Congrats to Nicole A, who won Snapshots & Bylines (Friends to Lovers #1) by Stephani Hecht! Snapshots & Bylines is being released by eXtasy Books today.
Congrats to elaing8, who won Boots by Angel Martinez!! Boots will be released by Amber Allure on April 17.
Contests
- Blodeuedd’s giving away two copies of What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail Reynolds. Contest closes April 18. (US & Canada)
- Tracy’s giving away three copies of Inseparable by Brenda Jackson. Comment by 7 pm PDT, April 22, for your chance to win. (US & Canada)
- If you’d like the chance to be flown to NYC to be part of the full-cast recording of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods audiobook, you’ll have to submit your entry by 5 pm EDT, May 5.
Bookity
- New releases and more: Lily (m/m romance), Book Lovers Inc (romance/UF/etc), AAR (romance), and KB (romance/UF/etc).
- Lots of good stuff this week in Dear Author’s book and publishing news.
- Have you read the cyberpunk classic Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson? It’s pretty amazing how well he did predicting the future. (Every time I think of that book, “Poor Impulse Control” runs through my mind…)
- How are you celebrating National Library Week? Some library humor (rest of site is NSFW).
- Probably just as well this tiny typewriter doesn’t actually work.
- Curious about the creative process of writing? Check out this humorous graphic! (Thanks, Juni!)
Ebookity
- Kindlefolk might want to check out eReaderIQ, a database of discounted and free Kindle books on Amazon.
- Ten budget ebook readers, including the Kindle with Special Offers.
Do, Think, Make, Learn
- Today is the National Day of Silence aimed at raising awareness of anti-GLBT name calling and harassment. (Post is SFW, but be aware that rest of blog is NSFW.)
- In what seems like a bad precedent, Congress removed the Rocky Mountain wolf from the Endangered Species List.
- Lovely – some povidone iodine pads are being recalled because they may be contaminated with invasive meningitis.
- If you’re curious what using a standing desk is like before changing things around, this trick might help you get the feel for it.
- Make your own map book using Google Maps. (This actually has gift potential.)
- What do lucky people do differently than unlucky people? (This is actually pretty much what I do!)
Cookity
Crafty
- Or… crochet an entire Viking costume, if you’re feeling more ambitious.
Cool
- Watch the slideshow to see some of the inventions that have come out of MIT (which turned 150 last weekend!).
Cool or Wha….?
- You can donate toward building a fully operational AT-AT (from Star Wars).
Wha…?
- Octopus chair… (Thanks, PD Singer!)
LOL
- This is our spring weather, too! (Thanks, Amy Lane!)
- xkcd for the hardcore geeks (make sure you hover your mouse pointer over the comic for additional text!). (Thanks, trek!)
- Pain rating, xkcd style (again with the mouse pointer hovering).
- As Consumerist writes, “It was inevitable that these two businesses would someday end up next to each other.”
- Your brain after you’ve watched a Harry Potter movie. (Rest of site is very NSFW)
Teh Cute
- Kitten! Fennec and kitty! Fennec bouquet! Bean and kitten! Baby flamingo! Kittens! Tiny tortoise! Kitten! Baby fennec! Kittens! Cow and calf! Cat and kitten! Red panda! Kitten! Kid! Baby leopard!
Reading Update
Hard Fall by James Buchanan. ebook. Excellent kinky m/m romantic suspense about a deeply closeted Mormon sheriff’s deputy in Utah who needs the help of a handsome young climber to retrieve a body.
The Salisbury Key by Harper Fox. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about an archeologist who abruptly loses his partner without warning or explanation and isn’t doing so well. I spent a bit of the first half of the book sniffling and blotting my eyes and wondering how this could possibly be romantic suspense!
Driftwood by Harper Fox. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about a former British Army doctor who hides out in a crumbling tower on the coast of Cornwall, alternately working at the village clinic and binge drinking. He rescues a handsome surfer caught in the undertow, with no clue what the consequences will be…
Paris A to Z (Code #6) by Marie Sexton. ebook. Very good m/m romance in which the four guys from Coda, Colorado, are on their way to Paris for Cole and Jonathan’s wedding. What could possibly go wrong?! 🙂
The Charlie Factor by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a former firefighter slowly recovering after nearly dying in a murderous fire. He’s befriended by a straight guy who finds himself developing very confusing feelings for his new friend.
Ethan’s Freedom (Portals #1) by Jade Archer. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a cat shifter, raised with his twin brother to be pleasure slaves to a mage, who manages to escape his world and find his way to Earth, through the cat door and into the home of a very surprised nurse.
Devon’s Revenge (Portals #2) by Jade Archer. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romance about Ethan’s cat shifter brother who’s out on the streets, trying (not very successfully) to fend for himself and feeling vengeful toward Ethan for ruining their cushy, sheltered lives as pleasure slaves.
The Alpha’s Pet by Louise Gough. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about an omega werewolf who becomes mutually fascinated by the alpha’s latest bed pet and is subsequently inspired to change his status in the pack.
Binding the Wolf by Kay Derwydd. ebook short. Meh kinky short m/m paranormal romance about a couple who’ve been together for six years when one tells the other that he’s not exactly human… Waiting for six years into the relationship to share that and another revelation made absolutely no sense. Add to that the way the story jumped around abruptly and it just didn’t work.
“Wherefore art thou, stripey socks?!” -Mayhem
“and when the two of them slept with the rest of the box…they slept with their non-flat sides together”
LMAO!
Thanks for that link. The marshmallows were an inspiration I think :).
A recent post from Jenre..Review- Dutchs Boy by Xavier Axelson
I adore the concrete bookends but as for the jean boxer shorts…no, just no!
I love photos of people with their kitties!
And wasn’t Hard Fall just fantastic. I want the sequel!!!!
May – keep at it May! Keep looking at your Mum…you’ll wear her down 🙂
A recent post from orannia..Fraud
The octopus chair scares me O.o
A recent post from katiebabs/KT Grant..Question of the Day- What Would Your Reaction Be
Hey, Chris, did you happen to notice the values on the y-axis of the tea/coffee graphs? Brewed coffee and black tea are shown at the same height but the y-axis scales are wildly different: the coffee is about 150mg and the tea rings in at just 60 mg.
A recent post from trek..Sorting
Incredibly creepy dummies…have you ever watched MST3K? Check out “Devil Doll” if you get a chance:)
If you want stripey socks you need to do something about it. Why did your Mom make plain ol’ socks? Bring back the stripey socks, Chris!!
A recent post from margene..Color Full
Other than gluten free breads, I was wondering what your favorite gluten free flours are. I just tried Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur and found that the Red Mill tasted too much of the chickpea flour that is part of the blend.
I have Gluten Free Pantry, which I just picked up, but I haven’t made anything yet.
A recent post from Seanna Lea..Recipe- Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Nutella Rocky Road Ice Cream
I’ve been meaning to read Snow Crash for a while now. It sounds really good. Speaking of sounding good, eating my shoe does not sound good under any circumstances. Nope. Not happening.
And much though she complains about the lack of stripes on that sock, I notice May isn’t moving…
A recent post from Nicole..Wanted- Focus Inquire Within
Looks like I’m adding Snow Crash to my TBR pile. Thanks! 😀
A recent post from Miranda..Dust to Dust Winner Second try
A particularly funny section this week! Loved the Girl Scout cookie love store, ROTFLOL!
A recent post from Kristi aka FiberFool..ECF- Rocky Mountain Spring
Sadly, was not able to view the kitty/dolphin video as it said it was “private”.
Loved Mr. Peabody.
A recent post from Cheryl S…Housing WIPs
I would have sworn it said “provolone iodine pads”. Thought it was some new Italian thing.
OMG, I need red velvet strawberry shortcake NOW!!!!!
That origami is amazing.I made a pig once.
Kris so needs that chair for her collection.
Wow, he’s packin’ in that underwear.
I can’t believe you haven’t read Hard Fall before. 🙂 I’m looking forward to the sequel. Crying through the first half? Um. No. I have the Alpha’s Pet in my TBR but something about it just doesn’t appeal to me.
A recent post from Tam..Sesame Street on Drugs T- U- W
Cheryl: Thanks for the heads up! I updated the kitty/dolphin video link.
Seanna: I like the Bob’s Red Mill flour blend just fine – but I’ve been gluten-free for 15 years, so…
Tam: Not sobbing crying – just sniffling and blotting my eyes… Does that help?! 🙂
Trek: I didn’t notice the scale difference in the infographic. D’oh!
So I need to lose my focus to become lucky? Hmm
Loved the origami animals and what an interesting chair. I’m so hungry for anything red velvet now.
I loved Hard Fall and Driftwood is really good too. The Alpha’s Pet was nice. I’ve got a few others on my TBR.
Happy Friday!
A recent post from Lily..My A-Z Reading Challenge the end for now
AAwwww the kitties 😀
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review- Warprize – Elizabeth Vaughan
OMG, the tiny typewriter! I want to buy it!
A recent post from Val Kovalin..Awesome review for Call And Answer
The origami animals are amazing. May, the stripey socks are on my feet.
Love it 🙂 I think the viking outfit is incredible and I really must try making my own edible shoe!!
Thanks again for the mention. Love the linkity – it always brightens my weekend.
A recent post from mrspao..Canterbury in the spring sunshine
So many things to make – where to start? Still cringing at the ventriloquist dummies ~shivers~
A recent post from Juni..One Rule for You
I am a tea drinker – it also stains your teeth, in case anyone is wondering. And your clothes. And your couch.
A recent post from marylou..Signs of Spring
don’t even know where to start today!
Darn, I spent hours reading all the interesting articles, like the very very long post by Josh Lanyon on writers and readers and Kassa’s post on kinky as the new black.
I also liked the lucky/unlucky article. I think I’m mostly looking for what’s there instead of that what I want to find. Lucky me! 🙂
I have the first five books! Yay! Haven’t read a single one of them yet, but at least I know now that you thought they were worth the money I spent on them. 😉
A recent post from Janna..Happy Gay Friday & The Sweet Spot and My weekend buys
Poor girl, so confused.
It was 32 degrees here this morning, and supposed to be 20 tonight…
A recent post from lisa..molas mitts and madness
Time for me to read Snow Crash! I read The Diamond Age last year and enjoy all the steampunk neo-Victorian whatnot. Stephenson’s early books can be pretty painful though (Big U, for examples).
Yikes, sorry about the typos! Way too much work at the computer lately — my wrists are acting up.
A recent post from Jodi..clog socks- part II
I love the teeny-tiny typewriter! So cute 🙂 And the girl scout cookie romance was awesome. LMAO!
A recent post from Ava March..Convincing Leopold – Excerpt
Awwww poor May. Her mama needs to knit some more stripy socks. Or those Beowulf ones. I pet May would really like those. 😉
I read “provolone iodine pads” too and thought well, of course, they should be recalled! *shakes head*
Okay, I tried not to click the dummy link. I really tried. I failed and will now have terrible dreams. I have teh dumbz.
I really like the knitting needle clock though!
A recent post from Bronwyn Green..Of Anime- Water Aerobics and Roofing
Love the meditation and writers comic!
I hope libraries don’t disappear. That would be sad.
Yum, red velvet strawberry shortcake! I think I’ve been eating my weight in strawberries lately. 😉
LOL, I was wondering why Sears cared about sex enhancement spray.
I’ve always thought most ventriloquist dummies were scarey.
A recent post from Sydney..Random Wrap-up of Winter