Wednesday Reads

I’m almost finished with my novella, which I’m currently calling A Vampire Wedding. Still don’t know if I’ll keep that name, but I haven’t gotten any better suggestions (yet). Anyway, here’s what I read this week:

Sep 26: “Midnight Awakening” by Lara Adrian, third book in the Midnight Breed series, a paranormal romance at 369 pages. Blurb from book: With a dagger in her hand and vengeance on her mind, Darkhaven beauty Elise Chase prowls Boston’s streets in search of retribution against the Rogue vampires who took from her everything she cherished. Using an extraordinary psychic gift, she tracks her prey, well aware that the power she possesses is destroying her. She must learn to harness this gift, and for that she can turn to only one man—the deadliest of the Breed warriors, Tegan. No stranger to loss, Tegan knows Elise’s pain. He knows fury, but when he slays his enemies it is with ice in his veins. He is perfect in his self-control, until Elise seeks his aid in her personal war. An unholy alliance is forged—a bond that will link them by blood and vow—and plunge them into a tempest of danger, desire, and darkest passions of the heart… I’m really getting hooked on this series. I was just buying one, read it, wait for a B&N coupon then buy another. Now I’m thinking I might want them all on hand!!! Yeah, this series is very similar to J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, but who cares! I love that series, so why wouldn’t I love something similar? Lots of romance and action with just the right amount of sex (yeah, sometimes there can be too much). I’ll be reading this series to the end, for sure.

Sep 29: “Hard To Hold On To” by Laura Kaye, #2.5 in the Hard Ink series, a contempory romance novella at 166 pages. Blurb from book: Edward “Easy” Cantrell knows better than most the pain of not being able to save those he loves—which is why he is not going to let Jenna Dean out of his sight. He may have just met her, but Jenna’s the first person to make him feel alive since that devastating day in the desert more than a year ago. Jenna has never met anyone like Easy. She can’t describe how he makes her feel—and not just because he saved her life. No, the stirrings inside her stretch far beyond gratitude. When the pair is thrust together and chaos reigns around them, they both know one thing: The things in life most worth having are the hardest to hold on to. This was a gut wrenching little story. Had me in tears many times. Most of the series probably falls in the romantic suspense genre, but not this one. Still a good story and I look forward to reading #3.

So… It seems I can’t think of a question to ask today (my brain gets that way sometimes). Got a question for me?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

I Used to Love Fall TV

When I was younger, I couldn’t wait until the TV Guide came out showcasing the new Fall television season. I’d go through that thing, picking which shows I wanted to watch and then moaning when some would be against each other. Because this was before the world of VCRs and DVRs. Before there was a zillion cable channels to choose from. Before series could start any time, any where.

Somewhere along the way I’ve lost interest. I stopped getting the TV Guide when it stopped listing the local stations, but I think I just used that as an excuse to finally cancel my subscription. I still watch TV, but not with anticipation. If it weren’t for my hubby, I’d watch way less than I do. But he likes watching and I like watching with him. I just wish he didn’t like to watch so many shows.

If someone had told my younger self that I would eventually feel that way, I would have said they were bonkers! Because I was a television junkie and I was sure I’d always be one.

Anyway, I did see one of the new shows last night (from a recording): Blindspot (I think that’s the name of it). Hubby wants to watch a few more episodes before he decides he wants to stick with it. I could quit it right now and be okay. Although the guy in it is kind of appealing. J

So… Did you see the lunar eclipse last night? I saw parts of it. Pretty cool.

Have a great Monday!

Stacy

Pictures From My Cruise

I’m surprised I even remembered to download the pictures. Too many strange distractions almost made me forget! You see… I noticed a stink bug crawling on the inside of my French door.

Ugh. I hate those things.

So I got the Raid and sprayed it. It fell on the floor and I covered it with a glass, waiting for the stinker to die. I went back to my laptop and a few minutes later, I noticed two more of those things on the door. I sprayed along the top seam, and then three more crawled out! Aack!

As I mentioned on Facebook: I thought Raid was supposed to kill the bugs, not invite them inside!!!

So my attention was pretty much on those things during the afternoon, just waiting for them to die so I could scoop them up and toss them in the trash. Seems Raid doesn’t kill them very quickly. Kind of cruel, I know, but then they should have stayed outside.

Anyway, I did manage to remember my pictures, so here they are.

 

We left out of New York City. The day started out beautiful, but turned cloudy/rainy by the time we departed. I really loved that curved building in the middle (might have to click on the picture to enlarge it). Every floor seems to have a patio!

 

I was surprised at the amount of construction going on.

 

Nice shot of one of the touring boats sailing by Lady Liberty.

We arrived in Boston two hours late because of a malfunctioning engine (which did get repaired before we docked). We were going to tour Fenway park, but wouldn't have made it in time for the last tour. Bummer! It was a very windy day, though. We just walked around the port instead.

Here's the first lighthouse we visited in Portland, Maine, called the Bug.

No sand on these beaches!

This was the second lighthouse we visited in Portland. This is a picture of my hubby! Walking along those rocks was not easy. Some of the gaps were rather large. But I made it to the end.

Here's a view from the lighthouse. It was quite a trek!

This was the third lighthouse we visited in Portland. Got hubby to take my picture with my camera.

Behind the scenes of the fish market in Portland.

Birds!!

 

Still in Portland. Apparently, if you love someone and want to lock their love, you purchase a lock, attach it to the fence, and then throw the key away. At least, I THINK that's what it's all about. Teaches me not to listen to the tour guide all the time!

Here's a picture of our room. The balcony rooms are way bigger than the inside cabins. It's even got a couch!

It has a bigger desk area, too. Yeah, we take lots of stuff with us!

This was taken in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is the guard to the Citadel (I believe).

This here is Peggy's Cove. Those rocks are something, aren't they?

Me, at the lighthouse in Peggy's Cove.

This handsome fella played the bagpipes and you could hear him from all over.

On the day we were to arrive at Saint John, New Brunswick, the crew put out the towel creatures around the pool area.

Cool alligator. Or is that a crocodile?

This is the reversing falls in Saint John. You see... the Saint John River (in the distance) flows into the Bay of Fundy. When the tide is low, the river flows into the bay. When the tide is high, the bay will flow back into the river (because the tide in the bay fluctuates way more than the river does--something like a 30" difference). This was taken at low tide, but not at the lowest. During the lowest, I was told these rapids are a lot rougher.

Covered bridge in New Brunswick. Was told that whoever owned the land closest to the covered bridges were responsible for shoveling snow INSIDE the bridge so the sleighs could travel through them.

Bay of Fundy. Those are caves in the distance. During low tide, you can walk to them (and inside them) and not get wet (shows you how much the tide fluctuates here, huh?). The tide was rising when we got there and we couldn't go and visit.

Here's a shot of the reversing falls with the bay flowing back into the river. It was too calm to really see any difference, though. Again, we were a little late. Ah, what can you do? It was a tour.

 

Our last night on the ship and the moon rose. I thought it was pretty and wasn't sure how well the picture would come out. Not too shabby! You can even see some stars (or maybe they're planets--I can't tell from here).

 

Overall, we had a great time. I would have liked to have seen some fall colors, but it was warm up there (near 80 on some days). Couldn't have asked for better weather, though.

So… how do you go about killing stink bugs? These were the big diamond-back kind. I would have LOVED to squish them, but I really don’t want to find out why they have that name. You know???

Hope you liked the pics and have a great weekend.

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I'm Moving Up!

I’m five books ahead of schedule. Ain’t that awesome? I think I might actually reach my goal this year (unlike last year, where I was 2 books shy).

Here’s what I read this week:

Sep 17: “Dinosaur Lake” by Kathryn Meyer Griffith, first book in the Dinosaur Lake series, a horror/thriller at 275 pages. Blurb from Goodreads: An ancient predator has been reborn in the caves beneath Crater Lake…and it’s hungry. Ex-cop Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for eight years and he likes his park and his life the way it’s been. Safe. Tranquil. Predictable. But he’s about to be tested in so many ways. First the earthquakes begin…people begin to go missing…then there’s some mysterious water creature that’s taken up residence in the caves below Crater Lake and it’s not only growing in size, it’s aggressive and cunning…and very hungry. And it’s decided it likes human beings. To eat. And it can come up onto land. So Henry, with the help of his wife, Ann; a young paleontologist named Justin; and a band of brave men must not only protect his park and his people from the monster but somehow find where it lives and destroy it…before it can kill again. This book kind of reminded me of Jaws. Well, except sharks are for real now. It’s written in omniscient, which is kind of expected in this type of genre, but even so, I got a little confused as to whose thoughts I was in during some parts. Still, it was a fun read and it did keep me wondering what the heck was going to happen next! I think it would make a great disaster flick (just like Jaws). Don’t let the sequels fool you, though (yes, there’s a II and III out there I believe). This is a complete story and it ends. If you loved Jaws or Jurassic Park, you’ll get a kick out of this one!

Sep 20: “Unexpected Eden” by Rhenna Morgan, the first book in the Eden series, a paranormal romance at 257 pages. Blurb from Goodreads: Most people believe Eden no longer exists. Lexi Merrill’s about to learn they’re wrong. A hard-working bartender with a self-sufficient backbone and a wary nature, she knows pickup lines like a second language. So, when Eryx Shantos barges into her world with too-smooth words and a body to back it up, she locks up her libido and vows to keep her distance. Eryx has other ideas. As king of the Myren race, Eryx is duty-bound to enforce the laws preventing exposure of their existence to humans. Yet The Fates have led him through his dreams to Lexi, a temptation he doesn’t want to resist. The question--is she Myren, or human, which makes her forbidden fruit? When Eryx’s nemesis tags Lexi as his next target, Eryx insists on taking her home where he can keep her safe. Lexi had no idea “home” would mean the one-and-only land of creation…or that she’d trigger a prophecy that could doom her newfound race. Actually, this felt more like a fantasy than paranormal. Too many strange names for me to keep track of (but that’s an issue for me and not necessarily one for you). This series has a story that is not resolved in this book, but at least there weren’t any cliffhangers. I enjoyed the story, just wish I knew how I was supposed to pronounce some of those names. If you like to read sexy romances with some adventure in a world unlike our own, give this one a try.

RWA (that would be Romance Writers of America) changed their rules for admittance into PAN (that would be Published Authors Network). Used to be I needed to either earn $1000 on one book published through a traditional publisher, or earn $5000 on a self-published book, or I could be PAN-eligible for a $1000 advance on a book published through a traditional publisher (becoming PAN once the book is actually published). I couldn’t apply because none of my traditional books have earned at least $1000 (I didn’t get an advance, either) and my self-pubbed book hadn’t earned at least $5000.

Go figure, huh? You’d think my books would be selling like hotcakes. Or chocolate. They’re that good. Would I lie to you? ;)

Now… I just have to be published (whether traditional or self) to become PAN-eligible and a can become (full-fledged) PAN once any one of my books (traditional or self-pubbed) earns at least $1000. I applied and…got in! I’m now PAN-eligible. Whoo hoo! What’s the difference between the two, you ask? I just can’t vote for the PAN Liaison. I’m okay with not voting (for now). I’ll earn that $1000 eventually (and I have a feeling it might happen with Ghostly Liaison first).

Isn’t that a wonderful way to start a week? I think so.

So… Did you ever read Jaws? (I read it when I was 17, just before the movie came out.) Did you like it? (I loved it so much I was ready to watch the movie!) Think you might check out Dinosaur Lake? Let me know!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

 

What is it With Me and Watches Lately?

Last year during Dragon*Con my watch died. That’s when I realized just how much I use that thing! When I returned home, I got the battery replaced and made a note to make sure to have the battery changed before the next Dragon*Con.

Then in May I went to the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention. My watch died. Really? That was two conventions I was LOST during. Pulling out my iPhone to check the time just doesn’t work for me because I keep my phone in my purse, not my pocket.

When I got home, I took the watch back to the store I got my battery (they guarantee them for a year). She said the battery was fine but the contact was dirty. If cleaning it didn’t work, then the watch was probably broken. Well, she cleaned it (free of charge, bless her) and it worked. I was happy!

Then August came around. My watch kept stopping every now and then. I had to face the fact: my precious Steelers watch, a watch I’ve had for close to 10 years, was dying. Whaaa!

I could have gone out and bought a watch to replace it, but a watch makes for a nice Christmas present (I picked out this pretty Penguins watch I want), so until then, hubby gave me his Steelers watch (because he doesn’t wear them anymore—he’d rather use his phone or ask ME the time). Yeah, it’s big, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that it kept time.

Until I got on the cruise.

Yep, you guessed it. The watch died on me! I was soooo frustrated. Ship’s time and local time were not the same while in Canada and my phone picked up local time. Think my brain always realized they were off? Nope. Argh!

Next cruise/convention I will pack TWO watches. And spare batteries. I will not be unprepared again.

I know you were probably hoping I’d have posted some pictures of the cruise. Let me tell you, you’re lucky I’m posting this. And that’s only because writing about my watch dying made for some fun writing. Haha! I promise to have some cruise pictures posted by Friday. PROMISE!

So… What do you feel lost without?

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Cruising Along

One thing nice about cruising to US cities: I can still use my phone and thus the internet (by using my phone as a hotspot). That won’t last though. Next two stops of our cruise are in Canada. No more posting pictures on Facebook. No more checking e-mails. At least until we get home on Sunday.

While we had a good time in Portland on Tuesday, Boston was a disappointment on Monday. We were supposed to dock at 2:00pm, but one of the engines wasn’t working like it should and we arrived two hours late. Hubby and I had planned to ride the subway over to Fenway and take a tour of the ballpark. But the last tour started at 5:00pm and we didn’t think we’d make it in time. But the engine is fixed now and everything is back to normal. Whatever normal is, I guess.

Anyway, here’s what I read this week:

Sep 9: “The Siren’s Touch” by Amber Belldene, a paranormal romance at 209 pages. Blurb from Goodreads: One touch can change everything… Hitman Dmitri Lisko is determined to avenge his father. Once he takes out the man he believes is responsible for his family’s tragedies, he’s done killing for good. But a mysterious woman may tempt Dmitri to change his plan. Sonya Truss was murdered in a Ukrainian village in 1968. Now she’s reappeared in San Francisco as a rusalka—the ghost of a wronged woman. And she’s thirsty for the blood of her killer. But she has to make things right before she’s trapped between worlds forever. Sonya's enigmatic siren powers stir Dmitri's long-buried chivalry, and he finds himself compelled to help her. He also can’t resist giving her a taste of the pleasures she never experienced while she was alive. Soon they discover that touch has surprising consequences. Yet when their shared mission comes to cross-purposes, they must choose between deadly sacrifice—or surrendering to the one act that can save them both. I really enjoyed this book. Lots of fun stuff and sexy scenes, not to mention—GHOST STORY! Yeah, I love ghost stories. And I breezed through this one.

Sep 12: “Death Sword” by Pamela Turner, a paranormal romance at 155 pages. Blurb from Goodreads: The only thing more dangerous than an angel of death is one obsessed with vengeance. Karla Black has always known she’s different from other people. She learns just how different after she's fatally stabbed and brought back to life as a half-human angel of death. With newfound power comes a newfound boss. Samael despises her. He considers Karla impure and resents her relationship with her partner Xariel…who also happens to be Samael's ex-lover. When he takes that hatred to a higher level, Karla vows vengeance - a task easier said than done. With the loss of their angelic powers, Karla and Xariel face a dilemma – how will they defeat an unstoppable Samael, whose poisoned rapier can kill human and angel alike? If Karla doesn’t awaken to her true identity, both heaven and earth are in danger of annihilation. I had trouble connecting with the characters, but if you’re into angel stories, you’ll probably like this.

 

Sep 15: “Want It” by Jennifer Chance, #3 in the Rule Breakers series, a contemporary romance at 242 pages. Blurb from Goodreads: In the latest tantalizing Rule Breakers novel from Jennifer Chance, an irresistible alpha male follows his ex into a deadly standoff—and reignites a heated affair. For Erin Connelly, being a good girl isn’t such a bad thing. She’s working her dream job at a Boston art gallery and staying out of trouble, which is more than she can say for her deadbeat mom. Unfortunately, her mother’s latest misadventure lands her in the clutches of a Mexican drug lord. Now the only person who can save her is the one man Erin has no business asking for help: the sexy-as-sin army ranger who just so happens to be her former high school sweetheart. Zander James is no gentleman—and no officer, either, thanks to Erin. Four years ago, she made a call that terminated his highest aspirations . . . and their relationship. He’s never forgiven her, but when he learns that Erin’s embarking on a half-baked rescue mission, he sure as hell can’t let her go alone. Now, with a treacherous enemy lying in wait, the electrifying tension between them may just be Zander’s undoing. Because while he may be able to keep Erin alive, he can’t promise to keep his hands off her.  I enjoyed the story, even though I had a few issues with it, most of them having to do with Zander’s military service, but that shouldn’t take away from the average (non-military) reader. Since I hadn’t read the first books in this series, I thought maybe I would get lost in that regard, but this story was complete all on its own and I didn’t feel lost at all, so no reason why you couldn’t read them out of order. If you love lots of sex with your adventure, this is the book for you.

Happy Reading and I’ll see you next week!

Stacy

Dragon*Con Pictures

Hey, look at that! I actually copied the pictures from my camera to my computer. And I had a LOT of pictures on that camera, thanks to my hubby using it while at the parade.

Roughly 70,000 people attended Dragon*Con this year. I think they were all there on Saturday. That was definitely the busiest day (and the day of the parade). Even Thursday was busy, and the Con didn't technically start until Friday.

Anyway, this will be an easy post--PICTURES! Enjoy.

Lots of Jurassic World characters this year!

It's the running of the Margarita-holding Buffets!
Oh, next to a pile of poop. :)

Hocus Pocus!

Captain America

Stephen & Robbie Amell
I loved the rivalry between these cousins!

Okay, I took those shots above. The ones of the parade were taken by my hubby. I tried to pick the most interesting.

Nichelle Nicols

Batmobile

Robin

Batman

I don't know who these are, but hubby thought I would
appreciate them! He was right. :)

Xena on the left, right?

I have NO IDEA who these are, but they look cool.

Addams Family

Lots of gun-toting something-or-others.

No idea, but I love the costume

Okay, now we're back to the shots I took. Can you tell I went to a lot of panels??

John Wesley Shipp, Candice Patton, and Danielle Panabaker
of Flash

Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, and Robby Amell
of Flash

John Barroman, Stephen Amell, and Matt Nable
of Arrow

Katie Cassidy, John Barrowman, Stephen Amell, and
Matt Nable of Arrow

Tom Mison of Sleepy Hollow

Danielle Panabaker, Matt Nable, and Katie Cassidy

I really enjoyed the Flash and Arrow panels. Oh, and Stephen Amell, too. They were all so entertaining and the celebrities seemed to really enjoy being there. I didn't get that from Tom Mison so much (although his co-star was supposed to be there, but she had to cancel). You never know what you're going to get at a panel, though. Some are hilarious (like anything with John Barrowman on it!) and some are duds.

It was so hard to see everything I wanted because to get a good seat (or even a seat), I had to get in line EARLY. Like 90 minutes early. So I can't go to a panel between two I want to see. I'd be lucky to get inside. There's just too many people there (especially on Saturday). I wasn't able to see John Barrowman solo or Terry Ferrell (from Star Trek) because there were other panels I wanted to go to more. Got to pick and choose, that's for sure.

I didn't get my picture taken with any celebrities this year, but now I'm kind of wishing I had one taken with John Barrowman. He'll do just about ANYTHING with you. That man knows how to have FUN!

I'll be going back next year. So will my daughter. Will my hubby? Highly doubtful.

I'll be leaving these pictures up awhile. You see... I leave on a cruise on Sunday (going to New England and Canada). I may post Wednesday Reads (since I might have access to the internet), but otherwise, I won't be back until after the 20th. I'm so looking forward to this cruise. We even got our room upgraded to a balcony. At least I'll have MORE pictures when I return.

So... Think you'd ever go to Dragon*Con?

Stacy