Ten things I hate in a romance novel...

1. Unpronounceable names. Ugh!! This is especially prevalent in the sci-fi or fantasy genres.
2. When the H/h could clear up a misunderstanding with a simple conversation, but they don't.
3. 1st person point of view. Okay, there have been a few that I've read and enjoyed, but for the most part, I won't even purchase it if it's in first person.
4. Too many changes in point of view. I like to know the H/h points of view and occasionally one more like the villain or someone trying to help the h/h, but that's about it.
5. Too much sex. (Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the sex, but I need for there to be a story, too.)
6. Not enough sex. (Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the story, but I need for there to be sex, too.)
7. Characters without flaws. I like to see some weakness, vulnerability, etc., in the H/h. Makes them human.
8. Unrealistic male recovery time. Really? You've been with men that get hard-on after hard-on with no break in between?
9. Make your heroine a deepthroat expert.
10. H/h who always assume the worst about the person they love. (He sees her with another man and assumes she's screwing around on him.)

"Because nobody would really react like that..."

This is kind of a rant so bear with me. lol! I've been reading some book reviews on Amazon (not mine) trying to find some books to order because I'm running out of authors. Anyhoo, so I'm reading these reviews and starting to get really irritated with what some of these people are saying. Now, I know it's different strokes for different folks and all, but the biggest problem I'm having in these reviews is when the reviewer says something like "It was so unbelievable because no one would really act/react like that" (my own paraphrase. lol!) Because this is something I've discovered...real people regularly react in ways that are confounding, puzzling, amazing, unbelievable, contradictory, etc., etc., etc. They do things I would never think they would do. Women stay with cheating/abusive husbands. Men stay with lazy/bitchy wives. Couples live together for years without sex or having a real conversation. People divorce over ridiculous reasons like toilet seats (up or down). Customers sue because hot coffee is actually hot. Believe me I could go on and on.  So if you want to criticize a book because of poor writing, or editing, or pacing, or character development...great. But to say that the character didn't react like YOU would have reacted is to discount the fact that people are people and liable to react in all sorts of ways. End of rant. Thank you for your time. :)

"I Read" by Richard Peck

I read 

because one life isn't enough, 

and in the pages of a book 

I can be anybody.

I read 

because the words that build the story 

become mine, 

to build my life.

I read 

not for happy endings

but for new beginnings; 

I'm just beginning myself, 

and I wouldn't mind a map.

I read 

because I have friends who don't,

and young though they are,

they're beginning to run out of material.

I read 

because every journey begins at the library, 

and it's time for me to start packing.

I read 

because one of these days 

I'm going to get out of this town, 

and I'm going to go everywhere 

and meet everybody, 

and I want to be ready.

— Richard Peck

There are just some authors...

Wow! I have just fallen in love with a new author...to me anyway. Linda Howard. I had never read any of her books before, but I just finished Open Season and After the Night and I have fallen in love with her. I wanna write like that!! lol! It makes me want to just dissect her books to see how she weaves that magic. Authors like Ms. Howard remind me of why I wanted to be a writer in the first place. Anyway, I am always excited to find a new author with a big backlist so that I can just immerse myself in their worlds. Needless to say, I will be picking up some new books by Linda Howard...ASAP!