I finished Snowed In by Christina Bartolomeo. I knew it wasn’t romance, but more like women’s fiction, so wasn’t expecting a happy ending. I was however primed for an ending that left me feeling satisfied. I turned the last page(didn’t know it was the last page at the time) and went HUH? I can’t quite express it, but the final paragraph doesn’t leave you to believe it’s truly the fnal paragraph. After finishing Snowed In I chose to read A Date With The Other Side by Erin McCarthy. In between band concerts, and suffering the yuch brought on by my allergies I managed to finish it in the wee hours before work this morning. I really enjoyed this one. It was my first read by this author, and I’m pleased to announce I have at least one more in the TBR pile. A Date With The Other Side does have a paranormal element in it, and while it plays a big part in the story line I didn’t feel like it was so highlighted that the book could have been classified as paranormal. Now I’m undecided about what to read. So I’ll sign off, and go through the TBR pile….

I wrote a quick article on the demise of the Harlequin Temptation and now, I hear the two romance lines from H/S are closing down as well. But talking with G this morning I realized something — it isn’t the death so much as a transformation. The old formula isn’t working so well, they need to go with a new one! Instead of baby books, they need to push the whine of the urban 20/30/40 and 50? something. And in first person as well. ::sigh:: I’m too old for this, that is why fantasy/scifi is so appealing for my current reading. So instead of reading last night, I went awandering through my book cases looking for some old favorite Temptations. Of course, I managed to get trapped by some of my old keepers — mostly the Jayne Ann Krentz’s like GHOST OF A CHANCE which I love! So what do you think of the changes? Always difficult but on a bright note, change of blood means new stories and voices! Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

I’ve just finished reading Lois Greiman’s first mystery novel Unzipped and it is very entertaining. I realized just how much I liked it when I immediately started reading the teaser chapter for the next one at the end. Normally, I skip those because I don’t want to be tormented by the wait until its release since it can be up to a year away. Anyway, this book will hit the shelves on May 31st. If you’re looking for a recommendation, pick this one up. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Harry is a local Dallas author with a debut mystery out this month from Minotaur. You’ve got to be at least intrigued by his protagonist name — after all, Oswald is such a “Dallas” name. Still Water has been highly recommended by the local community leader for the Dallas Barnes and Noble and a local mystery readers group. Anyone read it yet? ~sara Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

After downing two nice mugs of wonderful Central Market java, I’m ready to face the week. And for me, that means the infamous, demanding, annoying, but necessary TO DO list! So, what will we be doing this week? Posting a ton (well, it feels that way) of reviews for June books. Publishing our weekly newsletter on Tuesday. Adding the books from the two big mystery confabs — the Agathas and the Edgars. Adding comments (wouldn’t that be nice if it actually worked this time) Nudging the search function to return good stuff, I actually think I figured that one out. Yeah, right. Adding the poll. Add books, add books, add books. Ah, the life of data gatherer is NEVER done. So, off to pet the dog, drink one more cup and work, work, work. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

I made it! I am ready to post and add comments! What am I reading… Actually I just finished a great book called Lamb: The Gospel According to Christ’s Childhood Pal Biff by Christopher Moore. It was a fun and wacky look at the years of Christ between 6 yrs. old and 35ish, the “missing years” from the bible. You follow Biff and Josh (Jesus) through their young adulthood while they discover the mysteries of sin, buddhism, etc. It is written from Biff’s point of view, he has been resurrected in the present day to write his gospel. Christopher Moore has several other titles that look equally as fun, so I will be working my way through them. I am reading Wicked by Shannon Drake, a Beauty and the Beast based romance. I am enjoying the tie in with Egyptology. And speaking of Egyptology, the newest Amelia Peabody mystery The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters was fantastic! I’m a big Amelia fan (meaning I buy the books in hardback as soon as they come out, no waiting for paperbacks!). I love watching Amelia’s character evolve as her family evolves around her. That’s all I have for now, I…

Well, I made it, and I’m currently reading Snowed In by Christina Bartolomeo(hopefully I spelled that right, as I don’t have the book by me) It’s not what I would consider romance, though that’s the way it was billed. I would consider it more a piece of women’s fiction. It’s my first read by this author, and I’m not yet finished, so haevn’t formed a complete opinion. Sandi Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

OK I just figured out how to get signed up for this blog so here I am. Since I was already a Blogger member it was pretty easy. I’m going to try to post these weekly. And feel free to give us your comments!Time for my weekly update on what I’m reading…I FINALLY found time to finish Konig Cursebreakers and really enjoyed it. In this one, Brenna Lyons is telling two stories in one as well. I’ve only read a few of hers so far, but of the three I read, two were like this, where half the story is about one couple and half the story is about another, though they both tie in together. This book tells the continuing story of siblings Hunter and Erin Konig. Now for my review to get written. LOL I started Loki’s Sin by Saje Williams a few days ago and it is quite interesting. I guess I’d class it as an urban fantasy, with an interesting paranormal thread through it. I’m looking forward to reading farther in this one. I finished Celtic Fire by Joy Nash, her debut Dorchester book and it was really good as well. Now I just need to…

On a recent “TRASH” trip to St. Louis, I managed to pick up books by two of my childhood — well, young girl in the 60s/70s — favorites: Jane Aiken Hodge and Mary Stewart. Not only did it bring back memories of reading in a sun warmed room, or dusty hideaway, but also memories of adventure outside the farming community I lived. Mary Stewart brought a sophisticated international world into existence for me, especially with her tale of Greek Isles, Corfu and the dangers of the Cold War. Wildfire at Midnight was one of my first tastes of Greece and I wanted so badly to go and stay in a villa, bronze in the warm sun, swim in the blue seas, and eat olives. Surely the Greek olives were better than the ones stuffed with pimentos and hauled out in the relish dish for big Pennsylvania Dutch dinners at our house. And I understand they even used olive oil, which was definitely NOT an ingredient in our Mennonite/Amish cooking! Ah, what Stewart exposed me to dream about! The Spell of Mary Stewart is a book club (Nelson, Doubleday) hardback without dust jacket, published in 1968 with three of Stewart’s classics:…

To be very honest, I’ve never kept a reading journal as I never saw the point. I remember the good of what I’ve read and if a book has me pondering, well, then I might reread it or not. Reading has and I hope always will be entertainment and not a vessel of confounded thinking. But I digress, I think I’m supposed to note books I’ve read since last posting, uh, that would be yesterday’s readings. Yes, the procedure went well and I had the chance to finish three books. Mystic and Rider, Extreme Exposure, and The Veil of Night. Told you I had to have variety when I read 🙂 The Veil of Night is what I’d call an erotic gothic — set in a crumbling Yorkshire manor, filled with dark cold stone rooms, moldering furnishings, and a windswept rainy environment to complete the aura of gothickness (new word by the way). Then the author tossed in more than normal explicit sexual descriptions in a tale of sexual slavery for one week to cover the debts (or at least put repayment off until the parents die) of heroine’s dissolute brother. Yeah, a sorta standard tale for historicals, the twist…