Tag Archives: reviewettes

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which I completely fail to come up with anything remotely clever for a linkity post title

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Congrats to Lily, who won the copy of Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton! Strawberries for Dessert is now available from Dreamspinner Press. (To promote Strawberries for Dessert, Heidi Cullinan posted a free short featuring Randy and Sam from Special Delivery and Double Blind.)

Contests

  • LesleyW’s curious about your book prejudices. Leave a comment about said prejudices before August 7 for your chance to win a copy of The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn.
  • Devyn Quinn’s giving away a copy of her new paranormal romance, Siren’s Call (Dark Tides), to a commenter on each of the three posts she made during her visit to Desert Island Keepers. Leave your comments by midnight, August 7, to enter.

Bookity

  • New releases: Lily (m/m romance), Literary Escapism (UF/PNR; includes interviews, contests, & news), Katiebabs (forthcoming releases whose covers intrigued her), Renee (romances that she’s looking forward to), and Elisa (GLBT releases for July).
  • The climbing library is gorgeous and very clever. I wonder if my condo association would notice me adding one…
  • Check out the Misadventure that Kris found! I added another example in the comments. Be warned that some of the other links in the comments are very NSFW.

Ebookity

Make, Learn, Do, Think

  • Yes! Vindication for my years and years and years of not making my bed. 🙂
  • And vindication for being a twitchy, doodling meeting attendee!
  • I really like this nautical rope bracelet. I wonder if I could find black nautical rope to make one for myself?

Huh

  • You will not catch me knitting any of these. Some of the comments are pretty funny, too. (Um, thanks??, MamaTulip!)
  • If you’ve always wanted to be able to punch a hole through the cap of a beer bottle and drink your beer through a straw (and you aren’t worried about the little metal disk now floating in your beer), you’ll love the BottleBop Bottle Cap Punch.
  • July was National Ice Cream Month in the US. Consumerist listed ten bizarre ice cream flavors that you might want to try… or not. No, no haggis ice cream for me, thanks!

Cool

Linkity Peeps

LOL

  • Is it bad that I’d like to modify my car to do this?! And while I wouldn’t necessarily want to modify my car to do this, it’s pretty clever. (Thanks, Jeanne!)

Teh Cute

  • Just be warned that you might not make it out alive from the Daily Squee…

Reading Update
See what happens when I read long books instead of shorts?! I have a very short Reading Update. 🙂
Brushback (Evan Austin Mysteries, Book 1) by Jamie Scofield. ebook. Excellent m/m mystery about a Seattle private investigator hired to find an about-to-be heir by the mother who abandoned the boy and his father years ago. However, things aren’t quite as straightforward as that. 🙂 So… are there going to be any other books in the series?! This seems to be the only book from the press and the only book by this author… and no updates since the June 2009 release.
Double Blind (Special Delivery, Book 2) by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Excellent m/m romance about a gambler who picks up and inadvertently saves a guy who just lost his last five dollars at roulette and isn’t sure what he has left to live for.
Loving Edits by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a rich and prestigious editor, the writer/lover he dumped years ago, and the writer’s beloved and devoted boyfriend. The beginning might be tough to get through, because none of the three are shown in a particularly good light, but the payout is more than worth it (probably because of it)! I’m always hesitant to read menage, because so few authors have convinced me that it would work emotionally for everyone involved, but I can definitely add Mickie B. Ashling to my list of authors who can make it work.
Priority One by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a new paramedic, young and inexperienced in more ways than one, who’s living with his overprotective brother while trying to recover from a traumatic incident.
Tinsel and Frost by Eden Winters. ebook short. Sweet short holiday m/m romance about a former ballet dancer who’s now a stripper after a career-ending accident.
The Distance Between Us by L.A. Witt. ebook. Decent m/m romance that, unfortunately, drove me completely nuts more than once or twice, or I would’ve rated it higher. It’s about two guys who have been together for ten years and finally broke up recently. However, they’re still living together because of the housing market – they can’t afford to sell their house and they can’t afford to pay rent somewhere else and pay the mortgage on the house. They get a very hot roommate and then both get sexually involved with him. I wanted to slap the two main characters. Many, many times.The sex-to-story ratio was seriously skewed. And this wasn’t one of the menage books that worked for me. All of this is a shame, because I really like L.A. Witt’s writing.
So Much More Than Naked (Books 1 & 2) by D.J. Manly. ebooks. Um. These m/m romances were codependent trainwrecks of pseudo-bdsm, the two main characters were both TSTL, and I only kept reading out of sick fascination for how bad it could get.

“Well, ok, I am less bored now that Mom finally opened the windows again.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Let linkity leech away your life!

40 Comments

Congrats to Kaetrin, who won Priority One by Stephani Hecht! Priority One will be released on August 1 by eXtasy Books.

So, last Saturday evening CJ (aka urban fantasy author Carolyn Crane) and I sat down in my living room with some gluten-free beers, our laptops, and Google Docs to polish up a (hopefully) humorous post with a paranormal romance theme. Thanks to CJ’s tireless efforts, our post has been published at Tor.com. Stop by and check it out if you get a chance!

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

  • Confused about all the different varieties of epub? This primer might help.
  • If you’d like to digitize your print books and aren’t in a hurry to do so, here’s a setup you can put together yourself.

Learn, Make, Think, Do

  • Snickerdoodle cake! I don’t see why this wouldn’t work with a gluten-free cake mix…

Linkity Peeps

Huh

LOL

  • This is why the toilet paper at my condo is in the vanity and not easily accessible to people… or Chaos.
  • A little Frogger humor – make sure you hover your mouse pointer over the comic to get additional text!

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Bound and Determined by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. ebook. Excellent kinky m/m romance about a college senior who realizes he’s submissive, which is simultaneously difficult for him to accept and something he craves.
Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London. ebook. Very good m/m mystery about a gallery owner who discovers an artist murdered in his gallery and slowly begins to realize that nothing he’d believed about the people in his life is as he thought it was.
Fair Game by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Very good m/m mystery about an FBI agent turned professor after being injured in the line of duty who’s asked to look into the disappearance of a student on campus. (I received this book via NetGalley. Fair Game will be released on August 2 by Carina Press.)
A Game of Chances (Farmingdale Gentleman’s Club, Book 1) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense with lots of little twists and turns. The Farmingdale Gentleman’s Club is a private grey ops organization. And I don’t want to tell you anything else because being surprised by the twists and turns was a big part of what I liked! I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.
Safe in His Arms (Wicked Hearts, Book 2) by Claire Thompson. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about the seemingly irredeemable cruel and controlling “best friend” from the previous book, who’s slowly spiraling toward rock bottom. If you’d told me after I finished reading Wicked Hearts that Claire Thompson could make me care about and like this guy, I would not have believed you.
Ports of Call by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a couple on vacation at the beach, trying to get past one of them having been mugged.
Two Steps Up by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Cute short m/m about a teen standing across the street from where a gay teens support group meeting will be held, trying to work up the nerve to go to the meeting.
Protests and Proposals by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Another cute short m/m romance about two guys protesting Proposition 8 being repealed.
Blue Skies by Diane Adams. ebook short. Decent short m/m romance about a conservative businessman who’s very attracted to a flaming younger man, but stays away because he thinks being “so gay” brings the wrong sort of attention to the gay community.
Gay Best Friend (G-A-Y, Book 10) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m romance about an allegedly straight guy who kisses his gay best friend on a dare from his obnoxious coworkers, then realizes that he might not be as straight as he’d always believed.
A Limited Engagement by Josh Lanyon. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about an actor who gambles everything when he outs his closeted lover to end his lover’s engagement to a woman.
Bargaining by Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance about two friends who finally get together, only to discover they’re both tops. This story will work best for those unconcerned about realism in refractory periods or condom use.
Lilacs by Megan Derr. free ebook short. Ok free short paranormal m/m romance about two guys who hate each other due to a big misunderstanding… and then discover they’re about to become stepbrothers.
News at Eleven by Jack Greene. ebook short. Cute’n’steamy short m/m romance about a tv station manager who’s been admiring the very out star news anchor from a distance.
Cold Steel by Morgan Lee. ebook short. So-so kinky short m/m interlude about an undercover cop who’s “arrested” by his partner at the end of his assignment. This teetered on the edge of purple prose… and I’m pretty sure those handcuffs would’ve messed up the finish on the cop car…

“This is an advanced technique. Don’t try this at home without the assistance of a qualified kitty.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

What linkity through yonder window breaks?

41 Comments

Congrats to KC (SmokinHotBooks), who won Making Promises (sequel to Keeping Promise Rock) by Amy Lane! Making Promises will be released on Monday, July 26, by Dreamspinner Press.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Linkity Peeps

Huh

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Sweet Son by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Very good bdsm m/m faery tale about a young man who, after having numerous dreams of his true love, sets off to find him. The journey is not at all what he expects… truly a case of “you can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.”
Phoenix Rising by Kimberly Gardner. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a deeply closeted guy who falls for a stripper who doesn’t want to be anybody’s dirty little secret ever again.
Bound to Please (Phoenix Rising, Book 2) by Kimberly Gardner. ebook. Excellent kinky m/m romance about a young man who’s secretly in love with his boss, a photographer and dominant who owns a bdsm club. When the dominant starts working with a hot new model and former porn star, everything changes. (Usually I don’t read menages, because most authors can’t make the emotional/romantic connections between three people convincing. Kimberly Gardner can.)
Sexy Summer Fling by Kimberly Gardner. free ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a guy working as a (female) fortune teller when a very hot guy comes in to get his palm read.
A Wicked Caress (Lost Shifters, Book 5) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about Noah, the most recently rescued of the Lost Shifters. He’s back in Flint with his family for the first time ever, but he doesn’t feel as if he belongs there.
Blood Slave by Kim Dare. ebook. Good kinky paranormal m/m romance about a vampire who doesn’t realize that humans can offer submission without being broken to do so.
Mitch by Dakota Rebel. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a bounty hunter who’s given a contract on the very sexy vampire lead singer of a popular band.
The Letter Z (Coda, Colorado, Book 3) by Marie Sexton. ebook. Very good m/m romance about Angelo & Zach and Jared & Matt and how relationships are complicated and easily misunderstood by those outside the relationships… including, in this case, the reader. You definitely need to read both Promises and A to Z before reading this book.
Sticky Fingers (Go Fish, Book 2) by H.T. Murray. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance that follows up on Cal and Ian. Particularly recommended if you love watermelon.
What Not To Wear by Clare London. ebook short. Fun short m/m romance about the dangers of working at the same company as your boyfriend when you both have a penchant for public sex.
Nevermore by Addison Albright. ebook short. Sweet’n’steamy short m/m romance about a divorced teacher who’s stayed in the closet because he’s been afraid of taking risks with his job or his kids.
Wicked Hearts by Claire Thompson. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s basically been under his cruel and nasty best friend’s thumb for years. Things do not go smoothly as he tries to put more distance between himself and his friend.
Masks of Emotion (aka Julian’s Second Chance) by Claire Thompson. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who traveled in Sri Lanka together for a few days when they were college students, then lost touch due to a big misunderstanding.
Runaway Man by Jambrea Jo Jones. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who runs into his boyfriend on the train, after vanishing from his boyfriend’s life without a word some months before.

“What?” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Pick a peck of peppered linkity

36 Comments

Contests

Bookity

  • Do you read Good Show Sir? They look at scifi/fantasy book covers and try to recreate what the art director must’ve told the artist to end up with the cover in question… 🙂

Ebookity

Learn, Do, Make, Think

Linkity Peeps

Huh

LOL

  • Hmm. I think some of these kittehs are more Purgatory Kittehs than Basement Kittehs.

Teh Cute

  • You probably need Daily Bunny in your life. (Thanks, Jase!)

Reading Update
Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane. ebook. Excellent m/m version of Beauty and the Beast about a bitter, disfigured woodcarver who agrees to leave with a strange part man, part beast so that he will no longer be a barrier to his sister’s happiness.
Truthful Change by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a retired mercenary who becomes fascinated by his seemingly innocent gardener…
Jacob’s Ladder (St. Nacho’s, Book 3) by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a pastry chef who ends up in St. Nacho’s because of a cold and domestic violence. He’s planning to leave town as soon as his brother can pick him up… but you know how plans like that go in St. Nacho’s!
Start from the Beginning by Chrissy Munder. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who recently had a stress-induced heart attack and is now staying at a friend’s cabin to learn how to slow his life down. Without much to do, he becomes fascinated by the reclusive artist who lives in a nearby cabin.
Fair Winds by Chrissy Munder. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s supposed to be part of a sailboat’s crew during a big race, until the other crewmembers find out he’s gay. I’d really like to see a sequel to this one!
Blast from the Past by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good m/m romance about a teacher who was laid off and is now working at a daycare center, where he runs into the guy he had a huge crush on in high school.
A Detour Home by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two college-age friends who’ve known each other for years, but not done anything about their attraction until they work together on summer road crew job.
Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee. ebook. Good m/m romance about two men who are very different (black/white, closeted/out, white-collar/blue-collar) who may or may not be getting involved with each other.
Runaway Love by Z.A. Maxfield. free ebook short. Good short m/m romance about an artist who’s driving to San Francisco when he stops to pick up two young hitchhikers.
Beautiful Sunset by Sarah Masters. ebook short. Lyrical short paranormal m/m romance about a man who was brutally betrayed by his boyfriend; since then, he’s been going to sit by a small lake and feed bread to a heron and think.
Life After by Jaime Samms. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a guy who’s taking some time off from the law firm where he works as he reevaluates his life. He’s been spending a lot of time thinking in the cemetery, until one day the caretaker walks up and starts talking to him.
Unstoppable Force by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. Good m/m romance about a successful businessman who doesn’t believe in love, so he simply hires high-class prostitutes for a weekend or a few weeks. And then he hires a guy who starts to really get under his skin… and whose past isn’t quite ready to let him go. This would’ve been a much better read if everything hadn’t been tidied it up in half a chapter and an epilogue – it definitely felt rushed.
Martin and the Wolf by Anne Brooke. ebook. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who has a scorching hot encounter with a crude and mysterious man at a friend’s garden party – an encounter that he doesn’t realize will change his life.
Sweet Surrender by Ashleigh Walton. ebook. So-so, but very sweet, m/m romance about an architecture student who starts dating a guy with his own landscaping business. A bit too syrupy for my taste.

“But if I show you my super soft tummy, you might think that means you can rub it. And it doesn’t. At all.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Each week, I’m convinced that I won’t have enough links to bother with linkity…

32 Comments

Contests

Bookity

  • New releases: Lily (m/m romance), KB (romances that caught her eye), and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, includes interviews and more).

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • If you have an iTunes account, go right now and look at your purchase history, to make sure yours wasn’t one of the accounts hacked recently.

Linkity Peeps

Huh

  • We’ve all heard of sporks, but have you heard of knorks?!

LOL

  • Metaphor or simile? (Make sure you hover your mouse over the comic to get additional text.)

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Gay Friendly (G-A-Y, Book 9) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Very good sweet m/m romance about an innocent young man staying at a gay friendly hotel who isn’t at all prepared for how “friendly” (and groping) the other guests are. Fortunately for him, an older, more dominant guest takes pity on him and offers his protection… but does the young man actually want more than just that safety? (If you don’t see a bookcover for this one, it means Total-E-Bound is down.)
Handcuffs and Glory Holes (Rawlings Men, Book 2) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Very good sweet’n’kinky short m/m romance about a mistreated sub who’s used to being pimped out and doesn’t dare believe that things can be different.
Gaymes by Jenna Byrnes, Gwendolyn Cease, Kim Dare, Carol Lynne, Jude Mason, Devon Rhodes, & Lisabet Sarai. ebook collection. Overall enjoyable collection of m/m romances, each focused around a game of some sort, such as Highland games, pool, Scabble, and flag football. Five of the six stories were good or better and one story was kinda meh.
Samhain Enchanted Evening by M. King. free ebook short. Ok freebie short m/m romance about a guy whose life feels very dull to him these days and he doesn’t see that changing at the Halloween party he has to attend.
Thirteen Maidens by M. King. ebook short. Good m/m romance short about two guys who are taking a week to visit standing stones, including the mysterious standing stones known as the Thirteen Maidens.
The Dream Thief by M. King. ebook short. Good fantasy m/m short about a guy who has incredibly realistic feeling dreams of a dream lover that start when he’s a teenager and gain power through the years.
Spam! It’s What’s for Christmas by Lenore Black. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a guy who was fired and then dumped by his boyfriend. He hasn’t had any luck finding a new job while he pines for his boyfriend… until he answers a modeling ad. *ahem*
Because It’s True by Willa Okati. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a guy who’s given up on dating since his last boyfriend ditched him while they were traveling to Canada to get married. This never came together for me – the guys never seemed like actual guys and the book could easily have been half as long as it was. Also, I wanted to slap characters. Frequently. But hey, I like the cover! 🙂

From the Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
Charlies Chuckles by Clare London. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about two guys who live in the same building, but have never spoken until a morning of small disasters sends them careening into each other.
I Can See Right Through You by Zahra Owens. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a writer who’s staying in his aunt’s old house after she had to move to a care facility. He discovers that the house has a ghost… a ghost he comes to care about deeply.
Oubliette by G.S. Wiley. ebook short. So-so historical paranormal m/m short about an Englishman who was captured by Spaniards after his ship was wrecked.
Careful What You Wish For by Elizabeth Copland. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who’s had a crush on his oblivious roommate for a long time.
What’s Past Is Presence by Lori C. Hawkins. ebook short. Meh short m/m romance about a couple who discover that their house may be haunted… or is it? A large part of the meh on this one was the choppy, simplistic language.

“Napping. Or trying to at least. Go away. All of you.” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Personal history, Reading, Reviewettes, Tales of the Neighborhood

My eyeball, let me show it to you (now with more linkity than you’d expect from that title!)

46 Comments

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

Contests

Bookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Listen

Knit

Huh

LOL

Teh Cute

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking of fireworks…

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

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Lost lands of linkity

34 Comments

Contests

Bookity

  • Stuck on what to read next? YourNextRead might help you decide.

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Huh

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Sleepwalker by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a night watchmen at a decrepit natural history museum who has a weakness for the skatepunk taxidermist brought in for some last minute exhibit cleanup. (Jordan reports that the followup book will be called Insomniac.)
Reasonable Doubt (The Boys in Blue, Book 2) by Mia Watts. ebook. I would’ve thought this m/m romance was very good, even if I hadn’t been mentioned in the dedication. 🙂 I loved the first book (Bad Boys, Bad Boys) and I was thrilled to read more about Geo and Mack!
Life After Joe by Harper Fox. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a medical intern who’s been living in a haze of booze and one-night stands in the six months since his boyfriend of years left him for a woman. I got sniffly while reading this one.
Marrick’s Promise (Thrown to the Lions, Book 2) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky paranormal m/m/m romance about a young man who’s determined to live life to the fullest and try everything once (but not necessarily twice). Will he change his mind after getting thrown to the (were)lions?
Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Excellent dark fantasy m/m romance about a man who’s lost his job and his dream life and been forced to return to his small home town in Minnesota. When he finds a mysterious silver flute in the pawn shop where he now works, he becomes caught in a series of fantastical events he could not have predicted… or have believed.
Word on a Wing by Jamie Craig. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a directionless young man who gets pulled over by the infamously tough sheriff and offered a dangerous deal that will keep him out of jail…
Number Theory by Noah Bogdonoff. ebook short. Ok very short, somewhat literary feeling m/m about a boy who sees the world in binary/black and white.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
I Fell in Love with a Zombie by Sean Kennedy. ebook. Very good post-apocalyptic m/m with which I had two problems: the ending is abrupt (is there going to be a sequel?!) and I kept hearing this song in my head the entire time I was reading.
Raiders by Evan Gilbert. ebook short. Enjoyably wicked m/m paranormal short about two homophobic hustlers. I’m not saying anything more about this one, because the surprising twist was a big part of the fun!
Enter the Succubus by Kate Roman. ebook short. So so m/m paranormal romance short about a gay college student who’s accosted by a creepy woman who won’t take no for an answer.
66 Hours in the Devil’s House by Jamie Freeman. ebook. Pretty good paranormal menage about a celebrity trio and their best gal pal who stay in an allegedly haunted bed-and-breakfast for a weekend to determine whether the hauntings are real.

“You put your right paw in, you put your right paw out, you put your right paw in and you shake it all about…” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

TGILinkity

40 Comments

This has been one of those weeks that’s sorta beaten me up and left me for dead. 🙂 I’m sure I’ll catch up on blog reading… someday!

Contests

Bookity

  • New release info: Lily (m/m romance) and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, plus news, interviews, and contests).
  • Although it might seem that ebook prices have climbed due to the agency model, this article at TeleRead suggests that ebook prices are actually going down.

Make, Do, Think, Learn

  • Beware – using water instead of windshield wiper fluid might turn that reservoir into a great place for pneumonia to incubate. (Besides having your washer fluid reservoir freeze and crack should you live someplace like Minnesota…)

Huh

LOL

  • Lily has an assortment of amusing links – but beware that many are NSFW. Also, several might scar you for life – and that includes links in the comments.

Weekly Cute Burn

Reading Update
The Cop and the Drifter by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a cop… and a drifter. 😀 What, you want more? Ok, it’s about a cop, on administrative leave and unsure whether he still has a job, who’s camping and meets a young homeless man. (I won this over at Wave’s place.)
Hajiri’s Pet (Midnight Rain, Book 1) by Auburnimp & Michael Barnette. ebook. Ok cyberpunk m/m romance about a mercenary whose life is saved by a genetically engineered “battlepet” who then imprints on him. Definitely a HFN ending… and there aren’t any other books in this series yet.
Safe House by M. King. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a guy who has always resisted acknowledging what he needs in the bedroom… and now it’s driving a wedge between he and his boyfriend.
Precious Jade by Fyn Alexander. ebook. Very good kinky historical m/m romance about Jade, raised in the theater, who gets a job as a secretary to an MP and has the chance to explore his submissive side.
Double Shot Cappuccino by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s having a hard time getting over his brother’s death the previous year. Will his brother’s best friend’s brief visit help? Or just lead to more heartache?
Mad Blood, In Passion and in Blood, Saved by Love’s Blood, Bound by Blood, and Reborn in Blood (The Drone Vampire Chronicles, Books 2, 4, 5, 7, & 8 ) by Stephani Hecht. ebooks. Enjoyable m/m paranormal romances about the Drone Vampires, who are made, not born, and are treated like second-class citizens by pure-born vampires. Toss in wizards and werefolk, too, just to keep things really interesting. (I skipped any books that weren’t strictly m/m.) (And how glad am I that Stephani’s such a good sport about her book covers being a veritable Who’s Who of the Misadventures?!)
Here and Now by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. Ok m/m romance about an HIV-positive guy who’s turned his life around after living on the streets. He’s prepared to live his life on his own… and then he meets a guy who pushes him (gently) and challenges his beliefs about himself. I had a huge niggle with this book – when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and went on a drug regimen… he was in a situation in which he would not have had health insurance. At that point, this book went straight to fairytale land for me.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
Dead End Job by Clancy Nacht. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who manages an office full of zombies and then one day, there’s someone living hiding amongst them. Not a fan of zombie books…
Staking His Life by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a vampire whose life isn’t ever going to be the same again after he goes to a bar with his werewolf roommate. I didn’t like this one as much as I usually like Kiernan Kelly’s books – it was too heavy on puns and self-indulgent cleverness.
Vampire Movie Night by S. Blaise. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about two guys watching a cheesy vampire movie and making out on the couch.
There’s Something About Spot by Felicitas Ivey. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a town of misfits and how two residents celebrate Midsummer.

“Foot cleaning? What are you talking about? We don’t even have feet.” -Chaos

*best innocent and adorable look* -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Extremely extreme linkity

31 Comments

Contests

Bookity

  • If you love to scribble in books and feel constrained when you borrow books or check them out from the library, check out NoteTabs, which are combo Post-its/book flags.
  • Rich also has a post on what he calls the WYSIWYG Conundrum – how it can be hard to edit (and particularly hard to edit our own words) because  we see what we expect to see when we read.

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • Lifehacker has a nice comparison of Google Docs and Microsoft’s free Office Web Apps. (High level: Microsoft shines in dealing with highly formatted Office documents, but doesn’t have collaboration. Google Docs doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but I definitely agree it’s great for real-time collaboration.)
  • Raise your hand if you thought the FDA had the power to recall dangerous food. Yeah, I thought the same thing. We’re wrong.

Gluten Free

  • D’oh! French Meadow Bakery is four blocks from me and I haven’t tried their gluten free muffins yet!

Not that Interested in the Post, But Holy Crap that Picture Is Scary

Huh

LOL

  • Poor Franklin reveals the nasty rash of lace charting symbols on his chest and arm.
  • I think I’m glad that all spiders are eaten here before things get to this point. (Eaten by the kitties, not me, just to clarify.)

Teh Cute, It Burns

  • Be honest – who, besides me, is tempted to catnap Melly?

Reading Update
Phonebook by Amy Lane. ebook short. Fun’n’steamy m/m romance short about a guy on a business trip who calls his boyfriend, but is too embarrassed to have phone sex… directly, at least.
Gay Man Seeks Same (G-A-Y, Book 8 ) by Kim Dare. ebook. Sweet’n’kinky m/m romance about a serious guy who has a crush on his fickle coworker and places a personals ad in an attempt to get the coworker off his mind.
Bound by Deception, Bound to Him, and Deliberately Unbound by Ava March. ebooks, plus free ebook short. Very good kinky Regency m/m romances about a minor aristocrat who’s been in love with one of his well-to-do friends for years, but only recently realized that his friend was also gay. Will his deceptive scheme to take the place of his friend’s usual whore, while remaining anonymous, ultimately backfire? (And check out Ava’s post Story Behind the Story – Bound by Deception.)
The Cross of Sins (Fathom’s Five, Book 1) by Geoffrey Knight. Say you had five gay Indiana Joneses… you’d have Fathom’s Five and a rollicking romp of a read. 🙂
The Landlord by Jeff Erno. ebook. Ok kinky m/m romance that was a really mixed read for me. It’s about a brand-new college grad who gets his first job, rents his first apartment, and, via his landlord, discovers his submissive side. While I enjoyed the story, I didn’t enjoy the writing; who thinks in the passive voice?!

The following are all part of Dreamspinner’s Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose:
Love Among the Stacks by Andi Deacon. ebook short. Enjoyable paranormal m/m short about a guy who’s doing research among the library stacks late one evening when he meets a very intriguing library worker.
Becoming the Spoils by J.L. Merrow. ebook short. Very good, fun paranormal m/m romance short about a journalist who gets gothed up and goes clubbing in an attempt to get the scoop on vampires, but who gets a little bit more than he bargained for.
The Scenic Route by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Spooky short m/m paranormal romance about two guys driving through Lower Michigan on their way to the UP who stop at an extremely rustic motel for the night…
The Wounds in the Walls by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a day laborer who’s hired by a paranormal psychologist to, supposedly, do some work on an old house with a tragic past. Be aware that there are some menagey bits, but, as with Special Delivery, Heidi Cullinan makes it work.
Wishes by Moria McCain. ebook short. Short paranormal m/m romance about werewolves living in a society that doesn’t believe there can be mating bonds other than male-female. This started out strong, but too much story was crammed into far too little space and the ending felt rushed.

“Maybe they’ll forget how crabby I was yesterday, coo about how cute I look today, and try to rub my tummy. Bwa-ha-ha!” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Fit To Be Linked

35 Comments

Congrats to Su, who won the copy of Someplace To Be Flying by Charles de Lint! Make sure all of you stop back on Tuesday, June 8, for a very special Charles de Lint contest….

Contests

  • The Rainbow Romance Writers (RWA LGBT Special Interest Chapter) is accepting submissions from June 1 – August 31, 2010, for the 2010 Rainbow Romance Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction. Categories are contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, historical, scifi/fantasy, YA, and short/novella. To be eligible, submitted works must have been published in 2009 and have an ISBN.

Bookity

Ebookity

  • For a free paranormal m/m romance read the likes of which you’ll not soon find, check out Tam’s Chia Pet Hell.
  • Ebook Ant is a new ebook search and comparison site.

Learn, Do, Think

Gluten Free

Beware

Huh

Did You See?

LOL

Teh Cute!

Reading Update
Dark Designs (Half Lives, Book 1) by Luisa Prieto. ebook. Excellent m/m dark fantasy romance about a Pulitzer-winning journalist haunted by a horrifying event he can’t quite remember and a graphic novel artist who has been drawing strips that he believed were fantastical, but which may be echoes from a previous life. Deft and complex, this book drew me in slowly until I realized I couldn’t put it down. Do be aware that things are not at all resolved by the end of this book. *commences waiting impatiently for Book 2*
The Rest Is Illusion by Eric Arvin. ebook. Wow. I don’t even know where to start. This excellent novel is about a group of college students who are all, without necessarily knowing it, poised at the brink of transformation. It’s thoughtful, spiritual, ultimately hopeful, and worth savoring; I’m very glad to have read it.
The Mark of an Alpha (Pack Discipline, Book 1) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very intriguing paranormal m/m romance that takes the standard alpha werewolf trait of dominance and mixes it up with bondage and submission. Plus it was nice not to read a fated mates story for a change. I’m definitely reading more in this series as they are available.
Turquoise and Leather (Collared, Book 1) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a dominant who’s not sure he wants to take on a very chattery untrained submissive.
Lights and Sirens by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a nurse who has a crush on a straight paramedic, but is pretty sure he doesn’t want to take that path to heartache.
Blood on the Ice by A.M. Riley. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a hockey player who gets bitten by a vampire.
Bad Angels: Falling by Belinda McBride. ebook. Ok m/m fantasy m/m romance about a fallen angel and the member of the Fae who teaches him what he needs to know to live in the world.
Ghost of a Chance by Jude Mason. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who discovers that the house he’s just purchased has a ghost… a very amorous ghost, tied to a mystery. Yup, that’s Underwear Guy!
Melting Ice and Melting Ice 2 by D.J. Manly. ebooks. So-so unrelated m/m romantic suspenses about deeply closeted law enforcement agents who “thaw” under the attention of the wrong guys. By the end of each book, I wanted to slap characters.

“This is my box and my very special cushy mailing envelope that I dragged in here and placed just so.” -Mayhem