New Cover: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

So here it is, Mind Games by Carolyn Crane. Yes.... that's Ms. CJ from The Trillionth Place. She posted the cover on her blog this morning and I have to say I'm loving it, that is a HOT cover!

Mind Games, the first book in Crane's new Urban Fantasy trilogy is scheduled to release March 23, 2010. The second book is slotted to release September of next year. We don't have an official blurb available at this time, but we did get this bit of information from CJ herself:

Mind Games is the first in an urban fantasy trilogy about a hypochondriac who joins a psychological hit squad. It takes place in a fantastical Milwaukee/Chicago.

I'm loving both the cover and the title. After reading that little bit about the series, the title really seems to fit.

Congratulations CJ!

...On Friday and Cowboys

Well, it seems as if this was western week at Impressions... Westerns are a personal favorite and was excited when I saw KristieJ, Wendy, and Sybil decided to hold The Great Western Drive. They had the best recommendations and my list of books to look up or re-read is now even bigger. I don't need too much encouragement to read westerns, weather they are in a historical or a contemporary setting, those rugged men of the West do it for me. Love the cowboys. Yee haw!

I actually planned on posting a third review today on another historical romance western I'm reading, unfortunately work and real life intruded on both my reading and writing. Instead, I'm leaving you this week with my idea of what a cool, gorgeous cowboy hero looks like -- the fantasy type named "Jake." (Yes, I named him *g*)

Mmmm... well, I actually stole "Jake" shamelessly from a friend who gave him as a gift to another friend, lol! I stepped in and said "MINE".... she very gracefully stepped aside so I could share him with you all. (I promised her we would take care of him). Isn't that a gorgeous belt buckle? And don't you just want that hat? Hmm... yes...well, enjoy!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Review: Dona Nobis Pacem by Willa Okati

Mute saloonkeeper Donnell knows all about prejudice; he's had to battle it all of his life. He also knows how self-righteous and judgmental the people of the old west town of Nazareth can be, so he isn't surprised when he sees them spurn requests for work from a man who walks into town looking to be all but on his death bed. Donnell takes the man in and nurses him back to health, falling in love along the way. But is Donnell destined to have his heart broken?

Title Translation: Using Latin to English translator - A Votive Offering Us a Passus (a section, division or Canto of a poem or a story, a medieval one. Origins: late 16th Century: literally 'step, pace' in Medieval Latin 'passage of a book.') ETA: See link for more information.

I must admit to having a bit of a problem reading M/M romances set in historical times. Not because I don't love history or M/M -- I love both. The story's plausibility becomes the focus for me, especially when or if the mores of our times are applied to a historical period. For example, the total, unquestionable acceptance of a M/M relationship by one or more characters when the story is set in times of yore, becomes a tough one to buy. Of course, it all depends on the culture and time period being addressed, as well as in how the writer addresses the situation.

On the other hand, I love it when a writer takes an issue that could easily be addressed in a contemporary setting, places it in a historical context and still makes the story work. In Dona Nobis Pacem, Willa Okati goes back to the time of the gold rush in the west. The setting is a mining town called Nazareth by the "good" people of the town and "Hell" by the old timers. More than heat and dust can still kill a man in good old Nazareth where civilization is attempting to make itself felt under the guise of strict morals and tough religion.

Okati didn't take the easy way out with this story. Her heroes couldn't be more different or have a tougher road ahead. Donnell is a mute whose mother was a whore. He has two talents: Lady Luck is on his side and he can play the piano. Lady Luck helped him win Treighton's Saloon, of which he is now owner, and playing the piano allows him to not only entertain his clients, but to express otherwise repressed emotions. He is a man scorned by the town for his deficiencies as well as his occupation. His cynicism and lack of trust in people, and religion in particular, seem thoroughly justified.

Nathan is Donnell's opposite in almost every way that counts. He is a beautiful young man who arrives in town begging for work on the streets, wearing nothing but tattered clothing, and too proud to take food unless a job comes with it. Nathan is also a believer in crisis. When the good people of Nazareth refuse to help Nathan, Donnell takes him in, saves his life, and in the process loses his heart -- but what of Nathan's soul? This is where Nathan's conflict lies. Can he accept what his heart and body demand after a lifetime of strict religious beliefs? Will he come to terms with the heat and passion he and Donnell share?

The battle between the "good" and "bad" guys takes on a different twist in Dona Nobis Pacem. The adversaries here are not your usual gunslingers. Instead, the saloonkeeper and his employees are fighting the new preachers and self-righteous townspeople. Specifically Michael Mallone, a ruthless priest who through zealotry and manipulation wants to purify Nazareth by having Donnell's clientele "reconsider their sins." As portrayed in some westerns, the "good people" of Nazareth are quick to judge those who are different or even those who need a helping hand. In this case accepting a helping hand may mean paying a high price. So, who really qualifies as the "good" people of Nazareth? The reader becomes the judge, as the writer lays out plenty of black and white areas but leaves enough gray for further exploration.

Dona Nobis Pacem offers a good balance between the erotic, the romance and the plot. The main characters are well developed and secondary characters add to the story and the historical flavor of this piece. I am hoping Ms. Okati will further explore the overall story arc in the future.

You can visit the author here.

Review: Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman

Never Love a Lawman is set in the small mining town of Reidsville, Colorado and the events take place in 1882. A spur of the California & Colorado Railroad Company (the C&C) is the only thing keeping it from becoming a ghost town. Those short railway miles linking Denver to Reidsville give the miners and townspeople access to goods. In turn they use the railway as a fast and efficient way to transport their gold and silver.

Clinton Maddox, owner of the C&C and a partner with interest in the Reidsville's mines, is dead. This death sets up a chain of events and like falling dominoes, plans set up by a clever and manipulative Maddox start falling into place. The import of this death to the people of Reidsville is enormous as his grandson and presumed heir, Foster Maddox, has been making questionable changes to the company and is an unknown.

Wyatt Cooper, the Sheriff of Reidsville came west following his father's footsteps. He is sharp and tough -- a lawman through and through -- but also a man of layers whose sense of humor and responsibility kick him a notch above the hero whose obvious passions rule the day. Wyatt takes care of the town and its people as if they were his own, and is willing to do what it takes to ensure their safety and future. Rachel Bailey is about to find out just how far he's willing to go.

Rachel is Reidsville's newest resident. She moved to town over a year ago and although readily accepted, she remains a self-contained woman who prefers her own company. A talented seamstress, she is both admired by the men for her beauty and respected by the women for her skills. She is friendly, but not too friendly, to all except for the Sheriff -- she avoids him at all costs. Unfortunately for Rachel, Clinton Maddox's death is about to change all that. Upon Maddox's death Rachel becomes the unexpected heir to both his interest in the mine and the railroad spur with one condition: in order to inherit, she must marry none other than Wyatt.

Jo Goodman develops Rachel and Wyatt's relationship slowly. These two people don't know or trust each other when they are thrown together by these unexpected circumstances. They circle each other, get to know one another and in the process become friends before acting on their attraction. The dialogue between them is witty and sharp enough to keep the story interesting throughout.

Wyatt is the type of man who makes his moves deliberately at times and goes by the seat of his pants at others, but he has enough insight to know how to deal with Rachel. He seems to know when to use his sense of humor, determination, sensitivity or just plain common sense to win more than one argument and smooth more than one awkward moment. Rachel on the other hand, doesn't really seem to know what to make of Wyatt.

I loved that Rachel was portrayed as an intelligent, independent woman with a sharp-tongue and a dry sense of humor. A woman who was willing to pay a painful price for maintaining her loyalty to a friend, Rachel was an admirable heroine whose past made her strong, but whose vulnerabilities I could also understand. She was the type of woman who was not easily convinced, but whose love was worth winning and waiting for.

Wyatt was just right too. He pushed Rachel but didn't really expect to get away with anything. He knew she would put him in his place sooner rather than later. He was both tough and vulnerable. This was a great couple. I loved the sexual tension and passionate interludes, their witty and joyful relationship... but most of all the friendship that got them to their happy ending.

Having said that, Never Love a Lawman would not be the same without the well-defined secondary characters that abound in the story. From "that no-account Beatty boy" to Rose, Adele and Molly, you'll find a full set of characters in this book that make a whole town come alive. They are the ones that make this romance and the story complete.

The events set off by Clinton Maddox's death are convoluted and the twists, turns and action are well done. The resolution at the end had the drama expected of a western with the Sheriff and his posse, a villain, trains and lots of happy endings.

A western romance with all the ingredients to satisfy my taste, Never Love a Lawman, with Rachel, Wyatt and company, is already a favorite.

You can visit Jo Goodman here.

...on Category Romances: Why do I love thee?

Category romances, why do I like to read them? They have always been a bit special to me, but sadly I hardly ever read them any more. When did that happen? KMont from Lurv a La Mode had an interesting post a few weeks ago wanting to know why we enjoy reading Categories. I've been thinking about it.

At one point in my life Category romances became the main staple in my romance reading diet. The reason behind this was not because I didn't enjoy other types of romance books, I've always enjoyed variety in my diet. It just so happened that during that time Categories were all I could either afford to buy or had the time to read. They were affordable, short and most important of all, romances. I had a bookshelf full of them from top to bottom and when I could not afford to buy new ones or used ones, I re-read my favorites over and over again. I think if it wasn't for those books, I would have had to stop reading altogether, and that has never been an option for me.

Categories provided brief moments of escape after a long week of long working hours, driving to and from work, driving my daughter to and from school, her after school activities and getting maybe an hour to myself in the evening to get ready for the next day to start all over again -- driving, working, struggling, driving... tough times! They helped me keep my sanity. I looked forward to my weekends and sneaking in the time to read my "six-pack" of used Category romances. I bought them in sets of six so I would have enough to read for the weekend, or maybe sneak one here and there during the week.

I remember hunting for them through used book stores. I couldn't afford to buy new ones most of the time and ended up buying some pretty old ones. Some of them had wonderful retro faded covers from the 1960's of nurses and doctors. The heroines were almost always nurses who had a strict moral code and lots of backbone and were either willing to sacrifice their love for someone else -- the sacrificial lambs -- or for their own high sense of honor. They were usually set in England where the nurses worked their shifts at the 'theatre', wore 'jumpers' and shared rented 'flats.' These books had wonderful first kisses and sexual tension, but no sex. They were dated and I loved them!

Others were from the 1970's with lots of secretaries, flight attendants and jerky bosses who loved to kiss hard and were mostly control freaks. The heroines were still virgins and some still had backbone... but they had to fight those jerky, hard kissing, bossy men. I still loved them! And I pursued the newer used ones released in the 1980's relentlessly. Yes, the heroines were still virgins most of the time in the 80's, but by then they slept with the hero and had to fight those bossy guys even harder! I started reading a lot of books set in Australia and New Zealand during that period and developed a yearning for a tough, fantasy Aussie bushman just for me, lol!

I remember collecting books by Charlotte Lamb, Anne Mather, Violet Winspear and yes Janet Dailey... hunting, hunting,.... reading and re-reading their books until I could probably recite the text.

These books had a few things in common throughout the decades that didn't seem to change, you might even call it a formula. The format was short, no more than 250 pages, and the romance was always the focus of the story. Of course that didn't mean the rest was left under-developed, or the details were not there. Whether they were set in a hospital in London, in a Spanish Villa, a Texas ranch or in a small unknown town, I remember the distinct flavor of reading about those places as well as the couples.

The tropes became familiar and I always chose my favorites: friends to lovers, enemy to lovers, second chance at love, older man/younger woman, there were more. I knew those tropes so well, it got to the point when I went to those used book stores and picked up a book, all I had to do was read that first paragraph to know that was the story for me. Most of these books felt complete and meaty and they had secondary characters who contributed to the storyline without taking away from the main characters, although some of them were memorable. I loved them!

So, why did I stop reading them? My love for them didn't suddenly stop. My life changed and my reading pattern changed. I moved cross-country and had to give away my collection -- no room for all those books -- no more re-reading of favorites. I started reading all those other books I missed out on, plus! I still read them once in a while in between longer books, when I needed that fix, but not as often. Then I don't remember when... I stopped. By the time I attempted to return to reading my trusty Categories... I just didn't seem to enjoy them the same way any longer.

Is it me? Has my taste changed throughout the years so that now I can no longer appreciate these little treasures? Or is it that I haven't found the authors and stories that suit me? Is it the insta-love, insta-sex, insta-mine that is used in most of the newer releases I've read, instead of character and plot development that turns me off? I know these are short, but having read so many of them I know it's possible to do both. When did it all become about Tycoons and babies? Where did those long winded, strange and unattractive titles come from? I obviously stayed away from Categories for a long time and missed a step somewhere.

I haven't completely given up on reading Categories. How could I? They saved my sanity once and who knows what the future holds. I know there are good ones out there and I'm still searching for those new authors who might make me love these wonderful little books again.

I've recently found two authors whose work I'm reading voraciously, Raeanne Thayne and Sarah Mayberry. I find myself enjoying both the format and the stories. So you see there's still hope for a second chance at love between Categories and me.

I'll leave you with a recommendation from my oldies but goodies bag -- a Silhouette Intimates Moment book from the 1990's I just love. If you want a romance, here is one for you...

Duncan's Bride by Linda Howard

WIFE WANTED...

Reece Duncan lost half his ranch and all his dreams to his ex-wife, so when it came time for a family he did the logical thing: he advertised for a bride. She had to be willing to work, to bear his children and to settle for lovemaking in place of love. It sounded perfect -- until Madelyn Patterson arrived.

One look and he had to have her. Never mind that she was New York and nightlife to his own plain-spoken Montana ways. She was willing to herd cattle, wax floors and bake biscuits by the dozen. She was even willing to bear his children -- but at a price he couldn't pay. She wanted love -- and he was a man who had no love to give.