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Thursday 31 August 2006

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.

Wednesday 23 August 2006

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!

Monday 21 August 2006

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.

Wednesday 16 August 2006

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!

Tuesday 15 August 2006

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. :/

Sunday 13 August 2006

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! :)

Wednesday 9 August 2006

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.

Wednesday 2 August 2006

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!

Tuesday 1 August 2006

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!

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