UPDATE

I did it.
Tammy from night owl romance liked my review.
I am officially the new reviewer.
I have already read 2 e-books, 1 print book and written one review.
I am supposed to be working on the other 2 right now.

I also received my first package of books in the mail...it was like Christmas.
2 manuscripts and 3 books. One of which I have already read.

The problem is not the reading of the manuscripts, its writing of the reviews.
I dont want to sound like a broken record, repeating myself and I dont want my writing to be shitty. So it takes me some time to get them done.
Some of the other reviewers, write some really good ones and they pop them out really fast.
so I am a bit intimidated, but tonight I am going to step it up.

I am going to try to write and send 2 reviews before the night is over.

But first I have to make dinner for my husband.

Here is the review I sent Tammy, the one that got me the posision.


SAMPLE REVIEW:

REVIEW OF THE SCANDALOUS EVENING, By Christina Dodd

Miss Jane Higgerbottom was once an attractive young woman in the prime of her London season. One night, her infatuation and obvious desire for the handsome Ransom Quincy—Marqcuess of Blackburn—is exposed to the ton in the form of a scandalous naked statue she had created of him. Publicly humiliated, all but ruined, she flees London and lives as a virtual slave to her brother-in-law.

Ten years later, Jane agrees to return to London as the chaperone to her beautiful niece. Hoping the ton has forgotten about the scandal, she dons a spinsters cap and prepares to keep a low profile. Unfortunately, Jane bumps into Ransom at the first ball they attend and it takes only a moment for him to recognize her.

Working for the crown while on the trail of a French spy and fearing exposure, Ransom seizes the opportunity to court Jane. He hopes to distract attention from his spy activities and divert the gossip to their courtship. As they spend more time together, both Ransom and Jane find themselves falling in love, despite their resistance. Faced with many obstacles involving betrayal, false accusations that Jane is a French spy and a kidnapping, they discover that the love they share exceeds even their enormous passion for each other.

Once again Christina Dodd has created a unique regency period romance. The Scandalous Evening is filled with beautiful balls, charming romantic interludes, scandal, gorgeous rogues and a financially desperate, but beautiful heroine. A must-read for all, especially those who love historical romance.

Application sent

I just sent in my sample review. I am a little nervous about whether she will like it or not.
I guess I should know soon.

In just a few days, I could be a book reviewer.

I think I would love it!

Me a Book Reviewer?

I can only hope!

I am in the process of applying for a job as a reviewer of books for an Internet site. I see this as one of the first steps in getting my writing out into the world.

Before anything, I have to write a sample review of a book I have recently read and then send it to the creator of the site.

If they like it, they might hire me for the job...so I am going to give it my best shot.

Of course, there is no pay, but you get to keep the books you review, which is such a big plus for me. More importantly, it will get me writing and will get my name out there.
I am so excited, I can barely contain myself.

YAY

Reading

This whole quest is proving to be more difficult than I imagined. All I am doing at this time is reading as many historical Romance Novels as possible.
I am loving every minute of it.
The reading that is..the planning to write, well, it gets scarier and scarier just thinking about it.

To catch a thought!

If only thoughts were easy to catch! Mine are fast and furious right now. Comming at me a mile a minute!

I have a story playing over and over in my head. I have not slept very well or very long these past few weeks. I am on vacation from nursing school and I am not working as a nanny again until September, so I have had plenty of time to relax, catch up on sleep and clean and decorate our appartment, but I have not done much of that. My time has been spent reading Julia Quinn. Seriously! I had never read a Historical Romance novel in my life until a few weeks ago!

Now it is all I can think about!

Now I have a story of my very own running around in my head and I have no idea how to make it stop. Nor do I have any idea how to put my thoughts down on to paper.

I am going to try to jot some thoughts down, but my thoughts are spiraling out of control and I fear there is no way to make sense of them!

Focus Louise, focus!

Doing some research

I have no doubt in my mind that writing a romance novel is not as easy as we would like to think it is. The romance novelist is not just some woman who takes bubble baths, paints her nails and then after a day of leisure decides to pen a few words in cursive with a fountain pen. It takes research, tons of reading and plenty of work. While I do like the idea of romance writing, I like even more the idea of writing something I, myself would like to read.

So, with the full knowledge that I am going to have to do many things to even get started, I feel well on my way. I read endlessly and now I am off to Barnes and Noble on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to do some research into how to go about this daunting, but tantalizing task that is writing the historical romance novel.

It is now 3:30pm, I hope to be out of the house and on the subway by 4pm. If all goes well, I should be at B&N before 4:30.
If I get enough done-as my husband is off to a farewell party-I might take in a movie.
What better movie that "Becoming Jane" to round of my day of leisurely regency period research!

I know I can do this.
I just have to stay focused!

-Louise

I have to write

It was by pure accident that I picked up the soft, small, green-toned historical romance novel in Target not more than a month ago. It was not an accident that I was into the first chapter before even leaving the store and it was with sheer delight that I finished it a few hours later.
The book......The secret diaries of Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn.

Now I have always been an avid reader, especially of the romance variety, that is, up until 7 years ago when I moved to NYC and decided that becoming an intellectual was extremely important to me. I dated men who had read War and Peace, Men who were way smarter than me and in time I really did begin to enjoy the more difficult reads. Gone were the days when I would read Sweet Dreams books instead of studying for my high School exams. I was smart and I felt smart. In time, like my friends, I looked down at those woman on the subway reading the "easy reads"- talk about peer pressure!

But, in a moment of relaxed desperation I reached for that book in Target and a whole world I thought was lost to me opened up and has refused to close. I am swept up in the regency period. A delightful romantic time in the early 1800's and I am loving every minute of it.

Just how swept up you might ask?

Well, I have read all of Julia Quinn's books, bought 7 new historical romance novels by authors I have never read and I have started to research the Regency period- all in one month!
Not only that, but I have decided that I can not go on living without writing one of these lovely books.
Finally I have come full circle.
Finally, I am back in my childhood bedroom ( in my mind) loving romance and following the dream of that 15 year old girl.

The dream to write books.

Granted I am no stranger to the book publishing industry. I have helped authors write query letters, have assisted in book contract negotiations and my husband is a published author as well as an editor of a national magazine. So while I have been exposed to the industry, I was never the one needing to thrive within it.

But this time, it is about me. I want to write.
And I want it to be about the regency period.
Only, I don't know where to start.

So I am starting here.

This will be a blog about how I get the job done. All the trials and tribulations, all the horrors I might go through and all the good that may come of this. I need this blog. I need it so that I can tell myself I am trying, so that I can read how far I go, if I go at all.

Come along for the journey.

I could always use your help.
I dont have all the facts. And nobody knows about my secret passion. Only YOU!

- Louise