Stephanie Burgis

What I've loved this week so far:

Sunday was cold, damp and grey. So Patrick and I turned on the gas fire in the living room. He made me a cup of gorgeous hot chocolate, and we curled up on the couch under a soft blue throw to watch the BBC miniseries-adaptation of North and South. Ohhhh, so much fun! Culture clash, romance, and Victorian melodrama at its finest. And fabulous, sizzling chemistry between the rough-edged mill-owner hero (in a quasi-Manchester setting) and the uppity Southern-clergyman's-daughter heroine. We decided it felt like some of those vampire genre romances, actually - the hero who has done absolutely horrific things, whom the heroine absolutely disapproves of and yet can't resist...Perfect for a grey Sunday afternoon.

Jade Tiger by Jenn Reese. Oh, I loved this novel! Vivid kung-fu action scenes, fantastic banter, romantic comedy and a breakneck pace...just perfect. I knew I'd like it because her stories are great, but I had no idea just how much I'd love it. I devoured it all in less than a day after buying it, and I'm already planning to re-read it soon (and foist copies on friends!). It's that kind of book. If you like kung-fu action films, contemporary fantasy, Jenny Crusie-style romance, or the kind of Hitchcock suspense films where the hero and heroine crisscross continents in their adventures, you'll love this book. One of my favorite scenes from the opening chapter (which will ring true to anyone who's ever had to experience the horror of grading university papers):

"You've got to be kidding me."

Professor Ian Dashell rubbed his eyes and stared at the offending paper again, willing the words to be different the second time around. "The Vikings' primary weapon in battle was their famed horned helmets. Helmets which they wielded by bending over and charging their enemies."

Ian let the red felt-tip pen slip from his fingertips and onto the mountain of final exams covering his desk. His forehead followed shortly afterward with a satisfying thunk.

Read this book!

And last but not least, Patrick's posted a short-short he wrote in one of the writing exercises we've been doing just for fun. This one's called Moonlight, and I love it. You can read it on his blog.




	Stephanie Burgis My Journal Home Get Email Updates Steph's LiveJournal mirror Steph's Homepage Published Short Stories Upcoming Novels Steph's Twitter account Patrick Samphire's journal Mr Darcy's blog Steph's Flickr Account Patrick's Flickr Account 2010: A Book Odyssey SF Novelists Web Rats Email Me Admin Password Remember Me 1256843 Curiosities served Share on Facebook				2006-11-15 2:56 PM what I love Previous Entry :: Next Entry Read/Post Comments (15) What I've loved this week so far: Sunday was cold, damp and grey. So Patrick and I turned on the gas fire in the living room. He made me a cup of gorgeous hot chocolate, and we curled up on the couch under a soft blue throw to watch the BBC miniseries-adaptation of North and South. Ohhhh, so much fun! Culture clash, romance, and Victorian melodrama at its finest. And fabulous, sizzling chemistry between the rough-edged mill-owner hero (in a quasi-Manchester setting) and the uppity Southern-clergyman's-daughter heroine. We decided it felt like some of those vampire genre romances, actually - the hero who has done absolutely horrific things, whom the heroine absolutely disapproves of and yet can't resist...Perfect for a grey Sunday afternoon. Jade Tiger by Jenn Reese. Oh, I loved this novel! Vivid kung-fu action scenes, fantastic banter, romantic comedy and a breakneck pace...just perfect. I knew I'd like it because her stories are great, but I had no idea just how much I'd love it. I devoured it all in less than a day after buying it, and I'm already planning to re-read it soon (and foist copies on friends!). It's that kind of book. If you like kung-fu action films, contemporary fantasy, Jenny Crusie-style romance, or the kind of Hitchcock suspense films where the hero and heroine crisscross continents in their adventures, you'll love this book. One of my favorite scenes from the opening chapter (which will ring true to anyone who's ever had to experience the horror of grading university papers): "You've got to be kidding me." Professor Ian Dashell rubbed his eyes and stared at the offending paper again, willing the words to be different the second time around. "The Vikings' primary weapon in battle was their famed horned helmets. Helmets which they wielded by bending over and charging their enemies." Ian let the red felt-tip pen slip from his fingertips and onto the mountain of final exams covering his desk. His forehead followed shortly afterward with a satisfying thunk. Read this book! And last but not least, Patrick's posted a short-short he wrote in one of the writing exercises we've been doing just for fun. This one's called Moonlight, and I love it. You can read it on his blog. Read/Post Comments (15) Previous Entry :: Next Entry Back to Top