Hungry? by Helen Louise Caroll

In a futuristic world, Leon is a manager of one of the Earth station of the Tube, the highway that allows Aliens to cross the universe. It's not a bad job, but Leon is most of the time alone, and he can't prevent himself to fantasize on a particular alien, Endil. Endil is almost like an human, if not for his special tattoo, a symbiotic parasite who lives embedded in his torso. Leon can't help himself to imagine what Endil can do with that tattoo, since there are stories around.

Anyway Leon must stop to think since it's forbidden for a station manager to familiarize with Aliens, let alone become intimate. Usually Endil passes through the station without second thoughts on Leon, but this time he seems to have a personal purpose.

Can't say much more on this story, since it's less than 20 pages long, and there is not much development on the characters. We know something on Leon, on his desires and dreams, but nothing about Endil. The story is interesting, the tattoo element quite original, above all for the use that Endil did of that tattoo.

I had in the past the chance to read other work by Helen Louise-Carroll, and they were both original and interesting, but always too short.

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Hungry.html

Amazon Kindle: Hungry?
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC (February 16, 2009)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Hungry? by Helen Louise Caroll

In a futuristic world, Leon is a manager of one of the Earth station of the Tube, the highway that allows Aliens to cross the universe. It's not a bad job, but Leon is most of the time alone, and he can't prevent himself to fantasize on a particular alien, Endil. Endil is almost like an human, if not for his special tattoo, a symbiotic parasite who lives embedded in his torso. Leon can't help himself to imagine what Endil can do with that tattoo, since there are stories around.

Anyway Leon must stop to think since it's forbidden for a station manager to familiarize with Aliens, let alone become intimate. Usually Endil passes through the station without second thoughts on Leon, but this time he seems to have a personal purpose.

Can't say much more on this story, since it's less than 20 pages long, and there is not much development on the characters. We know something on Leon, on his desires and dreams, but nothing about Endil. The story is interesting, the tattoo element quite original, above all for the use that Endil did of that tattoo.

I had in the past the chance to read other work by Helen Louise-Carroll, and they were both original and interesting, but always too short.

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Hungry.html

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Romance History: Ida Pollock

Ida Pollock, now resident in Lanreath, Cornwall, celebrated her 100th birthday last April. Her daughter Rosemary says the day began with delivery of a birthday card from the Queen, followed the arrival of numerous friends and family members bearing gifts and flowers. Ida was particularly pleased to receive congratulations from the Romantic Novelists' Association, and several publishers including Mills and Boon, also celebrating their centenary this year.

Early in the WWII she took a job in London, where she remained through much of the Blitz. While visiting a publisher's office she met her future husband, the charismatic Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888-1971), DSO, married to the publisher's daughter, Enid Blyton. The Pollock's marriage was in difficulties, and after their divorce, Enid remarried with Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters and Hugh remarried with Ida at London's Guildhall register office, six days after Blyton's marriage. Soon they had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock, also a romance writer.
 
After the World War II, Ida began writing for Mills&Boon, and after the success of her first historical novel, The Gentle Masquerade, Mills and Boon's Masquerade series was launched. She wrote as Ida Pollock and as Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell.

To read more:

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/18767707/

Romance History: Ida Pollock

Ida Pollock, now resident in Lanreath, Cornwall, celebrated her 100th birthday last April. Her daughter Rosemary says the day began with delivery of a birthday card from the Queen, followed the arrival of numerous friends and family members bearing gifts and flowers. Ida was particularly pleased to receive congratulations from the Romantic Novelists' Association, and several publishers including Mills and Boon, also celebrating their centenary this year.

Early in the WWII she took a job in London, where she remained through much of the Blitz. While visiting a publisher's office she met her future husband, the charismatic Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888-1971), DSO, married to the publisher's daughter, Enid Blyton. The Pollock's marriage was in difficulties, and after their divorce, Enid remarried with Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters and Hugh remarried with Ida at London's Guildhall register office, six days after Blyton's marriage. Soon they had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock, also a romance writer.
 
After the World War II, Ida began writing for Mills&Boon, and after the success of her first historical novel, The Gentle Masquerade, Mills and Boon's Masquerade series was launched. She wrote as Ida Pollock and as Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell.

To read more:

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/18767707/

A Promise of Romance by Kyoko Akitsu

Satsuki is a young Japanese guy who searches to gain his life in London. He always wanted to be an actor, but when he is refused by the most important actor school in Japan, he decided to try his fortune in London; there is maybe a bit of misplaced proud in it, since probably Satsuki doesn't want to face the fact that him, the one who always had the main character role in the high school plays, was rejected and instead his best friend, the one who always looked upon to Satsuki was accepted.

In London Satsuki is not doing very well; he is lonely and has very little money, and he is too proud to ask help to his family. So when a young nobleman, Edward, asks him to cross-dress and to play the role of his fiancee, Satsuki accepts. It's not only the money, it's also the fascination with the high society in which Edward lives. Edward needs to marry in order to not losing his inheritance, and marrying Satsuki, he is sure that he will have no problem to invoid the marriage.

Edward is not a bad guy, maybe a little spoiled, but all in all he is only lonenly, as lonely as Satsuki. In Satsuki maybe Edward finds more a friend than other. And when it's time to express his feelings, he is too open, and this clashes with Satsuki's culture.

First of all the plot... it's not very convincing. How can Edward and Satsuki marry without problem? Doesn't Satsuki need a birth certificate, where obviously it's stated that he is a man? True, in England same sex union are legal, I believe, but this is not what Edward's parents' will states.

Second the relationship between Edward and Satsuki: it could be a very good example of Pretty Woman's tale, there is also the scene where Edward takes Satsuki out to shopping in the best fashion boutique... but how the relationship evolves between the two it's without a strong basis, it's all too obvious and the author doesn't give us much reason to believe in it... the only sex scene is almost a rape! Actually if not for the rape scene, this book would be a good example of young adult novel, and with an young adult target too.

Amazon Kindle: A Promise of Romance

Amazon: A Promise Of Romance (Yaoi Novel)

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

A Promise of Romance by Kyoko Akitsu

Satsuki is a young Japanese guy who searches to gain his life in London. He always wanted to be an actor, but when he is refused by the most important actor school in Japan, he decided to try his fortune in London; there is maybe a bit of misplaced proud in it, since probably Satsuki doesn't want to face the fact that him, the one who always had the main character role in the high school plays, was rejected and instead his best friend, the one who always looked upon to Satsuki was accepted.

In London Satsuki is not doing very well; he is lonely and has very little money, and he is too proud to ask help to his family. So when a young nobleman, Edward, asks him to cross-dress and to play the role of his fiancee, Satsuki accepts. It's not only the money, it's also the fascination with the high society in which Edward lives. Edward needs to marry in order to not losing his inheritance, and marrying Satsuki, he is sure that he will have no problem to invoid the marriage.

Edward is not a bad guy, maybe a little spoiled, but all in all he is only lonenly, as lonely as Satsuki. In Satsuki maybe Edward finds more a friend than other. And when it's time to express his feelings, he is too open, and this clashes with Satsuki's culture.

First of all the plot... it's not very convincing. How can Edward and Satsuki marry without problem? Doesn't Satsuki need a birth certificate, where obviously it's stated that he is a man? True, in England same sex union are legal, I believe, but this is not what Edward's parents' will states.

Second the relationship between Edward and Satsuki: it could be a very good example of Pretty Woman's tale, there is also the scene where Edward takes Satsuki out to shopping in the best fashion boutique... but how the relationship evolves between the two it's without a strong basis, it's all too obvious and the author doesn't give us much reason to believe in it... the only sex scene is almost a rape! Actually if not for the rape scene, this book would be a good example of young adult novel, and with an young adult target too.

Amazon Kindle: A Promise of Romance

Amazon: A Promise Of Romance (Yaoi Novel)

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Around the World: Tours Cathedral

I'm not a particular religious person but I have a passion for cloister... it's a strange thing, everytime I have the chance to enter a monastery I always go for the cloister. I found more peace in a Cloister than in front of an altar. And then I really love the play of lines and curves that you can find, especially in the gothic one.


by Elisa, Loire, 2003:
http://www.elisarolle.com/travel/2003Loira.htm

This is not among the more beautiful I have seen, in Ireland and Portugal there are some impressive example, but probably during my travel in Loira, I was expecting to be enthralled by the famous castles and instead I found more interesting the religious buildings, like the Cathedral of Tours and Burges.

( Tours Cathedral )

Around the World: Tours Cathedral

I'm not a particular religious person but I have a passion for cloister... it's a strange thing, everytime I have the chance to enter a monastery I always go for the cloister. I found more peace in a Cloister than in front of an altar. And then I really love the play of lines and curves that you can find, especially in the gothic one.


by Elisa, Loire, 2003:
http://www.elisarolle.com/travel/2003Loira.htm

This is not among the more beautiful I have seen, in Ireland and Portugal there are some impressive example, but probably during my travel in Loira, I was expecting to be enthralled by the famous castles and instead I found more interesting the religious buildings, like the Cathedral of Tours and Burges.

( Tours Cathedral )