Penny Watson Reviews Crocodile On The Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Dark and Stormy is thrilled to have best selling author Penny Watson visiting us from Penelope’s Reviews to share her review for Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters.

Long before I became helplessly addicted to romance novels, I was helplessly addicted to mysteries. Back in the good old days when mysteries were sometimes fun and witty and not filled with gratuitous violence and gore. The Amelia Peabody Series by Elizabeth Peters manages to encompass both of these genres quite successfully. Peters' books are a brilliant combination of archaeology and history, well developed characters and plot, and a well-crafted and well-written story line. There is drama, wit and suspense galore. 

It comes as no surprise that Elizabeth Peters actually has a doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. The larger than life setting for her mystery series (19th century Egypt) practically pops off the pages. 

           

            "On the east, the undulating yellow Mokattam hills formed a frame for a picture whose nearer charms included the vivid green strip of cultivated land next to the river, and, in the distance, shining like the towers of fairyland, the domes and minarets of Cairo. To the west and south the desert stretched away in a haze of gold."

The year I discovered this series (which currently includes 18 titles) was one of the greatest reading years of my life. I became so enamored with the Emerson family that I quickly devoured every book, in chronological order of course. I even dreamt about the characters! 

Crocodile on the Sandbank, originally published in 1975, is an excellent introduction to the series. The story is narrated in the first person by Amelia Peabody, the pragmatic, intelligent, and exceedingly determined English heroine. Over the course of this first book, Amelia establishes her well-earned reputation as Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor) and an amateur Egyptologist. The self-confirmed spinster meets her match with Radcliffe Emerson, an academic explorer with a fierce temper and a penchant for swearing (ergo his nickname "Father of Curses"). The chemistry between these two characters is as good as it gets in romantic fiction. They spar, they snap, they complement each other perfectly. 

This book has everything I love--suspense, romance and a great sense of humor! There is mystery and intrigue surrounding the exploration of an Egyptian tomb and unexplained hauntings by a mummy. There are two wonderful romances that unfold in this story, involving Amelia and Emerson, and Evelyn (her companion) and Emerson's younger brother Walter. There is fabulous dialogue and banter between the characters. And there is a wonderful immersion into the world of ancient Egypt, which is highly addictive.

I am thrilled that a new installment of this series will be released in April. A River In The Sky is the 19th addition to the Amelia Peabody Series. For anyone looking for a highly satisfying and addictive series, I cannot recommend these books highly enough. 

Grade: A

Penelope

And be sure to check out Penny’s best selling debut novel, Sweet Inspiration! 

Lucky winner of Jax Cassidy's Brush Strokes

The lucky winner of a copy of Jax Cassidy's ebook, Brush Strokes, is Beth Trissel.  
Congratulations Beth and thanks for posting on Dark and Stormy!

Romance Author Jax Cassidy shares a moment in Paris

Just in time for Valentine’s, Dark and Stormy turns to the romantic side of fiction. I am lucky enough to have erotic romance author, Jax Cassidy, sharing a luscious little moment of her time in Paris while writing her newest release Brush Strokes. 

One fortunate reader will win a copy of Jax’s book, which Romance Junkies gave 4.5 ribbons and Coffee Time Romance called “a sweet and erotic dalliance”.  Just leave a comment on this blog entry and the winner will be announced on February 19^th. 

Now onto Paris…

Sexy Paris

When I think of Valentine’s, I think of love and romance. I also think of Paris, the City of Light, where these emotions seem to be bloom year round. I totally love writing about this city because it will always be a magical place in my heart. Living there was a surreal experience—a dream come true in so many ways—because I was able to really explore and savor the richness of what this city has to offer. I never grew tired of seeing the architecture and would often walk along the streets, mesmerized by the beauty that stretched on for miles and miles. I liked to stop at the quaint cafés, frequent the local shops, and go completely nuts in the intimate bookstores. One of my favorite places was Shakespeare and Company, which has an amazing history, but that’s for another day.

Sensuality spills out from every corner of Paris because they take care in how each and every thing is presented. From the way they set up their window displays, to the way they wrap your pastries before you leave the patisserie, you can’t help but fall in love with the passion and pride they have for presentation. You know that saying, “it’s in the details”? It’s true, Paris evokes sexiness and you can’t help but feel sexy. I could go on and on about my experiences as an American living there but I wanted you to see why I use Paris as a backdrop.

In BRUSH STROKES, my latest release from Amber Heat, I used all the elements found in Paris to help set the mood for the story. It felt natural to write about an exclusive sex club because I wanted to show the sensual and provocative side instead of the normal submissive/dominant clubs that most often come to mind. Sadly, I must confess that I’m not into the lifestyle so I had to do the research. I was able to find information about an existing sex club that catered to the high-profile and affluent crowd so I threw in some embellishments and made it an ideal place for any inquisitive ‘sex club virgins’ to want to visit. This was so much fun to write and I fell in love with the characters. It also gave me a chance to incorporate my love of art and Mr. Darcy. C’mon, who doesn’t love the brooding hero in Pride & Prejudice? Since this is a short novella, I tried to make the chemistry ‘hot’ and as a person who believes in love at first sight and soul mates, I hope that this translated well in my story.

I’ll just wrap up by saying that you MUST visit Paris at least once in your lifetime. The place drips of sexiness and romance…will make you yearn for those naughty things you’ve always thought about and never acted upon. Once you step foot in the City of Light, you’ll understand exactly what I’m talking about….

www.jaxcassidy.com

www.jaxadora.blogspot.com

Interview with Lori Graham, Senior Editor at The Wild Rose Press

Hi Lori, please tell us a little about what you do at the Wild Rose Press.  

I am the senior editor of the Crimson Rose line of The Wild Rose Press.  This publishing company started 3 ½ years ago and I joined the staff just shortly after they opened their doors.  Our goal at TWRP is to work with authors to help them perfect their craft.  Yes, we like to publish books, of course, but we want to give authors the information they need.  For example, every manuscript gets a response and none of them is a form letter.  For me personally, I am blessed to work with a great bunch of authors as I edit their work.  In addition, I also get the joy of managing an incredible editing staff.  This group of women makes my life a lot of fun. 

What makes a query grab you and what are you actively looking to acquire right now? 

The thing that grabs me most is an author who I can work with.  Someone who takes the time to research their plot and develop their craft.  They create characters with depth and reality.  This is what grabs me.  As far as acquisitions, we have a special submission call going on right now called Jewels of the Night.  You can visit our website at www.thewildrosepress.com and go to the crimson submission page or the behind the garden gate blog to get the details.  If you have any questions, of course, you can email me directly at lori (at) thewildrosepress.com.

What really makes a suspense novel work for you? 

Again, this comes back to a plot that is real.  Given that we are dealing with suspense, it is important that certain rules be followed.   For example, if the hero is an FBI agent, the way the character develops and acts needs to be somewhat consistent with how a real FBI agent might act.  Granted there is some license that fiction can take, but it can’t go too far.  So again, the research portion is very important and really polishes the book.  The other aspect I look for is the development of those characters.  The hero and heroine need to be as three dimensional as the author can get them.  The reader wants to be able to know what they are thinking, feeling, seeing, touching, smelling, tasting – the emotions are important.

Who are your all time favorite romantic suspense authors/books?  

There are simply too many to count.  It all started with Nancy Drew, moved to Phyllis Whitney, and has come up to Cindy Gerard.  There are more and I enjoy them all.

Is there a romantic suspense novel at Wild Rose that you're particularly excited about.  Can you tell us a little about it?   

Again, too many to go into.  We have some great authors in our catalogue with works from JL Wilson to Judith Rochelle to Cindy Green to Jenni Holbrook to Alicia Dean to Cierra James to name just a few.  Lydia Storm is also quite good.  J

Thank you to Lori Graham and don’t forget to post a comment to be entered to win this months Valentine’s free book give away!

Valentine's Contest - the entire month of February!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m giving away a signed copy of Moonlight on Diamonds.  Post a comment below with the name of your favorite romantic suspense novel, or author, to be entered in the contest. 

To see my favorites, check out Lydia’s List.