So, what shall I talk about today? How about reading?
Okay, so I found this interesting independently published author, who I love. And while the grammar is not perfect, and there are a few errors with spelling and occasionally a missing word, I found myself laughing out loud at the stories.
Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, this is a rare occurrence. Laughing out loud while reading is just so damned rare for me. I mostly laugh in awe ( and not awed in a good way) at the stupidity of the political commentators...
But, this is not a political story...
I love a good romance story. I love a good spy story. I love a good story period. I love to read. I love it. I read almost anything I can get my hands on. Except werewolf and vampire stories...just can't get into them...Sorry folks...but there it is...
This book I found, by an indie author, is not for children. Even tho I found it in the children's section, the cover told me it was for adults.. It is called, "the Monkey Jungle," and is written by my "new favorite" author...A person named Taylor Ryan. A woman, I am certain. And I think, with a wicked sense of humor and an absolutely wonderful and irreverent way of saying things.
I loved this story. Just loved it. You just cannot imagine my thrill when I found out she has two more books out. Each one is progressively better, (writing wise,) and story wise, well, let's just say I love to laugh and did so many times while reading this writers stories...
The writer does not write really young women, unsure of themselves, and willing to put up with what they consider to be an "alpha male" type man. I like the stories because, the heroines are "people who know exactly who they are as women, mothers, and lovers," are respectful, yet still stand up for themselves. They like themselves as people, and it shows.
It was refreshing to read about a heroine who doesn't wait for a uber rich man to come and rescue her from a fate worse than death...(a humdrum mundane existence as a poor put upon young woman with an oh poor me attitude and a desperate need for a daddy figure to make her toe the line or, the need to be taken care of by a mean spirited unwilling to trust, man.)
Taylor Ryan has changed the way I see the "cute little romances" I have read in the past. No longer will I accept these stories written by people who have no true concept of what it means to be an alpha male, or female.
I am tired of whiny women looking for and finding an abusive, controlling, bullying nasty rich man to fall for. What crap. I want to read about a man who is kind, gentle and when necessary, can kick ass without breaking a sweat and who actually likes his heroine. Yes, I said it! He LIKES her. And she likes him.
I believe an alpha male, a truly confident man, can accept anything about the woman he cares for, if she is honest with him. He won't have his ego bruised or become judgmental and behave like an ass if she tells him the truth about herself, or just shows him who she is as a woman, as a person. And I believe that theory holds true for an alpha female as well.
The quality I admire most in her characters, is their honesty about who they are, with themselves. They don't pretend to be someone they aren't for the other person. They have grown up and lived a life and those life experiences have taught them a lot. Not that they never made mistakes, it's that they learned from those mistakes and don't repeat them over and over again.
The characters are who they are and accept this about themselves and, more importantly, allow those around them to be who they will be. It is a refreshing concept to a romance reader who is used to reading about cruel men with mommy and trust issues.
Because they are who they are, their attitude is one of calm acceptance of each other. I really liked that. It was surprisingly fun. And the situations the characters find themselves in while trying to explore a true adult relationship, were amusing. Actually, they were sometimes, if not most of the time, laugh out loud funny...
And then I read "Wearing Cowboys," also by Taylor Ryan. Oh my God!!! I was hysterically laughing in one scene in particular. But not because the characters were behaving in a comedic manner, but rather a suggestion he made to her about repairs for her blow up toy...I found it funny. I could picture the situation in my mind. It was very, very amusing.
So, I guess by now you have figured out that I really like this author and her stories. But wait...I'm not done yet...I found the third book, "Poor Phillip!" and was surprised again...Not a 'typical romance' by any means...
A young, young woman, married to a much older man, is widowed. Her old husbands concern for her well being, has him do something shocking. He wills her to his respected friend and neighbor, with the proviso that they must marry and have sex for 101 days straight within one year.
Say w-w-hat?
An interesting, no...a fascinating premise...What do you think would happen if this "new couple," knowing nothing about each other except what the local gossips have to say, agreed to the conditions of the will? Forced intimacy with a stranger. Think about that one for a second. How many women, and girls, does this happen to around the world? On a daily basis, I would imagine there are thousands of women married against their wishes...
But, what if she wants to marry him? And he wants to marry her? They are strangers? Then what? What if they have an instant connection? How different could their lives together be if they fell in love with each other? What if they hate each other after the experiment is over? What then? What if they only one of them falls in love? Makes for some interesting questions don't you think?
The way Taylor Ryan answered those questions, and others, made for a great read. I just love her stories. Did I say that already? Yep. But, I can't say it enough...I just LOVE her books...
Here it is...anytime I can read a book of fiction, and a romance at that, and come away thinking about something I never thought of before, well, it makes me feel like I learned something...And isn't that a good thing?
So, thank you Taylor Ryan...for writing heroes and heroines I can relate to, for an interesting and humorous look at relationships and what they can be and how they can be. Please, don't stop writing.
I hope you will check her out...
Taylor Ryan on Amazon
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