So apparently one of the things iPhone 5 users will have to suffer, along with anyone who upgrades to iOS 6, is having to use Apple Maps instead of Google Maps. Check out some of the amazing mapping fails. (via Gizmodo)

Take a quiz about cats. (via kmkat)

Scientists are working on warp drive.

What if a rainstorm dropped all of its water as a single raindrop?

A recently discovered papyrus has people wondering if there was a Mrs. Christ.

Chick fil-A is apparently going to stop funding anti-gay organizations. (via The Mary Sue) Or… is it?

“The 5 key points missed by Stanford’s study of organic food.“

If you’re worried about the levels of arsenic found in rice, Consumerist has a chart with safe levels of various products.

Beware feeding jerky treats made in China to your pets…

Cookity

Deep-dish chocolate chip cookie for one.

Cookie dough ice pops. (via The Kitchn)

Peanut butter and jelly blondies. (via The Kitchn)

Hot baked Nutella and cream cheese dessert sandwich.

Caramel apple cupcakes. (via The Kitchn)

Chocolate coffee bundt cake. (via The Kitchn)

Gluten-free apple cake muffins.

Pumpkin sandwich cake. (via The Kitchn)

7 classic layer cakes.

7 sweet dessert sandwiches.

Poached tuna with warm squash, corn, and potato salad.

Crispy prosciutto and avocado salad toasts. (via The Kitchn)

Caprese muffins. (via The Kitchn)

Caprese salad.

Eggplant caponata sandwiches with mozzarella and basil.

Lobster macaroni and cheese. (via The Kitchn)

Zucchini pickles. (via CRAFT)

Nectarine salsa. (via CRAFT)

Avocado feta salsa.

Chipotle chicken fajitas with creamy black bean spread.

Hashbrown waffles. (via The Kitchn)

Pita bread.

6 Mexican tortas.

10 open-faced sandwiches.

15 savory sandwich cakes.

20 sandwich recipes.

Drinkity

Pumpkin spice latte.

Plum pineapple margarita. (via The Kitchn)

Jewel cocktail.

Crafty

Make gluten-free play dough.

DIY “floating” cross stitch pendant.

How to fix dropped knit stitches. (via CRAFT) (Although I personally find it easier to reknit the stitches up, instead of using a crochet hook.)

Cool

Snail mail! (As taken by me…)

TARDIS string lights.

TARDIS Chucks. (via The Mary Sue)

Doctor Who purses.

Are you watching the web series about a traveler through space and time?

Amazing LEGO machine.

The magic of tea.

Cool or Wha…?

Scooter pizza cutter.

Thumbs up binder clips.

Wha…?

Inflatable unicorn horn for cats.

The makeup mouse. (via The Mary Sue)

Smartphone karaoke machine.

Talking measuring cup.

Voice-activated popcorn cannon.

Font made from sleeping puppies…

LOL

How to kill an introvert… (Thanks?!, Jeanne!) (At least Jeanne’s an introvert, so I don’t think I’m in danger from her…)

“Fox’s Liz Cheney attacks Obama over a country that doesn’t exist anymore.” The comments make it laugh out loud funny.

The state of education in the US…

Bad sign placement.

Ice cream antisocial.

Funniest home wifi network names.

Spiderman’s mom embarrasses him.

13 geeky pies.

And now we know where Ceiling Cat came from…

A bored kitty.

Silly kitty!

If your cat sharpens its claws on the furniture…

Most popular cat breeds.

A guide to boxes from Simon’s Cat.

Teh Cute

Baby tiger! Fennecs! Baby tiger! Tiger butt! Egret! Tiger and babies! Baby tiger! Black cat! Black swan! Baby tiger! Baby snow leopard! Snow leopard and baby! Tiger! Lions! Fennecs! Baby fennec! Baby fennec! Baby fennec! Egret! Leopard and baby! Jaguars! Tapir and baby! Kittens! Baby bilbies! Baby penguin! Kittens! Baby pygmy hippo! Kitten! Cheetah and babies! Baby tamandua! Kittens! Baby otters! Baby leopard!

Reading Update
By His Rules by JA Rock. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a recent theater grad who’s sort of at loose ends and spends his free time playing the perfect sub for an assortment of doms… until he makes something of a miscalculation and things go awry. JA Rock’s now on my autobuy list.
Pressure Head by JL Merrow. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a plumber with a touch of psychic ability that allows him to find secrets and lost things. When he’s called out to help the police find a body, he runs into one of the guys who bullied him in high school – a guy he’d found attractive despite that…
Finders, Keepers by Chris Quinton. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense a covert recovery agent for an insurance company who isn’t able to keep his emotional distance from the guy he’s gotten close to for a job, even knowing that things won’t end well. The ending seemed a bit rushed, alas, but otherwise this totally sucked me in.
Hearts of England by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell, Chris Quinton, Lisa Worrall, Sue Brown, & SA Meade. ebook anthology. arc. Very good m/m romance anthology in which all of the stories are set in England. Unusually for me with an anthology, I found every story to be solidly written and enjoyable, with not a one I ended up skipping.
Maybe This Time by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about two guys living with their grandmothers, just down the hall from each other, who find they have more in common (including a shared past) than one would expect.
In the Blink of an Eye by Kim Dare. ebook short. arc. Steamy short m/m encounter between two guys at their company Christmas party.
Broken Silence (Broken Trilogy #2) by Jade Buchanan. ebook. Good m/m romance about a deeply closeted bar owner in a small northern Ontario town who just can’t stop himself from hooking up with the new nurse. Lots of homophobic comments and jokes, and “I’m not gay” talk from the bartender. 🙁
Red + Blue (Opposites Attract #1) by AB Gayle. ebook. Good m/m romance about an actuary intern who finds himself very attracted to his deeply closeted boss as they slowly gets to know each other at work. I probably would’ve rated this higher had the actuary not purportedly been from Minnesota – the inaccuracies in dialect and geography were grating. If your familiarity with Minnesota is via Fargo, you shouldn’t have this problem…
Pop Goes the Weasel by Stephen Osborne. ebook. Ok m/m story about a college student who manages to get himself into scads of over-the-top trouble pretty much all the time. While I do enjoy some madcap m/m romances, such as those by LB Gregg, this just felt as if the author was trying too hard.
Autism All-Stars: How We Use Our Autism and Asperger Traits to Shine in Life by Jose Santomauro. Ok collection of personal success stories from people with autism spectrum disorders. I found the introduction by Tony Attwood to be the most useful part of the book, particularly this: “In the typical brain, there is a preference for noticing and analyzing social information – for example, to prioritize the information contained in someone’s facial expression rather than the shape of his ears. In autism, the brain notices, and finds interesting and informative, other aspects of experience. My simple definition of autism is that the person has found something more interesting in life than socializing.” And also, “It is inevitable that the child who has autism will at some stage recognize that he or she is different from other children. A constructive response to this realization is to observe people in order to analyze their behaviour and motives, or to become an expert mimic in order to be accepted and included.”

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Hearts of England anthology by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell, Chris Quinton, Lisa Worrall, Sue Brown, & SA Meade [CONTEST CLOSED]

September 5, 2012 Chris 82 Comments

Congrats to Suze, who won Domestic Relations by K-Lee Klein! Domestic Relations is being released today by Less Than Three Press.

Congrats to Andrea and LC, who won Steamroller by Mary Calmes! Steamroller is being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Many thanks to RJ Scott for donating an ebook copy of the forthcoming m/m romance anthology, Hearts of England, for a lucky commenter to win!Â Hearts of England will be released by Silver Publishing on September 15.

From the wilds of the Brontes’ bleak moors, to soft summer nights in Stratford upon Avon, and chance meetings in a cosy tea shop, join us for a delightful journey through the romances of England.

Six stories full of desire, of men loving men, written by English authors known for their passionate tales of love, lust, and rekindling romances.

The Cameraman’s Tale – Chris Quinton
Mark is a researcher for a paranormal reality TV show. A cameraman on the show encountered a ghost and needs his help. Mark must break the cycle of injury and death before filming begins, or others will be at risk. Featuring Mark and Jack from the story: The Psychic’s Tale.

By Design – Lisa Worrall
Robbie Cooper gets more than he bargains for when Shane Donald walks into his shop, photograph in hand, asking Robbie to tattoo the likeness on his skin. Thereâ€™s something about the photograph and the way Shane talks about the man in the picture that ignites a spark deep inside Robbie, and he longs to know more. But will he like what he hears, and will he be able to control his instant attraction to his client?

Child of Storm – RJ Scott
Ben Hyland is excited to be showing Cory Vasilyev Yorkshire. Cory scouts locations for film studios and needs the right inspiration for a new film version of Wuthering Heights. Problem is Ben wants to share his passion for the story and for the wild moors but Cory just wants to go home. Until he doesn’t.

A Good Feeling – S.A. Meade
Jamie never expected to meet the love of his life in a tea shop. He never expected his lover, Connor, to be an Army Officer about to return to Afghanistan for one last deployment. After twelve short weeks together, Jamie has to face uncertainty and worry. Worry that Connor may not make it back alive, uncertainty that Connor will want him to be at the base, waiting, when he returns. Will the good feelings he always had about their future together survive their separation?

This Morning – Sue Brown
When Neil takes his son to school he doesn’t expect Alex to tell him that he doesn’t want to go to South Africa on a year-long trip with him and his husband. Neil has to make a choice between his son and his husband. He only hopes that Baz understands his son must come first, otherwise he faces the prospect of his love walking out of his life forever.

William’s Heart – Meredith Russell
Jude is confident, happy, and views his world through the lens of a camera. Brody is a writer. Haunted, and searching for inspiration in Stratford-upon-Avon. In Jude, Brody finds something his heart has longed forâ€”acceptance for who he is.

Excerpt (scroll down and select tab)

Contest Rules

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

*testing kitty mind control powers of cuteness and intensity* -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity and a larch walk into a bar…

July 13, 2012 Chris 14 Comments

Congrats to Melinda, who won Owner of My Heart (Mending the Rift #2) by Valentina Heart!Â Owner of My Heart (Mending the Rift #2) will be released by Silver Publishing on July 14.

Contests

Keira Andrews is giving away an ebook copy of her recent Earthly Desires (with Leta Blake). Closes 12:01 am PDT, July 16.

Armchair Reader Cole is also giving away an ebook copy of The Wish (2nd ed) by Eden Winters. Closes 7 pm CDT, July 20.

Blodeuedd’s giving away a copy of Thunder on the Plains by Rosanne Bittner. Closes July 24. US & Canada.

Fetch Me My Fainting Couch is giving away an assortment of books in her TBR Reduction Giveaway #5. Closes July 31.

Bookity

New releases and more: Literary Escapism (UF/PNR) and Book Lovers Inc (romance etc).

Book and publishing news from Dear Author.

25 bad behaviors that writers should avoid.

I’m pretty sure that the 26th behavior to avoid should be “creating an ‘anti-bullying’ website that outs reviewers you don’t agree with”… Some eloquent words about that complete wtfery from Smart Bitches, Jennifer Armintrout, Stacia Kane, and Fangs for the Fantasy.

“Kurt Vonnegut’s rules for the short story“. (via Wil Wheaton)

“The difference between passive voice and using ‘was’.“

Paperback Writer applies LEGO logic to creating characters.

Some of the predictions Arthur C. Clarke made 50 years ago about technology have turned out to be very true.

Gary Oldman reading from R. Kelly’s autobiography.

Have you ever found reading to be dangerous? (Um, not that I can think of…)

Proofreading marks you might not see from your editor… but maybe you should. 😉

Smart Bitches with some completely “Wha…?” book covers. (NSFW)

Alternate title for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The lawyer who was suing The Oatmeal’s creator Matthew Inman has dropped his suit. The whole thing is so crazy, it’s completely worth a read.

Ebookity

HQBooks helps you find free pdf ebooks – looks like it leans heavily toward tutorials and manuals. (via Lifehacker)

“Using Calibre and sideloading to keep your reading private.“

Ways in which ebooks are not like paper books. (via TeleRead)

Curious which Avenger is getting the most fanfic action? (via The Mary Sue)

Think, Do, Learn, Make

If you’ve ever been curious how dinosaurs had sex… (via Tor.com) (NSFW?)

Check out the original logos from an assortment of tech companies.

Was your password among those leaked this week? Leaked passwords were from Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Comcast.net, and MSN.com.

Tips on calling 911 in this mobile world.

Joyfully Jay explains how she moved her blog from Blogger to WordPress.

10 ways to repurpose old toys.

Use a mesh file box to store hair appliances in the bathroom.

How to use black cocoa powder.

Google’s new Legalize Love campaign predictably now has anti-gay conservatives talking Google boycott.

More on how bad sitting all day is for you. Exercises to help counter the negative effects of sitting all day.

New research suggests that it’s better to be obese (although not morbidly so) than to be underweight.

The world’s official kilogram is losing weight, which isn’t such a good thing for the metric system.

xkcd explains visual fields.

xkcd has a new blog called “What if?” that should seriously become a physics textbook because it makes physics WAY more interesting than I remember it being in school. To see what I mean, check out the post on Relativistic Baseball.

Scientists believe that many (but not all) recent extreme weather events haveÂ been caused by human-based climate change.

Cookity

Avocado chili brownies topped with avocado tequila ice cream. (via Wil Wheaton)

Gluten-free cherry almond crisp.

Four-ingredient strawberry-orange sorbet. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Boozy red berry fruit salad. (via The Kitchn)

Polka dot cake using cake pops. (via The Kitchn)

Single-serving microwave peanut butter cake. (via The Kitchn)

Cream cheese filled snickerdoodles. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Salmon moqueca.

Cheesy quinoa cakes. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Many grilled cheese recipes. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

BLT with basil mayonnaise and avocado.

Toasted sesame and white bean hummus. (via The Kitchn)

Eight-ball zucchini with eggs baked inside.

Zucchini boats with mozzarella and olives.

Blue potato salad with lemon basil vinaigrette. (via The Kitchn)

Savory tomato salad. (via CRAFT)

Grilled kale salad with ricotta and plums. (via The Kitchn)

15 cold supper salads.

15 summer squash recipes.

Drinkity

5 non-alcoholic summer drinks.

Cappuccino chip frappe.

Blackberry gin fizz. (via Armchair Reader)

Blueberry lavender vodka spritzer.

Crafty

Make a kitty print t-shirt. (via CRAFT)

Turn handwritten recipes into tea towels. (via CRAFT)

Create a string art typography wall hanging. (via CRAFT)

Make mini bottle necklaces. (via CRAFT)

Cool

Quotes from fathers on how having daughters changed their views on what being a man means. (Thanks, Jase!)

Scrabble wall art. (via CRAFT)

A LEGO Rolls Royce engine – watch it in action.

The Hobbit LEGOs. (via The Mary Sue)

Woman in garden with TARDIS.

Very young Indiana Jones and the jungle spider.

Paper mache bust of Dragon Maleficent.

Batmen at the beach.

Batpenguins. (via The Mary Sue)

Scenes from scifi films done as Ottoman miniatures.

Rocket espresso cup.

Cool or Wha…?

Chair with a wolf’s shadow.

Batmobile golf cart.

Swimmable mermaid tails.

HUSH Pod.

Trap door colander.

The Walker Art Center (very near me) is having a film festival of the best internet cat videos…

New York City is going to turn payphone kiosks into wifi hotspots.

You can actually bake cookies in a hot car. (Probably smells a lot better than an air freshener, too.)

Wha…?

Starbucks in a funeral home…

A mayor in Germany has designated “easy” parking spots for women because “men are better at parking than women.” *must control fist of rage*

Insulated paper bag sleeve for drinking your classy beverages… Or maybe you’d prefer a bearded beer cozy?

Naked girl in a hot tub iPhone case… (strangely, SFW)

Gummy bear dress.

What if bananas were added to your favorite fantasy/scifi stories?

LOL

If you can’t decide whether you should knit or buy a gift, check Franklin’s handy infographic!

14 First World problems from the 90s. (Thanks, Jeanne!)

Bad gadget names.

One way to deal with the heat without air conditioning!

Truth in advertising names for junk food.

Choosing a secure name for your pet.

Do cat people have a higher tolerance for pain?

Very Chaos.

Cat lady obstacle course. (Although Chaos and Mayhem do more creative rearranging of the throw rugs here.)

The Simon’s Cat guide to boxes.

Yes!

Teh Cute

Videos: Squeaky black kitten! Baby tigers!

Tiger! Baby snow leopard! Cheetah and baby! Lioness and baby! Tigers! Cheetah and babies! Swan and cygnets! Swan and cygnets! Cheetah and baby! Baby cheetahs! Baby otter! Seal and baby! Kittens! Kittens! Baby lion! Cat! Baby red pandas! Lemurs! Victoria crowned pigeon and baby! Baby tiger! Cat! Baby lynx! Fennecs! Baby human!

Reading Update
Simple Justice (Benjamin Justice #1) by John Morgan Wilson. Very good gay mystery set in the mid-90s about a former newspaper reporter who’s been working the occasional freelance job to make ends meet since it came out he’d fabricated the story for which he won a Pulitzer. When his former editor tracks him down about working on a story, he doesn’t want to… but he slowly gets sucked in.
Revision of Justice (Benjamin Justice #2) by John Morgan Wilson. Very good gay mystery in which Ben gets pulled into researching a Hollywood story that turns out to be very convoluted, but gives him the chance to face some of his own demons… or flee again.
Justice at Risk (Benjamin Justice #3) by John Morgan Wilson. Very good, but very dark, gay mystery in which Ben meets two very different but compelling men, gets some work putting together a documentary on risky sex, and is drawn into investigating yet another convoluted and dangerous situation. This was dark enough that I need to take a bit of a break from the series…
Every Minute (Max & Skyler #3) by Acer Adamson. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance that manages to cover both Max and Skyler meeting, plus meeting each other’s parents.
One Day at a Time by Dawn Douglas. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a DEA agent on assignment to a small town police force who decides to help a cop depressed about having had to kill a teen gang member.
Making Camp by Clare London. free ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about two guys who work together and are attracted to each other, but don’t do anything about it until the Country Mouse asks the City Mouse to go camping with him.
Healer (The Institute #1) by Cassandra Gold. ebook. reread. Very good m/m paranormal romance about a doctor who can heal people with his mind. Bad guys who want to capture him and use his power for their own ends are closing in on him when a purportedly good guy offers him a way out.
Touch (The Institute #2) by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a member of the Delphic Institute who gets captured by a rival organization. When escaping, he takes a hostage and everything starts to change.
Phoenix Rising by Theo Fenraven. ebook. arc. Good m/m paranormal romance about an NYC cop and his partner who are investigating a series of mysterious deaths. When the evidence leads them toward a charismatic singer, things start to get really weird…
Au Bon Pain by Lee Patton. ebook short. Poignant short story about a guy who has the chance to reconnect with his first love – the first love who dumped him and vanished.
The Good Life by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Cute m/m romance about a guy who suddenly finds himself a single parent with a baby daughter when he’d just planned to be the sperm donor. When his best friend offers them a place to live and help with the baby, things get a bit complicated. This had some very oddly phrased bits that seemed to need more editorial attention.
Roadside Assistance by Heidi Champa. ebook short. Pretty good short m/m romance about a week in the life of two friends who carpool together…
Laurel Heights by Lisa Worrall. ebook. Ok m/m romantic suspense two closeted cops who have to go undercover as a gay couple in a small, exclusive gay community in order catch a killer. The plot was implausible, the writing was over-the-top at times, and the epilogue changed it from neatly tied up into a cliffhanger.

“This is my new kitty bed, not a shopping bag! Silly Mom.” -Mayhem

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

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

July 2, 2010 Chris 46 Comments

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

Contests

Lea’s giving away two ARCs of Devyn Quinn’s forthcoming paranormal romance, Siren’s Call – hurry, because this closes at 7 pm EDT, July 2.

Cecile’s giving away a copy of Harris Channing’s new histroical menage, Goldie and the Three Behrs. Contest closes July 3.

Mandi’s giving away a copy of Chloe Neill’s third Chicagoland Vampire novel, Twice Bitten, and a Chloe Neill swag pack. Contest open through July 4.

Bloudedd’s giving away two copies of Jackie Lee Miles’s novel, Cold Rock River. Leave a comment by July 4 for your chance to win.

Ralph’s giving away a copy of Clancy Nacht’s recent m/m steampunk romance, A Certain Pressure in the Pipes. Contest closes midnight EDT, July 7.

Patti’s giving away a copy of Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell. Contest closes July 12.

Shawn Lane’s giving away a paperback (your choice signed or not) of her forthcoming Only Forever collection. The contest will remain open until the paperback is released later this month.

Bookity

New releases: Lily (m/m romance), AAR (July romance audiobooks), Renee (all sorts), and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, with interviews, etc.).

Kindle folk: Do you follow the Books on the Knob blog? Lots of info on freebies for the Kindle. Two from yesterday are Darkfever (Fever, Book 1) by Karen Marie Monig (urban fantasy) and Out of Bounds (Love of Sports, Book 1) by T.A. Chase (m/m romance).

Dear Author posted about historical accuracy in m/m romance and then interviewed some authors of historical m/m romances.

Lots of other good links from Dear Author.

Katiebabs points out an article on how important book bloggers are to publishers and lists some of her favorite book blogs.

Is Apple relaxing its book censoring ways?

The Smart Bitches have determined that the same belt shows up on an awful lot of urban fantasy covers.

Tracy on her Astak ebook reader (we have the same ereader!).

Sony just announced its Reader program for public libraries.

Very sad that schools are closing their libraries.

Rich Adin of American Editor on why buying an ebook reader is economical.

What’s a fair price for indie ebooks?

Google and the American Booksellers Association are talking about using Google’s forthcoming ebook platform to sell ebooks from the websites of indie booksellers.

TeddyPig discovered a new GLBT romance ebookstore.

If you like reading and reviewing GLBT fiction, Three Dollar Bill Reviews needs you!

It’s time to vote for the next round of Kris’s Choose Your Own M/M Romance! Submit your votes by midnight (Perth, Western Australia time), July 4. And make sure you check out the free story by Mia Watts from the last round!

Curious how authors react when they read Amazon reviews? This short video will clarify all!

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Lifehacker on protecting your skin from sunburn (and soothing it after) and on keeping away bugs without bug spray.

Curious how a Google search works?

Stay safe while using public wifi.

How does data travel from a wireless device?

Check out how much street space cars take versus buses and bikes.

Confused about which smartphone to buy? Maybe this infographic will help.

Have you optimized your WordPress blog for mobile readers? (If you’re a mobile reader, have you noticed a change in how SoC looks on your device in the past several days? Was it a good change?!)

Listen

Thanks to Amy for discovering that Explore Minnesota and The Current are streaming Minnesota music online.

Knit

Check out the cute (and free) baby alligator pattern that Knitnzu found!

What’s not to love about Twilight knitting humor from Franklin?

Huh

Did you get a chance to pick up your 61-star American flag?

‘Fess up – one of you must own a wafflesicle maker.

Just say no to smoked salmon vodka.

Now there’s a machine that will allow guys to experience the joys of menstruation…

Does the world really need a spork multitool?

LOL

Price tag placement failures that are very, very funny. (Make sure you click through to see the complete list of nine.)

I think it’s best if you don’t leave your children unattended…

xkcd on Jurassic Park – make sure you hover your cursor over the comic!

Indexed, I do love you.

The Lego Facebook is pretty cute.

Ah, yes – kitties aren’t very helpful during emergencies, are they? (Thanks, Jeanne!)

Hee hee.

Is that your real cat, or a decoy?!

Make sure you get it in writing when you sell your soul.

Could be Chaos…

Bedhead demystified.

Eeeek!

Teh Cute

Kittens! Scared kitten! Kitten! Kittens! Melly! Fluffy! Kittens! Sleepy Melly! Kittens! Kittens!

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking of fireworks…

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

Stumbling Over Chaos

Tag Archives: Lisa Worrall

Lounge about with linkity

Ebook Giveaway: Hearts of England anthology by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell, Chris Quinton, Lisa Worrall, Sue Brown, & SA Meade [CONTEST CLOSED]

Linkity and a larch walk into a bar…

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

Art journaling, reading, knitting, and cat parenting. It's a wild life.