Jamie DeBree's Blog, page 9
April 30, 2014
Talkin' Books: April 30, 2014
Books Finished: None
Books In Progress: Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Short Fiction: None
Comic Books:None
Yeah.
So. Kinda got sidetracked by the whole "must pick up and move your
blogs" thing this weekend...among other things. I managed to pick up my
new comic books this weekend, but haven't managed to actually read any
of them yet, which is a shame.
But! This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day
- you know what that is, right? It's the day when you can walk into
your local comic shop (here in the states, at least) and pick up a ton
of free comic books! So...go here to find your local participating comic book store, and grab yourself some free books on Saturday. I will, of
course, be visiting my local shop as well. You won't be sorry!
The
only real reading I've done this week is actually from a sample of a
book on my Kindle that I'm pretty sure I'll buy when I get to the end of
the sample. I'm not completely immune to trends, especially when it
involves entertainment (books, TV, movies, music). And everyone keeps
talking about this Game of Thrones TV series (we don't have cable, so
haven't seen it, personally). My husband has no interest in watching,
and I really didn't either, but I came across The Game of Thrones (Book 1
in the series) the other week on Amazon, noted that it was $4.99 for
the Kindle copy, so I thought maybe I'd download a sample and at least
see what the premise of the story was. Fantasy is often a really hard
sell for me (lots of descriptive world-building bores the heck out of
me), so I wasn't expecting much.
I
have to say though....I'm kind of hooked. I read a *lot* (not that you
could tell from the past couple of months, but hey, it's been busy), and
I freely admit that I don't remember a lot of what I've read. I enjoy
the story while I'm reading, but it's rare that I think about it much
after it's over, or even between the time I put it down and pick it back
up. But as with the Gaiman book (which I never seem to forget, even
when I'm away from it for days at a time), this little sample still has
me thinking about the direwolf pups, the beheading of the "rogue" (but
was he, really?), and the family dynamics that have been laid out in
less than a single chapter. A writer friend was maligning Martin's
writing style on FB the other day, but I have to say...I like it. Unlike
so many other fantasy authors, Martin stays out of the reader's way,
and gives plenty of description while keeping the story flowing at an
easy pace.
Although
I guess I can't say it'll stay that way, as I've only read a prologue
and nearly another chapter, but so far, I'm enjoying it.
Which
scares me, because while I can't see how big the books are on my
Kindle, I've heard they're doorstoppers, and there are a lot of them at
that. Do I really want to commit? I'm not sure yet, which is why I'm
still working on the sample, and haven't actually bought the book yet.
Decisions, decisions...
In
any case, that's my week in reading. With the web site/blog migrations
looming, my reading time will be hit & miss for the next month or
so, but thankfully my lunch hours are still largely open for delving
into fiction for a bit. Really, I need to force myself to set everything
aside at night and go read...it would be better for my overall attitude
& disposition (though perhaps not my awareness the next day...).
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Books In Progress: Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Short Fiction: None
Comic Books:None
Yeah.
So. Kinda got sidetracked by the whole "must pick up and move your
blogs" thing this weekend...among other things. I managed to pick up my
new comic books this weekend, but haven't managed to actually read any
of them yet, which is a shame.
But! This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day
- you know what that is, right? It's the day when you can walk into
your local comic shop (here in the states, at least) and pick up a ton
of free comic books! So...go here to find your local participating comic book store, and grab yourself some free books on Saturday. I will, of
course, be visiting my local shop as well. You won't be sorry!
The
only real reading I've done this week is actually from a sample of a
book on my Kindle that I'm pretty sure I'll buy when I get to the end of
the sample. I'm not completely immune to trends, especially when it
involves entertainment (books, TV, movies, music). And everyone keeps
talking about this Game of Thrones TV series (we don't have cable, so
haven't seen it, personally). My husband has no interest in watching,
and I really didn't either, but I came across The Game of Thrones (Book 1
in the series) the other week on Amazon, noted that it was $4.99 for
the Kindle copy, so I thought maybe I'd download a sample and at least
see what the premise of the story was. Fantasy is often a really hard
sell for me (lots of descriptive world-building bores the heck out of
me), so I wasn't expecting much.
I
have to say though....I'm kind of hooked. I read a *lot* (not that you
could tell from the past couple of months, but hey, it's been busy), and
I freely admit that I don't remember a lot of what I've read. I enjoy
the story while I'm reading, but it's rare that I think about it much
after it's over, or even between the time I put it down and pick it back
up. But as with the Gaiman book (which I never seem to forget, even
when I'm away from it for days at a time), this little sample still has
me thinking about the direwolf pups, the beheading of the "rogue" (but
was he, really?), and the family dynamics that have been laid out in
less than a single chapter. A writer friend was maligning Martin's
writing style on FB the other day, but I have to say...I like it. Unlike
so many other fantasy authors, Martin stays out of the reader's way,
and gives plenty of description while keeping the story flowing at an
easy pace.
Although
I guess I can't say it'll stay that way, as I've only read a prologue
and nearly another chapter, but so far, I'm enjoying it.
Which
scares me, because while I can't see how big the books are on my
Kindle, I've heard they're doorstoppers, and there are a lot of them at
that. Do I really want to commit? I'm not sure yet, which is why I'm
still working on the sample, and haven't actually bought the book yet.
Decisions, decisions...
In
any case, that's my week in reading. With the web site/blog migrations
looming, my reading time will be hit & miss for the next month or
so, but thankfully my lunch hours are still largely open for delving
into fiction for a bit. Really, I need to force myself to set everything
aside at night and go read...it would be better for my overall attitude
& disposition (though perhaps not my awareness the next day...).
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 29, 2014
Serial Story: MacKenzie Saves the World, Episode 3F
This serial story is presented in draft (unedited) format. Previous installments may be found at ComicShopRomance.com for another week or so. After that, each new installment will replace the one before right here at The Variety Pages. Thanks for your patience during my blog and schedule changes...
"Fight Water with Fire" - Part 7
When she came to, MacKenzie was flat on her back, the dim florescent lights from the ceiling partially blocked by Matt-the-bike-shop-owner’s head.
“Oh god, are you okay? I can’t believe I hit you with the door. How’s your head?”
Now that he mentioned it, her head felt like someone had bashed her skull in with a baseball bat. She groaned and moved to get up, stopped by strong hands holding her shoulders down.
“I don’t think you should move,” he said, looking away for a moment. “You probably have a concussion or something. Let me call Josh. Or 9-1-1.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m fine.” MacKenzie rolled to the side, brushing his hands away as she fought a wave of nausea. Making it to her knees, she stopped, feeling the back of her head with one hand for a depression or bleeding.
“See any blood?” she asked, probing gingerly with her fingers. Matt moved her fingers aside and felt around the wound with his own before moving to face her.
“No, but you’re going to have quite the bump.” He stared into her eyes. “I really think you might have a concussion. You should get checked out. I can drive you to the hospital if you want...”
Footsteps came running down the hall and in two seconds Kevin was kneeling beside her, lips set in a thin line as he caressed the side of her face.
“What the hell happened? Are you hurt?”
“She ran into the door when I opened it,” Matt said. “Hit her head pretty hard. I was just trying to convince her to go to the hospital.”
Kevin took her hands and helped her up, supporting her when she had a hard time keeping her balance.
“Let’s go - I’ll drive. You need to see a doctor. No arguments.”
MacKenzie shook her head, immediately regretting the movement.
“But I need to see Josh. Just take me--”
Kevin shook his head, and something in his expression made her stomach flip again. Or maybe that was the headache.
“He’s not here, Kenzie. That’s why I was coming to find you. His dad had a heart attack, and he and Angela went to the hospital. They’re not sure he’s going to make it. Josh wanted you to know. He...wanted to know if you’d meet him there.”
“Okay then.” MacKenzie took a deep breath and fought back another wave of nausea. “I guess I’m going to the hospital, one way or the other. Matt, would you mind keeping an eye on things here until Kevin gets back? I know it’s not your job, but since Josh and I are both out...”
Matt nodded. “No problem at all. Don’t worry about anything, just take care.”
MacKenzie let Kevin help her out to his car and winced as she got in the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. It was hard to stay awake on the quick drive to the hospital, and Kevin’s incessant chatter was annoying, but he seemed insistent that she couldn’t nap. And when the car finally stopped, she didn’t understand why there was a nurse with a wheelchair waiting at the curb for them. Or why no one listened when she kept asking to see Josh...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 28, 2014
On Curve Balls, Virtual Moves & Planning Ahead...
Weekly To-Do List
You know, you'd think I'd be used to the curve balls life lobs our way when we get to a certain level of comfort in our lives, but somehow, I'm still taken by surprise far too often. I can't decide whether it's because I'm just that naive, or if it's because I'm not nearly as cynical as I think I am, but it doesn't really matter, I guess. Life would be a bit boring if it were always easy, but sometimes I feel like a freak when things that are easy for other people turn out not to be for me. Which is actually more things than I care to admit, honestly.
Like my new gadget, for instance. The MiFi modem I was so happy about last week? Yeah. It gives me headaches. Not the wifi signal - I pretty much marinate in those all day, every day, but the cell signal. A smart co-worker told me it's because I can "hear" the noise from that particular signal, and my brain doesn't like it (or doesn't know what to do with it, one of the two). Part of it could be a malfunction in the device itself (my co-worker could actually hear it too, thank goodness)...being around cell phones don't normally bug me, so I need to see about getting a different mifi device to transfer my sim card to. My ultimate plan is to get a used smartphone (I want a Galaxy Note 3, but would settle for a Note 2), and put my data sim card in that...with Verizon, that's perfectly fine, and would give me a smartphone with just a data plan, which is exactly what I want. But I can't afford that just yet, and I spent my weekend dealing with another curve ball that hit last week, so hopefully this week I'll have some time to shop for a new MiFi device. Meanwhile, I'll try putting it in a closed drawer at work and see if that helps.
The other curve ball that hit late last week was finding a refund from my web host in my bank account for nearly the whole year's worth of blog hosting fees. After fishing an email from them out of my spam filter, I discovered they are discontinuing the blog service I use, so I have to move all of my blogs (yes, including this one) elsewhere by the end of June. Granted, I'd been considering moving anyways (slow load times and other nits had me pretty frustrated earlier this year), but it would seem the decision's been made for me. At least they refunded my fees, so I had money to find a new host with.
In any case, it took me awhile and a good deal of research to choose a new web host, but I finally did, and I'm optimistic that this change will be a good one all around - eventually. The bad part is having to actually move all of my sites. Because I've been using host-automated blog templates and site builders, I have to completely rebuild my sites from scratch on the new host. This will be a good thing too, once all the work is done. Better blog performance for one, and an easier comment system to manage (ie, no more captcha!). It's just going to be...a lot of work to get everything moved and running on the new host.
I'm going to get the Brazen Snake Books site and blog done first, so this blog won't be moving for a couple weeks yet. I'll let you know all the details when I'm ready to make the switch, but here are a few things that I have decided with regards to this particular blog and a couple of others that are happening immediately:
- I'll be integrating the Comic Shop Romance serial story blog into this one, as of this week. So instead of going to a separate blog, you can read MacKenzie's story right here every Tuesday, starting this week.
- The Drafting Desk will be split up and instead of daily updates for all of my drafts, I'll post weekly stats and writer's notes on my drafting progress to each of my author blogs. This will go into effect immediately, and you'll find Writer's Notes posts on each of my author blogs (including this one) as of Saturday, May 3rd.
- I was going to wait until the current serials are done, but in light of the move and post importing/exporting, I've decided that all serial story installments will only be available for one week as of this week. When a new installment goes up, the previous one will come down. If you miss an installment, you can always email me to get a copy, easy-peasy.
I'll have more details later, but those are the big changes happening now. I'll do my best to make the moves as smooth as possible, and we'll have spiffy new sites to play with all around in the next month or two. Fun, eh?
Now it's off to bed for me. It's going to be a very busy month!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
You know, you'd think I'd be used to the curve balls life lobs our way when we get to a certain level of comfort in our lives, but somehow, I'm still taken by surprise far too often. I can't decide whether it's because I'm just that naive, or if it's because I'm not nearly as cynical as I think I am, but it doesn't really matter, I guess. Life would be a bit boring if it were always easy, but sometimes I feel like a freak when things that are easy for other people turn out not to be for me. Which is actually more things than I care to admit, honestly.
Like my new gadget, for instance. The MiFi modem I was so happy about last week? Yeah. It gives me headaches. Not the wifi signal - I pretty much marinate in those all day, every day, but the cell signal. A smart co-worker told me it's because I can "hear" the noise from that particular signal, and my brain doesn't like it (or doesn't know what to do with it, one of the two). Part of it could be a malfunction in the device itself (my co-worker could actually hear it too, thank goodness)...being around cell phones don't normally bug me, so I need to see about getting a different mifi device to transfer my sim card to. My ultimate plan is to get a used smartphone (I want a Galaxy Note 3, but would settle for a Note 2), and put my data sim card in that...with Verizon, that's perfectly fine, and would give me a smartphone with just a data plan, which is exactly what I want. But I can't afford that just yet, and I spent my weekend dealing with another curve ball that hit last week, so hopefully this week I'll have some time to shop for a new MiFi device. Meanwhile, I'll try putting it in a closed drawer at work and see if that helps.
The other curve ball that hit late last week was finding a refund from my web host in my bank account for nearly the whole year's worth of blog hosting fees. After fishing an email from them out of my spam filter, I discovered they are discontinuing the blog service I use, so I have to move all of my blogs (yes, including this one) elsewhere by the end of June. Granted, I'd been considering moving anyways (slow load times and other nits had me pretty frustrated earlier this year), but it would seem the decision's been made for me. At least they refunded my fees, so I had money to find a new host with.
In any case, it took me awhile and a good deal of research to choose a new web host, but I finally did, and I'm optimistic that this change will be a good one all around - eventually. The bad part is having to actually move all of my sites. Because I've been using host-automated blog templates and site builders, I have to completely rebuild my sites from scratch on the new host. This will be a good thing too, once all the work is done. Better blog performance for one, and an easier comment system to manage (ie, no more captcha!). It's just going to be...a lot of work to get everything moved and running on the new host.
I'm going to get the Brazen Snake Books site and blog done first, so this blog won't be moving for a couple weeks yet. I'll let you know all the details when I'm ready to make the switch, but here are a few things that I have decided with regards to this particular blog and a couple of others that are happening immediately:
- I'll be integrating the Comic Shop Romance serial story blog into this one, as of this week. So instead of going to a separate blog, you can read MacKenzie's story right here every Tuesday, starting this week.
- The Drafting Desk will be split up and instead of daily updates for all of my drafts, I'll post weekly stats and writer's notes on my drafting progress to each of my author blogs. This will go into effect immediately, and you'll find Writer's Notes posts on each of my author blogs (including this one) as of Saturday, May 3rd.
- I was going to wait until the current serials are done, but in light of the move and post importing/exporting, I've decided that all serial story installments will only be available for one week as of this week. When a new installment goes up, the previous one will come down. If you miss an installment, you can always email me to get a copy, easy-peasy.
I'll have more details later, but those are the big changes happening now. I'll do my best to make the moves as smooth as possible, and we'll have spiffy new sites to play with all around in the next month or two. Fun, eh?
Now it's off to bed for me. It's going to be a very busy month!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 25, 2014
Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 16
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 16
“Is that too heavy?” Thomas asked ten minutes later. They were standing in the foyer, Zariah looking on as they prepared to leave. He’d given Katie a small pack containing some supplies for their journey and a full canteen to hang around her neck - the later of which had her wrinkling her pert little nose.
“No,” she said, adjusting the straps of the pack across her shoulders. “I can handle it, but a canteen? Really? How old is this thing? And when was the last time it was scrubbed out? How would you even get it clean, anyways?”
Thomas sighed and shook his head. “You worry too much. Canteens are only used for water, never anything else, and left open to dry after use. I assure you, you have nothing to worry about.”
“It just seems unsanitary is all.” She looked at Zariah. “Don’t you think so?”
The pixie-woman smiled at her. “No more so than the substances your people use to carry water in now.”
Thomas shouldered his own pack and slung two more canteens across his body. Taking the long pole he’d retrieved from the dungeon in hand, he opened the door.
“It’s time. Let’s go.” Stepping back, he motioned for Katie to go first, but she shook her head and held up her hands.
“Oh no. You first. If Peter’s lurking out there, he can deal with you. That’s the deal, right? You protect me from him?”
Zariah stepped in to put a hand on her arm. “He’s not out there, Katie Watson. He’s gone back to the city, and waits for you to return. You have nothing to fear now, but you must leave the manor first. Thomas cannot leave until you do.”
Katie looked from one to the other and then turned to the door. Thomas could almost feel the apprehension wafting off her form as she peered out, glancing one way and then the other before taking that first, tentative step over the threshold.
Thomas wanted to hurry her along - it would be dark soon and they had a long way to go. But he could see how tense her muscles were, the fear that seemed to hold her hostage, and he knew harsh words would get them nowhere.
Moving in behind her close enough so she’d feel the heat of his body, he bent down to speak softly in her ear.
“Do you trust me, Katie?”
Her body twitched at his words, though there was no way she could have missed his presence. The sudden movement brought her back up solidly against his torso, and he fought the instinct to wrap his arms around her waist, giving her the security she seemed to need.
Her breathing was faster, the pulse in her neck visible under that pale porcelain skin. She was lucky he wasn’t a vampire, he thought as he watched each beat of her heart. It was a long, tense moment before she finally answered.
“Yes.” The word slid out on a sigh, and it was as if the whole manor sighed with her as a gentle force pushed them both from behind, nudging her onto the porch. He did grab her waist then to keep her from falling forward.
The electricity between them almost crackled in its intensity, and he felt it deep in his bones the moment her focus switched from fear to arousal.
Removing his hands he stepped to the side, moving out to the edge of the ten foot radial boundary he was allowed. There was much to be said and this tension would have to be dealt with, but right now, he needed to put her welfare over his own comfort and get them in motion.
Katie took another step away, frowning when he was forced to take one forward.
“What are you doing?” She took another step back and the boundary pulled him forward an equal distance.
“Katie, stop.”
Zariah’s command came so abruptly that Katie followed it, crossing her arms over the canteen as she waited.
“What now?”
“Thomas should have told you before,” Zariah said, casting a disapproving look at him. “When you are outside the manor, he must stay physically within ten feet of you at all times.”
Katie looked at them both in disbelief. “Ten feet? Why? And how am I supposed to...do private things? That’s ridiculous!”
“It’s for your own safety,” Thomas said. “I can be quite discrete even from this distance, I assure you.”
Tossing her hands up, Katie turned away and started another step, pulling up short at the last minute. Turning again, she cocked her head to the side.
“So what happens if you go outside the boundary? Do you turn into stone dust or something?”
Thomas met her stare straight on. “The boundary will hold me to you as long as I’m alive. The only way our connection will be broken is if one of us dies. Now, if you’re ready, let’s start walking. I’ll answer the rest of your questions on the way.”
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 16
“Is that too heavy?” Thomas asked ten minutes later. They were standing in the foyer, Zariah looking on as they prepared to leave. He’d given Katie a small pack containing some supplies for their journey and a full canteen to hang around her neck - the later of which had her wrinkling her pert little nose.
“No,” she said, adjusting the straps of the pack across her shoulders. “I can handle it, but a canteen? Really? How old is this thing? And when was the last time it was scrubbed out? How would you even get it clean, anyways?”
Thomas sighed and shook his head. “You worry too much. Canteens are only used for water, never anything else, and left open to dry after use. I assure you, you have nothing to worry about.”
“It just seems unsanitary is all.” She looked at Zariah. “Don’t you think so?”
The pixie-woman smiled at her. “No more so than the substances your people use to carry water in now.”
Thomas shouldered his own pack and slung two more canteens across his body. Taking the long pole he’d retrieved from the dungeon in hand, he opened the door.
“It’s time. Let’s go.” Stepping back, he motioned for Katie to go first, but she shook her head and held up her hands.
“Oh no. You first. If Peter’s lurking out there, he can deal with you. That’s the deal, right? You protect me from him?”
Zariah stepped in to put a hand on her arm. “He’s not out there, Katie Watson. He’s gone back to the city, and waits for you to return. You have nothing to fear now, but you must leave the manor first. Thomas cannot leave until you do.”
Katie looked from one to the other and then turned to the door. Thomas could almost feel the apprehension wafting off her form as she peered out, glancing one way and then the other before taking that first, tentative step over the threshold.
Thomas wanted to hurry her along - it would be dark soon and they had a long way to go. But he could see how tense her muscles were, the fear that seemed to hold her hostage, and he knew harsh words would get them nowhere.
Moving in behind her close enough so she’d feel the heat of his body, he bent down to speak softly in her ear.
“Do you trust me, Katie?”
Her body twitched at his words, though there was no way she could have missed his presence. The sudden movement brought her back up solidly against his torso, and he fought the instinct to wrap his arms around her waist, giving her the security she seemed to need.
Her breathing was faster, the pulse in her neck visible under that pale porcelain skin. She was lucky he wasn’t a vampire, he thought as he watched each beat of her heart. It was a long, tense moment before she finally answered.
“Yes.” The word slid out on a sigh, and it was as if the whole manor sighed with her as a gentle force pushed them both from behind, nudging her onto the porch. He did grab her waist then to keep her from falling forward.
The electricity between them almost crackled in its intensity, and he felt it deep in his bones the moment her focus switched from fear to arousal.
Removing his hands he stepped to the side, moving out to the edge of the ten foot radial boundary he was allowed. There was much to be said and this tension would have to be dealt with, but right now, he needed to put her welfare over his own comfort and get them in motion.
Katie took another step away, frowning when he was forced to take one forward.
“What are you doing?” She took another step back and the boundary pulled him forward an equal distance.
“Katie, stop.”
Zariah’s command came so abruptly that Katie followed it, crossing her arms over the canteen as she waited.
“What now?”
“Thomas should have told you before,” Zariah said, casting a disapproving look at him. “When you are outside the manor, he must stay physically within ten feet of you at all times.”
Katie looked at them both in disbelief. “Ten feet? Why? And how am I supposed to...do private things? That’s ridiculous!”
“It’s for your own safety,” Thomas said. “I can be quite discrete even from this distance, I assure you.”
Tossing her hands up, Katie turned away and started another step, pulling up short at the last minute. Turning again, she cocked her head to the side.
“So what happens if you go outside the boundary? Do you turn into stone dust or something?”
Thomas met her stare straight on. “The boundary will hold me to you as long as I’m alive. The only way our connection will be broken is if one of us dies. Now, if you’re ready, let’s start walking. I’ll answer the rest of your questions on the way.”
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Contemporary Romance |
Horror | Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 23, 2014
Talkin' Books: April 23, 2014
Books Finished: Rescue Me (TREX) by Allie K. Adams
Books In Progress: Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Short Fiction: Once Upon a New Year's Eve by Kait Nolan
Comic Books:Sandman Overture #2Superior Spider-man #30 / Black Widow #1
Still
slow on the reading front, unfortunately, but I've been busy
with...well, lots of things lately, and I'll freely admit that the books
I'm working on are good, but they just aren't the kind of "page
turners" that make me want to get back to them as fast as possible. So I
get to them when I get to them, or when I have a few minutes at lunch,
etc.
Rescue Me
is a good solid romantic suspense. It didn't really pull me in all that
tightly, but it was good as far as entertainment goes. I actually felt
it was a little longer than it needed to be - tightening up the action
and picking up the pace would have kept me reading faster, but that's
just personal preference.
I got a few more chapters read in Neverwhere ,
and I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. I love the henchmen, but
honestly, I'm not terribly invested in the main characters, and I think
that's why I've got sort of a take it or leave it approach going on with
it. I'll admit, the Rollins adventure that's waiting for me to finish
this has a stronger appeal to me, but I do want to finish Neverwhere to
see how the story ends.
Haven't gotten back to Tatterdemon yet...I will, eventually.
As a quick little side-trip after finishing Rescue Me, I read Once Upon A New Year's Eve
by Kait Nolan. It's a cute, quick little story easily read in a
half-hour or so, perfect for waiting at the salon or something. I
enjoyed it, and it's a good way to sample Kait's work (I enjoyed her
first paranormal romance too).
And look! I made time for comic books this week! I made sure to be coherant while reading the second issue of Sandman Overture ,
and it made a lot more sense than the first. Actually, this one was
quite interesting, what with a lot of personality fragmentation going
on. And of course the artwork is pretty amazing, so I'll look forward to
picking up the next issue as well.
Superior Spiderman ...hmm.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one, because Ock's
personality just changed on a dime, and it really just seemed rather
sudden and out of character. I don't want to spoil it for anyone (though
I get them late, so odds are if you were going to read it, you probably
have), but I guess I could even say I was a little disappointed. I
don't know. We'll see how the next one goes with Parker back in charge
as to whether I'll continue on with the new Amazing Spider-man series or
not. I may need a little grieving time for the whole anti-hero
storyline...
Black Widow #1
was included in the SS #30 issue, so I read that too. I'm not fond of
the art style for that one...kind of an impressionistic watercolor
"thing", but I enjoyed the story itself, and the characterization. Might
pick up the second one just to see how it goes.
This
Saturday I've got a trip to the comic book store planned, because my
Batman Eternal comics should be in up to #3. Yay! I think there's a new
Harley Quinn out too. Double Yay! Should be a good reading week if I can
get caught up on my other "chores"...
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Books In Progress: Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Short Fiction: Once Upon a New Year's Eve by Kait Nolan
Comic Books:Sandman Overture #2Superior Spider-man #30 / Black Widow #1
Still
slow on the reading front, unfortunately, but I've been busy
with...well, lots of things lately, and I'll freely admit that the books
I'm working on are good, but they just aren't the kind of "page
turners" that make me want to get back to them as fast as possible. So I
get to them when I get to them, or when I have a few minutes at lunch,
etc.
Rescue Me
is a good solid romantic suspense. It didn't really pull me in all that
tightly, but it was good as far as entertainment goes. I actually felt
it was a little longer than it needed to be - tightening up the action
and picking up the pace would have kept me reading faster, but that's
just personal preference.
I got a few more chapters read in Neverwhere ,
and I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. I love the henchmen, but
honestly, I'm not terribly invested in the main characters, and I think
that's why I've got sort of a take it or leave it approach going on with
it. I'll admit, the Rollins adventure that's waiting for me to finish
this has a stronger appeal to me, but I do want to finish Neverwhere to
see how the story ends.
Haven't gotten back to Tatterdemon yet...I will, eventually.
As a quick little side-trip after finishing Rescue Me, I read Once Upon A New Year's Eve
by Kait Nolan. It's a cute, quick little story easily read in a
half-hour or so, perfect for waiting at the salon or something. I
enjoyed it, and it's a good way to sample Kait's work (I enjoyed her
first paranormal romance too).
And look! I made time for comic books this week! I made sure to be coherant while reading the second issue of Sandman Overture ,
and it made a lot more sense than the first. Actually, this one was
quite interesting, what with a lot of personality fragmentation going
on. And of course the artwork is pretty amazing, so I'll look forward to
picking up the next issue as well.
Superior Spiderman ...hmm.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one, because Ock's
personality just changed on a dime, and it really just seemed rather
sudden and out of character. I don't want to spoil it for anyone (though
I get them late, so odds are if you were going to read it, you probably
have), but I guess I could even say I was a little disappointed. I
don't know. We'll see how the next one goes with Parker back in charge
as to whether I'll continue on with the new Amazing Spider-man series or
not. I may need a little grieving time for the whole anti-hero
storyline...
Black Widow #1
was included in the SS #30 issue, so I read that too. I'm not fond of
the art style for that one...kind of an impressionistic watercolor
"thing", but I enjoyed the story itself, and the characterization. Might
pick up the second one just to see how it goes.
This
Saturday I've got a trip to the comic book store planned, because my
Batman Eternal comics should be in up to #3. Yay! I think there's a new
Harley Quinn out too. Double Yay! Should be a good reading week if I can
get caught up on my other "chores"...
Enjoy
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April 21, 2014
On Projects, Gadgets & Spring Fever...
Weekly To-Do List
Last week was weird. I was both productive and not. Unfortunately, my bouts of productivity weren't on the projects it should have been, leaving me...well, with less important things done and more important things not. This week really has to be better, because those important things really need to be finished. Yesterday.
Chief among the projects-that-must-be-finished are getting all the book links moved from the online store to the BSB site, and finishing up/shipping out a crochet project I'm working on. I also really need to do cover art and editing for my next release (which is already several weeks late), and I have an audio book that is finished, I just need to do the final proofing so it can be released too. So that's what I'll be working heavily on for the next few nights - along with the spring yard cleaning that I should have started this weekend (holiday festivities both days pretty much nixed any notions of that, unfortunately).
There are a couple of bright spots in the week, however. The first one is pretty simple. I broke my favorite "brazen snake" watch last week, and today (Sunday), I was actually able to get my solar-powered watch up and working again (I had a hard time keeping it charged up the winter I tried, so I sort of gave up on it). I think I have a lamp that will keep it sufficiently charged now, so long as I remember to put it there every night. We'll see how that goes. I really do like the watch, so I hope I can keep it working now, at least for awhile.
In other gadgety news, I'm getting a MiFi wireless hotspot this week. It's on the way, and should be delivered Tuesday, after which I'll be able to jump online pretty much anytime, anywhere I want to. Fun, eh! I'm really looking forward to it - I think it'll be very handy.
The weather's finally starting to trend toward spring, and I'm ready. And not ready. I'm anxious to get outside for awhile and start working in the yard again, but I also have a list of things to do inside (and/or at the computer) a mile long. So I have mixed feelings, but the spring fever thing is definitely there, and regardless of all the stuff I have to work on, I'm determined to get outside for at least a half-hour tomorrow night while it's nice. Fresh air is good! And I really want to get the patio cleaned up this spring so that this summer, while hubby's working in his shop and the dogs are outside, I can be out working at the patio table too. It only seems fair.
In any case, it's late (12:30am on Monday now), and I'm tired from all the socializing this weekend. So off to bed with me, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Enjoy
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Last week was weird. I was both productive and not. Unfortunately, my bouts of productivity weren't on the projects it should have been, leaving me...well, with less important things done and more important things not. This week really has to be better, because those important things really need to be finished. Yesterday.
Chief among the projects-that-must-be-finished are getting all the book links moved from the online store to the BSB site, and finishing up/shipping out a crochet project I'm working on. I also really need to do cover art and editing for my next release (which is already several weeks late), and I have an audio book that is finished, I just need to do the final proofing so it can be released too. So that's what I'll be working heavily on for the next few nights - along with the spring yard cleaning that I should have started this weekend (holiday festivities both days pretty much nixed any notions of that, unfortunately).
There are a couple of bright spots in the week, however. The first one is pretty simple. I broke my favorite "brazen snake" watch last week, and today (Sunday), I was actually able to get my solar-powered watch up and working again (I had a hard time keeping it charged up the winter I tried, so I sort of gave up on it). I think I have a lamp that will keep it sufficiently charged now, so long as I remember to put it there every night. We'll see how that goes. I really do like the watch, so I hope I can keep it working now, at least for awhile.
In other gadgety news, I'm getting a MiFi wireless hotspot this week. It's on the way, and should be delivered Tuesday, after which I'll be able to jump online pretty much anytime, anywhere I want to. Fun, eh! I'm really looking forward to it - I think it'll be very handy.
The weather's finally starting to trend toward spring, and I'm ready. And not ready. I'm anxious to get outside for awhile and start working in the yard again, but I also have a list of things to do inside (and/or at the computer) a mile long. So I have mixed feelings, but the spring fever thing is definitely there, and regardless of all the stuff I have to work on, I'm determined to get outside for at least a half-hour tomorrow night while it's nice. Fresh air is good! And I really want to get the patio cleaned up this spring so that this summer, while hubby's working in his shop and the dogs are outside, I can be out working at the patio table too. It only seems fair.
In any case, it's late (12:30am on Monday now), and I'm tired from all the socializing this weekend. So off to bed with me, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Enjoy
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April 18, 2014
Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 15
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 15
Katie slept late the next day, and spent the rest of her time in the kitchen, doing her best to burn, freeze, contaminate or otherwise ruin every piece of potentially edible food she was given. By the time her sorry attempts at dinner were finally laid out on the massive table in the dining room, she was exhausted, frustrated and pretty sure that letting Peter roast her on a spit would be preferable to stepping foot inside a kitchen for anything other than wine ever again.
Wilting into her chair, she sipped at her goblet of mead while waiting for Thomas, fighting to keep her eyes open in the calm, dimly-lit room.
She must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing she knew, someone was tapping her shoulder and cool liquid was soaking through the jeans Zariah had given her to wear, a thin stream running across her thigh.
Jolting upright, she blinked up at Thomas’s amused expression as he reached out to steady the goblet in her hand.
“I’m sorry to wake you,” he said, a sultry tone in his voice that caught her interest far more than it should. “But we need to eat, so we can discuss the plan and begin our journey.”
“It’s okay,” she said, trying to shake off the longing to close her eyes just for a little while longer. “Sorry I fell asleep. I must have been more tired than I thought.”
She righted herself in the chair, wincing at a sore spot across the left side of her ribs where she’d leaned into the chair arm. Setting the goblet on the table, she glanced at the platters, expecting her inedible dregs to have been transformed into a feast for the senses as it had the two nights before.
Her humiliation was complete when she noted that everything was exactly as it had been when she set it down. Dull gray potatoes, sliced beef that was either crispy black on the outside or bloody on the inside and both, in some cases, though she wasn’t quite sure how, limp overcooked carrots and broccoli, and a bowl of pudding the cook had assured her would set up later.
It hadn’t.
“We can’t eat this,” she said, gesturing at the food. “I don’t understand. Why isn’t the magic working?”
He sat down, reaching for his trencher as she watched in horror.
“Performing a task you don’t do well was your personal sacrifice. It proves your humility and determination. Now I must accept that sacrifice in its raw form to complete the contract for aid between us.”
Katie wrinkled her nose. “I’m really sorry. Maybe I could try again...”
Thomas shook his head and calmly chewed a piece of meat, holding up one finger. She waited as he ate one bite of every frightful dish she’d screwed up, knowing she couldn’t do it though her stomach was starting to complain. Loudly.
He finished the last bite as she watched, and then pointed to the table. She sighed in relief as she watched her ugly dishes transform into works of edible art.
“So that’s it?” she said, helping herself quickly lest everything change back. “Sacrifice accepted, we’re good to go?”
He chuckled, filling his own plate as well. “Yes. As soon as we finish here, we’ll travel to your home, and vanquish your enemy there.”
She frowned. “Why can’t we just vanquish him out in the woods? Why does it have to be at my house? My neighbors might not appreciate that.”
“Eat,” Thomas said. “I’ll explain what you need to know as we travel, but we should leave soon.”
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 15
Katie slept late the next day, and spent the rest of her time in the kitchen, doing her best to burn, freeze, contaminate or otherwise ruin every piece of potentially edible food she was given. By the time her sorry attempts at dinner were finally laid out on the massive table in the dining room, she was exhausted, frustrated and pretty sure that letting Peter roast her on a spit would be preferable to stepping foot inside a kitchen for anything other than wine ever again.
Wilting into her chair, she sipped at her goblet of mead while waiting for Thomas, fighting to keep her eyes open in the calm, dimly-lit room.
She must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing she knew, someone was tapping her shoulder and cool liquid was soaking through the jeans Zariah had given her to wear, a thin stream running across her thigh.
Jolting upright, she blinked up at Thomas’s amused expression as he reached out to steady the goblet in her hand.
“I’m sorry to wake you,” he said, a sultry tone in his voice that caught her interest far more than it should. “But we need to eat, so we can discuss the plan and begin our journey.”
“It’s okay,” she said, trying to shake off the longing to close her eyes just for a little while longer. “Sorry I fell asleep. I must have been more tired than I thought.”
She righted herself in the chair, wincing at a sore spot across the left side of her ribs where she’d leaned into the chair arm. Setting the goblet on the table, she glanced at the platters, expecting her inedible dregs to have been transformed into a feast for the senses as it had the two nights before.
Her humiliation was complete when she noted that everything was exactly as it had been when she set it down. Dull gray potatoes, sliced beef that was either crispy black on the outside or bloody on the inside and both, in some cases, though she wasn’t quite sure how, limp overcooked carrots and broccoli, and a bowl of pudding the cook had assured her would set up later.
It hadn’t.
“We can’t eat this,” she said, gesturing at the food. “I don’t understand. Why isn’t the magic working?”
He sat down, reaching for his trencher as she watched in horror.
“Performing a task you don’t do well was your personal sacrifice. It proves your humility and determination. Now I must accept that sacrifice in its raw form to complete the contract for aid between us.”
Katie wrinkled her nose. “I’m really sorry. Maybe I could try again...”
Thomas shook his head and calmly chewed a piece of meat, holding up one finger. She waited as he ate one bite of every frightful dish she’d screwed up, knowing she couldn’t do it though her stomach was starting to complain. Loudly.
He finished the last bite as she watched, and then pointed to the table. She sighed in relief as she watched her ugly dishes transform into works of edible art.
“So that’s it?” she said, helping herself quickly lest everything change back. “Sacrifice accepted, we’re good to go?”
He chuckled, filling his own plate as well. “Yes. As soon as we finish here, we’ll travel to your home, and vanquish your enemy there.”
She frowned. “Why can’t we just vanquish him out in the woods? Why does it have to be at my house? My neighbors might not appreciate that.”
“Eat,” Thomas said. “I’ll explain what you need to know as we travel, but we should leave soon.”
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April 14, 2014
On Taxes, Tea, & Journaling...
This Week's To-Do's
The
photo above is my weekend in a visual nutshell. Coke, wine, tea,
taxes/accounting, crocheting, and a trip to the comic book store. There
was a little cleaning in there too, but I was fairly certain no one
would be interested in seeing my vacuum, the food I cleaned out of the
fridge/cupboards or my dirty laundry. You're welcome.
The
tax thing is a yearly ordeal only because I tend to put off bookkeeping
until the last minute for my book business (ironic, no?), and then end
up doing it all at once. Unfortunately, I had to declare a loss this
year, which I was really hoping not too, since the government doesn't
look all that kindly on businesses that spend more money than they make.
It wasn't a huge loss, but still...enough that I'm going to have to
make some spending cuts because I *have* to make a profit next year.
I've been starting to do that anyways, but the next one's going to be a
big one - I'm closing the BSB online store. Very few people actually buy
from there - and I understand that it's because we're all comfortable
buying from whatever big name retailer we're most familiar with. I get
it. It makes sense. So I'm closing my store and instead revamping my
publisher site to include links to all major retailers from
genre-specific book pages. It'll work just as well as the store, and
cost a lot less.
And then I'll be
able to use some of that money for smarter advertising. More giveaways,
for sure. Which will also be good, and fun for readers. It's a win-win
all around.
As for the overall
taxes, we normally owe the feds and get a refund from the state that
just covers what we owe. This year, being in a lower tax bracket due to
job changes, we owe the feds much less, and our refund from the state
will cover it several times over. Not bad, if I do say so myself!
Now
if I could just keep up with the bookkeeping monthly this year instead
of leaving it all for next March...which is what I always say, of
course...
In other groovy news, I
joined the Steepster Select monthly tea club and got my first shipment
this week. So this weekend, I tried one of the teas called Red Jade
(it's actually a black tea made from a hybrid tea plant crossing a wild
tea bush with an Assam tea bush). It's been so long since I had really
high-quality tea, and I really enjoyed this one. Left a review on
Steepster and everything. I'm really looking forward to trying the other
teas included, and those to come. Incidentally, Steepster is a social
community for tea lovers. Feel free to join me there!
If
you clicked through to my weekly to-do list at the top, you'll see that
I've added a goal to start journaling again this week. My journaling is
sporadic (to say the very least) and has been all my life. Normally I
journal only when I'm trying to work something(s) out in my head that I
feel it's better to keep to myself rather than talking to other people
about. It's also a way to "purge" them so I'm not
constantly worrying them while trying to focus on other things. It's
self-therapy, really...and no, nothing's "super-duper" wrong or
anything, I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately about my goals
in life, personally & professionally, and need a way to noodle them
out without involving another human party.
To
that end, I downloaded Smart Diary 4 (my preferred digital journal
software...there's a free version, both installed and portable (for usb
drives), and paid versions that do more stuff. And no, I don't keep
paper journals anymore. People have a way of finding and reading them on
me no matter how well they're hidden, and I'm not up for making myself
that vulnerable.
So
the goal is one journal entry per day this week. I need to find a good
time to schedule for that, or I won't do it - probably late nights
before bed. We'll see...
Other
than that, lots of writing and business stuff this week, and of course
the holiday hoopla next weekend for Easter. To dye eggs or not to dye
eggs...that is the question...
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April 11, 2014
Serial Story: Under His Wing, Part 14
This story is presented weekly in draft (unedited) form. Enjoy!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 14
Katie knew she was going the wrong direction when she left Thomas. She was curious as to whether or not he’d let her go, and a little peeved when he didn’t call her back. Whatever he had to do must be important, but she’d hoped to buy herself a little more time, maybe coax the final task for breaking free of the curse from him.
Seemed like if it was dangerous, it would be a good story, at least. And certainly something she’d rather avoid.
The old hall was narrow and drafty, the dim light flickering from torches mounted on the walls. She wasn’t yet tired, and she didn’t remember seeing this part of the manor, so she decided to continue following the lovely stone walls for awhile, just to explore. The manor was basically a large rectangle, so theoretically the hall would eventually end where it started, or so she assumed.
Reaching out, she trailed her fingertips along the cool wall, surprised to feel a slight dampness coating her skin. She rubbed her fingers together, smelled them, an old, earthy moss and soil fragrance bringing to mind the old English moors she’d often heard about.
“The stone absorbs moisture from our surroundings. In the right conditions, it releases it again.”
Zariah’s soft voice behind her made Katie jump, and she whirled around, one hand to her chest as her heart beat fast within.
“You scared me! Why didn’t you make noise or something?”
Zariah smiled. “It wasn’t my intention to scare you, Ms. Watson. I intended only to make sure you didn’t have to spend another night in the library.”
Katie rolled her eyes and dropped her hand, walking beside her hostess as they continued down the hall.
“Thank you for that,” she said, taking a deep breath, this time able to smell the lighter nuances she’d just sampled from the wall. “There aren’t really any bogs or wetlands here to speak of, so why do the walls smell more like moss?”
Zariah glanced sideways at her, and then shrugged.
“The manor isn’t bound to a single place, or time, for that matter. If our aid is requested, we are bound in that place until the threat has been dealt with, or the request is rescinded. But we never know who will come through our door next, or in what time/place we will...be.”
Katie frowned. “That’s not possible.” Zariah merely raised her eyebrows, her head cocked to the side until Katie conceded.
“Then again, it’s not possible to make my cooking edible either. And gargoyles don’t turn into men or vice versa.” She brought her hands up to rub her face, her mind stretching and failing to make sense of any of it. “I think it’s time I got some sleep. Just thinking about this is enough to make me crazy.”
Katie felt a light touch on her shoulder, and a sense of peace radiated out, easing the ache in her neck and down her back.
“Your room is just up ahead on the right.” Zariah walked with her to the door, and waited until Katie pushed it open. “Should you need anything at all, pull the rope by the bed. Rest well, Katie Watson. Tomorrow night after dinner, you and Thomas will begin your journey.”
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 |
Dunning Manor, Book 1
Under His Wing
Part 14
Katie knew she was going the wrong direction when she left Thomas. She was curious as to whether or not he’d let her go, and a little peeved when he didn’t call her back. Whatever he had to do must be important, but she’d hoped to buy herself a little more time, maybe coax the final task for breaking free of the curse from him.
Seemed like if it was dangerous, it would be a good story, at least. And certainly something she’d rather avoid.
The old hall was narrow and drafty, the dim light flickering from torches mounted on the walls. She wasn’t yet tired, and she didn’t remember seeing this part of the manor, so she decided to continue following the lovely stone walls for awhile, just to explore. The manor was basically a large rectangle, so theoretically the hall would eventually end where it started, or so she assumed.
Reaching out, she trailed her fingertips along the cool wall, surprised to feel a slight dampness coating her skin. She rubbed her fingers together, smelled them, an old, earthy moss and soil fragrance bringing to mind the old English moors she’d often heard about.
“The stone absorbs moisture from our surroundings. In the right conditions, it releases it again.”
Zariah’s soft voice behind her made Katie jump, and she whirled around, one hand to her chest as her heart beat fast within.
“You scared me! Why didn’t you make noise or something?”
Zariah smiled. “It wasn’t my intention to scare you, Ms. Watson. I intended only to make sure you didn’t have to spend another night in the library.”
Katie rolled her eyes and dropped her hand, walking beside her hostess as they continued down the hall.
“Thank you for that,” she said, taking a deep breath, this time able to smell the lighter nuances she’d just sampled from the wall. “There aren’t really any bogs or wetlands here to speak of, so why do the walls smell more like moss?”
Zariah glanced sideways at her, and then shrugged.
“The manor isn’t bound to a single place, or time, for that matter. If our aid is requested, we are bound in that place until the threat has been dealt with, or the request is rescinded. But we never know who will come through our door next, or in what time/place we will...be.”
Katie frowned. “That’s not possible.” Zariah merely raised her eyebrows, her head cocked to the side until Katie conceded.
“Then again, it’s not possible to make my cooking edible either. And gargoyles don’t turn into men or vice versa.” She brought her hands up to rub her face, her mind stretching and failing to make sense of any of it. “I think it’s time I got some sleep. Just thinking about this is enough to make me crazy.”
Katie felt a light touch on her shoulder, and a sense of peace radiated out, easing the ache in her neck and down her back.
“Your room is just up ahead on the right.” Zariah walked with her to the door, and waited until Katie pushed it open. “Should you need anything at all, pull the rope by the bed. Rest well, Katie Watson. Tomorrow night after dinner, you and Thomas will begin your journey.”
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April 9, 2014
Talkin' Books: April 9, 2014
Books Finished:
Books In Progress: Rescue Me (TREX) by Allie K. Adams
Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Short Fiction: None
Comic Books:Superman Unchained #6Wolverine #002Origin II #2 & #3
So...Wednesdays
are new comic book days (much like Tuesdays are new prose book days,
unless you're me, in which case release day generally happens on a
Friday. Because I'm odd like that.). Nothing new in my regular series
this week, but...
I want the new Batman Eternal
series - the first one is out this week. But...it's weekly, for 1 year,
and...man oh man. That's $12 a month for just one series! Ouch. I mean,
what am I supposed to do? Give up one of my other series? Not
happening. But still...want! *sigh* Cruel, evil comic book people. I
need to sell more books to make up the difference. Better get writing,
eh?
In any case, I caught up with some comic book reading this week, and I have to say, still loving Superman Unchained
even if I did have to wait what seemed like a really long time for this
issue. The artwork is just amazing, as I've mentioned before, but the
story's pulling me in deeper too. Good stuff, all around...I'm looking
forward to the next two.
The new Wolverine series isn't exactly grabbing me...not sure I'll continue with that one. But the Origin II
series is better than the reviews have let on, IMO. The drawings are a
bit more traditional than the super-bright newer stuff, but I think that
really suits the character and story better...and I love the way
Wolverine is drawn in this set. I also like the more feral nature in
this Origin story...I really need to get the collected Origin I,
I think. I know he's gone through a lot in the newer arcs, what with
losing his healing abilities and all, but somehow the emotional conflict
just isn't...where it should be, IMO.
As for straight prose, I got a couple chapters deeper into Neverwhere ,
and am still finding that fascinating. My print TBR pile is growing by
leaps and bounds at the moment, so I really should get that finished -
there's a Rollins book waiting, for crying out loud!
Rescue Me
took a somewhat odd twist that I'm not sure I'm completely on board
with, but we'll see. Certainly not odd enough to make me stop reading
(though when it happened, I did stop for that day, because it just
seemed so...abrupt. But I'm making progress again and not minding it
now, so there's that.
Obviously
I didn't finish anything other than comic books this week - I've been a
bit busy trying to talk myself into doing bookkeeping instead of
reading late at night (which until last night translated into watching
music videos on YouTube until bedtime - and I still did a little of that
as a reward for the bookkeeping insanity). But I feel a reading binge
coming on soon. Just as soon as I get those pesky taxes out of the
way...
Enjoy
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Books In Progress: Rescue Me (TREX) by Allie K. Adams
Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Short Fiction: None
Comic Books:Superman Unchained #6Wolverine #002Origin II #2 & #3
So...Wednesdays
are new comic book days (much like Tuesdays are new prose book days,
unless you're me, in which case release day generally happens on a
Friday. Because I'm odd like that.). Nothing new in my regular series
this week, but...
I want the new Batman Eternal
series - the first one is out this week. But...it's weekly, for 1 year,
and...man oh man. That's $12 a month for just one series! Ouch. I mean,
what am I supposed to do? Give up one of my other series? Not
happening. But still...want! *sigh* Cruel, evil comic book people. I
need to sell more books to make up the difference. Better get writing,
eh?
In any case, I caught up with some comic book reading this week, and I have to say, still loving Superman Unchained
even if I did have to wait what seemed like a really long time for this
issue. The artwork is just amazing, as I've mentioned before, but the
story's pulling me in deeper too. Good stuff, all around...I'm looking
forward to the next two.
The new Wolverine series isn't exactly grabbing me...not sure I'll continue with that one. But the Origin II
series is better than the reviews have let on, IMO. The drawings are a
bit more traditional than the super-bright newer stuff, but I think that
really suits the character and story better...and I love the way
Wolverine is drawn in this set. I also like the more feral nature in
this Origin story...I really need to get the collected Origin I,
I think. I know he's gone through a lot in the newer arcs, what with
losing his healing abilities and all, but somehow the emotional conflict
just isn't...where it should be, IMO.
As for straight prose, I got a couple chapters deeper into Neverwhere ,
and am still finding that fascinating. My print TBR pile is growing by
leaps and bounds at the moment, so I really should get that finished -
there's a Rollins book waiting, for crying out loud!
Rescue Me
took a somewhat odd twist that I'm not sure I'm completely on board
with, but we'll see. Certainly not odd enough to make me stop reading
(though when it happened, I did stop for that day, because it just
seemed so...abrupt. But I'm making progress again and not minding it
now, so there's that.
Obviously
I didn't finish anything other than comic books this week - I've been a
bit busy trying to talk myself into doing bookkeeping instead of
reading late at night (which until last night translated into watching
music videos on YouTube until bedtime - and I still did a little of that
as a reward for the bookkeeping insanity). But I feel a reading binge
coming on soon. Just as soon as I get those pesky taxes out of the
way...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
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