The Big Cheat (Tammy's Romance Pet Peeve #460)

Once again, I'm revisiting the vaults over at InD'tale and bringing up my second column, "The Big Cheat".  

The Big Cheat (InD'tale Magazine July/August 2012)

Adventures at InD'tale Magazine - Soapbox Blather

About three years ago my very good Goodreads friend TJ Mackay came to me with an idea. "I'm thinking of starting up a magazine", she said. It would be a brand new thing, taking advantage of a need in the writing community that was ready to take off like a rocket ship - professional reviews of self or small-published romance novels. Tons of really talented people were not getting the exposure they needed, she said, and she wanted to provide a vehicle for those authors to be reviewed using the same standards as those in other mainstream publications, which would only look at those authors published by the "Big Five".

One of the things she asked was if I'd be interested in writing a column for her new venture. It could be about anything I wanted, as long as I stayed my snarky, humorous self and tried to talk about things relating to books, reading and/or romance. Kind of like a resident Andy Rooney.

Now it's three years later, the mag is up and running, and I've written what feels like endless words about almost any topic I could think of. They're getting buried over at www.indtale.com in the archives, so I wanted to let them out to breathe. (And I'm also fairly vain, so I just want to see my words online.)

So here's my first column for InD'tale Magazine, featured in the premiere issue, May 2012.  www.indtale.com

If you like what you read, click the link for more. And subscribe! It's free. :)

Soapbox Blather (InD'tale Magazine May 2012)

"That Night with the CEO" releases August 4!!!

One of my favourite contemporary romance authors debuts with Harlequin Desire this month! Karen manages to push all of my "like" buttons every time out, and her latest effort, "One Night with the CEO" is no exception. (Copy of the book provided by the author in exchange for a honest review)


To summarize: Melanie Costello is working her butt off to keep her small PR firm going. No small feat, after her business (and romantic partner) defected with one of their clients. When telecom mogul Roger Langford retains her to repair his playboy son's image after his latest tabloid scandal, she comes face to face with her best-kept secret: her one-night stand with Adam Langford. 

Adam is gorgeous, interested, and still out of reach - now more so than ever. Can Melanie keep a professional distance from Adam? If she can it will make her career. If she can't, more than her firm is on the line. Her heart is at risk as well.

So here's the thing. I am so excited for Karen - she was with Ellora's Cave, did three books with a small-press, re-released her old stuff herself, and this is her debut with Harlequin. So cool! The only drawback to a Harlequin is that an author is constrained by the company's guidelines, and I believe that includes the length of the book. I would have loved to see more of both characters, and as I know how good she is at character development, it's hard not to feel a bit like she was just able to scratch the surface with Melanie and Adam's story. 

(And I also need to say this: BEST. COVER. Whew!)

That being said, Adam Langford is a hard-working, custom suit-wearing, stubble-bearing, swoon-worthy Hero, well worthy of all of Melanie's efforts. Melanie is a heroine we can all relate to: burned once, she has trouble believing Adam could be as into her as she is him. With snappy banter, sizzling chemistry and a sigh-worthy happily-ever-after, "One Night with the CEO" is a worthy companion to a cold drink and a lounge chair in the summer sun.

P.S. Check out Karen's backlist -- this is just a taste of what she can do.

#shoeselfie

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love shoes.  Just ask Mr. Grant.

The view from my home office

#shoeselfie

Rose gold and army green.  

I got some new shoes today...

Much like other fashion-focused types, I've been seeing these Valentino "Rockstud" shoes all over the internet lately for the past year or so:  




Aren't they frigging gorgeous?  They come in virtually every color under the sun.  They also come in flats, stilettos, three-strap, two-strap, slingbacks, T-straps, skimmers, you name it.

They're on Pinterest.  They're on blogs.  They're on the feet of tons of celebrities.  They're beautiful, they sell out almost as soon as they come in (to Bergdorfs, Nordstrom, etc.) and they are unbelievably expensive.  $995 US.  Who the HELL has the money to drop a grand on shoes??  Certainement not moi.

So moi went googling Valentino rockstud knockoffs and found these at Amazon for $53 CDN:

That's more like it, cheap old me said to herself, and clicked "add to cart".  I have to be honest - I wasn't expecting much from these shoes.  For $53, I wasn't really optimistic even though they had good reviews.  You pays your money and you takes your chances, right?  So I paid my money and waited.

Thirteen days later my Purolator delivery lady, Dee (get lots of parcels, Tammy??), showed up with a nicely wrapped package and a bill for $17.00 duty.  Once I told her what was in the box, she found a few minutes to hang out while I opened the shoes.  

My first inkling that what I had purchased was a semi-serious "knockoff" rather than a cheap brand just producing a similar style was the box.

I suppose if you squinted a bit (or a lot, or were drunk, or were in second grade) this might look like it said "Valentino" instead of "Vaiftilno".  Clever, my counterfeiting friends, very clever.  It's made of heavy cardboard, almost with a cloth finish.  Frankly, its the nicest shoe box I've ever had a pair of shoes come in.

What was in the box was even better!

They were gorgeous!  A pair of beautiful nude-colored, nicely-made, pig-skin lined 3 1/2" heeled shoes, individually bagged, with extra lifts and replacement studs. They fit perfectly, are super comfortable, and I can virtually guarantee that no one in my community is going to have a pair.  :)

Now.  Ask me if I feel badly about Valentino being stolen from this way.  This actually requires a bit of thought.  I had no problem when I thought this was just a no-name shoe company making a shoe very similar to the Valentinos. After all, that's what most shoe companies do.  Betcha Payless is trying to figure out their version as we speak.  Now that I have them, and I'm not certain how seriously they are trying to pass themselves off as Valentinos,  I feel a leetle bit dirty.

On further reflection, I'm feel less and less dirty, and more indignant.  Why SHOULDN'T I have a pair of shoes that look almost the same as Valentinos? Why should celebrities, bloggers and rich people be the only ones to enjoy this style?  I knew I wasn't getting real Valentinos when I ordered these, and it's not like I paid $995 for a pair of fakes.  Then I'd be super pissed.

So I'm going to wear my Valentino knock-offs and enjoy them.  I'm even thinking about ordering another pair, this time in black.  :)

I Made a Promise to Myself...

that I would write a little bit every day.  Nothing big, but write nonetheless.

At times I feel as though I have so much to say that I'm going to explode; other times I am wrung out and empty.    Today, I'm somewhere in between.

Hauling myself out of a major depressive episode (work burnout, resulting in a stress leave) has been a tough go.  I've been off work since the third week of March and, quite honestly, would be ecstatic to never have to step foot into my workplace ever again.  Admitting that to myself was a major step in my "recovery".

Now I'm trying to implement steps to change my life, and I'm finding that no matter how prepared you think you are, nothing gets you ready to resign from your job of almost twenty years.

I come from the Regina, the capital city of our province; where to obtain employment with the government is the ultimate career goal.  Good wages, excellent benefits, a pension, a union, opportunities to move up/down/around...and for the past I-don't-know-how-many-years that aspect has been the only thing keeping me there.  Well, that and the cachet I have attributed to the job I'm doing.  Not everyone gets to work in Courts, and most staff at law firms (where my career began), would give their eye teeth for the opportunity. I have a badge, I have handcuffs and a kevlar vest, and sometimes my job is SUPER cool.

But you know what?  No amount of "coolness", or prestige (real or imagined), or the ability to hobnob with high-end lawyers and Judges is worth what working in this office has done to me.  Frustration, anxiety, depression, nightmares, migraines...no job is worth that price.

In a perfect world, with a really good manager, my position would be one of the best in government.

In this world, with this management team, it's one of the worst.