Romance Books: Experiencing Christine Feehan’s Ghostwalker Series in Mass

OK, so I’ve been traveling around Europe for a while but before long I was at home and relaxing. Suddenly, I felt the need to read some romance novels. Just to get that wonderful euphoria that comes with good story telling and a bit of fantasy. It is something I have lost in the world where serious talk surrounds me with fraud and scammers. They are people who are capable in tricking their victims or targets to part with their money through manipulating their romantic feelings. Books are safer and they can give a person some relief from the everyday reality of live. 

So, I went to the library. That is the best place to start on romance books because there are plenty of them there. Everyone loves reading romance although they might not admit to it. Some romance books are cheap, even free to download on Amazons, iTunes or Kindle, but the books written by popular writers like Christine Feehan tend to be much more expensive. And if you want to read a whole series in mass, the cost will be in hundreds of dollars even if downloaded from Internet. Libraries stack them for free and you can always reserve them if they are not readily available on the shelf. I wanted to read one of the series Feehan has been writing that I have not read before, namely the 

Gostwalker Series

You see, a few years ago a friend of mine gifted me the first  fifteen books of Christine Feehan’s Dark Series. I had so much fun with it. Of course my family was appalled that I would start with the  book number fifteen. They always tell me to read books from the beginning, but I always tend to read the end first just to make sure that I like where the particular book is going. Since I have dyslexia, or maybe it has nothing to do with it, I keep forgetting the storylines of books and can enjoy them lots of time without bothering about the details. I just know that the book was worth reading and I do. It gives me that same good feeling every time. On the other hand, if I want to remember a book, I read it in great detail and can remember quotations with the page numbers for reference. But romance books that are read for relaxation only, don’t need to be remembered in their whole. Just the good parts. So, I started reading the Dark series from back to front and I really liked it. So, how about the Gostwalker Series.

I found five of the thirteen books from the library on my first try. That was great, I had the first one and the second last one of the series to start with. OMG, first I sort of made sure that the series was going where I wanted it to go. I like it even better as I get to know about the whole series at one go. Then I started reading the first book. A few days after I went to Brisbane and visited 

The Really Good Book Shop

I found six additional used books for just a fraction of the original price and the game was on. I read the whole series in two weeks. Now, I am waiting for the three last books I have not read yet from the library. 

I liked what I read. Some books more than the others. It took me two books to get into the series. It was slow go from the start and I had to read on and skip a bit to get myself where I wanted to go. But I trust Christine Feehan to get me there. After being introduces to the series, I specifically enjoyed the Norton brothers stories, The Conspiracy Game and The Deadly Game. 

The next one was the Street Game, which I skipped because there had been no introduction to the characters before that in any other books. I read the Ruthless Game instead for that introduction. I liked it and by the time I had read that, I had gotten the books before that one. So, I went backwards to find out about the other characters I had missed. Then onward to the rest. Again, I specifically can pick out The Samurai Game for a very enjoyable read. And the next two books are really exciting as well. 

I will not spoil the blot, only to say that the series is about people who have been taken as young orphans or military men by a mad scientist. He has physically and phycically enhanced them and then pared them to make a perfect warrior. And of course they rebel and want the control of their own destinies and do so by banding together. 

All Christine Feehan’s series have similar themes and similar elements. They  have their own worlds, though, that differ enough to warrant them autonomity from each other. I also like the Leopard Series where the characters are shifters. 

I must say that I have had a very relaxing, fantastic time with this fantasy. I have experienced the highs and the lows with the couples. I see that Feehan has followed her times as even a genius with Asperger symptoms has been included. Lots of high IQ doctors and strategists. This series will be fun to follow, as I am definitely adding it to my watch list of books. The library is even buying that latest book for me. 

So, this posting is an ode to libraries around the world. We should really use them more. It is a public service well worth its cost to the society. We should really take advantage of the great service it provides. And not just romance book but magazines, computers, reference, play groups and much more. Many libraries even have my book Sydän saaliina or in English,

Love on the Line

Good reading everyone! 

Considering the Truth about Female Desire

Just a few days ago I was watching a Canadian program on the Australian SBS channel called The Truth about Female Desire. Interesting to watch to say the least. It stated that women have been freed from their previous chains of prudence in expressing their sexuality. According to the program, especially women of over 50-years of age are now expressing their sexuality in a very different way from before. This change was possible with the invention of the pill, the program further claims. Now we are free to digitally hook up through apps and Internet sites with whoever we want, whenever we want without having to consider pregnancy as a result of our behaviour. I am considering if there is a downside to this freedom from the point of view of my research to pornography and violence against women during the last 30 years,

I have just finished writing a book about romance scams and how to recover from them with dignity and without victimisation. In my book, I consider the modern digital lifestyle that allows us to hook up with everybody with ease and without needing to leave the comfort of our own home. Interestingly, I have had two types of experiences with online dating myself. The most surprising to me were the Internet dating sites that allow people to meet with people around the world and start a romance with them without ever even seeing them alive, not even on Skype.This resulted in me becoming a victim of a romance scam of which my book is about. The second type of experience has been the kind this program is talking about where you hook up with people near you that are available to chat and meet you, if you so desire. Zoosk, for example is big on hooking you up with real people of the opposite sex quickly and with varying results. Still I am left skeptical about the statement about the freedom of sexual expression. See, I was there thirty years ago as well. Now, I am considering the boundaries of where the so called freedom of sexual expression has led us. I am left wondering about what is the definition of freedom when talking about sexual desire.

The women interviewed in this particular program are very convincing. One of them is now free to express her masochistic side better than before. This is due to the world wide sensation of the book Fifty Shades of Grey. This particular book has now been given the dubious credit of freeing the female sexual expression and desire from its dormant captivity. Interestingly, I have read the Kama Sutra and seen the pictures as well, and I have had that book since the early 1980's myself. I just cannot believe that we have been so innocent before either.

In 1984, I attended a seminar on pornography in Danmark. There I met a woman who was a hooker, by her own definition and a masochist by her own definition, as well. I always thought that it was somewhat bizarre that her best masochistic fantasy was to have her man force her to ride a bicycle to the shop without having underwear. Well, Fifty Shades of Grey certainly topped that one for me. However, I have totally missed the sexual freedom part of the equation. I still do not see that the freedom of sexual expression has emancipated anything worth considering as free. Rather, it has been digitally reprogrammed to make the women play to the male model even more than before. Where is the freedom in that? What I really would like to see is the freedom to build compassionate relationships between people with no underlying double morality. Unfortunately it has not played out like that at all. 

Instead, even the Playboy magazine will now stop featuring the nude centerfolds as an expression of good business decision. According to the editor, we have bypassed the need as the Internet is now providing all that is required for those who want to look at porn or express their sexual freedom. Instead we now can be free to have more casual sex hook-ups than ever before. And that is considered freedom. Where is the truth about female desire? 

I'd rather go dancing with my love and express my sexual desire in passionate acts of love and love making than count how many hook-ups I can have in a week. I'd rather look at it from the point of view of making the world a bit more compassionate through less conflict and more hugs. I'd rather people express their desire in any form they choose instead of being boxed in a model that is restraining to their soul even though it might fleetingly feel freeing to their body. 

And that is the truth of that!

Imaginary or Real Life Relationships? That is the Quiestion.

  Why is it so hard to build a relationship in real life? What happens when we meet someone and feel the attraction? Does it go both ways and if it does, how long does it last? What is the attraction of Apps like Tinder? And what does Twitter and texting has to do with our rewards system in the brain? To start to answer these questions here is a picture I found from Scammer Mimes Facebook page that got me thinking. It states:

    “You were much more interesting when you were online.” Does that sound about right?

   I recently met a man through an online dating site. He was perfect. His picture was perfect. His profile was perfect and in our messaging and texting, he insinuated that he was truly interested in the same things that I am. He was also very supportive to my writing career. I had written about scamming and he thought that it was appropriate. He said that he did not want losers, he wanted for us to support each other in whatever we wanted to achieve in life. It all sounded wonderful and I allowed myself to think and imagine what we could do together. And that in its turn was a great turn on for me. It was as if I had actually met him and as if we had already built our relationship. My dopamine hormone got me high just thinking about it. I am good at that. We messaged for a good two weeks and then decided to meet in person. We would meet at a popular café, about half way from each other. And that we did.

   When we met, it was like instant connection. It was as if my expectations were thoroughly met by this man walking down the street to meet me. He was handsome, and he walked in a manner a confident man walks. The moment he said hi and smiled produced a high in my brain. Wow, this was going somewhere and fast. Instant attraction, instant connection and I knew it was mutual. And we had not met through Tinder, so I thought that it was not about sex, at least not entirely. So, we talked and walked and cuddled and after I left, I crashed. I got stressed, depressed and anxious and felt like running away and very quickly at that. So what happened?

   My brain suddenly reacted by increased production of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, which caused a mental fog. I got thoroughly confused about what I should do. My decision-making capabilities were at cero. So, I went home and soothed my brain by checking on Facebook and then on Twitter. I checked all my emails and deleted most of them, so that I would feel like I had done something worth mentioning. And then I saw that someone had posted an article about what happens in your brain when you multitask. And it all clicked into place. Once again, I had used my literary, imaginary capabilities to make my dream date perfect and could not see the forest from the fog afterwards.

This article explains it:
                    “[By] asking the brain to shift attention from one activity to another causes the prefrontal cortex and striatum to burn up oxygenated glucose, the same fuel they need to stay on task. And the kind of rapid, continual shifting we do with multitasking causes the brain to burn through fuel so quickly that we feel exhausted and disoriented after even a short time. We’ve literally depleted the nutrients in our brain.”

   But what happened, I ask. Why did I react the way I did in the first place?
Well, I wrote that pink book called Love on the Line. How to Recover from Romance Scams Gracefully and without Victimisation. And my rational mind recognised the signs although my emotional brain went on producing the high and enjoying the ride as well. So, I sort of baked the cake and ate it as well.

  It is good to know that I have learned something from my own mistakes and experience. However, that has not yet resulted in my brain building all new neural pathways that would immediately prevent me from making bad decisions. I still do make them and afterwards I regret. The man I met wanted just sex, after all and when he got only reluctant kisses and cuddles during our walk, he turned nasty. He insulted me and my mother, my daughter and couple of other well-chosen words came out of the same mouth that had previously told me how beautiful I looked and how attractive he found me. Luckily, the situation ended there and he did not follow when I turned around and walked to my car and left. So, what should I do?

   Should I stop looking for love and believing in the good in everyone or maybe just keep reading romance books, like I have always done? It is a hard question and in this new instant digital world we live in, a valid question as well. Building real relationships in the instant gratification real life is hard. Particularly, when the other party only wants what he thinks he is entitled to get after pretending to be nice online. That is why he is more interesting there. And I might leave him there, at least just for now, while I gather my positivity after the crash and find the things that I should be grateful about, like that I once again survived, not an online dating scam but a real life personal treat.

   I recon we should think about that for a while and just stay on course to see what could be done to somewhat heal this broken world and the broken dreams it carries and offers to those who like to always think the best of everything.

Ardent Reader of Romance Books Updated

Would you look at my bookshelf there near the floor. If you compare it to the picture on my previous posting of the Ardent Romance Book Reader in the year 2011 you could be shocked to realize how much has happened in the book industry world since then. I certainly was.

In three years we have been gifted with eBook readers, like iPads and the Kindles and what has happened to our bookshelves? That there in the picture is the grand total of my romance books left on the shelf. The rest have been given away or boxed for future reading pleasure. I do like checking my boxed every now and then, maybe every few years. It is like wrapping presents to see what you have got and reading them again.

Well, let's think what has happened in the book industry, since I last posted a list of my favorite books.

First of all, the writing of the eBooks has escalated with the self publishing becoming a norm. Everyone can now write a book. The possibilities are enormous. Not ever in the history has there been so many books written than right now.

Did you know that the same amount of information that was previously produced from the dawn of time to 2003 is now produced in two short days due to the World Wide Web.The context is the king as they say in the marketing world.

Every book genre has gone through a massive change, be it because the game has changed with the digital publishing or be it that the mindset has changed. Certainly in the Romance Book genre the critical mass for writing hard core sexual images was reached with the publishing of The Fifty Shades Of Cray and its followers. The play field of the a romance books has changed from nice to naughty. It can clearly be experienced by the ardent readers of romance.

This doesn't mean that the quality of the books has gone down. On the contrary, the competition and the social media marketing has really made it imperative for the authors to sharpen their pens or minds in order to create more elaborate plots and more varied themes to arouse and interest the audience to grave more and more. And that we do.

Now that everyone byes everything online through iBooks, the Amazon.com and the Ellora's Cave it is much easier to enjoy more descriptive plots than before. Just like uTube and porn, it is now possible to buy whatever we want from the comfort of our home without having to have a restrictive fear of having to display the item for anyone. We just download it directly to our electrical device. And who cares that the data gathering, hungry digital search engines and marketing research is able to trace our every transaction to aid in the next marketing plot.

So, why am I talking about this in the posting about updating my favorites book list. That is because I now have to consult my own iBooks to see what books I enjoyed and I bet there is a few covers that I would not like to display on my bookshelf in the printed form. Hence, the bookshelf has nearly disappeared.



However, since the 2011, I have truly found that the series on any book genre are thriving. Christine Feehan now tops my fantasy writes list. Her Dark series was given to me as a present not long ago. It is so cool to be able to start with the book number fifteen and proceed forwards and backwards as you please. My daughter is having a heart attack on how I break the rules.

So here it is. My updated list:

My 2014 BOOKLIST
1. Fantacy:
Vampires:
J.R.Ward (2005-) The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, Piatkus (12 books so far)*
Linda Howard & Linda Jones (2010) Blood Born, Ballantine Books*
Kathy Love (2006) Fangs But No Fangs, Brava Paranormal Romance (part of series of 4 books)
Christine Feehan (2001-) Dark series (22 books so far)* iBooks

Paranormal:
Rhyannon Byrd (2008-2012) The Primal Instinct Series, HQN (6 books)
Rhyannon Byrd (2012-2014) Dark Wolf series, iBooks
Linda Howard, Linda Winstead Jones & Beverly Barton (2008) The Raintree Trilogy, MIRA*
Nora Roberts (2006), The Circle Trilogy, Piatkus
Sharie Kohler (2008-) The Moon Chasers Series, Pocket Books Paranormal Romance (4 books)
Lora Leigh (2005-) The Breeds Series, Berkley Sensation Paranormal Romance (8 books)

Sifters:
Christine Feehan (2010-) Leopard sifters series (4 books so far), iBooks
Cynthia Eden (2010-) Bound series (4 books so far), iBooks
Cesilia Kyle (2011-) Ridgeville series (6 books so far), iBooks
Mixed paranormal:
Laurann Dohner (2010-) New Spices series (8 books so far) iBooks &Ellora Cave

2. Contemporary:
Linda Howard (1995), After the Night, Pocket Books Fiction*
Linda Howard (2001) Open Season, Pocket Books Fiction
Linda Howard (1996) Shades of Twilight, Pocket Books
Linda Howard (1997) White Out in Upon a Midnight Clear Anthology, Pocket Books (Novella)*
Linda Howard/Linda Jones (2013) Running Wild, iBooks
Nora Roberts (1998) Homeport, Jove Fiction
Rebecca Brandewyne (1996) Dust Devil, MIRA
Fiona Brand (2000) Cullen’s Bride, Silhouette
Fiona Brand (2002) Blade’s Lady, Silhouette*
Miranda Lee (1998) The Boss’s Baby, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Emma Darcy (1999) Having Leo’s Child, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Suzanne Simms (1992) Not Her Wedding, Silhouette
Margit Sandemo (1982) Yli kaikkien rajojen, Oy Kirjaviihde*
Catherine Spencer (1998) The Secret Daughter, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Sandra Brown (1988) Slow Heat in Heaven, Warner Books*
Sandra Brown (1984) Bittersweet Rain, Warner Books*
Jayne Ann Krentz (2000-2002) Eclipse Bay Trilogy, Jove Fiction
Peggy Moreland (1997) Rugrats And Rawhire, Silhouette
Susan Napier (1998) Honeymoon Baby, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Donna Alward (2014) Little Cowgirl on His Doorstep, iBooks

3. Humourous:
Susan Mallery (2001), Married for a Month, Pocket Star Books*
Marion Lennox (2004) The Last-Minute Marriage, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Marion Lennox (1999) Marrying William, Harlequin Mills & Boon*
Marion Lennox (2014) Waves of Temptation. Her 100th book, iBooks
Barbara Daly (1999) Great Genes! Harlequin Mills &Boon
Jennifer Labrecque (2000) Andrew In Excess, Harlequin Mills & Boon*
Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1997) Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Avon Romance
Susan Elizabeth Phillips (2001) This Heart of Mine, Avon Romance*

4. Suspense & Mystery:
Elizabeth Lowell (2006) The Wrong Hostage, Avon*
Elizabeth Lowell (2001) Moving Target, HarperCollins
Nora Roberts (1998) The Reef, Piatkus* (Suomeksi Angelikan kirous)
Linda Howard (2000) A Game of Chance, Silhouette
Linda Howard (2005) Killing Time, Piatkus (Sci-Fi)
Linda Howard (2013) Ice, iBooks
Jasmine Cresswell (2000) The Inheritance, MIRA
Jasmine Cresswell (2000) The Refuge, MIRA
Brenda Novak (2012-2013) Inside, In Close & In Seconds, iBooks

5. Historical:
Margit Sandemo (1997), Ritarin Tytär, Oy Kirjaviihde*
Jasmine Cresswell (1980) The Blackwood Bride, Harlequin Mills & Boon*
Sophie Jordan (2006) Once Upon A Wedding Night, Avon Historical Romance
Susan Sizemore (1994) My First Duchess, Diamond Books
Susan Sizemore (1992) Wings of the Storm, Diamond Books (Time travel)*
Linda Howard (1992) The Touch of Fire, Pocket Books
Kathleen Woodiwiss (1977) Shanna, Futura
Marlene Suson (1997) Scarlet Lady, Avon Historical Romance
Julie Garwood (1996) The Secret, Pocket Star Books*
Julie Garwood (1997) The Wedding, Pocket Star Books
Julianne MacLean (2009-2014) Pempro Palace series, iBooks

6. Erotica:
Pepper Winters (2013-) Twisted series, iBooks
Tillie Cole (2014) It Ain’t Me, Babe (1st of series), iBooks
Sommer Marsden (2012) Light Flirting, iBooks


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Contemplating the Place of 'Tears for Tess' by Pepper Winters in the Popular Culture

I went to see the movie 'The Counseler' the other week with my daughter. Why did I do that? Look at the poster here and immediately you will know. I chose by the cover, like I do when reading books:


What's there not to like. The casting of the best Oscar winners, nominees and wanna bees. Directed by one of my favorite directors and scripted by a really well considered screen writer and from a very famous book, which I had not read, mind you.

Do not judge a book by its cover, I say.

It is the same when I first tried to read 'The Fifty Shades of Grey' by E L James. The book that made the concept of sadomasochism normal. I only got to the chapter five and was getting bored. Now I know why. It reminded me of the first book of the 'Twilight' series in its style. It was disturbing. (At the time I did not know that it started as fan fiction to the series). Instead I ended up researching and updating the popular culture of sadomasochism by reading 'Sadomasochism and Ardent Love: A Reader's guide to Fifty Shades of Grey' by Edward Shorter


Why would I do that? I am very interested in this subject matter. If you google me, you find that I have done a lot of research on pornography, prostitution and the history of ideas of the concepts of human sexuality during the last 30 years in several languages.

Sex is normal. What I find interesting and often disturbing is the way it is presented in the popular culture and how that presentation is influencing the audience.

OK! So, I came out of the movie theatre after seeing 'The Counselor' really disturbed. With questions of why would Ridley Scott want to direct such a movie? Is it his statement of life? Maybe it is about our society? What is it about Mexico, that makes it such a suitable place to be used as a background to movies and books like this? And the same with the actors. Bratt Pitt, the philanthropist? What's with that?

It is a cold, cold world we live in when films like this are considered for Oscars despite that whatever happens in them can actually happen in real life.

For me it is the question of placing them in the right expectations with the audience. This movie clearly was not. Mark Dinning, in the Australian 'Empire' magazine (December issue) likes the film or maybe not. "It will frustrate. Or reward. Your choice", he writes. Well, I am really frustrated.

Maybe now that I really think about this. The movie reminded me of 'The Fifty Shades of Grey' in its handling of the subject matter. That would be its aim to shock, when there is really nothing to be shocked about. We are talking about the power over relationships and money. The dominants can be whoever.

'The Tears for Tess' by Pepper Winters, which I just finished is different. The writer is Australian. I like that. The book is being considered for 2013 Scandy Awards for the best erotic novel. It is a well written example of the romantic genre of BDSM with a twist about moral issues. I really like that.

The book is a fine piece of writing, witty and interesting, if you are interested in the subject matter. And it is her first novel! It reminds me of three movies I've seen with similar kind of handling of the subject matter:

Firstly 'The Inferno' of 1999, staring Jean-Claude Van Damme. With very interesting way to depict the futility of death while looking to regain your own humanity.


It really puts across the point of the human life having no value when one of the characters just raps the ever piling bodies in a clad rap and slides them down a Mexican canyon with no remorse or judgement while toasting the death with his water bottle.

The second one is 'Dirty Pretty Things' (2002), starring Andrey Tautou. The movie is written by Steven Knight and it's subject is the trafficking of the human body parts with the backdrop of the illegal emigration to Britain.


I found it very captivating although it was not a romance with a happy ending for the hero and the heroenna like I would like to have had. I am a romantic.

The third one is the resent Steven Knight movie 'Hummingbird' or 'Redemption' (2013) starring Jason Stratham. It is also about human trafficking and the moral issues of violence with the backdrop of the homelessness and the mobs of London.


I find myself drawn to contemplate on the human mind of how it can compartmentalise violence and sex. It is really interesting how when the sex and violence is not confused in the gaining of money or power in books and movies, it is easier to absorb and people like me can find it entertaining and at the same time rising questions about the human behaviour in tight moral situations.

Comparing 'Redemption' to 'The Counselor'', I find that it's unpretentious way to handle the subject matter clearly beats the try hard pretend philosophical banter of the other movie. Maybe it is the difference of the male brain and the female brain in how we interpret the movies, when we see them. But I like unpretentious, particularly when depicting violence.

It is like one of my all time favorite movies 'The Escape from Absolom' or 'No Escape' (1994) with Ray Liotta still tops my list of enjoyable male brain movies because of its straight forward aim to be what it is and nothing else. And with no sex, thank you.


It is based on the 1987 book 'The Penal Colony' by Richard Herley. There are others but this one is still my favorite.

Going back to 'Tears for Tess' then. I have been reading the reviews and the comments about it in the social media. They are excellent, particularly coming from the women. Well, clearly it is a female brain book.

There is the common question with the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' of why she came back for more. The answer seems easy. The next book in the series is being published in the middle of December. So obviously she and Q, the dominant were not done with the moral dilemma. And they are in love, of course. The book is a romance although pretty graphic as such. So, a no brainer.

To tell you the truth, I cannot wait to read the 'Quintessentially Q' when it comes out.

What I am afraid, however, is that Pepper Winters is aiming at publishing a trilogy when I can only see two sides to the immediate story.

What I would like to see as the third segment is an original screenplay by her for a movie with Tess and Quincy explaining their legacy to their 18 and 16-year old children, 20-odd years in the future. It should be directed by Steven Knight and starred by Stratham and Tautou. I would like to see how they handle the moral dilemma and win. It would be a romance, of course.

As I see it, it is good to dream of a better world where people can live in peace without violence and sex can have all its expressions people are comfortable with without double morals or double standards getting on the way.

Many people believe that what we get is only limited by our imagination. I would think that good storytelling can contribute to good outcomes and bring unpretentious positive images into our world.

So, I suggest, let's do it more.

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