All About Me-Renee (Day 1)

I was really excited to arrive here on the Island. It's been a long time since I've had a vacation, and being surrounded by sun, surf, and heroes sounds like a little slice of heaven, to me.

Favorite Reading Position

In my recliner. It’s contemporary, in chocolate brown with small velvety dots. I usually have tea or a Coke Zero beside me, and the tv tuned to a Sirius radio station (usually The Loft) with some kind of mellow music. (At least when the kid isn’t watching Sponge Bob.)

Favorite Heroine

Oh man, it’s hard to pick just one. I guess I’d go with Mercy Thompson. (From Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series.)

Mostly, because she always feels like a regular woman, despite being a walker who can shift into a coyote. She’s always at a disadvantage among the more powerful supernatural species, and has to rely on her brains and quickness rather than a smart mouth and ass-kicking abilities.

Of course, having Adam, Sam, and Stefan as back-up doesn’t hurt.

BTW, I love how artist Dan DosSantos captures her in this picture. The woman has hips!

Author everyone loves but you don’t

Sigh. Nora Roberts. It’s not that I don't like her writing, but just that I don’t really love her writing either. Last month, I did a post at my place about my conflicted feelings on her in light of her amazing skills and popularity. And, I have great respect for her talent. It’s just that if I pick up a book, it probably won’t be hers.

If you could be in one book/series/world which would you pick

Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series. Could you imagine looking up and seeing Archangel Raphael or blue-winged Illium in flight?

How old is your inside voice

Maybe only slightly younger than my actual age. I’m 43. I’m happy being the age I am, but I constantly surprise myself when I realize I’m “middle-aged,” and just a few short years away from the big 5-0.

However, I have noticed, lately, that I've come to really appreciate reading about heroines who are “older” (by older I mean over 30) when reading adult romance. I read a lot of YA as well, and of course teenage heroines and romance are just peachy in that genre. However, otherwise I really like a heroine who’s lived a little. 18 year old heroines in adult romances don’t interest me as much anymore.

If you could be a hero who would you be

Ranger? (From the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.) He always knows what to do in an emergency, he’s always got a fabulous car to drive (or loan to Stephanie) and he doesn’t take things too seriously. I mean, how can he with Stephanie and Lula around?

What heroine is most like you

Isabel Dalhousie, from Andrew McCall Smith's Sunday Philosophy Club mystery series. This isn't a romance, though there is a really sweet, gentle romance that runs through the series between her and the much younger Jamie. I identify with Isabel mostly, because she tends to live so much in her head. She's more a thinker than a doer. I'm not as intellectual as she is, but I really identify with this tendency. She's always going off on tangents, starting with a concrete problem (Why did that young man fall from the balcony?) and ending up with moral dilemmas, sticky issues, and lots of food for thought. It makes for fascinating reading.

In my case, I've the good luck to be married to a guy who (though only a few years younger than I am) has a much more youthful, and active attitude toward life than I do. His outlook has really rubbed off on me over the years, and helps me from over-thinking everything.

What heroine would you like to be

Elena Michael’s. (From the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong.) She’s a werewolf. She’s tough, without the whole attitude about it. She doesn’t need it to prove she’s tough, she just is. And, she has Clay.

Boxers, Briefs, boxer briefs, kilt (I say we add commando)

Kilt. Of course, this is assuming nice legs. Boxer briefs are a close second, though. Of course, this is assuming a nice tush.

Favorite book set on a tropical island

Islands by Samantha Kane. Hands down. South Pacific island, during WWII. Hot American naval officer, and even hotter Frenchman. It’s lush, romantic, and very hot. Um, did I mention it was hot?

What hero is most like your significant other

Seth from Richelle Mead’s Succubus series. He’s got the whole slightly absentminded, good-looking in a bookish way thing going on with a great smile and dimples. And, he would totally dig Seth’s t-shirt collection.

What hero would you like to be your significant other

Hard one. Probably, Ben Fortune from Crash Into Me by Jill Sorenson. Mostly, because he's a Southern Californian guy, with those surfer good looks, and athletic (not bulky muscle-bound) form. Also, I loved how hard he tried to understand his teen age daughter, and give her the support and advice she needed. And, boy, talk about smoldering passion with his heroine, Sonny! That guy could burst into flames in some of his scenes.

If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring

Laptop (I’m going to assume unlimited battery life and net access.)

iPhone (with ereader app/books and music and audiobooks loaded on it.)

The big guy, my dog. (He’s a lab. He’s over 100lbs. He's all love.) I’d really love to see the heroes and Clifford playing on the beach.

Favorite drink to bring to the DIK party

I’m going to cheat and pick 2 drinks.

X-Rated liqueur. It’s SO yummy, it’s dangerous. It’s a “fusion of ultra-premium vodka, blood oranges, mango, and passion fruit.” (According to BevMo.) Mixed with vanilla vodka, it’s wonderful! What better drink to have at the Island?

Also, the best sangria ever. We make it for all our parties, and it’s always a hit. I’ll even share the recipe:

THE BEST SANGRIA Serves 4. from Cooks Illustrated, May/June 1998

Sangria should sit at least 2 hours (a full day is best) before drinking.

2 large juice oranges, washed; 1 sliced, 1 juiced

1 large lemon, washed and sliced

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup Triple Sec

1 750 ml bottle inexpensive, fruity medium-bodied red wine, chilled (Merlot is good)

Add sliced orange and lemon and sugar to large pitcher; mash gently with wooden spoon until fruit releases some juice, but is not totally crushed, and sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in orange, Triple Sec, and wine; refrigerate for at least 2, and up to 8 hours.

Before serving add 6-8 ice cubes and stir briskly to distribute settled fruit and pulp; serve immediately.

Enjoy!

I will be here for the next couple of days. I'm really thrilled to be a part of the fun that's known as DIK, and had a lot of fun answering these questions.

Come on by tomorrow, when I share a little about my heroes. Also, be sure to visit me at my blog, Renee’s Book Addiction and say hi.