SquawkRadio Comments

I haven’t read Samantha James, but thanks to you, Xtina, I think I have yet another author to support with my hard-earned money!!

I adore tortured heroes...my own heroes are tortured, poor souls...and I like to think their angst isn’t something silly, but that they have a very valid reason for shunning love, committment and happiness.

It’s such a sense of satisfaction to see them turn the corner(metaphorically) and realize that the woman standing in front of them is the only person on the face of the Earth who can save them from themselves.

I’m also very much into writing about tortured heroines...my *other* WIP is just that. She brought it on herself, but that’s besides the point...she just needs the love of a good man to bring her to her senses. LOL!

Well, I haven’t read The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell, but thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I’ll remedy that soon. (I just downloaded the ebook, so it’s just a question of having time to read it.)

This site is very bad for adding to my TBR list! (and I love it!)

I have read a lot of Samantha James, and I am superexcited that she’s dropping in today.  I loved THE SECRET PASSION… Anne is a great foil for Simon.  But my favorite Samantha James is A PERFECT GROOM, which features Justin Sterling, another tortured hero.  He doesn’t subdue his passions (QUITE the contrary) like Simon, but he does hide a terrible guilt for his past, and Arabella is just the woman to help him heal.

Wow, that sounds like it’s going to be great!!  I’m leaving for New York on Friday and that sounds like the perfect book to read on my trip!
Oh, and I LOVE Lisa Kleypas’ tortured heroes! St. Vincent anyone???!!!

I must confess that I haven’t read ‘The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell’ but intend to remedy that post haste!  I did read Ms. James’ Sterling trilogy and LOVED it.

And I have to say I ADORE a tortured hero.  The more tortured, the better for me.  There are so many to choose from but you know Prince Rainger rocked it for me.  St. Vincent of Kleypas fame, ‘natch.  Robert Caraway from Suzanne Enoch’s ‘London’s Perfect Hero’ melts my heart even as I write this.  And so many, many more.

It sounds wonderful but I’m saving it until AFTER I finish my book next month.  It will be my treat!

I had the pleasure of meeting Samantha after I signed with Avon and she’s one of the nicest people I’ve met in the business.

So here is my story.  I have been so tempted to read Samatha James.  I mean how could I not, she is right next to our beloved Eloisa James on the bookshelves at Barnes and Noble.  I have been been toying with the idea, even flirting with the idea of just grabbing her books and reading.  Why haven’t I.............?  Well, I didn’t know where to start.  But.......today is the day, after I pick up my daughter I am hitting the bookstore and making a date with “The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell”

Heck.........my husband is traveling for the next three weeks, I need something to keep me busy after kids are in bed.

I read her newest and it’s great. A Perfect Hero and A Perfect Groom are also good. It’s the Sterling trilogy.

Which book can I recommend by Samantha, where should I start, because they are each special, no matter if they are Medieval, Regency or Western. I have read them all (except of Simon Blackwell) and I loved each of them.

Well I haven’t read her book yet, but intend to in the very near future(like today!). That book sounds amazing and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Michelle

I haven’t read The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell yet, but it is on my TBR stack. I bought it when several Bon Bons were raving about it on the EJ/JQ board.

Christina, I once listed thirty-three of my favorite tortured heroes for one of your blogs. I will limit myself to favorite Squawker tortured heroes today: Justin Connor , Once an Angel, Teresa Medeiros; Derek Craven, Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas; Ian Fairchild, A Well Favored Gentleman, Christina Dodd; Rafe Jourdain, Taming of the Duke, Eloisa James; Jack Seward, All Through the Night, Connie Brockway. (Sorry, Liz! I have favorite Bevarly heroes, Pendleton and Rory Monahan chief among them, but I don’t think they qualify as “tortured.")

I agree with Santa and Janga on tortured heros!  I also enjoy Amanda Quick’s injured/tortured heros.  My TBR stack is huge, but Simon is going to the top.  I have read the “perfect” trilogy and liked them all.  My word is better 34, which is better 3 great books to read or 4!!!

Aw, thank you Janga!  I can’t decide if Justin was more tortured before or AFTER he met Emily Claire in ONCE AN ANGEL

I haven’t read the Secret Passion, but I sure have read the Perfect series and Every Wished Fulfilled! Loooooved them!

Lois

I love Samantha James. I have to devide my favorites into categories.

Regency:  All “The Perfects” are great.

Medieval:The Truest Heart-who doesn’t love a book about a man washing up on shore, at the heroine’s feet, and ends up having amnesia and A Promise Given: the hero goes to wed one sister, who has disappeared, and ends up with another one.

Victorian: A Promise Given: A lady goes to her future husbands home to find out, from his brother, that she was deceived.

“Secret” was wonderful and wait until you find out why Simon doesn’t want to consummate his marriage.  It was excellent.

Well, I’m in the middle of a Teresa marathon.  So, it’s really hard to choose a favorite, because they’re all so special.  I’m tempted to say, “Sebastian Kerr, HEATHER AND VELVET,” but deep down I think Morgan MacDonnell from
A WHISPER OF ROSES is the one I love.  lol

Oh, I really like Samantha James!  I’ve read Simon Blackwell, and would have featured it if it came into the rotation at t he right time.

You’re absolutely right:  Dark, brooding, whiny?  Bore-a-thon.  Dark, brooding with absolutely pathological reason for it?  Ahhhhhh. 

There’s this terrific little scene in Blackwell in which Simon is a bit worse for drink, and in which Anne is not a perfect gentlewoman...extremely hot—which James is remarkably good at.

So glad you reminded me of how much I like Samantha James, especially her Stirling trilogy.

You guys are tempting me.  I have to go to Wal-Mart for a toothbrush...I have a strange feeling I’m going to head on over to the book section.  This Simon fella is sounding more and more interesting…

Thanks twolilhahas!  I don’t think I could choose between Sebastian or Morgan either.  I still remember those passionate nights we spent together...sigh…

I do love my tortured heroes. Thank you, Janga, for the thumps up (as Teresa would call it) on A WELL FAVORED GENTLEMAN.

SECRET PASSION was one of those books that left a black and red impression on my brain—black for all the intense, torturous emotions, and red for passion. Wooza!

Samantha James is on my TBR pile, she is now moving to the top with all these great reviews.  As for other tortured heroes - nobody writes one like Lisa.  I can’t name my favorite they are all wonderful.

I also loved Edward in The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt and Kylemore in Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell.  Some people had a real problem with Kylemore and that book in particular, but you have to admit he was pretty tortured.

Yes, indeed we love ‘em tortured!!
My first thought was Zsadist, from “Lover Awakened” (literally tortured!).but so many mentioned here, as well..are so good.

Avery said..."Some people had a real problem with Kylemore and that book in particular, but you have to admit he was pretty tortured.”

Really? CLAIMING THE COURTESAN is up on my TBR pile next, and you have really whet my curiosity. I see another book blog in my future ... 

Hi Ladies,

I have not yet read Samantha James, but I will asap.

Yes I love tortured heros.  They ALL work for me.  I really loved Jack Seward in “All Through the Night”

I have only just begun reading some of these talented squawkers, but at one book per week, I am quickly becoming familiar with their scintillating work. 

I’m pretty easy to please, just give me a hot hero, and a horney English virgin and vwalla, you have a happy customer! 

I have read Secret Passion and it was as good as Christina said!  I read it pretty quick for me, in only three days.  There were a couple of late nights in there also. 

My TBR pile is growing by leaps and bounds.  So many books, so little time. 

--dorothy

lol my verification word was ‘only32’....NO, byt TBR pile has way more than 32 in it!!

I do love a tormented hero.  He has to be very strong at the sametime.  Darek Craven was one of my favorites, he wasn’t beautiful, his teeth were a little crooked, he lacked polish, but was an over comer.  Strong. 

Ms Mary:  I just bought “Lover Awakened”.  Not started it yet, but looking forward to it.  I did read the glossary in the beginning of the book tho’. 

I have a confession:  I droped my daughter off at pre-school and went to the book store and bought “Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell”.  After a few other stops, I returned to the pre-school 45 min early (sat in my car in the parking lot) and started reading.  I am on page 50, and am already enjoying myself.

Ladies.............Your killing me, you keep adding more books to my list or my ever growing TBR pile.  Yeah, a real pile.........next to my bed.... on the floor between my nightstand and the bed.  I need someone to go through my list and my pile and put them in a reading order.  Where do I start?

Julie-Lynn, Pick me! Pick me!

Oh FINE. Read Samantha James instead. But after that ... Pick me! Pick me!

Xtina, you silly goose, I have already read every book that you have written...........well at least those sold on amazon and barnes and noble.  I am waiting for the new one.  All new releases, move to the top of the pile.  Books, Reading and so little time.  I think we need to form a support group.

“Hello my name is Julie and I have too many books.” UGH!!!

Julie-Lynn said… “Books, Reading and so little time.  I think we need to form a support group.”

I so feel your pain!

Every time I turn around I find a new book and my house work is starting to suffer because of it.

“Hi my name is LeeAnn and I have a reading addiction”

There could be worse things and I really only need a few hours sleep anyways.

Christina Dodd, which of your books would you recommend I read first?

I have an entire bookshelf dedicated to authors named “James” - 1/2 Eloisa and 1/2 Samantha.  And the shelf is stacked two books high.  So, of Course, I read Simon Blackwell as soon as it came out.  After this blog, it will probably move into my re-read pile very quickly.

The tortured hero I have recently read that grabbed my interest was Mary Balogh’s Sydnam Butler from “Only Love”.  Just picked that up recently and now don’t know why I let myself get behind on my Balogh books…

I just got home from Barnes and Noble with a copy of THE SECRET PASSION OF SIMON BLACKWELL.  I plan to start reading it immediately!

Bring on the tortured heroes!  I agree with Ms. Mary about Zsadist--the ultimate tortured hero!  Love him. 

I haven’t read any Samantha Jones, but apparently I must start.

I know how Julie-Lynn and LeeAnn feel with to many books and not enought time to read them all.  I’m gonna need a whole another bookshelf to hold all my new buys.

As for tortured heros I love them.  I hate it when the guys are jerks/rakes for absolutly no reason.

My favorite tortured heros are:
Derek Craven (dreaming of you)
Zsadist (LA)
St. Vincent (devil in winter)
Ian Thortan (almost heaven)

Oh yeah........I’ve read it. As always. it was superb. Especially pg 265. That conversation made me spit diet Pepsi out my nose. Too funny.

I love authors that make me feel like I’m in the room watching the story unfold. Samantha always does that for me. I recommend all her books.

Oh, thank goodness, a new author to devour. Not only have I finished my TBR pile, I have read all the backlists of each squawker.  And I had to dig to find some of the earlier books.  It’s amazing to see how the writing patterns have evolved. I love it.

I plan to start with Samantha James next, but I do have a question.  Should I read her earlier books first?  I have made the mistake of jumping into series books in the middle and it made for frustrating reading trying to figure out all the characters.

Prue

Thanks for asking, twolilhahas!
For historicals I suggest THAT SCANDALOUS EVENING. Everyone loves that book, plus i’s a stand-alone. Then you can move on to the series.

For contemps, definitely TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS. Which is the start of a series, but also the book is a helluva good time.

I’d also suggest you hop over to my website and read some excerpts. THat’ll give you a taste of my voice and maybe help you choose.  http://christinadodd.com/excerpts.php

The printable list with all the series listed in order is on my website at http://christinadodd.com/booklist_print.pdf

I forgot to mention Gabriel from Terri’s ‘Yours Until Dawn’ because his deliciousness sometimes outweighs his tortured-ness.....

Thanks, Christina, I’m definitely a historical kinda gal.  I’ll check out THAT SCANDALOUS EVENING!  And I’m headin’ on over to your website, too!

Thank you, Christina!  This book will be coming home with me today.  I have been rereading tried and trues in order to get over what happened on Grey’s Anatomy.  I need some Happily Ever After!  Could we have a blog on how our fav shows season finales went?  I’d love to know what writers think. 

And Claiming the Courtesan?  I think you’ll love it.  It’s definitely dark.  I can see why some people had problems with Kylemore, but I really liked the book.

I have all of Samantha’s books and love everyone of them she has been an all time favourite of mine it seems like forever. Simon and Anna’s story was wonderful he was so tortured. Tortured heros yes I love them and agree that Kylemore from Anna Campbell’s Claiming The Courtesian is another one that is a favourite of mine.
Have Fun
Helen

Xtina you sure know how to sell a book I’ve raced off and reserved it at the library straight away. I so love that the purchasers at my local library LOVE suggestions. Oh, and before you ask, I’ve already reserved Scent of Darkness!

Julie - is there such a thing as too many book?

Like LeeAnn, I too have to admit that I have a reading addiction. However, mine is definitely medicinal, because if I don’t get my fix then I do feel slightly homicidal

orannia

PS Dannyfiredragon I’m always on the lookout for medieval books. There’s something about a medieval. And Samantha James’ suggestions please?

Hello, my name is Cathy and I too have a reading addiction.  Everytime I go shopping with one of my kids and start drifting towards the book section they drag me away saying “Mom, step away from the books!” My DH says I need a 12 step program.  But everytime I seem to get caught up on my tbr pile you all go and recommend some new book and I have to read it and everything else by that author. Reading is more fun than just about anything, well there is one thing thats more fun but my DH says he is too old for that ALL the time.  Maybe I would read less if I had a younger husband? Who knows.

Oh, my word is just69....hmm… maybe I am using the wrong approach with DH?

I’ve bought The Secret Passion, but I haven’t started reading it yet.  I’m saving it for my vacation next month!  As to which Samantha James is best....how can I pick just one?  Love ‘em all!

kitterlynn, don’t tell me! I just watched the first five episodes of Gray’s Anatomy and enjoyed them so much. I finally found a TV show I adore. I’m so HAPPY!!

cathzoe said “Reading is more fun than just about anything, well there is one thing thats more fun but my DH says he is too old for that ALL the time.”

BWAHAHA! Then he can’t complain about your reading because he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

After the season finale of Grey’s I sat stunned. I talk to the tv every once-in-awhile...this time I said to it “is that all?”

admitted and proud bk and Grey’s addict,

llm

I haven’t read any Samantha James’ books. But now that I know what I’m missing out on, that soon to be changed.

Cathzoe said:.......” you all go and recommend some new book and I have to read it and everything else by that author.”

I so feel your pain...........I just completed every book I could get my grubby little hands on by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  If the the first book I read by an author is good, I get sucked in.  The sad thing is, once I have read everything they have published, I am like a crack addict waiting for their new books.

So Squawkers, if you could step it up.........I mean Nora Roberts has a new book out every week.  I can’t really get into her books, so I am stuck waiting for all of you to finish up your latest works.

Cathzoe said:.......” you all go and recommend some new book and I have to read it and everything else by that author.”

I do the same thing!

Julie-Lynn said...” mean Nora Roberts has a new book out every week.  I can’t really get into her books, so I am stuck waiting for all of you to finish up your latest works.”

Really I love Nora I’m only 14 books away from reading everything she has ever written including all of her J.D. Robb books.  I used to only read Nora’s books but then I read Christina’s THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS and was hooked!  And then I learned about this great web site with so many recommendations and its been down hill ever since. 

LeeAnn, Today you may only be 14 books away from reading all of Nora’s books, but at the rate she writes, you may always be 14 books away from reading all her books.  I was at Barnes and Noble the other day and noticed there were two very large Volumes, that were guides to her books.  Yikes!  It scared me to think I might have to buy a guide just to navigate my way through everything she has writen. 

Who knows, maybe I will give her a try.

YAY!! I absolutely loved PASSION, it’s definitely my top fav of her’s. And not to mention I’m very glad I went against my budget, this book was definitely worth it. I love tortured heroes (Justin anyone?) so this was right up my alley and I loved every single heart-wrenching moment of it. Anne was perfect for him in everyway, she wasn’t the type to quiver at his brooding mood swings and went toe to toe with him when he needed to be taken care of and he wasn’t willing to let her. I think I’m gonna reread it again after school’s over, that’d be a great way to start my summer *G*

I still haven’t read all of her books, but I’ve read about half of her books. I truly recommend the Sterling family series and also Every Wish Fulfilled and One Moonlit Night

Christina wrote, “CLAIMING THE COURTESAN is up on my TBR pile next, and you have really whet my curiosity. I see another book blog in my future.”

Christina, I totally adored CtC, the story and the writing; you’re guaranteed to love Kylemore. Do give it a try.

What a cool idea to do a book blog and get us all riled up just in time for the author’s visit. I loved Samantha James’ “Simon.”

Oh, Teresa...LOL...I have kids...I’m reading CHARMING THE PRINCE...I’m laughing uncontrollably.  I love it so far.  ROFL

OK, won’t say anything Christina.  I was where you are in March . . . um, feel free to shout out when you get to the SF.  I’ll have some ideas for you

OK, and how did it get to be almost June?  (oh, yah, being obsessed with all things Grey will do that) I get Eloisa’s book in just days???  It seemed so far away for so long.

Oh I just absolutely loved this book!

I’m with everyone else here—I read Simon B in one night, staying up way past my bedtime.  He’s tortured, he’s agonized—HE’S SO GOOD IN BED!

Just had to point that out *g*
Eloisa

Gotta admit, I’d like Simon to park his boots under my bed anytime.

A big thanks to everyone who bought it!

And I bought Claiming the Courtesan, too. But before I could read it, my daughter stole it!