Anny Cook's Blog, page 108

Creepy horror

Have to admit I've been reading some romantic suspense in the last few weeks, studying the ways various authors insert that necessary bit of creepiness in their stories. The best ones slip it in so gently you don't suspect it's coming so it catches you flatfooted and unprepared.Some telegraph it, try to explain the significance of the creepiness, and therefore take some of the punch away. It can

Man tears...

I'm trying to figure out why most men don't cry. Is it because men are embarrassed by tears? Has our culture robbed our men of such an important emotional outlet? What is it?I don't advocate tears at the drop of a hat, but except for extreme grief, when's the last time you've seen a man cry? A few, very few women report their men crying at the birth of a child. So that would be a moment of

Scary dreams

I didn't sleep well last night because of the dreams. I don't usually remember dreaming so this was a rare thing for me. And it was disturbing.I didn't have nightmares. I had weird disjointed bits of dreaming. Subject matter was varied. Tupperware. Writing on the wall. Pizza. Plastic craft containers. Hearts punched into the wall paper. Potato chips. Weird stuff.There was no coherency to the

Monday morning

Ugh. Why is the morning after a holiday always so...tough?Maybe it's because there's so much planning leading up to the holiday and then, suddenly it's over. Our holiday was quiet and restful but there's still this sense of let-down.And anticipation. Easter is sort of the official harbinger of spring. Around here, the fruit trees are blooming like mad, the sunny faces of daffodils are bright

Happy Easter

Blessings on your Easter!anny

Easter Caturday...

Have a great Caturday!anny

Zombie Apocalypse

During the last few weeks, I've been reading quite a bit. Regardless of genre, there is a trend in the books I've read to dismiss evil as paranoia. So the protagonist tries to warn someone in the book. It could be the general populace, it could be the heroine or hero, it could be his boss. Whoever he/she's trying to warn dismisses the warning because evil has not been a part of their lives.The

Baby on Board?

Must be my pet peeve week. Read a book last night with several of my pet peeves in it--all centered around babies. Let me start out by saying I happen to love babies in books. Unlike some readers who are put off by babies, children, animals, mother-in-laws, etc. in erotic romances, I happen to believe they are a welcome addition.Erotic romance is what happens in the midst of all that life going

Naked truth

Did you ever notice how the characters in books almost always look good when they're naked? Even when they're injured? Or sick? What's up with that? In the last few months I've had reason to be in the company of people both sick and injured and believe me, they aren't sexy.For starters most people in the category have gone several days without a shower. When I was in the hospital, they refused to

Threatening prose

My favorite books are those with suspense and action. I regularly OD on John Sandford, John D. MacDonald, Jonathon Kellerman, J.A. Jance and a host of other authers. Inspired, I sit down to write my own action suspense and guess what?The suspense and action fizzle and die. I know there's a real art to stringing out the suspense and choreographing the action. What exactly is it?I confess I don't