Penny Watson's Blog, page 73

Spring!

First sign of Spring at my house....the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). This tree got chopped in half by a dumpster when we were doing our house renovation, but it's still kickin'!!! In fact, it looks gorgeous every spring, covered with sweetly scented blossoms. I just love it.

"Operation Daffodil" was a success! I planted hundreds of bulbs, and they all came up this spring. Unfortunately, the bunnies ate the crocuses, but everything else looks great. These are Siberian Squill (Scilla) and Short Cup Daffodils.

The courtyard garden is starting to sprout. Chives, oregano, lemon balm, and bleeding heart are coming up. I have buds on the clematis, hydrangea and spirea.

Here is my planter from last summer. The hens-and-chickens are green, and the mint, as always, reappeared. It's a great idea to keep mint in a container so it won't take over the herb garden.

Can't wait to plant veggie seeds and get started on my potager. Hope everyone is enjoying spring and getting excited for planting season!
All My Gardeny Best,Penelope

What I Read Over April Vacation...A Bunch of Mini Reviews

Here is what I read over spring vacation (sounds like I'm writing an essay for elementary school, only these are naughty romance novels....hee hee!)


The Redhead Revealed by Alice Clayton....Another wonderful addition to this series. I laughed out loud on the airplane reading this baby. It's funny, sexy, and has an addictive on-going storyline. The conflict/tension that crops up between the H/h made me a tad nervous, but the resolution was excellent. One of my favorite themes in romance - "alternate families" - is totally happening here, and I love how the heroine is embracing this part of her life. Grade: B+Cinderella Unmasked by Bonnie Dee....This is an erotic version of "Cinderella." I adore funky new twists on fairy tales, and this one is quite good. Dee's "twist" on the legend--Prince Charming abandons the kingdom to "take up with" a male pirate (hee hee....love that!) and leaves Cinderella in charge--is a kick-ass premise for a book. The author manages to throw in some sexy adventures for the queen, a hot hero, a fairy godmother, wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and even the return of Charming. This is well written and entertaining, but I felt like the pacing should have been faster. This would have worked better as a shorter story. I will definitely be reading more stories by this author who is new-to-me. Grade: B+/A- This Side Of The Grave by Jeaniene Frost....I almost DNFed this book at the beginning. It had a very slow start. But once it finally got going, I loved it. Bones and Cat have become an iconic pairing in paranormal romance. This book has a different feel to it than the previous ones, which interestingly enough parallels the changes in Cat's life. She is settling into married life, more stable, more responsible, no longer the wild child. That's not to say her life is still not filled with violence, excitement and hot smoky sex with Bones. Because it is. But this series is also settling down a bit. The high octane feel of the first few books isn't happening here, but I don't mind. I actually really like how the series is "maturing" while still maintaining a very engaging storyline filled with conflict and tension. And I especially love that we are not rehashing Cat and Bones' relationship insecurities, which was driving me nuts. They are finally beyond that, and their relationship continues to grow in the best possible way. Rock on, Jeaniene Frost! Grade: B+/A- St Nacho's by Z A Maxfield....DNF at 2% done (Kindle). Okay, confession time. Mandi gave me an "M/M assignment." I was supposed to read this book and do a review for her. However, after I read the blurb for the book, I knew I would have problems with this one. I don't love emo/angsty contemporary stories, and this sounded painful. In addition to that, I like a lot of romance with my erotica, and this sentence pretty much stopped me dead in my tracks...."I could suck any one of these guys through fifty feet of irrigation pipe, but as it happens, today I'm not looking for love." Ugh. And today, I'm not looking to read this book. I willingly accept my "F'-super failure grade from Mandi, and will attempt another M/M book that is lighter, funnier, sweeter, more romantic. The Bride and The Buccaneer by Darlene Marshall....Thanks, Darlene, for recommending your book to me! This book was indeed the perfect romance novel for a trip to Sanibel-Captiva. It is a charming, well-written historical romance set in 19th century Florida. It combines adventure, fascinating historical tidbits about 19th century Florida (including maritime history, slavery, and cool stuff about the territories and villages of Northeast Florida in the 1800's), very appealing characters, and an intriguing treasure hunt-storyline. The hero is a sexy-as-hell "pirate," the heroine is a spunky treasure hunter, and their love story is sweet if not somewhat predictable. I loved this! Grade: A- Dreams Of A Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole.....Still reading it! I am reserving judgment about this one. Not too thrilled with it yet, but KC has been known to take a slow start and turn it into something spectacular.
Happy Monday (where's the beach?...wahhhhhh!),
Penelope

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye

Good Bye, Captiva! Good bye, beach. Good bye, pool. Good bye, birds. Good bye, frozen coconut-rum-lime cocktails. My heart is filled with sadness.

I will drown my sorrows in copious romance novels at the airport.

Sigh,
Penelope

Birdy Love

One of my favorite things about being in Florida is watching the ospreys. There are so many nests here, it is unbelievable. I love it! Every morning when I walk, I pass a nest where Mama Osprey is watching over her chicks. Papa Osprey is off "hunting" for breakfast. Mama calls to him, a sharp keening cry. He responds. If his claws are empty, Mama talks back. I imagine the conversation goes something like this...

"Harry! The kids are starving! Get with the program, bud. Where is breakfast?"
"Sorry, Bertha. Fish aren't too plentiful this morning. I'll get right on it."
"Get going!"
"Squawk, squawk, squawk!"
"Do you hear the children? They're about to revolt!"

Then, Papa Osprey flies off to find some more fish for his family. I love how these birds communicate, look out for each other, take care of each other. It's the ultimate romance. They usually mate for life.



Yesterday, my son and hubby went paddle boarding. They really enjoyed it. But my son did have a slight freak-out. As he was paddling along, he went over what he thought was a "large rock." Until it started to move. It was actually a huge manatee! My son screamed "Oh My God!" and paddled faster than Superman to give the marine mammal some space. 
Today is fishing day for my kids and hubby. Can't wait to see what they caught! I just finished reading This Side Of The Grave, another terrific addition to the Night Huntress series, and I am now embarking on my next book, The Bride and The Buccaneer by Darlene Marshall. 
Ciao!Penelope

Wildlife Extravaganza and Top Chef Family Fun Time

We had a wonderful day yesterday....absolute perfection (except for the occasional fight between my 13 year old son and 8 year old daughter when they hurled insults at one another and threatened each other with severe bodily injury). They also played together on the beach like best buds. Kids. Gotta love 'em.

We had another great drive-through at Ding. We saw this cool lizard (above) who was pretty well camouflaged on the rocks.

We also enjoyed a wonderful boat cruise and saw tons of dolphins. They were jumping and playful...but it was difficult to get a good photo, obviously. The history of this island and how it was affected by the hurricane of 2004 is fascinating. The storm caused catastrophic damage to Captiva, and the island is still recovering.




On the way back from the cruise, we saw this rockin' cottage on stilts J.N. "Ding" Darling built for his wife. She hated it! So he used it as an artist studio (he was a cartoonist). Seriously, I would maim and kill to have this cottage as a writer's studio. How cool would that be!



To finish off a perfect day, we watched the sun set at the beach, ate a bizarre meal at The Bubble Room in Captiva, and the whole fam watched Top Chef Masters together, snuggled on the sofa. Fun!

Happy Days,
Penelope

Hello, Darling!

We finally got to Ding Darling yesterday! One of my favorite places on earth...serene, peaceful, beautiful and inspiring. Here is a little blue heron we saw right away, just hanging out so we could take his picture. (Photo by my son). Unfortunately, the slide pool was not serene, peaceful and inspiring.....it was crowded, noisy and filled with angry children having temper tantrums. My kids, of course, loved it and had a blast. I finished reading Cinderella Unmasked, which I really liked, and I started my next book, This Side Of The Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

Today, we're trying paddle boarding and heading back to Ding. Can't squeeze in enough birding during this trip!

All My Best,
Penelope

Quick Check-In From Florida!

I made it to Florida, and I'm doing a whole lotta nothin'. Here is a cool, artsty-fartsy photo my son took of the surf at sunset last night. I already read The Redhead Revealed on the flight down (laughed out loud on the airplane reading this cute story), and I'm now I'm reading Cinderella Unmasked, and I'm liking it a lot. 
On today's agenda: explore pool with water slides, and go birding at Ding Darling. Hope everyone is having a good week!
Penelope

Gone Fishin'

Well, I'm off for a week of spring vacation. Kindle is fully loaded, got some new duds, and I'm ready for my first frozen pina colada. I'll be birding at Ding Darling, and hopefully my hubby and the kids will catch a tarpon and capture the moment with the digital camera so everyone can ooo and ahhhh. I'll be back Monday April 25. Friday and Saturday April 29th and 30th is the NECRWA Spring Conference. Can't wait for that! I hope to see some of you there!
Happy Patriot's Day, Happy Boston Marathon, Happy Romance Reading To All!Penelope

Loincloths For Everyone!

I love quirky stuff, and Island Heat by Jill Myles certainly fits the bill! This was my first time reading this author, and it won't be the last. She packed a plane wreck, T Rex, posse of marauding cavemen, the Bermuda triangle, a time warp, beautiful tropical island, hot conquistador in a loincloth, lots of romance, and even a sweet HEA into one funky story. (Honestly, she had me at loincloth). The hero of this book, Salvador, is delicious. He's a Spanish Tarzan-y conquistador who keeps popping up to save the damsel in distress, or woo her with a nest filled with tropical flowers (swoon time). The fact that he is a gorgeous specimen of masculinity wearing only a loincloth is just the icing on the deserted island cake. The heroine is okay....I like my heroines a bit spunkier, especially if they are warding off ferocious dinosaurs and stuff. Anyhoo, this was a fun, entertaining read.

Grade: B+

Even though I had my Kindle already fully loaded for vacation, due to my impulse buying problem, I now have a few extras. I added Wicked Games by Jill Myles (thanks to KC at Smokinhotbooks for that recommendation) and Cinderella Unmasked by Bonnie Dee. I love new takes on fairy tales!

Off to get ready for my trip. Laundry! Packing! Purchasing new sandals for my son whose feet are as big as Shaquille O'Neal!

Ciao,
Penelope

Beard of the Day

Last night, I indulged in one of my favorite activities. Wasting an enormous amount of time watching movie previews for films I will never actually see. It's fun! While perusing the coming soon trailers, I stumbled upon a blond, bearded, muscular hunky dude. Normally, I don't love blonds, but even I must admit that Thor (aka Chris Hemsworth) is an excellent example of alpha male deliciousness. See below...


Holy Craptastic! Chris was born when I was a junior in high school. Chris is from Australia. Chris has gigantic bulging muscles and a very nice blond Viking-style beard and stache, looking exactly like the Norse god of thunder. This is one movie I am NOT going to miss!



In addition to this fabulous looking movie, I found another preview that totally rocked my boat. Speaking of lots of hairy dudes....heh heh heh....this looks fantastic! Woo hoo!

Here is the trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes...rock on!



Happy Hairy Friday,
Penelope