Limecello’s review of Tails of Love by Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, Kate Angell, Dianne Castell, Ann Christopher, Marcia James, Donna MacMeans, Sarah McCarty, Patricia Sargeant, and Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Special romantic fiction anthology released by Berkley Desire 1 Jun 09

I’d like to start out by noting that this book was written for charity- that all author and agent proceeds are going to a no-kill animal shelter. And that yes, I feel incredibly guilty about it… but I did not enjoy this book overall. The reason I finished it was because, well the book was written for charity, and it deserves a review, and also I think Sybil would have killed me if I didn’t finish it. So here we go. 

There were parts that I enjoyed, and I found some new to me authors that I plan to look into. I think also the fact that there were so many authors participating led to limited or restrictive page lengths, and that really hurt a number of the stories.

As I mentioned, a number of the novellas are incredibly short, so I’m not going to do an formal review of each one, per se. Some of the stories featured unique animals.

Ann Christopher’s novella, Atticus Saves Lisa, features a capuchin monkey. Too adorable – and its a therapy pet. Her story is well written, emotional, complete, has great characters, and is one of my favorites in this anthology.

Kate Angell’s story, Norah’s Arc, has a pygmy goat, which is cute. The interaction between the characters is also nice, and there’s a good balance between them and the animals.

Marcia James’s story, Rescue Me, was also very well written. The animal here is a Chinese crested dog. I’m impressed because her story is great, yes, but in a way mostly because she made me like cresties. And… if you’ve ever seen “ugliest dog” contest pictures, you’d know why that’s surprising. The characters have history, which also helps make this novella more realistic. It feels complete, although I would have liked more.

Sarah McCarty’s novella, Danny’s Dog, also pleasantly surprised me. I’ve read a few of Ms. McCarty’s other books, and this one was not what I was expecting. It was all about the plot, and characters, and it was rip your heart out and stomp it into the ground gut wrenching. I felt the character’s pain, and their emotions were so raw, and real. It’s a great story – I cried.

I enjoyed Lori Foster’s story, Man’s Best Friend, and was glad that it was an original one, but it was so short. Only 34 pages, and I felt that things were a bit rushed, and really it was only one scene between characters, not a story.

I don’t know what the page restrictions were, but I think writing for the anthology – not even really a novella, made it difficult for the authors to complete a story. Also, there wasn’t much cohesion within the anthology aside from animals being a part. Some novellas are contemporaries, others paranormal, or historical. This means there’s something for everyone, but it’s a little bit distracting. I think it’d help to read one story, put the book down, then come back to it, rather than reading them all in one sitting.

Some authors made animals characters, with cats and dogs talking, and I don’t mean were-animals. Although one novella did have a were-dog. Sometimes this was fine the story felt natural, but sometimes it did not. I found it very odd, and there was a distinct lack of flow in certain stories. For example the reader might jump from a cat, to a dog’s perspective – and it seems rather childlike or in the tone of a children’s book… and then all of a sudden you’re reading about the hero’s erection. The word “dissonance” comes to mind.

I’m afraid some of the stories simply didn’t work – not only were they not believable, but felt rushed and incomplete. I also kept wondering if this was actually a romance anthology or not, because so many stories ended abruptly, or without what seemed to be any real romance or relationship.

Nevertheless, there are some really great stories in Tails of Love and there were good things about each novella. I’m definitely interested in reading more books by some of the authors that I haven’t read before, such as Ann Christopher, Marcia James, and Patricia Sargeant. Others are authors that I’ve read before, and will continue to read. This anthology was written for a great cause, and that’s the most important thing of all.

Overall Grade: D+

Summary:

Ten all-new stories that celebrate our animal friends, by bestselling and award-winning authors. All Author and Agent proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the AAF – Animal Adoption Foundation – a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio.

From Seeing Eye dogs to the cat who cuddles in your lap, animals are there for us in more ways than we can count. Helping us get through the day with a wag of the tail and a tilt of the head, they let us know that someone is on our side—no matter what. They also have an amazing ability to break down barriers between people; bringing families and loved ones closer, and giving strangers an excuse to strike up a conversation. In Tails of Love, each writer draws from her own unique perspective on our loyal friends—exploring the many mysterious ways they bring love into our lives.

Read excerpts from Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, Dianne Castell here.

Read excerpts from Kate Angell, Ann Christopher, Marcia James here.

Read excerpts from Donna MacMeans, Sarah McCarty here.

Read excerpts from Patricia Sargeant, Sue-Ellen Welfonder here.

This just in…

Mark your calendars now for Lori Foster’s and Dianne Castell’s 2009 Reader and Author Get Together. This is the fifth year for the event that not only allows readers to mingle with authors, but also for aspiring writers to meet with editors and hopefully sell their ideas.

~ This year’s event will be held June 5th through 7th at the Cincinnati Marriott North in West Chester, Ohio. Currently there are 61 authors signed up for the event, but there may be many more by the time of the get-together.  Last year’s event had more than 200 authors (both print and ebook published) and readers.

~ The cost to register for this year’s event is $50 and includes two dinners and a lunch.   Registration is open until May 19, 2009.  Be sure to register early and get your hotel reservation made now.  Last year a second hotel had to be added to accommodate all the attendees.

~ As in the past, there will be lots of baskets being raffled to raise money for a charity.  This year all the money raised from the raffle will go to One Way Farm Children’s Home of Fairfield Ohio.  Also the anthology, Tails of Love, which features not only Lori but Stella Cameron, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Kate Angell, Sarah McCarty, Donna MacMeans, Dianne Castell, Patricia Sargeant, Ann Christopher, and Marcia James, will be for sale. Author and agent proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Animal Adoption Foundation, which is a no-kill shelter.

~ I went last year and must say if you get the chance to go…GO! It is fun weekend. I got to meet so many wonderful people. I had my books signed by my favorite authors, had breakfast with Anya Bast, Lauren Dane, and Megan Hart and discussed books with Anne Rainey and Kelley Nyrae.

Consider yourself flashed.

Ann Christopher, author of the upcoming Sweeter than Revenge (coming 1 Jan 08) and all around beautiful person, shares 12 “squealers”… 

I know how this sounds, but I actually mean it in a GOOD way. Sometimes a book is working so well and my emotions are running so high as I read it that I just can’t stand it anymore. I have to put the book down, walk away for a minute, and try to catch my breath. Alternatively, I like to bury my head in the nearest pillow and just squeal.

Authors, you know what I’m talking about, right? If you’ve made a reader squeal in a good way, you’ve really done your job, the writer’s equivalent of a grand slam home run. You may as well pop open a bottle of champagne and toast your own brilliance.

So here’s my list, in no particular order. Some authors, you’ll note, make the list more than once. You might also notice that I am, ah, partial to the first consummation scene between lovers. But I swear that’s only because such scenes have so much innate emotional potential that, in the hands of the right author, they just explode to life.

12 Scenes That Made Me Put Down the Book

1. V and Jane Make Love for the First Time — J.R. Ward ’s LOVER UNBOUND (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5). Let’s just say that V isn’t quite able to suppress his need to dominate.

2. V Tells Butch How He Feels About Him — LOVER UNBOUND. I waited years for this moment.

3. Wrath and Beth Make Love for the First Time — J.R. Ward’s DARK LOVER (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1). This happened, as you probably know, within minutes of them meeting each other, and this was my first J.R. Ward book. I wasn’t prepared, I have to say.

4. Liam and Katherine Make Love for the First Time — Brenda Joyce’s THE GAME. The thing that really got me about this scene was that Katherine immediately regretted what she’d done and pushed Liam away. Ripped his heart (and mine!) out.

5. Liam and Katherine Make Love for the Second Time — THE GAME. This time Katherine has no regrets and no inhibitions. Need I say more?

6. Calder Confronts Francesca About Their Mutual Attraction — Brenda Joyce’s DEADLY DESIRE (Francesca Cahill Romance Novels). Up until then, Calder and Francesca had been good friends who periodically flirted a little. Now Calder totally calls Francesca on her attraction to him. Figuratively rips her bare. This is one of those moments where the alpha hero reveals himself to be every bit the wolf the heroine always suspected but never really saw/appreciated. Love it.

7. Calder and Francesca Almost Make Love — Brenda Joyce’s DEADLY series. Pick any one of the later installments.

8. Carlos Howls for Damali — L.A. Banks’ THE AWAKENING (The Vampire Huntress Legends, Book 2). Carlos, the newly-turned vamp, and Damali, the slayer, are sharing a, ah, tender moment when Carlos feels himself losing control and has to leave. But he can’t get far. So he stands outside the compound and sort of … I don’t know … howls for and telepathically communicates with Damali. The scene is WAY over-the-top (I love over-the-top!) and WAY intense.

9. Carlos and Damali Make Love for the First Time — L.A. Banks’ THE HUNTED (The Vampire Huntress Legends, Book 3). Talk about a scene worth waiting for. L.A. Banks really works it.

10. Ian and Elizabeth Make Love for the First Time — Judith McNaught’s ALMOST HEAVEN. This scene is so tender, emotional, and rich in sensorial detail that it just boggles the mind. Ah, to write like this. If only I could.

11. Maris Meets Parker for the First Time — Sandra Brown’s ENVY. There’s a little bit of a twist here that I can’t give away, but let’s just say that Parker is one of the most fascinating, complex heroes I’ve ever read.

12. Lilly’s Health Issues Reach a Climax — Sandra Brown’s CHILL FACTOR. I can’t even describe the power of this scene. Lilly and Ben are trapped in this mountain cabin together during an ice storm, Lilly’s asthma attack is getting worse by the second, and Lilly won’t let Ben, whom she suspects may be a killer, help her. I still shudder thinking about the emotional roller coaster Sandra Brown puts readers on here. Amazing.

So there it is. Twelve of my favorite scenes ever. What about you? Feel free to share your favorites, or to disagree with me. Happy holidays!