"Pilot" & "The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton"

Here we go... the first episodes of my new Gilmore Girls project.

Before I say anything about the show so far, let me explain my policy with new TV shows. I give every new show 4 episodes to convince me that I should continue investing my time in watching (although we already know I'm committed to the entire first season for this project). I do this because my goodness are some pilots rough. Even shows that I've loved (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sleepy Hollow, and Firefly) have had weak showings in the opening episodes compared to the rest of the show. Writers figure things out. Characters settle down. Arcs develop. It just takes time to work everything out. I try to be mindful of that so while I might judge harshly sometimes, I'm open-minded about the awesomeness that is coming.

So with all of that in mind, let's jump in.

"Pilot"

Before we tackle anything about this pilot and my feelings on pilots in general, I'm just going to put this out there. Man I feel old. In my head, 2000 when Gilmore Girls aired wasn't that long ago. Sure, I didn't have a cell phone and I spent an inordinate amount of time on AIM because I was a freshman in high school (and seriously, what else was I going to do?). However, 2000 feels fresh in my memory.

And then I watched this episode.

"Pilot" opens with Sixpence None the Richer's "There She Goes." I cannot remember the last time I heard that song (or any Sixpence None the Richer song) without it being played A) with irony or B) over the PA system at a Duane Reade. I dropped in the music video so that you can enjoy the glory that is the lead singer's pixie cut hair, shiny and yet starkly pale makeup with a red lip, choker, and metallic mesh top over a black camisole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMfXeuv4kZE

With the exception of the pixie cut, I'm pretty sure that I looked exactly like this wandering the halls of my Southern California high school in 2000.

So we're moving along through the opening scene and then we get a Macy Gray CD reference. Judge me all you want, but I loved the hell out of Macy Gray's "Why Didn't You Call Me" when it came out. I'd want my CD back too, Rory.

So enough about me feeling old about the song choices or the fact that the inn where Lorelai works has a paper book rather than computers to hold reservations. Let's get into the meat of the episode.

The basic set up seems to be that Lorelai has a brilliant daughter, Rory, who she had when she was 16. Lorelai has raised Rory as a single mother and is incredibly close with her daughter. Lorelai has ambitions to open an inn of her own and send her daughter off to the best schools (and eventually land her a spot at Harvard). Rory is sharply intelligent and a bookworm which already endears me to her. So far, so good.

Where I'm hoping that the show develops in interesting ways rather than taking us down the usual path is in the relationship between Lorelai and her parents. They've been mostly estranged because of their disappointment in her early pregnancy and her insistence that she will make her own way in the world. But when Rory gets into the prestigious prep school Chilton, Lorelai has to humble herself and ask for financial help for tuition. Naturally her mother uses this as an opportunity to blackmail her wayward daughter into family dinners. The mother wants to be involved in her life, and while this might be a simple request we're led to believe that it's not quite so easy as that.

My hope is that this show will not take the predictable route of making the wise yet emotionally manipulative mother the reason that Lorelai reconciles with her parents. There were several quite awkward moments that played well (including Rory sitting at the dinner table with her grandfather as they listen to Lorelai and her mother fight in the kitchen) to show how the reality of this extended family isn't a happy one. Also, please give Lorelai's father some more characterization other than being the disengaged, wealthy father who shows his apathy by sitting on the couch and reading the newspaper while his female kin dukes it out passive aggressively across the room. Same goes for the cold, seemingly perfect mother. If this is as smart a show as everyone assures me it is, I have no doubt that we're going to be peeling back layers soon enough.

Book Nerd Moments

Madame Bovary, Moby Dick, Jack Kerouac

Pop Culture References

Rosemary's Baby, Mommy Dearest

Julia Feels Old Moment

Sixpence None the Richer, Macy Gray references

Favorite Quote

"People are particularly stupid today. I cannot talk to them." -Michel

"Oh, hey..." Moment

Melissa McCarthy's in this show. I didn't know that.

Random Thoughts:

-Rock on, there's a Korean BFF! It's not a leading role, but let's hear it for some representation of Asians on TV in a positive light.

-Michel is my standout favorite part of the show so far. Apparently all it takes is a snippy, rude Frenchman to make me happy. I would gladly watch a half hour show of just him insulting people.

-Melissa McCarthy's character is a disaster of clumsy cliches, but I did enjoy the beautiful choreography of her staff cleaning up or quite literally putting out the fires after her.

-Does anyone look really good in knit beanies? I would posit no...

-Maybe less with the slutty mom jokes. I'm hoping that the writers assume the audience has gotten enough of the, "Hey, Lorelai got knocked up when she was 16," message and will stop with the self-deprecating slut shaming. Clearly this woman does not have loose sexual morals, and even if she does I really don't care. Is she a good mom to her daughter? Looks like it so far.

-Who is this Dean character and why does he look 24 to Alexis Bledel's 16? *glares suspiciously*

"The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton"

"The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton" focuses on what I assume will be a theme repeated throughout Gilmore Girls: class, wealth, and keeping up appearances.

This episode's title pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the action for the next 42 minutes. Lorelai drops Rory off a school in cutoffs, a tie-dyed pink t-shirt, cowboy boots, and a long coat because...laundry day? Lorelai's mother, Emily, goes way overboard when it comes to buying Rory supplemental parts of her uniform, pissing Lorelai off when Emily reveals that she will also be buying the 16-year old a car for her birthday. Rory finds her new school overwhelming in its exacting demands.* The student body doesn't seem to warm to Rory one bit as she has clashes with a hyper type A girl and a popular boy who insists on calling her a "Mary"--a commentary on her innocence which doesn't really seem to phase Rory all that much.

Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way, let's talk a little more about the idea of prep school and class division in the episode. It becomes quite clear that Chilton is not a world in which Rory is necessary welcome. She is innocent, studious, and clearly an outsider because of those things. Interestingly, we do not yet see any real victimization of Rory for being less wealthy than the rest of the school aside from one of her classmates questioning where her old school was. So far, it is the adults who duke it out over whether "fitting in" is something worth striving for.

Rory seems to straddle a line between her grandparents' upper class indulgence and her mother's middle class values. Over and over we see that Lorelai wants her daughter to work for the things she has in life much in the same way that Lorelai has, while Rory's grandmother doesn't understand the problem with taking a little help to make the girl's life more pleasant. It is almost as though her grandmother 1) believes that Rory will not fit in to her new school and 2) only really knows how to relate to the girl through giving her the markers of that upper class life Emily leads.**

The question of taking help is an interesting one. The whole series so far (all two episodes of it), revolves around one question: when is it worth accepting help from someone if it goes against your principles? In the case of Rory's tuition, Lorelai can swallow her pride. When it comes to helping her daughter fit in at her new school, Lorelai is staunchly against accepting her mother's money.

I have no doubt that much of the show's conflict will arise from Rory attempting to fit in to a new place where she is the outsider even more so than she was at her other school. We're led to believe that at Stars Hollow she at least one close-knit friendship despite being a dreamy girl who is constantly reading.

One more thing to note. Lorelai is a mess. I suppose we're meant to believe that she's something of a sympathetic mess. I get the struggle of raising a teenage daughter on her own. That's not what I'm talking about. My complaint is that we're getting all of her characterization in kind of ridiculous ways. She talks too much when she's nervous! She doesn't have any clean clothes! She demands coffee from Luke in a way I think is supposed to be cute! And yet through all of this we know that she's meant to be more than competnent at her job. I hope that those things are not mutually exclusive. I'm a little tired of TV's, "This woman is strong as has it together professionally except her personal life is a mess because clearly she can't have it all," thing. At some point I hope that the show settles into letting the viewer pick up on the nuances of her character and trusts the audience to like her as we see her.

Book Nerd Moments

Oh so many it makes the book nerd in my shiver with delight. I want to be in Rory's English class at Chilton. Dickens (Great Expectations, Little Dorritt, A Tale of Two Cities), Tolstoy (Anna Karenina and War and Peace), George Sands, Balzac

Pop Culture References

Schindler's List

Favorite Quote

"Oh ladies, what do I see? Naked girls? Keep those leotards on. This is not Brazil!” -Miss Patty (I love her so)

“Now walk smooth. That’s a new Harry Potter on your heads. If it should fall, Harry will die and there will be no more books.” – Miss Patty

“Excuse me. There’s a phone call for you. If I am to fetch you like a dog, I’d like a cookie and a raise.” –Michel

Random Thoughts

-This show seriously suffers from a lack of HD (I'm looking at you, opening credits). What is this world we used to live in?

-Back off about TV journalism, superior headmaster. Some of us do good work.

-Rory has a cute uniform. I never had a cute uniform (see first footnote).

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*When I was in the 3rd grade, my parents had me go through the application process at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, CA (the options for middle school were slim in the Pasadena area at the time). I remember very clearly the entrance exam, multiple interviews, and essays I wrote. That's right, I wrote essays for a prep school at the age of seven (I wasn't with my age group, long story) as well as the extensive interview process for my parents. Not to disparage Westridge which is a wonderful school, but it bordered on crazy. I wound up being told I was too young to enter Westridge and to reapply the following year. My parents opted to move instead so that my sister and I could attend an excellent public school outside of the Pasadena school system. The struggle for good schools is real and ridiculous, and I sympathize with all of my friends who are currently trying to get their children into the best educational institutions available.

**In fairness, we have seen very little of Emily's interactions with Rory. Instead she has primarily been used as a foil for Lorelai. My hope that is Emily's characterization will deepen as the show goes on because right now it is very easy to brush her off as a cold rich lady who gets her way by throwing her money around and is in some ways attempting to buy her granddaughter's affection. From what I have been told about this show, the writing it too smart to continue down that path.

Author Interview: Lia Riley

Today I'm hosting the talented Lia Riley in celebration of her new release Sideswiped. Here's a look at the blurb (and read through to the end of the post for an excerpt):

Sometimes in order to find yourself, you need to venture off the map.

Talia and Bran broke all the rules and navigated dark and stormy emotional waters to be together and now that they finally seem to have found their way back to each other, the winds of change threaten to blow their love off course yet again…

JK: I'm so happy to get the chance to talk to you about Sideswiped!

LR: Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Julia!!

JK: What can readers expect from Talia and Bran this time around?

LR: Weeeeeeeelp. Upside Down is more about taking a risk and falling in love. Sideswiped is what happens after the dust settles and decisions get real. What can readers expect? Well, this book is a little bit sexier, there's more drama-rama, but ultimately, I wanted to explore what the hell it actually means to fall in forever love in your early twenties. What do you gain but also, what might you give up.

JK: Sideswiped is the second book in the Off the Map series. Was writing this one a different experience than writing Upside Down?

LR: Okay, so let's enter the truth circle. This book was a trick to write, we're talking I took long walks in the rain while crying. But I'm a big ol' drama queen and in many ways this book was a blast to write because Bran finally started talking, and the dude fascinates me. He's such a baby man, really needs a kick in the ass, but unnnf,  I do love him so.

JK: One of the big challenges writers in series face is making sure that their characters change and grow. How are Talia and Bran different in this book than what we read in Upside Down?

LR: Ah, yep, the good ol' character arc. In this book, we see some role reversals and power dynamics shift. I wanted to show Talia and Bran tracking toward adulthood and emotional health, but invariably stumbling along the way.

JK: Who are your favorite secondary characters in the series, and can we expect more from them in the future?

LR: Great question. Two secondary characters, Karma and Marti, were people I never planned to write. They  popped in during drafting and were all "yo, I'm going to be in this here book." I really, really enjoy both of them. Sunny is also a hoot but gets far too little page time. Look for some Off the Map companion novellas/books in 2015. I've got 2-4 planned and more will become clear to those who read Inside Out (Book #3).

JK: What can we expect for the next installment of the Off the Map series?

LR: Spoiler alert: Inside Out has a happy-ever-after. LOL. But for real, Inside Out will still put Talia and Bran to the test. I'm kind of a monster, so make these crazy kids dig deep to earn their right to true love.

JK: And a quick last question: what's in Talia's purse and Bran's manbag?

LR: HAHAHAHA. Bran is like "JULIA! I DO NOT CARRY A MANBAG." He's a backpack guy. If you look inside there will be a beat up copy of Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang and a half-crushed muesli bar. Talia's purse has hand sanitizer, lip gloss, fifty thousand receipts, and a George Costanza wallet.

Thanks for hosting me today <3

Sideswiped is now on sale at these fine ebook vendors

B&N | BAM! | Kobo | iBooks |  Google Play | Amazon

Excerpt from Sideswiped

Talia passes out hard from the travel and epic reunion sex. I’m too amped for sleep, so I lie in the dark and trace her spine. Can you love someone too much? No point being afraid, might as well jump in it with both feet. I press my mouth to her neck and she undulates, responsive even from her dreams. If miracles were real, I’d swear we were designed to fit together.

I loop my arm around her waist and hold fast, until our breathing syncs. I’m drifting off when she jerks—hard—once, twice. Her body recoils as she unleashes a lung-tearing scream.

“Talia, wake up. Come on, sweetheart, talk to me.” I clamber over her, hunching protectively. “Open your eyes. It’s Bran. I’ve got you. I’m not letting go.” I keep talking while she flays my chest like she’s drowning under ice, desperate to find a break in the surface.

“Can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I…where am…oh God. Bran.”

“I’m right here.” I cradle her while she draws another unsteady gasp. Her hair plasters her forehead in sweaty wisps.

“Give me a minute. I’ll be fine.” She pushes herself to a half-sit and sways with disorientation. “This…this happens sometimes…panic attacks or night terrors…whatever. They seem to come when I drop my guard. Or, I don’t know, maybe it’s the meds. Those pills make me feel like a toxic waste dump.”

“Have you been bad this summer?” The muscles in my neck cord. It shreds my guts to see her hurting. I’d do anything, any fucking thing, to carry her pain. I don’t fully understand the inner workings of OCD but she’s explained that for her, the condition comes in waves. Everything will be rolling along fine, more or less, and then bang—a giant squid grips her brain. She fights hard for recovery, a warrior even when she believes she’s nothing but a coward.

“No, not really.” She grinds her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I kinda danced around the edge of the rabbit hole a few times but never fell inside.”

My muscles release some tension. “Try to go back to sleep. You need the rest. Don’t worry, I’ll keep watch, okay?

“I’m sorry to be such a psych job. It’s totally shaming.”

“Shhhhhh.”

Her chin tips down. “Can you talk to me for a little while? Get me out of my fuckball head?”

“Hey now, I got mad love for that head, Captain.” I kiss her brow, acting chill even though I’m scared. How can I get her to settle? Then it hits me. “I want to take you surfing again.”

“Mmmm, that’d be nice.”

“Picture yourself out there, in the water, on a board, under the shooting stars.”

“With sharks eyeballing me from the depths?”

“Nah, they’re all busy hunting sea lions or some bloody mischief. This is you, the sea, and the sky. A set rolls in. You can’t make out the wave. The board lifts and you feel the momentum building. There’s fear deep in your belly, sensible, because you can’t see what’s coming or where you’re going. You fight the self-protective instincts, give yourself over, and the next thing you know—you’re having the ride of your life.”

“Thank you.” She flips in my arms so we’re belly to belly. “I mean it. That was beautiful, really, really beautiful. I’m so excited to be here, for right now—to live in the moment. But it’s like I have this…this weird mental stutter. My thoughts keep skipping over the same annoying question like a scratch on vinyl: What will we do?” Tears spill from the corners of her eyes, course silently toward her chin. “My visa.”

Talia’s been granted a three-month student visa to complete her senior thesis in history. In all its benevolent generosity, the Australian government expanded her time in the country by an extra month.

Four months—the sum of our allotted time.

“They’ll make me leave.”

“Don’t believe everything you think.” I wipe her damp cheeks.

“Can you tattoo that on my forehead?”

Maybe it’s my imagination, but the brass alarm clock on the dresser clicks louder.

Another second gone.

Another second gone.

“I’m not losing you to some shithouse immigration policy, Captain. We will be all right in the end.” I’ve no idea how the hell I’m going to solve this drama but I will figure it out. “We have to hope, otherwise we’re sunk.”

She jerks with surprised laughter.

“What?”

She hiccups and covers her mouth with her hand, shoulders shaking. It takes me a second to realize she’s giggling.

“I’m funny to you right now?” This girl drives me every sort of crazy.

“I’m not laughing at you.” She works her lips together and unsuccessfully smothers the smile. “It’s—”

“Forget it.” I instinctively stiffen.

“Bran the Optimist.” She grabs my wrists, lifts my palms to her face, and plants a kiss in the center of each one. “I like this side of you.”

“Never mind. I was being dumb.”

“You were awesome.” She pecks the tip of my nose. “And for the record, I love your stupid face.”

I give her a begrudging kiss back. “I love yours too.”

Love isn’t enough of a word.

I wasted almost an entire year of my life implementing a scorched earth policy, not caring who I left burned and broken in my path.

Talia was my oasis. My salvation.

“Don’t give the visa a second thought.” I nestle her against me, rubbing her lower back in easy circles. “I’ll sort this out, I swear to you.”

Even if I don’t have the first fucking clue.

About the Author

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling fourex with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn't mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live mostly in Northern California.

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Cover Reveal: Returning Home by A.L. Parks

I've got something fun for you today! A.L. Parks's new cover for her book Returning Home is out, and she' s letting me give you a sneak peak!

How gorgeous is that? I love this cover designed by Amber at Book Beautiful (Amber did our cover for One Week in Wyoming too). I'm also pretty sure I own a close approximation of that outfit.

Returning Home is book 4 in the Return to Me series. It releases on October 28th. Here's a quick look at what you can expect:

Clarissa wants nothing to do with her father – even in his death. But she can’t escape returning to Newport to settle her father's estate. The safe world she has established starts to crumble and secrets she has locked away threaten to be exposed. Meeting Griff, her father’s partner, provides the only peace and happiness in the darkness that suddenly surrounds her.

Griff has built his custom bike shop from nothing into a thriving success. After the sudden death of his silent partner, Griff finds himself in a fight to save his business from the grieving widow. But falling for his partner's headstrong daughter may cost Griff everything.

Brandi has become accustomed to certain amenities in her life - money and men. She refuses to allow the death of her philandering husband to inconvenience her comfortable lifestyle. Setting her sights set on her husband’s very young, very sexy partner, nothing will get in the way of what she wants - even if it means destroying Clarissa to get it.

While you're waiting for the release, check out A.L. Parks's website to find out more about the rest of the Return to Me series and her other books!

Defending the Marriage of Convenience

This article first appeared in RWA-NYC's September Keynotes newsletter as part of the tropes issue. I love a good historical marriage of convenience romance. I just do. I know some people find the trope tired—like an old friend you’ve seen one too many times—but my love for the “we have to get married because we just do” storyline will never die.

Historical settings are removed enough from my every day life that I can easily accept that there might be social and economic reasons for a hero and heroine to marry even if they don’t love each other. Take the Regency period. Between securing a woman’s financial future and ensuring a man’s lineage through heirs, you’ve got plenty of reasons why a man might ask a woman to marry him whom he hardly knows—let alone loves.

As an author, getting the wedding over and done with achieves a few things. The marriage immediately creates conflict because these two relative strangers must now figure out how to live together as a couple. At some point, the barriers between them start to fall. Even though they might resist, affection grows between them. And the best side effect of the marriage of convenience? Our hero and heroine no longer have to worry about those pesky societal rules saying they can’t kiss or, you know, have sex. Often it is that physical intimacy that shows the hero or heroine that they’re falling in love even as they try to resist.

Now, you might notice that I’ve only talked about historicals so far. I generally have a tough time enjoying marriages of convenience in contemporary settings because I’m always left asking why?

Why would a modern hero and heroine who are intelligent, attractive, independent people have to get married if they don’t want to? If a man said, “My inheritance is dependent on us getting hitched,” to me I’d probably run in the opposite direction the moment I realized he was being serious. Likewise, when I read about a man who must get married because his corporate environment only trusts so called “family men,” my first thought is always, “It’s time for a new job.”

The problem with using the trope in contemporaries is that it becomes a lot harder to justify forcing the hero and heroine to wed. Let’s take a look at some of the common external conflicts forcing historical couples together. Pre-martial sex has become the norm in this country. With entails a thing of the past, how many families are really desperate for a male heir these days? And even better, most women now have the means to hold a career, own property, and manage their lives as they see fit.

So what is a contemporary author who wants to play with the marriage of convenience trope to do? Get creative.

The key to using a marriage of convenience across genres of romance seems to be finding new, interesting ways to twist and update the trope. If you set off to write a marriage of convenience romance, ask yourself what you can do to avoid sending the hero and heroine down the normal path to love. Breathing new life into the old trope can help keep readers racing to the end to see how your hero and heroine will finally fall in love.

The Gilmore Girls Project

A large number of my friends exploded in squee last week when Netflix announced that the entire run of Gilmore Girls is now available to stream online.

Confession: I have never watched a single episode of Gilmore Girls.

You'd think that the show would have hit me right in the sweet spot when it first aired. From what I hear, it's heavy on the literary references and features two smart, witty female protagonists who spend a good amount of their time reading. Also, it premiered on October 5th, 2000, when I was a freshman in high school. At that age, I was the target demographic for pretty much everything on the WB.* And yet somehow the show passed me by.

Fast forward to 2014, and the show has popped up in my life again. When I texted my critique partner, Alexis Anne, to ask her to sell me on the idea of watching, I got this message back: "O.M.G."**

Enough said.

So this is what I've decided to do. I'm going to commit to watching two episodes a week until I'm done with season one. That should bring me through to mid-December. During this time I'll be blogging along. These aren't going to be wrap ups. Sometimes I'll be reacting to what happened in each episode. Other times I'll be using the episodes as a jumping off point to talk about other topics. Sometimes, I'm sure, it will just be about the books that get name dropped in the show.

You can expect posts every Thursday. This coming week will be "Pilot" and "The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton". So come join me as I no doubt make a lot of poor predictions about future story arcs and find out if I'll fall in love with Gilmore Girls enough to do this for season 2. And while you're at it, fans, leave me a comment to let me know why you love the show.

----

* RIP the WB.

**See what I mean about the squee?

First Draught

I feel as though every month I sit back and say, "I can't believe another First Draught is already here!" This month is no different. Seriously, where is the time going? For October, we will be discussing pulling out that old, abandoned manuscript, ripping it apart, and revising it. Both Alexis Anne and Mary Chris Escobar have taken a forgotten draft through to publication, so catch the chat for all of their tips, tricks, and advice!

RSVP here to make sure you don't miss the live chat Tuesday, October 7th, at 8:30 PM EST!

September Reading Wrap Up

What a month! A mild summer here in NYC doesn't mean that the fall is any less welcome. It's my favorite time of year. The cool, crisp weather makes me want to curl up with a cup of tea and take a deep dive into a great book. With that in mind, here are a few of the things I've enjoyed this past September:

Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3)

by Lisa Kleypas

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Excuse me for a moment while I drop the professional author guise and go all fangirl for a moment. OH MY GOD, THIS BOOK. I'm not sure what prompted me to pick it up -- perhaps it was all of the people telling me over the years that I would love Kleypas' historicals. I should listen to those people more often.

This is a marriage of convenience story (which just happens to be one of my favorite tropes). Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent, is the perfect alpha hero. His alphaness is director more towards protecting the heroine, Evie, than being a bossy asshole. Even better, although Evie is quieter than her husband, she has serious backbone. The chemistry between them is electric, and it's wonderful watching their marriage of convenience turn into love.

Unlocked (Turner #1.5)

by Courtney Milan

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Courtney Milan is pretty much an instabuy for me at this point. I found this novella in the Seven Wicked Nights boxed set featuring a lot of my favorite historical authors. It tells the story of a heroine who has been bullied for years and the man who has to humble himself to win her heart. Since it's a Milan, there's no surprise that there's a good dose of science in the storyline as well.

Upside Down (Off the Map #1)

by Lia Riley

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

I'm not a very prolific New Adult reader. Usually the high drama and angst turns me off, but I found that this book has just the right mix of humor and drama. Upside Down also fills my recent cravings for romances in unusual settings as the action takes place in Melbourne where Talia is studying abroad. I'm lucky enough to have gotten an early read of book 2, Sideswiped, and I've got an author interview with Lia Riley coming up in a few days so keep an eye out!

A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death that Changed the British Monarchy

by Helen Rappaport

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

If you're feeling like some history, this might be a good place to start. Rappaport is a highly accessible writer who focuses in on a specific period of Queen Victoria's reign. The book focuses primarily on the death of Albert and Victoria's decade-long period of high mourning for him. It touches on the Victorian obsession with death and the various social and political issues caused by the queen's refusal to assume her public duties. If you're at all interested in the Victorian era, this is a good way to dive a little deeper into a fascinating subject.

Just a quick heads up. First Draught is coming up on October 7th. We'll be talking about revising that book you started but shoved in a drawer (or the deepest, darkest depths of your hardrive). RSVP here to make sure you don't miss out on the discussion!

Book Bundles Abound!

The wonderful people at iBooks have been featuring outstanding book bundles for 99c/99p to help readers in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand discover new authors. My debut One Week in Wyoming is included in this deal, but so are a bunch of really wonderful books. I just wanted to share with you a few of recommendations. All of these books have reached the top 100 paid books in the US at some point during this book bundles deal.

Historical

Seven Wicked Nights by Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, Caroline Linden, Sherry Thomas, Carolyn Jewel, Erin Knightley, Leigh LaValle

(I'm actually reading this bundle right now, and it is wonderful)

New Adult

Up All Night: A New Adult Collection by Erin McCarthy, Viv Daniels, Heidi Joy Tretheway, Ronda Helms, Lark O’Neal, PK Hrezo, KK Hendin, Shari Slade, J.L. Flynn, Jen Frederick

(I cannot highly recommend Shari Slade's novel The Opposite of Nothing enough)

Suspense

Danger and Desire by Amber Lin, Pamela Clare, Katie Reus, Dianna Love, Carolyn Crane, Kaylea Cross, Norah Wilson, Dee J. Adams, V.K. Sykes, Misty Evans

Contemporary

One Week in Wyoming by Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, Alexandra Haughton

YA

Breaking Ties (The Breaking Series, Book 3) by Tracie Puckett

(It isn't a book bundle, but I wanted to highlight my friend Tracie Puckett's new novel Breaking Ties which is a force to be reckoned with. It's been bouncing around at the top of the charts for the last few days, and rightly so. Tracie is a YA writer with a lot of EQ, and her stories are always gripping)

Happy reading, all!

It's Not Just the Sexy Scotsman

It might just be the communities that I'm in online (hi, Romancelandia), but it seems like every other tweet I've seen between Saturday evening and Tuesday morning this August and September is about the Starz adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Of course, I'm just as guilty as my fellow watchers. In August, I jumped right in, watching the series, listening to The Scot & The Sassenach*, and rereading the first book. Every time I get together with other romance authors, the conversation inevitably makes its way over to Outlander. The internet basically exploded when Claire and Jamie got their first sex scene. I was worried that all of the squee might create a black hole that sucks everything into and ends life as we know it. This still may happen. What with streaming and everything, the verdict's still out.

As we get closer to the mid-season break, I've been thinking a lot about what a big deal book Outlander was for me in my teenage years. I remember the old cover clearly with its red plaid, flowers, and broken clock. I used to walk by it on my mother's bookshelves all the time. One day when I was about 16, she pulled it off the shelf and slid it over to me, suggesting that I might enjoy it. Mum is a very smart lady.

I fell in love with the time slip, 18th century Scotland, that hot Highlander in a kilt, everything. I ripped through the 800+ page book in a matter of days, reading so late into the night that the next morning my eyes were gritty from lack of sleep. I even have clear memories of sneaking it under my desk in AP US History class so that I could keep reading.** I'm pretty sure I walked around school with it in front of my face, blushing something fierce because oh my goodness, people. There was sex and lots of it.

When people ask about the series, I like to tell them that Outlander was the book that made me a woman (my sister finds this mortifying).  What I really mean is that this was first time that I read a book with graphic sex in it^ where the sex wasn't meant to stand as a metaphor for growing up or as way to shame its characters.^^

Outlander is a book about a sexually self-possessed woman who knows how to ask for what she wants and the man who wants to give that to her. In fact, the show goes one step further. In the first episode, the creators wrote a scene in where Claire's husband Frank moves to kiss her. Instead, she pushes him down on his knees and he lifts her skirt to perform oral sex. The message is clear. Claire is a sexual person and not the least bit afraid of expressing it. Add Jamie in a kilt to the mix and you have serious sparks.

Outlander isn't perfect. I reread my beaten-up copy of the book while watching the show this summer, and there are some scenes that border on uncomfortable for me. I won't spoil them here, but dedicated readers of the series can probably guess what I'm talking about. However, the book does portray a lot of positive aspects of Claire and Jamie's relationship, and I'll always think of it fondly as my gateway into the world of historical romance.

If you had told me that I would be writing historical romance (or really any romance at all) before those days of reading Outlander under my desk in History class, I probably would have called you crazy. But afterwards? Well, it's all I ever really wanted to write.

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*An excellent podcast that I highly recommend for not only recapping Outlander but also breaking down what works in both the show and the book from a narrative standpoint. Seriously, go check it out. It's delightful, and there's a real live Scotsman on it.

**Sorry, Mr. Hall. I did go on to get a degree in History so hopefully that makes up for it...

^Upon rereading, the sex seems so tame, but at 16 all I was reading were Kensington Zebra sweet romances where the characters held hands and had one chaste kiss on the last page. THE LAST PAGE?! I felt so cheated each and every time, and yet I read these books for three years. I had no idea that there were sexy books out there I could buy with my babysitting money.

^^I'm looking at you, Go Ask Alice. If you haven't read it, this is a book where the heroine loses her virginity while on LSD or something and then I'm pretty sure winds up addicted to hard drugs and maybe getting raped or prostituting herself or both. She might also die at the end (sorry, 40something year-old spoilers). Clearly, that was not what teenage Julia was looking for.

Listening for Love

A version of this post ran on September 8th on One Week in Love. Hi all, Julia here. I've talked before about the importance of music and writing, but today I'm going to touch on the songs that I listened to while writing, editing, and generally wringing my hands over "Seduction in the Snow" in the upcoming One Week in Wyoming anthology.

When I start writing a book, I create a playlist with the working title and begin throwing songs on it. Since I write historical as well as contemporary it can be tough finding lyrics that match the scenarios I think I might write (although let me tell you, if I had better French of any Italian there's a whole world of crazy opera arias that would fit historical romances pretty well).  That's why I go for a mood that feels like the book I'm writing.

Now, if I'd written this post back in March when I worked on the first draft of "Seduction in the Snow", I would have said that I put that playlist on and started working away. That's what it was like until mid-July when I read an article that said most people are less productive when listening to music with lyrics (even in languages that they don't understand). That flipped a switch in my writer brain, and now I suddenly can't write to anything that's not instrumental. Instead I put my playlists on about a half hour before I think I might sit down to write to get me back in the right frame of mind for the story.

Okay, playlist time. For "Seduction in the Snow" I wanted a few angsty songs, some confused, "Wait, are we a couple or not?" lyrics, and a whole lot of sexy girl-power blues rock. If I'm being totally honest, I would admit that I just listened to Pistol Annies' "I Feel a Sin Comin' On" on repeat. The problem is that just one song makes for both very poor playlists and blog posts. Here's a more expansive look at what was on my Spotify list.

[spotify id="spotify:user:juliabottles:playlist:1BDXB0MTLjqH7QhLIwYz2l" width="300" height="380" /]

If you would like to read "Seduction in the Snow" for yourself, you can buy One Week in Wyoming for $0.99 wherever ebooks are sold.

Wine and Romance

I might live in New York City, but I'm a California girl through and through. I'll go barefoot if I can, and if I have to wear shoes you better believe they're going to have at least a 3" heel on them. I thrive in dry heat and melt in the humidity, and I think that Atlantic beaches have nothing on Santa Monica and Malibu. In my recent release One Week in Wyoming, I made my hero a California wine grower. I grew up with parents who had "European" views on wine consumption, so I've been drinking wine for years. I'm a big cheerleader for the wines my home state produces, and I wanted to feature a touch of California in my novella. Plus, what's better than a man who wants to pour you a glass of cab at the end of the day.

This list features wines from all over the state that I drink on a regular basis. It also has a few that I'll reach for on a special occasion. I'll admit that it's a little red heavy as I drink a lot of pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, but some of the whites are just fantastic (the J Pinot Gris in particular).

If you've got a favorite, let me know! I'm always looking for new recommendations.

Deals & Moderate Bottles ($20 and below)

J Pinot Gris - Sonoma County

Mumm Napa Valley Brut - Napa

Handcraft Pinot Noir - California

Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard - Santa Maria Valley

Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir - Monterey

Handcraft Cabernet Sauvignon - California

Hess Estate Cabernet - Napa

Josh Cellers Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa

Special Occasions ($20+)

Far Niente Chardonnay - Napa

Cakebread Cellers Chardonnay - Napa

Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir - Santa Barbara County

Qupe Syrah - Central Coast 

Stag's Leap Wine Cellers Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis - Napa

One Week in Wyoming is now available for purchase at all ebook retailers.

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

One Week in Wyoming Releases Today!

Finally, after months of work and waiting, One Week in Wyoming is here! It released this morning for $0.99 at all major ebook retailers, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to share it with you.

When best-selling romance author Joan Halliday invites four single female writers to stay at her family's luxurious Wyoming lodge, she's counting on a quiet week of bonding on the slopes and in the spa.

Bruce Halliday was looking forward to a relaxing reunion with his college buddies in the wilds of Wyoming…but when his wife's group meets Bruce's unattached friends, the sparks start to fly.

Four stories by Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, and Alexandra Haughton heat up the page in one sexy anthology.

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

If you are a paperback reader, fear not. We will have hard copies available for order very shortly.

Exclusive Excerpt from "Seduction in the Snow" (Part 2)

My upcoming anthology One Week in Wyoming releases tomorrow! To celebrate, I'm giving my blog readers an exclusive look at my novella "Seduction in the Snow." On Friday you met Lydia, my heroine. Today, take some time with Evan. Enjoy!

"Seduction in the Snow"

- Part 2 -

Evan hated spreadsheets on a good day. Now, trapped in a flying tin can next to a woman with kissable lips who oozed sex, they officially topped his "Things That Suck" list.

He pushed his glasses up and squinted hard at his computer. He would conquer this inventory list. He would deal with his bursting inbox. He would not think about the way that this Lydia woman’s boots climbed up strong, lean legs, or how they would look wrapped around his waist. He wouldn't imagine plunging into her warmth and losing himself…

Fuck.

He didn’t even know her last name—she hadn’t bothered to tell him—but when the two of them touched, his pulse kicked up and his cock swelled. Just from touching her hand. Suddenly he was back in a high school nightmare, awkward and uncertain of what to do around a pretty girl.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He wasn’t seventeen anymore. He was a decent-looking guy with a great job. He could talk to a woman without his mouth going dry. He’d even picked up women before.

Okay. One or two, but who was counting?

I’ve got this if I want it. I just have a lot of work to do.

Of course, the first email he’d gotten when he pulled up his inbox was a note from his partner, Kyle, asking him why the hell he was checking email on vacation. He couldn’t help but grin. Before he left, they’d bickered about whether he’d log some hours in Wyoming. Even though Kyle made him promise to disconnect, Evan couldn’t help feeling guilty for dumping the entire operation on him. Broken Ridge Winery was growing fast, and both of them were stretched to their max trying to keep up with everything.

The problem was that emails and spreadsheets just didn’t hold his interest with Lydia sitting next to him. She was more striking than pretty, with a long, oval face, wide eyes, a strong nose, and a generous mouth. Her mahogany hair fell in loose waves around her face and down her back. He wanted to bury his nose in it and breathe her in.

He nearly groaned at the wave of longing that crashed into him. He itched to see if her olive skin was as soft as it looked. Those bright, clear eyes made his heart pound every time he caught her glancing over. But it was her legs that were the main problem. She sat with them crossed, her iPad leaning on her knee. Every once in a while she’d shift and re-cross them, sending all of his hardwiring sparking in his head.

She was giving him enough green lights to floor it, but he couldn’t. Between work and his ski vacation with the guys, he had zero time for anything else. Getting involved with a woman on a trip was not part of the plan. Besides, soon she would walk down the plane’s gangway and out of his life. It was better that way.

But Evan’s decision didn’t make it any easier to keep his imagination PG, and by the time they touched down he was desperate to put some distance between him and this beautiful stranger. The fasten seatbelt sign dinged off, and the cabin filled with the sound of dozens of buckles unsnapping. He packed his laptop away and hauled himself up to reach for the overhead bin. Then, even though he knew it would cost him a sliver of his sanity, he asked Lydia, “Can I help you get your bag down?”

She eased into a tight spot next to him in the aisle. Her breasts brushed his arm, and the floral scent of her perfume drifted up to him. He breathed deep and hoped that he could restrain the urge to grab her by the waist, bend her backwards, and find out exactly what that wide mouth tasted like.

“Thank you,” she said in the husky voice of a black-and-white movie star—more Bacall than Monroe.

He maneuvered her bag out of the overhead and set it down between them. Then she turned those soulful brown eyes on him and stole every word from his tongue. All he could do was grunt as the people in the rows ahead of them began to shuffle off the plane. He scrambled for something to say—anything that wouldn’t make him sound like a sixteen-year-old with a crush.

Nothing.

When Lydia pulled her purse higher on her shoulder, she stuck out her other hand for him to shake. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Evan Sullivan.”

Something about the way her eyes sparkled told him she was testing him—teasing, even. He gripped her hand and fought the urge to prove he could play this game, too. It was just the weight of his laptop in the bag hanging off his shoulder that anchored him to reality. He had just five days in Wyoming.

Really? That’s what’s stopping you?

But before he could do anything else, Lydia turned up the aisle.

Thanks for reading! If you liked what you read, One Week in Wyoming is available for exclusive preorder on iBooks for $0.99 and will release wherever ebooks are available tomorrow. You can check out more from all of the authors in the anthology at our series website.

Exclusive Excerpt from "Seduction in the Snow" (Part 1)

My upcoming anthology One Week in Wyoming releases in less than a week! To celebrate, I'm giving my blog readers an exclusive look at my novella "Seduction in the Snow." Today you'll get to meet our heroine Lydia. On Monday, it's all Evan.

If you like what you read, One Week in Wyoming is available for exclusive preorder on iBooks for $0.99 and will release wherever ebooks are available on September 9th. You can check out more from all of the authors in the anthology at our series website.

Enjoy!

"Seduction in the Snow"

- Part 1 -

“I think this is me.” A voice to the right of Lydia interrupted her reading time, and she clicked her iPad off with a sigh.

She’d planted her purse on the aisle seat next to her in hopes that it would stay empty on the flight to Wyoming. No such luck. Now she’d have to wage a silent, passive-aggressive war with a stranger for the shared armrest. Mentally grumbling, she glanced up.

Oh.

Tall, sandy-haired, and handsome filled the aisle. The man glanced down at the printed-out boarding pass in his hand. “This is row ten, right?”

The low rumble of his voice turned her insides liquid. She’d fight over an armrest with him any day.

“Sorry about that. Let me get this out of the way for you.” She juggled her purse to clear his seat.

One corner of the man’s mouth quirked up—for real this time. “I’m always hoping for an empty aisle, too.”

She smiled back. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“I’m not disappointed.”

He heaved his suitcase up and shoved it into the overhead compartment. As he moved to snap the bin closed, his eyes raked over her so fast she might not have caught it. Except she did.

Good.

He didn’t look so bad himself. He wore a thin knit sweater with the sleeves pushed carelessly to his elbows to expose a pair of strong, lean forearms. A pair of thick black glasses perched on a nose that looked like it might have been broken once, and a three-day beard covered his chin with just enough scruff to give him a rugged sort of look without edging into hipster territory. This stranger was catnip, and he’d be sitting just inches from her for the three-hour flight from San Francisco to Jackson Hole.

He let his beaten-up brown leather messenger bag slide off of his shoulder and onto the empty seat. A lock of hair fell over his forehead as his head dipped when he pulled a laptop free. It took everything Lydia had not to reach out and twine a finger around that curl.

When the man finally maneuvered into his seat, he set his laptop on his knees but didn’t open it. Instead, his head fell back with a sigh. He looked like he could use some serious loosening up. She’d be happy to help with that.

The plane’s PA system crackled, and a flight attendant welcomed them in cheerful tones, pulling Lydia’s thoughts back to her vacation. Soon she would be at Dabai Lodge with Joan and the rest of her writing group. Joan’s husband, Bruce, had invited his college friends for some skiing at the same time, but she couldn’t care less about throwing herself down a mountain with a pair of two-by-fours strapped to her feet. All she wanted was some spa time, a few good meals with friends, and a week of relaxation. That was just the sort of well-earned wind-down she needed after a few punishing months on deadline.

It would be an added bonus if the lodge had a good-looking, unattached man staying there too. Someone like the guy sitting next to her—all long legs and big, rough hands who’d let her wrap herself around him and really enjoy her vacation.

I should be so lucky.

Once they hit the runway, the plane sped up, the nose pitched skyward, and suddenly they were airborne. She sank back into her seat, silently thanked whatever genius convinced the FAA to let readers keep their devices on through takeoff, and turned her attention to her tablet.

“Do you mind if I turn the light on?”

She looked up and found a pair of icy blue eyes fixed on her. Even through his exhaustion she caught a hint of soft, sweet warmth in her seatmate’s expression.

“I didn’t know if it would cause glare on your iPad,” the man explained.

She shook her head. “It should be fine. Thank you for asking. I’m Lydia, by the way.”

She stuck out her hand. The man glanced down at it and hesitated. I won’t bite, she wanted to purr, but the poor guy already looked like he was torn between crushing her lips with his and bolting. Then something like determination crept into his expression. He took her hand.

The moment they touched, heat swept straight down to her toes and back again. She imagined his broad hands stroking over her bare skin, palms exploring, fingers teasing. Her whole body hummed for him, and the intensity with which he stared at her nearly knocked her backwards.

“I’m Evan Sullivan,” he said, his tone low and thick.

She wanted that voice wrapping around her as he whispered every little thing he’d do to make her come. It spoke of dark rooms and slow, sensual sex fueled by need. She throbbed wet and ready for him.

“Evan. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Her body screamed at her to unbuckle her seatbelt and climb into his lap, but the two no-nonsense flight attendants nearby didn’t look like they’d tolerate the idea. Still, maybe she and Evan could arrange to meet in Jackson—a little vacation fling. It was all she ever wanted from a guy, something fun with no strings attached. Flings were easier than relationships. Less messy.

Before she could decide whether to act on the idea, Evan dropped her hand. “Sorry to be rude. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed, but she nodded. “Of course. I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

Picking up her tablet again, she leaned on the armrest next to the window. Evan kept his attention so carefully locked on his computer that she wondered for a moment whether she’d imagined that the attraction went both ways. The quick pulse of a little, bitable vein at the base of his neck made her think no. Then he let out a shaky breath, and she knew he’d felt the connection too.

With a little smile, she dove back into her book.

Thanks for reading! Look out for another exclusive excerpt on Monday!

VIDEO: Learn to Love Your Research

Yesterday night First Draught tackled the question of research and writing. How do you get the details right, where should you start, and how do you know that you're just avoiding writing the book? A.L. Parks shared her stories about interviewing members of the FBI, Alexis Anne discussed the pros and cons of writing about fictional vs. real places, Mary Chris Escobar talked about authenticity, and I tackled the historical side of things. UPDATE: Looks like a gremlin got into one of our computers and caused some feedback for a few minutes in the middle. Bad gremlin. The problem does resolve itself pretty quickly, and we will try to figure out how to prevent it in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMRN7X8MW5k

If there is a topic you want us to discuss, reach out to one of us! We're always happy to take suggestions.

First Draught is Live Tonight

First Draught is back tonight at 8:30 PM EST on Google Hangouts. Mark your calendars because this month we're talking about research with A L Parks! RSVP to make sure you don't miss a minute whether you watch the live or recorded session.

One Week in Wyoming Release Schedule

Mark Your Calendars!

Mark you calendars! First Draught is back this Tuesday at 8:30 PM EST (can you believe that it's already a new month?). A.L. Parks is joining Alexis Anne, Mary Chris Escobar, and myself (and maybe a surprise special guest) to talk about research and writing. We'll discuss how we approach research in our different subgenres, and why it isn't just the responsibility of historical authors to get the details right. RSVP to let us know you'll be watching live, or keep an eye out for our YouTube video after the show is wrapped.

One Week in Love

August is coming to a close, and that means that the release day for One Week in Wyoming is getting closer too! On September 9th, you can get your hands on the sexy contemporary anthology featuring four stories by Alexis Anne, Audra North, Alexandra Haughton, and myself. Until then, we have a new website for our One Week in Love series of books. Stop by, watch our welcome video, peruse some blog posts, and say hello!

Ice Bucket Challenge

Well, it happened. My critique partner and all-around-wonderful-friend Alexis Anne tagged me in the Ice Bucket Challenge. I asked for a little help... and got two direct hits in the face with very cold water! Good thing I had a plan in store for my helper... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju5AD5LDi-Y&feature=youtu.be