Elle Hill

Compromising Miss Tisdale by Jessica Jefferson Genre : Historical Romance, Regency Heal Level : Sensual Blurb:           Ambrosia Tisdale is the very picture of propriety and the epitome of what a respectable young lady should be.  Haunted by a memory and compelled by her family, she pursues perfection to a fault.           The Earl of Bristol, Duncan Maddox, has returned to London after years of familial imposed exile.  As the second son, he has led a life filled with frivolity, leisure, and a healthy dose of debauchery.  Now his older brother has died, leaving the family’s flailing legacy in Duncan’s unwilling arms.           At the behest of his uncle, Duncan is advised to do the one thing that could provide instant fortune and respectability—he must marry.  But there is only one prospect who meets the unique requirements to solve all the Earl’s problems—the lovel...

Ragen Chastain, she of Dances with Fat fame, posted this morning her response to  a Mother Jones article charmingly entitled " Grand Obese Party ." (Get it? GOP! Lolz!) You're welcome to head on over, but it essentially says studies show Republicanism is very slightly associated with larger body size and Republicans value personal responsibility over government intervention, so if we vote Republican, we're gonna watch Americans' waistlines gradually expand.  Oh, noes! Teh fatties are coming, teh fatties are coming!  Ahem. Anyway, like Ragen, I felt slightly disgruntled that Mother Jones, a progressive magazine, jumped on board the fat hate bandwagon; as a result, I penned a letter to Mother Jones and Pacific Standard , the magazine that featured the story. I decided to publish my letter here in case others might commiserate or hey, maybe even challenge their own assumptions about the so-called social evil of obesity. I'm stealing this from Ragen...

You know what I hate? I mean really hatey mchate haterpants hate? Like super-duper detest with grumpy sauce on top? I hate it when people interrupt me while I’m speaking. Interrupting comes in several flavors, some smothered in selfishness, a few spiced with condescension or domination, and most sprinkled with a kind of benign thoughtlessness. Below are a few examples. 1. The I’m-so-enthused-about-this-topic interrupt. Sometimes the interrupter is bouncing with happiness, so eager to discuss something they can’t wait till you finish your sentence. They're often involved in your story, frequently potraying great interest in your words, and sometimes even practicing active listening techniques. Are they carried away by the sheer awesomeness of the topic, so overwhelmed they forget Manners 101? Or so excited to demonstrate their keen analytical skills, appropriately-tuned emotional reaction, or ability to craft the perfect situational joke they just can’t hold it in One....

Son of Thunder By S.C. Mitchell Genre : Paranormal Romance Heat : Sizzling Hook : The son of the Thunder God, Thor, has a lot to live up to...and no time for love. Blurb : The man looked like a god. Then again, he was one. . . 

 Jord Thorson was a god– the son of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. In his search to find his missing father, Jord seeks out the mortal, Meghan Larson, who is in possession of his only clue–Megingjörð, Thor’s magical belt of power. 

 But when the belt decides to take matters into its own hands, locking itself around Meghan’s waist, Jord and Meghan are plunged into the middle of a massive conflict that rages across the heavens. 

 Giants, magical artifacts, and a golden city in the clouds weren’t exactly what Meghan Larson expected when that amazing belt arrived at her museum. Now Megingjörð is stuck around her waist and talking to her in her head. She’s got to be dreaming, but with the wonders around her and hunky Jord Thorson at h...

My identical tw-- uh, best friend (left) and me Did you know I have a twin? I do. Lots of them, in fact. Or, if not a twin, at least a sister. Millions. My poor mom. Picture this: Two women sit next to one another on a shuttle to a hotel in Chicago. The shuttle driver grins at them in the mirror and asks, “Are you two twins?” They get the same question a few days later. A few years later, while one of them visits the other’s workplace, several people approach the smiling duo and ask if they’re sisters. They’re not twins. They’re not even sisters. In fact, they are separated by years (nine), hair (one has long, straight, blonde hair, while the other’s is curly and brown), height (the blonde is two or three inches taller), and body shapes (the blonde is more hourglass). Their eye colors and face shapes are completely different, and no one would ever confuse their voices over the phone. However, they have three things in common that automatically, and apparently, render t...

Riding for Love Tina Susedik Genre : Contemporary Mystery One Line Hook : Can a man who is afraid of horses learn to ride to re-establish a relationship with an old flame? Love, Loss, Redemption Heat : Sizzling Excerpt:               “Hi, sweetheart,” Rose said, ruffling his hair before going to the refrigerator for a glass of lemonade. He jumped and slapped a hand to his chest. “Geez, Mom, you scared the daylights out of me.” He set the brochure down and picked up an envelope. “What are you doing home? I thought you were going out with friends tonight.” Rose sat down on the opposite her son. “I did, but Tom had to get back early and the others had family obligations. Tonight is the last night at the ranch for a youth group from Milwaukee.” She reached over and slid the brochure across the table. “It’s a group of teenagers learning to ride and care for horses to teach them alternative ways to channel anger. Eve developed th...

I’m in the process of buying a home. Sure, I’m not sure I make enough money to do so, and yeah, this means committing to living in a state that ranks dead last in the nation for anti-animal cruelty legislation . Nonetheless, I, like your typical, brainwashed American, believe I can’t make it another day without grabbing for my slice of the American pie. I already snagged the college degree, a cute car, some student loan debt, the perfect romantic partner, and some kids. (The latter are furry and have an unfortunate tendency to perch on my asthmatic chest while I wheeze my way through sleep, but after spending time with young  homo sapiens , I still think I came out way ahead.) All that’s left for this American is buying herself a home. Please, lender, take a chance on me Did you know buying a home is exhausting, scary, and expensive? Well, now ya do. First you need to round up all the documents pertaining to your life and make sure your credit is awesome sauce. Then, you ...

Rescue me from writer's block, Wonder Manatee! I’m stuck, my friends. Stuck, I say. I’ve waited and waited, but in the last six months, no new novel premise has sprung fully formed, Athena-like, from my noggin. I’ve waited. I’ve taken notes. I’ve discussed ideas with my partner. I’ve listened to songs and read tons of other books. In spite of all this, my creative brainstorming process has gone something like this: Gotta be romance. Fifty-fifty POV split. I like manatees. Dean Koontz’s latest book is so powerful; maybe I could write something similar. Maybe an updated fairy tale. The little mermaid, including some manatee friends? Not as preachy as Koontz, though. What about that book idea I've kicked around about the assassin-turned-history professor? The one with three sisters? Only 50-75K this time. Could a prisoner fall in love with her jailer? No, too Stockholmey. I have talent with dialogue, so maybe contemporary? Maybe a goddess character? Superheroes whose su...

Margaret the Gator, whom I met while visiting Lake Alice in Gainesville, FL I wanted to write a brief apology to those of you who stay up late every night, staring at the Elle Hill blog page, clicking refresh over and over in hopes a new post will suddenly appear and expand your horizons while simultaneously tickling your tailfeathers.  A month is far too long for us to remain apart. I just returned from a trip to Florida to see the kinda-in-laws. After arriving back home, I jumped immediately into the glamorous world of syllabus preparation and Glee marathons. But, my friends, in the immortal words of Gloria Gaynor, now I’m back from outer space. During our month or so apart, I have read many novels, brainstormed many story ideas, and grown far too fond of Kurt Hummel. I look forward to sharing my ideas with you all. 

Conduct Unbecoming of a Gentleman  by Wareeze Woodson Genre : Regency Romance Heat Level : Sensual Recently widowed Lady Laurel Laningham flees Landings to escape her untenable position. Alone now and at the mercy of her sister-in-law, she decides to nestle under her aunt’s wings for a spell. To add to her burdens, her young son’s new guardian, Lord Adron Gladrey, has announced his intentions to take complete charge of his ward. The killer is stalking her and a devious jewel thief is stealing the family jewels. Can she convince her son’s guardian she is not a dangerous lunatic and is perfectly capable of raising her son or will he always consider her untrustworthy as a mother to his ward? Will his stubborn blindness send her straight into the path of the murderer, or will he relent in time to save her from following her husband into the grave? Excerpt : Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Each rotation of the hired coach’s wheels whispered the word. Laurel cradled her ...