Borrowed/stolen from Tara, who got it from..

1. FIRST NAME? Amanda

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. My middle name is Mabel which is to honor my great great grandmother.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last week

4. WHAT IS ON YOUR DESKTOP BACKGROUND? Holly berries on a sky blue background

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Maple cured ham

6. KIDS? 3, BGB, 17 14 & 10

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Er. Probably :)

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL ? This is it, folks

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? ME? No. Not me. I'm always very sincere.

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not on your life, LOL

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Apple cinnamon Cheerios

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES? Yes

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes. Life has thrown a lot my way. I'm a fighter & a survivor. Reading romances helps!

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Banana

16. SHOE SIZE? 7 1/2 wide

17. RED OR PINK? Red

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I'm a procrastinator & I need to lose weight.

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My maternal grandfather.

20. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black knit workout pants (not that I'm going to work out) & brown suede shearling mocccasins.

21. LAST THING YOU ATE? McDonald's Filet O'Fish meal. With diet Coke so I won't feel too guilty! ROTFL

22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Extreme Home Makeover I DVR'd
a few days ago.

23 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Only one?! I'd want to be the entire box.

24. FAVORITE SMELL? Jasmine or old fashioned English scented roses. Lilac.Smells from my grandmother's garden.

25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband. We've a ritual morning phone call to check in with each other.

26. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Height & then face.

27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Sure- I stole it from Tara, who got it from Kristie, who..

28. FAVORITE DRINK? COFFEE!!!!

29. FAVORITE SPORT? College Basketball

30. HAIR COLOR? Very dark brown

31. EYE COLOR? Same as the eyes

32. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I do, but suffer from dry eyes. In consequence the contacts stay in the case more than I wear them.

33. FAVORITE FOOD? Baked potato & all the fixins

34. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Either. If by scary you mean suspenseful as opposed to gory or horror. HEAs are always great.

35. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? In the theater? Harry Potter last fall. At home? Howl's Moving Castle.

36. COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Pearl grey

37. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter

38. HUGS OR KISSES? Hershey's kisses & hugs

39. FAVORITE DESSERT? Homemade New York cheesecake.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? I'm finishing up Silver's Bane by Anne Kelleher.

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? The Dell logo. *shrug* It came with computer & it works. So I'm cheap! All the extra $$ goes to books, darnit!

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? The National Invitational Tournament final (college basketball)

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Children laughing. Always makes me smile too.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones hands down.It's genetic, my mom is a rabid fan too.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? South Padre Island Texas. 1750 miles from our current home, if you believe Mapquest. Or Colorado Springs CO, which is 1675 miles away. It's a tie I guess.

46. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Reading!

47. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? May 15, Plymouth NH

48.WHY DID YOU ANSWER THIS SURVEY OF YOUR LIFE? I answered because I love these little questionnaires. Besides it's a great way to avoid laundry & vacuuming.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Quiz

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thursday Thirteen, a bit late. The first thirteen thoughts, unplanned & unedited:

1. Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream in the freezer.

2. I love college basketball, but March is always really looong

3. I'm glad Frank, my former work buddy, is still in the area. We'd lost touch for a long time & I was worried he'd moved.

4. I'm always too hot or too cold & I'm too young for such hormonal yoyoing, damnit!

5. I've started job hunting, but after being out of the market for so long I'm afraid it'll be a while before I'm employed again.

6. Husband's favorite outfits are soo gross- they've got to go. SOON.

7. I was given a huge bouquet of flowers this morning as a thank you gift for some of the charity work our church does- they're gorgeous.

8. I really want to take daughter up to the National Gallery of Art to see the Cezanne watercolors before they leave (which is 7 May)

9. Newest books purchased: Dark Demon by Christine Feehan and Working for the Devil by Lillith SaintCrow

10. Purged my TBR bookcase a little bit a few days ago. Not enough that it's all upright, but better than it was. OK?!

11. Son #2 has done well at his piano lessons. After one year, he's on his third set of primers & soon will begin practicing duets with his teacher.

12. Son #1 is planning for the Junior prom with his steady GF- whose name at our house is either Giggles or Glitter Gloss. Guess why. Nice girl, I like her; don't get me wrong.

13. Husband is gathering paperwork to support his claim that he needs a reevaluation of his pay grade based on duties performed & the fact that others with less training & education are in higher pay grades. Of course, this is the Federal gov't we're talking about, so it'll be a long uphill climb. We'll see. I'm not convinced it'll work. I believe he's correct & he ought to be bumped up at least one pay grade, but I'm not spending it yet.

Disjointed & rambling, but there they are.

Thursday Thirteen
Thursday 13

Mom & Daughter Time

Daughter & I went into DC (linking to this photo doesn't imply agreement with his views or proposals, BTW) to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. This is always one of my favorite times to go into town- nice & cool, not overly crowded (yet), beautiful.

The kimonos on display were absolutely magnificent.There aren't any photos online of the ones we saw, so the links are to similar items. Unfotunately we missed the swordsmanship expo- Metro was late *BOO HISS*. We did sit through some agonizing god awful speeches. Well, actually, the Japanese ambassador was funny, but he's the exception. We did listen to this guy and an amazing flutist whose photo & music I can't find online either. It's too bad really, I'd buy her stuff in a second if I could find it.

If you're in the area or thinking of coming into the area, April 8 is the parade & the street festival. Gonna be great.
Washington DC
National Cherry Blossom Festival
Tourism

Popping by

Hi there. Quick update on book two, Silver's Bane by Anne Kelleher. I'm on page 110 & things are moving along at deliberate speed. This series feels more akin to straight fantasy than romance which is fine with me- except that I'm at the point where I really just want to hide somewhere & finish it all. Only I can't because today is drive all over creation day. WAAAA

The story arcs strongly across both books, none of this wishy washy hybrid stuff for Ms. Kelleher. Somewhere last week or so there was an excellent debate on why everyone is sick to death of series romance. I think this conversation was at Maili's. Just wanted those of you who dislike unending romance or fantasy series to know that this little pair isn't like that. So far.

BTW- Your new site looks great Maili!

Romance Novel Review
Books

Review: Silver's Edge

After a difficult, impossible, exhausting four days, I unhooked the phone, brought out the laundry & dug out the book I had been lugging around- fruitlessly. Too distracted, too..everything. Couldn't concentrate.

Today, however, it worked. Engrossing. Good world & character building. Just complicated enough to prevent me from seeing the end clearly. Compelling enough that I'm grateful I already have book two, Silver's Bane.

Nessa's father disappears the morning a dead goblin is found in the lake beside the village. In the Faery realm, the magic is weakening & there are circles within circles within a conundrum. In the human Shadowlands there are political machinations whose ripples spread outward farther & wider than any realize.

Nessa's hunt for her father effects Artimour, whose own father was a human smith. The artifact that the Fae depended on may not have been such a good thing after all. The humans' political issues manage to become more complicated. Two couples move, slowly, slooooowwwwly toward deepening relationships. Parenting is revealed in all of its painful, complicated glory.

So, YAY 'cuz I have book two even as I type. Boo 'cuz I can't find a website for Anne Kelleher. I did find a message thread HERE which indicates that her next book is out in September & is a prequel. Not sure I'll go for that since prequels don't always work for me, but we'll see.
Romance Novel Review
Books
Book Review

Gone for several days

Due to an unexpected emergency (aren't they all?!) I won't blog for several days, most likely until Monday. I may stop by different blogs & say hi if I can, but more than that is unlikely. Have a great weekend & happy reading.

1st Blogiversary

It's hard to believe I've been blogging for a year already. Sitting here staring at the blinking cursor nearly daily is something I look forward to. I become anxious if I can't post an entry every day- "I've gotta run, there are things I need to do at home." That's my secret code for rushing home to sit on my behind and stare at the screen.

HERE is my very first post ever. I still have to stop & think about how much to share and how much to hold back. Blogging is very much an exhibitionist activity no matter how impersonal you try to make it. I would really miss my blinking cursor, so stay tuned. Not much chance I'll disappear anytime soon.

Other random thoughts

It's supposed to snow this afternoon. Sleet or snowshowers up to two inches on the grass. *HAHAHAHAHA* It was nearly eighty a couple of days ago.

Son #2 has a chorus concert tonight, he's very excited. It's a special after school project his music teacher initiated this fall.

The Tetris version playable on cellphones is really very good & is worth every penny of the $6 I paid for it. Yesterday we sat for an hour and fifteen minutes waiting our turn at the pediatrician's office. Tetris & Connect Four saved me from becoming a raving lunatic. I was totally surprised at how many kids over the age of five have no problems whatsoever throwing screaming temper tantrums.

'Nuff said. See you tomorrow~

Blogiversary
Family Life
Cell Phone Games

Fat chick romances

Where are they? Monica Jackson says it HERE and HERE TOO As a 'pleasingly plump' woman (as my great aunt Eileen used to say) skinny chick romances don't send me over the edge. Unless I'm PMSing & gobbling everything in sight- then I'm very righteous & angry. "Where the hell are the regular Jane women? Fewer & fewer women are smaller than size ten- which has been enlarged slowly but surely." Etc, etc etc. You get my point.

Scroll through the comments on both posts. There are some excellent thoughts running around out there. Personally, I tend to assume the heroines are all reasonably thin because they're often young & childless (twenty five or younger, usually). Maybe I don't notice weight very often because I'm more concerned with other plot & characterization issues.

It's too bad in our size obssessed & youth obssessed culture we are separating ourselves into narrower & narrower categories. Slice a pie into too many pieces & it isn't recognizable as a pie anymore. Maybe size obsession is a product of our lack of self esteem. A product of women pulling ouselves & each other down at all times & in all places. Maybe I'm just another stupid, no account white woman (read this one). I don't know. Probably.

Perhaps this is simply a cry against the all too common stereotypes plaguing Romancelandia. Remember the one where the hero can span the heroines waist with his hands? How realistic was that, for God's sake?!

Whatever. Sorry this is completely clueless & rambling & whatnot.

Body Image
Weight
women's issues

Review: Pursuing Priscilla

A Signet Regency written by Emily Hendrickson and published in 2003. Featuring Priscilla Herbert and Felix Sutton, Lord Latimer. Priscilla is in London acting as companion to her aunt Mercy. Lord Latimer, conveniently, is a neighbor. He agrees to squire Miss Herbert around the tourist sights in London after meeting her in an obscure museum that features one of his favorite hobbies.

Miss Herbert enjoys his company & begins to fall in love with Lord Latimer- just as his tactless friend Renshaw reveals that Felix is determined to marry 'the first respectable lady he meets' in order to repair his family's tattered reputation. Miss Herbert, therefore, is aware from the beginning that Felix will marry for respectability as opposed to love.

Slowly they fall in love- or at least, Priscilla does. Felix, however, is laughably obtuse to their mutual feelings & is stuck on the idea of respectablity to the point of irritation. Hendrickson uses this to her advantage, however. Felix's preoccupation serves both as plot point as well as reminding the reader just how emotionally illiterate many men are. Hendrickson does an admirable job showing how a stuffy, priggish man gets that way & then evolves into a more mature, understanding, accepting man.

Felix very nearly loses Priscilla over a perceived wrong, which in reality, is based on his feelings of loss and shame in his youth. Priscilla is, how do I put this? Surprisingly meddlesome in Felix's family relationships especially considering the formality of polite behavior in that era. However, she manages to acquire town bronze, keep her aunt company, heal Felix's relationships with his family & fall in love all in one book. Excellent reading!

Book Review
Romance Novel Review
Books

2 Reviews

Earth Song

Unlike the others in the Song series, I enjoyed this one thoroughly. Not a keeper, but it worked for me. The characterization was more realistic, thus less extreme than the other Coulters I've read. I like Ms. Coulter's voice & style & am always drawn to her novels. However, 90% of the time I have issues with her characters.

Phillipa de Beauchamp tends to act first and suffer the consequences. Thus when she overhears a private conversation she flees. After wading through the moat & then diving into raw cotton bales wet. EEWWW! Very memorable though & effectively details what type of person she is.

Dienwald de Fortenberry is a semi literate robber baron who lives in poverty. Philippa ends up in his domain due to her flight from her home. Desperate & determined to hide, she makes herself indispensible to Dienwald. He decides he might like to keep her. They spend much of the book verbally needling & poking at each other, although when the chips are down each knows they can depend on the other.

Their relationship is refreshing because Dienwald is gentle & honorable with Philippa, despite her sudden appearance in his domain & apparent poverty. Philippa has been well trained in her duties & is honest to a fault. She sees the best parts in Dienwald & learns to adjust to his foibles. Philippa is quick witted, smart & determined. And jealous of Dienwald's emotional attachment of Kassia (from Firesong).

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Dienwald & Philippa are funny together. Coulter builds up the sexual tension very nicely.

Secret Song

Daria has grown up under the thumb of her physically & emotionally abusive uncle. Her mother is a widow who lives with the uncle also. Daria is kidnapped by her uncle's enemy while on her way to her betrothal & wedding. The uncle hires Roland de Tournay to rescue Daria. Which he manages to do. While fleeing her captor, they fall in love. She is recaptured & imprisoned again. Roland rescues her. Again.

I have serious characterization problems with this novel. In addition there are a few too many improbable coincidences in the plot. Roland is cruel, dismissive, emotionally unavailable & lacking compassion. Daria is quick thinking & a good actress, but too willing to forgive Roland- too close to doormat territory for sucha likeable woman.

I did read this all the way through, although it was very painful & heartwrenching at times. Not in a good way either. Often I like tearjerkers, but this novel is more a study of endurance & survival rather than a love story.

Thursday Thirteen #4

Thirteen plants in my garden:

1. Hyacinths

2. Tulips

3. Daffodils

4. Crocus

5. Narcissus

6. Daylilies

7. Asiatic Lilies

8. Irises

9. Butterfly bushes

10. Elephant Ear plants (the dark ones- very cool!)

11. Jonquils

12.Gladioli

13. Foxglove

Thursday 13
Thursday Thirteen

4 Meme

4 jobs you have had in your life:

1. Lifeguard
2. Salesclerk
3. Inventory/warehouse clerk
4. Program coordinator

4 movies you would watch over and over:

1. LOTR
2. Lion in Winter
3. Any Audrey Hepburn
4. Casablanca

4 places you have lived:

1. Colorado Springs
2. San Antonio
3. Kansas
4. New Hampshire

4 TV shows you love to watch:

1. Trauma, Life in the ER
2. Tattoo (National Geographic channel)
3. Boston Legal
4. Match Game reruns

4 places you have been on vacation:

1. Philadelphia
2. Cape Cod
3. South Padre Island TX
4. Bermuda

4 websites you visit daily:

1. Nearly everything on my sidebar
2. BBC News & BBC Radio
Isn't that enough?!

4 of your favorite foods:

1. Chocolate
2. Fish
3. Ice cream
4. Pizza

4 places you would rather be right now:

1. Island in the South Pacific
2. Greek Islands
3. Republic of Ireland
4. London

4 friends you are tagging that you think will respond:

1. Maili
2. Anne E
3. AG
4. Nicole

Thoughts on C. Coulter

I've had Catherine Coulter's entire medieval Song series in the TBR for a very long time. The books in the series are: Warrior's Song (originally published as Chandra), Fire Song, Earth Song, Secret Song, Rosehaven and Penwyth Curse. This is an older series & is thus much closer to the 'bodice ripper' style more prevalent fifteen to twenty & more years ago. I tried to read Warrior's Song and it turned into a DNF, reasons listed HERE.

Yesterday I tried to read Fire Song. To my shock & dismay, FS weds a rape victim for book one to her rapist. The remainder of the book is spent with him accusing her of lies, betrayal & affairs alternating with passionate sex. She meanwhile seems to spend much of her time trying to 'earn' his love. Her inferiority complex & desperation is so deep it amazes me.

The plot twist that forces Kassia's marriage to her rapsit is too convenient. Kassia accepts his previous rape of her & forgives Graelam, without expressing any deeper emotions or having repurcussions. How unrealistic & ridiculous! Kassia even goes so far as to try & emulate the woman who witnessed & caused Kassia's rape (although Chandra regrets what is done). To try & get Graelam to love her, of course.

As to Graelam, emotions such as respect, consideration, trust & compassion as they might relate to women, do not exist. He treats his destrier with more consideration than he does his wife. Not only that, he believes characters with motivations to hurt him or hurt his wife or hurt his overlord before he will believe his wife.

What really galled me most, in the end, Kassia has fled to her father's fortress. Graelam shows up to bring her home. While giving him the ritual guest's bath, they make wild passionate love. She left him because she thought he had no feelings for her. One more look at his mighty 'sword' & Kassia suddenly believes Graelam loves her. All is now forgiven. He apologizes in two paragraphs, spread over the last fifteen pages of the book- not including the Epilogue.


Lovely. To say I find this infuriating & insufficient & a put down of Kassia is only a small part of how much I dislike this book. That a rape victim would fall in love with her attacker is hard enough to accept. That she does so with no further emotional or sexual problems is beyond the pale. The reader doesn't even get to see the 'hero' (I'd rather say he's the villain) grovel & beg & apologize & cringe & crawl.

WALLBANGER & DNF

2 Reviews

Beyond Temptation

Written by Mary Reed McCall and published by Avon in 2005 I have to say I absolutely hate the cover but I bought it anyway. Then it sat in my TBR. Sat & sat & sat. Until finally yesterday I was in Wally World with Husband & Son #2. There it was again.

I picked it up & looked at it & thought"HMM, don't I have this at home already? Isn't this the third time this week you've nearly bought this book because it sounds so delicious? Perhaps you should go home & read the copy you already have!"

The hero & heroine have scarred & hurtful past histories of misjudgements, heartache & struggles. Despite each having cause to judge the other harshly, they manage to set aside their preconceived notions of the other person. Richard and Meg manage to listen quietly & learn from each other. The local villagers are suffering and need help. Richard must cope with the personal & political consequences of his Templar past, not to mention the mess made of his estate. Meg must set aside her strongly held beliefs & prejudices about the Templars & about Richard in particular. Now she must face her future as bravely as she can, no matter her fears or her past.

Richard and Meg are a hero and heroine who deserve & need their HEA. It's as though they became personal friends of mine- friends I wanted to hug & help make things better for. I don't often want to be friends with characters in my books, but sometimes the world & people an author creates are so wonderful & so rounded I can't help but wish I had a time machine if only I could be assured I go back and meet them.

Lord Nick's Folly

A Signet Traditional Regency written by Emily Hendrickson and published in 2002. This is one episode in the lives of the daughters of a small village rector. Nympha Herbert has been summoned to the northern estate of her mother's elderly aunt Letitia. Lord Nicholas Stanhope must travel to Mansfield to investigate a mystery man found dead on his property.

Along the way Nympha has travel troubles & becomes the focus of attention of a local second son, Nicholas Stanhope, and a Mr. Jacob Milburn. Nympha has never liked Lord Nicholas, having instead a serious crush on Nicholas' older brother. Mr. Milburn seems to be a mushroom who floats along from one houseparty to the next, thus saving himself money.

Nicholas and Nympha learn along the way that there are more facets to the other person than they previously recognized. Nympha learns the difference between true regard & feigned interest. She learns that sometimes the bitches really do get what they deserve. Really. There are scenes between Nympha & a snobby, scheming, nearly on the shelf duke's daughter that had my blood boiling. Poor Nympha- how can a rector's daughter compete with the likes of her?!

Of course, Nympha and Nick get their HEA. This is romance after all. I have read one other of the Herbert family stories. Somehow I like this family. Lots of daughters & one son. No other overarching thread stringing you along from book to book. Just a family trying to muddle along and get their daughters married off, LOL.
books
Book review
Romance Review

Pie- Rats Ahoy

I saw this on AG's blog.I don't know how people think these up, but here goes..

My pirate name is:

Captain Anne Vane

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You tend to blend into the background occaisionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Quizzes

Review: The Subtle Serpent

Of the Sister Fidelma mysteries I've read, this is the only one I partially figured out before the end. Partially, mind you. I'm really bad about figuring these things out. I only ever figured out two of all the Agatha Christies. Anyhow, these are set in ancient Ireland (seventh century).

Fidelma has been summoned to an abby on a peninsula where a headless female corpse has been found in one of the wells. Tied to an arm is a birch wand marked in Ogham (an ancient Irish language). Across the straight from the abby is the magistate's fortress. The magistrate is hosting a group of young noblemen from competing kingdoms. Why are competitive kingdoms' princelings in the same small holding at the same time? How does the magistrate afford to live in such luxury?

At the abby, the abbess has managed to surround herself exclusively with young women. How did that happen & why are older women unwelcome? Are the local rumors true? How did a twenty year old come to hold the second in command position? Why are the abbess & the steward so openly hostile to Fidelma? Why is favoritism tolerated? And above all, who is the dead woman?

On the other hand, who abandoned the Gaulish merchant vessel close by the entrance to the straight? Where are the crew and the cargo? Why was Fidelma's friend Eadulf on board & where is he now?

I like Fidelma & her world. After reading one of these I always wonder what the world would be like now if certain cultures had grown & flourished instead of diminishing. Greece, Egypt & Rome are other places whose cultures I wonder about. How much more advanced would mankind be if only...
Books
Mystery Review

Forecast- Gardening & Cleaning

With temps nearly eighty today, abundant sunshine & lotsa breezes I foresee very little reading happening this weekend. My little flower beds are calling me. Pruning, raking, edging, planning...

Spring cleaning the kitchen this weekend too. Scrubbing, washing, ironing, thrift store weeding of cabinets.

Too, Husband has been home sick yesterday & today. Nothing serious, but he has been unusually tired. Laryngitis, congestion. The usual. In years past he'd've worked through it, but this time he wanted to bunker down at home & rest. With the result that he fusses at me for rushing around too much- can't I just curl up & read beside him while he dozes? And eat the huge coffee roll he bought me? And why am I so anxious? Never mind my sudden onset of spring cleaning fever & how I hate to leave something half finished. Maybe if I sit here in front of the computer long enough, the urge to clean will pass?

Relationships
Spring Fever

0 to cancer in 60 seconds

I heard the answering machine pick up while I showered. I wrapped myself in my robe & pressed the button (hoping I'd won the lottery) & the message is, "Please call ___ Radiology as soon as possible this morning & ask for the 'A Team'."

Needless to say my heartbeat is suddenly waaaaaaaaayyyyy higher than normal. *O.M.G. What now? Please God I'm too young. If Jenster can do it so can I damn it!* ROTFL Notice how I go straight from normal & perfectly healthy to dying of cancer in two seconds flat.

I called the 'A Team' (do these people not remember the 80's?!). The very nice Carribean lady, her voice instantly transported me to a beach, complete with coconut oil & margaritas, tells me the film of my right side has technical problems. I need to go back again & be resquished ASAP. So I'm scheduled for Tuesday afternoon 1pm. Anne E, I'll be sure to ask for a pad this time, thanks for the tip.

My heartbeat is normal now. Barely.

AAR 2005 Poll Results

The AAR 2005 poll results are up. I've only read a few, which is a purposeful tactic on my part. I try very hard to avoid the hype associated with many titles & to accomplish this I often hold books for nine months or a year before I read them. I look at it as my attempt (poor though it is) to base each book on its own merits & not the buzz. On the other hand, it could be said I'm not independant enough to read them while they're new & still be unbiased. Whichever.

Of the titles and authors mentioned I only have: Anne Gracie, Karen Ranney, Lisa Valdez & Lydia Joyce. Never read any of the others, except Gabaldon who lost me two books ago & Brockmann who I dropped just before Sam & Alyssa's book. I rarely read contemporaries or categories or anthologies (unless they're paranormal or Anne Stuart novels), so none of those authors or titles mean anything to me.

The one thing I get out of this poll is that I really need to add Loretta Chase to the glom list. That & the fact that, if I judge my taste by the list, either I'm the odd woman out or I dance to my own drum or I don't know what I've missed. Some sort of cliche like that anyway.

Books
Romance Novels
authors

Greedy shopper

Latest bookstore treasures:

1.Goddess of the Rose by P.C. Cast

2. The Saint by Melanie Jackson

3. The Star Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

4. The Waterlord by Dawn Thompson

5. Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

#1 has been on the list for a while, but was (oddly) hard to find. #2 is an autobuy. On her site his eyes look weirdly photoshopped, 'blank' eyes, but on the cover they are pale blue. #3 was an impulse. I saw it out on the new release shelf. I don't often buy witch or wiccan theme romances, but somehow this one made it home. I think I had her confused with a well known YA & fantasy author with a similar name. #4 I'd been waiting for. Water being one of my favorite elements. And of course the second J.R. Ward book.

Fun times ahead this week!

books
Romance novels

Water Demons Unite

You shelter a Water

Demon
Very quiet and cunning, the water demon is one of

the cruelest and most destructive demons once

provoqued : he awaits in the shadows the

opportunate moment to strike and then, either

with the force of a raging sea or the

sharpness of a knife, he stabs the most

sensible part of the target. Although he will

not wake up if unecessary. Then he will show

a calm and gentle image of himself.


What demon sleeps inside you ?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thanks to Krisite(J) for the fun!

YA Romance- coming soon

Last summer I mentioned my sister's manuscript. She has maintained contact with this agent over the last few months. A few days ago she emailed me her manuscript & asked me to critique it, keeping the agent's suggestions in mind. Fortunately, my sister & I are able to be honest with each other.

The reason I mention this here is that, at this stage, there is a pretty awesome little romance happening here, people. It's aimed at young adults, and, yes, family loyalty and all that..but even so. I scrolled down to the end & sat there and said, "WOW! That was great!" A little on the bittersweet side, but quite the romance. In current form, it is a multicultural, biracial, coming of age story set in Tidewater Virginia. Very unusual in some aspects, yet topical & au courant.

So that is what I've been reading these last few days. A little polishing & a little luck & a lot of prayers & perhaps my adorable sister's book will be sitting on my shelves. I'm very excited & happy for her, she's worked very hard. I like it quite a bit & hope she gets it pubbed.

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen favorite cds, in no particular order:

1. Heart of a Woman- Etta James

2. Classic Soul Ballads- Time Life

3. Joshua Tree- U2

4. Forty Licks- Rolling Stones

5. Christmas Mass- Tallis

6. Bossa Nova- Stan Getz

7. Voz- Cesaria Evora

8. Pure Ella- Ella Fitzgerald

9. The Magic of Satie- Jean Yves Thibaudet

10. Bach- David Russell

11.Joao voz e Violao- Joao Gilberto

12. Mendelssohn & Shostakovich- Hilary Hahn

13. Vince Guaraldi- Charlie Brown Christmas

Drop by Balls & Walnuts, he has a list up today as well. No food this week *big grin* The Wold According to Me also has a TT up here.

Thursday thirteen

This & That

Husband & I had a delicious lunch at La Madeleine. We each had the French dip. I thought the jus a bit salty, but Husband disagreed. The lunch portion is a bit large, IMO, especially as it includes a small side salad- but perhaps I'm quibbling. We brought the leftovers home for Son #1, who is seventeen & always hungry. The bakery, both for pastries & bread, is above average. My personal favorite is the Napoleon, although the windowpane cookies they bake this time of year are excellent as well. The coffees are unremarkable though.

As it happens, there is a bookstore beside La Madeleine. I bought the following:

1. Kiss of the Highwayman by Jenna Mindel

2.Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

3.Fatal Attraction by Alicia Fields

I've been surfing the new RT website (link on sidebar), which I find less cumbersome, but others have complained the print is too small & the pages too busy.

I had my first mammo today. I'll have to say I don't think I've ever been quite so squished in my life. Not to mention it's 'that time' & I'm extra sensitive. The tech left red crescent shaped creases on my chest, for heaven's sake. However, my maternal grandmother died of breast cancer so I won't argue a few minutes discomfort for some peace of mind.

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