Monthly Archives: July 2012

San Diego Comic Con

Barbara Vey -- July 13th, 2012

It’s finally here. I’m at the San Diego Comic Con. Those friends of mine who know what it is are jealous. Those friends who have no clue what Comic Con is think I’m just going to a big costume party with nerds. Well, they’re both right.

Every year that I go, I understand it a little better and don’t waste so much time just wandering around. There’s so much to see and do you really need some plan of action. In the past, I’ve always just got up in the morning and hoped for the best. This year I actually looked at the schedule ahead of time.

Gail Carriger

Yesterday I hit all the publishers booths but found only one author signing. Gail Carriger was in full costume (or maybe she always dresses like that) promoting her steampunk book, Soulless. The book promises “Vampires, werewolves and parasols.” Gail assured me it’s a parody, so I’m going to have to give it a try when I get home in a couple of weeks.

Marjorie Liu and X-23

Marjorie Liu saw a young woman dressed as one of Marjorie’s Marvel comic book characters, X-23. She said, “It’s kind of surreal to see your characters come to life.” Marjorie also told me “Anthony Bourdain strode past me, and I got into an elevator with Tricia Helfer, Tahmoh Penikett, and Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica).” I told her if I were there I would have asked if I could take a picture. But, what else is new?

Barbara Vey Zombie Attack

At the Max Brooks booth (World War Z), I had my picture taken as I survived a zombie attack. I don’t know how scared I really look since I was really laughing through the whole thing. They also had a Zombie App you could download for your phone. This is the creative fun stuff I like at Comic Con.

I haven’t spotted any celebrities yet, but as usual, there’s a lot of characters walking around and I’m easily distracted. I’m off to take a bunch of pictures today of the creative people I see. Tune in tomorrow to see my photo album.

Bottom Line: I would never survive a zombie attack because I think I run slower than they shuffle along.

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WW Ladies Book Club Blurbs

Barbara Vey -- July 11th, 2012

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It’s finally here. I’m off to San Diego Comic Con early this morning. Those friends of mine who know what it is are jealous. Those friends who have no clue what Comic Con is think I’m just going to a big costume party with nerds. Well, they’re both right. The big readers this week were joysann and Olivia, who’s only 12, but loves to read. Check out their books.

joysann

Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews

Listened to by joysann

Annajane Hudgens reflects on the five years since she divorced Mason Bayless as she watches him waiting for a new bride at the altar. The wedding gets interrupted and postponed, though, and circumstances throw Annajane and Mason in close proximity again. As they discover old secrets and work to save Mason’s family business, they realize their feelings of love for each other aren’t quite as dead as they thought, and the opportunity raises a second chance for them.

Spring Fever was a satisfying book to listen to, with the charm and romance and the expected happily-ever-after, which was perfect for a light summer entertainment. It had its funny, sweet, touching moments, and the characters were likable – the good guys anyway. Along with the good story, the narrator, Kathleen McInerney, laid on some pretty believable southern charm, making Spring Fever a very pleasant listen.

Olivia

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Read by Olivia, 12

Sixteen year old Camelia’s life has been normal up until the new guy shows up. Ben has been accused of his ex-girlfriend’s accidental murder. Something is mysterious about Ben that Camelia wants to get to the bottom of. All of a sudden she starts getting threatening phone calls and notes that flip her world upside down.

I found myself captivated by this book. The intensity made me bite my lips. I dare anyone to read only one book in this series.

joysann

Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox

Read by joysann

Using the name Alex, Lexie Marshall arranges to meet another Trans-America Trail cyclist at the start of the trip (4,241.5 mi.) without mentioning she is a woman. Unsociable Tom Geiger isn’t happy with the discovery, but since he’s committed to ride with her, he determines to pass her off to the first riders that seem trustworthy. But this takes longer than he hopes, for as they ride the roadways’ ups and downs and get more acquainted, he becomes less willing to trust her welfare to anyone but himself.

This cross-country adventure was an engaging romance, what with bubbly optimistic Lexie up against darkly reluctant Tom. It was interesting to get a peek into a specialized and admirable recreation that I’ve never had the opportunity to experience. Ride With Me is romantic, sexy and humorus, and very enjoyable.

Olivia

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Read by Olivia, 12

Female football player, Jordan Woods, is quarterback of her high school football team. Everything is going good. She’s trying for a scholarship to Alabama and going to state with all of the guys supporting her until the new guy, Ty Green, shows up. He is really HOT and he was the starting quarterback for his old team. Jordan thought she could hold everything together but she thought wrong. One minute she is throwing the ball in for a touchdown and the next, everything changes.

I adored this book! It is now one of my favorite books. I could really connect with Jordan, not with football, but with being around guys all day. I used to play baseball with the boys. Honestly, this was such a thrilling and engaging book. I want more!

joysann

Steamed by Katie MacAlister

Listened to by joysann

Forgetting that an accident in his experimental lab knocked him out for awhile, Jack Fletcher wakes to see the people around him are wearing the best steampunk costumes he’d ever seen in all his club hopping. Gorgeous corseted Captain Octavia Pye is quick to convince him that she and her airship are very real, and that he, for the present, will have to accompany her and her crew on her mission before they can try to find how to send him back from where he came. Through the dangerous hair-raising adventures they share, Jack and Octavia discover they are more than compatible companions.

This was a terrifically fun book to listen to. Fast, funny, romantic and sexy, Katie MacAlister included all the elements her stories are known for. The two narrators, Jonathan Davis and Bianca Amato, take turns telling the story as hero and heroine, and they are excellent. I know this came out a couple years ago, but I wish there were more of these characters in the works, because I found Steamed highly entertaining.

Bottom Line: Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll catch one of these authors at Comic Con.

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Fifty Shames of Earl Grey: A Parody

Barbara Vey -- July 9th, 2012

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Yes, it's been that way lately.

I knew it was time to read something really different. It could be the hot weather making me feel blah about everything including what I was reading. Nothing was really grabbing me lately. I started about 5 books, but really couldn’t get into them. Then I picked up Fifty Shames of Earl Grey.

This parody (and the cover of the book announces that it is indeed a parody) of Fifty Shades of Grey is a laugh out loud book that pokes fun of the hugely popular book. Actually, it doesn’t just poke it, Fifty Shames of Earl Grey just ups and slaps Fifty Shades of Grey in the face.

See, the smiley face says "Parody"

Written by Fanny Merkin (aka Andrew Shaffer), Fifty Shames takes us into the world of ultra rich Earl Grey who is the “.00001%.” When our heroine, Anna Steal goes off to the big city of Seattle to interview him for Boardroom Hotties, she gets more than she bargains for. Falling for the handsome, “long fingered” Earl Grey, she quickly discovers he has fifty shames, one of which is BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery and Magick).

I was so engrossed in this book that I read it while my brother was admitted to the ER (he’s fine now) and while he was being examined, I was laughing out loud. I even read parts to the nurses. It’s the kind of book that you want to say to the person next to you, “Listen to this!”

There’s really not the kind sex like in Fifty Shades of Grey, but there is cleverly dumb dialog (and lots of innuendo that pokes fun at Twilight, Tom Cruise and My Little Pony for starters). If you are looking for a funny book to share with friends, look no further. But be warned…this is a parody, so no holds barred.

My take on it…If Austin Powers and Ace Ventura had a love child, it would be Earl Grey.

Bottom Line: Sometimes we just have to laugh at the absurdities of life.

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WW Ladies Book Club Blurbs

Barbara Vey -- July 5th, 2012

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Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July and managed to stay cool. It’s hotter than Hades here and “cooler near the lake” doesn’t seem to apply lately. Here’s some books to enjoy while sitting by the pool or relaxing in an air conditioned coffee shop.

joysann

Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook

Read by joysann

While The Adventures of Archimedes Fox are a highly popular fictional series in the post-Horde years, the real Archimedes Fox finds himself enthralled, not by technological enslavement, but by the swashbuckling charms of the airship captain known as Lady Corsair. They join forces to seek the lost treasures of Leonardo DaVinci’s inventions through devastated, zombie-infested Europe to dangerous Horde-occupied Morocco, all the while their hearts are challenging each to surrender to the other.

The second Novel of the Iron Seas continues exploring the exciting steam-punk world Meljean introduced in The Iron Duke. Creatively conceived, the pseudo-technically advanced world is entertaining to explore, as is the romance between the two colorful rogue protagonists. It was easy to like the strong, adventurous Yasmeen, and Archimedes is as charming a hero as one could want.

Tammy

Dyad Love by Ann Hinnenkamp

Read by Tammy

Emma has fallen in love with Damien, a Dyad, a species of beings hidden among the human population. There are only 1,000 Dyads alive on Earth at any one time, and they are not only beautiful, but possess special powers. Because of these powers, there are humans who are hunting the Dyads. Emma is torn between her love for Damien and her desire to keep him and his race safe from the hunters.

This 3rd book in the Dyad Chronicles contains romance, mystery, and action. I couldn’t turn the page fast enough to see what course of action one of the character’s would choose next. My favorite line the author used to describe Damien was “sin on a stick.” It was enjoyable to visualize him. This was a fantastic book to read.

Joan

Cat in a Sapphire Slipper by Carole Nelson Douglas

Read by Joan

Midnight Louie lives in Las Vegas with his purrfect roommate Miss Temple Barr, a public relations freelancer with a nose for trouble. Temple’s maternal aunt is marrying one of Vegas’ famous, if not mafia, Fontana brothers, and his brothers and friends are throwing a bachelor party, ending up at the Chicken Ranch, a brothel just outside Vegas. Included in the excursion are Temple’s current interest, ex-priest Matt Devine, and, somehow, Midnight Louie. Throw in a dead body and Midnight Louie’s investigation, and it’s a fun read.

Midnight Louie is one of my favorite Animal detectives, after all, being a black cat with a white chest he has a built-in tux. As the head cat of Midnight, Inc., Midnight Louie inserts himself and his friends into the thick of a murder again and again, with newer adventures in the series on the shelves, and a new one coming out soon. I liked how Ms Douglas included the Chicken Ranch as the scene of the bachelor party and was able to get Midnight Louie involved all the way from Vegas.

Heidi

Cherry on Top by Susan Donovan

Read by Heidi

Cherise Newberry and her BFF Candy left North Carolina for Tampa, in hopes of making it big. And they did. Now they have lost it all, and not sure what to do next. Cheri gets a call from her grandfather to come home and run the family newspaper. With her tail between her legs, and her secret not known, she returns out of obligation. What she didn’t realize was that JJ DeCourcy was going to be the “go-to” man of the newspaper. JJ may still be gorgeous, but he broke Cheri’s heart with her sister. Trying to keep her distance, she works on the biggest story her small town has ever seen, she can’t avoid being so close to JJ and coming to terms with her past.

I loved this story and the many layers to the characters. I probably related to Cheri and her friend Candy the best… especially when you make huge mistakes and have to return home. But I adored the mystery twist to this romantic story, including JJ’s never ending love. The whole story brought a satisfying sigh of happiness at the end of the book.

joysann

The Witness by Nora Roberts

Listened to by joysann

Abigail Lowery is a mystery to the locals in the small Ozark community to which she recently moved, polite but unsociable, keeping to herself on her highly-secured rural property with her huge guard dog, and carrying a gun. Amiable, handsome Police Chief Brooks Gleason charms his way through the boundaries of her isolation, and finds an unusual, brilliant but lonely woman hiding big, frightening secrets. When it’s time for Abigail to confront the monsters of her past, Brooks is there to help her face the very real dangers of betrayal and a vicious criminal element.

Through her last few books, I’m finding that the already incredible Nora Roberts just keeps getting better and better. I was enthralled with The Witness, listening to its 16-some hours in less than a day and half. The story mixed brutal and chilling with romantic and charming in such a satisfying way that, with a fine reading by narrator Julia Whelan, I found listening a true pleasure.

Bottom Line: “What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance”~ Jane Austen

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Independence Day

Barbara Vey -- July 4th, 2012

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Sending warm wishes for a great Independence Day celebration to all the US and Happy 4th of July to everyone else. May your day be filled with picnics, family, friends, fun and fireworks! (Actually, my family is getting together on Saturday because that’s the day everyone can make it.)

Bottom Line: I’ll be watching the movie Independence Day…it’s an annual event.

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Magic Mike

Barbara Vey -- July 2nd, 2012

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Magic Mike

Last night was Girl’s Night Out. I went with my sisters and nieces to see Channing Tatum shake his stuff in Magic Mike. He did not disappoint.

The story is about Mike, a workaholic who works construction, auto detailing and, by the way, is also a stripper. But that’s not all. He does it all to save enough money to do what he really wants which is to make custom furniture from stuff he finds laying around. Mike meets “The Kid” at his construction job and brings him into the world of strippers.

Matthew McConaughey as Dallas

There is a romance trying to bud, but it needs more sunshine and water. The story is pretty weak, but the dance numbers more than make up for. Matthew McConaughey is at his finest as the kind of slimy, sleazy strip club owner who’s voice could melt butter.

The theater was filled with women anxious to have a good time. Most came in groups of 6 or more and the mood was kind of like going out for a bachelorette party. From my point of view, they could have done without the talking all together and just did the dance numbers. There were quite a few funny moments and as my sister said, “It was cheaper than going to a strip club.”

After I got home, I started to wonder if this could be a book. Not so much. This was a very visual experience that I couldn’t think words could justify. The screenplay must have read something like, “Blah, blah, blah.” Magic Mike gyrates takes his clothes off.

Bottom Line: Fun movie to see with your women friends…and a couple of bottles of wine wouldn’t hurt either.

Monday Giveaways

From Samhain Publishing: In July, Samhain Publishing is pleased to offer a gay contemporary romance and a contemporary ménage romance as our giveaway titles on Kindle at Amazon.com, Nook at BarnesandNoble.com, Sony at ebookstore.Sony.com and iTunes on their iBookstore. The first date is the day the book price flips to $0.00 and the second date is the final day discounted before it returns to regular price.

Begin Date End Date Book Title Author

7/1/2012 7/14/2012 Collision Course K.A. Mitchell

7/15/2012 7/28/2012 Chasing Sunset Sami Lee

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