There's a lovely review of Some Like it Hot up at Heart to Heart, the fabulous romance blog at Barnes & Noble's website! Among other nice things, the reviewer calls the book "a unique, witty, and romantic read" and she gives it the thumbs up for detail on the realty television side, from her own background as a producer! Very cool. Read the review here.
And I also wanted to mention that I'm leading a class through RWA University this week called Everything I Need to Know About Being an Author, I Learned as an Editor. The title kind of speaks for itself, but here's the blurb:
In this five-day course, multi-published contemporary romance author Louisa Edwards will share the lessons she learned when she made the transition from junior editor at Berkley Publishing Group to full-time writer. Discussions will address market trends, finding your voice, craft tips, the query/submission process, an insider’s look at what happens to your manuscript after you submit it, and a final Q&A.
The class will be discussions led by me followed up with questions from the people subscribed to the course--and I promise to answer as truthfully as possible! It's completely free to all RWA members, easily accessible through the myRWA portal on the main RWA site. Should be a fun week! I hope to see some of you there...
All About Romance is known for not being marshmallow pushovers when it comes to their reviews. Every author I know braces herself before opening up the AAR page. I've never gotten less than a B- from them, but I've never gotten higher than a B+, either.
Until today!
I'm so pleased and proud to announce that not only did the lovely, adorable, wonderful, intelligent AAR reviewer give Too Hot to Touch an A-, she also gave it the coveted and elusive DIK rating.
DIK stands for Desert Island Keeper--as in, if she were stranded on a desert island, Too Hot to Touch is one of the books she'd want to have with her, sustaining her through her troubles until she could be rescued. How cool is that??
Read the rave review here, then tell me: if you were stranded on a desert island, what five books would make your keeper pile?
I'm so tickled that Judi L of the Book Pimp Blog chose On the Steamy Side as her Wednesday Workout Read! It doesn't seem like an obvious choice, at first glance--working out to descriptions of deliciously high-calorie food? But then, I like to watch the Food Network while I'm working out, so who am I to judge. The whole review is interesting and entertaining--man, I don't think I'll ever get tired of finding out what readers think of my books--but the very best part comes at the end, when she sums up in one perfect nutshell everything my writing is about:
"On the Steamy Side is about relationships, new ones, old messed up ones, disappointing family ones, but most importantly that the best relationships are attainable if you're just brave enough to reach out and hold on for dear life before it's too late."
In some sense, as much as each story has its own themes and unique goals for the characters, every book I write boils down to that one sentiment about relationship. I'm thrilled beyond belief that a reader I've never met can see that in On the Steamy Side. Makes me feel like I'm doing something right!
How about you--do you see overarching themes in your own writing? Or in the series by your favorite authors?
I'm almost recovered from RT (short roundup: fabulous friends, fun times with readers, sold out of my books at the signing, and learned a lot from every panel I was on) and almost caught up with the household stuff my husband totally neglected while I was gone. Seriously, the kitchen looked like he'd hosted a frat party, or maybe had cooked a five-course dinner for ten. And sure, some of that was leftover from when I was scrambling to test the recipes for the back of JUST ONE TASTE before I left, but still!
Anyway, after the orgy of cleaning, I finally got down to my email and discovered this fabulous review has just been posted on Romance Reviews Today! ON THE STEAMY SIDE got a 'Perfect 10', the only rating they give, and only to a select handful of books every year. OtSS is now automatically entered in their Best Book of 2010 contest, and I'm in some truly fabulous company on that list. Holy cats. Check it out! I'm so unbelievably stoked. It's a huge thrill every time I read a review where someone totally "got" the book and what I was trying to do. A huge thank you to the reviewer, Allegra Allston--you are currently my favorite person in all the world! Don't be surprised if I name a heroine 'Allegra' sometime in the future. : )
I'm back on the virtual road today, over at Writerspace talking about being a "plotter" vs. being a "pantser"--both in writing, and in the kitchen! Come tell me which you are and you could win a fabulous prize pack including a signed copy of On the Steamy Side, and a set of signature Recipe for Love spatulas and apron.
Also, today is a happy, happy day because I got not one but TWO fabulous new reviews for OtSS! This one from Reader to Reader made me giggle out loud, especially the last line. And this one, from Danielle at ALPHA Reader is just awesome and perceptive and thoughtful and smart. Check 'em out! Big thanks to both reviewers for taking the time to post their thoughts.
I'm home from my adventures in Florida and NYC! Had a wonderful, productive time with Kristen Painter and Roxanne St. Claire--we plotted about eight new projects, between us! And gave a workshop to the lovely STAR chapter, all about our process. And Manhattan was fun, as always--dinner at Lupa and Frankies Spuntino with Meg, a reading at Lady Jane's Salon, and a full day of stock signings all over town! Lady Jane's was an incredible experience; I wrote a little piece about it that should be going up over at the LJ blog soonish. I'll let you know when it's posted. I wrote it while nearly out of my head with a cold, so I don't actually remember it, but people have told me it's not bad or nonsensical, so yay!
The cold is still with me, but I'm medicated to the gills today so I can get some work done. And so I can fully appreciate the first flood of reviews of On the Steamy Side! Here's a quick roundup. Single Titles called me "mega-talented" (thanks, guys!) and OtSS a "thrill ride...leaving us eager for more."
Romance Readers Choice loved my "believably flawed" characters: "Whether the struggle is with family dynamics, abandonment, or sexuality the reader wishes for the success of each to overcome the complications of simply being human."
And Coffee Time Romance said "If you need a real feel-good, make your heart sing, and your body tingle kind of afternoon this is the perfect recipe for success."
I am unbelievably happy and thrilled by this support, and just by the simple idea that people are reading the book and enjoying it. What a high! Or maybe that's the Dayquil. ; )
Happy Release Day to me! My jaded celebrity chef and sassy Southern nanny are hereby unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. If you haven't pre-ordered your copy of On the Steamy Side, today you can run right out and buy it the old-fashioned way, in an actual bookstore. Fun! I can't wait to hear what you all think.
Reviews are already rolling in. My favorite for today? This one from Mom's Favorite Stuff. I got tingles reading it! The best bit is where she calls OtSS a "‘can’t-put-down-I’ll-read-while-I-cook-brush-my-teeth-and-fold-clothes’ kind of book." I admit, I flailed and squealed a little when I read that. I'm so excited about this book!
Michelle Buonfiglio, columnist for B&N's romance blog, Heart to Heart, has posted the very first review of On the Steamy Side (at least, the first I've seen,) and I'm breathless with happiness! It's actually a really fun, funny review, and I love (and will be rereading and probably memorizing) many lines from it, but my favorite is:
”On the Steamy Side” is an instant re-read, a fresh, emotions-first take on the food-infused romance and, quite simply, a stellar example of the health and vibrancy of the American contemporary romance. I’m betting it ends up on any number of Best of 2010 lists.
Um. Yes, please?
Go! Read! Comment! And if you haven't already, feel free to pre-order the book. *grin*
One of my favorite book blogs, Smexy Books, posted a review of Can't Stand the Heat! Check it out. Even though it's not the guest reviewer's usual fare, she seems to have enjoyed it quite a bit. Yay! This made my day.
Favorite quote from the review: "A great book to curl up with on a cold winters night with a delicious hot chocolate for a cosy girls night in." Plus lots of other interesting insight and commentary! Go read. And then stay to check out the site if you're not familiar with it; it's really a lot of fun.
As usual, I'm a little late to the party (I was taught as a child that being on time to a party is actually unconscionably rude) but I still feel the need to chime in on Julie & Julia, the movie. Full disclosure: I have not read Julie Powell's book, one of the sources for the movie. I did, however, read My Life in France, Julia Child's wonderful memoir of her years in Paris and Marseille as she learned to cook and began her masterwork, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
The first thing that must be said is that Julia Child was an amazing woman with a huge, warm personality that draws you in when you're watching just a thirty-minute, black-and-white PBS cooking show. A full color movie of her life couldn't help but be even more appealing--especially with Meryl Streep turning in a near-flawless performance. Every single moment Meryl/Julia was onscreen, I was either smiling so hard my cheeks ached, or tearing up. I can't remember the last time I was so affected by a movie. Stanley Tucci was also fantastic as Paul Child, bringing a palpable affection and gut-deep realism to the role of Mr. Julia. I loved everything about them. I wanted their segments of the movie to go on and on.
Not totally the case with the Julie Powell segments. Backing up--before seeing the movie, I read some reviews and talked to some friends who all seemed to agree that the Julie Powell character, a food blogger played by Amy Adams, was whiny, annoying, and useless to the point of dragging the movie down. In fact, I'd heard this about her book, which was why I never read it. So I was primed to dislike her portion of the movie. And while I wasn't as affected by her story as I was by Julia's, I felt that Julie Powell and her quest to cook her way through MtAoFC in a year was integral to the structure of the movie. The comparisons between the two women made Julia's sincerity and verve shine even brighter; the quality of the relationship between Julia and Paul was even more clearly an equal, loving partnership when compared with Julie's sometimes shabby treatment of her sweet but forgettable husband.
But even more than that, the movie needed Julie because she alone had a transformative experience. Julia was Julia, from the first beat of the movie to the last. She was herself, in the glorious, solid flesh--she started out wonderful, so it didn't matter that she didn't really learn or change in any way over the course of the two hours. Julie, though, was a different person by the end of the movie. Her story dramatized perfectly the power of Julia Child's life and work to inspire people and to change the way they view the world. No, I didn't always love Julie, and their were moments when I wanted to shout, as most of the reviewers did, "Get a life!" But that's exactly the point--that's what she was trying to do. And eventually, she succeeded, which gave the movie its structure and satisfying ending point. Without Julie and her eventual ah-ha moment, there's no movie.
But without Julia Child, there would've been very little joy--and I wouldn't have come home and immediately scrapped our plans to grill burgers in favor of cooking steak with sauce Bercy (white wine, butter, and shallots--yum!!), baked tomatoes, and a green salad with a ravigote dressing (vinaigrette with chopped herbs, capers, and onions,) all from Mastering the Art. Julia strikes again!
Disclaimer: I haven't read this book. In fact, I've never read any of Mr. Metltzer's books. However, The Book of Lies may well be the first, entirely due to the below video.
Two exciting bits of online fun: my first ever review for Can't Stand the Heat was posted at Crystal Reviews, and I'm running a contest for a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble!
First, the review. It's lovely! And spoiler-free, for which I thank the reviewer. Favorite pull quote: "Snappy, exciting, adventurous, and totally unexpected." Win! And second, for all my loyal blog readers out there, a chance to win some money for books. Because even though you can't buy Can't Stand the Heat yet (unless you pre-order!) a rising tide raises all ships, and we should all be reading more, and also B&N lets me make super cute gift cards with my book cover on them.
Does anyone else feel like the wheel is turning and bringing historical romance back to prominence? It seems that every book I hear about on Twitter and from friends is a historical. At Borders, the co-op tables are full of them, and not just the standby favorites like Eloisa James and Suzanne Enoch, either.
I'm willing to believe it might be a personal perceptual thing--I'm going through quite a historical renaissance myself just at the moment. I've read three historicals in the last couple of weeks that have completely rekindled my adoration for my first romance novel love.
The first was The Legend of the Werestag, a novella prequel to the upcoming series by Tessa Dare. Werestag, much ballyhooed and buzzed by such difficult critics as Jane from Dear Author and Smart Bitch Sarah, was published by Samhain as a way to build excitement before the debut of Tessa's first trilogy, being published back-to-back by Ballantine. I will confess, I read it because I follow Tessa on Twitter and I like her, and also because I wanted to find out what made Sarah and Jane so excited about this weirdly titled non-paranormal historical. Almost immediately, though, I forgot why I picked it up, or even that I was reading at all. I was THAT sucked into the story, which is deliciously gothic and sexy. The writing is atmospheric without veering into melodrama, and the characters are beautifully drawn. I never wanted it to end.
But it was a novella! Satisfying, yes, but still short enough to whet my appetite for more. While I definitely plan to buy Goddess of the Hunt when it hits shelves at the end of July, I couldn't wait that long to feed my historical hunger.
So I turned to another book I'd heard about on Twitter (this is turning into a blog about how Twitter can help you find the perfect read for any mood, isn't it?) when it came out, and several of the authors I follow, including Tessa, were going ballistic over it. That would be the boringly packaged, incomparably exciting latest by Jennifer Ashley: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. Ms. Ashley isn't a new author, but she was new to me, and I had no preconceived notions of what to expect when I picked up her book at my local Borders. Oh, not precisely true--I had heard several people comment that they almost didn't read it, not expecting to be able to enjoy a hero like Lord Ian, but when they gave it a chance, they were blown away. Also, Lord Ian was compared to Christian, the stroke victim hero of Laura Kinsale's classic (and one of the first romance novels I ever read) Flowers from the Storm. So. He had a lot to live up to, did Lord Ian.
By page four, I wasn't remotely concerned that he would. Lord Ian Mackenzie is unique in the world of romance. The comparison to Christian is valid and justified, but to compare them implies a similarity that detracts from Ian's originality and utterly endearing individuality. I could not have loved him more. Ms. Ashley did an incredible job of showing the world through his eyes, giving us his skewed, awkward, beautiful perspective without reducing him to an object of pity. And the heroine! Beth is a widow...who actually loved and had pleasurable sex with her first husband! Talk about pushing the envelope and trashing tropes.
From there, I was good and hooked. Of course, The Madness of Lord Ian turns out to be the first in a new series--but the story of Ian's next Scottish brother isn't out until the middle of next year. *sob* So I went back to (where else?) Twitter for my next reading rec. It turns out that when you ask a group of avid romance readers what their favorite historical romance is, half will respond with Flowers from the Storm, and the other half will say Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. Having already read and re-read everything Kinsale ever wrote, I decided to give LoS a try. I'd never heard of Loretta Chase before Berkley bought and published Miss Wonderful, amid great rejoicing, in 2004. I heard nothing for weeks but how fabulous an author she was, but I was buried under a pile of slush manuscripts and the last thing I had time for was to read for pleasure.
Having recently decided that I don't have time NOT to read while I'm writing, I started Lord of Scoundrels last night. And finished it this morning around 11. I'm not kidding; I woke up at 6:30 to read this book. I can't believe how many times I laughed, got teary, and nearly threw my hands up in despair of ever writing a book half so entertaining and heart-wrenchingly wonderful. The heroine? One of my best friends in the whole world. I want to BE Jessica Trent when I grow up. Practical, tough-minded, utterly unabashed by whatever the hero throws at her--and all in a convincing, unshrewish way! And the hero. Oh my word. From the masterful prologue describing him as an ugly, uncertain child with a violent temper, I was completely entranced. Every mean, sarcastic word out of his mouth, and there are plenty, makes sense. He's the antithesis of the cold, unfeeling aristocrat who often stomps through the pages of historical romance. While Dain couldn't be more alpha, he's also sensitive as a raw wound and willing to do anything to protect himself. I believed every reaction, every word from his mouth, and felt like I knew him better than most people I hang out with on a day-to-day basis. I can see precisely why Lord of Scoundrels is such a favorite. I'm not sure if it's usurped Shadow and the Star or Flowers from the Storm as my personal top pick; those were the books that started me down the path that led to my lifelong obsession with romance, after all. Ask me again in a few years, when I've had a chance to reread Lord of Scoundrels as many times as I've enjoyed those books I discovered at twelve.
I grew up in Virginia, went to school in Philadelphia, spent five years in Manhattan, then moved to a teeny town in Ohio. Now I live in fabulous, funky, fun Austin, Texas, which is very inspiring...
Once an editor of romance novels, now I'm writing my own. My Recipe for Love series combines contemporary romance with my love of food, restaurants, and smokin' hot chefs!
