Thanks to Ralph at The Dancing Dove, where I won a copy of Journey To Compromise by Mira Ismine, and to Kim Dare, at whose blog I won a copy of one of her books for only being a sort of bad guesser.
Contests
- Many, many congratulations to CJ (aka Carolyn Crane) on the publication of her first book, Mind Games! The Book Smugglers reviewed, discussed, and are giving away a signed copy of Mind Games (contest closes 11:59 pm PDT, March 27). Discover the ten books that CJ worked on, but were sadly rejected by publishers, plus have the chance to win a signed copy of Mind Games – comment by 8 am CDT, March 28 for your chance to win. You can find a really amazingly amusing interview with CJ at SciFiGuy, plus have the chance to win one of three copies (one signed) of Mind Games if you comment by midnight EDT, March 29.
- LesleyW’s curious about your favorite and least favorite book endings – comment about them by March 26 for your chance to win a copy of The Falconer by Elaine Clark McCarthy.
- Largehearted Boy’s giving away yet another $100 Threadless gift certificate, plus Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou, and assorted other books and cds to a lucky commenter. Contest closes midnight CDT, March 26.
- Authors Bronwyn Green and Paige Tyler gracefully dealt with both having released books called Just Right based on Little Red Riding Hood by having a joint contest! Visit both blogs by March 29 for your chance to win copies of both books.
- Janna’s giving away winner’s choice of Mia’s new paranormal m/m romance Freeze Frame (Faerily Imperfect, Book 3) or her forthcoming m/m romance Dangerous Distractions. Winner announced March 30. (And hey, I’ll be kicking off a contest for Dangerous Distractions next week, too.)
- Anna’s giving away some recent mysteries from Simon & Schuster – fill out the form before March 31 for your chance to win.
- Cecile’s having an amazing number of contests this month – head over to her place for details! Contests end March 31.
- Dreamspinner Press has 25 Easter eggs hidden on their site – find them all before 6 pm EDT, April 1, to be entered in a drawing to win $50, $25, and $10 Dreamspinner gift certificates.
Books & Reading
- SciFiGuy’s urban fantasy weekend report is, as always, chock full of info-y goodness on book releases, interviews, covers, and more. Donna Fantasy Dreamers’s got info on new urban fantasy/scifi romance/YA, plus contests. Literary Escapism had two days of urban fantasy/paranormal news/interviews/contests this week. And Lily’s got some of the new m/m releases for the week listed.
- Jessica’s got her usual eclectic and thought-provoking mixture of links over at Read React Review.
- Really excellent post about DRM over at An American Editor. My favorite quote from the post: “Right now Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and publishers are able to ignore the consumer in the nascent ebook market. But the backlash is coming.” (As an aside, I’ve chosen to reward publishers and bookstores that make and sell DRM-free books and avoid those that don’t have DRM-free offerings.)
- A new survey suggests that the ebook market is set to explode.
- And don’t forget – we really don’t know anything about digital publishing yet!
- Nice post over at Dear Author reacting to the complaint that ebooks and “the loss of the public nature of the physical artifact will result in the loss of culture.”
- Gizmodo had a blurb about “online music industry giants” making a plea to stop music piracy. I couldn’t help but read the following sentence while thinking about the publishing industry and authors: “…it’s tough to take an earnest plea for buying music seriously when it comes from business middlemen rather than, you know, musicians.” So, authors, keep spreading the ebook anti-piracy message, because you are the people most likely to be heard.
- Of course, there’s plenty of debate about the term “piracy” itself.
- Look out, print publishers – researchers have created a book scanner that scans books as you flip through the pages.
- Curious about what authors go through in getting a book published? Author KZ Snow takes us behind the scenes.
- And then KZ moves beyond cover models to overused phrases in book titles. (KZ was totally on a roll last week!)
- Author Susan Blexrud on the maddening phenomenon of headhopping (introducing too many points of view into a narrative).
- Yet another publisher discovers that giving away a free ebook can lead to increased sales.
- I like this simple, no-nonsense iPhone stand.
- Emily candidly discusses that topic we all avoid – book addiction (and there’s a great comic included!).
- Even more pararnormal/classic mashups. Will it never stop?!
Learn Stuff
- Thanks, Lifehacker, for sharing this bit about dark coffee being better for one’s stomach!
- You can make you own cheap flavored coffee.
- How to make lovely free-standing bookshelves.
- Another very clever hidden litterbox solution from ikea hacker.
- More evidence that high-fructose corn syrup is evil.
- Lifehacker asked readers to recommend their favorite offline backup tools. Maybe you should read about the five stages of data loss grief before you dismiss those backup tools, hmm?
- Gizmodo has some tips on how to hide the parts of your “digital legacy” that you’d rather not leave behind…
- Make paper booklets with cuts and folds – no glue required.
Moment of Silence
- …for Ophelia, beloved kitty of pao and mrspao. *sniff*
Knitting
- Thanks to Sweet Vernal Zephyr, who discovered this amazing knit and crocheted motorcycle cover.
- Jeanne was the first person to send me the link to this very cool knitted commercial.
Things That Amused Me
- I really can’t blame all the adults pictured in this book for drinking…
- Do you ever read The Bloggess? Insanely funny, sometimes heavy on the insane. 😉 (Discovered via CursingMama.)
- If you know who Crazy Little CJ is, beware…
- Definitely not Chaos. This isn’t Chaos either. (Thanks to Limedragon for introducing me to this comic!)
- Isn’t every kitty a stalker kitty?
- Whoops – author Amy Lane on mix tapes and cds, including one I sent her! Hee hee.
Cute Burns
- Kittens, kittens, everywhere at Two Mama Cats. They have black kittens and tabby kittens that still need homes! 🙁
- Aw, sweet little tuxedo girl kitteh.
- And kittens at Love & Hisses! Eeek! It must be Kitten Season, which is a very dangerous time of year.
Reading Update
Reading Update Update: I’m slowly working on adding my wee reviewettes to my LibraryThing. (Would that I had thought of this quite some time ago…) Depending on the tone and formality of said reviewettes, they’ll either be in the Reviews or the Comments field. When you view my LibraryThing, click on the various available styles until you find one that shows the comments. (Which letter that will be varies by browser, weirdly.)
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny (Nightside, Book 10) by Simon R. Green. PI John Taylor’s back in another dark noirish urban fantasy; what else is there to say?
Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger. Excellent m/m romance told in epistolary style about two boys (a nerd and a jock) who fall in love in high school and then lose touch with each other after going to college. I’d heard nothing but good about this book, yet I still wasn’t prepared for how it sucked me in. Highly recommended.
Hideout by Katie Allen. ebook. This excellent m/m romantic suspense is about a cop who’s guarding one of the characters from Private Dicks for seven months until he can testify in a trial. Really, why aren’t there more witness protection books that include remodeling the safe house? 🙂 Highly recommended. Hopefully, now that Katie’s writing full-time, she’ll give us some more of her excellent m/m romance soon. (Oh, and you really need to read Private Dicks first to get the most out of this book! I promise, it won’t be a hardship.) As if you hadn’t guessed, highly recommended.
Sex and Sexuality by Willa Okati. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a professor who went through “homosexual deprogramming” when he was younger and is now trying to follow the straight life, complete with evil bitch fiancee (more caricature than anything else). Published in 2007, this is definitely not one of Okati’s stronger books.
From Afar by Ava March. ebook. Very good historical paranormal m/m romance about a vampire obsessed by a young lord who has to change the lord into a vampire to save his life. The ending was a bit abrupt – perhaps there’s to be a sequel? (I know, I know, another historical!)
The Hit List by Anne Brooke. ebook. This m/m romance was a mixed read for me. I found the first third very frustrating, not really knowing what the heck was going on. In fact, I put the book aside and read the previous two books. When I returned to The Hit List, the middle third wasn’t quite so frustrating, and the final third was quite good. In fact, I started to suspect that the first third was meant to put the reader into the very confused headspace of the narrator.
Paul’s D’Marco by Leiland Dale. ebook short. Ok short m/m romantic suspense about a police detective and the psychic that’s called in to help the police find a serial child killer. A titch more editing and fleshing out the story would’ve moved this from ok to good.
Persistence Pays by Mara Ismine. ebook short. Very cute m/m romance about a martial artist who’s been trying for years to avoid spending too much time with his irresistible but slutty best friend.
Emergency (A City Hospital Novel) by Drew Zachary. ebook. Typical sweet’n’steamy m/m romance from Drew Zachary about an EMT who’s good friends with a doctor going through a divorce and questioning his sexuality. Very low angst.
Caught Running by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux. ebook reread. Good m/m romance about two guys who went to high school together who are now teaching and coaching at that same school. (I noticed headhopping this time, but don’t remember noticing it the first time I read the book.)
“Pink fluff, I devour you!” -Mayhem
Links!!! 😀
But no no noooo, I shall not click, I am working hard on an assignment, I would like to get in 2 more pages before lunch
.-= blodeuedd´s last blog ..Release Day: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane =-.
You keep sending me to these kitty blogs that speak kitty speak and i keep going and can’t leave…
Don’t stop hon -I love the links – thanks for filtering it out for us…
Some supercool discussion link today – I will be making the rounds over the weekend…..
Luv the haul of book – Lily did pimp out some of those to me already…
No Dane this week – you seem to read one everyweek for the past couple of weeks…
** On the train to Horror Convention – clutching my book to get signed, and my sandwich and my drink….. *** So going to have a great time..
Later ducks..
E.H>
.-= Erotic Horizon´s last blog ..Review – Bachelor Cop © Carolyn McSparren =-.
I made my daughter watch that knitting commercial while putting on her socks this morning. LOL
Oh pink fluff is the stuff unicorns find in their belly buttons.
I read Emergency a day or so ago. Also read Private Dicks and really enjoyed it. Must get the next one now. Glad you liked Persistence. It was cute. I don’t remember head hopping much but I know Rue and Urban are famous for it, but it’s generally not a bugaboo for me like for some people.
.-= Tam´s last blog ..The Picture Meme =-.
Mayhem is eating lots of pink fluff lately. Does it keep you “regular”, Mayhem?
.-= margene´s last blog ..Signs of Spring =-.
I bow down to your list linkity today! Wow, there is some much to go through here.
I love articles that validates my coffee drinking habits. I drink dark coffee. A lot of it. FTW!!
On the ebooks, for marketing…what about mini thumb drives with the outer casing decorated with the book’s cover? That’s away to keep the author in the readers thoughts.
.-= Donna-FantasyDreamer´s last blog ..New Releases: Science Fiction Romance, Urban Fantasy & YA for the week of March 23, 2010 =-.
*sniff* Ophelia…
Where do you find all of these adorable kitten blogs?!
.-= Brigitte´s last blog ..Just Stuff =-.
That first Johnny Wander cartoon? That’s Mary Jane. She likes it rough. 😉
Okay, so how long does it take you to do a link-heavy post like this? How long do you scour the ‘net for cool things to link to on your blog?
Oh my gosh… thanks for all the heads up everywhere! And EH is right… I am falling in love with all the kittie links you dish out!!!
They are to precious!
Hope you are having a great day… One more day tillllll TGIF!!!
…I will not click on links (thanks for including me)…I will not click on links…must write book…interwebz is bad…
.-= wren´s last blog ..Random Thoughts, Again =-.
Wren is right…interwebz is bad, bad, bad…yet, I cannot stop.
Thanks for mentioning the contest 🙂 Still wading through the links, as always, there is much awesomeness to be had.
BTW, anxiously awaiting the mail guy…he’s bringing my very own copy of Mind Games. 🙂
Is Limedragon still posting? Somehow she’s dropped off my radar.
Hah! I would never sleep again if I drank enough copy to stave off my aging brain.
Thanks for the pimpage! Now, I wonder is that cycle is functional as well as warm?! LOL.. I’m envisioning flames…
Oh, and best wishes on adding your reviews… I’m doing similar backup work on my blog. Tedious, but reminds me of quite a few favorites I want to reread!
.-= Miranda´s last blog ..REVIEW: Switch =-.
Wow. It is super link-a-riffic! I still haven’t gotten all of my books in Library Thing, which is mostly a problem of remembering where I left off. I don’t buy nearly as many books as I used to (the where to keep them problem), which is why I’ve gotten much more interested in ebooks (my husband thinks that is a waste *sigh*)
.-= Seanna Lea´s last blog ..pumpkin to cure my ills (and geekery) =-.
Pink fluff is what all those links just turned our brains into.
.-= Cheryl S.´s last blog ..FO: Baktus =-.
I had a feeling I knew where the pink fluff would show up. Great Linkities as always.
.-= cursingmama´s last blog ..Tuesday Feels Trivial =-.
Chris- Pink is the best flavour of all.
.-= Lorraine´s last blog ..Marching On =-.
It’s all contests, all the time, here at SOC…
And woah. Is it just me, or is that Nightside book neither an eBook nor a m/m romance?
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Week 12: Broken =-.
Great links, as always, and thanks for the mention.
I loved Almost Like Being in Love, Sex & Sexuality was ok and really liked Caught Running. I’m looking forward to reading Hide Out, From Afar and Emergency.
Can you imagine students in future high school English classes sincerely arguing that Jane Austen really did write about zombies shambling about the English countryside?
.-= trek´s last blog ..In which the PTA emails =-.
Now that I think on it, wouldn’t that be a great English assignment: read the original; read the mashup; compare and contrast??
.-= trek´s last blog ..In which the PTA emails =-.
Thanks for all the links! I look forward to them on Thursday.
Coffee is very healthy. It has more different kinds of anti-oxidants than any other food.
The longer days are bringing out the huntress in Mayhem!
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..What to do when alone and a little bit lonely… =-.
Thanks for mentioning Ophelia. It means such a lot.
Some of those kittens are gorgeous.
.-= mrspao´s last blog ..Good night, Ophelia =-.
love the cardboard record player. the cat in the cartoon, that is my parent’s cats scruffy and tigger, they are very uncatlike.
.-= Rebekah´s last blog ..Apparently 2007 was actually 2010 =-.
Hannibal the Fluffball of Doom can be scritched, scroofed, flopped on his back, and generally treated like a bean bag. Shall I send him over to give Chaos lessons? No, on second thought, I don’t think HtFoD would survive the encounter.
.-= kmkat´s last blog ..Random on Thursday. =-.
The kitten with the book reminds me of Nikita. He was a terror on book covers, biting and tearing them. I still can’t leave anything paper in nature where he can reach it. Bite, bite, bite.
.-= Karen B.´s last blog ..Forgot About It! =-.
Ah so it’s not my imagination that cheap coffee has more caffeine.
I was so sad when Quantum hard drives went out of business. All of my Quantum drives lasted a long long time. Course that’s probably why they went out of business. 😉
Too many cute kittens! Gerber stage 2 baby food chicken (and turkey)… a popular treat at my house.
.-= Sydney´s last blog ..Welcome to Spring =-.
Amazing linkage as always. Love the kittehs. I belong to a motorcycle family so the knitted cover was a hit 😉
Can’t wait to get Almost Like Being In Love – got the e-mail today that said it was being shipped; yay!
.-= Patti´s last blog ..Review: Paradise Rules by Beth Kery =-.
That first cartoon could be Mel, if he’s in the right mood.
.-= naomi´s last blog ..things and stuff =-.
Thanks for the comments on The Hit List, and thanks also for reading! I understand exactly what you mean, but am glad it improved as you went on :))
I think having Jamie in my head confused me for the first third too! But he and I did manage to thrash out what the heck was going on in his life and get him (relatively!) sorted out by the end, phew …
All good wishes!
Anne B
I’m so glad that you liked Almost Like Being In Love. Just one of my favorite books!
Oh and I’m happy to hear that you liked Hide Out. I just got it for review and was wondering if I’d like it or not. Yay!
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..I’m Still at DIK But Now It’s A Different Subject =-.
Thanks for pinging my link about point of view. Much appreciated!
Thank you so much for the links Chris. Now, where to go first…
May – you get that pink fluff what for. It’s too…pink IMO 🙂
.-= orannia´s last blog ..Character Versus Plot =-.