Book That Haven't Worked For Me

Lately I’ve been a bit disappointed in the majority of books I’ve been reading. Perhaps I’m going through a phase? This post is a nod to my friend Kmont at Lurve Ala Mode, who from time to time will have a post called, Books I Say No To. This is where Kmont will tell why she couldn’t finish a book, or had issues with one. I have three such books that unfortunately for me are ones I have said no to where I either couldn’t finished reading, or if I did get through it, I was beyond disappointed in more ways than one.

Disclaimer alert- as always, reviews are subjective, so what doesn’t work for me, will very well likely work for others readers.

Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1) by Elle Jasper has an incredible eye catching cover, and when I heard the heroine was a tattoo artist, I decided to give this a go. Set in Savannah, Georgia, this Gothic feeling urban fantasy has a great set up. Riley Poe is a talented tattoo artist (or so we are told) who is her fifteen year old brother’s guardian. Just like any teenager, Seth gets into trouble, but Riley is there to make sure he’s safe and protected. Riley knows what lurks in the darkness and it’s not pretty. One night after Seth and his friends are fooling around in a cemetery, Seth’s personality begins to change, and not for the better. The reason Seth has channeled his inner vampire emo is because he and his friends disrupted a tomb and unleashed two nasty souls, a pair of psycho brothers. These brothers will stop at nothing until they have what they want. Riley will do whatever she can to save her brother’s soul, even if it means joining up with a family of Addams Family type vampires. And one such vampire, Eli, aka only my parents call me Eligius (I can’t help but think of Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer here, where the comparison between Eli and Angel is very eerie) wants Riley, not only for her special blood type, but because she eludes that snarky scent that a hot vampire male can’t stay away from. Unfortunately Eli has to work hard for Riley’s affection, because she’s not going to fall all over him. Plus one of the nasty ghost demon brothers invades Riley’s dreams and decides he’ll claim her for his own.

I got half way through Afterlight and had to stop. Afterlight is written in such a way that shows off every urban fantasy and paranormal trope possible with very under-developed characters and way to much telling and not enough showing. We are told upon page after page how bad ass Riley is from her punk wear, how many times she was arrested, and how she was stripped searched by the cops all before she could drive.

Not once does Riley really show her true colors. Even by page 150, I was still waiting for something exciting to happen. I suppose this was Elle’s way of building up the tension, but it all fell very flat. If there was a nice atmospheric of Gothic darkness and voodoo magic, I must have missed something because not once did I get I feel it. And don’t get me started on the overuse of a specific word on almost every page. I can’t even tell you how many times “Gullah” appeared. Talk about annoying. Also annoying was Riley and Seth’s foster parent of sorts, Preacher, who should be the voice of wisdom and someone Riley can turn to for advice. His role didn’t really bring anything to the story. Also his dialect, which should add flavor and make him an endearing character that you want to see again, does the exact opposite. Every time Preacher popped in for his cameo spotlight and said, “how do you do?” in his own distinctive way had me rolling my eyes.

As debuts go, Afterlight was a big reading fail for me. I had no connection to the story, Riley is a forgettable heroine and this is yet another example of a story with a bad case of tell and more tell. (Signet)


I know I’m probably going to shock people with this one, but after trying to read N.K. Jemisin, I’ve decided she just isn’t the author for me. I’ve read rave reviews about The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which I picked up at Comic Con. This book is all about the world of gods and mortals and I find it very comparable to Anne Bishop’s Black Jewel Trilogy books because of the underlying element of sadomasochism when dealing with the sexual elements involved. N.K.’s writing is very rich and melodic; poetry, if you can call it that. Publishers Weekly said in their review for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms that this is a convoluted book. Convoluted is perfect when describing the world that N.K has created. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around what was going on.

Both The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and the second book in N.K.’s Inheritance trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms showcases two women who are surrounded by constant danger. They are both pretty much marked for death. Yeine, the heroine in the first book, is forced to leave her homeland by her wack-a-doo maternal grandfather who needs an heir to take over for him. In The Broken Kingdoms, Oree is a blind artist trying to navigate and stay alive in an untrustworthy world. Both these woman come in contact with godlings, who seem to hate mortals and are filled with rage not only with others, but for themselves. The mythology in these two books is well thought out and intense. There’s a large amount of doom and gloom on the pages and the conversation and dialogue have hidden meanings, much like a puzzle the reader is expected to solve.

I really tried to finish both books, and even when the final countdown, or the climax if you will, that was about to occur in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, I lost interest. In the case of The Broken Kingdoms, I didn’t even get that far. I think my issue is that there is so much of an emphasis on world building and not enough emphasis on the characters. There was a great deal of pausing as well, where Yeine and Oree would basically stop time to explain what was going on, or share memories of their past. This pulled me out of the story too many times.

N.K. is for a very different type of reader and I have no doubt most fantasy fans will enjoy both The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms. As for myself, I find I have a different type of taste from N.K.’s writing.

My final Books I Say No To will be released on December 7th and one I had high hopes for since I’ve been dying for this character’s own book since the beginning of this series. Ride the Fire is the fifth book in Jo Davis’s Firefighters of Station Five series. The hero is Captain Sean Tanner, an intriguing, emotionally scarred man who became an alcoholic (which is shown in detail over the past four books leading up to this one) due to loss of his wife and two children who died in a deadly car accident. Sean arrived on the scene to late and watched his family go up in flames. He has lived with the guilt ever since, and due to his drinking, has become a danger on his job. Sean finally wakes up and gets the help that he needs.

Sean is now a clean man and welcomed back with open arms by his crew, especially Eve, who Sean suddenly has the hots for. His feelings for Eve have been building slowly below the surface, but he ignored them due to the memory of his wife and his obsession with loosing himself in the bottle. Eve Marshall has always admired Sean, but has kept her feelings for this older man a secret. But now it seems that Sean is open to something different with Eve. Both know an affair wouldn’t be a good thing because Sean is her supervisor, but since their lust is overflowing, they throw caution to the wind and get down to business.

Now you’d think Sean would finally be free of the demons that have haunted him. But that’s not the case, and someone from his past makes himself known. He taunts Sean about the accident that claimed his family and it may have not been an accident at all, but revenge against Sean.

Every single book after Trial by Fire, which I adored to pieces, have been downhill reads for me. The same goes for Ride the Fire. I found Sean and Eve to have gone through personality transplants. I felt like I was reading about two different people I’ve never met before. The sex was pretty dull and not all that interesting. There’s a lot of “I’m coming”, “oh baby’s” and “ride me hard, all night long” with Seam trying to be the alpha male in the bedroom. But in the end it’s pretty ho-hum vanilla type variety stuff. That is, until Jo writes a scene that supposed to shake things up and should be erotic. My prudish side does not find the use of cooking oil as a lubricant for some hot finger in the butt butt action in the kitchen to be sexy. And considering the sexual tone of Ride to Fire is pretty tame, this butter my bun came out of left field and has left much to be desired. Why use KY when good old Crisco is readily available for those sudden passionate encounters in the kitchen?

The suspense and the reasons behind the villain needing to take down Sean is unbelievably lacking in the tension and excitement department. Overall, Ride the Fire is just plain too predictable and yet another unforgettable read. (Berkley)

These reads were big old duds for me and authors I will probably pass up on from now on.

Have you read any of these books, and if so, do you have a different opinion from my own?

The Blogging Evolution and My Blogging Fatigue

This year has been a stellar year for blogging. Not only has blogging as a medium been embraced, but for some it’s become an important way of life. Not a day goes by where I don’t visit my favorite blogs.

If you think about it, blogging is an amazing media art form. We’ve see both the good and bad side of blogging. Some will take advantage, those who simply pat bloggers on the head, or treat them with disdain, going as far as to take a blogger’s idea and words they claim for their own and think nothing is wrong with it. A perfect example was the whole Cook’s Source controversy where one blogger decided they wouldn’t sit back and be taken advantage of. And because of the lengths and support of the blogging community, many things were brought into the light. Now Cooks Source is no more, and yet, the editor-in chief who blatantly plagiarized the blogger blames her for the magazine’s downfall. Or how another blogger’s photographs were stolen and placed with no byline or payment in a journal. Again that blogger made it point to tell her story publicly and got what she deserved. Bloggers came together to discuss Marie Claire’s Fat Bigotry blog post, as well as what may be the biggest Amazon controversy of the year with the self-published Pedophilia guide. And many stood up and took notice all because of the blogs.

Now more than ever bloggers are being courted and held up to a higher standard. I see this mainly in the publishing world (because I'm so involved in it) from all ends by the publishers and authors who hope a blogger will mention or review a book and the author writing it.

I see how one blogger, who only three years ago, just by posting pictures of celebrities has become a cultural phenomenon. Love him or hate him, Perez Hilton is a blogging role model who has done the impossible where his website, his blog he started from scratch, gets close to 14 million viewers in a month and makes $50,000 a day in ads. Boggles the mind doesn’t it?

There are many other examples of bloggers out there who are making a name for themselves. The competition has become fierce, and a bit frightening if you think about the lengths some people will go to in order to get more traffic for the soul purpose of being mentioned or linked. Perhaps a few are lucky enough to make money off their blog and treat it as a second job and market themselves, including their ideas and their names very well. One such blog (thanks to Smexybooks) I just discovered that is only a little over a year old is Hyperbole and a Half. Run by Allie, she has created an unique blog filled with her own drawings about her life and observations that has close to 60,000 followers. Allie’s latest post had over 2300 comments! Just take a look at Cake Wrecks, Regretsy, My Milk Toof, the list goes on and on. If you come to think of it, there are different levels to blogging and it’s entirely up to that blogger to decide which way they want to go. This is where one must decide if they treat blogging as a hobby or something more and run with it.

I once was told that in order to become something big, you have to have a gimmick. I used to think someone’s gimmick was more along the lines of a person extending their 15 minutes of fame. I’ve decided my words are my gimmick and more so now with the stories I’ve published and that I’m currently working on. The same goes in the posts I create. For some reason a nice amount of people visit here each day to read what I have to say. And that humbles me because half the time I think I make no sense or have no rhyme or reason for what I do.

Who would have thought a stuffed sheep from Bath and Body Works would have a following or the outlandish and shocking things I find on the internet for one of my most beloved weekly posts- my WTFckery, would be talked about and enjoyed by many.

 Lately I’ve been undergoing a sense of blogger fatigue. Not that I’m ready to give up blogging yet by any means, but some days I just find that I don’t have the excitement like I used to. In part this has to do with the amount of hours in the day I’ve been working. Because I’m now more involved with my writing and trying to getting published, I’m consumed by writing the stories that are rolling around in my head. I also have to find a balance because I still have to work in the traditional sense. I literally start my day at six in the morning during the week where I’ll write before work, go to my day job and then come home and write some more. If you clock in my total number of hours I’m working between writing and my day job, I’m working almost 14 hour days. On the weekends I just write and write and write until my eyes go blind.

I used to be consumed this way with blogging. Now in the past few months, not so much. I still update in some form or another every day, but it’s become harder. Maybe I don’t need to update every day. What would be the worst thing that would happen if I didn’t? Actually some days, I wouldn’t mind just posting funny videos and leave it at that.

Blogging is still rewarding up to a point, and I’m not going to lie, but I dream of a day where I could become the next big blog like Perez Hilton. But then again, I have dreams of becoming the next big author. Can I continue to do both without going crazy?

I love to read and write. The written word excites me like no other. And I want to be one who continues to write words that will be read and hopefully reap the rewards from it.

Those who blog, how do you keep a balance? And to those bloggers who find themselves with their own kind of blogger fatigue, how do you get past it? Do you take a break or perhaps give up and move onto something else?

This picture cracked me up as well. Perhaps it's me next to my laptop and my notebook of story ideas?

WTF Or Not? You Decide

Yo, ho, ho... WTFckery is here!

1. Got to love the title of this book. I had the choice of reviewing this under the Amazon Vine Program:

Holy Shit: Managing Manure To Save Mankind. One Amazon review states:

"typical cow, horse, pig, sheep & chicken feces are covered. More exotic cat, dog, bat, rabbit, geese, duck, pigeon and zoo animal excrement! Are also covered.

My favorite though is using humanure for compost .... GREAT idea.

Plants pull nutrients out of the soil. Every time a crop is hauled out, the soil loses nutrients. If those nutrients are not replaced, the soil become nutrient deficient, and the food grown in the soil also is less nutritious, leading to nutritional deficiency diseases. There are 84 essential minerals in our soil and about 20 vitamins. Plants can make vitamins but, cannot make minerals, the minerals have to be in our soil.

Human excrement is very rich in minerals. When humanure is decomposed and returned to the soil, the nutrients are returned to the soil as well. When these nutrients are constantly added back in, the life cycle goes on like a wheel. The plants always have the right amount of nutrients therefore, the food is not nutrient deficient, leading to reduced nutritional deficiency diseases in the people who eat this food.

In America, we only add three nutrients into our crops. Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. We are literally flushing the other 81 minerals into the sewer, along with our health.

Overall a GREAT book to read on the crapper!"

2. Can I haz under my tree this year? From The Sexy Lingerie:

Men's Candy Cane G-String. Men's sparkle knit g-string shaped like a giant candy cane. Available Sizes: One size fits most ($19.99)

3. You'll never look at your rubber duckie the same way again. From Holy Taco:

"When massaging your genitals with a vibrating rubber duckie just isn't enough, it's time to take things to the next level with the I Rub My Duckie® Personal Vibrating Massager: Bondage Edition. For less than $20 and the cost of two AA batteries, you can go duck yourself better than a man ever could. And yes, it's waterproof."

4. Cute WTFckery! Star Wars mice. From I09:

5. Poor Spiderman. From Cake Wrecks:

6. Proof that long armed Old Navy $10 vest mannequins are scary. From The Consumerist:

7. Beware of Fear in a Can! From Gizmodo. Mess with me, and I'll unleash some Colly Wobbles on your arse!

But first I need to figure out what a colly wobble is.

"These fear-in-a-can cans by Hoxton Monster Supplies are perfect: the unassuming typeface, color and laugh out loud descriptions make for a great gag gift."

8. Bill Condi, the director of Breaking Dawn, tweeted a still from the movie that shows what I guess will be a scene Edward and Bella's honeymoon in Island Le Loch Nessie. And so the Twihards are screaming in lust over this oh so sexy picture of what is assumed to be Bella's hand clutching feathers as Edward deflowers her. If you read the book, you know why the feathers are important.

The WTF part of this is that people are getting all hot and bothered over an arm. How will people react when we are finally shows a scene of Bella's labor and Eddie's personal idea of a cesarean?

9. This video is making the rounds that shows perfectly how much the TSA are full of WTFckery. The video is 12 minutes long and chilling in the sense that you feel like you are watching a silent horror movie. From Roger Ebert's Journal.

"New Mother Harassed and Threatened by TSA because she requests alternate screening for her breast milk. As a repeat traveler, the TSA singled her out to make an example out of her. She spends over an hour in the "Special Inspection" area and is forced to miss her flight." Over 90,000 have viewed this on You Tube.



10. And your WTFckery Regretsy is perfect that holiday dinner you're planning... if you have an extra $2500 lying around. Can we say Lord of the Flies, anyone?

ORIGINAL REAL PIG Head HAM

"Ham is a real pigs head that I dehydrated in my oven for over 2 months... imagine the smell... The eyes were built back up using glass and polymer clay... Ham was painted with my oil paints... and is coated in over 30 coats of resin! Ham will last the ages, don't worry about decomposition, he's in it for the long hall... This is a one of a kind piece of art that will be talked about by every one..."

Enjoy this week's WTFckery!

Contest Time! $20 Amazon Gift Certificate Up For Grabs!

My publisher, Decadent Publishing, is having a 30 Days of Decadence, where for 30 days Decadent authors are talking about the holiday season and givine away great prizes.

30 days of holiday blogs and prizes everyday!

In honor of my soon-to-be holiday release, The Christmas Fantasy, my post is up today about holiday music and where I talk about my all time favorite holiday song which happens to be sung by Josh Groban (Josh's voice makes me all tingly inside)

If you leave a comment on the post, you'll be in the running to win a $20 Amazon gift certificate from yours truly! Click here for your chance to win.

Perfect Dessert For Next Year's Thanksgiving

Next year I'm making these little turkeys for Thanksgiving. From Cakewrecks.

I shall name them mini torpedo gobblers.

Love Advice from Love Doctor Mho Fho *Gingham Dress Loving Woman Lusts for Three Men*

Dear Mister Mho Fho,

I’m in love with three men. They’re all very different in personality and looks and would die for me if they had to.

I’m a wholesome girl from Kansas who loves wearing Gingham dresses and sings all day long as I dream of sliding down rainbows. After a scary tornado flew into my town, my house with me and my yappy dog in it were swept away. We found ourselves in a land filled with happy little people who love lollipops, talking trees that throw apples at people, flying monkeys and fields of strange smelling flowers that made me giggle and then fall asleep (for some strange reason when I woke up, I was starving for something salty and crunchy).

My three bodyguards, as I like to call them, helped me find my way home. But for some odd reason a green colored woman all dressed in drab black kept calling me her pretty and wanted to steal my neat lovely sparkling ruby slippers off my feet. Also, she gave me the creeps with the way she kept stared at me. I was able to outwit her by pouring water over her head where she became a pile of goo.

Now that I’m back home, I’m having strange dreams about my three wonderful men. And I guess I should admit that one is a scarecrow, the other a tin man and the third a big fluffy lion.

I’m in agony… well my body is kind of twitchy for some reason I can’t explain. Please Mister Mho, tell me what I should do? Should I marry some sweet farmer who looks wonderful in overalls, or try to find my way back to my men and choose one (or perhaps all three) to live with together forever as we skip through those valley of strange flowers that makes me feel like I’m floating?

Yours, D.G.

Dear D.G.

First of all, are you sure you didn’t smoke, drink or swallow any hallucinogens or some wacky mushrooms? Maybe you found yourself high and ended up at some Comic Con or perhaps the annual Furry Con?

If I were in your shoes, I’d stay away from the Tin Man. He has no heart and he’s too hard for a sweet, innocent Pollyanna like you. The scarecrow is pretty flexible and has a good soul, but doesn’t have enough stuffing to keep you satisfied. As for the lion, he’ll keep you warm and snuggly, but the moment something horrible happens, he’ll leave you flat to save his own hide.

Your best bet is to sell those ruby slippers of yours and haul your ass out of boring Kansas where you can start your own Gingham dress shop.

And if you ever find yourself back over the rainbow, stay away from those trees. They’ll want to do more to you then throw apples at your head.

Yours,
Mho

Any idea who Mho is giving advice to?

Lila DiPasqua and Kieran Kramer Contest Winners!

The winner of the Lila DiPasqua book giveaway is...

Kaetrin!

And the winner of the Kieran Kramer book giveaway where one lucky winner gets When Harry Met Molly and Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right is...

Chey!

Congratulations everyone! Please email me at KatiebabsgATgmailDOTcom.

 

Guest Author Post: Wanda Brunstetter On Why She Writes Amish Romance

No one can say that Amish Romance hasn't made it's mark in the publishing world. Wanda Brunstetter has written nearly fifty books, with over 4 million books in print. Many of which are Amish-themed. And Wanda is also professional ventriloquist and a member of the North American Association of Ventriloquists and the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. How cool is that?

In recent months, writing, as well as reading, about the Amish has become extremely popular. Whenever I’m interviewed, I’m often asked why people are so interested in reading books about the Amish.

It seems as time goes on, more and more people are taking an interest in the Amish way of life. I believe one of the main reasons for this is because everyone is so busy these days and people long to slow down and focus on the simpler things.

Another reason people are taking an interest in the Amish way of life is because they’re curious about people who are living as their ancestors did—without electricity and many modern things. Driving a horse and buggy instead of a car might seem strange to some, but traveling at a slower pace gives a person more time to think—more time to enjoy the scenery—more time to visit with others who are riding with them.

I love spending time with our Amish friends. It’s fun to watch the children play with their simple toys. They’re happy playing outside games, swinging, and playing in the barn with their pets. It’s also refreshing to watch the parents and grandparents visiting and working with one another on tasks such as gardening, plowing the fields, cooking, sewing, cleaning, and doing various chores. The Amish people’s simple dress and simple way of doing things awakens a desire in me to simplify my own life as much as possible.

Unfortunately, many of us “Englishers” are so immersed in TV, computers, cell phones, and many other electronic gadgets, that we barely know how to communicate with each other anymore. Even when we do taken time to visit, the TV is often blaring in the background. Is it any surprise that so many people are stressed out and feel uptight?

There are always ways we can simplify our lives if we just eliminate some of the unnecessary things. One of the things my husband and I have done to simplify is to plant a garden in our backyard. While it may take a little work to plant, water, and weed the garden, it’s fun to watch the vegetables grow. Of course, eating the fresh produce when it’s ripe is always a special treat, too. Instead of watching a lot of TV, we often spend time watching and photographing the birds that come into our yard to eat the feeders we have scattered around. It’s enjoyable to listen to the melody of the birds signing, too.

There are so many other things a person can do to simplify, like reading a book, instead of watching TV; fixing home-cooked meals, rather than eating out so frequently; buying fewer clothes and unnecessary material things; and taking a leisurely walk or riding a bike. Slowing my pace and not being in such a hurry, always helps me feel calmer and more relaxed.

The Amish way of life reminds me, as well as my readers, that there is satisfaction and joy in simplicity. At the beginning of each new week I often ask myself, “What are some other ways I can simplify my life?” At the beginning of each new novel I ask myself, “What are some new things I can show my readers about the Amish way of life?”

Wanda's latest release, Lydia's Charm is now available from Barbour Books.

Synopsis: Autumn is a lovely time of the year in the Amish community of Charm, Ohio, but ever since losing her husband, Lydia doesn’t feel at home in the community where she felt forced to move. When mysterious gifts start appearing on Lydia’s porch, could they be from a nearby widower? Or are they from someone else—a man who would sacrifice romance in order to care for his family perhaps?

Gobble Gobble From Me to You

For all my fellow Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving, have an incredible day.

Watch something relaxing... (The Timmy and Gobbles Thanksgiving South Park Special is must watch viewing)



Forget about counting calories and eat something delicious you have been denying yourself...

The Gobble Gobble

You cleared the Thanksgiving table, and you're just feeling too darn full to do The Tablecloth. There's only one thing left to eat, and it looks delicious.

And for my international friends who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I haven't forgotten you. You can't go wrong with cute kittens acting wild and crazy... (The kittens discover the crack under the door. There will never be peace again...)

Zombie Cat Versus the Zombie Squirrel. Who Would Win?

I'm in a bit of a silly mood, so please forgive me if this post is somewhat wacky on my part...

Upon finishing Mira Gant's Feed, which is all about the day in the life of the humans trying to survive a zombie apocalypse that has been unleashed upon the world, I've had a few deep thoughts.

Let's say the zombie virus was unleashed and small animals were infected. Two such animals come to mind that could really wipe out the human population and take over the world.

First the zombie cat:

Second the zombie squirrel:

In my opinion, I do believe the squirrel is a more dangerous than the cat. Squirrels have beady little eyes and like to cause brain damage with their acorns.

But then again the cat an be very sneaky and will wait for the right moment to attack, especially when they hide under couches and beds and fly in the air to take you down.

I've talked to Mira in great detail about how both the cat and the squirrel can be very dangerous if and when a zombie virus may occur. She's given me a very researched and thought out explaination on why cats or squirrels can't become zombies. I tend to disagree because those two animals will still probably be here long after humans leave the Earth.

But then again, after reading Gini Koch's Alien Tango, we may all have to keep an eye on the alligator:

So, if you found that you're one of the few remaining survivors of a zombie apocalypse, which animal would you stay away from? The cat or the squirrel?

And in closing, would the zombie cat eat the zombie squirrel's brains and visa-versa?

The First Love Cookie Club Book Review *Lori Wilde*

I’ve read a recent contemporary that’s perfect for the holidays. This book is adorable in its telling, and just steamy enough where you won’t need to sit in front of a roaring fire to keep warm.

I adore Lori Wilde’s romances, and The First Love Cookie Club has a very emotional story behind it. Read the acknowledgments at the beginning of the book and you’ll understand why. Lori excels at writing small town romances, and with this latest, the heroine, Sarah Collier returns back to Twilight, Texas. This is where Sarah spent most of her holidays and summer vacations with her grandmother since her cold and distant doctor parents had no time for their sweet, sensitive, very romantic thinking chubby daughter. Her grandmother fed into Sarah’s fantasy of finding her one true love, and when Sarah is only fifteen, she thinks she has found that with her handsome older neighbor, Travis Walker. But Sarah is crushed when she finds out that Travis is getting married on Christmas morning. Sarah goes to stop the wedding and announces she and Travis are meant to be together because of the dream she had thanks to the Kismet cookies she put under her pillow. Sarah is mortified in front of the entire town when Travis basically pats her on the head and tells her to run along.

Nine years later, Sarah no longer believes in romance or true love. She lives in New York and is a best-selling author of a children’s book under the name, Sadie Cool. She has lost all her baby fat and doesn’t care if her parents don’t love her. She also hates the holidays, including Christmas, but is cajoled into going back to Twilight for the Christmas Festival where she’ll be treated like a star because she’s a small town girl who has done well for herself. Sarah is more than nervous about returning. What if she sees Travis again and he makes fun of her? She still hasn’t lived down her humiliation over her very childish outburst years ago.

Travis is a single father trying to do his best where his sick daughter, Jazzy is concerned. His wife walked out on them because she couldn’t deal with Jazzy’s life threatening breathing problem. Jazzy is Travis’s whole life, where he’ll do whatever he can to make sure she stays well and alive. Jazzy adores The Magic Christmas Cookie by Sadie Cool, and her dream is to meet the author. And when Sarah meets Jazzy, she falls in love with the fragile little girl. She’s also still very much attracted to Travis who doesn’t ridicule her, but welcomes her back in his own special way.

Sarah slowly finds the joys of Christmas again with Travis and Jazzy’s help. Travis has thoughts of romance on his mind when it comes to Sarah, although she’ll only be in Twilight for a short time. And then when Jazzy has a turn for the worse, including someone from Travis’s past who comes back into the picture to causes problems, he turns to Sarah to lean on. She begins to question if she can go back to her sterile, hermit life back in Manhattan when all she could ever want was in Twilight.

The First Love Cookie Club is uber-cute. The reason this book struck gold for me wasn’t the courtship between Sarah and Travis, but the deep love and devotion Travis has for his young daughter. Jazzy’s own story will tug at your heart, and she is the true spirit of Christmas from her innocent excitement and her strength to have a fulfilling life for as long as she can even though she may not have a future.

The ending is way too pat and eye rolling ridiculous, as if someone waved a magic wand over Sarah and Travis to make sure there is no more drama or heartache in their lives. The sudden appearance of a few characters took something away from the plot. And I also found a strange inconsistency regarding Travis’s ex-wife that didn’t make any sense. It would have been better left out of the story and really irked me, when up to this point, I was really enjoying what I was reading.

Can we say this would be a perfect Hallmark movie that would evoke an ending much like The Grinch That Stole Christmas? Why yes, I think I will say that it is.

Other than my issues with the last few chapters and an annoying misunderstanding that comes out of the blue between Travis and Sarah, I really did enjoy The First Love Cookie Club. It’s one book to read while snuggling in your snuggie with a cup of hot chocolate at your fingertips. A lovely holiday romance story for those who need some joy and sweet optimism in their reading material. (Avon)

Final Grade: B *would have been a higher grade if not for the ending that I found unbelievably fake*

A few other First Love Cookie Club reviews:
Fresh Fiction
Love Romance Passion
Night Owl Reviews

Cookie Monster as a SNL Host Would be Beyond Awesome

How awesome would it be if the puppets of Sesame Street hosted Saturday Night Live? After watching Cookie Monster's audition tape for SNL, I would be down for him being host.

Monster Gaga! LOL

Pegasus Book Review *Robin McKinley*

Can I just say, I love the opening line?

"BECAUSE SHE WAS A PRINCESS SHE HAD A PEGASUS." So simple, yet so perfect....

Sylvi is a princess, the fourth child of the king, who when she turns twelve years old, will be bonded with a pegasus. This is a tradition that the royal family follows even after one thousand years from when the first human soldiers came upon the pegasi and ended up forming a treaty that both still follow. The pegasi were important in helping the humans defeat the deadly creatures that have overrun their land. In turn, the humans helped protect the pegasi, where all would live in harmony together forever.

Even though these two races can barely communicate, they continue to work together to keep the peace, and eliminate any threats against their safety. Sylvi thinks the pegasi are very strange, yet beautiful. She doesn’t necessarily want to be attached to one and finds it all very invasive. But when she has her binding ceremony with the Ebon, the son of the Pegasus king, both she and Ebon are shocked that they can understand one another by using telepathy. Ebon is overjoyed that he and Sylvi can talk this way, while Sylvi is concerned because her father’s chief magician Fthoom feels this is an abnormality that may shake the very foundation of what the humans and the pegasi have together.

Soon Ebon and Sylvi secretly go flying and become very close, even though there is an unwritten rule that humans shouldn’t touch the pegasi. And then when Sylvi is on the verge of her sixteenth birthday, something truly wonderful occurs. She’s invited to come to the land of the pegasi that no human has ventured to in hundreds of years. Sylvi is frightened of what she’ll find there, and if she’ll be able to be comfortable around these four legged creatures, who may have a secret plan for her.

Pegasus is glorious, with a lovely fairy tale like feel to it. This book is perfect for all ages, where Robin McKinley shows how wonderful friendship and family is, mainly from Sylvi’s point of view. Sylvi is a delightful storyteller who hates playing the part of a princess because she longs to play with Ebon, her best friend and confidant. Ebon is a wonderful character as well, and the love they both share for one another may bring a tear to your eye.

The language and history is rich and so well thought out. The beauty is in the words; the explanation of the world Sylvi and Ebon live in is so alive where you can’t help but become a part of it.

Some may be confused by the amount of flashbacks and long paragraphs that are more telling than showing. But this didn’t take away my enjoyment while reading and it may just be a personal preference on the part of the reader who has an issue with this. There’s an impending sense of danger, and the ending is quite the cliffhanger where many things are left unresolved.

Pegasus is a masterful story with engaging characters and a melodic setting that’s not to be missed. This is my first book by Robin and won’t be my last. A very much recommended read. (Putnam)

Final Grade: B+

A few other Pegasus reviews:
Book Faery
Bookalcious
Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Cover Alerts: Deadline, Follow My Heart and a Cookie Man Titty

I just had to post the covers for two future reads that should be on everyone's to be bought pile...

Mira Grant just posted the cover for Deadline, the second book in her Newsflesh series. I just finished Feed (review coming soon) last week and it blew my ever loving mind away. As of now it's in a three way tie for my favorite book of 2010. And get this, it's not even a romance! Ode to bloggers, freedom of the press, furturistic zombie apocalypse for the win! (can you guess what the other two books are?)

Deadline will be released on June 1st from Orbit.

Synopsis: "I guess in the end, it doesn't matter what we wanted. What matters is what we chose to do with the things we had. -Georgia Mason"

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun
Then there is Kate Noble, one of my favorite historical romane authors around. She just posted the cover for Follow My Heart (coming May 3rd from Berkley).

Synopsis: Jason Cummings, Duke of Rayne is feeling the weight of his responsibilities – one of which is to get married. Being the most sought-after bachelor in London can be trying, so who can blame him if he seeks refuge from the voracious hordes of young debutantes at the decidedly female-free Historical Society? Female-free, that is, until Winnifred Crane marches up to the door, demanding entrance.

Despite her prowess as a historian, Winn is denied membership the Society. So she daringly offers an unusual bargain: if she can prove the authenticity of a certain painting, she’ll be granted recognition, fame, and respect. But to do that, she must go abroad. And to go abroad, she must have an escort, even a stubbornly unwilling one…

Jason has no desire to accompany Winn on her adventure across Europe, but even he is not immune to Winn’s passion for her profession. As the journey proves more difficult than planned, they must work together to stay one step ahead of their rivals…. and the closer they get to the proof Winn seeks, the closer she and Jason become. But as their adventure turns dangerous, can Jason keep this headstrong bluestocking safe? And what will become of their growing bond when the adventure ends?

And I must thank Chris from Stumbling Across Chaos for this nomalicious cover. You can 't go wrong with cookies and man-titty! Seven Sweet Things: a novella with recipes by Shaun Levin now available from Lethe Press.

Synopsis: An affair that begins in an Internet chatroom takes the narrator and his lover, Martin, further into love than either could have imagined. Disturbingly honest and intensely erotic, Seven Sweet Things is as much an exploration of love as it is the lovers' exploration of London. Eking out a living by selling cakes and desserts, the narrator loves reading Plato, sitting on park benches, and feeding his beloved. Each meeting between them is framed by the making, or the promise of a sweet thing (chocolate-coconut fudge bars, oatmeal cookies, rum-glazed chocolate cake, meringues). The landscape shifts from hidden archaeological mysteries in London to a fantastical stay in an old house in Yorkshire, and from Clissold Park in North London to Roslyn Glen in Scotland, where the narrator gets invited to prepare extravagant desserts for an aristocratic family.

Guest Author Interview: Jamaica Layne, Her Books and Thoughts on Publishing

Jamaica Layne is a well known, multi-published author of many types of romance. She is the only author I know of who has written M/M Amish Romance. Jamaica, also writing under Jay Hughes, has published with Ravenous Romance, and now her latest, Tender is the Knight, has just been released at Decadent Publishing. Since Jamaica and I are authors at both these publishers, I welcomed her here for an interview. I must say that Jamaica is a fountain of knowledge and has some great words of advice for both published and aspiring authors alike.

KB: Can you tell us how you were first published? What made you decide to become an epublished author?

Jamaica: I actually was first published as a journalist under my legal name (“Jamaica Layne” is a pen name). I wrote for major newspapers in Chicago like the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Reader, as well as for national trade magazines like Cat Fancy, as well as many regional publications and small literary journals like the Missouri Review. I first became published as “Jamaica Layne” with my debut novel, Market For Love, which was released in print by Virgin Cheek/Random House in 2008. But shortly after that novel came out, Random House discontinued the Cheek line, and many other publishers also cut way back on their print publication of erotic romance as well. I decided to pursue epublishing as an alternative because it was obvious that’s where the future was in mass-market fiction. Epublishers are acquiring a lot more fiction these days than the print publishers, who are pulling way back in the number of books they acquire each year, especially when it comes to newer writers. Epublishers have essentially replaced the “pulp” fiction markets of yesteryear. But I’m still open to publishing in print, and my agent is working on getting some more print deals for me.

KB: Would you say you write spicy romance or erotic romance? From your point of view, what’s the different between erotic romance and romance that tends to be on the steamy side?

Jamaica: I actually write all kinds of romance, from “sweet” to sensual to erotic. My latest release, Tender Is The Knight, classifies as “sweet” romance, while many of my earlier releases are either steamy or erotic. I think the main difference between erotic romance and other romance subgenres is the fact that the couple’s sexual relationship is a key element of the romantic story. You can have romance without sex, too, as well as “sensual” romance. It all depends on the storyline and the characters. I try to write an appropriate amount of sex (or lack thereof) based on the needs of the storyline.

KB: You’ve also edited some books, such as the Power Plays Anthology for Ravenous Romance. How is editing different from actual writing, and what’s it like editing another author’s work?

Jamaica: I actually began my professional career nearly 20 years ago as an editor, so I’m accustomed to editing other writers’ work. Having worked as a professional writer/editor in the journalism, corporate communications, and academic worlds has exposed me to a lot of different kinds of writing. Editing is different from writing in that you are working to make another writer’s creation the best that it can be----and that requires a lot of objectivity. You aren’t emotionally invested in the work the way you are with your own writing, for one. You have to look at the work on many levels, for another----from the copyediting level (which is sentence construction and punctuation) to the “macro” level, which involves plot and character development, genre conventions, etc. When you’re serving as an acquiring editor, whether for a short story anthology or for a publisher, you need to understand the market you’re acquiring for, and also be open to new kinds of writing that works in unexpected ways. I enjoy editing because I get exposed to lots of work I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. Editing can be hard work too, especially when it comes to searching the slush for that rare publishable gem----and that hard work makes me a better writer.

KB: You also write under another pseudonym, Jay Hughes. As Jay, you write M/M erotic fiction. Why write under another name? Also I’ve heard that your first book under your Jay Hughes name, The Shunned, was a big seller. May I ask how well The Shunned did and why make it a Gay Amish Romance? Were you afraid there would be backlash because of this?

Jamaica: My publisher actually asked that I publish MM romance under a different name (preferably male), because it was so different from the other work I was doing for them. To me, the different pen names are really about branding. A “Jamaica Layne” book is going to be very different from a “Jay Hughes” book, and I didn’t want to mislead or confuse my readers. It’s the same reason I only use my legal name for journalism and playwriting.

The Shunned is by far my bestselling book. I grew up in an area with a large Amish community (Ohio), and I also once dated a former Amish man who had left his community to go to college, and I learned a great deal about the Amish lifestyle from him. So I’ve been interested in Amish culture for a long time, and I also have enjoyed reading many of the currently popular Amish romance novels. It occurred to me after reading a news article about the struggles facing gay Amish youth that the Amish world would make a great backdrop for a MM romance. And when I did some research and found that nobody had published one yet, I got right to work!

There really hasn’t been any backlash at all about The Shunned. The Amish aren’t going to be the ones reading it, for one (they don’t read contemporary fiction at all, to do so is against their religion). For the most part all the feedback I’ve gotten is positive and supportive. I’ve even gotten many wonderful fan letters from total strangers who thank me for taking the subject on. I’ve gotten a lot more backlash for my M/F erotic romances than for my Gay Amish Romances, honestly. Which I think says a lot about our culture in general.

KB: Your covers are gorgeous! How much input do you have on them? And if you haven’t liked one of your covers, have you spoken up and had the cover artist fix it more to your liking? What’s your favorite cover so far?

Jamaica: I’ve worked with several different publishers (both print and epub), and most of them have given me lots of input on cover design. Many of the cover designers I’ve worked with (including Dara England, who designed the cover for Tender Is The Knight) have sent me several different “prototypes” that I’ve been able to comment on and help fine-tune into the cover I want. So far, my three favorite covers are for The Shunned and its sequel The Forbidden (both from Ravenous Romance) and Tender Is The Knight.

KB: Your current release, Tender Is The Knight, from Decadent Publishing is about the world of the SCA- the Society of Creative Anachronism. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of the SCA. Can you tell us about this society and what made you want to write about it?

Jamaica: I’ve been involved with the SCA in one way or another since I was ten years old. It’s a historical reenactment group that specializes in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it has chapters worldwide and well over 100,000 worldwide participants, and growing every year. Being involved in the SCA from such a young age (my parents were involved when I was growing up) sparked my love of history. And several of the SCA’s founding members were also bestselling authors, including people like Marion Zimmer Bradley, Piers Anthony, and Robert Aspirin. I definitely think participating in SCA led to my career choice as a writer.

The SCA is also very committed to the “romance” of the Middle Ages and the lost ideals of chivalry, which makes it a perfect setting for a romance novel. Tender Is The Knight follows the story of a bored young factory forewoman in the Midwest who happens to attend a local SCA event with her best friend, and falls in love with a dashing local knight she meets there (yes, we have knights in shining armor in the SCA, among other things.) She gets caught up in all sorts of adventures as a result. But to find out more, you’ll have to read the book. I’ll give you a hint, though---kings, queens, jewels, swordplay, and political intrigue are all involved.

KB: You’re probably not surprised that I’ve brought up your book, Knight Moves, possibly your most well-known one. This book has gotten many different reviews, some harsh, some pleasing. Is this one of your most popular books to date?

Jamaica: It’s my second most popular one (after The Shunned), but since Ravenous Romance recently sold world trade paperback rights on the book to Red Wheel/Weiser’s Red Silk imprint, it likely will end up outselling all my other titles to date. (Red Wheel/Weiser is doing worldwide print distribution in English, so it has the potential to sell a lot, and the titles already released under this line are selling big). It’s also out in audiobook, and the audiobook version sells really well, too.

Yes, Knight Moves has gotten some very nasty reviews, but that’s only helped make it more popular. It’s a very tongue-in-cheek sexual satire, and therefore not for everybody. Most people either love it or hate it. Fortunately for me, the haters are definitely in the minority! It’s gotten far more positive reviews than negative, and continues to be one of my strongest sellers.

KB: This month is November National Writing Month where both published and aspiring authors are racing to write 50,000 words in a month. What advice would you give to writers who are involved in NaNoWriMo? How do you deal with writing deadlines?

Jamaica: My main piece of advice is to use NaNoWriMo as a way to discipline yourself into writing every day, and not necessarily as a contest to see who can write a novel in the shortest amount of time. Though I do think serious writers should write each and every day, I’m not always a big advocate of hitting a daily word count target, either. Quality is more important than quantity. So if one day you only write 300 words, but they’re the best 300 words you can possibly write, that’s a win. I’d rather an author writes 300 good words than 3000 crummy ones.

I always have a writing deadline, it seems. Between my novels and my day job as a professional writer/journalist, I’m never without a deadline. Deadlines are just part of reality for the professional writer. If you can’t deal with having a deadline hanging over your head (even a self-imposed one), you are in the wrong business. I try to use them as motivation----especially when meeting a deadline is the difference between getting paid or not!

KB: The publishing world is very shaky where the future is uncertain. Where do you see epublishing headed in the next decade? Would you publish with one of the big New York City publishers or do you prefer to stick with epublishing?

Jamaica: I’ve already been published with one of the big New York City publishers (Random House, see above). The big NYC houses aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, either. If your book line gets killed, like mine did (which happens all too often in publishing these days; they also fired my editor right before my book came out, and didn’t replace him), they won’t even bother to get your book into stores. Print publishing is in total upheaval right now, and if you’re a debut midlist author, more often than not you’re going to be disappointed in your sales and promotion, if not have your book cancelled altogether. (I’ve seen it happen, to myself and others). Sure, I got a nice upfront advance, but several of my ebooks have sold more copies (and earned more $$) than my one print title did.

It’s not the publishing world that’s shaky, it’s just that the model is changing. We’re seeing a big shift towards digital, which has really reached a tipping point. Authors also have the potential to earn a lot more money with epublishing than with print books---we’re already seeing that happen with authors like J.A. Konrath and Stephen King releasing digital-only books themselves that sell at insane levels, with the authors pocketing all the money. And ebooks also tend to get better royalty rates than print (e.g., 40% of list, versus 8% of list for print). In the end, it’s all about format. Print is never going to go away, but ebooks are taking a bigger and bigger share of the market every year, and it’s the only sector of publishing that is actually growing. Successful authors will have their feet in multiple markets----print, digital, audio, etc. Just like many authors got their start in the “pulps” of yesteryear, many newer authors are building followings in digital that follows them to print----and vice versa.

KB: Is there any future projects you’re working on you can share?

Jamaica: Right now, I just completed a manuscript for a MM romance called The Valiant One. It’s essentially a gay version of Braveheart, and features a few of the same characters (all historical figures, like King Edward “Longshanks” of England and his son Prince Edward, along with Robert the Bruce of Scotland and Princess Isabella of Wales), as well as some new fictional characters. The movie Braveheart has been criticized a lot for being anti-gay (via its negative portrayal of the homosexual Prince Edward), so I thought it would be cool to tell the story from a different perspective. My agent is working on finding this book a home right now. I also have several books being shopped around New York City’s print market, also by my agents.

KB: If you were a heroine in a historical romance and kidnapped by a sheik, who would be your dream male to play the sheik? And how would you survive in a harem with all those chatty females who are fighting with each other to be the one true love of the handsome sheik?

Jamaica: I’d choose Richard Valentino, of 1920s silent movie fame. He actually did play a sheik on film, which is probably the sexist thing I’ve ever seen! I’d survive the harem by acting like I do in real life----I’d just ignore all the cattiness and be my strong self. Being true to yourself usually works the best. Men respect that a lot more than they do petty, catty behavior. I do, too.

KB: I’m a big Twilight fan. If you were Bella, who would you choose? Edward or Jacob and why?

Jamaica: I’d choose Jacob. I prefer werewolves to vampires. But that’s just me.

KB: Team Furry for the win!

You can read more about Jamaica/Jay's books at her websites:
http://www.jamaicalayne.com/Home_Page.php
http://www.jayhughesbooks.com/

And you can also find Jamaica on twitter @jamicalayne

Tender is the Knight is now available at Decadent Publishing (click here to purchase)

Synopsis: Assembly-line forewoman and Dayton, Ohio resident Lisa Marie Smith’s life just got a lot more medieval. Lisa’s co-worker and best friend, Pegeen Palmer forcibly drags her to an event showcasing Pegeen’s latest hobby---the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a living history organization that specializes in the Middle Ages. SCA members get their weekend kicks dressing up in medieval “garb” and pretending to be knights and ladies.

Lisa is skeptical at first, but pretty soon she falls for Sir Phillip Reginald of Whitestar, a swashbuckling SCA Knight and top favorite to become the SCA’s most important new King. It’s soon clear that this dazzlingly handsome, super-sexy knight has a dark and mysterious past, and it’s all Lisa can do just to keep her head above water as she gets caught up in the strange, intrigue-ridden world of SCA kingdom power politics. Will shy, emotionally fragile Lisa manage to juggle her day job, her eccentric best friend, and a passionate new relationship with her mysterious knight without coming apart?