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Felicia Holt
I enjoy making people fall in love and then making their lives utter hell. Or the other way around.

Besides writing romance novels, I also enjoy reading, talking and music. Oh, and dirty martinis.

Anything else you need to know, shoot me an email.

Enjoy!
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        • Mess No More
        • Sweet Tooth Friday: Chocolate Extravaganza
        • Thursday Thirteen: Movies I Can Quote
        • Quote of the Day: No 1 Rule For Reviewers
        • Love Can Be Murder By Sierra Wolfe
        • Intelligent, Witty, And Tremendously Attractive
        • peas in a pod? (take two)
        • The First Draft Is Kinda Like PreViz
        • Sweet Tooth Friday: Chocolate Martini
        • Thursday Thirteen: 13 Songs for a soundtrack
        • Current TBR pile
        • A chaise is a shaez is a shay?
        • The Silver Casket by Debbie Mumford is out today!
        • peas in a pod? (take one)
        • Horrible temptation of evil internetz
        • quote of the day: on lycra bodystockings
        • Sweet Tooth Friday: Yummy Swedish Chocolate Balls
        • The story I can't write (yet)
        • Thursday Thirteen: Opening Lines
        • Jinxed by Inez Kelley

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    Felicia Holt

    Monday, August 31, 2009

    Mess No More

    I'm not tidy.

    In fact, whenever I do anything - write, make brownies, get dressed - I leave a mess. It has even been said that had I been a band I would have been called "...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Discarded Clothing."

    Same with research material. A file here, a clipping there, a picture file on an external hard drive I rarely use.

    It's a mess.*

    So this weekend I did a HUGE fall cleaning. After looking around at the digital notebooks etc. I had been recommended, I didn't really feel wowed by any of them. So I decided to keep it simple - I designed about 10 different templates in my ordinary word processor, using my favorite character sheets, my favorite plotting chart etc. Then I stuck 'em together in one file and suddenly I had a great world building book, tailored to my needs. I suppose you could keep them as separate files in a specific folder, too - depends on how much info you want to cram into it, I suppose.

    I spent quite some time copying the info I had spread all over the place, but it was well worth it. Finally I have all the information I need in one place. And it looks pretty too! I feel a lot more inspired just browsing my new WIP book.

    All in all it took maybe three hours, including some plot adjustments I made. And I've been putting this off for months! The best thing is, I can use the template for my next WIP. It can even be tailored to the feel of that particular WIP by simply changing fonts.

    So tell me, how do you store info for your writing projects?


    *Not my desk; image borrowed from sparkle glowplug
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 12:21 PM 0 comments
    Labels: woe monday, writing

    Friday, August 28, 2009

    Sweet Tooth Friday: Chocolate Extravaganza

    Today is eye candy only. No calories, all fun!





    1. 6-29-09, 2. I Heart Cake Truffle Box of 12, 3. Tin Roof Sunday Ice Cream, 4. dark chocolate truffles, 5. mini chocolate cupcakes, 6. chocolate pluot cupcakes, 7. Chocolate Beet Cake, 8. Chocolate Face 2, 9. Chocolate Cupcake with Dark Chocolate Frosting
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 4:16 PM 0 comments
    Labels: sweet tooth friday

    Thursday, August 27, 2009

    Thursday Thirteen: Movies I Can Quote

    If I were to list my top 13 favorite movies, this list might look different. Still, considering these are all movies I know the dialogue of almost by heart, I suppose I must have seen them a lot of times. For some reason.

    1. Lord Of The Rings. This would be the whole trilogy as I can't distinguish between them. I'm not ashamed of this one. I've loved Tolkien since I was eight and sneak-read Lord of the Rings when my sister picked them up at the library. Typical quote: "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."

    2. Fletch. Wee-eell, I have to blame this one on my ex who forced me to see this about 4,000 zillion times. Not that there aren't good and useful lines in it. Typical quote: "Alan: You'll be wearing rubber gloves. Do you own rubber gloves? Fletch: I rent 'em. I have a lease with an option to buy."

    3. Romancing the Stone. Do I need to justify this? The opening sequence is awesome. Plus, it taught me Cartagena is in Colombia. Typical quote: "Now I ain't cheap, but I can be had."

    4. The Breakfast Club. Yes, I was a teenager in the 80's. There's just no getting around The Breakfast Club if you were. "You're an idiot anyway. But if you say you get along with your parents, well, you're a liar too."

    5. Highlander. OK, OK. This is also because of my ex. Funny thing is, I can hardly recall the plot, but I still know half the dialogue by heart. Typical quote: "I took his head and raped his woman before his blood was even cold."

    6. Adam's Rib. This is my favorite movie. The. Favorite. With a capital F. I could go on for hours about its outstanding awesomeness but I won't. I'll just say: SEE IT if you haven't. Typical quote: "Amanda: And after you shot your husband... how did you feel? Mrs. Attinger: Hungry!"

    7. Star Wars. Yes, it's the curse and sign of geeks everywhere that they know most of Star Wars by heart. We use it to locate each other in bars. Typical quote: "When I left you, I was but the learner, now I am the master."

    8. Grease. My little sister loved this. She watched this every afternoon for two years, I swear. Typical quote: "You know, if we fix up this car, it could be make-out city."

    9. Army of Darkness. I'm a dork. What can I say? I love this movie more than words can say and in terms of quotes it's the best. Tyical quote: "Arthur: Are all men from the future loud-mouthed braggarts? Ash: Nope. Just me baby... Just me."

    10. Top Gun. I blame this on youthful folly. And the volleyball scene. Yeah, the volleyball scene... *sigh* Anyway, typical quote: "I feel the need... The need for speed!"

    11. The Mummy. It's so adorably cheesy. I love this! Plus it features a librarian heroine and contains eons of Egyptian historical inaccuracies, so what's not to love? Typical quote: "You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance!"

    12. Working Girl. 80's power suits FTW! Typical quote: "I have a head for business and a bod for sin. Is there anything wrong with that?"

    13. Constantine. Yeah, I love this. It has Keanu Reeves being really, really good for once; it has demons and angels; it has exorcism and Rachel Weisz - and it has super-fab low key sexual tension between the MC:s. The only thing I don't like is Peter Stormare at the end. Overdoing it by the dozen. Typical quote: "You are going to die young because you smoked 30 cigarettes a day since you were 15 and you're going to go to hell because of the life you took. You're f****d."
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 7:01 AM 14 comments
    Labels: movies, thursday thirteen

    Wednesday, August 26, 2009

    Quote of the Day: No 1 Rule For Reviewers

    "I think that rule number one for book reviewers should probably be Don't Spend The First Paragraph Slagging Off The Genre. Just don't. Don't start a review of romance books by saying that all romance books are rubbish but these are good (or just as bad as the rest)."
    - Neil Gaiman
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 12:33 PM 0 comments

    Love Can Be Murder By Sierra Wolfe

    Photobucket


    Alexander Forsytheʼs house is haunted. One wouldn’t think a hundred and three year old vampire would let a little ghost bother him, but this particular house guest has outstayed her welcome.

    Alex detests witchcraft, but after discovering his ghost, Abbie, is the ancestor of the local witch, Willow Cowan, his choices are limited. Alex calls on Willow to help evict his ghostly tenant, but he begins to wonder if the sexy spell-caster might be more trouble than the ghost.

    Willow thinks Alex needs her magical abilities to remove the spirit from his house. What she doesnʼt realize is that his specter is her long lost ancestor. Sheʼs not sure she wants to help the gorgeous vampire in his ghost hunt, until she sees a long lost family heirloom on display in Alexʼs house.

    Alex is adamant that the necklace belongs to him.. Itʼs been in his family since it was created for the wife of a distant ancestor. The necklace had been given to every wife of the first born son. Heʼs reluctant to give away his precious heirloom to a witch.

    Can they learn to work together and get past their differences? Or will Abbie be the one obstacle they can’t remove?


    You can check it out at The Wild Rose Press. Remember, it’s available on Wednesday August 26, 2009!

    For more information on Sierra and what she's working on, stop by her website.
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 7:15 AM 0 comments
    Labels: promotion, releases

    Tuesday, August 25, 2009

    Intelligent, Witty, And Tremendously Attractive


    You are Elizabeth Bennet!


    Take the Quiz here!


    Thank you for that! See, if I had to be one of Jane Austen's heroines I would most likely pick Elizabeth. She just seems to have the most fun! She's funny and witty and pretty and thinks herself just a little more clever and a little less vain than she really is. If I'm going to be honest here, I always found her far more interesting than Darcy.

    And this raises a rather interesting issue for me - often when I see romantic novels discussed, I realize that people are all about the heroes. Not so for me. Not that I don't like a good hero - I just don't feel for them like I do for the heroine. For me, she is what makes or breaks the novel.

    When I tried to break down my likes and dislikes, I realized that I have "A Type." You know, just like you may find that all guys you go for are tall and dark, or beefy and blond, or (in my case) have huge noses. And my heroine type has the following traits:

    - spunky
    - not nearly as smart as she thinks
    - still pretty smart, and definitely smarter than most others think
    - witty, preferably in a self-depreciating, smart mouthed way
    - brave, as in stands up for what she thinks is important
    - resilient
    - pretty average and averagely pretty
    - passionate about something other than passion

    Now that I've realized this, I'll start working on broadening my horizons. Certainly other types of women are attractive too?
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 1:56 PM 0 comments
    Labels: mememe, quizzes

    Monday, August 24, 2009

    peas in a pod? (take two)


    OK - which one is Peter Lorre and which one is Pete Doherty? Because I honestly can't tell.
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 7:38 PM 0 comments
    Labels: men, peas in a pod

    The First Draft Is Kinda Like PreViz

    The first draft of anything is s**t.

    No, I didn't make that up; a guy called Ernest Hemingway did. And since he wrote quite a few books that are generally considered, well, not s**t, I like to quote that.

    Me, I always compare everything I churn out with the very best published stuff I can find and then I'm ready to give up because my First Draft isn't as good. But does it matter? Does the first draft have to be good in order for the final book to be good?

    Not according to my friend Ernest.

    Not that he's the only one. To mention someone else, Joanna Bourne refers to her first draft as "a bloated nonsense monster" and as far as I'm concerned, her books turn out great in the end, anyway.

    For me, right now, it's like this: I have a plot. I have scenes plotted out. Then I write them and sometimes new things happen, but generally I stay on the plot. And that's it. I write the plot, and I fill in the dialogue but I can't do any nice, snazzy, fancy writing. If I do that I'll lose momentum and I'll be dragged down into a never ending bog marsh of constant revisions. I can't dwell on sensorial details, though the story will need them. I'll toss 'em in occasionally but not very prettily written. And sometimes I need a simile, one specific for my character and really witty, but I can't come up with it right away. So I just skip those. Just to mention a few things that my First Draft bugger lacks.

    What I get is the skeleton of a story, the bare minimum. First this happens, then this happens. She says this, he says this. And then lightning strikes. Or whatever. But it's not a full story. As a full story, it IS s**t.

    But it's the embryo of a story. With time and revisions and polishing and many, many hours in front of the computer and gallons of coffee and hopefully some cruel and cutting critique, it will be great. I just need not to treat it as what it's not and compare it with stories that have already gone through that transition.

    I saw some 'behind-the-scenes' stuff from the making of LOTR today - the part where they talk about making a short film out of the storyboard and the making 3D previz animations of the scenes before shooting them. That's when it hit me - that's how I should look at my First Draft. It's like previz!

    If you don't know what previsualization is, Wikipedia explains it like this:

    "The advantage of previsualization is that it allows directors to experiment with different staging and art direction options – such as lighting, camera placement and movement, stage direction and editing - without having to incur the costs of actual production. On larger budget project, the director works with artists in a visual effects department or with dedicated previsualization service companies. Previsualizations can include music, sound effects and dialogue to closely emulate the look of fully produced and edited sequences, and are usually employed for complex or difficult scenes that involve stunts and special effects. Digital video, photography, hand-drawn art, clip art and 3D animation have all been used either singly or in combination to preview sequences."

    It's more like a very extensive synopsis. Which is exactly what my First Draft is. But it's not until the second draft is done that I should start thinking of it as a real story. Then, third draft (I think) it might start looking like what it should be in the end.

    So I'm going to decide my First Draft is like those previz shots - it's about test driving the story. Not creating it - just yet. That'll happen later when I add the truly marvelous writing that will turn it from an ugly larva into a beautiful butterfly.

    That's my story and I'm sticking with it. And if you tell me differently, I'll sic Ernest on you!
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 12:47 PM 0 comments
    Labels: woe monday, writing

    Friday, August 21, 2009

    Sweet Tooth Friday: Chocolate Martini

    You say chocolate? You say martini? You have my attention!


    Posted by Felicia Holt at 12:46 PM 1 comments
    Labels: sweet tooth friday

    Thursday, August 20, 2009

    Thursday Thirteen: 13 Songs for a soundtrack

    I wish someone would make a movie with this soundtrack. I don't know exactly what it'd be about, but I'm pretty sure it would be beautiful and all shades of wonderful.

    1. Ca Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrands
    2. Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
    3. Aphrodisiac - Bow Wow Wow
    4. Whatever Happened - The Strokes
    5. Is It Wicked No To Care? - Belle & Sebastian
    6. Rockers To Swallow - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
    7. Good Morning Britain - Aztec Camera
    8. There She Goes - The La's
    9. Baby, I Don't Care - Transvision Vamp
    10. I Don't Like Mondays - Tori Amos
    11. Weapon Of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
    12. Veronica Fever - The Raveonettes
    13. Bastards Of Young - The Replacements




    Image by angelsk
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 7:05 AM 16 comments
    Labels: movies, music, thursday thirteen

    Wednesday, August 19, 2009

    Current TBR pile



    Well, top three items, anyway.

    I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch with these babies and a glass of wine. With any luck it'll rain as well.
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 5:58 PM 0 comments
    Labels: book love

    Tuesday, August 18, 2009

    A chaise is a shaez is a shay?

    The story I'm working on recently took a turn I hadn't expected. Thinking it over, I decided that it was much better than my original idea, so I decided to roll with it. The change involved that the travel I had planned would take place off-stage, now became a vital part of the plot. Unlike my original plan, the trip would also no longer be by private carriage, but by public means - stage coach or rented carriages. Stage coach was my original idea, and it makes for so many
    great scenes, but I just can't wrap my mind around my characters doing anything so horribly common if they had a choice. Plus, don't get me into the headache it would be to try to dig up proper time schedules for a stage coach between A and B in 1753 including what inns they might have used. That is just asking for trouble.

    No, they would have to use rented carriages. And since every text book I've read has spoken of the excellent system of post-chaises, it didn't seem like it would be very complicated. That is, until I dove into the issue a little closer.

    You see, the cheerful declarations on the comfort and speed of the post chaise system, which are usually described as regarding "the 18th century" are, once they are examined all built upon quotes from the late 1770s and onwards. Before that, the sources suddenly started to diverge.

    I've come across a reference to the system of "riding post" - which means changing horses at various inns - that goes back to at least the 16th century. Then all descriptions are very hasty, until references from the late 18th century are made (also quite a few are really Regency, being passed off as "18th century" - don't get me started on how that annoys me). There is one book from 1767 called Kitchin's post-Chaise Companion through England and Wales but that is the first firsthand source I found that mentions it. On the other hand, one book states that:

    "In 1743 the system of travelling post, which so long before as 1664 had been common in France, was introduced into England by one John Trull, an artillery officer, who obtained a patent for letting carriages for hire across country."
    - Carriages & Coaches by Strauss

    That gives the impression that a post system for carriages might still have been a new thing for my characters, who live in 1753. On the other hand, glancing at the storyline of Tom Jones, A Foundling by Henry Fielding, which is written in 1749 and takes place in 1745, Tom and Partridge happily travel by post - although if this means a coach or if they are riding, I don't remember. Sophia Western is also traveling about England in it but I couldn't find what means she's using. Anyway, I seem to be able to assume that a post system for carriages could at least have been available for my characters in 1753. If I decide it was on the route they travel.

    But what kind of vehicle would they have traveled by? All accounts talk about "post chaises" but what IS a chaise? According to Wikipedia a chaise (and I have also seen the spellings chaize and shaez as well as shay and chay) is:

    "A chaise, sometimes called chay or shay, was a formerly popular, light two- or four-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage, usually of a chair-backed type, with a movable hood or calash top. The name came from the French for chair, through a transference from a sedan-chair to a wheeled vehicle. The two-wheeled version, for one or two persons, also called a gig or one-horse shay, had a body hung on leather straps or thorough-braces and was usually drawn by one horse; a light chaise having two seats was a double chair . The four-wheeled pleasure carriage type was similar."

    Most often, a post chaise is claimed to have been yellow, but again, these quotes are all from 1780s and on. Anyway, the described type of carriage was in use in France already by the late 17th century, but it seems that anything similar did not exist in England. Again, Strauss claims that:

    "The door of these first post-chaises 'was hinged at the bottom and fell forward on to a small dasher like a gentleman's cabriolet,' and there was a window on either side. 'It was hung upon two very lofty wheels,' says Thrupp, 'and long shafts for one horse, and the body was rather in front of the wheels, so that the weight on the horse's back must have been considerable. It was suspended at first upon leather braces only, but later upon two up-right or whip springs behind, and two elbow springs in front from the body to the cross-bar, which joined the shafts and carried the step.'"

    And yes, I looked up Thrupp's book but it didn't go any further into detail than that. Certainly, I find no account of the typical post chaise type with good springs and a large window in front that made Dr. Johnson exclaim:

    "If I had no duties, and no reference to futurity, I would spend my life in driving briskly in a post-chaise with a pretty woman."

    until the 1770s and no mention of them being yellow until Regency time. Then again, the "term chaise was also used for any light carriage or pleasure cart." Also, I've seen it used just for just any type of carriage or coach too (it is what the French word means after all) so I guess my characters might have thought of it as a "post chaise" no matter what type of carriage it was.

    So, to sum it up. I am going to dig out Tom Jones and reread it. I meant to do that anyway. I will continue to try to find some proper books on carriages that don't just gloss over the mid-18th century (or try to pretend that 1784 IS mid-18th century). Meanwhile, I am going to assume that they could indeed travel by post in a smallish carriage that opened in front in 1753.

    If anyone could help, I'd be much obliged!


    Picture from Strauss' book, which as far as I could find is out of copyright
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 11:46 AM 0 comments
    Labels: research, writing

    The Silver Casket by Debbie Mumford is out today!

    Silver Casket-small

    The Silver Casket
    by
    Debbie Mumford

    Cat Logan, a young American with a recent degree in medieval literature, travels to Scotland to discover her Celtic roots. She finds more than she bargained for when a mysterious silver casket (rumored to hold the desiccated heart of a long dead Scottish laird) transports her back in time to the 1400s and the man whose heart she holds in her hands.

    Publisher: Freya's Bower
    Genre:
    Time Travel/Historical
    Rating: Tangy
    Book Length: Novella

    Available Tuesday, August 18, 2009
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 9:44 AM 1 comments
    Labels: releases

    Monday, August 17, 2009

    peas in a pod? (take one)

    Is it just me or is there an uncanny resemblance between Robert Mitchum and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age?
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 7:42 PM 0 comments
    Labels: men, peas in a pod

    Horrible temptation of evil internetz


    I write every day.

    Sure, I do.

    Only sometimes the proportions between the time I actually write, and the time I nominally write but in reality blog, hang around on Facebook or surf for pictures of hot shoes, are a little bit askew.

    I try, I really do, but the 'net calls out to me in siren tones: "Coooome, just a liiiittle click. Just one pointless visit to a blog to check out what Mary-Kate Olsen wore the other day." And, yes, such is the depth of my depravity - I actually look at pictures of people famous for being famous. All so I won't have to do what I love best.

    I've heard other writers complain about the same thing, though, so I'm probably not the only one. I recently got a tip that's working fairly well for me - pick an album, and while it's playing you must write the entire time. No surfing, no coffee making, no... OK, if you absolutely have to go, you might be excused.

    But seriously, any tips are more than welcome. How does one keep from getting distracted if one is a weak vessel who is easily led into temptation?


    Image by turtlemom4bacon.
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 11:37 AM 0 comments
    Labels: woe monday, writing

    Saturday, August 15, 2009

    quote of the day: on lycra bodystockings

    "My old grandmother used to say, 'People who love people don't ask people to wear lycra bodystockings.'"
    - Neil Gaiman (on twitter, to gf Amanda Palmer)

    This one cracks me up. Especially since it seems she convinced him to do it in the end.
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 10:26 AM 0 comments
    Labels: quotes

    Friday, August 14, 2009

    Sweet Tooth Friday: Yummy Swedish Chocolate Balls

    Yes, it's a funny name, and yes they're yummy.
    • 4 cups regular rolled oats
    • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
    • 2 tablespoons strong coffee
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
    • 1/3 cup coconut flakes or chocolate sprinkles

    Mix the oats, sugar, and cocoa together in a bowl. Add the butter, and use your hands to mix the ingredients together to make a thick dough. Mix in the coffee, vanilla, and chocolate until thoroughly blended.

    Place the coconut flakes in a small bowl. Pinch off small
    amounts of dough and roll between your hands to make small balls, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the balls in the coconut flakes/sprinkles. Refrigerate for at least an hour before eating.






    Posted by Felicia Holt at 7:59 PM 0 comments
    Labels: sweet tooth friday

    The story I can't write (yet)

    This story came to me in about 5 minutes. I heard a story from a co-worker and bam! I knew. I knew the plot, the characters, the... Dang it, I even knew the cupcakes.

    The plot:


    +

    The girl:


    +

    The cupcakes:


    I thought it through in the shower yesterday, and realized I even have the individual scenes worked out. But I can't do it now, because I am doing another story and I can only focus on one thing at a time. I'm stupid like that.

    So I'm saving this for NaNoWriMo. I think I could punch this sucker out in 30 days, no problem.

    Please return in November and watch me eat my words.


    1. Wedding dress photo by Thisyearsboy 2. Screenshot from "Treat me Like Your Mother" by The Dead Weather 3. Cupcakes by SweetElegance
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 12:57 PM 0 comments
    Labels: projects, writing

    Thursday, August 13, 2009

    Thursday Thirteen: Opening Lines

    Everybody knows the importance of the first chapter. But what part of the first chapter is the most important? That’s right, the first page. And what part of the first page is the real crucial part? Mhm. The first sentence.

    Not that I think you should normally start your writing by trying to find the perfect first sentence - opening lines are often like the cherry on the birthday cake, which you can't put there until you've baked the cake, whipped the cream and layered the darn thing together. But they do a lot for the overall impression...

    Here are my 13 favorite opening lines (off the top of my head). They're all very different, from very different books, but they all have in common that they grab you by the hair and pull you in:

    1. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

    2. “There was a hand in the darkness and it held a knife.” Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

    3. "Call me Ishmael." Herman Melville, Moby Dick

    4. “Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.” Margaret Mitchell, Gone With The Wind

    5. “I was never a virgin.” Susan Isaacs, Lily White

    6. “We were somewhere around Barstow near the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.” Hunter S. Thompson, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

    7. "She grew up in a land of fairy tales and miracles." Karen Essex, Leonardo's Swans

    8. "It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York." Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

    9. "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." Rafael Sabatini, Scaramouche

    10. "It was a pleasure to burn." Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

    11. "Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. "J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    12. "Marley was dead, to begin with." Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

    13, "In 1940, when I was thirty-one and an old maid, while the whole world waited for war, I fell in love with John Berringer." Susan Isaacs, Shining Through


    So what are your favorite first sentences?


    Image via A Y U M i
    Posted by Felicia Holt at 12:29 PM 18 comments
    Labels: book love, thursday thirteen, writing

    Wednesday, August 12, 2009

    Jinxed by Inez Kelley

    So Inez Kelley recently debuted with Jinxed on Samhain. Sounds like a perfect read if you're looking for a quirky contemporary.


    Frannie learned the hard way that a McHottie doesn’t always equal marriage material. She’s happy with her vanilla life. She has friends, a career and a double-D-powered vibrator. Then Fate shoves her, literally, into Prince Charming’s lap. His declaration of love at first sight is cute—and spikes her bullcrap meter into the red zone.

    She’s more than willing to give in with her body. But she’s barricaded her heart behind castle walls—and permanently welded the gates shut.

    Tragedy taught Jinx that time is too precious to waste, so when a series of uncanny coincidences thrusts Frannie into his life, he holds on tight. He knows she thinks he’s several fries short of a Happy Meal, but he’s determined to breach the fortress around her heart and give her a Happily Ever After.

    Even if he has to carry her fanny-first into his kingdom.

    If you're still not sure after that, read the excerpt.

    You can get JINXED at MBaM.

    Also check out Inez' website www.inezkelley.com.






    Posted by Felicia Holt at 5:32 PM 0 comments
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