This Little Piggy Went to Boston

Or, rather, I’m going to Boston. First-timer! I’z psyched. But I suffer from a horrible curse known as the non-laptop-owning sucker’s curse and it is painful indeed! Otherwise, I’d be giving yall daily updates of The Hub as I walked its great streets. Not that I’m goofing off all over Boston mind you. Coughahemmhurrrr, it is for work after all.

Psst, Lara Adrian, I’ll be on the lookout at night for Gen 1 vamp, OK? :D I’ll aahhhh……probe him for some answers on his alien origins.

I just hope I don’t run into these guys. :D

Returning on May 22, when I’ll give yall peeps the low-down on my trip to the big city! Till then, wishing you much love, many wonderful reads and plenty of time to enjoy them in.

Boston night scene courtesy of Creative Commons and Christopher Chan at Flickr

Boston “Legal” pic courtesy of Creative Commons and LordKhan at Flickr

Disturbing Things This Way Come

Word to the Wise: The following trailer is very disturbing. As in holy shit, wince, eye scrunching disturbing. M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller, The Happening (June 13), IMO, is going beyond what I thought of as his “light horror” usual. Not that I can look away or anything. Or even stop playing this 38 second trailer over and over to catch something I missed. It’s gruesome, it’s violent and it makes me want to hurl at some parts. I’m not into horror, but I’ve enjoyed most of what Shyamalan’s produced.

Still want to see it? Click below and then tell me if it’s as disturbing to you as it is to me.

Upcoming Releases, Retro Style

Nostalgia Lane, Here We Come…

I got to thinking about some of the romance authors I used to read voraciously, the ones that got me into high gear with reading romances. And I thought, I wonder what they’re writing now? We change, and our reading preferences are no less susceptible, and it’s been a while since I even looked at some of my personal pioneers of romance reading.

So I was kind of psyched to see an upcoming Johanna Lindsey. And it’s a Malory novel too! Yeah, yeah, I know she’s put out others since I left them all behind several years ago, but this one just caught my eye and it actually sounds like it might be worth getting. Maybe at the library though? It’s hardback and I just don’t see getting the hardback at this point. But on with the book, here’s a blurb:

After her mother died, vivacious Katey Tyler fled her dull Connecticut town, hoping to meet her relatives in England and find adventure and romance on a grand tour of Europe. She had no idea that her life-changing travels would have both in spades — as well as danger and intrigue — when she catches the eye of ship owner Boyd Anderson and inadvertently stumbles upon a high-stakes kidnapping.

When Sir Anthony Malory’s young daughter is abducted from London’s Hyde Park, her kidnapper mistakenly sends the ransom note to the home of Sir Anthony’s brother, James. With James and his wife, Georgina, in the Caribbean, the demands are received by their house guest — Georgina’s youngest brother, Boyd Anderson. Searching for the girl with Anthony, the notoriously hot-headed American sea captain fully intends to make the foolhardy villain pay. But he hardly expects to find exquisite Katey Tyler, recently a passenger on his ship, at the center of the plot!

Little does Katey realize that in having caught the attention of Boyd Anderson — and in meeting up with the Malorys — she’s about to experience more excitement than the typical young lady encounters on a grand tour, and her life will never be dull again. A multitude of surprises await Katey, from the startling truth about her mother’s early life to the lengths a man will go to win the affections of a lady who has every reason to despise him — but who can’t resist the seductive, impassioned love he has to offer her.

I simply adored the Malory series when I began reading romances. I reread their pages many a time over the years and even though it’s been a while since I picked one up, they still have a place in my heart and on my shelf. I think my all-time fave would have to be James and Georgina’s story, Gentle Rogue (Holy crap, I was twelve years old when that book released. Read it looooong time later for first time, but still!). But I kinda have a thing for the woman disguised as a man storyline too. Toss in a pirate, high seas adventure and I am so there! Love their story!

But for the curious and the ones reacquainting themselves with this great series, here’s a rundown:

1. Love Only Once (1985)
2. Tender Rebel (1988)
3. Gentle Rogue (1990)
4. The Magic of You (1993)
5. Say You Love Me (1996)
6. The Present (1998)
7. A Loving Scoundrel (2004)
8. Captive of My Desires (2006)
9. No Choice But Seduction (2008)

Ms. Lindsey, you created some great characters in the Malory’s and I think this is one family worth keeping up with.

Psssstt! It’s Good, It’s Really Good!

Finally, FINALLY made some headway with the toddler’s (I love Kessler’s name for them, Darling Little Tax Deductions or something like that…or was it Monsters *grin*) bedtime last night. As in she only got up about four times after official go-time for bed. Hot damn. Now we’re getting somewhere.

Because I was finally making some headway with Kate Daniels in Magic Bites last night too. And it IS good, it really, really is! All those that chimed in to say that it got much better as the book went on, kudos to you and many thanks. It’s been a tough week and I’ve been having to fight for my right to read fa gosh sakes, which got kind of discouraging (yeah, it sounds dramatic, but I need to read like I need coffee every morning). Glad I kept on, because Kate’s piles more interesting at this point.

Now, Ms. Andrews, ain’t it grand that I was determined to keep soldiering on? Dammits and all? *wink*

A Bit of Silliness Goes a LONG Way

Damn but I needed this video today. Freaking hilarious stuff!

I’m Soldiering On…Dammit

So, I’m reading Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews ATM ( Ilona, Ilona…beautiful name) and I just hate this block with a passion, but so far, three chapters in, it’s not grabbing me. I had hoped to be done with it by now, to be gripped so tightly by its unique urban fantasy world and reviewed the thing already.

Uh yeah, that’d be a big NO.

So far, our first person main gal, Kate Daniels, is about as interesting to me as a bagel without the cream cheese. Or whatever condiment floats your bagel boat. And this bit of a mental block I’m having with Magic Bites made me think…would this one benefit from a 3rd POV perspective as opposed to its 1st? Because if a 1st POV hero/heroine isn’t very interesting, the rest of the story likely won’t be either.

And I do realize that this is just my (crappy, bitchy, whiny even?) perspective and maybe things will pick up after chapter three. She’s finally met the Beast Lord, and I’ve a feeling he’s a mover and a shaker. But really now, after seeing a lot of points made that all urban fantasy is or must be 1st POV (which I normally dearly love and gorge on with a passion)…is that really the case?

MUST urban fantasy really be 1st POV all the time?

Thinking back on what’s lining my shelves, uh yeah, pretty much every urban fantasy/paranormal fiction book I’ve got is 1st POV, and heroine driven. Looking around on the net for some of the top dogs (in fantasy/scifi publishing) submission guidelines, and I found that DAW (Mercedes Lackey, Melanie Rawn) doesn’t seem to require 1st POV up front. Neither does ACE (Charlaine Harris), or Roc (Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine) for that matter either, although the latter two do urge potential authors looking to submit to them to be “familiar with the kinds of books” they publish. But I know for a fact that not all their books are 1st POV. For that matter and to top it all off, TOR doesn’t list 1st POV a a prerequisite for submission to them either. Huh.

So why the thought that all urban fantasy is or has to be in 1st POV?

But my biggest Q is, are there any urban fantasy books out there, told in the 3rd POV? Because I would love to read one, if only to glean the differences in one as opposed to the more often seen 1st POV ones.

In the meantime, I’m soldiering on with Magic Bites. Dammit. It’s too good a concept to do otherwise.

MySpace, Sharing the Lurv

Stumbled across this interesting article via Google today, in which it reports that MySpace will soon enable its users to update various personal profiles of other socializing networks through MySpace profiles.

…it will be easy for users to designate which parts of their MySpace profile they want to share—and where they want to share it.

If you’re like many internet cruisers, you may have multiple profiles at various sites like MySpace. This concept seems like a good one at face value, but I have to admit I’m a bit skeptical on whether it will work or not. After all, MySpace doesn’t employ the best, most user friendly profile and personal page set-ups out there. But if it did, updating my MySpace profile would save me gygunda time in the long run. Or would it? Flit over to another site where profile info is needed? Bam, it’s done because my MySpace changes did it for me already. Sounds sweet, but will it be? Might be worth the time playing around to find out.

It’s a potential blockbuster move by MySpace, if it can get other sites to sign up.

Yes, well, it would be nice to see which sites are currently sharing the lurv in this endeavor. So far, according to the article, Facebook isn’t in on the deal. Oh but wait, in another article published today, the headline indicates partners such as Yahoo! and EBay.

So what do you think? Does this sound like a feature that could save you valuable internet time? I suppose for me, it would depend on who will all be involved and linked in this endeavor. Being that profile set-ups can vary greatly from site to site, it will be interesting most of all to see how well they would work together.

REVIEW: From Dead to Worse

Charlaine Harris
From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse #8)
Ace
ISBN-10: 0441015891
ISBN-13: 978-0441015894
Paranormal fiction
May 6, 2008

Yes, YES – spoilers. How could there not be?

It’s post Katrina scenery in Bon Temps, Louisiana and the effect of the devastating storm is still felt. Too, the vampire summit that turned out so disastrously in Rhodes has the supes on edge. Sookie would like nothing more to get back to a normal life but there’s just too much to worry about. Her boyfriend, Quinn, is missing and while every other supernatural being seems to be moving on in their own ways, Sookie feels like the only one actually mourning the losses. Past misdeeds still haunt her in the form of the Pelts and unrest is brewing with not only the vamps, but the weres as well. As Sookie’s a friend to Alcide’s pack and blood bonded to the powerful Eric Northman, she may not be able to stay out of it, let alone draw a normal life back to her. Rather, normality seems to be running from her, quaking in its fearful little boots. And when supernaturals are trying to kill Sookie, can we really blame normalcy for running for the hills?

Don’t you just love the covers of these books? We’re back to the beginnings as far as covers go in this series, with a kind of sweet and almost innocent looking Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse, but this eighth installment is anything but sweet and nowhere near as innocent. I feel this series has reached a crucial point, and it’s the kind where not only has Sookie herself grown and developed phenomenally, but so has the world Harris is cultivating, the other characters inhabiting it and the story arc itself. We have pretty much equal helpings of sorrow and shockers piled on us as the last one, All Together Dead, but there’s certainly more hope and good happenings for dear Sookie this go around. I won’t say that Harris needed improving in her craft and overall skill with this particular character – and if there’s ever been a thought entertained that Harris needs to improve, that’s just cray-zay-ness - but I will say she has reached a level of excellence in Sookie that I’d not anticipated. I’d simply dumbed it down to Harris getting as good as she could get before.

Well, I was wrong, and those were even the previous thoughts of a die-hard fan to the series.

The Joke is in Your Hands

I’d almost forgotten I saw this one before Iron Man last weekend. The entire audience was in fits over it. Love Mike Myers.

Friday Deliveries Rule

But I must say that the United States Postal Service (USPS) has the most suck ass tracking system ever. More on this story later.

So here’s the latest goodies added to the TBR Pile from Hell. Hell, I say, because getting it down to manageable proportions is surely not in my near future. But there’s a certain comfort in having that towering mass in your shelf, or floor, or nightstand table, isn’t there? There they lay quiet as mice, seemingly unassuming little rectangles of meekness. But we know what really lies in wait.