Saving Grace by Julie Garwood

I received a text from Mia the other day wanting a historical recommend. She was getting a little tired of paranormals and wanted to try something new. Since I'm old enough to be Mia's older sister, I have a few reading years on her.  I immediately texted a few titles and then I said, whoa, back that truck up, if I'm going to give you a historical recommend (knowing she's already read Karen Marie Moning) I'm going to go with a classic, Julie Garwood.

Currently 90% of what I read is paranormal. Even though it's almost all of what I read, I would say my heart belongs to historicals. I grew up reading and loving them and am always excited to turn someone new onto the books that I love.

The internet is relatively new when compared to my reading life. When I discovered RBL Romantica, a romance book message board I was in heaven. Somewhere to talk about the books I love as well as get recommendations, prior to that, no one I knew read my books except Nancy and she couldn't remember characters from one book to the next. I've always been a picky reader so I would go months between books until my favorite authors had a book come out, it was always feast or famine. 3 books by my faves and then no new books for months at a time. Julie Garwood was one of those authors. I used to buy anything with her name on it (I say used to because I don't read her contemporaries which is what she currently writes). I'd count down the days until a Garwood came out and my favorites of hers were the ones set in Scotland, Saving Grace, The Secret and The Bride.

Back when I read more (before I worked for an author, LOL) I would re-read Garwood's historicals once a year. It's been a few years tho since I've read them so I thought, since I recommended this to Mia, I should see how it holds up. This book was originally release in 1993, I can't believe it's been that long!

At first I was a little worried, the pacing was different and the story seemed so much simpler then the ones I've been reading lately but soon enough I was caught up in the romance, which is why I read romances to begin with.

It catches you with the end of the first chapter when we all find out Lady Johanna's husband has died and once she finds out he's for sure dead, she goes in to pray. It's pretty heartbreaking when she prays, "Thank you God, Thank you God, Thank you God." 

This being medieval Scotland/England, Lady Johanna is not allowed to be a widow for long and she is married off to a highlander she meets one day and is married to the next. Gabriel McBain is a rough around the edges Highlander trying to unite two clans and repair the damage done by the English. He marries Johanna to officially get the land, she marries him because she pretty much has no choice but she did ask for a sign before she said I do. Her sign was when she found out his name was Gabriel, the Patron Saint of Women and Children. I have loved that name ever since I've read this book. 

Compared to the books that are released today, this book is positively chaste. If you're looking for hot sex, this is not the book for you. But if you want a sweet love story between two characters that you'll love, I say give this a shot. I felt like reading Saving Grace was like a cleanse to my soul. While I love the books that I currently read, sometimes we need to re-visit the books that we loved that we grew up on. There's a reason we loved them.

Have you read Saving Grace? What did you think? Are you a Garwood fan too? What's your favorite one?

Fun Foto Friday - Suzanne Brockmann

This week I'm actually going to post Friday's foto on Friday. Something new I'm trying out. Today's pic is me at my first author signing. I've been a reader for a long time but for some reason never made it to a booksigning until 8 or 9 years ago. I was living in Los Angeles and had to drive out to the Valley but I was very excited to meet Suzanne Brockmann. 

She writes amazing Navy S.E.A.L books with hot Alpha males. If you have never read her Troubleshooter books I highly recommend them. My only caveat is I didn't love the first couple of books but books 3 and 4 knocked my socks off and I thoroughly enjoyed her books after that. Due to the fact that there are recurring characters I think it helps to read from the first book but you could always start at book 3 and then go back if you want to get a feel for her. 

Have you read SB before? What do you think? Either she's really tall or I'm really short, ok, maybe a little of both. 

Damn, it's good to be me!

Entertainment Weekly had a recent article, 21 Classic Opening Lines in Books. One thing I notice about lists such as this is they never include books that I actually read.

I don't really remember opening lines from books but one I will bever forget, maybe because I can relate so easily to it, is this line from The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning, "Damn, it's good to be me." Adam Black, talk about setting up a book!

Are there any opening lines that you remember? Please share.

Writing so bad it's bad

Did you know that there's a Bad Sex in Fiction award given out by the British magazine Literary Review? I didn't either! After reading the excerpts on EW where I originally read about this I think it's a much deserved award but not one someone wants to win. They included snippets of those nominated, here's my favorite. And I thought purple prose was dead. 

Infrared by Nancy Huston: “He runs his tongue and lips over my breasts, the back of my neck, my toes, my stomach, the countless treasures between my legs, oh the sheer ecstasy of lips and tongues on genitals, either simultaneously or in alternation, never will I tire of that silvery fluidity, my sex swimming in joy like a fish in water…”

Vampires and Werewolves Oh My!

While I'm not a Twilighter I am a huge fan of Vampires and Werewolves. In reality I have no interest in meeting either, it's fun to read about and romanticize them. Jeanine Frost's version of Vlad the Impaler is much different then the wikipedia version of him. I say, let's avoid anyone with the nickname The Impaler (insert dirty joke here). 

But put them in a book or on a tv or movie screen and I'm there! Some of my faves would be Alcide is better in True Blood Eric is better in the Sookie Stackhouse books. Jean-Claude and Asher from the Anita Blake books. I really enjoy the Underworld movies, well the first couple of them anyway.

Talking Books

It's a fact that once I started working for an author I stopped reading as much. I used to read before I went to bed but now my computer is glued to my lap and I surf before bed or play Bejeweled Blitz while I watch tv. I don't read. Unless it's by one of my favorite authors, then I'll drop everything to devour the book.

I'm very much a book snob, I won't buy a book by it's cover, I have a kindle, I rarely buy printed books. But for me to pick up a book by an author I haven't read before I need recommendations, a lot of them. There has to be a buzz about the author before I will pick them up. I want to know ahead of time I'm getting a great book. My reading time is precious.

The Art of Men by Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley has a new tell all book called "The Art of Men (I Prefer Mine al Dente). I've always loved her and her ball busting humor and I love a nice juicy Hollywood read. I find biographies fascinating, especially of actors and actresses, they live such different lives then us but I have to say, from the press she's been doing on this book, it's left a bad taste in my mouth.

I guess because I'm not big on kissing and telling. I'm sure some people still think I'm a virgin, ok, maybe not. It's one thing to talk about someone who is alive, like John Travolta who she calls the love of her life (I honestly don't believe it, I think she's trying to help his reputation but that's just me) but she has been giving interviews all over the place talking about how her and Patrick Swayze fell in love on the set of North and South (side note: I loved that miniseries!).

ICED by Karen Marie Moning

ICED is the first book in the Dani O'Malley trilogy by Karen Marie Moning. Since I'm Karen's friend and assistant it's hard to think this post is unbiased but those that know me, know I don't promote books that I don't love. I take my friend's money as seriously as I take my own and I won't recommend something that I don't love and think you should read.

I know some readers were a little hesitant over a book featuring Dani, they were worried that Mega would be too Mega. Remember the fans who complained about Mac? Karen said trust her, we did, and she wrote a kick ass heroine. We watched her grow and evolve and become a woman to be reckoned with.