Marie Force's Blog, page 23

Book Club: 10 Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

By: Alison Peterson

Hi Everyone!

Let me start by saying I love Julia Quinn's books! I first read her Bridgerton series and have since read several of her other books and really enjoyed them. Julia doesn't disappoint with 10 Things I Love About You. Julia is traveling today, but if possible she'll try to stop in and say hi.

Annabel Winslow is the eldest of daughter of a country gentleman who has traveled to London to marry a wealthy lord to help support her family and send her siblings to school. Annabel fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it has gained the attention of old Lord Newbury. If Annabel has the guts to marry the creepy Earl of Newbury all of her family's money problems will be solved, but she'll also be married to a man old enough to be her father. Newbury is after Annabel because "she is so fertile the birds sing when she draws near" and he desperately wants and heir to keep his nephew from inheriting.

Sebastian Grey, Lord Newbury's nephew, is handsome, quick witted and has quite the way with the ladies. He's invited to all the best parties, but no one is sure what to do about him. On one hand if his uncle dies without heir he could inherit a wealthy earldom, but on the other if he doesn't inherit he will just be another untitled gentleman. However; there is much more to Sebastian than just a handsome face and pretty words, he has a secret identity as a writer of gothic novels, which grew from his struggles dealing with fighting in the war.

Annabel and Sebastian meet when she trips and falls on Sebastian who is waiting in a nearby field for a romantic rendezvous. Their meeting begins with a conversation about sunrises and traveling. After hearing about all the places Sebastian has traveled Annabel begins to think about her future with Lord Newbury the places she will never go and things she won't experience. To make a memory and possibly experience a little passion Annabel asks Sebastian to kiss her. The kiss becomes everything Annabel imagined a kiss could be. At the end of the interlude comes to Sebastian introduces himself, but Annabel keeps her identity a secret. She doesn't want the man she just kissed to know she is the woman his uncle intends to marry.

During their next meeting, Annabel is introduced to Sebastian as Miss Winslow and he's invited to join Louisa and Annabel at the opera later that night. Scandal ensues at the opera, when Sebastian and Annabel are seen talking and sitting closely throughout the first act. Sebastian learns Annabel's true identity later that night when he is attacked by his uncle and warned away from Annabel. Unfortunately, both men stop showing an interest after the incident at the opera and Annabel is faced with ruin.

To save Annabel's reputation Sebastian begins a fake courtship with her. One of my favorite scenes in the book occurs at the beginning of their "courtship", when Sebastian comes to call on Annabel with his cousin's wife. Annabel's grandmother Lady Vickers makes some inappropriate advances toward Sebastian. Sebastian's and Annabel's reactions had me laughing out loud. Eventually, everything comes to a head when Sebastian, Annabel, and Lord Newbury all attend a house party in the country.

I really enjoyed this book! I really felt for Annabel as she struggled with adjusting to the hidden meanings behind the ton's interactions and whether or not to marry for money. I loved that Annabel was not a silly heroine; she was smart and level headed. Sebastian's reactions to the other character's opinions of his books had me smiling throughout the book. I loved how in sync Annabel and Sebastian's thoughts were; it really made me feel like they had a real connection. This was a great fun read and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

I only have one recipe for you ladies this week; however it's one of my favorites!

Oreo Cookie Dessert
1 lb package of Oreos crushed
6 eggs beaten separately
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar then add well beaten egg yolks. Beat well. Add vanilla. Beat egg whites with the other cup of sugar until firm, like for a meringue. Blend egg whites into butter and egg yolk mixture.
Cover bottom of 13 X 9 glass pan with 1/2 of crushed cookies spread mixture over cookies and place rest of cookies on top of the mixture. Freeze for at least 6 hours before serving

Celebrating Carina Press's One-Year Anniversary

In celebration of our one year anniversary, I asked as many of our Harlequin team members and Carina Press freelance editors as possible to write a short blog post, talking about what the past year or so has been like for them, working on Carina Press. I deliberately didn't provide any direction other than that, because I wanted to see what people came up with, in the spirit of Carina's 1st anniversary. I was so pleased when I saw what they'd all come up with, and had to say (and some of these posts made me just a little teary)! I hope you enjoy the post, and look for your opportunity to win a Carina Press book at the bottom of this post. ~Angela James

Denise Nielsen is a freelance editor for Carina Press. You can follow her on Twitter.
When friends or family hear that I get to read books for a living, the response is always the same: first, a laugh, because anyone who knows me well has seen the way in which I devour books; and second, at least from other book lovers, outright envy. Among non-writers though, there seems to be little understanding of what an editor actually does. Many of them think I spend my days reading, with the occasional fix of spelling and grammar errors, and they don't understand of the depth of the work that goes into getting a book ready for publication.

It's the depth of that work that I love. Working with authors to hone and polish their stories and get them into shape for publication is the most rewarding thing about editing. It's always a fine balance to ensure the author's unique voice—which is of course what sold the book to us in the first place—is maintained, even while we suggest changes to words, sentence structure, and scenes to make a story clearer, tighter, stronger. Sometimes, this is the most frustrating part of editing too. Sometimes sentences just don't seem to work no matter how we rearrange them, and we spend a great deal of time cussing and pulling our hair out.

Actually, that isn't true because at Carina, we have an amazing support team. Even though my fellow editors and I live in different places—I'm in Canada—we talk regularly. Our virtual water cooler is a place where we can always go to get advice, to talk out a difficulty, ask a question, or even just to rant about something that isn't working. This connection means that even working at my desk on my farmhouse in Ontario, I can reach out and ask a question, and have an answer (or a bunch of them) often within minutes. The Carina team is exactly that: a team. And I love that.

For me, the biggest challenge I have faced in the past year has been time management. I am good at it. At least I thought I was. But juggling the reading of new manuscripts, making recommendations, and editing new acquisitions taught me that learning to pace myself in very important. I am a fast reader, so it is easy for me to read (and then recommend) lots of books quickly. But having a pile to edit all at the same time is not so easy. Editing should not be rushed.

It's your fault though, dear writers. You keep sending us so many amazing stories, and we are so excited to read them all. The best thing about working for Carina is seeing all the incredible stories that cross our desks. They are imaginative and powerful, and keep me reading deep into the night sometimes. So perhaps my envious friends and family have a point after all. I do spend many of my days reading. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

To celebrate Carina's one year anniversary of publishing books, we're giving away some prizes. Today, on each of the nineteen blogs our team members are featured on, we're giving away a download of a Carina Press book to one random winner (that's nineteen total winners!) All you need to do to be entered to win is comment on this post. You can enter to win on all nineteen posts. In addition, on the Carina Press blog, we're giving away a grand prize of a Kobo ereader and 12 Carina Press books of the winner's choice. Visit the Carina Press blog to enter to win, and to see links to all 19 of today's blog posts.

And a sincere thank you from all of us, to our readers and authors, for making Carina Press's first year a success!

Next Up on Book Club: 10 Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

Ten Things You Should Know About This Book

1. Sebastian Grey is a devilishly handsome rogue with a secret.

2. Annabel Winslow's family voted her The Winslow Most Likely to Speak Her Mind and The Winslow Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Church.

3. Sebastian's uncle is the Earl of Newbury, and if he dies without siring an heir, Sebastian inherits everything.

4. Lord Newbury detests Sebastian and will stop at nothing to prevent this from happening.

5. Lord Newbury has decided that Annabel is the answer to all of his problems.

6. Annabel does not want to marry Lord Newbury, especially when she finds out he once romanced her grandmother.

7 is shocking, 8 is delicious, and 9 is downright wicked, all of which lead the way to

10. Happily. Ever. After.

Looking forward to Book Club on June 9 when we will talk about 10 Things I Love About You! See you there!

Book Club: Against the Wind by Kat Martin

They were known as the "no-account Raines boys" but they've grown into successful, honorable men and everything they have, they've fought for tooth and nail. Now each of the three brothers has one last obstacle to overcome to claim what's eluding them: love.

Secrets don't stay buried long in cattle country. Sarah Allen, the beautiful girl who humiliated Jackson Raines in high school, is back in town. Not so long ago, she couldn't wait to leave Wind Canyon, Wyoming, in her dust. But, recently widowed, she has nowhere else to go and finds herself on Jackson's ranch. And despite everything, Jackson's finding himself reluctant to get rid of her.

Sarah brings her own kind of trouble, and he can't resist trouble. Enemies of her dead husband show up making threats, thinking she has something they're owed. They're not taking no for an answer, but what they will take is the one thing she has left—her daughter. Jackson's the only one who might be able to save little Holly and bring her home.

By: Hope Frost
I will be the first to admit, I hadn't read Kat Martin until this series was brought to my attention by a book buddy. Since everyone knows I am all kinds of in love with cowboys, Annie thought I should look at this new series, and after I read the first one, I not only pre-ordered the other 2 but started systematically devouring Kat's backlist as well. I hope you will all help me in welcoming Kat with us here today. She will be popping in to say hello and answer any questions you might have for her....PLUS she will be giving away one of her books as well.

On to the Raines boys....Against The Wind is a great mix of classic down home detective work, and cowboy ranching-meets-old-flame-who-broke-his-heart but needs a new start. It has been a long road for Sarah during her marriage she was beaten inside and out. She fears now that her husband is finally gone for good that his enemies will never leave her alone. She retreats to her home town and from the first time she needs help with a flat tire, Jackson is there to help. Through many twists and turns and life threatening scenarios, Jackson forgives Sarah for how she humiliated him so many years ago and falls hopelessly in love with her and for Sarah's 6 year old daughter, Holly. Jackson is determined to have them in his life for the rest of his life and Sarah is determined not to let her past mess up Jackson's life.

I really enjoyed this story. The relationships were believable (I loved Jackson)and I found myself tensing up when there was trouble. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I truly couldn't wait until Gabe's story, Against the Fire.

Favorite Quote: "You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know?" Sarah grinned more broadly than he had ever seen her. "I'll take that as a compliment." (Sarah refusing to wait at the hotel when a meeting is set with an informant)

Kat has provided one of her favorite dishes for you to try, and I have given you Texas Caviar since we are talking about the cowboy hunks this week. When I asked my hubby what recipe I should submit this week, he said Rocky Mountain Oysters cause he has a really good recipe (or so he says), but I decided to spare you all from that one, so if you want the recipe, let me know and I will message it to you!!

From Kat Martin:

TIN ANGEL

An Oldie but Goodie

Something new is happening for me this month....the re-issue of an old western romance, one of earliest novels, TIN ANGEL. What makes it different is that this is the only book my husband (a western author of more than 25 books) and I ever wrote together.

In the story, when her father dies, beautiful and strong-willed Jessica Taggart, born and raised in Boston, travels all the way to San Francisco to help manage the Tin Angel, the business willed to her by her late father. There she meets the ruggedly handsome, arrogant and domineering Jake Weston, her father's partner and now Jessie's, a man hell-bent on proving she can't handle the job and determined to force her to sell him her share of the Tin Angel.

Not the restaurant Jessie believes when she leaves Boston, but the most notorious whore house on the Barbary Coast.

I had such fun writing this book, a story they called at the time, A Moonlighting set in the West, after the Bruce Willis, Cybil Shepard TV show. Having never collaborated on a book, we decided that Larry would write Jake's point of view, and I would write Jessie's. Jake starts by writing a series of letters to Jessie, telling her not to come West, that he will buy her out and send her the money. Jessie writs back, telling him in no uncertain terms that she is leaving Boston on the next train to California.

Neither of us knew how the other would respond to the pages we were handed. We just rolled with the punches and had a heckuva lot of fun as we worked.

The story ended up being very different from what I usually write and since it's a sexy romance, way, way different from what my husband usually writes.

It's only available in print from Amazon, but it has a fabulous new cover, and it's available in all e-book formats.
It you're ready to read something just for fun, I hope you'll give TIN ANGEL a try. And we both hope you enjoy it. Very best wishes, Kat and L.J. Martin


KAT'S FAMOUS CURRY, CRAB, AND ARTICHOKE DIP
1 6 1/2 ounce can of crab
1/4 cup grated onion
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup real mayonnaise (light mayo won't do)
1 can of artichokes in water (chopped well)
1 tsp curry powder
1 French Baguette
In mixing bowl, place mayonnaise, onion, and curry. Stir. Fold in chopped artichokes, crabmeat, and parmesan cheese. Place in dish and heat in microwave for 60 seconds or in a 350 degree oven till cheese melts and mixture is beginning to bubble.
Cut baguette into 1/4 inch slices and serve.
Voila!
This dip works well using only artichokes or only crab meat. It is also great with Tostitos.


TEXAS CAVIAR
1 15-oz can black eye peas, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 11-oz can shoe peg corn
1 4-oz can diced jalapeno
1 2-oz jar diced pimentos
1 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped red onion or sweet pepper
1/2 cup olive or canola oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup white sugar

Combine vinegar and sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce in fridge to cool. Combine all other ingredients. Add cooled sauce and mix well. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Drain. Serve with tortilla chips.

Books by My Friends: Bodyguards in Bed by Elisabeth Naughton

Available today!

There's just one cardinal rule when it comes to being a bodyguard: no matter how tempting it may be, never, ever get romantically involved with the person you're supposed to be protecting. But as these sensual novellas prove, even the most important rules are made to be broken–again and again and again. Join acclaimed authors Lucy Monroe, Jamie Denton, and Elisabeth Naughton as they open the files on an undercover operative who finds a sexy surprise under his covers, a hot case involving mixed messages and mistaken identities, and a mission impossible protecting a provocative beauty who lives to love dangerously.

Yeah, it's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it.

Kensington Brava
May 31, 2011
ISBN-13: 9780758210333
ISBN-10: 0758210337

Read an Excerpt

Available at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
B-A-M
Borders
Chapters
IndieBound
Powell's

Reader Mail

I've gotten some lovely notes from readers in the last few days, and I thought it would be fun to share a few with you! Thanks to everyone who has written to me via email, Facebook and Twitter to let me know you're enjoying the McCarthy Series! I'm delighted to hear from all of you!

Subj: Dear Marie,
 
I just love love, love,  your books. I have read all the available books, except for "the fall" which I still have to get. I don't' know how you do it, sometimes you read a book and some parts are not so  good, well your books are always good beginning to end. I always feel disappointed when a book has ended. My favorite book is "the wreck". I hoop you continue to write many more books for me to enjoy.

With Kind regards(met vriendelijke groet),
Your Dutch fan living in Cape Town(SA)
Claudia

(SUCH a kick to hear from a reader in South Africa! Thank you, Claudia!)

Subj: Gansett Island Series

What a wonderful series to discover on this very, very rainy Memorial Day weekend in western SD. I would definitely buy another trilogy :-) 
Thanks for supplying me with reading pleasure this weekend. I can almost smell the salty breeze from the ocean!
Anne from South Dakota

Subj: I love "Fool for Love"

Hello, Marie!
 
I am a huge fan of yours. I discovered The Wreck completely accidentally about two months ago. It took me a week to devour your available catalog. I appreciate the consistency with which you write; I always know that a "Marie Force" will be riveting, affecting, absorbing, and moving. Fool for Love was no exception.
 
In reading Fool for Love, one of the reasons I am drawn to your work became apparent. I love your heros and heroines and their contrast to the majority of romantic pairs in contemporary romance. The men are strong, but not brutish. Their strength comes from their honesty, respectfulness, and tenderness. The heroines are (to paraphrase Burt Bacharach) are not trying to make themselves over for their men. They are true to themselves and are valued for their kindness, intelligence, and work ethic. This attention to the internal values of the characters makes them incredibly relatable and appealing. I find it to be a real anomaly in contempory romance; I appreciate this very much. I also like the supporting characters and delving into their stories. The main events of the book do not occur in a vacuum. It helps to flesh out the events and to make the situation that much meatier.
 
So, to answer the question you posed to your readers at the beginning of the Gansett Island series (and in the beginning of FfL), I would adore reading more about the folks on Gansett Island. The images of the quaint island village and its residents are incredibly vivid for me (and I'm sure for other members of your audience). Probing into the lives of Grant, Adam, and Evan seems like a great place to go. It may be interesting to explore why Tiffanie is so sour and dissappointed by life. I would read any story about the Gansett Islanders that you wrote.
 
Ultimately, this email is intended to serve as a "Thank you". Thank you for writing such memorable and engaging stories. Thank you for crafting characters that are true to themselves and true to each other. Thank you for not being afraid to really sucker punch the readers. Because these are all of the things that hook me as a reader and really care about the outcomes for the characters.
 
Appreciatively,
Amy

Subj: New Favorite

Hi. I just wanted to say I was romance novel snob and only read Julie Garwood, Nora Robert and Judith McNaught books but when I thought I would branch out and read something new I came across your book True North and I was hooked!! Lol. I have all your books on my kindle and I think your story's are funny, smart and entertaining!! You definitely  have a new fan and I can't wait to read more of your books.  

Sincerely,

Kelly

Subj: New Book

Marie!
 
OMG!!! I received your email at 8:37 this morning!  I had just come back home from my morning jog.  Immediately, I downloaded FOOL FOR LOVE on my kindle, jumped in the shower and scurried my husband and daughter out of the house. (daddy-daughter time is so needed in times like these)
 
WOW, just finished it!! AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!  I have cried,laughed and fanned myself from the heat of Joe and Janey's love affair!  Thank you so much for this book.  I loved Maddie and Mac's story and this one made me want to move to New England!
 
You have made this one of the best Memorial Day weekends ever!  Thanks again!
 
Cherrell

Subj: Fool for Love

Marie,

Just finished Fool for Love and if you are looking for votes as to whether you should do another trilogy with the "other brothers" then here's my vote!

Have really enjoyed the first 2 books and looking forward to the 3rd one in a few weeks.

Bobbie

Subj: The McCarthys of Gansett Island

Dear Ms. Force,
 
I must say that I loved the first two books of The McCarthys of Gansett Island. Cannot wait until the third is out in July. I truly hope you write more books to this series. I would love to read about the brothers.
 
I have read your books The Wreck and Love at First Flight and have loved both of them. I am working up to reading the rest of your books but they are usually heart wrenching to me so I have to be in the mood for a story like that. I love your characters. Their lives are so real I feel like I am there when I read your books.
 
I love your stories. Please keep it up.
 
Thanks for your wonderful writing.
 
Caroline

I spent this weekend with my fifteen-year-old daughter while the boys were at the Indy 500. She got to read all these lovely notes as they arrived. So, to keep me humble, she offers the following:

Subj: Okay, so U suck

Ok hi so I just finished fetal affare and it was bad I mean there were like NO vampires in it.... I mean like fatal and vampire are like synonyms or whatever right? Ok so if ur books sucked anymore they'd be vampires lol bye
xoxoxo
emily from antarctica

LOL--leave it to the teenager to bring me back down to earth! Thank you for all the love this weekend. I've enjoyed hearing from all of you (well, except Emily!)

Hope you've had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Next Up on Book Club: Against the Wind by Kat Martin

They were known as the "no-account Raines boys" but they've grown into successful, honorable men and everything they have, they've fought for tooth and nail. Now each of the three brothers has one last obstacle to overcome to claim what's eluding them: love.

Secrets don't stay buried long in cattle country. Sarah Allen, the beautiful girl who humiliated Jackson Raines in high school, is back in town. Not so long ago, she couldn't wait to leave Wind Canyon, Wyoming, in her dust. But, recently widowed, she has nowhere else to go and finds herself on Jackson's ranch. And despite everything, Jackson's finding himself reluctant to get rid of her.

Sarah brings her own kind of trouble, and he can't resist trouble. Enemies of her dead husband show up making threats, thinking she has something they're owed. They're not taking no for an answer, but what they will take is the one thing she has left—her daughter. Jackson's the only one who might be able to save little Holly and bring her home.

Thursday, June 2, right here!

Book Club: Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

By: Ronlyn Howe

Denver journalist Natalie Benoit and Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride find themselves captives of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Working together, they escape through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun. They fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both...

And now for Ronlyn's interview with Pamela!

Ronlyn: How are you feeling now that BREAKING POINT has been released?


Pamela: Relieved and very tired. I'm always nervous in the weeks up to a release. I put so much work into the stories, hoping to please readers. Seeing the characters that have lived in my head for months or even years come alive for other people and experiencing readers' excitement as they move through the story has been very gratifying.

Ronlyn: Do you treat yourself to something special when you finish writing a book?

Pamela: Yes. Sleep.

Actually, things are usually so unraveled in my life when I finish a book that, after sleeping a bit, I "celebrate" by cleaning my house, going for walks, catching up on errands, and generally restoring a sense of order. Because I work essentially two full-time jobs, there's no leisure time for keeping on top of such things while I'm writing. If my house gets cleaned twice a month while I'm writing, that's great. (When my son Benjamin is home, he cleans the house. Bless him!)

Often, I get a massage or two, also. That helps get rid of the aches that come from sitting for long stretches of time, and it helps with the emotional release I need after finishing a book. Writing stories that are intensely emotional often leaves me feeling really emotional. I cry at the drop of a hat and feel really drained. Massage helps bring back some sense of serenity.

Ronlyn: I LOVE massages. And a clean house. I need to invest in a housekeeper and masseuse. ;-) You've always been very candid about some of the "topic" ideas coming from your day job as a journalist. When you come across some of those topics do you immediately think, "Oh, here's something I would use!" or is it a more gradual process?

Sometimes it's one, and sometimes it's the other. The five I-Team books that I've written so far include the most high-profile work I've done as a reporter. In a few cases, I was conscious of the fact that I would later use this stuff in a book while I was doing the investigating/reporting. But that was after I'd published. My reporting on prison issues and American Indian issues started before I was published, so, although it was obvious material for fiction, I wasn't thinking, "Gotta put this in a book" while it was happening.

As the I-Team continues, I'll be having to dig deeper into past reportage for topics/issues, and I might even veer into matters that I've never covered. I've been exceptionally—is lucky the word?—to have so many really big stories come my way. A lot of journalists never get to work on projects like that. But part of it is my own desire to step off the beaten path and take on topics no one else wants to touch.

Ronlyn: While you were writing BREAKING POINT the current issues on the border were becoming national news, with several reports regarding the Zetas making headlines. Then, of course, with the Navy SEALs becoming such a huge focus for their work, you were interviewed by the Washington Post. How did it feel having some of the topics in your fiction work be current headlines while you were writing and as the book was released?

Pamela: It was creepifying. I'd write about some hideous thing, and then something very similar would happen a few weeks later. I was writing about fictional Zetas while the real Zetas were out there committing mass murder in absolutely macabre ways—faces stitched to soccer balls, hanging people and slitting their throats (talk about literal overkill), slaughtering a house full of immigrants trying to make their way to the US, the kiling of U.S. Border patrol agents by bajadores and others. I've been aware of the situation with regard to Las Muertes de Juárez for almost a decade, and, of course, I knew about the Zetas. But the topic for the book had been settled in my mind for quite some time. To have all of this flare up while I was writing the story was extremely eerie.

Then, to top it off, SEAL Team Six takes out Osama bin Laden two days before the book's release, putting SEALs in the headlines. Who could have predicted that?

Ronlyn: I guess this book is just really timely.

Pamela: That's in part because I'm a journalist, so the issues I write about are real. They're in or have been in the headlines (many times they're headlines I've written, such as an article about a cement plan titled, "Concrete Evidence," from which I got the focus of Extreme Exposure and the title Hard Evidence). For example, after Hard Evidence came out, the issue of human trafficking became more prominent in the news as part of a rising tide of public awareness.

I read a review where the reviewer insisted that the incidents described in Unlawful Contact—the rape of inmates by inmates, the sexual assaults of juvenile female inmates by guards, etc.—were hyperbole, that such extreme things didn't really happen. I wanted to ask her when she was coming back to Planet Earth. These things really did happen.

Ronlyn: Do you think you might have a bit more of a finger on the pulse, so to speak, of various issues that are about to...trend (for lack of a better word) due to your continued work as a journalist and editor

Pamela: Possibly. I have a knack for predicting where stories will go. That's one reason I'm the editor-in-chief and no longer a reporter. (I still do reporting, but that's not the focus of my job any longer and hasn't been for about 15 years.) Here's an example of what I mean. When the Oklahoma City bombing happened, the TV stations were reporting that people who seemed to be Arab or Muslim were being stopped at airports for questioning. All of the channels were talking about the possiblity that this attack had been carried out by someone from the Middle East with a grudge against the U.S. I couldn't believe how ridiculous they were being. First of all, someone from the Middle East is going to want to attack something symbolic of the United States, not an obscure building in a city and state their friends have never heard of. Secondly, I knew it was the anniversary of Ruby Ridge. So I turned to my fellow journlists and said both of these things, finishing with, "They need to be looking for a disgruntled redneck, not a Muslim." I wrote a column about it, which ran in the paper the next day—when news broke about McVeigh.

And everyone in the newsroom said, "Whoa!" and looked over at me.

But, hey, to me all of that seemed obvious. Sadly, it was obvious on 9/11, too.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Ronlyn: Going back to BREAKING POINT, I know you've caught some serious flack for Natalie's decision to become a housewife. Did that surprise you?

Pamela: It really surprises me that women are so intolerant of other women's choices, even those of fictional women. So, yes, I was a bit surprised. I was even more surprised by people saying that "all" of the I-Team women leave their jobs. If by "all" they mean just Natalie, they're correct. (Personally, people can hate my books if they want, but I'd really appreciate their getting the facts straight.) Kara and Tessa reach the heights of being a journalist, which is working independently writing books and freelancing. That's what every journalist hopes to do one day. They didn't "leave journalism." Au contraire. They moved up in their careers. Sophie, who always wanted to be a journalist, and Kat, who similarly had strong motivations for being a journalist (i.e., being a voice for Native people), are still at the paper. Natalie did leave, and I tried to make it clear in the story that she just wasn't as connected to her career as the others. Journalism found her, she didn't find it, and as the story opens we learn that she's in a state of "professional ennui."

Of course, then she goes through weeks of hell and attempts on her life. This, combined with her past trauma, ought to be reason enough to say, "To hell with this job." In reality, very few women who start careers as investigative journalists remain in the job. It's confrontational and intimidating. I've tried over the years to bring women in and to deliberately cultivate them as investigative journalists. Of all the women who've worked under my mentorship, ONE is still a reporter. One. It's not discrimination; it's self-selection. Women self-select out of this career more often than they remain. So for Natalie to leave her job reflects her lack of connection to it, her understandable desire not to be the target of violence, and the reality of the journalism world.

In addition to these reasons, there are two more: She is deeply in love with a man who has struggled to adjust to life outside of war. She doesn't want to be the kind of two-career family where everyone's exhausted and no one's needs are met. She wants to make sure they both get the peace and happy homelife they so desperately want and deserve. She lost Beau, so she knows that every moment is precious. Who in her right might would say on her death bed, "Wow, I really wish I'd spent more hours at the office and succeeded more in my career"? It's much more likely that most of us will wish for more time with those we love. So she chooses to be a homemaker in order to maximize the time they have together.

The second reason is very simple: If no one leaves the I-Team, I can't bring in new characters.

In my hometown, I'm considered to be a serious feminist. But feminism for me revolves around the desires of women, not the expectations of a society that still values men's work over that of women. If a woman wants to stay home and has the means to do so, that's her business. I've had a journalism career that is the envy of many male journalists. It was recently capped off with the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award from SPJ, the same organization that sent Natalie to Mexico. But I stayed home with my kids when they were little, and if I hadn't had to work, I probably never would have. Does that make me less of a feminist? In the eyes of some, perhaps. But there are those who see success for a woman as mirroring what we traditionally define as success for a man. I don't want to be a man. I want to be a woman and to celebrate what's special about the feminine in this world. I felt that Natalie personified balance in this regard. She was a feminine woman, but she was strong when she needed to be strong.

Women who are pursuing careers for the sake of having careers may find that path less fulfilling than they imagine. I've won big national journalism awards, passed a state law, broken big news, and the thing I'm most proud of in this life is being a mother.

One last thing: Some of those who objected to Natalie's choice objected on the basis that it she was a woman who sacrificed her career for a man. I don't think Natalie sees it as a sacrifice. While I understand that a lot of women feel taken for granted by the men in their life—I've been there and am proudly and happily divorced—there is nothing wrong with a woman giving of herself for the sake of the man she loves. I don't see scads of message board posts objecting to the fact that Zach suffered and almost died for her sake. So apparently it's okay for a man to give his life for the woman he loves, but it's not okay for a woman to bake pies and keep a home for the man she loves. That's unbalanced and unhealthy. From my point of view, spiritually speaking, the greatest thing to which we can aspire is to master ourselves so that we can serve others.

I'm working on that still.

Ronlyn: If there is one thing you'd like people to take away from BREAKING POINT, what would that be?

Pamela: I guess I want what I always want—for readers to leave the story feeling that they've been on a journey and are the better for it. We all know the feeling we get when we read a book that touches us. It's that feeling that I want readers to have.

If there's any message in the book—a moral premise, if you will—it might be that we can't live full lives as human beings by keeping our pain to ourselves. Zach and Natalie try that. It's only when they share with one another that they find love and release from the past and earn their HEA.

Ronlyn: Thank you so much Pamela for agreeing to chat with us today! If anyone has questions feel free to post them and she'll be popping in and out today to answer as many questions as she can as well as do a give away!

Next Up on Book Club: Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

We are so excited to welcome FOTB (friend of the blog) Pamela Clare back to book club with her new release,Breaking Point, on Thursday, May 26. If you haven't yet checked out Pamela's I-Team series, you are missing out on heart-pounding suspense and true-to-life action, a lot of it taken right from Pamela's long career as a journalist.

Here's the lowdown on Breaking Point:

Denver journalist Natalie Benoit and Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride find themselves captives of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Working together, they escape through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun. They fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both...

Also, check out my recent interview with Pamela. Get ready for an awesome book club with the always-entertaining Pamela Clare! See you there!

Book Club: Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell

London's most notorious seducer, Nicholas Challoner lives solely for revenge . . .

The dashing, licentious Marquess of Ranelaw can never forgive Godfrey Demarest for ruining his sister—now the time has come to repay the villain in the same coin. But one formidably intriguing impediment stands in the way of Nicholas's vengeance: Miss Antonia Smith, companion to his foe's unsuspecting daughter.

Having herself been deceived and disgraced by a rogue—banished by her privileged family as a result and forced to live a lie—Antonia vows to protect her charge from the same cruel fate. She recognizes Ranelaw for the shameless blackguard he is and will devote every ounce of her intelligence and resolve to thwarting him.

Yet Antonia has always had a fatal weakness for rakes . . .

Hey there book clubbers, Marie here taking a turn at hostess duty, and what a book we have to talk about this week! It had been a while since I'd read a juicy historical (one of my favorite genres within romance), and Anna's books never disappoint. From the time I first read Claiming the Courtesan, I have been a huge fan of her work. In this new book, Anna has given us a truly memorable hero and heroine in Nicholas, Lord Ranelaw, and Miss Antonia Smith. From their first meeting, the chemistry between Nicholas and Antonia burns up the page. Both had compelling backstories and interesting motivations for the decisions they made and the choices that drove them. I loved the way Anna tapped into the mores of the day by making Antonia's first love affair an abject disaster that poisoned the next ten years of her life, and how a similar situation in Ranelaw's past fueled his desire for revenge.

There were so many fabulous scenes in this book, but among my favorites were when Antonia clubbed him over the head with a fireplace poker (he had it coming, didn't he?) when she stared him down with a gun in hand after he kidnapped her cousin, and when she cried over his sick bed when she thought she'd lost him before she ever got to tell him she loved him. Ahhh, the stuff of classic romance novels! What were your favorite scenes in the book?

Anna will be joining us today from her home in Australia to chat about MWP and to give away a book from her back list (winner's choice) to one lucky commenter. Look forward to chatting about Midnight's Wild Passion! Find out more about Anna and her books at www.annacampbell.info.

Since I go out of my way to NEVER cook if I can avoid it, and as I have already posted the five or six recipes I make with any kind of frequency, I will offer this as my recipe for the day: RESERVATIONS, people. Make them. Often. :-)