Book Review: Dark Memory (A Carpathian Novel Book 37) by Christine Feehan

Dark Memory (A Carpathian Novel Book 37)
by Christine Feehan
October 3, 2023
Experience a connection that defies death in this captivating novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian series.

Safia Meziane has trained since birth to protect her tribe, the family she holds so dear. All along she told herself the legends she was raised with were simply that. But now, she must call upon all of her skills to fight what lies ahead. Evil has come to their small town on the coast of Algeria, evil that Safia can feel but cannot see.

She is terrified she will not be able to protect the ones she loves. As her family’s “chosen one,” she has always believed she would face this task alone—until her family reveals she has been promised to a warrior who will join her. An outsider. A Carpathian. . . .

Petru Cioban is one of the oldest Carpathians in existence, and he has spent all that time without the soothing presence of his lifemate. For two thousand years he has waited for this woman to be reborn, only to find her in the sights of a monster he has fought before, a vampire risen again to finish a battle started centuries ago.

Now, Petru must face his greatest enemy and his greatest shame. He has no hope that Safia will forgive his betrayal once the memories of her past life return to her. But he will not make the same mistake again, even if he has to sacrifice everything for the woman who has claimed his immortal soul.

Amazon

This book started out incredibly slow with all the backstory about Safia's people and how her grandfather is the head of her tribe and has trained her to speak the Carpathian language for when she meets her lifemate. But he never told her that until recently and now she is not happy that the person she's supposed to marry is not someone from her tribe. Her grandfather also didn't tell her that this male she's been promised to is an immortal who drinks blood to live or that she will have to become like him in order to become his lifemate. Safia has been trained since she was very young to be the defender of her people against vampires and demons but she has yet to actually battle any. But her grandfather knows the time she will have to is fast approaching.

Safia is a warrior and when she has to face down vampires, demons and insects being controlled by evil who is out to kill her, she does so easily. She is also a tarot card reader and the cards tell her the future. When she finally meets Petru and the five Carpathian males that have accompanied him to help rid her village of the master vampires and demons that were sent there to kill her, she's not sure what to think of the male who is to be her lifemate.

This is not one of my favorites from this series because it's getting away from how this series started out with lots of Carpathians interacting with each other, nor did it bringing back characters from previous books. We don't see a lot of characters from previous books and that's a real shame, a missed opportunity right there. But I did like Petru, he was of course the typical Carpathian male who is bossy and likes to take charge but he saw Safia for the warrior she was and gave her the respect she deserved. So he at least had that going for him.

Towards the middle of the book it did pick back up and I found myself again very engaged in the story.

Dark Memory is book 37 in the Dark series by Christine Feehan, but I think it would be read as a standalone because we don't get a lot of backstory about the other characters from previous books.

I give this book 4 sheep!

 

 

Mary Kirkland
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author: website-FB-twitter I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don’t mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I’ll get a certain reaction and they don’t do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.

Book Review: Dark Whisper (A Carpathian Novel) Hardcover by Christine Feehan

Dark Whisper (A Carpathian Novel) Hardcover
by Christine Feehan

October 11, 2022
Embrace the seductive call of the latest novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian series.

Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is a Lycan of royal blood. She knows what is expected of her, but all she wants is to be out from under her family’s watchful eyes. There is a fire inside her that is building. A restlessness coupled with a sense of growing dread. Every day she feels the weight of the legacy passed down through generations. The prophecy that says a man will come to claim her as his mate, and that she will guard his soul. She knows nothing about him except that he is hers. But nothing seems real until the night she meets him in the flesh....

Afanasiv Belan is a Carpathian, an ancient one. In all the centuries of his existence, no one has ever affected him like Vasilisa. He can see into her mind and feel what is in her heart. They are so alike, warriors bound by honor and plagued by secrets. They both know they must reveal the darkest parts of their souls if they hope to survive and protect the ones they love.

But if they claim each other as lifemates, it will change them down to the bone. They will become something more—something feared by both of their kinds....

Amazon

Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is being pushed by her family and people to take a mate soon. She is one of the royal lycans and knows her duty, but she also knows that she cannot mate just yet. She holds a secret inside her that even her family doesn't know. She holds the other half of a Carpathian male's soul. She knows she is destined to be his mate, but she also knows that because of her friendship with a female Carpathian, she is different from her family and no longer fully Lycan. If her family were to find out, there might be big trouble for her because her family and her people already don't trust the Carpathians.

When Vasilisa comes across a Carpathian male who needs her help, she knows he's her mate, and so does he. She doesn't think she's ready to be a mate to someone yet, but the pull between them is strong. Afanasiv Belan is an ancient Carpathian who had been staying at the monastery with some of the other ancient Carpathian males. They are very old and very dangerous because they have lived so long without their mates. Some of them are close to turning vampire or meeting the sun, so they don't turn into vampires. Vampires are Carpathians that have lived too long and chosen to turn into evil vampires. Carpathian males hunt these evil creatures and kill them. Afanasiv has killed too many to count, and with each new kill, they are pushed to the edge without their mates.

I liked Afanasiv because he knew right away that Vasilisa was a warrior, an equal to himself and, he didn't try to stop her from being what she was. If you've been reading this series, you know how dominant and alpha some of these Carpathian males can be, always telling their mates what is best for them. It gets old, at least to me, so it was nice to see this male being proud of the warrior Vasilisa was. The action scenes were great. The romance between Afanasiv and Vasilisa took a backseat to the story of how the evil has infiltrated her family, how it got there and who was behind it though. I was kind of hoping for more romance between these two, but we don't really get that until towards the end of the book because there were so many other things going on getting in the way of that.

For me, this book was a little slow, though, with all the rehashing of some of the backstory of some of the villains we already know. I also think some of the names of these characters are starting to get ridiculous. Yes, they are unique, but in my head, while reading, I know I'm not pronouncing them right and just shorten them for myself.

The twists and turns this story took made it interesting, though. There were so many times I thought I knew where this story was going or who was behind the curtain pulling the strings, only to find out I was wrong. If you've been reading this series from the beginning like I have, you'll like this installment, but this series is really best to be read in order because of all of the characters who have a habit of showing up unexpectedly in some books throughout the series. Not that I'm complaining about this, I like seeing old couples and finding out how they are. But because there are so many couples, so many characters and more characters popping up in each new book, it's best to read in order to get the full effect. The ancients from the monastery and their mates are really adding new facets to this series which I like and there are still many ancients who haven't found their mates yet, so it'll be interesting to see who finds their mate next.

I give this book 4 sheep.
Mary Kirkland
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter

I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don't mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I'll get a certain reaction and they don't do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.

Book Review: Dark Song (A Carpathian Novel #34) Hardcover by Christine Feehan

Dark Song (A Carpathian Novel #34) Hardcover

by Christine Feehan

September 1, 2020

448 pages

Publisher: Berkley

Two Carpathians find hope in the bond that ties their souls in this passionate novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Stolen from her home at a young age and tormented for centuries, Elisabeta Trigovise is scared to show herself to anyone. Even though she has been rescued and is now safe within the Carpathian compound, she has lived in fear for so long she has no idea how to survive without it. She wants to answer the siren call of her lifemate—but the very thought terrifies her.

Before he found Elisabeta, Ferro Arany was an ancient warrior without emotion. Now that his senses have come alive, he knows it will take more than kind words and soft touches to convince the fractured woman that they are partners, not master and prisoner. For now, he will give her his strength until she finds hers, allowing the steady rhythm of his heart to soothe Elisabeta's fragile soul.

But even as she learns to stand on her own, the vampire who kept her captive is desperate to claim her again, threatening the song Elisabeta and Ferro are writing together.

If you've been reading this series then you already know Elisabeta. She's the heroine of this book and her story is a very sad one. She was captured by a vampire who kept her hostage for a very long time and once she was rescued and safe, her lifemate found her. Now she's healing, mentally and physically so she can get to know her lifemate.

Ferro is a Carpathian warrior and knew as soon as he heard Elisabeta's voice that she was his lifemate. She's been in captivity for so long that she's afraid of everything so he has to curb is own alpha personality and be extra gentle with her.

When Sergey sets out to get Elisabeta back from the compound that she's safely tucked away in with Ferro, he and the others will not stop until she's safe. But when the ancients, kids, and humans all start to develop anger issues at the compound, the healer knows that something isn't right. Somehow Sergey or his minions have succeeded in getting inside and infecting some of the people there. It's an all-out war between them and Sergey when he turns the danger up a notch in his obsessive need to get Elisabeta back. But then we learn Sergey isn't only after her and a new and surprising twist is thrown in the story.

All the while, Ferro is there by her side, being strong for her, showing her that he can be trusted and that she's not the coward she thinks she is. With Ferro's help, Elisabeta slowly comes out of her shell and shows everyone that she's a strong woman with gifts of her own.

I've been reading this series from the beginning and have loved most of the books but I have to say that Ferro and Elisabeta are one of my favorite couples. They are so good together and make each other better and stronger. I liked that we got to see some characters from past books and a small look at how they are doing. I liked that new characters were introduced and hope to see them in upcoming books. I always look forward to the next book in this series and this one did not let me down.

I give this book 5 sheep!

Mary Kirkland
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter

I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don't mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I'll get a certain reaction and they don't do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.

Double Book Review: Dark Illusion (Carpathian Novel, A Book 33) by Christine Feehan + excerpt

Dark Illusion (Carpathian Novel, A Book 33)

by Christine Feehan
September 3, 2019

430 pages
Publisher: Berkley
ASIN: B07L7VS35Q 

ISBN: 9781984803467
At any other time, Julija Brennan would find solace in the quiet of the Sierra Mountains, but now the mage is in the race of her life. Having broken free from her controlling family, Julija’s attempt to warn the Carpathians of the coming threat has failed and put a target on her back—and those who are hunting her are close behind.…

After centuries locked away in a monastery in the Carpathian Mountains, Isai Florea can’t believe he’s finally found his lifemate—the missing half of his soul. The second he sees Julija, his world blazes with color. But despite their explosive connection, Julija rebels against what she sees as Isai’s intent to control her and rejects the bond that would prevent him from becoming a monster.

As their unfulfilled bond continues to call to them both, Julija and Isai aim to complete the task that brought them together. They are used to facing danger alone, but now the mage and the ancient warrior must learn how to rely on each other in order to stop a plot that threatens all Carpathians.

Review by Mary Kirkland 
-Dark Thoughts Blog

4 sheep

Now for many it might be difficult to keep the past history and characters of Ms. Feehan’s Carpathian series straight unless you read many past books in the series, but it's not necessary to read past books to still enjoy this one as a complete story. It may even tempt you to read the ones that came before this one. Also take note, there are some triggers here for readers who have grappled with abuse though nothing too graphic.

Julija is on the run from her family and the Carpathians as well as others. She's been tracking a Carpathian who took Xavier's evil book of spells because she doesn't understand why he took off with the book instead of taking it to his Prince. She's afraid he may try to use the book to bring back his dead lifemate.

Isai was sent after Julija to get the book back but as soon as he meets her, he knows they are lifemates. He's kept himself locked away in a monastery for a long time because he knew he was dangerous and close to turning. In the monastery, there were others like him and we've seen a few of them in previous books.

I've been reading this series for a long time so I already knew that some of these Carpathian males could be centuries old and have different views since they are from a different time. But this guy pissed me off right from the start. He's just met Julija, finds out she's his lifemate and spanks her because she won't do what he says right away. This dude was a bit much at first. But his personality did get better as the book went on, which I was happy about.

They clash right from the start but become intimate really fast, which I didn't understand or like but as the book went on, it made a lot more sense. While they are trying to find the Carpathian who has the book and stay one step ahead of her family they get to know each other better. We get to know what her life has been like up to this point and let's just say it was not good. This girl has been used, humiliated, tortured and kept captive against her will. Not only has she been brainwashed by her father but also by someone she thought was her friend. When we find out who she's related to, it's a big twist and it also explains why she was beat down and brainwashed as much as she was because she's more powerful than even she knew.

Xavier's evil book of spells was crazy and it was almost like it was alive. It's no wonder the good guys didn't want this in the hands of the bad guys because this thing was so powerful, it could defend itself. It was wild.

The addition of the shadow cats was one that I loved. They are more than meets the eye but because they were an experiment and tortured to be killers, they aren't trusted by anyone. Watching their story unfold was one of my favorite parts of this book.

While this wasn't my favorite book in this series, it was still really good and well worth the read.

Review by Pamela K. Kinney
4 sheep

Julija comes from a mage family with direct ties to the villainous triplets: Xavier, Xayvion, and Xaviero. Brainwashed and brutalized her entire life, she is still able to break away from her family and a man named Barnabas to warn the Carpathian people. Julija is also a mistress of illusion.

Isai is on the trail of his blood brother. On his hunt, he finds Julija who he recognizes as the lifemate he has been searching for all his long life (he is an Ancient) and has restored color and emotion to him. His biases and her scars make for some firework level clashes as these two learn to work together despite coming from contradicting life philosophies. They also save and take on three pairs of mated shadow cats, adding them to their “family.”

Dark, with plenty of excitement with the battles between the evil mages and Barnabas using magic to fight both Julija and Isai, along with the shadow cats, there is a certain mold for the Carpathian series. This has broken that mold a bit, with the mages, even Juilia being as strong as Isai and he accepts that. If you enjoy romance, especially the spicy, erotic kind, in vampires, the paranormal, wizards and sorcerers, all set in our modern times, you will enjoy this novel.

Chapter 4
At first, he had thought to keep his distance from Julija so when he left it wouldn’t hurt so much, but for some reason he couldn’t fathom, he really wanted to get to know her. Already, everything she said and did just made him want her more. His interest was genuine, and his sincerity came through in his tone.

“I love to play the piano,” she offered without hesitation.

He lifted his head to look her directly in the eyes. Her face lit up, and her eyes went bright. Her immediate answer was the last thing he expected from her. He didn’t know why. Maybe because of all things, music brought him a semblance of peace when he was so alone. It didn’t make him feel anything, so it had never made sense, but when he heard music, everything wild in him stilled.

“The piano?” Deliberately, he provoked her. He found he didn’t like Julija subdued. He infused skepticism into his voice. “You play?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You do know what a piano is, don’t you?”

“I certainly do, but am having a difficult time believing you do. It takes discipline to master the keyboard. You do not have discipline in abundance.” The moment the words left his mouth, he felt the sting of an insect on his left cheek, low, by the corner of his mouth. He clapped his hand over what should have been a bug but was nothing but air. He glared at Julija. She sat there looking innocent. Too innocent.

“Did you just zap me?”

She lifted one hand and inspected her fingernails. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The moment the words left her mouth, she felt the smack of a hard hand on her bottom, which was impossible because she was sitting. She jumped and glared at him. “We are about to go to war.”

“You fired the first shot, little mage.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, fine, I surrender.”

He was almost disappointed. He liked sparring with her better than he should have. “I was teasing about you playing the piano,” he conceded. “You’re very . . .” He searched for the proper word. Adorable. Cute. He didn’t use words like that to describe his woman. Fiery. Passionate. Sexy. He finally settled on, “I like it, and I shouldn’t have baited you.” She looked pleased and he sighed with relief that he got something right with her.

“I actually was teasing you a little bit, too,” she admitted. “I didn’t mind. In fact, I kind of liked zapping you.”

“I knew you did it.”

She looked smug. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg in case you’re rethinking our truce.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Tell me what you like about playing the piano.”

“I love playing the piano because it gives me a sense of peace. I can go far away from everything and everyone and just fall into the music. It transports me to a safe place. At least it feels safe.”

He went still inside. Her statement revealed a lot about her. So far, he’d been more than respectful, not reading her mind but waiting for her to give consent. It didn’t appear as if that was going to happen anytime soon. He needed to know everything about Julija.

About the Author:

website-FB-twitter
I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don't mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I'll get a certain reaction and they don't do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.

Book Review: Dark Carousel (A Carpathian Novel: Dark #30) by Christine Feehan

Dark Carousel (Dark #30)
by Christine Feehan
August 2nd 2016 by Berkley
Hardcover, 432 pages
In the new Carpathian novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, a woman falls prey to the seductive allure of the past—and a vampire warrior’s intoxicating embrace...

The moment Charlotte Vintage walks into his club, Tariq Asenguard’s blood is set on fire. The ancient Carpathian had given up hope of finding his lifemate, but now he will do anything to make Charlotte his own. What Tariq doesn’t know is that Charlotte is using herself and her best friend as bait—to try to draw out the bloodthirsty killers who have already murdered Charlotte’s brother and mentor.

Charlotte is familiar with Tariq. Not only is he one of the richest and most eligible bachelors in the city, but he’s also a renowned collector of old carousel horses, which Charlotte restores. Their shared passion opens Charlotte up to trusting him with her life and with the desire she can no longer control. But it also makes her vulnerable to a centuries-old curse that will unite her and Tariq in a war against the enemies of humans and Carpathians alike.

After going to the Morrison Center for psychic testing and not liking the feel of the people there, Charlotte and best friend Genevieve have been stalked by a person or people who have been murdering their friends and family. After Charlotte's brother is murdered she gets custody of his 3 year old daughter. It seems the police can't help them because even they can't defend themselves from whoever is murdering people and draining them of all their blood. So Charlotte and Genevieve come up with a crazy plan to draw the stalker out. That's when they meet Tariq.

Tariq Asenguard is a centuries old Carpathian male who has been waiting for his lifemate to bring back the color and happiness into his life. Once he senses her at the club, there's no stopping him from finding her and making her his. Like most Carpathian males, he's overbearing, old school and very alpha. But he's also modern in some ways. I guess it takes a modern day man to snag a modern day women.

Tariq collects old carousels and Charlotte restores them. Tariq had actually contacted Charlotte's mentor about restoring his collection before he ever knew that Charlotte was his lifemate. It seems fate is a funny thing. Tariq's newest addition of carousels seem to have a curse attached to them, which is a mystery that was interesting to watch unfold and find out exactly how the figurines came about and how they got cursed.

Tariq knows that Charlotte and her friend are in danger so he offers to keep them safe but he is also keeping safe a few children who the vampires had kidnapped and tortured before they could be rescued.

This is a very dark story, very creepy but the story unfolds in a way that you not only feel the darkness in what the vampires have done and are trying to do but you don't get so much of the gore that it ends up being a horrorfest. There's also some really good news for another of the ancient Carpathians at the end of the book that really made me smile. I do love twists and knowing there are things to look forward to.

I've been reading this series for something like 16 years and I still look forward to each book that comes out.

I give this book 5 Sheep

Mary Kirkland
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:

website-FB-twitter

I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don't mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I'll get a certain reaction and they don't do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.

Book Review: Dark Promises (Dark #28) by Christine Feehan

Dark Promises (Dark #28)
by Christine Feehan
March 15th 2016 by Berkley

Hardcover, 384 pages
Lovers challenge destiny and risk their lives in the new Carpathian novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling “queen of paranormal romance.”*

Gabrielle has had enough of battles, of wars, of seeing Gary Jansen, the man she loves nearly lose his life when it isn’t even his fight. Once he was a gentle and very human researcher. Now he’s a fearless and lethal Carpathian warrior with the blood of an ancient lineage coursing through his veins—a man Gabrielle still needs and desires and dreams of with every breath she takes. All she wants is a life far away from the Carpathian mountains, far from vampires and the shadows cast by the crumbling monastery that hides so many terrible secrets. But Gabrielle soon learns that promises made in the dark can pierce the heart like a dagger.

And she isn’t the only one in search of answers in the corners of the unknown...

Trixie Joanes has come to the Carpathian mountains in search of her wayward granddaughter, fearing that she has been lured there by something unspeakable. Instead, Trixie has stumbled into the path of a desperate man and a woman in love and on the run. And they’re all fated for the lair of a mysterious ancient with revenge in his soul and the undying power to make bad dreams come true.

Gabrielle had been human before she was turned and now lives as a Carpathian. She doesn't feel like she fits in and isn't comfortable with her new Carpathian life. She and Gary, who was also turned, were in love before they had been turned and Gary is about to make them lifemate's by saying the sacred words. But things don't go as they were supposed to and ended up taking a very bad turn.

What do you do when you find out that the man you love, isn't your lifemate?

Things go from bad to worse when a very ancient Carpathian male hears his lifemate screaming at the gate to the monastery he's taken refuge in. Aleksei doesn't know what's going on, only that his lifemate is in distress and he must go to her and stop the man who is upsetting her, even if she wants nothing to do with him and wants another Carpathian male. Aleksei is not a modern male at all, he's very old and expects his lifemate to fall at his feet and obey him. When she doesn't, he does what most Carpathian males do, he throws her over his shoulder and whisks her away.

At first I hated Aleksei, he was overbearing, controlling and domineering. This guy would have gotten a frying pan to the face from me but he turns out to be exactly what Gabrielle needs.

Now usually there's one couple in a romance book getting to know one another and the storyline revolves around them but that's not the case with this book and I loved that. We get a bonus second couple who find each other in this book. Teagan's grandmother has come searching for her granddaugher. Trixie is in her 60's but that doesn't stop this sassy lady from carrying a box full of vampire killing tools with her, thinking that she's going to have to kill a few vampires in order to find her granddaughter. What she finds first is a huge shock to her and to me, because I wasn't expecting this story line at all but dang if I didn't love it.

If you've been a fan of this series but the last few books have been a let down to you, then this is the book you've been waiting for. This book is more like the first few books in the series and I was oh so happy to see so much going on. We finally get a look at some of the ancients that are close to turning vampire that reside in the monastery and find out how some of the female lifemates are going to help them. This book is full of story, full of new characters and full of fun.

I give this book 5 sheep!

Mary Kirkland
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don't mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I'll get a certain reaction and they don't do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.