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*WTF is bi-monthly, anyway? Twice a month? Every two months? It'll get jiggy with any month regardless of its sex? Doesn't every-other-monthly just make more sense???
Showing posts with label Yolanda Renée. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yolanda Renée. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2015
Calling All Creators!
*WTF is bi-monthly, anyway? Twice a month? Every two months? It'll get jiggy with any month regardless of its sex? Doesn't every-other-monthly just make more sense???
Monday, October 21, 2013
A Two-fer: A Writerly Type Blog Hop & A Review
One of my good bloggy friends, Allyson Lindt, tagged me in a hop AND I've just finished reading her most recent contemporary romance, so for today's post I'm offering a two-fer-the-price-of-one. (Not that I'm charging y'all to read this, or anything, but you know what I mean...) So first, let's go to—
The Hop!
For this writerly-type hop, authors who've been tagged answer a buncha questions, then tag 3 of their fellow writers to do the same. (There's always a catch.) The questions are as follows:
What are you working on right now?
'Cause I'm pressed for time (and lazy), I'm gonna rip off the answer I gave in an interview I did earlier this month, with one of the gals I'm tagging for this Hop:
Well, I claim to be an author of "dark and whimsical romance." While there's plenty of paranormal stuff out there, even funny paranormal (MaryJanice Davidson & Katie MacAlister are two of my fave writers), my particular brand of whimsy has an especially sophisticated edge to it. I like to think so, anyway. (Be a lamb and don't shatter my delusions, if you disagree.) (Better still, don't disagree; it's not nice to contradict a Goth Mom.)
Why do you write what you do?
Oh, why the hell not? J/K. In her answer to this question, Allyson said she writes about what she wants to read: characters "living" in her world. I write about the world in which I'd like to live: one filled with magic. Also, I'm getting a little tired of the preponderance of nubile virgin chicks in the 21st century of romance fiction. C'mon, folks—in the 21st century??!?!!?! I want to read about middle-aged gals, like me, who've been around the block a few times, stalled, and eventually got their motors running again. (I'm hoping that last bit comes to pass for me sooner, rather than later.)
How does your writing process work?
When it's working, with lots of coffee. Formerly, with cigarettes, too, but I've been off them for a little over two months now. (Yay, me!) Uh...I like to write at night, possibly because when The Kid was little, that's the only time I had to write. I usually write a first draft long-hand, then typing it out becomes the second draft, though I've also written first drafts on my laptop (which I find both exhilarating and terrifying).
And now...
THE REVIEW!
TOEING THE LINE is #2 in Allyson's Bits & Bytes series (though actually, a prequel makes this the 3rd book, technically). Here's the gist of it:
In this work of fiction, Allyson explores a truth that always amazes me: how people so intimately involved with one another physically can be completely clueless about one another's emotions (and sometimes, about their own). I can truly empathize with Riley's confusion as to whether what she feels for a man is actually love, or if she's just so lonely that she projects feelings which aren't real. (I really, truly can.) Toward the end of the tale, Riley does seem to have come to a resolution on this matter, which isn't altogether clear to me—I'd have liked to have seen what brought her to the point of action which broke through the impasse her relationship with Zane'd hit. But her choice didn't surprise, as every thought of hers (and Zane's—love the name, BTW) led up to this very moment.
TOEING THE LINE is a fun, quick, steamy read set in a modern world that fans of shows like The Big Bang Theory may really get into. I look forward to more of Allyson Lindt's hip love stories...and as it happens, her newest contemporary romance novella, Unconventional Fling, is available TODAY!
The Hop!
For this writerly-type hop, authors who've been tagged answer a buncha questions, then tag 3 of their fellow writers to do the same. (There's always a catch.) The questions are as follows:What are you working on right now?
'Cause I'm pressed for time (and lazy), I'm gonna rip off the answer I gave in an interview I did earlier this month, with one of the gals I'm tagging for this Hop:
A mini-anthology of three short stories, as I want to show my more “modern voice.” In terms of fiction, my readers will have come to know the “Homer meets Jane Austen” voice I used in That Fatal Kiss, so I want folks to know I’m not a one-trick pony. Two of the shorts are paranormal/supernatural stories set in the present, and the third tale will follow Hades and Persephone as they settle into married life (with all the horrors that entails).How does it differ from other works in its genre?
Well, I claim to be an author of "dark and whimsical romance." While there's plenty of paranormal stuff out there, even funny paranormal (MaryJanice Davidson & Katie MacAlister are two of my fave writers), my particular brand of whimsy has an especially sophisticated edge to it. I like to think so, anyway. (Be a lamb and don't shatter my delusions, if you disagree.) (Better still, don't disagree; it's not nice to contradict a Goth Mom.)
Why do you write what you do?
Oh, why the hell not? J/K. In her answer to this question, Allyson said she writes about what she wants to read: characters "living" in her world. I write about the world in which I'd like to live: one filled with magic. Also, I'm getting a little tired of the preponderance of nubile virgin chicks in the 21st century of romance fiction. C'mon, folks—in the 21st century??!?!!?! I want to read about middle-aged gals, like me, who've been around the block a few times, stalled, and eventually got their motors running again. (I'm hoping that last bit comes to pass for me sooner, rather than later.)
How does your writing process work?
When it's working, with lots of coffee. Formerly, with cigarettes, too, but I've been off them for a little over two months now. (Yay, me!) Uh...I like to write at night, possibly because when The Kid was little, that's the only time I had to write. I usually write a first draft long-hand, then typing it out becomes the second draft, though I've also written first drafts on my laptop (which I find both exhilarating and terrifying).
Writerly-friends, I tag YOU:
And now...
THE REVIEW!
Zane’s time in the Air Force doing electronic surveillance has taught him a thing or two about keeping secrets. But when his best friend, Riley, finds out what he’s kept from her, their “friends with benefits” relationship won’t be what threatens their growing feelings for each other.The idea of "no-strings-sex" seems a recurring theme in this series. Interestingly, apart from book 1, the couples involved already know each other, they've already got a history. With history, there are, naturally enough, feelings, which tend to make "no-strings-sex" tricky to pull off. On the other hand, when the sex is as hot as Zane and Riley's, I can understand being reluctant to leave off having it. The book starts off hard and fast with some spicy remote-sex, and develops into lightly-kinky real-life sex not too far down the storyline.
Riley tends to fall hard and fast for the guys she dates, and it never ends with the wedding bells she expects. Tired of the heartbreak and unsure if she even knows what love is, she swears off unreliable things like dating and trying to find that elusive happily-ever-after spark. Focusing on her art seems like the perfect distraction, except she’s missing the physical side of being half a couple. Fortunately, her best friend, Zane, is happy to model for her drawings and tie her up in the bedroom, with no expectations. Just fun.
Zane’s granddad raised him with the belief that people who bring joy to the world should be protected at all costs. For Zane, his best friend Riley is one of those people, and he definitely doesn’t mind when making her happy involves helping her pursue her creative dream and some sport sex with a hint of kink. They can have fun, and he can keep her from falling for the next idiot who comes along while she searches for her Prince Charming.
Regardless of her resolution, as things heat up between them Riley finds herself falling again. She needs to decide if she’s in love with the idea of being in love, or if—despite Zane’s insistence that she deserves someone better—what she feels for him is the real thing. If she can’t learn to trust her heart and convince Zane he’s exactly what she needs, it will obliterate a lifelong friendship.
In this work of fiction, Allyson explores a truth that always amazes me: how people so intimately involved with one another physically can be completely clueless about one another's emotions (and sometimes, about their own). I can truly empathize with Riley's confusion as to whether what she feels for a man is actually love, or if she's just so lonely that she projects feelings which aren't real. (I really, truly can.) Toward the end of the tale, Riley does seem to have come to a resolution on this matter, which isn't altogether clear to me—I'd have liked to have seen what brought her to the point of action which broke through the impasse her relationship with Zane'd hit. But her choice didn't surprise, as every thought of hers (and Zane's—love the name, BTW) led up to this very moment.
TOEING THE LINE is a fun, quick, steamy read set in a modern world that fans of shows like The Big Bang Theory may really get into. I look forward to more of Allyson Lindt's hip love stories...and as it happens, her newest contemporary romance novella, Unconventional Fling, is available TODAY!
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| Click here to read Chapter 1 for FREE! |
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Murder, Madness, & Love by Yolanda Renée
Today I write about a romantic suspense novel by my bloggy pal Yolanda Renée of Defending the Pen. Yolanda's a sweet and tireless supporter of her fellow writers, so I have to say, the stuff she scribbles about in Murder, Madness, & Love surprised me, a bit! (Well done, Yolanda!) ;-)
Here's the basic premise: beautiful and wealthy Sarah Palmer has been tagged a "Black Widow" by the press and some cops, under suspicion of having murdered her extremely well-to-do husband, Michael, in Seattle. Seeking peace, Sarah returns to her native Alaska, intending to go about doing the good work of setting up her husband's foundation so as to honor him, and in adjusting to her "new normal" of loss.
Here's the hitch: when she gets back home, Sarah receives some rather creepy valentines (and it's not even February!). Anyway, the heart-shaped notes aren't love-tokens, by any stretch. In fact, they're clues and connections to the murders of several blonde-haired and green-eyed women. And guess who else is blonde and green-eyed? If you guessed Sarah, then ding-ding-ding!
Ace police detective Steven Quaid is determined to catch this Alaskan killer. He's equally determined to hate poor Sarah's guts, based on the speculation of his pal Terry from the Seattle police force, who's just bent on pegging Michael Palmer's death on his "Black Widow."
Can you say massively intense romantic conflict, people? 'Cause I sure can.
In fact, Steve's so dead set against Sarah at the start (if you'll pardon the pun), that he blindly attacks her, as Sarah rightly notes, without any concrete evidence at all. I found his prejudiced attitude and, frankly, unprofessional behavior and language toward her off-putting, so by the time he got his head out of his butt and began to look at Sarah's history with the clear, analytical cop-brain for which he's famed, I wasn't too keen on relaxing my dislike of him. But the loving care he showed Sarah eventually turned me around.
I liked the character of Sarah very much, in part because I have this thing about rooting for the underdog in any given situation. But mainly, Sarah comes off as an elegant woman who's doing her best to keep her shit together and do good work while dealing with heaps of grief. At times, I worried that she couldn't possibly survive the next big thing to hit her, but damned if she didn't. Every time. And girlfriend gets loads of abuse heaped upon her. Like, a lot, poor gal. Still, there's this thread of steel running along her spine, for which I have to say kudos. I admire Sarah for maintaining her graciousness, of both spirit and mind, and for her sheer grit and determination to bloody well survive, damn it. You go, gurl!
Renée weaves a crafty tale, so rich in the Alaskan landscape and rhythms that at times I got lulled into thinking this was a delightfully "cozy" mystery. Only then some brutal murder would flash before my eyes and I'd be all like, "Whoa!" and reaching for a drink. (Just kidding, I didn't drink whilst reading this.) (Not water, anyway.) I feel like, beneath the charming world Sarah was desperately trying to recreate, there was this Dean Koontzian edge of cray-cray that totally kept me on the edge of my seat. (And actually, there are some legitimately cray-cray characters here that made me want to shower after I understood the depths of their depraved weirdness.) (And that's saying something.)
While Murder, Madness, & Love can be read as a stand-alone story, there is a sequel due out in October, which I plan to pick up and read on my travels that month (as October's a big travel month for me at my day job). I recommend Murder, Madness, & Love to those who enjoy a layered mystery which is warmed by a lovely romance and spiced with a bit of the truly bizarre.
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| Available on Amazon! |
Here's the hitch: when she gets back home, Sarah receives some rather creepy valentines (and it's not even February!). Anyway, the heart-shaped notes aren't love-tokens, by any stretch. In fact, they're clues and connections to the murders of several blonde-haired and green-eyed women. And guess who else is blonde and green-eyed? If you guessed Sarah, then ding-ding-ding!
Ace police detective Steven Quaid is determined to catch this Alaskan killer. He's equally determined to hate poor Sarah's guts, based on the speculation of his pal Terry from the Seattle police force, who's just bent on pegging Michael Palmer's death on his "Black Widow."
Can you say massively intense romantic conflict, people? 'Cause I sure can.
*****Some Mild Spoilers Below*****
In fact, Steve's so dead set against Sarah at the start (if you'll pardon the pun), that he blindly attacks her, as Sarah rightly notes, without any concrete evidence at all. I found his prejudiced attitude and, frankly, unprofessional behavior and language toward her off-putting, so by the time he got his head out of his butt and began to look at Sarah's history with the clear, analytical cop-brain for which he's famed, I wasn't too keen on relaxing my dislike of him. But the loving care he showed Sarah eventually turned me around.
I liked the character of Sarah very much, in part because I have this thing about rooting for the underdog in any given situation. But mainly, Sarah comes off as an elegant woman who's doing her best to keep her shit together and do good work while dealing with heaps of grief. At times, I worried that she couldn't possibly survive the next big thing to hit her, but damned if she didn't. Every time. And girlfriend gets loads of abuse heaped upon her. Like, a lot, poor gal. Still, there's this thread of steel running along her spine, for which I have to say kudos. I admire Sarah for maintaining her graciousness, of both spirit and mind, and for her sheer grit and determination to bloody well survive, damn it. You go, gurl!
Renée weaves a crafty tale, so rich in the Alaskan landscape and rhythms that at times I got lulled into thinking this was a delightfully "cozy" mystery. Only then some brutal murder would flash before my eyes and I'd be all like, "Whoa!" and reaching for a drink. (Just kidding, I didn't drink whilst reading this.) (Not water, anyway.) I feel like, beneath the charming world Sarah was desperately trying to recreate, there was this Dean Koontzian edge of cray-cray that totally kept me on the edge of my seat. (And actually, there are some legitimately cray-cray characters here that made me want to shower after I understood the depths of their depraved weirdness.) (And that's saying something.)
While Murder, Madness, & Love can be read as a stand-alone story, there is a sequel due out in October, which I plan to pick up and read on my travels that month (as October's a big travel month for me at my day job). I recommend Murder, Madness, & Love to those who enjoy a layered mystery which is warmed by a lovely romance and spiced with a bit of the truly bizarre.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Yolanda Renée has MURDER on her mind!
My dear friend Yolanda Renée, of Defending the Pen, has some books coming out & I am totally stoked to tell you about 'em! Yolanda's encouraged & supported many fellow writers in the past,
myself included, so I couldn't wait to return the love.
myself included, so I couldn't wait to return the love.
Murder, Madness & Love and Memories of Murder are the first two books of a trilogy set in the states of Alaska and Washington, and Paris, France.
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August 5, 2013
Tagline:
After a gritty detective becomes involved with a beautiful widow suspected of murder, slander and obsession obstruct his quest for justice.
Synopsis:
A killer plays cat and mouse with a young widow against the snowy backdrop of an Alaskan winter. Branded a black widow after the suspicious death of her millionaire husband, Sarah Palmer flees Seattle for Anchorage. But the peace and quiet she hoped to enjoy in her hometown is soon shattered. The killer is murdering Sarah look-alikes on the 14th of each month, taunting Sarah with a valentine of evidence.
After her experiences in Seattle, Sarah is slow to go to the police. When she finally does, she finds Detective Steven Quaid. Called on to protect the beautiful widow from a stalker intent on her destruction, Steven is convinced he can solve Michael Palmer's murder and arrest the stalker. However, crime is never simple, and before long Sarah has Steven wound up tighter than barbed wire. Is Sarah a victim or a very skilled manipulator? With a killer on the loose and a climbing body count, Steven cannot afford to hedge his bets-or his life.
September 5, 2013
Tagline:
A man of pure evil, a dedicated detective, and a talented artist meet in a fight that defines good and evil, love and obsession, betrayal and forgiveness.
Synopsis:
After transferring to Seattle to repair his professional reputation, Detective Steven Quaid is unexpectedly demoted to the cold case squad. While helping a fellow officer he stumbles upon an unusual case–and an even more extraordinary foe. Unraveling the mystery gives him the case he is sure will right his stalled career, and brings him face to face with Luke Williams, aka Lucifer. An insidious man who delivers Quaid the ultimate choice: save his fiancée from an assassin’s bullet or stop the sacrifice of a young girl. Suddenly the effort to salvage his reputation pales in comparison to the loss of a future with the girl of his dreams.
About Renée
Although a native Pennsylvanian, Yolanda Renée chose to follow her adventurous spirit, which led her to Alaska where the Detective Quaid Series is set. Renée loves books, reading them, writing them, owning them – they are 'her precious'! She is all about mystery, murder, and romance . . . writing it! She is adventurous, shy, and creative. She is a wife, a mother, and a dreamer with an unquenchable desire for knowledge and an idealistic belief in good - yet she writes evil - but that's only because she loves defeating it! A former controller who still loves numbers and now works hard to tell her stories in as few words as possible. Winning Flash Fiction challenges is her hobby and publishing her Detective Quaid mystery series her quest! She currently resides in Central Pennsylvania, with her husband, two sons, and the boss, Patches, her Boston terrier.
You can learn more about Renée at:
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