Review

There's a review up for If Wishes Were Horses at Literary Nymphs

As everyone knows my current WIP is The Bargain, I feel that I should add I haven't forgotten Lily and Darvan, I just needed to take a little break before getting back to them.

For 2009 and a Little Update

So I know I mentioned this briefly before, but this is the plan for 2009.

Monday - What I’m Reading - thanks to Nicole’s suggestion
Tuesday - WIP progress report
Thursday - Thursday 13
Friday - Fiction or Writing Stuff
Sunday - Poem, for as long as I’ve got poems to share

I’m going to post more about my reading choices and my reasons for picking them on the first Monday post of 2009 but the first book is going to be Pride and Prejudice.

The WIP progress is very slow at the moment, but over the past few days I’ve blasted through the first draft of The Bargain and am very pleased with the progress I’ve made. Sadly, the reason for my lack of progress is because my dad passed away just before Christmas. However, he would be the first person to tell me to get on with it, so that’s what I’m doing.

See you in the New Year.

Happy Holidays

So with the holidays virtually upon us and things going mad here with present wrapping and last minute shopping. I’ll take my leave here and catch up with you all in the New Year.

As some of you may know my father is currently seriously ill in hospital. So I’d like to send special thoughts and prayers out to everyone with friends and family who can’t be with them at this time of year.

See you all in 2009

Samhain End of Year Survey

Have a favourite Samhain title for 2008? What about a favourite cover?

Samhain will be posting a top ten bestseller list at the end of the year but they also want to hear from the readers. So this is your chance to get your favourite Samhain books and covers of 2008 into the readers top 10.

Follow this link to see what the releases for this year were - Samhain 2008 Releases.

And this link for - The Best of Samhain 2008 Survey.

You’ll also be able to vote for your most favourite Samhain book and cover regardless of publication date.

So go get voting!

Meme

So this is a meme that I picked up from Book-Wyrm Knits. The ones I’ve done are in bold because it’s a festive colour.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (lol do brass bands count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - nope I’m not too good with heights. So I’ve seen it but never been to the top.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - not yet
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (It took 7 years from the age of 7 to 14.)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Thursday 13 #13 - Heroes and Heroines

So after the heroes and heroes post of a couple of weeks back I thought I’d do a heroes and heroines post. So 13 of my favourites.

1. Helena and Marcus Falco from the Falco mystery series by Lindsey Davies. I was lucky enough to attend a talk by Lindsey Davies a few years ago (she was speaking alongside Janet Evanovich) and after the talk she was signing her books. She’d been so witty during the talk that I picked up The Accusers, finding out later it was book 15 in the series! But I was good and got the other fourteen books first.

Set in Ancient Rome although the series is primarily mystery based what makes it such compelling reading is the family dramas of the Falco family.

2. Miles Vorkosigan and Elena from the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. Another long series but this time space opera and one of the best characters I’ve ever read. The series follows Miles from birth to adulthood and the book where he finally wins his lady love (A Civil Campaign) is one of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever read.

3. Cherijo and Duncan Reever from the Stardoc series by S.L.Viehl. More sci fi. Two characters that really go through the wringer together but just won’t give up on themselves or each other.

4. Alex and Michael from the Darkyn Series by Lynn Viehl. I seem to be picking a lot of series, but I like being able to follow a relationship past the initial happy ending. I like to know what happened next. And one of the things I love about the Darkyn series is that Michael and Alex have been a constant throughout the books. I love their snarky bickering, below is possibly one of my favourite lines ever.

“I could tie you to the bed, you know.”
“No, you can’t. It’s round and you don’t have any rope.”

5. Kate and Curran from the Magic Series by Ilona Andrews. (I promise there are some standalone books in this list). This is a couple that hasn’t quite got together yet, but you can feel the chemistry between them when you read the books. It’s just waiting to happen.

6. Jeremy and Jaime from the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. One of my favourite couples. They don’t actually get together for years because he’s reticent (is probably not the right word but it’s the one I’m going to use) and she’s insecure. I like that their getting together happens gradually and also that it’s very real. In the beginning whenever Jaime talks to Jeremy she completely loses all capability for rational speech.

7. Henry and Claire from The Time Traveller’s Wife. Beautiful, sad, love story. Now being made into a film, but I’m not too sure about whether I’ll go to see it. Eric Bana isn’t really the way I pictured Henry, I think I kind of imagined him more along the lines of James Stewart. (Yes, I know it’s impossible for James Stewart to play Henry in a movie, but that’s how I pictured him in my head).

8. Clay and Elena also from The Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong. Couldn’t really mention Jeremy without mentioning Clay and Elena. Their relationship is such an essential part of the series.

9. Vane and Bride from Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Night Play and Dance with the Devil are my favourite Dark Hunter books. But Vane and Bride are my favourite couple. I like the way Bride blossoms as a heroine throughout the book and learns to stand up for herself.

10. Benedict and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. Possibly my favourite* Shakespearean couple. I love the banter and the bickering between them.

11. Jamie and Claire from the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. Hopefully at some point in the future when I have a lot more reading time I’ll be able to catch up with this series.

12. Rhage and Mary from Lover Eternal. This is a book that I’ve enjoyed more each time I’ve read it.

13. Jaz and Vayl from the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. This is a series that I’ve just started reading and Jaz and Vayl aren’t really ‘together’ as such though they are partners. They have great chemistry together and I’m looking forward to seeing where there relationship is headed in future books.

I think looking at my heroes and their heroines I like couples who although able to stand on their own, choose to stand together. They don’t ride roughshod over each other, and there’s usually snarky bickering going on at some point.

* - Hmmm, maybe I should be fined for the number of times I said ‘possibly my favourite’ on this post?

Poem for a Sunday

Leisure by W.H.Davies


What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Thursday 13 #12 - Kick-Ass Heroines

1) - Xena - Has to be number 1 for me. I was a huge Xena fan - gutted by the ending. For anyone else who doesn’t like the way the series I ended. I recommend watching When Fates Collide as the very last episode.

2) - Ellen Ripley. If it hasn’t got Ripley in it, it’s just not an Alien movie for me.

3) - Selene from the Underworld movies. LOL - well I am a vampire and werewolf fan.

4) - Lara Croft. Like the first movie better than the second. And Tomb Raider 3 is my favourite version of the game.

5) - River Tam from Serenity and Firefly. Beautiful, balletic fight sequences.

6) - Wonder Woman. Well I am a child of the 70’s, and yes I did spend a portion of my childhood twirling round in a circle. LOL

7) - Sarah Connor. I love Linda Hamilton’s portrayal the transformation from normal woman to fighter for the future. I’m also addicted to the Sarah Connor Chronicles as well.

8. - Elena from Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series. The only female werewolf. She just not a chick who waits around for the guys to come and rescue her, not if she can do it herself first.

9) - Sydney Bristow from the Alias Series. I’ve not seen Season 5 yet. It kind of disappeared from the UK tv schedule after Season 4. Must get the DVD sets.

10) - Alice from the Resident Evil films. Actually just the first film. I still can’t watch the scene in the corridor outside the Red Queen’s hub. :sigh: I am such a wuss.

11) - Jean Grey from the X-Men. Okay, she’s not exactly kick-ass. But she was the X-Men I would choose to be, if that were possible. And telekinesis would always be my power of choice.

12) - Zoe also from Serenity. One of my favourite films. It took me a while to get into Firefly, but by the time I did I was so pleased that there would be some resolution to the storyline in the film.

13) - The Bride from the Kill Bill movies. Perhaps the ultimate kick-ass heroine.

Just to finish off, here’s River Tam, kicking butt.

On a Short Hiatus

Had some bad family news taking a week or so off from blogging. Hope to be back soon.