New Site!

Go and check out my new site! Arin Rhys Online! That is where my blog is now being held.

Wereplanets: In Smoke by Crystal Jordan

Wereplanets: In Smoke by Crystal Jordan is a book that is built on a great premise with awesome world building. The plot doesn't feel rushed by its novella length. That doesn't mean that it is a book without flaws, though in spite of them, I would still give the book a C.

There are four wereplanets with mermaids, weredragons, weretigers, and werebears on separate planets. The werefolk were made from Earthan experiments so they could survive on the various planets. It takes places in a galaxy far far a way and a long time from now, but with the loss of Earth they have gaps in their fantastic yet primitive technology. The world building is awesome and the little hints of the various were cultures were fascinating. It made me want to read more in this series just for the world building.

Wereplanets is a series and in this story, Katryn is a weredragon raised on the weretiger planet who is sent back to her home planet to be mated to Lord Nadir and be apart of his harim which is really a polyamorous relationship that would include the sexy Tarkesh. That is where the story breaks down. This plot should have enough conflict thrown in its way, but Jordan resorts to big misunderstandings to advance the plot.

Katryn is thickheaded like few characters outside of the Anita Blake series. Katryn is described as being intelligent, but there are few examples of that trait.

She has no idea what is up with dragon politics or culture and is about to be mated in a way that would cement and protect a trading relationship with the dragons and tigers, but she still allows Tarkesh to seduce her and kiss her in public.

And, even with the knowledge that there are dangerous bandits in the desert that require her caravan to take secret routes she does this:

“No. Just leave me be.” She knew her words and actions were unreasonable, but she couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop now. Her fists balled at her sides, a sign of her anger at all the things she couldn’t control in her life now. Of all the things she was ignorant of, all the things she should know and didn’t. Spinning away, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She needed to escape, to be alone... Digging her toes into the sand, she moved with great speed over the terrain. Her body was built to thrive in desert conditions. Away, away.

Katryn acts like a child at every turn. She is supposed to be from the tough weretiger court, but there is no sign that she has any guile or tact. She needs to read the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, badly.

This is supposed to be a menage, but the relationships between Katryn, Tarkesh, and Nadir are very fragmented. Everything is focused on Katryn. The relationship between Katryn and Nadir is never really built on. Tarkesh seems to be their only link besides the mating. One good thing about the threesome (or in separate couples) was that whenever Jordan got them sexing it up, I had to fan myself because she can write some scorching sex scenes.

Nadir is my favorite character because he acts in a logical manner. It annoyed me when he made Katryn apologize to someone when she was being rude, he gets stomped on by the other two in his mating. He's willing to do something very big for Katryn and she doesn't appear grateful as if its her due.

Oh, and the sequel baiting or whatever the side romance plot was distracting.

Crystal Jordan has a great world on her hands. I would love to read her other books, but I just hope that next time she makes a heroine that it is worth her universe. What do you think about this book? You can buy Wereplanets: In Smoke at Cobblestone Press.

The NEW Arin Rhys Online is OPEN!

Thanks to the lovely Celia Kyle, my website has a new home and a new look. She put in the wordpress which is the foundation of the entire site. Thank you, Celia!!!

Arin Rhys Online

MY NEW SITE!!!

http://www.arinrhys.literalseduction.com/ - Celia Kyle of literalseduction.com graciously is letting me squat on her internet domain.

I just have a coming soon page up, but I hope to have a lot more. Yay!

I'm having a bad day....

Does anyone have any happy, fun books to recommend?

I need a good book, a good cry, and good sized bar of chocolate.

The Most Important Thing I Learned From Fanfiction

The Most Important Thing I have Learned From Writing Fanfiction

Taking Criticism -- Constructive or Not:

We all love our moms. She tells us that we are the most pretty girl in the world, that our writing is fantastic, and that we'll be bigger than Nora Roberts. Unfortunately, you could be butt-ugly, unable to string two words together, and Nora Roberts would laugh in her Gucci heels before riding off into the sunset on her diamond-encrusted pony rocket at the thought of you gunning for her. You're Mom isn't necessarily lying to you – she probably thinks that you're great because she loves you.

The people online don't love you – you have to make them love you. In fanfiction, you can get instant feedback from people across the world. And, not all of that feedback is good. I've gotten horrible feedback (along the lines of 'please never write again because I don't think the world can stand such stupidity again') on stories that I busted my ass on which made me want to cry. But, I still thanked them for reading. Why? Because no one is going to love your work like your mother or your best friend and you will have to deal with that.

Whether you are being published online in a fanfiction livejournal community or in the newest anthology from Ellora's Cave, you are still putting your work out there to be viewed at by the general public. Between you and me, the general public is a nasty beast with a short attention span and finicky nature. The general public doesn't care if you had a bad day or your dog died or that you have kidney stone – the general public wants to be entertained. And, it doesn't matter if they spend five dollars or only five minutes to read your story, if you don't deliver they will be disappointed. They might even tell their friends or write on their blog about how much your story sucked and to avoid you at all costs.

The readers and writers of fanfic aren't as nice as the Romance Community. They'll say if your story sucked donkey balls without pointing out that they liked the sidekick. I've gotten used to getting my babies stomped on, but it still hurts. That's why when I get a comment (any kind) on my work, I step back and let it soak in before I make any kind of reply. That keeps me from making an ass out of myself a la Sally Fields at the Oscars or Laurel K. Hamilton in her 'Dear Negative Readers' rant. Mrs. Giggles is never going to strike the same fear into me as angry, snotty English major posting my story on their journal for the sheer pleasure of ripping it apart. Trust me, its happened and I survived. Mrs. Giggles doesn't make personal attacks which fanfic readers will. Always, remember that they are reviewing the story and not you.

Here's the tough love on publishing. Once you publish it – its going to be mocked, loved, hated, ignored, liked, disliked, and celebrated. If you don't want to know what the outside world might think of your story then keep it under your bed. If you can't handle a unkind word about it, ditto.

As, for myself, I use every mocking comment, negative reply, and constructive criticism as a challenge, promise, and means of improving my work. I feel grateful that people actually read the story and had some sort of emotional reaction to it even if it was revulsion. Hey, at least, if they are making fun of it they aren't indifferent to it. Now, that is the reaction to fear – indifference.

I Keep On Trucking...

I had my story, The Cherub's Ditch, rejected by Torquere Press which was depressing as hell. But, I still have vaguely offensive funny videos on Youtube to console me.

I bring you: HOUSE OF COSBYS!



This isn't quit safe for work, I don't think. Its in the AdultSwim on the cartoon network line of humor. You'll never look at Bill Cosby the same again!

Fortune's Fool from Phaze

Fortune's Fool is an erotic romance anthology featuring Selah March (her book, Dirty Shame, was given a 85 by Mrs Giggles), Eva Gale, Bianca D'Arc, and Cassidy Kent. The theme of the anthology is psychics. Its from Phaze!

Fake Book Blurb

Miami Sizzle

Mildred Sugarbaker was a just your average virgin widow trying to keep her dead sister's orphanage for the redhead children of Indonesian skunk miners open when disaster struck. Under the hot Miami sun with only the seagulls as witnesses, one of the children were kidnapped. And now a steep ransom is being demanded -- HER VIRGINITY.

Glenn Finkleberg is a ex-SEAL, ex-PI, ex-CIA and current vampire with a shameful past. Seeing the news of the kidnapping, he knows that solving this case may be his last hope for redemption. But, can he let down his barriers and TRUST AGAIN?

As sizzling as eggs on a Miami barrio sidewalk, Glenn and Mildred's lust threatens to bubble over. The question isn't what the hell is going on -- The question is can love survive when a evil kidnapper, a plot to kill the President with a weather vane, and amnesia is thrown in its path?


-----------

What can I say? Glenn Finkleberg just wouldn't let me go before I shared a blurb of his true love with Mildred. :D

Steven Saylor Writes Great Mysteries

Do you love Mysteries? I like mysteries, but I love historical mysteries. Have any of you heard of Steven Saylor? He has a mystery series that features a detective-like man named Gordianus the Finder who helps solve crimes and mysteries for the Roman elite in the time of Julius Caesar. I've only read one book of his -- The Judgement of Caesar -- and I can't wait to read another. The speech and the attitude of the character doesn't seem anachronistic which is such a plus. Nothing jumped out at me as wrong in the historical facts department. And for romance lovers, the feelings that Gordianus has for his wife in The Judgement of Caesar is tear jerking. Check out Steven Saylor, you won't be disappointed.

I've read my first JD Ward book. It is Lover Eternal in the Brotherhood of the Black Dagger series. I liked it. It was fun, good read. The names of the guys in the Brotherhood made me laugh like I was on LOLlerskates though. Rhage? Tohrment? Zsadist? I really want to see the romance when the hero is a "utter masculine" guy named Glenn Finkleberg. Seriously though, JD Ward is just like Steven Saylor in the list of authors to read again. Her book didn't rock the boat in paranormal romance or get on my keeper shelf, but it might be on the shelf next to the keepers.

This Shit Is Bananas

The fake Tyra Mail from McSweeney's is hilarious. Here is my favorite:

One of you bitches done stole my Fruit Roll-Ups. Heads will roll tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. sharp. —Y'all know my name


TROUBLING TYRA MAILS CENSORED FROM AIRED EPISODES OF AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL.

Top Model Finale

I'm not disappointed because the girl who won (I'm trying not to spoil anyone) is talented and did walk well in the show, but I did want the other girl to win because I feel that she has more potential to be successful. And, she is just cute as a button!

Anyway, as long as a certain woman didn't win, I am happy. If she won I would have been pissed.

Any other Top Model fans?

MOOSE FARM!!!

I found a link to a Russian moose farm! It has picture goodness.

THE KOSTROMA MOOSE FARM

New! Hot! Muuuuusic!

Aubrey Debauchery is a singer-songwriter who writes some beautiful and at times playfully wicked songs. One song of hers that I really like a lot is the "Love Letter to No One." That might be a song to give some writers some inspiration.

I've seen her in concert, and she has a great presence, she can really work a crowd. Even if that crowd is behind a noisy pizzeria. My friends and I drove two hours to Gilbert to see her. And, that has to tell you that she is good because Gilbert is a confusing, crap hole of a suburb.

Try this girl out, you won't be disappointed.

Neptune Rising by HA Fowler [HET review]

Neptune Rising by H.A. Fowler was like a constant homage to other books or even
television shows. I say homage to be polite. Let me explain: the hero, Hart Campbell,
is describe as having cheekbones like David Boreanaz's and sounding like a Scotsman
because he sounded like Jamie from a Diana Gabaldon's book. He is a incubus and, like a Christina Feehan or Kresley Cole book, has a soulmate with a cutesy name -- an
Intimate. Its not a good sign when a reader is like, "wow, that seems like something in so-n-so's book so why am I not reading them?" It took me two tries to finish this
story. Neptune Rising (the title seems to have nothing to do with the book) earns a D.

I'm a poor college student, and I could be spending what little money I have on beer
and weed, but I decided to spend it on books. I could have gotten five used books for
the price of this 10k-20k story. And, as a poor college student who is neither drunk
nor high and has just finished a really really disappointing book, I will not be
pulling any punches.

Kimber Andrews, a 'quirky' girl, is looking for love and with the help of her witchy
friend, tries to summon the perfect man. Too bad she summons the perfect rapist in the form of a incubus. Hart Campbell looks like David Boreanaz and happens to be a very bland, Scottish Guardian. He's also a reformed incubus. He has to rescue her from being raped. She's enough of a wet blanket that right after almost being raped (which honestly, don't start necking with a dude who appears out of thin air wearing bondage gear) she hops into bed with Hart. Who later has a thought bubble about Kimber's spirit. What?!? Maybe H.A. Fowler should have showed some of this spirit before. Of course, they fall in love after five seconds because Kimber is a desperate woman (Hart falls out of the sky and without any questioning Kimber is fine to be with him FOREVER) and Hart's has that whole mystically Intimate thing going on.

H.A. Fowler takes way too long (with too many cliches) to describe how great looking
Hart is. We get it -- He's fucking pretty. Her skill with description is again used
with such lovely terms as aching channel, womanly juices, velvet steel, and throbbing
womb. Maybe its just because I'm a big lo' lesbo, but those words just threw me right
out of every sex scene. You know what else threw me out of the sex scene -- Kimber's
screaming orgasms of cliche. Wow, I would not want to live next to that broad. Hart
doesn't sound like a heterosexual dude. In fact when he is around his partner, Nasim,
he sounds like he'd rather be with Nasim than Kimber. The dialogue is so cheesy; its I
-want-some-tortilla-chips-to-go-with-this cheesy; my eyes almost popped out of my
sockets because I kept rolling them. There is not plot. There are some info dumps
between Kimber and Hart having boring sex, but no plot.

Good things, because even I am tired of my rant, are the lovely cover, Nasim, and the
editing. The plot really could have been cool which sort of counts as a good thing.

Neptune Rising was every cliche and overly used plot point of recent paranormals rolled into one. Kimber and Hart are uninteresting characters. The whole book seems like author wish fulfillment, as a fanfic reader, I know how to spot that. This is a best seller at Cobblestone so some people must like it; I really did not. See for yourself at href="http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/neptunerising.htm">Cobblestone
Press.

All of Us Writing the Gay/Lesbian Romance...

better not go to the Romantic Times convention.

Homophobia shown toward a M/M writer.

Way to go, Romantic Times, way to show how up with the times you are. They don't review M/M and they don't like those authors at their cons. Wow, way to alienate the readers and writers of a rapidly growing genre. Kudos, Hyatt hotel as well.


Kathryn Falk of Romantic Times is making romance writers and publishers everywhere seem like delicate violets.
Wow! Lets hope that none of these sensitive authors try to write and post fanfic... Trust me, fanfic writers give no mercy. I thought it was cute that you have to be 'good of heart' to write romance.

Well, this whole kerfuffle is very timely because I had just finished a very inane book, and I was going to post my review which isn't the nicest that I ever wrote. If any of you guys is going to commit suicide because of it, please comment and I'll post a picture of a panda right after the bad review. :D

Dirty Shame by Selah March [Het Review]

Dirty Shame by Selah March from Amber Quill press is a contemporary romance that breaks the rules. First of all the hero, Dare Daniels, is the star of a hit television show called Vegas Knight. Second of all the 'dirty shame' in his past is actually something that would make a person tortured. Third of all, Dare is a complete womanizer. Selah March doesn't play halfsies with this tale. And, boy, does it pay off. Dirty Shame gets an A from this reviewer and I don't particularly like contemporaries.

The heroine is Joey Fiorello, a struggling actress who applies for a personal assistant gig to pay the bills. Dare is tabloid fodder of Britney Spears proportions; His manager hires Joey in hopes that she can make the oversexed actor tame his libido or at least keep it from the public eye. That becomes difficult when, of course, sparks fly between the pair.

The editing was good which sometimes with Amber Quill books can be iffy. The dialogue is fantastic. I never rolled my eyes once during their verbal sparring, and I usually find romance 'banter' to be mockable at best, Dare sounded like a real guy! Its like Selah March had observed them in their natural habitat. Joey was a tough cookie without being stupid. Feisty and not lobotomized: a mix so rare its like a white tiger in the wild. She did have some quirks that seemed a little unrealistic to sort of crazy. And the fact that Dare was willing to hire even after she explains her behavior is odd, but given his own history, understandable. Joey and Dare were interesting, fleshed-out characters that gave extra spice to their romance and more enjoyment for me as a reader. And, the sex scenes mention condoms. Sorry if that is a spoiler, but it was that realism that grounded the book and made believing that a hunky TV star would fall for a short, buxom assistant that much easier. This is also a suspenseful story, and the mystery part of the story isn't tacked on. As the plot twists and turns, its always surprising, but doesn't come out of left field. I had a few 'Ah ha' moments I pieced together the story. This book is just all around fun!

Selah March has a great voice and her story had its feet on the ground with touches of realism. This book feels like it takes place on Earth instead of Romancelandia. Watching Joey and Dare fall in love is a treat, and the fall is natural, I never felt like the author was writing down to fit romance conventions. This is a 'A' tale, and I can't wait to read more from Selah March.

Recommendations?

Okay, I had my Japanese oral final today, and I survived. I was literally shaking throughout the five minute conversation. Sensai Ishitawa and Fujio scare me sometimes. Usually when they make me speak Japanese. Now, I know that I will need some good ebooks to calm my nerves and relax me enough so that I can sleep after all the cramming and such.

So, does anyone have any recommendations? I like paranormals and fantasy books, but I just read some good comtemporaries by La Nora (I had never read her before but now I know why she is so popular) and Jennifer Crusie so if you want to throw some my way that would be great. Any lesbian or gay romances would be lovely, but I just love a good romance no matter what body parts are interlocking. Ebooks would be preferable.

Aren't I just a demanding diva?

Break From Finals Studying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nIiC5yiNak

-----

When I saw this I thought of a few vampire heroes in some recent paranormals. This ring anyone else's bells?

FINALS!!!

Okay, finals are a week and a half away, so I will be getting into stressed out mode complete with swelled tonsils. So, I bid everyone adieu until finals are over and I stopped pulling my hair out.

Sela Carsen:

I liked the Virgin Courtesan a lot. There was a good sense of scenery. I couldn't imagine the story taking place anywhere else. The characters were likable. The villain was pretty 2-D, and the ending felt like a cop out. It was lacking in depth, but it was a fun read. It was a pleasant romp 1500s Venice. I would think that it would be a C+ or B+ depending on if you thought the ending was great or lame.

Peace Out!

What I Am Reading

I'm reading Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie and it's great. I'll have a review for that and the Virgin Courtesan up soon. Most likely by the weekend. I have a few university matters including a French-Canadian professor and the extreme hard Japanese language to master.

Good News: I already planned out my schedule for next fall.

Bad News: Finals are coming up in three weeks.

Bittersweet News: I ran out of Jellybeans.

Were-Armadillo

I swear on the sacred name of blogger that one day I will write a story where some secondary characters are a funny were-Armadillo and his wife. There must be a scene where the wife puts a upturned laundry basket over the husband when he is in his were-armadillo form because she gets annoyed that him and another paranormal creature were out fighting crime or something. I just had this random thought after reading a review for the Big Kahuna.

Ghostly Desire by Keziah Hill (Lesbian Rom. Review)

Ghostly Desire by Keziah Hill from Forbidden Publishing.

Ghostly Desire by Keziah Hill is novel that was dried out in the sun until it was sixteen pages. If you read it, you will understand why it has a raisin quality. Thea and Judith met when they were both fifteen at Thea's Uncle Osbert's mansion by the sea in Tasmania. Years later when Uncle Osbert dies, Thea inherits the mansion. Judith had been the daughter of the housekeeper, so of course she has strong ties to the house. Opposites personalities clash together in this story until a sexy showdown almost too neatly ties up the entire tale. Ghostly Desire suffers from its lack of length, and what could have been a great novel makes for a unsatisfying short story. I would give this story a very low C-.

I really had thought about giving this one a D, but Hill has a fun voice in her writing and a little bits of realism that you never really see in romancelandia. The back story to Judith and Thea's first meeting is a smoke-filled affair as Thea and her brother were toking it to keep from being bored to death. That made me laugh out loud because I still remember family vacations where us kids would go on “hikes” and smoke our way up the mountain. Anyway, back to the review. The editing was fine; no errors jumped out at me. I could tell that this would have been a very fun novel, and the sex was hot (though the sexy talk was lame but I always think the sexy talk is lame unless the author carefully set the mood) so I put it between C and D. The potential and the energetic prose bumped up the score.

Now, why would I have wanted to give this a D? Hill had a great chance to build up the character of the house and the setting to give a little dimension to Judith. Judith really loves the house, readers like having setting, so build up the description on the house and it gives insight into Judith and a nice setting. I know that at sixteen pages that it is hard to set the scene, but it would have given the story more texture. Though, I always want more description and texture, so your opinion may vary. thing that wasn't well explained was why Thea and Judith would have stayed in each other's memories. I could understand if Hill had explained it as Thea and Judith being friends or both mooning over each other or something, but they had known each other (and didn't talk to the other much) for a week. And, the chemistry was lacking. I didn't feel the passion which I believe that Hill could have been able to build if she had a full novel to do so. And the conclusion? Abrupt, abrupt, abrupt: it was like Wil E. Coyote running into one of the Roadrunner's painted tunnels.

This story felt like that the missed opportunities overcrowded the actual story. Hill has a good voice, but I think that she ought to stick to longer stories. Get this story at Forbidden Publications (for $2 actually).

Stacking the Deck: Vegas Magic by Sara Dennis [HET Review}

Vegas Magic: Stacking the Deck by Sara Dennis is sweet. I would give it a B+. Now, I am a lesbian, but even though this is heterosexual romance, I enjoyed it a lot.
Sam is witch ready to hit the town with her girlfriends when she sees Alec perform a magic show. That chance meeting leads to a few drinks which get complicated very fast because anything can happen in Las Vegas with supernatural creatures about. Kick ass witches, hunky warlocks, adorable fairies, and angry werewolves populate this tale of romance and action in Las Vegas.

Sara Dennis' has created some vivid characters here. Sam and Alec have fleshed out personalities, and Dennis is able to make secondary characters like Twyla stand out. Sam and Alec are just fun to read about. They are such a cute couple that it made sense that they liked each other. I've read a few romances where I wonder why in the hell didn't the couple get restraining orders on each other. Not with this couple. They made me wish the story was longer. Sara Dennis is good at creating interesting characters.

For those like me who get thrown out of a story if there is bad editing -- never fear! Stacking the Deck looks like an editor did get a hold of it.

There were some things that I didn't like. The romance between Sam and Alec seems like it went from 'hey hottie' to 'soulmates' a little fast, but the story was well-written enough that I didn't mind. Another issue was the character Duff. I found him to be a tad unrealistic, but like with the fast romance, I was convinced to get over it. Both issues did bug me when I was reading it though. The ending was sort of unrealistic in its HEA, but you are so happy that there is a HEA that it doesn't really matter. Sara Dennis does seem to be able to make any flaws in her story seem minicule or charming by strength of the story as a whole.

The story is very fast paced, and the plot is like a roller coaster. This does seem like the characters are the real focus of the story, so though who want a real plot driven romance will be disappointed. I want to read more of Sara Dennis' work. This is a real treat of a paranormal romance. You can buy this story here at Cobblestone Press.

Scrunchies: They're Back.

Flipping through the March issue of Nylon, I was faced with a conclusion that I just couldn't fight. Scrunchies were back. They were on the pages of Nylon, tutorials on how to make them raced through style blogs, and Sienna Miller was seen with an orange scunchie in her hair. Fashion is truly circular isn't? Scrunchies went from popular to joke, and now they are chugging back to the top.

I still haven't decided if scrunchies will be a fad that won't trickle down to the masses or if they will become a wardrobe staple like ballet flats. I'm going to have my eye on this trend, but I'm not heading out to make/buy any new scrunchies. I'll just gussy up my old ones. This just seems like a trend that's going to have trouble making it off the catwalk.

Two Weeks of Reading

The Mists of Avalon:
Squeeeeee! This book was great. The view of King Arthur and his knights from the view of the women around them was an inspired idea. The prose was lush, and I didn't feel like a word on any of the 876 pages was wasted. Everyone had flaws so that neither Mograine or Gwenhwyfar seemed like perfect people. In fact, Gwenhwyfar got on my nerves a little bit. Mograine's plans sort of had me wanting to smack her upside the head. It seemed very well researched, and that is always a good sign. If you haven't read it, do so.

Nylon Magazine (March issue):
Scrunchies are back... :( I'm just going to be too hipster for that trend. Also, Pete Wentz, not that cool. Sorry.

Party Monster:
This book was so much darker than the movie. There was so much interesting stuff in the book that didn't make it too the movie. James St. James had one hell of a voice. I got this book in one day and finished it in four hours because I was sucked into the story so much. Too bad I had a midterm the next day and didn't study as much as I should have. Well, I had dancing crackheads in chicken costumes running through my head. That makes it a little hard to focus on Latin American trade politics.

Complicated Women - Women in Pre-Code Hollywood:
This book was a love letter to Norma Shearer and, while I could see how some would find that annoying, I thought that was the best anchor to the whole tale. Norma Shearer was an little known innovator who brought the darker, raunchier, and more realistic and sympathetic stories for women into mainstream Hollywood movies... And the public loved it. Its just a great read with a gossip yet historical voice that really makes the early 30s seem like yesterday.

Heidi Klum's Body of Knowledge: 8 Rules of Model Behavior (to Help You Take Off on the Runway of Life) :
I read this in like an hour and a half in the university bookstore. It was pretty uninteresting. It had the same old-same old self help shit, but Heidi and her ghost writer have a pretty preppy voice that makes the celebrity self help guide seem a little fresher. The pictures of Heidi were nice. If your in the bookstore, I wouldn't say buy it, but it wouldn't hurt to look at it.

I read all this and I still haven't finished Pulse from Cobblestone Press or Nature Rising or Love Me Tender. *le sigh*

Locked and Loaded: An Erotic Lesbian Romance Anthology (Review)

Locked and Loaded: An Erotic Lesbian Romance Anthology (Review)

Locked and Loaded edited by SA Clements is a pretty damn good anthology. All in all, I would give it a B. The theme of this anthology is the women who sleep with a gun under their pillow and never go out of the house without a knife strapped to their thighs. The stories are organized in chronological order starting with a sexy pirate captain and ending with a engineer making love in space. I think a round of applause is in order for Clements in finding such a diverse group of stories that have some thing for everyone.

I will start with the fabulous! "No Business" by Parhelion is my favorite story. In a dark, gilded 1930s Hollywood, Vera is a kick-ass 'gal Friday' getting the scoop for her wealthy boss's (Margot Blake) gossip column. While you're reading the story you can totally tell the amount of research that went into it. The only complaint is that the love scenes seemed tacked on, but I haven't read such a well-written tacked on scene in a while. Two stories are tied for second place in my heart - "Free" by Tracey Shellito and "Kiss of Steel" by Crystal Barela. "Free" is set in the Netherlands, and the setting is used so well. The story couldn't be told in another setting. The writing is taut, and I love that there is an interracial couple. Warning, the ending does sort of dance the line of being too sentimental. "Kiss of Steel" is a darker tale. The girls in this story are harder than steel with an edge that could cut diamonds. Jane and McClane are ruthless killers and there is no sugar coating of the fact. The sex is rougher, and the fighting more brutal. I felt like the ending was a little too pat.

Some highlights from the middle of the pack are "Guarding Kate" by Samantha Boswell. I ended that story with one sappy smile. "Bustles and Doeskin" by BA Tortuga has one fantastic character in Eleanor. She cracked me up.

"Inexorable" by Jodi Payne and "Coming Home" by Jennifer Joyce are at the bottom of the pack. "Coming Home" was sort of boring for me and I felt in term of writing that it might have been the weakest. Though I think that might be one of those things were I am alone on. "Inexorable" by Jodi Payne was one that I just didn't like at all. She seemed like a Mary Sue with the attitude of bratty teenager not the highly trained, empath that the author kept telling the reader she was. Jo was similarly grating. From the beginning the characters just kept me from enjoying the story.

I really did like this anthology. I hope that SA Clements edits another anthology. She picked a good bunch of stories. Everyone can buy this anthology at Torquere Press.

WENTWORTH MILLER GOES TO KOREA

...which is only news because Korean fangirls may have cornered the market on the ultimate cuteness. Isn't that sign just adorable?

THE BEST SIGN EVER! CLICK BECAUSE YOU WILL MISS OUT.

That flaky, yet delicious, temptress -- Inspiration!

Anyone else just love looking at pictures to give them a little inspiration? I do. Its not how the picture them selves look or what is in them. Its the feeling that I get from them. Its the way that the colors contrast. Its the names written in the tiny credit font in the corner. I can think of stories about the pictures at a drop of the hat.

In my search for pictures on the web, I have found Deviant Art and Iqons. The first website is a artist community where members post drawings, writing, photos, and other forms of artwork. This isn't a professional site, but even the crudest paintings can inspire. Just look at cave drawings! The second site is the fashion version of myspace. It has the usual mix of designers, models, magazines, and the fashion forward. There are some truly talented and beautiful people on that site.

Foreign magazines are also quite fun to look at. My best friend brought me back a fashion magazine from Tokyo, and it is just really interesting to see the different aesthetics between my American culture and the culture shown in the magazine. Small home-grown magazines (not just fashion ones) can jump start an idea or two. Searching around for some local music rags in your area might show your muse where exactly the perfect heroine for your hero(ine) is. A punk rock chick for a stuffy banker? Anything is possible with romance!

Any style mags from the New Yorker, W, and Home and Garden are game for perusal. Heck, I've been known to get an idea or solution to a plot problem from flipping through the Weekly World News in line at the grocery store!

Her Black Little Heart by Selah March [Het Review]

Her Black Little Heart by Selah March [het ebook review]

Misfits are the underlying theme of story which isn't covered enough in romance. The hero and heroine of Her Black Little Heart are misfits. Outcasts. Outsiders. Adam Brewster, a doctor, is a stranger to the little village of Chop Gate. Leda Cavendish is a rich widow living alone with her son in her estate while the village below swirls with gossip about her wicked ways. Leda has summoned Adam to her estate to care for her ill son. I would give this novel a B.

Its refreshing to see a romance where people are truly outsiders. Usually its because a virgin widow is too much of a bluestocking to go outside or a rough, but lovable sea captain can't face society after the losses he saw at a sea. With the xenophobia and intolerance of the townspeople Adam and Leda can't actually fully become true citizens of the village. This influences both of their personalities, and is a way that they both can connect.

This is a historical romance, and it is written like one. It has all the earmarks of a historical: old time-y syntax, rustic servants like Mrs. Maggs, and a moor. I swear to God, that I would find a moor in a historical set in Egypt. Though, this romance turns some conventions on its head. Leda was a widow with a child, but she doesn't hate her first husband. She's a worldly woman with no qualms about what she wants. Adam is a good doctor. He's nice to Leda from the start, and even with their verbal sparring, one can tell that they enjoy each other's company. Another refreshing point, an author who uses banter to up the chemistry, and not replace it.

On the technical/craft note, this was well-written and there is actual effort to make this sound like it is in the 1820s. Its nice to read an ebook where the character's name doesn't change midway through and the sentences aren't awkward jumbles of prose.

There were things that didn't work. There were times when Leda seemed a little bi-polar. Crying over her son one minute and then pawing at Adam the next. A little more explanation, not an info dump mind you, about the ways and ideas of the 1820s might have shed a little light on Leda's mindset and her behavior. I think that some people who prefer a traditional historical with a virgin and a rake might be disappointed, but those who want a little variety in their historicals will be pleased with this offering from Selah March.

Her Black Little Heart is a historical tale that takes the reader out of the respectable parlors of London and onto an estate where a strong woman and a good man may just have found love and the will to leave their critics behind in the dust. You can buy the book at Amber Heat.

PHAZE ACCEPTS LESBIAN ROMANTIC EROTICA!

Huzzah!

Q. Do you accept lesbian erotica?
A. In the past we had only considered F/F scenes in works that also featured het or M/M erotica; however, we are lifting that rule and will now consider exclusively F/F works so long as they adhere to our guidelines.

Yay! Prepare for the sexing of the lesbian kind, Phaze! (as soon as I write it, of course)

Thank you, December Quinn and Selah March for giving me the heads up about Phaze. Kisses, chicas!

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Okay, today, I was writing a pretty emotional scene in the novel I'm working on, 23 Kisses, and I start tearing up. Having to write Claudia watch Zoe walk away from her in disgust after finding out she is a gatekeeper almost killed me. Anyone else get emotional with their characters as they write certain scenes?

St. Paddy's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I wish the house didn't smell like cabbage, but thats just what my mother makes for family St. Paddy's day dinner. Nothing brings back memories like the entire Rhys family sitting around the table trying not to let Mom know that we have always hated cabbage.

Trust me, nothing turns a person back into a six year old as when they try to figure out how to cover their plate with the least amount of food and still make it look like they love Mom's boiled cabbage.

Introducing... Arin Rhys.

Welcome to my blog.

As it says on the top, I write a different kind of romance. Now, I hope everyone is sitting when I say this. It just may shock you. I write... lesbian (and frequently erotic) romance in the fantasy genre. Dear Lord, I believe that old Aunt Pearl just fainted. ;) Now, I know that all the people still standing have already shrugged and are waiting for me to be interesting.

I, as of this writing, am unpublished. Though, as it says on my myspace, I'm UNpublished and Undaunted. Like, Mary Tyler Moore, I'm going to make it after all. Writing has been a passion of mine for years, and I have been scribbling and submitting for awhile. I've been published in a few free forum magazines and student rags, but never really PUBLISHED. I write other genres such as horror and straight out fantasy (though really what is a good story without some sort of romance whither its between a two [or mercy me, three] people or between a person and adventure).

Who is this Arin Rhys? This mysterious author of the lesbian orientation? Well, I am a student at the University of Arizona for what seems like forever. I enjoy a good hot chocolate, history (of the Tudor era persuasion especially), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, pop culture insanity, fashion, and reading. I read voraciously. I used to read while walking and ended up banging into things. My music genre of the moment is electronic music (of the happy hardcore variety) and my artist of the moment is P!nk. I may or may not be addicted to Romance Divas.

What have I written, you ask? You've heard more than necessary about me, and now you want to look at the goods. Well, I've written a short fantasy story called, "The Cherub's Ditch," (around 12,000 words) that I have submitted to Torquere Press. I have a few stories that I am working on. Most specifically one called, "23 Kisses," that is turning out to be quite the beast. You can read the descriptions of these two tales at my website, Arin Rhys Online.

Thanks for stopping by, darlings!