June

I'm buried in this new book, which is not a Men of Smithfield.

As you know, I'll probably disappear and only post little snippets and guest host posts (anyone want to guest host?) because I'm writing like mad.

Here's the wip song du jour. (fyi-- this is great background music for reading this post. just sayin')



Yeah. I just luff him.

The boy finishes exams today, bigGirl picked up a weekend shift in the plant, and Littlegirl starts exams on Monday. G is still in Asia and I miss him more than words can say.

In ten days we leave for vacation. It's our twentieth anniversary and G and I wanted to do something wild and memorable with our offspring. I love my G and he needs to decompress before he pops his cork, so eco-adventure it is! I'll be a sport the entire time.

Crazy Assed Things We're Doing:

• White Water Rafting Class III-IV Rapids (OMFG)
• Climbing a Volcano (I bought really cute blue shoes for this activity)
• Horseback riding (that I can do)
• Surfing (that I can't)
• No Internet (I'm not sure I can do that...)

• And Zipline Canopy tour.

Ok. Seriously. What the FUCK was I thinking? Just an FYI--I am terrified of heights. Remember that scene in Mission Impossible II when Tom Cruise is rock climbing? I got dizzy watching that. So, when they show you zipline tours and you're all OMG that's so cool! they show you this:

Weeeee! This looks like fun!!

NOT THIS:

I'm feeling a little sickish.

That looks suspiciously high up. Like in the top of the jungle canopy. Without a railing. I can't even ride a Ferris wheel.

help. me.

Anyway--while I try and rustle up some Valium for my vacation, I'm hoping to get half my rough draft done before June 8--and because everyone wants a longer book, goal is 60K total. Which seems insurmountable to me, but if I can climb that effing tree, strap myself in a harness then... oh god... hook up to a cable 1000 feet in the air and... ::paperbag:: ...sweet jesus... slide around in the air... then this book will be a piece of caek. Mmmmm...caek... The first two chapters are 10K, and--well you know me-- I can dooooo eeeeeet.

So I'll be in and out for the next week--and then **POOF ** crazy assed vacation.

Have a great weekend. Uh. Has anyone done this zipline thing and can you assure me that I won't throw up on the slide down?

Heh.

Gacked from Let's Gab.

Your results:You are James T. Kirk (Captain)

James T. Kirk (Captain) 60% Chekov 60% Mr. Scott 50% Geordi LaForge 50% Will Riker 50% Deanna Troi 50% Data 49% Spock 47% Beverly Crusher 45% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 45% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 35% Uhura 35% Jean-Luc Picard 35% Worf 25% Mr. Sulu 0%

You are often exaggerated and over-the-top in your speech and expressions. You are a romantic at heart and a natural leader.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

Decaf is Evil

I was google imaging 'migraine funny' in order to explain why I'm silent and buried under the covers today (I have a caffeine headache, fyi, no biggie)...and in my foul foul mood I sent an email to a friend. Oh. One should never email on decaf alone.

I wasn't pleasant. Frankly, I was bitch.

And then I stumbled upon this:

At the beginning of the school year my principal told us a story about a bucket of crabs. He said if you watch the bucket you can see some crabs trying to climb out and meanwhile other crabs in the bucket are trying to pull them back down. Instead of helping their friends to escape they pull them back down into the bucket. He told us this story in the hopes that we would really work as a team this year and celebrate each others accomplishments instead of being nasty when other succeed.

It's like internet I-Ching. Thanks migrainemom.

I've ground some beans (Jet Fuel ala TPig) and taken two Tylenol and I'm writing. Hope you all have a pleasant day.

I'm practicing pleasant.

And remember, kids:

What CJ done did.

You know--my friends are effing weird.


CJ--whose name keeps changing to protect the innocent-- gave me this GREAT award (see photo) and apparently I need to pass this on to two folks before she voodoo dolls me and pokes out my eyes with pins.



Like this is the first time? Pishaw.




I'm very conflicted about awards because...I don't want it to turn into a WHY DIDN"T YOU PICK ME? kind of deal. I feel so rotten when I leave someone out--but the rulz are clear. TWO. Pick TWO.


But clearly--CJ and Lil CJ are two people, so TECHNICALLY I can give out four.

ZOMG I feel so much better.

OK here's the awards---

Kati

Katiebabs

Tracy

Sarah Rain on the Roof

I'd give one to Das Bear Pork--but he'd ignore me.

Go forth and multiply.

Pick-n-choose

Well I used that random name generator wassit again--and I chose names from all three weekend posts, just to keep it interesting.

• The winner of the Lanyon/Castillo Partners In Crime SMEXELLENT book is:

~Sarah Rain on the Roof Holy Shit It's Going to New Zealand ::gulp:: I mean-- YAYAYAYAYAY.

It's soooooo gooooood Sarah.

• The winner of the Amber Green Turner & Turner (Hey! She's my Smart Ass partner!) is:

~Duan Ann--New to the blog and welcome!

• The winner of the MYSTERY PRIZE ::rustles through RWA bag from last year-- OH LOOK!! It's a signed copy of Gena Showalter's Savor Me Slowly!! And three bookmarks!:: is------

~Mandi--YAY email me, baby.

Kay. Contact me noseinabook@live.com

Smooches and it's time to get to work, ladies. Thanks for popping by and playing.

MWAH!

~lisabea

ManLoveMonday: A Review by TPig & LBea

First and foremost--Happy Memorial Day. This is a special day for both TPig and I as he served in the Navy, and just about every male in my family (ever) served in some branch of the military. On with the show.

Naval Maneuvers by John Simpson

Memories
May be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember

The way we were
* Teddypig sobs... Like you need me to tell you who sang that!*

I stepped onto the quarterdeck of the U.S.S. Casey Donovan (CG69), one of the Navy’s newest Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruisers. “Seaman Alex Bender. Reporting for duty, sir.”

The ensign on deck duty took my orders, quickly looked them over to make sure they were legitimate, and told the bosun’s mate to take me to the captain to report in. I was in awe of my first shipboard assignment, being straight out of basic training from Great Lakes, Illinois. ~ Page 2

TPIG: WOW! When I started reading this I just knew I had to make my good friend LBea ::waves:: read along with me. It's like sharing a hunk of my life here. I graduated from that same boot camp and I ended up going straight to Groton CT (aka Rotten Groton--I grew up right near there...) for sub school and then they carted my ass to my first boat in Charleston SC. But I totally got where this book was going and I wanted to share the ride with someone else to see if they liked it too.

LBEA: Eep. Still I'm touched that you wanted to share it with me. Aw. ::pat pat::

TPIG: John Simpson does not let me down. He was there man, and you can tell by all the things Alex Bender learns and experiences in this book. This is an unexplored type of porn for men. The "when I was young (and hung) and in the Navy" type of porn. Make that "when I was young, gay and in the Navy". So John hits it right the fuck on the nose from the beginning.



LBEA: Sort of. Because I found he completely lost the forest for the trees. The writing seemed as stiff and regimented as the Navy. From page one I really got a Sticky Pen feel to this story.

I was eighteen with short blond hair and blue eyes, a twenty-nine-inch waist, a solid six feet tall, 170 pounds, and in top physical condition thanks to basic training. ~ Page 2

He simply needs to say how long and wide his man bits are and, for real, this is rather like free porn. Not that I read that. Or anything.

TPIG: Heh! Next thing you know Alex meets a cute naked butt...

He noticed me looking and said, “Hey, you new around here?”

“Yeah, sure am. Just got on board the ship today.”

“Well, then I’ll give ya a break and give you a piece of advice. Don’t stare at the other guys when we happen to be naked; either here or at the berthing compartment. ’Cause if you do stare, it either means you wanna suck the guy’s cock, take it up the ass, or you’re looking for a fight. You don’t look mean enough or big enough body-wise to be looking for a fight, so one would conclude you were looking for a stiff dick. Get me?”

“Oh, why, yes. I’m sorry; I was just looking at your tattoo, actually.”

“My tattoo is on my shoulder, not between my legs where you were looking. Is that what you like? Another man’s cock?” He wasn’t smiling ~ Page 10

TPIG: Now hold on there a second! Alex went to my boot camp Great Mistakes. I remember the heads (bathrooms) there. It was like the ones in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. The damn showers were these cavernous white tile numbers with absolutely no curtains and just some benches. When you showered with the unit you were right there next to some twenty other naked dudes trying to do the same thing. So are you telling me that Alex has not learned to keep his eyes in his head yet? I mean it makes for a cute scene and all that but I get the feeling John is going for hyper realistic here.

LBEA: Well the dialog alone should tell you that he's not going for hyper realistic. Just kidding! OMG TPig...I'm always Debbie Downer! I totally don't 'get' the Navy thing because-- as important as setting should be to any story-- this comes across as mechanical and heavy handed and I...got...bored. Sorry! It's a sex story on a boat. Ship. Excuse me.

TPIG: No Lbea, you are the least downer person I know. That is why I wanted you to read this with me. It is something I would have a blinding bias reading so you are keeping my responses honest and in perspective. You know how excited I get about something new and different.

LBEA: I know!

TPIG: Anyway, the story continues and I suddenly get shown how freaking boring standing watch on the bridge really is (I'll say). What is mind blowing to me is how openly gay John makes all Alex's shipmates. I mean that was not my take on Navy life at all. It came across in my memory as a whole bunch of shades of grey. Most of the older guys I thought were hot were married with kids and in hiding. So I never touch em. The younger guys and I mean WAY younger guys here were these confused half straight/half gay "not figured it all out yet" types. Not my thing at all. Now I did meet some brazen folks but honestly they were married with kids and rubbing up against my ass every time they could.

LBEA: That would make for a good story, actually.

TPIG: Or a sexual harassment lawsuit. You know sometimes I think the "straight" guys do not want to drop the "don't ask, don't tell" stuff because it would fuck up their playground if they have to acknowledge some of this military manly booo-yah crap for what it is. A sexual turn on.

LBEA: My point was that this story lacked a real plot, and that without a real external/internal conflict to speak of...it was navy talk and dick talk, and neither dinging my bell.



TPIG: John sorta missed on some things I thought would make the story more believable. He makes a big deal about the head (showers) and racks (berthing) being communal and clothes free. That was not the problem for me as an older gay man in those situations. It was the fucking lack of any space anywhere. At any time on board if some shipmate came walking through we would end up brushing against each other. Just because there was a lack of places to get out of the fucking way. So half the time no matter how straight you wanted to act you were physically up against some guys ass or crotch. "Nut to butt" they called it. I was mega paranoid and never took advantage of the situation or found it very sexual but let me tell you the supposedly "straight married" shipmates sure the hell did. Talk about ass grabbing! DAMN!



LBEA: Yes. Excellent point. It's those little details of romantic tension that were missing for this reader. Not the Nut-to-Butt talk, per se, but the unintentional touches and the slow dance of romance were absent. So it's... dry.

He kissed me on the stomach and went into the bathroom where he took a shower and brushed his teeth. I also brushed my teeth and we crawled back into bed pleasantly sated. I put my head on his chest and whispered, “That was incredible. Thank you.”

He answered by running his hand over my head and kissing me. We fell asleep in each other’s arms. We slept well and didn’t wake up until a little after 1000 hours. We got up, slipped our shorts on, and ordered coffee from room service along with orange juice. I put the television on so that we could see CNN and keep a check on anything developing in the world. ~ Page 62

TPIG: Yep that's like reading a log book right there.

TPIG: So I love John Simpson's realistic approach to Military M/M Romance and hope he keeps giving us stories to read. He is doing something real here. I have spent time on the "fantail" and "torpedo alley" and the "rope locker" and even the "goat locker". Maybe cut a little back on the day to day "oh seven hundred" military scuttlebutt (talk or jargon) though. I think I lost LBea while reading through the book with some of that shit. What John really needs to work on falls under the Romance part of any M/M Romance.

LBEA: I was lost in the mechanics. It was too much information that didn't serve the larger story--although there was little enough of that as well. Sure the Navy speak gave us a glipse into the working life of the boat--ship---but it overwhelmed everything else. If this is an M/M romance, there are critical areas he needs to develop.

TPIG: I guess what drew me into this story was the feeling the writer was telling me a personal experience. (Yes! That's what I felt.) What kicked me out was when it started to sound like sexual fantasy. How Kurt confessed to being a BDSM top one moment and a Tantric sex expert the next.

LBEA~Jack of all trades...

TPIG: The interactions with the crew including the group sex scenes just came off as so much a Villiage People singing In The Navy MTV orgy fantasy sequence. I mean I understand the story needed character growth and obstacles and maybe sex but the ever present "We might get caught" paranoia and the fact they were cruising the Med would seem to me to make up a lot of that. By making most of the people Alex speaks to big gay queens having orgies every night... well it came off just surreal. Maybe some of that might go on in Aircraft Carriers the size of several football fields with spaces that have never seen the light of day but even on some mid-sized US surface vessel. NOT LIKELY!

LBEA: Dialog, character development, conflict, resolution...so much was missing for me. It was a sticky pen story all grown up--but it wasn't romance. We need a reason to root for this main character, a reason to like and admire and cheer for him --we need to connect--and that didn't happen for me.

TPIG: Right LBea. John needs to work on the character development. Ease it into the story instead of bam they are having sex and then bam they are in love.

LBEA:( PS: also the orgy was dry.)

TPIG: I liked the new guy being taken under the older recruit's wing and how sexy that all can be. The story needed more space to grow though as much as all the information about Navy life needed to be eased into slower. I even fully agreed with the use of the HFN at the end. Because let's face it, when I was young, I even had a fast and furious several months romance with a fellow submariner at my first Fast Attack command in Charleston SC and that was over the minute he moved on to Boomers. So even that felt authentic to me. There is so much potential here.

LBEA: Well this is a great area for more stories then, they just need to be better executed.

TPIG: I totally agree. Contemporary military gay romance stories are so rare and John Simpson got some major details right in my opinion in giving that authentic feel and voice and he just needs to give us the romance.


K. So if you'd like to give it a whirl, you can check out this and other books at Dreamspinner Press.


PS~I'm still running my sweet give away. Prizes include: Josh Lanyon and Jordan Price Castillo's new Partners In Crime:The Art of Dying; Amber Green's One Good Turn; and the much coveted ***Mystery Prize***. Ooooh What could it BE?

My Little Pony

Two things.

If you've followed my blog for a long time, you know that I have a My Little Pony sent to me from my obnoxious pal bloggers Katiebabs and Christine. We held a poll and the pony's name is: Rhainbow. (Pony of the Black Dagger Brotherhood)

If you've read Happy Ending, you also know that Molly and Katie are very fond of their ponies (total shout out to my blog pals, fyi).


Enjoy!

Sent to me from my partner in crime and Smart Ass pal Amber Green:



Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

Leave a comment to win one of the following prizes:

~A print copy of The Art of Dying by Josh Lanyon and Jordan Castillo Price

~A copy of best seller Turner & Turner: One Good Turn by Amber Green (ebook)

~A mystery prize. OOooohhhh!! What. Could. It. Be?


Yay!

Yes or No?

It's Memorial Day weekend and you know what that means, ladies--

ChristianBale-inator

Are you or aren't you? I am!

(although I might instead wander into Star Trek...NO I'll be strong!)

So what's your plan? G is still in Asia and TheBoy has plans all weekend. It's the girls and I. We're shopping and eating.


For the real reason to remember our soldiers, past and present, go visit the incomparable Samantha Kane's blog. It made me cry. I heart you Sam. And please remember the folks in the Armed Forces this weekend.

I luff him.

He's my American Idol.

I have Arrived.

I'm back from the road trip and I'd like to announce right here, right now, that my mother's nav system is retarded. I cannot believe that I wound up driving in circles...three separate times. OK maybe it's not the nav. system that's lacking. However, we are home safe and sound and I'm sitting in stretchy pants today. So. Sexy.

Ed Note: ALSO Kati reminded me that I should mention RNTV is giving a copy of Happy Ending away on their site. There is also a link in my side bar-- but on the off chance you didn't notice...

Click HERE.

Back to regularly scheduled programming.

Here's the scoop!

• Yesterday, I went to see Star Trek again...

because it's brilliant.

Bloody brilliant, five stars, two thumbs up, A+, etc... (Also these guys scream bff m/m fanfic hot zone.) If you have not seen it because you don't like sci-fi or star trek or whatEVER, you should go see it anyway. The dynamic between these two characters is just pure enjoyment, people. ::fans self:: And while the movie clearly pays respect to the original, it's fresh and funny and entertaining and poises us for a Brand New Series. (yay)

And look at these cool action figures of the Star Trek kind. No. I'm not a geek. I mean no disrespect to the elderly and, uh, distinguished Leonard Nimoy, but they should have swapped him for Uhura. Then we could have a very fun time indeed with these dolls.

Moving right along.

• Katiebabs has a wonderful post on reviewer/author relationships. I maintain that reviews are for readers, not for authors, and that if someone doesn't enjoy my book -- that's just how the little ball bounces. Better luck next time. (Plus it was only $4.50!!! Woot!)

• Tomorrow I'm hosting my first chat in a Yahoo group and...I'm nervous. It's true. It's not a very active group (that I can tell--I've only been a member for about a week and half) and---what if no one CARES?

I could host any topic for the day and I wanted to do something fun. I don't write about vampires or weres or menages...no butt plugs or ball gags...just guys living in a small town and falling in love. Which sounds way more boring than it is I SWEAR TO GOD.

So I opted, instead of 'small town' or 'contemporary' as my theme du jour (snore), to talk about Best-Friends-to-Lovers stories and holy macaroni---I can't think any titles off the bat EXCEPT for Dangerous Ground (big thumbs up) and the Assignment (You can understand my dilemma. Yes? Not my favorite book.) Yikes!

Please if you can think of some titles, let me know.

• Finally: Those wild DIK ladies are up to no good and APPARENTLY I've not only had to toss someone out of my hut, I now have to bring two more heroes into my bunaglow. Wait that second part is actually good. If you're in the know and you'd like to watch from the side lines, here's the link.

Ok I don't actually have a MLM post today. I have a 2.5K writing goal so I'm about to do some research and get cracking.

Happy Monday!!

Road Trip.

Time to retrieve BigGirl from Chicago.

In an unpredicted moment of insanity, G--my darling, delusional husband--thought that it would be a great idea if someone (guess who?) flew to Illinois, rented a car, packed the car, and drove the 934 miles or so back to Chez LBea.

I thought it would be wonderful to store her stuff in Illinois for the summer, you know...like in those storage facilities created for exactly this purpose... and fly home the same day. Little jet settin'. Flights are on the cheap, ya know.

And not to bitch, because Lord Knows that I, LBea, would never ever bitch, but my love muffin leaves on Sunday for Korea. (FYI) I'll get back in time to get him 'ready' (read into that what you will....ahem....) and then drive him to BDL at o-dark thirty on Sunday morning.

The good news?

There's so very much good news here. My daughter is coming home! My husband has a job! I love fast food! My license is valid!


So tomorrow morning I fly to Chicago, I rent a car (which was far far more than the cost of the airline ticket--just in case you were wondering), I pick up BigGirl, and I head out for the mother daughter road trip. Plenty of time with BigGirl in the car. We'll listen to music, eat til we're sick (see above mention of fast food), and gossip. I luff her.

It's only 900 miles. That's not too bad.

Now---here's the q&a for you: Did you go home for the summers when you were in college? If so...what did you do with your stuff? Just wantin' to know.

Is that Crass?

In my side bar? The begging? No?

K. Just askin'. I wouldn't mind getting a shiny silver star next to my little pea shooter book over at ARe. So if you were, you know, holding off on purchasing, this would be a super time to do so.

::blush::

In other news--I honest to GOD thought Somebody Killed His Editor was out today. I mean, oopsie whoopsie...and I'm just glad I was too busy making a lasagna the size of Detroit to blog on it. Because I was going to. No wonder Josh was confused by my email.

::dies::

And I love Samhain, you know I do, but why is the name Josh Lanyon synonymous with magnifying glasses? IDK! Plus that man tit scares me. SPOT LIGHT ON TIT. Let's investigate.

Writing News: I've decided to name MOSIII----drum roll---tooting horns and what not--

Cover Me

::crickets::

ManLoveMonday: Guest Author Ethan Day

From LBea- Sorry I'm late. I blame Ethan entirely. So let me welcome a very special guest and new friend of teh blog, m/m author Ethan Day. I met Ethan through my pal Dakota Flint, and let me just warn you all: he's a sweetie. I'm so glad he decided to do my work for me stop by Nose In A Book. Mwah and happy day everyone! Here's Ethan---



Is it Real or Is it Memorex?

In my second book, Dreaming of You, which will be available tomorrow at Loose Id…our main hero or anti-hero as the case may be, Aden Ingle may seem like your average, ordinary, boy-next door. He's got amazing friends, a job he loves, and a long-term relationship with the man of his dreams…and that's pretty much the problem. Aden is dreamer whose boy friend, the love of his life, only exists in his dreams.

While Aden seems to have become mired down in the comfort provided by his over-active imagination, real life…as is often the case…shakes our guy out of his inner world, dragging him out into the light of day.

That's the basic conundrum that got me really wondering…is the idea better than the execution? Surely we've all; at least once had the hots for someone…someone that had us so tied up into knots of lusty-goodness we thought we might actually die from the overload. Stuck in this revolving door state of emotions as we fret and fuss, pondering the possibilities…the sensations so strong we know with every fiber of our being that this is the one, and it's practically killing us as we race to the inevitable first kiss. The first kiss that regardless of whether it took us five days or five hours to get to, the torture has been excruciating.

Finally the moment is here as we look into one another's eyes, breathing heavily, every inch of our skin vibrating with want until our lips finally touch and we get lost in the kiss…then pulling away, looking into their eyes and thinking, “Eh…not so much.” So I ask you here and now, which is better…the act itself or the anticipation? Once that first kiss is over, we can't take it back. Instantaneously the magic is gone, lost…never to return.

Are we always better off meeting a guy who is so hot, and I'm talking 'sell your momma into white slavery for five naked sweaty minutes hot', only to work up the nerve to go and introduce ourselves and have them open their mouths and say something like, “I love old movies! Titanic is like my all time favorite!”

Maybe there's no 'one' answer here. I keep thinking back to that scene in the back of the carriage between Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska in the Age of Innocence. Had these two been allowed the opportunity to get it on(my apologies Edith Wharton) would their passion have lasted? I remember how irritated I was at the time, reaching for the chocolate I'm sure, that these two characters were never given the chance. Now I wonder if that was really such a bad thing after all?

In the fantasy, the stupid or outrageous things we do are rewarded. You can stand outside someone's window at three o'clock in the morning holding a 'Peter Gabriel playing Boom Box' over your head and not get arrested for being a creepy Peeping -Tom. Even prostitution can seem romantic for the love of all that is gay and holy!

Take a deep breath with me people…

What I really think, is that fantasy is all about hope. Even when you're fantasizing about having a ball-gag strapped on as the paddle makes contact with your ass. It's still that same ole wishful thinking. That's why I think we need romance…with a capital R. It's what tides us over, or keeps us from giving up and falling into a big ball of depression. The hope that someday our prince will come, whether he owns his own country or installs drywall for a living, and sweep us up into a big gushy ball of sensory overloaded goodness.

Once again I ask…is the idea better than the execution? Perhaps not always, but it sure can be fun trying. And when the day comes along when you kiss that guy who has you all tied into knots and you feel yourself begin to slip further into the haze of love and lust…I doubt you'll be thinking about the what-if's anymore.



See? Isn't he the sweetest?

::applause and whistling::

Thanks Ethan! Now, everyone go out and buy his new book--and check him out at his blog

And now for something completely different.

For months, I've stared at my towering bookshelves like my son often stares into the open door of our refrigerator.

"There's nothing to eat." He'll say.

I look at my grocery receipt. "There's plenty. Just find something."

He sighs, closes the door, and pours a bowl of cereal.


My stacks of neglected new releases, the forgotten RWA booty, all the hard cover books I splurged on ( by favs)-- this wealth of novels I've avoided-- lie dust covered on either side of my desk. Nothing appeals to me. I wrote to a friend the other night: I need something different!

Tucked onto the fourth shelf (two books deep and each row capped with more novels) was a very slim book which had journeyed from the wilds...er... Edinburgh, Scotland. I had forgotten it.

Poor dear.

My fair Tumperkin reviewed Charlotte Lamb's old Mills & Boon novella, Obsession, at Bam's place in late 2007. She sent me this little lovely as a reward for the spectacular point accumulating final chapter in The Unfeasibly Tall Greek Billionaire's Blackmailed Martyr-Complex Secretary Mistress Bride.

Have you read it? A good time was had by all.

But I digress.

I've started and from page one, I'm drawn in. It's a boss secretary story, dated as hell, and it's charming. The book opens with three pages of exposition--something I usually detest--but it's told so well that it's practically an art. Lamb lays this back story out quick and unapologetic while putting us smack dab into Nicola's mind, and her day. The scene is set, the voices clear, our course obvious. It's not that I expect surprises here--it's that this is a classic story told well. It's predictable, but comforting.

And I like it.

To her relief the telephone rang. It was Lois again. With Lang watching her, Nicola lied smoothly and then had to listen as Lois asked her: 'Is there someone else? I didn't do anything. Oh, I'm so miserable! I love him.'

Nicola wished she hadn't become slightly friendly with her in the past; she wouldn't now have to listen to this. 'I'll tell him as soon as he comes back,' she promised. 'Yes, I know. Yes, I won't forget.'

When she had put the phone down, Lang straightened and gave her a nod of approval.'That's better. I'm not in if she ever rings again. And don't pretend to forget again.' He moved away, whistling under his breath, and she looked at the back of his black head and wondered how it would feel to heave half a brick at it. She was just in the mood to do it this morning.

It's dated even for its time, isn't it? But that's even more fun. I feel myself tensing as I read, ready to mock Nicola as the kind of heroine I don't ever relate to. And yet each sentence moves me both to the expected conclusion (the boss is teh hawt--why does he make me feel so restless inside!) and to a wonderful appreciation for Lamb's writing. Her characters move in blocked scenes that neatly present sexual tension and character conflict. Every word has weight and is carefully doled to the reader.

Why did I never read these? I was so busy reading the flashier, trashier stories and I should have taken the time. I mean...really.

But for me, the tiny pencil scribblings, so light they are almost illegible, make this book a true treasure. My friend, thousands of miles away, made notes. They are infrequent, unintelligible, and abrupt. But they reveal clues into the reading life of someone I am so fond of. I wonder not just 'what the hell does that mean, T?' but 'why here? why this part? what are you thinking?' and I find myself taking a deeper look. Often to no avail.

We read alone. We come together in this community online to reflect and discuss. To champion or disparage. To forge friendships and to find acceptance for our love of a genre that is more often than not...maligned. The end product of our reading is discussion, that's true. But reading is a solitary endeavor. These faint markings in a worn, well loved novella---it's quite literally a small thing to note. But I know that my friend T made these. I feel her thoughtful presence as I read. I see history in these pages, and joy in these graphite markings.

It's funny to me, how much I enjoy stumbling across her notes. Like a little extra prize inside my prize. They've made my first reading of Charlotte Lamb unexpectedly memorable.

News from mlrpress.com

Bookstore


In the ongoing effort to support both our readers and our authors, ManLoveRomance Press, LLC aka MLR Press, publishers of gay erotic romance and fiction has opened the first phase of their online bookstore. We're starting with ebooks sales. Once we have phase two in place we'll add print books to the store. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to improve the site.

We publish author such as romance authors James Buchanan, Ally Blue, Kimberly Gardner, Jet Mykles, JL Langley, Claire Thompson, Clare London, Alex Beecroft, and Laura Baumbach, with mystery writers Richard Stevenson, P.A. Brown, and Josh Lanyon, as well as horror author Rick R. Reed, and multi-genre authors Victor J. Banis and William Maltese, as well as many more.

http://www.mlrbooks.com/books.php



PS (Full disclosure)
mlrpress also publishes that rascally lb gregg.

Very Quickly

My friend Rosie posted over at Readers Gab about which books we remember...and how sometimes the ones that do stay with us are not our favorites. It's a lovely, thoughtful post (as is usually the case with Rosie). In the course of her discussion, she mentioned a movie line that stuck with her from Pretty Woman.

I was reading the comments and I was thinking about movie quotes...what we remember says a lot about our character.

My movie quote was mangled, of course, but it comes from You've Got Mail:

Kathleen Kelly: What is that supposed to mean? I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn't personal to you. But it was personal to me. It's *personal* to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?
Joe Fox: Uh, nothing.
Kathleen Kelly: Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.

I know I've quoted that before, haven't I? Anyway...what's your stick with you movie quote? I'm curious.

And do drop in on Rosie. We miss that woman.

Monday with Jenre and Jesse James

Because you can never get enough LB Gregg, my friend Jenre invited me to her blog for an interview. Please pop by!


I can't get enough of this guy. You all don't know this, but I'm ADDICTED to Celebrity Apprentice. It's a shameful secret that I've kept hidden for weeks...but I'm rooting for Joan Rivers to take that bitch Annie down. DOWN! DOWN! ::hate::

All hatin' aside, I've been digging Jesse James the entire season. Impressed barely describes my regard for ole (pro'lly younger than me) Jesse. Not once did he mention his wife first on the show, or try to use her Hollywood connections or endear himself through her fame. He was never, at any point, "Sandra Bullock's Husband" the way Kevin Ferderwhatever road the coattails of Brittany. He's Jesse GD James! Smoking hot, successful, smart, quiet, and hooooooboy I wouldn't want to piss that guy off ever. Oh and he's got a foul mouth (me likey). He has 500 employees. He's a blue collar welder from Long Beach and he's my new hero. So. Er. Today is Jesse James day. Ripped, tats, hot....yikes my brain is meeeelllting.



Too bad he was fired last night. But thank goodness that Brandy chick was canned. Hello? Blond much?

Have a happy Monday!

Ambling through the Internet

I'm with Samantha Kane today. Well, it's a fly by the seat of my pants top ten list...but DAMN IT...it's blogging!

We both had book releases last week. Her latest book, Tomorrow, (starring Marty from Grease (JUST KIDDING)), is a futuristic space menage with a princess and chase scenes and hunky guys...and some sex! That Sam. She's so fricken' creative!

It's available from Ellora's Cave. Do buy it!

We all know which book of mine came out.

OK, so pop by there and say hello. I was over at the MLR P blog on...what the heck day is it? I was there on Tuesday. Little meme author post thing.

I hope you all are living large. I'm writing writing writing!!

I've also been a victim of internet piracy. I'm choosing to leave little notes on the pirate site. Things like: This is my book. and Why are you stealing my book?

I wonder if that's effective?

kisses

lb