Try some; it's good.
Wherein I ramble about books, movies,
music, TV shows, my life, and occasionally, hot emo boys.
My Books
Current WiP
My ValentineGuide sequel = DONE
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Saturday, December 08, 2007
Happy early christmas!
To Cherie J!
Email me to collect your presents.
My dear readers, that's it for the blog this year. I have plans to make, books to edit, and a vacation in Cancun coming up. If you stop by while I'm gone, make yourself at home. Tell me your holiday plans, what you want for Christmas, and where you're located. Will you have snow?
Don't forget to lock up and turn the lights out when you go. Now I'll just say...
And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then happy holidays to one and all. See you in '08!
Labels: announcements, contest, winners
Friday, December 07, 2007
Early Christmas - the finale- Caressed by Ice
A special speed blog from Nalini Singh:
It's difficult to pin down one moment or instant that was the definitive inspiration for the Psy/Changeling series. I sat down one day with these two vivid characters in my head and three weeks later, I had a first draft.
But there was an important story question that continues to fascinate me: What if the flip side of great mental ability was insanity of the worst kind, the kind that led to murder? What would you do to survive?
It's a complex question full of possibility and every time I think of it, I see new avenues to explore.
Holy crap, three weeks? Now that's inspirational. People tell me, I don't know how you can write so fast, but Nalini blows me out of the water! That's incredibly quick, which says she must've really been driven.
I've read all three of her Psy / Changeling novels, and I could easily talk about all of them, but I'm going to focus on the third one, Caressed by Ice. First let me do a little setup:
In previous books, a Psy female hooks up with a Changeling male. The Psy have gone all Vulcan, eliminating destructive emotions from their daily lives. They did this because the Psy had a bad track record for going insane and doing hideous things to people, becoming the most brutal butchers the world has ever known. So they instituted the Silence, that dearth of emotion I referenced before. But the heroines in the first two books were different; they had wants, needs and desires. They fell in love. With me so far? Good.
In Caressed by Ice, we have a juxtaposition. Instead of another Psy heroine, we get a Psy hero -- Judd, who has bonded with Brenna, a Changeling woman who was taken by a crazy Psy butcher who was a bad guy in previous books. Judd was the only one who understood what Brenna needed; her family was inclined to coddle and protect her, after what she suffered, and that just made her weak and angry about it.
My take? This worked for me soooo well. Other people have said they prefer the Psy woman / Changeling male dynamic because they like all the growling and posturing, and "you're my bonded mate, woman!" type stuff. But I loved Judd. I loved how beneath the training of the Silence, which is supposed to prevent him from feeling anything, he had this desperate attraction to Brenna. He wanted her so bad, and didn't think he would ever have her. Better yet, that he would ever deserve her. Talk about dark, gritty angst. If you like a tough but controlled hero, who secretly overflows with passion and need, you're going to love Judd. There's just something about thawing the iceman, you know?
Brenna was a powerful heroine as well. She had been wounded, but she wasn't crippled by it. She was looking for a way to heal and resume her normal life, not spend it neurotic and cowering. She had her own issues to deal with, apart from the relationship Judd refused to consider. I liked how she never lost sight of what she wanted, though. It gave a super interesting twist to the whole "you are my bonded mate" thing. Brenna never budged about wanting Judd; she was completely single-minded, no matter what her pack or what Judd himself said, for that matter. It was just cool as hell to see a woman staking a claim in that particular alpha way.
But that's not to say Judd was weak. In no means. I think he may have been the strongest hero of the lot, but that could be bias talking, because this was my favorite book of the lot. The other two were fantastic, though. And I didn't even like shifter / were books before I started reading Nalini.
My one complaint -- and it's minor -- was that I wanted to see what happened between Brenna and Judd before the book began. There was a bond in place, already formed, from when she was kidnapped and attacked. We're told that he stayed with her, after she was rescued, and that she wouldn't let anyone else touch her. Well, I would've liked to have seen that, perhaps in a prologue, so I could actually see the bond forming. But even so, the book was an A+.
Have you read it? What did you think? If not, go get it!
And our random prize winner from yesterday should email me. Happy Early Christmas! Angie Fox, I need to hear from you!
PS -- I'll post the grand prize winner after midnight, the one who walks away with all five of these books. People who comment frequently will definitely have an advantage in this drawing.
Labels: contest, early christmas
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Early Christmas - day four- Perfidia
A special speed blog from Elspeth McKendrick:
I'm fascinated by the '20s, '30s, and WWII era. My husand is of German descent and his grandmother received Nazi government read letters from her relatives prior to the war. BLOOD MOON OVER BRITAIN highlighted the Allied side of this war but what about the other side? What was it like in Germany? Thus PERFIDIA was born.
I don't read a lot of historicals these days. I'm not interested in wallpaper books where the history is more for atmosphere than included for its accuracy. So it takes a lot more to motivate me to buy a historical than it would a paranormal, urban fantasy, speculative romance, or heck, even a plain old vanilla contemporary.
But as a kid, I had a terrible fascination with the Third Reich. It started with reading The Diary of Anne Frank, which was part of my school curriculum. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Who was she, this girl who wrote of things I could scarcely imagine? And yet she also seemed like a normal girl, like me. It was the my first brush with the idea of my own mortality -- if terrible things could come to Anne, who gazed out her window longing for freedom, what might befall me?
I studied the Holocaust for almost a year, trying to understand how such a hideous thing could've happened. How people let it happen. At 12, I gazed at pictures from Dachau, Auschwitz, and Belzec. I read about the pens and the ovens and the experiments.
I don't think anything had ever impacted me as seriously in my whole life, prior to that. I went to the American Legion to talk with WWII veterans about what they saw. I watched old movies. And I wept over people whose names history had forgotten.
So given my particular history, when I heard someone had written a historical, set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, I was skeptical. How could this possibly work? But other reviews made me curious. So I added Perfidia to my list of must-read books.
And this book is remarkable. Though it fulfills the requirements of a romance, it offers so much more. I was left awash in admiration for the way the author handled the raw truth of the era. She offered no white-wash, and this book was brutal in many ways. No illusions, no romance, which is odd in a romance novel, but there you have it. She drove home the vicious immediacy of life in wartime with her writing.
Reading Perfidia, I felt as though I were watching one of those glorious black and white films, complete with dialog that sounds dated and quaint by our standards, but completely true to the time. She peppered the book with genuine slang. I could see everything very clearly; the book had a truly cinematic feel. Cary Grant or Bogie might've starred in it. All the women would dress in smart suits and hats, wear that greasy lipstick, and everyone smoked and drank more than was good for them. There was a sense of rebellious excess -- if we might die at any moment, why not live to the fullest?
A cautionary note: this book offers no sugar-coating, and its brutality might not please everyone. But if you're looking for something different, this one's for you.
Anyone else read this? What did you think?
And our random prize winner from yesterday should email me. Happy Early Christmas! Kim W, I need to hear from you!
Labels: contest, early christmas
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Early Christmas - day three - Voice of Crow
A special speed blog from Jeri Smith-Ready:
I’ve always felt a spiritual and creative connection to crows and ravens, so when I became a writer, I wanted to honor them with a book that would show them in a positive light. I just had to find the right story.
Then one day I thought, hey, wouldn’t it be cool/horrifying to know when people would die? Tie these two ideas together with the shamanistic concept of the Power Animal, and voila! Aspect of Crow.
P.S.: As I write this, a dozen crows are surfing the 40-mph winds outside, just for the hell of it. What other wild animal takes time from its busy survival schedule to goof off? No wonder biologists think crows are so smart.
That's an excellent question, and one I don't know the answer to, I'm afraid. Before I get into the squeeing, I'll tell y'all how I know Jeri. I first became aware of her work on Smart Bitches, where someone recommended her book Requiem for the Devil. A novel written from Lucifer's POV, first-person? I was dubious. How could that possibly work? But daaaaaaaaamn. Once I got it, I read it in one sitting and then I became a fan, just like the person who said the book was amazing.
From that point on, I stayed on the alert for any of her books. After I sold Grimspace, I asked if she would consider blurbing me. That worked out great, and we became friendly via emails. Then Eyes of Crow was out, but I wanted a signed copy, and I got hooked up at RWA National in Dallas, and I bought it at the literacy signing. I hoarded my signed copy until I got home and then I read it in one sitting. It totally blew me away -- my review can be found here.
So as you can well imagine, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Voice of Crow. In fact, I was ballsy enough to offer Jeri an e-ARC of Wanderlust (Jax, book 2) on the chance she would swap me an e-ARC of VoC. Well, mwahaha, it worked! So I read that just before the book came out, and then I waited three weeks longer for my actual physical copy, to which I added a signed bookplate. Now I have all her books signed. Yay!
These days, I consider her a friend, but don't worry -- early Christmas isn't about my pimping my friends' books, regardless of how good they are. There are people I like a lot, but whose books leave me cold. You won't find me pimping books I don't genuinely love.
And now you're up to speed.
VoC is a book that offers a perfect marriage of romance and fantasy. There's a gritty magical realism inherent in the world Jeri has built, full of symbolism and raw emotion. The world-building is fantastic and intriguing, full of spiritual symbols and hints of Native American lore. The prose is flowery, but elegant. Her characters are fantastic as well. Simply put, VoC is a joy to read, but you'll want to make sure you've read book one first. For anyone who loves romance or fantasy, you'll find this a perfect symbiosis of the two genres.
Rhia possesses the aspect of Crow, which means she can sense when someone's death is approaching. You'd think that would make her really depressing, but it doesn't. Conversely, she understands that it's important to truly live. The world is in turmoil, after the battle. (Trying not to spoil!)
Her relationship with Marek is tested, but it's very well done. VoC is a fine addition to the Crow series, and it left me eager to read the book she's been slaving over, The Reawakened, which is the conclusion to the Aspect of Crow series. No, I haven't had a sneak peek, and I don't know whether I'll get one. But I'm sure it will be wonderful.
Who else has read this? What did you think?
And our random prize winner from yesterday should email me. Happy Early Christmas! Tetewa, I need to hear from you!
Labels: contest, early christmas
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Early Christmas - day two - Tempting Danger
Special speed blog from Eileen Wilks:
The question writers hear most often is, “Where do you get your ideas?”
With Tempting Danger, the answer seems obvious. A little over a year ago I wrote a novella called “Only Human” that drove me distracted . It did not want to be a novella—the characters and their world begged to be made into a longer, richer book. I was blessed with an editor who agreed and asked that I expand it into a series. Look for more about Lily and Rule in Mortal Danger, available [insert pub date.]
And yet, as those of you who’ve read both novel and novella have seen, the story told in Tempting Danger is very different from that in “Only Human.” Though they explore some of the same ideas, they share only a single scene—the opening—and even that isn’t identical.
What happened? Do I just like to make things hard on myself?
Well, yes, that’s probably part of it. There’s also the old adage about never stepping in the same stream twice. When I returned to the stream I’d forded in “Only Human,” the water had moved on. I was in a different stream. The current was stronger and carried me farther, through different—and wilder--territory.
Then there’s Dark Matter.
Scientists say that around 98% of our universe is composed of a mysterious substance they cannot see, measure, or identify. They’ve dubbed it Dark Matter, or Dark Energy--and that’s where my ideas really come from. Like the mystery mass that makes up so much of reality, creativity can’t be seen, measured, or identified. It’s everywhere . . . and it’s moving.
Happy traveling.
Yesterday I mentioned how I enjoy paranormals that lean toward urban fantasy.
Well, I couldn't have picked a better book for that. TEMPTING DANGER is easily among the best I've read this year. I'll be honest; through no special attraction of my own, I wound up planning an RWA workshop panel on writing and selling cross-genre fiction with Eileen. By the time we were done, we'd chatted on the phone, and I concluded that Eileen is a lovely person. And people had been telling me, you have to read her books. They're amazing.
Lauren Dane was one of those people, and since I trust her judgment, I added all Eileen's Lupi books to my massive Amazon order. After reading all the reviews and sample chapters, I was really excited to get my grubby little hands on them. Admittedly, I was a little nervous too because I consider Eileen a friend at this point (or at least a friendly acquaintance). But I figured I could always just not comment at all. You're never sorry about keeping your mouth shut.
Then the books arrived, and I read the first one right away. It was a Sunday morning. By Sunday evening, I had devoured the other two, and was wishing I could get my mitts on Night Season, which comes out in January. Sheer brilliance.
TEMPTING DANGER has everything: world-building, characterization, and lovely, lyrical writing. I was talking to Lauren afterward, and we both agree that Eileen has an amazingly fresh voice. Really, I'm talking about all three of her Lupi stories when I say such things, but we'll focus on the first one for ease of reference.
Lily Yu is a cop with a special gift -- you could call it the Sight, and you wouldn't be wrong. She knows when magic has been used in a crime, and what's more, she can ID the types of magic by the way they feel to her. For example, death magic stinks of putrefaction. Eileen does a wonderful job with world-building. There are no inconsistencies, and everything ties together beautifully.
At the start of the book, there's been a brutal murder, which Lily knows has been committed by a lupus (or werewolf, but that's not the PC term anymore). I love the little touches like that, and the bits of history Eileen slips in along the way without a trace of info dump. Her use of exposition feels utterly integral to the narrative, which can be difficult to achieve.
Enter Rule Turner, the heir to the Nokolai clan. Someone is trying to frame him, and it's up to Lily to clear his name. Whether she wants to or not. Add an explosive sexual attraction to a dangerously fraught political clime, and you have the beginning of TEMPTING DANGER.
I think I've given you a pretty good idea of how the book starts with a bang. Now for my reactions to it.
OMG!! I can't believe I hadn't read these books before. I wish I could say it was because I was living under a rock because these are some of the best paranormals I've ever read. Sadly, I was just missing out. As I said earlier, they do edge toward urban fantasy in their scope, because there's certainly more plot than Wolfman finds mate, Wolfman rogers mate, mate cannot resist Wolfman, the end.
Lauren and I talked about these books at length. Really, I just popped up on IM to squee and she was nice enough not to say, "Duh, everyone else was squeeing about these years ago!" So I'm behind -- at least I found my way at some point. We both agree that Eileen has a captivating style and her characters are just brilliant. You know how you feel when you run across a perfect pairing? Not that there aren't fights, tension, and all the other yummy stuff. But ideal chemistry that makes you sigh and clutch the book once you've finished it?
TEMPTING DANGER has that in spades. I would go so far as to say Rule and Lily are the Eve and Roarke of paranormal romances. They have the same delicious complementary relationship. Sometimes when I finish a book, I don't really understand why the hero and heroine are together, other than the fact that the author wanted them to be. Sometimes I could actually see them matched with a secondary character instead.
Not so with TEMPTING DANGER. When I finished this book, I could not imagine Rule or Lily with anyone else. They were a matched set, complete with realistic tension and conflict. I loved this book. Don't let the cover fool you. It absolutely isn't just another romantic suspense.
Who else has read it? What did you think?
And our random prize winner from yesterday should email me. Happy Early Christmas! Kat O+, I need to hear from you!
Labels: contest, early christmas
Monday, December 03, 2007
Early Christmas - day one - Driven
First, here's a special speed blog by Eve Kenin:
DRIVEN was inspired by a confluence of ideas. Joss Whedon’s amazing series, Firefly, with its vicious Reavers, do-what-needs-to-be-done captain, and cast of quirky and fascinating characters was part of my inspiration. Also, at the time, I was just getting into Manga and Anime (Trigun, Full Metal Panic, Hellsing, GTO, Ruruni Kenshin... to name a few). These stories drove home the point that a little bit of humor can go a long way in a dark tale. The element of the frigid environment came from my own personal dislike of the cold. I’m certain there are other ingredients that tipped into the brew boiling in the cauldron of my imagination, but I can’t think of them off-hand. I will say that DRIVEN was a blast to write.
Wow, so she got her inspiration at least partially from Firefly? Is there anything Joss Whedon can't do? I wish the man would get a TV series back on the air, because I so need something else to watch religiously. For me, the Manga / Anime influence was less readily discernible, despite the cover, but that might be because I'm not as familiar with them. Anyhow, let's talk a bit more about DRIVEN.
You want my take on it?
Holy crap, this was good. You know how JR Ward has the knack for writing a strong, charismatic male with just enough emotional trauma to make him intense and interesting? Eve Kenin has that gift too. But what's more (and better!) -- she has the knack for writing strong heroines as well, one who is her own person: smart, tough and capable. You know how sometimes, you half don't understand why the uber-awesome hero is interested in that damp dishrag of a woman? Not so in DRIVEN.
This book was addictive. I literally couldn't put it down. I carried it around the house with me, read it while I cooked dinner, while I was supposed to be watching TV with the family, and then took it upstairs to bed, where I read it nonstop until I finished it. DRIVEN gets an A++ from me. It has everything -- a heart-wrenching love story, great characterization, lovely writing, and an utterly kickass action-driven plot.
I can't guarantee Eve will stop by because she's utterly slammed with deadlines, but if you have questions about the book or her work, feel free to post them here. Someone mentioned on my Friday post that she wants to know what happened to Wizard's sister. I'm wondering about both his sisters, myself. I'd love for her to revisit this world, that's for sure.
Wizard was a perfect hero, as far as I was concerned, and I thought she did a brilliant job of conveying his nature without hitting people over the head with it. As for Raina, I was so happy to find a heroine who could seriously kick ass and take names. And talk about an action driven plot...
Have you guys read this? What did you think?
As I said on Friday, we'll be talking about books all week. Participation will be rewarded.
Labels: contest, early christmas
Sunday, November 11, 2007
go away
No, really. Go. What're you doing here on a Sunday anyway?
You know I'm over here on Sunday. Jeez. You'd forget your own head if it wasn't attached.
Seriously, get out of here! Nothing to see, move along, these are not the droids you're looking for. Scram.
PS - there's a contest over there. Go on, already!
You know I'm over here on Sunday. Jeez. You'd forget your own head if it wasn't attached.
Seriously, get out of here! Nothing to see, move along, these are not the droids you're looking for. Scram.
PS - there's a contest over there. Go on, already!
Labels: announcements, contest, FYI
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Contest-y goodness
I thought y'all might be interested in the list I sent to Anne a while back. For a week or so, I was big time into thinking up possible names for TNFKaGT (The Novel Formerly Known as Good Touch). I couldn't work on anything else, really, until I came up with the definitive list. There's my single-mindedness again.
So here's what I came up with:
Boneyard Boogie is my favorite. What's yours? I'm thinking of doing this as a contest. Here's the deal. You pick ONE favorite (I know, it's gonna be hard to narrow it down, but you can do it!), and tell me what that is in comments. The person who gets it right (selects the title that marketing decides on as well) will receive an ARC of Grimspace, well before its release date. If more than one person picks the right title, they ALL get ARCs. And if marketing makes up their own title, and doesn't pick one from my list, then I'll draw a random name for the winner. Sound fun? All you have to do is... choose.
There can be only one (favorite).
PS - my special loop-only contest starts today, but you can't play if you're not a member. Isn't it time you signed up?
So here's what I came up with:
- Object Lesson
- Vicious Gifted
- Dread Naught
- Dead Man's Merengue
- Zombie Mambo
- Throw the Bones
- Revenant Wrath
- Hot Luck
- Burning Dreams
- Bred in the Bone
- Phantom Fire(s)
- Hard Spark
- Salt and Bone
- Burn Effect
- Boneyard Boogie
- Bare Twilight
- Parlor Trick
- Warlocks Wild
- Heathen Magic
- Eternal Flame
Boneyard Boogie is my favorite. What's yours? I'm thinking of doing this as a contest. Here's the deal. You pick ONE favorite (I know, it's gonna be hard to narrow it down, but you can do it!), and tell me what that is in comments. The person who gets it right (selects the title that marketing decides on as well) will receive an ARC of Grimspace, well before its release date. If more than one person picks the right title, they ALL get ARCs. And if marketing makes up their own title, and doesn't pick one from my list, then I'll draw a random name for the winner. Sound fun? All you have to do is... choose.
There can be only one (favorite).
PS - my special loop-only contest starts today, but you can't play if you're not a member. Isn't it time you signed up?
Monday, October 15, 2007
The nominees are...
The lovely and talented Dionne Galace picked the top four, therefore I'm removed from accusations of bias and what-not. Without further ado, here are your Embarrassing Story finalists.
Wicked Writes:"I rise late from le boudoir and feel like dinner instead of a late lunch. I know the Chinese place across the street has great deals and I quite fancy some of the 'special mixed meat curry'. It tastes divine going in but ends up watery coming out the back door.
So? I figure everyone gets the bum squirts now and then and it's no bid dealio. I'll just wear a panty liner to keep my knickers from getting streaked.
Eventually the ass gushing stops and I am left with a smelly toilet and a rubbish bin in my bathroom full of poopy panty liners.
I forget about it. I can sort it out later. There is some serious ovarian histronics happening because Tarzan is on tv and he is FINE.
The phone rings. I am selling a fishtank and some dude wants to come pick it up and pay me monies.
Whatever. Back to Tarzan.
Now, I live with 2 bastard catses. Babycat is an adult but behaves like a toddler on a sugar high and Afrocat is the grumpiest bitch on the block. Both are going full scale maddo running up and down my hallway and in and out of all the rooms.
I ignore them and watch more smexy Travis Fimmel. I pray his lil buttflap thing will fall off but it doesn't.
Doorbell rings and dude is here for the tank. He pays me and I leave him to pick up the tank and get the hell out.
*CRASH*
There is an almighty skidding, banging and mewling screech.
I roll my eyes. Cats.
Dude is leaving and needs me to hold open the front door for him. I am a lazy pig and huff about leaving my tv. We head into the hallway and nearly get tripped up by Afrocat being pursued by Babycat.
The smell hits me first...
Uh oh. Shit.
Afrocat gallops past us wearing a couple of my used vag liners complete with skiddy crap marks. She is furiously trying to outrun Babycat and get the sticky pads off at the same time. She looks like she is having a seizure and the smell is enough to make you gag.
The dude looks disgusted and then looks everywhere but at me and makes some comment about the weather. The weather? WTF? Did he not just see the funneh? My cats are cute and he should be cooing and awwing over their splendidness. So what if one has a few ass gravy painted panty liners stuck to her? She was PLAYING. I resist the temptation to ask him if he wants to stroke my pussy... It is hard.
I give him mercy and reach down to pick Afrocat up. She glares at us with hatred. Her growling sounds like a rottweiler and she twitches trying to get the pads off. I peel the shitty liners off her (taking a good lump of fur off too) and release the poofball. She saunters off to watch us from a more queenly vantage point. Babycat follows her.
I am pushing dude out towards the front door with the liners wadded up in my fist.
I manage to peek in the bathroom on the way past and see the bin is on it's side and the contents are strewn all over the floor.
Oh well. These things happen. I hold the door open for dude, thank him for the money and smile. He looks green. I offer him my hand to shake and he visibly winces before rushing away as fast as possible. Kinda rude, if you ask me.
Anyway. I put the rubbish back in the bin, tied the bag and disposed of it properly. I also washed my hands and then went back to watching TV. Deadwood would be on soon. I likes me some sweary western fun!"
Robin:"Years ago, I was on day 3 of my first serious career-track job. My company was hosting a seminar presenting our project to 500 industry leaders. My mentor, a corporate heavy-hitter, forgot to order a translator for a non-English speaking government official who was due to speak. In a bind, he "asked" me whether I would be willing to stand up in front of 500 VIP's to do simultaneous translation (which I'd never done before). Remember it's just my 3rd day on the job. I was backed into a corner and said yes. Only catch? The ^%$%$#$@# Minister had never had anyone translate before AND NEVER STOPPED TO LET ME SPEAK! By the time he'd droned on for 5 straight minutes I'd completely forgotten what he'd said when he started! I literally froze halfway through and stood there with my mouth hanging open until the Mayor stood up from the audience and finished the translation. And to top it off, afterwards the Deputy Mayor had the nerve to tell me "wow, you really screwed up out there, didn't you?"! Utter and total humiliation which took over a year to live down. I'm cringing at the mere memory."
Kim W: "I accidentally tucked my skirt into my pantyhose when I was in the bathroom. I worked in a large office building at the time. I went all the way from the lobby area to my office with my behind hanging out. I saw a few snickers and wondered what was up. It wasn't until I walked through the door of where I worked and the receptionist started laughing at me when I passed by that I knew. Of course I had no panties on so that made it even worse."
L: "I can remember a time long, long ago. I was a mm, clumsy child and I lived with oldest sister.
Who obviously hated me, because she made go to a church where old people said "bless your heart" like I was diseased for being biracial. That's not the worst of it, though.
She made me wear a gigantic poofy dress. Gigantic as in...you can move without toppling over.
So I waddled like a penguin to church.
I was like, five, and there was a boy who was cuter than cute, but who is now uglier than ugly.
I sat down looking away from him...
onto air...
and flat on my ass.
Nobody helped me up or nothing.
The poofy skirt flipped up and out onto my face showing off my underwear to the formerly cute but now very ugly boy.
I died. Like five times.
It took people like ten minutes to help the poofy dressed one up.
There was no hurrying.
That was the moment when I realized I had the potential to be the greatest pyromaniac a five year old could be.
Long story, short, my sister shipped me back to my parents."
And you choose...
You have 24 hours to vote. The poll is set so it won't let you vote for yourself repeatedly, but you can have all your friends and family stop by if you'd like. Feel free to be shameless.
Tomorrow, we'll have a winner!
In the meantime, let's talk about my favorite new discovery, Ayo. She's huge in France, y'all. She's got a simple acoustic feel along the lines of Tracy Chapman or Sade, but she has her own magic. Check her out!
What's your favorite singer / band that other people have probably never heard of?
Wicked Writes:"I rise late from le boudoir and feel like dinner instead of a late lunch. I know the Chinese place across the street has great deals and I quite fancy some of the 'special mixed meat curry'. It tastes divine going in but ends up watery coming out the back door.
So? I figure everyone gets the bum squirts now and then and it's no bid dealio. I'll just wear a panty liner to keep my knickers from getting streaked.
Eventually the ass gushing stops and I am left with a smelly toilet and a rubbish bin in my bathroom full of poopy panty liners.
I forget about it. I can sort it out later. There is some serious ovarian histronics happening because Tarzan is on tv and he is FINE.
The phone rings. I am selling a fishtank and some dude wants to come pick it up and pay me monies.
Whatever. Back to Tarzan.
Now, I live with 2 bastard catses. Babycat is an adult but behaves like a toddler on a sugar high and Afrocat is the grumpiest bitch on the block. Both are going full scale maddo running up and down my hallway and in and out of all the rooms.
I ignore them and watch more smexy Travis Fimmel. I pray his lil buttflap thing will fall off but it doesn't.
Doorbell rings and dude is here for the tank. He pays me and I leave him to pick up the tank and get the hell out.
*CRASH*
There is an almighty skidding, banging and mewling screech.
I roll my eyes. Cats.
Dude is leaving and needs me to hold open the front door for him. I am a lazy pig and huff about leaving my tv. We head into the hallway and nearly get tripped up by Afrocat being pursued by Babycat.
The smell hits me first...
Uh oh. Shit.
Afrocat gallops past us wearing a couple of my used vag liners complete with skiddy crap marks. She is furiously trying to outrun Babycat and get the sticky pads off at the same time. She looks like she is having a seizure and the smell is enough to make you gag.
The dude looks disgusted and then looks everywhere but at me and makes some comment about the weather. The weather? WTF? Did he not just see the funneh? My cats are cute and he should be cooing and awwing over their splendidness. So what if one has a few ass gravy painted panty liners stuck to her? She was PLAYING. I resist the temptation to ask him if he wants to stroke my pussy... It is hard.
I give him mercy and reach down to pick Afrocat up. She glares at us with hatred. Her growling sounds like a rottweiler and she twitches trying to get the pads off. I peel the shitty liners off her (taking a good lump of fur off too) and release the poofball. She saunters off to watch us from a more queenly vantage point. Babycat follows her.
I am pushing dude out towards the front door with the liners wadded up in my fist.
I manage to peek in the bathroom on the way past and see the bin is on it's side and the contents are strewn all over the floor.
Oh well. These things happen. I hold the door open for dude, thank him for the money and smile. He looks green. I offer him my hand to shake and he visibly winces before rushing away as fast as possible. Kinda rude, if you ask me.
Anyway. I put the rubbish back in the bin, tied the bag and disposed of it properly. I also washed my hands and then went back to watching TV. Deadwood would be on soon. I likes me some sweary western fun!"
Robin:"Years ago, I was on day 3 of my first serious career-track job. My company was hosting a seminar presenting our project to 500 industry leaders. My mentor, a corporate heavy-hitter, forgot to order a translator for a non-English speaking government official who was due to speak. In a bind, he "asked" me whether I would be willing to stand up in front of 500 VIP's to do simultaneous translation (which I'd never done before). Remember it's just my 3rd day on the job. I was backed into a corner and said yes. Only catch? The ^%$%$#$@# Minister had never had anyone translate before AND NEVER STOPPED TO LET ME SPEAK! By the time he'd droned on for 5 straight minutes I'd completely forgotten what he'd said when he started! I literally froze halfway through and stood there with my mouth hanging open until the Mayor stood up from the audience and finished the translation. And to top it off, afterwards the Deputy Mayor had the nerve to tell me "wow, you really screwed up out there, didn't you?"! Utter and total humiliation which took over a year to live down. I'm cringing at the mere memory."
Kim W: "I accidentally tucked my skirt into my pantyhose when I was in the bathroom. I worked in a large office building at the time. I went all the way from the lobby area to my office with my behind hanging out. I saw a few snickers and wondered what was up. It wasn't until I walked through the door of where I worked and the receptionist started laughing at me when I passed by that I knew. Of course I had no panties on so that made it even worse."
L: "I can remember a time long, long ago. I was a mm, clumsy child and I lived with oldest sister.
Who obviously hated me, because she made go to a church where old people said "bless your heart" like I was diseased for being biracial. That's not the worst of it, though.
She made me wear a gigantic poofy dress. Gigantic as in...you can move without toppling over.
So I waddled like a penguin to church.
I was like, five, and there was a boy who was cuter than cute, but who is now uglier than ugly.
I sat down looking away from him...
onto air...
and flat on my ass.
Nobody helped me up or nothing.
The poofy skirt flipped up and out onto my face showing off my underwear to the formerly cute but now very ugly boy.
I died. Like five times.
It took people like ten minutes to help the poofy dressed one up.
There was no hurrying.
That was the moment when I realized I had the potential to be the greatest pyromaniac a five year old could be.
Long story, short, my sister shipped me back to my parents."
And you choose...
You have 24 hours to vote. The poll is set so it won't let you vote for yourself repeatedly, but you can have all your friends and family stop by if you'd like. Feel free to be shameless.
Tomorrow, we'll have a winner!
In the meantime, let's talk about my favorite new discovery, Ayo. She's huge in France, y'all. She's got a simple acoustic feel along the lines of Tracy Chapman or Sade, but she has her own magic. Check her out!
What's your favorite singer / band that other people have probably never heard of?
Friday, October 12, 2007
Free Loot Friday
You know, sometimes I think I'm going about this blogging thing all wrong. Everyday I try to come up with something interesting that'll make y'all wanna come back.
Now I'm thinking I'll go at this from another angle, at least on Fridays.
You've gotten a free ride off me long enough. It's time for you to entertain me!
So here's the deal. Every other week (that'd be every second Friday) I'm gonna pose a question and the best answer wins a prize. This time, I'm asking:
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?
Toilet paper stuck to your shoe? Skirt tucked up in your hose at church and nobody told you? Spilled a pitcher of tea into your boss's lap?
I wanna hear about it! Make me laugh, make me cringe, make me feel sorry for you. But make me feel something, for sure, because if I'm bored, you don't get the prize.
And it's worth winning. Ever thought about picking up Lisa Kleypas's contemporary, but you weren't sure you wanted to invest that much in a hardback you aren't sure you'll like? I have a copy of Sugar Daddy with your name on it. Well, not literally. But if you win it by sharing your most embarrassing moment, you could write all over it, cos I'll mail it to you.
Here's the rules. You have until Monday at noon to post your story here in comments. On Monday afternoon, we'll vote on the best story, and on Tuesday, I'll send your book! Sound fun? Let's get started.
And two weeks from now we'll go again. No, I'm not telling you the question or the book you could win. You have to come back to find out.
Go on, you may as well bookmark me on your favorite places, cos you know you can't resist free books. You'll be back.
PS - if you wish to enter under a nom de plume, I completely understand.
Now I'm thinking I'll go at this from another angle, at least on Fridays.
You've gotten a free ride off me long enough. It's time for you to entertain me!
So here's the deal. Every other week (that'd be every second Friday) I'm gonna pose a question and the best answer wins a prize. This time, I'm asking:
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?
Toilet paper stuck to your shoe? Skirt tucked up in your hose at church and nobody told you? Spilled a pitcher of tea into your boss's lap?
I wanna hear about it! Make me laugh, make me cringe, make me feel sorry for you. But make me feel something, for sure, because if I'm bored, you don't get the prize.
And it's worth winning. Ever thought about picking up Lisa Kleypas's contemporary, but you weren't sure you wanted to invest that much in a hardback you aren't sure you'll like? I have a copy of Sugar Daddy with your name on it. Well, not literally. But if you win it by sharing your most embarrassing moment, you could write all over it, cos I'll mail it to you.
Here's the rules. You have until Monday at noon to post your story here in comments. On Monday afternoon, we'll vote on the best story, and on Tuesday, I'll send your book! Sound fun? Let's get started.
And two weeks from now we'll go again. No, I'm not telling you the question or the book you could win. You have to come back to find out.
Go on, you may as well bookmark me on your favorite places, cos you know you can't resist free books. You'll be back.
PS - if you wish to enter under a nom de plume, I completely understand.
Labels: contest, free loot friday, fun stuff
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Winner!
Mad, you won the $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Email me to collect your loot!
Labels: contest
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Behold, on the 12th day of the 9th month...
We have a winner!
Kat O+, come on down.
Email me, Kat, and I'll hook you up with your loot.
If you're afraid you might go into contest DTs now that mine is over, you might mosey over here:
And I'm spent. Talk amongst yourselves. Or go play with this thing. I look the most like Rachel McAdams.
Kat O+, come on down.
Email me, Kat, and I'll hook you up with your loot.
If you're afraid you might go into contest DTs now that mine is over, you might mosey over here:
Win Five New Books
Erotic Muses is a brand new group blog featuring fivespectacular authors, five days a week. We're launching with a big contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive a download from each of our five fab authors: Laura Bacchi, Bonnie Dee, Jayelle Drewry, Dee Knight and Veronica Wilde. Collect the answers to five questions beginning Wednesday, September 12 and check the blog on Friday, September 21 to see if you've won. Drop a comment at the blog TODAY for an additional chance to win.
And I'm spent. Talk amongst yourselves. Or go play with this thing. I look the most like Rachel McAdams.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Which Boundless hero is right for you?
| Which Boundless hero is right for you? |
Dev Dev is your true demon lover! By turns tender, impassioned, and playful, Dev yearns for someone to love him. He's willing to do anything to be with you. He's spent countless lifetimes looking for someone just like you, and now that he's found you, he's never letting you go. He needs someone like you to teach him about real love and longing. |
| How do you find your hero? Take this test! |
To enter, here are your options. Take this test, and post your results in the comments here. That's good for one entry. For a second entry, post your quiz results on your blog, along with a purchase link to Boundless. For a third entry, buy Boundless and email me a copy of the receipt you get from Liquid Silver. So that's a total of three ways you can win. Yeah, the people who do all three will have the best chances of walking away with the loot. I don't want to leave out blog-less folks, but I also intend to reward those who pimp us and/or buy the book.
The prize? I thought you'd never ask.
It's a $40 Amazon gift certificate, courtesy of Dionne, Bonnie and me. We're going to run this contest for a full week, which means announcing the winner on September 12. Let the pimpage and purchases begin!
PS - Pimpage should flow both ways, so be sure to stop by Lauren Dane's blog and read about her awesome new release Fire and Rain.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Tag, I'm it
Total number of books I own:
I have a couple hundred books in paperback form. I used to have more, but just before we moved out of the States, our downstairs flooded, and I lost ten years worth of books. We had a whole library down there. Go on; you can cry. Lord knows I did.
I have another couple hundred ebooks. Does that count? I think it does. I actually prefer ebooks because I love the instant gratification. I hate waiting a month for Amazon to bring me something I desperately want to read. By the time I get it, I might be in the mood for something else!
Last Book I bought:
Pretty sure it was Dionne Galace's Skin to Skin.
Last Book I read:
Honestly, it was Good Touch. I busted my ass last week (and the week before), getting it ready to pitch, so it's all I've been reading lately. My current read is Hunter's Moon by Lori Handeland, but it's irking me because I don't have Blue Moon. I hate knowing other books have come before, and I don't have all the info.
Five books that mean a lot to me:
1. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
This is the first book that convinced me vampires don't always suck. I'm not a fan of vampires (hell, I thought Interview was a pretentious pile, that Louis needed a good bitch-slapping, and LeStat should've been staked), but I loved this book in ways I can't even articulate. It's the only book in a long, long time that I could've turned around and read again, right after finishing it. And I never do that.
2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
I read this book to my kids before bed until just recently. And then they started reading it back to me. It means a lot for obvious, squishy Mom-reasons.
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This was the first sci-fi title I ever enjoyed. Before, I had only been exposed to dry, technical junk that bored the crap out of me. But hello, this was wry, funny, inventive and wonderful. It opened a lot of doors for me. And now, knowing there shall be no more comic masterpieces forthcoming from Mr. Adams, this becomes even more special, touched by bittersweet.
4. Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams
For me, this was a courtship novel. When I was first talking to Andres long-distance, we had limited ways of sharing experiences. Reading books and talking about them was one thing we could do together. He recommended this book, so I bought it and read it. And it was wonderful. But what was more wonderful was talking about it with him, discussing the concepts, and why they resonated. It was like getting a tiny piece of the way his mind worked.
5. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
I cannot read this book to this day without crying. The reasons behind it are just too personal to share. But it has a very special role in my story Seven Days. If you buy Boundless, I bet you'll sniffle a little bit too.
Tag 5 people:
Lauren Dane, Carrie Lofty, Lainey Bancroft, Erica Ridley, and Jeri Smith-Ready.
Finally, be sure and stop by the SEx blog to enter our contest. You could win this decadent, delicious bath set.
And come back here tomorrow for an extra Boundless contest, okay?
I have a couple hundred books in paperback form. I used to have more, but just before we moved out of the States, our downstairs flooded, and I lost ten years worth of books. We had a whole library down there. Go on; you can cry. Lord knows I did.
I have another couple hundred ebooks. Does that count? I think it does. I actually prefer ebooks because I love the instant gratification. I hate waiting a month for Amazon to bring me something I desperately want to read. By the time I get it, I might be in the mood for something else!
Last Book I bought:
Pretty sure it was Dionne Galace's Skin to Skin.
Last Book I read:
Honestly, it was Good Touch. I busted my ass last week (and the week before), getting it ready to pitch, so it's all I've been reading lately. My current read is Hunter's Moon by Lori Handeland, but it's irking me because I don't have Blue Moon. I hate knowing other books have come before, and I don't have all the info.
Five books that mean a lot to me:
1. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
This is the first book that convinced me vampires don't always suck. I'm not a fan of vampires (hell, I thought Interview was a pretentious pile, that Louis needed a good bitch-slapping, and LeStat should've been staked), but I loved this book in ways I can't even articulate. It's the only book in a long, long time that I could've turned around and read again, right after finishing it. And I never do that.
2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
I read this book to my kids before bed until just recently. And then they started reading it back to me. It means a lot for obvious, squishy Mom-reasons.
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This was the first sci-fi title I ever enjoyed. Before, I had only been exposed to dry, technical junk that bored the crap out of me. But hello, this was wry, funny, inventive and wonderful. It opened a lot of doors for me. And now, knowing there shall be no more comic masterpieces forthcoming from Mr. Adams, this becomes even more special, touched by bittersweet.
4. Aristoi by Walter Jon Williams
For me, this was a courtship novel. When I was first talking to Andres long-distance, we had limited ways of sharing experiences. Reading books and talking about them was one thing we could do together. He recommended this book, so I bought it and read it. And it was wonderful. But what was more wonderful was talking about it with him, discussing the concepts, and why they resonated. It was like getting a tiny piece of the way his mind worked.
5. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
I cannot read this book to this day without crying. The reasons behind it are just too personal to share. But it has a very special role in my story Seven Days. If you buy Boundless, I bet you'll sniffle a little bit too.
Tag 5 people:
Lauren Dane, Carrie Lofty, Lainey Bancroft, Erica Ridley, and Jeri Smith-Ready.
Finally, be sure and stop by the SEx blog to enter our contest. You could win this decadent, delicious bath set.
And come back here tomorrow for an extra Boundless contest, okay?
Labels: contest, fuckin' memes
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Potpourri for 1000, Alex...
This post is going to be a mishmash of stuff I need to mention, but which aren't worthy of a whole post. Therefore, expect this to be more disjointed than usual.
First, I am in no danger from the hurricane. I am touched and heartened by the outpouring of concern via email, but Cozumel is a good long way from Mexico City. Think Ohio to Florida. However, I feel all Sally Field about it. "You like me! You really like me!" Well, maybe some of you hope I'll get swept out to sea, but it ain't happenin' this week.
Second, I added a bunch of new links to my blogroll, people whose blogs I visit regularly, and who stop by here often as well. If you haven't been added yet, it's not because I don't love you. Just email me, and I'll make it happen. I don't have any of that mystic backlink magic other people possess. If you read my blog quietly, decide it's becoming a favorite, and add me to your sidebar and/or blogroll, I won't know unless you tell me. I don't have any inclination to track that and have five red lights go off in my inbox each time Google does something with my name.
Third, Deena has added a couple of new pages (FAQ and Appearances) to my Ann Aguirre site. Check it out, especially the FAQ page. If something isn't covered, ask in comments, and I'll make sure my answers are incorporated in the new batch of updates.
Fourth, I got my RWR for August this afternoon (like a month behind everyone else), but I got it. Yay! I love getting this. I think I'm gonna buy an ad for Grimspace on the front inside cover, full color. Just because. And I'll beg April to design it. Anyway, inside this issue, there's something called "Calling All Workshop Presenters", so I read it. And they're taking applications for workshops / panels in SF next year. The deadline is November 1. Part of me says, "Oh no. Not just no, hell no." But another part of me says, "You know, it would be good experience. You should put something together."
Well, this is not a completely asinine idea. I was President of Thespians, for goodness sake. I was on the debate team. So I'm not a novice at public speaking, although it's been years. I'm also doing panels at OmegaCon in March, so I'll have gotten my feet wet once before RWA. Whether that's good or bad, I have no idea.
So do you guys think? Should I do it? Never mind the fact that I need to have a 6 book series proposal done by Sept 15, along with requested revisions on the first book. And never mind that I have a novel contracted that needs to be finished by Dec 1. And surely let's don't mention all the marketing and publicity stuff, or the stuff my kids keep expecting me to do. Like feed them. Hehe.
No, really. I'm a master of getting shit done, so I'm positive I can put together a panel before November 1. But should I? Part of my hesitation is that I'm not sure who to invite to participate in it alongside me. But ok, if someone else has something already cooking and you need another author, email me! I'd totally love to hitch a ride on your presentation. Er, I mean collaborate with you on whatever you like. Cos I'm easy like that. Well. Y'know.
To recap, post questions in comments that you'd like to see answered on my website. Asking anonymously is fine. And get back to me on the SF RWA panel thing. I need guidance. I am a little lamb lost in the wide...yeah, whatever. You get it.
Whew. I think that's enough for one day. If there's more, it'll keep.
PS -- a random commenter will win an e-ARC of Boundless. You'll get it on my birthday, August 27, a full week before anyone else can read those yummy stories. How nice am I? I'm fixin' to give someone else a present on my big day. Get commenting!
First, I am in no danger from the hurricane. I am touched and heartened by the outpouring of concern via email, but Cozumel is a good long way from Mexico City. Think Ohio to Florida. However, I feel all Sally Field about it. "You like me! You really like me!" Well, maybe some of you hope I'll get swept out to sea, but it ain't happenin' this week.
Second, I added a bunch of new links to my blogroll, people whose blogs I visit regularly, and who stop by here often as well. If you haven't been added yet, it's not because I don't love you. Just email me, and I'll make it happen. I don't have any of that mystic backlink magic other people possess. If you read my blog quietly, decide it's becoming a favorite, and add me to your sidebar and/or blogroll, I won't know unless you tell me. I don't have any inclination to track that and have five red lights go off in my inbox each time Google does something with my name.
Third, Deena has added a couple of new pages (FAQ and Appearances) to my Ann Aguirre site. Check it out, especially the FAQ page. If something isn't covered, ask in comments, and I'll make sure my answers are incorporated in the new batch of updates.
Fourth, I got my RWR for August this afternoon (like a month behind everyone else), but I got it. Yay! I love getting this. I think I'm gonna buy an ad for Grimspace on the front inside cover, full color. Just because. And I'll beg April to design it. Anyway, inside this issue, there's something called "Calling All Workshop Presenters", so I read it. And they're taking applications for workshops / panels in SF next year. The deadline is November 1. Part of me says, "Oh no. Not just no, hell no." But another part of me says, "You know, it would be good experience. You should put something together."
Well, this is not a completely asinine idea. I was President of Thespians, for goodness sake. I was on the debate team. So I'm not a novice at public speaking, although it's been years. I'm also doing panels at OmegaCon in March, so I'll have gotten my feet wet once before RWA. Whether that's good or bad, I have no idea.
So do you guys think? Should I do it? Never mind the fact that I need to have a 6 book series proposal done by Sept 15, along with requested revisions on the first book. And never mind that I have a novel contracted that needs to be finished by Dec 1. And surely let's don't mention all the marketing and publicity stuff, or the stuff my kids keep expecting me to do. Like feed them. Hehe.
No, really. I'm a master of getting shit done, so I'm positive I can put together a panel before November 1. But should I? Part of my hesitation is that I'm not sure who to invite to participate in it alongside me. But ok, if someone else has something already cooking and you need another author, email me! I'd totally love to hitch a ride on your presentation. Er, I mean collaborate with you on whatever you like. Cos I'm easy like that. Well. Y'know.
To recap, post questions in comments that you'd like to see answered on my website. Asking anonymously is fine. And get back to me on the SF RWA panel thing. I need guidance. I am a little lamb lost in the wide...yeah, whatever. You get it.
Whew. I think that's enough for one day. If there's more, it'll keep.
PS -- a random commenter will win an e-ARC of Boundless. You'll get it on my birthday, August 27, a full week before anyone else can read those yummy stories. How nice am I? I'm fixin' to give someone else a present on my big day. Get commenting!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
For the love of contests
I'm already running two. You knew about those, right?
Contest one:
If you sign up for my newsletter in the box to the left, you could win a signed copy of Stone Maiden, my two romantic comedies in your choice of formats, and a $50 gift certificate from Amazon. If we hit 500 names on the mailing list by August 15, which is when the contest ends, then I'll double the book money. Random drawing, like always. Have you signed up yet? What are you waiting for? I run special contests on the loop as well, but you aren't eligible unless you're a member of my inner circle.
Contest two:
Over on the Bradford Bunch, I'm running another contest, like always. If you comment on your favorite authors over there, you'll be entered in a drawing for a special mystery prize. The members of my loop know what it is, but they're not telling. It's good, though. That contest runs until midnight on Saturday, July 28th. So don't miss out.
I'm feeling the urge to give more stuff away. Why? Well, good things (and bad things) are supposed to come in threes, right? There's a reason people stay away from ladders, and toss spilled salt over their shoulders. We gotta keep the evil spirits at bay, don't we? So here we go with contest three.
It's quite simple. Go here. Generate a number of fantasy novel titles, pick your favorite one, and then post it in comments. Why?
Because the prize is an urban fantasy mega-pack. I'm giving away the following books:
These are some don't miss books right here. I'll draw a winner on Sunday, so this contest will wrap up at the same time as the one I have running on the Bradford Bunch.
I played with the title generator myself, and here are my favorites.
Isilda's Crown
The Lady Dreams of Summer
Sword and Discord
The Crystal Sun
The Island Faerie
The Legend of Wissan
Daliniof's Lady
Demon and Chaos
Goddess of Pride (sounds like PC Cast)
Mardian's Storm
The King of Magic
The Storm Spell
Aren't those awesome? I love playing with title generators. I might even use some of those one day. Now it's your turn, and you get to win some shit. You lucky, lucky readers!
Contest one:
If you sign up for my newsletter in the box to the left, you could win a signed copy of Stone Maiden, my two romantic comedies in your choice of formats, and a $50 gift certificate from Amazon. If we hit 500 names on the mailing list by August 15, which is when the contest ends, then I'll double the book money. Random drawing, like always. Have you signed up yet? What are you waiting for? I run special contests on the loop as well, but you aren't eligible unless you're a member of my inner circle.
Contest two:
Over on the Bradford Bunch, I'm running another contest, like always. If you comment on your favorite authors over there, you'll be entered in a drawing for a special mystery prize. The members of my loop know what it is, but they're not telling. It's good, though. That contest runs until midnight on Saturday, July 28th. So don't miss out.
I'm feeling the urge to give more stuff away. Why? Well, good things (and bad things) are supposed to come in threes, right? There's a reason people stay away from ladders, and toss spilled salt over their shoulders. We gotta keep the evil spirits at bay, don't we? So here we go with contest three.
It's quite simple. Go here. Generate a number of fantasy novel titles, pick your favorite one, and then post it in comments. Why?
Because the prize is an urban fantasy mega-pack. I'm giving away the following books:
These are some don't miss books right here. I'll draw a winner on Sunday, so this contest will wrap up at the same time as the one I have running on the Bradford Bunch. I played with the title generator myself, and here are my favorites.
Isilda's Crown
The Lady Dreams of Summer
Sword and Discord
The Crystal Sun
The Island Faerie
The Legend of Wissan
Daliniof's Lady
Demon and Chaos
Goddess of Pride (sounds like PC Cast)
Mardian's Storm
The King of Magic
The Storm Spell
Aren't those awesome? I love playing with title generators. I might even use some of those one day. Now it's your turn, and you get to win some shit. You lucky, lucky readers!
Labels: contest
Monday, July 16, 2007
Action and Attitude
So I'm starting a newsletter. This is a "powerful marketing tool", but I intend to use it as a venue where readers can talk about all books, not just mine. I'm using Google Groups, which tend to be reliable and clean, so this forum lends itself to discussion and debate. You can set your preferences so you only receive my announcements, every reply the minute it happens, or nothing at all, if you prefer to read on the web.
You can talk amongst yourselves, compare notes on books, and we'll do a Q&A once a week, where you get to pick my brain. Just leave some for me when you're through, or I'll never get my work done.
In addition, I'll offer sneak peeks, freebie downloads, special excerpts, and awesome giveaways for members only. And ya'll know I love givin' away loot. Right now, for instance, I've posted the phenomenal blurb I received from Sharon Shinn, my cover copy for Grimspace, and the first three chapters. I'm also giving away a free ebook to subscribers, a sexy little short called Be Delicious.
For the launch of my newsletter, this is the deal. If you sign up, you'll automatically be entered into my contest, which is going to run for a whole month. The prize is an autographed copy of Stone Maiden, yes, you read that right. I'm actually going to sign the book and leave my house to mail it. That's not all. You'll also receive copies of Your Alibi and The Average Girl's Guide to Getting Laid in your choice of formats. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
But wait, there's more! If you sign up for Action and Attitude, you'll also have a chance at a $50 Amazon Gift certificate. To make things more interesting, if ya'll act as my street team and get the word out there for me, so that we hit 500 names in the list, one month from now--that's August 15--then I'll double the prize money. That's a shot at a free Benjamin in books just for telling folks to sign up. Not too bad, huh?
You think we can? Well, according to my remedial math (and feel free to correct me), we need to reach 17 people a day in order to make goal. So let's rock the house.
Ya'll with me? Put your email addy in the box, baby. You know you want to.
You can talk amongst yourselves, compare notes on books, and we'll do a Q&A once a week, where you get to pick my brain. Just leave some for me when you're through, or I'll never get my work done.
In addition, I'll offer sneak peeks, freebie downloads, special excerpts, and awesome giveaways for members only. And ya'll know I love givin' away loot. Right now, for instance, I've posted the phenomenal blurb I received from Sharon Shinn, my cover copy for Grimspace, and the first three chapters. I'm also giving away a free ebook to subscribers, a sexy little short called Be Delicious.
For the launch of my newsletter, this is the deal. If you sign up, you'll automatically be entered into my contest, which is going to run for a whole month. The prize is an autographed copy of Stone Maiden, yes, you read that right. I'm actually going to sign the book and leave my house to mail it. That's not all. You'll also receive copies of Your Alibi and The Average Girl's Guide to Getting Laid in your choice of formats. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
But wait, there's more! If you sign up for Action and Attitude, you'll also have a chance at a $50 Amazon Gift certificate. To make things more interesting, if ya'll act as my street team and get the word out there for me, so that we hit 500 names in the list, one month from now--that's August 15--then I'll double the prize money. That's a shot at a free Benjamin in books just for telling folks to sign up. Not too bad, huh?
You think we can? Well, according to my remedial math (and feel free to correct me), we need to reach 17 people a day in order to make goal. So let's rock the house.
Ya'll with me? Put your email addy in the box, baby. You know you want to.
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Labels: contest
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
And the winner is...
Wow, when you're trying to keep quiet, it becomes a chore! I thought of at least five posts I wanted to make, but I refrained because of the contest. You're going to be hearing a lot from me in the next few days.
So Guide is out. I put a link in the sidebar, so people can find it. Now the blog can return to its regularly scheduled yammering and ranting.
Mrs. Giggles has already reviewed it (what a sweet lady!) and I feel blessed that she gave the book a 70. I didn't realize she dislikes chick-lit type books, but I did send her a copy. She expressed interest in my work a few months back, so I hooked her up when the time came. My only comment on the review is this: I've never read Bridget Jones or watched the movie, so if I wrote something similar, albeit with hotter sex, it wasn't a case of emulation. You know what they say about monkeys, typewriters and Shakespeare (not that Guide qualifies as any such thing).
I know you're all eager to find out who won the 50 bucks. So without further ado...
I need an email from you, ma'am. You won the loot and a copy of Guide, so contact me using the button on the upper left in the sidebar. Let's descend on Amy's blog and congratulate her!
There's a lot more coming this week, but for now, let's celebrate Amy's win and Guide's release. If you read it, be sure to email me and let me know what you thought. See, I have some openings for fangrrls and they get excellent perks. I could also use some haters to provoke the fangrrls. This is a ground floor opportunity with infinite potential (and it doesn't involve MLM or Tupperware!) Drop me a line, you know you want to.
PS - QB is totally right about blog karma. As soon as I posted the winner to this contest, I got an email from Jason Sizemore of Apex Digest, saying, "congratulations, you've won the slipcase edition of WETBONES as part of our Temple: Incarnations promotion." From this, I extrapolate, hey, I won a free book. Sweet! Thanks, Michele! She pointed me toward Temple in the first place.
So Guide is out. I put a link in the sidebar, so people can find it. Now the blog can return to its regularly scheduled yammering and ranting.
Mrs. Giggles has already reviewed it (what a sweet lady!) and I feel blessed that she gave the book a 70. I didn't realize she dislikes chick-lit type books, but I did send her a copy. She expressed interest in my work a few months back, so I hooked her up when the time came. My only comment on the review is this: I've never read Bridget Jones or watched the movie, so if I wrote something similar, albeit with hotter sex, it wasn't a case of emulation. You know what they say about monkeys, typewriters and Shakespeare (not that Guide qualifies as any such thing).
I know you're all eager to find out who won the 50 bucks. So without further ado...
I need an email from you, ma'am. You won the loot and a copy of Guide, so contact me using the button on the upper left in the sidebar. Let's descend on Amy's blog and congratulate her! There's a lot more coming this week, but for now, let's celebrate Amy's win and Guide's release. If you read it, be sure to email me and let me know what you thought. See, I have some openings for fangrrls and they get excellent perks. I could also use some haters to provoke the fangrrls. This is a ground floor opportunity with infinite potential (and it doesn't involve MLM or Tupperware!) Drop me a line, you know you want to.
PS - QB is totally right about blog karma. As soon as I posted the winner to this contest, I got an email from Jason Sizemore of Apex Digest, saying, "congratulations, you've won the slipcase edition of WETBONES as part of our Temple: Incarnations promotion." From this, I extrapolate, hey, I won a free book. Sweet! Thanks, Michele! She pointed me toward Temple in the first place.
Labels: contest, Random Tuesday
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Contest! (revised)
After a three-year dry spell, Ellie would settle for Mr. Warm Pulse. Ash thinks he just wants some peace, but Ellie makes him want a piece of her. 30 days, no strings, what could possibly go wrong?
As advised by QB, now in charge of online publicity as I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground in that regard, I revised this post. The contest celebrates the release of my book, The Average Girl's Guide to Getting Laid. Read the first chapter here. You can buy it on April 17th from Loose Id.
Here's the picture.
Told you I'd pick something with a monkey. Now for the rules. To enter, just write a caption and put it in comments on this blog post. Funny is the goal, but any caption will do. No new posts while this contest runs, as I want to be sure every interested reader has a chance to enter. I think a week is ample. For a second entry, blog about the contest sometime during the week, and then post "I blogged about it!" along with a link to your blog in the comments. Simple, right? At contest close, I will write down all the names of those who entered (and write a second entry for everyone that blogs about the contest), put the names in a bowl and have my son draw the winner on April 17th. People who blog about the contest will have a small advantage, but not a huge one because even if you have ten blogs and post about it one each one, you still only get one extra entry.
Prize is a $50 Amazon gift certificate and a free copy of Guide. Wanna write some captions? Ready, set, go!
Labels: contest, Random Tuesday, writing
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Ebook Thursday - big 100
As it's Ebook Thursday, I have a review over on It's Not Chick Porn.
This is a pretty exciting day, as it marks the 100th post on this little blog. To commemorate this occasion, I'm going to run a contest. I want 100 comments on this blog entry. Yep, you heard right. Tell your friends. Post more than once. Post your grocery list, post whatever, I don't care. Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about you and me... sorry, I'm good now.
Whoever posts the 100th comment on this topic gets a $50 gift certificate from Amazon or a big box of Godiva chocolates, whichever makes you happiest. No, you can't have both. You must choose. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. Want it?
Let's get this party started.
This is a pretty exciting day, as it marks the 100th post on this little blog. To commemorate this occasion, I'm going to run a contest. I want 100 comments on this blog entry. Yep, you heard right. Tell your friends. Post more than once. Post your grocery list, post whatever, I don't care. Let's talk about sex, baby, let's talk about you and me... sorry, I'm good now.
Whoever posts the 100th comment on this topic gets a $50 gift certificate from Amazon or a big box of Godiva chocolates, whichever makes you happiest. No, you can't have both. You must choose. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. Want it?
Let's get this party started.
Labels: contest, Ebook Thursday
