Wildcard Weekend - Sultry Sounds

PHS Editor Donna Alward is back with a brand new artist whose sultry sounds are tempting indeed!

One of the cool things about doing this job is the neat people you meet. Michelle Styles' PHS post on Josh Groban caught the eye of someone at Universal, and since then I've had the opportunity to "meet" that person and discover some new voices I never would have heard.

One such voice is the sound of Melody Gardot. Melody's story is one of triumph and her biography really should be read and appreciated. Here's a Coles' Notes version, and you'll see what I mean:

The story of vocalist Melody Gardot is as remarkable as any who perseveres against abject adversity. Born in New Jersey in 1985, she took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock and pop musics. At age 19 she was a fashion student at the Community College Of Philadelphia.

But, on a fateful day, while riding her bicycle, the driver of a Jeep made an illegal turn, hurdling into Gardot and leaving her in the street for dead. Hospitalized for months with multiple head injuries and pelvic fractures, her love for music was the best therapy she could receive. While in her hospital bed, she wrote and recorded songs that would become the EP "Some Lessons." Upon her eventual release from intensive care, Gardot found the strength and determination to further her career as an artist. Blessed with a beautiful voice and grand insight as a songwriter, her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, "Worrisome Heart," which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records. Her music could be described as a cross between Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy and Shania Twain, but goes deeper than mere pop convention. Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, thus she wears dark glasses, and uses a cane to walk. On stage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. As amazing as her story is, what is more evident is that she posesses a blue style and persona that reflects not only her afflictions, but conversely the hope and joy of making personalized music that marks her as an individual and original. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast to support her recordings.

Talk about persistence. Dedication. Sheer courage.

Her song, Baby I'm a Fool, is sweet, sexy, retro and yet utterly new. When I first heard it, I instantly sent the link to PHS columnist Kate Hardy thinking it would be right up her alley (and it was). Have a look at the video.


Universal is holding a contest to see Melody at the internationally acclaimed Montreal Jazzfest this summer.

Donna's current release is HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE - and she can imagine Baby I'm A Fool playing at the Fiori Cascade Panorama Room as Luca dances with Mariella...sigh....

Must Watch Friday - Murder One

Biddy has spent a long time deliberating over her choice of topic this week. She even sacrificed herself by watching some of the possible candidates just to check she had the right one. And from this she narrowed it down to the 1995 TV drama Murder One.

Murder What? I can hear you all saying...

Well let me take you back...

The year is 1996 (well 1995 in the US) and a new series starts. In its first season, the series starred Daniel Benzali as defense attorney Theodore (Ted) Hoffman as a criminal litigator and the head of his own firm, Hoffman and Associates. Backed by a cadre of young associates, Hoffman was a masterful, though gruff, criminal lawyer who zealously represented his clients in high profile cases. Patricia Clarkson played his long-suffering wife, Annie. Always waiting in the wings to play the villain was Stanley Tucci, who played the part of Richard Cross.

Somewhat unusual for a lawyer related television drama, the first season of the series revolved around a single high profile criminal case, with each episode following the latest drama in that particular trial. For the duration of season one, Hoffman defended Neil Avedon, a young Hollywood star accused of the murder of a fifteen year old girl. Hoffman's lawyers also handled smaller cases which were usually wrapped up in an episode or two. While there were many plot twists and misdirections, fundamentally the entire season consisted of one defense case for Hoffman & Associates. I loved this premise. I loved that every week I was glued to the TV waiting to find out the next twist and turn. It had fame, drugs, sex and a great cast of characters.
What was also compelling were the characters in the law firm. Ted Hoffman, the boss and how his work causes problems at home. The young lawyers all jockeying for position, their relationships with each other and the mistakes they make. It made 1996 a memorable television year (along with Pride and Prejudice). And then about two years ago I noticed it was out on DVD!! Woooo Hoooo!! Was it really as good as I remembered it?
Oh yes! I spent all that weekend watching it back to back. And you know something the only thing that felt dated about it was the mobile(cell) phones. Oh and Jason Gedrick looks fabulous.They did do a second season but they changed the format and didn't have the one story line for the whole season and I think this made it weaker.
Run, don't walk to your rental place, or fire up Amazon or Netflix or however you get your video content and download THIS NOW! What 1990s TV show do you love?

Biddy is trying to resist the urge to watch Murder One season one again! She is in the middle of her first draft of the next book and has till the end of July to get it done.

Thursday Talk Time - Music Blast from the Past

This week columnist Annie West considers the delights of vintage albums.


There’s a problem in the West household. Our CD player isn’t working. Nor is the other one. We could, of course go out and buy a new one but we love this sound system. We’ve got a sentimental attachment to it, plus it allows us to load several CDs and forget it. And why pay for a new one if it can be fixed? A moot point at the moment as ‘fixing’ is taking longer and longer (trouble with parts but that’s another story).

The upshot is that the family has had to resort to other music options. The teenagers seem to have gone off the use of MP3 players for the moment, perhaps because they’ve discovered the delight of blasting the house with sound instead of just their own eardrums. As a result they’ve been raiding the old record collection.

Yep, I confess, we still own vinyl. Not only that, we still have a record player. My children came home from school a few years ago saying how impressed her friends were that we had….RECORDS in the cupboard. Many have never seen such things. And there was I thinking we were sadly out of date because we hadn’t disposed of the ancient recordings.

The novelty of a long playing record is such that my daughter was given a stack of them from her birthday. We’re acquiring them! Apparently it’s now cool to find shops that sell them second hand, and for poverty stricken students to buy them instead of CDs. The record collection is burgeoning and, as the part that will fix the CD player proves more elusive than the fabled yeti, we’re having a blast from the past.

Teen boys have delved into Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. And of course that’s led to hours on a bass guitar perfecting ‘Smoke on the Water’. The 80s are proving popular with BandAid a perennial fave among visitors. Suddenly I’m respected because I know the words to choruses from old songs! Never thought I’d see the day. Not only our own kids but others are rediscovering old recordings by Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie and so many others.

There are days when I sorely miss our CD player but in the meantime it’s rather fun not knowing what old album is going to be dug out and played. If I’m lucky it might even be one I know!

Do you have a favourite album from the past? One you can’t bear to part with? One you’d love to dance to if only they’d put it on Video Hits? What’s your favourite blast from the past?

Despite listening to music from the past, Annie’s more than happy with the here and now. She currently has TWO books on sale. THE GREEK’S CONVENIENT MISTRESS is a Presents release in North America. You can check it out or buy it here. BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INNOCENT WIFE is currently on sale in Australia and New Zealand and you can buy it here. If you visit Annie’s website you can read excerpts or enter a contest to win signed books.

Writer's Wednesday - Exercise

Please welcome Terri Reed with a post on the benefits of regular exercise!

Ugh!! Who wants to exercise?!?

Okay, it’s good for you. I know that. You know that. We all know that. Exercise keeps your body limber and the weight off, keeps your heart pumping and releases endorphins that make you feel better. Knowing it’s good for you, doesn’t make it any easier.

But what has that got to do with writing?

Well, first off, as a writer I sit at the computer long stretches of time, my back and neck stiffen and my head begins to pound. Not to mention that chair spread. Come on, you know what I’m talking about. People who sit in a chair for long periods of time find their behinds spread to fill the chair. Double ugh!!

A good reason to exercise, indeed.

Another good reason is to stimulate the creative juices . Yes, I’m serious. I find that if I exercise I am much more creative, better able to work through the blocks that rise to thwart my writing efforts and I’ve found that I write faster. If my body feels sluggish, my writing becomes sluggish.

Not to mention that if I exercise I’m a much better wife and mom. More patient, more loving and have a better outlook.

But not just any exercise will do. For me it has to be something I enjoy. Dancing is by far my favorite form of exercise. I attend Jazzercise at least three times a week and when I can’t get there, I turn on the music up loud and dance around the house.

So tell, am I crazy? Or do you find that exercise helps with everything you do?

Terri's current release is HER LAST CHANCE, a brand new Love Inspired Suspense. You can visit her online at www.loveinspiredauthors.com or email her at terrireed@sterling.net or see her blog at http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/ .

Temptation Tuesday - Cycling Holidays!!

This Tuesday Modern Heat/Harlequin Presents author Heidi Rice tries to persuade us that two wheels, an open road, plus a delicious meal, a hot bath and a massage from a hunky guy (if you can get it) at the end of it, is the only way to spend your precious holiday time... 

Okay, now I'm guessing that 95 percent of you lot saw the words "Temptation Tuesday" and "Cycling Holidays" and then thought "You've gotta be kidding me. What's indulgent, hedonistic, or even remotely tempting about aching muscles, a sore butt, sunburn and quite possibly exhaustion while I'm on holiday."

To which I would have to say, sit back, relax, get yourself a good pair of padded cycling shorts and some sunblock and think of the possibilities.

Cycling holidays for me have meant enjoying a deserted beach on the Aran Islands without a car in sight; staying at a luxury Chateau hotel in the Tarn Valley which is totally off the beaten track; seeing a spectacular view in Yosemite National Park without any other tourists peering over my shoulder; travelling the Ox Drove in the heart of Thomas Hardy country in Wiltshire and catching the bluebells in bloom; spending a long lazy summer day keeping pace with a barge on one of Holland's canals; getting a guided tour of Central Park's movie sites from a couple of jobbing actors; and indulging in a three-course meal in a tiny cafe in the Loire and feeling like I've earned it (ie: 'After cycling up that flipping mountain to get here, no way is that goat's cheese tart going  straight to my butt'). 

And that's just for starters.

There are several other universal advantages to cycling holidays — and cycling generally. Your two-wheeled steed will allow you to get to places you could never go in a car. It lets you see and experience the sights around you without anywhere near as much effort as walking and it's not nearly as boring (very important if you're as impatient as I am when it comes to sightseeing). 

You can do it with a friend, as a couple, as a family or even in a larger group. And you can find a cycling holiday - or excursion - to fit just about any level of aptitude or experience on a bike. 

Don't panic, you do not have to be a Tour de France contender to enjoy a cycling holiday. There's even a company called Cycling for Softies (which I've used a couple of times) who will arrange a week long pootle round the French countryside and guarantee a cordon bleu meal at a lovely little rural hostelrie at the end of each day's cycling. And if you bring along your other half (or just some hunky French guy you picked up en route) and persuade him to give you a back rub at the end of the day all the better. 

Plus you really can be just about any age. My 72-year-old mum went on cycling last year in Provence and loved it, while my husband and I and our youngest son did a youth hosteling tour in Holland a few years back with my sister and her family. The two seven-year-olds cycled a whopping 50km one day (yeah, alright, we got totally lost!!) but still had the energy to go haring round the hostel that night with all the other kids while the adults sat back with a cold glass of lager and played Uno. 

And even when things don't quite go according to plan it can be a laugh. Like the time when we had to cycle for six hours in the pissing rain but eventually found a cozy little cafe in a disused railway station that sold homemade soup and wheaten bread and let us dry our socks by their fire (and looked at us like we were totally insane). I tell you, ham and veg with a bit of stock has never tasted so fantastic.

And all that before you even factor in the feel-good (and feel-smug) benefits of exercise and fresh air (all right, Central Park wasn't all that fresh but our guides certainly were).

So there you go, get on yer bike for your next holiday... Feel energized, inspired and wonderfully self-righteous at the end of each day and watch your writer's butt disappear (or at least not get any worse).

Heidi's latest Modern Heat, Hot Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal is due out this month in the UK, in August in Australia (she thinks) as a Sexy Sensation and in September in the US as a Harlequin Presents. 

It involves a gorgeous Irish property tycoon, a feisty Portobello Road market stall holder, a luxury trip to New York and a fake two-week engagement... And absolutely no cycling. Honest.

Heidi loves to hear from readers, or cyclists, through her website or her blog.

Male on Monday - Wanted!

Welcome back to Male on Monday!

We've been blogging for over two years now and frankly, that's a lot of men. But it got me curious - what have been your favourite features and who have we left out?

Leave your choice in the comments, and I'll pick one to win a copy of HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE - my June release!