Tag Archives: Theo Fenraven

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity and a larch walk into a bar…

July 13, 2012 Chris 14 Comments

Congrats to Melinda, who won Owner of My Heart (Mending the Rift #2) by Valentina Heart!Â Owner of My Heart (Mending the Rift #2) will be released by Silver Publishing on July 14.

Contests

Keira Andrews is giving away an ebook copy of her recent Earthly Desires (with Leta Blake). Closes 12:01 am PDT, July 16.

Armchair Reader Cole is also giving away an ebook copy of The Wish (2nd ed) by Eden Winters. Closes 7 pm CDT, July 20.

Blodeuedd’s giving away a copy of Thunder on the Plains by Rosanne Bittner. Closes July 24. US & Canada.

Fetch Me My Fainting Couch is giving away an assortment of books in her TBR Reduction Giveaway #5. Closes July 31.

Bookity

New releases and more: Literary Escapism (UF/PNR) and Book Lovers Inc (romance etc).

Book and publishing news from Dear Author.

25 bad behaviors that writers should avoid.

I’m pretty sure that the 26th behavior to avoid should be “creating an ‘anti-bullying’ website that outs reviewers you don’t agree with”… Some eloquent words about that complete wtfery from Smart Bitches, Jennifer Armintrout, Stacia Kane, and Fangs for the Fantasy.

“Kurt Vonnegut’s rules for the short story“. (via Wil Wheaton)

“The difference between passive voice and using ‘was’.“

Paperback Writer applies LEGO logic to creating characters.

Some of the predictions Arthur C. Clarke made 50 years ago about technology have turned out to be very true.

Gary Oldman reading from R. Kelly’s autobiography.

Have you ever found reading to be dangerous? (Um, not that I can think of…)

Proofreading marks you might not see from your editor… but maybe you should. 😉

Smart Bitches with some completely “Wha…?” book covers. (NSFW)

Alternate title for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The lawyer who was suing The Oatmeal’s creator Matthew Inman has dropped his suit. The whole thing is so crazy, it’s completely worth a read.

Ebookity

HQBooks helps you find free pdf ebooks – looks like it leans heavily toward tutorials and manuals. (via Lifehacker)

“Using Calibre and sideloading to keep your reading private.“

Ways in which ebooks are not like paper books. (via TeleRead)

Curious which Avenger is getting the most fanfic action? (via The Mary Sue)

Think, Do, Learn, Make

If you’ve ever been curious how dinosaurs had sex… (via Tor.com) (NSFW?)

Check out the original logos from an assortment of tech companies.

Was your password among those leaked this week? Leaked passwords were from Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Comcast.net, and MSN.com.

Tips on calling 911 in this mobile world.

Joyfully Jay explains how she moved her blog from Blogger to WordPress.

10 ways to repurpose old toys.

Use a mesh file box to store hair appliances in the bathroom.

How to use black cocoa powder.

Google’s new Legalize Love campaign predictably now has anti-gay conservatives talking Google boycott.

More on how bad sitting all day is for you. Exercises to help counter the negative effects of sitting all day.

New research suggests that it’s better to be obese (although not morbidly so) than to be underweight.

The world’s official kilogram is losing weight, which isn’t such a good thing for the metric system.

xkcd explains visual fields.

xkcd has a new blog called “What if?” that should seriously become a physics textbook because it makes physics WAY more interesting than I remember it being in school. To see what I mean, check out the post on Relativistic Baseball.

Scientists believe that many (but not all) recent extreme weather events haveÂ been caused by human-based climate change.

Cookity

Avocado chili brownies topped with avocado tequila ice cream. (via Wil Wheaton)

Gluten-free cherry almond crisp.

Four-ingredient strawberry-orange sorbet. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Boozy red berry fruit salad. (via The Kitchn)

Polka dot cake using cake pops. (via The Kitchn)

Single-serving microwave peanut butter cake. (via The Kitchn)

Cream cheese filled snickerdoodles. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Salmon moqueca.

Cheesy quinoa cakes. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Many grilled cheese recipes. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

BLT with basil mayonnaise and avocado.

Toasted sesame and white bean hummus. (via The Kitchn)

Eight-ball zucchini with eggs baked inside.

Zucchini boats with mozzarella and olives.

Blue potato salad with lemon basil vinaigrette. (via The Kitchn)

Savory tomato salad. (via CRAFT)

Grilled kale salad with ricotta and plums. (via The Kitchn)

15 cold supper salads.

15 summer squash recipes.

Drinkity

5 non-alcoholic summer drinks.

Cappuccino chip frappe.

Blackberry gin fizz. (via Armchair Reader)

Blueberry lavender vodka spritzer.

Crafty

Make a kitty print t-shirt. (via CRAFT)

Turn handwritten recipes into tea towels. (via CRAFT)

Create a string art typography wall hanging. (via CRAFT)

Make mini bottle necklaces. (via CRAFT)

Cool

Quotes from fathers on how having daughters changed their views on what being a man means. (Thanks, Jase!)

Scrabble wall art. (via CRAFT)

A LEGO Rolls Royce engine – watch it in action.

The Hobbit LEGOs. (via The Mary Sue)

Woman in garden with TARDIS.

Very young Indiana Jones and the jungle spider.

Paper mache bust of Dragon Maleficent.

Batmen at the beach.

Batpenguins. (via The Mary Sue)

Scenes from scifi films done as Ottoman miniatures.

Rocket espresso cup.

Cool or Wha…?

Chair with a wolf’s shadow.

Batmobile golf cart.

Swimmable mermaid tails.

HUSH Pod.

Trap door colander.

The Walker Art Center (very near me) is having a film festival of the best internet cat videos…

New York City is going to turn payphone kiosks into wifi hotspots.

You can actually bake cookies in a hot car. (Probably smells a lot better than an air freshener, too.)

Wha…?

Starbucks in a funeral home…

A mayor in Germany has designated “easy” parking spots for women because “men are better at parking than women.” *must control fist of rage*

Insulated paper bag sleeve for drinking your classy beverages… Or maybe you’d prefer a bearded beer cozy?

Naked girl in a hot tub iPhone case… (strangely, SFW)

Gummy bear dress.

What if bananas were added to your favorite fantasy/scifi stories?

LOL

If you can’t decide whether you should knit or buy a gift, check Franklin’s handy infographic!

14 First World problems from the 90s. (Thanks, Jeanne!)

Bad gadget names.

One way to deal with the heat without air conditioning!

Truth in advertising names for junk food.

Choosing a secure name for your pet.

Do cat people have a higher tolerance for pain?

Very Chaos.

Cat lady obstacle course. (Although Chaos and Mayhem do more creative rearranging of the throw rugs here.)

The Simon’s Cat guide to boxes.

Yes!

Teh Cute

Videos: Squeaky black kitten! Baby tigers!

Tiger! Baby snow leopard! Cheetah and baby! Lioness and baby! Tigers! Cheetah and babies! Swan and cygnets! Swan and cygnets! Cheetah and baby! Baby cheetahs! Baby otter! Seal and baby! Kittens! Kittens! Baby lion! Cat! Baby red pandas! Lemurs! Victoria crowned pigeon and baby! Baby tiger! Cat! Baby lynx! Fennecs! Baby human!

Reading Update
Simple Justice (Benjamin Justice #1) by John Morgan Wilson. Very good gay mystery set in the mid-90s about a former newspaper reporter who’s been working the occasional freelance job to make ends meet since it came out he’d fabricated the story for which he won a Pulitzer. When his former editor tracks him down about working on a story, he doesn’t want to… but he slowly gets sucked in.
Revision of Justice (Benjamin Justice #2) by John Morgan Wilson. Very good gay mystery in which Ben gets pulled into researching a Hollywood story that turns out to be very convoluted, but gives him the chance to face some of his own demons… or flee again.
Justice at Risk (Benjamin Justice #3) by John Morgan Wilson. Very good, but very dark, gay mystery in which Ben meets two very different but compelling men, gets some work putting together a documentary on risky sex, and is drawn into investigating yet another convoluted and dangerous situation. This was dark enough that I need to take a bit of a break from the series…
Every Minute (Max & Skyler #3) by Acer Adamson. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance that manages to cover both Max and Skyler meeting, plus meeting each other’s parents.
One Day at a Time by Dawn Douglas. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a DEA agent on assignment to a small town police force who decides to help a cop depressed about having had to kill a teen gang member.
Making Camp by Clare London. free ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about two guys who work together and are attracted to each other, but don’t do anything about it until the Country Mouse asks the City Mouse to go camping with him.
Healer (The Institute #1) by Cassandra Gold. ebook. reread. Very good m/m paranormal romance about a doctor who can heal people with his mind. Bad guys who want to capture him and use his power for their own ends are closing in on him when a purportedly good guy offers him a way out.
Touch (The Institute #2) by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a member of the Delphic Institute who gets captured by a rival organization. When escaping, he takes a hostage and everything starts to change.
Phoenix Rising by Theo Fenraven. ebook. arc. Good m/m paranormal romance about an NYC cop and his partner who are investigating a series of mysterious deaths. When the evidence leads them toward a charismatic singer, things start to get really weird…
Au Bon Pain by Lee Patton. ebook short. Poignant short story about a guy who has the chance to reconnect with his first love – the first love who dumped him and vanished.
The Good Life by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Cute m/m romance about a guy who suddenly finds himself a single parent with a baby daughter when he’d just planned to be the sperm donor. When his best friend offers them a place to live and help with the baby, things get a bit complicated. This had some very oddly phrased bits that seemed to need more editorial attention.
Roadside Assistance by Heidi Champa. ebook short. Pretty good short m/m romance about a week in the life of two friends who carpool together…
Laurel Heights by Lisa Worrall. ebook. Ok m/m romantic suspense two closeted cops who have to go undercover as a gay couple in a small, exclusive gay community in order catch a killer. The plot was implausible, the writing was over-the-top at times, and the epilogue changed it from neatly tied up into a cliffhanger.

“This is my new kitty bed, not a shopping bag! Silly Mom.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Phoenix Rising by Theo Fenraven [CONTEST CLOSED]

July 3, 2012 Chris 60 Comments

Congrats to Alisha, who won her choice of The Wizard & the Werewolf (Mixed Mates #1) or Robertâ€™s Rancher (Cowboy Lovinâ€™ #2) by Amber Kell!

Many thanks to Theo Fenraven for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming m/m romantic suspense, Phoenix Rising, for a lucky commenter to win! Phoenix Rising will be released by Dreamspinner Press on July 11.

New York City homicide detectives Artemis Gregory and Rachel Wayland are first on the murder scene of a beautiful young gay man, the third victim of a serial killer dubbed the Moon Killer by the department. Their investigation leads them to Talis Kehk, charismatic lead singer of the rock group Phoenix Rising. As the next full moon approaches, Artemis and his partner uncover clues that lead straight to Talis – even as Talis, exhibiting behavior Artemis finds strange indeed considering the circumstances, uses every means possible to keep Artemis close.

Artemis could never fall in love with a murderer, could he? Innocent or not, Talis has a secret… and it’s about to change Artemis’s world forever.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

Numbers
Will Crawford: Love at First Sight, Picture This, and The Housekeeper
A Silence Kept
Blue River
The Blue Paradise
Lavender Rose (free â€“ starts here)

About Theo

Theo Fenraven grew up in rural Ohio, and so, early writing featured horses, cows, and pirates in tree houses. An occasional cowboy or astronaut sometimes showed up by accident. Then he hit puberty and everything changed. His focus shifted to love, romance, and sex, and itâ€™s pretty much remained there ever since. He currently lives in St Paul, MN, has an okay job doing relatively unimportant things, and writes every chance he gets. His stories now reflect the drama and adventure of people exploring themselves and others. He apologizes in advance if the occasional cowboy or astronaut show up. You can find out more about Theo via Twitter or his blog.

Contest Rules

To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 10.
By entering the contest, youâ€™re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
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!
I am not able to reliably contact people with aol.com and netscape.com email addresses â€“ please use a different email address if at all possible!
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!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: The Blue Paradise by Theo Fenraven [CONTEST CLOSED]

June 13, 2012 Chris 59 Comments

Many thanks to Theo Fenraven for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming m/m romance, The Blue Paradise, for a lucky commenter to win! The Blue Paradise will be released by Dreamspinner Press on June 20.

Pro baseball player Devin Carter is set to break a home run record until a knee injury puts him on the bench. With nothing to do but wait for recovery, Devin impulsively treats himself and his dog to a vacation in the Florida Keys. He checks in at a family-run hotel called The Blue Paradise – and that’s where things get interesting.

Sparks fly when Devin meets Jim Dellwood, the resort owner’s grandson, on the beach. Though Devin’s time in Islamorada is limited – and he’s still in the closet to his teammates and the media – they decide to give the budding relationship a shot. Once he returns to Sarasota, Devin and Jim find ways to make their long-distance love affair work, but the team’s new outfielder has other plans for Devin. Can Devin make his way back to The Blue Paradise – and Jim?

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

Numbers
Will Crawford: Love at First Sight, Picture This, and The Housekeeper
A Silence Kept
Blue River
Lavender Rose (free – starts here)

About Theo

Theo Fenraven grew up in rural Ohio, and so, early writing featured horses, cows, and pirates in tree houses. An occasional cowboy or astronaut sometimes showed up by accident. Then he hit puberty and everything changed. His focus shifted to love, romance, and sex, and it’s pretty much remained there ever since. He currently lives in St Paul, MN, has an okay job doing relatively unimportant things, and writes every chance he gets. His stories now reflect the drama and adventure of people exploring themselves and others. He apologizes in advance if the occasional cowboy or astronaut show up. You can find out more about Theo via Twitter or his blog.

Contest Rules

To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, June 19.
By entering the contest, youâ€™re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
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!
I am not able to reliably contact people with aol.com and netscape.com email addresses â€“ please use a different email address if at all possible!
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!

“You wouldn’t have to worry about me being blurry if you just stopped annoying me with that camera.” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity rings out the old year

December 30, 2011 Chris 19 Comments

Congrats to Tara R, who won Take Me Home by Sloan Parker!

Congrats to Michelle L, who won FUBAR (EMS Heat #12) by Stephani Hecht!Â FUBAR will be released by eXtasy Books on January 1.

No Misadventure on Monday, which is another holiday for me!

Contests

Desert Island Keepers is giving away a grab bag of m/f romances and an ebook grab bag of m/m romances. Comment by midnight PST, December 31. Or comment by 7 pm PST that evening for the other grab bag of m/f romances.

Joder’s giving away an ebook copy of Fate’s Second Chance by AJ Jarrett. Contest closes 11:59 pm CST, January 1.

Wrapped Up in Books is giving away an ebook copy of The Forester by Blaine D. Arden. Comment by 9 pm CST, January 2, for your chance to win.

Joyfully Jay is giving away an ebook copy of The Given & the Taken (Tooth & Claw #1) by LA Witt and an ebook copy of Noble Metals by LA Witt. Both contests close at 11:59 pm EST, January 3.

Blodeuedd’s giving away Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley. Contest closes January 5. US & Canada.

Bookity

New releases and more: Elisa Rolle (LGBT), Tor.com (UF, “genre benders“, scifi, fantasy), AAR (romance print & audiobooks), and Book Lovers Inc (a little of everything).

Book and publishing news from Dear Author.

Writing and publishing linkity from Becky Black.

Is the hashtag ruining the English language?

Book sculptures.

Embroider some bookmarks. (via CRAFT)

Make a book stack necklace. (via CRAFT)

Ebookity

You can get the newly revised 2.1 edition of Among the Living (PsyCop #1) for free through midnight CST on New Year’s Day. Go! Go now! I’ll wait… Did I mention that I just reread this one for the second time this year? 🙂

As libraries and major publishers squabble, small publishers might be the winners.

Dear Author’s primer for the new ereader owner.

Spark in Darkness and Dear Author on the “entitled” reader.

More about SOPA from Literary Escapism.

Do, Think, Learn, Make

Simple hidden tricks that new iPad/iPhone owners should know.

If you got a techy gadget gift for the holidays, chances are Lifehacker has a guide for setting it up.

If you use your smartphone as an alarm clock, Winter Wake-Up will automatically wake you up earlier if it snows.

Amazon has the 42nd fastest computer in the world… and it’s virtual.

DrugCite makes it easy for you to look up prescription and OTC medications to check on side-effects and more.

Glycerin or vinegar can help make itchy wool less itchy. I’ve successfully used unscented hair conditioner, too.

The 25 films selected to be added to the Library of Congress this year. (via The Mary Sue)

The gap between median net worth of members of Congress and the average net worth of American families continues to grow.

Things that will cost more in 2012…

Drinkity

Creamsicle mimosas. (via CRAFT)

Toronto’s getting a gluten-free brewery! In the US, Dogfish Head will be releasing their gluten-free Tweason’ale four times a year.

6 hot toddies.

7 boozy desserts for your New Year’s Eve.

Cookity

A tea strainer can make sifting powdered sugar on top of baked goods less messy.

Chai tea eggnog cookies. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Eggnog pound cake. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Pumpkin pie cupcakes. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Peppermint bark cheesecake truffles. (via CRAFT)

Nutella and sea salt fudge. (via CRAFT)

Gluten-free cherry chocolate chip cookies.

Crafty

Yarnbombing goes mainstream? (via KnittyBlog)

Crocheted flower hair clips. (via CRAFT)

Make a no-sew pet bed.

Cool

Firefly and Neil Gaiman back free speech.

Scrap metal Darth Vader sculpture. (via CRAFT)

R2-Tutu. (via The Mary Sue)

Obi-Wan’s home planet is named after Jon Stewart.

Tardis pillows. (via CRAFT)

Back to the Future Delorean usb flash drive.

Interactive origami jellyfish swarm. (via CRAFT)

Crocheted Krampus. (via CRAFT) Franklin has a knitted version of Krampus, too.

Cool or Wha…?

Mini terrarium necklace.

Human flamingo.

Wha…?

Americans have purchased more than $41 billion in unused gift cards since 2005.

The increasing number of men doing household grocery shopping means that stores are trying out “man aisles”…

Fortunately, no one was injured when a gun went off in a teenager’s purse in a Wyoming Starbucks…

At least I like the colors…

For less than $200,000, you could have your very own classic Batmobile!

In the early 20th century, you could buy radium-enhanced condoms…

Marzipan pig.

Eeeeek!! Eeeeeek!!

LOL

10 awkward text relationship fails.

“Zombie survival tips for the holiday season” – how zombies can survive the holiday season? Or how you can survive zombie attacks during the holiday season?

Parodies of The Dark Knight Rises trailer.

Secret of the periodic table of the elements revealed!

Portal Christmas tree.

Cats as holiday tree ornaments.

Yes, this. (via Bron’s Pinterest)

Teh Cute

Kittens! Baby tigers! Kitten! Dalmatian and puppies! Kitten! Owlet! Kitten! Dog and cat! Dog and kitten! Kittens! Baby penguin! Kitten! Tiger and baby! Kitten! Lioness and cub! Swan and cygnets!

Reading Update
Among the Living (PsyCop #1) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. reread. Excellent m/m paranormal romantic suspense about a PsyCop, who can see ghosts even though he really would prefer not to. (This is one of my comfort rereads… you might’ve guessed, as it’s the second time I’ve read the book this year!)
Criss Cross (PsyCop #2) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. reread. Very good m/m paranormal romantic suspense that takes place a few weeks after Among the Living. Jacob’s staying with Vic while looking for a new condo, and Vic has a creepily eager-to-please new partner at work. (Second time I’ve read this book this year, too.)
Body and Soul (PsyCop #3) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. reread. Very good m/m paranormal romantic suspense in which Vic gets another new partner at work and Jacob continues hunting for an unhaunted place to live. (Second time this year, third time overall – as with the others.)
Secrets (PsyCop #4) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. reread. Very good paranormal m/m romantic suspense in which Vic and Jacob’s living situation changes dramatically and Vic stumbles upon an epic conspiracy. Do I need to repeat myself again?! 🙂
Jesse’s Christmas by RJ Scoot. ebook. Very good holiday m/m romance about a photographer who hates Christmas because his lover left him the previous Christmas, emptying his bank account and breaking his heart. Will he be able to get into the Christmas spirit for his assignment taking daily photos in “Christmasville”?? Bonus points to RJ for including a scene that matches the cover!
Home Ice by Kate Sherwood. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a closeted hockey coach trying to deal with working with his ex after not seeing him for ten years.
A Calling for Pleasure (Lars & Rael #1) (2nd edition) by JL Merrow. ebook (available 1/15/2012). Very good short paranormal m/m romance about two detectives for the Paranormal Enforcement Agency trying to track down a succubus who’s leaving a trail of dead guys behind her. The male detective (non-romantic detective pairing, not to worry!) becomes fascinated by a male succubus who’s picked up during the investigation… This was a fun start to a (currently) three-book series that I’m hoping JL adds to. 🙂
A Silence Kept by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who rents a place a bit off the beaten path for his summer weekend getaway after he catches his boyfriend cheating on him. He doesn’t really believe the place is haunted… at first.
Take Me Home by Sloan Parker. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about an author and a screenwriter who’ve been best friends since high school, even after a night together years ago left one brokenhearted and the other moving from guy to guy to avoid intimacy. As they take the train back to Ohio from Los Angeles for Christmas, they try to sort out the decades old mystery they’ve fallen into while figuring out whether they can trust each other if their relationship changes…
Puppy, Car, and Snow (Ryan & Scott #3) by Amy Lane. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance about two guys snowed in at a cabin for the holidays with one guy’s family, trying to deal with with his mom’s ongoing nasty comments to his boyfriend. I think enough background is provided in the book for those who haven’t read the previous two short stories.
Free to Fly by Belinda McBride. free ebook short. Good short kinky m/m romance about a guy who comes home from work planning to move out while his lawyer boyfriend is out of town for the weekend. But his boyfriend is still there, and their confrontation changes the course of their relationship.
Ten Things to Hate About Being a Werewolf by Vic Winter. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who was recently turned into a werewolf and hates everything about it.
Winning in a Landslide (Change #1.5) by JM Cartwright. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance that follows up on the sheriff, the rock star, and their two young adopted kids right after an extremely trying election. Something that once I noticed, I couldn’t un-notice – the two main characters just seemed to use each other’s names way too much.
Southern Winterland (By Degrees #1) by Taylor V. Donovan. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a gay guy who’s been distancing himself from his straight best friend after a drunken almost-kiss under the mistletoe the previous Christmas. This needed to be a bit longer!
The Gift of the Maggie by Belinda McBride. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a divorced rancher who has his very first boyfriend and is nervous about coming out to his kids.
A Picture Perfect Holiday by ZA Maxfield. ebook short. Good holiday m/m romance about a high school senior, president of the photography club, who has a crush on a straight football player.
Chance of Snow by Brynn Paulin. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about two coworkers who share a steamy night together when their chartered bus can’t make it home during a big snowstorm.
A Summit City Christmas (Sno Ho #2.5) by Ethan Day. ebook short. Pretty good short m/m holiday romance about Wade and Boone’s first Christmas together. This really needed to be fleshed out more to be a coherent or satisfying narrative.
Nice: Christmas Mistletoe by M. Durango. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a guy who moved home to live with his parents and work at their Christmas tree lot after he was laid off. He runs into an old high school track buddy one night while he’s working at the tree lot… This felt a bit disjointed to me.
Blue River by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Good short m/m holiday time travel romance about a photographer who walks through some mist and ends up in 1863, where he stays with an innocent young farmer and his sister. The thing I liked best about this book was that it didn’t gloss over historical details like people not bathing very often. I do have my doubts that greens stored in a root cellar would be lovely and fresh by December…
More Than Enough (More #2) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Pretty good m/m romance about a guy in college who lives at home to run interference between his abusive alcoholic father and his younger sister. When a handsome jock asks him out, he’s sure it’s as a joke.
The Question by Sean Michael. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two guys who’ve been best friends for years, but not romantically or sexually involved since their single disastrous attempt many years ago. This would’ve been more satisfying had it not been so very short.

*blank* -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

The linkity post in which I realize I missed my sixth blogiversary

December 16, 2011 Chris 24 Comments

Congrats to elaing8, who won A Gift of Mistletoe, by Alex Whitehall!

Congrats to Wendy, who won Dreams of a Stolen Child (Stolen Child #3) by Anna Mayle!

D’oh! My sixth blogiversary was November 22. The blog now bears little resemblance to the blog then, other than regular cat photos. 🙂 Of course, it was just Chaos back in those days… Anyway! Thank you all so much for visiting and commenting – you make each day a little brighter for me.

Contests

Coffee and Porn in the Morning is giving away an ebook copy of any book from KA Mitchell’s backlist – including the freshly released Bad Boyfriend. Contest is only today, December 16, so hurry.

Chaos in the Moonlight is giving away an ebook copy Megan Derr’s forthcoming The Christmas Package. Contest closes today, December 16, so hurry.

Jordan Castillo Price is giving away an ebook copy of her new short story, Fire Thief. Contest closes December 17 am.

Chaos in the Moonlight’s also giving away a ZA Maxfield holiday title, or other backlist book. Enter by December 17 for your chance to win.

Jenre’s giving away an ebook from Kari Gregg’s backlist. Contest closes 11 pm GMT, December 17.

Chaos in the Moonlight’s giving away an ebook from Kaje Harper’s backlist. Contest closes December 18.

And Chaos in the Moonlight’s giving away four different ebooks from JP Bowie (Christmas Wishes, He Ain’t Heavy, A Special Christmas, and A Present Christmas. Contest closes December 19.

Tracy’s giving away three copies of The Other Guy’s Bride by Connie Brockway. Contest closes 7 pm PST, December 19. US & Canada.

Joyfully Jay is giving way an ebook copy of What We Deserve by Kerry Freeman. Contest closes 11:59 pm EST, December 19.

Joyfully Jay is also giving away an ebook copy of Take Me Home by Sloan Parker. Contest closes 11:59 pm EST, December 20.

Cecile’s having Riptide Publishing contests all week on her blog for backlist ebooks from Riptide authors. Make sure you read the rules to enter! All contests close midnight EST, December 24.

Bookity

New releases and more: Literary Escapism (UF/PNR) and Book Lovers Inc (a little of everything).

Publishing and book news from Dear Author and Smart Bitches.

Dear Author on villains in romance.

Smart Bitches on cliches.

Tips on printing and binding your own books.

12 Christmas trees made from books.

Ebookity

Nathan of the eBook Reader Blog shares his favorite ebook readers and tablets of 2011.

Amazon is selling a million Kindle Fires a week, despite issues with wifi and browsing speed.

Dilbert on tablet computers.

Are ebook readers and tablets reviving reading?

“Digital publishing reviving short stories.” Um, I think that’s really only news for those who mostly read stuff from major publishers?! That’s been obvious to the rest of us for a while.

What will happen to copyright as the remixing generation gets old enough to influence policy?

The Harry Potter ebooks won’t be available until late 2012 now.

Read “Kitty’s Zombie New Year” by Carrie Vaughn free at Tor.com.

The Neverending Story handmade ebook reader/tablet case…

Gift guide: For people with ereaders

Do, Think, Learn, Make

Google Street View has updated photos of the tsunami destruction in Japan…

The 40 best protest signs of 2011. (Thank, Amy!)

Is Facebook making people miserable?

Beware getting rewards for doing something you love – you may come to hate it.

Also beware of salmonella-tainted cilantro…

Brain myths debunked.

Coffee may help you stick to your workout.

Turn earmuffs and old headphones into cold weather headphones.

To what degree your mobile payments are protected depends on your carrier.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) doesn’t think that people should use phones while they drive – not even handsfree.

Apparently more and more online reviews are being placed by paid reviewers, sometimes working from China.

So brilliantly simple… Store sheet sets inside one of the pillowcases.

Turn an old netbook or laptop into a touchscreen computer.

The AT&T/T-Mobile debacle, summarized in haiku.

Holidity

Spiked almond joy milkshake.

Christmas coal candy. (via The Kitchn)

Tangled Christmas lights cupcakes. (via The Kitchn)

5 latke recipes

10 festive holiday cookies

Rudolph cookies. (via CRAFT)

Make a gingerbread brownstone. (via CRAFT)

Geeky gingerbread creations, including a TARDIS.

Make your own personalized cookie cutters.

Make mosaic ball Christmas tree ornaments. (via CRAFT)

Make mini-stocking ornaments from scrap fabric. (via CRAFT)

Gift guide: For travelers

Gift guide: For winter backpackers

Gift guide: For makers

Quick gift idea: Homemade amaretto

Beware gifts that will lead to the recipient needing to spend more money.

Geeky ornaments.

15 creepy and bizarre family Christmas cards…

Build a LEGO model with your family – this family builds a different 100,000 brick model every Christmas.

Oskar the blind kitteh ruins Christmas.

Cookity

5 winter salads

10 truffle recipes

15 bars, barks, and bon-bons

23 bread recipes

Gluten-free pumpkin crumb cake.

Gluten-free snickerdoodles and snickerdoodle pancakes.

Sweet potato fudge. (via CRAFT)

Whiskey, caramel, marshmallow, and bacon bark. (via The Kitchn)

Dalek smash cake. (via CRAFT)

Pancake doodles. (via The Kitchn)

Martini-soaked olives.

Top five 2011 cookbooks, as picked by the readers of The Kitchn.

The 10 essential food groups of Pinterest, as identified by The Kitchn.

Crafty

Make paper snowflakes of Star Wars characters.

Knit a cozy neck warmer. (via CRAFT)

Cool

You absolutely must go watch this lovely video. I’ll wait.

Draw a Stickman! (via Dear Author)

Imagine coming home to find a baby seal napping on your couch…

Superheroines promoting regular breasts exams for women.

Snow Dalek. (via The Mary Sue)

Cool or Wha…?

LEGO introduces curvy female minifigs…

Some very over-the-top yarn creations at the LB Studio.

Mana and health earrings, Diablo2 style.

Hello Kitty toaster. (The comments on that post have other fascinating things, like a bubblewrappish waffle maker.)

Zombie half ski mask. (via The Mary Sue)

Artistic masterpieces recreated in spices, salts, and food coloring.

Wha…?

The richest kitteh in the world is very rich indeed. (Thanks to everyone who sent me that link!)

Does having cats void your computer’s warranty?

Mountain Dew contains a flame retardant.

You can shoot up real people in Google Street View.

“Woman kills man with amateur penis injection.”

A dining room table that needs to be mowed. (That would not work very well with cats……..)

An iPhone app so you can broadcast the location of and sexual position in which you just had sex…

Knitted ear caps.

Giant dried beetles wearing handmade costumes and being sold on etsy.

LOL

Most do-able to-do list ever.

Truth.

Why is Yo-Yo Ma on the floor of a bathroom with a wombat?!

The importance of caffeine on Star Trek.

10 more autocorrect misunderstandings with parents.

HTTP error messages illustrated with cats.

A new Simon’s Cat!

How to inspire kittens to become astronauts…

On introducing a new kitten to the house…

Be patient, kitteh!

I think you’re right, kitteh!

Recharging…

Cat world problems.

Oh oh…

Teh Cute

Kitten! Baby flamingo! Kitten! Baby cheetah! Cat and kitten! Baby cheetahs! Kittens! Baby cheetah! Baby reindeer! Owlets! Kittens! Reindeer and baby! Kitten! Penguins! Kitten! Fennec! Baby opossums!

Reading Update
The Gift by Kim Dare. ebook. Sweet kinky m/m holiday romance about a dom who’s visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past and shown how his sub has interpreted their time together…
An Australian Christmas in New York by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about an ex-pat Australian living in New York City with his American boyfriend and feeling homesick for a properly hot Christmas. Tim Minchin’s “White Wine in the Sun” made an excellent soundtrack for reading this.
Carol of the Bellskis (Bellskis #1) by Astrid Amara. ebook. reread. Very good m/m Hanukkah romance about a paralegal who breaks up with his boyfriend (also his boss) because his closeted boss is backing out of their vacation plans. The paralegal heads off on vacation to his aunt and uncleâ€™s kosher B&B aloneâ€¦ and finds himself taking care of all the guests, with his aunt and uncle nowhere to be found.
Miracle of the Bellskis (Bellskis #2) by Astrid Amara. ebook. Very good m/m Hanukkah/Christmas romance that takes place several years after Carol of the Bellskis, as Seth meets Lars’ somewhat icy parents for the first time… because Lars’ parents are staying with Lars and Seth for the holidays.
Fire Thief by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good steamy short m/m story about two guys who strike some sparks together in a bar.
Numbers by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Very good, very short m/m romance about two guys who are acting together in the musical Grease and dancing around each other offstage.
The Housekeeper (Will Crawford) by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a housekeeper from Mexico who falls in love with his movie star employer.
Picture This (Will Crawford) by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Good short m/m story about a discreet photographer who’s hired to take nude photos by a closeted movie star. I wish I had realized that this is a series of sorts, and that The Housekeeper was the most recent one – I read The Housekeeper first and kept wondering if Will was cheating scum as I read this one.
Love at First Sight (Will Crawford) by Theo Fenraven. ebook short. Pretty good short m/m romance about a closeted actor who pursues a bookstore owner who isn’t interested in one night stands. I’m still confused about these “Will Crawford” books. In this one and in Picture This, Will gets involved with a guy and the story ends with the sense that they’re in a relationship, trying to make things work. The Housekeeper begins with Will not involved with anyone and ends after Will makes a commitment to someone and follows through with it. Are the three books to be taken together as Will’s journey to finding love and coming out? Note: The author just posted the order of these yesterday, and I read them exactly backwards. 🙂
Zombie Wonderland by Piper Vaughn. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m holiday romance about a waiter who’s rescued from encroaching zombies by the customer he’s been crushing on for weeks. I’m not a fan of gruesome stories, but I am fan of Piper’s writing, so I braved it.
Christmas Baby by Johnny Miles. ebook short. This short story takes place right before Christmas in 1957 and is told from the perspective of a teenager whose parents drive off to a holiday party, never to return. Suddenly, an uncle he’s never met before is the only person he has in the world.
Secret Santa by Clare London. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about two guys who are always fighting, including over the mysterious Secret Santa presents they received.
NYPD Christmas by Eden Cole. ebook short. Meh m/m romance about a guy whose sister sets him up with a cop. Although he ditches the cop after they screw, he can’t get seem to get the guy out of his mind. Near instalove and awkward writing make this one to miss.