Friday, November 28, 2008
Here are a few of my favorite things.
So with Thanksgiving shortly behind us lets take a quick moment to truly thank those authors that have sat back and had a few rounds with us.
1. Jeri Smith-Ready
2. Evangeline Anderson
3. Colleen Gleason
4. Jacquelyn Frank
5. Roxanne St. Claire
6. Ann Aguirre
7. Nalini Singh
8.J.L. Langley
9. Katie Reus
10. Linnea Sinclair
11. Josh Lanyon
12. Ally Blue
13. Jet Mykles
14. Laura Baumbach
15. James Buchanan
16. Michele Lang
17. Meljean Brook
So let's stand up and give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to these lovely authors and remind them they are more than welcomed to come back anytime!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!
And since I promised a fun time to be had by all today I guess I should get on it *wink* Below are some of the wonderful beautiful things I am thankful for (Besides you lovely ladies).
Enjoy and have a wonderful day ladies.
And just b/c I'm in charge today I thought I would share my favorite picture!
And here you thought it would be Jensen.... well you are right what's a Thanksgiving day without Sarai giving some thanks for that sweet smile and wonderful bod. I will keep it clean today ladies but only for today! (Just know this is the only tame one I have seriously it was hard to find a good, decent, clean one let me tell you!)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
So wow
Thanksgiving and what it means to us here at the DIK blog:
WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR
The health of my family
That I got to witness the birth of my nephew
My awesome friends, both in person and online
That I'm writing again...and it's GOOD!
That I'm able to read as much as I do
That I have a job
A place to live
Freedom
The DIK ladies :)
Meeting new authors this year was awesome!
Great health benefits
There are a lot of others, but these are the biggies. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
From Bridget L/Kaitlin
I am grateful for all of you!!
:D By Katiebabs!
I am thankful for all of you too!! I'm thankful for a bunch of wonderful women whom I can share my love of romance with. I am thankful for my lovely family and friends and I'm thankful for my health and job. I am also glad for all the wonderful authors that I have met and discovered through this blog and their websites!
Sarai
Well ladies if you would like to share what you are thankful we would appreciate it!!!
Tomorrow come and see my tribute to Thanksgiving with lots of sharing *wink*
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I'm In Yur Blog, Savin' Yur Bacon
KMont of Lurv a la Mode here – hi, folks! When Tracy emailed to ask if I would guest blog, she said I’d be saving her bacon. Since I’m a stalwart advocate for bacon, I didn’t mind in the least. I was going to get the post done by Friday night and swoop in first thing Saturday morning and post like a pro.
Except the post did not get written Friday night. Short, yet boring story; I’ll spare you fine folks.
So, dang, it’s a lot harder to come up with an interesting post on another blog that’s not my own (not that I’m that thrilling on mine either), but what got me thinking this morning as I woke up though was how my reading habits change over the years and I was wondering if this has been the case for other readers out there. I remember my first real romance (I’d dabbled in some kids lit and V.C. Andrews – hello, mentally scarred with that stuff) as this torrid, dare I say, bodice ripper. It was probably written sometime in the 70s and it was one of those sheik/white harem girl routines. I could not put it down and was all of fourteen or so, so I felt breathlessly bad for opening its pages, a real deviant. I really wish I could remember the title and author because even if my views had changed about it today, I’d love to have it on my shelf for old times sakes.
After that one though, I had to have more such similar books and storylines and still have a fondness for the ‘ole sheiks. From there I discovered historical romances. I started going through phases, where all I wanted to read was that one certain genre or subgenre. Mainstream fantasy. Whoo doggie, mainstream science fiction! But at the core of those was a tiny bit of romance, so I think romance has always been where it’s at for me. But yeah, I definitely noticed a specific trend in my reading habits and that was to stick pretty much only with one kind of genre for a while. That “while” could be years of one genre, or only a few months.
These days I stick pretty much with paranormal fiction and paranormal romance. Ever since I became aware of how I read though, I’ve been trying to kick that habit of boxing myself into one reading corner. I try to disengage from the paranormal sometimes and read a historical or a contemporary, something to mix it all up a bit. Because I don’t want to get tired of paranormals. They are my first love – at the moment – and I want to keep ‘em that way. There’s just too many out there, a whole wide world of good possibilities.
What about you? Do you have any particular reading habits (or other influences) that shape how you read and shape what you choose to read? Do you tend to stick with one or two main genres? How do you keep your favorite genre from getting old?
Friday, November 21, 2008
Another Top Ten List By Lisabea
About DiK
and We Don't Get Up in Everyone's Grill
About Asshat Stuff
(Although we have been controversial... by accident!)
You chicks rock cuz you're all about the joy of reading and the celebration of the craft(iness of writ-ors).
9. Unapologetic Ojectification of Smexy Menz
Works for me!
8. Great Times Squabbling Over Heroes
I heart you guys. But will still steal your liquor.
And your men.
7. Diversity and Open Mindedness.
So cute.
6. New Friends and Old Friends
Nothing to do with New or Old Friends but DAMN I love me some RC!
5. M/M Week
Ok maybe not THIS one exactly...but still
...I had to post it again.
4. That fucking hilarious post TPig and I did
with Josh Lanyon (aka Good Sport)
Yes. I have no shame.
3. That fucking hilarious post CJ did.
Neither does she.
2. Author Interviews
Cute Red Head. Funny. Intelligent.
Likes long walks on the beach and men with wings.
1. You Guys. You rock.
And I appreciate the support and friendship.
Look at those drummies!!
Thanks and Have a Happy
Healthy, Stretch Pants wearing
Pig Out on Thursday (if you're in the States)
Otherwise..er.. have a great weekend!!
AND THE WINNER IS....
Again, I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Still a very stressful time in my neck of the woods, but I am moving on. *sigh* I think, anyway.
Here's hoping Tracy & Sarai have come up with something super fun for this weekend!
And I'm leaving you with a pretty picture. :) And it is definitely pretty. *sigh*
Wonder what he's thinking?
I'm thinking, why yes that lip
will taste good. Mrowr! :D
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
My Third & Final Day
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Heroes & Why I Love Them So
Today's blog is all about my heroes. *sigh* I'm a sucker for an awesome hero. If the hero is lame or comes across as a jerk, the book just doesn't do it for me. When it came to choosing my heroes it was a tough task, but I finally narrowed it down to the heroes that mean the most to me and why. Fun, fun, fun! :)
My first hero is one I've already mentioned. My favorite books seem to have my favorite heroes. I'm pretty cool like that. *snicker*
Hero #1 is Jules Cassidy from Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters, Navy SEALs, etc. series. I fell in love with him all the way back at the beginning and he's still one of my all-time favorite heroes. I couldn't find a picture that really made me think of him, but I think this one is just awesome for the sheer....whoa moment I had when I saw it for the first time. Enjoy!
This man is beautiful...that's all I have to say.
Hero # 2 is Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Ever since he was introduced in Halfway to the Grave, he snagged my attention. I don't know if it's because of the comparisons I make between him and Spike from Buffy, but I love him so. Snarky and hot. I love that combination. :)
James Marsters...Spike, anyone?
Hero #3 is just sexy; plain and simple. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Honestly, I'd never even read the book until this year, but I fell in love with the movies because of these 2 men. I can't choose which Mr. Darcy I like better, so I'm giving them both to you. Enjoy!
Or...
And the picture I'm using to depict him is one that I'm sure a lot of you will recognize, but I think, due to the definite similarities between the two, that this pic is appropriate. Enjoy!
Last, but definitely not least, is a hero I just came across this year in a wonderful paranormal romance. This hero, to me, is the epitome of a Bad Boy, which is one of my favorite kind of hero. He makes some asinine decisions in his book, but he grovels well and has an extremely talented tongue. :~D If that doesn't make a man a great hero, I don't know what will. So, my 5th and final hero is none other than Cadeon Wode from Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole. All I can say is Wowza!I don't know who he is...
but honestly?
Who cares!!!!!
I am a total ditz! How could I forget Judd Laurens! There must be something wrong with me! Anywho, above pic can go for him too. Mmm...Psy hero.
Monday, November 17, 2008
My Very First Day
When I was first given the opportunity to join in on the book-loving, men-loving journey called DIK, I honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I’d read the other ladies choices for favorite books and was really impressed with the overall diversity shown.
And then it came to be my turn to choose my Keepers. I hemmed and hawed and almost ended up pulling out my hair with indecision, but I finally narrowed it down to these 6. And let me tell you, the choices were really, really hard to make.
Book 1 is one of those books that I’d been anticipating ever since the character was introduced way back in Book 1 or 2 of the series. He’d make an appearance in each book, stealing the scene he was in and I’d welcome his arrival with a happy sigh. He’d have his heart broken, he’d move on and I’d feel sad that he hadn’t found the right one for him.
Then he was introduced to someone. At first, I really wasn’t sure if the man chosen for him was the right one, but I kept my peace and waited through the next few installments of the series. When would he get his turn? Finally, it was announced that this book was coming out. I was so excited I could hardly wait to drive to the store and pick up my copy.
What book got me so excited I was literally bouncing up and down when I was buying it? All Through The Night by Suzanne Brockmann! Finally, Jules was getting his man. Talk about a story a long time in coming. Watching as Jules and Robin made their dedication to each other clear and the fact that they were willing to thumb their noses at society because they decided to get married was just awesome. And the letter that Suz wrote about her son and dedicating it to him…well, honestly? It made me cry. I’m such a wuss.
Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh is my 2nd book in this epic journey through DIK. CbI is the story of Judd and Brenna. Watching Brenna slowly break through Judd’s icy exterior to the man hidden deep inside was an amazing journey. I’m such a sucker for the dark hero who has a sweet, tender nature hidden deep inside his psyche. For some reason (unbeknownst to me) I find men like that super sexy.
Book 3 is Goddess of the Rose by PC Cast. This book is dark and pretty twisted, but the romance between the hero and heroine is just beautiful, especially when you consider that she’s an uprooted human from Oklahoma who is now living in the world of the Gods and he’s a…well, I won’t tell you, but I can’t recommend this book enough. I love how the reality of Gods & Goddesses and humanity are twisted and turned upside down in this world that Ms. Cast has created.
Book 4 is my all-time favorite Lisa Kleypas book. I know, I know, so many people rave about Dreaming of You and though I agree it’s a great book, Secrets of a Summer’s Night is definitely my favorite and the reason is 100% due to Simon Hunt, the hero. There’s something so yummy about a man who is definitely a hard man, but who has a complete and total soft spot for the heroine. It’s all about how he feels deep inside and to me, that’s sexy.
Book 5 is actually a series. It was a toss-up between this one and the Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey, but the reason I chose this one is for one reason…DRAGONS! I chose the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, because this series transported me when I first read it. It was so awesome to read about people who could ride on the backs of dragons. I so desperately wanted to have a dragon bond to me. *sigh* Unfortunately, that was never going to happen, so I read the books instead. An epic fantasy with some great sci-fi thrown in to tip the balance. I reread this series once every couple of years and I still love it.
And finally, book 6 is one of those books that I reread EVERY SINGLE YEAR and I still love it. I read it for the first time when I was about 12 years old or thereabouts. I fell head over heels in love with the hero and thought the growth of the heroine was very true to life. Also, I wrote my own version of a sequel starring the hero’s son. Unfortunately, it never made it out in the publishing world (like I would’ve actually sent it out), but that is how much this book touched me. What is my 6th and final book, you might ask? It is Years by LaVyrle Spencer, the coming-of-age story of Linnea Brandonberg and her trials and thrills as a teacher in Alamo, North Dakota. Throw in a curmudgeonly hero, his eccentric, but awesome family and you’ve got one of the best historical romances out there, in my humble opinion. It’s based around WWI, so it’s a bit more current than most historicals, but what an amazing tale.
And so ends my first day on this here DIK blog. I hope you enjoyed my look into the books I love. Maybe you’ll give them a try sometime. Enjoy!
We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program...
So it's Christine's turn on DIK but she is soooooo busy and we completely understand! You can read all about her busy-ness here.
I will keep you posted on what will happen the next couple of days - please be patient!
**Update: Bridget Locke will do her 3 DIK days early so she'll be with us Tuesday through Thursday. I'm working on Friday and Saturday - stay tuned!
So - today I'm just gonna post some men cuz we all love them and their purty. Enjoy!
(I took a quick trip over to Hunk du Jour and found some truly gorgeous specimens!)
Dear heavens! Look at how incredible he is! Hummina, hummina!
Oh honey just tell me where your farm is and I'll be right there.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Day 3 - In Praise of the Beta Male
I think it's very easy to bandy terms like alpha and beta about without being completely clear what I mean and they are a generalization, after all the most interesting heroes have alpha and beta aspects. But for the purposes of this post, and for anyone who's confused, here's a Stargate analogy. Col. Jack O'Neil is alpha, Dr. Daniel Jackson is beta. (Back to Daniel Jackson at the end of this post.)
I think my first beta male was Yank Yankowski from Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The quietly spoken nerd who still ends up with a girl. That was a long time ago, and I still have a soft spot for the geeky hero who wins through in the end.
But the beta hero doesn't have to be a nerd. Beta doesn't really mean wimp. A beta could have been an alpha in the past or have the potential to be an alpha in the future. And maybe that's why I find them so intriguing to read about. With an alpha male you know what you're getting whether they're strong and silent or angry and in your face. They may have a deeply hidden secret shame that only the heroine can release them from, but so have nine out of ten other alpha heroes.
The beta hero can arise through strange circumstances, in the book Body Electric by Susan Squires the 'hero' is an artificial intelligence downloaded into a brain dead hospital patient. Kind of ironic as the creator of the AI assumed her creation was female. But as the hero learns what it is to be human and asserts his independence he becomes more than the sum of his parts. He does things that maybe if he were an alpha male he wouldn't be allowed to get away with. In a way he has the luxury of being able to make those kind of 'mistakes'.
My most recent beta hero was Josiah from the book Dagger-Star by Elizabeth Vaughn. Boy were the amazon reviewers up in arms over him. I liked the role reversal of the hero and heroine's characters, that she was more in charge and he was slightly more passive. But he wasn't a wimp. He was the Lord of a land which had been annihilated during a battle. The situation may have tested him but he wasn't completely broken. Rather than go and fight a futile battle he couldn't win, he stays and tries to bring life back to his ravaged land. When called to aid the struggle he does but on his own terms.
Maybe the reason there are fewer beta heroes, is that they are harder to write and be believable? Anyone else out there have a favourite beta hero or am I in a minority.
And just before I go, here's a little clip to show beta heroes can kick ass just as good as the alpha hero does (well maybe not quite as good, but he gets the job done in the end).
Friday, November 14, 2008
Day 2 - Seven Heroes
Two vampires, a werewolf, a shifter, a telepath, an Eyrien warrior and the Lord of the Darkyn - nope, not too shabby at all.
My first pick was John Matthew (aka Tehrror) of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
"It was just a boy. A teenage boy. Dark-haired, pale-skinned. So thin he was emaciated, so beautiful he didn't look human."This is the first moment John Matthew appeared in the BDB series and he's been my favourite character ever since. Whenever I pick up a new book in the series I always (I know this is naughty) scan through and read his scenes first. From the mute pre-transition male, to the transitioned vampire, I think he's the character that I most want to know what's going to happen to him next. And I like the attraction he's got going on with Xhex - so looking forward to his book.
Up next was Jeremy Danvers, Alpha werewolf in Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series.
"Although Jeremy could never be considered the best fighter in the Pack, he possessed a strength that was even more important...Jeremy had absolute self-control."As Jeremy is possibly my favourite hero ever, it gives you an idea of how much I wanted to snaffle John Matthew that I didn't pick him first.
Ironically considering he's the alpha werewolf, he's something of a beta male (for a werewolf). Intelligent, handsome and quietly spoken, he's also lethal when necessary. The epitome of walk softly but carry a big stick (a big stick called Clayton). I love the relationship he has with Jaime. It takes them years to get past the just friends stage, Jeremy is reserved and Jaime is somewhat insecure but they finally get together and I love that he doesn't really talk and she perhaps talks to much. They just fit together so well.
My number three pick was Vayl the vampire, from the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. Sometimes you read a vampire and they're meant to be really old, but they actually read like they're in their twenties. This is so not the case with Vayl.
"If he's going to put some poor kid's face back on straight tonight I'll do the hula."He has a wonderful tendency to take whatever Jaz says literally, especially any comments she makes regarding dancing. When I read him, I believe he's over three hundred years old. Their chemistry is on something of a slow burn, building with every book. I've read the first two books in the series so far and love them.
"Lovely dance, that. The story is all in the hands. I did not know you knew - "
"Vayl, I was kidding."
"Oh." Tightening of the lips. Translation - crap, when am I going to leap into the twenty-first century and get with their damn humor?
Pick number 4 was Curran, Lord of the Beasts from Ilona Andrew's Magic series.
A slow, lazy, carnivorous smile touched Curran's lips. "Not only will you sleep with me, but you will say 'please.'"...The smile widened. "You will say 'please' before and 'thank you' after."...:blinks:...
If Jeremy is a beta Alpha then Curran is an alpha Alpha. Whilst the relationship between he and Kate is sometimes frustrating to read - get it together already! The chemistry between them fairly sizzles off the page, you know when they finally get together it's going to be explosive. Though whether she'll say 'please' before and 'thank you' after I think is open to debate.
Richard Tremayne, High Lord of the Darkyn (from the Darkyn books by Lynn Viehl) was pick number 5. He doesn't have his own book - though my fingers are still crossed that one day he may. He only ever seems to appear on page briefly, but when he does he dominates.
"Miss Jefferson, before you cut off my wife's head," Richard said qietly, "I would ask a favor of you..."He has the power of compulsion which he is more than willing to use. He remains something of a dark, intriguing mystery.
Already on pick number 6, Duncan Reever - telepath of the Stardoc novels by S.L. Viehl. He has the annoying tendency to think he knows best and doesn't have to inform his heroine about anything. Mind you, she suffers from the same affliction, so they're well matched.
"I want more than your tolerance." He touched my hair, running his hand over the smoothness.His anthropologist parents weren't above social experimentation on their son and he also lived for a time within a totalitarian alien lizard regime. This has somewhat skewed his attitude to human relationships.
Yeah, I could just imagine what he wanted.
Finally, last but not least Lucivar of Anne Bishop's Dark Jewels books. I'd liked Lucivar during the trilogy, but I think it was in the Dreams Made Flesh anthology that he really came into his own as a hero.
He propped himself up on elbow and looked down at her in disbelief. "You think wearing socks isn't romantic, but putting a block of ice against a man's balls is romantic?"The story of his and Marian's courtship was romantic and sexual, and filled in some of the gaps that had been left open in the trilogy. Slightly overshadowed by Daemon in the trilogy, for me, he came into his own in the story The Prince of Ebon Rih. It gave him a chance to shine outside his brother's shadow.
Hope you've enjoyed getting to know some of my favourite heroes. Tomorrow I'll be back with my last post for a while. See you then. (A big thanks to Sarai for helping me out with photos. :) )
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Day 1 - Six Books
My first weepy - The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger tells the love story that takes place between Henry and Claire. Claire first meets Henry when she is 6 and he is 36, though he won't meet her for the first time 'til some years later when he is 28 and she is 20. This happens because Henry suffers from a genetic condition whereby he can find himself pulled into the past or the future without warning.
"I'm Clare Abshire. I knew you when I was a little girl..." I'm at a loss because I am in love with a man who is standing before me with no memories of me at all.By turns uplifting, heart-rending, bittersweet and hopeful. It is a story that stays with you long after you've put the book down. This was one of those books that affected me so deeply that I couldn't read anything for two weeks afterwards. And flicking it through it now as I write this blog tempts me to re-read and rediscover it again.
Onto weepy number 2. A Crack in Forever by Jeannie Brewer tells the story of Eric and Alexandra who meet and fall in love. But instead of the happy ever after they anticipated they have to deal with the fact that they aren't going to have a HEA as Eric is first diagnosed with HIV and then AIDS.
I was avoiding doing a hard thing - something I had become expert at - and it was time to confront it.
I never could get Eric to admit it, but he was a genius.
This book is often accused of being overly sentimental in Amazon reviews, but I think it is beautifully written. And though I've never been able to read to the end without crying, (don't think I've ever seen those last pages unblurry) at the end it reaffirms what is important - that giving of yourself is the most important thing. I don't care if that makes me sentimental.
Think we might need a little cheering up at this point. A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold is probably best described as romantic farce (sci-fi space opera romantic farce that is). It follows the troubled courtship of Ekaterin Vorsoisson by Miles. Whatever genre of books you like there is a book in the Miles Vorkosigan series for you. Whether it's YA, spy thriller, mystery or romance. My favourite section from the series begins with Brothers in Arms and culminates four books later with A Civil Campaign.
"Madame Vorsoisson," said Mark with dignity, "is a very sensible woman. When presented with compelling facts, she doesn't let a thoughtless emotional response overcome her clear reason."And like all good farce there's a food fight. :) One of the few books that has brought tears of laughter to my eyes. Though I recommend reading the preceding books in the series first.
Miles ran his hands through his hair. "Yeah, I know."
Kelley Armstrong's Bitten is the first book in The Otherworld series and introduces us to Elena Michaels, the world's only female werewolf.
"...you knew the only person in the apartment was Philip. Yet you went up there and tried to protect him. Why?"If you just wanted to read one urban fantasy, this is the one I'd recommend you try. Probably the book I re-read most often and every single time I read it I find something new to enjoy.
Clay hesitated, then said, "Because I knew it was what you'd want me to do."
Finally for my last two choices, I think I was taking the Desert Island thing quite seriously. :)
The Complete Ivory by Doris Egan is nearly 900 pages long and would certainly help pass the time on a desert island - this was before the heroes and the huts turned up. The trilogy follows the adventures of Theodora and Ran. Theodora is an anthropology student visiting the planet of Ivory, a place where magic is real. Whilst there she discovers she has a magical skill and becomes involved with Ran - a powerful sorcerer.
I've only read this trilogy once but what sticks with me are the wonderful characters and storytelling and the wish that Doris Egan was still writing novels - she now writes for TV. Ran would make a great hero for the island. When he and Theo return to her world where his magic doesn't work, he takes a job working in the sewers (or something similar my memory is not fantastic) as this is the only job he can get. He does this without complaint whilst she gets her head straight and decides what he already knows, that they're better off on his planet.
Last choice was 12th Night because I wanted there to be some Shakespeare on the island and this is the play I know best. Through some fluke I ended up studying it both for GCSE (age 15-16) and at A-Level (age 17-18). It has some of the most beautiful lines and is also very funny. My favourite film version stars Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham Carter. Here's a little snippet - I hope.
Will be back tomorrow, with seven heroes.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Goodbyes are as hard as hellos
I think I brought both bags to RWA, but only carried the little one around. Keep in mind, the gym bag was empty when I went to RWA. It came back full. :D At home, on my computer, stores, libraries…work…books. I don’t really read them all the time, but carrying them around gives me a sense of comfort. I know, issues.
After I got into playing with clay *clears throat*, I realized I really wanted to make something. They say home is where the heart is, even so, having no place to really call your own is a very insecure feeling (ergo, carrying over a dozen books daily). If I may never buy my own house, if I should never be able to have my own little safe haven; I've already made one of my own with my two hands. This way, no matter where I go, how lost I become, or abandoned I get; I shall always have my house, that I made for me. See how little it is? I love it! This is my dream cottage and I was able to make it myself and no one can ever take it away. Well…technically you could, but no one could ever take away the fact that I made it myself. Just for me.