Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

I’ve got something for you Canadians that love to enter contests and eat Stouffers products, thanks to Stouffers-panini. This contest is meant to promote Stouffers-panini’s newest products: Bistro Meatballs & Peppers, Bistro Chicken Souvlaki, Lean Cuisine Grilled Vegetables & Goat Cheese, and Lean Cuisine Mango Chicken Tikka.

So what are the prizes? What do you potentially get for entering the contest? The first and grand prize goes out to three people and is a choice of a $10,000 vacation to India, Greece, Italy or France. A trip to Italy for eating delicious food? You can see the Eiffel Tower for doing little more than sitting down and eating a good lunch? Where’s the downside to that, right? There is also a weekly prize given out of Sony digital camcorders. AND daily free Stouffers products are given out, so even if you don’t get a trip, you may still at least get, like, dinner for a night.

So how does one enter to win these great prizes? One entry is automatically awarded when you register here. For additional entries, purchase Stouffers products. You will be able to use one UPC code every day to enter. So, why don’t you register and at least get your own entry in? Though, unfortunately for us Americans, the contest is only open to residents of Canada.

To Tempt the Wolf by Terry Spear
In this third in the series, wildlife photographer Tessa Anderson must prove her brother innocent of murder charges. But when she discovers a gorgeous naked man barely alive on her beach, she’s got a new world of troubles to deal with, not least of which is how he affects her with just a look, a touch, or a whispered word. Hunter Greymore is a lupus garou, a grey werewolf. Hoping to keep a low profile at Tessa’s cabin on the coast, he’s drawn into her life—and into her bed. His animal instincts war with his human half, but in the end, the only thing he can do about this fascinating, adorable woman is to leave her forever —unless she becomes one of them.

Any Minute: A Novel by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford
Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves–especially children and her husband, Joe–but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family. One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah’s car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is presumed dead by those on the “outside,” but Sarah’s spirit is still very much alive. What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah’s view of life–past, present, and future. When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again.

The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
Jerry Siegel, the teenage creator of Superman, lost his father in an unsolved murder in 1932. The author offers a compelling theoretical solution by way of an adult protagonist who is dealing with his conflicted feelings about his own father. Cal works for a rescue mission, picking up vagrants in need of shelter, when he stumbles across a man who turns out to be the father who abandoned him in childhood. The two men join forces in pursuit of what they believe is the lost Book of Cain, the weapon used in the Bibles original murder scene. Meltzer invokes multiple viewpoints as Cal, his father, a mysterious young woman who seems to have befriended the father, a rogue ex-cop, and a hot Federal agent converge on Cleveland in search of the biblical treasure.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
With essay collections such as Naked (1997) and Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000), Sedaris kicked the door down for the “quirky memoir” genre and left it open for writers like Augusten Burroughs and Jeannette Walls to mosey on through. Sometimes the originators of a certain trend in literature are surpassed by their own disciples—but, this is Sedaris we’re talking about. When it comes to fashioning the sardonic wisecrack, the humiliating circumstance, and the absurdist fantasy, there’s nobody better. Unfortunately, being in a league of your own often means competing with yourself. This latest collection of 22 essays proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he’s also getting better. True, the terrain is familiar. The essays “Old Faithful” and “That’s Amore” again feature Sedaris’ overly competent boyfriend, Hugh. And nutty sister Amy can be found leafing through bestial pornography in “Town and Country.” Present also are Sedaris’ favored topics: death, compulsion, unwanted sexual advances, corporal decay, and more death. Nevertheless, Sedaris’ best stuff will still—after all this time—move, surprise, and entertain.

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell
Julie & Julia, the bestselling memoir that’s “irresistible….A kind of Bridget Jones meets The French Chef” (Philadelphia Inquirer), is now a major motion picture. Julie Powell, nearing thirty and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, resolves to reclaim her life by cooking in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves’ livers and aspic, but a new life-lived with gusto. The film is written and directed by Nora Ephron and stars Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia.

Kill for Me by Karen Rose
Bestseller Rose concludes her thriller trilogy that began with Scream for Me and Die for Me with a bang. In Dutton, Ga., where 13 years earlier a secret rape club flourished among the bratty sons of the towns elite, an elderly monster known only as Charles and his depraved minions steal teenage girls to sell to perverts in a lucrative human trafficking scheme. Hot on their trail are the Georgia Bureau of Investigations special agent Daniel Vartanian; his partner, special agent Luke Papadopoulos; and his long-suffering sister, Susannah Vartanian, a New York City ADA. A botched raid spurs the murders of five girls and the removal of abused assets to another hiding place. Two courageous teen survivors provide the GBI with help, but a mole in the GBI working for Charles complicates the takedown. Rose juggles a large cast, a huge body count and a complex plot with terrifying ease. The sweet romance between Luke and Susannah provides welcome relief from the many scenes of brutality.

Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel by Kip Gayden
Nashville Circuit Court judge Gayden’s mixed debut tracks a tragic love story that begins at a Tennessee Christian summer camp in 1896. There, pastor’s daughter Anna Dennis, 16, and Walter Dotson, a third-year Vanderbilt medical student, fall hard for each other. By winter, he’s interning at her local hospital, and their courtship and early married life—including a stint in Vienna, where daughter Mabel is born—have all the trappings of a conventional romance. By 1908, the family numbers four and settles in Gallatin, Tenn., near Anna and Walter’s hometowns, but a miscarriage sets the stage for murder and scandal. Gayden’s writing in the romance sections is flat and unconvincing, but perks up in the last quarter, when the novel goes full-on procedural, delivering the murder trial and the related media coverage in close detail. The trial, based on real events, is intriguing, the verdict unexpected and period detail adds depth.

Obama’s BlackBerry by Kasper
When Obama stated that if elected, he would keep his Blackberry, debate echoed through Washington and among the ranks of the Secret Service. What would it be like to have a president who could Twitter, send text messages, and navigate the web with ease? What would it be like to receive a text message from inside the Oval Office and, most importantly, what would it say? Now, for the first time, We The People are privy to our new leader’s epistolary back-and-forths on his wily hand-held device. We’re about to discover that his emails (and the replies, from his wife and daughters, Biden, Palen, Rush, Hannity, the new first puppy, and even Bush) are so tuned in to the language of electronic correspondence they come hilariously close to the brink of legibility. This giftable, imagined glimpse into Obama’s beloved Blackberry traverses the mundane and momentous contours of the Commander in Chief’s life, from security briefings to spam, basketball practice to domestic bliss, and the panic of oops-I-hit-reply-all, to, of course, the trauma of dealing with the First Mother In Law.

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
Set in 1956, bestseller Smith’s edgy second thriller to feature Leo Demidov (after Child 44) depicts the paranoia and instability of the Soviet Union after the newly installed Khrushchev regime leaks a secret speech laying out Stalin’s brutal abuses. Now working as a homicide detective, Leo has long since repudiated his days as an MGB officer, but his former colleagues, fearful of reprisals from their victims, have begun taking their own lives. Leo himself becomes the target of Fraera, the wife of a priest he imprisoned. Now the leader of a violent criminal gang, Fraera kidnaps Leo’s daughter, Zoya, and threatens to kill Zoya if Leo doesn’t liberate her husband from his gulag prison. Shifting from Moscow to Siberia and to a Hungary convulsed by revolution, this fast-paced novel is packed with too many incidents for Smith to dwell on any in great depth. Though its drama often lacks emotional resonance, this story paints a memorable portrait of post-Stalinist Russia at its dawn.

A Summer Affair: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand
After the extreme heat of her Nantucket studio causes her to go into early labor with her youngest son, renowned glass artist Claire Danner Crispin now devotes her life to her four children. Part of her charm and part of her problem are her perpetual feelings of guilt. When asked to cochair the Nantucket Children Summer Gala, she agrees, adding an impossible burden to an already busy life. She also agrees to create a museum quality piece of artwork when the head of the charity, Lock Dixon, asks her to because Lock’s wife suffered a serious accident after going out drinking with Claire and her friends. Truly, Claire hasn’t a free moment, what with caring for her children, working with the elitist cochair from Manhattan, asking her teenage rock-star boyfriend to play the event for free, and creating a masterpiece, all while conducting a clandestine affair with Lock. A gem of a summer read with a glamorous location, elite lifestyle, and Hilderbrand’s appealing take on the constant stress that fills the lives of women everywhere.

Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
A breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after she goes missing, Kim McDaniels’s parents receive a terrifying phone call. Fearing the worst, they board the first flight to Maui and begin the hunt for their daughter. Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the L.A. Times, gets the McDaniels assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief–Ben has to start his own investigation for Kim McDaniels to have a prayer. And for Ben to have the story of his life. All the while, the killer sets the stage for his next production. His audience expects the best–and they won’t be disappointed. Swimsuit is a heart-pounding story of fear and desire, transporting you to a place where beauty and murder collide and unspeakable horrors are hidden within paradise.

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I am all about beginning a new health routine. Because of the limitations of my diet, I have started a vitamin supplement. I am also trying my hardest to get out and be more active. As a result of that, I have become increasingly fond of the beach. I wish that I could implement more of a work out routine, though. Those kinds of things take money and a lot of considerable thought. What sort of exercise program do you want to participate in? Do you go to a gym or a center? Do you work out at home? If you work out at home, what equipment do you buy? What do you buy to wear when you work out?

From previous work out and yoga classes, I have plenty of work out clothes. But I remember from when I was younger that I loved running. For safety and conveniences sake, I spent a lot of time on a treadmill during my workouts. It did feel amazing to get my heart pumping before a workout, and the weight just dropped off of me like it was nothing. Problem is, I don’t currently have any running shoes. I had to throw out my old ones because they were, well, old.

Zappos.com has a great selection of running shoes. I’ve just spent some time at their website and I love how they have categorized their selections. You first shop by male or female, or if you prefer by brand. Under each gender category are subcategories based on shoe need such as cross trainers, stability, motion control, etc. There are also check box options to limit selection by size, width, brand, and color. You guys should definitely check the site out. It is back to school time, too, after all.

Today we welcome Elle Newmark to Morbid-Romantic.net, who is on blog tour for her novel Book of Unholy Mischief. I was fortunate enough to get an interview with Ms. Newmark, so I hope that you enjoy reading it just as I did! I definitely now have this book on my wishlist because it sounds great. I recommend and encourage all of you to do the same. Who can resist the Renaissance?

About Book of Unholy Mischief

Luciano, the wily hero of Newmark’s entertaining first novel, is only a street urchin when the doge of Venice’s chef finds him, but once dragged into the kitchen as an apprentice, he discovers more bubbling than boiling water. While the town is in an uproar over the rumor of an ancient book containing magical potions and lessons on alchemy, Luciano pines away for a girl and learns the basics of chopping, sweeping and eavesdropping. As he and his maestro become friendlier, Luciano begins to learn that there’s more to his teacher than a garden of strange plants and a box of spices. Newmark does a fine job of building suspense and keeping the novel barreling along, and her knowledge of and affection for 15th-century Venice adds charm to this nicely told adventure yarn.

Interview With Elle Newmark

Venice is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and is has such a rich history. Why did you choose Venice as the setting of your novel?

Venice is a mysterious city, a city to get lost in, much as the characters in my book get lost in their intrigues. I think the main character in my story says it best. “I’ve often revisited Venice since my youth if only to smile at the irony, the enduring illusion of her nobility. The water still whispers tales of death as it laps against decaying palazzi. Men in capes still appear out of the darkness and dissolve back into it. Venice has always been a perfect setting for secrets, seduction, and the melancholy thoughts of a poet. Tainted by iniquity, Venice invites moral surrender not with a playful wink, but with the understanding that she is and always has been sluttish under her regal disguise.”

What sort of research went into making this book or is this a subject you know very well?

I did a boatload of research into Renaissance Venice and certain notable people of the time, but there is no substitute for having visited Venice. The unique sights and sounds and smells of a city built on water must be experienced. As for the character of the chef and his apprentice, I drew on the experiences of my father who is a chef and was a chef’s apprentice in Italy at the age of 13. I grew up hearing those stories, watching him dice onions at the speed of light and stir a pot like a mad alchemist. All that went into the writing of The Book of Unholy Mischief.

When you write something based on historical figures or events, do you worry people finding historical inaccuracies?

I do now. I thought I was a pretty rigorous researcher and I did my best to get things right, but several readers have let me know where I went wrong. Just today I heard from a man in Italy who tells me that Savonarola was not hung but burned at the stake. I’m sure my sources said he was hung, but apparently they neglected to mention the fire he was hung over. It might seem a small thing, but it’s embarrassing. I will be more careful in the future.

If you could spend the day as or with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

Oscar Wilde, and thanks for asking. At this point, I’ve done a lot of interviews and answered a lot of the same questions but you’re the first to ask that one. Oscar Wilde has got to be the most unfailingly witty figure in history. Even on his deathbed in an expensive hotel in Paris he said, “I’m dying above my means.” He had the most unusual way of seeing things and must have been enormously entertaining to be with. At the same time, he was a poignant figure, derided and ultimately ruined by small minds. I’d like to spend a day with him if for no other reason that to say, “That-a-boy, Oscar. I think you’re great.”

What do you do to prepare to write? What is the process that gets you ready to sit down a lay out a story?

I can’t over think it. I just get down to business and do it. I know that once I have a game plan and something on paper to work with I’ll have plenty of time to indulge the muse. But starting is so dreadfully difficult I just have to plunge right in. I write backstories for my characters, most of which I won’t use, and I write outlines that I will surely discard. I end up with scads of stuff I’ll never use, but it doesn’t matter. I just have to start, like priming a pump.

How much of yourself do you put in your characters? Are they extensions of you, or are they independent creations that take on a life of their own after coming from your imagination?

Naturally, they must come through me and so are limited by what I know and feel. But as they evolve they do tend to come to life in unexpected ways. At a certain point, when a character is well developed, it is very clear that he or she will simply not do this thing or definitely will do that. When the character starts directing the story things get interesting.

What is the most valuable piece of knowledge that you’ve picked up after becoming a published author that you wish you knew from the start?

I’m amazed to say that it takes as much time and effort to promote a book as it does to write it. These days, publishers insist that authors do everything they can to help market the book, and since The Book of Unholy Mischief came out last December I’ve put a good six months into touring and writing promotional material. I know a lot of writers who balk at this, thinking that promotion is the publishers job, but those days are over. If you publish a book you must realistically expect to put in many months of promotion. If I had known this I would not have made so many other commitments. Next time I’ll know better.

What is one thing you’ve never done but would love to do?

Well, I’m over sixty so I’ve done a lot of what I’ve wanted to do. My biggest priorities have been seeing the world and writing books and I’ve done some of both but of course there’s always more. I’d like to see more of Africa and India, specifically Tanzania and Rahjastan, and I’d like to write a half dozen more books. I guess one thing that would feel great to accomplish is to speak another language fluently. I speak three languages poorly and it seems like a shame not to master at least one of them. I’ll have to work on that.

What would your ‘theme’ song be on the soundtrack of your life?

There is an old seventies hit called “I Will Survive” that strikes a note with me. You can’t live 60 years without hitting a few bumps in the road and learning how to roll with the punches. I must say, this is an unusual interview.

Finally, could you share with all of us a quote that you love?

I really like the quote from Isaac Newton that I used as an epigram for The Book of Unholy Mischief. “If I have seen further than other men it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” No one gets anywhere alone. We all owe something to those who came before and it seems right to acknowledge it.

But I also like this quote from Dorothy Parker: “If you can’t say anything nice about anyone, come sit next to me.”

Title: Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1)
Author(s): MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Fiction – Paranormal Romance
Finished: August 1, 2009
Rating: 3 Stars

In Book 1 of MaryJanice Davidson’s Queen Betsy series, Undead and Unwed, Betsy Taylor has had a horrible day. First, she loses her job as a secretary. Then, when she gets home and goes outside to retrieve her cat, she is hit by a car and instantly killed. So that’s the end of everything… right?

Not exactly. Betsy wakes up in her own coffin, dressed in a cheap pink suit and horrible shoes all courtesy of her gold-digging stepmother. It seems that thanks to a late night attack outside of a Mongolian restaurant, Betsy is now a vampire. As she is soon to find out, not just any vampire. She is, in fact, the supposed Queen who has been prophesied to free the vampires from their current leader, an iron fisted man named Nostro. She doesn’t believe it at first and only wants to live her undead unlife the same as she lived her life, including shopping for expensive, designer shoes. But it is hard to ignore that not only is she unlike humans, but she is different from other vampires, too. Men and dogs are drawn to her, conventional weapons such as crosses and holy water are ineffective, and she doesn’t need to feed nightly as other vampires do. She is extraordinary for a vampire, which gives credence to the claim that she is meant to be the Queen.

Undead and Unwed isn’t one of those serious ‘the plights of a new vampire’ type novels. There’s no Louisesque pondering of the soul and spirit, that ‘mortal coil’ that is referenced. No, this book will have you laughing from page one. You are drawn in by the utter insanity of this poor young woman’s life, by her failed attempts at self-annihilation, and her personal opinions about what she has become. Because, really, how would your every day girl feel about suddenly becoming a vampire? It would be a little surreal, yes, but I also think anyone would react the way Betsy did: with a logical, “nu-uh!”

Though I have to admit that sometimes I was frustrated by Betsy’s inability to be serious or mature for even a moment. The conversations had throughout the novel were nothing more than witty banter back and forth… I don’t think anyone had a serious conversation the entire book without something ‘clever’ being said somewhere in retort. I like the book a lot, but I do hope that as Betsy gets used to being a vampire, especially as Queen, she matures a bit and cares a little less about sarcasm and shoes and a little more about the big picture. I don’t know if I would want someone who can’t so easily look below the surface of a situation as my Queen! But, hey, that is what development is for and none of us is perfect, right? Betsy provides a lot of amusement and laughs, so I have to think her for that even as I sometimes wanted to strangle her. I mean none of the above as criticism, don’t get me wrong, because I loved the book. And I like a character that is imperfect because, come on, how many annoyingly perfect leading female characters are there out in the world of literature? Too many. We need a good, ultimately heart-warming but superficial shoe lover to remind us that some characters can be great and entertaining without being perfect.

I hope that the next book is as much fun as the first. And, of course, that she continues to both love and loath Sinclair. It would totally ruin the fun if they get all lovey so soon. I really enjoyed the two of them mutually disliking but wanting each other.

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