Category Archives: Linkity linkity link

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which May discovers the wonders of white sparkly feathers (and there are lots of book links)

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Congrats to Dana, Kelly B, CC, elaing, and Marjorie, who all won copies of Lisa Dale’s It Happened One Night! (I’m amazed at the number of readers I have from Ontario. At least one, but usually two Ontarions have won in each of my Hatchette Book Group giveaways.)

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is giving away five Nancy Holder books (plus a tin of Wicked mints) – leave a comment by 8 pm CST, November 27, for your chance to win.

Donna’s also got a great list of bookish giveaways – head over and check it out. Sweet Vernal Zephyr keeps up with many of the latest contests in her Contest Bar (in the sidebar).

The latest Bookworm’s Carnival is up over at Literary Escapism.

Eeeek! How desperate are you for a free ebook? Desperate enough to read Shatnerquake (oh, bummer, looks like it isn’t available for free anymore). Maybe it would be less painful to sign on with Fang-tastic Books as an ebook reviewer.

Beware – Fictionwise has (for an unknown amount of time) all of their er0tica ebooks on sale for 30% off… and they categorize all their m/m as er0tica. (Tangentially, I’m amused that my m/m meme post from Friday is zooming up in page views, albeit low in comments. I can hardly wait to see the search terms on that one…)

The Minneapolis Public Library’s Holiday Clearance Sale runs from Wednesday, November 25, through Saturday, December 19, at the main library downtown.

Hee hee – the shortlist for the bad s3x in books award is out and includes such authors as Philip Roth, Paul Theroux, and Nick Cave.

Wow – too bad this ebook reader from Qualcomm is only an early prototype.

Interesting comic about ebook reading.

Check out the Gizmodo list of gift ideas for readers.

For you iphone people, this sounds like a fun app. Too bad you can’t add your own cats.

This wedding cake caused a spit take (definition 1, people!).

Oh, how I wish I could’ve attended this book signing event…

I am not surprised.

Squeee!!!!

This would definitely be May’s idea of paradise.

Completely how I remember it when Chaos ate a coffee bean as a kitten.

Tofurkey and gravy flavored soda. Bacon flavored envelopes. *blink blink* Please,  just say no.

If you’re poking around in my archives, trying to find posts with Reading Updates, I’ve added a “Reviewettes” sub-category to the “Reading” category. I’m working backwards to update posts and 2009 is done.

Reading Update
So Into You by Sandra Hill. I have the sense that this is probably one of a number of related books set in the Louisiana bayous? (I haven’t read any Sandra Hill before.) Anyway, this was a well-written contemporary romance and it totally sucked me in… even though I wanted to slap the main female and male characters more than once. Or twice. Or three times. 🙂 (I received this copy from the publisher for review.)
Loves Me, Loves Me Knot (Chicks with Sticks, Book 2) by Heidi Betts. This well-done contemporary totally sucked me in – I sniffled more than once while I was reading it. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a bit of yarn’n’steam with their romance reading. (Interesting. I see that the Kindle and mass market pb versions are $6.99, but at Diesel Ebooks, the mobi version’ll set you back… $12.03, after $1.97 discount. WTF?!)
To Serve and Protect by Chris Owen, C. B. Potts, Tory Temple, and Alexa Snow. ebook. Decent m/m romance collection about firefighters and cops.
Man of Mystery by Madeleine Urban. ebook. Happy father and downtrodden househusband Alan transforms into Terence, man of mystery, after an accident leaves him with amnesia. Recommended – Madeleine Urban definitely knows how to write an intense m/m romance.
Old Poison (Dangerous Ground, Book 2) by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Very intense and very well-done m/m romantic suspense from Lanyon. You definitely need to read Dangerous Ground before you read this. Both are highly recommended.
Another Dream (Dreams, Book 2) by Addison Albright. ebook. Good m/m romance. Really, my only complaint about Albright’s books are the number of times the characters use each other’s names in conversation. Way, way more than is normal – and enough to be annoying.
Surrendered Victory by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. Nicely done m/m romance about two guys who work for rival construction companies – one who has been afraid to admit that he might be gay, the other very comfortable being gay.
Somebody To Love by Carolina Valdez. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a helicopter pilot/firefighter who is very intrigued by the masked Chippendale dancer who wanders over to kiss him after the show (at a combined bachelor/bachelorette party in Las Vegas). (I bet this cover rates way up there on the MamaTulip Abs Approval Meter.)
Son of a Preacher Man by Jamie Craig. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a man who returns to the town where he lived briefly as a teen, hoping that another encounter with the son of a preacher man will help him sort out his confusion over his sexuality.
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Lynn Lorenz. ebook. Fun m/m romance about a New Orleans dress-up party in which attendees are told whether to attend in drag or stag.
Superstar by Rick R. Reed. ebook. A story of obsessive love unfolds through flashbacks as a man standing on Seattle’s “Suicide Bridge” tries to decide whether to end things.
Through the Closet Door by Rick R. Reed. ebook. Touching story about a married man in his 20s who’s struggling with coming out.
Man-Amorphosis by Rick R. Reed. ebook. Amusing, tongue-in-cheek tale of a gay man who wakes up to discover part of his body has changed its configuration, so the first thing he does is get into drag and head out to bag straight guys. Dang, Reed is definitely a versatile writer!
Mind F*cked (Faerily Imperfect, Book 1) by Mia Watts. ebook. Very nicely done and ever-so-steamy m/m paranormal romance about a stunning half-fae security expert who can read minds and a bank manager who doesn’t believe in magic or that anyone so gorgeous could find him attractive. Recommended.
She’s Got Balls by Mia Watts. ebook. Enjoyable m/m romance about an FBI agent and a cop who have to go undercover as a married heterosexual couple. My only complaint was that the story needed a bit more fleshing out near the end.

“Pretty sparkly feathery snowy toy!! Yum!!” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

TGIF… oh, wait, it isn’t Friday yet… *sigh*

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Tell authors Diana Holquist and Julie James who you think People will pick as the sexiest man of 2009 and if you’re correct, you have the chance to win a copy of Holquist’s book The Sexiest Man Alive or James’ book Just the Sexiest Man Alive. Contest closes 10 pm CST, November 15, or before if People announces their pick early.

Don’t forget that J. Kaye always has at least a dozen bookish giveaways going!

Head over to Vampire Wire by November 22 for your chance to win a copy of Molly Harper’s Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men.

Author Heather Long is giving away $10 Amazon gift certificate over at Fantasy Dreamer. Enter by 8 pm CST, November 23, for your chance to win.

You could go to Moderncat for your chance to win kitty toys made from old sweaters and socks (drawing on November 17)… or you could go and look at the pictures and probably make your own. Moderncat’s also holding a contest for a cat toilet training kit… *blink blink*

The usual thorough weekend updates on urban fantasy and paranormal romance from SciFiGuy and Literary Escapism. Don’t miss Donna’s weekly news and contest post, either.

Smexy Books highlights some very steamy forthcoming books.

Dear Author links to a few of this month’s ebook specials.

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? They look pretty cool as data sets for visualization.

If you’re NaNoWriMoing, I hope you’re reading author Lynn Viehl’s blog, Paperback Writer. She offers up tips, encouragement, and humor, all of which you probably need about now.

Hey, that sure looks like a handknitted hat! Of course, May would want it pink, furry, and sparkly.

This is exactly what would happen if I knit a kitty bed for Chaos and Mayhem.

Don’t these gf pumpkin pie bars look yummy? I wonder if I could make them dairy-free…

Margene alerted me to a holiday I missed – Chaos Never Dies Day, which was November 9. Thanks, Margene!

Reading Update
How To Score by Robin Wells. This was a light-hearted and fun contemporary romance that I think would score respectably on the CursingMama book readability scale (and since I just invented it, I’m sure CursingMama is as puzzled as y’all as to what that might be). I keep trying to summarize the plot and failing. The best I can do is tell you that this book involves an FBI agent pretending to be his life coach brother, a hitman on the loose, a woman who keeps injuring the guys she dates, a dog who will go to great lengths to devour leather, and art deco houses.
Paul’s Dream by Rowan McBride. ebook. Lawyer Paul doesn’t know that the puzzles he solves in his dreams are real, until incubus Kian shows up to thank Paul for rescuing Kian while he was dreaming. Decent, not great paranormal m/m romance.
Partners in Crime (Cards on the Table & Murder at the Heartbreak Hotel) by Josh Lanyon & Sarah Black. ebook. Two excellent stories of m/m romantic suspense.
Portrait of a Kiss by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance that had me sniffling a bit near the end. A cop inherits an old Southern house haunted by the ghost of a man believed to have murdered a pair of young lovers 50 years before. A very handsome and irresistible ghost…
A Bit of Rough and Roughhousing by Laura Baumbach. ebooks. Very steamy, yet romantic m/m romances about an architect and a guy who works in construction. Definitely worth reading.
Sympathy by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. Sweet and well done m/m romance that wasn’t paranormal, which is unusual for Price.
Jumping the Fence and Crossing the Line (OC Pride, Books 1-2) by Stephanie Vaughan. ebooks. Two good m/m romances from Vaughan about figuring out who you really are and what you need to be happy.
IM by Rick R. Reed. ebook. Usually I avoid serial killer books, but I think I sort of blocked out the serial killer bit when I picked this one up. Since the tagline is “Instant Message… or Instant Murder?” I think I really had to work on blocking it out. 😉 Anyway, this was a solid m/m romantic suspense offering from Reed that had me on edge to the very end.
Car Wash by Shawn Lane. ebook. Ok m/m romance about Kevin, who’s working at a car wash after getting laid off from his office job. I must admit that I got a bit frustrated at Kevin not standing up for himself.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by Cassie Stevens. ebook. Good m/m romance about finally taking control of your own life.

“Neener neener neener – I have my own holiday and you don’t! Ha!” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Mayhem’s Lap Ennui, plus links! And books! And exclamation points!!

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Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is giving away a copy of Diane Pharaoh Francis’ new urban fantasy, Bitter Night. Leave a comment by 8 pm CST, November 8, for your chance to win.

Lisa at Knitnzu won a copy of Show No Fear in my contest last month, but received two copies from the publisher. Of course she’s having a contest to pass on that second copy. 🙂 Leave a comment by the evening of November 6 for your chance to win.

Beth Kery’s giving away a copy of Erin McCarthy’s first NASCAR romance, Flat-Out Sexy. Leave a comment at Beth’s blog by November 6 and make sure you check back on the the 6th to see if you won!

Author blog Fangs, Fur and Fey is having a three-year anniversary contest and the grand prize is a Kindle. Contest closes 11:59 pm EST, November 13.

Wow – check out all the paranormal and urban fantasy releases over at Donna’s! )Don’t miss her weekly book news and more.) SciFiGuy lists the paranormal, urban fantasy, and scifi book releases for November. He also has his usual excellent weekend round-up of interviews and contests.

Looking for more reasonably priced ebooks for your reader? Amber Quill Press is offering three ebooks each day (one from each of their lines – fiction, er0tica, GLBT) at 75% off.

Thoughts on ebook piracy from Dear Author and from author Carolyn Jewel. And something else to think about – music pirates actually buy more music. I wonder if this holds true for ebook pirates?

This sounds cool – a four-part series about reading on Canadian television.

TeleRead reviews the new 5″ Astak EZReader. (I have the 6″ EZReader.) Here’s a quote from the review: “This may be the first e-book reader I’ve run across that is actually worth the purchase price.”

Oh oh – did B&N misappropriate intellectual property with the Nook?

Has anyone tried this ebook price comparison site yet?

Largehearted Boy has a nice list of the best books of 2009 lists that are already available.

There’s an iPhone app that claims it can double your reading speed in five days.

I would’ve needed stitches if I’d tried this.

Not surprisingly, last week was a good week for basement kittehs over at lolcats.

So Chaos. Switch the glass of milk for a soy mocha and this could be my place.

Lucky me – I won a $25 gift certificate to Fictionwise.com during Romance Reviews Today’s blogiversary contest. Thanks, RRT!! And many thanks to Cecile – I won Supernatural dvds in one of her many October contests!

Reading Update
A Stroke of Magic (Gypsy Magic, Book 2) by Tracy Madison. I was lucky enough to win a signed copy from a contest at Anna’s Book Blog a few months ago. This is the sequel to Madison’s delightful paranormal romance, A Taste of Magic. If you’re looking for some sweet paranormal romances without a vampire or demon or shapeshifter in sight, I highly recommend this series. The only thing I didn’t like about this was the cover – it’s very striking, but on first impression? I would’ve guessed the main character was a makeup artist, not an artist/painter. Or maybe that’s just me?!
Second Time Around by Bobby Michaels. ebook. Pretty sappy m/m paranormal romance that “drove me nuts” with “excessive quotation mark use.”
Snow Angel and Angel Heart by Sharon Maria Bidwell. ebooks. Nicely done m/m romances that spend more time in the characters’ headspace than most do.
Sursein Judgement by Jet Mykles. ebook. Hmm. This m/m romance isn’t that easy to classify. Possibly as steampunk with paranormal and manga elements?! It was good, whatever it was exactly. 🙂
Personal Demons by James Buchanan. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about an FBI agent and an LAPD officer who team up to track down a voudon killer.
The Good Thief by James Buchanan. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about an LAPD officer (are you sensing a theme here yet for the James Buchanan books?) and a burglar who get involved, despite their best intentions. James Buchanan is definitely on my must-buy list.
One Shot by Rowan McBride. ebook. Decent m/m romance about people affected by the side-effects of a new universal flu shot, some of which include gaining or losing several inches in height!
Finding Home by Cameron Dane. ebook. Solid m/m romance about a security expert who’s in love with his straight best friend/roommate. This is told in snippets over a ten-year period, which actually worked better than I expected.
I Spy Something Wicked by Josh Lanyon. ebook. This m/m romance is a respectable sequel to I Spy Something Bloody. Apparently it’s hard getting out and staying out of the espionage business.
Deeper Blue by A.J. Llewellyn. ebook. So-so m/m romance that was choppy, uneven, and had too many wtf moments for me, such as characters behaving oddly, but the behavior wasn’t ever explained, etc.
Bridge Over Trouble Water by Vivien Dean. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a homicide detective who hates and fears vampires, but needs the help of a very special vampire to solve a case.

“I guess this lap business is ok, but it’s pretty boring compared to having the windows open! Why won’t you open the windows for me, Mom?!” -Mayhem

Um, maybe because the high today is only supposed to reach 45F?!

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Those Cats

Monster Mayhem!

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Think happy lucky upgrade thoughts my way tonight and over the weekend – after days of backing up and otherwise prepping Kenshin (my main laptop), I’ll be upgrading from Vista to Windows 7. (If interested, you can read a few of my thoughts on Vista from last year, plus pick up a tasty gf snickerdoodle recipe at the same time.)

Moonsanity has links to several H. P. Lovecraft stories. Let’s just say that the only time in my life that I’ve slept with the light on was after reading H. P. Lovecraft…

Head over to Fang-tastic Books for your chance to win a really cool prize pack containing the Blood Ties dvds, books, and a Fang-tastic Books tote bag. Winner will be announced on the morning of October 31.

If you’re looking for classic horror films to watch over the weekend, you might find some at Classic Cinema Online, which is a free streaming service.

Cool – turn pumpkins into black kitties!

Hmm. Not sure I’d live through trying this at home…

Given the chance, Chaos would so do this…

Aw, the softer side of Basement Cat.

Hmm. Did I already link to teh ebil veggee?

“Today I am a Monster Princess! Boo!” -Mayhem

Have a happy and safe Halloween, everyone!

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Halloween Linkity Horror Show! Eeeeeek!!

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Vampire Wire’s giving away a copy of Bound to Shadows, the ninth Riley Jenson paranormal by Keri Arthur – that contest closes the evening of October 29. Anna also has a copy to give away – her winner will be announced October 31. Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is giving away a copy, too – that contest closes 10 pm CST, November 1.

Largehearted Boy’s giving away a copy of Kids Go!, which is a book and DVD put out by They Might Be Giants. Winner will be announced midnight CDT, October 30.

Cecile’s curious whether you prefer bad boys or knights in shining armor. Let her know by October 30 for your chance to win a DVD of Supernatural.

Author Julie James is giving away a copy of Nalini Singh’s Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1) and Colleen Gleason’s The Rest Falls Away to someone who comments before 10 pm CST, October 30.

For an assortment of fun prizes from Linda Wisdom related to her Hex series, stop by Night Owl Romance before October 30.

Book Junkie’s giving away a copy of the cookbook Chocolate, a Love Story. Contest closes 11:30 pm EST, October 30.

Sara at Urban Fantasy Reader is giving away a copy of Ann Aguirre’s great urban fantasy, Blue Diablo. Contest closes midnight EST, November 2.

*blink blink* Ok, there’s an entire book of kitty wigs, called Glamourpuss. Moderncat’s giving away a copy on November 3 – stop and leave a comment before then if you’re interested. Or you can just go look at the kitty sweater costumes…

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is splitting her weekly news into new releases on Tuesday and contests/interviews/etc on Wednesday. SciFiGuy.ca posted another great news/interview/contest roundup over the weekend.

This is a dangerous week for kitties, especially for black kitties. Moderncat has some Halloween kitty safety tips.

Zombie kitteh!

Basement Cat knows what scares you…

Aren’t these kitty jack-o-lanterns cool?

Dear Author thinks this is a good time to buy an ereader; TeleRead disagrees. (Don’t forget that there are other readers besides the Sony, the Kindle, and the Nook out there!)

Dear Author brings up an important point that has been very neglected in the world of ebooks: readers have rights under copyright law, too.

An interesting post on book piracy from the MLR Press authors’ blog. Remember that not all pirated books are pirated from authorized ebook editions – in France, 95% of pirated ebooks were not from authorized editions (so were from scans, etc).

Completely drool worthy cover here…

Amy of A Closer Look at Flyover Land visited Uncle Hugo’s and Uncle Edgar’s last week and took some great pictures of the interior.

Jackie at Literary Escapism desperately needs submissions for the Urban Fantasy stop of the Bookworms Carnival before October 29.

Reading Update
Knit the Season (Friday Night Knitting Club, Book 3) by Kate Jacobs. Review copy from publisher. So, um, I didn’t actually read more than 1.5 chapters before I realized that I had pretty much mentally finished with these characters after the second book. It happens. But! If you didn’t feel that way, Knit the Season will be out November 3. Oh yeah, among the recipes at the back, there’s one for gluten-free pumpkin muffins. 🙂
Becoming Us by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox. ebook. Wow. This m/m romance really took me by surprise. Very steamy, yet sweet, too, it’s the story of two guys in college – one out, one whose family with disown him if they found out he has a boyfriend. The only thing I didn’t like is that it felt like the book was building toward a big emotional crisis that never materialized. Weirdly, that was disappointing.
The Happy Onion by Ally Blue. ebook. I must confess that I avoided this good m/m romance for quite a while because I hated the name. The Happy Onion is a bar and vegan restaurant owned by one of the main characters.
Love, Like Ghosts (Bay City Paranormal Investigations) by Ally Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance that takes place ten years after the events in An Inner Darkness. Bo and Sam’s son Adrian is at college, but remains distanced from those around him as he works to control his telekinesis.
Life or Something Scary Like That by T.C. Blue. ebook. Good m/m romance that totally sucked me in – enough so that I left a comment for the author asking whether there was going to be another book featuring one of the characters. (Hopefully, but not yet.)
The One That Was Lost by T.C. Blue. ebook. Decent m/m romance that takes place during and after The One That Got Away.
Mexican Heat (Crimes & Cocktails, Book 1) by Laura Baumbach and Josh Lanyon. ebook. Intense m/m romantic supsense – I thought I had it figured out, and I did, but only to a point. Recommended. Looking forward to a sequel!
Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Historical mystery and m/m romance. This very well done mystery was set in Los Angeles during World War II, when being outed could lead to being imprisoned or being committed. As CJ and I have both wondered, why the heck isn’t Josh Lanyon more widely known and available in my public library system?
VGL Male Seeks Same and NEG UB2 by Rick R. Reed. ebooks. Good m/m romances about a lonely guy in his forties who, in the first book, tries online dating, and in the second book, begins to blog. These definitely had a bit more substance than many m/m romances that I’ve read.
Cheating Chance and Inland Empire (Taking the Odds, Books 1-2) by James Buchanan. ebooks. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a closeted cop and a not closeted agent of the Nevada Gaming Commission who meet at a goth convention and then become entangled on a case. Highly recommended – I’m definitely looking forward to the third book, which isn’t out yet.

“Basement Cat has his eye on you and he knows if you’ve been nice or naughty…” -Chaos, acting as Basement Cat’s agent…

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes, Tunes

Super Fantastic Mega Bookity Linkity!

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For your chance to win in the Completely Out-of-Control, Over-the-Top Book Giveaway, comment on the contest post before 7 pm CDT, Monday, October 26. I will randomly pick at least three winners, each of whom will be able to select up to five books.

Congrats to Donna S, CC, Cherie J, Chey, and Jeannette Juan, who each won a copy of Shannon K. Butcher’s Love You To Death!

Anna’s giving away a big box of books, too. Enter before October 31 for your chance to win.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Lovin’ Giveaways is giving away a copy of the short story collection Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies. Enter by October 30 for your chance to win.

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is giving away three copies of the graphic novel Lenore: Noogies. Contest closes at midnight CDT, October 24.

Cecile is giving away a copy of Winter’s Desire, a collection of steamy stories related to the Solstice. Contest closes October 23.

SciFiGuy.ca is giving away an ebook copy of Roxanne Rhoads’ latest er0tic paranormal novella, Eternal Desire, along with some Fang-tastic Books goodies. Contest closes at 11:59 pm EST, October 26. He’s also giving away a copy of R.A. Salvatore’s The Ghost King; that contest closes at 11:59 pm EST, October 25.

For a chance to win a copy of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, stop by Fang-tastic Books and leave a comment. Not sure when this one closes.

Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy is giving away a copy of one of Marta Acosta’s Casa Dracula books. Leave a comment by midnight MST, October 27, for your chance to win.

Lots of blogs are participating in the Hatchette Book Group’s Spine-Chilling Book Giveaway, in which three winners (at each participating blog) will win copies of The Historian, BoneMan’s Daughters, When Ghosts Speak, Sins of the Flesh, and The Heretic’s Daughter. Stop by Fang-tastic Books (winners selected October 30), Patricia’s Vampire Notes (closes November 8, 11:59 pm Hawaiian), Vampire Wire (closes November 4), and SciFiGuy.ca (closes November 1, 11:59 pm EST) to enter.

Knittymama wishes there were more knitting book and magazine reviews out there in knitting blogland. To encourage people to write some, she’s having a contest. Check out the details – if you participate before November 1, you could win a custom project bag or needle roll in your choice of fabric, plus other goodies.

Largehearted Boy is giving away five copies of Josh Bazell’s thriller, Beat the Reaper, along with a t-shirt that corresponds to the first line of the novel, plus assorted books and cds. Enter before the evening of October 23 for your chance to win.

Fantasy Book Critic is giving away three sets of Vampires by Joules Taylor and Werewolves by Jon Izzard. Contest closes at 12:01 pm, October 27.

Samhain Publishing’s giving away free ebook short stories every day from October 15 through the end of the month. Books are announced on the Samhellion blog each day. You send an email to the address in the blog post and get a download link back.

Gizmo’s Freeware has a list of nearly 200 places to find free and legal ebook downloads.

SciFiGuy.ca posted an exhaustive list of new releases, author interviews, and contests. Literary Escapism also has a good list. And today’s the day that Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) puts out her weekly newsletter post, which is always chock full of good stuff.

I’m amazed at how many vampire books are coming out in October.

Did you know it’s Teen Read Week?

Check out the directory of used bookstores featuring romances over at Book Binge. Smart Bitches has something similar, only as a map.

Interested in making your own color (LCD) ebook reader from a tablet PC for about $200?

I’m always intrigued by bookholders – Paperback Writer reviews one that’s new to me.

Follow Amy’s adventures over at A Closer Look at Flyover Land as she participates in the Twin Cities Literary Scavenger Hunt.

Looking for some Halloween music to listen to? Salad Days Music has quite the playlist posted, along with a really amusing carved pumpkin scene.

If you like indie/alternative music, check out the Daytrotter Sessions – free and legal mp3s of some of your favorite songs. I highly recommend Blitzen Trapper’s session from last fall, which includes a great version of “Furr” (“…a fantastic tale of lycanthropic yearning”).

Lots has been written about the new FTC disclosure rules for blogs, which go into effect December 1. Additional info suggests that small book bloggers probably won’t be affected. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I always mention when a book I’m reviewing was received from the publisher as a review copy, and I will continue to do so. And publishers? Sending me a review copy does not mean that I will give the book a favorable review. 🙂 My main sources for books are the library and my own purchases. I do belong to the IndieBound Affiliate Program, but as far as I know, I haven’t actually earned anything. I’m in it for the nifty book cover thumbnails and links, actually, and not to make any money.

Related to all of that, Racy Romance Reviews has an interesting post about book blogging and book promotion.

Reading Update
Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, and Meljean Brook. I only read the stories by Nalini Singh (good, set before Angel’s Blood) and Meljean Brook (good Guardians story). Since I haven’t read any of the Kate Daniels books by Ilona Andrews yet, I decided to save that story for after I had. And I don’t really care for the Britlingen stories by Charlaine Harris, so I didn’t bother with that one.
Dreaming of You by Ethan Day. ebook. Another good m/m romance from Ethan Day. This one’s about a guy who’s been in love the perfect man for years and years, but that man doesn’t exist outside of his dreams… or does he? Hope Ethan Day is busily writing more, because he’s on my must-buy list now.
Tall, Mean and Darkly by A.J. Llewellyn & Stephani Hecht. ebook. So you’re a guy whose beloved wife gets hit by a bus and as she dies in your arms, she promises to come back to you, somehow. And she does… as a guy.
Handyman by Claire Thompson. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a day trader who moves to a small town to get away from the stress of Wall Street.
Adder by Ally Blue. ebook. This m/m romance had Ally Blue’s usual excellent writing, but the two main characters (Adder and Kalil) and their completely messed up dynamic never really engaged me.
Making It Up by T.C. Blue. ebook. I have really mixed feelings about this m/m romance. Although the basic story and writing were fine, I was frustrated about two major points. The first was the shifting point of view – the story shifted around and was told from various people’s perspectives, often differing from paragraph to paragraph and with little or no warning. I found this more confusing than helpful. The second? I wanted to slap the three main male characters throughout much of the book, which isn’t conducive to a good reading experience.
Just for You by Jet Mykles. ebook. Really good m/m romance about a guy who pretends to be gay in order to get around his controlling female supervisor by talking to his company’s owners at an exclusive gay club. Too bad his feelings for his alleged boyfriend get so complicated…
The Heaven Sent series (Heaven, Purgatory, Hell, Faith, and Genesis) by Jet Mykles. ebooks. Very good m/m romance series about the band Heaven Sent. Each book follows one of the band members as he stumbles toward love.
Nick of Time by T.C. Blue. ebook. Next book in the m/m paranormal romance series that started with Allergies. I’m still sort of meh about this series. It’s ok, but it isn’t exactly drawing me in. Allergies was about werewolves; this one continues with the werewolves, but adds vampires and some other preternaturals to the mix. (I have to admit that I really like the cover at least!)

“What, Mom? No, of course I didn’t suggest knocking books off the bookshelves. Would I do that?” -Chaos

“You are so lying, big kitty. And so busted. I’m outta here!” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which you can discover sordid details about my past if you follow the (in)correct link

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Congrats to MrsPao and Cecile, who were winners in my Rain Mix contest! Don’t forget to leave a comment on the other contest post before 7 pm CDT, Friday, October 16, for your chance to win a copy of Shannon K. Butcher’s new romantic suspense novel, Love You To Death!

Remember I mentioned that I hung out with CJ at Uncle Hugo’s on Saturday? Well, CJ blogged about it, too, complete with photographic evidence:

Not only does she have mad Photoshop skillz, her post is funnier than mine. Curses.

And then I discovered that what happens at Estes does not stay at Estes…

Dang, Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) has an absolutely amazing list of bookish contests posted. Wow. (Plus links to interviews, new release news, and more!)

As always, Dear Author has great links to all sorts of ebook news, including to an article about upcoming ebook readers.

Eeeeek!!

Doesn’t the kitty in this moderncat contest (for an eco-friendly scratcher/lounger) look like Chaos?! (Although, according to CarrieK, this would be more his style.)

Reading Update
The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy. A sweet romance about a woman, pregnant and on her own, and her boss, who has a lot of emotional baggage.
Storm Watch (Harlequin Blaze) by Jill Shalvis. I had a lot of trouble with suspension of disbelief on this one. The hero (National Guard guy) and heroine (ER nurse) spent way too much stopping to make out and have heart-to-heart talks while struggling through flood waters to rescue a woman who was nine months pregnant. Focus, people, focus! Stay alive and rescue people now, nookie later.
Damned By Blood (Faustin Brothers, Book 3) by Evie Byrne. ebook. Alas, poor Mikhail is not a happy vampire prince when his mother prophesizes that his mate is none other than the first girl he loved, who now, 30 years later, is his sworn enemy. If you like well-written, enjoyable, and hot vampire romances, I highly recommend this trilogy.
As You Are by Ethan Day. ebook. Very good m/m romance. This one totally sucked me in. I was sniffly. Definitely recommended! (No, I’m not going to tell you anything more about it, because if you know what happens, it won’t have as much impact. Really, there is a method to my madness.)
Self-Preservation by Ethan Day. ebook. Good m/m romance, but dammit, I cried. I can see that Ethan Day’s going on my “must-buy” list.
Alternative Treatment by Claire Thompson. ebook. Another good m/m romance, about a doctor and a guy doing community service because of a DUI.
Gobsmacked, Happy Ending, and Cover Me (Men of Smithfield, Books 1-3) by L. B. Gregg. More good m/m romance. If you’re brave and not at work, I highly recommend Miss Doreen and CJ’s take on the opening scene in Cover Me. (That’s a totally NSFW link, people.)
Pas de Deux by Jamie Craig. ebook. Dang, I was totally on a roll this week! Intense m/m romantic suspense about a cop and a lawyer seemingly on opposing sides of a high-profile case. Highly recommended. (Trivially, “Jamie Craig” is actually Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza.)
Wranglers: Discovery and Wranglers: Voir Dire by Vivien Dean. ebooks. These are the first two parts of the three-part Wranglers story, which is an m/m romance about two adversarial lawyers. The third part will be out later this year.
What We May Be by Vivien Dean. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a former model turned fashion designer who gets involved with a guy who’d rather wear t-shirts and jeans than high fashion.
My Only Home by Pepper Espinoza. ebook. This m/m romance had enough impact on me to have me crying… So, have you figured out yet that I’m a big mushpot and that it takes very little emotional trauma in a book to set me off?! Just get me engaged with the characters enough to care…
Most Likely To Succeed and At Long Last by Shawn Lane. Hmm. This was apparently m/m lawyer romance week! Yup, two more (unrelated) lawyers in love stories.
White Flag by Thom Lane. ebook. Sweet and powerful m/m romance about a travel writer and a French vintner.
Unlikely Hero by Sean Michael. Another sweet m/m romance – this one’s about a teacher whose daughter is abducted, and the only person he can think to turn to for help is his ex.
Unholy Matrimony by Audra Beagle & Chloe West. ebook. Decent m/m romance… sometimes what happens in Vegas follows you home. Whoops.
Dreaming in Color by Cameron Dane. ebook. Very good m/m romance. For the past two years, Colin’s been having very hot and vivid dreams of a faceless man and a house with a red door. Will fate help bring them together outside of his dreams?
The One That Got Away by T. C. Blue. ebook. Lots of assumptions and miscommunication made things rocky for two roommates in this ok m/m romance. (Really, so many problems in fiction could be solved by a short conversation. Hmm. Probably in real life, too, huh?)

“ROWR!!!” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link

Here, linky linky linky…

24 Comments

To watch a new Simon’s Cat video and have a chance to win a copy of the new Simon’s Cat book, head over to ModernCat before October 11.

Author Julie James is celebrating the anniversary of the release of her first book (Just the Sexiest Man Alive, which is a great romance!) by giving away a $25 B&N/Border’s/Amazon gift certificate, plus signed copies of the book. For your chance to win, leave a comment (by 10 pm CST, October 11) about the book that first opened your eyes to reading.

How many books will Nicole read by the end of the year? Leave your guess by midnight PST, October 12, for your chance to win one of the books that Nicole reads this year.

Largehearted Boy is giving away a copy of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. For your chance to win, leave a comment (by midnight CDT, October 13) about what your Halloween costume plans are this year.

Anna’s got several great contests running – you could win one of two copies of Kylie Brant’s Waking Evil (comment by October 13) or a complete set of Linda Wisdom’s Hex books (comment by October 14).

As always, both Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) and Jackie at Literary Escapism have lots of interview, release, and contest info.

Evil, now conveniently packaged…

I know that I definitely appreciate this about kittehs.

If you’re looking for cat music (as I gathered many of you are, based on your comments yesterday!), check out the Cat Coverfolk post over at Cover Lay Down.

Speaking of free music, if you like folky stuff, Jeremy Messersmith (an excellent musician from the Twin Cities) is giving away his first album, Alcatraz Kid, for free if you sign up for his email list. My favorite song from that album is “Day Job.”

Which ewe are you?

Aw, a knitted LEGO minifig!

I love this way of starting from the center of circular knitting.

Lynn Viehl has some great links to free software, including some to help NaNoWriMo participants.

Not that I’d ever go to this much trouble on a cup of coffee, but the cat stencils are cute.

Looking for speedy image resizing from a single right-click  in Windows Explorer? This might do the trick.

Very cool – you can “Polaroid” your pictures online.

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Books! And… books! And, um, book links and contests!

27 Comments

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the contest post before 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, October 6, for your chance to win a copy of Marliss Melton’s new romantic suspense novel, Show No Fear!

Tracey’s friend Dave is going to run a marathon to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you make a donation to his team before midnight EDT, October 6, and let Tracey know, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $20 Loopy Ewe gift certificate.

Mel’s holding a Raffle for Marriage Equality to help raise money for the No on 1 campaign in Maine. If you donate by November 3 and let Mel know, you’ll be entered for a chance to have him knit you a pair of socks.

If you could splurge on anything, what would it be? Leave a comment by midnight CST, October 23, to let RC at Rambling Along know, and you could win a $50 gift card to AJWright.

Romance Reviews Today is giving away a copy of Marjorie M. Liu’s latest Dirk & Steele novel, The Fire King. Contest closes October 6.

Cecile continues to celebrate her birthday month by giving away a copy of Vicki Pettersson’s City of Souls (The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac). Contest ends October 8.

Largehearted Boy is giving away a copy of Nick Hornby’s new novel, Juliet, Naked (plus assorted books and cds). Contest closes midnight, October 9.

To celebrate the upcoming movie release, Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is giving away five copies of Alice Sebold’s novel, The Lovely Bones. Contest closes 8 pm CST, October 11.

If you’re a fan of the tv series Blood Ties and would like to win the second season dvds, head over to Suburban Vampire before noon PDT, October 18, or to Vampire Wire before the evening of October 18.

Anna’s giving away five signed copies of Sue-Ellen Welfonder’s A Highlander’s Temptation and one signed copy of the Tails of Love anthology. Leave a comment by October 9 for your chance to win.

The Eclectic Reader is celebrating her blogiversary with a contest – you need to follow her blog in order to be eligible to win one of the pictured books. Contest closes October 31.

Check out all of the October giveaways that J. Kaye has going!

Both Jackie at Literary Escapism and SciFiGuy have great information on contests, interviews, and new releases. Book Reviews by Jess also has a long list of current book contests.

I think this one should be on the FAIL Blog – what do you think?

Just because I read a lot of m/m fiction doesn’t mean I plan to redo my condo with any of this furniture…

The kid who lost his class notes when Amazon deleted 1984 from all those Kindles just won $150,000 from Amazon. This has led Amazon to clarify when it will remove books from Kindles.

TeleRead has a good article questioning why ebooks are so expensive, when the costs of production and distribution are so much less than for print books, and another good article about ebook piracy.

Aw – how cute is that minion hat?!

Reading Update
Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changelings, Book 7) by Nalini Singh. I had the great good fortune to win an ARC of this book (scheduled to release on November 3, 2009) over at Dear Author a few weeks ago. Blaze of Memory focuses on the Forgotten, those Psy whose ancestors chose not to follow the Silence protocol. It focuses more specifically on the enigmatic Devraj Santos, director of the Shine Foundation, which attempts to find Forgotten children before the Psy Council does. Dev’s had to do hard things in order to protect the Forgotten – things which have been eroding his own ability to feel. Will a mysterious Psy woman whose memory has been destroyed turn out to be Dev’s salvation? Or his destruction? If you enjoy masterfully written paranormal romance (with nary a vampire in sight), I highly recommend Blaze of Memory and the Psy-Changeling series.
Tall, Dark and Fangsome (Immortality Bites, Book 5) by Michelle Rowen. I read the first two books last year, but I have to admit I’m not sure why I didn’t read the third and fourth books in this paranormal series about Sarah Dearly (who was turned into a vampire on a particularly bad blind date). Fortunately, Rowen skillfully wove backstory details into Tall, Dark and Fangsome, so I never felt as if I was lost during this enjoyable final installment of the series. In fact, I think I’ll be reading the previous books in the not-too-distant future! As an aside, I definitely got more out of this book after my recent visit to Toronto, where the series is set. (Beware, Lorraine, sounds like there’s a demon-possessed wizard living out your way!)
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen (Stephanie Plum, Book 15) by Janet Evanovich. Evanovich must be writing these on autopilot now. Predictable. Boring. Past time to end the series.
Instant Gratification (Wilder Adventures, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis. Doctor Emma’s staying in Wishful just long enough to take care of her father’s patients while he’s recuperating from a heart attack, then she’s going to return to her life in New York City. Good thing Stone Wilder isn’t looking for a serious relationship with her… 😉
Bottled Up by Andrew Grey. ebook. This was a sweet and involving m/m romance with a some editorial problems. Several of these problems were relatively minor, such as occasionally referring to the main character as “Shawn” instead of “Sean” and talking about something that happened yesterday as if it had happened today. More significant were the ongoing unclear pronoun references (particularly problematic in an m/m romance!) and the paragraph formatting that made it hard to determine who was speaking. Perhaps these are only issues in the ebook edition?
By Degrees by J. B. MacDonald. ebook. Very well done and involving m/m romance about a doctor who’s been keeping his emotions so tightly under wraps since his parents died when he was eleven that he has trouble feeling anything.
A Matter of Necessity by T. D. McKinney. ebook. Decent m/m romance about two FBI agents who begin a relationship as part of a deep cover operation.
Putting Out Fires by Sienna Black. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a fire djinn and a firefighter.
An Imitation of Life by Karma Eastwick. ebook. I won this at Jessewave’s last week. Good m/m romance about two actors in NYC who are hoping for their big breaks. My main complaint about this ebook is that it needed a bit more editorial polish.
Because of the Brave by Laura Baumbach, Z.A. Maxfield, and Josh Lanyon. ebook. This three-story collection about being military and gay was very, very well-written. Sadly, the editing was a bit sloppy on the first two stories. Even with those editorial issues, I’d recommend it.
Arresting Developments by James Buchanan, Josh Lanyon, and L. Picaro. ebook. Collection of m/m romances about cops and the power of the past. While the stories were good, most had editing issues – I’m beginning to see that as a pattern in ebooks from Aspen Mountain Press…
Deadly Nightshade, Deadly Wrong, Deadly Dreams, and Deadly Slumber (Deadly Series, Books 1-4) by Victor J. Banis. Excellent m/m mysteries set in San Francisco. Gay police rookie Stanley must be the perfect guy to work on solving murders committed by a transvestite, right? While the SFPD thinks so, straight cop Tom, who gets stuck with Stanley as a partner, is not at all convinced. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series.

“What do you mean, get off my furry butt and do something cute for the blog because my vacation is over?!” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Go get a cup of coffee before you start this linkfest, eh?

22 Comments

So… it’s been sort of a while since I did a books and reading post. Brace yourselves. 😉

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the contest post before 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, October 6, for your chance to win a copy of Marliss Melton’s new romantic suspense novel, Show No Fear!

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) has an amazing list of new releases and contests. So does Jackie at Literary Escapism.

Lea’s celebrating her first blogiversary with a week filled with contests. She’s giving away an Amazon gift certificate and books and who knows what else! Stop by each day to enter the latest contest.

Book Junkie’s having several contests. The first is her follower appreciation contest, which runs until October 2. She’s also giving away a copy of Kimberly Killon’s Highland Dragon. The second contest runs until midnight, October 5.

Jackie at Literary Escapism is having a contest for two Chloe Neill books and assorted other goodies. I really, really enjoyed Chloe Neill’s excellent vampire romance, Some Girls Bite, and am looking forward to reading the sequel, Friday Night Bites. Contest closes midnight, October 6.

Suburban Vampire’s giving away three signed copies of the graphic novel Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer. Contest closes 8 am PDT, October 13.

It’s Banned Books Week, and numerous bloggers have some great posts about it, including Neil Gaiman, The Book Smugglers, Wendy the Super Librarian, Lauren Dane, Love Romance Passion, Romance Book Wyrm, TeleRead, Dottie (My Blog 2.0), and many more.

Make sure you check out the interactive map of censorship attempts in the US from 2007-2009, too.

Kresley Cole is giving away a pdf copy of her short story “Warlord Wants Forever,” which is the first story in her excellent Immortals After Dark series. You can download the story here (link is directly to the pdf).

Harlequin Mills & Boon has ten ebooks available for free download, plus you can enter to win a Sony Reader.

How cool is it that CJ, who lives mere blocks away from me, has a shiny new urban fantasy coming out next year?!

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) wonders whether it’s possible to tame that TBR (to be read) pile. I have my doubts! One of the unadvertised features of an ebook reader is that it makes your TBR pile far less visually overwhelming.

Dear Author debunks eight myths about ebooks.

TeleRead links to a nice roundup of available ebook readers and a comparison of the various Sony Reader options, then points out that Amazon is not dominating the ebook market.

Um……. a fake blood energy drink? Ewww!

Reading Update
Breaking Point and Into the Storm (Troubleshooters, Books 9-10). Suzanne Brockmann. audiobooks. These romantic suspenses made my drive to and from Toronto fly by! (Although Into the Storm was a serial killer book and I generally avoid serial killer books…)
The Stone Prince by Gena Showalter. ebook. Sweet paranormal romance about a woman whose kiss awakens one of the statues in her er0tic statue garden.
Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) by Jeaniene Frost. Paranormal romance. Although I adore Bones and Cat, I wonder how long I’ll be able to keep reading this series because of the relationship angst…
Stolen Fury by Elizabeth Naughton. Very good romantic suspense about an archeologist and an antiquities thief and ancient statues of the Furies. (Thanks, Lea – you were right!)
Soul Bonds, Rush in the Dark, and Edward, Unconditionally (Common Powers, Books 1-3) by Lynn Lorenz. ebooks. The first book in this paranormal m/m romance series never really engaged me, but the next two were better.
I Heart That City: Naked Richmond by Ally Blue. I Heart That City is a bar and Naked Richmond is but one of the stories (each by a different author) centered around the bar. This one’s an m/m romance about a bike messenger who crashes into a guy he has a crush on.
Passion and Satisfaction by M.L. Rhodes. ebooks. Related m/m romances about a high-powered businessman and a bartender.
Falling by M.L. Rhodes. ebook. This paranormal m/m romance had a vaguely Harry Potterish storyline… (Sorry to those of you who are now quietly whimpering.)
Like Coffee and Doughnuts by Elle Parker. ebook. Sufficiently good m/m romance about a PI and a mechanic that I’ll be looking for more from Parker.
The Name of the Game and It’s How You Play the Game by Willa Okati. ebooks. Decent related m/m romances. I liked the first better than the second, which seemed rather choppy.

The Tiger Within by Viki Lynn. ebook. Meh paranormal historical m/m romance set just after WWII.
Notturno by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook. Intense and engaging paranormal m/m romance about a professor who tracks down ancient er0tic texts and the vampire who wrote one of those texts.
The Elegant Corpse by A.M. Riley. ebook. This was another of A.M. Riley’s intense but not comfortable m/m romances. It’s very good, but very graphic.
Chasing Victory by Tory Temple. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a stock car driver who discovers that there’s a lot more to life than racing.
Bound by Love by T.A. Chase. ebook. Ok m/m romance about lusty cowboys.
Out of Bounds and High Line (Love of Sports, Books 1-2) by T.A. Chase. ebooks. Good m/m sports-related romances about a pair of twins and the guys they fall for.
Tabloid Star by T.A. Chase. ebook. Excellent m/m romance about a bartender and an up and coming Hollywood actor. Has a bit of a connection with the Love of Sports books.
Allergies by T.A. Chase. ebook. So-so paranormal m/m romance – who knew the IT guy was a werewolf, anyway?! Looks like this is going to be a series… that I probably won’t follow.
Love and Loyalty by Tere Michaels. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a cop who won’t let himself care for anyone so he can’t get hurt. I highly recommend both this and the previous book, Faith and Fidelity.
The Vampire and the Man-Eater by G.A. Hauser. ebook. Somewhat painfully written paranormal m/m romance. Let’s just say I won’t be reading anything else from this author, hmm?
Body and Soul, Secrets, and Camp Hell (Psy-Cop, Books 3-5) and Striking Sparks (novella related to Psy-Cop) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebooks. This is a great paranormal m/m series. Price is one of those authors on my must-read list.

“I’ll humor you for now, Mom, even though this is absolutely not an authentic SRM. Die, fake SRM, die!” -Chaos

What? Where’s Mayhem? She’s here. But hey, let’s not begrudge Chaos spotlight time during his birthday week, mmm?