Darlene's Digest

From the site Pirates and Privateers: The History of Maritime Piracy: "... Set in 1820,   The Pirate’s Secret Baby   is a well-researched historical romance spiced with humor. The story of Robert, Lydia, and Marauding Mattie weaves an invisible spell that tugs at your heart strings, and I particularly liked Robert’s non-violent, but oh-so-typically-piratical solution to thwarting Lydia’s nemesis. Near the end of the story, I thought once or twice it could have ended sooner than it did, but the final scene definitely ices the wedding cake. The host of refreshing, non-stereotypical, minor characters – such as two Mutt-and-Jeff-like seamen who go to school with Marauding Mattie and go her tea party, or the vicar who doesn’t mind if his daughter dons an eye patch and duels with a wooden sword – truly help bring this story to life. I’ve read several of Marshall’s previous pirate tales, but this is the best written and most intriguing one..." Read the full review here , an...

Image via Wikipedia I stayed up past my bedtime finishing this engrossing novel by Stephenie Meyer, author of the acclaimed "Twilight" YA books. The Host is published as her first "adult" as opposed to YA novel, but there's nothing especially adult about it except the age of the protagonists. The story is a riff on the SF classics "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Puppetmasters", but told from the alien invaders' POV: Why would humanity object to having their bodies taken over by aliens, when the aliens are peaceful, and non-violent and loving? The "souls", as they term themselves, don't understand it, until one "soul", Wanderer, finds itself sharing a body with its host, Melanie--something that's not supposed to happen. Melanie's thoughts and fears and dreams intrude into Wanderer's life until the "soul" decides to do something about it. From a SF POV the worldbuilding raised some...

Just in case you haven't had your daily dose of Darlene, here's an interview with me from the Shelfari Authors site . There's also a review of Captain Sinister's Lady. Here's what the reviewer said: " ...Captain Sinister's Lady was a great read : fun, interesting and definitely a romance. I loved it and I'm rather intrigued enough by the teaser for Pirate's Price that I'll be downloading it as well." Check it out, and join in the Shelfari chat!