I never heard back from the first winner, so congrats to Juli-Anna, who’s the new winner of A Shifter Christmas (The Lost Shifters, Book 8 ) by Stephani Hecht!
Congrats to Jase, who won Knight’s Fall (Boys in Blue) by Mia Watts! Knight’s Fall will be released December 20 by Total-E-Bound.
Congrats to Tracey D, who won His Christmas Present by Rachel Randall! His Christmas Present will also be released by Total-E-Bound on December 20.
Contests
- Janna’s giving away ebook copies of Texan Summer and I’ll Be Home by William Cooper. Comment before December 20 for your chance to win one of the books!
- Morning Glow’s giving away a prize pack consisting of a $10 Amazon gift card and two books that MG enjoyed this year: The Sky: The World by Jessica McHugh and No Rest for the Wicca by Toni LoTempio. Winner will be announced December 20.
- Blodeuedd’s giving away two copies of The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Make sure your comment meets the contest requirement and comment by December 20 to enter. US & Canada only.
- Sloan Parker’s giving away winner’s choice of the following: one of her ebooks, one ebook from LooseId, or a $10 B&N gift card. She’ll pick a winner for every 50 entries she gets, up to 300 entries or noon EST, December 20.
- Cecile’s giving away three copies of The Secret Life of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer, by Lucy Weston. Answer Cecile’s question in the comments by December 22 to enter. US only.
Bookity
- New releases and more: Lily (m/m romance) and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR news, contests, etc).
- An American Editor links to videos that will help teach grammar.
- Jessica of ReadReactReview wonders if commenting on book blogs will survive Twitter, Tumblr, etc.
- Do not watch the video for Blank: A Novel if you are especially sensitive to violence against books.
- Writers, go forth and read “The Penmonkey’s Paean”!
- Having a fireplace on a bookshelf seems like a really bad idea.
- KZ Snow has a very funny post about GoodReads reviews.
Ebookity
- Is there a precipitous plunge in paper book sales ahead?
- Amazon began quietly removing erotica books that included incest from their store and from people’s Kindle libraries. As others have pointed out, it’s a slippery slope, especially since most erotica will be found objectionable by someone.
- The end of this AAR post has some links to sources of legal free ebooks.
Snowity
- We had a lot of snow and then it got cold. If you missed my photo of what my street looked like after the snow stopped, it’s at the end of this week’s Misadventures post.
- You might have seen the video of the Metrodome collapsing. Since their stadium’s all collapsed, the Minnesota Vikings are going to play their last home game on December 20 outside at the U of MN’s stadium. Might be worth watching for the amusement factor…
- Neil Gaiman on Minnesota cold and snow.
- Carolyn Crane on snow and a car fire.
Think, Do, Make, Learn
- What does caffeine actually do to our brains?
- Another theory on how Stonehenge might’ve been built.
- Imagining yourself eating more might help you eat less. Apparently, so would not ordering combo meals.
Gift Ideas
- Very cool science cookie cutters. (Thanks, Alison!)
- Bullet-proof clipboard, anyone?
- These recycled camera lens bracelets are pretty cool.
- Perhaps knit some small animals for last minute gifts?
- Gizmodo gift guides: “grease monkeys“, science and tech toys for kids, people owned by cats, stocking stuffers, and audiophiles.
- CRAFT has a gift guide for “crafty photographers“.
- Paperback writer with DIY gifts for writers.
- Chrissy Munder has some great gift ideas from Michigan.
- Cat Grant shows off some Dr. Who goodies, any of which would be a great gift for the aficionado.
Holiday
- Simon’s Cat in “Santa Claws”! (Thanks, Juni!)
- Check out the 12 Wrecks of Christmas at Cake Wrecks.
- Have you watched the Digital Nativity?
- Crochet chain Christmas trees are pretty cute.
- So are coconut mochi snowmen.
Cool
- I’d never heard of the archer fish before. (Thanks, Jase!)
- Very cute knitted video about delivering parcels.
- If you’re planning to get cremated, a ghost urn would be pretty cool.
Huh
- Now there’s an iPad game just for cats!
LOL
- Small, amusing wire sculptures using regular household objects. (Thanks, Jeanne!)
- No leeks on the floor, please.
- I’d have to use a silver marker on my kitties’ paws…
- Beware the seben dedly lolcats!
- Awww…
Teh Cute
- Super bunny! (Thanks, Jase!)
- Jerboa! Kitten! Cat! Ferret! Kitten and mom! Kitten! Chinchilla! Black kitten! Kitten! Kitten! Feather-tailed opossum! Kitten! Lions! Fox in the snow! Chinchilla! Tigers! Kittens! Kittens! Lamb!
Reading Update
The Match Before Christmas by Eden Winters. ebook. Excellent m/m holiday romance about a contractor who joins an online GLBT dating site several months before Christmas, with the hope that he’ll meet someone and not be alone (well, besides his two black kitties) on Christmas. Anyone who’s ever done the online dating thing will be able to relate to the numerous and discouraging encounters he has before almost giving up on his plan… And my kitties are in the dedication! 🙂
Trust Me If You Dare (Romano & Albright, Book 2) by LB Gregg. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense continuing the madcap and lusty adventures of caterer Ceaser (who really does need someone to keep him out of trouble, possibly by wrapping him in cotton wool and locking him up) and his boyfriend, PI Dan (who would so like to take that job on). *commences waiting for Book 3*
Cameron’s Pride (Thrown to the Lions, Book 4) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky paranormal m/m romance about a lion shifter without a pride, working as a stripper, and about the rich jerk determined to make that lion his for any amount of money.
Red Lights and Silver Bells (EMS Heat, Book 6) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Very good holiday m/m romance about how important facing emotional demons is to moving on with life.
I’ll Run Away for the Holidays by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Sweet holiday m/m romance about a guy whose best friend guilts him into driving from Florida to her home in Michigan for the holidays… and then he finds out that her younger brother, who made a slobbery (and rebuffed) pass at him several years before, will be joining them for the drive.
Making His List by Devon Rhodes. ebook. Excellent m/m holiday romance about a guy who always keeps the men he dates at arm’s length, and having his young niece and unreliable sister move in with him just give him more excuses to do so. I might’ve gotten sniffly while reading this one. *ahem*
The Reason for the Season by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a college student in the UP, trying to get to his sister’s house in Flint for Christmas, who gets a ride from the rideshare board into “snowpocalypse.” I especially enjoyed this story since I was reading it during what the local news stations dubbed “snowmaggedon.”
The Next Twenty by Margaret Mills. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a straight guy in his 50s, who discovers that a good friend, freshly retired from the military, is gay and has been attracted to him for years.
Enchanted Grounds by Michelle Moore. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m holiday romance about a guy who finds a mysterious coffee shop and starts to visit it daily, at the same time that he starts having realistic dreams about sleeping and snuggling with a man he’s never met…
The Wild Side by Janey Chapel. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a college student who agrees to help out a friend by waiting tables over Valentine’s Day weekend. He’s never been interested in seeing the same guy twice… is that about to change?
Vintage Toys for Lucky Boys by G.R. Richards. ebook short. Ok short m/m holiday romance about a guy who brings some old toys into an antiques shop to be appraised… and things proceed a bit too quickly for me to believe. The insight into being transgendered was the best part of the book.
White Out by Heidi Champa. ebook. Ok short m/m romance about a researcher, escaping a broken heart and swearing not to fall in love again, who takes a six-month research position in Antarctica to get away from memories of his ex. (Still haven’t figured out the title, as it didn’t seem to relate to anything in the book other than Antarctica being cold and snowy.)
*sigh* “I knew it was too good to last…” -Chaos
“Hi, big kitty! You looked lone… ooooh, shiny!” -Mayhem
I am only here to add books to my TBR pile… Those linky will take me the whole weekend to get through..
🙂
People (and especially authors) complaining about Amazon’a position on erotica have to realize that nothing says that a retailer must sell a particular product. If that retailer chooses not to stock certain material, no one can force them into it. Note that while there are tons of “adult” videos available, Blockbuster does not carry them (their business, their decision) and I haven’t seen any major outcry that Blockbuster should be forced into carrying a particular porn studio’s offerings.
The seven deadly lolcats dovetail my post today! 😀
A recent post from trek..Its in all the translation
Thanks for the mentioning. 🙂
The book Christmas tree looks nice. Perhaps I try it at home next year.
KZ’s post about Goodreads reviews was hilarious.
I’m guilty of reading and not leaving a comment on Jessica’s post about the survival of blog commenting vs twitter/ tumblr etc. Very interesting post though.
I’m not necessarily against ads in ebooks if it makes them cheaper…
I enjoyed Red Lights and Silver Bells too and I’m looking forward to reading her other book. Most of the Christmas stories are on my TBR (much looking forward to Devon’s one now) and Trust Me if You Dare is on my wishlist!
A recent post from Janna ErotRomReader..Review- Tooth & Nail by Mary Calmes
Oooo look, it’s Mistletoe Underwear Dude! The original stock photography guy!
Those cake wrecks are hilarious.
Mayhem, do you think those big lions get distracted by shiny things when they’re asserting themselves? Really.
A recent post from Brigitte..Always Learning Something New
Chris- When worlds collide- Dr. Who and Star Wars- sounds like one heck of a geekfest!
A recent post from Lorraine..Is it 2011 yet
I jumped over all the linkities just to see the kitties. Chaos, you are so regal and May, distraction is often a good thing.
A recent post from margene..Green- Yes Green
Love that Christmas tree made of books, and I may have to give those crochet chain trees a try.
Lynne Viehl over at ppbk writer always has such great stuff! Thanks for the linkity.
I spent so much time reading the post/comments at ReadReactReview that I couldn’t get to much else! I’d already seen the 12 cakewrecks of Christmas, the Christmas tree made of books, and some the kitties, so I feel satisfied 🙂
A recent post from wren..Christmas and a new review of Back To Normal
Great links today….I wonder if they ever will figure out how stonehenge was built. But then again I had no idea that pandorica box was under stone henge so it proves we are still learning things about it. hee hee
Love the household item sculptures. How cam people be so creative. It wears me out just thinking about it.
A recent post from Rebekah..The Matching Hat and Coordinating Scarf
That “reindeer” looks suspiciously like a long horn steer.
The combo meal thing makes me laugh. Yesterday I had lunch at a restaurant that had a variety of lunch combos. If you picked soup and salad as the two items, it was $5.99. However, the soup and salad if purchased separately were $2.49 each. ???
The tooth rings are just yucky! Now we know what the tooth fairy does with all those chompers she collects. She makes them into jewelry and resells them for a profit.
That one on commenting on book blogs was fascinating. Puts it all in perspective. I mean, some of these people read 300 per day??? (BTW, I’m glad we’ll still get upcoming linkity but on Thursday for the next 2 weeks.) 🙂
A recent post from Val Kovalin..Author Profile at Reviews by Jessewave
A bulletproof clipboard? If that’s on someone’s wish list, then maybe it’s time for them to look for a new job. lol.
The ‘spelling is irrelevant to comprehension’ article is why MS Word’s spellchecker is my best friend.
A recent post from Ava March..Naughty Books and Tiny Little Shorts
I’m pretty sure that the 100 People on Facebook list constitutes a simple I hate humanity. There really doesn’t appear to be any group uncovered.
A recent post from Seanna Lea..its not radio silence
As always, a linkity worth easting time on – love the little knitting video
A recent post from Mary Lou..Esker Do
Hmm wondering if I have the right number of green books or enough wrapping paper to make a book tree.. might be difficult with the kittens though.
So late today, even though I have had this open all day long.
But yay SW and Dr WHo
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review- Random Magic – Sasha Soren
Bubble wrap on windows? Brilliant. We’ve got lots. (Now, if they only had a winterizing tip for the latch on the front door…)
That one kitty pic made me kinda sad, too.
And the rings – *gag*
One of my former daycare girlies has those zombie shoes!
Ipad games for kittehs – like I needed one more reason to covet them…and I think I need to get those cookie cutters for my son’s science teacher!
A recent post from Bronwyn Green..Im all over the freaking place – literally and figuratively!
Another day when I show up after the party. LOL
I loved those sci-fi books for kids.
Love the science pics. Very cool.
I think the kid needs a space heater. Her room is over the garage (uninsulated) and farthest from the furnace. It’s always freezing in there. She sleeps with an electric blanket.
Who’d want to retire to New Jersey or Ohio anyway?
I passed that link of those science cookie cutters to my friend who teaches science. She’ll get a kick out of those.
You know I don’t even like smores? Good think I’m not American or I’d probably lose my citizenship. I HATE toasted marshmallows. Ick.
Tree boot. I like it.
Eeek, those goats made me queazy just looking at it.
Love the kitty feet teddies.
I must get some of those books. Holy hell I feel like I’m behind in the reading. Next week, really. I hope. Sigh. Have a great weekend and hopefully no more snopocalypses in the foreseeable future for you.
A recent post from Tam..I got nuthin How about some music
Propoganda caffeine haters! Wait. Caffeine Deniers! Um. I’ll work on it & get back to you. (Impartial Study of Caffeine’s Effects is so dull). Caffeine is ALL.
Hi, Mayhem! Nice of you to keep Chaos company. Briefly.
A recent post from Carrie K..Sitting Pretty
Oh, what good linkity we have today! And I’m supposed to be writing. Loved the Christmas tree made of books, and KZ’s post about reviews. I can’t believe people said that!
Yay! I finally had time to sit and enjoy the linkity fun!!
I laughed at friending parents on FB. All 3 of my kids are my friends. And it doesn’t stop them from posting all kinds of stuff.
Those glow in the dark zombie shoes are awesome! Not for me but awesome.
I’ll stick to upbeat happy Xmas songs!
Loved the digital Nativity!
Looks like some people need to rethink their cake making abilities.
Cool science pics.
WOW, that was a lot of snow. Good thing the stadium was empty.
The spelling/reading comprehension was very interesting!
300 blogs? Really? I can barely keep up with a fraction of that. LOL, and I didn’t comment either despite feeling a bit her on comments. When the number of followers for my blog grew I thought it was pretty cool but then I realised only a few people ever comment. My awesome faithful followers!!! Blame it on lurkers and lack of time, I guess.
The only one of the books I’ve read is Devon’s which I really loved.
Happy Sunday and thanks for the mention.
A recent post from Lily..Making His List by Devon Rhodes
Adding my applause for this set of links. Still working my way through them all. I can’t choose a favorite when there is Caffeine, eBooks, science photos, grammar videos, action figures….
woah, *is now tired*
Oh wowowowow…. Thanks for listing me my friend!!!
And I am just going to skip over this weekend.. To much to go through again. Hugs!!! And I am not even going to mention what today is… and what that means tomorrow will be!
Hi Chris. Thanks for the mention of my giveaway! Whenever I see your linkity lists, I always wish for more time. Such interesting stuff. I’m going to try to talk my sweetie into a Christmas tree made of books for next year.
I want a Christmas tree made out of books! waaaah. I want, I want, I want! 🙂
Great linkity as usual. KZ’s commenting on GR’s omg hilarious!
Pooh – half the book covers aren’t showing up for me for some reason. The Wild Side sounds good though…among others, dammit. lol
A recent post from Tracy..What I Read Last Week
You find such a huge selection of linkity! … including one more reason why I will not be buying myself a Kindle.
A recent post from Nicole..Sunday Summary 122610