Heartless by Diana Palmer

So i am a huge fan of Diana Palmer, but there are times where i just want to strangle the heros of her books. The men treat the women like CRAP, yes they have a reason for doing so but at times i just want to shake the shit out of the female lead and yell "YOU DON"T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS SHIT!"
Heartless is the story of Gracie and her stepbrother Jason. Needless to say that Gracies past is HORIBLE and yet Jason who has know her for over 10 years has not one clue about it. I know the point of a story is to have conflict and with her past still a secret it does alot for the story. In a moment of passion that scares Gracie and which makes Jason think that he made a horrible mistake, the lives that they have built starts to fall apart. Jason gets engaged to a moneyloving model that makes Gracies life hell.
Being that this is a Long Tall Texan book, it takes place in Jacobsville. A town that Ms.Palmer sets this series of books around. Now, i LOVE this town and the people that live there. It is one of the HUGE reasons that i come back to her books again and again. Its a town that has cowboys, business men, ex-merc's and an ongoing struggle to kept the local drug smuggling out of town. The town lawyer is the town lawyer in everybook, and so on. You get to see the previous characters grow and fact hardships. In Ms.Palmers world verything does not come up roses. Yes, one will find love but that does not gurantee that smooth sailing is ahead. It just means that you have someone in the boat with you when you hit rough waters. (yeah, that is just like real life)
Back to Gracie and Jason.... by reading all this your thinking gee, i don't think i want to readd this, but it IS worth it. Just know going in you'll want to hit Jason on the head and yell at Gracie to just move on, forget him... but in the end you'll be glad he woke up to really see Gracie and understand her, and you'll be happy that Gracie gave Jason so many chances with her heart....
Hmmmm.... this makes me want to reread some of Ms. Palmers work......and i will say i keep every book that i have by this author

Reading gay romance...namely T A Chase books

About a year ago i bought an Ebook that was in the menage romance section. Now being a romance reader for over 20 years (i started early), what got my attention other than the fantastically written story and characters was the interaction between the 2 men in the story. Yes, they loved each other, both emotionally and physically. It was so beautiful and heart warming. Growing up in the South, the Bible belt, i have been surround by prejudice all my life. It has been a constant battle to stand up and let my voice be heard in opposition against the popular Southern Christian POV. It is one of the things that i HATED about living there. The narrow mindedness of the people when it comes to people that are different. It hurts my heart that alot of Southerners do not even see how their words are hurtful and judgemental. Living in California now is such a blessing in many a way, namely this one!
Growing up my Mother told me never to judge a person because i haven't walked in their shoes. i have lived my life with this kept firmly in mind. It has caused tension within my family, friends to say hateful things to me, and even the end of some friendships (my thought is that i was better off without them). So, that being said..... i am not gay, but how to see into the life that a gay man lives??? Why the written word, of course.
OK, OK, OK.... i am finally getting to my point. (Which is ??? your asking) An author by the name of T A Chase. First book i read by this author was Out of Bounds then the sequel High Line. Both of these books are romances but they also deal with the RL reactions of these public figures that come out as gay. With the first a professional basketball player and the second a race car driver, this author took a chance with his writing of these characters. i am a open minded person, but now i am a more aware open minded person. By stating this do not think that the romance in these books are sub-standard, you could not be more wrong if that is your thought.
i have read other book by T A Chase.... Angels Evolution was wonderful but different from anything else that he has written. Only draw back was the ending was setup for another book for other characters that were in the novel and i have yet to see it mentioned to be published. (hate, hate, hate when that happens) Great series is the For a Home.... at this date there are currently three books in this series. Whoopee!!
All this said, the thought that is prevalent in my mind is the lesson that my Mother taught my growing up that goes hand in hand with reading well written book. Remember, the objective for a good read is to entertain and expand your mind. Have experiences that you could never have in RL. i am walking in other peoples shoes, learning lesson that i never would have seen in RL, or at least not yet. (like to think i would have learned them anyway, just not this fast....or so i would like to think)