Darlene's Digest

Thunder rumbled to the west and a breeze sprang up, whipping the tree branches. Sophia paused to let the cooler air flow across her. “We have to stop, it’s going to rain.” “We cannot stop yet, Jack, there is still daylight!” “Sophia, I am not going to stand here and get soaked—” His sentence was punctuated with the plop! of a large drop of water at his feet. A moment later one hit Sophia on the nose, and then in the next instant while she looked at Jack, the sky opened and the squall came down in torrents, soaking them where they stood. Sophia turned to run for the less than adequate shelter of their lean-to. Jack grabbed her hand and raised his voice over the pounding of the water falling on them. “Wait!” “Why?” she yelled back, blinking rain out of her eyes. “’Cause it feels good,” he said with a soggy grin. -- The Bride and the Buccaneer I love sitting on the back porch when a storm's coming up. The wind begins to whip around, the temperature drops to tole...

"Miss Farnham, you are the heroine of the day." "I am?" "Do not sound so surprised. The items you packed are wonderfully useful. For example, that lip salve. You can put it on your lips, your nose, your cheekbones and your chin. It will help keep those areas that are most vulnerable to sunlight from being badly burned. And your hat may not be fashionable enough for Mayfair, but it will keep you from sunstroke. Put it on now, please." She did, asking him to hold her mirror while she concentrated on tying her ribbons. Then she followed his instructions, putting rose-tinted salve on her face, though the end result left her in giggles. "I look like a red Indian from America, Doctor!" -- Castaway Dreams It's National Lipstick Day! (Who knew?) Women have been darkening their lips since ancient times to achieve a look of freshness and youth, and stimulate thoughts of mating in males (yeah, as if they needed it). Do you have a "daily...

New Approaches to Popular Romance Fiction by Sarah S. G. Frantz My rating: 5 of 5 stars Excellent study of current and past trends in romance writing. This book should be read by every author who's making a career of romance writing. I didn't agree with 100% of the contributors' conclusions--I think just as sometimes a cigar was just a cigar to Freud, sometimes a romance novel is simply an entertaining read where the author wasn't purposefully (or even unconsciously) inserting words like "glittery" to make a point. Nonetheless, the essays are well-researched and thoughtful, and a valuable contribution to popular studies. The price may put off some readers wishing to access the book. As is so often the case, small academic presses have to charge more than large publishers. However, New Approaches to Popular Romance Fiction is now in the public library system in the US, which means it's accessible through ILL (Inter-Library Loan). View all my reviews ...

I love seeing reviews of my books, even the less than stellar reviews, because it means people are reading my novels. Here's a new review of Castaway Dreams that I really have to share, from All About Romance . You can read the full review at the link: If it sounds like I'm talking about living, breathing people, then I've done my job. That I can envision Daphne and Alexander years into the future, with conversations and arguments, hurts and laughter, is the highest praise I can give. Ms. Marshall's previous book was very good;  Castaway Dreams  is remarkable. -- Jean Wan

I'm reading three books this weekend. The only way I can handle different reads simultaneously is to make sure they're in very different genres: one is essays on the biblical Book of Ruth , one is essays on the romance genre ( New Approaches to Popular Romance Fiction ), one's the latest Nora Roberts . It's going to give my brain a workout. Do you read books simultaneously? Does it make your brain explode, or can you compartmentalize?

I'm the guest blogger today at Heroes and Heartbreakers , and they're giving away signed copies of Castaway Dreams.  Follow the link to check it out!

I need to move the action in [working title] The Hot Pirate's Secret Baby to England, so I've spent the morning reviewing my research notes. One of the books was recipes and now I'm starving for some biscuits, clotted cream, a lovely trifle... *Sigh* My hardboiled egg and healthy veggies for lunch aren't looking very appealing right now. In other news, I began wondering what happens to that secret baby (actually, a 7 or 8 year old child in the book) when she grows up.  Will she remember the piratical ways of her youth and rebel against the constrictions of mid-19th C. England? I shook the Magic 8 Ball and got "Signs point to yes".  More on this as it develops.

The Oatmeal is awesome, and here's another reason why:  Created by Oatmeal

Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars Most romance novels are about courtship ending in marriage, but I'm a huge fan of romance novels about marriages and what makes them work...or not work. This one's a winner. Millie and Fitz have an arranged marriage, not untypical of Edwardian England--her money for his title. Both go into it with eyes wide open. Fitz loves another, and Millie knows it but is willing to take Fitz anyway. This book reminded me of Heyer's A Civil Contract , about a marriage that deepens into love, though Heyer's book never achieved the heights of passion that Thomas brings to her story. In addition, the author does a great job of unfolding the story over time, letting us see how the love develops between two protagonists who marry under stress, but learn to appreciate each other...and then some. View all my reviews

Our Independence Day celebrations start early in Gainesville, Florida with Fanfare & Fireworks on July 3. It's patriotic and goodtimes music at the University of Florida bandshell at Flavet Field (Question for all the new Gators: What famous Floridian is Flavet Field named for? Answer--No one. It's a trick question. After WWII the GI Bill brought a huge influx of married veterans and their families.  Wooden shacks [seriously] were brought in from army bases to house them.  These sweltering roach motels were called "Flavets", for "Florida Vets". There's a certain amount of pride in being able to say "I was a Flavet baby" when you come to UF.) Why the 3rd? The sponsors insist it's because so many folks go to the beach on the 4th. I believe it's because fireworks displays are substantially less expensive on July 3rd. So after a spectacular evening of music, fireworks, excellent weather and a stop at Sweet Dreams Home Made Ice Cre...

“I am not sure I should have to always do what you tell me to do, or not to do, Dr. Murray. I know you are a natural philosopher and learned, but in America they let men vote equally, the stupid ones as well as the clever. Not that I am stupid, I am just not as learned as you are. While we are here on this island, just the two of us, we should be voting as equals, don't you think?” He looked at her in astonishment, setting down the gourd. “I am amazed, Miss Farnham, that a properly brought-up Englishwoman would take the riff-raff in America as her model for appropriate behavior. No, this is not a situation calling for some anarchic form of democracy. Your vote is not equal to mine." -- Castaway Dreams Fie on thee, Dr. Murray!  In America we support the right to vote to elect all sorts of people, even if we sometimes scratch our heads afterward and say, "What were they thinking in the voting booth?" July 4 is Independence Day, a day for all of us in...