Gemma Halliday has a "High Heels Mysteries" series that is just down right cute. First off, let me dive right in with LOVE THE SHOES!!!! Prada, Gucci, and Manolo’s…Oh MY!
I envision the main character, Maddie Springer, as a mish-mash of Rebecca Bloomwood from "Confessions of a Shopaholic", Stephanie Plum (though I think Stephanie has a few more IQ points) from the Janet Evanovich books, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City, and a short version of my mother-in-love, Patti.
You cannot help but love that the main character is a struggling shoe designer who makes good. It also makes a girl happy when some gorgeous shoes are described though I agree with the character that "real Bond Girls don't wear Choo's" being that she spends most of her time chasing, being chased, or slugging through some pretty sticky situations.
While I normally like my leading ladies to be a bit more cerebral, I have to admit, Maddie makes me laugh as much as she makes me want to shake her. She gets herself into some situations that just make you want to ask…really?
And Ramirez. That is one hot leading man. So he is a bit of an over-protective homicide cop. With Maddie’s track record, he kind of has to be or she would be dead before the end of the first book. I think the relationship tangent with Felix, the secretly rich tabloid reporter, was a bit unnecessary but then again it isn’t my book series so I am sure Gemma had her reasons.
My only complaint with this series is that I like a little more romance in my romance novels. Okay, I will be more blunt. There is some intense kissing in the first 2 books but no sex. By the end of the first book, I was sexually frustrated for the poor girl with all the near misses in the bedroom department. Luckily, this was remedied by the end of the 2nd book but it was literally, the END of the 2nd book. And, even then, it was only the discussion leading up to the clothing removal and then a “The End”. Seriously. What are you trying to do? Kill me?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
What is it with Jerks?
What is it with women wanting to be with men who are jerks? Just read “Wolverton Blood” by Brenda Williamson and all I can say is thank God for happy endings and character growth & transformation, otherwise I probably would have put this book down and walked away.
Basic synopsis- Timber Wolverton doesn’t know this but she is a lab created half-breed (wolf & cougar). She was put in an orphanage and then passed around to different foster families until she began making a life of her own, alone. What she knows is that she is a shape-shifter that was unwanted, unloved and suddenly she receives an invitation to come back to her birth family ancestral home. Family she has never known and always wanted finally wants her.
Kane Wolverton, alpha male (full wolf) who thinks everyone is out to get his family estate now that the half-breed creator is dead, meets Timber and she turns his world upside-down. His original idea that anything less than a full blooded wolf mate will not do to help him carry on his family blood line goes out the window when he falls head over heels for one of his uncles creations. Now if he can just keep the rest of his family and the other creations from killing her and each other.
I don’t care how good looking you are, I hate jerks. If within the first few minutes of looking at me, you tell me I am an idiot, am not wanted and should leave, call me names and then force me out of the car and try to force sexual acts on me….you are going to get punched or kneed and possibly both. Maybe this is just the older, wiser me talking but I would like to think the younger, more naïve me would have done the same.
So the fact that this Kane character treats Timber this way for almost ½ the book while they are having sex like bunnies and it is being explained that he really does care about her, really ticks me off. I give Timber about a quarter of an inch grace because she is in her first ever heat and hormones are a pain in the ass but still. Really? I would rather leave, find a stranger, scour in bleach, and wear a full body condom than put up with that kind of treatment.
My self-esteem isn’t great or even good but even I know not to tolerate that kind of treatment from anyone even for a few minutes much less as long as Timber did in this book. This is why there are women out there who stay in abusive relationships. This why there are people out there who think they can get away with being bullies. No sir. Not on my watch.
Now, as the book progresses, he does get better. He apologizes, and we find out that he does really love her and all of that but I have to say, I would not have stuck around long enough to get to that point in this relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I love the whole alpha-male thing. Nothing turns me on more than when a strong man makes me feel all girly but a really strong alpha-male man can do that without ever making me feel like less of a person. Actually, he does that while making me feel like I am the center of his universe. Try it girls, you will like it.
Basic synopsis- Timber Wolverton doesn’t know this but she is a lab created half-breed (wolf & cougar). She was put in an orphanage and then passed around to different foster families until she began making a life of her own, alone. What she knows is that she is a shape-shifter that was unwanted, unloved and suddenly she receives an invitation to come back to her birth family ancestral home. Family she has never known and always wanted finally wants her.
Kane Wolverton, alpha male (full wolf) who thinks everyone is out to get his family estate now that the half-breed creator is dead, meets Timber and she turns his world upside-down. His original idea that anything less than a full blooded wolf mate will not do to help him carry on his family blood line goes out the window when he falls head over heels for one of his uncles creations. Now if he can just keep the rest of his family and the other creations from killing her and each other.
I don’t care how good looking you are, I hate jerks. If within the first few minutes of looking at me, you tell me I am an idiot, am not wanted and should leave, call me names and then force me out of the car and try to force sexual acts on me….you are going to get punched or kneed and possibly both. Maybe this is just the older, wiser me talking but I would like to think the younger, more naïve me would have done the same.
So the fact that this Kane character treats Timber this way for almost ½ the book while they are having sex like bunnies and it is being explained that he really does care about her, really ticks me off. I give Timber about a quarter of an inch grace because she is in her first ever heat and hormones are a pain in the ass but still. Really? I would rather leave, find a stranger, scour in bleach, and wear a full body condom than put up with that kind of treatment.
My self-esteem isn’t great or even good but even I know not to tolerate that kind of treatment from anyone even for a few minutes much less as long as Timber did in this book. This is why there are women out there who stay in abusive relationships. This why there are people out there who think they can get away with being bullies. No sir. Not on my watch.
Now, as the book progresses, he does get better. He apologizes, and we find out that he does really love her and all of that but I have to say, I would not have stuck around long enough to get to that point in this relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I love the whole alpha-male thing. Nothing turns me on more than when a strong man makes me feel all girly but a really strong alpha-male man can do that without ever making me feel like less of a person. Actually, he does that while making me feel like I am the center of his universe. Try it girls, you will like it.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Would if I Could
There are very few men that make it to my “Would if I Could” list. Most of them are what I know of them from when they play or actually are Fictional Characters because, let's face it, these are all a fantasy. In no particular order...
Cary Grant
Gene Kelly
Hugh Jackman
Trace Adkins
Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock”
Vin Diesel (though he is a bit more bad boy than I usually go for)
Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs
Gerard Butler in the movies “Dracula 2000” & “300”
Captain America (the latest movie)
Warwick “War” in the book Icy Heat: A Heat series story by Leigh Wyndfield
Recently, I have added a new fantasy to my list- Hal from Bianca D’Arc’s book “Warrior’s Heart- Gifts from the Ancients, Book 1”.
Bianca, honey, you have written a man that makes my knees weak, my heart beat, and my panties… well, I will keep this PG-rated. MWROWRRRRR. Hal can tear down my fence anytime (read the book, you will understand). I have a feeling if you keep writing the rest of his team the same way, I might have to expand my already debauched fantasies which may or may not be a good thing.
Cary Grant
Gene Kelly
Hugh Jackman
Trace Adkins
Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock”
Vin Diesel (though he is a bit more bad boy than I usually go for)
Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs
Gerard Butler in the movies “Dracula 2000” & “300”
Captain America (the latest movie)
Warwick “War” in the book Icy Heat: A Heat series story by Leigh Wyndfield
Recently, I have added a new fantasy to my list- Hal from Bianca D’Arc’s book “Warrior’s Heart- Gifts from the Ancients, Book 1”.
Bianca, honey, you have written a man that makes my knees weak, my heart beat, and my panties… well, I will keep this PG-rated. MWROWRRRRR. Hal can tear down my fence anytime (read the book, you will understand). I have a feeling if you keep writing the rest of his team the same way, I might have to expand my already debauched fantasies which may or may not be a good thing.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wanna Make a Bet?
I have never thought myself one to gamble but after reading Lena Matthews Joker's Wild trilogy, I hear myself saying things like "I bet..." and "I would take that bet..." No one seems surprised by this addition to my vernacular so it must have been there before to some extent which makes me think, I must be bit of a gambler. This surprised me a bit because my day job is in risk & compliance so I would have thought I was a bit risk adverse.
Upon mentioning this to those closest to me, there was long moments of silence and then dams of laughter broke forth. Several people told me not to say things like that while they were trying to take a drink. Others wiped tears from their eyes. So I told them I got the point and asked them to explain how they noticed this apparent penchant I had for risk that I apparently missed in myself.
The general consensus is that I plan my risk. How is that you say? I am a planner. I have a plan A, plan B, plan C, plan D and so on and so on but then am flexible enough to through all the plans out and go with what happens but because of all my planning, I have prepared myself to be safe within the risk taken.
The one example that stood out was kayaking. I want to kayak a lot. So I research the one’s I want to buy for several months, tested out several models of life vests, take the course on kayak safety, and now we are ready to go throw ourselves into the water of the river on the kayak. Who knows what will happen then. But because I planned my risk and prepared, I am okay with all of that.
So I am a bit of a gambler but in these books the game was poker and I don’t think that game is for me. Too much relies on chance and not enough on planning. I might play a few hands to see if I can use some of my “assets” to distract the other players. Or with the right players and the right kind of poker, I might be game to see the strip. Heeheehee.
Upon mentioning this to those closest to me, there was long moments of silence and then dams of laughter broke forth. Several people told me not to say things like that while they were trying to take a drink. Others wiped tears from their eyes. So I told them I got the point and asked them to explain how they noticed this apparent penchant I had for risk that I apparently missed in myself.
The general consensus is that I plan my risk. How is that you say? I am a planner. I have a plan A, plan B, plan C, plan D and so on and so on but then am flexible enough to through all the plans out and go with what happens but because of all my planning, I have prepared myself to be safe within the risk taken.
The one example that stood out was kayaking. I want to kayak a lot. So I research the one’s I want to buy for several months, tested out several models of life vests, take the course on kayak safety, and now we are ready to go throw ourselves into the water of the river on the kayak. Who knows what will happen then. But because I planned my risk and prepared, I am okay with all of that.
So I am a bit of a gambler but in these books the game was poker and I don’t think that game is for me. Too much relies on chance and not enough on planning. I might play a few hands to see if I can use some of my “assets” to distract the other players. Or with the right players and the right kind of poker, I might be game to see the strip. Heeheehee.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Can't We All Just Get Along?
When an author chooses to include all kinds of paranormal entities in their series (vampires, shifters, gods, goddesses, guardians, etc.) it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. There are more things under heaven and all that... I mean really. Hence why I like R.G. Alexander's "Children of the Goddess" series.
Each of the groups have lived within their communities for a long time, not mixing together a lot and even having some prejudices within their own (Truebloods vs. Unborn). Now a big shake up and The Mother starts creating mated pairs and such between the groups.
Trueblood & Unborn (and a Reader- super strong outlawed psychic- YIKES),
Tureblood & Were guy & Were girl (interesting fur tale or should that be tail..heeeheehee) Guardian and 1/2 human,
1/2 God (Oy the children from this pairing!)
Were & Unborn (who turns into Were once they are mated? I am little unclear on how this works. Switching from Vampire to Were but I digress.)
Anyway, you get the picture. The bad group in this whole thing are called the Shadow and they are led by the...you guessed it Shadow Wolf. They have a big battle in book 4- "Midnight Falls" but here is another reason why I like R.G. Alexander...The battle with the Shadow is really just sub-plot to the relationships and allows for character building. There is a ton of other stuff going on in the world and the characters lives do not stop once battle ends. Love that. Happily ever after is just the beginning....Who would have thunk it, right?
Each of the groups have lived within their communities for a long time, not mixing together a lot and even having some prejudices within their own (Truebloods vs. Unborn). Now a big shake up and The Mother starts creating mated pairs and such between the groups.
Trueblood & Unborn (and a Reader- super strong outlawed psychic- YIKES),
Tureblood & Were guy & Were girl (interesting fur tale or should that be tail..heeeheehee) Guardian and 1/2 human,
1/2 God (Oy the children from this pairing!)
Were & Unborn (who turns into Were once they are mated? I am little unclear on how this works. Switching from Vampire to Were but I digress.)
Anyway, you get the picture. The bad group in this whole thing are called the Shadow and they are led by the...you guessed it Shadow Wolf. They have a big battle in book 4- "Midnight Falls" but here is another reason why I like R.G. Alexander...The battle with the Shadow is really just sub-plot to the relationships and allows for character building. There is a ton of other stuff going on in the world and the characters lives do not stop once battle ends. Love that. Happily ever after is just the beginning....Who would have thunk it, right?
Monday, October 3, 2011
Be Careful What You Wish For
After reading “Wishful Thinking: The Swann Sisters” by Evangeline Andrews, I have come to the conclusion that being given wishes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You have to be very careful with wording and intention because misinterpretation, loop holes, and caveats abound. For example, “I wish I had the winning lottery ticket.” Seems simple enough but is it really?
Do you need to specify how you come to get the winning lottery ticket? Let’s face it, if you take the ticket off the person you just hit with your car or stabbed, you aren’t going to be enjoying the ticket for long.
You should probably clarify when you want this lottery ticket to win. Having the winning lottery ticket from 1955 isn’t going to help you because there is a limit on timeframe for claiming prizes. This week’s winning lottery ticket or even next week’s winning lottery ticket isn’t going to cut it. You could even go so far as Friday, September 30 2011 Mega Millions Lottery drawing and that might be specific enough.
Do you need to add in that you live long enough to enjoy cashing in and spending the money? The moment you realize you won, you could step off the curb and get hit by a bus. Might be an important point of clarification to make with the wish granter.
Do you need to clarify that you want the funds to bring you happiness and not to be an eternal source of pain as money sometimes can be? Will you know who your friends really are once you get the money? At this point, I am think you need an attorney and an accountant to help draw up the perfect wish documentation just to make sure you cover all your bases and even then, there is probably something that someone is going to forget that will mess up the whole wish.
So I guess my point is, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
Do you need to specify how you come to get the winning lottery ticket? Let’s face it, if you take the ticket off the person you just hit with your car or stabbed, you aren’t going to be enjoying the ticket for long.
You should probably clarify when you want this lottery ticket to win. Having the winning lottery ticket from 1955 isn’t going to help you because there is a limit on timeframe for claiming prizes. This week’s winning lottery ticket or even next week’s winning lottery ticket isn’t going to cut it. You could even go so far as Friday, September 30 2011 Mega Millions Lottery drawing and that might be specific enough.
Do you need to add in that you live long enough to enjoy cashing in and spending the money? The moment you realize you won, you could step off the curb and get hit by a bus. Might be an important point of clarification to make with the wish granter.
Do you need to clarify that you want the funds to bring you happiness and not to be an eternal source of pain as money sometimes can be? Will you know who your friends really are once you get the money? At this point, I am think you need an attorney and an accountant to help draw up the perfect wish documentation just to make sure you cover all your bases and even then, there is probably something that someone is going to forget that will mess up the whole wish.
So I guess my point is, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
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