Congrats to KC (SmokinHotBooks), who won Making Promises (sequel to Keeping Promise Rock) by Amy Lane! Making Promises will be released on Monday, July 26, by Dreamspinner Press.
Contests
- Lea’s giving away a copy of the Nauti and Wild anthology by Lora Leigh and Jaci Burton – rush over and enter, because she’s selecting a winner sometime today (July 23)!
- LesleyW’s curious about your comfort reads. Leave a comment listing some of them (by July 26) for your chance to win a copy of Dark Protector by Alexis Morgan.
- Janna’s giving away one of Keta Diablo’s m/m romances – leave a comment for your chance to win and stop back at Janna’s on July 28 to see if you won.
- Oh oh – Red Tango’s now selling device skins. For your chance to win an iPhone, Nano, or Blackberry skin, comment at moderncat by July 28. (Red Tango does have laptop skins – they just aren’t included in the contest.)
Bookity
- New releases and more: Lily (m/m romance), Katiebabs (assorted types of romance with catchy covers), Smokin’ Hot Books (forthcoming books that KC wants), Renee (books she’s anticipating), and Literary Escapism (dates for upcoming PNR/UF releases, interviews, etc).
- Jessica at ReadReactReview is back with the Monday Morning Stepback.
- Will libraries be the next pop-culture wave? (Thanks, MaryLou!)
- If you’re a writer, you should definitely check out Val’s post “How to finish your rough draft no matter what!”
- Read an excerpt and blurb for The Last Days of a Rake (m/f historical) by Donna Lea Simpson at EH’s place, then head to Carina Press to download it for free.
- Katiebabs found some examples of cover art reuse.
Ebookity
- The eBook Reader has updated its ebook reader comparison matrices. And don’t forget about the comparison matrices at the MobileRead Wiki.
- TeleRead has an interesting ebook linkity post.
- The big excitement of the week was Amazon’s reported sales figures, which have been confirmed by Publisher’s Weekly. An American Editor asks some questions about those figures.
- If your library has started lending ebooks (like mine did this week), check out this Dear Author post on how to borrow library ebooks.
- Make an iPad case from an inflatable pillow.
Learn, Make, Do, Think
- Scientists finally prove that women are better at multitasking than are men.
- Some tips from Lifehacker on how to avoid online distractions and get things done.
- O noes! Spending too much time sitting, even if you’re otherwise physically active, increases your risk of death!
- Make a really cool rainbow-colored drink.
- Make your own gift bags out of newspaper.
- If you’re looking for the cheapest places to buy generic drugs, this Consumerist list is a good place to start.
- Sometimes Indexed is more wise than funny.
- If you like everything to be organized in your computer bag, Grid-It will be perfect for you.
- What a cool project to do with your kids – make your own sidewalk chalk!
- Wow, this is some of the coolest knitted graffiti I’ve seen! (Thanks, Bronwyn!)
Linkity Peeps
- Lily shares some NSFW linkity.
- Katiebabs has a Weekly WTFery post that’s NSFW.
- Kristi has craft, food, and photography linkity.
Huh
- Giant cardboard robot arms! (And now might be a good time to try to figure out if your partner is a robot.)
- Brisket flip flop sandwich (made from foam, fabric, etc) – why??
- There’s a town in Illinois that wants to outlaw eye rolling. *rolls eyes and makes mental note to stay away*
- If you’re fond of weird food festivals, check out this list at Consumerist.
- You know you want a shark sleeping bag…
- Interested in living inside a glass museum habitat for a month? No overnight visitors allowed…
- How can you resist this glass that holds an entire bottle of wine?!
LOL
- Epic FAIL in grade school homework… (Thanks, CursingMama!)
- As you’ve always suspected, your anti-virus software hates you.
- Think you might’ve traveled back in time, but aren’t completely sure? LoveRomancePassion has a handy checklist!
- It would be really bad if cats had five-foot long arms.
- This picture messes with my eyes – so I guess it’s true!
- Zing!
Teh Cute
- Need more daily cuteness? Let the Daily Otter help. (Thanks, Naomi!)
- Kitten! Kittens and the Bean! Kittens! Kittens! Floofy kitten! Kittens living dangerously! Duckling! Kittens! Kittens! Melly! Melly and a crab! Kittens and what they look like as adults! Upside down kitten! Kitten with a crush! Painfully cute kitten!
Reading Update
Sweet Son by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Very good bdsm m/m faery tale about a young man who, after having numerous dreams of his true love, sets off to find him. The journey is not at all what he expects… truly a case of “you can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.”
Phoenix Rising by Kimberly Gardner. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a deeply closeted guy who falls for a stripper who doesn’t want to be anybody’s dirty little secret ever again.
Bound to Please (Phoenix Rising, Book 2) by Kimberly Gardner. ebook. Excellent kinky m/m romance about a young man who’s secretly in love with his boss, a photographer and dominant who owns a bdsm club. When the dominant starts working with a hot new model and former porn star, everything changes. (Usually I don’t read menages, because most authors can’t make the emotional/romantic connections between three people convincing. Kimberly Gardner can.)
Sexy Summer Fling by Kimberly Gardner. free ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a guy working as a (female) fortune teller when a very hot guy comes in to get his palm read.
A Wicked Caress (Lost Shifters, Book 5) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about Noah, the most recently rescued of the Lost Shifters. He’s back in Flint with his family for the first time ever, but he doesn’t feel as if he belongs there.
Blood Slave by Kim Dare. ebook. Good kinky paranormal m/m romance about a vampire who doesn’t realize that humans can offer submission without being broken to do so.
Mitch by Dakota Rebel. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a bounty hunter who’s given a contract on the very sexy vampire lead singer of a popular band.
The Letter Z (Coda, Colorado, Book 3) by Marie Sexton. ebook. Very good m/m romance about Angelo & Zach and Jared & Matt and how relationships are complicated and easily misunderstood by those outside the relationships… including, in this case, the reader. You definitely need to read both Promises and A to Z before reading this book.
Sticky Fingers (Go Fish, Book 2) by H.T. Murray. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance that follows up on Cal and Ian. Particularly recommended if you love watermelon.
What Not To Wear by Clare London. ebook short. Fun short m/m romance about the dangers of working at the same company as your boyfriend when you both have a penchant for public sex.
Nevermore by Addison Albright. ebook short. Sweet’n’steamy short m/m romance about a divorced teacher who’s stayed in the closet because he’s been afraid of taking risks with his job or his kids.
Wicked Hearts by Claire Thompson. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s basically been under his cruel and nasty best friend’s thumb for years. Things do not go smoothly as he tries to put more distance between himself and his friend.
Masks of Emotion (aka Julian’s Second Chance) by Claire Thompson. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who traveled in Sri Lanka together for a few days when they were college students, then lost touch due to a big misunderstanding.
Runaway Man by Jambrea Jo Jones. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who runs into his boyfriend on the train, after vanishing from his boyfriend’s life without a word some months before.
“What?” -Mayhem
Was Mayhem recently put on the rack?
Mayhem is incredibly long…
A recent post from Melanie..Recipe Link and Introspection
Oh, those kittens! Have you seen Martin, the latest at Love and Hisses? So.Adorable.
A recent post from Brigitte..Well Hello Again!
Thanks for the linkity luv! 🙂
I’m a little worried how to bring back my sitting time down to less than six hours a day… doing the bloghopping on the laptop in bed maybe. 😉
You’ve had quite some ‘good’ and ‘very good’ reads this week, I’m glad I already have a few of those on my ereader!
A recent post from Janna ErotRomReader..Giveaway & Blogtour Keta Diablo
Okay, as for the 5 second rule. They say your kitchen has chicken juice and other nasty stuff. For one, there is no “chicken juice” on my floor, and it’s more likely to be on my counter, however we all place a piece of break on the counter to make a sandwhich so I’d say I’m more likely to die of that then picking up a cookie off my kitchen floor. Now I might hack up a fur ball later due to all the cat hair it picked up, not likely to die.
Rainbow ice cubes. Cool. But what color does the liquid go when they melt? Mud?
LOVED the yarn bombs. So cool.
Gravy wrestling? I feel a bit queezy.
Good lord, your cat is getting longer. Do you use a rack at night.
Okay, I haven’t read hardly any of those. Sigh. I did read the Addison Albright one as part of a Taste Test Beach or something like that. I enjoyed it. I have a few others waiting. I had the Kimberly Gardner Phoenix one early in my m/m career and for some reason it was a DNF for me. I just didn’t connect maybe. I heard Bound to Please is good and if YOU liked it, wow. 🙂
Have a super weekend.
A recent post from Tam..Success!!!!
Chris- The Incredible Super Stretchable Mayhem!
A recent post from Lorraine..A Slight Interruption
I think Mayhem’s a liquid and Chaos is a solid. 🙂
RE: Picture of Mayhem
^_^
The Phoenix rising series looks good!
And I know it might be sad, but I am laughing all alone at the passive aggressive notes. And I am sure, that no one in the vicinity would understand even if I explained it to them.
A recent post from Miranda..Fantasy Contest Bar with Fire
The passive aggressive notes had me snorting tea. I feel honored to be on linkity!! And those cord rangers. Me want.
A recent post from Mary Lou..Whirlwind Month
I’m a bad, bad, very bad person. I can’t stop laughing over the homework fail.
May looks like the kitteh version of one of those old Stretch Armstrong toys.
That was fun! I loved the links.
The colorful drink looks pretty but I’m guessing needs to be finished before the ice melts. Lol on the p/a notes and the homework.
More scientific proof that women rock. Yay!
I’ve read four of the books and agree with your thoughts.
Thanks for the mentions! 🙂
A recent post from Lily..The Alphas Pet by Louisa Gough
The knitting grafitti is really cool, I wonder if the bus is real though, or photoshop.
I guess I won’t go to Elmhurst.
I think I’ll order the wine bottle glass.
After this week I think a rainbow colored cocktail would definitely cheer me up.
May, you are one long torso kitty!
A recent post from Rebekah..Do you have a fork
Like a dog, inside a goat it is too dark to read.
Unless your penis is a flashlight.
A recent post from Seanna Lea..the internet is really- really great
i love that its called “yarn Bombing”. and oh how funny it is.
and that mayhem…. whoa. she’s surely been doing her yoga stretches.
SHRUBBERY! Love it!!!!
Should we be mad at you for making us sit at our desks for so long? You’re contributing to our early demise.
A recent post from Cheryl S…Feeling Green
I’m reading 2nd book in Hedi C’s Special Delivery series, I really like it so far.
Remind me again Chris, when does Amy Lane’s Making Promises come out?
Hihi, my pen is, good one
A recent post from blodeuedd..Review- Mr Darcy presents his bride – Helen Halstead
The scientists could have just asked me…I would have told them that women are better at multi-tasking than men – no brainer!
A recent post from Julia Rachel Barrett..Face to face with a Homunculus!
OMG I was BORN in that town in IL where they’re looking to outlaw eye rolling! Apparently I can never go back! lol Seriously, that’s almost the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
Good books – *runs off to make notes*
Were you torturing Mayhem this week? You put her on the stretcher, didn’t you? lol
A recent post from Tracy..Review- Heart of Vengeance by Tracy Cooper-Posey
Mayhem reminds me of Mutts Comics cat thermometer (which I can’t find a link for). Your temps must be going up.
A recent post from Brenda..April Socks in June
“I think Mayhem’s a liquid and Chaos is a solid.” – Chris
I won’t ask why you didn’t classify either of them as a gas. 😉
Also… I need to finish my rough draft no matter what. Bother. Thanks for the reminder…
A recent post from Nicole..Black Holes and Hump Days
That’s a great image of May.
And now I really, really want a treadmill desk.
A recent post from naomi..eye candy friday
Now that’s some seriously awesome knitted graffiti! I’m using the piece about sitting too long being bad for you as ammo for taking more breaks for stretching, walking, and generally puttering about. We’ll see how well that goes…
A recent post from Jodi..hemlock amoeba
Now I know what shrubbery is! lol
Lots of laughs here today – enjoyed linkety as always. Thank you so much for the mention. 🙂
Hey Stephani’s book that I won sounds pretty good, I’ll have to read very soon!
This post must take you hours every week, thank you so much I always come back and read more a couple of times.. lol
L
A recent post from Lea..Nauti and Wild- by Lora Leigh & Jaci Burton – ARC Review and Giveaway!!
*waving* at Mayhem..
Tori..
A recent post from Lea..Nauti and Wild- by Lora Leigh & Jaci Burton – ARC Review and Giveaway!!
Is Mayhem really twisted like that?!?! Had to LOL abt libraries being the up and coming craze. I guess I’m getting back in style!! LOL LOVE the yarn bombs, will post that one myself. and may try out the sidewalk chalk. Very cool. The silliest one? Scientific proof that women can multi-task better than women!! Wonder how much that cost!! LOL
A recent post from Lynn..Kitty Thursdays
Popping in **waves** Weekend is here and baby girl is HOME!!!!!!!!
A recent post from Cecile..Review- The Master & The Muse by Amanda McIntyre
I think I’m going to take that big ass glass of wine with me the next time I have to go visit the in-laws.
1) In my house, there is a zero second rule. That’s how long from when food hits the floor to when Lewey eats it.
2) The yarn bomb site is the coolest thing ever.
3) Could I take my knitting to the Museum glass house?
4) Does anybody else think that drinking a whole bottle of wine yourself sounds like a bad idea?
5) The goat test answer sounds like something one of John’s grandsons would think up.
6) As usual, your links are the best!
A recent post from Lorette..Family Reunion Haiku
I wish someone would yarn bomb my car, because there is no way I would ever finish it.
Still laughing at the goat answer!
It’s too scary to imagine cats and ferrets with 5 foot arms. 🙂 Or in May’s case, the 5 foot long body. At least that’s what it looks like.
A recent post from Sydney..Why yes- I do knit
loved the NSFW linkity.
As for cord storage, I got stuff from Container Store.
Coils, turtles, and zipper things. and ties. Let me know if you want more specifics.
Chris, I LOVE your linkity posts. You find some seriously oddball stuff! Add me to the list of people who may not be safe in Elmhurst, IL, ’cause I’m rolling my eyes at that nonsense, LOL, and there are too many cats in my house for the 5-second rule to apply. Alas, ten minutes after sweeping I’ll see a fresh furball floating by.
Thanks for the Nevermore mention. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Tam, if you’d like a copy of the second edition just let me know. Anyone who’s purchased a first edition of any of my stories does not need to pay for the rerelease if they want it (this one expanded from approx 3200 words to almost 3800, hopefully improving it).
So that town in Illinois is banning teenagers?
Chris, you find the best things! You must spend hours searching. 🙂
A recent post from Eyre..Books and Cookies! NSFW
Thanks so much for the link, Chris! And the photo of Mayhem — now I’m convinced that cats invented yoga!
A recent post from Val Kovalin..How to finish writing your rough draft no matter what!
How did that kitty know how to do an impression of my four year old? Just wondering… (Awesome linkity…)
Congrats KC!
Thank you so much for all the linkies – fab! I already knew women were better at multitasking than men, but it’s nice the scientists have proved it!
May – you so look like you’ve been up to something 🙂
A recent post from orannia..Making History
I am mystified by your ability to put these posts together.
What is Mayhem doing… that lools like it hurts…
I am still checking out those links.. Still chuckling over Darth Vader and that first comment…
I see a few books there that are on my list… Read the Hecht book and need to catch up on the Thompson book as I have the second book to that….
Have a good week hon..
E.H>
A recent post from Erotic Horizon..Re-read – My Guardian Angel – KR Bailey
Excellent compilation, as usual. I love the yarn bombs.
A recent post from mamatulip..the barn