Some stuff I need to tell you...

Nope no July book list yet. I had such high hopes for today too because I took the day off from work and thought... You know I might get to do some fun stuff. No such luck.

I do have a couple of things I want to say about some recent reading though because I haven't had time to do proper reviews and because I don't want to lose the "feeling". Do you ever have feelings that linger long after you read a book? Sometimes I want to exercise more, or cook, or get to work earlier, or make something with my kids or... it can be just about anything. Something will grab me and just not let go.

As I think I mentioned when I first got back from DC I began reading my ARC of INDISCREET by Carolyn Jewel right away. I'm making big assumptions about this writer from the very kind and sweet woman I've met only a few times, but I'm telling you, a lot of stuff is going on in that brain of hers. Her characters are so human and real. She reminds me that a bigger than life dilemma doesn't have to be created when surviving the REAL life stuff is hard enough. I'll be posting this review closer to the release date of the book, but obviously I'm still loving her work.

Another of my favorite writers, Jenna Kernan, had a release this past week. This one is called SIERRA BRIDE. I stopped reading it. The hero was too schizo for me. The heroine too self sacrificing and not in a good way. SL Wendy was 100 pages in and liking it. I put it down thinking maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it because I normally adore Kernan's books.

It took me the better part of a week but I finished TASTING FEAR by Shannon McKenna. Regular visitors to my blog know that she's one of my favorites. Yes, I know that her heros are sometimes what is considered well, jerks. BUT, they are jerks with heart. Anyway, I've vowed I'm not going to apologize for liking the over protective hunky brutes. However this book of 489 pages is actually three books. It was like reading three Blazes back to back. I think I might have liked it better if she'd intertwined the stories more, but I won't swear to that.

Here's the thing. There are three parts, one for each sister, who in turn has her own hero. However, the sisters, who are not biological sisters as they were each adopted, seem exactly the same to me. I also felt that Ms. McKenna was trying too hard sometimes to write in answer to her critics who found her previous heros a bit too neanderthal. I, of course, wasn't one of those people, so making the men more sensitive and the women more independent and self sufficient didn't bother me. What bothered me was the sameness. That bummed me out. GG on the other hand, has just discovered McKenna. Yes, you read that right.

He just finished reading BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and gave it a 'B'. He asked for the next one but sort of backed up a few steps when he saw that the trade size book, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS was hot pink in color. Dunno if that one will get read or not.

My first book of August is THE FIRE KING by Marjorie Liu. Damn she's good. Now her characters...no two alike. Karr and Soria are wonderful. While the book proudly wears a DIRK & STEELE NOVEL on it's cover, in my so very humble opinion it stands on it's own very well. Good book people.

I think that's everything I wanted to get off my chest. Now I have to go get ready to go out. Tonight I'm off to my niece's bachlorette party. I haven't been to one in years. What does one wear to bachlorette parties these days?

I love my niece. Adore her in fact. I'm thrilled and happy for her, but don't you think it's odd she wants her aunt at her bachlorette party? Of course, I'm not saying there aren't some things I could teach her...

Final Tally and Resisting Temptation

At 11:57 PM last night I had 64 posts to go. I skipped a couple of Megan Hart's video blogs, skimmed a few reviews, especially repeats, but I'm getting there. Next I'm getting my book lists and book shelves organized. I want to be in good shape, literally and figuratively, before I go to RWA.

It wasn't all blog reading all the time either. I did do some laundry and watch a movie with GG. Oh, and there was the divine chicken marsala and a bit of reading Julia Quinn's latest release, THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM.

I saw alot of reviews for LOVER ENSHRINED by JR Ward. I'm reading between the lines but it looks like a 'meh' read for most people. Secondary characters seemed to have saved the day. I did enjoy reading Ms. Ward's account about selling the BDB series and her broken HVAC that she shared on Dear Author. However, after having a furious rant about LOVER UNBOUND last year I've had no trouble resisting purchasing LOVER ENSHRINED. Hopefully it stays that way.

It's also a first for me not to buy the latest Plum book. The 14th Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich released this past week and I didn't buy it. *takes deep breath* I saw it at both Barnes & Noble and Super Target. I conquered my knee jerk Pavlovian response and passed it by. For now. Hopefully a weak moment and curiousity don't get the best of me.

Good thing this week has some good books out, with Linda Howard's book DEATH ANGEL, Marjorie M. Liu's IRON HUNT and I'm also looking forward to Lorraine Heath's IN BED WITH THE DEVIL. Word has it we can order SAM'S CREED by Sarah McCarty too. It's due out in a week so I don't know whether to order or wait. I'm really looking forward to that one.

Bring on the week. I'm ready!

F R I E N D S

Look!

See?

This lovely thing came in the mail.

What am I doing with it when it doesn't release until August?

My favorite librarian, SL Wendy, sent it to me. Seems Dorchester was giving ARCs of WILD ROAD away at BEA. Knowing my love for MML Wendy snagged one for me. What a friend. A pal. A fellow lover of the written word.

How or why she found the time on Saturday to mail it to me, I'll never know, but I got it on Monday. You gotta love a friend like that.

I bow to you SL and thanks so much for the wonderful surprise and the quick delivery.

Gargoyles people! Gargoyles!!!

This was too exciting not to post. May list will be up tomorrow.

Stole this...

This was posted on WEB PETALS Marjorie M. Liu's blog early this morning:

I found a gold mine of a website - the Academy of Achievement - which has fantastic interviews with a host of incredible people, from Rosa Parks to Benazir Bhutto, Olivia de Havilland to Richard Leakey.

Here's a 1996 interview with Elie Wiesel:

I read a lot. I teach my students, not creative writing, but creative reading and it is still from my childhood. You take a text, you explore it, you enter it with all your heart and all your mind. And then you find clues that were left for you, really foredestined to be received by you from centuries ago. Generation after generation there were people who left clues, and you are there to collect them and, at one point, you understand something that you hadn't understood before. That is a reward, and as a teacher I do the same thing. When I realize there is a student there, in the corner, who understands, there is a flicker in the eye. That is the greatest reward that a teacher can receive.

That quote just rocks my boat.

THE LAST TWILIGHT by Marjorie Liu

In my excitement yesterday I forgot to mention Marjorie Liu's LAST TWILIGHT. Dorchester Publishing sent me an advanced copy which I devoured when I received it. If you've been enjoying the Dirk & Steele series that Marjorie writes about you'll love this installment. If you haven't tried her books yet you won't have any trouble reading this as a stand alone. But I warn you, you'll be looking for her back list once you finish it.

Here's what I had to say about it in my review of books I read in December:

The Last Twilight by Marjorie M. Liu. MML does it again. Dorchester surprised me with an early copy of this book that isn't due out until January 29th. Marjorie Liu is such a good writer. This is the 7th (?) book in her Dirk & Steele series and this was one of the best in the series. I really enjoyed this book. It has a very interesting premise for one thing. The heroine works for the CDC trying to crack new viruses that spring up around the world. Ms. Liu's characters make her books. Stir in an interesting plot and you have the LAST TWILIGHT. You know a writer is good when you read about shape shifting (and believe it) as a real phenomenon that exists. Yeah, she's that good.

Huh? What? Where am I?

183 posts on Google Reader. Husband on vacation. Two sons on vacation. I'm working. Christmas was wonderful. Still lots of treats around tempting me. I'm reading!!! I'm not reading posts or blogging.

Real life will resume...next week?

Movie update: I AM LEGEND. Very good. Scary as hell. Will Smith is great in this. At least to me who hates scary movies. Why'd I go? What else, the men in my life.

Books:

Megan Hart's TEMPTED. Good. Got lots to say about it. More later.

BEYOND THE DARK Anthology. A struggle. Every single one of them.

Anna Campbell's UNTOUCHED. I thought it was a very good book. Great balance. Predictable, but good.

Marjorie M. Liu's THE LAST TWILIGHT due out in February. Really good. Part of the Dirk & Steele series. A standout. More on this one later too.

I'm being brave and posting this unedited and without links!

Surprise!

...and Merry Christmas to me!!! Look what was in my mailbox yesterday and I didn't even know it was coming!!! Is that enough !!!! for you? I literally did a little jig because this was a total surprise. Dorchester Publishing and Marjorie Liu must be sending out books to all the people who were part of her Buzz campaign for the last Dirk & Steele book, SOUL SONG.

The LAST TWILIGHT is the 8th installment in the series and due out January 29th. I have mine and can't wait to read it!

SOUL SONG by Marjorie M. Liu

SOUL SONG by Marjorie M. Liu

Read an excerpt here.

As I'm sure you know by now SOUL SONG is the sixth installment in the Dirk & Steele series. Although I hesitate to use the word series because each story really stands on its own. SOUL SONG is no exception so even if you've never read any other D&S book you could pick this one up with no problem.

I've been mulling over how I wanted to talk about this book. The Dirk & Steele books aren't something you can pigeon hole. Each story depicts a different facet of the fictional private detective firm of Dirk & Steele whose creed is to "Protect the innocent in secrecy". This obviously leaves the world and all its problems and foibles Ms. Liu's playground. Nothing is off limits.

BTW, if you click on the link you can see profiles for her characters and there's even music loaded on the individual pages. It's one of the most interesting interactive author sites/pages I've ever been on.

All of which is fascinating to be sure, but not telling you much about this book. While it may sound like a familiar literary device to use a detective agency as the background for characters, the operatives and members of the Dirk & Steele agency are anything but ordinary. In this world you can expect to find telepaths, witches, gargoyles, and shape shifters. There is magic and myth. Yet somehow each time I read one of Ms. Liu's stories I'm touched by the humanity of her characters. I find myself wondering what it would be like to be eletrokinetic, or telepathic or a shape shifting bird trying to hide and fit in the modern world.

SOUL SONG is the story of Kitala Bell a gifted fiddle player traveling the world performing; and, M’Cal, a prince of the sea who has been tricked into the service of a witch and steals souls to feed the witch’s voracious appetite for youth, beauty and power.

When we first meet Kitala she is at the peak of her musical gift yet frustrated and fearful of helping people with her other gift. Kitala can see how people are going to die. Not when they are going to die, but how they are going to die. All of which is pretty frightening especially when she sees a gruesome death mask over a still living person’s face. Kitala has been coping with these premonitions of death by accepting that she can’t change fate.

M’Cal, weary and resigned to his destiny as the witch’s soul stealing henchman is moved by Kitala’s musical talent when he sees her perform. So much so that for the first time in a long while M’Cal vows to resist the witch’s compulsion to do harm to Kitala and steal her soul.

M'Cal's anguish over doing the bidding of the witch and Kit's despair of ever being able to help or warn someone before they die provides an immediate bond for the two of them. Ms. Liu doesn't waste time with misunderstandings or prejudices but accepts that these are two bright, gifted and compassionate people who have learned about life from their own mistakes and failures.

With Kitala deciding to save someone from an early death and M’Cal’s determination to resist the witch the story unfolds with them trying to solve a murder before it happens and free M’Cal from the witch’s clutches. They get help from Kitala’s best friend Dela who just happens to have connections to and work occasionally for Dirk & Steele.

I think I’ve mentioned before that fantasy is really not my thing, yet I’ve found myself fascinated by these books for two reasons. First, each story has been unique. Ms. Liu certainly does not write to a template. Secondly, her characters are so genuine. So if you like a bit of reality in your fantasy and a bit of fantasy in your reality, you should give these books a try.

To be honest, this installment didn't supplant TIGER EYE as my favorite D&S book which is closely followed by A DREAM OF SHADOW & STONE in the DARK DREAMERS anthology. However, for her unique and honest voice I wouldn't miss one of her books. You just never know what you're going to find in those pages.

I’m including the book trailer for this one (below) because the color and texture so fit the book. Also I apologize if this review is a bit disjointed. My DSL was acting up and this got eaten and I had to write it twice. I think the first review was actually better. Such are the slings and arrows…

Oh, one last note. Thanks to the gods at Dorchester Publishing for the ARC of this book which allowed me to participate in the buzz building campaign. SOUL SONG will be released on July 3rd.

Thinking Blogger

Wendy, bless her, tagged me with the thinking blogger award. I'm honored especially since many days I proof read my posts to find incomplete sentences and words with the last letter missing. Oh, I'm thinking alright, just not about what I'm doing. Always with the multi-tasking am I. You think I'd get a clue.

Anyway this is all part of an experiment. At least I think that's what it is. Go read this original post and you can decide exactly what's going on. My job is to pass on the rules to the blogs I am tagging.


The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote. (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).


Here are my five:

1. Web Petals - Author Marjorie Liu's blog. Lots of info about writing and pictures of her dogs too!


2. Post Secret

3. Diary of an adult runaway - Gabrielle Luthy's blog. An Aussie writing in Paris.


4. Samantha Winston - Sam is the busiest and most interesting woman whose life I spy on through her blog.

5. The Sandbox - This is a blog started by Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury fame. I've mentioned it before. It's a place where the military and their families can post. I don't read it daily any more because it can be depressing. But it's about real people and makes the war(s) real.

I haven't a clue if any of the sites I've named will respond because, damn those nuns, I'm trying to comply with the original post about blogs that make me think, so there you have it. Which by the way, if Wendy hadn't already been nominated, she'd be on my list. So would KarenS and Dear Author, already tapped of course. Love, love, love all around out here in Romancelandia.

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

I saw the info and link for FREEDOM IS NOT FREE on Marjorie Liu's site WEB PETALS and thought I'd share it with you. Maybe you've already heard about it since they've been on several TV shows promoting the charity. Yeah, I know it's February already, but buying one of these calendars is for such a good cause. I got one for each of my sisters...maybe I'll make it a annual tradition.

BTW, cool pic of Gerard Butler on Ms. Liu's post today as well. Yeah, well, I'm a fan what can I say.

At Loose Ends

Well I've been retired for almost two months. In fact a week from today it will be two months on August 16th. Now that number two son has started his junior year in high school and number one son will begin his second year at our local junior college in 10 days I feel like summer is over and it's time to make decisions.

It's just that I feel like I'm at loose ends and really don't know what to do. I have been meditating more. Now that I've actually got the house to myself for chunks of time it has been a much more successful and relaxing endeavor.

Tonight I read a post at WEB PETALS Marjorie Liu's blog that really struck a chord. You can use the link above to read the whole thing, but the part that really resonated with me was this:

‘Your success isn’t in doing what we do; it’s in discovering your own way. Don’t do what we do - we made it all up…do what inspires you…make it up! You just have to be (yourself…what inspires you). And it means commit yourself to who you say you are: act like it, think like it, look like it, feel like it, speak it…be it!

This will be food for thought for many days to come.

I'm Baaaaaack!

Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive.
-- Mel Brooks

Okay, this is another quote I read and really related to. I once again swiped it from another site. However, this time I can't remember where I got it and can't credit the brilliant person who found it. Sorry anonymous donor, but thanks for the inspiration!!

I'm back from vacation. We actually got back late last week but have had company and lots to do so this has been my first chance to write anything. Forgive me again for errors or typos as I've lots to say and a short time to do it.


1. About the books I've read...very few "good" ones to report. I very much enjoyed Linda Howard's COVER OF NIGHT. I'm currently reading Christine Feehan's Drake sister book DANGEROUS TIDES. I've read a few comments out there in blogland about Janet Evanovich's latest Stephanie Plum TWELVE SHARP. Seems like many die hards concur about the disappointment of her not moving the story or the characters along in this book at all. It was about "half" a book IMO. I'm still a Marjorie Liu fan even though RED HEART OF JADE did not have the sharpness of her previous two Dirk & Steele novels. She's a great writer and I love her blog WEB PETALS.

2. My dad's girlfriend "Pearl". OMG! That's a story and a half. The guy I live with calls her a bar whore. Now I know that you all don't know the wonderful and marvelous Greg, but believe me he is a pretty easy going guy. He floored my sibs when he announced his opinion of Dad's girl Pearl. My sibs and I are all so disappointed in my 75 year-old father. While we were visiting him he got miffed with Pearl and ends up making out with her best friend Debbie D. who is also in her mid-50s and unlike Pearl not single. That's right...she's been married for 30 years. It seems Debbie D.'s husband is a train engineer and out of town alot. That's why good old Deb is available to hang out at the bars with good friend Pearl.

Trust me, I'm not laying all the blame on the chicks in this scenario. My Dad's acting worse than an adolescent. Of course, the making out was all a big mistake and he "luuuuuurves" Pearl. Can you say "whatever!" to an old perv and have him understand what that means? In all these scenarios vodka and whiskey both play prominent roles. Maybe you caught on the first 10 times or so I've mentioned most of the so-call courtship takes place in and around a bar in Helena, Montana called Dapper D's. A place we checked out while there...blech! is about the nicest I can say about it.

3. I'm so thrilled for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban on their nuptials. Boo-yah to Tom and "Kate"! Some people still want to get married in church with their families present.

That's it for today. I'll be off for a few days again. One of my sisters is having surgery on her neck and I'll be trekking to the hospital and then helping out during her recovery.