tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10018728075231456872012-01-30T10:37:52.503ZWhether we're talking boy meets girl, boy meets boy, girl meets ghost, or vampire meets viscount*, if it's truly romantic, it has a place on this page. *(or any combination of individuals, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, whether dead or undead, of which the foregoing list should be regarded as illustrative and not exhaustive).Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.comBlogger4011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-56201928285935228112012-01-30T09:18:00.004Z2012-01-30T10:37:52.642Z

Although I have way too many demands on my time right now, and can't really afford the time to blog, it's a relief to have a desire to blog about something. It's a relief to have a desire to communicate and write anything. Last week was a busy law week, a very poor writing week and pretty bad reading week - until yesterday. The combination of being tired, overworked and reading several

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-80700179770054199272012-01-21T20:54:00.003Z2012-01-22T13:11:35.912Z

....this is Memories of East Texas by Michelle Shocked. For me, it summons up very different memories than those Michelle was talking about. And yet--you know what? Exactly the same.You live somewhere small.You move on.It stays with you.Back in... well, a more than 20 years ago, this had the sound of somewhere I wanted to be. Which was Anywhere But Here. Man, I couldn't leave home quick

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-61076892574980312712012-01-14T16:15:00.005Z2012-01-14T17:19:01.205Z

This is going to be one of my meandering posts.That video up thereFirst, this is my latest favourite song, Free Will and Testmanent. I got a lovely version by The Unthanks for Christmas but this is the original by Robert Wyatt. He has a sort of high, unlovely voice but I've come to adore this version too. The words are amazing. A thoughtful musing on what free will is. Especially this:I have my

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-503580075144613072011-12-29T12:16:00.002Z2011-12-29T12:19:50.160Z

This is a message for Ros: I tried to find a way of contacting you via your blogs and blogger profile but not having much success. Can you email me at tumperkin [at] tiscali [dot] co [dot] uk so we can arrange for me to send you Laura Vivanco's book?ThanksT

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-79824881363926265762011-12-22T23:51:00.003Z2011-12-23T00:09:25.484Z

First of all, the winner of Laura Vivanco's book is Ros. Ros, I will email you separately re delivery.Second of all, this is me over-and-outing for 2011. I don't intend to blog again till the new year, and I include in 'blogging' reading others' blogs. Since my Google Reader will be overflowing with posts by the time I check again, the only thing to do will be 'mark all as read' and begin 2012

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-9852465327092405812011-12-20T12:00:00.000Z2011-12-20T12:00:14.446Z

I'm joined today by Rachael Blair whose latest release is One Perfect Night which you can buy here.ONE PERFECT NIGHT is a Christmas one night stand story about two people who have been burnt by love. It deals with a hero who suffers from night terrors and a heroine who have lost her faith in her womanhood. But of course, there’s a happy ending for both of them.I told Rachael that I had a deep and

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-35483751199587782022011-12-19T10:56:00.005Z2011-12-19T11:11:29.179Z

Full of the Christmas spirit as I am, I am giving away an e-copy of Laura Vivanco's book, For Love And Money: the Literary Art of the Harlequin Mills & Boon Romance.Just think, the next time someone gives you a funny look for reading a category romance on the bus, you can give them quelling look and ask them if they know anything about Northop Frye's theory of mimetic modes. I've been feeling

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-15722914667494675312011-12-18T21:10:00.004Z2011-12-18T21:17:51.518Z

... that Laura Vivanco's book on the art of category romances has just come out? See preview above. You can buy it as an ebook here or at Amazon/ lots of other eretailers and in print from Lulu.I will be gifting this to myself for Christmas. Have already read the introduction and it promises to be an very interesting and richly rewarding read.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-46825730664324592082011-12-13T12:00:00.001Z2011-12-13T12:00:08.464Z

I'm joined today by Shelley Munro who has written a fab post about the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas. Shelley's latest release is Christmas is Coming (which you can buy here and read more about below...).Hi everyone, and thanks to Joanna for inviting me to visit today. Christmas takes place during summer in my part of the world, New Zealand. Think sun and blue skies with sometimes a

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-71762658150522691562011-12-12T14:00:00.001Z2011-12-12T14:00:15.219Z

Hey! The Lady's Secret is 'deal of the day' at Diesel eBooks today - 10 copies for $.80 11am EST - first come first served!

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-63543525770821829442011-12-10T22:11:00.000Z2011-12-10T22:12:57.189Z

I feel like I've not blogged for ages. I should have been linking to the guest blogs I've placed about The Lady's Secret and to the reviews I've had but I've been very remiss. (I did post excerpts from some reviews on my author website but since then there's been Liz Mc2 and Hilcia and Dear Author and more stuff on goodreads). Even one from Japan and one from France!) Of course this is endlessly

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-61466342686939920052011-11-28T10:37:00.002Z2011-11-28T10:48:32.227Z

I thought it would be fun to re-post a blog I did about cross-dressing three years ago ( almost to the day!) I wrote this around about the time I began to get interested in the idea of writing a cross-dressing heroine. Some of this stuff was inspirational as regards The Lady's Secret...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~What a Dashing Fellow!Hail romance blogging community. It has been two

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-60663037007262542272011-11-22T11:58:00.001Z2011-11-22T11:58:01.368Z

So I was over at Ruth Casie's blog the other day, arguing that Regency heroes are the very very best kind of heroes (and if I do say so myself, I put up quite an argument). Nothing daunted, Ruth wants to put her arguments forward for Mediaeval-Renaissance knights.Well, never let it be said that I am one to stifle debate! But before Ruth has her say, a word or two about Ruth's recent release

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-71703004768083131602011-11-21T22:05:00.004Z2011-11-21T22:44:55.073Z

Ok, I suppose I get a bit of leeway, what with releasing my first book two weeks ago and changing my RL job simultaneously, but really, I've been horribly self-obsessed recently. My online output has all been about The Lady's Secret. Hardly a murmur about anything else.Here's 7 things that aren't about me (much).1. L B Gregg is releasing a new novella after a year's hiatus. There's a lovely

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-68457211275226952762011-11-17T11:00:00.002Z2011-11-17T11:00:07.565Z

You may recall that, some years ago, me and some other, far better-known, people produced (somewhat by accident) a glorious romance called The Unfeasibly Tall Greek Billionaire's Blackmailed Martyr-Complex Secretary Mistress Bride. We followed this up with the even more glorious The Italian Gourmet Baby Food Baron's Ironically Pregnant Virgin Mistress (pithily known as TUTGBBMCSMB and TIGBFBIPVM

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-27071362561635845272011-11-11T20:49:00.002Z2011-11-11T20:50:13.748Z

..... June M! I will email you June!J

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-55553832758580335092011-11-09T21:05:00.002Z2011-11-09T21:09:19.543Z

I'm at the Carina Press blog today being gleeful about secrets and at Manic Readers talking about Regency romance and power.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-22003984000027874222011-11-07T08:00:00.001Z2011-11-07T08:00:15.836Z

It's my official release day!!Wow.Ok, well I have to blog about the book, don't I? So I thought today I'd talk about what inspired me to write The Lady's Secret. The heroine of the book is Georgy, the daughter of an actress and an aristocrat, who embarks on a quest to prove her twin brother is the true Earl of Dunsmore. To find evidence, she dresses as a man and obtains a post as the hero's

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-60129822815225849342011-11-05T15:54:00.005Z2011-11-05T17:31:21.747Z

I'm over at Lime's today blogging about why I love Regency romance AND giving away a copy of The Lady's Secret!Oh, and you can read about my reviews on Goodreads here!

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-66349829929614851162011-11-03T16:00:00.001Z2011-11-03T16:00:04.155Z

My first novel, The Lady's Secret, a Regency-set historical romance is just about to be published by Carina Press. It's a very exciting time for me. Like many authors, I've pretty much always wanted to write—since I started reading.So I thought I'd talk today about one of the turning points on my writing journey. There have been a few of these. Some have come about externally—happy serendipitous

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-1286875371162004042011-10-31T12:00:00.001Z2011-10-31T12:00:06.693Z

The lovely Natalie J Damshroder is joining me today to share our memories - from opposite sides of the Atlantic - of Hallowe'en. But first a word about Natalie's releases, one coming out today and one tomorrow (you busy girl, Natalie!)Behind the Scenes is a romantic adventure about a security expert who refuses to let her attraction to the movie star under her protection be a distraction…

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-71379827384283334232011-10-27T22:00:00.002+01:002011-10-27T22:00:00.645+01:00

It's been a week of many parts.Frothing and bubbling excitementThe release of The Lady's Secret grows ever nearer! Look it's up on the Carina Press website! And on Amazon (US and UK)! And on Netgalley! It is REAL! Moments of weird and temporary sadnessYesterday I finished up at the job I've been doing for 16 years. I start my new job next week and am very excited about it but still - it was kinda

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-31687002606556787462011-10-17T11:00:00.002+01:002011-10-17T11:00:07.761+01:00

I'm delighted to welcome Susanna Fraser to IIR today to kick off my brand new (and hastily named) Let's Hear it for Regency Romance campaign. Regency romance is one of the most popular categories in the romance genre and for very good reason. Let's embrace it without reservation and give it the love it deserves!Before we get on to Susanna's reasons for loving the Regency, a quick word about

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-85578515672549334402011-10-13T22:15:00.003+01:002011-10-13T22:43:50.951+01:00

What is Scar doing in this picture?He is SMIRKING.My mother used to say to me: Stop smirking.In my mind, smirking is a non-good thing. It is not smiling. It is not grinning. It suggests smugness, perhaps self-satisfaction, perhaps pleasure in another's misfortune.This is how the free dictionary defines it: To smile in an affected, often offensively self-satisfied mannerSo why do I keep reading it

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-40764365882962371012011-10-07T16:00:00.001+01:002011-10-07T16:00:09.393+01:00

The unthinkable happened to me for a while there. I went off historical romance! I think it was because for the last few months I've been revising and reading (over and over and over) my own historical romance and then picking up my previous (historical romance) WIP and revising that. And really, it was just all too much. I wanted something else to read.However, last month, I finished my (first)

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-61233032753735122062011-10-04T22:16:00.004+01:002011-10-04T22:59:41.477+01:00

I've been prevaricating about writing this post for a while. But it's still niggling me, so it seems it's going to have to be written.Let me start by quoting a pile of tweets I posted a couple of months ago. These were part of a conversation, mainly with Sunita, but I've struggled to locate her responses to my tweets so you're just getting my somewhat inelegant side of the conversation:I've been

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-21344247518533480982011-09-22T22:05:00.003+01:002011-09-22T22:37:21.135+01:00

What is it, I hear you gasp?There's no easy way to say this, so I'll jump right in: I really really hate the phrase making love.Actually, I don't merely hate it, it makes me retch. If Mr T ever uses the phrase, I will mime throwing up and say Ugh, don't use that phrase! It is a completely visceral reaction to the spoken words. I can just about cope with reading it, though I do roll my eyes.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-58042799314288419232011-09-21T09:00:00.001+01:002011-09-21T09:00:15.147+01:00

I announced recently that I would be hosting some guest bloggers here at Isn't It Romance? and Shawna Thomas has the dubious honour of being the first. My plan with these guest posts is to ask readerly questions that interest me of my guests. But before I start interrogating, some details.... Shawna's novel Altered Destiny releases today and is a fantasy with romantic elements. You can buy it

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-68893120462820653692011-09-08T21:50:00.008+01:002011-09-08T23:10:18.059+01:00

So, I was at the End of the Road festival in Dorset last weekend and it was amazing. (The picture above of the Garden Stage is nabbed from a Guardian blogpost about this festival in 2008 so it's not from last weekend but it looked exactly like this). We saw lots of artists - some great favourites and some new to me - but the definite highlights for me were (in ascending order): the Unthanks on

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-56010104608091671912011-08-24T22:58:00.007+01:002011-08-24T23:51:28.072+01:00

I'm really excited - I'm attending my first music festival at the start of September and I can't wait! Last year Mr T went to Glastonbury and he's wanted us to do a festival together ever since and when he showed me the line up for this one in Dorset, I couldn't believe how perfect it was for me! So many of my favourites! Joanna Newsom, Midlake, Laura Marling, The Unthanks, John Grant! And I've

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-41219390940278537662011-08-20T19:55:00.002+01:002011-08-20T19:59:12.847+01:00

I'm over at Lime's today. Inspired by Monty Python, I'm asking what did blogging ever do for me? Go see.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-44346322116715468362011-08-11T20:38:00.001+01:002011-08-11T20:43:33.734+01:00

Ok, a few things: I have a title, a release date, and a website with blurb and excerpt. I don't yet have a (final) cover but didn't want to wait to share the rest in the meantime. The book title is The Lady's Secret and it will be released by Carina Press on 7th November 2011. The blurb is below. You can also read an excerpt on my author website. In terms of blogging, I've decided to

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-49483944357577257292011-08-03T21:04:00.004+01:002011-08-03T23:43:55.307+01:00

I've been thinking about this a lot and for all sorts of reasons: Because of my Kindle, and what it is, what it contains; because I saw this very short snippet on a wonderful website that collects together clips of Marshall Mcluhan to mark the centennial of his birth; and because I was reading the latest instalment in Ava March's Bound series.The word 'book' is thought to derive from the Old

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-6701449511646237372011-07-28T20:37:00.005+01:002011-07-28T21:13:11.527+01:00

Read a fab novella the other day, Muscling Through by J L Merrow. I've read a couple of Merrow's other stories, notably Pricks and Pragmatism, which I liked greatly.I like Merrow's writing and I greatly enjoy her Cambridge setting. The humour that was present in Pricks and Pragmatism but (understandably) absent in Camwolf, is used to great effect in Muscling Through. Plus it's a lovely, poignant

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-34923945561759318942011-07-24T16:38:00.003+01:002011-07-24T17:17:57.979+01:00

It's taken me a wee while to get back into the swing of things since getting back from Spain. We had a lovely time; a lovely relaxing time. I found myself reflecting on past holidays at different stages of my life. Childhood holidays; my first foray abroad when I was 18; holidays with Mr T sans children.My parents didn't really do holidays. We did lots of day trips but only went away 3 times that

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-51213212673358984752011-07-19T21:59:00.001+01:002011-07-19T22:12:49.412+01:00

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-16869886958422595202011-06-30T21:13:00.000+01:002011-06-30T21:31:58.019+01:00

Yes, me and Mr T and the tumperkinettes are off to Spain this weekend! Andalucia, the Costa del Sol. I can hardly wait. It's been 14 years since I was last in Andalucia and 7 since I was last in Spain and I've loved every trip I've taken there. Ah, Spain, with its paprika flavoured crisps and aversion to fresh milk, its paper tableclothes with those plastic clips and those little oil/vinegar/salt

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-16453634737302537342011-06-25T20:26:00.006+01:002011-06-25T22:56:14.797+01:00

I've been offline for a while. Edits on The Book... Last night was my first night off for a while. I spent it gutting the contents of Google Reader, tweeting, drinking Prosecco and watching Glastonbury on BBC3. Not a bad night.Highlight of my Glasto viewing was the Fleet Foxes. I love that name. Fleet. Foxes.We have foxes that come to our garden. Two at least. Sometimes at night - especially in

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-13835902399707625512011-06-07T20:54:00.005+01:002011-06-07T22:19:52.341+01:00

I got up this morning, humming this. Hummed it all day.I only just realised why.I just finished a week-long glom of the Adrien English mysteries by Josh Lanyon. Yup. All five books, in order, one after the other. I think it's possibly my most intense glom yet.The fifth book features a fifty year old mystery, the murder of Jay Stevens, clarinet player with The Moonglows. Hence the humming.Are you

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-70820810184646718532011-06-01T23:29:00.004+01:002011-06-02T00:54:04.964+01:00

I have this mental list of things I've been burning to blog about, but I've not been doing much blogging because I've been writing a lot. Oh, and reading. Reading a lot. But I miss blogging, and I miss you, you Silent Online Presences of my Imagination. So here's a lazy run down of what's been obsessing me lately. 1. I'm reading Josh Lanyon's Adrien English mysteries. It's really stupid but I've

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-72311241079688605882011-05-21T15:40:00.001+01:002011-05-21T15:40:46.221+01:00

I've been thinking about what to do with my online 'Tumperkin' name.When I adopted that moniker, about 4-5 years ago now, it was on a whim. I wanted to comment on the first reader blog I'd started regularly visiting (Bam's place) and I wanted that comment to be something other than anon. I wanted to own the comment, and not just for the duration of the thread. I hadn't yet started seriously

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-37845591985478917462011-05-08T13:35:00.005+01:002011-05-08T14:41:57.713+01:00

I've missed blogging about reading, as I read. I find that blogging is best for me when it's really fresh - if I don't blog about a book within 2-3 days of reading it, it's not going to happen. That means that this blog isn't representative of everything I read - just what I've read immediately before I blog.And so to a recent moment of reading pleasure, in Life After Joe by Harper Fox which I

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-79593162474787597742011-05-02T13:39:00.006+01:002011-05-02T21:01:48.989+01:00

Although I'm on a blogging hiatus while I finish edits to the book, there are few things I just have to share:Thing the First: my laptop is very unhappy indeed, having been infiltrated by... something. If you've emailed me and heard nothing back recently, let me know.Thing the Second: I am almost finished the edits on the book. Timing has been tricky as I've had two rare weekends away in the

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-69989275777071560592011-04-18T22:13:00.007+01:002011-04-18T22:50:21.286+01:00

Imagine me, if you will, in this hat. A party horn clamped between my teeth. Why, you ask? Well, I've accepted an offer from Carina Press to publish my MS with likely publication in October this year! I'm beyond thrilled! Have had a few weeks to get used to the idea now but still feel like laughing hysterically whenever I think about it. The next few weeks, however, are going to be busy. I've

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-73313806623434994602011-04-06T22:00:00.003+01:002011-04-06T22:10:47.266+01:00

I don't do many full-blown reviews, but occasionally I feel driven to talk at a bit more length about particular books. Captain's Surrender is such a book. The thing that is both my biggest frustration about blogging and the very reason I blog is the difficulty in communicating what it is to love a book. I wish I could tell you how much I loved this book, how it transported me, how profoundly it

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-19470723111395394212011-04-01T21:50:00.006+01:002011-04-01T22:07:31.351+01:00

This is the Villagers: The Pact. I absolutely love this. It's so intense, and great words.Your nearness is all I needNo more and no lessYour highness I vow to theeAnd to thee I'll confessI was lost in a forestBut now I'm a believerSo just be my masterAnd I'll be your feverIsn't that brilliant? I was hearing it all pretty literally, then read this really wonderful comment on the song by

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-70582700543784102782011-03-28T14:47:00.014+01:002011-03-29T21:22:58.790+01:00

I've been on-off pondering this post for a week or so, thinking about the character arc of romance heroines as compared to heroes. But despite incubating this for some time, I'll be speaking very much in generalities. Five minutes here on the bus, five minutes there walking down the road doesn't give rise to detailed evidence-based analysis. So here's the nub of it: a very common (the most

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-12555852818468879982011-03-19T14:15:00.008Z2011-03-19T15:43:23.576Z

It's been a busy few weeks. I've been doing lots of speaking. Breakfast seminars, webinars, and then a conference. I'm all networked out. Actually, I detest networking and am not the best at it. I'm more the technical sort of lawyer. Delivering a talk on something tricky? No problem. Distributing business cards after? *Shudders* It's not that I'm anti-social. It's just I can't do that ruthlessly

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-67141648407133633682011-03-13T22:41:00.005Z2011-03-13T23:20:12.051Z

Alice came to a fork in the road. "Which road do I take?" she asked."Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat."I don't know," Alice answered."Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."~Lewis Carroll, Alice in WonderlandI've been feeling a bit like Alice lately. I've been in a strange sort of paralysis for a few weeks now - I had a few big things I needed to make decisions on, one to do

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-84967026572033138612011-03-05T21:44:00.004Z2011-03-05T22:34:56.585Z

Regular readers of this blog will know the answer to this question so far as I am concerned. To say the least, I have a penchant for high drama, high conflict and perhaps unrealistical levels of angst. There's probably some fancy German word for this. Or French. Or Hebrew. Something not English. Something not phelgmatic and sensible.It's a long time since I posted a Friday music post. But I

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-29010601558325895412011-02-28T16:36:00.004Z2011-02-28T17:37:45.593Z

After enjoying Ruthless so immensely, I'm now reading number 2 in this trilogy, Reckless, the story of the son of the protagonists of Ruthless, Adrian Rohan. The heroine is called Charlotte Spenser. I'm not sure why it pleases me so very much that she's Spenser rather than Spencer, but there you are.I'm about a quarter of the way in, enjoying it a great deal, and already a major Stuart trademark

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-75860006718601532112011-02-21T10:26:00.008Z2011-02-21T16:36:45.535Z

My story is much too sad to be told,but practically everythingleaves me totally cold.The only exception I know is the case,when I'm out on a quiet spree,fighting vainly the old ennuiand I suddenly turn and see,your fabulous face From I Get a Kick Out of Youby Cole Porteren·nui   /ɑnˈwi, ˈɑnwi; Fr. ɑ̃ˈnwi/ [ahn-wee, ahn-wee; Fr. ahn-nwee] –nouna feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-55835306106172844092011-02-10T23:33:00.003Z2011-02-10T23:54:18.323Z

I'm off.It's mid-term break here so we've done our usual of hiring a cosy cottage in a picturesque corner of the world. I'll be offline for a week and a bit. But I'll Be Back Soon *seamlessly seagues to song below*.But is there more to my choice of song than merely that I will, literally, be back soon?Did I think of it because I'm reading Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath (a new to me

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-78923521072403073382011-02-06T14:09:00.004Z2011-02-06T14:42:46.809Z

Before I had my Kindle, about 10% of my book purchases were DNFs, books I never finished, and perhaps another 10% would be books I'd all but give up on, but would skim to the end.Since I got my Kindle, I haven't purchased any print books. Of course, I will eventually buy a print book - when one comes along that I can't get on Kindle probably - but at the moment, I'm still too taken with my

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-41992703557835655772011-01-26T22:14:00.006Z2011-01-26T23:26:40.709Z

This week, you can't stroll through GoogleReader without stumbling upon a few reviews of Karen Marie Moning's latest release, Shadowfever.It perhaps tells you everything you need to know about me, and this blog, that in that very week, I am posting about The Immortal Highlander, a 2004 book by the same author. You might fairly deduce the following:- I am well behind the curve of romance reading

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-765786724661906912011-01-20T22:12:00.007Z2011-01-20T22:59:24.360Z

1. I think there is a range of approaches by bloggers to their readers. Some blogs are very audience focused, others are very blogger focused. (Perhaps, actually, this is a better way - or at least another way - of distinguishing blogs than by focusing on the amateur/professional approach which, for some reason that still escapes me, seems to cause such a furore. Whatever. I mention this only to

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-88985830633791044912011-01-12T22:04:00.001Z2011-01-12T22:07:06.137Z

As some of you will know, one of my main preoccupations on this blog is around the reader experience and, specifically, the role of belief. How the reader is absorbed (or not) by the book and the extent to which the reader is doing something active rather than passive. The way readers fill gaps and mentally re-write what they read, innovating and weaving.When I believe, as a reader, something

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-2623017462776421672011-01-08T20:37:00.007Z2011-01-08T21:37:31.170Z

I took a brief rest from the Kindle over the last couple of days to devour an old Lynne Graham trilogy, all previously printed as single categories but borrowed from the library in one pleasingly fat volume. Lynne Graham quite often writes sets of 3 or 4 books with some link between the heroines but without any character crossover to speak of. This was one of those - 3 childhood friends who all

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-69884327093229704272011-01-03T15:19:00.004Z2011-01-03T16:45:36.049Z

When I think of 'captivity narratives' in romance, I always think of the hero who abducts the heroine. Think The Sheikh. I'm quite a fan of this trope, and the attendant, often quite uncomfortable power dynamics between H/H. However, I've noticed that many readers complain that the eventual connection between H/H might just be down to Stolkholm Syndrome.Anyway, it occurred to me the other day,

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-59011492834559670992010-12-28T20:43:00.002Z2010-12-28T20:52:04.065Z

1. Christmas was lovely, just lovely. We're still eating turkey. Turkey curry tonight and I'm not even kidding. In fact, we're generally in the 'hoovering up' phase between Christmas and New Year. After our turkey curry, Mr T and I will once again attack the port and stilton and quince jelly and the children will probably polish off the After 8s. We have heaps of brandy butter and nothing to put

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-70975884675360130772010-12-20T21:26:00.001Z2010-12-20T21:28:40.226Z

There's nothing new under the sun when it comes to romance novels. As a general rule, dedicated romance readers will already have seen every possible permutation of a love story. So quality becomes about execution. (On which, see this recent-ish post of Robin's at DA).And if anyone doubts that it's possible to make something old and tired into something new and exciting, I challenge you to

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-47777930842959029322010-12-14T00:28:00.006Z2010-12-14T01:16:15.752Z

After months of resistance, I signed up to Twitter yesterday evening. It felt a bit like going ice skating for the first time. Kind of weird and chaotic until you've done a few laps. This is a bad anaolgy, actually, as I don't ice skate. Very quickly, I realised the appeal. It was so easy to sign up and immediately, you're having this conversation in real time with people you already 'know'.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-52499454894390752632010-12-10T22:29:00.005Z2010-12-11T10:16:13.554Z

We are in the midst of winter in Scotland. For once, it really is cold. See above!We don't get that much snow in Scotland - and almost never before Christmas. But in the last week or two we have had loads. And because we don't usually get much, a lot of people are terribly ill-equipped. There's been a rush on wellies and snowboots.In some ways it's been a real pain. The school closed for three

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-14325044380744274862010-12-06T22:45:00.004Z2010-12-06T23:43:43.650Z

The painting above is The Ladies Waldegrave by Joshua Reynolds and it hangs in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. The real-life painting is quite large and those white dresses and snowy complexions are luminous. They are quintessentially Georgian, aren't they? The powdered hair, the darker eyebrows, chalk-white skin with roses blooming on their cheeks. Their silhouettes too: the

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-33777964946565854342010-12-01T23:38:00.006Z2010-12-02T00:32:25.128Z

I was reflecting the other day on how blogging and writing and crit-partnering have changed the way I communicate, professionally, for the better. Lawyers have a language. We begin learning it at university and become fluent in the workplace. Some of us become specialists in particular areas and learn whole new dialects. When your clients are - as 70% of mine are - very familiar with the law (

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-17913936318980279992010-11-26T22:00:00.002Z2010-11-26T22:31:58.771Z

This is something of a stream of consciousness.1. ~duc~ is French for duke. In Britain, a duke is the highest ranking peer below the monarch.2. Above is a portrait - a rather handsome one! - of uber-duc, the Duke of Wellington, commander of the British army at Waterloo, high tory and sometime British Prime Minister. He was born the fourth son of an Irish earl (the Honourable Arthur Wellesley) and

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-1961200293494090812010-11-22T10:53:00.004Z2010-11-22T11:16:29.035Z

Oh my word! I am so enjoying The Trip on BBC just now! I'm not sure if you can even get this outside the UK.If you caught A Cock and Bull Story, a Michael Winterbottom film, a few years ago, you might have an idea of what I mean when I say that the central conceit is that Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play versions of themselves in this series. Steve Coogan (possibly known to some of you only as

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-10024550183078929972010-11-19T08:59:00.001Z2010-11-19T08:59:00.156Z

I drink too much coffee. And I also go on a lot about drinking too much coffee. I quite often find myself in meetings slightly frantically telling people about the fact that I've already had too much coffee that day. The trouble is, I'm quite sensitive to caffeine. If I have two standard (two-shot) coffees in a working day (as I often do) I feel really quite rushy and trembly. If I have a

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-56235760277138314142010-11-14T17:43:00.006Z2010-11-14T22:17:16.570Z

Thing the first : Blogger now gives stats! When did that start? Looks like a few months ago but I only just noticed. Whatever, it's good and I'm glad I didn't faff about trying to sort that out for myself before now. The info seems pretty thorough too.Thing the second : I've been going crazy-nuts with the online library reservation system. I picked up 8 books yesterday. As the librarian was

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-79440042577087031452010-11-12T09:18:00.002Z2010-11-12T09:18:00.825Z

The woman in the picture is a Victorian female coal mine worker.I grew up in a working class household. My dad's family were all coal miners and left-wing trade unionists. Strong political views were forcefully expressed around me when I was a child. Stay with me. This is about romance, I swear.I grew up, as we all do, and formed my own set of opinions. I rejected some of the ideas I was brought

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-57717850707354273062010-11-08T22:04:00.000Z2010-11-08T22:09:06.317Z

I went through a major Kresley Cole glom a couple of years ago. It culminated with me reading Kiss of A Demon King and writing this review with JessicaRRR in which I likened reading that book to eating the last slice of an entire chocolate cheesecake. I'd glommed Cole hard for several months - that was the sixth Immortals After Dark book I'd read in just a couple of months. Was my lukewarm

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-72619176273173329042010-11-05T10:00:00.004Z2010-11-05T10:00:04.343Z

You know how sometimes a particular song takes you back to a specific time and place in your life?This song.This song takes me back to the summer of 1992, when I was 19.God, the opening bars of this song - the first, what 10 seconds? First the guitar and then that wonderful woody double bass with that gorgeously extravagant sliding introduction; the tinkling of bells. Then his voice.And I will

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-17712481991764388282010-11-01T20:54:00.004Z2010-11-01T21:49:54.371Z

You might say, indeed you might very well say, that my blogging habits have devolved into a selection of random musings and music posts. It's been a while since I had the desire to write a detailed post on a single book. Maybe that's partly down to what I've been reading?Anyway another stream of consciousness post for you.1. Two things have happened recently that have evoked the 1980s for me. The

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-61491627043449274392010-10-23T00:35:00.002+01:002010-10-23T00:40:47.303+01:00

I can't believe this video is twenty years old! It's a fab punky cover of the old High Society number (Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in the film) Well Did You Evah? by Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop. It's tremendous fun and I love Debbie Harry who was so very very very very very very cool in the 80s (this came out in 1990).I think this song is relatively little known? I think? It was on an album

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-67817535885093371222010-10-18T09:44:00.003+01:002010-10-18T10:22:01.170+01:00

So let me give you an update: 1. Just back from London with Mr T. Much goodness. Had a fabulous meal in a great Vietnamese place (and v cheap too!) and got a bit silly at Rumfest 2010. Am now the bewildered (joint)owner of a very lovely and expensive 'single malt' rum called Ron Zacapa. This somewhat unfortunate since drinking rum is not currently high on my 'to do' list. Needless to say

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-68336773568009197782010-10-11T17:20:00.008+01:002010-10-11T21:35:49.063+01:00

Sooner or later, every vampire had to kill.Lucan didn't try to deny his nature, but on the occasions when he killed, it was by his choice, by his own rules. When he sought prey, he took primarily criminals, drug dealers, junkies and other low-lifes. He was judicious and efficient, never slaughtering simply for the sake of it. All of the Breed adhered to a similar code of honour; it was what

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-70991212636499926622010-10-08T10:35:00.002+01:002010-10-08T11:17:48.820+01:00

This is Hardcore isn't my fvery avourite Pulp song (that accolade probably belongs to one of Underwear, Es and Whizz, A Little Soul or Help the Aged) but the video is great. I love the Hitchcockian vibe - and the comment on exploitation, desire and media.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-60439368419389361542010-10-03T17:26:00.005+01:002010-10-03T21:10:54.569+01:00

I remember a blogger - and I wish I could remember who - complaining a couple of years ago about the lack of politics in romance. It's certainly the case that party politics doesn't tend to feature highly but more and more I'm noticing the politics-with-a-small-p in romance.Politics is about what society should be; how we should live and be governed. Every romance novel depicts a society of some

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-51195451622980375722010-09-30T21:53:00.011+01:002010-10-01T23:15:01.101+01:00

So what, I hear you ask, is Carolyn Crane's new book Double Cross about?A crazy woman?A woman trapped between good and evil?A woman in a dangerous land? Looking for a safe shelter?All of the above. And so much more. This book is wonderful. That's an assertion of fact, and not a review.Congratulations, Carolyn. Love t x

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-42847150103972828522010-09-22T21:53:00.006+01:002010-09-22T23:37:00.084+01:00

You know that I'm obsessed with the reader experience: what it is to read; what happens to the reader; where they are; who they are. Well...(1) This week, I've been thinking about fairy tales and children and the fact that I once read somewhere that reading fairy tales is a safe way for children to experience difficult ideas, like being orphaned. (2) And that made me think about another thing I

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-73079910812197075952010-09-17T22:40:00.003+01:002010-09-17T23:37:32.315+01:00

This was the song that really made me sit up and take notice of Rufus Wainwright.I remember the first time I heard it - I was in the car. It blew me away. I bought Release the Stars and this track became one of my compulsive listening tracks. I adore it, particularly the point, at precisely 3 minutes, when it just soars. Particularly these lines:I've got a life to leadI got a soul to feedI got a

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-49410967778897742812010-09-11T21:27:00.006+01:002010-09-11T23:34:31.220+01:00

Girls' comic, early 1980sRomance novel, early 1980s1. See above. The cover style similarities really hadn't occurred to me until I did that last post (I won't bother linking since it's the one immediately below this). What do you think? Thrills and mystery indeed.2. Speaking of thrills, what does it say about me that my enjoyment this evening of John Barrowman performing a high-cheese version of

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-16397720586924455112010-09-06T22:04:00.011+01:002010-09-06T23:02:26.348+01:00

Until fairly recently, there was a very healthy market in Britain for girls' comics. In the 50s, my mum read The School Friend. In the early 80s, I devoured Mandy, Bunty, Jinty, Tammy and Debbie.The format was weekly with both serialised and one-off stories. In addition, there was a 'story library' line. There were longer one-off stories in a pocket sized format. See below an example of one of

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-25021009547725428192010-09-03T22:34:00.005+01:002010-09-03T23:30:58.120+01:00

If you grew up in a working class village in central Scotland in the late 70s and 80s - as I did - there's a chance that your dad - like mine - was a bit of a country and western fan. And chances are that, on a Sunday afternoon, John Wayne would be on your TV.By the 80s, children weren't really playing cowboys and indians anymore. We liked Wonder Woman (me) and The Hulk (my brother) and The Dukes

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-72540376492655237422010-08-31T13:03:00.007+01:002010-08-31T13:50:00.100+01:00

Let me dive right in.1. It's Edinburgh Festival time (though almost over) and we had family up for the weekend from Yorkshire so have been doing some Festival-y things. Mainly of the free variety, such as catching free shows on the Royal Mile and drinking Bulmers cider while watching Bulmers' own band, the Sun Lovin' Criminals outside the Speigeltent in Princes Street Gardens. But we caught a

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-25197836257284014972010-08-21T23:44:00.004+01:002010-08-22T21:00:15.566+01:00

I mentioned recently my intention to read the first (online, free access) issue of IASPR's Romance Journal. I have now done so and would heartily recommend that anyone who reads this blog takes a look at at least two of the articles:There are six bodies in this relationship: an anthropological approach to the romance genre by Laura Vivanco and Kyra Kramer; andGetting a good man to love: popular

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-81168470867238594862010-08-20T21:27:00.004+01:002010-08-20T21:55:13.251+01:00

I heard this song on the fantastic Radio 6 Music recently. Hearing this made me think of going to Potterrow Student Union on Wednesday nights in the early 1990s. It was a funny place to go dancing. The dancefloor and bar were, like any other club, forgivingly dark but then there a huge area you could go and sit in beyond that. It was blessedly cool, but fully-lit to the standard of broad

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-60638514824048636702010-08-13T22:47:00.007+01:002010-08-14T23:47:12.199+01:00

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. The House at Pooh CornerA.A. MilneAs discussed last week, I recently read Julia Quinn's The Lost Duke of Wyndham with not a little pleasure

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-56410289795735775452010-08-13T10:19:00.004+01:002010-08-13T10:43:18.462+01:00

Time is my enemy just now. It's been a mad work week (again - is it ever otherwise?) and there's a whole heap of stuff I want to spend time reading and haven't yet had a chance to. In particular, the first issue of IASPR is out (see link on Teach Me Tonight). I've still to read the articles that actually most interest me, including Laura's own, since they're quite long. I've been saving them to

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-73681371834022071112010-08-08T23:10:00.007+01:002010-08-08T23:56:19.316+01:00

I read my first Julia Quinn novel in the early days of my second phase of romance reading that began several years ago. It was When He Was Wicked, the fourth Bridgerton book, the one about Francesca and the chap who thought he was dying who was her first husband's cousin. I LOVED IT. I really enjoyed it. I thought, Yes, here is an author I am going to love. And she has a backlist. And I set about

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-18583459321770666562010-08-05T22:49:00.004+01:002010-08-05T23:21:16.278+01:00

Is Miffy happy, or pensive? Does it depend on your frame of mind?When you look at Miffy, do you wonder how Miffy feels? Or do you just think, Miffy is holding a balloon. A yellow one.I wonder. I wonder every time I see Miffy.And sometimes I think I know.Today, I have been a wee bit sad. And actually that makes me think that Miffy isn't sad. Which is strangely counter-intuitive, as well as

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-46182636163913229692010-08-03T09:00:00.001+01:002010-08-03T09:00:03.374+01:00

My last post was about the degree of satisfaction a particular ending gives - its HEA score, if you will. Today's post is about the actual final words the author uses and the feeling they leave you with.I have recently mentioned this topic in relation to The Tunnel of Doom so perhaps I was predisposed to notice and ponder the closing words of Skin Game by Ava Gray:"You're my beating heart," he

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-64750628994827364612010-07-31T16:00:00.000+01:002010-07-31T16:20:08.866+01:00

I mentioned that my holiday reading had got me thinking about endings. There are two broad trains of thought I had about this. This is the first and it relates to how well the ending satisfies and why.Endings are important to any story, but most especially to the romance novel which (received wisdom has it) must deliver a HEA. Whilst the ingredients for a perfect HEA may vary from reader, for me,

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-48254729531202542952010-07-27T17:15:00.001+01:002010-07-27T17:17:57.873+01:00

As mentioned in my last post, I read a couple of romantic suspense novels over my holiday and really enjoyed them - Black Ice by Anne Stuart and Skin Game by Ava Gray. This is notable really only because of my long resistance to romantic suspense.Why the resistance? Well, I've tended to find it difficult to get on board with heroes (and heroines) who kill indiscriminately. And romantic suspense

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-1999413729421824072010-07-23T23:15:00.005+01:002010-07-24T00:09:56.296+01:00

I have returned from a smashing holiday. We had a week in London; another in the country (Gloucestershire and Herefordshire). It was lovely: relaxing and fun and family oriented. We went to lots of very interesting places in London and canoed and cycled and walked in the country, as well as going swimming most days which the children love. This meant I spent a lot of time in a 60cm kiddy pool

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-79400400076712305542010-07-10T20:56:00.004+01:002010-07-10T23:14:19.870+01:00

This is what I'm reading at the moment - and I'm really enjoying it! This surprises me, because the characters are kinda..... bad. The hero is a killer and the heroine runs cons. Actually, I'm loving it. Loving the taut prose especially. Also, yesterday, I bought an ebook (which I never do but I couldn't resist - this was a Spice brief by Megan Hart and only one pound fifty!). Menage novella.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-91298227613592339362010-07-09T13:20:00.001+01:002010-07-06T20:33:56.059+01:00

What a great little county Northumbria is. It's got the best beaches (Embleton, pictured above), fab pubs, Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Gardens, the Holy Isle. We go there a fair bit. It's a good half way meeting point with my Yorkshire in-laws.Charming accent too. Put to good effect by The Unthanks in this lovely haunting folk song, Here's the Tender Coming, about press gangs coming to South Shields.

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-73497521332834327182010-07-02T22:25:00.005+01:002010-07-02T22:40:57.758+01:00

... but this post has been brewing for a while. So let me lay it on the line, and no dressing it up this time.WHEREAS(First) I blow a wee bit hot and cold with my blogging life;(Second) I blog primarily to connect with others and exchange ideas;(Third) Comments on this blog are, sadly, decreasing;(Fourth) This blog feels to me like a conversation that is gradually running out; and(Fifth)

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-89560361903354468302010-06-28T19:21:00.004+01:002010-06-28T20:47:21.774+01:00

Thank you, Janet Webb! Thank you for adding me to the list of people that this book (currently selling for £36 British pounds on Amazon.co.uk!) has been circulated amongst over the last few months! As the last person on the list, it now falls to me to return it to its rightful owner...I stayed up till 1.30am finishing this book the other night. These old Baloghs are such a delight.The hero of

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001872807523145687.post-61117923547058061762010-06-24T22:21:00.004+01:002010-06-24T23:09:40.315+01:00

Nothing is important but life. And for myself, I can absolutely see life nowhere but in the living. Life with a capital L is only man alive. Even a cabbage in the rain is cabbage alive. All things that are alive are amazing. And all things that are dead are subsidiary to the living. Better a live dog than a dead lion. But better a live lion than a live dog. C'est la vie!Why the Novel MattersDH

Joanna Chambers aka Tumperkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008683032460114886noreply@blogger.com5