They are one of my favorite couples ever.

And that, folks, is the massively huge problem with Blameless. Because Conall and Alexia are not together in this book until the bitter, bitter end. Like, the last page. Criminy! That was an error of epic proportions. All of the other "fun stuff" in Carriger's books...the myriad colorful secondary characters, the creative inventions, and the paranormal politics, fall totally flat without the heated, combustible attraction between our soulless heroine and her werewolf husband. They, together, create the sparkle in these tales. Without Conall as her sidekick, Alexia's antics were not nearly as entertaining. (In fact, the only criticism I had of Changeless was that Carriger kept the hero and heroine apart for too long in that novel. It is much worse here.)

And yes, I agree with other reviewers....Carriger did not adequately address the huge betrayal and consequent conflict resolution. But at that point, I was so disheartened that Alexia and Conall had not been together at all, I didn't really care.

Surprisingly, the best part of this book turned out to be the reaction of Professor Lyall to the young vampire turned werewolf, Biffy. The scene where Lord Akeldama, Biffy and Lyall are all dealing with the ramifications of Biffy's transformation was a fascinating and emotionally charged scene--the best scene in the book. (Which is a problem...when the best scene in the book does not involve the heroine, it's not good). I love the homoerotic undercurrent going on between Biffy and Lyall and I desperately hope that Carriger explores that further.

There was still a lot of great humor in this book. But the reunion at the end between Alexia and her husband was a gigantic let-down. And I just didn't think the plot and action in the rest of the book made up for that.

I am super disappointed. I was looking forward to Alexia and Conall as much as I used to wait for Emerson and Peabody when Elizabeth Peters released a new Amelia Peabody book every year.

I sure hope the hero and heroine of this series finally get back together in the next installment.

Grade: C+

Sadly,

Penelope

Reading Update

I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend....our heat wave should be breaking soon (thanks to the hurricane coming our way!) and we will finally get some cooler, sunny weather. Yay! I have a nice pile of books I am working on right now. I'm half-way through Dark Peril by Christine Feehan. Love Dominic....he is not your typical Carpathian hero, and I'm digging him and Solange together. I am also in the midst of reading Julia Barrett's Anytime Darlin', which I am really enjoying. It is a very touching and emotional read so far. Finally, Blameless is out! Yee haw! Cannot wait to dive into Gail Carriger's latest book. I need me some growly werewolf action.

Hope all of you have a wonderful holiday weekend,

Penelope