The 38 Most common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) By Jack M. Bickham

One of my all time favorite authors had this book listed as recommended reading for aspiring writers, so I was delighted to find a copy at the library. For such a small book (just over 100 pages), I have found it to be extremely helpful and informative. Bickham's approach is very straightforward, concise, and no nonsense, which I actually really enjoyed. He covers a great deal of information in this book.

He talks about using exaggeration when creating characters to make them seem more real. It never occurred to me to do that, but I see his point. Some of my favorite and most memorable characters in books I have read have been extreme. He also warns against being a literary snob -- looking down on other genre's than your own, or thinking you are smarter than your reader. He states that it will come across and alienate your reader. He says to always keep the story moving, which seems very simple and obvious, but I can remember reading books that seemed to meander a little aimlessly with very little forward momentum, and I found them boring and frustrating to read. On a similar vein, he says that there should be a reason and a point for everything that happens in the story. That can also be frustrating for a reader who may become distracted by pointless details, trying to figure out how they fit, when the author never intended it to be an important detail.

That is just a small sample of the useful tips included in this book, and I look forward to going over it again, taking notes, and putting his tips into practice with my own writing.

Heart of midnight by Fiona Brand

Challenge: Readers Choice
Rating: 5

Synopsis: For Special Air Service agent Gray Lombard, the past seven years had been a nightmare. Not only had he been unable to nab his brothers killer, he's also lost Samantha Munro, the only woman he's ever loved. Seven years ago they had shared their dreams-- and the same bed. But when Gray's mission took over his life, and had walked away...

Now Sam was back. Her life was in danger, thanks to her involvement with Gray, and losing her was not something he wanted to relive. But could he protect her from a dangerous killer-- and safeguard his heart from the secret she had yet to reveal?

Review: Love. Love. Love. I soooooo love this author. This actually was not quite as good as "Blade's Lady" or "Cullen's Bride" (both will be stored with my favorites forever and ever until I die), but while it didn't sweep me away as dramatically as those other two, it still deserves no less than a 5 for me. Just fantastic writing, highly romantic, and another hero that makes me swoon. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it yet again, Fiona Brand is very similar to vintage Linda Howard. This is a keeeeeper!!!

Causing Havoc by Lori Foster

Challenge: Read a book with a sports theme/title
Rating: 4 1/2

B&N Overview: Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve-who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight belt was hard.

Review: This book was just plain fun. One thing I enjoy about this author is that she clearly does not take herself too seriously. I found it sexy, easy to read, funny, and her characters are very likable. My one and only gripe was one of the side character pair-ups. I could NOT stand the guy. Over all, I definitely recommend this book!! Perfect summer beach reading.

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

Rating: 4

B&N overview: Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin.

Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage's protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone...

Review: I enjoyed this book a lot. I didn't love it quite as much as Dark Lover, but still a good solid installment. It wasn't as action packed as I expected it to be. And the sexual tension was just ok. I had a hard time with what happened the night they finally had sex, but oddly enough, I forgave Rhage fairly quickly. His heart was in the right place anyway. I was sooooo totally icked out by what happened to the one guy at the hands of the Omega. Seriously. So gross. I was disappointed that the one guy didn't die in this book, because I have a feeling that it will come up again or something, and frankly, I would prefer to avoid that mental picture again. Moving on, I liked Mary. She wasn't my most favorite heroine of all time, but I didn't dislike her at all. I just didn't feel any kind of kinship with her. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book since this one left off on a slight cliff hanger!!

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 3 1/2

When Liberty Jones and her mother are left alone after the death of Liberty's father in an oil rigging accident, they uproot and move to a trailer park in the small town of Welcome, Texas. As they build a new life there and deal with daily struggles of a low income family, Liberty makes some new friends, both young and old, and develops a young love for her neighbor, Hardy Cates. Though Hardy comes to love Liberty also, he has big plans and big dreams, and he refuses to allow his feelings for her to keep him in the small town.

Soon after Hardy leaves town, Libery's life crumbles around her when her mother dies unexpectedly, leaving her baby sister to her young care. Liberty uses the opportunity to pursue her own dreams of becoming a hair stylist.

Review: I LOVE Lisa Kleypas. But I did not love this book. It pains me, because I thought I would love it. I think it was a little too much like chick-lit for my personal taste, and that may have been the problem for me. The story seemed to dwell a long time on her childhood. I kept waiting for it to jump ahead at some point, but it rarely jumped more than a year or so at a time. I never loved Liberty as a person, but I liked her well enough. In fact, this book was a 4 for me until close to the end of the book. I LOVED Gage. I thought he was fantastic. But when Hardy showed back up and tried to steal Liberty back, I was frankly appalled at how wishy-washy Liberty was about which guy she wanted. I really lost a huge amount of respect for her because of the way she handled the situation. I thought Gage deserved better, and frankly I wouldn't have blamed him if he had dumped her. I even wondered if she would have ultimately chosen Hardy if he had not betrayed her.... Anyway, I will keep reading her contemporaries, but my heart will always be with Lisa's historicals.

Dark Rival by Brenda Joyce

Rating: 3

Synopsis: A golden man, he is called Black Royce—a battle-hardened soldier of the gods. His vows are his life—until he is sent to New York City to protect a Healer from those who would use her powers for themselves. The moment Royce sees beautiful, feisty Allie Monroe, he knows she will be his only weakness—and he is right. Destiny is a dangerous thingAllie Monroe is more than an heiress. She is a Healer, willing to do anything to save victims of the evil that lurks in the city at night. But alone, she can do only so much—until destiny sends her the darkest Highlander of them all. Then evil strikes and Royce is destroyed before Allie's eyes. Now Allie will do anything to save Royce—even if it means going back in time to a dark, dangerous world. Confronting their enemies could cost not only their lives, but their love—for all eternity.

Review: I don't know WHAT was going on with this book. I actually liked the first book (Dark Seduction) better than this one. The sexual tension was just not there at all, and I felt like things were not really explained very well in parts. Like at one point she is supposed to stay on a holy island for her own safety, but she leaves it, like, 2 seconds later, but the warriors and gods guarding her never come after her to bring her back? And at one point they have sex, but the hero takes too much of her "white light" and makes her powers weak for a while. The powers that be tell them they can't have sex again because she needs to keep her powers sharp, but somehow this never becomes an issue again. They do it, nothing bad happens and the gods don't make a peep about it. It was just so inconsistent most of the way through. Things that seem like a big deal one second, evaporate and are a non issue the next. I will keep going in this series only because I already have the next couple of books, and I will really hope it gets better. So far I am thinking she should stick to historicals....

Passion by Lisa Valdez

Rating: 5 +++

Synopsis: Young widow Passion Dare thought she'd never love again. But a handsome earl has been pursuing her- and after a lifetime of propriety, Passion ponders throwing caution to the wind. After several heady encounters, the pair must face blackmail, learn a shocking truth-and choose between duty and desire.

Review: This book blew me away. I have been hearing about it for years, and finally got my butt in gear and got a copy of it. This is the authors only book, so far, so I had no idea what I was getting, really, when I began it. It is one of those books that grabbed me and didn't want to let me go until I finished it. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and plotting when I could get back to it. This book is HOT. Burning. Sizzling. Smutty. Wicked. Fabulous. Even amidst all the hottness of this book, the author also manages to make you feel the love and the struggles of the Passion and Mark. It's emotional AND hot. Not to mention well written. I now join the throng of fans waiting for book 2 -- a book that was supposed to be out years ago, but for some unknown reason has not been released yet. I will be at the bookstore on the release day. I will willingly pay full price for the next fabulous book.

Rating: 5

Synopsis: Like a pagan god, Rolfe the Relentless rode into Castle Aelfgar to claim it as his prize—and Lady Alice as his bride. Lauded for his bravery in France, in England he was the hated enemy. Once ensconced in his new domain, Rolfe became determined to tame the Saxon beauty Ceidre, Alice's illegitimate sister, whose spirit and sensuality make him risk treason to have her—not Lady Alice—in his bed...

Mysterious and seductive, she was no lady but a spy for the rebel cause of her noble half brothers. Refusing to bow to this arrogant warrior who ignited her forbidden passion, Ceidre was swept into a dangerous liaison tied to the fate of England and kings. Yet with his kisses on her lips, his skillful hands on her body, she would have to struggle not to surrender to... The Conqueror.

Review: Though this was published in 1990, this book has some very "1980's" elements. If you know what I mean. Somehow it worked, and worked well. A word of warning: This is not a comfort read. And Brenda Joyce does not typically adhere to the usual formulas and "rules of romance". It is at times shocking and appalling. There were moments where I had to stop and kind of laugh at the hero. His standards were just all kinds of all over the place, and it was either laugh or be pissed off at him. I preferred to laugh, myself. I found it good old bodice ripper raunchy fun, and I look forward to reading more deWarrens.

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

Challenge: read a book from AAR's top 100.
Rating: 5

Synopsis: The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

Review: I began reading this book years ago, but at that point I had been avidly reading other vampire books for several years, so by the time I got around to reading this I thought I might scream if I read about one more blood sucking vampire. So about mid-way through I took it back to the UBS. Years later, I have taken many years off of vamps, and at many recommendations I decided to give this series another go of it. Not only did I FINISH it this time, but I LOVED it. There was a lot going on in this book. Lots of set up, but it was all interesting set up. Lots of action, lots of romance, lots and lots of hot vampires. I read all 400 pages of this book in one day, which is unheard of for me these days, but I simply could not stop turning the pages. I hope the rest of the BDB series is as fantastic as this first book.

Midnight Angel by Lisa Kleypas

Challenge: Read a title with Angel or Devil.
Rating: 3

Synopsis: A noblewoman of frail beauty and exotic mystery fakes her own death to escape the gallows. And now she must flee. In disguise and under a false identity, she finds unexpected sanctuary in the arms of a handsome and arrogant yet gallant British lord—who must defy society to keep her safe . . . and overcome a tragic past to claim her as his own.

Review: I found this book oddly boring. It was a 5 in the first third or so, and then it just nose dived to a 3. It sort of had a gothic feel to it, and I didn't love that the heroine was Russian. I really don't even know what to say about it! It was a huge relief to finish it. I normally adore her books, but this went straight to the UBS.