The Melody of Secrets by Jeffrey Stepakoff

I was a tad put off by this book at first, by the style and the lack of emotion, but then I realized there was a reason for this... As the heroine of the story opens up, so does the book, revealing the emotions under what at first comes off as an icy exterior. I quickly grew to appreciate this style and it engrossed me.

I breezed through this one in two days, partly because it's an easy read, not too heavy on description or details and partly because it's such a fascinating subject that hasn't been done before. It reveals how very desperate America was to compete with Russia in space. Desperate enough to hire former Nazis to the job and bury their secrets, their wrongdoings.

The rockets, the factory, all fascinating. Wrong, but fascinating. I feel morbid for saying that, but hey, if we forget history, we risk repeating it, so it's something I feel should become more known.

In a nutshell, you have the space program in 1957, Germans who have relocated to America, the Civil Rights movement being compared to what the Nazis did (really appreciated this look at hate and how it's hate, pure and simple, no matter who does it), a love triangle that could get messy, and about how turning the other cheek makes you just as bad as those who did the crime. There's a very touching story, tragic also, about a violin and its origins. The heroine is faced with a difficult decision and must realize the truth has been staring her in the face all along, a truth she didn't want to see. It's intense and I even teared up at one point.

I appreciated many aspects to this tale. I must confess, however, that I didn't buy into the historical love story at all. Just hours after meeting, if that, she throws herself at this stranger? Noooooo.....

The ending...I was really hoping it would go the other way. :/

I must say though, this book ended up being one of my most interesting read this last week. I recommend it.

I received this via Netgalley.

Dollface: A Novel of the Roaring Twenties by Renee Rosen

When I first read the blurb for this book, I thought it was about a woman bootlegger...and it is...like for all of 20%. In this aspect, it's disappointing. To state it bluntly, this heroine is just a tramp who can't keep her legs closed and is weak for a man...well, men. Unable to choose between two gangsters, she beds them both, sometimes one after the other.

I don't consider her strong, which is what I prefer in the heroines I read.

It's not until 62% that the very idea of her bootlegging even comes up. 

However, I must say despite my intense dislike for the heroine, the book really captured the times, the lifestyle, the danger, the "toeing the line" between worlds. I mean, you have a woman who wants to provide the best home possible for her daughter and impress the Jewish Ladies' Society or whatever it is, but at the same time, her husband is a gangster and there's a bullet hole in her ceiling...

I also appreciated the theme moral...you may think the grass is greener on the other side...be careful what you wish for...la de da.

"Don't waste your time chasing after the wrong things."

I had a hard time with this chick's friends too, but I got a kick out of what they did at the auction.

Frankly, it's a very well-written story. It really made me dislike the characters, which is a sign of a good writer. I was sucked into the tale. I even appreciated the "tragic" ending, though I didn't find it tragic, but moralistic... I mean, hey, the bad guys can't win. It can't be made to look as though this life is the way to go, right?

I just wish the story had been less about a woman weak for men.

I received this via Edelweiss.

Tasty Spotlight and Giveaway: Texas Tango by Cynthia D'Alba

Their wedding might be fake, but there’s no faking the mutual attraction.

Dr. Caroline Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She’s always the one to walk away, never the one left behind.

But now her great-uncle is gone and her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned about Caroline’s lack of a husband than her own demise. What’s the harm in a little white lie? If a wedding will give her grandmother peace, then a wedding she shall have.

Travis Montgomery has one dream left—to build the ranch he and his wife planned before he lost her to cancer. There’s just one thing standing between him and the last bit of acreage he needs—a last living heir who has one traveling foot out the door…and an unusual request that challenges his determination to never again place his heart at risk.

The land he wants in exchange for a faux marriage. Everyone wins. Until things start to snowball…and the hearts they stand to lose are their own.

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Author Info

Cynthia D’Alba started writing on a challenge from her husband in 2006 and discovered having imaginary sex with lots of hunky men was fun.  Her first book, Texas Two Step, released in 2012 to outstanding reviews, was a Samhain Publishing best seller.  The second book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series, Texas Tango, will be released by Samhain Publishing in November 2013.  In February, 2014, Texas Fandango, a Novella in the Texas Montgomery Series will be released by Samhain Publishing.   She is currently at work on book 3 of the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series (Texas Twist).

 She has stories in two anthologies released this year…Smoking Hot Firemen (Something’s Burning) in July 2013 and the Mammoth Book of Medical Romance (Wake Me When It’s Over) in September 2013. She’ll have a story in Cowboy Heat (Back Stage Pass) coming in 2014.  She holds a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, a Master Degree in Business Administration, a Master Degree Curriculum and Instruction and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration.

 She loves to chat online with friends and fans. You can find her most days at www.cynthiadalba.com or www.everybodyneedsalittleromance.com.

 Follow her at www.facebook.com/AuthorCynthiaDAlba, 

www.twitter.com/CynthiaDAlba, or email her at cynthia@cynthiadalba.com

  

Author Links

web - http://cynthiadalba.com/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaDAlba

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5326924.Cynthia_D_Alba

Group Blog - http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/

Personal Blog- http://cynthiadalba.wordpress.com/

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Daughter of the God-King (Regency #2) by Anne Cleeland

What works for one book may not work for another... Once again, Anne Cleeland gives readers a spunky, headstrong heroine in historical (regency) times. This one takes place in France and Egypt. More spying is underfoot, more intrigue, more confusion, and once again, readers are kept in the dark and while this method worked for the more exciting and fast-paced Tainted Angel, it didn't work for this one. I confess that while I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and the unfolding of the mystery itself, by the 60% mark I felt it had all gone on long enough, answers were overdue, and the book needed to conclude already.

I did like it, just didn't love it. In Tainted, this writing style of giving just enough emotion to make us wonder what exactly the heroine is feeling was adequate, because the heroine herself was part of the mystery. In this, the heroine is different--she's not a spy; she's a woman whose parents have gone missing, whose being harassed constantly about a missing strongbox, and finding love for the first time. SHE wasn't the mystery. So some emotion was desperately needed.

The story takes us from France to Egypt to tombs and it contains a long list of characters and it's not clear if they are bad or good. It did become difficult to keep track of who was who and who had done what to who. 

I really appreciated the humor, especially between Hathor and Bing. They had some cute conversations. I also love the heroine's spunk and internal thoughts. She made me chuckle more than once.

To her dismay, his gaze rested discreetly on her breasts for the barest moment. 

"You relieve me no end," Hattie assured him in a brittle tone, and wondered if it would provoke an international incident if she pushed the old lecher out the door.

Anne Cleeland has a very unique, literary writing style, and I appreciate that the most. She uses prose from that time period and it def doesn't feel like fifth-grade writing, like most books do nowadays. Here is a real writer and one to watch.

Movie: Christopher Strong

I waited a long time for TCM to air this one, and close caption it to boot. I love me women pilot stories!!! As far as aviation, this one didn't disappoint too badly, but I must confess it was far overshadowed by everyone's torrid love affairs. 

It's not so much a movie about aviation, but adultery.

He (some gov't man, married, one daughter) pretends to be the perfect husband. She (a daredevil pilot who claims to never have been in love) dutifully hides their affair. Meanwhile, his daughter is having tons of her own affairs and when her beau leaves HIS wife for her, that's okay, but when she discovers her father and friend doing the same thing, that's NOT okay. *rolls eyes* Though, I will say at least the daughter and her beau never hid what they were doing. There was no games. And they point this out.

Everyone is cheating on everyone--except the wife, of course. She's sitting at home crying about it and letting him do what he wants, turning the other cheek...

This is not a Strong is Sexy movie...no. Because even though we have a woman pilot who truly believes courage conquers all--she gave it all up for a man, a married one. And she acts with complete disregard to others at all times. His wife, his daughter, and in the end, the world and anyone nearby, as well as another person I won't mention as it will spoil the ending.

http://hollywoodrevue.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/christopher-strong-1933/

I don't consider acting with complete disregard for others to be a strong or a sexy trait.

BUT I did like the little bit of aviation in this movie. It's not to be taken too seriously though. She does a round-the-world race. (Made me think of AE there for a second.) There's a small amount of planes flying around. There's an altitude thing.

I actually preferred the heroine before she met a man and fell in love...and therein sorta lies the gist. Women can lose their courage and spunk when they are in love if they aren't careful. Don't let a man dictate what you do or not do. Don't lose yourself so much in him, that you lose yourself completely. Remember it's gotta be about you too.

This movie is from 1933 and stars Katherine Hepburn. I didn't love it, but I did appreciate that "moral", not sure if that's what it intended though.

WTF Has Happened to Women's Fiction?

I've said this somewhere before, now I'm saying it here.

WTF has happened to women's fiction??? Seriously. 

I get review queries from authors who are calling their books women's fiction...and it's one woman having sex with two or three men. The only conflict is who enters what hole next. 

I browse the Kindle freebie women's fiction list and half of the books are women banging their bosses or women banging billionaires.

I think it's past time to clear up what constitutes women's fiction.

From Wiki:
Women's fiction is an umbrella term for books that are marketed to female readers, and includes many mainstream novels, romantic fiction, "chick lit,"and other sub genres.

The Romance Writers of America organization defines women's fiction as, "a commercial novel about a woman on the brink of life change and personal growth. Her journey details emotional reflection and action that transforms her and her relationships with others, and includes a hopeful/upbeat ending with regard to her romantic relationship.

What I take from this is...women's fiction is about a woman about to face a great journey or life change--and frankly I don't consider "do I bang this guy or that one" a major life change. Romance is okay, but I gotta say, I'm tired of this market making it seem like ALL WE WOMEN EVER DO IS SIT HERE AND WISH WE HAD A MAN TO SAVE US. That's not the case.

Majority of women have a lot of other stuff going on in our lives than romance or whether or not someone wants to have sex with us. We have jobs, careers, kids, dogs, family, or something else going on besides sex and romance, and women's fiction should portray that. It should show ALL SIDES OF BEING A WOMAN.

Examples of women's fiction:

Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir

Primetime Princess

Bond Girl

It's a Man's World

Do the books have romance and sex? Yes, they do, but the heroines aren't existing solely for love and romance and sex. There's so much more to them. They have careers, they're struggling in male-dominated fields, trying to balance personal and professional lives. 

That is women's fiction: books with a hella lot more conflict than who to spread your legs for next or how to get a billionaire in bed. Yes, women's fiction is an umbrella term, but as a woman I'm offended at the implication that some of the garbage on the market was penned for ME, a woman. No, it wasn't. It's penned for...sex-obsessed perverts. Do not insult me as a woman by implying that stuff is women's fiction!

So, get your erotic crap put on the right lists and quit mis-marketing.

Laura DeLuca is Thunderstruck!

I'm flattered, very flattered, to be sharing this post with you today. One of my fellow authors put me in a story!!! And it's a good one! She's not only raising deaf awareness with this story, but she also took it a step further and made me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth when she asked me to pose for her cover. So I'm thrilled to have Laura DeLuca here today to talk about her new release Thunderstruck--thrilled and also blushing. :) Take it, Laura.

"Short stories have never been my forte. Just like in real life, I am a little long-winded. When my publisher announced they were doing an anthology called For the Love of the Gods, I didn’t really plan to participate. Then while I was standing in the shower, I was struck with inspiration. But I can’t take full credit for it and neither can my muse. Thunderstruck only exists because of my friend, editor, and fellow author, Tara Chevrestt. She is not only the person who my main character is based on. She’s also the beautiful model on the cover of the e-book!

It’s no surprise that Tara is an inspiration to many. She is an amazing writer, a no-nonsense editor, and an active feminist. She has a spunk and fire few people can claim and she’s never afraid to tell things how they are. Tara is also deaf, and while she’s faced a lot of discrimination because of her lack of hearing, she’s never let that stop her from getting what she wanted. More importantly, she doesn’t let it stop her from being happy with who she is, imperfections and all. This was the image I wanted to convey when I wrote Thunderstruck. Tara’s colorful vocabulary and the fact that she can kick some serious butt are only a small part of the story. The most important lesson I wanted people to take away with them is that, like Tara, we should all embrace who we are, including the imperfections that make us unique.

Tara’s motto is “Strong is Sexy” and she proves those words every single day. My fictional Tara could never do justice to the real lady, especially not in only thirty-five pages, but it gives you a little piece of the fire that drives a strong woman forward. Get to know Tara and you’ll have no trouble believing she could capture the love of a god.

Blurb:
Taranis, the Celtic god of Thunder, has spent an eternity longing for the touch of a single mortal woman. He has followed her through incarnations, but always his powers were too much for her to bear.

Tara is a deaf woman, struggling to fit in the hearing world. She hides a gentle heart behind a tough exterior. Will she let down her defenses when a handsome mute tries to win her heart?

And even if she does, can Taranis’ love come without a death sentence?

Where to Buy:
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About the Author:

Laura "Luna" DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.

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