This lolcat (about cross stitching memes instead of photoshopping them) led me off on a tangent thinking about cross stitched book covers… and led Bron to comment that it’d take an awful lot of “nude” colored floss to cross stitch most romance covers!

Ebookity

I really do not want a soundtrack with my ebook, thanks.

Paul Carr wonders if ebook piracy is really an issue, because it’s nothing compared to the amount of paper book lending (via libraries and friends) and used book sales, neither of which provide author income.

Free ebooks might boost print sales.

One reader’s thoughts on ebooks and publishing.

Dear Author wonders how good an ebook needs to be for $0.99.

Romances and thrillers dominate the Kindle bestseller list. (via TeleRead)

Author Paul Dunbar will send you Bang! The Universe in Verse #1 (free science comic ebook about the origin of the universe) or It’s Alive! The Universe in Verse #2, his free science comic ebook about how life started on earth. You can read them online, too. (via Gizmodo)

Think, Make, Do, Learn

Goodbye, bell curve… (Thanks, CursingMama!)

Pinkwashing. (via The Mary Sue)

How did the animals in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo react to this week’s earthquake? Both the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral were damaged in the earthquake. Why did tweets about the earthquake reach people before the earthquake itself? Gizmodo has an interesting sort of stream-of-consciousness post about the earthquake and its effects.

You have until the end of August to cancel your AT&T long distance plan without a fee – after that, you’ll be paying $2/month, even if you don’t make any long distance calls, and it will be $9 to cancel.

Lifehacker’s complete guide to knowing your network.

You can audit some of Stanford’s computer science classes for free online.

The importance of apostrophes (and attention to detail in general).

Watch the rise and fall of music on compact disc from 1980-2010.

How to use acupressure to relieve nausea. (I should probably pick up some SeaBands to help me out in the numerous situations that make me motion sick.)

Lifehacker’s list of ten products you don’t really need to buy because you already have the ingredients.

Cookity

Make gluten-free corn dogs. (via The Kitchn)

Make Ding Dongs. (via The Kitchn)

Twenty recipes to liven up lunchboxes.

Crafty

Knit plant pockets.

Knit potted trees (not just for Christmas!).

Knit some cabled pillow cases.

Make crystal egg geodes or galaxy playdough.

Knitting-themed tattoo. (Thanks, Bron!)

Cool

To boldly go where no kitteh has gone before… (Thanks, Bron!)

The science fiction timeline.

Available soonishly: TARDIS journal. (via The Mary Sue)

Or maybe a “My other car is a TARDIS” license plate frame? (Thanks, Kris!)

You might need this Doctor Who t-shirt. (via The Mary Sue)

If you haven’t seen the zombie engagement photos yet, you really need to.

You can stay in a hobbit house next time you’re in Montana!

LEGO samurai house.

Spiderman vs Sandman, in LEGO.

The LEGO version of the flying restaurant from The Fifth Element.

Riverside, Iowa, definitely has a sense of humor.

Pivotal moments in US history, now with 100% more monsters.

OK GO and Muppets… (via Gizmodo)

I love the colors on this wine stain cork heart.

Animal sculptures made from torn paper.

Cool or Wha…?

Airigami… (select some of the projects from the drop-down menu) (Thanks, Donna F!)

Vulcan toques. (via The Mary Sue)

Crocheted skeleton and organs… (Thanks, Kris!)

Porcelain skulls. (via CRAFT)

Pink tongue spoon.

Wha…??

Troll: The Rise of Harry Potter…

Chair made from 10,000 drinking straws.

Next time you take your pet to the groomer, see if you can get the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cut…

A Greyhound bus spilled some of its cargo (bull semen) on a highway…

Beef jerky-potato chip hybrid.

SPAM lip glaze…

LOL

Fifty reasons why Minnesota’s a great state. (via A Closer Look at Flyover Land)

A breakdown of your time spent using tupperware.

Brent Spiner impersonating Patrick Stewart.

Han Sulu! (via The Mary Sue)

Even stormtroopers and Darth Vader have to go to the bathroom… (via The Mary Sue)

An amusing vintage ad about cat pictures! (Thanks, Limedragon!)

New meaning of cat scan… (Thanks, CursingMama!)

The Doctors Who… as cats. (via The Mary Sue)

Cat sizes.

Leaf overload…

Did you know Basement Cat had a brother?

Teh Cute

Kittens! Baby tigers! Kitten! Meerkat family! Kittens! Baby ocelot! Kitten! Giant anteater and baby! Kittens! Baby clouded leopards! Kitten! Baby wombats! Baby ferret! Ocelot! Red pandas! Baby panda! Baby ocelot! Elephant and baby! Aardwolf! Lion cubs! Red panda! Mountain goat tots!

Reading Update
Not One Word (Stand Alone Shorts #1) by Kim Dare. ebook short. I’m definitely biased, because a photo I took at Twin Cities Pride 2011 was the inspiration for this story. 🙂 But this was an enjoyably steamy, kinky short m/m story about a jogger who stops to make sure a mime in the park is ok… I hope the real life mime had as enjoyable an evening as did the mime in this story!
Landfall by Lori Toland. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a hospice nurse who rides with some firefighters (including the one he’s been crushing on) during a hurricane so he can reach an at-home patient.
Finding Eden (Eden #2) by Kele Moon. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance that left me feeling conflicted. I really liked the evolution of Paul and Danny’s friendship as it developed into something infinitely darker and more complex. However, I was frustrated by the story seeming to end in midstream. I see that Beyond Eden takes place a number of years later, and perhaps it addresses what happens after this story ends… but I don’t want to read an mmf story. I want Paul and Danny to sort things out themselves!
Heartsong (Fae #2) by SW Vaughn. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a prostitute who accepts a month-long contract, but has no idea that the man he’ll be staying with is a Fae prince (unsurprising, since he hadn’t realized the Fae existed). If only he found the Fae prince as compelling as the prince’s much abused bodyguard…
Unforgiven (Fae #3) by SW Vaughn. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about the Fae prince from the previous book, who’s returned to the human realm on his own and very out of his element… dangerously so.
Swapped by Christopher West. ebook short. Fun short paranormal m/m romance about a gay guy whose straight wizard buddy needs to switch bodies with him for 24 hours. How odd to be inside the body he’s been crushing on for years…
On the List (Changing Plans #3) by LA Witt. ebook short. Good short m/m romance that starts with Derek and Elliott just days away from their wedding… and then Derek’s family manages to shake Derek to the core.
Sometimes It’s Fate by Angela S. Stone. ebook. Good m/m romance about two members of the RCMP (Mounties) whose friendship slowly develops into something else. I think this book had the potential to be much, much better than it was – better editing would have helped tighten it up and would have resolved problems with punctuation and the like.
Wanna Do Bad Things With You by Shelley Munro. ebook. Good m/m romance about two rugby players on the Auckland team (one gay and out, one closeted) who get secretly involved with each other. I enjoy Shelley Munro’s stories, but always end up feeling as if a deeper edit could’ve smoothed out the roughness.
Cafe de l’Amour by JM Snyder. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about a barista and a guy who comes into the coffee shop and flirts with him every day.
Love’s Evolution by Ally Blue. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two guys who meet and feel a deep connection with each other. The book is a series of short stories about their relationship over the course of several years. I wasn’t a fan of the book’s structure, and I found one character’s constant use of “my darling” and “my love” to be cloying and annoying.
Hard Candy (Love’s Evolution #1.1) by Ally Blue. free ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance that’s basically just a sex scene involving chocolate.
Life, Love and Lemon Cookies (Love’s Evolution #2) by Ally Blue. ebook short. Good short m/m romance in which Chris is suddenly out of work after 15 years and not doing very well at all with the situation.
Protect and Serve by Eden Cole. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a cop and a district attorney, whose adversarial relationship conceals their mutual attraction.
Fighting Chance (Chances #2) by Viki Lyn. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance that picks up where Last Chance left off, with vampire Johan having the chance to live if he stays in the custody of slayer Corbin and takes a newly developed serum that might turn him human again. Corbin chafes at the responsibility, which prevents him from taking his revenge on the vampire who killed his father. While I liked the storyline, the writing often seemed rough and overdone, which I found very frustrating.
Artie, the Good Witch by Scarlet Hyacinth. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about an innocent young witch who narrowly escapes an evil wizard with his virtue intact… and then further drama ensues. And ensues. And ensues. *sigh*

*sigh* “You’d think I’d be able to get away from the picture taking up on top of the cabinets.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Long ago, in a linkity land…

January 28, 2011 Chris 29 Comments

Contests

Cecile’s giving away an ebook copy of Strange Familiar by Cassidy Hunter. Contest closes January 29.

Tracy’s giving away a copy of books 10 and 11 in the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr. Contest closes 11:49 PST, January 31.

Larissa’s giving away a signed copy of Catch Me If You Can (Romano & Albright, Book 1) by L.B. Gregg. Contest closes February 4.

Blodeudd’s giving away two copies of Yours for the Taking by Robyn Kaye. Contest closes Feb 3. Patti’s also giving away two copies of Yours for the Taking and her contest closes February 4. (US & Canada)

Juniper Moon Farm is holding a fundraiser to help a Vermont organic vegetable farmer who basically lost his entire business to a barn fire. There are many, many fibery prizes to help encourage people to donate! Donations will be accepted until February 6. (Thanks, Seanna!)

Bookity

New releases and more: Tor.com (YA paranormal; UF/PNR; fantasy; scifi), Katiebabs (books she’s looking forward to), and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR).

Via Dear Author, a post from Ursula LeGuin mocking the new morality clause HarperCollins has added to its author contracts. Definitely read the comments on the post!

Neil Gaiman on seeing words he wrote in an unexpected place.

Eric Arvin shares some writing wisdom.

Ten websites Paperback Writer would love to see on the internet.

Paperback Writer would also like a checklist for returning ideas to her muse.

Ebookity

Trying to get pdfs to fit on your ereader’s screen better? Briss might help.

Ebooks are now outselling paper books at Amazon.

Tired of your Kindle? Microcosm Publishing will trade you paper books and magazines for it.

Publishers need to decide whether they’re selling ebooks (providing full ownership rights for the purchase price) or providing a rental (at rental prices). Another, longer opinion piece on the same topic. Dear Author weighs in, too.

The first all-indie ebookstore in Australia is called SPUNC. *ahem*

Make, Think, Do, Learn

Writing helps you learn better than typing does.

If you need help visualizing how big the internet is…

How to modify your google searches to give you better results.

Do you need a mouse that works on your couch?

Eighty percent of US divorce lawyers say that social media is now mentioned by their clients as one of the reasons the marriage failed.

Use an old gift card as a headphone cable wrapper.

ModernCat’s odor elimination survival guide could come in handy.

How to determine the cost of clutter.

Check out The Kitchn’s tips for removing baked-on food from pots and pans.

Make some spicy dark hot chocolate to drink!

McGyver would be proud of you for modifying a hand-crank flashlight with a usb port so you can manually charge your tech gear.

Try a 15-minute no-equipment workout developed in 1904! Or you could use Craigslist to put together a home gym.

Cool

Jase and Juni started a blog called Happiness Is Shy! (NSFW)

Last week, The Kitchn blog focused on gluten-free foods and concerns. Recommended! (Thanks, Jodi!)

Tape art – way better than you expect.

ThinkGeek has a Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit.

A 1:35200 scale toy train set is very, very small.

Maybe a child you know needs a homemade TARDIS.

Geek jewelry links from EPBOT.

Extemely geeky tote bag.

Turn a soda can into an embossed box.

These yarn words are pretty nifty.

I have a very similar fabric keychain that I love.

Kristi’s got crafty, photography, and food linkity.

Print free US Patent Valentine’s cards.

Amazingly, this fun short action film (Lazy Teenage Superheroes) was made for $300.

Gorgeous animated short film about a little girl on a carousel.

Huh

You can’t even take a three-inch toy gun through airport security…

Using bombs for snow removal instead of shoveling – not recommended.

I hope that this isn’t really what Lady Gaga’s forthcoming fragrance will smell like.

Now you can buy frozen pizza and frozen cookies in a single handy package.

The L cup bra size just debuted.

T-shirt fail.

Air pollution monitoring t-shirt…

MeatWater. Just say no.

LOL

I’m a fast listener, too. (Thanks, CursingMama!)

Bronwyn Green on dropping off her son at a birthday party with an apology… and more.

Fun video mashup of the Minnesota-Wisconsin December 2010 blizzard, including a cute song.

Toni Andrews on how to excavate a buried car “using only a small hand shovel and your own wits”.

Guillotine by Gillette.

Infographic humor.

The Oatmeal’s State of the Web, Winter 2010 edition.

Bottled water addicts should skip this link.

Not kitty treats!

Kitty law #1?

I’ll pass on the skwerls, but the rest sounds good to me.

I’m sure many kitty boys have this same question.

Yeah, I can picture Chaos saying that.

Teh Cute

Kitten pile! Baby flying squirrel! Kitten! Baby polar bear! Red panda! Wee hedgehog! Bunny! Panda! Fennec fox! Baby skunk! Kitten and bunnies! Red panda! Lynx kittens!

Reading Update
The Tourist by Clare London. ebook. Excellent paranormal m/m romance told from the perspective of a tourist, a spirit who can head hop, albeit with limited control. Usually he just stays for the sex and then moves on… but something’s different for him this time. This totally sucked me in and I couldn’t go to bed until I finished it. To be released 2/28.
Another Enchanted April by Eric Arvin. ebook. Excellent and cleverly written m/m romance about three friends on vacation in a seaside town, staying at an Italianate villa with intoxicatingly lovely gardens. Each of them will be profoundly changed… but not necessarily in the ways they expected. (And I may have gotten sniffly whilst reading this. I can neither confirm nor deny.)
A Strong Hand by Catt Ford. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a famous photographer of erotica who’s shooting a catalog of high-end sex toys when he begins to realize he’s attracted to his assistant after his assistant models for the shoot.
Ruby Slippers by Alexi Silversmith. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a police detective who thinks that men shouldn’t wear makeup or do anything feminine, so when he finds out what his boyfriend does for a living, things get ugly. I enjoyed the chance to see James and Ethan from What They Say About Love as secondary characters.
Boystown: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Very good collection of three m/m mysteries featuring Chicago PI Nick Nowak. Set in 1980 before AIDS devastated the gay community, these gritty stories reminded me of Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski mysteries, only with a lot more sex. 🙂
Boystown 2: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Another very good collection of three mysteries featuring Chicago PI Nick Nowak. I really, really hope that the author is busily working on Boystown 3, because the final story ended on a surprising (but sadly realistic) dark note.
Out on the Net by Rick R. Reed. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy who finally accepts that he’s gay 20 minutes before he’s supposed to get married to a woman. The story is told via his blog as he tries to figure out being gay and meeting guys in his small town.
Bloodlines by Jessica Lee. ebook. Very good (and smokin’ hot) paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shapeshifter, supposed to be the next alpha of his pack, who’s kicked out of his pack when his father discovers he’s gay.
Red Hot by Kate Roman. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a straight guy who breaks up with his girlfriend because he can’t stop thinking about his male roommate.
Brush with Desire by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Very good steamy m/m short that starts with an exhausted IT guy drooling over a hot man in a suit he sees in the grocery store and ends with a smoking hot (and humorous!) encounter between them.
Hearts and Flowers by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about an accountant, a found puppy, classified ads, and quite a bit more. While I enjoyed the story, I felt there was just too much going on for the story’s length.
Driven to Distraction by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox. ebook. Good m/m romance about a professor who inherited his grandfather’s collection of classic cars. When he damages one of the cars, he has the chance to get to know his mechanic much, much better…
Possession (Devlin Island, Book 1) by S.W. Vaughn. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about an unfortunate vacationer who runs aground on Devlin Island with the worst possible timing, then meets a crabby male witch trying to figure out if there’s a demon loose on the island.
Where He Belongs by D.C. Juris. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m/m romance about a sub who left his two masters and now has to try to convince them to take him back.
Sandpipers’ Secrets (Sandpipers, Book 1) by Jade Archer. ebook. Good m/m/m romance about a guy who desperately needs a job to keep he and his brother off the streets and so is happy to get a kitchen job at Sandpipers, despite the attraction he feels to the couple who own the restaurant.
Xavier’s Way by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who realizes that his now ex-fiance was siphoning money out of his business. But what are these strange feelings he has for the handsome auditor he’s hired to gather evidence of his ex’s wrongdoing?
A Measure of Discipline by Diane Adams. ebook short. Ok m/m short about a guy who’s leaving his university number crunching job and needs to train two student workers to take his place. I haven’t read the two previous stories and, alas, this was just confusing as a standalone.
Best Man by Shelley Munro. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about two closeted rugby players and teammates, neither of whom knows the other is gay, who’ve been lusting after each other.
Work of Art by Rob Knight. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a neurotic artist and a guy who manages musicians. This was basically just a little slice of their life together and I couldn’t really see a point to it.
Tryst by Stone Richards. ebook. Meh m/m romance about a PI who gets sent to London to investigate a prominent businessman for a company considering a deal with the man. The whole thing was so implausible…

“Ok, you’re right, your phone doesn’t have a flash…” -Chaos

“…But the big kitty and I think you need to stop taking pictures of us anyway, flash or not.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Possession by S.W. Vaughn [CONTEST CLOSED]

January 26, 2011 Chris 50 Comments

Congrats to Tara, who won A Change of Tune by J.M. Cartwright!

Many thanks to S. W. Vaughn for donating an ebook copy of her freshly released paranormal m/m romance, Possession (Devlin Island, Book 1), for a lucky commenter to win!

Sully Shaw is one of three – a coven of gay male witches on Devlin Island, charged with protecting the place from the ancient gate between worlds, deep in the woods, that sometimes lets evil things escape. Sully’s job is to banish demons and spirits – which works for him, because after his last disastrous relationship, he’d rather not deal with people. Until a gorgeous stranger crashes on his private beach and needs his help.

Troy Landry was just out for a vacation, and maybe a fling, on Devlin Island. What he didn’t bargain for was crashing his boat on the beach, finding a hot naked man who claims to be a witch, and getting possessed by a demon who takes over his body when he falls asleep. The demon can’t be driven out until dawn – so Troy and Sully have to stay awake all night long. Lots of sex helps. But when they start falling for each other, incredible sex might not be enough to overcome Troy’s insecurities, Sully’s past trauma, and a demon bent on releasing its brethren and killing any mortal who stands in its way.

Excerpt

Other Books

Skin Deep and Heartsong (paranormal m/m romance)
Broken Angel and Devil’s Honor (House Phoenix, Books 1-2) (m/m suspense); The Twins (House Phoenix) – free download
Hunted (m/f urban fantasy)

About S. W.

S. W. Vaughn is stuck in central New York, where they have both seasons Â winter and construction. She lives with her husband and teenage son, as well as her sister and two teenage nephews (yes, the house is filled with testosterone and angst), five cats, and a dog who really wishes she was feline. Her hobbies include failing to learn Japanese, doing anything to avoid cooking, and playing chauffeur to large groups of teenagers. She tries not to write in the car too often, since it tends to make the kids think theyâ€™re going to crash and die. But she writes just about all the rest of the time. That way, she doesnâ€™t have to cook.

You can find out more about S. W. and her books at her website.

Contest Rules

To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, February 3.
If you havenâ€™t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesnâ€™t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entryâ€¦
If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry â€“ this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
Winners will be selected by random number.
You must leave a valid email address in the â€œEmailâ€ portion of the comment form.
Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
If a winner doesnâ€™t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
If you win, please respect the authorâ€™s intellectual property and donâ€™t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
This contest is open worldwide!

“Why do you people spend so much time upside down?” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Ya wanna know the funny part? I didn’t think I’d have enough links to do linkity….

March 4, 2010 Chris 44 Comments

Contests

Jenre’s giving away a copy of Janey Chapel’s m/m romance, Maritime Men. Answer her question in the comments by 11:59 pm GMT, March 5, for your chance to win.

The Book Smugglers are giving away a copy of Something About You, the new contemporary romance by Julie James. Contest closes 11:59 pm PST, March 6.

Donna Fantasy Dreamer’s giving away a signed ARC of Sean Cummings’ new urban fantasy, Shade Fright (Valerie Stevens, Book 1). Answer her question in the comments by 8 am CST, March 7, for your chance to win. SciFiGuy’s also giving away a signed copy to someone who comments by midnight EST, March 10.

SciFiGuy’s giving away a copy of Skyler White’s new vampire novel, and Falling, Fly, too. Leave a comment by midnight EST, March 10.

Blodeuedd’s giving away a copy of Beth Kery’s latest erotic romance, Release. Leave a comment by March 10 for your chance to win.

If you post or tweet about the Chicago author event at the Webster Place Barnes & Noble (featuring Julie James, Beth Kery, Shiloh Walker, and Joss Ware aka Colleen Gleason) on March 13, you’ll have a chance to win signed books and a $40 B&N gift card.

Oh, you lucky Canadians – you have a chance to win one of five copies of Shadowrise (Shadowmarch, Book 3) by Tad Williams from SciFiGuy if you leave a comment by midnight EST, March 17.

If you’re in the US, you have a chance to win one of three copies of Rachel Ward’s young adult paranormal thriller, Num8ers, from SciFiGuy – comment by midnight EST, March 17, to enter the contest.

Author Julia Barrett’s having a recipe contest this month to celebrate the upcoming release of her steamy romance, Beauty and the Feast. Head over to Julia’s blog to get the details!

Cecile’s giving away your choice of one of Beth Kery’s steamy romances – simply leave a comment by March 31 for your chance to win. Also at Cecile’s, if you can answer the question about Jenna Byrnes, you’ll have a chance to win one of her books. This one’s open until March 31, too.

Sweet Vernal Zephyr keeps a constantly updated list of book-related contests going in her blog sidebar. Book Junkie has a second blog (Book Junkie II) just for contest listings. And All Things Urban Fantasy puts out a weekly list of urban fantasy contests every Wednesday – the latest has nearly 100!

Books & Reading

SciFiGuy’s weekend report is, as always, chock full of info. So’s the March Escapist Newsletter from Literary Escapism.

For lists of of new and forthcoming books, check out Renee’s Book Addiction (romance, m/m, paranormal, urban fantasy, etc), Fantasy Dreamer’s Ramblings (fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy, YA) (Donna’s got some contest listings, too), SciFiGuy (paranormal, urban fantasy, fantasy, scifi), and I Love Books (m/m).

Smart Bitches have an assortment of interesting links. So does author Kelly McCullough of Wyrdsmiths.

Not sure how well this art installation promoted reading, but it sure looked cool. These vintage typewriter keyboard stickers look pretty cool, too.

How much does it cost to publish an ebook versus a hardcover? Not everyone agrees with those numbers.

One TeleRead contributor’s thoughts on why to avoid ereaders… for now.

Some predictions for ebooks in 2010.

Does Apple’s removing racy applications from its iPhone App Store have implications for its proposed ebook store?

Author Marta Acosta shares some of her thoughts on ebook piracy.

Trek’s thoughts and observations from the ethics assignment on ebooks and ereaders that she gave her college students.

Are books still books if they’re electronic? If you’d like to think more deeply on the nature of the book, this might be the read for you.

Val of Obsidian Bookshelf discusses that most challenging question plaguing m/m romance authors – how to keep those pesky pronoun references straight.

Nicola at Alpha Heroes put together a very cool photo essay based on locations from Kat Richardson’s urban fantasy, Underground.

Kmkat found an interesting study on what those Harlequin titles such as The Brazilian Millionaire’s Love Child might have to say about evolution.

If you can bear to chop up old book covers, you can make some pretty cool postcards.

Trek reviewed an intriguing book about what might happen if all your private conversations went public.

If you’re a writer prone to procrastination, maybe you need to check out the tough love anti-procrastination application, Write or Die.

Many thanks to Keira of Love Romance Passion for including Stumbling Over Chaos in her list of 2010’s Top 50 Romance Novel Blogs.

Learn Stuff

How to make fakeuccinos at home instead of buying those bottled Starbucks drinks.

Find out about the man who created MacGyver.

Lifehacker celebrates duct tape.

There are now officially wraps or skins for everything – including an x-ray wrap for casts.

Gizmodo lists 15 plants that are good at purifying air.

Topeka, Kansas, changed its name to Google, Kansas, for the month of March.

Some psychologists theorize that the evolutionary purpose of depression is to enhance mental skills.

I didn’t realize that every earthquake affects the earth’s axis. Because of the Chilean earthquake, days are now 0.00000126 seconds shorter.

Gladys makes the most amazing pooling stoles from Wollmeise and shares her patterns.

MaryLou’s Kombu Cowl is a gorgeous way to use half a skein of Mini Mochi.

Knitblogger KarenB documented her transition from Blogger to WordPress, if you’ve been thinking about making the same move.

Erotic Horizon discusses the tools she uses to make blogging easier.

Thanks to CursingMama for highlighting this thought-provoking post about figure skater Johnny Weir and how he’s portrayed by the media.

ModernCat has some great pictures of a cat table (sort of an outdoor garden/platform for your cats to enjoy on your deck or patio), plus a link to how to make one.

Ugh. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat bagged salad again…

As Jeanne noted when she sent me this link, who connects black peppercorn to salmonella?! (After all the recalls recently, I wasn’t too surprised to discover that food-borne illnesses cost the US $152 billion annually in medical care and quality of life.)

The National Institute of Health claims that lactose intolerance is nowhere near as prevalent as people think. (Since my gastroenterologist told me I was lactose intolerance, I’m pretty sure I really am…)

LOL

Limedragon sent me this great comic about why DRM doesn’t work… It could as easily go in the books section!

This iPad case was inevitable…

Dice storage is very important.

The real reason people want laser eye correction surgery.

Hmm. Looks a lot like Chaos to me.

Although… this could be Chaos, too.

SuperKitty to the rescue!

Teh Cute! It Burns!

Aww, a little angel.

Too cute to be fearsome.

But does it have sparkles?

Kmkat found a great post with pictures ofÂ celebrities and their cats.

Not getting enough kitten cuteness in your life with itty bitty kitty committee and pitter pats of baby cats? Give Two Mama Cats a try.

Reading Update
My Fair Captain (Sci-Regency, Book 1) by J.L. Langley. ebook. Another book for Kris’ m/m rut challenge. This was a scifi m/m romance, with a Regency flair to it… and I totally loved it. (I’m really glad I totally loved it, because if I hadn’t? I’d be afraid, as this is a very popular book.) I was a little frustrated during the prologue and first few chapters, as I tried to pull the bits and pieces together (that world-building stuff), but after I hit the breakthrough point (where you absorb the background and it doesn’t interfere with the story anymore), I was transfixed. Very steamy, yet very romantic and highly recommended read. (Kris is gloating. I can hear her.)
The Englor Affair (Sci-Regency, Book 2) by J.L. Langley. ebook. Not quite as good as My Fair Captain, but still a very good m/m scifi romance.
Friction by J.P. Bowie, Jenna Byrnes, Jude Mason, Kim Dare, Ashley Ladd, S.L. Majors, & Cassandra Gold. ebook collection. This was an enjoyable m/m romance collection. I thought of all the stories were, at the very least, decent, with one exception. And there were definitely a couple that were excellent.
Running Hot by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Nicely done short m/m romance about a paramedic and an ER doctor.
GPS by Leigh Ellwood. ebook short. Cute m/m romance about a guy who gets a GPS for his birthday, but what the heck is up with the darn thing?! (Yes, you’re right – that is Candy Cane Guy in the background.)
Sea of Sin (Creatures of Sin, Book 3? Book 2.5?) by India Harper. ebook short. Ok m/m romance short about a police commander who lives a celibate, closeted life except for the one week during which he goes on a gay cruise vacation. Based on the sort of non-ending to this story, I suspect it’s part of the setup for the next book in the series.
629 Miles To Love by Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two former lovers on a drive, talking about what went wrong. (Lost points for lack of condoms and lack of discussion of same.)
Skin Deep by S. W. Vaughn. ebook. Quite good urban fantasy m/m romance that was a bit hard for me to read at points, due to graphic violence in a domestic abuse situation. I am glad I persevered. (No condoms here, either…)
Falling (Hawkins Ranch, Book 2) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about two ranchers, one of whom happens to be a demon, which I would’ve enjoyed more if it had had a bit less torture. Those parts were hard for me to read and I definitely skimmed the more graphic violence.
ReneCade (Hawkins Ranch, Book 3) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Another good m/m romance (no paranormal this time) about a deeply closeted sheriff’s deputy who’s attracted to the sheriff’s son, but very afraid of the potential consequences of that attraction. I’m glad that this was less brutal than Falling, but the angst was flowing more freely and there was cheating, so maybe it was a draw.
Do You Believe in Magic by Drew Zachary. ebook short. Very steamy short m/m romance that was a good antidote to the brutality of Skin Deep and Falling.
Slap and Tickle by Drew Zachary. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a possessive cop and the stripper he’s in love with. I found the nicknames (“Big Daddy” and “Candy Pants”) annoying and the sex-to-story ratio was so skewed I skimmed a lot to find the tiny bits of plot scattered amongst the nudity. Plus a plot point that was played up throughout the book wasn’t resolved so much as dropped, which was odd and rather unsatisfying.