Category Archives: Reading

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Misadventures in Stock Photography: Part the 220th (The return of Cowlick Overload Guy)

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Make sure you enter the contest for The Working Elf Blues by Piper Vaughn! Closes 7 pm CST, December 16.

Stop by and enter the contest for Blood in the Water (An Act of Piracy #1) by Tami Veldura! Closes 7 pm CST, December 18.

Welcome to another edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography! Today we’ll be catching up with Cowlick Overload Guy (COG).

Fleeing from the

along the

with only

and a bit of

to protect them,

felt as if their lives were

after

about

came at a cost

as they’d expected – now all they wanted was to head back to their

and relax in the

through the

and into the

to celebrate

with their Texas Family.

The Texas End. 😉

*sigh* -Mayhem

Reading, Reviewettes, Those Cats

Linkity’s guide to gift guides

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Make sure you enter the contest for The Working Elf Blues by Piper Vaughn! Closes 7 pm CST, December 16.

Stop by and enter the contest for Blood in the Water (An Act of Piracy #1) by Tami Veldura! Closes 7 pm CST, December 18.

Congrats to Missy1980, who won When Love Flue In (2nd ed) by Lillian Francis! When Love Flue In (2nd ed) is being released today by Totally Bound.

Randonymity

I’m ready for some nice quiet weeks! While I am feeling much better, this week’s drama was Chaos rubbing his face so hard he scraped his cornea again – second time this year and third time ever. 🙁 Because he kept messing with it and making it worse, he ended up in The Cone of Shame.

The hard plastic cone didn’t go very well – he spent a lot of time walking backwards after running into things and getting stopped in his tracks. If he’d had it on more than a few hours, I would’ve had to repaint the lower two feet of my condo. Fortunately Jeanne stopped over with a soft cone – much better.

He’s feeling pretty sorry for himself, especially because I put ointment in his eye four times each day… Mayhem is completely unfazed by his bizarre accoutrement.

I got tagged for the Tumblr Lockscreen Challenge.

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Reading Update
Property of a Lady Faire (Secret Histories #8) by Simon R Green. Ok continuation of this series about supernatural enforcer Edwin Drood and his complicated relationship with his extremely large and secretive family. The next book in the series doesn’t come out until sometime in 2015, by which point I won’t remember anything in the ongoing story arc. 🙂

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Blood in the Water (An Act of Piracy #1) (2nd ed) by Tami Veldura [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Tami Veldura for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming re-released swashbuckling m/m romance, Blood in the Water (An Act of Piracy #1) (2nd ed), for a lucky commenter to win! Tami will release Blood in the Water on December 19.

Kyros Vindex, treasure-hunter, has a problem. He’s carrying a torch for a fellow pirate with the sexual awareness of a teaspoon. Rumors say the man has killed hundreds. He’s determined to knock some sense into the work-a-holic that captains the Midnight Sun, but damned if he knows how.

Eric Deumont has more pressing concerns than the treasure-obsessed Kyros. There’s a creature inked into his chest that no witch in the seas will lay hands on for all the gold in the world. He knows it gives the Midnight Sun a cursed reputation and that doesn’t make living any easier. He has heard stories of spirits trapped for lifetimes inside spelled puzzle jars. Eric tracked down three of the pieces for such a jar with a lead number four. The fifth is still out there.

Even then, the spirit of vengeance that lives in Eric’s skin has no intention of giving up such easy access to the mortal realm. It craves blood and the light of the moon allows it to wreak unchecked havoc. Cursed is an insult. This is madness.

Excerpt (scroll down)

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About Tami

Tami Veldura is a writer, reader, lover and artist. She currently resides in San Marcos, CA. She writes science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and GLBTQ fiction. You can find out more about Tami at her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, December 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!

“I bet she’s plotting to annoy me even as she sleeps.” -Chaos

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: The Working Elf Blues by Piper Vaughn [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Piper Vaughn for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m holiday romance, The Working Elf Blues, for a lucky commenter to win! The Working Elf Blues will be released by Less Than Three Press on December 17.

Garnet Evergreen has never heard of an elf abandoning the North Pole for a human, but he yearns to be the first. Ever since he saw Wes, the boy with sorrowful eyes, Garnet felt an undeniable kinship. Over the years, he’s watched that boy grow into a man, and now he’s determined to give Wes a Christmas he’ll never forget. If only Garnet had thought to test his father’s sleigh before leaving…

Orphaned as a child, Wes spends every Christmas alone at his cabin. When he’s woken by a suspicious boom and finds a wrecked sleigh and an unconscious elf, he doesn’t know how to react. Wes isn’t fanciful. He doesn’t give much credence to the stories about Santa Claus and flying reindeer. But a part of him wants desperately to believe when Garnet promises forever, even if life has taught him that no one ever stays…

Excerpt

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About Piper

Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book – fantasy, young adult, romance, she loves them all (and has a thousand book library to prove it!). She grew up in Chicago, in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, and loves to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life…even if it’s only in a book. You can find out more about Piper at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and joint blog with M.J O’Shea.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Tuesday, December 16.
  • 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!

*blank* -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Fire and Water by Andrew Grey [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Congrats to DebraG, Dreamy, and Paula, who won ebook copies of Tied Together (The Dark Angels #2) (2nd ed) by Z Allora!

Many thanks to Andrew Grey for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming m/m romance, Fire and Water, for a lucky commenter to win! Fire and Water will be released by Dreamspinner Press on December 15.

Officer Red Markham knows about the ugly side of life after a car accident left him scarred and his parents dead. His job policing the streets of Carlisle, PA, only adds to the ugliness, and lately, drug overdoses have been on the rise. One afternoon, Red is dispatched to the local Y for a drowning accident involving a child. Arriving on site, he finds the boy rescued by lifeguard Terry Baumgartner. Of course, Red isn’t surprised when gorgeous Terry won’t give him and his ugly mug the time of day.

Overhearing one of the officer’s comment about him being shallow opens Terry’s eyes. Maybe he isn’t as kindhearted as he always thought. His friend Julie suggests he help those less fortunate by delivering food to the elderly. On his route he meets outspoken Margie, a woman who says what’s on her mind. Turns out, she’s Officer Red’s aunt.

Red and Terry’s worlds collide as Red tries to track the source of the drugs and protect Terry from an ex-boyfriend who won’t take no for an answer. Together they might discover a chance for more than they expected – if they can see beyond what’s on the surface.

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About Andrew

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania. You can find out more about Andrew and his books at his website and his blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Friday, December 12.
  • 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!

“I feel strangely blurry.” -Mayhem

Covers, Reading

Misadventures in Stock Photography: Part the 219th (The return of CrAG)

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Congrats to Sally, who won Stardust by Andrew Grey! Stardust is being released today as part of the Dreamspinner Press holiday collection Celebrate!.

Welcome to another edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography! Today we’ll be catching up with Crossed Arms Guy (CrAG).

and

,

was the perfect place for those

on the run,

, to huddle around

, bemoaning

and hiding out from the infamous

the

, who would be

and ready to act out his

if he found them.

O.O

“I despair.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity gives thanks

7 Comments

Congrats to tea58, who won Baited by Tami Veldura! Tami will release Baited today.

Congrats to Jess1, who won The Fifth Son (2nd ed) by Blaine D Arden! The Fifth Son will be released by Cayendi Press today.

Congrats to Sally, who won Stardust by Andrew Grey! Stardust will be available as part of the Dreamspinner Press holiday collection Celebrate! on December 1.

Randonymity

  • Briefish linkity today because of my holiday weekend. 🙂

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Reading Update
Casino Infernale (Secret Histories #7) by Simon R Green. Another ok addition to this series. Once again, only Eddie can save the family Drood and the world, blah blah blah.

“I disapprove of this bear and of the coworkers who sent it to you with all of those terrifying ‘Get Well Soon’ balloons.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: When Love Flue In (2nd ed) by Lillian Francis [CONTEST CLOSED]

31 Comments

Congrats to tea58, who won Baited by Tami Veldura! Tami will release Baited on November 28.

Congrats to Jess1, who won The Fifth Son (2nd ed) by Blaine D Arden! The Fifth Son will be released by Cayendi Press on November 28.

Many thanks to Lillian Francis for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming holiday m/m romance, When Love Flue In (2nd ed), for a lucky commenter to win! When Love Flue In (2nd ed) will be released by Totally Bound on December 5.

A soot-haired chimney sweep, an exploding flue and an uncooked turkey. It’s an unholy trinity that may make all of Dominic’s Christmas wishes come true.

Dominic is celebrating his first Christmas since his divorce, and although he’s spending it on his own, he’s determined to have a traditional Christmas morning, including a roaring fire. Unfortunately, Dominic’s chimney is blocked, which is why Reagan, a soot-haired chimney sweep, is head and shoulders up Dominic’s flue. Dominic is just lucky the man had a cancellation on Christmas Eve.

Unable to take his eyes off Reagan’s low-slung jeans and enticing ass while he sets about the hearth with rods and brushes, Dominic knows five years is a long time to be obsessed with the man who sweeps his chimney every Christmas. This year there’s nothing to stop Dominic from acting on his desires – except his own insecurities.

An exploding flue provides the opportunity for more than just polite conversation and could be the catalyst for a perfect Christmas. But Dominic will need to stop hiding who he really is before a special sweep can light a fire in his heart.

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously released by another publisher. It has been revised and re-edited for release with Totally Bound Publishing.

Excerpt

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About Lillian

An avid reader, Lillian Francis was always determined she wanted to write, but a ‘proper’ job and raising a family distracted her for over a decade. Over the years and thanks to the charms of the Internet, Lillian realized she’d been writing at least one of her characters in the wrong gender. Ever since, she’s been happily letting her ‘boys’ run her writing life.

Lillian now divides her time between family, a job and the numerous men in her head all clamouring for ‘their’ story to be told.

Lillian lives in an imposing castle on a wind-swept desolate moor or in an elaborate ‘shack’ on the edge of a beach somewhere depending on her mood, with the heroes of her stories either chained up in the dungeon or wandering the shack serving drinks in nothing but skimpy barista aprons.

In reality, she would love to own a camper van and to live by the sea. You can find out more about Lillian and her books on her blog, Goodreads author page, and Twitter.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, December 4.
  • 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!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity limps along

15 Comments

Congrats to Melandra, who won Out of Time by Clare London!

Congrats to Ardent Ereader, who won Making It Pay by JL Merrow!

Randonymity

  • I spent Wednesday evening in the emergency room with what they initially thought were kidney stones, but which turned out to be a ruptured hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. Yay, painkillers!

Contest(s)

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Reading Update
All Clear (All Clear #2) by Connie Willis. No reviewette I write can possibly do this book (or really, the single book composed of Blackout and All Clear) justice. Amazing. Epic. Subtlety of detail that had me paging back to confirm something hinted. Love. Loss. Loyalty. Uncertainty. Hope. Humor. Tragedy. The triumph of the human spirit. Connie Willis has outdone herself with this amazing tale of time travel so deeply rooted in place. Her Hugo and Nebula awards for Blackout/All Clear bring her lifetime totals to eleven Hugos and seven Nebulas. Make sure you have both books on hand and clear your schedule for a few days…
Fire Watch by Connie Willis. Pretty good short that introduced us to the time-traveling historians of Oxford. When comparing this to Blackout/All Clear, you can really see how much Willis has honed her craft over the years.
To Say Nothing of the Dog, or How We Found the Bishop’s Bird Stump at Last by Connie Willis. Delightfully excellent romp through 1888 and 1940 with the time-traveling historians of Oxford. If you’re reading it for the first time, don’t be concerned when you have absolutely no idea what’s going on for the first quarter of the book. You’re in the narrator’s headspace and he has no idea, either.
For Heaven’s Eyes Only (Secret Histories #5) by Simon R Green. Ok continuation of this James Bond-inspired paranormal series. Yet another cliffhanger. Don’t be surprised when I suddenly stop reading the series, even if I have the next book on hand. Cliffies really piss me off.
Live and Let Drood (Secret Histories #6) by Simon R Green. Another ok continuation of this paranormal series. At least it wasn’t a cliffie!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook giveaway: Tied Together (The Dark Angels #2) (2nd ed) by Z Allora [CONTEST CLOSED]

25 Comments

Many thanks to Z Allora for donating three ebook copies of her forthcoming re-released m/m romance, Tied Together (The Dark Angels #2) (2nd ed), for three lucky commenters to win! Z. will release Tied Together on November 26.

Josh has loved Robin since the day they met, although he never dared to follow his heart. After the two are kicked out of their house, a night of despair turns into a night of discovery, forever changing them both. One taste of his dream leaves Josh hungry for more, but Robin’s fear of abandonment forces him to pull back, denying them both.

Their fortunes changed. Josh and Robin are now in the limelight with legendary megaband The Dark Angels, but Robin is still the scared little boy inside the rock star who isn’t convinced he won’t be left behind. He clings tightly to the word “brother” because stepbrothers can’t leave, right?

There’s only one way for Josh to prove to Robin, now and forever, that the love tying them together can never be broken.

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About

Every one deserves a happy ending… (and I make sure they get one). I have written about hot rockers, sexy zombies, and Thailand club performers. My stories are about love, romance and are tied together with erotic sex. I utilize my time overseas and my travels to bring you to places you’ve yet to visit. I introduce you to cultures you’ve yet to explore. But with every word I write I hope to convey love is love. I look forward to hearing from you, my Pretties! Facebook. Blog. Website.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Monday, December 1.
  • 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!

“I am Chaos and I disapprove of this pos… oh wait, I disapprove of EVERYTHING.” -Chaos