Sunday, December 31, 2017

BOOK REVIEW: A Room Of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

~Introduction to My Book Review~

For some reason this year I found myself dwelling on which book I wanted to spend the New Year's weekend with. On a cold, snowy morning the question seemed profound. What read should close 2017 and usher in 2018?

As a book blogger, I’m, of course, already reading titles slated for January release, and if I’m being honest, which is something a book reviewer should always be, then I’ll admit the current ARC I’ve started isn’t wowing me. I’m not saying it’s bad; frankly I haven’t gotten very far. I’m simply stating that it wasn’t going to be the one I wanted floating in my head during a passage of time where we reflect on the past and look to the future.

I came to the conclusion that my read would be a re-read. And I’ve got plenty of romance favorites to choose from. But as I crafted the blog’s other year-end piece, I decided to dig a little deeper into my reread pile. I dug so far that I went back to my graduate school days. But the choice was fitting. And despite the many years since I last studied it, it’s never been far from my mind.

In a year that commenced with the joining of women around the globe to make protest history and one that concluded with ‘feminism’ as the word of the year, I think it fitting to recommend to my fellow women readers and writers Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of One’s Own.  

~ Book Review~
5 Stars

Though written in 1929, Woolf’s book length essay, initially intended as speeches on the topic of women and fiction, remains relevant to writers, especially women writers today.
“For books have a way of influencing each other” (109).
If you haven’t taken a walk with Woolf through the shelves, I encourage you to do so with this little gem of materialist feminism, decades ahead of it’s time.

The focus of Woolf’s musings is on the conditions that early women writers wrote under and the lack of a literary legacy they had to build upon. Women writers, she asserts, had to not only overcome indifference (like men writers) but also hostility directed at women for stepping out of their confined societal boundaries.

Her signature stream of conscious style comes through alongside a witty, facetious, and at times sarcastic tone.

Reflecting on Woolf’s message, it is interesting to see how far women writers and women in fiction have come and yet how much some things have stayed the same. How many writers today truly have a room of one’s own, and how many are still penning fiction during nap-time, while planning dinner, and in between letting the dog out and picking the kids up from school?

Highly recommended further reading: Virginia Woolf’s Women and Writing, particularly essays like “Professions for Women” and “Women and Fiction.”


Saturday, December 30, 2017

EDITORIAL: Sexist Smut

🎊Good-bye 2017🎈Hello 2018 🎉

A new year is almost upon us.  Out with the old, in with the new. Or as Edith Lovejoy Pierce more eloquently wrote: 
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
A whole new year of books awaits us. Some authors are still penning them. Others have the publish button at their fingertips. And then there are the words not yet written, the scenes still to come to fruition.  

In 2017, one word was looked up more than any other: feminism. "The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests” perked the interest of more people than any other.  It's an important word, though often misconstrued. It's undoubtedly a good thing that more  people are seeking out it's correct definition. It's past time that women took it back from its critics who sought to disparage it in an underhanded attempt to halt a theory from becoming practice. 

Women writers hold at their fingertips the power of the pen, the power to help shape the advancement of women, the advancement of equality. 
“For masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice.” Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own
One of the great things about the romance market is that it allows women to embrace their sexuality.  There's no better way to give a big F-U to the outdated Puritan values that brainwashed generations into the very incorrect assumption that women were not and should not be sexual beings than to read a clearly distinguishable romance book in public. And it's not just about sending a message; romance reading has allowed women to explore their own likes and tastes when it comes to their sexuality. Through books, woman can gauge their own limits, explore their own fantasies, and take tips back to the bedroom where they are equal participants in the action. 

But..... (you knew there had to be one coming) like most things, the genre isn't perfect. And one of those imperfections is a word that's been seeping into the romance and erotic fiction lexicon. 


It's not feminism, of course. In fact, used in the way it's being used in romance books, it's not helping feminism in the least. So before it starts spreading like manure, let's take a closer look at it. 

Imagine if I said the word of the day is 

breeding

noun  breed·ing

Don't worry, I'm never going to really proclaim that a word of the day; this is just a hypothetical exercise. So take a moment, close your eyes, and picture what comes to mind when you hear this word. 

😚 If the cover of a contemporary romance novel comes to mind, then Houstonwe have a problem. Because in the words of the noble Inigo Montoya:
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." 
According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, breeding is simply:
"the process by which young animals, birds, etc., are produced by their parents
the activity of keeping and caring for animals or plants in order to produce more animals or plants of a particular kind
the way a person was taught in childhood to behave : good manners that come from being raised correctly "
Notice all those references to the reproduction of animals? And yet this word keeps creeping up in erotic romance.

I've been over here scratching my head trying to figure out when "breeding" became sexy or romantic for quite some time, and as we head into a new year with new opportunities, it seems now is just as good as time as any to bring it up.


For decades, women have been able to vote, own property, and hold important positions in government, and yet we are still being depicted in fiction as nothing more than a warm body for a over-possessive chauvinistic douchebag to dump his over-entitled seed so he can propagate more sexist renditions of himself.  A man who thinks of "breeding" his woman is a man who views impregnating a woman as a means of suppression, domination, and control. 
He is in layman's terms...a pig. 🐷

Why in the world is he being portrayed as a romantic hero? 😦 You can bet your barn that a guy like this in real life not only wants to keep you hog tied to his pen while breeding his babies, but he's also gonna want to take away any other choices you're entitled to. 

If these types of  "romantic heroes"  were truly such swoon-worthy book boyfriends, they'd be more focused on empowering the woman they claim to love than impregnating her in an archaic approach to claiming ownership.  

To be clear, I have nothing against a romantic story where the a couple have a baby together. This is not an anti-pregnancy post. Motherhood can be a wonderful and rewarding experience.  What I object to is when a woman's body is being used as a method of female subordination and an innocent child becomes an instrument used to keep the mother suppressed. 

Still not convinced? Think it's simply harmless smut?  Well let's consult the Urban Dictionary for their definition then.
To be pregnant. Word dates back to slavery days when the master would breed his slaves to   get more slaves. 
An intercourse between HIV positive and negative without condom. Sometimes the ejaculation of HIV positive one to negative one's orifice; usually anus.  "
Wow, now the word becomes associated with STDs and the propagation of slavery.  Are you getting turned on? Does it make you fall in love with the hero?  Personally, I'm thoroughly disgusted that this term is being tossed around in modern romance.

Come on, readers! Why are we blindly accepting this kind of sexist pillow talk?

The next time you encounter the word breeding, whether you're reading it or writing it, and it's not referring to your four legged pedigree who's in heat or something of that nature, take a moment and consider the wider implications of it's misuse.  

🐶 2018 is the year of the dog, but that doesn't mean romance heroes should act like one.  Oh, and spoiler alert: 2019 and 2020 are the years of the pig 🐷 and the rat 🐀. Let's not emulate them either. 

Instead, let's work together to create another year where the advancement of women is front and center, where blank pages are filled with positive presentations of women, and where opportunities exist for women outside and alongside the role of motherhood.  We aren't animals to be bred. We aren't subordinates to be controlled. We are humans to be valued.  

So the next story I encounter where the "romantic hero" proclaims he's going to breed the heroine I'm not going to picture him like the hunky dude who's displayed on the cover. Oh no, I'm going to picture him like this...



🎶 Happy New Year Everyone! 🍻

🍸Let's party and toast….
To a sexy, not sexist, 2018!!! 



~Check out last year "resolutions"~
Read Post: HERE

Friday, December 22, 2017

COVER REVEAL: Snapshot by Rebel Farris

Genre: Romance Suspense Novella 
Release Date: January 18, 2018

~Synopsis~
 
Love stories don’t usually start with tripping over a dead body.

But mine did because that’s when I met him.

Xander Novak wasn’t like the guys from around here. The cowboy with a mysterious accent had secrets, sure. But he helped me escape certain death and welcomed me into his home.

Or did he? Because his home could be my safe haven… or it could be my prison.

And I could be walking straight into the arms of a killer.


 ~Playlist~
Rosie’s Mix Tape
Pictures of Matchstick Men by Camper Van Beethoven
Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes
Heroes by David Bowie
Love Shack by The B-52s
Stand by R.E.M.
So Alive by Love and Rockets
Whip It by DEVO
Hazy Shade of Winter by The Bangles
Sunglasses At Night by Corey Hart
I Melt With You by Modern English
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
Kiss by Prince
She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals
Faith by George Michael

Xander’s Record Collection
The Most Beautiful Girl by Charlie Rich
Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’ by Charlie Pride
Oh Lonesome Me by Don Gibson
He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones
Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys by Waylon Jennings
Stand by Your Man by Tammy Wynette
You Never Even Called Me By My Name by David Allen Coe
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams
Good Hearted Woman by Willie Nelson
Crazy by Patsy Cline
I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash
Your Cheatin’ Heart by Hank Williams
Pancho and Lefty by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson


Rebel Farris is a romantic suspense author. She's also the mom of three lunatics plus two perfect pups (Spike and Snakefinder) currently residing in Austin, TX. A native Texan and former military wife, she spent three years living in Seoul, South Korea (where part of her heart will always belong) and every corner of her home state before settling down. One day she hopes to live out the dreams of her nomadic soul, by traveling the world. All while pouring out the myriad of stories that fill her not-so-normal mind. She'll just have to wait until her brats graduate and leave the house first.
When she's not busy writing her newest project, she can probably be found curling up with a good book, hiding behind a lens of one of her many cameras, or going on adventures with her kids. Champion of the anti-hero, Rebel loves to write suspenseful and unpredictable stories while making people fall in love with the bad guy and the broken souls.


Sign Up for your FREE Copy

HOSTED BY:

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Book-Bosomed Book Blog's 2017 Book Awards

🎁🎁🎁 Happy Holidays! 🎁🎁🎁

It's that time of year again. Not only are the holidays upon us, but so is the best books of the year list! Because I like to switch things up a little when I do this yearly romance shout-out, I decided to not only highlight the best books, but some of their best features. My goal remains the same as previous years thoughto give the featured titles more attention (that they aptly deserve) and to send the authors a big holiday hug for making something special this year. 🤗

I was going to leave the actual trophy to your imagination, but then I decided it would be more fun to encourage audience participation. I’ve set up a little poll so you can vote. MTV has it’s moonman statue; the Grammy’s have their golden gramaphone; Book-Bosomed blog needs something fitting.  So cast your vote and then keep scrolling to find out who's getting them!

And the winners are....
 🥁
 🥁
 🥁 
 

Best Romance Couple
🏆The Winner (s): A tie!  One Flight Stand by Kim Linwood and Untamable by Jamie Schlosser
What does it take to get this distinction? Well I had to love both the hero and heroine, love them equally, and love them together. That’s not to say that the other titles on this list or other books I read didn’t have likable heroes and heroines or couples who were meant to be. But there was just something upbeat, cool, and fun loving about these two couples. I wanted to hang out with Montana and Andrea and Emery and Estelle, maybe even double date with them if my hubs and I were worthy. LOL I think they’d bring chemistry; I’m sure they’d bring antics; (they might also bring cheese and cats😖); but I just know there’d never be a dull moment with them around.

Best Romance Heroine
🏆The Winner:   Her Bodyguard by Sabrina Paige
What does it take to get this distinction? What's not to love about a princess who scales palace walls; isn’t afraid to put her hand down her bodyguard’s pants to retrieve her phone; and can maintain her grace and dignity while being caught handcuffed before the king?
Weak heroines never make my yearly list so all of the gals featured here are strong female characters. Sadly, women used to always be presented as flat, stereotypical females in fiction, relegated to that status by male writers. Then women entered the profession and slowly things began to change. We still have a long way to go; there’s plenty of misogynist representations out there, but it’s heroines like this one that are storming the patriarchal palace and showing readers that we women are complex and charismatic.

Best Romance Hero
🏆The Winner: Dropout by Jamie Schlosser
What does it take to get this distinction? I'm looking for a few good men! (See what I did there with that little play on the series this hero originates from?😉) Well actually I'm looking for a hot, sexy, smart, swoon-worthy man in every romance book I read. Sometimes I find more than one in a story (*wink*wink* The God Pack) and sometimes I have to look a little harder to find the prince underneath the package (*cough*cough* Paging Mr. Crown). All the guys on this list are worthy of book boyfriend status. But the stand-up guy here is James Peabody Johnson! 👋Wave to him there on the cover, looking all sexy like leaning against his trophy. If I told you all the ways that Jimmy made my heart flutter, well I'd be giving away his whole story. Shucks! So let me just say that he came through in scenes and scenarios where many fictional men before him have failed.

Best Menage Romance and  
Best Menage Couple Romantic Unit
🏆The Winner: The Hard Way by Annika Martin
What does it take to get this distinction? Well one thing wasn’t hard…actually there were three hard….opps I’m getting sidetracked by the kinky bank robbers and their hard ways. So what I’m trying to say is that it wasn’t hard to pick a winner for this category. I haven't read another menage yet that delivers such hot and lovable characters as these, yet alone delivers the romantic factor equally. So whether you love a good foursome or simply want to lose your menage virginity (fictionally speaking that is), this is the series to do it with.😉

Best Romantic Suspense
🏆The Winner: Beautiful Beast by Aubrey Irons
What does it take to get this distinction? In the best romantic suspense category, I need a read that keeps me turning pages for answers just as much as I'm sucked into the pages for the couple and their chemistry. This story completely delivered and more. I wanted to know what happened in their past; I wanted to know where they were going in the future. The characters were layered and gripping, the sex scenes were hot, and the ending was absolutely swoon-worthy. You can't imagine how it's all going to work out, but take a spin on this dark ride and find out.
 
Best RomCom
🏆The Winner (s): 
1st Place🥇Untamable by Jamie Schlosser
2nd Place🥈 One Flight Stand by Kim Linwood 
3rd Place🥉 A tie! The Hard Way by Annika Martin, Her Bodyguard by Sabrina Paige, and  Dropout by Jamie Schlosser. 
What does it take to get this distinction? Hmm, are you sensing a little deja vu? Turns out 5 out of the 6 books on the list this year are also romantic comedies. Technically, I don't think Dropout is categorized as one, but Sweatpea and Grandma gave me a lot of chuckles. And that's how this award was measured...by how much I laughed. Hands down, Untamable had me laughing more than any book I've read in a long time. But the other four are also good for a giggle and a smile on your face.

Best Holiday Romance 
🏆The Winner: Sordid Games by Elizabeth Kelly
 What does it take to get this distinction? Sweet, sexy, safe, and puts a smile on my face! It's a simple criteria. If it's a holiday romance, I expect feel-good all the way through. And this one totally came through from the main couple along with all the hilarious supporting characters. You can find it in the Dirty It Up anthology or now on Amazon.

Best Romance Book
🏆The Winner (s): A tie! ALL OF THEM!!!
What are you waiting for? Go 1-click.... 

 (in alphabetical order by title)
Beautiful Beast  
by Aubrey Irons
He's the brooding, broken bad boy; she's the girl next door who's tired of taking his shit! His plan is devious and his limits have no bounds.

“‘I was talking about making you come all over my fingers and then licking it off while you tongue my balls. Who said anything about romance.’”

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU 
 BOOK REVIEW w/CHARACTER FEATURE
 
Dropout  
by Jamie Schlosser
He's flunking out of college. She's a loner making music. They have one thing in common to bring them together: his grandmother! It's a small town where life is simple and little birds have a lot of substance. 

And when she fell asleep, her ear was right over my heart—the heart that was becoming a little less mine and a little more hers every day.

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU 
 BOOK REVIEW w/CHARACTER FEATURE

The Hard Way  
by Annika Martin
She's the teller they took hostage. They're the bank robbers who indulge her every fucking-g fantasy. Now they have a detective agency, and they're hot on the trail of the culprit who is framing her sheep rearing sisters.

They were coordinating, of course. This is what you got from seasoned criminals fucking and disciplining you—wicked coordination.
 AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU/B&N

Her Bodyguard  
by Sabrina Paige
He's her ex-military bodyguard; she's the wild and reckless princess. She might just wrap him around her privileged finger...if she doesn't bring him to his knees first. Or he doesn't put her over his.

“‘Well, father, I would curtsy, but you see, I'm afraid I'd fall over, since my hands are cuffed behind my back.’”

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU 
BOOK REVIEW 

One Flight Stand 
by Kim Linwood
She's the mob boss's daughter. He's the sexy mystery man from her transatlantic flight. He's also in the mob...and the brother of the man she's being summoned home to marry. It's not all one big happy "family," but there is a baby on the way! 

She could’ve raised hell, but instead she’s floating down the aisle like an angel in a dress that puts me in a mood to be a devil.

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU / B&N
 BOOK REVIEW w/CHARACTER FEATURE

Untamable 
by Jamie Schlosser
She's the crazy cat lady. He's the pussy tamer. With 9 misbehavin' felines to wrangle, he's got his hands full. And she has plans for the other parts of him!

Her scream echoed off the wall, and a roar left me as my balls drew up tight, blinding pleasure slamming through my body.

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU 
 BOOK REVIEW



Missed the Previous Years' Lists? Have No Fear; They're Right Here:
2016
2015
2014

Friday, December 15, 2017

COVER REVEAL: Misdemeanour by Michelle Thomas

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Series: Bleeding Blue
Release Date: February 22, 2018

~Blurb~
Alex
Being a cop isn’t just my job; it’s my life. And while I may not be a typical officer, with my abundance of tattoos and unorthodox methods of finding justice, I’m still damn good at what I do.
At least, I thought I was, until I answered a call about a robbery. That’s where I met Hailey, the victim.
The woman I can’t get out of my head.
I didn’t think there’d ever be a case I couldn’t crack, but she’s got her defenses built high and her secrets locked tightly away. Whatever she’s keeping from me, I need to find out.
Before it’s too late.

Hailey
So far, I’ve managed to stay one step ahead of the past I know I can’t outrun…until that damn coffeeshop owner called the police over my purse being stolen.
When I can’t explain why I had no identification in that purse to begin with, or why I don’t want the police involved, I’m suddenly front row and center on Officer Alexander Brett’s radar.
The obvious undeniable attraction and chemistry between us is tangible. And that evokes more fear in me than the danger that is bound to catch up with me.
Now, my life is in danger…
But so is my heart.

*Misdemeanor is a full-length steamy, standalone romance with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a HEA.*
Cover Designer: Francessca Wingfield Francessca's PR & Designs
Cover Model: Nathan Hainline Nathan Hainline-model

RELEASE BLITZ: Iowish Roots by E.J. Whitmer

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 15, 2017

~Blurb~

After suffering a devastating loss, Violet Monroe needs a fresh start. Billybog, Ireland is the ideal place to open a coffee shop and finally live the life of her dreams. With her Instagram-famous dog in tow, she says goodbye to Iowa and runs toward her next adventure.

Pub owner Aidan Donovan is the epitome of a wounded soul. Jaded by his last relationship, he’s dedicated his life to never giving his heart to anyone again… then, he meets “Lettie”, Billybog’s newest resident. She’s beautiful, funny, and an American, and that makes her too much of a risk. While he does everything he can think of to keep her at a safe distance, her quirky American sensibilities and irresistible nature prove to be more difficult to resist than he imagined.

Will Lettie find her new home in the arms of a brooding Irishman, or will his tortured soul keep them from the happily-ever-after they both deserve?
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited

~Excerpt~

Weeks of pent up anger and lust fed the fire that burned between us. I had never been so thoroughly kissed. So desperately kissed. So passionately kissed. I could drown in his kisses without fighting for air.


E.J. Whitmer is an Iowa native who spends her days working in marketing and design. When she is not working or writing, she likes to spend her free time cooking, crafting, attending sporting events, harassing her outrageously good-looking husband or cuddling her son.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

COVER REVEAL: Craze by Andi Jaxon

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 11, 2018

~Blurb~

Have you felt a strong emotion for someone you've never seen, never had a conversation with? I’ve always felt like I was being studied, shielded. Goosebumps frequent my skin and the hair all over my body stands at attention. I’ve grown used to it over the years, I’m no longer bothered by it. In fact, some time ago, I started to feel comforted by it. Someone cares enough to keep watch over me, no one ever cared about me except my best friend Elliot.

The problem is that once my stalker makes himself truly known, I’m not sure I can handle who he truly is, he leads me down a dark path of pleasure mixed with pain.


Cover Design: PopKitty Designs

Raised all over the country, I'm an interesting mix of East Coast meets West Coast with a little bit of Southern thrown in, just for good measure. I married a sexy man in uniform who let me spawn and am now raising a mutinous army of hell raisers that I created myself, all while he defends our country. I drink too much coffee until it's late enough to drink too much wine and am sexually frustrated for your freedom.

I never thought I would be a writer, it was never an interest of mine. But when the voices start in and won't let you sleep, you write so they STFU and leave you alone for a while.

If you see me online, I'm probably sitting in a closet, hiding from my kids. I'm sarcastic, love a dirty alpha male, and love to laugh.