Teaser Tuesdays 11/16/10

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This teaser is kind of silly, but it made me laugh, and since that's what I need this week, I figure others might too! It's a tad long, but you have to have the whole thing! Enjoy!

"Did you sleep with him?" "No! We just kissed," I hiss. "But everyone saw. And he's my boss's roommate," I point out for, like, the third time. "How can I go out with him? I mean... what if I slept over at his house and ran into Mike walking around in his underwear?" "I don't know... it might be good for you," She says. "Spinach is good for you. Seeing your boss in his underwear is not good for you. Or maybe it's good for you, but it isn't for me." I shudder at the image of a scantily clad Mike. Okay, he probably doesn't wear Spider-Man Underoos in real life, but still. Pg. 77 Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham

Please also take a minute to check out my giveaway for Trevor's Song and it's companion volumes the Demo Tapes 1 and 2. I presented a couple of teasers from Trevor's Song a few weeks ago. Trevor's Song Giveaway

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

I found my Christmas Reading Challenge for this year! *happy dance* I was hoping I would find one soon, and this one works great! The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge is hosted by The True Book Addict, you can check it out and sign up HERE

This challenge takes place from Nov. 26, 2010 through Jan. 06, 2011 and has a few different levels:

--Candy Cane: read 1 book
--Mistletoe: read 2-4 books
--Christmas Tree: read 5 or 6 books

I would like to say that I'll hit the Christmas Tree level, but I'll probably fall more in the Mistletoe range, we'll just have to wait and see! Come on along and join us to get the Christmas Spirit!

WWW Wednesdays 11/10/10

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Then head on over to Should be Reading and leave a comment with a link to your post so others can see!


It's been a bit of a slow reading week for me, busy at work, and got the bright idea to try NANOWRIMO for the first time, so the reading has suffered some. I've only truly finished one, but started two more, just can't get settled and finished with anything it feels like!

I'm currently reading:

	The Great God Pan by Donna Jo Napoli -- Pan is a half human/half goat god from greek mythology. Promises to be a quick read, but so far it's just not drawing me in like I'd hoped. I think it's just because I have so much going on right now, but I have found like I like DJN's historical fiction more than her fairytale/mythology retellings.
	House of Rain by Craig Childs -- a book about the Anasazi people of the American Southwest. Very good so far, yesterday's teaser is from the first few pages. He has several other books that I want to investigate.
	Handbags and Homicide (Haley Randolph #1) by Dorothy Howell -- from fantasticfiction.com: Witty, smart, and always chic-to-die despite a less than glam checking account balance, Haley Randolph has it all--Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Coach, Burberry--and she'd kill for the newest Louis Vuitton handbag. It seems she's not the only one. When someone's passion for designer purses leads to murder, Haley goes shopping for a killer to clear her name... -- was just in the mood for a cozy mystery!
	I'm listening to Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2) by Lynn Flewelling -- Probably one more week on this one and I'll be done. I do like the story and the characters, and the reader isn't bad, he does try to do some different voices, but overall his voice is just too upbeat for many of the darker scenes!

Since last Wednesday I finished reading:

Twilight Fall by Lynn Viehl -- Some interesting new twists come out in this one, only one more full length book to go! I do like this series a lot!

Trevor's Song by Susan Helene Gottfried -- I actually already reported this one as finished last week, but I wanted to leave it on here for people to see since I now have my review and giveaway posted HERE. I'm giving away not only Trevor's Song but also the two Demo Tapes volumes which are collections of short outtakes about the same characters. Please check it out! All you have to do to enter is comment on my post and tell me what your favorite rock band is, international is okay!

Probably up next: I changed my mind a little from last week.

	Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
	Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich -- and because it's funny, I had to post the picture of the original cover too!

Teaser Tuesdays 11/9/10

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This book is of great interest to me because the Anasazi people and Chaco Canyon were subjects I'd studied in college during work on my Anthropology degree. I never dreamed I'd get to visit Chaco, but I did, on our honeymoon. It was a very profound experience. I've only read a few pages in and so far I'm really liking the writing style, and the reverence with which the author treats the subject. I think this teaser demonstrates that beautifully.

Sunlight receded, and a field of stars overtook the sky as I sat on a rock shelf over the granary, the dark gorge gaping below. Summer heat was still rising out of the rock. My head rested on my knees, arms drawn around my legs. I would be so careful with this if I entered it. I said this out loud. Going through someone else's treasure, I would be cautious with my fingers, my words, my thoughts. When the first stir of air entered this masonry chest, I would not even breathe. But the granary was not mine to open. It was left by other people, a stockpile waiting for their return. -- pg. 7 House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civiliation Across the American Southwest by Craig Childs

Please also take a minute to check out my giveaway for Trevor's Song and it's companion volumes the Demo Tapes 1 and 2. I presented a couple of teasers from Trevor's Song over the last couple of weeks. Trevor's Song Giveaway

NANOWRIMO - one week down!

I've made it through week one! It's been an interesting experience, I like the pep talks from authors, and also from my region's leaders, in fact I have to credit them with keeping me going on the second day! I wrote every day of the first week except for Saturday, but even missing a day didn't seem to hurt me too bad as I watched my stats during writing on Sunday. Which is good, because I'm probably missing today as well. I've crossed the 10,000 word mark, so I'm about 1/5th of the way done, and today I just don't have any motivation, or ideas. My story has gone in a bit of a different direction than it's taken in my head for years, there just isn't room for a character that was an integral part originally, and the characters that I would have thought I'd have an easier time writing, just aren't saying anything to me, so their parts are relatively short and boring so far. Ah well, it's all part of the process, and even if I don't write another word this year, I've at least proven to myself that I can sit down and create, which is something I was a little concerned I'd lost as my real world job has become more challenging and required more of my attention over the last few years. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, I just need to think about things for awhile, and see what comes! Hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying themselves!

Review, Giveaway and Musical Hanukkah: Trevor's Song by Susan Helene Gottfried

There will be a lot going on in this post, so hang in there with me, it's worth it!

First of all, I'm so excited for Susan that her story Trevor's Song is finally printed and available to us! It's been a few years in the making, and I know Susan did a lot of soul-searching before finally deciding to self-publish. Trevor's Song speaks to me because I enjoy writing myself, and even though I'm an avid reader of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Romance, Historical Fiction and Mysteries, what I've always been able to write are stories about rockstars, and the trials they face on tour. Since I became aware of heavy metal music, I've been fascinated by these musicians and their lifestyle, and have felt compelled to write about it. Now, most of my attempts are fan-fiction and will never see the light of day, but Susan has created a band that feels every bit as real as our favorites that we'd go see in concert.

The Review

Trevor's Song focuses primarily on the bass player of Shapeshifter, Trevor Wolff, and how he deals with some life changing things, right as the band has achieved their dream of fame. For years Trevor has had his best friend, Mitchell Voss, mostly to himself, from the time he was taken into the Voss' home, but now the unthinkable has happened, Mitchell has met a girl. THE girl in fact, and Trevor just knows it will be the end of everything. As if this wasn't bad enough, he's also hiding a huge secret from the rest of the guys, because he doesn't want it to interfere with their dreams coming true. Throughout the story Trevor's complex personality comes through, the bold, take-no-prisoners rockstar, who can't seem to completely escape the insecure, abused and degraded boy he'd been. His attempt at protecting the band from his problem is noble, though misguided, and at the climax of the story, his hand is forced and his secrets revealed, as his life hangs in the balance.

Susan has also compiled two great companion volumes to Trevor's Song, the Demo Tapes 1 and 2 which are collections of the outtakes that she has written on the West of Mars blog, and that give us even more of a feel for the guys, and their gals, along with some humorous, and some poignant scenes. There is even more on the blog than what is in these two additional volumes, I may have heard rumor of a Demo Tapes 3, I'm not sure, but I know there are many other pieces on the blog that have not yet made it into print, so you should definitely head on over and spend some time with the Shapeshifter gang.

The Giveaway and Musical Hanukkah

Here is where we get a little complicated and have a lot going on!

I myself am going to give away a set of all three books, Trevor's Song, and both Demo Tapes volumes, signed by the author, to one lucky winner. To enter please leave a comment on this post telling us who your favorite rock band is. I'll get you started, mine are Queensryche, Dream Theater and Savatage, just to name a few. I will choose a winner on November 27th. This giveaway is international.

But wait, there's more!

Susan is hosting her own event, Musical Hanukkah, a drawing set to take place on Dec. 6th. You can find a list of the prizes offered so far here. You can enter this drawing by making a donation to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation through this special link at First Giving that Susan has set up for the event. Then be sure to send your receipt to Susan so she can enter you in the drawing! Contact Susan Here. I've already made my donation, so come on over and give me some competition. This sounds like a wonderful charity, I was a band geek myself, and it was such a huge part of my junior high and high school experience, in which I made some life long friends. Every child deserves the chance to make music, and this charity tries to make that happen by supplying musical instruments to under-funded music programs.

Also during the months of November and December (yes, RIGHT NOW!), Susan is donating 50% of her royalties from any purchases of her books to the foundation. So if you don't win in my giveaway, you can go ahead and purchase the books yourself while knowing that you're helping to make a donation to an awesome charity! For information on how to purchase the books, head on over here where clicking on the book covers will get you to purchasing info.

Check it out folks, 'tis the season, and this is a great way to kick off your giving for the holidays!

Negative Much?

Saw this rather mean-spirited article about NANOWRIMO: Laura Miller's take, and then Orbit's fantastic reply.

So tell me, who is Laura Miller again and why should I respect her opinion? Oh yeah, no one I'd ever heard of before who is writing articles on her own co-founded website, oh and she doesn't write novels, but she reads rather a lot of them. Yeah, whatever. You missed the point lady. I've written off and on since junior high, for one reason, because I enjoy it. If I ever get something published, that would be an amazing thing, but it's not the sole purpose of writing. What is a waste of time to one person may be a cathartic and healthy experience for another.

I'm a first timer, it's only day 4, so far I'm on track, and tonight, in an idea I've had floating around in my head for probably close on 5 years now, something I wrote completely opened a new avenue in the story I hadn't considered before, and believe me I've been over this story in my head a million times. Now that is magic, and I for one don't consider it a waste of time.

WWW Wednesdays 11/3/10

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Then head on over to Should be Reading and leave a comment with a link to your post so others can see!


I'm currently reading:

	Twilight Fall by Lynn Viehl -- Such eyes on the cover! I was definitely interested in this book of the series, as I liked Valentin Jaus from the other books, I'm looking forward to seeing him fleshed out here, and getting to have something besides unrequited love.
	Handbags and Homicide (Haley Randolph #1) by Dorothy Howell -- from fantasticfiction.com: Witty, smart, and always chic-to-die despite a less than glam checking account balance, Haley Randolph has it all--Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Coach, Burberry--and she'd kill for the newest Louis Vuitton handbag. It seems she's not the only one. When someone's passion for designer purses leads to murder, Haley goes shopping for a killer to clear her name... -- was just in the mood for a cozy mystery!
	I'm listening to Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2) by Lynn Flewelling -- about a third of the way maybe? It's a pretty long audibook, not like Outlander long (30 some CD's!) but still when you only have about 30-40 minutes a day to listen to it. I'm enjoying it, but this is one where I wonder if I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it, the narrator isn't bad, he's just not terribly animated, and I think I might have fared better with the nuances of Seregil's character better in my own imagination. But I do recommend this series so far!

Since last Wednesday I finished reading:

	Immortals: Evermore by Alyson Noel -- Another great teen paranormal! Poor Ever, I would hate to go through life being able to hear everything everyone was thinking. As much as we might think we'd like to know, I'm sure the reality would be a nightmare, especially when you can hear the other kids who are making fun of you! Highly recommend!
	Trevor's Song by Susan Helene Gottfried -- All finished and I loved it! I plan to do a giveaway soon in coordination with Susan's own Musical Hanukkah event, so do check back because I will do an actual review and you might be able to win a Trevor of your very own! You can't have mine, cause he's autographed, and he ain't leavin' this house!
No cover	Great Gunfighters of the Kansas Cowtowns 1867-1886 by Nyle H. And Snell, Joseph W. Miller -- I admit it, I wussed and turned this one back in. Work is so stressful right now that I just couldn't concentrate on this one, it being primarily a resource book, a collection of historical newspaper articles on the people, tied with a bit of commentary, and TINY tiny print! It felt like it took an hour just to get through one page! lol!

Probably up next:

	Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
	Wolfsbane and Mistletoe A paranormal anthology with a Christmas theme, it'll be here before we know it! *tremble*

Teaser Tuesdays 11/2/10

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Since when do locked rooms stop you?" I say, having seen her walk through plenty of walls this past year. "Believe me, it wasn't the door that stopped me, it was me that stopped me. I mean, jeez, just because I'm dead doesn't mean I can't get scared." She shakes her head and scowls at me. -- pg. 171 Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Noel

NANOWRIMO

So, November is National Novel Writing Month. I have never attempted this before, but against my better judgment, I've just signed up to give it a try. Even though November is shaping up to be my busiest work month EVER, what with trying to get our 2011 budget complete and a physical inventory which I'm heavily involved in, I'm still going to give this a shot. Am I insane? I think so, but I'm also going to give myself permission to not stress over it and not feel like a loser if I don't finish. I just would like to get back to writing. I used to think I was pretty good, at least I usually enjoyed my own writing. I used to write with friends for fun. I've done no plain old writing for fun in several years, it's time I got back to it. I miss it, and I think it was a stress reliever. It got me through college quite honestly, and I would lose hours at a time writing, only to resurface when my roommate got home from work, blinking and amazed at how much time was just gone. I still go back and read some of those stories and think wow, I did that, how come I can't still do it?

The NANOWRIMO site talks about whether you are a planner or a pantser, and I'd have to say I'm definitely a pantser this time, though I do have some ideas taking shape in my head as I write this, I don't think I'll have much a plan going in. They also ask how you're going to spend your last weekend of freedom before the event, me? Playing Guildwars and collecting as many virtual trick or treat bags as possible, reading other people's novels, and eating candy! Now to go pick out a cool widget to keep track of my word count!

Book Dominoes

Wish I'd know about this store when we were in Arizona!

WWW Wednesdays 10/27/10

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Then head on over to Should be Reading and leave a comment with a link to your post so others can see!


I'm currently reading:

	Trevor's Song by Susan Helene Gottfried -- A bit over halfway, and loving it! I know it's taking me way too long to read it, I blame work. Trust me, if not for that, I would have been racing through it! I plan to do a giveaway soon in coordination with Susan's own Musical Hanukkah event, so do check back and you might be able to win a Trevor of your very own! You can't have mine, cause he's autographed, and he ain't leavin' this house!
No cover	Great Gunfighters of the Kansas Cowtowns 1867-1886 by Nyle H. And Snell, Joseph W. Miller -- Back to that work excuse, I haven't gotten a single additional page read in this one and it's about time to check it out from the library again. Not sure if I'll keep on with this one, it's a good resource book, but very dry, and right now I need easy to read and entertaining!
	I'm listening to Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2) by Lynn Flewelling -- about a third of the way maybe? It's a pretty long audibook, not like Outlander long (30 some CD's!) but still when you only have about 30-40 minutes a day to listen to it. I'm enjoying it, but this is one where I wonder if I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it, the narrator isn't bad, he's just not terribly animated, and I think I might have fared better with the nuances of Seregil's character better in my own imagination. But I do recommend this series so far!

Since last Wednesday I finished reading:

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne -- A Teen Paranormal read featuring werewolves -- 'tis the season! But then, for me, it's always the season for hunky werewolves! This one was good, set in a wilderness park, where Kayla goes back to confront her past, the place where her parents were killed when she was a child. Her therapist has told her she must face her fears, but she finds a little more than she bargained for!

Strange Brew by a host of great Paranormal authors! A good mix, and all the stories were pretty good! I probably liked the Jim Butcher story best, just because Harry Dresden is the character I know best out of all of these. A couple of the stories were featuring side characters from the authors series, I think some were just stand alone stories. I recommend this one, I felt all the stories were worthwhile.

Probably up next:

	Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
	Immortals: Evermore by Alyson Noel -- Loving the Teen Paranormals right now!

Teaser Tuesdays 10/26/10

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I have a couple for you today, I had just about decided to skip this week I've been so busy, when I came across two great ones in my reading, one from Moonlight, another Paranormal Teen read, and another from Trevor's Song, which I've teased before here. Compare the two, and you'll get a good feel for the complex personality that is Trevor Wolff. (Okay, yeah, I'm a groupie, I admit it!)

Gently, he touched my cheek with his fingertips. They were rough and callused. I didn't want to think that earlier in the night they'd also sported claws that could rip my face apart. -- pg. 170 Moonlight (Dark Guardian #1) by Rachel Hawthorne

"Get over yourself and stop hurting Trevor," Mitchell told her. "He deals with broken hearts about as well as I do." He yawned and asked Kerri if she was ready to go to bed. "Trev's heart's too small to break," Trevor said in a voice, equally as small. Her own heart breaking at hearing him, Kerri turned to a fresh page in her sketch book and got busy again, waving Mitchell to bed without her. Trevor had shrunk down into himself, as if he could make himself a smaller target, and his forearms were crossed over his chest -- there for protection. If it wasn't nonverbal communication he was showing her, she didn't know how to read people.-- pg. 148 Trevor's Song by Susan Helene Gottfried

WWW Wednesdays 10/20/10

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Then head on over to Should be Reading and leave a comment with a link to your post so others can see!


I'm currently reading:

	Strange Brew by a host of great Paranormal authors! So far I've read the Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher stories and really liked them both!
	Trevor's Song by Susan Helene Gottfried -- Taking my time and savoring! This one has been awhile in the making so I'm enjoying it slowly! ;)
No cover	Great Gunfighters of the Kansas Cowtowns 1867-1886 by Nyle H. And Snell, Joseph W. Miller -- Wow the print in this book is tiny! I've only gotten through setting the stage of the time period and the first section about Charles Bassett. Much of this book is a collection of newspaper articles of the times, and it's very interesting to read these often flowery and humorous articles and compare them to the newspapers of today.
	I'm listening to Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2) by Lynn Flewelling

Since last Wednesday I finished reading:

	The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson -- Here are my thoughts that I posted over on Goodreads: review, needless to say, I don't recommend this one, and can't quite believe that such an experienced author exhibited such bad judgement in subject matter and treatment. But then I'm a fan of Egyptology, so I'm probably more biased that a lot of people. I wasn't alone in my opinion however, just from reading some of the other reviews.
	The Summoning (Darkest Powers #1) by Kelley Armstrong -- Very good! I'll definitely be continuing this series and looking into Kelley's other books. I recommend it and I've already bought the second book!
	Bound by Donna Jo Napoli -- A Cinderella retelling set in Ming China. I really enjoyed this one, you really feel for Xing Xing, and have ups and downs with her sister and stepmother. Unlike the Cinderella story we're all familiar with, there are moments where they do show her kindness, although in the stepmother's case it is a deception, it isn't entirely with her sister. Though the ending follows closely to the traditional story, Xing Xing shows herself to be a strong young woman, who knows her mind, and who is determined to speak it! Highly recommend!

Probably up next:

	Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
	Immortals: Evermore by Alyson Noel -- Loving the Teen Paranormals right now!

Teaser Tuesdays 10/19/10

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Bound is a retelling of the Cinderella story, set in Ming China. I've chosen several teasers from it, just because I liked the way they sounded, and I think they're a good example of Napoli's intriguing style, which seems to change and adapt to fit the theme of each different story she tells.

There is an order to guidance. A Ruler guides a subject. A father guides a son. A husband guides a wife. An elder guides a younger. A friend guides a friend. -- pg. 78 She stared at a bramble leaf, just a breath away from her. At this distance she could study every detail of the leaf. A principle of order guided the patterns of veins in that leaf. In every leaf. In everything on earth. Had not Stepmother said her ancestors would protect her? Certainly it was Xing Xing's job to protect father, not vice versa. But her other ancestors should be looking after her, guiding her. Somehow they had guided her to this very spot. She must trust in their wisdom. -- pg. 79 Learning is not the accumulation of knowledge, but rather, one thing only: understanding. -- pg. 145 Bound by Donna Jo Napoli