Quite Steamy Indeed!

Since I was home yesterday with a sick little boy, I decided I'd catch up on some of my reading. (For those that poo-poo'd me about Outlander (I just cannot finish it), well, I hope to make some amends in my reading choices.)

-- I finished Awaken Me Darkly by the lurvely Gena Showalter and man, I'm wanting a sequel asap! Gena's a busy woman (with 6 books that I know of coming out next year) but c'mon! Maybe some of the characters will reappear in Enslave Me Sweetly, a book set in the same world featuring alien huntress Eden Black. If not, I'll just have to wait until the AMD sequel.

-- I also read Summer Heat by Jaci Burton. Whew! Talk about sweltering!! I...I'm at a loss for words. There's a reason why Ellora's Cave loves Jaci!

-- Now, I'm reading Ill Wind by Rachel Caine. It's the first in the Weather Warden series and I'm really enjoying the mythology and pacing thus far. Poor Joanne Baldwin has her hands full, that's for sure!

On deck: Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris; Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins

In other library patrons' hands (hurry up and finish already!!): Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman; Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson; Plantation by Dorthea Benton Frank; gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Now, if only my muse were interested in writing instead of reading. Too many good books, I suppose!

I Cannot Do It

Really, I just can't do it. I cannot finish Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This is my second attempt to read it in four months and I just can't. It's like there are too many words, too much information to absorb. I'm sad about this because I've been told it's a good book (and a good series).

Instead, I've begun reading Awaken Me Darkly by the lurvely Gena Showalter.

For the lurvely Miss M

Marianne Mancusi needs a new celebrity crush. I happily nominate Ben Browder (of Farscape fame, currently seen on Stargate SG:1).

Ben is a beautiful Southern boy with a wonderful drawl and gorgeous blue eyes. I love my husband and in theory Ben cannot compete with him, but man, isn't Ben pretty?




Ben and I could talk (rather he'd talk and I'd listen) about so many things: NASCAR, Tennessee, literature. Not only is he pretty, ladies, he's intelligent. He wrote at least 2 episodes of Farscape (good ones!) and has studied at the Royal Shakespeare Academy in London. Of course, I'm sure his wife would agree he's better than sliced bread. Still, isn't he pretty?

Eagerly Anticipating

2 of the 3 books I am eagerly anticipating now have covers!! I am so excited!

Rhett's first book (in a trilogy) was A Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate. I think I heard of Rhett through the University of Georgia writer's newsletter. Rhett had attended a conference (if memory serves) and the title of her debut just caught my eye. That conference newsletter also introduced me to Cathy Pickens, a great Southern mystery writer from South Carolina.

And Deidre Knight's book, well, I've been waiting for it since Deidre told our online writers group she was going to be published, and is also the first in a trilogy. It's so exciting when good things happen to people you know!!!

If...

...you were trying to spell eggs without actually spelling e-g-g-s, how would you spell it?

I ask because I have a character whose last name I want to sound like 'Eggs' (only not to be spelled e-g-g-s).

Think with a Southern drawl.

Back to Reality

I say that as if I've been somewhere, like Reno, but alas I haven't been any place special. Just a lazy blogger, I guess.

I did discover that a name I selected for the main character in one of my WIPs is also a pseudoynom for a mystery author. I'm kind of upset about that because 1) I'd never read any of these books by the author or pseudoynom (just liked the name) and 2) I feel like I can't move forward with this project because of the character's name (and my obvious affection for it). Honestly, it's not like the WIP will be done tomorrow (try next year) so I shouldn't be boo-hooing about it. It's just one of those frustrating things, you know.

I've done a little bit of writing (I need to get back to that 100 words a day schedule) and I think I've narrowed down a genre for myself. I've also decided to concentrate on one piece though I know I'll take a detour and write on something else. Several "moments" have come to me over the past 2 weeks but I didn't have a chance to write them down and now they're lost in my subconscious.

And I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I finished Living Dead in Dallas (#2) yesterday; hopefully, Club Dead (#3) will arrive by the end of the week.

Note: Please keep Marianne Mancusi in your thoughts. The lurvely Miss M. lost everything in a house fire while she was in Reno. For more info on what you can do to help Marianne, visit Literary Chicks.