LIGHT MY FIRE

I finished reading this book a few nights ago, just haven't had the chance to write anything about it until now This is the third Aisling Grey novel and like the two before it, was a lot of FUN!

Katie writes books that just grab you and keep you interested until the end. This one's no different. Set in London this time, Aisling is supposed to be learning more about being a Guardian and instead falls into more trouble than one person should have to deal with in the paranormal community.

There are some very hilarious situations, more dragon politics, and plenty of hot action with Drake. I really liked him in this book.

Anyway, if you like Katie's story telling and humour, definitely check this out!!!!!

THUNDERBIRD FALLS

I REALLY enjoyed the first two instalments of the urban fantasy series, Walker Papers. They were both a lot of fun and filled with some very intense action and interesting plots about Seattle cop, Joanne Walker.

This one was no different! It continued the story of how Joanne has to deal with her new status as Shaman. There are some ups, and a lot of downs as she finds out more and more about how her power can be used - for both good and bad.

Anyway, I'm actually finding it hard to summarise the plot without accidentally giving something away. Let's just say that her knack for finding dead bodies continues in this book, and the dead girl - Cassandra Tucker - leads Joanne to a group of people who are no strangers to magic.

If you like urban fantasy, and enjoyed the first two in this series, you'll definitely enjoy this one too. Can't wait to see what Coyote Dreams has to offer...

Let's talk about my... nose!

Um, it's not the most fascinating thing in the world to be talking about. That's for sure. But since I had a specialist appointment this morning with a doctor that specialises in Allergy, Respiratory & Sleep Medicine, I thought it would be appropriate.

I was a little nervous about going today, because I knew that if anyone was going to tell me what's up with this breathing problem of mine, it was this guy. And that was a little scary because my mind's naturally swaying towards all kind of terrible scenarios...

I was right, this guy knows exactly what he's talking about. But what's even better was that he was so friendly, willing to listen and answer my questions/concerns, plus take the steps needed to zero in on what's making me all blocked up.

He did an allergy test - for common allergy-stuff (yeah, that's the technical term! Lol) and for some foods, since I've been feeling like dairy products affect me lately. But nope, no allergies. Just like he suspected. He pretty much knew from the start that I didn't have allergies.

Next up, he checked the inside of my nose. Not so comfortable, having this done, but he was able to check my ears, throat etc. Turns out my ears are fine and so is my throat. My lungs are healthy too, BTW. BUT I have inflammation and I'm still clogged up. The left's side worse than the right. Ugh. The worst thing though, is the dripping going on into the back of my throat. It's the reason why I have trouble swallowing food sometimes. Yuck man, that sounds gross and I apologise for even going into it.

Okay, I think that's enough grossing out. So let me just end this by saying that every single day for the next 6 weeks - I made a follow-up appointment - I need to go through a procedure. Every morning and night, and it includes 2 sprays and a nose cleaning solution!

Doctor reckons that once we can clear it up, I should be alright. The problem so far's being that I'm so blocked up, some of the medication hasn't gotten through. OMGosh!

I feel so relieved to know that it's nothing serious. Still, it's something that needs to be dealt with. At least now I'm on the right track. I was really starting to get annoyed with the constant double-guessing and getting freaked out.

Phew, what a relief.

Only problem now is that I didn't get a chance to sit down and write anything today! Not a single word of fiction. And tomorrow's the start of my daughter's school holidays... :/

Oh, and if you read this -- thanks.

FROM THE DARK

He is strong, sexy, and on a quest to fight his dark nature. Yet the one woman he most desires—is poison to him.

Okay, this was my first Nocturne and I really didn't know what to expect. But I love Michele's writing style, so I was really looking forward to reading it.

The story's basically about a rock star, who also happens to be a vampire. He meets a not-witch called Jane when they accidentally cross paths, and is totally smitten by her! The chemistry between them is sizzling as they slowly learn new things about each other. Not going to go into it much more than that because I might spoil something for anyone that hasn't read it yet!

I was intrigued by one of the secondary characters called Ravin Crosse, which I think Michele is currently writing a book with her as the main character. So that'll be pretty cool to read.

The story unfolded very nicely, and I really liked Jane. There was something about her... Michael was likeable too. Not too much brooding going on, though he was still fighting an inner battle of darkness. Such is the life of a vampire, I guess.

Yeah, I enjoyed this book and wonder what other cool worlds this imprint will unleash.

FINALLY GOT MY NaNoWriMo ICON:

50k!

Okay, I got there today! YAY... very excited. And although I technically could've written for a little longer, I stopped because I reached the end of a chapter. There's no point in starting a new one at the moment, since I left it in a cliff-hanger-ish kinda way. Lol.

The word meter:

50,068 / 50,000 (100.1%)

Okay, so Nano is offically over for me at the moment. I've met my 50k during my first attempt. It's exciting, but the novel isn't done yet. Nope, I'm going to keep on writing until 30 November. And will hopefully reach the desired 80k, or there abouts. I just need to get the rest of this story out of my head. I'm really enjoying it, still!

Now I think I'm going to cruise the net to veg out for a bit...

Have a GREAT weekend guys!

ROGUE ANGEL: SOLOMON'S JAR

Okay, I'll start out by saying that I absolutely loved DESTINY. I read it last week and enjoyed every page, couldn't wait to get to the end because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

This one's the second book in the series. It starts out knee-deep in action and bad guys, and pretty much keeps going like that until the end. Roux wasn't in it as much as I would've liked him to be. And neither was Garin - though he gets a mention, which was definitely worth reading about!

Anyway, Annja's heard rumours about the discovery of Solomon's Jar, which supposedly holds captive the demons King Solomon bound to build his temple. It's right up her alley and the search takes her all over the world, facing bad people wherever she goes. There's also a London-based cult, the Russian mafiya, a celebrity guru and even a love interest for Annja.

The story is once again interesting, as it weaves all over the place until you're kept wondering if the demons will make an appearance... I especially liked Tsipporah and her interaction with Annja. I sure hope she pops up in future books. And although, overall it wasn't as good as the first one, it's still a good adventure book. Annja's still a likeable character, as she slowly starts to accept her fight for good.

I'm looking forward to the next one, The Spider Stone.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

Okay, I've been wanting to watch this movie for a while... but you all know how life goes - running out of time and all that!! Anyway, out of the blue, the hubby suggested we watch it late last night.

And we did!

What an awesome story! I especially liked its simplicity and honesty with the subject. Yet, it didn't push the viewer in one direction or another. At the end of the day, each person has their own beliefs and non-beliefs, right?

The exorcism scenes were amazing. And the actress that played Emily was terrific! Actually, I think every actor/actress in this movie pulled off their characters so well that it was a pleasure to watch.

It was great to see a movie that while on one side of the coin was pretty much a courtroom drama, it could be flipped over to show a supernatural tale of a young girl's stuggle, with a twist of horror thrown in. It was fantastic, and I'm so glad to have finally watched it.

The extras were also pretty interesting. Not too much, just enough to get a feel for the reason behind the making of the movie and what the director's vision for it was.

Personally, I enjoyed this movie immensely. The hubby did too, which is always cool! I hate to push my horror-obsession on him! ;)

ROGUE ANGEL: DESTINY

Okay, I've had this book on the bookshelf taunting me for a few months! I swear, I've been itching to get to it but something or other kept getting in the way. So, I cracked it open a few nights ago and got totally engrossed in it! It's an amazing adventure about an archaeologist called Annja Creed. She's fascinated with myths and mysteries. Her latest pursuit takes her to France, in search of the Beast of Gevaudan, and what she uncovers gets her caught up in a whole bunch of trouble.

Annja's a very likeable character. A woman who's very much independent and has used her past as a way of empowering who she is today, instead of weakening her. She does pieces for a hip cable show called Chasing History's Monsters without losing any of the integrity to both herself and the subject matter.

The other characters - especially Roux and Garin - are totally fascinating. As is what she ultimately discovers about this so-called Beast, La Bete. Not to mention the mystery of Joan of Arc's sword! Wow, there was so much in this book that I'm personally intrigued by...

I absolutely loved every minute of this book and can't wait to get stuck into the next one!

NaNoWriMo: I've signed up!

That's right! I've signed up for the insanity that is National Novel Writing Month. As of this morning, I've joined the madness of getting stuck into trying to complete a first draft novel in one month - well, at least 50k is the aim with Nano. Of course, I'm aiming higher! :)

I've been meaning to sign up for this the last few years, but at the last second always decided not to. For one reason or another, but this year it feels right. My daughter's at school during the day, so there's definitely plenty of time to get stuck into the draft Mon-Fri. And since I've been pushing myself through so many revisions lately, I think it'll be great to lose myself in a fresh first draft!

I'm actually excited about it!

And having this week to mellow out a bit is going to help too.

Tomorrow I think I'll start sitting down to organise myself properly! Yeah, that sounds like fun. I've also gotta come up with a tentative title for the novel, so I can update my profile over at the Nano website. Which reminds me, there's a few of you guys I'd like to add to my buddy list... so, if you're taking part in it too let me know your username.

I'm *Y*. I know, a little strange, but Y was too short and Yolanda was already taken! So, *Y* it is! Had a bit of trouble uploading a small enough image, but I think it's alright now!

Anyway, looking forward to it!

SIX FEET UNDER

Well, I just watched the final episode and have to say this is one of the BEST shows I've ever watched. It was different, morbid, sometimes even obscene, but it challenged what we expect from TV shows. HBO's really good at doing that.

It's kinda sad knowing there'll be no more shows dealing with these wonderful characters. What I loved about each and every one of them was that they were so flawed! Like real people. Most of the time none of them even knew what the hell they wanted... it's a very powerful series and I'm so glad to have watched it.

The final sequence was amazing! A hauntingly beautiful show with an amazing wrapup. I've never seen anything like it. So darn unique!

I know many people must've shunned this show because it dealt with so many delicate issue in our society, but that's what made it so very human. Anyway, no more serious talk about it! A terrific show, which came to an equally AMAZING end...

Little one turns 6!

Yeah, that's right - it's my daughter's birthday today. She's 6! Wow, time sure does fly...

Anyway, since she's going to have an ice-cream cake on Saturday for her pirate party at Hungry Jack's, I thought it would be nice to make her one for tonight. I'm making a chocolate cake with icing and adding a few cute butterflies (she loves them!) for decoration. Then we'll add the candles later.

It was supposed to be a surprise but the little bugger spotted everything in the shopping trolley last week. Darn! She's too quick.

I hope she's having a nice day at school today, she was very excited this morning. We gave her one present this morning - a cute Atomic Betty doll. And she'll get another one when she gets back from school - an Atomic Betty transforming play-set for the doll. And possibly will surprise her with another after she blows out the candles tonight! Not sure yet. We both thought it would be fun to stagger the presents instead of giving her everything at once.

Anyway.

Today I got stuck into the revisions again. Am now up to page 210... just a little over halfway. Yay! Should be done by the end of the week - fingers crossed, of course. So far there isn't too much I'm spotting, just taking and adding a few words from here and there but nothing huge to the main plot. Phew for that. :) And the hubby was really keen to get started on this novel - since he got done with the other only days ago - so I gave him the first 100 pages.

He's already read them! And wants more! I've got the next 100 to give him, which should keep him busy tomorrow. He's really flying through these novels, it's very exciting for me. To see that he's enjoying them so much and actually likes what he's reading. Very exciting.

Okay, better get going now. I'm posting a little earlier than usual so I can spend some time with my 6-year-old girl when she gets back home from school! :)

Catch'a tomorrow!

WITCHLING

This FANTASTIC book is the reason why I absolutely LOVE urban fantasy tales! Yasmine has weaved a wonderful tale full of all the stuff that absolutely grabs me and pushes me forward until I get to the end. Not to mention that the cover is gorgeous!

The D'Artigo sisters are half-human, half-Faerie with a twist of other stuff thrown in. Each one is something different. Camille is a witch with unpredictable powers, but the three of them work for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency and have been sent Earthside to keep an eye on things. When an agent is killed, all of their lives (and the lives of many others) become involved in something really huge - which includes Shadow Wing from the Subterranean Realms.

And WOW... the ride sure was fun, full of ups and downs and a few surprises. As well as some hot love interests for Camille. But this book was only the beginning and I can't wait to see what happens to the ongoing story line of Shadow Wing as well as each individual sister. Each was intriguing in her own way, that's for sure.

Anyway, this book is filled with wonderful storytelling as well as vivid imagery. The characters are very interesting and likeable... and I especially loved Maggie the gargoyle. So cute.

Okay... I don't want to let anything vital slip, so just go check it out! Okay? You won't be disappointed!

Oh, and check out Yasmine's Galenorn's website so you see the next brilliant cover and more info about the series.

They've done it again...

Yeah, this time it's channel 9. The same channel that decided two episodes of ROME was enough to cancel it! Now they've done the same to THE SOPRANOS. They claim three eps was enough to decide that the low ratings didn't warrant them continuing for the moment! I mean, are they serious? The time slot was 10:30pm on a Wednesday night for God's sake!

This makes me so damn angry that we're seriously considering NOT watching ANYTHING on network TV!

Last night channel 10 decided to FINALLY show the second last ep of HOUSE. And next week we'll get to see the final episode of the second season. Gee, THANKS SO MUCH! *insert a lot of sarcasm here*

I think it's pathetic and cruel to string viewers along like this. Hence the rant! :/

Weekend...

I waited ALL week for this episode... and it didn't disappoint! It was so unpredictable, too. I only guessed one thing, and not at all like it happened. Man, do I love this show! And now we've gotta wait until sometime mid-next-year for the next season! Ugh.

What's with the long wait?

I wish we could get it at the same time as the UK. I mean, we watched the X-Mas Special in June or something like that! :/

Anyway, let's just say that I loved how it all worked out. Though I was very sad. Very sad indeed. Poor Rose. I actually ended up liking her much more than I thought I would. Oh well, at least one thing we know for sure is that David Tennant will be back. And TORCHWOOD. There's something happening with Torchwood too!

Yesterday was the hubby's b-day. So we went out to get some ice-cream at Bondi Beach. We were actually going to pop over to the beach for a nice walk. But it was so darn windy that walking in the beach would've just blinded us. So, we got the ice-cream and then drove off in search of somewhere else to walk. We found a small beach somewhere near Watsons Bay, I think. It was a nice place to stop for a while. I just wanted to be with the hubby, that's all.

Anyway, also spent a lot of the weekend reading a trilogy that I enjoyed heaps! Oh, and we watched Over The Hedge with my daughter last night. I wasn't really looking forward to it, kinda had a feeling it would disappoint. So I wasn't surprised with my meh reaction. It sure wasn't a Pixar or Shrek kinda flick! Though the kid enjoyed it!

THE SORORITY TRILOGY

Okay... over the weekend I read the entire SORORITY trilogy by Tamara Thorne. And it was actually very entertaining, and edgy. It's not your average tale of blonde-bimbo-cheerleaders only concerned about hair and clothes. No, this group of chicks is involved in some very dark, ancient and disgusting things going on around Greenbriar University.

Eve, Merilynn and Samantha are three very different girls. They share some secrets that went on back when they were kids at cheerleader camp. And now, they all meet up at this university and the Gamma Eta Pi sorority.

Eve just wants to be a cheerleader. She's good at it and loves doing it, but also has a brain inside her head, though she's maybe too nice.

Merilynn's in it for the ghost stories. Everything that's been rumoured to happen around the forest surrounding the university sets her mind ablaze.

Samantha wants to be a journalist. And she's in it to find out what makes a girl want to be a cheerleader, though she becomes involved in so much more.

Each character has her own unique personality. Each book is also interwined with other POVs. Each different POV helped the story unfold, and there's a lot to include. Like the ghost of Holly Gayle, and the Fata Morgana secret society, the legend of the Green Knight, why Merilynn is so obssessed with the place...

I could go on for a long while trying to include everything that goes on in these three books, but I think I've said enough. I really enjoyed reading each book and couldn't wait to get stuck into the next one to see what else was going to happen and how it would all end. There's nothing predictable about this trilogy either, so if you pick it up - expect the unexpected.

Anyway, overall, they were a lot of FUN! There were some scary bits, raunchy bits, horror bits, tension-filled bits... it was a GREAT ride! I really enjoyed them - both individually and as a trilogy unfolding the bigger story.

Bad, bad night!

So, apparently I suffered a mild panic attack last night. No, it was actually in the early hours of this morning. You all know how my nose has been continually stuffed up for several months now, right? Well, it started getting worse this week. And well, I've been trying to ignore it. Hoping that it would just go away by itself. But that's not how the body works, huh?

Anyway, last night I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning, unable to breathe in through my nose. I felt like I was gasping for breath, so light-headed I was sure I'd pass out sooner or later. And what did I do? Freak out, of course! I started gulping breath in through my mouth for too long, and got all shaky. I was dizzy and desperately trying to clear up my nose, but couldn't! So I was shaking so much I woke my hubby up and he helped coax me into sleep.

I thought I'd fallen asleep by 2:30 am, but he reckons it was later. Woke up at about 9 am again to get started with the day. We drove hubby to work, so we'd have the car to go to the doctor. I explained everything to him and that's when he told me I sent my body into a panic attack. It's all about the oxygen in, carbon dioxide out thing. Anyway, he checked my lungs and there's no wheezing. That means no asthma. He says they're clear, no lung infection. My nasal passage, however, is still very much blocked.

He prescribed a nasal spray I need to inhale once a day and told me to buy another for immediate effect. So, almost $50 later, I got some medicine! I've already used the prescribed spray but that takes several days to kick in. The other one's for the evening, when it all goes to hell. I certainly DON'T want another night like last night!

It was terrible. I can't believe my body got all thrown out of whack like that. The body is an amazingly scary thing, isn't it? Now I'm hoping this all works out. Otherwise I need to go back in a few weeks and start with the allergy tests. Ugh! I mean, looks like I'm already allergic to something...

Anyway, managed to get a bit of revision done. I think I almost reached page 230 but my mind and heart just wasn't it. I'm a little distracted and starting to feel the effects of hardly sleeping last night.

Thank God it's the weekend and we can try take it easy... have a GOOD one, guys!

HERETIC: THE TEMPLAR CHRONICLES

On Friday night I sat down and stared at the bookshelf for a few minutes, contemplating what my next book to read should be. My eyes were scanning along, very eager to grab something when I stopped at this book. I've had this for a while but hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. Yeah, that happens a lot. But anyway, I love anything to do with the Vatican and secret societies or groups secretly fighting the darkness of this world... it's why I've got such a soft spot for my character Trina's world... Anyway, picked it up to read the Prologue. Y'know, see how it grabbed me?

Well, the Prologue wasn't enough. I got suckered into the story so deeply that I'd read about 70 pages in one sitting before my body told me it was time to go to sleep.

Here's the short blurb:

At the end of the First Crusade, the church created a monastic military order known as the Knights Templar. Now, rising up from the ashes of history, they are the Vatican's last defense in the war between good and evil...

This was enough to hook me in the first time I spotted this book.

The story is told in different POVs but the main one was Cade Williams. He's one of the Knights, with some very uncanny powers that help him battle evil. But his heartbreaking inner demons are what really grabbed me. And although he's a tough guy with a bad rep, I really liked him. Sean Duncan was also pretty interesting.

HERETIC is a fast-paced tale that keeps you glued until the very last word. I think this is the start of a series, so I'm really looking forward to reading more about these characters and the evil they have to fight.

I really enjoyed this book, it was an excellent read!

BAITED

Man, this book is so cool... it grabbed me instantly. The characters were engaging, though the suspicion kept building for all of them at one stage or another. This was like a thrill ride through someone's worst nightmare.

When Katsu Espinoza agrees to go sailing with the family of her good friend and mentor, Duke, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. To make matters worse, her ex is the yacht’s captain... and if that wasn't bad enough, she ends up on a deserted island where the survivors are disappearing one after the other.

The premise had me hooked instantly. As the story built up and the tension got dense, I just had to keep reading. I hated putting this book down, honestly did. The mystery was so engrossing that I would've loved to read this in one sitting... so I did it in three instead. But I swear - the answer, the reason and the killer were a huge surprise. A true bombshell I didn't expect... and Crystal throws you off-course so many times, it's brilliant!

Kat is such an honest character too. She reacts like any real person would - horrified, scared but trying to keep everything and everyone together. Her flaws and insecurities stem from her mixed background and I loved her point of view.

Anyway, I could go on and on about how excellent this book is but would end up giving something vital away. And that would wreck the whole experience. So, if you enjoy a great mystery with a wicked revelation and horrid turn of events, check it out!

But in the mean time, check this little trailer out.

Happy Anniversary!

To the hubby and me! Yay. It's our seventh wedding anniversary today... very exciting! We're not doing anything out of the ordinary. Just being together has always been the best present of all. Can't wait until he gets home!

So, how was everyone's weekend?

Ours was pretty good. The weather sucked a bit yesterday, though. We went for a walk and it was very uncomfortable. The wind kept whipping things into our eyes. Ugh! But anyway, let's back it up a bit. On Saturday we went to a little girl's 6th b-day party. Totally boring, but at least my daughter had fun.

That night we caught up on some shows:

DOCTOR WHO: what an excellent ep! Creepy kid. Looks like we're almost at the finish line for season 2 and I'm gonna miss it when it's over in a few weeks. :(
JAMIE'S KITCHEN AUSTRALIA: A lot of 'loser' kids in the final 30, but I think it's so cool that he's trying to help these troubled teenagers. It's just annoying when you see them get an opportunity like this and they stuff it up!

JERICHO: Okay... I enjoyed it. I think. The mushroom cloud's always a morbid thing to see, isn't it? Though I enjoy post-apocalytic stories, there's something missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Might give it another week, see what I think. But so far I'm kinda leaning towards the meh-factor. :/

THE SOPRANOS: Wow! This show always goes off with a bang and the latest season is no exception. OMG! These people are so f'ed up. I love it! Now, this is a show that I'm totally hooked on.

Yesterday was a nice, slower day. Got DMR finished. Cool book... then I started eyeing the TBR pile. Have already started another book. BAITED is very interesting so far and I've only just started. The Prologue got me -- I gotta know how she got into that situation!

Which brings me to another show:

ROME: Okay, this is another one that's up in the air for me. Uh, it was interesting but it just didn't grab me. I heard that it gets better as it moves along, does anyone know that for sure? Once again, might give it one more go and decide yay or nay from that. Man, I can't remember her name but there's this hussy in it who's a totally annoying bitch!

And now we're at today. The last week before my daughter's 2-week holiday break.

What am I doing this week? Well, the main thing I wanted to do today was write the first SCRYbe short story. I got the first draft done at just over 1,400. Gotta do some cut, cut, cutting. Then got a new story started. 1,010 words written. Not too bad, and gave me a sense of direction for the character's journey and motivation. This is going to be another smaller story, probably within the 10-15k word range. These are a lot of fun to write -- trying to pack in an intense story and interesting character tales into a compact story.

I enjoy doing that.

Okay, better get going now. My daughter's trying to have a conversation with me as I try to type... not the most comfy thing in the world to do.

DEAD MAN RISING

Danny Valentine's first book was awesome! I loved the dark, future world Lilith walked us into... and this one expands on not only the world, but Danny herself. I really enjoyed it! It's very dark and haunting. Danny's changed, she's mourning her demon lover - Japhrimel - and there's something killing psionics. She relunctantly agrees to help her friend Gabe in the case and falls back into her thick and haunting past at Rigger Hall.

Her adventure is terrific, sad and melancholy. I loved every page and can't wait for the next one. There's so much going on in Danny's life and world, and wow - looking forward to the next one!

I definitely recommend this series. Very cool...

Shows, shows, shows!

Okay, something strange is happening downunder... our rating season usually starts sometime in February and ends maybe in late October/November - not 100% sure on that, so don't quote me! ;) But anyway, there's the usual influx of new American TV shows and then when they're over, they're over and there's crap on the tele until the next year.

This year's a little different.

With SUPERNATURAL and MEDIUM finishing several months ago... yet, HOUSE is still lagging on. :/ That was going to be it for us. BUT, y'know what's happened now?

Gosh.

We just found out the latest season of THE SOPRANOS is starting this week. Late at night, but who cares? I can't wait to watch it. I love, love, love this show. I remember being a little skeptical when we started borrowing the DVDs. I thought: a bunch of overweight mob guys, who the hell wants to watch that? But a few episodes and I was hooked! Hooked, hooked, hooked. It's such a cool show, and very in your face with the violence and bad language. I love HBO stuff.

Speaking of which, ROME premieres in Oz the same night! On the same channel. I've read heaps of blogs claiming this show is super cool. Is that right, guys? The hubby and I are going to give the first ep a go, see how we like it.

Oh, and speaking of insane stuff that Australian TV never does - we're getting the premiere of JERICHO at the same time as the US! OMG! What's going on? I'd love for this to be a trend, I hate being so behind on all the cool American shows. Any of you guys planning to watch this? A nuclear thing happens and some town doesn't get affected, or something. Sounds interesting to me. Apocalyptic stuff, I can't help myself.

Of course, we've still got about 3 HOUSE and 3 DOCTOR WHO episodes left...

Plus we're alrady hooked on JAMIE'S KITCHEN AUSTRALIA! I love watching Jamie Oliver, he's so cool and really gives a shit about things. He's got a soft spot for kids and teenagers who are having (or have had) a tough life. He's trying to change the world via his cooking. You've gotta love a guy who used a huge chunk of his money (and more!) to fund his restaurant FIFTEEN.

Speaking of DOCTOR WHO. Wow. This show just gets better and better. This week's ep was from the POV of a guy called Elton. It was excellent!

So... here's to some new, cool shows...

FIRESTORM

Well, I just finished reading book 5 in the Weather Warden series... and wow, what a wild ride!

Jo's thrown into one huge mess after the other, again! The bad things just don't stop coming, the impending doom chases her across the country. And I'm not just talking about the serious weather issues, or the crazy Djinn that just keeps popping up. Hell, I'm not even talking about the huge fire! How about Mother Nature waking up and deciding she's pissed off with the way humans have mishandled the world?

How scary is that? But a wonderful, horrifying topic.

The action hardly lets up in this novel. It's so fast-paced, with so much packed into it that I felt exhausted just by reading it. Poor Jo, her life just gets worse and worse by the minute. And the way the book ends! OMG, I can't believe it! I am totally hanging to find out what happens to Jo and everything else.

Awesome addition to the series! I love this series, and I love Jo. I was cheering for her all the way. And of course, I was hoping she'd run into David. Everyone's favourite Djinn!

If you haven't read it, I think you should! :)

80s Wednesday

Today, I'm talking about the VCR. The Videocassette recorder wasn't actually invented in the 80s. Hell, it was invented way before that... but most of us got familiar with it during that decade.

And what is it? According to Wiki:

The videocassette recorder (or VCR, more commonly known in the British Isles as the video recorder), is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable videotape cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. Many VCRs have their own tuner (for direct TV reception) and a programmable timer (for unattended recording of a certain channel at a particular time).

Ah, I remember the first time we got one in our house back in the mid-80s, after some family friends let us watch First Blood on their Betacord. We were blown away. Our one kinda popped open at the top so you could insert the tape, then push it down to close. Genius! Anyway, after that we would go to the video shop almost every single day. At first there really wasn't much to choose from, but it didn't take long for a huge selection of movies to be available.

We started out by borrowing every Bruce Lee movie ever made. And then followed it up with Chuck Norris. Gosh, who could turn their backs on all that action/karate stuff with so many revenge storylines. Gotta love it! And the taping stuff off the TV! It was all so exciting...

Anyway, today I'm giving the VHS VCR we first purchased the honour it deserves.

Lots o' reading going on...

... yet I haven't picked up another book for a few weeks now! I'm just too wrapped up in my own writing, but my fingers are itching to pick something up off the bookshelf. Ah!

I'm a little sore at the moment. We did some weights last night and got stuck into some yoga first thing this morning. Now the muscles are really starting to feel it... still, it's good to know they're reacting to the exercise.

Well, I stopped with the revision a little earlier than usual but still managed to get to page 311/367. I'm almost there... kinda feels a little strange this time, though. This isn't just the end of another revision I'm reaching. Once I'm done with this Trina novel, it'll be the end of her trilogy. That's exciting, but a little sad at the same time. I mean, she'll be back. I've got plenty of ideas for other characters in this world, and she'll no doubt make appearances... but I got to thinking today: what about her? Will I ever write another Trina story? And I think the answer is yeah. I like her and Tomas too much not to return someday.

I like her story arc, where it all ends and what it leads to. Also particularly like that although it comes to an end, it still opens a lot of doors for further expansion.

Ah, on another note -- I got a new story idea last night. I'm not quite sure if this'll be something short or novella-size yet. But I'm excited about it anyway.

Okay, gotta go and pick the little pirate up from school soon. :D We've got a few things we need to do this afternoon. Looks like the hubby might be working a little late today, so we got our grocery shopping out of the way yesterday. Oh, and did I mention my daughter got her Sight Words 4 booklet the other day? Gee, I didn't even know there was a #4, so there you go. But because she's been reading so much every night, she pretty much knows all the words. I love that she loves reading. That's very cool. The teachers have moved her up to level 10, which considering she was still on 3 less than three months ago, is pretty darn cool.

Very proud of the little munchkin.

80s Wednesday

Well, it was Book Week at my daughter's school this week... and I've been writing a lot, plus reading - come on, I love to read. And so, all of this got me thinking and I remembered the Choose Your Own Adventure books I loved as a kid.

You guys remember these, right?

A little from Wiki: Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's books first published by Bantam Books from 1979 to 1998 and currently published by Chooseco. Each story is written from a second person point-of-view, with the reader assuming the role of the main character. The books have sold 250 million copies, making it one of the most successful book series of all time.

I read heaps of these books during the 80s. What made each book so much fun was the fact that you started somewhere and then got to pick your own path. How cool is that? Most of the time, I really did stumble along making decisions and hoping for a good ending... but there were a few times when I did peek forward to make sure I'd get to the desired point. He. He.

Anyway, they were fun and cool. Kept me reading for hours and possibly helped me get into the love for books that I have today. Like I always like to say: one can never have enough books! ;)

Happy reading everyone!

SACRILEGIOUS

In Pursuit of Prey

Sekhmet, Egyptian goddess of feminine sexual heat is on the prowl. Only one man can make her purr. Join her on the hunt for her perfect mate as she seduces Mace with her decadent dance. Feel their pain as their differences dampen their heat, only to be fueled again by mutual sacrifices for each other.

From the Sands

Anubis, god of the dead, yearns to breach the veil and touch his beloved. He trusts in a makeshift blindfold to share a night of passion with Bianca at The Pharaoh's Rest, a mysterious hotel and his only portal into this realm. Bianca casts off the blindfold and her lover disappears. All that remains for them, past the veil, is dreams or death and Bianca's search for a solution. The sacrifice required for an eternity in Anubis's arms is great. What will Bianca give?

Divine Intervention

Maxim, a struggling novelist, has lost his muse. Divine Intervention comes to him in the form of Sesha Ished, a modern Seshat, Egyptian goddess of writing. She teaches him the passion of true love and the pain of losing it. Those powerful emotions are the catalyst which helps Maxim pen his best selling novel. Yet, despite his success, nothing is more precious than the love of his goddess.

---

WOW! Firstly, the cover is beautiful. This book has three separate stories but all of them share several things in common -- they are all beautifully written, contain memorable characters, take us to vivid locations and are the embodiment of sensuality.

I enjoyed every single tale. Each has its own heart-wrenching situation that keeps you glued until you've read every page. I read the entire book in one sitting, and recommend it if you're looking for a selection of stories that delve into the human spirit and beyond. I found Bianca's journey particularly moving. But all of them had its own fire burning bright... and the heat sizzles between the characters as soon as they step into the arena.

Savannah's words sizzle off the page!

So, go ahead and check it out here.

THE TURNING

So I finally finished the first Blood Ties book... I took my time with this one, but it wasn't because I didn't like it. Because I did. I actually liked it a lot. Carrie was a little, I don't know what the best word would be - maybe unsympathetic, sometimes. She'd do things, or make decisions that seemed totally stupid and then blame it on the blood tie. She kinda did that a lot, come to think of it. There was a wonderful array of characters in this book. I particularly liked Nathan, Ziggy and Clarence. Cyrus, the big bad vampire was a total annoying mess. Didn't like him one bit, and it wasn't that kinda thing you develop for an evil character, because at least then he's affecting you. Cyrus did nothing for me. Nothing.

So, the gist of the story is Dr. Carrie Ames is working the ER one night when this totally messed up guy with a missing eye arrives. She gets sick, can't even come up with a valuable answer to the question: why are you a doctor, and then visits the morgue. Not a bright decision... and well, we all know what happens next. It's in the blurb, so I'm not wrecking anything for anyone -- she becomes a vampire. This is when her life changes and she suddenly gives a crap about things. Too bad it took something so drastic to wake her up.

There were a lot of very cool things about this book. For one, the way it was written. I really got into the story. Another is the Movement concept. I really enjoyed that, and can't wait to find out more about it. Nathan was a great character, there's a little of that brooding vamp thing going on with him, but he's just a nice guy with a tortured past. I love it! Dahlia, now there was someone I enjoyed reading about, what a bitch. Can't wait to see what she gets up to next... yeah, there are some very cool concepts here.

Okay, overall, it's a good book. So I'll definitely be checking out the next one.

80s Wednesday

Okay, today I'm picking a song: Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield", from 1983.

I had a really hard time finding any pics for this... Anyway, how cool was this song? Uh, let me revise that, how cool is this song? IMO, it's definitely one of those hits that holds up even today. I still listen to it!

Do you guys remember the film clip? Man, when I was a kid I thought it was the coolest, most edgy thing I'd ever seen. With that whole dancing routine that sends the pimp (?) running. LOL! :D And the heart-warming connection with her brother, still back home. What about her not getting along with her dad?

So cool. Oh, and if you wanna check out a really cool article about this song, go here!

Bombshell, no more.

Yes, here's some very disturbing news from Harlequin. The brilliant imprint that is BOMBSHELL will no longer be around after February 2007. I personally, being a huge fan of these books, can't understand what went wrong.

Well, okay, so I agree with what other fans are saying: these books just weren't marketed correctly. I think for one, the Silhouette symbol could've been dropped and they should've been displayed in action, adventure, etc. sections of bookstores - not with the other Harlequin lines. I've got nothing whatsoever against the other imprints, but this one was so different, that it deserved its own place.

I honestly believe that.

I've read heaps of Bombshells and loved every single one of them. Each one, was wonderful in its own way. And I'm certainly going to miss these books. Will they find another home for these incredible characters -- all strong, independent, kick butt women with so much to lose -- or is the market just not interested in these heroines? I find the latter hard to believe in today's society!

Anyway, I hope all the best to the editors of this imprint and to the many wonderful, nice writers that I've come in contact with during the last few years because of these books.

I'm gonna miss the actual 'Bombshells' in these books too...

Check out the official announcement here.

Never enough vamps!

My daughter came home with a swollen and badly grazed face yesterday. It's just below her left eye. Luckily nothing happened to her eye, but the skin's looking really tender and sore. Apparently they were preparing for the Athletics Carnival - which happens to be today - with a practice run and she slipped and fell face-first into the dirt. Even swallowed some and got it up her nose. The poor thing. It actually looked worse this morning, a little puffier. But she was very lucky.

She can be so klutzy sometimes. I wish I could wrap her up in cotton wool. Lol. It hurts just to look at her, but she's a tough little thing. Even after the fall, she was still looking forward to today's events. Hope she enjoyed herself.

Ah... being a parent. Sometimes it sure is hard, huh? To see her stumble and fall when you wish you could cushion it...

Anyway, my paper revision time was shortened a little today. Had to do a few things this morning and that always cuts into my total time, but still I managed some progess. I am now officially up to page 160/376. Not bad. If I keep moving this well, I should be able to reach my target of having read the whole MS by the end of the week. Once again, not looking forward to typing everything in. Ugh. But I'm still enjoying the story. Am also very happy to see how well it fits together with the first novel. Man, reading it last week was a very good idea. Gotta thank the muse for that. ;)

Still reading THE TURNING. A little a night, because weeknights are just like that, aren't they? I think I'm up to page 120, or something like that. I'm really enjoying it. A little different from the usual vampire thing, but then again, I think every vampire book I read is different in its own way. I keep reading about how the vampire market is saturated and they're all following the same formula... but I just don't agree. I personally love vamps and whenever there's a new vampire release, I'm pretty much all over it. I say keep the vampires comin' baby!

And on that happy note, I'm going to go get my daughter from school... *looking over shoulder* And it looks like I should hurry. The sky was clear and beautiful an hour ago and has now totally darkened. Looks like a storm. :/

MIDNIGHT MOON

After reading CRESCENT MOON and absolutely loving it, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one! When it came in last week, I knew it was going to be the next book I picked up... and I did just that last night. I wanted to get started, get to know Priestess Cassandra a little more. Before I realised it, I'd already read about 120 pages.

It's another terrific Nightcreature tale!

Cassandra travels to Haiti so she can track someone down to show her how to raise a zombie. And what better place to go than the land of voodoo? With the help of sexy Devon Murphy, she tracks down a bokor rumoured to be able to do just that. Mezareau is scary and powerful. He also seems to control more than just zombies. And when he agrees to share the secret so she can go home and help Diana and Adam Ruelle, Cassandra gets more than she bargained for.

There was a gut-wrenching aspect surging her forward in this quest of learning how to raise the dead. It's so sad. She's so obssessed with it. It's the only thing fuelling her life. But I refuse to go into that because it's better to read it off the pages. Cassandra was yet another wonderful addition to this ongoing series. I loved her story, quest and conclusion. And the chemistry with Murphy sizzles from the first time they cross paths. Excellent!

I loved this book! Definitely worth reading. Lori's kicking butt with this series. I can't wait for the last book in this particular trilogy. Go on, read it... sooner than later! :)

80s Wednesday

Okay... today's pick isn't actually something that was released in the 80s, but something released recently that focuses on the 80s!

It's Singstar '80s.

This PlayStation game has a wide variety of very cool songs that I love singin' away to. We actually played it over the weekend, and even my daughter loves it! Yeah, I know, it's a little shameful getting my 5 year old into these songs. He. He. :) But it's not my fault that she loves We Built This City... honestly!

Anyway, this is a GREAT tribute that has actually helped both my hubby and I appreciate some songs that back then we didn't really think that much of. Our favourite one's are Running Up That Hill and The Power Of Love... but with a selection this good, we just can't get enough of this game!

;)

BROKEN

I absolutely LOVED this book! Actually, I love this series... it's outstanding. Definitely one of my faves. Anyway, this book goes back to being narrated by Elena Michaels who happens to be the only female werewolf around. She gets caught up paying a favour back to Xavier, which happens to involve the Jack the Ripper 'From Hell' letter.

The only thing is she's pregnant. A pregnant werewolf who agrees to steal a letter... doesn't sound like a good mix, does it? And when she accidentally triggers a dimensional portal to Victorian England, everything pretty much goes downhill from there. There are nasty rats, zombies and water problems thrown into modern society. Yuck!

The book was written in a very casual and interesting way. Kelley's got a knack for writing intimate narration that totally throws you into the story and makes her characters seem so real. Clay's a little nicer in this one, looks like fatherhood can tame even the harshest werewolf. And the pack dynamic continues... I just can't wait to see what happens next. And since the next book's going to be about Jaime, I can't wait!

Oh, and Zoe the vampire was a very interesting character... wonder if we'll find out more about her? :) Tee was also someone I'd love to find out more about!

Very good addition to the series. I definitely recommend this one.

80s Wednesday

Ooooops, I almost forgot it's Wednesday today...

Ha. Ha. Today I want to briefly talk about teased hair. Yeah, don't cringe or try to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about because anyone who was a teenager during the 80s knows exactly what I mean!

And here's Whitesnake, with the perfect example of the teased hair that rock music helped spread during that decade. -------->

OMG. I have photos... terrible evidence of the horrid teasing I did to my hair. I would spend a lot of time with a brush and hairdrier, then hairspray and comb. It was high and hell to get out at the end of the day... but it was cool. Oh Gee. Was it really? I look at those photos and wonder what the hell we were all thinkin'. I mean, I used to go through one hairspray can a week at one stage. And don't even get me started on when I eventually got my hair permed. OMG again!

So, let's celebrate the craziness that was... bouffy hair: teasing, with the liberal application of styling aids such as hairspray and gel... yeah, the magic word is 'liberal'. LOL!

FOOL MOON

Okay, last night I finally sat down and told myself I would get to the end of this great book! And I did. Wow -- what a cool ride. I gotta say, Harry Dresden is just one of those real-to-life characters. You know the ones that really jump off the page and feel totally real? Yeah, he's definitely one. He's a wizard and has access to magic, but boy does he take a beating in this one. I loved that he was still human enough to continually have to find a different way of getting himself out of the deep, dark mess that is this book!

Man, I wanted a werewolf fix and well, I got a huge werewolf feast in this one. There was a bit of every myth in this tale.

I love this from the blurb: A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses — and the first two don't count... Yeah, there was this and so much more. His relationships are intriguing, and I love Bob! I also love his interaction with Karrin Murphy. They've got a real love-hate thing going on.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a terrific and well-written second instalment to the Dresden Files. And I particularly enjoyed the small insights into his past and origins. I'm definitely a fan of this series... I just wish there would've been more time available so I could've read this great dark urban fantasy sooner!

80s Wednesday

Okay, today's 80s pick isn't exactly from that decade because the books were written and published beforehand, but I didn't get a chance to experience them until I was in high school in the late 80s.

I'm talking about none other than S.E. Hinton. The writer who first made me realise that all those crazy ideas whirling around inside my head could be written into stories, no matter how old I was.

The first book I read was THE OUTSIDERS. This was actually a book we were required to read for year 8 or 9. I can't remember which, but I loved it so much I went out of my way to borrow the other three books the school had. And I absolutely loved every single one of them.

Of course I also watched the movies, which were made in the 80s and featured a bunch of up-and-coming actors. They were all pretty much unknowns in THE OUTSIDERS, but some are even around today.

Anyway, even though the movies were great... the books were better. I read one after the other and absolutely consumed every page until I got to the end. Each had a similar feel but were entirely different from each other. But the characters were so life-like, I got lost in every story.

I think she recently released a new novel. I wonder what that's like? I should check out the reviews on Amazon. Not even sure when it was published. But these young adults were brutally honest, dealt with a lot of harsh issues and were just terrific.

According to Wikipedia: The Outsiders (1967) was her first and most popular novel, which she wrote at the age of sixteen. It is the second-best selling young-adult novel in publishing history with over eight million copies in print.

She was an inspiration and provided hours of wonderful and very enjoyful reading. So she's my pick for today!

WHO, reading & werewolves

Well, DOCTOR WHO just seems to get better and better! We watched it on Saturday night and it totally rocked! I'm lovin' David Tennant... he's ultra cool. Rose is pretty good too, though I don't know what's happened to Billy Piper's hair this season. Ugh. She needs to get rid of that ugly (and very badly done) blonde dye-job.

Anyway, enough about hair. Let's not get distracted from the awesome episode. This time they went back in time and there was a werewolf in it. This was another, totally different spin to the werewolf myth. I love it! And judging by the preview for next week, it looks like the series is taking a slant towards the supernatural. Always a great thing, huh? And there was an answer to something I was wondering about, that happened in the X-mas episode. I love it when shows give you answers a little bit at a time...

Not like LOST. It's the reason why we gave up on that show!

Anyway, we had a lovely, calm and relaxed weekend. We went for walks on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. It was nice. And I caught up on some reading. As you can see below, I read Crescent Moon in like a day or something. And I enjoyed it so much that yesterday morning I grabbed Dates From Hell and started reading Lori Handeland's novella. It's called Dead Man Dating.

Here's a blurb:

The term "dating hell" takes on a whole new meaning when a Manhattan literary agent out on her first date in months is forced to choose between a sexy devil and the rogue demon hunter who's out to destroy him.
It was a lot of FUN! So much that I pretty much read it in two sittings. It was very cool. Not about werewolves this time, but terrific anyway. It was set in New York and the imagery was amazing. Y'know, Lori's got this way of capturing the setting so well, you truly feel like you're there. I love it! She's a very cool writer. I can't wait for Midnight Moon! This one I will read right away.

So as you can probably tell, I'm in a werewolf-kinda mood lately and decided to pick up the second Dresden book, Fool Moon, last night. I got about 40 pages into it and so far, so good. I really enjoyed the first one and really don't know why it's taken me so long to actually pick up the next book. Strange, but I can't wait to get stuck into the thick of things. I really like Harry, he's very cool.

Today I managed to get the remaining 80 pages (or so) done on the magic revision. And I got through them just in time too. Only about 15 minutes before I had to head out to pick up my daughter. It's done. Stronger, tighter, makes more sense -- I'm much happier with it... and head's all-a-buzzing with ideas about the next book. I just need to come up with another title for this one, something a little more appropriate. The hubby reckons the current title doesn't fit!

Hmmm... all this werewolf readin' and watchin' has got my werewolf book idea whispering inside my head. I've pretty much had the main plot written down for a few weeks, but now other things are coming together too. :/
It's so darn cold today. The wind is icy... and it's been raining on-and-off all day. Yuck, I'm really getting tired of this continuous rain!

Oh, and we didn't get a chance to watch Emily Rose! Anyway, later!

CRESCENT MOON

Yesterday I ordered Midnight Moon from my fave bookstore, and was reminded that I still hadn't read the first book in Lori Handeland's new trilogy. So I picked it up last night, intending to read a few chapters to get a taste of it... but I enjoyed it so much I had to stop only because it was getting a little late. By that stage I'd read 100+ pages and couldn't wait to get stuck into it today.

And that, I did. I actually finished it in under 24 hours. Something I rarely do because there are so many other things that need to be done during the week.

Anyway, this book was excellent! And it introduced the heroine of the next novel, Cassandra. This one's in the POV of Diana Malone, who is a cryptozoologist and widow. Since her husband's death, she's been obsessed with finding what he strived so hard to find - a werewolf. He went to the grave with a tattered reputation, much like herself. But when she gets a call in the middle of the night and offered the job of going to New Orleans to snag the rumoured wolf, she accepts. And enters a place filled with magic, swamps, curses, dead bodies and voodoo... oh, and the enticing Adam Ruelle (a Cajun! Gotta love it!) ;)

Now she finds herself knee-deep in mystery and lust. A wicked combination, that's for sure. I loved the flavour of this novel and the description made me feel like I was smack-bang in the middle of a place I've never been. New Orleans sounds like a wonderful, eerie place to visit and an ideal place for this novel.

Diana's a strong character who has a hard time letting go of her dead husband and becomes terrified when Adam stirs things in her she never thought she'd feel again. It's a heartwarming tale wrapped up with a lot of dark stuff. A terrific paranormal read... and since I love reading about voodoo and Lori's other werewolf books, I can't wait for the next one. It's set in Haiti! Can't wait!

KITTY GOES TO WASHINGTON

Cool cover, huh? And it matches the first book. Extra cool!

Anyway, I love this: Kitty, the country's only celebrity werewolf,gets subpoenaed to testify before a Senate hearingon supernaturals. What could possibly go wrong? LOL! Have you guys read the book? The answer's in there! :)

This book took me longer to read than I wanted, simply because sometimes there's just not enough hours in the day. Honestly! Every time I sat down to read a little more of KGtW, I became totally engrossed. There was so much going on, but everything happens with some very nice pacing and revelation. Lots of cool new stuff in here. And some carried over from the first book. I loved that she was somewhere else... especially a place where so much was going on.

The array of new characters were fantastic! I loved Alette and Ahmed... and Luis! I hope he's in the next one. We need to find out more about him! The Crescent was a nice touch too... and I loved the way everything worked out. Not neccesarily all happy and sunshine, but when is life like that anyway?

This book is even better than the first one in the series -- and I loved that one! So if you're into paranormal, urban fantasy kinda stories, you've just gotta check Kitty out!

There was a nice surprise at the end of the book too -- a free short story called Kitty Meets the Band. It was a blast! So funny and groovy. Go on... grab yourself a copy! ;)

80s Wednesday

Pac-Man

We all remember this game, right? Back when going to the arcade was actually fun because we didn't have as many mediums as we have available today. I was never good at this game, but it was still fun to play! Those ghosts sure are cute too! :)

Back to school!

4am seems to be some kind of bizarre trend. Yeah, woke up at around 4ish again early this morning... except this time I ignored the stirring of wakefulness and forced myself back to sleep. It worked too! Yoga helped too. It's amazing how much easier it is to get through the day when you start out with yoga. Cool.

So my daughter was back at school today. Surprisingly, I missed the little bugger. But she did take in her Sight Words 3 book and aced it! How cool is that? I'm very proud of her. She got them all on her first go and got three BUGS from her teacher. She worked really hard to learn these.

On this very cold and windy day, I got started on the last revision of magic. At least I hope it's the last read of it before I get stuck into the synopsis! :/ I got through exactly 100 pages. I was aiming for 120 because if I tackle that many a day, I can be done by Friday. But that's okay. I'm fixing up some technical things I've learned along the way and a few flawed words that now don't sound as good as when I initially passed it onto my hubby. It's going well because I'm actually enjoying the story and the characters. Plus I'm finding that re-reading this again is not only strengthening the novel, but helping me connect to the story on a deeper level. And that, is terrific for the sequel I want to write. One important thing has already clicked, so that's very cool.

Last night I got a chance to sit down and read some more of Kitty Goes to Washington, and WOW! About 100 pages in now and absolutely lovin' it! This character's great and I'm really enjoying the new people being introduced too. Can't wait to read some more tonight. Hopefully, fingers crossed.

Well, better get started on those take-home-reader books my daughter's got for tonight! 'Bye.

LOST CALLING

Okay, I've spoken a little about this book already but now that I've finished it... I'm gonna talk about it some more! :)

A little from the actual website: 'The Madonna Key series, launching in July 2006, consists of seven Silhouette Bombshells recounting the adventures of a group of kick-ass women in modern Europe. When they uncover ancient secrets for which women have died, they awaken an enemy determined to wipe out the last of their kind. It's all going to happen before the transition from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius is complete, and failure could spell a catastrophe the likes of which Europe has never seen.'

So I finished the first Madonna Key book this afternoon and absolutely loved it! Catrina Dauvergne isn't your average heroine. She's French, has done a few bad things in the past and doesn't connect with people very easily. Yet, all that changes when an earthquake hits Paris and she falls into the long-lost grave of five guillotined women. The discovery throws her headfirst into an old mystery that has her seeing visions, finding keys and letters that push her further into the mystery of what happened to these women. Former priest Rhys Pritchard (already loved him from the Grailkeeper books!) is by her side to help her solve the mystery and tease her heart strings. They make an unlikely couple that seems doomed from the beginning...

This book was wonderful. There's action, a very strong narrator, enticing hero, loveable secondary characters, intriguing situations and a mystery that has hooked me in for the rest of the series. I can't wait to see what happens next -- where is this all heading?

Anyway, I knew this would be good but it surpassed my expectations. Evelyn Vaughn draws you into the tale with Catrina's casual voice, beautiful scenery and stimulating circumstances. This is a terrific book and I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in checking out an intriguing thriller.

Thinkin' about writing...

Yeah, I thought I'd post something a little earlier today. The hubby gets out of work earlier nowadays and with my daughter home she starts asking for snacks at around 3:30pm - when I usually start my post.

Anyway.

Since I haven't done much writing during the last few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about it. Thinking about submitting to agents and publishers, story ideas ready to be written, novels ready to be revised, novellas in the same boat... y'know, just the usual crazy stuff that circles inside a writer's head. And while I know what I want to do next week - finish magic by reading through it one more time - I'm not sure what's going to be next.

Then I was thinking about the novels I've already written. Every one of those is special to me in its own way. And almost every single one of them has sparked off ideas leading into a trilogy or series. I've written one trilogy and a spin-off for vamp and have ideas about other characters in this world too... then there's the world of ghost. This one's a little more involved and in first person, so I really got into the heroine's head and enjoyed the world so much I want this one to be more than just a trilogy. I've got pages of ideas for at least four books... but the time, where is that exactly? I think I already squash in as much as I can with my time!

It's very exciting, to have a muse so eager to hand over new ideas. Yet, time management can become a problem sometimes. And when I have too many ideas and things inside my head and can't do much to get them out, I start to feel cluttered. My head feels like that at the moment -- there's too much in there. So, since I've met the majority of my 2006 goals already, it may be time to sit down and make a list again.

I find this really helps. Also, writing in a journal or this blog also helps clear some of the clutter and sets my mind in some sort of direction. It's really bizarre.

On another note, Rachel Vincent is having agent week over at her blog Work In Progress. She'll be talking about her journey after finding an agent and will even have her own agent, Miriam Kriss from the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, visit to answer questions. It's a terrific and helpful idea. Anyone who's aspiring to become a published writer should check this out, I know I'll be reading!

Okay, gonna go and either read some more of Lost Calling -- more than halfway through now. Or maybe I'll pull out the lappy and sit on the couch, while my daughter watches TEEN TITANS, and sort through my files and ideas. I also want to print one of my other first draft MS out, so it's ready to go for revisions...

Not much writing goin' on

Yeah, I haven't even posted a real post all week, have I?

The b-day weekend was really nice. Relaxing, fun and filled with reading. Pretty much the same now. I'm about 60 pages into the first Madonna Key book, Lost Calling. So far so good. Catrina Dauvergne isn't your conventional narrator, I'm loving it so far.

Anyway, my daughter can now count from 1 all the way through to 100 and only pauses after 29. Mmm, still has a small prob with the 30s. Very strange but she's getting better. On a cooler note, she can now read all her Sight Words 3 booklet. There's about 40 words in it and the only ones giving her trouble were did and or. Can you believe it? Out of all the words, these are what she calls the 'harder' ones. Once again, Mmm. I guess everyone's different. *shrug*

I'm very happy about getting through all this stuff with her, but it's definitely affected my writing time. But it's alright, I'm just having a small break, right? Though I did write a 1,348 words short story yesterday. It was about a character mentioned in saint. There was a scene in the novel that sparked this little story off in my head. I just had to write it.

Maybe because of the project I've assigned myself for next week, I just don't want to get stuck into anything too deep this week.

Last night the hubby and I watched a documentary called EXORCISTS: THE TRUE STORY. It was very interesting. About the incident that inspired William Peter Blatty to write The Exorcist. It focused on a case about a teenage boy from Maryland in 1949, who was 'possessed' by the devil. The priest who conducted the exorcism kept a journal about the account, which took many, many days. It was powerful, and like the movie pointed towards the use of an ouija board enticing the demonic possession. Of course, there's never real evidence to support these cases but it doesn't make it less fascinating.

As a writer, I love watching stuff like this. And last night was no exception. My muse was definitely taking notes as we sat on the couch watching it. If you wanna read a little more about the incident, go here. And since I've got an idea for a character dealing with this sort of thing, there were several points that came in really handy.

I have to get a notebook out and get scribbling. Hell (no pun intended) maybe that's what I should concentrate on for the rest of the week!

80s Wednesday

You all remember this guy? LOL -- it's none other than ALF!

I used to love watching this sitcom. And even though looking back I can remember just how corny and silly it was, it was still fun for a kid to watch. I'm not sure I could sit through any of the episodes today, but then, the same goes for a lot of the TV I used to enjoy as a kid. :)

Anyway... it was funny while it lasted... and worth a mention...

Some ALF Wiki stuff: The title character is Gordon Shumway, an alien nicknamed A.L.F. (Alien Life Form). He was born on October 28, 1756 on the Lower East side of the planet Melmac. The planet Melmac was located six parsecs past the Hydra Centaurus Supercluster and had a green sky and blue grass.

DAUGHTER OF THE FLAMES

The cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous, don't you think? I read the blurb for this book ages ago and have been waiting impatiently for it since. It was released in June in the US, so I ordered it online and got it a week later... but by then I was in the middle of writing my own novel and had to put it aside. And then when I finished I'd started another book already, and then the 11th Plum book was released -- ah, to cut a long story short: I started reading it late Sunday afternoon and finished it early this morning.

And what did I think? Wow! That's what. Honestly, this book is awesome. There was so much tension and the desire to know what was going to happen next, that I became totally captivated.

Isabella "Izzy" De Marco is a New Yorker who discovers she is the long-lost heiress of a legacy of magic handed down to the women in her family by Joan of Arc. She is part of the House of the Flames and hasn't known about it for 26 years. Now, her nightmares are getting worse, and she notices a strange man in black watching her house. Izzy also meets the dark and mysterious Jean-Marc de Devereaux. He tells her magic exists, as well as other darker things. She finds herself thrown into a world that's in turmoil and Jean-Marc becomes her mentor and anchor into this new world of the Gifted.

This book was action-packed from the beginning and pretty much doesn't let up. Actually, there's commotion and chaos all the way to the end and you're left wanting more. Izzy is a great character who proves her strength even though she's continually struggling with what's happening around her. Jean-Marc is captivating and bordering on the edge of good-guy-trying to-help-her, or good-guy-in-this-for-his-own-benefit. There's a great array of interesting characters I can't wait to read about some more. Yeah, this is a trilogy and I can't wait for the next instalments!

So do yourself a favour, check it out! Today -- what you waiting for? ;)

ELEVEN ON TOP

I've been waiting a whole year to read this book. So it was no wonder that on Friday morning I found myself grabbing it off the bookshelf and getting stuck into it. There are a whole bunch of other books that have been waiting longer, but Stephanie Plum won out.

And it didn't disappoint.

I love this series! It's hilarious, well-written, full of memorable characters, bizarre situations, interesting plot and everything that makes a book TERRIFIC! Honestly, Janet Evanovich is a great writer and reading a Plum book is like catching up with old friends once a year.

Anyway, this book is about a psycho (one of the many she's met along the way) who seems to have returned from the grave to stalk Stephanie. At the same time, she's literally tired of rolling in garbage (with garbage) and decides to quit bounty hunting. This leads her to an array of other job opportunities that wind up with the same Stephanie-treatment as the bounty hunting. It's one disaster after another... and that's what makes this series so wonderful. Stephanie Plum is a terrific character, surrounded by equally terrific characters one can't help but get attached to.

This was another outstanding addition to the series. I can't wait to read the next one -- which will probably be this time next year -- when 12 SHARP comes out on paperback. :/

80s Wednesday

I went through a lot of phases as a kid and teenager... especially when it came to music. I slipped from one genre into another pretty quickly, but the phase I stayed in the longest and still enjoy listening to today is hard rock.


There was a lot of teased hair and hairspray. Some of the guys even had better hair than girls (Sebastian Bach comes to mind), guitar solos that totally rocked (Slash's in Sweet Child O' Mine), tight leather pants or jeans (Joey Tempest from Europe) and just some TERRIFIC music that still gets airplay today.

I was totally into Bon Jovi and Europe, but of course appreciated a bunch of others. Alice Cooper's album was outstanding and I even took my brother's t-shirt! His song Poison kicked butt and I still enjoy it while playing Singstar. He. He.

There was a lot of GREAT stuff to listen to. And the cool thing is that it slipped into the 90s and sprouted another bout of excellent music from artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

Some of the 80s bands even managed to stick around for a while!

Anyway, I just wanted to use today as a time to tribute HARD ROCK because it gave me many hours of listening pleasure while I was a teenager and helped inspire me into writing. Y'know, when I first started putting pen-to-paper or fingers-to-typewriter, I couldn't listen to anything that wasn't hard rock in the background. It was the only type of music that could fuel my imagination and some songs sparked off ideas. Very cool.

TOUCH THE DARK

Okay, I've been meaning to read this book for several weeks. I even read the first three chapters... but like always, when I get stuck into a first draft I get so involved that reading takes a backseat. I got stuck into this book during the weekend and finished it this morning.

I have to say, the blurb for this book totally doesn't do the story justice. I mean, it grabs the general gist of it but man does Karen Chance pack this book full of stuff. Sure, there are vampires in it and even a Senate. Then there are also mages, ghosts, time travel, body possessions, satyrs, were-creatures, witches and a whole lot more! It really is a fantastical world with rules of its own that the narrator helps explain along the way. There's a bit of everything in here.

Now, to the main storyline: Cassandra Palmer is a Seer who can also talk and see ghosts. She even has a ghostly companion called Billy Joe. She's been on the run from the vampire who raised her - the mafioso-type Tony - but now he's located her and Cassie finds herself literally thrown into an ordeal that helps her uncover things about herself. It's a great adventure, leading to unpredictable places with unpredictable events unfolding. The cast of characters in this book is extensive and interesting.

I would love to know and see more about Pritkin for example.

Overall, a great read that I recommend to anyone who's into urban fantasy with a dark edge. I'm looking forward to the next one, which according to the author's website is called Claimed By Shadow and will be released in June '07.

80s Wednesday

As mentioned last week, I present She-Ra, aka Princess Adora.

From Wiki:

The premise of the show is that She-Ra, whose secret identity is Princess Adora, and her friends must free Etheria from Hordak and his evil Horde, after realizing her true destiny through the help of her brother Prince Adam, who is also known as He-Man. The She-Ra cartoon's premise is similar to the He-Man premise, with the distinction that while He-Man serves King Randor and the rulers of Eternia (a neighboring planet), She-Ra is a revolutionary engaged in a rebellion against Hordak, the ruler of Etheria, and to a larger extent against the rarely seen Horde Prime, leader of an evil intergalactic empire. Another similarity and distinction is that while both series mixed science fiction and sorcery, He-Man's stories tended to lean towards science fiction while She-Ra's were geared more towards sorcery. She-Ra, like He-Man, wields a magic sword: the Sword of Protection. Adora transforms into She-Ra by holding it aloft and saying, "For the honor of Grayskull... I am She-Ra!" The Sword of Protection varies from He-Man's Sword of Power in that it has a crystal set into the blade. The crystal is the source of her transformation power, and if cracked, Adora is unable to change to She-Ra. The Sword of Protection is also unique in that it can change other forms to at She-ra's command, changing to shield, lasso or flaming blade.

Asides from Wonder Woman and Red Sonja, this was the other cool girl power character that probably helped shape my love in strong-willed-kick-butt female character in books, movies and shows. Sure, I don't actually remember that much butt kicking going on, but it still featured a girl with a sword. And although I liked He-Man too, given the choice, I always preferred She-Ra. :)

She was cool and carried a sword. How appealing is that for a little girl to see on screen? It just cracked me up that just like Wonder Woman and He-Man, she pretty much looked the same in both identities. Lol. Gotta love the big hair too!

80s Wednesday

Let me start with:

"By the Power of Grayskull! I have the Power!"

So... do you know who today's pick is yet?

That's right... He-Man!

Man, I used to love watching this show every morning before school. I thought it was the coolest, and back then, I guess it was! It was also the show that introduced She-Ra his sister. Being a girl, I totally loved her... but she can be a pick for another day!
There was a great cast of characters in Eternia too!

Here's a little about Masters Of the Universe from Wikipedia:

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe. It made its television debut in 1983 and ran until 1985, consisting of two seasons of 65 episodes each. The show was one of the most popular animated children's shows of the 1980s and has retained a heavy cult following to this day.

80s Wednesday

Ooooops, I almost forgot again...

Anyway, since the World Cup's going on at the moment my pick is:

Wiki stuff: The 1984 European Football Championship (Euro 84) final tournament was held in France. It was the 7th edition of the European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament took place between June 12 and June 27, 1984.

At the time, only eight countries took part in the final stage of the tournament, seven of which had to come through the qualifying stage. France qualified automatically as hosts of the event.

Now, why did I pick this particular event this week? Well, there are several reasons - first one being what I said above! There's soccer fever going on around here at the moment, we're all riding high on Australia's first match win!

Anyway, 1984 was a really cool year for me. The music was great, the hair was horrid, clothes bizarre and I was still in primary school. As I recall, this was about the time my brother was playing soccer on the weekends. And he was pretty crap, to be honest with you. I was a little pissed because I knew I was a better player, but my parents wouldn't let me be on the team because I was a girl. Mind you, there was a girl on the team already and she was actually better than the boys!

According to Wikipedia, the final was: versus

France beat Spain, 2-0.

Go the SOCCEROOS!

YAY for AUSTRALIA!

Last night, the hubby convinced me to stay up so we could watch Australia versus Japan in the World Cup. And well, I was less than entusiastic because it meant a pretty late night... yet, as the match moved along, I found myself getting so involved... it's usually the case. The main reason I don't like sitting down to watch sporting events - they're too involving and nerve-wracking.

Anyway, Japan was up 1-0 most of the match after a controversial goal. Then, with about 8 minutes to go, Aussie player Cahill scored! We were both getting very excited by this stage. Then Cahill scored another goal -- so we were up 2-1. Wow, I can't believe it but then another player, Aloisi scored! Okay, by this time we were jumping up and down with excitement.

Australia won!

What an excellent achievement! We're all so darn proud.

ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE

Okay, so I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of Michelle's viral bloggers for her upcoming book Angel With Attitude. I got to read it several weeks before its release... which is great!

Valerie Grace has fallen from Heaven and she doesn't know why. She finds herself stuck as a human and working as a maid in a motel. She's trying to do good deeds along the way, hoping to find her way back into Heaven - where life is wonderful and safe. However, there's a Tempter Demon called Nathaniel who sets his sights on her, and he's determined to tempt her into Hell. I can't go into too much detail because it would give something vital away. Trust me. Everything that happens in this book happens for a reason. Michelle's constructed a wonderful, fun plot filled with very cool characters that keep you reading page after page to see where the adventure leads to next.

Val's a likeable heroine. All she wants is to get back home. Then there's her recently-turned-into-a-rat friend. He's funny and a little perverted, but always has something witty to say! And Lloyd, ah, definitely can't say anything about him but he's awesome. You'll all get a kick out of this guy! And of course, Nathaniel... the Tempter Demon that gets her burning inside, though she's determined not to let him get what he's after. There's also the wicked and snotty Julian... lol! There are a lot of other very interesting and hilarious characters to meet, but if I get started on them, this blog entry will go on for a looooooong while.

Anyway, Valerie's life gets even more interesting when she has to venture into the Underworld to retrieve the Key to Heaven. The imagery here is wonderful, starting with a sign that says: Welcome to the Underworld.

If you're after a very cool, funny, interesting and all round FUN read, make sure you do yourself a favour and pick this book up! Honestly, you'll get a kick out of it... just when you're sure what direction the story's gonna go, it throws you somewhere completely different. There are a lot of obstacles in the way of Valerie's quest, but everything counts towards the end.

So, go ahead! Get this very cool book when it comes out next month! ;)