Solo Or Jones?

Happy Monday All,

My husband is a great guy. He's also got a sense of adventure and loves great movie lines with equally great delivery. So it's no surprise to me that he's a big fan of Harrison Ford's depictions of Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, The Last Crusade, Crystal Skull) and Han Solo (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi).

There's many similarities between Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Not just that they were both played by the same actor, but great lines with equal delivery, and sense of adventure.

Either one is handy in a jam. Han's got his blaster and Indiana is ready with his whip to to lay the smack down on the bad guys.

So, if were going on a dangerous adventure, which character would you want as your traveling companion, Indiana Jones or Han Solo?

Have A Monumental Monday!

Pirates Take Over My E-Reader

Happy Friday All,

Before I get started on today's topic, I want to give you all a heads up about a post I enjoyed on another blog. This post was done by Will Graham, author of Street Heat and Sometimes There Really Are Monsters Under The Bed. I highly recommend you check out the post, it's called Can't Never Did Anything and it's on MuseTracks.

But, first, before you go to MuseTracks to check out that awesome blog post, come on board a pirate ship with me in Jennifer Bray-Weber's Pirate Romance, Blood And Treasure.

I've been interested in reading this one because pirates are one of those mysteriously fascinating things that I've sort of dipped my foot into every now and again (plus I'd heard great things about it). I don't know much about them, but I know some of the legends and stories out there. After all, my husband's a big fan of the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies and of course, Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mystery had some pirate lore in it.

So, I purchased and downloaded to my e-reader Jennifer's book (she plans to have it available in-print at some point).

From page one she had my attention. She took just a short paragraph to have me picturing a street behind a tavern in the 1700's. I stood there with her heroine, Lianna Whitney, as she's startled by a French man who slides a medallion down her dress. I could see pirates, Captain Zane Fox, and his best mate, Blade, burst through and make off with her.

Jennifer's imagery is so fantastic. You sail the seas right with her characters, you duck the British soldiers, deal with betrayal, contemplate the hangman's noose, and a host of other adventures you'd only find on Captain Fox's ship.

The book is an adventure, romance, suspense, and thrilling ride all wrapped up into one novel.

If you haven't sailed the high seas with Captain Zane Fox and tavern-maid, Lianna Whitney, I suggest you get up that gangplank, weigh anchor, and set a course for one of the websites that offers the novel immediately!

Blood And Treasure by Jennifer Bray-Weber is currently available on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.

Have A Festive Friday!

Hang On, We're In For a Ride

Happy Thursday Everyone,

I had trouble with this site earlier, so I'm posting a little later in the day than I normally would...

I'm going to verbally jump up and down for a moment here, so just bear with me. Finally, finally, finally! Tess St. John, one of my illustrious Critique Partners, is starting to release her Romantic Suspenses! Yesterday she released onto Amazon Kindle and Barnes &Noble Nook Don't Let It Show. This looks good and if it's anything like what I've read of her other work, it's going to be awesome!

Okay, now that you've seen me be total fan girl (not the first time, right?) I can get into today's discussion:

Yesterday I finished reading Lauren Oliver's Delirium. Can I just say, WOW? This dystopian novel took me on one wild ride. Even when there wasn't any running or looking over one's shoulder I had this feeling that any minute someone was going to jump out and yell "Boo!" (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Delirium asks the question:  "What if society/government thought love was a disease and had found a "cure" for it?"  People react in a myriad of ways in this novel. Some resist ("sympathizers"/"invalids"/"resisters") and some are forced to comply and others just go ahead with the procedure on their own--those are the "cureds". The idea is without the "disease"--the "deliria"--people are able to live happy, rational, and secure lives. The fear of being "infected" before you're "cured" is perpetuated by the "New Religion" and the "Book Of Shh"--all put out by the government, scientists, and those in the medical field associated with administrating the "cure". 

I found the book utterly intriguing and totally unforgettable. It's one of those things that you have to take a step back and digest before moving on to the next book on my reading list.

The second book in this series, Pandemonium, is due to release in March of 2012. So far the series is slated to be a triology and it looks like it promises to be quite the adventure.

My impression: the book is intriguing and thought provoking.  It took me out of my "comfort zone" so to speak and had me contemplating its question and deciding that I'm very glad that the government/scientists don't have a "cure" for love and that I'm free to love my husband, offspring, friends, and family to my heart's content.

Anyway, if you haven't already, pick up a copy of Tess St. John's Don't Let It Show (from what I understand this novel will eventually go into print, but I don't have an exact date at this time). Also, you might want to check out Lauren Oliver's Delirium for yourself. She's got quite the imagination.

What books have you read that just stick in your mind--ones that maybe took you out of your comfort zone, or ones that you just can't forget because you loved them so much?

Have A Thoughtful Thursday!