Romancing the Snow

When bloggy buddy Jen Daiker asked me to read and review the short stories (hers included) in the SNOWBOUND HEARTS anthology, I agreed. Jen is so fun and awesome, of course I wanted to celebrate her first publication.

Full disclosure ... I am not a romance-genre expert. Certain friends told me I should read more romance (for educational purposes, mind you), so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to be educated in another genre AND support a bloggy friend. The problem is, writing a review about a genre you're not well-versed in ... it's a little scary.

But I'm going to do my best. Keep in mind, I'm probably one of the most naive people on the planet (despite the fact that I have five children running around). And yes, I do get sort of middle-schooly when it comes to talking about sex. Giggling. Blushing. The whole bit. 

Thankfully, all that worry was for nothing with SNOWBOUND HEARTS. The stories were mostly playful and lighthearted. One story did seem more serious than the others, but I was delighted with the character development and the setting in that story, so it was just as entertaining.

Every story was unique and I enjoyed the variety of voices. For instance, "Sophie's Snow Day" is a paranormal romance about cat shape shifters (I'd never read a paranormal romance before). Jen's story, "Snowbanked," is a sweet romance about a girl who comes home to find herself. "The White Lion" is set in England and had all the romance and intrigue of old English houses that really appealed to this Downton Abbey nut, while "Winter Twilight" has wonderfully gritty characters and a vivid downtown Seattle setting.

My biggest problem with SNOWBOUND HEARTS was that it's only available digitally. And, of course, I don't have an e-reader. So every time I sat down to read it felt an awful lot like I was working. I would have loved to curl up with these stories on my couch in front of a roaring (gas-lit) fire. Instead, I was forced to sit bolt upright at the computer. Which made it less enjoyable, for sure, because I kept accidentally putting on my editor's cap. But this is not the fault of the anthology, just my lack of gadgets.

If you have an e-reader, though, it's super easy to download SNOWBOUND HEARTS from the Still Moments Ebook store. It's only $3.99, which, when you consider how much content you're getting, is really a steal.

Congratulations, Jen, on your publication accomplishment! I know there's a lot more in store from this talented author.

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In unrelated, silly news, Janet Johnson and I inducted our first victim member into the Hacky Sack Hall of Shame Fame. Catherine Denton put down her paintbrush and bravely went where no red-dress wearing woman has gone before and not only hula-hooped, but hacky-sacked with her hands at the same time. It's absolutely breathtaking. You have to check it out >>here.<< If you'd like to join the silliness, just email me (address in the sidebar) and I'll tell you how. No hacky sack required. Our motto is: "To embarrassment and beyond!"