Culinary Carnivale

War Cake

2012-01-26T19:51:00.000-05:00

Lately, I’ve been doing quite a bit of research into World War I for a WIP I’m working on and because I’m an American History Junkie. In my research I found this easy recipe our foremothers used to make a delicious treat for their families during wartime. Due to rationing common place ingredients weren’t always available so these intrepid women had to make do. This was also similar to a recipe used in my family during World War II as well.

This recipe is an easy, fun, and yummy bit of history.

Ingredients

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. hot water

2 tsp. shortening

½ to ¾ c. raisins

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. salt

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. hot water

Mix brown sugar, hot water, and shortening in a medium size saucepan. Add raisins, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Boil for 5 minutes after it bubbles. Remove from heat and cool completely (This is very important. Don’t shortchange yourself on the cooling) Add baking soda that has been dissolved in hot water. Add flour. Pour into a greased pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Reader's Rights

2012-01-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

In light of the many bruhahas and kerfluffles that have surfaced lately in which authors try to dictate how readers and reviewers should write reviews, I have written up a sort of Reader's Bill of Rights.

see more Historic LOL

Reader/Reviewer Bill of Rights

1. As a reader, you have the right to review any book you have read in any manner that you wish.

2. You have the right to squee and write a fangirl/boy review if you loved the book.

3. You have the right to not finish a book and review it (but you should clearly state that it was a DNF).

4. You have the right to rate a book, but not write up a review.
a. You have the right to not like a book and not explain why.
b. You have the right to love a book and not explain why.

5. You have the right to talk about possibilities the author could have taken.

6. You have the right to read passages and not like the book. You may even choose to write an essay about why you didn’t like the book passages you read.

7. You have the right to dislike a book and wonder why others liked it.

8. You have the right to love a book and wonder why others hated it.

9. You have the right to review the entire product (cover, formatting, editing, paper, et cetera).

10. You have the right to start anywhere in a series.

11. You have the right to read other books in a series, even if you hated the first one.

12. You have the right, when writing a review, to use any short hand phrases that you like, such as “card board characters,” “reads like “Twilight,” et cetera.

What would you add to the list?

Recipe: Mom's Snowball Cookies

2011-12-23T20:03:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, nothing said Christmas like mum's first batch of snowball cookies. She would make them for us, family, and friends. We even left some out for Santa. These are really easy cookies and a good recipe if you have youngsters around who want to help you cook.

Ingredients:

-2 cups flour
-pinch of salt
-3/4 cup softened butter (a stick and a half, unsalted)
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 large egg
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 cup of chopped walnuts
powdered sugar (about 3/4 of a cup)

Preheat oven to 350F, line one large cookie sheet with silicon sheet or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer or in a bowl and using a hand mixer, cream together the sugar and the butter. Add in egg and vanilla until well incorporated. Slowly add in flour and salt until combined. With a wooden spoon stir the walnuts in. Using your hands, roll the dough into smallish balls--a few bits. Recipe should make about 24 balls.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Dump powdered sugar into a pie plate. When cookies are done, allow them to cool a bit on a rack. You want them warm, but not too hot to handle.

Roll the warm balls around in the powdered sugar and put them on a nicer plate than I did. (Really? Why did I choose a white plate? I have a lovely green plate. Ugh).

Happy holidays!

Wednesday Book Sale Shopping--What's On My Nook?

2011-09-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

I am a sale shopper. I admit it. I am going to try to post weekly about sales that interest me.

L.K. Rigel has a new book out (Give Me, A Fairy Tale Romance), here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

An adult fairy tale about magic gone wrong.

A young witch tries to save two lovers in mortal danger, but her spell ends in disaster ...

While touring a ruined castle in the west of England, Lilith Evergreen feels a sudden and overwhelming attraction to guide Cade Bausiney. Cade is instantly drawn to Lilith as well, but can he trust his feelings? Their desire might only be sparked by dark and dangerous magic.

Lilith and Cade must break the spell or be forever possessed by spirits who've waited a millennium to consummate their love.

To celebrate her new release, her Apocalypto series is on sale at Amazon an Barnes and Noble.

Spacejunk (normally 3.50) and Spiderwork (normally 3.99) are on sale for 1.99 and Bleeder is 2.99 from 4.99.

The sale will run from September 14-21 (Wednesday to Wednesday).

Here is the synopsis for book one, Spacejunk (from Goodreads):

Space Junque (Apocalypto 1), a novella.

Nominated for Best Romantic Science Fiction/Fantasy in 2010 and Best Debut Book in 2010 by The Romance Reviews.

The DOGs want to destroy the world. The gods want to make a new one. The trick is to survive both.

The world is on the brink of ecological cataclysm set off by the Oil Spill of 2010 and the Great Sea Level Rise of 2070. Hydroponics agronomist Char Meadowlark has become a recluse since her fiance was killed by a terrorist bomb and her twin sister Sky went underground to protect a top secret alternative energy project. Warned about an impending eco-terrorist attack, Char tries to get off planet, but the Defenders of Gaia strike while she's at the airport. Shuttle pilot Jake Ardri might offer her only hope.

When the DOGs' onslaught goes global and the material world threatens to implode, the ancient gods reemerge to take control over humanity. Through the ensuing chaos, Char must juggle two men, a world on fire, and a goddess with an agenda for a new world order.

Will there be any room for love in flagrante apocalypto?

*****

Now if you are looking for something a little...erm...spicier...smuttier? I found this gem, Maid for It (An Erotic Novella), marked down from 2.99 to .99. It is also on sale at Barnes and Noble. I don't know how long this sale will last. Here is the blurb (from Goodreads):

In fear for her life after witnessing a powerful drug lord gun down two rivals, Gabriela Marquez flees Sinaloa for the safety of the United States. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she’s arrested and threatened with immediate deportation unless she agrees to work for Maid for It, a company providing specialty housekeeping services to high-end clients. Gabi soon realizes the “specialty” services she must provide will be of a sexual nature. She should refuse, but she can’t risk deportation. Prostitution is preferable to death.

Her first assignment is in the home of Benjamin Hardcastle, a wealthy and reclusive computer security expert. He’s also Maid for It‘s most exacting client. Determined to please the heretofore unpleasable Mr. Hardcastle, Gabi keeps her past a secret. If he discovers the truth—that she’s been coerced into the role of sexual slave—he’ll send her away.

But what begins as a unwelcome obligation becomes an awakening to the incredible pleasures of domination, bondage, and submission. As Gabi discovers she truly is “made for it,” her secret looms larger, threatening her survival in an entirely unexpected way.

So, that is what is on my ereader.

~Have a sale that you want me to look at? Have a free book or a sale you think I may be interested in? Just click my profile and drop me an email.

Dear Authors, Forums Are Not Walled Gardens--Readers Can See You

2011-09-11T13:05:00.000-04:00

Have you ever finished a purchase in a store, walk out and realize you forgot something, and when you walk back in the clerks are making fun of you or are complaining about you?

I learned at an early age that you never know who may be listening to your conversation. When I was a teenager, I was talking to a group of fellow music students and I was complaining about the gent who taught me how to play the flute when I was 7. One of the assistant music teachers overheard me and asked who I was talking about. I told her. Turns out that the teacher I was complaining about was her brother. Boy was I embarrassed. But the lesson stuck with me.

My point is that you never know who is listening, or reading as the case may be. My point is that public places are not private, even areas you may think of as private like a music practice room, or an author loop or an author forum.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I have witnessed some very unprofessional behaviour on forums by authors lately. In one case, I saw a forum post by an author who was possibly looking for sympathy because she posted a negative review about another author and an author's friend called her out on it. She posted the negative review with a Goodreads account that was under a different name (not her author name). She created the account so she could write reviews for her own books and could suggest her books to readers to avoid running afoul of the "Author Guidelines" for the site. After reviewing her own books, she then decided it to review other people's books.

I will let you ruminate on that.

The thread dissolves into a discussion about reviews and whether authors should review at all and if they do, should they only post positive reviews. I figured I would weigh in here. Having talked to a lot of readers the consensus is this:

If we see you only give positive reviews, we ignore you.
If we see you (a self pub) review other self published authors and give them positive reviews, we ignore you. We are wise to that cross-promo tactic (I won't even touch the tag sharing BS).

The review pandering/swapping has gotten so bad that I no longer trust a self-published book that has only 4 and 5 star ratings. I tend to check to see who the reviewers are, but I am always suspicious of the reviews being from the author's friends or other self-published authors. I also know that this distrust is spreading amongst the reading community.

This is not to say all is lost. I do trust my wider network of reader friends on Goodreads and on Twitter for recommendations.

On to the first example I used of clerks complaining about a paying customer, it is relevant, I swear. I was poking through the forum because I had this blog post in mind and I discovered a recent thread about reviewers altering reality. I clicked on it. It took me a moment to realize that I was the reader the author was complaining about--I had quite innocently posted a question/query on my Goodreads comment field that the author took umbrage with. The amusing part is I had not really said anything negative.

I bring this up for a few reasons: 1) any trust I had of the author to respect me as a reader and consumer has been broken and I will not promote this book or the author so I will not give the book access to my own social connections and 2) authors seem to be totally unaware that readers may read their quite public complaints/whining/bitching on public forums.

Authors, we do read them. We share them. A good rule of thumb is to be professional at all times. This is how you lose customers.

Mini Review - Zombie Fairy Tales – Jill Myles

2011-09-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

Doesn’t it seem like every Joe Schmoe is adding zombies to classic literature and selling it? The idea was worthy of a chuckle with Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (personally, I only made it through 1/3 of the book) but since then it has just become ridiculous. Still, every so often someone gets it right.

Enter Jill Myles’s Zombie Fairy Tales.

Having never read her stuff before, I was expecting Girl Power vs the Undead from Myles. I wasn’t expecting actual zombie fairy tales, but that’s what Myles simply promised and that’s what she simply delivered – and it was fantastic!

Take several of your better known fairy tales: Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and so on. Now, turn all of the damsels in these stories into brain-hungry zombies.

Yes. Oh, yes. You see where this is going.

I have a tie for my favourite stories with this one – "The Princess and the Zomb- Pea" for the absurdity of poor Prince Gerald being foisted upon a brain-nomming princess because of royal protocol; and "Rapunzombel" for the laugh-out-loud imagery that this little nibble offers.

This anthology is listed at $0.99 at most ebook sellers and self-published by Myles. A great little collection for less than the price of a coffee.

--

Annemarie Hartnett's latest rom-com, Out of the Blue, is available from Loose Id via your favourite e-book seller.

Annemarie reviews Married with Zombies and Flip This Zombie by Jesse Petersen

2011-09-06T08:26:00.000-04:00

We have Annemarie visiting us today with a review for Jesse Petersen's Married with Zombies (Living with the Dead, Book 1) and Flip this Zombie (Living with the Dead, Book 2). Enjoy!

*****

I like zombies. I’m one of those writers of people and the weird shit
people do in every day life who secretly wants to write an awesome
zombie book. It’ll never happen, and I’m fine with that as long as
other folks keep bringing out some good zombie fiction. Where film has
been flailing with this genre as of late (REC was the last good one,
in my opinion), literature has been vomiting great zombies all over
the place. I’ve recently enjoyed John Joseph Adam’s The Living Dead
anthologies – voodoo zombies, zombie societies, Hurricane Katrina
zombies, and even gross zombie sex make for two fabulous anthologies.
However, zombie fiction itself is becoming more irritating with
everyone and their undead Mom trying their hand at it, recycling the
same crap over and over again.

Also, I’m series phobic. I admit that. In the last few years it’s been
harder to find a series I like. The paranormal/urban fantasy genre is
overflowing with hot chicks hunting sexy demons, and I’m not so much
into steampunk to commit to more than a short story at a time. If
series were a box of chocolates, I’d nibble a little of each and chuck
what I don’t like, then slowly savour the truffles.

Jesse Petersen’s zombie series is a truffle.

Petersen won me over by adding a splash of romantic comedy to her
brain matter. Fear not, zombie fanboys, these are not romances. They
just happen to be about a couple who has to rediscover their trust and
love for one another via saving the world from zombies.

“But I never would have guessed that unlike therapy, unlike the
self-help books that littered out apartment at the time, killing
zombies would save my relationship.”

Told from the perspective of Sarah and beginning with an unpleasant
trip to the marriage doctor, the series hits the ground and runs as
Sarah and her husband, David, walk in on their counsellor nomming on
one of her clients. Here is where Sarah and David learn that, even
though their marriage is a little broken, they still make one hell of
a team as they fight the growing undead horde.

Every chapter begins with a relationship/zombie survival tip. Take
notes. You might need them one day.

"Chapter 12 – Build mutual friendships. Just be ready to end them when
your friends start trying to eat you."

The first book is all about the outbreak, and the second book delves
into the who & how of the zombie outbreak. Both are common tropes in
the zombie genre, but Petersen handles them with a voice that’s
engaging – Sarah, who could be any one of us forced to rise to the
challenge and get over personal bullshit for survival. They act like
real people trying to hold it together, and most of the time they hold
one another up.

Finally, I blurted out, “We had to kill her.”
For a long time, David’s flinch was the only answer. When he spoke,
his voice was strained. “Well, we didn’t kill her in committee or
something. I killed her.”
“David –“ I started, kind of scared by how hollow his voice was. He
sounded really fucked up. The same way he had the day he told me he
was dropping out of school and we had fought for three hours.

The series everything you would expect from a good zombie story with
the added bonus of some killer banter between Sarah and David. The
series has its laugh out loud moments, is suspenseful, angsty, and
bloody gross in spots. With one more book left (so far!) I’m hopeful
that Peterson will write more.

--
You can read Annemarie’s non-zombie (but very sexy!) books on your
favourite e-book device. To learn more, visit her website at
www.amhartnett.com – you can also follow her on twitter.

Also, give some love to Jesse Petersen, so she’ll write more books!

Pia Veleno's Release Day Chicken Salad and Make You Sweat Excerpt

2011-08-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

Chicken salad huh? I haven’t had chicken salad in ages.

When Dhympna asked me for a chicken salad recipe, I remembered some leftover chicken in the fridge and thought, “Why not?” Then I promptly forgot, eating the chicken cold, standing in front of the fridge to cool off and refuel after running several miles.

So, you want a chicken salad recipe? Here’s a little twist I borrowed from the Hubby’s tuna salad creation.

Mix the following together with a fork:

1 can (10 oz) chicken, drained
¼ c light Miracle Whip or mayo
2T Dijon mustard
2T sliced green olives
2T red onion, finely diced

Serves two on Sandwich Thins, and with a side of Cheez-Its.

Chicken salad is a great summertime meal. No cooking, no heat. Add a side of sliced apples or fruit salad, and a glass of lemonade or Riesling, and relax in the shade. Delicious!

Once you’ve cooled off, heat back up with my newest release, a contemporary M/M story spanning one too-short summer. Make You Sweat which releases at Loose Id today. Here’s a tempting little excerpt…

Excerpt:

Keeping his head down as he entered the spacious gym, Tyler avoided three men gathered around a bench cheering and jeering each other over how much each could lift in a single round. One straddled the bench and waved his friends forward to add another set of large black weights to the bar.

Tyler sat down at a machine near the door. He studied the design for a moment before putting his arms against the gunmetal gray pads. When he pushed, they didn’t move. He glanced at stack to his right. The pin held eighty pounds. If he’d been alone, he would’ve laughed to blow off the stupid feeling creeping up his spine. Instead, with a quick glance at the men to make sure they still ignored him, Tyler fought past the flush rising up his neck and moved the pin up to thirty. He pressed the pads together. Come on, come on, come on. They wiggled; the black stack shifted upward an inch and then dropped with a solid thwack. The little black blocks with their numbers etched in multiples of ten mocked his weak muscles.

The trio of weight lifters glanced in his direction, their voices quieter and indecipherable as they exchanged a few words. Two laughed, and then the third punched them both, refocusing their attention on their workout. Tyler’s cheeks warmed, and he gritted his teeth. Tyler considered changing the pin again, but thanks to the muscle heads in the corner, he felt plenty self-conscious already.

Across the room a treadmill stopped. Tyler had been so intimidated by the lifters casually tossing around metal weighing as much as he did, he hadn’t noticed the noise of the treadmill’s motor until it fell silent. Tyler glanced up. His mouth fell open when he recognized the runner he’d been drooling over in the elevator yesterday. He made sweatpants and a T-shirt look damn sexy. Sun-speckled auburn hair trimmed military short did little to keep sweat from dripping down the sides of his face. His tee clung to cut muscles along broad chest and shoulders but stopped short of his narrow waist. He threw his head back, drinking deeply from a plastic sports bottle. Tyler watched his throat bob with each swallow until the man lowered his drink and looked straight at him.

Snapping his mouth shut and swallowing the lust in his throat, Tyler looked away. He licked his lips. Eyes glued to his sneakers, Tyler squeezed the pads together. The stack climbed a shaky half inch and then slipped from his control, slamming down to its mates.

“Can I help?”

Tyler flinched at the voice. Not at the sound -- he could listen to that rich, friendly voice caress his ears all afternoon -- but the proximity startled him. He glanced up into soft brown eyes, suddenly so much closer and looking right at him, and then quickly dropped his gaze, stuttering as his mind raced faster than his tongue could spit out the words.

“If you raise your seat a couple of notches,” the runner said, “you’ll have better leverage.”

Tyler lifted his gaze upward, inch by inch, crawling up the powerful, muscular legs of a long-distance runner; narrow hips and a waist that didn’t see much junk food; chest muscles under a sticky, wet shirt looking like a plastic toy in their hardened perfection; large hands drying themselves on a white towel; and that jaw, square and stubbled enough to tickle the stomach or thighs when at play.

Oh God, you can leverage me anytime you want. “W-what?” Tyler pictured the man as he’d seen him in the elevator yesterday -- shirtless. He stole Tyler’s voice in just the same way today.

“Let me show you.” The man waved Tyler away from the machine. Tyler dutifully bowed to the authoritative air of the handsome stranger, waiting patiently to one side as he tugged on the seat, lifting it upward until it clicked into the next position. “Try that.”

Tyler sat as directed. When he pressed against the pads, the weights moved upward. His chest and arms objected, but under the close study of the eye candy smiling down at him, Tyler pushed through, bringing the pads together and then releasing them slowly, determined to keep the stack from slamming down to finish.

“Easier, huh?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Tyler said. Then, after a deep breath, he steadied his voice and met the man’s bold stare. “But I want to make sure I’m lifting enough to build muscle.” Like yours.

“That’s why most people come here.” The eye candy grinned, and -- was that a wink? “You’ll do better with the right form. Hey, I’m just about done. You want me to show you some of my favorites?”

Tyler swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Sure,” he said with an exhale. “I mean, if you’re not busy.”

When the man threw out his hand and introduced himself, Tyler corralled the dirty thoughts. “I’m Cody Dawson,” the man said. Cody laughed and then dried his hands on his towel. “Sorry, I get into my run. I forget I sweat up a storm by the time I’m done.”

“N-no. No, it’s fine. I’m…” Not used to sexy men talking to me? Yeah, sure, freak him out before you can feel out his intentions.

“You’re new here?”

“Yes. For the summer.”

“For school?”

Tyler shook his head. “Break from school. Senior. In college,” he added quickly. He hated looking younger than his years, and then hated himself more for feeling like he had to clarify that he wasn’t a kid. “I’m Tyler. I live on the third floor.” My name is Luka. I live on the… Oh suave, Tyler.

They shook. Tyler pictured Cody’s hand on his body, squeezing, caressing. When Cody pulled his hand away, Tyler dismissed the fantasy and spoke up. “You look like you’re here a lot.”

“Three times a week. More if the weather is crap.” Cody gestured at the machine to Tyler’s right. “Try this one. It’s great for the back and shoulders.”

Cody walked Tyler through several exercises, working in his sets with additional weight. Cody seemed to understand when Tyler had enough, even as Tyler wondered if he’d have to surrender before Cody finished.

Cody stretched his arms over his head and then bent for his toes. “Stretch it out,” Cody said when he caught Tyler watching. Tyler glanced around at the other machines feigning interest in anything to avoid getting busted staring at the handsome hunk with sweaty muscles and an easy smile.

“I could do a few more.” Tyler sneaked a glance at Cody’s ass when he dropped into a lunge.

“You’ll be sore in the morning as it is.” Cody’s eyes sparkled with his smile.

Tyler mimicked the stretching routine, his mind drifting to Cody’s last words. He could’ve been flirting, though Tyler knew sore muscles were an inevitable result. Just a harmless daydream. Nothing wrong with pretending Cody could be interested.

“Since you’re new here,” Cody said, breaking into the fantasy, “I could show you some of the good places to eat. There are at least three fried-food shacks and one ice-cream stand you need to completely avoid unless you like to risk food poisoning.”

“Really? Yeah, sure. I could use some company.” Even a friend, hopefully more, he thought, damping down his grin.

“Great! I’m in 8-13 when you’re done with your cardio.”

“Cardio? Oh, yes, I suppose I should do that.” Tyler eyed the line of treadmills. He could picture being flung off of one in an attempt to feel like he belonged there.

“Don’t let me stop you,” Cody said. “I’ll show you how they work. They’re a bit different than most places. Every new person in the building swears at them the first week.”

Torn between following through with his plan to get in shape and wanting to hit fast forward on the morning to have lunch with Cody, Tyler reluctantly followed him to an elliptical machine.

“It’s a touch screen, but it’s not very sensitive,” Cody said. “Once you start a program here.” He tapped the screen. “You can use these levers to increase and decrease resistance and incline.” Cody fingered the controls and then turned to face Tyler. “Your call, though. However you want.”

I want you. Just don’t back out on lunch.

“Tyler?” Cody asked.

Tyler nodded. “Sorry, spacing out. I’m still, uh, developing my workout ideas. I hadn’t given much thought to these things.” He gingerly stepped up onto the machine Cody had chosen. It looked more dangerous than the treadmill with its moving hand bars swinging back and forth as he put weight on the treads.

“You’re in luck. I’m a certified trainer.”

“Oh.” Tyler licked his lips. He studied the machine to avoid looking at what he really wanted to. “I don’t… I mean, I haven’t…”

~*~*~*~

From Loose Id: Make You Sweat by Pia Veleno

Thanks for reading!

http://piaveleno.com

Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

2011-08-06T01:19:00.000-04:00

Hi all -

Since Dhympna drafted me for the blog and the Arthurian quest for chicken salad recipes, I've been scouring the internets and musty tomes of recipes for fun ones. Plus I am really into Bollywood right now as I work on my newest WIP. So curry makes me smile. This week I managed to find a really delish one for you all. Don't get grossed out. I road tested it and have to admit it is really yummy.

TA-DA!!
Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 Golden Delicious apple - peeled, cored and diced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 cup light mayonnaise

Directions

In a large bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, apple, raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix all together. Serve!

Serves 8.

Review: The Frozen Sky-Jeff Carlson

2011-08-03T10:15:00.001-04:00

I was reading a blog post that mentioned this novella awhile ago (and now I have completely forgotten where I read about this story). The Frozen Sky was originally published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol. 23 in 2007 and has been reissued by the author as a standalone digital novella for .99.

Synopsis:

The story is set on beneath the icy surface of Jupiter's moon, Europa, where a small team of scientists have stumbled upon indigenous life forms (that previous expeditions had missed).

At the heart of the story are the struggles of Alexis Vonderach, or Vonnie, against a very hostile planet after her two colleagues have been killed. Her only companion is a computerized ghost she quickly threw together to help her combat her alien alien attackers.

The story is structured to keep the reader on tenterhooks. It starts in media res, but each chapter of current action is separated by a flashback to the events leading up to the discovery of the "amphibians".

Length: novella (about 60 pages)
Publisher: Originally published by Galaxy Press as an anthology in 2007, now being published by the author as of January 2010.
Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller

The Good:

I really enjoyed the pacing and appreciated the non linear setup of the narrative.

While the science and technology in this novella were fascinating, I was struck more with the subtext of the dangers of anthropomorphizing extraterrestrial life and how this may tie into the nature versus nurture debate. In other words, the dangers and problems with faulting a cultural group for how they have evolved to survive in a hostile environment.

The Bad:

I honestly have nothing "bad" really to say about this novella. My only real wish would be for a follow up for this novella because there were some interesting themes present in the story that could be explored further.

If You Like:

...Pitch Black, Plague Year (also by Carlson), Michael Critchton's Prey.

The Bottom Line:

I really enjoyed this novella and think it is well worth the read for any science fiction fans.

Where I got it: I bought it.

Typographical and Formatting Errors Found: 0 (Yayy)

Cover Grade: D

The cover is overly generic and if I had been browsing ebooks (rather than looking specifically for this one), I probably would have passed it buy. With the marketplace full of throwaway covers, having something that screams "I am not utter dreck!" is very important.

Isobel Carr's Chicken Salad

2011-08-03T09:11:00.000-04:00

Today we have a chicken salad recipe from historical romance author, Isobel Carr. You can also find Isobel on Twitter.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

2/3 c. slivered almonds
2 lbs shredded chicken
1/3 c. mayo
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1/3 c. mango chutney
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 tbsp curry powder
handful of golden raisins, chopped

Toast almonds at 350 for 8 min. Put chicken and raisins in a bowl. Put everything else, including almonds, in a blender and whiz until smooth. Mix everything together. You can add more almonds, chopped celery, and grated carrots if you like. Serve on endive leaves.

The Real Housewives of Olympus

2011-07-26T14:17:00.001-04:00

In honor of my new release, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF OLYMPUS, I'd like to know who your favorite god or goddess is and why. Let's chat pantheons.

Eat at the Hat…Brown Derby Chicken Salad

2011-07-22T01:03:00.002-04:00

First let me say a big hi there and hello to everyone. I am very excited to have been asked to be a part of the Carnivale craziness. When Dhympna asked me for a chicken salad recipe I thought this would be a great time for me to scour through a vintage cookbook I found a few months ago at a thrift store. This is no ordinary cookbook. It is a Brown Derby Restaurant Cookbook from 1949. Hollywood artifact score!

The Original Brown Derby restaurant opened in 1934 as a coffee shop and soon grew into a place for Hollywood Royalty to sit down and have a bite. The Restaurant was literally shaped like a man’s derby hat. People like Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart were regular customers stopping for dinner or a snack after a long day on the set. The Cobb Salad was also invented at the Brown Derby. (There, now you have an ice breaker for those boring dinner parties. “Hey baby, do you know where the Cobb Salad was invented? I do.”) The hat itself is now gone, having been the victim of a fire and now part of a Korean restaurant, but the Brown Derby restaurant lives on in a modified form at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – which is in Disney World. Go figure. Anywho, on to the recipe.

Chicken Salad Derby

½ cup Brown Derby Mayonnaise

½ cup lemon juice

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup diced cooked chicken, white or dark meat

1 cup celery, diced very small

Salt and pepper

2 lettuce leaves.

Blend together Mayo, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. In a chilled bowl, using a fork, toss together chicken and celery. Add dressing mixture and toss again. Season to taste with salt and peper. Heap in lettuce cup on chilled plates.

Use can use any mayo you want but if you want to use the Brown Derby style the recipe is below:

Brown Derby Mayonnaise - Makes 1 quart

6 egg yolks

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. English Mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 tbs. mild vinegar

3 cups salad oil – (i.e. Olive Oil)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbs. boiling water

Beat egg yolks with electric beater of French whip. Add salt, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, and 2 tbs. of vinegar. Add oil in a fine stream, whipping fast to absorb oil. Stop adding if if it is not absorbed. As mixture becomes thick add remaining vinegar and lemon juice. Continue whipping until all the oil, vinegar, and lemon have been used. If mixed correctly all ingredients should be absorbed. Finally whip in the boiling water.

Keep in a cool place, but not under 45 degrees. Never allow to freeze.

There you have it, a little bit of Hollywood history in your kitchen and your belly.

Saranna's Italian Chicken Salad Gluten Free

2011-07-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

Italian Chicken Salad

1 ball of fresh mozzarella (chunked)
1-2 cooked chicken breasts depending on size, chunked
season with Italian seasoning, garlic, sea salt, a dash of crushed red pepper
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil depending on desired texture

Blend in the food processor and process until you reach the desired texture. I like mine blended smooth. Then spread on Udi's gluten free bread. It's very good toasted.

This can be served hot or cold.

Want to Guest Blog For CC? Got a Chicken Salad Recipe?

2011-07-19T21:10:00.000-04:00

My friends, I am here to admit an addiction. I, Dhympna, am addicted to chicken salad. I go out of my way to discover new chicken salad recipes and I know I am not alone.

So, if you have a unique chicken salad recipe that you would to share with Culinary Carnivale, give me a shout. Yes, I am looking for guest bloggers.

see more My Food Looks Funny

I hope to post a few recipes a week for the next four weeks. To get us started, why don't I give you a play on the classic.

Creamy Classic Chicken Salad:

You will need:

-2 to 3 cups of shredded or cubed cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken when it is hot out & I don't want to run the oven)
-mayonaise
-plain greek yogurt
-grapes (halved, or if they are large, quartered)
-diced celery (2 or 3 ribs)
-salt and pepper to taste

I add enough mayo and yogurt to coat. Roughly 1/3 mayonnaise to 2/3 yogurt. Mix everything together and serve on bread or on top of a bed of lettuce (I use mixed greens or chopped romaine).

Yes, my friends, it shall be a chicken salad summer.

Review: Forbidden Pleasure-Lora Leigh

2011-07-18T20:20:00.000-04:00

In 2008 I stumbled across Wicked Pleasure (Bound Hearts) in the local bookstore. The book, about twins who needed to share their female bed partners, was enjoyable enough that when the ebook for Forbidden Pleasure (Bound Heart) was on sale (2.99$ on sale from 7.99--it was a promotion because Leigh had a new book coming out in the series) I grabbed it.

Let's just say that if I paid the full price (it is back up to 7.99$), I would be pitching more of a fit.

*insert melodramatic sigh*

This book had so many problems that I really don't know where to start.

Did I hate it? No. Did I like it? Not really.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

People have heard of fleeting rumors about The Club. Located just outside Washington, D.C., only its members know where men go when they want to indulge the desire to share their women with a carefully selected male partner. John “Mac” McCoy resigned his membership from The Club when he married Keiley Hardin. Tempting and innocent, sweet and sexy, she would never accept Mac’s desire to share her with another man. However, Mac’s fantasies of sharing his wife haunt his dreams. And his passions. Unable to wait any longer to draw his best friend Jethro Riggs into his marriage, Mac invites Jethro to their home with the intention of drawing Keiley into the pleasures that only be achieved when two men love the same woman. But there’s more going on in Mac’s neck of the woods than a little additional pleasure. A past case, a stalker that likes to playing games and his wife is now in the middle of it all. Passion and pleasure, danger and desire combine as forbidden pleasure becomes an addiction none of them can escape.

Length: Novel
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance (m/f/m)
Publisher: Saint Martin's Griffin (2007)

The Good:

The ideas behind some of the sex scenes were hot, but the scenes were swollen with execution issues. Pun intended.

The Bad:

I am having issues organizing my thoughts about this one, so I will go in point form.

1) The main characters had one note each. Keiley was misunderstood by her husband and curious but, of course, wanted to fight his lifestyle but also wanted it oh, so bad. Mac on the other hand kept thinking about his dark side...WTF? So, in Leigh's universe the only men who participate in group sex are those who are damaged and have embraced their dark side? Um, okay, whatever. Like there aren't any undamaged people engaging in it. *snort* This stuff gets repeated over and over. AND OVER. I don't see threesomes as dark and wicked, nor do I see the light D/s stuff that Keiley and Mac engaged in as dark. Maybe I am jaded but, really, what the heck. It just seemed like there was a judgmental undertone to the book: men who do this are damaged but want to pamper women who must first fight the naughtiness that is this dark lifestyle. *eye roll*

2) I know people who engage in threesomes and they do not thinkof, nor do they walk around referring to it as, a ménage. First of all menage means a household, so ménage à trois means a household of three. Yes, popular culture has added other meanings, but seriously, it made Mac sound like a 13 year old boy contemplating sex and reading Penthouse. Keeping in mind that the end result of the story was a ménage à trois, but probably not in the sense of his train of thought when this kept popping up.

3) The conflict revolves around Keiley accepting another man into her life/bed and a case that Mac had been working on three years prior.

Problem is is that the bad guy is totally obvious as is the whole Eye-rollingly so. I also couldn't bring myself to care if Keiley fell in love with Jethro or not.

4) When I read Wicked Pleasure (which is the book after this one), I did not feel like I was missing anything by not reading the prior books. This book made me feel like there were large chunks, especially about Keiley's past, that I was missing. Yeah, some of it gets explained, but it still made Mac look like an overprotective father trying not to cave into his dark and twisted (*snerk*) needs and Keiley as a whiny, petulant, and swollen ingenue. *yawn*

Tightening/Swelling/Clenching: I was going to count the incidences of boob swelling and womb tightening, but Keiley pretty much spends the book in this state. It seemed like she was in a constant state of PMS with all of the swelling and tightening.

Typographical & Formatting Errors: I stopped counting. Seriously. Please keep in mind who published this (St. Martin's) and this book ranged from 8 to 10$. For example: "...he lifted her against her" (page 34 of the nookbook version), so "her elbow rammed into her husbands [sic] undefended abdomen..." (page 62). These are just a few and I was skimming at this point.

Cover grade: D

The cover is generic, sort of the erotic romance version of a plain brown wrapper.

Where I got the book: I bought it.

Final thoughts: I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for multiple partner romance. I found that by the end of the book, I was insulted by the whole experience between the "OMG I am such a dark twisted man" premise with the hero and the editorial issues. The editors were asleep at the wheel with this book. Seriously, half the "swollen"s needed to be deleted. If I could ask for my money back, I would.

Yes, I Do Judge A Book By Its Publisher

2011-07-13T15:04:00.002-04:00

I was watching a Twitter discussion by an agent (I cannot remember who, I suppose if pressed enough I could unearth the tweet) and others a week ago about how readers look for books. There were two points made that I would like to address. (Note: You can really tell when something sticks in my craw if I am still grumbling about it weeks later).

see more Historic LOL

1) Readers do not judge books by the publisher, that is, readers do not look at a particular publisher's offerings and base their decision on who publishes what.

This is complete and utter hogwash. I do it routinely and having worked in a bookstore, I know other readers do as well. I also think that with digital publishing and the lackadaisical attitude of some publishers in regard to ebook formatting, that this will become more common. After I read a book blurb that grabs my attention, the first thing I check is who published it. I have passed on some books because I did not care for a particular publisher (A note to authors: Yes, I will judge you based on who you decide to let publish your book.)

It only takes a few bad books to harm a publisher's reputation and make readers/consumers decide to avoid another bad experience and not purchase anything more from that publisher altogether.

2) That more choice is detrimental to readers.

I like lots of choice. I like getting lost in the stacks of a large library or a large bookstore and I worry about an agent who whines that there is too much choice and it is oh, so hard to navigate all the choices in a bookstore (seriously, if I recall correctly, I do believe the agent said this). Perhaps this agent is in the wrong business?

Too much choice for readers is detrimental to agents and publishers--it is not detrimental to readers.

Lately, I am exercising my choice more and more away from agented submissions and I cannot help but wonder if the soullessness I have been complaining about lately is due to the normalization and pasteurization that agents have been exerting on their clients. But, I digress...

Edited to add: My googlefu is still strong and I found the convo that prompted this post.

Why Do Authors Use Unrealistic Physical Reactions?

2011-06-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

I was reading the anthology The Pleasure Garden: Sacred Vows\Perfumed Pleasures\Rites of Passion (Harlequin Spice)and something struck me as the heroine's breast in the first story started undergoing a performative ritual that many heroines' bodies endure when they meet the one--why do authors, who presumably know that their breasts do not swell at the sight of a hot man, have their heroine's bodies perform impossible feats of physical and, theoretically, noticeable arousal?

see more

We have talked about how genres can become normalized, but there are certain phrases, certain shorthands, that also become part of this unspoken and often unquestioned part of the fiction formula.

Why do romance and erotica authors have a woman's body undergo physical reactions that, let's be honest, don't really occur when a female is just looking/thinking about a male. I am talking about the breast swelling, breast tightening, and womb clenching moments that occur when the heroine is gazing upon her intended or is becoming aroused by him.

Is this some sort of odd authorial penis envy because men have a much more noticeable physical reaction than the heroines when aroused? Why do women undergo, what @jenthegingerkid dubbed, tittyrections? Are we readers that needy for our heroine's to outdo their would-be mate in performative arousal?

Having read my fair share of early romances, like historicals from the late 1970s and early 1980s, I can guess that the normalization of such reactions had already started to occur. It seems to have gotten worse, though. I have read some recently published titles, like the above mentioned**, that really started to give my womb and breasts a severe case of low self esteem. Let's just say that for my breasts to be tightening and my womb to be clenching, it does not mean that "fun times" are ahead.

Why do authors keep using this language and why do readers not find it peculiar that our, as women, normal physical reactions are not enough? We won't get into the perfect compatibility of the heroine and her discovery of multiple and simultaneous orgasms (which is at least possible).

**Which will be reviewed tomorrow.

On Utopias, Women in Science Fiction, and Lookie the New Look

2011-06-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

I have mucked with the template once again. I like the orange, it has grown on me. Now, I just need to work on the pages, which is for next week.

see more Historic LOL

There have been quite a few interesting links flying around about women in science fiction and women writing utopian/dystopian fiction. I am always amused when some well-meaning commentator thinks that The Hunger Games (which, by the way, I have finally read and will put up a review next week) has started the dystopian craze, when the truth is is that dystopian fiction has been around a looooong time.

Here is a nice list of utopian fiction written by women prior to 1923. I need to settle down and read Mary Shelley's The Last Man. Lots of good stuff in this list and lots of it is public domain.

Heather Massey has an interesting post about whether the label "science fiction romance" marginalizes female authors as part of an ongoing discussion about "invisibility of female authors in science fiction." It is nice to know that I am not the only one who gets irritated when a book is mislabeled.

Next week I will start reviewing digital publisher websites. Any suggestions for the first victim?

The Normalization of Regency: Fan Fiction or True Historical Fiction?

2011-06-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was talking about how trends, behaviours, and even genres can become normalized. I have blogged about historical accuracy, or what I prefer to call historicism, before so I won't rehash all of that.

When a genre or sub genre takes off, the all too common knee jerk reaction is to work backward to figure out who/what the progenitor for that genre is. People like a neat, clearly labelled, starting point. By tracing a genre back to a famous and well received starting point also cements that genre's legitimacy. I tend to use the example of a dead king who is made a saint so his dynasty can appear to be divinely sanctioned. Many have tried to hold up Jane Austen (1775-1817) as the mother of all Romance and more specifically, Regency fiction. I would argue that while Regency romances can be traced to her (albeit filtered through another author), she is not the progenitor for Romance. But let me take a step back before we talk more about Austen.

Since fiction, and especially historical fiction, is written within a particular cultural framework, with particular forces being exerted on the author, on top of the author's own agency, a work of historical fiction has little to do with the time period it is set in and is more indicative of the author's own era. Let me say that again, it is less about when/where the story is set and more about the author's world.

Where does normalization fit into all of this? Normalization can occur on many different fronts. It can come from publishers. It can come from agents who are using what they deem to be the publishers' rules. It can come from other authors on an author loop, crit group, writing workshop, et cetera. One could also argue that fan fiction--works using characters and or universes from previous works like, say, Jane Austen--is itself a huge normalizing force. Why? Because it holds up certain universes and certain authors as examplars worthy of copying.

Jane Austen's work has been subject to fan fiction since the mid 19th century and there are many derivative works set in her universe. Notice I did not say the Regency universe. No source is omniscient and all sources privilege some information over other information. Many authors may be writing what they believe is Regency fiction, but it is really Austenverse because they use Austen as a starting point and none of her contemporaries' documents. Get it?

This has also helped normalize how we perceive the Regency era because the Austenverse tends to overshadow the historical Regency verse. Jane Austen's world has become entrenched within our own popular culture and has become normalized because of another factor--Georgette Heyer (1902-1974). Heyer helped cement Austen into our cultural consciousness, so now, what we perceive as Austenverse is sort of a Heyer-Austenverse (twice filtered--once through Austen, then again through Heyer--Regency goodness).

One could argue, therefore, that many (please notice that I did not say all) of the Regency Historical romances on the shelf today are Heyer-Austenverse fan fiction and have little to do with actual historical fiction or even the Regency time period.

We use normative stereotypes for all past time periods because it makes it easier to generalize "otherness". For instance, what do you picture when I say "1950s housewife?" Many people imagine June Cleaver, when in reality evidence supports that the Cleavers were not the dominant mode of living and thus not true exemplars but were a construct. Our image has become normalized through media, advertisements, books, and television shows.

It is normal for genres to become normalized. Normalization can cause genres to become formulaic. This is a good thing and a bad thing.

The good is that it allows for the author to use a sort of shorthand that exists within the genre which means the story is not bogged down by too much detail. Also, many readers read for comfort. They may want a familiar story with familiar characters.

The bad is that because of the formulaic nature there is little left of the author within the story. The story has become part of the norm and has been formed under those rules, which often leave little room for self expression. This is why heavily normalized fiction can come off as mechanical, soulless, indistinct fluff. Think fast food but in book form.

Tomorrow I will talk about language used in erotic romances that has become normalized.

The Normalization of Genres And Paradigms Within Romance

2011-06-22T15:23:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I blogged about books that lack soul. Today I am going to talk about why readers sometimes complain about authors and publishing houses putting out the same stuff over and over (it can often feel like that to readers).

I am about to unload a whole bunch of theory on ya. I know, I know. Theory often makes my ears bleed. But I have been thinking about why certain tropes and modes of soullessness have become the "norm," sometimes theory can offer an explanatory model that better illustrates what may be occurring.

PLEASE NOTE: I am going to speak in generalizations and speak to what appears to be a dominant trend and there will always be exceptions.

I have been reading romance novels since the mid 1980s and I have noticed a steady trend towards normalization of certain sub genres within the genre itself.

The lovely image above is of a social network. Now, bear with me before you roll your eyes. I am talking about something bigger than social networking sites like Twitter.

We all belong to many different networks and we all have different roles within each network. Let's take an author who also works in an office. If she is published, she probably belongs to an author loop for each publisher she has books with--each of these are their own distinct networks and can exert influence on the author. If she writes romance, she may belong to the RWA or some other like organization that has a local as well as a national/international network. She belongs to multiple networks in her office as well, each with different roles. If she has kids, she may belong to the PTA so there are a few networks there. Each individual is a node, in the image each node is a dot. Individuals are tied to other individuals within a network as well as to individuals in other networks.

The more networks a person belongs to, the more likely her ideas can attain a farther reach. Likewise, the larger a network is, the more ideas can be shared and move around. Throw in social media and email and these ideas spread like wildfire. Unlike the 1980s and early 1990s when these connectors simply did not exist. Are you with me so far?

Now the denser a network is, in that image it is represented by the dark indigo colour, can alter how ideas are received. Sure, ideas have a greater reach, but now they are subject to normalization. Simply put, this is a process through which the social network(s) determine which expressions/ideas are acceptable and which are not. In the romance genre, this could mean that Regency romance is a more acceptable form of "historical" romance over other time periods (I am not saying this is true necessarily, I am merely using it as an example here). This can also determine how one writes as an author. This is also part of a paradigm.

One could also argue that organizations have the most to gain when they normalize ideas and the most to lose when they are no longer the arbiters of what is acceptable. One could also state that normalization occurred around 2005, but now that paradigm is being threatened.

Thomas Kuhn, in his work The Structure of Scientific Revolution, outlined how norms/paradigms come to prominence and how they are challenged. This occurs in three phases--the pre-paradigm phase (there are multiple paradigms but none are dominant), the "normal science" (one paradigm is dominant), and the revolutionary science phase (the paradigm is being questioned and new paradigms are being offered).

I would argue that publishing and the romance genre are just entering the Kuhnian third phase that heralds a paradigm shift.

What is causing this shift? Digital publishing. Self-publishing.

Organizations look to a strict set of factors to identify who plays what role within their organization. The RWA, for example, has rules for who can be what sort of member, even if these rules seem anachronistic and not only privilege the old paradigm but also help legitimate the norms that that paradigm has established through the primary/dominant networks (in this case NY publishing houses and the like). Now, people are already starting to question the rules. One good example is Jackie Barbosa's latest blog post about how the RWA determines who is published when faced with a plethora of new publishing opportunities.

Publishing houses do not know what to do now because the models they have held to, and have tried to dictate to members within their network, are being challenged. For instance, Marsha Canham writes about her experiences as a self-publisher and why she cut herself out of her publisher's network (and how the publisher/editor tried to normalize her writing).

So, now that I have given you some theory, next time we will talk about what has been normalized and how it has undergone that.

When Books Lack Soul

2011-06-21T14:49:00.003-04:00

This post will be part of a mini series. The next post will be about when a sub genre becomes fanfiction.

I am in a reading slump. I rarely have to force myself to read, or it used to be a rarity for it no longer is. I keep picking up books that have one thing in common. They lack soul.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I don't know if the authors were just going through the motions (writing for a specific market) or if the soul was edited out and squashed by guidelines and the publishers blind notions of what sells. Yes. These books all came from the "legacy" publishers.

The thing about artistic talent (e.g. singing, painting, & writing/storytelling) is that it is one part practice/technique, one part gift/voice, and finally one part emotion/soul. The latter is the hardest part. We can quibble about what is more important, but surely you agree that all artistic productions need soul? When you listen to a perfectly trained singer sing a song without soul/emotion, you can tell the difference.

To give soul, you (the author) need to give something. It is the difference between a wooden, empty, cold story to one that evokes emotion (other than "OMG, why am I reading this schlock?").

Books that lack soul are often forgettable. This means that I won't remember them a week or two after I have read them.

Books that lack soul can also be difficult to read.

Books that lack soul do not draw me into the author's world. They put the reader in a liminal role at a far distance. It also underscores the alterity of even of a contemporary romance. It means I don't really care about your characters.

Speaking of lacking soul. I am also thinking that some people who write erotica do not understand what erotic means and that it can be more than oral and more than doing the deed. For instance, holding hands can be erotic. More often than not lately, sex scenes are the black hole for soul. It has become insert A into slot B and add some tightening breasts and clenching wombs. But, the penis envy as exhibited by authors who try to make the female body do something visual and more physical is a blog post for later this week.

My question to you is this: Are soulless books the new norm? Why are publishers and readers helping to promote this? Have you read any books without soul lately?

The Importance of the Almighty Blurb

2011-06-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

I have frequently harped on the importance of book covers, especially for digital books. Book covers and blurbs are extremely important for digital books that are digital only. Why, you ask? I cannot ignore a bad blurb and a bad cover and pick up the book and read random pages of the book to see if it is an error.

For most digital pubs, blurbs are submitted by the author. The blurb gives me an indication about the skill of not only the author but also the quality control of a pub.

see more Historic LOL

The cover and blurb are my introduction to an author, and in some cases, an introduction to a publisher. What does it say about a publisher that is willing to put a bad blurb up on their website, like say this one:

A semi-naked photo, taken almost ten years, almost ruins everything for Madison Pearce. With a glass of champagne in hand, Madison is about to call her recent job a success, until she is pulled her into a private room and a secret, one from her past, resurfaces.
Along with the lover, she never expected to see again…

Let's be clear--the author is not the only one responsible for bad blurbs (unless, of course, the work is self published). Why would a publisher post this? Where was the editor when this blurb was posted? Surely each publisher has someone in charge of some semblance of quality control? I will not only judge a book by its cover but its blurb. If this is what an author and pub are comfortable with customers seeing, if this is a best effort, then what does the actual product look like?

This gets my wagging finger of shame.

Thanks go to Girrlit's Books for the link.

Authors, Here is How You Can Help the Readers...

2011-06-14T11:23:00.002-04:00

Authors! Here is how you can help me, your ever supportive reader:

1) Please send me your book two weeks before release with an offering of cheese. Two year old cheddar is the best.

2) If I should read your book, I expect effusive thanks and an acknowledgement in your next opus.

3) If I was not amazed by your book, can you please pay me back (according to my pay scale) for the time I lost reading this fast food attempt at making money (as it clearly is not art).

4) I expect you to dance while wearing Roots clothing and singing praises to my vengeful beaver god Castor Crankypantus.

If you have not figured it out by now, the above points are in jest.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Why do authors think it is a good idea to make a public post on how readers can help the author? They end up sounding like classless, condescending, egotistical, and, most of all, entitled posts.

When did readers owe authors anything? Why are readers now expected to do more than enjoy the book?

I am sure you want to know what set me off. Well, Gail Carriger (she has since edited her post) wrote a list of four things readers can do for her. Some have said that it is anti-ebookist because Carriger asks that readers buy a physical book first and an ebook second, but what disturbed me the most was the entitled and condescending tone. My grandmother would box my ears for posting something like that because it is utterly without manners.

She is not the only one to make such a post. Last year Rob Thurman dictated how readers should buy his/her books buy going into "book buying etiquette". These are people who have made it clear that they do not respect my patronage of their product. **

These posts, while being condescending, are also manipulative--you are not a good fan unless you do X sort of things.

I am sure some of you are now saying "But, Dhympna you are being too harsh, what is the harm of telling the few readers who will really go through with these steps to please their fave author?" For the few people who pat the author on the back, many more will not talk about your book, will not hand sell your book, will not buy your book, and certainly will not review your book.

My question for you is why do authors think that posts like this are a good idea? If you are so concerned about your publishing contract, then why would you want to turn off so many people? Let's be honest--there are more options out there for readers now and the truth is is that unless your books are absolutely fabulous and mind blowing, and I somehow doubt that they are, then I will move on and find someone new.

Authors that are published by NY publishing houses are in an even more precarious position than ever before. Why? Because for those of us who buy digital books, there is more competition for our hard earned dollars. Rather than allotting from my budget the cost for two books to appease the likes of Carriger, I will walk away with my money and buy two new authors (possibly quite a few more given what the digital cost of her books are). With the effervescent digital pub and self pub market there are more choices out there for me, the reader.

Because, after all, it is a reader's market.

**All of these requests by the authors are so they can get on the NYT best seller list. Yeah, well. Good luck now. If your dedicated fans really want this information, then why not send it out in a newsletter? You can please that handful while not turning off the majourity of readers. I often check an author's blog to check their writing style.

EDITED TO ADD: Dear Author has posted on this as well.

Question for the Day: Fast Food Genre Books?

2011-06-13T12:24:00.000-04:00

I was watching a conversation out of one eye on Twitter the other day about who certain genres had a fast food mentality when it came to publishing and one of the participants sited romance and mystery/thrillers as evidence (Note: this sort of seems a genre divide because I would also point to certain science fiction and fantasy lines as "fast food." Ever tried to read a Magic the Gathering novel? Like this one--**Ravnica: City of Guilds (Magic: The Gathering: Ravnica Cycle.? Oh, wait, that wasn't forgettable, it was painful, boring, and self-sporking inducing.) Uh hunh.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

So, how do we define fast food books? We cannot distill it down to a genre because not every burger is created equal and some burgers are not fast food and could be considered gourmet.

For me, it means a forgettable read with a shallow story with shallow characters that is quickly read and quickly forgotten. The sort of book I buy because I need something to do.

What do you consider fast food books and how would you define the concept?

note** I tried to read this story a few times. From what I have heard, WOTC has tried to fix their much neglected publishing arm and have tried to fix the quality of their books. When WOTC releases a new Magic card set, they would release a novel (one that most game shop keepers and most gamers would snicker at). I have not read any of their books in the past few years, so cannot really discuss any supposed improvements in story quality.

A Maritimer in the Heartland--Annemarie's Food Travel Log

2011-06-06T13:26:00.004-04:00

“Where are you travelling from?”
“Indianapolis.”
“What was the purpose of your visit?”
“Friends.”
“Didn’t you do any shopping while in the United States?
“No.” [Canadian Border Man raises eyebrows.] “What? I ate what I spent.”

The above happened in September when arriving back in Canada following
my second trip to the US. I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t secreting a iPad
into the country or anything. I ate every penny I spent.

On that trip in particular, the goal was to dine at Bub’s Burgers &
Ice Cream in Carmel, Indiana, as seen on MAN vs FOOD. While my
companion was determined to inhale a Big Ugly Burger, I would have
been happy with a milkshake and some fries. Sadly, we did not make it
to Bub’s. Well, we arrived at Bub’s and were told there would be a 2
hour wait, so we just went elsewhere. All I will say about our
alterative venue was that there was beer and food poisoning.

I come from Atlantic Canada. If you go to a restaurant that isn’t fast
food you’re getting pan-fried fish, calamari, mussels, or lobster, so
I have to admit I was a little confused when I heard that a Tim
Hortons in Ohio was serving mac and cheese. What? Mac and cheese? I
want mac and cheese when I go to Tim Hortons! Sadly, it was not to be,
but my visits have resulted in some great food.

Fair Oaks Farm – Fair Oaks, Indiana
Oh sweet Jesus, the cheese! And I’m not a big fan of the cheese, but
this was orgasmic cheese served in an orgasmic quesadilla. There
really is nothing like visiting a dairy farm that smells like ice
cream and fresh milk instead of cows.
http://www.fofarms.com/en/home

The Bread Ladies – Greenfield, Indiana
Two words: chicken salad. So yummy with little chunks of mandarin
orange and spreadable on their delicious bread. I haven’t had a chance
to sample their coffee, but they seem to have a unique selection.
http://www.thebreadladies.com/

The Lemon Drop – Anderson, Indiana
When the lady in this 1950s style diner (the real kind, not the Happy
Days kind) put a little hamburger and toast in front of me I thought,
“Really?” but it really hit the spot and hung on. Just don’t forget
your milkshake to go.

The Holy Grail – Cincinnati, Ohio
Located across from the Great American Ball Park, this was an
unplanned stop on a day trip to the Freedom Center. They’ve got a beer
tap built right into one of the tables (a source of fascination for
the entire meal) and the food was that special kind of awesome that
makes you go, “Is that xxx I taste?” or “Oh my God, there’s the xxx.”
http://www.holygrailcincy.com/

Tim Hortons – Richmond, Indiana
I know what you’re thinking. Honestly. I couldn’t leave the only Tim
Hortons in the state of Indiana off of the list. I’ve fallen out of
love with Tim Hortons, but the novelty of driving an hour from
Indianapolis to visit was too hard to pass up. After the shock of
discovering tiny fast food differences, it was comforting to discover
that a medium double double in Indiana tastes the same as a medium
double double in Canada (just don’t judge me for cheating by eating
Square Donuts before hitting Timmy’s).

Honorable mention goes to MacNivens in Indianapolis. Not because of
the food, or the beer, but, as Dhympna can attest, because of THE
AWESOME SCOTTISH-THEMED BATHROOMS!
(http://www.amhartnett.com/2010/07/boobs-books.html)

Guest Post and The Hiatus Will Be Over Soon...I Promise

2011-05-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I will be back next week, full of vim and vinegar. I did a guest post on the state of academic publishing for B10 Mediaworx. Check it out.

A Sandwich Ode Plus Recipe For Peas and Potatoes

2011-04-30T14:46:00.001-04:00

Two things today--a poem and a recipe. I wrote a poem while waiting for the bus the other day. I had just finished grading a massive pile of papers and was also terribly hungry. There was a sandwich in my bag that I had snagged to eat at home. I composed my ode of brilliance one line at a time via IM. Annemarie thought it was funny, so I figured I would repost my narcoleptic brilliance. Oh, and yes--feel very bad for the souls on my IM because they are often recipients of whatever treasures pop into my head when bored and/or tired.

*coughs* *clears throat* *assumes pompous bombastic poetry recitation stance*

Ode to My Sandwich

Oh, sandwich in my bag,

languishing uneaten,

and longing to be devoured,

hold on to your masticatory dreams,

for soon,

soon, you shall enter the burbling abyss,

that is my bell-eh,

and be only remembered with a faint eruction.

see more My Food Looks Funny

My family has a recipe that we traditionally make in the spring. I think this recipe is probably from my grandparents love of adding too much milk to things (they would triple the milk called for for a box of Kraft dinner). It seems to be a Northern New England/Southern Quebec sort of thing.

It is a milk based soup called "Peas and Potatoes." We serve the soup with meatballs. I usually cut the meatball in half and put it in the soup or pour the soup over it. This is my fave meatball recipe.

Peas and Potatoes

Ingredients:

Peas (fresh peas, shucked--DO NOT USE FROZEN)--this takes A LOT of peas. I use about 2 to 4 cups.
baby potatoes (the smaller the better)--steamed until tender
one large onion finely chopped (about pea size)
half a gallon of milk
half a stick of butter
half a pint of heavy cream
salt
butter

In a large pot, melt the butter and cook the onion until translucent. Add in the milk, cream, peas and potatoes. Cook on medium high until the milk has been scalded and drop the temperature. Season with salt and pepper and serve the meatballs.

Blogging Hiatus...sort of...

2011-04-26T08:28:00.001-04:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I am trying to be better about announcing when I will be disappearing for an extended period of time.

There will be a four week hiatus of sporadic and spotty blogging. I will start with the new columns (reviewing digital pub sites and what not) when I get back.

What is going on, you ask? Tis the last week of class and then it is the mad, mad rush of finals, followed by my spazztic routine of "OMG! I have a conference paper to write."

If you have any suggestions for future columns or would like to do a guest blog during my hiatus, or what I privately call the month of spazzdom, drop me a line or comment and I will get in touch with you.

Cheers!

Plagiarism, Caveat Emptor, and Publisher's Culpability

2011-04-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Teddy Pig brought to light a fairly egregious case of plagiarism yesterday. An author was about to debut a book, the problem was that the book was a rewritten version of someone else's book. The author's blog has since been pulled, as has her page at Siren, but they have been saved by various bloggers (links can be found here). I will wait while you go read those to recap what has occurred. You are back? Good. Moving on....

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

One question has plagued me--what culpability does the publisher have? Is the publisher a victim too?

In this brave, new, digital age I have many tools in my arsenal to detect plagiarism. I use Copyscape Premium and Turnitin There are other tools out there and, honestly, I am surprised that the publishing industry is so without tools to prevent these occurrences. Let's be honest, as the digital market grows, so will the number of plagiarized submissions, especially if the perpetrators believe that they will not be caught because each time a case is brought to light, the publishers throw up their hands and plead ignorance. Hell, books are digitized now, so a would-be plagiarist does not even have to take the time to transcribe the text.

At this point, to me, ignorance is just an excuse, especially since I am sure that publishers rarely check to see if a new author they are signing is legit. Should publishers make sure that their editors are not only aware that this is a problem but also how to double check? For me a red flag was the huge difference between the excerpt Phoenix posted and her blog posts and her interview for Siren's author page.

So what do you think? Is the publisher completely innocent or do they share some of the blame? Does a publisher, who has signed a plagiarist, taint their brand and do you lose trust for that pub? Lots of questions, I know.

Recipe--Spinach and Cheese Shells

2011-04-18T07:41:00.000-04:00

You know those giant pasta shells you see for sale in the grocery store? I have a recipe for that. Yup. This image has nothing to do with my recipe--I just though it was funny.

see more My Food Looks Funny

You will need:

-A box of shells
-one onion diced
-a bunch of garlic minced
-one tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
-pancetta one cup chopped
-large can of diced tomatoes
-fresh basil chiffinaded (Is that right? Or is it a chiffinade of basil?)

-One box of spinach (chopped variety, thaw it and squeeze out the excess water)
-One tub of ricotta (the smaller one, not the large one)
-1/2 cup of Parmesan (I probably added a cup...)
-1/2 cup of shredded Italian cheese mix (the more cheese the merrier)
-2 eggs, beaten
-salt
-pepper

-Mozzarella or Italian shreds to top your masterpiece with--about 1 1/2 cups

Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a 9X13 baking pan (and by prepare, I mean spray down with cooking spray).

Start a big pot of water to boil and salt it. While waiting for that to boil, in a medium sized pot, heat the pot to medium high, add olive oil and then pancetta. You want to render the fat of the pancetta and allow the porky goodness to brown. Dump in the onion and cook until translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook for a minute or two longer. Season with salt. Add in your can of tomatoes and simmer.

Mix together the spinach and the cheeses and combine well (I know this seems redundant, but make sure they are mixed). Taste your mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in your eggs.

The water should be boiling at this point, dump in your pasta and cook according to the directions on the box (it should take about ten minutes). When done, drain and set aside (or dump into your baking pan that has cooking spray--it not only prevents a messy cleanup but also prevents pasta from sticking, just make sure it is well drained).

To finish the sauce, puree the sauce with a stick blender leaving it mostly chunky and stir in basil.

Now to put it all together, grab a shell and insert a generous spoonful of spinach filling. Arrange your shells open side up and in one layer. Repeat until your baking pan is full. Pour your sauce over the top being careful to pour it over all of the shells.

Top with cheese and cover your masterpiece with tinfoil. Set your timer for 50 minutes. For brown and crispy top, take the foil off during the last 15 minutes.

By the way, the sauce is my default sauce and the filling works in a pinch for ravioli.

Mini Rant on Digital Book Formats and Lame Excuses

2011-04-17T13:58:00.002-04:00

Yes, there are many formats out there. I expect that when I shell out my hard earned money to purchase a book that the formatting is pristine and that I should not have to 1) convert it to *my* desired format, which is epub 2) deal with formatting wonkiness like letters being converted into symbols, or nook pages being off (more on that in a future post) which usually tells me you started with a kindle file (I don't want to know or be treated like a second class citizen just because the author/publisher who created the file only really cared to carefully format the kindle) or 3) deal with formatting issues that are so bad, *I* the consumer have to go in and change them because digital books at most stores are not returnable. Any formatting errors are annoying and there really is no excuse for them.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I was doing my normal procrastination from working on The Beast and was reading a post about ebook formatting oddities over at Dear Author, when I hit this doozie of a comment (number 7) by Susan Helene Gottfried:

The problem lies in the fact that books start as one file and are converted into many formats. Most of us who do it ourselves can’t afford someone to recode into XML, and for us to do it ourselves means time taken away from promotion and writing new books. It’s a delicate balancing act and often, we are unaware of how our books look in every single format out there. Smashwords alone converts into ten formats.
Readers, please understand that we’re ALL doing our best, no matter who publishes us. This is the Wild West of publishing right now. There are a million bugs to work out, and we’re doing our best. Those extra spaces and words that are run together are entirely a function of the process that takes our book from a file (.pdf, Word, or whatever) and puts it into something your reader can make sense of. It’s not us! (Misspellings and bad grammar are, and I challenge you to find a book, no matter who published it, without either of these.)
(Emphasis mine)

Um, exsqueeze me?

If you are putting your product out there, you had better know that you are offering ALL customers, no matter what their desired format is, the BEST product you can possibly offer. To not do so and to be completely unaware of what EACH format looks like is an insult to any reader who purchases your product. I don't care about future books or lame ass attempts at promotion--the best promotion you can have is a good looking product that is formatted properly, free of egregious grammar errors and misspellings. There is no excuse. Period.

The onus is on the publisher or author (if that author is self publishing) to not only understand how to properly code a book but also to do some quality control. I, as the customer, could not give a flying hoot if there are too many "bugs to work out". If your product looks like shit, then it had better be free or you had better be willing to offer me my money back.

This just speaks to laziness and an utter disrespect towards the readers. You are not doing your best if you turn a blind eye to the files you are throwing out into the world. This is not like accidentally tucking your skirt into your undies, this *is* mooning me because you don't give a rat's arse.

ARGGGHHHH!!!!

/rant

Review: Escape From Hell-Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

2011-04-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

This is a reposting of a review from a now defunct blog (hence the structural changes).

Enjoy.

Hardcover
Published: January 2009
Pages: 332

My rating: 8.5

Escape from Hell continues the journey Allen Carpentier started in Inferno. In the previous installment, Niven and Pournelle reevaluate Dante's classic in terms of modern era sins. Allen decides to not follow Benito Mussolini out of Hell. He takes over Benito's mission of freeing damned souls--should they wish to leave. Carpentier becomes a saintly apostle of sorts, who, with the help of poet Sylvia Plath, seeks to aid as many souls as he can.

******

That is the basic gist of the book. I admit that I was worried about this particular book--it was written 33 years after the initial release of Inferno. A new journey through territory already trodden could go horribly wrong--but, in this case, it did not.

I found this work to be more socially and culturally relevant than Inferno. Niven and Pournelle managed to include historical as well as contemporaneous denizens--for example, at one point Allen runs into Anna Nichole Smith.

For me, Escape, like Inferno, is not really about the plot per se--but the broader idea of the purpose of Hell. The protagonist must deal with his rationalist nature in the face of what science (and the modern audience) might view superstition. With this being said, Hell is a construct of human belief. What we believe does change the landscape of Hell. Niven and Pournelle explore how Vatican II altered Hell. Also, as new sins crop up, such as terrorism, that too must affect the very nature of a sinner's existence in Hell.

******

I will be the first to admit that I had a really hard time separating myself from my scholarly tendencies while reading this particular book (and Inferno as well). I think it says something about both Inferno and Escape that I am not going on a rant about what they did wrong.

Escape is thought provoking and entertaining. I think it is a welcome read for anyone who is a Sci/Fi/Fantasy fan-- as well as anyone who is a fan of Dante or Milton.

I think that this book is better understood if one reads Inferno first as the spiritual growth of Allen is better understood if one is part of his complete journey.

Review: Inferno-Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

2011-04-12T14:11:00.001-04:00

Here is a review I wrote for a different, now defunct, blog (this will also help explain the differences in review format).

Enjoy.

Originally published in 1976, Tor reprint 2008. Trade paper 234 pages.

My rating: 8/10

Inferno, written by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, is an imaginative and thought provoking retelling of Dante Alighieri's (1265-1321) Inferno from his Divine Comedy.

Alan Carpentier was a science fiction writer attempting to secure the attentions of adoring SciFi fans at a convention by sitting upon a windowsill guzzling a bottle of rum while not touching the sides. The window was eight stories up. He ends up plummeting to his death.

What follows is a trip through the rings and bolgias of Hell as Alan is guided by Benito Mussolini--whose identity he only learns of later on in his journey.

I found this book in a local Indie store and I will freely admit that the cover (facing out) was what caught my attention first. I have long been a Niven fan, but also being a medievalist--I could not resist the lure and promise this trade paper tome held.

I took my new prize home and flipped open the publishing information and quickly realized how long ago this work had been in print. From the historical point of view--in terms of when this was written and being a historian who specializes in the era in which Dante was active--Niven and Pournelle did an excellent job.

There are certain points--such as homosexuals being labeled as serious sinners--that might turn off some readers. This novel should come with a caveat concerning what it is based on and when it was written. I was unsure whether I would like, or buy, Benito Mussolini as Vergil's replacement...but towards the end I found his role as a guide oddly fitting.

I found it to be a light and engaging read that I, at times, attempted to over analyze. One comes away with the sense that the concept of Sin is in the eye of the beholder. What gluttony encompasses, for example, is redefined. Gluttons are not just those who are morbidly obese or those who eat and drink too much. Gluttony is any obsession over food and drink thus the overly health conscious might also find themselves sentenced to the third circle.

At the heart of the work, Niven and Pournelle answer the question of what would hell look like in 1976 and what were the possible repercussions of Dante's and Virgil's journey--what has changed?

I will be excited to get my hands on the sequel which has been published 33 years after Inferno's initial release.

Guest Review: Annabel-Kathleen Winter

2011-04-11T08:57:00.000-04:00

Annabel has been on my radar for awhile now. When I noticed Pia Veleno was reading it I asked her if she would do a review for us. She was more than happy to oblige.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Kathleen Winter’s luminous debut novel is a deeply affecting portrait of life in an enchanting seaside town and the trials of growing up unique in a restrictive environment.

In 1968, into the devastating, spare atmosphere of the remote coastal town of Labrador, Canada, a child is born: a baby who appears to be neither fully boy nor fully girl, but both at once. Only three people are privy to the secretthe baby’s parents, Jacinta and Treadway, and a trusted neighbor and midwife, Thomasina. Though Treadway makes the difficult decision to raise the child as a boy named Wayne, the women continue to quietly nurture the boy’s female side. And as Wayne grows into adulthood within the hyper-masculine hunting society of his father, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as Annabel,” is never entirely extinguished.

Kathleen Winter has crafted a literary gem about the urge to unveil mysterious truth in a culture that shuns contradiction, and the body’s insistence on coming home. A daringly unusual debut full of unforgettable beauty, Annabel introduces a remarkable new voice to American readers.

Pia's review

Summary:

Annabel is the story of a child born with both male and female characteristics – a hermaphrodite, or preferably intersex. Living in a small Canadian town in 1968, there’s little to do but choose whether the infant will be raised as a boy or a girl, and then protect that secret for the rest of his life.

"My face is a mask, and I have murdered my own daughter." (Jacinta, pg. 142)

The child’s father, Treadway, decides he will raise a son and name him Wayne. After surgery sealing up Wayne’s female side, we watch him grow up, questioning things that girls would question, like a one piece swimsuit on an Olympic synchronized swimmer, but we also see things that are more male-oriented, like a fascination with patterns and numbers.

Wayne isn’t told his is different despite the slew of pills he takes to regulate his system growing up. It isn’t until his body shifts internally, the female side beginning a dangerous menstrual cycle, that he learns how he was born. Even then, secrets are kept, and through it all, his father continues to do his best to teach his son to be normal in the eyes of society, while his mother, Jacinta, and her friend and midwife, Thomasina, both secretly nurture Wayne’s female side.

"Whenever she imagined her child, grown up without interference from a judgemental world, she imagined its male and female halves as complementing each other, and as being secretly, almost magically powerful." (pg. 28)

Characters:

During the book, I hated both of Wayne’s parents and then understood them. Rinse and repeat. Both Treadway and Jancita wanted what was best for Wayne. Jancinta seemed to understand that this included nurturing Wayne’s female side while his father truly believed that smothering the girl within was the only way to protect Wayne from people who would hurt him for his differences. At times, I wondered if Treadway was protecting Wayne, or himself, but more often, I believed the former and had brief doubt toward the latter.

Despite his parents efforts, the only two people who truly understood Wayne were Thomasina and Wally. Thomasina knew from the beginning, assisting with his birth, but her hands were tied by Treadway’s expectation that his son be just a son. Also, the loss of her daughter, Annabel, pushed Thomasina’s motivations into question as she secretly calls Wayne Annabel when no one else is around. While this doubt followed her, she also seemed to honestly want Wayne to be comfortable within himself.

"I wouldn't call it a disorder. I'd call it a different order. A different order means a whole new way of being. It could be fantastic. It could be overwhelmingly beautiful, if people weren't scared." (Thomasina, pg. 208-209)

Wally, a childhood friend, had her own story underlying Wayne’s. She was a good influence on him without ever knowing why he was different. She always reached for the stars, and from a young age knew what her life dreams would be and never looked away from them, no matter how difficult. While it was subtle, what Wayne learned from her, without Wally, Wayne might’ve never taken steps to be independent, to seek freedom both mentally and physically.

The Good:

Winters tackles a difficult subject in the intersex child. According to the doctors, there was no way to know that Wayne was really a female at the time of his birth (only educated guesses), and by the time he started to grow up and develop and independent personality and certain physical traits, he’d already been exposed to his small town as a son of Labrador. While he is still in high school when he learns what he is, it is not until after he graduates that he seeks the true freedom of figuring out exactly what that means to him.

The Bad:

The beginning was painfully slow to develop. In a way, this set the scene for the feel of the small town of Croydon Harbor, and it did show us enough of Treadway, Jacinta, and Thomasina to understand their motivations as the child grew up, but I nearly gave up before Wayne was born.

Wayne himself seemed stiff and unresponsive. Sometimes this made him feel pensive and introverted and other times it made him feel not only impassive, but not real. He rarely reacted, even in mental dialogue, to extreme emotions. During and after an attack by a group of boys, when he should’ve feared for body, if not life, he simply accepted it and moved on. Same when he learned another of his secrets from Thomasina. Maybe he was stunned when he learned of what else happened the day he went to the hospital with her, but he came off as emotionless. I wanted to know what he was feeling and I didn’t get it.

Overall:

If you can make it through the initial slowness until the baby begins to develop a personality as a toddler, this is a good book to read and explore a dual-gendered person living in a world that is bisexual. Even with Wayne’s coldness, Winter shows us plenty of tension, confusion, and desire (from a short, almost clinical distance) through all of her characters, as they hope and help Wayne find peace and happiness in the world despite society’s flaws.

"You define a tree and you do not see what it is; it becomes its name. It is the same with woman and man. Everywhere Wayne looked there was one or the other, male or female, abandoned by the other." (pg. 350)

Cover rating: B

The cover is arresting and would made me pick up the book to read the blurb.

*****

In her free time, Pia writes stories about gay and transgendered men, runs around the neighborhood in bare feet, spreads rumors about an upcoming Loose Id release, and talks about herself in the third person.

Okay, no really, I don’t (talk about myself that is). I hate writing bios and I hate talking about myself. So, if you’re curious you can visit my blog/website where I sometimes ramble, and always keep a list of current releases with their blurbs and first chapter excerpts. Come explore more of my favorite reads on GoodReads.com.

New Stuff and Random Thoughts

2011-04-10T17:16:00.004-04:00

Two new changes to the blog:

First, I am a book whore. I make no bones about it and we won't discuss the state of my TBR pile (Annemarie would get twitchy just looking or thinking about it). I tend to visit publisher sites quite frequently--sometimes I am pleased with what I see and other times I wonder why the owners would care so little about my first impression of their business. I have decided, after getting some input from my friends, to do a weekly post reviewing various digital publishers that I run across. I am doing this for a few reasons:

I was inspired by Teddy Pig's post on "The Current State of Gay Romance in ePublishing." His post got me thinking--different publishers are, in essence, different brands and some brands are more successful than others. This starts with the first impression.
Publishers ultimately want to encourage readers to buy books directly from their site because they, and the authors, get a bigger chunk--100% without having to share with Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks, or the plethora of etailers out there. Authors often bank on the brand a publisher lends to them so they can build a bigger fan base (this relationship works both ways, but for newer authors the brand recognition with a publisher is becoming more and more important). There are a myriad of reasons why customers do not buy direct--impulse purchases from their device is probably the most common (nook and kindle especially). But what about the sites themselves and the impression publishers give to would-be customers. These impressions are what interest me and will be the focus of my posts.

Any thoughts or suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated.

Second, I, once upon a time, tried to maintain three blogs--very silly on my part. This blog is now a raucous combination of the three and sometimes is evidence of my more puerile moments but it seems to have settled into an odd combination of recipes and book stuff. I have decided to migrate older reviews and book commentary such stuff from the now defunct blog over to this one (there are only seven or so posts). These older posts will be clearly labelled and my review structure was quite different than it is now.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Random thoughts...

I noticed a minor kerfluffle on Twitter the other day. I guess an author wrote a post about what bugged her about a book but did not "name names." The point of the post was not to offer a review, but to delineate what ruined the experience for her and what was a "deal breaker". Some felt she excoriated the book and was not being responsible in her criticism due to a lack of transparency in what she was criticizing exactly (and others seem to have indicated that the author left too many clues to what book she had read in her comments).

So what.

My take away from the post was that it was more about what was a "deal breaker" for that particular reader when reading--it was not meant to be a book review, it was meant to talk about a particular experience. Not mentioning what the book was does not invalidate the reader experience, which is personal in nature.

I am all about evidence. I live for evidence, but sometimes, as was the case with this post, naming names can sometimes cloud the point of the post. If the author had named names, most people would now be running around talking about author A not liking author B's book.

Another good example of evidence clouding the argument is a recent post on All About Romance. For me, the post was about how poorly edited fiction ruined the experience for the reader who wrote the post--instead, many of the commentators seem to have focused on the examples used rather than what was actually being said. Could the evidence have been framed better by the argument? Yes. Does the evidence invalidate what the author was saying? No, she was talking about her experience.

Mind you, if you choose to talk in generalities, then you always run the risk of nosy fucks (I include myself in the realm of nosyfuckdom) wanting to know who you read. I know that I get irritated when I don't know something (just ask Saranna) but I respect people who do not want the example to outshine the point or who want to make a point but feel it is not appropriate for them to point to an explicit example or need to not mention who wrote the example. Hell, this happens all the time in university when using past student papers as an example for current students (the name, year, and course are usually not mentioned).

Those are my random thoughts on a blustery Sunday afternoon.

Cheers!

Saturday Short Story Reviews--Li, Veleno, and Renarde

2011-04-09T15:16:00.001-04:00

My brain seems to be suffering from cabin fever and trying to revolt/procrastinate from actually doing work--in other words I have been reading a lot of fiction lately. Here are three reviews for short stories that I have read (two m/m and one f/f).

Anne Cain (the cover artist) can be credited with selling me Neskaya by Augusta Li (synopsis from Goodreads):

Every nine years, on the winter solstice, Prince Neskaya's people conduct a ritual called the Midvinterblot, sacrificing nine horses, nine bulls, nine hogs, and nine men in the hopes of the return of light and fertility. With crops failing for the third year in a row, the sacrifice to win back the gods' favor is especially important. But the gods are demanding more than the usual tribute: they demand the life of the king's only son, Neskaya.

Lars, Neskaya's best friend and secret lover, is willing to fight for the life of the man he loves, despite Neskaya's odd complacency. Lars has no choice but to seek supernatural aid to save him, and he'll have to somehow convince Neskaya to fight beside him against the entire hungry village if they are to have any chance to survive.

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

Length: longish short story/very short novella (around 20k words)
Genre: Late Ancient/Early Medieval Fantasy
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Rating: A

This story is interesting. It is chronicles the end of Lars and Prince Neskaya's relationship (this is why I included the Dreamspinner Bittersweet Genre tag at the end of the blurb). I keep trying to place it within a historical chronological framework. The world Neskaya lives in is dark and barren--he is an outsider because of his darker hair juxtaposed with the people's blond, rugged, Norse qualities. He is so other that it is hinted at that he may be other--fae, possibly. Neskaya also has an odd relationship with the Alves (think elves, but not the spirits of the dead of very early Norse folklore, but more elvish in terms of the stereotypical sense but still darker and a tad wilder).

The genre tag does not lie--this story is indeed bittersweet but the world building had me hooked more so than the relationship with Neskaya. Neskaya's "complacency" seems to be foreshadowing his acceptance of the end (his death) and his odd position within the community.

I also loved the narwhal scene.

Pia Veleno, knowing of my lack of self control when it comes to buying demon and/or angel stories sent me her story Bound By Love.

DISCLAIMER: I AM CHUMMY WITH THIS AUTHOR. Now that that is out of the way, here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

Hell is as dangerous and fearsome as mortals are led to believe, which is why Beliaz left it behind to make a home on earth with a fallen angel named Eden. When Bel forges a ring to bind Eden to him forever, Hell has other plans for them both.

Length: short story, about 12k words
Genre: paranormal erotic romance (angel and demon)
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Cover: Cover is a generic one used by publisher for special Valentine's Day shorts

I enjoyed this short story about Bel and Eden--it was very Miltonesque with hints of Dante and Barlowe. I also enjoyed the world building, but felt that this story was really meant to be at least a novella as there was so much going on that I really wanted more detail. It was still a very enjoyable read and I hope Veleno does more with this world. *hint, hint*

I had leftover ebucks (a whole 1.5$) to use at All Romance Ebooks and you cannot split tender with your orders with them (time for new point of sale software?), so I decided to see what I could find for my giant amount of ebucks--this was how I found Gigglepuss (synopsis from Goodreads):

After working in the same restaurant for four years, Lorna develops a sudden and explosive crush on quirky Mitsuki. Though Mitsuki doesn't seem to oppose Lorna's advances, every time Lorna tries to kiss the girl, Mitsuki giggles. For a cocky dyke like Lorna, giggles are insulting ... almost infuriating! A sacrilege! Can Lorna quell the giggles, or will she join in?

Length: short story about 4500 words
Genre: erotica
Publisher: Xcite
Cover: B--it does relate to the content and is not as generic as many short story covers tend to be.

The title caught my attention and piqued my interest. The short was a saucy f/f story and was quite enjoyable. I liked how Renarde played on Lorna's new awareness of coworker she had worked with for years & how Mitsuki had been aware of Lorna and her conquests for quite some time.

Well, there you have it. Three shorts that I have read in two days and even better can recommend all three.

On Blurbs and Covers--How to Make a Bad Impression

2011-04-02T14:01:00.001-04:00

There are many ways to "get published" these days. Some require more effort on the author's part than others (and by effort, I mean creation of cover, cover blurb, all that other stuff that goes into making a book). For quite a few digital pubs, authors must write their own synopsis or book blurb--that thing that is supposed to attract readers. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. I really wish publishers (who are taking a large chunk of money to sell said book) would help authors with their blurbs (and be more attentive to covers) and take responsibility for the product they are selling.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Why, you ask?

I just clicked on a book because I thought it was an f/f (the cover looked like it could be) and the blurb I read...well...I am still recovering.

I am pretty sure the synopsis was in English, but I am not sure what the frack was going in the book. Confused, I sent the blurb to a friend. She scratched her head, admitted she stopped reading to stop the pain it was causing, and is probably cursing me now.

To any authors reading, remember that blurbs are my first introduction to your book. This book came off as a schizophrenic sociopath who wanted to eat my brain or a massive calculus test, take your pick, as they are both uncomfortable and painful--not a positive introduction. Make sure your blurbs are engaging and dressed neatly--this blurb was trying to be neat but gave the impression of wearing clothes that were stained and worn for two weeks solid. Stinky.

The blurb made me wonder if the contents of the book would be worse, because, after all, it was for public ~~consummation~~ consumption and was not locked behind a pay wall.

I still have no clue what the book is about, but I will have to pass because of a really piss poor first impression. The problem for publishers is that too many piss poor first impressions make the entire brand seem like a band of hoary ogrish amateurs who wish to insult prospective customers with their babbling blurb bukkake.

Things I am Waiting For--Moriah Jovan's Magdalene

2011-04-01T21:45:00.001-04:00

I know that I am one of many people who are eagerly, lustfully, giddily awaiting the release of Moriah Jovan's Magdalene.

If you are not familiar with Jovan's hot, torrid, complex family saga, then I humbly suggest that you check it out. For all fans--whether new, old, or partially frothy--she has put together an enourmous amount of swag to herald the new release. Jovan writes:

Magdalene, the third book in the Dunham series, will be released on Sunday, April 24, 2011. This is the last book in the series with contemporary characters; book four, Dunham, is an historical and book five, tentatively titled Delilah, is post-apocalypse.
For this, I thought it would be fun to have a contest. The grand prize winner will receive an Easter basket full of goodies pertaining mostly to Magdalene, and five runners up will win a trilogy ebook. Here’s the grand prize:

1. Print copies of The Proviso, Stay, and Magdalene, all signed,
2. Two canisters of Jacques Torres hot chocolate (one milk and one spicy),
3. Magdalene mug and mousepad,
4. One new CD of Carmina Burana,
5. A thumb drive with all three books plus their playlists,
and
6. A super secret and sexy prize hinting at what Mitch and Cassie mighthave done in a scene I never wrote…
…all in a nice Easter basket that will arrive at the grand prize winner’s doorstep at least a week before the release date. (Even if you live out of the country. I can do that. Because I’m in charge.)

Want more info about the contest and want to enter? Then mosey on over to Jovan's to read the whole post and entry details.

Review: Yu: A Ross Lamos Mystery-Joy Shayne Laughter

2011-03-28T21:11:00.001-04:00

When I was approached by the author to review her book YU; A Ross Lamos Mystery, I was intrigued by the premise of the book and the first two chapters. Yu is an intriguing blend of historical fiction interwoven with a contemporary tale (and a budding romance).

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Forbidden love, the Imperial Court of the Han Dynasty,jades worth millions on the black market ... Ross Lamos, 21st Century Karmic Detective, knows that somehow, the history of the three jades is his as well. Yu, the Stone of Heaven, jade art born from the genius of ancient China. Lamos has built his career dealing Asian art and antiquities by hiding his very useful psychic Touch. When he holds the jades, the yuuml; will reveal an extraordinary history. Lamos will risk everything to protect the jades, and finally remember his role in a love story that changed the course of a Dynasty ... the love between an extraordinary Concubine and a Prince, the son of her Emperor, and the Poet caught between them all ... a story hidden for two thousand years in three pieces of yu. Yu is the award winning first novel by Joy Shayne Laughter and begins the Ross Lamos mystery series.

Length/Genre/Publisher/Release: novel, mystery, Open Books Press, 2010

Review:

When Valerie L walks into the shop where Ross works, his life will follow a path that will be determined in part by his own past (past life in this case), his psychic abilities and his own agency. Valerie brings three Han Dynasty jade pieces for Ross to look at, not for him to appraise, but to wake Ross up and ready him for the next stage of his life. What follows is a masterly blend of a tragic Romeo and Juliet/Pyramus and Thisbe story--the quintessential forbidden love story-with Ross confronting the figures from that long dead past drama. It is Valerie's duty to return each of the three jade pieces to their rightful owners, or the bodies their souls have been reincarnated in.

While Ross discovers his place in the forbidden love story between a third son prince and a concubine, he must also navigate who he is in the present. This first book in in Laughter's series is more about Ross letting go of the past and moving to the next stage in his life--away from past loves and past jobs. Ross is must reconcile his saintly image of his boss and mentor with the reality that business in the shop may not be all that it seems. It also appears that Ross has not had a romantic relationship since his boyfriend of two years decided to take vows and renounce concupiscence to become a Buddhist monk. This story is about a new chapter is Ross' life.

The mystery revolves more around the story of the three jade pieces as well as Ross' place in the torridly tender, as well as a bit bloody, love story.

I normally hate time travel books, but the use of reincarnation and the stories the jades tell created a lovely and vivid story. I look forward to reading how Laughter develops this character.

If you like:

...tales with an element of eastern mysticism, ancient Chinese historical fiction, GLBT mysteries,

Overall:

I loved this book and it was a breath of fresh air. The historical elements were done well and the contemporary parts of the tale were woven in seamlessly.

Where I got it: author provided the copy.

Cover rating: B

I like the cover. But while it is above average, it would not necessarily grab my attention in a shelf full of books and scream "buy me!". There is a subtle beauty though.

MPRS: PG-13 (some violence)

Lite Review: Dragon, Dragon: And Other Tales--John Gardner

2011-03-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

I love fairy tales, so that may explain why I was attracted to Dragon, Dragon: and Other Tales by John Gardner, who was best known for his James Bond and spy books. This edition did not disappoint and offers up four charming fairytales that were originally published in 1975.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

John Gardner’s first children’s book takes the traditional fairy tale and turns it on its head. In the title story, a meddlesome dragon meets his match. “The Tailor and the Giant” tells the story of a cowardly man who finally faces his fears. A villainous beast of burden attempts to rid himself of his master in “The Miller’s Mule.” And in “The Last Piece of Light,” a brave young chimney-sweep saves the world from darkness. Filled with irreverent twists on the classic elements of princes and princesses, witches and wizards, and the magical realms that they inhabit, Dragon, Dragon is a collection of fun and fantastic tales to be cherished by readers of all ages.

Genre/Length: Kids, about 70 pages (novella length for adult books)

The Good:

The stories are lovely. There is also a droll sense of humour to each of the stories. For instance, in "The Tailor and the Giant" the Queen is turned into a rosebush by the kingdom's doddering wizard (who could not remember the spell to turn her back because a trouble causing dragon had stolen his spell book), throughout the story there are references to the rosebush and her predicament.

This book may interest parents for bedtime reading for older children (I know that I will probably suggest this to my sister for my niece and nephew).

The Bad:

I do not have any real complaints about the book itself, but I was taken a bit aback by the price. According to Sony, B&N, and Amazon the list price for this book is set at 14.99$ with many of the retailers having their price set at between 9 to 12$--for a book this length I find that to be a bit high (especially given that there seem to be many used editions out there).

If you like:

...fairy tales and are looking for fairy tales that are not as dark as say Grimm's.

Overall:

I loved the stories in this book, my only issue is with the list price.

Cover Rating: B

I like this cover and it is much better than the original issue from 1975. The bright colours caught my attention and I would likely pick it up if I was shelf shopping for books for my nephew or niece.

Where I got it: Netgalley

MPRS: G

Review: My Summer of Wes-Missy Welsh

2011-03-25T14:02:00.000-04:00

I picked up My Summer of Wes because the coming of age theme interested me. I had been "walking past" this book at various e-tailers for quite awhile because the cover did not grab me, I generally try to avoid first person (the blurb is in first person), and the blurb was so-so. Truth be told, I have mixed feelings about this novella--the first 50 or so pages are solid, but the I felt let down by the last 60 pages.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

I didn't know. How could I? All through high school, I was beaten up and teased for being gay. But I wasn't gay. Or didn't think I was. Now Wes, the guy across the street who's taken me under his wing and been the best friend I've ever had, won't stop invading my dreams, hell, my every waking thought. Am I gay? Because I'm thinking I'd like to kiss him. Actually, I'm thinking there's a lot more I'd like to do with his mouth and the rest of that tall, confident, muscular body. Ah, man... I'm so gay!

But what if he doesn't feel the same way about me? And, Jesus, what about my parents? And those bastards from school are still around. And I'm supposed to go to college this fall... Shit, I need to sit down. I can't breathe and I'm about to shake apart. Then Wes puts his hand on the back of my neck, gives me one of those encouraging squeezes and his bright smile, and everything's okay again. Yeah, I'm hooked. Oh, boy...

Length and Genre: long novella, m/m, erotic romance, published August 2010 by Loose Id

The Good:

This is, at its heart, a character drama revolving around Malcolm (Mal). Mal is at a transition in his life--he must not only close the door to his past (dealing with being bullied throughout school) but also embrace his future. Mal finding himself and his burgeoning friendship and sexual relationship with Wes was intriguing and I enjoyed it greatly.

The Bad:

I felt like the story jumped the shark after they first had sex and the story seemed to lack logic.

Honestly, I felt like I was watching a DVD and someone was next to me with a remote who kept hitting "next scene" before the scene I was watching had completed itself. So much time was spent building up tension between Mal and his parents, yet nothing was done. Mal has one of his bullies arrested, which I do understand was sort of closing a door on that chapter, yet we don't see what happens next and he does not tell his parents about the event (um, for a hate crime, wouldn't that have been on the news? Surely his parents would have heard about it sooner rather than later through the grapevine). There was lots of buildup with no follow through and I finished the book feeling frustrated.

There is a public bathroom sex scene that seemed odd and cliched. Towards the end, Mal goes to a party/vacation with Wes and all of the scenes there make very little sense.

It seemed as if a third of the story had been cut out, which may indicate that the editor had been way too heavy handed with this book (I checked my copy for the editor's name and could not find it--some publishers provide that information and others do not). The story had a truncated, unnatural feel that was at odds with the first 50 pages.

If you like:

...coming of age stories and stories that deal with the topic of bullying,

Overall:

This book does have its sweet and touching moments and it does offer an interesting story. As I said, I am torn with this one.

Cover rating: B

This is not P.L. Nunn's best offering but the image does relate directly to the story and does offer a better indication of the feel for the novella than the blurb did.

Where I got it: I bought it.

Boycott Dorchester

2011-03-25T12:41:00.000-04:00

It has been alleged that contrary to their promises to pay their authors and to cease selling books by authors who have asked for their rights to be reverted, Dorchester has not done so. So, when you purchase a book that has been published by Dorchester, the author does not see a dime.

Please boycott Dorchester Publishing.

Image pilfered from Keen's Twitter feed

For more information please see Brian Keene's detailed account of what has happened with Dorchester (wherein the publisher calls readers who are post their concerns on their Facebook page "trolls," that is nice of them).

Also see: Teddy Pig and Robert Smartwood

Fiction, Authors, and Historical Context: Why Too Much Exposure is Bad

2011-03-23T11:51:00.002-04:00

As I merrily try to explain to students that historical documents have a context--they don't just appear but are formed by what is going on in the historical continuum and by the author of the document--I have been thinking of contemporary fiction a lot lately. The author of the document in question is affected not only by events within the historical continuum but also by their own sense of agency. Everything is bounded by the events around, opinions of, and actions the author.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our

I know, you are probably wondering why I am rattling on about context. As a cultural historian, it is not at all unusual for me to use fiction as a means of trying to get into the heads of people during a certain era and I always approach fiction first from within a framework of historical context. For me, fiction is rooted in it.

When discussions of "bad behaviour" and polemic ethical, moral, and political views held by authors come up, there are invariably some apologists who will start constructing the rhetoric of art for art's sake and that a book is separate from the author and thus can be enjoyed and should be judged solely under this basis. This is sort of true, but seems like an over generalization to me. Here is why:

First, when someone reviews they are indeed critiquing the book and not an author. An author should be allowed to experiment, test boundaries, weave a new world. This is indicative that there is some separation between the author and work and is probably the point the apologists are focusing on. Authors who put it out there and claim their beliefs are separate from their work, well...their motives are to be read and to sell books so their defense of separation of book from author is a given.

Second, but that novel that was reviewed is greatly influenced by not only what exists within the author's head (which is our first point) but also what the author was exposed to. There are no new ideas. We are all influenced by everything we see, hear, smell, and touch, so much so that even if we are creating a science fiction world on another alien planet, that world is still informed by our own experiences, values, and exposures. This is especially true when authors are influenced by particular genre trends. What is unique is how the ideas and concepts are combined and woven into a story.

Third, when it comes to courting readers, social presence online can be a good thing and a bad thing. It was easier to separate creator from work before the days of social media. Now, authors are encouraged to develop a social platform in an effort to attempt to garner attention (which sometimes can become cacophonous as a cicada in a tree at the height of mating season). The problem with social media is over exposure and while it is true, in rare cases, that negative publicity can be good publicity, there is the risk that you can turn people off. Whether you are blogging, tweeting, or facebooking, if you are using your pen name, you should always take into account who your audience is. I know of many readers who were turned off by a fave author because of his or her behaviour, political, or religious views.

To conclude, while I do not think about the author when I review and take the book as a creation unto itself that is not a reflection of who the author is, if an author has behaved badly or spewed homophobic slurs, this taints the book and causes me to analyze the book within that contextual framework that the author has inadvertently created for me. The context the author has created can ultimately ruin a book for me. No matter what we write, no matter how it was edited, the context will always be there.

It is odd that I am always telling students to look behind a painting, story, or song to deconstruct what the historical context is, and yet some argue that we, as readers, should eschew the context that authors are freely creating.

What do you think?

Guest Post: YA Recommendations from Victoria Janssen

2011-03-21T09:48:00.001-04:00

Today we have Victoria Janssen blogging about her recommendations for Young Adult books--classics and those that are destined to be classics.

Victoria has three erotic romance novels out with Harlequin Spice (one with a sexy privateer, one with a naughty duchess, and one with sexy werewolf intrigue during WWI) and a variety of short stories available that were written under her other alter ego Elspeth Potter.

Enjoy!

*****

As you’re probably going to guess from this list of my YA favorites, I can go on…and on…and on. I broke it up into two parts: destined to be classics, and classics. All of these books are by women; I didn’t do that intentionally, but it’s true that I tend to read more female authors. I also tend to strongly favor speculative fiction in my Young Adult reading, which you can also tell from my list.

***Destined to be Classics***

Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog, Ysabeau Wilce – I think everyone should read this book for the worldbuilding, for the language, for everything, really. The world is an alternate California that is a client state of the Huitzals, nicknamed Birdies, who are alternate-world Aztecs. Wilce puts language in a blender and comes up with something ornate and unique and new. There are adventures, and madness, and depression, and coping, and amusing things, and brave things. But go read it and you’ll find out.

Libyrinth, Pearl North - The Libyrinth is a library in a post-apocalyptic society that’s being opposed by the illiterate Eradicants and the matriarchal empire of Ilysies. The cool thing about this book is that there's no clear "good" and "bad." The Eradicants have reasons for what they do, and they are not at all monolithic, not even in their upper echelons. The Libyrarians think they are enlightened but are also constrained by fear. And Ilysies with its ruthlessly practical queen is a wild card that turns out to be very important as well. Actions in this book have real consequences, none of them simple. There are few easy decisions for the characters, and it has a lot of bated breath moments. I really loved how the ending was brought about, as well.

Stormwitch, Susan Vaught - set in 1969 Mississippi, the heroine, Ruba, is an orphan who's grown up in Haiti with her maternal grandmother; but her Grandmother Ba has died, and she's just had to move to the States to live with her paternal grandmother Jones, where she finds it hard to deal with racism and the lack of freedom that comes with segregation. Ruba struggles to assimilate her Haitian religion with the practices of the local church, a social and cultural center. At the same time, Ruba must decide if and how to use her magic against threats from the local Klan members and their children. Through Grandmother Jones, Ruba also learns the history of the Civil Rights movement; seen through her eyes and her grandmother's, it becomes not a series of infodumped history lessons but a matter of immediate importance that shapes and changes Ruba's ways of thinking and fighting. Really excellent, and the winner of several awards.

The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner – the narrative complexity of Turner’s series, which begins with this book, is extremely rewarding if you like to re-read, and if even if you don’t, there’s added joy in having something meta to chew on as you read about vivid characters in imaginary kingdoms who aren’t telling you everything. The second book in the series, The Queen of Attolia, is one of the best books I’ve ever read, bar none, but definitely read it in its proper sequence. If you love Turner, you’ll very likely love Wein, mentioned below.

Valiant, Holly Black – Black has recently moved on to a new series, which begins with the truly amazing White Cat, but I have a deep and powerful love for Valiant, which begins with its athlete heroine discovering her mother’s been having an affair with her own boyfriend. As reasons go for running away and ending up a runner of fairy drugs go, that’s a pretty good one. I love Black’s work for the realism and honesty of her teen characters, even in the most wildly fantastical settings. Like New Jersey. The hero of this one goes beyond Byronic into truly unique, and I love him dearly.

Elizabeth Wein – it’s hard to pick a single book by Wein that’s a favorite, but if you’re going to try one, I’d go with The Sunbird, the first in the series featuring Telemakos as the hero. Wein has a unique take on Arthuriana; the first book in her series, The Winter Prince, takes place in Britain, but the characters soon move to the African kingdom of Aksum. These are technically Middle Grade books, but believe me, there’s nothing fluffy or childish about them. In The Sunbird, Telemakos becomes a pre-teen spy in a matter of truly national urgency; he undergoes terrible privations with incredible bravery; it’s a good thing these books are short, because they are very intense, and hard to put down once begun. If you love Wein, you’ll very likely love Turner, mentioned above.

***Classics***

For this list, I’m trying to stay away from the obvious and mention a few that I don’t see very often on recommendation lists; I also aimed it a bit more at readers who like romance.

The Girl with the Silver Eyes, Willo Davis Roberts – this is one of those “girl finds out she is special” science fiction novels, but it’s a particularly wonderful one. I read this from the library (I think) as a kid, and happened upon it again years later, as an adult, when I found out I still adored it.

A Company of Swans, Eva Ibbotson – This historical is my favorite Ibbotson because it begins in Edwardian England, and then moves to Brazil, and it’s all so magically wonderful and strange, not a fantasy but with the feel of one; there are romantic elements, as well. Similar, but for a younger audience, is Ibbotson’s Journey to the River Sea.

The Changeover, Margaret Mahy – subtitled “A Supernatural Romance,” this book has an intense romance and a weird but very cool take on witchcraft, made more fascinating by its New Zealand setting. Romance readers to whom I’ve recommended this book have inevitably loved it.

The Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Marie Pope – this is another one romance readers tend to love. Set in the Elizabethan period, it has one of the best grim and mysterious heroes I’ve ever seen.

Fire and Hemlock, Diane Wynne Jones – I didn’t encounter Jones’ writing until I was in college, and this was the first of her books I read. It still holds up today; a girl makes friends with a mysterious older man, a cellist, and…it’s not creepy like it sounds, it’s creepy because there’s Faerie, and it takes a while to comprehend everything that’s going on. It’s just cool. Go read it.

Finally, Rosemary Sutcliff. She wrote a number of truly excellent historicals, many of them featuring male bonding that m/m fans might enjoy, but it’s hard to choose a single one to recommend. I’ll go with one of my favorites of her Roman Britain books, The Silver Branch, a sort of sequel to The Eagle of the Ninth; I love it because one of the two heroes is a military surgeon. If you like Elizabeth Wein, you might like Sutcliff.

Review: Vampire Sheikh-Nina Bruhns

2011-03-20T16:44:00.000-04:00

Confession: I bought Vampire Sheikh solely because of the title. After reading this book, I have now sworn an oath to never, ever, ever, buy a book based on its title ever again. EVAR!!

Problem Number One: When I bought this book, I was unaware that it was the third book in a series. Unlike a well crafted series that will allow a reader to jump in in media res and still find the story enjoyable, I found the hero to be a cold, unlikable, twat and the heroine to be pretty much the same.

Problem Number Two: What is up with with that cover? Oh, I have to wait to get to that...

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Demigod Seth is enraged. The recent defections of his two favorite lieutenants have sparked a conflagration of fury within him and a bitter need for vengeance. Someone will pay, and pay dearly!
Who better than Josslyn Haliday? Her two scheming sisters seduced and destroyed his friends, luring them straight into the camp of his mortal enemy.
What Seth doesn't count on is Joss's own anger. After losing her parents as a child, she'll now do anything to find her two dear sisters and bring them back to safety. Anything.
Including making a deal with the devil—him. But how far is the soft, pliant temptress willing to go?

The Good:

Some of the interactions between Seth and Josslyn when she decides to submit to him to free her sisters are cute and offer a glimmer of hope, but this book does not really follow through.

I had a glimmer of hope with some of the romance scenes, but they seemed to revolve around the same tired tropes. There were a few twists though--apparently the orgasmic vampire spell that vampire sheikh's wield is so potent that just touching the wound sets a girl off and it lasts for weeks. (Ahem, I have always been one to poke at a wound...*coughs*). The other was the first penetrating consummation of their relationship. Boy takes girl for ride in his shape shifter massive lion form thinking to scare her off but instead girl loves giant lion so lion man jumps on her to roar at her and we get a pseudo bestiality scene (gee he changes right before penetration..uh hunh). The scene seemed to be pretty risque for book not from the Spice line but it kept me reading because this book was pretty close to a DNF for me.

The Bad:

Okay, I get that this is book three and that this book wraps up a majour plot arc started in book one. I get that, I really do. It is just that the action leading to the grand climax was hokey, predictable, and beneath the dignity of beings that are supposedly ancient throwbacks to the old Egyptian pantheon.

Seth comes off as cold and shallow. When Joss walks into his hidden kingdom he waffles between extreme anger and "Oh, lookie, she is blond. Ooo I like blonds." sort of BS (even though she apparently looks almost exactly like her sister he though was supposed to be his sole mate...yeah um).

Her yearned to rip that scarf off her head. Since he was a youth he'd always preferred blonde women. The rare, exotic color aroused him. Would the rest of her hair be as pale yellow?

He felt his fangs begin to lengthen. And so did his cock.

Uh-hunh. Riiight. Anywho, he drinks from her, tries to scare her off but ends up having sex, then they end up in a giant battle against the other vampire sheikh who is the embodiment of day where Seth is the embodiment of night.

Side annoyance: Joss continually calling one of her sisters "Jelly Bean," yeah that is real adult. I am not sure why that bugged me so much, but I wanted to spork myself each time.

Overall:

I am really not interested in the first two books and cannot really recommend this book to anyone I know.

Cover Rating: D

I am confused by this cover--Seth controls chaos but his arch-nemesis controls fire. Who is this supposed to be? It also looks like so many other romance covers that I would probably not even notice it in the crowd.

Lightning Lite Reviews--PL Nunn Covers Make Me Buy Stuff

2011-03-19T21:46:00.002-04:00

I realized the other day, that there are certain digital book cover artists that will automatically make me look at a book and 8 times out of 10 buy the book. In the past month I have read an odd assortment of m/m books, but the one thing they all had in common was that their covers were by P. L. Nunn. I think I can do away with cover ratings for these, right? Like, we all know why I bought these books.

Let's begin. Last month I started with two novellas by Jet Mykles, Heaven [Heaven Sent 1] and Purgatory [Heaven Sent 2].

Here is the synopsis for Heaven (from Goodreads):

Tyler's a big fan of Johnnie's band Heaven Sent. And from the first moment they meet his body acts like it wants Johnnie. Johnnie definitely wants Tyler, and everyone wants to sleep with a rock star, but ... Tyler's not gay. [Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: dubious consent, male/male sexual practices.]

Heaven is a cute, gay-for-you story. I like the band angle--even if it is a little hokey that the whole band decides they are bi and take up with men. I liked the tension between Tyler and Johnnie and I also liked the sort of dubious consent scenes which added to the sexual tension and heat between the two characters. I am also a sucker for rock star heroes. I fully blame Lestat.

Next I read Purgatory, the second book in this series (synopsis from Goodreads):

Luc defines everything Reese has ever found beautiful. It's no wonder the famous bass player stars in many a teenager's dreams. Once, Luc rejected Reese. Now he says he wants him. Why should Reese believe him? [Publisher's Note: This book is a male-male love story and contains homoerotic sex acts that may be offensive to some readers.]

This was just as cute as Heaven and it ties in well with the previous book, even though I found Tyler too be more meek and shy in this book than he was in Heaven. I will merrily continue reading this book (I believe there are six in total.)

Since we are talking about stories written by Mykles, I might as well talk about Reindeer Games as well.

Here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

Rom is Dasher, the leader of Santa’s shape-shifting team of reindeer. He is the quintessential elf — smart, handsome, charming — and everyone in Santa’s Village wants him. Lon is no exception. He’s hopelessly in love with Rom, but how can he hope to get Rom’s attention? Even if he is now one of the reindeer handlers, he’s still just a plain, ordinary elf, and painfully shy to boot.

Then there’s Wod. As Dancer, he’s both Rom’s second in command and Rom’s best friend. He, too, is devilishly handsome but in a darker and — truth be told — slightly frightening way. At least, he makes Lon’s heart race and his tongue tie in knots.

When Wod unexpectedly offers to help Lon gain Rom’s attention, Lon is completely confused. To make matters worse, Wod is clear that he’d love to play with Lon himself.

Lon is used to the sexual freedom in Santa’s Village but he craves something more meaningful. He wants a real relationship. So what does he do? Keep pining for Rom or play Wod’s special brand of reindeer games?

I was grabbed by shape-shifting reindeer, and honestly, if anyone could have pulled it off, it was Mykles and she didn't disappoint. Unique story concepts like this can turn too cheesy, too almost insulting, but this is a sweet story with an interesting world. Would I want to read a whole novel about the elves? Probably not. But a short novella about them was just enough. If you are looking for a different and sweet holiday novella, give this one a try.

Next on our lightening hit list is Z. A. Maxfield's Drawn Together, here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

Rory might just be a simple southern boy from St. Antoine's Parish Louisiana, but he knows what he wants. He's been in love with the girl of his dreams, reclusive and mysterious artist Ran Yamane, since junior high school. And now he has the chance to meet her. He's going to chuck everything and travel 1,500 miles to Anime Expo in Long Beach to tell her, and no one and nothing is going to stand in his way. Ran Yamane is not a girl, but he gets that a lot. People come to him with teddy bears and chocolates and disappointment by the truckload. He's trusted fans in the past and been tragically wrong. So when he meets Rory he's understandably wary, but resigned. What he's not prepared for is his magnetic attraction to the young man, Rory's apparent willingness to overlook his gender, and the fact that their lives are both thrown into chaos when his number one fan (and psycho stalker) shows up to get revenge. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, violence.

The beginning started a little iffy for me--grad student Rory drives to the west coast to meet the love of his life, an artist he has never met. This book is one long chase scene, which is fine, but the chase from the west is basically initiated by a cop telling them to run from Ran Yamane's crazed stalker because the cops can't do anything. What kept me in the story was the characters--the characters were so likable and well developed that I could over look that sort of improbable plot device.

Maxfield plays with the concept of hero and princess (is the hero a Lancelot or Don Quixote, sometimes it is hard to tell). For me, the theme that appearances are deceiving (people thinking Ran is a girl, people perceiving Rory as inept and a bumbling southern country boy) struck a particular chord with me and I liked how this particular theme kept reappearing in this story (even though it is a common romance device). I really enjoyed this one and it is one of the better gay-for-you stories and I will be checking out the author's backlist.

Next we have Blue Ruin 1: Some Kind of Stranger, here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Derek rescues a drugged, blue-haired waif from a ruthless predator, he's given the opportunity to explore his dark, dominant nature. He molds Blue into the perfect submissive, but is Blue at his mercy or is Derek at Blue's? [Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: BDSM (including bondage, Domination/submission, spanking), homoerotic sexual practices (male/male), masturbation, strong violence.]

This book did not really work for me. I liked that Blue, as sub, tested his master, but I had a hard time buying their whole relationship. Derek basically "rescues" Blue, ties him to his bed, and then the two start getting it on. Part of it was because I did not think that Blue was really well developed--other than as a sexual creature.

The whole uber evil bad guy who raped Derek also bewildered me--it just seemed too thrown together. I am still trying to put my finger on what bothered me about this particular novella but will read the next few in this series to see if the characters are developed further. It took me a few tries to get through this novella as I didn't find the storyline particularly gripping.

Finally, we have a book by P. L. Nunn, Bloodraven, here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

A son of a forest dwelling people, Yhalen knows little of the world outside the ancestral forest, until he is captured by a band of ogres on a slave-taking mission. Only grim tales of the barbaric giants had reached the forest, but Yhalen soon learns that even the darkest fireside story only hinted at the brutality of these Northern warriors. He discovers the meaning of true fear at their hands, and only the awakening of ancient magic saves him from destruction. Surviving ogre viciousness, he finds himself given to Bloodraven, the half ogre, half human war leader as a slave. Yhalen, refusing to bend, soon pays the price for offending prickly ogre pride. But Bloodraven is no mindless, violent ogrish beast. Bloodraven has an agenda and Yhalen finds himself drawn in the wake into human and ogre politics, into bloodshed and cruelty and into the forbidden magic that is damnation in the eyes of his own people, but which might mean the difference between death and salvation.

This book is perhaps best categorized as high dark fantasy and not a romance/erotic romance (like the others). I have never read anything by Nunn before and was pleasantly surprised. This story is not for the faint of heart because Yhalen goes through some serious torture and is repeatedly and brutally raped throughout this story. Yet there is a fearlessness here with this story--Nunn was not afraid to not pull any punches and the reader is taken through a roller coaster that I thought only Tanith Lee was capable of taking me on. This is not the neat, tidy, neutered romantic fantasy that we often see on the shelves these days--this is messy, dark and utterly visceral.

I am still processing what I think of this book, I do think, though, some of the sex scenes were a bit repetitive and gratuitous. Nunn manages to not only rip apart her characters, she also rebuilds them and shows not only development but growth--you won't see any complaints about one dimensional characters from me in regard to this book. I highly recommend this book, but only if you have the stomach for really dark fantasy.

Whew. That was a lot.

Lite Review: Iron Queen-Julie Kagawa

2011-03-19T16:34:00.001-04:00

My story of how I came to read The Iron Queen is a bit odd. It is the third book in a series (I believe there are two other books and a longish short story). With so many series on the market, I sometimes like to start them from the third or fifth book. Why, you ask? Because many authors tend to paint themselves into a corner trying to either extend a story or back away from where the story was driving them. Mrs. Giggles recently blogged about one series pit fall when a series takes off and a series becomes stretched too thin. By starting with a later book, if the author has a strong story that is able to hook me even in an exaggerated form of in media res then then is not only an indicator of a solid tale, but an adept crafts-person.

I have decided to start a few series "in the middle of things" and will tag such as in media res, I will also blog about series that I have had to "break up" with due to various issues.

Back to the book in question... So, I set aside books one and two and started with the third installment of Kagawa's Iron Fey series. I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth storytelling and interesting world that I found. I am hooked.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
This time, there will be no turning back.

Length and genre: YA novel from Harlequin Teen published 1/2011

The Good:

With this book we jump into the aftermath of a climax where Meghan and her boyfriend Ash are in the mortal world. Ash has been exiled by his mum, the Winter Queen, from her court and Meghan has been exiled by her father, who happens to be the king of the Summer Court. I have always been a sucker for Pyramus & Thisbe or Romeo & Juliet plots. The reader quickly finds out that with all revolutions (I am thinking French Revolution, American Revolution) power vacuums can create a new conflict--it is this conflict that Morghan and Ash get caught in.

This is an interesting transition book (by transition, I mean the start of a new plot arc) that is not as slow as many plot transition books tend to be and once the action takes off, it takes off. This book set Meghan up for a new role in this world that Kagawa has painstakingly and vividly created. I get the sense that Meghan had existed as torn between both the fae and mortal worlds in the prior two books and this book allows for some closure and allows the story to continue without the plot/characters being painted into the proverbial corner.

I had no problem following who was who and getting the gist of the back story--even though the author did fall back on "telling" the reader the whole low down about characters (which, by the way, was a majour complaint I always had about both of Laurell K. Hamilton's series, just for example).

The Bad:

I had a hard time getting into the story for the first thirty or so pages, but that was probably because of how I started the book. I also found that the story seemed to drag a little for the first ninety pages, but again, this is a small quibble given that I started this book at the end of a a climactic plot arc.

My other bad is a bit spoilery and is in white text (highlight to read if you want):

Okay, so, for what happens to Meghan, it necessitates that she and Ash "break up" after they have been together and declared their undying love. Fine. I also get that they are young and kids that age do go back and forth a lot and they are both products of their genes. OK. Here is my problem, I have seen too many story lines like this handled badly and within how this world is constructed it seems impossible for them to get back together, if that makes sense. This is a tricky relationship to make plausible. Eh, or I have been burned by this set up before and am just quibbling for the sake of a quibble. I also really like the word "quibble" today.

If you like:

...the movie The Labyrinth, Pullman's His Dark Materials,

Overall:

I am saving the other two books for when I have time to actually sit and read both of them. That should tell you something. I will probably do a new review with all of the books to date once I have. I can recommend this book without hesitation. It is an interesting take on a subject that often gets dull because so many people focus on the same old themes.

Cover Rating: A-

The covers for this series draw me in. I am not sure why they do. I think it is the ombre colouring and the vines...I admit it. I bought the other two books just because of the covers.

Where I got it: Netgalley

Review: Lust-Charlotte Featherstone

2011-03-18T15:40:00.001-04:00

Lust. What is not to like about lust? Especially when we are talking about the physical embodiment of the sin, lust and to temper that all consuming feeling/sin, it must be paired with its matching virtue, chastity. I really liked the concept of Lust (The Sins and the Virtues)--the Unseelie trying to repair their court by acquiring the living incarnations of seven virtues, but while the concept was intriguing the execution was sorely lacking. The first inkling I had that this was going to be a problematic read for me was that it took me a month to finish the book, and truth be told, the only thing that separates this book from a DNF was because I could not figure out how various plot twists would be resolved.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Of old, humans and Faeries have dwelt side by side in parallel realms. Only the canniest mortals recognize the alluring creatures that often walk—and lie—among them.
The righteous Fae of the Seelie Court cherish an ancient quarrel with their Dark counterparts: a curse born of anger and deceit. The Unseelie Court will perish unless one of its princes can win a woman's love—honestly, without coercion…and love her wholly in return.
To halt the slow demise of his people, Prince Thane—the embodiment of Lust—infiltrates the Georgian court to seduce his mortal inverse. Noblewoman Chastity Lennox is purity incarnate—a sensual prize well worth winning. But Thane's carnal quest proves more challenging than he ever dreamed.
No other has ever been able—or willing—to resist his erotic charms. Chastity's resolve is maddening…and intriguing. It makes him want her all the more. But how best to seduce one who truly seems above temptation? Discover her greatest weakness and become the intoxicating essence of her deepest, most forbidden desires….

The Good:

This book has a very interesting premise and intertwines folklore with principles that were very important to medieval theology, which takes me directly to the bad.

The Bad:

Unfortunately for this book, this reviewer is very conversant with not only the sins but the virtues that were being used (yes, I realize this is fiction, and these are being used more as a device, just bear with me) and the problem with taking one sin or one virtue is that you get a very one dimensional portrayal that just lacks depth. What I am trying to say, is that even when paired, because let's say for the sake of argument that the sin finding his virtue means they are now in full colour, a la a Pleasantville miracle, all of the characters came off as ludicrous stick figures that exist in a thin soup of a melodrama. I prefer tales that are at least a stew, not a stock that has only been brought to a boil.

Chastity, our heroine, is irritating. Her sisters for the most part are irritating. Running and cowering from anything or anyone with a penis, well, that is just--you guessed it--irritating. Just because one is chaste, does not mean one fears all of the men folk. There is a certain eroticism that can be evoked with chasteness. Just because one does not wish to engage in intercourse does not mean that said person cannot engage in erotic acts. Holding hands can be erotic. Such potential that was wasted on poorly sketched out sexual interludes that were more stalkerlicious than erotic. *frustrated sigh*

Chastity would have been better named Wussity. The few attempts to make Chastity a living, breathing character--her love of flowers and her love of perfume--just seemed to fall flat and felt contrived, that these things just existed to make Chastity less of an empty shell of a woman who needs to be filled up. Pun intended.

Oh, our hero. Our hero Thane who must get Wussity to love him and to get it on with him willingly. He makes a move once, freaks her out and then wipes her memory. Yup. You read that clearly--"Oops. I pushed you too far. Lemme just erase your memory." After this failure (I should also note that he has been spying on her), he decides to give her a gift...of perfume. But wait for it...wait for it...he becomes a mist and becomes one with the perfume.

Yup. He is her perfume. This is where the book completely jumped the shark for me, because when Chastity started to smear the perfume on her person, the hero's voice morphed into Peter Griffin's voice saying to the heroine: "That's right, smear that all over. Oh. Oh. Did you miss a spot. Yesss. There. Right between your boobs." Now, granted this dialogue was generated by my mind and not the story but the perfume DID talk (in the book) to the heroine (just not necessarily what I wrote). The hero takes rakish stalking to a whole new level.

I had a really hard time believing that Chastity fell in love with the hero (and they had copious sex afterwards of course, because she had a switch that went from Wussity to Nymphity). I could keep going and picking this apart but it is beginning to feel like a post mortem, but yeah.

Plot-wise, the whole thing felt inchoate. The other three sisters are mentioned, drama plays out around them, but it is an obvious set up for at least two other books. The world building left little to be desired, perhaps less wanking back and forth with the hero and the sisters would have allowed for a more vivid backdrop. For me, the sex scenes were not very good, mostly because I felt like I was reading a poorly scripted chick porn movie.

If you like:

...some of the plot-less books in Merry Gentry series (and even then, I feel like I am stretching).

Overall:

I would be hesitant to recommend this book. I think I will try something else the author has written, but may steer clear of other books to follow this one.
Where I got it:

Cover Rating: B-

The cover seems too generic and would not grab my attention if I was browsing.

Where I got it: Netgalley

Pia's Top Ten for M/M Romance

2011-03-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

Today we have Pia Veleno stopping by--I twisted her arm and asked her to give me a list of her top ten, absolutely must have m/m romance stories.

Her latest story Man Whore was just released by Silver Publishing.

Top 10 M/M Romances

1. Heaven Sent series, Jet Mykles – pretty gay boy rock stars, ‘nuff said? No? From sexy and cocky singer, Johnny Heaven, to impishly innocent, yet devilishly dominant, Hell, each member of Heaven Sent find love without the stories becoming boring or repetitive. (Note: Book #6 is M/M/F and not required to enjoy the rest of the series. Eww, girl parts.)

2. Breathe, Sloan Parker – I had strong doubts that these two characters could stand each other, let alone fall in love, but Sloan convinced me and I was cheering for them by the end. Could you fall for the man who killed your wife? I suspended disbelief and never looked back.

3. An Uncommon Whore, Belinda McBride – Amazing voice in this first person POV space tale of a lost king, a slave-whore, and the military man who was too bull-headed to love him completely. Sci-fi is not my thing, but while this is a story set in space, it never felt like science-fiction. It was more Firefly than Asimov in setting, and the characters themselves ran most of the story.

4. Psy-Cop series, Jordan Castillo Price – Jordan has the best sex scenes not because they’re hot (yes, they are) but because they always progress the story, the character, or something. They’re never just gratuitous sex. Nothing wrong with just sex, but I know that JCP will make me learn something from a crush on a third party to an insecurity, and let’s face it, our minds are prone to wandering, even then. Just don’t tell my husband I said so.

5. More, Sloan Parker – No, I’m not sucking up to Sloan. She has an amazing mind and knack for suspense that isn’t found often in this genre. More is the only ménage that didn’t leave me wondering if one of the three is getting the short end of the stick or that a couple is grasping at straws to save a failing relationship. These three men were equals in love, in their relationship, and in strength of personality. Beautifully done.

6. Fair Game, Josh Lanyon – I think if I’d read more of Josh by this time, he’d have more on this list. I love Josh’s writing because he doesn’t write about gay characters, he writes a story that happens to have gay characters. For the first few chapters of Fair Game, I only knew who the “love interest” of the MC was because I’d read the blurb. Great story, and yes, there was romance too.

7. St. Nacho's, ZA Maxfield - So many M/M romances have physically perfect sexy men with the stereotypical emotional shutdown, but in St. Nacho's ZA brings to life a deaf man with an angelic smile and a penchant for bad boys. The bad boy that captures his attention only knows music and so you would think communicating with a deaf man would be impossible, but the bad boy sees the musical beauty in sign language, and they learn to find comfort in the silence they share. Such a beautiful story, one can forget that being deaf is a disability.

8. BCPI series, Ally Blue - Bay City Paranormal Investigations is a ghost hunting firm and through the investigating team we get to enjoy strange haunting, dimensional portals, and fear while witnessing Bo's self-discovery and Sam's struggle with a closeted lover.

9. Poppy Z. Brite, the horror years - Doc Brite wrote some amazing horror with pretty gay boys as the main characters. While not romance, Brite’s characters are gay men with some very sexual, sensual scenes mixed into the blood, fear, and death. M/M but not M/M romance, if you will.

10. Me. Can I do that? No? Damn it. No, I don’t consider myself one of the top ten M/M authors, but if I didn’t love my characters, I wouldn’t be sharing them with an audience. Alas, that is a topic for another visit. The passion of creation could fill several weeks of guest blog posts.

There are many more who I've tried once, but haven't read regular yet. Not because they aren't good, but because there are more good books than I have time. Some authors that I've read once, enjoyed, and hope to get back to include, AJ Llewelyn, Serena Yates, CC Bridges, Katrina Strauss,Kiernan Kelly, Harper Fox, Sage Whistler, and more. Plus others that I want to, but haven't yet had time to try like Stormy Glenn, SJ Frost, Cat Grant, Chris Owen, Laura Baumbach, Andrew Grey, and more.

_____________

about this author

Pia is a dirty girl, but she knows you're naughty too. Tongue in cheek, and everywhere else, Pia spends her time running nowhere, avoiding housework, and randomly quoting Placebo lyrics. Now that others are reading her stories, her husband no longer wonders about her obsession with gay men falling in love.

Man Whore was released March 12^th by Silver Publishing. Boy toys, demon tail pulling, and a cherry red butt plug. Read the first chapter free.

Review: Loving Scarlett-Lola Newmar

2011-03-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

There are books that you know you shouldn't read, but curiosity gets the best of you. Sometimes you find hidden gems and sometimes, even after you have set the bar very low, you get books that lack not only creativity but seem like a hackneyed attempt to be titillating but are really porn with a bad parody plot--Loving Scarlett fits into the latter category.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

After a traumatic and mysterious fall off a cliff, which results in amnesia, virginal twenty-one-year-old Scarlett Rose is saved by seven sexy cowboy brothers. Frightened and disoriented, her confusion peaks when she immediately feels an inexplicable, intense attraction to the beautiful strangers, including a doctor, a mysterious nightshift ranch hand, a set of triplets, and a set of twins!

Scarlett's reality receives another sucker punch when she discovers her heroes are actually Texas longhorn-shifter cowboys who claim she is their destined, life-long mate.

The Lenox brothers have waited their entire lives to find the one woman they were born to share. Their newly discovered mate exceeds their wildest dreams. She’s gorgeous, witty, and her blood-red lips drive their bulls wild with passion.

But this Texas yellow rose has thorns. She demands outside contact, but the men insist on protecting her from the mysterious person who hurt her. They decide the only way to get their stubborn mate to stay is if they make sure she never wants to leave.

The Good:

It was short. Which is also part of the bad.

The Bad:

Lengthwise it is between a longer short story and a very short novella. It is an inchoate story that has been set up to have NINE, you read that right, NINE "books". The publisher even refers to them as "books" which, as a customer, I find highly misleading. You are not getting a full book or even a full storyline (not even a minor one) and this is not book one in a series. What you are getting is PART one in what appears to be a serial (remember Stephen King did one of those back in the 90s? Well, that is what this really is). By calling this a "book" and a series I suppose the publisher feels justified in charging $5.50 for this porn movie plot that masquerades as a story.

Plot-wise the story seems to hit on most topoi/tropes that are prevalent in paranormal romance as well as popular elements in erotic romance. Here are the ones I noticed (please note that there are spoilers in the below review):

1)Brothers who need to share a woman.

   **It is explained that ALL shapeshifters, no matter what flavour, must share a mate. This is their curse. Um...yeah.

2)Supernatural creatures who can recognize their mate by scent alone.

   **In this case it is even harder to suspend disbelief as all of the brothers fall into instant love with their mate. Our amnesiac heroine also falls into instant love. Given that pheromones are in play, one would think that the term "lust" is more appropriate here, but the publisher does demand in their submission guidelines that "love" be an element which, in this case, belittles the intelligence of their readers.

3)There is a woman who is born once a generation who will be the savior to the men she is mated with and will "break the curse" (see point one) and this woman is called the "strawberry girl" (WTF? I don't get why that is this mystical, extremely sought after woman has such a ridiculous name).

   ** Does this remind anyone else of a popular movie and television series?
   **Of course, as soon as we find out about this mystical figure, it is discovered that Scarlett is the Strawberry Girl (after the heroine is marked--i.e. looses her virginity during a sex scene that is best described as a gang bang--yeah, we won't deal with plausibility and nonsexy issues there).

Now, gang bangs can be erotic. But a virgin? All I could think of was "ow." And the odd spanking scene during when one brother felt the need to go all D/s on his mate was just super contrived. There is nothing worse than a poorly written sex scene with badly inserted BDSM elements.

This story read like elements from Christine Feehan, Maya Banks, Buffy, JR Ward, and a porn movie mashed up. Now, there is nothing wrong with porn. I like porn. But this seriously read like a gang bang movie plot. Go ahead and watch a movie and see what I mean. Siren can call this "Love extreme" but that does not mean it is not a gang bang and that does not mean that the characters were in "love" or that there was any romance to be found.

The only unique elements with this story is that the heroes turn into bulls and get aroused whenever they see red on their mate. Yeah. Apparently spanking the heroine is enough to do it for them. Yeah. *cough*

On a side note--why name the one troubled brother Byron? I cannot figure out if this book is tongue and cheek and the fact that I am left to wonder is in and of itself a failure.

Overall: This is just a poor attempt to make money off of a titilating concept and it is poorly executed. I cannot recommend it. Making characters fall in love instantly like this because of a chemical/supernatural compulsion does not make it "love" or romance and just because it may or may not be instant love does not make a gang bang any less gang bangy.

Where I got it: I bought it.

Cover rating: D-
What does this cover have to do with this story? Other than it has a woman and 7 men? Seriously, the cover is not attractive.

Still here...An Update of Sorts

2011-02-27T15:14:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why my brain does this in January and February, but I admit it--I go into a blogging/reading slump. I know this is a piss poor excuse to explain why I have been MIA lately, but there ya go.

Book Rec From Saranna

2011-01-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

PASSION: Erotic Romance For Women

Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

A collection of twenty short stories by some of the most talented authors in the genre meant to titillate and inflame.

One of my favorite stories was Lingua Franca by Justine Elyot. Although, I expected it would be. I first encountered Justine's work at The Masque with her wonderfully hedonistic story of choir girls, libertines and The Ripper in 1888 . She has such an amazing gift for language and her erotica is always literary. Her work never fails to stimulate my brain. Or give me hot flashes. *grin*

In Lingua Franca, our hero is a Polish immigrant to the UK and I can actually hear his accent in my head while I'm reading. Sometimes, when authors do this, it detracts from the story, but Elyot's writing is so vivid, it did exactly what it was supposed to and made me blush. The tension that's maintained throughout is delicious and the ending is almost an HEA, but it's realistic. Although, still full of hope and promise. I would by this book for this story alone.

Another of my favorites was Crave You Close by A.M. Hartnett. Which was also expected. What I love best about her work is that it never fails to ring true. Her characters are always real to me. They behave in ways that make sense. That seems like a small thing, but it's no mean feat. She puts them through their paces and manages to still end in a place that's real, but still has that payoff.

In Crave You Close, the characters are down on their luck, it seems things are stacked against them and it doesn't matter because they are in love. The sex is still hot, even though their relationship is established and their blazing need for each other leaps off the pages. She too ends her story on a high note and you can't help but hope their whole "Us Against the World" pays off.

Another delicious morsel to be found within these pages was The Morning Ride by Delilah Devlin. I don't want to say too much about it, I don't want to ruin it. But it was a sweet, yet still spicy read that stayed with me long after I put the book down.

This book was a definite treat!

***In the interest of full disclosure, I do know some of these authors personally, but I wouldn't rec them if I didn't love their work more than cheesecake and Rosa Regale. I'd just sit quietly in the corner with my mouth shut. :) Or mostly shut.

Random Thoughts: Nice Reviews and Author Promotion

2011-01-09T16:15:00.003-05:00

Here are the few random tidbits I found this week:

Moriah Jovan blogged about the phrase "I can't" and I tend to agree with her analysis. The phrase "I can't" is useful to instill in oneself a sense of urgency, a sense of needing to act, and a whip to humiliate even the most die hard procrastinator. I know I have used that phrase in the wee hours of the morning to spur myself on.

***

Emily Veinglory blogged about Siren looking for more "romances" that are F/M/M/M/M and I, when looking for an example for something entirely different found that they have already started publishing titles under their new Love Xtreme line. You can call it whatever you want but a gang bang is a gang bang and this smacks of trying to make gang bangs more palatable for a female audience. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but it seems some publishers are trying to push erotic romance more and more into the realm of porn.

***

And now something completely different.

Are you an author and want to make an inexpensive, yet classy, website? We all know the key to being promotional powerhouse is having a nice and useful site. Well, to help you all out Annemarie Hartnett did a lovely and useful post on making a nice site on a shoestring budget. Even I learned something, go figure. ;)

see more Historic LOL

***

Finally, Kassa, at her livejournal 3 AM Reviews, blogged about reviewers being reticent to post negative reviews. There is a lively and diverse discussion on the many reasons why a reviewer may hold off on posting a less than positive review.

The conversation reminded me of what I feel is a disturbing trend on Twitter--authors and various publishing folks exhorting people to leave "nice reviews" on Amazon and other various review aggregate sites. I find this troublesome because what exactly does "nice" mean? This seems like a value judgement to me and incorrectly assumes that reviews are for the authors, when they are not. I actually value negative reviews more than a positive review, so does that mean for me nice reviews are negative?

Another disturbing trend I have noticed as of late is that some reviewers will give a review that basically states the reviewer did not like the book, and yet the reviewer will rate the book three stars. This, to me, just seems bloody odd.

What do you think?

Lite Review: Enchanted No More-Robin D. Owens

2011-01-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series and Sharon Greene's The Blending series. Robin Owens' book, Enchanted No More, looked like an intriguing twist on the elemental theme that also drew upon the fae mythos. The story is enjoyable even if it does suffer from a few predictable plot twists and slow transition sections.

Synopsis (from Amazon):

As one of the last surviving Mistweavers, half-blood Jenni knows what it's like to be caught between two worlds: the faery and the human. But the time has come to choose.

The Lightfolk require her unique talent for balancing the elements to fend off a dangerous enemy—and rescue her missing brother.

Only for Rothly will Jenni deal with those who destroyed her life. Only for him will she agree to work with her ex-lover, Tage, and revisit the darkest corners of her soul. For a reckoning is at hand, and she alone has the power to hold back the forces of dark….

Note: the synopsis for Goodreads (does not offer much info) and Amazon (offers a little more info) both have issues. It should be noted that Jenni's ex-lover's name in the copy I read is Aric and not Tage.

Length: Novel

Release: December 2010 Harlequin Mira

The Good:

The world Owens creates in interesting and I found myself wanting to know more about the hierarchy. The world is ruled by the Eight, who are made of up of four married/mated pairs each representing and controlling one of the elements: elves (air), dwarves (earth), djinn (fire), and merfolk (water). The heroine, Jenni, is a quarter djinn, a quarter elf, and half human. She is able to control and balance each of the four elements.

Aric, Jenni's ex lover is half dryad (mum) and half elf (dad)-he has daddy issues, which crop up from time to time. He also likes firey gals and was dating a djinfen princess, Synicess, who he conveniently dumps the minute Jenni is back in the picture (more on that later, and come on, some of us have done that in our dating lives)...

The narrative started out a little slow but really picked up once Jenni decided to help the Eight. I sort of like the brownie characters, they reminded me of the house elves from the Harry Potter universe.

The Bad:

Some elements are too predictable. I was not convinced that Aric would be involved with Synicess and their relationship and how she was introduced in the narrative was too contrived. I remember thinking "Uh oh, she will reappear later and cause some majour trouble" and she does. Oddly the trouble she creates has nothing at all to do with Aric and Jenni directly.

The big bad guys, the Dark ones, are almost comic villains twirling their mustaches. I thought they could have used more development.

I understood why Jenni had a chip on her shoulder about being a halfling in a world where status is based on being a full blooded fae creature, but she was a little too self absorbed, a little too whiny at times for my tastes.

The concept of time and mourning in this book also bugged me. Owens states in numerous places that because the fae folk were so long-lived that fifteen years would be like a blink of an eye to them thus it was normal to still be grieving. This concept is used to explain why Jenni was still upset over the loss of most of her family, the rift between Jenni and her brother, and what she felt was Aric's betrayal and dereliction of his friendship/duty to her family as well as why Etesian, an elf who was close to her father, was still grieving. (Wow, that was a long-winded sentence). I felt that I was having their longer lives hammered over my head, I also did not believe that they would hold onto grief and anger like it was fresh and still bleeding for that long. Now, it is common to use the idea that time moves differently in different realms or the faerie mound than it does for the mortal plane--I can buy that as an excuse to have a fifteen year time differential. In this place the fifteen years seems to have been used to allow Jenni to establish her own life amongst the human folk but the author somehow had to explain why she was so angry and others were still grieving--it was just not logical for me.

If you like:

...Sharon Green, Rachel Caine, snooty

Overall:

I enjoyed this book, even with the problems I had with it and I will definitely check out any other books set in this world.

Where I got it: Netgalley

Lite Review: Litha's Constant Whim-Amy Lane

2011-01-04T20:46:00.000-05:00

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Whim believes himself to be the least powerful sidhe at Green's Hill: he is as constant as a bumblebee in a hurricane and as faithful as a stray breeze. Whim's prince believes there is more to him than that and on Litha, the night of the summer solstice, sends Whim into the mortal world where he strives to give a piece of himself to others.

It is on Litha that Whim meets Charlie, a young, desperate human who steals a kiss. Whim steals one back and, in turn, craves another taste of this extraordinary man. Their vows to return next Litha and finish what they started launch a thirteen-year tradition of celebration between the mortal and the immortal, between love and patience, that is sustained by Whim's driving, faithful compulsion to love and keep his human close to his heart.

Length: short novella

The Good:

Anne Cain managed to sell a book to me just with her lovely cover art once again.

It's a sweet story of Whim who meets a human boy and proceeds to meet him every year during Litha. Both the boy and the elf grow up through the years and the story is a coming of age tale with heartrending elements.

The Bad:

I felt like other characters just kept popping up and the story could have been developed a bit more--Whim and Charlie were caught in a stream with other people and events whizzing by. I am aware that this is a side story from larger plot arc of the Green's Hill series that have been published through vanity publisher IUniverse but felt that some characters photo bombed the story and they needed a little more development/explanation.

I also question the wisdom of the publisher (I will assume the author did not know that this was a no-no) to quote song lyrics at the front of the book as I believe this violates the musician's copyright as I do not see a clear statement of permission granted. I could be wrong, but I think I read a recent blog post by an agent that they are careful to tell their clients to avoid quoting song lyrics--especially those by popular artists because the fees to use the lyrics in a book are quite exorbitant and permission needs to be granted.

If you like:

...sweet and poignant m/m stories.

Overall:

It was cute and a nice break from the zombie binge I seem to have been on. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a different love story.

Where I got it: I bought it.