I suck at analyzing the TV I watch, in either humorous or smart ways, but I do loves me those people who do it with such panache. This morning, I'm pointing you in the direction of the three that churned my butter this week.
1. Outlander, episode 9 photo recap: Long but so hysterical.
2. Tom and Lorenzo's Mad Men recap of "Severance": These are my go to guys for Mad Men. They often notice things I missed. Plus, they do their fabulous...
3. Tom and Lorenzo's Mad Style: Severance: ...analysis of all the fashion and color theory behind the episodes. Seriously. If you don't read these guys, you really should.
Showing posts with label recommendations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recommendations. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Costuming on Outlander
I finally got around to watching the new episode of Outlander yesterday (being busy is the worst for getting stuff off the DVR, Mad Men is still taunting me but I want to watch it all in one sitting and finding 65 minutes of uninterrupted time is impossible right now). I deliberately didn't read the book before the show started, and it's been quite a few years since I read the first one, but honestly, I don't remember Claire being such a spitfire during the spanking scene. I mean, I knew she fought back. And the fact that the scene itself occurred is something that stands out from the hundreds of scenes I've read with Jamie and Claire over the course of the books. But this still felt more raw than I expected.
Not a bad thing at all. One of Claire's best qualities is her fearlessness and determination to stand up in a fight she's passionate about. Just... unexpected. I still really enjoyed the episode. Sam Heughan is really coming into his own as Jamie, and Catriona Balfe continues to be a marvel.
So color me excited to see an article on Outlander's costuming show up in my reader this morning. I follow a blog called Frock Flicks, which is all about period costumes in film. Today, she has a very long, very informative guest post on Outlander. I highly recommend it. There's some great facts in there, and she's a huge fan of Terry Dresbach, the show's costumer, in spite of some minor complaints. Every show can't be perfect, after all.
Not a bad thing at all. One of Claire's best qualities is her fearlessness and determination to stand up in a fight she's passionate about. Just... unexpected. I still really enjoyed the episode. Sam Heughan is really coming into his own as Jamie, and Catriona Balfe continues to be a marvel.
So color me excited to see an article on Outlander's costuming show up in my reader this morning. I follow a blog called Frock Flicks, which is all about period costumes in film. Today, she has a very long, very informative guest post on Outlander. I highly recommend it. There's some great facts in there, and she's a huge fan of Terry Dresbach, the show's costumer, in spite of some minor complaints. Every show can't be perfect, after all.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Sale on Rick R. Reed titles at Amber Quill
One of my favorite m/m authors and people has a sale going on today at Amber Quill. All of Rick R. Reed's titles there are currently 50% off!
If you haven't read anything by Rick, I can't recommend him highly enough. His stories run the gamut of genres, but the characters are always unfailingly human and relatable. And if you have read Rick, then go see if there's a title you've missed. Really, this is a win/win for everyone.
Check it out!
Check it out!
Monday, March 23, 2015
Trash by Dorothy Allison
In 2009, I attended a night called Writers with Drinks in San Francisco. It's an event with a mix of writers that basically get in front of this crowd in a bar and read some of their work for ten or fifteen minutes. The only reason it caught my eye in the first place is because Adam Savage was presenting, and since my husband and I both love Mythbusters, it seemed like a fun date night. And it was. But not just because of Adam.
One of the authors there that night was Dorothy Allison. I'd never heard of her before then, though I'd heard of her biggest book, Bastard Out of Carolina. Adam was predictably funny, but she was the one I walked away most intrigued by. She was funny and smart, and from the second her Southern accent rang out through the room, I wanted to know more about her. I went looking for some of her work not long after and picked up a collection of short stories called Trash. Then it promptly got buried on my TBR pile (which really is that scary).
Until I was packing for EPICon. I took it with me to read.
Trash is a collection of short stories that all read like memoir. Allison has been blunt about her poor Southern upbringing, the abuses she suffered, and it's all reflected in these tidbits. The stories aren't overtly long, but each one reads like a new chapter in this young woman's life as she grows up surrounded by poverty, violence, ignorance, and shame, with momentary glimpses into true beauty, and then moves out into the world. They aren't easy reads. She doesn't hold back on anything. But her language is provocative, and her fearlessness in exposing everything, the good and the bad, is breathtaking.
There are a lot of stories about various stages of lesbian relationships. Allison came out in the 60s and was a part of the feminist movement in the 70s, so be prepared for those influences to permeate each of the stories. Sometimes, it's hard to keep each one separate, because the natural response is to string them together and create a single narrative (since the women in each are so strikingly familiar), but I'm not sure that's a detriment in the long run.
If you haven't read any of her work, I highly recommend seeking her out. She's a Lambda Literary Award winner and well worth it.
One of the authors there that night was Dorothy Allison. I'd never heard of her before then, though I'd heard of her biggest book, Bastard Out of Carolina. Adam was predictably funny, but she was the one I walked away most intrigued by. She was funny and smart, and from the second her Southern accent rang out through the room, I wanted to know more about her. I went looking for some of her work not long after and picked up a collection of short stories called Trash. Then it promptly got buried on my TBR pile (which really is that scary).
Until I was packing for EPICon. I took it with me to read.
Trash is a collection of short stories that all read like memoir. Allison has been blunt about her poor Southern upbringing, the abuses she suffered, and it's all reflected in these tidbits. The stories aren't overtly long, but each one reads like a new chapter in this young woman's life as she grows up surrounded by poverty, violence, ignorance, and shame, with momentary glimpses into true beauty, and then moves out into the world. They aren't easy reads. She doesn't hold back on anything. But her language is provocative, and her fearlessness in exposing everything, the good and the bad, is breathtaking.
There are a lot of stories about various stages of lesbian relationships. Allison came out in the 60s and was a part of the feminist movement in the 70s, so be prepared for those influences to permeate each of the stories. Sometimes, it's hard to keep each one separate, because the natural response is to string them together and create a single narrative (since the women in each are so strikingly familiar), but I'm not sure that's a detriment in the long run.
If you haven't read any of her work, I highly recommend seeking her out. She's a Lambda Literary Award winner and well worth it.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Cookbook Recommendation - Thug Kitchen
I'm a bit of a cookbook junkie. I love to cook, I love to try new recipes, and if something is pretty, I'll grab it. Seriously. I just recently did a culling because I was running out of room, and I still have 72 cookbooks I'm not ready to get rid of.
So when somebody recently suggested Thug Kitchen to me, I shouldn't have listened. I should've plugged up my ears, started whistling, and pretended I hadn't noticed. Except I did. And I went to Amazon. And I hit buy within sixty seconds of scanning the reviews.
It's a vegan cookbook, but I bought it anyway because my family and I are trying to get more vegetables in our lives in more interesting ways. It arrived while I was away, so I wasn't able to start trying any of the recipes until Tuesday. First on the docket was a simple quinoa oatmeal. I've been craving oatmeal lately, and I hadn't tried steelcut oats yet. It made the choice easy.
Verdict? Good. Easy. Try another recipe.
I picked out a recipe to fix for dinner last night that would require minimal shopping on my part. The winner was this roasted chickpea and broccoli burrito. It was a little heavier on the spices than I usually can tolerate, but I figured if it was too hot, I could just bury it in sour cream.
Turns out, I didn't need to, a fact I picked up on when I nicked a piece halfway through roasting:
So when somebody recently suggested Thug Kitchen to me, I shouldn't have listened. I should've plugged up my ears, started whistling, and pretended I hadn't noticed. Except I did. And I went to Amazon. And I hit buy within sixty seconds of scanning the reviews.
It's a vegan cookbook, but I bought it anyway because my family and I are trying to get more vegetables in our lives in more interesting ways. It arrived while I was away, so I wasn't able to start trying any of the recipes until Tuesday. First on the docket was a simple quinoa oatmeal. I've been craving oatmeal lately, and I hadn't tried steelcut oats yet. It made the choice easy.
Verdict? Good. Easy. Try another recipe.
I picked out a recipe to fix for dinner last night that would require minimal shopping on my part. The winner was this roasted chickpea and broccoli burrito. It was a little heavier on the spices than I usually can tolerate, but I figured if it was too hot, I could just bury it in sour cream.
Turns out, I didn't need to, a fact I picked up on when I nicked a piece halfway through roasting:
Everybody devoured the burritos when they were done, even my thirteen year-old son. I am totally making these again.
We already picked out the next recipe to try, a mushroom and spinach lasagna. I have high expectations.
But what makes this cookbook so much fun isn't just the recipes. It's the tone. For those unfamiliar with Thug Kitchen, it's unpretentious and no holds barred, definitely R-rated for language. I sat and actually read the first twenty pages of the cookbook (before the recipes) and laughed/smiled through the whole thing. It's a refreshingly blunt way of looking at vegetarian/vegan cooking, bringing it back to the food rather than the holier than thou atmosphere that often permeates this type of cuisine.
How can you not love a cookbook that calls salads, "plant nachos?"
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Daily affirmation...and book art on Etsy
I firmly believe in supporting independent artisans. They do it for the love of the craft most of the time, and the last thing I want is for creativity to be stifled. Go check her out!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Any Day Now
Do you ever use that "let me pick a movie for you" feature on Netflix? Get the Max from Netflix, that's what it is. I can never get that damn jingle out of my head after I hear it once.
Last night, I was tired and my husband was working, so I used Max. I didn't want to have to choose. The problem with Max is that most choices are nothing I'd be interested in. I've spent fifteen minutes going through it before and then just turned the TV off because everything it suggested was awful. It's had a couple winners, though, so I never give up. It's how I got introduced to Continuum, for instance. How can I hate it after that?
Well, last night, it didn't want me to go through the whole rating/selection process. It wanted me to trust its pick and go for it. My daughter was sitting on the couch with me and kept egging me on to go for it, so I finally caved.
What came up was a movie called Any Day Now.
It's a small indie that came out in 2012, starring Alan Cumming as a drag performer/aspiring singer in late 70s West Hollywood. Rudy's life is on the dismal side - he can't make rent, and his neighbor is a druggie who has no interest in her son Marco, a teenaged boy with Down Syndrome. Rudy hooks up with Paul, a shy attorney he meets at the club played by Garret Dillahunt. When his neighbor gets arrested, Rudy steps in to help Marco, going to Paul first, then having to yield to Family Services. Marco runs away from his foster home and when Rudy finds him on the street, he takes him home with him. Paul helps him circumvent Family Services again by going straight to the mother in jail to get temporary custody, then even more by offering his home to them to make Rudy look more stable in front of the judge.
The movie turns into Rudy and Paul's quest to build a family, then to adopt Marco when their lives are threatened by prejudice. This takes place in 1979. You can imagine how well that goes. By two-thirds of the way through the movie, I was sobbing. I was a real mess when the end credits rolled.
It's not a perfect film by any means. The wigs are truly awful and distracting, and the beginning where Rudy and Paul are supposedly falling in love is rushed and underwritten. But the drama focusing on Marco is painfully real, and it was impossible for me not to get wrapped up in it all. Cumming is over the top and vulnerable, and Dillahunt is understated but just as vulnerable. It's the boy who plays Marco who is the most heartbreaking, though. His scenes are minimal but expertly played and timed.
Make no mistake. This movie is nowhere near feel good. Consider the times and the subject matter. But it was worth it for me, even though I was a wreck when it was over.
Last night, I was tired and my husband was working, so I used Max. I didn't want to have to choose. The problem with Max is that most choices are nothing I'd be interested in. I've spent fifteen minutes going through it before and then just turned the TV off because everything it suggested was awful. It's had a couple winners, though, so I never give up. It's how I got introduced to Continuum, for instance. How can I hate it after that?
Well, last night, it didn't want me to go through the whole rating/selection process. It wanted me to trust its pick and go for it. My daughter was sitting on the couch with me and kept egging me on to go for it, so I finally caved.
What came up was a movie called Any Day Now.
It's a small indie that came out in 2012, starring Alan Cumming as a drag performer/aspiring singer in late 70s West Hollywood. Rudy's life is on the dismal side - he can't make rent, and his neighbor is a druggie who has no interest in her son Marco, a teenaged boy with Down Syndrome. Rudy hooks up with Paul, a shy attorney he meets at the club played by Garret Dillahunt. When his neighbor gets arrested, Rudy steps in to help Marco, going to Paul first, then having to yield to Family Services. Marco runs away from his foster home and when Rudy finds him on the street, he takes him home with him. Paul helps him circumvent Family Services again by going straight to the mother in jail to get temporary custody, then even more by offering his home to them to make Rudy look more stable in front of the judge.
The movie turns into Rudy and Paul's quest to build a family, then to adopt Marco when their lives are threatened by prejudice. This takes place in 1979. You can imagine how well that goes. By two-thirds of the way through the movie, I was sobbing. I was a real mess when the end credits rolled.
It's not a perfect film by any means. The wigs are truly awful and distracting, and the beginning where Rudy and Paul are supposedly falling in love is rushed and underwritten. But the drama focusing on Marco is painfully real, and it was impossible for me not to get wrapped up in it all. Cumming is over the top and vulnerable, and Dillahunt is understated but just as vulnerable. It's the boy who plays Marco who is the most heartbreaking, though. His scenes are minimal but expertly played and timed.
Make no mistake. This movie is nowhere near feel good. Consider the times and the subject matter. But it was worth it for me, even though I was a wreck when it was over.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Everyone Is Gay
Like a lot of people, I fell in love with the song "Say Something" by A Great Big World in recent months. It's just stunning. On a whim, I decided to pick up the CD last week and put it in the car.
My daughter and I might have a favorite new band. We haven't even made it through the whole CD yet and we think that. We keep hearing songs and going back to listen to them again, that's how much we love them.
For the most part, the CD is nothing like "Say Something" in mood. Where that one is melancholy and haunting, most of the rest are buoyant and positive. The melodies are often simple, but they are so damn catchy. Yes, it's pop, but I'm not ashamed to admit I can be a pop fan, too.
Our favorite, however, BY FAR, is a song called "Everyone Is Gay." My daughter's comment after we listened to it the first time was that while she loved a lot of the other songs out there that were in support of the LGBTQ community, it was great to hear one with so much joy and hope and humor. It embraces everyone, and do you know how great it is to see bi-inclusivity when bisexuality is often ignored/denied/erased? The song gives me hope, makes me laugh, and just utterly charms me.
When my husband got home, we made him listen/watch the video because it made us smile so much. We walked out of his office when it was over, and he immediately started whistling it. That's how catchy it is.
What sucks is that they're in our area this weekend for their tour and we can't go. Why didn't we figure out we loved them so much months ago? Damn it.
My daughter and I might have a favorite new band. We haven't even made it through the whole CD yet and we think that. We keep hearing songs and going back to listen to them again, that's how much we love them.
For the most part, the CD is nothing like "Say Something" in mood. Where that one is melancholy and haunting, most of the rest are buoyant and positive. The melodies are often simple, but they are so damn catchy. Yes, it's pop, but I'm not ashamed to admit I can be a pop fan, too.
Our favorite, however, BY FAR, is a song called "Everyone Is Gay." My daughter's comment after we listened to it the first time was that while she loved a lot of the other songs out there that were in support of the LGBTQ community, it was great to hear one with so much joy and hope and humor. It embraces everyone, and do you know how great it is to see bi-inclusivity when bisexuality is often ignored/denied/erased? The song gives me hope, makes me laugh, and just utterly charms me.
When my husband got home, we made him listen/watch the video because it made us smile so much. We walked out of his office when it was over, and he immediately started whistling it. That's how catchy it is.
What sucks is that they're in our area this weekend for their tour and we can't go. Why didn't we figure out we loved them so much months ago? Damn it.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
John Newman
In the past two months, I've developed a new music obsession. It's Yorkshire talent, John Newman. I heard the first fifteen seconds of a song called "Running" and promptly went out and bought the whole album. I rarely do that. The CD got put in the car for the drive to Las Vegas last month, during which time my daughter got obsessed with it.
We've been playing it nonstop ever since.
It's called Tribute, and it's just astounding. There isn't a weak song on it, though some are definite stunners. The London Philharmonic plays on it, and his use of sax and strings as well as the typical "band" instruments gives him a jazzy vibe on top of his soul tone.One of my favorites is "Losing Sleep," just love it.
We've been playing it nonstop ever since.
It's called Tribute, and it's just astounding. There isn't a weak song on it, though some are definite stunners. The London Philharmonic plays on it, and his use of sax and strings as well as the typical "band" instruments gives him a jazzy vibe on top of his soul tone.One of my favorites is "Losing Sleep," just love it.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Book rec - Encrypted by Lindsay Buroker
I got surprised by a book on my Kindle the other day. I try a lot of new to me authors when they have Kindle deals, but often forget about what I've got so I don't often have any idea about what a story is like when I start it. Encrypted by Lindsay Buroker was one of those.
Turned out it's a mishmash of sci-fi, fantasy, and maybe a little steampunk thrown in on the side. Tikaya is a linguist who helped her island people win a war against another race (that sees their advanced science as magic) by decoding their messages and giving them to their enemies. After the war, she goes into hiding until she gets kidnapped by their defeated enemy, for the purpose of decoding some artifact that has fallen into their hands. What unfolds is a very action-driven adventure, on sea, over mountains, through ice, with a little romance thrown in for good measure. I started out unsure about the author's style, but Wednesday, when I was a third of the way through its 100k, I hit a point where I just couldn't put it down and basically shirked other responsibilities most of the day to finish the damn thing.
I got on Amazon to find out if there's a sequel and discovered it actually has a sequel and a half, but more importantly, those two (and a half) books are actually prequels to a longer series that starts eighteen years ahead of this one.
Which means I now have ten books to read. Oops.
Anyway, if you like plot-driven sci-fi/fantasy with a geeky heroine and non-stop action, give it a try. The romance isn't that heavy-handed and it's highly compulsive reading.
Turned out it's a mishmash of sci-fi, fantasy, and maybe a little steampunk thrown in on the side. Tikaya is a linguist who helped her island people win a war against another race (that sees their advanced science as magic) by decoding their messages and giving them to their enemies. After the war, she goes into hiding until she gets kidnapped by their defeated enemy, for the purpose of decoding some artifact that has fallen into their hands. What unfolds is a very action-driven adventure, on sea, over mountains, through ice, with a little romance thrown in for good measure. I started out unsure about the author's style, but Wednesday, when I was a third of the way through its 100k, I hit a point where I just couldn't put it down and basically shirked other responsibilities most of the day to finish the damn thing.
I got on Amazon to find out if there's a sequel and discovered it actually has a sequel and a half, but more importantly, those two (and a half) books are actually prequels to a longer series that starts eighteen years ahead of this one.
Which means I now have ten books to read. Oops.
Anyway, if you like plot-driven sci-fi/fantasy with a geeky heroine and non-stop action, give it a try. The romance isn't that heavy-handed and it's highly compulsive reading.
Friday, January 31, 2014
A Stunning Cover of Stairway to Heaven
To close out the week, I just have to share this stunning cover of Stairway to Heaven as performed by Ann & Nancy Wilson. John Bonham's son is on drums, too. It made me cry, but it did the same to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Great new Twitter
You've heard about the idiot councillor in the UK who blamed all the storms they've been having on gay marriage, right?
Someone created a Twitter in response to it.
It's called UkipWeather and has such great little gems like:
Someone created a Twitter in response to it.
It's called UkipWeather and has such great little gems like:
A period of calm as a group of women go shopping for shoes. However, storm clouds will form when one of them suggests going to Millets
— UkipWeather (@UkipWeather) January 20, 2014
And this:
The sun makes a brief appearance after John Barrowman stubs his toe on the corner of a wardrobe
— UkipWeather (@UkipWeather) January 19, 2014
I love people's creativity. Especially when it's in response to such idiocy.Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Book recommendation: Strangers: Homosexual Love in the Nineteenth Century by Graham Robb
Recently, I've been reading Strangers: Homosexual Love in the Nineteenth Century by Graham Robb because I wanted something more in depth and dedicated than shorter articles might provide. It doesn't cover much beyond parts of Europe and some of America, with an emphasis on the more well-to-do, but that's due primarily to the lack of good records for those sections of society to validate any of his research and others.
But let me say this. It is utterly fascinating. The tone is a tad dry, so it's not really fast reading at all, but the information it imparts casts new light on the period for me. Once you get past the beginning, which focuses on statistical analysis of crimes and punishments, you get more anecdotes that help bring it all to life. If you're not familiar with gay history, the constant barrage of names might be a little overwhelming at first, but honestly, for me, it just compelled me to do more research into those I didn't recognize.
At the end of the day, I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in gay history and who is comfortable with prose that doesn't talk down to the reader. I imagine it's going to be a great resource for me in years to come. My only regret is that I didn't read it sooner.
But let me say this. It is utterly fascinating. The tone is a tad dry, so it's not really fast reading at all, but the information it imparts casts new light on the period for me. Once you get past the beginning, which focuses on statistical analysis of crimes and punishments, you get more anecdotes that help bring it all to life. If you're not familiar with gay history, the constant barrage of names might be a little overwhelming at first, but honestly, for me, it just compelled me to do more research into those I didn't recognize.
At the end of the day, I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in gay history and who is comfortable with prose that doesn't talk down to the reader. I imagine it's going to be a great resource for me in years to come. My only regret is that I didn't read it sooner.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
I will always love vampires
I love vampires. I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Sure, I read a lot of different kinds of paranormal, but ask me to pick one type, and vampire stories are it. I've loved them since I was young, when they were horror stories first and Salem's Lot scared the bejeezus out of me. Then into high school when things got romanticized with Interview with a Vampire. The very first produced play I wrote in college was about vampires. So when people say they're tired of them? I just kind of shrug and hold my tongue, because I will almost always respond to a well-written or original vampire story.
It doesn't even matter what type of story it is any more. Sure, I read a lot of romance, but I also devour mystery, thrillers, and horror. One of my favorite vampire takes is Brian Lumley's Necroscope series which didn't even have a vampire protagonist. Those books are pure horror, too, and I devoured them like candy when they first came out.
Is it a bulletproof kink? Absolutely not. I can think of quite a few popular series that leave me cold, either because I couldn't connect with the characters or the author's voice didn't engage me. But it's a lot easier to sell me a vampire story than it is any other paranormal type.
The book that sucked me in over the weekend was Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster, a steampunk paranormal romance with a complicated hero and a smart heroine. She took the paranormal world and twisted it into a new version, where "blue bloods," blood drinkers pre-turning into a full-blown vampire, are the ruling class in England. It combines a new take on the vampire mythology with another favorite trope of mine--alternate history--so it was probably guaranteed to be a win for me. The second novel is about a werewolf, so we'll see if I respond to it as strongly, but considering she's sucked me into her world, I have little doubt I'll see the series through regardless.
This weekend, I have a release at Amber Allure as part of the no-tell motel pax that is coming out. Guess what? It has a vampire hero. And I couldn't be happier.
Sure, I read a lot of different kinds of paranormal, but ask me to pick one type, and vampire stories are it. I've loved them since I was young, when they were horror stories first and Salem's Lot scared the bejeezus out of me. Then into high school when things got romanticized with Interview with a Vampire. The very first produced play I wrote in college was about vampires. So when people say they're tired of them? I just kind of shrug and hold my tongue, because I will almost always respond to a well-written or original vampire story.
It doesn't even matter what type of story it is any more. Sure, I read a lot of romance, but I also devour mystery, thrillers, and horror. One of my favorite vampire takes is Brian Lumley's Necroscope series which didn't even have a vampire protagonist. Those books are pure horror, too, and I devoured them like candy when they first came out.
Is it a bulletproof kink? Absolutely not. I can think of quite a few popular series that leave me cold, either because I couldn't connect with the characters or the author's voice didn't engage me. But it's a lot easier to sell me a vampire story than it is any other paranormal type.
The book that sucked me in over the weekend was Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster, a steampunk paranormal romance with a complicated hero and a smart heroine. She took the paranormal world and twisted it into a new version, where "blue bloods," blood drinkers pre-turning into a full-blown vampire, are the ruling class in England. It combines a new take on the vampire mythology with another favorite trope of mine--alternate history--so it was probably guaranteed to be a win for me. The second novel is about a werewolf, so we'll see if I respond to it as strongly, but considering she's sucked me into her world, I have little doubt I'll see the series through regardless.
This weekend, I have a release at Amber Allure as part of the no-tell motel pax that is coming out. Guess what? It has a vampire hero. And I couldn't be happier.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Weekend reading recommendations
I've got a couple recs for people if they haven't already picked up something to read for this weekend. I read these this past week and thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
Doug Heavy Runner left the life of an openly gay Miami police officer and returned to his home on the Salish-Kootenai Indian Reservation when his mother got sick. In the two years since she passed, he’s carved out an empty life as a small-town deputy, relying on out-of-town one-night stands to keep him sane. Then he meets Detective Christopher Hayes, and they share a wild night so incredible Doug breaks his own rule and allows a one-night stand to grow into a weekend of amazing sex.
When Christopher travels from San Diego to Montana to deal with his abusive brother’s suicide, he doesn’t expect to find the man he spent the weekend with to be handling his brother’s case. He certainly doesn’t mind spending more time with Doug—but then an arsonist destroys the house Christopher inherited from his brother, and Christopher and Doug discover they are the primary suspects.
As they investigate, they discover Christopher’s dead brother has set them on the trail of a psychotic pedophile who will stop at nothing to silence his last victim. However, the search for the victim goes horribly wrong, leaving Doug hospitalized and Christopher at the mercy of the killer….
Well written, engaging, with real chemistry between the guys. It's very encouraging to see this is her first published novel, too. It promises great things to come.
Available from Dreamspinner.
What's a Lord of the Dead to do? Hades' bride of several thousand years has served him with divorce papers and she doesn't just want him out of her life, she wants the palace and the dog, too. Hades' nephews and his faithful ferryman, Charon, are determined to find their uncle something to distract him before he expires of brooding misery.
Tiberius Snyder had a good future, until his mother dies and his employer shuts down. When he finds himself alone with nowhere to live, he turns to panhandling and to drink, depression slowly killing him.
He just wants a place to sleep out of the cold wind, but Death finds him in a dirty alley. Odd. Ti never thought Death would be so hot...
Angel blogged over at the Pax blog about why she loved Hades so much, and I was so taken by her interpretation of the god that I immediately went out and bought her book. It more than delivered.
Available from Amber Allure.
When Christopher travels from San Diego to Montana to deal with his abusive brother’s suicide, he doesn’t expect to find the man he spent the weekend with to be handling his brother’s case. He certainly doesn’t mind spending more time with Doug—but then an arsonist destroys the house Christopher inherited from his brother, and Christopher and Doug discover they are the primary suspects.
As they investigate, they discover Christopher’s dead brother has set them on the trail of a psychotic pedophile who will stop at nothing to silence his last victim. However, the search for the victim goes horribly wrong, leaving Doug hospitalized and Christopher at the mercy of the killer….
Well written, engaging, with real chemistry between the guys. It's very encouraging to see this is her first published novel, too. It promises great things to come.
Available from Dreamspinner.
Tiberius Snyder had a good future, until his mother dies and his employer shuts down. When he finds himself alone with nowhere to live, he turns to panhandling and to drink, depression slowly killing him.
He just wants a place to sleep out of the cold wind, but Death finds him in a dirty alley. Odd. Ti never thought Death would be so hot...
Angel blogged over at the Pax blog about why she loved Hades so much, and I was so taken by her interpretation of the god that I immediately went out and bought her book. It more than delivered.
Available from Amber Allure.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
My 5 favorite new Valentine's treats
Valentine's Day isn't just about love. Or chocolate. Or...
Okay, I got distracted by the chocolate for a minute. My weekly weigh-in is this morning, so I'm a little hungry at the moment.
Anyway, the ideas inspired by this holiday are pouring into my Google reader. These are my five favorites.
1. No Bake Oreo Truffles. Ohmigod, yum. I have a friend who makes these every year and sends me a box.
2. Rock candy. So pretty! And remarkably easy, especially with this tutorial.
3. EKG cookies. Such an original idea, and very easy. You can decorate just about anything using this as a model.
4. Red velvet blossoms. A red velvet take on a traditional thumbprint. I have a son who is mad for anything red velvet. These are a favorite in my house.
5. Berry chocolate krispie treats. My son's class is getting this one this year.
Okay, I got distracted by the chocolate for a minute. My weekly weigh-in is this morning, so I'm a little hungry at the moment.
Anyway, the ideas inspired by this holiday are pouring into my Google reader. These are my five favorites.
1. No Bake Oreo Truffles. Ohmigod, yum. I have a friend who makes these every year and sends me a box.
2. Rock candy. So pretty! And remarkably easy, especially with this tutorial.
3. EKG cookies. Such an original idea, and very easy. You can decorate just about anything using this as a model.
4. Red velvet blossoms. A red velvet take on a traditional thumbprint. I have a son who is mad for anything red velvet. These are a favorite in my house.
5. Berry chocolate krispie treats. My son's class is getting this one this year.
Monday, February 4, 2013
What I Read
Though I live in the Bay Area, I did not watch the Super Bowl yesterday. We're not a football family, not when I have a British husband who played rugby as a kid. I ended up reading and writing for the most part, which is how I usually spend my Sunday afternoons, frankly. I read a wide variety of stuff, but yesterday, it was m/m time travel.
It's a highly romantic, very sentimental erotic romance. Its novella length does mean that it's a little bit of insta-love, but sometimes, that's what I'm looking for, and this one worked for me. It's told in first person, in Ted's POV, and he really benefits from this. He's a damaged, grieving man, and the vulnerability he presents is well-balanced with the glimpses we get into how he fights against it. I loved Ted to pieces. I did wish that I could get to know Jem better, especially why he fell so quickly for Ted, but I still liked him enough to be invested in their HEA.
For more information, check it out at Carina.
Because I enjoyed this one, I'd like to spread that joy! I'm going to give a copy to a random commenter on this post. I'll pick a winner on Saturday.
And don't forget, comments on this post still qualify for my giveaways for my two January releases!
When Ted Ennis steps out the doors of the Criterion Theatre for a cigarette and finds himself in Victorian London, he begins to doubt his sanity. At first he thinks it's all a film set, and is sure that the strikingly handsome young man leaning against a lamppost must be the leading man...
What starts as a sordid transaction with a beautiful rent boy quickly turns into something much deeper, drawing him back again and again as he gets to know Jem and craves meaningful encounters with him.
But Ted doesn't understand the exact conditions necessary for his trips through time--and for Jem, time may actually be running out. Now Ted has one last shot to get back to Jem and save their relationship, before it's too late...I didn't stand a chance against this one. Time travel? Check. Theater? Check. I made my choice to buy it before I finished the excerpt.
It's a highly romantic, very sentimental erotic romance. Its novella length does mean that it's a little bit of insta-love, but sometimes, that's what I'm looking for, and this one worked for me. It's told in first person, in Ted's POV, and he really benefits from this. He's a damaged, grieving man, and the vulnerability he presents is well-balanced with the glimpses we get into how he fights against it. I loved Ted to pieces. I did wish that I could get to know Jem better, especially why he fell so quickly for Ted, but I still liked him enough to be invested in their HEA.
For more information, check it out at Carina.
Because I enjoyed this one, I'd like to spread that joy! I'm going to give a copy to a random commenter on this post. I'll pick a winner on Saturday.
And don't forget, comments on this post still qualify for my giveaways for my two January releases!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
New Amber Quill pax blog
I've been working recently with Clare London in launching a new blog for Amber Quill, one dedicated solely to promoting the pax collections. This was its first full week, launched with the most recent release, the That Old Gang of Mine collection.
Some of the authors will be contributing posts to talk about their stories, but more importantly, anybody who comments on one of the posts the week after a release - and that's including this week - gets an opportunity to win the entire collection. That's five stories to one lucky person! So head over, take a look, and leave a comment. You just might be the winner!
Some of the authors will be contributing posts to talk about their stories, but more importantly, anybody who comments on one of the posts the week after a release - and that's including this week - gets an opportunity to win the entire collection. That's five stories to one lucky person! So head over, take a look, and leave a comment. You just might be the winner!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Tell me a story...
Short post today, because I want everybody to go read this article on the science of storytelling. It explains why people remember things better when they're told stories as opposed to seeing bullet points.
I'd guess most writers already knew that, though I still find the science behind it fascinating. :)
I'd guess most writers already knew that, though I still find the science behind it fascinating. :)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
PBS remixes Reading Rainbow
I was already a teenager when it launched, but any show, children's or otherwise, that promotes books and imagination is a winner in my book. Reading Rainbow was on the air for 23 years, inspiring children and adults alike, and PBS just did one of their infamous remixes with it.
Watch. I dare you not to smile.
Watch. I dare you not to smile.
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