E-book Week

Wallpaper courtesy of Pickyme Digital Artist

Who knew?  LOL

Here's an awesome chance to try out a new author for free or at a huge discount. A few links to get you started --

Cate Masters

KM Weiland

Shiloh Walker

Angelina Rain

Alison Kent

General e-book specials from the main site.

Happy reading!

Reading in 2011

Goals? Challenges?

A year or two ago when I first found Kait Nolan she had a thing on her blog about every writer needing to read 100 books based on Heather Sellers' Chapter after Chapter.Since reading that I made it my yearly goal to try and read 100 books. I started tracking my progress, reading 87 books in 2009 and 75 in 2010 (plus 2 I started that will get finished in 2011). Of course, I was just reading for the story not the education that Kait reflects on but that's coming.

Then, this morning I stumbled upon Alison Kent's reading challenge (I so nicked that photo from her blog too!) and had to jump on board. Not because I necessarily need to read more but I do want to read more widely than I have the last couple years. 

1. 1 new-to-me author each month -- amen to that!
2. 4 genres/sub-genres each month -- I'm adding to that at least one book a month must be non-fiction and/or writing related.
3. 4 release years each month -- I'll double check but I don't think this will apply to me.
4. 1 book from glommed author -- okay, maybe I'm living under a rock but I'm not sure what that is.  If Alison replies to my comment on her blog, or I get around to google it, I'll update this. Edit: According to Alison -- A glommed author is someone whose books you’ve bought a bunch of after reading one or two that you love. And I can't say I have any books in this category so won't apply to me.
5. 1 book from unfinished pile till depleted -- I only have 2, it is a rare thing indeed for me to leave a book unfinished.
6. alternate male and female authors -- I'm not going to commit alternating but will say at least one male author per month.
7. write a note to 1 author each month -- this is my addition via George, and while I'm not going to commit to more than 1 per month I will try for more.

How about you?  Want to join me in reading 1 book a week for 2011?

Sunday

Julie and I got some one-on-one time Sunday while beloved sis watched the boys. Turns out they went over to Cook's Park.

What visit would be complete without a stop at Powell's?

None, LOL.

So, our first stop was Powell's where I picked up:

The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd Edition by Christopher Vogler-- I'd picked this up from the library and wanted to highlight, note, and write in the margins the entire time I was reading. A must buy.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Erotic Romance by Alison Kent-- I've read a number of books by Kent and enjoyed them thoroughly but it was the description and reviews that sold me on this. We'll see if it holds up once I've read it.

Skykeepers by Jessica Andersen-- I'm in love with this series! I just finished the second book last night so when I saw this on the shelf I had to pick it up.

Greywalker by Kat Richardson-- This is a new author for me. I've heard good things about this series so thought I'd give it a try.

Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker-- I've read a couple of Walker's other books and enjoy her voice. Not sure where this one falls in her back-list yet but this copy was on sale.

Then we went over to Olive Garden for lunch and a long chat.

Book Review -- With Extreme Pleasure

I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of Alison Kent's With Extreme Pleasure,which releases this December. (Published December 2009 by Brava Books - 320 pages) Genre is contemporary Romance (man-woman).

After three weeks in Manhattan, Kingdom Trahan is ready to get back to bayous, crawfish boils, and afternoons fishing on the Gulf. But before he can pull out of the parking garage, he meets a curvy detour. King noticed Cady Kowalski on the photo shoot he just endured -- sexy and confident, with a waifish look that belies the way she corralled him into submission using only a can of hairspray. Yet Cady isn't confident now. She's bruised, edgy, and desperate to get out of town.

For years, Cady has been looking over her shoulder, wondering when the gang of drug-running criminals who killed her brother would make their move on her. She's grown used to having no one to turn to, no one to trust. But King isn't walking away -- not even when their lives are threatened, again and again. Drawing Cady's pursuers out of hiding is the only way to end this, and it's also the most reckless thing they can do...short of diving into a red-hot affair from which there's no turning back.

This was the first time I'd read anything by Alison Kent and it won't be the last! While there are characters in this book from Kent's Smithson Group series, and is likely considered part of that series, it stands alone well.

The story pulled me right in and held me all the way to the satisfying end. It was a richly layered fast pace read, a blending of suspense and sexual tension.

The characters are beautifully detailed and multi-faceted. Kent made me care about King and Cady and for them to find happiness with one another. And in the whirlwind pace of this story that says something because I completely believed in the romance...could see it happening. In my writing research, I've learned to have a believable Whirlwind Romance you need ten things -- Confession, Danger, Failure, Honesty, Laughter, Risk, Sacrifice, Support, Teamwork, and Vulnerability -- and Kent nails every last one!