Congrats to Jody, who won the Not Quite Wicked ebooks! Rumor has it there may be another contest starting tomorrow… 😉
Contests
- Dear Author’s giving away ten copies (five paper, five digital) of Jennifer Estep’s paranormal romance, Spider Bite. Not sure when this closes, but you can also download a free story from Estep (Spider’s Bargain) while you wait to see if you’ve won the contest. Marta of Vampire Wire’s giving away two copies of Spider Bite and you have until January 27 to enter that one.
- Blodeuedd’s having a contest for a copy of Caridad Pineiro’s book Sins of the Flesh, plus a t-shirt (open worldwide). The contest ends January 22.
- Lea’s giving away Demonica books and demon ducks! Check out the details and enter before January 23 for your chance to win.
- Anna’s giving away two copies of MJ Smith’s new World War II romance, Forever Yours. Winner will be announced January 23.
- SciFiGuy’s giving away signed copies of Helen Scott Taylor’s paranormal romances, The Magic Knot and The Phoenix Charm. Contest closes midnight EST, January 25.
- Donna Fantasy Dreamer’s giving away a copy of Alison Brennan’s paranormal romance, Original Sin. Contest closes 8 pm CST, January 25. She’s also giving away a copy of Erica Hayes’ paranormal romances, Shadowglass and Shadowfae. Contest closes 8 pm CST, January 27.
- Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy does a weekly Win on Wednesday post. When last I peeked, yesterday’s post had links to 75 contests!
Book and Reading News
- SciFiGuy’s weekend urban fantasy/paranormal romance report is, as usual, chock full of information. Literary Escapism has several good summaries of interviews and book news.
- Where does reading rank in the activities of readers? Dear Author reports.
- Ebook piracy’s been a hot topic this week. Nicole Peeler wrote a very thoughtful blog post, sharing an author’s perspective. TeleRead commented on (and linked to) a Publisher’s Weekly article about how much ebook piracy costs the publishing industry. TeddyPig highlighted a tongue-in-cheek report (written in response to the PW report) about how much library “piracy” cost the publishing industry.
- Gizmodo’s posted their ultimate guide to the ebook readers that they care about.
- The Writer’s Evolution blog had some interesting posts about book covers: learning (as an author) how to get the cover you were hoping for, but pick your battles.
- I really enjoyed Renee’s post about classic urban fantasy – make sure you check out the comments for more books and authors.
Neato Cool
- Should I confess that I only read a few sentences of this post? I spent most of the time admiring the infographic of Crayola’s Law.
- Booklover1335 explains how to make a lovely photo ribbon bookmark (great gift potential, minimal craftiness required).
- Lifehacker points you to directions for making spiral-ring notebooks from old VHS tapes covers.
- Stuck for blog ideas? Check out Lynn Viehl’s ideas for breaking out of your blog block.
Stuff That Didn’t Fit Anywhere Else
- Make sure you avoid scams when donating to help Haiti, ok?
- Yikes – if you’re into staying fully connected, it costs you. A lot. (And the chart doesn’t even include ebook purchases…)
- How to knit garter stitch in the round, without seams or jogs or purling.
- Marsha dares cat owners to knit a cat hoody and take pictures. No. Way. In. Hell. I’m not sure I’d survive the blood loss!
Well, I Was Amused
- Rush over to Awful Library Books and check out the pictures from a 1973 book about careers with the police department.
- *hoping that Chaos doesn’t order a grow your own chicken kit*
- Grad students and authors should breathe deeply before clicking on this link.
- Famous knots of the world, illustrated in earbuds – because who hasn’t inadvertently tied some of these?!
Reading Update
Fatal Shadows, A Dangerous Thing, 
The Hell You Say, 
Death of a Pirate King, and 
The Dark Tide (The Adrien English Mysteries, Books 1-5) by Josh Lanyon. ebooks. I read books one through four last August and was amazed at how much emotional impact this m/m mystery series had on me. As I reread the first four books last week, preparing to read the fifth (and final) book, I was amazed again, because the books affected me just as much this time. When I wasn’t reading, I’d find myself thinking about Adrien, about Jake, about their complicated history. I was both looking forward to reading The Dark Tide and afraid to read it, knowing that it would most likely take me through the emotional wringer yet again. It did. I cried a few times. But at the end of the fifth book? I smiled.
Love Dot Come by Julia Talbot. ebook short. Absolutely adorable short about two geeky, klutzy guys who meet via an online personals site.
Aquamarine by Sara Bell. ebook. After a college football player is seriously injured during a game and learns that his publicity loving boyfriend won’t stick around, his life changes in unexpected ways in this sweet m/m romance.
The Manny by Sara Bell. ebook. Another sweet m/m romance from Sara Bell. This one’s about a male nanny/custom motorcycle designer and his evil landlord.
Crimson Regret, A Taste of Darkness, A Glimpse Inside, and Windows and Walls (Inches of Trust, Books 1-4) by A.R. Moler. ebook shorts. These m/m shorts are about an architect and a cop who meet as a devil and Zorro at a Halloween costume party. I enjoyed these, but found them frustrating at the same time – they read as sort of serial novel. I’d rather read the novel or collection.
Knowing Caleb (Hawkins Ranch, Book 4) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Pretty good m/m that I guess I’d categorize as a very steamy paranormal Western romance. (Hot demon cowboys!) I haven’t read the others in this series, but I’m sure I’ll read at least a few others.
You Were Always On My Mind by Deirdre O’Dare. ebook. Um. Yeah. I think I damaged my eyeballs from rolling them so much while reading this m/m romance. *shakes head at self for finishing this book*
A Promise Kept by Stormy Glenn. ebook. What is it about Stormy Glenn’s m/m romances? This one was about miscommunication and misunderstanding (with a stalker thrown in for good measure) – I was alternately sniffling, then rolling my eyes at the hokey bits. (My eyeball muscles are strong! Strong! after reading this story.) But I kept reading (er, skimming)… even though this book should have been about 1/3 the length it was, based on the amount of actual story.
Beautiful Viking by Steve Sampson. ebook. Well, the cover’s nice… Unfortunately, the writing in this m/m romance was clumsy and choppy and the characters unrealistic and gushing.
In the Rough (By Degrees, Book 2) by J. B. McDonald. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about two guys, longtime friends who are both survivors of childhood abuse and who slowly realize that even 20 years later, they’ve been allowing their pasts to control them.
Bastards and Pretty Boys by K. Z. Snow. ebook. Well done m/m romantic suspense about a guy who buys a cabin on a quiet Wisconsin lake, hoping to work through his hydrophobia. Alas, I’ve never stayed at a cabin that had such a scenic next door neighbor!
The Night Sky Man by Mallory Path. ebook. Nicely done dreamlike m/m romance about a model and a modeling agent.
As Serious as the Grave by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Well. Yes, I read an m/m zombie romance and liked it. (Anyone who knows how I feel about zombie stories probably just spit the beverage of their choice on their screens.) Both Jenre and Tam have said far more eloquent things about this short than I will ever manage, but don’t let the zombie aspect squick you out. As Tam kept reiterating, “He’s not a zombie, he’s reanimated.”
“If you really loved me, Mom, you’d buy me a super-fancy kitty house instead of making me live in this plastic tub.” -Mayhem
Oh yay me…as soon as I get the guest post, yup I still have not recieved it, getting shaky here.
Wow! Knitting content! Is that it, for the week?
That tapestry was very cool, and loved the crayola chart.
And yes, I’ve got to get started on Josh Lanyon….
Are you sure she’s not in there inhaling wool fumes or something? Didn’t she go to rehab for substance abuse issues??
Yeah, but they’d probably still sleep/play/live in the plastic tub.
I’m gonna miss Reuben!
Oh, is there a fourth one of the AR Moler books? I found it annoying to have to keep buying another sip to get their story as I started with the Halloween one. One 40 page book would have been preferable. But I’ll get it because I’m invested in them as a couple now. Grrrr.
Love Dot Com sounds good and I looked at The Manny the other day but wasn’t sure. Maybe I will get it next time.
I must get going on Adrien English. Sigh. I liked KZ’s story too. Yeah, hot neighbors never seem to live near me. Sigh.
Oh and “YAY ZOMBIES!”. Ummm, I meant “Yay, reanimated people!”. 🙂 I like Keirnan Kelly’s work a lot so I was pretty sure it would be good despite the …. umm, dead guy? Some day I’ll bribe you to read Ally Blue’s zombie story. 😉
Chris- (sigh) I love Lite Brite and coloring books…and Lego..and Lincoln Logs…..
Mornin’, Chris. 🙂
I am marking this post as ‘unread’ in my reader…I am out the door soon – I don’t have time to read this thoroughly. And I love your linkety link link posts!
So…see you this afternoon.
Backups. That’s what offsite backups are for. When my mom was working on her dissertation (~15 years ago), my dad’s cat liked to sit on the computer desk, under the nice warm lamp, and once, while getting up and stretching, turned off the power strip. I like learning from other people’s mistakes–I’m a fairly obsessive saver, and I e-mail my work to myself so it’s on gmail, too. 🙂
Good cartoon and earbud knots, too.
it’s my cat in a box.
You know these post always make me smile!! Especially the awwww’s!!!!
But what I love most.. is my adorable kitties!!!
And Mom really, must we talk about a new kittie home. Come’on… You see what happens when the new fake kittie comes to our house, lol!!! Just couldn’t resist!!!
Have a great day hon!
Those Pride and Prejudice links are awesome. I just passed them on to my Austen-obsessed friend. How obsessed? She’s currently directing Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at the local community theater…and has set it during the Regency. That’s why my husband (who’s playing the lead) has been growing sideburns for the past two months. It’s like living with my own Mr. Darcy. 🙂
.-= Marsha´s last blog ..Attention, cat owners =-.
My guess is you secretly love that box, Mayhem.
.-= margene´s last blog ..Frida =-.
Did anything strike your fancy among the many new devices? The Skiff looks cool, and large enough to show two book pages in landscape mode, I think (though it doesn’t seem like they’ve come up with that idea yet, maybe).
.-= limedragon :-: Harri´s last blog ..Super Quick Post =-.
Yep, I agree with staying away from the kitty sweater idea. Not sure who would more traumatized by that, the cats or me…
Great round up of links and I love your commentary! Thank you for the linkage. 🙂
.-= Donna-FantasyDreamer´s last blog ..Guest Author & Giveaway: Erica Hayes =-.
Categorized linkies! Yay!
I think Mayhem doth protest too much. I’m sure something that’s actually designed for a kitty wouldn’t be nearly as much fun to sit in as something not meant for a kitty.
.-= Cheryl S.´s last blog ..FO: Baktus =-.
Your blog is the most fun! Thanks for everything. Tummy rubs for M and C.
Your linky posts always make me smile!
Just an FYI – Donna Fantasy Dreamer has corrected her contest. Shadowfever is NOT one of the books; Shadowfae & Shadowglass are being given away.
Sweet! You liked Bastards and Pretty Boys too? I have a review brewing and will see if I can get it up today.
Oh, and I can’t get enough of the kitty comments!
.-= Miranda´s last blog ..Contest Bar =-.
I’m glad that I haven’t been doing any thesis writing lately. I’m sure mine would be deleted in a heartbeat!
.-= Seanna Lea´s last blog ..loving cookies =-.
Alas, poor Mayhem! Woe, woe!
On an unrelated note, I love LiteBrites. They’re up there with Colorforms and Shrinkey-Dinks. 😀
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..WIP . . . Thursday? =-.
Thanks for the great links!
I’ve got the AE series in my TBR. I’ve heard such great things about it and I love Josh’s writing. Definitely looking forward to reading the books.
I’ve read a few of the others and have a couple on my TBR. Looks like you had a good reading week.
.-= Lily´s last blog ..The One That Got Away by Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban and In the Rough by JB McDonald =-.
I want the LiteBrite tapestry!
May, I think you like the plastic box, but rather than a fancy kittyhouse, I’d work for a tent with pink feather trim. Tents are much more fun (and easier to escape from if Big Kitty attacks!).
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..Two WIPs: Only One Requires a Brain =-.
What no Adrien English review en mass?
I so love the Austenbook…I couldn’t friend anybody though. 🙂
Thanks for the mention!
Once again, I have a page full of tabs to follow all the links from this post. Already wishlisted Aquamarine over at Fictionwise, thanks to you!
.-= Renee´s last blog ..2010 TBR Challenge (January): Dancing in the Moonlight =-.
Best. Links. Ever. The Lite Brite tapestry is brilliant. And the Pride and Prejudice links are hilarious – you made my day! Thanks honey!
Hydrophobia! That kind of therapy doesn’t sound too bad…
I’m going to pass on knitting a cat hoodie, as I think my girls would scratch my eyes out if I tried stuff them in hoodies. 😉
.-= Jodi´s last blog ..fo: saroyan =-.
Have you read anything other than m/m romance at all lately? I need some more book recommendations.
.-= trek´s last blog ..Why blog? =-.
So Tylenol is recalling Motrin? I just saw on CNN that Motrin is all they have to give amputee patients in Haiti. That going to be recalled too?
On a lighter note, tell Mayhem that she’s a pretty girl from all sides in that see thru plastic tub!!
my brain works in mysterious ways… it flows in a way that not all people can keep up with! As i was reading your post today i suddenly had to laugh as i thought “your (meaning you) such a bookie!” i have a friend who is a huge foodie. hmmm, does that make me a woolie?
.-= turtle´s last blog ..quickie 2010 contest links! =-.
I has bloggers block, ta for link!!
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Stuff. =-.
Somewhere I saw a real chicken kit you could buy – baby chicks, coop, and manual. I guess I should have saved the link for Chaos. 🙂
Some of the things on God’s computer look a little scarey, like raining clowns and the Jelly Age.
I’m pretty my earbuds have tied every one of those knots on their own.
.-= Sydney´s last blog ..Snow Days =-.
This post was well worth the return…but honestly, all I can think of right now is the Lite Brite tapestry.
So Chris, am I actually, truly the winner? I’m absolutely giddy if this is true and I read my name right (and since this would be a great birthday gift for my special day coming up on Monday). I’m just double-checking since I didn’t see any confirmation in my email. But it’s been a crappy day so I easily could have missed an email from you.
Thanks for letting me know for sure!
Never mind Chris, I answered my own question…..(inserting sad face). I see that there is another Jody running around (comment #77) and no it’s not my split personality.
Congrats though to the other Jody!
Hey Jody F. (Joder)
Can you please email me at bronwyn @ bronwyngreen. com? (no spaces)
Thanks! 🙂
What is it about Stormy Glenn’s m/m romances?
Need I say anything else ..
Thanks for the linky’s – I am alway looking to find the perfect reader….
After 3 year with my Fitzroy – My eyes are starting to wonder… I feel like such a traitor..
E.H>
.-= Erotic Horizon´s last blog ..DISCUSSION POINT: Steampunk =-.
You tricked me with your ‘awww’ and ‘more awww’ links 🙂 Had I known it led to cute kitten pics I wouldn’t have clicked on them, cause I’m such a softie when it comes to baby cats. My hubby knows to never take me to a cat shelter or new nest… ’cause awww!
You’ve read quite some books/stories this week. I want to read the Adrien English series too. Book 5 is the last one in the series, right? Because I don’t want to start it before I’m sure there’s a definite ending. Silly, huh?
.-= ErotRomReader Janna´s last blog ..Todays Man Candy & New Exciting Book Blogs =-.
Congrats to Jody!
Thanks for the mention Chris, I really appreciate it.
I have to get busy and read some Josh Lanyon soon!
Best
L
I spend waaay too much time with your link fests. I must go see what’s happening in Meryton on Facebook.
.-= mary lou´s last blog ..Harvest Neck Gaiter =-.
Hmmm I’m imagining Phoebe in a hoodie….
.-= mrspao´s last blog ..Sneak peak =-.