Stephanie Cage - Writer

How I Wonder What You Are by Jane Lovering My rating: 5 of 5 stars Despite its nursery-rhyme title, 'How I Wonder What You Are' is a sophisticated read. I wanted to say 'adult' but that would imply a 50 shades-esque level of steam, whereas 'How I Wonder' simmers gently with sexual tension throughout. Molly finds Phinn lying naked on the moors and carts him home with the help of an obstructive pony named Stan, so she knows a good deal from the start about his impressive physique. However, despite his high public profile as a professor of Astrophysics, Phinn turns out to have secrets galore, while Molly herself isn't quite the open book she pretends to be. Like so many of Jane Lovering's books, this is a story of two wounded souls finding healing through a relationship which is by turns hilarious and touching. The romance is always front and centre, and plays out against a delightful backdrop of village life and the quest Phinn and Molly share,...

What, No Pudding by Sheila North My rating: 5 of 5 stars I thoroughly enjoyed these stories by Sine fm presenter Sheila North. I'm particularly fond of Penelope, Queen of the Dole Queue. Sometimes it seems as if people in stories just don't live in the same world as us, but in this story Sheila North drags a mythical character kicking and screaming into reality. When Odysseus clears off on his round the world voyage, Penelope struggles to make ends meet, and soon finds herself pondering just how to answer the question about marital status on the benefit application form. Turf Wars similarly blends reality and fantasy, in an improbable but oh-so-entertaining account of garden fairies running wild in a South Yorkshire backwater. Then there are Bill the dragon and the defenestrated Bede.  I've been waiting a long time for a story which justifiably uses the word 'defenestrated'.  Sheila makes it worth the wait, with her charming tale of a nearly-flameless dragon...

Looking ahead to 2015, I've just spotted that Mills and Boon novelist extraordinaire, Kate Walker, has posted links to some courses she's involved with next year.  So now there's a new item on my Christmas wish list - the Relax and Write weekend at Weetwood Hall in March - handy for us northerners, just outside Leeds.  She's also teaching a workshop at the Fishguard Writing Weekend in February... but as a real-life romantic I have other ideas about Valentine's weekend, so I'll be giving that one a miss!!!!! If you're curious about these or her other courses, the full post is here: http://kate-walker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/courses-for-2015.html If you want to learn more about writing romance and don't feel like traveling or the budget doesn't permit, I thoroughly recommend Kate's invaluable Twelve Point Guide to Writing Romance.

This time last year my sweet Christmas novella, 'The Santa Next Door' had just released.  I might have to re-read it to get back in a seasonal mood.  In the meantime, I've been reminding myself of my favourite things about Christmas by re-reading a blog post I wrote last year for Sarah Cass's 'Redefining Perfect' blog, about my top 10 ways to prepare for Christmas.  Why not pop over there and see how many of them you agree with? http://redefiningperfect.com/top-ten-tuesday-stephanie-cage-talks-christmas/

Falling Apart by Jane Lovering My rating: 5 of 5 stars Like several other reviewers, I couldn't quite imagine how Falling Apart would live up to the promise of Vampire State of Mind. So Jess and Sil are fabulous characters, but hey, once you've saved the world from demons the first time, then anything else starts to look a bit tame in comparison. Shoes and paperclips are all very well, but they just don't set the heart beating in quite the same way as magic and mayhem. However, Falling Apart has all the magic and mayhem a girl could wish for. From the start, it's obvious to the reader that there's a good reason for Sil's bad behaviour (and I don't just mean the flirting with anything in skirts variety, more the dangerous blood-letting sort), but it's equally clear why Jess assumes the worst of him. There's high drama both in the relationship stakes and on the streets of York, and Jane even manages to sneak in the odd political point (I think, ...

So, I have a new hobby.  I find this new pastime perfectly suits both my innately social personality and my inherent laziness.  By attending facebook parties, I can chat to my heart's content with fascinating people all over the world, and I don't need to touch a mascara wand or a pair of straighteners, much less try to work out which of my several dozen party dresses will be new to this particular combination of people, or whether I need to add yet another to the collection. I know I'm a bit behind the curve here (let's face it, that's not uncommon for me) but I only recently discovered the delights of facebook parties, mostly thanks to Alexia Adams and friends' sterling efforts to publicise Sexy in the City. I spent a delightful evening paying a virtual visit to my US-based writer friends, sharing stories and pictures of our favourite exotic locations, and discovering several fantastic new books (all part of the 'Sexy in the City' boxed set, which...

“I said—do you have any children?” The repeated question was spoken a lot slower and carefully enunciated this time, as if she herself were a child. The question, unbeknown to him, brought to the surface her secret, long held dream of having a child of her own. To raise her child to be loved and wanted, as she was never brought up. Never to be used as an accessory, then discarded when the party was over. Rania shook her head sadly, partly to dispel the image and partly to answer his question, murmuring softly, “No. No, I don’t.” She had a sneaky feeling the barriers she had long ago constructed were becoming more transparent with each passing minute of this conversation. His sharp gaze never seemed to miss a trick as he watched her smooth down her apron for the umpteenth time that evening. “Why do you ask? Am I that much of a natural with children?” She smiled breezily. Clearly, he was in no mood for jokes as her light-hearted comment fell on deaf ears and he continued...