Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 24

The Clockwork Monk

A little bit ago, I got chatting on twitter with editor Rayne Hall, and she said she was putting together a Steampunk anthology. Hmm…Steampunk, I said. I’ve always wanted to write Steampunk, I said.

Do it, she said. And send it to me.

So I did.

Which isn’t actually as crazy as it sounds. Rayne’s been more responsible than just about anyone else for broadening my horizons as a writer. It started over vampires, which, okay, wasn’t much of a stretch for me. (See Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires.) Then she asked what I knew about pirates, and gave me a shove to try writing historical. (See Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates.) Somewhere along the line she said, “So how ’bout horror?” and I said, “Seriously?” and she said, “Do it.” (See Scared: Ten Tales of Horror.) She also snagged a short story from me about witches (See Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft) which is one of my fave stories yet. Clearly we have a history, so tackling Steampunk with her encouragement made a lot of sense.

As usual, I started with a tiny idea – a young woman singing a recital, using her lovely soprano voice to distract the bad guys from some super-secret spy activity. I picked a year – 1910. Then I realized the young woman had a brother who looked a bit like Tom Huddleston in period garb (check out my Pinterest page for the story HERE). Then I needed an image, something to give all my ideas a focus.

And I found this dude here:

He’s a 16th century automaton, about 15″ tall, and if you want to see something a little creepy, go watch the video of him in action down at the bottom of the page. His story turned out to be a bit longer than I expected, and Rayne was very patient with me since it took me a while to get it done, but I’m real happy with the outcome. You can keep an eye on Rayne Hall’s FB page to see when Cogs: Ten Tales of Steampunk will be released. The other stories are from some pretty fabulous authors, too, including Jonathan Broughton, Beth Daniels, and April Grey, and I hope you’ll check it out.

Peace,

Liv

 

 

Blurb

Thomas Beck is a spy. Actually, Thomas isn’t his real name, but you wouldn’t expect a spy to use his real name, would you? He reports directly to Madam Helen Taft, President of the United States, and his goal is to prevent the war that threatens to drag every country in the world into chaos. Madam President invites him in for tea, and tells him his comrade Gesualdo has sent a cryptic message about anarchist, an Archbishop, and a Clockwork Monk.

And now his comrade is missing.

Thomas and Gesualdo have a past, and Thomas presumed they would also have a future. He sets off to investigate under the pretext of accompanying his sister Emma on an excursion. She’s a renowned lyric soprano (who has a secret or two of her own) and she’s been invited to sing a recital for the Archbishop of Chicago, which happens to be his comrade’s last known location. Steeped in steam, aided by clockworks, and distracted by a handsome young priest, Thomas must rely on his wits, his bravado, and his bone-deep toughness to solve the secret of The Clockwork Monk.

 

Here’s a link to more information about the automaton monk that inspired me.

 

The Romance Hero, or, The Man With The Biggest Hands In The World

Couple of quick editorial notes…

#1 This is a repeat of my blog post that first appeared last Monday on the Spellbound Scribes blog, but I liked it so much (if I do say so myself) I decided to post it here, too.

#2 Last week I found out my urban fantasy novel “Hell…The Story” made the quarterfinal cut of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Jump HERE to download the first three chapters from Amazon for FREE. The reason I’m just blogging about this now is that I’ve been so damned EXCITED it’s been hard to sit still long enough.

 

And now for the post…

 

Like every good author, I try to read in my genre. For me that means romance, and there seems to be a unifying theme in the last few books I’ve picked up.

The heroes are HUGE.

Just yesterday I finished Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennet. Lovely book. Loads of fun. Would read more by the author in a second. But damn, is the hero Winter Magnussen ever a big man. He’s described as a bear, as a wall, as a bull.

And yeah, in case you were wondering, ALL of his anatomy is proportional.

In contrast, the heroine Aida is petite, delicate, fragile. She’s spunky, and saves his butt more than once, but there’s always the feeling he might break her if he moves wrong.

Along the same lines, a couple weeks ago I read Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase. A 2012 RITA finalist, it’s a grand book that did a tremendous job of carrying me back to 1830s England. And our hero, the Duke of Clevedon? He’s tall, and broad, and his hands are large. In fact, there were so many descriptions of his exceptional size, with particular attention to his big hands, that by the end the visual I had was of a pale, curly-haired Shaquille O’Neal dressed in Regency garb.

Perhaps not the image the author was after…

And like Bitter Spirits, the heroine in Silk is petite and feisty. I liked her and I liked the story, but as a writer, I had to wonder about the subtext. I think it’s pretty clear that by creating characters who are at the extremes when it comes to size, authors are throwing cultural expectations into hyperdrive. For some perspective, here’s a quick quote from a highly authoritative source (eHarmony.com):

“For example, taller men may be seen as more powerful and attractive, so women who are with taller men benefit by attaining a higher social status.  In addition, if height signals physical dominance, it is likely that taller men make women feel smaller, protected, and perhaps more “feminine” as well.”

Readers identify with the POV character, and these books seem determined that for the time it takes you to finish the book, you’ll see yourself as 5’1” and 105 pounds with a big ol’ stud of a man trying to get you into his bed.

It kind of creeps me out a little. Because of the extreme emphasis on size, there’s an underlying dominance/submission thing that makes me uncomfortable. It’s one thing to feel feminine and protected, quite another to worry about getting broken.

Not all books roll that way. Delphine Drydens BDSM/Erotic romance The Theory Of Attraction has an overt D/s storyline, and while yeah, Ivan is taller than Camille, his dominance comes from an intellectual/emotional place rather than being a result of his physical size. (And if you haven’t read Theory, you really should. It’s one of the best examples of integrating the D/s lifestyle into a character that I’ve ever come across. You end up with the feeling that Ivan pretty much had to be a Dom, that nothing else would have worked for him.)

I also don’t generally find the same subtext in m/m romance. In Hainted, Jordan L. Hawk’s fabulous book about magic workers in Appalachia, Lief is taller than Dan. There are a few references to the height difference, mostly in terms of how comfortable it was for Dan to rest his head against Leif’s shoulder. Both characters are powerful men. They have different abilities, but if somehow things changed dramatically and they started scrapping, I’m not sure which one would come out the winner.

In fact, I tried hard to think of a romance hero who WASN’T a really big guy, and the closest character I could come up with is Micah, one of Anita Blake’s boyfriends. Though he’s not technically a romance hero, he’s handsome, hung, and just about the same height she is (~ 5’3″). Their partner Nathaniel’s only about 5’7″, which makes him the giant in the threesome. And you know what? While I get that Anita’s very attracted to both of them, they do NOTHING for me. I love Micah’s emotional maturity and I love Nathaniel’s ability to ground Anita, and I’ve sure read my share of sex scenes involving them, but meh. Can’t see myself in Anita’s shoes, and not just because she’s not wearing any and in the middle of several men at once…

So as usual in my blog posts, I make some observations but don’t really have any conclusions. What do you think? Have you read books where the hero is a giant and the heroine is tiny? Do you enjoy that kind of energy, or does your inner feminist rise up screaming? Conversely, can you think of a romantic hero who’s NOT a bug guy?

It’s food for thought, if nothing else…

Peace,

Liv

 

Six Insights Into The World Of Nurses….by Nana Prah

Didja ever wonder what went on up at the nurses’ station after the last medication was given and the last patient call-light answered? Here’s Nana Prah, author of a couple of fabulous books, to let you in on our secrets.  And yeah, I’m a nurse too, and these made me laugh…hard…

Okay, I’m only one nurse who’s worked with quite a few of them during my career. I’ve probably encountered more nurses in my lifetime than any other profession (Liv being one). Conversations with these vociferous women and men has lead me to come to some conclusions about the nursing profession.

 

1. We have mouths that would make a sailor cover his ears and run away screaming. Yes we tend to be potty mouths, never to our patients, though. When we are amongst ourselves, watch out.

 

2. We tend to remember the condition, not the individual with the condition, so don’t worry about coming in with testicles the size of a fully blown balloon, we wouldn’t be able to point you out in a lineup, but those testicles will be embedded in our minds forever.

 

3. Most of us enjoy our jobs. My favorite part about being nurse is seeing the patient go home happy and healed.

 

4. We are not angels on earth.  I had one patient wake up from anesthesia asking me if I was an angel. I laughed, enjoying the delusional compliment. We are human beings trying to do a job we like, that’s it.

 

5. You can’t be a nurse and be shy, so shy nurses don’t exist.  If a nursing student starts out shy, it’s driven out of her very quickly as they learn how to be more assertive and speak out on behalf of their patients.

 

6. We don’t like causing pain. I don’t know a single nurse who laughs with glee as she injects a patient with medication or cleans out a deep wound.  Making people scream is one of the negative consequences of our job. We only hurt you because it will heal you.

 

I hope you enjoyed you tour into the nursing world. Of course there are so many more facets to us, but I’d have to go into witness protection if I revealed them.

 

And as long as she’s here, Nana’s going to tell you about her newest release, Midwife To Destiny…

 

Blurb

 

Ghanaian nurse Aurora ‘Ora’ Aikins never expected to find the love of her life while on vacation in South Africa. Engaged to another and believing that love has no place in her life, she returns to Ghana, and puts duty and honor first.

 

Three years later, Dr. Jason Lartey still can’t get Ora out of his mind or his heart. After learning she never married, he takes a risk and moves to Ghana hoping to rekindle what they started. His sudden appearance in Ora’s Emergency Department sends sparks flying all over again.

 

They’re in the same country, working in the same hospital, and together but distance creeps between them. Can they make their destined love one for the ages?

 

Buy Links

Amazon | Decadent |ARe | Barnes & Noble| Smashwords

 

About the Author:

Nana Prah was born in Ghana, West Africa, raised in the US and currently resides in Ghana where she loves her job as a writer and nurse educator. She has been writing since she can remember (in her journal) and has been an avid reader of romance novels since the eighth grade. She has finally been able to utilize the years and years of inadvertent research into writing her own romance novels where love always conquers all.

 

 

Contact Details:

 

Blog : www.nanaprah.blogspot.com

Twitter: @NanaPrah

Facebook: Nana Prah, Author

 

 

Enjoy the following excerpt for Midwife to Destiny:

 

Ora focused on putting one foot in front of the other as if she were a one-year-old learning how to walk. After turning the corner and seeing the back of his head, she froze. She would know that head anywhere. He’d grown his hair out a little, but his adorable, Will Smith ears gave him away. Initiating the process of pivoting and sprinting out of the ED unnoticed sprang to mind when he turned around and his gaze caught hers.

 

The air became charged with tension and neither of them moved. Her heart threatened to pop out of her chest with the force of each beat. The nurses stood between them, looking back and forth as if they watched a tennis match. They didn’t bother to hide their expressions of curiosity.

 

They’d never seen Ora behave in such a manner. Not cool as a cucumber super nurse. Like herself, they kept looking at the new doctor just because of his tall, broad-shouldered, gorgeous stature. The past three years had matured him, adding a few lines around his eyes and the new feature of a goatee with a moustache changed his countenance a little. But otherwise, the same man she’d met three years ago, at least in the physical sense, stood before her.

 

After an eternity, Ora snapped back to attention. “Akwaaba, Dr. Lartey. Welcome to the ward.” Madam Professional stuck out her hand for a handshake.

 

Her words seemed to drag him out of his own stupor. “Uh….”

 

She had rendered the man speechless. Ora’s gracious nature—that’s what she blamed it on, anyway—took pity on him and she touched his shoulder. The contact sent sensual awareness through her and she recoiled her hand.

 

“Hello, Aurora. Please forgive me. It’s just that I’m a little surprised to see you.”

 

“Not as much as I am,” she muttered, attempting to squash both the joy bubbling up inside of her at seeing him again and the overwhelming sadness of what she’d been missing for so long.

 

“Pardon me?” he asked.

 

“I didn’t expect to see you here. It’s a surprise to me, too.” She tried to smile, but it came out contorted, as if she’d been able to have a painful, rocky bowel movement after being constipated for seven days.

 

 

 

 

Nana’s  giving away a $20 Amazon gift card which will run until the end of April, so get busy with the entries, people! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Review of Love Hacked by Penny Reid

Oh yeah…remember how I was going to start blogging more regularly? I should have been more specific…

I totally meant it. Totally.

I’m inspired to make a post today, anyway, and will endeavor to get it done while my resolve is fresh. I read a great book over the weekend and thought it would make a good case study. Love Hacked: A Reluctant Romance is part of Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series. Though it’s book 3 in the series, it mostly reads like a stand-alone novel. In all honesty, a big part of the reason I downloaded the sample was because it had 80 5-star Amazon reviews and 8 4-star reviews, and I thought, “no one has that many friends”. The sample sold me, and those reviewers were pretty much right on. The story was a whole lot of fun.

Here’s the blurb:

There are three things you need to know about Sandra Fielding: 1) She makes all her first dates cry, 2) She hasn’t been kissed in over two years, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Sandra has difficulty removing her psychotherapist hat. Of her last 30 dates, 29 have ended the same way: the man sobbing uncontrollably. After one such disaster, Sandra–near desperation and maybe a little tipsy–gives in to a seemingly harmless encounter with her hot waiter, Alex. Argumentative, secretive, and hostile Alex may be the opposite of everything Sandra knows is right for her. But now, the girl who has spent all her life helping others change for the better, must find a way to cope with falling for someone who refuses to change at all.

 

What worked for me:

The characters/conflict Sandra and Alex are complicated and interesting and real, and the issues they have to resolve on the way to their HEA stem from who who they are, without feeling forced or artificial. Alex has issues, but so does Sandra. She tries to fix people. He doesn’t want to be fixed. She’s a master at reading people. He’s a master at keeping secrets. And once they get started, they can’t keep their hands off each other. It’s all just too much fun.

The humor Okay, so I’ve said before that I want to grow up to be Janet Evanovich one day. I love authors that spike the story with laugh-out-loud lines. Love Hacked pretty much nails it.  Here’s a sample  quote I found on Goodreads…It’s Sandra explaining the facts of life to Alex, sort of…

“This is just your penis having the feels for my vagina. Your penis is making prank calls! and every single time your penis makes a prank call, my vagina answers the phone. And then you hang up. Or your penis claims wrong number or misdial or no hablo Ingles. It’s infuriating, and it’s called genital call me maybe.” 

Now, I have to say this wasn’t one of the lines that made me LOL, but it’s a great illustration of Sandra’s fresh and snarky voice. (And since the book is on my antique kindle, I don’t have mental discipline to toggle through and find one of the lines that did make me snicker.)  The thing is, the story had serious things to say about trust in relationships and the impulse to help those in need and  the impact of computer hackers on the government and personal privacy. Big issues, stuff to think about, but presented in a totally entertaining package.

 

What didn’t work as well for me:

The goofy little epilogue at the end from Alex’s POV If I was a better reviewer, I’d be able to come up with some constructive criticism of the overall story, but really, nothing bugged me about this book till I got to the end and there was a random chapter from the hero’s POV.  Well, all right, a couple times during the first consummated sex scene Alex got a little too “secret Dom” for me (I’m going to take what I want and claim what’s mine…blah blah blah), and I had a little trouble keeping track of who was who in the knitting group, but other than that, there wasn’t much for me to pick at. And worse things have happened in the world of literature, you know?

 

The bigger question:

Why does the book have so many 5-star reviews? I mean, it’s a good book, a very good book, even. But as of today there are 100 5-star reviews, 12 4-star, 2 3-star, and one two-star review. When I post a review, I’ll give it four stars. It was well plotted, with strong characters and lots of humor: all elements I love. And the naughty bits were yummy and satisfying and fun, because they were so organic to the characters. But when I sit down to make a list of my top ten reads for 2014, will this one be on it? I’ll probably remember it because of this blog post, if for no other reason, but other than that, I don’t know. I reserve five star ratings (and my personal top ten) for books that blow my head off.

Criminy Stain, I’m looking at you…

In the beginning of this post, I mentioned that Love Hacked would make a good case study, and by that I meant it’s a good chance to contemplate the meaning of the reviews that get posted to Amazon and Goodreads. (And I chose the word ‘contemplate’ deliberately, because I sure as hell don’t want to be responsible for coming up with any answers.) The book has a 4.8 average on Amazon and a 4.32 average on Goodreads. As a comparison, Pride and Prejudice has a 4.24 average on Goodreads and a 4.6 average on Amazon. Love Hacked is a good book, but is it really better than Pride & Prejudice? Or does Ms. Reid really have more friends than anyone else on the planet?

What do you think? Do you pay attention to the reviews you see on Amazon or Goodreads? When you get ready to review/rate a book (and I know you do), what do you take into consideration? Does it matter if you know the author or not?

Hmm…so many questions….

Peace,

Liv

Goddess of the Hunt

So my friend Becky Flade recently released a fun and naughty little book…in fact, that’s how I titled my review: Fun & Naughty & Naughty & Fun. It’s well worth the read, for sure…

Codename Diana

CIA field agent Paige Aster hides a cunning intelligence and lethal skill behind a mask of golden beauty. It serves her well as she moves from one undercover assignment to the next.

Current Mission

Retrieve a stolen United States military defense program from a terrorist cell in Dublin, Ireland, before they trade it to Islamic extremists in exchange for munitions. Her only back up on this time-sensitive mission is a deeply embedded MI-6 operative.

Her Asset

Eoin Fitzpatrick has sacrificed everyone he holds dear to bring these terrorists to justice. He’ll sacrifice Diana, too, if she threatens to compromise his mission or his cover. He has orders to do just that – his agency is only doing hers a favor.

Compromised or Comprising?

Paige expects danger, but welcomes passion—taking her pleasure where and when it’s offered. She’s not prepared for the effect Eoin has on her. Or what happens when she surrenders to him—Paige burns for Eoin but will he leave her burned…

Goddess of the Hunt

Covert Passions

Decadent | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks

 

What Readers are saying:

There’s a great plot line, an interesting twist to the story, and I think although it’s not a cliffhanger you’ll be left wanting more…Kinky Book Klub

FUN & NAUGHTY & NAUGHTY & FUN (Yes, this is the review I posted to Amazon…and yes, I’m putting the title in bold text. So?)

I like Ms. Flade’s work because she does so many things right. In Paige, she’s created a character that pushes the envelope for what’s expected of a romance heroine. Paige definitely plays by her own rules, and fortunately for us those rules allow her to indulge in all kinds of pleasurable activities. When she’s dropped undercover, playing the girlfriend of a uber-sexy secret agent, their bedroom play goes way beyond what’s necessary to maintain the charade. I don’t want to give the ending away, but suffice it to say I hope we get to see more of Paige’s adventures!

(Oh, and I should also say that the opening scene does an amazing job of demonstrating why it’s not the size of the boat, but the motion in the ocean that counts. Hee!)

If you’re into Pinterest, here’s a link to Goddess’s page.

And you can jump HERE to add Goddess to your Goodreads TBR list.

About the Author:

A city girl, born and bred, I place my stories in and around southeast Pennsylvania, or at least have a character or two from the area. Home is where the heart is and I make mine with my very own knight in slightly tarnished armor. When I’m not busy living my own happily ever after, I’m writing about someone else’s.

 

Contact Details:

beckyfladeauthor@gmail.com

http://beckyfladeauthor.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BeckyFlade

https://twitter.com/beckyflade

 

Enjoy the following excerpt from Goddess of the Hunt:

 

“Is it done? Do you and the others in the house bring in sex partners from time to time?” She straightened and stared at him.

“Yes.” He hissed the answer.

“I’m travelling; you and I meet at a pub and go to your place to hook up. It’s simple and happens all the time. Believable, even.” She thought of Michel and her lips tilted at the corners. Then, casting her eyes over Eoin, she deliberately arched a brow and tucked her tongue in her cheek. “Well, for most people, anyway.”

His lips thinned and the muscles in his cheek ticked as he worked to control the flare of temper. It delighted her. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.” Eoin pushed himself from the chair he’d been perched on and nearly charged for the door. “I’ll be here at seven-thirty tomorrow morning, be ready.”

Paige grabbed his arm as he passed her. “What are you so worked up about? If it goes wrong, you can just leave me hanging and you know it. This costs you nothing, Paddy-boy; it’s my ass on the line.”

He grabbed her shirt and pushed her against the closet door. She didn’t fight it and he had his mouth on her in seconds. His tongue delved and demanded she respond; she arched up into the kiss. Delight, desire, and anger thrummed through her as she both succumbed and made demands of her own. His hands molded to her hips and pinned her between the hard planes of his body and the wall behind her. Then he abruptly pulled away. They stood inches apart; the air crackled around them. Their gazes locked. He opened his mouth, then shook his head and left without a word.

       Tie score.

Here’s the cool trailer Becky made…



 

 

 

Glitterland: Review

In the interest of blogging more consistently, I’m going to focus my posts on reading and writing, since those are my main obsessions right now. To start myself off, here’s a review of a book I absolutely fell in love with…

Glitterland, by Alexis Hall, is a m/m romance with a 4 1/2 star rating on Amazon and a 4.25 average on Goodreads, I mean, if you’re into that kind of thing. I can tell you it’s a fabulous story, one I read through over the course of about a day and a half. It was one of those books where as soon as I finished, I opened it back up to page one and started again. I haven’t finished the second read-through yet,  and I’ll talk about why in a minute. For now, here’s the blurb:

Once the golden boy of the English literary scene, now a clinically depressed writer of pulp crime fiction, Ash Winters has given up on love, hope, happiness, and—most of all—himself. He lives his life between the cycles of his illness, haunted by the ghosts of other people’s expectations.

Then a chance encounter at a stag party throws him into the arms of Essex boy Darian Taylor, an aspiring model who lives in a world of hair gel, fake tans, and fashion shows. By his own admission, Darian isn’t the crispest lettuce in the fridge, but he cooks a mean cottage pie and makes Ash laugh, reminding him of what it’s like to step beyond the boundaries of anxiety.

But Ash has been living in his own shadow for so long that he can’t see past the glitter to the light. Can a man who doesn’t trust himself ever trust in happiness? And how can a man who doesn’t believe in happiness ever fight for his own?

What I liked: This book sold me on the strength of its heart. The author shows a tremendous amount of affection for the characters, even though at times I think he misspelled the POV character’s name. Ash is kind of an A$$, if you get my drift, although he’s also a complicated, fully-fleshed-out character. He’s bipolar and spends most of his time fending off depression, and I found the author’s depiction of mental illness to be both accurate and compassionate.

“But tonight I’d broken all the rules and I was going to pay the price. I could feel it, the slow beat of water against the crumbling cliffs of my sanity. I was going to crash. I was going to crash so hard and deep it would feel as though there was nothing inside me but despair…”

Such beautiful writing…and the book is FULL of it, gorgeous, fresh, interesting, damned good writing. I could do a whole post made up of samples…or you could get your own copy of the book and read them for yourself.

In several interviews the author says his inspiration for the other main character, Darian, came from a British reality television star, whom he describes as a “glitter pirate”. The author was bothered by criticism aimed at the reality star because it implied he wasn’t the right kind of gay – as if there are right and wrong ways to be gay.

“The thing is, that type of person does show up in fiction fairly regularly but usually as a background character or a gay best friend, and he tends to be played for laughs. So I decided I wanted to write a book where he was the hero because I think it’s so easy to dismiss people who seem shallow or frivolous or camp or, basically, just not like you. And that meant I needed a context in which he could shine, and also be taken seriously for who he is.” (Author’s quote from an interview on AllAboutRomance)

Darian is bright and upbeat and decidedly eccentric, and he’s exactly what Ash needs. It’s a study in contrasts, one I thought worked well. Here’s Ash’s first view of Darian, a moment that captures the essence of their relationship.

“Fuck knew what I was doing staring at someone who thought sparkly epaulettes were any sort of fashion statement but, God help me, I was. Maybe it was the way he was dancing, eyes half closed, a half-smile on his lips, as though he honestly couldn’t think of anything better to do in the world than wriggle his hips to the music.”

Darian is bright honesty to Ash’s tweed-covered cynicism, and I love them both, and I love their friends, and I love the language the author uses to tell their story.

What didn’t work as well: I have two main criticisms, and they’re more-or-less related. Part of the ‘study in contrasts’ thing is the difference in their social status. Ash is an educated, independently wealthy, upper-class author, and Darian is from Essex, and while I don’t know for sure, I think that’s sort of like being from South Jersey. While Ash does struggle with introducing Darian to his circle of friends – and the main climax hinges on Ash being a total A$$hole because of their class differences – no one ever implies that Darian might be interested in Ash for financial gain. He’s attracted to the essential goodness in Ash, which as awesome and all, but it seemed an odd oversight that Ash never worries nor do his friends imply that Darian could be a bit of a gold digger. From that standpoint, Darian’s a little too pure for me. I still love him, but it would have been nice if he’d at least noticed Ash’s wealth.

The related criticism has to do with the author’s choice for Darian’s dialogue. It’s all written in a thick Essex dialect. Every. Last. Bit. And wow, it can be tricky to plow through. As I said at the beginning of this post, this book was an automatic re-read for me, but about a third of the way through I lost steam, mainly because Darian’s dialogue was making my eyes cross. The sample here starts with Ash:

I could not quite contain a spurt of laughter. “Essex Fashion Week? Do all the models go down the catwalk in white stilettos?”

He gave me a slightly wounded look. “Mate, that’s well aht of order. It’s being I dunno, racist or summin. You’re being racist against Essex.”

Racist against Essex, indeed. I bit back the scornful response such a statement deserved. “I suppose you have a point,” I said, instead. “It is, after all, unacceptable to make judgements about other people based on the colour of their skin–even if that colour happens to be orange.”

“What’s wrong wif you? That’s me you’re mugging off.”

“I was joking.”

“Was you?” said Darian, putting down his spoon with a clink, and regarding me with rather cool grey eyes. “Cos it sahnded like you wasn’t.”

The problem for me was that all the ‘fings’ (things) and ‘finks’ (thinks) and ‘janarwhatameans’ (figure it out) made Darian sound childlike instead of uneducated.  And trying to figure out what he meant pulled me out of the story more often than not. I get that the author wanted to play up the differences between the two characters, but I think the use of dialect became a distraction. The general rule of thumb for using accents/dialect in fiction seems to be ‘less is more’, and I wonder if he could have accomplished the same thing with sprinkling rather than dumping the whole jar of spice into the mix.

Glitterland isn’t a perfect book, but there’s a whole lot to love about it. In my fantasy life, the author swings by this post and explains why he went the full-dialect route with Darian’s dialogue. Short of that, I’d like to hear what you guys think about using dialect or accents in fiction. Have you ever tried it? Read books where it worked or didn’t work? Leave me a comment – I’m interested in your thoughts…

Peace,

Liv

 

My Writing Process

So the blog has been a bit neglected lately…like, this is the first time I’ve logged in since late December. I’ve resolved to do better, though, and to kick things off, I was invited to participate in a blog hop by the lovely Sharon Clare. Sharon’s a Canadian author who studied psychology and writing at the University of Toronto. She has published paranormal romance novels with Crimson Romance, along with magazine articles, short stories, art reviews, and a newsletter. Sharon’s favorite place to write is outside under the maple trees beside the trickling pond and blooming lilies, and you can find more about her writing process HERE.

This blog hop is pretty simple.  I answer four questions about my writing process, then pay it forward by inviting three other writers to participate and linking to their blogs. I’m tagging Ellen Gregory, a fabulous Australian author of high fantasy who blogs about travel and writing and Dungeons and Dragons.  I’m also tagging my friend Debbie Christiana, who is a multipublished author of paranormal romance involving past lives and Strega, the Italian tradition of witchcraft. And finally, I’m tagging Jillian Chantal, author of an amazing array of contemporary and historical romance. Jillian participated in the My Writing Process blog hop earlier this month, and you can jump HERE to see her post. Keep an eye on Ellen & Debbie’s blogs, because they’ll be answering these same four questions a week from today.

And now for the four questions…

1. What am I working on?

Getting stuff ready! I have an UF/romance that I’m querying and a contemporary romance that I’m revising (again). I’ve also got the first draft done of a m/m romance set in the 1950s. It’s a short one, but I’m real pleased with how it’s working up. I’m also working hard on craft – still trying to figure out where I’m most comfortable.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My stories are funny and sexy and light, and while I started out thinking I’d love to grow up to be Janet Evanovich, now I’m more focused on figuring out what makes a good Liv Rancourt book.

3. Why do I write what I do?

My ideas tend to grow out of stuff I’m dealing with in the real world, filtered and twisted and shaped. Writing lets me poke at things and work out my thoughts, hopefully in a way that’s entertaining for others.

4. How does my writing process work?

I get an idea – often but not always while lying in bed – and write it down. Then I think some more. Then I write some more. I like to have a fairly good plan for where I’m going before I get there, which puts me more-or-less in the Plotter’s camp. I make an editing pass, and send it off to a few trusted individuals for feedback. Then I revise based on that feedback, and sometimes revise again if I’ve taken a new class or have a new approach I want to try out. Sometimes there’s a musical soudtrack provided by one of my Pandora stations, but I’m most productive when it’s just me and the laptop and my bright pink Kit Cat Clock ticking away.

Well there you go! My first post for 2014. Thanks for reading along…

Liv

One final thing…here’s a song by the Squirrel Nut Zippers that’s the unofficial soundtrack for my UF/Romance, Hell…The Story…

#TeamSophia A Very Special Post

Today’s post is a little different. Rose Moor is an occupational therapist who has worked with Sophia and Stacey for the last couple years, and I contacted her, asking for her perspective on their lives. Here’s what she shared with me…

 

When children with disabilities or significant delays turn 3, they are eligible for special education services through the public schools. In our school system in Federal Way, the developmental preschools have children with various abilities in class along with typically developing children.

Along with the team including speech pathologist, classroom teacher, a teacher of the visually impaired and myself, an occupational therapist, we met Sophia when she turned 3. Initially, because of health problems, we began going into the home to work with Sophia.

This was an eye-opening experience on several levels. I don’t know about my colleagues, but I had never treated a child with such profound health problems as well as physical issues. I have a child (man!) with cerebral palsy who is 34 years old now. I have dealt with disability as a parent and that’s what lead me into this career. For many years, I had not experienced such a fragile little person as Sophia. Stacy’s house is like a satellite hospital room! She has IV and suction equipment, nurses round the clock (usually) and it is decorated beautifully for a little girl! Not only can Sophia’s team handle emergencies, it is a cozy place. What a combo! Eventually, Sophia was able to attend school 2-3 days a week.

Until I was invited to join “Team Sophia” in Hawaii last summer, I had no idea what Stacy goes through on a daily basis just to get that child to school. Most parents just dress their kids, feed them, and head out. A few even fix their daughter’s hair, (though not all). Not Stacy Sunde!

 This AMAZING mom has to bathe Sophia, change a trach including the dressings, diaper, apply anti fungal powders, dress her (beautifully!) tube feed, give medicines, suction the trach, physically facilitate the most basic bodily functions, carry Sophia, a stroller and other various assorted equipment to the car. When she arrives at school, she has to unload the equipment, lift Sophia into the stroller and head into the building. Whew! Makes me tired just writing this. All told, it is at least a 4 hour process just to get Sophia to school for a 2.5 hour preschool program!

In Hawaii, I was amazed how little sleep Stacy gets. On nights there was no nurse available, Stacy stayed up around the clock to monitor Sophia. I was able to stay up til 11:00 or 12:00, but went to bed. Not mama Sunde!

Monitoring a child with a trach does NOT include the luxury of dozing off. At night, Sophia has an oxygen and heart rate monitor clipped onto her toe. The clip has a long cord that reaches out of the bedroom to the actual monitor sits in the living room. Stacy’s eyes are on that thing constantly like a nurse in the ICU. She watches for changes in heart rate that would indicate a seizure or clogged trach. If the trach clogs and is not cleared immediately, it would mean an anoxic event for Sophia. There is no room for error. There are no excuses. Stacy stayed awake for up to TWO DAYS. Sleep deprived as she was, she got out and enjoyed Hawaii with the group.

At school, the children practically trip over each other to interact with Sophia! She has a new little chair that Stacy found online. It allows Sophia to sit upright, supporting her mid-section and causing her to control her head. She’s low enough to the floor that the kids can come sit with her and she watches them intently! There’s some connection between their little voices and movements that really catches Sophia’s attention. Really, I feel the kids are more therapeutic for Sophia than anything I do for her. She follows their voices and watches them, turning her head and focusing way more than with me! The therapists didn’t know about this new chair until Sophia showed up with it. We are learning from Stacy! What a beautiful gift for us, the children, (future nurses, doctors and teachers) to go to school with Sophia! We all know that Sophia is enriching our lives and the children in school. Surely they will be more compassionate and empathetic for having interacted with such a little girl. You cannot teach THAT lesson out of a book, it has to be experienced.

Sincerely,

Rose Moor, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Federal Way School District

 

I think you’ll agree that Rose has given a beautiful testimonial to a mother’s love, and to what a special child Sophia is. Stacey’s getting closer to her fundraising goal for The Princess Needs A New Spa, and she’s still got a matching challenge grant. Any money raised between now and midnight on New Year’s Eve will be matched up to $2014. The community of friends who visit this blog has done so much to move Stacey towards her goal, and Stacey and Sophia very much appreciate your generosity.

Remember, every bit helps –  even the cost of a latte or a movie ticket will get them closer to their goal of a new, more functional bathroom and tub for Sophia. You can click the orange Donate button in the right side bar of this blog post, and it’ll take you to a PayPal account dedicated to them.And if you don’t have the cash, send one up to the deity of your choice, or share this blog post on your FB stream or tweet the link.

Thank you Rose, for your thoughtful comments, and thank all of you blog readers for supporting this fundraising effort. Have a wonderful holiday!

Liv

#TeamSophia Matching Gift Challenge!

Merry Christmas from Stacey & Sophia

Today there’s some pretty amazing news from #TeamSophia. Stacey’s getting closer to her fundraising goal for The Princess Needs A New Spa, and will be getting a big boost from an anonymous donor who has promised to match all donations between now and midnight on December 31st, up to $2014!!

So cool!

It’s such a testament to the kindness and generosity of the people in Sophia’s life, and the readers of this blog. You guys are accomplishing something that’s pretty amazing.

‘Tis the season, and all, so I asked Stacey about Sophia’s holiday favorites. Here’s what she had to say:

Some of her favorite things about Christmas are the tree lights, tastes of candy cane, preparing art projects for the people she loves, and joining in all the excitement with her friends at preschool.

I can just imagine how big Sophia’s eyes get when she tastes a candy cane. Yum!

Look at me! I’m sitting up!

Sophia’s other big fun this week was sitting independently for the first time. Stacey got her a Childrite Bumbo seat, and look at her go! Another milestone for a very special little girl.

Thank you all for checking out this post, and for your generous support of The Princess Needs A New Spa fund. Remember the matching gift challenge runs from now until midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the donor will match up to $2014. Every little bit – even the cost of a latte or a movie ticket – will move Stacey closer to her goal, and if you don’t have the cash, send one up to the deity of your choice, because that helps too.

Thanks again, and have a wonderful holiday season…

Liv

 

Bah Humbug

So there are a lot of good things about Christmas. I’m sure of it. I mean, anything that turns into such a big flaming hoo-haw ever year must have something going for it.

Right?

I just struggle with it sometimes.

A visual representation of my usual attitude towards Christmas…

So imagine my lack of enthusiasm when I saw this week’s WANAFriday theme: Which holiday movie do you love this year and why?

Yeah. Well, an honest answer to that question would be the shortest blog post ever. Since I really wanted to do something with it, I posed a question in my Facebook status, asking all my fab friends which holiday movie is their favorite. I’ve had an amazing response, enough that I started an Excel doc to keep track of the results.

Christmas makes me grumpy because usually I end up feeling like John McLane after an evening spent shooting out the windows of a high rise.

Here are some of the rough stats so far (and it’s in narrative form, since I’m apparently not clever enough to import a table into WordPress). Thirty-four movies were mentioned at least once, and a total of 100 votes were cast, which tells me what an exuberant and opinionated group you are. I’ll put the alphabetical list at the bottom of the post, so you can see if your fave made the list.  As far as the age of the films, there was a pretty even spread between older movies an more recent releases. The oldest film that got a mention was Holiday Inn, which came out in 1942, and the most recent was Four Christmases, which came out in 2008.

There were plenty of old stand-byes like White Christmas, Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the ANIMATED version, please), and A Christmas Carol. There were also newer “classics in the making”, like Love, Actually,  Elf and Die Hard. Okay, there might have been a bit of a skew towards older films. I have trouble believing Christmas with the Kranks will ever make it to classic status, though National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation did get several mentions.

Okay, I might not be as enthusiastic as the Grinch, here, but I’m getting closer.

So now I bet you’re dying of curiosity. Which Christmas film got the most votes in my highly unscientific but extremely enthusiastic survey?

It’s A Wonderful Life

with A Christmas Story as a close second. (And Shauna, even if I counted your negative vote for It’s A Wonderful Life, it still won.)

There you have it! If you leave me a comment with YOUR favorite Christmas movie, I’ll add it to my spreadsheet. Meanwhile, I might actually check out this year’s must-see Christmas film, The Hobbit: Wrath of B.Cumberbatch with a sidecar of Legolas and that hottie dwarf. Hopefully it’ll help me drum up a little positive mojo as we head into the sparkliest time of the year.

Peace,

Liv

 

For more WANAFriday movie fun, check out these blogs:

Ellen Gregory – My Thoughts On Catching Fire

Tami Clayton – Snow Day

 

Here’s the alphabetical list of the movies that got at least one vote in my survey:

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Story (#2)

A Muppet Family Christmas

Christmas Eve On Sesame Street

Christmas With The Kranks

Deck The Halls

Die Hard

Die Hard 2

Dr Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (#4)

Elf

Four Christmases

Gremlins

Griswold’s Christmas Vacation

Holiday Inn

Home Alone

Home Alone 2

It’s A Wonderful Life (#1)

Joyeaux Noel

Love, Actually (#5)

Miracle on 34th St

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Polar Express

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Scrooged

The Bishop’s Wife

The Christmas Shoes

The Holiday

The Homecoming

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Sound Of Music

We’re No Angels

While You Were Sleeping

White Christmas (#3)

There was also a vote for a Twilight Zone episode, and one vote for “All the ones on Hallmark”.