The Slump Report – Part Deux

Yes, faithful reader, sadly I remain mired in The Land of Slump.  I haven’t read an historical romance since November – I can’t even re-read old faves.  :*(  I have so many highly anticipated historicals waiting for me in Mt. TBR!  And I have tried to read them…I’ve picked up countless books, read about 20 pages, been completely distracted and uninterested, put them aside and picked up something I’ve read before – or just not read anything.  I hate it when that happens!

So what have I been re-reading?  I’ve been prowling through the latter part of Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series, mostly.  I was looking for foreshadowing/clues that might help unravel the mysteries of her Fever series.  I didn’t have much luck on the clues (maybe I’m just dumb), but the foreshadowing is there, as is Darroc’s backstory – something I had completely forgotten.

Lightning reviews:
Kiss of the Highlander :

This is Drustan’s book.  It had been so long since I read it, I had forgotten most of the plot.  Drustan has never been my favorite of KMM’s Highlanders – I remembered him being kind of bland – but he had a bit more appeal during this reading.  He’s so sweet and romantic…sometimes that’s nice to read, yes?
My grade: B

Spell of the Highlander :

Cian’s book.  I had forgotten about Cian, poor guy.  Trapped in a dark mirror by an evil sorcerer and only freed for brief periods of time, to do the sorcerer’s evil bidding.  There is a good bit of Fever foreshadowing in this book, plus Cian is hot in an I’m-almost-evil-but-not-quite kind of way. Will he break the curse and defeat his captor?
My grade: B+

The Dark Highlander :

This is Dageus’s book…ah yes, Dageus has always been my favorite.  *drifts briefly*   Sorry…where was I?  Oh right – Dageus!  Cursed to house the souls of 13 evil Druids inside him, he is looking for a way to break the curse before he succumbs to their horrible influence and becomes irredeemably evil.  Or gives in to despair and ends things (if the 13 will let him).  Dageus is beyond hot…he’s HAWT!  As the 13 exert more and more influence over him, practically the only time he feels like himself is when he is with a woman.  So he is with a lot of women.  Not that we see it in the book – that would be icky – but we’re told and see just enough to get an idea of his attempts to feel human.  Of course, when he meets Chloe (our heroine), he finds out just being in the same room with her and talking makes him feel pretty human, too.  Aww…I adore Dageus!  *sappy sigh*
My grade: A

The Immortal Highlander:

Adam Black’s book.  Adam is a Fae prince who likes to take human form and pops up (in person or in passing mention) in most of the earlier Highlander books.  As a result of some happenings in Dageus’s book, Adam is cursed to the human realm where he cannot be seen by humans and cannot see other Faes.  When he finds someone who can see him, he torments her until she agrees to help him find a way out of the curse.  Lots of Fever foreshadowing in this book – including Darroc’s backstory – plus Adam is fun.  I think he is my second favorite after Dageus.  Even when he is annoying poor Gabby, trying to wear her down so she will help him, he’s still taking care of her and bringing her treats.  <3
My grade: A-

Do the books stand alone?  Well, sort of, but you get much more out of the story if you read them all.

What’s next in Slumpville?  Well, I might go back and read the earlier Highlander books that I skipped – Beyond the Highland Mist, To Tame a Highland Warrior, and Highlander’s Touch – I have no memory of them at all, but I know I read them and they still are lingering in the Keeper Shelves.  Plus, I’m going to try another historical or two and see if anything keeps my interest.  If worse comes to worst, I’m going to re-read the Fever books and try to find bits of information that I missed…I wanted to wait until closer to the release of Shadow Fever (January?! *cries*), but I might be forced to start early.

So tell me, faithful reader, what are you reading?  And what’s coming up that you can’t wait to get your paws on?

Highlander series (in order – Amazon has them numbered wrong, by the way):

Fever series (in order):

Welcome to our very first Duck Chat!

I’ve been wanting to do author interviews for a while now, but for one reason or another life never wanted to let me get started working on the idea.  I’m happy to say things have changed and you’ll be chatting with some terrific authors every now and then from here on out.  So whenever you see our new spiked-do friends over there, you know you’re going to be in for a fun surprise and lots of chatting!

Our first Duck Chat interviewee is historical romance author Monica McCarty.  Monica has been in a constant whirlwind since her first book was released back in 2007. Read on to learn more about Monica, her life, and her books.

Monica lives in California with her family. Her husband Dave is a former professional baseball player and was part of the 2004 World Series Red Sox team. She’s a former copyright litigation attorney.  After practicing law a few years, Monica decided to take her love of research and writing in a new direction, which has been a huge gain for romance readers.  The MacLeods of Skye trilogy was Monica’s supersonic entry into romance publication.  Highlander Untamed, Highlander Unmasked, and Highlander Unchained were all hits and led to her second trilogy featuring Clan Campbell, Highland Warrior, Highland Outlaw, and Highland Scoundrel.  Warrior hits the shelves today. So after reading Syb’s review and saying hello to Monica, hop on over to Amazon.com or Borders and grab your copy hot off the presses.

Let’s chat!

Duck Chat:  If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

Monica McCarty:  LOL, I don’t think I’ve been doing this long enough to be tired of any question. But the hardest question for me to answer is the quick “what’s your book about.” You think it would be so easy, but trying to condense a 100k word book into a couple of lines in the most intriguing way isn’t easy.

DC:  I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

MM:  Definitely. I write from a pretty well-thought-through synopsis, but it’s more like a roadmap for me. I like to know the major turning points in the story and the black moment, but I always leave room for the story to unfold on its own. I also always keep a notepad with me (especially by the bed and shower) so I can write down the scenes that come to me—it’s almost always dialogue.

DC:  Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing?

MM: It’s no use arguing: the characters are always right.

DC:  Tell us about your new trilogy featuring the bad boys of the Highlands, Clan Campbell.

MM:  The Campbell trilogy starts off with Jamie Campbell, a secondary character from Highlander Unmasked. Book #2 belongs to his sister Lizzie (also introduced in Highlander Unmasked) and the third to their half-brother Duncan. The Campbells usually get the role of the “bad guy” in romances (and in history), so I thought it would be fun to let them play hero for once. They also had a ton of enemies, which provides great fodder for an author. One of the best-known feuds with the MacGregors takes center stage in the first two books, the third is with the Gordons. Like my first series, you’ll find plenty of strapping lads in plaid and “ripped from the headlines” history (i.e. Law and Order).

DC:  Do you have a favorite bad boy?

MM:  Bad boy in romance: Kenny from Lady Be Good by SEP. Bad boy on TV: Sawyer from Lost.

DC:  What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

MM:  I suspect I’m like most writers, if I’m in the mood to be distracted just about anything will do it. The main culprits are email, the internet, and my kids (not necessarily in that order!). On the other hand, if I’m on a roll, only having to pick up the kids from school or get dinner on the table distracts me.

DC:  How do you feel your writing has evolved since your first book? Do you think you write your male or female differently now than you did when you started writing?

MM:  I hope it’s improved, LOL, not only at storytelling but with the craft of writing. I’ve learned so much through RWA it’s amazing. As far as the male/female characters…hmm. I’m not sure. I think there are probably subtle differences. For example, with the men, I’m always asking myself, “Would a guy really do (or say) that?” to try to create as authentic male characters as possible.

DC:  We know the historical genre is your forte, but is there another genre you’d like to try your hand at some day?

MM:  I’d love to do some kind of contemporary “history mystery” along the lines of The DaVinci Code or The Last Templar, but alas I don’t have any brilliant ideas.

DC:  What advice would you give to your younger self?

MM:  Try to relax a little—I’m a definite “type A” personality, LOL. For writing it would be to try to not take rejection so personally. As I’ve learned more about the industry, I realize there are so many business reasons that come into the decision about whether to buy a book.

DC:  Okay, these are the usual questions asked of authors in most every interview, but inquiring minds want to know:

MM:  Favorite Historical Author: I’ll narrow it down to authors currently writing historicals: either Lisa Kleypas or Liz Carlyle
Favorite Historical Book: Toughest question of all time, LOL. Probably either Judith McNaught’s Almost Heaven or Julie Garwood’s The Bride.
Favorite Contemporary Author: Susan Elizabeth Philips
Favorite Contemporary Book: Lady Be Good
Favorite Paranormal Author Does Time Travel count? Karen Marie Moning (I don’t read much Paranormal.)
Favorite Paranormal Book: Kiss of the Highlander
Can I do romantic suspense, too? I love Shannon McKenna . Extreme Danger has one of my all time favorite heroes ever.

DC:  If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

MM:  Probably practicing law in some fashion.

Gwen’s Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?   milk (but I’m not much of a chocolate fan…seriously)
- smooth or chunky peanut butter?   chunky
- heels or flats?    heels
- coffee or tea?    both daily (addict anyone?)
- summer or winter?   winter
- mountains or beach?   mountains
- mustard or mayonnaise?   mustard
- flowers or candy?   candy
- pockets or purse?   purse (I have a bit of a handbag “problem” as my husband calls it)
- Pepsi or Coke?   Pepsi
- print or ebook?    print (but I love my Kindle!)

Last-minute fun stuff:

What is your favorite word? Bedtime
What is your least favorite word? “Mom…!”
What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Watching a good movie or reading a good book
What sound or noise do you love? Water (i.e. streams, brooks, waterfalls)
What sound or noise do you hate? Fingernails on the chalkboard
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t curse! (Right, probably the “f” word)
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Broadway singer (unfortunately I have no voice)
What profession would you not like to do? Maid, cook, nurse and psychologist (Wait! I already do those.)
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “Welcome, you sure took a long time in getting here!”

Thank you, Monica!

For those of you who have any questions or comments for Monica, she’ll be stopping by throughout the day, so this is your chance!

So which lucky duck will be enjoying Phil Gigante’s aural pleasures?

As much as I wanted to send one to every person who commented, I want to retire someday too. So I had my daughter pick a number and the winner is:

DARLA

WOOT! Happy eargasms, girlfriend!

Now, please send your name and address to BevLQB (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll have Kiss of the Highlander on unabridged CDs shipped directly from Amazon to you. Let me know if you would prefer MP3-CDs instead.

BevQB’s review of Kiss of the Highlander (The Highlander Series, Book 4) by Karen Marie Moning, narrated by Phil Gigante
Paranormal historical timetravel fantasy romance Audio Book released by Brilliance Audio on 20 Jan 08

Kiss of the Highlander in audio format is the perfect mating of story and storyteller and I can’t imagine merely reading this story from a printed page ever again. Phil Gigante brings every minute of this pure escapist fantasy story to life. Audio books, in fact most Romance books, don’t get any better than this!

WAIT! WAIT! I know you are expecting me to once again squee about the aural pleasures to be found in Phil Gigante’s eargasmic portrayal of Drustan (and, oh, I will), but there’s much more to expound on in this absolutely spell binding audio book. (btw, did ya notice the big “contest” tag? Hmmmm?)

This is the fourth audio book release in KMM’s Highlanders series and centers on Drustan MacKelter and Gwen Cassidy. Containing both paranormal and fantasy (fae) elements, Kiss is set, through time travel, in historic and modern day Scotland. This is a standalone story, so it is not necessary to be familiar with the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but, trust me; you’re going to want them all!

Have I ever mentioned just how damn ENTERTAINING Phil G’s narration is? In fact, I really hesitate to refer to what he does as mere narration. It’s a PERFORMANCE. The voices and effects he uses for all the characters, both lead and minor, are spot on. Often, when a man attempts a woman’s voice, it comes off as mocking. However, while no one will ever mistake Phil’s voice for a woman’s, I quickly was no longer conscious that a man was voicing the female characters. Yes, he uses a higher pitched voice for women, but there’s something else there too… a softness, a vulnerability… something… that does not scream “man mocking woman”.

Unless he wants to. One of the most entertaining moments in this audio book and one that showcases Phil G’s amazing talent is when Drustan is teasing Gwen and repeating her words in her “voice” . So we’re treated to Phil as Drustan mocking Phil as Gwen using Drustan’s version of Gwen’s voice. Trust me, Phil nails it!! Just hand him next year’s Audie Award now!

When I think of The Highlanders series, Kiss of the Highlander has always been the first one to come to mind. But if, like me, you are also a fan of KMM’s brilliant Fever series, you will have a lot of fun listening for Fever clues throughout the Highlander books. Kiss is the second book with a direct link to the later series (The Hallows appear in book 3, The Highlander’s Touch), and is the first of the MacKelter books (we meet Christian MacKelter, from Bloodfever, towards the end of Kiss). It’s fascinating to revisit all the Highlander fae lore that eventually comes together to spawn the complex Fever books.

But, the most compelling reason (besides my all-time favorite Nathan Kamp cover pic) to buy this (and all the rest of the series) in audio format is what narrator Phil Gigante does for your ears— and other body parts that are directly or indirectly attached to them. Be sure to use earphones when listening to Drustan’s seduction of Gwen- Phil uses a deep vibrating growl that you can seriously feel down to your toes! I’m not ashamed to admit that listening to Phil G’s Scottish brogue has become an addiction and an obsession for me.

	Grade: A Listen to a summary of the book followed by a sample of Gigante’s narration here. And oh, what a shiver-worthy sample it is!
	Click here to sample the rest of the Highlander series audio books.Book 5, The Dark Highlander, will be released 20 March 2008, followed by book 6, The Immortal Highlander, in May 2008. I highly recommend that books 5 and 6 be read/listened to in order AFTER this 4th book, Kiss of the Highlander. Go. Buy. Or borrow from your library. Audio books don’t get any better than these!

CONTEST!!

It’s no secret that everyone here at TGTBTU is unashamedly a fan of the Romance genre. Plus – we love nothing more than to share our love of the genre with anyone and everyone. So, I’ve decide to put my money where my mouth is.

I so love this audio book that I want to SHARE IT WITH ONE LUCKY DUCK AND WILL HAVE IT SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU FROM AMAZON. Just comment on this post for a chance to win one copy of the unabridged KISS OF THE HIGHLANDER CDs.

One entry per IP address, U.S. residents only (sorry non-US folks).  The winner will be selected from comments made before midnight tomorrow, Tuesday, 18 March, according to the blog timestamp (we’re US Central timezone).

And, if you end up listening to Kiss of the Highlander, PLEASE let me know what you thought of it.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.