Congrats to Ella Jane, who won Bound for the Forest by Kay Berrisford!
While this post has plenty of links, they’re primarily related to my vacation in New Orleans for GayRomLit. Plus a reading update at the end. And a cat picture. Of course. 🙂
Devon Rhodes and me, both very drunk at Lafitte’s in Exile.
Me, again, although I’m not exactly sure where this was taken. Jackie??
Purple house!
Our neighborhood bar.
Wonderfully overgrown balcony in the French Quarter.
Hitching post in the French Quarter.
Jackson Square.
Random Thoughts
- The swampy edges of Lake Pontchartrain looked like they were egret paradise.
- I’m good at the roadtrip driving thing… if I have audiobooks. Even bad audiobooks.
- Was it a New Orleans thing or a Southern thing that posted hours and actual open hours didn’t necessarily coincide?
- I had a delightful gluten-free “Dine with an Author” lunch at Muriel’s, courtesy of Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga. We didn’t talk books at all – we shared gluten-free tips and stories.
- Jimmy at Lafitte’s in Exile is an awesomely entertaining bartender.
- I wandered by a yard sale being run by a man and his cockatoo.
- The readers and writers I hung out with were pretty amazing people – smart and savvy. Why do they all live so far away?!
- It was kind of traumatizing to leave sunny mid-80s weather and return to chilly grey Minneapolis. (Although we’ve had chilly sunshine for the past day or so…)
- I returned home with a souvenir cold and hacking cough. Blech.
- After I got home, I didn’t unpack the copy paper box that had some unopened snacks and other stuff in it. When I got up yesterday morning, Chaos had gotten the lid off the box and had been eating pretzels, sweet potato chips, and cashews. Hopefully more chips and fewer cashews… What a mess!
- Don’t worry if I haven’t replied to your contest entry comment! I’m so far behind from being on vacation that I’ll probably just delete a bunch of emails and start fresh. If you can see your comment on the contest post, you’re entered.
GayRomLit Posts (these are varying degrees of NSFW, so beware)
- Devon Rhodes: Day 1
- Kassa: initial highlights, report, pictures, analysis and suggested improvements
- Tracy: first post, second post
- Tam: report, pictures
- Janna (she’s going to have a GRL After Party, so keep an eye on her blog for that)
- HaMEMA (Heidi Cullinan & Marie Sexton): Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4
- Eden Winters
- Kate McMurray
- Jambrea Jo Jones: Day 1, Day 2,
- Jaime Samms (on Coffee & Porn in the Morning)
- Rachel Haimowitz
- Cat Grant
- Julia Talbot
- Kris: overheard by the pool… 🙁
Reading Update
Bound for the Forest by Kay Berrisford. ebook. Excellent kinky gay dark historical fantasy romance about a former soldier who returns to the family manor in the Greenwood (the manor which he just sold to cover debts) to retrieve some hidden valuables before the new owner takes possession. When he finds another, very captivating thief already there, he has no idea how the course of his life has just shifted.
Into the Woods by Anna Mayle. free ebook short. Fun short m/m paranormal about two guys who live in a town for retired circus performers (and their families) and who have a very unusual experience trying to walk through the woods…
Vessel (Cutting Cords #2) by Mickie B. Ashling. Excellent kinky m/m story set five years after Cutting Cords. This is not a romance per se – it’s a story about Sloan’s ongoing personal growth. Personal growth that, as is usually the case, is frequently painful and messy. But Sloan perseveres, learning more about himself as he goes, and the end of this story is hopeful. I hope we’ll get to read one more book – a book in which Sloan comes into his own. (Mickie reports that the third book should be out in May!)
Happily Neverafter (Petit Morts #11) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a Greek cop and an American tourist who collide. We also find out a bit more about Chance, although he’s really no less mysterious for that!
London Eye (Petit Morts #12) by Clare London & Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a banker whose boyfriend dumps him in a London backstreets restaurant. Drunk, disoriented, and stranded, he awkwardly accepts his kindhearted waiter’s assistance.
Spirits and Second Chances (Petit Morts #13) by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who leads ghost tours in Western Australia. He’s happy with his life, but it just seems as if there’s something missing…
Liquor by Poppy Z. Brite. Very good gay fiction about a couple who are line cooks in New Orleans and are approached by a financier interested in helping them open a restaurant. I especially enjoyed reading this while in New Orleans.
Life Over Limb (EMS Heat #11) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a diabetic radiology tech who hasn’t been taking good care of himself and a former flight nurse, now ER nurse, who hasn’t really dealt with a patient dying under his care.
Dead Run (Dangerous Ground #4) by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Pretty good m/m romantic suspense in which Tyler’s flying to Paris to see Will for the first time in 11 months and things are awkward between them. This one just didn’t really work for me – it felt contrived and I thought the amnesia bit was weak.
Velvet Memories (Club Velvet Ice #4) by Violet Summers. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a jock who was in denial in high school. Ten years later, he’s a Dom and no longer in denial when he runs into the guy whose trust he abused in high school – the guy who now works as a submissive at Club Velvet Ice.
RSVP (Pushing the Envelope #2) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Good short kinky m/m that, like the first installment, consists of a scene between Scott and Joe.
Devotedly His (His #4) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who goes to clubs and hooks up with anyone who reminds him of the best friend he’s been crushing on since college… the best friend who’s never been interested in him. Things seemed to happen much too quickly at the ending, and not in a way that would help build trust about the friend’s concern.
Murder in the Rue Dauphine (Chanse MacLeod #1) by Greg Herren. Good gay mystery about a New Orleans cop turned PI who shows up to meet a potential new client, only to find the client dead. Even without an actual client, he can’t seem to avoid working on the case… I read this whilst staying about 50 feet from Dauphine!
Kindred in Death (In Death #29) by JD Robb. audiobook. Really, what’s to say about these? They’re pretty solid, although a bit repetitive by this point in the series. And this was interesting enough to keep me alert as I was driving, which was what I really cared about.
Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter #18, Were-Hunter #5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. audiobook. So-so paranormal romance that suffered from too many points of view (possibly because the book was written as occurring during a whole bunch of previous books about other characters) and from being too long. Sheesh. It just went on and on and on and… I started to zone out as I was listening to it – not what I want to listen to while I’m driving!
Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum #16) by Janet Evanovich. audiobook. Ok mystery in a series that really needs to end. But since I didn’t fall asleep listening to it as I was driving, it served its purpose.
“Told you I’d get you back for being gone. Do we have any more of those tasty sweet potato chips?” -Chaos
Chaos likes cashews? I had no idea cats would eat nuts.
Awesome pics! Love the purple house with the yellow trim 🙂
A recent post from Ava March..Updates, Relocation, and Tight White Pants
Great to see a picture of you at long last, Chris! I do love being able to picture my online friends. Makes you seem more real, somehow ;D
Nice pictures
I’ll follow the links later, when I’m on a nice big computer and not my phone 😀
Welcome back – I do love Nola!
Chris- Well, it certainly looks like you had a great time. New Orleans looks amazing.
Sorry, but I’m laughing about Chaos- what a guy!
A recent post from Lorraine..Silver Anniversary
You go, Chaos! PAR-TAY!
What you probably don’t realize, Chris, is how many neighborhood cats were at your place — doing ‘nip, having hairball contests, releasing mice for the fun of catching them, etc. Don’t be surprised if you get calls from outraged cat-parents.
Hm, the Retreat folks sure seemed fond of that bar…
Fabulous pictures! I so enjoyed meeting you in person. You’re happy all the time, aren’t you? What a night at Lafitte’s in Exile!!! Sadly, due to misadventures at local diners, I wasn’t able to drink that night, and had to stay outside to avoid smoke. I still had a great time hanging out with everyone.
I met an awesome couple on the balcony, who’d been together twenty-eight years. They’re now Facebook buddies.
The brother and sister pair kept me laughing with their antics, and I swear Amy is my little sister. She looks so very similar, has a similar personality, and even has the same name.
You DO look like you had a marvelous time. New Orleans is such a great place to visit and a great place to have fun!
Pay back is always a bitch when it comes to our animals. Chaos actually looks a little sick. (He deserves it.)
A recent post from margene..Last Gasp Garden
Great pics. I so wish I could have made it this year. Hoping for next year in NM.
A recent post from jayhjay..Don’t Read in the Closet
Most excellent blog post title!
Sounds like you had a fabulous time!
Where the hell did you get the time to read all of those books? Is that in a week? *jealous*
Very nice pics .. I remember the one of you and Devon. Of course I also remember Devon beelining for you in the bar and basically crawling over me to get to you lol.
I wish I’d keep remembering to fix my blog link when I comment.
A recent post from Cheryl S…The Fistula Project
Oh Noes, the snacks!
A recent post from cursingmama..We are almost to the F
Great pics! I’m glad you all had fun.
I have the PM on the pile to read. I’m looking forward to it :).
A recent post from Jenre..A-Z Challenge Review: Slow Bloom by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
Great pictures – and thanks for the links, I missed some of those.
Those random thoughts…too bad I missed the man and his cockatoo – that would have been something to remember. 🙂
A recent post from Tracy..Review: Falke’s Captive by Madison Layle & Anna Leigh Keaton
Welcome home!
A recent post from kmkat..Penguin sweaters.
OMG Chaos ate all that stuff???? LOL His poop should be entertaining!
A recent post from Lynn..Who Says Boys Only Like Science?
Oh, Chaos, I hope you didn’t make yourself ill trying to get back at your mom…
A recent post from Nicole..Writing Wednesday: In which I am late, and there is a cat picture
Gah, Chaos’s behavior is why I have a door that cannot be opened without thumbs, and why if Saru-chan was more like Chaos that there would be a latch all the way at the top. Saru-chan is also why I hide food in the cupboards (like cooling banana bread after she ate the back corners off of two loaves).
A recent post from Seanna Lea..apparently my friends hate me
Jimmy Juice!! Nom nom…
Kassa, you know you loved having me crawl over you… Oh wait, is THAT why you gave me your seat? I thought you were just being nice since my heeled boots were making me teeter.
A recent post from Devon Rhodes..GayRomLit Recap, Day Two
While y’all were drinking Jimmy Juice, I stuck to margaritas. 🙂
That is a happy face you have m’dear. I believe the cashews are one of those extra bad nuts for kitties – so tell him to stay away!
Sounds and looks like you had a great time. Yay! Booo Chaos for breaking into mom’s snacks!
A recent post from Kristi aka FiberFool..Tutorial: Left Cabling Without a Cable Needle
So, what did the cockatoo do? Keep folks in line? watch for thieves? Looks like Chaos has a little sweet potato tongue there… hope you’re over the souvenir quickly!
A recent post from lisa..dyeing with the half blood cort!
Welcome back! Sounds like a wonderful time! I have always wanted to visit New Orleans. I’m impressed with Chaos’ method of “welcoming” you home – quite creative!
A recent post from Jennifer..Meeting in the middle
No more chips for you mister.
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review: Cold Fire – Kate Elliott
You lucky girl!! Love the pics. Did you meet my new fave Damon Suede?
Sounds like you had absolute fun! Based on your pics, New Orleans must be a really, really lovely place to be! (Plus it’s warm.)
Don’t you love New Orleans? It’s one of my favorite places! I just got back from a conference in Baton Rouge, but unfortunately didn’t have time to get to Nola.
A recent post from janna..Baby Sophisticate #2, etc.
Hey honey!!! I am so glad that you all had a great time. I love seeing all the pictures. Although I do have to say that I am very homesick and upset that I could not be there!!!!
But I am glad that you all had a great time!
Hugs and kisses!
A recent post from Cecile..Winner for Mindi Winters!!!
It looks and sounds like you had a great time! New Orleans is such a fun city. Sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet in person. We had sunny 80 degree weather until about last Tuesday or Wednesday when it turned chilly and drippy.
Chaos, sweet potato chips sound good to me too. Katie likes potato chips, whole wheat crackers and bread, and spice cookies.
A recent post from Sydney..RIP Zoe Ferret, 2002-2011
I can’t believe I forgot to get a picture of us together. I liked Jimmy the bartender, too. Even if he wouldn’t take Cody on as his third husband.
Welcome home! I’m so glad you had a good, safe trip. That first pic of you is funny, heh… They’re all great pics, thanks for sharing!
Chaos, LOL. How can you not laugh?!!
A recent post from Brigitte..What Do Lawyers, Seizures, and Streakers Have in Common?
Looks like you had a wonderful time!
A recent post from mrspao..Back home again
While y’all were drinking Jimmy Juice, I stuck to margaritas.
My Margarita Pal! At least, you would be if I could remember more about that first night….*g*. It was great to meet you again, I had such a good time :).