The Inside Reader: J.L. Langley
Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir Mitchell
I didn't need to read J.L. Langley's inside reader list to know that I love it. J.L.'s books, aside being among the first Gay Romances I read, are also the lighter, funnier and most romantic. Same as I remember some of my favorite "old fashioned" romances, that I'm not surprised to find in this list. Julie Garwood (poor Alec will have his job in "taking care" of Jamie), Jude Deveraux (want to know why you don't have so many paper documents from the Elizabethian period? read this book), and other ladies of the romance, are able to bring a smile on your face while allowing your to fly with your mind. Same as J.L. Langley, that not for the first time, I associate with the best type of romance.
J.L. Langley's Inside Reader List
Oddly enough, I didn’t start out as a veracious reader. My love of books came late in life. As such, I haven’t read a lot of the classics. I’m pretty much a romance novel kind of gal so my top ten expresses that. I tried to pick books that reflect important things that have influenced my own writing.
1) The North and South trilogy (North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell) by John Jakes. I can only imagine how much research and time John Jakes’ puts into his novels. I have always loved the American Civil War Era. I’ve got several history books on the period, but these fiction books remain some of my favorite. I love the big plantations and the romanticism around them nearly as much as I hate the slavery aspect.
Mass Market Paperback: 812 pages
Publisher: Signet (June 1, 2000)
Publisher Link: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780451200815,00.html?strSrchSql=0451200810/North_and_South_John_Jakes
ISBN-10: 0451200810
ISBN-13: 978-0451200815
Amazon: North and South
The bestselling saga that has sold more than 5 million copies. The books that inspired the smash-hit television miniseries. Beautifully repackaged for the Dutton hardcover release of On Secret Service--John Jakes's long-awaited return to the Civil War years...
2) Lincoln And The First Shot by Richard N. Current. Not only do I love the romanticism of the big plantation but the politics of the Civil War fascinates me. I read this book in college and couldn’t put it down. I started reading it in my Civil War and Reconstruction history class and eventually ended up in the Art building lobby on a couch with book in hand instead of going to my next art class. It is a great look at President Lincoln and the event leading up to Ft. Sumter.
Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Waveland Press (February 1990)
ISBN-10: 0881334987
ISBN-13: 978-0881334982
Amazon: Lincoln And The First Shot
Encapsulating the important political and military issues on the eve of the Civil War! Lincoln had hoped to realize his firm determination to preserve the Union through peaceful and nonprovocative measures. However, he was willing to accept war if he could avoid the blame for having started it. As events turned out, he was no more the aggressor than was Jefferson Davis. In these pages, Current retraces step by step the influences and events that shaped Lincoln's controversial April policy, beginning with the new president's rather furtive arrival in Washington and concluding with the mobilization for war. The Sumter question, as the author points out, "reflects and in turn casts light upon the national tradition of avoiding the 'first shot.' It concerns the events that led directly to the Civil War, the greatest of wars from the American point of view. And it involves problems of historical evidence and interpretation that have more fascination than even the best of ordinary puzzles."
3) A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. This was my first venture into Romance. I’d been on the computer looking up Pre-Raphaelite prints and found a time travel romance. I don’t remember the name of the book or the author but it really peaked my interest and made me go in search of other time travel romances. I found this book and was hooked.
Original artwork by Morgan Kane
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Pocket (November 26, 2002)
Publisher Link: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Knight-in-Shining-Armor/Jude-Deveraux/9780743457262
ISBN-10: 0743457269
ISBN-13: 978-0743457262
Amazon: A Knight in Shining Armor
Once upon a time... as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her: tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress.... A Knight in Shining Armor. Jude Deveraux's beloved bestseller has captivated readers the world over; now in a special edition featuring new material, this timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them.
4) The Bride by Julie Garwood. From time travel romance I went on to historical romance which is where my heart remains. I devoured every Julie Garwood historical I could find. I love her sense of humor and I think it carries over in my own writing.
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star (February 15, 1991)
Publisher Link: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Bride/Julie-Garwood/9780671737795
ISBN-10: 0671737791
ISBN-13: 978-0671737795
Amazon: The Bride
From New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood, whose novels have enchanted millions of readers worldwide, comes a breathtakingly romantic novel about a mismatched young wife and husband who, despite their differences in background and temperament, fall inexorably in love. Available in hardcover for the first time, with a new introduction from Julie Garwood that explains her inspiration for this timeless love story, The Bride sweeps readers back to the savage beauty of medieval Scotland.... By the king's edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jaime the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice. From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior's spirit. And he aches to touch her, tameher, possess her...forever. But with the wedding vows, Jamie pledges her own secret oath: She will never surrender her love to this Highland barbarian. He was everything her heart warned her against -- an arrogant, brooding scoundrel whose rough good looks and seductive embrace fire her blood. But when strange accidents begin to threaten Jamie's life and an old rumor that Alec killed his first wife spreads anew, something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer he senses. With all the storytelling power and insight into the human heart that have made her one of the bestselling authors of our time, Julie Garwood takes readers on an unforgettable romantic journey rich in humor, suspense, and historical detail.
Cover Art by Morgan Kane
5) Whitney My Love by Judith McNaught. My love of historical romance finally lead me to historical romance set in the Regency period. I loved the propriety and stuffiness. This is how the Sci-Regency series was born. I really like the period, but had to find a way to get my happily ever after. I couldn’t bear to set a gay romance in a setting where my heros could not be together openly. I’m nothing if not a hopeless romantic.
Mass Market Paperback: 736 pages
Publisher: Pocket (June 1, 2000)
Publisher Link: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Whitney-My-Love/Judith-McNaught/9780671776091
ISBN-10: 0671776096
ISBN-13: 978-0671776091
Amazon: Whitney My Love
Whitney, My Love stands as Judith McNaught's timeless bestseller -- a novel so rich with laughter, tears, and the power of dreams that millions of readers have returned to it again and again to savor its beauty and majesty. Under the dark, languorous eyes of Clayton Westmoreland, the Duke of Claymore, Whitney Stone grew from a saucy hoyden into a ravishingly sensual woman. Fresh from her triumphs in Paris society, she returned to England to win the heart of Paul, her childhood love . . . only to be bargained away by her bankrupt father to the handsome, arrogant duke. Outraged, she defies her new lord. But even as his smoldering passion seduces her into a gathering storm of desire, Whitney cannot -- and will not -- relinquish her dream of perfect love.
Cover Art by Harry Bennett
6) One For the Money by Janet Evanovich. My first foray into the first person pov. Evonovich also has a fabulous sense of humor. I love to laugh and she never disappoints.
Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 13, 2006)
Publisher Link: http://us.macmillan.com/book.aspx?isbn=9780312362089
ISBN-10: 0312362080
ISBN-13: 978-0312362089
Amazon: One For the Money
Read the Dynamite Blockbuster that Started It All! Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family. Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder. Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.
7) Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series has lost me, but I really loved this book in particular. Oddly, as big of a romance fan as I am, I think I enjoyed this one because of the lack of romance. It was just a great suspenseful paranormal novel.
Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Jove; later printing edition (September 24, 2002)
Publisher Link: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780515134506,00.html?strSrchSql=0515134503/Obsidian_Butterfly_Laurell_K._Hamilton
ISBN-10: 0515134503
ISBN-13: 978-0515134506
Amazon: Obsidian Butterfly
The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter backlist takes flight with a whole new look. In her ninth adventure, vampire hunter Anita Blake owes a favor to a friend-a man almost as dangerous as the ancient evil she's about to face.
8) Willow Bend by Ally Blue. This was the book that started it all. I was asked to do a reader quote for a new author. What can I say, I was captivated. Ally remains one of my very favorite authors. She always has such great angst.
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (August 15, 2002)
Publisher Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/print/willow-bend-print
ISBN-10: 1599982153
ISBN-13: 978-1599982151
Amazon: Willow Bend
Can two men from different worlds cut the ties binding them to heartaches past and present, and make a life together? For Paul Gordon, the little town of Willow Bend, South Carolina is the perfect place to start over. A place where he can move on after his lover’s death, alone and anonymous. Cory Saunders is just trying to survive. Between working two jobs and caring for his ailing mother, it’s all he can do to keep his head above water. When Paul and Cory meet, their mutual attraction is undeniable. When the intense physical attraction starts to blossom into something deeper, neither wants to admit to what’s happening. Cory doesn’t have time for a relationship, and Paul isn’t sure he’s ready for one. But sometimes, what you thought you couldn’t have turns out to be exactly what you need.
9) Power Exchange by Madeline Oh. My first introduction to BDSM. I remember being utterly fascinated while so many others were horrified.
Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing (July 25, 2008)
Publisher Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-3483-power-exchange.aspx
ISBN-10: 1843605708
ISBN-13: 978-1843605706
Amazon: Power Exchange
Mark has found the perfect woman-a born submissive. Nothing is more exciting than the subjugation of an independent woman, but Mark soon discovers that while he can control desires of the flesh, he cannot control desires of the heart. Annie's lover reveals to her a most intriguing side to his personality, a lifestyle she is drawn to that is both fascinating and intimidating. She is about to learn more about her lover and his wishes, and about herself and her latent desires. Power Exchange is a wonderfully written story of a realistic, graphically depicted, Bondage/Submission relationship in which there is a true total power exchange.
10) The Greek Tycoon’s Defiant Bride by Lynne Graham. I list it more for the serial aspect than the actual book. Like many others I went from romance novels to Harlequin. Or maybe I’m backwards. A lot of romance readers start with Harlequins and Silhouettes. So, I had to list at least one Harlequin and this is one of the ones that stood out to me when I was thinking Harlequin. It represented the serials so well...A rich alpha hero, an exotic setting, a naive heroine. I know a lot of folks think they are corny, predictable and unrealistic, but to me that is what is so fun about them. His Convenient Husband was my contribute to serial romance.
Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harlequin (February 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0373127006
ISBN-13: 978-0373127009
Amazon: The Greek Tycoon’s Defiant Bride
He's discovered she's his baby's mother--so now she'll be his bride! Maribel was a shy virgin when she and handsome Leonidas Pallis shared a night of passion. She assumed he was inspired by his need for comfort, rather than lust for her. However, unbeknownst to Leonidas... Maribel conceived his child. Now Leonidas wants what's his: his baby boy and Maribel, available 24/7. But the only way Leonidas will claim her and their son is if he takes her...as his bride!
About J.L. Langley: JL has been talking since she was about seven months old. To those who know her it comes as no surprise, in fact, most will tell you she hasn’t shut up since. At eighteen months, she was speaking in full sentences. Imagine if you will the surprise of her admirers when they complimented her mother on “what a cute little boy” she had and received a fierce glare from said little boy and a very loud correction of “I’m a girl!” Oddly enough, JL still finds herself saying that exact phrase thirty-some-odd years later.
Along with the motormouth, JL also displayed a very vivid imagination and artistic ability. The artist first surfaced in way of drawing and painting, then became more apparent with dance. JL was a member of the National Art Honor Society in high school and has won several regional and national titles in dance, specifically tap and jazz. In college she majored in Graphic Art, but chose to make dance her profession. She taught tap, jazz and ballet for fifteen years before settling into her career as a writer.
Today JL is a full-time writer, with over ten novels to her credit. Among her hobbies she includes reading, practicing her marksmanship (she happens to be a great shot), gardening, working out (although she despises cardio), searching for the perfect chocolate dessert (so far as she can tell ALL chocolate is perfect, but it requires more research) and arguing with her husband over who the air compressor and nail gun really belongs to (they belong to JL, although she might be willing to trade him for his new chainsaw).
The Englor Affair (Sci-Regency) by J.L. Langley
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (September 1, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/print/the-englor-affair-print
ISBN-10: 1605044075
ISBN-13: 978-1605044071
Amazon: The Englor Affair
In hiding who he was, Payton found himself…and the man he would grow to love. After his brother is kidnapped, Prince Payton Townsend masquerades as an Admiral’s assistant in order to track the culprits through the tangled mysteries of the planet Englor. He finds way more than he bargained for in the form of Marine Colonel Simon Hollister. Simon is no ordinary soldier. He’s heir to Englor and his life is mapped out for him: throne, bride, and eventually an heir. He never expected a dalliance with Payton to blossom into love, or that the organization that taught him to lead would threaten that love-and their lives. Danger and intrigue abound as they learn more about their shared enemy, and about each other. What they learn could help them rise above to an enduring love-or pull them apart.
I didn't need to read J.L. Langley's inside reader list to know that I love it. J.L.'s books, aside being among the first Gay Romances I read, are also the lighter, funnier and most romantic. Same as I remember some of my favorite "old fashioned" romances, that I'm not surprised to find in this list. Julie Garwood (poor Alec will have his job in "taking care" of Jamie), Jude Deveraux (want to know why you don't have so many paper documents from the Elizabethian period? read this book), and other ladies of the romance, are able to bring a smile on your face while allowing your to fly with your mind. Same as J.L. Langley, that not for the first time, I associate with the best type of romance.
J.L. Langley's Inside Reader List
Oddly enough, I didn’t start out as a veracious reader. My love of books came late in life. As such, I haven’t read a lot of the classics. I’m pretty much a romance novel kind of gal so my top ten expresses that. I tried to pick books that reflect important things that have influenced my own writing.
1) The North and South trilogy (North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell) by John Jakes. I can only imagine how much research and time John Jakes’ puts into his novels. I have always loved the American Civil War Era. I’ve got several history books on the period, but these fiction books remain some of my favorite. I love the big plantations and the romanticism around them nearly as much as I hate the slavery aspect.
Mass Market Paperback: 812 pages
Publisher: Signet (June 1, 2000)
Publisher Link: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780451200815,00.html?strSrchSql=0451200810/North_and_South_John_Jakes
ISBN-10: 0451200810
ISBN-13: 978-0451200815
Amazon: North and South
The bestselling saga that has sold more than 5 million copies. The books that inspired the smash-hit television miniseries. Beautifully repackaged for the Dutton hardcover release of On Secret Service--John Jakes's long-awaited return to the Civil War years...
2) Lincoln And The First Shot by Richard N. Current. Not only do I love the romanticism of the big plantation but the politics of the Civil War fascinates me. I read this book in college and couldn’t put it down. I started reading it in my Civil War and Reconstruction history class and eventually ended up in the Art building lobby on a couch with book in hand instead of going to my next art class. It is a great look at President Lincoln and the event leading up to Ft. Sumter.
Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Waveland Press (February 1990)
ISBN-10: 0881334987
ISBN-13: 978-0881334982
Amazon: Lincoln And The First Shot
Encapsulating the important political and military issues on the eve of the Civil War! Lincoln had hoped to realize his firm determination to preserve the Union through peaceful and nonprovocative measures. However, he was willing to accept war if he could avoid the blame for having started it. As events turned out, he was no more the aggressor than was Jefferson Davis. In these pages, Current retraces step by step the influences and events that shaped Lincoln's controversial April policy, beginning with the new president's rather furtive arrival in Washington and concluding with the mobilization for war. The Sumter question, as the author points out, "reflects and in turn casts light upon the national tradition of avoiding the 'first shot.' It concerns the events that led directly to the Civil War, the greatest of wars from the American point of view. And it involves problems of historical evidence and interpretation that have more fascination than even the best of ordinary puzzles."
3) A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. This was my first venture into Romance. I’d been on the computer looking up Pre-Raphaelite prints and found a time travel romance. I don’t remember the name of the book or the author but it really peaked my interest and made me go in search of other time travel romances. I found this book and was hooked.
Original artwork by Morgan Kane
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Pocket (November 26, 2002)
Publisher Link: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Knight-in-Shining-Armor/Jude-Deveraux/9780743457262
ISBN-10: 0743457269
ISBN-13: 978-0743457262
Amazon: A Knight in Shining Armor
Once upon a time... as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her: tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress.... A Knight in Shining Armor. Jude Deveraux's beloved bestseller has captivated readers the world over; now in a special edition featuring new material, this timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them.
4) The Bride by Julie Garwood. From time travel romance I went on to historical romance which is where my heart remains. I devoured every Julie Garwood historical I could find. I love her sense of humor and I think it carries over in my own writing.
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star (February 15, 1991)
Publisher Link: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Bride/Julie-Garwood/9780671737795
ISBN-10: 0671737791
ISBN-13: 978-0671737795
Amazon: The Bride
From New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood, whose novels have enchanted millions of readers worldwide, comes a breathtakingly romantic novel about a mismatched young wife and husband who, despite their differences in background and temperament, fall inexorably in love. Available in hardcover for the first time, with a new introduction from Julie Garwood that explains her inspiration for this timeless love story, The Bride sweeps readers back to the savage beauty of medieval Scotland.... By the king's edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jaime the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice. From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior's spirit. And he aches to touch her, tameher, possess her...forever. But with the wedding vows, Jamie pledges her own secret oath: She will never surrender her love to this Highland barbarian. He was everything her heart warned her against -- an arrogant, brooding scoundrel whose rough good looks and seductive embrace fire her blood. But when strange accidents begin to threaten Jamie's life and an old rumor that Alec killed his first wife spreads anew, something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer he senses. With all the storytelling power and insight into the human heart that have made her one of the bestselling authors of our time, Julie Garwood takes readers on an unforgettable romantic journey rich in humor, suspense, and historical detail.
Cover Art by Morgan Kane
5) Whitney My Love by Judith McNaught. My love of historical romance finally lead me to historical romance set in the Regency period. I loved the propriety and stuffiness. This is how the Sci-Regency series was born. I really like the period, but had to find a way to get my happily ever after. I couldn’t bear to set a gay romance in a setting where my heros could not be together openly. I’m nothing if not a hopeless romantic.
Mass Market Paperback: 736 pages
Publisher: Pocket (June 1, 2000)
Publisher Link: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Whitney-My-Love/Judith-McNaught/9780671776091
ISBN-10: 0671776096
ISBN-13: 978-0671776091
Amazon: Whitney My Love
Whitney, My Love stands as Judith McNaught's timeless bestseller -- a novel so rich with laughter, tears, and the power of dreams that millions of readers have returned to it again and again to savor its beauty and majesty. Under the dark, languorous eyes of Clayton Westmoreland, the Duke of Claymore, Whitney Stone grew from a saucy hoyden into a ravishingly sensual woman. Fresh from her triumphs in Paris society, she returned to England to win the heart of Paul, her childhood love . . . only to be bargained away by her bankrupt father to the handsome, arrogant duke. Outraged, she defies her new lord. But even as his smoldering passion seduces her into a gathering storm of desire, Whitney cannot -- and will not -- relinquish her dream of perfect love.
Cover Art by Harry Bennett
6) One For the Money by Janet Evanovich. My first foray into the first person pov. Evonovich also has a fabulous sense of humor. I love to laugh and she never disappoints.
Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 13, 2006)
Publisher Link: http://us.macmillan.com/book.aspx?isbn=9780312362089
ISBN-10: 0312362080
ISBN-13: 978-0312362089
Amazon: One For the Money
Read the Dynamite Blockbuster that Started It All! Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family. Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water--wanted for murder. Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.
7) Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series has lost me, but I really loved this book in particular. Oddly, as big of a romance fan as I am, I think I enjoyed this one because of the lack of romance. It was just a great suspenseful paranormal novel.
Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Jove; later printing edition (September 24, 2002)
Publisher Link: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780515134506,00.html?strSrchSql=0515134503/Obsidian_Butterfly_Laurell_K._Hamilton
ISBN-10: 0515134503
ISBN-13: 978-0515134506
Amazon: Obsidian Butterfly
The Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter backlist takes flight with a whole new look. In her ninth adventure, vampire hunter Anita Blake owes a favor to a friend-a man almost as dangerous as the ancient evil she's about to face.
8) Willow Bend by Ally Blue. This was the book that started it all. I was asked to do a reader quote for a new author. What can I say, I was captivated. Ally remains one of my very favorite authors. She always has such great angst.
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (August 15, 2002)
Publisher Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/print/willow-bend-print
ISBN-10: 1599982153
ISBN-13: 978-1599982151
Amazon: Willow Bend
Can two men from different worlds cut the ties binding them to heartaches past and present, and make a life together? For Paul Gordon, the little town of Willow Bend, South Carolina is the perfect place to start over. A place where he can move on after his lover’s death, alone and anonymous. Cory Saunders is just trying to survive. Between working two jobs and caring for his ailing mother, it’s all he can do to keep his head above water. When Paul and Cory meet, their mutual attraction is undeniable. When the intense physical attraction starts to blossom into something deeper, neither wants to admit to what’s happening. Cory doesn’t have time for a relationship, and Paul isn’t sure he’s ready for one. But sometimes, what you thought you couldn’t have turns out to be exactly what you need.
9) Power Exchange by Madeline Oh. My first introduction to BDSM. I remember being utterly fascinated while so many others were horrified.
Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing (July 25, 2008)
Publisher Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-3483-power-exchange.aspx
ISBN-10: 1843605708
ISBN-13: 978-1843605706
Amazon: Power Exchange
Mark has found the perfect woman-a born submissive. Nothing is more exciting than the subjugation of an independent woman, but Mark soon discovers that while he can control desires of the flesh, he cannot control desires of the heart. Annie's lover reveals to her a most intriguing side to his personality, a lifestyle she is drawn to that is both fascinating and intimidating. She is about to learn more about her lover and his wishes, and about herself and her latent desires. Power Exchange is a wonderfully written story of a realistic, graphically depicted, Bondage/Submission relationship in which there is a true total power exchange.
10) The Greek Tycoon’s Defiant Bride by Lynne Graham. I list it more for the serial aspect than the actual book. Like many others I went from romance novels to Harlequin. Or maybe I’m backwards. A lot of romance readers start with Harlequins and Silhouettes. So, I had to list at least one Harlequin and this is one of the ones that stood out to me when I was thinking Harlequin. It represented the serials so well...A rich alpha hero, an exotic setting, a naive heroine. I know a lot of folks think they are corny, predictable and unrealistic, but to me that is what is so fun about them. His Convenient Husband was my contribute to serial romance.
Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harlequin (February 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0373127006
ISBN-13: 978-0373127009
Amazon: The Greek Tycoon’s Defiant Bride
He's discovered she's his baby's mother--so now she'll be his bride! Maribel was a shy virgin when she and handsome Leonidas Pallis shared a night of passion. She assumed he was inspired by his need for comfort, rather than lust for her. However, unbeknownst to Leonidas... Maribel conceived his child. Now Leonidas wants what's his: his baby boy and Maribel, available 24/7. But the only way Leonidas will claim her and their son is if he takes her...as his bride!
About J.L. Langley: JL has been talking since she was about seven months old. To those who know her it comes as no surprise, in fact, most will tell you she hasn’t shut up since. At eighteen months, she was speaking in full sentences. Imagine if you will the surprise of her admirers when they complimented her mother on “what a cute little boy” she had and received a fierce glare from said little boy and a very loud correction of “I’m a girl!” Oddly enough, JL still finds herself saying that exact phrase thirty-some-odd years later.
Along with the motormouth, JL also displayed a very vivid imagination and artistic ability. The artist first surfaced in way of drawing and painting, then became more apparent with dance. JL was a member of the National Art Honor Society in high school and has won several regional and national titles in dance, specifically tap and jazz. In college she majored in Graphic Art, but chose to make dance her profession. She taught tap, jazz and ballet for fifteen years before settling into her career as a writer.
Today JL is a full-time writer, with over ten novels to her credit. Among her hobbies she includes reading, practicing her marksmanship (she happens to be a great shot), gardening, working out (although she despises cardio), searching for the perfect chocolate dessert (so far as she can tell ALL chocolate is perfect, but it requires more research) and arguing with her husband over who the air compressor and nail gun really belongs to (they belong to JL, although she might be willing to trade him for his new chainsaw).
The Englor Affair (Sci-Regency) by J.L. Langley
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (September 1, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/print/the-englor-affair-print
ISBN-10: 1605044075
ISBN-13: 978-1605044071
Amazon: The Englor Affair
In hiding who he was, Payton found himself…and the man he would grow to love. After his brother is kidnapped, Prince Payton Townsend masquerades as an Admiral’s assistant in order to track the culprits through the tangled mysteries of the planet Englor. He finds way more than he bargained for in the form of Marine Colonel Simon Hollister. Simon is no ordinary soldier. He’s heir to Englor and his life is mapped out for him: throne, bride, and eventually an heir. He never expected a dalliance with Payton to blossom into love, or that the organization that taught him to lead would threaten that love-and their lives. Danger and intrigue abound as they learn more about their shared enemy, and about each other. What they learn could help them rise above to an enduring love-or pull them apart.