Congrats to Brian Holliday, who won Driftwood by Harper Fox! Driftwood will be released today by Samhain Publishing.

And congrats to Kelly, who won Infected: Prey by Andrea Speed!

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Recently it was brought to my attention *coughmargenecough* that it’s been ages since I posted any pictures from my rambles around my neighborhood. While I haven’t been out and about that much this summer (curse you, stoopid autoimmune stuff!), I do have a few photos to share. Shall we?

If you don’t remember the story of the Apologetic Pole from last year, I’ll wait for you to refresh your memories. Back? Ok.

While the City didn’t make its promised “on or before Spring 2009″ deadline, it did make “after spring 2010″. Meet the Unapologetic Pole, which I believe is actually the same pole that was next to the Apologetic Pole, but with a pole extender stuck on it for the City wifi antenna.

Lake of the Isles continues to be its usual lovely self, with downtown Minneapolis in the distance.

From the shores of Lake Calhoun, a plaque commemorating the first dwelling in Minneapolis (1834). Some settling may have occurred.

We now have several Nice Ride bike stations in the neighborhood.

Isn’t this scooter great?

This garage makes me happy every time I see it.

These shoes were a little more interesting than the shoes one usually sees dangling from power lines… (Make sure you click on the picture to embiggen it if you can’t read the soles.)

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“Yo, woman, I need me a beer and the remote.” -Chaos

Due to the holiday weekend here in the States, the Misadventures in Stock Photography will be on Tuesday instead of Monday next week.

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Contests

• Lea’s giving away two ARCs of Devyn Quinn’s forthcoming paranormal romance, Siren’s Call – hurry, because this closes at 7 pm EDT, July 2.

• Cecile’s giving away a copy of Harris Channing’s new histroical menage, Goldie and the Three Behrs. Contest closes July 3.

• Mandi’s giving away a copy of Chloe Neill’s third Chicagoland Vampire novel, Twice Bitten, and a Chloe Neill swag pack. Contest open through July 4.

• Bloudedd’s giving away two copies of Jackie Lee Miles’s novel, Cold Rock River. Leave a comment by July 4 for your chance to win.

• Ralph’s giving away a copy of Clancy Nacht’s recent m/m steampunk romance, A Certain Pressure in the Pipes. Contest closes midnight EDT, July 7.

• Patti’s giving away a copy of Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell. Contest closes July 12.

• Shawn Lane’s giving away a paperback (your choice signed or not) of her forthcoming Only Forever collection. The contest will remain open until the paperback is released later this month.

Bookity

• New releases: Lily (m/m romance), AAR (July romance audiobooks), Renee (all sorts), and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, with interviews, etc.).

• Kindle folk: Do you follow the Books on the Knob blog? Lots of info on freebies for the Kindle. Two from yesterday are Darkfever (Fever, Book 1) by Karen Marie Monig (urban fantasy) and Out of Bounds (Love of Sports, Book 1) by T.A. Chase (m/m romance).

• Dear Author posted about historical accuracy in m/m romance and then interviewed some authors of historical m/m romances.

• Lots of other good links from Dear Author.

• Katiebabs points out an article on how important book bloggers are to publishers and lists some of her favorite book blogs.

• Is Apple relaxing its book censoring ways?

• The Smart Bitches have determined that the same belt shows up on an awful lot of urban fantasy covers.

• Tracy on her Astak ebook reader (we have the same ereader!).

• Sony just announced its Reader program for public libraries.

• Very sad that schools are closing their libraries.

• Rich Adin of American Editor on why buying an ebook reader is economical.

• What’s a fair price for indie ebooks?

• Google and the American Booksellers Association are talking about using Google’s forthcoming ebook platform to sell ebooks from the websites of indie booksellers.

• TeddyPig discovered a new GLBT romance ebookstore.

• If you like reading and reviewing GLBT fiction, Three Dollar Bill Reviews needs you!

• It’s time to vote for the next round of Kris’s Choose Your Own M/M Romance! Submit your votes by midnight (Perth, Western Australia time), July 4. And make sure you check out the free story by Mia Watts from the last round!

• Curious how authors react when they read Amazon reviews? This short video will clarify all!

Learn, Make, Do, Think

• Lifehacker on protecting your skin from sunburn (and soothing it after) and on keeping away bugs without bug spray.

• Curious how a Google search works?

• Stay safe while using public wifi.

• How does data travel from a wireless device?

• Check out how much street space cars take versus buses and bikes.

• Confused about which smartphone to buy? Maybe this infographic will help.

• Have you optimized your WordPress blog for mobile readers? (If you’re a mobile reader, have you noticed a change in how SoC looks on your device in the past several days? Was it a good change?!)

Listen

• Thanks to Amy for discovering that Explore Minnesota and The Current are streaming Minnesota music online.

Knit

• Check out the cute (and free) baby alligator pattern that Knitnzu found!

• What’s not to love about Twilight knitting humor from Franklin?

Huh

• Did you get a chance to pick up your 61-star American flag?

• ‘Fess up – one of you must own a wafflesicle maker.

• Just say no to smoked salmon vodka.

• Now there’s a machine that will allow guys to experience the joys of menstruation…

• Does the world really need a spork multitool?

LOL

• Price tag placement failures that are very, very funny. (Make sure you click through to see the complete list of nine.)

• I think it’s best if you don’t leave your children unattended…

• xkcd on Jurassic Park – make sure you hover your cursor over the comic!

• Indexed, I do love you.

• The Lego Facebook is pretty cute.

• Ah, yes – kitties aren’t very helpful during emergencies, are they? (Thanks, Jeanne!)

• Hee hee.

• Is that your real cat, or a decoy?!

• Make sure you get it in writing when you sell your soul.

• Could be Chaos…

• Bedhead demystified.

• Eeeek!

Teh Cute

• Kittens! Scared kitten! Kitten! Kittens! Melly! Fluffy! Kittens! Sleepy Melly! Kittens! Kittens!

Reading Update
Fall Down the Mountain by P.D. Singer. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who works as a ski patrol at a fancy resort and who’s having a hard time getting over both his crush on an unavailable man and not having been able to save someone from dying in an avalanche. Will the sexy chef who lives down the hall from him be able to help him move on? I must confess to getting a titch frustrated with the main character’s clinginess during part of the book, even though I completely understood why he was acting that way.
The Best Man by L.A. Witt. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who become involved in a casual affair as they’re both getting over being dumped. This was one that I thought could’ve been very good to excellent with a bit more editing to tighten up the story. (And, hey, stalker alert!)
His One and Only (Only Forever, Book 4) by Shawn Lane. ebook. His One and Only was a sweet finish to this m/m romance series centered around the partners at a California law firm.
Poisoned Ivy by Scott Ryersson. ebook. This so-so historical paranormal m/m romance about students at Yale in the early part of the 20th century just never really came together for me. Between the language (aping Jane Austen? or trying for a more literary feel?) and the WTF ending, I never warmed to the story.
Straight as an Arrow by Sean Michael. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a guy who travels a lot for his job. He’s in a long-term relationship, but starts to surf D/s chat sites while he’s away from home. Typical Sean Michael fare, although one of the major aspects of this book was so implausible that it definitely detracted. (All that eye rolling I had to do, you know.)
Bound Together by Jane Davitt. ebook short. Very good m/m romance about a book collector who discovers his dominant tendencies after a younger man shows up on his doorstep selling a rare book. (Yes, that is Candy Cane Guy in the back. Good show, you!)
Aftermath by Angel Martinez. ebook. Good m/m romance about a long-term couple who struggle to recover after one of them is betrayed by a friend and assaulted. I did have a bit of a niggle about the couple not using condoms after such an assault…
Mastering Toby by Jan Irving. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a straight actor on a gay soap opera who has some confusing feelings for his gay costar (and best friend). This book never really came together, for all sorts of reasons: pacing issues, an odd tangent from the main storyline 2/3 through, and a mixture of Eastern mysticism and D/s that just didn’t work.
Strange Carnivorous Flowers from Outer Space by Matthew Vandrew. free ebook short. Cute short scifi m/m romance about a guy who’s taking his alien boyfriend home to meet the family.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
One Wild Wish by Devon Rhodes. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a band hired to play several shows at a mysterious lodge, with a contract that has some very unusual clauses that they sort of fudge.
Romanus by Mary Calmes. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about an exhausted firefighter who gets lost driving home after his shift and whose life will never be the same.
Beneath Lake Redemption by Libby Drew. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a guy who rents a houseboat to check out a mysterious area of Lake Redemption because he suspects it hides a secret government operation.
Give the Devil His Due by Zoe Devlin. ebook short. Good paranormal m/m romance about a guy who tries to avoid emotional entanglements because the Devil takes away those he loves.
Reverie by Dawn Kimberly Johnson. ebook short. Cute paranormal m/m romance about a guy who saves someone’s life in a dream one night, then starts to wonder if it was actually a dream.
Halfway House by Lisa Worrall. ebook short. Pretty good paranormal m/m romance about two college students who don’t really know each other and are just sharing a ride home for Spring Break… and then the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
The Man in the Woods by Ashleigh Brannigan. ebook short. So-so paranormal m/m romance about a guy who gets a flat tire while driving on a desolate road through the woods and is rescued by a very bossy and slightly creepy guy. And what the heck – this is at least the third story I’ve read from the Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose that’s based on a car breaking down on a deserted road!! Hmph.
The Min Min Lights by Barry Lowe. ebook short. Ok m/m historical romance about a relatively innocent young British man who interviews with a more worldly Australian who’s looking for a tutor for his children. The ending was a bit abrupt and left me “huh?”
The Gray Ghost by J.J. Levesque. ebook short. So-so m/m romance about a couple who have just purchased a house that no one’s stayed in for longer than a week.

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Last week, I woke up to discover my eyeball looked like this:

I was, understandably, somewhat freaked, but it turned out to be very minor – a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which can happen when you’re sleeping, sneezing, coughing, or simply stressed. It’s quite a bit less dramatic now (because the red bits are mostly above and below my pupil), but probably won’t fade completely for another week.

Due to a new store in my neighborhood, things have been a bit noisy as July 4th draws near. Make sure you embiggen the photo to read the signs. Truth in advertising indeed!

Speaking of fireworks…

“I really, really hate all the loud noises outside, Mom. It’s probably your fault, so knock it off!” -Mayhem

By popular outcry (and because I’m still not exactly sure where my tree identification books are), here are several pictures of the type of trees I was mentioning. Click to embiggen.

I know, I know, probably the first person who comments will know what they are and will mock me for all eternity. (And I’ll probably slap my forehead and mutter, “D’oh,” when I find out what it is.) Edited: I believe it’s a thornless cultivar of honey locust. Thanks to everyone who had tree suggestions!

Curious about the title? Tuesday’s post evoked the following comment:

I would never have guessed a forestry degree. However, if you contact the city arborist, they will tell you. At least they will in St. Paul. Then they add that they know you illegally planted flowering crabs on the boulevard. However, the cultivar was an excellent choice.

*ahem*

Some other pictures from my neighborhood… O noes! A dead tinsel tree!

*blink blink*

Definitely click to embiggen.

Every time I pass that sign, I’m tempted to look in the window to find out how buffalo manage to sit in the diner’s booths…

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“…zzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

Congrats to Dana, who won the copy of My Everything by Julia Rachel Barrett… and congrats to Julia on the release of My Everything today!

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Today’s little series of photos has no theme other than that all the pictures were taken with my phone. You’d never guess that I actually have a real camera that has a bunch more megapixels, based on how many pictures I take with my phone and its crappy 2.0 megapixel camera.

We have indeed gone to Winter Parking Restrictions. See the ticket shoved into the snow on the windshield of the car below? Always a lot of ticketing and towing during Snow Emergencies and Winter Parking Restrictions. (If you’ve recently found yourself shoveling a lot of snow, you might want to check to make sure you’re doing it properly.)

Pizza is one of my favorite foods and I make it nearly every week. I start with Rustic Crust Gluten Free Pizza Crust and top it with pizza or spaghetti sauce, Hormel Turkey Pepperoni (which says gluten free right on the label), sliced mushrooms, and low fat mozzarella. Yum! (No, you’re right, I’m not going to quit my day job to become a food photographer any time soon.)

My beloved mp3 player, looking stealthy and mysterious in its black silicone skin.

And for the knitters, especially poor Nicole, who reads “Misadventures in Stock Photography” as “Sock Photography” every time, the Eternal Socks of Eternity!

“Hey, Mayhem, you missed the socks and needles on the floor.” -Chaos

“Big kitty! I think I saw a bird fly by the window. Bird! Bird! Bird!” -Mayhem

“That girl is bird crazy. Let’s see if I can irrevocably tangle this ball of yarn before Mom can rescue it…” -Chaos

*Neither yarn nor birds were harmed during the production of this post.

• We had about eight inches of snow from Sunday night through Tuesday morning.

• Nothing compared to the East Coast, true (hope you’re all battened down for Round Two out there!).

• But still… Enough for a Snow Emergency and maybe a switch to Winter Parking Restrictions until April 1.

• When Winter Parking Restrictions go into effect, you can only park on the odd side of the street because the streets have gotten too narrow for vehicles to pass each other or for emergency vehicles to make it through.

• The last time we had Winter Parking Restrictions was in 2001.

• The title of this post would be my plea to the City of Minneapolis. O_o

• I don’t know what happened over the last week (well, beyond the snowfall), but southbound Lyndale Avenue by the Walker Art Center is barely passable now.

• Five miles per hour is a reasonable speed there, unless you’re trying to break an axle.

• No clue what’s up with spam blog comments this week. (You never see them because Akismet holds them, then I run Worst Offenders to delete the high volume stuff. I have Worst Offenders set to delete three or more comments from the same IP address, which is why I recommend only leaving one comment at a time until after your first comment has been approved!)

• Anyway, I’ll have ten or 15 spam comments for hours and hours… and then I’ll have 500.

• Um, I might’ve won a couple more contests this week. Many thanks to LB and to Smart Bitches!

• There’s a reason I’m limiting myself to the number of contests I enter these days!

• If you get an error message when you try to comment, will you please send me an email about it? I’ve been trying a couple different things to help things run more smoothly around here, but it’s hard to tell if they work without feedback. Thanks!

• Eternal Sock of Eternity Update: I’m nearly done with the gusset increases on the second sock.

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“You can only dream of being this beautiful. It’s the burden of a Panther Princess.” -Mayhem