Book Talk!

It's December and, after taking a look at my shelves for Book Talk, its apparent I love children's Christmas books so I guess we'll look at those. A little secret I don't often reveal is that it's often the illustrations of a picture book that will have me picking it up off the shelves to look at - that's for unknown to me authors/illustrators. Anyway, let's jump in and check out some of the holiday books in my collection.

I've mentioned this author/illustrator before, Tasha Tudor, but what you don't know is that my sister and I received this book , Take Joy, in our advent calendar one year when we were young. It's a true gem of a book, full of music, stories, poems, and more. Also on my shelves are two paperbacks, The Christmas Cat and The Doll's Christmas, and her most recent book Corgiville Christmas .

Another blast from the past for many that can be found upstairs on the shelves would be Holly Hobbie. Her Toot & Puddle pigs are favorites of mine, they're often sent out as gifts for little ones. Let it Snow was just released and said to be her last with the two porcine cuties, but I think the real treasure would be I'll Be Home for Christmas .

A more recent illustrator I follow and collect is Lisabeth Zwerger. She's fabulous, and in fact has a new Gift of the Magi out, but I haven't done it. The holiday books of her that I have on my shelves are A Christmas Carol and Nutcracker . Her drawings are incredible, thought provoking for children's book, if you get a chance check out her Wizard of Oz.

As far as I can tell, Elise Primavera has only written and illustrated Auntie Claus and Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas , and that's fine. There're beautiful, vibrant, and scream with fun for kids.

When it comes to the best Christmas story in this group, it has to be Audrey Wood's A Cowboy Christmas . I remember the day I bought this one. Robert Florczak's paintings had me picking it up off the shelf, but the story had me crying. This book is a true gem that every family should have and read together.

I'm on one of those people who, if I like someone's work, must have everything they've done. British author/illustrator Camilla Ashforth has a lovely trilogy about a bear, and Willow at Christmas is a part of this set. Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig have are the author/illustrator duo for Angelina Ballerina...a few of these are signed, yup, I'm that big of a fan from the start of this series, and Angelina's Christmas is there with all the others [although I'm missing Alexander and the Magic Boat]. Ahhh, then there's Mariana's Miss Flora McFlimsey series. Wow, I even remember the bookshop these came and the owner who read stories out loud to anyone who wanted - Going on a Bear Hunt was always my favorite. Miss Flora McFlimsey's Christmas Eve , one of seven, unfortunately I'm still on the hunt for two more [Miss Flora McFlimsey and Little Laughing Water and Miss Flora McFlimsdey and the Little Red Schoolhouse]. Another author/illustrator I collect and often give out as a gift is Ian Falconer's Olivia - a wonderfully independent pig if there ever was one. Every little girl needs to have this set which includes Olivia Helps at Christmas .

William Joyce's Santa Calls introduced me to this interesting author/illustrator - I love his work, especially Buddy and The Leaf Men. Yes, he also does the Rolie Polie Olie books/series on Disney and the recent moviee Meet the Robinsons, a take off of his A Day with Wilbur Robinson.

A couple of years ago I found Silent Night , illustrated by Will Moses, and have been hooked ever since. In fact, each Halloween our local framing shop has a poster of his called Girls Night Out and I'm always tempted.

I started with a treasure from my youth, well here is another. My Mom and I were at a holiday fair and in one of the tents was two ladies, the authors and illustrators of Sophie's Surprise and although I was too old for the advent calendar, my Mom still bought this for me and we had it signed.

Yup, I've warned you all, I've been a bookie for most of my life.

So there are a few of my holiday books, next week will check out the holiday pop-ups that reside in this house.

If you're looking for more Book Talk, today I'll be over in the Love Romances Cafe from 10-4:00pm est chatting about my erotic romances.

Booksigning on Saturday!

This is an all day event, so put on your comfy shoes. Oh, and did I mention some authors will be doing readings? Yup, loads to do and you're in Manhattan, so attend a Broadway show while you're there...the strike is over. The details are:

December 1 10-6:00pm est - 20th Annual Independent Small Press Book Fair, 20 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), NYC, NY. 10036 w/a multitude of authors

Hope to see you there on Saturday, but if you can't make it then, still come and check out it out on Sunday.

UPDATE: Wonderful people, beautiful building, great location, oh yeah, this was a great event. I finally met the lovely Nicole and that made it even more special - she kindly fed my chocolate addiction as well, oh baby!

Thursday 13 - #23!

I'm away right now so, before I leave, I thought I'd take a note from Susan at West of Mars, twist it around a bit, and list thirteen unknown qualities found in the male characters from my books. So, here we go:

1. Dirk Madison from The Painted Lady is a professional ice hockey player, a tough man's man, and his unknown is why he bought and lives in a grand old Victorian mansion. He was happy being single, pleased to answer to no one for his actions, then he met and fell for Saffron. The need to settle down with her, make a home and fill it with a family and laughter was overwhelming, but he wasn't afraid. The moment he saw the house, he knew it was the place for them and their future together.

2. Tilton Spidermach from Come, Sweet Creature seems like a real letch, his sexual excapades are always in the press, making Jena's job more difficult especially when trying to organize an event to raise money for a children's charity [in the story it goes unnamed but it's the Make a Wish Foundation]. The unknown about Spider is why the annual party is personally important to him - one of the few things in life that can turn him inside out is when the harsh reality of life takes the joy and childhood away from the young.

3. Selkirk MacLellan from Extreme Speed, Total Control very existence relies on him being in complete control. His a Formula 1 race car driver who drives at over 200mph, there is no room for second guessing a decision. Then one day he's faced with the fact he knows he was wrong and must be man enough to try and make it right with Lia. The unknown quality of Kirk is that he never thought he'd live long enough to retire from the track and definitely never believed he'd find a woman he loved so much he'd give up everything to have at his side.

4. Cooper Sayer from New Beginnings: Carpe Diem has the best of intentions to be a good man, fulfill his obligations to his superiors, and be all that he was brought up to be. It's the last bit that, with his strong moral code, that allows him to lie with ease, live two separate lives that are at war with each other, all so he can be with the woman he loves. The fact that he has a mother, father, and a multitude of siblings who have all chosen to deny his existence because he didn't conform to their easy acceptance of the state of their world is the unkonwn.

5. Luke MacAlister and Timu Tuhaere from An Invitation to the World: New Zealand are both rugby players who take pride in their physical prowress both on and off the field. Despite coming from different backgrounds, they are best friends and possess no jealousy when it comes to sharing Kiri. They were so devasted by her desertion, but had good friends that circled around them so their unknown, the serious drinking they sunk into, was never made public.

6. Vasiliy Beketov from An Invitation to the World: Russia is a smart, successful, busineman who makes a deal with his enemy that denies where he came from, but falls short of taking away everything else, including his ability to find love with Zura. What is unknown of Vasya is his childhood, it helps him survive these difficult times with his sanity intact. He was raised in the far north-east of Russia, the rim of Siberia, where life is a struggle for many. Those who survived and made it out, did so by being listening to their instincts.

7. Rick Milston from The Leather Bride is a successful architect who has everything going for him, professionally his career couldn't get any better. Personally, the woman who has his heart in her gentle hands, his perfect match, is also his weakness. He will do whatever he can to ensure her happiness, so what could possibly be missing from his life? What isn't known about Rick is that he used to be big into the BDSM lifestyle but walked away when he realized he wasn't getting out of it what he thought he would when he started. Mimi made it all feel right.

8. Yi Burton from An Invitation to the World 2: China made a big mistake when he allowed the job to involve the love of his life, Jia. He's terrified for her life and takes extreme measures to protect her, and thereby returning her to his side. What isn't known about Yi is that his own father and two brothers are members of the triad who threatened his woman's life. The informant included this information, but there was no doubt he'd protect his woman above all else.

9. Bodhi Burke from An Invitation to the World 2: India took on the challenge of expanding his families hotel chain around the globe. While mistakes were made during the early days of their marriage, he never lost sight of his goal, to love honor and cherish Sati. With that in mind, Bodhi's unknown is that he gave Sati's uncle a great deal of money, in return, the older man signed a document stating he, nor any other member of his family, would contact his niece or speak in public about her. It would be for her to make a connection or not, to do with her life what she wanted, to finally live for herself and not another.

10. Xer Rieh from Zandia has it all, including a chance to reshape the future. He has a clear idea of what he'd like to see and do for his world. You'd think all this power would make him sure of his path, but then Sui came into his life. Once that happens, he can think of nothing but keeping her and all that comes with her, at his side. What's unknown about Xer is that on this recent trip to Earth, sex, normally an exciting and frequent part of his life, was no longer something he he looked forward to - he was ripe for a change.

11. James and Thornton Michaud from Taming Marie Antoinette are twins and have many things in common, like their taste in women. The guys are doing so well with their career, they've had little time for anything else, then they meet Liana who make them work for more. Most people see how alike they are, this woman captures them by seeing their differences and expanding how they viewed their future. As expected, the twins unknown is the same, and yet for the first time, neither has confided in the other. The more they get to know their lover, the more they want with and from her, including settling into a life together, with kids, lots of kids.

12. Dale Smythe from the upcoming OohRah! is a soldier from his toes up to the top of his shorn hair. Strong and brave, he understands his role in the Marines is for life and has the rest of it planned out. After a talk with a friend, he see's changes need to happen, and makes them when Tashya comes running into his world. Dale's unknown is big, serious, and one he accepts but never allows into his concious, therefore, this is the only place you'll see it written down. He doesn't want to die and have no one morn him, miss him, cry tears for him as a lover gone, and dreams lost. The man may be a warrior, but he's a gentle soul at heart.

13. Courtland Dickerson from the upcoming Ride 'em had a difficult upbringing and made some unwise choices, before he turned himself around. Now he's back home and ready to make a fresh start a horse breeding business, something he'd always wanted to do. He's a man with kinky tastes and finds himself falling hard for Sunny. There is much to discover about their story of love, but one unknown about Court you won't find in this story is that he once let a photographer take nude shots of him for drugs. Personally he's ashamed, not of the pics because they're actually very good, but the reason why he did them is what he has a problem with. He doubts they'll ever see the light of day because he was under 18, but if they do, he's now in a place with life where it wouldn't matter.

So, do you know these guys a little better now?

Book Talk!

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang, is one of my all time favorite books and I highly recommend it as a great read. This is a non-fiction account of a daughter, mother, and grandmother figuring out how to get along together while coming from their various eras. There's a great timeline giving what was happening personally and politically in China. The first paragraph of the Epilogue is what pulls you in to read about this family of strong women.

"I have made London my home. For ten years, I avoided thinking about the China I had left behind. Then in 1988, my mother came to England to visit me. For the first time, she told me the story of her life and that of my grandmother. When she returned to Chengdu, I sat down and let my own memory surge out and the unshed tears flood my mind. E decided to weite Wild Swans. The past was no longer too painful to recall because I had found love and fulfillment and therefore tranquility."

Wow! Well, I couldn't leave this wonderfully rich world behind so picked up Cao Xueqin's The Story of the Stone [also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber, volume 1 - The Golden Days]. Called a great novel of manners in Chinese literature, I struggled to get through, but I did. Then, for a trip I picked up volume 2 - The Crab-Flower Club, and my bookmark is still set to page 135. These books are beautifully detailed, most likely too much for me at that time in life. The Jia family is at the center, but my memory is that it was more about the son and how cherished and beloved he was.

Okay, so my second foray wasn't a success, but I was far from done. The next book I picked up was Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China by Sterling Seagrave. Oh man, yes, this was another gem! While this woman is often remembered as a monster, the book takes you to her beginnings:

"We do not even know her name. She was too private for that, and the world she lived in was uniquely designed to hide her behind multiple layers of court ritual and etiquette. Nobody ever spoke the name of the Son of Heaven or his wives, because they were demigods. She was born on November 29, 1835, the sme year as Robert Hart, somewhere in China, bu where exactly we do not lknow. Nor are we sure of her father's name or occupation, the name of her mother, or event the girl's mil-name, the name she was called as a nursing infant. She was an obscure daughter of an obscure Manchu officer and might have lived out her life in obscurity except that she was chosen to be one of the emperor's lesser concubines and had the good fortune to bear him his only surviving son. Thanks to Hart we know that she had three younger sisters and one brother who survived to adulthood. It is also a matter of record that she was fond of pretty clothes, Pekingese dogs, and chrysanthemums."

This non-fiction account of Tzu Hsi is simply rich. This woman went from being considered nothing to everything. What could possibly be next? I tried Marina Warner's The Dragon Empress, but it wasn't fulfilling so my quest for something more for the China section of my collection went unfulfilled for some time before it was broken.

While in Canada I was trolling through a bookshop and found Dragon of Heaven: The Memoirs of the Last Empress of China, story by David Bouchard and paintings by Zhong-Yang Huang. YES, finally, a scruptuous visual to go with all the words floating in my head. I love this book and often give it as a gift.



So, is my China collection closed?

Nope. This year the cutie bought me Madam Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Eternal First Lady by Laura Tyson Li. I haven't finished this book yet, time and work snuck up on me, but so far she's interesting. I'm already curious about her family so the next book might be The Soong Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave - I liked how he wrote the Dragon Empress so we'll see.

So there you go, another peek into a tiny part of my book collection.

Naughty Thought for Monday

Says it all really!

Booksigning on Saturday!

Actually there will be a discussion before the signing, so come with questions at the ready! The details are:

November 10 at 2:00pm est - Borders, 100 Viewmont Mall, Dickson City, PA, 18508 [outskirts of Scranton] w/Stella Price and Cat Johnson

Hope to see you there!

UPDATE: Total blast! Sat at the front door and had chatted up a storm! Met reader Suzanne, can't wait to see her at RT :-) Made plans with management to come back in 2008.

Book Talk!

It's no secret I'm a bookie with varied tastes, and if you ever meet me, you'll know I love to talk about books. So, I thought I'd share a bit of my collection with you all, let you know why I've kept it, in some cases moved it 6000 miles away and then 3000.

Just because, I'm going to keep it random, I may talk about a them, a single book or a series, I guess it's however the mood suits. So let's get started.

Today, I thought I'd share one of my favorite books to get: A Child's Garden of Verse by Robert Louis Stevenson.



This is an edition from when I was little, hence no dustjacket [sigh, now I take the jacket's off before I read a book]. The drawings aren't my favorite, but this poem, The Unseen People, is one I remember reading over and over again. If ever you need a book for a child to be a keeper, look for this one.



I will sometimes buy multiple copies of the same book - after giving away over 3000 books a few years ago, I'm better at this, not perfect, but better - one of the good reasons to buy multiple copies is different illustrators. When I was younger and in Edinburgh, I came across a bookshop that had this "facsimile" edition, a beautiful book. The paper alone is like silk. Anyway, it was one of the few momentoes I carried home with me, oh, and I bought one for my sister and her kids. Perfect example of my one for me to see how it is and then one for them so they have their own copy - yes, they are older and know what I do and tease me about this, but I like my books to be loved by me :-), that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. The Rennie Mackintosh feel to the illustrations drew me in and said Scotland.

There is a third copy of this book in my collection and it's illustrated by Tasha Tudor, one of my favorite artists, but I'll speak more about her on another day. In the end, A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson is timeless and ageless.

Guy Fawkes Day!

November 5th is Bonfire night, a British celebration remembering the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A group of English Roman Catholics organized and came up with a plan to destroy tyrannical rule by King James I of England and the Protestant Aristocracy. Guy Fawkes was the man chosen to blow up the Palace of Westminster [or the Houses of Parliament] but he was caught before this happened. After being tortured, he and other conspirators were found guilty of treason, they were hung, drawn and quartered. Apparently Fawkes escaped the hanging by getting free and jumping from the scaffolding and broke his neck. After that, he was still drawn and quartered.

It's not all doom and gloom for Guy Fawkes. He is credited with being “the only man to ever enter parliament with honourable intentions.” In 2002 he was 30th in the “100 Greatest Britons” and on the list of the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire.

Recently the festivities have made their way into popular culture beyond the British Isles. Two examples are a movie and book. The beginning of the movie V for Vendetta has an old rhyme that is often used to recall this incident. The full poem isn’t normally used, just the first bit, and sometime the second. When you read it you'll know why, it’s very inflammatory and no longer has a purpose. The cutie, who grew up knowing the first two verses, never knew the last until we saw it noted at an exhibition. So here it is in it’s entirety:

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,'twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!

There's another appearance of the Guy Fawkes Day celebrations found in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. A muggle weatherman is reporting shooting stars are being seen all over Britain, and speculates some people are celebrating Bonfire Night a week early. Instead, it’s the wizarding world celebrating the disappearance of Lord Voldemort. And don’t forget Albus Dumbledor’s pet phoenix is called Fawkes.

So how does one celebrate Bonfire Night? Well, on the Fifth of November, once the sun has sunk, the bonfires, big and small, are lit in fields up and down the country. The guy is on the pyre before it’s set on fire and everyone stands around watching it burn. In northern England, Yorkshire, they have baked potatoes, parkin [a ginger cake with black treacle, or molasses], toffee apples, roasted chestnuts, beer and much more are all consumed in the cold damp air, long in to the night.

The “guy” plays a big part in the celebrations. Up until recent times, kids used to take the days leading up to Bonfire Night and make an effigy of Guy Fawkes, carry or wheel him around the neighborhood, knock on doors or ask people walking around for “a penny for the guy.” They’d spout off what they knew about the Gunpowder Plot, maybe sing a rhyme, and be rewarded with money. They used to spend it on fireworks but later it went toward sweets during the night.

Yes, we’ll be having a fire in the backyard with friends, a few pints, and some Oatmeal Parkin. The cutie made it yesterday and here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
5 oz dark syrup, or 4 oz golden syrup plus 1 oz black treacle
3 oz margarine
3 oz soft brown sugar
6 oz medium oatmeal
3 oz self-raising flour, sifted [1 1/2 teaspoons of bicarbonate soda for American flour]
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
a pinch of salt
1 small egg, beaten
1 dessertspoon milk

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 275F.
2. Lightly grease s 6 inch cake tin.
3. Add syrup and syrup treacle into a saucepan with margarine and sugar, place over gentle heat until margarine is melted - no boiling.
4. Place oatmeal, flour, ginger, salt in bowl, then slowly add the syrup mixture until thoroughly blended.
5. Next, add beaten egg and lastly, the milk.
6. Pour into prepared tin and cook, middle of oven, for 1 1/2 hours - or until center feels springy.
7. Let the Parkin cool for 30 minutes before turning out. Don’t worry if the center sinks, this can happen.

This month we give thanks and celebrate with our family, why not expand it and immerse yourself in history, plots of murder, treason and more. Make some parkin, a cup of tea, and watch V for Vendetta.

Enjoy your Bonfire Night!

A bit of random ridiculousness...

I recently attended a wedding. It was an evening function so was in a bit of a panic about what to wear. For three weeks, on two different coasts, I shopped for a "cocktail" dress, maybe one that would be my staple little black number.

Nothing was up to snuff so I bought a sweater while to the left of us to wear over a little purple number I had - thought the cleavage was inappropriate for a wedding. Problem is, it didn't work with the dress, although it looks lovely with jeans :-)

On the way to the hotel, we stopped at a mall for a pair of jeans - we were leaving the next day for a trip and I had none without any holes. Found 2 pair of jeans and a beautiful black dress in less than an hour.

Why? Why, when you have the time to look, you find nothing, and when you have no time, you find exactly what you were looking for within seconds?

Thursday 13 - #22!

HA! We're in November already! My goodness, where has the time gone. So what do I "have" to do this month?

Okay, this didn't turn out the way I thought it would. I wrote down 13 things I had to do and when I finished it felt like I was writing and organizing my days away, and I was not happy. This month has so many things I'm looking forward to that I'm going to write those down instead.

1. Looking forward to finish editing and submitting short story 'Drive-in' for consideration. This is for a ebook/print book where all proceeds will go to support those affected by the Southern California wildfires.

2. Looking forward to finish working out the kinks in the Glamorgan Sausages [or peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate] recipe for 'Coming Together: In the Kitchen' and send it in.

3. Looking forward to shopping for the perfect book to send off to the newest member to the family living to the right of us. Clothes they grow out of, a book is forever. I'm thinking about 'Olivia' but am open minded about it all. No, of course she can't read, but it will be a story that she will grow up knowing, remembering, and taking with her throughout life.

4. Looking forward to the November 10th panel discussion and book signing in Pennsylvania. Not too sure what I'm going to say as an introduction yet, but I'll figure it out. The cutie saw one I did a few years ago and thought it was good, so I'm taking that feeling and running with it.

5. Looking forward to heading to the left of us for an extra long break with the cutie. I've been a couple times this year, but he hasn't had a chance. We'll be vegetating on the white couch, beach, Jean Paul's, sisters, you name we'll be relaxing.

6. Looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with the family.

7. Looking forward to celebrating our 14th Anniversary back where we were married.

8. Looking forward to choosing the birthday pressies for November. Our rule of thumb is that birthdays means books, except for a select few milestones. Have a niece turning 16 this month, her key chain has been ordered, and the cutie will collect before heading to the left of us. There are a few others that need to be chosen, ordered and shipped :-)

9. Looking forward to creating our Christmas lists [and the eldest nephews birthday book] for those to the right of us. Still don't know if we'll be over there for the holiday - we'll decide later. Either way, we'll have everything shipped to the southern group's house so even if we're there, we only have to remember to pack up the parents.

10. Looking forward to creating our Christmas lists [and various December/January birthdays] for those to the left of us - have it shipped to Mom's house. Gauranteed we'll get some sugar treat in return.

11. Looking forward to deciding with cutie whether we want to rent a car or not during our break. If we do, then we'll go up and see niece #2 [could do the train for total relaxation], family and friends to the south and my all time favorite museum that's been closed for years while they renovated it. If we don't, then we'll relax even more.

12. Looking forward to going for my bi-annual mamogram this morning - okay, not the early hour, but will still face the test with confidence. Later, the cutie and I will go out for pizza and deep-fried pickles with friends. Yes, that's right - pickle wedges deep-fried and dipped in ranch :-)

13. Looking forward to WRITING!

There, I feel much better about this list. How about you - are you a lister and feeling discouraged or satisfied by them?

An Old House Speaks...

Will you be able to look beyond my imposing facade and notice my light is on?

Will you decide to ignore my dated and mismatched appearance?

Will you pick my cracked front path to walk along, despite the overgrown bushes and branches rustling in the wind?

Will you choose to step onto my creaking porch and not notice the cobwebs filling the corners?

Will you confidently poke your finger out and ring my bell?

Will you happily yell trick-or-treat when the door is finally opened?

I hope so.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

And then there's this...

Enough said.

Enjoy!

Where am I today?

Besides writing, I'm playing over on Chatting with Joyfully Reviewed!

Come over, you might find a new book to read.

Naughty Thought for Monday

I've taken my Naughty Thought for Monday, mixed in a current event, and taken it on the road to The Romance Studio's blog...hmmm, what could it be, you'll have to head over and find out :-)

A bit of random ridiculousness...

Okay, let's get personal. I wash my hands after going to the bathroom, using soap and water for a minimum of two rounds of Happy Birthday, fine. The weird thing is, I sing it in my head to "Fred".

I can't sing it to myself if it's not my birthday, can't sing it to no one in particular because it isn't theirs either. So I sing it to "Fred", and no, I don't know anyone with this name.

Thursday 13 - #21!

On Monday, October 22 the second book in my 'A Passion for Fashion and Bondage', Taming Marie Anotinette, was be released over at Phaze. I'm very excited for this one to come out so thought I'd give you all a couple of things I did to research this erotic romance.

1. The first book, The Leather Bride, was such a blast I was inspired to briefly outline three other stories. This January the cutie had a trip to Paris and I went along - all in the name of research :-)

2. Some time before we left, my mom sent me an article about the best hot chocolate around the world. Ummm, in case you didn't know, I'm totally addicted to a great cup of hot chocolate.

3. From the moment we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport [6 hours late], my personal quest to hunt out the best hot chocolate in the city began.

4. We went to Dalloyau and our host treated us to a tasting of everything from the salt to sweets. Yes, I even tasted the things that lived in water - didn't want to be rude, but the hot chocolate was divine! Oh, and the macaroons, simply lovely!

5. I was there as a corporate wife, but I also planned on doing some first hand research, so became tour guide and took my compatriot around.

6. We took the train out to Versailles. I didn't remember there was a small theater for opera and ballet out there, but it's there and a real gem.

7. We shopped - I bought our host a couple of bottles of wine for he and his wife, the pop-up Blue 2 for his son, and chocolates for the Monthly Scorcher members.

8. During the shopping trek acorss Paris, we visited Laduree for a sweet and hot chocolate - yum!

9. One night we took a boat up and down the Seine and ate a delicious meal - including my first ever Kir Royal, and yes, I had the escargot.

10. Another night our host took us all out to eat at Ma Bourgogne in the Marais section and visited the restrooms.

11. When the cutie was finished working, we took some time for ourselves and spent them, amongst other things, revisiting Notre Dame and then walked to Ile Saint-Louis for a crepe and beer.

12. Going through the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries and into Angelina - the shop noted in my mom's list as having the thickest hot chocolate you'll ever taste. Yes, it most certainly did.

13. We also attended an exhibition at the Grand Palais on Egypt's Sunken Treasures.

Are you curious how this all comes together? Well, you'll have to buy a copy of Taming Marie Anotinette to see how each of these plays a part in the story, as well as how the three of them get to a happy ever after end.

Taming Marie Antoinette is OUT!

October in Paris is romance and the Depravity Dance, what could possibly be next?

Liana Trudeau has moved to Paris in pursuit of her doctorate. While her mind has been working hard, her body has been ignored. Knowing what she wants, Liana attends the Depravity Dance and connects with two men who can perfectly read her needs, both physically and mentally. Unfortunately it's for only one night, or is it?

Thornton and James Michaud have spent the past couple of months focused on a project in conjunction with the French government. With all the signatures necessary to move forward, they’re out to celebrate and indulge their desire for a woman. By the end of the evening they find she has only one fault, leaving before they were finished. Can they find her to complete what they'd started in a city as large as Paris?

What has one reviewer said?

"I swear that several times my ebook reader ignited as I read this powerfully dominating story!" Reviewed by Frost gave Taming Marie Antoinette 5 swords!

Heat it up - dash over and pick up a copy of Taming Marie Antoinette, the second installment in the 'A Passion for Fashion and Bondage' series. If you missed the first, The Leather Bride, they are both now available through Phaze.

Banned Books Week Contest!

Sorry about the delay, I'm back in the land of no easy internet...anyway, the two winners of the Amazon gift certificates are:

Tehya and Catslady

Congratulations, and thank you everyone for taking part.

See you next year :-)

Banned Books Week day 8!

This is the end of Banned Books Week and I thought I'd give you a couple of ideas to stay on top of the situation. Visit your local library, ask them if they have any challenged/banned books, and talk to them about it, see if another solution can be found. Volunteer to host a book club for adults and children reading one of the challenged/banned books and have a discussion. Take part and stay informed, maybe run for your school board to be an active participant in the process at that level. Loads of ideas to keep those books on the shelves.

I don't think I mentioned it, but this is my favorite solutions to a challenged book is to add to a library's collection so all viewpoints are covered, don't take them away and limit the flow of information. No one can make an informed opinion without having all sides of an issue.

Okay, I'm going to close this year with one last list of books - the 10 most frequently challenged books for 2006. They are:

1. "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group.

2. "Gossip Girls" series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language.

3. "Alice" series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language.

4. "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group.

5. "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group.

6. "Scary Stories" series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity.

7. "Athletic Shorts" by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language.

8. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group.

9. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group.

10. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.

Next time you're stuck for something to read, try a challenged/banned book or one of these books and form your own opinion of the situation.

I always learn so much in preparing for this annual event, and this year there's been some great comments and experiences in return, thank you. The two contest winners [chosen randomly from all the commentors on Sunday] will receive $25 Amazon gift certificate and they are:

Again, thank you all for taking part, it is an important subject and one we shouldn't let pass us by without paying attention.

Happy reading everyone :-)

See you all next year September 27–October 4, 2008 for more.

Banned Books Week day 7!

Okay, here we go, the bulk of books challenged/banned are for children or to "protect" them from harm, so these are just a couple that drew my attention.

Belpre, Pura. Perez and Martina. Warne. Challenged at the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oreg. (1988) because the death of a mouse in the story would upset children.

Blank, Joan. Laugh Lines. Grapetree Prods.; Putnam. Removed from the McKinleyville, Calif. Elementary School library (1990) for its “demeaning manner” toward individuals who read the riddles and cannot figure out the answers, rather than for its political or sexual content.

Bogart, Bonnie. Ewoks Join the Fight. Random. Challenged at the La Costa, Calif. Public Library (1987) because “every page except for three has some sort of violence - somebody gets knocked down or the Death Star is destroyed.”

Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Ace; Bantam; Crown; Dealcorte; Dover; NAL; Norton; Penguin; Random; St. Martin. Banned in China (1931) on the ground that “Animals should not use human language, and that it was disasterous to put animals and human being on the same level.

Carroll, Jim. The Basketball Diaries. Penguin. Challenged, but retained, at he Gwinnett County, Ga. Library (1998) after the county solicitor declined to give a legal opinion on whether the book is harmful to minors. The library board had voted 2-1 to ban the book if the solicitor found the book meets the state’s legal definition of harmful to minors.

Dramer, Dan. Monsters. Jamestown Pub. Challenged at the Jefferson County school libraries in Lakewood, Colo (1986). The book is a junior high text of monster stories including several Greek myths on the Cyclops, the Minotaur, and Medusa, as well as stories of several modern monsters such as King Kong, Dracula, and Frankenstein’s monster. The Jefferson County School Board refused to ban the book

Hinton, S.E. Rumble Fish. Delacorte; Dell. Challenged at the Poca Middle School in Charleston, W. Va. (1991) because the book is “too frank.”

Miller, Jim, ed. The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll. Random. Challenged in Jefferson County, Ky. (1982) because it “will cause children to become immoral and indecent.”

Okay, so most of these were just bloody ridiculous...the mouse and riddles, please, don't waste a tree on such rubbish. I was saddened by the monster book challenge. A child's imagination is something that shouldn't be wasted and taking that book away would have allowed some kids to miss out on discovering these characters and taking them somewhere in their own thoughts.

Tomorrow is the last day of Banned Books Week and we'll look at a few different things - including a few ideas to ensure your local libraries shelves aren't being emptied book-by-book.

Banned Books Week day 4!

What are two things we aren’t supposed to talk about in public? Religion and politics - so I’ll kill two birds with one stone and give you a few examples from “Banned Books” by Robert P. Doyle in these two categories J

Bailey, Thomas A., and David M. Kennedy. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Heath. The John Birch Society’s chapter in Glen Burnie, Md., condemned the textbook and demanded it be banned in the Anne Arundel County, Md., public schools (1966). Removed (1981) from the Mississippi state-approved textbook list. Returned to the Racine, Wis. Unified School District (1984) curriculum just one week after the school board voted to ban it. Opponents of the books on the board charged that the social studies volumes contained “judgmental writing” and, in the words of the board member, “a lot more funny pictures of Republican’s and nicer pictures of Democrats.” Opponents also said that one text did not present an adequate analysis of the Vietnam War.

Clinton, Cathryn. A Stone in My Hand. Candlewick Pr. Challenged, but retained in the Marion County Public Library System in Ocala, Fla. (2003) despite a complaint that the subject matter wastoo mature and the book “was written on-sidedly, specifically showing one party to be fully wrong.” Reviewers noted that the book is told from a Muslim perspective and that it can be taken to be anti-Israel. An Ocala resident noted that, “this book will help further hatred of Jews, anti-Semitism, and hated of Israel, on the part of children, that target audience.”

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Metropolitan Bks. Criticized as the book chosen for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. summer reading program (2003) by Republican state lawmakers, citing a “pattern” of the university being anti-Christian. In 2002, three freshmen sued the university over its choice of Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations, by Michael A. Sells. The Family Policy Network, a Christian group based in Virginia, filed a federal lawsuit on the students’ behalf. Court later rejected the argument that the reading requirement violated the U.S. Constitution.

Feelings, Muriel. Jambo Means Hello: The Swahili Alphabet. Dial; Puffin. Challenged by a school board member in the Queens, N.Y. school libraries (1994) because it “denigrate[s] white American culture, ‘promotes racial separation, and discourages assimilation.’” The rest of the school board voted to retain the book.

Hewitt, Kathryn. Two by Two: The Untold Story. Harcourt. Challenged at the Hubbard, Ohio Public Library (1991) because the book alters the story of Noah’s Ark, making it secular and confusing to children.

Hoobler, Dorothy, and Thomas Hoobler. Nelson and Winnie Mandela. Watts. Challenged at the Hillsboro, Oreg. Public Library (1988) by a patron who charged that the Mandelas and the African National Congress are Communist-backed and advocate violence. After being reviewed, the book was retained in the library’s collection.

Kellerman, Faye. Milk and Honey. Morrow. Challenged at the Rogers-Hough, Ark. Memorial Library (1991) because of “sacrilegious language.”

Lionni, Leo. In the Rabbit’s Garden. Pantheon. Challenged at the Naas Elementary School library in Boring, Oreg. (1986) because the story about two rabbits living in a lush garden paradise made a mockery of the Bible’s tale of Adam and Eve. Unlike the Story of Adam and Eve, Lionni rewards his bunnies for eating the forbidden fruit by allowing them to live happily ever after.

Stewart, Jon, Ben Karlin, and David Javerbaum. America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction. Warner. Returned to circulation at the Jackson-George Regional Library System in Pascagoula, Miss. (2004). The library board banned the best-selling satirical book because the book contained an image of the Supreme Court judges’ faces superimposed on naked bodies. The book was named a Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, the industry trade magazine.

Suzuki, D.T. Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings. Doubleday. Challenged at the Plymouth Canton school system in Canton, Mich. (1987) because “this book details the teachings of the religion of Buddhism in such a way that the reader could very likely embrace its teachings and choose this as his religion.”

I think what struck me about all these challenges is in how self-serving they sound. These are two very important subjects, both have been the reason behind many a war, and someone wants to pull a book off the shelf because the judges of the Supreme Court are depicted nude. Since when is the human body so vile?

And on that note, I’ll be back tomorrow with more - sex and women I think.

Banned Books Week day 5!

SEX and WOMEN!

That’s right, it’s hump day so let’s look at challenges involving sex and women :-)

Boston Women’s Health Book Collective. Our Bodies, Ourselves. Simon & Schuster. Removed from high school libraries in Townshend, Vt. (1975); Pinellas County, Fla. (1975); Morgantown, W.V. (1977), and Helena Mont. (1978). Challenged in Amherst, Wis. (1982) due to its “pornographic” nature; Three Rivbers, Mich. Public Library (1982) because it “promotes homosexuality and perversion.” Challenged at the William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo. (1984) because the book is “filthy.” The controversial feminist health manual was in the classroom and was the personal property of the teacher.

Day, Doris. Doris Day: Her Own Story. Morrow. Removed from two Anniston, Ala. High school libraries (1982) due to the book’s “shocking” contents particularly “in light of Miss Day’s All-American image,” but later reinstated on a restricted basis.

Duong, Thu Huong. Paradise of the Blind. Morrow. Banned in Vietnam (1988). The novel outraged Vietnamese leaders, particularly the sections describing the 1953-56 land reform campaign - its excesses and its management, its destructive effects. Party Secretary Nguyen Van Linh publicly denounced Duong as “a whore”; he issued a second banning order. The depictions of these situations and their repercussions established her leadership of the dissident movement, leading to her arrest and the banning of her work.

Eliot, George. Adam Bede. Houghton; NAL; Penguin. Attached as “the vile outpourings of a lewd woman’s mind” and withdrawn from the British circulating libraries (1859).

Gray, Heather M., and Samantha Phillips. Real Girl/Real World: Tools for Finding Your True Self. Seal Pr. Challenged, but retained at the Cape May County, N.J. library (2006). The book explores issues such as body image, emerging sexuality, and feminism.

Hite, Shere. The Hite Report on Male Sexuality. Knopf. Challenged at the Southern Pine, N.C. Public Library (1983) because it is inappropriate “for the development and moral character in children or anyone for that matter.”

Isben, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Penguin. Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of Ibsen’s work because it propagates feminist views.

Kinsey, Alfred. Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. Banned in South Africa (1953), Ireland (1953), and in U.S. Army post exchanges in Europe as having “no worthwhile interest for soldiers.”

I don't know about you, but I wonder what Doris Day could have done that was so shocking - oh, wait a minute, she a real person challengers, not an image! And to call a woman a "whore" because she wrote something shows exactly who stupid that person is. But I had to laugh about the Kinsey one [same book for the Human Male was also banned, and for the same reason]. When someone signs up for the Armed Services, do they also sign away their sexual desire?

Although we've seen some weird things this week, tomorrow are the ones that will make you think and some will make you gasp.

Thursday 13 - #20!

Banned Books Week day 6!





I've spent this week celebrating Banned Books Week - so I'm carrying it over to my Thursday 13. Let's see I've talked about the books that were challenged/banned for 2006-07, weird challenges, self-appointed censors, religion and politics, women and sex...how about we look at 13 challenges that make you go hmmm. Personally, I like to keep it positive so I promise to make sure some of them were retain :-)

1. Abernathy, Rev. Ralph D. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down. Harper. Burned in protest in Denver, Colo. (1989) because it alleges that Martin Luther King, Jr. was involved with three women. E. Napolean Walton, publisher of the Denver Cosmopolitan Advertiser, stated: “[Abernathy] has his freedom of speech, and we have our freedom to burn it.”

2. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Ballantine. Expurgated at the Venado Middle School in Irvine, Calif. (1992). Students received copies of the book with scores of words - mostly “hells” and “damns” - blacked out. The novel is about book-burning and censorship. After receiving complaints from parents and being contacted by reporters, school officials said the censored copies would no longer be used. Challenged at the Conroe, Tex. Independent School District (2006) because of the following: “discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, ‘dirty talk’, reference to the Bible, and using God’s name in vain.” The novel went against the complainants’ “religious beliefs.”

3. Carter, Judy. The Homo Handbook: Getting in Touch with Your Inner Homo. Fireside. Challenged in the Fayetteville, Ark. High School library (2005). The complainant also submitted a list of more than fifty books, citing the books as too sexually explicit and promoting homosexuality.

4. Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de. Don Quixote. Methuen; NAL; Norton; Random. Placed on the Index in Madrid for one sentence: “Works of charity negligently performed are of no worth.” In 1981 the Chilean military junta banned the novel for supporting individual freedom and attacking authority.

5. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner. Challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, S.C. (1987) because of “language and sexual references in the book.”

6. Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Modern Library. Challenged in Wise County, Va. (1982) due to protests of several parents who complained the book contains sexually offensive passages. Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of this title because it is a “real downer.” Removed for two months from the Baker Middle School in Corpus Christi, Tex. (1998) after two parents charged that the book was pornographic. The book was returned after students waged a letter-writing campaign to keep it, and a review committee recommended the books retension.

7. Homer. The Odyssey. Airmont; Doubleday; Harper; Macmillan; NAL; Oxford Univ. Pr; Penguin. Plato suggested expurgating Homer for immature readers (387 B.C.) and Calligula tried to suppress it because it expressed Greek ideals of freedom.

8. Keefer, Edward C., ed. Foreign Relations of the United States 1964-68, Volume XXVI, Indonesia, Malaysia-Singapore, Philippines. U.S. State Department. The U.S. government recalled all copies of the U.S. State Department history book from hundreds of libraries in the U.S. and abroad (2001) because it details the U.S. role in Indonesia’s deadly purge of communists in the 1960’s. The prestigious series, which began in 1861, is often embattled. For example, the history dealing with Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey was printed in February 2000, but is locked up at the Government Printing Office under the label: “Embargo: This publication cannot be released.” Officials declined to say why.

9. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Lippincot/Harper; Popular Library. [The challenges started in 1977 but I’ll limit this to the last challenge.] Challenged at the Brentwood, Tenn. Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as sexual intercourse, rape, and incest.” The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.”

10. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Penguin. Challenged at the Cumberland Valley High School, Harrisburg, Pa. (1982) because the play contains “sick words from the mouths of demon-possessed people. It should be wiped out of the schools or the school board should use them to fuel the fire of hell.” Challenged as a required reading assignment at the Pulaski County High School in Somerset, Ky. (1987) because it is “junk.” Challenged, but retained in the sophomore curriculum at West Middlesex, Pa. High School (1999).

11. The Treasury of American Poetry. Doubleday. Challenged at the Grenta, Va. High School library (1981) because it contained eight objectionable words. The review committee recommended to cut out pages or ink over the offending words.

12. Tolkien, J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel). Lord of the Rings. Ballentine; Houghton. Burned in Alamagordo, N. Mex. (2001) outside Christ Community Church along with other Tolkien novels as satanic.

13. Solzhenitsyn, Alexsandr Isayevich. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Dutton; Farrar; NAL. Barred from publication in the USSR; the author was stripped of Soviet citizenship and deported (1974). Removed from the Milton, N.H. high school library (1976) due to objectionable language. Challenged in Mahwah, N.J. (1976); Omak, Wash. (1979) and at the Mohawk Trail Regional High School in Buckland, Mass. (1981) because of profanity in the book. Removed from the Lincoln County, Wyo. high school curriculum (1995) because of “considerable obscenities.” Retained at the Storm Lake, Iowa High School, despite objections to the novel’s profanity.

The Anne Frank and Solzhenitsyn books stunned and upset me. With the right guidance and information, kids can learn so much from both these books about people and history [and if you're thinking of sex when reading Anne Frank then you need help]. An interesting day of books to say the least, many of which still make me think. Yes, the challenger was technically right about To Kill a Mockingbird, but weighed against it is what a reader comes away with when they finish, and I can't help but think this book is a must read.

Sigh, like I said, they make you think. Tomorrow were going to look at children's books and see what's happening in that area.

Also, if you comment this week - you're up for a couple of prizes [gift certificates to Amazon being one :-)] so make sure I can reach you by email.

Banned Books Week Day 3!

Ahhh, are you ready for those random few folks who decide to bypass the paperwork and do the censoring themselves? I’m not sure anyone can ever be prepared for that type of person, but here we go, the challenges found in “Banned Books” by Robert P. Doyle that reflect a bad form of censorship.

Boswell, Robert. Mystery Ride. Harper; Knopf; Thorndike Pr. Expurgated by an apparent self-appointed censor at the Coquille, Oreg. Public Library (1994) along with several other books. Most were mysteries and romances in which single words and sexually explicit passages were whited out by a vandal who left either dots or solid ink pen lines where the words had been.

Ellis, Bret Easton. American Psycho. Random; Simon. The Carthage, Mo public librarian (1991) was directed first “to take the book of the shelf and keep it under the circulation desk” and then “lose it.” The incident involving the novel “snowballed” and was one of the reasons why, under protest, the librarian submitted her resignation.

Hastings, Selina. Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady. Lothrop; Macmillan. Challenged at the public libraries of Saginaw, Mich. (1989). The complainant requested the library to “white out the swearing” which appears on page 16 of the book. The objectionable words were “God Damn You.” Challenged at the elementary school libraries in Antigo, Wis. (1992) because a parent objected to a reference to the Loathly Lady as a “hell-hag” and to another passage in which the Black Knight suggests that King Arthur “roast in hell.”

Jaivin, Linda. Eat Me. Broadway Bks. Removed from the Marion County Public Library in Ocala, Fla. (2003). The library directed noted that the Australian bestseller was removed because the library lacks a designated erotica collection, and the novel met only three of seventeen criteria used to evaluate books for acquisition. The Marion County Public Library Advisory Board recommended that the library director retain the novel. The board’s vote was only a suggestion and the final decision went back to the library director. In Feb. 2004, the director reversed her earlier decision, reinstated the novel, and stated that her personal dislike for the book overshadowed her objectivity and adherence to policy.

Kroll, Ken. Enabling Romance: A Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships for the Disabled. First Woodline House. Removed from the Clifton, N.J. Public Library (1996) and replaced with a dummy book made of styrofoam. The library’s new policy restricts to adults any material containing “patently offensive graphic illustrations or photographs of sexual or excretory activities or contact as measured by contemporary community standards for minors.”

Silverstein, Shelf. The Giving Tree. Harper. Removed from a locked reference collection at the Boulder, Colo. Public Library (1988). The book was locked away originally because the librarian considered it sexist.

I bet you’re wondering about that book you keep going back for and the librarian says, “It’s not available.” Hmmm. Well, tomorrow we’re going to look at a couple of taboo subjects and see how they fare under the challengers hand.

Banned Books Week Day 2!

Today I’m at a festival, talking books, enjoying the nice autumn day and thought I’d give you some good one’s to ponder. What category do these from “Banned Books” by Robert P. Doyle fall under - well they are the challenges that were so bloody stupid and weird, I had to laugh, otherwise I might cry at the sheer idiocy demonstrated. You decide.

Farmer, Philip J. Image of the Beast. Essex House. Challenged at the Chapmanville, W.Va. Public Library (1981) because the book puts “mental pictures in the mind [that] have no place in the library.”

Fox, Mem. Guess What? Harcourt. Challenged at the Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville, Ill. (1991) because it features witches, boiling cauldrons, names of punk rockers, and a reference that could be interpreted as meaning “God is dead.”

Groening, Matt. The Big Book of Hell. Random. Challenged at the Hersey, Pa. Public Library (1995) because “the entire book teaches conduct contract to wishes of parents” and is “trash” with “no morals.” A request was made to “destroy all books of a similar nature.”

Jagendorf, Moritz A. Tales of Mystery: Folk Tales from Around the World. Silver Burdett. Removed to a locked closet in the superintendent’s office in Banner County, Nebr. (1992) because the book “has to do with a lot of negative things and might not be good for someone with low self-esteem or suicide tendencies.”

Kidd, Flora. Between Pride and Passion. Harlequin. More than fifty Harlequin romances donated by Glide, Oreg. Residents were threatened with removal from the high school library (1984) because “teenagers already have trouble with their emotions without being stimulated by poorly written books.”

King, Larry. Tell It to the King. Putnam; Thorndike Pr. Challenged at the Public Libraries of Saginaw, Mich. (1989) because it is “an insult to one’s intelligence” and contains foul language.

Legman, Gershon, ed. The Limerick: 1,700 Examples with Notes, Variants and Index. Carol Pub. Group. Challenged at the Oak Lawn, Ill. Public Library (1991) because the book contains bawdy limericks with explicit sexual references.

Touchette, Charleen. It Stops with Me: Memoir of a Canuck Girl. Touch Arts Bks. Removed from the Woonsocket Harris, R.I. Public Library shelves (2005) after the author’s father challenged the book. He wrote, “If members of a family wish to harm one another, those actions should be kept private and should not draw in others by involving matters of public policy.” The book was later returned to the shelves.

You want a book banned because teenagers already have too many emotions to handle a Harlequin romance? They are safer with those than books like the Gossip Girl series. Then there’s the person who found out limericks were naughty ditty’s - well, hello, they are defined as “A light humorous, nonsensical, or bawdy verse of five anapestic lines usually with the rhyme scheme aabba.”

So, did you laugh or cry at the ridiculousness shown here? Well, there’s more. I’ll be back tomorrow with more nonsense - those who like to do the censoring themselves.

Banned Books Week starts today!

Yes, that's right it's Banned Books Week!

The American Library Association [ALA] host this week to ensure the public is aware that books are being taken off school and public library shelves at the behest of one person or group. Not all books that are challenged are banned or restricted, but yes, it does happen where a book will be taken out of a collection, never to be returned again.

Most books challenged are to protect children. Before I go any further, the ALA states: “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” No matter how busy a parent is, it is for them to monitor the books their kids are reading, not deny others the use of a book.

So what type of books are we talking about? That’s what I’ll share with you this week - a taste of what some communities are having problems with. Today, I’ll give you the books challenged, restricted, removed, or banned in 2006-07. It is not a complete list because about 85% of challenged library materials receive no media attention and are therefore unreported. I have included entries [exactly as reported] for a few of them so you can see some of the reasoning behind the challenges. These and more can all be found in "Banned Books" by Robert P. Doyle. They are:-

Alvarez, Julie. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.
Ancona, George. Cuban Kids.
Angelou, Maya. I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings.
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale.

Baskin, Julia, Lindsey Newman, Sophia Politt-Cohen, and Courtney Toombs. The Notebook Girls. Warner Bks. Challenged, but retained at the Cape May County, NJ Library (2006). The book is comprised of the entries four New York City high-school students made in a shared journal in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.
Birdseye, Tom. Attack of the Mutant Underwear.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451.
Bradbury, Ray. The Veldt.
Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code.
Burroughs, Augusten. Running With Scissors.
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Chevalier, Tracey. Girl With a Pearl Earring.
Chomsky, Noam, and Edward S. Herman. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening.

Christensen, James C., Renwick St. James and Alan Dean Foster. Voyage of the Basset. Artisan. Retained in the Davis County, Utah Library (2006). The complainant objected to the book after her five-year-old son borrowed it from the children’s section and showed her the illustrations it contains of topless mermaids and other partially clothes mythical creatures. The author is a retired Brigham Young University Art professor and cochair of the Mormon Arts Foundation.

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate Wars.
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk.
de Haan, Linda and Stern Nijland. King & King.
Draper, Sharon M., and Adam Lowenbein. Romlette and Julio.
Eleveld, Mark, ed. The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation.
Fogelin, Adrian. My Brother’s Hero.
Frank, E.R. America.
Freedom Writers. The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them.
Gaines, Ernest J. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.
Going, K.L. Fat Kid Rules the World.
Gordon, Sharon. Cuba.
Gravett, Paul. Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics.
Gray, Heather M., and Samantha Phillips. Real Girl/Real World: Tools for Finding Your True Self.
Green, Jonathon, comp. Cassell Dictionairy of Slang.

Hedayat, Sadegh. The Blind Owl. Grove Pr. The widely acclaimed Iranian classic, written in the 1930’s, was banned in Iran (2006). “The new government intends to take positive steps for reviving neglected values and considering religious teachings in the cultural field.”

Hedges, Peter. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
Jukes, Mavis. The Gay Book: An Owner’s Manual.
Kehret, Peg. Abduction!
Langley, Andrew. 100 Greatest Tyrants.
LeGuin, Ursula K. A Fisherman of the Inland Sea.
Levitt, Steven D., and Stephen J Dubner. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything.
Lowry, Lois. The Giver.
Mackler, Carolyn. Vegan Virgin Valentine.
Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy.
McBain, Ed. Alice in Jeopardy.

Mitchell, Stephen. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. Free Pr. Challenged in the Clearview Regional High School in Harrison Township, N.J. (2006) because the modern translation of on of the oldest known pieces of literature was considered sexually descriptive and unnecessarily explicit. The work itself dates back to about 1700 B.C., some one thousand years before the writings of Homer.

Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us.
Morgan, Melissa J. TTYL.
Morrison, Toni. Beloved.
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye.
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Reluctantly Alice.
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried.
Opie, Iona Archibald, and Peter Opie, eds. I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild’s Pocket Book.

Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying. Random. Challenged in the Wake County, N.C. schools (2006). Parent are getting help from Called2Action, a Christian group that says its mission is to “promote and defend our shared family and social values.”

Parks, Gordon. The Learning Tree.
Paulsen, Gary. Zero to Sixty: The Motorcycle Journey of a Lifetime.
Peters, Lisa Westberg. Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story.
Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World.
Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Ruby, Laura. Lily’s Ghost.
Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys.

Schreier, Alta. Vamos a Cuba (A Visit to Cuba). Heinemann. Removed from all Miami-Dade County school libraries (2006) because a parent’s complaint that the book does not depict an accurate life in Cuba. The American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] of Florida filed a lawsuit challenging the decision to remove this book and the twenty-three others titles in the same series from the district school libraries. In granting a preliminary injunction in July 2006 against the removal, Judge Alan S. Gold of U.S. District Court in Miami characterized the matter as a “First Amendment issue” and ruled in favor of the ACLU of Florida, which argued that the books were generally factual and that the board should add to its collection, rather than removing books it disagreed with.

Schwartz, Alvin. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones.
Sendak, Maurice. In The Night Kitchen.
Shafak, Elif. The Bastard of Istanbul.
Silverstein, Charles, and Edmund White. The Joy of Gay Sex.
Steer, Dugald. Wizardology: The Book of the Secrets of Merlin.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men.
Thompson, Craig. Blankets.
Twain, Mark (Samuel L. Clements). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Vonnetgut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five.
Watkins, Yoko Kawashima. So Far from the Bamboo Grove.
Wood, Maryrose. Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love.
Wright, Richard. Black Boy.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more, maybe some challenges that make you say "you've got to be kidding me."

Come out and meet Tilly Greene this Sunday!

Westfield FesitFall
Westfield NJ
Sept. 30th 10am-5pm

Join a tent full of talented authors as they show you all about The New Generation of Romance!

Attending Authors:

Tilly Greene
Stella Price
Cat Johnson
Rene Lyons
Bonnie Rose Leigh
Denise Jefferies
Yvette Hines

Stop by the tent for some books, info and amazing conversations, as well as free goodie bags filled with promo from a slew of amazing authors, and sign up to win a Romance Basket filled with books, candles, and goodies!

It is going to be a gorgeous day, so come out, enjoy and say HI!

Thursday 13 - #19!

Okay, here is a bit about how my mind sometimes works.

My most recent release, “Zandia”, is about a woman who can’t find a productive life on her home planet so she leaves. Her world is shaken up when she meets the perfect man for her, only he seems to offer everything she hated about her home planet. This week I recieved a fabulous review [JERR gave it a 5 stars and O-grasmic heat :-)] and realized the book was getting some great ones that used such snippets as “a kick ass story” and “alien feminists can enjoy their sexuality”. At the same time, I have just finished the Comment for a Cure challenge, thinking about what to do for October - it being Breast Cancer Awareness month - and my mind was obviously focused on women and the challenges they face - hence this weeks Thursday 13.

In 1985 Nairobi, Kenya hosted a conference to formulate strategies for advancing women’s rights. In 1995, Beijing, China followed this up with a “plan of action”. And in 2000, the United Nations hosted a conference to see what type of progress was being made.

The subjects on the table included, but not limited to, were: reproductive rights, abduction of girls, poverty and economy, education, health, and violence. How did they do? In fifteen years, eight out of 188 member states had made any progress. Seven of the eight were developed nations. In my opinion, that is a pretty piss poor showing. Here are 13 places you can go and do something productive, and some will cost you nothing but time:

1. Susan G. Komen Foundation

2. Click to Give at The Breast Cancer site - personally, I visit this site every morning before I start on my emails.

3. Kiva

4. Women for Women

5. Care

6. Camfed

7. Habitat for Humanity

8. Alpha Project

9. One

10. Family to Family

11. Women Against Abuse

12. Second Harvest

13. Gifts in Kind

Think local! Open your phone book and find the local Women’s Shelter, see what they need, it could be socks, shampoo, movies for the kids they bring with them, or your time. With all the travel we do, the cutie and I keep the bags they give you on airplanes and the little bottles in hotels then give those to our local shelter - there’s a comb, toothbrush and tooth paste, mouthwash, lotion, shampoo, soap, socks, pen and pad of paper in a small bag for when they arrive. Go through your closet and all those things you aren't wearing anymore that are in good condition, donate them to Dress for Success, or another group like it. Don’t forget your local food bank - with the holidays coming, this could make someones day. There’s loads of things to do for someone who, at the moment, needs a little help to get back on their feet.

Please note I’m not giving personal endorsements to any specific charity - always check out GIVE.org before giving.

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

In the midst of a heavy editing schedule, I've had some wonderful news, and thought I'd share it with you all:

Zandia has been rockin' with the reviewers! Here are a couple of snippets:

"I am never disappointed by Tilly Greene's books, and Zandia is no exception. It's fast paced, and full of sizzling hot sex that will leave you breathless. I could totally feel Sui's need to live her own life. And Xer, who wouldn't want a man like that? He is strong when he needs to be and he knows how to be soft. This is definitely a page turner. Oh and you'll need your own fan."
Reviewed by Julianne, 5 lips and 2 chilis, and has received a Reviewers Choice Award at TwoLips Reviews


"Zandia is a very interesting planet and Greene's story is wonderfully threaded together. Reading it, I really cared about the characters--Sui and Xer as well as the secondary characters. Tilly Greene has created a whole new world facing a sexual revolution and shows us that even alien feminists can enjoy their sexuality to the fullest!"
Reviewed by Chris, 4.5 blue ribbons, Romance Junkies


"ZANDIA keeps the tension high, passion simmering on boil and delivers a kick ass story to the reader! Ms. Greene delivers a fine story that has the reader rooting for Sui to deliver Xei a set down that will shake him to his core yet you can feel the sparks between them. It was a delightful mix in ZANDIA."
Reviewed by Dawn, 4.5 lips, Love Romances and More


"Zandia is a superb story that explores the complex emotions between Sui and Xer. Once I started Zandia I became so engrossed in the story, I could not put it down. Bravo Ms. Greene. I can't recommend this book enough. Zandia is the perfect blend of story, red hot sex, and sci-fi elements."
Reviewed by Claudia, 5 stars/O heat, Just Erotic Romance Reviews


I am so excited about these wonderful reviews! Sui Erom knows what kind of life she wants to have, and even though she quivers when Xer is near, I think it's safe to say she has everything he wants and will do anything to have. If you haven't already, check out Zandia at Samhain! Did I mention the paperback has a release date now, it will be the end of March, 2008 :-)

See you all next week for the Banned Books Week Event. I'll be here on my Hot Thoughts Blog all week, in the Samhain Cafe and on the Samhain Blog on the 4th.

Oh, and if you are out and about this Sunday, I'll be with a bunch of other authors at the Westfield NJ FestiFall. It's going to be a beautiful day so come on out and say hello!

Final Challenge Update!

I apologize for being so late in positing this...it was a heck of a weekend :-)

So, the cutie picked the name out of the person who will write the dedication for "OohRah!" and receive a copy of the ebook when it's released. The winner is Jenster!

Numero Uno!

How cool is that!?!

Thank you all for participating in the Comment for a Cure Challenge - throughout October [Breast Cancer Awareness Month] I'll be hosting a couple more contests in celebration and to keep it on your mind.

Household on High Alert!

Yup, the cutie went in to work, but he's waiting for a phone call from me to say his package has arrived.

What could possibly be so important that he's willing to leave early for it?

He has a limited time before he's off again, there's a shed load of work piled on his desk, and some experiments to check on - but he'll leave early for:



That's right - the cutie is so ready for Halo 3 to arrive, so he can play! Odds are he'll head in late tomorrow too :-)

A movie that shouldn't be missed!

I don't often recommend movies, but this one felt like I was being read a story and it was wonderful! There's a great cultural flavor here - a mix of Russian mafia and London. Fabulous! When the screen went to black, the cutie and I looked at each other and finally breathed again.

It's called Eastern Promise and it just opened this weekend.

Oh, and did I mention Viggo Mortensen has a wicked full frontal nude scene in the Finsbury baths and that is the last thing you think about because it's one of the most violent scenes I've ever seen.

No question about it - this is one film I'll remember for some time.

Here's the official movie site.

Eldest Niece Law School Update!

Law School Musical

Hmmm, this weekend a certain niece in her first term of law school sent this out - I believe we need to rethink what we'll do on our visit out there in October.

Challenge Update!

There's a week left in the Comment for a Cure challenge, so if you haven't left a comment on Tilly Greene's Hot Thoughts Blog - DO! It's a quick and easy way to support something that touches so many peoples lives.

I've just handed out the 4th CD of "Coming Together: For a Cure" and have more to giveaway. There's also the chance to have my December book - "OohRah!" - released with your dedication. The sexiest Marine, Dale Smythe, meets Tasha Ruskya at a Race for a Cure and he looks fabulous in PINK!

A Saucy Joke to start the week!

Thanks to Monica in London, I give you:

The Recipe

A man is showering up in a locker room with his buddy when he notices his friend is very well endowed.

"Damn Bob, you're hung!" Jim exclaims.

"I wasn't always this impressive, I had to work for it."

"What do you mean?" Jim asked.

"Well, every day for the past two years I've spent an hour each night rubbing it with butter. I know it sounds crazy but it actually made it grow 4 inches! You should try it."

Jim agrees and the two say good bye.

A few months later the two are in the same locker room and Bob asks Jim how his situation was.

Jim replied, "I did what you said, Bob, but I've actually gotten smaller! I lost two inches already!"

"Did you do everything I told you? An hour each day with butter?"

"Well, I was out of butter, so I've been using Crisco."


Wait for it.


Wait . . .



"Crisco!!?" Bob exclaimed. "Damm it, Jim, Crisco is shortening!

MORAL: You gotta follow the recipe!!!

Thursday 13 - #18!

For me, birthdays mean books, and with a couple of birthday this month, including my own, here are those I'm eyeing up.

For Me :-)
1.
Mythology [Ologies] by Lady Hestia Evans

2.
600 Black Spots: A Pop-up for Children of All Ages by David Carter

3.
How Many by Ron Van Der Meer

4.
Costume Jewelry for Haute Couture by Patrick Segal

5.
Greeks on the Black Sea: Ancient Art from the Hermitage by Anna Trofimova

6.
Antiquity Recovered: The Legacy of Pompeii and Herculaneum by Victoria C. Gardner Coates

7.
The Getty Villa by Marion True, Jorge Silvetti, and Salvatore Settis


For the Little Man
8.
Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle and Matt Phelan

9.
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

10.
T is for Terrible by Peter McCarty


For the Young Lady
11.
The Nixie's Song [Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles Book 1] by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

12.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

13.
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White


And, don't forget to check out my challenge to blog for a cure...click here, comment and maybe win!

Tilly Greene's September Scorcher is OUT!

Check out Tilly Greene's Monthly Scorcher for all the latest news, interesting tidbits, chats to attend, contests galore and much more, including where you can win a Tilly Greene tote bag this month.

Enjoy!

Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
www.tillygreene.com

Tilly Greene's Monthly Scorcher
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