| | Title: Confidence Tricks Author: Tamara Morgan |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
Asprey Charles has always assumed he would one day take his place in the family art appraisal and insurance firm. “His place” meaning he plans to continue to enjoy his playboy lifestyle, lavish money on his Cessna, and shirk every responsibility that dares come his way.
But when a life of crime is thrust upon him, he is just as happy to slip on a mask and cape and play a highwayman rogue. After all, life is one big game—and he excels at playing.
Poppy Donovan vows that her recent release from jail will be her last—no more crime, no more cons. But when she learns that her grandmother lost her savings to a low-life financial advisor, she’s forced to do just one more job.
It’s all going smoothly until the necklace she intends to pawn to fund her con is stolen by a handsome, mocking, white-collar thief. A thief who, it turns out, could take a whole lot more than money. If she’s not careful, this blue blood with no business on her side of the tracks could run off with the last thing she can afford to lose. Her heart.
Warning: This book contains masked crusaders, a remorseless con woman, and plans to boost a ten-million-dollar painting. Expect high speeds and fast hands.
Review:
Confidence Tricks is a fun, fast-paced romance with a likable ex-con protagonist. I loved Poppy. She is different from most romance heroines, and she’s brutally honest about her prospects for the future. After she falls for rich guy Asprey, she understands the reality of their relationship, as in, there can’t be one. How can a guy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who has never wanted for anything, understand that a future with Poppy, a poor girl who has been living on the edge for years, is out of the question? It was the difference in their social status that really attracted me to this story, and by the end of the book, I was convinced that Poppy and Asprey would find their HEA. It wouldn’t be easy, but, dang, they deserved to be happy! Together!
The story starts out with Asprey completely at Poppy’s mercy. She’s got a stiletto heel jabbed against his throat, and she’s not afraid to use it! She’s already dislocated his shoulder, and she’s not going to hesitate to inflict more bodily harm. How dare he interfere with her mark? She has been hanging around with slimeball Todd for weeks, all in an effort to steal back the money he stole from her grandmother. How dare these amateur thieves try to steal her thunder.
I enjoyed the power imbalance between Poppy and Asprey. She is hard as nails and can open a can of whoop ass on him without even thinking about it. Asprey, on the other hand, is like a genteel Robin Hood, stealing back jewelry and art from their owners so they can collect on insurance policies. Why? Because everything that he and his older brother are stealing are fakes. Oops! The cons are very convoluted in Confidence Tricks, and there were several times when I had to throw away everything I thought I knew was going on, because Tamara Morgan had me totally bamboozled. Clueless. It was fun watching as the web of deception unraveled, leaving the characters second guessing themselves.
I was entertained by Asprey and Poppy’s unusual courtship. They try to steal an espresso machine in a bet for answers to the burning questions they have for each other. They don’t quite trust each other, but as they are thrown from one dangerous adventure to the next, they find that they don’t have anyone else to rely on but each other. When Poppy’s less than shining history is finally revealed, Asprey doesn’t seem phased at all. He can put her past mistakes in the past where they belong, though he constantly questions why she would act as she did by turning herself in. The romance is hot and flares quickly out of control, and I thought that the two made a great couple. Even better, Asprey’s older brother is disapproving and trying to find ways to drive the two apart. Stupid brothers!
I did think that the action lagged during the poker games. Poppy and Asprey just can’t compete with Paul Newman and Robert Redford; I don’t think any characters could. How do you pull off a better sting than those guys? I don’t think you can, so these scenes didn’t work for me. The rest of the cons did, though, and I was caught up in the rest of the intrigue and suspense. And again, I loved the stark contrast between Poppy and Asprey’s backgrounds.
If you enjoy suspense, danger, and cons in your romance, I think you will like Confidence Tricks. Not sure? Check back later today for the opportunity to win a copy for yourself.
Grade: B
Review copy provided by author
Tamara Morgan kicks off her Games of Love series with Love is a Battlefield, a recent release from Samhain Publishing. Tamara dropped by the virtual offices to chat about her new book.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Tamara Morgan] Contemporary romance author with a love of heroes who wear costumes. Video game geek. Wine lover. Zombie apocalypse prepared.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Love is a Battlefield?
[Tamara Morgan] Love is a Battlefield is a modern take on two of my favorite romance tropes: Regency England and Highlanders.
Kate Simmons is a Jane Austen re-enactor with a love of history and romance. Julian Wallace is a professional Highland Games athlete who adheres to the time-honored traditions of Scotland. Sparks between them fly until they realize they both want the same plot of land for their annual conventions.
Basically, it’s a land feud between re-enactment groups with a Renaissance fair, a wood-fired hot tub, and a rich Duke with his own agenda thrown into the mix.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Tamara Morgan] This book has been such a long process it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where everything came from. But I’m a total sucker for historical costumes, and my family goes every year to our city’s Highland Games event, Renaissance Fair, and Civil War re-enactment. I couldn’t think of anything better than to find a way to bring these types of characters to life, especially since it gave me an excuse to write modern-day men in kilts.
Since I decided to play with romance tropes and timelines, I needed characters who would be just at home in a historical novel as a contemporary one. Kate is your typical feisty bluestocking, and Julian is the fierce Highland warrior out to protect his clan.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?
[Tamara Morgan] Walking that fine line between comedy and farce is something I’m continually working on improving. Humor is such a subjective thing, and I know my approach to romantic comedy isn’t for everyone. I did my best to create a fun, entertaining story that gets a few laughs but also tugs a few heartstrings.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Kate?
[Tamara Morgan] Feminine, Romantic, Determined
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Julian would never hide under his kilt?
[Tamara Morgan] Defeat, Fear, Support Hose
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Tamara Morgan] My husband definitely gets kudos for his sense of humor. Whether I’m borrowing stealing his jokes for my characters or relying on him to pull me out of a writerly funk, he can always be counted on to make me laugh. That’s probably why my characters are always laughing with each other—I consider it the foundation of any good, long-term relationship.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Tamara Morgan] COFFEE, my little pink netbook, Twitter
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?
[Tamara Morgan] Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. She’s got a good handle for humor, and I fell in love with her hero, Lincoln, almost immediately. It’s also a total geek book (Dungeons & Dragons! Information Technology!), which should never be underestimated.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that t
| Title: Once Upon a Winter’s Eve: A Spindle Cove Novella Author: Tessa Dare Publisher: Samhain Publishing ISBN: B0061SNX1I |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| Some wallflowers bloom at night… A Spindle Cove Novella Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren’t beating down her door. Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet’s feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He’s wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Only Violet understands him. And she knows he’s not what he seems. She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable… Love. Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night. |
Review:
Once Upon a Winter’s Eve is the first Samhain title that I’ve read, and it’s also one of the growing number of novellas that I have read in. After recently discovering the appeal of shorter length stories, I have been snapping them up as I see recommendations from bloggers I follow. I can’t remember where I learned about this particular one, but I’m happy I gave it a try. At under a dollar, it was a fun read, and a great introduction to both Tessa Dare and Samhain. I’ll have to go back and read the first Spindle Cove book, A Night to Surrender (which is an Avon release, go figure).
Violet Winterbottom has retreated to Spindle Cove, where she is nursing a broken heart. The love of her life, who she now refers to as The Disappointment, loved her and left her, with hardly a word. Ruined, she is trying to come to terms with her feelings, and is resigned to heed her parents’ demands to return to London. They are determined to find a match for her, unaware of Violet’s turmoil and her unrequited love for their young neighbor. When an injured stranger bursts into the Christmas Eve ball she is attending, she’s stunned when the man collapses at her feet. His incoherent babbling slowly begins to make sense to her. Gifted in several languages, Violet is tasked with quizzing the man – is he a spy? What is he doing in Spindle Cove?
This is a fun, fast-paced read with an abundance of action and adventure. After Violet decides to assist the stranger, she is sent on the adventure of her life. She is an intelligent and capable young woman, and I quickly began to like her. And to dislike the man who kicked her to the curb and left her and her bruised heart to fend for themselves. When Violet is drawn into intrigue by the handsome stranger, she is given the spark that her life has lacked for the last few months. She embraces the danger and the adventure, and becomes a willing participant in the suspected spy’s attempts at escape.
While there’s not a lot of depth t
At Saturday's GSHW meeting, I met Don D'Auria, editor of Samhain publishing's new horror line, Samhain Horror.
(Read more ...)
donnagirl asks MetaFilter: “I have two weeks to learn PHP. Help me make a plan! Because my library job is ridiculously awesome, I’m being given two weeks to devote myself to learning php.” Good advice follows from the hive mind.
There is some good advice in that thread. Since I don’t have a metafilter account, I thought I’d post my thoughts here.
Back in the days when I was just learning programming, I found the books from Peachpit Press to be the best. Now that I’ve got more experience, I find O’Reilly to be my publisher of choice for technical/code related books.
some titles that I’ve found useful:
Writing Basic PHP Scripts
http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321481631
PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide
http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321186486
PHP for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide, 2nd Edition
http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321245652
Learning PHP 5
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/learnphp5/
Learning PHP & MySQL, Second Edition
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596514013/?CMP=AFC-ak_book&ATT=Learning+PHP+%26+MySQL
But, no matter what book you get, the best way to learn is to do. Pick a simple project, define the details of what you want it to do and learn via the books and trial-and-error experimentation.
It is best if the project is real, something that you have genuine motivation to get right — but creating an imaginary project that is needed by a fictional organization can be just as effective.
Most importantly, ask questions! find your local techie and ask — you’d be shocked, but those shy geeks that have no social skills actually love to share knowledge (and some are even good at it). Also, do searches on the web for answers when you hit problems. don’t give up. Remember that when people say that they taught themselves to program, what they really mean is that they found the right resources to ask for help and guidance from as they assimilated knowledge at their own pace.
Hey Eric, thanks for the advice! See, this is why AskMetafilter is awesome - not only did I get great answers there, but I got one here, too.
[…] php es a konyvtaros: http://www.librarian.net/stax/2248/php-for-librarian/ « előző | Takács Dániel — 2008. 02. 26. […]
[…] php es a konyvtaros: http://www.librarian.net/stax/2248/php-for-librarian/ « előző | Takács Dániel — 2008. 02. 26. […]