Romance Domination!

It’s my turn? I’m in charge? You all have to do what I say? Sweet! Muah hahahaha!!!!

Ehem. So sorry. I’m not quite sure where that came from. I don’t normally crave world domination. Perhaps classroom domination. My students better believe I am the queen of all within those four walls. In the rest of my life, though, I don’t hold such strong ambitions.

But what if I could take over the world? Where would I begin? OK, sure, I could be altruistic and revamp education funding. Take money from the disgustingly wealthy and give it to the poor. Feed the hungry, house the homeless. That would all be well and good, but let’s be serious here, folks. If I held that kind of power I would grow drunk with it all. My ability to make decisions would become questionable, and I would likely come to a bad end.

Before that happened, though, it is very likely I would go the route of Doctor Frankenstein. I would attempt to engineer the perfect hero, even the perfect book. I mean, how could I resist? Taking the best characteristics from my favorite brooding Alpha men, I could create the FrankenHero. Utilizing elements from my favorite books, the FrakenRomance would be born!!!

Mmmmm... FrankenHero! What would he be like? Well, let me tell you! FrankenHero would have the brooding intensity of Derek Craven. His humor would be taken straight from Sam Donovan (Mr. Perfect). He would possess the wealth and power of Roarke (In Death series). Adam Hauptman (Mercy Thompson series) would be the source of his leadership skills. My FrankenHero would share Sam Starret’s (Troubleshooters) love of chocolate syrup and Kev Merripen’s (Seduce Me at Sunrise) undying love and devotion. His stamina would be that of a member of the BDB (as would certain anatomical proportions.) My gorgeous hero would be a cross between Gerard Butler and Richard Armitage, with the eyes of Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Once I finished creating this perfect creature you would find me, like Jayne (Firefly/Serenity) “in my bunk.”

After my FrankenHero has finally reached the end of his stamina (many days later), I would sit back and begin piecing together the FrankenRomance. Since I am a Chicago gal, it would have to be set here. Sam Donovan (Mr. Perfect) would be cast to star along with Lilith (Demon Angel). Dialogue would be written by Linda Howard. Suzanne Brockmann would write the action scenes. Elizabeth Hoyt could pen any sex scenes that include a chair. I suppose we need an antagonist. I will call in Patricia Briggs for that one. Her vamps are creepy as hell and you truly feel her “bad guys” are Bad. Cameo appearances would be made by Cam Rohan, Jessica Trent, Colin Ames Beaumont, Mercy Thompson, and Jules Cassidy. There would be tension and intrigue, steamy sex and emotional depth. It would be mine!

Power drunk and satiated, I would lay back and see what I had created, and it would be good. I would be able to do no more. My work would be done, and so I pass the baton to you. It is your turn. Tell me about your FrankenRomance. Share with me your FrankenHero, but guard him well, else he may suddenly disappear. If you need me, I’ll be in my bunk.

Guest Blogger: Jenre

Hello, my name is Jenre and I'm thrilled to be guest blogging today amongst such illustrious company.

What is your perfect hero...?

One of the best parts of this marvellous blog is where all you DIK ladies pick your favourite heroes from romance. But what if you could take one aspect from your heroes to create the ultimate hero? What parts would you choose to use in building your own hero?

Here are the attributes of my perfect hero:

Let’s start with the physical shall we? I’m not bothered about hair colour or how tall they are or even the size of his package (although, as we all know, every hero is very well endowed), but there’s one element of physical form which has me swooning every time and that is body hair – specifically chest hair. Now I’m not talking about a rug, but rather enough hair to run your fingers through, giving a texture to my hero’s chest. I know that not everyone likes this, but for my hero it’s a must.

Next on my list is intelligence. I like my hero to be a very clever man who isn’t afraid of using his brains rather than brawn to get what he wants. A man who can reason his way out of a tricky situation is much sexier than one who just uses his fists – although I do appreciate that sometimes a show of masculine strength can be very sexy when defeating the powers of evil.

Onto my next attribute - the ability to withstand pain/illness without complaint. In this time of ‘manflu’ I have to have my hero as a man who doesn’t whine when he gets shot/hit/fall ill. He has to be a terrible patient and demand to be released early from hospital despite the severity of his injuries. This is the ultimate show of strength and makes me fall into a puddle at his feet for being so manly.

The final attribute might be a bit surprising but given that I’m British is one that I have to insist on. It is having a ‘stiff upper lip’ as it were, or to put it more plainly not showing your emotions to all and sundry. My hero must remain aloof and impassive. He must not wear his heart on his sleeve and let everyone know what he is thinking. Then when he finally falls in love with me, I am the one who will see the cracks in the aloof exterior to the closely guarded emotions beneath. Sigh, it’s just so sexy to be able to break through the defences of a hero like that.

So there you have it - the attributes of my perfect hero. Would you choose the same qualities that I have, or are there some others that are more important to you?

Because She Would Ask Me...

Hey all! Shannon C. was up Thurs. thru Saturday but unfortunately RL is getting in the way. I hate it when that happens! Shannon will join us again when school slows down for her. Good luck with your studies Shannon!

So that left us winging it. So this is me...winging it. Not original but nice (hey, it's 7am and I've had no coffee). Enjoy.






Because She Would Ask Me Why I Loved Her
a poem by Christopher Brennan

If questioning would make us wise
No eyes would ever gaze in eyes;
If all our tale were told in speech
No mouths would wander each to each.

Were spirits free from mortal mesh
And love not bound in hearts of flesh
No aching breasts would yearn to meet
And find their ecstasy complete.

For who is there that lives and knows
The secret powers by which he grows?
Were knowledge all, what were our need
To thrill and faint and sweetly bleed?.

Then seek not, sweet, the "If" and "Why"
I love you now until I die.
For I must love because I live
And life in me is what you give.

My Six DIK's Heroes Edition

Yay! It’s that time again. Time for more heroes! I wasn’t in on the original rounds of the hero pickings so I will do my best not to choose someone else’s man. Something you should know about my hut. There is a strict no shirt (and sometimes no pants) policy. That’s right. We are all National Geographic channel up in here.

First dude into my hut is: Sir Kenric of Montague from The Warlord by Elizabeth Elliott. Kenric is a Baron. A scarred and fearless warrior known as the Butcher of Wales, he fought in the Crusades and the Battle of Wales. Brave, ruthless and powerful, he will kill you dead. Twice. But he’s honorable and loyal to his family, friends and King. He is treated like crap by his family, his own father tried to have him killed, his sister treats him with cold disdain, but through all that, he remains faithful to them. Larger than life, I love having him in my hut. Paging Elizabeth Elliott…where have you been since 1995?

Next is Lucas Davenport from the Prey series of books by John Sandford. This is a really long running series and JS’s website says he will only write 3 more books with Lucas. Lucas is a man’s man. He’s tough, smart, oh so sexy and can be a real mean dick. He is an investigator in the Twin Cities where the weather almost matches his coldness. (I have never been to Minn/StP but it must be cold there year round because it’s cold in almost every book). He kills people all over the damn place and fucks like a bunny all over the damn place (early books) until he meets Weather (later books) who takes some of the coldness away from his heart. He’s rough and battle scarred but has great taste in music and cars. He will be the designated DJ of my hut. Check out Lucas’s 100 top rock songs on his iPod in the book Broken Prey. He’s got some Dylan, AC/DC, The Hollies, The Stones, Clapton, Zeppelin, Steppenwolf… so if our hut is rockin’ don’t come knockin’. (Shit. If that phrase and music doesn’t date me…nothing else will).

Third is Maddox from The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter. I love Maddox. He’s noble and chivalrous. A protector of Gods and humans, he longs for peace. He dies and suffers in hell every night because his body plays host to the demon of Violence. Then he wakes up and has to do it all over again and again. He is growly and possessive and will twist off if someone threatens his woman. You don’t want to make him mad. Hopefully we can rid him of his curse before he gets to the island. I would really, really hate to have to gut him every night. It’s messy and will attract insects.

Fourth is Rydstrom from IAD series by Kresley Cole. His book is coming out soon! I can’t wait. Rydstrom is the demon King, bitches. He’s noble, steady and reliable. He wants to take the throne so he can take care of his people and restore honor to his family name. Plus, the horns are hot. I am looking forward to this book and learning more about Rydstrom. But for now, he is in my hut.

Fifth is Cougar McKinley from Promises Keep by Sarah McCarty. Oh Cougar. As Sarah, from NZ says, “Merow”. Which I think is antipodean for “You’re a sexy cat and I want to lick your face” or something like that. Cougar is big and dangerous. He’s especially skilled with his big honkin’ knife. That may or may not be a euphemism. He kills things with it and shaves, um, certain things with it…whew, is it hot in here? If you haven’t read this book you really, really should. Even though he is deadly to his enemies, he’s kind, compassionate and gentle to the woman he loves. I love it when he gets all possessive and protecty. Ms. McCarty is doin’ it right when it comes to writing heroes.

Last, but not least. Drake Vireo from the Aisling Grey series by Katie MacAlister. Everyone and every island needs a fire breathing dragon. Drake is the wyvern of the Green dragons. An unrepentant thief, he is sexy, smart, determined and stubborn. He’s got this cute little curl of smoke that comes out of his nostril when he’s miffed. So adorable! I’m going to have to put flame retardant material around the hut. But just think how handy he’ll be when we have bonfires.

That’s it for me. I have to go mop up all the testosterone in my hut. That shit gets everywhere. Enjoy the rest of your week!

My Six DIK's

Ok, yeah. I lost the list of my DIK books somewhere. Probably it is in the same place as the other stuff I lost when I had to reinstall Windows on my computer in December. Damn you Internet Explorer and your virus vulnerabilities. ‘Course maybe if I didn’t click on those pron links….oh well, anyhoo. Please don’t hate me. I’m going to try to wing it here so if I duplicate someone’s pick please don’t pull my hair and stomp my Barbie. Maybe we need a library page that lists all the books in the island library. We probably have the biggest and awesomest freaking island library in the history of island libraries. The library to rule them all. So, anyway, I hear the weather is kinda bad in the plain states right now, so this is a good time to break out that Snuggie you got for Christmas, a cup of Godiva Dark Chocolate hot cocoa and hunker giu con un buon libro. Why are we speaking Italian, you ask? Why, to honor that lovely man up there, Francesco, of course. Now, without further ado, here are my additions to the keeper shelf.

HONOR’S SPLENDOUR By Julie Garwood. I love all Julie Garwood historicals. They were the first romances I read and the only ones I re-read over and over again. This is the story of Madelyne and Duncan. Madelyne saves (well, at least she thinks she is saving him. He had a plan; he is the hero after all.) Duncan from her evil brother and he repays her by kidnapping her as retribution for her douchebag of a brothers treatment of Duncan’s sister. One of my favorite scenes of this story is when Madelyn warms Duncan’s frozen feet before she finds out he is there to kidnap her. One of my favorite lines is from Duncan. He says it at the beginning of the book and again towards the end. “I have come for you, Madelyne.” Put in context, it is a very swoonworthy line.

SAVING GRACE By Julie Garwood. I know I had another Julie Garwood and I think this was it, but it might have been The Prize, or The Wedding or The Secret or well you get the idea. I like them all. This is the story of Johanna and Gabriel. Johanna is English, is young and has endured a lot of abuse from her first husband. Gabriel is a Scottish Laird of the MacBain clan. Being English, Johanna has a lot to learn about Scottish customs, people and her huge intimidating husband, but she also teaches them a lot as well. I think this book is one of Ms. Garwood’s funniest. The secondary characters are well written and hilarious. JG writes smart heroines who are funny and quirky but never weak. Her heroes are strong and passionate. I recommend her to newbies of the genre more than any other author. Pssst, JG… run to the keyboard and write some more historicals. Pleeeeeaassse.

THE LAST HELLION By Loretta Chase. I really wanted LOS but someone is already bringing it to the island, so I chose the sequel to it. The H/H in this book is Lydia and Vere. Lydia is firmly on the shelf at 28 years old and **gasp** has a job. I know! She also has an awesome dog. Vere is the tortured Duke of Ainswood, a somewhat cursed title. This book, like LOS, has its share of dark moments and loss, but it’s also a lot of fun. Lydia is a strong, smart and compassionate heroine. She has decided to forego marriage for a journalism career and she doesn’t think very highly of men. Vere is mad at the world for taking everyone he loved away from him, and forcing a title on him that he never wanted. He does everything he can to disparage his name and title and wait… what’s this…he doesn’t think very highly of women. They are perfect for each other! Their personalities clash repeatedly in public and in private, their sarcastic banter is hilarious, but Vere can’t seem to stay away from Lydia. He realizes how much he needs her to save his soul and she sees through all his pretense to see the noble man he is. There are a lot of twists in the plot that keep everything interesting and the book moves at a fast pace. There are a few surprises at the end as well. Dain and Jess are back and Bertie even gets and HEA.

HEARTS AFLAME By Johanna Lindsey. Wow. This is becoming a list of old school romances isn’t it? I believe this is the second book in a trilogy. It’s really hard to tell when the author doesn’t have a web site. This book has a lot of the old ‘80s romance themes like “woman disguised as a man”, “captivity”, etc so if you are not a fan, then this book is not for you. This is the story of Kristen, a Viking, captured and given as a slave to Royce a Saxon Lord. Kristen is one tough cookie and I loved her for it. Royce is strong, proud and stubborn. He fights his attraction to Kristen and he treats her like crap (I think he spanked her once or twice, but she didn’t mind… if you know what I mean) a few times but he makes up for it in the end. A lot. :)

THE DARKEST KISS By Gena Showalter. This is book one in the Lords of the Underworld series. The H/H is Ashlyn and Maddox. I love Ms. Showalters writing. The main and secondary characters are well written, the pacing is perfect, and the plot is well thought out and believable. Maddox is an immortal warrior for the Greek gods who was cursed with the demon Violence. Ashlyn is a human with a supernatural power which torments her. She seeks out the warriors in hope that they can help her with her “gift”. The warriors have secluded themselves and are trying to live with their curses as best they can and trying to protect humans from their demons. The suffering that these warriors endure is intense, and the story with the inclusion of Greek mythology is interesting. I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out!

THE DEVIL IN WINTER By Lisa Kleypas This is a book in her wallflower series. The H/H is Evie Jenner and Sebastian St. Vincent. When we meet Evie, in the first wallflower book, she is a sweet girl with a stutter, who is suffering abuse at the hands of her mother’s family. When we see her again in this book, her situation has reached critical mass and she has to take her future in her own hands immediately. Sebastian is a rake in desperate need of money. The book opens with Sebastian nursing his wounds from a fight and feeling rather sorry for himself when Evie walks in and offers to marry him. She will give him her inheritance in exchange for his protection and freedom from her family. Evie tries to keep her feelings walled off from Sebastian. She has some serious trust issues. Sebastian also has some trust issues but is less reluctant to acknowledge his feelings than Evie is. Watching them learn to trust each other and fall in love is a beautiful journey.

Good Tuesday to you! Tomorrow, I will introduce the men in my hut.