Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book. Here's a teaser from Knight's Fee:

"Checkmate, Sir Thiebaut," Randall said.

Randall, meeting the narrowed gaze of the pale, bright eyes, found himself looking into sheer hate.

"No, only stalemate," Sir Theibaut said, very, very gently. "And I think that one day you shall weep blood for this day's work, my kennel-bred squire."

From Knight's Fee, by Rosemary Sutcliff, p 142-143

If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too.

What Am I Writing Now?

Yes, that’s “writing”, not “reading”! The rumors are true. Acelet is going on hiatus for awhile. I’m a little sorry to see him go, as I was especially looking forward to introducing you to his new friend, Bricot the jongleur! But that will have to wait. For a little while, anyway. I do intend to come back to the story and finish it someday.

And speaking of “somedays”… Some of you know that Gunthar and Heléne, the hero and heroine of Loyalty’s Web, had their origins in an early college novel of mine. They were an elderly couple in that unpublished story who helped my much beleaguered younger hero and heroine achieve their “happily ever after”. I called that early novel—the first novel I ever wrote—The Lady and the Minstrel. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I even have a few nicely encouraging personalized rejection letters (if rejection letters can ever be viewed as “nice”) from some major New York publishing houses for it. Here’s a little sampling:

Dell Publishing: “This is an intelligently written novel with well-drawn characterizations, but ultimately it lacks the passion and romance—despite the protagonists’ enduring love—required in a historical romance.”

Bantam Books: “The novel is well written and the author shows a nice feel for time and place.”

Avon Books: “While the historical plotline is very interesting, I’m afraid the romance theme does not figure largely enough in the story to make it appropriate for our list.”

Berkley Publishing Group: “Thank you for sending [The Lady and the Minstrel]…it’s a good read, a notch above most published historicals, but just not totally spectacular enough for us to take on.”

Only one publisher actually came out and admitted that the biggest drawback was that my heroine wasn’t “lusty enough”.  (Although perhaps that’s what Dell was hinting at with their “lacks passion and romance” remark?)

Yes, even then I was writing "sweet" romances in a not-so-"sweet" romance world. And even then I had trouble sticking to the romance “formula”, because although at the time I thought I was simply writing a love story, in hindsight I can see that I had some other “non-romance” themes going on that probably ultimately shot me in the foot with romance editors. (In other words, yes, it was about the hero and heroine falling in love, but it wasn’t all about the hero and heroine falling in love.)

The point of my sharing the above comments with you isn’t to boast. It is simply to explain why I have always continued to have faith in this story. I’m actually grateful to those editors who rejected it at the time. Yes, it’s true! Although utterly heartbroken at the time, in later years I have in very truth often thought that they did me a huge favor. Why? Because if The Lady and the Minstrel had been published in its original form, I would very likely have thought my writing abilities were “good enough” and become trapped in a truly inferior writing style. Honestly, I write much, much better today than I did then! (I’d give you an example, but I’m too embarrassed.)

I have always told myself that someday, when my writing skills had improved, I would go back and rewrite The Lady and the Minstrel (along with its sequel, Knight’s Folly). I have told myself, and even a few other people, that for years and years. So when for reasons I won’t go into here, I crashed and burned with Acelet’s story at the end of 2010, I found a little voice whispering to me, “And just when is ‘someday’ going to come around for The Lady and the Minstrel? When you’re 70? 80? 90???” (Or in other words, “You’re not getting any younger, you know!”)

And so I’ve once again pulled out The Lady and the Minstrel. I still love the characters. I still love the plot. I’m keeping the story’s roadmap. But the scenes themselves…oh, my! The scenes themselves I’m rewriting from the bottom up, using all the improved, matured skills I can muster. (We're talking something like 98% "new" writing. Though compared to a book I’m currently reading “for fun”, my "improved, matured skills" still seem sadly lacking. :::sigh:) Still, I promise the end result will be MILES above the original version!

Now the question: Once finished, will anyone really want to read this book except me? It’ll still be "sweet". I hope it’ll be better written. But it still won’t be a “totally spectacular” story and the “romance theme” still may not “figure largely enough in the story” for many readers looking for a traditional romance. I don’t know that answer, but I do know this one: Since I’ve begun my rewrite, I feel at greater peace with my writing than I have in a good long while.

And so, at least for now, it’s The Lady and the Minstrel…and me!

An extract from "The Kiss", by Francesco Hayez (1859)

Some of the clothing is wrong, their hair isn't quite right (though both are the right color), and yet this painting has always made me think of Rob and Marguerite, the hero and heroine of  The Lady and the Minstrel

Winners of the 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge! I hope you all enjoyed revisiting some "old friends", as well as discovering new ones.
All the entrants met the requirements to be entered for the $25 Amazon gift certificate, so I'm letting Random.org choose the 1st ($25), 2nd ($10) and 3rd ($5) place winners.


And the winners of my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge are...


3rd place: Jenn Mathis, $5 Amazon gift certificate


2nd place: Elizabeth Morgan, $10 Amazon gift certificate


1st place: Kimberly Bea wins the $25 gift certificate with the following highly impressive reading list (actually ALL the entrants reading lists were highly impressive!):


New:

1. Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
2. Doppelgangster by Laura Resnick
3. The Guerney Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
4. Fortune’s Folly by Deva Fagan
5. Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe
6. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
7. Firespell by Chloe Neill
8. Blood Roses by Francesca Lia Block
9. Clan Daughter by Morgan Howell
10. Royal Destiny by Morgan Howell
11. Fallen by Lauren Kate
12. How High the Moon by Susan Kring
13. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
14. Salt and Silver by Anna Katherine
15. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
16. The Lost Sister by Megan Kelley Hall
17. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
18. Need by Carrie Jones
19. Unholy Ghost by Stacia Kane
20. Crazy/Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
21. Hell Fire by Ann Aguirre
22. The Waters and the Wild by Francesca Lia Block
23. Quakeland by Francesca Lia Block
24. Hannah, Daughters of the Sea by Kathryn Lasky
25. How to (Un)Cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block
26. Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block
27. Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
28. Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James
29. Dark and Stormy Knights (anthology) edited by P.N . Elrod
30. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
31. The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz by Laura Toffler-Corrie
32. The Stepsister Scheme by Jim Hines
33. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
34. The White Cat by Holly Black
35. The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters
36. Cheat the Grave by Vicki Pettersson
37. Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist
38. My Worst Best Friend by Dyan Sheldon
39. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
40. Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev
41. Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
42. Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
    

Old Reads:

1. Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
2. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
3. Thief With No Shadow by Emily Gee
4. An Infinite Thread (anthology) by the Merry Sisters of Fate (Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton
5. Vintage by Steve Berman
6. I Was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block
7. King’s Property by Morgan  Howell
8. Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block
9. Eating in the Underworld by Rachel Zucker
10. Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
11. College of Magic by Caroline Stevermer
12. The Leto Bundle by Marina Warner
13. Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall
14. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
15. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
16. Ghost Orchid by Carol Goodman
17. Finn  Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson
18. Half Magic by Edward Eager
19. Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones
20. Tales of Moominvalley by Tove Jansson
21. Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels
22. The Prince of Darkness by Barbara Michaels
23. Someone in the House by Barbara Michaels
24. Ecstasia by Francesca Lia Block
25. Primavera by Francesca Lia Block
26. Ordinary Jack by Helen Cresswell
27. Jhereg by Steven Brust
28. Dragon by Steven Brust
29. Cats Have No Lord by Will Shetterly
30. The Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce
31. Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson
32. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
33. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
34. Dhampir by Barb and J.C. Hendee
35. Thief of Lives by Barb and J.C. Hendee
36. Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson
37. Sister of the Dead by Barb and J.C. Hendee
38. The Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
39. Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson
40. Traitor to the Blood by Barb and J.C. Hendee
41. Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
42. Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsberg

Congratulations, ladies! And thanks to everyone who entered!

What Am I Reading Now?

Hand of Fate, by Lis Wiehl, was a fun and interesting read. I don’t read a lot of contemporary mystery books, so I may not be the best judge of them, but this one was fun for me because I watch Lis Wiehl regularly on The O’Reilly Factor. I’ve always liked her, even when I don’t always agree with her, but this novel gave me some interesting insights into who she is as a person. (There was a surprising faith aspect to this book that I wasn’t anticipating.)

Now on to my next new read. I’m starting my second Rosemary Sutcliff book, Knight’s Fee, and so far all I can say is, “Man! I wish I could write like this!” I never will in a million years, but the sin of covetousness won’t stop me from sitting back and enjoying a master storyteller’s ride.

Knight’s Fee, back cover blurb:

Hidden behind the battlements on the roof of the gatehouse crouched Randal the dog-boy, watching for the arrival of Hugh Goch, the new Lord of Arundel Castle. As the cavalcade approached the great gateway, a small thing happened; Randal dropped the fig he had been eating on to the nose of Hugh's mettlesome horse. It was this seemingly trivial incident that first set the boy, whose days had been spent among the castle hounds, on the path to a new life; it was the first step in his rise from dog-boy to knight--though the price he had to pay for this final honour was a heavy one.


Stop by on Tuesday to read a Tuesday Teaser from Knight's Fee!

Get to Know the Reviewer: Jessica of Novel Reaction

Welcome to Jessica of Novel Reaction Book Reviews, our first book reviewer interview on JDP NEWS! I'm so excited to have Jessica here. Let's jump right into our Getting to Know You questions!

JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?

NR (Novel Reaction): My mother read to me a lot when I was a child, which I think is very important for children. I also saw both of my parents reading while I was growing up and I think this helped shape my love of books. There were always books lying around with bookmarks in them and full bookshelves of interesting books to explore, everything from fiction to biographies. I think it important for children to see their parents reading instead of just watching television all the time because children learn by example.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

NR: My favorite books that my mother read to me were by Bill Peet, his use of words are great and he was one of the main animators for Disney for several films including Sleeping Beauty and The Sword in the Stone. My favorite is Cowardly Clyde about a warhorse that is afraid of his own shadow but must overcome his fear to save his knight. After I started reading to myself I devoured The Boxcar Children and The Nancy Drew series. My all time favorite author from my younger years is Robin McKinley, I reread The Blue Sword every year and usually reread a few more of hers such as Beauty and The Outlaws of Sherwood. Her Pegasus was a great read this year and made my Best of 2010 list.

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult

NR: One of my favorite authors as an adult is Lynn Kurland. She writes great time-travel romance novels that start with A Dance Through Time but she doesn't sugarcoat what medieval Scotland was like, she describes it in all its smelly detail. I also really enjoy her books because they are clean romance novels, the tension is there between the main characters but without all the sex.

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

NR: I am a big rereader of books and there are several authors I try to hit each year because I love them. Georgette Heyer is one, my favorites of hers are: Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle and The Grand Sophy. I also enjoy fantasy novels (even though they don't usually get reviewed on my site) and love David Eddings' The Belgariad and The Elenium series.

JDP: Followers of JDP NEWS will know what a HUGE fan I am of Georgette Heyer! I hit several on my reread list last year, too. But back to the interview. Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

NR: There is something about the texture and smell of a book that I love but since I got my Kindle I find myself using it more and more because of the ease of transporting multiple books all at once. Also, it is SOOO much easier balancing my Kindle while I am lying in bed reading than a hardbound copy of a book but it hasn't stopped my purchasing of hard copies. My husband has admitted he likes my Kindle because it will be a whole lot easier to move the next time we do so than my other books are. I have over 5,000 books in my collection and they can be a pain to move, as all my family and friends have informed me. Before I got my Kindle I regularly had an ink smudge on my pinkie finger from where I would hold open the book with it and I kinda miss that mark on my hand but I LOVE my Kindle!

(Jessica with a few of her 5,000 books)

JDP: 5,000 books? Wow! And I thought my bookshelves were overflowing! What’s your favorite place to read?

NR: I read just about anywhere but I really love lounging in bed reading away with my cat curled up next to me or, if the weather is nice, swaying in my hammock in the shade. I also enjoy reading in the tub and luckily have only dropped one book into the water so far *knock on wood*.

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

NR: I read a little bit of everything but I find myself drawn the most to romance, fantasy and young adult novels.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

NR: Against the Law by Kat Martin which is the third book in The Raines of Wind Canyon and is available in February from Mira books. I will be posting my review around the release date.

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

NR: I am currently reading Digitalias by Ronie Kendig (Kindle) and Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Paperback) since I always seem to have more than one book going at a time and because I am terrified I will drop my Kindle in the tub so I always have a paperback going because it is cheaper to replace if dropped. :)

JDP: If I ever get a Kindle, I’ll remember that tip! What’s next on your reading list?

NR: To Tempt a Rake by Cara Elliot and The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton.

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

NR: I would like to read more fantasy novels but I am finding it hard to fit them in around my review commitments, not that I am complaining there just always seem to be more great books I want to read than I have time to read.

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months

NR: Beastly by Alex Flynn and Dead People by Edie Ramer. At Novel Reaction there are three other reviewers not including myself and we posted a Best of 2010 where each of us listed our favorites of 2010 and of all time. I admit I really struggled to limit myself to ten favorite novels of all time but I was able to do it, you can read it http://novelreaction.com/2011/01/best-books-of-2010/ .

Thank you, Jessica!

I invited Jessica to share a little more about her review site and about herself:

NovelReaction.com:

Reader and admitted bibliophile (book collector), I came up with the idea of NovelReaction.com after I was approached by several friends asking for “clean” romance novels. As we all know, you can’t judge a book by its cover nor can we judge the graphic content of a novel based on the cover. I provide a graphic rating so readers can pick up a novel without having to worry about not knowing the graphic content. Novel Reaction covers just about every genre but focus primarily on romance, young adult and some fantasy.

Not content to just recommend some authors, I decided to create this website to recommend books to anyone looking for a good book. I am not an author, just a reader interested in sharing good books with others. ‘Novel Reaction’ is not just my web title but my approach to reading. I am happy to receive any comments or suggestions!

In addition to book reviews, author visits and giveaways, each month we have a Books-to-Movie Challenge where we read the book and watch a film adaptation and discuss it. February's Books-to-Movie challenge is Beastly by Alex Flynn, which I am very excited about. So sit back, pull up a beverage, and read on knowing that you can without a worry.

(JDP INSERTS: What a fun idea! I’ll have to check this out.)

In addition to Novel Reaction, several months ago I launched NovelReactionKids.com.

Novel Reaction Kids was created when the reviewers of NovelReaction.com started to discuss the problem with finding good quality books that you are willing to read to your child(ren) over and over and over again. Because as a parent that is exactly what you will do, read the same books more than once to your child. We decided what better way to share our love of the great books we have found for our children than by creating a website to share them with each other and others who might be interested.

Each child is different and so is their taste in books so NovelReactionKids.com covers everything from adventure to holiday, animals to feelings, and everything in between. In addition to talking about our feelings about the books we are reading to our children, we also post our children’s reactions to the books we have read. Also, we have found that a lot of children’s authors have great websites to go along with the books they have written and we discuss them here. So read, enjoy and repeat!

About Me:

Jessica is the main reviewer and creative force behind Novel Reaction. I have a BA in English and am currently a full time law student. I love to be able to read the books I want to read after I finish studying but don't get as much time to read 'the fun books' as I would like (but then would I ever have enough time I wonder...). Having moved from snowy Salt Lake City to Phoenix about a year and a half ago I love the Phoenix winters and enjoy not having to dig my car out of the snow in order to go anywhere. :)

JDP: As a lifetime Arizonan, I say, “Welcome to the land of (almost) endless sunshine, Jessica!” Thanks again for visiting with us today.