Ladies & Gents...Delilah Marvelle!

Yay! Here she is. :)

THE NOT SO SEXY SIDE OF HISTORY....by Delilah Marvelle

Venereal Disease is not really a subject that's usually touched upon in historical romance novels. In ONCE UPON A SCANDAL, my current release, the heroine’s father is dying from syphilis. It’s not pretty and it’s utterly heartbreaking. Because we’re dealing with romance novels, many people don’t want to see the ugly side of the reality most of these women (and men) faced. Which is why I wrote the story. My own editor squirmed and asked me to tone down all the descriptions. Needless to say, I had to do a balancing act.

Except for AIDS, every sexual disease imaginable was passed around in history. And because there was no understanding that REUSING condoms could in fact transfer disease to both sides…there was a false sense of security for men back in the day. An example of what a rake’s life was REALLY like was Casanova himself. The man bed hundreds of women, dined with the finest and the lowest, fought several duels (and lived to tell about it) and suffered from 11 venereal diseases (including gonorrhea, soft chancre, herpes, and syphilis...sexy, eh?). In the beginning, he was getting it from the women (because obviously he wasn’t born with it). Toward the end, he was giving it to the women. Despite the long list of diseases he had…believe it or not, he lived well into old age. What killed him was his inability to piss when his urethra finally closed up on him. Eck. I know. Hey, these were the REAL rakes of the day.

When it came to trying to cure these diseases, these people tried everything. Some claimed eating peacock would cure it, (I joke about this in ONCE UPON A SCANDAL) while some claimed sleeping with virgins would cure it (don’t you just want to KILL these people?). Believe it or not, the whole sleeping with virgins superstition lasted well into the 1900’s. There were actually brothels who specialized in ‘curing’. (Shaking head here…)

Though drinking mercury was the most popular form of cure, although applying mercury in a form of a salve onto the lesions was also done. Most often it was the mercury itself that ended up killing them. For chaffing and lesions linen bandages soaked in narcissus water was used. There were also people who created their own versions of ‘the cure’ (quacks) and tried to sell it and make a profit (of course it never worked).

Syphilis, depending on which region of Europe you were from went by many names. The British Called it ‘French Disease’, The French called it ‘Italian Disease’, The Russians called it ‘Polish disease’ (see a pattern here?). Everyone was freakin calling it according to their ‘enemy’ The reality was, they all had it, British, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, you name it. Because everyone was having sex.

Once a prostitute (or courtesan) contracted any detectable disease, her career was over. For who would pay any good price for tainted goods? Although sadly, that did not stop many of these women from spreading it around (or being in denial). It simply meant they would no longer be in ‘demand’ for they were ‘poxed.’

In respectable society, gentlemen gave it to their wives all the time because of their dalliances. It was a dirty, horrible secret. And once it was diagnosed, respectable society had a tendency to ‘disappear’ as quietly as they could. They ‘took in waters’, they ‘toured Europe’ and called it hundreds of other things it really wasn’t. Which is why when looking over documentation, it’s hard to dig up a lot of facts. People just didn’t want to talk about it. Think of how everyone in the 1980’s reacted to AIDS. It was amazing to see the reaction, the freaking out, the misunderstandings, and the whispers…can you imagine THEN? And yes, if you haven't already figured it out, I like to write about the not so sexy side of history...

PS. She's giving away a copy of her book, Once Upon a Scandal.  Please comment for a chance to win. Contest ends Sunday 1/30/11 (pacific) at 7:00pm Thank you! And thank you, Delilah. I *heart* you, woman. :)

*Ahem* Hi!

I'm more than a little stunned, okay, and flattered, when I was asked to guest blog here on Desert Island Keepers for the next three days. I mean, you wanna hear from me? Me? You're sure? Do you know what I write?

They assure me they do and that you are cosmopolitan enough to handle my brand of humor (which is my oh-so-polite way of saying) the smutty tender romances I write, usually involving two men. I do happen to write other stuff too.

For realz.

I write male/female romances, and menage. Not as much as the male/male to be honest. In fact, most of my readers get a little annoyed when I write anything but male/male.

Tell you what, to avoid the discomfort levels on this particular guest appearance, what say I stick to random musings? Hmm? Would that work? Cool! Because this morning I woke up single late, staring at my ceiling and thinking about my niece's assertion that I must start dating again. She offered up her principal.

In all fairness, he's hot. REALLY hot. My guess is, he gets hit on by hall-wandering women all the time, especially because I noticed that when one of the many hall-wandering-lust-monkeys stops him to chat, he gets that doe in the headlights look.

Which makes me giggle. Which makes him get all oogle-eyed and whuh? at me. Which makes me giggle more, because he's so freakin' readable.

Anyway, I digressed. Whoopsie. That happens. Call it sidetracked, hell, call it one-tracked, but romance is my life. It's what I do for a living and it's what I hope to inspire in my readers by writing it.

I was talking about my wake-up and my niece and wondering why it was that I'm so drawn to tall men (the principal is tall, which is why I went down that trail). I mean, a man can be relatively unappealing, but if he's nice and if he's tall, I'll probably get a belly flutter. So this morning, I did the wondering thing about why I like tall men.

And I think I figured it out!

*Note: My blog crowd is used to this. I like comics, go with me here. Try something new. It'll be fun, I promise... baby steps, folks. Baby steps*.

Okay, so when a short guy comes in for a kiss, there's no commitment.

You see? He could just be walking along and think, "Huh. I feel like kissing. Do I? Yep, I do. I wanna kiss something. Look, there's Mia."

Next thing you know, he steps right into your personal space, as though you aren't standing there, and is all like lips and sound effects and breathing and stuff.

BUT!!!

A tall guy is way up there and walking along and you're way down here, minding your own business. And you look up and see him and think, "Wow, he's super tall. I wonder if he can see the small people down here or if he's in his own orbit."

You get to surreptitiously admire his lengthy movements, pretending, just for the moment, that you can't be observed while observing him in all his tall goodness.

UNTIL HE NOTICES YOU. And then He's all like, "Hey, there's Mia. Wonder if she remembers me. She's kinda cute in all her stick-drawing aura. I wonder if she'd let me kiss her."

~Hey, it's my fantasy, remember?~

Then, he has to commit! Yes, he does. He doesn't merely have to walk into your space like you're some kind of invisible chick that he ran into with his lips. NOOOOO. HE has to bend down. He's putting himself out there, for at any moment, you might declare a psych-out and leave him half-bent, lips puckered, and flailing for a way to explain his misunderstanding.

Ladies, he's committed do you get it? You get to stand there being all ethereal and he has to put himself into your personal space deliberately. He's like a gorgeous hunky god-man from on high, noticing your little self, finding you worthy, and making the physical and emotional effort to hope you find him worthy!!! Yes! He is seeking your approval! He wants you to accept him!!!

You have the ability to accept the kiss, or deny him. It's power...


...and it's delicious.

Which is a long way of telling you that I'm looking for my personal hero in my personal romance story. He doesn't have to be perfect, he just has to be right, for me. What about you? When you read a romance, what kind of hero do you look for? Does your real life hero have to match the heroes you want to read about? And what, of all those characteristics, are a must-have in a man?

Tell me. I wanna know!


*You can find Mia at her blog: MiaWatts, and posting on Tuesdays at WritersEvolution*

First aid for writers

I love it here on the island. There are so many hotties, there is one on the right side of the page, they are in the other blogs and on book covers, oh my. I hope I don’t get too distra—

Okay fine, back to the reason I am here. I was aggressively pursued, wined, and dined by the Dessert Island Keepers. I might even use the word stalked. Well maybe I begged, LOL. Tomato, Ta-mato. Anyway, I’m here and excited to be, even thought they really didn’t leave a mint on my pillow :)

I believe that knowledge is power. That’s why I put together a website for struggling, new, and unpublished authors. So, “YOU”, yes I am talking too you, if you ever thought about writing a novel, or sharing your cleaning tips, now is the time.

We gave books away, offered advice and had over 1,000 hits in the first weekend. Since we are a one-stop source, writers do not have to stress, they can look up info or just ask a question and come back later for the answer. Therefore, our future authors can go back to doing what they do best.

In addition, we have added an externally linked blog and a forum just for readers. The blog will be run by our AAPA authors and will be chocked full of all kinds of interesting information. The forum is so that readers can chat amongst themselves about their favorite author and maybe, just maybe your favorite author will stop by and say hi.

Whether you want to place recipes in a book or make Stephen King beg for your autograph, whatever your literary dream is, we are here to help, you!
It must be where the magic is anyway, because coincidentally, three weeks after our initial launch, I was published.

I have brought my own sizzling hunk with me, Jake the fireman. However, this blog isn’t about me, so I will keep this short. I was picked up by the incredibly awesome Decadent Publishing. So look for Jake, the modern day “Fire Cowboy” (Coming soon) on decadentpublishing.com

If you would like to join our site, becoming a member and getting help is all completely free. If you are a published author we would love to have you blog and/or answer questions.

www.askapublishedauthor.org/

Non-published Authors
Just become member, we will do the rest. If you have any problems or questions regarding sign-up please e-mail me at keirakroft@hotmail.com

Published Authors
Please become a member and contact me with your picture, bio, and any links you would like posted. Also your “how you did it” story (optional) after I receive that info I will post it and make you an administrator so that you are free to blog.

We have such awesome talent on hand, such as:

Our Published Authors
Keta Diablo
Deanna Wadsworth
KTGrant
PJ Schnyder
Kate Richards
Robert Roman
Grace Meadows
Seleste DeLaney
Kody Boye
Eve Langlais
Margaret Blake
Michele Garber
Kathleen O'Connor
Michael LaRocca
Cyrus Wraith Walker
Hal Bodner
Michael West
Diana Cosby
Rhiannon Frater
Regan Taylor
Raven Dane
Kemberlee Shortland
Vicki Thomas
Richard Alan Scott
Mike Resnick
RH Politz.
Isobael Liu
Ariel Tachna
Holly Jacobs
Diana Duncan

Just to name a few.

Sidney Kay's Desert Island Keepers

Greetings from Sidney Kay of Kay's Blog!! I'm thrilled to be part of Desert Island Keeper land.


I'm going on a journey and I just may end up on a desert island... and since that desert island probably won't be Tahiti, I'd better take something with me that I won't get tired of reading over and over again. You never know how long you're going to be stranded! You need to understand this will take some pondering... I could go to one of my many lists - and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has "many lists." There's my Ten Favorite Romance Books, Ten Favorite Authors, Favorite Movies, and even My Favorite Ugly Sexy Guy list (except that last one list probably won't help me select my six Desert Island Keepers).

My first thought was to go with a little variety: a traditional Regency, a funny romance, a Paranormal, an Erotica, and an Historical. So, I started looking and rereading and right away crossed the paranormal off my list; I really do not want to be scared when I'm on my desert island. Then I thought, unless Gilligan or the Professor show up, I really don't want an Erotica either. Sorry, Robin Schone, Pam Rosenthal, Emma Wildes and Emma Holly.


After rereading a number of books, I have settled on my six. These books are not recent books and there may be books that have come along that are just as good, if not better. However, for me these books are special and have set the standard by which I judge other romance novels.


1. Lord of Scoundrels, 1994, by Loretta Chase. This book is one of my all-time favorite books. Even though Ms. Chase has written other books that are just as good, there's just nothing better than the witty dialog between Sebastian and Jessica. And talk about Erotica. Is there anything more erotic than the scene when Sebastian unbuttons Jessica's gloves? I almost bought a pair of gloves just so someone could unbutton them. Let's also put Sebastian on my Favorite Romance Hero list. http://www.lorettachase.com/index.php

"Then he slid his hand - his big, dark, bare hand, for he had removed his gloves to eat and hadn't put them back on - down the sleeve of her pelisse until he came to the first button of her frivolous pearl grey gloves.

He popped the tiny pearl from the buttonhole..."

Someone turn the air on!


2. The Rake, 1998, by Mary Jo Putney. This tome was originally released in 1989 as The Rake and the Reformer. I just recently reread this for my Memories Schmemories project and was reminded how much I love this book and what a truly gifted writer Ms. Putney is. Reggie Davenport also made my list of favorite romance heroes. For me, Reggie defines what a damaged hero is all about. Together, he and Alys make one of romancelands most fascinating, strong couples (I feel another list coming on.) If you've never read this book, you really should. This is truly an amazing, mature love story. http://www.maryjoputney.com/

"Even in near-total darkness he knew who came. His raw senses were unnaturally receptive, and he recognized not only her step and her scent, but the ineffable feel of her caring."

3. Dreaming of You, 1994, by Lisa Kleypas. You bet Derek Craven is on that list! I reflect: my list of heroes have a commonality... they are all pretty troubled, dark characters and I probably wouldn't want to deal with them in real life, but in novels... yum! Dreaming of You is a very absorbing tale of two people struggling toward that ol' happy ending. http://www.lisakleypas.com/

"Lodged at the bottom of the reticule was an extra pair of spectacles. Derek examined them minutely, the round lenses, the dainty steel frame, the small curved earpieces. He squinted through them at the words she had written. After he folded the spectacles he placed them in his coat pocket and closed the reticule. When Sara discovered the spectacles were missing, she would assume she had left them somewhere, as she often did. It was the first act of outright thievery he had committed in ten years. But he had to have them. He wanted to own a little piece of her."

4. Lady Jane, 1982, by Norma Lee Clark. Packed into 214 pages is what one might call an old-fashioned epic novel; however, in reality it's a Traditional Regency. In this wonderful little book we follow Jane Coombes through seven years of her life, sometimes poignant, sometimes harrowing. This is an amazing love story. Actually it's two love stories because there are two heroes: her first husband, Sebastian, a very damaged hero, both physically and spiritually; and Jasper, the more typical regency hero. This book is a joy to read and as long as I can have a tissue box on my island, I'll be all right.

"Then she emitted a soft scream and stood frozen as the door opened behind her and the mirror showed her the image of Lord Jasper, Lady Sarah's brother.

He stood rooted for a second, a slow smile lifting one corner of his mouth. He turned to close the door behind him and then sauntered across the carpet to her. She watched him advance, unable to move or speak, until he was directly behind her."

5. The Houseparty, 1985, by Anne Stuart. Anne Stuart writes some very dark stories, filled with some of romance's most intense brooding heroes. This story, on the other hand, is a light-hearted, fast-paced romp with people wandering in and out of rooms and a heroine who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is feisty, but never stupid feisty. This is a fun read.
http://www.anne-stuart.com/

"'I have no intention of satisfying that formidable curiosity, Miss Trahern,' he replied calmly, moving across the room with a pantherish grace. 'I believe you wanted your gown undone.'"

6. Beyond Sunrise, 2003, by Candice Proctor aka C.S. Harris. When it comes to choosing just one of Ms. Proctor's books I had a hard time, especially the ones set in the South Pacific. I finally picked this one, because unlike her other, more dark ones, this one is a rollicking adventure through the South Pacific islands with Jack Ryder and his straight-laced nemesis, India McKnight. Funny and poignant at the same time. http://www.csharris.net/

"It was a bloody missionary, all right, Jack decided, frowning at the woman who sat ramrod straight at the prow of the longboat, her gloved hands gripping the plain handle of an austere parasol. the collar of her ugly, drab-colored gown buttoned up so high around her neck he wondered it didn't choke her.

He was standing near the end of the dock, his bare legs straddled wide, his arms crossed at his naked chest, when her boat knocked the rough wooden pier.
'Kaoha nui,' said the woman, mistaking him for a Polynesian.
'G'day,' said Jack, giving her his nastiest smile."

So, after all that, what do I have on my island? I have a mountain, trees, water, maybe Gilligan, maybe the Professor. But best of all I have six books that are filled with adventure, fun, wit, wonderful dialogue and even, at times, eroticism, and they are books that I truly treasure. (And none of them are scary.)

http://sidneykay.blogspot.com/

Casee's Desert Island Keepers

I'm Casee. If you know me, it's probably from Book Binge.

It was way back in June when I got the email about guesting here at DIK. When I saw the dates, I thought "I can totally come up with something by then". Uh-huh. That didn't happen. The creative flow stopped long ago and I have no idea why I thought it would come back when I wanted it to. If it was going to come back it would have come back, well, months ago.

So in lieu of bringing you a great topic that will titillate and inspire you, I'll tell you the six books I would get as I was running out of my house while it was on fire.


1. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Oh how I love this book. I love Alex. I love Daisy more than Alex. Daisy is a heroine that should make you nauseous, she's so darn sweet. She's too sweet to make you nauseous, though. She's too nice to make you hate her for being so nice. If you were walking down the side of the road and waved at her, she would stop and help you, even if Alex was with her (yelling at her all the while). What I loved about this book was Daisy's complete faith in the goodness of others. It didn't matter what people did or did not do, she just refused to believe the worst. I really envy that about anyone. It didn't hurt that Alex was hot.

2. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

I think I love this one so much because it was so unexpected. I read the blurb and though "why not?". It sounded interesting so I might as well give it a try, right? Little did I know that one book would begin an obsession that would start years of stalking an author asking questions like "when? why? where? how?". Said author is probably grateful that she doesn't live in the US.

I love Lucas Hunter. He is the quintessential alpha male. There is little else I can say about Lucas. He is just amazing. Now Sascha is special. All her life she thinks that she is damaged. Lucas is the one that helps her realize that she has a gift and that gift will help her help others.

3. Paradise by Judith McNaught

Matthew Farrell. I heart him. 'Nuff said.

4. The Bride by Julie Garwood

Alec is so charmingly arrogant. That seems like such an oxymoron, doesn't it? There is something about Scottish heroes that just does it for me. Alec is probably my favorite one. Jamie isn't too bad, either. I like how she stands up to Alec. Her attitude is so refreshing. She helps people and to hell with politics or clans. The ending is one of my favorite endings of all times. It gives me chills every time I read it.

5. The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

I always thought that I was a Derek over Sebastian girl. Then I re-read Devil in Winter. Again and again. How can Sebastian even be a hero? He is so anti-hero. He is anti-romance, but I love him. Sebastian made me change sides. I also really liked Evie. Her ability to blend into the background allows her to see what other people don't. She was able to see Sebastian as the man he was or in this case wasn't. Their relationship was unconventional in every sense of the word which made it that much more amazing.

6. Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I will never re-read the first half of this book. Ever. But I love re-reading Ash's HEA. If any character has deserved a happily ever after, it's Ash.

Okay, that was painful and something that I'm unlikely to repeat. I changed out two of them about three times. The irony is I went with my original six.

My question is this: With all the new releases, would you swap out any of your DIKs?

Miss Sweet and her Pretty Boys

'Morning Darlings *waves*

I'm Miss Sweet, visiting over here from Sweet Vernal Zephyr. Thanks so much for the invitation!

Today is a special day for me, its my birthday. I've even got on my super sexy birthday shoes! Palehorse Design is awesome!

And what better way to celebrate than with some pretty boys?
Well, I guess chocolate would be a good addition.
And some liquor too. Hum, this is shaping up to be one hot party!

Let's place all that to the side and get to the heart of the matter. *Reaches out a neatly manicured hand to coax the pretty boys to her side.*

Pretty Boys, yes or no?

I'm sure you can guess my preference. *Entwines her fingers with both pretty boys' hands.* But I want to know yours, and WHY.

After I argue my case. *Wink.*

1) Pretty boys are easy on the eyes, hence the descriptor "pretty".
2) Pretty boys are easy on the ears, more prone to blush than bellow.
3) Pretty boys are easy, and like to play in groups.
4) Pretty boys are easily accepted into your extended family.

Now all of the above are unabashed generalizations that I wish were true of the entire general public. But since we are here on the Island, my fantasy stands! *Grin.*

Since I am a book blogger, I probably should integrate some of my favorite reads.

Take the sexy Hell, from the Heaven Sent Series. He is a Pretty Gay Boy. And he looks especially striking on his cover. Straight up, I am envious of his long purple hair and flashy clothes.

Seth, from the Georgina Kincaid Series is a Pretty Good Boy. In the beginning at least. We don't see too much of his body throughout the series, but at times Georgina becomes absolutely obsessed! Actually, I kinda hate him right now. But that is a story for my blog reviews. *Wink.*

And now, a couple of pictures to patch up those holes in my argument. A few of my prettiest boys.




Nyx, from book 1 of the Shadowfae Chronicles. A pretty fairy boy. In the story he has green skin, gold hair and red eyes.



Photograph by Wakeupnaked






Nathaniel, from the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series. A pretty dancing werepanther boy with lavender eyes and a tendency towards BSDM and playing the victim. Good thing Anita is always there to save him.



Illustration by Liezl Buenaventura






Hum, now that I think about it, there are a lot more Big Bad Boys in the stories I read. Is it possible there may be a few minute pinholes in my case?

1) Big boys can pick you up with out a fuss, ahhh to feel petite at 5' 9".
2) Big boys can protect you from bad guys, and yourself—whether you want it or not.
3) Big boys look awesome in any combination of dirt and leather.
4) Big boys will scare your parents. Is this good or bad?




I do have quite the lusting for Barrons from the Fever Series. Humm...



Image found at Homotography.






So, what do you say?

Do you go for the Pretty Boys or the Big Bad Boys?

Cops versus Firemen

Happy Monday!

The craziest thing happened this weekend on my blog. For those who don’t know, I write a purely naughty series with heroes who are narcotics detectives in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. My new release, Star Spangled Kiss (out today) takes place on the Fourth of July. During the story, the characters play a pool-volleyball game. I decided to use pictures to bring the scene to life. I asked the blog-tour visitors to choose a team to support during the match. The most unexpected thing happened.

Almost all my visitors chose THE FIREFIGHTER over the cops.

How is that possible? Cops are just delicious, intense, and sexy. Plus, they have hand-cuffs. Okay, I admit, I am not the least unprejudiced. We are a cop family.

So, I’m bringing this debate here to you. I want to know who you prefer. I hope you don’t mind helping me. Depending on the results, I just might end up writing a companion story to the Kissin’ Cops. Something hot, dangerous and all about Gabe the fireman!

First, for your viewing pleasure and contemplation are the narcotics detectives. They are on Tyler’s team and ready to serve up a heated game. Determined to win, they hold nothing back.

Now for the fireman, he is on Gavin’s team. Those commenting on my blog have chosen to call him Team Gabe. I can’t believe he has his own team now!

Do you have a preference? Who would you want to play in the pool with? The cops or the fireman? Leave me a comment with your choice. One lucky commenter will be selected to win a digital copy of Star Spangled Kiss.

Before I go, I thought I would share with you a little bit of fun. I have witnessed, first-hand, the rivalry between the hose-hoppers and the fuzz. Bryan Erwin has a comedy series called Policeman Versus Fireman and he captures the hilarity with his puppets. When the boys get together and watch Erwin's clips, everyone laughs in harmony despite what badge they happen to wear.
Here is the cleanest vid I could find. I think it sums up the jovial contention perfectly! (The swearing is bleeped out on purpose!) For more of the videos check out Fireman Jake and Policeman Perry (Warnings for mature content!)




If you would like to see which team won the volleyball match or ride along with Tyler and Sophie in their romantic journey, Star Spangled Kiss releases today at Liquid Silver Books.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend.
Thanks for blogging with me today.

Christa
P.S. to check out my other series, The Blood-Vine: paranormal romance, or to see excerpts of all my stories visit www.christapaige.com

"I Left My Heart In San Franscisco . . ." or So the Song Goes . . .

First, many thanks to Tracy for the invitation to be a guest blogger today. I am enroute from San Francisco where I and the hubby and one of our granddaughters spent a couple of days. I knew this day was coming up, but Tracy knows that I never travel without my laptop and I rarely if ever stay at a motel without WiFi. So I am sharing this as a "wandering one."

While we were moving across San Fransciso Bay on one of the bay cruisers, I was think about what I might write what could possibly of any interest to blog enthusiasts at DIK. As we were circling Alcatraz, believe it or not I was thinking about the hundreds of inmates that had resided there during its heydey and what it must have been like. I think often that being in any kind of confinement must be made so much worse because of the lack of -- get this -- books. I know we live in an electronic age with our TV's and Wii's and such, but I am delighted to see what I believe is a resurgence of interest in reading. For lots of us it is delight in all kinds of books. I am a romance and mystery story junkie -- have been for years. I thought back over the hundreds of books I have read through my life and as always, I come up with a few that really got me "hooked" on romance all those decades ago.

Anya Seton was an author of a number of books, a few of which were made into very successful movies in the 50's and 60's. A number of her novels are classified at "gothic." Dragonwyk is one that was made during what is now called the Golden Age of Hollywood. But the novel that hooked me and still resides on my shelf and which calls out to me every few years is a HUGE historical romance entitled Katherine. Now one aspect of historical fiction where Seton excelled is research, and she has pulled it off in spades in this work. It is the true story of John, Duke of Lancaster, the favorite son of his father the King of England, and his mistress of 10 years, Katherine de Roet Swynford. They lived in the 14th & 15th centuries and it is John's son Henry, battling with his cousins over the throne of England, who in later years were responsible for that dastardly event known as the War of the Roses (a real war between the Lancaster branch and the York branch of the English royalty, not the movie about a divorcing couple. The Lancasters always wore red roses while the York branch favored white roses).

John & Katherine's love story is the kind that lights up the skies with its breadth and intensity. It is marked with the darkness of murder -- one of the duke's retainers, knowing that Katherine would not come to the duke's bed because she was married to one of the duke's knights, Sir Hugh Swynford, managed to secretly cause Sir Hugh's death in such a way that it was believed that Sir Hugh died of his wounds in a local conflict in France. Thus Katherine was free to be wooed and won by the Duke who was himself married, but on his side of things, what did that matter? In fact, over the years that they were together, the duke was married twice due to the death of his first wife.

Katherine bore four children to Lord John as well as bearing two children who were born before her affair. It seems almost a cliche to say that she was a person of conscience -- very religious in her own way -- and her relationship with the duke never ceased to rankle in her deepest being. When the Savoy Palace, her residence when with the duke, burned to the ground and her oldest legitimate child was missing, she took it as God's judgment for the 10 years she had lived "in sin" and left the duke's side and his bed. She searched for her daughter for years, even after returning to her husband's holdings and his castle which she was holding in trust for his son which she bore prior to her affair. The duke went on to father a daughter with his second duchess, a princess of Spain, but this spouse also died, leaving the duke a widower once more.

Out of the blue, Katherine received a messenger from John of Lancaster, requesting that he be allowed to visit her. They had not spoken or communicated for over 20 years at this point. His request upended her, upset her, overwhelmed her, and caused her no small amount of resentment that her hard-won tranquility and her now-calm life were once again in turmoil because of this "invasion" from the past. This upset was, in large part, due to her realization that she still loved him. After a great deal of thought and conferring with her confessor, she agreed to see John. He shocked her by informing her that he had been a busy guy. Having never stopped loving her and desiring to be with her now that his second wife was gone, he proposed marriage to her. She was shocked and almost beyond knowing what to say until he shared with her the news that he had done what all royals knew how to do in those days: he pulled lots of strings to the end that all four of their children -- three sons and a daughter -- were to be declared legitimate, thus being acknowledged by him, and given new opportunities for futures of their choice and certainly good marriages. As an additional gift, her oldest daughter, the one she believed had perished in the Savoy fire, was found to have run from that horror at the age of 14, been found by a group of Cistercian nuns, and had taken her in as an orphan. She was unable to speak and had lost her hearing because of some injuries in that fire. So she had not indicated her relationship to Katherine until she learned of her mother's marriage to the duke. She then realized that her mother's relationship had been legitimatized, her half siblings were now acknowledged, and she felt that she could reveal her relationship to her Mother Superior. Because of this she was able to spend an entire day with her mother. It seems that Katherine's "cup" was running over.

History tells us that John and Katherine married and reclaimed their love. They were together for the final four years of John's life. Their passion was still there, but it was no longer the hectic, frantic passion that was enacted in secret places. Rather, it was the joyous reunion of two people whose lives had been brutalized by the times and the politics of royalty, but whose love had endured. It was now the generous sharing of hours and days that each had never thought would be theirs. Surrounded by their children and those of Sir Hugh, they formed a truly loving family right up until the end of John's life and the years beyond. Katherine could look back on a life that had finally been graced with the best that love can bring.

I have to re-read this story every so often. It is the kind of story that never seems to lose its hold on my imagination and my heart. Seton's writing is so "above and beyond" that just her telling of this magnificent love story makes me wish that there was an Epilogue, and an Epilogue to the Epilogue, and so forth. So a keep it around so that every couple of years, I revisit those wonderful places and that distant time just to remind myself that love is love and people need it, no matter their station in life, their financial or social prominence, or their relationship to powerful people. In a world where love is so often trivialized and where abuse and obsession are often substituted for true affection and regard, it is good to know that in the morass of human history, in the mess people make of personal lives and political alliances, people can love and be loved from the depth where only true love can reside.

Many thanks for allowing me to share this remarkable story. And by the way, I really didn't leave my heart in San Francisco -- althought I love that city to distraction! It is a great place to visit and I wouldn't really mind living there. But my heart is already given away -- to my hubby of many years, my three gorgeous daughters and son, and of course, those six great grandkids who keep on bringing delight and showers of hugs and kisses into my life.

My best to you all . . . Dr. J.

(You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place)

Are You A Epilogue Junkie? - Read The Following Warning Signs

Epi-lo-guian n. 1. a. One who has an insatiable interest or devotion in reading about characters' future circumstances. Someone who is so co-dependently attached to the story that when ended abruptly, feels a sense of loss, discontent and unfulfillment. 

Source: smokinhotpedia

We at Smokinhotbooks (K-Khan and KC) are avid epiloguians, or epilogue junkies. We become so obsessed about the future events of our beloved main characters that one of us even reads then end of the book to ensure the happily ever after is up to snuff. Ehem- K.C. 

  

Are YOU a Epilogue Junkie?? (please read the following symptoms/warning signs below)

1. You pass by white picket fences and immdiately think of Bella and Zadist from (Lover Awakened ) and ponder on how their youngin' is getting along.

2. After reading Josh Lanyon's Adrien English Series you often rehearse and act out a epilogue of your own where Adrien and Jake can be seen frolicking as lovers would on the beach, watching their dog Scout race after the seagulls. 

3. You've 'Live Journaled' (in vivd x-rated detail) about Mac and Barrons having moved well beyond the lust stage and are madly in love living in a delightful paradise after saving the world. (Karen Marie Moning's 'Dark series)

4.  If a story does not mention the utter happiness of the characters are some later event, you are left feeling bereft, cheated, adding on a tacky ending of your own. (cough, cough K.C.)

5. Finally, you participate in all active social forums with book characters and repeatedly hit "chat live" with Edward and Bella on Facebook in order to speak with them in 'real time'.

If you have one or more of the above listed symptoms consult with your local bookstore and read 1-2 romance books a day. Tell 'em Dr.Smokinhotbooks said so. 

It's okay we won't tell anyone, are you a epilogue junkie?

Yes, I do like them long...

Hi everyone, my name's Lily and I'm so happy to be on the Island today. It was a lovely surprise when Tracy invited me to be a guest blogger (per Kris's suggestion). This is my first time as a guest blogger anywhere and I'm having loads of fun already. The weather's great, the men I see walking around are hot hot hot and for it being early morning the drinks they're serving are going to have me falling down onto one of these convenient hammocks pretty soon. Oh well, I'm sure they'll take good care of me.

Since Tracy's invitation I've been trying to figure out what to talk about before I list my six DIK books. What came to mind is size. I'm a definite 'size queen' although I can be satisfied with something smaller. Now please everyone, get your minds out of the gutter, what I'm talking about when I say size is the length... of a book, of course. I love to read long books, the longer the better. I think my love of big books came about when I read The Stand by Stephen King many, many years ago. That book totally grabbed me and pulled me in and even at 1152 pages I didn't want it to end. Since that time I've always preferred to read novels more than novellas and short stories. Not that there aren't great novellas and short stories out there and I do read them but there's just something about sitting down with a well written novel that calls to me.

Related to my love of big books is that I also love to read series. I think it's all tied in with my 'I want more' and 'no, I don't want it to end' mentality. If I fall in love with the characters I find myself just wanting to know more and more about them. They have their happy ending and then I'm curious, well what happens next? Maybe that's why I watched soap operas for so long. They kept giving me more and more to watch. I finally did stop when RL just got to hectic to watch them, even if taped them to watch later. But no way am I ever giving up my books!

And so here's my list of the six books I'd want with me if I were stuck on an island. My list consists of M/M books since that's what I've been reading for over three years now. Of course there would have to be a way to recharge my Sony otherwise I'd be out of luck as most of my books are in fact ebooks. In alphabetical order they are...


A Red-Tainted Silence by Carolyn Gray is an engrossing story that shows how love can triumph over pretty much anything. Nicholas and Brandon are musicians and have been lovers on and off for over ten years. The book uses flashbacks to tell the story from their first meeting at a high school play to the present as they try to overcome a life threatening event that Brandon rescued Nicholas from as well as dealing with a danger that they know is there but can't figure out who's causing it. This is a very emotional book and there is a lot of angst and crying but the complex characters, solid writing and emotional connection between Nicholas and Brandon that resonates throughout make this an engrossing and memorable love story.

I loved everything about this book and the added bonus of it being about 500 pages long was great. :)

Bareback by Chris Owen is one of the first M/M cowboy books I read. It's also the first one one that made me so angry I could have thrown it across the room, if it had been a print book, as well it's the first that made me cry. Jake and Tor are unforgettable characters and their love story, told over a long period of time, is volatile, sweet, super hot, very emotional, sad and above all it's a beautiful portrayal of a relationship with all the ups and downs that could come with it.

The added bonus in this one was the super hot sex scene when Jake and Tor 'played' with a couple of friends. It was the first foursome I had read and yeah, it was pretty darn hot! I also like how they expressed their commitment to each other with some very special 'rings'.

Kelland by Paul G. Bens Jr is an amazing book. It's not a M/M romance although there are gay characters as well as loving relationships. Kelland is a story of evil hidden behind the guise of goodness and piety and the effect it has on the lives of some of the people that come into contact with it. Whether that effect is felt first hand or as the result of damage done to a loved one it is nevertheless felt quite keenly throughout the book. It's a very well written and thought provoking story.

The bonus here is the flawless writing that totally captivated me. I did not want to put this one down.



My Fair Captain by J.L. Langley is a fabulous historical romance in a futuristic setting. It's a fun and engaging story and introduces one of the sexiest heroes I've read about, Navy Captain Nathaniel Hawkins. Nate is gorgeous, strong, smart, super hot, definitely swoon worthy and a total Alpha male. Especially when he's putting on a private show for Aiden. Nate is also the first character I read about with a piercing (Prince Albert) and after I Googled and saw that piercing and many others I added that little kink to my existing love of tattoos.

This story's added bonus aside from the PA were the super sexy scenes between Nate and his Boy. I loved both characters and some of the scenes between are amazing, very sexy and sweet at the same time. A wonderful combination.


Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy is a great book. It's an entertaining, funny and romantic story and I really enjoyed reading about Simon and Declan. Simon is sarcastic and sharp-tongued but also a nice guy and a great friend. Declan is a football player who's very popular. He's a great all around guy living in the closet mainly because of what he does. They meet at a party, in a very amusing way, and slowly become friends. That friendship turns to love and the ups and downs of their relationship over a two year period was very well written by Sean Kennedy. A great point to make is that only when I reached the end of the story did I realize there had been no explicit love scenes in the book. There is sex in the book, after all they are two healthy young men in love, but the scenes are not explicit and they don't need to be. The story works beautifully without them.

With such a wonderful story there's not much to add as a bonus but I will say that the excellent characterizations in this book and the ability that Sean Kennedy has to convey so much in a simple sentence is fabulous.

Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville is a gritty, action packed thriller that is full of suspense and action yet at the same time it's also an emotional and sensual story. The protagonists were both very appealing although quite different from each other. D is a hired killer and Jack is a doctor who witnesses a murder. When D is contracted to take Jack out his conscience, which doesn't let him kill innocents, stops him and instead he becomes Jack's bodyguard. These men are very different but as they spend more time together the sexual and emotional connection between them is undeniable. This was an awesome book, very intense and gripping with great characters and some very hot sex scenes as well.

This is another case where the excellent writing shines through. I really fell in love with the characters, D most of all and it was great seeing him come out of his self-imposed 'prison' and see him find his emotions, accept himself and finally be able to love. Awesome!

~~~~~

Well, my stay is almost over now but before I leave I'd like to thank all of the DIK ladies and of course anyone who dropped by today for the warm welcome. I've had a lot of fun here today and the memories of this beautiful island will stay with me when I get back to the little town I live in. I'd love to have you all come by my little corner of the web anytime you'd like. My blog, which in a little over a week turns one (hard to believe, it feels like it was just born yesterday) is simply called I Love Books. Pretty easy to remember and so very true.

































I brought along a few friends to keep me company on the plane ride and now they're telling me they are having so much fun they don't want to leave. I guess I can't blame them. I'd stay on the island all the time, sipping on yummy little umbrella drinks and admiring the view, if I didn't have a RL waiting for me. Maybe I can use the excuse that I need to come back to get them so I can stop by for another visit.

Thanks for letting me come and play on the island.

Nummies for Monroe

*Sigh…it’s hot out here! The sun is bright, the sand it hot, and JEEZ I’ve got sweat running down my back, between the "twins" and some other really uncomfortable places…but oh wait…look who’s coming…my cabana boys with my drinky-poo! ;o) Lets see who makes the roll call. (btw…yes I know some are vamps…my island is magical and the sun just doesn’t bother them lol – these are in no particular order)

1.) Edward Cullen – The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
…ya I’m a teenager at heart. I’d scream, claw, and faint if I saw Mr. Cullen in my hut! I can’t help but melt all through reading those Twilight books. Edward is so effing romantic with all of his poetic thoughts and words! Mmm…Bella is one lucky gal! ;o)

2.) Luc Martineau – See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
I LOVE HOCKEY (Go Red Wings) and this hockey player has one horseshoe tattoo that I’d love to run my tongue across! Yowza! He rough, tough and let me tell you that you won’t mind all the penalties for high sticking! ;o)


3.) Calvin Morrisey – Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
This man oozes with charm and good looks. He is your typical hot-shot lover and knows how to have a good time! Cal appreciates a curvy woman and to me there’s nothing sexier than a man that will feed you all the carbs you want! Lol

4.) Henry De Tamble – The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Oh man, I loved Henry in this book. He was so angst ridden in his life. You seriously wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be alright. At the same time he was so passionate with everything in his life. And let me tell you this man is STEAMY! He can time travel to my island anytime!





5.) Eric Northman – The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
OH MAN! Eric hold a special place in my little heart.


6.) Derek Craven – Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
This man lives a fast and exciting life! :o) Derek is a dark lover with a dirty dirty past…I think I’ll take him into the ocean and clean him off! Lol

7.) Gage Travis – Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
Rich…hot…and has great sex in a limo! Lol Can he take his limo moves to my hut? I THINK HE CAN!!! Gage is my fav Travis man (although Id love to take them all on!) I always picture him in a hot and sexy suit…I don’t think his clothes will make it in the plane crash to the island!

8.) Jacob Black – The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
COME ON…could I REALLY have Edward and not Jacob?!? NOPE! This boy makes me just as hot. I LOVE me some Were’s. They are aggressive and possessive! Mmmm…this man (ya I say man even though he's pretty young) can make me howl at the moon!

You can visit Monroe at her "normal" home at Monroe with a Twist. Thanks for visiting Monroe!