Category Archives: Reading

Art Journaling, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity’s giving you plenty of warning that there won’t be linkity next week

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Don’t forget to enter the contest for Duck! (2nd ed) by Kim Dare! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, September 18.

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Reading Update
Sidney Crosby (3rd Edition) by J Alexander Poulton. While the writing in this book verged on painful at time, there were definitely tidbits in it that I hadn’t read anywhere else.

“No, I won’t look at you. If I look at you, you’re going to take my pictu… MOM!!! Stop that!” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Duck! (2nd ed) by Kim Dare [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Congrats to Kris, who won Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, donated by Lou Harper!

Congrats to bheds, who won Seeking Something (Sun, Sea & Submission #6) by Kim Dare!

Many thanks to Kim Dare for donating an ebook copy of her freshly rereleased kinky paranormal m/m romance, Duck! (2nd ed), for a lucky commenter to win!

Raised among humans, Ori Jones only discovered he was an avian shifter six months ago. Unable to complete a full shift until he reaches his avian maturity, he still can’t be sure of his exact species.

But with species comes rank, and rank is everything to the avians. When a partial shift allows the elders to announce that they believe Ori to be a rather ugly little duckling, he drops straight to the bottom rung of their hierarchy.

Life isn’t easy for Ori until he comes to the attention of a high ranking hawk shifter. Then the only question is, is Ori really a duck – and what will his new master think when the truth eventually comes out?

Please Note: This is the second edition of this title. It has been tweaked and re-edited but the plot has not been changed.

Excerpt (scroll down)

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About Kim

Kim Dare is a full time writer from Wales (UK).

First published in December 2008, Kim has since released more than 75 BDSM erotic romances. That means that well over one hundred characters have chattered away inside her head during that time – and that’s not even taking into account the fact that there are over three times that number of people clamouring in the wings for a chance to tell their stories. It’s no wonder she loses track of what’s happening in the “real” world at times…

While Kim’s stories range over male/male, male/female and all kinds of menage relationships and have included vampires, time travelers, shape-shifters and fairytale re-tellings, they all have three things in common – kink, love and a happy ending.

You can visit Kim at her website and her blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, September 18.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Why do you always call me your kitten girl, Mom? I’m not a kitten!!!” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity now comes in new bite-sized serving

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Randonymity

  • Because of said summer cold, linkity’s going to be a bit brief today – my brain is mush.

Bookity

Think, Make, Learn, Do

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Wha…?

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Reading Update
Colored Pencil Collage: Nature Drawing and Painting for Mixed Media by Kelly Hoernig. The title choice is interesting – the author does use colored pencils in her collage work, but not really more than any other element she used. Anyway. I think this is a good book for getting the feel of how to work collages in layers and (at a high level) how collage artists might use gesso, matte medium, ephemera, etc. However, this isn’t a book I’ll buy to have on hand for reference or inspiration, either. YMMV.
Art Journal Courage: Fearless Mixed Media Techniques for Journaling Bravely by Dina Wakley. Lot of skimming through this one – I did make notes on some of the supplies and techniques she used, but her style involves a lot of faces (not what I’m interested in including in my journal) and, apparently, using orange and fuchsia over and over and over.
Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books by Karen Dinino & Linda Woods. Although the writing style is Very! Exuberant!, I did get a few good ideas from this one. There were also things I didn’t connect with at all, like the whole Personal Palette concept. Please note that the authors have a fairly minimalist style in terms of art journaling.
Journal Revolution: Rise Up and Create Art Journals, Personal Manifestos and Other Artistic Insurrections by Karen Dinino & Linda Woods. The writing style got to me a lot more in this one, especially with the strained “revolution” theme the authors were trying to use. All of that made it nearly impossible to sort out the few actually useful and interesting tidbits.

“Clean foot, clean foot, I’m going to have such a clean, clean foot!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: To Love a Traitor by JL Merrow [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to JL Merrow for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming historical m/m romance, To Love a Traitor, for a lucky commenter to win! To Love a Traitor will be released by Samhain Publishing on September 15.

Wounds of the heart take the longest to heal.

When solicitor’s clerk George Johnson moves into a rented London room in the winter of 1920, it’s with a secret goal: to find out if his fellow lodger, Matthew Connaught, is the wartime traitor who cost George’s adored older brother his life.

Yet as he gets to know Matthew – an irrepressibly cheerful ad man whose missing arm hasn’t dimmed his smile – George begins to lose sight of his mission.

As Matthew’s advances become ever harder to resist, George tries to convince himself his brother’s death was just the luck of the draw, and to forget he’s hiding a secret of his own. His true identity – and an act of conscience that shamed his family.

But as their mutual attraction grows, so does George’s desperation to know the truth about what happened that day in Ypres. If only to prove Matthew innocent – even if it means losing the man he’s come to love.

This is a novel-length expansion of previously published novella.

Product Warnings
Contains larks in the snow, stiff upper lips, shadows of the Great War, and one man working undercover while another tries to lure him under the covers.

Excerpt (scroll down and select Sneak Peek)

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About JL

JL Merrow is that rare beast: an English person who refuses to drink tea.  Having grown up by the seaside, she also loathes fish and chips.  She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again.  Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne. She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporaries and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. You can find out more about JL at her website, blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, September 14.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Pretty sure Mom was thinking about recycling this box, so I’ll just hang out in it for a while and look so handsome so she can’t bear to.” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Seeking Something (Sun, Sea & Submission #6) by Kim Dare [CONTEST CLOSED]

25 Comments

Many thanks to Kim Dare for donating an ebook copy of her freshly released kinky paranormal m/m romance, Seeking Something (Sun, Sea & Submission #6), for a lucky commenter to win!

Billy Lewis thinks he might be gay. He also thinks he might be a submissive. The only thing he’s really sure of is that, at twenty-three years old, it’s time he found out what he’s really into. A hotel full of kinky gay men seems like the perfect place to find some answers. A little bit of alcoholic courage, and he’s ready to dive right into the deep end.

Gareth Vaughn isn’t the kind of man to second guess who he is or what he wants. He’s gay. He’s a dom. He’s at the hotel looking for a weekend of no strings fun with a willing sub. But he’s not the kind of man who’ll leave a boy who’s drunk and out of his depth to sink or swim among strangers.

Gareth and Billy couldn’t be more different, but they’re both at the hotel seeking something and they’re both about to get a whole lot more than they expected.

Excerpt (scroll down)

Other Books

About Kim

Kim Dare is a full time writer from Wales (UK).

First published in December 2008, Kim has since released more than 75 BDSM erotic romances. That means that well over one hundred characters have chattered away inside her head during that time – and that’s not even taking into account the fact that there are over three times that number of people clamouring in the wings for a chance to tell their stories. It’s no wonder she loses track of what’s happening in the “real” world at times…

While Kim’s stories range over male/male, male/female and all kinds of menage relationships and have included vampires, time travelers, shape-shifters and fairytale re-tellings, they all have three things in common – kink, love and a happy ending.

You can visit Kim at her website and her blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, September 7.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

*attempting to balefully will me into feeding him 90 minutes early* -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook anthology giveaway- Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy [CONTEST CLOSED]

46 Comments

Many thanks to Lou Harper for donating an ebook copy of the m/m paranormal anthology, Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, for a lucky commenter to win! Charmed and Dangerous is being released today (August 25) by JCP Books.

Magic takes many forms. From malignant hexes to love charms gone amok, you’ll find a vast array of spells and curses, creatures and conjurings in this massive collection – not to mention a steamy dose of man-on-man action. Charmed and Dangerous features all-new stories of gay paranormal romance, supernatural fiction and urban fantasy by ten top m/m paranormal authors.

Rhys Ford – Dim Sum Asylum
For Detective Roku MacCormick, working Arcane Crimes is his passion. Now cleared of any wrongdoing for shooting his last partner, MacCormick is given back his badge… as well as a new case and partner. Trent Leonard isn’t exactly what he’d expected, but then nothing in San Francisco’s Chinatown ever is.

Ginn Hale – Swift and the Black Dog
When Jack Swift killed a tyrant and won the revolution he became a national hero. But someone in the new government prefers dead heroes to living, swearing, cynical wizards. Caught between bullets, revenge and desire, Jack had better be swift indeed.

KJ Charles – A Queer Trade
Apprentice magician Crispin Tredarloe returns to London to find his master dead, and his papers sold. Papers with secrets that could spell death. Waste paper seller Ned Hall can’t resist Crispin’s pleading – and appealing – looks. But can the wasteman and the magician prevent a disaster and save Crispin’s skin?

Nicole Kimberling – Magically Delicious
Occult attacks against NIAD agents aren’t remotely Keith Curry’s department. But when his lover, Gunther, is assaulted, Keith refuses to just sit back and fill out paperwork. He’s on the case – even if that means enraging powerful mages, crossing leprechaun picket lines, or braving dinner with Gunther’s goblin parents.

Jordan Castillo Price – Everyone’s Afraid of Clowns
Psychic medium Victor Bayne can spot a ghost any day of the year, but Halloween holds some special surprises. His psych-groupie boyfriend Jacob coaxes him to the location of an old spirit sighting, but they can’t ghosthunt without enduring a cheesy “haunted house” that’s even more disturbing than they realize.

Jordan L. Hawk – The Thirteenth Hex
Hexman Dominic Kopecky doesn’t understand why dashing crow familiar Rook wants his help investigating murder by patent hex. For one thing, Dominic isn’t a witch. For another, the case is already closed – and someone is willing to kill to keep it that way.

Charlie Cochet – The Soldati Prince
Riley Murrough goes from serving lattes to being chased by demons. If that wasn’t bad enough, he bears the mark of a shapeshifter king from a magical realm. Riley’s determined to get answers, but if the demons out for his blood don’t kill him, the urge to strangle the arrogant king might.

Lou Harper – One Hex Too Many
Veteran detective Mike Mulligan is an expert on violent crimes – of the occult variety. He might even be cursed. Detective Hugh Fox is eager to partner up and prove himself, but Mulligan is accustomed to flying solo. Can they trust each other enough to track a killer who’ll stop at nothing, not even summoning a demon?

Andrea Speed – Josh of the Damned vs. the Bathroom of Doom
It’s a boring night at the Quik-Mart for Josh and his friend Doug. Until a vampire with a grudge – and the most adorable backup ever – crashes the store. Can Josh survive the Bathroom of Doom?

Astrid Amara – The Trouble With Hexes
P.I. Tim Keller has a problem. And the only person who can solve it is his ex-boyfriend, Vincent, whose job as a hexbreaker was the reason they broke up. It’s hard admitting he was wrong, especially when coughing up organs. But there’s a missing person to find, a hexmaker to hunt down, and a romance to repair before Tim breathes his last.

Teasers (scroll down)

Lou talks about worldbuilding.

Other Books

About Lou

Under a prickly, cynical surface Lou Harper is an incorrigible romantic. Her love affair with the written word started at a tender age. There was never a time when stories weren’t romping around in her head. She is currently embroiled in a ruinous romance with adjectives. In her free time Lou stalks deviant words and feral narratives.

Lou’s favorite animal is the hedgehog. She likes nature, books, movies, photography, and good food. She has a temper and mood swings.

Lou has misspent most of her life in parts of Europe and the US, but is now firmly settled in Los Angeles and worships the sun. However, she thinks the ocean smells funny. Lou is a loner, a misfit, and a happy drunk. You can find out more about Lou and her books at her website, her blog, and Goodreads.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Monday, September 7.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“What, is there a problem?” -Mayhem

Art Journaling, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity largesse

6 Comments

Randonymity

Bookity

Think, Learn, Do, Make

Cookity

Gluten Free

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life by Keri Smith. Ok short activity book about how to bring more creativity into your life, which apparently involves a lot of stickers and vaguely New Agey sentiments. I did like the directions (page 61) for how to make a wee book from a single sheet of paper.
Collage, Paint, Draw: Explore Mixed Media Techniques and Materials by Sue Pelletier. Ok collage how-to book that’s not particularly relevant to collage for art journaling, as it focuses on creating works that are not flat. (I don’t see myself using plaster-of-paris or 18-gauge wire in my art journal.) Plus I found the artist’s style repetitive – mostly dresses, Mary Janes, and birds.

*continuing to be enthralled* -Chaos

(Spoiler: It’s a branch. Not a bird. Not a squirrel. A branch.)

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Challenge the Darkness by Dirk Greyson [CONTEST CLOSED]

23 Comments

Many thanks to Dirk Greyson for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming paranormal m/m thriller, Challenge the Darkness, for a lucky commenter to win! Challenge the Darkness will be released by Dreamspinner Press on August 31.

When alpha shifter Mikael Volokov is called to witness a challenge, he learns the evil and power-hungry Anton Gregor will stop at nothing to attain victory. Knowing he will need alliances to keep his pack together, Mikael requests a congress with the nearby Evergreen pack and meets Denton Arguson, Evergreen alpha, to ask for his help. Fate has a strange twist for both of them, though, and Mikael and Denton soon realize they’re destined mates.

Denton resists the pull between them – he has his own pack and his own responsibilities. But Mikael isn’t willing to give up. The Mother has promised Mikael his mate, told him he must fight for him, and that only together can they defeat the coming darkness. When Anton casts his sights on Denton’s pack, attacks and sabotage follow, pulling Denton and Mikael together to defeat a common enemy. But Anton’s threats sow seeds of destruction enough to break any bond, and the mates. determination to challenge the darkness may be their only saving grace.

Excerpt (scroll down and select “Expand”)

Other Books

About Dirk

Dirk is very much an outside kind of man. He loves travel and seeing new things. Dirk worked in corporate America for way too long and now spends his days writing, gardening, and taking care of the home he shares with his partner of more than two decades. He has a Masters Degree and all the other accessories that go with a corporate job. But he is most proud of the stories he tells and the life he’s built. Dirk lives in Pennsylvania in a century old home and is blessed with an amazing circle of friends. You can find out more about Dirk on Facebook.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, August 28.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

*enthralled* -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Leonardo da Linkity

7 Comments

Congrats to Karen M, who won The Rainbow League series by Kate McMurray – including the third book, The Long Slide Home, which is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Randonymity

Bookity

Think, Learn, Make, Do

Cookity

Gluten Free

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
The Annihilation Score (Laundry Files #6) by Charles Stross. A very good addition to the series, this book was from Mo’s perspective (instead of Bob’s) as her life changes direction abruptly – possibly more than once even. Life is unpredictable when you wield a possessed violin made from human bone… I can’t help but notice that many of the lower ratings on Goodreads are from men and have to wonder a bit about that, what with this book having a strong female protagonist. :/

“Why are all of you upside down again?! You’re just so silly!” -Mayhem

Covers, Reading

Misadventures in Stock Photography: Part the 245th (The return of the HLMGYTHMG)

5 Comments

Congrats to Jamie, who won Redemption (Diversion #5) by Eden Winters! Redemption was released by Rocky Ridge Books on August 8.

Whoops! Forgot to schedule this before I hit publish, so hey – early Misadventure. 🙂

Welcome to another edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography! Today we’ll be catching up with the Here, Let Me Give You the Heimlich Maneuver Guys (HLMGYTHMG).

through the constant turmoil of

, but

after his

(via a

) with

and the

made him decide he was finally ready for some

.

Whew! 🙂

“No! You can’t pet my tummy because naughty boys again!!!” -Mayhem