Today’s villaintine is direct and to the point! Simply put, when someone walks onto the page or screen with a little leather or lace, maybe the evil eyeliner, definitely the cutting wit, I say: Spare your tormented backstory? Spare your number? Evil’s just sexier. That’s a quote from Long Live Evil, and if you agree pray be so kind as to preorder for extra evil treats from Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas, a fabulous indie that has kindly agreed to celebrate villainy with me.
I was there on tour once for my first series, The Demon’s Lexicon, long ago. I was lucky enough to be put on tour with Holly Black, who has always been a rock star babe genius.
Kindly Bookseller: Holly Black is here! And you, I’d never heard of you.
Sarah (this happened all the time, I was unbothered): Very natural. A rock star babe genius is here, we’re going to have fun.
Kindly Bookseller: So I read both your books and I really liked them and I told my regulars to read them and I printed out your short stories from your website. Sign your short stories for me?
Sarah (this did not happen all the time) … oh my god?
At the event, there were many loyal customers and crime lovers who were here to see us because their booksellers said we fantasy creatures were good, and they trusted their local, and were an extremely engaged audience.
I never forgot that, and I’m excited they’re with me on my villain’s journey. Into the book, and having the best fun and best lines and the worst fate along with the villains. Murder by the Book indeed.
Also, my protagonist (can’t call her the heroine, that’s someone else) has a pet snake. Every evil accessory! Come meet the snek.
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ALL THE BOOKS I’VE READ IN 2022
I’m so late to this but here it is :)
JANUARY:
A Kiss For A Kiss by Helena Hunting 5 ⭐
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey 2⭐
Ugly Love by Coleen Hoover 2⭐
From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata 5⭐
The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise 5⭐
FEBRUARY:
Corrupt by Penelope Douglas 2⭐
Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas 4′5⭐
Hideaway by Penelope Douglas 4⭐
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata 4⭐
Piso Para Dos (The Flatshare) by Beth O’Leary 4′5⭐
The Intimacy Experiement by Rosie Danan 3′25⭐
Neon Gods by Katee Roberts 5⭐
Addicted To You by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 2⭐
Terms And Conditions by Lauren Asher 5⭐
MARCH:
Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas 3′75⭐
Conclave by Penelope Douglas 3′5⭐
Ricochet by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 4⭐
Addicted For Now by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Hook, Line And Sinker by Tessa Bailey 5⭐
Kiss The Sky by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Hothouse Flower by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Fire Night by Penelope Douglas 3⭐
Thrive by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 4′75⭐
Addicted After All by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Fuel The Fire by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Long Way Down by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Some Kind Of Perfect by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly 4′75 ⭐
Bound By Honor by Cora Reilly 1′75 ⭐
Bound By Hatred by Cora Reilly 3′75 ⭐
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 3 ⭐
APRIL:
Todo Lo Que Nunca Fuimos by Alice Kellen 2 ⭐
Mr. Masters by TJ. Swan 3 ⭐
Todo Lo Que Somos Juntos by Alice Kellen 3′5 ⭐
Mr. Spencer by TJ. Swan 3 ⭐
Electric Idol by Katee Roberts 4⭐
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 4⭐
Marriage For One by Ella Maise 2⭐
Bound By Temptation by Cora Reilly 4 ⭐
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle 4 ⭐
Bound By Love by Cora Reilly 3⭐
Bound By Blood by Cora Reilly 3⭐
Twisted Emotions by Cora Reilly 4⭐
Twisted Pride by Cora Reilly 4⭐
Twisted Bonds by Cora Reilly 5⭐
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma 3 ⭐
MAY:
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan 5⭐
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan 4 ⭐
Whatever It Takes by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
Wherever You Are by Kristina and Becca Ritchie 5⭐
JUNE:
Faking With Benefits by Lily Gold 5⭐
Marfil by Mercedes Ron 2 ⭐
One Percent Of You by Michelle Gross 5⭐
My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey 4⭐
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry 4 ⭐
A Million Kisses In Your Timeline by Monica Murphy 4 ⭐
Meet Me Halfway by Lilian T. James 5⭐
JULY:
Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter 3 ⭐
Puck Shy by Teagan Hunter 5 ⭐
Blind Pass by Teagan Hunter 5 ⭐
One-Timer by Teagan Hunter 5 ⭐
Texting Titan by Kaci Rose 3 ⭐
The Favor by Suzanne Wright 3 ⭐
Royally Screwed by Emma Chase 4 ⭐
Royally Endowed by Emma Chase 5 ⭐
Royally Matched by Emma Chase 5⭐
Sin Bin by Teagan Hunter 5 ⭐
Ignite by Melanie Harlow 3 ⭐
AUGUST:
Blind Side by Kandi Steiner 5 ⭐
Flawless by Elsie Silver 5 ⭐
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score 5 ⭐
Praise by Sara Cate 3⭐
Eyes On Me by Sara Cate 4⭐
Give Me More by Sara Cate 5⭐
Mercy by Sara Cate 3⭐
SEPTEMBER:
Beach Read by Emily Henry 5⭐
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace 5⭐
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 4 ⭐
The Hawthrone Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 4 ⭐
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 3 ⭐
Nanny For The Neighbors by Lily Gold 4 ⭐
Mile High by Liz Tomforde 5 ⭐
OCTOBER:
Sunny Disposition by Deanna Grey 3 ⭐
I Dare You by Isla Madden-Mills 3 ⭐
I Bet You by Isla Madden-Mills 4 ⭐
I Hate You by Isla Madden-Mills 3 ⭐
I Promise You by Isla Madden-Mills 5⭐
Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark 4 ⭐
Scoring Chance by Teagan Hunter 5⭐
Heartless by Elsie Silver 5 ⭐
Out Of The Gate by Elsie Silver 3 ⭐
Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark 3⭐
Savage Lover by Sophie Lark 5⭐
Bloody Heart by Sophie Lark 5⭐
Broken Vow by Sophie Lark 5⭐
Heavy Crown by Sophie Lark 2⭐
NOVEMBER:
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson 5 ⭐
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson 4⭐
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson 3⭐
DECEMBER:
Happenstance by Tessa Bailey 3 ⭐
Lucky Number Eleven by Adriana Locke 2 ⭐
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison 4 ⭐
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Here’s a forgotten woman of musical theatre - Joan McCracken. She’s now mainly remembered as the first wife of Bob Fosse, but her contributions to musical theatre are much greater than that.
Image ID: publicity shot of Joan McCracken
McCracken shot to fame in Oklahoma!, credited in the programme as The Girl Who Falls Down because of her pratfall during ‘Many A New Day’. This might sound silly, but it would take until West Side Story for all individual chorus members to be assigned characters. The individual standing out from the chorus was a great surprise and added to the humour of the moment, and was a key innovation of choreographer Agnes De Mille. Joan McCracken went on to have a good Broadway career and appear in several films, although her work was hampered by diabetes, which she hid from her colleagues despite fainting spells, and which ultimately killed her aged only 43.
McCracken’s impact in Oklahoma! should not be underestimated - putting character before aesthetic was the show’s revolution, and her role was a huge part of that. She is also said to have encouraged Fosse to be a choreographer - whether that is true or not, it’s interesting that, like Gwen Verdon (Fosse’s second wife and Broadway legend), she was trained by George Balanchine, whose influence is evident in Fosse’s work. She is also said to be the inspiration for Holly Golightly, at least in part, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, whose author, Truman Capote, had an affair with her first husband, Jack Dunphy. However, we should recognise her influence as an acting dancer and comedienne just as much as her influence on male creatives!
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