Congrats to Kris and Anne B, who each won a copy of The Cat and the Cradle by Jay Bell!
Congrats to Courtney S, who won In the Crease by Stephani Hecht! In the Crease will be released by Total-E-Bound on September 13.
Contests
- Smexy Mandi’s giving away four sets of various types of romances. Each set consists of three current titles. Leave a comment before the end of today (September 10) for your chance to win.
- Over at Desert Island Keepers, Anne Rainey’s giving away a book from her backlist to two lucky winners. You need to comment on her Thursday, Friday, and Saturday posts for your chance to win.
- Julia Rachel Barrett is celebrating the release of her newest books with two contests! You can win your choice of any of her books, so go read how and where to enter by September 13.
- Tracy’s giving away Judith Arnold’s new “reality-based romance”, Meet Me in Manhattan. Leave a comment by 11:59 pm PDT, September 14, for your chance to win. (US/Canada)
- Amy Lane’s celebrating her 899th blog post with a contest – you could win sock yarn or the chance to select two of her characters for whom she’ll write a Christmas short story. Comment on the contest post by 11 pm PDT, September 17, for your chance to win.
- Book Addict Patti and her SIL are having a contest at the Taunt Society. For your chance to win all sorts of amazing book swag, leave a comment by 11:59 pm CDT, September 17.
- SciFiGuy’s giving away a BluRay copy of Stardust to a lucky US resident. Leave a comment with your favorite Neil Gaiman book or favorite fantasy film for your chance to win. Contest closes September 20.
- Dreamspinner Press is having an author trivia contest. Visit their blog each day during September for the new trivia question. Each day’s prize will be an ebook by the author featured in the question.
Bookity
- New releases: Lily (m/m romance), Katiebabs (romance), All About Romance (romance), SciFiGuy (fantasy), and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR new releases & news).
- There might still be time to vote in Jessewave’s Ugly Covers Competition! Totally and completely NSFW.
- Book linkity posts from Dear Author, Smart Bitches, and ReadReactReview.
- Some information about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), in which the US tries to get the rest of world to use DRM. Good for the European Parliamant for passing an anti-ACTA declaration.
- Another eloquent post about being a woman who writes m/m romance, this time from Lori (L. A.) Witt.
- How to paste a bookplate into a book.
- If you’re looking for some free Windows software for authors, Gizmo’s Freeware just reviewed several programs.
- Carolyn Crane on improving your author bio.
- From Awful Library Books, The Romance Writers’ Phrase Book, which mostly seems to feature phrases I would not recommend you use in your book…
- An amusing post at Deadline Dames about dating for novelists. My favorite line: “People with book-worthy personal stories are not necessarily the best people to date.”
- xkcd’s take on Emily Dickinson… Make sure you hover the cursor over the comic for additional text!
Ebookity
- You can read several good free m/m romances this week: Pleasures of Somerville Park (Object of His Affection, Book 2) by Ava March and A Lesson in Truth by Sloan Parker.
- Do you know why ebook readers are sized as they are? Sheepskin.
- An American Editor wonders if both Sony and Barnes & Noble have made strategic decisions that will cause them to lose the ebook market to Amazon.
- Amazon might be winning the price battle with publishers.
Learn, Make, Do, Think
- Font junkies – check out this free searchable database of 70,000+ fonts.
- Make a pre-addressed envelope with this print-cut-fold Google Maps envelope generator. (Thanks, cursingmama!)
- The scariest bridges in the world. (Thanks, Jase!)
- Yikes – I really can’t believe how much clothes sizes vary between manufacturers. I mean, Old Navy’s mens 36-inch dress pants were actually 41 inches?!
- An interesting post on why science research cuts will negatively impact all of us.
- A site to help you plan your next geek vacation.
- Make teeny tiny felt capes for LEGO minifigs.
Cool
- How did I not know that Universal Studios in Orlando now has The Wizarding World of Harry Potter?!
- Behold, Cyclisk! Can’t you just hear the theme song from 2001: A Space Odyssey in the background?
- Surely there’s a caffeine-loving geek in your life would enjoy a gravity-defying coffee cup?
- A happy song and the world’s biggest water balloon fight – guaranteed to make you smile. 🙂
- The Altoids Tin grill is adorable! (Thanks, Cheryl!)
Huh
- How… lumpy. And I can just imagine what this will look like after a dog who enjoys chewing gets hold of it…
- I confess to loving the snarky post title for the Woogie iPod Touch Case…
- A calendar that you unravel throughout the year – this would not work for anyone with a cat.
LOL
- Oh oh, looks like some kitties plan revenge when forced to model knitwear…
- Another feline knitting critic.
- A gunfight, xkcd style – make sure you hover your mouse over the comic for additional text!
- Really, who hasn’t had a day like this?
- The “real” stories behind certain stock photos (no, none of your Misadventures favorites are featured).
- Just can’t come up with anything for dinner? This site might help inspire you…
- Acrobatic kitties! (Thanks, Jase!)
Teh Cute
- Baby mongeese, baby otters, and a very cute bun! (Thanks, Jase!)
- What happens when you let 100 cats loose in IKEA?
- Who knew squirrels could learn to purr?
- Kittens and a sink! Black leopard cub (with gnawed whiskers)! Kitten! Aardvark! Kittens! Melly and Scarlet! Baby badgers! Tree kangaroos! Snow leopards! Lions! Baby panda!
Reading Update
Trinity Trespass by Val Kovalin. ebook. Excellent paranormal m/m romance about two demonic agents who have been sent to keep a unique demon-angel hybrid out of the hands of an evil angel. After the world “clicked” for me, both the fast-paced storyline and the complex relationship between the two agents kept me enthralled.
Talker by Amy Lane. ebook. Powerful m/m romance about a physically and emotionally scarred college student who befriends a much quieter student on the bus to track meets. If you’ve ever been, or known, someone who needed to be saved from themselves, this book will have a strong impact. (And I would say that even if I hadn’t had an influence on the music mentioned throughout the book!)
Bewitched by Bella’s Brother by Amy Lane. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a chronic graduate student and his best friend who spend the summer staying with her divorced brother and his young son, saving money to continue their graduate studies out of state in the fall.
Gayday! Gayday! (G-A-Y, Book 11) by Kim Dare. ebook. Steamy cute m/m romance short about a bratty submissive who keeps getting himself in trouble and calling his dominant straight friend to rescue him.
Night Watch (A Story of The Telling) by Eden Winters. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance that takes place about a year after The Telling, on the Fourth of July, as Jay tries to minimize the noisy holiday’s impact on Michael, who suffers from combat-induced PTSD. (Your purchase during September helps support the the GLBT Bookshelf.)
Cross the Mountain by P.D. Singer. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about the guys from Fall Down the Mountain out cross-country skiing.
Pleasures of Somerville Park (Object of His Desire, Book 2) by Ava March. free ebook short. Very good free short historical m/m romance following up on Arsen and Henry from Object of His Desire.
Anagama Fires by Sarah Black. ebook. Very good short m/m romance about two potters, both nearly fifty, who’ve been together most of their lives… until the past five years. The more famous, who was the one who left, sends his nephew to his former lover to learn more about firing pottery. I did have a niggle about this one – the story took place over about a week. On the first day, puppies were born. A few days later, the same puppies were running around and getting underfoot! Whoops.
Indigo Knights 1: Squire by Jet Mykles. ebook. Very good m/m romance spin-off from the Heaven Sent series, about the straight singer who filled in for Brent in Heaven Sent while Brent’s wrist was broken, and who is now staying with Brent, Hell, and Brent’s intriguing cousin Izzy while he works on getting a new band together.
Just Desserts by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a famous French chef and the equally famous British food critic who seems to have it in for him.
Unexpected Guest (Patient Eyes, Book 2) by Andy Eisenberg. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a recently divorced guy who’s staying in his mother’s old house and fixing it up to sell it for her when a gay couple (the guys from Patient Eyes!) move in next door. Getting to know them reawakens thoughts and feelings he’s buried for a long, long time. I enjoyed finding out how life was going for the guys from Patient Eyes and enjoyed that this book felt more cohesive than did Patient Eyes.
You Can Go Home Again by Drew Zachary. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who’s back in the small town of his childhood after being away for college and vet school.
Raven by Dakota Rebel. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about two vampires who own a gay nightclub (Raven) together, but have never gotten together themselves… (I wish I’d realized this was in Naughty Nooners, which I already owned, before I picked it up! Whoops.)
Masked by Lissa Matthews. free ebook short. Short kinky m/m story that sets up an intriguing situation between a dominant and a mysterious masked submissive… From a comment the author left elsewhere, it seems she does plan to write a follow-up story.
A Lesson in Truth by Sloan Parker. free ebook short. Cute short free m/m romance about a grad student with a crush on his advisor.
Thirty Days (Book 1) and 
Forever (Thirty Days, Book 2) by Shayla Kersten. ebooks. Good kinky m/m romances about a Dom whose beloved partner/sub died from cancer. As he starts to get back into the scene, his friends introduce him to a sub who had been badly abused and tortured (almost to death) by his previous master. These were hard for me to read at times because they kept reminding me of a friend, although I don’t think things got quite that bad for him before he got out…
Captive by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook short. Huh. So-so m/m romance in which something seems to be happening, but that might not be what’s happening at all. I got annoyed by that.
Green Lake by Anna Marie May. ebook short. So-so short m/m romance about a guy who takes a research assistant position in Alaska to get away from his wealthy, controlling family. Way too much story for the length of the book and, as Jenre noted in her review at Jessewave, the book was all telling, no showing, which made it impossible to connect with the characters.
Golden Boy (Book 1) by Claire Thompson. ebook. So-so kinky m/m romance about a handsome young mechanic so deeply closeted he doesn’t realize he’s gay until he sees an extremely compelling guy while out clubbing with a lesbian friend. That compelling guy turns out to be a prestigious Dom who slowly helps the mechanic discover his submissive side. I had some issues with this one. I really disliked the Dom. And the book pissed me off by ending in what felt like the middle.
Golden Man (Golden Boy, Book 2) by Claire Thompson. ebook. After it felt like the first book stopped in the middle, this book picks up… six months later. Some of the characters feel more like caricatures than like people, which was a problem in the first book, too. But ultimately, I didn’t like or trust the Dom after the first book and nothing in this book managed to change my mind. (Also, I think the cover is really weird.)
“I found this book on the floor, so it’s my book now and I say you don’t get to read it, Mom.” -Mayhem
OMG, Janna told me about your linkety post but dang, this is link awesomeness!! You’ve personally managed to feed my inner font junkie. I’m still lurking and downloading fonts *grin*
Amy Lane’s TALKER is going on my wishlist, I just purchased two other books by DreamSpinnerPress; J.R. Loveless -TOUCH ME GENTLY and Ethan Stone – IN THE FLESH. I’m currently reading more PNR due to various things but after that I just know a M/M binge is coming up LOL
Have a great friday Chris!!
A recent post from Leontine..Our double dare adventure -> Guest review from Book Chick City- Lauren Dane – Laid Bare
Not so many kinky books this week then, Chris :).
A good range of books though. I’ve got Val and Eden’s books on my TBR pile and shall look forward to reading them now.
Would you recommend reading Paient Eyes before the Unexpected Guest book, or isn’t it necesary?
Oops, missed the second s in necessary. I do know how to spell, honest :).
May is going to end up shocked actually reading about all of the naughty boys;).
Have you ever been to cracked.com? I think some of those articles would fit pretty well into your linkity.
And thank you, as always, for linkity ways to goof off at work on a Friday:)
A recent post from Melanie..Recipe- Cat-Quirks- Smelly Office Fish- Insanity- and Panini
I think the mashed potato wrestling would be even cooler if they poured burning hot gravy on the contestants
A recent post from furiousball..TONIGHT ONLY- SEWING MADNESS!!! GET YOUR SEW ON!!!
Yup, cats are pretty awesome, I agree.
I’ve been on that bridge in Northern Ireland, and I can tell you. It’s scary. No matter how much they tell you it’s fine. It’s scary dude. Like lose control of the bowels scary.
A recent post from Brigitte..Its Been a Year!!
I just went to the females writing m/m genre site links. OMG. Some of it has me cheering, some of it pisses me right off.
grrr.
My fav post of the week 🙂
Oh and urine whiskey…seriously
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review- The Uncrowned King – Rowena Cory Daniells
Chris- I would so love to let 100 cats loose in IKEA. I wonder if they rounded all of them up afterward?
A recent post from Lorraine..Peaches and Pussycats
You have until about 5:00 tonight to vote on the ugly covers. I’ll be typing up the results post tonight and it goes up tomorrow.
Okay, I’m near having a panic attack looking at those bridges. Holy shit. Someone actually dropped a baby off the Capilano bridge in BC. Not from the middle but it didn’t make it. Very sad and a big debate over purposeful or accidental.
Seriously? Unrine whiskey? It’s too early for that. I feel queezy.
Holy crap. I’m amazed that watermelon launching woman wasn’t unconcious.
ROFL I laughed out loud at the pic of the cat that looks like it’s vomiting up blue variegated wool.
Love cat parkour. Sent that to the kid.
We had lots in common this week. I enjoyed both of Amy’s books a lot and Val’s. I read the Shayla Kerten books last year and they are very powerful. I’m looking forward to Squire and I’ll have to try out some of those free shorts because free is always a good thing. 🙂
Have a super weekend.
A recent post from Tam..Thursday – What a long week for a short week
Jen,
I read Unexpected Guest and I haven’t read the other. It would likely have been beneficial but enough background is given for you to understand the interactions with the couple from the first book. So it’s not essential like some books but probably couldn’t hurt. I’m definitely going to get the first because I enjoyed the second muchly.
A recent post from Tam..Thursday – What a long week for a short week
I’ll be back…to look at your links but I have to get puppy out for a hike. Thanks for mentioning my contest. Did somebody say – scary bridges??? I HATE scary bridges. Major phobia. MAJOR PHOBIA!
Gosh, I totally got lost in the fonts-link. *and I just read that Leontine had the same experience* Glad to see she found you too! 😀
The links to the free reads are much appreciated! Thanks.
And now I feel – again – the urge to go book shopping! 🙂
A recent post from Janna ErotRomReader..Happy Gay Friday!!
I loved the Emily Dickinson comic earlier this week (last week?). I really would play that game, and I disliked the original GTA series for a number of reasons but mostly because I hate trying to operate the cars in game.
A recent post from Seanna Lea..knitter dreams
I love whiskey, but um…. no.
You sound like my mother, Mayhem. “If you leave it on the floor that means you don’t want it.” 😉
A recent post from margene..Good Stuff
Those bridges are freaky, you won’t see me crossing any of them.
Herding Cats, loved it. But then there were british accents and I’m a sucker for anyone with a british accent.
Water balloon fight! I want to play.
Calendar that unravels, you also couldn’t have one if you have a cloth eating dog.
A recent post from Rebekah..My Office is Taking Labor Day Weekend Way To Literal
Wow you read a lot this week! Good for you.
Thanks for the shout out on the book giveaway. 🙂
Thanks for the link to fontpark. I like fontgarden as well.
Those bridges – omg I’d never walk on half of them! 🙂
A recent post from Tracy..Review- Meet Me In Manhattan by Judith Arnold – Book Tour Info and Book Giveaway
Thanks for the link! So what are YOU making for dinner tonight? 🙂
A recent post from Marsha..Looking for culinary inspiration
Ewwwww…McDonalds!
OMG, the linkity abundance! Carolyn Cran’s post on improving the author bio was excellent! And the watermelon slingshot one was mind-boggling. I’m glad the poor girl was okay afterwards (if embarrassed). And thanks very much for the reviewette. 🙂
A recent post from Val Kovalin..Excerpt Available for Wicked Cool
linkity, linkity, doot doot doot…
Just that last cover was weird???
I need to get an ereader so I can read some of these titles – the ipod is too small & the netbook is awkward.
You did not know about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Oh dear. It looks awesome.
Also, I did not need a new font database. I already have a font addiction, thanks.
A recent post from Nicole..Week 36- The Native Star
Thanks. I will now be singing Emily Dickinson/Gilligan’s island for the rest of the day.
Well I should hope romance heroines don’t dream of being crushed. That would be rather painful. And ‘complacent buoyancy’???
70,000+ free fonts… oh,oh,oh – so exciting!!!*G* And thanks for the head’s up on Sloan’s new free read. I’ve got it downloaded so I can read it tonight.
A recent post from Ava March..Pleasures of Somerville Park – Free Story
Too many interesting linkity! I’m going to have to come back later and follow more than the dozen or so I just did.
A recent post from Kristi aka FiberFool..ECF- Newer Yarns Soon to Be on Needles
A person who feels the need to drink whiskey out of urine is a desperate individual.
So going in this Sunday’s WTFckery post!
A recent post from katiebabs..A Few Needed Moments of Aww
I am even more happy now that I do not eat fast food.
A recent post from trek..In which trek asks smart what
The two Kersten books were very emotional. I agree that they were difficult to read at times, but I really liked the writing.
The nerdy teacher in me loved the Emily Dickinson link. Most of her poems can also be sung to the tunes of either “Amazing Grace” or “The Yellow Rose of Texas.”
A recent post from Eyre..Recent Reads & TGIF!
Your mother doesn’t read Mayhem, she stares at the covers.
A recent post from Carrie K..I Promise To Be True
Finally, kiddies in bed and linkity time! What a crazy day. 🙂
Those bridges scared the ever-loving “you know what” out of me. Damn, I can’t believe people use those, especially the ones in Colorado and Pakistan. I might be able to do the scariest one since it’s new, seems safer to me, but I’d probably have to be a bit medicated.
Interesting coffee cup and I cracked up with the “Shrimp on a Barbie”. Freaking hilarious.
I loved Trinity Trespass and Anagama Fires. Also really enjoyed Unexpected Guests and Just Desserts. The Forever books are powerful and I did read the first Golden book a while back. It was okay but now that you mention it the Dom was a bit of an ass.
Thanks for another fab linkity posts and the mention.
A recent post from Lily..Weekly Upday 36 and The Friday 56
seems like may – may have found some koolaid… lol… hummm… hope you have a great weekend hon! hugs!
A recent post from cecile..Review- The Swing by Lissa Matthews Dark Diva Review
LOL! Emily Dickinson will never be the same again, now that I’ve got it going through my head to the tune of Gilligan’s Island.
Oh, I might have to get one of those coffee cups!
Love the water balloon fight video.
The unraveling calendar in my house? The whole year would pass in a single day.
A recent post from Sydney..What I was doing when I should have been posting here
Thanks for the mention about Anne’s contest Chris – so appreciated. But folks don’t have to enter every day for a chance to win, they can have up to 3 chances to win if they comment on each post. LOL Yikes did I mess up the instructions that much? Oh Dear..
Anyway, those little knitted birds are sooo cute – almost makes me want to learn to knit. lol
And the whiskey made from urine? Um, No. Thank. You. The comments on that post are hilarious! This one girl said she was sending it to her ex for Christmas! lol
Enjoy the book Mayhem!..
Thanks for the laughs..
A recent post from Lea..Anne Rainey Shares A Little Bit Naughty With The DIK Ladies!
Baby mongeese!
A recent post from naomi..eye candy friday
*tries to look at all the links at once* Where to start?
May – if you did that with everyone book your Mum is in deep trouble!
A recent post from orannia..Show & Tell
Hmmm mashed potato wrestling – there’s an idea for pao’s 40th birthday…
A recent post from mrspao..How to intrigue two kittens
I just got an ipod touch for an early birthday present.. maybe I need a Woogie but only if they come in PURPLE! Also, thanks for the knitted bird pattern link- the kitties will love those!
LOL! I loved why cats are awesome
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review: Friday Night Bites – Chloe Neill