Countdown to Smugglivus – Joanna Bourne

Day 5 (21 days to Smugglivus and counting)

Who: Joanna Bourne, writer of romance novels who released her first novel The Spymaster’s Lady (our review), in early January with a bang – as the writer has been acclaimed for her unique narrative “voice” all over the place. You can read an interview we did with Joanna Bourne here.

Recent work: My Lord and Spymaster – reviewed here.

Ladies and gentlemen, Joanna Bourne and her favourite reads of 2008:
_________

Joanna:

Let me start out with three great RITA winners and a Finalist. They blew my socks off.

Madeleine Hunter, Lessons of Desire. I always love her work. Dense. Enticing. Sensual. A rare pleasure.

Deanna Raybourn, Silent in the Grave. A new-to-me writer. Historical mystery. I love the complex, intelligent interaction between H&H. I have her next book, Silent in the Sanctuary, on my TBR shelf.

Julia Quinn, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. I spend my whole time chuckling when I read Quinn. You just fall into the delight.

Anna Campbell, Claiming the Courtesan. (I loved Untouched, too.) High-stakes H&H interaction. Intense writing. Compelling.

Leesee … who else?

Strangers in Death, by JD Robb. With the In-Death series … it’s like you got a box of milk-chocolate-covered nuts. You know they’re all going to be good. (Even the Brazil nut, which is one of those odd, semi-edible things where you ask yourself, ‘What was God thinking?’) Anyhow, if we’re doing this chocolates simile . . . Strangers is when you pick the piece of candy out and it’s almonds and almonds are your favorites.

His Captive Lady by Anne Gracie. I just finished this one last week. Lovely writing. Gotta love that Gracie.

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas. She took a whole bunch of writerly risks. It all works. Character driven by unusual characters.

Simply Magic by Mary Balogh. Intelligent Romance, as always. I find her characters appealing on so many levels. I always think I’d like to know them.

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase. Spies. Venice. Intrigue. Hero and Heroine conflict. Loretta Chase. What more could one possibly ask?

His Dark and Dangerous Ways by Edith Layton. One of my long-time favorite authors. I was looking forward to this one. Multi-layer and realistic characters.

Oh, let me mention a really nifty anthology –

It Happened One Night. This is Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’alessandro, and Candice Hern. They rounded up a whole bunch of my favorite authors and put ‘em all in one book.
I mean … What are the odds?

I’ve left off scads of great 2008 books because they are sitting three deep and densely packed in the TBR shelf. I haven’t had time to READ them.

My TBR shelf is like …
You know how your refrigerator whispers about the piece of pumpkin pie you got on the bottom shelf (… pie …pie … pie …pie …) every time you walk by and you gotta go tiptoeing off real fast with your hands over your ears … (“Lah lah lah lah) TBR shelf is like that.

Jo

NEXT ON SMUGGLIVUS: OUR FIRST THE FLASH SMUGGLIVUS WEEKEND GIVEAWAY. TOMORROW!