Bucket List Update

So, how am I doing with my bucket list?? (see side bar and this post). I put together a list for myself after being inspired by Mia Marlowe's list....hers included taking ballroom dancing lessons and going topless in St. Maarten! Ack! More power to her.

Here's how I am doing.....

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

1. Attend the opera with my husband. (Not happening this year. None of the operas look appealing. Maybe next year.)

2. Plant hundreds of daffodil bulbs in my garden to enjoy next spring. (Did it. Can't wait for spring.)

3. Write a quickie botanical paranormal story with a bearded hero. (Decided to work on my full-length botanical mystery/romance. With a bearded hero. Of course.)

4. Heal my heart. I want to hear these words from my cardiologist "Your heart is back to normal!" (Did it! My heart is back to normal...yee haw!)

5. Go for a run. (Did it. It wasn't very long, but it was good enough for me.)

6. Visit the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. (Not yet, but I'm still planning to do this one soon. Can't wait.)

7. Attend the NJRWA conference this October and the NECRWA conference next spring.(Already did the NJRWA meeting. Looking forward to NECRWA and probably the national RWA meeting in NYC, too. Also attending the Empire State Book Festival in April and will be moderating a romance panel...yay!)

8. Go birding at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida. (Oh boy, am I looking forward to this...coming up in April!)

9. Plant a terrarium this winter. (Not yet. Still on my to-do list. My daughter wants to add a turtle or frog into the terrarium. Uh oh.)

10. Lose 50 more pounds (already lost 30) and reverse my diabetes diagnosis. (I have lost 48 pounds, and I no longer have diabetes. I am so stoked about this. I am still working on losing 30 more pounds by summer. I feel so much better.)

11. Go to the Nutcracker ballet with my daughter this Christmas. (Daughter nixed this one. Instead, we are going to the Westminster Dog Show in NYC on Valentine's Day!!!!!! Sooooo fun....watch out weenie dogs, here we come!)

12. Finish edits for Sweet Magik and look forward to my 2nd book publication next year.(Sweet Magik is all done. Will be released in both digital and print format on Nov. 4, 2011. My first book in print...yay! I am very excited about this!)

13. Spend hours puttering around the fantabulous antique mall in Quechee, Vermont, followed up by a glass of sparkling apple cider at Simon Pearce. (Did it. Had a fabulous weekend with my hubby, as a belated celebration for our 20th anniversary. Had the most incredibly delicious dinner at Simon Pearce...holy cow, after eating such a strict diet for months, that meal was magnificent.)

14. Walk Sachuest Point in Middletown, Rhode Island and see the harlequin ducks. (Not yet...hopefully soon...when the weather is no longer -24!)

15. Become involved in heart health education. (Working on it...I will have some more posts soon, and I'm helping my daughter to raise $$ for the American Heart Association right now.)

Well, working on this bucket list should be keeping me busy for the next several months. This week I'm reading Naked In Death by JD Robb (first time reading her...can't wait to meet Roarke) and an erotica by Amber Skyze called Naughty St. Nick. I thought I was finally finished with my holiday reads, but evidently not.

Happy Monday,

Penelope

Reinvention and Inspiration

I read a terrific piece about Sigrid Olsen this morning in the Boston Globe I wanted to share. She is 57 years old, a breast cancer survivor, and faced the failure of a once-thriving fashion design career with quite the intrepid attitude. Instead of wallowing in defeat, she decided to reinvent herself. She's an artist, an entrepreneur, and a yoga instructor. She is a source of inspiration for women of all ages, someone with the chutzpah to embrace change and see hidden opportunities where others would see failure. The thing that really captured my attention in this article (which is not included in the online version, unfortunately) is her 8-Step Guide....this is so close to my own approach to living I can't believe it.

These are her steps of "essential practices" to "regain equilibrium and redefine themselves after a major life change"---(can you say heart attack?)

1. Connect with nature. Next to the grandeur of nature, your problems seem very small.

2. Inhabit your body. Breathe, move, dance, run--anything that helps you feel awake and alive.

3. Find a community. Seek out people who are honest and fun, who will listen and tell the truth.

4. Clean house. Literally and metaphorically, clear the clutter that complicates your life.

5. Cherish beauty. Try to put beauty in your path each day and take the time to enjoy it.

6. Open your heart. Give of yourself. Generosity breeds abundance.

7. Create. Make something. Paint, sculpt, cook, plant a garden, keep a journal.

8. Celebrate life. Eat good food, have a party, travel, laugh a lot.

(From And Now For Something Completely Different, by Linda Matchan, Boston Globe, January 22, 2011).

This is so right up my alley, it's not even funny! This is why I walk outside everyday. Why I connect with my on-line friends, fellow romance writers, neighborhood friends, family, college buds, and Quirky Ladies as often as possible. This is why I take a single violet from my front lawn and display it in a teeny, tiny bottle on my windowsill. This is why I write. This is why I offer free advice to colleagues and revel in their success. This is why I love my little home and garden, and try to make my living space as "Vermonty" as possible. This is why we entertain so much, not with good china and crystal, but micro-beers and grilled veggies. This is a great way to live a life.

Rock on, Sigrid...I love your attitude! And this concludes our touchy-feely segment for the day. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Embracing life in all its glory,

Penelope

Beard of the Day

3 Interesting Things About Chris O'Donnell....

1) His middle name is Eugene.

2) He is the youngest of 7 children!

3) He's all grown up and rocking his facial hair nicely. Remember when he was a baby-faced kid in Scent of a Woman? Now, he's in NCIS and he's looking the part. The scruff is just what he needs to give him a little bit of panache. And his eyes are swoon-worthy.

Has everyone recovered since reading Shadowfever? Still reading it? Staring glassy-eyed at the wall?

Happy Weekend To All!

Penny

Review of Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

(Warning: Spoilers Alert...as always, proceed with caution....)

Readers have expectations.

Romances should be about love. The story is about the relationship between the hero and heroine. Love saves the day. HEA forever.

Women's fiction is about the heroine. Her growth, her journey. Romance might be involved, but ultimately it is the heroine's story.

A fantasy is about the story itself. The story is the star of the show...filled with out-of-this-world details, plot twists and turns, gorgeous imagery, shocking imagery. It's most often a plot-driven work, not character-driven.

So what happens when a well-beloved romance author decides to write an epic fantasy series? Hmmm. Her fans expect romance. Her readers expect real character development. Some of them might jump on the fantasy bandwagon and enjoy the craziness of it all, but some of them still crave hot sex scenes and a hero to die for.

Karen Marie Moning has accomplished something extraordinary with this Fever series. She has transformed Dublin into a mythological battlefield filled with scrappy humans and horrifying imaginary creatures, where every shadow is feared. She created a heroine whose journey transformed her from a fluffy pink priss into a raw warrior. She provided a hero full of mystery, a storyline filled with shocking revelations, simple truths and painful betrayals. And she took the reader on the journey using a first person POV, so that we lived each moment with Mac herself....reveled in the victories, wept at the tragedies, wavered back and forth between hopeful and helpless.

This series is exactly what an epic fantasy should be. An adventure. In every way.

Now, I'm not gonna tell you that this book was perfect. The beginning was too slow, too repetitive and became frustrating to read. I was tired of Mac being in the dark, because it meant we, the readers, were in the dark, too. I wanted answers. I was tired of not knowing. The whole "he's not really dead because he can come back to life" thing was too gimmicky. The "big misunderstanding" plot device going on (Barrons thinking Mac slept with Darroc, her not clearing this misconception up) dragged on for too long and was irksome.

But Holy Christ On A Cracker, once the pacing picked up and the story finally began to unfold, KMM totally got her groove on. The fantasy part of this book was simply amazing. Winged Hunters flying through the sky, terrorizing Dublin, magical castles filled with mirrors, grotesque creatures sucking the life out of unsuspecting humans. Moning's imagery is captivating.

But here's the thing. After the battles, the chases, the explosions, the decapitations....I was expecting one of two things: A) Love would save the day, or.....B) Mac would save the day. Turns out the Un-Seelie King saved the day. Huh. Didn't see that one coming. Karen Marie Moning managed to keep the story itself as the star of the show. The plot twists and turns, the mythology and fantasy, became the focus of the climax of this book. But neatly tucked into this rich and complex narrative, she included a couple of other things. A couple of things that will make every romance reader sigh with happiness.

It didn't come with a big explosion or save-the-day plot device (like I thought it would). It was a simple, lovely, oh-so-satisfying declaration of love and trust.

"He went very still. Is that how you think of me?

Time seemed to stand still.....

Bet your ass you're mine, bud, I shot at him...

Barrons tossed his head back and laughed, teeth flashing in his dark face."

What we'd all been waiting for, for 5 long books. And finally, this....

"I was happy. I knew why you'd lied." His dark gaze was ancient, inhuman, and uncharacteristically gentle. Because you love me.....

Barrons held out his hand. "Don't leave me Rainbow Girl."....

The best part of this book, for me--lover of romance above all else--wasn't the sifting Fae, the frozen concubines, the spear-stabbing kick-ass action scenes, the bellowing beast in the basement. The best part was the end of the journey for Mac. Things in Dublin are still weird, unfinished, and fraught with uncertainty. But finally, after her epic adventure, Mac knows that she earned the love and trust of her beast, and can trust in herself and the choices she has made.

Simple, really.

Grade: A

Penelope

Irksome Heroines, Beanstalks and Hot Aliens: I'm Exhausted and It's Only Monday

Here's a quickie update on my 3 latest reads.....

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake:

This was an ARC....will be released by Carina Press in February. The premise for this story is fantastic. It's a futuristic sci fi take on the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. I adore funky new twists on fairy tales and legends. Drake calls this book a "twisted fairytale, biopunk romance." What I liked....the sci fi details are awesome. Drake does a tremendous job with her world-building. The bio-engineered beanstalk, the floating "islands," the hovercrafts, the dark, gritty, and desperate feel to life for the poor schmucks left on the surface of the earth, all make for a stunning vision of a world gone awry with technology. I also liked the heroine, Jaq, a lot...she is the quintessential kick-ass heroine, complete with roundhouse kicks, etc etc. The storyline was solid (with bitchy villainess and a-hole villain), had lots of action and suspense, and was extremely well written. Which may have worked against Drake in the end...I wanted more to this story. It was too short for me. The sci fi part worked great, but I wanted more about the characters and their relationship. I tend to gravitate to character-driven stories, not plot-centered stories, but even so....I still was fully engaged in this one.

Grade: B+

Captured by Julia Rachel Barrett:

Sci fi/futuristic book #2 for the weekend! This one was quite different than the first. Captured was not about the action, it was about the characters. It still had tons of cool details about this alien society, but the real story was about the relationship between the alien hunter and his human cargo. Barrett puts forth an incredible thought-provoking premise for this novel...what if an alien species sees humans as a source of....food? Kidnaps us and treats us like cattle, then auctions us off to hungry aliens? Cripes....gives me shivers just thinking about it. Needless to say, this brings up a lot of disturbing themes, including similarities with Jews in Nazi Germany. Barrett certainly does not shy away from difficult material. The bottom line: the book is very well written, the love story is totally believable and evolves in a very emotional way, and the plot had me spell-bound (if not a nervous freakin' wreck) until the very end. The end was perfect for a sci fi story, although the romance-lover in me wanted an epilogue...hee hee! My only concern with this book (and frankly, all of the sci fi books I have been reading lately) is that I'm not quite sure erotica and sci fi is a great combination. It is sometimes jarring to have hard-core erotica scenes mixed into a sci fi story. I think romance and sci fi would be okay, but erotica (especially the terminology, etc) is tough to blend in with this type of story. Bottom line: loved the premise, the characters, and Barrett's intelligent narrative.

Grade: A-

Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston

Mistake #1: I paid a lot of money for this sucker. Mistake #2: It's not the first in the series, and I was completely confused about the enormous number of characters...so many my eyes were crossing. Mistake #3: The heroine was the most irritating, annoying, pinging-off-the-wall, irksome, hyper, basically unlikable heroine I have ever read in my entire freakin' life.

Saving grace: the hero was absolutely adorable...I totally want my own lion-polar bear. Stat! By the end of the book, the heroine slightly redeemed herself by her loyalty to the abused hybrids, and I managed to finish this book, although it was extremely close to being DNFed. Extremely. Freakin. Close.

Bottom line: Start at beginning of series. No more flaky heroines. Get my own lion-polar bear.

Grade: C+

Whew! I'm exhausted and it's only Monday. And I think there's a new book out tomorrow or something like that.....hmmm.....now what is it again? Let me think......

Penny

Beard of the Day

Say hello to Stephen.

"Hello, Stephen!"

Good things about Stephen Dorff: He's a bad-ass actor (evil vampire in Blade, etc.) He is cute, cuddly and adorable like a koala bear. Also, he has excellent sexy, scruffy facial hair and thus has earned his place in Penelope's Beard of the Day hall of fame.

Bad things: He once dated Pamela Anderson. Ouch!

Happy Weekend To All,

Penny

Review of The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

I was not prepared for this book.

My expectation for a steampunk romance was based on The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. Those books are light-hearted fun, filled with kooky inventions and a no-nonsense heroine. The steampunk part of Carriger's world provides an entertaining and funky backdrop for the story. The humor is very tongue-in-cheek, right up my alley.

The Iron Duke couldn't be more different. While Carriger's world is political, it's also quite silly (the effeminate vampire friend, quirky side kick, lusty werewolf husband). Brook's post-apocalyptic world is dark, atmospheric and sinister. There is nothing remotely funny about the politics in this book. The hierarchies of her society--the bounders, the buggers, the Horde, the military--are fraught with hostility and racial discrimination. While Carriger's creative steampunk inventions elicited a smile--such as Alexia's fully outfitted parasol--the mechanics of Brook's world are straight from a horror movie. Mechanical "bugs" infiltrate the human body, and are controlled by radio frequencies enslaving the entire human population of Great Britain. Horrifying images of humans with machines as body parts reminded me of Quentin Tarantino's movie Grindhouse...remember Rose McGowan's half-machine gun leg? She would fit right into this troubling world.

Mina's very existence is the result of unspeakable acts, and the fact that everyone recognizes her as a product of Horde rape is crushing. This blatant racial discrimination also evoked images of half-white/half-Asian children left behind in Vietnam after the war. There is a lot of dark and ugly political stuff in this book....a much darker spin on the alternate industrial revolution reality of a steampunk world than Carriger's version.

Overall, the book is excellent. The story is very compelling--suspenseful, riveting. Brook is a powerful storyteller. The heroine Mina is incredible. Saddled with an unbelievably traumatic family history, she has risen above it to become a force to be reckoned with...courageous and filled with integrity. Which is most troubling to the hero Rhys, who is mercenary without shame.

Mina is the real hero of this book. She is phenomenal. The scene where she saves Rhys and his crew from a sea monster is extraordinary. Dangling upside down from a rope, she shoots a harpoon into the creature's eye and saves the ship from its evil clutches. Rock on! The climatic scene where she again saves Rhys by throwing her body in front of a bullet intended for him is heart-wrenching. How fantastic that her mother quickly whips together a mechanical heart from various body parts to save her daughter. I have to admit that I thought about the metal stent in my artery as I read this scene. It made me feel a little bit better about my "spare part" and sort of cool in a steampunky way!

The relationship between Rhys and Mina is intense. He is the rugged, swash-buckling legendary hero...fearless, but filled with moral ambiguity. Mina fears the powerful feelings he evokes inside of her, reminding her of her mindless past, dictated by the Horde. The heady lust building between them is fantastic, but I actually found their physical relationship at times distracting from the overall story. (Did I just say that? What is happening to me????) It's difficult to blend a romantic and erotic story with a political fantasy like this. I sometimes felt like the story was jumping back and forth between the lusty relationship and the plot. I also wish we had a bit more insight about Rhys' character.

A few things bothered me. One, I didn't like the threat of Mina's younger brother being sold into sexual slavery/torture (or worse) being dangled over our heads for a good portion of the book. It made me tense and worried, and ended up being a false threat when we discovered he was fine.

Also, the hero's past was difficult to reconcile with his intense sexuality. If a hero has a sexually tortured past, it needs to be be pretty strongly addressed in a romance. (JR Ward did a fabulous job with this in Lover Awakened. She clearly showed how Zsadist's relationship with Bella healed this part of his tortured psyche). I don't think that Brook adequately addressed this in The Iron Duke, even though it did occur to Mina in one of the erotic scenes.

Finally, my biggest beef was the ending. Rhys was incredibly single-minded for most of the book...he would have Mina no matter what. He was willing to go to any lengths (illegal, immoral, etc) to possess her. Then, he sends her away after learning of her public humiliation concerning their relationship, and that's it. Even after she takes a bullet for him, he doesn't visit her. He just happens to see her in the street and stops to talk to her. A totally random meeting! Get out! That sure doesn't seem in character for this guy. The wrap up at the end (they finally profess their love for each other) could have been longer. It was a bit too rushed for me. If you're writing a romance, don't skimp on the HEA, baby!

Overall, this book is astoundingly good. It has fascinating world-building, strong political symbolism, and truly memorable characters. It opened up a whole new side of steampunk fantasy that has me utterly intrigued. Although I must admit Brook's vision scares the holy hell out of me. I think I'd rather visit Carriger's steampunk world--armed with a kick ass parasol of course.

Grade: A-/B+

(ETA: Please stop by The Quirky Ladies blog for a discussion of the steampunk genre. Is it here to stay? Or just a temporary trend?)

Penelope

Monday Morning Update

I can't believe it! I already have my first DNF for the year, it's only the 2nd week of January for God's sake.

I'm sort of surprised, because I thought I would absolutely love this book....Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch. It seemed right up my alley. Quirky, funny, alien-y. The writing was great, I loved the humor, and the characters were interesting. But I only made it half-way through, then I had to bail. I just couldn't take it anymore.

Why, you ask.

Well, the problem was an unbelievable case of information dump. There is a fine line when writing a paranormal story around bringing the reader (and in some cases, the characters) up to speed about the paranormal setting. What are all the rules and regulations (and possibly history) of this new paranormal world? As an author, you need to relay the pertinent information, but without bogging down the narrative. It's tough. Sometimes, there's too little info and the reader is confused about the new terrain, and sometimes there is way too much info, and the reader's eyes start glazing over and she starts thinking about her grocery list, and her son's next swim meet, and that she is almost out of dog food.....

You get the idea.

I also readily admit I like fast-paced stories. When things start slowing down the narrative (which can include too much deep POV, which drives me nutso, or an enormous info dump, etc) I get antsy. I know, I'm shallow and superficial and need instant gratification. Whatever. The point is (there's a point????) that this book had info dump after info dump, and they kept interfering with a very nice storyline. Bummer. Gini Koch seems like a great writer, so I'm willing to try another one of her books, but this one couldn't keep my attention span (which appears to be the same as a three year old...heh heh).

After that fiasco, I re-read Stephanie Lauren's Captain Jack's Woman, which is the pre-cursor to the Bastion Club series. The premise for this book is utterly ridiculous...a gently-reared member of the ton disguises herself as a boy and becomes leader of a smuggling gang. O-kay. Sure. This has all of the classic SL stuff in it...alpha male hero, gorgeous and courageous heroine, interesting historical storyline, sex against a tree (okay, that's not actually in every SL book, but it's in this one), and chapter-long sex scenes. It's a fun SL re-read!

Next up....The Iron Duke! I will be posting a discussion about the steampunk genre on The Quirky Ladies blog at some point this week, and I'll have the review for The Iron Duke on my Penelope page.

Happy Monday,

Penelope

Beard of the Day

Don't think you like country? Uh-huh. Take one little ole look at this sweet hunk o' man (Tim McGraw), then listen to him sing. (Oh yeah, he's got a great beard, too...in case you didn't notice!)

Here's the preview for Country Strong....it looks fantabulous!

Happy, Happy Weekend,

Penelope

The Versatile (and Discombobulated) Blogger

Okay, so the award isn't really for the discombobulated blogger. But I was tagged in November, and am only now getting around to this. If there really was an award for the Discombobulated Blogger, I would totally win first prize (with a slightly skewed tiara on my head, I'm sure).

Anyway, thanks to Julia Barrett (Julia Barrett's World), I was tagged with The Versatile Blogger Award. Here are the rules and regulations.....

1--Share 7 things about myself.

2--Pass this award on to 15 other bloggers recently discovered.

3--Notify recipients.

4--Link the blogger who gave this award.

Since I'm a chronic, life-long rule breaker, I'm not doing #2 and #3 exactly. I'm going to make a list of some fun blogs I've discovered over the last couple of years--most having nothing to do with the romance industry. Just keeping it real!

Okay, first up.....7 things about myself.....

1) I have really big hair. I had big hair when it was cool (1980's), before it was cool, and after it was cool.

2) I was a dirty lacrosse player in high school and college. I liked to trip people, elbow other players, cuss a lot, etc. I got a lot of yellow cards (pretty much every game) and some red cards, too. For some reason, I'm not really that ashamed.

3) I was a dolphin trainer in high school (he was a horny Amazon River dolphin named Chuckles...hee hee!)

4) I took piano lessons from a Russian concert pianist at Carnegie Mellon University when I was a teenager.

5) I am an obsessive organic herb gardener (not those kinds of herbs....get your minds out of the gutter!). I usually have at least 8 types of basil in my garden every summer (basic sweet, purple, cinnamon, orange, lemon, thai, globe, African blue). I love cooking with fresh herbs!

6) I sometimes dress my miniature dachshund in humiliating outfits. But not that much.

7) The first time I saw my husband in college, I turned to my friends and announced "I'm going to rock his world."

All right, enough pointless information about me and my dachshund. Now onto the fun blogs....

1) Please Pack Your Knives And Go

For any fans of Top Chef, this blog is a must-see. I love their snippy observations.

2) Meg Meguire's Super Lucky #1 Fun Blog

First of all, the title alone is excellent. Second of all, she has funny, irreverent and sometimes ridiculous posts....all quite entertaining. She loves birding (me too), Jean Claude Van Damme (me too) and crossword puzzles (I suck at those).

3) Hyperbole and A Half

Just freakin' hilarious.

4) Stokes Birding Blog

Blog by the ultimate masters of the birding universe, the Stokes. One time (in band camp...hee hee...just kidding)....when I was at Ding Darling in Florida, checking out some birds with my binocs, this nice couple started pointing out all these awesome birds, and later, my husband said..."Do you know who that was" and I was all "No" and he was all "That was Donald and Lillian Stokes" and I was all "Holy crap!"

5) Black and White

Anne Nydam is a wonderfully talented artist and writer. Her blog always has something cool and interesting to see.

6) Full Fork Ahead

KMont, who also pens a romance blog (Lurv a la Mode) has a fabulous recipe site with her sis. The photos alone are worth checking out. And how about these recipes....cranberry swirl cheesecake with cranberry-raspberry compote? Pumpkin and brown sugar crème brûlée? Israeli couscous with crispy greens? Hungry yet?

7) Julia Barrett's World

This is a great author's site. She has a mix of fun, serious, thoughtful and sexy. I stop by every day!

8) Lemon Verbena Lady's Herb Garden

I love seeing updates about her garden. And lemon verbena is one of my favorites...it's a keeper!

9) The Happiness Project

I find this blog bizarrely interesting. Trying to quantify/qualify happiness. Bizarr-o but also sort of cool.

10) The Long and Short Of It All

What? You didn't think I'd leave out the dachshund blog, did you? My favorite doxie hot spot...photos, videos, sob stories, dogs in humiliating outfits, wiener dog races. It's all here.

Thanks to Julia for this prestigious award! Just wondering where the hell my $100,000 prize money is. I'm still waiting.....

Penelope

(who is considering changing her pen name to Penny O. Watson, just so my initials will be POW)

Kick Ass Babies, Lesbian Pirates, and Old People In Love

Another great trio of books this past week! I'm starting off 2011 with a bang!

First up, Mari Carr's Do Over. It was recommended to me at Goodreads (by Samantha...thanks, Missy!) as a nice "older" couple story. Faith and Troy have been married for 25 years, and Troy decides to surprise his wife with an incredibly romantic re-hash of their lives together....revisiting the location of their first kiss, church where they were married, etc etc. OK, seriously, this dude is the man! He is so sexy, sweet, thoughtful and romantic, I just wanna bottle him up and chug him like a bottle of Corona. (That's a weird image, but work with me, people...). This story is very romantic and wonderfully emotional. And super sexy! I can't wait to read more of Carr's stories. Excellent!

Grade: A

I have a confession to make. I'm not really into gay sex stories. I know they're all hot and hip and happenin' and trendy right now, but I sort of don't care that much. Someone once said the reason why gay male stories are so hot is that two c*cks are better than one. ☺ I think that is an awesome and hilarious statement, but nevertheless, I can't get myself that worked up about the whole thing. I know, I'm a sad Vanilla girl. (French vanilla with bittersweet chocolate sauce, but it's still vanilla). So, imagine my unmitigated surprise when I read a lesbian story, and I liked it! In fact, I thought it was smoky hot, funny, adorable, entertaining, suspenseful and very well written. KT Grant's The Princess's Bride is a cute, sexy take on The Princess Bride...with a saucy wench pirate, a sexy daisy of a princess, lots of "dewy" moments, an evil licentious villain, and a totally satisfying HEA that involves a lesbian lover's hide-away on an island. Hee hee...gotta love that ending! Who knew I'd be digging a lesbian pirate story? Amazing!

Grade: A

Finally, the latest Ghostwalker book by Christine Feehan is out...Ruthless Game. This is a solid showing for Feehan, not my favorite Ghostwalker story, but still a good addition to the series. I found the relationship between Rose and Kane not quite as intense as the other couples. One of the things I love about this series is the fact that the alpha Ghostwalker boys are sooooo over the top. Over the top alpha-warrior-kick ass-sexual dynamos-hot for their gals-will kill anyone who gets in their way, etc. etc. You get the picture. Kane and Rose have a new baby, and they still don't seem quite as crazed as the other Ghostwalkers. Which I guess is a good thing. The best thing about this book.....the babies!!!! Oh, holy crap, how cool is the final scene at the wedding where the Ghostwalker next-generation is sitting there in their onesies, totally communicating telepathically and watching everyone with their super-intelligent, beady little eyes! I cannot wait to see what CF has in store for these bambinos. I'm picturing a toddler covered with knives, guns, machetes, walky-talkies, and a crew cut. And maybe a stogie hanging out of his mouth. Barking orders in baby talk. Yessssss! Can't wait to see them in action...Ghostwalkers, The Next Generation.

Grade: B+

Happy Wednesday,

Penelope

Penelope's Anti-Challenge Reading 2011

It could be residual anxiety from reading lists in high school and college. It could be an aversion to authority figures telling me what to do. Or, it could just be that I am a lazy-ass, selfish reader. Whatever the reason, I am completely dedicated to my Anti-Challenge Reading for 2011. My motto....read whatever I want to, whenever I want to...and try not to forget to cook dinner for the children. There! I did it! Something tells me I will be all over this Anti-Challenge and quite successful this year. (hee hee....)

I don't have any resolutions/goals/objectives for the new year, other than staying alive. Just keeping it real basic, if you know what I mean. Continuing with my heart healthy lifestyle, eating well, exercising a lot, attempting to decrease stress, and surrounding myself with positive, funny, lovely people (in real life and virtual life) who are cool and make me happy.

Because I keep hearing awesome things about these writers, I am hoping to check them out this year--Nalini Singh and JD Robb. I also have a couple of books left over from 2010 I didn't get to that I am jonesing to read....Carolyn Crane's Double Cross and The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook. Of course I will be reading Shadowfever, and all my favorite authors' releases this year. (Although I must admit I think 624 pages is way too long for a book. That's just nutso.)

As for my own writing, I am continuing with The Klaus Brothers Series for The Wild Rose Press. I am working on Sweet Adventure, which features both Sven (the hippy) and Gregor (the financial guru). I'm looking forward to the NECRWA's spring conference in Salem, MA. I will also be giving a talk for the NEC's February meeting, discussing self-promotion and social networking for romance authors. Hope to see some of you there!

(By the way, if you like Dave Barry, here is his hilarious take on 2010....so funny!)

I hope that everyone is pumped for a brand new year!

Penelope

Happy New Year!

Thank God....it's a brand new year! Happy 2011 to all!

Ready for Anything,

Penelope

Beard of the Day

I first discovered Simon Pegg in the most excellent movie Shaun of the Dead. I was on a "girl's weekend" with my mom and sis, and we were lounging in our hotel room watching endless hours of television. This movie came on and my sister said...."Oh, you're gonna love this one. It's right up your alley." Well hell, I was in LOVE...a funny, brilliant, quirky zombie movie. I was instantly hooked on the comedic couple of Pegg and Nick Frost. If you haven't seen this movie, it's a freakin' fantastic classic...you gotta see it! Also, Pegg's version of Scotty in the updated Star Trek was wicked good. I thought he stole the damned show.

Well, onto our beard critique. One, this photo is great because it totally captures his boyish good looks as well as his naughty sense of humor. I love red-heads...just think time-travellin' Scottish warlords with legs like tree trunks, thick, red beards, those luscious accents...hear me? Well, Pegg's got a British accent and a nicely groomed beard and stache. Hot Fuzz for sure. (Hee hee...sorry, that's a horrible joke but I totally couldn't help myself). Anyhoo, there's something sexy about a guy who knows how to make people laugh.

Be on the lookout for Paul, a new movie with Pegg and Frost, coming out this spring. It looks absolutely hilarious. Here's the link for the youtube preview...check it out!

Happy Hairy Friday to All! And Happy New Year!!!!

Penelope

Random Thursday Updates

Here are some random updates and observations....

1) You know you're getting old when you're invited to a New Year's Eve party that promises to have you back in bed by midnight. O-kay. Sad, yet true....and the worst part is I love the idea! (Note to self: Get "L" tattooed on forehead in 2011.)

2) Read a couple of great books recently. In Too Deep is the latest Jayne Ann Krentz Arcane book...Fallon's story. I loved it! I cannot get enough of that funky paranormal stuff. Also, Do Over by Mari Carr was absolutely wonderful...so incredibly romantic and sexy. I adored the premise for this one (on 25th wedding anniversary, awesome husband from heaven re-creates all the couple's "first" special moments/places/events, etc.). Dude...you are the man!

3) Forget about M/M manly love obsessions. How about some hot girly action? hee hee...seriously, KT Grant's The Princess's Bride is smoky hot and I love the hilarious take on The Princess Bride. Such a cute and funny idea! Not done with this one yet...still working on it.

4) I decided to re-kindle my knitting addiction. Had a killer trip to the yarn store; now working on yummy pumpkin-colored scarf. My daughter has informed me I look like a little old lady as I sit by the fire and knit. (Maybe I should knit an "L" into the scarf.....)

5) I am going to work on two items from my bucket list (see side bar) in January. One is a visit to the Blaschka Glass Museum at Harvard. I'm also going to work on my terrarium with Natty. I love the plant nursery in the winter-time...it's like a hot, steamy jungle in there.

6) My profound New Year's resolution....Be Happy. ☺☺☺

Hope all of you have a festive New Year's!

Penelope

Penny's Favorite Themes In Romance

I realized this week that I am gravitating towards certain kinds of stories. There are certain themes that really rock my boat, and certain themes I can't stand. Here's a run-down....I'm sure I'll think of more later.

Favorite Stuff:

1. Older Couples Rekindling Their Spark

2. Big, Curvy Girls

3. Funky Stuff....such as autistic characters, etc.

4. Amazing Paranormal Stuff

5. Beauty and the Beast

6. Redemption of Tortured Heroes

7. Brotherhood-Style Books

8. Humor in Romance

9. Highly Romantic Stories (think Balogh)

10. Super Loving Alpha Male Heroes...I love this combo!

11. Alternative Families

12. Bearded Heroes (I know...that one's a shocker, right?)

13. Shapeshifters

14. Metamorphosis....girly-girl turns kick ass, etc.

15. Raw, Lusty Historicals....another great combo!

16. Intellectual Hero/Heroine

17. Foodie-Style Books

18. Snappy Chemistry Between Hero/Heroine

19. Beautiful Prose

20. Symbolism

21. Ethnic Themes...gypsies, etc.

22. Unique Voice

Here are some themes/issues that drive me nuts:

1. Contemporary Romance

2. Too Much Deep POV

3. Too Much Mundane Detail (what the characters ate for breakfast, lunch, dinner....blah blah)

4. Eroticas Where The Characters Fall In Love After 50 Pages of Boinking Their Brains Out

5. TSTL Characters

6. Hardcore BDSM....don't like pain and suffering

7. Big Misunderstanding (aka Three's Company problem)

8. Cougar Stories (older woman, younger man)

My new favorite is the more mature couple theme...I am searching out more of these books. Any suggestions?

How about you....anything really rocking your boat lately? Driving you nuts? Let me know!

Ciao,

Penny

It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times...

2010 has been the weirdest year of my life.

It started out well enough. In fact, pretty great. My first book was published in December 2009, and it made a whole slew of e-bestseller lists in January 2010. One of the coolest things I've ever seen is the image of my half-naked Santa Claus book cover next to Stephen King's Under The Dome and Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. I spent the next six months working on my second book, and by July it was finished.

I was looking forward to celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary with my husband, and travelling to Jackson Hole for an awesome adventure vacation with the kids.

On August 3, 2010 everything changed.

I had a heart attack, at the ripe old age of 44. I had a bare metal stent inserted into my clogged artery. I spent a week in the hospital with a roommate who was 92 years old. My dream trip to Wyoming was cancelled. My anniversary celebration was postponed. My father fell ill a few nights after my heart attack and died a week later. He knew about my heart attack, but did not regain consciousness before his death, so he never found out I was okay. I really hate that. I pray that somehow he knows now. August 2010 had officially turned into the worst month of my life.

Facing your own mortality is complicated. I am handling it with humor, anger, disbelief, determination, hostility, melancholy, denial. Dealing with the physical recuperation (drugs, diet and exercise, fatigue, myriad doctor appointments, etc) has been far easier to handle than the emotional and mental process. I am still struggling with this part, and I'm not sure when, if ever, I will come to terms with why this happened. Why I got a second chance when others have not been so lucky. Who I am, why I am here, what my purpose is. Sound heavy? Yeah, well almost dying has the unfortunate side effect of making you introspective, even if you fight it.

So, as I face the close of this shocking year, I really have no answers. My will to live is strong. Strong enough to change unhealthy habits and restructure my life. My identity is up in the air. I feel as though I've pulled myself into a cocoon and am awaiting metamorphosis, unsure when I will emerge, and what exactly I will become. The person staring back at me in the mirror looks like a stranger. Fifty pounds lighter, with a starkness etched on her face, I don't recognize who she is.

All I know is I got a second chance. It's an incredible gift. It's more time with my husband, more time with my children, more time with my friends and family. Time to write more stories. Time to see an Orca in the wild? Sip mango margaritas while watching the sun set in Hawaii? Snuggle with my dog. Take a walk around the neighborhood and chat with good people. Simple things, adventurous things, everything.

I am looking forward to a fresh start. I am looking forward to leaving 2010 behind me. The good, the bad....I am ready for new.

I am ready to embrace 2011. Ready to embrace my second chance.

Not knowing what the future holds for me. Just thankful I have a future.

Bring it on.