Penny Watson's Blog, page 51

Oh My God! Someone Just Tried To Kill Me! Think I'll Whip Up A Batch of Cookies

I finally finished Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson. Her Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery Series is one I've enjoyed for many years. However, the quality of these books has been on a rollercoaster ride. Some of them are pretty good. Some of them are not. This was the worst I've read. There were way too many characters, too many storylines, and too many absolutely ridiculous events. Goldy's TSTL moments were out of control. No one thought is was weird having one of the main murder suspects stay at the primary investigator's house? Goldy's son almost kills a guy, is holding a bloody weapon, and Goldy pretty much ignores him and starts baking? Hee hee! There are no transitions here between the murder plot and the cooking. One moment, Goldy is bloody and unconscious, the next she's whipping up a coffee cake. The best part of this book? The recipes at the end. Natty and I are going to make the Crunch Time Cookies this week.

Grade: C- or less (cringe)

This is my kids' week of winter break. I have a huge TBR pile for books. Let's see how many I get to!

* In the Flesh by Julia Barrett! (yay, Julia!)
* Prince Charming, Inc. by Jamie Brazil
* Prince of Hearts by Katy Cooper
* Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox
* Touch of a Rogue by Mia Marlowe

Hope everyone has a wonderful week,
Penelope

Introducing....The Martini Club

I think most folks following this blog know my quirky interests. Weenie dogs. Hugh Jackman. Lumberjacks. Gardening. 1980s music videos. Britney. The whole beardy thing. Romance novels, of course.

And last, but certainly not least, cocktails. I like wine. I like girly drinks with umbrellas. I like manly beers. I like frozen slushy drinks. I love sangria. The list goes on and on....

And so, I decided, that Sunday--in addition to being the day of rest, the day for church, the day for reading the Sunday paper, and the day for doing laundry--is now going to be the official meeting of The Martini Club. This is an open club. For anyone who enjoys cocktails, wine, beers, moonshine, non-alcoholic beverages, smoothies, etc. You name it, I'll include it. Nothing is too highbrow or lowbrow. I'll consider Iron City Beer (Go Stillers!), I'll consider the finest champagne from France.

Starting next week, I'll be inviting guests to my blog to discuss their favorite drinks, recipes, memories of college parties, visits to vineyards, etc. Reviewers, readers, bloggers, authors, and even people who don't like beards are more than welcome to join The Martini Club. (Although non-beard lovers may be required to watch a short, subliminal film before membership is approved.)

Anyhoo, my first guest will be KMont, who has a kick-ass foodie blog ( Full Fork Ahead ), and a totally cool book blog, too ( Lurv a la Mode ). She'll be stopping by next Sunday, Feb. 26. Other guests coming up soon are Carolyn Crane, Julia Rachel Barrett, and Casey Wyatt.

Today I'm posting an old favorite, the mango martini. Here's a true story. After I made my first mango martini, I was so excited that I jumped onto my bicycle and put my silver martini mixer (filled with mango martini) in my bike basket, and rode down the street to my friend's house. Yes, I sort of looked like the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz, with a martini mixer in my bike basket.


So, anyway, I rode to my friend's house, whipped out the martini mixer, asked her for a glass, and poured her a drink. (She didn't appear to be that surprised that I had just ridden around the neighborhood with a cocktail in my basket. Go figure). Anyhow, she announced that it was sublime. And...it was.

Here's the recipe....

Mango Martini

2 oz. mango nectar
1 oz. mango rum
splash cranberry juice

Mix all ingredients with ice in a silver martini mixer. Shake well. Strain and pour into festive glass. Enjoy!

Welcome to The Martini Club! Anyone interested in joining, guesting, drinking, etc. please shoot me an email (penelope DOT romance AT gmail DOT com). Also, The Martini Club will actually meet in person at the NECRWA Spring Conference in Salem, MA this spring. Don't miss it!

Here's our perfect theme song....hee hee hee!


Hiccup,
Penelope

Free To Be

This is an OLDIE. Yep, from 1972. Who remembers Free to Be...You and Me? I loved this album...there are wonderful songs/stories by Marlo Thomas, Alan  Alda, Rosey Grier and more. For some strange reason, I woke up this morning with this song in my head.

There's a land that I see where the children are freeAnd I say it ain't far to this land from where we areTake my hand, come with me, where the children are freeCome with me, take my hand, and we'll live

Happy Weekend,Penelope

Hugh Day, I Mean Beard of the Day!

Hugh With Scruff




Hugh With Hat



Hugh With Ginormous Biceps



Hugh With Magnificent Beard




Wishing "Hugh" A Wonderful Weekend!

Penelope

Odds, Ends, and Beginnings

First....a couple of quickie reviews.....

Jillian's Job by Fran Lee

I was looking for a quick, hot read for Valentine's Day. This was quick. It was hot. It was also sort of ridiculous. For almost the whole story the heroine is insisting that she "hates" her boss, and her boss is insisting that he married her so he wouldn't lose his assistant (and of course to have easy access to round-the-clock hot sex) and then on the last page, they're all "We love each other!"

O-kay.

It is a cute, hot read, but the premise is ridic-a-less! I know....why am I whining about an erotic storyline? I'm an idiot!

Grade: B-

Changeling Moon by Dani Harper

This is my first book by this author, and it won't be the last. I was soooooo not expecting this. I had no idea Harper was such a good writer! I have been getting back into the whole werewolf thing lately, and this work is an excellent addition to the genre. The story is extremely well-written, with a tight, intriguing storyline. The characters were superb. There was just enough info about the werewolf pack and history to be interesting, but without the typical info dumps we sometimes get in these types of paranormal books. The pacing was spot-on, and I loved both the hero and heroine. Hot, sexy alpha werewolf.....sweet!

Grade: A

And finally, about "beginnings"......

There is nothing as formulaic as the "make-over" theme in romance. But here's the deal. Sometimes, it works. And sometimes, it falls flat on its fitted-sheath-and-stiletto-heels ass. But it's never, never, never going to work if it happens in the first couple of chapters. The only way it will work is if we see the heroine in her BEFORE state for a while, and get used to her frumpy clothes and see why she wears them, and how they are part of her comfortable old life. And then, maybe half-way through the story????? or at the end????? but NOT at the beginning of the book, she can have this big transformative moment and become Cinderella. If you put the make-over scene at the beginning of the book, the reader doesn't give a shizz.

Thus ends Penelope's rant for Thursday.....

Have a great day!
Penny

136 Years And Counting....

No, this is not a furry foot rest. Or a hat. Or an ewok. It's Malachy, a Pekingese, and the winner of Best in Show at the 136th Westminster Dog Show. For the 136th year, the dachshund group was thwarted in its attempt to win the trophy.
Thwarted by an ewok.
A wire-haired doxie actually WON the hound group. We had a chance! A fighting chance! But this shimmering, shaking ball of fur beat us. 
Here is Cinders the weenie dog.....

Cinders gave it all she had, but alas, it just wasn't enough. She wagged her tail throughout the competition and was described as "perky" and "confident." 
Next year, maybe she should dress up as an ewok.


I have a feeling......
The 137th Westminster Dog Show is going to be YEAR OF THE WEENIE DOG! 
Thinking I should re-watch Return of the Jedi,Penelope
P.S. Don't forget, the give-away for Restless in the Grave is going on all week. Leave a comment to enter!

Review and Give-away for Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow

Review and Give-away! Happy Valentine's Day! I know, it might seem sort of weird to have a give-away for a murder mystery on Valentine's Day, but I am in LOVE with Liam Campbell. I am also in love with Dana Stabenow's newest book, Restless in the Grave. So actually, this is the perfect give-away from Penelope! Just leave a comment after the review, and you'll be entered. Give-away is open for a week, and the winner can choose either ebook or print book!

And away we go......

Review for Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow

First up, let me just say that Stabenow must be sweating bullets. Folks have been chomping at the bit for this book for a long, long time. Which means expectations are up. Which means, as an author, that you're worried about not living up to those expectations. As we all know, readers are a tough bunch. This book takes two of her larger-than-life characters, Alaskan state trooper Liam (from the Liam Campbell Series) and private investigator Kate (from the Kate Shugak Series) and puts them into one extraordinary book. Not only did this book meet my expectations, it surpassed them. In grand fashion. This book has the perfect balance of setting, characters, suspense, wit, gravity, and I-didn't-see-that-one-coming surprises. Plural. Because Stabenow heaps on the surprises at the end of this tale. Some are tragic, if not inevitable. And some are intriguing. And some catapult Kate into 007, Ms. Bad-Ass Heroine territory.

I love cozy mysteries...they're quick, light, and easy to digest. Some romantic suspense and straight up mysteries are too disturbing for me to read. And often, I find that the authors focus too much on the storyline, and not enough on the characters. The characters make the book. Period. No matter how clever the mystery is, if the characters don't have enough meat on their bones, the book is flat.

Stabenow's books are pure magic. Not only are her storylines clever, complex and chock full of cool tidbits (ranging from the Alaskan fishing industry, historical and cultural details, background about flying and airplanes, etc), but she makes the Alaskan setting come to life. And she should. She lives there. Everything about it is crystal clear....the funky people, the difficult economy, the brutal weather, the spectacular wildlife. Stabenow is in love with Alaska, and every word of her stories brings this fact to life. But the best part of her books, for me, showcases her talent with inventing real, gritty, complex characters. Kate is a ballsy bad-ass, but she is still a conflicted woman struggling with day-to-day problems. Liam is the most swoon-ilicious Alaskan state trooper ever....hot, hunky, sexy, loyal to his family. But also finely nuanced with many shades of gray. Stabenow is a master at creating real characters. And this is what propels her books to the top o' the mystery heap for me.

I was curious about how successful she would be mixing Kate and Liam together into one book. Would I be satisfied? Honestly, I could read 4,000 books about Liam and it wouldn't be enough, but I thought she did a pretty damned good job incorporating both Kate and Liam into this story. I would have liked a bit more Liam, of course....it's been too long since we had a Liam story, and I was ravenous. But, this was enough to satisfy my appetite. And watching Moses bully Kate into her yoga poses was brilliant. Seeing a character from Liam's world butt his way into Kate's world was spine-tingling cool. Even as Stabenow put this book on a path toward tragedy.

The ending of this book is the best ending I've read, probably ever. When I thought the book was over, she added on one more surprise. Then, another. Then, another. One was shocking and tragic. One was paranormal and intriguing. And one had the promise for a future romance. Honest to God, I couldn't stop smiling after I finished this book.

My expectations were high. And Restless in the Grave blew them right out of the water. Out of the frigid, icy Alaskan waters.

Grade: A

Planning my trip to Alaska and hoping to meet some beardy state troopers,
Penelope


Don't forget to leave a comment and enter the give-away! Happy Valentine's Day, chickies! :^)

ETA: Don't forget to include a link or email address if you want to enter the contest!

Almost the Day of Love!

One more day until Valentine's! Just a reminder....I am posting my review of Restless in the Grave tomorrow, and having a give-away for this fabulous book. Don't forget to stop by and leave a comment to enter the contest.
Also, I just finished another super werewolf story, Changeling Moon by Dani Harper. It's the first of a series, and I was extremely impressed with Harper's writing. I'm getting back into a werewolf-y phase lately, and this book was an excellent addition to the genre.
Hope everyone has a good start to the week,Penelope

Author Headshots

Recently I saw a blog post titled "Is Your Author Photo Sending the Right Message?" The author (K.M. Weiland) contrasts two author photos, one as being the professional standard we should all aspire to, the other as a miserable failure.

The "good": "...a professional headshot of a smiling woman standing against a picturesque red barn. She was dressed casually but professionally, her neat hair and makeup highlighted beneath appropriate lighting."

The "bad": "....what looked like a picture taken on the author's web cam. This author looked like he had just gotten out of bed and had yet to find his way to the nearest Starbucks. He didn't make eye contact with the camera, which resulted in a glazed, disoriented look. He was wearing a T-shirt. The setting behind him was a messy desk. And the faint lighting cast a shadowy and gloomy pall over the picture."

Now, I know the "rules" for author photos. For cripes sakes, I teach the rules about author photos. Get a professional headshot. Nothing weird, quirky, amateurish, etc.

But....as I read the above descriptions, all I could think was....the lady's shot sounded boring as hell, and the dude's photo sounded totally intriguing to me.

Everyone's headshot looks "professional".....but the truth is, there isn't a hell of a lot of personality going on there. Perfect hair and make-up. *yawn* Perfect lighting. She's standing next to a red barn? Is she a farmer or something? That sounds like a set-up, almost manipulative. Too perfect. And totally forgettable.

Now, the "bad" example sounds great to me (I wish a photo had been included!)....the messy desk, the T-shirt, him looking grumpy. This sounds totally authentic. Because, let's face it, most authors are grumpy and messy.

A long time ago, I saw a photo of Danielle Steel in her luxurious, gorgeous home and office, and I laughed my ass off. Um, sure. How many authors do you know who look like this when they're writing, and whose homes look like this.....


I didn't look that good on my freakin' wedding day! And her house looks like a 5-star luxury hotel.
Most authors I know have a desk squeezed into the corner of some room, loaded up with toys, papers, books, and maybe some lumberjack figurines (what?). My office has lego pieces, American girl doll clothes, glitter explosions, and junk everywhere. I'm keeping it real, baby! I would feel like a fraud if I got all dressed up, hair and make-up done, and posed in some sort of serene manner for my author photo. Because that's not me. At all. I like author headshots that you can tell really capture the writer's real personality. 
I LOVE this one....

Such an awesome photo of Stephen King. He's got that mischievous, naughty little boy look that is so spot-on. 
Another great one is Gail Carriger's....

This photo captures the essence of steampunk romance author Gail....quirky, formal, humorous. It's fabulous.
Another fantastic head shot is Skyler White's photo....she is a paranormal/fantasy author, and her photo is certainly not lacking in excellent personality.....


No one's going to forget this headshot. I love her funky hair, her cool T-shirt, and the weird furry chair she's sitting on. There is a great juxtaposition of her serious expression and glasses, and the psychedelic hair and clothes.
Raymond Carver's photo is incredible....look at those eyes. Love how he is shielding his face with the hand holding a cigarette.


I also love this photo of poet and author Todd Moore...it is so dark and shadowy and gloomy. He is barely looking at the photographer, almost reluctantly. 



And now, for mine.....


Evidently, I'm breaking all the rules (I'm such a Rule Breaker! hee hee)....

1. Took it with my webcam (where I sit everyday and write my wacky stories).
2. Wearing a T-shirt.
3. No make-up and I had, honestly, just gotten out of bed. Which is why my hair is looking so big and excellent and Bon Jovi-ish.
4. Lighting is non-professional. Setting is non-professional. It's my messy office. Littered with art supplies, travel books...you can see my Kindle off to the right, and a photograph my son took.

This photo is totally me. It might not be polished and professional, but what you see is what you get. I love it.

Someday, when I make the big time, and Hugh Jackman says (in his excellent Australian accent), "Penny, you really must get yourself a professional headshot," then maybe I'll cave in and do the boring, expected, standard thing.

But my hair is still gonna be super big. Jumbo big. Just-rolled-out-of-bed big.

Waiting for that phone call from Hugh.......
Penelope

Beard of the Day

Today's Beard of the Day is none other than the King of Bad-assery himself, Clint Eastwood. Since he's been in the news a lot lately, I thought I would post this iconic shot of him....with his trademark squinty look, dangling smoke, western hat, and of course the rockin' manliest beard of all. Oh, Clint, how I love you!
And if this isn't enough, I found this adorable photo with TWO of my favorite things....Clint. And a weenie dog. Heaven!


Happy Friday!
Penelope