The View from the Eddystone Light

Book Review: The King's Courtesan by Judith James

2011-11-21T19:35:00.005-06:00

The latest release by Judith James continues to fulfill the promise hinted at by this talented author’s celebrated debut novel, “Broken Wing,” and further realized by her subsequent historical romance releases.

“The King’s Courtesan,” set in the Restoration era world of Charles II, is an entertaining companion novel to its predecessor, “Libertine’s Kiss.” Once again, Ms. James uses her uncanny insight into the human condition to populate her novels with living, breathing characters whose trials and triumphs make the reader feel emotionally invested in the outcome of the story from page one.

When we first meet Hope Mathews, she is a starry-eyed adolescent dreaming of rescue by a gallant knight, but when we next meet Hope as an adult, she has been the victim of betrayals by those closest to her; beginning with the mother who sold Hope’s innocence to the highest bidder when Hope was fourteen. Despite the circumstances of her life, Hope’s purity of spirit and her beauty attract the attention of Charles Stuart and Hope is elevated to the position of King’s mistress, making her vulnerable to yet another betrayal when Charles decides that it wouldn’t be appropriate to have his notorious mistress residing at court when his Portuguese bride arrives.

Charles conceives of a plan to lend his mistress respectability by marrying her off to a titled gentleman and allowing her to rusticate in the country for a few months, after which Charles intends to recall Hope and her new husband to court, where he will continue his relationship with Hope under the noses of his new queen and Hope’s new husband. The gentleman selected for the honor of providing respectability and a title for the King’s mistress is Captain Robert Nichols, whose private obsession with meting out vengeance upon those responsible for his younger sister Caroline’s death makes him a dangerous choice.

Robert is presented with an offer he literally cannot refuse: marry Hope or permanently forfeit Cressly Manor, his family estate, to his nemesis, the last man still awaiting justice by Robert’s hand for the death of Caroline. An unsuspecting Hope is wed to a reluctantly complicit Robert during a colorful May Day celebration Hope has arranged for Charles’s pleasure, and the marriage is off to a rocky start as the newly married couple undertake the long journey to Cressly Manor. What follows is a poignant story of slowly earned trust, the banishment of old demons, and the healing power of love.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: A Writers' List of Concerns

2011-10-15T13:50:00.011-05:00

The writer awaiting his or her first sale fantasizes about what “the call” will be like. The writer who has made their first sale wonders if they will make a second or a third sale, and so on. There are many things we writers still have in common no matter what stage of the path we’re on.

Let me illustrate what I mean with what I refer to as “A Writer’s List of Concerns”:

Group One: Unpublished (As Yet) Author’s List of Concerns
1-Will I Sell My Novel/When Will I Sell My Novel?
2-Will the agent/contest judge/editor like my story?
3-Will I make any money as a writer?
4-What’s the best way to get my work out there (submit to agents? Enter contests? Ask my published writer friends to put in a good word for me with their publisher?)
5-How do I cope with the ever present voice of self-doubt that whispers, “Should I even be trying to do this? Am I a terrible writer?”

Group Two: Published Author’s List of Concerns
1-Will my next novel sell/When Will I Sell My Next Novel?
2-Will my agent/editor like this new story?
3-Will I ever be able to make a living as a writer?
4-What’s the best way to make readers aware I have a book out? (Visit bookstores? Advertise? Make a nuisance of myself on Yahoo groups, Message Boards, Blogs, and Forums?)
5-How do I cope with the ever present voice of self-doubt that whispers, “I’m sure that first/second sale was a fluke! I’m a terrible writer! Just look at some of the Amazon.com reviews!”

Group Three: Highly Successful, Award-Winning, Best Selling Author List of Concerns
1-How on earth am I going to meet these deadlines?
2-What will my reader base think of my new book(s)? Will I lose readers because my publisher has asked me to write for the current hot trend, and I’m just not feeling it, even though I have a deadline?
3-Help! I need a good accountant to assist with tax planning so I can keep some of the money I’m making!
4-How do I keep all my readers happy? I can’t write books fast enough!!
5-How do I cope with the ever present voice of self-doubt that whispers, “One of these days the world will figure out that I can’t do this. I’m a terrible writer!”

As an author, I am wedged in the precipice between the second and third groups, although I’m newly published enough to remember what was on my mind while waiting for that first sale, and I’ve realized that the concerns I have today echo some of the same concerns I had before my first sale, and that fact is probably not going to change.

My advice to all of us would be to savor the sweetness of the journey and take time to celebrate the milestones along the way. Don’t forget to celebrate when you get “The Call” because that moment in your journey will be hard to eclipse, no matter what career heights you might attain after that. And save those first fan e-mails or fan letters forwarded to you by your publisher. I’ve saved all of mine, and they really help when dealing with item #5 on the list of concerns.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Thoughts on Writing the "Outside the Box" Historical Romance

2011-06-11T22:23:00.005-05:00

The following Q&A paraphrases questions and answers that often come up in discussion, whether during an interview, or in conversations with other authors.

Why write historical romances set in unusual times and places?

I am intrigued by stories written outside conventional settings because these novels can encompass more than just infrequently explored eras and out of the ordinary physical settings. They can also embrace different cultures and other elements that are not found in the majority of historical romance novels, allowing the writer more freedom and the reader more selection.

I didn’t consciously select the early 18th century as the setting of my debut novel, Fire at Midnight. The novel’s plot is tied to an historical event (the Great Storm) that took place in 1703, but once I became engaged in researching the famous Eddystone lighthouse that was swept away during the storm, it became apparent to me that less frequently portrayed times and places are a relatively untapped source for intriguing ideas.

As a reader, I love to learn about history and explore other cultures, so it was a natural progression for me to write novels that include times, places, and even cultures that have received less exposure than others.

What are some challenges in writing a historical romance?

One challenge is research. Some eras and settings are easy to research due to the vast amount of information available. For example, there are a number of authoritative experts and websites dedicated to the Regency era and the American Civil War and Restoration periods, but the more obscure the time and setting, the more difficult it can be to unearth useful information. While most writers will tell you that only a fraction of their research actually shows up in the pages of their novels; it’s easy enough for a reader to spot a novel with an historical setting that hasn’t been well-researched. It is very often the trivial details encountered during the author’s exploration of the era or setting that will lend realism to the completed novel.

My second novel, Stolen Promise, features Romany (Gypsy) characters. The challenge for me in writing a culture-based historical romance was to move away from stereotypes often presented with regard to the Romany people. The vast amount of research I conducted in order to present the Gypsy characters as faithfully as possible took more time and effort than I had initially anticipated, but several scenes in the book were enhanced by the knowledge I had acquired about the Romany culture and customs. Without doing the research necessary to present the characters honestly, I might have written an historical romance that simply continued to perpetuate cultural myths.

The ability to balance the amount of history woven into the story so that it does not overwhelm the romance element is another challenge. Some romance readers enjoy the flavor provided by the historical framework, but they don’t want a history lesson, while there is another faction of readers who are avid students of history who prefer that the romance element be a factor—but not the focal point—of the story. It’s not easy to appease both camps, and I’m in awe of the writer who can accomplish such a feat.

Another challenge is selling the romance. It’s a leap of faith to write any book with the hope of publication, but the author who chooses an era or setting that isn’t among those considered marketable by publishers is taking that leap off the deep end. There is still a strong conviction among publishers that readers prefer certain eras and settings to the exclusion of others.

While we do seem to go through cycles where publishers are more willing (and can afford) to take risks with unusual settings, it is still easier to obtain editor or agent interest in a book with (for example) a Regency setting than it is in a novel set during the Bronze Age. Still, even knowing that a sale might be made more difficult due to an unusual time period or setting, most historical romance authors won’t be deterred from pursuing an idea they find interesting, and this is as it should be. In the end, if the story holds the reader’s interest and features characters the reader cares about, the book will find a publisher.

The writer of an historical romance featuring an unusual setting faces the same challenges any writer faces: how to create a well-paced piece of fiction with believable characters that will keep a reader engrossed and turning the pages until they reach “The End.”

What strategies do you use to overcome these challenges?

I avoid investing time in developing ideas that don’t make me feel enthusiastic about the project because there is so much time and effort involved in researching and writing a novel that if I don’t love the idea going in, it will be very difficult to sustain interest for the length of time it takes to complete a 400 page manuscript, and I have even less hope of engaging a reader if I’m not excited about the story.

This is especially true in the research phase because if it feels like I’m preparing to write a paper for a college course, the end result is going to be about as fascinating to the reader. I look for something unique in terms of era, setting, or plot idea that stimulates my imagination and makes me want to do the research.
The ratio of history-to-romance really depends upon the setting of the story because some novels may require more narrative explaining the historical context than others, so that the reader can have better insight into character goals and motivations. For example, some background about the Civil War will be needed to set the stage for a novel featuring two brothers divided by war, one fighting for the North and the other for the South.

When it comes to pitching a novel to an agent or editor, I think the best strategy is to know the marketplace. There are smaller publishers who are risk-takers and there are editors and agents who will champion a story they believe in, even when they feel it might be difficult to market. It is important to keep abreast of changes, and to know the players because they change frequently.

When reading a historical romance, what annoys you as a reader?

I don’t enjoy reading what could just as easily be a contemporary plot that has been dressed in a corset and plunked down in the middle of Regency England. People in 1810 behaved very differently than they do in 2010, and if the novel doesn’t reflect the customs and mores of the time period in which it’s set, I think the author has short-changed his or her readers by not doing the amount of research required to lend authenticity to the novel.

My personal pet peeve is when I come across phrases in dialogue that are too modern to fit the historical setting. While I appreciate not being required to slog through Middle English just for the sake of realism, I’m easily thrown out of a story when I come across phrases that don’t feel natural or believable, or contain slang terms that weren’t in use at the time. I don’t want to read dialogue where an early nineteenth century character tells another character to “stop dissin’ me!”

Lisa Marie

Annual Brenda Novak Online Auction for Diabetes Research

2011-03-20T22:46:00.010-05:00

I have the opportunity again this year to provide auction items for the wonderful annual charity event organized by author Brenda Novak.

The auction is offering opportunities to bid on fabulous prizes this year, including:

• One Night Stay at NYTimes Bestselling Author Nora Roberts' Inn

• A Writer's Perfect Getaway (for up to 6) at NYTimes Bestselling Author Cherry Adair's Guest House

• 3 Night Stay in NYTimes Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs' Guest House

• Fabulous Stays in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, and Mexico

• Lots of Electronics...Kindles, Nooks, and even an iPad

• Lunches with Bestselling Authors Suzanne Brockmann, Diana Gabaldon, Karen Rose, Carla Neggers, Steve Barry and more!

Many authors (like yours truly) are offering signed books and manuscript critiques. I hope you will check out my auction items in particular because I’d like to help raise money for this great cause, and the more I can help raise, the better I’ll feel.

Why? Because this year, diabetes has become horribly personal. As I compose this blog, my sister Christina lies in the Critical Care Unit of our local hospital with double pneumonia, her breathing assisted by a ventilator. The pneumonia is a complication that occurred two days after she was transferred to a physical rehabilitation center following the amputation of her left leg, which became necessary after an ulcer on her foot became infected and seeded infection into her bloodstream.

My sister Christina is a diabetic, and I have seen the ravages of this disease through her eyes and suffered the anguish of sitting by her bedside this last week, watching a machine breathe for her and searching for hope in the faces of a hospital staff who are understandably guarded concerning the prognosis of the critical patient in their care.

I want to put on my steel-toed shoes and kick this disease in the butt. I hope you will help me. Please visit the auction site, find something among the many offered items that interests you, and BID!

Lisa Marie

Book Review: Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart

2011-02-12T16:50:00.006-06:00

As a reader, the key to my being able to enjoy a story often hinges upon whether I can muster empathy for characters with whom I cannot identify through common experience or moral/ethical attitudes.

I found Gilly Solomon, the protagonist in Precious and Fragile Things, unlikeable at the onset of the book, and my opinion of her had not improved by the final page. Gilly is on her way home with her two small children during a snowstorm when she and her children are suddenly carjacked by a knife-yielding young man. Gilly’s reaction to the event is odd, to say the least. Prior to being faced with sudden peril, Gilly had been ruminating about motherhood and the dull, thankless routine her life had become.

Gilly manages to protect her children by engineering a crash and forcing her children out into the snow through an open car window, at which point her captor orders her to keep driving, which she does without hesitation.

When her captor forces her to stop at a gas station and deliberately provides her with an opportunity to escape, Gilly remains in the car, not because she’s paralyzed by fear, but because she’s so sick of the rigors of motherhood that the temptation to see how her current situation might play out is simply too strong to resist. I had a difficult time finding a kernel of credibility in Gilly’s reaction. Would even the most harried of caregivers risk her life in this manner? Would a mother court death and risk abandoning her children permanently just because she feels like an unappreciated floor-scrubbing, laundry-sorting automaton?

These basic questions formed a struggle within me as I continued to read, and for me, the book played out like a claustrophobic sleep-over that lasted several months as captor Todd and hostage Gilly were trapped in a remote mountainous cabin by a particularly harsh winter. Gilly comes across as extremely immature at times, complete with temper tantrums, making her captor seem less menacing by comparison than the author might have intended, although the real issue with the Todd character is that he remains two-dimensional throughout the book.

Gilly experiences some guilt pangs and renewed feelings of love for her children once it has been clearly established that there will be no hope of escaping Todd until the winter snows thaw with the arrival of spring. My problem as a reader was that I never fully believed Gilly’s reversal, and as the dark secrets held by her captor Todd were gradually revealed, the sympathy I wanted so much to reserve for Gilly’s predicament shifted to the chain-smoking, enigmatic young man who had caused her plight in the first place.

Todd Blauch is the tragic figure in Precious and Fragile Things, while Gilly comes across (at least to this reader) as a selfish, neurotic brat with a foul temper. Although the novel is a fair entry into the contemporary suspense category, readers who want a more engrossing read based upon the captor/captive theme should try The Collector by John Fowles or Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

Lisa Marie

Book Review: Unveiled by Courtney Milan

2011-01-03T20:33:00.003-06:00

In 1837 England, battle lines are being drawn in a fight for a dukedom. Ash Turner, a distant cousin of the ailing Duke of Parford, has petitioned Parliament with proof that he is the legitimate heir, leaving the current Duke’s grown children, Lady Anna Margaret and her two brothers, to face the scorn of society and a bleak future as bastards.

While her brothers race to rally votes on their behalf in an upcoming Parliamentary session, Anna Margaret remains at Parford Manor and assumes the identity of nurse Margaret Lowell, with instructions to spy on the man attempting to steal their birthright.

Expecting a cold-hearted, ruthless opportunist, Anna Margaret is surprised to discover Ash Turner is a kind, intelligent man who harbors a grudge against her father. The more she learns about Ash and the injustices his family has suffered, the more difficult maintaining her familial loyalty to her brothers becomes, especially when Ash reveals a personal secret to Anna Margaret that could result in his own destruction.

Unveiled is one of those rare books where the human heart is revealed in all its complexity and the relationship between the hero and heroine develops in a believable, completely satisfying way. Major themes such as self-image, loyalty and trust are explored, and author Milan handles the intricacies of the English courts system of that period with a deft hand.

The only thing that keeps Unveiled from being a solid 5-star read is that it was difficult to believe Ash failed to guess nurse Margaret’s identity, despite the number of hints that were dropped and the fact that most of Ash’s business dealings were based upon his strong instincts and insight into people.

Lisa Marie

Book Review: Breathless by Anne Stuart

2010-12-05T18:12:00.004-06:00

Miranda Rohan, the heroine in book three of the House of Rohan trilogy, is abducted and ruined as part of a revenge plan concocted by Lucien de Malheur, a criminal known as The Scorpion who blames Miranda’s brother for the suicide death of de Malheur’s sister.

Set aside by an unforgiving society, Miranda adapts to her new status and lives quite contentedly outside the bounds of propriety, thwarting de Malheur’s vengeance to the extent that he decides to take matters into his own hands by kidnapping Miranda and whisking her away to his moldering family estate, where he plans to place her beyond the reach of her family while he exacts his revenge.

Unfortunately, Miranda has learned nothing from her earlier experience. When a creepy, scarred man enters her life under suspicious circumstances, she instantly feels a kinship with him because he is a society outcast. Once Miranda realizes de Malheur’s intentions toward her not honorable, it is too late and she’s imprisoned in a fast traveling carriage, speeding toward an unknown fate.

Lucien de Malheur fails to overcome his bad-boy status. His desire for vengeance against the innocent sister of his enemy motivates him through too much of the novel, and his determination not to soften his heart toward Miranda makes it difficult for the reader’s heart to soften toward him. Miranda and Lucien make an odd couple because Miranda approaches challenges with a falsely cheery resolve to endure, prompting Lucien to plan new ways to humiliate and subjugate her.

The true romance in Breathless is found in the charming love story between Miranda’s friend Jane and a charming jewel thief.

Lisa Marie

Thoughts on the Series Book -Examining the Rohan Recipe

2010-11-21T14:58:00.003-06:00

After reading Breathless, the final book in the House of Rohan series by Anne Stuart, I concluded that my concept of what constitutes a series novel may need to change. The Rohan series includes a novella, (The Wicked House of Rohan), and the trilogy of titles: Ruthless, Reckless, and Breathless.

My concept of a series book was formed long ago by works such as the St. Germain series of vampire novels by Chelsea Quinn Yarbo and by Diana Gabaldon’s series of time-travel novels beginning with Outlander. JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series are other examples of collections that support my idea of what series books are all about.

In my view, a series is comprised of multiple books forming the atlas of a literary world, a landscape spanning generations, many characters, and a variety of settings. The experience of reading a book in a series should be made richer by reading the books that come before and after it as the picture expands in much the same way a well-researched genealogical tree expands with painstaking research.

The House of Rohan series did not provide the series experience to which I’ve become accustomed, although that is not necessarily a bad thing. It just leaves me wondering if publishers might not be packaging stand-alone books as a series in order to spur book sales and requiring authors to invent a few broad common elements in order link the books in a series.

The single recurring, unifying element in the House of Rohan books is the Heavenly Host, a debauched group of émigrés who gather regularly for parties dedicated to the pursuit of physical pleasure. The Wicked House of Rohan introduces us to the group of men who conceived of the Heavenly Host and the woman intended as their first sacrifice. Ruthless continues the theme using the same setting and placing its hero at the center of the festivities, and then Reckless introduces us to the second generation of participants (which includes the son of the hero in Ruthless). The third installment, Breathless, again features the Heavenly Host while switching things up a bit by centering the story around a female member of the Rohan clan.

These books could easily be stand alone novels because they follow the generations in a linear fashion and few characters make appearances in more than one book. Breathless feels the least connected to the other novels because it has distinct gothic elements and an unpalatable revenge angle that depicts a scarred, lame “hero” called “The Scorpion” who plots to use the novel’s heroine as a tool of vengeance against her family.

The threads that link Breathless to the other novels in the Rohan trilogy are slender: Miranda Rohan is the daughter of Adrian Rohan from Reckless, and the Heavenly Host factors into the plans of the revenge-obsessed hero. Other than that, Miranda could be anyone’s daughter and the hero’s plans could have included raffling her off to the highest bidder at the local gaming hell instead of offering to share her with other men at a Heavenly Host fete.

As a reader, I didn’t feel a connection to the other House of Rohan books while reading the individual entries in the series, although I enjoyed all three books based on their own merit. Even the Heavenly Host premise that made the blurb for Ruthless so tantalizing eventually became tedious by the final book because the setting had been overused as the main area of overlap.

Writing an effective series book represents a huge challenge from a writing perspective as well. How does an author penning book #5 in a series decide how much world-building to include if elaborate attention was given to creating and describing the world in book #1?

How much back story should be included for characters making a cameo appearance in one book when those same characters will be featured in a book of their own in the series? How much repetition is too much? How does a writer provide a reader who is reading a series out of order with enough information and still avoid annoying the reader who already understands the foundation of the world in which the stories are set?

From the reader’s point of view, do readers eventually burn out on series novels? Do they become so invested in their expectations of events in future books that they feel disappointed if the overall arc of the story takes a completely unexpected turn? Do they cringe when they hear that a series by a favorite author will feature multiple books releasing over a short period of time because it may mean their available budget for buying stand-alone books will be seriously reduced if they plan to pick up each book in a planned series?

Series books have been around for a long time, and they aren’t going away. They appear to be evolving to meet the demands of the marketplace, in much the same way the entire world of publishing is changing.

Lisa Marie

Review of Ruthless by Anne Stuart

2010-11-07T10:49:00.007-06:00

Book One in the House of Rohan Trilogy: King of Hell or King of Disco?

Elinor Harriman faces a dilemma. Her father has died, leaving his fortune to Elinor’s cousin, and her mother Lady Caroline is a gambling-addicted, former party girl now in the late stages of syphilis. When Elinor learns her mother has entered the chateau of the infamous “King of Hell,” she follows Lady Caroline into the lion’s den to prevent her from gambling away what little money the family has left.

Francis Rohan, le Comte de Giverney, is bored, narcissistic, and incredibly handsome. Rohan is the leader of The Heavenly Host, an assemblage of hedonistic émigrés who celebrate the sins of the flesh and other indulgences. Elinor crashes a Heavenly Host revel, demanding Rohan’s aid in locating her mother among the partygoers, and the plucky, shabbily clothed young woman awakens Rohan from his ennui. The ensuing protracted game of cat and mouse between innocent and determined seducer provides an entertaining read.

Rohan’s eighteenth-century roué is reminiscent of a 1970’s disco king ala Tony Manero from Saturday Night Fever. Resplendent in satin and lace and diamond-studded high heels, Rohan presides over a sex, drugs, and harpsichord bash while his modern counterpart strikes a pose in his white suit in a Studio 54-esque setting where sex, drugs, and rock and roll prevail.

Like his Disco King counterpart, the King of Hell seems a bit of a poser. Despite being a self-professed villain, the majority of Rohan’s actions are respectable. His most noticeable flaw is vanity, and his kindness toward Elinor and her sister Lydia cannot be totally put down to self-interest. Rohan finds Elinor intriguing, and his initial intent to exploit Elinor’s innocence eventually forms the path to his own salvation as the world-weary rake is transformed into a man with a heart and soul.

Lisa Marie

Review of Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver

2010-09-25T13:09:00.006-05:00

Book One in the Otherkin Trilogy: Hero Dagan Krayl Steals Hearts…Literally.

Young Roxy Tam is rescued from a serial killer by Dagan Krayl, a half-mortal, half-god soul reaper who harvests darksouls—the souls of evil humans—at the behest of his father, a god of the Underworld. Although Roxy witnesses the violent death and harvesting of the killer’s darksoul by Krayl, the soul reaper spares Roxy, warning her to seek out a normal life and keep her distance from the Daughters of Aset, the natural enemy of soul-reapers.

Despite Krayl’s warning, it is Roxy’s destiny to become a member of the Daughters of Aset. Years later, when Roxy encounters Dagan Krayl again, she is a member of the Asetion Guard, and the soul-reaper’s enemy. Dagan’s brother Lokan has been murdered, and Dagan is determined to find those responsible while there is still time to return his brother to life and punish his killers. The Daughters of Aset are among the group of suspects in Lokan’s murder, and Roxy’s path collides with Dagan’s when she investigates another crime which may have ties to Lokan’s murder. Although Dagan’s goal is to extract information from Roxy about Lokan’s death, the soul reaper is shocked to discover he still has tender feelings for the young woman whose life he once saved.

In Sins of the Heart, the first book in the Otherkin trilogy, author Eve Silver skillfully integrates the humans who reside Topworld with a vast, complex group of deities and demons who inhabit the Underworld. Combining mythology and the Egyptian Book of the Dead with paranormal elements both borrowed and new, Silver creates a complex Underworld complete with hierarchies, ancient blood feuds, and supernatural characters with personal quirks. (Soul reaper Dagan carries a supply of lollipops to ease the sugar cravings induced by his half-human, half-god hyperactive metabolism).

A few structural pitfalls detract from an otherwise enthralling story. The beginning scene where Krayl saves Roxy ends too abruptly, and the remainder of their encounter is told rather than shown as backstory in later chapters. Unfortunately, the manner in which Roxy acquires her dark gift/curse from Dagan during their first meeting isn’t convincingly conveyed via flashbacks. The “whodunit” of Lokan’s murder is not fully disclosed by the end of the novel, nor is the question of Lokan’s re-animation answered in this first installment of the series.

Still, the success of the first book in any series is measured by whether or not the reader has been engaged enough to want to pick up the next book. Sins of the Heart is a taste that leaves the reading wanting more.

Lisa Marie

Thoughts on the Future of Book Publishing

2010-08-27T16:59:00.012-05:00

As an author and a reader, I feel anticipation tempered by abject terror when I contemplate the changing face of publishing. Recent media bytes from Dorchester and Medallion Press announcing their plans to scale back on or eliminate print publishing altogether in order to embrace the e-book as the future have me wondering how those creating the product publishers sell (aka writers) will be affected.

I’m not Nora Roberts. I’m not Dan Brown. I’m not Stephenie Meyer. Those authors have a huge foundation of readers who will find their work, regardless of the format in which it is presented. Me? Not so much. My recent royalty statement tells me that the bulk of my sales come from bookstore shelves, not e-books. While the number of electronic copies sold of my books has increased with each subsequent statement I’ve received, those same numbers still make the argument that there would be no perceptible momentum in my career as a novelist without the sales of physical print copies.

How do we bridge the gap when a prospective reader can no longer take a book from the bookstore shelf, read the cover blurb, peruse a few pages, and make a buying decision largely based upon impulse? While it’s true that today’s readers are already accustomed to reading online book reviews, blogs, Amazon ratings, and so on, the e-book as the wave of the future scenario is more suited to the author who already has name recognition value. No one is likely to research a book or an author they’ve never heard of.

I personally love the experience of scanning bookstore shelves, taking a book in hand, and discussing books with store employees and even strangers I happen to meet in the aisles. I’m hard-pressed to imagine how a virtual storefront could replicate the experience of having an enthusiastic bookseller, librarian, or reader recommend a book to me by placing the book in my hand and making an impassioned speech to convince me to buy it.

What about the substantial number of readers who cannot afford an e-reader? While the price of e-readers has dropped steadily and is likely to continue to drop, do we run the risk of turning into an elitist society where those who own e-readers will have more reading choices available to them than readers who buy only second hand mass-market paperbacks? Will the e-book licensing model expand to accommodate the age-old practice of loaning a beloved book to a friend? As an author, I don’t want to turn away anyone who might have interest in reading my work. I don’t turn up my nose at library copies, paperback swap sites, or any form of book-sharing. Yes, it’s true the author receives no monetary compensation from these; however, the goal in writing a book in the first place is to have someone read it.

Will we eventually have a universal reader that can accommodate all e-book formats, or will the devices splinter into different factions of proprietary software, like the Amazon Kindle? Will the reader who has purchased a proprietary e-reader device like the Nook from Barnes and Noble simply be out of luck if the seller goes out of business and can no longer support the products it sold? Will there be any form of quality control in place? Will the readers available from places like CVS, Best Buy, Macy’s, and so on, all be required to meet a minimum set of standards, and if so, who will set those standards?

Where will book recommendations come from? What will happen to booksellers? Will booksellers embrace emerging forms of technology or will they become the one remaining place where print books can be obtained, infusing them with a new purpose and supplying them with a unique customer base? Will the independent bookstore disappear like a dinosaur following a cataclysmic event? Booksellers have always provided so much more than books stacked neatly upon shelves. They organize events, they create book clubs, and they read their inventory so that they can make recommendations to customers looking for their next book purchase. Most important of all, booksellers love books and they spread the love of books to others. Can anything fill such a void?

In my view, word-of-mouth will continue to be a critical factor in the success of a book. Review sites and influential bloggers may become even more powerful, although some may claim that some sites wield too much power as it is, while others may argue that review sites have no real influence at all on book buying decisions. I worry about a future where a negative review on an influential review site could effectively shut down a new writer’s career. Even ball players are allowed three strikes. On the flip side of the same coin, the e-book format might actually become a boon to new authors because without mass-market production, printing and warehousing costs, the margin to achieve profitability is substantially decreased. Ergo, more times up at bat for that new writer on the block.

Creative marketing will be required, stretching the boundaries of imagination in order to find innovative ways to connect readers with writers. How will the approach for launching a debut author differ from that of the task of reaching the vast readership of an author whose work consistently hits the bestseller lists? Will the advertising dollar hold sway, with publishers using online ads to promote their titles and readers buying a novel after being bombarded with so many strategically placed banner ads that they assume “everyone” is reading the book? The perception that a book is a “must-read” will place it on thousands of virtual to-be-read stacks. That same strategy is successfully employed today to a degree.

The dark cloud staining the e-book silver lining is piracy. Hundreds, if not thousands, of sites currently offer pirated content available for free download. Just as quickly as sites are closed down, new sites replace them. Everyone loses as a result of piracy. The publisher loses when their profits are consumed by legal fees while trying to close down the pirate sites. The writer loses when their work is given away for free. The reader loses when they learn a favorite author is no longer writing because writing has become a pointless exercise when there are bills to be paid and no money coming in from book sales. Another aspect of the piracy issue is the need for education. Although people who download free content from pirate sites must certainly be aware they are doing something unethical, many seem to be ignorant of the fact that they are also committing a crime. Copyright and content laws must be respected and enforced, no matter what publishing format is in vogue.

We are certainly living in an era of major change, and it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out as what was once portrayed as science fiction becomes a part of everyday life. My version of utopia would be a consumer-driven marketplace where e-books are more reasonably priced than they are at present (reflecting the reduction in production and warehousing costs) and those who still want to savor the sensation of holding a print book in their hands can request a print version of any book and it will be available via print on demand technology. Why not wish for the best of both worlds?

Lisa Marie

Pondering Goodreads Book Shelf Names

2010-08-14T11:04:00.010-05:00

One of the many things I find interesting about Goodreads is the inventive names its members come up with for their virtual bookshelves. Since I’m both a reader and an author on Goodreads, it’s always flattering to come across a shelf with my name, or to find one of my books on someone’s “Wishlist” shelf.

There are other shelf names I’ve seen in conjunction with my work that give me a warm glow such as “Keeper,” and “All-time-favorites.”

Lest these wonderful category names threaten to increase the circumference of my noggin by two full hat sizes, there is also the humility-inducing flip side of the coin, the shelves with names like “Sucks-so-bad-I-couldn’t-finish,” and “Cough-Historicals-Cough.” My debut novel, “Fire at Midnight,” ended up on the latter-named shelf in a Goodreader’s library, which puzzled me because despite being a romance, the novel was thoroughly researched for accuracy of period and setting details. It could be the shelf owner doesn’t like romance, but the implication that I hadn’t done my research rankled, and I found myself wishing that the shelf was named, “Well-researched-but-too-much-intimacy-for-my-taste.”

My own shelves are currently limited to the plebian default names that come with the software: “Read,” “Currently Reading,” and “To Read.”

After seeing the variety of meaningful, fun, and sometimes snarky shelf names created by other members, I’m tempted to create shelves for better classification of the eclectic titles I own:

“Books-That-Make-Me-Sound-Intelligent-Even-If-I’ve-Never-Read-Them”

“Books-That-Demonstrate-I’m-Attuned-To-Pop-Culture/aka-The-Twilight-Shelf”

“Books-Illustrating-How-Fickle-Pop-Culture-Is/aka-The-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood-Shelf”

“Books-Proving-There-Is-Money-To-Be-Made-From-Controversy/aka-The-Dan-Brown-Shelf”

“Autobiographies-By-People-Who-Have-Not-Led-Interesting-Lives”

“Horror-That-Scared-The-Sh*t-Out-of-Me”

“Science-Fiction-I’m-Not-Sure-I-Quite-Grasped”

“Advertised-as-Funny-But-About-as-Funny-as-a-Colonoscopy”

“Sympathy-Reads-AAR Rejects”

“Books-I-Probably-Don’t-Want-To-Admit-I’ve-Read”

Well, I think you get the idea. Any additional suggestions for shelf-naming ideas are welcome.

Lisa Marie

Review of Open Country by Kaki Warner

2010-07-31T18:45:00.005-05:00

The death of Molly McFarlane’s sister Nellie forces Molly to assume responsibility for the welfare of her young niece and nephew. When it becomes clear the children’s step-father Daniel Fletcher is involved in dealings that will ultimately endanger them, Molly takes the children and heads west, intending to put as much distance between Fletcher and the children as possible.

Molly, having served as her physician/surgeon father’s assistant from a young age, is a capable woman who quickly realizes that the scant amount of money she has left will not provide for her and the children for very long. Fearful that Fletcher has sent trackers after them, Molly’s quandary over how to keep them safe is met with an unusual solution in the form of a tragic train derailment. When Molly discovers the railway is paying a death benefit to families of those killed in the train wreck, she marries a man who is not expected to survive his injuries, planning to collect the settlement money when he dies.

Complications arise almost from the moment Molly sets her plan in motion: her husband turns out to be from a wealthy local family and he has a brother who is suspicious about the circumstances under which his confirmed-bachelor brother was wed. To make matters worse, Molly’s years of training will not permit her to stand back and allow the man to die of his injuries when she has the expertise to save him. Molly applies herself to the task of saving the man’s life, all the while fearful of what will happen when he recovers enough to expose her as a fraud.

As Hank Wilkins recovers from his injuries at his family ranch, he puzzles over the fact that he has no memory of his wife or his adopted children while Molly wrestles with how and when to reveal the truth about their sham marriage to Hank. The handsome, taciturn man who once represented nothing more than a cash settlement to fund her journey west becomes the embodiment of the dream for love and family Molly has long denied herself. Their fragile bond is shattered when Hank’s memory returns before Molly finds the courage to reveal the truth.

As the trackers sent by Fletcher close in on their quarry, Molly and Hank struggle to find a way to begin again, unaware that Molly’s nephew has evidence of a conspiracy involving Fletcher that Fletcher is willing to do anything—including commit murder—to recover.

Open Country offers more than the standard “woman and children fleeing danger” plot. Although Molly’s certainty that Fletcher’s men are after them is mentioned often, no real sense of danger is instilled in the reader until Molly has an encounter with the most evil of their pursuers well into the story. Up to that point, the danger is talked about, but the leisurely pace of the novel stalls the element of suspense.

The heart of the story focuses on the unfolding relationship between Molly and Hank, with the author’s gift for insightful dialogue and her ability to capture complex emotions lending credibility to the developing romance. Open Country is a well-written, satisfying read for those who enjoy themes about the redemption of trust and the capacity for mutual attraction to turn into love.

Visit Kaki Warner's website.

Lisa Marie

Summer Contest!!

2010-06-20T13:15:00.012-05:00

I'm thrilled to be participating in the Romance Junkies summer contest.

If you've never checked out the RJ contests, you're missing out on a great deal of fun and a wonderful opportunity to win some terrific prize packages.

I am offering a signed copy of "Stolen Promise," plus a $25 book store gift card and a number of limited edition promotional goodies. To go directly to my contest offering, CLICK HERE.

But please don't stop there! If you go to the main contest page and hover your cursor over various items in the graphic, you'll find links to prize packages offered by a number of authors in the summer contest. To go to the Romance Junkies main Summer Contest page, CLICK HERE.

Winners will be selected after August 31st, so check out the contest and the many opportunities to win!

Lisa Marie

Fire at Midnight Brings Home IPPY Gold!

2010-05-22T17:06:00.002-05:00

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that my debut novel, “Fire at Midnight,” has won the Gold Medal for Romance in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (“IPPY”) which recognize the best Indie published books of the year.

Launched in 1996, the Independent Publisher Book Awards is among the world’s largest and most recognized book awards contest events in the world. Open exclusively to independents, the "IPPYs" recognize the year's best books and bring them to the attention of booksellers, buyers, librarians, and book lovers.

According to the event organizers, “entries into this year's 14th annual Independent Publisher Book Awards saw a dramatic increase in quality and diversity – and the writing and publishing exhibited great commitment and passion.”

Medalists will be honored at a gala awards ceremony in New York on May 25th during Book Expo America.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Confessions of a Contest Diva

2010-05-16T11:48:00.009-05:00

How does the world’s biggest coward become a published author? What options are available to a writer who lacks the courage to query agents? Is there any hope for a wordsmith who cannot bring herself to trust her beloved literary creation to that embodiment of anonymity known as the publishing house slush pile?

For this writer, the answer was a baby step called the chapter contest. No form rejections. No unanswered e-mails. Only the expectation of objective feedback provided by a published author or at the very least, by a trained judge.

While perusing my copy of Romance Writers Report, a publication of Romance Writers of America, I noticed many of the Romance Writers of America chapters held contests in order to provide constructive criticism to aspiring romance writers. The final judge was usually an agent or an editor from a romance-friendly publisher. How cool was that? I thought. If one submitted a judge-pleasing entry, the end result was that the partial manuscript could conceivably bypass the entire intimidating pitch process and land on an editor’s desk with the foregone commitment that it would be read.

I was prompted to enter my first contest by the desire to discover if my dream of publication was even remotely attainable. There would be no loss of face if my submission proved to be particularly inept because my identity was a secret closely guarded by the contest coordinator. My submission was assigned a code number and matched to a similarly unidentified first round judge. All contest coordinators and judges donate their time, and there is usually a nominal entry fee paid by the contestant. A chapter whose contest has earned a good reputation (a proven track record of picking winners who went on to be published) can look forward to their contest providing income to offset chapter expenses.

Did I final my first time out? No. But I received something much more valuable at that time than the ego-boost that a final would have provided. I received mentoring from an unexpected source, and encouragement. When my score sheets arrived in the mail, I was surprised to find that one published author judge on the panel had gone to a great deal of trouble to note what she felt was good about my entry, and to call attention to aspects of craft that could be improved. She added that she was impressed by my entry and expected to find my book on her local store shelf one day. She remained anonymous, so I was never able to properly thank her, other than through a note forwarded by the contest coordinator to my nameless mentor.

Those comments from one anonymous, kind-hearted judge served to light a fire under me. I studied her remarks, recognized the value in the advice she had given me, and began revising my manuscript. I entered the revision in another contest, and later received word my entry was a finalist. A few weeks after that, I received word that my entry had won. Although this did not guarantee a sale, it was a critical milestone for me because it gave me hope.

How did the contest eventually lead to “The Call” informing me of a sale? Medallion Press senior editor Helen Rosburg judged the Florida RWA chapter Golden Palm contest and requested the full manuscript from me. I mailed the manuscript on Valentine’s Day and I received “The Call” on February 27th from the author liaison at Medallion. Not only were they interested in publishing my historical romance, but they were excited by the prospect!

Medallion Press published “Fire at Midnight” in March, 2009 and my second historical romance novel, “Stolen Promise,” was published in March of 2010.

Are there any pitfalls to contesting? There can be, of course. Few things in life are perfect, and contests are no exception. Untrained judges, apathetic contest coordinators, vague comments or even deliberately cruel feedback goes with the territory, but these are not the norm. I give credit to the RWA chapter contest circuit and one anonymous published author who took the time to put together an insightful critique and offer encouragement to an aspiring writer who lacked confidence. It made all the difference for me.

I have noticed a trend over the last few years where winning author names from the RWA chapter contest circuit are hitting bookstore shelves. To name a few: Courtney Milan, Kris Kennedy, Christie Craig, Helen Scott-Taylor, Carla Hughes, Christine Wells, Stacey Lynn Reimer, J.L. Wilson, Cat Lindler, Jennifer Haymore, Kathleen (Kaki) Warner, Jenny Gardiner, Judi Fennell, Caroline Fyffe, Kristina McMorris, Kimberly Killion, Angie Fox, Kathryn Dennis…to name a few!

There is even a blog dedicated to Contest Divas:

http://contestdivas.blogspot.com

And, once a contest diva, always a contest diva! Once a writer becomes ineligible to enter the contests for unpublished writers, there are always the contests for published authors, plus the opportunity to give back by offering to serve as a contest judge. My debut novel, Fire at Midnight, was recently named a USA Book News Best Books of 2009 winner, expanding its contest career to include success in published novel competitions.

For an aspiring writer who isn’t quite ready to tread the waters of the NY publishing world, dipping a toe in the chapter contest kiddie pool might be an appropriate first step!

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Exploring Other Cultures

2010-05-02T12:07:00.006-05:00

One of the perks in writing fiction is being provided with the opportunity to explore other cultures and answer a “what if” question in a way that inspires an interesting or outside the box plot idea.

My March release, STOLEN PROMISE, explores what might happen when two people from completely different cultures coerced into marriage might eventually find enough common ground to fall in love. STOLEN PROMISE features a young Romany (Gypsy) woman who yearns for a better life than the one planned for her, and the heir to a South Carolina plantation who finds himself forced to marry the fiery Jade after he travels to England to learn about this Gypsy heritage.

The question I’m hearing most often is, “What made you decide to write about Gypsies?”

Two of the most oft-repeated tenets about writing good fiction is “write what you know,” and “if the story you’re writing doesn’t interest you, your reader won’t be interested, either.”

I’m not of Romany (Gypsy) blood. The greater proportion of the blood in my veins is Native American (Cherokee), but learning about the struggles of the ancestors indigenous to my own country has left me interested in other cultures and in particular those cultures whose people have experienced persecution or stereotyping.

I’ve always found the idea of Gypsies fascinating. The nomadic lifestyle, the mystery, the colorful clothing and gaily painted wagons shadowed by firelight in an open encampment…how could these images fail to stir the imagination of a romance writer? And the music! The piercing lament of a Gypsy violin and the smells of wood smoke and food cooking over campfires are sensory details that insinuate themselves into any images one might conjure about the Romany life.

I did a significant amount of research to extract the small details that would bring the settings and the characters to life so that the depictions would be grounded in authenticity rather than just another perpetuation of a stereotype. When I lived in California, I encountered a group of Gypsies who were traveling through the area and found them to be charming and clever. The chance meeting made me even more determined to write a novel featuring these people and their culture, but I also wanted to find a twist that would make for an interesting love story.

Many novels arise from a simple question of, “what if?” The idea for STOLEN PROMISE came about when I asked myself the question, “Could a man from 1806 South Carolina fall in love with a woman from a vastly different culture, especially after being forced to marry her?”

The key ingredients needed to make the story work were to toss in a revelation about the man’s heritage that would shatter his own sense of identity, and to create a spark between the two early on in the book that would link them even when circumstances bound them together against their will. Once Jade journeys to South Carolina with Evan, I found it entertaining to explore how she and her sister Liberina would react to life on a plantation. Cultural differences also played into how Evan’s jealous soon-to-be ex-fiancée could make Jade’s life miserable by exploiting Jade’s ignorance of the Southern code of behavior.

I love romances where the hero and heroine are obviously meant to end up together from their first encounter, but the odds against a happy ending for them seem insurmountable. It’s always so satisfying to experience the emotional journey as two lovers work through obstacles and finally achieve their HEA. It was my goal to make STOLEN PROMISE an entertaining read with humor, poignancy, and a completely satisfying ending. I hope you’ll let me know whether or not I’ve succeeded!

To read an excerpt from STOLEN PROMISE, please visit my website!

Lisa Marie

The Modern Phenomenon Called the To-Be-Read Pile

2010-04-11T20:12:00.018-05:00

I received a Kindle as a birthday present last year, and I wasted no time in downloading new releases as well as classic novels irresistibly priced at a dollar or less for the Kindle versions. I was lying in bed reading the other night when I suddenly had a mental picture of an archeological dig centuries from now, during which my slim white reading device would be unearthed by a team of professorial types. Of course, in my vision, all technological devices were backward compatible, so it took only a few moments for the content to be retrieved from the Amazon database archives.

Further examination of the downloaded content would reveal something odd about the reading
habits of the owner of the device: not every book stored on the device had actually been read. I can picture future scientists scratching their heads as they puzzled over this fact. Their initial hypothesis that the user had perhaps lost the device or perhaps suddenly perished after downloading several weeks’ worth of reading material would be swept aside as other, similar devices were discovered. As an entire community of such devices was unearthed, a common denominator would be revealed: human beings from this era purchased books they never read.

An examination of my bookshelves today only supported the conclusion future scientists might make about us with regard to our reading habits. I have a huge TBR (“to-be-read”) pile. All the selections I’ve purchased appeal to me, and I intend to read them all…eventually. The reader’s forums I belong to assure me that my habits are the norm rather than an anomaly. On social sites devoted to readers, a popular topic of discussion often begins with the question, “How big is your TBR pile?”

Curiosity about this common pattern of behavior prompted me to conduct a brief informal poll of people of different ages about their book buying and reading habits. I wondered at what point the acquisition of books become more important than the consumption of them. I discovered that people who grew up in difficult economic times (Depression era) tended to buy books one at a time and read them before buying another. One of my subjects, a woman in her 80’s, told me about having belonged to a book club in her youth and spending a great deal of time at the library to supplement her reading material. She claims to have never bought a book she did not read.

As an author whose debut novel (“Fire at Midnight”) was released last year and whose second novel (“Stolen Promise”) was just released, knowing that books are being purchased but not read leaves me with conflicting emotions. On one hand, any reader who has purchased my book or borrowed it from their local library has my unending gratitude.

On the other hand, the thought that my debut novel was purchased but now languishes in a TBR pile boasting far more compelling author names than mine leaves me with a lump in my throat and the uneasy feeling that readers might view my next release with indifference because they have not read my first release yet. Having a reader base eagerly looking forward to one’s next book is critical if an author hopes to keep their publisher interested, so for newer authors, I wonder if the concern is going to shift from whether the book is selling to whether the book is being read.

A number of potential causes for this behavior come to mind:

1-Most households have two working adults these days. The stay-at-home Mom is somewhat of an endangered species, although I’m not so sure she ever had time to put her feet up, eat bon-bons and read for pleasure in the first place.

2-Simple lack of time/opportunity. Full time jobs, child-rearing, community commitments, and so on all leave us less downtime. Reading is usually considered to be a downtime pleasure.

3-Activities other than reading take up the time that was once reserved for reading in the past. We have a whole slew of other things we can be doing now, like spending time on numerous social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, playing video games, texting friends, watching television, and so on.

4-We’re a material-based culture. Perhaps it’s more important to be able to say a copy of the book is owned than it is to be prepared to discuss its content. I’ve noticed my friends always have copies of the latest “book-du-jour,” but when asked for an opinion, they invariably haven’t read it…yet.

As a romance writer, I frequent many of the top romance website forums, and everyone always seems to be running out to purchase the latest “buzz” book, then commenting in a post months later that they haven’t gotten around to reading it…yet. Personally, I believe every book is purchased with the intention that it will be read, and every reader is looking for the opportunity to catch up on all those unread books.

Should I even be worrying about this? Probably not. Can I change it? No. Is it necessarily a bad thing? I’m not sure. I just find it a curious phenomenon, and an interesting comment on modern society, even though I haven’t yet decided just what it does say about us. What do you think?

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: When a Book is Like a Song

2010-03-28T21:50:00.011-05:00

Have you noticed that one thing many avid readers have in common is a love of music? Authors will often cite favorite musical influences during interviews, even to the point of referencing the type of music they listen to when writing a certain type of scene.

My writing background includes a stint as a lyricist. Having had the experience of tailoring a song lyric to fit a melody, it occurred to me that there are some similarities between a well crafted song and a well written novel.

Take, for example, “the hook.” In a novel, the hook refers to those critical beginning pages designed to engage your reader and keep him or her turning pages. In a song, “the hook” can refer to any element that grabs the listener’s attention and makes the song memorable. Some songs hook the listener immediately with their opening bars. Remember the first time you heard “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen or “Stairway to Heaven?” In some cases the hook is a repetitive instrumental figure or lyrical phrase, but it’s what you remember long after the song has ended.

There are “light” content songs just like there are “light” content novels. Think of any novelty song that made you laugh, such as the Elmer Fudd version of “Blue Christmas” that gets dusted off and played every Christmas. Compare the novelty song to a classic like “Unchained Melody” and a difference in depth and tone will emerge. Both types of songs have value because most listeners like to vary what they listen to based to their mood, just as readers don’t necessarily want to stick to reading in one genre all the time.

Trends affect both the music and book publishing industries. Careers rise and fall on the whim of “what’s hot and what’s not” although it could be argued that it’s easier for a novelist to switch genres than it is for musical artists to reinvent themselves. Author Mary may switch from writing chick lit to paranormals while Pop Artist Mary might try pumping new life into a stale pop music career by switching to country.

Another similarity between books and music is imitation, (or outright plagiarism in some cases). Most writers find a formula and stick to it. There are classic themes in literature, and it’s generally agreed that little new territory is being carved out these days. The challenge is in finding fresh ways to explore universal themes. In music, artists “sample” each other’s work or acknowledge borrowing from each other, such as the bass line from “Ice, Ice, Baby” that sounds eerily similar to Queen’s “Under Pressure.”

Whether you’ve written a novel or a song lyric, success is measured by whether or not your work has resonated with your intended audience. In the case of a song, you’ll want to have left your listener humming the tune or remembering a bit of the lyric. As a novelist, you’ll want your reader to re-read favorite bits of dialogue or narrative.

And novelists take heart: a song has only minutes to make an impression. You have a few hundred pages. Make the most of them.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff-My First Radio Interview

2010-03-01T21:24:00.008-06:00

I was invited by my publisher, Medallion Press, to participate in a radio interview as part of the launch for my new historical romance, STOLEN PROMISE.

I learned several things during the process:

Being very nervous turns the insides of your cheeks into cotton balls

I say "ummmm" more often than I ever would have believed

A skilled interviewer can make the interviewee actually enjoy the interview

Pets will aim concerned looks your way when you're talking and there's no one else in the room

To listen to an archived recording of the interview, visit the Medallion Press website.

Lisa Marie

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

2010-02-06T19:25:00.007-06:00

I can't think of a poem that invokes the spirit of Valentine's Day more perfectly than this:

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Lisa Marie

Happy Holidays to All

2009-12-12T23:58:00.016-06:00

Whatever you happen to celebrate:

Enjoy, appreciate, and make memories.

Happy Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice.

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

USA Book News Best Books of 2009 Awards

2009-11-13T09:57:00.008-06:00

I recently received the following e-mail from USA Book News:

Dear Lisa:

Congratulations!

The epic results are in for the National "Best Books 2009" Awards!

Your book has been honored as a "Winner" in the "Fiction & Literature: Romance" category!

==============================

Fire at Midnight by Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Winner

Fiction & Literature: Romance

==============================

Needless to say, I'm thrilled and very grateful.

Click here for a complete list of winners and finalists in each category.

Lisa Marie

Halloween Party-And You're Invited!!!

2009-10-14T13:35:00.009-05:00

I'm thrilled to be participating in Romance Junkies online Halloween Party. I'm offering a prize package containing a signed copy of "Fire at Midnight," a number of limited edition promotional items for both "Fire at Midnight" and my upcoming release, "Stolen Promise," PLUS a $25 gift card for Barnes and Noble.

But...the fun doesn't stop there. RJ is offering up a cornucopia of prizes, and the opportunity to participate in the online event is presented in an inventive, fun way. Just go out to the Romance Junkies website and take a walking tour through the haunted house. Click on the graphic hints and you'll find information about each contest being offered. (Hint: once inside the house, click on the lady standing beside the candelabra at the top of the stairs if you're interested in entering the contest to win my prize package).

Lisa Marie

Book Review-Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

2009-09-19T17:02:00.004-05:00

Author Chris Tusa contacted me with a request that I read and review his debut novel, “Dirty Little Angels” because one of my favorite books is “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” by Joanne Greenburg, which features a sixteen-year-old girl in the grip of madness. Mr. Tusa said he thought I’d like his novel because it also depicted a disturbed girl’s mental illness.

With this frame of reference, I sat down to read “Dirty Little Angels,” only to discover that these two books bore no similarities. While Ms. Greenburg’s work is a lush, heart-wrenching tale of a girl’s journey back to sanity with the aid of a compassionate therapist, Mr. Tusa’s novel is a snapshot of teenager Hailey Trosclair’s life, depicted in unsettling detail at a wallowing pace that forces the reader to dwell upon each added layer of misery as the story unfolds.

Skilled characterization on the part of the author keeps his point of view character from becoming a cliché. Hailey’s world contains the requisite “white trash” elements: poverty, drugs, sex, alienation, an unemployed father who drinks too much and squanders his days at the local pool hall, a mother whose choice of husband caused her to be disowned by her wealthy family, and a brother who thinks nothing of allowing his younger sister entry into his circle of psychopaths and thugs. Hailey is simply a lost soul battered about by –and indifferent to—the world she inhabits.

This isn’t a novel where the lines between good and evil are cleanly divided. The world depicted in “Dirty Little Angels” is a morass of hopelessness and ambivalent morality, evinced by the disintegrating family structure surrounding Hailey and the encroaching horrors of poverty and despair. An interesting thing that leapt out at me in the narrative was how cars were used as an extension of the characters. For example, Hailey’s uncle Errol owns their home, and he wants to evict the family from the property because the mortgage payments are in arrears. Errol drives a shiny yellow Hummer, compared to the old orange Nova with the rusty bumper her father drives. Hailey’s mother’s Saturn is repossessed during the first 10 pages of the book. A particularly nasty character named Moses drives a “ratty green Omni with bald whitewalls and a broken taillight.” When Hailey becomes infatuated with a man named Chase, the subtext of what cars reveal about the characters in this book did not bode well for their relationship. Chase drove “a fully restored black 1968 Firebird with silver mag rims. He had a silver fish emblem on his rear fender, like the one you see on all the Christians’ cars, except this fish had legs.” Hailey’s girlfriend Meridian is often seen on or near the dented hood of a black Buick, and Meridian turns out to have a heart just as black as the paint job on the car. Hailey’s brother Cyrus drives a Hyundai, but for the most part his vehicle is not given a personality, just as Cyrus himself is never fully revealed to the reader.

This novel would not have worked for me if the characters had not surpassed the typical stereotypes. Hailey evokes compassion in the reader while falling short of becoming likeable, yet behavior such as her kindness toward the dying cancer patient Mr. Guidry redeems her. The scene between Hailey and her mother at the fancy dress shop in the French Quarter hints at the type of bond that might have existed between mother and daughter under different circumstances, making the scene particularly poignant.

Hailey is far from innocent; she participates in scenes of shocking violence, and even when the violence is eventually directed inward, her actions seem to be more of a knee-jerk reaction to events in her life, rather than a manifestation of mental illness. The author’s oft-repeated symptom of Hailey’s mental breakdown, described as “the roaches had been crawling around inside my head,” was weak and unnecessary when the actions of the character clearly revealed a coming apart of her psyche.

While I would not compare this novel to classics such as “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” or “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Mr. Tusa has proven himself capable of writing gritty, gripping prose that focuses a bright light on aspects of modern society that many would prefer remain hidden.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: I Love Giving Away Free Books!!

2009-09-08T12:44:00.016-05:00

I tend to give away copies of my debut novel "Fire at Midnight" whenever a promotional opportunity presents itself.

I previously offered a giveaway of one copy of the book through Goodreads.com, and I was stunned when nearly 700 people entered the drawing. (No ego gratification here, I think it simply means: bad economy + free stuff = good thing). The winner was recently selected (by Goodreads) and I have mailed a print copy plus some other promotional goodies to the winner.

With my expectation of 50 entries or so having been significantly exceeded, I am offering another giveaway drawing of "Fire at Midnight" through GoodReads. This time, two copies will be given away, and the winner will be selected on October 31, 2009.

Click here to visit Goodreads

I'm also offering a signed Advance Review Copy of my next novel, "Stolen Promise" as a contest prize on my website, so if you're interested in the new book, please visit my website and enter!

Lisa Marie

Book Drive to Help Louisville Free Public Library

2009-08-08T11:25:00.009-05:00

On August 4, heavy rains caused flooding in Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. The Louisville Free Public Library’s main branch was hit hard and the damages are estimated at $5 million. (per the Courier Journal on 8/6/09)

Author Shiloh Walker is organizing a book drive in an effort to help.

How you can help:
Everybody:

Donations of new books, all genres.

Information about monetary donations can be found at WFPL.

Authors & Publishers:

Donations of both signed and unsigned books. All genres, from children’s books to romance to non-fiction, etc, etc.

Signed books can be used in fundraiser purposes. Unsigned books can be used to help replenish the books that were lost due to the flood.

Shiloh has spoken with somebody with the library and at this time, they have no place to store books. However, she is close and will keep the books at her house until they are able to take them.

For those wishing to donate books, there are two ways you can send them. Shiloh can either receive them at her post box address or a friend will receive them at her home.

If you wish to mail them via the USPS, send to:

Shiloh Walker
PO Box 976
Jeffersonville, IN 47131

For those wishing to use Fedex or UPS, send to:

LFPL Book Drive
C/O Jennifer Kennedy
20813 State Rd # 62
Marysville, IN 47141

Feel free to repost this information in its entirety.

Shiloh Walker

http://shilohwalker.com

http://shilohwalker.wordpress.com

The Broken Wing Challenge

2009-07-28T08:25:00.001-05:00

Note: This is a re-post of a blog I originally published last year. I joined the re-read challenge issued by a group of bloggers and am posting my review of Judith James' Broken Wing.

I’ve always been a fan of the tortured hero. Not only from the perspective of a reader witnessing the redemption of the hero as he battles to triumph over his personal demons, but also as a writer interested in the study of craft. For generations, writers have used their skill at portraying the soul in torment to create heart-wrenching stories with unforgettable characters.

“Broken Wing,” the debut novel by author Judith James, contains one such memorable tortured hero in the form of Gabriel St. Croix, a young man who was grown up in the tawdry environment of a Parisian brothel. Gabriel has learned to insulate himself completely from the world around him in order to protect his soul from the endless parade of strangers who want only his body. Beneath Gabriel’s harsh, cynical, often uncivil exterior beats the heart of a good man who cannot bear to see a child abused in the manner Gabriel has been abused. Gabriel takes it upon himself to protect the young boy Jaime from predators who would debase and ruin the child. In doing so, Gabriel sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually lead to his own salvation when Jaime’s widowed sister Sarah comes to liberate her brother.

“Broken Wing” is an engrossing love story with themes of redemption and the power of love at its core. While some readers might find the subject matter unsettling, the author has navigated Gabriel’s dark world with sensitivity and compassion. From the moment Gabriel and Sarah first set eyes on each other, the spark of attraction between them is palpable. Even when Gabriel is consistently rude and deliberately shocking, Sarah remains undaunted and increasingly curious about this unfriendly stranger who suffered untold hardships and new humiliations in order to spare her brother the same fate Gabriel has experienced.

There are no false notes in this story; the relationship between Gabriel and Sarah unfolds at a believable pace, with scenes of revelation and tenderness that are heart-breaking yet thoroughly engaging as Sarah slowly reveals the sensitive, tender man beneath Gabriel’s gruff, wounded exterior. Sarah’s initial feelings of gratitude over Gabriel’s rescue of her brother yield to deeper emotions as Sarah realizes that Gabriel’s exterior is an artifice built out of self-loathing. It is Sarah who is able to make Gabriel see himself as she sees him; convincing Gabriel that he is greater than the sum of degrading experiences forced upon him during his short life. In the end, Gabriel is redeemed through Sarah’s love, earning “Broken Wing” a permanent place on my keeper shelf.

Help Save the School of Gallantry!!

2009-06-26T10:55:00.013-05:00

The unthinkable has happened. Fellow author and friend Delilah Marvelle, author of the delightful MISTRESS OF PLEASURE and the upcoming second release in the School of Gallantry series, LORD OF PLEASURE has been told by her publisher that the sales numbers for her debut novel aren't sufficient to warrant continuing the series.

I'm frankly confused by this because her debut novel sold out its entire first print run (I should be so lucky!!)

Delilah and many others are banding together to try to keep this intriguing series alive. I'm doing my small part by blogging about it (and buying the second book, of course) and I hope you'll click on the link below for more information and will join me in supporting this talented writer. For the price of a Starbucks you can own a terrific historical romance novel!

Follow this link for more information.

New Website Contest-Fun and Freebies!!

2009-06-15T14:42:00.013-05:00

It's time for another contest! And because I don't want to leave out any of the lovely people who already own a copy of "Fire at Midnight," I'm offering a choice of prize-packages.

Check out my website for more details by clicking on the book cover for "Fire at Midnight" to the right of this post!

Lisa Marie

Winner of Casting Call Contest Announced!!

2009-06-03T09:17:00.007-05:00

The fun thing about being the person holding the contest is that I can decide to award more than one prize if I feel like it. I like doing that because it's a way to show my appreciation for your interest in winning my debut novel, and also because I often have trouble deciding on a winner.

Since it's my Mom's birthday today, I have given her the honor of selecting the winner of the signed copy of "Fire at Midnight." The winner is nfmgirl.

I've selected a few other winners, too. Unfortunately, I can't send a book to every winner, but the following folks will receive some cool promotional goodies if you'll kindly send me an e-mail containing your snail mail address so I know where to mail your prize:

1-Winner of Grand Prize (signed copy of "Fire at Midnight"): nfmgirl.
2-Runners-up (promo goodies prize): Danielle, Mari, Harringtonhoundheaven

Please e-mail me at lisamarie@lisamariewilkinson.com by June 30th to claim your prize!

Lisa Marie

Brenda Novak 2009 Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research

2009-05-01T16:16:00.008-05:00

Author Brenda Novak holds an annual online auction to benefit diabetes research. All types of auction items are available to bid on, including books, critiques, lunches, artwork, jewelry, gift cards, and once-in-a-lifetime vacation getaways.

The auction items are provided through donations made by authors, editors, agents and others.

The auction just began today and will run through the end of the month. The goal this year is to raise $300,000 for Diabetes research.

You can view the listing of items available for bidding by visiting the online auction site by clicking here.

As you may know, my debut novel, “Fire at Midnight” was released in March. As a result, I’ve been given the opportunity to participate in the auction by donating an autographed copy of my book. I decided to make my donation more attractive by offering a prize package consisting of the following:

1) An autographed copy of “Fire at Midnight”
2) A tote featuring the storm-swept lighthouse design from the cover of the book, artwork by artist Adam Mock
3) A microwave and dishwasher safe mug with the artwork from the book cover
4) Hot Chocolate and Popcorn

My auction item can be found under the heading Gift Baskets and Collections. It is auction Item # 1379137 (you can use the advanced search feature to search by auction item number).

I hope everyone will consider looking at the online auction items to see if there’s something being offered that you find appealing and would like to bid on. It doesn’t matter to me whether you bid on my item or not, but I’d love to see as much money as possible raised to find a cure for this terrible disease.

Lisa Marie

New Video for Upcoming Novel, "Stolen Promise"

2009-04-17T13:38:00.008-05:00

My next novel, "Stolen Promise" will be coming out in a few short months. The trailer is complete now, and I'm thrilled by how well it captures the novel.

Enjoy the video and watch with your sound turned up for the full effect. I hope you enjoy it! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of it.

Lisa Marie Wilkinson: "Stolen Promise"

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Fire at Midnight, The Movie??

2009-04-01T15:43:00.027-05:00

While Hollywood has not beckoned and isn't likely to, the current issue of Medallion Press Insider includes a new feature called, "Casting Call," in which we amuse ourselves by casting actors in the roles of characters from MP releases. My debut novel received the "casting call" treatment this month, and it was so much fun, I'd like to share it with you.

From Medallion Press Insider:

Have you ever read a book and imagined which actors you would cast as the characters? Well now it’s time to test your skills as a casting director!

Each month in this section our authors and our staff will cast actors as the main characters in Medallion Press novels. Compare your casting to ours and see how closely we match up!

This month’s CASTING CALL:
Fire at Midnight by Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Plot
It is 1703, and Rachael Penrose is confined to Bedlam Insane Asylum in London after discovering her uncle Victor plans to kill her brother in order to inherit the family fortune. Victor leads a gang of criminals and uses French privateer/smuggler Sébastien Falconer as the scapegoat for his crimes. When Victor spreads the lie that Rachael informed the authorities of Falconer's smuggling activities, Falconer vows revenge on the girl.

A dangerously ill Rachael finally escapes from Bedlam, only to find shelter in Sébastien's carriage, and ends up in his care. It is a twist of fate that will alter both their lives forever.
Believing she is in danger from Sébastien, Rachael meets up with his estranged twin brother, Jacques, a customs officer intent on bringing his brother, the famous privateer, to justice. But the real criminal is still at large, and she and her brother are still in danger. Will she discover the truth and save both their lives . . . and her heart?

Main Characters as described by the author:
Rachael Penrose - Petite, blue-eyed blonde. I’ve always thought of her as looking like Alice in Wonderland, but without the pinafore.

Sebastien/Jacques Falconer – Six feet tall with shoulder length black hair, green eyes, mustache.

LISA MARIE WILKINSON CASTS:
Rosamund Pike

Rufus Sewell

MEDALLION EDITORIAL STAFF:

Helen A Rosburg, Executive Editor Casts -

Kirsten Dunst

Pierce Brosnan

Christy Phillippe, Editorial Director Casts -

Reese Witherspoon

Hugh Jackman

Emily Steele, Editor Casts -

Amy Adams

Josh Brolin

Jessica Vicich, Editorial Coordinator Casts -

Sally Pressman

Hugh Jackman

If you've read "Fire at Midnight," who would you cast as Rachael and Sebastien? Please leave a comment! I'm going to offer a prize for the winning combination!!

Winner to be announced on my Mom's birthday, June 3rd. (I've been told "Fire at Midnight" is currently in a number of TBR piles, so this date will give more folks a chance to win a prize!!)

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Learning to Laugh at Myself

2009-03-26T15:30:00.009-05:00

A blog entry came to my attention this week because it contained the intriguing title: “Lisa Marie Wilkinson is proud of herself.” My first thought was, “They must be referring to the actress Lisa Marie Wilkinson. I wonder what she's done and why she's proud?” I clicked on the link and went to the Harriet Klausner Appreciation Society blog (I will refer to it as the “HKAS” going forward) only to discover that the post referred to me. In a rather snide, head-shaking, "isn't she pathetic?" way.

I will confess to being a bit over zealous in the promotion department because my debut novel was just released and I feel I need to do more in the way of promo because I don’t have one of the big NY houses behind me (although not to be construed as a complaint against Medallion Press because they have been absolutely wonderful to me). But, the bad economy is hitting all aspects of retail, and book sales have not escaped the impact. So, when good reviews and accolades started to come in, I’ve tried to mention them at every opportunity.

The HKAS blog picked up a post I’d made on the Romantic Times message boards announcing a blog guest spot I was doing and the associated prize package the blog owner was offering. I’ve been a regular member of the RT boards for a long time (long before I had a book published), so I’m very comfortable with posting there, and the people who frequent the boards are tolerant of my promotion activities and have been wonderfully supportive. My goal in writing the post was to attract as much interest in both the blog contest and my debut book as possible, so I posted the following:

"My debut historical romance novel "Fire at Midnight" was released by Medallion Press on March 1. To celebrate, I will be the guest blogger on TJ Bennett's blog on Wednesday, March 11. Please come visit me at http://www.tjbsopinion.blogspot.com tomorrow as I share the "story behind the story" of "Fire at Midnight." Enter a comment and be eligible to win a wonderful prize basket! TJ will be giving away a basket of autographed books, and the basket will include a $20 gift certificate for Amazon.com. She’ll also give away a signed copy of her critically acclaimed historical romance, THE LEGACY, and a signed copy of my debut novel, "Fire at Midnight."

"Fire at Midnight" was a finalist or winner of more than 40 writing contests in its unpublished form, including the Maryland Writers Association Novel Contest and a Bronze Award from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. The novel was recently awarded a 5 star review by Amazon reviewer Harriet Klausner, a 4 star rating by Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine, and a 5 Blue Ribbon Rating from Romance Junkies."

Okay, yes, I managed to fit in all I could about awards my book had received because I’m trying to figure out how to make my book stand out. That’s what you do when you promote. At least, that’s what I thought promotion was intended to do. What I didn’t realize was that my post probably made me sound like a preening, obnoxious, egocentric pain-in-the butt. Now, people who know me personally will assure you I’m not (just ask my Mom!), but when I saw the HKAS blog, I realized how people might view it, and after my initial dismayed sputter of surprise, my feelings have ebbed into a blend of embarrassment tempered with amusement.

The HKAS blog exists for and is maintained by a group of people who have had ongoing issues with the quality/quantity of reviews by Harriet Klausner. Pity the poor fool (me) who happened to note that my book had received a 5-star review from HK because it made me a prime target for this group, and hence the “Lisa Marie Wilkinson is Proud of Herself” heckling.

The following are comments made by members of the HKAS blog group in response to the post (this is not a public blog in the sense that anyone can post a comment. Only “members” are allowed to post):

Posted by Malleus:
"Shall we laugh or shall we cry ? :-) Well. Congratulations of course, but this review from Harriet Klausner... these Klausner reviews aren't what they used to be anymore!"

Posted by Deborah Hern:
"That's sad. Especially since the romance reading community has a pretty strong online presence, and are thus likely to know that HK is a huge fraud. Using her as a 'see how great my book is' isn't likely to impress them."

I sensed condescension in the comments, but I wasn’t too disturbed because they didn’t seem to object to the RT rating or the Romance Junkies rating (perhaps because they have no qualms where these reviewers are concerned). I can’t help but wonder if the Deborah Hern who posted on HKAS is the same Deborah Hern who writes reviews for The Romance Readers Connection, a website that, ironically, also reviewed “Fire at Midnight” and gave it an “above average” rating of 4/5 stars. Oh, I shouldn’t forget to mention the “one of the best books published in Chicago” accolade from Publish Chicago. In for a penny, in for a pound, since I’m so darned proud of myself, LOL.

I guess this post on my own blog is just an attempt to let off some steam, since the HKAS blog is locked down and I cannot post a comment there. Thank you for indulging me, and (I hope) laughing along with me.

Lisa Marie

A Chance to Win a Signed Copy of “Fire at Midnight” Coming on March 25th

2009-03-23T12:27:00.004-05:00

I’ve been invited to guest blog as part of the interview series “The Business of Books” on blog owner DeAnna Cameron’s “Writely So” blog.

Please join me on Wednesday, March 25th at "Writely So" where I’ll be answering questions about book promotion from my own debut author point of view.

Leave a comment on the blog that day and DeAnna will select a winner from among those leaving a comment. I’ll be providing a signed copy of “Fire at Midnight” as a prize.

Lisa Marie

Happy St. Patrick's Day to All!!

2009-03-17T14:57:00.003-05:00

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Fire at Midnight Featured by Publish Chicago!!

2009-03-12T23:30:00.003-05:00

Fire at Midnight has been featured in Publish Chicago's monthly list of the best books published in Chicago. They are planning to publish a review of the book soon, so I'll keep you posted (pardon the pun!).

Also...I'm planning a new contest with a cool prize, so please check out my website for an update.

And have a terrific weekend!!!

Writerly Stuff: Author Spotlight and Guest Blogging on March 11

2009-03-07T14:13:00.007-06:00

I have the honor of being the featured author for the Medallion Press Author Spotlight for March. The interview was fun and the questions were not what I'd expected. I mean, how should one reply when an interviewer asks if you're crazy?

On Wednesday, March 11, I will be the guest on TJ Bennett's blog. I'll be revealing the "story behind the story" about my debut novel, "Fire at Midnight," so please drop by to visit TJ's blog. If you enter a comment, you'll be entered to win a gift basket that will be well worth taking the time to visit!

Lisa Marie

Blog Comment Contest Winner

2009-03-02T18:21:00.008-06:00

Anyone who entered a comment on my last blog post was automatically eligible to win an autographed copy of my debut novel, "Fire at Midnight."

I've had a third party select the winner (I tend to want to give everyone a prize but my budget just won't stretch that far, LOL).

The winner is....Diane! Diane, if you will get in touch with me at lisamarie@lisamariewilkinson.com and provide your snail mail address, I'll promptly put your book in the mail.

Thanks!!

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff-A Contest for Sunday, March 1!

2009-02-28T13:48:00.020-06:00

I've had one of those weeks that is just so rare and fine that you want to scrapbook it and bring it out again when things get back to normal and the doldrums/pressures/annoyances of life creep back in.

First of all, "Fire at Midnight" received two of the most wonderful reviews my little novel could ever hope for. I'd love to share them with you.

1--Venerable romance website Romance Junkies has awarded "Fire at Midnight" a 5 Blue Ribbon rating.

2--I found myself blushing after reading the type of review that writers only dream of from Romance Roundtable.

Then, I received the cover for my next novel, "Stolen Promise" from Medallion Press, and it could not be more perfect for the story. I'm posting it here in advance of updating my website because I'm eager to share it!

The image on the cover is a version of a galbe, which is a Romany (gypsy) style necklace. Click here to read a story blurb for Stolen Promise.

Then, a friend was so thoughtful as to capture the image of my book on the shelves of her local Barnes and Noble store:

I'm hopeful that someone looking for the latest JR Ward novel will scan the shelf, see the spine of my book, pull it out, read the blurb and say..."Gee, this might be good. Never heard of her, but I'll give this one a try. Pretty cover!" (My book is the fourth one over, going from left to right).

And, perhaps the best news of all is that after a two year wait, "Fire at Midnight" was released today!

Enter a comment and you'll be eligible to win an autographed copy of the book!

Lisa Marie

Blogging Today on Coffee Time Romance-Win a Book!

2009-02-26T05:00:00.002-06:00

I'm a two-blogs-in-one-day kinda girl today!

You can read an excerpt from Chapter One of my debut historical romance novel, "Fire at Midnight" on the Unusual Historicals Blog and then if you're sufficiently enticed to want to win an autographed copy of the novel, you can visit my Blog over on Coffee Time Romance.

If you're not familiar with the Coffee Time Romance site, here are quick tips to get you directly to the blog, because I would dearly love to have some comments and be able to give away a book today:

1-Go to the Coffee Time Romance site (use the link above)
2-Scroll down and click where it says "Click here to enter"
3-Choose the option called Blog-Coffee Thoughts from the left side menu and you should immediately be looking at my post.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: The Great Storm of 1703

2009-02-24T11:09:00.006-06:00

I'm guest-blogging today on the Unusual Historicals blog. My selected topic is the Great Storm of 1703, which forms a backdrop to a climactic scene in my debut novel, "Fire at Midnight."

This is truly an interesting bit of history, I promise! If you'd like to read about the storm, please visit the blog at:

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2009/02/humans-in-nature-great-storm-of-1703.html

Please leave a comment so I'll know you dropped by!

Lisa Marie

Fire at Midnight Releases on March 1!

2009-02-13T14:53:00.009-06:00

As a result of having my debut novel released soon, I have been privileged to receive a number of requests to be a guest-blogger by the owners of blogs I read and enjoy. I am going to publish my "schedule" here, so if you're interested in following my guest appearances, you'll be able to come here and see at a glance what I'm currently up to. Here is my dance card so far:

02/20/09--Guest blogger on Yankee Romance Reviewers

02/24/09--Article on the Great Storm of 1703 for the Unusual Historicals Blog

02/26/09--Guest blogger on Coffee Time Romance

02/26/09--Excerpts from Fire at Midnight on the Unusual Historicals Blog

02/27/09--Chatting on Romance Junkies & offering signed copy of book as prize

02/27/09--Guest blogger on Romance Roundtable (former Avon Fanlit group)

03/01/09--Promo Spot for "Fire at Midnight" Release on Unusual Historicals Blog

I hope you can come join me on some of these dates.

Writerly Stuff: Blogging Today on Unusual Historicals Blog

2009-01-28T10:24:00.009-06:00

Today's Unusual Historicals Blog contains a piece I wrote about Smuggling as a profession. It also contains a scene from my upcoming historical romance novel, "Fire at Midnight."

If you have time, and are so inclined, I'd appreciate it very much if you would read the short article and leave a comment on the blog.

Here is the link: http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2009/01/professions-smuggling.html

Also...big exciting news...my novel just been given a 4-star rating by RT Book Reviews in the March edition. I've been doing the "please, please a 3! Not a 2, but a 3!" mantra for a few months now because the RT magazine is an influential publication and a 3 is a highly respectable rating for a debut novel. When I learned yesterday that my book had received a 4 (their ratings range from 0 to 4 1/2), I was absolutely thrilled, humbled, grateful...you get the idea!

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Basking in the Glow of a Good Review

2009-01-23T16:19:00.007-06:00

With my debut novel in the hands of a variety of review sources at the moment, it's a cause for insomnia. In this tough economy, my publisher has warned its authors that many booksellers have been driven to stock only proven authors on their shelves. Advance orders of debut novels written by new writers have consequently experienced a drop, and I can't help but believe that reviews will matter more than ever.

This means that if a reader is interested in my debut novel, it is likely they will have to go to greater effort to acquire it than simply walking into their local Barnes and Noble or Waldenbooks and heading for the Romance section. Fortunately, the internet provides many sources for placing orders, and Amazon.com has received an early shipment of "Fire at Midnight" and currently has it IN STOCK!!!

Book reviews and the all important word-of-mouth will play a critical role in the success or failure of my book. When it came to my attention earlier this week that revered Amazon.com reviewer Harriet Klausner had given "Fire at Midnight" a favorable review, I was thrilled, grateful, humbled, relieved.

While I understand that reviews are always subjective and I can expect a mix of favorable and not so favorable reviews, the endorsement by a reviewer universally respected by the publishing industry was beyond my wildest dreams, and I would like to share it with you.

Here follows the entire, glorious, wonderful review:

Fire at Midnight

Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Medallion, Mar 2009, $7.95

ISBN: 9781933836546

In 1703, her odious Uncle Victor Brightmore with the help of Dr. Elliot Macgulay places his eighteen year old niece Rachael Penrose in Bedlam Insane Asylum to keep her out of the way of his stealing her younger brother’s inheritance.

To insure his plan goes without a hitch Victor has abducted his nephew James and has spread rumors that Rachel told the authorities about smugglers like Frenchman Sebastien Falconer. Victor leads a more vicious smuggling crew than that of Sebastian.

Whereas Sebastien searches for Rachel, John Wyatt, a pal of her friend Tarry Morgan, breaks her out of asylum. However nine days and drugs have taken their toll so when he realizes they are followed, he places her in another carriage so that he can divert Victor’s thugs from her.

Sebastien takes the woman to his isolated home only to learn his ailing guest is Rachel. She escapes to London where Tarry sent James after rescuing him. There she meets Sebastien’s English customs officer estranged twin Jacques while Victor has John killed and the house belonging to Tarry’s father burned to the ground. Soon all will converge in danger and love.

FIRE AT MIDNIGHT is an exciting Georgian romantic suspense starring a strong lead couple and a solid support cast. Though he has no redeeming quality in some ways the ultra villain Victor steals the show as his plots and actions are diabolical and deadly even when he is off the page. The rest of the secondary characters are also developed enough to either enhance the story line or the understanding of the two stars; especially Tarry who wants to be a hero to his beloved friend and to his larger than life father, but though he tries he lacks the skills. Fans will enjoy this fine early eighteenth century historical thanks to deep characterizations that hopefully include sequels.

--Harriet Klausner

ARC Winner Announced!!

2009-01-01T00:28:00.004-06:00

If you entered my drawing for the advance reader copy of "Fire at Midnight," please hop on over to my website at http://www.lisamariewilkinson.com to see if you're a winner.

If you haven't visited my site in awhile (or ever!) please review the Books and Excerpts page. I've posted several of the advance review quotes I've received for the book, plus an excerpt consisting of chapters 1 and 2 has been added, too.

Happy New Year to all!!

MERRY, MERRY, MERRY EVERYTHING

2008-12-23T13:07:00.007-06:00

WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO CELEBRATE:

CHRISTMAS, HANUKKAH, KWANZAA, AND SO ON....I WISH YOU ALL THE JOYOUS TIDINGS OF THIS SPECIAL SEASON AND A WONDERFUL, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS, PEACEFUL 2009.

FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW MY BLOG, A SINCERE THANK YOU AND I PROMISE TO TRY TO POST MORE OFTEN NEXT YEAR.

Lisa Marie

Writerly Stuff: Regency Etiquette Rules

2008-11-15T20:55:00.006-06:00

I was invited to write a piece for the Unusual Historicals blog this month on the topic of Social Taboos, so I thought I might have a little fun with it (and hopefully those who read my post will, too).

On Monday, November 17th, please spend a few minutes of your day to

take the "Regency Etiquette Rules Quiz." It's all in fun. I don't think I could have survived the Regency era. Just too darn many rules!

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2008/11/social-taboos-regency-etiquette-rules.html

Book Review: Broken Wing by Judith James

2008-11-04T21:00:00.003-06:00

Note: This is a re-post of a post originally published last year. I joined the re-read challenge issued by a group of bloggers and am posting my review of Judith James' Broken Wing.

I’ve always been a fan of the tortured hero. Not only from the perspective of a reader witnessing the redemption of the hero as he battles to triumph over his personal demons, but also as a writer interested in the study of craft. For generations, writers have used their skill at portraying the soul in torment to create heart-wrenching stories with unforgettable characters.

“Broken Wing,” the debut novel by author Judith James, contains one such memorable tortured hero in the form of Gabriel St. Croix, a young man who was grown up in the tawdry environment of a Parisian brothel. Gabriel has learned to insulate himself completely from the world around him in order to protect his soul from the endless parade of strangers who want only his body. Beneath Gabriel’s harsh, cynical, often uncivil exterior beats the heart of a good man who cannot bear to see a child abused in the manner Gabriel has been abused. Gabriel takes it upon himself to protect the young boy Jaime from predators who would debase and ruin the child. In doing so, Gabriel sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually lead to his own salvation when Jaime’s widowed sister Sarah comes to liberate her brother.

“Broken Wing” is an engrossing love story with themes of redemption and the power of love at its core. While some readers might find the subject matter unsettling, the author has navigated Gabriel’s dark world with sensitivity and compassion. From the moment Gabriel and Sarah first set eyes on each other, the spark of attraction between them is palpable. Even when Gabriel is consistently rude and deliberately shocking, Sarah remains undaunted and increasingly curious about this unfriendly stranger who suffered untold hardships and new humiliations in order to spare her brother the same fate Gabriel has experienced.

There are no false notes in this story; the relationship between Gabriel and Sarah unfolds at a believable pace, with scenes of revelation and tenderness that are heart-breaking yet thoroughly engaging as Sarah slowly reveals the sensitive, tender man beneath Gabriel’s gruff, wounded exterior. Sarah’s initial feelings of gratitude over Gabriel’s rescue of her brother yield to deeper emotions as Sarah realizes that Gabriel’s exterior is an artifice built out of self-loathing. It is Sarah who is able to make Gabriel see himself as she sees him; convincing Gabriel that he is greater than the sum of degrading experiences forced upon him during his short life. In the end, Gabriel is redeemed through Sarah’s love, earning “Broken Wing” a permanent place on my keeper shelf.

Writerly Stuff: Another Debut Novel Milestone: My First Experience with Edits

2008-10-23T17:43:00.004-05:00

My Advance Reader Copies (aka “ARCS”) were distributed with the same content contained in my original manuscript submission. That is, with every content, grammar, syntax and what-have-you type of error committed by yours truly during the writing of my Great American Historical Romance novel.

The timeline to publication required by my publisher necessitated that I did not receive my edits until recently, and so I’ve had several months to hear about the overall edit experience from other writers, including those who write for other houses.

It’s interesting, this mysterious process of editing. The specifics of the method seem to vary from publisher to publisher. There are publishers who employ no editors (these folks must also like to bungee-jump off the precipice of Niagara Falls for kicks and giggles, too) to publishers who assign specific editorial tasks across multiple editors. My publisher believes in the value of an editor, I’m happy to report.

There seems to be a general consensus among writers that edits arrive at the worst possible moment. Examples cited to me that tend to support this theory: edits received on the day one’s spouse or beloved parent passed away, edits that hit the inbox while the writer was away on vacation, a 72 hour contractually required turn around when the writer had contracted a severe case of the flu and had a fever of 102…these are just a few of the horror stories I’ve heard. In my own case, I received my edits on a Friday morning after I had been scheduled to work the entire weekend. My edits were due back by early the next week. Not the worst scenario, but I think we’ve already established that I’m a worrier.

For months prior to receiving my edits, I anguished over how extensive the edits might be. A writer friend who also writes for the same publisher encouraged me by saying that the senior editor who purchased my book would not have purchased a book with any major flaws. Still, I’d also heard reports that this editor had a long list of pet peeves, and although I had scoured my submission and attempted to remove as many of these verboten items as possible, I was worried. So, it was with a great sense of foreboding that I downloaded the file attachment of my manuscript from my Yahoo Inbox.

I opened the file and started to scan through the document, my heart racing as the pages flew by and I searched for editorial comments. The instructions to me were to review and approve the edits. Approve? I didn’t think that instruction really stated the case with accuracy. Basically, the edits are the changes the editor is proposing to make; and a debut author is not wise to argue each point. There is a tacit understanding that the editor knows best. As I reviewed the editor’s comments and her proposed changes, I saw the value in that position. I noted some idiosyncrasies, for example, my editor has an aversion to the word “small,” therefore, almost every instance of the word had a substitution such as “modest,” or “little” inserted. She noted my bad habit of substituting pronouns in place of proper names (a technique I picked up after a contest judge scored me low because she felt I used my character names too often and suggested I use more pronouns). I concurred with my editor, and in fact, agreed with the majority of her suggested changes. I picked my battles and inserted a comment with (what I hoped was) a cogent explanation each time I felt strongly that I wanted the original to stand. It took only a few hours to review the entire manuscript and add my comments. A few days later, I inquired and was told that my suggestions had been accepted and my book had now entered the production phase, bringing it one step closer to my March 2009 publication date.

What have I learned from the experience? That edits are only to be feared if one has an unskilled editor.

Writerly Stuff: Writers on Readers

2008-09-26T23:47:00.007-05:00

I've been thinking this week about the importance of the reader in a writer's life.

With my debut novel less than six months from release, I keep thinking, "who will buy my book?" Family, assuredly. Friends, hopefully. Colleagues, perhaps. But what about those people who don't know me who would much rather spend their hard earned dollars on a known quantity, (i.e., an author they already enjoy). With readers, I guess it's a leap of faith when a debut author is involved.

A month ago I began running a drawing on my website for a free ARC (advance reader copy) of my novel. I thought, "5 people will enter, and I'll send something to everyone who showed interest." To date, I've had over 100 people enter, so now I'm planning to have 1 ARC winner, plus I'm trying to decide what I can do for all the other entrants on my small promotional budget. Anyone who expresses interest in "Fire at Midnight" at this stage has earned my lasting gratitude and a permanent place on my mailing list (unless they ask to be removed). I've read every comment form and savored the encouraging comments from people who don't know me and have yet to read my work. That's why I've been thinking about how very important readers are to writers.

I've come across some fabulous quotes from writers far more talented than I on the topic of the relationship between readers and writers, and I'm going to post a few here because they're worthy of sharing:

"Readers, after all, are making the world with you. You give them the materials, but it's the readers who build that world in their own minds."--Ursula Le Guin

"Story is to human beings what the pearl is to the oyster." --Joseph Gold

"The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story."-- Ursula K. Le Guin

Happy reading and writing.

Writerly Stuff: Blogging on Unusual Historicals Today

2008-09-15T12:00:00.007-05:00

An article I've written on the Romany wedding ceremony, along with an excerpt from my upcoming novel, "Stolen Promise," is featured in today's edition of Unusual Historicals.

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2008/09/women-romany-wedding-ceremony.html

This type of research is what makes writing historical novels so much fun!

Film Review: The Reckoning

2008-09-07T14:15:00.004-05:00

It's easy to understand why a powerful film like "The Reckoning" could appear and disappear almost simultaneously upon release. With the current popularity of Japanese horror film rip-offs and tired, formulaic romantic comedies, a morality tale set in 14th century Europe probably wasn't the most commercially viable undertaking for Paramount, the studio that released this film. The Reckoning stars Willem Dafoe and Paul Bettany in such solid performances that it is disheartening this film did not experience a wider release.

After watching Willem Dafoe ("Platoon") mug his way through "Spiderman," it was nice to be reminded that he is indeed a capable actor. Paul Bettany's body of work has demonstrated range (a flair for comedy in "A Knight's Tale" and skilled, dramatic turns in "Master and Commander" and "A Beautiful Mind"), but those films did not prepare me for the riveting performance he delivers in this film. As a disgraced monk fleeing justice, Bettany attaches himself to an itinerant group of actors who roam the countryside performing plays in exchange for food and shelter. He journeys with them to the next town, where they conclude that a woman has been falsely accused of a crime and has been unjustly sentenced to death.

I won't divulge more of the plot here because my goal in writing this review is to encourage others to see the film. While the film does have flaws (Vincent Cassel is wasted in the one dimensional role of the villain, and Brian Cox is likewise not given enough to do), "The Reckoning" is an allegory on personal responsibility in the context of good versus evil and it is a moving, gorgeously filmed, well-acted drama. If your personal taste does not embrace historical morality tales, this probably won't be your cup of tea, but anyone who enjoyed "The Name of the Rose," or "Flesh and Blood" (Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh), should find this a thought-provoking, well-crafted film.

Win an Advance Reader Copy of Award-Winning Historical Romance "Fire at Midnight"

2008-08-20T18:00:00.007-05:00

I'm having a drawing on my website offering a signed copy of an advance reader's copy of my award-winning debut novel, "Fire at Midnight" as the prize.

This will be a bound, unedited, warts-and-all version as submitted to the publisher. The novel is scheduled for release on March 1, 2009.

If interested, please visit my website and fill out the online form.

http://www.lisamariewilkinson.com/

"Fire at Midnight," Medallion Press March 2009
"Stolen Promise," Medallion Press March 2010
http://www.medallionpress.com/blurbs/firemidnight.html

Writerly Stuff: I'm a Finalist in the Published Division of Utah RWA's "Heart of the West" Contest!

2008-08-17T16:09:00.009-05:00

I learned last weekend that my current work-in-progress, "Forget Me Not" is a finalist in the "Heart of the West" contest held by the Utah chapter of Romance Writers of America. This is thrilling for me because I'm currently in somewhat of a limbo stage between being unpublished and published, therefore I don't qualify for the majority of RWA chapter contests. My debut novel, a historical romance entitled "Fire at Midnight" will be released by Medallion Press in March of 2009.

As an unpublished writer, I received a great deal of encouragement from contest judges during my stint submitting entries on the unpublished contest circuit. While most folks might think that finding a publisher and having two historical romance novels under contract awaiting publication might provide sufficient validation, I still find myself listening to that insidious inner voice that constantly says, "You're terrible. You stink. Why are you spending all your free time trying to write stories when you obviously have no talent?" So, finaling in a contest where I'm competing with other published writers provides the boost I need to think if I finish my current WIP, I might interest a publisher in it as well. I wonder: are all writers neurotic like this, or is it just me?

I'm going to publish the full list of finalists in the Utah RWA "Heart of the West" contest, both unpublished and published, because the difference between those two categories is often just that one serendipitous moment when a writer's work connects with the right editor and the phone call or e-mail happens.

Congratulations to all!

16th Annual Heart of the West Writers Contest Finalists

Historical

The McCUTCHEONS by Caroline Fyffe

THE MASQUERADING DUKE by Stephie Smith

DONNE WITH LOVE by Sally Orr

THE RANCHER by Kelli Ann Morgan

Contemporary

HOT BODS by Dara-Lee Snow

SOUTH OF HER BORDER by Cindy Nielson

THEIR IMITATION MARRIAGE by Kirsty Cleverly

THE NEIGHBOR UPSTAIRS by Anne Lum

Mystery/Suspense

GUARDIAN ANGEL by Rita Henuber

STEALING BEST IN SHOW by Elizabeth Pina

DANCE AWAY, DANGER by Lexi Connor

AFTER THE WAR by Jessica Dawson

Paranormal

THE IMPETUOUS AMAZON by Sandy James

TOUCH OF TWILIGHT by Clarissa Ellison

WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES by Maree Anderson

THE WIZARD'S ORPHANS by Rosemary Haggerty

Published

LOST IN LOVE by Kathy Johnson

PAYING THE PIPER by Rachel Brimble

DELICIOUS by Judie Aitken

FORGET ME NOT by Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Inspirational

THE QUEST by Dani Pettrey

SOURDOUGH CREEK by Caroline Fyffe

TURNING PAIGE by Kara Bonnevie

THE WALLET by Elizabeth Pina

Golden Pen- URWA Members Only

SOUTH OF HER BORDER by Cindy Nielson

THE RANCHER by Kelli Ann Morgan

THE SCARRED HEIR by Denise Patrick

CROSS MY HEART by Iamni Miller

Writerly Stuff: Do People Sometimes Predict Their Own Deaths?

2008-08-07T14:22:00.004-05:00

Because I write historical novels, and they tend to be, ah, unusual, I've had the honor of being invited to become a regular contributor to the Unusual Historicals blog. My first article as a contributor falls under the category "Famous People," and I've chosen to create a fictional interview with inventor Henry Winstanley, whose wish to test the lighthouse he designed and built during "the greatest storm there ever was" proved to be prophetic. I also managed to work in an excerpt from my upcoming Medallion Press release, "Fire at Midnight," into the article as well. The famous lighthouse figures prominently in my novel. The following link will take you to the article:

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2008/07/famous-people-henry-winstanley.html

Book Review: Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion

2008-07-31T13:06:00.002-05:00

“Her One Desire” provides all the elements necessary for a thoroughly satisfying historical romance. Broc is an alpha hero with just enough insecurity to render him endearing. Lizbeth is a plucky heroine who earns the sympathy and support of the reader as surely as she wins the hero’s heart, and Lord Hollister is definitely a villain worthy of contempt.

This stunning England/Scotland set medieval historical romance by talented debut author Kimberly Killion is a fast-paced, sensual, emotionally engaging story that not only delivers the exciting story promised by the cover blurb, but also manages to deliver a fresh plot that deftly balances tense drama with scenes of tenderness and humor.

With themes of redemption, salvation, hope—and most of all, the power of love—“Her One Desire” allows the reader to witness Lizbeth’s growth from the timid “Lady Ives,” daughter of England’s Lord High Executioner, into Scottish chieftain Broc’s beloved wife “Lizzy.” Lizbeth holds her own against a mother-in-law who comes equipped with a sword and a villain determined to steal everything Lizbeth has ever valued in life. This author is one to watch, and I’m looking forward to her next novel, “Highland Dragon.”

Film Review: Dracula (1979)

2008-07-17T17:34:00.004-05:00

Reprising the role he played on Broadway in this 1979 film, actor Frank Langella’s interpretation of “Dracula” is stylish and sexy with the requisite undercurrent of evil. In this film version, Lucy’s fascination for the mysterious, charismatic Count causes her fiancé Jonathan Harker to be wary of Dracula even before there is cause to suspect the Count of any wrongdoing. After Lucy’s friend Mina dies unexpectedly, Harker slowly comes to realize that much more is at stake (forgive the pun) than merely Lucy’s affection. This movie is heavy on atmosphere; with foggy exterior locations and evocative settings that include a decaying abbey and a convincingly rendered insane asylum.

This is one of the better Dracula movies for several reasons, not the least of which include quality performances by the entire cast, Sir Laurence Olivier in a late- career performance as Van Helsing, and a sweeping, dramatic score by film composer John Williams (“Jaws,” “Star Wars”). It takes more than one viewing of this film to fully appreciate its sly humor and inventiveness. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that Professor Seward (Donald Pleasance) is almost always eating and perpetually wears the evidence on his shirt front.

There are subtle, creepy hints of menace such as an overhead shot of a large spider traversing its web as Lucy (Kate Nelligan, “Eleni,” “Without a Trace,”) simultaneously enters Dracula’s home in response to his dinner invitation. Director John Badham (“WarGames,” “Saturday Night Fever,”) artfully delivers the scares at regular intervals; the pace is deliberate and the visual impact carefully calculated. The scene in which Van Helsing discovers that his daughter Mina has become a vampire begins as a claustrophobic search of the tunnels beneath the cemetery and builds during a nail-biting sequence that slowly moves from Mina’s decayed slippers to the horror of her demonic, ruined face. For lovers of the genre, this is a satisfying entry.

Film Review: Streets of Fire

2008-06-23T12:19:00.001-05:00

1984’s “Streets of Fire” is billed as a “rock and roll fable,” and that seemingly pretentious label is actually quite appropriate. The film has an unusual look: a stylish hodgepodge of images that evoke American culture: rock and roll, vintage cars, Capitalism and class struggle. Walter Hill directs a cast of deliberately stereotypical characters: the loner tough-guy hero (Michael Paré of “Eddie and the Cruisers”), the damsel-in-distress (Diane Lane of “Unfaithful,” and “The Perfect Storm,”), and the villain (Willem Dafoe of “Platoon,” and “Spiderman”). Contrasts abound: the music is 80’s pop, the clothing and automobiles are from the 50’s and 60’s, and the entire movie plays out against a backdrop that looks like a movie set. This is one of those genre defying films that requires you to believe in the world it presents to you. Films such as “Legend,” “Dark City,” “Phantom of the Paradise,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Moulin Rouge” share this surreal quality. The plot is simple: bad guy steals girl, good guy (ex-boyfriend), goes to rescue her. One performance in particular that makes the movie memorable is Amy Madigan (“Pollock” and “Field of Dreams) as a spunky, philosophy-spouting, spoiling-for-a-fight drifter who offers (for a price) to help the hero rescue his ex-girlfriend from the motorcycle gang that kidnapped her. The soundtrack boasts a Top 40 hit by the late Dan Hartman (“I Can Dream About You”) as well as the talents of Ry Cooder, Jim Steinman, Stevie Nicks, and Maria McKee, among others. This is a largely undiscovered gem of a movie that is well worth taking the time to view.

Book Review: Run Among Thorns by Anna Louise Lucia

2008-06-06T14:28:00.001-05:00

Having grown up cutting my reader-teeth on romantic suspense novels by Mary Stewart, I immediately know when I begin reading what will be, for me, a keeper. "Run Among Thorns" opens with grim government agent types reviewing footage of Jenny Waring expertly dispatching her captors during a tense hostage situation. The reader senses the appalling skills exhibited by the young woman have tossed her from the frying pan into the fire when we're introduced to Kier McAllister, a master of interrogation and psychological games of terror. McAllister spirits Jenny out of the country and takes her to a secluded cottage in Scotland, where he plans to use every technique available to him to force Jenny to abandon her cover story. The problem is, Jenny isn't an agent, secret or otherwise. She's a young woman with outstanding survival instincts who learned marksmanship at an early age, but when faced with the hard core McAllister, she's hard-pressed to convince him she isn't a product of special training being primed for military action. When McAllister squares off against his captive in a test of wit and will, he gradually concludes Jenny might be no more than the innocent she claims to be. He begins to suspect the agency who hired him has ulterior motives that have nothing to do with scoring Jenny as a new operative . McAllister, who has always taken pride in his work, must now use every survival trick he knows to keep Jenny alive. Fans of romantic suspense will find this novel satisfying because the story focuses on the building relationship between Jenny and Kier; the special operative/secret government agency theme forms a backdrop, but the story is really about the developing rapport between the two main characters. On the strength of this debut novel, I'm looking forward to the author's next release, "Dangerous Lies."

Film Review: Swept from the Sea

2008-05-27T15:26:00.002-05:00

Adapted from Joseph Conrad’s short story “Amy Foster,” “Swept from the Sea” chronicles the ill-fated romance between a shipwreck survivor and the outcast of a coastal village. Bound for a better life in America, European emigrant Yanko (Vincent Perez, “Indochine,” “Queen Margot,”) is stranded in a vaguely hostile English coastal farming community after he survives a violent storm at sea. Initially believed to be a thief or a madman, Yanko is mistreated by all except Amy until the local country doctor, (Sir Ian McKellen, “Lord of the Rings,” “Gods and Monsters,” “X-Men,”) realizes that the non-English speaking stranger in their midst is the sole survivor of the shipwreck.

The connection between Yanko and Amy (Rachel Weitz, “About a Boy,” “The Mummy,” “Stealing Beauty,”) is immediate and electric, and Yanko is enthralled by her. He is motivated to learn English and earn money so that he can eventually come courting, and the scene in which he shyly comes to call on Amy for the first time is awkward and endearing. The fact that Amy and Yanko are both outcasts in the community forges a bond between them. Yanko is not accepted because of his foreign-ness and Amy is shunned for no discernable reason other than she is perceived to be different. This film presents an unflinching view of how intolerance isolates people, and the tragic conclusion only underscores the importance of acceptance and community. This lyrical, well-acted period piece will appeal to those who find a film satisfying even when the conclusion is not the requisite happy ending one expects from a romance.

Film Review: Dear Frankie

2008-05-22T15:41:00.002-05:00

“Dear Frankie” is one of those extremely satisfying small films that often get lost in the crush of the major motion picture distribution machine. How do you market a film that does not boast A-list stars, a multi-million dollar budget, car chases, wars, police dramas, historical sagas or monsters of either the human or alien kind? This film stars Emily Mortimer (“Bright Young Things,” “Young Adam,”) and Gerard Butler (“Phantom of the Opera,” “Timeline,” “Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life,” “Dracula 2000”) in lyrical performances that both entertain and touch the heart. Lizzie (played by Mortimer) is a single mother with a nine year old son named Frankie. Frankie has grown up believing that his absent father is a seaman assigned to the HMS Accra. Frankie has been writing letters to his Dad for years, and Lizzie has been reading and replying to Frankie’s letters. Frankie is deaf and is not a particularly communicative child, so Lizzie depends upon the letters to provide insight into what is going on in her child’s mind. Lizzie has fostered the lie about Frankie’s father in order to protect her son from the truth, but when Frankie learns that the HMS Accra is scheduled to dock in the small village where he and his mother currently live, Frankie is thrilled by the idea of a reunion with his father, while Lizzie is horrified by her predicament. Convinced that telling Frankie the truth will destroy their relationship, Lizzie decides to pay a stranger to play the part of Frankie’s father for the brief duration of the visit. The stranger (played by Butler) is somewhat judgmental about Lizzie in the beginning, but he quickly bonds with Frankie and as he learns the reasons behind the lengths to which Lizzie has gone to protect her son, he finds himself being drawn into their lives. “Dear Frankie” employs sentiment in moderation, so it’s not a cloying film, and the quality of the acting makes the characters multi-dimensional, even edgy, with a human heart.

Film Review: Ladyhawke

2008-05-20T12:13:00.002-05:00

1985’s “Ladyhawke” is a well-acted, unabashedly romantic medieval fairy-tale. Rutger Hauer (of “Blade Runner”) and Michelle Pfeifer (of “White Oleander” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys”) star as two lovers separated by a curse placed upon them by an evil bishop. The story begins as wily thief “Mouse” (played by film and Broadway veteran Matthew Broderick) crosses paths with intrepid knight Navarre and quickly finds himself entangled in Navarre’s quest to find a way to end the spell that causes Navarre to take the form of a wolf by night while his beloved Isabeau is trapped in the body of a falcon by day. The curse is a cruel enchantment that allows the two lovers only brief glimpses of each other as they shape shift into their animal counterparts each day. Despite strong elements of fantasy in the plot, “Ladyhawke” contains a strong emotional core. By the time Navarre and Isabeau are finally able to confront the evil bishop side by side in their human form, we share their triumph because we’ve shared their journey and witnessed the torment and danger they’ve faced. The dialogue is witty, the action is well-choreographed, and the poignant characters and satisfying ending will appeal to viewers who enjoyed such films as “Ever After” and “A Knight’s Tale.” Fans who enjoyed Rutger Hauer in the medieval setting of “Ladyhawke” might also enjoy the adult-themed “Flesh and Blood.”

Film Review: Jane Eyre

2008-05-17T14:08:00.001-05:00

My first exposure to the 1983 version of “Jane Eyre” starring Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke was over 10 years ago when I happened to tune in on an installment of it on my local PBS station. Even though I had tuned in mid-story, it was apparent that I had stumbled upon a treasure. When it was released on VHS, I immediately added a copy of it to my video collection, and when I learned that it was about to be released on DVD, I was thrilled that this masterwork would be available in DVD format. If you have enjoyed any of the many filmed versions of “Jane Eyre,” do not hesitate to add this one to your rental queue, because it is inarguably the best of the lot. The performances in this version capture the complexities and nuances of these complicated characters at a level that transcends simple acting technique; Dalton and Clarke ARE Rochester and Jane. Actor Timothy Dalton can claim the distinction of having played both of the Bronte sisters’ classic male leads (Edward Rochester in “Jane Eyre” and Heathcliff in 1970’s “Wuthering Heights,”) and his multi-layered, complex interpretation of Rochester is both haunting and mesmerizing. Stage actress Zelah Clark provides the pluck and fortitude that embody the title character. It is the sparkling chemistry between the two actors that elevates this “Jane Eyre” above other versions that also feature noteworthy actors. (Other film versions pair Orson Welles/ Joan Fontaine, Ciaran Hinds/Samantha Morton, William Hurt/Charlotte Gainsbourg, and George C. Scott/Susannah York). This longer (330 minutes) version is faithful to the book; the well-crafted dialogue is preserved and the story is allowed to progress at the rate necessary for development of the passionate romance that forms the heart of the story. If you are a Charlotte Bronte fan who has been disappointed by other attempts to bring “Jane Eyre” to the screen, you should enjoy this exquisite interpretation

Book Review: Scandal's Daughter by Christine Wells

2008-05-16T16:07:00.001-05:00

The aspirations of many an unpublished romance writer includes winning the coveted "Golden Heart" award sponsored by Romance Writers of America. In 2006, "Scandal's Daughter" won the Best Short Historical Romance category, and after reading this charming Regency-set novel, I believe the accolade was well-deserved.

Author Christine Wells paints the English setting beautifully and introduces us to Gemma and Sebastian, two likeable characters whose lifelong friendship forms a bond that gradually evolves through tenuous bouts of passion into a deep love capable of healing the wounds of the past.
Gemma is plucky without being obnoxious, and Sebastian is a complex character driven by a dark childhood filled with abuse and culminating in the loss of his beloved brother. The author's skill at portraying the deep emotional ties between the hero and heroine brings an emotional context to the story that makes it a very satisfying romance.

Ms. Wells employs a skillful balance, using humor to occasionally lighten the mood and deftly working in the Regency-era details that form the flagstone of this type of novel without making them an intrusion. She creates an interesting world populated with endearing characters and provides the requisite happy ending. As a reader of romance, I couldn't have asked for more.

Book Review: First, There is a River, by Kathy Steffen

2008-05-15T13:55:00.004-05:00

After I finished reading 'First, There is a River,' by Kathy Steffen, I started thinking about what makes a book memorable. Out of the thousands of books we read in our lives, what is it that makes us remember plotlines and characters years after we've read a particular book? I think part of it might be that something about the story resonates with the reader. Another component could be that the characters are so well-drawn that they become real people to the reader and as the story unfolds, the reader comes to feel he or she has a vested interest in the outcome. This novel about a wife's escape from her abusive husband is just such a story. 'First, There is a River' should not be dismissed as a story about abuse. This story is more about hope and redemption as heroine Emma Perkins flees from her abusive husband Jared, taking a job as a cook aboard the 'Spirit,' a riverboat co-owned by her uncle Quentin. The journey down the river parallels Emma's path to regaining her sense of self-worth as she struggles to find the courage to escape the cycle of abuse her life has become and find a way to regain her children, who have been sold into labor by Jared. As Emma emerges from her cocoon of fear and begins to thrive aboard 'The Spirit,' her tentative friendship with Gage, an engineer scarred from youth from an explosion aboard a riverboat, becomes a poignant romance. Gage is the quiet, reflective antithesis of Emma's brutal husband Jared, and Emma gradually falls for the kind, perceptive engineer, unaware that Jared remains on shore, following the path of the riverboat, waiting for the opportunity to exact his revenge, not only against Emma, but against all those who have assisted her in reclaiming her life, especially Gage. Set during the days when elaborate excursion boats paraded up and down the Ohio river, the author infuses her story with fascinating descriptions of the riverboats and details about life on the river, using her research to form a framework for her story without detracting from the story by inundating the reader with too much detail. The result is an engrossing, exciting story set against a colorful, unusual backdrop. I will remember Emma and Gage's story for a long time to come.