This and that...

Hmmm, I haven't been posting much lately :( Sad. Basically, work is sucking away all my energy ^_^; I've been running to do this and that... My supervisor keeps changing his mind and coming up with weird ideas... well not weird, but different and unexpected. Good news is that I haven't had to come in on the week-end for the past two weeks. Dunno about this week, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

My friend S had me hooked to this UK show: Top Gear. It's about cars... I don't really care about the cars and their testings, but I enjoy seeing the challenges and the chemistry between the three hosts. They are simply just hilarious :)

The two above combined together have pushed me into a reading slump. I'm reading, but not really focusing... and I feel meh about whatever I'm reading. That sucks too. Hopefully, I'll be able to climb my way out of slumpville... but let just say, this morning I looked at all those new books and I couldn't decide what to read... that's usually not a good sign.

I've been looking at upcoming releases for December... is it me, or it's quite pitiful? I think I have 3 or 4 books on my list and one, I put because, euh, there was nothing on my list... How am I suppose to use the coupons that I got from the bookstores?!?!

I've been surfing on Chapters/Indigo online like crazy, looking for future releases... 2009 looks good so far for me... Although some of the books I'm really looking forward to are still MIA in their list... However, guess what? I was able to find information and covers for them!!!


Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it’s time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan’s glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal’s unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she never knew she possessed...powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she’s ever known.

Was able to find a date on Ms. Snyder's website... and Storm Glass is coming out on... April 28, 2009!!


White Star by Elizabeth Vaughan

The Lady High Priestess Evelyn, known as Evie to her friends, is a healer, dedicated to using her magic in the service of the goddess to aid others and give strength where it is needed. Orrin Blackheart couldn't be more different. With his black armour, a black name and a blacker reputation, he's been feared and hated in equal parts. So on his defeat and capture in battle, the Goddesses insistence that Evie saves him from a death sentence astonishes them both - as does the growing attraction between them. But in saving Orrin Evie condemns herself to a prohibition on her magic and a penance posting on the edges of the land, while to retain his salvation Orrin must battle a spreading plague across the land. Fate clearly has plans for them both - but to fulfill them, both must survive the perils ahead.

This book is supposed to come out on April 7, 2009. Definitively can't wait.

Both books sound really good :D I can't wait to get them, seriously!!


By the way, we, romance readers, have been complaining about the number of series out there. It seems that all books now are part of a series and there's barely any stand-alone book. However, did you ever notice that it's actually worst in the mystery section? It's all series as well... and worst, it takes forever for the heroine or hero to get with someone. Ugh.

Monthly Reads August 2008

So how was everyone's long week-end? I hope everyone got to relax and enjoy... Mine was very lazy. Didn't do much besides reading and sleeping ^_^;

So August is over and here we are in September. I have to say, I'm not complaining too much, because we're having really nice weather compared to this summer. It's sunny and the temperature is warm, without being suffocating. It's a nice change from all the rain we've got. Anyway, month's over and that means it's time for me to post up my monthly list of reads :) Just telling though, I've been re-organizing some stuff... and well, it's not going well so I haven't been that good at keeping track of my books read :( I could be missing a couple... Sigh.

1) Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery: C
2) Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra: B-
3) Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan: C
4) The Widows of Witchita County by Jodi Thomas: B
5) Ace is Wild by Penny McCall: B
6) The Secrets of Rosa Lee by Jodi Thomas: B-
7) Crazy for You by Kate Angell: C
8) One Night of Scandal by Teresa Medeiros: B+
9) A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros: B
10)Windswept by Ann Macela: B
11) Countdown by Michelle Maddox: B+
12) 20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak: B+
13) Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs: B
14) If There be Dragons by Kay Hooper: B
15) Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh: B to B+

** I also read Thicker Than Blood by Meljean Brook... but I won't count it, as it was part of the anthology First Blood, and I haven't read the other novellas.

So far, from what I've got recorded, that's it. Which is not too shabby, considering how the month started. With the Olympics and so on, I'll take the 14 reads :)

Also, since it's the beginning of the month, I've been going around on my favorite authors' websites... There are some interesting news to say the least :)

Kelley Armstrong, author of the Women of the Otherworld series, had her contract extended for books 11-13!!! Yay!! Apparently, she's trying to negotiate with the publishers so she could include male narrators in the books :) Living with the Dead is coming out this fall (October if I'm not wrong)... the next book's working title is Frostbitten and from gossips around the web, it's a Pack book, i.e. Elena should be the narrator, and for some reason, the Pack goes to Alaska. Hmmm, interesting! :) Finally, we'll finally get Savannah's book - book 11!!

Maria V. Snyder sent out a newsletter a few days ago. Apparently, she's done writing Storm Glass and is now writing book 2 in the trilogy, Sea Glass. Storm Glass is due out for April 2009 and Sea Glass, September 2009. Woohoo. Let's hope Mira learned from their previous experience and don't go out there changing the format and dates of the releases.

Nalini Singh's newest release Hostage to Pleasure is officially out today :) In addition, she posted excerpt of her next books on her website :)

All around, that's pretty good news to me :)

Around the Web...

Nothing very new today... I started The Brass Bed by Jennifer Stevenson... but quickly realized that it wasn't for me. I don't know... First, I hate love triangles... when my heroine gets with a hero, I want them to stick together and not look around. However, in The Brass Bed, it seems the heroine, Jewel, as the choice between Clay, a con artist, and Randy, a sex demon... Hmmm. The worst is that this is a trilogy and I guess the love triangle won't be resolved soon. Luckily for me, I didn't buy the 2 other books. For once, I was wise :)

I was going to switch book, but then, we lost power... which came out of nowhere... no storms, no strong wind... Since it was so dark, I just decided to go to sleep. You could hear my sister: "No!! I don't want to go to sleep!!" LOL, lucky for us, it wasn't while we were watching So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). I don't know when the power came back, but my sis still wasn't asleep... so I guess it wasn't very long.

So I was looking around the web to kill time... Hmm, I'm annoyed because Chapters still haven't shipped The Tribute by Nora Roberts and Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik to me yet. I've just checked online and apparently, they have copies in store... However, since both these books are hardcovers, I think I'm going to wait... Ugh... Hopefully, I'll be able to wait ^_^;

I was putting books in my wishlist and I came across Kay Hooper's new cover!!! Her next book is Blood Sins, book 2 in the Blood trilogy, and is to be released in December 16! I've been looking for that one... Still no synopsis though... I really wonder who's going to be the agents that will appear in it :)

Since July just started, I remembered to check Kelley Armstrong website. Seriously, it's fun when authors update their website at some fixed dates. For Kelley Armstrong, it's always at the beginning of the month (usually on the 1st)... To kick of the summer, she has an excerpt of her next book in the Women of the Otherworld series, Living with the Dead. Click here to read :) Have to say, I like what I've read so far...

Around the web...

Hi everyone :)

So what's new around the web? Well I'm probably the last one to realize that there's an excerpt of Demon Bound, new installment in the very good series The Guardians by Meljean Brook... I did the mistake of reading it and seriously, I want the book NOW! NOW!!! (click here for excerpt)

>

Also, Ms Naomi Novak has just put up an excerpt of Victory of Eagles, book #5 in the Temeraire series, on her website. I really enjoyed it and luckily for me, the book is coming out next month, so that's not too far away :P I might just survive the wait LOL (click here for excerpt)

Finally, the muse of blogging has been visiting me this week and I've been very productive writing posts and reviews LOL :) Result? I have reviewed In Twilight's Shadow by Patti O'Shea over at Book Binge :) (click here for review)

Around the web...

LOL, I've seen this kind of post on many blogs, so I'm kinda stealing the idea :P It's actually a great idea for sharing stuff with others :)


So first of all, I have a review up with Brie from the Cupid's Chokeholds over at Breezing Through. This time, I'm reviewing 50 ways to Hex your Lover by Linda Wisdom.

Jazz can't decide whether to scorch him with a fireball or jump into bed with him. Jasmine Tremaine, a witch who can't stay out of trouble Nikolai Gregorivich, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire cop on the trail of a serial killer. The sizzling love affair between Jazz and Nick has been off-again, on-again-for about 300 years. Mostly off, lately. But now Nick needs Jazz's help, and while Jazz and Nick try to figure out their own hearts and resist their ever-increasing attraction, they must steer clear of a maniacal killer with super-supernatural powers. They are surrounded by a hilarious cast of oddball paranormal characters, including Irma, the chain-smoking ghost who haunts Jazz's sports car, Dweezil, her ghoul of a boss, and Fluff and Puff, a pair of bunny slippers with sharp teeth and short tempers (watch your ankles)

Secondly... I was over at Nalini Singh's website earlier this week and she has some deleted scenes of Beat of Temptation up :) I really like scene no.1... so cute!


And last, but not least... Laura Lee Guhrke has a sneak peak of her upcoming book, Secret Desires of a Gentleman. Secret Desires of a Gentleman is the third book in the Bachelorette series...

Once Upon a Time…

Maria Martingale was going to elope. But Phillip Hawthorne, Marquess of Kayne, put a stop to those plans when he learned his younger brother intended to marry a cook’s daughter. Now twelve years later, Maria discovers that the man who holds her fate in his hands is none other than the haughty gentleman who sent her packing – and he’s as handsome and arrogant as ever.

Happily Ever After?

Always the proper gentleman, Phillip will do anything to protect his family from scandal, and when Maria dares to move in right next door, he knows scandal will surely follow. She is as tempting as he remembered… and the more he sees her, the harder it is for Phillip to hide his own secret desire for her…

Sounds good no? Can't wait to see how the story will turns out... as it seems Phillip might be the one for Maria :) Good news is that it's coming out in October 2008 instead of early 2009 :P