Last night’s nap caused some problems: I didn’t get to sleep until close to 2:00 AM, then I turned off my alarm in the morning without even waking up. Thankfully, my mom called this morning; otherwise, I don’t know when I would have managed to get out of bed.

Tonight’s goal, then, is to avoid anything resembling a nap. I am grateful for my working furnace since temperatures have really dropped in the past week. My plan is to snuggle up with a blanket in my entertainment room and watch Cold Case Files (CCF) on A&E. I’ve been a long-time fan of A&E programming, but CCF is perhaps my favorite. The hour-long show usually reviews two crimes that went unsolved for some time (hence the phrase, “cold case”) before being solved. Many of these crimes are solved thanks to advancements in technology.

I enjoy watching shows like this; they appeal to my sense of justice. I’m fascinated by the science and the investigative techniques. If I had to choose a new career, it would be something related to forensic science.

Note to self: Taking a nap after work only makes it harder to go to sleep at night. It may help you get some blogging done, however.

Taming the Wolf is a medieval romance by Deborah Simmons. I have been reading a number of medievals lately, and I’ve been pretty lucky with them so far. Taming the Wolf continues that luck by being a 4 out of 5, much better than my previous Simmons read: The Devil Earl.

Marion Warenne loses her memory after being attacked on her way to a convent. She ends up living with the de Burgh family, who come to love and value her as part of the family. Marion is content to live with at Campion Castle with Campion and six of his sons. The seventh and oldest is Dunstan, who owns his own estate and comes to visit just when Marion learns that her uncle has ordered her to be returned to him. Though she doesn’t remember him, she feels sick at the thought of going back to him. When none of the Campion brothers seem willing to take her home, Dunstan agrees to be her escort.

Dunstan expects the journey to be fairly uneventful. Instead, he ends up chasing Marion when she repeatedly runs away, then runs with her for their lives when their group is attacked. Obviously, someone wants them dead, and they must discover who that someone is.

This book features a fast-paced plot that kept my interest engaged. Marion is a complex character–at times sweet, at times plucky. She can’t help but fall in love with the gruff Dunstan, a warrior whose tough exterior masks a man who slowly comes to believe in love. Their story is lively and entertaining, although I grew tired of Marion’s continued desire to run away, even after they are married. In the end, they are obviously a perfect pair.

Taming the Wolf was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

After reading Meg Cabot’s Boy Meets Girl, I had high hopes for The Boy Next Door. As I mention here, the format of the book is similar, though in this case, the story is told only through e-mail. As with the first book, I liked the hero and heroine. But one particular part of the story disappointed me. As a result, The Boy Next Door receives 4 out of 5—make that a low 4.

Melissa (Mel) Fuller writes entertainment news at the New York Journal. John Trent covers the crime beat for a competing publication, the New York Chronicle. Through a rather complicated series of events, John ends up representing himself to Mel as photographer Max Friedlander. When he falls for Mel, he worries about the fact that she doesn’t know who he really is.

I loved John. Yes, he misrepresents himself, but he’s funny, down to earth, and he writes about crime. What’s not to like? Some of my favorite John moments:

• He has an affinity for redheads. Of course, Mel is a redhead. After he meets her, his e-mail to his brother reads simply: “She’s a redhead. Help.”
• After a date with Mel, he tells his sister-in-law: “She likes tornadoes and the blues, beer, and anything to do with serial killers.”

I’d like a man who appreciates my knowledge about serial killers.

I’m sure it will come as no surprise that Mel finds out about the deception and anger ensues. And here’s where I start getting frustrated. I understand her anger, but she hangs onto it for much too long. And while I love how their reunion comes about, it’s glossed over as a minor point. Definitely frustrating.

Still, I enjoyed much of the story and would love to revisit the New York Journal if Meg Cabot uses this setting in any other books.

Last week I finished Carlton Smith’s true-crime book Blood Will Tell. Blood is very telling in this story; while Ken Fitzhugh asserts that his wife, Kristine, died accidentally after falling down the stairs, blood spatter patterns suggest that she was actually attacked in the kitchen, and the scene was staged to make the death appear accidental. One investigator states it succinctly: “There’s simply too much blood.”

Blood Will Tell had all of the elements for an interesting story, but Smith’s treatment is not particularly compelling. It starts strongly, with a brief glimpse of Ken in prison, then a switch to the description of the crime scene. But as the story continues, much of it seems wordy and not particularly illuminating. One section provides a long family history about Ken. As I read it, though, I found myself asking how much of the information was necessary to the story. The answer: not nearly as much as Smith provides.

Things pick up with the description of the trial, but even that ends with a disappointment. It’s clear from the first page that Ken is convicted, but there’s nothing in the book about the verdict or the sentence. This seems like a significant oversight.

It was interesting to get Ken’s perspective. True-crime books aren’t always able to depict both sides, but in this case, Smith interviewed Ken. Ken claims that he is innocent, of course, but apparently the jury believed otherwise. My rating of the book: 2 out of 5.

Since this blog entry focuses on crime, I’ll add that I’m terribly disappointed in the verdict in the case about the death of Ted Binion. I don’t understand why the two were acquitted of murder.

I’ve been writing a lot this weekend, but none of it has been for this blog (yet). Although I would have liked a work-free weekend, I decided it would be better if I brought some work home with me. I have some pressing deadlines this week, including one significant project, so I’m hoping to get most of it written before heading back to work tomorrow. (I’m keeping my fingers crossed . . . at least, when they are not attached to my keyboard.)

I have made time for reading, though, so once I get back to blogging, I’ll definitely have something to say. I even managed to get some scrapbooking done, too.

I started reading The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair, but I didn’t get very far. The heroine is a lousy cook—cooking disaster wouldn’t be an understatement from what I’ve read so far—but the hero gets her an interview to do a TV cooking show. Since the book is called The Kitchen Witch, it’s safe to assume she will get the job.

Sorry, but I don’t find this kind of scenario particularly funny or even interesting to read about, for that matter. I’ve never been amused by the woman-fumbles-around-in-a-job-she’s-not-qualified-for scenario. I’m not ready for another fumbling story; Linda Francis Lee’s Suddenly Sexy was enough for me. So The Kitchen Witch is going back on the to-be-read shelf.

Instead, I’m reading Meggin Cabot’s The Boy Next Door. It’s a prequel of sorts to Boy Meets Girl—both take place at the New York Journal and share some secondary characters—and it’s written in much the same style. I’m enjoying it so far.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. If I don’t get online tomorrow, happy Thanksgiving!

The Shaughnessey Accord is the second story in Alison Kent’s Smithson Group series, and it packs a lot of action and romance into only 117 pages. If the first two books of the series are any indication (The Bane Affair is the first), I’m going to love the rest of them.

Tripp Shaughnessey makes regular stops at Glory Brighton’s deli—not only for the food. After weeks of exchanging admiring looks and flirty banter, Tripp makes his move and kisses Glory in her storeroom. One kiss leads to more, but when the deli is taken over by terrorists, Glory and Tripp have something else to worry about besides their intense attraction.

What neither Glory nor the terrorists knows is that Tripp is an operative in Hank Smithson’s specialized group, which makes him the perfect man to be trapped with in a storeroom. He’s got a few ideas about how they’ll get out.

If this sounds like an unlikely setting for romance, you’re right. But Kent makes it work through the couple’s initial chemistry and the way they work together to get out of the situation.

I liked the heroine in The Bane Affair, and I liked Glory, too. She’s spunky but doesn’t put herself in stupid situations that often occur in romantic suspense. Other writers would do well to follow Kent’s example: you can create a heroic hero without making him have to rescue the heroine from her own stupidity. There’s no stupidity here.

I also enjoyed the nice little touches in the story. In some short books, the romance suffers because there is not enough room to add interesting, compelling moments. The Shaughnessey Accord isn’t lacking in those moments; we see several ways Tripp and Glory interact: at times she is annoyed with him, at times they are passionate. One of my favorite moments is a tender spooning one. It’s just lovely.

Its only shortcoming (if you can call it that) is that it’s too short—I wanted more. Luckily another book in the series is coming in December: The Samms Agenda. I can’t wait! The Shaughnessey Accord: 4 out of 5.

My furnace is now working. I’m also $400+ poorer. Sometimes I hate being a homeowner.

Claudia Dain’s The Marriage Bed is a medieval romance that has been part of my to-be-read list for quite some time, and I finally decided to read it. I’m very glad I did.

Lady Isabel seeks sanctuary at an abbey after her father dies. As heir to three wealthy estates, Isabel realizes that she is a tempting target now that she has no man to protect her. She is betrothed to marry Lord Hubert, but she has always wished to marry Hubert’s younger brother Richard, whom she knew in her youth. As a third son, however, Richard was not considered a good match for her, and now Richard is a novice at the abbey.

Fate intervenes in Isabel’s and Richard’s lives when they learn that Richard’s two older brothers are dead and he is to fulfill the marriage contract. Although guilt-ridden over the fact that two men died to bring Isabel’s desires to pass, she is elated by the idea of marrying the man she loves. Richard feels differently; he is committed to his life at the abbey and is bitter about leaving it behind.

What follows is a beautifully written story about two people who marry, then fall in love. One of the things I particularly enjoyed about The Marriage Bed is how medieval it seems. I’m no historian, but the depiction of the abbey, the estate at Dornei, the religious beliefs of the time, and the hardships faced in that period seem genuine. This was a brutal as well as a beautiful period in history, and Dain provides evidence of beauty and brutality. For readers who prefer more history in their historicals, this one is for you.

Richard and Isabel’s marriage gets off to a rocky start. Richard doesn’t hide the fact that this marriage is not what he wants; in fact, their wedding night is spent in prayer for Isabel’s father and Richard’s brothers. When the marriage is consummated, it is not the joyful event Isabel had hoped for.

I won’t say any more because I don’t want to spoil it. The Marriage Bed is a beautiful story: 5 out of 5.

I’ll start with a decidedly unromantic piece of information: my furnace has given up the ghost. I’ve been able to coax it to work for a few hours each day, but now it’s given up. After a full weekend without heat, I can assure you that hell is sure to be cold, not hot. I’m curled up with two blankets at the moment, but I’ll have to call someone to take a look at the furnace. I pray it won’t be horribly expensive.

As for reading news, I finished Madeline Hunter’s The Romantic. This is the first book of hers I’ve finished (I started The Arrangement but set it aside), and I liked several things about it: 4 out of 5.

The hero, Julian Hampton, has loved Penelope for years. There’s a serious obstacle, however—she is married to the Earl of Glasbury. The union is not a happy one; in fact, as a solicitor, Julian negotiated a separation when he learned of Glasbury’s sexual cruelty. Now Glasbury wants Penelope back, and she comes to Julian for advice and assistance.

There’s nothing I enjoy more about a hero than seeing him completely devoted to the heroine, and that’s exactly what Julian is. He has loved Pen for so long without revealing his feelings, and he believes he will never marry another. Penelope is less sharply portrayed at first, but we learn more about her as the book continues. Readers should be aware that Penelope commits adultery; however, her situation and Glasbury’s cruelty ensure that sympathy remains with her.

In some parts of The Romantic, there is more telling than showing. In one scene, for example, letters that Julian wrote but never sent to Penelope are read aloud. We see only one line from all of the letters, which decreases the emotional impact this scene could have had.

Ultimately, The Romantic is a romantic read. I’m going to give The Arrangement another try.

My appointment with the hygienist went much better than I thought. Of course, I was so nervous that just about anything would have been better than I thought. I will spend more time in daily teeth care, and I have a second cleaning next week, but I feel OK about the whole thing. I wonder if the hygienist was having a bad day when I last talked to her, or maybe I was just too sensitive. Probably a combination of the two.

Great news! I learned that this year’s Christmas bonus will be much larger than I anticipated. I am now thinking about attending Suzanne Brockmann’s Target Tampa event in January, largely because I learned there is no limit on how many books you can bring from home to have autographed. Catherine Mann will also be there, so I would meet two authors I really like. And as someone pointed out, Florida is bound to be warmer in January than Utah. If I only had to worry about the cost of the hotel and the event, I wouldn’t hesitate, but there’s that pesky little airfare thing. Well, I’m thinking about this and will let you know what I decide.

In other news, I’ve added a counter to this site, which will be either interesting or depressing depending on how the stats play out.