---

---

Congrats to Tam, who won Possession (Devlin Island, Book 1) by S. W. Vaughn!

Congrats to Natasha, who won Opposites Distract by Stephani Hecht! Opposites Distract was released yesterday by All Romance Ebooks as part of its Perfect Strangers series.

Congrats to Otter, who won How the Other Half Lives by Clare London! How the Other Half Lives will be released by Amber Allure on February 6.

Congrats to Carmel, who won Chocolate Dreams by Em Woods!  Chocolate Dreams will be released by Total-E-Bound on February 7.

---

---

Contests

• Cecile’s giving away a copy of Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro, an Aztec Gold t-shirt, and a Stronger Than Sin tote bag. Contest closes today (February 4).

• Leontine’s giving away a copy of A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang. Winner announced February 7.

• Blodeuedd’s giving away two copies of Everyone Loves a Hero by Marie Force. Comment by February 8 for your chance to win. US & Canada.

• Novel Addiction’s giving away five ebook copies of Spiral X by J.J. Westendarp. Contest closes 11:59 pm, February 10.

• If you read Promises by Marie Sexton, you might be curious about Jared’s tattoo. Marie’s having a contest for you to submit drawings or photos of what you think his tattoo looks like. The winner will receive a copy of Marie’s forthcoming m/m romance (and sequel to Promises), Putting Out Fires. Contest closes February 11.

• Amara’s giving away all sorts of romances (paranormal, historical, and more) in paper and ebook. Answer her question in your comment by 12 am PST, February 14.

• Sweet Vernal Zephyr’s giving away four classic romances that she literally grew up with. Contest closes February 20.

• Book Lovers Inc is giving away winner’s choice of one of Jaci Burton’s backlist titles (print or ebook). Contest closes February 20.

Bookity

• New releases and more: Lily (m/m romance), Elisa (LGBT),  Smexy Books (various types of romance), Literary Escapism (UF/PNR), and Book Lovers Inc (romance, UF/PNR)

• Some great book linkity and commentary from Smart Bitches. More great linkity from ReadReactReview (worth it just to watch the video for “I’m Reading a Book”) and Sloan Parker.

• Cool bookshelves and book quote. (Note that some site content is very NSFW.)

• Dear Author explains how bestseller lists work.

• Paperback Writer on ten ways writers can save money.

• Marie Sexton shares her thoughts on women writing m/m romance. (Note that some site content is very NSFW.)

• Book Addict Patti is celebrating M/M Romance Month on her blog.

• Kim Dare has a free short m/m romance and a contest in her February newsletter.

• Wren Boudreau has links to some of her free short m/m romances.

• The Goodreads M/M Romance Group celebrates 2000 members with a big chat event today (February 4) from 1 pm to 10:30 pm EST. Chat participants will have the chance to win prizes!

• Sentences that you won’t find in romance novels…

• LoveRomancePassion identifies some male romance novel cover models… alas, none that we see in the Misadventures.

Ebookity

• Dreamspinner Press and ManLoveRomance Press are offering a free anthology of m/m romance short stories, poems, and anecdotes celebrating author Patric Michael.

• Lots of commentary on Apple’s enforcing some of the App Store fine print to reject the Sony Reader iPhone app.

• Some info on ebook bestseller lists, including the forthcoming list from the New York Times.

• TeleRead looks back at January in ebook news.

• How could we create a National Digital Library and what would it contain?

• Is obscurity a greater threat to authors than piracy?

Do, Think, Make, Learn

• Heidi Cullinan writes eloquently against the proposed amendment to the Iowa State Constitution, which would restrict marriage to being between one man and one woman. You can donate to One Iowa to help fight for equality.

• If you’re confused about the various tablet computers available, Lifehacker’s infographic might help. They also have an article about five ways they feel the Android-powered Google table is better than the iPad, along with some things they feel the iPad still wins. Gizmodo reviews the Dell Streak 7 Android tablet… it doesn’t fare well.

• Do you have tech OCD?

• Lifehacker has ten tips on improving your brain.

• It’s Friday! Check out The Graphic Recipe Guide to Prepare Perfect Cocktails!

• What are some of the options out there for unlimited online backups?

• A statistician figured out how to beat scratch lottery tickets.

• A game called BiblioBouts might help students learn to assess source reliability.

• Use a beverage can tab to hang a picture.

• Use office supplies to make a car mount for your cell phone.

• How are cameras and eyes different?

• Opt out of getting the Yellow Pages dropped on your doorstep.

• An overview of gluten-free bread brands.

• The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been released. Summary? “Just eat less.“

• Bake your own Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, and Oreos.

• Some eerie videos and photos from Snowpacalypse (the non-Minnesota version). Lifehacker has a useful checklist for staying productive during Snowpocalypse (or other events that cause widespread power outages). And Gizmodo has a list of gear to help you stay warm.

Valentine’s

• Red Velvet Pancakes?!

• Cute crocheted heart ornament.

• Fun monster Valentine’s cards to make with kids.

• Chocolate-covered pretzel sticks with a Valentine’s theme.

• Tips for a gluten-free Valentine’s.

Cool

• Insanely creative crochet. (Thanks, Juni!)

• Baby monster amigurami.

• Gorgeous garden.

• Make your own mini colored pencils for doll houses or decoration.

• LEGO Space minifig cufflinks.

• A stormtrooper falls…

• Pop Art Toasters.

• 2001: A Space Odyssey tribute.

• The first photo in CRAFT’s Flickr pool roundup combines high heels and knitting in a clever way.

• Super cute knit kitty hat! (Yes, I had to buy the pattern instantly.)

• Gorgeous Beowulf sock pattern.

• Darth Vader meets typography.

• Whoa. Kraft has a 400,000 square foot underground cheese cave.

• Via the Google Art Project, you can take virtual tours and zoom in on famous artworks.

• It’s amazing that there’s still an uncontacted tribe living in the Amazon jungles.

• Cool or huh? You can now buy camping chairs with not only cupholders, but also butt warmers.

Huh

• An elderly woman was arrested because she’d been throwing condiments in library book drops…

• Zero gravity prehensile footwear?!

• Wearable planters…

• Anatomy dresses.

• Cake slippers.

• My toes get really cold just looking at these boots.

LOL

• Remember the Alot, as created by Hyperbole and a Half? Check out the Alot love! (Thanks, Wren!)

• Sparkly Google autocomplete… (Thanks, Lea!)

• When someone says Hogwarts isn’t real… (Note that some site content is very NSFW.)

• TARDIS humor! (Note that some site content is very NSFW.)

• xkcd on cooking at home. (Make sure you hover your mouse over the comic for additional text.)

• The folks who brought you Damn You Autocorrect have a new blog: Parents Shouldn’t Text.

• Laptop Kama Sutra…

• Handy flowchart to help you decide what sort of Facebook comment you should leave.

• Some panda humor…

• One side effect of the snow this week…

• “…little monkeys jumping on the bed…“

• Be very afraid of snaking the toilet… (Not nearly as scary as it sounds.)

• Prehistoric cat lady.

• Go, mama cat!

• Who knew that kittens attacked red blood cells?

• Where’s Wendy when you need her?!

• Oh, Frank, I’m not sure leopard print looks good on you.

• Basement cat for geeks.

• The lesser-known Fifth Horseman…

Teh Cute

• Bunnies! Kitten! Kitten! Baby kangaroo! Foxes! Baby cheetah!! Baby lion!! Cat and kittens!! Kitten! Kittens! Matching dog and kitten! Muddy lioness! Stoat! Baby penguin! Civet! Tiger! Polar bear! Wee sugar glider!

Reading Update
Rubbing Vignettes: The Wrong Way and the Right Way by Wren Boudreau. free ebook short. Cute short m/m Valentine’s romance split into two scenes as Greg tries to figure out how to celebrate his first Valentine’s with Finn, and then as they celebrate. I really hope that the first scene was the set up for a sequel to Back to Normal, featuring a couple of guys who rub each other the wrong way…
One Night Stand by Cassandra Gold. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy whose friends drag him to a club to help him get back out there after a few years. He seems to have a real connection to the guy he brings home… until the guy freaks out about having stayed over night and leaves. (This short story was originally part of the Friction anthology.)
Love Ahead: Expect Delays by Astrid Amara. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys driving a 1989 Geo from Seattle to drop off in Boulder, hoping to get there for part of Hanukkah, until the drive turns into the roadtrip from hell.
Half Pass by Astrid Amara. ebook. Good m/m romance about a horse phobic guy who inherits his aunt’s boarding stable and moves back to the small town in which he grow up so he can get the stable ready to sell. Unfortunately, it felt like all the details about the horses and their training and care overshadowed the actual story.
Handcuffs & Spreader Bars (Rawlings Men, Book 5) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a dom (and police officer) who’s had his eye on one of the newer constables for a while, but has only just learned that the constable equates submission with being taken advantage of due to a prior bad experience.
MIA Case Files 1: Wolfsbane by K.C. Burn. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a closeted agent who works in a secret government agency (MIA) that investigates dangerous paranormal activities. While he and his partner are trying to figure out what’s going on in the small town of Rothburg, he meets and becomes fascinated by a gorgeous young man working at a coffee shop.
MIA Case Files 2: Blood Relations by K.C. Burn. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about another MIA agent who gets involved with a young man who seems too good to be true. I didn’t enjoy the second book in this series nearly as much as I did the first – it was just too predictable.
Del Fantasma: Duck Fart by Jade Buchanan. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about an innocent Siamese cat shifter who just tracked down the best friend he’s had a crush on for years, only to discover that his friend is now mated to someone else. He thinks his heart is broken – so why is he leaving with that duck shifter and that human?!
High Flow (EMS Heat, Book 7) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good m/m romance about a medic who was gay bashed and now can’t let anyone get close or touch him. But maybe the handsome doctor in the ER will be patient enough to past his defenses…
True Hollywood by James Buchanan. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two stuntmen who haven’t seen each other since their breakup years before until they run in to each other at their former mentor’s wake.
Second Helpings (Table for Two, Book 2) by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance continuing the story of Luc, the arrogant French chef, and Daniel, the closeted British food critic, as Daniel’s obnoxious mother (who doesn’t know he’s gay) arrives for a visit and ratchets up the tension.
Beach Reading (Book 1) by Mark Abramson. ebook. Ok m/m mystery about a waiter in the Castro who spends a lot of time wandering around stoned and picking up guys. I did enjoy being able to picture the various locations mentioned. I didn’t enjoy the rambling brain dumps from everyone in the story.
A Bid for Love by T.D. McKinney & Terry Wylis. ebook. Ok m/m romance about an FBI agent who participates in a charity auction and is “purchased” by an anonymous bidder he assumes to be a woman. Ah, the surprise that awaits him when he and the bidder meet up in Italy. Sadly, the language was too flowery and overwrought for my tastes.
Knight or Daye by Jude Mason. ebook short. Ok short kinky m/m/m romance about a guy who infiltrates a human slavery ring, hoping that he can reconnect with and rescue the lover he drove away.
Howl by Lacey-Anne Frye. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a couple who stays at an isolated B&B in the middle of the woods. The proprietor tells them not to go outside after dark… Why don’t people ever listen??
What You See by C.J. Black. ebook short. So-so short m/m encounter between a waiter and an older man who always sits in his section at the restaurant.

---

“I’m hiding in my Plastic Tub of Invisibility. You can’t see me.” -Mayhem