Reviews, reviews, reviews

I'm an angsty author. I admit it. I put my titles up on Google Alerts, so when my books are mentioned somewhere, I'll know it right away. And this isn't always a good thing. Well, this morning a review popped up that had me shaking my head.

Most authors would say that at the moment I saw the review link, I should have hit delete (without opening) and moved on. But curiosity drove me forward. Though the reviewer actually read the book (trust me, some don't) and gave it an okay and thoughtful review, sadly, she didn't get the book. The subtle humor passed right over her head.

Now I need to say that generally I stay away from really dark topics in my books, such as abuse of children, rape, graphic murders, etc. Though I am a true crime show addict, and occasionally throw a kidnapping or dead body into my stories, my books are meant to be a lighter read. I shoot for fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek, wry humor...as the examples lifted by the reviewer below show:

 * “Though I appreciate your desire to divest yourself of your virginity on my manly staff….”

* “it had nothing to do with her desire to climb atop his manly frame and ride him all night.”

* “You are despicable,” she wheezed, surprised by his frankness….. “Do you ever think of anything but launching a coup against my drawers?”

He shrugged. “I’m afraid not.”

Truthfully, is there anything serious in those quotes? The only time I ever use 'manly' is in jest and I thought that last quote was amusing. At least to me! Hopefully, it leads the reader to all sorts of raunchy images of how he might use his 'manly staff' to fight his way past the barrier of her undergarments! 

So if someone picks up my books, I hope they like my humor, enjoy the romance, and hang on for a wild ride. Because giving readers a few hours of (I hope!) crazy-fun is why I right romance!

Spooky question

I was on my way home from Weight Watchers this morning and I heard the theme for the movie Halloween on the radio. Perfect for Oct, right? When that movie came out, it scared the dickens out of me. Now that I'm a few years older, I don't watch many scary movies. There is enough scary stuff on the news!

So my question of the day is, what is/was your favorite scary movie?

The drawing is going through Friday, so I'm still collecting names for books and the Kindle!

Release day!

The Accidental Courtesan is out today and I'll be heading to B&N to take a peek! I was also fortunate last night to get a preview of my next book cover (June 2012). Very pretty! '

I know for myself that a great cover can draw me to pick up a book first, and the blurb on the back will decide my purchase. I love my Berkley covers and have received favorable comments from readers. That leads to my question of the day:

Does a great cover entice you to pick up a book? 

All poster's will be added to the daily drawing, here and on Facebook! Thanks!

Monday/Pets

Good morning. It's day three of my blog party. Since Google is still goofy, I'll be taking names here and on Facebook for the rest of the week. We've given away 3 sets of books and will continue all week!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/cherylannsmithauthor

I thought I'd blog about my crazy cat today. I know it isn't book related but he is worth mentioning. The little hairball loves to rip up toilet paper rolls, kill rolled up socks, and put his toys in his water bowl. He chews on the dog and chases our other cat. He should get a mention in my book acknowledgements as he spends half of my life sitting on my lap while I write. It can make typing difficult! We are building an addition onto our house. When the wall was broken out, we had several days of a mice invasion. Thankfully, he turned out to be an excellent mouse catcher. The other cat just watched the action!

Do you have pets with odd quirks, or a story about something crazy or fun your pet has done? I'd love to hear about it!

Party-Facebook

Hi everyone. Google is still giving some grief, so I will be taking names for prizes both here and on my Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/cherylannsmithauthor

The cover for The School for Brides is on the page so you'll know you are in the right place!

I promise to make sure everyone has a chance to win books, and the Kindle on Friday! Once again, sorry for the mix up!

Warm places and open spaces

Over the last couple of days, Michigan has taken a big leap into fall. From the upper 60's to the low 50's. Though it will warm up some this week, chances of it getting hot again are slim. With the cold season comes thoughts of warm climates and sunny vacations. One of my favorite places is Moorea, in French Polynesia. My hubby and I went there on our honeymoon. I worked for an airline at the time, so we could afford to go. The airplane from Tahiti to Moorea was so small, that our luggage had to take a different plane! It was a beautiful island, sandy beaches, blue waters, and at night, the sky was so black that the stars were the brightest I've ever seen. There were few cars so we took a wooden bus around the island. We discovered banana pancakes, a Moray Eel, and that lizards love to invade huts. We took a boat tour and a dog names Freckles came along for the ride. We soon found out why. The hamburgers they fed us were, well, let's just say, not the best. We all covertly gave them to the dog. She was happy! But the grilled tuna steaks in coconut milk were yummy! It was a great trip!

That was my favorite place. What place do you enjoy visiting or where would be the setting of your dream vacation?    

Google Chrome is the answer

Hi everyone. It looks like Google is now Google Chrome. That is why I was having problems today! It seems like Google has come up with a way to mess with the un-computer savvy like me. So if anyone is having problems posting, Google Chrome is the new program to download Google blogs. My hubby set me up so hopefully there will be no more problems! Thanks for your patience! I think I'll pull two names from the hat today!

Crazy!

When technology kicks you in the knees...

I'm still having difficulties. I'm so sorry!!! The blog has been working for that last several days. I'm still taking names and have sent out for help!

Blog issues!

I can't believe I'm having blog issues today of all days! I am reading your posts and taking down names for the drawing. I appreciate your patience while I figure this out! Cheryl

Party!

Good morning! If anyone has read my blog, the first historical romance I read was Kathleen Woodiwiss's, The Flame and the Flower. I stayed up all night and read (and loved) that book. Heather and Brandon were such interesting characters. Later on, I'd heard that Kathleen had sent off this huge manuscript to the editor, who read it and signed her right away. I don't know how much of that is true, but can you imagine how exciting that call must have been for her? She and a few other writers helped launch a whole new romance genre with that book! I bet she didn't know how far reaching her influence would go when she sat at her typewriter, writing her love story.

What was the first romance you read? What drew you to it? What was there about it that made you want to continue reading romance?

I will draw names tonight at 10pm for a set of books. All the names today will go into a hat for the Kindle drawing on Friday!