RT 2010: Day 1

LOL, it's actually quite ironic to me how I am able to squeeze more blogging at the RT than when I was busy at work... What does it say? Although quite frankly, I haven't read at all yesterday and today, so that might explains it.

So here is a little recap of what happened on Day 1 of RT (i.e. yesterday - Wednesday).

As you know, the day started early for me yesterday and I was able to squeeze in some blogging. Then, I headed downstairs. See, in my registration envelope, I got my badge, but not the tickets that would allow me to redeem the registration bag and give me access to the goodies room. So I had to go see registration to ask for them and everything went without a hitch or any complication, question, etc. Then, I joined Kristie and Jill at the RT Welcome Party. It was a morning mixer with coffee and some introductions and a tribute to Kate Duffy. Seriously, I've been on blogland for the past 4 years and I gotta wonder where my head was... I mean, I've heard the name, but never really paid attention to it. It seems Ms Duffy was one heck of a woman who influenced the romance world greatly. It's really a pity that she is gone :( On the plus side, I got to meet Lisabea/LB Gregg :D It's always fun to meet other bloggers, especially when they've become authors :D

Afterwards, I went to The "Twisted Sisters" Tell All which was basically a Q & A session with Lori Foster, Gennita Low and Brenda Jackson (in that order in pic). LOL, it's funny because no workshops/panels seem to be really planned in advance - at least, the ones I've attended. Most of them, the authors simply answer the questions the audience asks. Anyway, The "Twisted Sisters" Tell All was a fun session :D I thought Gennita Low as so cute - love the way she is, very expressive, gestual and funny LOL. They talked a bit of this and that. Ms Foster is up to 80 books and Ms Jackson, 75 books published - wow. So they talked about their experience and how it is to have people around you reading your books, etc. I mean, nice session.

Then, I went to the YA: You Can Really Go Back panel with Richelle Mead, Michelle Rowen, Caitlin Kittredge, Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Vincent (in that order in the picture) and Stacey Klemstein aka Stacey Kade as moderator. LOL, I know that after this panel, I'll be going out to the bookstore to get a few more YA :P I really enjoyed that panel and will try to go into more details in a later post.

I meet up again with Jill and company and we were off to have lunch at the food court with Carolyn Crane!! :D It was a very nice lunch where we talked books :P (CJ, Jill, Mary and Kristie)

Afterwards, we went our separate ways once again and I attended the Spoonful of Frivolity with Sinfully Sweet Authors  with Linda and Mary, the 2 sisters that had taken Jill under their wings last year at the RT convention. Hmmm, this was some experience LOL. I didn't really know what to expect and basically went because there were prizes to be won. Hmmm, let say that these authors know how to turn on the heat LOL. I'm just glad I didn't win the dildo basket!

Then, once again, met up with Jill and Kristie. It's been a lot of split and meet up again. This time, it was for Trivial Pursuit hosted by Jessica Andersen and Hannah Howell. It was fun and surprisingly, we weren't that many. We were split into 2 teams and answered questions. It ended up being a tie :) (Jessica Andersen)

The biggest bummer for me yesterday was that Jim Butcher haven't made it to the RT yet because he and his wife missed their plane. There was an Author Chat session featuring him, MaryJanice Davison and Charlaine Harris. I don't read these two authors so I decided to skip and go to a different panel instead: Five Times a Night? Getting Honest about Sex Scenes with Heather Graham, Kathy Love, Erin McCarthy, Barry Eisler and F. Paul Wilson. It's not something I would attend usually, but the goal of coming to RT is also meeting authors that I read. Plus, I wanted to see Barry Eisler whom Jill, Linda and Mary praised a lot during lunch :P The best moment had to be when the authors were talking statistics... and one of the statistic was that the average erected penis circumference was 4 inches something and F. Paul Wilson found it hard to believe... and Barry Eisler spoke up saying that the previous week, for some reason, he actually measured the tour of his index and middle finger together and it was more than 4 inches. Of course, it just happened that someone in the audience had a measuring tape, so Ms Graham made sure that M Eisler was saying the truth... turns out that it was more than 4.5 inches!! LMAO. Anyway, lots of laughs in this panel. M Wilson brought up the fact that when he talks to romance authors, many of them say that they dislike/hate writing sex scenes. The consensus is because sex scenes are so important to the storyline as they are part and further the relatiosnships, they are hard to write. Another funny moment was when Ms McCarthy was recounting how an editor told her that blow-jobs were passé and M Eisler said, "Wow, I don't want to live in that world." LOL. It's very spontaneous at those panels/wokshops and that makes for a lot of fun. By the way, blow jobs are not passé - in case you were worried :P (Barry Eisler and Heather Graham... measuring :P)


I joined up with Jill, Linda, Marie and Kristy again fo the Intergalatic Bar and Grill event which is hosted Catherine Asaro, Jess Granger, Cindy Holby, Stacey Klemstein, Isabo Kelly, Janet Miller, Karin  Shah, Linnea Sinclair and Jade Lee. It lasts about an hour and there's a "trivia" game going on. The concept is very interesting, but I think there was a bit too many people. (Jade Lee in the pic - we're fighting over a balloon dog)

The two last events of the evening were the Ellora's Cave Party and the Midnight Mad Hatters Historical Tea Party, respectively from 8.30 to midnight and midnight to 1am!! Yeah, talk about a jam-packed day LOL. I got all ready for the Ellora's Cave Party (the theme was red) and then, decided not to go. There were a couple of reasons - I don't read Ellora and I don't dance... but most important was that I wanted to go to the Midnight Mad Hatters Historical Tea Party more and decided it'd be a good idea to conserve some energy. Seriously, midnight to 1am. So what did I decide to do instead? LOL, if you've been on Kristie's blog, you know - bookshopping :) See, I had a 33% coupon on any item for Borders, but it was only valid Tuesday and Wednesday... and it was Wednesday.... so I had to go to Borders and use it, right? Kristie offered to drive me to the bookstore (yay!!), so she could take another look in her car for little Jack. I went on google map, had all the directions written out and off we went :) Well I'm really, really, really happy I did :) I got Changes by Jim Butcher and Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong - both hardcovers, The Wishlist by Gabi Stevens, Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson and A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison. I totally scored because initially, I thought the 33% coupon would go towards Changes... but turns out, Changes was already 30% discounted, so the coupon went on Tales of the Otherworld. Yay!! So the total came up to 60-something$ and I paid with a bill of 100$. I get my change and the cashier is giving me a bill of 50$ and I was like: Hmmm, can I get change please. Then, as I walk out of the bookstore, I'm thinking: "Wait a minute. She said 60-something, so why did I get a bill of 50$?!?" Looked at the receipt and indeed, the cashier gave me the purchase amount instead of the change... I was all super happy, I mean, come on, "Score!!" LOL. Told Kristie... and she made me turn around and be honest ^_^; She said I'd feel better... and perhaps I do, but awwwww.

Anyway, buying books really cheered me up :P Then, as Kristie drove back to the hotel, we were looking for a place to eat. I've really been spoiled living in Montreal, because we have fabulous food courts. If there's one thing I have to complain about RT it's the food, but that's for another post. In the end, we found a pub to eat - the food was okay.

We finally made it to the hotel and ran into Jane from Dear Author and Sarah from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Went up to the room, left all my new purchases and then, it was time to go to the Midnight Mad Hatters Historical Tea Party. I thought I'd have time to rest by going to the bookstore, but not really. The event was nice and seriously, there were some gorgeous hats and the authors were beautifully dressed :)

(Victoria Alexander, Heather Graham, Sally Mackenzie and Carrie Lofty)

And after this, I finally got to go to bed :P So yes, it's really been a full day. The schedule is quite busy... and that's why it took me 2 days to write this post!! LOL. Hopefully, I'll find time to write more... but no promises :P Pictures to come later... (no time to figure this out)

RT 2010: Day 0

Hello everyone :D

Just to let everyone know that Jill, Kristie and I made it safely to Columbus :) I don't know how often I'm going to be able to blog... so I'll take this opportunity to blog a little...

Day started early for me, 5am to be exact. Luckily, I was all packed. The most difficult was actually choosing which books to bring with me on the plane. I got a case of "nothing appeals to me." Sigh. I finally brought Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts, Warprize and Warlord by Elizabeth Vaughan and Iron King.

My flight was delayed because they had to defrost the plane ^_^; Did I mention wet snow? However, I had  3 hours lay-over, so I was safe. The funniest thing happened to me though in Toronto while I was waiting for my 2nd flight. I was sitting there, waiting... and the two ladies next to me started talking and one mentioned Lori Foster signing. Then, I looked over and she had a Sony e-reader... so I asked if they were going to Columbus and if yes, RT convention... and they were!! One lady was an editor for Samhain, the other was... Michelle Rowen!! I got a nice little bookmart - my first freebie even before getting to Columbus! By the way, both ladies were very nice :) The connection is not just between bloggers, but even author-reader! Oh... and the flight from Toronto and Columbus? Ugh. I still feel nauseous from it... it was such a small plane!

Jill was already waiting for me when I got to Columbus airport and we shared a cab to get to the hotel. Kristie joined us about an hour later and after some rest, we headed out for some snack. Then, I went to the RT Virgin for some tips :)

The coolest thing though was that we were meeting with Mollie from Book Fare Delights - a Columbus native - for dinner at 7pm. The group suddenly expanded when Jill's friends joined us as well as author Delilah Marville! We had a really great time during dinner just talking about books, blogging and etc. :) So far, it's really been great. There's an insane amount of people this year - apparently, they're expecting 1200 attendees!! Can you imagine? That's just a lot, lot, lot of people! And everyone is just so friendly. People just come up to each other and start up conversation.

Anyway, so far it's very cool and relax... the next few days will probably be a lot, lot, lot busier :D But I'll still try to blog. Pictures to come later. I haven't figured out how to upload them ^_^;

RT 2010: Day -1/0

Hmmm, yes. I was planning to blog a little bit more about me getting ready for RT, but doesn't seem like it's going to happen...

Technically, it's actually Day 0 right now, since it's 12.33am. Guess what? Miraculously, I'm all packed. All I'm missing is which book I'm going to bring with me on the plane... The whole packing wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be. There were a few panic moments of course, but otherwise... it's been going on smoothly.

I went to work today and it was okay. Not as hectic as I thought it would be. This is my first real vacation since I've started work. I wasn't the only one nervous LOL. Hopefully, everything will be okay ^_^;

Let see if I can recap what has happened in the last few days...


DAY -6:

LOL, it was actually funny. That morning, I came down to the kitchen early and was waiting my sister. While waiting, I started talking with my parents... It went something like this...

Me: Next week, this time, I'll be on the plane! I'm so excited!

Dad: So, how much is the registration for the convention?

Me: Huh? What?

Dad: You have to pay for those things.

Mom: Don't you see she's trying to avoid your answer.

Me: *really fast* 500$

Dad: What? Wow, that's a lot of money.

Mom: I don't hear you say that when you spend 500$ on wine. In the end, your wine is just pee.

Me and sis: Go mom!!

LMAO. It was sooo funny. That was such a good answer LOL. It wasn't that my dad disapproved it, but I guess he didn't expect it to be so expensive. I know I'm a grown woman and I don't need my parents approval, but I have to say, I'm glad my parents are okay with it. I'm not saying they've been supportive, pushing me to go, etc. But they haven't said anything along the lines of: "Why are you going?" or "This is a waste of money."


Day -5:

This is the day the screw got loose and my lens fell off the frame of my glasses. Let say, I did panic for 2 seconds. It was like: Oh no! Why is it happening now?!?! I need my freaking glasses on the trip!!

In the end, everything was fine. It took them 5 minutes to get my glasses back together... However, the lesson I got from this? Bring my extra pair of glasses to RT! LOL. Which is something I wouldn't have done in the past...


Day -4:

I don't think anything special happened really that day. Except I had to coach my co-worker how to process urine samples. My boss was being very paranoid and annoying. Oh, I did jump up and down when my boss said: Have a nice week-end... without any mention of me coming to work during the week-end! It was my first free week-end since Easter... Wow, seriously, Easter sounds so far away...


Day - 3:

Went to have breakfast and then shopping with a friend. Got this very nice red top that I'm bringing with me. Only problem is I didn't have the proper bra... So had to get a new one. Seriously, I'm so clueless about that stuff ^_^; My friend also lent me a suitcase weighter... Actually don't know how it's called, but it's a gadget that measure the weight of your suitcases... and it's like big as my hand. It's really practical and I'm really thinking I'm going to need it LOL.

Then, I went home and I played cards with my parents' friends. I lost :(


Day - 2:

I was still in my shopping mood, so I went out to look for jeans and accessories. Nothing appealing really... but I did end up buying Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts and Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery. Initially, I was going to wait to get to the States to buy it - it'd be cheaper. But then, I had a 35%off coupon that I used on the NR, so it was cheaper than the American price. I know I could have gotten it even cheaper in the States, but I figured it'd be two books less to bring back home right? Which is something very important given the potential number of books I'm going to bring back. So my logic is sound :D Except that I've started Savor the Moment today... and I really want to bring it with me now!! ^_^; Maybe I'll bring it with me to read, give it to Jill and then get a new copy when I get back?

Also, I brought up the suitcases I'm planning to bring with me. Nowadays, we're only allowed one free check baggage when traveling to the US with Air Canada. I've decided to bring 2 and just pay for the second one on my way back. The 2nd check baggage cost 30$ which is not too bad... and way better than if your 1st baggage is oversize or overweight (75$). I did toy with the idea of buying a bigger suitcase... but then, the limiting factor for me is not going to be the size, but the weight. When I came back from the Canadian blogger meet last year, my suitcase weighted 32kg!! The limit is 23kg by plane... So see, I don't need bigger.

Also, next time I'm buying a suitcase, I'm really going to pay attention to the weight of it, when it's empty. I was playing with the suitcase weight gadget and found out that my suitcases are 4 and 3kg respectively. That's a lot!!

I spent the rest of the day starting to pack... So I put a lot of clothes in the laundry ^_^; and then, I hunted for my cute high heels shoes that I bought for Holly's wedding... and I just couldn't find them!!! I looked and I looked... and I started panicking. Last time I saw them was when I went to California for my cousin's wedding. Haven't worn or seen them since... In the end, I was ready to give up and just bring my other shoes - the sandals one... Till I realized I haven't seen them either for quite a while!! Gosh. Finally, I found the sandals, but not the high heels. Phew. The sandals might not go with the dress... but who cares?


Day -1:

First thing my mom did was to look for my high heels shoes and of course, she found them... in the closet. In my defense, they were on the top shelf in a Gap bag... but yeah, it's a relief LOL. In any case, my feet going to hurt and I can't walk in those... but LOL, I'm vain enough to wear them.

Work was okay. Nothing special. I did stay a bit late, but that was my decision. I wanted everything to be done and clear for my vacation. My boss asked if he could email me in case of problem... Sure, but no guarantee when I'm going to check/answer.

Finally came home. Started packing. What annoys me is I keep misplacing stuff... like putting them away too well. That's really annoying. Anyway. I made copies of all my documents, left copies with my mom. I have the money, the booking info for flight, confirmation email for convention and hotel, my passport. I have the clothes, the books for bookswap, a toothbrush, shampoo-conditioner, toothpaste.... I have the camera, the batteries are charged, cell phone, cell phone charger, my mp3 players, earphones... I mean, I guess I'm set....

Oh, by the way, do you know what kind of temperature we're having tomorrow? Apparently, we're getting wet snow!! I mean, seriously?!?! It has to be the day I'm leaving on a trip!!! Grrrr. So far though, it doesn't seem like it started to rain or snow. I hope the weather ppl got it wrong.


And there you have it, the recap of my past week :) Now, I'm going to head for bed... Quite frankly, I'm not sure how I feel right now. I'm not really excited, but at least, the dread syndrome hasn't hit. I do think it's because I was too busy with work. I was very nervous today... or perhaps just worrying too much about small details... or perhaps it's the pizza I ate yesterday. A good night of sleep and everything should be good :)

My flight leaves Montreal at 9am. Should make it in Toronto at 10.15am. Then, back on the plane at 1.15pm to 2.45pm. I'm glad the flights are so short :) Jill and I are meeting at the airport... and by the time we make it to the hotel, Kristie should be in as well :D

Then, we're meeting Mollie from Book Fare Delights who lives in Columbus for dinner :D

Definitively, great time ahead!

I'll try to take as many pictures as possible and hopefully, be able to blog and check my emails... but at least, if I'm scarce in the next few days, you know why!!

RT 2010: Day -7

So it's official, there's only one week left till I make my way to Columbus, Ohio. WOOOOHOOOO!!! By this time, next week, I'll hopefully be enjoying a nice meal with Jill, Kristie and Mollie :)

I'm really super excited about the trip, meeting bloggers and authors, attending my first book convention! I know I'm going to have a blast!! I can't wait to start packing and organizing my stuff. I've gradually started checking out some stuff, trying to set up a loose schedule - I like to have an idea of what I'm going to do... Just as a guideline :D

So far, the dread-syndrome hasn't hit me yet. I don't know about you, but whenever I go on a trip, the few days just before, I start dreading it. Just don't want to go anymore ^_^; Of course, once I'm on the road, I completely forget about it and have a great time... but so far, nothing. Perhaps it's too early and it hasn't hit me yet. Perhaps it's because I've been so busy at work and I just want time off LOL.

While the dread-syndrome hasn't hit me yet, I've started worrying about the small details. Did you know I was an awful fretter? Yep, I worry about small things... How am I going to bring everything back home, the suitcases, the customs, etc. Also, I couldn't get a direct flight from Montreal to Columbus, so I'll be stopping at Toronto. I rarely buy connecting flights, I hate connections. This mean I'll have to go through the customs in Toronto... not sure how it's going to turn out.

A lot of emotions going through me right now :) And lucky you, I'll keep you posted on it all! :D

This and that...

Ugh, my sister left her cell phone in my room and of course, she had to have a call at 7am ^_^; That's way too early for me today. Though instead of going back to sleep right away, I turned on my computer to check my email, blog-hop and now blog. What does it say about me?

I was going to right this post yesterday and complain that work has robbed me from my reading mojo... However, not sure I can still say that since I finished 2 books yesterday. The first one was Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald and I ended up skimming through the 2nd half. I should have just put it down as DNF, but since I haven't read a single book this week, I pushed through... then, the second was Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs and I stayed up till 2.30am to finish it. Good thing today is Sunday :P So I guess my reading mojo is not completely gone... but we'll see how today goes :)

And wow, March is almost over... by the way, the deadline for the March Re-Read Challenge will be this week - just thought I'd remind everyone. Okay, back to March is almost over. Can't believe how fast it went by! This time next month, I'll be at RT 2010 in Columbus!! Woohoo!! Can't wait, especially after this hellish week at work! Mollie who used to own Biblioharlot's Bookshelf and Teen Troves blog is back with a new blog - Book Fare Delights :) I remembered she lived in Columbus and contacted her to get some recommendations and so, she's come up with two nice nice restaurant and bookstores rec posts :D Yeah, the bookstores rec post - that's for me ^_^; I know, I know... I'm going to RT 2010, am assured to get a ton of books there, and I still need bookstores rec. What can I say, I'm sick LOL :P No, seriously, the reason I asked for bookstores recommendations is that since I'm going to the RT convention, I'm holding off buying several books such as Changes by Jim Butcher, Tales of the Otherworld and The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong, etc. I figure if these books are not available at the convention, I should still try getting them in the States, because 1) it'll be cheaper - US price < CDN price and CDN$ ~ US$ at the moment and 2) I keep getting those great coupons for Borders and Barnes & Nobles, so the book will be even cheaper! The hardcovers and trade-size books are the ones I'll be aiming for (hello, Savour the Moment by Nora Roberts anyone?)... since I'll already have lots of books, what difference does a couple more make? Okay, granted, I must not go crazy at the UBS...

Another reason that I'm determined to get Tales of the Otherworld in the States is because of the cover.

US cover on left and CDN on right

I usually like the Canadian covers  better for this series; however, they've recently re-"covered" all of the Women of the Otherworld series... Ms Armstrong calls them her Twilight covers, which have black backgrounds with mostly white and black pictures of body parts and Twilight font lettering. Some of them are made more striking with the addition of some colors. I thought some of them were very pretty (No Humans Involved, Bitten, Stolen... see them here), but others are just plain weird. The Canadian version of Tales of the Otherworld is actually not that bad, but the US cover is much prettier IMHO. So that's the one I want and that means buying it at the bookstores in Columbus if I can't find it at RT convention... However, I don't know what I'll do this summer when Waking the Witch is released...

US cover on left and CDN on right

I mean, seriously, the Canadian version is freaky and I can't decide if it's because of the dirt on her skin or the eyes. Probably both. Ah well, at least, I have an option, right? :P

Okay, going back to bed...

Review: Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr

Wooohoooo!! It's Friday! Gosh, it was hard to come back to work after the holidays ^_^; and worst, I've been having a shitty at work. This made the whole week stressful and verrrry looooong. You can't imagine how glad I am that the week-end is around the corner... and judging from the quietness on blogland this week, I bet I'm not the only one feeling this way :)

Still, the week wasn't entirely bad. First, I was able to find a way to get my own copy of Almost Like Being in Love and bonus, I found Changing Pitches as well, both by Steve Kluger. Huge thank to Hilcia :D I finally typed up my TBB list of new releases for January to March and gave it to James at Coles. He seemed overly happy... I think he was getting tired of my calls :P A close friend was also celebrating her 27th birthday, so it was fun to get together :) And I finally bought my plane tickets yesterday to Columbus in April!! Yay! I got a pretty good deal as well, so double yay! LOL. To me, it never sinks in that I'm going on a trip till I start buying the plane tickets and planning things out :)

All right, enough about me :) More about what I read...


Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr
published by Mira in December 2009

Virgin River is abuzz with the news that a stranger bought the town's abandoned church on eBay. The buyer, a young widowed reverend, is a little like the building itself: in need of some loving care.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he's going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings an improbable candidate his way.

"Pastor's assistant" is not a phrase that springs to mind when Noah meets brassy, beautiful Ellie Baldwin. With her colorful clothes and even more colorful past, Ellie needs a respectable job so she can regain custody of her children. Noah can't help but admire her spunk and determination, and she may just be the breath of fresh air he needs.

This unlikely duo may come from two different worlds, but they have more in common than anyone would have expected. And in Virgin River lasting happiness is never out of the question.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Virgin River, Book #9 (counting novellas)

The Story: Hmmm, I started writing the synopsis for Forbidden Falls and it seemed only another variation of the back blurb. So I won't go over it again... The only thing that the back blurb does not cover and I want to add is the secondary storyline, involving Paul and Vannie. Paul and Vannie have decided for a second baby... however, their world is shaken upside down and things get a little shaky between the couple when Paul discovers that his ex-girlfriend has named him guardian of her little baby girl... The same baby she tried to pass as Paul's own...

My Opinion: Overall, I enjoyed Forbidden Falls. It didn't wow me like Virgin River did, but I did think it was better than Second Chances or Paradise Valley. Also, looking back at my reviews of the Virgin River books, I do think I've been a bit generous with the grades for the second trilogy ^_^; Ah well.

I thought the storyline in Forbidden Falls was interesting, although a bit predictable. I liked re-discovering Virgin River through the eyes of new characters. I also liked Noah and Ellie's characters. Noah's character is the good buddy guy. He's friendly and nice and likes to help others. In a way, he's perfect for the job of minister. As for Ellie, she was definitively the interesting character. She comes from a humble background and made some poor decisions concerning men, but she's definitively a devoted mother. What I liked best about her character is that she was comfortable with who she was. She's not apologetic about her background, there's no shame or self-pity. Life is what it is and she takes it in stride. There's also an earthy quality to her, plus a inner core of steel that makes her mentally strong. I don't want to use this word, but what comes to mind is that Ellie is an "unsophisticated" heroine. How many books did you read about heroines from poor backgrounds doing whatever to leave that background behind and aim for a better life? Well Ellie hasn't been able to surpass her background and I don't think she minds or cares. Money is tight and she does what she can for her and her kids. She does want better conditions of life, but not so much for herself but more for her kids. Yep, I definitively thought her character was interesting and so different than most heroines out there.

As for the side storyline involving Paul and Vannie, I thought it was interesting... I felt sorry for Paul and Vannie to have their lives turn upside down. However, the story didn't reach me and mostly, because I think it's wasn't too realistic. Seriously, who names someone legal guardian of their kids without asking permission? It doesn't really matter that you think it'll never happen! You just don't do that in my opinion. I have to say though, Ms Carr has a way with writing... because the babies sounded so cute!! I'd have loved to see Matt and Hannah play together! Awww.

Aside from the storylines and characters, what made Forbidden Falls more enjoyable for me is that Ms Carr focused on two stories: Noah & Ellie and Paul & Vannie. In the second trilogy, there were too much going on in one book - too many POVs, too many storylines. The stories seem incomplete... however, the balance is much better in Forbidden Falls and so I hope the trilogy will continue in this trend. We still get to see our favorite characters: Jack, Mel, Preacher, etc. but they are more in the background this time and play a less active role, which is good with me.

While I enjoyed the storyline and characters, I thought the romance plot wasn't strong enough. I didn't particularly feel the chemistry between Noah and Ellie. I think their relationship was too predictable... However, my biggest issue was my impressions of Noah and Ellie. Noah is 35 years old, a widower, someone used to hard work... However, by his dismeanor and description, I kept imagining someone much younger. Think more of a young man, happy-go-lucky. As a result, whenever he thought of his wife, it sounded off. As for Ellie, well she was described as being quite tall... but I don't know, I kept imagining her petite. I guess that didn't help me connecting with the characters, having a mental image that is so off with what's written.

My Grade: B. An encouraging start to the trilogy.

New corner shelf

Still no review, but some exciting news :D

First, guess what? Yes, I registered for the RT convention yesterday morning!! It's official ladies, I'm going!! Wooohoooo :D I'm definitively looking forward to it. It's exciting and scary all at once, LOL.

Also went to the bookstore yesterday and bought a few books. Didn't go crazy, so that's good news... but the real good news is for Canadian bloggers: it's customer day at Chapters/Indigo/Coles this week-end (November 14 and 15)!! :) Okay, so they have renamed it Family & Friends Day, but who cares what it's called :) What matter is that you get 25% off on books and products in-store if you're an irewards member (15% off if you're not). You have to show the coupon, but I'm sure they'll just give it to you in-store on those days anyway. That's good news, right? So I'll probably stop by the bookstores again this week-end :)

Finally... I think I did mention a while ago that I won a corner bookshelf over at Anna's Book Blog, courtesy of CSN office furniture. Well, I've finally received it yesterday!! Yay!

So this is how the bookshelf was supposed to look:


However, what I didn't realize is that it would need to be screwed onto the wall for it to stand ^_^; Yes, I know, I know - DUH! LOL. How did I think it'd stand on it's own? To tell the truth though, I didn't really want to screw it onto the wall, especially since the corner it's going to sit in is one wall and a bookshelf. So I thought it'd modify the design a little... and now, it looks like this:

It looks a little more like a nightstand or a coffee table, but hey, it'll still serve it's purpose! :) And yes, my room is pretty dusty and disgusting ^_^; I didn't realize we'd see all the dust in the pic ^_^;

I put some books in it to see how it'll look:

I think it's quite pretty. So far, I put most of my trade-size books in it. I'm not sure though if it'll stay that way. I think I'm going to have some fun with my books this week-end ;)

So what do you think? Not bad, right? :P