Kresley Cole's A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER

I've just finished reading .... er .... and re-reading Cole's paranormal A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER. And wow! was I hooked! It's definitely one of the best books I've read in a long time. From the backcover blurb:

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waiting millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

I have to admit, at first I thought "Oh gosh, not another vampire book!" But this, my dears, turned out to be a terrific vampire book, with a well-developed mythology. AND a dark, tortured werewolf hero! And a wee heroine, who's so far led an extremely sheltered life among her Valkyrie aunts (lots of shrieks and lightning) and who -- despite being part vampire -- is almost afraid of her own shadow. When the half-crazed wolfie pounces, her worst nightmare seems to become true, yet in the course of the novel she comes to realize that she might be a bit on the small side, but is definitely not quite as helpless as everybody thought her to be.

Emma is an extremely likable heroine, with a strong sense of family, several hung-ups and a craving for modern technology. She LUUUVES her iPod and LUUUVES the xbox and is rather put out when she misses her aunties' xbox evening. (Isn't this delicious? Valkyries having an xbox evening!)

What also struck me about this book is how wonderfully brutish the hero is. Why, he's even worse than the romance heroes of old who generally behaved like cavemen! Now, this seems to tie in with a discussion about the erotic and political correctness at SmartBitches which was sparked by one of Laura Kinsale's post on her message board:

Kinsale argues that readers have become self-conscious about their own erotic fantasies, and the genre itself has been divided into two camps: the “safe Regency settings” that provide emotional depth, while “the erotic drive has been channeled over to vampire and fantasy books where realism is a non-issue” . . .

There's definitely more than just a bit of truth to this: traditionally, the male is seen as the Other in romance, the great enigma the heroine (and often the reader!) of the older romances couldn't figure out until the very end of the story, when he was pushed to explain himself. Take Laurie McBain's DEVIL'S DESIRE: Alex behaves like a real jerk for the most part of the story, is totally callous to the heroine, enjoy intimidating her (also in a sexual way), but it's exactly this bully alpha hero which makes this such a great story. In DANGEROUS MEN AND ADVENTUROUS WOMEN Robyn Donald explains the appeal of this overbearing alpha male thus:

The strong domineering hero of the romance novel has long been the subject of criticism. What critics don't realize is that it is the hero's task in the book to present a suitable challenge to the heroine. His strength is a measure of her power. For it is she who must conquer him.

Every good romance heroine must have a hero who is worthy of her. And in most cases he is a mean, moody, magnificent creature with a curling lip and mocking eyes and and arrogant air of self-assurance -- until he meets the heroine.

Today the most alpha alpha heroes can indeed be found in paranormals. As it is nicely set apart from reality, the heroes can behave as badly as their authors like. That they are vampire, werewolfie or what not only emphasizes their Otherness. So, in a way, the heroes of old live on in them. And perhaps that's the reason why paranormals are so hot right now ...

Sandy Triumphant!

Got my e-mails back, got my favourites back, am VERY happy right now! :O)

I'm baaaaaack!

After having been engaged in a heroic battle with the beastly worm, my 'puter, AOL, the software of my DSL modem and my brandnew internet security programme, I'm finally back online. Yay! Now I just need to find out whether I can restore the files with my saved e-mails and my favourites and Bob's my uncle.

Still, I've come to distrust the abilities of the internet security programmes ... Just great isn't it? Now I even start to get paranoid about my 'puter. Geesh.

Hey, but I will overcome this. If all fails, I'll just stuff myself with chocolate cookies. That always helps. *g*

'Puter Problems

Just a wee note to let you all know that my 'puter problems are a bit more serious than previously thought, meaning I have to re-install my whole computer *head on table* Since I have absolutely no clue whether I'll be able to do this all on my own, little ole me against the bad, bad worm (hey, that's almost a dragonslayer story!), I don't know how soon I'll be online again. Please keep your fingers crossed and send good vibes my way that I'll manage to slay the fearsome beast.

I'm on MySpace!

After many tears, much frustration and several e-mails to the poor MySpace support team, I've finally managed to set up an account and profile at MySpace. Yay!

www.myspace.com/sandraschwab

I've also found a Trojan Horse on my 'puter. I've let Norton Internet Security delete it. Should I reset all my passwords now? Does anybody know?

Another Golden Oldie

Well, it's not that much of an oldie: Susan Sizemore's WINGS OF THE STORM was first published in 1992, and it's another one of these novels I found in the UBSs of Galway. :) It's also one of the best time travels I've ever read. From the backcover blurb:

When an experiment gone wrong landed Dr. Jane Florian in the Middle Ages, she vowed to make the best of things. And if that meant posing as Lady Jehane from the Holy Land, cleaning the castle from tower to dungeon, ousting the hounds from the banquet hall, and giving the mistress of the castle a makeover, then she would do it. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on her reaction to her new neighbour -- the magnetic Sir Daffyd.

What I usually find rather annoying about time travel romances is that the people who travel back in time, adapt SOOOOO easily to the situation, have absolutely NO problem with the language and, in some cases are even blissfully happy to have their happily ever after in, say, the 14th century. Argh! Diana Gabaldon's Claire at least travels only back into the 18th century and is a doctor, but 14th century? Come on, people, who among us would want to live in the 14th century for real, for good, for happily ever after??? That's the point at which suspension of disbelief definitely fails for me! BUT in Susan Sizemore's novel, Jane Florian is a historian, has studied the languages of medieval France and has spent years playacting a role in the Medievalist Society: "She had a role she slipped into when the club did living history demos." See? Sizemore's Jane stumbles into the past well-equipped!

In addition WINGS OF THE STORM features a truly delicious hero. One of my favourite hero-heroine interactions is from a morning-after scene:

Jane lay on her side, tracing her finger down Daffyd's strongly beaked nose. He lay on his back, eyes half-closed, a contented smile tugging up his lips.
"You look like you need a dish of cream," she told him. "Big old tomcat."
"That's me," he agreed, and propped his hands behind his head. "What are you doing with my nose?"

Isn't that sweet? :O)

Now do tell: Have you got any favourites among the oldies of romance?

Something old ....

Sometime during the chat last night, Sandy from Colorado mentioned how much she loves Laurie McBain's DEVIL'S DESIRE, a romance from the 1970s, when romances were still terribly politically incorrect and romance heroes darker, moodier and often downright vicious. I found a copy of DEVIL'S DESIRE when I spent those eight rainy months in Galway -- and I absolutely loved it, too! :)

It's the story of Elysia Demarice, who has grown up in her aunt's house as a despised burden. When Aunt Agathe plans to marry her off to the most repulsive man around, Elysia finally flees across the countryside, alone and penniless, but determined to make her fortune as a governess or lady's companion in London. Yet her plans are thwarted, when she stumbles into an inn and is used as a pawn in a play of revenge against the enigmatic Alex Trevegne, Marquis of St. Fleur, who's referred to as Lucifer even by his friends. Yet the revenge plot goes partly wrong, for when they're compromised, Alex loftily decides to make Elysia his unwilling wife. The story that now unfolds is quite delicious: they're both attracted to each other (of course!), but they're also too stubborn to admit it and have to struggle through a series of misunderstandings until they finally arrive at their happy ending --with Alex grovelling! *g*. And I have to admit, this is one of my favourite grovel scenes. :)

What I really like about the heroine is that she's no submissive little fluffhead, but gives back as good as she gets. Part of the joy of McBain's novel is watching her two protagonists needle each other. E.g., when Alex is "proposing" marriage, he kindly points out to her the only other honorable way open to her now is go and drown herself. "Of course, you could always wait until you reached London, and then jump from a bridge into the Thames. Much more dramatic, my dear, and society would love it." Marriage, he includes, is really the only feasible option for her. "'You see, my dear, you really have no choice in the matter,' he said not unkindly for once, 'and I might add, that it would be criminal of me to allow so lovely a child to fling herself into the cold arms of Death, when mine are much warmer.'" Now, isn't this delicious?

Thanks everybody ...

... who stopped by for the chat -- I had a lovely time talking to you all!

Let's Gab!

Join me in 45 minutes for an afternoon (US east coast), morning (US west coast) or evening (good old Europe) chat at the Mystic Castle! I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

BETRAYAL update

I've actually managed to finish writing the next chapter of BETRAYAL -- today! Yay! Well, I still have to go over it again and polish it a little, but all in all, I'm rather pleased with myself (which just shows that I must be suffering from partial amnesia :lalalalalala: because I planned to have finished the whole fricking novella by the end of August :lalalalalala:) The story is getting longer than I had planned, but that hardly comes as a surprise: after all, I've got a tendency to write really looooooooong stories (and take an awfully loooooong time to write them, too! grrr) In addition, my heroine is getting some really strange (and unplanned by author!) ideas. (Which also should come as no surprise) (Would somebody please tell my characters that surprising behaviour on their part is not necessarily good for their author's peace of mind??? And if you're at it, remind them that I'm actually a nice author, who doesn't drop stuff like mountains on them, but hey, that can always change, if you know what I mean! I can always call in the meteors or the horrible aliens bent on kidnapping humans, just so you know!)

A Glimpse of the Villa under the Linden Trees

I'll soon update the BETRAYAL pages of my website, but for now, here's a glimpse at the real Villa under the Linden Trees. That it appears in my novella is an anachronism, btw: it was built between 1902 and 1904 for Herbert von Meister, the son of one of the founders of the chemical factory Meister Lucius & Brüning, which later became the Hoechst AG. From the very beginning the factory owners took an interest in the welfare of their workers and very soon established a social security system in their factory, had new houses built for the workers, and did a lot of good in the surrounding towns, e.g. helped with the establishment of churches or the founding of new schools. For its centennary, Hoechst had a concert hall built, in which I saw Baryshnikov dance in 1993! :O)

For the first four years of my life my family lived in the town where the real Villa under the Linden Trees stands, and I remember a big summer picnic in the park of the villa and how eerie the old doll house full of cobwebs seemed to me. For some reason I still feel drawn to the old villa, therefore BETRAYAL, in a way, is partly an hommage to the Villa unter den Linden or Meistervilla.

The Coachman's House

The villa as seen from the banks of the river Main

Pictures!!!!

Okay, okay, I admit it: at times I'm just terribly lazy as well as snail-worthy slow, but now, finally, I've got the first bunch of my RWA 2006 pictures. Enjoy!

Atlanta in the Clouds

Georgia Aquarium

Fish

Lots of Fish

Big Fish

'Nother Big Fish

New Podchatter Episode Online!

After a small delay (didn't get Chapter 3 finished on time), the next episode of BETRAYAL is now online. The story is developing in a slightly different fashion than I have planned (but what's new?), which makes this whole serialized audio-novella adventure even more exciting! :)

I hope you're going to enjoy this new chapter! Feel free to leave comments about the story here or on my podcast website.

www.podchatter.libsyn.com

You can also tell me your thoughts about BETRAYAL during my chat at The Mystic Castle this Saturday at 2 pm EST. I hope many of you will come and join the fun! (And bring cyber chocolate!!!)

Last Night of the Proms

Yesterday I watched the Last Night of the Proms on TV. The promenade concerts are a London institution which was established at the end of the 19th century; they are called promenade because like in the Elizabethan theatres, part of the audience stands in the "promenade" areas of the Royal Albert Hall -- the best (and at the Last Night the most fun) is probably the arena in front of the orchestra!

The Last Night always ends a season of proms and involves lots of Union-Jack waving, cheerful singing and interaction between the artists and the audience. Now there are also Last Night parties (the Proms in the Park) in other cities of the UK: Swansea, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester as well as in Hyde Park. So imagine: when they're playing Elgar's Pomp & Circumstance in the Royal Albert Hall, 100000 people will join in and sing "Land of ho-hope and glooory ..."!!! That's extremely moving -- even if you watch the Last Night on TV!

For the next few days, you can also watch this year's Last Night online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/programmes/?id=proms

What makes today so special?

It's the day the debut novel of one of my old LOL Lit Forum buddies hits the shelves! Wooohooo!!! Linda, I've said it before, but I'll just say it again: We're so damn proud of you!!!!

When I posted my first excerpt on the forum way back in 2000, Linda was the first to reply. Around the same time as I joined the Lit Forum, she started posting from a new novel of hers, BETWEEN THE PAGES, a wonderful YA fantasy novel (if I'm not mistaken she never posted the ending, though -- boohoo). These past few years Linda and her family lived in Japan (and they probably went to the Ghibli Museum -- can you tell I'm jealous? I swear I'm turning all green!!!), and her new home obviously influenced her Muse: the book's that coming out today deals with a young Japanese-American Nori who spends a year in Tokyo as an exchange student. She learns all kinds of things -- not only about the Japanese culture, but also about herself.

It definitely sounds fascinating, and I hope you'll all dash to the nearest bookstore to pick up a copy!

Cuuuuuuuuuute Games

I might have become a computer nerd -- but at least I'm a girly computer nerd. *g*

CUTE GAMES

A Taste of Britain, or A Walk Down the Memory Lane

At age 11 I fell in love with Britain. I partly blame Rosemary Sutcliff for this; I adored her historcial novels for children and YA, most of which (or perhaps even all of her novels!) are set in Britain. So when I first went to Britain for a stay with my penfriend, I might have been terribly homesick, but I also fell in love with the country. And whenever I visit the country now, it feels like coming home. Naturally, I also love (nearly) all things British.

Like Cadbury chocolate (except for Turkish Delight!!!).

I love eating Cadbury Creameggs, though I don't quite like the taste and feel sick after a quarter of the egg. But, you know, this wonderful, gooey eating experience -- hmmmm. (Besides, there are also Cadbury Chocolate Creameggs, though they are rarer than the regular creameggs -- don't ask me why!)

I love Yorkshire Pudding (but unperfumed!).

I love Twinings.

I love Chicken Tika Masala (Tesco's got a wonderful microwave version.) (Well, Tesco's microwave meals in general are rather good; I should know: they were all I ate during my last few weeks in Galway ...)

I love British biscuits.

AND Cadbury minirolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So imagine my joy today when I found this itty-bitty shop in Frankfurt which sells All Things British. Like Cadbury chocolate, various variations of Twinings, British biscuits, Chicken Tika Masala sauce, etc.: A Taste of Britain. (They've got an online shop, too.)

Among the things I bought is Twinings' Fruit Bliss Cranberry, Raspberry and Elderflower, which I drank all the time during my 8 months in Ireland. Therefore, when I sniffed at the box, it smelt like Ireland. :O)

Fantastic News

I am thrilled to announce that I sold two more books to Dorchester. The first of these, CASTLE OF THE WOLF, will be a May 2007 release. It's the story of Cissy Fussell, who finds out after her father's death, that she has inherited a castle in the Black Forest. Alas, there is only problem: she has to marry the loutish son of her father's old friend in order to keep the castle. The picture above is the postcard she sent to me after her arrival in her new home:

Arrived in the Black Forest safe and sound (despite horrendous snowstorm). Castle is rather picturesque (i.e. in ruins & full of cobwebs and rodential skeletons), & everything could be just wonderful, if it weren't for that lout Fenris von Wolfenbach, whom I am - I hardly dare to breathe the words - supposed to marry. I sincerely hope one of all these gargoyles around here will fall off and drop onto the nigmenog's stupid head. - Await more news in May.

Yours truly,

Celia "Cissy" Fussell

For now, you can read the beginning of Cissy's adventures on my website. Enjoy!

RWA Pics!!!!

The people from the LoveLetter, the only German romance magazine, posted several Atlanta pics on their blog. There are also two of moi:

among orange fish

and

with Kathleen Givens.

(Somehow I look fat ... Duh.)

Cover Snarking ...

... on Squawk Radio and Smart Bitches. (Warning: Don't drink & read!) I particularily enjoyed the following sentence (i.e. I nearly peed my pants while reading it):

Look, when people mention a dude’s endowed like a stallion, they’re generally
referring to the size of his cock, not the length of his freaking neck.