Contests
- JessaLu is celebrating her birthday with a contest – she’s giving away some handspun yarn and some of her gorgeous bucket bags. Stop by and wish her a happy birthday before midnight EDT, July 16 (yup, that is today), for your chance to win. And, hey, mention that I sent you. 🙂
- Lea’s giving away a $10 Amazon gift card, plus your choice of a Beth Kery or Julie James book from the Book Depository. Leave a comment with your three to ten favorite movies by midnight EDT, July 16.
- Wendy’s giving away four skeins of gorgeous sock yarn – leave a comment by noon EDT, July 18, for your chance to win one.
- Mandi’s giving away a copy of Sean Cummings’s latest urban fantasy, Funeral Pallor (Valerie Stevens #2). US & Canada only. Contest runs through July 18.
- Over the Edge Book Reviews is giving away a signed copy of Dark Warrior: Untamed, the latest paranormal romance by Alexis Morgan. Contest runs through July 18.
- Heidi’s giving away a skein of Kraemer Sterling Silk and Silver yarn – check out her blog for multiple ways to enter the contest, which closes July 20.
- Ms Moonlight’s giving away five steamy print books (three from Samantha Kane’s m/m series Brothers at Arms, Stranded by Eve Vaughn, & Alpha’s Mate by Leah Brooke) – for your chance to win, you need to be a follower in the US or Canada and write captions for the three posted book covers. Contest closes July 21.
- Learn a little more about Kim Dare and leave a comment before July 23 for your chance to win an ebook from her backlist.
- Morning Glow’s celebrating her birthday by giving away a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores (US & Canada only). Contest closes 12 am EDT, July 23.
Bookity
- New releases: Lily (m/m romance), Renee (eclectic short listing of June books), Katiebabs (eclectic listing of future releases), and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, with interviews, contests, and more).
- Smokin’ Hot Books has some m/m romance book recommendations.
- Dear Author does linkity posts several times each week. While Dear Author’s linkity is usually serious stuff, the linkity at Smart Bitches is definitely much less so!
- Dear Author reports back from RomCon on what readers think about book covers.
- Do you read Good Show Sir? They look at scifi/fantasy book covers and try to recreate what the art director must’ve told the artist to end up with the cover in question… 🙂
Ebookity
- An American Editor on ebooks and the TBR (to-be-read) pile.
- Will publishers learn from the recording industry’s mistakes, or will they make the same mistakes with ebooks that the recording industry made with the internet? Can traditional publishers even adapt to the internet?
- How should a publisher choose which platform to use for ebook publishing? (My thought: Please don’t be platform-specific!)
- IKEA Hacker has a very inexpensive way to make an iPad or ebook reader stand.
Learn, Do, Make, Think
- A real unicorn! (Thanks, Amy!)
- If you’ve always wanted to be a mermaid/man, now you can make your own functional swim tail!
- This is clever – make a self-cleaning pet bowl using a fish tank filter.
- You probably thought you knew everything there was to know about Star Wars. You’d be wrong! (Thanks, Stephani!)
- Curious about the lies people tell during online dating? (I now understand why every guy who claimed to be my height of 5’9″ was actually shorter than me when we met!)
- How to be positive and supportive on social networks, yet not annoy everyone.
- Oh oh – the five-second rule is under attack by actual science.
- Common kitchen myths debunked… wait, that baking soda isn’t doing any good?! Waaaah!
- This hand-crank coffee grinder looks pretty cool.
- What will the unemployed astronauts be doing in 2012?
- If you have a DSLR, you can make your own inexpensive negative scanner (although my dad suggested you paint the inside of the toilet paper tubes matte black).
- Very cool poster from the 2009 Love Your Body Campaign. (Thanks Jase!)
- Do you know what caffeine is actually doing in your body and brain?
Linkity Peeps
- Eyre’s back with more of her completely NSFW linkity.
- Kristi’s back with photography, knitting, and food linkity.
Huh
- Make a paper clone of yourself.
- If you crochet and have a small car…
- Just say no to canned sandwiches, ok?
- What has it got in its pockets? (Thanks, Jeanne!)
- Sperm plush dolls??! (Thanks???, Stephani!)
- The Transportation Safety Administration is recruiting via… pizza boxes?! (Really, that explains so much, doesn’t it?)
LOL
- Brilliant! Twilight Eclipse as told by cats. (Thanks, Bronwyn!)
- Do you know what the nine stupidest superhero secret identities are? (Thanks, Stephani!)
- Erm. It’s not often that cake is NSFW, but… more superheroes!
- Beware the soul vortex!
- Hmm. I think some of these kittehs are more Purgatory Kittehs than Basement Kittehs.
- O noes! “Missing” kitty! (Thanks, Jeanne!)
Teh Cute
- Kittens! Kittens! Kitten! Kitties! Kittens! Kitties and puppies! Kitten! Floofy kitten! Fundraising kittens!
- You probably need Daily Bunny in your life. (Thanks, Jase!)
- Danger! I Can Haz Cheezburger is doing linkity posts, too.
Reading Update
Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane. ebook. Excellent m/m version of Beauty and the Beast about a bitter, disfigured woodcarver who agrees to leave with a strange part man, part beast so that he will no longer be a barrier to his sister’s happiness.
Truthful Change by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a retired mercenary who becomes fascinated by his seemingly innocent gardener…
Jacob’s Ladder (St. Nacho’s, Book 3) by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a pastry chef who ends up in St. Nacho’s because of a cold and domestic violence. He’s planning to leave town as soon as his brother can pick him up… but you know how plans like that go in St. Nacho’s!
Start from the Beginning by Chrissy Munder. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who recently had a stress-induced heart attack and is now staying at a friend’s cabin to learn how to slow his life down. Without much to do, he becomes fascinated by the reclusive artist who lives in a nearby cabin.
Fair Winds by Chrissy Munder. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s supposed to be part of a sailboat’s crew during a big race, until the other crewmembers find out he’s gay. I’d really like to see a sequel to this one!
Blast from the Past by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good m/m romance about a teacher who was laid off and is now working at a daycare center, where he runs into the guy he had a huge crush on in high school.
A Detour Home by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two college-age friends who’ve known each other for years, but not done anything about their attraction until they work together on summer road crew job.
Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee. ebook. Good m/m romance about two men who are very different (black/white, closeted/out, white-collar/blue-collar) who may or may not be getting involved with each other.
Runaway Love by Z.A. Maxfield. free ebook short. Good short m/m romance about an artist who’s driving to San Francisco when he stops to pick up two young hitchhikers.
Beautiful Sunset by Sarah Masters. ebook short. Lyrical short paranormal m/m romance about a man who was brutally betrayed by his boyfriend; since then, he’s been going to sit by a small lake and feed bread to a heron and think.
Life After by Jaime Samms. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a guy who’s taking some time off from the law firm where he works as he reevaluates his life. He’s been spending a lot of time thinking in the cemetery, until one day the caretaker walks up and starts talking to him.
Unstoppable Force by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. Good m/m romance about a successful businessman who doesn’t believe in love, so he simply hires high-class prostitutes for a weekend or a few weeks. And then he hires a guy who starts to really get under his skin… and whose past isn’t quite ready to let him go. This would’ve been a much better read if everything hadn’t been tidied it up in half a chapter and an epilogue – it definitely felt rushed.
Martin and the Wolf by Anne Brooke. ebook. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who has a scorching hot encounter with a crude and mysterious man at a friend’s garden party – an encounter that he doesn’t realize will change his life.
Sweet Surrender by Ashleigh Walton. ebook. So-so, but very sweet, m/m romance about an architecture student who starts dating a guy with his own landscaping business. A bit too syrupy for my taste.
“But if I show you my super soft tummy, you might think that means you can rub it. And it doesn’t. At all.” -Mayhem
Mayhem, you are no dog!
A recent post from margene..To Everything
The *Twilight* saga with lolcats is priceless.
I had friends who talked about showing up at the premier with “Team Van Helsing” shirts…
A recent post from Melanie..I Am A Runner
Sometimes scarves feel like they take a year. Or longer. And I am not convinced re. the baking soda. I want more evidence.
A recent post from marylou..Coquille Saint Paul
Kittens! AND puppies!!! Eeeee!
I love that Twilight saga…Must check out the other ones she’s done up.
A recent post from Brigitte..What A Shame
Oh, May. Do you roll up on the hand that’s trying to rub your tummy? That is so darling!!!!
That crochet covered car is gorgous!
Do you think if that unicorn breeds there would be more?
I can’t believe 6’5″ men get the most sex. Too tall, too tall. (For a shortie like me)
I think canned sandwiches would be great in the case of armageddon or a blizzard. Always fresh. Yum. 🙂
I want a plush sperm. Vampires on Facebook. I laughed out loud in my office. I’m so passing that on.
OMG, I’m going into and insulin coma from the sugar overdose of daily bunnies. Ack! *thunk*
Do I get a prize for longest post ever? Huh? Do I?
Onto the books. Unstoppable Force and Martin and the Wolf are the only two of those I’ve read. Some I have in my TBR. I agree with your assessments.
A recent post from Tam..Long and thick- just the way you like it
Thanks for the linky! xo
Parents on FB is hilarious!
Chris- Can we grab Chao’s tummy and shout BooYa?
I truly believe in the 5 second real, I do I do I do!
A recent post from Lorraine..A Slight Interruption
Ohhh Mayhem, you know you want us to rub your tummy… Cuz then we can for surez tell everyone that you have the softest tummy….
Chris, thanks for all the links honey! You know how to appease the crowd with a bit of everything.. lol!
And guess what…. It is FRIDAY!!!!!!!
A recent post from Cecile..Short Story by Cecile Smutty Hussy
The knitting clock, cool. I watched an epoisode of one of the cake shows last night (well I think it was an old show) http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2007/12/12/cake-full-of-yarn/
Love the crochet cozy for the car.
The unicorn story was really neat. I hope the other deer don’t tease him.
But May with a tummy so soft one can’t help rubbing it!
A recent post from Rebekah..Do you have a fork
Loved the fish filter for the water bowls.
And I’ll stand by the 30 second rule.
A recent post from trek..WWW – Dramatic edition
Nice links (as always!) Thanks!
A recent post from Patti..Review- Crimson Moon by JA Saare
I so agree with you about Sweet Surrender. I found the main hero to be a bit whiny.
A recent post from KC (smokinhotbooks)..Twice Bitten by Chole Neill Made of Awesome
“Sperm plush dolls??? ROFL OMG – um – why?? lol Gawd I love linkety..
And, that canwich is totally gross as in yack..
Another amazing reading week Chris. I spent 100 hours on the phone with Dell replacing busted hard drives and reconfiguring my son’s notebook. *sigh* Painful, I tell you painful. Needless to say, reading wasn’t something I got a lot done of.
Hey, thanks for mentioning my contest – so appreciated!
Well, it is your tummy May. 😉
TGIF
L
OMG! The bad covers out there is killing me, the submarine with polka dots…hilarious!
Another great Friday morning. Thanks!
I’ve read a few of those and agree with your take on them. As for the links, awesome as usual. A big part of my morning has been spent clicking and reading. As usual, thanks for the mention. 🙂
A recent post from Lily..Weekly Update 28 and The Friday 56
Actually I just pickled some Jalapeno Peppers. SPICY!
But I have not posted the recipe because I want to wait and see if they mellow out a bit.
Made my own Pickling Spice too!
Wow. Lol version of Eclipse is so much better (well, better than Twilight, the only one I’ve managed to get through)!
A recent post from Seanna Lea..a tiny break
The knitting clock would just make me feel so inferior since it can knit and I can’t.
BUNNIES!!!
I love the clock! And the LOLCat Eclipse! Very awesome stuff.
My sister and I used to “make” our legs into mermaid fins by slipping our feet through plastic diving rings (the weighted kind that sink to the bottom of the pool). Much more cost effective. 😉
A recent post from Nicole..Friday Snippet- and Frustrations
I actually read two books from your list this week! 🙂 I too liked Start from The Beginning and A Detour Home.
May is adorable looking in this pic! 🙂
A recent post from Janna ErotRomReader..Happy Gay Friday & Does Summer Affect Your Bloghopping
Wow, that’s quite the linkage!! That coffee grinder is making me sad I’m off coffee 🙁 For now!)
A recent post from knittymama..Super Motorcycle Gloves!!!
Thanks for promoting my contest!
I read the internet dating lies.. how fascinating! I love reading things like that. And thinking on it, I can see taller men getting more sex. I do love me some tall men.
“Beautiful Sunset” sounded interesting.. it has wings on the cover, are angels involved or something? I have a weak spot for angels.
A recent post from Morning Glow..CSN Gift Card Giveaway!!
The kidlet would so love one of those mermaid tails, but given my sewing skills (and I’m using the term skills very loosely), I doubt it would look anything like a mermaid’s tail when I finished with it.
The Plush Sperm Dolls are cute and all, but I don’t want to know how much ‘love’ each one was hand made with.
A recent post from Ava March..Emerging from The Cave
How about a tickle then, Mayhem? Or is that just another term for “courting evisceration”?
A recent post from Marsha..Tech talk
Aw, May, it doesn’t? May I scritch your ears, then?
A recent post from naomi..eye candy friday
It’s taken me like 24 hours to work my way through the Linkity this time….
I’m pretty sure that cabinet in “Missing Kitty” is the kitty portal to the time/space continuum. 😉
So now we know, TSA is composed primarily of pizza eaters.
I think I’ll pass on the canned sandwiches.
Great links!
A recent post from Sydney..Why yes- I do knit
Thanks for the link, Chris!
It looks like you had a great reading week. Taking notes on a goodly number of those books! I’ve really got to start the St Nacho’s series.
LOVE the knitting clock! Talk about a multi-tasker! And, the Good Show Sir site was totally addictive. I ♥ cover snark, and some of those covers are truly heinous.
A recent post from Renee..Giddiyap!
Thank you Chris! I do like the sound of Truth in the Dark and Fair Winds.
Ah May, that old trick!
A recent post from orannia..Hitting The Ceiling
I do have one or two of those books that I really need to get to.. I do like Lisa Davis stuff..
Some I need to check out from the sounds of your thoughts on them.. I like the sound of that Amy Lane book and how different is that cover on the Samms book…
Thanks as always for the links..
E.H>
Aw, May, you don’t like the belly rubs? Cat-the-First doesn’t like them either, but Cat-the-Second lives for them.
Chris, thanks for linking to me again. I laughed out loud when I saw clothing made from bacteria. I have some male students whose clothes seem to be held together by bacteria. I’m sure if they were ever washed they would fall apart. What’s really sad is that these are the kids who have the means to actually do laundry. They just haven’t figured out that stinky boys don’t get girls.
A recent post from Eyre..I want this marmot
May looks especially soft 🙂
LOL to the Facebook parents linky. My friends’ dad became their FB friend and they both decreased their activity very quickly!
A recent post from mrspao..Now he is one is he a kitten or a cat