Hello everybody, hope you are all having a good Sunday!

We start this mini-stash with some news:

Change of Address

Two of our favorite bloggers have moved to new and shinning adobes:

Racy Romance Reviews is no longer. Jessica has not only moved her blog but also renamed and revamped it (or sort of). Read React Review is the new name and she plans on reviewing not only Romance but other genres as well and keep on writing all of those awesome philosophy of fiction posts. Like this one.

Kenda of Lurv A La Mode is the other one and we luuuurves the new design – very cool. Be sure to check it – the content remains the same awesomeness as always: reviews of romance, fantasy and scifi.

Make sure to update your blogrolls and feed readers!

In other news

Meanwhile, the second part of Jackie Kessler’s “Carpe Noctem” – Tales of the Vampire, part of the Buffy Comics is up and you can preview it here.

Also, the *official* countdown timer for the third and final installment in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy has been released! Check it out:

So. Very. Pretty.

Finally, you may or may not have heard the fabulous news that Carrie Ryan’s paperback release of The Forest of Hands and Teeth debuted at #8 on the New York Times Best Seller List!

We are so thrilled for Carrie – and if y’all haven’t read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, NOW is the time to go forth and buy a copy. Speaking of…you may have seen the shiny new countdown widget in our sidebar. We cannot WAIT for the release of The Dead-Tossed Waves next week – and what’s this? Thea just received her ARC in the mail this afternoon!

Giveaway winners

We also have a few giveaway winners to announce.

The winner of one copy of Something About You by Julie James is:

Shel! (comment#42)

The two winners of the Stacia Kane giveaway taking home the complete set of the Megan Chase books are:

Mel Butcherl! (comment#3)

Sharon K (comment#70)

And the 20 winners of the Kresley Cole giveaway are:

brina g (comment#58)

Anna Shah Hoque (comment#1)

elaing8 (comment#64)

chelleyreads (comment#41)

maered (comment#10)

Amanda Isabel (comment#24)

Ava (comment#76)

Maria (comment#22)

Tracey D (comment#52)

iokijo (comment#74)

Dawn (comment#69)

Rebecca (comment#47)

Virginia C (comment#11)

KayAnna Kirby (comment#6)

GSM (comment#34)

Jennifer K (comment#3)

Laura Hadland (comment#15)

Maija A. (comment#59)

Bianca F (comment#14)

Stacy (comment#45)

You all know the drill. Email us (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address, and we will get your winnings out to you as soon as possible. Thanks again to everyone that entered, and congratulations to all of the winners!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand that’s it from us today. Well, sort of.

We will be back later with our calendar for the Steampunk Week and launch the event in all its glory! We are excited. Yes, we are!!

Title Something About You

Author: Julie James

Genre: Romance / Contemporary Suspense

Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date 2 March 2010
MMP 336 Pages

Stand alone or series Stand alone novel

FATE HAS THROWN TWO SWORN ENEMIES. . .

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends in bloodshed. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and nearly ruining his career…

. . .INTO EACH OTHER’S ARMS

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it’s no joke: the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension…

How did I get this book: ARC from Author

Why did I read this book: I am a huge fan of Julie James’ books, especially Practice Makes Perfect which was my favorite Contemporary Romance last year.

Review:

I don’t read a lot of Contemporary Romance and read even less Romance of the Suspense variety. If there is someone who can make me not only wait anxiously to read one and end up enjoying it so much as to ask for an encore!, that person would be: Julie James. Boy, can this woman write fan-tas-tic dialogue and captivating characters. Her previous two books Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect are nearly pitch perfect romantic comedies and I love, love, loooooove them.

So what about this one then?

Of all hotels in the world, Cameron Lynde, Assistant District Attorney, had to pick the one where a murder would be committed, to spend the night whilst her newly finished flooring is drying. Of all the FBI agents in the world, it had to be Jack Pallas, the one to take the case. The same Jack Pallas who three years ago was the head of an investigation she was about to prosecute and which ended up never going ahead – and life-changer case whose fall out was jack being transferred to Nebraska all the while blaming Cameron for the failure. The tension, the animosity they feel for each other needs to be put aside so they can work together on the case as Cameron is both Witness and soon, a victim under protective detail. But all the anger and hostility in the world cannot hide the fact that once, Cameron and Jack were moving towards building something and the attraction is back with a bang (there is one particular scene in a motorcycle that whoa baby, holy guacamoles). And spending time together can prove what they need to bring the past to rest and start again.

This book is excellent when it comes to the romance between Cameron and Jack. The two talk when they have to talk and behave like level-headed adults and professionals who respect each other’s profession. She listens when he tells her what to do and he listens to her opinions as well. The secondary characters are interesting and show the two characters have a life outside work and their budding relationship. Also, Cameron’s best friend Colin is gay and I have to give major kudos to the author for not writing him as the usual stereotypical flamboyant gay –friend.

On the down side, if we can even say that, I have to admit not being a fan of the suspense plot. Which sounds silly since this is after all, a romantic suspense . But seeing as how the culprit is revealed early on to the reader and we are privy to this point of view, it sort of removed the suspense from the suspense; However it made it more interesting from a character’s development point of view because the reader gets to know why the killer committed the act and understand that it was not because he was an Evil!Vilain! and being able to follow the steps he took to ensure he was not found was intriguing to say the least. But in all honesty, I could have skipped all that so that I could read more of Jack and Cameron, Cameron and Jack. I am, it turns out, a bigger fan of her romantic comedies and I thoroughly missed The Funny and the screwball comedy elements present in the previous books –which is of course, a matter of preferential taste.

That is not to say that Something About You is not funny. It is – it has funny moments, and the dialogue sparkles as ever however the tone is more contained because of not only the murder investigation going on, the sense of danger surrounding Cameron but also because Jack is a damaged character with a past. Of all Julie James’ heroes, he is the one with more baggage and the one I end up loving the most. For all that, it could not, should not be any different – a difference in tone would have ruined the book.

One last word: I mentioned screwball comedy elements and this is a known influence in the writing of the author and in her previous books who make a homage and have shout outs to those old Hollywood movies . In an interview with the author, she mentioned that there would be a homage to It Happened One Night by Frank Capra in Something About You . Now, It Happened One Night happens to one my all time favourite movies and one of the reasons why I waited for this book so anxiously. I bet that that the homage would be to the famous Walls of Jericho scene and I was right! Without spoiling it too much, Julie James, takes that scene, makes it funnier and oh boy, sexier and appropriate for this book. Clark Gable/ Peter Warne would approve.

And I lied about the last word. I have something else to say about the book: this is also the hottest of her books– if you have read her previous books you know all sex scenes were fade to black. Not this time. We knew that Julie James can write sexual tension very, very well. We finally learn she can also write sex scenes – they are not very graphic or extremely long but phew do they deliver.

So as Ellie from It Happened One Night would say: Oh, it’s been a lot of fun.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: I loved this scene when Jack was doing protective detail at Cameron’s house and unbeknownst to her, as to not scare her, slept inside her bedroom :

He waited thirty minutes from the time he heard the noises stop, just to be safe.
He got up and walked down the hall. He entered Cameron’s bedroom quietly, pausing just outside the doorway to listen to the soft, steady sounds of her breahting. Satisfied she was sleeing, he moved to the corner of the room and took a seat on the floor next to the boarded-up doors that led out to the balcony and fire escpae. He rested his head against the wall.
He sat there in the darkness and watched.
He knew that sleep would eventually overtake him – he’d certainly slept in more uncomfortable places – but it would be a light, dreamless sleep. He would be ready in an instant, if necessary.
God help the man who tried to get past him.

Additional Thoughts: We have one copy of Something About You to giveaway to one lucky winner. To enter, simply leave a comment here. Contest is open to residents of US, Canada and UK ONLY and runs till Saturday 6th March 11:59 (PST). Only ONE comment per person! Multiple entries will be automatically disqualified. Good luck!

Verdict: Another great Contemporary novel by Julie James, a book which carries her signature: great dialogue and captivating characters. This one is more on the serious (and steamy) side than her previous novels.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Another Sunday, another stash!

After taking a week off of reviewing to read (OMG!), recuperate our sanity, and fortify ourselves for the weeks ahead, we are back, with a vengeance! First, a few tidbits of news.

Giveaway Winners:

We had quite a few giveaways this week – we’re shameless like that. And now we have a few winners to announce!

The winners of the Jeri Smith-Ready Giveaway, taking home a copy of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone, are:

The winner of Shade Fright by Sean Cummings is:

And, the winners of Dark Life by Kat Falls are:

Congratulations to all the winners! You know the drill. Send us an email (contact AT the book smugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address, and we will get your goodies out to you as soon as possible. Thanks again to all that entered!

And don’t forget, our giveaway of Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten is still open!

Patricia Briggs’ Silver Borne Book Tour:

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she’d previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn’t take enough of Mercy’s attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam’s life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn’t careful, she might not have many more to live…

ZOMG! We’ve only got a month to wait until the official release of the fifth Mercy Thompson book, Silver Borne! To promote her newest title, the awesome, esteemed Patricia Briggs will be traveling the west coast on a book tour where she will sign books and answer reader questions. If you are lucky enough to live in one of the tour cities, we HIGHLY recommend making your way out to a signing. Patty Briggs rules.

Silver Borne officially hits shelves on March 30, 2010. You can read the first chapter of the book online HERE.

Steampunk Week Teaser:

A bit of a teaser now. We Smugglers have planned our next big event – in two week’s time, we shall host the first of our two-part Steampunk Week! Details will follow soon, but for now we give you our official posters for the event (courtesy once again by the fantastic, amazing, incredible KMont of Lurv ala Mode)!

We’ll have guests, posts about the steampunk subgenre, and, of course, steampunk reviews galore.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Thea reviews YA speculative fiction title NUM8ERS by Rachel Ward. We’ll also have a grand prize giveaway opportunity for the book’s release, so stay tuned for a chance to win.

Tuesday, Ana reviews Something About You, the newest book-crack title from Julie James! We’ll also have a copy of Something About You up for grabs.

Wednesday, we have Urban Fantasy/Paranormal author Stacia Kane over for another Interactive Q&A and giveaway opportunity to celebrate the shiny new release of her latest Megan Chase novel, Demon Possessed! Also, Thea reviews Incarceron by Catherine Fisher – a YA dystopian novel that blew her away.

On Thursday, Ana reviews the brilliant, poignant YA novel The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. Later, Thea reviews Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde – one of her hands down favorite reads of 2010.

On Friday, we have a joint review of new title Spider’s Bite, as author Jennifer Estep changes gears from lighthearted paranormal romance to gritty urban fantasy.

Finally, on Saturday, we are having a crazy wicked cool giveaway, courtesy of Simon & Schuster to celebrate the release of Kresley Cole’s newest novel in her Immortals After Dark series, Pleasure of a Dark Prince.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole enraptures again with this seductive tale of a fierce werewolf prince who will stop at nothing to protect the lovely archer he covets from afar.

A DANGEROUS BEAUTY…

Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her — and those she loves.

AN UNCONTROLLABLE NEED…

Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.

THAT LEAD TO A PLEASURE SO WICKED….

From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness — her wanton desire for him.

We will be giving away 20 COPIES of Pleasure of a Dark Prince!

It’s another crazy week…

The Feats of Strength are an integral part of our annual Smugglivus Tradition. In the Feats of Strength, we each dare each other to read a book that we know is so far beyond the other’s comfort zone as to put it in another galaxy altogether. It is more than a mere Dare – it is a Feat of Strength.

Title: Practice Makes Perfect

Author: Julie James

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkeley (Penguin)
Publication Date: March 2009
Paperback: 304 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

How did I get this book: Bought

Summary: (from amazon.com)
When it comes to the laws of attraction, there are no rules The battle between the sexes is about to make these two lawyers hot under the collar. Opposites collide when two lawyers try to make partner at the same firm. Payton Kendall is a feminist to the bone. Cocky J.D. Jameson was born privileged. But when they’re asked to join forces on a major case, they gain a newfound awareness of each other’s personal assets. The partnership spot will be offered to only one of them, though. The competition heats up. Sparks fly. Let the games begin.

Review:

I’m always a little leery of starting a romance novel.

Don’t get me wrong – I love a little romance as much as the next person. But, more often than not, my forays into the romance genre for books have ended in disappointment. True, there are the outstanding Diana Gabaldons, Lisa Kleypases, and Loretta Chases of the world – but if we’re being perfectly frank, I find myself much rather preferring romance as a subplot; something ancillary to a more dominant storyline. So, it was with trepidation that I began Practice Makes Perfect…

The story is straightforward: Payton Kendall is a senior associate at one of the most prestigious law firms in Chicago. After slaving away, billing thousands of hours over eight years as a litigator, Payton is finally up for her hard-earned partnership – but there’s a catch. Because of a recent suit aimed at law firms for discrimination against their older partners (forcing them out of jobs to make cap room for younger associates), the firm has decided that it can only justify making ONE litigator a partner. For Payton, this means she has just come into direct, head-to-head competition with J.D. Jameson – a gorgeous, infuriating, silver spoon-in-his-mouth, bentley-driving, super-republican, old-money, squash-playing type. As J.D. is a workhorse (just like Payton), has never lost a case (just like Payton), and is one of the best attourneys in the nation (just like Payton), the competition becomes intense. When both J.D. and Payton are assigned on the same big-time anti-discrimination case, the two are thrown into close quarters, only intensifying the tension between them. After witty banter, intentional and unintentional stunts, and a whole lot of unresolved sexual tension, you can guess what happens next.

As I mentioned earlier, I was a little nervous going into Practice Makes Perfect – but from the first page of this delightful book, I found myself immersed and entertained. Ms. James’ novel is romantic comedy at its finest, featuring the always entertaining “enemies” falling in love storyline. Yes, there is a degree of safety and predictability in terms of plot, but when the banter is this much fun, it’s easy to put cynicism aside and allow yourself to get caught up in the happy-ever-after magic. If the plotting is somewhat straightforward and the characters cliched (the feminist/idealist female from the public school system versus the old money/legal legacy Ivy Leaguer male), the relationship that sparks between them is genuine and – did I mention? – oh so fun. The greatest strength of the novel lies in this spark between J.D. and Payton, and Ms. James shines with her quick, sharp dialogue – the witty repartee, if you will, between her two main characters. As top litigators, Payton and J.D. exchange some pretty good verbal barbs and engage in a number of entertaining power struggles. For example, my favorite scene would have to be in the law library, shortly after both discover that only one of them will get the partner gig. Observe:

“Are you saying that I don’t deserve this?” he demanded. “I’ve billed over twenty-nine hundred hours for the past eight years!”

Payton whipped around. “So have I! And the only difference between you and me is that statistics say you’re more likely to keep it up. The firm doesn’t worry that one day you’ll decide you want to leave at five to kiss your kids good night.”

J.D. stepped closer to her. Then closer again, literally trapping her against the bookshelves.

“Spare me the feminist rant, Payton. It’s getting a little tired. I’ve had to work my ass off to get where I am, while you had your ticket written form the minute you stepped into this firm.”

Payton felt her face flush with anger. “Really? Well, you know what I think, J.D.?” She jabbed his chest with one of her fingers. “I think that you are an uptight, pony-owning, trickle-down-economics-loving, Scotch-on-the-rocks-drinking, my-wife-better-take-my-last-name sexist jerk!”

J.D. grabbed her hand and pulled it away. “Well, at least I’m not a stubborn, button-pushing, Prius-driving, chip-on-your-shoulder-holding, ’stay-at-home-mom’-is-the-eighth-dirty-word-thinking feminist!”

Witty, intense, and fun stuff. The ‘I-hate-you-but-I-like-you-but-you-make-me-so-ANGRY’ dynamic charges every scene between these two characters, and it’s delightful. Additionally, Payton and J.D.’s thoughts are revealed throughout the novel to the reader, and there are many scenes involving their inner dialogues – in which they refuse to admit, even to themselves, that they are falling in love with the competition. And all of these scenes are delectable good fun.

Furthermore, there’s a decided lack of mush in this book, which was an immense relief. The number one turnoff to romance novels for me is the uncomfortable level of mushiness. Well, that and the gratuitous, embarrassing, play-by-play sex scenes. Thankfully, neither of these are present in Practice Makes Perfect. There’s a healthy dose of sexual tension, attraction, and build-up – and when the sex does happen (which, inevitably, it does), it’s tasteful and non-cringe inducing. Ms. James balances romance with realism, which makes the novel even more effective.

Speaking of realism, it’s also worth mentioning that Ms. James captures the life of an associate in the legal profession in a completely convincing manner – and considering she is a former attorney and alumnus of the University of Illinois School of Law (as is her protagonist Payton), it’s no surprise that she writes with such authority.

In short, Practice Makes Perfect is a sweet, traditional rom-com, and one that will undoubtably have readers grinning as the pages fly by. I highly enjoyed it, and certainly recommend it to romance readers, and reluctant romance readers alike.

Notable Quotes/Parts: You can read an official excerpt from Chapter 2 online at Julie James’ website, HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Ana LOVED this book, and we’ve had author Julie James over for a number of guest posts. Check out her post about her Inspirations & Influences for Practice Makes Perfect, or her Smugglivus Guest Post for more information!

Verdict: Fun, witty, escapist entertainment at its best. I definitely enjoyed Practice Makes Perfect, against my own biases and prejudices! Julie James is a romance author that, to this reluctant romance reader, has just made the publication watch list.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Moonseed by Stephen Baxter

Welcome to Smugglivus 2009 – Day 7!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guest: Julie James, author of the most awesome Contemporary Romance novels. Her books are love letters to old screwball comedies full of strong female characters and great, witty repartee. Her first book was Just The Sexiest Man Alive, reviewed by Ana.

Recent Work: Practice Makes Perfect, reviewed here. You can read the author’s article about the inspiration and influences behind writing the book, here.

Dear all, Julie James:

***********

Relatively speaking, I’m a newcomer to romance.

As I’ve mentioned before, I began reading romantic fiction when Berkley bought my first book and my editor told me that I had, in fact, written a romance. (With a writing background in screenplays, I’d described Just the Sexiest Man Alive as a “romantic comedy.”) So for the past two years, I’ve been doing a lot of catch up. What a pleasure it has been to have found my way to this wonderful genre.

So as I sit back now and think about the books I’ve read this year, I realize that picking my favorites is nearly an impossible task. 2009 was a great reading year for me, and I know that as soon as this blog posts, I’ll remember a book—or several—that I forgot to mention. But here are a few that really stood out to me:

Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh: Newbie that I am to romance in general, I’m even more of a newbie to paranormal romance. But this book instantly turned me into a Nalini Singh fan. The world-building. The details. Just the descriptions of the angels’ wings alone are incredible. The hero. (Oh yeah, he’s an archangel.) And the climax. . . so visual and breathtaking, I think I was reading with my jaw on the floor. The next book in the series, Archangel’s Kiss, comes out in February and I can’t wait.

Fragile by Shiloh Walker: Dark, intense, and utterly compelling. Shiloh took the heroine and hero on one heck of an emotional roller coaster in this book, and I was right there with them. The hero’s twin brother’s book, Broken, comes out this March and—confession time—I’ve read it and think it’s just as gripping and suspenseful as Fragile. And it features a brooding, angst-y hero who definitely deserves a HEA.

Daring Time by Beth Kery: I’m such a fan of Beth Kery’s writing. Wicked Burn was the first erotic romance I read, and I was sold on Beth’s books after that. What I enjoy so much is that the stories, while sizzling hot, are incredibly romantic. The hero in Daring Time travels through time to save the heroine—what could be more devoted than that? Framing the story is a richly detailed setting—turn of the century Chicago—that made the book enjoyable on every level for me.

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase: I know, I know, what hole have I been in that I just read this in 2009? I thought this book couldn’t possibly live up to all the hype. It did. The scene—and I’ll be vague here for the last two people in Romanceland who haven’t read it—with Jessica and the gun? Priceless.

Beyond the Night by Joss Ware: Okay, so I’m cheating a little with this one, since it doesn’t come out until January 2010. But a little birdie slipped me an early copy of this book and I can’t help but include it in my favorite reads of the year. The world-building is, in a word, incredible. Post-apocalyptic romance with zombies and a Heroes-like twist. Ha—if I had a dime every time I read that. I stayed up late to finish the book because I simply couldn’t put it down. For something off the beaten path, yet still romantic, this is a series worth checking out.

In addition to the above, there are two non-romance books that have to be included in my favorite reads of 2009. First, The Help by Kathryn Stockett—a poignant, sometimes bittersweet, but ultimately rewarding and uplifting story about three women from different walks of life who find unexpected strength in each other, and more important, in themselves. This is one of those books you want to tell all your friends about after finishing it.

Second, Labor Day by Joyce Maynard. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting much from this book. I got it for free at the RWA conference and picked it up on whim over Labor Day weekend. How glad I am that I did. It’s a quick read about love and adolescence and the human need to connect with others and, in the end, is sweetly romantic. This book is probably the one that surprised me most this year because it turned out to be so much more than I expected.

Which leads me to my question. . . of the books you read this year, which one surprised you most? (Hopefully one that surprised you in a good way.) In the spirit of Smugglivus, I’ll give away signed copies of both Practice Makes Perfect and Just the Sexiest Man Alive to one random commenter.

Happy reading!

Julie’s next book, Something About You, will be released by Berkley on March 2, 2010. To read an excerpt, visit Julie’s Website.

Thanks Julie!!

********

Giveaway details:

Go forth and comment! The contest is open to EVERYONE and will run until Saturday, December 12 at 11:59pm (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment here. ONE entry per person, please! Duplicate and/or multiple entries will be disqualified. Good Luck!

Hello! We leave week one of Smugglivus behind and prepare ourselves for week two with loads more of exciting posts – if we may say so ourselves. But first, last week’s giveaway winners:

Joel Sutherland Giveaway

This is a special giveaway: the three winners get an e-copy of Frozen Blood -which by the way, was nominated last week for yet another award, The Black Quill award for Best Small Press Chill, congratulations, Joel! – plus the chance to become a character in his next book. Drum roll, please. The winners are:

Mariska (comment #29)
Veronika F (comment #44)
Sharon K (comment #14)

Congratulations! We will email you with further details!

Jackie Kessler Giveaway

The winner of one copy of Black and White is: Danielle (comment #40)

Alma Alexander Giveaway

The winner of ONE AUTOGRAPHED copy of Spellspam is: Caitlin Usignol (comment #25)
The winner of ONE AUTOGRAPHED copy of Cybermage is: Mishel (comment #18)

Congratulations! You know the drill – send an email to contact AT the book smugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks to all that entered, and if you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. There’s plenty more where that came from!

And you can still enter the fabulous Simon and Schuster UK giveaway (they are giving away 6 upcoming titles to one lucky winner) .

This week on Smugglivus

We start the week with a post by YA writer Dan Waters later today, in which he talks about his favourite 2009 reads.

On Monday, our guest author is contemporary romance writer Julie James! She talks about the books she loved this year and in the spirit of Smugglivus, gives away copies of her two books. Her post will be followed by Thea’s review of Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines.

On Tuesday, PNR writer Nalini Singh talks about her favourite reads of 2009, and about what she is working on at the moment. You will have a chance to win two of her latest books too! Later on that day, Ana reviews Fantasy novel The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick.

Wednesday’s guest is Lee Harris, Assistant Editor for Angry Robot (the new HarperCollins imprint specializing in Fantasy, SciFi, Horror, and WTF!), talking about exciting releases for 2010. His post is followed by a guest review by Harry of Temple Library Reviews of Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon and will have a major swag to giveaway with Harry’s post.

On Thursday, YA author Jennifer Echols lists her own 2009 faves and tells us all about her upcoming books. Her post will be followed by Thea’s review of YA fantasy novel The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima.

On Friday, historical romance writer Loretta Chase dishes all about her upcoming release, and later we post a joint review of Going Bovine by Libba Bray.

Finally (phew), on Saturday it’s horror author Kaaron Warren’s turn to talk about the books she read in 2009, and we will have a huge Smugglivus giveaway.

Stay tuned, Smugglivites! And as Mr Spock would say:

Ding ding ding! We have a winner to announce for our weekend-long Practice Makes Perfect giveaway, courtesy of Julie James and her wonderful Inspirations and Influences post.

Our lucky winner is…

Leslie

Congratulations! You know the drill: send an email with your snail mail address to contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com. We’ll get your goodies out to you as soon as possible.

A huge thank you again to everyone that commented and participated! And even if you didn’t win this time, never fear – we have plenty of books to giveaway coming up in the next few weeks.

Hello good morning and welcome to another addition to our new series “Inspirations and Influences” in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their …..well, Inspirations and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free reign so they can go wild and write anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.

Today,we have the pleasure to give the floor to Julie James, writer of fabulous contemporary romance novels.

Her latest release, Practice Makes Perfect (reviewed here) is a best-seller and is getting tons of positive reviews. Here is what Julie James has to say about writing it:

___________

Inspirations and Influences: Julie James

First, let me start by thanking Ana and Thea for the invitation to guest-blog here today. I’m happy to talk about some of the things that have influenced and inspired my writing, so let’s get right down to it.

Cary Grant.

Well, okay, maybe not necessarily Cary Grant per se (although back in the day he certainly wasn’t somebody a girl would’ve thrown out of bed for eating crackers), more the films of Cary Grant, and others of that genre.

I’m a huge movie buff. Up until about ten years ago, however, my appreciation had been limited essentially to contemporary films. That all changed when I stumbled across the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest American Movies of all time. At the time, I had seen maybe twenty movies on the list. I made it my mission to see all of them. (Confession time: I still haven’t gotten around to The Jazz Singer or Birth of a Nation, but I will one day, I swear.)

Not all the movies on the list were necessarily hits for me (ahem—The Best Years of Our Lives—booorrringg) [cut to Julie James’s father picking up the phone to lecture her on the supposed “genius” of this film], but one of the best things about the list was that it introduced me to the black & white romantic comedies of the 1930’s and 40’s. You know the movies I’m talking about—the ones full of back-and-forth sparring between a heroine and hero who don’t seem to like each other very much (at first), but we know from the get-go that underneath there’s an incredible mental, emotional, and physical attraction.

Those older romantic comedies certainly have influenced my writing. I’m a big fan of all that banter. Why do I love back-and-forth interplay between the heroine and hero? Because to me, it signifies that they “get” each other, and that they see each other as equals. More important than what is being said, often, is what’s being said between the lines. There often isn’t a lot of sentimentality or mushiness in these movies. How can there be, when half the time the heroine and hero can’t even admit to themselves how they feel, let alone to each other?

But that’s the fun part: we, as the readers or viewers, get to watch as that attraction builds and builds, waiting for that moment when it’s going to rise to a boil and spill over uncontrollably. Without the sentimentality and the instant declarations of love, every word exchanged—every look, even—becomes that much more important. As an example, take a look at this photo from a scene in one of my favorite black & white rom/coms, His Girl Friday:

Doesn’t the look between these two speak volumes? Or how about this, from The Philadelphia Story:

Even though, in both scenes, the characters are disagreeing about something on the surface, we can tell there’s a whole lot more going on. It’s the way they’re completely focused on one another. Let’s be honest, is there anything sexier than a man who literally can’t take his eyes off the heroine, try as he might to fight that?

In my books, as in these films, the main characters are often resistant to their attraction, and try their hardest to hide that attraction even after its existence can’t be denied. But we know it’s there. Here’s an example from Practice Makes Perfect:

“So I saw your name in the Chicago Lawyer,” J.D. led in.
Payton smiled. “40 To Watch Under 40,” she said, referencing the article’s title and proud of her inclusion in its distinction.
“40 Women To Watch Under 40,” J.D. emphasized. “Tell me, Payton— is there a reason your gender finds it necessary to be so separatist? Afraid of a little competition from the opposite sex, perhaps?”
Payton tried not to laugh as she tossed her hair back over her shoulders. Hardly.
“If my gender hesitates to compete with yours, J.D., it’s only because we’re afraid to lower ourselves to your level,” she replied sweetly.
J.D. casually leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest. After eight years, Payton recognized this gesture well— it meant he was about to begin another one of his condescending little lectures. She gave it 95% odds that he’d begin with one of his pompously rhetorical questions that he had absolutely no intention of letting her answer.
“Let me ask you this…” he began.
Bingo.
“…how do you think it would go over if the magazine ran an article called “40 Men To Watch Under 40?” He wagged a finger in her face, answering for her. “You and your little feminista friends would call that discrimination. But then isn’t that, per se, discrimination? Shouldn’t we men be entitled to our lists too?”
J.D. held the door open for her and grandly gestured for her to enter. As she passed by him, Payton noted that Ben wasn’t in his office yet, so she took a seat in front of his desk. As J.D. sat in the chair next to her, she turned to him, coolly unperturbed.
“I find it very interesting when a man, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, sitting next to me in an Armani suit, has the nerve to claim that he is somehow the victim of discrimination.”
J.D. opened his mouth to jump in, but Payton cut him off with a finger. Index, not middle. She was a lady after all.
“Notwithstanding that fact,” she continued, “I submit that you men do have your so-called ‘lists.’ Several at this firm, in fact. They’re called the Executive Committee, the Management Committee, the Compensation Committee, the firm’s golfing club, the intramural basketball team—“
“You want to be on the basketball team?” J.D. interrupted, his blue eyes crinkling in amusement at this.
“It’s illustrative,” Payton said, sitting back in her chair defensively.

It’s the look that gives it away—when J.D.’s eyes crinkle in amusement—that’s the moment we know what’s really going on: He’s enjoying this. Those might be fighting words coming out of his mouth, but underneath them, J.D. is that boy at the playground who pulls the girl’s pigtail because he can’t figure out how else to get her attention.

One thing I like about dialogue-driven stories, be they books or movies, is the way the tone of the exchanges between the heroine and hero evolves as their attraction to each other grows stronger. Compare the above scene between Payton and J.D. (from Chapter 2), to one that occurs a bit later on, but before the characters have first kissed:

“You know, as apologies go, this one could use a ton of improvement,” she told him. “Is there more?”
“Not really,” he shrugged matter-of-factly. “Well, except that I was thinking… you know, I don’t want to win by default either. So maybe we could call a truce.”
“A truce?” Payton asked. “That’s very magnanimous of you, considering the next play is mine. What do I get out of this?”
J.D. took a step closer to her. “Hmm. How about the satisfaction of being the better person?”
Payton paused, highly intrigued by this. “You would admit to that?”
J.D.’s eyes crinkled in a slight grin as he took another step closer. “In this context, Ms. Kendall, yes.”
Payton considered the terms of his proposal. Higher stakes for her there could not be.
“Alright,” she agreed. “A truce.”
She had to tilt her head back to meet J.D.’s gaze, they were suddenly standing that close. Uh-oh, she thought, this is how it all started last time. She felt that familiar rush and thought about stepping back, but heaven help her if she ever gave an inch to J.D. Jameson.
“I suppose now I owe you,” J.D.’s voice had turned softer.
Payton shook her head. “No, you really don’t.”
He nodded, yes. “I read the transcript.”
“You said that already.”
“You were amazing, Payton,” he murmured, his voice husky.
Well.
Goddamn if that wasn’t just about the sexiest thing she had ever heard.

True, they’re still arguing, at least at the beginning of the exchange, but the tone has changed and become more flirtatious. Now compare that with the next scene between the two of them, merely a couple days later:

She heard a voice, low in her ear.
“You don’t have to say it out loud, I already know what you’re thinking.”
She looked over her shoulder to see J.D. standing next her. “You think you know me so well.”
“I do.”
“Then what am I thinking now?” Payton asked coyly. Wait—was she… flirting? No. Yes. To be determined.
“You’re thinking that out of all the brunches in the city, you had to pick the same one as me,” J.D. said.
Payton couldn’t help but smile at that. “Close. I was thinking that if I knew we were going to pick the same brunch, I would’ve had that third mimosa before our parents met.”
J.D. turned in the direction of their parents and eyed the scene with amusement. “There’s always the bar off the lobby.”
Payton laughed.
J.D. studied her for a moment. “Actually, I was thinking I might have to sneak off to the bar myself.”
Now it was Payton’s turn to study him. Was that an invitation? Hard to tell.
“That does sound tempting,” Payton said, figuring that answer worked either way.
“Tempting,” J.D. repeated.
His gaze fell to her lips.

Sure, they’re still dancing around the issue—their mutual attraction—but as Payton and J.D. each take tiny steps, being careful to gauge the reaction of the other, their dialogue and thoughts start to be less guarded and become more sexual. Which is one of the reasons I love banter between a heroine and hero—it’s essentially foreplay. And the more heated the banter, the hotter I think the couple is going to be in bed when they finally get there.

Aside from the back-and-forth banter, there are other ways that older romantic comedies have influenced my writing. Some of these influences are subtle, as in the naming of characters. For the hero of Practice Makes Perfect, J.D. Jameson, I purposely chose a first name comprised of initials as a nod to the similarly initial-named hero in The Philadelphia Story, C.K. Dexter Haven. Further, a supporting character, Chase Bellamy, was named as a joke of sorts stemming from Billy Mernit’s book, “Writing the Romantic Comedy,” where he coins the phrase, “The Bellamy,” as he describes it:

“a term—useful to screenwriters and students of the genre, at least—to describe the Other Guy, the one who doesn’t get the girl in a rom-com, the Mr. Wrong… I dubbed him the Bellamy, in honor of the actor Ralph Bellamy, who embodied the paradigm for this hapless role in such watershed screwballs as The Awful Truth and His Girl Friday.”

Other ways I’ve been influenced and inspired by these films are more overt. For example, in my upcoming book, an entire scene is a direct homage to another of my favorite rom/coms, It Happened One Night. I won’t give away which scene in the movie I pay tribute to, although I know Ana has a few guesses…

Speaking of Ana, and Thea, I think I’ve babbled on long enough here… But I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. Also, I’m curious to know—any fans of the black & white romantic comedies out there? What are your favorites, and why? Or for those of you who prefer the contemporary rom/coms, tell us about a good one you’ve seen recently and why it worked for you. A random commenter will receive a signed copy of Practice Makes Perfect—I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

__________

Now for the contest: comments are open as of now and contest will run till Sunday noon Central. We will pick a random reader using random.org and post the winner in our Sunday stash. Good luck.

This is it folks. A big thank you to Julie James for the amazing piece and insight into her work.

Another Laker victory, another Sunday, another stash…

(And yay for the Bulls victory! You know how I feel about Boston.)

Around the Blogosphere:

There’s been an interesting discussion floating around Book Review Land over the past week, concerning authors and the effect author comments may have on facilitating or ‘chilling’ discussion of a book. It all started here with Ana’s review of Peter Brett’s The Painted Man, which in turn inspired Peter to write this post. The exchange spurred Jessica over at Racy Romance Reviews to write the much-talked about article on the effect of author comments, and has since spawned a number of comments and opinions across the web. (Check out Peter Brett’s response, and blogger opinions over with Tia at Fantasy Debut, or James at Speculative Horizons)

While we here at the Book Smugglers love it when authors come by to chat with us and readers in our posts and comments, and firmly believe that anyone – including authors – should be able to participate in discussion, we’re interested to see these other opinions. Where do you, as a reader or author, stand?

Reviewing Reviewers:

Harry, the awesome blogger that runs Temple Library Reviews, has begun a massive undertaking into uncharted new territory. Here’s the rundown:

You can review a whole lot of things with intellectual value, starting from books and then moving to all other forms of fiction, comic books, movies, albums and TV shows. But I have yet to encounter an extensive review of a review blog, so as people say I am moving through uncharted waters. The main point here is that these reviews are not to decide the quality of the blog, but more or less to serve an informative purpose to potential readers [if I do get a sizeable traffic for that matter] and other reviewers as well [which hopefully will pay any kind of attention, while “Reviewer Time” is going].

The first guest, Teresa (aka SQT) of Fantasy and Sci-Fi Lovin’ News and reviews is up today! Of course, yours truly will be guests over for Reviewer Time in the near future, so stay tuned!

This Week On The Book Smugglers:

We have another big week ahead for y’all…

April 28th is a HUGE week for book releases. On Monday, Ana reviews Dayhunter, book 2 in Jocelynn Drake’s Dark Days series. Ana loved Nightwalker; will she love book 2?

On Tuesday, Thea reviews the highly anticipated third book in Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares series, The Trouble With Demons. Thea is a huge fan of the Raine Benares books, and has much love for Lisa Shearin, so her expectations were running high for this newest Raine adventure…

Wednesday, Ana reviews The Laurentine Spy by Emily Gee. Ana fell in love with this book at first sight of synopsis.

On Thursday, in honor of the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, you KNEW we were gonna do something, right? We’ll share the origins of our love for Wolvie, along with hopes for the movie, fun linkage, and other X-Men ponderings. We’ll also have a poll and hopefully a review for the film on the weekend too…

Friday, we close out the week with another author talking inspirations and influences, as Julie James comes over with her writerly thoughts.

Phew. Well that’s about it for now! See ya tomorrow, bub.

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

Blossom and Bubbles reviewed Just the Sexiest Man Alive, the first book by Julie James and they both loved it. When Practice Makes Perfect came out it was a given that they would read and join forces to review it. You know how it goes right? Bubbles reviews it here and Blossom (AKA KatieBabs) at her place. But what of Buttercup? Well she is still AWOL. Last we heard she decided to ditch her “training” with Batman, Wolverine and Gambit because according to her they are “wimpy do –gooders” (her words, not ours) and decided to join forces with Rorschach. We dread the day she will come back. The word “intervention” has been flowing around the Powerpuff Girls’ HQ.

Title: Practice Makes Perfect

Author: Julie James

Genre: Contemporary romance

Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: March 3, 2009
Paperback: 304 pages

Why did I read the book: I loved Just the Sexiest Man Alive and was really looking forward to reading Practice Makes Perfect. When it came along in the post from Berkley, I was super happy!

Summary: When it comes to the laws of attraction, there are no rules The battle between the sexes is about to make these two lawyers hot under the collar. Opposites collide when two lawyers try to make partner at the same firm. Payton Kendall is a feminist to the bone. Cocky J.D. Jameson was born privileged. But when they’re asked to join forces on a major case, they gain a newfound awareness of each other’s personal assets. The partnership spot will be offered to only one of them, though. The competition heats up. Sparks fly. Let the games begin.

Review:

I will start by being blunt and saying: I wish more books were like this one. Deliciously funny, easy to read, enjoyable and gripping. You know the type: when you have to stop reading because real life interferes, all you think about is how much you want to go back to the book and know what.happens.next.

Here are the basics: two hot shot lawyers working for the same prestigious law firm in Chicago. Enemies for the past 8 years although no one in the office has any clue of their hostility towards each other as they are masters in playing cool in public. Now, they are both running to make partner in the firm when they learn they must work together to bring in a big new client.

She: Payton Kendall, ambitious, smart and gorgeous; vegetarian, daughter of a hippie, activist mother, went to public school. Feminist, strong and proud of her own achievements.

He: J.D. Jameson, ambitious, smart and hot; Harvard educated, from a well-respected and moneyed family. Traditional, hard-working and proud of his own achievements.

These two now need to deal with the mental and physical strain of their career while at the same time coming to a point of realisation that hey, maybe they are perfect for each other. But before getting to that point, there are antics, pranks, arguments and sexual tension by the bucket loads (without any actual, graphic sex scene) that has the reader (at least this one) glued to the pages. For example:

J.D. apologises for an assumption he made.

“Is that it?” Payton asked, not entirely mollified by this apology.
“Oh I was just waiting for you to say something sarcastic about assholes and assumptions.”
Payton gave him a level stare. “As if I would be that cliché”.
She noticed he was watching her. Again. “What?”.
J.D. grinned.”Now I’m waiting for you to do that thing with your hair. The little flip.
Payton glared. Note to self: invest in hair clips.
“You know, as apologies go, this one could use a ton of improvement”.

The farcical situations the characters find themselves involved into (dear lord, the courtroom scene? I nearly choked with laughter) the sharp dialogue, the repartee, the strong female characters who stand on equal grounds against their male counterparts and the obvious attraction despite the hostility they may feel for each other are characteristics of one of my favourite types of romantic comedies: the Screwball Comedy. I am a huge fan of the genre (I collect movies by Howard Hawks, George Cukor and Frank Capra) and Practice Makes Perfect is so much like a Screwball Comedy, I can only but rejoice in reading this book.

Another aspect that distinguishes Practice Makes Perfect (and Just the Sexiest Man Alive) and makes them extraordinary in the midst of the romance genre is the fact that there is hardly any mushiness ( which is also another characteristic of the Screwball Comedy by the way) if at all. Pretty much every scene has some sort of funny innuendo and the characters start fighting and they go down fighting – yeah they may come to realise that they love each other but they also LOVE the parks that fly when they fight. For those who never watched a classic Screwball comedy and would feel more at home with a recent comparison: reading Practice Makes Perfect is akin to watching one of the best Ally McBeal’s episodes but with Joss Whedon’s dialogue.

Practice Makes Perfect is brilliantly written not only for the two protagonists but it has some fairly interesting secondary characters (like The Perfect Chase) and it touches relevant and important points such as genre and class in romance (For a more in-depth analysis of these points please read Jessica’s review of Practice Makes Perfect here). J.D. and Payton’s legal discussions held my complete interest as did their relationship with their parents and friends.

My one grippe with the book is the one added conflict close to the end because of something that J.D. did a few years ago. It doesn’t come out of nowhere because there were a couple of red herrings pointing that it would happen at some point BUT I did think it was completely unnecessary. Not only because there was enough conflict in their lives to make their relationship interesting but also because that particular J.D.’s action was, I felt, out of character. Look at me, defending the hero! J.D. acted like a jerk but a jerk he was not. Furthermore, the outcome of that was to have the hero getting advice from his best friend in an almost play –by – play of what happens in Just the Sexiest Man Alive which almost pulled me away from the book gravitas to wonder about formulas and the such but thankfully this happens only for a few pages and look! There comes The Grovel. And the banter again, so all is well in the world after all.

In the end it all boils down to this: if practice makes perfect, then I cannot wait for what Julie James comes up with next.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: It has got to be the courtroom scene when JD does the shoe prank. I will not spoil it but I was crying I was laughing so much. But the scene is also brilliant because it has several layers: there is not only the hilarous situation of the prank itself, but it is also a fantastic moment to show how strong Payton is and it has a very interesting outcome for JD – who compares his own reaction to a prank she played on him to her reaction to this one and…..something happens right then inside of him.

Additional Thoughts: If you liked Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect, go back and watch some of the movies from the golden era of Screwball Comedies. Usually they have “enemies” turned lovers or divorced couples getting back together stories. Really, they are good fun and awesome.

It all started in 1934 with It Happened One Night by Frank Capra (one of my favorite directors). A road movie with Clark Gable (pre-Gone With the Wind) and Claudette Colbert.

Ellie: I just had the unpleasant sensation of hearing you referred to as my husband.
Peter: Oh yeah, I forgot to tell ya about that. I registered as Mr. and Mrs.
Ellie: Oh, you did…Well, what am I expected to do? Leap for joy?
Peter: I kinda half expected you to thank me.
Ellie: Your ego is absolutely colossal.
Peter: Yeah, yep. Not bad. How’s yours?
Ellie: You know, compared to you, my friend Shapeley is an amateur. Just whatever gave you any idea I’d stand for this?
Peter: Hey now, wait a minute. Let’s get this straightened out right now. If you’re nursing any silly notion that I’m interested in you, forget it. You’re just a headline to me.
Ellie: A headline? You’re not a newspaper man are you?
Peter: Chalk up one for your side.

Then you have another good example with His Girl Friday directed by Howard Hawks (another fantastic director) and starring Cray Grant and Rosalind Russell – this one is of the divorced-get-back-together variety.

Hildy: A big fat lummox like you – hiring an airplane to write: ‘Hildy, don’t be hasty, remember my dimple.’
Walter. It delayed our divorce twenty minutes while the judge went out to watch it.
Walter: I’ve still got the dimple and in the same place.

The Philadelphia Story directed by yet another favorite of mine, George Cukor with Cary Grant, Kate Hepburn and James Stewart. Another one that has a couple that start out divorced then remarry by the end.

C. K. Dexter Haven: Sometimes, for your own sake, Red, I think you should’ve stuck to me longer.
Tracy Lord: I thought it was for life, but the nice judge gave me a full pardon.
C. K. Dexter Haven: Aaah, that’s the old redhead. No bitterness, no recrimination, just a good swift left to the jaw.

More recently though there was a pretty good movie that I watched many times. I Love Trouble with Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte, it has all the elements of screwball comedy and I thought it was good fun, even though critics seem to disagree with me. I know, shocking.

Verdict: Pure, unmitigated fun. Sexy as hell without graphic sex scenes. Smart and engaging – simply a damn good contemporary romance.

Rating: 8. Excellent

Reading Next: Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas