target="_blank"
Viva la Wednesday!
It’s possible that I’m in a good mood this morning. *bounce bounce bounce*
It’s odd that I am, in fact, because I’m revising, and I might as well be cutting off my own arms and then trying to type by holding them by the bones sticking out of the end and slamming them down on the keyboard — it’s almost that painful. (Wow, that was an unusually gruesome image.) But so many other things have been exciting, it just doesn’t seem to matter.
To wit: last night, Natalie of Radish Reviews settled down for the evening to peruse How To Misbehave and sent me a tweet that said, and I quote, “OH MY GOD THIS BOOK.” Then this morning I saw that author buddy Tamara Morgan had reviewed it with the single word “Unf.” So both of those things make me happy.
Also, yesterday I was honored to see that Romance Novels for Feminists has written a blog post about my “wonky feminism” and About Last Night. Since I self-identify as both wonky and feminist, and since I am a geek, receiving a meta-analytical review of my romance writing is pretty much just . . . *DED*
And, and, I got invited to a local book club and I sent out a review pitch for Strangers on a Train and I saw several glowing reviews of How To Misbehave by smart, lovely people, and my friend Serena came back from being away and we talked about the wee little sad neurotic man who tries to keep us from writing, and my other friend Mary Ann sent me the loveliest thoughts on my work-in-progress that made me weepy, and also I facilitated something nice for her, and I had some cookies, and I was on a podcast with Renee Bernard and got Miranda Neville’s name wrong, I think.
I am surprised that I can even breathe, actually.
But since we’re on the topic of Miranda Neville (WE TOTALLY ARE), I will tell you that I met her at RWA and she’s (a) English, (b) lovely, (c) very nice, (d) has a great rack, and (e) I told her I liked her books but then couldn’t remember which one I’d read and then proceeded to confuse her by telling her how much I liked a book she hadn’t written. Then, back in my room, I looked her up, and I don’t really know what happened next. Possibly I confused her with Meredith Duran again. But the next time I saw her, I said more things about this book I liked that she hadn’t written. She was very polite about it. Then I stared at her boobs, turned red, and fled.*
*I am not someone who tells funny stories about myself to make myself seem relatable. In social situations, I am really normally just fine. Yet somehow all of this actually happened.
It’s kind of a wonder that she talks to me at all anymore, even on Twitter, but she does, and eventually I read her Confessions from an Arranged Marriage, which I liked exceedingly well. So there. Here’s the blurb—
They couldn’t be more different—but there’s one thing they agree on…
In London after a two-year exile, Lord Blakeney plans to cut a swathe through the bedchambers of the demimonde. Marriage is not on his agenda, especially to an annoying chit like Minerva Montrose, with her superior attitude and a tendency to get into trouble. And certainly the last man Minerva wants is Blake, a careless wastrel without a thought in his handsome head.
The heat and noise of her debutante ball give Minerva a migraine. Surely a moment’s rest could do no harm . . . until Blake mistakes her for another lady, leaving Minerva’s guests to catch them in a very compromising position. To her horror, the scandal will force them to do the unthinkable: marry. Their mutual loathing blazes into unexpected passion but Blake remains distant, desperate to hide a shameful secret. Minerva’s never been a woman to take things lying down, and she’ll let nothing stop her from winning his trust . . . and his heart.
Cecilia Grant recommended this book to me because the heroine is political, and I did enjoy that aspect of the story. She takes politics seriously and comes to believe, after she’s forced to marry this very socially powerful hero for whom she has no esteem, that at least she can make use of her new heft to effect a positive political difference. There are a lot of interesting things happening thematically with power in this story — who has it, how they wield it, and to what extent it’s a gift and a burden.
The hero, who comes across at first as a sort of featherbrained good-time guy, is actually hiding a learning disability that makes it almost impossible for him to read. This is both deeply affecting and, in the context of the novel, a serious problem. He thinks he’s an idiot, and he’s terrified someone will find out. After he starts to fall for his very intelligent wife, he becomes even more terrified. But the threat is bigger, as well, because he could be disgraced, lose his seat in Parliament, and even have his title and estates taken from him if it were to be known that he can barely read and write.
Beautifully done, highly entertaining, highly recommended.
(Ooh! And the ebook edition is only $2.99. I can hear you clicking from here.)
———
Confessions from an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Yep, CLICK! Hey, when are you gonna write a historical romance?
I have one in my head, but so many other things happening … possibly never.
Glad to hear such happy news on your reviews! I always enjoy reading your blogs and thanks for the recommendation, gonna check Miranda out now
Thanks! Hope you enjoy.
Hahaha! Whenever I meet an author, I always have to look up which books they actually wrote beforehand to avoid exactly that problem. I would be a disaster at RWA.
Yes. “Disaster” about covers it.
I can’t tell you how much your story about Miranda Neville reassures me.
Has everyone in the whole world pre-ordered How to Misbehave yet? I would hate for any one to miss out on talking about what makes one hot, in a dark basement, with Tony. It would just be so sad. All that lost opportunity for horniness.
Plus, then everyone will be ready for the whole amazing Camelot series. What with the body guards and rock stars and stuttering hackers. Because it’s true there’s no one like Ruthie Knox for making your whole week
I do what I can!
Staring at the rack is normal at RWA because everyone is trying to read badges. I am happy to be mistaken for Meredith Duran any time, personally or artistically. But just to set the record straight, my boobs are bigger than hers.
Thank you, Ruthie, for the recommendation. So glad you enjoyed Confessions. One little thing: Blake wouldn’t lose his title and estates but he would squander the political influence cultivated by generations of his very smart family. I mention this because I don’t want the historians on my trail.
Oh, you had a badge?
I squinted at those sentences when I wrote them, wondering if I’d transposed a little bit of Flowers from the Storm onto your novel — that whole incompetency hearing thing. It appears I did. Whoops! That’s what I get for waiting a few months between reading and blog-post-writing.
Being confused with FFTS is almost as good as Meredith Duran.
Hi Ms Neville!
I bought “Confessions” from Amazon in the morning because I can’t help but “click” when Ruthie tells me to! Started reading it after work. Then I looked up shocked to see that it was bedtime. “Confessions” is delightful! I love how you’re taking your time with these two and laying little clues as to Blake’s big secret. I think I might have it figured out. Oh how I love a flawed hero!
Thank you, Nakeesha. Losing track of time is the highest compliment you can pay an author. I had a great time with Blake because he was a real a-hole in one of my previous books. Making him sympathetic was something of a challenge. I didn’t even like him myself, at first. I had to fall in love with him along with Minerva.
Oh, hell. Love your story, Ruthie…and commentary by the stellar author & rack in question
Much continued success to you both! That title recommendation has been whisked away to “1-click” Land for myself as well as a few historical romance-loving friends. Thanks!
Thank you! You’ll enjoy it, I’m just sure.
We all have stories about something we have done. I did at work with a co-worker. He had a 2 wheel cart and a box he was trying to move fell off of it so I told him that his thingy wasn’t long enough. I meant the thing (lip or whatever you call it) on his cart and the other gal I worked with said they never know is going to come out of my mouth. He ended up getting a moving cart. It was embarrassing but we all had a good laugh.
Thanks for letting me know about this book it is going on my TBR pile!
Ha! And with coworkers, there is always that extra bit of “I have to see you every day forever” awkwardness.
Geez, now I need to find a picture of Miranda Neville that shows her rack. The picture on the inside back cover does not. Why would she hide such a thing?? And I am always lost, and being a non-author what is Unf? Good, I guess?
Glad you are feeling good this morning, bouncy trouncy flouncy fun fun funnnnnn…..
“Unf” is just a guttural, sexy sound. Like “unh.” Or “guh.” It’s a good sound.
Oh goodness, what an embarrassing story. Thanks for sharing! Makes me feel…not quite so socially awkward.
Congrats on the reviews and the good day.
This post makes me <3 you exponentially more than I already do.