Saturday, February 27, 2016

Training a Scammer

Somehow I managed to miss this, so I'm copying the link.  :-)  It is lol funny.

Scam training

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Making Love Out of Nothing at All

Thank you, Meljean.  :-) Wish I knew if it had a happy ending ...



Reading Habits

I find myself slipping back to my beginnings; slowly romance is being replaced by other genres, especially SF&F. As far as I can remember, I've never had a reading block per se, but I do get overloaded reading the same thing over and over again. Right now, it's historical romances. I pounce on Kleypas and Chase but that's about it.

I was a big SFF reader back in the day, although the first "adult" book I can remember reading is Little Women, which was a Christmas present when I was ... actually I don't remember how old I was. But I was under the age of twelve because that's when we moved. By adult, I mean something more mature than The Bobbsey Twins.

Anyway, I have an attic full of books, most of them SF&F and I have gradually put my favorites on my Fire. I also have a house full of books, aside from the attic and I have pictures to prove it! (Please excuse any poor housekeeping you might notice.)

This is the bookcase in my bedroom (aside from the bedside table which does not have drawers but rather bookshelves.)



These are the shelves in the 'computer room', which used to be my youngest boy's bedroom, along with a makeshift clothesline to air dry slippers and bras. (one has to be inventive when one lives in a very small house and that big black binder is heavy and will hold the line.  :-) )


And the livingroom. We added built in shelves some years ago when we redecorated.




When I die, I'm leaving all these books, plus the attic full, to the library. Because, I mean damn!

So, as I was saying, I have a lot of books, but some titles aren't in e (gasp!) and I don't know if they ever will be. For example, The Belgariad by David Eddings is not in e and I don't know if these books ever will be since he is deceased. But I've been re-reading early Elizabeth Moon and I've found some new authors and I will keep on reading as long as I can see and have a reader to enlarge the print.

Still I've discovered that no matter the genre, I want just a tad of romance in my books. I don't need to be in the bedroom, but I want to know that two people love and value each other and that they won't be lonely and/or unhappy. IMO, it can only enhance the story line.

Okay, here are some of the books I've been reading.  *grin to Lea*



This is an omnibus of the first three novels in this series: Hunting Party, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors. They involve spaceships and horses, lol, and there is a very understated romance between two mature people (the heroine, Heris Serrano, is around forty years old). The secondary characters are all fleshed out, especially Lady Cecelia. I plan on getting the rest of the books eventually. Here's the blurb for Hunting Party, which describes the plot better than I ever could:

Hunting Party
Heris Serrano--formerly a commander in the Regular Space Service--must take whatever job she can get after her resignation under a cloud. What she can get is the captaincy of a rich old lady's space yacht...a rich old horsewoman, who has little liking for the military, and whose spoiled nephew Ronnie (and his equally spoiled friends) have been foisted on her after his folly embarrassed the family. Lady Cecelia's only apparent interest is horses--she intends to go fox hunting on the private pleasure planet of a friend of hers, Lord Thornbuckle. But events conspire to make it far more than a fox hunt. 

                                                                 ~*~

I cannot manipulate these pics, never could, so I apologize in advance. But here's what I just finished reading: Linesman and Alliance, the first two books in the Linesman trilogy by S K Dunstall (who is - are? - two people and sisters. Have no idea when the third is releasing, probably next year.





Here's the blurb for Linesman:

First in a brand new thought-provoking science fiction series.

The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…

Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever.

No overt romance in this one, but there are two women I would love to have for Ean. I like that with each book he learns more about himself and his talent and more about the people he has come to love. He has made a family and he'd do anything to save them. It's a rip roaring space opera and I'm loving it.


Next up is Libriomancer by Jim Hines.  

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of the secret organization founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg.  Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped. 

With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

They like this book a lot at SBTB so I'm gonna try it. 

I did try to read a historical romance by Molly O'Keefe, Seduced, but it's rather dark and I just couldn't get into it. I'll try again later, much later, lol. And I tried to read The Hooker and the Hermit by L H Cosway and Penny Reid, because I like Penny Reid's writing, but I did NOT like the heroine; she was just too eccentric for me and I did not feel like wading through any changes she might make. Same with Frisk Me by Lauren Layne. I stopped reading after the first scene with the heroine. Hated her. Way too 'in your face' for me.
                                                                       *****

I just reread this post and my lord, I'm rambling, lol. I evidently need to socialize more and find some folks to talk to; Lori calls me on her drive home from work but her phone hangs up on me after about five or ten minutes (picture frowny face here).

And I have no idea how to bring this post to a close, so I'll just say thank you for reading and see you next time.  :-)

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

A Good Essay, Graphs and Stuff

Just wanted to draw your attention to the great essay by Ilona Andrews on the alphahole hero. There's a link on our sidebar, or you are welcome to use this one:

Ilona's take on alphahole heroes


:-)

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Unbelievable

Ran across some old blog links and have been catching up and look what I found. Unbelievable indeed.

Author's Guild

Monday, February 15, 2016

Happy All Valentines Candy is 50% Off Today Day

Say what you will, my priorities remain chocolatey.

My computer finally kicked the dust over a month ago (or about a month ago or long enough ago to explain my need for all that 50% off chocolate) so I've been mostly offline all this time. To say it's been hell is a crazy understatement. It's been like being cut off from so much. Even though I know I wasn't at all.

I've been reading. I read 2 Rainbow Rowell books (Eleanor and Park and Attachments) and loved them both. Read half of Firefly Lane and had to stop before I injured someone. Read Eloisa James' newest which was 75% of an awesome book and then the last 25% which was left over from a previous novel she never finished (at least that's what I assume since they were two different books). I read a short story by Vicky Lewis Thompson which I didn't enjoy, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress which has always been an old favorite but kind of annoyed me.

I've written bits and bobs but without a computer it's been almost impossible. Happily I couldn't take any more so yesterday I went to Dell and found a new laptop on sale. Ordered Word and am now waiting for it to come.

Miss everyone mucho. Be back soon.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Carolyn's March Pre-Orders

March and April are gonna be good to me, but not so good to my pocketbook. Here's what's coming up.




March 1

1.  Rag and Bone (A Charm of Magpies) by K J Charles.



It’s amazing what people throw away…
Crispin Tredarloe never meant to become a warlock. Freed from his treacherous master, he’s learning how to use his magical powers the right way. But it’s brutally hard work. Not everyone believes he’s a reformed character, and the strain is putting unbearable pressure on his secret relationship with waste-man Ned Hall.
Ned’s sick of magic. Sick of the trouble it brings, sick of its dangerous grip on Crispin and the miserable look it puts in his eyes, and sick of being afraid that a gentleman magician won’t want a street paper-seller forever—or even for much longer.
But something is stirring among London’s forgotten discards. An ancient evil is waking up and seeking its freedom. And when wild magic hits the rag-and-bottle shop where Ned lives, a panicked Crispin falls back onto bad habits. The embattled lovers must find a way to work together—or London could go up in flames.
This story is set in the world of the Charm of Magpies series.

2.  When Falcons Fall by C S Harris


The much-anticipated new entrée in the Sebastian St. Cyr “simply elegant”* historical mystery series, from the national bestselling author of Who Buries the Dead and Why Kings Confess.

Ayleswick-on-Teme, 1813. Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, has come to this seemingly peaceful Shropshire village to honor a slain friend and on a quest to learn more about his own ancestry. But when the body of a lovely widow is found on the banks of the River Teme, a bottle of laudanum at her side, the village’s inexperienced new magistrate turns to St. Cyr for help.

Almost immediately, Sebastian realizes that Emma Chance did not, in truth, take her own life. Less easy to discern is exactly how she died, and why. For as Sebastian and Hero soon discover, Emma was hiding both her true identity and her real reasons for traveling to Ayleswick. Also troubling are the machinations of Lucien Bonaparte, the estranged brother of the megalomaniac French Emperor Napoleon. Held captive under the British government’s watchful eye, the younger Bonaparte is restless, ambitious, and treacherous.

Sebastian’s investigation takes on new urgency when he discovers that Emma was not the first, or even the second, beautiful young woman in the village to die under suspicious circumstances. Home to the eerie ruins of an ancient monastery, Ayleswick reveals itself to be a dark and dangerous place of secrets that have festered among the villagers for decades—and a violent past that may be connected to Sebastian’s own unsettling origins. And as he faces his most diabolical opponent ever, he is forced to consider what malevolence he’s willing to embrace in order to destroy a killer.

March 7

1.  At The Edge by Laura Griffin.



Dive into Part One of this heart-pounding romantic suspense story, which continues in Edge of Surrender: Alpha Crew Part Two!

When Emma Wright’s government plane goes down over the Philippine jungle, she’s forced to survive alone until an ultra-elite SEAL team goes in after her. As the leader of Alpha Crew, Ryan Owen is no stranger to challenges, but he’s never tackled anything quite like this sexy, smart, and resourceful woman. The mission is to get Emma home safely, but danger is everywhere, and Ryan’s unexpected desire for Emma could be a deadly distraction.

Back home in California, Ryan’s mission is over—but Emma’s has just begun. She knows her plane crash was no accident, and she’s determined to uncover the truth about what happened—even if her quest for answers puts her at risk. Torn between duty and desire, Ryan searches for a way win Emma’s heart while protecting her from an invisible enemy who wants her dead.

March 8  

1.  Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop.



For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs...

2.  Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Huh. They don't have the blurb up yet. So, have a picture.  :-)



March 28

1.  Edge of Surrender by Laura Griffin



he scorching-hot romance between Emma and Ryan that began in At the Edge: Alpha Crew Part One concludes in Part Two of this sexy, suspenseful adventure!

Ryan had one job: keep Emma safe at all costs. But after a night of passion, Emma takes off and Ryan soon realizes he’s not the only one looking for her. Can he figure out who’s after the beautiful government aide, and why, before she falls into the wrong hands…if she hasn’t already?

Emma’s fighting to get justice for her fallen comrades, but she can’t do it alone. She needs Ryan’s help, but that means trusting him--and dealing with the out-of-control desire blazing between them. Can there be any future for a marked woman and a man trained to kill? She hopes they live long enough to find out…

Don’t get spoiled! Be sure to read At the Edge: Alpha Crew Part One before devouring this sizzling romance!

                                                      ******

And as an added bonus, another release February 23 called Alliance: A Linesman Novel by S. K. Dunstall



As the Linesman series continues, linesman Ean Lambert finds himself facing an alien ship he doesn’t understand—and a terrifying political threat he cannot fight…

The lines. The soul of every ship. It was once thought there were only ten, but that was before an alien vessel appeared at the edge of space—before Ean Lambert heard more lines singing. Ean’s ways of communicating with lines is strange. But his abilities make him a valuable tool—or weapon—to command.

Captain Selma Kari Wang has lost everything—her ship, her crew, her legs. But the New Alliance of Worlds is not done with her yet. After they rebuild her broken body, they send her to captain one of the new alien ships, teaming her up with Ean, the only one who can understand the alien lines.

Kari Wang and Ean are poised on the threshold of discoveries that could change the world. But not everyone wants the New Alliance to control the secrets they uncover—and those who oppose won’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to stop them…

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Linesman, which is why I pre-ordered the second. Duh, lol. Anywho, that should keep me busy until April, when six more pre-orders are due, including a new Beverley and Kleypas.

So, happy reading y'all. If you know of any good books I've missed, please let me know. Pretty please??

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Let Not Our Victories Die

Just bringing attention to Margaret and Helen's latest post.


Politics

Tsk, Tsk

I have to agree with Courtney Milan ...


Lawsuit