Gillian Fitzgerald
Bio Gil
I was the kid who always had
her nose in a book because books could
be depended upon-- and since we moved a
lot ( I was in 8 schools before
graduating from high school, and I've
lived in Connecticut, Miami, Maryland,
Washington D.C., NYC, Syracuse, NY,
north Florida, Atlanta, Maine and
Japan), they gave continuity to my
life. I began to write when I was in
third grade, and haven't stopped since
then. I realized in high school that
there were only three possible careers
for me: English teacher, librarian,
writer. I acquired 2 masters' degrees
along the way, and I've done all
three. I've had stories published in
Dragon, F&SF, Elsewhere, Amazons II,
Heroic Visions II, Friends of the Horse
Clans, Australian Women's Forum,
Prometheus and Ripe Fruit. They range
from straight fantasy to romantic
erotica to kinky erotica. I've also
written reviews and articles
professionally, and my favorite bit on
my resume is the fact that I wrote
horror reviews for Marvel Comics old
B&W Tomb of Dracula.
A true romantic, I've been
married twice. Widowed at 34, I
thought my life was over--but I met a
wonderful man named Ben, and we've been
traveling the world together for over
15 years now. . Currently we're into
SCA (occasionally), LARPing, Goth and
fetish, and I'm a Seriously Elder Goth
(old enough to be most of my friends'
mother). My hobbies include
constructing accurate period costumes,
drawing, embroidery, and, of course,
reading. I'm also kinky, which
explains why I review a lot of erotica.
When I review, I expect the same
qualities in erotica that I do in a
romance, sf, mystery or fantasy novel.
Like most readers, I have certain
things that are instant turn-off and
things which make a book a keeper. I
try not to review books that I know I
won't like from past experience with
the author. And I usually read at lest
two books by an author (anyone can pen
a bad one) before I decide not to read
them again. Some genres annoy me. I
tend to avoid futuristics because I'm a
life-long sf fan, and I prefer there to
be a bit of science in books portraying
the future. Darn it, if there's a pink
sky on that planet, it should be a pink
for a reason other than that the writer
thought it would be pretty or
different. This doesn't mean that I
think futuristics are no good. I don't
care for Civil War or American West
settings. Doesn't mean the books are
bad. It just means *I* don't care for
them. A good reviewer knows her
biases, and is honest with herself and
the reader about them. Sometimes it's
best to NOT review a book if you know
in advance you're very likely to hate
it. Anyway, here's my hit list of
Fatal Flaws in books.
* A heroine who's a dishrag or too
stupid to live. If she has to be an
idiot to make the plot work-- get a new
plot.
* A contemporary heroine who is an over-
age virgin at 28+ without a good
reason. The average age for girls
losing their virginity is 17 and over
50% have lost it by age 19, so it does
make her unusual, although not
necessarily unrealistic. I just want
to know why, and it doesn't have to be
a long-drawn out explanation. But
please spare me the Horny Virgin who
knows more sex tricks than Dr. Ruth and
turns into Ms. Insatiable as soon as
she loses her hymen.
* Supposedly Alpha or dominant heroes
who are really abusers in fancy
clothes. They may not knock the
heroine around, but they usually have a
hold over her so that she can't refuse
them sex. She may be desperately
attracted to him, and under other
circumstances would want to screw his
brains out, but she doesn't have the
chance to refuse--and that makes it
forced sex in my book. Rapists do not
make good heroes IMHO. If I know an
author uses this plot device, I opt out
of reviewing her books. Many women
love this genre. Capture and "forced
sex" are common fantasies. I leave
these books for someone whose taste
runs that way.
* Babies As Matchmakers, or what
Raelene calls The Dreaded Baby Book.
* Inaccuracy. If I plunk down $6 of my
hard-earned cash for a book, I expect
the writer to have done her homework,
which means doing the research
necessary to get the facts right.
Historicals with really dumb errors
annoy me the most, because there's no
point in using an historical setting if
the time period doesn't have a role in
the story. I don't expect people to get
every nit-picky detail right, but they
owe the reader the basics: what people
wore, where they lived, what they ate,
what courtship was like, and some vague
notion of the history of the time--like
getting the name of the king right.
Most of these questions can be answered
by a visit ot the children's section of
the library where you can get a series
of books with titles like "Everyday
Life In____." Respect our intelligence.
* Kinky sex written by people who have
never tried it, and didn't bother to
research it. I'm proud to state that I
am kinky--in fact, I'm a bedroom
submissive, despite my big mouth and
strong opinions and occasional descents
into sarcasm. Very few books by
vanilla writers accurately portray the
reality of a Dom/sub relationship.
It's generally Story of O retold for
the umpteenth time. O is fantasy. It
has nothing to do with reality. Give
people in the lifestyle their due, and
find out what it's really like. You can
usually find a group near you where
someone will be willing to sit down and
talk to you--just do a Net search using
keywords "bdsm organizations clubs
groups" and it's very likely there's
one near you. Or try this link--
http://www.fetishscene.com/fetishscene/
There are also plenty of books on the
subject written by people who do this:
Screw the Roses, Give Me the Thorns;
S/M 101; the Topping Book; The
Bottoming Book; The Loving Dominant.
Most are available through Amazon. And
if necessary, write to me. I may be
able to help.
* One last thing that makes me crazy:
reviewers who sharpen their claws on
other people's books. Maybe it's
because I was trained to do reader
advisory as a librarian--recommending
books to people based on their
interests and tastes, not my own--but I
am appalled when a reviewer savages a
book and uses it as an opportunity to
showcase his or her wit. I don't mean
reviewers shouldn't be critical of a
book. They should. If there are
errors of fact, if the plot is nothing
but one misunderstanding after another,
if the characters are cardboard
cutouts, the 10th century Viking
heroine is tromping around Iceland in a
crinoline, and the dialogue ghastly,
it's the reviewer's JOB to point this
out for the reader. However, this
doesn't have to be done with unholy
glee and wicked relish. I try to
remember that the writer is a person
just like me, with feelings, and I
attempt to make my criticisms helpful
rather than mean-spirited. Maybe it's
the English teacher in me, but reviews
should be helpful, not cruel. Plus,
it's always helpful to remember that
just because YOU don't like the book (
there are some best-selling authors
people rave about that I can't read),
doesn't necessarily make it a bad book.
.
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Reviews
21 - 40 of 51
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F.M.P. Society
by Dakota Cassidy
"Hilarious riff on Cinderella, with sex toys an three ditzy fairy godmothers."
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted April 4, 2004
The FMP (Fuck Me Pumps) Society consists of Katia, Simone,
and Mia. They are three deceased supermodels turned fairy
godmothers whose current assignment is rearranging
cafeteria owner Cara Anthony's humdrum life. For the last
few years she's had a crush on gorgeous executive Alexander
Mackenzie, who seems completely unaware Read more...
In Black
by Kate Hill
"Erotic vampire tale leaves you wanting more"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 9, 2004
When her recently married friend Rosa wants to fix her up
with an actor, Ivy agrees to attend the performance of
MacBeth in which he was starring to scope him out. She
isn't interested in a blind date, but one look at gorgeous
Jacob is enough to change her mind. She Read more...
A New Year's Bite
by Lydia Parks
"Steamy vampire romance"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted February 19, 2004
This really isn't a novella, but three vignettes that
center around the lives of Detective Terra, a cop with the
Atlanta PF. In the first, she's after a serial killer
called the Slasher, but her real problem is her new
boyfriend Sam, a wonderful man with just one small flaw: Read more...
Forgotten Wishes
by MaryJanice Davidson, Joey W. Hill, Joanna Wylde
"An anthology where every story is worth reading!"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 26, 2004
Most anthologies are uneven, but this one has three
extremely well-written tales, and I enjoyed all fo them,
even one in a subgenre I normally avoid like the plague.
"Love's Tender Fury" by Maryjanice Davidson
This is a comic delight and a certain homage to Will and
Grace. The romance-writer heroine Read more...
Moon Magick
by Rae Morgan
"Magical warfare and a hunky hero, fun and fast-paced"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted April 14, 2004
Brenna Lindsay is far more than her day-to-day role as
owner of an herbal and organic produce business implies.
She is also a highly trained Wiccan priestess, a member of
the Coven of the Wolf, largest Wiccan coven in the country.
Something is evil in the small Indiana town where Read more...
Evil to the Max
by J. B. Skully
"Intricate plot, hot sex, appealing characters, fast and funny dialogue."
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted February 15, 2004
Two years ago, thirty-something Max Starr had it all: a
gorgeous, successful husband, a good shot at making partner
in her accounting firm, a beautiful condo. One horrible
night robbed her of all them, a night in which her husband
Cameron was gunned down by robbers at a convenience store Read more...
The Brotherhood
by T. L. Schaefer
"Recommended for fans of romantic suspense, paranormals, and horror."
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted March 10, 2004
When a member of the local neo-Nazi Christian fundmentalist
militia, the Brotherhood of Freedom, is found beaten to a
bloody pulp, Sheriff Doug Brewster knows it's not gonna be
a good day. Half the town belongs to the group, and he
knows there will be a lot of pressure. If Read more...
Something Wicked
by Jacqueline Meadows
"Sexy P.I. who's Queen of the Witches"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted August 8, 2004
Desdemona Phatt has the worst name I've very heard for a
heroine, but it prepared her to become the tough private
eye she is. This is not one of her good weeks. While
catching a cheating husband, she witnesses a thief attempt
to steal the mayor's wife's purse — and Read more...
Snow Angel
by Joey W. Hill
"For fans of bondage stories and old-fashioned love stories."
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 9, 2004
Constance Jayne Bradwell has never liked Christmas. The
product of many foster homes, it was never a good time of
year for her, and this year isn't any different. She still
hasn't found the man to love her and cherish her, and she
has given up hope of ever Read more...
It's a Vampire Thing
by Dakota Cassidy
"Gorgeous vamp hero and feisty heroine, spiced with laughter"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted July 18, 2004
Claire Treemont is used to dead bodies. After all, she
works in the Medical Examiner's office and performs
autopsies daily. What she isn't used to is being turned on
by sight of a particularly handsome and well-hung corpse,
one Zachariah Kowalski (yes, he's a POLISH vampire). And
she is especially Read more...
Sex with Your Ex
by Dakota Cassidy
"Hilarious and sexy angel"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted August 14, 2004
I am NOT a lover of angelic intervention tales. However, I
can happily assure you that Pricilla, the unwilling
guardian angel stuck on earth duty, is nothing like
Roma Downey in Touched By An Angel. She's a big-haired,
self-absorbed gal who spent more time chasing men while
alive than she did Read more...
The Glass Stripper
by Sahara Kelly
"hot and hilarious send-up of Cinderella"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted June 15, 2004
Syndea Ellerby's life is sheer hell. A promise to her dying
father has left her managing the Glass Stripper, a down-at-
the-heels dungeon she co-owns with her greedy stepmother
and brainless stepsisters. She draws the line at being
spanked by the customers, but she's doing everything else
from making appointments to Read more...
Enchained
by Jaid Black, Joey W. Hill, Ann Jacobs
"Three terrific BDSM erotica stories"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 19, 2004
"Mastered" by Ann Jacobs
Rocky Delgado is a homicide detective and a Bruce Willis
look-alike -- and a dominant who seeks a submissive to
cherish as well as master. Sandra Giancone is a cool, self-
controlled prosecutor, who secretly longs for the Master
who moved away, a master who was somewhat abusive Read more...
Skin Deep
by Jasmine Haynes
"When phone sex becomes the real thing, passions ignite"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted June 27, 2004
Kirby Prescott likes her life just the way it is. She's CEO
of her own small cosmetics company. She has no desire to
get married and have kids, despite her engaged twin
sister's nagging. She prefers her vibrator, Mr. Perfect,
or casual sex with no strings attached to hearts and
flowers Read more...
Bittersweet Homecoming
by Ann Jacobs
"Sensual and compassionate exploration of love with physically handicapped man."
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 31, 2004
Eight years ago, prosecutor Andi Young had a wild weekend
with sexy Dominant Gray Syzmanski, a studly DEA agent, who
then left on a secret mission to South America. Two weeks
later, Andi found herself pregnant with Gray's son -- and
tried desperately to contact him, only to be rejected Read more...
Cottonwood Hill
by Christine DeLong Miller
"Well-crafted, suspenseful ghost story with Gothic overtones"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted January 11, 2005
The surprise inheritance of a half interest Cottonwood
Hill, an old house in rural Ohio, seems like a godsend to
horror writer Kelly Masters: a nice safe haven for her and
her six-year-old daughter Jenna. New York City holds too
many memories, including the murder of her husband by
teenagers Read more...
Revelations
by Brenna Lyons
"Think DaVinci Code meets X Files: suspense, sex, mystery, theological issues"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted July 22, 2004
When Kyla is rescued from being run over by a handsome
stranger named Joe Connor, she thinks he's just a nice,
sexy guy who happened to be on the spot a the right moment.
But Joe is much more than that. A mysterious woman named
Gram has hired him to Read more...
Dead To the Max
by J. B. Skully
"tightly plotted paranormal suspense novel"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 21, 2004
Life's hard for Max. Two years ago she witnessed her
husband's murder and was brutally raped and beaten by his
killers. His non-corporeal ghost (who can still make his
presence felt) is the only happiness left in her life. She
works as a temp, lives in a tiny studio, and picks Read more...
In His Own Defense
by Ann Jacobs
"Romance sparks when hotshot defense lawyer meets a determined prosecutor."
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted January 5, 2005
Tony Landry came up the hard way. The son of a convicted
murderer who died in prison, he grew up in migrant camps
and foster homes and went to college on an athletic
scholarship. Now he's a famous criminal defense attorney,
and he's newly returned to Tampa, the town he Read more...
Captured
by Ann Jacobs, Carroll Mavis-Raine
"Emotionally searing, flamingly sensual novellas"
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted June 27, 2004
"Entrapped" by Ann Jacobs
Jamil is a Kuwaiti pilot shot down during the Gulf War,
whose skills as a geo-petroleum engineer kept him from
being released. He's spent the last eleven years slaving in
the oil fields of Iraq and suffering the tortures of the
damned at the hands of his Read more...
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