A Dance Through Bookland

"Once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: 'No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall'."

--Eleanor Roosevelt

A Mini Bitch Kitty Rant I was dismayed when I read Michele Jaffe's post about her next book Bad Kitty, a book that I'd been looking forward getting my mitts on for some time:

BAD KITTY, will be out in early 2006, is a new mystery series with a teen sleuth. Seventeen year old Jasmine Callihan is on family vacation in Las Vegas, doing her best to be a Hallmark Card Model Daughter, when disaster strikes. Suddenly she has to stop a murder with only her wits, her friends, and her sparkle eyeshadow to help her. I had a ton of fun writing BAD KITTY and I hope people like reading it too. Or at least, the cover is kind of shiny, so they can use it as a tanning aid. And now I must go because I am working on the next book in the series and I just left Jasmine hanging by her fingernails off the side of a gondola in Venice as she listens in on Bad Guys saying Bad Guy things, and that can't be good for her. Or her clothes.

Teen sleuth? Nooooooooooooooooooo! It doesn't help that the title is very similar to her two previous mystery novels, Bad Girl and Lover Boy. I can't believe that that fabulous title Bad Kitty will be wasted on young mites! A teen sleuth. *headdesk* Excuse me while I go and throw a tantrum. No. No, no, no, I will pen a mystery and steal that bloody title because you know it's right. Bad Kitty = a potentially intriguing mystery. You know it makes sense. I can't believe she is going with a teen sleuth. Crusie Gets Hard Jennifer Crusie's web site has a massive facelift. Speaking of which! I was surprised to learn that her category romance Anyone But You will be reissued this January as a hardback. Wait.

An old category romance - Harlequin Love & Laughter romance #4, published in 1996 - in hardback? Hm, if we were to judge reactions to Janet Evanovich and other authors' old category romances reissued in hardback, this will be the beginning of a slow-burn backlash against Jennifer Crusie in the romance community. The cover of the reissue is quite lovely, actually. Not that I'd buy it because I already have two copies, one American and one British. Avon's Quinn-like Titles I recently noticed that Avon is giving historical romances spoof-type titles these days: Her Master and Commander, A Study in Scandal, Portrait of a Lover, Pride and Petticoats, Scandal of the Black Rose, The Barefoot Princess, Kiss Me, Annabel, The Lord Next Door, and blah blah. Let's see if I can recognise these titles in order: Master and Commander, A Study in Scarlet, Portrait of a Lady, Pride and Prejudice, The Barefoot Contessa, Kiss Me, Kate [or Hardy], The Girl Next Door, and blah blah. Is Avon trying to ape the success of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton family series for other authors by using similar-styled titles? Too late, methinks. Judging by some readers' comments online, Avon is on its way out for hanging onto Regency-era England and Scotland as well as tired clinch covers for too long. The latest line-up of book covers that caught my eye: You know me and book covers. I have no idea what these books are about, but their covers got me interested enough to have these up here on this blog. As usual, click on an image to enlarge.

Follow-up Books Although I had problems with Morag McKendrick Pippin's debut British Raj-setting romance, Blood Moon Over Bengal, I found it interesting enough to keep an eye out for her next book. I recently discovered that Blood Moon Over Britain, which takes place in wartime London, has a release date: December 2005. I was pleased to see that Colleen Thompson finally has a new romantic suspense novel on its way, Fade the Heat, this December. I read her previous, Fatal Error and, to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it's because it's an old-fashioned romantic suspense novel - this means no serial killer, no neck-breaking action adventure, no high tech thriller and la la. I have no idea I'd enjoy it if I re-read it, but at the time, it was a fun read. Be good, be bad & be safe.