Make sure you enter the contest for How the Other Half Lives by Clare London! Contest closes 7 pm CST, February 4.
Congrats to Wren, who won Threadbare by Clare London! Threadbare will be released by JMS Books on January 23.
Congrats to cturtlechick, who won Sandpipers’ Secrets by Jade Archer! Sandpipers’ Secrets will be released on January 24 by Total-E-Bound.
Contests
- Caption the final book cover (blue flaming naked man ass?!) for your chance to win a $25 credit to the bookstore of your choice. Closes this evening (Friday the 21st). I confess to submitting the first cover in that post – the cover model’s one I’m tracking. 🙂
- Devon Rhodes is giving away winner’s choice of Wet Your Whistle or Sex on Sabbatical to the first person to pair all the last lines with the correct books of hers. Contest closes 11 am EST, January 22.
- Fiction Vixen’s having an unstuff the shelves contest – go check out the books she’s giving away and let her know in the comments what you’d like to win. Closes January 28.
- To celebrate their blogiversary, Book Lovers Inc has lots and lots of paranormal romance and urban fantasy contests running right now. All contests end February 4.
Bookity
- Lily has the week’s new m/m book releases.
- Book news from Dear Author and Book Lovers Inc.
- Shawn Lane has some practical advice for new writers in the m/m romance genre… but really? It’s good advice for all writers, whatever their experience or genre.
- Josh Lanyon lists five ways authors can promote themselves for free, and provides 20 tips for writing cozy mysteries.
- Jenre explains what she feels are the three biggest failings in m/m romance short stories.
- Val discovers a shocking truth about online book reviewing.
- Top 10 signs that you’re reading too much paranormal romance, historical romance, or Scottish romance. (Hmm. I bet we could come up with a list for gay romance… Wanna work on it in the comments?!)
- Lesser known proofreading marks… (Thanks, Bronwyn!)
Ebookity
- An iPhone app that could make it safer for you to walk and read (please don’t drive and read, even with the app)…
- TeleRead discusses the frustration of ebook geographical restrictions and wonders how big the Kindle Revolution really is.
- The eBook Reader on why getting free ebooks from the library isn’t as cool as it sounds.
- Then make sure you check out the evil publishing contest at Evil Reads, where you can add your own additional clauses in the comments! (Thanks, Stephani!)
- Lifehacker on how to remove DRM from your Kindle ebooks.
Do, Learn, Think, Make
- Omg blog has an overview of Out magazine’s first sex survey. (Thanks, Jase!)
- Scientists discover time teleportation (at the quantum level)!
- The sun rose 48 hours early in Greenland this year, and that’s not really a good thing.
- The USGS has transmitters on some loons and you can track their migration from the Upper Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. (Thanks, Jeanne!) (But be prepared that not all of the loons make it…)
- Gizmodo lists 32 ways you can make your digital life more secure.
- Check out Gizmodo’s chart of the best times to buy anything in 2011.
- Minneapolitan Leif Pettersen is going to spend the next two weeks entirely in the Minneapolis skyway system. (With it hitting -25F this morning, his plan isn’t as crazy as it sounds.)
- A recent study found that an awful lot of students don’t learn much in college.
Craft
- Hmm. A book about the challenges of photographing a black dog… I wonder if there’s room in the market for a book about the challenges of photographing two busy black kitties?! 😉
Cool
- Born This Way is an incredibly sweet blog where gay men and women share photos and stories of their younger selves.
- Pencil vs Camera. (Thanks, Wren!)
- Is it geeky that I want to go to the Computer History Museum?
- Why haven’t I seen any of these commuter toasting bus shelters?!
Huh
- Did you know Knokkers is a sport that combines billiards and bowling?
- I’d suggest passing on the DIY gastric bypass kit for sale at Amazon.
- Whisky in a can (contains eight shots) just sounds like a recipe for disaster.
- You could get married in a funeral home to save money…
- Toxic Waste brand Nuclear Sludge Chew Bars contain lots of lead. More truth in advertising than you’d expect, hmm?
LOL
- I’m thinking maybe Barbie has a lot of repressed anger… (Graphic doll violence and nudity.) (Thanks, Jase!)
- You could knit a rather graphic lip balm cozy… (Thanks, Amy!)
- Maybe you need a nude men clock on your computer or iphone? (Thanks, Kim!)
- Have you visited the Bangable Dudes in History blog yet? (Thanks, Wren!)
- You know what’s particularly sad about this macrame book? I’m pretty sure I checked it out from the local library when I was a kid and made that plant hanger on the cover. O.O
- If aliens analyzed the internet… (Thanks, mrspao!)
Teh Cute
- Baby panda! Baby monkey! Baby polar bear?! Tiny aliens! Baby hummingbird! Ferret! Meerkats! Squirrel and kitten! Baby bats! Goofy lion! Cat and cougar! Panda! Kittens! Wee sugar glider! Baby cheetah! Polar bear! Tiger cub and bunnies (ummm…).
Reading Update
Gambling on Maybe by Fae Sutherland. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a delightfully flamboyant guy who decides he needs to add some sparkle to a closeted cop’s life. My only complaint was that I wanted more! Be aware that this has a HFN ending.
Only Words (Max & Skyler, Book 1) by Acer Adamson. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a closeted cop and his crossdressing boyfriend. This is very short, but skillful enough that I got sniffly while reading it!
Any Excuse (Max & Skyler, Book 2) by Acer Adamson. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance in which our closeted cop and his crossdressing boyfriend both make progress in their relationship.
The Twelve Days of Randy (Special Delivery, Book 2.5) by Heidi Cullinan. free ebook. Very good holiday m/m romance about Ethan and Randy trying to get the Christmas celebration they want.
Blood and Alchemy (Drone Vampires, Book 11) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance continuing the story of the beleaguered Drone Vampires and their allies. This book focused on warlock Donavan and his vampire mate Nolan. Be warned that this book ends on a cliffhanger, so be sure you have Book 12 on hand!
Tears of Blood (Drone Vampires, Book 12) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance focusing on vampire Toby, who gets sick at the sight of blood, and his warlock crush, Blaine, who can’t get involved with Toby. This ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but nowhere near as bad as the previous book.
Quinn’s Blessing (Kindred Spirits, Book 4) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance continuing the spiritly adventures at the Whiskers Inn, this time focusing on the new cook and the reverend as everyone prepares for a wedding.
Technique (Taking the Odds, Book 1.5) by James Buchanan. ebook short. Originally published in 2007 in the Toy Box: Handcuffs anthology. Steamy short m/m encounter featuring Nicky, Brandon, and a set of handcuffs.
Aaron Bradley: Closet Detective by Timothy Owen. ebook. So-so m/m romance with an identity crisis. Calling this book Aaron Bradley: Closet Detective is deceptive – only a tiny part of the book is about the deeply closeted Aaron. Far more of the book is devoted to the mysterious Candice and her shenanigans. I think that this book, while definitely written in an engaging style, needed a lot of editing to give it some focus… and maybe it shouldn’t have been published by Dreamspinner.
Irreversible Error (Steppenwolf, Book 1) by Wolf Phoenix. ebook. Good m/m mystery/romantic suspense about a cop who gets drawn into a murder investigation when his friend, the mother of the victim, asks him to look at the case more closely. You’ll definitely want to have the sequel on hand, since the first book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Also, I dislike the covers on both this book and the sequel, primarily because they’re spoilers for the books.
Cruising Adventures by Nicole Dennis. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about two guys who meet at the beginning of a short GLBT cruise and decide to be together for the duration of the cruise: no future, no past, just the present… Several parts of the plot seemed unbelievable to me and I didn’t manage to suspend disbelief.
Save Me From Myself by Cassie Stevens. ebook. What, save you from from the issue you have with grabbing yourself? (Sorry, I really hate this cover.) Ok kinky m/m romance about a dominant who hates the former Marine (now successful clothing designer) who came home alive from Iraq, when the dom’s lover did not. Of course, the clothing designer knows all about the dom from the dead boyfriend and is convinced that the dom is exactly what he needs.
Cardamom: A Taste of Home by Winnie Jerome. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a whiny college student, away from home for the first time, who spends a lot of time feeling sorry for himself because things, especially with the fuck buddy he followed to college, are not going at all as he expected.
Pomegranate by Vic Winter. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about a wedding planner and one of the photographers he works with who have mutual crushes on each other, but neither is aware of the other’s interest.
Dirty Little Lie by C.R. Moss. ebook short. Meh short paranormal m/m romance about an adulterous guy in the process of getting divorced who’s involved with a man for the first time ever, and a very mysterious man at that. The sudden paranormal ending was a complete WTF.
“Hold really still, Mom. I almost have that sparkly red mouse (SRM)!” -Chaos
I might just have puked a little looking at that nail jewellery.
But I love nude man clock
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review- By Fire- By Water – Mitchell James Kaplan
and I’ve just spend quite some time link hopping again, thanks Chris 😉 My final place to go, Lily…I haz to know what is newly released in M/M world!
And I agree, with ya; Barbie is going berserk *eek* she could easily be the evil doer in Crminal Minds!
A recent post from Leontine..Saying goodbye to Eros
I think I’d like to go to that computer museum. 🙂 Does that make me geeky, too?
A recent post from mrspao..Winter Colours Week- Blues
I almost wish I had an iphone just so that I could get that clock :).
Interesting set of books this week. I especially like the sound of the Acer Adamson ones and will have to check them out.
A recent post from Jenre..Wishink Well by Jordan Castillo Price
I honestly don’t know where to start here. This is a linkity that will take all weekend to cover! :o)
A recent post from trek..In which trek walks
Bangable Dudes in History. That is AWESOME! My new favourite site.
A recent post from Brigitte..Rome Wasnt Built In A Day
Chris- I can sort of relate to getting married in a funeral home. On that note- where are those bangable dudes?
SRM’s, wonderful, splendiferous SRM’s!
A recent post from Lorraine..Springers Final Thoughts
Mayhem is getting the hang of red mousy grabbing!
A recent post from margene..Hardy
Was it just me, or did that giant panda suit totally freak you out?
A recent post from Marsha..Wow
Hi, Chris! Thanks so much for linking to my reviewing post. 🙂 I’m glad you liked Irreversible Error. And that fingernail jewelry? Too weird. 😉
A recent post from Val Kovalin..Review precious-boy by KZ Snow
I was afraid to look at some of those links. After years of concentration, I have finally broken my habit of using two spaces after a period. Now I use three.
A recent post from Cheryl S…Brrrrrr
Loved the postapocolyptic diorama – sadly, the website wouldn’t load 🙁
That iPhone app is pretty scary, thinking that people will drive with it. I could have used it though, many years ago when I walked 45 minutes to work and back!
The nude men clock was sort of hypnotizing. Not a good idea for me!
Thanks for the shout outs!
A recent post from wren..Free read – anthology Stuff My Stocking
I’ve been using single spaces for a couple of years now. I got tired of looking at the double space converted into html as a regular space followed by a nonbreaking space.
Two million years ago, I worked at a job in a word processing department and there two spaces was the norm. I still have a lot of design sensibilities from that job, but the double space is not one of them.
Wow! Too many interesting looking links and too little time… 😉
A recent post from Kristi aka FiberFool..Wordless Wednesday- Snow Squall Edition
linkity linkity, lalalaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
ROFL I cracked up watching the video for the MegaRead. Too bad the lady who fell in the fountain while texting didn’t have that app on. 🙂
Interesting survery highlights. Doll museum?
I don’t know about anybody else but Jurasic Park was kinda scary. First a Mammoth… what’s next for the crazy scientist? T-Rex?
I hadn’t thought of double spaces after a period in forever. LOL I really don’t remember when I dropped the second space.
Lots of interesting info in the Digital Security and Time to Buy posts.
Wow, the Pencil vs Camera was awesome! And I spent a ton of time looking at the Borth this way blog. And Lori Nix’s work is fabulous.
I always knew Amazon sold everything but that’s ridiculous! Human ivory? No thanks!
LOL the nude men clock is fabulous! Now, if could just be a bit closer cause you know, I have bad eyesight. 😉
I read a few of those and have another few on my TBR. Good reading week! Thanks for the mention and have a great weekend! 🙂
A recent post from Lily..The Friday 56 and riding the disco stick
Yea – it really doesn’t take much to unload things on Craig’s List
The girl who makes the fingernail jewelry (she also makes little figurines) was on the tv show “Oddities” a week or two ago.. very interesting. I also think its sort of interesting to see how the responses to her art stack up… personally, I’m wearing a few pieces of animal ‘nail’ jewelry right now (horn earrings)~!
A recent post from Mouse..Things I Love on Tuesday!
I wonder when I can get a pet mammoth?
Oh and the SEventh Circuit Court of Appeals, also is behind the one space after punctuation. In fact they have a whole document dedicated to why some of our old ways of doing things are antiquated and because of people using typewriters which were mono-spaced type. Its quite interesting that this Court which is generally held in high regard, spent a lot of time creating this publication. Here’s the quote on punctuation:
Put only one space after punctuation. The typewriter convention of two spaces is for monospaced type only. When used with proportionally spaced type, extra spaces lead to what typographers call “riversâ€â€”wide, meandering areas of white space up and down a page. Rivers interfere with the eyes’movement from one word to the next.
Source: http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/Rules/type.pdf
A recent post from Rebekah..Working at It
I just read Val’s post and commented, it is excellent!
LOL re the nude men clock!
That Gastric bypass kit for sale at Amazon?? *headdesk* OMG that is shocking!!
Thanks for stopping by DIK today, I was actually thinking of you childproofing the cupboards to ward away evil demon Chaos when I wrote it!! lol
Did you catch that mouse Chaos??
A recent post from Lea..Tori & I are over at the Island today talking about
I’m…overwhelmed by all the weird shit on the net– and I helped send some of it to you.
You know you read too much m/m romance when you MUST slash EVERY male partnership who’s EVER been on television.
Ohhhhh pretty SRM!
T.G.I.F.
How’s things going?
A recent post from Cecile..Only if you are brave You might wanna peek
I may try a Connie Willis book for my next book group choice (my last one was Lolita, and it scared off almost everyone). Love the loon migration site; I sent the link to our lake association Yahoo group and to the other board members on the other lake association I consort with. The photography tips for crafters is excellent (I learned that I need to take more photos of a subject in order to get better ones). I sent the Pantone cookie link to #2 son, who taught me about Pantone cards.
A recent post from kmkat..Ten on Tuesday- the gaming edition
Love those top 10 lists. “Jaimie. duh.” LOL
At first I was kind of surprised that old guys are having more sex but then I thought of my friend my age vs the ones in their early 20’s. Umm. Yeah, not surprise there.
I hope they can clone a mammoth. That would be SO cool.
I don’t think I do the two space thing anymore. Not sure when I stopped.
Love the pencil vs camera pictures.
Bangable dudes in history is funny.
On to the books. I have the Fae Sutherland one I have to do for BE. Glad to hear it’s a good one.
I read the Acer Adamson ones and while I’m not a fan of cross dressing stories I thought they were well done.
Some of those other series I don’t have. Of course Nicky and Brandon are always smoking. I’d read that one before, and again. 🙂
I’m torn on that one with “the cover”. Not Mr. I’ve got an itchy crotch, the other one. Supposed to be a good story but it does turn me off. I’ll likely get it though.
I did enjoy Pomegranate but it’s pretty sweet.
A recent post from Tam..Well- I havent been here in forever have I
Ohhh, lots of linkity! Thank you!
@the red sparkly mouse – RUN!
A recent post from orannia..The Reflex
Hit ‘Post’ too soon. Was ‘Save Me From Myself’ (apart from the cover 🙂 good?
A recent post from orannia..The Reflex
Oh, I want a Mad Scientist kit! …And maybe some Pantone Chip cookies.
As much as I like winter, -25 is just too damn cold.
The Computer History Museum would be cool!
A recent post from Sydney..Snow Day!
OMG – I may have to make that mad scientist kit for son number two!
Baby batties! Soooooooo cute! And that little polar bear actually made me squee. Out loud.
Love the indexed on corporate morale – lol.
I LOVE that picture of Chaos!
A recent post from Bronwyn Green..Time to play catch up- yet again
I totally forgot what I wanted to say about all the other links once I clicked on the nudemen clock link. To be honest I had something totally different (umh vulgar) in mind when I read that description, but it is actually really funny and I gotta have it. Lol!
Is it still that cold in your part of the world?
A recent post from Janna ErotRomReader..Psstt Its my Birthday
Great linkity, although I couldn’t bring myself to click on the fingernail jewelry *shudders*
Only Words looks good and I’ll def have to get Technique (love Nicky/Brandon!)
OK. The pencil vs camera link may well be the coolest thing you’ve ever found. As usual, your links can keep me busy for hours!
A recent post from Lorette..Home Again- Home Again
Nice sparkly red mouse!
I like two spaces after a period, but that’s partly because I think there should be more of a pause than after a comma or semicolon. (Also habit.)