Reading Round Up

It's been too long since I posted a review round-up. I've been reading a lot, so I'll post the highlights. I've been reading a bit of everything (fantasy, contemporary romance, nonfiction, fairy tale retellings, sci-fi...)

For fantasy: Thick as Thieves by Megan Whelan Turner, Champion of the Rose & Bones of the Fair by Andrea Host, Sarah J Maas's entire backlist. And, sidestepping into urban fantasy, Ilona Andrews' Hidden Legacy trilogy.

Megan Whelan Turner writes books where you can really linger over ever sentence, where re-reading and close reading are richly rewarded. Which is why it pays to start with the first book in the series, The Thief. The two Host books are stand-alones but set in the same world--beautifully written fantasy romances with excellent worldbuilding and good LGBT representation (homosexual marriages are the norm in this world). 

The Sarah J Maas books are interesting. I read both of her series, the Court of Thorns and Roses books and then the Throne of Glass books. They both play a similar trick, which I now intensely admire but served as a barrier to entry for me as a reader: the first book in each series more or less plays a trope completely straight. So with the Court of Thorns and Roses books, a human girl is kidnapped by a handsome fae prince who falls madly in love with her and lavishes her with wealth and adoration. In the Throne of Glass books, a young assassin is released from prison to serve an Evil King, but she finds herself drawn to his charming and good-hearted heir. 

But then subsequent books in the series turn the initial set-up upside down. Every critique I might have made (for instance: the fae prince of the Court of Thorns and Roses books is possessive and overprotective; he cages the heroine as much as he cares for her) ends up being part of the story, which turns and advances in new and surprising directions.   

It's a very epic series, everything turned up to eleven, full of high drama and intensity and big emotions and hard choices. It's also smart and engaging, never resting on its laurels, with heroines who earn their swagger and heroes who admire them for it. 

A little bit of contemporary romance--The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, two books that showed up on a lot of 'best of the year' lists when they were published, for good reason.

Going Nowhere Fast by Kati Wilde had some great banter and good chemistry, even if the plot doesn't stand up to intense scrutiny. I've also indulged in some sports romance--the Brooklyn Bruisers books by Sarina Bowen are really satisfying because the characters are legitimately wrapped up in their work, the minutae of training and conditioning, and the characters behave like mature adults. Ditto Hard Knocks by Ruby Lang, about a doctor and a pro hockey player at the end of his career--a funny sexy romance between two people whose 'meet cute' is complicated by the fact that the heroine has a problem with the sports whose players stand a strong risk of getting concussed and developing lasting brain damage. 

I re-read Robin McKinley's Beauty and the Beast retellings, Rose Daughter & Beauty, because the book I'm working on has shades of Beauty and the Beast.

I enjoyed a bit of historical goodness--The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian is male/male historical romance with great chemistry and humor, a little like Tessa Dare, and A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas--I absolutely adore her Lady Sherlock books. 

Some nonfiction: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin is gripping as a historical account of Lincoln's presidency, with some frightening similarities to the present political situation, and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly is the book that gave rise to the movie. The book isn't structured as a gripping narrative and doesn't feel like a story, with a plot that twists and turns. But as a piece of American history, it's riveting and important. 

And a bit of sci-fi, too: All Systems Red by Martha Wells is a novella about a murderbot that would rather watch TV than do its job. I can't wait for the sequel. The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin is probably the definition of 'hard sci-fi'--it's an alternate history, set in China and rooted in the cultural revolution, about physicists in a country hostile to science and a peculiar video game called The Three Body Problem. It's hard to explain much more without spoilers and it had more math & physics than I, personally, could ever find enjoyable... but it was also incredibly memorable and I've found myself recommending it to others fairly often. 

New News

How is everyone? 

I've been updating the blog infrequently but how about a roundup of recent goings on? 

In February, I left Kentucky to try out life as a 'digital nomad'--the name is a little grandiose and silly but it's also the most apt description I've heard so far. The idea is that certain jobs (like writing novels or--more commonly--web development) can be done from anywhere in the world, so there's no need for a fixed home. Instead, you roam the world as you please--working hard and exploring when you get the chance. 

So far I've drifted through Bali (Indonesia), Thailand, and now I'm in Vietnam, with sidetrips to Cambodia and Laos. I'll be returning to the US briefly in December but so far I've got to say, this lifestyle suits me pretty well... and I don't think it's hurt my productivity.

This year, I've released a novella in Sight Unseen--and after three months of mystery, this week we're finally revealing who wrote which story. Emma Barry did a great interview with All About Romance about her novella, Free, Meredith Duran discussed her story A Clear View of You with Heroes and Heartbreakers, and I did an interview over at USAToday's HEA Blog about my contribution, Lost That Feeling. 

I really suggest checking out the interview. I talk about where I got my inspiration for the story and the real-world history and landscapes that I drew on for the worldbuilding. 

I've also got a few big releases planned for the future. The first is a box set of the No Better Angels books. Check out the gorgeous new cover: 

I'm releasing it at $9.99, which means that anyone who reads The Secret Heart for free would still save a couple of dollars if they go on to buy the box set instead of purchasing The Lover's Knot, The Orphan Pearl, and The Young Blood individually. 

So it's a great time to recommend my books to your friends! You can preorder the Box Set at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, the Google Play store and iBooks. It releases on September 20.

For anyone who's thinking, "This is all well and good but I'm waiting for a new historical romance from you, Ms. Satie," well... that's on its way too. I'm almost done with the new book--I'm at the stage where I'm getting my post-production ducks in a row, reaching out to my editors and I just finished commissioning a new cover.

It'll be at least a month or two before I have any really concrete news for you, but I plan to have this book out before the end of the year and, so far, I'm really excited by how it's turning out. I'm excited about my concept for the series arc, the individual characters are shaping up to be fun people I enjoy spending time with, and the new book has some exquisitely emotional moments. 

More soon--I think I owe everyone a reading list--but in the meanwhile, I hope that you're safe and well. 

Sight Unseen

Pre-Order links:

Amazon - Apple - Kobo - Barnes & Noble

Sight Unseen releases on June 6--that's only three weeks away now! I've got some pre-order links, some blurbs, all the fun stuff. 

Here's the back copy: 

Five top voices in romance dare you to explore the distant corners of their imaginations as they test the limits of storytelling and break the boundaries of what they thought possible. But there’s a twist—the author of each story is a secret. They’re each plumbing the depths of the human heart in ways they’ve never attempted. Taking you high, bringing you low, until you will be hardpressed to guess who wrote what. Can you tell? Want us to? 

Too bad our lips are sealed... for now.

We'll reveal who wrote what sometime in September. Until then, if you have any guesses I would love to hear them! I won't be able to confirm or deny, unfortunately. So far none of our early readers have guessed all the stories right. I think this is such a fun game--I hope you do too.

Here are the individual story blurbs--I've seen one person guess the author just from the summary. 

LOST THAT FEELING

Alma knew who she was, once—that is, before she erased her memory with a spell. Some, like the guards at the prison in which she’s held, say that she was a thief, a murderer.

Others say she was a hero. Like Driss, the man who rescues her. He claims to be a friend. He's certainly handsome. And charming. In a word: perfect.

That's the problem. If he's perfect and she's a hero, how did she end up in prison with a seven-year hole in her memory to begin with?

A CLEAR VIEW OF YOU

As a child, Kate had one dream: to escape her mother’s deluded hippie commune and live in the real world, where mature adults know that magic isn’t real. But the real world also has its downsides—like rent, student loans, and a cutthroat job market. 

Happily, Kate is uniquely qualified for one in-demand position: psychic. Of course, she’s as fake as the rest of them but nobody plays a fortune-teller as convincingly as a girl raised by a would-be witch. If only Kate’s newest client weren’t so perceptive...and attractive. If only crystal balls didn’t have the habit of lighting up in his presence. 

Magic isn’t real, right? Kate is about to find out otherwise... 

FREE

Brad White would be an ordinary accountant with an unrequited crush except for two things: he works for a criminal motorcycle club and he’s in love with the club president’s daughter. When she discovers the truth about the family business, Brad has to move beyond ordinary and put his life on the line to keep her safe.

Wren Masters, unlike everyone else in her graduating class, chose to stay in Montana because she loves it. But when she finds out her father’s club is running drugs, her family and world crumble. She and Brad risk everything to uncover the truth...and begin a scorching affair.

As the conspiracy—and their feelings—deepen, Brad and Wren must choose between family and justice. And neither seems to include a future for them.

CHARIOT OF DESIRE

CJ Crespo, drummer for the once wildly popular rock band Donjon, has always had a thing for frontman Donny Times. They spent the seventies getting high together, making music together, self-destructing together. But her qualms about ruining a creative partnership with sex kept them from ever hooking up. Now, Donny’s conversion to a bizarre fringe religion that won’t allow him to engage in—or even sing about—sex, drugs, or other “sins” threatens to tear Donjon apart.

As the band struggles to embrace a new decade and a new Donny, CJ must decide where she belongs: by Donny’s side even if he can’t ever love her? Or making her own music away from a man who gives and takes in equal measures?

THE HEART IS A UNIVERSE

On the remote planet of Pax Cara lies the greatest secret of the universe. Every generation, the inhabitants must offer up an exceptional young person—the Chosen One—who sacrifices his or her life for the sake of that secret and the planet itself.

However, Vitalis, the current Chosen One, is desperate to free herself from the yoke of destiny. An unexpected invitation to an aristocratic summit seems to be the perfect opportunity for escape. But as soon as she arrives, the most eligible prince in existence proposes marriage.

Sparks fly but Vitalis is wary. Eleian of Terra Illustrata can have anyone he wants. Why has he set his sight on Vitalis who will die within days? Is he hiding an ulterior motive, one that could put everything in jeopardy—her plans, her life, and her heart

I've got a very, very fun project to tell you about today.

Five authors--Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran, Emma Barry, J.A. Rock and me--have contributed novellas to the Sight Unseen anthology. I am thrilled to share a cover flap with some of my favorite romance writers. When it comes to Sherry Thomas and Meredith Duran, I'm not just a reader, I'm a fan. And Emma Barry's books are wildly original--she's written contemporary romances set in the cutthroat world of DC politics and mid-20th century romances set in a fictionalized space-race-era NASA. The settings are impossibly tense but her characters are mature, thoughtful adults and the combination is just wonderful. 

But I haven't gotten to the best part yet. Are you ready? 

Our names are on the cover but we're not going to tell anyone who wrote which story. 

At least, not at first. Sight Unseen will be published in early June and readers will have a few months to read the anthology and guess who wrote what. All will be revealed in the fall.

What makes the puzzle even better is that we're all writing outside of our usual genre. I know that some readers will hear this and think, "Oh, no, please stick to writing what I love! If I wanted another genre I'd buy another genre!" I can't blame you for feeling that way, but I can tell you that I've read the whole anthology and I loved it. The stories are fun and varied and I don't think that the guessing game element would work if we, the authors, weren't playing a bit of hide-and-seek ourselves. 

Smart Bitches Trashy Books is hosting our big reveal. Click this link to visit the page--you'll find more information there, including blurbs for each novella in the anthology. 

Let the speculation begin!

The Not-So-Hidden Canyon

I don't think I've mentioned it here on the blog but I'm traveling for a while & at the moment I'm hanging out in Bali. After five years on an isolated farm in Kentucky, I need to stretch my legs a bit--see new things, soak up new sensations, challenge myself a bit. 

So I might have more fun stories to tell. Like this one: I'd arranged with a couple of the people I've met here to go on a hike through the "hidden canyon". The hidden canyon can be found on google maps, there is a road leading right to it, a sign by the road, and a ticket booth selling tickets before you go in. But... hidden canyon.

Someone who'd made the trip earlier said it was a short hike, about an hour, and that we'd be fine with our flip flops. Cool, I thought. A nice easy, low stress hike to a beautiful location! I'm in! 

But when we get to the hidden canyon and our guide asked us to take off our shoes, I realized I'd made a mistake. We weren't supposed to wear flip flops because the hike was easy. We were supposed to wear flip flops because instead of a trail, we'd be wading through a stream, and we were expected to do it barefoot. 

If you can see the picture above you can tell that this place was beautiful and it was a fun hike, as well. A bit like an obstacle course. The stream was pretty narrow but deep--eight or ten feet deep in places--so the guide helped us weave our way along a navigable footpath and avoid sudden dunkings. 

Last week I tried that beauty treatment where you stick your feet into a tank full of fish who eat dead skin but not living skin. Again, trying new things. So I'd recently stripped all the calluses off my feet & stepping on the sharp pebbles that lined the stream bed got more and more painful--until I was having a hard time appreciating the beauty or the contrast of the cool running water against the hot sun or the adventure of skipping from rock to rock. It hurt every time I stepped on a bed of sharp pebbles and before long, the pain was excruciating. 

And then I realized: the guide had my shoes. He had them in a backpack. Just because he'd suggested we hike the canyon barefoot didn't mean I was required to go barefoot. I could ask for them back. So I did. And the guide gave me my shoes. Just like that! I could have asked for them at any time. I didn't have to wait until I was worried about deadly freshwater parasites climbing through open cuts in the soles of my feet to kill me.

So. A nice hike and a lesson, too.