---

---

Congrats to Mandy B, who won Forever in One Second by Finn Marlowe!

Congrats to Cathy M and Alder, who each won their choice of Saving Valor (Fanged Love #1) or Chalice (Planetary Submissives #1) by Amber Kell! Saving Valor (Fanged Love #1) was released by Silver Publishing on January 14. Chalice (Planetary Submissives #1) was released by Total-E-Bound on January 16.

---

---

Contests

• Brief Encounters Reviews is giving away an electronic bundle of the Channeling Morpheus (2nd edition) stories 1-5 by Jordan Castillo Price. Comment by 11:59 pm CST, January 20 (aka today), for your chance to win.

• Margene’s giving away a copy of Sweet Shawlettes by Jean Moss. Comment before January 21 for your chance to win.

• Becky Black is giving away a print copy of her m/m scifi romance, Liar’s Waltz. Comment by 9 am GMT, January 21, for your chance to win.

• JL Merrow is giving away an ebook copy of her forthcoming Permanently Legless. Contest runs through January 22.

• Josephine Myles is giving away an ebook copy of her forthcoming Tailor Made. Contest closes 6 am GMT, January 23.

• Joder’s giving away an ebook copy of Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne. Contest closes 11:59 pm CST, January 23.

• Celiac Chick is giving away a copy of The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook by Elizabeth Gordon. Comment before January 26 for your chance to win.

• Blodeuedd’s giving away two ebook prize packs containing Sparring Partners and Second Chances by Leigh Morgan. Contest closes January 27.

• LA Witt needs a band name for a book she’s working on – comment with your suggestions by January 31 for your chance to win an ebook of your choice from her backlist.

• Shawn Lane’s giving away a copy of her forthcoming paranormal m/m romance, Eternally His. Comment by February 3 to enter.

Bookity

• New releases and more: Literary Escapism (UF/PNR), Book Lovers Inc (a little of everything), and Fiction Vixen (various sorts of romance).

• RJ Scott explains how Edit Minion works – it’s not going to replace actual editors and proofreaders, but it can certainly help you spot issues with your writing.

• Becky Black has some tips for authors after they’re published.

• Heidi Cullinan discusses the author’s EON (end of novel) experience.

• Jenre muses on how the three-star book rating is perceived.

• World Book Night is is April 23 – you can volunteer to hand out books that night.

• Orannia’s hosting the 2012 M/M Romance Challenge!

• Whoops on that library sticker’s placement…

• Newest cover model?

• The final Diary of an Author entry by Meljean Brook. Dear Author responds.

Ebookity

• JL Merrow’s providing a code that will let you download the newly revised edition of her paranormal m/m romance, A Calling for Pleasure for free until February 14.

• Download the 1966 Disneyland Monorail Operator Guide.

• The ebook crunch at public libraries.

• Penguin pulled its ebooks from libraries in November and is now pulling its e-audiobooks.

• Sourcebooks reports that ebooks were more than a quarter of its sales in 2011.

Do, Learn, Make, Think

• Poor little brown bats – they went from abundant to nearing extinction in just six years.

• Some of Stonehenge’s stones are from 160 miles away.

• How the “women and children first” into the lifeboats thing got started.

• Not that I’m much for fast food, but if McDonald’s and Burger King have gluten-free buns in other countries, why not the US?!

• When it’s safe – and not – to eat moldy cheese.

• Apparently school lunches are not the culprit in the childhood obesity epidemic.

• More on the clitoris.

• Health benefits of beer.

• Tips for dealing with pet hair in your home. (via The Kitchn)

• The end of an era – Kodak files for bankruptcy.

• How did you celebrate National Popcorn Day yesterday?

• The big news of the week was the internet blackout against SOPA/PIPA. This infographic illustrates the difference the protest made. And if you didn’t listen to “The Day the LOLCats Died”, you really must.

Cookity

• 10 variations of buttermilk quick bread

• 10 citrus desserts

• Spicy honey-glazed chicken. (via CRAFT)

• Savory gluten-free olive and rosemary scones

• Gluten-free noodles with shrimp, greens, and mushrooms.

• Vietnamese rice cakes

• Zesty quinoa cakes. (via The Kitchn)

• Bittersweet chocolate pecan pie. (via The Kitchn)

• Hot chocolate on a stick. (via CRAFT)

• Chop up your salads to make them easier to eat.

• Use edible glitter to stamp fruit for a fun and healthy gift.

Crafty

• Knit your own cat – solves all sorts of allergy problems! 🙂 (Thanks, Lorraine!)

• Knit a Hudson’s Bay-inspired crib blanket. (via CRAFT)

• Turn a recycled sweater into mittens or a hat. (via CRAFT)

• Make your own felt insoles for boots. (via CRAFT)

• Needle-felt a voodoo doll pincushion.

• Use painter’s tape and watercolors to make a gorgeous winter painting. (via CRAFT)

• Sew a macaroon coin purse. (via CRAFT)

Cool

• Go download Redemption City, a free double album from Joseph Arthur. (via You Ain’t No Picasso)

• Kristi has craft/food/photo/etc linkity.

• Kitty-themed felt iPad case.

• Illusion knitted tapestry of the Mona Lisa.

• Movie posters from an alternate Earth.

• Life-sized stormtrooper cake.

• Not your ordinary stick people family bumper sticker!

• Daniel Radcliffe played Harry Potter on SNL.

• The Bloggess and her cardboard TARDIS.

• A crow… sledding.

Cool or Wha…?

• A rhinestone-covered box of Darth Vader chocolates. (via The Mary Sue)

• LEGO Apollo 11 Saturn V model that’s 19-feet tall.

• Eyebombing.

• Lord of the Rings manicure. (via The Mary Sue)

• The perfect hat for Pastafarians.

Wha…?

• Awkward stock photos… (via TeddyPig)

• Fashion… and more.

• Magical unicorn mask.

• Giant spider attacks space shuttle!

• A Psycho prequel series?

• Mint eyedrops?!

LOL

• Siri’s interpretation of a knitting store shopping list… (Thanks, Jeanne!)

• Blog post about the Eagle Nebula written without the assistance of Wikipedia (due to the internet blackout). (There were Romulans in it the first time I read it…)

• 10 autocorrected gifts…

• The 1980s were a scary time for crafting…

• Dogs barking “The Imperial March”…

• Ah, the weird rituals that kitties develop.

• This was posted after I captioned that picture of May from earlier this week!

• Weirdest cat ever?!! Maybe so. (Thanks, Jeanne!)

• Point.

• Minions indeed.

• Hmm, I haven’t played this version of Tetris…

• Catpire!

• The internet is a series of tubes… oops.

Teh Cute

• Cat and kitten! Baby falcon! Kitten! Baby polar bear! Kitten! Sea otter and baby! Cat and kitten! Baby cheetah! Kittens! Bun! Kitten! Kitten! Cat and dolphin! Kitten! Tiger and cub! Lioness and cubs! Lion! Leopard! Tiger!

Reading Update
Galley Proof by Eric Arvin. ebook. Excellent gay fiction (with romantic elements) about an author who lives a very predictable, safe life ruled by lists and habit… until his attractive new editor shakes things up. As with so many books by Eric Arvin, this book was simultaneously fun, funny, and thought-provoking – pretty much like life itself.
Pole Star by Josephine Myles. ebook short. arc. Excellent short and smutty m/m romance about a stripper who gets injured onstage and ends up in the emergency room in his firefighter costume, flirting with the cute radiographer. I had really good intentions of waiting until closer to the release date to read and review this one, but… I couldn’t resist. 🙂
Tailor Made by Josephine Myles. ebook. arc. Sweet and smutty m/m romance about an unapologetically slutty art student who wants to get his advisor in bed. But he’s not expecting to find himself so drawn to the fashion student he tries to shanghai into helping him with his senior project…
The Heart of Texas (Texas #1) by RJ Scott. ebook. Very good over-the-top m/m romance reminiscent of the tv show Dallas, complete with oil wells, villains, lies, a marriage-of-convenience, and more!
Heatstroke by Taylor V. Donovan. free ebook. Very good m/m romance told via nearly 50-year old journal entries being read by a young man trying to figure out the mystery of why his cold grandmother is so adamant he stay out of her attic.
Raven’s Mark (Sandpipers #2) by Jade Archer. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a chef who becomes fascinated by Raven, the guy who’s just started watching the owners’ son along with his own. However, Raven suffers from crippling PTSD… and his past hasn’t given up on him yet.
A Life Without You (Boston Boys #1) by Erica Pike. ebook. Good m/m romance about a gay college student who has a crush on his engaged straight best friend and roommate… his apparently bi-curious straight best friend. Emotions definitely run high in this one (and the POV is first-person present), but it worked for me. And I’m very curious to see who the next book will be about!
Just Like Cats and Dogs by BA Tortuga. Good m/m paranormal romance about an orphaned panther shifter who grew up with a pack of wolf shifters, but was never really accepted. So when he runs into a wolf shifter who tormented him while they were growing up, he’s surprised at the attraction between them. The repetitive style of writing isn’t so noticeable for short works, but it definitely grated during this longer book.
There’s Cock in This Book (The Hockey Story) by Isa K. free ebook short. Good short m/m story about a deeply closeted minor league hockey player who survives by keeping his head down and blending in… until the new guy on the team hits on him. With a bit more proofing and a less abrupt ending, this would have been a Very Good read.
How to Keep the Love of Your Life (After Mistaking Him for a Serial Killer) by Maureen Willmann. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a guy who thinks someone is following him right up to the door of his apartment… and it turns out to be his neighbor across the hall. Too sugary sweet and implausible for me. Also, so very tired of stalkers.
The Man Who Spoke My Name (Joey #2) by Azalea Moone. free ebook short. Meh short m/m story about a guy torn between the ex who cheated on him and the guy he slept with on New Year’s Eve.

---

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos