sula's space

one down, one to go

2008-07-17T07:34:00.005-04:00

Wow, to look at this blog, you would think I'm a total slacker. No updates for 10 freaking days? eeeeeek!!!

I feel like I've been trapped in some sort of parallel universe. Getting up in the morning and reading my marketing book over coffee before hurridly throwing together lunches for DBF and myself and rushing to work. Coming home from a full day at the office and sitting right down to study until bed time. I'm not sure what exactly it is about this semester but it's been much more time-consuming than the previous two I took on this MBA path. A combination of lots of busy-work in the marketing class (not hard, just takes a lot of time) and really dense theory in the economics class. Last night after completing my marketing final in record pace, I came home and worked on another assignment for econ. That final won't be until Sunday night. So from today till then, I have to focus on memorizing four or five chapters of scintillating material on topics like unemployment, inflation and whatnot. Thrilling.

But on the positive side, I did get a new book in the mail (yay PBS!) and have been reading it in agonizingly slow increments as I find the time. This is a different way of reading for me. Usually, I sit down and devour a book in roughly an hour, maybe two. This time around, I'm just grabbing 5 or 10 minutes to read a chapter or two. So at least it will last longer. Which book? Ah yes, the incomparable Loretta Chase. The Lion's Daughter. I believe I put this on my wishlist after reading that Chase-a-thon over at Book Smugglers. Or maybe it was something else. I can't remember...just that I read that it was good and stuck it on my list and when it was available, the nice people at PBS asked me if I wanted it. So far it is entertaining. The heroine is teetering dangerously close to annoying, but she hasn't crossed the line yet so I'm happy about that. And the hero is funny and charming and reminds me a little of Rupert from the other book. Anyways, yay books. The cover makes me laugh.

(see why I haven't been blogging...I really have nothing interesting to say. lol)

In other news, DBF and I will be staying home this weekend instead of going on a four day vacation as we had planned. The long story short is that we had made some plans with a group of three other couples to go to the beach and rent two houses, go fishing, relax, etc. We're not super tight with any of said couples, but we are acquaintances and thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get out and see another part of the state...do something we normally would not do on our own. A week before the trip, we were asked by the couple who has been planning everything if we would mind not sharing a room (mind you, said room had two single beds in it, lol) because they are hosting a European exchange student who had marked on her application that she is a Christian. And they are Christian (pretty religious too, but we've always been able to live and let live in the past) and didn't want to offend her sensibilities. Apparently the idea of me and my BF, a couple in their late twenties that have been together for five years but aren't officially "married" sharing a room (again, with TWO SINGLE BEDS) might offend her. or something. Anyways, DBF was so not pleased to be asked this question. Highly insulted and really upset. At first I just thought it was silly and was inclined to shrug and say, sure whatever, just let them have their way. But now I see his point. We were supposedly equal participants in this venture, were going to be PAYING for the privelege of our sleeping quarters just the same price as everyone else. Out of all four couples, why would we be asked to split up just for the sake of some stranger's potential ease of mind? And they didn't even know if this student would actually CARE (she's from freaking france, I'm sure she's been exposed to the concept of unmarried couples) AND she was going to be staying in the other house anyways and not in the house where we were. Even though it was a "request" and not a demand, we felt that we wouldn't be comfortable now with the group, so we cancelled. ugh. It was a big freaking mess.

so yeah, no mini vacation at the end of the summer term. :( We'll try to come up with something that the two of us can do cheaply and funly (heh) before the end of August, but it won't include random 'friends'. *sigh*

forget reading

2008-07-08T21:54:00.004-04:00

Well, I may not have time for reading or blogging in the mad race for the MBA summer term finish line. BUT I have found time to listen to an audiobook as I drift off to sleep in the evening. La Nora. This is her best, imho. Those Quinn boys are just fab. I'm partial to Phillip myself. Mainly because his book was my first NR read. But Cam and Ethan and Seth are all keepers too. What is so cool about these books is that while the romance between each brother and his woman is good and romantic and stuff, what's really great is the interaction between the guys. Miz Nora gets it right and it feels so natural and real. I luvs it.

So yeah. No books being read (except for that monster marketing tome on the sidebar). But at least there is some audiobook goodness to see me through.

The other end of this tunnel includes a quick trip to the other side of the country (yay San Fran!) and dinner, drinks and other hijinks with some of my blogging friends. I try to keep this in mind as I slog through the homework. It's like a carrot to keep me motivated.

You can run, but you can't hide

2008-07-01T22:30:00.002-04:00

K, so I am back from my roadtrip, but if I thought that it would be a vacation from my crazy life of work and MBA madness, I was sorely mistaken. le sigh. I'm up to my ears in homework and of course I am putting off things like group projects that MUST be done in the next two weeks so that said weeks will be even more stressful. Excellent!

Anyways, here is a LOLcat to brighten your day/night. One day soon I hope to actually blog again. Might not be until MBA summer school lets out and I get one glorious month of freedom from class (not from work, mind you, but I'll take what I can get.) Oh and let's start the countdown to San Fran! woot!

Roadtrip!

2008-06-27T07:33:00.002-04:00

DBF and I are off to drive up to New York state. This weekend we are visiting a couple that we were friends with back in Africa. She's ex-peace corps like me, he's Malian like DBF. And they have three adorable kids, one of whom we've never met. So hooray for roadtrips!

See you all next week. Behave yourselves! Don't do anything that I wouldn't do. heh.

Of DIKs and things...

2008-06-24T21:05:00.004-04:00

(The picture has nothing to do with this post...I just have a soft spot for LOLcats and thought that was funny. *g*)

....

Once upon a time there was a group of five or six romance bloggers who were chatting on AIM. A good time was had by all as books were discussed and best reads evah were named. One thing led to another and the notion of a DIK (Desert Island Keeper) list took shape. Initially there were six of us in the chat, so we decided that each person could bring six books to our made-up island. Which would make a library of 36. That's how it started. Since then, the DIK-mania (heh) has grown and morphed into a free-for-all hero-choose-a-thon and now (drumroll) a blog! Excellent reads, hot men, author interviews, these things will be covered in detail. Good times.

I've been pathetically remiss in shouldering my share of the blog's duties (shakes fist at summer MBA courses and full-time work schedule) but I always seem to find time to pimp myself. ha. Well, that is...today is/was my "about me" day on the group blog. So if you wanna know my answers to such scintillating and life-changing questions as "what is your favorite sex song?", then hurry on over to the DIK Ladies blog. woot!

MLM - The Hell You Say!

2008-06-23T07:48:00.006-04:00

I should have known. I was warned. Everyone said that Jake Riordan would break my heart and it's true. *sniff* I may never get over this.

Oh hi there. Did you come to celebrate ManLove Monday? Yeah. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the festive mood. Let me tell you why. I fell in like (as in, plz be my BFF) with this guy named Adrien English. He's everything a BFF should be. Funny, witty. Wry and sarcastic. Good taste in books and movies and a thoughtful gift shopper. S'rsly. Every girl needs a good gay friend. And I want Adrien to be mine. But I can't stand watching him get his heart crushed by his erstwhile closeted boyfriend, Homicide Detective Jake Riordan. The rotten bastard!!!!

Lemme go back a bit. I'm clearly getting worked up. See, there is this mystery series written by the incomparable Mr. Josh Lanyon. The Adrien English Mystery Series. And this past week, I read book 3. Title: The Hell You Say. I think it's been reviewed very soundly and thoroughly by many other bloggers out there. So I'm not even going to try to do a proper review. This is my quickie review. But yeah, I'll attempt a brief summary.

Adrien finds himself in the middle of a mystery that includes young college-aged occultist wannabes, missing persons, pentagrams drawn in red blood and a university professor that may or may not be all that he seems. In the meantime, Adrien's mother is thinking of getting remarried and he has to negotiate the relationship with the new potential in-laws. And of course there is the police detective that he's been seeing secretly. Secretly because said policeman is totally in the closet and can't admit to himself let alone the world that he is teh gay! The plot moves along at a good pace. We're not sure who we can trust and the one person we ought to be able to trust (the rat bastard boyfriend) ends up pulling a whopper of a betrayal. But I'm not bitter. No. Uh uh. *ahem*

Anyways, back to the writing. It's good stuff. I've read short stories by Lanyon before and the elements I liked about his writing there stay true here. He has a deft touch with humor and takes the maxim of "show me don't tell me" to heart. The writing is tight, and we're treated to Adrien's take on events as they happen. Being inside Adrien's head is a great place to be. He's funny and sarcastic but also has an edge of vulnerability. It's the vulnerability, the ordinariness and realness of him that really gets me. Because unlike some heros in a murder mystery, Adrien acts like you might expect a normal person to react to finding things like dead bodies. Shock, fear, confusion but with a stubborn determination to feret out the truth behind the lies. It's this determination and ability to move beyond the knee-jerk reaction to horrible events that makes Adrien such a scrappy contender. He may not be a muscle-bound he-man, but he's got a brain and he's not afraid to use it.

I finished this book in a swirling mix of emotions. Happy that I had had the chance to meet Adrien. Satisfied with the denouement of the mystery. And absolutely spitting furious at Jake. Really. Angry. (just ask my buddy lisabea...I was sending her raging emails. lol) I think that it's a testament to Lanyon's writing skill that I feel so strongly about these fictional characters. I may not like what he's done with them, but I'm going to trust (fingers crossed) that it will all work out in the end...be that the next book or the one after it. I'm certainly going to be along for the ride.

Visit Josh Lanyon's official website here. Buy The Hell You Say here as an e-book or at Amazon in paperback.

Oh and be sure to visit my partner-in-crime lisabea for more MLM today.

Just Cuz

2008-06-22T16:18:00.002-04:00

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

alright, this seems to be the blog meme o' the day. I have to laugh at mine. How sad and true it is. poor lonely blog. I really need to rescue it from its solitude. lol.

Congratulations to the happy couples

2008-06-18T09:38:00.002-04:00

*sniff* Such a happy day for so many...and such a long time coming.

More photos at SF Gate. Careful though, you just might get a little choked up.

Monday exclusive - where's the beef?

2008-06-16T10:25:00.004-04:00

First of all, can I just share this picture with you? How hilarious is that? S'rsly, I start convulsing in giggles whenever I look at it. A classic DOH moment if there ever was one. Well, maybe this one also qualifies.

DOH!

Ok, I just thought those were funny and would help start off the week with a giggle.

Moving on...

Yesterday whilst speaking with my parents during our once-a-month-or-so phone conversation, my mom and I started to discuss menus and one thing led to another and we got talking recipes. Our family likes to cook, you see. As we were talking, Dad was in the other room whipping up a batch of homemade biscuits and sausage gravy (yum!). And Mom was telling me about a great recipe she had for daging rendang (Indo/Malay beef dish). We lived in Indonesia for some thirteen plus years and Indonesian dishes are like comfort food for me. Unfortunately, as an adult I haven't always been able to find recipes for the dishes I ate as a child. So when she started talking about this recipe and I realized that I happened to have all of the necessary ingredients on hand, I asked her to email me the recipe.

After we got off the phone, I rushed to my email and started hitting refresh. No recipe. I gave it some time figuring the length of the intertubes from England to USA might have gotten tangled. Refresh. No recipe. So I shot mom a quick email asking if she was going to send me that darned recipe after all, cuz I wanted to make the dish for supper. As I waited, I googled around and found a plethora of alternative recipes for daging rendang. They all were a little different. Apparently, there are multiple ways to prepare a dish, not necessarily one RIGHT way or wrong way. Kind of like book reviews. Anyways, with this in mind, I would like to share with you an exclusive recipe for a different way to prepare beef than your standard hamburger helper meal. My mommy's recipe! *g* For people with an open mind and an adventurous palate, this may be something to try. At least I can say that my boyfriend polished of a huge helping of it last night and gave me big props on my cooking mojo.

Daging Rendang
600 grams lean beef (1.5 pounds)
4 shallots sliced (small red onions)
6 fresh red chillies (or cayenne powder to suit your taste)
1-inch knob fresh ginger, grated

4 cloves garlic
300 ml coconut milk
50 ml. Vegetable oil
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Salt
Ground black pepper

Chop the meat into cubes and place in bowl. Chop shallots and place half to one side. Chop the chillies and garlic and mix with ground ginger, half the shallots and a small amount of coconut milk. Pour this paste over the meat, stir to evenly coat. Marinate for 20-30 minutes. Heat oil in a large frying pan and sauté the remaining shallots until soft, add the meat along with the marinade. Season with the coriander, cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat to simmer until the meat is tender, approximately 1 1/4 hours. Finally, add a bit more coconut milk and continue cooking over medium heat uncovered until the liquid has been almost completely reduced.

sexy pasta

2008-06-15T17:25:00.003-04:00

Sunday afternoon. I'm sitting here multi-tasking: watching Discovery channel specials out of the corner of one eye, studying for an economics quiz on my laptop, simmering some Indonesian dishes for supper (which smells fantastic, btw). And my attention was caught by this ridiculously funny ad for pasta.

Can someone please tell me how being a good mom by serving your kids and extended family a special kind of pasta from the box will net you a hot Italian stallion? Not complaining about the eye candy, but the juxtaposition of the elements just makes me laugh. I'm switching pasta brands NOW! *snort*

Happy Loving Day

2008-06-12T19:11:00.005-04:00

Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in 16 states (according to wikipedia)

It's mind-blowing to me to think that some 40-odd years ago my relationship would have been illegal in the state where I currently live. Heck, our future president's parents would have been criminals in 16 states at the time of his birth just for the fact of their marriage. Amazing.

So I hug my loved one tight to me and celebrate our multi-colored, multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural love. Diversity is beautiful. I pray that someday soon my gay and lesbian friends will be able to claim the same equal rights that I take for granted.

Happy Loving Day!

Blast from the past - Princess Bride

2008-06-09T08:03:00.004-04:00

So after that all-day study-a-thon, I came home last night totally wiped out. DBF and I curled up on the couch together, ate pizza and flipped through the TV channels. Turns out that Princess Bride was on, and DBF had never seen this class film! I had great pleasure in introducing him to one of my all-time feel-good favs.

I mean seriously...this movie is quotation heaven!
"As you wish!"
"No more rhymes now, I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?"
"Inconceivable!"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die."
"Your friend is not all dead, he's mostly dead....All dead and there is only one thing you can do....go through his clothes and check for loose change."
"Mawwiage...mawwiage is what bwings us togever today."
"There is a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. Twould be a pity to damage yours."
"Drop. Your. Sword."

*sigh*

I had such a teenage crush on Westley, although I didn't really want to be Buttercup. Even then I could realize that she was too much of a ditz (check out her lame reaction to the R.O.U.S. in the fireswamp.) But Westley...oh my little heart went pitter pat. I distinctly remember wearing out a hole in the VHS tape (remember those?) on the part when they rolled down the mountain and had their big reunion. AND being annoyed at Fred Savage's character for stopping all the good kissing bits.

Memories. Heh. Anyways, my BF really enjoyed the movie and now I'm sure to hear the Inigo Montoya line in the future.

Anyone else want to reminisce with me? Btw, if you are brave, ABC has this 20 year retrospective where they show then and now pics of the actors involved. My poor teenage crush...is seriously crushed. yikes!

economical studying

2008-06-08T11:31:00.003-04:00

Economics = study of the use of scarce resources

My scarce resource of free time is being consumed today by the study of economics. A mid-term exam looms at 6pm tonight (yes, SUNDAY night, ugh) and of course I am a professional procrastinator. So today will be spent unplugged from teh intertubes as I attempt to cram five chapters of boring theory into my brain, ready to be unleashed in five essay questions.

booyah.

What Happens in Vegas...

2008-06-05T08:34:00.001-04:00

At long last...my review of this anthology. First of all, let's talk about the cover. Phew, that's hot stuff. Definitely a book that would be fun to take out in public to read and watch people's reactions. heh.

Now I have found that anthologies tend to be a mixed bag. It's pretty rare that I find each entry to really 'work' for me and this book was no exception. Some of the stories were stronger than others. One of them really didn't work at all. I'm gonna give the little blurb from the back jacket and then try to quickly cover a thumbnail sketch of each plot and my take on each vignette.

First up...

Hot for You - Jodi Lynn Copeland
Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Jack and Carinna have known each other forever. They were childhood friends and have remained friends into adulthood. Carinna has serious emotional baggage regarding getting serious about anyone and prefers to love 'em and leave 'em. Or at least to just have sex with no strings attached. When the story begins, we're told that she and Jack indulged in one night of hot sex a few months back and that they both got spooked by how vulnerable they felt one to another. After a high stakes game of poker, they begin to explore a sexual relationship that just might turn serious.

I think this was my favorite entry in the book. The author uses a device I haven't seen often which is alternating first person POV. The story is told in Carinna's voice for half a chapter or so, then we switch into Jack's head and get his take on what just happened as well as the next few moves of the plot. It sounds clunky, but oddly enough works very well here. Particularly because the conflict of the story lies in Carinna and Jack's differing take on "what it all means". Carinna is terrified of being tied down to any man. Jack realizes that she is the love of his life but that he has to convince her to get over her fears of commitment. I like the gender role reversal and the sexxoring is hot stuff. Overall, a satisfying little read and I'm going to keep my eyes open for more by this author.

Stripped - Lauren Dane
Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet-talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she's not giving anything away for free.

Stripper by night, MBA student by day, Dahlia just wants to be respected for her brains and not her hot hot body! How dare our hero Nash hit on her after he sees her stripping, oh no, I'm sorry "burlesque dancing" (cuz apparently, there is a big difference). It's so unfair! *pout* Um, yeah. Clearly, I didn't buy into the setup of this one. Maybe I'm being too snarky, but the "I'm a stripper to pay for my MBA and I just don't understand why people don't take me seriously" schtick did not work for me. Probably because I myself am in the middle of an MBA program (and have not yet resorted to exotic dancing. lol).

Rich playboy Nash sees Dahlia dancing onstage at the club that his brother owns. We're told he's rich and a bit of a player so when he propositions Dahlia it's not surprising but a little disappointing. In general, I want my heros to be a little more heroic. Dahlia goes OFF on him (how dare you assume that just because I do burlesque dancing I am a slut...I'll have you know I am an MBA student, etc.) and he apologizes and tries to remedy the situation by being very polite and gentlemanly. He tries to get to know Dahlia as a person and spends the next few encounters wooing her gently. Interestingly enough, it doesn't take them all that long to embark on a relationship. The conflict in the story has more to do with Dahlia feeling like she's out of her league by being with a guy in a higher social class. For his part, Nash actually grows on me. For being a playboy, he reforms pretty quickly and seems genuinely attracted and devoted to Dahlia. I guess he's not a bad hero after all. And Dahlia is a nice person. So why don't I CARE more?

I'm not sure how to evaluate this story. It didn't really engage my emotions, so I never felt all that invested in the outcome. Not bad, not great. Average?

Red-Handed - Kit Tunstall
Meanwhile, Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind...until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she's going to pay...with both pleasure and pain.

Ah, the sexual blackmail plot. How do we love thee? Let me count the ways...

As the blurb indicates Amy is in the middle of robbing the Liege Casino with her no-account cousin who has convinced her that their family has to have this money or lose the farm (or something). She thinks she's a real tricky trickster but alas, Roan, the owner of said casino, is trickier and she gets caught. Uhoh! He hauls her away and threatens to hand her over to the cops, UNLESS.... Well, let's just say that somehow Amy ends up proposing that she play sub to Roan's very controlling dom side for the next month in exchange for him not turning her over to the law. Wow. Alrighty then. Before you call me a prude, let me just say that I can dig a little captive seduction/BDSM fantasy as much as the next gal as long as it's believable. But unfortunately, this one was not. I'm supposed to believe that through all of the wannabe BDSM stuff (and honestly, it didn't actually come across as genuinely kinky) these two are forging some kind of deep emotional bond. I just did not see it. We are treated to lots of internal angst in both Amy and Roan's thoughts, and I felt like smacking them both upside the head and telling them to quit being silly and just TALK to one another. And by the time Amy has had not one but TWO scary encounters with other dudes thinking that because she was Roan's sex slave she was fair game, I was SO over it.

The Deal - Anya Bast
Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her "friend with benefits." But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

One can always rely on Anya Bast for a super hot story that hits all the right notes and entertains. This is a friends to lovers plot and I am a sucker for those. Cassidy was left at the altar by her fiance and has never recovered enough emotionally to trust another guy (not surprisingly). The best man at the cancelled wedding was James, and she's remained close friends with him. James has always been attracted to Cassidy but could never act on that connection because she was his friend's fiance. He's kept his distance for a year since the break-up to give her space, but now he wants to make his move. Five nights of blackjack with sexual prizes at stake? Oh yeah, this is the Vegas I'm talking about, baby!

This is a fun little tale. James and Cassidy are a great couple and they already know each other's quirks and foibles. This is part of why I dig the friends/lovers thing, especially in a short story that by its nature doesn't give one a lot of time to develop a relationship. We can get right down to the sexxoring, and hoo boy, it's hot. James is an adventurous sort, and it's fun to see him seduce Cassidy into letting go of her inhibitions. Cassidy regains a lot of the self-confidence she lost when she was jilted and she gets a sweet, hot sexy guy in the bargain. A definite win-win. I thoroughly enjoyed this entry and ended the book on a positive note.

Overall, I would give this anthology a B-. The best stories bookended the collection (first and last) and I'm going to keep Anya Bast on my list of go-to authors and add Jodi Lynn Copeland as a new author to watch. Oh, and I'm going to keep this book on my bedside table because it's fun to watch DBF double-take at the cover. lol.

A big thank you to Ann Aguirre for holding the contest and sending me the book. Mwah!

While Sula's Away....

2008-05-28T16:00:00.007-04:00

...Lisabea will play.

So poor Sula is stuck in DC at meetings/convention/working/blah de blah stuff all week. Isn't she fortunate to have blog buddy who will plaster her site with uplifting photos of hot mens and LOL cats? Yes. SHE IS~~I'm practically heroic!

She'd like you to know that she is reading..some, uh, book, and she'll post as soon as she can. Yeah. That's the ticket! Until that time: here's a hottie.

Heh.

Housekeeping

2008-05-22T07:21:00.004-04:00

Whew. The DIK, it was long. heh. I feel as though I haven't blogged in ages. Oh wait, that's cuz I haven't. So I figure that even though I have a busy schedule of work and night classes today, I ought to at least blog a bit about the other stuff that has happened recently here in sulaland.

I won the pay-it-forward contest on RachaelfromNJ's blog and received a box of books in the mail! It was so exciting!!! Not just to win a contest (which as we know is pretty thrilling in and of itself) but to get a big ol' box on my poarch. mmmm fresh books. I'll post a list of the contents later, but upon my initial perusal, I don't think I have read ANY of them previously. Which is very cool because that means they are new to me. yay! Thank you again to Rachael for running the contest. And keep tuned, because I will be crafting my very own pay-it-forward some time in the near future.

I finished the sexy Vegas anthology. I enjoyed it muchly although some stories definitely worked better than others. The reason I haven't posted my review yet is because I haven't had a moment to sit down and give it the time and thought I want in order to make it a useful review. The goal is to have it up by this weekend.

On the reading front, I have to admit that I'm not really in the middle of anything at the moment. My bf has moved in to live with me over the summer and that has cut down on my free time. no no, not in the way you are thinking of (get yer minds outta the gutter). I see so little of him during the school semesters that I do try to squeeze in more quality time together in the summers. Usually this means sitting on the couch watching TV together. yeah, real quality time there. Oh but we did watch North and South from start to finish last Friday night. I had to explain a lot to him (English not being his native language and the intricacies of industrial British society not exactly a topic he's familiar with) but he caught on pretty quickly. At the end, he had a huge sappy grin on his face during the train scene. And he leaned over to kiss me. awww. *g*

I will be going to DC next week for my professional organization's annual conference. It's pretty big, couple thousand people at the convention center. I always like going because it's a chance for me to get out of the office and network with other people who do what I do. We can compare notes and best practices and get ideas for how to improve. Or just vent and bitch to each other and totally get what we're whining about. heh. Oh and staying in a hotel in downtown DC is fun too. DBF is coming with and will probably have a better time than me because he'll have free time each day to go see the sights when I'm in sessions.

So yeah, life goes on. I do want to say thanks to all of the fun and crazy gang that participated in the DIK. That was insanity. But very entertaining. I now have a much longer list of 'books I out to read if I could ever find the time, dammit!'. lol. And I am very pleased with my hut o' heros.

Now I must get going. Work awaits and I have an economics class tonight. The fun just never ends. See you round teh internets!

Hard end of the DIK

2008-05-18T10:52:00.024-04:00

Yes, you thought this day would never arrive. The end of DIK. It's so hard. heh. Hard to say goodbye that is...what did you THINK I meant? pfft. (you all have such dirty minds. i luv it!)

Welcome players and spectators to the final round of DIK Madness.
Below is a list of the women who selected six 'Desert Island Keeper' books to bring to our island's library almost two weeks ago. Since then, we've begun a 'Desert Island Keeper Hero Draft' for which we are taking turns in rounds to pick seven heroes to join our island adventure.

Since the order of play has been consistenly the same (with the list reversing itself each round), I decided that for the grande finale a little shake-up was in order. And so I fed the list of names into an online list randomizer which generates "mathematically random numbers based on noises recorded by a microphone in Ireland" to randomize the list. Noises recorded in Ireland? Huh. Well, all I know is that if you don't like your spot on the list, don't complain to me. Blame Ireland. Now with that bit of housekeeping taken care of, let's move on to the current standings...
Round 1 picks are in RED.
Round 2 picks are in PURPLE.
Round 3 picks are in BLUE.
Round 4 picks are in GREEN.
Round 5 picks are in ORANGE.
Round 6 picks are in AQUA MARINE.
Round 7 picks will be in MAROON (because we are after all "marooned" on a desert island. lol)

CURRENT HOLDINGS: (please note that order of play has been changed!!!)

1. Naida - Edward Cullen (Twilight, Stephanie Meyers), John Atlantis (Entangled, Kathleen Dante), Frederick Wentworth (Persuasion, Jane Austen), Aragorn aka Strider (Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien), Tristen (Legends of the Fall, Jim Harrison), Mark Darcy (Bridget Jones Diary, Helen Fielding), Ian (The Host, Stephenie Meyer)

2. LesleyW - John Matthew aka Tehrror (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Jeremy Danvers (Women of the Otherworld series, Kelly Armstrong), Vayl (Jaz and Vayl series, Jennifer Rardin), Curran (Magic Bites and Magic Burns, Ilona Andrews), Richard Tremayne High Lord of the Darkyn (Darkyn books, Lynn Viehl) Duncan Reever (Stardoc books by S.L. Viehl), Lucivar (the Dark Jewels books, Anne Bishop)

3. Ciaralira - Ethan McCabe (Demon Night, Meljean Brook) Hugh Castleford (Demon Angel, Meljean Brook) Westley (The Princess Bride, William Goldman), Lord Robert Andreville (Robin) (Angel Rogue, Mary Jo Putney), Kieran vel Solande (Tairen Soul Series, C.L. Wilson), Garret Langham, the Earl of Mayne, (Pleasure for Pleasure, Eloisa James), Dr. Samuel Cornick (Mercy Thompson series, Patricia Briggs)

4. Lisabea - Adrien English (Adrien English series, Josh Lanyon) Colin Ames Beaumont (Demon Moon, Meljean Brook), Jake Romero (With Caution, J.L. Langley), Nate (My Fair Captain, J.L. Langley), Savitri Murray (Demon Moon, Meljean Brook), Derek Knightly (At Love's Command, Samantha Kane), Captain Jack Sparrow! (some spin-off book surely, Disney)

5. Sula - Rhage (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward) Asa McIntyre (Promises Linger by Sarah McCarty), Dain (Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase), Ian Witherspoon (At Love's Command, Samantha Kane), Nathaniel Bonner (Into the Wilderness, Sara Donati), Keir of the Cat (Warprize, Elizabeth Vaughan), Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood, Russell T. Davies/BBC)

6. Samantha Kane - Doyle/The Queen's Darkness (Merry Gentry Series, Laurell K. Hamilton) Cat, a young pirate (The Windflower, Laura London), Chief of Police Jack West (All U Can Eat, Emma Holly), Tom Paoletti (Unsung Hero, Suzanne Brockmann), Angel a.k.a. Angelis (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Angel Chronicles, Nancy Holder and or Angel: After the Fall, Brian Lynch and Franco Urru), Rhys (Merry Gentry series, Laurell K. Hamilton), Jack Reacher (Jack Reacher series, Lee Child)

7. Thea - Jamie Fraser (Outlander, Diana Gabaldon) Joscelin Verreuil (Kushiel's Legacy series, Jacqueline Carey), Jacob Black (Twilight Series, Stephanie Meyer), Batman! (some spin-off book by someone), Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit (Uncanny X-Men, Chris Claremont), Roland Deschain (Dark Tower books, Stephen King), Tyler Durden (Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk)

8. Shannon - Sam Donovan (Mr. Perfect, Linda Howard) Sam Starrett (Troubleshooters series, Suzanne Brockmann), Max Baghat (Troubleshooter series, Suzanne Brockmann), Adam Hauptman (Mercedes Thompson series, Patricia Briggs), Captain Malcom Reynolds a.k.a. Capt. Tight Pants (Firefly/Serenity franchise & comics, Joss Whedon), Izzy Teague (Code Name series, Christina Skye), Stan Wolchonok (Over the Edge, Suzanne Brockmann)

9. Carolyn Jean - Eric Northman (Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris), Joe Morelli (Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich), Ranger (Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich), Michael (Guardian Series, Meljean Brook), Adrian (The Spymaster's Lady, Joanna Bourne), Han Solo (Star Wars Series spin-off books), Captain Kirk (Star Trek)

10. MaryKate - Roarke (In Death series, JD Robb) Lucas Hunter (Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh), Maximillian Pesaro,( Gardella Chronicles, Colleen Gleason), Cameron Quinn (Sea Swept, Nora Roberts), Jacob Green (Vampire Queen Servant series, Joey W. Hill), Captain Jack Seward (All Through The Night, Connie Brockway), Hawke (Psy/Changeling series, Nalini Singh)

11. Sarah - Clay (Women of the Otherworld series, Kelley Armstrong), Nathaniel (Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Series), Barinthus ( Meredith Gentry), Lucas (Heaven Sent Series, Jet Mykels), Jericho Barrons (Fever Series, Karen Marie Monings), Katou Youji (Haru wo Daiteita/Embracing Love, Nitta Youka), Taylor MacAllister (Dangerous Ground, Josh Lanyon, Hot Tub, Splish Splash)

12. Sarai - Jake Riordan (Adrien English series, Josh Lanyon) Gage Travis (Sugar Daddy, Lisa Kleypas), Vaughn D'Angelo (Visions of Heat, Nalini Singh), Zarek of Moesia (Dance with the Devil, Sherrilyn Kenyon), Jonas (Breed Series, Lora Leigh), Sterling "Harvard" Chase (Kiss of Crimson, Lara Adrian)Cam Rohan (Mine Til Midnight, Lisa Kleypas)

13. Tumperkin - Mick Tremore (The Proposition, Judith Ivory), Michael McNeil (Wild at Heart, Patricia Gaffney), Christian, Duke of Jervaulx (Flowers from the Storm, Laura Kinsale), Graham Wessit (Black Silk, Judith Ivory), Sebastian Verlaine (To Have and To Hold, Patricia Gaffney), Charles Audley, (An Infamous Army, Georgette Heyer), Sydnam Butler (Simply Love, Mary Balogh)

14. Bridget Locke - Mr. Jules Cassidy (All Through the Night, Suzanne Brockmann), Bones (One Foot in the Grave and Halfway to the Grave, Jeannie Frost), Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen), Judd Laurens (Caressed by Ice, Nalini Singh), Simon Hunt (Secrets of a Summer's Night, Lisa Kleypas), Theodore Westgaard (Years, LaVyrle Spencer), Cadeon Woede (Dark Desires after Dusk, Kresley Cole)

15. Christine - Acheron (Dark Hunter series, Sherrilyn Kenyon) Qhuinn (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward) Vishous (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Butch O'Neill (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Belial (Guardians Series, Meljean Brook), Gaelen vel Serranis (The Tairen Soul series, C.L. Wilson), Clay Bennett (Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh)

16. Ana - Bowen MacRieve (Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, Kresley Cole), Sebastian St. Vincent (Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas), Royce Westmoreland (A Kingdom of Dreams,Judith McNaught), Conrad Wroth (Dark Needs at Night's Edge, Kresley Cole), Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (X-Men), Fox Mulder (X-files spin-off books), King Leonidas (The 300 Graphic Novels)

17. JenB - Vane Kattalakis (Night Play, Sherrilyn Kenyon) Angel (Angel, Johanna Lindsey) Rule, (The Demon You Know, Christine Warren), Kade (Riley Jenson Guardian series, Keri Arthur), Challen (Warrior's Woman, Johanna Lindsey), Calvin Morissey (Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie), Heath Boscastle (Wedding Night of an English Rogue, Jillian Hunter)

18. KristieJ - Derek Craven (Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas) Dax Silverbrake (Sky Pirate, Justine Davis) Ciaran Tamberlane (My Forever Love, Marsha Canham), Branden Kel-Paten (Games of Command, Linnea Sinclair), Gray Rouillard (After the Night, Linda Howard), Wizard (Driven, Eve Kenin), John Thornton (North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell)

19. Tracy - Zsadist (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Phineas Tucker (Welcome to Temptation, Jennifer Crusie), Dorian (Psy/Changeling Series, Nalini Singh), Wrath (Dark Lover, BDB series by JR Ward), Caine Allen (Caine's Reckoning, Sarah McCarty) Daemon Sadi (Black Jewels Trilogy, Anne Bishop) Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. aka Indiana Jones (spin-off book somewhere)

20. Katie(babs) - Alexander (The Bronze Horseman, Paullina Simons) Rehvenge (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), James Diaz (Cry No More, Linda Howard) Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan (Gabriel's Ghost, Linnea Sinclair), Rain Tairen Soul (Tairen Soul Series, C.L. Wilson), Jack Prescott (Dangerous Lover, Lisa Marie Rice), Sherlock Holmes (multiple Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Step 1. Find your name. That is the order you choose in. (see above note on new order)

Step 2. When it's your turn, "Call" ONE hero in the comments. It can be anybody from all of literature (and apparently spin-off as-seen-on-TV books now count too), but you can't have somebody who is already picked! Who will you pick? Naida gets to start. Naida, leave your hero's name in the comments. Then LesleyW gets to go. And so on. After this round, everyone should have seven heros and our island of 160 men/women/vamps/demons/shifters/superheros/etcetera will be completely crowded.

Yes, trades are permitted. In fact, this is your last chance to swap. Someone else got a hero you just CAN'T live without? Pony up (har) and make them an offer while there is still time.

Don't worry about obsessively monitoring this thing. If you don't call your hero in ~~24 hours~~, 1 hour we'll skip you. LOL Just kidding. Maybe two hours. Or three. ;)

RULES:
• No picking out of order. Once the woman above you has chosen, it's your turn.
• Trades are permitted, but be clear about announcing the results in the comments or email so your host(s) don't have to play sleuth.
• If it's your turn and we don't hear from you for ~~24 hours~~ a few hours, sorry, you're skipped. But you can email your host(s) ahead of time with your pick. Or comment as soon as you come back and your pick will be entered.
Email to: sulawesigirl4 at yahoo dot com or noseinabook at live dot com

• Gratuitous posting of hot Gerard Butler pics are always in good taste.

• Latecomers: SORRY, we wish everybody could play, but there has now been a moratorium placed on add-ons, due to the record-keeping nightmare this ~~will soon~~ has become.
ROUND 1: (now over) Hosted at CarolynJean's.
ROUND 2: (now over) Hosted at Sarai's
ROUND 3: (now over) Hosted at lisabea's.
ROUND 4: (now over) Hosted at MaryKate's.
ROUND 5: (now over) Hosted at Christine's.
ROUND 6: (now over) Hosted at Katie(babs) & Kristie(J)'s.
ROUND 7: Hosted at Sula's!

So here we go. Good luck to all!

Breaking news... fellow DIKer lisabea is discussing the archetypes of heros with m/m author James Buchanan on her blog today. Check it out!

MLM - Mini review

2008-05-12T07:49:00.003-04:00

Good morning MLM lovers! It's that day of the week again. While I do not have anything lengthy prepared, I thought I would put up a very short review of a Jet Mykles story. To go along with galpal lisabea's interview with Jet today.

The story Key to Me is an entry in an anthology called The Ties that Bind published by MLR press (that stands for ManLoveRomance...love it!) Noah has been in and out of relationships always looking for that special someone whom he can truly fall in love with but never quite finding his match. Lately, he has been receiving gifts from a secret admirer, and the fact that each gift indicates this admirer really knows him and his most intimate desires is both driving him crazy and seducing the hell out of him. Longtime friend and roommate Mitch continues to tease him about finding his mystery man. His work friends are also involved and eagerly await the details of the latest gift. Noah wonders who it could possibly be.

Then one day Noah receives a note along with his latest gift telling him when and where to meet his secret admirer. Hotness ensues. Mr. Mystery manages to keep his identity shrouded by having Noah wear a blindfold. Did I mention that hotness ensues? Lots of great sexy sex with a slight touch of light BDSM play. Noah becomes more and more emotionally fixated on his mystery lover because he seems to know instinctively what Noah wants, what Noah needs. Hell, who wouldn't be seduced by that? It's romantic fantasy at its best.

Um, so I won't give away the big ol' spoiler, but I'm guessing you can figure it out. The finale is very emotionally satisfying, and I finished the story with a big smile and an "awww, that is so romantic" kind of sigh. Definitely giving this little story a thumbs up. And the rest of the anthology looks good too (I've read about half of the other entries so far). If you're looking for a tasty manlove collection, you can't go wrong with this one.

As I mentioned earlier, miz lisabea is interviewing author Jet Mykles over at her blog today. So go forth and enjoy! Happy MLM!

I got somethin'

2008-05-07T22:42:00.004-04:00

Look at what just arrived in MY mail today! Ok, s'rsly is that not a hot cover? humina. Thanks to the lovely Ann Aguirre and a very nice contest on her blog, I have this very pretty spicy book to read. I'm tickled because a. it's romantica/erotica/whatever-you-call-it-a and you KNOW I love me some hawtness, b. anthologies are such a nice way to try new-to-me authors, and c. hell, it is just exciting when you win a free book. heh.

Behind closed doors, the real games begin…

Winning it big.
That's the name of the game at Las Vegas's Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on a roll of the dice…and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet-talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she's not giving anything away free.

Meanwhile, Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she's going to pay… with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her "friend with benefits." But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

Watch this space for an upcoming review. Assuming I can tear my eyes from the cover and start reading. lol.

MLM - I got nothin'

2008-05-05T07:41:00.002-04:00

...well, in fact I DO have something. But that something is a book and not a review (yet). What I have in my hot little hands is the second book in the Jesse and Gideon series (I'm sure they actually have a name, but I am going with Jesse and Gideon because I luvs them). You remember Master of Obsidian by Jamie Craig? This is book 2. Oh yes, there are MORE stories with these two fantastic guys.

More crimes to be solved. More mysteries to unfold. More kinky vampire sex games. More hot manlove!

You can read an excerpt here

Happy ManLove Monday everybody! Head over to lisabea's for a totally fun interview with m/m author Ally Blue.

A box o' books!

2008-05-02T19:33:00.005-04:00

How cool is this? Rachael has a pay it forward contest on her blog and the lucky winner will receive a box of books! Go forth and win. Just...well, not too many of you, cuz I don't wanna make my odds of winning too slim. heh.

Thanks to the indomitable CJ for the heads up.

This deserves a repeat posting of White Shirt, methinks.

Surrender to Surrender

2008-05-01T00:37:00.007-04:00

Remember how on Sunday I talked about how I had an extra copy of Pamela Clare's French and Indian era romance Surrender and how it would be going to one lucky commenter? Well, after taking all of the names in the kitty, assigning them each a unique number and then running the numbers through an online "random number generator" (im in ur internets, messin ur science!), I have a winner to announce. .....

MaryM!!!

Congratulations, Mary. You are the proud new owner of a historical novel. Or you will be once you email me at sulawesigirl4 at yahoo dot com and give me a place to mail this lovely book to.

Thanks to everyone for playing.

DIK...or what to save when the boat sinks

2008-04-30T07:11:00.004-04:00

Greetings! So last night while having a crazy good time chatting with fellow blogger buddies, the talk turned to books (surprise!) and then to the concept of a DIK (Desert Island Keeper). What if we were stuck on an island and only had a few books on hand? How to choose a small but diverse library of books to pass around amongst ourselves and share?

After much spirited discussion, we decided the rules were as follows:
1. Everyone gets to bring six books (because there were six of us in the discussion...don't ask about the logic. lol)
2. No duplicating a book from someone else's list because we are all friends and will share our books. Besides this means more titles available to all of us.
3. Only books that are already in print (no ARCs or not-yet-published books).
4. Oh yeah, try to spread the love over different sub-genres.

So today, we six are doing a round robin blog hop of our six DIK lists of six. KristieJ started us off and now it is my turn.

1. Outlander - No surprise here. My favorite book(s) of all time. I still have the vivid memory of reading the first three in this series at age 16 and being completely and utterly transported to another world and being convinced that Jamie and Clare were in fact real people. When we first talked about only getting ONE book on the island, this would have been my choice.

2. Lover Eternal - One word...Rhage! K, so I know that Z is the one that everyone wants to heal and nurture but Rhage will always be my favorite brother. This was the first book I read in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and after all of the rest, it is still my favorite. I love how Rhage is utterly and completely head over heels for Mary, how the mere sound of her VOICE is enough to transfix him. The age-old fantasy of a perfect gorgeous man desiring and pursuing the plain woman (and she doesn't magically lose her glasses and discover she is a sekrit supermodel)...it really works for me. *sigh*

3. The Serpent Prince - I realize that this is a somewhat recent release and perhaps it is a little hasty to put it on a DIK list. However, I've already gone back and reread it several times. Which is something I rarely do and which tells me that it's in my library for the long haul. Simon is a great anti-hero, so tortured and yet so naive in the ways of the heart. Add the red shoes and the elegant and witty dialogue and I'm sold. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again.

4. The Duke - This book by Gaelen Foley is part of a larger series, but it stands alone perfectly well by itself. Stuffy duke Robert gets his world turned upside down by his mistress Bel. The whole arranged mistress thing is certainly a common enough plot device in romance, but I think it was very well executed here. This is a book I go back to for a satisfying romantic read.

5. By Arrangement - If I'm on an island, I gotta have at least one awesome medieval. And this classic by Madeline Hunter is my pick. A complex hero (who is a cloth merchant and not a noble!) and a heroine who grows and matures from spoiled brat to strong and capable woman over the course of the book. Not to mention the excellent story telling that makes me feel like I'm right there in the rough and tumble of olde london.

6. Caine's Reckoning - Can't be stuck on an island without a Sarah McCarty book! It's tough to pick just one, but I think that this is the most well-rounded of her catalogue so far. It has all of the good stuff that I expect from her: strong, commanding hero who is emotionally nurturing, heroine that has no reason to trust men but who finds herself warming to this incredible guy, old west setting and oh yeah, uber-hot delicious sex scenes. mmm mmm good. Time for a reread!

Hey, lookee there...most of my list is historicals. lol. I guess that shows you what my bias is in romance reading. heh.

So what would make your list? Any book that you just can't live without? Any of mine that would make your list? Fav sub genre? Let's hear it!

Now head on over to lisabea's for the next list of six. That gal, she has a lot of DIK on her blog. ahem.

Books I'm looking forward to

2008-04-29T07:39:00.001-04:00

As I've mentioned before on this blog, I'm a pretty thrifty reader. The DBF watches our expenses like a hawk, and I gotta be very strategic in my purchases of fresh new books. The library, paperbackswap and trading (read begging) from other bloggers supplies me with the bulk of my reading material.

That said, there are several books coming up in the next few months (or year) that I can't see myself waiting for. These babies...they're coming home with me. heh.

Elizabeth Hoyt made a huge splash on the historical scene last year with her Prince trilogy. I loved all of them (specially Serpent Prince) and I'm really looking forward to this one. Apparently, at least part of it will be set in Colonial America and the stuff in England is in the Georgian period. Hey look ma, no Regency!

The next two are by an author that has quickly become an auto-buy for me. Sam's Creed is the next installment in the Hell's Eight series. Clearly I enjoyed Caine's Reckoning quite a bit, and I've been waiting patiently for Sam's story. Awww, look at the pretty pectorals.

Speaking of waiting (and of pectorals)...how long have we been waiting for the Reverend's story? Ever since he showed up back in the previous Promise books, I have been curious to know what delicious passions are seething beneath the surface of this preacher. mmm. Is there something really wrong with me or is the idea of a buttoned up man of the cloth getting unbuttoned just really hawt? IDK. I just know I wanna read it. heh.

After reading the first three in this series in quick succession, I am ready for another installment of crazy Valkyries, vamps, shapeshifters and other whatnot. From reviews I have read, this story stars a heroine who is a ghost. Already. At the beginning of the book. And I think she gets to get corporeal later. So something like the opposite of Jane in LU. A ghost and a vamp? I'm willing to be convinced.

Well this goes without saying. Damned books are like crack. I'm not really looking forward to that spineless sad sack of a heroine Cormia, at least not as she was introduced to us in the previous book. But I remain in hope that I'll get to at least hang out with my fav BDB guys and also that we'll get to know more about Rhev in the run-up to his book. I've given up hoping that the best of the bunch (that would be Rhage) is going to get some serious face time. More's the pity because he's definitely my favorite brother and he never gets any good lines anymore. Bah!

Oh also, I couldn't find a picture but I can't wait for JL Langley to finish the next Regelence book, The Englor Affair. Hurry, JL! I need more Gay Regency in Space! mmm....Nate...

So what books are you looking forward to?

I'm here

2008-04-27T18:56:00.007-04:00

Yeah, I'm still alive. After the excitement that was duel/dual reviewing with ms. lisabea, I was plumb tuckered out and too tired to blog. And since Tuesday I have been housesitting at a very nice place with a lovely view but with no internet. No internet you say? Sula, how do you do it? Funny you asked...apparently there are these marvelous inventions known as the book and the television. Also the boyfriend. All of which kept me suitably entertained.

I came home today to find not one but TWO copies of Pamela Clare's Surrender in my mail. I had ordered it from PBS and the first sender forgot to mark things correctly in the system, so I got an extra copy. So I'm giving it away. Put a note in the comments and I'll pick one lucky reader later this week. Why do you want to read this book? I haven't read it yet (obviously) but KristieJ has and she says it's good. And she has good taste in historicals. Oh and it's set in America during the French and Indian War. Did you know that historicals could be based in a time and place other than Regency England? Yeah, I know, that surprised me too. heh.

Last night I watched a plethora of Robin Hood episdoes on BBCA. Since stupid Comcast took away my BBC a few months back, I have been lacking in Torchwood, new Who and RH goodness. The housesitting gig did at least provide me with BBC-ness and I did enjoy it. I'm still agog that Marian would consider spindly boy-wonder Robin over the much hotter, deliciously bad Sir Guy. Richard Armitage is so smoldery and hawt, that I kept yelling at the television set in disgust when she'd blow him off. Am I shallow? Yes, maybe. But c'mon. We all know that reformed rakes make the best heros.

What else has been going on...

I finally finished Vanquished by Hope Tarr, but I'm not feeling all that inspired to write a review. Considering that I put the book down for long periods of time and on multiple occasions, I think it is safe to say that it just didn't do much for me. A shame, but there you have it. I also read An Irresistible Bachelor by Jessica Bird (aka JR Ward). Which also was ho-hum. I picked up Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas but have not had the guts to read it yet. From everything I've read about the book, it feels like something I "ought" to read but I don't yet have the courage to slog through a book in which the h/h have been suffering from major Big Mis for 10-odd years. I hate the Big Mis and I hate married couples who have been separated and said and done mean bad things to one another. Wahhhhh. *whine*

Oh here is one book that I did read (a week ago) and really loved. Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. Thank you azteclady! Thanks to your review over at karen's, I got this book and I really really enjoyed it. Although the hotness quotient leaves something to be desired (soooo subtle, teh sexxoring is barely even there, *pout*), the world building was excellent and the characters felt very real. I was totally sucked in and could barely put it down. Can't wait to read the next one and the next after that. woot!

And finally, some really good news. It appears that I will be in SF for a work-related seminar in late July and the dates just happen to overlap the upcoming RWA shindig. Which means that I may be able to meet some of my awesome blogging buddies live and in person! How cool is that? I'm really excited! And just tickled about the great date/city coincidence. I'm not sure if SF is prepared for us. heh.