Karen Ostertag's blog

Have you ever said or done something you later regretted?  Or worse, have you not said or done something, and spent the rest of your life wondering how things might have been different "if only..."?  Even if you're content with the choices you've made, it can be hard to let go of some of those missed opportunities.  And if you're not entirely happy, those poor decisions and unresolved endings can really haunt you.

Now imagine the regret in question is a person you once loved.  What do you do when that once-special someone suddenly walks back into your life?  It could be that friend you crushed on in college, but never had the courage to approach.  He's single now... and he's moving into your building.  Perhaps it's your ex-- he's in recovery from the very issues that drove you away, and he's looking for a fresh start.  Sure, you could ignore him, and let the history between you keep you apart.  (After all, you had good reasons for breaking up with him in the first place, right?)  Or....

In paperback:

Relentless by Cherry Adair (3, Lodestone trilogy) C, M, S
High Risk by Vivian Arend (1, Adrenaline) C, M, E
Passion's Prey by A. C. Arthur (3, The Shadow Shifters) C, S, M, O, E
Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks (2, The Montgomerys and Armstrongs) H
A Shot of Sultry by Macy Beckett (2, Sultry Springs) C
Secrets of a Runaway Bride by Valerie Bowman (2, Secret Brides) H
And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake by Elizabeth Boyle (2, Rhymes with Love) H
Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton (5, Play by Play) C, E
The Wanderer by Robyn Carr (1, Thunder Point, OR) C

Romance fans tend to be voracious readers, always on the lookout for a new author to follow (or an author who's new to them).  With that in mind, I'd like to spotlight a few great romance writers you might not have picked up before.  Let me introduce you to Leigh Greenwood, Dale Cramer, Jessica Stirling, Naomi Neale, M. L. Buchman, Lee Carroll, Z. A. Maxfield, and Ilona Andrews. 

On the surface they don't seem to have a lot in common, aside from writing great romance.  Some are award winners, while others have seen more modest success.  They're all over the map, as far as subgenres go: western, inspirational, historical, chick lit, suspense, gothic, LGBT, and urban fantasy/ paranormal.  Oh... there is one other detail they all have in common: behind every one of their keyboards sits a male author.

New to our shelves:

The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination by John Joseph Adams, ed. SF, CB, R (SF Mad)
Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian (11, Midnight Breed) F, R, H
Extinction by Mark Alpert SF, M
Fuse by Julianna Baggott (2, Pure trilogy) SF, A, M
Domino Falls by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due (2, Devil's Wake) H, SF, A, M (Horror Barnes)
Exit Kingdom by Alden Bell H
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett F, H, R
Farside by Ben Bova SF, M
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (1, Memoirs of Lady Trent) F, R

O dreary February!  Much as I love winter, this is my least favorite month.  Winter is a ragged ruin of its old self.  Once-pristine snows are sooty piles of unmelting slush, paired with icy fogs, freezing temperatures, and the occasional "wintry mix."  At times it feels like spring-- so close!-- will never arrive to make the cold, wet dirt bloom.  But then I notice the rugosa rose by my back door.  It's flowered faithfully since the first year I planted it.  Every day I see its tiny, hopeful buds, and I can hope for spring because my rose does.  Today, I have another hopeful rose in mind.  It's in one of my favorite fairy tales, about a cursed prince, a brave girl, and a magical rose that blooms in bleakest winter. Can you guess which tale I mean?