No Wednesday Reads

As I sat down to write this, a spider landed on my arm. Yuck! My heart is still racing. But yes, the thing is dead. Squished by my shoe. Man, I hate those things!!

I really thought I’d have at least one book to talk about this week, but hosting the Sizzle and Sass Facebook page really put a crimp in my reading. Heck, just keeping a Facebook presence put a crimp in my reading. And writing. Well, it’s only one week every 17 weeks (or so). Don’t know if it’s doing any good, but I suppose it isn’t doing any bad.

Man, I’m jumping at every little thing right now. Real or imagined? I can’t tell. Feels real.

So…what makes you jumpy?

Happy reading!

Stacy

 

It's Monday -- Don't Bring Me Down

I am soooo cheating today. I've been spending my time getting posts ready for the Sizzle & Sass Facebook page (I'm hosting this week, in case you're wondering), that I just haven't gotten around to figuring out what to write for today's post! Since a lot of you bemoan Mondays, I thought this music video would be perfect. Besides, I'm still a huge ELO fan.

My laptop doesn't always play these things (although my phone does--go figure!). I hope you're able to enjoy it and maybe bring a smile to your face (or a tap to your toes) this Monday. And hopefully I'll have finished the book I'm reading before Wednesday so I'll at least have a book to report. It's not looking good, though (and here I was, almost caught up to my goal--darn!).

So...what makes Monday especially bad for you? For me, it's having to go back to the gym. I just can't seem to get any motivation. But I will go back today. Even if I have to drag myself there.

Have a great Monday!

Stacy

 

Dragon*Con Pictures

While attending Monday's Being Human panel at Dragon*Con (and these actors attended a panel on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, too!), I knew by then to make sure to have my camera ready on video because this foursome was liable to do ANYTHING.

Now, whether or not I get these videos to actually WORK on this site, that's another issue altogether!

The first video, Sam Huntington (Josh), Sam Witwer (Aiden), Meaghan Rath (Sally), and Kristen Hager (Nora) are demonstrating the irritating way SyFy shows these pop-up ads while the show is in progress. Sam W. is the "pop up ad" in this demonstration.

In this next video, Sam W. talked about how one director was very serious (even though he'd been known to direct comedies), so Sam showed what he did one day. And let me tell you, what he did isn't any different than what these four did on every single panel. They are truly unpredictable!

As for actual pictures I took at Dragon*Con, I only took pictures of celebrity panels. I just found it was easier that way. My pictures of the costumes never turned out all that great anyway. Remember, click on the photo and it should enlarge.

My first panel of the con was, naturally, Karl Urban!



Karl Urban panel. My seat wasn't tooooo bad.

On my first Being Human panel (which I think was on Saturday), Jesse Rath came out impersonating his sister, Meaghan Rath (he also played her brother on the show).



Jesse Rath (pretending to be Meaghan Rath), Sam Witwer,
Sam Huntington, and Kristen Hager

The real Meaghan came out (tied up and gagged) and they had to "guess" who the real Meaghan Rath was. I wish I had video'd this, because it really was funny. Fake punches were thrown and Jesse was "knocked" unconscious, where he collapsed on the floor and remained that way for the rest of the panel!



Meaghan Rath, Sam Witwer, Jesse Rath,
Sam Huntington, & Kristen Hager

I made it to one of the Arrow panels. Katie Cassidy is all the way on the right. My daughter actually got up the nerve to ask her a question. Basically, if her stint with Jared and Jensen on Supernatural prepared her for Stephen (Amell) and John (Barroman) on Arrow, and which duo was funnier (because John is a wild creature, too). She said that J&J were always trying to get her to crack up while she was filming her lines. She couldn't answer who was funnier, though. I think they're all a little crazy!



Moderator, Not sure, Caity Lotz, David Nikl, Manu Bennett,
Paul Blackthorne, and Katie Cassidy

You can see my seats were a little better (except for being behind that bald-headed guy) on Monday's Being Human panel than they were on Saturday (although those seats were pretty darn good, too). By Monday, they all looked a little worse for wear, though. I'm just glad they stayed (since a lot of celebrities don't stay through Monday). It's sad that the series has ended. I doubt they'll return to Dragon*Con. They really were fun to watch.



Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath, Sam Witwer,
and Kristen Hager

Those are my pictures. I would have had pictures of Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden if I had been able to get into that panel. I stood in line for over an hour, but the room filled up before I got there (I was sooooo close, too!!!). It was the only panel those two were on, which made it disappointing. I didn't even bother to try and see Jeri Ryan. There really was tooooo many people there and not enough repeat panels, so of course the lines started early and grew long!

My daughter helped pimp my books while at Dragon*Con (she carried around  my postcards and handed them out). There used to be a table with freebie stuff on it, but of course, it wasn't there this year (figures!), but I managed to place some postcards in the Urban Fantasy room and in the Westin lobby. Have no idea if anyone took any, though.

So... Did the videos work for you? Or had I wasted my time getting them posted? Because let me tell you, it took a long while since I had to upgrade my software then upload the videos to You Tube before I could post them here--whew!

Have yourself a great weekend. Football is BACK and Hockey isn't too far away! Yay!!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads

I’m back from Dragon*Con (and still recovering) and can say I managed to catch up a bit on my reading goal. Three books this week! Yay! Anyway, here’s what I read:

Aug 27: “Undeniably Yours” by Heather Webber the 5^th book in the Lucy Valentine series, a paranormal-ish mystery. Blurb on book: While still recuperating from injuries sustained in her previous case, the last thing psychic investigator Lucy Valentine wants is to dive into another job. But when Detective Lieutenant Aiden Holliday comes calling for help in finding a missing woman, saying no is not an option. TV journalist Kira Fitzpatrick has vanished without a trace. There’s little for Lucy to go on except picking up Kira’s current investigation where she left off. The fearless reporter had been close to cracking one of the year’s biggest cases: the disappearance of a two-year-old boy. Now Lucy must use her abilities to find both of them. As she follows a twisted trail of lies and deceit, she uncovers a shocking twist to Kira’s expose that someone is desperate to keep secret. It’s a race against the clock as Lucy struggles to discover who’s telling the truth…and who’s willing to kill to keep her from solving the case. This is a mystery. In first person. Things I usually avoid. But I LOVE this series. I LOVE the characters. The story flows and keeps my interest—probably why it’s a winner for me. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

Aug 31: “Syphon’s Song” by Anise Rae, a paranormal romance. Blurb from Goodreads: Legends say a syphon can drain a mage dry. He’ll brave the danger. Will she? Someone’s playing pranks. The body of the late Casteel patriarch has been stolen and gifted to the family’s enemy, the powerful Rallises. As far as Bronte Casteel is concerned, they can keep it. She hasn’t spoken to her family in thirteen years, not since they exiled her from society for her lack of mage power. But she’s a syphon mage, able to drain another mage’s power. Syphons’ destinies are always the same: death by fiery stake. She hides her secret by living among the Nons--powerless humans and the lowest class in the Republic. When her family orders her to go plead for the body’s return, she comes face to face with the one man who knows her secret. Colonel Vincent Rallis isn’t letting his syphon get away this time. Not when she’s under suspicion of body-napping and aiding anti-mage terrorists. He’ll prove her innocence whether she wants him to or not, and then convince her they belong together...forever. Vincent’s help comes with a steep price: Bronte must reveal her power. The inevitable ensuing witch-hunt and trial would be bad enough, but even a tough girl might buckle if her prosecutors are her own parents. I really enjoyed this book. The only issue I had was trying to figure out if the setting is an alternate reality or if it’s set in the distant future. No dates are given and I would have liked to have known WHEN the story was set. It’s definitely USA, though. But besides that, I loved Vincent and Bronte. Very good story. I look forward to reading more from Anise and gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. FYI—I know this author through our Sizzle and Sass Facebook page (she’s another Sassy) and met her in person (during Dragon*Con, no less), but I bought the book because the story interested me. So glad I wasn’t disappointed!

Sep 2: “Better Than Perfect” by Kristina Mathews, a contemporary romance. Blurb from Goodreads: The woman he left behind and the son he never knew are tougher opponents than any he’s met on the field. Pitcher Johnny “The Monk” Scottsdale has won awards, been named an All-star and has a perfect game to his credit. Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with youth players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can’t forget…the woman who made him a “monk.” Alice Harrison’s three strikes include an unexpected pregnancy, a marriage of convenience and young widowhood. She once traded her dreams so Johnny could have a chance at making it to the Majors. Johnny comes back into her life just as she’s ready to resign as foundation director and pursue her own dreams of finally earning her teaching credential. Her plans may go on hold, though, depending on the reaction when she confesses she may have kept a major league secret from Johnny and her son. With the minutes ticking by until Johnny will leave for spring training, they’ll need to let go of the past and work together in order to win the game of love. While I'm not a HUGE fan of contemporary romance, I love baseball and the blurb intrigued me. And yes, some parts of the book bugged me (one of the reasons I'm not a huge fan of this genre), but I loved the characters and it was a fun read, because hey, it IS a romance and I got my fill. I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads. FYI – Kristi is also a Sassy with the Sizzle and Sass Facebook page (and a Lyrical author), which is also another reason I bought this book (I try to support my author friends, really!), but my review is what it is. Again, I’m just glad I liked the story, or I wouldn’t have said ANYTHING. J

So… How do you recover from being away from home so long? I’m tempted to lie down and sleep! J

Happy reading!

Stacy

My Picture with Karl Urban!!!! And...

It's Release Day for "Bite Me, I'm Yours"!!!!

That's right. It's now available for sale. Eventually, it will be available in print, but for now you can get it for your e-reader. Links are located on the side bar, or go to my Book Page on my website.

And now for the picture you're really wanting to see, right??? Here's how my photo op went with Karl Urban...

 

Yep, I'm grinning like a fool, I know. I was just so happy I wasn't shaking like a leaf!

I'm still at Dragon*Con, so this is all I have for now. Just wanted to share the news about my latest release AND the best picture taken this weekend!

Happy Monday! Hope it's a holiday for you. :)

Stacy