Carol Drummond
Features & Posts
84 comments posted.
Re: Stud (9:00pm February 8, 2012):
The only movie that ever truly brought a book to life for me was the first Harry Potter movie. Most movies are disappointing to some degree if I have already read the book. The things that makes books great don't work on the screen. The mediums are different.
Re: Notorious (7:13pm July 29, 2011):
Interesting to hear about the real woman who inspired a book. I could see myself being practical about a situation (e.g. sharing a room with a stranger during a snowstorm) and suffering a loss of reputation because of it.
Re: What A Goddess Wants (7:56pm July 28, 2011):
That's dedication. I'm impressed that you can keep everything going.
Re: The Genesis Key (6:58pm July 27, 2011):
Sounds like a great book! The desireability of living a long time would depend on the quality of life. Even with good health, it could be a strain financially - not many people have good enough finances to live to 120.
Re: A Gentleman Never Tells (10:21am July 25, 2011):
In the very first book of the Cynster series, the twins have red-brown hair (chestnut ringlets) but become blonds for all the subsequent books. Most errors that I see now are word mistakes (like "their" for "there") and grammar ("its" vs "it's"). There are some errors that should have been caught by spellcheck in some electronic books. Some electronic books also word splits (e.g. spl its).
Re: In The Heat Of The Bite (7:28pm July 19, 2011):
It's hard to pick secondary characters that don't have what it takes for a hero/heroine. These days they often end up as the focus of a novella, sometimes with an anti-hero slant.
Re: Night Walker (6:52pm July 18, 2011):
Living forever sounds good at first but I think would turn into its own curse. Besides the awkward details (new identities, financial arrangements) it sounds lonely and increasingly tedious.
Re: Runestone (2:30pm July 10, 2011):
Broad shoulders and physical fitness catch my attention. Sexiness, though, comes with attitude and behaviour. Self-confidence without vanity is part of attitude. Behaviour includes letting me know that he finds women attractive as a whole and individually yet behaves as a gentleman.
Re: Never Cry Wolf (11:14am July 2, 2011):
When you tell him that you have a cat, he says that he likes cats... preferably with BBQ sauce. (No wonder that the cat hissed at him when he came to pick you up on that date.)
Re: Wild and Unruly (6:46pm June 30, 2011):
I think that time travel could be possible but it might be only for a matter of seconds. (Think of all those physics experiments that need to measure in fractions of seconds to prove a theory.) For a favorite movie, it is hard to beat Dr. Who. I think that Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is probably the most loved time travel series today.
Re: Fallen (6:28pm June 29, 2011):
A very enticing promo for your book!
Re: Night Veil (6:39pm June 28, 2011):
When I was little, it was Superman, hands down. But as an adult, Batman. The dark side, the intelligence, the tech - a much more complex and interesting character.
Re: The Dark Enquiry (1:06pm June 26, 2011):
We get so much of our information from reading books set in Victorian times. We also have this idea of Victorian mores that is based on what was preached but not practiced by many. I suspect that many writers don't do much research or choose to frame their stories like Regency novels with a different sovreign. It's interesting to get a more realistic idea of the Victorian setting.
Re: Under a Desert Sky (9:48am June 18, 2011):
When a book is action/adventure/suspense combined with romance, I am happy with an ending where the hero and heroine survive and at least partially succeed in their mission to go on to the next book. Over the arc of a series, I would expect their relationship to strengthen albeit with some ups and downs.
Re: Hard Bitten (6:52pm June 14, 2011):
I'm lucky enough that my library is part of a big network that does inter-library loans. Not only that but I can place holds on the internet. I've read your urban fantasy recommendations and most of your historical (I'll have to check out the Pink Carnation series). I'd also recommend Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series in urban fantasy
Re: Hunter's Fall (11:52am June 11, 2011):
The conventions sound like fun. I just haven't looked at how attending one would fit into my plans.
Re: Money Shot (7:57pm June 10, 2011):
Witty dialogue and repartee are top draws. I also like the inner dialogues a lead character has in some books when it shows a take it as it comes attitude (like Kate Daniel's "alrightly then" when some odd ball bad guy shows up). Settings need to be enough to provide the frame for all the characters & dialogue.
Re: Heart of the Highland Wolf (8:43pm June 8, 2011):
If werewolves are a given, why not Highland werewolves?
Re: Frostbound (6:28pm June 7, 2011):
Hellhounds sounds like werewolves with a lot more attitude - as if werewolves didn't have enough attitude. Sounds like a fun book.
Re: Forced to Kill (11:50am June 4, 2011):
I appreciate authors that do detailed research. Leisure reading adds to the info in my memory. Although it's easy to file vampires into the fantasy section, it's not so easy to remember what "facts" are valid and which are somebody's imagination.
Re: The Darkest Sin (6:31pm June 1, 2011):
Two days in London - how do I choose what to do? On my list would be the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert, church service at St Paul's Cathedral and maybe last minute tickets for a play.
Re: A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man (6:29pm May 26, 2011):
Guilty, oh so guilty.
Re: Mind Games (8:13pm May 25, 2011):
Stalking is not my thing but I wholeheartedly endorse your list of authors.
Re: Dirty (1:04pm May 23, 2011):
I have read self-published books mainly from Smashwords. They range in quality from bad to really good. My biggest issue is that some authors don't seem to be acquainted with the spellcheck feature in their software.
Doing a good job of self-publishing must be a lot of work. It must take a lot of discipline to check carefully and edit ruthlessly. I think that a self-published author needs a good beta reader who also makes suggestions on sections that need work or might be cut out. Another thing is to check through each format. It's surprising how many books don't make appropriate breaks in e-pub format (idea: don't leave extra spaces to indicate a scene change but use a line of asterisks). Then there is the cover art. Publishers have such an advantage here.
Hats off to you for taking on all this.
Re: Awaken The Highland Warrior (6:21pm May 18, 2011):
I think that many authors build a part of their main characters based on their own personality. I remember one author commenting that she based the personality of a heroine on one of her friends so it depends on where the inspiration comes from.
Re: Ashes Of The Earth (6:45pm May 17, 2011):
To get started I have to consider what happened and what is likely to remain. A nuclear type apocalypse would have major damage to buildings in some places. Remaining people would mostly have some degree of radiation sickness. Breakdown of government would present law & order issues ranging from theft to murder. I would expect bands of people living in a tribal structure for protection and provision of necessities of life.
Re: Wickedly Charming (7:45pm May 16, 2011):
A little romance combined with sci-fi works so well. It makes me wonder why it took so long to become popular. It's great that your time has come.
Re: Grimoire (2:10pm May 15, 2011):
Secondary characters give a book depth. In urban fantasy, I prefer the hero and heroine stay the same so developing the secondary characters is one way authors add variety. Secondary characters also make good subjects for anthologies.
Re: Already Home (7:00pm May 11, 2011):
My favorite cookbook is the first Harrowsmith Cookbook. Lots of ideas for something a little different. I keep one basic cookbook for techniques (Madame Benoit) and then I have a few ethnic ones. Interesting cooking is more of a weekend thing.
Re: Dragon Bound (4:43pm May 8, 2011):
Opposites attracting is always a fun element. Plot sounds good.
Re: Follow My Lead (6:47pm May 5, 2011):
My favorite is "enemies to lovers" and I still love to see "Much Ado About Nothing".
Re: Total Abandon (3:12pm April 30, 2011):
I read both print and e-books although I am still reading e-books on a laptop rather than buying an e-reader (waiting for the feature to price ratio to improve). I have bought some indie books through Smashwords - there are some terrific bargains although the quality can vary greatly. I find the on-line browsing experience annoying at all the on-line sites. The best I have used is at Fictionwise.
Re: Heart of Deception (7:29pm April 29, 2011):
I have a big collection of hats and am particularly fond of the ones that have draping netting. For the most part I wear them to church - all the little girls in Sunday School love my hats. At Christmas, one commented that she wanted a hat when asked what she was wishing for during a children's talk in church.
Re: My Favorite Countess (6:38pm April 28, 2011):
Although I remember the occasional doctor hero, these days it is more likely for the heroine to be a doctor. There was the midwife series by Gay Coulter. Spacedoc space opera series by SL Viehl.
I like the idea of a doctor hero for Regency romance. We don't see many working class heroes.
Re: The Alchemy of Desire (1:18pm April 25, 2011):
Variety is great! Undiluted Alphas can get tiresome after a while.
Re: The Devil in Disguise (1:10pm April 24, 2011):
I like to hear the origins for some of the characters, events and such in the book. Maybe flash fiction connected to a character.
Re: Hidden Embers (12:57pm April 22, 2011):
My favorite is autumn. Warm but not too hot. Leaves changing colour. Fresh beginnings (I consider Labour Day to be the real beginning of a new year)
Re: Tangled Threads (8:05pm April 18, 2011):
I always liked Doctor Who for wild sci-fi plots (and recurring villains who look like giant vacuum cleaners) but when Torchwood started, the characters blew me away. Characters dealing with strange things but all tangled up in their relationships. And if you need scenery, there is the delicious Captain Jack.
Re: The Beauty Chorus (1:41pm April 17, 2011):
It must take a lot of patience to keep going with the number of edits. When I write for work, I usually do some editing but not a lot before I get someone else to check it over for content. The more I polish something first, the less accomodating I feel about making changes.
Re: A Marriage of Inconvenience (12:56pm April 16, 2011):
I have the tendency to be a control freak but it doesn't come into play all of the time because some of the people around me are even bigger control freaks that I have to accomodate.
Re: Cowboy Fever (6:40pm April 13, 2011):
The first characters I think about are Beatrice and Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing. I find myself looking for the same opponents turned lovers and witty insults in romances today.
Re: Demons Are A Girl's Best Friend (7:34pm April 12, 2011):
What do I like about witch books? Assuming the witch is the heroine, she has power but usually has to use it against supernatural villains. She usually has to be clever about how she uses her magic because her power is limited compared to what she has to fight. This leads to a book with action but interspersed with solving the problem of how to win.
Re: Vowed In Shadows (7:58pm April 11, 2011):
I would want to be the sassy, kick-ass heroine type of urban fantasy. I think of Kate Daniels for an example.
Re: Collision Course (6:56pm April 8, 2011):
I grew up with Lost in Space and then Star Trek. I still remember the first episode because my Dad had just assembled a color TV from a Heathkit. All the characters were green and I didn't know if that was how they were supposed to be. I like Anne McCaffery (Petaybee & Tower series), Linnea Sinclair, Kristine Smith, Elizabeth Bear... I keep discovering new ones.
Re: The Shadow Guard (7:19pm April 5, 2011):
So many good ones to choose from. Some of my favorite urban fantasy series have been coming out in graphic book form so sometimes I realise that I have missed some of the description (as in wow, Harry Dresden is really tall). I would agree that I would like to see Emerson from the Amelia Peabody series. I know that Ramses is supposed to be a hunk, but Emerson still has Amelia swooning when they are in their sixties.
Re: Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder (6:40pm March 31, 2011):
At least now with e-books, you don't have to get rid of your book collection when you move.
Re: Sink or Swim (6:47pm March 25, 2011):
I don't watch much television; I prefer to read. I have watched "Dancing with the Stars" though because I like to see the dancing.
Re: A Lot Like Love (8:11pm March 24, 2011):
I like both but the slow burn works better for me, especially when the hero and heroine starts as antagonists. "Much Ado About Nothing" is my favorite Shakespearean comedy. Just love those insults flying at the beginning.
Re: Laird of Darkness (7:06pm March 23, 2011):
I like heroines to be strong. It gives more plot angles and makes the sparks fly when she meets the hero.
Re: An Unlikely Countess (5:29pm March 19, 2011):
I don't have a problem with characters being unhappy with their station in society but they have to be working at coping with their problems. The effort to cope can be what makes heroes/heroines.
Because most historicals focus on the upper class, it is interesting to read some that have heroes and heroines who are working folk.
Re: Tyler (6:57pm March 17, 2011):
What a fun plot hook! Sounds like a good read.
Re: Dead on Delivery (8:37pm March 16, 2011):
I am amazed at how detailed some urban fantasy worlds get. I can see the value of basing some of it on real places. The little details can be difficult in a series. One romance series has brown haired twins in the first book that are blond in the rest of the series.
Re: It Happened One Bite (8:39pm March 14, 2011):
Vampires & witches - sounds like a fun read.
Re: Taste Me (7:04pm March 9, 2011):
My favorites are Ilona Andrews for Kate Daniels (I like the world created and the relationship arcs throughout the series) and Kelley Armstrong for Otherworld, particularly the werewolves (another good world and a good character in Elena).
Re: Seducing The Governess (7:02pm March 8, 2011):
Historical novels have been great sources of all sorts of facts but it was a couple of contemporary romances that had a great impact on me. They told why teenagers run away from home, go on the streets and end up in prostitution. It convinced me to start financially supporting a charity that works with streetkids, helping them off the streets.
Re: Night Shadows (2:13pm March 6, 2011):
I wonder if the reason that people like horror and thrillers is to forget about the real fears in our lives. I remember hearing that the two greatest fears (as in things people hate to do) are public speaking and small talk (as in cocktail chatter).
Re: Treasure Me (6:52pm March 3, 2011):
The only writing I do is for my job and tends to be technical. When I write, I like to go where my inspiration takes me. Then I come back and do the logic of what I really need to do before I start to add, revise and delete. I almost always have to go back and add or heavily revise the beginning because I have to know where everything is going to get a beginning that makes sense.
Re: Wicked Seduction (8:31pm March 2, 2011):
It's fun to get into a pretend world; look at how many people have second lives in cyberworlds. As long as you know what is fantasy and what is real, how can it be crazy?
Re: Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun (2:18pm February 27, 2011):
I like a romantic arc throughout a mystery/detective series. The Nora Roberts/JD Robb "In Death" series is a good example of how this can work (although the romance element may be too strong, especially in the first few books, for the more diehard mystery fans). The romance arc can help give more shape to the continuity.
Re: Operation Forbidden (2:11pm February 26, 2011):
I have always enjoyed your military romance stories. They always hit the right notes.
Re: Love Script (9:10pm February 23, 2011):
I still like Urban Fantasy but read other genres too. Some people are promoting steampunk as the next big trend.
Re: Storm Of Reckoning (1:02pm February 19, 2011):
I love the comparison with the evil overlord. I never thought about how difficult it is to plot the problem compared to the solution.
Re: True Colors (3:36pm February 13, 2011):
Alas, I rarely watch TV these days except for the news or the occasional movie. My own preference for fun on screen interactions is clever quips with some rivalry thrown in while a relationship evolves over time.
Re: Society's Most Disreputable Gentleman (6:48pm February 9, 2011):
Rakes and rogues make for exciting plots. The HEA demands that they reform when they get married but I don't think this happens much in real life. As part of being a rake, a man must have a value system that finds that behaviour acceptable. I don't think value systems change that easily and infidelity in marriage is more likely to come later on.
Re: Midnight Caller (11:19am February 5, 2011):
I agree that contrast makes characters that have to work together or have a romantic relationship interesting. The catch is that the contrast has to be something resolvable so that they can put it aside to deal with each other. Sounds like you have a good one for this book.
Re: The Mysterious Lady Law (6:59pm February 4, 2011):
You can't tell the sex from the name of an author; both men and women can use pen names of the opposite gender. Sometimes, the gender of the author name is a clue to the outlook of the book. I don't pay a lot of attention to the sex of the author. I'm more interested in the plot synopsis.
Re: The Irish Princess (7:08pm February 1, 2011):
Interesting challenge bringing a real and little known historical character to life. This is a book I'll look out for.
Re: Burning Darkness (9:07pm January 31, 2011):
Violence against children, without a doubt. Rape would come in second.
Re: Immortal Champion (7:12pm January 27, 2011):
Reading romance gives me the ability to be a different person with each book. I can shed my cover as the commuting office worker to be that Regency heroine today, the tough supernatural ass-kicker tommorrow and the woman being targeted by a mysterious villain the day after.
Re: Eternal Prey (7:15pm January 26, 2011):
One of my favourite heroes is Clay (Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong). Intelligent, strong, handsome but operating under a different set of values (to say the least). Great match for the heroine but not the type I would want to hook up with myself in real life.
Re: At Hidden Falls (7:44pm January 25, 2011):
Like so many others here, I started reading when I was young. The first thing that I can remember now was starting to read all of my father's Perry Mason books when I was ten years old. I remember reading a number of classics, such as Little Women and some series (anyone remember Elsie Dinsmore?)that my grandmother had. Also read archaeology books when I was 14. Still read a number of different thing, including romance.
Re: Mercy Blade (1:22pm January 23, 2011):
I had read and liked "Skinwalker" but lost track of the series during the big publisher e-book embargo/shuffle last year. Thanks for the reminder - I'll look for the next books.
Re: The Paris Secret (6:53pm January 21, 2011):
Lilith Saintcrow did a book "The Demon's Librarian" for those who would like a urban fantasy type librarian heroine. She's one of my favorites.
Re: Ten Ruby Trick (8:28pm January 20, 2011):
I "discovered" Richard Sharpe last year and have read all the books. I would vote for him as a favorite rogue.
Re: Dreams' Dark Kiss (6:58pm January 18, 2011):
All time favorite fictional character - unfortunately favorites tend to switch with what I am reading. At the moment, I am quite taken by Kate Daniels (Ilona Andrews). When I think of an actress for this role, I think of Angelina Jolie playing Lara Croft. Except now you would have to find a younger equivalent.
Re: Highborn (8:52pm January 17, 2011):
I can understand why an outline works well. At work though, I like to write some things as the inspiration flows then go back and block out the logic to complete it (my flow never seems to take me to the final point), fill in missing things, edit out what goes off topic, etc. I can't see my favorite approach working for a novel, though.
Re: Real Wifeys (11:40am January 15, 2011):
It makes sense to have different genres - many readers read in different genres so why not authors write in them. I would expect some hectic times though with the different publishers wanting their deadlines met.
Re: Nocturne (7:05pm January 13, 2011):
My father swears that, on their first date (a blind date), he knew that my mother was the woman that he was going to marry. My mother didn't get the same revelation, though.
Re: The Fire In Ember (6:57pm January 11, 2011):
I think that growing up with fairy tales starts the princess syndrome. Then as we learn history, it seems to cover only women of position, not the common people. Anyways, I like historical novels.
Re: Wicked Seduction (6:47pm January 11, 2011):
Deadline psychosis sounds like an interesting way to lead into a story. The heroine gets into the psychosis, all her roomies leave while she keeps writing, then when she emerges, she runs into...
Re: Fatal Justice (3:24pm January 6, 2011):
I've been more interested in series that keep the same main characters. Most seem to switch to the romances of friends or family members to make a trilogy. The political world also makes an interesting setting. I'll be looking out for this series now.
Re: I Dream of Genies (3:15pm January 6, 2011):
Looks like a fun read with great action too.
Re: Wolf Fever (7:36pm December 15, 2010):
This looks like an interesting twist on the werewolf romance. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.
Re: The Teaberry Strangler (11:29am May 8, 2010):
It used to be unusual for me to buy new authors as new books. My introduction to new authors usually came from buying used. Now that I can get great deals on e-books (prices in Canada are overpriced, especially now), I am more likely to buy new authors based on plot summaries. I often check the Fictionwise new release list in my areas of interest.
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